Eyes of Fury

AuthorHouse™

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: 1-800-839-8640

This book is a work of fiction. People, places, events, and situations are the

product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons,

living or dead, or historical events, is purely coincidental.

© 2009 Mike Haszto. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or

transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 10/19/2009

ISBN: 978-1-4490-3957-8 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4490-3956-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4490-3955-4 (hc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2009910883

Contents

Foreword

Forward To The Forward…A Few Words From Duane…

-Editor’s Note:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Cast Of Characters

Dedication

Acknowledgements

About The Author

Previous Titles

FOREWORD

Duane Becka is one heck of a guy that I’ve known for…gosh…how long has it been? It could be fifteen years or so, my how time flies.

He’s the patriarch of one of the finest families I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know, with a lovely wife (Chris) and three cool sons (Kurt, Chad, Neil). They live in a beautiful house in a beautiful town, and as much as I may seem to be repetitive, they all have beautiful lives. I can say that because from where I sit, they are all beautiful people.

Our association started with youth hockey and my third son, Mark, and their oldest son Kurt. It was in youth hockey that we struck up a parent/coach relationship, and for the next half dozen or so years, I had the pleasure of coaching Kurt and cultivating family relationships between our clans.

Youth hockey, especially the travel teams, are a test of time that sometimes went more than nine months a year, depending on the actual fall/winter season and the other teams we were associated with in spring. With being together on the ice anywhere from two to six times a week because of games and tournaments on the road and such, we really got to know each other well.

And as fate would have it, our sons ended up in two different high schools and would become adversaries. Now, understand that these two were line mates, and they complimented their games so well together. They were part of a dream line that was so unstoppable as kids, along with another friend from another wonderful family that played center for them, Richie Baker. Kurt and Mark were the wings on that line,

and often it was like watching mirrored images glide up and down the ice, each passing and scoring at will, along with Richie.

As high school players, both were outstanding, and garnered team and conference awards as they progressed through school. And as the once five and six year olds progressed through high school, and eventually some years into college hockey, so did our families’ relationships.

Currently, we both have sons that are once again rivals with different high schools playing high school hockey. And as always, it’s a pleasure to hang out with them whenever we both can, that is whenever our busy paths cross.

It was at one of those crossroads that we found ourselves together in Sylvania, Ohio in January 2009, when Duane found me at the rink in their elevated restaurant/bar that overlook the ice rink where I had just finished coaching my son Mitch’s high school team. On this team, my responsibilities are the goalies and statistics, and we had just won a big game over another Catholic high school from Cincinnati. Duane’s son Chad had just finished on the other rink.

He was his big, jovial self, as always. Forever smiling, he offered to buy me a beer and tell me about an idea for a book that he wanted me to write. He has always had a bevy of great ideas, and usually those ideas were accompanied by a series of hearty laughs…because that’s how Duane is, he is always a person that could light up a room…or a life, in any circumstance.

His passion is always relentless. This day, his eyes were lit up like a child’s as he brought me over to the bar and we enjoyed a couple of beers. It was storytelling time, and I was all ears.

I remember his first description of his story was This is Lifetime Movie of the Week stuff or something like that. Or maybe it was my description of how he was about to tell me…hmmm. Which was it, Duane? Ahhh, it doesn’t matter.

Anyway, he kept me glued to that chair for quite a while, and we discussed the idea…of course I had numerous questions about this story that came to him in a dream. He made this dream sound so cool, and his passion was intense. I admit I was swept up in it.

I played devil’s advocate with him for awhile. After all, if I was to expand this momentary dream into a book, I had a lot of work to do!

And after hearing his dream, and the beginning infancy of a story that we were developing from those two stools, I wondered aloud to him if there was enough to make a book, and jokingly, a movie.

And the quote I remember best during our conversation was You’re the writer…you write it! And the more questions I asked, the more he said that quote.

We were so into this story that we sat at the bar and actually negotiated all kinds of things…I’m sure for anyone watching or listening to us we were entertaining to say the least. We even drew up an informal contract on a bar napkin that specified splitting all costs and monies received for our little venture. We both signed it like we were making a blood brothers oath.

We discussed my scheduling issues, as I was still in the throes of another novel, Life on Side B, but we promised to get together once I was done with that book. He was fine with that.

For the rest of the winter (in Ohio it’s winter nine months out of the year to someone like me who believes that life should be spent with a beach, palm trees and eighty-five and sunny every day), he and I tagged teamed each other reminding ourselves about this book idea.

Finally in early May, we sat together over some chicken wings and a beer in Sheffield, and renewed our pact. For the two hours we met, I took several pages of notes from the original idea that we discussed in Sylvania in January, and the brainstorming I did with Duane about possible story lines. We left there smiling and in wonderful hopes of what was to come.

It’s now September 30th, and what follows is a culmination of Duane’s dream, and the dream I had to put together such a story. It was a pleasure to write this book, and I must admit, that I was so swept up in the passion of this story, that Duane and I were in daily communication with details and thoughts throughout the period of telling this tale.

I hated this story to end, but like all things, it needed to. However, on the bright side, what follows is timeless…much like our family’s friendship with each other.

Here’s to you Duane, and your dream come to life.

Here’s to our families, and may all our dreams come true…

-Mike

FORWARD TO THE

FORWARD…A FEW WORDS

FROM DUANE…

I would just like to thank Coach Mike for the nice words he had to say about my family and me, I can’t say enough about his family either.

I still remember the first time Kurt was assigned to Coach Mike’s team. We were tagged A1 verses AA which was the top team. We were set up by a hockey director in Cleveland CHSL league with orange and black colors. He told Coach Mike I’ll give you all the scrubs, see what you can do with them. We felt like the Bad News Bears.

I still remember Coach Mike saying at our first team meeting, we will be SO good we will beat them (something like that). Our practices were tough and our season took off. Everywhere we went we kicked ass but, even when we lost a game Coach Mike had the whole team smiling. That’s why I think we get along so well. Laughter is the key!!!!.

As the season turned out we wound up playing the hot shot AA team that dissed us and we beat the hockey director’s team and beat them good. The hockey director made a new rule: No Playing Teams Within The Club!

PUSSY.

Needless to say Coach Mike didn’t coach there anymore. Ha-ha.

That same year I remember playing a AAA team from New York at the now closed Parma Hts OH Rink. It was a battle! Our team being ranked A1 and them AAA everyone thought it would be a blow out (even us). The game ended 3-2 NY. After the game their coach came up to Mike and said our team was the best passing teams they have played all year long even in the AAA division.

We made it to the city championship game and lost by one goal. Now this was our first year being coached by Mike, how the HELL could you leave for a different coach!!!!!!!!!

PS

I heard he’s an author or something now?

D

-EDITOR’S NOTE:

The team that Duane describes went 31-13-3 that season (1995-96) and of the 16 players on that roster at ages 7-8, 14 went on to play high school varsity hockey.

There were only two four letter words on that team that year…and it wasn’t ‘goal’ or ‘shot’. Those words were ‘team and ‘pass.

That season and team has been described as ‘magical’, the team is still referred as a Dream Team in its purest definition, a very rare blend of parents and players who intertwined together as a true definition of team…the most unselfish players…the most coachable players…a coach could ever have.

CHAPTER 1

Chris, where are my glasses? Eric Chatham screamed from his office. He reached decibels that could have easily been heard at Denny’s Diner down the street. Chris? Chris? Oh DAMN!

Eric moved around his three desks in his office all scattered with plans from different construction projects his firm was working on. He was so frustrated that he couldn’t find his glasses that he wiped off plans to two of those projects violently onto the hard wood floor.

Chris entered the office rolling her eyes.

Eric, calm down. Where’d you leave them last? she said, halfway sarcastically.

Don’t go there, Chris, I’ll fire your ass again… he joked back dryly.

She continued to help him look for his glasses and within fifteen seconds she found them… right on the right side of his computer keyboard. He’s not only getting blinder by the day, she thought, but more forgetful as well.

Here they are she smiled. Eric…

Don’t say anything, Chris, please he briskly interrupted I know. I know.

Know what? she laughed. That you’re blind? That you’re forgetful? That you’re just drowning in projects and you can’t help yourself?

She laughed again, then walked over to where he was standing and handed him his glasses. She brushed up against him, her right shoulder touching his left chest. Neither moved as the moment became

frozen. Each looked into each others eyes and felt an electric wave near crescendo.

And just as quickly as the moment froze, it thawed. Each blinked and turned away from each other. Eric sat at the desk with the computer, while Chris walked slowly from his office. Both knew what they had felt, yet neither confronted it.

It had been that way for the past three years, since day one of Eric hiring her as his Administrative Assistant. She walked into his construction company office one hot sunny day wearing clothes that suited the weather, and caught his eye. She wore a pastel blue sundress that fell to her knees with matching belt made of rope that was made of light comfortable material. It was almost see through, yet still looked very professional. It was low cut enough around her gifted chest to give a hint of sexuality, yet didn’t really show off anything of those assets. The belt was held loosely around her tiny waist, and the hint of a panty line was evident. She had bright blue eyes that didn’t need any makeup whatsoever, though she wore a fine line of light blue eye shadow to accentuate her eyes just right. Her hair was simple in style, straight and somewhat long, reaching her bra strap across her back. The blondeness of her hair went very well with her eyes and the pastel blueness of her dress. She was definitely dressed for success, and Eric noticed.

Looking to apply for the open position, Eric bypassed the written application immediately to interview her. Her answers were just what he wanted to hear, and the job was hers in less than forty minutes.

Qualifications? Who knew what her qualifications were. She was just what Eric was looking for…and that was someone who could help him with his construction company. The job was open for the past three months when his former secretary and receptionist, Adelle Reed, left the area to move where her husband started a new career in real estate. Eric was hurting so bad being up to his elbows in construction work, that Chris had been the first applicant to actually stop by and apply. Forget that she looked like a Hooter’s Girl with a beauty queen face. She had a personality so aggressive and dominant, one that set Eric back on his ass immediately, and he thought that would be perfect in dealing with the construction mentality of his industry. And…well…the looks were calendar girl perfect too for his industry.

His industry of construction had seen such a decline in the past ten years that it was a wonder that Eric was still in business. After all, it’s not like his little town of Great Bend, Kansas, was any huge construction mecca. Situated about forty miles south of the interstate in the middle of nowhere, Great Bend was really just a town noted for hosting Fort Zarah. Now a tourist attraction, the fort was used back in the 1860’s as a place to live while dealing with the many Indian attacks of that decade. It also had its share of colorful characters of legend go through there, amongst them George Armstrong Custer, Kit Carson, Buffalo Bill Cody, Sitting Bull and Wild Bill Hickok.

Eric’s enduring business though was a testament of his workmanship, as his business flourished while the only other two construction businesses closed their doors over the past five years. He knew that and realized that, and that made him work that much harder to continue his successes. He had been called upon for projects not just in the surrounding communities, but also did construction work as far off as Salina and Dodge City. Considering he had been in business for over twenty years, and he was the last one in the area left standing, he was somewhat content and satisfied with the life he had chosen for himself.

He wandered back to reality holding his glasses and admiring the scent of perfume that still permeated the air surrounding him. He felt arrested for the moment, like he has so many times before with Chris, but knew he could do nothing about it. Eric was a married father of two and a devout Catholic. Well, he was married for twenty years to the same woman, Peggy, and his devoutness was being challenged more and more each day, especially over the last three years.

The funny thing was that Chris knew that as well, and she thoroughly enjoyed playing that part of him up, challenging him whenever she got the chance. It was Chris’s goal to tease him at least five times per day in a vast array of teases, physical, mental, jokes, you name it. Nothing ever crossed the line…yet. Nothing ever crossed the line…so it seemed.

Eric took another deep breath in silently, and grinned. He walked over to the only desk with project plans still on it and concentrated on the third page. His focus was intense, and needed to be, on this medical center project being built in Salina. It was already three weeks into it,

and unfortunately it had hit a snag that was going to delay the project for a couple of weeks at least.

Damn architects…they think they know everything… he muttered under his breath.

He wrote down to call Hank Koenig, head architect for this project out of Salina.

He does this thing all the time he continued with a bit of sternness in his gravely voice when is he gonna learn he can’t do this?

Eric got up from his desk hurriedly and attempted to get to his desk with his phone and computer. On his way he became entangled on several pages of blueprints from a project he’s leading in Hays, that fell on the floor while he was anxiously looking for his glasses.

He semi tripped and did an awkward Texas two step dance for about twelve feet, catching his balance before he ran his hip into another protruding office desk he used for project plans.

Shit, that would have hurt he laughed to himself.

He hit the intercom button on his phone and directed Chris sharply Can you get Hank on the phone for me…thanks.

She affirmatively responded from her desk outside his office.

Eric sat and stared into his computer screen, then surveyed the mess in his office he created while stressing over his missing glasses. Thirty seconds later his phone rang.

Hank, how’s it going? opened Eric.

I’m great, Eric, and you?

Life is good. Hey, I came across an issue with the medical building project on site in Salina. I need you to take a look at those plans as soon as you can.

What’s the issue? Hank responded.

Same old thing we always talk about, Hank laughed Eric.

"You serious? I did that again?"

Neither of them had to describe the issue. Both knew exactly what was being discussed. Hank was a very successful architect in Salina, doing it for over twenty years. He and Eric went back even longer, developing their friendship back in grade school. Both knew each other like the back of their hand. Interestingly enough, that was sometimes a good thing, and unfortunately it was sometimes a bad thing as well. They were at times a little too close in relationship for their own good.

You sure did. said Eric I should have your cushy job man. Page three on the plans. Look at it and revise it for me ASAP. I can’t afford to be delayed here with the projects I have going in Hays and Dodge City as well. You know how we teeter on the cliff here with manpower and supplies. Chris keeps everyone on a tight schedule and we stick to the time we bid on. Help me out here Hank.

Alright, Eric, I’m on it Hank promised. Give me an hour.

I’ll give you five minutes…now hook me up chuckled Eric.

Gotcha, talk at ya in a few.

Eric hung up the phone and mumbled to himself… something about he won’t hear from Hank until this afternoon…and shook his head. He walked over to the plans he tripped on and scooped them up and put them on his desk marked with a huge black number two in it.

Eric’s sense of organization was not the best, though he did have a system. With three desks full of plans and a fourth desk in his office for his computer and phone and such, he made sense of what everything was. Astutely each desk was labeled with a twelve inch number in solid black that was one, two, or three. And next to the number was a sign made describing the job site name and location.

Eric had a priority system of which project was given which number by the value it was assigned. The highest value project was always on desk number one. The second highest value project was on desk number two and so on.

With everything that was going on in his construction company though, Eric needed another five or six desks to keep everything straight. With eight projects currently going on, he was definitely a man being torn to pieces between each project.

After picking up the plans for desk three that also were strewn across the floor in his glasses finding rage, he strolled back to his phone desk and hit the intercom button again.

Chris, get me Chad at the medical building site please he directed.

Will do Eric she responded.

He sat at the phone desk awaiting Chad on the line. Chad was one of his top foremen and his right hand man. He was always on the project of most value, and always brought the project in on-time and on-budget. His track record was impeccable.

Eric knew this, and Eric knew the urgency for dealing with this issue immediately. Chad didn’t believe in delays. He headed a crew of over fifty at that site, and he was going to make sure the project stayed on time and on budget. His crew was a strong crew…loyal and committed to Chad, and they were rewarded and paid very well for their efforts.

The phone rang and Eric picked it up on the first ring.

Chad, how’s it going?

Great Eric, did you get a hold of Hank? he quickly snapped. I’ve got fifty guys here waiting on his ass again.

Yeah, just spoke with him. He knows. It’s always the same with him. You know Hank.

Yeah, I know. But it’s so damn frustrating. We’re losing time and money here. The guys want to get this done. They’re chomping at the bit. How long are we down for?

Not sure. I expect to hear from him within the hour said Eric.

Which means this afternoon at the earliest Chad snapped back.

Probably replied Eric. Can’t you guys start on the east wing? You already have a nucleus there.

We can probably do a few things here and there, but we can’t start on it yet. We’ve got others still mapping out markers and such. All of the materials are here on the west wing, just makes sense to continue here before we start elsewhere.

I understand. I’ll call you when I find out anything. Maybe I’ll even have Hank stop down there. Shit, his offices are only a mile or so away…

What him come out on a site? laughed Chad That’ll be a first.

Yeah laughed Eric. Talk to you in a bit.

Later Chad signed off.

Eric reached for the intercom button again, signaling Chris to come into the office. Within thirty seconds, she entered through the open door.

What can I do for you Eric?

Eric hesitated upon answering as he wanted to let her perfume waft back his way. He didn’t know the type of perfume it was, all he knew was that enjoyed inhaling it. Chris was dressed in professional pantsuit of navy blue this day that highlighted her curves without looking trashy. It was definitely a part of her personality to dress that way, to display her sexuality without actually showing off. Her smile was nearly perfect, with her two front teeth just a tiny bit crooked. She used her smile to her advantage, as she did her sexuality. She knew how she came across to people, very persuasive and upfront, and she played that up at every moment. She was ultimately filled with self confidence without seeming cocky or arrogant, and she enjoyed the perceived power she possessed over most people.

Well? Eric?

She snapped her fingers in front of him as he glared off into space bathing in her scent.

Eric? What do you need?

Oh, I’m sorry Chris. Sit for a second. I just had a revelation.

You had a revelation? Hope you didn’t hurt yourself she laughed.

Yeah…and no…smart ass.

Okay Eric. What’s this revelation?

Eric looked deeply into her bright blue eyes. Ten seconds passed, and she started to become impatient.

Eric, I’ve got a busy day ahead here, and you know that. What’s going on?

Eric’s eyes went from her eyes down towards her chest, then to her petite hands, back to her chest and eventually up to her eyes again, without saying anything.

Taking a deep breath he motioned nah, we’ll chat later. You’re busy. But, we need to chat. He exhaled which came across as a huge sigh to Chris.

If you have something to share, Eric, please do. If not, I have things to do. If this can wait until lunch…

Not sure I’m taking lunch today, but maybe it’s better we talk later… he said.

Okay, late..r…is good.

Chris arose from the chair feeling Eric’s eyes all over her. The thirty one year old single woman felt the tingles go through her body as his eyes caressed her.