Bodies Out Back

by Nanisi Barrett D'Arnuk

  “Want a drink?” Ted asked.

  “Can’t. I’m working.”

  He looked at Cam. “This is Rhonda,” he explained. “I think she already knows you.”

  “Oh yes!” Cam exclaimed as she reached out to shake hands. “The woman who saved my life.”

  “I’m glad I could tell you,” Rhonda said. “I was astounded when I saw you with her.”

  “Thank you for the heads up.”

  “She was talking about you on Friday. I guess you made a big impression!”

  “Shit. I just want to get out of here. I don’t want her to know where she can find me.”

  “Yes,” Ted added. “Cameron’s moving to Winnipeg.”

  “Really? Because of her?”

  “It helped me make a decision.”

  “Oh, you don’t have to worry. She’d given up on you. Besides she’s almost finished here and will probably be back in Montreal next week. She’ll forget all about you.”

  “Well, that’s good, but now someone knows where I am.”

  “Did you know her brother is the head of the Coaticook contingent?” Rhonda asked.

  “Really?” Ted said.

  “Shit, no! Now I’ve really got to go.”

  “But there’s no real rush. They didn’t seem too interested, even though you tried to handcuff her to your bed!”

  “She said that?” Cam exclaimed.

  Rhonda and Ted laughed as Cam laid her head in her hand.

  “Damn. I wish I had! Now I could whip her butt to pieces.”

  Chapter 19

  When Cam got to Preston’s very early the next morning, there was no one but Neil and Preston there.

  “Where is everyone?” Cam asked.

  “Probably still in bed,” Neil told her. “Billy threw a party last night. No one knew how to get in touch with you or you would have been invited, too.”

  “That’s okay. I was pretty busy last night. I just came by this morning cause I gotta stock up and I wanted to say good-bye.”

  “You’re leaving?” Neil’s said, aghast.

  “Yup. Gotta get out while I can. I met one of the wrong people, now someone knows where I am.”

  “Damn, Cam. Who?”

  “I had a date last week with someone I met in Montreal. Then I find out she’s a Mountie. I don’t want anyone to know where I am…least of all someone in law enforcement.”

  “Damn. That shits. Sorry that happened to you.”

  “Well, I’ve stayed around long enough.”

  “What do you need to take with you?” Preston asked.

  “A half dozen bags of coke and the same of ice, to start.”

  “Oooh,” Preston mumbled. “We don’t have very much ice.”

  “I was just going up to Ken’s to get more,” Neil said. “Why don’t you come with me? You doin’ anything else?”

  She hesitated. Was she pushing her luck? Would Jean-t have everything together this quickly?

  “Yeah, sure,” she said. “I’ve got a couple hours to kill.”

  “I’d better call and tell him you’re going up there,” Preston announced.

  “Good idea,” Cam said with a smile. “I know he doesn’t like surprises and I don’t like getting shot at.”

  Neil laughed. “Come on, then. Let’s go so we can get back by the noon rush. He collected what he needed and led the way upstairs.

  “We’ll take my car,” Neil stated.

  “Sure.” They got into his old Chevy and pulled away.

  “How long has Ken been in business?” she asked, just to start a conversation.

  “He’s been cooking meth for about ten years,” was Neil’s answer, “but he was dealing all sorts of stuff before that. He used to be the sole heroin source around here before he turned to meth.”

  “Hmm,” was all Cam replied.

  “Yup, he did a lot all over the place, but Darren convinced him to stick to the meth.”

  “Well, it seems to be good for everyone.”

  “Sure is, except anyone who tries to cut into his business.”

  “Yeah?”

  “There have been quite a few that wanted to cook meth or molly or run to get coke or speed but they never lasted very long.”

  “What happened to them?”

  “The really smart ones just closed up shop and moved along. I’m not sure what happened to the others. They just disappeared.”

  “And Ken handles it all himself?”

  “Nah, Rosie and Darren are the real brains around here.”

  “Then I’m glad I stayed on their good side. Rosie saved my life by pointing out that the woman I had dated was a Mountie.”

  Neil looked at her with questions in his eyes.

  “Yup, I had no idea. It was someone I met at a party and we made a date to meet while she was here. I guess it was divine intervention. I almost offered her some ice.”

  “That wouldn’t have been good.”

  “Nope. It sure wouldn’t.”

  “So, now you’re moving on. Where ya going?”

  “West. Somewhere near Winnipeg. I’ll decide when I get there.”

  “It gets mighty cold there!”

  “Everyone’s been telling me that.”

  “You wouldn’t get me out that far. Stop around Ottawa. I can give you a lot of resources to get you settled in Ottawa. The meth is good there, too.”

  “Thanks, Neil, but I think I need some time alone to get myself together.”

  “Keep in touch with one of us, though. We’ll worry about you.”

  “Don’t worry about me, hon. I’ve been alone my whole life and only made one bad mistake. I’ll be fine.”

  The conversation stalled as they neared Ken’s camp. Neil pulled the car up where they’d parked the previous week.

  Ken appeared in the bushes beside Cam’s car door. It looked like he hadn’t changed his clothes since she was here last week.

  “I didn’t scare you enough last time? You had to come back?” he asked with a snarky grin on his face.

  “Just had to see your handsome face again,” she answered, grinning back at him.

  “Well, now you’ve seen it. Get out and come inside.”

  Cam grinned as Neil threw the car in “park” and they both got out of the car and walked into the main cabin. Just like last week, two other men were in there: one filling capsules with a white powder, the other filling and weighing plastic bags of it.

  “What’cha want this time?” Ken asked.

  “A hundred mollies and a hundred salts,” Neil answered.

  “Do we have that much ready?” Ken called out to the other men.

  “Yup!” answered one.

  “Just!” replied the other.

  “We’ll get them boxed up,” said Ken as he reached for the money Neil held out. “I can’t believe Preston’s selling so much.”

  “We had some guy from over near Montreal come by last night and buy for his whole fraternity.”

  “How’d he find this was a place to buy?”

  “He was tight with one of our regulars.”

  “Gotta watch who you’re selling to,” Ken warned him. “You never know who these folks can be no matter how tight they say they are.”

  “Well, it was an iffy at first, but when he’s flashing a couple thousand bucks at you, it’s hard to say no.”

  Ken nodded. “Be careful.”

  “We are.”

  Keith looked at Cam.

  “You gonna be making this run with Neil regularly?” Keith asked.

  “Nope,” she replied. “I’ll be out of here tomorrow morning. Just came to stock up.”

  “Where ya goin’?”

  “West. Probably somewhere in Manitoba. Some place where I can slip through the cracks.”

  Ken nodded thoughtfully.

  “You’re doing a lot of business recently,” Cam commented. “How hard is it to cook this stuff? I mean, once I get settled, could I make enough to keep food on my table?”

  “You migh
t if you’re far enough away,” growled Ken. “You couldn’t make any money around here.”

  “No,” Cam responded. “You’ve got it sewn up here. I wouldn’t even try.”

  “Smart.” Ken looked at her with a new appreciation. “Billy mentioned that you’d been in on some of the Argentina goods.”

  “Yes. But that was a couple years back. I’m not going back there for anything or anyone.”

  “Got too hot for you down there?”

  “A hell of a lot hotter than it’s getting around here, and it’s getting much too toasty for me, here. I’m thinking the temperature in the middle of the country is much preferable.”

  Keith nodded. “Get out while you can.”

  “That’s what I’m planning. Tell me,” Cam started. “How hard is it to set up a place to cook meth?”

  Ken frowned. You could tell he hated to talk about it. He studied her face before he decided to trust her.

  “There are a couple of barrels out back behind the other building where no one can see it from the road.”

  “If they see the smoke, it looks like someone’s cooking in the other cabin,” Neil added.

  “Damn. That’s not the hard part. Getting the chemicals without raising someone’s eyebrows is the tough part.”

  “But if I can get that, what else do I need?”

  “Not much…A metal barrel and a few tools.” He gave it a thought, then said, “You’re really getting out of here?”

  “My suitcase is all packed. I just came to get enough supplies to hold me until I get set up or find me a new dealer.”

  Keno nodded. He turned and drew her closer to him. “If I show you my rigs, you’ll disappear?”

  “All by myself. You won’t need to help me,” she vowed.

  Ken took a deep breath. “Come on out. I’ll show you.”

  He led Cam and Neil outside and around behind the smaller building that was nestled a little further into the woods. There were two barrels sitting back there, both looking like they’d been set on fire many times before. Keith began to explain the shelving inside and the other items necessary to make the meth.

  “Wait! What’s that?” Keith stopped short. The noise was getting closer and closer. Suddenly, a loud man’s voice sounded from in front of the whole compound.

  “Everyone inside these buildings, come out with your hands raised. You are surrounded and under arrest. We are from the RCMP. Come out, now, before we have to come in after you.”

  Cam immediately stepped back into the woods behind her.

  “Shit,” Ken said and he bolted around the side of the smaller building as a helicopter flew over just above the compound.

  Cam grabbed Neil’s arm and moved quickly into the darker part of the woods.

  “You! Stop!” Cam and Neil froze, but they heard a scuffle around the other side of the small cabin. They also heard men talking loudly as Ken was arrested and handcuffed.

  Cam turned away. Neil followed as soon as she moved. They moved quickly through the trees and shrubbery

  There was more noise from in front of the first cabin as the helicopter flew back and forth above them. Cam moved jerkily so the helicopter wouldn’t catch her moving between the trees, freezing against large trees or bushes if they were overhead. Neil ran stealthily behind her.

  “Wait, Cam,” Neil said, grabbing for her arm to slow her down.

  “Wait? To get arrested? We may be able to get out of here.”

  There was a short burst of gunfire and Cam and Neil flattened themselves to the ground. It was answered by a few shots, then another short burst, and an answer of a few more, then nothing.

  “Is this everyone?” they heard someone yell.

  “I thought there was more,” was the answer.

  “Whose car is this?”

  There was no answer.

  “Search it. Pull the registrations on all these vehicles.”

  “Shit,” Neil growled. That was the thing that connected him to this place.

  “Did you see someone run into the woods?” was another yell.

  Cam heard movement back where they’d entered the woods.

  “How many are we looking for?” Someone asked.

  “I have no fucking idea,” the other answered. “We’re not even sure there was anybody.”

  There was no sound of movement.

  Neil peeked over to where Cam was crouched behind a thick tree. He motioned to ask if they should go. Cam shook her head vehemently.

  Finally, after several minutes, they heard. “I don’t see or hear anything moving in there. If anyone was in here, they’re long gone.”

  “Leave it. We’ll never find them now anyway,” was the reply.

  Both Cam and Neil silently let out big signs of relief.

  Maybe Jean- René is thinking it was me, Cam thought. They could hear the men making their way back out into the compound.

  “Are there any back roads around here?” Cam whispered to Neil as they both slowly got to their feet.

  “I don’t know,” he admitted.

  “Well, we have to keep going or we’ll be sitting ducks. Listen…Do you hear anyone following us?” They could hear yelling from back in the direction of the compound.

  Neil turned and looked into Cam’s face.

  “Damn. We didn’t get what we paid for, either.”

  “That’s the least of our problems. How do we get out of here?” Damn it, she thought, Jean-René got such a quick start on this. I should have listened to my gut and stayed at Preston’s. Now I’m running through woods I don’t know and have no idea how to get out of here.

  “We need to go east-south-east.” Neil turned his phone over to try and get the right direction reading.

  “At least we’re headed in the right direction, I think.” He tried to make a call but couldn’t pick up a signal.

  “We’re out of range for now,” he said with a sigh. “How did the RCMP find this place?”

  “Damned if I know,” Cam said. “I think I hear the copter coming this way again. Get down.”

  They crouched beside large trees under heavy overhead foliage, waiting for the copter to do its scan of the area. When it continued to fly on, Neil and Cam peered out at each other.

  “That was close.”

  “Too close,” Cam replied. “Is it really thirty miles back to Magog?”

  “Something like that,” Neil admitted.

  “Then we’d better get moving. That will take us eight hours to walk it.”

  Neil nodded. “I’ll keep checking my phone. I know we don’t have service but there must be some when we get closer to town.”

  Cam nodded. “Are you sure we’re going the right way?”

  “Looks like it. I guess we’ll know for sure if we end up somewhere different.”

  They both grimaced as they started their hike.

  * * * *

  It got hotter as they trudged on. Neil checked his phone every now and then, there was still no signal. They hadn’t found any water. Cam reached into her pocket and withdrew a couple coins.

  “Here,” she said, handing Neil a coin. “Suck on this. It will make your mouth water. It’s the best we can do until we find something to drink.”

  “Are you kidding me?” he asked.

  “No. Try it. Just don’t swallow it.”

  “Is it a Loonie? There’s lots of water on a Loonie,” he said, referring to the Canadian dollar coin which showed the duck floating in a pond.

  Cam laughed. “I don’t think it matters.” She popped her coin into her mouth and started sucking on it. It was just enough to start her salivating a bit. Neil followed suit. They hiked on.

  * * * *

  It had been almost two hours. They were still walking amongst shrubbery, trees, and other tall grasses.

  “We should be coming up on something,” Neil said as he checked his phone for at least the hundredth time.

  “I’ve got to stop for a minute,” Cam said, starting to sit down. Neil turned to loo
k at her and quickly grabbed her arm, pulling her up.

  “Not there!”

  Cam looked down as she stepped to the side.

  “Thanks,” she said. She had almost sat on a red ant hill. “That was close.”

  “Yes, those things can sting!”

  Cam scraped a patch of ground to make sure there were no other surprises waiting for her, then sank down to rest.

  “Thanks for thinking of these coins,” Neil said. “They help a lot.” He, too, sank down onto the ground.

  “They help for a while. Best guess: how much farther do we have to go?” she asked.

  “We should be coming up on something soon. I think we’ve gone about ten miles.”

  “My guess, too. What do you think we’re coming to?”

  “There’s a small town, just a gas station-convenience store that we should be headed to. I don’t think we’ve walked far enough to have gone past it.”

  “We still need to get real water, though. The coins have helped keep your mouth watering but don’t stop dehydration.”

  Neil agreed.

  The sound of an old car arose through the woods just ahead of them. They both hunkered down. Soon, they could see a car driving along past the trees about a half mile ahead.

  “Well, at least we know there’s a road up there. We’re close to something.”

  “Good!” Cam got to her feet, brushed herself off, and started toward the road.

  Chapter 20

  They followed that road for another mile or so before that saw a small gas station. A mechanic was working on a car in the service bay. Another man was filling his gas tank at the pump.

  “Bonjour,” Neil called to get the mechanic’s attention. “Do you still have a pay phone in there?”

  “Oui,” the mechanic answered as he grabbed a rag to wipe his hands off. “It’s almost impossible to get cellphone service out here.” He looked around the pump area. “Where’s your car? You can’t be hiking around here.”

  “Broke down a few miles out,” Neil explained. “I’ve got to call someone to come get us.”

  “If you want, I could go take a look at your vehicle. Save someone coming out all this way.”

  Neil looked at Cam.

  “I’ve got to get back to town. I’m late enough. I’ve got things to do,” she groused as an excuse.