Chapter 21

What a cluster-fuck! For the third time in less than a week, the DEA along with the Sheriff had come out to the ranch. The first time they were after and arrested one of the men Brodie had given a job too the year before. What neither of us knew at the time, but we have found out since was that he was a drug user who, from time to time, acted as a mule bringing in drugs from Arizona. He told us he went down to visit his family, when he didn't have any family down there. They had searched his quarters and had come up with quite the haul of illegal drugs. That had been hard on Brodie as he had trusted the man and did not recognize his drug use. The other two men who worked for Brodie were brought in at the same time for questioning but they had been released as well as Brodie and me after some questioning.

Thursday we were visited again by the DEA only now the warrant specified the buildings around the main house were to be searched which happened to include my own apartment since there was no door or lock to keep anyone out. The reason given was that he had access to those buildings so he may have hidden drugs there. The problems started when they seized not just my desktop computer but also my laptop, which held everything I had put down covering my ability going as far back as to what I had done with Gertie. I had the files password protected but my intention was to protect against someone stealing my computer, I had never considered the government seizing them and I was sure they could crack my password quickly.

When the DEA appeared Friday morning before I left for my team meeting I was slightly annoyed. My annoyance got worse when they asked me for my passwords to my computers. When they asked what I had to hide, I replied that I password protected my computers to keep morons from looking at things that were none of their business. The two of them took exception to being called morons to which I added to the situation saying that they should go and do an unnatural sexual act with themselves, and go fuck themselves.

Evidently, they were having a bad day as they stated that I was now under arrest for obstruction of justice. Brodie who had been there the whole time tried to keep the situation from getting out of hand. When that failed and I was arrested, he told me to say nothing until he could get there with a lawyer. An hour later, when he had not appeared the two agents tried to get me to talk I ignored them giving them my best bored kid look. When the two of them left, I put my feet up on the table, which brought them, back saying that I was not allowed to put my feet on the table. I of course refused saying that as soon as my grandfather and his lawyer arrived I would do so but until then and as long as I had handcuffs on then I was going to be as comfortable as I could get.

That was the way things stood for several hours until two different agents entered along with an older gentleman in a very expensive suit. While one of the agents removed the cuffs the man offered, "Mr. Faulk, my name is Devin LeBois and I am your attorney. Right now, I am getting you released long enough to go see your grandfather as I have been told that he has suffered a massive heart attack right after you were arrested today. What is going to happen right now is that these two agents are going to take you to see your grandfather then they will bring you back here where I will sit down with you and discuss your case before we possibly discuss anything with these or any other agents."

Extending his hand, I shook it as he added, "I advise you to say nothing to anyone outside of your grandfather or myself before we sit down and discuss the charges against you."

The new agents had much better manners than the two that brought me in causing me to miss practice. Now with Brodie in the hospital I would be missing the game tonight as well. The ride over was quiet as neither agent said a word to me beyond how long I could stay before they had to take me back. At first I did not understand why they bothered taking me to the hospital as I did not think that I would be there long. Seeing Brodie's condition once we made it past the nurses in the critical care unit, I understood why the agents brought me over.

Taking his hand I found my focus and what I saw told me that he would not be leaving the hospital alive. Giving him some of my energy barely fazed him beyond gripping my hand harder. Letting my focus go, I found him staring at me.

Before I could say hello, his focus intensified at me, saying, "I thought I told you not to do that for me. There are others who could use it more and I am ready to move on to my next adventure."

We talked for over an hour before the agents entered his room saying that they needed to return with me. They gave me a couple of minutes to say good bye which I did and as I was leaving he told me to get the letter he had written to me that he had left with his attorney.

Returning with them to the Federal building, we found Mr. LeBois waiting for the three of us, holding several sheets of paper that he turned over to the agents. Those sheets were the release order for me from a Federal judge, I was beginning to like the idea of having an attorney around, and they could be quite useful.

From there he took me over to his office where he explained that it was never a good idea to call anyone in law enforcement a moron even if it were tru. They had too much immediate power, adding that it was always better to say nothing to anyone and let your lawyer do your talking. I agreed thinking that I got angry way too fast.

The letter he held for me from Brodie was a letter stating all the good things we had done together and that he was thankful he found me before he died. That went on for several pages before the letter got serious as he listed cash assets along with personal loans to several other farmers. The farther I read the more some things got confusing as the loans at the end were with people if I read the letter right were outside the country in Japan. That loan was worth over a million dollars. His reasoning in not putting all this in his will was that he never trusted the government after him, and the other men were left behind at the start of World War II. After committing the information in the letter to memory, I gave it back to Mr. LeBois for safe keeping saying that the Feds were being too nosy around the ranch.

The two of us discussed a number of topics that afternoon which ended with a phone call from the hospital notifying me that Brodie had passed away. Letting LeBois know Brodie had passed away, he stated that he should get me back to the ranch as he had a number of things to get arranged for my grandfather. Arriving out at the ranch, we found out that he had another issue to add to his list of things to do. Sitting in front of the house were two Social services workers, waiting for me, saying they were there to take me into protective custody. They had received an anonymous tip that I was alone due to the death of my guardian.

Thinking this is how it started when Peter was seized by the government, I stated that I was not going anywhere with anyone. The two social workers of course were not going to settle for that because I was a minor. Suggesting that they contact my mother proved to be a bust as all of them were gone on vacation since as my sisters started school a week after me. My attorney suggested Steve, and I was caught off guard that he even knew about him. The social workers were not happy about Steve becoming my guardian but after a couple more rounds with my attorney with the mention of a lawsuit, one stepped away to call him to see if he was willing to act as my guardian until the rest of my family returned home.

When the one worker who was staying with me while the other made the call heard that Steve agreed I got the feeling that something was up, as she was very disappointed that I was not going with them. So for the next two hours we sat around as I was not being allowed into my apartment while "details" were worked out. It was late in the evening that the details were worked out, I was thinking that there were two workers that were candidates for a heart attack and if I saw them again that might just happen.

What did happen was an order from the social workers to stay away from the house until my mother could be contacted. Mentioning this to Steve, he also thought it was strange being ordered away from my home. Sfter eating and telling him how the three visits from the DEA had gone, he suggested that we could go out to the ranch and do some night practicing to further my skills.

That night nothing happened and the two of us headed back to his place for the day saying that we would return that night. Calling Burt I was given the third degree as to where I had been, telling him what had happened he suggested calling the coach and letting him know what had happened. Asking about the game he told me that they had won but the score was a lot closer than the coach had wanted. As to my own status, he had no idea, other than Coach Van asked him where I was since we were together all the time.

Calling coach Van I explained what had happened with the farm hand and the additional visits by the Sheriff and the DEA along with Brodie's death. He expressed his sympathy and that he did not see a problem with me being away considering the circumstances. He was more concerned about me being arrested, as there was a clause in the contract he had all of us sign stating that we would be suspended from the team if we got in trouble with the law. I did my best to restate my part in everything but all I got back was that he would talk it over with the other coaches and would get back to me.

When he did, I did not care for what I was hearing due to the fact that after the problems in the spring with the other athletes and steroids the school's Athletic Director there was a new zero tolerance policy for any infraction regarding anyone playing sports for the school. For now, I was to be suspended from the team until either the charges were dropped or I was cleared at trial.