“The who?” Cole asked.
“The General. I don’t know if he was really a general or even in the army, but that’s what people here call him. He moved to Powell a few years ago from someplace out east. The rumor is he was some kind of secret agent, but I think that’s probably just talk. Just people around here inventing things to make the day more interesting. Not much exciting ever happens in Powell, so we have to kind of make things up sometimes to entertain ourselves. The General stays to himself pretty much. He comes into town once a week to buy groceries, but now that you mention it, it’s like he’s been eating for three or four people the last month or so.”
“Where does the General live? My dad used to talk about an old army buddy who lived up here.”
“Out in Boswell Canyon. It’s north of town a few miles.”
Cole smiled warmly. “Thanks. You’ve been real helpful. I’ll come back and tell you if we find my father. I’d like you to know.”
“Would you tell me? That would be so nice.”
“Sure. ‘Bye.” He waved as he walked out the door.
Seconds later he and Tori were back in the Jeep.
“Are you always this lucky?” she asked as Cole gunned the engine.
23
“Do you see any activity at all?”
“No.” From his prone position beside a large boulder, Cole inspected the house one more time, staring through the powerful pair of binoculars he had purchased at one of the outfitter shops down the street from the general store in Powell. “Here. You take a look, my eyes are tired.”
Tori took the binoculars from him, brought them up to her eyes and rotated the notched knob between the lenses to adjust the focus.
Cole rolled onto his back and gazed back down the side of the mountain. The Jeep was parked on a muddy road at the base of the peak but he was so high up now he could barely see it. The hunter-green Jeep was just a speck against the light brown prairie grass covering the valley floor.
It had taken them two hours to hike to the top of the slope—a thirty degree grade at its steepest, Cole judged. The mountain was covered by prairie grass, scrub pines and smooth boulders protruding from the earth. They had carefully picked their way up the side of the mountain, some of the time able to walk upright, some of the time forced to climb bent over at the waist using their hands to ascend. They kept their eyes peeled for rattlesnakes and for loose rocks that might slide out from underfoot and send them tumbling back down the slope.
Ten minutes ago they had finally reached the peak, exhausted by the arduous climb and the thin air. Their lungs were still burning from the exertion, but now they had an excellent vantage point from which to survey the General’s house, which sat halfway up the other side of the mountain they had just climbed.
“See anything?” Cole asked.
“No, I don’t—Hey! Wait a minute. There’s a car coming out of the garage.”
Cole rolled quickly onto his stomach again, grabbed the binoculars from Tori and aimed them down at the house. A white sedan had pulled out of the garage and was making its way slowly down the rutted gravel driveway.
“Can you see the driver?” Tori asked.
“No.” The windows were tinted, so there was no way to discern the features of whoever was behind the wheel, or to determine if there was more than one person inside the car. Cole followed the vehicle until it disappeared behind a ridge, then aimed the binoculars back at the house sitting approximately five hundred feet below them and to the right. The house was a plain one-story ranch encased by vinyl siding, with a brick chimney at one end and a garage at the other. Like the car, the house had tinted windows.
Cole surveyed the secluded canyon once more, searching for other buildings, but from their position beside the large boulder at the mountain’s crest he couldn’t see any. As far as he could tell, this house was the only one in the vicinity.
“What now?” Tori asked. She sat up and pulled a small twig from her hair.
Cole placed the binoculars on the ground. “I make my way down to the house and see if my father’s inside.”
“You mean, break in?”
“I’m not going to knock. I’ve got the advantage of surprise at this point and I don’t want to lose it.”
“But your father might not be in there. In fact, he might not be within a thousand miles of here. The person who owns that house might have no idea who your father is, or might not even be involved with what’s going on at all. There might be some poor old woman in there who’s never heard of Jim Egan and you might give her a heart attack by breaking in.”
“I’ll apologize,” Cole answered flatly.
“Or she might be a feisty old bird and fill you with buckshot.”
“I’ll duck.”
“Or she might—”
“Or she might be Margaret Thatcher,” Cole interrupted, annoyed with all the talk. “Out here to get away from it all. And if it is Maggie, we’ll sit down, drink some tea and discuss world politics. But don’t hold your breath.”
Tori stuck out her tongue. “Maybe we just missed your father. Maybe that was him driving away.”
“Maybe. And if the General is the only one in there, we’ll sit down and have tea with him until my father gets back. If the house is empty, we’ll have tea with ourselves and wait until whoever it was comes back so we can get some answers.” Cole rose slowly to his feet, making certain he remained behind the boulder and out of sight of the house as he brushed dirt, grass and twigs from his pants. “The guy behind the counter at the outfitter shop said this was the General’s place.” He said the words more to himself than to Tori, as if he needed reassurance.
Cole had claimed to be an old friend of the General’s. Without even questioning the story’s veracity, the man behind the counter had drawn a specific map of how to get to the house. At that point Cole had not yet actually purchased the binoculars and the man wanted to make certain the sale of the high-priced item was closed. He had directed Cole and Tori to the road that would lead to the General’s twisting mile-long driveway up the canyon, but Cole had decided it would be better to walk up the far side of the mountain to keep surprise on their side.
“The young girl at Miller’s said the General was buying a lot more groceries lately,” Cole pointed out. “And that he was military. That adds up to enough for me to investigate.”
“All right.” Tori groaned as she too stood up.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Cole asked.
“Down there with you.”
“No way.”
“Oh yes I am,” Tori answered firmly. “You aren’t leaving me alone up here.”
“I have no idea what I’m going to find down there. There might be some very unfriendly people in that house, and I don’t want to have to worry about you if things get crazy. If you see that something’s wrong, get back down to the Jeep and go for help. That’s a better plan.”
“Forget it, I’m not staying here,” she said. “I didn’t climb all the way up this mountain just to sit here. Besides, if your father is in that house, I want to see him as soon as I can.”
Cole didn’t argue. She had made up her mind, and he had learned that once her mind was made up, nothing could change it. “Okay.” He bent down and picked up the backpack holding the Dealey Tape. “Then this is the plan. We move down through the scrub pines and the rocks to that big boulder over there.” He pointed to a huge stone fifty feet from the house. “Then I’m going for the door. If there’s no one but a kindly old lady in the house who I’m convinced has never heard of my father, I’ll apologize and we’ll leave. Otherwise I’ll search the place or deal with whoever is inside the best way I can. I don’t want you coming in with me initially,” he said firmly. “If everything is all right, I’ll wave you in. If something goes wrong, try to get back to the Jeep. The keys are under the left rear bumper. I put t
hem there in case we got separated.”
“I remember.” Tori heard the concern in his tone. “But why would anything go wrong?” she asked. “When I was out here a few weeks ago, your father seemed to be able to move around as he pleased. There wasn’t anyone with him or watching him—as far as I could tell, anyway. He seemed fine. Once you get inside and explain who you are, or your father sees you, everything should be all right.”
“Maybe, but a lot’s changed since you were out here.” Cole slung the backpack over his shoulders. “Come on, let’s go.”
This side of the mountain was less steep and they threaded their way down through the boulders and scrub pines without difficulty, at the same time remaining hidden from the house. Finally they reached the rock Cole had pointed out from their position on the mountain peak and knelt down behind it, breathing heavily even though they’d been descending instead of climbing.
Tori touched her chest. “God, I’m really out of breath,” she said in a low voice.
“It’s the thin air,” Cole answered, peering around the rock at the house, “and the fact that we haven’t had much sleep in the last two days.” He studied the front door. “Okay, I’m ready. Stay here and wait for my signal.”
“Okay.”
Cole stood up, hesitated only a moment, then moved out from behind the rock and began making his way cautiously toward the house. He was out in the open now and completely vulnerable. Gravel crunched beneath his boots as he reached the driveway. If anyone inside decided to start shooting, he’d be an easy target.
When he was ten feet from the house, the door suddenly swung open. “Can I help you?” The male voice from within was decidedly unfriendly.
Cole stopped instantly. “Um, yes.”
“What do you want?”
Cole squinted, shielding his eyes from the sun, trying to make out the figure in the darkness beyond the doorway. Finally he jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “My wife and I are out here doing some camping. We’re from Georgia.” He did his best southern accent, taking Bennett’s advice of adding details to make his story more believable.
“I don’t see anybody.”
“Laura!” Cole yelled back over his shoulder, using an alias. “I’m over here.”
“Okay, sweetheart,” Tori called, moving casually out from behind the boulder, looking up at the mountains as if she were sightseeing.
“It sure is beautiful out here.” Cole smiled.
“Yes, it is.”
The sun ducked behind the clouds and for an instant Cole caught sight of the man inside. He was short and wide, with a dark crew cut. He wore denim overalls and a gray T-shirt, and didn’t appear to be carrying a weapon. “I was wondering if Laura could come in and use your bathroom. Woman stuff, you know?”
The man didn’t answer right away.
“Sir?” Cole prodded.
“Yeah, yeah, come in.” The door swung open further and the man disappeared.
“Come on, Laura,” Cole called as he walked to the door, stepped into the dimly lit house and moved quickly away from the door in case someone was behind it. His eyes slowly became accustomed to the faint light, and he saw the man standing across the room in front of one of the windows. The room was sparsely furnished with a couch, three wooden chairs, a small television set and a cheap-looking dining room table.
Tori moved into the house. “Where is your bathroom?” she asked politely.
The man pointed down the hall. “First door on your right,” he said gruffly.
“Thanks.” She walked down the hall, moved inside the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Instantly the sound of running water came from within.
“Not traveling real heavy, are you?” The man eyed Cole’s small backpack suspiciously.
“We’re doing day trips while we’re out here,” Cole explained quickly, glancing around the room, then down the hall at the closed bathroom door. Past the bathroom were two more closed doors. “I really do apologize for imposing on you this way.”
“No problem.” The man smiled broadly, then brought the gun up from behind his back. “Cole Egan.”
Cole’s eyes flashed to the man’s, then down at the gun.
“Now why don’t you tell me what you and your wife are actually doing up here?” He laughed callously. “As if that’s really your wife.”
Cole shut his eyes.
“Yeah, I imagine it’s—”
But the man never finished his sentence. A large rock smashed through the window and into the back of his head, and he pitched forward, collapsing to the floor as the gun flew from his grasp and came to rest against the door. Cole scrambled for the gun, rolled and aimed at the man, but he was unconscious, facedown on the cheap tile, blood dripping from a cut behind his ear.
Then Cole heard footsteps, running around the house toward the front door. He stood up quickly, back against the wall behind the door, and held the revolver in both hands, straight up so the barrel was pointing toward the ceiling. The door burst open and he brought the gun down directly into Tori’s face.
“Oh, no!” She threw her hands up to her face. “It’s me, Cole, it’s me!”
Cole tilted his head back slowly, exhaled and let the gun fall to his side. “What the hell just happened?”
She was breathing rapidly, hands still up and eyes wide open. “I caught a glimpse of the gun in his hand as I walked past him down the hall. I turned on the water in the sink so he couldn’t hear me open the bathroom window. Then I crawled outside, found a rock and threw it through the window at him. The glass is so dark I could barely see him. I had no idea if I hit him or not.”
Cole shook his head. “Well, you did, and I’m glad.” It seemed strange that Tori would have run to the door if she wasn’t certain she had hit the man with the stone and was aware that he had a gun. “Quite a throw, I’ll have to admit.” He moved quickly across the room, knelt down and pressed two fingers to the man’s neck.
“Is he hurt badly?” Tori asked.
“I don’t know. But he’s going to have a nice headache if he wakes up.” Cole stood, held the gun ahead of him with both hands wrapped around the handle and moved quickly down the hallway toward the two closed doors. His hands were shaking as he turned the first doorknob slowly, then burst into the room, but it was empty except for an unmade bed and a dresser. Brushing past Tori, who had followed him down the hallway, he headed for the second door. He gripped the knob, turned it and slammed his shoulder against the door, bringing the gun down as he moved inside. For several moments he stood in the doorway, staring at the gagged and blindfolded figure chained to the bed.
“Jim!” Tori screamed, pushing Cole out of the way as she rushed into the room.
Cole watched, spellbound, as she pulled the gag and blindfold down and Jim Egan’s eyes fluttered open, and then his father’s face was obscured as Tori hugged and kissed him over and over.
Finally Jim turned his head to the side to avoid Tori’s lips. “Did you get the tape, Cole?” His voice was weak and raspy.
Cole still couldn’t see his father’s face. “Yes,” he answered loudly.
Tori glanced back over her shoulder. “What are you doing, Cole? Get over here!”
Slowly Cole walked to the bed and knelt. He gazed down at his father. Even in the dim light he could see that Jim Egan was sickeningly pale. A full gray beard covered Jim’s hollow cheeks and his eyes seemed sunken in his head. Suddenly Cole noticed how gaunt he was too. Jutting bones were obvious beneath his T-shirt and jeans.
“Hello, Dad,” he said softly.
“Did you sell the tape?” There were no pleasantries, and as he finished speaking Jim began coughing deeply.
The severity of the cough alarmed Cole. “We’ve got to get you out of here, Dad.”
“Did you sell the damn tape?” Jim was still coughing, barely able to catch his breat
h.
“I’ve got it with me,” Cole assured his father.
“What are you doing here, then?” Jim asked as forcefully as he could. He looked at Tori. “I told you to—make sure he sold—”
“I tried, but—”
“Dad, she did what you asked, but I wasn’t going to—”
“Get the hell out of here,” he groaned. “Get that thing to people who can protect it.”
Cole shook his head. “First—”
“Get out!” Jim yelled. “He’s going to be back here soon. He doesn’t leave me for long.”
“It’s all right, Dad. We got the guy. He’s going to be unconscious for a while.”
“Are you talking about the General?”
“I guess so. He’s a short, wide guy with a crew cut.”
“I’m not talking about him. He’s an idiot. I’m talking about—” Suddenly Jim convulsed into another terrible coughing spell.
As Cole watched his father fight the cough, an eerie feeling overtook him, and he placed a hand on his father’s shoulder. “Who are you talking about, Dad?”
“A man named—Bennett Smith,” Jim gasped.
“The man who delivered the envelope to me with the safe-deposit key in it?” Cole couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Yes.”
“What?” Tori was confused.
“Bennett is the man I told you about while we were driving to the Lassiter River,” Cole explained. “He was my father’s best friend, and the man who I suspect helped Dad fake his own death.”
“That’s right,” Jim confirmed. The coughing fit had subsided. “Bennett arranged for me to hole-up here with the General. Bennett flew me out in a small plane the night after we made it back from our last mission, and I parachuted in. The General was ready for me. He’s a retired army officer. Bennett knew him somehow.” Cole’s father struggled with the shackles for a moment, but it was useless. “Christ! Thirty-six years, you think you know someone. I’m here for a month and no problem, then out of nowhere the General smacks me on the back of the head while we’re watching television. It was the night Bennett was supposed to have delivered the envelope to you in Manhattan. I wake up in here the next morning chained to the bed. I knew exactly what had happened. Then Bennett shows up here last night. The bastard!” he shouted as he yanked furiously at the chains once more.
The Legacy Page 26
