Final Notice, page 22
Rebecca commented, “This would have made Mom so happy.” She hadn’t intended it to hurt her father, but it was like a knife in the gut.
“What do you mean?” he said, almost gasping.
Rebecca realized by his tone of voice that she had made a mistake. She and her mom had discussed politics, and specifically her father’s politics, many times. Her mother always defended her husband, saying that although he didn’t agree with a lot of the party’s direction, he worked behind the scenes to change it, bowing to the majority only if changing anything was impossible.
“Just that you’re taking a stand on these important issues.”
“Because I never did before?”
Rebecca was desperate to avoid hurting her Father. She was proud of what he was doing, even if it was late in the game.
“I didn’t mean that. Mom was always proud of you and knew that you did what you could and what you knew was right. I just meant that you really put it out there with those six great points.”
McAdam was mollified a bit, and pleased that Rebecca wasn’t just doing a high-level bullshit job on him. She knew what he was standing for.
“OK, thanks. Not sure what I’ll be able to change, if anything, but it’s actually been exciting to give it a go. Tiring, too.”
Rebecca switched into the other side of the dynamic duo role of Loving Daughter - Doctor. “Are you feeling alright?”
“I’m OK. Just tired. I’m seeing Doc Turner on Monday and he’ll tell me how much time I’ll have to complete my agenda, and no doubt, he’ll prioritize it for me.”
Rebecca laughed. She knew Doc Turner. In fact, he was the one who inspired her to be a doctor. She remembered the day he asked her if she wanted to listen to her heart with his stethoscope. She said yes and from that day on, being a doctor was all she ever wanted to do; and listening to her heart was something that always came naturally, co-existing with the dictates of her scientist’s brain.
“Tell him I said hello. In fact, I just thought of something. There’s a company here in the Boston area that is testing a new watch/health monitor. It has the capability to monitor your blood. Ask Doc Turner to get you signed up for one, and if he has a problem getting one, tell him to call me. I know some of the manufacturer’s people and maybe we can pull some strings for a distinguished Senator.”
“What’s it called?”
Rebecca clicked away on a computer and replied, “VT2.”
They finished up their call and overall, it made McAdam happy. He always felt that Anne would have liked him to be more independent in his thinking and more liberal, but she never specifically said as much. Rebecca had tried to cover her slip-up, but it was really not a surprise; it was just the truth.
***
Pasadena, California. Vince had picked up the story about McAdam as he trawled through the web looking at gun incidents. He saw the Mobile shooting and McAdam’s response to it, thinking that there was finally one Republican who was not afraid to speak out. He was still amazed that out of the almost 300 GOP US Senators and Representatives, there was still only one.
He’d received three of his four rabies shots and nothing changed. He still had the headaches, fever and was irritable. And he was becoming more anxious about getting justice before it was too late.
Trudi had, independently, come across McAdam too, while surfing online, reading about the WBFC shooting incident. Her dislike of the NRA had turned to hatred. These tragedies were all so easily avoidable!
***
Montgomery, Alabama. McAdam waited until the West Coast hour was more sociable and called Thomas. Thomas was pretty much apolitical, and McAdam didn’t even know what party he backed. They just never talked about it. All was well with him, but as McAdam didn’t even know what Thomas did, it was hard to ask questions so the call was short, but warm.
As expected, Mrs. Mays dropped by just before noon. She, too, had seen McAdam on TV - CNN, in her case. She was happy about his stand on healthcare and voting rights and she didn’t ask why he was changing. She was just happy that he was. She and her family relied on healthcare insurance and she also hoped she would live to see the day that she, her family, and friends, could go to the polls with only the excitement of casting a ballot, instead of wondering if there would be something wrong with their ID, or police intimidation; something that white people have never seen or felt. McAdam wondered if she was aware of his newly adopted positions because they had a long-term relationship or if, in fact, the message really was resonating across a wider circle.
So, he asked, “Are your friends and family aware of what I’ve been saying?”
“Yes sir, Senator. You better believe they are. You keep talking like that and you’ll win really big, next election.” McAdam smiled and thanked Mattie. He didn’t need to get into his decision not to run again. They talked a bit more and Mattie said she’d come by on Wednesday to check that everything was OK.
After Mattie left, McAdam’s light breakfast was fading fast, and he knew what to do about it. Sam’s BBQ for lunch. He’d been going to Sam’s for as long as he could remember and as varied and good as the food was in DC, Sam’s was even better. He pulled into the parking lot, packed with pick-ups and cars, in front of an old run-down building with smoke pouring out of a crooked smokestack. The smell of deep wood smoke was all around. The young woman at the desk inside welcomed him with that typical southern charm that can’t be replicated. He ordered the combo plate of smoked sausage on top of slow-cooked BBQ pork, with amazing baked beans, fries, and slaw like nowhere else.
Absolutely stuffed, but knowing that his appetite would return that evening, he stopped in at The Fresh Market on the way home and picked up some other food items, including a Shrimp Noodle Bowl. He had always liked to cook but never had the time, nor, it seemed, the ever-expanding list of necessary ingredients. The Bowls at Fresh Market were like a kit, which were easy to put together, and included all the ingredients. The shrimp one was his favorite.
His poor night’s sleep and lunch at Sam’s, no doubt, combined to make him very tired, so he took a nap and this time, slept well. That evening, after another stroll around The Retreat’s gardens, he successfully executed the directions for putting together the Shrimp Noodle Bowl and he tuned in to Fox News, hearing the tail end of an interview with Todd “Todey” Creud, who called McAdam a traitor and un-American. He sure has a fitting name, McAdam mused. He realized, however, that even if it hadn’t come from the generally despised Creud, he didn’t care. He was over that hump of indecision and second- guessing. His course of action was clear, and nothing would stop him from trying to make an improvement in the status quo.
He switched off the TV, poured himself another glass of cabernet sauvignon, and opened a book that Rebecca had given him for Christmas, “Breakfast of Champions” by Kurt Vonnegut, for the first time. Before going to bed – after finishing his wine and a substantial part of the book – he checked his e-mail messages. Amongst the many was one from Senator Grant.
“John: Are you free to meet with some of our colleagues on Wednesday, 1:00 PM? There will be 3 attendees: Tim Wooley, Chick Lawnley and Todey Creud. (Sorry about the last one.) I won’t be able to attend. They will be arriving on Tuesday and are staying at the Renaissance Hotel. They’ll depart on Thursday in case you need more time to discuss things. Also, would it be possible to meet at The Retreat? It will be more private and less likely to attract attention. Please let me know asap.
Lawrence”
Talk about the bad, the worse and the ugly! And that was just Creud! McAdam reviewed the list. Tim Wooley from Kansas was a hard-line whacko. He received almost a million dollars from a pro-Israel organization, and he was a defense industry darling, getting mega bucks from them. He was one of the Senators who sent a letter to Iran ... thinks the problem with Guantanamo is too many empty beds ... calls food stamp recipients addicts ... and is against equal pay for women, and protection for women from violence.
Chick Lawnley, of Indiana, was even older than McAdam and made him (well, his former self) look like a rebel by comparison, with his ass-kissing ways. He made a fortune from industry, and this trip away from his constituency was just what he needed. They were after his scalp back home.
And Todd “Todey” Creud was the most despised Senator in a poll amongst Senators. He was such a far-right fundamentalist “Christian,” that he actually wanted American laws to be based on Christianity. And if you’re black, God help you (even if you are Christian!). He had a reputation when he was a prosecutor to be unreasonably eager to punish, even when there was no evidence. He was just plain nasty.
A further note on Todey: He got his nickname as a kid because he liked playing with toads, perhaps because they never laughed at him or called him names. He even seemed to embrace the name, and one of his unusual behaviors was to squeeze his pet toads so that they peed on his hands. Then he would chase the other kids around to rub his toad piss hands on them. Sadly, for Todey, in addition to not being very bright, he was also a very slow runner, so he never actually got to anoint anyone with toad piss. He kept using the name though, even when he first ran for office, and it might have been the smartest thing he ever did because he did have a toad-like face; so, when people saw him, the name and face formed a strong image and bond of recognition. Whether that’s true or not is uncertain, but in the absence of any other logical explanation as to why people voted for him, it will have to do. As for his unusual last name, speculation was that his family must have changed it when they immigrated from their home planet.
These three lovely guys weren’t coming to discuss. They were coming to demand, threaten and execute. And that was the reason behind selecting these three: intimidation. But McAdam was beyond that.
***
Pasadena, California. Trudi was tired and decided to go to bed, but Vince had taken a long nap and was still wide-awake.
He did some web surfing and when he was pretty sure Trudi was asleep, he grabbed a jacket and went outside with Miles.
He knew that Miles would quite happily nose around the yard and then wait to be let in. As Vince hadn’t been taking him out for walks in the evening, Miles had gotten used to it and probably never thought about his master going out the gate instead of back into the house.
Vince walked to the attack area, but no one was there. He began to walk aimlessly, trying to come to terms with his situation, the unfairness of it all, and poor Trudi, who will have to pick up the pieces. He returned to the house with no answers and very little hope. Miles was his one consolation, as he wagged his stub of a tail and happily led the way into the house.
***
CHAPTER 25 – AN APPOINTMENT & A SHOOTING
Montgomery, Alabama. It had been a while since McAdam had seen Doctor Angus Turner. He had good intentions but never seemed to get around to it. Turner looked a little older to McAdam, and if asked, Turner would have said the same about him. He too had seen some of the media coverage of his current patient and he was pleased, at least with this aspect of his condition. Turner joked with him a bit about it taking so long and that now he’d have to work harder to keep McAdam alive so he could right some wrongs. They had known each other a long time. Doc Turner had helped bring Thomas and Rebecca into the world and he was with the Senator and Anne as she departed.
To Turner’s question about his health, McAdam replied that he felt OK, just very tired most of the time.
Turner asked, “You do remember how old you are, don’t ya?”
“Yes, I know, but I feel like I’ve aged a lot in the last month or so. I should feel elated that I’m finally doing the right thing, but even when I’m feeling very good about what I’m doing, I’m still tired.”
Doc Turner asked if he was getting enough quality sleep and McAdam confessed that he often didn’t sleep well. Turner wrote a prescription for some blood tests to see if it showed anything abnormal. That reminded McAdam to ask about the VT2 and also to tell Turner that Rebecca said hello. A flash of recognition appeared on Turner’s face and he excused himself, returning a few seconds later with a FedEx envelope. Opening the envelope, he said, “This just came in and it may have something to do with it.” He pulled out a rectangular box with a paper wrapped around it. Turner looked at the paper and read, “Dear Dr. Turner: Dr. Rebecca McAdam asked me to send you our VT2 watch/health monitor which is out for beta testing. It’s for her father, Senator John McAdam. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call me and when you see the Senator, tell him ‘Thank you’ for his recent stand on politics-as-usual.’ Kind regards, Patsy Carter, Head of Clinical Affairs, VitalTech.”
Neither Doc Turner nor McAdam were the least bit technical, but the instructions were pretty straight-forward, and they were pretty sure they set it up correctly. Doc Turner looked at the questionnaire and asked, “Do you have a gun, John?” He noted down McAdam’s responses: Yes, there was a gun in the house that he bought for Anne about 20 years ago. He was away a lot and it seemed a good idea. Turner reminded McAdam that he needed to fast for his blood test that he would arrange for 7:00 AM tomorrow and told him to call if he had any questions about the watch. When McAdam left, Turner completed the questionnaire, indicating that his patient’s general state of mind was “normal” and that the likelihood that he would use a gun for safety reasons was 3 out of 5. He wished it was all that simple to know what people would do in certain situations.
***
McAdam left Doc Turner’s in good spirits. Two more intelligent people had endorsed his stand and Doc Turner didn’t seem too concerned about his health. He’d get his blood tested in the morning and hopefully that might help identify a reason for his tiredness. Probably just iron deficiency. He’d experienced that a few times because of his “on the road” eating habits. Maybe he’d pick up a kale salad for lunch.
***
Pasadena, California. Vince was still brooding over his fate, his chances of survival, and his frustration about not finding the dog owners. His phone rang and it was Qasim. One of his driver colleagues had seen two men who loosely fit the description of the guys they were looking for, out near the Rose Bowl. They didn’t see a dog; however, as discussed, there may not be a dog any more. Qasim had called Inspector Lucker and given him the address, and Lucker had told him that he would pass it along to patrol cars in the area. Qasim had also told Lucker the news about rabies and that the dog may have died.
Vince wanted more details: time, exact location. Qasim told him it was within the last 20-30 minutes and it was near Rosemont Avenue & North Arroyo at “Entrance A.” He didn’t think Vince would go and, even if he did, Qasim didn’t think anything would happen, as there was a good chance it wasn’t those guys anyway.
Vince became agitated, struggling to make a decision on whether to go or not. He was confused and his head was pounding, and he was tired, so he popped a couple of aspirin and lay down for a nap. Trudi was shaking him, shouting “Vince, Vince, wake up!” He came to and rolled over as Trudi was almost pulling him out of bed. She was very upset.
“What’s the matter?” he asked her as he sat up.
“There’s been a shooting at Rasha’s school! It was just on the news.”
Vince took a few deep breaths and cleared his head. He called Qasim’s cell. Qasim was already on his way to the school from Azusa. He’d spoken with Rasha and she was OK but sounded hysterical. Vince told Qasim that he and Trudi could head over there right now and see if they could help and comfort her. Qasim was grateful and Vince and Trudi headed out.
When they arrived, there were police, ambulances, fire trucks and news satellite trucks all over the place. They had to park quite a ways off and they ran back toward the school. Not surprisingly, they were not allowed past the cordoned off area. They asked a policeman stationed at the entrance of the sealed off area, if they could attend to a friend of theirs in the school, as her husband would not be able to get there for a while, but they were told that no one was being allowed in until the area was declared safe and the people inside could be processed for information. They asked if people were hurt or killed but the policeman said he was not at liberty to give out any information. Seeing a local news satellite truck with a reporter being filmed, they went over to see what they could find out. Vince called Qasim and gave him an update while Trudi got closer to the reporter and camera.
The reporter said that a single, white male had entered the school, killed the security guard and then entered the first classroom he came to, spraying bullets from an assault rifle. A woman, possibly a teacher, slammed the door shut and locked the killer in, preventing him from going any further. The killer, upon hearing the door slam, tried to open it and appeared to have tried to shoot the lock out. A nearby patrol car had arrived, and an officer fired through the classroom window, killing the shooter. There are no other details of casualties at this time nor has a motive been established, although the school has a number of students from international, particularly Middle Eastern, backgrounds.
