Chapter Eleven  
 
 

Chapter  11
January 4, 2012
Greenfield, California
 

    "This is Sofia Robles reporting to you live from the corner of El Camino Real and Walnut Avenue in Greenfield, California.  As you can see the crowds are at a respectful distance.  My sister Belinda Robles and local Police Chief Vic Castenada have imposed conditions for Rodolfo coming to start the ATM's.  Rodolfo will not appear unless he has free and unfettered access to and from the machine.  While the crowd behaved as a mob prior to the crises caused by the kidnaping, they are now a malleable, manageable group.  There is a 150 foot perimeter in all directions.  In addition, Walnut Avenue has been cleared east from El Camino for entry and exit."
    "While the identities of the kidnappers is not yet known, chief Castenada is following leads.  One thing is certain, every precaution possible will be taken to secure the safety of Rodolfo.  One can only guess at the motivation of the people who sought to shut down the Bank of Fortunatus ATM's, but whatever the motivation, the perpetrators are still at liberty.  Although most people find it difficult to fathom, there are people in the world who need the poor to prey on, who need the stick of poverty to keep people ‘in line,' and those people are beginning to get desperate."
 

    Preston's grand plan for a counter attack on rising wages for field workers had collapsed with the return of the ATM's.  No one would return his phone calls and on top of that he was working alone.  His ungrateful son was a damned traitor, Ernie was gone, and that good for nothing Noe let the kid get away.  Preston didn't have a single person he could count on.
    Everyone in the area, except Preston, was back in production.  Produce prices had peaked, but not declined, so even with the higher wages and profit sharing, farmers were still making the best money they had ever made in their lives.  It's hard to get someone to make a tough stand when times are good.  And for almost everyone but Preston Witt, times were very good.
 

    Noe had climbed the hill above the cave and watched Rodolfo leave with the others.  He was without his truck and had very little money so he figured he'd try to reach Preston's for some help.  He had made good time until the sun went down and then things got tougher.  He had tried to keep moving during the night but the terrain had made it impossible.  He had fallen more times than he could count.  He finally gave up and waited until first light.  He made it to a plateau just above the Metz crossing of the Salinas River by late morning.
    He was afraid to go out in the open in broad daylight so he slept for the afternoon.  Just after sundown he started to work his way down to the river.  He stayed in the brush right up to the bridge.  He let a couple of cars pass and when he couldn't hear anyone coming he ran across.  He headed back north along the river and then west and doubled back into Oak Park through the sand dunes.  Acting as casual as he could manage, he strolled to the pay phone by the swimming pool and called Preston.
    "Who is it and what the hell you want?"  Preston answered.
    "It's me boss.  Come pick me up."  Noe almost begged.
    "Go to hell you bastard.  That damn kid is back.  How the hell did you let that happen?  You let the kid get away."  Preston yelled.
    "I couldn't do nothin boss.  What'd you want me to do, kill him?"  Noe pleaded.
    "Yeah I wanted you to kill him.  Why the hell didn't you?"  Preston asked.
    "I couldn't kill no kid boss.  What're you crazy.  I can't kill no kid."  Noe was starting to get angry.
    "I'll do it myself you chicken shit.  I ain't gonna have no problem with the little snot nose."  Preston barked.
    "You leave the kid alone Boss, or you'll have to deal with me."  Noe threatened.
    "Well ain't you the big hero.  My ass is ruined.  You think I'm scared of you.  Get lost.  You're on your own.  Don't call me again."  Preston screamed.
    "Leave the kid alone."  Noe tried to say, but Preston had already hung up.  Noe started to pound the phone with the receiver, til he saw Vic's truck pass on Elm and pull in the park.  Noe hit the ground and crawled over behind the pool and up into the cemetery.
 

    Etienne had helped with the morning visit to the machine, and then excused himself.  He saw spies every where.  He was paranoid beyond belief.  He had agreed to tell everything to Sofia on television, but he was scared.  A long life of duplicity had left its mark.
    Etienne needed time to himself, so he took Vic's truck and drove down to Oak Park.  He was there for less than a minute when the same guy who had buttonholed him before drove up in his government issue Ford.  He nodded to Etienne, pulled up and got out.  Etienne was scared, because this was very strange behavior for someone in this line of work.  Coming out in the open, in a government car, Etienne did not know what to think.
    "The kid's back Duvall.  I thought I told you not to let that happen,"  The unnamed agent was trying to maintain an icy, detached demeanor, but Etienne sensed something else at work.
    "I haven't had a good opportunity, but I'm on it.  Have you seen how close they watch him.  I don't want to take a fall for this.  Besides this type of assignment was never part of my arrangement.  I've always been strictly an information man, I need some time to work this out." Etienne hoped this tack might buy some time, besides it was mostly true, except he had no intention of harming Rodolfo.
     "Times running out Duvall!" the man said, then he turned and left.
    Etienne thought he knew what was up.  As soon as the g-man was out of sight he heard Jasper's fiddle.  He turned and saw him sitting on a bench under one of the giant live oaks.  Etienne walked over to him and he didn't even have to ask, Jasper already knew what was on his mind.
    "Y'all don't need to worry bout the boy.  Rodolfo'll be safe, long as them machines is here," stated Jasper calmly.
    "They tried to kill him, didn't they Jasper?  They tried to kill Rodolfo and you stopped em, huh Jasper?" asked Etienne.
    "Feller says this ole world has sunk low Pablo.  Them children wouldn't had made it if'n I hadn't done something.  This ole world has sunk way low.  Course, y'all cain't say it's much worse than when me and a couple friends of mine met that old Herod feller.  We thought we wus smart and tricked him.  Then he went and kill't all them babies, just a tryin to kill Jesus."  Jasper was solemn, almost somber.
    "You gotta tell me what this is about Jasper, you gotta help me know what to do.  Why am I in this thing Jasper.  What should I do," pleaded Etienne.
    "Thar's some decisions a feller's gotta make hisself Pablo.  I could tell a feller a lot about what's goin on here, but everone has his own road to walk, and ain't no one else can walk it for you."  Jasper paused and neither one spoke for a minute.  He broke the stillness by picking up his fiddle and playing.
    "Okay, don't tell me what to do, but what are those machines, and who sent them?" asked Etienne.
    "Like I told you fore, the machines is from my pal Sal Fortunatus.  He's got banks of numbers all over the universe.  Number transfer systems too.  He loaned me some of his machines for a demonstration.  These is old ones anyway, he had em stored in a warehouse.  These here machines is more or less to teach what money really is, numbers.   Sal told me that no world that knows about money uses the paper or coins no more, they just use the numbers.  Sal's a right smart feller with numbers.  If two fellers give ole Sal a number, they know he hain't a gonna mess with it, he'll give em back the same number."  Jasper paused again and played his fiddle.
    "So this guy Sal Fortunatus thinks creating all this money and giving it to us will teach us about it.  I don't get it Jasper, I must be missing the lesson," said Etienne.
    "Feller didn't say ole Sal created the money, his machines just gave it out.  Sal don't never create no numbers.  He just keeps numbers other people already agreed to before Sal gets em.  Sal don't play in nobody's games, that's why everbody trusts him.  It don't matter if'n it's two people or a billion, if'n you give Sal some numbers to keep track of, he'll do it.  Fellers that gave thisa here money to Sal gave him the orders on how to give it out.  Sal hain't no counterfeiter.  Ever piece of money give out by Sal's machines was come by honest, right here on earth."
    "You mean somebody is actually giving away money that they earned.  Who Jasper.  Who has that much money to give away?"  Etienne asked.
    "Well I cain't go into the particulars, but it wus a bunch of good fellers who got together to hold this here Potlatch.  They call it the Jubilee Potlatch cause it took em fifty year to put all this together.  They'd just as soon keep their names out of it Pablo, you seen what the Money Power tried to do the kids.  They'd do a lot worse to those boys, well tain't just boys, thar's a couple gals mixed in too.  They's a right fine bunch," said Jasper with a smile.  He broke out the violin again, and it wasn't a tune that Etienne had ever heard Jasper play before, but it sounded familiar none the less.
    "A bunch of people got together and worked fifty years, just to give it all away.  That's nuts Jasper," gasped Etienne.
    "A 144,000 of em if'n you want to know exact.  And they's as far from watchacall nuts as they can be.  They chose the road they travelled.  It's a road somebody has got to take on ever world that wants to get closer to whatchacall god.  They's the ones that made the help y'all's getting possible." Again Jasper broke into the strangely familiar tune.
    "What's that song Jasper?  I recognize it, but not from you.  What is it?" asked Etienne.
    "Ever hear of ole Bob Marley.  Hit's one of his songs.  Feller calls it Redemption Song.  Them that's given all this here money away liked ole Marley.  He wuz whatchacall their troubador cause he understood what Babylon was, and livin in thisa here world is livin in Babylon.  Marley kept up their spirits.  Theyuns was the most generous 144,000 people on earth, and they had to become rich in a world full of need.  That was the part almost sunk some of em.  They didn't have any trouble gathering the money, everything they touched turned to gold.  They sewed for forty-nine years and then reaped.  It was not given it away before its time that they had to fight, and ole Marley helped make em strong.  You got to fulfil the book Pablo."
    "You know these guys Jasper, the ones who are giving the money away?  You know them?"  asked Etienne.
    "You know some of em yourself Pablo.  You met em at that last Potlatch we was at together.  That was their seceond one.  They was all just gettin rollin, seven years into it.  They started with the 144 at the potlatch you were born at, and they had most everybody by the second.  A few dropped out, a few died, but there was always somebody to step up.  They's quite a bunch.  They was always kidden me bout trying to turn them into Baptists, but twern't so.  That's how their nick name got started.  They used to mock me a little and say ‘After talkin to you Jasper we think we's all gonna become Baptists' and I answered em ‘yeah Rasta Baptists,' and it just kinda stuck."
    "But how'd they get so much, and how'd they get it in there, inside the machines?" Etienne wanted to know.
    "Well now you's askin technical questions that ole Sal could answer, but I never paid to close attention to.  My job was to see to these kids and talk to you young feller.  Sal needs a real feller here to kinda look out for his interests, explain bout money to people."  Jasper picked up the fiddle and paid no attention to Etienne's answer.
    "Are you telling that this Sal Fortunatus wants me to go to work for him?  This gets weirder by the minute," sputtered Etienne.
    "Well, Sal figures there'd be a big market for his services here, if'n the people of the world can wake-up from its fear."  This time Jasper stared right at Etienne and waited for a response.
    "But why me Jasper?" asked Etienne.
    "Hit's more or less watchacall a favor to me?  For my grandson Pablo," said Jasper.
    "But I'm not your grandson.  I'm not Pableo," responded Etienne.
    "Feller's been meanin to talk to you bout that,"  Before Jasper can finish, he is interrupted by the horn honking on Vic's truck.  It was the signal for a radio call.  Etienne told Jasper he'd be right back, and ran to Vic's truck to answer.  As he opened the door to grab the microphone he glanced back and saw that Jasper had gone.  He answered the call and it was Vic.  He wanted Etienne to meet him at Belinda's.  Etienne got in the truck and headed for town, but Jasper's words weighed on his mind.  He was no longer even sure it was his mind.
 

    Sofia was just about ready to go on the air for her noon broadcast when she saw her boss Fred Biggs walking toward her.  He motioned her over to the side, put his arm around her and began speaking to her in hushed tones.  "We've decided to take a new tack toward this thing Sofia.  You've strayed too much into editorializing about the benefit of these damn things, and not nearly enough on the harm they're doing.  We're gonna explore the moral drain it's taking on the community.  Look this over, this is the statement we want you to read.  Go ahead and take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with it."
    Sofia read over the statement that Biggs had given her.  It took her a moment to realize that the network had made some decisions in her absence.  "You want me to say that the machines are bad, that they are destroying people.  I don't know if I can say these things."  Sofia looked for some guidance from Bigg's manner, but he was poker faced.  So she continued.  "A couple of weeks ago I could have read this with ease, I could have said just about anything you wanted me to.  But things have changed.  I can't separate this from my own family.  Fred I can't go on the air and say this now right now.  At least give some time to think."
    "Sofia, this is no time to start thinking for yourself.   You can be replaced you know."  Biggs was coming on tough.
    "Yes sir, Mr. Biggs, I know that there are a multitude of talking heads just waiting to take my place, but maybe this is not my place. Maybe my place is with my family.  I owe them my loyalty, and I won't betray the trust of the man who brought this whole thing here."  Sofia had played a little poker herself.  She waited for Fred Briggs to catch the significance of what she had said.
    "You know who brought this thing here?  You got the scoop?  Dammit Sofia, why didn't you get this before.  They got the wraps so tight on me that I don't know what to do.  You really got the story?"  Biggs face was turning red.
    Sofia just nodded and let him sputter.
    "You can't take this to anyone else Sofia.  I gave you your break.  But dammit, somebody got to the network.  We got the word today.  Toe the line, or get lost.  I'm too old for this Sofia.  But this is the biggest story ever."  Biggs was apoplectic, pacing back and forth.
    Sofia thought a little push was in order.  "Maybe a little attack of conscience will hit you too."
    "That's it, that's it.  I'll resign too.  But you clam up till I cut another deal for us, er you, dammit, you know what I mean.   We're a team right.  I mean if you got the goods, I'll jump with you.  I really am too old for this.   You keep this quiet, not a word to anyone.  I'll cut us a deal that'll make it so we never have to work again unless we want to."  Biggs walked away trying not to smile.  He knew what he'd do with this.  He had enough contacts to pull off an independent production and get it distributed.  If Sofia could deliver, he'd make them the most famous news team in the world.
 

    Preston went and sat in his kitchen and drank a cup of coffee with a good dose of Jack Daniels.  He was now past desperate. Henchmen gone, and that snot nosed kid at large.  He was going to bed to try and get some sleep, but in the morning he was going to end this thing himself.  He didn't know how, but by tomorrow he was going to personally see to it that the kid was done for.
 

    Noe rested another couple hours in the park and then started the trek to Preston's house.  He needed to get there before sunrise the next day.  Revenge was on his mind.  Too many years of doing Preston's dirty work.
He left about two AM.  He wanted to be at Preston's by four, long before sunlight.
    Noe hugged the hill just south of town, and crossed the freeway under the Espinoza overpass.  He crossed El Camino and into the vineyard just south of the high school.  About a hundred yards of the house, he saw the lights still on in the kitchen.  It was just before dawn, the darkest hour, and the house was a beacon.
    The dogs started barking, but Noe called them by name and they shut up.  He stayed in the shadows and walked up close enough to the house to see if anyone was there.  He saw a coffee cup sitting at the kitchen table, but Preston was nowhere in sight.  He tried the door on the back porch.  It wasn't locked, so Noe went in.
    No one in the kitchen and no one in the living room either.  Noe walked to the door to Preston's bedroom and heard him snoring.  He had to decide whether to wait for him or press the matter.  Noe was in no mood for waiting so he pushed open the door, turned on the light and stepped back in the shadows.  He knew that Preston had a loaded 45 next to his bed.
    "What the hell?  Who's there?"  Preston yelled
    "It's me boss.  I need some help.  I need money to get the hell out of here.  And I need to know that you ain't gonna do nothing to the kid."  Noe was calm now.  He was ready to shoot Preston if he made a move for his gun.
    "So you really do think you're some kind of hero, huh.  Gonna save the kid from me.  You dumb piece of shit.  What makes you think I'm gonna start taking orders from you now.  I don't take orders from anyone.  Never have, never will.  That kid'll be dead before the day is over.  I'm gonna do it myself.  Now get your brown ass out of my house."  Preston pulled the covers up over his head and rolled over.  Noe saw a hand go out from under the covers, grabbing for the gun.  That was the last thing he saw.  A blinding flash went through his head, and Noe was out cold.  By the time Preston got his hand on the gun, grabbed it and turned, Noe was already falling.  He saw a shadow going down the hallway and shouted.  "Hey, wait.  Who...."  And then he fell silent.