THE TOWERS FAMILY SAGA
        EPISODE 39
At the Mogollon Rim, the
developers had stopped
their digging. The heavy
machinery sat idle in the
dirt, covered in orange
dust. The EPA crews were
there now, wearing white
suits that looked like
ghosts moving through the
trees. They were pulling
the drums from the earth,
the rusted steel leaking
the secrets of ninety-five.
Dave Martinez stood on the
ridge, watching the work
from a distance. He had a
cigar in his mouth, but he
didn't bother to light it.
He felt the weight of
every check he ever
delivered for Robert. "It's
a hell of a mess," a
younger agent said,
walking up to the ridge.
"Thirty years of poison,"
Dave replied. "But at
least it's in the light
now." The agent looked at
the map of the estate.
"Towers admitted to it
all. Every bit." "He did,"
Dave said. "Most men would
have died with the secret.
Robert decided to live with
the truth." The wind kicked
up a swirl of pine needles
and red Arizona soil. The
forest seemed to breathe a
little easier now that the
metal was leaving the roots.
Down in the city, James
was looking at the same
photos on his computer
screen. He saw the rust
and the black sludge. He
realized that his code had
been the mask for all of
it. He didn't hate Robert.
He felt a strange
indebtedness to him. Robert
had fired him to keep him
from becoming a monster.
James stood up and walked
to the window. The towers
were still there, catching
the sun. But the name on
the side was being
removed. A crane was
lowering the giant 'T'
into the street below.
The empire was vanishing,
one letter at a time. "End
of an era," James
whispered. "And the start
of something better." He
looked at the cactus on
his desk. It was blooming.

  My books and screenplays:
 www.boomlakeproductions.com
    Turquoise Software
    solartoys@yahoo.com