No Easy Way Out

Chapter 12

At her office at the capital building in Helena, State Attorney General Kendall Reese was going about her day when her phone rang.

"I wonder who's calling me?" she muttered as she looked at her phone.

Her curiously turned to excitement when she saw her caller ID.

"Jamie! How are you, my friend?" she asked excitedly.

"Doing good, Kenny. Are they treating you good there in Helena?" asked Jamie.

"No, but I think they now realize that they can't fuck with me," said Kendall.

"That's good to hear," said Jamie. "Listen, I need you to do something for me."

"Sure, Jamie. What is it?" asked Kendall. Jamie then explained everything to her.

"I'll do the best I can, Jamie. You can count on that," said Kendall.

"Thanks, Kenny. I appreciate it," said Jamie.

After that, Kendall got her assistant in the room & made this request.

"Rachel, I need information on Thomas Hendricks-Smith. Get it as fast as you can."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Beth had stopped by the main house with Sophia after visiting Rip at the bunkhouse.

"Have you heard from Jamie yet?" Beth asked John. He shook his head.

"No, & I don't expect to," John said. "I guess that's something I'll have to get used to."

"You better start hoping that he'll come around if Hendricks-Smith goes through with his threats, Daddy," said Beth.

"I understand that, Beth, but if Jamie does come back to help us," said John. "You need to leave him alone. I know you hate him so much & want him to suffer, but this ain't the time right now."

"I know, Daddy," said Beth solemnly.

The next thing they knew, Teeter, one of the Dutton family's trusted ranch hands, came running in.

"Beth!" she screamed.

"Teeter, what's wrong?" asked a now worried Beth.

"Somethin' bad happened at the bunkhouse," said a teary eyed Teeter.

"What is it, T? Tell me please," said Beth who was beginning to feel frantic.

"It's Rip," said Teeter.

"What is it?" asked John. "What happened to Rip?"

Teeter then started crying.

"Please, T, tell us," said Beth who could feel the tears coming herself.

"Rip's been arrested," said a now sobbing Teeter.

"Oh my God," said Beth who started bawling. John quickly took Sophia & handed her to Monica.

"Is the sheriff still here, Teeter?" asked John.

"Yes, sir," she said.

"I'm goin' go talk to him," said John.

"No, Daddy, I will," said Beth.

"I can't let you do that, Beth," said John. "I don't want both of you in jail. Stay here with Sophia, & I'll take care of this."

With tears flowing down her face, Beth just nodded & stayed behind.

John then went outside to the bunkhouse where he saw Rip in the back seat of the sheriff's car.

Park County Sheriff Randell St. Clair was standing near his vehicle.

"Sheriff, what the hell is this about?" asked John.

"If I didn't know any better, Governor Dutton, I would say that you've been harboring a fugitive here for over 30 years," said Sheriff St. Clair.

"A fugitive?" asked John.

"That's right, governor. Mr. Wheeler here is a fugitive," said St. Clair. "You know that the Custer County Sheriff's Department has been searching for him in connection with the deaths of his family."

John then found himself remembering the day he took an orphaned Rip in & hired him as a ranch hand. He also remembered having his lawyer secretly file a motion, later granted, to have the case records sealed in order to protect Rip.

Now John was wondering if his past was coming back to haunt him, or if Thomas Hendricks-Smith was following through on his threat to make the Dutton family's lives all a living hell.