Tiger Moths (15 page)

Big Ben’s body vibrated with emotion. He clenched his fist and moved his imposing body closer to Jason, who himself was a big man. Johnny’s small frame was comically squeezed in between the two would-be opponents. Both were ready to square off to stake their claim over him. Johnny knew he had to act fast to avert disaster.

He threw his towel in the air to get their attention. “All right, you guys, this is crazy, and it is not the way I am going to spend this evening. Jason, you are my agent and I appreciate that you look after me. You do a good job, but you will not dictate to me who I hire for my crew. I have friends that I trust, and this business is not going to change that. I understand what you are saying and I know that not everyone who approaches me has good intentions, but this man is not one of them. I don’t care if you do a background check or not, because it does not matter to me if you find out he has a police record. Big Ben is my friend, and nothing will change that.”

Big Ben began smiling. “Well Johnny, truth is you and I both have a police record. You remember the time we painted the Tennessee Tech locker room pink? I knew we never should have let Buck go in there drunk. The guy got us busted. We would have got away with it if the bozo had not made so much noise.”

Johnny laughed. “Yea, that was the last time we let Buck in on our excursions.”

“Very well, Johnny. As long as you know that I am always looking out for you,” Jason interjected.

“I know you are and I do appreciate all that you do and have done for me. Look, Ben, you need to understand that Jason here is the one who first signed me. He gave me a chance when no one else would. He understands the industry and has been there the whole way, helping me navigate through all of this. I depend on him for good advice about all kinds of stuff, so I really trust him too. It would really help me out if you two could get along, because I need you both.”

Jason cleared his throat. “Johnny is right. I never intended to imply that you were a freeloader. Welcome to the crew. Can we start over?”

Big Ben was slow to respond to Jason’s overtures. But, for the good of the team, he finally relented. “Apology accepted. If you are the one that gave Johnny a chance, you can’t be all bad. I’m looking forward to being on the crew.”

“All right, then!” Johnny pumped his fist in the air. “Jason, I know you have some business to take care of, so I’ll get with you later. Thanks, man.”

Jason shook his head and headed to the door. “Let me know if you need anything,” he said, and pushed quickly through the door.

“As for you, Big Ben, help yourself to a beer in the fridge. I’m going to get a quick shower, and then we can go out and grab a bite to eat. Cool?”

“Cool with me, Johnny. You know you are still pretty tough for a little guy.”

“Football was good preparation for this job and this life. I still take a lot of hard hits, some below the belt. But you know what? I actually found something that I love more than playing football, and the really good news is that this time I have the natural gifts for it. I love what I do.”

“No, the really good news is that you don’t have big linemen out to cream you anymore. Seriously, Johnny, I’m really happy for you. And I’ll be one of your best crew members. That’s a fact, dude.”

“Right, Big Ben. I’ve seen what a slacker you are on wind sprints.”

“But you’ve also seen me in the weight room.”

“Good point. Dinner is on me!”

G
UAM
– C
OURT
D
AY

Dale awoke early the next morning with her stomach in knots. She had slept well, just not for long. Up at five, she had already showered and donned her neatly creased, blue dress uniform. Now she stood in front of the full-length mirror examining every detail of her perfectly tailored class “A” blues. Satisfied, she finished brushing her newly trimmed hair and drew in a deep breath. Everything was in place; now for the most important part of her morning: her prayer.

“Thank You for the assurance that Your grace is sufficient. I am only Your vessel; please, Father, guide my heart and my mind today. May Your will be done. Please let Steven feel Your love today. He’s just a boy, just a scared innocent boy. And let Your love overcome all evil. Thank You for Your grace and wisdom. Thank You for the assurance that You will never leave nor forsake Your children. In Jesus’ most precious and holy name I pray, Amen.”

Glancing at the clock, she decided she had just enough time to call home. She missed her parents and just needed to hear their voice. She dialed the numbers quickly and waited for the delayed ring.

“Hi Dad, how’s it going?”

“Like a lazy cat on a sunny day after dinner. We’re all just fat and happy around here. How’s my girl?”

“I’m good. Just on the way to court. It’s that case I told you about with the young boy.”

“Oh that’s right. That is today. The time change always throws me off. Sweetheart, just do your best and know that your mom and I will be praying for you. And we are praying for the boy and his family too. The Lord will provide. Your mom would tell you that too, but she just left to get her hair fixed.”

“Oh yes, mom and her hair.” She laughed at the brief relief, and then continued. “Thanks Dad. I love you both.”

“We love you too. Be good.”

“You know I will. Talk to you soon.”

The conversation was quick, but it provided her the encouragement she needed. Her dad never failed her, and she knew her heavenly Father never would either.

She drove quickly to the courthouse and retrieved her briefcase from the front seat of her Guam Bomb. She went into the courtroom and laid all of her materials out on the prosecutor’s table. Her heart raced, but she gathered herself quickly.

“Ready?” Captain Ruby Cox joined her at the counsel table.

Captain Cox was younger than Dale, just learning the ropes. Ruby was good for her experience level, and would handle all the procedural pieces of the trial. She had been helpful when assisting in all of the interviews, but they still had nothing.

“Ruby, we have to be ready. I’m still praying for a miracle.”

“Me too, Dale. Me too. I saw Steven’s aunt in the hall. She’s not doing well. She’s a nervous wreck; looks like she hasn’t slept in a month. I can’t imagine what it has been like for her.”

“Me either. That woman has had a lot on her for sure. What about Steven? How is he?”

“I didn’t see him; he had gone to get something to drink. I hope he is doing better than Becky.”

“Morning, ladies. How are we today?”

Defense counsel Tom Redmon smiled brightly. His condescending attitude was palpable and nauseating. He winked at Dale and showed Airman Phillips his seat. He glanced back over to Dale, patted his briefcase, and gave Dale a “thumbs up” signal. His taunting made her soul sick.

Every fiber in Dale wanted to walk over and knock that smirk off of Redmon’s face, and then lay into his client with a sledge hammer. She had never felt such rage. She did not like what was happening to her, and prayed for composure.

She felt Ruby tap her arm. “Dale, don’t let him get to you. Like you told me, justice will prevail. In the end, evil will face the consequences.”

Dale nodded in agreement. “Thanks, Ruby; you’re right. Thank you for reminding me that we have to believe that. I just pray the end is sooner, rather than later, for Airman Phillips and his cocky representation.”

Dale pulled her thoughts together and directed her focus on the task at hand. She knew that this case was in the hands of God and that gave her peace. She pulled her thick binder from her briefcase and organized her paperwork. This would not be easy.

“Dale!”

She turned and saw Aunt Becky looking like she was ready to keel over at any minute. She was shaking and all the blood had drained from her face. Bags and dark circles had formed under her eyes, and her cheeks were sunken from weight loss. She looked like the walking dead.

My gosh, look what evil has done to this poor woman.

“Becky, what is it?” Dale grabbed her arm and walked her to a chair in the back of the courtroom. She wanted to ensure they were out of defense counsel’s hearing. Sitting her down, she asked Ruby to get some water. She patted Becky lightly on the back to calm her, and looked directly into her eyes.

“It’s going to be all right, Becky. Now, just try to relax and breathe. Take your time, and tell me what is wrong.”

Becky inhaled and exhaled, then took a sip of water. Her eyes moistened, but Dale’s presence was having a calming effect. “It’s Steven; I just don’t think he can do this. He is out in the car with the doors locked and his head covered. He is scared to death.”

This was not good. In fact, from the prosecutor’s perspective, it could not get much worse. But Dale did not want to panic Becky any more. She put both hands on Becky’s shoulders and squared her around. With clarity and determination she took control. “Try not to worry. I will go talk with him. He has every right to feel like this. But your nephew is not a coward, and he will make it through this. Ruby, you stay here with Becky. I’ll be back before we start, and if not, go ahead with the prelim without me.”

When Dale reached the car she found exactly what Becky had described. She tapped gently on the window and waited. Steven remained hidden under a sheet.

“Steven, it’s me, Captain Grayson. I know this is hard for you. Can you pull that cover off and let me see you? I want to see how you are doing. I care about you.”

Steven’s muffled voice came through the sheet. “How do I know you care about me? I thought Matt cared, and then look what he did to me! You don’t care, no one does. Why should I ever believe anything any of you ever tells me? Just leave me alone!”

The cover never moved, but Dale’s heart did.
How could anyone ever do this to a child? That monster in there has ruined this boy’s life. God, please, help this child. Remind him how much he is loved by You.

“Steven, you have every right to doubt the motives of people after what you have been through. But know this in your heart, son: Jesus loves you so much. And you can always count on that love. No matter what happens, He will always be there for you. No one can ever take that away from you. What Matt did to you was so wrong that he must be punished. We have to make it so that he never hurts anyone else like he hurt you. Steven, you have to be brave, braver than you have ever been before. There are not very many people who have enough courage to stand up in court and face the attacker. So if you just can’t do it, I understand, but I think you can do it. I think you can, because God does not give us a heart of fear or timidity, but a heart of courage to face fear and evil through the strength of His love. He gives you enough courage to stand up to this guy, to stare him down, and tell him that this is it.”

Dale swallow hard and continued, “Tell him how much he hurt you, but that he did not defeat you. He does not control you like he thought he could. He is not smarter than you like he thought he was. And he is not tougher than you. No, he is the one that is the coward. And how scared do you think he is going to be when he goes to jail because of your testimony against him? You can do this, Steven. You have to do this for yourself. The time to make your decision is now. What’s it going to be, son?”

Suddenly Steven threw the cover off and looked through the window at Dale. She could see the change clearly in his eyes. There was a resolve in them. It was the look of a man, not a boy. He was a man on a mission, with the God-given courage of a lion. The car door opened. Steven stepped out and stood up straight and tall. He was no less bruised and scared, but he had had enough.

“Captain Grayson, I’m ready to testify. I’m only doing this because right now I believe what you just said. I believe God’s love is bigger than my fear. And I believe Matt needs to be punished, and he needs to be stopped. So let’s do this now, right now.”

“You are the boss. Let’s go put this criminal behind bars for as long as we can. I’ll be with you every step of the way. I promise you that.”

In the end, Steven proved to be one of the best witnesses that Dale had ever put on the stand. He recalled details and told the events in a way that was believable and evoked compassion. He would look occasionally at Matt, when defense counsel made him, but he never wavered. He never backed down. Dale, Ruby, and Becky could not have been prouder of him.

But when he stood to leave the courtroom, defense counsel had Matt stand as he passed by. It was a planned tactic. By having the two side by side, the panel hearing the case could see how much bigger Steven was than Matt. It was a cheap defense ploy, but it was effective. Dale felt the sympathy drain out of the panel. Steven was just such a large boy for his age. Who could blame the panel of officers for having some doubts?

As soon as Dale said, “The prosecution rests, your honor,” Tom Redmon was on his feet. This was his moment of glory, his time to shine. He stood with pompous poise. Dale surmised he had wanted to do this all his life, and the time was here, at last. It was his for the taking, and she knew he savored every moment.