A number of factors were contributing to his condition - factors that had come crashing into his life all at once that morning. His anxiety vacillated from excitement to panic as he mulled over the particulars well into the night at his San Francisco office.

His day had begun with a mysterious message to meet his old friend Senator Miles Courtney at an abandoned schoolhouse on the far side of the city. Jarrod hadn't been aware that Miles was in town, but assumed he was making a preliminary visit to prepare for his re-election campaign kick-off in a couple of months. Jarrod figured he'd go along with Miles' bizarre request, suspicious that this was some kind of ploy to get him involved in the upcoming campaign.

"Hey, Miles!" Jarrod greeted his old friend with a grin and a firm handshake as he arrived at the schoolhouse at the appointed time. "So what's this all about? Now, you know I don't have time to get really involved in your campaign-"

"No, no," Miles laughed - just a bit uneasily, it seemed to Jarrod. "It's nothing like that. Maybe you should sit down, Jarrod."

"Okay," Jarrod was frowning in concern as he took his friend up on his offer to be seated on one of the nearby crates.

"Now, Jarrod, before you say anything, please hear me out," Miles sat his tall frame on a crate opposite Jarrod. Jarrod watched in silence as his sandy-haired friend took a moment to gather his thoughts.

Jarrod certainly wasn't prepared for what was about to be laid out before him.

Apparently, the life of the British Ambassador to the U.S. was in danger from a conspiracy being devised in San Francisco. While amazed by this news, Jarrod was even more astounded that Miles Courtney had suggested to the President of the United States that Jarrod be the key player in squelching this plot. Jarrod had been the favored candidate for this assignment not only because of his California location and Miles' trust, but also because he was already familiar with the suspected ringleader of the conspiracy, Stephen Decker.

Decker was, by all appearances, an honorable businessman whose San Francisco-based import/export business traded extensively with China. Jarrod had hob-knobbed with Decker at many society functions and had always thought of him as a decent fellow. According to Miles, Decker was deeply ensconced in opium trade with the Chinese and was looking to make a fortune by bringing it even more heavily into the United States. Although opium was not illegal, involvement in its trade was considered shady and general society looked upon its use as a terrible vice, so Decker had been extremely discreet about his activities.

As well, the British Ambassador had been extremely discreet about his own opium trafficking activities.

Ever since the Opium Wars ended in China in 1860, Britain had dominated the opium trade. Within the past couple of years, Chinese businessmen had made strides in their own opium export operations from China to the United States, especially San Francisco. The smoking of opium had been banned within the city limits in 1874, but there were countless opium dens in Chinatown and enough trafficking into the country's interior to keep the Chinese trade booming.

Apparently, British traders hadn't taken very kindly to Chinese exporters cutting in on their opium monopoly. To protect their interests in their trade from the Orient to America, a number of British traders had appealed to the British Ambassador to the United States, Simon Glass. Although it wasn't well-known, Glass was invested heavily in the opium trade. For his own personal interests as well as those of his fellow countrymen, he had assisted British traders in opening direct lines of opium trafficking from India to the American West Coast. This maneuvering had infuriated Chinese businessmen, who were fed up with British domination. Some elements were demanding retribution. U.S. Secret Service agents in San Francisco investigating counterfeiting operations had gotten word while roaming among opium dens of a plot to assassinate Glass.

The agents' sources divulged Decker, whose business hinged on connections to the Chinese businessmen, as the most likely mastermind of the assassination conspiracy. However, details were hazy as to exactly who else was involved and how the plot was to be carried out. The only other definite detail the agents had obtained was that the assassination would take place in five months, enough time for the participants to design a foolproof plan.

Regardless of whether or not the British Ambassador should be involved in the opium trade, the United States did not want an international incident on its hands. And with American interests involved in the conspiracy, and actually driving it, things could really get messy.

This is where Jarrod came into play. He was the government's prime candidate to infiltrate this conspiracy by getting involved in the opium business. Jarrod would need to convince Decker that he wanted to invest in the trade and then somehow become privy to the details of the plot.

The trick to Jarrod's assignment was convincing Decker that he wanted a part in the opium ring. Jarrod was known to have favored the 1874 opium legislation, and he had even suggested that the city tax the drug's import to try to help deter it altogether. Jarrod would have to undergo a persuasive change of philosophy, both privately and publically.

His first obstacle was to make his family believe that he'd gone bad. Miles and Jarrod had gone around and around on this one.

"I can accomplish a lot just by temporarily moving to San Francisco," Jarrod proposed. "That way, I'll be readily available to Decker, and my family will be out of the picture. I can easily cover by telling them I need to be here for an extended amount of time to investigate a case."

"No, that's not good enough, Jarrod," Miles responded.

Jarrod looked blankly at his friend. "What do you mean? Why wouldn't that work?"

"The key to all of this is believability. You've got to convince Decker that you've truly changed and that you're ready to dive right in to the wrong side of the law. Prevailing on Decker in this regard will need to take a two-fold approach. You'll first have to convince the public and you'll also have to convince your family," Miles leaned closer to Jarrod for emphasis. "Decker is not shabby in his operations, Jarrod. He's got spies all over the place to check out new business associates. He'll be checking up on the folks back in Stockton to see if they're the least bit fazed by your new way of life."

"But wouldn't that be shabby operating on my part? If I really wanted to be involved in shady activities, my family really should be the last to know anything was going on."

"Not necessarily," Miles shrugged. "You've carried such a sterling reputation for so long, you'd have a long way to fall. And that fall would probably be pretty dramatic."

"So what would prompt such a fall?"

"Disenchantment with the justice system, interest in expanding your wealth. And, of course, your new-found addiction to opium."

"Whoa, Miles," Jarrod actually laughed out loud. "I don't know about this."

"The addiction is the key, Jarrod. It would explain to Decker your overall change in behavior. You're not going to be such a nice guy anymore," Miles stated. "That's also where your natural business acumen kicks in. Even though you're a slave to the stuff, you want in on the business side of it as well. Drug addicts are always looking for ways to finance their habit."

Jarrod was quiet for a few moments as he contemplated Miles' words.

"You won't really be addicted, Jarrod. You'll just be acting like you're driven by the drug. This assignment can be done with little, if any, actual opium intake. You might have to fake it in front of Decker at some point, but it shouldn't be a concern."

"I understand that. It's just that I still don't like the involvement of my family."

"Nobody will get hurt, Jarrod."

"Well, not physically, anyway," Jarrod replied. "And of course, the emotional harm will be the result of a front, which can be forgiven - eventually, anyway. My main contention is that they'll be concerned with my personality change and will start prying."

"Just alienate them."

"You don't know my family. Believe me, if one of our own is in trouble, nobody lets it rest until it's taken care of."

"Then let them fret over you - that's the whole objective! Decker and his minions will have a difficult time believing you're a scoundrel if your family's fine and dandy with you. You'll just have to keep your family in the dark as to the specifics of your problem. They'll see the causes, not the effects."

"Easier said than done!" Jarrod declared. "So much for my personal life. Then there's this matter of my professional life. My law career will become a shambles--"

"It'll only be temporary, Jarrod," Miles promised. "And media coverage after the operation succeeds will restore both your reputation and professional standing in the community. You'll be a hero, after all!"

"Great," Jarrod muttered.

"Hey, ruining your reputation within the community could actually be quite interesting," Miles remarked with a gleam in his eye. "We've got to get you doing something that's scandalous but not illegal, because we don't need the local authorities bothering you. And you've got to get some press. I've got an idea for my next visit to town."

Jarrod and Miles spent several hours discussing details of Jarrod's mission. He would first need to deal with the family, which would take some time. While working on them, he could establish a relationship with Ed Preston, a Stockton opium trafficker connected to Decker's ring. If he could build trust with Preston, he could be used to help clear Jarrod's path to Decker. As well, a government agent who had never been to California before would be assigned to Jarrod if any need arose. Agent William Fielder would be a stranger to anyone involved in the opium ring, but Jarrod was cautioned to use Fielder's services as sparingly as possible to avoid any suspicions. They would establish an inconspicuous method by which Jarrod could notify Fielder that he needed his assistance. Everything that the government could arrange had been done. The rest was up to Jarrod.

Miles assured and reassured Jarrod that he could pull this off. In a way, Jarrod was annoyed that Miles had put him in this predicament in the first place. Unraveling his powerful family ties as well as his professional life was going to be traumatic and would take a tremendous emotional toll on everyone involved, including himself. He could have refused to accept the assignment, but how could he turn down the President of the United States on such an important matter? Like an officer in the military asked to accept a mission, Jarrod knew he had been cornered. As visions of obligation and duty to his country danced in his head, he knew he would have to go through with it.

Back in his office alone that night, Jarrod sighed heavily with resignation. As he pulled his coat and hat from the coat tree, he figured it should begin tomorrow. He'd catch the first train back to Stockton. For the operation to be successful, he was going to have to take his time developing his new personality. And the sooner he got started, the sooner it would all be over.

Chapter 5

Jarrod reached for the whiskey bottle and took a swig. He took another mouthful and swished it around in his mouth and then spit it into the wash bowl. Then he splashed some of it in his hand and dabbed his clothes and neck with it. That should do it, he thought as he placed the bottle back on the shelf.

It was two months later, and Jarrod had established his daily routine: shower with whiskey, smoke like a factory, wear surliness on sleeve. It was taking all the energy Jarrod could muster each day to maintain his hostile front. Not only that, but he had been buying opium from Ed Preston, who insisted that most of their meetings take place really late at night. Keeping late hours was a good practice for his front, but it was exhausting him.

Exhausting him more than anything else, however, was the constant resistance he had to put up against his family. The emotional drain was worse than he had expected. He had to constantly deflect Nick's see-sawing from shock to severe anger, Audra's tears, Heath's confusion, Mother's despair. It was all Jarrod could do to keep from blowing his cover and reassuring his loved ones that everything was going to be fine.

By now, word of Jarrod's questionable behavior and his problems with the family had gotten around. The Barkleys were so prominent and well-liked, the shocking news spread like wildfire through the valley and even over to San Francisco. Now Jarrod could make his move to get into Decker's good graces. As was usual with Jarrod Barkley, his timing was impeccable. The setting was now ripe for Miles Courtney's re-election campaign dinner and Jarrod's public scandal.

After the notorious dinner, Jarrod remained in San Francisco to meet with Stephen Decker. Jarrod had put it in Preston's ear that he wanted to get involved in Decker's business, and he had no doubt that Preston would pass it on to his boss. Agent Fielder had informed Jarrod that Decker routinely visited one particular opium den in Chinatown to speak with business contacts. He usually dropped by on Thursday evenings, so Jarrod was sure to make his own appearance there that week. Jarrod had been certain to frequent several opium dens in the vicinity so that his presence wouldn't raise eyebrows. Since no one gave him careful notice on his visits and the places were quite dim, he easily faked his opium intake.

On Thursday evening, as Jarrod leaned back against cushions at a low table and watched the thick smoke swirl around his fellow patrons, he recognized the blonde, large-framed figure of Stephen Decker stride into the room. The flurry of employee activity around Decker pinpointed him as somebody important, and Jarrod saw one of the Chinese workers whisper to Decker and motion in Jarrod's direction.

Jarrod wanted Decker to be the one who made the overtures, which didn't take long at all.

"Well, well," Decker remarked as he approached Jarrod's table. "I never dreamed that I'd ever see the likes of you in here, Mr. Barkley."

"Well, well," Jarrod replied languidly. "Things change, Mr. Decker."

Without invitation, Decker seated himself across from Jarrod, who was doing his best to look the part of an opium addict. He was slumped back against the cushions with loosened tie and a dazed look. Sitting for several hours in the room's dense smoke had reddened Jarrod's eyes, making him look even more strung out. Of course, the second-hand smoke had also begun to work wonders on Jarrod. He had a peculiar light-headedness to contend with.

"So when did you discover your friend there?" Decker asked, as he motioned toward Jarrod's pipe.

"A client introduced me not too long ago."

Decker nodded at Jarrod's reply. It made perfect sense. Jarrod was well-known for representing Chinese defendants, clients that many other San Francisco attorneys turned away. With opium addiction rampant in the Chinese community, Jarrod certainly would have been exposed to the drug's use. Of course, in reality, Jarrod had seen its ravaging effects on individuals and families, and had vowed to himself to do what he could to eradicate it.

Jarrod could see that Decker was watching him carefully. This better look good, Jarrod thought as he took a drag on the pipe. He allowed as little of the smoke as possible to actually enter his lungs, but he had to inhale enough to appear convincing. Decker looked satisfied.

"Good stuff, eh, Barkley?" Decker commented. "We bring in only the best."

Jarrod offered the pipe to Decker, but he waved it away.

"Believe it or not, I never touch the stuff. Clouds the judgment."

Jarrod laughed. "I've found it to be rather enlightening, myself." Jarrod had read Thomas de Quincey's "Confessions of an Opium-eater" and was fully aware that addicts often claimed to gain insight from the drug's stimulation. On the contrary, what little smoke Jarrod had inhaled was already making his head spin, and he was having to force himself to concentrate.

"I've heard that you and Preston have become chums," Decker said, getting right to the point. "I've also heard that you'd like to make me one of your business partners."

Hey, he doesn't waste time, does he? Jarrod thought. I just wish those flashing swirls would clear up so I could see him better. Jarrod drew another mouthful of smoke, unintentionally a bit more than last time. Interesting new sensations were doing their best to distract Jarrod from the matter at hand.

"Yeah," Jarrod replied with a carefree laugh. "I'd like a cut of your business. And I think you'll like what I have to offer you."

"I'm all ears."

And it was as simple as that. Decker did like what Jarrod had to offer him, a nice lump sum to invest in the business up-front with relatively little monetary return expected. Jarrod made it plain that he was mainly interested in a steady supply of opium. Even though Jarrod was now feeling completely relaxed and a bit euphoric, he could see that Decker was extremely excited over the prospect of getting his hands on Barkley money. They parted ways with an agreement to meet again the next day for Jarrod to hand over an initial installment. By the time Decker was out of sight, Jarrod couldn't have been more relieved.

He felt more at ease about this whole thing since Decker had readily accepted Jarrod's front and had agreed to the deal. At the moment, however, Jarrod was even more relieved that Decker had departed so he could also leave the opium den. An unfortunate side effect of the drug had taken hold of him - nausea. His first objective was to make his way out of the establishment in a casual manner and get a good ways down the back alley without anyone seeing him. Mission accomplished, he stopped and finally gave in to his stomach's protests.