Dee Boer Us Marshal: the Second Generation

By Don Bourassa

The Boer dynasty grows and expands onto the rich Montana hay fields while the son of Marshal Dee Boer carries on the tradition his father started.
A sweeping story of triumph and tragedy as you’re carried along on a journey that culminates with the emergence of the Marshal’s great grandson, the man who carries on the family tradition and becomes….
THE MAN HUNTER.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 11, 2020
• ISBN: 9781728346991

Don Bourassa

Don Bourassa is retired and resides in New Hampshire with his wife of fifty nine years, Gloria. This is Don’s second book.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

D ee woke up late, he rolled up and sat on the edge of the bed. The bed was empty. He thought of calling Adriana’s parents, but hesitated and changed his mind. He padded across the hardwood floor to the bathroom and took a long, hot shower. He ended by turning off the hot water and stood under the cold. Refreshed, he toweled off and dressed in jeans and a fresh white t-shirt. He was cooking bacon and eggs when Estelle, their housekeeper, came through the kitchen door.

Adriana’s gone, I’m afraid the house is a mess.

It’s okay Marshal.

Dee took his plate and cup of coffee out to the porch and sat at the small table. His mood didn’t allow him to appreciate the fine day that was shaping up. The wind from the north was steady and carried the scent of fall to his nostrils. Pedro would be out with the hands rounding up heifers for the auction house. As Dee ate, He could hear the distant sound of gunfire as hunters were out there who had paid for the privilege of shooting a feral hog. After he ate, he cleaned his weapons and reloaded them with new ammo. This was a chore he performed every week no matter where he was. He heard the phone ring and rushed into the house to answer it. He saw that the call was from Montana and picked the receiver up. He was thrilled to hear Adriana’s voice.

I’m sorry hombre, I’m ready to come home if you want me.

Stay there, I’m flying out to get you.

Oh Dee, I’m sorry I’m such a fool.

I’m leaving right now.

Dee phoned the airfield for a charter flight, put on his shoulder holster, grabbed a deer hide leather jacket and was out the door. He waved at Inez as he drove out of the ranch yard and quickly accelerated down the graveled road. The pilot was warming up the Beechcraft when he pulled into the airfield. He had a bag with a change of clothes and his toilet kit, he was traveling light and fast. Just before they entered the scattered clouds, the beauty of the Rocky Mountains spread to the north. There was a brilliant sun and a light blue sky in front of them as the props pulled the twin - engine plane through the sky. Dee was elated, his foul mood was gone. He couldn’t wait until he held Adriana in his arms.

When the plane landed, Dee disembarked and saw Adriana waving at him. She was wearing a dress with a laced bodice and it accented her beautiful breasts. She was wearing flowered cowboy boots. Her long dark hair fell down to her shoulders. Dee thought, She still looks like the young woman I married.

He folded her in his arms and hugged her before kissing her deeply. They got into her Ford Bronco.

Let’s take a vacation.

She laughed, I need to go to the ranch and get my things.

Ten minutes later they pulled into the ranch yard and were met by Adriana’s mother. Dee ate pastries and drank coffee while his wife collected her things. Dee kissed his mother in law on the cheek and they headed southwest to Cody, Wyoming. They fueled up, ate lunch in the restaurant and headed west to the back entrance to Yellowstone. They drove through the park, stopping to look at the bison and the mountain goats perched high above the road. They drove through to Jackson Hole and rented a room in the best hotel. They had a fine time in Jackson. They made love like newlyweds, ate the best of food and shopped in the local stores buying things they really didn’t need. As they refueled and turned the Bronco towards home, Dee was refreshed and renewed. They laughed and chatted and enjoyed each other’s company. Adriana was soft and sweet on the ride home. They spent the evening in a motel along the highway and arrived in Pima the following day.

Emma called and told him the custom gun shop showed a very good profit for the last quarter and there were plenty of backorders. The sporting goods shop was exceeding expectations and the ranches were solid. After talking with Emma, he called Sullivan and told him he needed a month off. Sullivan made no protest and wished him well. Adriana was off buying a new Bronco, and Dee was saddling up the Arabian to check with Pedro. Juan decided to ride out with him and was saddling a new Sorrel mare. The reddish horse with the blonde mane was a fine, looking animal. By the time Dee finished cinching his saddle, Juan had saddled the Sorrel and was mounted waiting for him. Dee mounted the Arabian and they rode off to the east towards the rising sun. Dee followed Pedro’s tracks until the hands came in sight. They reined up and watched the round up before heading northeast into the bushier part of the ranch. Game birds were everywhere and Dee pulled the 1897 Marlin from the scabbard and shot four quail as they rode slowly along. Juan shot a nice cock pheasant. They rode for a few hours before entering the box canyon that Dee loved so much. They used the ancient fire stones and kindled a blaze, unsaddled the horses, hobbled them and let them graze. Dee gathered more firewood, while Juan made some spits for the birds. When the fire started to burn down, Dee put the new percolator on a bed of coals, placed the birds in place and they sat back and waited for their meal to cook. After drinking a cup of fresh brewed coffee, the birds were done and they ate a leisurely lunch. They didn’t need words as they sat smoking and drinking the fresh coffee. They saddled the horses and had an easy ride back to the ranch.

Dee was reading the Shotgun News. He had circled some items that caught his interest. Turning the page, he read the announcement for a large auction in Dallas. He asked Adriana if she wanted to go with him.

No hombre, I’m going to help Inez redecorate for a few days. You go ahead and enjoy yourself.

Dee’s flight to Dallas crashed and burned killing the five people on board the small plane. Engine failure was the apparent cause of the crash. The crippled plane had tried to land in a rancher’s field that simply had too many rocks in it.

Dee’s funeral was well attended. People mourned his loss. Juan and Inez especially missed him. Dee had a directness about him that few people have. There was no indecision in him. He had always been a remote violent man. He had turned his violence against those who broke the law and thus found a place in society that was acceptable. Sullivan knew what he was. He knew because he was cut from the same cloth.

Chapter 1 The Second Coming of Dee Boer

Adriana was back on the ranch. She had inherited the entirety of the property and monies. She hired Jairo to manage the ranches and Dee’s other properties. She made no changes in personnel in any of the businesses. She had a powerful secret, for in her womb the seed of her late husband had taken root. She resolved to nurture this baby and prayed that her fifty-two year -old body would deliver a healthy baby. It was in the hands of God now.

Life was pleasant on the ranch right up until Adriana’s eighth month of pregnancy. The pains were too early, but too consistent to be ignored. Juan and Inez rushed her to the hospital where the doctors decided to take the baby by cesarean. The baby weighed less than six pounds, but praise the Lord, he had no defects. He was a bold baby from the start. He was dark like his father with jet black hair and grey eyes that caught and held you. He was quick to learn. Adriana named him Dee Boer Jr. he grew to be the spitting image of his father. He had been born with a hard, muscular body. His abdomen was hard as stone. His muscles easily apparent at a glance. He followed his father’s dedication to exercise and it became a religion to the boy.

The sixteen year -old boy had grown to 5’9’’ and weighed one hundred and sixty -five pounds of hard muscle. He copied his father’s one eighth inch beard, combed his hair the same and generally wore the same clothes as his father. If the boy disagreed with you, he would not argue. He would stand mute until you were done, nod and walk away. The boy read everything he could find about his father and talked to as many people as he could, always pressing them for new information about him.

The boy never bonded with his older sister, but bonded with Jairo. Jairo took his younger brother under his wing and taught him what he needed to know about business and ranching. At age twelve he had asked Juan to teach him how to shoot and handle firearms. Adriana gave her permission. Jairo gave him the engraved rifle that his father had given to Jair. The boy knew the story of Jair and was glad to have his rifle. Juan found him more than a willing student. Like his father before him, he never missed. The boy practiced constantly even though he didn’t miss. The boy soon graduated to a center fire rifle and a center fire handgun. He used his father’s, double barreled rifles and a pair of single action Colt revolvers in .357 magnum caliber. He shot .38 special cartridges for his practice.

At seventeen, he showed an interest in the opposite sex, but maintained he was too young to get involved with a girl. He thought the world of Coleen and told his mother,

Coleen might be the prettiest girl in the world.

Adrianna just grinned at the boy and rubbed his head. The boy could see tracks like his father before him. The images were very vivid when he was next to his brother. He kept this news to himself. He especially didn’t want his mother to be aware of this ability. Adriana wanted the boy to be anything but in law enforcement. The boy had different ideas.

Sitting across from Karina and the sheriff, the boy asked about how they had met his dad. Karina was too smart to talk to the boy, she stepped around his questions without answering. Lars was free with his information, but he was mainly ignorant of Dee’s activities as a US Marshal.

The boy graduated from high school with honors and was accepted at the University of New Mexico. He chose to study criminal investigations and behavior. He signed up for some basic psychology courses as well. Dee was more than diligent in his studies, he was obsessed. He did very little other than study and read all the material he could find. One night found him smoking a cigarette outside of the dorms. A young red headed woman approached him.

She stopped in front of him and asked, Are you gay?

Dee was flabbergasted. He looked her directly in the eye and said, No.

I’m Kathleen O’Reilly.

Dee looked left and right and walked away from her. Next day, in class, Dee was disturbed by a poke in his back. He slowly turned and faced Miss O’Reilly. Dee nodded at her and faced front. She was waiting for him in the hallway.

She fell in step with him and started chattering, I’ve been sitting behind you for three months and you never ogled me or any other girls, why not?

I don’t, as you call it, ogle girls. My mother taught me to respect women. Ogling one would be treating her like an object.

I can’t believe that you’re that high and mighty.

Dee nodded and turned away from her. She couldn’t let it go. She had been pursued by every make she’d met since she was twelve years old. Yet, here was a man who didn’t care if she even existed. Her girlfriends had told her the guy was a waste of time, he must be gay. She knew he wasn’t social. He didn’t attend any of the parties around campus and he didn’t frequent any of the bars most of the coeds did.

Tough nut to crack, she thought.

He gets up early, she thought, as she watched Dee enter the gym.

She continued to watch as Dee exited the gym and ran for an hour before returning to the dorm. She went to a clothing store that night and bought some work out clothing that was far too baggy. She was waiting for Dee to exit the gym the next morning and when he did, she quickly found that she couldn’t catch up with him or even keep him in sight. She beat Dee to the gym the next morning and was walking on the treadmill as she watched Dee work out. His sleeveless t-shirt showed off every muscle as he worked out and she could feel herself getting excited just watching him. She was relieved when he put on his sweatshirt and left for his run.

God, she thought, I’m going over the edge for this guy and he hasn’t even talked to me.

Dee noticed the pretty red headed girl many times. He didn’t know what to make of her. He had heard some guys talking about what they’d like to do to her, but he didn’t engage in that kind of conversation. He decided in his mind that the girl had value. How much he didn’t know, but it wouldn’t hurt to find out. The next morning, he finished working his arms, threw a towel over his neck and approached her.

He wiped the sweat off his face and asked her, Would you like to jog with me for a bit?

She nodded yes and followed him outdoors. He set an easy pace and she kept up to him. They jogged about an hour without speaking when Dee turned to her. She stopped and faced him. Dee kissed her very lightly on her lips and broke into a hard run away from her.

Progress, she thought, as she walked back to the dorm. Kathleen had never met a man like Dee, he had no frivolity to him. She had never seen him smile or laugh. Her English professor told her that Dee’s father was a famous US Marshal everyone called the Manhunter. She read up about his father and was amazed that one man could shoot and kill so many other men. She had an idea about what had shaped Dee. He had a goal in mind. A goal to be like the father he never knew. She vowed she would not let on that she knew about his dad. She sensed that talking about his dad would only alienate him from her. Still, she was entirely captivated by Dee. She decided she had to get to know him better. Dee finished working his arms and Kathleen was still there. He toweled off and walked over to here. He couldn’t help but grin when he asked her to jog with him. They left the gym together and broke into a jog. Dee pushed her a little harder until she had to stop for a breath. He put his arms around her and felt her heart beating against his chest. He kissed her deeper this time before letting her go and continuing his run. After class the next day, Dee asked Kathleen if she would go home with him for the weekend. He assured her that she would have a separate bedroom and no hanky-panky, Kathleen accepted.

On the ride to the ranch, Kathleen found out that Dee could laugh and smile and even make small talk. Kathleen had dressed demurely in a yellow blouse buttoned to the neck and a pair of light blue slacks. The low- cut sneakers finished her outfit. Dee’s mother greeted her warmly and she met Dee’s brother Jairo and his wife Coleen. She quickly hit it off with Coleen and felt at home. After supper, Dee saddled up some horses and they went on a slow ride across the range. She oohed and aahed at the stock and giggled at all the appropriate times. Dee was loosening up by the second and she was secretly pleased. As the weekend passed, she determined to play hard to get. It was a wasted ploy. Dee acted the perfect gentleman.

Kathleen couldn’t deny that she had a marvelous time. She felt comfortable with Dee’s mother and his brother and his wife. The ranch manager was very kind to her. She had enjoyed watching a cowboy named Dusty training a cutting horse. She didn’t know what a cutting horse was but she did now.

CHAPTER 2

D ee was in his last year of college. It was time to start planning how he was to become a US Marshal. Looking over his father’s contacts and people he had worked with, he wanted to contact a man named Murphy and the former director a man called Sullivan. He also wanted to talk to his father’s deputies. He found Beverly’s contact info in his dad’s notebook and phoned her up. She agreed to meet him at a restaurant in Santa Fe.

He was anxious when he parked his dad’s old Harley in front of the restaurant. He had planned to arrive early, but he noticed a light skinned black woman staring at him. He removed his leather jacket and approached her.

You look so very much like your father, but without the scars.

Dee sat down and ordered a coffee. I’m graduating college this fall and I’d like to be a US Marshal. I was hoping that you might be able to help me in that regard and also tell me about my father.

Beverly thought for a moment as she sipped her coffee. Your father was a complicated man. You could see the scars on the outside, but not on the inside. Your father was the most exciting man I ever met. He took charge of a situation and always put himself in danger first. He never talked about the cases we worked on. Myself and Helen spent twenty years as his deputies. We were there for many, many shootouts. Your dad kept his thoughts to himself. He was always kind and thoughtful to us, but he was distant. Not aloof, distant. I can’t help you with the Marshal’s service. I have no clout there. Helen and I were your dad’s deputies. When we weren’t with him, we were virtually ignored by the service.

Did you know a woman named Anna that my dad loved?

I can tell you that she had your dad’s heart. When she died in that traffic accident, it changed your dad. He became even harder and more distant. It was your mother that changed him. He was a different man after he met your mother. I can’t explain it, but I know he loved your mother as much as was possible for him. Your dad was not a warm and fuzzy man, but I loved him too. He never let anyone down and he took care of all the people in his life.

Who can I talk to about the Marshal’s service?

You need to talk to Sullivan. He’s the one who got your dad to be a Marshal. He’s the one with the clout.

Dee stood and shook her hand as he thanked her and took his leave.

Dee needed to talk to Sullivan. He decided to try and take the back door approach to talk to the man. Emma knew him and could possibly get Sullivan to him. Decision made, he fired up the bike and headed for Pima.

Emma had recently retired. Dee phoned her from the ranch and she said she could come out to her house. Dee parked the bike in front of the massive log cabin home. Dusty came out t to greet him. Dee sat down at the kitchen table and Dusty poured him a fresh cup of coffee. Emma appeared dressed in jeans and a flowered cowgirl shirt and sat across from him.

I’m trying to get an introduction to Sullivan and I’m hoping you can help me.

Emma thought for a moment. I can call and ask him, but I really don’t know the man. I was the go between for your dad and Sullivan that’s all I was. Dusty tells me that you want to know about your dad. Do you want to ask me anything about him?

Can you tell me what his motivation was in life?

I can tell you that I always thought success is what drove him. He wasn’t a man that let all the money go to his head. He surrounded himself with good competent people. He recognized the value in people. At one time the apartment house on your ranch was full of people that your dad helped. He never even asked me what it cost to help them. I think he was trying to pay off the debt he felt he owed to Mrs. Rodzinski. She was the one who raised him and educated him. I know he loved that woman. Your dad also had a great deal of love for Juan and Inez. Except for his friendship with Lars, Sean and the Apache, I don’t know very much about the other people in his life.

What do you know about Anna?

Just that he came to love her and her death devastated him. I can also tell you he was not cold and aloof. He was a private man, and a very serious one.

Dee was relaxing at home when his mother handed him the phone.

It’s Emma for you.

You need to call Sullivan right away.

Dee thanked her and quickly dialed the number.

Sullivan here.

Mr. Sullivan, this is Dee Jr., I’d like to have a talk with you.

9:30 tomorrow morning at the pancake house in Santa Fe.

Before Dee could respond, the phone was hung up.

Why are you talking to that evil man?

He’s the former director of the Marshal’s service, he’s not an evil man.

You don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re just like your father. Do not talk to that man. Make something of your life without him. Don’t be a cop!

Dee didn’t argue or plead his case, he simply held her against his chest and kissed the side of her head. Adriana knew it was a lost cause. The boy was determined to go down the wrong path. She was too old to fight anymore. Whatever will be will be.

Dee dressed carefully. Ivory snap button shirt, clean and pressed light wool pants. Ox blood cowboy boots and an ivory short brimmed Stetson. The drive to Santa Fe seemed to take forever. He could feel himself starting to sweat. He, was self- conscious when he entered the restaurant. He recognized Sullivan’s face from the photographs he had seen in old newspapers. He removed his hat and approached an obviously older man than the pictures he had seen depicted.

Sullivan looked up and said, Sit.

A pretty young brunette girl in a white dress approached with pad in hand.

Dee said, Coffee please.

Sullivan continued eating and didn’t even glance at him. Dee sipped his coffee and politely waited. Sullivan finished eating, pushed his plate away, wiped his mouth and finally looked at Dee.

I want to be a US Marshal. I’m due to graduate with a degree in Criminal Justice and Behavior in June.

What experience do you have?

None.

How many men have you shot and killed?

None.

Your father had killed five men before I made him a Marshal. Why do you want to transport prisoners and save the rats of the world?

I don’t want that. I want to hunt down criminals like my father did.

So, you want to continue his legacy?

My motivation is to hunt criminals.

Besides your education, what skills do you think you possess?

I have the same skills as my father. I can see tracks and I don’t miss.

It takes a special kind of man to kill people. No one can say whether or not you have that ability.

Dee nodded.

Years ago, your father set up and ran the ERT. He put a man named Murphy in charge of it. Murphy is still on the job. I don’t know if he will talk with you, but because of your father, I will give him a call.

Sullivan stood up, shook Dee’s hand and left.

Dee was getting antsy. Murphy had not called and he didn’t know where to turn. Kathleen was lounging in the sun. She hollered for Dee to put some lotion on her back. She was sitting up in the lounge chair putting lotion on her arms when Dee approached her. Dee poured some lotion in his hand and started to apply it to her shoulders. He was looking down at the swell of her breasts and he felt himself starting to swell as he moved his hand down the smoothness of her back. He quickly finished and lit up a smoke.

Adriana came out on the porch and indicated that he had a phone call. Dee went into the house and picked up the phone.

Murphy here, I can see you tomorrow at 7:30 sharp.

The call ended without Dee saying a word. He was excited. This was his chance. His mind was jumping around like a pin ball machine as he walked to Kathleen’s side.

Do you want to ride out to the pond and go swimming?

Yes.

Dee went in the house and made some sandwiches, added some cold drinks, ice, and some chips in a picnic basket. Kathleen hopped in the pickup and Dee drove out to the pond. Juan waved at them as they went through the gate. It was a short, hot drive to the pond. Kathleen spread a blanket and quickly waded into the water. She was floating on her back when Dee caught up to her. Dee pulled her close and kissed her deeply. She broke away from him and swam to shore. Dee decided it was better to stay in the water until he cooled down and went down. He paddled aimlessly for a few minutes before joining her on the blanket.

I’m not a prude Dee, but I need a commitment from you before I commit myself to a deeper relationship.

Dee didn’t answer her. They ate lunch and swam more before returning to the ranch.

Dee was up early the next morning. He made a good breakfast of bacon and eggs and dressed carefully. He left early for the drive to Santa Fe. He entered the Marshal’s office, got a visitor’s pass and sat outside Murphy’s office. He had, about a twenty minute, wait before entering the office. He saw an older black man with a shaven head and age starting to show on his face. He was dressed in a white shirt and tie. A blue suit jacket hung from a clothes tree behind him. He offered Dee tea or coffee which Dee declined.

Your father gave me this job many years ago. When he formed this unit, he gave us all a speech. The main gist was that he wanted us not only to capture felons, but to be prepared to shoot them dead. Going on, twenty- five years, experience has proven to me that your father was right. If you just wound a felon, you take a chance on getting a member of the team killed. This scenario came up a few years back and we lost a team member. This is a violent unit that demands the most dedicated people. If I hire you, you will be the first member of this team who hasn’t shot and killed a felon in the line of duty. It will be hard for you to gain acceptance from the team. They will all know you are here because of your father. No one in the history of the Marshal’s service has come even close to matching your father’s arrest record or the number of felons killed in the line of duty. If I hire you, you will have to undergo an extensive period of training.

I want the job. I will do anything you require of me to fit in.

You will report to this office two weeks Monday after you graduate. You will receive a letter confirming your employment with the service in a few days. Murphy stood and extended his hand. Dee shook it warmly.

On the trip home, Dee was riding on air. He had achieved part of his goal by becoming a Deputy Marshal, but he knew he wouldn’t be satisfied until he became a full- fledged Marshal.

Jairo and Coleen, his mother, and Kathleen were sitting at the kitchen table when Dee came in. He kissed his mom and broke the news that he was now a Deputy Marshal. He was greeted with complete silence at the news. His mother got up and left the room. Dee poured himself a coffee and sat down at the table. Jairo congratulated him. Coleen was quiet and Kathleen looked like she was in shock. Dee finished his coffee and headed out to the stables. He picked out a big Appaloosa and saddled the gelding. He mounted up and rode out of the corral towards the open range. He rode hard for two hours before finding himself looking down into the box canyon that his father loved. It seemed like he had lived under his father’s shadow his whole life. He looked skyward and hollered out loud, I’m here dad, I’m finally here.

CHAPTER 3

O n the ride back to school, Dee was elated and Kathleen was subdued.

I thought the news of my appointment would make you happy.

It’s not your appointment that’s bothering me, it’s your lack of commitment to our relationship.

If we were meant to be, we’ll stay together. I have an important time in my life coming up and I hope you’ll be part of it.

So, you want me to wait patiently on the sidelines while you do your thing?

A man has to earn a living and take pride in what he does. That’s a fact of life for everyone. I can’t believe that you couldn’t see where I was headed.

I need to know that I’m important in your life. I need to know that you want to share a life together.

Right now, the most important thing is my appointment. If you can’t understand that, it doesn’t leave us much of a future.

I’m not going to twiddle my thumbs while you play cops and robbers.

That choice is up to you. I’ve made my choice."

They rode in silence the rest of the way. Dee had no more to say on the subject and he wouldn’t argue about it. In his mind it was up to Kathleen to make her choice. She still had a year to go in college and the opportunity for her to meet other people was very real.

The relationship between them was cooling down. Kathleen became quiet and moody. Dee suggested that perhaps they should make a decision one way or the other as neither one was happy with the current atmosphere. Things went downhill from there and Dee simply stopped calling her. The separation bothered Dee. He found himself thinking of her and missing her company. The end came after he saw her walking with another man. She told Dee that it meant nothing.

Dee told her, We’re done, and walked away.

His graduation was attended by his mother, Jairo, Coleen, Juan and Inez. After the ceremony, Dee was packing up to leave when Kathleen confronted him. Standing behind her was a man he knew to be a trainer at the gym. He had a grin on his face as he held Kathleen’s hand.

I just wanted to say goodbye.

Dee just looked at her for a moment, Have a happy life Kathleen, and walked out of the dorm. During the ride back home, Dee had conflicting thoughts about Kathleen and his upcoming training period. He felt sad that they had broken up. In his hearty he felt that a woman could never take precedence over his desire to be a Marshal.

Back home they held a fiesta to celebrate his graduation and his twenty-first birthday. Inez and Carol put out a lot of effort to mark the occasion. Dee was appreciative but still saddened at the loss of Kathleen. He didn’t know if he would ever stop seeing her image in his mind.

CHAPTER 4

W hile Dee packed to leave for training, his mother came in his room and presented him with a new light brown leather vest.

Your father always wore this kind of vest when he was working. She had tears in her eyes as she embraced him.

I wish I had known my dad. I wish he was here to guide and mentor me. I’m living under his shadow. I don’t know what I’ll accomplish in this world, but I have to try.

You will so well my son. Your father would have been very proud of you.

Dee entered the Marshal’s office at eight a.m. He had a toilet kit and his letter of acceptance and a single small suitcase holding his belongings. He joined a group of men and they filled out necessary papers and went to a large room where they were to receive their indoctrination. They would not be officially Deputy Marshal’s until they passed their training period. The training period ran twenty-one and a half weeks and consisted of all aspects of law enforcement and physical training as well as firearm training.

Dee’s roommate was the son of a state senator. His name was John Williams III. He was tall, thin, blonde haired and hook nosed with a pleasant smile on his face as he held out his hand to Dee.

My friends call me Stretch.

Dee shook his hand, Call me Dee.

Your father was a famous Marshal.

Dee wasn’t surprised when everybody seemed to know that he was the son of the most famous Marshal in modern times.

Classroom work was intense. Studying came easy for Dee and hard for John. Dee became, in effect, his tutor. The physical training was intense. Dee had no problem with it and more than held his own. In the evening, he would try to help those that were having problems with the training. By his actions rather than his words he became leader of the group. Dee’s firearms results were off the charts. His target groups were so tight, they appeared as a single hole. He received no praise or encouragement from his trainers. He kept his mouth shut and his demeanor calm under all the training. After seven weeks, John barely made the cut. The class had lost thirty percent of the trainees. The worst seemed to be over as the training dropped a few notches the last fourteen weeks.

Dee stood proud at his graduation ceremony. He won awards in physical, firearms, and leadership. He graduated third in his class. John graduated in last place. Training was not over for Dee. He was assigned to an eight - week course in special weapons and tactics. There was little classroom work and a lot of firearms and physical training. Dee finished at the top of his class and was assigned to the ERT. Dee had a week off before he was to join the team. He rented an apartment in a quiet section of Santa Fe and quickly settled in.

Uniforms were optional for the team. Dee chose jeans, ivory snap button shirts and Ox blood cowboy boots, topped off with an ivory short brimmed Stetson. The team was led by Peter Thomas. He was an ex-Marine, and an ex-police officer from Phoenix. The other team members all had prior police experience ant they were a close knit and cohesive team. Dee didn’t try to fit in. He maintained his silence and held his own in the constant training. Very slowly he started to be accepted into the group.

On his first call out, Dee was placed at the rear of the entry team. It was a successful entry resulting in the arrest of four suspects, no shots fired, and no casualties. The ritual of training and call outs varied very little. Peter was a strict taskmaster and demanded 100% effort