The Last Vow

By Albeo Levesque

...power, blood, greed, justice, love in....The Last Vow

Jason Vance had been away from Comeau Ridge Valley, his home, for over a decade. April Prescott, his fi rst love, his only dream, was left behind when Jason left to cast a net over his own world.

Saint André, his hometown, hadn't changed, but its peo

• Language: English
• Publisher: URLink Print & Media, LLC
• Release date: Nov 11, 2020
• ISBN: 9781647535377

Albeo Levesque

Albeo fills his day with learning new things. He believes in exploring the unknown, to discover the hidden mysteries that lurk just around every corner. His soul is refreshing from the love he has for people. It's a God given gift he shares with everyone. He's outgoing, a mover and shaker, who never gives up. Tranquil moments are savored fishing on local lakes, a simple way of admiring the beauty of God's creation, and his life has changed since he has let God be his guide. He's seventy two years old in this recorded year of 2020. Although he's a victim of post-polio syndrome, it doesn't stop him from living a full life by whatever means available to him in this ever changing world of uncertainties. In his eyes, you can see the burning flame of desire, in never ending dreams. He has graduated Valedictorian from Fiske International High School in 2001. He became a Professional Security Guard in 2005 through Acts One, Two and Three of Securitas Security. He has graduated from Pierre Drolet's "Cours General D'investigation, Montréal, Québec, in 1973. He was a reserve police officer in Homer, Michigan, in early 1980's. He writes, reads and speaks American English and French Canadian. He loves his diversified way of life.

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The Last Vow

The Last Vow

Copyright © 2020 by Albeo Levesque. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author except as provided by USA copyright law.

The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of URLink Print and Media.

1603 Capitol Ave., Suite 310 Cheyenne, Wyoming USA 82001

1-888-980-6523 | [e-mail]

URLink Print and Media is committed to excellence in the publishing industry.

Book design copyright © 2020 by URLink Print and Media. All rights reserved.

I would like to thank my grandson, James Wall for letting me use his picture as part of my book cover.

Published in the United States of America

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020922228

ISBN 978-1-64753-536-0 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64753-537-7 (Digital)

27.10.20

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

This book is dedicated to God first, for His guidance

Secondly, to my wife and four children

Who have reminded me to practice what I preach

To never, ever give up

All my love

Thank you

Contents

About the author

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Albeo Levesque fills his day with constantly learning new things. He believes in exploring the unknown, to discover the hidden mysteries that lurk just around every corner. His soul is refreshing from the love he has for people. It’s a God given gift he shares with everyone. He’s outgoing, a mover and shaker, who never gives up.

Tranquil moments are savored fishing on local lakes, a simple way of admiring the beauty of God’s creation, and his life has changed since he has let God be his guide. He’s seventy three years old in this recorded year of 2020. Although he’s a victim of post-polio syndrome, it doesn’t stop him from living a full life by whatever means available to him in this ever changing world of uncertainties. In his eyes, you can see the burning flame of desire, in never ending dreams.

Albeo has graduated Valedictorian from Fiske International High School in 2001, he has become a Professional Security Guard in 2005 through Acts One, Two and Three. He has graduated from Pierre Drolet’s "Cours General D’investigation, Montréal, Québec, in 1973. He was a reserve police officer in Homer, Michigan, in early 1980’s. He writes, reads and speaks American English and French Canadian. He loves his diversified way of life.

PROLOGUE

Jason Vance had been away from Comeau Ridge Valley and his home for over a decade. April Prescott, his first love, his only dream, was left behind when Jason was called by God to cast a net over the world.

Saint André, his hometown, hadn’t changed. But its people had become a society of puppets at the mercy of a powerful, self-made tyrant who had become a very dangerous man to whoever would refuse his services or offers, especially for the property of a few desperate and financially unstable people.

Jason had to do battle between God and the woman he still loved, battles between God and revenge against the villain who killed his parents. Every place he went, people died around him, and he had to turn the other cheek.

He needed to be strong when he discovered a family secret that could shatter his very existence but destroy the tyrant. The only woman who could free him had been locked away in an asylum. Jason Vance had to employ his only leave to bring justice back for the good people of Comeau Ridge Valley, even if it meant he could no longer turn the other cheek, or even die for….The Last Vow.

CHAPTER

1

The sun rose a bright red orange color that early summer morning in a foretelling manner indicating the coming of a horrid summer. The slight breeze wasn’t enough to cool the creeping heat of the mid morning hours.

The usually tranquil valley floor was overtaken by an array of police cars and fire trucks surrounding a huge Comeau Ridge wrecker inside a yellow taped perimeter near the old McCormick bridge just a few miles south of the tiny but growing town of Saint André. The Comeau Ridge wrecker had been positioned near the bridge with its top steel cable hooked to the rear axle of a new car sitting in four feet of water in The Little River, forty feet below the embankment.

The curiosity of human mannerism had made people gather outside the taped perimeter trying to peek at the unfolding event of a possibly horrible nature. Rookies from the local police department had been ordered to stay near the outer edge of the perimeter to stop the curious, and reporters from entering the guarded area while the local police chief, Frank Prescott, and his Lieutenant, Harry Maxwell, stood near the embankment, behind the huge wrecker. They knew nothing could be done until the car was hoisted up on level ground.

One of the rookies, David Martin, made an entrance through the yellow taped area, to let the ambulance and the coroner inside. Frank and Harry were looking toward the car, still in the river, seeing only its top visible above the water.

"I wonder whose car that is, Harry?" The chief asked.

Don’t know, chief..could be tourists, or drunks maybe. Harry was uncertain.

I hope whoever it is had a chance to escape..drowning is a bad way to go. Frank replied.

Harry walked toward the rear of the wrecker while inspecting the steel cable, making sure there were no weak spots, a safe habit he had learned while helping his dad, who worked with heavy machinery.

Frank was watching the ambulance backing up at a safe distance of the rig, yet still close enough to do their job properly and safely at the appointed time. If someone were still in the car, there was no doubt they’d be dead after that many hours underwater, and to hurry would be absolutely pointless.

Frank shouted at David Martin, waving for him to come over by his side. The young rookie hurried as fast as he could to reach his superior, and then.

"Yes, chief?" He seemed excited about his new job as a police officer.

David boy..I want you to stay near that gate..and you make sure no reporters come in here..you hear?

Got it, sir. David said, heading back to his post near the gateway door. A few moments later, Frank saw the car being hoisted to level ground where he went to meet Harry. The car was being rolled up slowly over the embankment while Frank watched Harry pry the driver’s side door open as soon as the car stopped moving. Frank had no idea whose car it was, it was new to the area. Harry peeked inside and quickly jolted back from the car, holding his mouth in shock as though he had just seen his own folks in there. It was a very sickening feeling for Harry. The chief ran over to him who was vomiting at the horror he had just witnessed on the front seat.

Harry! Who the hell is in that car? Frank shouted in curiosity, knowing it had to be someone Harry knew. Harry couldn’t talk, he just motioned for Frank to go and see for himself. When Frank peeked inside the car, he had the same reaction Harry had moments earlier. Dazed, he walked back to Harry with a grimace..utterly shocked in disbelief..it couldn’t be..no way, he thought, but they were, his old friends. How could something like this happen? He wondered.

Good Lord!..this man’s been driving around this valley all his life and he never got a scratch, he buys a new car and kills both, himself and his wife?..Why?….What the hell’s going on here, Harry?

Harry gently grabbed his old friend by the arm, stopping him from walking away for a moment.

Chief….how do we tell Jason Vance both his parents are dead?..How do we even find him, anyway?

The chief thought about it for a moment while scratching his head at the entire crazy ordeal, through the heat of the morning. He had known Donald and Mary Vance a lifetime, they were good friends. How could this happen? He thought. Donald Vance had always been so cautious at everything he did. Frank finally snapped out of his private sorrowful trance long enough to answer Harry.

I’ll have April call him…she knows how to get a hold of that boy…myself, I haven’t seen him in over ten years….She never got over him, you know..that girl is still waiting for him to come for her some day. He said, turning around, continuing on his way while lowering his head, murmuring in sincere sorrow. I’ll call this in.

Harry was watching the paramedics do their job and unaware of the black limousine which could be seen on the far hilltop from over his shoulder. The black limousine didn’t seem to move from its spot, as though it had been purposely parked there for the day. No one at the scene by the old McCormick bridge had even any idea it was there. They were all too curious and awed at the horrific scene going on inside the yellow perimeter, nothing else would draw there attention away.

The limousine’s tinted windows hid the occupants for only a few short moments, until the driver’s window slid down, revealing a strong structured man behind the wheel, Jim Larkins, the right hand man, a goon or a thug if you will, Regg Sanders’ yes man, expressing an evil grin while looking down toward the bridge at the bottom of the hill. Jim was a man in his late thirties, built like he’d been a pro wrestler, no conscience toward other human beings and answered only to his self made egoistic millionaire boss, Regg Sanders, sitting in the back seat, hidden from the outside world. The rear window slid down halfway, revealing the white haired man in the comfort of his air conditioned atmosphere. He also expressed a quiet, but crooked grin that would shake up any calm believing heart. The two were deathly silent, simply staring, speechless, seemingly enjoying the sight, almost giving them the look of guilt and responsibility for the cause and effect of this tragedy. Jim reached for the private police scanner at the top of the sun visor, then raised the volume so they both could hear Chief Prescott’s call. They could have heard a pin drop when Frank announced the findings to his department.

K.R.708. His voice was very saddened. "Victims, Donald and Mary Vance…dead at the scene… K.R.708, out."

Regg and Jim glowed at the news as though they had received a gift of accomplishment. The darkened glass slowly raised up to conceal their evil contempt, but Jim hesitated, savoring the very moment a few seconds longer. The limousine drove away, unnoticed by anyone left near the horror below.

Amid the busy early evening hours on a major highway, an older red car pulled off the exit and drove onto the ramp that led to a truck stop. The driver parked near a pay phone booth in front of the truck stop diner. Jason Vance stepped out of the car. He stood about five foot seven and weighed around a hundred and sixty pounds, twenty seven years old with dark sandy colored hair. Jason was a very mild mannered young man who demonstrated it on the phone, waiting patiently for an operator to intervene the silence on the line, but his black tee-shirt showed a well defined built, expressing the feeling he must spend a lot of hours working out in a gym.

Yes, operator. I wanna place a collect call, please..person to person…Jason Vance..Donald or Mary Vance.. thank you. 555-9782. Thank you. He waited for nearly a minute and then. Yes, I’ll try later, thank you, operator. He hung up the phone and while going back to his car he watched a young girl climb inside a semi truck parked a few yards away from the others. The young girl couldn’t have been more than seventeen years old and was wearing a skirt short enough to show the rest of her lower body without even bending down. Jason shook his head in dismay for the young generation who were coming up to lead this world. The world had seemed a grim place at times, and it would get a whole lot grimmer. He also knew the life that young girl was leading would perhaps cause a tragic end for her some day, but like every one else at that age, they would have to find out the hard way, like so many had done in the past. God would hear all their prayers and pleas, but without substance, would they be sound enough to save a soul? He thought.

Jason was pushing on through the long night to get home. This was the first time he’d been home in over ten years. There had been very little communication with his parents over the years, for any or whatever reasons he may have explained to them at one time, but now, there would be plenty of time. He would finally be able to reveal his life to his parents, and they would be proud of him for his endeavor, his challenges, his vocation for an unshaken future which had aligned his path.

All the years of preparing with neverending hard work and long studies, the years of holding back because of a promise made so young, so long ago, but it will be a day to remember now. Oh, the celebration would be enormous. All the old friends would come to welcome him home and enjoy the party. There was always love in his house, but times were meant for change, and peers were no longer the issue at hand, his future was, a proud future was what Jason had to try and adjust to, because he didn’t realize his parents had loved him no matter what, it was him they loved, not the work or business he would choose in the years to come. Mary Vance was the most loving mother who cared for him through his childhood of growing pains and sickness, through happy times and sad times. It made no difference to her or to his dad, they both loved him with all their heart. He knew that, but in his life, there had to be more to it and that was what he had been looking for, for so long and to perhaps, find more than just himself.

What about April? He thought. He had left his first love behind, his only dream, because of a search unending, for another dream. All that had possibly been washed away in the stream of time, or it perhaps had been recompensed with a huge reward from a heavenly authority. She would have found someone else by now, he was certain of it. It had been over two years since he had last spoken to her, but no one else knew about her visits, it had remained their secret. Maybe she had married and was starting a life like she should have done when he left her behind a decade ago. Still, he wondered if she would have that same fiery personality she had the last time they met, or had the stress of daily life begun to reveal worrying looks, which normally caught up to so many others in time. Had it then become a world of despair?

The night was half over when Jason decided to call home once again. He knew his mom and dad would be asleep but surely they would be happy just to hear from him. That would be worth waking up. He was more anxious than ever to hear their voices.

He reached another pay phone at the next truck stop along the highway he’d been keeping company with all night. When he dialed the operator, he was a little nervous, it had been so long.

"Yes, operator. I wanna make a collect call please. Person to person with Donald or Mary Vance…Jason Vance…yes of course, 555-9782..thank you." Paused while waiting a few moments and then. "Thank you. I’ll try again later." He hung up the phone and wondered why no one would answer. Were they okay? He thought, Were they even home? A thousand questions now worried him.

This wasn’t like them. He knew from April’s letters they had no plans to leave the valley.

He sat in his car and leaned back to rest awhile before driving on. Once he leaned against his seat, it only took but a few moments for his eyes to close and he was sound asleep.

The tired mind took Jason back while his body rested, back to the day when he and April walked hand in hand along the river beach before his leaving Comeau Ridge and his Saint André friends and family behind. The hardest thing he ever did in his entire life was to leave April. Good God Almighty, he didn’t want to, but something powerful inside him became like a guiding force and he couldn’t control it. He loved her with all his heart, and the crazy thing was, she understood all he told her, she always did.

April’s long fiery red hair shone more that day, glistening in the hot bright sun. They walked hand in hand as though nothing in the world could ever come between them, but she could sense there was something bothering Jason and this would be the beginning of the many crossroads in his life. She had always been a good judge over some things, and this was one that would pierce her heart like a dagger, but she wouldn’t let him know. Jason knew this girl was the one to spend the rest of his life with, but he would have to decide that later. April finally opened the conversation with a heavy heart.

I’m losing you, Jason. She squeezed his hand tight. "I can feel it inside. Don’t you think you should tell your parents what you intend to do? What you intend to become? They need to know."

He jolted her into his arms, in long and compassionate hug, then explained as he let her go.

I can’t tell them anything right now. They wouldn’t understand…and as for you and I, please, just give me a little time. I can’t control these feelings. I need to follow through on this..I need to find out what it all means. I need to know if it’s real or just some wild and crazy dream.

April had tears in her eyes. He had never forgotten that, and he remembered the big lump in his throat, the one he couldn’t swallow. She jumped at his neck, hugged him tight, and for a long time they just stayed in each others’ arms. She broke down and cried for a little while. She could no longer hold back the tears. She was losing the only man