The Road to Round Mountain: The Betrayal by

by C. G. Roberts

  “Hey, are you okay over there; I think my case of the shakes is starting to clear up”? I looked over at Gordon, “Yeah I guess, I was just trying to grasp what just happened. Now what I’ve got to tell you must stay between you and me, no one else is to know, even the sheriff”. “Sure, no problem, what is it”? “I think the person responsible for this is, was my nurse who just happens to be an FBI agent”. Gordon couldn’t believe it, “Are you fucking kidding me, why would she”……………..His voice trailed off as the sound of the

  sirens got closer.

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  “brAvo 2 thIs is Alpha 1 come in, over”. “Bravo 2 this is Alpha 1 come in, over”. Alpha 1 this is Bravo2, go ahead”. “Bravo 2 this is Alpha 1, did you and Bravo 4 acquire said targets”? “Alpha 1 this is Bravo 2, that’s affirmative, targets were acquired and eliminated, do you copy”? Bravo 2 this is Alpha 1, copy that, are you sure targets have been eliminated”? Alpha 1 this is Bravo 2, that’s affirmative”. “Copy that Bravo 2, this is Alpha 1, out.

  Agent Boling put down her two way radio and picked up her cell phone to call the Director of the news. “Good evening Agent Boling, I take it everything went as planned”? “It did, our situation has been remedied”. “I do so enjoy good news, might you have more for me”. Agent Boling replied, “There is some activity on Friday which will provide us the means to acquire our prodigy, I hope that will suffice”? “It will, but only if it proves successful”. “It will sir, now if you’ll excuse me I need to get to the scene and get the locals out of the way so I can get all of the equipment out of their vehicle and turned over to the techs. Are they on the way”? “They should be there in fifteen minutes Agent, and make sure the crime scene looks clean”. As always the Director ended the call immediately. Agent Boling started her Navigator and headed for the convenience store.

  Agent Boling pulled her Navigator off to the side of the road across the street from the convenience store. The

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  parking lot was occupied with three Astoria police cars all with lights spinning brightly. She crossed the street and was immediately met by a Police officer guarding the entrance to the parking lot. Agent Boling flashed her credentials at the officer and waved her through. “Officer, who’s in charge here”? “That would be Detective Hargrove, the only one in a suit”.

  After locating the Detective at the front of the store talk-ing to the clerk, she approached him. “Detective”, she asked? Detective Hargrove gave a quick glance in her direction and said, “I’ve got nothing for the press yet sweetie”. Agent Boling got in between the Detective and the clerk, held her creden-tials out and replied, “And you never will, this is my scene, I’ve got techs on the way, so stay out of mine”. Detective Hargrove looked at her IDs and turned to the other police officers, “Okay men we’re out of here, J. Edgar’s granddaugh-ter has this under control; enjoy your crime scene Agent”.

  As the officers were leaving the parking lot, another Navigator pulled in followed by the Sheriffs car. The sher-iff noticed all the police cars heading east on Marine Drive as he pulled in. He found this unusual because normal pro-tocol would dictate that some of the officers would stay to take over crowd control and radio in requests. Sheriff Pasco parked his vehicle and was watching some lady bark out or-ders to other Agents. That lady looked very familiar to him, he just couldn’t place where that he knew her from.

  The Sheriff parked his vehicle by the front of the store. He got out of the car and went over to where Agent Boling was giving out orders for the other two Agents. “Evening, I’m Sheriff Pasco, what happened here”? Agent Boling ignored

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  him like the plague, continuing her instructions. “Did you need me to contact the coroner”, the Sheriff asked? Agent Boling was getting annoyed with the Sheriff’s presence, “Look Sheriff, we’ve got things under control here, you don’t need to contact anyone, and we have a coroner on the way. As far as what happened, it appears my two partners were shot to death, and my director has given me strict orders that any outside authorities will not be utilized. This has been an ongoing investigation which has led us here, so if you don’t mind we have work to do”. The Sheriff wasn’t going to get pushed around his own jurisdiction, “Oh but I do mind, speaking of which I’ll need to see your credentials, If you don’t mind”. The Sheriff threw that last part in just to piss her off. Agent Boling calmly pulled out her identification and showed the Sheriff.

  “Thank you Agent Boling, and I will need a copy of your report so I can clean things up on our end”. “Sheriff this activity is on a need to know basis, I hope you can understand”. “As I see it, I’ve got two dead FBI agents in this parking lot, you don’t want my coroner, and running off the local authorities isn’t proper protocol. Now, guess what, I need to know”. Agent Boling got up in the Sheriffs face. “You don’t need to know shit, until I tell you different, now got off of my crime scene or I’ll have you taken in for obstruction of justice”.

  The Sheriff just grinned at that outburst, turned and headed inside the store. “Sheriff, your vehicle is that way”, as she pointed behind him. “I’m quite aware that, but the coffee I came in for is this way”, as he pointed to the inside of the store. Agent Boling knew she had run into a brick wall with this one, “Fine, just make it quick”. Why Agent Boling, if I

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  didn’t know any better, I’d say you can’t wait to get rid of me”. If the Sheriff only knew that getting rid of him was part of Agent Bolings plan now.

  The Sheriff opened the screen door and went in, “Hey Ray, quite an evening isn’t it”. Ray has run this store for almost thirty years taking over when his father died. Ray and the Sheriff went to the same schools and have been neighbors the last twenty years. Rays’ dark hair was always a mystery to the Sheriff; he figured that Ray should have a full head of gray hair like he does

  “You know Walt, I can’t remember the last time we had a murder around here, more or less two of them”. The Sheriff sat his coffee on the counter as he pulled out his wallet. “Yeah Ray, it has been awhile; eleven years if I remember right. That Agent out there is quite a pill”. “Oh don’t’ sugar coat it Walt, she’s a bitch. She’s the reason God made Divorce Lawyers”.

  The Sheriff didn’t argue that point but added, “Did you happen to hear or see anything Ray”? “Not a thing, except for this kid running up to tell me to call 911”. “What kid, did you know him”? “Seen him around but I don’t know him. He did have a rather strange outfit on though”. “What do mean strange, what was he wearing”? Ray though for a moment and said, “He was wearing one of those boots, you know the kind you wear when you get a sprained ankle. Oh yeah, this was the weird part, he was wearing those gloves like surgeons wear”. “Okay Ray thanks, if you think of anything else give me a holler”. Ray gave the Sheriff a wave as he went back outside and into the immediate stare of Agent Boling. “Sheriff I told you to stay out of this”. “Look Agent you might be able to scare the local police with your tactics,

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  but don’t try that crap with me, I don’t intimidate easily”, he turned and got into his vehicle. Agent Boling wished that she could just shoot him on the spot.

  Agent Boling got her phone out as another vehicle pulled in the parking lot. “Sir the area is secure, along with the equipment, and the disposal vehicle just arrived”. “Fine, Fine, good work, was there any rift from the locals”? “The police left quiet enough but the Sheriff may be another story”. “I see, will we need to add to the casualty list”? “I believe that will become necessary, but if it’s okay I would like to handle it myself”. The Director was silent for a moment, “You have my blessings Agent, just make sure that the disposal process is complete, and I’ll be in touch”. Before she could respond with “Yes Sir”, he ended the call.

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  sherIFF pAsco went unnoticed as he drove across

  the street. He needed to talk to Billy. All residents and staf we
re outside taking in the activity across the street. The Sherif f saw Billy talking to some other kid that he didn’t know. Ha parked the vehicle of f to the side of the Rec. hall. The Sherif f made his way to Mr. Watkins who was trying to keep an eye on everyone. “Hey Sheriff, what’s all the activity over there”. Sherif f Pasco took of f his hat scratched his head and replied, “Looks like two guys were shot and killed”. “Shouldn’t you be over there to help Sheriff”, Mr. Watkins asked. “I would but the people that got killed have ties with the FBI, and that lady Agent over there is chasing everyone of f like she found a box of Twinkies and wants them all for

  herself”. Mr. Watkins let out a hearty laugh as the Sherif continued, “I do need to speak to Billy, if you don’t mind”. “Why did he have something to do with this”? “Oh heavens no, this is about his parents cremation”. “Sure thing he’s over there with Gordon”, as he pointed off to the right of the Rec. hall at the semi-circle of chairs.

  “Hey Billy, suppose you tell me what you saw earlier, and remember, before you start stretching the truth, Ray over at the store already sold you out for a cup of Coffee”. He was good, I never got caught in a lie I hadn’t said yet, I was impressed. There was no sense in holding out for a plea bargain, so here goes. “Me and Gordon were sitting right here

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  watching the sunset, when I saw a flash of light across the street, and as soon as I asked Gordon if he saw it, there was a second flash of light. We noticed a few seconds later that the back door to their SUV opened up and one of them fell out of it”. The sheriff was absorbing my input with a scratch of the chin, “So you saw a flash but what about the noise of firing a weapon, did you hear the weapon”? “No noise just flash”, I replied.

  The sheriff excused himself to make a call. I’m sure he not

  only wanted to get far enough away from me so I wouldn’t fry his phone, But I’m certain that I was not the object of his discussion and if I needed to know what was going on, he would tell me. The wind picked up a bit making it seem cooler than it actually was. I put my hands in my jean jacket pockets as Gordon lit another cigarette to help combat the chilly weather.

  I hate to admit it but the smoke coming from Gordon smelled rather inviting. As I shrugged my shoulders in an effort to pull my jacket together I felt the two items Agent Marrick had given me. Crap, I forgot all about those things. The sheriff was still on the phone so I asked Gordon about my little gifts. I showed Gordon what Agent Marrick had given me. “Do you know what these things are”, I asked. Gordon picked them up out of my hand and turned to where there was some light coming from the porch light for the Rec. Hall.

  “Dude, these are flash drives”. I might have heard of those but had no idea what the purpose of one was. “So what’s a flash drive”, I inquired. Gordon looked at me in disbelief, “Are you kidding me, didn’t you use them for school

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  homework or anything”? “We never had a computer, just my PlayStation 2, so no I’m not kidding”.

  Gordon looked at the flash drives for a second and said, “Think of it this way, it’s a storage device that is big enough to hold your Grand theft Auto Game, among other things like information you don’t want others to see. I’m definitely not high tech, but that made sense. “You think Marrick gave these to me because he was trying to hide it from someone”? “Definitely, but from who”, Gordon asked?

  The Sheriff returned from his call, “I doubt that you do but I need to ask, hear anything about anyone having a suppressor”? Gordon and I looked at each other and just shrugged. “A suppressor”, I replied. The Sheriff took it down a notch, “A silencer, do either of you know who might have one”? We both replied with a resounding no which should have been no surprise since I thought silencers were for mafia hits and other hit men I’ve seen on TV.

  “That’s fine since I doubt that this was of local flavor.

  I put a call in to some friends to find out about that FBI lady across the street. Her whole manner of working a crime scene was not the way it’s supposed to happen”. An FBI lady, which could only mean one person. “Sheriff, was she not very tall and kind of not fat but thick with short brown hair”?

  The Sheriff’s head popped in my direction quick. “That’s an accurate description Billy, do you know her”? I lowered my head and replied, “Yeah, she was my Nurse at the Hospital”.

  The sheriff smacked his hands together, “I knew I’ve seen her before. I’ll be damned, she was your nurse”? “Yeah, then she told me about her being in the FBI, and that the other two agents were out to harm me, and she was going

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  to protect me”. The Sheriff took his hat off and scratched his head before looking back at me. “Is there anything else I should know about”? “Yeah but it will take a while”, as I handed him one of the flash drives. “Go ahead, I’ve got all sorts of time”. I wish I could say the same.

  The Sheriff had us take a seat while he went over to Mr.

  Watkins. Upon his return he gave me a strange look. Perhaps it had something to do with the cigarette hanging out of my mouth. Damn peer pressure, and Gordon for being so nice. The Sheriff told us that he suggested to Mr. Watkins that there should be extra folks here to keep a watch out. Mr. Watkins is going to stay the night and he is calling in two others to help with the extra shifts. That made Gordon and I feel somewhat better.

  I proceeded to tell the Sheriff the whole story about Nurse Mattie, A.K.A. Agent Wendy Boling, and how she was going to protect me, and how Jennifer over heard her conversation and warned me about it. That’s when I got to the part about approaching the other two Agents.

  “Looks like to me Billy that someone was watching the other two agents, and then you happened by, then a short time later they’re dead. Whatever went on over there, some-one decided the two agents shouldn’t talk anymore, and I’m starting to get an idea of who that someone is”. “How did you get this, the Sheriff asked as he was flipping the flash drive back and forth in his hand”?

  I explained what Agent Marrick had said to me while handing me the flash drives. As usual the Sheriff quickly absorbed the information given and was ready give out his game plan. I doubted that I would be ready for his game

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  plan, but other options might leave me less than alive. My current state not withstanding I think I would prefer alive.

  The Sheriff’s game plan wasn’t so much of plan as it was preventative. He got with Mr. Watkins to make sure that enough bodies would be here to beef up security. He received no resistance to the request that everyone should be armed. Fortunately that did not include us residents at Camp Crap. The sheriff finished with other details for Mr. Watkins, then made his way back to me and Gordon. Frankie and his cohorts were keeping an eye on us from the patio of the Rec. Hall. Frankie’s stare made Gordon uncomfortable. Gordon

  had mentioned that he was positive that Frankie was schizophrenic. Even with Gordon’s lack of a degree in Psychology, it was hard to argue his point.

  Mr. Watkins came walking up behind the Sheriff. “I informed Mr. Watkins all about your ordeal Billy, and he will keep that to himself. Security around here has increased out of necessity. I’ll be taking this flash drive back to the office and see what it contains. Before I forget, the crematory will be finished by ten a.m. tomorrow, so if you still want to go to the point I can pick you up after lunch, say about 1:00pm, and then we can give your folks a proper send- off”. Just at that time we could hear the other Vehicles spinning their tires in the gravel across the street as all three left the parking lot in a hurry.

  Out of all this commotion I forgot all about my parents. “That would be great Sheriff; do you think that Gordon can come with us”? The Sheriff looked over at Mr. Watkins, who gave the Sheriff a nod of approval. “Okay then you two, I’ll pick you up then”, the Sheriff ended his conversation and

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  went back to his patrol car. “Mr. Watkins, do you think I would be able to make phone call”, as I pointed
across the street towards the payphone? Mr. Watkins check his watch, then looked up at me, “I would say it’s rather late but for some reason my watch stopped working”. I shrugged my shoulders as an effort to apologize. “Well, I don’t think going over there would be such a great idea right now, but if you’ll follow me, I’ll unlock the mess hall for you, there’s a land line in there behind the counter. Gordon and I will wait outside

  for you”.

  The padlock gave a quick squeak but opened on command, and Mr. Watkins opened the door for me and pointed to the far corner behind the counter. There were just enough lights on to make my way behind the counter. The phone was an old wall mount like we used to have in our kitchen.

  As I picked up the receiver I heard the dial tone and reached into my jacket pocket.

  The phone rang twice, “Hello”. Just hearing her voice made me feel so much better. “Hi Jennifer it’s me Billy I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time”. “Not at all, I just got home from work about ten minutes ago. It’s good to hear your voice”. Wow I couldn’t believe it, I guess she really does like me. “It’s good to hear your voice too. If you’re busy I un-derstand but I was wondering if you were free about 1:00 pm tomorrow? “Will this be like a date before our official date”?

  “I guess you could say that, you see the Sheriff is taking me to the point tomorrow and I’m going to spread my parent’s ashes in the Columbia so I was wondering if you would be with me for the informal ceremony”. “Why Billy that is so sweet. It would be my pleasure to be there with you”. Oh

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