Chapter : 97
The spring sky over Washington, D.C. quickly diminished from a warm orange glow to a dark and cloudy night. Jeff Anderson took every precaution to make sure he was not followed by secret service as he made his way to Georgetown. He knew that tonight might be the last night he saw Penelope alive. Jeff had known all along that the sins that he committed forty years ago would lead to his demise.
Jeff quickly dashed between the trees as he approached the Francis Scott Key Memorial park. The lights with in the memorial park started to flicker on as the sunny late afternoon sky was slowly extinguished by the blackness of night. Jeff slowed his pace as he reached the last tree before entering the memorial park. Anderson gasped for breath as he surveyed the gloomy park. The long, stretching shadow of the nearby oak tree hindered Jeffery’s observation. “Is that Martinez?” the Senator Contemplated to himself as he surveyed the darkening park. Jeff’s mind throbbed in rage and despair at the thought of losing the love of his life.
The cool spring daylight was finally eclipsed by encroaching darkness. Suddenly the park was plunged into an obscure and murky nightfall. As the pale streetlights slowly illuminate the park, Senator Anderson finally realized that the people on the bench were indeed lovers embracing in a kiss.
The lover’s entangled kiss, reminded Jeff of Penelope’s soft lips. Jeff never thought he would ever find true love like he did in Penelope’s deep blue eyes. Jeff Anderson’s love for Penelope made him more determined than ever to protect her from harm.
“Over here Jeff Anderson,” A strange voice cried out in the misty darkness.
Mr. Anderson strained to see two silhouette seating on a park bench on the far side of the fountain. As Mr. Anderson slowly approached, it soon became very apparent to him that the two silhouettes were not lovers at all, but rather Penelope Baggins and Albert Kandinsky.
“Let her go,” Jeff yelled impetuously as he rushed to her side.
“Not so fast Jeff,” Albert grumbled. Senator Anderson quickly turned towards me as I slowly crept towards him in my wheelchair.
Jeff was indecisive as he pondered who to kill first. Time had slowly dwindled his strength to kill Kandinsky, but not his will.
The Senator stared at me with the audacity that would have killed most men.
“What is it you want Martinez?” Jefferson scolded. “She has nothing to do with this.”
“You know what we want,” Kandinsky shouted as he pointed his gun under Penelope’s chin.
Dauntlessly Jeff screamed, “No,” as he lurched towards Albert.
“I wouldn’t do that Mr. Anderson,” Kandinsky threatened as he pointed his gun at the Senator’s head. “Just tell us where the treasure is and I will let her go.”
Slowly I roll my wheelchair closer to Senator Anderson. The dimly lit park and my scotched face made it problematic for Jeff to recognized the youthful young man I was forty years ago.
“Let me kill them; we can find the treasure without him,” Albert said vehemently. His eyes flared with rage as he jabbed his gun deeper into Penelope’s throat.
Despair swirled in Jeff’s soul as he lamented his lover’s pain. Though the Senator wore a mask of bravado, his trembling voice articulated his fear and anger. Jeff choked back his tears as he divulged, “It is obvious you betrayed your country and conspired with this Nazi. I presumed the premises of this alliance was to steal the treasure for yourself and extract your revenge upon me, and my lover. For the past forty year my old friend, you have watched your life slip away into oblivion as revenge gnawed away at your soul and left you feeling nothing but malice and bitterness. I feel sorry for you my old friend. I am sorry for the sin that I have bestowed upon you, but please don't kill my one true love.”
I rolled my wheelchair closer to the Senator and screamed, “You were my friend, and I believed in you, I admired you. You were my hero, hell I glorified you, and every soldier in that platoon. Then you decided to forsake me.”
“You were a sniveling coward,” The Senator boasted.
The cool night air swirled with animosity as I pointed my luger pistol at the Senator’s head. “I am not a patient man senator. If you don’t tell me where the treasure is right now, I am going force you to watch as I kill your one true love.”