by Carolina Mac
“The police are looking for his car,” she said, “because it’s not here where he always parks it.”
Fuck. They know about the car. I’ll take it to the shop and paint it.
Mason ducked under the tape and tried the door. He thought it might be locked, but it wasn’t. Then he saw why, the lock was broken. He pushed inside, raided the kitchen cupboards and loaded up his arms with cans of beans, chili and soup.
He trudged back to his own trailer with the load of groceries and lined them up on the kitchen counter. After searching one of the drawers, he came up with a can opener, opened two cans of chili and dumped them into a pot. He put the pot on the stove, turned the burner on, then went to check on Virginia.
Not in the bathroom. Not in the bedroom. Mason felt the heat in the back of his neck. He’d been so bloody nice to her and this was the thanks he got? She was gone. He’d make her pay for this little stunt.
Mason was an experienced hunter and Virginia wasn’t hard to track. She’d gone out the back door, her bare footprints were clear in the dirt, across the back of the property heading straight for the woods. Mason smiled, she was a feisty one and he’d have fun catching her.
The dogs jumped and howled as he jogged by their pen, thinking he was going hunting without them. “Don’t need you this time, doggies. Feed you in a few minutes.”
Near the river, he caught up to her. “Here you are, baby.” He gave her a big smile. “Your lunch is on the stove and you’re way out here by the river.” He grabbed her in a bear hug and she fought against him tooth and nail. Screaming so loud the whole trailer park could hear her, she scratched his neck and kicked at him.
Mason’s temper flared, and he grabbed her by the hair and struck her hard in the face a couple of times. She crumpled to the ground, moaned and lost consciousness. After that it was easy to drag her back to the trailer.
He had about twenty feet to go to the door when Liz came running around the corner screaming at him about Becca not giving her the drugs she deserved. She pointed at Virginia but didn’t say anything.
“Jeeze, I don’t need this.” He carried Virginia inside, locked the door and went back to the yard to deal with Liz.
“I’ve got a secret stash down by the river, Liz, and I’ll loan you some. You’ve got to pay me back when you get money.”
“I will. I will. You know I’m good for it.”
Mason smiled and took off at a jog.
Liz was breathing hard, but she was right behind him when he got to the water’s edge. “Let’s see, where did I leave it?”
Mason grabbed Liz by her scrawny neck and knocked her down. She weighed nothing. He pushed her head into the cold water and held her there until his hand felt numb. When he let go, she slid down the bank and floated away.
“She’s better off,” he mumbled on his way back to the trailer.
“Hi, Virginia, I’m back,” he called from the back door. “I had something to take care of, but it’s done, and I’ll get your lunch for you now.” He stuck his head in the bedroom door and smiled at her. “Won’t take but a minute.”
Route Two Ninety East.
ANNIE AND JACK were in the Junker cube van heading east towards Huntsville when Jesse called.
“Got something, cowboy?” asked Annie.
“A black Ford pickup was boosted from a truck stop on route thirty,” said Jesse. “Looks like the boys are heading west at the moment. See if you can intercept them.”
“Thanks, sweetheart,” said Annie. “I’ll be in touch.”
“Where are they?” asked Jack.
“Headed our way. What do you want to try?”
“They could be on any highway or they could have a destination in mind and hole up for the night.”
Annie’s cell rang, and she hesitated when she saw it was Farrell. “Hey, sweet thing.”
“Mom, I know you probably got the assignment on Billy-Don and you didn’t want to tell me. There’s only one thing I want to say, don’t hesitate. Kill him at the first opportunity or he will kill you.”
“I love you, Farrell.”
The Blackmore Agency. Austin.
BLAINE SAT at the kitchen table with a Corona in his hand and called Misty. “Do you have customers?”
“The last one for today just left.”
“Can you come over?”
“You want me to do something, right?”
“Why do I even try? Dating a psychic is tough work.”
“Are we dating again?”
“I don’t know, are we?”
“Is that what last night was all about? You needed me for something and you had to warm me up?”
“Fuck you, Misty, that’s not how it was at all,” Blaine hollered into the phone and Carm jumped and spilled salt at the stove. She cursed in Spanish and threw a handful over her left shoulder.
Blaine’s words were icy. “If I remember correctly, you called me, and I asked you to dinner.”
“Okay, for a second, I wasn’t sure if I was being used or not.”
“Jesus Christ, Misty, have I ever used you or abused you?”
“I guess not.”
“Damn right I haven’t. What the hell is wrong with you?”
“I’m a little uneasy about our relationship,” she said.
“That’s because we don’t have one. You saw to that when you slammed your fucking door in my face and shut me out of your life.” Blaine felt the heat in his neck—his Latino fuse was short and volatile.
“I’m sorry, baby, I made a mistake. I never should have done that. I love you, and of course, I’ll help you. I’m coming over.”
Blaine pressed end and headed straight for the Sub-Zero for another Corona. He cursed in Spanish the whole time and Carm smiled at him.
“Misty?”
“Si. El diablo.”
Carm doubled over laughing.
Lexi barked and ran to the front door. “Shit, she can’t be here already,” said Blaine, “unless she flew over the rooftops on her broomstick.” He was halfway to the door when Travis stepped into the foyer.
“Hey, boss. Got Ginny’s clothes, and some jewelry from her housekeeper. Isabel is crying her eyes out at the house, and Gene Wyman is going nuts in Johnson City. He phoned me at least ten times today. That’s a dude that takes his job seriously.” Travis paced back and forth in the kitchen. “We gotta find Ginny soon. I’m getting a bad feeling about this.”
“Misty is on her way over. Right now, I can’t think of any other way to find her fast. There’s been no reports on either of the cars and the Feds will never find her looking at computer screens.”
“Time is short,” said Travis, “I don’t have to tell you how these things go.”
Lexi woofed and ran to the door again and this time it was Misty. “Sit there, boss, I’ll let her in.”
“Hi, Travis,” said Misty, “haven’t seen you for a while.” She walked across the kitchen, hugged Carm and gave her something dark brown in a jar that she had conjured up.
Blaine wondered what was in the jar but didn’t ask. Some hoodoo blend with magical powers. Better not to know.
Coulter-Ross Ranch. La Grange.
FARRELL CAME FLYING into the kitchen hollering for Jesse and his brother, Neil, came running down the hall to greet him, a big smile on his face.
“Hi, Farrell, didn’t know you were coming home. Why do you need Jesse?”
“He’s my boss, bro, and we’ve got a little problem. Where is he?”
“In the office. He’s been in there all morning with the door closed, looking for stuff on the computer. Mom had to go somewhere with a guy named Jack.” Neil ran a hand through his blond curls. “I asked her who Jack was and she pointed out the window at his truck. Why would she go somewhere with a guy who collects junk? Is something going on?”
Farrell shrugged, then wished he hadn’t. The knife wound in his back kicked up pain every time he fuckin moved. “Get me a coffee and I’ll owe you, slugger.” He punched Neil in the arm
and strode down the hallway to the office at the back of the house.
Jesse glanced up as Farrell walked in and closed the door behind him. “Where are they?”
“Jacked a pickup at a truck stop on route thirty. Ace is heading that way.”
“Neil said Jack was with her.”
“Uh huh. He’s watching her back.”
“Jesus, Jesse, I don’t like this. Never a meaner, slipperier son of a bitch was ever born.”
Neil walked in with Farrell’s mug of coffee. “Than who, Farrell? Meaner or slipperier than who?”
“Charlie Manson,” said Jesse without a pause, and Farrell nodded.
“He was butt ugly too,” said Neil. “Didn’t take a good picture.”
Jesse smiled at Neil, “Get your old Daddy a coffee too, would you, son?”
“Sure thing, Jesse.” He patted him on the shoulder. “So happy y’all are back home with Mom, and I can’t tell you how much I love my baby sister. Cutest baby ever born.”
Jesse grinned. “I think so too.”
Neil left, and Farrell said, “Don’t want to mess up his life, Jesse. He’s so goddam happy right now. He’s gonna get that fucking baseball scholarship to the U. Aw, Jesus, I don’t know what in hell to do. You know he wants to go see that woman tomorrow he thinks is our mother.”
Jesse nodded. “Ace is not in favor, but she won’t stop him from going if it’s something Neil has to do.”
“He wants me to go with him and it’s the last thing I want to do.”
“But you’re going?”
“I have to.”
Citgo Gas and Convenience. Route Ninety.
BILLY-DON parked the black Ford at the pumps and spoke to Charlie across the console. “Remember the plan?”
“Yep, I got it down.”
They waited in the truck until the convenience store looked empty, then went in and put their plan into action. Charlie held a shiv to the neck of the kid on night duty while Billy-Don grabbed a couple of shopping bags and filled them with beer, Cokes, cigarettes and all the food the bags would hold.
He ran to the front counter and shouted at the kid, “Click us off forty in gas to pump five and make it snappy.”
The kid was pale as a ghost but did as he was told.
“Colt here behind the counter,” said Charlie.
“Bring it,” said Billy-Don, “ammo too, if there is any.”
“You give us fifteen minutes before you call the cops, kid,” Charlie waved the gun in the kid’s face, “or I come back and kill your whole goddam family.” Charlie gave him a toothless grin and slithered along behind Billy-Don.
The kid nodded his head. “I got it.”
Brenham.
THE RADIO CRACKLED as Annie and Jack rolled through Brenham. Jack listened to the codes and translated for Annie.
“Sheriff is responding to a convenience store robbery on route ninety.”
“We’re almost on them,” said Annie. “Food and booze will be high on their list, and sleep will be next. Let’s cruise small cheap motels with parking lots away from the road when we hit ninety and see if we spot the black Ford.”
“What makes you think they won’t sleep in the truck?”
“Nothing.”
Cherokee Junction.
HARLAN PACED the length of the small apartment, then grabbed another Lone Star from the fridge. “Can’t stand it any longer, Bec. I’m gonna drive out to the park and make Mason tell me where Nate is. If I find out where the hospital is, would you go in and… like check on him for me?”
“Sure, I can do that. Do you think cops will be watching his room?”
“Jesus, I don’t know, but I have to do something.”
“I’ll clean the apartment while you’re gone.”
“Thanks, Bec.” He gave her a quick kiss, grabbed his keys and hustled down the stairs.
Cherokee Trailer Park.
HARLAN DROVE into the park and saw the crime scene tape on Bonehead’s trailer as he passed by. “Cops have been here. Wonder if Mason knows?”
At the other end of the street, he parked in Mason’s drive and as he walked to the door he noticed the front door of Liz’s trailer was standing wide open.
That meth-head left her door open. Nothing to steal anyway.
Harlan stomped inside Mason’s trailer without knocking and hollered for his brother. “Mason, where the hell are you?”
Mason came out of the bedroom and hurried down the short hallway. “I’m here. You don’t have to shout.”
“Why? Who am I gonna wake up?”
Mason turned his head slightly and Harlan read the look. “Jesus, no.” Harlan charged past him, pushing his brother out of the way. “What the hell did you do, Mason?” Harlan stuck his head in the bedroom and saw Doctor Rodriguez cuffed to the head of the bed.
“Help me,” she said. “Please, help me.”
Harlan turned and gave Mason a shove into the kitchen. “Let her go. You take her to Austin and let her go. Hear me? You’re gonna get the needle for this, you asshole. You have to let her go.”
“Too late for that,” said Mason with the grin spreading across his bruised face. “Leaving in the morning for Mexico. Just waiting on the cash from the last load of cars. I phoned the guy and told him to bring the money here to me.”
“He won’t do that, you jerk. All the way from Austin? Think you can order a guy like that around? Think again.”
“He’ll bring it. You’ll see.”
“Jeeze, Mason, you are gonna regret this so bad,” said Harlan, “but it’s your funeral and not mine.” Harlan took a couple of deep breaths and tried to remember why he was there. “I came to find out how to get to the hospital where you took Nate. Give me some directions and I’m outa here.”
“Is that all you want?”
“That’s it. Write it down.”
Mason scribbled directions on the back of his electrical bill and handed it to Harlan. “Make sure Nate knows I’m the one who saved his life.” Mason followed Harlan to the door. “And while you’re in the city, pick up the money if the guy ain’t bringing it. I can’t leave Virginia.”
Cherokee Junction.
BECCA HAD everything out of the fridge and was down on her knees scrubbing the inside racks when Harlan came back from Mason’s trailer. “Find out which hospital?”
“Yep, got it all wrote down.”
“But? You’ve got a funny look on your face and you sound like something else is wrong.”
“Something is so wrong, Bec, it’s like to make me puke. I can barely tell you.”
“If Mason is involved, it could be anything.” Becca got to her feet, took a sip from her can of Coke and leaned on the counter. “Go ahead and tell me.”
“He’s got the governor woman tied up in the trailer.”
“What?” Becca shook her blonde head and squealed. “What are you saying? Like she’s a prisoner? Has he lost his fucking mind?”
Harlan nodded. “For sure, Bec. Why else would he do something so stupid? He’ll get the needle for a huge kidnapping like that.”
“Oh yeah, he will. He is so fuckin dead,” said Becca. She reached for her cell on the counter. “I’m calling the cops right this minute.”
“If you do that, they’ll want to talk to you and me, and then they’ll arrest me and Nate for boosting the cars, baby. We have to let them know some other way.”
“Okay, some other way. Like anonymous or something, but we have to tell somebody.”
“First, I want to see Nate. He’ll know what to do about Mason.”
Becca checked the time. “It’ll take us over an hour to drive to the city. Let’s go see him tomorrow when I go to Austin to get my supply. My customers are all the income we have now that I lost my job, babe, and you quit the shop. In the morning, we’ll go together and do both.”
Blackmore Agency. Austin.
BLAINE POINTED to the table in the window alcove of the kitchen. His favorite spot to sit and think. He loved it even mor
e now that the back yard was twice as big and being turned into their own private little park. “Carm is making tea for you, Mist. I know you like green tea when you do your thing.”
“Thanks. It’s not always a sure thing, and I don’t want you counting on me too much. A few times I’ve got nothing when people have asked me to help them, and then I feel like a fake. I hope I can help you this time.”
“You’ve helped in the past,” said Blaine, “and I have faith in your powers.”
“I’ve never seen her do her thing,” said Travis, “is it okay if I watch?”
Blaine nodded, “Yeah, but sit over there at the island. Carm will get you a beer.”
“I can get it,” said Travis, “Carm doesn’t need to wait on me.”
“Where’s Farrell?” Carm asked Travis.
“He’s at Coulter-Ross.”
“Si, la casa de mama.”
Travis nodded. He sipped his beer, then twisted around on his stool to watch Misty.
She picked up Ginny’s necklace, closed her eyes and held it in her hands. She sat completely still for a few minutes, then made a face, wrinkling up her nose, and a little noise escaped from her throat. “It stinks there.”
“What does it smell like?” asked Blaine in a whisper.
“Blood. A lot of blood.”
Travis broke into a sweat and he fought the urge to ask a dozen questions.
“Nothing else.” Misty put the necklace on the table and sipped her tea while she considered the other items Travis had brought. “I’ll try her blouse.”
Misty picked up the blue satin blouse Travis had seen Ginny wear with a black skirt on many occasions. She loved that blouse and the color was fantastic against her olive skin and her ebony hair.
Misty sat with the blouse in her hand for over five minutes, then she started to cry. “Water, she’s near water. I hear a lot of water running. Like a river. She’s running to the river, trying to get away. No. He catches her and she’s screaming. She’s screaming and he’s hitting her. He’s hurting her.” Misty laid her head on the table and sobbed.
“Okay, that’s enough for now,” said Blaine. “You go up to my room and lie down until dinner.”
