The Watcher: A Tony Hunter Novel

by H. Leslie Simmons

  The soldier kept coming slowly as he had before. When he was about twenty feet away Tony fired. The bullet passed through the soldier. Tony expected to see dust fly and pieces of the decrepit uniform tear way but saw none of that. Instead the man continued to walk toward him. When the man was about ten feet away, Tony fired again, twice this time. The soldier stopped walking toward him and transformed into what looked like a Samurai warrior that had attacked him when he was twelve. As it had done back then, the warrior charged Tony waving a long curved sword. Tony managed to duck the charge and hit the warrior in the solar plexus with a hard kick as the man passed. Once again his third-degree karate black belt was a godsend. As the man passed Tony shot him three times with the .38. The man did not go down but did hesitate. As tony watched the warrior faded and the Indian stood before him again. Tony squeezed the trigger but he had used up his rounds. The gun clicked twice as he pulled the trigger. The man hesitated and then quickly charged toward him. He tried to duck away but was too slow. The man drove his weight in, toppling Tony to the ground. He pulled away and stood over Tony drawing his knife out again. He slowly moved toward Tony who was stunned a little and unable to move out of the way until the last instant as the man dove toward him and drove the knife in to the sand narrowly missing. Tony grabbed the man’s arm and twisted as hard as he could. The man dropped the knife and stood up.

  Tony was on his feet quickly and on the way picked up the knife and brandished it at the Indian. The Indian stood for an instant staring at him and shouted something in a language unknown to Tony.

  The man appeared more afraid of the knife than he had of the gun. He turned away from Tony, walked across the beach into the brush beside it and continued to walk until he disappeared into the woods. Tony started to follow him but decided that the figure crumpled up on the beach was more important. He went to the figure lying on the beach and quickly saw that it was a boy. He looked like one of the boys Tony had seen on the beach during a swimming party held by his neighbor’s boy Clay. The boy looked badly hurt. The right side of his face had been cut and his nose was crocked as if something had smashed into it with some force. Tony spoke to him with no response. The hair on the side of his head was matted with still wet blood. He shook the boy gently, again with no response. He called 911 on his cell phone and told the operator where he was and that he had a badly injured boy there on the beach. The operator told him to stay there and stay on the phone. He told her that he would but he also intended to call the police. She said that the police would be notified and that paramedics were on the way.

  Keeping the 911 line open Tony called Maria and told her what had happened. She told him to get back on the 911 call and she would be there as soon as she could.

  The 911 operator told him again that the crew was on the way and asked him how to get to the beach. He told her that there was no direct vehicular access to the beach and that they should park in front of his neighbor, District Attorney Tom Barker’s house and come down the stairs to the beach.

  Five minutes later Maria came running down the steps to the beach and over to where Tony was kneeling beside the boy. Do you know who he is, Tony?”

  “I don’t know his name but I saw him on the beach with Clay barker at one of their parties. Tony lifted the boy’s head up and placed his folded jacket beneath it.

  Two minutes later two paramedics arrived. One of them took a quick look at the boy and called back up the hill for a scoop stretcher, dropped his bag next to the boy. He took the boy’s blood pressure and pulse rate and removed a tablet from his bag. Tony watched as he contacted the hospital. He typed:

  We have a Caucasian male sixteen or seventeen years, here. He is comatose and unresponsive. BP 90 over 52, pulse 45.

  Roger. appeared on the tablet. Admin IV saline and transport immediately.

  Roger. Out. He started the IV immediately and handed the portable IV pole holding the solution bag to Tony. “Hold this up for me, please.”

  Tony took the pole and the paramedic punched the button on his radio and talked to the third paramedic back at the vehicle. “Bring the scoop down stet.”

  Tom Barker and his son, Clay, came running down the steps and along the beach. Clay ran up to the boy on the beach and said “Bobby, what happen to you?”

  The boy did not answer.

  Tom Barker leaned over the boy and asked “What happened to you, Son. Who did this to you?’

  Bobby opened his eyes, looked up at Tony and said “Mr. Hunter.”

  Tom Barker stood and faced Tony. “I knew you were a freak. Arrest him Detective Chavez.”

  “For what?” Maria said.

  “You heard the boy just accuse him of beating him. Arrest him now.”

  “I’m not likely to do any such thing Mr. Commonwealth Attorney.”

  “The boy accused him. I demand that you arrest him at once. I’ll have your badge if you don’t.”

  “In the first place I do not appreciate your threat. If you do it again, I’ll arrest you for interfering in a police investigation. The boy saw Tony and said his name. Now go home and let the proper authorities handle this.”

  “Well I will go home but you have not heard the last of this.”

  “I expect that you are correct, but if you do not leave this scene at once I will arrest you.”

  Tom Barker turned and strode away. Over his shoulder he shouted, “Come on Clay, let’s get out of here.”

  “I think I’ll stay with Bobby at least until they take him to the hospital.”

  “I said come with me, Clay. Now.”

  Clay did not answer but did not stand up either.

  Barker stormed away muttering.

  Less than a minute later a third paramedic came down the beach carrying a scoop stretcher board. The first paramedic said to Tony “Thanks for your help. I’ll take it from here. Please step aside now, so we can get to him.” One of the paramedics took the bag and pole from Tony. The other two split the stretcher, placed each half under the boy, joined the sides, and strapped the boy to it. With the scoop stretcher back together and the boy firmly supported two of them lifted it and started along the beach to the stairs.

  About the time they reached the bottom of the stairs, Lieutenant Joe Marshall and two other uniformed police officers came down onto the beach. “Hello Maria, Tony. Want to bring me up to date?”

  “Tony saw a man carrying a boy named Bobby, last name unknown at this point, down the beach. Tony confronted the man, they scuffled, Tony shot the man. The man walked into the woods.”

  “Bobby Martin.” Clay said

  “Time?”

  “About fifteen minutes ago now,” Tony said. “I didn’t follow him. I wanted to see what the boy’s condition was.

  “Can you describe the man?”

  “I will, but you may not want to believe it. He was dark skinned and naked except for a loin cloth around his waist that looked like it was made of animal skin. He had a band around his head and stuck in it was what looked like an eagle feather, and he was wearing sandals made from animal skins. In short he looked like an Indian from a 1940’s western movie. I shot him Joe, six times altogether but he did not go down. He had a stone knife that looked like it belonged in a museum somewhere. He dropped it and when I picked it up and waved it at him he turned away and walked up the hill and into the woods.”

  “Where is this knife now? and where is your gun.”

  “I laid them both down over there where the boy was.”

  “Deshawn,” Joe said. See if you can find them over there where the boy was.”

  “Here they are, Joe. Thirty-eight and a stone knife. Sharp. bastard it is too. Look at it. I never saw stone sharpened that much.” He handed the knife to Joe.

  “Is the revolver registered, Tony.”

  “Certainly it is. May I have it back?”

  “Eventually, when we get this straightened out.”

  “Get what straightened out, Joe. This guy may still be loose out there somewhere. I migh
t still be in danger from him.”

  “If you shot him six times with this and he didn’t fall, it probably won’t do you any good anyway. I think we’d better hold on to it at least temporarily.”

  “Joe…,” Tony started to say.

  Maria put her hand on his arm and said almost under her breath. “Let it go, Tony. I’ll take care of it.”

  “Ok,” he said without conviction.

  “Now,” Joe said. Show us exactly where this Indian of yours went into the woods.”

  Tony walked to the bottom of the hill. “He started right here,” he said. “You can still see the sandal tracks.”

  “So it seems,” Joe said. He touched the on switch on his shoulder microphone. When a female voice answered, he said, “Betty, I need you to organize a search team out here on the beach. You know where we are. They need to be prepared to confront a dangerous suspect.”

  “Is this a search or rescue mission, Lieutenant?”

  “I’m not really sure so I guess we had better start it as a search mission.”

  “I’m on it Lieutenant. Will you stay out to meet them?”

  “That’s a roger, Betty. Out.”

  “Joe can I go home?” Tony said.

  “I see no reason to keep you out here.”

  “My Hunter,” Deshawn said. “Here’s your jacket. I found it over by your gun and the knife. I’m afraid it has some blood on it from the boy’s head.”

  “Let me see that, Joe said. I guess we had better keep this too, Tony. Evidence you know. You won’t get too cold going home it’s only about fifty yards.”

  “Tony I’ll walk with you a way,” Maria said taking his arm. When they were close to the house. she said, I’ll join you in little while if that’s OK.’

  “You know it is. Can you stay?”

  “You just try to get me to leave.”

  Chapter 20

  Tony poured himself a scotch and water and watched from his porch as the rescue team members arrived and were directed to where the man entered the hill and up to the woods.

  The door gong sounded. It was Thad. Tony invited him in and offered him a drink which was accepted.

  Back on the porch Thad walked to the edge of the porch and peered down at the activity on the beach. “What happened, Tony?”

  Tony told him about all that had occurred as they watched the search team assemble. They looked like a SWAT team all dressed in black with vests and helmets. Each carried what looked from this distance like fully automatic assault rifled with very bright lights mounted on them. There was so much light from the weapons mounted lights that it looked like daylight out there.

  “By golly,” Thad said. “All that for one man.”

  “I told them that I had shot him six times and he still walked away. I guess that created enough uncertainty for them to be a little worried.”

  “Maybe so, but this seems a little like overkill to me. I would expect spot lights all over the place but I guess with those military style flashlights anything else is unnecessary.”

  They could hear only snatches of what was said on the beach but soon the search team members dressed in black moved up the hill toward the woods. They could still see the woods brightly lit up long after they could no longer see the search team. They had left two men on the beach. Tony could hear their radios crackle but could not understand what was said.

  “I don’t think they will find him,” Tony said.

  “Any reason for that opinion? If you shot him and he died his body couldn’t have gone far.”

  “I don’t think he died. I think he probably just walked away.’

  “With six of your .38 slugs in him?”

  “They didn’t seem to even slow him down.”

  “Then why do you think he left?”

  “I think it was the knife. He seemed to be more afraid of it than of me or the gun.

  They heard a noise coming from the front of the house. Tony got up to see what it was and greeted Maria with a kiss as she came in. he offered her a bourbon and water which she accepted, and they walked together out onto the porch where Thad was still watching the men down on the beach.

  “Hi Maria,” Thad said. “Are you through for the night?

  “I am. It’s been quite a day. Quite a three days in fact. They found another dead young girl this morning. That makes three girls and a boy attacked by someone, so far this week.”

  “Or something,” Tony mumbled.

  “What say, Honey”

  “I said that this may not be by a person.”

  “What do you mean, Tony,” Thad said.

  Tony told them about the Indian on the beach becoming a civil war soldier and later a Samurai warrior and then back to an Indian. He told them that it was just like a rerun of what happened when he was twelve years old. He told them all about the earlier incident which Maria had not heard before. Nobody believed him then and he didn’t expect anybody to believe him now.

  “You have to admit, Tony, that it sounds a little strange.” Thad poured himself another drink. “What do you think, Maria?”

  “I’m not sure what to think. I want to believe you but Thad is right. It’s hard to accept. Maybe you were hallucinating.”

  “You mean like I was when Alexander Belikosie was here?”

  “That’s the reason we are reluctant to say that you are dreaming now,” Thad said.

  Up in the woods the lights were still bouncing around. The two cops left on the beach stood or knelt down smoking and talking in low voices. Bright lights had been set up on the beach on poles. They watched as Tom Barker and his son walked down the steps and onto the beach. A cop walked toward them and spoke in a low voice to them. “I’ll have your badge for this, you are on my property,” Barker shouted as he turned and stomped back up the steps.

  “My drink is finished,” Tony said, the wind is picking up and it’s getting a bit chilly out here. Why don’t we go inside and sit by the fire?”

  Tony flipped the switch turning on the gas logs in the living room fire place and the three of them sat. Say, Tony,” Thad said. Tell me about this Indian of yours.

  “He was big. Probably a couple of inches taller that I, maybe six three and twenty pounds heavier, about two ten or so, and very muscular. His skin was dark; his hair black. I couldn’t see his eyes very well but they looked very dark to me.

  “He had a stone knife you said earlier.”

  “It was a big ugly thing and very sharp honed to a razor edge. I’d show it to you but Joe confiscated it. He said it might turn out to be evidence.”

  “We checked it out, Maria said. There were prints on it, yours and some we could not identify. We sent them to the FBI but I doubt that they will be able to find them either. It’s very seldom that we are able to identify a perp by prints alone.”

  “How did you know that the other prints were mine?”

  “We took your prints in connection with the Victor Boston incident.”

  “Of course you did. I forgot that.”

  “How about the boy? Did you get his name?”

  “Bobby Martin.”

  “And how is he doing?”

  “He is going to be Okay. They are keeping him in the hospital overnight but he will probably be released tomorrow pending complications.”

  Maria looked up toward the sliding glass door to the porch and stood up. Without a word, she walked briskly to the front hall and returned with her Glock.

  “What the Hell?” Tony said.

  She pointed toward the sliding glass door as it opened and the Indian, stepped through the door onto the carpet, took a step inside of the living room and said something in a language that Tony did not understand. “What do you want here?” Tony said jumping to his feet

  The Indian did not speak and instead stepped slowly toward them.

  Stop right there or I will shoot.” Maria said. She raised the Glock and pointed it at the man’s chest.

  The Indian took another step toward her and she fired twice. />
  The Indian staggered backward a few feet then regained his balance and started again toward her. She raised the weapon again then lowered it to her side with a bewildered look in her eyes.

  Chapter 21

  Police officers Deshawn Barnes and Ranson Parker stood on the beach watching the SWAT team disappear into the woods.

  Parker lit a cigarette and tossed the match into the lake.

  “Why don’t you buy a lighter, Ranson? We are supposed to look after the environment, not toss matches into the lake.

  “And what do you expect me to do with the butt?”

  “Fieldstrip it and put it in your pocket.”

  “Fat chance.”

  “When are you supposed to retire, Ranson?”

  “Not in your lifetime. It’s too cushiony a job to quit from.”

  Deshawn heard a noise from behind them and turned away from the lake. “What the Hell,” he said? He turned to face the woods at the edge of the beach. A half dozen figures moved out of the dark woods and down onto the beach.

  Parker also turned to see what Deshawn was talking about and said, Holy shit, De. What is that?”

  A group of men dressed like Indians in buckskins came into view in the beams from the lights and walked toward them slowly.

  Deshawn took a step toward them and said, “Who are you people and what are you doing here. This is a police investigation site. Leave at once.”

  The men made no sound as they slowly advanced toward the two policemen.

  “Stop right there,” Deshawn shouted.

  The men continued to advance.

  Deshawn loosened the hold down on his Glock and took it out of the holster.

  Parker did the same and moved into the defense posture.

  The men continued to advance. When they were about twenty feet away, Deshawn raised is weapon and shouted, “Stop right there now or I’ll shoot.”