by Robert Boren
Frank stood up. “The encryption program figured out how to translate the payload data. I still have some work to do, in order to implement that capability in the apps. It’ll take me a day or two to get it done.”
“What’ll that buy us?” Mary asked.
“That all depends on what’s in the payload of these chips,” Frank said. “I’m hoping it has info on who the person is. If it doesn’t, I’ll have to continue on with the hacking I was doing out in the barn, and see if I can link chip serial numbers to names from their database. Keep your fingers crossed. We aren’t done yet.”
“Thanks, Frank,” Charlie said. “You let us know if you need help, otherwise we’ll try to leave you alone to get the job done.”
Frank nodded.
“We have some financial stuff to talk about,” Hilda said.
“Yeah,” Charlie said. “Here’s the deal. Chet, the owner of this RV Park, passed away about six years ago. His son took it over for a while. Since this place is off the beaten path, there wasn’t much business coming through. It probably did pretty well before I-70, but after that, it would have been rough.”
“Looks to me like it was a full timer retirement place,” Gabe said. “Found evidence of that in the trailers.”
“That’s what Howard told me,” Kurt said.
“Right,” Charlie replied. “So, to make a long story short, the son ran the place until the remaining residents were too old to live here anymore. Then he padlocked the place and left. He was in New Jersey when the bomb went off in New York Harbor, and he was killed, along with his family. He was the last of Chet’s relatives, so there was nobody to hand this place off to.”
“Why didn’t the county just take it over?” Dobie asked.
“It wasn’t worth anything to them, and this is a small county. They don’t have a lot of resources. It was cheaper for them to just leave it here.”
“So what are they planning on doing now that we’re here?” Gabe asked.
“Here’s the deal they’re offering us. We pay the taxes, they deed the place over to us.”
“We talkin five years of back taxes?” Jeb asked.
“No, just going forward…it’s about 1500 per month. That’s roughly 140 bucks per coach. I know some of us have deeper pockets than others, so we can work out something between us. We also have some work that needs to be paid for. The windows and the fence, and maybe the water system if it needs attention. Also the electric bill.”
“We’ve got quite a bit of money,” Frank said. “I had a good retirement. I’ll spring for some of the repairs.”
“Me too,” Kurt said, looking over at Mary. She shook her head yes.
“Hilda and I can help out there, too,” Charlie said. “When we’re done, we can sell off the valuable assets and divide it amongst us to try to even things out a little…or if somebody wants to stay on afterwards, they could buy the rest of us out.”
“Why would somebody want to stay on here?” the Sheriff asked. “There’s no big highway close by.”
“Oh, you’d be surprised,” Gabe said. “You could set this place up as a retirement community and probably make ends meet pretty well. I know people who’ve done that.”
“Me too,” Charlie said, “but no sense in worrying about that now. Is anybody opposed to the plan?”
Nobody spoke up.
“Alright, then a hundred and forty bucks per month doable for everybody?”
“Cheaper than staying in somebody else’s park,” Jeb said. “I’m in.”
“Me too,” Gabe said. “Hell, we’re getting shelter too. Can’t beat that anywhere.”
Jake and Dobie nodded in agreement.
“Nobody objects?” Charlie asked.
“Doesn’t look like it,” Jeb said.
“Alright, then it’s settled.”
Frank stood up. “Hey, Jake, you got any Wi-Fi stuff in that bobtail of yours?”
“Yeah, sure do,” he replied. “Was going to bring that up. We got enough bandwidth?”
“I think so,” Frank said. “The satellite company would like to upgrade us to better equipment, but I think we ought to try it out first. If it worked at all with almost 200 spaces, it ought to be excellent with the 11 spaces we’re using.”
“I’ll help set that up,” Jasmine said.
“Me too,” Jerry said.
“That would be great, guys,” Charlie said.
“By the way, the cable TV works at the spaces,” Jackson said. “I connected it this morning just to check it out.”
“Ah, good, I was wondering about that,” Frank said. “We’ve got the commercial package – the same one that the original owners had. I didn’t bother to check the details. Hope there’s some decent stuff on there.”
“It’s not bad,” Jackson said. “Basically what you see at any RV Park.”
“Okay, anything else?”
“I hear there bar in bunker,” Rosie said. “We use?”
Hilda laughed. “Charlie’s already named that room,” she said, shaking her head.
“What name?” Rosie asked.
“The Lounge,” Hilda said, rolling her eyes. “We could use a better TV down there. It’s got an old 25 inch console. I don’t know if it works at all. The bar’s nice, though, with good bar stools and quite a bit of stock. There are a couple of couches and a couple of recliners down there, too, and a kitchen off to one side.”
“We’ll have to give you folks the underground grand tour,” Charlie said. “Those of you who haven’t seen it yet, that is.”
“We need to keep that accessible if we’re here past early November,” Hilda said. “Twisters.”
“Yeah, was thinking the same thing,” Gabe said.
“We need to figure out an easy way to get you up and down, sweetie,” Jeb said to Rosie. “There’re stairs, and they’re a little steep.”
“Can you help me?” she asked.
“Of course,” Jeb replied, “but you won’t be able to do it by yourself.”
“Okay, everybody, that’s all I had,” Charlie said. “Anything else we need to talk about?”
“Anybody try to check out the water pump and purification system yet?” Mary asked.
“Not yet,” Charlie said. “We need to add that to our list of things to do, for sure. We need to send somebody up on the water tower to take a look, too.”
“I’ll do that,” Terry said.
“Good, thanks, Terry,” Charlie said. “Most of us old codgers are a little scared of heights now.”
“Seriously,” Frank said, chuckling.
“Jackson and I could help, too,” Earl said.
“Alright, anything else?”
Nobody spoke up.
“Okay, meeting adjourned,” Charlie said. “Anybody want to go check out the bunker? We can get into it from here.”
“Really”? Gabe asked. “Must be bigger than I thought. That’s cool. Lead the way.”
About half the group followed Charlie and Hilda into the kitchen, to the trap door in there. Dobie and Gabe walked back out to their trailers, and Frank went over to the PC and got back to work.
Terry looked at Trish. “You want to go down there?” he asked.
“Later,” she said. “We still have some work to do. C’mon.”
He nodded, and followed her out the door.
Jane walked over to Frank. “I think I’ll go check the bunker out, too. You been down there yet?”
“Only the part under the barn, and just for a minute.”
“What is it? Just a storm cellar?”
“No, that’s a bomb shelter,” Frank said. “It’s set up to live in for a long time. We probably had some crazy folks living here.”
“Really,” she said. “Now I’m intrigued. Mind if I leave Lucy in here?”
“Sure, no problem. She’ll just hang out.”
“Okay, Frank, be back in a little while.” She walked off towards the kitchen. Jeb was still there, helping Rosie down the stairs.
Te
rry and Trish got back to their trailer, and went inside.
“Well, what’s left to do?” Terry asked.
“Help me pull the dinnerware out of the cupboards,” she said. “They might need washing.”
Terry stood up and opened the top cupboards over the kitchen counter. He started bringing down the plates, bowls, and cups, putting them on the counter next to the sink. Trish was standing next to him, pulling out all of the utensils from the drawers below.
“These are just a little dusty, Trish,” Terry said. “We can either dust them or wash them.”
“We’re hooked up to the water, right?”
“Yeah, but I don’t know if the water heater’s working. I’ll go check. I think I know where it is.”
He left the coach, going first over to the propane tanks. He lifted the first one…it felt like it was full. The one next to it felt like it was about half full. He turned the valve to open on the second one. He heard a hiss as it filled the lines. Then he opened a compartment on the side of the trailer, where he thought the water heater controls were. He was right. This model was a gas/electric combo. He switched on the electric, and heard the water start to heat.
“Find it?” Trish asked as he came back in.
“Yep. It can use electricity, so I turned it on. You should have hot water in about five minutes. These tanks are small.”
“How small?”
“You ever heard of a navy shower?” he asked, chuckling.
“No, what’s that?” she asked.
“You get in, rinse quickly, shut off the water, soap up, then turn the water back on and rinse the soap off.”
“Oh,” she said. “I guess I can get used to that.”
“We could shower together, you know,” Terry said, a twinkle in his eye.
“Yeah, you’d like that, wouldn’t you,” she said, giving him a sly grin. She got serious again right away. “I heard you messing with the propane. Maybe you should check the stove.”
“Was just gonna do that,” he said, lifting the black metal cover off of the burners and folding it back.
“Wow, that’s cleaner than I expected,” Trish said, looking at it.
“This is one of the things I cleaned before you got here. It was a greasy mess.”
“Oh,” Trish said. “You’re a real sweetheart. You know that?”
He just shrugged, smiling. Then he turned on the front burner and turned the sparking knob. Blue flame spread around the round edge of the burner.
“Yes!” he said.
“Very nice,” Trish said, looking at it. “We should check the oven, too.”
“I need to get one of those long lighters,” he said, “or some matches.”
“Well, don’t worry about that now,” she said. “We might find some around here somewhere anyway. Still a lot of nooks and crannies to search through.”
Terry nodded, and turned off the burner. Trish turned on the hot water side of the kitchen faucet. It sputtered for a few seconds, and then ran. She put her finger under it.
“Wow, it’s already pretty warm,” she said. “Wonder if there’s any dish soap in here.”
“Saw some under the sink,” Terry said. She opened the cabinet and saw it there. “Here we go. Why don’t you sit down and relax a little while? I’ll wash these.”
“Okay,” Terry said. He sat down and watched her as she filled the sink with warm water, and put the plates and utensils in. He loved the sight of her, watching her every move as she worked on the dishes, her back to him. Her light brown hair hung around her neck and shoulders. He was beside himself after a few minutes. He got up behind her and slid his arms around her, pulling her close. She sighed.
“How am I supposed to get the dishes done with you like this?” she said softly, but her pulse was quickening. She pushed back at him and sighed again.
“I’m not worried about that,” he said, turning her around to face him.
“I guess the dishes could soak for a little while,” she said, putting her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply.
Jeb got Rosie down the stairs into the bunker and they looked around the pantry area. Jane joined them.
“Wow, look at all these supplies,” Jane said.
“Yes, this good,” Rosie said, looking around. “Food for rainy day.”
“Seriously,” Jeb said. “This bunker is huge. Wait till you see the part under the barn. It’s even bigger than this.”
They made their way down the long hallway, and could hear some of the others in the workshop area, talking and laughing.
“Wow, look at this,” Rosie said. “That gun reloading stuff. I remember from war.”
“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” Jeb said, opening the door on the left and helping her through. Rosie looked around the room, over at the kitchen area, where Hilda and Mary were standing, and then at the couches, the chairs, and the bar.
“I just find favorite place,” Rosie said, laughing. “I see why Charlie call lounge.”
“Yep,” Jeb said, grinning. “It’s post time.” He took her over to one of the bar stools and helped her up.
“Pretty wood on bar. Somebody just clean?” Rosie asked.
“Yes, we just wiped it down,” Hilda said, from the kitchen. She put a bottle of cleaner under the sink, and walked over with Mary. “Isn’t this grand?”
“Yes, this nice,” Rosie said. “Bar stocked, too, I bet.”
“Sure is,” Charlie said, as he entered the room. “Might even have enough stuff for those Weng things of yours.”
Everybody in earshot laughed. Jeb walked behind the bar and took a look underneath, pulling up a bottle of bourbon.
“I’m a man of simple tastes,” he said, putting a couple shot glasses on the bar and filling them. “You want one, sweetie?”
“Yes, I like,” she said, taking the shot glass in her hands.
“Here’s to you,” Jeb said. They both downed their shots and put them down on the bar, shuddering slightly. “Who’s next? Belly up.”
Charlie came over and sat down next to Rosie, and the Sheriff came over and took a stool on the other side. Jackson, Earl, and Kurt walked over too.
“Now don’t get too carried away, you guys,” Hilda said. “We’ve still got a lot to do this afternoon.”
“Aw, just a couple,” the Sheriff said. “We can handle that.”
“Men,” she said. “Alright, you better pour me one too, but only one. Jane, Mary?”
“Sure, why the hell not,” Mary said. Jane reluctantly shook her head yes. Jeb found more shot glasses underneath and lined them up, filling them all. It made a good dent in the bottle.
“This is going to be a fun place to hang out,” Earl said.
“Sure is, but it makes me a little nervous,” Jackson said quietly. “No way to see what’s going on up top.”
The Sheriff heard what they were talking about, and got off his stool. He walked over to them. “Wonder if Gabe has any surveillance stuff in his truck?”
“We ought to ask him,” Earl said. “That’d be one way to keep track of what’s going on.”
“What’s with that window in the kitchen?” the Sheriff asked. He walked over in that direction, and then stopped. He tapped the floor with his shoe. “This feels loose, even under this rug. Give me a hand. Let’s roll it back.” Jackson and Earl came over, moved the furniture away where the Sheriff was standing, and started rolling the carpet back.
“Son of a bitch, look at that,” Jackson said. He said it loud enough that everybody at the bar heard, and turned in that direction.
Chapter 9 – Nighthawk Road
The Sheriff, Earl, and Jackson stared down at the floor. Yet another trap door. This one had a recess for the handle, and it was padlocked shut.
“Think Gabe’s bolt cutters will get through that lock?” Jackson asked.
“Might take a couple of us, but probably,” Earl said.
“Be right back,” Jackson said. He went back over to the pantry area, and out through th
e kitchen.
The other folks came over, standing over the trap door, looking down. Rosie stayed on the bar stool, craning her neck to see.
“I have bad feeling,” she said.
Jeb walked back over to her. “Another shot, honey?”
“Sure, why not. Then we enjoy the show.”
Jeb poured two more, and handed one to her. He clinked glasses with her. “Here’s to young love for oldsters.”
“You love me?” she asked.
“Yeah, you know I do.”
“Good. Me too,” she said. Jeb stood next to her and put his arm around her shoulders.
Jackson opened the trap door in the barn, and came down the stairs with Gabe and the bolt cutters. They walked into the lounge. Gabe took a look at the lock.
“I suggest a couple of you younger guys get on this,” Gabe said. “It’s going to take some effort to get through that lock.”
“I’ll help,” Earl said, looking at Jackson. They got the bolt cutters in place, and both of them struggled with the handles for a good half a minute. Then there was a cracking sound, and they broke through.
“Wow, I was beginning to think we wouldn’t get through that sucker,” Jackson said, trying to catch his breath.
Earl nodded, and squatted down, pulling the lock out of the hasp. He tried to pull up on the trap door. It wasn’t coming up. “Jackson, give he a hand.”
They both pulled on the door, and it started to give, a seal breaking round the door. There was a thick rubber gasket all the way around which had gotten sticky with age.
“Somebody roll that carpet back a little further,” Jackson said, as he and Earl lifted the heavy trap door.
“It stink down there,” Rosie said. “Smell like death.”
The smell was bad. The Sheriff got over the hole with his cellphone, and turned on the flashlight app. He didn’t see a light switch, but he saw a rough ladder descending into the darkness. He got onto the ladder and climbed down carefully, shinning the cellphone around. It smelled terrible. The ceiling was low, making him feel claustrophobic. He saw a chain hanging from a light fixture, and pulled it. The dirty hanging light bulb lit the room in an eerie glow. Jackson started down the ladder.
“Jackson, stop,” he said. “Send Charlie over here. This is a crime scene. He knows how to be in here.”
