Honor Road Jason Ross (any book recommendations .TXT) 📖

pretty daughter made breakfast in the kitchen. Pete’s son was away recovering the snow machines.

The Lathrop breakfast table was what Sage would imagine—big enough just for the four of them and covered in a red-and-white gingham tablecloth. Commissioner Pete’s wife came with a smile stretched from cheek to cheek and set a cup of coffee in front of each of them.

“She’s gloating. I hate it when she gloats,” Commissioner Pete chuckled. “Damned woman.”

Sage had no idea what he was talking about. He felt like he’d been teleported from the set of a James Bond movie straight into the kitchen of Family Ties. He woke up an evil soldier in a military thriller to being served a country breakfast in a Hallmark holiday special.

“Sir, I’m so ashamed of my actions. I can’t tell you how awful I feel about what I did. I disrespected your hospitality and I violated your trust, and I committed a crime. I deserve whatever punishment you throw at me. I won’t complain.”

Pete chuckled again. “I’ll grant you, it might be a while before you can show your face in Union County again. They’re going to need some time for new elections, and we’re hoping none of Chamber’s boys make it into office, ever again. But, democracy is democracy. You never know what you’ll get. But some folks over there will blame you for betraying Chambers, sure as the Pope wears a fancy dress.”

Sage stared into his coffee. He didn’t feel like he deserved to enjoy the sunrise.

“I’ll just tell you plain,” Pete sighed. “You were working for us, almost right from the start.”

Sage looked up.

“Well, actually, you were working for Aimee Butterton and she was working for us. More accurately, you were working for Aimee Butterton and she was working for my missus. My wife, Veronica—the one burning the bacon right now—she was U.S. Army intelligence back in her heyday, and she loves these mind games. She played Union County and Captain Chambers like she was the CIA and he was a North African warlord. I swear to the Maker, she’s as crooked as a three dollar bill. The only reason I’m a county commissioner is because of her finagling.” Pete took a sip of his coffee and collected his thoughts. “So, I’m saying she sorta put you up to all this, with Aimee’s help.”

“Aimee?” Sage parroted back. He still wasn’t tracking. “Butterton?”

Pete closed his eyes and sighed. “Yes. Aimee Butterton. Son, I tried to tell you before. Well, it was Joan Schlacter who told you—that day at the Blue Banana in Lostine. Do you remember? She read you in on the natural order of things? Men run the show and the women run the men? she said.”

Sage didn’t know if he remembered anyone ever saying that, but he could barely remember his shoe size right now. He had a very unsteady grip on reality at the moment. He nodded anyway, and picked up his coffee to have something to do other than sit with his jaw open.

“The Buttertons are second cousins to my wife’s family. The Butterton girls aren’t actually big fans of Ron Chambers on account of him having relations with their mother under their papa’s nose, may he rest in peace. The girls have been network assets for us from the get-go. Not Mrs. Butterton—the mother—but the girls.”

Sage’s face must’ve looked a-mess because Commissioner Pete tried to explain again. “We needed that corrupt sonofabitch Chambers removed for his crimes of corruption. He and his band of merry men have been robbing that county blind while some people went hungry. We could’ve helped Union with beef, but there was no way we could do that with the amount of graft Chambers would’ve charged us. You see?”

Sage nodded. He knew Chambers was crooked. He’d witnessed it, even gotten used to the idea. He still didn’t understand how they’d been led straight into a trap.

The commissioner continued. “This is about democracy. Chambers is arrested now, and will stand trial in Wallowa for kidnapping. It’s all legal and on the up-and-up. La Grande will have to choose a new police captain and probably reinstate the Union County sheriff that Chambers silenced. After that, we can go forward as one valley, Wallowa and Union. At least, that’s my wife’s plan. So far, she’s called it on the nose, one hundred percent. I ain’t never gonna live it down. She’s going to be fuller of herself than a homecoming queen after this.” As much as he complained, even a fool like Sage could see how proud Pete was of his wife.

“What about me?” Sage held out his hands. “I’m as guilty as anyone for your kidnapping.”

“I think you and I both know where your heart landed on this thing. We set you up, Aimee Butterton kept you on-track and you did what was right when push came to shove. At seventeen, I wouldn’t have done half as well. Chambers wore the badge and our daddies taught us to respect the badge. As far as Wallowa County is concerned, you’re welcome to abide here.” Pete held out his hand. “And you’re welcome in my home until this thing blows over.”

Sage shook the proffered hand. He felt like he might be getting a lot more grace than he deserved.

“Sir, I won’t let you down again,” he offered.

Commissioner Pete raised an eyebrow. “Well, I’m glad you said that, because there’s a lot of work around here before the real snow hits. All this goofing around has set us back.”

21

Mat Best

Reever Street Pork Drying Facility

McKenzie, Tennessee

Buddy Lansing needed a drink. His flask was empty and he hadn’t had a nip in over an hour. His whiskey supply was back at home, and he’d been stuck in the pork shed for hours, babysitting 300 propane barbecues as they slowly dried 1,000 pounds of thinly-sliced pork.

“This is bullshit,” he told his shift partner, Lee Billings.

When Buddy took a volunteer slot at the hastily-organized pork shed, he imagined it would be like