Royce (57 page)

Two weeks later Joy’s Fury won by two lengths at Agnano and he kept winning all over Italy, at La Torricella in Capalbio, Cascine in Firenze, Maia Bassa in Merano, San Rossore in Pisa, Dei Fiori in Villanova D’Albenga, Siro in Milan and Royce was making big money and pretty soon a man by the name of Benito Ignazio came calling.  “Ah Signore Fennini, I am pleased to meet you,” and Royce was nervous.  This man showed up unannounced in a very expensive car with a driver, and the last rich man he met with a driver he killed on his way to the airport, so this could be anything.

“Signore Fennini I would like to make a proposition with you, can we talk business?”  “That depends, what business are we talking about?”  And Jameson stood off to the side watching, “Horse business, I would like to buy Joy’s Fury and offer you a job signore,” and Royce’s eyebrows went up, “Si signore…You see I need a man to train my horses or find good horses and I spoke with your jockey, a Signore Gustave and he advised me that Joy’s Fury is all your doing, all your investment, the finding, the training, so I know you have a good eye signore.”  “I’m flattered Signore Ignazio, but I must decline, I work alone…How can I say this is a pleasure for me.  I love what I do, I hope you can understand that,” Royce said as politely as possible.  Signore Ignazio nodded and said, “I am a very persuasive man Signore Fennini, we will talk again.” Royce smiled and escorted him to the door thinking,
I’ve said my piece now go.

True to his word Benito Ignazio did come after Royce, the next week a case of very expensive wine was delivered with a note, “From my vineyard, I will invite you up next time, but for now enjoy the fruits of my labor,” and Royce laughed, but they enjoyed the wine and Jameson worried.  It was summer now and beautiful outside, the field of wildflowers was turning into grass and Joy’s Fury’s track wound visibly around it.  The horse was a winner but when he was at home he was just a horse, he loved to frolic and roll around in the field with the other horses.  Jameson laughed at him many a day when he looked out over the field.  Royce and Autumn were always out there, she loved to race Daisy Star Shine and he’d see her galloping around Joy’s Fury track.

But Benito Ignazio was relentless in his pursuit, he wanted Royce and Royce refused him time and time again, and he tried everything and Royce still refused and he was furious and did some snooping around and he found three Roberto Fennini’s in Italy and none of them were the dark haired blued eyed man he’d come to know, but he did stumble on some other information and made a call to a man named Gibeau, and after mentioning the name of a horse.

It had rained three days straight and Royce was stuck inside and couldn’t train Joy’s Fury and he looked outside and a man was standing at the door.  He rang the bell and Natalia answered, “I have a letter here for Mr. Roberto Fennini and I’m instructed to wait for a reply.”   Royce came to the door and the man handed him the letter, “Are you Roberto Fennini?”  Royce looked at him, he was an ordinary man dressed in a courier’s uniform, and the van he drove had the courier service painted in bold graphics and the letter he was holding looked official.  He didn’t answer, “I’m instructed to wait for a reply,” the man said.  “Wait here,” he closed the door.  He opened the letter and read it and his heart nearly burst at the shock, “Jameson!  Joy!  Joy! Jameson!  Joy!”  He yelled and he had to steady himself on the sofa, “Oh god no!”  Jameson and Joy came running in at his cries and he handed the letter to Joy,

Royce son,

I want to tell you how sorry I am for everything I’ve done the past years.  Please forgive me, please come home.  I love you son, I love you.  I’m not well and I want to see you and your family and make my apologies to you, to all of you.  I’m sorry for any pain I’ve caused you and your family, I realize that now.  I have been a fool, please forgive me and come home son, come home.

Your father,

Walker,

Joy covered her mouth in stunned disbelief and handed the letter to Jameson. “Fuck!”  Jameson said as he read it, “He made us, he made us!”  Royce was beside himself and Joy went to him. “The man outside is waiting for a reply.  I don’t know what to do, is it real or…, I don’t know what to think,” he was scared and hopeful, if it was real this was over, if not his father was being cruel, and if his father was being cruel he would never recover.

Jameson went to the door his gun at the small of his back and opened the door.  He was the only protection at the house.  Conrad was in the village.  After they’d discovered Justin kissing in abandoned houses he’d made Conrad tail him, he couldn’t wait for him.  He saw the man waiting and the courier truck,
the guy was playing it cool that’s for sure.
“What form of reply is requested?”  He was waiting for the gun to appear, but the man said, “Written signore,” and Jameson closed the door, and seeing that Royce was visibly upset he found a pen and paper, “We will reply Mr. Harrington, we don’t know what this is, but we will play this game if it is a game,” and Royce looked at him and Jameson could see the torment, “Can you write sir?” Royce nodded, he handed him the pen and paper. “Tell him you are sorry all this happened and you are glad it’s over and you will return home as soon as you can.”

Royce wrote that and signed it and Jameson put the letter in an envelope and handed it to the courier, who walked briskly to his truck and drove away and when he was out the arched entry. “Let’s get moving!  They made us!  We don’t know whose coming next!”  By nightfall they were gone.

Jameson used the old passports and it was much easier and because Royce was so shaken he seated them together.  This time Royce was the one laying his head on Joy and she stroked and soothed him the whole flight and Jameson pursed his lips.  He’d left Conrad as he promised to sell the horses and Mr. Harrington did come out of his sadness to tell him what price he should get as he rubbed and hugged each horse, “And give Joy’s Fury to Gustave, he’ll take care of him.”  This time it was the five of them, Royce, Joy, Justin, Christopher and Autumn.   Justin sat there with his soccer ball and to Jameson it seemed not fazed by any of this and Jameson’s heart went out to him,
he’s use to it, he’s use to packing up at the spur of the moment and leaving your old life behind
, and his heart ached,
no child should live like this
, and he pursed his lips.  They arrived at Orly Airport in northern France and drove to Chatillon another little village Jameson knew of.

They’d only lived in France a few months and hardly had time to adapt to French country life when Jameson got an urgent call from Reggie and Royce had a message in the memo section that made his blood drain.  He came home from the bank frantic and went straight to Jameson. 

Bobby's message read, “Big Chief, big bird in clouds in the sky…,” and he knew what it was referring too. 

When they were at Tech they’d had to take a literature class and had studied a poetry section and had to read a poem by an unknown Native American author and it had been an epic poem, long and laborious to read.  It was about a battle they’d lost to the American Army in 1806 and in one verse it said, “Big Chief, big bird in clouds in the sky, he is free to soar among the mountains, the shores and cry.  Above his homeland for it is no more…,” and Bobby who hated flowery language was frustrated and said, “It took me ten minutes to read that poem, ten minutes of my life I can’t get back.  Ten minutes to tell me they lost the battle and his father is dead.  It would have saved me nine minutes and fifty-nine point nine-nine seconds if he’d just said, we lost, my father died,” and at the time he’d cracked up.  He wasn’t into flowery language either; he was a straight to the point kind of guy, but now he read the memo and he knew his father was dead.

He went to Jameson, “Hey I need you to check something out and make sure it is accurate, and Jameson said, “Sir I will do that, but first let me tell you the news I have.  My partner in Texas just called and said your father has passed,” and Royce crumpled in the chair, “Is this over Jameson?  How do we know, how can we be sure?”  Jameson went to him and pat him on the shoulder, “I will verify and re-verify before we make a move sir,” and he saw the relief and also saw the strain.

Royce went straight to Joy and grabbed her and scooped her up in his arms.  He led her to their room and took her in his arms again the emotion of how he felt hitting him and his eyes filled with tears, “My father is dead Joy, my father is dead,” and Joy didn’t know if his emotion was sadness or happiness, “Oh Royce, oh Royce baby, what do we do?  What does it mean?”  And he didn’t release her, he held on tight, his arms around her, “I don’t know, I have Jameson checking it out.  He didn’t realize freedom was such a powerful thing, it felt like a weight had been lifted and now he knew why those who didn’t have it fought so hard for it.  He felt free, Joy was free, Joy was safe, at least he hoped that’s what Jameson would find out.  He hoped his father hadn’t died and left this in place until it was done.

Jameson had Reggie check on his end, “Make sure this is over, we cannot reappear and find ourselves in the midst of gunfire,” he told him.  Conrad was in England, he’d sent him to check on Lindsey after he overheard her telling her mother she’d moved off campus.  He called him, “Conrad, is everything alright with Lindsey?” “Yes, perfect sir, very nice place, nice part of town.  She’s living with Amar and I feel good about that, she’s not alone sir.” “Good, I need you to stay out, put your ear to the ground all over Europe if you have too.  Walker Sr. has died and we need to make sure the hit died with him.” 

And after a couple of months of checking and rechecking and Gibeau had flown back to America it appeared the case had gone cold, no one was looking for them.  It seemed when Walker Sr. died so did the well, and Jameson went to Royce, “It’s
clear, everywhere is cold, all movement has ceased,” and he saw Royce breathe a sigh of relief, “I want to go home Jameson, can you set that up?”

And using their fake passports for the last time Royce, Joy, Justin, Christopher and Autumn were stepping foot in the United States for the first time in nearly ten years.

It was 2013, and they’d been on the run for ten years and were heading home.  They knew America had changed, there was an African American president in office for his second term.  They’d known that, like the rest of the world in 2008 they’d waited for the election results with bated breath wondering what the American people would decide, but since they lived in another country with its own politics and issues the focus on American politics was short.  They were in South Africa then and once it was done they moved on like the rest of the country.

Joy called her mother just before they left DeGaulle Airport in Paris, “Momma I’m coming home,” her mother burst into tears, “Joy! Oh Joy!  You’re safe!  You’re alive and safe!”  She cried too, “Yes momma, we’ll be there tomorrow.  I just wanted to make sure you and daddy were home,” she said wiping tears, “We’re home baby, we’re home and we can’t wait to see you,” her mother said. “Let me talk to her,” she heard her father say happily, “Joy honey,” “Yes daddy,” “Oh my word, oh my word!  Joy it’s so good to hear your voice, so good, your momma say you’re coming home?”  “Yes daddy, we’ll be there tomorrow.” “Oh baby that’s so wonderful,” and she could tell he was crying and she cried more, “Don’t cry daddy, you’re making me cry, we’ll see you soon okay,” and they hung up, and Royce called no one. 

Even though Jameson said it was safe he wanted to get home first and get a feel for himself and he still felt protective and he hated he had to check his gun in his suitcase.  His body felt empty without it, every since South Africa he’d worn one and now it was locked in his suitcase under the plane.  Jameson didn’t care if they acted as if knew each other on this flight, even he could see they were a family, so he changed their passports.   They were all Henry’s on this flight and he booked them together in one row.  He even sat in the same row since this was going to be the last time he’d see them.  Once they hit Philadelphia he was heading on to Dallas.  The case was over and he knew he was going to miss them, miss them a lot. 

At the airport they said goodbye to Jameson.  He stood looking at them, his eyes went from one to the other and back again, “I will miss you all.” “And we’ll miss you, you were part of our family,” Joy said smiling and tearful.  He hugged Autumn, hugged her a long time, “I was there when you were born,” he told her touching the tip of her nose, “I was never so happy to see your father and the midwife come in to help your mother,” and they all laughed, “You are a sweet precious little girl and I will miss you,” he hugged her again.  Then he went to Christopher, “You have eyes like your mother and a good heart like her too.  Always stay that way and I will always remember the little boy you were,” he hugged him tight, tight, tight.  He then went to Justin and tapped his nose, “You are a lady killer,” and they laughed again, “Be safe.  And I will miss you, keep playing soccer you’re very good, and watch out for the girls,” he said hugging him tight, tight, “Both of you,” he said looking at Christopher, “Don’t think I didn’t see what was happening in France,” and Christopher blushed red, and Royce and Joy mouths opened. 

He turned to Joy and pulled her in his arms holding her tight with his full body pressed against hers, “You are a beautiful, spectacular, extraordinary, wonderful woman and you held us all together.  Your strength was our glue and I will miss you, miss you more than you know,” and he hugged her to him, “I care deeply, deeply for you and your family, please have a happy life.  That is very important to me after all we went through that you have a happy life,” and Joy was struck by his words.  She had no idea he felt so much for them.

“I will miss you too Jameson, more than you know too, and you too be happy.  You saved us and your work here is done, you did what you promised,” and she knew she would miss him terribly.  He was the presence in her life that kept her safe, she knew that.  Jameson was the watcher over them and she knew she would feel his absence.  He released her and gave her one last look and turned to Royce. 

They grabbed hands in an exuberant brotherly fashion and then hugged, happily hugged, patting each other on the back and smiling jovially.  “And you!  You were the younger brother I never had and you made me want to pull my hair out a lot!”  They all laughed, “You scolded me, you praised me and held me accountable and I love you with all my heart and I’m going to miss you,” and they both had to wipe tears, “I’m glad it’s over, your family deserves that,” he whispered in Royce’s ear, and when they released, “Call me, call the office when you get new cell phones,” he said and gave them his card.  It was the same card Royce had in his rolodex so many years ago.  “Call me with your new numbers,” he reminded them.  “We will,” and he headed down the terminal to catch his flight and Joy and Royce thought that was the most they’d ever heard him speak at one time.

They claimed their luggage and went outside and looked to the left a ways and saw her father’s RV waiting with its caution blinkers on.  “Oh no he didn’t bring that,” Joy said chuckling. “Oh yes he did,” Royce laughed, and the door opened and her mother came running out. “Joy!  Oh my god!”  They headed to meet her. “That’s your grandma kids, none of them, not even Justin remembered her, but her mother ran up to them yelling her excitement and hugged Joy so hard, “Oh Joy I’m so glad this day has finally come!”  “Me too momma,” and everyone was all smiles, and when she released Joy and looked at the family. “Oh my god,” she cried, “Oh Joy they’re all so grown up and beautiful,” she looked from one to the other, “Justin, I can’t believe how big you are, you’re as tall as your daddy now,” she said looking at him with awe, "And Christopher you were just a baby last time I saw you, look at you now,” her mother was so overcome, “And Joy you have a little one. Who is this precious little girl?” “This is Autumn momma."  “Oh my god Joy,” her mother was crying, and she looked at Royce, “Oh Royce, thank god for you Royce,” then she went around and hugged them all, “I know you don’t know grandma, but that’s okay we’ll get to know each other now,” she said hugging and kissing them.  Her father popped his head out, “Ernestine let them get in the RV, I’m already double parked too long!”  “Come on ya’ll, come on,” her mother hooked her arm in Justin’s and Christopher’s and led them to the waiting RV.

And when they got to her parent’s house Joy finally felt like she was home.  Royce wasn’t so comfortable just yet and he couldn’t wait to put on his gun and holster under his shirt and Joy shook her head, “Royce it's done baby.”  “I know but I want to be aware, that’s all and be prepared if something pops up,” she shook her head, “Well I’m not going to stress out about that anymore, Jameson wouldn’t have left otherwise.”  “I know,” but he wanted to say,
Jameson is only human he makes mistakes too
, and the image of her with bullets bouncing at her feet appeared.  He hadn’t thought of that often, but when he did it sent shivers down his spine. 

Joy dressed in comfortable clothes and went downstairs to see her mother and father.  She’d placed the kids in her sister’s old rooms, she and Royce had hers, Justin and Christopher had Sylvie’s and Autumn had Lanie’s where they must have dropped their suitcases and left  because she could hear them downstairs talking to their grandmother, “Tell me what’s been going on.  I can hear the accents you all have, it sounds beautiful”, she heard her mother saying when she walked into the kitchen, “Hey baby girl,” her mother said when she saw her, “I’m going to make a big dinner for you all and love on all of you I’m so happy to see you.” Joy smiled and helped her mother in the kitchen.

It was later after they’d run the kids off to bed that the grownups finally had a chance to talk.  They sat in the family room with glasses of iced tea, “Joy it was scary around here for a moment wasn’t it Cecil,” her father nodded and her mother told them about the visits from the private investigator and the beating her father took, “Oh my god daddy no!”  Joy said shocked and Royce was just as shocked and wide eyed.  “Oh yeah, but I was so glad I didn’t know anything, you were right not to tell us,” her father said.  “But were you hurt daddy?”  “My pride mostly,” he laughed, “But they did rough me up pretty good,” he said, “But I’m alright, you were safe and I’ll take it again.” Joy wiped a tear and went to him, “I’m sorry daddy”, she said hugging him. “It’s wasn’t no fault of yours baby girl, I didn’t blame you,” and Royce’s insides knotted,
no it was my fault, my side of the family is responsible for this,
he thought, and he was thankful her mother changed the subject.

They’d already told them about their lives abroad at dinner and they’d marveled them with all the languages they could speak and the places they’d lived, but now they wanted to know what was happening here. “Lanie’s off and married in Texas.  Yep she married that man you all introduced her too, John, got three kids now,” and both Royce and Joy looked at each other in shock, “No!  When did that happen?”  “About nine or ten years now when he came to get her,” her mother chuckled, “Told her he wasn’t leaving until she married him,” Joy and Royce laughed and were shocked again, “So she married him and got three kids momma?  Now that is a shock!”

“What about Sylvie?”  “Oh Sylvie is doing great, still in Baltimore, still practicing.  She got three locations now though,” her mother said.  “I’ll call her tomorrow and let her know I’m here.” “Please do, she’s been worried sick about you, about all of you, constantly asking if we’d heard anything.” “Okay I’ll call her,” Joy had asked her mother not to let anyone know she was coming home, mainly for Royce’s sake he was still so nervous. “Let’s just get there first Joy.  We need to tell as few people as possible, just in case,” and Jameson agreed, but now she was ready to see her family, her mother and father had aged, she could see that and she was glad to be home before they were too old to enjoy her kids.

The next day Royce borrowed his father-in-law’s car, if he was going to feel comfortable he needed a few things.  His father-in-law wanted to go with him, but he’d declined, “I’ll be fine, just tell me where’s the nearest place I can get a cell phone.” “Well the best thing is to put the address in the GPS,” and his father-in-law brought in his GPS from the RV and showed him what he was talking about and then explained how he was to listen and follow along with this thing, and he didn’t know how he was going to drive, look at a little computerized map and follow along with the thing talking to him.  The world had changed and was in cyberspace and overdrive and they’d been left behind.

Being on the run they couldn’t use the latest technology for fear of someone tracking them or getting wind of their whereabouts; they only used cell phones as a necessary means of communicating, not for idle chit-chat and he felt they were behind the times.  His father-in-law said, “Just go up South Twenty-second until you see Vine Street Expressway, make a right, and go to…, let’s see…, Eighth Street, or Chinatown, turn right and go to Market and it’s off Market and Ninth.  The Gallery, it’s a huge mall, I’m sure you’re find a phone store there.”

Once he pulled away from the quiet neighborhood and made a right on Vine Street Expressway and drove in the midst of traffic he felt as if he’d entered into another world.  It had only been ten years since they’d left, but it looked like there had been a fast food and retail explosion, he saw so many franchises.  He knew Americans liked big cars, but after ten years of seeing small compacts or vespers he felt like he was in the land of the dinosaurs.  Everything was huge, big and shiny, rims sparkling, music blasting and when he found the mall he felt like he’d been living in an ancient world and now had time traveled to the modern world. 

They’d grown accustomed to a slower pace and here everyone seemed in a hurry, moving fast and he’d thought someone was speaking to him a hundred times, only to look at them and they were talking on their cell phones through a head piece in their ear.  People weren’t paying attention to anything going on around them they were so into their phones and he didn’t know what to make of that.  He had a cell phone, he’d carried one in his pocket for years, but he used it when he needed it, but now everyone had one and people were having everyday conversations like they were sitting at home and he couldn’t believe it, letting everyone in on your private conversation. 

Finally he found the store and after the clerk went through everything a phone could do and had his mind reeling from the different cell phone options and what they could do and blue tooth and the iPhone and he thought his mind was going to explode, “You want the family plan that’ll be cheaper?”  He just wanted a phone to make calls, to check on Joy and to let Jameson know of their whereabouts.  He didn’t want internet access and what were all these apps he was talking about, he had no idea.  “And with the family plan you can add as many people as you want, you got kids?”  Kids! What do they need cell phones for?  And he would find out a few months later once the kids were in school he’d ask that question again when both Justin and Christopher came home from school saying they needed a cell phone and his first response would be, “For what?  What do kids need a cell phone for?” 

“Look all I want is a phone to call my wife from time to time, okay.”  “Okay you want basic, we can do basic but I’m telling you, you’re missing out.”  “Okay, but right now give me basic,” he didn’t need touch screen and texting.  He got the cell phones and the salesperson told him the number was national and that it would work no matter where he lived and there would be no long distance fees.  “Okay, that’s the first thing you’ve said I liked,” and the guy laughed.  As he walked to the car he felt so disconnected from this world and wondered how people lived liked this?  They seemed so disengaged to the outside world while engaged to their small world.  He was use to small villages and the people in them and he’d never once walked passed a person and not acknowledged them.  They saw you, you made eye contact and you spoke, this was new to him.