Everywhere That Tommy Goes (19 page)

“Well what
can
you tell me about him?”

“He’s a psycho with an Australian accent. Tommy says its phony, but it sounded legit to me.”

“Did Tommy ever describe Troyer to you?” Parker interjected.

“He did say that Troyer was very good-looking, smooth with women, and could easily star in a toothpaste commercial.”

“Okay, that’s a good start,” Parker said. “How long ago were you kidnapped?”

“I don’t actually recall being abducted. I remember Tommy leaving last night while I was taking a shower. The rest is hazy. I think I fell asleep on the bed. The next thing I remember was waking up blindfolded and tied to a chair. I called out for a while, but no one answered. Then, hours later, the door opened, and Troyer spoke to me for the first time. He ripped at my clothes, grabbed me between the legs, and tried to stuff a sandwich down my throat. He seemed amused when I defied him, but then he just took off. That was at least four or five hours before I escaped. It took me that long to free myself, but I was finally able to. Once I got loose, I bolted right out the door.”

Stone chimed in. “Can you take us back to where you were being held?”

Aurora pointed down the hill and away from the bunks. “There’s a beat-up old cabin down there. It won’t be hard to find. I’ll show you.”

Parker radioed back to each group one by one and asked for a status report. The response was unanimous: all was quiet.

Stone called Watts on her cell. “Anything to report, partner?”

“Yes and no. I found the car, but no sign of Sullivan. I’m just hiding behind a tree and watching.”

“That’s good, but I want to fill you in on a new development. We’ve found the girl.”

“Aurora Storm?”

“Yes, and she’s alone. Her story is she was with Sullivan, but she was abducted by Troyer Savage.”

“Troyer Savage,” Watts said, alarmed. “You mean the guy Sullivan wrote about in his computer.”

“That’s right.”

“Wow—that’s something.”

“No doubt. Anyway, keep your eyes open and call me with any news. We’re headed back to where the girl was being held.”

“Will do.”

Aided by flashlight, Aurora led Parker and Stone down the hill. As they approached, light radiated from an open doorway.

“I didn’t leave that door open,” Aurora said.

“Are you sure?” asked Stone.

“Positive.”

With that, Stone and Parker drew their guns in unison and eased toward the entrance.

Moving cautiously as he reached the door, Parker took the lead and looked inside. “All clear.”

The cabin was exactly as Aurora had left it less than a half hour before. Stone and Parker did a quick search.

“Nothing here to go on, Parker. I think we should be out there looking for our perp, whoever he is.”

“Agreed,” said Parker. “Let’s move.”

Leaving the shack behind, they began walking up the hill, back toward the camp, when Parker stopped in his tracks and turned around. “Hold on a minute. There’s another place we’re forgetting about. I know this camp, and there’s a whole section we haven’t covered.”

“And that would be?” Stone asked.

“The waterfront. It’s not too far from here, and I think we should check it out.”

“Okay, but what about the girl?”

“There’s no time. She’ll have to come with us.”

“I’m okay,” Aurora said. “I can handle myself.”

“Looks like we don’t have much choice,” Stone said. “Just stay close behind.”

Locating a path, the three made their way to the boat dock. As the clouds cleared past the moon, dim light reflected off the water, providing sufficient illumination to see without a flashlight.

The floating dock shook and gave way as Parker stepped onto it. Made of hardened plastic, it was durable and light, but weight and movement caused it to react much more than a typical wooden dock. With all three on it, the dock rocked even more.

Canoes were tied up along one side, and three mini catamarans were fastened along the other. A few rowboats were positioned between the catamarans.

Parker stepped along to the end of the dock as softly as his large frame would allow.

“Check this out, Detective.” Parker said, pointing his flashlight at a free line anchored to a cleat. “The last spot is empty. I’m guessing a canoe was taken from here.”

“To go where?” asked Stone.

“There are a few spots on the lake where you could land a boat and get out without too much trouble. The closest would be Camp Seneca. It’s the only other camp on the lake. It’s also the easiest way to get back to the road. In all other directions, there are deep woods for miles and no way out, especially on a dark night like this.”

“How long would it take to get there?”

“By water, I’d say less than a half hour.”

“That doesn’t give us much time,” said Stone. “Can you radio your men and get a group over there?”

Parker pulled the radio from his hip. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

CHAPTER 57

As I approach Camp Seneca, clouds are passing in front of the moon. It’s so damn dark I can’t make out the shoreline, so I don’t know exactly where I am. I was here a bunch of times when I was a kid, doing raids and shit, and I know the layout. Seneca is big, much bigger than Lakewood, but once I’m on land, as long as I stay on the paths, I should be okay. Right now, all I have to do is locate the docks.

I wait a bit until the clouds clear out. Then the light comes back, and I can just about see my way clear to the shore. It looks like they haven’t set up for summer yet; there are no rowboats or canoes. The dock is empty, so I coast in, use the paddle to pull me over, and grab the first cleat I can. You’ve got to be careful getting out of these canoes, though. One wrong move, they tip, and you get dumped into the water. I remember that from camp. I must have fallen in at least a half-dozen times, before I got the hang of these contraptions. One thing I learned for sure: don’t ever stand up in one.

Anyway, I kind of roll-slide and pull myself out, while holding onto the cleat. Smooth as silk, I don’t get wet at all.

There’s no line to tie the thing up, so I just let it go and watch as it slowly floats away. I know the general direction where the road is, but I still have to climb the hill and make my way through the camp. Seneca isn’t set up like Lakewood, though. The boy’s camp is far away from the girl’s camp and set into the woods, close to the lake. You have to go all the way through the boy’s side, past the basketball courts, over another hill, and past the pool before you reach the girl’s camp. I guess they were real worried that the boys would sneak over to the girls in the
middle of the night, so they kept them totally separated. There is almost no way you can get from one side to the other without being seen. Lakewood is just the opposite. All you have to do is go out the back of the bunk, head into the woods, and circle around and you’re at the girl’s bunks in no time.

As I walk off the dock, and onto dry land, more hazy memories begin flashing inside my head. I start remembering times me and some of the other guys raided Seneca and scared the crap out of the kids here. One time, we came over with a Molotov cocktail and accidentally started a fire by the basketball courts. We were only planning to drop the thing in a garbage can, but someone saw us and one of the guys just threw it as we ran. It landed near the wooden bleachers, and they caught fire. We got out without getting caught, but everyone at Seneca suspected it was guys from Lakewood. They just never found out which guys.

Yeah, and the Seneca kids raided us, too. But it was easier for them because of how Lakewood was set up. It was no problem getting in and wandering around the camp without anyone knowing.

But all that stopped after Ellen got killed. No one would dare go back in the woods at night after that.

CHAPTER 58

With their lights off, two patrol cars rolled into the gravel lot at Camp Seneca. Soundlessly, five men exited the vehicles. A sixth man stayed back to cover the road.

Sergeant Fess Scottler had the command. “All right, boys, flashlights off, fan out, and let’s move down toward the waterfront. Best to stay off the path and keep to the woods. I figure this guy has no idea we’re onto him, so he’ll probably take the easiest way up from the docks and walk right up the road. I know this place well. He has to pass by the basketball courts, so if we don’t run into him before, we’ll take our positions over there and just wait for him. I want two men on each side of the path doing a military roll out as we proceed down the hill. I’ll follow fifty yards behind and shore up the rear.”

In silent acknowledgment, the men spread out and advanced through the woods, leaving the walkway empty and inviting.

The trees along the path provided good cover, while the sounds of the forest masked their movements. In synchronized fashion, one officer held his position as the next pushed forward. Once in place, the next one rolled out, moved past, and advanced further. Both groups continued this pattern on opposite sides of the path, always staying at least ten yards deep into the woods. Scottler maintained his distance fifty yards back.

The men were only halfway down the hill when the moon disappeared and a thunderstorm erupted. Suddenly, rain exploded from the clouds, and the wind picked up. In no time, the rain began blowing sideways, drenching the entire team. Puddles of water appeared from nowhere, further slowing their progress.

CHAPTER 59

As I’m making my way up the dirt path toward the basketball courts, the sky goes black, and it starts to pour. Right out of nowhere, the clouds open up like somebody just turned on a faucet full-force. That’s the way it is around here. One minute, everything’s all calm and quiet; the next, it’s storming like a hurricane. I remember times like this when I was a kid and we’d be hanging out at the canteen when the first sounds of thunder rumbled in. We’d run like maniacs, laughing and hollering all the way back to the bunks, trying to reach them before the downpour. Usually, we couldn’t make it, but we really didn’t care. And by the time we did get inside, we were as drenched as if we’d jumped in the pool with our clothes on. Then we’d strip down, dry off, and put on these soft yellow and green Camp Lakewood sweatshirts and shorts and gather around the windows, waiting for the lightning flashes while we counted the seconds until the thunder boomed. Those were some good times, and I had totally forgotten about them until now. Funny how just being up here like this is bringing back all these memories.

The rain is whipping at me and stinging my eyes. I’m getting soaked, and I can barely see. Moving up the path, I raise my forearm and hold it across my forehead to keep the rain from
my eyes. It doesn’t help much, so after I pass the courts, I head into the woods, hoping the trees will block some of the rain.

I try to keep going, but I have to stop because it’s almost pitch-black, the clouds are blocking the moon and the trees are making it even darker. I can’t see more than five feet in front of me. I stand there, looking around while trying to get my bearings, when, out of nowhere, I hear footsteps splashing up ahead. I still can’t see shit, but my heart starts pounding like it knows something that I don’t. I crouch down behind this tree, hold a deep breath, and try to concentrate. The rain is slapping against the leaves and making a racket, but it’s got a pattern to it, so I block it out and focus. There it is again—movement in the woods up ahead.

Either someone’s out here or a big-ass animal is nearby. My first thought is that it’s a deer, but you can never be too careful because there are bears around here, too, so I figure I better just stay put.

It doesn’t take long before the sounds come right up to me. I actually sense people moving around before I see them. Then, in a flash, a shadow passes and stops. Seconds later, another one rolls past and keeps going. Now, get this: these guys are literally five feet away from me, and they walk right by like I don’t even exist!

I hold my breath and actually hear my heart hammering inside my chest. I try to calm down and keep watching as the shadows disappear in the direction of the basketball courts. Suddenly, lightning flashes; the whole forest lights up; and I see two guys making their way further down the hill. Seconds later, the ground shakes from a thunder blast.

This is not good at all. I’ve got to get out of here real fast, but I can’t move until those guys are far enough away that they can’t hear me. I wait another minute or two before I turn and head up the hill.

I make it another twenty feet before I get slammed to the ground and lose my wind.

CHAPTER 60

They fingerprint me then handcuff me to a chair inside this room with one of those mirrors. I’m not stupid; that’s a two-way. No doubt there’s a bunch of cops standing on the other side, just staring at me. What do they think—I’m a moron or something? Anyway, no one comes in to talk to me so I just sit there waiting. I know what they’re doing, keeping me here all by myself, thinking it’ll drive me nuts and make me want to confess to something I didn’t do. Well, the hell with them. I’m not saying shit. As soon as someone walks through that door, I’m asking for a lawyer.

A half hour goes by, maybe more—no one comes to talk to me. Where the hell are they? Why don’t they come in here and talk to me?

Another half hour or so goes by, and still nothing. Now I’m starting to get real pissed off. They can’t do this to me. I’ve got rights!

So you know what I do? I start screaming at the top of my lungs. “Help! I can’t breathe—help!” Then I try to stand up, and the chair comes with me because I’m handcuffed behind it. I start banging it on the floor, and I fall over sideways. Two seconds later, a cop comes racing through the door.

“Easy now, son,” this big old cop says to me as he lifts me up and sets me right.

“You can’t do this to me!” I shout. “I got my rights. I want a lawyer.”

“Yes, you do have rights, and you are entitled to a lawyer, but we also have procedures here, and all this takes time. So you’ll just have to wait until we process you. In the meantime,
I’m Captain Parker, and you are a guest at my facility. I expect my guests to act accordingly, so try to control your outbursts.”