Chapters 5 & 6

Chapter 5
Katie was sitting at home about 11 P.M. when the phone rang.  She answered and a very quite but panicky voice answered her back. 
"Katie, this is Brian.  Look, I am sorry about the other night but something happened.  Someone must have seen me talking to you because they kicked me out.  We really need to talk in private.  I think they are still following me so I'll let you know when it is safe.  I can't talk now." 
"Brian, wait give me something.  Was there anyone else there who might talk to me?"  "Well, I don't know.  I doubt it." 
"Brian, please give me names of others." 
"Katie, I can't talk now.  I'll contact you later."  Brian hurriedly hung up the phone.
Katie began to get scared for Brian.  Something really big was happening.  She couldn’t put everything together.  Then she remembered seeing the mission assignment papers in the box of documents.  She decided to get them the next morning.
She went to Billy's parents house, and found the papers, and returned home to review them so they wouldn’t ask what was going on.  On the document were the names of the three other men on the rescue team besides Billy and Brian.  Katie called the base and asked to speak to one of them, Sgt. Timothy Clark.  She was transfered to the office where he worked.
"Hello, Sgt. Clark here." 
"Sgt Clark, My name is Katie Warren.  I was Lt. Billy Jones' soon to be wife before his death." 
"Yes, Miss Warren, I remember him talking about you." 
"Well, Sgt. Clark, I have a few questions for you if you don't mind." 
"No, please go right ahead.  I'll be happy to help."
"Sgt. Clark, I understand you were on the chopper when Billy died." 
"Yes ma'am.  I am a medic and was tending to the wounded soldiers Billy and his team rescued." 
"Well Sgt., can you tell me what happened?" 
"Well, there was lots of fire.  As I said I was tending to the wounded soldiers.  I heard someone yell 'Come on Billy.'  There was gunfire all around.  I had my back turned from where Billy was, as I was tending to my patients.  Then someone yelled, 'Billy's hit! Billy's hit!’  As I turned around to see, they were pulling him into the chopper as we lifted off.  I did my best to help, but he was just too bad."
"Did he say anything before he died?" 
"Well, if I remember correctly he looked at Lt. Walker and said something about him and being a brother to him and this was what it had come to.  Then he called Lt. Walker by name and told him to tell Katie about some key and deed or something like that.  I really don't remember it that well."
 "That's OK Sgt. Clark.  Thank you for your time." 
"You’re welcome and if I remember anything else, I'll let you know." 
"That would be great.  Thanks again and goodbye."   
Katie called to speak to other members of the team but they were all unavailable.  She began to realize something strange was going on.  She decided to keep notes and records of everything just in case.  One can never be too careful she thought.
It was several days before Brian called her back.  Katie asked if they could get together to talk, but Brian told her it still wasn't safe.  For now they could only talk on the phone, and they had to do that carefully.
"Katie, what I have to tell you might be hard to hear but I feel you need to know.  Katie, Billy was murdered."
 "What?  By who and why?" 
"Katie, I am not sure why and as for who, I really couldn't tell you that.  See, the case is being investigated and I really can't release details.  I mean it would jeopardize the case and I can't do that for Billy's sake.  Even the Army doesn't know for sure yet.  I hope you understand."
 "Yes Brian I do.  Can I ask you a question?" 
"Sure I am all ears." 
"Well I talked to Sgt Clark today and..." 
"What?!  You talked to Sgt Clark?  I hope you didn't mention our conversations."
 "No, I didn't say anything.  Anyway he said that Billy said something to you about telling me about a key and deed before he died.  What was it?"
" Oh yeah, I forgot about that.  He said to tell you that the key was in the deed." 
"Brian, what is that suppose to mean?  What key?  What deed?" 
"I am not sure.  The only deed I know of is the one that his grandfather gave him for his ranch on the day he graduated from West Point." 
"Yes, he told me about that.  Did he tell you where it was?" 
"Well, I asked him what he planned to do with it, and he said hide it until he needed it.  I asked him what if something happened to him and no one knew where it was.  He said all they would have to do is remember when it was given to him." 
"Hmmm, that doesn't help.  Well, thanks Brian, but I have to go now.  Goodbye." 
"Bye Katie.  I'll talk to you later."
Katie knew very little about the deed.  She and Billy had been to the ranch several times before his grandfather died.  Since that day, it was just too hard for him to go back.  They were very close and his death was very hard on Billy.  Katie knew that Billy owned the ranch but wondered if he would ever return to the beautiful place.  She thought that now he would never be able to do so.






  Chapter 6
    Katie decided that it was time she told Billy’s parents what she had discovered in hopes that they might be able to help her.  They, of course, were shocked as the news but agree to help wherever they could.
    Katie asked them about the deed Billy’s grandfather gave him.  They told her that the deed was to a ranch that his granddad owned, and that it had been passed down for generations.  The true value of it was somewhere in the millions but they didn’t know for sure just how much it was worth.  They told Katie that Billy knew its value because it was written on the deed.
    “Billy said before he died that the key was in the deed.  Does that mean anything to you?” Katie asked as she sat down. 
Mr. Jones answered her with a quizzical look on his face.  “No. Kinda strange statement but it means nothing.” 
“Do you know where the deed is?”
“No.  We figured that he put it in his safe deposit box, but we haven’t opened it yet.  We will do that tomorrow and let you know.”
“Okay, thanks.  I better get going now.”
    Katie returned home to review all that happened and her notes and records to see if maybe she had missed something.  As she sat in her home office, the phone rang.
“Hello.”
“Miss Warren, this is Sergeant Clark.  Do you have a few minutes?”
“Sure, Sergeant Clark and please call me Katie.”
“Well, Katie, I remembered something more about the day Billy was shot.  I told you before that we were fired upon, even as we lifted off, but I remember now that we were not.  You see, as Billy was firing and backing up to the chopper, one by one the enemy fire stopped.  I guess he was getting out of range or something.  Anyway, by the time Billy was a few feet away, the enemy fire had completely stopped.  Billy was still firing a few rounds for protection.  Then just before he reached the chopper, there was one final shot, and I suppose that’s what hit Billy.  I don’t know where it came from but it was a very close shot, range wise.  That’s about all I remember.”
“Thank you Sergeant Clark.  You have been a great help.  Please let me know if you remember anything else.”
“I will Katie and if you need me for anything please ask.”
Katie hung up and realized that the pieces were coming together.  Now if she could only get Brian to tell his story, maybe she could figure everything out.  The only thing left to do was find the deed and talk to Brian.
The next day Katie received a call from Billy’s parents.  They told her the deed wasn’t in the safe deposit box.  She asked if Billy had any other places he might have hidden it.  They told her they knew of none but she was more than welcome to come over to the house and look in Billy’s room.  She said that might help, so she did.
When she arrived, there wasn’t much in the room due to most of it being already packed in boxes for when they got married.  She decided to try to sort through the boxes.  In the back of her mind, Katie knew that she may never find out what was going on, but knew she had to keep trying.  Little did she know that soon, she too would be thrown in the middle of it all.