Summary: Adam goes away on assignment and gets a new perspective on life.

I wrote this series originally back in the early 2000s. This is a recently updated/edited version.

Rated: K  (8777 words)

The Way Things Are Series:

The Way Things Are
History has a Habit
When you Least Expect It
There’s Always Something
The Choices we Make
Looks Can be Deceiving
One Thing or Another
Just One of Those Days
Nothing is What it Seems
You Can’t Keep an Old Lawman Down
Times Like These
The Nature of Life
Unexpected Changes
Out on a Limb
A Time to Decide
The Company We Keep
When Opportunity Knocks
A Moment in Time
To Live in Society

When You Least Expect It

“Magnificent isn’t it?”

Adam nodded his head. “They weren’t underestimating it when they called it the finest hotel in gold country.” He hadn’t seen it in years but he had remembered what it looked like. This was the first time he had come to Placerville since he had returned home a few months ago. Sighed heavily, he continued to study the building. It was too bad that he was here on business, he wouldn’t have minded looking over the town again.

“…live here?” the man standing next to Adam enquired.

“Uh…sorry. No, I don’t live here. Just visiting.”

“Same here,” the man replied. “Just passing time until the next stage comes through.” The man pulled out his pocket watch, “Which should be in about an hour.”

Adam turned to look at the man next to him. He noted that man was older than himself and much shorter. The man was balding and was dressed for travel. Adam talked to him for a few more minutes and then made his excuse to leave. The man said goodbye and started to walk down the street towards the Old Tent Store.

As Adam watched the man moved away from him, he wistfully wished that he could spend more time talking to the man some more about the buildings here, but he knew that was not meant to be. He had wasted enough time already. Reluctantly he made his way into the building he had been admiring.

The Cary House Hotel was just as impressive inside as it was on the outside. Adam took in his surroundings as he casually walked over to the front desk. At the desk was the clerk, who was busy sorting out the day’s mail into their prescribed slots. The man was apparently too involved in his task that he failed to hear Adam approach the desk.

Adam waited for a moment and then cleared his throat. The clerk turned around and hastily apologised for not being more attentive. After telling the clerk, that it was fine, Adam asked for the room of the man that he had specifically come here to meet.

“Room number twenty, sir,” the clerk said after checking the hotel registry. “Just go up the stairs to the second floor and then to your left.”

Adam thanked the clerk and made his way up the grand staircase to the second floor. When he finally reached the door of room twenty, he paused and took a deep breath before knocking.

After he had knocked on the door, Adam patiently waited for the invitation to enter. He could hear a noise on the other side of the door and was unsure what to make of it but before he could determine what it was, the door to the room opened.

“Adam! ‘Bout time you got here. Come in. Make yourself comfortable.”

“Thanks, Bob.” He looked at the man next to the open door and frowned, “Shouldn’t you have two of those?” Adam pointed to the crutch, that Bob was using for support as he held onto the doorknob.

Bob shook his head, “Nah. One’s just fine.”

Having his question answered, Adam walked into the room and waited for Bob to close the door and make his way back to the chair that he had been sitting in. Bob motioned to Adam to sit down in the chair opposite. Watching Bob intently, Adam could see a slight wince of pain cross Bob’s face as he made himself more comfortable by raising his left leg and placing it up on the ottoman that was in front of the chair that he was sitting in.

“I see getting shot in the leg hasn’t slowed you down too much,” Adam smiled.

Bob grunted, “Slowed me down enough to call you in. Wish I hadn’t been so damn careless.”

“It can happen to the best of us, Bob.”

“Yeah,” Bob grinned as he remembered something. “Come to think of it, I recall the time that you were laid up with that flesh wound. Not much fun for you.”

Adam could feel himself going a little red, as he remembered how that flesh wound had made it very difficult to sit down properly for weeks. “I came as soon as I got your telegram. Good thing you marked it urgent. It would’ve been a couple of more days before I even planned on venturing into Virginia City.”

“Knew that marking it urgent would get it out to your place pretty fast. Do you want a drink?”

“Yes, a drink would be fine, thanks.” Adam was about to ask if Bob needed any help but was stopped by the sight of Bob, as he adjusted his position in his chair and leant over to the table that had been conveniently placed near the chair. As Bob served the drinks, Adam used the time to see how Bob looked for himself. Bob was about a year or two older than Adam and they were about the same height. He noted that Bob had gained some weight since the last time they had seen each other, which had been just over two years ago. The paleness on Bob’s face worried Adam, but he knew it was to be expected after suffering a gunshot wound.

Bob leaned over and handed Adam his drink. Adam took a sip and then placed his glass on the arm of the chair while still maintaining a hold on it. Bob took a quick, deep breath, which indicated to Adam that even though Bob was acting like being shot in the leg was only a minor inconvenience, his friend was actually beginning to tire a little bit after the recent exertion.

“You had no trouble getting away then?”

“No trouble. I told my father and brothers that I had an urgent message about an old friend who had been shot down in Placerville.”

“So you told them the truth as far as they needed to know.”

“Yeah. I thought it was better to tell them the truth as much as I could. It makes things a whole lot easier.”

“I bet it did. Then I’m right in assuming that no-one in your family knows what you’ve been doing all these years?”

“My father knows nothing about it. My brother Hoss knows that I have another job but he seems quite content with the knowledge that I’m not doing anything illegal. As for my other brother, Joe…I haven’t a clue if he knows something or not. I’m certain that he’s still in the dark but I can’t be too sure, especially after recent events.”

Bob nodded, “Recent events, uh. Heard you had a couple of visitors. Oh well, I know how you feel. Had much the same problems with my family. Don’t know how I’m going to explain this to them, though.” He pointed flippantly to his leg.

Adam wasn’t surprised at Bob’s remark, as he knew that John Wells would have mentioned what had happened. He laughed, “I’m sure you’ll think of something to tell them. You always do.” He paused before he continued, “What is it you want me to do?”

Bob firmly nodded once and then began to give Adam the details of his next assignment.

The day had been a long one and Adam had been travelling south for most of it. He had left that morning with information that Wallace had been seen leaving town on the road that led southwards. He wiped the sweat off his brow as he sat on his horse, looking around for any signs that could help him determine the way Wallace could have gone. The fork in the row veered off into two different directions. Adam had been drawing on his knowledge of the man he was chasing and one of the things he knew for sure was that Wallace would stick to the roads because he was in unfamiliar territory.

Yesterday, when Bob told him that a former agent, Cody Wallace had gone bad Adam had scarcely believed it. He had worked with Wallace on a number of occasions and always had the impression that the man could do no wrong, let alone contemplate turning against his friends, family and the life he had known. Yet, it had somehow happened. Even Bob and Adam’s superiors in the Secret Service had no idea how the change had come or why it had happened. It was a mystery to all who had known Wallace. One day Wallace had been working for them and the next he had betrayed a fellow agent into the hands of a smuggler. That agent had been killed and now the government knew that they had to get Wallace back before he could cause any more damage.

Bob had been given the job of apprehending Wallace, as he had been the one who had worked with the man the most and thereby knew him better than anyone else. Bob had managed to follow Wallace to Placerville. It was there, about three days ago that Bob had confronted Wallace with the intention of bringing him in but Wallace wasn’t about to co-operate that easily. Wallace had taken a shot at Bob and had succeeded in only hitting Bob in the leg. Both Adam and Bob couldn’t decide if it was on purpose or just a mistake. While Bob was getting patched up at the doctor’s, he realised that was going to need help and so, knowing that Adam lived nearby, he had decided to call Adam in and get him to complete the job.

Adam now had a decision to make – left or right. It was going to be a hard one. If he made the wrong decision it could result in hours of lost time and maybe losing Wallace altogether. It was while he was debating the pros and cons of each direction, that he suddenly heard a voice coming from his immediate right.

Adam quickly turned to the direction the voice had come from. Although he couldn’t see anything, he decided to check it out all the same. He started to ride towards the sound. Whoever it was, he could tell it was a man who had yelled. The sound grew louder and louder as he drew closer. As he rounded a bend that went around a large tree, he immediately saw the source of the voice. Riding quickly, Adam came upon a man who was lying on the ground in a crumpled heat. A horse was grazing on the grass a few feet away.

Quickly dismounting, Adam grabbed the saddlebag and canteen off his horse and ran to the man. Kneeling down beside him, Adam began to check the man’s body for any signs of a break and was relieved to find that the man didn’t have any broken bones. His concern for the man grew when he looked at the man’s head. There was a deep gash and even though the blood had dried, it still looked very nasty. The man attempted to say something but Adam quickly silenced him by giving him a drink out his canteen.

As he grabbed a piece of rag out of the saddlebag, Adam silently thanked his father for teaching him to take some medical supplies with him on long trips. Adam poured water from the canteen onto the rag. As he cleaned the man’s wound, Adam could see that he had been lying out here in the open for some time. He continued to clean and dress the wound, noting that man lying on the ground in front of him was approximately the same age as Joe and had about a day’s growth of beard.

The man made another attempt to speak but Adam immediately silenced him by telling him that he was going to be just fine. The man somehow seemed to accept that and closed his eyes. Adam shook his head and after he had finished bandaging the wound, decided that this place would be as good as any to set-up camp for the night.

A few hours later, Adam was seated in front of a small fire. He looked over to the man, who was now resting on the ground on the other side of the fire. Adam had tried to make the man as comfortable as possible before going off to gather the two horses and unsaddling them. He had then set about making a fire and cooking up some beans for dinner, making sure he had some extra beans done just in case the man woke up and felt like eating. Knowing that head wounds could make one nauseous, Adam wasn’t quite sure if the man would be up to it or not.

It was while he was reading one of the books of poetry that he always carried with him, the man woke up. Adam looked up from his book and smiled, “Glad to see that you’re back with us.” He watched as the man touched the wound on his head. “That head wound of yours isn’t that bad but it will cause you some trouble over the next couple of days.”

The man slowly began to sit up and grimaced as he felt the effects of the wound. “Yeah, I think you’re right about that. It’s going to be one heck of a headache.” He smiled at Adam, before he continued, “Thanks for helping me out. Horse threw me and before I knew it I was on the ground.”

Adam nodded. “I guessed something like that had happened when I found you. I heard your shouts from the fork in the road.”

“I must’ve been drifting in and out for hours. Every time I woke up, I guess I started yelling at the top of my voice in some vain attempt that someone would eventually hear me. I’m glad that you did. Who knows how long I would’ve been here for if you hadn’t come along. Thanks.”

“Thanks isn’t necessary. Anybody in my position would have done the same.” Adam paused for a moment, “Do you feel like eating something?”

“I should try to eat something. Haven’t had anything since breakfast this morning and those beans smell awfully good.” The man had managed by now to get himself up into a sitting position. “The name’s Mike by the way.”

“Mine’s Adam.” Adam got up and dished some of the extra beans onto a plate and handed it over to Mike. “They’re still warm.”

Mike nodded and began to eat. “Nice stuff.” He kept on eating with such a passion, that he had finished his meal in no time at all. He looked down at his plate and smiled sheepishly. “Guess having this head wound hasn’t affected my appetite all that much.”

Adam laughed. “No, it sure hasn’t. In fact, you reminded me of one of my brothers. Nothing short of a serious illness could stop him from eating.”

Laughing, Mike continued. “Must be a man who enjoys his meals as much as I do.”

“He sure does.” Adam nodded. “By the way, if you don’t mind me asking. How did you come to be out here all on your own?”

“No, I don’t mind. I was out here following a man that, let’s just say, did something that didn’t please my father.” He paused. “Guess I wasn’t all that good at following him. He was waiting for me here and when I turned that corner, he took a shot at me. I don’t know if he intended to kill me or just scare me off.” Mike looked a little worried. “Well, anyway, the shot scared my horse and I was thrown. Maybe he thought the fall from the horse had killed me. I don’t think he bothered to check.”

“Hmmm. He was in a hurry by the sounds of it. All I can say is that you must be made of pretty tough stuff. A head wound like yours would have killed a lesser man.” Adam was practically certain who the younger man was after but he wanted to make sure. “What’s the name of the man you were after?”

“He goes by the name of Cody Wallace. Not a nice man from what I can gather.”

Adam lowered his head. He had somehow known that Mike and he were after the same man. “I’m looking for Wallace, as well.”

“Looks like that Wallace fella gets around a lot.” Mike frowned as if he were in deep thought about something. An idea had apparently come to mind and his eyes lit up. “Hey, since we’re both after the same fella, it makes sense for us to join forces? What do you think? You don’t mind if I tag along with you until we find him?”

Adam thought about Mike’s suggestion for a moment and wasn’t quite sure if it was the right thing to do. Wallace was already proving to be a major problem and it was also becoming apparent that it was going to take more than just one man to bring him in. Adam nodded reluctantly, “Okay. Joining forces might be the way to catch him. From what I’ve seen, one man alone could have some trouble doing it. I should warn you, however, that I intend to bring Wallace in alive. He’s wanted for some crimes that he has committed.” It was about as close to the truth that Adam wanted to get at this point in time.

Mike eagerly nodded. “Sure. Not a problem. Just want to see the right thing done by my father and if it means taking him to the local authorities, then that’s fine with me. So long as he gets what he deserves.”

“Alright then. We may as well get some rest now. It’s going to be another long day tomorrow.”

Adam then wished Mike a goodnight and watched as the younger man lay back down on his bed roll. After stoking the fire, Adam then made himself comfortable for the night. As he waited for sleep to take over, his thoughts turned to his decision about letting Mike join him. It made perfect sense. If Mike was left to his own devices, the young man could make it harder for him to catch Wallace and besides Mike could end up getting himself killed in the process. That was one thing Adam didn’t want – to have the young man’s death on his conscience.

Therefore, the decision to keep together was the only logical choice to make. At least he could keep his eye on Mike and have some control over the situation. Adam knew that he had made the right choice but for some reason he was beginning to get a little worried and uneasy about the way things had come about. He had no idea why he felt this way and it annoyed the heck out of him.

“What’s the book you’re reading, about?”

Adam glanced across to Mike, who was lying on his side across from him. “Just a book of poetry. Thought you were asleep.”

“Tried to sleep but I guess I’m still too wound up.” Mike looked up at Adam. “All that riding today and not finding Wallace. Guess I’m getting kind of anxious about it.”

Adam could understand what Mike was saying. He had experienced it on a number of occasions when he was younger. “Yeah, it can get frustrating at times but that’s the way it is in situations like this. You have to bide your time and hope it doesn’t take too long.”

“Sounds like you have had a lot of experience in chasing down a wanted man.”

“Yeah, you could say I have. You get use to it after a while and you sort of know what to expect.”

Mike nodded his head in understanding. “Hmm…I suppose a person could get pretty cynical doing a job like yours. But it looks like your job doesn’t seem to have affected you in that way.”

“What do you mean a job like mine?” Adam was now on his guard, not quite knowing what to expect next.

Mike smiled apologetically. “Sorry if I offended you in any way. It’s just that you did mention last night that Wallace was wanted for some crimes, so I figured you must be a lawman of some sort.”

Adam let out a small sigh of relief. “No, it’s ok. I just over-reacted. That’s all. Like you I’m still a bit worked up after today.”

For the next few minutes, each man sat there in complete silence. Adam methodically went over all of the day’s happenings, especially one event earlier in the day. They had been riding for a couple of hours when they came across a way station. At the way station, the stationmaster, who initially had looked like a pleasant fellow, failed to recognise Wallace’s name. After Adam had given him Wallace’s description, the stationmaster quickly changed his attitude. All of a sudden the man was cussing and cursing as if there was no tomorrow.

After he had calmed down, the stationmaster related the story of how Wallace had stolen a horse from him. It was clear that Wallace had decided to get rid of the worn-out old nag that he had been on, and leave with a much faster and better horse. The horse that he had taken was apparently the best that stationmaster had. The man was definitely not in a good mood about being fooled so easily.

The night before the stationmaster had given Wallace something to eat and a place to rest for the night. He had awoken that morning to unexpectedly find that the stranger and his prize horse had gone. Stamping his foot in frustration he continued to tell his story. Adam and Mike listened as the stationmaster explained to them that the horse that had been stolen was a stallion that he had planned on racing at the next Virginia City race meeting.

This part of the story brought back the memory of another Virginia City race meeting that had happened many years ago and Adam smiled. He wasn’t too happy about the outcome back then but in hindsight, it was now rather funny. He shook his head slightly. Oh well, got to get back to business. At least there were a couple of things he could be grateful for about today – the fact that they were still on the right track and that they were gradually catching up to Wallace.

“Glad to see that things aren’t all that bad.”

Once again, Mike had somehow managed to interrupt his thoughts and Adam wondered briefly how Mike had gotten the knack of knowing just when to precisely speak up. “Like you said. A job like mine can cause one to get cynical…maybe even disillusioned because of the things you see and do. I didn’t know of anyone until now, who had been affected in that way. I’ve always assumed that there’s always a way out of any situation…even if it means making a decision that ends up hurting yourself or the ones you love.”

“It sounds like you’ve had a lot of experience in making tough decisions. Looking at things in a logical way can pretty hard to do when you’re emotionally involved.”

Adam smiled a lopsided grin. “Yeah…the logical way can sometimes be the only way out of a situation. From past experience, I know that taking the logical route can be one of the hardest things to do both emotionally and mentally.”

“I can see that you do speak from experience. How does your family feel about the life you lead? Must be pretty hard on them, I bet.”

Sighing, Adam replied, “My family have no idea about this part of my life. One day I’ll probably tell them all about it but it may not be for some time yet. Even though I enjoy this job, there have been times when I wish I wasn’t in this business at all.”

Adam gazed into the fire in front of him. “I was away from them for a long time and ever since I’ve been back I’ve realised how good it is to have a family’s support there when you need it. They can certainly help relieve the tension during a stressful situation. I’ve had the feeling that they do know that I’m not being totally honest with them. I can see the hurt from time to time, especially in my father. They seem to accept that I have other responsibilities and even though they don’t know what those responsibilities are, they know that one day, when I am ready, I will tell them all about it.”

“It’s nice to hear that you have an understanding family. Some men aren’t as blessed as you are. All I can say is that a man’s relationship with his family is important. Families are about the only people around who will be there no matter what. They’re also good in keeping you from taking things too seriously…even yourself.”

“I feel exactly the same way.” Adam grinned. “Having other interests also helps take the edge of the seriousness of this job.”

“Like poetry for instance?”

“Yeah. Poetry or even a good book can help relieve the tension.”

“Know what you mean. I carry my favourite book around all the time. It’s been a real comfort to me.” Mike began to rummage around in his saddlebag. He pulled out a well-used book that had a black cover. “Never a dull moment in this book.” He leant over and handed it to Adam.

A look of surprise came over Adam’s face when he saw what the book was. It was a Bible. He quickly flipped through the pages and knew that it had seen better days. He handed it back to Mike. “Interesting choice.”

“Yep, it is. Poetry’s not too bad either. Lots of interesting poets around these days but the poetry in this book is pretty special too.”

“Yeah, you’re right there. The books of poetry in the Bible are very insightful. Poetry, no matter where you find it has a way of making you think about things.”

Mike sat there and looked thoughtful for a moment. “If you don’t mind me asking where do you stand on the issue of Christianity?”

“No, you’re fine. To answer your question…I do go to church and I do believe in God. I know that there is probably more that I can do in regards to building a stronger belief, but I don’t. My father is a very godly man and there have been times that I do wish that I had a faith as strong as he does. I think you’d get on well with him. I have a feeling that you two would have a lot to talk about.”

“It sounds like I’d get on with everybody in your family.” Mike laughed.

Adam half laughed. “That you would.” He stretched and yawned. “It’s getting late. Time we started getting some sleep. Going to be another long day tomorrow.”

Mike as if on cue, yawned. “Yep, you’re right there. Sure been nice talking with you Adam. Who knows, maybe we’ll get a chance to go into this a bit more before we catch Wallace. Good night.” Mike laid down on his side and turned his back to the fire.

Adam continued to stare at the fire for a little while longer. He and Mike were getting on well together but it was a shame that it would all have to end as soon as they caught up with Wallace. Adam knew that his father, Hoss and Joe would like his travelling companion. He was a little sad when he realised that they would never get to meet each other. As he thought about it, he came to the conclusion that he and Mike were still both strangers to each other. The only things he knew about Mike was what he had seen and heard already and vice versa. In fact, he was sure that he had done most of the talking tonight.

After a few minutes, Adam came to the opinion that Mike was an easy man to talk to and that he was definitely a very good listener. Satisfied with how the conversation had panned out, Adam didn’t know if he would ever get another chance to be able to talk to someone as amicable as Mike. It certainly felt good being able to talk about his life with someone who knew nothing about him or his family.

Looking at the horse on the other side of the livery stable, Adam was sure that it was the one that been taken from the way station. The stationmaster had given him a detailed description of the animal. He walked slowly across to the horse so as not to startle it. When he got to the horse he carefully inspected it and soon found the tell-tale sign that confirmed it was indeed the horse they were looking for.

“Wallace is definitely here. This is the horse he took from the way station.” Adam looked up at Mike and motioned with his arm, indicating that he wanted him to come over.

“What do we do now?” Mike asked after looking at the horse for himself.

“Start looking around town. This place isn’t that big. We shouldn’t have any trouble finding him.”

“Should we split up?”

Adam quickly shook his head. He didn’t want Mike going off on his own due to the fact if the younger man found Wallace first, something terrible could happen. Adam had the feeling that if that occurred, Mike would most definitely come off second best. “No, it’s best if we stick together. Don’t want Wallace getting the upper hand on either of us this time around.”

Mike nodded his head reluctantly, “Ok. I think I know what you mean.”

“Alright then, let’s get going. I suggest we try out the hotel first. Good as place as any.”

Mike followed Adam as he walked out of the livery. As they slowly walked to where the hotel was, Adam felt for his gun just make sure that it was ready when he needed it. He turned to find that Mike was following him, a short distance behind, apparently lost in his own thoughts. He turned back to face the direction he was headed in and began to prepare himself for the inevitable confrontation with Wallace.

Just as he was about to step up onto the landing at front of the hotel, he felt Mike put his hand on his shoulder. “Adam, before you go in there, I’ve got to tell you something.”

Adam stopped and turned to face Mike, slightly bewildered and uncertain of what the man was about to say. “Ok. What is it?”

“Just wanted to tell you to be careful when you go in there and not to forget what we talked about last night.” He tilted his head towards the hotel, “I’ll stay out here and keep an eye on things just in case Wallace makes a run for it.”

Adam stared at Mike for a moment, not knowing what to do or say to him in return. Mike indicated to him, that he should go in. Adam shrugged his shoulders and preceded to walk inside the hotel.

When he got inside, he could see that the hotel had probably once been a much grander place and now it was shabby and devoid of life. Looking around, he saw no-one, except for a drunk passed out on one of the sofas in the lobby. He heard a noise coming from the right. It was a piece of music that he couldn’t recognise, coming from an evidently out-of-tune piano. This told him that there were people gathered in the nearby bar. Walking the short distance towards the sound, he found his way blocked by a closed door. Slowly opening the door, Adam could see that it lead to the hotel’s bar, which like the rest of the building had seen better days. When he had fully opened the door he could see that there were a number of people drinking. He decided to walk up to the bar and wait patiently for the bartender to finish with his customers.

As soon as the bartender had finished serving his one of his customers, he saw Adam. He walked over to where Adam was seated at the end of the bar. As the bartender took a long, slow look at him, Adam began to feel very uncomfortable.

“Yes, siree. You’re him alright,” the bartender concluded.

“Pardon. I’m who?”

“Friend of yours turned up here yesterday. Said you be along in a couple of days or so. Told me what you looked like so that I could recognise you when I saw you.”

The feeling of uneasiness, that Adam had had a few days ago was back again. “Really? What did he tell you to do when I arrived?”

The bartender smiled a toothy grin, “Told me to give you a drink of whiskey and send you to the private room just other there.” He pointed to his left behind Adam. “He’s been there drinking since last night. Just waiting for you I figure.” Bending down behind the counter the bartender retrieved a glass and a bottle of whiskey. Placing them both on the counter in front of Adam, he nodded once.

Adam, after taking the bottle and the glass, began to walk to the room that the bartender had pointed to. Cautiously he walked around the tables and soon came to the door that led into the room. Holding onto the glass and bottle in his left hand, he slowly opened the door with his right. When the door was fully opened, Adam could see that the room was very sparse. In the middle of the room was just a table and with two chairs on either side of it. The room had probably been some sort of gaming room, Adam surmised. He could also see seated on one of the chairs was Cody Wallace. Wallace was resting on the table with his head on his arms, which were folded.

This was way too easy, Adam thought as he made his way to the table after he had closed the door behind him. He could see that there were three empty bottles standing on the table and a fourth one which had been carelessly knocked over. There was only one glass sitting to the right of Wallace and lying next to that glass was a gun. As Adam drew nearer to the table, Wallace made a sudden movement, nearly causing Adam to drop the bottle and glass that he had been holding.

“Took your time in getting here, Adam. Thought you would get here much earlier than this.”

After he had placed the bottle and glass on the table, Adam slowly sat in the empty chair opposite Wallace, not knowing what to make of it. “Well Cody, I have to say that you’re the last person I expected to see ending up like this.”

Cody took a deep breath. It was evident that he was feeling the effects of all the whiskey that he had been drinking. “What’s so hard to believe? Can happen to anybody. Happened to me. Could happen to you!” He leant over and pointed his right index finger straight at Adam’s face.

Adam sighed and looked at his watch. He had been here for at least thirty minutes listening to Wallace ramble on about things that didn’t seem to make sense for most of the time. In between ramblings Wallace had been taking shots of whiskey from the bottle that Adam had brought in. For the most part, Adam had decided to remain quiet and let the trouble man get whatever it was that he wanted to get out of his system. Adam wasn’t quite sure of what to do or say anyway and so he had decided it was the best thing to do under the circumstances. It was evident that Wallace wanted someone to listen to him and Adam had obliged him up until now. There were so many questions that Adam wanted answers to, he decided that it was now time to speak up.

“Cody…it sounds as if you had a really rough time but surely there was another way out? You didn’t have to turn against us and let Jenkins die.”

Cody glared at Adam. “You don’t understand do you?”

“No, I don’t. I’m sorry.”

“Humph. I thought you most of all would understand. When I realised that Bob was just like the rest of them, I shot him. Didn’t want him killed. Only hurt enough for him to make him send for you.”

“What? Why do that? All you had to do was get in touch and I would’ve come.”

“Really…and what about your family? How would you explain me to them if I had turned up at your place?”

“I would’ve just told them that you were an old friend that I met while I was away.”

“Another lie. That’s what this whole job has been…one big fat lie.”

Adam sat there for a moment, dumbfounded. It was obvious that something had happened to cause Wallace to become very disillusioned and cynical about the life that he had led for so many years. Hang on a minute. Wasn’t he just talking to Mike about this last night? Mike must have known somehow what Wallace was going through. But how on earth did he know that they would find Wallace in here?

“Hmmmm…got you thinking hasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it has. Tell me how it happened. Maybe if I knew what went wrong it will make me understand it a bit more. After all, you did say that you wanted to talk to me.”

Wallace closed his eyes and swayed a little. Adam wondered if he was about to pass out but that thought went as quickly as it came when he saw Wallace opening his eyes again.

“Yep. Telling you would be the right thing to do. I couldn’t help myself but maybe I can help you. I still owe you one after that incident in New York.”

“I know you do. There’s no need to pay me back for that one.”

“I’ve got to and I will!” Cody spat out. “Now just sit there and listen to what I’ve got to say. It started a couple of months ago. I was finally sick and tired of lying to my wife about where I was going and what I was doing. I loved her so much and I hated lying to her all the time, so I decided to tell her the truth.”

Watching the pain on Cody’s face, Adam felt sad and sorry for the man seated across the table from him. As he listened to what Cody had just said, Adam could, in a way understand what he was going through. To tell your loved ones that you had been not exactly truthful with them and that you had lied to them would have to be one of the hardest things that any person would have to do. It was one of the reasons why he had been avoiding it himself.

After pouring himself another drink from the bottle, Cody continued. “You should have seen her face when I told her the truth. That look of horror. It was like she didn’t know me at all. Told me straight to my face that I was a stranger and she didn’t know who I was. She kept telling me that I had made a fool out of her and that she should’ve listened to her family. She said that our marriage had been a sham. That everything before and after it had all been just a bed of lies. She slapped me in the face. I couldn’t believe it. Then she told me that it was all over and that she never wanted to see me again. Called me all sorts of names. I tried to make her understand but she accused me of making things worse than they already were. She left that night without saying another word. I can still that remember the look of disgust she gave me as she walked out the door.”

“Is that why you turned against the Service?”

“There were a couple of incidents before that had caused me to doubt the way I had been living my life but her leaving me was the last straw.” He grimaced. “The things I’ve had to do and say. Makes me sick to the stomach just thinking about them.” Cody then drank the whiskey in his glass. “This damn job ruined my life. Been role playing for a long time now…I know that she was telling the truth. Not just about our marriage but about me too. I can’t remember the man who I used to be but I have no doubts about the man I’ve become. The night I handed Jenkins over to that smuggler I had been drinking for at least three days straight. The only place I’ve been able to find any comfort from this torment has been in the bottom of a bottle.”

He twirled the empty glass in his hand. “For the last couple of months, I’ve been drinking a lot. A real lot. Can’t remember everything I did or said. When Bob caught up with me, I realised that time had run out. The damn Service always catches their prey. I decided that I wanted you to take me in. Wanted to warn you before they could take your life away too. Needed to repay that favour I owed you and this way the only way I could it.” He snorted. “The last honourable thing I could I suppose.”

Cody pushed his gun across the table towards Adam. “I’ve got nothing to live for now. The only woman I’ve ever loved is gone. I certainly have no life to speak of it. May as well spend the rest of it in prison. One can get themselves lost in a place like that.”

Adam took the gun and stood up. After he placed it in the belt of his pants, he walked around to Cody. “Why me? Why, tell me all of this?”

Cody looked up at Adam, “You’re not like the rest of them. Wanted to at least save one person before it was too late. Last time I saw you, I remembered seeing the same signs in you that I had refused to see in myself until it was too late. I reckon that if I can help you, then maybe you can help the others like us.”

Adam nodded. “Thanks for the advice. I think it’s time we were going.”

Cody got up slowly from the table and poured one last drink. After emptying the contents of his glass, he smiled weakly at Adam. “Knew you would understand. Just knew you would.”

“You look like a man who’s got a problem.”

Adam raised up his head and smiled a lopsided grin, “My friend that is an understatement.”

Mike laughed. “Nice to see that you are fairing well under the circumstances.”

“Yeah.” Adam turned his head around to look at the sheriff’s office. “It is a shame about Cody. Poor guy. Just goes to show that it can happen to the best of us.”

“Yes, it is a real shame. From what I’ve seen of him in the last couple of days, well…like you said it can happen to the best of us.”

Adam slowly nodded. It had been a long trip back to Placerville. Wallace had been in a deep depression throughout the whole journey and had shown no signs of ever coming out of it. Mike had tried his best to help Wallace but his efforts had little effect on the man. Adam was thankful that Mike bore no ill will towards the man who had done his family wrong. Adam had also tried his best to help Wallace but it was to no avail. Wallace had hardly said a word the whole time.

When they had gotten back to Placerville, Adam had taken Wallace to the sheriff’s office. Bob had previously told him that Adam had made arrangements with the sheriff to keep Wallace locked up until he was ready to travel back to Washington. Adam wondered what the future held for Cody Wallace. One thing was clear and that was that Wallace seemed to be resigned to his fate, whatever that may be.

“He’s given you a lot to think about, hasn’t he?”

“Yeah, he has. He told me he could see the signs of it happening in me when he last saw me about a year ago. I kind of implied that I understood what he was talking about but the problem is that I have no idea what he meant by it.”

“Maybe he thought that you were headed down the same path he was and wanted to stop you before it was too late.”

“I gathered that but I still don’t know what he saw in me to make him think that way.”

“Adam, let me tell you something. Sure you can easily let what happened to him happen to you. Having a breakdown like that is something that can affect anybody, anytime. Maybe that’s what made him think that it was happening to you as well. Most probably he didn’t want to feel like he was the only one going through this. Cynicism and disillusionment can be only just the tip of the iceberg where these things are concerned and after that, it can be all downhill from there. You know, Adam I have a feeling that you’re the type of man who won’t let it go that far, no matter what life may throw at you. I have no doubt that when you see it, you’ll recognise it for what it is and set about making things right.”

“Yeah, I think what you mean. Sure, there have been times when I have gotten a little cynical but it hasn’t lasted for long. Something has always been said or done to pull me out of it.” Adam paused for a moment. “Still makes you wonder, though.”

Mike smiled sympathetically. “You know, it doesn’t make a difference if you tell your family or not about this part of your life. Your family sounds like an understanding lot, so I’m absolutely positive that they won’t react in the same way that Wallace’s wife did. However, if by some chance you do end up taking the path he took, don’t forget there is always someone out there who can help before it’s too late. Just remember to keep the attitude of talking things out as soon as they start to worry you. Don’t be like Wallace and bottle things up until they explode.”

“You’ve got a point. I’ll make sure to remember what you’ve just said.” Adam nodded firmly and looked at Mike’s horse which was tied to the hitching rail in front of the sheriff’s office. “Looks like you’re ready to go.”

“Yeah, I am. My job here is done.”

“Too bad we didn’t get a chance to talk some more about the things we were talking about the other night.”

“I think the talk we had now just about covered everything I wanted to say to you.”

“Suppose so. Well, it’s certainly has been a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise Adam. Glad I could be of service to you.” Mike held out his right hand.

Adam took the hand and shook it. “Thanks for everything.”

Mike let go of Adam’s hand and went to the side of his horse and pulled something out his saddle bag. He walked back to Adam and handed it over to him, “Something to remember me by.”

A look of surprise came over Adam’s face. “Your Bible. Won’t you be needing this?

Mike smiled “I think you’ll be needing it more than I will in the future. Take care of yourself, Adam.” He went to his horse and mounted it. “One more piece of advice for you before I go. Remember that you’re not Cody Wallace and you never will be.”

Slightly confused by Mike’s last statement, Adam nodded his head in acknowledgement. “Goodbye and safe journey.”

Mike laughed. “It’s never goodbye. Let’s just say until we meet again.”

Adam raised an eyebrow, “You look like you meant what you just said. So, I guess it is until we meet again.”

“We will meet again Adam Cartwright. We most certainly will,” and with that Mike spurred his horse into action and proceeded to ride out of town. Turning back once more, he waved goodbye to Adam and then continued on his way.

Adam waved backed and stood there watching Mike until he had disappeared from view. It wasn’t until he had seen the last of Mike that he suddenly realised that Mike had called him by his full name. Shaking his head, he tried to think how Mike had found out his last name. He sighed. Oh well, another thing to ponder over on his way home. This journey had certainly proved to be an eye-opener in more ways than one.

Looking at the Bible in his hand, he raised it to reading level and opened up the front cover. Inside was an inscription to him from Mike. It read – “To Adam. Remember that no matter where you go or what you do you’ll always have someone to turn to. Kindest regards Mike.”

Adam smiled and absent-mindedly began flipping through the bible. His attention was unexpectedly caught by one of the pages towards the end. Whereas all the other pages had no markings of any sort, this one did. Noting that it was located in the book of Hebrews, he decided to read the passage out loud “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

Adam’s head shot up and looked in the direction Mike had gone. He frowned. Surely not. No, can’t be. He shook his head slightly. He reread the marked passage again. Still not quite knowing what to make of it, he closed the Bible and decided to make his way back to the Cary House Hotel to meet up with Bob.

He took his time and began to think about what happened over the last week. There were a lot of things that he needed to sort out. The first thing he had to do was finish up here as quickly as possible so that he could get home. He still wasn’t quite sure about telling his family about his life as a Secret Service agent – that would require a lot more thought.

Deep down Adam knew what Mike had meant about him not being like Cody Wallace and he was glad about it. Going back over what had happened to Wallace, Adam came to the realisation that he was not going down the same road as Wallace had. He knew that he was extremely blessed. Quietly he thanked God for not letting it happen to him and for giving him a family who would never let it happen. Adam smiled. For the first time in a long while, he felt better about himself and his life. He then laughed. To him, the thing that amazed him most about of all this was that it had happened when he had least expected it to.

THE END

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