“Do you know him?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer based on Ash’s reaction.
“Yes. He’s my boss. I don’t understand why you felt it was necessary to call him.”
“Because we had to know,” I quietly answered.
Ash fixed me with a stare. “Know what?”
“If you were legit, or possibly this Jerod character in disguise,” Vance said.
A few moments passed before Ash finally responded.
“You doubted I was a marshal. That’s just… swell.”
“We now know you are,” Vance hesitantly began, “but, um…”
“Oh, don’t stop now,” Ash scoffed. “By all means, finish the sentence.”
“Your leniency, as your boss put it, has expired.”
This must have been news to the marshal, because Ash was in the process of lifting his water glass, when he slowly lowered it back to the table.
“Expired?”
“Yeah. Looks like they’re not too happy with how long it’s taking you to apprehend your lost man.”
Ash sighed and rubbed his temples.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” I gently asked.
“Do you have any idea what a laughingstock I’ve been since Jerod managed to escape from under my very nose?” Ash sighed again and drained the rest of the water in his glass. “I thought if I could be the one to take him back into custody, then I’d be able to show my face back in Texas. I know full well I’m skating on thin ice with the Marshal Service right now. Why do you think I’ve been out in this tiresome town for so long? Oh. Sorry. No offense.”
“None taken,” Vance assured him. “My question for you is… if what you say is true, then why did it take so long for you to notify my boss about your presence here? Why didn’t you contact us the moment you arrived?”
“Because it would have made everything official,” Ash miserably explained. “I’d have to disclose full details of why I was here. Your Chief Nelson has already been dropping some not-so-subtle hints that he wants a copy of all case files pertaining to Jerod Jones. I’ve managed to stall him so far…”
“…no you haven’t,” Vance interrupted. “He started reaching out to the Marshal Service on the day we met. I can only imagine your bosses were covering for you, not wanting their dirty laundry known.”
Ash groaned again and fixed the two of us with an imploring stare.
“You two are my last hope. We have one shot left at getting our hands on Jerod.”
“And what’s that?” I blindly asked.
It was Vance’s turn to groan. “Don’t you get it, Zack? He wants us to go sky diving.”
“Yeah, about that,” I slowly began, swallowing noisily as I did so, “I’m not thinking that it’s gonna work out for me. I mean, come on. The Daredevils have already lost a member due to a skydiving accident. I really don’t want to be the second.”
“And if I told you that it wasn’t an accident?” Ash asked, lowering his voice.
“It wouldn’t surprise us that much,” Vance decided. “I mean, let’s face it. There’s a known murderer rumored to be hiding out here, in Pomme Valley, and his only known acquaintance turns up dead? Am I the only one who isn’t surprised by this?”
I raised my hand. “I’m not.”
“Guys, I have a plan,” Ash said, drawing skeptical looks from the two of us. “Just hear me out, okay?”
“The only thing I want to hear is that I won’t be put in harm’s way,” I stubbornly declared. “I think my time with the Daredevils has come to an end.”
“Ditto,” Vance agreed.
“I hear you both. Now, listen. No one is going to be placed in harm’s way. In fact, no one will be doing any skydiving whatsoever. We just have to make Jerod think we’re going to, so he’ll act on it, and therefore reveal himself.”
“Act on it?” I incredulously repeated. “I don’t know about you, buddy, but I most certainly don’t want Jerod acting on anything.”
“Let’s hear what he has to say,” Vance said. “Then, we can shoot him down, if necessary.”
I waved a hand, indicating Ash had the floor.
“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do. First off, we’re bringing in more people. They’re going to all be officers.”
I was already shaking my head. “That’ll look too suspicious. You’ll frighten Jerod off.”
Ash nodded, “Without any type of explanation, that’s true. However, a skydiving excursion is expensive. Most clubs get better rates if they can get more people involved.”
Vance suddenly nodded. “I get it. You’re going to pretend this other group of people is another skydiving club, is that it?”
Ash nodded, “Exactly. Since I know that Dean Babcock wants to…”
“Who?” I interrupted.
“Dean Babcock,” Ash repeated. “You know him as ‘Thor’.”
“Ah. Sorry. Go on.”
“Right. Thor wants to do another trip just as soon as possible, since he believes – rightfully so – that his adrenalin club is going to be closed down. Well, our cover story is that his team is hooking up with another team to help share the expenses.”
“That means you’ll have to let Thor in on your plan,” Vance surmised. “You’re going to have to hope that Thor and Jerod aren’t pals and he doesn’t warn him.”
“I’m telling him nothing of the sort,” Ash argued. “The marshals have already chartered the plane and announced it on social media. Sure enough, Thor’s people took the bait. Our two teams have already hooked up.”
“Surprising,” I decided. “And impressive. Keep going, Ash.”
“Right. Now, if any of the Daredevils wonders about the influx of new people, we can always say that skydiving excursions are the favorites of the adrenalin junkies, and as such, will usually attract more people. These jumping outfits will want to make as much as possible, so as long as the jumper meets their criteria, then there shouldn’t be too many questions asked.”
“How many people are you suggesting go with us?” I asked.
“Besides the Daredevils, there will be over a dozen undercover police officers on that plane beside Vance.”
Disheartened, I zeroed in on one word. “Plane? Are you actually suggesting we all go up, in the air?”
Ash nodded, “Well, yeah. We have to make it as believable as possible, don’t we?”
“I’m not sure I’m liking this,” I grumbled.
“What’s your plan for getting Jerod to identify himself?” Vance wanted to know.
“That will fall on you,” Ash told him.
“How long have you been working on this plan?” I wanted to know. “You seem to have it all thought out.”
“A few days now. Don’t interrupt. I’ll lose my train of thought. Now, where was I?”
“You were going to tell me how Jerod is going to incriminate himself,” Vance said.
“Ah. Right. That falls on you, detective.”
“How?” Vance curiously asked.
“You are going to make an announcement to the rest of the Daredevils that you now have a suspect in mind and expect him to be in custody in no time.”
“And why would he believe me?” Vance asked, puzzled.
“Because, you and Zack are members of the group. You know they are suffering a horrific turn of bad luck. You just thought that a bit of good news would cheer them up.”
“It’s plausible,” Vance decided.
“Have either of you been skydiving before?” Ash suddenly asked.
Both Vance and I shook our heads ‘no’.
“The outfit handling the jump will want to know, since you’re beginners, if you want to do a tandem jump, which has a more experienced person attached behind you, or a static line jump, which essentially means your parachute is activated the instant you leave the plane.”
“How about option C?” I asked, as I frowned at the marshal. “I choose not to jump at all.”
“It’s for appearance purposes only. Yo
u’re a big guy, Zack, so I think you probably ought to opt for a static line jump. Vance, I think you could go either way.”
“Hmmph,” Vance snorted. One look at my friend confirmed he wasn’t planning jumping, either, regardless of the circumstances.
“When we’re all up in the air,” Ash continued, “we’ll create some type of situation, which will abort the jump.”
“What type of situation?” I wanted to know.
“Weather, mechanical, it really doesn’t make a difference,” Ash explained.
Vance cleared his throat. “Just make a decision, and then let us know what that is before you do it, okay?”
Ash nodded, “Deal. Now, with cops everywhere on the plane, it’ll just be a matter of time before Jerod panics and reveals himself.”
“And if he doesn’t?” I cautiously asked.
“Just look for the person who acts disappointed the jump is cancelled,” Ash answered.
“But, that could be the entire Daredevil team,” I protested. “How are we supposed to know which one is Jerod?”
“I think I know how I can answer that,” Vance said. “Look, Zack. If the two of us start talking about the case on the way up, then…”
“…we paint one mother of a target on our backs,” I interrupted.
“No, let me finish,” Vance admonished. “If the specs of the case are out in the open, and we suggest we are very close to making an arrest, then what do you think Jerod is going to do if I let it slip, quietly, to you that there are a few undercover policemen on board?”
“He’ll freak out and do something stupid,” I guessed.
Ash nodded, “Exactly.”
“This is not a good plan,” I moaned.
“Look at it this way,” Vance explained. “We won’t be jumping out of any plane and we will be surrounded by cops. What could go wrong?”
I’m convinced I jinxed myself right then and there. Why? Less than 24 hours later, Vance and I would be free-falling, side by side, as we plummeted to the ground from thousands of feet up in the air.
NINE
“Just what the ever lovin’ hell am I doing here,” Vance moaned, on the following day. “Maybe you and Tori are right: I am having a mid-life crisis. Why else would you find a grown man, with a great career and wonderful family, waiting inside a smelly airplane hangar with a bunch of kids…”
“…to jump out a perfectly good airplane?” I finished for him. “Trust me, amigo. I’ve been having those same thoughts.”
“I can’t believe I let you two talk me into doing this,” a third voice added.
Vance and I looked over at Harry, who looked as miserable as I have ever seen him. Both of us must have been giving our friend an unreadable look, because Harry immediately went on the defensive.
“What? Don’t look at me like that. I could be sitting at home, drinking a beer…”
“…drinking an iced tea,” I interrupted.
“Whatever,” Harry crossly said. “I don’t want to jump out of a plane. Are you kidding me?”
“You bailed on us for the last trip,” I reminded him. “You’re not getting out of this. We all agreed to do this. Together.”
“No, we didn’t,” Harry argued. “You two boneheads talked me into joining up, and when I told you I didn’t want to risk my life on any unnecessary outings, you said you were okay with that. Both of you.”
I looked at Vance and grinned. Neither of us had informed Harry that we wouldn’t be jumping. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have let him sweat like this. However, the turkey bailed on us after the rafting trip. He may have avoided bungee jumping, but he wasn’t going to get out of this one. “Let’s just say we changed our minds.”
“I never should have picked up the phone,” Harry grumbled to himself. “What was I thinking? Never pick up the phone, especially when you know it’s one of these two.”
“Is everyone else really undercover cops?” I quietly asked Vance, after Harry had wandered over to the snacks table. “I don’t recognize any of them.”
Aside from the dozen or so of us Daredevils in the empty airplane hangar, there were also nearly twice that many faces I hadn’t seen before, all dressed in matching orange jumpsuits. They were milling about, chatting with each other, with us, and acting like I’d expect a group of young people to act when faced with jumping out of a plane: nervous and excited. As several newcomers wandered close, they smiled at me and then moved off, affording me a look at the logos on their backs. Bend Bravadeers. Cute.
And finally, if I wanted to include all of the people in the hangar, I should mention the staff. Hosting this skydiving event was a company called Pacific NW Jumpers. We were introduced to their staff, who were wearing blue. There was four of them, consisting of three assistants and one pilot. The owner of the company was also there, but then again, he was also our pilot. As I was introduced to each member of the staff, I couldn’t help but think that several of them looked familiar, as though I had seen them before. I just couldn’t remember where. Whatever. The only thing I cared about was whether Pacific Jumpers knew what the hell they were doing.
I nudged Vance and pointed at the orange-suited jumpers.
“Are they all…?”
“They’re on loan from Bend, Medford, and even as far away as Portland,” Vance muttered, using a low voice. “Apparently, the Portland cops are still a little sore that this Jerod guy managed to slip away, right from under their noses, too. They were only too happy to extend a helping hand.”
Someone I hadn’t met before suddenly stepped into the middle of the room and waved an arm, encouraging everyone to gather around him. He was wearing a blue jump suit, which indicated he was one of the staff. Actually, it was the boss.
“Could I have everyone’s attention please? Thank you. My name is Art Bullen, and I will be your pilot today. I see that we have a nice, full group, with jumpers hailing from Medford…”
Every single person wearing an orange jumpsuit whooped loudly while fist pumping the air.
“…and a last minute addition from Pomme Valley, the Daredevils!”
Vance and I both joined in the chorus of shouts and whistles of all us red-suited Daredevils. Harry, I might add, remained silent. I honestly think that, had Vance not been standing between Harry and the door, that our veterinarian friend would make a break for it.
Art nodded, “Right. Okay, with introductions out of the way, let me take a few minutes to point out the refreshment tables behind you. They have an assortment of light snacks, with cups of water available, at no extra charge. I heartily encourage you to have a cup or two. The last thing you want to do is become dehydrated when you’re falling through the air at over 120 mph. Take it from someone who has done it before: it’s not pleasant. So, please, help yourselves. Fueling is underway and should be done in a minute or two. Thank you.”
“He’s worried about becoming dehydrated?” I repeated, appalled. “Listen, the only thing I’m worried about is peeing myself on the way down.”
Vance chuckled, pulled out his cell phone, and sent off several texts, presumably to Tori and his kids. I decided to take that time to send a few to Jillian. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Harry edging toward the exit. Vance, without looking up from his phone, took several steps in that direction, which placed him directly in Harry’s path once more.
“Come on, man,” Harry grumped. “This isn’t for me.”
“Live a little,” Vance said, as he finally looked up. “Look, I’m not going to force you to stay here. I think both Zack and I would like to, but it’s beneath us to try. We’re here, and we’re going through with this. Don’t you want to be able to look your family in the eyes and say, hey, I was able to jump out of a perfectly good airplane and not tell them you chickened out?”
Harry’s hopeful expression soured. “That was a low blow, man. You both can bite me. Just for that, I’m gonna have an extra cup or two of water. My only request is that you guys follow me on the way down. Hopefully I’ll be able to
pee on you.”
“He’s a right ray of sunshine, isn’t he?” Vance sniggered. “You gonna get something to drink?”
I shook my head, “I’m good, so I’ll pass. That’s the last thing I want to worry about on the way down.”
“Zack, you do know no one will be jumping, right?” Vance asked, as he lowered his voice down so low I could barely hear him.
“I know. But, for all intents and purposes, we are, so I need to act like I remember that, right?”
Vance shrugged and followed me over to the snacks table. While not interested in the food, I had caught sight of someone I wanted to say hello to. I nudged a young guy on the shoulder and waited for him to turn around. Once he did, Vance’s eyes practically bulged out of his head.
It was Ash. Not only had he shaved his beard off, he had his hair styled in such a way that it reminded me of those frosted-tip hairdos found on most boy-band members. I had to hand it to the marshal. Here was someone who was able to commit to a disguise! Pretending we had never met, I held out a hand.
“Hey there. You’re one of the Bravadeers? I’m Zack Anderson, and this is Vance Samuelson. We’re Daredevils, from Pomme Valley.”
“I know who you two are,” Ash quietly complained. He was holding one of the cups of water and looked pissed.
“What’s the matter?” I quietly asked. “You’re not having second thoughts, are you?”
“This isn’t going to work,” the marshal complained.
Vance gave the people milling about a quick look, as though he was curious to see who else would be jumping with him.
“You must have heard something. Don’t keep anything from us, pal.”
Ash furtively scratched the side of his face.
“I haven’t shaved my beard off in years. Years! I look like I’m 12 years old.”
“Your hair style isn’t helping,” I pointed out.
“I told the stylist I needed something completely different,” Ash explained. He scratched the top of his head, felt the gel-hardened clumps his hair had become, and sighed. “I needed to step out of my comfort zone.”
“Mission accomplished,” Vance chuckled. “Look, there’s Thor. I think we’re about to get underway.”
Case of the Dysfunctional Daredevils Page 14
