Epilogue

The first three days Billy stayed with the Alberts family at their ranch, he was ready to leave each morning as soon as he awakened. But then each day, the four of them pleaded with him to stay longer.

After a week, he felt like he was taking advantage of their generosity. That Monday, as he stepped out of the bedroom where he’s been sleeping, he leaned his duffel bag against the bedroom door, then joined them for breakfast.

There was always family talk around the table at each meal. They still talk about the rescue, and about Janis’ ordeal as a hostage.

Billy caught a break in the conversation and cleared his throat.

“I’ll be leaving this morning. Though I’ll never be able to thank all of you for letting me stay with you, I feel like I’m overstaying my R&R time here. I’ve never been around a family like this, and I have really enjoyed my time here with all of you...”

Before he could say any more, Jayne was the first to speak. “Billy, please don’t go. We’ll be lost without you here with us. We’ve learned so much from you and we want you to stay longer...”

As soon as she stopped to take a deep breath - Roger Alberts spoke up.

“Billy, Jayne is right. We will be lost without you here with us. None of us have ever known a man like you. Especially me, in all my years in the service. Jayne called you one of a kind, the other day, and you really are. I want you to know, my family and I owe you more than we’ll ever be able to repay you. You gave our daughter back to us, when it looked as if the odds were stacked against us ever seeing Janis again. We vowed we would never give up hope as long as she was alive ... When we met you during that meeting with Chief Holt and Colonel Hugh Collins, and were shown that video of you rescuing those nurses, we knew then, you were our only hope to ever see Janis alive again.

“You being here with us for the past ten days or so, has been a blessing to us. We need you here with us now, so we can heal and go forward with our lives.

“If there are too many frills on the bedspread, and too many flowers on the wall of that guest bedroom you’ve been sleeping in, then I’d love to take you out back to show you that old bunkhouse that was still used for the hired hands here on the ranch, when I first met Stephanie.

“If you have ever dreamed of a Man Cave, that old bunkhouse is the place to live your dreams. Before you make up your mind to leave us, please let Jayne show that place to you ... It’s yours, Billy. I’m giving it to you, free and clear. For as long as you need a place to stay - that place out there, will be yours and yours alone...

“I would like very much to sit down with you one day, out there on the porch of that old bunkhouse and listen to you tell me about all the places you’ve been, and all the battles you’ve fought.

“Though I served thirty years, and Stephanie served twenty-four, neither of us were ever in a war zone, or near one, in all those years...

“Listen to me, Billy. My wife, my two daughters, and I need you here with us. You can come and go as you please, you’ll never have to answer to any of us. I know you’ll soon be ready to take on another rescue mission like the one we just witnessed, but you’ll always have a place to call home when you come back each time.”

“Sir, inside of me, I feel like I owe you and your family, instead of you owing me ... I’ve been called a fool many times in my life, and many times I have proven to be one, by being hard headed.

“Not this time. I accept your offer and I’m looking forward to our talk...

“Jayne, when you’re ready, I’d like to take a tour of that bunkhouse, since it’s going to be the only place I’ve ever called home, in my entire life.”

“Billy, here are the printouts of Dad’s two records searches he did for us.”

She didn’t point it out to him, she let him read it for himself.

“He listed Shonae as his next of kin. Then where it shows his parents... unknown, is listed. He didn’t know his parents either...

“Did you see this, where he listed his city and state?”

She saw it, but she shook her head no, when he looked at her. She’s already crying, and there was no way she could speak, without breaking down and losing it.

“Broken Bow, Choctaw Nation, Oklahoma. That makes me wonder if she was from there too.”

“Dad thought the same thing. That second set of papers is where he first did a birth search for Shonae Jack, since we didn’t have a last name for her. The search showed none...

“If you’ll look on that last page, you’ll see where he did a death search. There was only one Shonae Jack listed, and that’s in Broken Bow.”

“I see that now. All it says is - Date of birth unknown - date of death July 10, 1998. Says here she was cremated, since she had no known next of kin, and her ashes scattered over the Red River...

“That tells me, the reason I have no birth record - I wasn’t born in a clinic or hospital. I remember back then, there were Mid-Wife Signs in some of the yards, or on a tree. I doubt many of the births, like mine, were ever recorded.”

“Are you okay, with what you learned about your parents, if those names we see, really are your parents?”