Chapter 19: Her Name on the Bottom

Kurt took Brent's wrist in one hand and peeled his fingers off my arm.

"Let go of her," he said.

"Get your hands off me, you washed-up..."

Brent swung with his free fist.

Kurt caught it in his palm without moving his feet, and held it there.

"I won't hit you," Kurt said. "She'd hate that. But you're done putting your hands on her."

Two security guards reached the stage together.

They did not take Kurt.

They took Brent, one on each arm, and walked him backward from the lectern.

The microphone was still shrieking on the floor, and someone in the front row switched it off.

In the silence, the governor bent and picked up the velvet cushion.

She looked at the empty place on it where the medal had been.

"Mr. Breckenridge," she said, in a voice that carried to the back wall. "I will have my medal."

"Governor, this is all..."

"Now."

Brent lifted both hands to the ribbon around his neck, and the gold disk caught the stage lights.

He pulled it over his head.

The guard on his left took it and laid it in her palm.

The governor closed her fingers on it.

"The state of California has been fooled," she said. "I'm sorry. I will not be fooled again."

She turned to the room.

"Tonight's award is withdrawn. I am referring the footage to the state police and the aviation board."

"As of this moment, Mr. Breckenridge's air operator certificate is suspended."

A man in a gray suit at table three stood up and said, "I'll draft that order tonight, Governor."

"Thank you."

The heavy woman who chaired the county fire board stood up at the back of the ballroom, where nobody had noticed her sitting.

Keep reading free with an account. Start The Burning Road to Divorce After the Fire from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.