Escape Clause

by James O. Born

  He lifted his feet and twisted hard, leaning his back against Renee with his legs cocked. He kicked out both feet into a surprised Rufus, driving him hard against the door. He tried to raise the pistol he held in his right hand, but Tasker kicked him again, causing the car to spin one way then the other, heading straight for the canal. He fired his legs again, this time catching the dazed Gladesville cop in the head. Rufus’ two front teeth bounced off the side window as blood poured from his split lower lip. Renee reached across to straighten the wheel and direct the car back onto the dirt road.

  Somehow Rufus managed to stop the car. He was confused but still had the gun.

  Tasker yelled, “Get out, Renee. Run.”

  She hesitated and he shouted, “Right now.”

  She was out of the car and heading toward the cane field before Norton in the Bronco had even realized there was a problem. Tasker knew he had only a few seconds to either disarm Rufus or run with Renee. He kicked at him again, but now the cop was fending off the blows more effectively. He had tried to move the gun to his other hand, but it was stuck between the seat and the door. Tasker turned and pushed himself into Rufus so his cuffed hands were against the cop. He hoped to grab the gun somehow, but felt nothing except the keys in the steering column. He closed his hand and yanked, jerking the key out of the ignition along with the others on the chain.

  This wasn’t working, so he scooted toward the open door, noticed the Bronco backing up toward them, and then jumped out, running in the same direction as Renee into the cane field. He was already panting a few feet inside the cover of the cane when he ran headlong into the stationary Renee, causing them both to hit the ground.

  She grabbed his head and kissed him hard on the lips.

  Tasker said, “We gotta haul ass. I’m guessing neither of those two can keep up a pace on foot very long.” He twisted away from her, offering her his bloody hand. “Here.”

  “What happened?”

  “I grabbed his keys, but the chain broke. I’m hoping the cuff key stayed with me.”

  She sorted through the half dozen keys and said, “Yes!” when she found the tiny metal standard handcuff key and dumped the others on the ground. In the dim light, it took a few seconds to fit the little key in the hole. “I got it.”

  He rotated his wrists and the left cuff clicked open. He spun around with the one hand still in a cuff, facing Renee. She opened it with less trouble. Without a word, they started to scurry away from the two cars.

  Rufus Goodwin was pissed off. He’d worked too hard and done too many distasteful things to lose his chance at a big score now. Every time his tongue moved over his teeth he felt the disturbing gap where his two front teeth had been. He had checked his face in the car mirror to make sure he wasn’t too badly injured but didn’t want to dwell on how he looked. He had his big Smith & Wesson .357 out and a four-cell Kel-Light in his hand scanning the outer edges of the cane field. Sam Norton was a few feet away checking the field in the other direction.

  Rufus said, “I got an idea.” He holstered his gun on his hip and raced back to his Crown Vic. As he opened his door, he yelled to Norton, “Wait right here. They’ll be coming back this way in a few minutes.” His mouth ached with each word but his speech sounded okay. He had always sounded different from the locals anyway. He retrieved his spare key from his wallet and started the car, turned in the direction they had come in from US 27 and punched it, covering a quarter mile in a flash. At the first break in the cane field, he bailed out and popped his trunk. After a few seconds of frantic searching, he retrieved two road flares. It was night but the moon had developed into a decent source of light.

  He ran into the cane field and realized it was a narrow strip that ended about thirty yards east at another drainage canal. He ignited the flares by striking them like giant matches against their rough caps. The red flame glowed on both as he touched them to the base of the cane rows. The blaze grew as more cane was consumed. The brisk wind from the north was going to push the flames right back to Norton and he’d walk up the opposite bank. In a few minutes, they’d have their pigeons, and in the morning some county sheriff’s deputy would take a vandalism report from whoever owned this little cane field. Everyone else would be investigating the dead trooper up on the highway. Rufus included.

  He stood back and watched the flames grow and spread. This was a lot of trouble, but there were some satisfying parts to it as well. The money would be real satisfying if they could ever get it rolling.

  forty-five

  The cane didn’t just burn; it ignited. Tasker and Renee were on their bellies looking through the last few rows of cane about fifty feet from where Rufus Goodwin was using a couple of road flares to spread the fire. With the wind it was clear he meant to drive them to Norton, or at least out in the open. The idea that someone would try to roast him and Renee alive pissed him off. He already had a score to settle with this jigsaw-puzzle-faced New York asshole. Billie Towers may have been tied up in this scam, but she didn’t deserve to die. His concern now was getting back out to the road to see if he could help the trooper. He may have been beyond help, but Tasker had to try.

  Next to him, Renee lay with her eyes wide. Tasker didn’t think she had ever been in a position where someone had the upper hand. As a correctional officer, one of the key principles is: Always stay in charge. Now she was the hunted, not the hunter. She clutched his arm like he was anchored to this spot in the field. He wanted to shake her off, but knew she was too scared to be pushed away. But he had to do something. This sitting still went against his nature.

  Renee finally said, “What’re we gonna do? Should we try to sneak past Norton?”

  “That’s the wrong direction. We need to get back to the trooper.”

  “So what do we do?” Her voice was taking on a slightly panicked tone.

  He smiled as he saw a clear course of action. “We attack.”

  “How? With no weapons?”

  Tasker’s hand had been resting on a fresh stalk of sugarcane that they had knocked flat when they dove into the field. He jerked it free of the broken section near the ground. He felt its surprising weight, slapping it into his other hand. He scurried on his stomach toward Rufus, turning to say in a harsh whisper to Renee, “Stay put as long as you can.”

  He watched as Rufus moved along the edge of the field, lighting the cane. The flames were moving away from Rufus’ car and he crept closer to Tasker as he spread the fire. Tasker eased back into the cane as Rufus came closer. His mouth had blood coming from his lips, and his forehead had a deep gash, too. His revolver was in a holster on his hip. Tasker tried not to focus on the gun, even though that was his goal. He didn’t need tunnel vision now. He took a deep breath as Rufus worked his way closer every second.

  With the smoke from the fire growing thicker, giving him more cover, Tasker stood, out of sight of the clearing, and hefted the sugarcane stalk like a Louisville Slugger. He tried to steal a look over at Renee to make sure she was still safe and was shocked to see her standing in plain sight, away from the cane. What the hell was she doing? Then he heard her call out.

  “Rufus, stop, we give up.”

  Rufus spun and looked at his former girlfriend. He stood with the road flares still in his hands. “Where’s Tasker?”

  Tasker stepped up to Rufus, who was looking to his right at Renee, swung the sugarcane and said, “Right here, asswipe.” He let the arc of the cane come up between the sugarcane stalks and into Rufus’ exposed chin. He felt a solid connection and saw a couple more teeth fly as he followed through like Barry Bonds. Rufus toppled like a building hit by a demolition ball.

  Tasker dropped the sugarcane club and stepped over Rufus’ motionless form. He yanked the pistol from its holster and resisted the urge to put a bullet in this guy’s head right then.

  Tasker had the groggy Rufus Goodwin leaning against his car. The fire burned unevenly behind them with the road along the canal open but smoky. Renee stood behind Tasker, who had Ruf
us’ revolver in his hand.

  He raised the gun at Rufus’ impassive face. “I oughta cap you right now.”

  When Rufus grimaced in pain, he looked like a jack-o’-lantern with half his visible teeth missing. “Go ahead, smart guy. I’m done anyway.”

  Tasker lowered the gun. “Because I’m not God, I’d rather let you squirm before a judge. This town won’t like this kind of scandal.”

  “These hicks won’t even understand it.”

  Tasker looked up the road and said, “Where are the keys? I gotta go see about the trooper Norton hit.”

  Rufus coughed and said, “You yanked the key out of the ignition when you ran. You must have it.”

  “Shit.” He looked toward the spot where he thought he and Renee had hidden before the fire. “They must be over on the ground.”

  Renee said, “I’ll get them.” She trotted off before Tasker could answer.

  Tasker turned back to Rufus. “All this suffering just to keep the professor’s artifacts from being tied to your damn prison site?”

  He shrugged like he was in a conversation on a street in New York. “You think the state woulda let us build over an historical Indian village? Lotta money, Tasker. Plenty to go around still.” He looked at Tasker.

  “At least you’re not as incompetent as I thought.”

  Rufus managed a slight smile and said, “Same here.” He wiped his bloody face with his bare hand as the smoke started to drift in all directions. “You sure as hell don’t give up easily.”

  “Why did you kill Billie?”

  “She had a big mouth.”

  “You fucking creep. You’re not even a psycho; you killed the professor and Billie for money.”

  He smirked. “No, I had fun choking the life out of Billie.”

  Tasker tensed but let it pass. He turned to Renee and shouted, “Find it yet?”

  She looked up from the ground and shook her head.

  Tasker looked at Rufus and said, “Give me a reason and you’re dead meat.”

  Renee Chin liked her job with the Department of Corrections but she had always watched police shows. This was as close to one of those as she had ever gotten. Bill Tasker seemed to make decisions and act on them in a split second. She had never seen someone take charge like that in her life. She’d been afraid he might kill Rufus when he first surprised him, then again when he was talking to him, but that wouldn’t have been in his character and she knew it. She might have agreed with his killing Rufus if it wasn’t for her shock at having shot Henry Janzig herself. This wasn’t like TV. She didn’t feel like joking or going fishing. All she saw when she closed her eyes was Janzig’s still body and the blood seeping onto the porch back at Tasker’s apartment. What she didn’t know was if Tasker was using the threats as a way to get more information out of the befuddled Rufus.

  Now she was frantically searching for the keys. Tasker wanted to help the trooper, but she just wanted out of there fast. Then she’d do whatever she could for the injured cop out on US 27.

  She found the spot where they had hidden and then saw the metallic sparkle in the dirt. She leaned down and dug out a silver Ford key. As she stood up to yell to Tasker, she sensed a movement, then an arm wrapped around her neck and Sam Norton’s voice said, “I’m sorry, Renee.”

  Tasker saw the spare key as soon as he looked in the Ford. He turned to Rufus and muttered, “Asshole.”

  Rufus shrugged at his attempt to stall Tasker by lying about the missing key.

  Tasker waited for Rufus to scoot in the car when he heard a voice from the cane shout, “Now we can cut a deal.” His head snapped up to see Norton with the Beretta to Renee’s head as they backed away into the cane.

  Tasker didn’t hesitate to pull Rufus out of the car by his ear. He had the revolver up, first at Norton, then jammed into Rufus’ ribs as he backed to the rear of the Crown Vic.

  Norton shouted, “Let us go. It’ll take you a couple of hours to walk back and we’ll be gone. Nobody wins, but nobody loses, either.”

  Tasker felt Rufus snicker. The thought of these two walking away, even as fugitives, didn’t appeal to Tasker in the least. Besides, he had to get to the road fast. He yelled back to Norton, who was now almost in the cane field with Renee squarely in front of him, “Why’s this mope mean so much to you?”

  “Have to take care of partners. You know how it is.” He shook Renee once. “Just walk away and we’ll let her go. Everyone lives.”

  Tasker looked at the smug Rufus next to him, then across to Renee, who was keeping her emotions well hidden. He wanted to blow Rufus’ head off then take a shot at Norton, but wouldn’t risk someone close to him again. He couldn’t help but think of that split second in the Kendall bank when he had had to act even though he knew his daughter was nearby. His finger tightened slightly on the revolver’s trigger. He had never even fired this gun. Didn’t know how accurate it was and what kind of rounds it was loaded with. He knew what he had to do.

  Tasker raised his voice. “Tell you what. I’ll make an even exchange. You send over Renee and I’ll let Slappy here come to you.”

  “Then you clear the way for us to drive out?”

  “But I keep the pistol to make sure you keep the deal.”

  There was a pause, then Norton yelled, “Send him over.”

  Tasker loosened his grip on Rufus as he peered over the trunk of the car and saw Renee alone at the edge of the field. He knew Norton was in the field right behind her. The smoke from the spreading fire drifted through in thick clumps.

  Tasker said to Rufus, “Anything goes wrong and the first round is in your back.”

  Rufus smiled his nearly toothless smile. “Watch out, it shoots to the right.”

  Tasker knew the Gladesville cop was just trying to get into his head. Maybe the gun shot left. It didn’t matter, because if there was a problem, three rounds aimed in a spread would go toward him. Something would hit.

  Tasker said, “Get walking, jerk-off.” He shoved Rufus ahead of him and yelled, “He’s on the way.” He stood up, the pistol pointed at Rufus as he walked quickly toward the cane field. Renee hesitated, either out of fear or because Norton told her to wait, then started toward Tasker at a much slower pace than Rufus. He started to shout to her to run, when Rufus lunged at Renee, scooping her in his arms and fading into the cane field with Norton. Tasker never had a chance to get off a round, but he scampered around the car and raced toward the spot in the field where they had disappeared.

  forty-six

  Norton grabbed Renee by the shoulder as she and Rufus barreled back into the cane.

  “C’mon,” was all he said as he led them along the western edge of the field, away from the flames.

  Rufus said, “Where are we goin’? The highway is the other direction.”

  “I need my 870p. We can use the Bronco to get back to the highway and let Renee go up there.”

  Rufus started to pant now at the fast pace they kept up cutting through the cane. “What do you mean, let her go?”

  “If Tasker is loose, it don’t make a bit of difference to have her free, too.”

  “We can still get Tasker. You’ll have the shotgun. The fire will keep him on this side of the cane. We can get him if we use her as bait.”

  Norton kept silent as he started to breathe hard himself. He knew he had already lost his chance to give the girls and his wife a proper place to live. He had screwed everything up, and worst of all Renee knew he wasn’t the straight-up guy he wanted to be for her.

  After a minute of good running and two minutes of fast walking, they came to the Bronco with the driver’s door still open. Norton handed the Beretta they had taken from Tasker to Rufus and retrieved his Remington 870 pump shotgun from the rear seat so they could pile in.

  He hit the gas a little hard and spun in the soft soil near the canal, then straightened out and raced back to Rufus’ car now shrouded in thick white smoke. The Bronco skidded to a stop next to the Crown Vic.

  Tasker was no
where in sight.

  Rufus said, “Watch out, he’s a tricky bastard. He could be low, next to the car, just waiting to start popping off rounds at us.”

  Norton kept looking out through the smoke and moonlight. “He wouldn’t risk Renee.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because I wouldn’t if I were him.”

  Norton eased out of the Bronco with the shotgun in his hand and Rufus scooted out with Renee in tow.

  Norton stared as Rufus raised the gun to Renee’s head and shouted toward the cane, “Tasker, come on out. Don’t risk her life.”

  Norton had seen how quickly he had shot Professor Kling that day in his apartment and knew he meant it.

  Norton just wanted this to all be over. He had seen enough killing. He hoped Tasker would ignore them and they could just leave. Renee would be safe and he’d have to deal with his mistakes.

  Then he heard Rufus say, “You got ten seconds. One, two . . .”

  Tasker had followed Renee and her captors into the cane when they fled but realized they would have to come past him again, so he stopped. He was hoping for an ambush if they stopped at Rufus’ parked car. Now he saw with the smoke screen and low light, that wasn’t an option. Then the Bronco skidded to a stop and he caught glimpses of the two men with Renee in the front seat.

  Tasker not only heard Rufus Goodwin’s rough voice, he could see him and Norton with Renee in between after they slid out of the Bronco. They stood behind the Crown Vic and in front of the Bronco. It was maybe seventy feet. Too long for a shot with a pistol he wasn’t familiar with, in low light. The moon provided some illumination but the headlights from the Crown Vic gave him a pretty clear picture of the two men and Renee’s tall figure. The drifting smoke was starting to irritate his eyes and an occasional shift in the breeze pushed it between him and the others. Lying prone on the soil at the edge of the cane, he extended his right arm and steadied the big revolver with his left hand, sighting in on Rufus’ head. He took a breath as he matched the rear sight with the front.