Post by Webster on May 31, 2018 0:08:51 GMT -5
Chapter 12
***several months later***
AP News..............Rodriguez Elected President of Isla Apuro, De Rojas Sentenced to Life in U.S. Court
Election results coming from Isla Apuro show a close but fair election for President and Parliament. In Presidential Elections, Social Democratic leader Hermano Rodriguez will be Isla Apuro's first democratically-elected president since independence in the 1970's. With 97% of the almost 600,000 votes having been counted, Rodriguez received just under 52% of the vote versus 43% for Conservative leader Constance Palmer-Levy with several independent candidates receiving the remainder of the votes. The SDP also secured a majority in Parliament with 27 of the 53 seats; the Conservatives won 23 seats and the remaining three were won by independent candidates. UN election observer, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, said that, "the election results show that, even after 30 plus years of tyranny, democracy has indeed taken root in Isla Apuro. It is the view of both the UN and the OAS that these elections were indeed conducted in a fair, honest manner and both groups look forward to working with the new government in St. George."
..........In related news, former strongman Ferdinand Arroyo de Rojas was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Miami, Fla. to life in prison for multiple counts of drug trafficking and terrorist acts against American citizens. The former president of Isla Apuro, appearing in court in an orange jumpsuit and shackles, appeared contemptuously unrepentant as Judge Graham Denton issued the sentence following a two-week trial in Miami. It is expected that de Rojas will likely serve his life sentence at the federal Supermax facility in Florence, Colorado, home to some of America's most violent and dangerous criminals, including Oklahoma City bomber Terry Nichols, Olympic Park bomber Eric Rudolph and former Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh............
***back to the present.........***
It was a quiet evening at the hacienda and I was glad for it. When they had arrived, the Marines had used the hacienda as a landing headquarters for several days before establishing a permanent base closer to St. George. With everything that had happened, it took Kelsey and I a few days to re-adjust to what had supposed to have been a 2-week vacation but eventually that question that had haunted me earlier, was front and center as I paced up and down the beach below the hacienda. In my hand was a small ring w/an inset ruby stone; I had finally gotten around to getting it sized, cut and in St. George. As I put the ring back up, I kept thinking, What do I say to her? What should I say.......
Those thoughts ran through my mind as I sat down on the beach. Off in the distance, I could make out the navigation lights on the Ospreys', Harriers' and Hueys' as they flew to and from the Iwo Jima and the Trenton. I don't know how long I had been sitting there on the beach, lost in thought for a while until I heard someone walking down the stone footpath to where I was sitting. I turned around and saw Kelsey approaching. When she got to the beach she sat down next to me on the sand. "Let me guess. You got tired of the hacienda too, huh?"
"Yeah, I did; I got tired of hearing Tsar talk about his twisted ankle."
"I could go back up there and twist the other ankle for him if you want," I said with a devilish grin. Then I looked at Kelsey, the grin gone from my face, replaced by a serious tone. "You know, after everything that happened with me and Stephanie, I always thought........."
"Thought what?," she asked.
"I always thought I'd never find someone special again," I said. "I think, though, that Fate threw me a curveball when our paths crossed." I stopped for a moment to catch myself before going on. "Kelsey, you mean everything to me and......you helped bring me back to the real world at a time when I really needed it and I.......," losing focus for a moment as I looked back out at the ocean.
Before I could speak again, she said, "You know, when we first ran into one another, something happened inside me, inside my soul. I don't know what it was, but it wasn't until we were headed for Pershing Square that day that I realized......I realized we were meant for one another. I tried to brush it away, but it wouldn't go. That's when I knew, I knew........," she added.
"Knew what?"
"That we were meant to be together, Matthew," she finished, leaning over and kissing me. I returned it, not caring who saw us. When we separated, she added, "Now what were you going to say?"
"Oh, just that.......," I said, pulling something out of a pants pocket and opening it. It was the ruby jewel I had been carrying around, cut and set into a small ring. "I was going to propose to you up at the hacienda, but......."
"It's beautiful," she said as I slid the ring onto her hand. "Matt, is this what I think it is......."
"It is, Kelsey.," I said, looking right into her. She kept looking at the ring, tears of happiness welling up as she realized exactly what the ring was. "Matt, it's beautiful; I had no idea you were going to ask me........" She leaned back over and I kissed her again, this time with more passion and tenderness. We made love underneath the jacaranda trees along the beach, both of us matching the others' pleasureful rhythm. While the world continued on its' way, we closed it out and away from us, enjoying each other as only passionate lovers can.
***late July, Zero Degrees, Velo City, Ca.***
I see the club hasn't changed, I thought to myself as I pulled up to the club, the sun shining on a new red/black Audi R8. Sliding my card through the reader, I walked in, striding confidently towards the bar. It was great to be back, I thought, as someone called out, "Well, look who it is. Where've you been, Matt?"
It was Ravyn, Zero's floor manager, who ran the club with equal parts charm, wit and Memphis-style humor. Shaking his hand, I said, "Oh, just getting my bearings back after everything that's happened the past month or so, especially since I'm still getting used to being married and---"
"Married? Wait? What?!? When did this happen?," he asked, sounding a bit speechless. I reached inside a jacket pocket and pulled out a copy of a marriage certificate from Clark County, Nevada attesting that Kelsey and I had indeed gotten married.
"We decided on it before we left Isla Apuro, Ravyn. Mike Chevalier was the best man; Sarah was the maid of honor." Looking out towards the dance floor, I added, "For once in my life, Ravyn, I'm happy. I'm married to a very beautiful woman, I've got a successful detective agency and I'm a member of the best damn street racing club in Velo City. What else is there?" All he could do was nod in agreement. There wasn't anything he could say in return.
As I continued to look over towards the dance floor, I smiled and thought to myself, Life is good. I didn't need to add anything to it; there wasn't anything to add to it. I didn't need to add anything to it; there wasn't anything to add to it. Perhaps there was something to be said for second chances. After everything that had happened to me over the past year, I was determined not to let it slip away. Sometimes, that all you can do in this world. You take a chance and you let the chips fall where they will. That's all anyone can ask for.
***several months later***
AP News..............Rodriguez Elected President of Isla Apuro, De Rojas Sentenced to Life in U.S. Court
Election results coming from Isla Apuro show a close but fair election for President and Parliament. In Presidential Elections, Social Democratic leader Hermano Rodriguez will be Isla Apuro's first democratically-elected president since independence in the 1970's. With 97% of the almost 600,000 votes having been counted, Rodriguez received just under 52% of the vote versus 43% for Conservative leader Constance Palmer-Levy with several independent candidates receiving the remainder of the votes. The SDP also secured a majority in Parliament with 27 of the 53 seats; the Conservatives won 23 seats and the remaining three were won by independent candidates. UN election observer, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, said that, "the election results show that, even after 30 plus years of tyranny, democracy has indeed taken root in Isla Apuro. It is the view of both the UN and the OAS that these elections were indeed conducted in a fair, honest manner and both groups look forward to working with the new government in St. George."
..........In related news, former strongman Ferdinand Arroyo de Rojas was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Miami, Fla. to life in prison for multiple counts of drug trafficking and terrorist acts against American citizens. The former president of Isla Apuro, appearing in court in an orange jumpsuit and shackles, appeared contemptuously unrepentant as Judge Graham Denton issued the sentence following a two-week trial in Miami. It is expected that de Rojas will likely serve his life sentence at the federal Supermax facility in Florence, Colorado, home to some of America's most violent and dangerous criminals, including Oklahoma City bomber Terry Nichols, Olympic Park bomber Eric Rudolph and former Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh............
***back to the present.........***
It was a quiet evening at the hacienda and I was glad for it. When they had arrived, the Marines had used the hacienda as a landing headquarters for several days before establishing a permanent base closer to St. George. With everything that had happened, it took Kelsey and I a few days to re-adjust to what had supposed to have been a 2-week vacation but eventually that question that had haunted me earlier, was front and center as I paced up and down the beach below the hacienda. In my hand was a small ring w/an inset ruby stone; I had finally gotten around to getting it sized, cut and in St. George. As I put the ring back up, I kept thinking, What do I say to her? What should I say.......
Those thoughts ran through my mind as I sat down on the beach. Off in the distance, I could make out the navigation lights on the Ospreys', Harriers' and Hueys' as they flew to and from the Iwo Jima and the Trenton. I don't know how long I had been sitting there on the beach, lost in thought for a while until I heard someone walking down the stone footpath to where I was sitting. I turned around and saw Kelsey approaching. When she got to the beach she sat down next to me on the sand. "Let me guess. You got tired of the hacienda too, huh?"
"Yeah, I did; I got tired of hearing Tsar talk about his twisted ankle."
"I could go back up there and twist the other ankle for him if you want," I said with a devilish grin. Then I looked at Kelsey, the grin gone from my face, replaced by a serious tone. "You know, after everything that happened with me and Stephanie, I always thought........."
"Thought what?," she asked.
"I always thought I'd never find someone special again," I said. "I think, though, that Fate threw me a curveball when our paths crossed." I stopped for a moment to catch myself before going on. "Kelsey, you mean everything to me and......you helped bring me back to the real world at a time when I really needed it and I.......," losing focus for a moment as I looked back out at the ocean.
Before I could speak again, she said, "You know, when we first ran into one another, something happened inside me, inside my soul. I don't know what it was, but it wasn't until we were headed for Pershing Square that day that I realized......I realized we were meant for one another. I tried to brush it away, but it wouldn't go. That's when I knew, I knew........," she added.
"Knew what?"
"That we were meant to be together, Matthew," she finished, leaning over and kissing me. I returned it, not caring who saw us. When we separated, she added, "Now what were you going to say?"
"Oh, just that.......," I said, pulling something out of a pants pocket and opening it. It was the ruby jewel I had been carrying around, cut and set into a small ring. "I was going to propose to you up at the hacienda, but......."
"It's beautiful," she said as I slid the ring onto her hand. "Matt, is this what I think it is......."
"It is, Kelsey.," I said, looking right into her. She kept looking at the ring, tears of happiness welling up as she realized exactly what the ring was. "Matt, it's beautiful; I had no idea you were going to ask me........" She leaned back over and I kissed her again, this time with more passion and tenderness. We made love underneath the jacaranda trees along the beach, both of us matching the others' pleasureful rhythm. While the world continued on its' way, we closed it out and away from us, enjoying each other as only passionate lovers can.
***late July, Zero Degrees, Velo City, Ca.***
I see the club hasn't changed, I thought to myself as I pulled up to the club, the sun shining on a new red/black Audi R8. Sliding my card through the reader, I walked in, striding confidently towards the bar. It was great to be back, I thought, as someone called out, "Well, look who it is. Where've you been, Matt?"
It was Ravyn, Zero's floor manager, who ran the club with equal parts charm, wit and Memphis-style humor. Shaking his hand, I said, "Oh, just getting my bearings back after everything that's happened the past month or so, especially since I'm still getting used to being married and---"
"Married? Wait? What?!? When did this happen?," he asked, sounding a bit speechless. I reached inside a jacket pocket and pulled out a copy of a marriage certificate from Clark County, Nevada attesting that Kelsey and I had indeed gotten married.
"We decided on it before we left Isla Apuro, Ravyn. Mike Chevalier was the best man; Sarah was the maid of honor." Looking out towards the dance floor, I added, "For once in my life, Ravyn, I'm happy. I'm married to a very beautiful woman, I've got a successful detective agency and I'm a member of the best damn street racing club in Velo City. What else is there?" All he could do was nod in agreement. There wasn't anything he could say in return.
As I continued to look over towards the dance floor, I smiled and thought to myself, Life is good. I didn't need to add anything to it; there wasn't anything to add to it. I didn't need to add anything to it; there wasn't anything to add to it. Perhaps there was something to be said for second chances. After everything that had happened to me over the past year, I was determined not to let it slip away. Sometimes, that all you can do in this world. You take a chance and you let the chips fall where they will. That's all anyone can ask for.