Seeking Refuge

Copyright ©2024 by Michael Allen George.

ISBN 978-1-961254-94-7 (softcover)

ISBN 978-1-961254-95-4 (ebook)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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

Printed in the United States of America.

This book is for

the forgotten ones

who made the mistake

of getting old

Books by

Michael George

The Refuge Mystery Series

Why A Refuge                                                                 Book One

Bridge To No Good                                                         Book Two

Grass Was Greener                                                          Book Three

To Save The Refuge                                                          Book Four

Without Refuge                                                                Book Five

Refuge Of Another Kind                                                 Book Six

The Refuge Mystery Series

Written as Michael Allen George

Places Of Refuge                                                          Book Seven

Refuge Life And Home                                               Book Eight

Refuge Rescuers                                                            Book Nine

Walking The Refuge                                                     Book Ten

Lisa’s Refuge                                                                  Book Eleven

Seeking Refuge                                                              Book Twelve

Books Written as Michael George

Horses Lemons And Pretty Girls

More Horses And Pretty Girls

Finding Peri Gray

Of Rain Barrels And Bridges

Books Written With Bud George And David George

Stories From Three Brothers

More Stories From Three Brothers

Prologue

Jamie Foster was fourteen and had little to no appreciation for the place in the world where he lived. He could see no beauty in the myriad of life forms surrounding him. The narrow country road he walked down was something to escape from, not live by. If it wasn’t for his stupid parents, he would still be living in the city where all his friends were. Where there was something to do.

He picked up a rock and threw it at a squirrel, up high in an ancient oak tree. He missed it by enough, so the squirrel barely moved from his perch. He thought about a second rock, but decided it would be too much effort to throw another one.

He was on his way home. He’d walked the three miles from there to the general store, hoping they would have some new video games. They didn’t, so he was in a bad mood. As he usually did, he walked with his head down most of the time. After all, there really wasn’t anything to see on a country gravel road. Not like the city, where there were people and cars and girls and other stuff.

He had no interest in the wild flowers scattered in the ditches and hedgerows. For him, the small critters constantly scurrying around him were boring and not even worth the effort it took to look at, let alone throw rocks at.

The fresh county air just smelled bad compared to the city streets, where there was a constant scent of human activity. Where it was filled with real life. Here, all there was to see were butterflies and other bugs. On the ground there were only ground squirrels, snakes and rabbits. In the trees there was nothing but some birds and squirrels. For him, even a pair of scarlet tanagers were boring. Nature’s colors meant nothing to him.

It all was nothing but boring, until Jamie saw a coyote crawl from under the branches of a weeping willow tree. That alone wouldn’t have caught his attention, but the animal had something in its mouth. Something that looked very much like a human hand.

This time, what he saw was enough to inspire him to pick up a rock to throw at the coyote. When he did, something rare happened. He actually hit it, and it dropped what was in its mouth. It took off running, and the boy checked out what was dropped. It was a human hand. Somewhat mutilated, but still a human hand.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw the hand. He made a quick look around him, almost as if he thought someone might be watching him. As he grew aware of the fact that no one was, he turned his attention to the tree. He wondered now, what could be under it. He wanted to look, but was somewhat afraid of what he might find. What if someone dead was under there. What would he do then? He’d never been close to a dead body before.

He stood there, staring at the tree, trying to make up his mind about what to do. It wasn’t until it occurred to him that if there was a body, it might have something worth money on it. That thought finally gave him the courage to look. Slowly, he crawled under the tree’s low hanging branches.

The body he saw leaning against the tree, wasn’t mutilated as bad as he expected. Its eyes were gone, part of a leg was chewed up some, and of course, the hand was missing. The kid stared for a while before he got too close to the body. Even the kid could tell it was an old man when it died.

Very slowly, he started a tentative search of the body. He didn’t have to go far to find the letter the old man carried. The kid set it aside, then continued his search of the body. It took a while, but he managed to find the old man’s wallet. The kid was delighted when he opened it. He found money there. He counted it. Slightly over a hundred dollars. A small fortune for him.

Now the question was what to do with the money. It was a cinch the old man didn’t need it any longer. So he couldn’t see any reason why he shouldn’t keep it. The problem was, if he told his parents about finding this old man, they would ask him a lot of questions. They would find out about the money. And being the kind of parents they were, they probably wouldn’t let him keep it. They would say it belonged to someone else. Like a relative of the old man maybe.

He decided that he didn’t like that idea. He just wouldn’t tell anyone about what he’d found. There were plenty of places to hide the money around the stupid farm where he now lived. He would keep it until the next time he got the chance to go to the city. He could save some and still have enough to buy some really great video games. He could tell his parents that he bought them with his allowance. They didn’t know enough about games to know he had extra money to spend on some better games than those he already owned. To them, one game was the same as the other.

So he stuffed the money in his pockets. As an after thought, he picked up the letter as he crawled out from under the willow tree. He looked at the letter and thought about opening it, but it seemed so thin he was sure there was nothing in the envelope but a letter. It was addressed to someone named Mack Thomas. The only address was Refuge Rescuers, Kingsburg, MN.

He considered throwing it away, but then worried that someone might find it. That might make them wonder where it came from. He pondered the problem as he walked, but found a solution for it as he passed a neighbor’s mailbox. The flag was up, telling the postal delivery person that there was mail to pickup. He opened the mailbox and put the letter he held in his hand in the box, leaving it wedged between some other envelopes. That way, the mail person wouldn’t notice that the address on the envelope wasn’t complete.

Now Jamie was a much happier person than he was before he saw the coyote. The letter would disappear in some post office so no one was ever going to find out about the body. He could keep the money now. As far as the body was concerned, he figured there were worse things that could happen to it then end up under a willow tree.

Chapter 1

The new girl at the post office wasn’t sure what to do with the letter. The stamp was missing and the address was incomplete. But she had sorted a lot of mail that was sent to the Refuge Rescuers, so she showed it to her boss, the postmaster, Charlene Leaf, who took it from the mail sorter.

I’ll take care of it, she said. Those are good people at Refuge Rescuers, and Mack Thomas has helped us out more than once. The way they do things, a person might sometimes think of them as more of a social services department than a private detective agency.

She decided then, that instead of following normal procedure, she would bring the letter out to Mack Thomas herself. He was a few years younger than she was, but she loved to flirt with him anyway. Especially since he went along with it. He also had a knack for keeping it light and fun. It was well known that a woman could easily flirt with him, but he never let it go any further than that. The way he felt about his wife, Lisa, had everything to do with how he reacted.

Luck was with Char when she brought him the letter. He was just returning to the office when she got there with it. He smiled when he saw her. He knew from past experiences with her, that whatever her reason for being there, her visit would be a pleasant one.

What is it, Char, Mack asked, that brings someone as beautiful and important as yourself all the way out here?

A letter addressed to you. The address is incomplete, there’s postage due, and there’s no return address on it.

You drove out here for that? Why? Is there something special about it? It cost you more for the gas you burned in your car to get here than the postage amounts to.

She gave her dark eyes an exaggerated blink for him. Her eyes were her best feature on an already very pretty face. That’s not relevant. It gave me an excuse to come and see you. She grinned, and touched his cheek. I thought I’d check and see if you wanted to sneak out some night soon. I can always tell my husband that I’m working late. He won’t miss me for a few hours.

Mack grinned back at her. Probably not a good idea for me, he told her, but if I was ever going to sneak out on Lisa, I can’t think of anyone I’d want to do it with more than you.

Damnit, Mack, but you are such a smooth liar. You sure do know how to make a woman feel special. So how have you been otherwise?

Good. To damn busy like always, but good. Lisa and I have been talking about a vacation. I think we might actually take one this time. How about you? Is the post office treating you okay?

About as good as can be expected. She handed him some mail. The letter in question is on top.

How much do I owe you for postage?

Don’t worry about it. You can maybe buy me coffee sometime when you’re in town. I brought it out here, mainly because I like seeing you, and for a break. Once in a while, a break is nice. Without any warning, she gave him a kiss. It wasn’t exactly romantic, but it wasn’t just friendly either. When decide you’re ready to properly misbehave, call me. I’ll make it worth it for you. With a wide grin, she got in her car and left.

Shaking his head, he brought the mail into the office. The fact that she’d pushed the flirting to a new level surprised him. To get his mind back on track, he looked through the mail. The most interesting thing in the pile was the envelope with no postage. So he opened it.

When he pulled out the letter, a key fell out of the envelope. He put it in his pocket so he wouldn’t lose it. Then he opened the letter. When he saw who it was from, it was enough of a shock to make him sit down. It was from a man named Jasper Klug. A man he, along with his wife, Lisa, and their friends Dale and Kathy Magee, helped out one night. The whole incident had only covered a few hours. But it left a lasting impression on all four of them.

It began when Mack found Jasper in a bad way, laying next to a hiking trail in the wildlife refuge. He and Lisa had a serious disagreement earlier, and he was in the refuge to cool down. He knew he couldn’t safely handle the man alone, so he called Lisa so she could help Mack deal with him. When she came, she brought their friends, Dale and Kathy along to help. The man didn’t want to go to a hospital, so they brought him home. With that memory, Mack read the letter. It was hand printed on lined, yellow paper that came on a pad.

It started simple, with just the name, Mack. No dear in front of the name. It was short and directly to the point. It said, "I’m getting close to the end. I can feel it in every part of my body now. I’ve lived a long life, so it’s not a big deal.

I’m writing to you, because I don’t think I have anyone left who was part of my life in the past, who would care much about what I’m going to tell you. Or what I’m going to ask of you. I’m hoping that you found the key I put in the envelope. It’s for a safe deposit box, which is in the Kingsburg Bank. I’ve already authorized you to access it. So don’t let the bank give you a hard time about it. The package in the box is my story, such as it was. I know it probably isn’t worth anything in the way of money, but from what I learned about you in our short time together, I think you might find some value in it.

I want you and Lisa to have it, because of the very uncommon kindness you and your friends showed me during the short time I spent with you. It went way beyond anything I’ve experienced for many years. Especially what Lisa and Kathy did. It went so far beyond exceptional, that I don’t have the right thank you words for them. If you don’t know all they did for me, and they don’t want to talk about it, just know that it was a kindness done for an old man that went far beyond anything I deserved. No matter what though, don’t ever lay any judgments on them. Love them instead. It was an incredibly wondrous moment during a time when the harshness of life seemed endless.

Almost as much, I loved being part of your conversation. You didn’t treat me like some homeless bum who couldn’t possibly have anything to say that was worth saying. You treated me with respect. Something else that was a long time coming. That’s why I want you to have my story.

It’s not just my life story. It’s as much about the lack of respect for life itself. What we’ve done to this planet is an atrocity beyond description. And something needs to be done to fix that. But my story is about the way we destroy and throw away people.

I thought, when I started aging, that I still had something to offer. I did a lot of things in my years, so I figured that at least the stories I had to tell might mean something. They didn’t. Nor did anything else about me matter. I was old and a burden.

I was determined not to be a burden to anyone though. That’s why you found me where you did when you did. I was trying to find a place to rest. Most of society doesn’t like to see us homeless types rest. So I try to be out of sight when I do it. As far as you finding me, I’ll be grateful to you and Lisa, Kathy, and Dale, as long as I’m alive.

I didn’t stay with you because I didn’t want to be a burden to you either. It’s been a couple of days now, since my time with you. I kind of wish now that I’d stayed longer. Even just a day or two. All four of you seemed to have something burning inside you. A something that went way beyond the day to day just getting by.

It looked to me that you had big dreams of fixing big problems. But you weren’t afraid to take the time with small problems. Problems like me. An old man, with no longer a place to go. For that, I again thank you. I thank all four of you. Especially Lisa. She has the softest of hands.

But I’m tired now, Mack. So I’m going to put this in a mailbox somewhere tomorrow maybe, so you get it. I still have enough cash for a stamp.

Lord, but I am feeing tired."

Your, I hope, friend,

Jasper Klug

Mack wasn’t sure what to make of the letter. He’d had the feeling when Jasper left them without a goodbye, that they’d all missed something that was valuable. Something told him that Jasper wasn’t just an old man who would get in the way. He was a real person who came across as a man who had a lot to say about life and what mattered. But like too many old people, he’d been pushed out of the way, as if he was nothing but a useless old body who did nothing but burden young people. The people who, in their own opinion, were the only ones who mattered.

Jasper was just one more on an endless list of people who committed the sin of getting old. People shuffled aside by an all too busy world. Often into nursing homes. Most of them places that couldn’t provide a real home for anyone, no matter how hard they tried. And a lot of them didn’t even try. They were simply a warehouse for old, worn out bodies to go to to die. Often of acute loneliness.

So it was with a heavy heart and a deep sense of frustration that Mack walked the short distance home. His wife, Lisa, was in their home office, using their home computer to pay some bills.

She gave him the same smile she always gave him when they saw each other again after being separated any more than an hour or so. Then she saw the grim look on his face and her smile wilted into a frown.

What is it, Mack. Why do you look so down?

Because sometimes life sucks for too many people. I got l strange letter today. I don’t think we can solve the problem, but in this case I want to try to do something. If nothing else, learn from it. He handed her the letter. I’d like for you to read this. Then we’ll talk about it.

Lisa read the letter. She was an exceptionally strong women and had seen and felt more of the world’s evils and problems than most people. Be they male or female. Even so, tears lightly rolled down her cheeks when she handed it back to Mack.

I can see by the look on your face, Mack, what you want to do. So do I. I have no idea where it’s going to take us as we try to find him and follow his story. But I can’t imagine not doing it.

You’re right. We have all the resources we need to do any research or tracking we might need to be done in the company office. I think we should use that vacation we planned on taking to do whatever it takes. I have a feeling there’s going to be a lot of travel involved in looking for the answers I already want. I just hope we can find him before he’s gone from us permanently. Either way though, I want to follow through on this. We’ve done a lot of work for a lot of people. Some of it important. I think that this, whatever it turns out to be, will be something that matters to us, too you and me. I don’t think it needs to be important to anyone else.

I can’t argue with that, Mack. For me, it’s pretty much whatever it takes for us to get it done. Let’s talk to everyone about at the breakfast meeting in the morning.

Good idea. We’ll do that.

Mack went into their living room and sat down in his favorite chair. Lisa joined him a few minutes later. She curled up in his lap. They both found comfort in their closeness. It was, they knew, near the best thing they had in their lives. Each other. It was a lot later before they moved off the chair. Even then, they didn’t get very far apart.

Because of the lives they’d lived, they knew all too well how fragile life could be. And because of their occupation, their lives were more fragile than most. So they tried to live it the way they thought best. For them, the best was the time they had together. That meant they were careful to never miss a chance to be close.

Chapter 2

Every morning, Mack’s father, Ben, and his wife, Theresa, cooked breakfast for anyone who managed to be there for it, who was part of the detective agency, Refuge Rescuers. Ben started doing it years before, when Mack came home after several years of chasing rodeo. He was a bull rider.

The shared breakfast grew into a tradition. As time went on, more people were part of it. Now it included everyone from Refuge Rescuers, along with an occasional guest.

Mack and Lisa created a custom of their own. They were nearly always among the last to arrive at Ben and Theresa’s for breakfast. Mack’s uncle Roy and his wife Wanda, were almost always the first to arrive. Roy, being the kind of person he was, always had a comment or two when Mack and Lisa got there. He especially enjoyed teasing them, because the cause of their tardiness was caused by their continuously acting as if they were newlyweds.

This morning, Roy didn’t have too much to say when they got there. They arrived shortly after Roy and Wanda did. You two look awful serious this morning, was his opening comment. Is there something serious that we’re going to talk about today?

Mack handed him Jasper’s letter. I want you and Wanda to read this letter. I’m going to have everyone who shows up today read it. Then we’ll talk about it. It’s something Lisa and I want to follow through on. So it’s important, because we will be gone a lot for a while. How long? We have no idea. Whatever it takes I guess.

That sounds serious, Roy said.

Probably only to us, Lisa answered this time. Mack and I aren’t quite sure why this is so important to us, but it is. And since we’re a few years overdue for a vacation, we thought we’d make this project part of the vacation we want to take anyway.

Roy’s wife, Wanda, answered Lisa. God knows you’ve earned a long vacation. But why don’t you just find a quiet place to rest and maybe do a little fishing?

I might be able to do that, Lisa told her,