The Road to Round Mountain: The Betrayal by (19 page)

It was just a gut reaction on my part, as I used both of  my arms and did a swooshing movement like I was trying  to move something out of the way and without realizing it I  screamed “Move”, and it was like the truck did a 90 degree  turn, missed us by maybe ten feet, hit a power pole and a  sand berm and ended up on its side, wheels still turning.

The Sheriff opened his eyes to a clear path on the road,  looked over at me as I pointed behind us. The Sheriff took a  quick view in the mirror, hit the lights and did a u turn with  the tires squealing. As we got close to the truck the light  pole that he hit snapped in two and the transformer that was  attached to it fell right on to the cab of the truck and immediately caught on fire. The Sheriff hit the brakes, put it in  reverse and backed up a few hundred yards. Gordon was still  screaming in the back seat until he realized we had stopped  and were still alive.

The three of us exited the patrol vehicle at the same time and started walking towards the truck that was blazing away.  The sheriff was on his radio calling for help. Gordon and I could hear a blood curdling scream coming from the cab of the truck. Gordon held his hands over his ears. The Sheriff

hollered at us to back up away from the truck, and just as  we started to back away for the inferno, the truck exploded, throwing a huge fireball at least 100 feet in the air. The  sounds of flames crackling was the only sound we could now

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hear from the truck.

Gordon and I took refuge in the Patrol car as debris was falling around us. The explosion sent bits of metal flying high in the sky, now falling as fiery weapons back to the ground. The sound of the sirens was deafening as they were pulling up to the truck. Flames were still shooting high to the sky surrounded by tons of black smoke. I got back out of the vehicle, as Gordon stayed put. The Sheriff was directing traffic as so to allow passage for the Emergency vehicles. Even a couple of hundred feet back I could feel the heat searing through my nose with a vengeance. The smell being produced by the black smoke was making me sick to my stomach.

The Firemen had four hoses attempting to put out the flames. They seemed to be getting ahead of it when a second explosion rocked the grounds. The force from the explosion threw two of the firefighters back up against the side of their fire truck and quickly fell to the ground in a motionless heap.  I could hear Gordon in the back of the patrol vehicle yell-ing hysterically, but couldn’t quite hear about what. I turned to go back to the vehicle to find out what he was yelling about, when I felt a thunderous thud on the ground right behind me. Turning quickly, I noticed the remains of one of the wheels from the truck almost smashed me to the ground like an ant. The huge rim was smoldering, but any remains of the tire itself had all but disappeared.

I would need to thank Gordon for watching out for me.  I motioned for him to come back out of the vehicle. He re-

luctantly came out looking above him for any other debris  falling from the sky. He stood next to me as we both watched

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in awe of the power of fire.

I was looking around the grounds at some of the remains  of the truck that had been scattered about from the explosions when I heard a crackling sound. I heard some hissing  and then a few more cracks. The source of the sound brought  my head to another power pole about a football field away  from where the other one snapped in two. Sure enough the  power line that was thrown to the ground from the force of  the pole snapping had caused severe stress to the next Power  pole, and it looked like the transformer on that pole would  fall any second.

The Sheriff and one of the fire trucks were directly under the faltering power pole. I tried to get the Sheriffs attention but he was too busy making sure traffic stayed in  the outside lane away from the scene. Gordon tapped my  shoulder and pointed towards the transformer. It was ready  to fall and take out all parties below. I looked off to my  right and saw an area to the left of where the Sheriff and  fire was, which was no more than a couple of weeds popping up through a good half acre of sand and moss. As I  looked back the transformer threw off a bright blue arc of  light and started to fall. I put my arms in the same position  earlier as I did with the truck, made a swoop of my arms  away from the Sheriff and company to the empty field to  their left. The transformer landed safe enough in the field  but the line attached to it slithered along the ground like an  angry snake, and a deadly one at that.

The Sheriff noticed sparks falling on him and saw the  transformer go against the laws of gravity and travel sideways first. He looked at me in a way that someone might

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do in front of Harry Houdini after a performance and not  understanding what you just saw. I was with him on that one;  I could do the trick but couldn’t tell you how.

The Second transformer laid there with little activity.  The power company must have been notified because the  light show of sparks drew to a close. This was news much  to the delight of the firemen who could now concentrate  solely on the fire instead of having to dodge active power  lines as well.

Things were starting to wind down as Gordon asked, “So tell me, did you do the same thing to that truck as you just did to the transformer”? I humbly shrugged, “Yeah and now the Sheriff knows what I did and I’m going to have to ex-plain it to him. Hey, by the way, thanks for the warning ear-lier”. Gordon nodded and got us each a cigarette; just what we needed, more smoke.

The charred remains of the truck were still smoldering but under control as the firefighters put on their finishing touches to insure the wreckage remained flame free. There was no reason for that truck to be going that fast. I’m sure that there were no emergency construction projects that re-quired that type of expediency from the driver. I’m begin-ning to think that I know now that we were the target of that trucks affection and who it was that wanted us out of

the way; Agent Boling. It was unsettling for me that The  Sheriff and Gordon were expendable in all this and that I  was included.

Agent Boling had told me about the training, compensa-tion and such and would keep me safe from the other………..oh crap, how stupid could I be. She wasn’t concerned about

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my safety; I just needed to be delivered safely. I wonder how  much she was going to get. What is the going price for telekinetic supercharged people? But why was she willing to let  me get crushed? That’s when I remembered what she had  said about my foot. While I had all this electricity running  through me, I wouldn’t feel anything, just like I couldn’t feel  anything wrong with my foot. She must have known that I  would have survived the crash. Perhaps we can seek a bit of  vengeance and return her favor; though we must be careful  as I’m sure that she’s been watching us and I’m sure she’s  watching us right now.

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the FIremen hAd
 
extinguished the fire and were  packing things up as two of the Sheriffs Deputies were preparing to check out the wreckage. Marine Drive was now  open again in both directions as the Fire truck left the scene.  The Sherif f made a slow walk back to Gordon and me. He

looked tired and more that a bit frustrated. The look that

he gave me indicated that he had some questions for me. I  suppose now is a good time to let him in on my other little  secret; though seeing the truck miraculously miss us along  with the flying transformer, I’m sure that cat is already out of  the bag. We needed to talk and he looked ready.

Breathing heavily with his hands on his hips he managed to get out, “Billy just what in the hell did I just see, or  should I say not see, because I damn sure didn’t see us get hit  by that truck”? He managed to get some of his wind back as  he continued, “besides the fact that you’re full of god knows  how much electricity, is there something else you want to  share with the group”? Suddenly I felt like I should be at an  AA meeting, Hi my name is Billy, I’m a Telekaholic.

“Gordon already knows as well as Agent Boling and the  two agents that got killed, and Sully suspects something but  I’m sure he won’t figure it out”. The Sheriff removed his hat,  wiped the sweat from his brow then scratched his head, “So  I’m the only one in town that didn’t know about this; if that  isn’t a kick in the rat’s ass”. That was a new one for me as well

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as Gordon as we both had a snicker over that one.

“Billy, how long have you known that you can do this  mind moving stuff”? “Just since I woke up in the Hospital  Sheriff”, I replied. I continued the story of how Agent Boling  noticed what happened in the ER and the stuff she had me  do in the Hospital room as well of my own parlor tricks with  the TV. “Damn son, your plate is mighty full these days isn’t  it”? I nodded in agreement as now is as good of time as any  to discuss what Agent Boling might have in store for us.

“I take it that you are already aware that Agent Boling’s  been watching us and is probably watching us right now”, I  implied. The Sheriff put his hat back on and replied sarcastically, “You think”. Perhaps my keen sense of the obvious is a  little slower than others. “Let’s just say that she’s been keeping tabs of your coming and goings, like going over to see  those FBI agents; that’s what got them killed. Now that she  and I have butted horns, I’m on her list as well”.

“Sheriff I think I’ve figured out what her angle is in this  and that delivering me to where ever that place is in Nevada  is where she collects a fat paycheck for her work”. “Let me  guess, Criminal Minds”, the Sheriff guessed? “No, just remembering what she told me, then it all kind of clicked  into place. The Sheriff looked about the perimeter and said,  “You’ll need to fill me in on all that she has said to you, but  we need to find some privacy first; let’s go”, as he motioned  for us to get in the patrol vehicle. “Oh, and if we have any  more traffic issues, let me handle it. If you cause much more  damage there’s not going to be much left of Astoria”. I saved  our hide and this is the thanks I get. It wasn’t my doing why  that truck was trying to run us down; indirectly maybe.

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“It seems As
 
though you have underestimated the young  boy’s abilities Agent”, the Director stated in a firm voice. “I  hope you understand the importance that our project is delivered to our colleagues, and they want him by Monday, you  do remember that don’t you. I believe that your intentions,  although perceptive, seem to be lacking in feasible results.  All I want to know is, can you deliver”, the Director asked?  Agent Boling was silent for a moment, “Yes his abilities have  far exceeded my expectations. I knew that he would survive  the wreck but his ingenuity was quite remarkable. The Sherif and that other kid will be easy; I’m going to use information  obtained from the bugs I planted in the facilities office to my  advantage to which I will take possession of our project this  Friday evening”.

The Director drew in a heavy breath and added, “I don’t  question your ability to let’s say clean up afterwards, but I’m  sure by now they are on to you and I can only hold off a field  investigation for so long. My question is how do you intend  to apprehend our project since nothing seems to faze him”?

Agent Boling quickly replied, “I do have my tranquilizer darts and before you say anything these are made with a  polymer blend instead of the regular metal and will penetrate  through his protective electric shield as long as I am within  fifty yards. He will be unconscious in thirty seconds and I  have a driver coming down Friday afternoon to help since

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they are too familiar with my vehicle. Does that sound acceptable Director”? “The only thing that is acceptable is the  success of your plan. Call me immediately after your conquest”. “Yes Director”, Agent Boling answered.

She knew that not only her financial future but her  future health relied on a successful plan of attack. The  Director would see to the latter if she failed, but she was  not scared, she lived for the challenge. Agent Boling knew  that the director was correct about them being on to her  but she didn’t know how. She was sure that Billy was too  young to figure this out and the Sheriff was too much of  an antique. There had to be an answer to this and she figured her former partners could provide it. No call has come  back to her from her colleague’s findings upon searching  her ex-partners vehicle. She would need that information  to insure her success. Agent Boling put her phone back in  her pocket. She would talk to them in person and in the  process obtain another vehicle of a less conspicuous nature.  She figured one day would be enough time for her Techs to  finish digging through Marrick’s computer, plus a chance  for the dust to settle from her failed attempt.

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sherIFF pAsco needed
 
a safe haven for not only  himself but for Billy and Gordon as well. What better place  to keep safe than the County jailhouse. It was located on  the other side of the bend and would provide security more  to the Sheriff’s liking. As we pulled into the parking lot of  the local lockup the Sherif f took a quick scan to make sure  there were no vehicles he didn’t recognize. Satisfied with his  findings he pulled into his own personal spot with his name  displayed on the wall of the jail house. “Nice, you even get  your own spot”, I mentioned. “It’s the only perk that I get  worth mentioning”, the Sherif f grumbled.