Family Honor Quest for the Truth

By Eric McNeil

Special Agent Thomas Paine was considered to be a very fortunate man. He had everything a man could want; a perfect wife, three beautiful children, and a very meaningful career. He was head of a special FBI, task force created for the sole purpose of bringing down the brutal underworld mob boss Tony Carlotto. The FBI had been trying for years to build a strong enough case to put Tony away for the rest of his natural born life. Agent Paine's task force was really hitting Tony where it hurt, with raid after raid on a number of his illegal business ventures. Tony always viewed the FBI's raids as the cost of doing business, until one of those raids cost Tony something he valued more then anything else. He held Special Agent Thomas Paine totally responsible and vowed to make him feel that same type of agonizing pain. This would set in motion a chain of events that would lead Special Agent Thomas Paine on a personal journey. Will he lose himself in the tragedy or find himself in the pain? The answer will lead two men on a collision course for Family Honor.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Eric McNeil
• Release date: Aug 9, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476178370

Eric McNeil

My Vision: To take dreams and make them a reality, empowering others to open their minds to visions that become the concrete building blocks of their lives. Hometown Hattiesburg, MS the place that set the foundation for the person I have become. I have a great love and passion for writing; and have always dreamed of being remembered in the same fashion as some of the great writers that are scattered throughout our literary history. "Family Honor Quest for the Truth" was my first venture in that very direction. This novel is the 1st appearance for Special Agent Thomas Paine but, maybe not the last. Beside writing fiction I will also be releasing a few books of poetry. I will make a few sample poems available on this site periodically, much the same way I have included a few sample poems at the end of "Family Honor Quest for the Truth". My goal is not just to get my work out; I also look forward to helping other authors get their message out as well. I write to inspire others to make their dreams a reality. Far too often we get so caught up in our dreams, that we end up sleepwalking our way through life. I want to be essential in the movement to empower people into actionable dreams that permeate their reality. Thank you for visiting my page.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Early on Saturday morning the family of Special Agent Thomas Paine was just waking up for breakfast. His wife was still dressed in the slinky silk miniskirt-like robe she draped herself in after wishing her husband a hot, passionate farewell as he was about to leave for work.

Baby, I’ll see you and the kids later. I won’t be in the office long today. It’s going to be too pretty of a day to waste chasing the ills of society.

They both half laughed in a manner that seemed to make light of Agent Paine’s highly stressful job dealing with the criminal element. He took a step toward his wife, reaching out for one last loving embrace.

You know I would much rather be here with you and the kids.

They shared another, even longer passionate kiss.

Baby, do you really have to go in? I would much rather have you here. Why do you have to go in today anyway? I can give you a hundred and one reasons to stay home today. All of which I know you would love.

Agent Paine stopped dead in his tracks. He actually started blushing. This was further enhanced by the fact that his wife was once again showing him what was under her robe.

Come on baby, you know it’s impossible for me to leave with you trying to seduce me all over again.

Oh…okay, since I can’t seem to change your mind.

As Agent Paine opened the front door with his wife, Janice by his side, they were greeted by what seemed to be the beginning of a beautiful Saturday morning. Even at such an early hour, the neighborhood was still very much alive. His next-door neighbors, the Jackson’s, were out for their morning jog and the paperboy had just finished his route. It was the very first day of spring and the air had that special springtime freshness, the one that seemed to resemble the smell of rain, but the morning was too beautiful for those thoughts. The sun was just beginning to rise; everything seemed to be telling Agent Paine to stay home, but it was to no avail. So, finally he kissed his wife and left for work. She watched him walk to his car and then went on about her morning routine.

Chapter 2

Momma, I’m hungry.

Me too.

Drew and Rachel, the two youngest Paine children were expressing their desire for breakfast. Rachel, their youngest child was the temperamental one of the bunch, but even with her moods swings she was still daddy’s little girl. She could do no wrong in her daddy’s eyes.

Drew, the middle child, was very timid and often withdrawn from anyone other than close family members. His personality was one of obvious shyness, but this morning his shyness was surpassed by his hunger.

Okay. What do my two angels want to eat this morning?

Her youngest answered with an emphatic, Fruit Loops.

Me too, echoed Drew.

Fruit Loops, coming right up. Please go wake your brother.

They turned and raced down the hall trying to be the first to get to his room.

Stop running! Stop running before someone falls, yelled their mother.

They both arrived at the door to their brother’s room at the same time. They began to argue over who got there first. The commotion was so loud that they did not have to wake Thomas Jr., because the noise woke him up immediately.

Momma, tell Drew and Rachel to stop making all that noise, insisted Jr.

Boy, it’s time for you to get your butt up anyway.

But Momma, I want to sleep some more.

Boy, get up now.

Jr. slowly worked his way out of bed. He sluggishly headed down the hall toward the living room. His siblings had already made their way back to the living room and were watching a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Since Jr. was the oldest, he quickly enforced his authority by taking over the television. He spent the majority of his time watching action adventure shows. He usually put himself in the role of the hero. He knew what his dad did for a living and dreamed of being just like him.

Momma, tell Thomas to leave the T.V. alone.

Right before his mother could answer, there a knock at the door.

Who is it? Janice asked.

The telephone repair men. We have a report of a problem with the lines in this area. Have you noticed any such problem?

Just a minute, please.

Being the wife of an FBI agent had given her a distrusting nature. She walked over to the nearest phone, checked the line, and realized it was indeed out of service. She went back to the door and took one last look out the peephole and hesitated for a brief moment. Then she opened the door.

On the other side of the door were two men dressed in matching uniforms. Janice noticed that they were two very good-looking men. That small, suspicious voice in the back of her head began to nag at her. She wondered how these two men ever became blue-collar workers, yet looked as though they had never done even one day of hard work. They both stood about 6"2’ and were clean cut, well groomed, and both had athletic builds. It was more than obvious that these men spent hours working out in the gym and primping in the mirror. Their look was more befitting a couple of Wall Street brokers or even runway fashion models. Maybe it was just her female intuition getting the best of her, but for some reason she felt she could not trust the two men. However, against her better judgment, she let the two men enter her home.

Hi, Ma’am. We’re sorry for the inconvenience this morning, but this outage is affecting most of the neighborhood and we want to take care of it immediately.

Oh, it’s no problem.

We need to check the phone jacks inside your home. This will only take a minute.

Okay. We just need you to point out the location of the jacks. Then we will be out of your way before you know it. Well, we have five in the house. There is one in the kitchen, then another in den, living room, my husband’s office, and in the master bedroom. Ma’am, we only need to check the main outlet. Perhaps it is the one in the den. Right this way, and excuse the mess.

She showed the two men the way to the den and they proceeded to make the necessary repairs to the line.

Why are there two of you? She curiously asked.

Well, ma’am, I’m in training today.

Oh, so this is your first day on the job.

Yes ma’am.

You like it so far?

It’s pretty cool, replied the trainee.

Two voices in harmony rang out throughout the house.

Momma, we’re still hungry. Caught up in the interruption of the repairmen, Mrs. Paine momentarily forgot about her two hungry kids. By the time she remembered, her oldest son, Thomas Jr. was also complaining about being hungry.

Momma is coming, sweethearts.

She did not feel good about leaving the two men alone in the den, but feeling the pressures of motherhood, the kids won out. She hurried into the kitchen to feed the children, but reminded herself to periodically check on the two men.

Chapter 3

Special Agent Paine was caught in a traffic jam, which was unusual considering it was so early on a Saturday morning. He was in no particular hurry, so it was no big deal. The radio was on 107.5 the Oasis a hot radio station for the thirty and older age group. They played a mix of Jazz and Contemporary R&B. The R&B gave Agent Paine a feeling of being in touch with the younger crowd. Even though he was stuck in the bumper-to-bumper traffic he somehow managed to find peace of mind, which was a rarity in his profession.

Agent Paine derived a sense of peace and happiness from the people he truly loved—his family. Paine’s current case was keeping him away from his family more than he wanted. He loved his wife and kids more than life itself and he was completely devoted to them When he was not working, he made sure that his family had all the love they needed, but sometimes, he felt, that was not enough. He always had a feeling that they needed more, but the reality was, even with the tremendous stress of his job, he found a way to put his kids first. He seemed to have the answer to their questions before they could even ask them. He seldom missed any of their extracurricular activities. He went out of his way to make sure his children had the things they needed and wanted. His wife always went out of her way to reassure him of her faith in his ability as a husband and father. She was the other bright spot in his life.

Thomas first noticed Janice as a freshman at O.D. Wyatt High School. When Thomas saw her, it was love at first sight. She was a beautiful young lady and time revealed that beauty was not limited to her outer appearance. She had a heart of gold as well. Janice was very active in school activities; running for and winning class president during their senior year. Janice was also head cheerleader, which was perfect since Thomas was captain of the varsity football team. While Thomas was typically very outgoing and sociable, he found himself at a loss for words around Janice. Even during Biology class when their eyes would meet, he would quickly look away. His teammates would often tease him about his inability to approach Janice and strike up a conversation, but even their relentless taunting did not faze him.

One day he decided to ask his parents for advice, particularly since he knew they met during their high school years. His parents smiled and told him that when the time was right, his would muster up the courage and the words would come to him. Thomas left the conversation with his parents even more exasperated than before, but he knew their advice had always helped him in the past. A couple of days later, he ran into Janice in the library. He knew she was probably working on the Biology project, and felt that it was now or never. Before he could say anything, she smiled and invited him to sit down. They spent the rest of fourth period whispering and laughing. Thomas knew that this conversation would change his life forever. They dated the rest of their senior year and even went on to attend the University of Texas in Arlington together. During their college years they found that their souls were intertwined, and that it was meant for them to spend the rest of their lives together.

Bupp-bupp.

Agent Paine’s moment of daydreaming was interrupted by the car horn of a very impatient driver.

Damn, hold your horses, as he reacted to the blaring of the horn.

Bupp-bupp.

I’m going! I’m going!

He slowly started to drive forward while, simultaneously picking up his cell phone and calling into the office.

"Jill, I’m stuck in traffic.