The Uvalde Raider by Ben English (great books for teens TXT) 📕

“Mr. Eggers”, interjected the director. “You are making several promises in several different directions at once. No offense intended but beyond you trying to keep your personal word, what guarantees do we have that you can make any of this happen?”

Eggers never hesitated. “Well sir, how about a phone call from a fellow Texan in the White House, along with a couple from certain ranking members on Capitol Hill?”

The sitting head of the Department of Public Safety raised one eyebrow ever so slightly, betraying the slightest sign of being impressed. He nodded his head in affirmation and commented. “That would be a good start, Mr. Eggers.”

Both men looked to Micah who stared quietly at the carpeted floor, still adding weight to the opposite ends of that imaginary scale. Whatever he decided would affect a lot of lives, not least of all his own. His sense of honor and integrity were his most important personal possessions, and Micah realized that only he could ever really do harm to either. Beyond that Tio Zeke and Max were no longer around to defend theirs, and he felt the overwhelming need to do right by them, too.

Yet everything that Eggers said made sense. Those Americans being held would be in far greater peril once what happened at the Bar JA became common knowledge. It would be natural and completely understandable for the American public to be outraged, and to demand immediate action against Hezbollah and their Iranian confederates.

Micah Templar remembered all too well the hatred and cruelty shown by the terrorists at the Albright Ranch, and what they had done and attempted to do. There would be no sense of conscience, no mitigating circumstance, no concept of any sort of mercy that would spare those hostages…

He raised his scrutiny and met the same of Eggers, and found himself looking again into the depths of those piercing eyes that tugged disturbingly at a distant memory. ‘I can’t remember who you are, Eggers,’ Micah thought, ‘but for some reason I know I can trust you. Why is that?’

The trooper kept his eyes locked with the other man, and watched as Eggers smiled at him again ever so slightly. ‘He knows that I am trying to place him,’ Micah thought, ‘and that I know I can trust him.’ With that, Micah came to his decision.

“Okay, I’m with you,” the highway patrolman said. “Or at least until you give me reason to be otherwise.”

Eggers stood and walked over, clasping hands with the colonel who rose from behind his desk. He turned and gave Micah another firm handshake, a genuine gratefulness emanating from within.

“I need to get going to put all this in motion.” Eggers looked over at the director. “Expect those phone calls within the next forty-eight hours, sir. You might also pass along that some congressmen will be visiting the area in the next week or so. That should help take the pressure off those local officials.”

Eggers faced Micah again. “Trooper Templar, thank you. Your country owes you and your uncle, as well as Mr. Grephardt, a great deal. As for myself, it looks like I owe you another one. I’ll see you around.”  With that, the man turned quickly and made his way out of the room. Micah watched as the door closed behind Eggers, his mind still going through fits in trying to place where he knew him from. ‘He owes me another one? What was that supposed to mean?’

“Micah, would you sit down again?” asked the director. “If you don’t mind me asking, do you know him? Because he sure acted like he knew you.”

“Sir, I do think I know him. But I just can’t remember where or when.” Micah replied.

“Well, it will probably come to you soon enough” reasoned Micah’s boss. “I don’t believe either of us have seen the last of Mr. Eggers.”

The colonel seated himself again behind the desk. He brought out a sheath of papers and examined them for a minute or so before speaking.

“Micah, I meant what I said about your report and what the ranger investigation determined. Your actions will bring nothing but pride to every man who ever pinned on a Texas Highway Patrolman’s badge, as well as the DPS as a whole. But I am afraid there will be even more asked of you in the near future, and that your life is about to change in some fairly significant ways. I also think you already realize that, especially after what we just agreed to.”

“Thank you, sir, for saying so. And yes, I has a strong suspicion about the other part.”

The head of the DPS went on. “You have nearly twenty years with the Highway Patrol, and a good record and reputation. Yet you never tried to promote or even move to another substation. Is there any compelling reason why?”

“No sir,” responded Micah. “Other than I like working the road and felt I owed it to my family to stay in one place. After a while, that one place became home. There are some who might not like me because of this uniform or how I do my job, but they always treated my family like their own. I don’t think any peace officer could ever ask for anything more.”

“Hmmmm,” the colonel responded. “I believe I can appreciate that. My first duty station was in a little community in the Panhandle, just about as far north as you can get and still be in Texas.” The director paused, measuring the memories of his own past. “I met some of the finest folks I ever knew there, sometimes I find myself wishing I had stayed on.”

Abruptly, he brought himself back to the present. “But have you ever thought about trying to promote now? I know your sons are grown and on their own. The Department can always