An Empty Sky - Review and an excerpt

5.0 out of 5 stars   
"A fascinating and thought-provoking read!"   September 8, 2010  
Midwest Book Review     This review is from: An Empty Sky (Paperback)

Vengeance only inspires more vengeance. "An Empty Sky" tells the story of neurotic trader Cecil Clemenzi as he digs his own hole of paranoia when he has a rival trader's daughter killed and soon finds himself on the opposite end of the revenge game. Fleeing and starting over are not things easily done, and makes "An Empty Sky" a fascinating and thought-provoking read.


              5.0 out of 5 stars  
"A Fast-Paced Ride!"    September 30, 2011 
Susan Schoenberger - Author of A WATERSHED YEAR 
This review is from: An Empty Sky (Paperback) 

The title proves prescient in "An Empty Sky" as the characters move past the initial storm-induced drama to a place where they seek clarity but often find emptiness instead. Author Frank Drury moves along the action with brisk dialogue and plotting as the story of Kevin Kepler, his daughter Virginia, and a rich cast of characters unfolds. I look forward to seeing more from Frank Drury.

                                       
AN EMPTY SKY - a novel

Cecil Clemenzi grew up in a Cleveland suburb where he was taunted and bullied from early childhood into adolescence. By the time he graduated from NYU and landed his first job as a runner at the New York Commodity Exchange, he was on his way to becoming an emotionally fragile yet surprisingly determined floor trader. One morning, following a freeze in Florida that sends the price of Orange Juice futures sharply higher, he loses everything in just one trade. Cecil blames a more successful floor trader, Kevin Kepler, for his loss and is determined to inflict as much retribution as possible on him. First, through one of his 'connected' relatives, Cecil tries to have Kepler's daughter killed in a boating accident the following summer, just as a Category 5 Hurricane is approaching the East Coast. Ocean City, Maryland is evacuated as the storm threatens to head inland up the Chesapeake Bay towards Annapolis and Baltimore. Cecil then goes after Kepler's closest family friends. Finally, consumed with paranoia once he realizes that Kepler, a former mercenary and arms dealer, is now ruthlessly seeking his own revenge, Cecil embarks on a desperate yet somewhat comical road trip that takes him to Laramie, Wyoming, where he unsuccessfully tries to start a new life. Alone, confused, and very afraid, he decides to go back home and meet his fate.

 
                                 An Empty Sky - an excerpt

Kevin Kepler walked along the windswept beach, straining his eyes to see a sign of some kind from the rough, pounding waves that roared into the ordinarily calm inlet at Fenwick Island, Delaware. The sky was dark gray and although it had not yet begun to rain, it was obviously going to start pouring very soon. The cloud cover was solid and visibility was limited to only a mile as Kevin stared out into the rolling swells. The wind slapped the brown lapel of his jacket up against the side of his somber, chiseled face, a face that said little about the forty-seven years of his life, yet also seemed to say something very specific at the same time.

His daughter, Virginia, had been missing since the day before when she and her boyfriend had set out on a quick sail to take advantage of the good winds the hurricane was bringing up from North Carolina. She and her boyfriend had gone out against Kevin’s wishes and over twenty-four hours had now passed. He had been walking the beach since dawn, not so much thinking that he might find her, but more in an effort to remain composed. He knew the Coast Guard was looking for her and, more importantly, he knew two friends of his from his days as a Special Forces Major were also out looking for her in a helicopter. He preferred walking the beach to staying up at the house with Megan, his wife, and her father, as they listened for some radio message from the Coast Guard. His daughter, Virginia, was from his first wife, Liz, who had died over ten years ago.

A few seagulls glided aimlessly through the wind over the breaking waves and Kevin’s mind grew closer to feeling what he needed to feel. A growing calm, a serenity that seemed to slowly come over him, growing in intensity, finally leaving him with the balance he desired and always seemed to obtain. He took great pride in his many achievements and it showed when he spoke of them in his own offhand sort of way, especially showing when he grinned like a little boy before his face would quickly take on a deeply serious expression.

Up in the main house, an expansive Cape-Cod that Kevin’s family had built many years ago only a short distance from the water, Megan sat nervously entertaining her guests. Her father had driven down from Baltimore the night before and at seventy-five was still the energetic soul he had been for as long as she could remember, the same unknown scientist who, thirty years ago, had given the world a vaccine for polio just days after Salk had announced his own vaccine. Just as it had not discouraged him at all when he missed his chance at fame back then, it now seemed that he was equally unperturbed by what he called their current predicament. His balding head was splotched with liver spots and his wire-rimmed spectacles moved up and down on his nose when he talked in an animated fashion. One could easily picture him as a young man, which for somebody his age was extremely flattering. He spoke to his daughter as she stood up against the big bay window, staring down at Kevin on the beach below.

“Relax, Meg, What do you figure she went off and did? Anyway, I know she’s all right, just fine, sitting somewhere right now having a cup of hot cocoa.”

“Shut up, Dad.” Megan was shorter on patience than she cared to be but that was just too bad. It was watching what it was doing to Kevin that hurt her so much. She loved Virginia like her own daughter but she loved Kevin more than life itself, and the pain she was feeling was overwhelming. “I’m sorry, Dad,” she added softly.

She turned away from the window and walked over to where the old man was sitting. “I just can’t handle this waiting, that’s all. I just wish we knew something, you know?”

“That’s okay, it’s okay. Here. Sit with me.” Her father made room for her in the chair beside him and held her tightly around the shoulders when she sat down next to him, gently rocking her back and forth as he stared out the window at the darkening sky.

Kevin’s nephew, Jimmy, came bounding into the room with an arm full of firewood. “How about a fire?” Jimmy exclaimed as he noisily put the wood down, opened the screen, and began to place kindling on the grate.

            “Make sure the flue is open, Jimmy,” said his Grandpop.

“I know, Pop.” He continued with the wood as he talked. “Don’t you think Uncle Kevin’s friends will find her?” Jimmy was thirteen and was in awe of his uncle. He loved it every time he got to come down from Baltimore for a visit.

“I hope so sweetie,” replied Megan. She loved her sister’s son like he was her own.

“I mean if she’s still okay they’ll find her, right?” Jimmy asked. For the first time, a look of serious concern was on his face.

“That’s right. That’s what we’re praying for.” She hugged her Dad and quickly stood up to move out of the room.

All of the rooms were made to feel warm and cozy by the dark, reddish-brown, Knotty Pine paneling that had been used when the house was first built. Wonderful landscapes, all originals, hung on the walls. The walls were also adorned with a valuable collection of firearms and weapons.

On the sofa sat Mr. & Mrs. Hollingsworth, friends of the family for years, since Kevin was a boy, and neighbors that had proven their loyalty and goodwill many times over the years. Kevin was especially fond of Mrs. Hollingsworth and a mother-son relationship had blossomed long ago. They had come over the night before upon first hearing about the situation from Jimmy, who had mentioned it in a casual manner, not fully knowing how serious it would soon become. Mrs. Hollingsworth had sensed immediately that it might be worth a visit. She was one of the few people who could bring laughter to Kevin’s usually stoic face, and though she had not made him laugh last night she had certainly made him feel better.

Kevin sensed that something was wrong as he stared out into the ocean, he could not quite shake it even when he tried. With an inner calm haunted by a bad premonition he walked back up to the house.

He came in through the kitchen door at the side of the house and walked directly over to the phone. He started to dial a number and then he hung up the receiver. He walked into the back study where his radio equipment hummed and several red lamps were lit up at strategic places on the front of the transceiver. He began to place a radio call to his friends. Mrs. Hollingsworth entered the room silently and walked up behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders without saying a word. Kevin extended his hand to one of hers as he continued the radio call.      

                                     
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