Fire Defender

by Rodney Hartman

  “There’s another thing,” said Tess sounding as if she were talking to herself more than she was to him. “Dad hates the brand of whiskey they found in his truck. Sure, he’d drink it if he was desperate, but he still had eighteen hundred dollars in his pocket when they found him. He wouldn’t have bought that brand if he had a choice.”

  Again, Alec stayed silent. He knew full well Tess wasn’t asking him for an opinion.

  Tess snapped her finger. “And there’s the missing key.”

  “What key is that?” Alec asked forgetting his admonition not to say anything stupid. Not that the question was stupid, but he knew it didn’t add anything useful to the conversation.

  Tess jerked as if suddenly realizing she wasn’t alone and glanced over her shoulder. “Get off.”

  Dismounting and stepping away from the cycle, Alec half expected the biker-girl to start the engine and abandon him right there. He wasn’t exactly sure how far it was back to town, but he did know it was a lot farther than he wanted to walk. Patting his left rear pocket, he thought of his cellphone, which he’d once again left on the nightstand next to his bed.

  I’ve got to stop doing that, he thought for the hundredth time. One of these days I’m going to need the phone, and I’m not going to have it with me.

  Alec gave a sigh of relief when instead of starting the engine, Tess lowered the motorcycle’s kickstand and dismounted. Once off, she turned and faced him.

  “I don’t think it was an accident,” said Tess.

  Alec noticed her voice shake as she said the words, but he also saw a look of determination on her face. “Uh, why don’t you think it was an accident?” he asked. “That sheriff’s deputy sounded pretty confident.”

  “Well, for starters, the keyring should’ve had an extra key for the truck on it. When they gave me Dad’s effects, it wasn’t there. Why?”

  “Uh, maybe he gave it to someone,” Alec said. “I don’t know. Does it matter?”

  The glare Tess gave him told him right off the bat he’d said something stupid. He beat a hasty retreat. “I mean, what difference would it make if the key was missing? Why would that mean it wasn’t an accident? Like I said, that deputy seemed pretty sure.”

  “The truck door was locked,” said Tess. “That model won’t lock from the outside if the engine’s running unless you use a key. Someone could’ve staged the accident and locked the door with the extra key to make it appear like Dad wrecked the truck.”

  With an effort, Alec kept any sign of doubt off his face. He knew full well the last thing Tess wanted to hear was him saying how drunks did strange things, even though it was true. The extra key could’ve been given away or lost, he thought. As for the brand of alcohol, from what the deputy told me while Tess was identifying the body, her dad drank like a fish. I wouldn’t tell her that, but I doubt the man would care all that much what kind of whiskey he had if he was determined enough to get drunk.

  “Do you remember I told you our trailer was a mess when I got home?” said Tess continuing her line of reasoning. “Dad got off an hour early. What if someone was searching our trailer when Dad got home? His bicycle’s quiet. Maybe he surprised whoever was searching our home.” She paced back and forth the length of the cycle a couple of times. “Dad had a bump on his forehead. What if it wasn’t from the accident? What if someone knocked him out and staged the accident to cover it up.”

  Alec thought back to how he’d wound up being with Tess at that moment in time. After the sheriff had finished with Tess, Grandma showed up at the hospital’s version of a morgue and convinced Tess to spend the night at their house. Grandma had brooked no arguments from the teenager. As a result, Aunt Mamie, Scott, Tess, and he had driven to the trailer to pack a bag of Tess’s things. Once the other’s headed back to the farm in Scott’s truck, Tess and he had taken off on her motorcycle. She’d said she needed time to think. It hadn’t crossed his mind that she might start coming up with conspiracy theories.

  Alec thought back to what he’d seen of her trailer. Trying to ease into the conversation cautiously, he said, “Tess, don’t take this the wrong way, but why would anyone rob your trailer?”

  Tess glared at him. He noticed flashes of yellow in her eyes. The air felt suddenly warm. After a half-dozen heartbeats, the yellow disappeared. Tess held up her right hand and stared at her ring finger. “Maybe they were looking for this?”

  Even though her right hand appeared empty, Alec knew what she meant. “Your ring? But it wasn’t at the trailer. You were wearing it.”

  “Yes, I was,” admitted Tess. “Maybe they didn’t know it. Maybe they thought it was at the trailer and were searching for my ring when Dad surprised them.”

  Alec didn’t have to be told she was referring to Grandma’s mysterious they and wisely avoided naysaying her. “Uh, maybe. So, uh, what are you going to do?”

  A look of determination came over Tess. “I’ve got to leave. They’ll come after me next. I’ve got to leave tonight.”

  “Now wait a minute,” Alec said surprising himself by starting to panic. At that moment, he knew the last thing he wanted was for her to leave. Something inside him needed her to stay. “That’s a pretty drastic decision based upon a theory that even you have to admit is a little sketchy.”

  “Scott told me you could be a little naïve at times,” said Tess. “I can see he was right. Were you listening when Grandma said people in your family had a habit of dying unexpectedly? Mrs. Walker and Grandma might be in danger at this very moment. You might be as well. Whoever they are, they must know about my ring. Maybe they followed Dad and me here from Texas. I don’t know. Even if they didn’t know Grandma has the Ring Defender, they might’ve figured it out by now if they’ve been following me. I think all of you should leave too. We should all split up and stay as far away from each other as possible.”

  Something dark and empty made itself known in Alec’s stomach. “You, uh…you want to leave me?”

  The yellow flashes that had started to appear in Tess’s eyes were replaced with something much softer than Alec had ever noticed in her eyes before.

  In a voice just above a whisper, she said, “No. I…I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want to leave any of you.” Her eyes became shiny. “But I’ve got to go. Don’t you see? I’ve got to run and hide and never look back. I thought I could break the cycle. I thought I could go to college and make something out of my life. I should’ve known it was hopeless.”

  “Where would you go?” Alec said stalling for time. “What would you do?”

  Tess turned toward the river, wiping at her eyes. When she finally turned back around, her eyes were no longer shiny. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve been surviving on my own for years. Dad was either gone or drunk most of the time. I’ll figure something out.” She locked eyes with Alec. “Grandma, Mrs. Walker, and you should leave as well. You should leave tonight when I do. Maybe they don’t know about your grandmother’s ring. Maybe they don’t know that she possesses the Ring Defender. Hopefully, they’ll follow me and leave the rest of you alone. You can all come back when it’s safe, after I’m gone.”

  “No,” Alec said blurting the word out before he had a chance to think. “You shouldn’t be alone. I’ll go with you.”

  Tess’s eyes widened. “You? Why?”

  “Why?” Alec said taking a step toward her. “Don’t you know?”

  Tess took a step back bumping into her motorcycle. She shook her head. “Know what? A week ago, you had hardly spoken a dozen words to me all year. Now you want to go with me to God knows where? Are you crazy?”

  “Has it only been a week?” Alec asked. “It seems a lot longer. It doesn’t matter though. All I know is that I don’t want you to go. If you insist on leaving, then I want to go with you. I’ve got a little money saved up. If you wait until Monday, I can go to the bank and get it. We can leave then.”

  Shaking her head, Tess said, “No. Monday may be too late. I’ve got to le
ave tonight.”

  Alec took another step forward. Tess seemed to want to back away, but her motorcycle blocked the way. Only a single step separated them now.

  “How far do you think you can get if you leave tonight?” Alec said still stalling for time. “The forecast is for hard rain all night long. You’d be lucky to make it to the next town before you had to stop.” He had a sudden epiphany. “You said Aunt Mamie was going to make a copy of her research for you. If those drawings are as important as you seem to think, why don’t you at least wait until tomorrow before you take off? Aunt Mamie will be over after church. We can all sit down and discuss options. She can give you a copy of her notebook. Besides, the storm will be gone by noon tomorrow. If you wait until then, we can make a plan. We can leave tomorrow afternoon. You’ve got to admit our chances will be a lot better with a plan.”

  Tess stared at him as if searching his eyes for answers. For a moment, he saw a frightened girl behind her tough exterior. She doesn’t want to leave, he thought. She doesn’t want to be alone.

  “We?” asked Tess in disbelief. “You’ve got college ahead of you. You’ve got a future. You’d be crazy to go with me. We might be on the run for the rest of our lives. Why would you do that?”

  Although only a single step separated them, Alec knew the actual distance was much more than something that could be measured by a mere ruler. He intuitively knew if he took that last step, he’d never be able to make the return trek. Taking a deep breath, he stole the final step and reached up to cup Tess’s face in both hands. He stared deep into her eyes, seeing flashes of yellow. The flashes didn’t appear to be angry. They were anything but.

  “Why?” Alec said. “Because, God help me, I think I love you, Tess. I know we’ve only been talking a week and how crazy that must sound, but it doesn’t change things. I don’t want to leave you. That’s just the way it is.”

  Tess looked deeper into his eyes as if searching for something she didn’t expect to find. Her eyes softened even more, and the yellow flashes turned into a cascade of every nuance of yellow Alec had ever seen.

  Tess sighed defeat. “Then call us both crazy,” she said, apparently having found what she sought. “God help me as well, rich boy. I think I may be falling in love with you too.”

  Their lips met as the world disappeared, replaced by an all-encompassing warmth.

  For a split-second of eternity, all was at peace in the universe.

  * * *

  Cynthia listened to the sound of a motorcycle starting. The display for the tracer showed the girl heading back toward Covington.

  “Should I follow them?” asked Mick.

  “No. We know where they’re going. They’ll be at the farm, at least for tonight.”

  “You told me the colors won’t be here until tomorrow night,” said Mick. “The girl will be gone with the ring long before they arrive. If what we heard is correct, those imps were right. The old lady definitely has the Ring Defender. It may be gone too if we don’t act quickly.”

  “Do you think I’m stupid?” snapped Cynthia on the verge of losing her temper. She well knew if the girl fled with her ring, the chance for a bonus and promotion would be gone with her. “Send the signal to have everyone return to the safe house. I’ll convince Colonel Harrison that we need to make our move tonight. We can’t wait for the colors to arrive. If the rings slip through our fingers, our lives may be forfeit.”

  The look on Mick’s face indicated he knew only too well what losing one, much less two rings, would mean. “So, what’s the plan?” he asked.

  “We can hit them tonight, after they’re asleep,” said Cynthia. “I’ll convince Harrison we can capture the rings before the colors get here. We can get that old lady’s notebook as well. We can pull this off if Harrison’s careful.”

  “Will he tell the colors first?” asked Mick.

  Cynthia drummed her fingers on the passenger-side armrest. I’d do it different if I was in charge, she thought. I could do it with just one man and I if the colonel would let me, but he’s too cautious. I just hope he isn’t foolish enough to send in the whole team.

  “Well?” said Mick bringing her back to his question.

  Cynthia sighed. “Knowing the colonel, he won’t risk doing anything without telling the colors first. They can’t get here any earlier with the asset, but maybe one of them can fly in before the operation. I suppose it might be better to have one of them here anyway, in case something goes wrong.”

  “You’re not worried about two old ladies and two punk teens, are you?” asked Mick not attempting to hide his disdain.

  “It’s not them I’m worried about. If the grandmother has the Ring Defender like the girl says, we’ll be dealing with two rings. They’re stronger when they’re together. Even if Harrison uses all twenty operatives, our success is by no means assured. That’s why it would be better if I could just…”

  “Just what?”

  Not about to share her thoughts with her underling, Cynthia said, “Never mind. It doesn’t matter. The colonel’s in charge, not me.”

  Mick shrugged. “All right. Let me ask you this, though. Do you think the colonel will have us try to take them alive?” He sounded none too fond of the idea.

  Cynthia looked down at the pistol in her lap. “No. He’ll probably order the teams to shoot to kill. All he’ll want are the rings and the notebook. I doubt the idea of taking prisoners for questioning will be high on his list of priorities.”

  Mick smiled, patting the obvious bulge over his left chest. “Fine by me. I’m not that fond of taking prisoners either.”

  Cynthia didn’t bother replying to her teammate. He’s too bloodthirsty, she thought. He shouldn’t have killed the girl’s dad. We could’ve used him as leverage to get her ring. One day I’ll be in charge and we’ll do it my way. Until then, I’ve got to follow Harrison’s orders. I just hope the man doesn’t get me killed in the process.

  Chapter 28 – Final Plans

  _____________________

  The sun was setting below the mountain peaks and turning the sky a dark pink when Alec and Tess returned to the farmhouse. When they tried to tell Grandma about their plan, she hushed them and wouldn’t hear another word until they’d washed and sat down for supper. After the table was cleared and the dishes washed and put away, they sat down and talked late into the night, though seemingly rehashing the same thing over and over.

  “I already told you I think Tess is right,” Grandma told her grandson. “The two of you should get away, at least for a while. Mamie or I will let you know when it’s safe to come back.”

  Tess sat across the kitchen table from Grandma. She glanced at Alec to her left before looking back at his grandmother. “My suggestion was for everyone to leave. If I’m right, the people who murdered Dad are the same ones who killed Mom and Alec’s parents. You make it sound as if Mrs. Walker and you won’t be leaving.”

  “Then I’m wording it right,” said Grandma taking a sip of steaming hot coffee. “This is my home, and I’m not leaving. At least I’m staying put until I sense the location of one of the other rings. When that happens, I’ll take Mamie with me. We’ll be safe enough.”

  Alec shifted in his seat. “Well, I’m not leaving you all by yourself.”

  “You won’t be,” said Grandma. “Mamie’s coming back in the morning. She’ll be staying with me while you’re gone.”

  Alec snorted. “Somehow the fact that Aunt Mamie will be with you doesn’t give me a warm, cozy feeling. We’ll be safer if we’re all together.”

  “Hmm,” said Grandma. “What makes you think that?” Before Alec could answer, Grandma said, “First off, we don’t know if Tess’s father was murdered.”

  “But—” Tess started.

  “Now, don’t get your panties in a wad, young lady,” said Grandma. “I didn’t say he wasn’t. I just said we didn’t know for sure. As it is, I’m suspicious enough to send you two away, but I think Mamie and I’ll be better off staying here. We’v
e got friends. They’ll keep an eye on us. Besides, we’re old.” She winked. “That’s what happens when you live long enough. We’d just slow the two of you down.”

  Tess pointed at Grandma’s right hand. “You’ve got your ring.”

  Nodding her head, Grandma looked at Tess. “Yes, I do. It heals injuries, but it hasn’t kept me young. Oh, sure, I’m a lot spryer than most people my age, but I’d still be a burden on the two of you.” She touched her right ring finger. “Besides, if Mamie’s research is right, my ring can’t be traced. Your ring can. Assuming someone’s after you, once you’re gone, Mamie and I should be safe.”

  “What if you’re wrong?” asked Alec leaning forward. “What if they come to the house after we’re gone? You’ve got the ring. What’s Aunt Mamie got to protect her?”

  To Tess’s surprise, Grandma laughed. “You mean besides the snub-nosed .44 she carries in her purse?”

  “She carries what?” Tess asked trying to picture the sweet old librarian with a gun.

  Grandma laughed again. “Does that surprise you, dear? Mamie and I both used to be a little on the wild side when we were young. As it so happens, I sleep with a 9mm under my pillow and a pump twelve-gauge shotgun loaded with magnum bear slugs next to my bed. We won’t be exactly helpless. I’m actually more worried about the two of you than either of us.”

  Tess could tell Alec was still concerned about his grandmother’s safety despite the old woman’s words. So was she. “Maybe we should—”

  “Enough arguing,” said Grandma in a tone harsher than any Tess had heard her use up to that point. “Here’s how it’s going to go down. Mamie told me she was going to the library after it closed tonight and make a copy of her notebook for you. She said she’d bring it by tomorrow morning. Once she gets here, we’ll all go to church and have a nice quiet dinner afterwards. After that, Alec and you will take two of Scott’s four-wheelers to their hunting cabin up in the mountains. I had Scott park the four-wheelers in the barn earlier along with some gear. First thing Monday morning, I’ll go to the bank and draw out enough money to see to the two of your needs for a couple of months. I’ll have Scott take the money to the cabin in his jeep. You can leave after you get the cash.”