Three Finger Cove: The Twins ~ Book Four

Chapter Fifty~Nine

Shortly after Dan left The Cove, Bill Jackson said he had things to do and, it being a Sunday; he needed to get a move on. He said he'd try to watch the news conference at 6 PM to see if they added anything that might have a bearing on what Ken and Judy said earlier. Ken walked Bill to the Foyer door, shook his hand and thanked him for everything from last night to today. Bill jokingly told him he could show his appreciation by paying his bill on time. The two had a good laugh and Bill walked out to his car.

When Ken got back to his Study, Judy was standing and gathering her purse.

"Are you leaving me too?" kiddingly asked Ken.

"Well, there isn't anything else I can do here, and I do have a few things I want to get done before it gets too late," said Judy.

"I had hoped you and Eric would join us for dinner at Four Corner's later," replied Ken.

"That sounds good to me. That way I don't have to cook," laughed Judy. "What time are you intending to go? I ask because I'm sure you'll want to watch the news conference first."

"Yes, I do want to watch the news conference. I just hope I can convince the boys to wait. I know they'll be hungry when their friends leave and they could all attack me and wind up eating me for dinner" laughed Ken.

"So, I take it you'll be at the Four Corner's Diner at about 6:30?" asked Judy.

"Yes, I'll shoot to be there about then," replied Ken.

"Good. Eric can stay here until then and we'll all meet about 6:30. Now, I need to go so I can get something done. Even if it is to just catch up on my sleep that I missed out on after last night. I sure hope they can catch all those men and get those boys the help they'll need," finished up Judy, with a tear or two forming in her eyes.

Ken walked Judy to the Foyer door, and the two hugged a friendly hug. Judy walked out to her car. It was then Robert and Eric came into the house and went to the Study to talk to their 'dad'.

"'Dad', were all of you able to get things straightened out?" asked Robert.

"Well, 'son', that is yet to be seen. Ms. Judy and I made our statements and now I learned the Sheriff's Office will be holding a news conference tonight at 6 PM. It may be televised, so I will want to watch it to hear what they have to say. We'll go out to dinner afterwards. I know your friends will be leaving soon, so please tell your 'brothers' what the plan is. We probably could watch the TV together and then head out to dinner. Ms. Judy will meet us there, so Eric will stay here and go over with us," explained 'dad' Ken.

Robert and Eric went out and told everyone that there was supposed to be a televised news conference at 6 PM and the Sheriff's Office will be giving a statement and answering questions about last night. Robert told everyone they should watch it to get a better understanding of how the police saw what happened last night, and hear what happened up to the time the men attacked them.

It was Eric who then told his 'brothers' that they were all going to Four Corner's for dinner and would meet his mom there after the news conference.

Since it was a Sunday, the Cover lads' friends all left at 5 PM. That gave the boys an hour before the news conference and probably another half hour before they went out to eat. They didn't know what they were going to do. Kevin wanted to go swimming, but Charles said it wasn't fair to Kyle, since he couldn't swim until his cast came off. Kyle said they should play a game. Robert and Eric agreed. The five boys wound up playing the Game of Life.

When it was almost 6 PM, Mr. Ken called Robert's cell phone and asked the boys to meet him in the Study. The man said they would watch the news conference together there and then leave for dinner when it was over.

The boys filed into the Study. The twins sat together in one chair while their older 'brothers' took the other three leather chairs. Mr. Ken sat behind his desk and already had the TV tuned to the channel they'd watch.

The commercial was over and the next thing the viewers saw was the outside of the Sheriff's Headquarters building and Rene Vaughn, the news reporter for KBLY-TV, holding her KBLY microphone waiting to be told to begin.

"Good evening, I am Rene Vaughn reporting from our Sheriff's Headquarters where they have told us they would make a statement about last night's attempted kidnapping of at least two boys and possibly seven more. This reporter learned that there were nine lads interviewed after the incident and the debriefing lasted well over two hours."

"From what we've been able to ascertain from talking to some people who are close to the investigation, and from the local residents who watched it happen in front of their homes, it appears that four men were stalking these nine lads for more than an hour before they drove a step van towards them, ran out and grabbed at least two boys."

"What those men didn't know was that the Sheriff's department had received a phone call from another police district that something might happen that night and they put a plan together in less than ten minutes. Newly promoted Sheriff's Lieutenant, Dan Fischer, was the patrol commander on duty last night when he was made aware of the possibility of an abduction of some lads and it was his quick action and planning that caught those four men red-handed."

"It appears there is some movement at the front of the Headquarters, so let's focus on what the Sheriff's Department has to say about the information that led up to the plan that put those four men behind bars," finished Rene Vaughn, as the TV camera panned to the lectern set up in front of the Sheriff's Headquarters."

The camera showed Sheriff Matthew Barnes, Lieutenant Dan Fischer, Lieutenant Brandt Matthias, Sergeant William Roberts and Bandera County Sheriff Detective Joel Carrier step out of the Headquarters and walk up to the lectern. The five men talked between themselves and finall,y Sheriff Barnes stepped up to the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen ... I want to tell you what we know and have subsequently learned about last night's attempted abduction of two boys. Late last evening, my Department received a phone call from Bandera County Sheriff's Detective Joel Carrier (Sheriff Barnes pointed to the man standing in the group of men) who has been investigating a case that was identified up here, but was centered down in his area. We transferred the case down to him about a month ago. This is a very convoluted and complex case, so please bear with me."

"One of the men arrested last night ... had previously tried twice to gain custody of the two boys, at the center of last night's attemptedkidnappingg, but was rebuffed both times. He first tried to bully the boys' guardian with a Power of Attorney that was not coordinated through CPS or the courts, so the man, Mr. Ken Thomas, would not release the boys to him."

"The second time he tried to take the boys was the following morning at the boys' school. He was arrested there on an unrelated charge. He made bond, and we hadn't heard from or of him until he was arrested last night as one of the four men who attempted the kidnapping."

"I was told the two boys had really wanted to go out Trick-Or-Treating as they hadn't done so since they were seven. Knowing there was someone out there who wanted the boys that are in his custody, Mr. Ken Thomas had hired two security men to accompany the boys. Mr. Thomas had utilized these men in the past and was certain that if anyone tried anything with the boys these two men would be able to handle them."

"Yesterday afternoon, Detective Carrier interviewed a person of interest in his case and from what was revealed to him got him thinking, so he called Lieutenant Matthias and the two of them discussed the case. A subsequent phone call from Detective Carrier to Lieutenant Matthias gave our Lieutenant some additional information he didn't have during the earlier phone discussion."

"What Lt. Mathias learned was that the man who tried to take the two lads earlier was mentioned to Detective Carrier and that the man, who we know as Julian Hankers, was still wanting to get control of the boys. What caused Lt. Matthias to raise the alarm was the fact that Mr. Hankers had a judge friend up here and he had hoped to use him to get a court order to release the boys to him.

"What Mr. Hankers might not have known, at the time, was that his judge friend was no longer on the bench. But, the use of both names together and the strong desire of Mr. Hankers to get the boys in his custody made Lt. Matthias call Lt. Dan Fischer to discuss the chance the man might try to get the boys whichever way he could."

"My two Lieutenants made the decision to protect the two boys, which Lt. Fischer knew were out Trick-Or-Treating, and together they devised a plan. Lt. Matthias called his partner Sgt. Roberts and they drove over to be with the boys and their friends who already had the two security guards, hired by Mr. Ken Thomas to chaperone them, as they Trick-Or-Treated through the neighborhood."

"Things happened so fast that Mr. Thomas wasn't brought into the initial planning stage at all. My Lieutenants wanted to try to catch these men in the act and they had to coordinate with a number of other officers to get them dispatched to the area. It wasn't until the participants were all in place that Mr. Thomas was finally told what they had planned."

"Mr. Thomas knew that Julian Hankers had twice tried to take the two boys and was a bit reluctant to put the boys and their friends into any sort of danger. The man listened to Lt. Fischer's plan and learned that two detectives were going to be right there with the boys and that four patrol cars would be located around the corner, less than 12 seconds away. Hearing that, Mr. Thomas felt better about the plan."

"When my detectives arrived, they told the boys what they had planned and told them they needed them to continue to Trick-Or-Treat, so the men in the step van at the top of the block wouldn't know they'd been spotted. The lads continued to knock on doors and get their treats. Then, as the lads got closer to the top of the street, the four men in the van made their move."

"From what I learned from listening to the boys tell their story, and reading their statements, the men in the step van came right at them, fast, with their high beams on to disorient them. The lads said the screeching of the brakes and high beams did stop them in their tracks until one of the older boys told them to run. The one boy who was actually picked up and taken towards the back of the van had big clown shoes on which hampered his ability to get away. The boy's brother saw what was happening, and he attempted to get the man to release his brother, but he was grabbed by another man who started to take him to the back of the van, as well.

"At the front of the van, my two detectives were able to immediately capture two of the men and hold them until the other deputies came onto the scene. In the meantime, Gene and George Warren, the two hired security guards, saw what happened to the two boys and went after the men who had taken them. The Warren's took control of those two men, released the two boys, and tied the men's hands behind their backs and held them until deputies came to take custody. The boys all said in their statement, during their interviews, that the whole thing took no more than 30 seconds and may have even been less."

"It wasn't until after the scene was stabilized and under my deputies' control that Mr. Thomas was called to let him know his boys were safe, and he could come over there."

"This whole operation came together and was implemented within 40 minutes of the second call that got Lt. Matthias' suspicious that Julian Hankers might be out to kidnap the two boys. Beside Mr. Hankers, we also arrested a Jerome Bredshaws, a Stanley Vahnn and a Daniel Zackerson. All four men were charged with attempted kidnapping and two were additionally charged with kidnapping. We have since learned the step van and a panel van, also used earlier by these men, were stolen as well as the license plates on the vehicles. Charges are pending on those thefts."

"If it weren't for Lt. Matthias' intuitive reasoning and Lt. Fischer's' quick planning ability, those two boys could very well have been abducted and we'd have no idea where they could be. Also, if it weren't for Detective Carrier, who started the ball rolling, we might be out searching for those two boys right now and this news conference would be totally different."

"I also want to thank Mr. Thomas ... for his total cooperation in not rushing to the area and possibly spooking the men, who could have aborted and come after the boys at a later date. I know it had to take a lot of internal fortitude not to rush over there to help protect his boys and their friends. Now ... are there any questions?" finished Sheriff Barnes.

Rene Vaughn went first, "Sheriff Barnes ... why is it you never mentioned the boys' names or those of their friends? And, what caused your two lieutenants to act as they did? Did they ever coordinate their plan with you for approval?"

The Sheriff chuckled some as he looked over to the other men there with him and then responded. "Ms. Vaughn, the lads are all under their majority, and since I was wasn't given permission by the parents or their guardian to release their names, they will not be given out to the public. As for why my lieutenants reacted the way they did, it is because they've got a good number of years under their belts in this department and they used that extensive knowledge and experience to make their decision. That is why they are Lieutenants and are not still patrol officers."

"Lt. Fischer called me after he and Lt. Matthias decided on a plan. I knew of Mr. Hankers and what he tried to do previously, so I was immediately on board with their plan. It was simple enough, and it had an element of surprise the four men would have never thought possible. What you all must understand is ... this all happened in less than 40 minutes. Starting from the second phone call from Joel Carrier, to a plan, to coordination with seven deputies, to apprehension. That is what we call a job well done."

"Sheriff, why did you allow your men to put those nine lads in danger?" asked another reporter.

"I would say that from your uninitiated perspective into police work, you could feel that my deputies acted irresponsibly. What you don't know, is my men are thoroughly trained in all aspects of police work and trained in handling all sorts of situations. They may not have specifically trained to do what they did last night, but ... they have enough experience and training that they devised a workable plan that put two men with the lads, doubling the protection they had. My two deputies and Mr. Thomas' security guards had those boys' backs and were ready to do whatever was necessary to protect them. Next question," finished the sheriff.

"How did you know that the Warren's were competent enough to assist your deputies?" was asked next.

"Good question. Mr. Gene and Mr. George Warren were previously employed by this Sheriff's department. They had all the same training as the men who implemented last night's well-orchestrated plan. Both men are now retired, but you do not lose the knowledge or experience because you retire. They both qualify in arms handling every year and they both pass a background check every time they renew their security licenses. Lt. Fischer knew the men and their abilities and his read of the situation was correct. Next question," called out Sheriff Barnes.

The questions went on for about ten more minutes when the Sheriff made one last statement. "People always seem to look back and ask 'what if'. Last night my men's training and extensive experience kicked in and they made the right call, and I fully supported what they attempted. I personally approved their plan, and it worked perfectly. The men were apprehended within seconds of their stopping the van and exiting to grab the boys. They were also surrounded within 12 seconds by my deputies who were in the patrol cars."

"Please understand, if Mr. Thomas hadn't acted the way he did and hired those two security men, those boys would probably be missing right now. People will ask why he wasn't with the boys ... but how many parents were actually out with their children last night? Ten percent, twenty percent, if that! Mr. Thomas, acting alone, could not have stopped those men, intent on abducting any or all of those boys. Those boys are extremely lucky to be living with Mr. Thomas, who cared enough to protect them all."

"Earlier today, the Director of Children's Protective Services, Ms. Judy Turner, said Mr. Thomas is a man in good standing with CPS. She also said Mr. Thomas has proven himself as being a good and caring foster parent and she had no intentions of moving the boys out of his care. I applaud the Director and support her wholeheartedly."

"You all know who Mr. Thomas is and what he did for his first foster child. I believe you will not find a better person to be on your side. So, I support the man as a caring foster parent who others should strive to emulate. Goodnight." With that said Sheriff Barnes and the four men standing there with him, all went inside the Headquarters.

It was close to 6:30 when the Sheriff's news conference was over. Mr. Ken asked his boys to go pee and wash their face and hands and that he'd meet them in the garage. When they arrived in the garage, Mr. Ken told the boys to squeeze together and one twin to sit on either Robert's or Eric's lap. The man knew he was breaking the law, but he hoped he wouldn't get caught driving ten minutes to the Four Corner's Diner. He wasn't.

"Did you watch the news conference?" asked Mr. Ken of Judy Turner.

"Yes, I did. The only thing I learned was the names of the four men. I guess they couldn't put out too much information as the investigation has just started. I do hope they can identify more of those men who did what they did to Kevin, though," replied Ms. Judy.

The boys talked about what would happen at school tomorrow. They speculated that all the kids will be after them, to tell them more than what was released by the Sheriff. Mr. Ken overheard their concerns and told them they should only say what the Sheriff said and what might have been in the newspaper. The owner of The Cove told his boys he'd check the paper in the morning for any articles and he'd let them read them, if they had the time, so they would be totally prepared.

It was while the Covers and their guests were eating that some people stopped by their table to ask Mr. Ken some questions about the previous evening's attempted kidnapping. They also wanted to know if the two younger boys were the ones the men were after. Mr. Ken was polite as he explained they were eating and would appreciate it if they could eat in peace. The people walked away in a huff and all the boys could do was chuckle, as the nosey people walked out of the Diner.

It happened a few more times, and each time the people asked if the twins were the boys who were almost kidnapped. Mr. Ken asked them to watch the news or read the newspaper to find out the answers to their questions. The boys laughed some more, but not out loud.

Ms. Judy and Eric went home after dinner and the Covers headed off to DQ for some ice cream.

"'Dad', have you ever thought about putting one of these at Four Corners?" asked a smiling Charles, as he ate his banana split. "It sure would be a lot easier for us, and you, to just walk out the Diner and walk up to the window." All four lads laughed.

"Well, Charles, these Dairy Queen's are franchises. That means the owners buy the rights to use the name and their menus. The franchisee is then given a territory that no other Dairy Queen can compete in. The franchisee then pays to build the building and then they buy their equipment, usually from the person or company who owns the franchise. On top of all that, they pay the franchisor a monthly fee of all their sales. It is an expensive proposition. But, I guess that's not what you wanted to hear, did you?" laughed 'dad' Ken.

"'Daaad!" was all Charles said.

"The short answer is 'No' I did not. I actually wanted to open my own ice cream store at Four Corners, but with everything that I've been involved in, I just haven't put that much energy into getting that done. Maybe one day. Why, do you have half a million dollars you're ready to invest and build one for me?" again laughed 'dad' Ken.

"What keeps you so busy, 'dad'? I mean ... you're always home when we get home from school and other than the plans for the office building and the hotel we haven't seen you work on anything else," spoke up Kyle.

The two older 'brothers' laughed at what Kyle just asked.

"What? What did I say that's so funny?" directly asked the younger twin.

"Kyle ... 'dad' had his amusement parks, the hotel and office building he is putting up and the 400 unit apartment complex he is trying to build. Then, on top of all that ... he has ... US," laughed Robert, who was joined in by Charles.

"And Kyle," spoke up Charles, "'dad' has only left us for one weekend since I've been living with him. I bet if we didn't live here he'd be gone a lot more. He couldn't leave us before, because he didn't have anyone to rely on. If it wasn't for Mr. Dan neither Robert nor me would have gone on our trips before school started.

"I also bet until Mr. Wayne gets his foster parent license and is fully working for our 'dad' Ken, he won't go away again. Remember, you can't go out of the state with him, until you've been with him for at least three months. At least if he takes us to visit his amusement parks during the Christmas Holidays you'll be able to go.

"Hey, 'dad', are you going to take Kevin and Kyle on their one month trip?? I think there's a three-day Holiday coming up next weekend. I think it's Veteran's Day," added Charles.

Actually, Mr. Ken hadn't thought about the twins and taking them on a trip. Hearing now there was a possibility of a three-day weekend coming up, Mr. Ken pulled out his cell phone to check the calendar. Then 'dad' Ken said, "Charles, Veteran's day is on a Thursday this year, so there won't be a three-day weekend for me to take them on a trip. But, I don't think the kids up here get that day off from school. I will have to check that out on the school calendar before we plan on something that won't happen. But either way, we'd have to find a good time when I can make that happen."

Mr. Ken was amazed at how fast the time had gone by since the twins came to live at The Cove. The owner of The Cove felt bad that he didn't even think about a trip for the two brothers, but he knew that with their arrival, and all the time he had to devote to them, it never gave him the chance to even think about a trip for them. Then, on top of all that, this latest wrinkle with the twins' real dad and the attempted kidnapping, will probably not give him the chance to do a trip with them anytime soon.

But, as the owner of The Cove continued to eat his banana split, he started to think about the twins and a possible trip for them. He pondered where he could even take them. It would be the beginning of November and the weather is not all that favorable in many places in Texas, so it narrowed the places down. He'd been down to Houston and Galveston twice already, so he didn't want to visit those same venues.

He thought about going back up to the Dallas-Fort Worth area but he knew that it got cold up there and then what was there for them to do for two days. Then, he thought about going down to San Antonio. He figured they could stay in a very nice hotel there and do the Mission Reach, the Riverwalk and the Alamo. But then, he remembered the twins lived close to all that and probably had done it all.

"'Dad', we're ready to go," said Kyle.

Mr. Ken didn't hear what the twin just said about them being ready to go, as he was deep in thought about a possible trip for the twins.

"Hey 'DAD'," loudly said, Robert. "We're ready to go. And you haven't finished your banana split. It's all melted."

Mr. Ken did hear what Robert just said, and he apologized to him saying he was deep in thought about something. He then gave Robert some money to get a medium cup of vanilla ice cream for Chief. When Robert had the cup of ice cream for The Cove's resident canine, the Covers all headed home.

Chief was beside herself upon hearing the garage door open. That meant her men were home and she could jump all over them. Of course, the resident dog didn't jump on any of the Covers. All she did was sniff over all of them to find out which one had her ice cream. Kyle was the lucky or maybe the unlucky one as Chief almost pushed him over to get him to give her the treat he was holding.

When Chief was finished eating her wonderful treat, she went over to Kyle and licked him all over to thank him for bringing her that cold concoction she loved so much. Kyle forgave her for almost pushing him over, and he hugged her and scratched her behind her ears. Kevin then came over and scratched behind her ears, too. Chief was a very happy dog that evening.

"Boys, let's go to the Study and talk about tomorrow," spoke up 'dad' Ken.

When all the Covers were seated in the Study, Mr. Ken began. "Boys ... tomorrow will be a very busy day for all of you. I am sure by now everyone suspects the twins were the men's primary target and had actually been grabbed."

"But, 'dad', how would they know that?" asked Kevin.

"Remember, boys, the neighbors on both sides of the step van watched what happened in front of them and you can bet they talked to the reporters. Even though that fact wasn't in this morning's paper it could very well be in tomorrows. Also, it was said that the one brother went to help his other brother, so people could put one and one together and get twins," chuckled 'dad' Ken.

"What should we tell our friends if they ask us 'dad'?" asked Kyle.

"You know what? I believe I told one of you, once, that 'it is easier to remember the truth ... than to remember the lie'. I'm going to let that decision be up to all of you, but I want you all to agree on what you will tell them. I know that sounds like double-speak but ... but if you're going to tell your friends you both were grabbed, then all four of you should say that. Remember, Josh, Gordon, Cody and David were there and they know what happened, so if you say one thing they might correct you in front of everyone," counseled 'dad' Ken.

The four lads talked about what happened, from the time the deputies arrived, until they were taken in the SWAT van to the Sheriff's Headquarters. They did it a second time when one of them remembered something different. When they finished talking, they all were happy they did that as it helped them remember the little things they wouldn't normally have.

"Hey, 'dad', do you think what happened to us will make a good story? You know, maybe we can write it as a book and make some money," laughed Kevin.

"OK, guys, it's been a very long weekend for all four of you. You've already had your snack for the night, so off to your rooms to settle down and maybe read before you get into bed. A good night's sleep will do wonders for you all. Alright, off with you all," teased 'dad' Ken.

All four lads went over to Mr. Ken and gave him a goodnight hug before heading up to their rooms. After the boys left, Mr. Ken sat back in his comfortable desk chair and smiled to himself knowing he totally enjoyed having the boys with him and Chief.

After a while, Mr. Ken went up the stairs to check on the lads. He wanted to see if they were in bed and if not he was going to give them a gentle reminder that they needed to get into bed.

The man's first stop was at the Twins bedroom. Mr. Ken did the Three-Knock Rule and when he didn't get a response, he opened the door and looked in. There he found both boys in the same bed and hugging one another. He liked the fact that they still loved one another, and had seemed to have buried the hatchet.

Mr. Ken then stopped by Charles' bedroom. He did the Three-Knock Rule there, too. Charles did answer the door, but he was dressed in his boxer briefs and was ready to jump into bed. He told his 'dad' that he thought it was Robert which was why he opened the door. The two hugged and Charles jumped into bed. Mr. Ken then kissed the boy on his forehead, left the room and closed the door.

Mr. Ken's last stop was Robert's room. He did the Three Knock Rule there, too, and the teen opened the door after the first knock. Robert explained he was getting ready to get into bed when he heard the knocking. The two talked for a short while and then hugged. After Robert got into his bed, Mr. Ken kissed his forehead and smiled at the boy. The man then closed the door as he walked out.

That was the longest weekend Mr. Ken could ever remember. There was way too much drama that weekend, and he hoped the authorities can identify any other men who conspired to kidnap Kevin and Kyle and any of the other lads. He hoped Sheriff Barnes can put this investigation to bed, and soon. He also hoped that Frank Harrison will help them identify the rest of the men he rented Robert out to.

The Cover lads slept very well that night. All the walking they did on Saturday night and then the excitement of that night and reliving it for their friends that Sunday had them all physically and mentally drained All four boys fell fast asleep as soon as their heads hit their pillows.

Unfortunately for Mr. Ken, everything that happened that weekend kept playing in his head and he tossed and turned in his sleep that night.


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