The Road to Round Mountain: The Betrayal by (26 page)

We ate in silence, not by my choosing, but I believe that  the Sheriff has his wheels turning in his head over my latest

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arrival of talent. The old manager never did come back out to  see how we were doing. Not that it matters much since I was  actually able to eat Dairy queen again, and shame the manager this time instead of him shaming me. As my Dad would  say “What goes around, comes around”, how right he was.

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40

It wAs busy
 
back at Sheriff’s office, not so much in his

office as there was a lot of radio traffic, trying to figure out  where Boling might be hiding. The Sherif f asked me and  Gordon to come out back that he wanted to show us some-

thing. Being the obedient minions that we are, we followed.  Out back of the jailhouse is just past where everyone parks  and is barricaded by two dumpsters. Parked alongside of the  building was an old panel van that looks like it used to be  part of the Sheriff’s vehicle inventory, but not for a while.  “What is it you wanted us to see”? “Just this old van here,  and what I want you to see is what’s inside”. Easy enough;  I started to walk over to the van when the Sherif f said, “No  Billy, I want you to see what’s inside from right here”. For a  minute I thought he was of f his nut when it finally hit me.  Yes sometimes the obvious takes a while with me. He wanted

to see if I could see through the van walls like I did with the  playing cards and the lady’s phone in Dairy Queen.

Gordon and the Sheriff leaned against the side of the  building as I started concentrating on the van. I could hear  and smell the delicious aroma of a freshly light cigarette.  “Smells good”. “Van first then you can pollute your lungs”,  The Sheriff replied. Focusing back on the van it took just  a few seconds before, “Your twelve gauge and a box of  shells”, I exclaimed proudly. The Sheriff smiled while  Gordon looked at the Sheriff, “Well”, Gordon inquired?

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“He nailed it. Did you hear that Billy”? I did as I faced

them with a grin.

This new found talent could be a benefit for us if we

ever get a lead on where Boling is. I can start checking  vehicles and trucks and such without having to blow stuff  up. If we were to get lucky enough to find out where they’re  hiding Jennifer before Friday gets here we might have a  better chance to rescue her with the element of surprise. I  know Boling won’t be expecting this. I know I sure didn’t.  I was starting to wonder if I had any other tricks up my  sleeve that I wasn’t aware of, or if the combination of Giant  Taser, Telekinetic and x-ray eyes would be enough to ensure Jennifer’s safety. I was more than willing to bet that if  I were to take off my gloves and force my anger at Boling,  I could fry her beyond recognition. I would look forward to  that should the opportunity arise.

I started walking back to the Sheriff and Gordon when  the Sheriff asked, “One more thing Billy”, as Gordon was  handing me a smoke. “What’s that Sheriff”? “I placed something on the little table in our mini-kitchen area and want  you to try your hand at that”. Hmm, thick ass cinder blocks;  this could prove to be tricky as I lit my reward for previous  efforts. I nodded as I blew smoke through my nose. That  in itself was not much of a trick but continued to focus on

the task at hand. The cigarette did seem to help calm things  down and help me focus. Let’s hear it for peer pressure.

It seemed to take longer to zone in what I was trying to  look at as the items got thicker such as the cinder block I was  currently working on. I was starting to see some shadows until it finally came in clear, “Can I have Sheriff’s hats for four

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hundred, Alex”? Gordon started laughing but only after he  saw the Sheriff smile as a sign that I was correct. “Smart ass”,  the Sheriff replied with a grin.

The afternoon raced by and no word on Jennifer’s location. The Sheriff’s wife had stopped by with the items he  requested from the drugstore. Her delivery charge was a kiss  from the Sheriff, which he reluctantly gave. He was one who  was not comfortable with public displays of affection. Most  of the afternoon was going over Friday’s plan again and looking up the Nevada location that Agent Marrick’s friend had  sent to the Sheriff’s email.

Along with the location, the Sheriff was sent blown up satellite photos of the area. “Round Mountain Huh, you can hardly tell there’s a town there”, the Sheriff offered. I couldn’t get too close to the computer for obvious reasons, so the Sheriff, had me wait outside while he printed off some of those photos for me. Even with the photos, I had no clue what I was looking at. It looked like a bunch of smallish mountains and not much else, until the Sheriff pointed out an area just over the first Ridge of Round Mountain. You could barely make out the outline of the buildings, most of which seemed to blend in with the scenery. I suppose that was by design.

Well, we knew the location of where they were going to attempt to take me, which I wasn’t real concerned with.  I was pretty sure that they couldn’t make me go if I didn’t want to. The sheriff printed something called google maps with directions to Round Mountain from here and gave it to me and told me to put it in my wallet. He gave me a wry look when I told him I didn’t have one. Always being

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prepared, the Sheriff opened one of his desk drawers and  tossed me a fancy looking wallet. “It’s just Velcro, but my  Deputies use them so they don’t lose any important paperwork”. Velcro huh, it sure looked fancy to me, “Thanks Sir”,  I offered.

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41

JennIFer hAd been
 
removed from the van she was in but had a hood over her head so she couldn’t see where

she was. It smelled of old rotten fish, a smell that one from  these parts can recognize instantly. She figured that she was  somewhere near one of the old cannery warehouses right  by the Pacific Ocean. There was also a slight sense of oil of  some kind and a continuous clacking of metals parts. She  was confused, she was frightened, and she wanted to know  why she had been taken, and more importantly, she wanted  very much to get the hell out of wherever she was.

A shuffling of shoes came close to her. The metal clacking sound had stopped. Jennifer’s heart felt like it was going  to pop right out of her chest. Her breathing was labored.  With that hood over her head she felt claustrophobic.  Someone pulled at the hood on her head. “Well now, are we  having a hard time of it”, Agent Boling asked while donning a smile. Jennifer looked around but what little light  there was she was unable to narrow down her possible location. She looked to her right and located the metal clicking  sounds. A very large man with crew cut hair was oiling his  weapon. It was a rifle of some kind, but not like her father’s.  This one looked like one of those sniper rifles you see in the  movies, But why would they want to shoot her, she doesn’t  know these people except……

Jennifer turned towards the female as she walked towards

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the small overhead light. She had seen her before, but where.  A few frantic moments of memories surrounded her. At the

Point with Billy, at her uncle’s house giving him the flash drive, at the Hospital where she was…… That’s it, at the  Hospital. Jennifer’s eye’s bugged out as she recognized who she was. She had hoped that no one saw the look on her face.  She knew a long time ago that she will never have a poker face, she wears her emotions on her sleeves.

Billy’s nurse, what did she say her name was? Mattie, her name was Mattie. She felt somewhat relieved to have solved

the identification crisis, but it appeared that knowing her  name might not improve her situation any. She was confused  as to why they took her in the first place. She recognized  Mattie, but had no clue to who the steroid case was. Mr.  Steroid finished assembling his weapon and placed it gently  in its long leather bag, zipping it closed.

At least they weren’t going to kill her right away, since  he had put his weapon to bed and all. That left her with the  question of why she was here, wherever here was. Mattie approached her, “Is it wise that she’s not wearing the hood”,  Doug asked? “You worry too much, she can’t ID us, especially after tomorrow, and she’ll never see either of us again,  if she’s smart”.

“W-why am I here, I haven’t”…………………. “Hush,  the only thing you need to know is to keep your mouth shut,  or you won’t see the light of day”, Doug interrupted. “How  melodramatic, I mean really, she can speak if she wants to.  What should concern her though is how will we answer”,  As Boling smiled at her. “Go ahead dear, the floor is yours”,  Boling added.

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Why was I taken, my work must be worried along with every”………. “Okay sorry dear, I didn’t realize that you wanted to bore us to death. This will be simply put. You are collateral that will traded off for other merchandise”.

Jennifer had a frown growing. “You look confused, let me make this ever so simple. We get Billy, then they get you back. If it works out that easy, nobody gets hurt. If some-one goes against my demands, well”, Boling made a firing motion using her hand as a gun and pointed it at Jennifer.  “Any more Questions”, Boling declared as she turned and walked towards the dark. Jennifer heard a car door slam and saw Mattie coming back towards her holding a bag. Mattie tossed the bag on the table where Jennifer was. She started to get up until she felt a tug on her legs. Jennifer was shackled around the ankles and connected to the table. “Eat up you’ll need your strength”, as Boling reached down by the table and came up with a bottle of water and handed it to her. Fast food is better that no food, and she was starving since she was abducted right before her lunch.

Jennifer started in on one of the burgers in the bag as the two of them went back towards the dark. They were talking very quietly and Jennifer was trying to hear what they were saying, but they were too far away. She tried once more to move her legs but the rattle of the chains told her that these were heavy duty chains.

Jennifer tried to take in as much information about her surroundings as she could without arousing suspicion from her captors. There was a window at the far side of the build-ing though too far away and too dirty to see if anything out-side looked familiar.

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“Now are you sure Doug”, Boing asked in a sarcastic  tone. “I’m positive, my other two partners will be here in the  morning, then you can fill them in about what you want and  where and finally, when”. “There may be hope for you yet”,  that is until you deliver Billy! A smile emerged on her face as  they went back to check on Jennifer’s appetite.

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42

It wAs ten
 
till eight, and according to the Sheriff some-one was supposed to deliver a package at eight. He was still hard at work on trying to think as Boling might and where she might try to set up shop for Friday’s exchange. He had the map of Astoria sprawled out on his desk as the three of us were attempting strategy. Okay make that one of us, the other two of us were still trying to locate north on the map.  The Sherif f had a slew of places picked out on the map and it seemed to me that no matter where Boling might choose, we would have plenty of cover if things went south, and the way my lucks been going lately; south was a good bet.

Gordon was the first to hear the front door open. We spilled out of his office with the grace the Three Stooges would be proud of. Gordon attempted to exit first as his leg clipped the door jamb and he went down. I would have stayed upright had I not been following him so closely. The  Sheriff mustered up enough dignity to step over us while muttering “Jesus”, under his breath.

By the orders the Sheriff gave earlier, both deputies had their weapons aimed at the front door exactly at eight.  “Come on guy’s, I’m just here to drop this package off to a”, he leaned in close to make sure he got the name right,  “Billy Speer”. As the sheriff approached he saw that the de-livery guy was close to pissing his pants he was shaking so hard. With both hands high over his head you could hear the

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paper package crinkle from his shaking. The Sheriff swung  his way through the gate and walked up to the delivery guy.

“Who do you work for son”? The guy was bringing his  hands down as the Sheriff had his hand out to take the package. “I don’t w-work for anybody, I’m out of work, l-lost my  j-job”, he quivered out a response. The Sheriff took possession of the package and asked, “Then tell me who gave you  this package”, the Sheriff stood tall as his six foot six frame  towered over the delivery guy? “I was G-getting gas and ssome lady asked if I w-would like to make some easy money.  Like, hell yeah, I’ve b-been out of work for five m-months  and money was getting tight so I said sure”. “Doesn’t sound  like you put too much thought into this. What if she had  you drop this off elsewhere and the other person shot your  ass dead. It would make it rather hard to spend that money”, The Sheriff added. “How much did this lady pay you”?  “F-five hundred”.

Crap, do you know how many video games you could buy with that kind of money. Sorry, I keep forgetting I’m seventeen. Priorities you know. “Dave, you want to go grab a pop out of the fridge for this young man”? Dave nodded and headed for the fridge. The Sheriff pointed at the bench off to the side of the door. The delivery took direction well and sat.

“Take your time, take a deep breath and listen very care-fully”. Delivery guy nodded. “I need you to try and remember anything at all about what she said, what was she driving, and if you saw which direction she was going when she left the gas station”. The delivery guy took a couple of deep breaths as Dave came through the swinging gate with a Pepsi.