Every store in the mall closed at 9:00 p.m., and by 9:15 Lilly Reed had turned off the registers, punched the time clock, engaged the alarm system, and locked both doors of the ladies' boutique where she worked as an assistant manager. She left the mall through a service door and walked quickly to her car, a VW Beetle2, which was parked in an area designated for employees. She was in a hurry, her boyfriend was waiting at a sports bar half a mile away. As she was opening the door to her car, she felt something move behind her and heard a footstep. Then a strange male voice said, "Hey, Lilly." In a split second, Lilly knew she was in trouble. She turned, got a glimpse of the black handgun, saw a face she would never forget, and tried to scream. With astonishing speed, he slapped a hand over her mouth, said, "Get in the car," and shoved her inside. He slammed the driver's door, slapped her hard across the face, then stuck the gun barrel in her left ear. "Not a sound," he hissed3. "And get your head down." Almost too horrified4 to move, she did as she was told. He started the engine.
Enrico Munez had been napping on and off for half an hour as he waited for his wife to finish her shift at a family restaurant in the mall's food court. He was parked between two other cars in a row of empty vehicles. He was still half-asleep, and he was sitting low in the seat when he saw the attack. The man seemed to appear from nowhere and knew what he was doing. He displayed the gun, but didn't wave it around. He overwhelmed the girl, who was too stunned5 to react. As soon as the Beetle lurched forward, with the attacker at the wheel, Enrico reacted instinctively6. He started the engine of his pickup7 truck, lunged into reverse, backed up, then sped forward. He caught the Beetle as it was turning at the end of the row and, understanding the gravity of the situation, did not hesitate to crash into it. He managed to avoid the passenger door, where the girl was, and plowed8 into the right front tire. Immediately upon impact, Enrico thought about the pistol and realized he had left his at home. He reached under his seat, grabbed a sawed-off baseball bat he kept just in case, jumped across the top of the Beetle, and as the man was getting out, Enrico slammed the bat into the back of his shiny slick head. He would later tell his friends it was like smashing a melon.
The man was flailing10 on the asphalt, and Enrico hit him again for good measure. The pistol was only a toy, but it looked authentic11. Lilly was hysterical12. The entire episode lasted less than a minute, but she was already bracing13 herself for a nightmare. She scrambled14 out of her car and began running. The commotion15 attracted others. Mall security arrived in minutes, then the police and an ambulance. Enrico relinquished16 his prisoner, who was still on the ground, and began telling what happened.
The attacker had no wallet, no identification, nothing in his pockets but $230 in cash. He refused to give his name. At the hospital, X-rays revealed a hairline crack of the skull17, thanks to Enrico, and a brain tumor18 the size of an egg. He was treated and placed in a secured room. Investigators19 collected fingerprint20 samples, and detectives attempted to interrogate21 him. He was wounded and drugged and gave them nothing. Several policemen and detectives were in and out of the room, and one finally made the connection. "I think it's that Boyette character," he whispered, and suddenly everyone else thought so too. But the man denied it. Two hours later, the fingerprints22 were matched and his identity was confirmed.
Ten hours earlier, on the other side of the world, two Black Hawk23 helicopters collided over the desert near Fallujah in central Iraq, killing24 nineteen members of a Texas National Guard unit. The tragedy was just what Governor Newton needed. With Barry and Wayne in near-euphoric agreement, they decided25 the governor should dash off to Iraq and show real leadership in the war on terror. The trip would also push him onto a larger stage and provide great footage for future use. And, most important, it would get his ass1 out of Texas.
His staff worked frantically26 to rearrange schedules, get military clearance27, make sure the press was properly alerted, and sweat the rest of the details for the trip. Early Friday morning, the governor, Wayne, and Barry met for a briefing.
"They caught Boyette last night," Wayne said, looking at his laptop. "He jumped a girl outside a mall in Overland Park, Kansas. No sexual assault. He's in custody28."
"He was in Kansas?" the governor asked.
"Yep. Bright boy."
The governor shook his head in disbelief. "Fifty states, and he stays in Kansas. A moron29. What's the latest from Slone?"
Barry said, "Guard's all gone. DA resigned last night. All bodies buried. Streets are quiet, no fires. Classes resumed yesterday without incident and the football team plays on the road tonight, against Lufkin. Go, Warriors30."
The governor picked up a report. Barry was burning up his laptop. All three were haggard and spent, testy31 and slightly hungover. They gulped32 coffee, chewed their nails, and never thought they would be so excited about a trip to Iraq.
"We have an execution in twelve days, gentlemen," the governor said. "What's the plan?"
Wayne replied proudly, "Got it all worked out. I've had drinks with a senior law clerk at the court of appeals. Obviously, they'd prefer to postpone33 the next one for a while. I told him we are in no hurry either. Word is being routed to the lawyer for Drifty Tucker that he should file something, anything, just dream up some wild claim for relief and get it filed, preferably before 5:00 p.m. The court will show unusual interest in Mr. Tucker's case and issue an order, no opinion attached, but will stay the execution until some undetermined point in the future. They'll bury Tucker's case. One day he'll probably read our obituaries34."
"I like it," the governor said, smiling. "And when is the next one?"
"Not until July, eight months away."
"Eight months. Wow."
"Yep. We got lucky."
The governor looked at Barry and said, "How are things this morning?"
"Here, or national?" Barry asked.
"Both."
"Here, the big story is, of course, the Black Hawks35 in Iraq, but Drumm is still front-page news. They buried the girl yesterday, front page on a dozen papers. More editorials, everybody wants a moratorium36. The death-penalty folks are insane. They are expecting twenty-five thousand at a rally here on Sunday."
"Where?"
"At the Capitol, across the street. It'll be a zoo."
"And we'll be in lovely Fallujah," the governor said.
"I can't wait," Wayne said.
Barry continued: "On the national front, it's more of the same. Rants37 by the left, not much on the right. The governors of Ohio and Pennsylvania are talking openly about moratoriums38 until the death penalty can be studied some more."
"That's about right," Newton mumbled39.
"A lot of noise from the abolitionists, but it's all beginning to sound the same. There's so much overkill that the screaming is becoming monotonous40."
"What about the polls?"
Barry stood and stretched his legs. "I talked to Wilson early this morning. We've lost ten points on the issue, with 61 percent of the registered voters in Texas still in favor. Looks like I win the bet, boys. Pay up. The surprising numbers are on the issue of a moratorium. Sixty-one percent want the death penalty, but almost 50 percent favor a hiatus of some sort."
"That'll go down," Wayne said with authority. "Let the shock wear off. Wait till there's another home invasion with an innocent family murdered, and folks will forget about Drumm. They'll forget about a moratorium and remember why they favor the death penalty."
The governor stood and walked to his favorite window. There were protesters on the street below, holding signs and parading back and forth41 along the sidewalk. They were everywhere, it seemed. Outside the Governor's Mansion42, on every lawn of the Capitol, and in front of the entrance to the court of appeals with signs that screamed, "WE CLOSE AT FIVE. GO TO HELL." From aging hippies to Students Against the Death Penalty, they crossed all ethnic43 and social lines. He loathed44 them; they were not his people.
"Gentlemen, I've made a decision," Newton said gravely. "I'm not in favor of a moratorium, and I'm not calling a special session of the legislature to deal with it. To do so would create a spectacle. We have enough facing us already. We don't need the legislature creating another circus."
"We need to inform the media," Barry said.
"Prepare a statement. Release it after we take off for Iraq."
Friday afternoon, Keith went to Elmo Laird's office for a short meeting. Dana was busy hauling kids and couldn't be there, not that she really wanted to be. With Boyette in custody, Keith was willing to let go of her, and she needed a few hours away from her husband.
Boyette's final assault and subsequent arrest were being widely covered, and Keith was taking some shots. Lilly's father was quoted as saying, "Some of the blame lies with that Lutheran minister in Topeka," and that angle to the story had gained momentum45. In light of Boyette's record, Lilly Reed's family was relieved that the assault had gone no further, but still angry that such a career rapist was free and able to traumatize their daughter. The early reports slanted46 the story to read as though Keith had busted47 Boyette out of prison and fled with him to Texas.
Elmo explained that he had talked to the DA, and while there were still no immediate9 plans to prosecute48 Keith, the situation was fluid. No decisions had been made. The DA was getting calls from reporters and taking some heat.
"What's your best guess?" Keith asked.
"Same plan, Keith. I'll keep chatting with the DA, and if he moves forward, we will work out a plea agreement, a fine, but no jail."
"If I plead guilty, I'll probably face some type of disciplinary action by the church."
"Anything serious?"
"Nothing is clear as of now."
They agreed to meet again in a few days. Keith drove to St. Mark's and locked himself in his office. He had no idea what his sermon would be on Sunday and was not in the mood to work on one. There was a pile of phone messages on his desk, most from reporters. The Monk49 had called an hour earlier, and Keith felt obliged to see what he wanted. They talked for a few minutes, long enough for Keith to get the message. The church was deeply concerned about the publicity50 and the likelihood that one of its ministers would face charges. The conversation was brief and ended with the agreement that Keith would go to Wichita on the following Tuesday for another meeting with the Monk.
Later, as Keith was tidying up his desk and preparing to leave for the weekend, his secretary buzzed and said a man with Abolish Texas Executions was on the line. Keith sat down and picked up the phone. His name was Terry Mueller, the executive director of ATeXX, and he began by thanking Keith for joining the organization. They were delighted to have him on board, especially in light of his involvement in the Drumm case.
"So you were there when he died?" Mueller said, obviously intrigued51 and fishing for a few details. Keith hit the high points of the story in a quick summary and, to change subjects, asked about ATeXX and its current activities. As the conversation went on, Mueller mentioned that he was a member of the Unity52 Lutheran Church in Austin.
"It's an independent church, spun53 off from the Missouri Synod a decade ago," he explained. "Downtown, close to the Capitol, a very active congregation. We would love to have you come speak sometime."
"That's very kind," Keith replied. The idea that he would be sought as a speaker caught him off guard.
After they hung up, Keith went to the church's Web site and killed an hour. Unity Lutheran was well established, over four hundred members, and its imposing54 chapel55 was built of red Texas granite56, same as the State Capitol building. It was politically and socially active, with workshops and lectures ranging from eliminating homelessness in Austin to fighting the persecution57 of Christians58 in Indonesia.
Its senior pastor59 was retiring.
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ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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beetle
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| n.甲虫，近视眼的人 | |
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hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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pickup
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| n.拾起，获得 | |
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plowed
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| v.耕( plow的过去式和过去分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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flailing
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| v.鞭打( flail的现在分词 )；用连枷脱粒；（臂或腿）无法控制地乱动；扫雷坦克 | |
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authentic
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| a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的 | |
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hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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bracing
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| adj.令人振奋的 | |
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scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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relinquished
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| 交出，让给( relinquish的过去式和过去分词 )； 放弃 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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tumor
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| n.（肿）瘤，肿块(英)tumour | |
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investigators
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| n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 ) | |
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fingerprint
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| n.指纹；vt.取...的指纹 | |
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interrogate
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| vt.讯问，审问，盘问 | |
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fingerprints
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| n.指纹( fingerprint的名词复数 )v.指纹( fingerprint的第三人称单数 ) | |
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hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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clearance
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| n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理 | |
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custody
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| n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留 | |
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moron
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| n.极蠢之人，低能儿 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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testy
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| adj.易怒的；暴躁的 | |
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gulped
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| v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的过去式和过去分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住 | |
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postpone
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| v.延期，推迟 | |
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obituaries
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| 讣告，讣闻( obituary的名词复数 ) | |
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hawks
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| 鹰( hawk的名词复数 )； 鹰派人物，主战派人物 | |
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moratorium
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| n.(行动、活动的)暂停(期)，延期偿付 | |
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rants
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| n.夸夸其谈( rant的名词复数 )；大叫大嚷地以…说教；气愤地)大叫大嚷；不停地大声抱怨v.夸夸其谈( rant的第三人称单数 )；大叫大嚷地以…说教；气愤地)大叫大嚷；不停地大声抱怨 | |
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moratoriums
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| 正式的延缓，暂停( moratorium的名词复数 ) | |
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mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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ethnic
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| adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的 | |
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loathed
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| v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的过去式和过去分词 )；极不喜欢 | |
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momentum
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| n.动力，冲力，势头；动量 | |
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slanted
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| 有偏见的； 倾斜的 | |
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busted
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| adj. 破产了的，失败了的，被降级的，被逮捕的，被抓到的 动词bust的过去式和过去分词 | |
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prosecute
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| vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官 | |
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monk
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| n.和尚，僧侣，修道士 | |
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publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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intrigued
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| adj.好奇的，被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式)；激起…的兴趣或好奇心；“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词 | |
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unity
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| n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调 | |
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spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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persecution
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| n. 迫害,烦扰 | |
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Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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pastor
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| n.牧师，牧人 | |
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