The Essence of Time Chapter 10
The Essence Of Time
Chapter 10
He really hated this place. Mother had arrived a few weeks ago all aglow with her new husband and turned his world upside down again. He had finally begun to settle into the boarding school after months of putting up with the other privileged students, but now he found himself in another new situation that he was unprepared for. He moved into the massive house just over three week ago and already the number of rules were grating on him. Don’t go in this room, don’t go in that room, and don’t touch this or that. Then there were the time schedules and strict manners with which he was to present himself with during meals and social meetings. He had no outlet for pleasure; the television was only allowed to be on news or information channels, music outside of classical or opera was vetoed, and left him only with books to lose himself with. Mother had made sure the only clothing he had was designer and fitting of a child in the upper society. His jeans, shorts, and tee shirts were all thrown out.
The worst thing was that he had no one to talk to. The staff was polite, but none of them were interested in conversing with a twelve year old boy beyond what was expected from them in their position. He was to start in a new school next week, where Mother’s new husband was one of the largest contributors. Robert J. Bizworth III was a rich and influential man within the community. He was one of the richest men in the town, and spread his wealth throughout the community. This made him a popular member of society and highly sought out for his financial banking. Unfortunately the man had an alternate personality outside of the public eye. In the short time Ezra had been in the home he had experienced enough of the man’s cutting remarks and threatening stances. His mother seemed oblivious to the man’s short temper and often explained that he was just stressed because of his work.
Mother was enjoying the new lifestyle of endless money. She was always out squandering the money she had gained access to through her marriage. Ezra was certain she was skimming off the top of every purchase into her private account while her husband was ignorant of her actions. He didn’t think his step father would be too happy if he ever found out.
Ezra heard the front door open and close with his step-father’s entrance. He sighed and wondered what terrible transgression he will have done today. It seemed over the past week he could do nothing right in the eyes of the man, and his mother eager to keep her husband happy backed the man in anything he was reprimanded on.
~~~~~~~7~~~~~~~
It had been nearly five months since he last found himself in an intoxicated stage. The letters he continued to write his son slowly tapered off until he was writing only once a month. It was still painful when they would be returned undeliverable but he was finding it wasn’t that all encompassing pain. He had little hope he would ever see Ezra again and felt as if he had lost two sons in that dreadful accident.
Judge Orin Travis contacted him a few weeks ago about heading a new team for the Denver branch of the ATF. He had given his acceptance of the position with the provision that he would choose the members of his team.
Buck had been the first to fill one of the positions on the new team. His oldest friend was a good choice not only for his ability to work with him, but the man was the top in his field. Buck had eagerly accepted the new position as the team’s second in command and communications expert.
Josiah Sanchez was his next agent to join the team. The man had been a bit reluctant at first but said something about fate later that changed his mind. Josiah was an excellent profiler, granted he was considered old by most for a field agent, but Chris wanted the experience the man would bring with him.
He lucked into his next agent; Nathan Jackson had an extensive education in the services industry. The man had graduated with top honors with a triple degree in emergency medicine, law enforcement and forensic science. The man had come highly recommended but with a warning that he could be difficult to work with due to his bull-headedness.
He wondered though if he was making a mistake with the hiring of his last agent, JD Dunne. The young man barely met the twenty-one year old age requirement and had very little field experience, but he was considered the best computer expert out there. He had been consulting with the government since he was sixteen and his mother found out about his hacking into a government agency’s computer systems. She had hoped that letting him use the skills he had developed in boredom for good would keep him from getting in trouble with his life. JD was a smart kid, a member of MENSA and graduated high school at seventeen. The government covered the boy’s schooling through MIT with the stipulation that he would work for a government agency upon his graduation. Chris had really thought that computer crimes would have snagged the kid, but somehow he was finagled by the ATF.
Tomorrow would be the first day the men would all met and begin their work as a team. He hoped the men would mesh together well, he had a strong feeling Buck would latch onto JD like a dog with a bone. They man was missing his status of favorite uncle and the time nursing Chris was a poor substitute.
~~~~~~~7~~~~~~~
Ezra sighed in dismay over the grade on his report card, wondering how he could have been so stupid to have gotten a ‘B’ in his computer programming class for the semester. Robert had told him he had high expectations and would accept nothing but the best from his step-son. Maude he knew wouldn’t even bother reading the grade report. She always thought of his drive for good grades to be a waste of time, after all that extra studying time could have been put to better uses in honing his conning trade. He worried his bottom lip as their limo driver pulled up to the mansion’s entrance. Ezra hoped that Robert hadn’t heard about his grade yet, the man seemed to know every little thing that he did wrong. Knowing there was no way to put off the imminent confrontation he thanked the driver and quickly made his way inside. He paused in the doorway of the silent house and let the breath he had been holding out slowly in relief. The relief was hover short lived as he heard the ominous voice from the living room.
“Ezra, join me. I believe we need to discuss the grade report you received today.”
Ezra’s shoulders slumped in defeat before he made his way to the living room. Before entering he straightened his posture and fixed a polite expression on his face. It was at times like these that he appreciated his mother’s tutelage in hiding his emotions. “Yes sir, I was dismayed myself by the slight mark upon my dossier.”
“That may be my boy but you know I expect the best.”
“Yes sir.”
“Do you know I had the head master of the school call to tell me that my step-son was performing below par?”
Ezra cringed inwardly but his expression gave nothing away. “I’m sorry sir I will do better next time.”
“Next time? Yes, yes you will do better next time; however my boy what are we going to do about this time?”
Ezra looked down for a moment and was taken by surprise with the swift upper cut to the jaw that had him falling to the floor seconds later.
“Don’t you ever embarrass me like that again! Until you bring that grade back up to an ‘A’ you’ll have no privileges. You are to come home from school, do your homework and study until lights out. Do you understand me my boy?”
“Yes sir,” a stunned Ezra was able to get out. He watched as his step-father left the room and reached up to his sore jaw. He looked at the blood that tinged his fingers in mild fascination. Robert had never raised a hand at anyone before, sure he would yell and throw things, but this was the first time Ezra saw him become physical. He sighed with disappointment with himself for causing the man to lash out like that. If he had only gotten that ‘A’ Robert wouldn’t have had to become physical. He would have to come up with a reasonable explanation for the bruise that was sure to be there by tomorrow morning. He would do his best to keep from shaming his step-father again.