Brownwood: I Dreamed Ch. 03

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
And they turn your dream to shame
- I Dreamed a Dream, Les Misérables

****

A week and a half later, Zach found himself sitting in O'Malley's again. This time he was the one waiting to meet someone.

He'd received a request from a local private investigator, Matt Wylde. Wylde had said he was working a case and needed to ask him a few questions. He'd offered to buy him dinner and a few drinks to pay him for his time. He'd also said it was urgent they meet because it involved the safety of others. Zach felt the hair on the back of his neck stand as he warily scanned the bar.

When he saw the man walk into the bar, Zach knew his suspicions were correct. Ty looked leaner and was sporting several new tattoos. He strolled over and sat down at the table.

"Zeek," he said with a sly grin. "Long time no see."

Zach flinched at Ty's thick Boston accent.

"Not long enough."

"Ouch, that almost hurt."

"I doubt it."

"Damn man, why so hostile?"

"You slept with my fiancée, got her pregnant, and then beat the hell out of her till she lost her baby. So no, I can't understand why I wouldn't want to see you."

"Same old Zeek, gets right to the point. Whateva, we can do it your way.

"First off, I didn't sleep your fiancée. You and I weren't real close in college, but I stayed away from her while you two were still a couple. But that night she showed up at the party with no ring and telling everybody she was free and unattached. Come on, Zach, if wasn't me it would've of been one of a dozen other guys. Hell, you know how wicked hot she was."

"So then why did you have to drug her?"

"Drug her? Is that would she told you?" Ty sneered in disgust. "Damn, she sold you a whole load of shit didn't she?"

"She said you drugged her and let a couple of your frat brothers rape her!"

"She—" Ty choked and his face turned bright red. "That fucking bitch! Listen, if I'd have done those things then I'd hate me too! Yeah, there were drugs and alcohol but she wasn't raped like she's selling. She was acting like such a damn slut that night that she let those two join in!"

"She would've never done that," Zach said coldly.

Ty snorted and smirked.

"She may not have done those things with you, but that night she was acting like a stupid freshman at her first frat party. She was partying hard and showing the world what a real woman she was!

"Let me give you a little heads up on my little slampig of an ex-wife. She was so intent on living life to the fullest, her words not mine, that she did things you'd only find on a porn site!"

"Like I'm going to believe that bullshit," Zach sneered.

Ty smiled evilly at him.

"Thought you'd say that," he sneered back at Zach and tossed a DVD across the table.

"For your porn collection. After you're done watching it, you tell me how pure that slut is!

"And as for that beating, it was once and the bitch had it coming. I'd just had a little scare with some little slampig I had on the side. I'd gone to a clinic to get checked out and got a nasty surprise. Doctor's report said I've been sterile since childhood, seems I had a bad case of the mumps as a kid. So yeah, I lost it and paid for it with two-and-a- half years of my life!

"And, Zeek? If you're keeping score that means the one she aborted in college wasn't mine either. It must've been yours. OUCH! Bree Olsen scores again!"

Zach felt light headed. The possibility of Bree's aborted child having been his, made his heart race and tore at his soul.

"What do you want, Ty?" he finally stammered.

"Oh that's simple," he said calmly. "I need to know where the bitch went."

"I don't know and I wouldn't tell you even if I did," Zach growled, regaining his composure. "Because I honestly hope I never see either one of you ever again."

"Feelings mutual," Ty retorted. "However, you could be lying. I hope you aren't that retahdid, since I heard you two were getting real close a couple of weeks ago.

"So you see, Zeek, even if you don't know where she is, you're in a better position than I am to find her. The whore's family won't even talk to me, so I need you to find out for me."

Zach looked at him in astonishment.

"You've got to be joking. Why would I do that?"

Ty's smile turned dark and cruel. His voice changed from arrogant to a menacing growl and Zach saw a wild look in his eyes.

"Because playtime is over, asshole. You've got a beautiful little girl, a wicked hot mom, and a sister that looks like she'll be dropping a half-breed brat into this world within the next few months. There's three reasons right there!"

Zach thought about his little sister. She and Hector had gotten married a year ago and now helped his mother run the diner.

"You son-of-a-bitch, are you threatening my family?"

Ty's laugh made Zach's skin crawl.

"Damn, you can be taught! Sorry it has to go this way, but it was that orange-haired whore who dragged you into this. I'm actually doing you a favor.

"When she had one of her little slut girlfriends clean out my safe, she took something that didn't belong to me. The people I was holding it for want their money back, and they aren't the kind you fuck around with.

"All it would take is one call from me to let these people know you're the next link in finding their money and they'd be here in a heartbeat. That would be bad for you and your family. At least with me you know I'll go away after I get my information because I don't give a shit about you. But with those people... let's just say they don't like loose ends."

"So, why don't you just call them?"

"I do that and I might look like a loose end."

Zach thought for a minute.

"Your family's rich, why don't you ask them for the money?"

Ty grimaced.

"Right now I'm on a short leash with the family. Asking them for 700k would put them over the edge."

"Seven hundred thousand?" Zach exclaimed.

"Yeah, we aren't talking chump change. So what's it going to be, your family or the slut that screwed you over?"

Zach silently glared at him before Ty smirked.

"As you can guess, we're under a time crunch. I'll give you till the end of the weekend to get me her hiding place. After Sunday, I turn it over to my associates and make sure I cover my own ass.

"Oh and, Zeek? I shouldn't have to say this," he sneered, "but just so we're clear. I better not sniff a d-tech. You hear me, asshole? No cops. I smell the Boys and I make the call that ruins your life."

****

The last 24 hours had been stressful. He'd met with his family after he'd left O'Malley's that night. An hour of talking had produced a lot of yelling and tears, but little else. They'd gone home leaving Zach and Shannon alone.

It'd taken longer than normal for Shannon to go to sleep. His usually happy little girl was whining and crying. It was obvious she could tell things weren't right. Zach sat on his couch and began contemplating his options after she'd finally fallen asleep. Frustrated, he decided to view the DVD Ty had given him.

He questioned his decision almost immediately.

The DVD began with Bree doing a sizzling striptease in front of the camera. Zach felt his desire and anger churning inside. His intense need for her was tainted by the rage from her betrayal. The memories of their past began to flood his mind. Images of the girl he'd loved washed over him and reminded him of his loss.

As she gracefully gyrated, he felt his body respond, betraying him. His desire for her turned painful when he watched her sit on a chair facing the camera and pull out a vibrator. Mesmerized, he watched her lose herself in the moment. He thought back to the way she felt, tasted, and sounded when she was still his. Her cries as she climaxed stabbed at his heart. Each one was an excruciating reminder of what had been stolen from him.

If Bree's solo act had reopened the wounds in his heart, then the following scenes seared those wounds back shut. The first was one of Bree and Ty as they wildly attempted to break their bed. When he took her from behind, Zach cringed. She'd denied all of his attempts at anal sex but it looked like she was giving it to Ty freely.

Next was a scene where Bree was tied to the bed as Ty teased and then took her roughly. Zach felt like a voyeur while he watched Bree engage in a world he'd only fantasized about.

The final scene destroyed any last delusions Zach had about his ex-fiancée. It showed Bree and Ty with two other men. He recognized them as Derek and Reggie, two of Ty's fraternity brothers from State.

Derek was a short, stocky blond with muscles on top of muscles. Zach remembered him as being only slightly less obnoxious than Ty back in school.

Reggie was a thin black guy who came from a very rich, Middle Eastern family. He'd been sent to the U.S. to attend college. It appeared he was still milking his Student Visa for all it was worth.

Zach watched in disbelief as Bree gave herself to each man. She was obviously high or intoxicated but was a very willing participant to the gangbang. Once they'd each had their turn, she then took all of them on at the same time. The images left Zach nauseous. He realized the girl he'd once loved was gone. All that remained was the woman on the DVD.

His fury grew as he realized he was being played by both Ty and Bree. He was even more incensed that he still had such strong feelings for her.

The next evening he'd met with the Olsens.

The confrontation had been ugly. It'd gotten so bad that Bree's sister, Donna, had barely uttered a word. That was a minor miracle since Donna was always Bree's champion.

Zach replayed the last part of the conversation.

"We're sorry, Zach, but we won't tell you where she's gone," Gerald Olsen had said sternly.

"That's great," he snapped. "She ruins my life by leaving, then comes back and dumps her problems back on me. Now it's my family that could be ruined and you won't help? Is that what you're telling me?"

"We're so sorry you and your family got dragged into this," Priscilla said, crying. "But she's our daughter ..."

"And that means what?" Zach exploded. "That my daughter should be in danger so yours won't have to be? Try selling that hypocritical bullshit somewhere else. Maybe someday you'll be able to justify to yourselves why my family should have to suffer because of that bitch's actions!"

He'd stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him. As he'd struggled with his rage, he'd barely heard Mr. Olsen ask him to give them a couple of days to talk about it.

Zach had considered leaving them a copy of Bree's DVD and making sure they knew all about her abortion and the questionable fathers of both pregnancies, but decided against it. He didn't care if it hurt Bree, but it would've destroyed Priscilla. He was angry with the Olsens but he wasn't going to be cruel.

Besides, he sighed to himself, it wouldn't have changed anything. Bree could've been the biggest whore in Las Vegas and her family still wouldn't turn their backs on her. That was something he'd always been envious of and why losing them after the break-up had hurt so badly.

Frustrated and angry, he drove back into Brownwood. He knew he needed to find a solution and needed to find one quickly.

****

"We have an idea that should work," said the tall red-headed man, "though it's not without risks... very serious risks."

The Johnson County sheriff let his words sink into to his audience. Zach's family sat in his living room. A very pregnant Ginny Chavez sat in the middle of his couch, sandwiched between her husband, Hector, and Allie. Protectively, they each held one of her hands. Zach stood beside them, watching. Gerald Olsen stood next to his brother, Sheriff Henry Olsen.

"You mean riskier than having my family stalked by some psycho ex-con?" Zach said sarcastically.

"Actually, yes," Sheriff Olsen replied. "It could be much more dangerous than that."

"How obvious would this wire be?" Zach asked calmly. "Ty may be crazy but he isn't blind."

"They're much easier to conceal than they once were," the sheriff replied.

Sheriff Olsen took out a small crucifix on a silver necklace and a thin ear piece that looked like a Bluetooth earbud.

"The wireless microphone is in the cross and the battery pack hangs behind the ear," he explained.

"I don't like this," Allie said, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Can't you just arrest him?" Ginny cried.

The sheriff looked uncomfortable as he slowly shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Ginny," Sheriff Olsen sighed. "We could take him in and hassle him but he'd be back. Although I don't believe he has the drug connections he's implied, we still need to be very cautious. Whether you believe her or not, most of Bree's claims have been verified, which makes Ty Whitmore a very dangerous man. Bottom line, we need more than a parole violation in order to remove him from our lives. If we can get him to incriminate himself, that'll give us something to work with."

"And what if this doesn't work? What if he doesn't take the bait and instead comes after us?" Allie said, struggling to mask her fear.

"Allie," the sheriff sighed, "I've had one of my deputies on him since he got to town. I know he'd followed Zach out to Gerald and Priscilla's place last night just like I know he's at the Icehouse as we're speaking. I promise you that if this doesn't work, I'll personally look after the safety of your family."

"If Ty or anybody else comes after my family, sheriff," Zach growled. "I'll take care of it myself."

"My brother-in-law," Hector spoke in a cold, hushed voice that made everyone in the room pause, "he won't be alone. If this man threatens my wife and son, I will kill him."

Sheriff Olsen grimaced. "Hector, Zach, don't go there yet. It could lead to something we can't control."

"Zach, please son, let the authorities handle this," Gerald Olsen added.

Zach's face turned dark.

"Mr. Olsen," he snarled, "you've made it very clear. I'm sure as hell not your son."

Gerald Olsen's typically stoic face clouded. A look of deep sorrow and dejection seemed to weigh on the older man's broad shoulders.

"Zach, Allie," Sheriff Olsen interrupted. "We've done a good job of keeping this little operation under the radar. Whether Ty has the backing of some kind of organized crime or if it's just the support of a rich and influential family, we don't want to draw any attention that could tip our hand. I have two of my most trusted deputies and a couple of Brownwood undercover police officers working with us. The judge will sign off on the necessary paperwork Saturday morning, so no one will get wind of it before it goes down."

"I've worked with these two undercover officers in the past and trust them with my life. With them joining us, we'll ensure there won't be any possible problem with jurisdiction. The Icehouse is on the edge of town and is under the Brownwood PD. But if our plan works then the arrest will happen outside of town, under the county's jurisdiction. Whatever happens, we don't want Whitmore to slip through on any technicality."

"Henry?" Allie asked quietly. "I know you said you'd trust these men with your life, but would you trust them with the lives of your children?"

Sheriff Olsen nodded slowly.

"I would, Allie," he replied softly. "I honestly would."

Zach looked into the faces of his family.

"I don't see any other options, at least any legal ones. Do you?"

Allie, Ginny, and Hector sat silently on the couch. Hector nodded his approval as Ginny softly cried. Zach noticed a tear began to fall across his mother's cheek as she stared at him. Zach turned and nodded to the sheriff.

"Zach," Gerald Olsen said in a firm, baritone voice, "whether you wish to hear it or not, I would've been proud to have called you my son."

The two men stared at each other for a few awkward moments before Zach looked over at Sheriff Olsen.

"All right, what do I need to do to get this piece of shit out of my family's lives?"

****

One step into the Icehouse and Zach knew he'd entered a different world. The music, the look, and smells all screamed that this was what it claimed to be, a biker bar. He felt like Alice in the wrong Wonderland as he moved cautiously through the crowd.

He found a seat at the bar and he ordered a MGD. The bartender set the amber colored beer bottle in front of him and stared.

"The pussy is across the road," he said, nodding towards the door.

Zach knew he meant the Kandy Kane, Brownwood's premier strip club.

"Just killing time before I go meet some friends over there," Zach replied as he put a ten down on the bar.

The bartender stared at him with no expression. Zach quickly exchanged the ten for a twenty.

"Don't sit too long. The scenery is better over there," he said, slipping the twenty into his pocket.

Zach looked around until he saw Ty sitting at a table with a guy and a couple of women. The two men were in an intense discussion, while the women were obviously looking around to make sure no one interrupted. Then the man slid a small package over to Ty. Once the discussion was over, the man left, leaving Ty with the two women.

Zach nursed his beer and waited until he was sure Ty had spotted him. Then he got up and walked out to the parking lot. A few minutes later, Ty joined him outside.

"You got it?" he said, already agitated.

Zach nodded, realizing Ty was high on something.

Ty walked over to him and did a haphazard pat down checking him for weapons or wires. He noticed Zach's necklace and snorted.

"Getting religion, Zeek?" he sneered.

"Well I need something with all this shit that's happening to me."

Ty snorted again and glared.

"We need to talk, but not here," Zach said flatly.

"Don't be retahdid, asshole," Ty replied. He opened his jacket enough to reveal a gun.

"I'm trying not to be, which is why we aren't going to have this discussion in a damn bar parking lot."

"Whateva," Ty sneered. "All right, where?"

"About 3 miles west of town on the state highway, there's an old truckers' rest stop."

Ty nodded and smiled. "I know the place."

Zach got into his car and watched as Ty did the same. As he pulled out of the parking lot, he thought of their destination. He wasn't surprised Ty already knew about the place. Besides the truckers that used it, the rest stop had a reputation as a place where people went to be unnoticed. At times, it was frequented by cheating couples, prostitutes, and drug dealers. The local law would close it down every so often but the place would soon revert back to its old self within a couple of weeks. Even if there were people around, they'd mind their own business.

When he pulled into the rest stop, he selected a space that was isolated. There were only a few rigs near where they would meet. Ty pulled in beside him. They got out and met at the back of their vehicles.

"Wicked good place," Ty said with a sick smile. "Not too private that there can't be witnesses if something were to happen and not too public that we won't be overheard. Maybe you're not as stupid as I thought."

Ty took out his gun and placed it on the trunk of his car with his hand resting next to it.

"Now," he sneered, "where in the hell is that bitch?"

"If I tell you, you'll leave my family alone?"

"Sure," Ty said with a smirk.

"And if I don't?"

"I doubt you'd be retahdid. That decision would get your mother and sister hurt and your little girl might come up missing. You understand me, jackoff?"

Zach nodded.

"Birmingham. She's staying with some distant relatives."