The Lakeside Conspiracy Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: Gregg Stutts
and right tackle not being available.
Most of the team had heard already, but Max needed to talk to them himself. They’d overcome adversity before. This time would be no different. He’d always told his teams that getting knocked down was part of football and part of life. Staying down was a choice. So was getting up, getting stronger and moving forward.
Max pulled the team together before heading out to practice. He was about to update them on the situation with Blake and Jared when Jack Murphy came through the door at the back of the room. “Got a minute, coach?” he said. All eyes turned toward Jack.
“We’re in the middle of a meeting, Jack, and then we have practice. It’ll have to wait,” Max said.
“Let’s meet in your office,” Jack said, ignoring what Max had said.
“I said it’ll have to wait” Max replied with an edge to his voice.
“Well, alright coach, I thought I’d let you inform the team, but I’ll just do it myself,” Jack said. “The charges against our boys were dropped thirty minutes ago.” Jack paused for affect, then said, “Come on in boys.”
Blake and Jared stepped into the room to wild applause from their teammates. They looked a little sheepish at first, but were soon enjoying the attention like they were returning war heroes rather than two guys who’d just been arrested for burglary.
Max looked at his coaching staff who seemed just as stunned as he was. When the room settled down, Max was too angry to even talk to Jack. He led the team outside to the practice field. Blake and Jared followed five minutes later.
Practice went on as if nothing had ever happened. Max felt conflicted about playing them, but without any charges against them, he didn’t have grounds to suspend them.
As usual, Max was the last one left in the field house that evening wrapping up the plan for tomorrow’s practice. Something was off though. Something didn’t feel right.
His chest felt tight. He could feel beads of sweat forming on his forehead. His office felt oppressive. He closed his eyes and tried to calm down. He was either having a heart attack or was letting the stress get to him. He took several slow, deep breaths.
Ten minutes later he didn’t feel any better, but was pretty sure he wasn’t having a heart attack and concluded it was stress. He tried to think calming, relaxing thoughts, but his mind was swirling. One thought led to another, which led to another. He wished he could just shut his mind down and re-boot.
Maybe he just needed to call it quits for the night. Tomorrow was a new day. He summoned the strength to make his way to his truck and head home.
It was almost 8:00 p.m. when he shut off the light to his office and heard himself say, “You’re a failure, Max.”
CHAPTER 9
Dante’s funeral was at noon on Thursday and was held in the school auditorium where they would have normally been having a pep rally. The room had seats for six hundred people and Max didn’t see an empty seat anywhere.
A dozen teammates talked about what a great friend and role model Dante had been. Even though he’d only been on the team for a year, Dante had made a great impact. A student from the university who volunteered with Young Life, an outreach to high school kids, talked about how hungry Dante was to learn about God. And Max talked about the great attitude and work ethic he always displayed at practice and in games.
After the service, as Max was walking back to his office, he saw Jack Murphy, Bill Jackson, the athletic director, and Donnie Black, the executive director for Northern Arkansas State’s athletic foundation in a heated conversation in the parking lot. He wasn’t close enough to hear what they were arguing about, but it looked serious. Bill had to step between Jack and Donnie.
He guessed Donnie had come to represent the university since Dante had already given a verbal commitment to play
Most of the team had heard already, but Max needed to talk to them himself. They’d overcome adversity before. This time would be no different. He’d always told his teams that getting knocked down was part of football and part of life. Staying down was a choice. So was getting up, getting stronger and moving forward.
Max pulled the team together before heading out to practice. He was about to update them on the situation with Blake and Jared when Jack Murphy came through the door at the back of the room. “Got a minute, coach?” he said. All eyes turned toward Jack.
“We’re in the middle of a meeting, Jack, and then we have practice. It’ll have to wait,” Max said.
“Let’s meet in your office,” Jack said, ignoring what Max had said.
“I said it’ll have to wait” Max replied with an edge to his voice.
“Well, alright coach, I thought I’d let you inform the team, but I’ll just do it myself,” Jack said. “The charges against our boys were dropped thirty minutes ago.” Jack paused for affect, then said, “Come on in boys.”
Blake and Jared stepped into the room to wild applause from their teammates. They looked a little sheepish at first, but were soon enjoying the attention like they were returning war heroes rather than two guys who’d just been arrested for burglary.
Max looked at his coaching staff who seemed just as stunned as he was. When the room settled down, Max was too angry to even talk to Jack. He led the team outside to the practice field. Blake and Jared followed five minutes later.
Practice went on as if nothing had ever happened. Max felt conflicted about playing them, but without any charges against them, he didn’t have grounds to suspend them.
As usual, Max was the last one left in the field house that evening wrapping up the plan for tomorrow’s practice. Something was off though. Something didn’t feel right.
His chest felt tight. He could feel beads of sweat forming on his forehead. His office felt oppressive. He closed his eyes and tried to calm down. He was either having a heart attack or was letting the stress get to him. He took several slow, deep breaths.
Ten minutes later he didn’t feel any better, but was pretty sure he wasn’t having a heart attack and concluded it was stress. He tried to think calming, relaxing thoughts, but his mind was swirling. One thought led to another, which led to another. He wished he could just shut his mind down and re-boot.
Maybe he just needed to call it quits for the night. Tomorrow was a new day. He summoned the strength to make his way to his truck and head home.
It was almost 8:00 p.m. when he shut off the light to his office and heard himself say, “You’re a failure, Max.”
CHAPTER 9
Dante’s funeral was at noon on Thursday and was held in the school auditorium where they would have normally been having a pep rally. The room had seats for six hundred people and Max didn’t see an empty seat anywhere.
A dozen teammates talked about what a great friend and role model Dante had been. Even though he’d only been on the team for a year, Dante had made a great impact. A student from the university who volunteered with Young Life, an outreach to high school kids, talked about how hungry Dante was to learn about God. And Max talked about the great attitude and work ethic he always displayed at practice and in games.
After the service, as Max was walking back to his office, he saw Jack Murphy, Bill Jackson, the athletic director, and Donnie Black, the executive director for Northern Arkansas State’s athletic foundation in a heated conversation in the parking lot. He wasn’t close enough to hear what they were arguing about, but it looked serious. Bill had to step between Jack and Donnie.
He guessed Donnie had come to represent the university since Dante had already given a verbal commitment to play