Chapter 4: A Kingdom Crumbles

Stephan's attempted rape of a Texas Ranger's step daughter could be put down to 'ances', ignor-ance, and arrog-ance, but when Phillip Meeks' men murdered the two DPS troopers that had been guarding the entrance to the Jasik ranch, he basically pissed on the whole state of Texas. The newly elected governor, himself a retired trooper, took Meeks' actions as a personal slap in the face. And that is why, within four hours of the shooting, the tiny berg of Signal was full to over flowing with troopers and Texas Rangers. The eight individuals who had been in the two SUV's that had gone flying off the one hundred fifty foot drop had not survived their landing. Those eight and the other three that Lee had shot had been quickly ruled justifiable homicide. The one shot by his own man was ruled a homicide with no charges being filed since the guilty party did not survive the act.

News of the twelve men's deaths had spread through Signal like wildfire. With the deaths of fourteen men in two days attributed to Lee, he was getting attention he would just as soon as done without. That attention was not limited to just the local gossip. It looked like every news agency in the free world had a truck or van parked across from the Jasik ranch and they were swarming everything that came in or out of the ranch. It was in one of these barrages of questions that the gravity of what had happened really hit home for Lee.

Jake Jasik had killed several times over more people than his son's fourteen, but he also remembered how he'd felt when the weight of those deaths settled on his shoulders. Jake and Lee had always had an open relationship and Lee often went to his Dad for advice and comfort. It was an indication of how much things had changed when Lee sought Penny for solace. Jake had to smile as he felt some of the same things he had teased his wife about just the day before and he realised that he too would suffer with the empty nest.

Lee spent the afternoon with his head lying on Penny's lap on a blanket under one of the big Pecan trees in the back yard of the Jasik ranch house quietly talking about the events of the last four days and making plans for their future.

While Penny and Lee were talking about going to college, Phillip Meeks was being arrested in his own home. He hadn't been able to get in touch with his friend the judge, and likewise the chief of police was out of his office. Phillip was having trouble coming to grips with how the attempted rape of one high school girl had caused him so much trouble. The people of Signal saw the writing on the wall, Phillip Meeks' reign was over.

People who in the past had been glad to pass along information to him were now silent. This morning he had sent everyone but his personal bodyguard to bring that girl back using any means necessary, and he hadn't heard from them since. The four he had sent on Saturday had cocked things up in the worst way. One of Stephan's friends had told him that the girl was now at the Jasik ranch and that had bothered Phillip bad. Jake Jasik was someone that Phillip knew to leave well alone. The scary part about Jake Jasik was what you couldn't find out about, like what branch of military had he actually retired from and why did he sometimes disappear for weeks at a time. Phillip had even heard a rumour that Jasik had an open top house set up as a shooting range and, for reasons no one could explain, he could get a satellite picture of his own house but every attempt Phillip had made to get the same type of picture of the Jasik place had been thwarted.

Phillip heard what sounded like a dozen cars pulling up. A few minutes later his daughter was opening the door to his study, "Shut that door you stupid bitch, you know you're not allowed in here," Phillip screamed.

"But Daddy," hatred dripped off every word coming out of his oldest daughters mouth, "these men have something for you." Lana Meeks stepped aside smiling her biggest as four men in western cut suits walked into the room, guns drawn.

"Phillip Meeks you are under arrest. If you make one move other than putting your hands on your head, we will shoot,"

Phillip knew he had the Signal police force in his pocket and what worried him about these men was who were they, "Just who the hell are you and by what authority can you arrest me? You're not city cops."

"I'm Jack Rimes with the Texas Rangers, now put your hands on your head before we decide to beat the state out of putting a needle in your arm." Jack watched as Phillip seemed to be considering his options.

Phillip knew he had a pistol in the top drawer of his desk, but he was pretty sure that the four men in front of him now would kill him before he got a shot off. He slowly started raising his hands, "I'll put my faith in my lawyer."

Jack Rimes smiled and then laughed out loud, "I guess that will be your new lawyer since we have your old one under arrest."

"Under arrest on what charge," Meeks shouted.

"More charges than I can remember, cuff him Adam and read him his rights." Jack walked over to the young girl, "Young lady, can you show me where your daddy keeps his special papers."

"You tell him anything you bitch and I'll beat you to within an inch of your life!" Meeks screamed at Lana.

Jack Rimes shook his head, "You are one tough bastard, but I don't see how you'll be able to lay a hand on your daughter since you are going to be locked up till you're about two hundred years old that's assuming you don't get the death penalty."

Lana was smiling, "I can do you one better than his safe. Come over here," Lana pointed to a very small microphone hidden in the base of a stuffed bob white quail that Jack was pretty sure the taxidermist hadn't put there. "And there is another one here," she opened up the receiver of the phone and pulled it out, "we have lots and lots of tape covering everything except the first rape."

Phillip Meeks was white as a ghost, "There's a whole lot more than the rapes on there, and we also have the video of our own rapes, mine and Misty's." At that point Lana's brave face crumbled and she started crying.

Jack went to the girl and held her, "I know someone that can help."

Lana got a look of fright on her face, "Not the social worker in Signal, you know, don't you, that she's on daddy's payroll."

"Yes, we knew. Now let me call her, she's a friend." Jack Rimes called Tammy Peterson and after a brief conversation she was on the road to Signal. Jack looked around and saw a trooper standing by the door, "Would you go tell Ann Gallardo, I need her in here."

The trooper left at a run and was soon back with a thirty something Hispanic woman wearing a brown western cut suit and wearing a silver belly Stetson hat, "What did you need Jack?"

"Ann, this is Lana Meeks and she has some tapes that we are going to be interested in, could you get her to show you where they are? And Ann?... Take it easy, Lana and her sister have had it pretty rough."

Ann nodded her acknowledgment and took Lana by the hand, "Can you show me where those tapes are?"

Jake and Matt had watched Lee and Penny for about an hour when Jake decided they needed some hands-on therapy. "Lee, Penny come on, lets go down to the shop and see about fixing that windshield on your baby." Lee and Penny got in the old FJ40 and drove it to the shop where Lee and his dad had spent many hours working on it in the past.

While they were replacing the windshield an unmarked car had pulled up to the ranch. Matt walked out and met the man that got out. "Capt. White, it's good to see you sir."

"How are your wife and stepdaughter doing Matt?" the tall man asked.

"They're fine sir, my wife's in the house with Mrs. Jasik and Penny is..." he pointed to the building where they had taken the FJ40 to fix it, "with Jake and his son working on the windshield that got shot this morning."

"I want to apologise Matt, you said this would get bad and I didn't take you serious. I'm very sorry about that. Tell me about this Lee, it sounds like he has been pretty damn cool under fire so far." "He's good sir, I'd heard of his dad when I was in the Seals but that kid, he's the best I've ever seen and that's saying a lot. My family and I might not be here right now if he hadn't seen Meek's men coming through our neighbour's yard and done a little pest control."

Capt. White nodded his head in agreement, "Well is there anything that you or your wife need?"

"No sir, not that I know of," Matt replied.

"I have a man replacing the front and back doors of your house and a cleaning crew taking care of the mess; you should be able to move back in day after tomorrow with a little luck." Capt. White put his hand on Matt's shoulder, "Again, I'm sorry for underestimating Meeks, it's not something I'll ever do again."

Matt watched his boss get in his car and drive away. He wondered if the Captain was worried about losing his job over the two trooper's deaths.

Supper that night was quiet and subdued. Afterwards, Penny and Lee cleaned the table and washed the dishes. They walked hand in hand to the den where their parents were watching the news which was mostly about the events in Signal, "We're going to bed now, we'll see you in the morning," Lee said and then leaned down to kiss his mother's cheek while Penny gave a goodnight kiss to her parents.

In Lee's room, they undressed and got in the shower together. Slowly, sensually, they cleaned each other's body taking the time to show the other how much they were loved. Lee and Penny moved their love making from the shower to Lee's bedroom. Lee wrapped his towel around Penny using it to pull her up against him. He placed kisses on her eyes and nose. Penny turned her face up to feel the gentle rain of kisses that Lee was showering on her.

When the kisses stopped Penny opened her eyes and looked into Lee's, "I can't believe how fast this happened but, I love you Lee." Their lips met and they shared a soulful kiss. As the kiss ended Lee used the towel to guide Penny to the bed. When Penny felt the bed hit the back of her legs she fell backwards spreading her legs in an open invitation to her lover.

Lee accepted the invitation, dropping to his knees on the floor he pushed his tongue into Penny's hot centre as she lay at the edge of the bed. Penny moaned softly as Lee used his tongue to torment her in a most wonderful way. Lee took Penny slowly towards her climax, backing off when she would get close to the edge. Over and over he brought her to the edge and then backed off until finally he gave her that last little shove. It was all Lee could do to hold his mouth over her hot centre as she bucked through her climax.

Before she had completely recovered from her climax, Lee stood and pushed his cock into Penny, lifting her up and moving her to the centre of the bed. The sudden fullness sent Penny over the edge; she wrapped her arms and legs around Lee and held on for dear life. With lips and centres joined Lee pushed Penny through two more climaxes before succumbing to his own.

Lee rolled to his side taking Penny with him. They laid there in silent conversation as they recovered from their highs. Lee kissed Penny and then got up to go to the bathroom bringing back a wet wash cloth. He gently cleaned his lover and then himself. Lee turned out the lights and he and Penny lay in the darkness whispering their love for each other until they fell asleep.

For Lee it was a fitful night; he had dreaded going to school Sunday but, eleven more bodies later, Tuesday was looking like it was going to be even worse. Lee awoke a little after five. He laid there with his arm around Penny thinking about how much had happened since Friday.