© Copyright by R. G. Shelton

The unusually hot summer is giving way to crisp fall nights, as Detective Bench Colvin corners the suspect in a dimly lit downtown Cheyenne, Wyoming, alleyway. The police detective has been searching for Vinnie Luciano for the rape and murder of Mrs. Jacqueline Webbingham, for almost twenty years. Her son is the state’s governor. With no one watching, Vinnie’s face, ribs, and groin begins taking the brunt of those two decades of frustration.

Governor Trey Webbingham is thirty-nine years old, handsome, kind, fair, but carries a deep hatred for the unpunished killer of his mother. He is unforgiving towards capital criminals, vowing in his election campaign promise never to issue a stay of execution, and remains true to his pledge. Engraved in his mind is his mother’s naked body spread-eagle on her bed. A pool of dried blood has glued her right cheek to the wrinkled comforter; aiming her head at Trey with eyes that beg for help, and justice. Stanford, his father, had physically abused him and his mother. Fear hides in the dark recesses of his mind. It lies in ambush, ready to leap out and suffocate him when the darkness falls. A fear he cannot dispossess. Perhaps it is his sense of loneliness and his hatred for crime that drives him to his social and political achievements. He wonders if his mother had lived after the rape, would she bathe four times a day, and cringe with every hug . . . Even his. Would she still smell like sweet flowers? The trauma that stabbed at Trey's heart on the night his mother died, and the unexpected anguish he is undergoing pummel his mind . . . waiting so many years to capture and execute Vinnie Luciano, the old business partner of his father, Stanford; the man who murdered his mother.

Skye is twenty-two, and lives with her brother, Trey while bodyguards shadow her. To protect her from their father, Trey raised Skye in his home as if she were his daughter, not his sister. He is guilty of smothering her with overprotection. Skye is well aware of her brother’s nighttime insecurities and is glad to be there for him when he needs her.

Trey is a governor who is popular and respected by his voters. He hides his foibles and fears well, most of the time being able to self-direct his rage. He is lying on his sofa, waiting for the lagging sun to resurrect itself and send the first beacon of relief to pierce his easterly facing bedroom window. He weighs how much longer he can continue to survive the terror that is plunging at his mental wellness, in an aggressive effort to escape with his sanity. He thinks of his father’s terror, his mother’s compassion, and tenderness. He hopes that this night will not treat him so harshly, now that Vinnie is finally in jail.

Sara Cummings is a prosecuting attorney he is casually dating. Trey, tagged with the nickname of "Web" during his military days, seems the perfect catch for every woman not wearing a wedding ring. Sara does not wear one. They make love for the first time. After the loving, reality again emerges and the pain returns. Trey begins suffering over the loss of his wife and son in the tragic automobile accident, and agonizes over the loss of his mother. There were days when he all but gave up hope that the police would capture Vinnie. Now, his concern is how fast he can speed up justice and execute him, his mother’s rapist, and killer. To bring Vinnie to justice will allow Trey to discharge some of his pent-up hatred and anger.

The Governor and his sister receive a threat against their lives. Someone breeches Trey’s home security and takes photographs of Skye in her own bedroom. Skye had pre-planned a camping vacation into the Wyoming wilderness that she is to start in two days. Trey believes it is in her best interest not to know about the death threat. He tries to get her to change her vacation plans. Skye refuses. Not knowing who he can trust to protect her, he decides to go along on the trip. It is not an easy decision to make because it will mean he will miss the preliminary hearing for Vinnie Luciano. Nevertheless, he will not risk Skye’s life. Trey tells his head bodyguard, Joseph that the cowboy guides are not to know they are in possible danger. Joseph does not want them to leave the safety of town.

Sabrina LePage is Skye’s best friend. When they had accidentally met during the Cheyenne Frontier Days celebration, she explained that someone had killed her father too, and the responsible person remains unpunished. The similarities of their lives bond them. Trey and Skye argue; Skye wins. Sabrina is coming with them on the trip.

They arrive at the Maynard's Ranch house and Stables. The guides are, Chance, who lives to fight; Buck, a seasoned ranch hand; Kid, the young Veterinarian to be; Flint, the experienced Indian trail guide; and others. Skye is attracted to Chance, a tall handsome longhaired blonde cowboy. The group makes plans to head out the next day. Charlie Maynard goes to town for supplies. He relays to Trey that strangers are in town asking questions. Trey senses trouble.

The horses walk in a straight line as they head toward the mountains. Chance and Joseph argue. Suddenly, Trey's horse whinnies, bucks, and bolts ahead with a run-away burst of speed. Trey struggles to stay mounted and loses his grip. The horse bucks Trey and his saddle in the air. He begins to roll down the side of the hill. Closely behind, in full gallop, Skye, fearful that Trey will be injured or killed, is screaming her brother's name. He survives the fall with minor injuries. Cuts from a knife were in the leather cinch.

Superior Court Judge Marta Fineberg sits in the West Wing of Cheyenne's courthouse. The hearing will soon begin. Vinnie's eyes wander around the courtroom, but centers on nobody specific, until he stops and looks straight at the arresting officer, while brandishing a whimsical grin on his face, as if he has a few surprises in store for him, and the court.

The hunting party continues riding up the mountains. Skye and Sabrina bathe in the cold river. Trey thinks about what is happening at the hearing. Sara presents opening arguments. Her evidence demands that Vinnie be tried for first-degree murder.

Skye asks Kid many questions about Chance. Gunfire explodes over their heads. No one sees who fires the shots.

After duly considering all of the evidence presented, the court finds that there is probable cause and sufficient evidence that Vinnie may have committed the crime. He is remanded to custody. Defense attorney request s a bail hearing. In spite of Sara’s protests a date is set.

Joseph reassures Trey that the gunfire probably came from other hunters who are shooting at sounds or movements. A storm looks as if it is brewing. Chance and Joseph fistfight.

Sara is annoyed that Trey is not at the hearing. The town is buzzing with gossip, and speculation. In the mountains a thunderstorm hits. The horses panic; Chance calms them down. After hearing testimony, no bail is allowed for Vinnie. At dusk, the sun descends and dances with heavy steps on Trey's phobia. Again, darkness strikes terror into his heart, giving birth to a new panic attack. As he sleeps, he longs for Sara Cummings to ride up on a white horse, dismount, and lay beside him to help him through the night. Instead of Sara making an appearance, he becomes ten years old again and his father grabs him with one hand around his neck and one hand on his crotch and vaults him across his bed and into the wall. The picture of his mom crashes to floor; the glass shatters and sprays everywhere. When Stanford leaves the room Trey turns fifteen. He has his father’s derringer in his hands, and . . .. He wakes up. It is morning.

The next night Trey is exhausted. He falls asleep and relives the two years that he had left his wife in Wyoming, while he served as a soldier in Viet Nam.

Skye decides to take a walk alone. Suddenly, a half-ton of rocks begins to roll down the slope of the mountain targeting her. Boulders and small chunks of granite, shower and smash bushes, and saplings. She loses her footing and begins to fall into the river, down the eight-foot drop. Chance rescues her. Skye thanks him for saving her life. They talk about Chances idea of opening a retreat, a safe haven for abused kids and women. Trey tells everyone to break camp; they are returning to town.

Sara announces she will ask for the death penalty. The trial gets under way. Witnesses take the stand. Evidence is given. The trial stops when Vinnie makes a startling announcement that he wants to discuss a plea bargain. He will give testimony and swear that he knows who killed Mrs. Webbingham. In addition, he can prove it. He says he watched the man murder her. In exchange for not receiving a death sentence, he will name the killer. Sara is angry and suspicious. Nevertheless, they reach an agreement. Vinnie names Stanford Webbingham as the killer, and gives testimony. Evidence indicates Vinnie’s story seems provable.

Stanford goes on trial for his wife’s murder. Trey is suffering from mental torture. A guilty verdict, and death sentence is given. Trey refuses to relinquish his authority to the Attorney General. Only Trey can stay or commute the sentence. He has never done it. It was his promise to the people. Trey and Skye frequently argue over the fate of their father. Skye tells Trey that she saw Joseph hiding outside her bedroom window. Joseph denies it. Skye makes it clear to Trey that she wants him to keep Joseph away from her. On the execution day, Trey watches, as his father is strapped down. The warden watches for the governor’s signal to stop the execution. He starts to raise his hand, but does not. Stanford dies by lethal injection. Trey awakens, sits straight up in bed and realizes that he did raise his hand. With one second remaining, he betrayed the people of Wyoming, and prevented the death of his father.

Trey senses something bad is happening, or is about to occur. He calls Buford. A voice recorder tells him that Joseph is on his way to Safe Haven. Something is wrong. Joseph had said he was not watching Skye. Is he the stalker? Trey calls Skye. Her phone is dead. Chance is out of town. Skye is alone. Trey gets in his car and speeds to the ranch. He sneaks behind Joseph who is crouched behind a vehicle parked behind the barn. His gun is drawn. As Joseph aims his gun at the female silhouette coming out of the barn, Trey yells for Skye to get down, and attacks Joseph from behind. They wrestle and jump up from the ground. A shot rings out and Joseph goes down. Another shot hits Trey in his arm. He hears a female’s voice. It is Sabrina. She has taken Skye hostage at gunpoint, ties her to a chair in the barn, and has set explosives under her seat. Trey prepares to charge through the door. Joseph crawls to a window, smashes it, creating a diversion long enough for Trey to enter and knock Sabrina off balance, as she shoots at the window. A karate kick from the ex-Special Forces soldier ends the crisis. Joseph is bleeding profusely. He is unconscious. Sheriff’s deputies and FBI storm the barn. When he had seen Skye was in danger, Joseph had called them on his cell phone.

The next morning, Sara beats on Trey’s door. She tells him they must immediately leave to meet with Judge Fineberg. Submitted to the court is an order to release Vinnie from jail. Judge Fineberg tells Trey that Sabrina has made a statement to the FBI. Sabrina had stabbed Trey’s horse on the trail. In addition, Sabrina had gotten impatient, rolled the rocks down the hill, and knocked Skye in the water . . . if she died, she died. Sabrina LePage is Vittoria Luciano, the granddaughter of Vinnie. Her father died of cancer because her grandfather, Vinnie, lost all his money to Stanford, and he could not afford a bone marrow transplant. Vinnie had killed Mrs. Webbingham and after so many years of being in hiding, killed himself with a bullet after watching his son endure pain, and he was unable to get more money. His son expired shortly afterwards and Vittoria schemed to meet Skye and Trey and put into action the plan to have her uncle Victor pretend to be Vinnie and testify against Stanford. Trey, who had promised never to reprieve anyone, would execute his father, and she would kill Trey and Skye as bonuses. The realization that Vinnie is not the man they had arrested, tried, and convicted, that it is Victor Luciano, Vinnie’s twin brother, shocks everyone.

Trey will rethink his speed-to-justice theory. Although he cannot forgive his father for the abuse his mother and he have endured, Trey is grateful he did not allow his father to die. He finally has closure on his mother’s murder. He decides he will keep his mother’s memories alive, and do what he can to help improve the system. After his term, he will not run for reelection for the governorship. He will set up a legal service for the ill-treated victims who will go in an out of Safe Haven, the new ranch retreat being run by Skye and Chance. Through his own life’s experiences, he believes he can make a difference in other people’s lives, and begin to sleep at night.