The Boxcar Blues (39 page)

Curly called the tower while he watched for
any change in the fire. “Albuquerque Tower, this is Aztec
Fifty-Two, on an eighteen mile dogleg base for Runway Nine. We’re
declaring emergency with fires in engines three and four. Say the
wind.”

“
Aztec Fifty-Two,
Albuquerque Tower, cleared to land Runway Nine. Wind Zero-Four-Zero
at one-two. The emergency equipment is standing by.”

Rosemary heard about the emergency shortly
after Curly’s first call to the tower. She and Billy Sue ran
outside where they could see the runways. She had seen other
aircraft land with minor emergencies, but this was the first time
she’d heard of an aircraft on fire. Wracked with fear, she
wondered, with all the pilots flying for Aztec, why did this have
to happen to Catwalk?

She saw the speck that was the plane and the
smoke it was trailing. From her vantage point it looked like the
whole plane was on fire. She wondered if the fire had spread to
engulf the entire plane. Tears streamed down her face as she hugged
Billy Sue.

Catwalk started a gentle turn to the final
approach and saw the emergency vehicles with their lights flashing
standing by at mid field. He was glad to see them, but if the wing
collapsed before they made the airport, the fire trucks would just
be picking up the pieces. He again looked past Curly to see the
extent of the fire.

“
I think we got it made,
Cat.”

“
That’s what we thought at
Kodiak too.”

“
Well, if it makes you
feel any better, there ain’t any logs on this runway.”

Catwalk didn’t answer. He was on a half mile
final approach. Engines one and two were hot from picking up the
load from the bad engines, but the descent had helped cool them.
The controls felt good, but he didn’t know if he had brakes and
he’d be landing faster than normal. He’d have to ground loop if
necessary, to get the passengers off as quickly as possible.

The wheels passed over the runway threshold
and Catwalk slammed the plane onto the runway in a bone jarring
landing. He and Curly stood on the brakes. The left brake grabbed
slightly and the mammoth plane went into a slow left turn,
careening off the runway into the dirt.

Catwalk had just shut off the fuel selectors
when the right wing bent and dug into the ground. This straightened
the plane, but it was headed for the emergency trucks. As the
trucks scattered all three crewmen unbuckled. There was nothing
more they could do.

Rosemary watched in horror as the burning
plane landed and swerved off the runway. Heavy smoke rose off the
right side of the aircraft and when the wing broke, the ruptured
fuel tanks spewed high-octane aviation fuel onto the airport. The
fuel ignited and it looked like the entire plane blew up.
Desperately hugging Billy Sue, she buried her face in her jacket so
she wouldn’t see the conflagration.

Catwalk sent Curly and the navigator out the
navigation dome in the ceiling of the cockpit. While they were
crawling out, he opened the door to the cabin and saw the last of
the passengers deplaning. He followed the last stewardess down the
slide. On the ground he landed in heavy smoke, then ran to the
nearest fire truck where a fireman gave him oxygen.

He watched them extinguish the fire, which
had already done major damage to the aircraft. He began replaying
events to see if anything could have been done better. Curly
interrupted his thoughts. “I’m going down to the maintenance
hangar. Someone’s ass is going to fry for this.”

As he turned to leave, Billy Sue gave him a
hug and kissed him on the cheek. She said, “Are you O.K.,
Curly?”

Curly said, “I’m fine.” He kissed her on the
cheek, and then left for the hangar.

Rosemary ran to him and threw her arms
around Catwalk. “Oh God, you’re O.K. I saw the burning plane and
knew I was going to lose you.”

Catwalk hugged her and said, “Honey, it’ll
take more than a little fire for you to lose me.”

On the walk to the truck, she asked, “Be
honest now. How often does this sort of thing happen?”

“
Sweetheart, I’ve got
fifteen thousand hours of flying time, in all types of aircraft and
this is the first time I’ve ever had an engine fire.”

“
I wouldn’t mind if it was
the last one.”

“
Honey, most of the time
flying is boring. Something like this happens very
rarely.”

“
O.K. How about no more
fires for another fifteen thousand hours?”

“
You’ve got a
deal.”

Alton Jones had been debating whether go
with the three other inmates who were escaping. Over the years,
Jones had heard several escape plans, but had ignored them as
flights of fancy, destined to be failures. This plan, however, was
well enough though out to pique his interest. He absorbed the
entire scheme while looking for possible weak spots that might
threaten their success. His time had been extended twice for
inciting fights with other inmates, so he was still looking at ten
years in the pen. He finally decided this was his best chance to
gain back the freedom he’d lost so long ago.

Bobby Keenland talked in a whisper as he
explained the final plan, “In a few weeks they’re starting
construction at the south entrance of the janitorial building.
They’ll have to ship some of the dirty laundry to a facility in
town. With the construction, they’ve got to bring all the carts of
dirty stuff out the east door. There’s only two other doors to pass
through and you’re out of the building. During meal times, there’s
only one guard and he weighs the carts going out, but the guy that
runs the scale is working with us. If you hide in one of the carts,
you’re out of here in five minutes.”

“
They’ll miss you at meal
time.”

“
Not if you request to go
to the infirmary for sick call. Complain of abdominal pains and
request some blue bombers. It’s an antacid and you can’t eat for
twenty four hours. That explains not being at the chow hall. You
beat it for the laundry and you‘re home free.”

Thought of being a free man flooded Jones’
soul like an intoxicating liquor. Any apprehension about being
caught, vanished. He saw himself sitting on a beach in Mexico,
surrounded by raven haired beauties. And, he knew exactly who was
going to fly him to Mexico. Then, revenge would be his.

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

A week after the fiery emergency, Catwalk
set his tray on the table in the employees cafeteria and asked
Rosemary and Billy Sue, “Can I join you two?”

Rosemary beamed that smile that still took
his breath away, and asked, “How was your flight?”

“
Boring. What have you two
been up to?”

Rosemary said, “Well, I went to the doctor
this morning.”

Catwalk looked stunned. “Doctor? What for?
Aren’t you feeling well?”

She stirred her coffee for a few seconds,
then said, “Oh no. I feel fine. In fact, I don’t even feel
pregnant.”

Catwalk dropped his roast beef sandwich into
his soup and stared open mouthed. “Honey, are you serious?”

“
Very serious. We have to
start thinking about names.”

“
Sweetheart, this is the
best news you could have given me. Oh my God.” He turned to Billy
Sue, “I’m going to be a father.”

She kissed him on the cheek and said, “I’m
so glad for you two. You guys are going to have a beautiful
baby.”

Rosemary said, “We have to think about
getting married too. I got the papers making my divorce final
yesterday.”

Catwalk said, “That’s wonderful. Just find a
date when Curly and I are going to be in town long enough for a
wedding.”

“
I already have
one.”

The escape from Collinsville prison went off
like a well planned military operation. Once out, Jones ran through
the countryside until he arrived at the rail tracks south of town.
He waited next to a creek until he saw a slow freight approaching.
Once aboard he sat back and looked at the magazine article from
several years ago. Nothing could stop him now.

He eventually made his way to Dillard County
and Larry Gustafson’s house. No one answered the door so he broke a
window and entered the house. After a few minutes of searching he
found a forty-five automatic and a thirty-two caliber pistol. He
then took thirty dollars from a dresser drawer. In the kitchen he
ate two pieces of chicken, then threw some leftovers in a bag. He
grabbed a bottle of bourbon and a coat, then headed back to the
tracks. He wanted to get out of town fast because once the escape
was discovered, Dillard County was the first place they’d look for
him. Jones hopped another train and dropped off at Midland where he
checked into a flop house hotel.

He slept for four hours then walked to the
airport. After putting on a hat and sun glasses, he asked a ramp
worker, “You know where I can find Catwalk? Him and I used to work
together at Rocky Mountain and I want to talk to him about a
job.”

“
He only flies in here
occasionally. His offices are at Albuquerque Airport
now.”

“
Really? Is that where he
runs the airline from?”

“
Yeah. He outgrew Midland
when he started his passenger service.”

Jones grinned and said, “Yeah, that’s ol’
Catwalk, always looking to get bigger. Thanks.” Jones then walked
back to town, stole a Pontiac and left for Albuquerque.

Upon arriving Jones rented a room for a week
and then left for the airport, where he watched the terminal
entrance for a couple hours. When he didn’t see Catwalk, he
returned to his room and plotted his scheme over dinner.

For the next two days Jones watched people
come and go at the airport terminal. Finally, late the second day
he saw Catwalk leaving the terminal. He saw him get into a black
Chevy coupe. When Catwalk drove off, he was three cars behind
him.

Jones followed Catwalk to his house, then
found a parking lot where he could watch the house and get an idea
of Catwalk’s routine. On the second day, he saw Catwalk leaving
with a woman. He couldn’t believe his eyes—it was the same woman
he’d shot at the farm. He swore out loud, “How the hell can that
bitch be alive? I served fourteen fuckin’ years for her
murder!”

Now, more than ever, Jones was determined to
get Jackson to fly him to Mexico. Then he’d get rid of both of them
for good, and live out his life as a free man.

The next day, Catwalk was driving home from
work, when he told Rosemary, “I like Thomas Ray Jackson. It has a
good ring to it and my Daddy would be proud to have his first
grandson named after him. I know Mother will like that.”

“
O.K., then. That settles
it. Now we have to redecorate his room.”

“
How are you so sure it’s
going to be a boy?”

“
Because it’s only proper
that you have young pilot first, and then we’ll have a few girls to
even things out.”

Catwalk smiled all the way home.

When he arrived home, however, his bliss was
shattered by a phone call from his brother Cecil. “Luke, I thought
you should know; Alton Jones escaped from prison last week. They’re
conducting a search for him, but the sheriff thinks he left the
area.”

“
Thank you, Cecil. You’ll
probably get more news about this than we will out here. Let me
know if you hear anything else, O.K.”

“
Sure thing,
Luke.”

Catwalk thought about Jones being on the
loose. Would Jones come after him again? Can one man carry that
much hate for so long? He didn’t say anything to Rosemary, but he
told Curly the next time he saw him.

Curly’s advice was, “Watch your back, Cat.
Last time he showed up when we least expected it. Maybe you should
start carrying a gun.”

Catwalk thought about Curly’s advice, but
decided against arming himself. It had been almost fifteen years
since he was put away and he just didn’t think that Jones would
track him down after all this time.

Jones spent two days working out his plan
and watching the terminal to see if he could pick up a pattern to
Jackson’s routine. After the second day, he ditched the Pontiac so
he didn’t get picked up on a stolen car charge. He’d steal another
car the night before he put his plan into action. By the time they
found it, he’d be south of the border in his own private airliner
with his own private pilot.

On the fourth day, Jones decided to put his
plan into action. Although he’d told himself to be patient, he was
anxious to get out of the country and to get rid of Jackson and the
woman. He waited in a coffee shop where he could watch Jackson’s
house. After he saw Catwalk leave his home he waited another
forty-five minutes then walked to the house.

He knocked on the door. When the woman
answered the door, he stuck the automatic in her face and said,
“Hello honey. You remember me?”

Rosemary looked puzzled at the question and
terrified of the gun. She shook her head and backed slowly into the
room. Trembling, she said, “Wh-What do you want?”

Now it was his turn to be confused. He said,
“You don’t remember me, from the farm, back in 1934?”

“
No, I….”

“
Jesus Christ, lady. I
shot you. You don’t remember that.”

It dawned on Rosemary who she was facing.
The look on her face turned to one of hatred, and she said, “That
was my sister, you bastard! You murdered my sister.”

Jones nodded slowly and with no remorse
said, “Oh, now I see. So I shot your sister? Well, yeah, I guess I
did.”

He then motioned for Rosemary to move and
said, “Get over by the window.”

When Rosemary turned her back on him, he
took a sap out of his pocket and knocked her unconscious.