The Final Shortcut (32 page)

“What did you find in there?” Clyde could see the awful expression on Ramone’s face and it was clear he was upset.

“Nothing…officially. That is until I get a chance to verify it.” He put his hand up to his mouth and swallowed hard, trying to hold on to his lunch. “Can you tell me which direction he went? I’d like to try and follow his trail while it’s fresh.” Before Clyde could speak, a short round man with snow-white hair stepped up and said.

“That’s easy.” He turned and pointed toward the parking lot. “Their property borders that dirt road all the way to the state road. But it’s nothing but trees and rocks.” He motioned to Ramone to follow him. “If you want I can show you to the cut-off, but I wouldn’t want to go in there alone. Ain’t no tellin’ where he could be. An’ Clyde’s right, Junior could shoot the knees off a gnat.” The old man led Ramone out to the side of the road and pointed out a line of power poles that cut through the property. “Just under that forth pole is the driveway to his Momma’s house, and just past that is a road to the left that leads deep in the woods.” Ramone shook hands with him and turned back toward the restaurant.

“I think I will just ride down there and take a quick look.” He smiled at the old man and patted him on the shoulder. “Thanks for all the help, tell Clyde I’ll catch up with him later.” When they parted, Ramone headed for his car and the old man wobbled as he ran back inside.

Chapter 25

Her hands were shaking so much she had trouble lighting a cigarette. But with perseverance she was finally able to get a long satisfying drag. Only to find that she had half of one burning in the ashtray. The realization made her want to cry again so she decided to sit down. Just a few minutes before she had seen Junior fly past her house in an unusual hurry. The way he drove seemed frantic. And even at the distance she was from the road, she could sense something that made her quake in her shoes. There was something terribly wrong and she had to do something. Most of her life she tried to ignore the premonitions, but she could no longer. Everything in her was forcing her to take action, and for the first time today she started to feel clear headed. Wiping away the last of her tears she decided to call Junior's cell phone and ask him what was going on. As she stood there she noticed another car driving past and turning onto their property. Somehow she knew he was following Junior. The phone was right next to her knee so she snatched it up and started dialing. Instead of calling her son she called the one person she knew that could make sense of it all, Clyde.

Rosa answered the phone and immediately filled her in on all the details. Within two minutes she was in her car and on her way to the restaurant to see Clyde. She had never been more frightened in her life. And it broke her heart to finally admit that it was her son she was so afraid of.

***

Junior sprayed gravel fifteen feet behind him as he took the last turn to his mine. He almost overshot the corner and had to jam on his brakes. His mind was not on his driving. Somehow that Special agent had found out about him and it disturbed him tremendously. All the precautions he took, all the studying, he had gone to extraordinary lengths to insure his security. And yet someone was on his trail. For the first time he wasn’t the hunter, he was being hunted.

Once he got inside he would be safe, no one would ever find him once he got inside. The closer he got to the mine, the harder he searched for his remote door opener. And when he slid to a stop in front of the door he still hadn’t found it. His anxiety level jumped up a few notches when he realized it was lost. Then he remembered what he used before he had the remote and spun more gravel as he backed up to the manual switch.

He hadn’t used the hidden switch for so long he had to pull some branches out of the way to find it. In a near panic he yanked the limbs aside. his breathing was so frantic he nearly hyperventilated. The groaning sound of the machinery was a welcome sound and it had an immediate calming effect. The huge hydraulic lifts easily pushed the door open and he drove in triumphantly. He had worked for years to make his lair an impenetrable fortress. And as he watched the door close he felt very safe. The darkness inside seemed comforting. The gloom had become his friend. By the time he parked next to his apartment he felt quite cocky.

“Nobody will ever find this place. I’m way too smart for ’em. They couldn’t find me here if I hung a sign up and….” Suddenly he remembered the hatch under the shack. Somehow those other two had found it and it seemed logical that someone else might. He quickly ran for his tools and a hand full of nails. He had to seal that trapdoor before someone came poking around. This time he would be prepared. This time he would stay in control.

Slowly he rolled up to a huge log that was blocking the dirt road. And judging from its condition, it had been there for many years. It struck him as very suspicious that a blocked road would look so well maintained. A spooky feeling crawled down his back and he jerked his head around to look to the rear. Just for security he drew his sidearm and laid it in his lap. “Just a little healthy paranoia there Ray.”

He knew he was on the right road because Junior's trail was easy to follow. And after he backed around the turn in the road he started looking for a way past the blockage. And it wasn’t hard to locate. Junior’s tires had dug a furrow that a girl scout could find.

Ever mindful that he was in unfamiliar territory, he kept his eyes wide open. Something kept reminding him to stop before he went too far. He pulled down the trail much slower this time. But before he drove two dozen yards he stopped. The road seemed to dead-end into a rocky hill thirty yards ahead and the terrain around him was getting drastically steeper. “This seems like a good time to turn around and go for help.”

Somewhere nearby was a killer with a twisted face and a twisted brain to match. And right now he was the only thing in this scenario that was out of place. He felt like a fish in a barrel, the worst place to be when the shooting starts. There were most likely clues right outside his vehicle but he wasn’t getting out. The longer he sat there pondering his situation the jumpier he got. He knew he was in danger, and he felt that he was being watched.

***

Junior climbed out of the hatch and went to the sink for a drink of water. All the excitement and his trek through the mine left him parched. His little cabin was a comfort, and in many ways it was home. He was always happiest when he was alone in the woods. No one ever bothered him out here. The water was cool and refreshing going down his throat, and even more refreshing when he washed his face. Dripping wet he grabbed a towel and walked to open the door. The view from his cabin was one the most spectacular on the mountain. A broad vista that spanned many miles that lay before him. And due to some careful pruning he could also see the entrance to his mine and the road leading to it. To his horror there was some movement, a car was pulling down the road to his mine.

In a flash he ran back in the cabin, he had to have a weapon but his rifle was in the mine. Being too far to climb down quickly he had to find something, now! The shotgun he had over the door was in the mine as well, placed in a pose with Taipei’s skeleton. Then he remembered the pistol sewn into the mattress for emergencies. With his pocket knife he opened the stitching, grabbed the pistol and ran back outside. Easily maneuvering through the trees he quickly ran down to the bend in the road next to his roadblock. Off to his left he heard a car engine and he quickly ran toward it, weapon at the ready. But he was two seconds too late, only a cloud of dust remained. He could almost see the outline of a car speeding away, and it was already well out of range.

No time to lose, he ran back to the cabin and collected his tools. He had to finish securing the hatch and get back inside where it was safe. The anxiety consumed him again and he felt terribly afraid. Clumsily nailing the hatch closed behind him he retreated deep into his sanctuary.

At the bottom of the ladder he stopped to catch his breath. Nothing in his experience had prepared him for this. For the first time since his father’s death he didn’t know what to do. After the RV incident the voice in his head had become a terror. A voice that he hadn’t wanted to hear. One that he had finally been able to quiet. The voice of guidance that had aided him all his life was now silent. A few tears of desperation ran down his cheek and he walked blindly through the passage. Twice he stumbled into the wall, the dirt filling his shirt. But his self-defense mechanisms refused to admit defeat and he stopped crying and started laughing. As he passed the cavern of skeletons he stopped to view his prizes.

He beamed as he walked the length of the wall, checking each carefully. He wired his victims bones together with such mastery that they almost looked alive. The new additions were seated together, posed as they died. Taipei was holding the shotgun over his head, a feat Junior was very proud of. Fudd was standing next to him with his pistol drawn, and on the arm bone he had tried to redraw the tattoo. A treatment that he thought was particularly funny. At the other end of his collection was Marty. A comparatively sloppy looking skeleton, his skill was much more refined now. And he felt triumphant that he had accomplished so much in his life. He stood at his father’s feet and stared blankly into his empty eye sockets. The dim light cast a ghostly glow to the bones.

Tears and dirt had collected on his cheeks and the mud ran into the corner of his mouth. In a slow detached movement, he wiped the dirt from his mouth never changing his gaze. The cold empty eyes of a madman, wide-open and blankly staring. Slowly he looked down at his hand and the mud brought back a flood of memories. Memories of his father’s death and of his traumatic escape from certain death. The most horrific time he had ever known and to think of it now only gave him strength. A twisted grin formed in the corner of his deformed lips and he mumbled something under his breath.

“I beat you….not going to give you another chance to get me.” He started to move about the chamber talking louder and louder. “You thought you could claim my soul all those years ago, but you couldn’t. You got daddy but you couldn’t get me.” he laughed out loud and strutted confidently, shouting to the heavens. “No way you’re gonna call me up before I’m ready. I was scared of the tunnels then, but not now. I can stay down here forever if I want to.” Walking proudly up to Marty’s skeleton he stopped at his feet and put his hands on his hips. “You ain’t talking now. What’s the matter? Got no tongue?” The look on his face was one of sheer delirium. “I don’t need you to tell me anything anyhow. I can take care of myself.” An evil grimace crossed his lips and he bent closer to Marty. “And if that special agent comes poking around again I’ll take care of him too.” A sudden calm came over him and his expression changed from irrepressible evil to an almost angelic placidness.

He turned away, put his hands in his pockets, walked toward his apartment and started singing. “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor……”

Chapter 26

Ramone walked into the Sheriff’s office and immediately caught Rosa’s attention. She had the phone cradled on her shoulder and the radio mike in her hand when she waved him over. Her long black hair stuck to her forehead in a patch of sweat. Her pudgy fingers flew over the dials and buttons that was the nerve center of the police department. The chatter over the radio told him that the rest of the officers were on the lookout for his comrades and also looking out for Junior. It made him feel reassured that Bontonville had a competent Sheriff. A fact he was made sure of as he watched and listened. She signed off the radio turned to look at him while she finished her phone conversation.

“Yes sir he’s standing right in front of me now. I will….ok…ok goodbye.” Pulling her hair back she managed an insincere smile and stuck out her hand. “Rosa Perez, I’m so glad you’re here.”

Ramone shook her hand and held on to it for a brief moment. “Well, I’m sorry that we had to meet like this. I can see that you really keep everyone on their toes around here.”

“You better believe it. Your friends are on their way. Agent Taylor and six others will be here in about twenty minutes. How’s Clyde?” She held on to his hand and led him toward Clyde’s desk.

“He’s going to be fine, just a flesh wound to his arm. Have you been with him a long time?”

“We went to school together, played hooky together and…” She choked on her next words and pulled a tissue from her pocket as they sat at the desk. “I just can’t believe that Junior would do something like this. He’s always been such a quiet boy, always helping out other people.” A pained look crossed her face and she wiped her eyes repeatedly.

“It seems like everyone thinks the same way, unfortunately the quiet ones are the ones you have to look out for. Didn’t your mother tell you that?” Ramone turned on the charm and tried to comfort her.

She grinned slightly and looked up at him. “Momma didn’t mention it, just as long as he was Catholic and spoke Spanish.”

“Is that all?” They exchanged glances for a second. She quickly gained her composure and decided to get back to work.

“Thanks, you must have had a good mother too. She taught you well. Are you married?” Her normal jovial manner had returned and she stood up waiting for an answer.

“No, aren’t you?” He curled up an eyebrow and looked at her left hand for a ring.

“I’m not asking for myself young man. I have a niece that is just beautiful, and she can cook almost as good as I can.” She cast him a sideways glance and put her hands on her well-rounded hips. Without waiting for a response she turned to leave. “I’ve got some coffee coming and a few more chairs. The radio and phone lines have been cleared. Some of our local hunters are on their way with their dogs. And if there’s anything else you need, holler.” With a flip of her head she sauntered back to her desk and back to work. He could only marvel at her efficiency. For a moment she had taken his mind off the task at hand and he was certain that she would be a big help.