Death by the Jaguar

By James Ruby

Living had been a real pain for him throughout his young life. Being shuffled from one place to another, he and his nomadic mother traveled the country working whenever they landed in a town. Then, he met Nickie and the world got a whole lot better. Leaving his mother and their life of wandering, he pursued working hard and studying at night to improve himself so that he could ask Nickie to marry. When the military called, he promised her he would return and together they could take on all challengers. Throughout his service in Viet Nam, the one thing he counted on was his vision of life with Nickie and what they would do together. One night, along with his friend, Corp Ashley there was an extreme fire fight with the gooks hurling grenade’s like popcorn. When it was over, he awoke in a hospital with no use of his lower body and a negative desire to call it quits. Corp Ashley, tried to convince him to return, get married and live his dream. Unfortunately the advice was discarded, while he fell deeper into a depression. With his condition he wasn’t going to ask Nickie to be his future wife, knowing what would be involved and the sacrifices she would have to make. What he hadn't realized was the strength and tenacity of this beautiful person who would bring him back from despair to begin a new life.

When the son is born ,the circle is complete and they enjoy life to the fullest. The inseparable three, along with their ever-present Maltese Lulu, enjoyed leisure time aboard their trawler, in the California Delta. His world is to be forever changed when his treasured wife, and son are taken from him violently, in the river they so loved. The only other survivor, Lulu, is a constant reminder of what was lost, yet gives the man comfort until it is no longer safe for Lulu to remain in his company. His search for those accountable will take him on a dangerous course of death for all of them. As each one on his list falls to a gruesome death, with the last one bringing his vengeance to a close.

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Ruby
• Release date: Aug 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370503599

James Ruby

James Ruby; notable author of Tears of Remembrance, has chronicled his life story in a manner, in the pages of his book, through the lives of the characters within. Having had a life as tumultuous and uncertain as can be, his inspiration has flowed freely and resulted in the pages which ensue. A number of noteworthy events in his life, some of which shook him to the very core and some which forced him to be as he is today; combined together to form the inspiration for his penning down the book. As he grew up with his mother in a purely nomadic existence, flitting from state to state in search of work and enough financial income, he developed an understanding for independence and why it is important. This led to him attaining and continuing employed work from the age of 7. The pages of the book which tell how the lead character’s wife dies while giving birth, which leads to his subsequently rejecting all consoling and encouragement and refusing to acknowledge the child, As far as notable moments and events in his life go, he has had quite a few. Chief among them has to be the moment when he met his now-wife; a moment that transformed his life forever, and for the better. His wife is the one who would go on to teach him what true love is, and how hearts can be joined together through a sheer spirit of companionship. Jims vast experience has been sourced from a plethora of jobs and occupations, as well as interactions and positions he has been in, over the years. Being employed for 3 months on an Oklahoma farm, and for 5 years in the copper mines of Nevada, as well as for various stretches of times in several small towns around the state of Texas, taught him a considerable amount about human nature. California is the state that provided him with the sustenance to pursue life further. However, it was the meeting with his wife and the marital bliss that followed, which taught him the most. In addition to the aforementioned jobs, he possesses credentials in the art of photography, which was both sold and displayed in Carmel, CA. This is just one aspect of his artistic talent, which extends into writing as well. In addition to that, he is also a licensed real-estate expert, dry-cleaning technician (from when the profession required a license for one to be active in it), and has even had a position in a religious organization (Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus), along with several business-oriented organizations. In his early days, he wrote a number of literary articles for the companies he was working in. After having left the dry-cleaning technician’s profession, he went on to garner experience in property management and business. Then, when technology came to the fore and became a major presence in the property management field, he crafted a number of pamphlets describing the usage of a new tool which was prevalent in the industry at the time. This attracted the attention of the WMA, for whom he went on to work, writing articles, for a decade. His personal interests include cooking and culinary exploration with his wife, boating and chainsaw carving, the last having been a prominent and lucrative artistic endeavor of his. Now, he considers writing as his ability to entertain. Through his writing, he hopes that the reader will take away the message of overcoming any and all obstacles, and persevering even when the universe seems to be conspiring against them. He hopes that the reader will follow Dominique in his journey, and take the steadfastness of his character as an example of what lies beneath the various experiences that occur in a person’s lifetime; if only they are willing to endure and look to the brighter side of them. Betrayals engender resentment, and resentment spawns addictions, which threaten to do further damage to the soul as well as the body, if the person is not strong enough. And if one is strong enough, and surrounded by those willing to help, such as the character’s son and the priest, God and the power of love itself bolster the person’s spirit, thus enabling the individual to surpass any obstacles they may be faced with. James Ruby currently resides in Redding, CA, with his lovely wife Mary and their precious Snoodle. He wholeheartedly practices the lessons that he preaches in his books, and hopes that all those who absorb the words while turning the pages take away the message of love and inner-strength from it, to enrich their lives and the lives of those around them.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

The Delta is a place for all boaters, canoe or yacht, sail or power, it doesn’t matter, and all are welcome. When looking at the waters edge, one can see the fishers, old and new, waiting for that tug on the line that signaled success. It is where adventure and enjoyment abounds creating a peaceful atmosphere for all.

Standing on the edge of the water, my eyes wandering slowly across this peaceful scene, our little Maltese Lulu began to whimper, somehow knowing the dark emptiness that was about to occur. The sun slowly sank beneath the horizon beginning its erasing of every feature in this enchanted place. One can only watch helplessly as the sun cut’s off the day’s light, leaving the darkness as the new place of existence. One cannot stop this event, no matter how hard you desire it, or pray for it, or curse it, it will always win! Just as completely, my reasons for being had been taken from me in that darkness, leaving nothing but the broken shell of a man. Not moving or paying attention to the nervous pull of Lulu’s lead, the memory of that fateful night filled the blackness of the night with the horror of what had taken place.

The night began with a gentle slapping of water against the hull of our small wooden trawler gaving evidence of the mild yet natural struggle of forces ever present when the moving waters of the Delta pushed against our anchored vessel. In these waters, almost everyone used at least two anchors to keep from awaking in a strange place. We had chosen this area for the anchorage because of the open, yet not too traveled area which allowed for viewing the beauty of this summer night sky casting its glow on the rippling waters.

I began to settle into the pilots chair on the bridge when my wife Nickie called from below, inviting me to enjoy a glass of wine with her, on the aft deck. Looking forward to this evening ritual, while making my way down the ladder, the thought of how wonderfully God had placed all of us together on our 36 foot Grand Banks trawler, to enjoy life, magnified in my mind !

Sam came around the corner of the wheelhouse asking about tomorrow’s adventures. Can we go to the Meadows? he said with excitement in his voice. I had a different schedule in mind, but he was always pushing for that great anchorage. Looking at Nickie, I saw her giving that soft Yes smile. Sure I said, adding that we needed to get to bed early if we were to weigh anchor in the morning. You bet, Captain, Love you both!" and with that, Sam and Lulu headed below, to the forward bunk.

Nickie leaned against my shoulder talking about the time we had finding the right boat to fulfill our common passion for being on the water. The Star had been owned by a lovely couple, Bill and Sarah, who had decided their age would not allow them to continue with the rigors of life on the water. We met them one day while attending a boating rendezvous in the delta, with our little 19 ft boat. They were so kind and invited us to tour their vessel, which had a For Sale sign in the window. The small trawler had been given the name of Star of the Sea by the couple who owned her. If ever there was a sign from the heavens, the church we were married in, was named Star of the Sea, and we felt a connection like that, certainly merits paying attention to!

It’s a lot more than we can afford I said, looking at Nickie "however, she is a real beauty! The couple spoke of the tender care they had given the 1972 trawler and how with the same attention, she would still have a lot of service to give.

The woman took Nickie up on the fly bridge while he and I looked at the engines. Why don’t we all take a run around the area and I can show her off? Thanks I said, with a lump in my throat, thinking to myself that I wanted nothing more than to be aboard such a fine old vessel while underway. We would be wasting your time, knowing it just isn’t something we can afford. About that time, the ladies came down from the bridge talking in a low voice. What have you two been up to? You look like a couple of mischief makers They looked at each other and said at the same time, Let’s go for a ride!.

With that, we all began to prepare to weighed anchor, taking our parts as though we had been aboard forever. It felt wonderful flying through the water with such ease and watching Nickie with a funny smile, looking out over the water. When we stopped and began to anchor, the ladies went into the galley and came out with a tray of beers. What are you two up to? we said, You‘ve been strange this whole time What came next was as much a shock to him as it was to me. Well gentlemen, we have an idea that is perfect for all of us, and won’t be a burden or unrealistic. They went on to say how after a short time together, it was evident that we all wanted the same thing and my wife, having been in finance for a long time, had come up with a plan. As the idea began to emerge I didn’t dare to think it could really be a way to purchase the vessel. The man and I just kept looking at each other, then at the two of them sitting there like this was an everyday thing. Nickie said because there was nothing owning to any outside entity, they could accept a small amount as payment creating a far less financial gain. Then hiring them as boating consultants, utilizing the tax structures available we would pay a high service fee. They could then invest the smaller payments allowing for monies to gain without heavy taxes. For any unforeseen accidents, the insurance would be in both parties names.

This, of course, made no sense to me, since Nickie did the finances in the family, and as far as the man was concerned, it sounded great!

Now it was our turn to bring out the reasons why it would not work, being men of sound reason, but not much imagination. However as the evening wore on, their idea began to sink in and working as a team we might pull this together. I could do a lot for their land house and the two condos they owned. Nickie would do the yearly taxes, etc. and they would have the ability to build on other equities. It was a win-win proposition with all parties. That seemed forever ago, as we sat here on the Star, in the delta, enjoying the evening quiet.

The moment was interrupted by a voice from below saying it was getting late and we had things to do tomorrow Nickie laughed stating the obvious, The crew is getting restless. Guess we better turn in also. About that time, Lulu came up from below to take part in her nightly assistance in the ships final check for the night. You know she is very spoiled, don’t you? The comment was directed toward me because of my failure to really discipline the small but fiercely protective puppy. We had acquired Lulu for Sam and she had grown into an important member of the family. Guess so I replied, heading toward the bow to begin the nightly check. Head on below, and I’ll follow shortly.

We had learned to watch for those little things important to a small vessel, especially one with a bit of age. The anchors were well set, giving some allowance for the waters movement. Lights are very useful, but when you’re anchored in an area where the possibility of any traffic approaching, is possible, it becomes a top of the list priority.

Most likely, my military training had a lot to do with being overly aware of dangerous possibilities, therefore the full set of lights including, Masthead, Port, Starboard and Stern seemed like a good thing.

Before continuing to the bow Lulu and I peaked in on the now sleeping crew member in the forward cabin. Fresh air and times on the water can have a wonderful soothing effect and sleep comes easy.

CHAPTER TWO

We walked across the deck heading for the final tug at the forward line when a strange sound came drifting across the water. I saw a couple of lights of other boaters in the far distance, but they were really too far away I thought, for this kind of sound. Somehow in a haunting way, the noise was familiar and yet totally out of order. Searching the darkness, the sound got louder and then suddenly I knew what was making the terrible noise! It had been years since Vietnam, yet I was hearing the sounds of a river patrol boat, or what we called them, PBRs, coming close. This was impossible, no one would want that kind of boat in the Delta, and yet it was the unmistakable sound of Detroit twins with Jaz water jets tearing through the water . The sound gave evidence that it was heading straight for us! Lulu was at my feet running in circles, barking like crazy. I grabbed the bullhorn and began screaming Danger—Danger—Danger, punching the trigger to give loud blasts announcing my position. Through the darkness I could make out faint white waves flying from their bow indicated the high speed they were coming at us. There wasn’t any time to pull up the anchors. Why can’t they see our lights or hear my horn blasts! They kept coming as I grabbed the flare gun and sent a warning shot directly at them to no avail. By this time the noise and confusion had Nickie and Sam coming up from below throwing questions I couldn’t answer.

The fools must be crazy or drunk, I thought, they are going to ram us! JUMP I yelled, knowing it was too late to do anything about the vessel, now within range of crushing our wooden boat, Jump I yelled again, Both of you, JUMP! Nickie screamed back, We’re not leaving without— her voice cut short with the explosion of splintering wood, glass and metal being decimated by the huge and powerful craft running through and over us. The trawler had been cut in half, leaving the bow and stern still attached to the anchor lines like balloons on a string.

Lying in the debris of our boat once filled with love, trying to recover enough strength to look for my family, the hideous roar of their engines made it plain that they were coming back for another pass. I stayed hidden from their search lights, while still trying to find my family in this muddy darkness. I called out softly, not knowing what kind of creatures were aboard the mystery craft. They took another pass, this time it was all I could do to escape before being pushed into the mud and reeds. Surfacing, spitting out the mud, I wiped the junk from my face as they went by.

From the light on their boat I could see the crafts black hull, bearing few marks from its crushing contact with the Star. As they passed, the image of a Gold Jaguar was boldly painted on the side. It was the last thing I remembered before losing consciousness. I awoke, still in the water with mud in my eyes and reeds blurring my vision. I heard sounds of splashing, Rubbing the junk from my eyes and slowly opening them, not knowing what to expect, there was Lulu, searching for me. How she had survived was a miracle, and gave me hope that Nickie and Sam are around here somewhere! I slapped the water, drawing her attention to head my way as I struggled through the muck on the banks edge. "It’s alright Baby, Let’s get to shore and find Nickie and Sam.

For a moment we sat on the river’s edge, looking out over the debris from our once proud trawler. They are out there I know, we have to find them! , Praying some kind of God was going to allow them to answer back.

Searching feverishly, faint voices began coming through the overgrowth along the edge. Nickie !, Sam!, is that you? Praying they had made it and were letting us know where to look! Here we come! Hang on, where’re almost there! Tearing at the undergrowth and bushes along the edge, yelling loudly, Hang on sweet heart, hang on! The voices were now louder, but didn’t sound like Nickie or Sam. Just then the bushes in front of me opened and through it came two uniformed men and two paramedics. Reaching out to the first one to approach, I shouted Where’s my wife, where’s my son, are they alright? are they hurt? coming closer , one of them said, There’s a lot of stuff in the water, and I can’t say anything yet Lulu came up to me but I couldn’t response to her intense need for comfort. The police began their interrogation of the scene, Where were you when this took place? Did you see who it was? How many were on board your trawler? The sounds were there, but my mind could only focus on the ambulance arriving just a few yards away. Breaking away from the police and running towards it as they opened the doors, I yelled out, I have to see Nickie and Sam and show them I’m still alive! The two paramedics closed ranks to prevent me from going further, but nothing was going to stop me! Breaking thru their attempt to keep me back I approached the van only to look into an empty space! Where is my family! I shouted, grabbing one of the paramedics. A policeman came out of nowhere, removing my grip of the paramedics jacket, instructing me to calm down. Lulu growled a warning, alerting all of her displeasure.

Letting go of the jacket, I turned to the policeman with pleading words coming from my mouth, Where is my family! You must know! His answers did nothing to quell my anxiety of not knowing where my family was. The paramedics requested I sit on the edge of their van so they could look at my condition. The policeman assured me he would let me know as soon as they found anything . Lulu jumped up on the tailgate and sat by me. Stroking her softly, I couldn’t imagine her thoughts about what had happened, and why the family wasn’t together.

Police and divers investigated the scene checking in with the Coastguard for assistance. Much of the Stars wooden structure had been removed by the Delta’s water, leaving only the larger remains of the bow and stern, still attached to their anchors. I heard one of them comment on the task of finding much of anything because of the tide water. One of the paramedic said it would be best if they took me to the hospital, but was quickly rebuffed by the other who commented, I don’t think we could take him away from here even if we drug him behind our rig.

CHAPTER THREE

The search continued into the afternoon with little results of finding any clues to why this had happened. I kept asking anyone who would listen, as to what they had found. No-one could come up with anything realistic. Its like an oversized snowplow ran across the vessel. One man said to a rescue worker. Then a call came across the radio from one of the volunteers searching the delta’s edge. Got something here, but I'm not certain. Need some assistance.

I started to get up and head for the location, when a huge hand laid on my shoulder and forced me back down. You ain’t going nowhere, so sit back down! I’m in charge here, and we don’t want you messing around or getting in the way! Looking up at a very large man in a police uniform, I began to question why couldn’t I, but he interceded my question with, Don’t even try to mess with me! He began to walk away but I was determined to follow, when one of the volunteers stopped me quietly saying, Don’t make the Chief mad, or he can make it bad for you to get any answers. I thought this wasn’t some accident, My wife and son are out there somewhere, and I needed answers! The volunteer continued with his warning, That man is the law on the delta, and he is not one to do anything that doesn’t reward him. Beside having the biggest ego in the Delta, he is a good friend with those in power, so please let him be and I will see what I can do to find out more of what’s going on. Thanking the man, I sat back down and watched when a couple of the volunteers returned to retrieve some items from one of the trucks. Walking over to them I inquired if they had heard anything.

One of them gave me a strange look, while the other, lifting out large cutting sheers and a chain saw from the truck, said, You best stay here. With a statement like that, I wasn’t about to remain here while they are trying so hard to find my family. I’m going with you! I said loudly. Well I not going to stop you, the one man exclaimed, but if I was you, I wouldn’t want to see what might come out of the water.

His words conjured all kinds of visions in my mind, but I knew I had to remain positive for the family’s sake. They are going to need me no matter how injured they might be. Arriving at the area where the volunteer had been called, the booming voice of the head of the local police, whom I later found out to be Chief Sullivan, instructed the man to begin cutting through the tangled mixture of reeds, weeds and debris. The dogs found something under here that started them howling, and the Chief wanted to see what was there. The man began to cut away the limbs and pieces of wood, that had woven a difficult barrier on the rivers edge. The area that had attracted the dogs was out about four feet from the rivers edge, making it difficult to take apart. Suddenly, the sound of the chainsaw stopped and the silence of those close to the area created an eerie feeling, as they began removing the wooden pieces, one at a time. The Chiefs deputy waded back to where I was standing, on the shore. Maybe it would be better for you if you leave the area for a while. Not knowing what he was trying to say, I wasn’t about to abandon my family. When the two paramedics returned to the area, they began unfolding two large black bags. I had seen too many of those in the service not to recognize a body bag. Shoving the deputy aside, I ran into the water fighting those attempting to stop me. Pushing the last person aside, the interior of the wooden debris barrier exposed the twisted and torn bodies of Nickie and Sam!

I froze, forcing my body to breath, but there was no air. Consciousness left me as I slowly slid into the river. Two of the volunteers made a grab for my body, as the Delta water began to claim another victim. You aught to let him go! The Chief said in a loud voice, He ain’t gone be worth much for a while! The deputy assisted the men in dragging the body out of the water, allowing the paramedics to work on him.

As conciseness began to allow me to feel anything, I was lying on a stretcher, listening to someone speaking in a calm but firm voice, Don’t try to get up, just lay there for a bit until you can focus. You’ve had a terrible shock, and combined with your physical condition you shouldn’t move just yet. I grabbed his shirt and screamed Where are they? Where is my family? two of the paramedics pulled my hands away. You really don’t want to see them right now, wait until you have gained a little more of your awareness and we can take you to them. That wasn’t them! Let me out of here so I can look for them! The paramedic motioned to the deputy It’s best if we restrain him until he is better. No telling what he might do until he’s more stable. We don’t want him to hurt himself or anyone else. The needle pushed into my arm and as I went back into that void, the blackness of what was to be my path of vengeance, began to take form.

Signing my release, I heard my name being called, Hey, didn’t you forget something? it was one of the paramedics holding Lulu, who I had forgotten in all that had happened. I think you probably will want to take her with you. As he handed her to me, the warmth of her body brought back memories of the first time I had carried her into the house and presented her to the family. She had been a stray and obviously mistreated when she appeared from out of nowhere, almost tripping me when I was coming out of a store. Looking around, I didn’t see anyone and she looked so pathetic that I couldn’t just leave her there.

On the way home I began to create imaginational conversations with Nickie knowing she would have sage advice, or at least let me in the door with my new friend. Arriving home we didn’t even get out of the car before Sam sang out, running across the lawn Dad’s got a dog! Well, there went my surprise approach. Where on earth did you find this poor little creature? was Nickie’s first question, and what exactly are you intending to do with it? You know, I have no idea, it just wasn’t right to leave her out in the street. There was a long silence as we watched Sam and his new friend together on the porch. Boy does she need a bath, and probably a bunch of other stuff , I exclaimed. Finally Nickie spoke with an affirmative And with that, we don’t want to forget, puppy potty duties! We all laughed and spent the rest of the day going through all the stuff we would need for this new addition. It was good times with her and there was never a moment when I had any regrets about bringing that ever faithful, loyal, and eager to please new friend into our lives.

Leaving the hospital, we walked towards the river, eventually sitting on a bench, overlooking the Delta and it’s activities. Looking aimlessly into space there wasn’t a fragment of reality to any of what had transpired these past few days. Here I was, sitting with Lulu in a place the family loved to come to and live life to the fullest. Now it is an empty place in the middle of nowhere, because nowhere was here and now.

We left the hospital, with no direction in mind, when the local cop pulled up along the sidewalk where Lulu and I were at. Get in, bring the pup with you was his request, which sounded more like an order. We need to talk about what happened. I had no desire to answer his questions, but I had a lot of my own, so we got in and he drove into the parking lot.

Not giving him a chance to begin, I started first with Did you find who did this? Are they in jail? No and No! he replied, knowing that was all I was really interested in We are still trying to find out exactly what happened, and you haven’t been the best help so far. The description you gave was vague and didn’t give us any more than what we found at the scene. He was right, of course, because in my condition in the hospital, I had plenty of time to figure that if anything was going to make this right, it wasn’t going to come from the local law. I had intentionally left out certain facts that would be useful in my own version of what was going to take place with the monsters in that Black Death machine. The vision of the Jaguar on the side was my own private clue that was going to lead me to them. The cop continued, So what else can you give us? We are checking the locals for any trace of the kind of boat that could do the damage we saw at the site. Damage! He called it Damage! This was my Life, my family, everything that had meant anything at all was gone…… taken away from me, and he calls it Damage! I’m out of here. I shouted, jumping out of the car. I still have questions… was his warning, his voice fading off as I left more distance between us.

CHAPTER FOUR

Mentally I began to drift into a place I had not been for a long time. When you’re fighting for a cause, like country, it becomes necessary to force yourself to see targets as just that, targets, it is them or your comrades in arms. This was something totally different, Hate was the equation now! That all-consuming desire to kill, with slow and deliberate means. That desire began to fill the void in my soul, or what was left of it. The ability to actually do the things I was thinking of was not surprising, with all of the techniques I learned in the service. It’s not that you learn to just go out and kill people, it is a whole mindset. Unfortunately that sometimes doesn’t leave a guy’s mind when he comes home. I saw a lot of that with all the garbage going on back in the states, at that time, it can do strange things to you. That profession of dodging bullets or stepping into some Charlie’s trap wasn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Now there was a whole new