by C. C. Wall
“That’s not fair, Joan,” he said.
“It should be you out there looking for Jason. Not Tom!” she said.
“I’m sure Jason is fine. He probably just took off for a while,” he said. “And why should I be the one out there? The way I see it, neither of us should be out there.”
“I’ll tell you why,” she said, “and it’s a reason you know and it makes me sick that I have to remind you. You should be the one out there because Jason is your son.”
Reagan clinched his jaw. “And it was your decision to never tell anyone and let Tom think Jason was his, so let him!” Reagan got up and poured another drink. They sat there in silence for a minute. They didn’t even look at each other. “Do you want one?”
“Yes,” she said. “Please.”
Reagan poured her one too and handed it to her.
“Thank you,” she said.
Reagan cleared his throat. “I know, I haven’t been around you the last fifteen years or so. It’s been too hard. Seeing Jason has been too hard.”
“I know,” she said.
“The biggest regret I have in my life, is this betrayal that I have committed against my closet and dearest friend. But, the only thing that has kept me alive all these years and the reason I have never really been lonely, were those few weeks I had with you. That time was the only thing I have ever had that was beautiful in my life. As much of a piece of crap as that makes me, I would never, ever give those up for anything.” A single tear rolled down Reagan’s face into his mustache.
Joan couldn’t hold back her tears either. She couldn’t speak but she mouthed something to Reagan. “I know.” She wiped her face off as best she could. Fanned her eyes with her hands and cleared her throat.
“I’ll go looking for them,” he said. “Personally.”
“I would very much appreciate that,” she said.
64 - First Trip Out
Bekka came in through the front door. She hadn’t left her house in nearly a week. The sun was way too bright for her even with her sunglasses on. The swelling of her face had gone down a lot since she was at the hospital, but the bruising was yellowing and the sight of it made her sick to her stomach.
She had to go to the bathroom since she had been out, so she ran down the dark hallway towards the bathroom. Her eyes didn’t have enough time to adjust to the darkness and she crashed into the wall and fell on the floor.
She screamed. She looked down at her toe and waited for her eyes to adjust. It felt like she had broken it. She kicked her sandals off and touched the toe that hurt and winced. She tried to move it, but it hurt too much.
She used the wall to help herself up to her feet and stumbled into the bathroom. She let out a loud sigh of relief once she made it to the toilet. She was worried that she wouldn’t make it.
When she left the bathroom, she walked into the living room and sat in her mother’s seat. She stared at the greenish glow from the television.
“Mommy?” she said. “Can you hear me? I really need you right now.”
She stared at the television and nothing happened. She began to cry.
“Why did you guys leave me?” she said. “I don’t understand. Did I do something wrong?” She got down on her knees in front of the television. “Mommy? Daddy? Why are you guys in there? How does that even happen?” She hit the side of the television. “What can I do to help?”
Nothing happened.
“Why won’t you guys answer me?” she screamed. She hit the side of the television again and fell on the floor crying and feeling alone.
“Please, come back,” she said softly.
She looked at her watch. She stood up and walked out of the living room and back down the dark hallway. She went back into the bathroom and picked up a white piece of plastic. She stared at it for a minute with out moving. Then she put it on the counter and picked up a small, blue box.
“Plus means… positive?” she said. “Damn it. Since when is being pregnant a positive thing.”
65 - Smart Guy
Dakota went kicking and screaming, which didn’t help his case, when two big orderlies from the hospital came and put a straight jacket on him.
“Where is she?” Dakota yelled. “Where is that bitch?”
“I’m right here,” Dr. Clive said. She came up behind him and gave him a shot in the neck. “This will calm you down.”
“Don’t put me to sleep,” he said. He started to calm down almost immediately after the shot.
“You won’t sleep. This will just keep you sedated,” she said. She leaned over and whispered in his ear. “I wouldn’t want you to miss anything.”
Dakota was completely subdued and quiet as the men took him and put him in the back of an ambulance. Dakota could hear Dr. Clive talking to the men outside of it.
“Take him in. His cell is ready,” she said. “I will be along later this evening.”
Dakota thought about what she said. “A cell?” he said to himself. He couldn’t think where in the hospital they have cells.
As the ambulance drove down Helo Road, he saw out the back window that they passed the hospital. Even though he was sedated, he knew this wasn’t right. “Hey.” He tried to yell to the driver. “We passed the hospital.” He could barely even hear himself speak.
The minutes drew on. He couldn’t tell if time was moving slowly or if they were driving for a very long time. He felt good under the circumstances. Whatever it was she gave him made him mellow for first time in weeks. He let out a slight grin when he put that together. The grin was short lived. The ambulance stopped and Dakota went flying against the wall between him and the driver.
“Ouch,” he mumbled.
The back doors flew open and the two large men grabbed him and pulled him outside. Dakota looked up and immediately thought he was hallucinating. The men were pulling him into what looked like an old castle. Once inside, they walked down a long, narrow, spiral staircase made of stone and stopped at a large steel door. One of the men put a key inside a key hole and turned it, what seemed to be a hundred times before the lock finally gave and the door opened.
The room they went into seemed smaller than Dakota thought it would be judging by the size of the castle. There are three steps down onto a stone floor that had hay thrown around all over the place making a slight barrier between his feet and the stone.
They threw him down to the right. They took off his straight jacket and sure enough, they grabbed the bars of the cell door, slammed it shut and locked it.
Dakota couldn’t believe it. He tried to fight through the drug. He looked around. He heard people shouting, but didn’t see anyone. The cell he was in was stone on all sides except for the front that was all bars. There was a row of hay bails along one wall with an old, ratty blanket. Behind him on the floor was a small hole. Even in his drugged state, he knew what the hole was for.
He got to his feet and walked to the bars. Everything was blurry. But he still could hear someone shouting.
“Hey you jerk!” the voice said. There seemed to be another cell across from him where the voice was coming from. “What the hell are you looking at? I’ll break your freaking face!”
“Sorry,” Dakota said. “I’m new.”
He heard another voice. “It’s okay, don’t mind him. He’s very aggressive.”
Dakota couldn’t see where the voice was coming from.
“I’m in the cell next to you if you are wondering. My name is Ben,” he said. A hand shot out from behind the wall and stopped right in front of the bars.
Dakota put his hand out and shook it. “Nice to meet you hand.”
“No,” he said. “I’m Ben. I’m in the cell next door. The doctor must have drugged you.”
“She sure did,” Dakota said.
The man in the cell across from him kept shouting at him. Dakota squinted his eyes to see through the subtle darkness into his cell. He finally made him out.
“Where are your legs?” Dakota asked.
“Oh?” the angry man said. “You a freaking smart guy or something?”
“Larry, calm down,” Ben said. “He’s new. He’s drugged. He doesn’t know where he is.”
“Yeah I do,” Dakota said. “I’m in Castle Greyskull. I’m waiting for my power sword. Do you have a power sword?”
Ben sighed. “No, I don’t.”
“How many of us are down here, Ben?” Dakota asked.
“There are four of us now, including you,” Ben said. “Across from my cell is Glenn. No one has ever heard him talk though. He doesn’t move either. He’s catatonic. Been here longer than any of us.”
“Hey, mean guy,” Dakota said. “Why don’t you have any legs? Where are your legs?”
“I’ll get out of here buddy and I’ll take your legs and use them to kick your own ass!” Larry yelled.
“Please don’t talk about Larry’s legs,” Ben said. “He get very defensive about it.”
“But he’s walking around on his hands and he’s Yoda’s height. It’s freaking cool.” Dakota said.
“Oh, dear.” Ben shook his head and sat back down on his hay bail.
Up on the ceiling in the center of the room, between all four cells, were a group of cameras pointing into each one. The cord from the cameras ran out of the room along the wall up the staircase, and along many other walls before reaching a room with television monitors. A feed from each cell is played continuously on its very own television.
“Ouch,” a voice said. “You opened the door on my cast.
“Sorry,” said Dr. Clive. “You shouldn’t rest your leg behind the door.”
“Put me in a room bigger than a closet,” he said.
She smiled. “Just let me know, when the drugs seem to have worn off of Dakota.”
“You got it,” he said.
The door shut.
He zoomed in on Dakota in the cell. “Come on baby brother. Time to sober up.”
66 - The Campout
It had been hours since Chaney had dropped Moe and Tom off near the trail to Moe’s cabin. It had also almost been as many hours since he dumped the Bronco on the side of the road and started up the trail that Jack told him to go up. It had been years since he cooked wild rabbit on an open fire for dinner, but it was just like riding a bike to Chaney.
The sun had gone down and the temperature dropped. The fire that he made was keeping him nice and warm.
“It’s been awhile since we went camping, Sara. I hope you still like it.” He took another bite of rabbit. “I made enough for the both of us, but I will eat your half, I guess.”
Chaney heard something in the brush. He froze.
A deer poked its head out of a bush and looked right at Chaney.
He smiled. “Hello friend.”
The deer bolted away.
“That was rude. I’m sorry, Sara. If I see that nasty deer again, I will bash its head in. I promise.”
Chaney finished his rabbit and licked his fingers.
“I think you know what time it is now, sweetheart.” Chaney opened the urn and looked down at the ashes that filled it. His lips quivered. He put two fingers inside the urn and brought them out and looked at the grey dust that covered them. He then ran his fingers down his cheeks making what looked like war paint. He then rubbed the remains from his fingers on his gums.
“Thank you, my love,” he said.
He put the lid back on and stood up. He cocked his gun. He pulled the ball of her hair from the brush out of his pocket. He held it to his nose and closed his eyes. He inhaled deeply through his nose and then opened his eyes. They filled with intensity and rage. He stormed off into the woods.
After about an hour of hiking, he could smell smoke from a fireplace. He had to be close. He walked towards the scent and found a clearing in the woods just a few hundred yards away. Once he was there, he saw a cabin. The windows were lit up with the flames from the fireplace.
“This is it, Sara.” Chaney hustled across the open grass and turned his back against the cabin wall. He peaked through the window. He could see someone was in there but couldn’t make out who.
He whispered. “What do I do now? Should I get a better look? Knock on the door?” He smiled. “Or should I just go in, guns blazing?” He laughed to himself. “That’s why I love you, Sara. It’s like you can read my mind.”
Chaney ran around to the front door. With a rush of energy, he kicked in the door and ran in with his shotgun pointed ahead of him.
“Don’t you move, or I will shoot,” Chaney said. “And killing you fast won’t be any fun.”
67 - Lookout Point
“How are you feeling there?” Lukas asked.
“I’m fine,” Reed said.
“Are you sure,” Lukas said. “Because those bandages have a lot more blood on them than they did ten minutes ago.”
“Oh yeah?” Reed said.
“Yeah,” Lukas said. “You may have popped a stitch. You want me to take you back to the hospital?”
“No, no, I’m fine,” Reed said. “Just answer that phone for me would you?”
“The phone’s not ringing, Reed,” Lukas said.
“Maybe I should take a nap?” Reed asked.
“It has been over eight hours, but I think, you should try to stay up just a little longer,” he said. “When does Dyer get back from patrol?”
“I should know that, shouldn’t I?” Reed asked.
Lukas shook his head. “Hey, Chuck?” Lukas shouted. “You still here?”
“You betcha!” Chuck yelled from the back.
“Could you come out here?” Lukas asked.
“I’m already here,” Chuck said as he rounded the corner. “What can I do you for?”
“Could you just keep an eye on Reed here?” he asked. “He doesn’t look too good.”
“You got it,” Chuck said with a smile.
“Thank you,” Lukas said. “I’m gonna put a burrito in the microwave.”
“The double cheese and jalapeño is gone. I ate it sorry,” Chuck said.
“As long as there is something to eat back there,” Lukas said. “Shout, if Sue gets back would ya?”
“You got it!” Chuck replied.
Lukas went into the kitchen and opened the freezer. There were no more burritos but there was one more pizza pocket. “That will do.” Lukas said. He took it out of the package and opened the microwave door.
“Don’t go!” shouted Mr. H.
Lukas jumped. “Jesus! You scared the hell out of me.” Lukas tried to catch his breath. “And I dropped my pizza pocket.” Lukas exhaled loudly. “And why the hell is your head in the microwave?”
“You can not go,” Mr H said.
“Go where?” Lukas said. “And where the hell have you been?”
“Don’t concern yourself with where I have been, but only where you should not go,” Mr. H replied.
“That’s why I didn’t miss you. That right there.” Lukas shook his finger at him.
“Nothing good will come from going tonight,” Mr. H said. “You must listen to me. If you go, it will only cause sadness and pain.”
“Lukas!” Sue’s voice echoed through the station.
“Hey, Lukas?” Chuck said. “Sue’s back!”
“Gotta go.” Lukas slammed the microwave door and ran out to the lobby. “What’s wrong?”
“Look,” Sue said. She held up a greeting card. “This was on my windshield.”
Lukas ran over and took it from her. He read it out loud, “Meet me tonight. Let’s go someplace romantic. Let’s say… 10pm. Come alone. XOXO.”
“Ooooh,” Chuck said. “A secret admirer, huh? I’ve been those a few times.”
“No,” she said. “It’s from him.”
“It’s almost ten now,” Lukas said. “We have to hurry.”
“He said to come alone,” she said.
“And if he knows you, he knows you will bring back up,” Lukas said. “Where do you think a romantic place would be?”
“This late
,” she said. “It would have to be Lookout Point. Up on top of the canyon.”
“Let’s go,” Lukas said. They headed for the door. “Reed, could you radio Dyer and Chaney and have them meet us up there at a safe distance?”
“Will do,” Reed said.
“I’ll help ya, buddy,” Chuck said.
Lukas and Sue were flying up the road to Lookout Point. “What do I do?” Sue asked.
“What do you mean?” Lukas said.
“I don’t know if I can face him,” she said.
“Of course you can,” he said. “I will be right there.”
“We need a plan,” she demanded. “We can’t just go run in there. You know he has something planned. It’s probably a trap!”
“Calm down,” Lukas said. “The Sue Callahan I know wouldn’t be afraid of this. She would be excited that something is finally happening in this little, crap town. The only reason why you are freaking out is because of Norm. I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to worry. You just get him talking and I will take him down. Got it?”
She took a couple of deep breaths and nodded her head. “Got it.”
Once they got close, Lukas pulled the car off to the side of the road.
“We should walk the rest of the way,” Lukas said.
“Yeah,” she agreed. She picked up the radio. “Reed? Come in.
She got a response. “This is Chuck. Reed went to sleep. How may I help you?”
“Did he radio Dyer or Chaney?” she asked.
“No,” Chuck said, “But I did. Couldn’t get Chaney, but Dyer said he would be right behind you.”
Lukas looked in the rear view. “I think that’s Dyer now.”
“Thanks, Chuck.” She said and put the radio down.
They got out of the car. Lukas flagged Dyer down.
“What’s going on? Chuck said it was an emergency,” Dyer asked.
“It’s Norm,” Lukas said. “He wanted to meet Sue up here. I think, I’ll go cliffside and go around, you bring up Sue’s rear. Good?”
