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    A Crop of Lies
    A Crop of Lies
    A Crop of Lies
    Ebook131 pages1 hour

    A Crop of Lies

    By Jeba Smith

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    About this ebook

    Unforseen circumstances force former Navy SEAL, Henry Dolan, who is thought by all to be wasting away as a simple farmer in Pecos County West Texas to progressively reveal his higher purpose. In doing so, he leads the reader through a suspenseful often perilous journey of discovery.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJeba Smith
    Release dateJul 4, 2012
    ISBN9781476406480
    A Crop of Lies
    Author

    Jeba Smith

    Former Mathmetician and Charatered Accountant, now retired from decades of heading up local government, corporate and non-profit entities, I commenced literary pursuits in 2009 out of a life-long desire to do so. Having served the community through leadership positions such as Treasurer of the local Boys and Girls Club for 13 years, the time had come for me to get creative. Something I've never regretted.

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      Book preview

      A Crop of Lies - Jeba Smith

      A Crop of Lies

      by Jeba Smith

      SMASHWORDS EDITION

      Published by jebasmithbooks at Smashwords.com

       Copyright 2012 by the author, Jeba Smith,

      who retains sole copyright to this book.

      Cover designed by BAS Imagery, Sorrento, BC, Canada

      DEDICATED

      to my wonderful wife

      Chapter 1

      Sheriff Powell speaking. the chief law enforcement officer of Pecos County West Texas grunted into his telephone after being abruptly awoken by its ring.

      Josh, Doc Harding here.  I think you’d better get down here to the Health Center right now.  You’re going to want to see this.

      See what?  What are you talking about?  Powell asked, shocked to hear his long-time friend exhibit such excitement.

      It’s Henry Dolan, looks like he’s been in an explosion or something.  He’s totally blind and ranting like a madman about some kind of orb, or ball, saying it’s extremely dangerous and warning people to stay out of its path.

      And just where and when the hell did all this happen? the Sheriff blurted back, miffed that he had been snatched from his sleep given that he hadn’t heard anything about any of this from dispatch as yet.  

      I would guess that it must have occurred sometime within the last half hour given that his clothes are still emitting a lot of smoke, but I have no idea where, he hasn’t said.  He just keeps screaming out his warnings.

      Then ask him for Christ’s sake.  Powell barked back.  Jesus John, don’t be so useless.

      I did ask him, you moron, but he’s not lucid enough to tell me or even understand what I’m saying. Harding yelled back, starting to get a little annoyed at his friend’s demeaning tone.

      So who else was at this explosion? What are they saying about it?

      "Nobody else was there as far as I know.  At least he’s the only one who’s come to the Health Center.

      Well, somebody must have seen it, its pitch black outside, anyone anywhere near the area had to have seen the initial flare-up.

      Well we haven’t run across anybody who did. Harding responded after quickly confirming such through eye contact with his colleagues in the admitting room.

      Then who brought him there?  Or are you going to tell me that a blind man just drove himself to the clinic.

      I don’t know how he got here. We found him crawling on his hands and knees at our doorstep shouting out his warnings.  My guess is that somebody just dumped him here and then took off in fear they might have to pay for his treatment.

      What about his wife, what’s Becky saying about all this? the Sheriff then asked, speculating that it must have been her who had brought Henry to the clinic, although she probably wouldn’t have admitted so, seeing as she rarely possessed  a valid driver’s license.

      Becky’s not here and for some reason we couldn’t reach her at home either. As you know, her phone is one of those old beaters that won’t take messages so we called James’ thinking that she might be visiting with him in Lubbock.

      And just who the hell is James?

      Her son, you idiot. the doctor replied, stunned that the Sheriff, Henry Dolan’s closest friend, would ask such a stupid question.

      Oh, you mean Jimmy-Joe. Powell responded, having known and addressed Henry’s only child that way his entire life. Nobody around here ever calls him James, you fool, not even Henry.

      Well Becky always does and that’s what he usually call’s himself, although as you say he’s mostly had to answer to that childish nickname ‘Jimmy-Joe’ because of his father and all the newspapers in the area constantly referring to him as such. Doc Harding advised.  The boy hates that name.  I thought you knew that?

      That’s all news to me. Powell responded.

      Well, at least now that he’s taken on that professorship in Lubbock and is no longer a running sports headliner he doesn’t have to put up with all that crap anymore. the doctor answered, a little surprised that the Sheriff hadn’t realized as much given all the public praise Henry’s son had recently been receiving from the Texas Agricultural Society for his breakthrough research rendering greatly enhanced crop yields.

      So then you’ve got absolutely nothing for me to go on, just a ridiculous story about an explosion happening in the darkest part of the night that miraculously nobody saw, and you want me to rush over there? the Sheriff scoffed, thinking the whole affair nothing more than the rants of a dazed lunatic.

      Yes I do think you should get over here, Josh. And you forget, I do have something, I’ve got Henry Dolan here and I think you should talk to him.  It’s your job, just get over here and do it for God’s sake. the doc snapped back.

      Forget it John, I just got home from a two-day trek after some border jumpers, I’m too damn tired to come down there right now.  And you and I both know that Henry probably just drank himself silly and then got beaten up by some kids again. Powell responded knowing how prone Henry Dolan was to that sort of thing, although it always puzzled him how someone like Dolan, a former Navy SEAL and probably one of the toughest and most lethal people in all of Texas, would often allow himself to be taken down by people Josh was certain Henry could easily overpower if he put his mind to it.  In fact, Henry Dolan was the only person in the entire County that Josh Powell secretly feared ever having to face alone.

      No, no, that’s not it, he wasn’t drunk this time.  He’s had a few alright, but that’s not what’s making him crazy.  There’s got to be something more going on here, you’d better check this out Josh. the doc replied just before motioning for the nurse to get him another cool wet towel to place over his patient’s forehead.

      So how badly was he burned?  Will he even be able to talk to me if I do show up? the Sheriff then asked, thinking that he might just as well go over to see if there actually was anything dangerous out there that he might have to deal with, and to prevent his good friend from going around secretly telling everybody that their elected Sheriff was too lazy to bother doing his job.

      That’s the thing Josh, although he was obviously exposed to something powerful enough to render him totally blind and knock him head over heals onto his backside, he wasn’t burned at all.  It’s strange as hell.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  His hair and eyebrows are now partially blonde and the front portions of all his clothes look like somebody purposely spilled copious amounts of bleach on them, but they’re not scorched anywhere. the Doctor advised.

      Then why is he blind?

      I have no idea.  Despite the fact that his eyes are currently propped wide open and bugged out like those on a frog and the left one now about three or four shades of blue less than the one on the right making him look like a cross between a toad and a border collie, there doesn’t appear to be anything seriously wrong with them. the doctor reluctantly replied. This is really baffling.  I mean, if this blindness spell is just temporary and he can somehow stop his ranting, he may yet be as good as new, or at least as good as he was before all this happened, not that anybody would consider that much of an improvement mind you.

      So then what’s the hurry?  Why should I rush over there to talk to an incoherent burn victim when I can just wait for him to calm down a little and become somewhat more rational and therefore far more able to tell me exactly what the hell is going on, if there actually is anything to this which I seriously doubt. the Sheriff replied, utterly convinced that whatever had happened was far more likely to be connected to Henry’s heavy drinking than to any ball or some such thing.  I’ll drop by in the morning.

      No, that’ll be too late.  I’m strapping him down right now and then calling for the medical ambulance to transport him to Pecos County Memorial in Fort Stockton.  They should be here in about a half hour or so.  If you want to see him and talk to him, you’d better do it now. the doc advised.

      A moment later Henry Dolan suddenly ceased his writhing, went deathly silent, and then rolled his eyes over instantly falling into a deep trance.  Fearing that he might have died, Doc Harding quickly checked his patient’s vital signs which surprisingly remained remarkably strong.  He then tried unsuccessfully to wake him. Thinking that it was probably all for the best anyway, the doc advised the attendants to simply let him rest and then told the Sheriff who was still patiently holding on the line that he could now wait until the morning to come over as Henry Dolan wasn’t likely to be going anywhere any time soon.

      Chapter 2

      So, where the hell is he? Sheriff Powell snapped at the Health Center attendant after discovering early the next morning that Henry Dolan was no longer in the Center.

      Where is who? the nurse replied, not knowing who he was talking about having just come on shift for the day

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