Mitch can tell that his father is beyond upset at the way his deputy treated the prisoner, just by the tone of his voice. Stuart also realizes that the sheriff is not happy with his behavior and gives him an apologetic look before limping his way back to the chair. He once again sits quietly in the background as Sheriff Thompson addresses his prisoner.
"Tell me what time the Ferris Wheel is scheduled to turn on once again? What time is this whole charade supposed to end?"
The man twists his head as best he can, so he can look at the clock that is on the wall to his right. "Looks like you are running out of time. Sunrise is due in about twenty minutes and then the ride turns on and the game is over."
The sheriff looks at his watch and without giving the man the decency of a look, continues on with his questions. "You set this whole thing up and rigged all of the rides to turn on at certain times, so you should be able to turn them off."
"That's not how it works. The game program was written in a way that it cannot be changed or altered until the entire game has run its course. People are paying a ton of money to watch what goes on here, the last thing they want is to have someone change the rules right in the middle of the game. My father had an issue with the same things over the years, so we have learned to not let that happen again. Do you know how much dough I would lose if I didn't take that precaution? You don't get to be in charge of an event like this without having learned some lessons over the years."
"We need to shut down the Ferris Wheel before it turns on, the life of one of my deputies is at stake." This is the first time that Stuart has learned about the predicament that Fred is in and even though he doesn't know all of the details, the urgency in the voice of the sheriff lets him know the situation is serious. "There has to be a way to cut the power to the ride. Where is the electrical lines that you used to take over control of the rides?"
"They will do you no good either. As you well know, this area is a hotbed for power outages. Everything in the park has been hooked to multiple power sources to avoid any loss of signal during the event." Once again, the man looks over his shoulder at the clock. "Just fifteen more minutes before your friend becomes a human piñata!"
Mitch races off to the room where he was able to use the phone to call the park owner at his home. When he was there earlier he remembered seeing the group of radios with earpieces that the park security guys use. He grabs one and nestles the small speaker into his ear. He grabs another from the charger and races back to his father. He runs into the room and hands the other radio to Stuart, who looks at it oddly. "I'm going out there but Stuart you are by far the most computer savvy of the three of us. I need you to go over to that room and see if you can make heads and tails of the system. Maybe you will be able to watch my back without having to limp around."
"Sure Mitch, but what about this guy? We can't just leave him here unguarded. I'm sure he will try to escape." There has never been anything happen as long as he has been on the police force as extreme as what they are experiencing now, yet Stuart still finds a way to be far more level headed and think through all of the possibilities with ease.
"I'll just shove him back in the closet," chimes in the sheriff with his deep, masculine voice. "Mitch, we don't have a lot of time left, so we need to get moving. Help Stuart to the control room while I shove this guy in the closet. Grab a radio for me while you're in there."
"Wait. You're going out there with me?" The look he got from his father was all the answer he needed. Now Mitch isn't sure what he is worried about more, saving his friend and fellow deputy or keeping his father and sheriff of the town safe from the three remaining killers who are still on the loose.
"You're damn right I'm going with you. Nothing happens in this town without me being a part of it. That is why the good people of this town have given me the title of sheriff. There's no way I'm sending you out there without being by your side." With his final word he begins to wheel the prisoner back into the closet from which he came, and Mitch helps Stuart to his feet.
Chapter 23
Mitch returns from the control room with a radio for his father and they both give a check of the system to make sure that everything is working properly. Once the men are confident the headsets are all functional, they quickly take off toward the Ferris Wheel. Once they leave the headquarters, they follow the concrete path that will lead them to the back side of the ride.
The tall metal structure stands higher than anything else in the area and acts as a beacon to anyone in the park. The men move quickly, Mitch leading the way due to his much younger legs, making sure to scan the areas they pass for any sign of one of the three killers lurking in the shadows. Periodically through the short trip, Sheriff Thompson will give nuggets of advice to his son. Make sure to only aim your weapon in the same place that your flashlight is shining or don't shoot at anything before you are sure what it is you are shooting at, both points that Mitch has heard his father advise him on numerous hunting trips growing up.
The younger Thompson reaches the ride a few steps ahead of his father, races over to where the man is still passed out at the boarding area. He pulls his phone out to check the time before yelling back to his father, "come on, we only have six minutes left."
The unconscious man lays motionless as the two men look him over. Sheriff Thompson grabs his wrist, so he can check for a pulse while Mitch focuses his attention on the thick chain that is wrapped around the man's neck. This is the moment that both men realize this is not Fred. Having studied the page full of killers involved in this game, Mitch is certain that this man is Jesse Meyer, the former soldier.
The other end of the chain is threaded through the thick metal beams that hold the canopies that cover the chairs of the ride. His body is propped up in a position that allows his upper body to lean against the back of the passenger car. The way his body has been positioned it looks like he is waiting to ride the wheel backwards, looking in the opposite direction of the rotation of the ride. "Stuart, can you give me the time?"
"You have about three minutes, are you able to get Fred out of there?" Stuart is speaking in a panic rush, his words all kind of mix together as if his hands are moving frantically trying to visually extract them from his lips.
"We're working on it but it's not Fred. It's the former Ranger that was shooting at you. Any sign of Fred at all or the other two killers?" Mitch has been tugging at the chain and padlock to try and find a weakness in the way it has been connected. So far, he has been unable to gain even an inch of slack. The weight of the man is acting like an anchor and pulling the chain too tight to allow Mitch to wiggle it at all.
"I haven't found them yet, but I am getting the hang of this computer system. It's far more advanced than anything we have at the station. Did you know there was a camera on us when we were interrogating the prisoner?"
Mitch lets his comments go without answering him. He is far too focused to worry about what the rest of the internet world heard a few minutes earlier. Even though the man who is attached to the back of the seat is not their friend, the two men remain focused on freeing him. It doesn't matter that this man had come to Graham Park with intentions of killing men for money or that he is probably the person who put a hole through the leg of Stuart.
"He has a pulse, more than likely he is just unconscious. Have you been able to figure out how to get him out of the chain?" Sheriff Thompson is now tugging at the large links of the chain around the chest of the fallen soldier.
"I don't think there is a way to get him out. I'm afraid we are going to have to watch him," before he can finish his last sentence, the lights along the metal poles that support the wheel begin to power on. Mitch frantically tugs at the chains a few more times but he is still unable to move the tight metal links. The Ferris Wheel is now fully lit and he can hear the gears begin to turn and start the long, slow rotation of the passenger cars.
For a lack of knowing of anything better to do, Mitch climbs into the seat that is on the opposite side
of the killer's limp body. It is nothing more than a few flat pieces of steel that form a small bench type seat. He looks at his father who has begun to slap the face of the unconscious man trying to bring some life into him. Mitch plants his knees on the bench seat, lays his waist at the top of the back support and reaches behind the seat with both hands. He shoves his arms into the armpits of Jesse Meyer and bends at the elbow in an attempt to lift the man and stop the chain from cutting off his airflow.
The ride is in top speed now, which is still a crawl. It usually takes a full two minutes for a car to make the entire revolution. Sheriff Thompson looks on as his son is doing everything he can to hold the much larger man and prevent his hanging. Mitch is screaming, nothing important, just repeating the man’s name in hopes that he will come to. About a quarter of the way around, his yells are matched by the much louder groans and the deep grunts from the fallen Ranger.
When he first opens his eyes, he begins to flail his arms about, almost causing Mitch to lose his grip. Luckily, the younger officer is in far better shape than the others and manages to hold the man tightly. When their gondola reaches the top and begins its descent, Jesse Meyer is able to locate the large bar that stops the seat from rocking out of control. He puts both of his feet on the bar and uses his thigh muscles to relieve some of the pressure on Mitch's biceps.
"Any idea how we are going to get out of here?" The tone of his voice is unlike anything Mitch has ever heard before. Until you have heard the words of a man who thought his life was over, you would not know what the sound was.
"I have no idea, but the Sheriff is here, and I have a guy in the control room keeping an eye on things. We're going to get you off of this thing." The calmness in the other man’s voice has caused his heart rate to slow drastically.
"Hey guys, I have some good news and I have some bad news." Mitch hadn't expected to hear anything from Stuart and when he heard his voice it caused him to jump slightly. A slight groan from the soldier snapped him back into his current reality and Mitch regained his grip on the man's upper torso. "The good news is that Fred is most certainly alive. The bad news is that he is in the middle of the water park area and is having a fight with one of our friendly killers. Judging by some of the moves this guy has, I'm going to guess that it's the Japanese guy. It doesn't look like Fred is going to be able to last much longer."
Out of the corner of his eye, Mitch notices his father take off in a sprint. He tries to use his radio but with both hands full at the moment, there is no way for him to tell his father that it isn't a good idea to go alone. Their gondola has now completed its first trip around and slowly passes through the loading area. The former Army Ranger uses the brief time he has with firm footing to readjust his shoulders and slightly loosen the chains. In the mere seconds where he was actually able to put his feet on solid ground, he has effectively removed most of his chest from the chains. He moved quickly and every time the chain tightened on his neck he would let out a soft moan.
What was once a tight chain that was cutting off the circulation, is now much looser. He is still unable to free himself completely, but can now turn and face Mitch. As the ride once again starts to raise them high above the ground, the man uses his own strength to hold his body in place. He hangs over the back of the canopy and faces Mitch but now that the eminent danger has subsided, the two men give each other a relieved look.
Once they reach the apex of the circle, the ride suddenly comes to a stop. From high above the other attractions at Graham Park, it doesn't take long to find his father. He looks like a small dot streaking across the pathway hundreds of feet below. When the ride began moving, Mitch tossed his rifle aside and did what he had to do in order to save the unconscious man. Now that he is stuck so high above the ground, he wishes he had it with him so he could use the scope to keep an eye on his father.
"Stuart, the sheriff went toward the water park. Keep an eye on him. The Ferris Wheel stopped, and we are stuck at the top." He loses sight of his father as he winds beneath the trees and makes his way toward the water park. Mitch turns and looks at Jesse Meyer and starts working on the chains again. They are now so twisted that it is hard to tell which strand of chain is actually still wrapped around his neck. In the back of his mind there is a small part of Mitch that thinks it might be wise to leave this trained killer confined in the very chains he is now working to free him of.
The two men continue to work to untangle the chains until finally Jesse Meyer is able to free his neck and climb over the back of the seat. Mitch helps him over and for a brief moment they find themselves in a very awkward embrace. The relief of getting his body free of the chains far outweighs the fact that they are stuck hundreds of feet in the air together, one a police officer and the other a trained killer for hire.
Mitch skips all of the normal introductions two men would make when they first met a new person. Instead, he opts to fill the man in on most of the details that he knows up until this point and how the man might as well stay put and turn himself in when the feds arrive shortly. There is a lengthy period of silence and the rescued man does not say a word in response to what Mitch tells him. They take turns looking over the side of the car, scanning the ground hundreds of feet below for any sign of life. The orange sun is beginning to rise high above the trees, giving the two men an unobstructed view of the Nehalem River and the rest of Graham Park.
"Mitch, you need to get down from there as quickly as possible. I couldn't see exactly what happened but Fred somehow managed to get the upper hand on the Japanese guy. He managed to hit the guy over the head with a rock or something. He hasn't moved in several minutes." The words cut through the calmness that the morning had brought to the situation and startle Mitch at first. His ride companion looks at him awkwardly, unable to hear what is being told to him through his earpiece. The change in the expression on Mitch's face makes it clear that something has happened. "I tried to follow Fred when he left the body, but I don't quite have the hang of this system yet. The next thing I was able to see was the body of the sheriff. He is laying on the ground in the middle of the midway."
"Stuart, get me off of this ride. Get me down from here now!"
"I have been trying to figure out how to do that since you got stuck. This computer system is far too complex for my brain. I don't know that I can do it." The voice coming over the radio is obviously stressed and strained. "I have called the Portland office several times to make sure they are sending a computer expert with them. They should be here in a couple of hours and we'll get you down then."
"A couple of hours! I can't wait a couple of hours. By then who knows what these killers will have done to my father." Mitch is screaming at the voice on the other end of the radio, even though he knows fully that it is not going to change things.
"Mitch, I get that. I have tried everything I can think of, but I can't hack into the system. I have even pulled the prisoner out and threatened him with more violence but he's not talking." The pain in the voice of Stuart is obvious, meaning things are definitely not looking good for the sheriff.
"I guess I have no other choice. I can't leave him down there all alone. He wouldn't leave any of us out there all by ourselves." Mitch is now speaking quickly and rushed. His eyes are jumping around looking at any and everything he can, trying to figure out a way off of this ride.
"What are you going to do?" Jesse can only hear half of the conversation but knows that Mitch is desperate to find a way to the ground.
"I'm getting down from here. You can stay but I have to get off of this thing. The feds will be here in a few hours and they will have someone smart enough to override the computer system and get you down. I think I can slide down this pole and work my way to the frame of the ride. From there I should be able to work my way all the way to the ground."
"That is probably not a wise decision. We're a few hundred feet in the air and you think you're going to climb out there without a safety rope? I get that you're trying to save the sheriff, b
ut falling to your own death is not the right way to go about it." The man speaks to Mitch with a mind of reason, like a person who has known the deputy for many years.
"It's not just the sheriff who's laying on the ground, it's my father. I'm getting down there no matter what I have to do. He would do the same for me if I were in the same position."
Chapter 24
As he begins to stand up on the seat of the passenger car, Mitch is starting to regret his decision already. His hands are holding on to the cold steel tightly as he steals a look down. The sheer distance of the fall would surely be enough to kill him if he was unable to keep his grip. Slowly he lifts his right leg over the edge and struggles at first to find somewhere on the other side to put it down.
The frost from the cool night air has made everything a little more slippery than he expected and luckily his whole body isn't over the side of the seat before he loses his balance for the first time. He puts all of his weight on his right foot and lifts his left over the metal backrest of the seat. He tells himself repeatedly to not look down, that would add to the amount of fear he is feeling. He is now somewhat seated on the backside of the seat, not too different from how the soldier was perched when he was trying to save himself from being hung by the chain.
Standing outside of the safety of the seat makes the severity of the situation sink in more. The long metal pole that he is standing on runs all the way to the center of the ride. He judges the distance carefully and decides that the added moisture on the beam would make it impossible to walk across while standing. He begins to lower his body by bending slowly at the knees. He cautiously begins extending his hands, one at a time, until they are both on the pole out in front of him.
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