Justification For Killing (62 page)

“
Bud, tell me what they
said?”

“
LJ said he and Rocky
planted a ‘bug’ over the table and placed the camera on the picture
holder at Jack Ruby’s Carousel Club with no hitches. The Mafia
showed up, just on clue, and LJ and Rocky got all of the mobs
plotting and scheming to kill President Kennedy on
film.”

“
What else did LJ
say?”

“
LJ was telling us since
they had completed their mission they wanted to help us. LJ said
tonight they were going to sleep in their car in the parking
garage. In the morning, they will come over to Dealy Plaza and help
us follow Oswald. One of them will wait just inside the Book
building’s door, and the other will wait on the sidewalk just
outside the front door. When Oswald comes out of the building, you
and I will immediately travel over to 10th and Patton, and LJ and
Rocky are going to follow him on foot to see if he talks with
anyone on his way to Oswald’s rooming house.”

“
Sounds terrific, we
certainly can use the extra help. Let’s go get something to eat,
and then head back over and watch some TV with Mrs. Rodgers. What’s
on TV tonight Bud?

“
Lou! What do I look like
- the 1963 edition of TV Guide? How in the world do you think I
would know what programs are on television on a Wednesday night in
Dallas, Texas in 1963?”

“
Just having some fun with
you Bud... just having some fun... looks as though we have a solid
plan for tomorrow.

MIDNIGHT AT THE
MURDOCKS

Captain Scarburg’s hand
holding the .45 automatic began to tremble slightly. He was
thinking how close he had come to shooting his old alien friend
Anhur.

Earlier, the Captain was
extremely tense as he crunched across the snow, and down the
sidewalk toward the Murdock mansion. He had been expecting a guard
or watchman, and Anhur’s sudden appearance from behind a tree
bordering the driveway was almost the catalyst that caused a ‘shoot
and ask questions later’ response. The Captain knew if it took
violence to find Forrest and Olive Marie, then violence it would
be.

He had just heard Anhur
say there were at least two highly trained Secret Service men
guarding Forrest and Olive Marie. How did he propose he and Anhur
proceed? What did Captain Scarburg have in mind?

“
Okay, Anhur, let’s slip
around beside the house and go into the guesthouse. I’m sure the
doors will not be locked; Mr. Murdock just had a party, so they
have not had time to secure the property. Once inside lets see if
we can find a serving pot and a coffee cup. Anhur then go across to
the basement door and announce you have some hot coffee for the
Secret Service agent on guard duty. I will be positioned outside
beside the door, as the agent opens the door to get the coffee I
will overpower him, and we will push into the basement and rescue
my two grandchildren. What do you think?”

“
Captain, we have always
known you Earthlings have the ability to be deceitful and cunning.
I like it!”

From their position in
front of the house, the Captain and Anhur ventured past the mansion
and entered the snow-covered lawn on the far side of the
guesthouse. This approach would allow them to slip unnoticed into
the old carriage house.

Once inside they found a
coffee urn and an empty coffee cup. “Fill the urn with boiling, hot
water Anhur,” Captain Scarburg said, “get it as hot as possible.
When the agent opens the door dash the scalding water into his
face. That will distract him long enough for me to make my
move.”

Retrieving a white towel
from the linen closet he draped it over Anhur’s arm and handed him
the urn and coffee cup. “Give me a second or two to get positioned
then knock on the door.” As the Captain tiptoed across the
snow-covered lawn between the guesthouse and the basement, he
noticed the green Ford truck parked in the lot behind the main
residence. He correctly reasoned this was Forrest and Olive Marie’s
transportation from the cow pasture.

The maneuver on the guard
with the scalding hot water was a total success, and now Anhur and
the Captain were standing in the dark basement. The Secret Service
agent lay unconscious at the doorway; however, the struggle to
overcome him created enough noise to cause the agent at the top of
the stairs to call out, “Charlie, what’s going on down there? What
was that noise? Is everything all right?” He opened the door at the
head of the stairs and began to descend, step by slow step down
into the basement. Seeing the Captain in the dark, he fired his
nine-millimeter Beretta service weapon, barely missing the
Captain’s head by a mere couple of inches. The Captain
instinctively fired back causing the agent to crumple and roll down
the steps into a bloody heap at the foot of the stairs, a .45 slug
buried deep within his chest. Stepping across the pool of
coagulating, crimson blood Captain Scarburg felt the man’s neck for
a pulse as the warm, sticky, red fluid slowly oozed from the
agent’s chest.

Putting his two fingers to
the carotid artery on the neck of the wounded man Captain Scarburg
could feel a slight pulse... it was thready and weak... but the
prospect of his survival did not look good. The Secret Service
agent was breathing in gasps... the Captain reached and grasped his
hand. It was cold.

“
Hold on son, hold on,”
said Captain Scarburg, “we’ll get help.” A slight moan emanated
from the throat of the agent. Suddenly a hard gasp for air followed
by a convulsive jerk, and he was gone! Captain Scarburg had killed
a Secret Service agent!

Suddenly Captain
Scarburg was startled by what he thought was a flash of blue
lightning, but it only lasted a microsecond.
Lightning? No, it is snowing outside,
he thought.
I must be
hallucinating.
Released the grip on the
dead man’s hand he turned toward Anhur, “Anhur did you see that
flash of blue light? Was I seeing things?”

Without showing any
surprise, he answered, “Yes Captain Scarburg, I saw the flash of
light.”

Glancing at the
identification badge attached to the breast pocket of the agent’s
suit coat, the Captain could read the name: ‘ROUSSEAU, Roger’.
“Hmmm...” said Captain Scarburg, “ROUSSEAU that’s
interesting.”

Turning his attention to
the two bound and gagged captives in the basement, he quickly cut
the cords binding their wrists, removed the tape from their mouths
and untied the handkerchiefs that had been blinding their
vision.

“
Forrest!! Is it you?”
Olive Marie yelled.

“
Olive Marie!!” This was
the first time either of the two prisoners realized whom the other
had been. Rushing across the room Forrest embraced Olive Marie. In
their joy and excitement of their reunion, they failed to notice
Captain Scarburg and Anhur standing back in the shadows of the
basement; however, Forrest did notice the dead body at the foot of
the stairs and the other agent lying unconscious at the basement
door.

Before another word was
spoken Captain Scarburg asked, “Are you two okay?”

“
Grandpa? Grandpa! Is that
you? I knew you would come, I just knew it,” cried Olive Marie. “I
was so scared Grandpa, they were going to kill us... I was standing
in the hallway outside the Vice President’s meeting room
eavesdropping on their conversation when I was apprehended by the
Secret Service...”

Forrest interjected, “Sis,
did you hear them planning the President’s
assassination?”

“
Yes, yes Forrest they
were all in on it. I heard them talking about killing President
Kennedy. Grandpa I was so scared... the spy business is not as
exciting as I had imaged. It is pretty dangerous.”

“
I know
Olive, I know. That’s why Anhur and I came for you and Forrest. You
are safe now. We are going to take you both back to Clem and
Penelope’s Ponderosa. Saturday we will board
Pegasus
and go home. Your mother and
father are worried to death.”

“
Thank you Grandpa, thank
you. I knew you wouldn’t forget us,” Olive Marie said between
sobs.

“
Anhur, see those
telephone lines running across the far wall? Take my knife and cut
those wires, we don’t want the woman upstairs to alert anyone to
our presence. After cutting the telephone lines tie the other agent
up, then meet us upstairs. We need to go upstairs and get out of
this damp, death-ridden basement. And, give me back my old, brown,
sweat stained, tattered cowboy hat Anhur, you little alien
pirate.”

Dutifully relinquishing
the hat to the Captain, Anhur remarked, “I shall perform my duties
per your instructions Captain Scarburg. Forrest and Olive Marie, it
is nice to see you are well. I am thankful you are
safe.”

“
No Anhur, it is Olive
Marie, and I that should be saying thanks to you. It seems you are
always around when we need you... thank you Anhur.”

“
Yes,” added Olive, “I
want to say ‘thank you’ too, Anhur. You are a true
friend.”

The time was 3:20 a.m.,
Thursday, November 22, 1963.

“
I HAVEN’T HEARD IT
ALL!!”

Upstairs they found
Margaret White huddled on a couch, whimpering and shaking
uncontrollably. “Please,” she said pleading, “please don’t hurt me.
I had nothing to do with holding you people. That was Lyndon
Johnson and the Secret Service’s idea. I thought I was in love with
him, but tonight I found out what a scoundrel he really is. He just
left me here, saying he would return. How could I have been so
fooled?”

“
Now, now Ms. White...
don’t be so hard on your self. Love can sometimes be blind, so
blind. But do not worry, we are not here to hurt you,” the Captain
said reassuringly. “Where did the people who met with the Vice
President go after they left the party?”

“
They said something about
going into Dallas. Some big ‘event’ was going to take place there
tomorrow, but they did not tell me what it was. In fact, after the
meeting broke up Lyndon hardly spoke to me. He was too busy
drinking, shaking hands and slapping people on the back. You would
have thought he had just won the presidential election.

Olive Marie interjected,
“That’s right Grandpa. As I said earlier, I was standing in the
hall right outside the room where the meeting took place. I could
not make out everything they were saying, but I heard enough to
know it was going to concern killing Kennedy, tomorrow in Dallas,
and at Dealy Plaza. At the mention of the word ‘payback’ I could
hear them all laughing. Ms. White is correct - they were
celebrating.”

“
By the way, how did you
know my name was ‘White’?” Ms. White asked addressing the
Captain.

Captain Scarburg brushed
the question aside, “That is not important now, what is important
Ms. White you are safe with us. We know what is going on tomorrow,
but it is better you remain in the dark. It is for your own
sake.”

“
I heard a couple of gun
shots. What happened?”

“
Well,
hmmm, there are two Secret Service agents in the basement; however,
one was shot dead, but the other is alive, and tightly bound hand
and foot.
But Ms. White, I still believe
the least you know about us the better off you will be. I will not
introduce myself or these other two people to you; therefore, when
your interrogators ask you questions you will have nothing useful
to tell them. I believe this strategy is in your best interest.
After tomorrow Ms. White, you will understand why I think this
action is necessary.”

“
I suppose you must do
what you think is right, but I did hear the Secret Service say they
would be back and relieve the two they left behind.”

“
Did they say
when?”

“
Yes, they are due back
any minute now.”

“
That
settles it, we need to get out of here Ms. White. We will bind your
hands and feet, quite comfortably, and leave you lying on the
couch. When the other Secret Service Agents arrive the story you
will tell them will be true – almost: ‘
You
heard gunfire. Two men and a woman came up from the basement and
questioned you about any valuables in the house. You gave them no
answers, so they tied you up and left.’
I
think that will supply them with sufficient enough information to
keep you out of trouble. They will think we were just
burglars.”

Walking across to the
living room for privacy the Captain removed his cell phone and
entered Lonnie Joe’s phone number. Lonnie Joe answered on the third
ring – “Papa John’s Pizza, may I help you?”

“
Funny, LJ, funny, Papa
John’s won’t even be invented for another twenty years”, the
Captain replied, “What’s wrong LJ, can’t sleep?”

“
You ever try to sleep in
a cold, brightly lit, parking garage, sitting in a stolen car that
looks like it belongs in ‘Mayberry’, with the entire Dallas, Texas
police department looking for you. Oh, did I forget – and twenty
years before you were even born.” Sarcastically he added, “Yeah, I
can sleep just fine! Thanks for asking Captain. What’s
up?”

“
Glad to see you both are
enjoying yourselves.” The Captain explained how he found Forrest
and Olive Marie at the Murdock mansion, and how Anhur had shown up
to help. He told Lonnie and Rocky to get some rest, he would be
returning to the Ponderosa. The Captain ended his conversation
saying if they did not meet at the Ponderosa they all would meet
Saturday in the cow pasture northwest of Celina. “You both take
care, and stay safe... good night.”