Everyone was gathered in the main room of the lodge, watching the news when a blurb came on about Ray Moss and the ultra nice funeral his wife had arranged for him. Max looked visibly disturbed, Jim noticed. After the others had dispersed, Jim went over to talk with Max.
“What’s troubling you, Max? You seemed upset by the news.”
“I have had a lot of time to think while I have been tied up here, Jim. You know there was no funeral or even acknowledgement of the addicts or the elderly who were, um, what would you say, disposed of in Portland. This man, Ray Moss, was one of the main men who arranged things for their death. He got a fine funeral and send-off. It just doesn’t seem right. I was all for getting rid of them. It was a boost to population control and made property values better and cleaned up the city, but I am having second thoughts now. Bruce didn’t have a lavish funeral, but it was heart-felt and I think he would have loved it. That isn’t what I am trying to say. I think I have been wrong. When I go back to work, I am going to ask to be reassigned. I can’t be involved with that ending of human life anymore. Living with you folks has opened my eyes. You are all hard workers and you do it together as a team! You care about each other and this is the way society should work. Oh, I don’t know how to say what I am thinking.”
Jim said, “I understand. I had given up on society after my buddy on Wall Street screwed me over and then took my wife on top of it all. I hardened my heart. You can change, Max. In fact, I think you already are.”
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Jim went to talk with Donald. “Donald, I think we may have the solution of what to do with Max.” He explained what Max had told him and asked if Donald could come talk to him.
Donald said, “I don’t know, Jim. FBI agents are pretty sneaky. After Carl told me about the speech Max made congratulating the people who disposed of the addicts and after him pursuing us and almost killing us all, I would have a hard time trusting him. I will come talk with him, but I just don’t have much faith that he has changed.”
When they went back to Max, he asked if he could have his cell phone to make a call. Jim looked at Donald and stood up to get Max’s phone. When Max got his phone, he called his boss and put it on speaker phone. His boss asked, “Where have you been, Max? I haven’t been able to get in touch with you for almost a month and you said you would only be gone on your vacation for two weeks.”
Max said “I’ve been all tied up and couldn’t call. I’ll explain later. Boss, I can’t work at that job anymore, could you please reassign me?”
The boss said, “If it has affected you that much, I do have another job I will put you on.”
Max thanked him and they said they would talk later. “ I wanted to ask you, Donald, if you would feel comfortable taking me back to the houseboat now. I need to return it to the owner and I need to get back to work. I think I have learned a valuable lesson here, but I need to go home.”
“How can I know you won’t just get a bunch of guns and ammo and come back up here and kill us all?”
“Well, I guess you are going to have to decide if you can trust me. I have no way to convince you,” Max said.
“Let us talk it over and we will get back to you,” Donald said.