The Nexus

by Gary M Martin

  Then there were different sounds. Car doors slamming. A woman’s voice barking out orders. But Candace couldn’t understand what was said. She was too busy trying to stay small, praying that another bullet wouldn’t find her.

  Abruptly the gunfire ceased.

  The FBI truck parked behind Mira’s car started up. Apparently, her attackers were entering from the street side so she couldn’t get a shot at them.

  Candace held tightly to her gun. Her entire body was stiff as if she were turning to concrete. She didn’t know what to expect next. She was afraid to move.

  The truck started up and squealed tires as it bolted straight backward. Headlights came to life illuminating the area where she and Stone were. Candace pressed herself against the back of the tree expecting another hail of gunfire. The SUV jerked forward and whipped around Mira’s car. It raced down the street and soon disappeared from sight.

  The sirens were steadily growing in intensity. A ululate warning to Candace that they didn’t need to be here when the cops arrived.

  They had to get going. She held onto the tree and pulled herself up. She groaned and cursed to herself. She breathed heavily. She looked toward the young man thinking that he might be dead or badly wounded. Surprisingly he looked to be unscathed. But to her shock, he was busy jamming a needle into the muscle of his upper arm.

  She felt unsteady, weak. She wondered if she would be able to walk. Unfortunately, she had no choice. Crawling would be too slow. Time was running out. She took a tentative step forward and then another.

  A thunderous explosion shattered the night. The ground shook and she almost lost her footing. Debris of glass, plastic, and metal pelted the street and ground. From where she stood, she could see her car engulfed in flames, black smoke rising eagerly to the dark sky.

  Candace wasn’t sure what that was about. She thought that maybe Mira didn’t realize that the car wasn’t driveable, she was so intent on finding Candace. Or maybe it was just to eliminate some evidence.

  Candace shambled over to Mira’s car. She peeked inside hoping that the key would be in the ignition. It wasn’t. It probably wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Several bullets through the consul may have eliminated the chance of the car starting anyway.

  They had all fled leaving her and Stone to explain what had happened, but with her own FBI guys turning on her she didn’t feel ready to trust the local police either.

  Stumbling over to Stone she asked, “Are you okay?”

  He was slow to answer. “I … hope to be … shortly.”

  She watched him put the syringe back in the little black case. She wondered what had been in that syringe. She hadn’t gotten a good look at the liquid he was shooting into his arm. Whether it was legal or illegal drugs didn’t really matter at this time. She would save that question for later.

  “Can you walk?” she asked.

  He stuck the case into his right front pant pocket and with a groan pushed himself to his feet. “I think so.” His voice was just above a whisper.

  She nodded. “Good. We need to go. I don’t know how long I can stay on my feet.” She was breathing heavily.

  A crescendo of sirens sounded off in the distance. It would not be very long now before the cops would be all over this place as well as a firetruck or two.

  She looked over at Stone who had just gotten to his feet. He looked as unsteady as she. “Can I get you to follow me?”

  “Why?” He struggled for the words.

  “Because if you don’t the cops will arrest you. And I don’t know what they’ll do to you.”

  For a few seconds, he simply stared at her. Then he nodded weakly.

  “Good,” she said, and began to limp ahead of him toward the interior of the woods. She had no idea how deep the woods were or where they would eventually come out, but as she saw it this was their only logical choice.

  Stone tottered behind her looking as though he might collapse at any minute. It was no problem keeping up with her, however, she had her own handicap to deal with.

  The wail of the police cars was all around them now as though they were coming from all directions. She hoped that they could hobble and stumble far enough that the arriving policemen wouldn’t be able to hear or see them leaving the scene.

  She thought of her cell phone. If a jammer had been used to interrupt her call, then it was probably in one of the vehicles. Her car was in flames. One vehicle had left and the other two had been shot up pretty good. Chances were that the jammer had either been destroyed or driven out of range by the escaping vehicle.

  She slipped the cell phone out of her pocket. The signal was good. She made a call to Horace Bloomhauser at home. It rang several times then went to a voice recording that said that the line was not in service. She immediately called his cell phone. Her call went instantly to voice mail. That made her nervous.

  She called the FBI headquarters thinking that he might have stayed late at the office. The lady answering the phone said that he was not there and didn’t know where he was. She offered to give Candace his cell phone number. Candace answered that she already had the number and thanked the lady for her time.

  As they slowly, painfully, navigated their way through the woods the sirens suddenly faded. It seemed the authorities had finally arrived at the sight. She imagined there were cop cars and probably a fire truck or two. She hoped that their interest would be focused on the burning car and have no reason to suspect that there could be people stumbling through the woods leaving the scene.

  She looked back at Stone who was a couple of yards behind her. He looked as though he were sleepwalking. His eyes were barely open as he shuffled his way forward.

  “You okay?” she asked.

  He nodded and muttered something that she did not understand. She assumed that he was okay. At least as okay as she was.

  She wondered who else she could call. After almost getting killed by her own men she wasn’t sure who in the bureau she could trust. Besides Horace, that is. She had only known him for a short time, but in that little bit of time, an undeniable bond had developed. She saw him not merely as a boss, but as a father figure. Her own father had died when she was only ten. He had been robbed and murdered over a mere fifty dollars. That was a big reason she had gotten into law enforcement.

  Her leg was beginning to throb like a bad toothache. She wanted this to be over so badly. She wanted to stop and tend her wounds. A few pain pills would be nice too. Maybe even a little nap. It all sounded like heaven.

  She didn’t know how, but she continued. And behind her, Stone trudged along. Judging from how he looked she was surprised that she hadn’t either had to drag him (which probably wasn’t possible in her condition) or leave him and hope that she could send somebody back for him before the cops happened to find him.

  She had thought of someone to call when she saw the glow of a streetlamp through the interstices of trees and brush. She couldn’t help but smile with relief. “Alright.” She turned to Stone who was walking behind her like a zombie. “We’ll be safe soon,” she said.

  When they exited the woods, they found themselves in a residential subdivision near the end of the street. She stopped before they made it to the pavement.

  “I know who to call,” she said. She could see the street sign from where she was.

  CHAPTER 12

  Walter finished up the last of his paperwork for the day and headed out the door.

  The temperature outside had dropped slightly, and a chill wind had begun to develop. Overhead a line of black tumid clouds was forming across a gray sky. Walter realized he probably didn’t have much time before the rain set in.

  It had been one strange day. The better part of the morning he had spent walking around looking for a tree that he had seen in his mind. Even he had thought that that sounded a little crazy. Then a trip to the morgue where someone had stolen two corpses. That was just plain eerie. And now …

  He would continue the craziness. He could not forget about th
e tree in the park. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he needed to see the tree up close. There was something there. He couldn’t imagine what, but the feeling would nag at him until he had examined the sight.

  He had attained an aerial view of the park off the internet. It hadn’t revealed anything especially unusual about the tree. Only that it stood on an otherwise barren patch of ground that was roughly shaped like a half-moon. To the back of the tree, a dozen feet or more, was a rock wall that appeared to rise about fifteen or twenty feet. Half of this land consisted of a sheer dropoff to the nature trail below. The other half of the land butted up to a thick patch of undergrowth.

  After studying the aerial print, that he had printed earlier he had mapped out a route. Not an easy one, because there didn’t appear to be an easy one. The thickness of the underbrush seemed to encompass the entire area leading up to the tree. But it looked like he could, at least, bypass most of the Kudzu and the marshy areas.

  Something else bothered him. This piece of land, though a part of the park, had not been developed and was off-limits to visitors because of the falling hazards. He wondered if it was worth breaking the law and fighting his way up to see this one tree.

  As he squeezed himself into his car it reminded him that he needed to get control his weight before he needed to buy a bigger car. Another reason was if he wanted to hold onto a beautiful woman like Candace he needed to shape up. Though she had never spoken of his weight he felt it would just be a matter of time before she would give in to one of the many better looking, tight-bodied guys who hit on her.

  By the time he had gotten to the park, it was early evening. The sun had sunk below the horizon and a plump white moon had appeared in the midst of the dark clouds.

  He followed a meandering trail that gradually sloped upward. After it leveled off, he stopped to look around and check his map. If he had it figured out right traversing the woods at this point would eventually bring him to the tree that looked like a peace sign. A slight, chain-link fence and countless no trespassing signs stood in front of the thickness of trees and brush.

  It wouldn’t be easy for him to climb the fence with the extra weight he carried, but he believed he could if he needed to. He wouldn’t attempt this adventure today, however. The threat of rain was yet another factor to deal with. He thought it better to save this for another time.

  As he headed back to his car sullen clouds began to ease across the big moon slowly smothering the luminous body. At once the air seemed cooler than before and redolent of rain though he had not felt any drops.

  He made it to his car before the rain began and drove toward his house. On the way, he thought about Candace. He wished that she hadn’t broken their dinner date, though he understood that, like him, she had responsibilities.

  On the way home, he stopped by a deli to get something to eat. After he had ordered tea and began looking through the menu a sudden sadness washed over him. It was as if he had just been told some rather bad news. But that didn’t make sense. Other than a rather weird day nothing had happened to make him feel this way. He looked outside. Past the lights of the deli was a heavy darkness. The moon had disappeared, and a steady rain had begun to fall. He felt that there was something in this darkness that was pulling at him.

  “Ready to order?” the waitress asked, interrupting his thoughts.

  He turned back around. “Yes. I think I’ll take the meatloaf special.” He smiled as he handed her the menu.

  “It’s pretty good. I think you’ll like it.” She took the menu and left.

  A few minutes later Walter got his food. The bad feeling still hadn’t left him. Halfway through his food, he got a phone call. It was Candace.

  CHAPTER 13

  The rain began falling in a steady stream. Candace and Stone had taken refuge under the umbrella of trees that were close to the road.

  Stone sat leaning against the trunk of a tall Maple tree. His eyes were closed as he teetered on the edge of consciousness. He was fighting it, but he was slowly losing.

  Candace was propped against a tree across from Stone. Her injured leg was throbbing sending shock waves coursing through her whole body. Her head was pounding, and she was utterly exhausted.

  When Walter finally pulled up to the curb in front of them, she wasn’t sure if she could straighten back up. It took two tries and an effort that took every bit of her strength. She almost collapsed into his arms as he came up to her.

  “Are you okay?” Walter asked. “What happened here?” he continued before she could answer.

  Candace groaned. “Give me a minute, okay.”

  “Sure,” he answered. “Whenever you’re ready.” He wrapped an arm around her and began helping her to the car. He thought of carrying her but was afraid that he would inadvertently inflict more pain on her. He opened the car door and gently eased her into the passenger seat.

  “Help … him,” Candace said. She seemed to be having trouble forming her words.

  Walter assisted Stone to the back seat of his car. The young man didn’t seem to be hurt, but he was moving feebly as if he were sick or inebriated.

  A minute after pulling away from the curb Walter looked over at Candace sitting across from him. Her eyes were closed, but he knew she wasn’t asleep. Her face was contorted showing signs that she was in a lot of pain. His eyes settled on her injured leg. The pant leg had been cut away. A crude bandage had been wrapped around her thigh. It was saturated with her blood. He tried to see if blood was dripping off the bandage, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the road long enough to tell.

  “I know that you’re hurting right now,” Walter began, “but you weren’t very clear on the phone and this whole thing looks rather serious. What exactly went on out there?” Walter took a jagged breath. “What happened to your leg? I know you don’t feel like talking, but …”

  “I’m not really sure.” Her words came out somewhat slurred. “It…” She took a breath. The … assignment … didn’t go so good.” She cracked her eyes open slightly.

  There were many questions he wanted to ask her but figured it best to let her speak as she felt able to.

  “My own agents turned on me.” Her voice was just above a whisper. Walter had to strain to hear her. “They … shot me.”

  “In the leg. How bad is it?”

  “No … broken bones. Nothing serious … I don’t think.” She sounded tired, beaten.

  “We can be at the hospital in ten minutes.”

  “No,” she groaned. “No.”

  “But you need to have that leg looked at.”

  “Don’t know who … I can trust.” She looked over at him. “Can we just check into … a motel … for tonight?”

  “That leg looks like it’s been bleeding for a while. You really need to see a doctor, Candace.”

  “Please, Walter.” She took a jagged breath. “For tonight. Okay?”

  “Of course. If that’s what you want. But your leg, it really needs to be looked at.”

  “Just stop somewhere. Pick me up … something for pain … bandages … and … antibiotic cream.”

  “Sure, no problem, but if that leg looks really bad up close, we’re going to find you a doctor.” She nodded and closed her eyes.

  Five minutes later Walter pulled into the parking lot of a CVS pharmacy. He peered into the rearview mirror before getting out of the car. The young man in the back was slumped over against the door, his head against the glass. He looked as if he were passed out and not merely asleep. “What about your friend in the back, is he okay?”

  “Don’t know,” she said in a whisper. He could see that she didn’t want to talk right now.

  Walter looked harder at the man in the back seat. Earlier, when he had loaded him in the car, he thought that he looked familiar. Now, it was beginning to nag at him. He was sure he had seen him somewhere.

  He went into the pharmacy still trying to place where, if at all, he had seen the man in the back seat. By the time he had gathered up what
Candace needed he still hadn’t come up with an answer.

  “Still want to go to a motel?” he asked as he slipped behind the wheel. “We can go to my house, instead. I have a great guest room with a big comfortable bed in it.”

  “No. Maybe dangerous.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Please, Walter. I’m tired … confused.”

  “Yeah, I know. I’m sorry. I’ll get us a motel room and we can talk when you’re up to it.”

  Walter found a motel that was about a half-hour out of town. Luckily, the place was nearly empty, and no one spotted him dragging and half carrying the Candace and Stone to the room. That was probably a good thing. They didn’t need the attention, and the questions that were sure to follow.

  The room was very modest. It consisted of two full-sized beds, a dresser where the small television was seated, a nightstand where a small lamp sat, an armchair and a bathroom with a commode and a shower.

  Walter put Stone on one bed and Candace on the other. Stone slipped down on the mattress and fell asleep almost instantly. Candace looked as if she would have fallen asleep just as easily if her aches and pains were not concerting to keep her awake.

  Walter handed Candace two of the pain pills and the bottle of water he had bought at the pharmacy. She took the pills with a big swig of water then began the arduous task of removing her pants to examine her wound more fully. Walter helped her slide them off her ankles without hurting her.

  As carefully as he could Walter unwrapped the bandage. Thankfully It didn’t look as bad as he thought it would. There was quite a bit of swelling, and some purple marks, but the bleeding had stopped. The cut itself, however, was hidden by a layer of caked blood. “I need to wash off the wound,” he said, “so we can see how bad it is.”