Even When You Win...

by Dave Balcom

  “Feds think these people will know about Jan.”

  I beat him to the car. “What’s holding you?”

  He said nothing, just started it up and drove. He was still silent as he pulled into the dooryard at the main complex.

  “Jesus!” Was all I could say. There were two burned-out automobiles and another one covered with bullet holes. Three pickup trucks were also shot up, and the glint of brass was everywhere.

  “Automatic weapons,” Chance explained. “They were fully engaged when we drove up. The state boys were pinned down out here. The Feds arrived just as we did; and they had lots of firepower, so they took the front, the two troopers and I drove through that cornfield over there and hit the house from the back. We took prisoners without a shot, but out here it was hell. We left McCoy minding the captives, and Reilly and I just walked right through the house to the front room where they had barricaded themselves. When they saw us they tried to turn fire on us, but Reilly is a good shot. We nailed three before the rest saw the error in their ways and gave up.”

  “What about our guys, anyone hurt?”

  “Driver of that first car didn’t get out before they hit it with an RPG; the rest of the guys got nicked, but nothing as dangerous as that anti-tank weapon. Two other troopers were shot at the outset, but once they knew they were under attack, the officers accounted pretty well for themselves, holding ground and calling for backup.”

  “What started all this?”

  “I have no idea, Jim. I really don’t.”

  “I can shed a little light on that,” Richards said as he and Hurst joined us. “I’m glad to see you’re okay, Jim.”

  “Thanks. What do you think happened?”

  “I think a woman named Lillian Willard overheard a guy named Jesse Runnells tell me about a strange woman that he’d met a couple days ago over here. I showed him our Jan picture, and he said he thought that looked a lot like the woman he’d seen.

  “I asked him if he’d spoken to her, and he said he hadn’t because as soon as he walked into the room, another gal and a guy whisked her away to another room. Said she didn’t look too happy, but he couldn’t see that she was being mistreated. Anyway, they didn’t offer any explanation, and he hadn’t asked any questions.”

  “What was he doing over there?”

  “Soliciting for the high school boosters; Reggie is known as a big supporter, and every summer they raise money to defray the cost of sports at the high school. He hadn’t made an appointment, just dropped in.”

  “Did he say who the other woman was?”

  “Cheryl Flynt.”

  “Just got back from college, huh?” Chance said with a curl on his lips. “Is she in custody? I’d love to talk with her.”

  “Nope; I don’t think she was here when the shootin’ started. I think she took off with Jan as soon as the call came in. But, Jim, I don’t have any proof for that thinking; it’s just a hunch, you know?”

  “I know,” I said as a huge sigh escaped me, making everyone aware that I had been holding my breath.

  “Take it easy, Jim; she can’t have gone far.”

  “That’s a terrifying truth, Archie.”

  I was suddenly exhausted. I walked over to Chance’s cruiser and sat on the trunk. The sheriff spoke with Richards and Hurst for a moment. Sgt. Jefferson joined them, but I was no longer paying much attention when Hurst walked up to me, “I have to run to town. Let me drop you off at the Sweets; okay?”

  “I think Bill wants me to help process the bad guys...”

  “No, he doesn’t, and we don’t. We’d like it if you’d go to Ed’s. We’ll catch up with you tonight.”

  I was too tired to argue. She led me to her vehicle, and we pulled out. I looked back at the yard that had seemed so bucolic just a few hours ago. With the tendrils of oily smoke streaming into the robin’s egg blue sky, it was as disjointed as any post-battle scene I’d ever known.

  Chapter 62

  Hurst dropped me off and left without a word. I walked around to the rear of the house and found a bunch of Sweets on the porch and in the yard. The sound of children giggling and water spraying met me as I turned past the garage.

  Ed and Riley were overseeing the wading pool that they’d filled from the garden hose.

  Rita, Cindy, Janine and Roxie were lolling on the patio furniture inside the porch. It was as jarringly different from the scene at the Flynt homestead as possible.

  “Jim!” Rita was the first to see me, and she came off the porch at a run, throwing her arms around me and hugging me as soon as she could. “You’re all right; thank God, you’re all right.”

  “Just tired right now, Rita.”

  “Any word on Jan?”

  “Nothing good; she was out there, but there was a battle, and they think she was moved before it started... hell, I don’t know where she is or how she is...” I just wound down.

  Ed took over. “You need a shower and something to eat. Come on.”

  I got the shower, but as I sat on my cot to finish drying off, I fell asleep; just toppled over on my side.

  Ed came down a few minutes later, lifted my legs up on the cot and pulled a blanket over me, but I didn’t know that until later.

  The sun was behind clouds and a warm summer glow was making dusk very comfortable in the Sweet’s backyard when I came up from my nap. My belly was rumbling, and I felt stiff and achy.

  “Well, he lives!” Riley greeted me as I stepped into the kitchen. Rita came in from the porch. “I have leftovers from supper, Jim; can I feed you?”

  “That would be great,” I said. I heard my voice as a growl, and tried to clear it, but I had developed a frog of sorts from sleeping with a wet head, I thought.

  “It’ll only take a few minutes.”

  Ed had heard the conversation, and he came into the room with a slug of whiskey on ice and handed it to me. I accepted it, but sat down on a stool before tasting it. “Makers? Thank you, sir.”

  “Man does not live on scotch alone,” he quipped. “Riley?” He was offering a glass to his son.

  “No, I’m going over to the hospital to see Crawford; boy, what a pain in the ass.” And he laughed wickedly.

  “You’re not going to let him live that down, are you?” Ed said with a shake of his head.

  “Not a chance. You should see all the donut rings in his room. Everybody he ever knew or played sports with must have brought one there today. He’s just dyin’ at the embarrassment of his cheeky wound, but, as they say, ‘all his pain is behind him.’”

  He was laughing with gusto, and I realized it was his way of celebrating that the worst of his losses was just an embarrassing moment for his elder brother.

  “We’re very lucky that he got the worst of it,” Ed said quietly. “Is Matt over there?”

  Riley sobered up a bit. “I think so. I saw him drive away after dinner; he and Liz. I think that’s where they were headed. They’re going home tomorrow early, so they probably knew they wouldn’t see him when he comes home tomorrow.”

  I took note of the travel plans and the air of “all clear” in their behavior and said so.

  Ed smiled broadly, “Yeah, we got a call from Richards just before dinner. Said he had the whole story about the attack on us, and all that... Jim, he still didn’t have anything to tell me about Jan, I’m sorry.”

  I shrugged. “He can’t tell you what he doesn’t know. I’m sure he’s doing everything he can.”

  “Here’s food, Jim.” Rita put the plate of roasted chicken and a salad with toasted bread in it in front of me. “You like Panzanella salad?”

  “I’ll eat about anything that doesn’t eat me first, Rita. Thanks.”

  I tasted the chicken, and it was just the way I liked it, then I tasted the salad and knew that if I got her back, I’d make sure Jan learned about this stuff. “It’s delicious, Rita; really nice.”

  At that moment my phone rang. I looked at the screen and saw it was from Jan. “Hello?”

  �
��Mr. Stanton?”

  “This is he...”

  “You know who this is? We met this morning. You were looking for information on your wife...”

  “I remember. How is she?”

  There was a long silence, “She’s not complaining.”

  “She’s never been a whiner; can I speak to her?”

  “Not yet. You need to meet with her. Can you get a car?”

  “I can probably get several, some with red and blue flashing lights, if you want.”

  “I’m thinking more like a car full of gas that I can drive away after you and Ed Sweet arrive.”

  “Ed? No, I don’t think he can make it. I think he’s at the hospital visiting Crawford.”

  “No, Mr. Stanton. He’s there, and if you want to see your wife, you’ll bring him to me. Now get a car started and get moving. I’m anxious to get on the road myself.”

  I held the phone away from my face, and spoke to Ed, shaking my head slowly back and forth, “Your Suburban got gas in it?”

  I could see his confusion, and then he got it, “Not very much, I’m afraid, why?”

  “Did you hear that?”

  “I did, but you can go fill it up for me, right?”

  “I’ll call you back when I get the tank full.” I snapped my phone shut and as I started to speak to Ed, I heard a sob erupt from Rita on the other side of the room, “No, he can’t go with you.”

  Chapter 63

  I went to the garage leaving Ed to deal with Rita and her fears. While I waited, I dialed Bill Chance’s number. It went to message, and I kept my voice steady, “Bill, Stanton here; call me when you get the chance.”

  Ed climbed into the passenger seat and asked immediately, “You think she’s alive?”

  “I couldn’t tell. She didn’t specifically say, in fact I think she carefully phrased it to leave me wondering as well as hoping.

  “This is a very tightly wound woman, Ed. She’s bright, poised and, if I’m reading it correctly, as loony as they come. So if Jan’s alive, it won’t be for long if we screw up. Where can I go to get gas?”

  “I think the tank’s full, Jim.”

  “Perfect, but where would you go to fill it up?”

  “Turn left out of the driveway, right at the end of the street.”

  “You bring Rita’s phone like I asked?”

  “Yeah; why?”

  “Go to her contact list and call Bill Chance.”

  He did it, and this time Chance answered. Ed handed the phone to me. “Bill, it’s Stanton. Cheryl Flynt just contacted me; claims she has Jan and will trade her for Ed. At least that’s what I think she was trying to tell me...”

  “Jesus Christ; where?”

  “I don’t know yet. We’re pretending to fill Ed’s Suburban up with gas to buy enough time to call you. What’s going to happen, I think is that when I call her she’s going to give me directions and make me stay on the phone so I won’t be able to call anyone else.”

  “Where do you want me?”

  “In the back seat.”

  “You headed for Smitty’s?”

  Ed nodded. “Yes,” I said.

  “Nix that. Go to the Victory Pumps instead. I’ll be there in three minutes. After you pretend to fill up, send Ed inside to pay. You pull over to the hedge on the north side of their lot to wait. Be sure to kill the courtesy light right now.”

  Ed leaned over and pushed a button. “Courtesy lights are off. Turn right here, and Victory pumps are about four blocks up there,” he pointed up the street.

  When Ed came back from paying for the gas, just as he opened the passenger door, the back door on my side opened and closed at the same moment; Chance was in the back seat, his head down below the windows. I punched Jan’s speed dial button, and heard her phone ring.

  “Perfect. Where are you?” Cheryl Flynt’s voice answered immediately.

  “Victory Pumps on Fourth.”

  “Leave the phone on, set it down with the speaker on. I’ll talk you right to us. If you disconnect, or if I hear any talking on your end, this mission will be over and you’ll never see your woman again. Are we clear?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re going to leave town by driving straight north on Fourth Street. You’ll be on a gravel road, and you’ll drive that road at forty-five miles an hour until I tell you to stop or turn. Are we clear?”

  “Yes.”

  “Move.”

  We drove out Fourth until we approached a tee intersection, and I heard, “Left at the tee, and then the first right.”

  We drove along at around forty-five, and I had the lights on bright. There was no traffic. “At the blacktop intersection, turn right,” she commanded.

  We made the turn and followed the blacktop for fifteen minutes. I saw the sign indicating a public boat launch just as I heard her say, “Take the next right, and follow that road all the way to its end.”

  Chance was sitting up in the back seat, and Ed started making excited motions, indicating he knew where we were. I mouthed the word “So?” and then as the road started to curve to the left, he held his hand out in front of me, making a stop sign. I pulled to a silent stop, and Ed started coughing just as the back door opened and closed in almost complete silence.

  “What’s the matter?”

  We didn’t answer, “Okay, you can answer, what’s the matter?”

  “Nothing, Ed just inhaled a mosquito is all.”

  “Keep coming.”

  The drive was a steady curving, uphill climb. I could see the horizon out my side window, and I could see stars starting to appear in the night sky. I looked at the dashboard clock; it was just after nine. We finally crested the hill, and a sign pointed to the right for the boat ramp and camping; to the left for day use, picnic grounds, and swimming beach.

  “We’re at the beach; we’re watching you. Come on ahead.

  At the end of the road we came to an old farm pickup blocking the road. We turned into an area on the left, and our headlights fell on the form of a person covered in a blanket sitting at a picnic table facing us.

  “You’re here. Put your hands where I can see them, Mr. Stanton. Ed, get out of the car.”

  “Hold it just a second,” I started. “This isn’t some kind of exchange; I can’t just hand over one victim in trade for another.”

  “It’s too late for this, Stanton!” It was another voice, this one coming in from the lowered window on my side of the vehicle. “Your only other choice is to have you and your bride end up like Sweet. Now, Ed, get out of the vehicle.”

  “That voice,” Ed hissed. “I just can’t...” He swallowed, and said louder, “Ron Flynt? Is that really you? I can’t believe it! I’ve known you most of your life. I’ve played golf with you every week for years.” He was starting to sob, his heart broken by the betrayal he was now recognizing for what it was. “You’ve eaten at my table more times than I can recall... How can you be a part of this?” He was actually sobbing as he ran out of air. I could hear him panting in the dark to my right.

  I saw movement on Ed’s side of the car, and Cheryl, holding a shotgun, stepped out from behind a tree.

  “Wait a minute, here!” I yelled. “I have to know that Jan’s here and alive. I can’t just hand this man over to you! Haven’t you had enough killing today? What’s the purpose of killing Ed? The money just keeps flowing to his family. What’s the point?”

  The man I hadn’t seen yet answered calmly. From his voice, it sounded as if he was mere feet from the vehicle, but I couldn’t see him. “The point, Mr. Stanton, is that Ed Sweet is not going to get that money. He’s part of the whole structure that has held us down our whole lives.

  “They treat us all like dirt! We were here first, before almost any of the rest; this is where we chose to live long before all these rich sonovabitches with their fancy houses and stuck up noses moved in and left us out.

  “By rights, it should have been a Flynt that won that treasure to be passed on for years to come. But no, th
at’s not how they work it. We’re all feelin’ sorry for poor ol’ Ed and Rita, cut off at the pockets like the rest of us, but no, they take care of their own, don’t they?

  “Well, fuck that; we can’t get that money? They can’t have it either. He’s just the first to go. Now, get outta that car before I start killin’ all y’all!”

  Ed sighed and then said from the darkness, “I think I’d better get out; maybe you two can survive...”

  “Ed, this isn’t over; move slowly; keep the car door between you and her.”

  Ed unlatched the door, and stepped out behind it, using it as a shield.

  Cheryl, confidence in her voice, almost cooed, “That’s better. You too, Mr. Stanton; get outta the car.

  “Ron?”

  There was no answer from that quarter and I felt a surge of hope; Chance had arrived.

  “Ron, you ready?” Cheryl asked again, and some of that confidence was gone; I saw a flicker of confusion flash across her face when he didn’t respond again.

  I picked up another of Ed’s pistols that had been next to me in the seat for the whole ride. “I think Ron had another appointment,” I said and watched her tense up as my words sunk in.

  “Ron! Ron?”

  I whispered to Ed, “Start walking away from the car; make her turn just a bit.”

  Ed did as I asked, and as he took his second step, she swung the gun that had been kind of covering the blanket-clad figure at the table away and towards him. She screamed Ed’s name, the tension and stress obvious in her voice, “Where are you going? Stop! I won’t hesitate to shoot all of you!”

  Then Chance was standing between her and the table. I don’t know how he got there without my seeing him, but there he was, and his weapon was leveled at her. “Ron’s gone for the night; drop that gun.” Nobody moved. “Come on, Cheryl, wise up; I won’t say it again.”

  She took in a deep breath, held it for what seemed a long time looking at Bill, and then, finally, as she let it hiss out between her gritted teeth, her hands started to move the barrel towards him. He raised his weapon to eye level, “Think it through...”