The primary aim of the "Novel Excerpts" blog category is to showcase my creative writing, specifically from the novels I've written. Hopefully, these posts will provide a glimpse into my storytelling style, themes, and narrative skills. It's an opportunity to share my artistic expressions and the worlds I've created through my novels.
The Boaz Stenographer, written in 2018, is my fourth novel. I'll post a chapter a day over the next few weeks.
Book Blurb
Walt Shepherd, a 35 year veteran of the White House’s stenographic team, is fired by President Andrew Kane for refusing to lie.
Walt returns to his hometown of Boaz, Alabama and renews his relationship with Regina Gillan, his high school sweetheart, who he had ditched right before graduation to marry the daughter of a prominent local businessman. Regina has recently moved back to Boaz after forty years in Chicago working at the Tribune. She is now editor of the Sand Mountain Reporter, a local newspaper.
Walt and Regina’s relationship transforms into a once in life love at the same time they are being immersed in a growing local and national divide between Democrats and traditional Republicans, and extremist Republicans (known as Kanites) who are becoming more dogmatic about the revolution that began during President Kanes campaign.
Walt accepts two part-time jobs. One as a stenography instructor at Snead State Community College in Boaz, and one as an itinerant stenographer with Rains & Associates out of Birmingham.
Walt later learns the owner of Rains & Associates is also one of five men who created the Constitution Foundation and is involved in a sinister plot to destroy President Kane, but is using an unorthodox method to achieve its objective. The Foundation is doing everything it can to prevent President Kane from being reelected in 2020, and is scheming to initiate a civil war that will hopefully restore allegiance to the U.S. Constitution.
While Walt is writing a book, The Coming Civil War, he is, unwittingly, gathering key information for the Constitution Foundation.
Will Walt discover a connection between the Foundation and the deaths of three U.S. Congressmen in time to save his relationship with Regina, prevent President Kane from being reelected as the defacto head of a Christian theocracy, and the eruption of a civil war that could destroy the Nation ?
Chapter 72
I spent all morning Friday on the phone with Dana Teague attempting to straighten out two of the transcripts she had left on my desk with questions. These were from yesterday’s two long civil motions hearings. She was a rookie stenographer. Her lack of experience and weak education and training were showing in spades.
I normally work until noon or 1:00 p.m. on Fridays, but today was an exception. The more I had spoken with Dana and considered her errors, the more I knew I had to review all her transcripts from Wednesday. This was going to be a long day.
At 11:30 a.m. I told Dana my decision and arranged for her to be available to continue our phone conversation at 3:00. I was hungry, so I walked the three flights down to the basement and to the Courthouse Diner. I ordered a salad and a grilled cheese and looked for a table. The place was already busy. All courthouse personnel knew to eat before noon since that was shift change at the Sheriff’s office across the street which on Fridays always swamped the dining room even though it covered nearly the entire ground floor. I had to admit, the Diner’s chili-cheese fries were to die for.
After scanning the room, I saw Micaden sitting alone in the far-right corner next to the double doors going out to the north side parking lot. I walked toward him and ten feet before reaching his table Pastor Tillman stepped out from the restrooms which were on the back wall just to the left of where Micaden was sitting. At that same instant he looked up and motioned me over. For a split second I alternated my gaze between the two of them. Warren also motioned me to come join them, so I did.
For the next several minutes we all shared our sadness over losing Vann. He had never gone into a lot of detail about his and Warren’s relationship, but I knew the two were close. Vann had obviously known Warren all his life since he and Deb were members of First Baptist Church of Christ. Warren’s father, Pastor Wade, was a high school classmate of Vann and me. It was not until Warren’s tenth grade year that he and Vann really connected. Vann spurred Warren’s interest in American history and created an assistant’s position so they could spend more time together. At some point, American politics became the glue that held them inseparable. If Wade and his wife Gina ever wondered where Warren was all they had to do was call Vann.
Suddenly I realized what a situation I had gotten myself into. Why would Warren and Micaden be together? With their history, it was unbelievable. Gina, Warren’s mother was dead. Killed by Wade, her husband and Warren’s father. Micaden was Gina’s divorce attorney and, according to rumor, was a very close friend, some believed they were lovers. Wade and James Adams, and their fathers had attempted to frame Micaden for the murder of Gina Tillman. Wade and James had been convicted of Gina’s murder and were now serving, for all practical purposes, life sentences at a federal prison in Georgia. If all of this were not enough to make one wonder why these two men were now sitting sharing a meal, I remembered how Warren’s grandfather, Walter, was one of four who were shot down by Micaden when they attacked him at his place off Cox Gap Road. A fiction writer could not have created such dynamics and tension between these two men.
“I see you’ve grown quiet. I suspect you are wondering why Micaden and I are here together.” Warren said.
“Well, it has crossed my mind.” I replied continuing to eat my salad and without looking up.
“You might call it a truce for the love of country. Warren believes America might crumble unless President Kane is vindicated in his Russian scandal.” Micaden said.
“I sense this all might have something to do with a Russian named Romanov sitting in a jail cell across the street.” I said, looking first at Micaden and then over to Warren.
“You’re correct. I think it is divine that you are here right now.” Warren said.
“Now, you’ve lost me.”
“Micaden and I were just talking about you and had decided that I would call you this afternoon. We have set aside our differences and have reached an agreement. You do not know it yet, but you must play a role for our plan to be a success.” Warren said.
“Walt, let me be clear. My interest here is solely as Romanov’s attorney. My job is to zealously represent my client. Warren has offered something that I believe can provide my client an acceptable resolution to his current legal problems.
“Romanov did not kill Kip Brewer. Furthermore, he was not involved with any Russian scheme to manipulate the 2016 Presidential election. But, there is one thing he is guilty of. He is guilty of being the perfect stooge for a sinister organization that is guilty of, probably treason.” Warren said.
“I’m listening, and by the way, I have to be back at my desk upstairs by 1:00, so talk fast.” I said.
“Anton Romanov, Micaden’s client, has a brother named Anatoly, Anatoly Mikhailovich Romanov. He is, and has been, for over twenty years, the Chief Director of Technologies for Russia and President Putin.” Warren said.
“Eat the rest of your fries and let me summarize for Walt.” Micaden interjected. “My client contacted his brother, mainly to request financial assistance with his defense. When Anatoly learned of the depth of the legal trouble his brother was in, he offered to do whatever he could. He said he might know a way to help. After a couple of weeks, I persuaded the court to allow the brothers an opportunity to talk, privately. I’m not sure what Anatoly did on his end to secure his privacy. The bottom line is Anatoly admitted his involvement in the Russian hacking. He also said there are rumors in Moscow that two brothers— Sergei and Semyon Ivankov–who, by the way, are also from St. Petersburg, are working for a Chicago organization and might possibly be connected to some if not all the murders of U.S. Congressmen.”
Micaden paused giving me a second to interrupt. “You said Chicago, ‘a Chicago organization.’ Have you identified that outfit?” I asked.
Warren wiped some cheese from the corner of his mouth and said, “we are not absolutely positive but I’m confident it is the Constitution Foundation. It’s a think tank created ten plus years ago by a man named Thaddeus Colburn. He also has a public interest law firm that litigates U.S. Constitutional issues.”
“What makes you think these two brothers are some way connected to Mr. Colburn’s organization?” I asked.
“I can answer that.” Micaden spoke up. “My client recognized Sergei in the photograph that was offered against him at his Preliminary Hearing. We have kept quiet hoping that we could create an opportunity to maximize its value for Romanov’s defense.”
“Also, since the two Romanov brothers had their phone conversation, we have, Micaden and I, hired an investigator to tail Mr. Colburn. We have learned he has some type connection to three men, all who live and work in Chicago. These men are: Marc Anderson, Michael Gasaway, and George Perrot. Here’s the kicker, when Micaden showed his client a photograph of Colburn with George Perrot, he nearly passed out. It seems Perrot’s son was a student of Anton’s in Toronto and the three met for drinks after an event where the professor spoke. Some type of conference that dealt with the ways a U.S. President can lose his job. That meeting was several years ago but Romanov, Micaden’s client, still recognized George Perrot.
“Guys, no matter how much I’ve enjoyed our little meeting, I have to go.” I said.
“Is it okay if I give you a call later today or sometime over the weekend?” Micaden asked.
“That’ll be fine. I am getting curious of what you want me to do.” I said, pushing back my chair.
“Thanks for meeting with us.” Warren said.
I didn’t respond but picked up my tray and made my way back towards the elevators.
The Pencil Driven Life 