“I doubt that but she may wish she was dead before it’s all over,” the policeman said.
“You two stay right there. We need to talk this over.”
The two officers walked over to the cop car and started discussing the situation. James figured one wanted to just take them in and the other was arguing against it. He couldn’t be sure but he caught enough words to get the gist of what was going on. One of the cops was very animated. Finally they stopped talking and walked back over.
“James you have been in trouble more times than I can count. Hell, I’ve pulled you in four or five times. You are trouble boy and my partner and I don’t like people that cause us undue problems. I’m going to take you in but you keep your mouth shut about Becky Brown. We are going to haul you down to the station and then drop off Miss Brown at her house. What she tells her dad is her problem. We don’t intend to divulge her name.”
“That’s great. Thank you.”
“You understand what’s happening here Miss Brown.”
“Yes sir,” she said shivering.
“You had better come up with a good story that your dad will buy. If he asks us, I won’t lie for you but I won’t volunteer anything either. Got it?”
“Yes sir.”
“Alright. Get in the car and follow us to the station. Maybe you can come up with something that will fly,” he said and headed back to the police car.
James and Becky followed them back to the station and went over what she could tell her dad. All her dad knew was that she was going to go get something to eat with a friend. She hadn’t mentioned any particular name. She would say they dropped her off at the corner and she walked home from there.
“Why did they drop you off?” James asked.
“I ask them to.”
“Why?”
“Just because. What difference does it make?”
“It makes a difference because your father has to be satisfied and ‘because’ isn’t going to float.”
“Damn it Jim. I don’t know why. I guess because I felt like walking. Do you have a better answer?” she asked.
“No.”
“Then it has to be because I ask them to.”
“I guess we had better hope he doesn’t ask then,” Jim replied.
When they got to the station, they took James inside and booked him. When they were finished they drove Becky home.
“Stop at the corner,” she said.
They pulled up and let her out. At least she wouldn’t have to lie about that. She had asked them to drop her off at the corner. When she got out she was happy to see that the lights were off and her dad’s car wasn’t in the drive way. With any luck at all she would be able to get out of this scott-free. Just as she was walking up the drive, headlights illuminated her as her dad pulled into the drive.
CHAPTER TWO
James spent the night in the holding cell. He was kept awake by the screaming of some jerk who was on drugs and thought a snake was coming out of his ears. He sat up and put his feet on the floor. His back hurt from the hard bench he had used for a bed. At least there were only three in the cell. He had been there previously when the place hardly had room to sit, let alone lie down.
He was served something that vaguely resembled eggs and was allowed to shower and was given an orange jump suit and pair of soft soled moccasins. At 10:00 A.M. an attorney appointed by the court came to talk to him.
“Okay Mr. Erwin, let me just lay this out for you. When the judge asks you how you plead to disorderly conduct and public nudity you will say ‘Guilty your Honor’. In exchange, nothing else will be brought before the court. I have already had a conference with the prosecution and the judge and you will either join the military or serve eighteen months in the county jail. Those are the only two choices you have.”
“So I’ll have a criminal record following me the rest of my life?”
“Absolutely not if you join the military.”
“That’s not much of a choice,” James said.
“Really? I think it’s pretty generous. Looking at your past history with the law I think that the judge is doing you a huge favor. You need to get your head screwed on right,” the attorney admonished.
“Wow, and you’re on my side?” James said.
“Not really. I just happened to be the sap that landed this case,” he said as he was leaving.
The court appearance was over almost before James had time to take it all in. He stood up when asked how he pleaded. Of course he said ‘Guilty’. The plea bargain was entered but worded so that no mention of the indiscretion with the Mayor’s daughter was apparent. The judge gave him the choice of jail or military and of course James opted for the military.
There was one tiny detail that was attached to the stipulation. He had to remain in the service for his full term and receive an honorable discharge. It seemed like a small thing at the time but he was about to learn just how difficult military indoctrination could be.
Nothing in his civilian life prepared James for the shock of boot camp. From the minute the bus pulled into the base until the end of boot camp, thirteen weeks later, it was a total transformation. Because of his attitude he was singled out along with other ‘wise guys’ and given extra attention.
In the military, extra attention is not a good thing. It simply meant that additional abuse was added to their already dehumanizing routine. At the end of the thirteen weeks James was forever a different person. His smart mouthed, carefree attitude had been turned into one that understood the consequences of his actions.
CHAPTER THREE
James received his honorable discharge and had reached the Non Commissioned Officer, NCO level of E-6 during his four years. When discharged, he decided that if he was ever going to amount to anything he would have to get a good education.
Before the military he had never even considered going to college but now it seemed like the only way he was going to be able to make a decent living. He had always been smart enough; it was simply a lack of drive.
He had matured and for the first time became physically fit. He was six foot one and one hundred and seventy-nine pounds of mostly muscle. His face had softened and the tan made him look younger than he was. He wasn’t Hollywood handsome but he was certainly attractive.
He took the entrance test for the University of Arizona in Tucson and was accepted. Acclimating back into the civilian world took a little time. Having been an NCO he was used to giving orders. Now he was pretty much powerless and brains became more important than pay grade.
It was during his second semester that he took an introductory astronomy class. By the end of the class he was certain that was what he wanted to do with his life. He majored in Physical Science and finished in the top five percent of his class.
He actually became obsessed with astronomy and spent countless hours reading everything he could get his hands on. It was during his Planetary Astronomy and Sciences class during his senior year that he met Dr. Abigail Montgomery.
Professor Montgomery was one of the leading scientists in the field of planetary composition and gravitational physics. She had written several books on the subject and James read every one, not just once but several times.
She was very popular with the students because of her approach to teaching. It wasn’t just stand up in front of the class and flash PowerPoint presentations on a screen. Her lectures were peppered with descriptions of actual events that she had experienced from doing field work. Her passion for the subject was contagious.
James was enthralled with the class and spent countless hours in the labs doing extra and advanced work whenever he got the chance. When he came into class on Tuesday, late into the semester, Professor Montgomery handed him a note.