Stained River Read Free Page B

last coordinates given.  His life would end in the middle of nowhere. But w ho would care? Not his estranged wife, not his so called friends, and certainly not his clients who would soon learn their investments with Hawthorne Capital no longer existed.
    He bent forward and grabbed his knees. Was it too late to ask forgiveness for his selfish mistakes? Others may have been thinking similar thoughts. Few sounds came from the packed cabin as initial panic turned into acceptance of imminent death. The plane plunged downward, no whine from the turbines, no hopeful thump of wheels preparing to touch an imagined runway.  The attendant uttered last minute instructions to the terrified passengers, no sign of despondence in her voice. The steep pitch prevented her from walking the aisle for a final inspection, but certain everything possible had been done, she strapped into her jump seat, placed her hands on her lap and closed her eyes.
    The sea of green came closer. Five hundred feet, two hundred, one hundred, then violent impact as the plane hit the tallest trees, cutting a wide swath in an explosion of metal against wood. Century old mahoganies snapped like twigs. Flames and debris shot skyward.  Connery’s head slammed into the seat in front, his body whipped violently as the plane tore apart. A glimpse of blue sky, then the person beside him disappeared, seat and all.

 
     
     
    CHAPTER FOUR
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    He came from a small town in Indiana where grain silos defined the horizon and holiday parades followed the same script year after year; fire truck, ambulance, boy scouts, cub scouts, then brownies. The few majorettes in short skirts twirled flashing batons. These he knew well, some intimately. They competed for his attention and considered him top jock, first choice. Just behind them, town officials waved mechanically from an aging yellow Cadillac convertible. Down Main Street, twice around the town green and it was over in a half hour.
    The title “class prankster” fit him perfectly, but he was also one of its smartest members and best athletes. His father owned the local hardware and feed store where he worked after school and on Saturdays. Someday it would be his . But by his junior year, he knew he wanted more.
    Two things intrigued him - girls and money.   Both became a problem during his senior year, but his girl liked nice things. Her expensive tastes went beyond the bounds of his earning power. As class treasurer, his responsibilities included the safekeeping of funds saved for their senior trip. The plan was for a weekend in Indianapolis, complete with hotel, show and football game. The fund reached $900 when he decided to try his hand at investing. What was the harm? The “loan” would be repaid with interest on guaranteed profit.
    He opened an account with a stockbroker in the next town, and with money borrowed from the fund, bought a hundred shares of a stock that was supposed to double in a month. Three months later, the stock tanked and the company ultimately filed for bankruptcy. He kept the whole thing secret until payments for the class trip could no longer be avoided. Connery’s father agreed to make restitution to avoid his son’s prosecution and keep his record clean. Word around town got out quickly but despite the embarrassment, it fueled his desire to learn more about finance and the intricacies of markets.
    He needed a college education, preferably Ivy League, to achieve his dreams. But there were obstacles he had to overcome.
    “You’re askin’ for somethin’ we can’t do, Terry. I know you got your mind set- don’t see a way around it; at least for a while.  Maybe that small college over in Dayton we looked at.”
    The pained expression on his father’s face said it all. Connery didn’t pursue it out of respect. Instead, he wrote his congressional representative requesting an appointment to the Air Force Academy. A long shot for sure, but he had grades well