Kingman 1971

“I just can’t get rid of you can I?” He asked with a loving smile. “Nope.” Anna assured him, straightened his hair with her fingers, kissed him and sighed, “I like being right here with you. I love you, Sam.”
“Oh hell!” Sam suddenly exclaimed, “I’d be willing to bet Brent’s having a really bad time with this. This is the first storm since he’s been home.”
“Maybe we should go for an early morning walk and find out.” Anna replied, “We probably have nothing to worry about. If we hear any amorous noises we’ll quietly walk on back and set in the solarium for awhile.”
“Good idea.” Sam agreed, finished his coffee, sat the empty glass on the bedside stand, got up and put his clothes on.
Anna watched as he slipped his shoulder holster on and checked the 45 to make sure it was loaded. It was a habit, she knew; another way to keep her safe. It was not unwarranted; there were always wild animals prowling around somewhere.
“Are you ready, cowboy?” She asked with a loving smile.
“I wonder how many people know?” He asked softly as they walked into the solarium.
“Know what?” Anna asked softly.
“That you’re the light of my life.” Sam replied wrapping his arm around her as they stepped out onto the back patio and locked the doors.
“I love you too, Sam.” She said lovingly as they started walking eastward on the back walkway toward Brent and Jamaica’s, “Who do you think it is? Is it one of our closest friends or someone who knows us very well?”
“What are you talking about?” He asked as innocently as he could and commented, “All that stuff was taken care of weeks ago.”
“Sam, Sam, Sam,” Anna said shaking her head, “We’ve been married for 25 years. I may be blonde, but I’m not stupid.”
“No, you’re not; and if I implied that, I’m truly sorry.” Sam said softly, “I’d never try to say anything like that. It’s no one on the main compound. I’m positive Jake has the key locked away in her head. What tipped you off?”
“You guys took way too long plotting the maps of Vietnam and laying out the pictures.” Anna told him, “Once you unlocked the key it was a simple process for the four of you to place everything. You were finished in 24 hours or less.”
“There were over a thousand pictures, including the art work.” Sam told her.
“Whatever you say.” Anna shrugged with a knowing smile.
“So who else has it figured out?” He asked curiously.
“Amy, Brenda, Carol and I for sure,” Anna told him, “You’ve done too many strange things lately.”
“Like what?” Sam asked curiously.
“Oh,” Anna sighed, “Like the raid on the Hammonds. The Sam Kingman we know would have waited until nightfall, done everything very stealthily, then given Sherriff Tillman, Simon and the F.B.I. credit for the whole operation. You’d claim you were only helping law enforcement officials and never put yourself at the forefront; unless you were trying to draw an unknown enemy out into the open.”
“I was mad as hell,” Sam tried to explain, “Worried Brent would go after them. Just ask Jen.”
“You were mad and worried about Brent; that’s true.” Anna replied, “Fifteen or twenty years ago I might have believed you were just that mad. But when you get mad you think, plot, plan and execute an attack just like you do a military operation. You’d use minimal resources for the most effective result, with the least possible casualties. You didn’t use a minimal force. You used overwhelming force and firepower. The Hammonds were outnumber at least two to one and you went in with the full southwest ranch team. A flea couldn’t have gotten out of town without you knowing about it, allowing it or stopping it. You had the whole area shut down.”
“Damn, you’re smart.” Sam said with an admiring smile, “What about the kids?”
“There’s simply no question Jen knows something’s up.” Anna answered softly, “She reads you, her uncles and brother like a book. Brent, I’m not sure about. He’s pretty focused on anything affecting Jamaica, Jennie or the children. If I read his art correctly, he’s working on it. He’s a lot harder to read now than he was a few years ago.
“Jamaica has been here over 11 years. She’s been unloved, battered and abused. Her mind isn’t working to its full potential because of her injuries. She’s terrified something will happen to Brent. Physically, she’s a wreck. Her mind is just now beginning to work. How she’s doing so well is a mystery for the ages. If she doesn’t keep eating properly so her body and mind can continue to heal, her mood swings will get much worse. What could happen would be tragic. She may suspect something, but doesn’t have her full faculties to apply to the situation.”
“What about Alicia, Cassandra and Karen?” Sam asked.
“Karen is very smart and absolutely in love with Carson.” Anna replied, “She reads Carson like a book, just like Peggy Ann reads Simon. So if she doesn’t know already, she soon will.
“Cassandra has her fathers’ eyes, her mothers’ instincts and their quick minds. She may not know precisely what’s going on; but she knows a military operation when she sees one. Don’t forget she’s a soldiers’ daughter, widow and wife. I think she and Alicia are very aware. When do you think this will all break, be over and done with?”
“We’re waiting until we’re sure we have the leaders.” Sam confessed, “We need the key people, then it’ll be a joint operation; military, federal, and state. It’ll break very soon; one way or the other.”
“That’s huge?” Anna sighed.
“Yes it is.” Sam answered.
“So the Hammonds were one cell of a large paramilitary group?” Anna asked, “The raid was to make everyone think you’d dropped your guard and lost your temper; that you believed Jamaica’s attack was an isolated, racially motivated incident. But you know as well as I that it was only the tip of the iceberg.”
“This group is a real threat, Annie.” Sam replied seriously, “We want to make sure we get them all.”