“That cat is so weird. She doesn't even hiss,” Hawkman said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I've never seen anything like it."
“She's never encountered a dog before,” Jennifer said. “She doesn't even realize the animal is an enemy."
The big lab sat on her haunches at Ken's knee, then suddenly placed a big slobbery kiss on Miss Marple's face. The cat immediately ran both paws over her wet fur and everyone laughed. Ken instructed Du to lay down, then placed Miss Marple on the floor in front of her. The cat stared at the big black lab, and Du tilted her head back and forth observing the kitten, as if expecting her to do something. Soon Miss Marple extended her head toward the big animal and they touched noses. When Du kissed her again, the feline jumped back. The dog dropped her head onto her paws, gave a little whine and watched the kitten.
Ken stood, gave his dog some final commands, then motioned for Hawkman to join him in the kitchen where they could discuss plans for the next morning.
Jennifer, still edgy over the two animals, slid into a chair nearest Miss Marple. She prepared to grab her precious pet in case the dog made an advance. But it turned out Miss Marple made the overtures and the dog handled the situation, either by not paying attention to her, or giving her a nudge with her big black nose. Before bedtime, the two animals were lying side by side on the floor.
When everyone retired to their rooms, Jennifer put Miss Marple's bed on the floor next to her side and tucked the cat in with her favorite stuffed bunny. Just as she got comfortable, hugging Hawkman's back, she felt the furry little ball wedging herself between them.
“Miss Marple, get back in your bed,” Jennifer said sternly.
She could feel Hawkman's body shake as he chuckled. “Sometimes that cat is a real comic, but other times she's a real pain."
Jennifer rose up on her elbow. “So what are your plans for tomorrow?"
Hawkman rolled over and faced her. “We're meeting in front of the fire station at five-thirty in the morning. Ken's even got some K-9 units coming in to help in the search, along with a helicopter."
“Do you have any notion where you'll begin looking?"
“No. But we've got a couple of plans, and we'll act on them first. If they fail, then the team will regroup and brainstorm.” He ran a hand down her arm. “Promise me you'll be careful.
“I will. Peggy said she'd take me over to the house to meet the contractors and stay with me until you guys return. But I'm sure she'd like to be with Ken. Maybe she'd be happy if I got Amelia from the store to come down."
“I don't care how you work it, as long as you're not alone. We could be gone all day and even then we might not find them. Hard to say where they've hidden in these hills. It's a big territory and two men won't be easy to find. And they could backtrack and end up at our house, the farthest place from where we'd be looking."
“We better get some sleep. You have a long day ahead of you."
They'd no more than closed their eyes when a furry little critter pounced upon the foot of the bed, crawled between them and curled into a ball.
* * *
CHAPTER FORTY
Jack and Ray waited for darkness and as soon as the sun dropped over the hills, a cool breeze blew across the area.
“Glad I brought this jacket, the wind's mighty nippy,” Jack said, shrugging on the coat as he stood.
“It won't be long before I head down to the house. Keep watching in case I run into any trouble."
Jack leaned on the large boulder and waved a hand toward the lake. “People in this community close their shutters as soon as it gets dark. Just hustle across that bridge as fast as you can. That's where you'll run into a problem, if any at all.” He pointed toward the west. “Cars coming down the road from town will more than likely turn, so keep your eyes open."
Ray moved around Jack. “Will do. Think I'll start my journey now."
“Be careful. This is rugged country, especially navigating it at night."
Choosing his footing carefully, Ray made his way down the steep incline. He slipped a couple of times and grabbed a tree trunk to keep from falling down the hillside onto the road. Finally, he approached the area directly across from the bridge. He checked both directions. Seeing no headlights, he quickly hobbled across the road to the span over the river. Staying close to the railing, he turned his gaze westward. When he spotted a car approaching, he grasped the balustrade, and heaved himself forward at a faster pace.
By the time the vehicle reached the turnoff, Ray had made it almost to the end. He swung over the last bit of railing and hurled to the ground. He lost his footing, tumbled down the embankment, but quickly scrambled to his feet and flattened himself against the concrete abutment. The pickup passed without slowing. Ray exhaled in relief.
He leaned against the cool surface for several seconds and observed the distance between himself and the house. It appeared about a half block away, and he'd have the blackberry bushes to use as cover the whole distance. Ray pushed away from the wall, and climbed up the slight incline. He sidled close to the brambles, and could hear the rustling of the nocturnal animals as they scurried around inside the depth of the tightly woven twigs. He always wondered how the critters avoided getting poked in the eyes by the thorns.
When he approached the back of the house, he spotted a piece of loose plywood on one corner. If he could tug it off, he'd be able to easily crawl inside. He fixed his gaze on the board, then stepped forward, not realizing he'd cornered a skunk. The animal raised his tail and let go with a powerful spray, soaking Ray's pant's leg. He jumped back and had to bite his tongue to keep from screaming at the horrible stench. “Damn you!” he hissed, hurrying back toward the bushes. The critter ambled away in the opposite direction, his tail held high.
Ray's eyes watered, but he couldn't do much but suffer the consequences. He'd hurry and collect what ammunition he could carry, and suffer with the stench until they got back to the campsite where he could change into some different pants. Then he snickered. Or better yet, I'll borrow a pair of Casey's and leave these as my calling card.
He yanked on the piece of plywood and it suddenly gave way, falling to the ground with a clatter. Ducking behind a part of the barrier, he waited several minutes to make sure no one heard the loud noise. When no porch lights popped on or people rushed outside to investigate, he crawled inside the dark house.
Searching his pockets for the small penlight, he could feel the wetness of the skunk's spray on his trousers and the putrid smell made his nose sting. He finally found the small light and flipped it on. Keeping the beam below the windows, he maneuvered his way back to the master bedroom. He checked in both closets and discovered a pair of camouflage pants that would suit his needs. Quickly emptying his pockets onto the bed, he stripped off the stinking pants and let them drop to the floor. “That should add flavor to the nice smoky smell,” he snickered.
Once he had on the trousers, he discovered he'd have to roll up the legs, as Casey had much longer limbs than he. Shining the light over the closet shelves, he found several boxes of ammunition and crammed them into his pockets. He kicked a few pairs of shoes out of the way, knocked over a lamp, and left open all the searched drawers. He ventured into Casey's office. While gathering more boxes of bullets, he scattered papers and knocked desk supplies onto the floor. When he'd collected all he could carry, he headed out the back, but before continuing his journey, made sure the skunk had disappeared.
He hurried across the bridge without incident and started the climb back up the hill to the lookout point where he'd left his dad. Panting, he finally reaching the big boulder, and leaned heavily against it.
Jack sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose. “Oh, man, you must have disturbed a skunk. I can sure smell him."
Ray laughed. “It's not up here. The damn thing sprayed me outside Casey's place. If you think this is bad, you should smell the pants I left in his bedroom."
“I hope the odor fades by the time we get back to the campsite, I don
't cherish the thought of sleeping in an enclosed area with you."
“You'll get used to it.” He unloaded some of the ammunition from his pockets and handed them to his dad. “Take some of these boxes and as soon as I catch my breath, we'll hit the trail."
Jack led the way, and the two men disappeared over the knoll.
* * * *
The next morning, Hawkman scooted Miss Marple away from his leg, then quietly rolled out of bed. After dressing, he opened the door, and the smell of coffee drifted into the bedroom.
Jennifer raised her head off the pillow. “Be careful, hon."
He crossed to her side and planted a kiss on her lips. “I will. Promise you'll be very observant."
“Don't worry, I'll be here when you return."
He hastened out of the room and into the kitchen.
“Good morning,” Peggy said, pouring him a cup of coffee. “Breakfast is on the run.” She shoved a box of donuts toward him. “Take your pick. Ken has already left, but will meet you in front of the fire station in about thirty minutes."
“Good, I'll have time to run over and check the house.” He grabbed a pastry, took a gulp of coffee, then scooted out the door.
Jennifer soon padded into the room. “Peggy, I know you want to be included in this search. I'm going to give Amelia a call at the store. If she can stay with me, you'll be able to join the men in this hunt."
Peggy raised a brow. “I don't think that's a good idea. I'd really rather stay with you, as we have no idea where these men have hidden. They could backtrack behind the search team and end up taking you as a hostage.” She patted Jennifer on the shoulder. “Thanks for the consideration, but my job is to protect you."
Jennifer slumped into a chair. “I hate this whole mess. It's turned into a horrible nightmare. And I'm sure you'll find hanging out with me is not going to be nearly as exciting as being in the field."
Peggy grinned. “Who knows, it might be more thrilling."
Hawkman barreled into the house, his mouth set in a grim expression and his uncovered eye flaring with anger. “You won't be able to stay at our place, Jennifer."
She jumped up and looked at him in shock. “Why?"
“Someone broke in last night. They must have come in contact with a skunk, took a pair of my pants, ransacked the house and stole a ton of ammunition.” He pointed a finger in the air. “But he left the putrid scented trousers in the middle of our bedroom floor. The whole house reeks."
Jennifer covered her face and plopped back down in the chair. “What more can they do?"
Hawkman paced back and forth. “I don't know, but you'll have to go over long enough to talk to the contractors. They're going to love working in our smelly house."
“Were you able to get the pants out of there?” Jennifer asked.
“Yes, I threw them into the side yard. The sun and air should help. Then we'll bundle them up and throw them away."
“Don't fret,” Peggy said, giving Hawkman a pat on the back. “We'll manage. You just find those guys and bring them in.” She smiled. “If they're the ones who broke into your house, you might have an easier time following the trail than you thought."
Jennifer couldn't help but laugh. “She's right, just follow the stink."
Hawkman jerked his head around. “You know, you might have a point. I'll fetch those pants, put them into a plastic bag and let the dogs get a good whiff. It will definitely give them a strong aroma to follow."
* * *
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
As they waited in front of the fire station for the rest of the team, Hawkman told Ken about what had happened at his house and held up a plastic bag.
“I don't know if you have any hounds in this group of K-9s, but if you do, I have the scent."
Ken scratched his head and grimaced. “No blood hounds in this group, however, the problem with the skunk smell, is we have lots of those critters around the area. Especially up in the hills. It might throw off the dogs, and instead of finding the men we're looking for we might end up chasing varmints."
Hawkman glanced at the parcel. “Guess this isn't such a good idea after all."
“If Ray or Jack got sprayed somewhere along the way and then broke into your house, I think we'll get a whiff without having to depend on the dogs. You don't wash off that scent easily."
“You've got a point.” Hawkman walked over to the side of the building and dropped the stinky package on the ground. “We might need the pants for evidence, but I don't think we want to carry them around."
The Fire Chief pulled up and opened the fire station so Ken could get the portable lanterns for the arrival of the helicopter. Hawkman helped place them around the perimeter of the pad. After turning them on, they moved back to the road to wait for the assisting crews.
Soon, several uniformed men in marked cars, two K-9 teams and a SWAT team arrived, along with the Incident Commander, Jim Bates. Ken called them forward and introduced Tom Casey as an ex-agent, now a private investigator, then explained the connection between him and the two men.
Ken unfolded a map on the hood of his Chevy Tahoe and pointed to the area where he thought the two villains might possibly be hiding. “I figure they'll camp close to a creek as they'll need water. We'll set up the command post at the old hotel and start a sweep south."
Jim then took over and pointed at the patrol officers. I want you guys to set up roadblocks on the other side of the bridge and at the Oregon border.” Then he gave a quick description of the men they were after. “Ray has a definite limp, and both have grown shaggy beards to the point of looking like they've lived in the hills for years. Don't let anyone pass through the barriers fitting these descriptions. Any questions?"
One raised a hand. “Are we going to have air support?"
“Yes, the helicopter will be here shortly. Bronson will ride with the pilot as the spotter.” Jim glanced around to make sure everyone understood. When no one else spoke up, he motioned toward the vehicles. “Okay, let's go.” He gestured for Hawkman to join him.
“I hear the chopper,” someone called.
Another pointed toward the sky. “There she flies."
Ken headed toward the back of the fire station. “Talk to you guys later,” he yelled over his shoulder.
The team scrambled into their cars and followed the commander. After all passed over the bridge and turned east on Ager Beswick Road, one of the uniformed officers parked his marked car across the entry into the guarded area.
It was still dark when they reached the old hotel. Hawkman watched the K-9 teams as they prepared the dogs and took the lead. The men knew to stay behind these canines as the animals couldn't distinguish between the good guys and the bad. They just attacked on command from their masters. Carrying their weapons in a poised ready position, the men spread out in a wide line and walked south. The land held rocks and was full of small gullies, making each step hard to manage. Most of the time, they had the protection of the forest, but as the sun peeked over the hills you could see the spots of sparse foliage. They would hurry across the exposed areas to hide amongst the trees.
* * * *
Ray tried desperately to wash off the skunk scent in the stream, but without soap, he made little headway. Exhausted, he finally gave up, stumbled back to the pickup and climbed into his bedroll.
Jack tossed and turned, putting his head deep into his sleeping bag, hoping to get some relief from the horrible stench that permeated the camper shell. Finally, he gave up and decided he'd try the cab. If he could get away from the pungent smell, he might be able to snatch a few winks. He quietly climbed out the back, opened the driver's side door and slipped under the steering wheel. The night had turned still and stuffy, so he rolled down the window, then crunched up his jacket behind his head. He'd no more dozed off, when he jerked up and listened. He hastened out of the pickup and woke up Ray.
“Just heard a copter. We've got to make sure we can't be seen from the air."
Jack pulled the truc
k farther into the grove of trees, then the two men chopped limbs off a nearby oak and placed them around the front and tail end of the vehicle. Finally, he stood back in the predawn hazy light and scrutinized the effect. “I think we did it. At least it will keep the reflection from the sun down to a minimum."
Ray's gaze searched the landscape. “We need a place to hide. Somewhere away from the truck. Damn, I wish we knew the area better."
Jack pointed toward a hill in the distance. “Let's gather our guns and ammo, then hike up to that ridge. Maybe we can find a small cave where we're protected at the back. Also, high enough so we can see them coming."
“Good idea,” Ray said, grabbing his guns. He loaded the backpack with boxes of bullets and slung it over his shoulders. “Let's go."
Jack shoved the remaining cartons into his pockets, stuck his pistol into the waistband of his pants and hefted his rifle. “I'm ready."
Ray trekked a few yards ahead, but Jack knew he'd have no trouble catching up, so he grabbed a couple of the canteens. Food they could do without, but water would be essential. He quickly filled them at the creek, then took off in a trot after his son.
The hill stood a lot farther away than it appeared and it seemed to take them forever before they finally reached the base. The two scaled the side and soon came upon a perfect hideout where a huge piece of rock had separated from the side leaving a gap big enough for them to slip behind, see over the top ridge and yet be well hidden by the ledge jutting out above their heads.
“This is perfect,” Ray said, placing his rifle on the rock. He dropped the backpack to the ground, put the binoculars to his eyes and searched the horizon. “Don't see any sign of the posse.” Leaning against the rock, he wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his arm.
Jack held out a canteen. “Good thing I stopped and filled these."
Ray smiled and took a big gulp. “I tend to forget the essential items in the heat of the battle. Thanks.” He capped the bottle and placed it in the shade of the big boulder.
The two divided up the ammo and situated themselves so they both had a view of the whole area, including where they'd hidden the truck.
In for the Kill [Hawkman Series Book 9] Page 20
