When Mr. Ken woke up that morning he still felt tired, but knew he needed to be out in the Kitchen Nook for his boys. The man got rid of his excess water, put on his gym shorts and Crocs, then headed outside to get his morning newspaper. He felt the morning chill in the air.
After he arrived in the Kitchen Nook, Momma Maria already had his first cup of coffee poured and ready for him at his seat at the table. Mr. Ken thanked the woman for his coffee, then took the paper out of its protective sleeve and quickly looked for any articles about the Sheriff's news conference.
Sheriff Explains Saturday's
Attempted Kidnapping
Applauds Ken Thomas
Last night Sheriff Matthew Barnes explained his department's actions on Saturday night when at least two boys and possibly nine Trick-Or-Treaters could have been kidnapped by four men traveling in a step van.
Earlier yesterday, Mr. Ken Thomas explained his actions for that night, when he had hired two security men to chaperone his four foster boys and five of their friends as they walked the neighborhood Trick-Or-Treating for candy and other offerings.
Mr. Thomas said he knew one of the four men arrested Saturday night in the attempted kidnapping of some of the boys. The owner of The Cove, as most people now know it, said the man, Julian Hankers, came to his estate to take custody of two of his foster boys, but he wouldn't allow him to have the boys because it was late at night and the man hadn't coordinated his actions through the courts or CPS.
Mr. Thomas said, knowing that the man was no longer in police custody and had gone through great lengths to try to get the boys in his care, he wanted to ensure the boys would remain safe. He told this reporter that he hired two security men to walk with the nine boys as they Trick-Or-Treated Saturday night. The Cove's owner said he didn't know of the attempted kidnapping or what the police had planned, until about ten minutes before it actually went down.
Sheriff Barnes clarified Mr. Thomas' assertion and told this reporter how his deputies received a phone call from a Bandera County Detective who started the thinking process going. The Sheriff told the assembled reporters how Lt. Dan Fischer and Lt. Brandt Matthias decided to put a plan into action even before they cleared it with him. The Sheriff said his men had no time to discuss the potential situation with Mr. Thomas and that they needed to catch the men in the act.
Sheriff Barnes said when he was told of the plan he totally endorsed it and let his men do their jobs. It was learned that Lt. Matthias and his partner Sgt. William Roberts, both wearing plain clothes, headed over to the neighborhood to join the security men as additional protection for the boys. There were four patrol cars also sent to the area to assist if the men acted.
The Sheriff explained they knew of a step van that was parked at the top of the street, but that vehicle was different from the panel van that had been following behind the boys earlier. Not knowing the men in the step van were out to do something nefarious, Lt's Fischer and Matthias set their plan in motion, sending two plainclothes deputies to accompany the boys and security guards. The two Sheriff's Deputies acted like they were parents that finally caught up with their kids while four patrol cars were parked just outside the viewing area of the men in the van.
Mr. Ken skipped down to the bottom of the article to see what conclusions the reporter had made.
To the uninformed, it may have looked as if the deputies put boys into harm's way, but Sheriff Matthew Barnes applauded the two men, saying they performed their job flawlessly Saturday night. The plan that Sheriff's Lt's Fischer and Matthias quickly put together and implemented to catch those men in the act, was what did those four men in.
It was said that within 30 seconds of the time the step van stopped in front of the boys and the four men jumped out, the plainclothes detectives and the two security men had all four men apprehended and on the ground. Then, they waited for the patrol deputies to arrive.
Sheriff Barnes applauded Mr. Thomas saying "If he hadn't acted the way he did, and hired those two security men, those boys would probably be missing right now." The Sheriff went on to say that Mr. Thomas, acting alone, could not have stopped those men intent on abducting any or all of those boys, and his hiring the two security men was what his Lieutenants were able to use to put their plan together.
The Sheriff continued and told them how the Director of Children's Protective Services, Ms. Judy Turner, said Mr. Thomas was a man in good standing with CPS and she had no intentions of moving the boys out of his care. Sheriff Barnes said he applauded the Director's decision and supported her wholeheartedly. The man further said, "I support the man as a caring foster parent who others should strive to emulate."
This investigation will take weeks if not months to conclude. We all hope the Sheriff's Department can get to the bottom of why these boys were targeted.
Mr. Ken was glad the newspaper didn't take a 'scorched earth' attitude and began second-guessing Dan's and Brandt's planning and execution ability. He was also very happy they virtually reported what was said and didn't harp on putting the lads in jeopardy, or his hiring Gene and George to watch over the boys.
When the Cover lads woke up that Monday morning, they all still felt very tired. They went through the motions of getting cleaned up and ready for school, but when they arrived in the Kitchen Nook Mr. Ken could immediately tell there was something wrong.
"Robert ... why are you so glum?" asked 'dad' Ken.
"'Dad', I still feel tired. It's like I didn't get enough sleep, but I know I did because I went right to sleep and woke up in the same position I was in when I last remembered putting my head on the pillow," replied the teenager.
"Yeah, 'dad', I sort of feel the same way. I just don't have enough get up and go this morning," added Charles.
The twins just sat there, staring away, waiting for Momma Maria to put their breakfast in front of them. They never said a word, but Mr. Ken could tell there was something going on with all four of his 'boys'.
"Robert, Charles ... if I let you go back to bed do you think it will help you?" asked 'dad' Ken.
Charles looked at his older 'brother' and asked with his eyes what he thought. Robert knew he should answer, so he took a deep breath and said, "No, 'dad', I don't think it will. I was tired yesterday, but with all my friends over I didn't really feel it until I went to bed last night. I think what happened Saturday night is what has me so bummed out, 'dad'."
"Charles ... do you feel the same way?" quickly asked 'dad' Ken.
"I don't know 'dad'. What happened Saturday night wasn't anything like what Smokey did to me when he tried to take me on the 4th of July. I mean ... it was scary, and all, but ... at the same time, these guys just tried to take us away, or something. They didn't have any knives or guns that I saw, or even heard of. They just tried to grab us kids, and they fell flat on their faces. I ran but I was also looking back to see where David was. Then, I saw a man grab Kevin and then Kyle went after his brother trying to get the man to drop him"
"It all happened so fast. The van came right towards us and screeched to a stop and all the men came running out of the van. Robert yelled for us to run. Then one man grabbed Kevin, he put this bag over his head and began to carry him to, I guess, to the back of the van. Then another man grabbed Kyle as he tried to get the man who had his brother to let him go."
"As that was all happening, Lt. Matthias and Sgt. Roberts had the other two face down on the ground with their guns pointed at them, and then the squad cars came rolling up, lights flashing. I'd say the whole thing took no more than 30 seconds, if that, and it was all over," explained Charles.
"But you missed the best part," spoke up Kyle. "You should have seen Mr. Gene and Mr. George come after those two guys who had me and Kev. Mr. George grabbed the man who had me from behind and almost squeezed the air out of him. Mr. Gene did the same to the man who had Kev."
"I got that pillowcase, or whatever it was, off Kev and Mr. Gene and Mr. George got on top of the men and they pulled out these plastic ties and tied their hands behind their backs. This all happened before the other cops got there. We all know Mr. Gene and Mr. George are big men but you should have seen how fast they took care of those two men."
After relating his story of what happened that night, Kyle now had a big smile on his face. Even Kevin grinned big at hearing it the way he just did. He knew things were happening around him, but he couldn't see anything with the bag over his head and now he knows what Mr. Gene and Mr. George did to save him and his twin. Kevin then reached over to his twin and gave him a hug.
Mr. Ken looked over to Robert and saw he had a smile on his face, too. Then, he looked at the time and saw the boys would miss their bus. He told the boys to take their time eating and that he would take them to school.
Charles then spoke up and told his 'dad' how Mr. Wayne let him out a block before the school, the day he drove him there, because there were so many cars blocking the way.
While the boys finished their breakfasts, Mr. Ken went and put some suitable clothes on. When he came back to the Kitchen Nook, he told the boys to finish up, get their jackets and books and meet him in the garage and to make it quick.
As Charles predicted, there were cars restricting the Covers from getting to school. Mr. Ken watched the women in the cars up ahead of him give their kids a gentle hug and a kiss and then wave at them as their child walked to their friends. Then mom would wave some more and then slowly move out. Mr. Ken watched three women in front of him do the same thing and is was then he made the executive decision to have the boys walk the rest of the way to school.
"Bye, 'dad'." "Thanks for the ride, 'dad'." "C'Ya later, 'dad'," was what 'dad' Ken heard from his four boys as they exited the truck. Mr. Ken waited for the chance to get out of the line of cars and when it came he quickly pulled out into the street and headed home.
After Mr. Ken got home, he quickly took his shower and then dressed for the day. When he went out to the Kitchen Nook, he got a fresh cup of coffee and called Momma Maria over to the table that looked out over the lake.
"Momma ...please sit down. ... Momma, you probably know the boys were accosted and almost kidnapped Saturday night while they were out Trick-or-Treating. You also probably heard that two of the boys were actually taken by two men and almost put into the step van the four men brought."
"Momma ... it was the twins that the two men grabbed. We do not know if the other two men were after Robert or Charles because the police, Mr. Gene and Mr. George acted so fast the men didn't have time to blink. I think you heard the boys tell their story some at the breakfast table."
"Momma ... the boys also asked me to tell you ... well, they want me to tell a little bit about why they are living with me. They think that you should know some of their back-stories, so you won't always wonder why things happen, like this past Saturday. So, I'm asking you if you want to know some of why the boys are living with me or ... would you rather not know? If you want to think about it some, and then tell me that is okay with me," explained Mr. Ken.
Momma Maria sat there a little bewildered about what she had just heard. She always wondered why the boys were living with Mr. Ken, but she was always too afraid to ask. Now, the boys want her to know why there are there, so she doesn't have to wonder any more.
"Yeses, Meesters Kens, Iis woulds likes to knows whys the boyses are livings weech yous. Iis always wonders whys they gives yous so many niños to take care ofs. Pleases tells Mommas why these many niños ares here," got out Momma Maria.
"Momma ..." was all Mr. Ken got out when Mr. Chris came into the Kitchen Nook.
"Oh, I'll come back later. I see you two are talking," said Mr. Chris, before he turned around to head back to his office.
"Wait, Chris," called out Mr. Ken. "Maybe you will want to hear what I have to tell Momma."
When Mr. Chris came back to the two adults, Mr. Ken told him he was going to tell Momma Maria why the boys were living with him. He reminded Chris he was going to tell him the same thing and now this way he would only have to tell it once. Mr. Chris took a seat.
"Momma, Chris ... this was the boys' decision to tell you both a little bit of the why they are living with me. And, I too, think it is good for you to know a little of the why they are here."
"You both know of what happened last Saturday, I am sure. Chris, I already told Momma here that the twins ... they had been grabbed by two men, but the other two never got the chance to grab anyone because Lt. Matthias and Sgt. Roberts were with the boys when it all happened."
"Anyway, as for Robert ... he wants you to know his parents ... they'd been arrested and tried and they are both now in jail. None of his aunts or uncles or grandparents wanted him. He was in at least three other foster homes before Ms. Judy learned of some irregularities in those homes. So, she asked me if I could work my magic on the lad as I did with Collin. The jury is still out on that," said Mr. Ken with a chuckle.
"Nos Meesters Kens, yous dos a goods jobs weech Roberto," said Momma Maria.
Mr. Ken smiled at the thought and then continued,
"As for Charles ... his mom ... well, she got involved with drugs, big time. When she went to jail, Charles had to go into the CPS system, as they could find no other relatives. He and Robert were once at one foster home together, that I am aware of. When Robert was brought to me, Ms. Judy didn't know that Charles had been exposed to those same irregularities in the same foster home. It was because the CPS worker responsible for both lads didn't do her job properly."
"Anyway, when Judy finally learned that Charles should have also been moved ... she found a foster home to place him in. The day before the placement, Ms. Judy called me and asked me to be the backup, because ... well, she wasn't too sure the couple would want a 12-year-old boy. They didn't. Judy brought Charles over here the day before my 4th of July Picnic."
"As for the twins, you both know they were in a multi-car accident with their parents. They needed a place to go and Judy was having a difficult time finding someone at the start of the school year who would take two boys at the same time. Thus, she asked me and because I already had two older boys, she figured the older lads could be the twins older 'brothers' until their parents healed from their broken bones and burns."
"Saturday night, friends of the twin's dad ... they came after the twins and tried to kidnap them. One man had previously come to the house to take them, but I wouldn't let him have the boys because it was late at night and he hadn't gone to the courts, or to Ms. Judy, to gain their release. Then, the next day, he went to the twins' school to try to get custody of them there. He was arrested there for something totally unrelated."
"So, there you have it. Robert and Charles both have their parents in jail and the twins, well, they were in an accident, but there is something going on with the dad and his friends. We have no idea why those men were after Kevin and Kyle. Hopefully, the Sheriff's office will double down into the investigation and tell us something real soon. So ... do either of you have any questions?" finished Mr. Ken.
Momma Maria got up and out of her seat with tears in her eyes. She slowly walked away. Mr. Chris asked his boss if this was what he alluded to a few days back when he was told he needed to have some idea why he may have to increase the security, or do other things. Mr. Ken told him yes it was, and it is. Mr. Ken then told Chris to call Jules and have him add two more security guards during the night shift. The owner of The Cove told Chris to have them come on from 10 PM to 6 AM. Chris got up and went directly to his office to make that call.
Over at the school, the Cover lads were inundated with questions from their classmates who weren't at The Cove yesterday to talk to them. Robert was old enough to know what to say and what not to say, so he was able to fend off the nosey questions. He just told them to read the newspapers or watch the TV news. Some of the kids understood what Robert was saying, but a few of the girls got up in a tiff because he ignored their questions. The girls were the same ones he had his run-ins with when he first began attending school there. He didn't care that they walked away all pissed off.
Charles was able to fend off many of the nosey questions. He also had the practice of not saying anything about what happened after that 4th of July run-in with Smokey, so he answered some of the easier questions that were covered in the papers. He sort of ignored the more personal questions and answered around them.
It was while Charles was talking to the kids in his class that Leah passed by with her gang of girls. "Well, Charlie, I heard you almost got kidnaped the other night, while you were out Trick-Or-Treating. I hope you didn't lose all your candy. Or, maybe I should say ... I hope you didn't' ... shit your pants." Then Leah laughed hard and so did her followers.
"It's was too bad they didn't take you away. This school would be a whole lot better off without you here," snickered Leah, as she and her posse of girls walked away. There was one girl who hadn't laughed, and as she walked away with the other girls, she looked back and mouthed out, "I'm sorry."
Charles and his friends couldn't believe they heard what they just did from Leah. They all knew Leah Holmes had it in for Charles and Richard, but they couldn't believe she said what she did. They all said that was a new low for her. Charles did notice the one girl who seemed to be a follower, but had silently apologized to him. He was now intrigued and wondered who she was.
The twins didn't know how to handle all the questions they were getting from their classmates. Kyle might have jokingly said they'd be famous, but he didn't know what that meant. Now he had an inkling of what the 'famous' have to go through and now he wished he wasn't so famous.
Kevin and Kyle answered their classmate's questions as best as they could, using what they learned listening to the news and reading the newspapers. There were some questions they didn't answer because they thought them too personal. So, they confirmed to their classmates that they were grabbed by two men and they could only answer questions about what happened to them.
It was then Kevin spoke up and told them the man put a cloth bag over his head and he didn't see anything until after Mr. Gene and Mr. George had the two men flat on the ground with their hands tied behind them.
Kyle then told the assembled kids how Mr. Gene and Mr. George came up behind the men and 'took them down'. Kyle told his friends, and the other students who had stopped to listen, how the twin security men grabbed the men and made them drop Kevin and him and before the two men could defend themselves the security men had them on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs. Then using his hands he told the gathered group how the police cars came rushing into the street, the Sheriff's Deputies jumping out of their cars, and handcuffing the men and thanking Mr. Gene and Mr. George and then shaking their hands.
Once Mr. Ken had finished telling Momma Maria and Mr. Chris why the boys were living at The Cove, he went back to his Study to call his lawyer, Bill Jackson.
"Bill, after what happened this weekend, I wanted to call and ask you how the adoption process was coming along. I need to give my boys, well at least Robert and Charles, some hope that things can get better in their lives," said Mr. Ken.
"Ken, I completed everything that we needed to do to go forward with a few weeks ago. I'm sorry I didn't tell you all of that yesterday, but that wasn't on any of our minds. All we need to do now is to get a court date from Judge Richards and we'll be good to go," replied Bill.
"Bill ... is there anything ... anything that can stop this in its tracks? We have the signed release by the parents and the approval by CPS, but can ANY of the kids' relatives stop this from happening?" Mr. Ken wanted to know.
"Ken ... anything can happen. I'm sorry to say that, but if a relative comes forward they could argue they didn't know the parents signed away their custodial rights and they want a hearing to determine the best place for the boy. I'll call over to Judge Richard's court after we get off the phone and see if I can't get him to set a date. The sooner the better. I know Thanksgiving is coming up quick and then soon after Christmas will be upon us. We both want this finalized well before then," was how Bill Jackson answered Ken Thomas.
"Bill, before we hang up. What about the Commissioner's Court hearing this week about my proposed apartment complex? Are we ready to argue for this construction? I hate that just a few spoilers can stop this multi-million dollar project in its tracks because they have a hair up their asses," sort of complained Ken.
"Ken, we have this. Those people complain about anything and everything. They are just like that man who always protested any time you made a deal with the Commissioners that gave the county something in return for your taxes being used to pay for it. This time you're not asking for any special tax relief. You've already built the roads and brought in the utilities for his project when you built Four Corners. This is just the continuation of that area's build-up and continued expansion."
"This project will bring in more revenue for the county and they would be crazy not to approve this. I don't see any negatives in this project. There will be 400 apartments with a special section set aside for seniors in a protected and separate compound. The roads can handle the traffic, the infrastructure is in place and when we get the OK to start construction you'll be able to convince a major grocery chain to build in the area now. This is a WIN-WIN for the county and you," now laughed Bill Jackson.
"Thanks, Bill for that pep talk. The hearing is set for 10 AM Wednesday. It would be great if we could get Judge Adam to schedule the adoption hearing for that afternoon," laughed Ken.
"Yes, that would be great, but don't count your chickens. I suspect that if we can get him to schedule this, it will be on Friday, in the afternoon, at the earliest. Will you be bringing all the boys for that?" asked Bill.
"You bet I will. This is something unique, but it will also affect them all, so they need to be there to see it happen. Principal Chadwick could be a thorn in this, but I don't think she'll do anything to hinder us," replied Ken.
At lunch, the 7th graders learned that David Fritzer was also out Trick-Or-Treating with the Cover boys they started to ask him the same questions they asked Charles. All David could tell them, was that he was scared when he saw the men jump out of the van and run at them. He told them he heard someone yell for them to run and that was what he did.
The pre-teen told his questioners that he heard the Sheriff's Deputies yell for the men to put their hands up and get down on the ground and that's when he stopped running and went back to see what happened. That was the first time anyone heard that part of the story.
When the 8th graders learned that Eric, Josh, Gordon and Cody were also with Robert Saturday night they began to inundate them with questions. Josh told everyone how the headlights blinded him and he didn't know which way to run; so, he just ran away from the van. Eric added that it was Robert who yelled for them all to run.
Gordon told all the kids who were there how he ran up towards the top of the street when he heard Robert yell for them to run. He then told them that he hadn't even gotten to the top when the Sheriff's Deputies' cars came screaming into the street and screeched to a stop. He told them the men jumped out of their cars with their guns drawn. Gordon said it happened so fast that he didn't realize the men were down on the ground until he saw them laying there.
Cody told everyone he just ran. He told them he heard Robert yell for them to run, and he emphasized it by yelling 'RUN'. He told them when he ran, it was down the street, but when no one came with him he looked back only to see the Lieutenant and the Sergeant with their guns out and pointed at the two men on the ground. Cody told them that everything happened so fast it was over before it even started. The boys and girls listening all laughed at what he just said.
It had been an eye-opening weekend for Mr. Ken. After having to deal with Charles' run-in with Smokey, now he had to deal with the twin's dad. Mr. Ken was trying to figure out what the dad may try to do in the future if they can't find all the men who used Kevin. Then, he thought about Robert's situation. Mr. Ken wondered if they'd even find all the men who used him, so he could move on with his life.
Mr. Ken went to his Study and made a number of phone calls. While he was on the phone, Mr. Chris came to him and told him Jules Diamond would have two extra men there tonight, and they would continue to show up until he no longer needed them. Ken thanked Chris for the heads-up.
Chris also told Mr. Ken he rented the 12-seat Mercedes Sprinter Passenger Van for him to use during Thanksgiving week. Mr. Ken was happy knowing that, as it was one less thing he had to deal with later. Mr. Ken then told Chris he had to be at Commissioners Court Wednesday morning and would probably be gone from 9 AM until whenever. Chris was grateful for the information.
Mr. Ken then called Ms. Judy. She was able to talk so Mr. Ken told the Director of CPS that they were shooting for Friday for the adoption ceremony. He told the woman that he was waiting on Bill to call him with the schedule, but they both hoped Judge Adam would have the space and time on his court's calendar to make this happen. Judy Turner was so very happy that Mr. Ken would finally get to adopt one of his boys. She knew this would be the best thing for the lad.
Judy asked Ken if he told the boy yet. Ken told Judy he was going to pull him aside tonight after dinner to talk to him about the adoption. Ken told Judy that he would give the lad the opportunity to think about it and to let him know by Wednesday, so they could either follow through or cancel the ceremony. Ken told Judy that he'd send her the time when he gets it from Bill and hoped she could be there.
The boys arrived home from school and immediately headed to find Momma Maria to get their after-school snack. When she saw the boys, she pulled the lads to her and hugged them tight. She was crying when she did that and the boys were confused that something might have happened. Kyle wanted to run and find 'Dad' Ken, but Robert stopped him.
"Momma Maria ... did ... did our 'dad' tell you today why ... why we are living here?" subtly asked Robert.
"Ohhs yeses mies Niño's. Hees tells mees ands it makeses Momma sos veries sads. Momma makeses you somethings veries specials for you todays," replied Momma Maria.
The four boys sat down at the Kitchen Nook table and waited for Momma Maria to bring them their after-school snack. Today she made them a three-layer Boston cream pie. The boys had never seen anything like that before and when they saw the desert had three layers of cake with vanilla pudding oozing out the sides and the top covered in chocolate, their mouths began to water.
Momma Maria cut each of them a large piece of this special pie, even though it is made with yellow butter cake, and then placed a cold glass of milk in front of them. The boys ate the special pie and after taking their first bite each lad thanked Momma for making them such a special snack. When they were finished the boys took their turn to give Momma Maria a special hug. The boys waited for one another and after the last one hugged Momma, they all headed to the Study to find 'dad' Ken.
'Dad', you should have tasted the special pie Momma Maria made for us," announced Kyle.
"Ohh, what was it this time?" asked 'dad' Ken.
"She made us a ... she called it a Boston cream pie. It was shaped like a cake, though, but it had this vanilla pudding that came dripping out all along the sides and then she had just the top covered with chocolate icing. 'Dad' it was so good. You should go get a piece before we all go back and finish it off," teased Kyle.
"Ohh, you have homework to get done first, young man, before you go eating any more fattening foods," laughed 'dad' Ken. "So, anything special happen at school today that you can tell me about before you go up to your rooms?"
Each boy told Mr. Ken what they experienced with answering all their friends' questions about the attempted kidnapping. They wondered if it would ever stop and 'dad' Ken told them that the fury over it will calm down after a few days. He told them only the kids who hadn't talked to them about their Trick-Or-Treating adventure would probably continue to ask those questions until they satisfied their curiosity.
The boys went up to their rooms and started their homework. Mr. Ken continued to review his plans for his 400 unit apartment complex. He wanted to know the full ins and outs of the project so he could answer any questions without having to refer to any crib sheets. This was going to be his biggest construction project since the office and hotel buildings out on the lake.
Being it was a Monday, the Covers didn't have any guests arriving for dinner, so when Momma called them and told them dinner was ready they went to wash their face and hands and headed to the Kitchen Nook where they usually took all their meals.
Tonight Momma started them off with a salad with a choice of four different dressings. Then, she served them pot roast with red-skinned potatoes, French cut green beans and fresh dinner rolls and butter. When they were finished eating, for dessert momma served more of her specially made Boston cream pie to all of them. Mr. Ken asked her to join them for dessert so she brought out another dessert plate and had her special dessert right along with her men. Momma smiled all the way home that night.
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