Where Mercy Is Shown, Mercy Is Given (2010) (26 page)

“Dad, Dad, come in,” he called.

“What is it, son? Do you have him?” I turned around and started running back toward the house. The cops also heard the call on the radio and hightailed it back as fast as they could.

“I got him, Dad. There’s a cave dug under the basement and there’s a bunch of dead animal carcasses in there. I think he’s hiding in the cave. Hurry, Dad, hurry!”

I got back to the house and saw the dead animal remains all over the basement. He must have been feeding the dogs with the meat. Leland and I locked arms and made our way into the darkness of the cave. It was so dark that I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. We began patting down the walls and every other surface, feeling mostly rocks and dirt, and then we felt a body. I immediately jumped on him and put him into a headlock.

“You son of a bitch. What’s your name?” I shouted.

“Max Valez.”

“Gotcha.”

I told Max to follow me out of the hole or I’d be back down to get
him, and next time I wasn’t going to be as gentle. I pulled myself out of the hole so the cops would know I was coming out without Mad Max but he was in there. I wanted to watch the dramatic ending to this hunt myself.

I yelled down and said, “You coming or am I coming back for you?”

Max emerged bloody and a little tattered. The cops got most of the glory for the capture that day, but I’d gotten the man we were all looking for. Actually, check that. Leland had gotten our man that day. That’s my boy.

A film crew once asked three of my children what they thought my secret to success was. Duane Lee told the reporter that I have a way of just figuring things out. Baby Lyssa told him I have always been able to find who I am looking for. And finally, Leland answered, “I know it’s God.” I think all three had the right answer. Those kids sure do make their old man proud.

When I was a young boy, my mother used tell me she had eyes in the back of her head. She could see everything I did, so I’d better behave or else. I once looked at the back of her head while Mom was getting her hair done, to see if I could spot an extra set of eyes, but there wasn’t one. It took me years to figure out those eyes were just a mother’s intuition. And I suppose fathers have that special talent too.

Leland would follow me to the ends of the earth. In many ways, he always has. Our journey in Mexico to find Andrew Luster was as close to hell as I ever want to lead my pack. Whenever we find ourselves in some type of confrontation, Leland is right there with me, ready to pounce. He’s a trigger just waiting to go off. He’s not rash or uncontrolled. Quite the contrary. Leland assesses everything he sees and is ready for whatever comes his way. If Beth or I find ourselves being confronted by someone, Leland is already circling like a hawk waiting for its prey. He’s patient, smart, loyal, dedicated, and very cautious not to make a move until he absolutely has to.

While shooting an episode for our fifth season, I was surprised when one of the fugitives we caught slapped me right across the face. I hadn’t even bounced back from the shock, when Leland grabbed the
punk’s hand and beat him down. I always tell people I never worry about not carrying a gun. When someone asks if I carry a weapon, I always respond by saying, “Yup. A double-barreled shotgun…and her name is Beth.” Beth’s better than any firearm, and Leland is a lethal weapon.

My youngest son, Gary Boy, is just like Leland. He’s got bloodhound running through his veins. He wants to be a cop when he gets older, but I think he’ll grow up to be the best bounty hunter this family has ever produced. While most kids spend their childhood playing cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians, Gary Boy plays bounty hunter and fugitive. He has watched his old man catch bad guys on television his whole life.

I had taken my daughter Bonnie Jo and Gary Boy Christmas shopping a few years ago, when I noticed a tweaker walk by us at the local mall. I could tell he was a criminal bastard from the moment I saw him. He had a backpack slung over his shoulder and was out boosting stuff from all the stores. As soon as he spotted me, he began to freak out. He was twitching, shaking, and clearly avoiding eye contact with me.

Gary Boy noticed almost as quickly as I did. He turned to me and said, “Dad, did you see that guy? He’s a bad guy! He’s stealing things.”

I had to laugh, because he was right. For fun I said, “Let’s tail him, Gary.”

The three of us slowly turned around to follow him. When he saw us, he took off running. As soon as Gary saw him bolt, he started chasing after him. I followed after Gary, who was outpacing me by two strides. Bonnie Jo was bringing up the rear. I worried about losing her behind us so I yelled the same commands out to Gary as I do when I’m out on a real hunt.

“Stand down. Stop, Gary. Freeze!” Gary spent the next twenty minutes begging me to let him go after the guy, who was now long gone.

“What are you going to do if you catch him, son?” I asked.

“Give me your cuffs, Dad. I’ll grab him and cuff him.”

I was humored by the exchange yet proud too. I said, “Gary, he’s twice as big as you are. He’ll clobber you if you try to catch him.”

“No, he won’t, Dad. I’ll use my martial arts on him that Master Lee taught me.” Gary Boy had been taking self-defense classes for some time. Even though he was only seven years old, he was confident in his ability to protect himself.

Gary Boy’s interest in bounty hunting only seems to grow stronger as time goes on. He loves to be on the lookout wherever we go. Seven months after the incident at the mall, our family was in Colorado celebrating the Fourth of July at a large event in Denver. I gave Gary a radio just in case he got lost. A short time later, I heard him call me over the speaker.

“Dad, come in, Dad. This is Gary.”

“Go ahead, son. Where are you at?” I asked.

“I’m following a criminal. The police are coming with me too.” Gary had found a police officer and told him he had a suspect in his sight and needed backup! I’m very proud that Gary’s got the hunter in him. He’s a natural and a chip off the old block.

And if Gary Boy decides not to pursue bounty hunting, I believe he’ll grow up to become a professional baseball player like Beth’s dad. He’s got an extraordinary natural talent for the game. He surely doesn’t get that from his old man!

My daughter Cecily celebrated her sweet sixteen in 2009. That’s a real milestone in our home because that’s the age our children are allowed to sit with the older kids, Beth, and me around the patio table at night when we hold Chapman Family Powwows. That’s where we discuss everything happening in our lives as a family. On the night of her sixteenth birthday, I invited Cecily to join in. Since that night, I feel our relationship has grown closer. I am extremely proud of Cecily. She is the first in our family who will attend college. As a seventh-grade dropout, that makes me very happy. Education was never a priority to me when I was younger, so I’ve gone out of my way to see to it that my younger children don’t follow in my footsteps. Cecily recently witnessed the birth of Baby Lyssa’s daughter. She was in the room with her sister
when the baby was born. A couple of days later, I asked Cecily what she thought about witnessing the miracle of life coming into this world. Her response was unforgettable.

“I’ve taken all of the boys’ names and numbers out of my cell phone for now!”

I had to laugh. “You didn’t like the experience?” I asked.

“Not for at least another ten years!”

Right answer, sweetheart!

The Chapmans are like a pack of wolves. We want to be bondsmen and bounty hunters. We chase human beings for a living. That is what we do, who we are, and all we want to be.

Because I’m the leader of the pack, my children are reflections of the way I am. If we go home without a capture, everyone is pretty down about it. When we walk through the front door after a long day and night of bounty hunting, we’re annoyed, hungry, tired, and pissed off we didn’t get our jump. The first thing Bonnie Jo and Gary Boy ask is if we caught the bad guy. When I tell them no, they get sad too. But when we capture the fugitive, we’re like the Waltons. There are hugs, high fives, and “I love you’s” all the way around. Beth starts singing “Hallelujah” and we’re all bonded as one chord. So if any of us were ever to walk away from our show, there’s no doubt what we’d do with our lives. It’s in our blood.

I
must first thank my wife, Beth, for all of the time, effort, insight, and intelligence she offered to this book. Without you, I would never be able to accomplish the things I do every day as a husband, father, businessman, and leader. I love you for all you do to protect me and for helping make all of my dreams come true.

Next, I want to thank my fans. Your never-ending support and understanding keeps me going, especially when times are tough. I commit to being a better role model so that my actions inspire each of you to lead with pride in your own lives.

I want to thank my family at A&E for sticking with me. They knew my heart even though they were sometimes offended by my words. I need to give a special thank you to Nancy Dubuc. Nancy, you gave me life at the network. I know I must have offended you with my carelessness or, worse, embarrassed you. I am truly sorry. I owe you so much and will do my best to never let you down again.

And to Doug Jacobs, who has been a great champion of mine throughout our years working together on my never-ending legal entanglements. I will always remain grateful to you for giving me the green light to make some hard decisions and then sticking by me when I pulled the trigger.

I need to thank my legal team, who finally put an end to the Luster case and gave me back my freedom. James Quadra, Alberto Zinser,
Eduardo Amerena, and Brook Hart. Jim, you took the reins and led our team to victory with the authority and mastery we needed. Alberto and Eduardo, you handled the situation in Mexico with grace and finesse. My only regret is not meeting the three of you sooner! Brook, your precedent-setting legal maneuvers freed me from jail. I’m forever grateful.

To Bob DiBietta and Rob Sharenow, for your support and for standing up for us and doing all you can to help us through the tough times. We know you are our strongest supporters through the toughest times.

I want to thank my manager and literary agent, Alan Nevins. Alan stayed when most managers would have fled. Thank you for having enough respect for me to ask the hard questions. I knew for sure that you understood how I felt in my heart. You’ve put countless hours of your own blood, sweat, and tears into helping me shape my career and making the right choices along the way. Don’t think for a moment that I don’t know what you give up to be there for me. I will be forever appreciative of the day you stepped into my life and for remaining a large part of my success.

Anthony Mattero at Renaissance. You are an important and valuable member of our team. There are simply no words to thank you enough for everything you do on a daily basis for me.

Thank you to my co-author, Laura Morton, for coming on board for our second book together. You once again captured my voice in a way that garners my utmost respect. Your patience, understanding, and commitment mean the world to me.

Adam Mitchell. You make the process enjoyable for all of us.

I want to thank my family at Hyperion, starting with my publisher, Ellen Archer, who didn’t flinch at the idea of a second book when she took over. Thank you also to my wonderfully patient editor, Brendan Duffy, and to Kristin Kiser. I have to give a special thank you to Muriel Tebid—my most beloved nemesis. I know you were looking out for me and always had my back and Hyperion’s back, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to argue about it! You have great patience
and a wonderful calm about you that helped us navigate the sometimes rough water. I know there are many others at Hyperion who I’ve not met but who have played a role in helping me create my book. I want to thank you all for the countless hours I know you’ve put into the process.

Finally, I want to thank the Lord for His love and for blessing me with my wonderful family. I try to keep all of my babies close to me, as it’s my family that keeps a smile on my face and has given me my greatest purpose in life. It is my sincerest hope that my children understand the life lessons I am passing on to them and that they learn from Dad’s mistakes rather than making them on their own. I love each of you and pray we stand strong and remain united as a family for the rest of my days. May God be with you and your families long after I am gone.

DUANE “DOG” CHAPMAN
DECEMBER
2009