Descending from Duty by J Ryan Fenzel

Author:J Ryan Fenzel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: 2005-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

- SIXTEEN -

Off the Chicago coast

MAJESTIC, triumphant in a way, the Sears Tower lorded over the high-rise monuments of Chicago’s sprawling skyline. An overcast sky oppressed the city. The tug boat Richard C. approached Belmont Harbor like she was swimming into the maw of a great fish. Keyes stood in the pilothouse, watching the long shadows of the skyscrapers consume the inbound tug.

The dense cluster of buildings that stretch along Lake Michigan’s coast stirred in him images of some great ancient city on a distant shore. Medieval imagery perhaps, but that was the state of his mind this warm June afternoon.

Back in the age of armor and honor, as he liked to think of it, good and evil and right and wrong were simple equations to understand. In that reality, knights of the realm embodied chivalry and justice. They ruled by the sword with noble blood in their veins, keeping royal decrees with strength and integrity. Their lives they dedicated to king and country. Simple times, simple solutions; if only it were so clear today.

Sliding the 9mm into his shoulder holster, Owen Keyes pondered those knights and their creed. Duty to king and country, he believed it once. His father believed it. Every Keyes dating back to the Civil War believed it. Regardless the glorious history, the grand illusion had been shattered with a single phone call just twelve months ago.

But Keyes believed he could restore the faith, if not for him, for those who would follow.

He had a charge to keep, and with strength and integrity he was determined to do it.

He pulled a blue shirt over his shoulders and concealed the pistol with the shirttails. He grabbed a .38 snub-nose revolver and ankle holster from the nav console and strapped the weapon in place.

Rierdon guided the tug into the harbor’s southern water.

“It’s two-thirty Eastern Standard,” Keyes said. “I’ll be in position downtown within the hour, but from then on it’s a guessing game as to when we pull out. Hopefully by nightfall.”

“And if not?”

“If I’m not back by eight, contact our friends and tell them our meeting has been postponed, but make it clear to them they are to wait until I set a new time. Understood?”

“I understand, but they may get jumpy with such a last minute change.”

“They’ll go along. As unappealing as it is, they’ve got a vested interest in dealing with us.” Keyes’ face soured. “This OP has made damn strange bedfellows.”

Rierdon spun the wheel, hooking Richard C. toward her assigned stall.

Belmont Harbor could accommodate well over 400 boats with its array of stalls, star docks, buoy mooring, and dry mooring facilities. The place was big enough for Richard C. to come and go without drawing attention.

Several boats were packed into the harbor this afternoon. Apparently the threatening weather kept many safely in dock. Rierdon slid Richard C. into her slip between a thirty-foot sail boat and a sixty-foot yacht.

Dominic, Griffin, and Six Pack climbed onto the dock with lines in hand and tied them off.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.