Resolutions
Chapter Seven
The alarm would go off in less then a half hour. Jess looked at her brother asleep in the cot next to her. If she staid laying down maybe the food she ate last night would stay down too. She grabbed a cracker and slowly took a bite.
"You sure you want to do that?" Matt whispered in the dark.
"I'm not sure about anything." Jess smiled.
"I'm sure that today's going to suck."
"Great you go to bed you and wake up Cody."
"Thanks. Just what I needed to here at five o'clock in the morning."
"Anytime I can spread a little sunshine."
"How's you stomach?"
"It's all good if I'm vertical. It's horizontal that makes me retch."
"Thanks for sharing sis."
"You asked. I just answered."
"I'm getting up and getting something to eat. Dare I ask if you'll be joining us?"
"I don't think so. Thanks for the invite though." Matt got up and pulled on his jeans and a t-shirt.
"If you need anything just yell." Jess nodded. "I cleared a path to the bathroom."
"You spoil me Matt." He laughed and headed downstairs. Jess closed her eyes and fought back the nausea.
"You awake Jess?"
"Yeah Cutler. What can I do for you?" He sat on Matt's cot.
"Just got a little lonely. I heard you and Matt talking, thought maybe you wouldn't mind some more company."
"Matt went downstairs but feel free to annoy me." Cutler laughed.
"Any time I can help a friend." She looked at him.
"I never did thank you for saving my ass last week."
"I thought we were done saying that."
"Well sometimes it just has to be said."
"Your welcome." They sat in a comfortable silence for a long time then Jess shifted and looked at Cutler.
"I have something to ask you and if it's too weird or you think it's not right just tell me I won't be offended."
"Jess when in the twenty odd years I've known you have I been afraid of what I say will offend you?"
"Okay point taken. Would it be too weird if you married me and Derek?" Cutler laughed out loud. "I'm glad I can amuse you."
"Oh Jess you always amuse me. Yeah sweetie it's weird but when have we done anything that even resembles normal? If it's okay with Derek hell it's okay by me. I knew that internet thing would come in handy."
"Lucky for me your favorite porn site was down for repair that day." Jess laughed like she hadn't laughed in a long time. Cutler had missed her laugh. Growing up she was always there with a smile and a corny joke to cheer someone up. Now she was all grown up with a child of her own on its way. Where had the time gone? And why had he messed things up with her? It would be a few years before Cutler would finally figure it out. But hey that's Cutler.
*--*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Nothing beat morning sickness until you suddenly become afflicted with car sickness. Jess was a particularly lovely shade of green as they passed the gates of Folsom Prison. They only had to stop half a dozen times but they made it with a half hour to spare. Jess got out of the car before Matt could put it into park and took a deep breath of pungent stale air.
"I thought DC had pollution." Jess took a deep breath but held everything down. A man in a suit came up to them.
"Matt, Jess, I'm glad you made it. Cody, Sarah."
"Hi Mike." He looked at Jess leaning on the hood of the car. The states attorney looked doubtful that she was going to live. "Really I clean up quite well." She smiled and Mike looked a little skeptical.
"If you say so. I'll take you guys in and Jess can…freshen up." They headed to the main gate of the prison. Locks opened and guards stood at attention. "I made a motion with the board to consider you an expert witness Jess. With your degrees and back ground it wasn't a problem." Jess nodded and Matt guided her with his hand on her shoulder.
"Feeling any better?" He whispered in her ear.
"The smells in here are not making it better but I can make it." Mike stopped at a door and it was buzzed open. They entered and he led the way stopping at the staff ladies room.
"We'll wait here." Jess walked in and Sarah followed.
"Was he always such a jerk?" Sarah laughed.
"Yeah. He went to law school with Matt." Jess washed her face and Sarah handed her a brush and a pony tail holder. Ten minutes later she looked someone acceptable. They left the bathroom and headed to the hearing room. They stopped at the door and checked their weapons. The board was assembled in the front of the room. Mike sat at the table on the right. Quietly they waited for Hugh McKnight to enter. Cody leaned over and whispered to Sarah.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm fine Cody. Just be calm and cool and this will all be over in a little while." He leaned over and kissed her just as the door opened and McKnight was led into the room. After getting him seated Mike stood.
"The people of California put together a strong case against Mr. McKnight four years ago. He was sentenced to a minimum fifteen years in prison. The state is appalled that he would even be considered for parole this early." McKnight's lawyer stood up.
"Mr. McKnight's exemplary behavior shows that he felt remorse for his wrong doings. By signing over custody papers to his wife so her new husband could adopt their child shows he no longer wants to be part of that life." The board looked at both sides then called Mike to call his witness.
"I call Jesse Lynne Hawkes to the table." Jess stood and took her seat in front of the room. "Please give your name and qualifications to testify at this hearing Ms. Hawkes."
"Jesse Lynne Hawkes, I work for a multi jurisdictional police force know as The High Mountain Rangers. I have a master's degree in psychology, sociology, and criminal behavior."
"Have you been involved in this case since the beginning?"
"Yes. We received a fax on May fourth, two thousand four about non- custodial parent abduction. Mr. McKnight's parents owned a summer home in the mountains near Lake Tahoe and the Sacramento police thought maybe he would head up there. We're the closest law enforcement team to the cabin."
"How far away were you when you got the fax?"
"About sixty miles. The spring had been really wet and the road up to the cabin had been washed out. The only way up there was by ATV or dirt bike."
"How did you proceed up to the cabin?"
"Cody…my brother was in charge that day. He was the one that got all the details from the FBI. We took a team of four, us included up with our ATV's. Even with the studded tires we had a hard time most of the way."
"When did you encounter Mr. McKnight?"
"We were on a ridge about a mile from the cabin. Cody and I had found his tracks and found that he'd been walking. He was carrying his daughter in her car seat."
"You saw this?"
"Not at first but when we found his tracks we could tell he was being pulled down on his left side and later we saw drag marks on the same side."
"Are an expert tracker Ms Hawkes?"
"I get by. My brother on the other hand is the best tracker in the state."
"So you found Mr. McKnight and he had his daughter in her car seat."
"Yes. It was one of those bucket ones with the handle. Cody was behind him and I was on the ridge below him. When he heard Cody behind him he dropped the car seat. If I hadn't of been on the ridge below Ava would have fallen over a hundred feet."
"You caught her?"
"Yes…just barley. I had to dive on the three foot wide ridge and caught her. Then McKnight pulled a knife and went after my brother."
"So he not only dropped his child but he attacked an officer of the law."
"Yes."
"Thank you Ranger Hawkes." McKnight's lawyer stood up.
"Did you or your brother identify yourselves when you approached Mr. McKnight?"
"Yes my brother did after he dropped Ava over the edge of the ridge."
"Before he attacked him?"
"Yes."
"My client says no such id was made but that's not the point. Mr. McKnight has made his apologize and has clearly severed all ties with his ex wife and daughter, in your expert opinion Ms Hawkes why shouldn't my client be freed?"
"The board has pictures of Sarah McKnight after the abduction, her face, arms and torso covered in bruises. They also have pictures of Ranger Cody Hawkes covered in bruises and cut half a dozen times with a knife. In my professional opinion Hugh McKnight is a violent man. He may say he has broken all ties with his family but like all predators once he knows his prey he won't let up until they are gone." Hugh smiled. Jess gripped the hand railings of the chair to hold herself down.
"Four years of clean living. He's a changed man Ms Hawkes. A man who is sorry for all he's done."
"Sorry doesn't wipe a way three counts of attempted murder consoler. My brother spent two weeks in the hospital after his run in with Hugh. Sarah spent three days at Ava's bed side until every test was run to make sure she was okay. He hurt people and changed there lives forever." The board looked at Jess. She was on the verge of loosing what little control she had left.
"You may have a seat Ms Hawkes." One of the men said. Jess got up and walked back to her seat between Matt and Cody. Feeling there strength on both sides of her calmed her for the moment. The board looked at the files Jess had sent up. The pictures of Cody's scares and Sarah's bruises. The ones of little eighteen month old Ava, clothes tattered after her tumble.
"After much debate we are wondering why after all the pain and suffering Mr. Knight has caused was he allowed this hearing in the first place. Apparently someone in records left out a few details pertaining to this case." A sober man in a grey suit stood. "This hearing is adjured and Mr. Knight will not be seeing us again for at least another five years, longer if it comes across my desk ever again." The board stood and left. Jess hugged Cody and Sarah. Jess turned to talk to Mike as Matt ushered Cody and Sarah out of the room. What happened next nobody could honestly say. When the smoke cleared Mike Talbot was dead, two guards where wounded, Hugh's lawyer was under the table and Jess Hawkes was on her knees on the floor with a gun pointed to her head. That's the way Cody found things when he turned back after hearing the gunshots. He managed to push Sarah and Matt out the door before it slammed locking down the prison.