The Willing Seller is about environmental terrorism by our government. It is fiction based on truth. Here's how to access previous chapters on line: Visit www.kwtn.com/news/fiction. That will take you to our fiction index. Double click on "Willing Seller." That will take you to the index of chapters. Click on the chapter you want to read. To get back to the chapter index, click on your "back" arrow.
The Reverend called Donald into his office at 3:15, just about the time his aide was fixing to call it a day. Donald stuffed some papers into the handsome initialed attache case his godmother had given him for his birthday two years ago, grabbed his seersucker suit jacket off a hook in the closet and exited his office, turning out the light and locking the door. He walked briskly down the hall and tapped on the Rev's door, then walked in without waiting for a `Come in', like he always did. Then he stood there just inside the door with his briefcase in one hand and his jacket slung over his shoulder, waiting for a word from the Man. He was hoping his boss just had a scheduling detail that needed clarifying, something minor. But, instead, the Reverend gestured him inside. "Close the door," he said, pointing to a chair across from his desk. "Take a load off."
Shit, Donald thought, keeping the smile on his face and the consternation out of his eyes and managing not to even glance at his watch, as he did what he was asked. He was meeting some of the boys at Hukilau for drinks and a poo-poo platter, then he had a poker game at eight. Between the two, he was planning to get in a couple hours of paper work at home. He prayed this wouldn't take long.
The Reverend got right to the point. "You hear anything about this Billy Ray thing? How're the negotiations going?"
"Not going at all," Donald answered. "I guess we could safely say, at this point, negotiations have pretty much broke down."
The truth was, he'd talked to Billy Ray, briefly, the day after he was released from jail. Since then, the boy had been hard to pin down. He didn't know what the big deal was, anyway. They didn't need Billy Ray's signature, that was just a mere formality. The county had a $250-a day running fine on the property, it was just a matter of time before they owned it. But, the Rev didn't like to be scammed.
"What d'you mean by broke down? You mean Mr. Johnson has refused us?" Clive asked. He said it with no particular expression in his voice, but a noticeable furrow between his eyes.
Donald shrugged and looked away. "We just don't seem to be able to get him to move on this, one way or the other," he replied, doing his best to place the onus on Billy Ray rather than himself. Maybe he could've followed up on this sooner.
"You've been out there? Talked to him?"
"A couple of times," Donald lied, looking his boss square in the eye. This was something he prided himself on, being able to look a man in the eyes and bald faced lie to him. It came in handy.
Clive leaned back in his chair and swiveled it around so he was facing a map on the wall and Donald was staring at his profile. "Let's see," he murmured, studying the map. There were two areas outlined in pink on Little Torch— the Johnson property and one other, a large piece on the opposite side of the island. Donald knew how much the Rev wanted to acquire those two parcels and see them go from pink to green, like the rest of the island. "So, now," Clive said. "What you're sayin'. Even after we were nice enough to get the boy outta jail, he ain't cooperating. He made a promise, now he's renegin'. That just don't seem right."
Donald said that was it, more or less.
"He is not properly appreciative," Clive continued. "Nor a man of his word." Donald nodded and waited. "Well, then. I think the time for patience is over. Wouldn't you agree, Donald, that this calls for some sterner type of measures? Something a bit . . . more creative? Mr. Johnson is making a mockery of our good will."
Donald nodded again, knowing exactly what was coming.
"What say you and your friends pay a little visit to Billy Ray? Motivate him? Yeah, that's what I'd like. ASAP." Clive glanced at his Rolex. "If you time it right, you just might miss the traffic out of town. Think you can get a hold o' them?"
Donald nodded, knowing this really wasn't a question. It was an order, the Reverend was just being polite. Thinking, there goes the card game, Donald assured him he could. He would find them at Hukilau, they'd be waiting on him.
"Then, I say do it. No time like the present," Clive said, giving Donald a nod and a quick cheerless smile and turning back to some work on his desk.
Donald and Louie had a couple of well drinks at Hukilau while they waited for Doug to come off patrol. They expected him a little after four, as usual. Still, you never could tell. At the last minute things could heat up. By 4:15, he still had failed to appear and Donald was starting to get worried. What if he didn't show? Already the place was pretty crowded, the noise and cigar smoke was thick. It was getting late.
Sensing that Donald was getting antsy, Louie tried to interest him in some of the appetizers, which were still plentiful right now even though the bar was beginning to fill up. The excellent poo-poos were why Hukilau was the numero uno Happy Hour in town.
Donald said he wasn't hungry. In fact, his stomach was starting to act up in anticipation of the job ahead of them. Louie went over to the buffet and helped himself to some jumbo shrimp and conch fritters, leaving Donald to keep an eye on the entrance.
4:25 exactly on Donald's watch, Doug came through the door. Still in uniform, he took off his wrap arounds and let his eyes adjust as he stood looking around the room. Donald poked Louie and belted down the dregs of his cocktail as he slid off his stool and headed for the door. Louie was right behind him. They caught up with Doug before he was halfway through the crowd, then went into a quick huddle to explain the change of plans.
Hearing the news, Doug broke out in a broad grin and cracked his knuckles loudly— a habit of his that Donald deplored. They went out to the parking lot and got into the cruiser. A seventeen-year veteran of the Sheriff's Department, Doug had the use of the patrol car when he was off duty.
With Doug at the wheel, they made it out to Little Torch in a little over 20 minutes. There was some traffic, but Doug didn't let that slow them down. He raced along, tailgating and weaving in and out of the oncoming lane, as a last resort blurting his siren on and off impatiently when a particularly ignorant driver failed to listen up and make way.
Doug turned into Billy Ray's private road— they were amused to see the boy had posted a new hand written sign to that effect: Private Road Keep Out!— stopped the cruiser at the gate and got out, ready to do battle with the lock.
It turned out that wasn't necessary. The chain link gate was jerry-rigged with a bicycle lock and chain wrapped around it, but the lock itself wasn't even shut; when you got up close enough, you could see it was just hanging there. That was always the way with these hippies, they were careless.
Doug got back in the car and they barreled down the road, leaving a thick cloud of dust in their wake.
To be continued next week.
Ellen Sugarman's writing has appeared in publications such as Newsday, Time, Vogue, Ms., Penthouse, New York Times Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Chicago Sun Times, and the Miami Herald's Tropic Magazine.
As a freelance television producer, she has worked with ABC, Fox News, A&E and the BBC.
Several years ago, she produced a segment on environmental terrorism in the Florida Keys for ABC's 20/20. Although scheduled to run several times, the show was ultimately killed, reportedly because of pressure from the Nature Conservancy.
The program did air in the Keys, however, after activist Peter Anderson was able to obtain a videotape of the show and paid for time to run it on local cable television.
Among a number of shocking revelations, the program documents that former State Attorney Kirk Zuelch, while a member of the local Nature Conservancy board, offered to drop charges against property owners accused of environmental crimes if they would sell or give their land to the Nature Conservancy. Zuelch quickly resigned from the Nature Conservancy board after he was interviewed by 20/20.
Anderson encouraged viewers to tape the show when it ran on local TV. If you want to see this show, KWTN has a couple of loaner copies. Info: 292-2108.