by Ricky Sides
The woman continued along the track unperturbed by the sounds of rustling leaves emanating from the forest. However, the sounds kept pace with her and that did alarm Mildred. It wasn’t normal for an animal to pace a person that way. Normally, they went about their business, content to avoid contact with people, but this creature seemed to be following her.
The nurse took out her phone and pulled up her home phone number on the speed dialer so it would be ready if she needed to call her husband. She had encountered a bum who lived in the woods once as she had walked the track. The man hadn’t harmed her, or even threatened her in any way, but he’d made her uncomfortable. Mildred’s husband had told her after that encounter to call him should it ever happen again. Now she suspected that the old man was out in the woods stalking her.
She walked apprehensively now. Her pace was faster and her eyes scanned the woods in an attempt to locate the source of the noise. Then, as abruptly as it had begun, the noise stopped. A large grey cat darted out of the forest onto the track fifteen feet from her position. “Hi kitty. You gave me quite a start,” Mildred said in relief, but then she felt something collide with her back and she stumbled along the track. Her thumb was on the call button. The force of the impact caused her hand to reflexively contract. Without even realizing it, Mildred had phoned home.
The nurse screamed as she felt claws digging into her thighs, buttocks, and back. She tried to run, but something heavy was on her back, and it was shifting its weight so much that maintaining her balance was difficult. In her panic, she paid no attention to the grey cat on the track before her. Mildred’s screams intensified when she felt something bite the back of her neck.
The grey cat got a running start toward the woman. It jumped into the air with its claws extended. The animal struck Mildred in the side as she staggered under the weight of the big white tom on her back. That ferocious animal had now locked its jaws on the back of her neck and wouldn’t release its kill until it stopped moving. The grey queen went for Mildred’s throat.
The phone rang in the nurse’s home. Ralph saw the number on the LCD display screen, realized it was his wife calling, and took the call on the second ring. He said hello, but he wasn’t answered. Instead, he heard hair-raising screams. He shouted into the phone for Mildred to talk to him, but his pleas went unanswered. His eyes took on a wild look as he listened. For a full two minutes, he heard those screams. Twice, he heard Mildred shouting for help. Once he heard her cry out in a desperate voice, “God help me!” Then he heard nothing but silence from the phone.
Desperate and not knowing what to do, Ralph rushed to the door and climbed in his truck. He knew Mildred was going walking, and he had been expecting her call to let him know she had finished her walk and was coming home. Therefore, Ralph reasoned it would be best to go to the walking track. He reached to his shirt pocket for his phone, planning to call the police and belatedly discovered that he had left his cell phone at home on the table.
Frustrated, and even more panicked, Ralph floored the accelerator and laid on the horn when a car began to pull onto the street in front of him. Swerving to the left, he barely missed the car. The panicked husband roared down Forrest Street, wildly exceeding the speed limit.
As he came to the intersection with Highway 31, Ralph slammed on the brakes. He left skid marks for thirty feet as he attempted to stop the truck for the traffic signal, but at the last moment, he saw nothing was coming from the north and floored the accelerator again. He made it to the median, but didn’t look to see if traffic from the south was approaching before he turned onto Highway 31. A tractor-trailer rig plowed into the right front fender of the truck spinning it in a semicircle. At full throttle, Ralph’s truck ran head on into a utility pole. The impact threw him partially through the windshield.
The truck driver locked his brakes in an effort to avoid Ralph’s truck and as a result, the big rig jackknifed. The rear of the trailer swept into the right hand lane, striking the rear of an SUV that the truck driver had opted to pass just before the accident. The driver of the SUV was Penny Baker, and she was in the process of sending her lover a text message informing him that she had managed to leave on time for their scheduled tryst.
As the trailer swung into the right lane, it struck the left rear fender of Penny’s SUV. The front end of the heavy vehicle slewed to the left. Penny dropped her phone, took her foot off the accelerator, and stomped on the brake pedal as she struggled to wrench the car back into her lane. Then the trailer, which had continued to slide sideways, struck her SUV again. This time, the rig struck it broadside, causing it to slide sideways down the highway. This pushed the tires to one side and broke the seal between her tubeless tires and the rims, flattening all four tires in seconds.
Penny’s vehicle still had forward momentum. It followed the path of least resistance, which was along the length of the trailer. At thirty miles per hour, the SUV slammed into the side of the big rig, rupturing the right side fuel tank and deploying the airbag of her car. Diesel fuel began to leak and flow down the grade beneath her vehicle. Furious that the truck driver had ruined her SUV, Penny pushed the airbag down out of the way and snatched the shifter into reverse.
The truck driver had just managed to bring the rig to a halt, when he felt an impact on the right side. He jumped out of the truck and ran around the front end to see what had happened on the right side. “What are you doing, lady?” he shouted as Penny tried to back her vehicle away from the truck. She gave him the finger and cursed him, as she continued to spin her wheels. The rear of the SUV slid from side to side, but a portion of the truck frame had the front end hopelessly trapped beneath the rig.
Noting the sparks flying from the ruined wheels, the truck driver tried to stop her. He frantically waved his arms and shouted to get her attention. “Stop, lady!” he shouted, and then he jumped up onto the footboard of his rig. The driver opened the door and reached into the truck for his fire extinguisher. He had seen that sparks from the churning rims had ignited the diesel fuel.
Penny saw the driver and thought he was going for a weapon. She altered her strategy by shifting her vehicle into drive and wrenching the wheel hard to the right. Flooring the accelerator, Penny had the satisfaction of seeing the big rig lurch violently, causing the trucker to lose his footing on the footboard and fall inside the cab. She also felt something give and the car lurched partially free from the entanglement.
Once more, Penny shifted into reverse and floored her accelerator, determined to free her car. The road rage she’d felt in the immediate aftermath of the accident was beginning to diminish. When her engine sputtered and died, the woman tried to get out of the car, only to find that it was impossible to get the door open.
Glancing in her rearview mirror, Penny saw that a stream of flames was now visible. Shocked, she realized that the stream must have passed right beneath her car. She frantically renewed her attempts to get out of the car. She tried the passenger side door, but it too was jammed.
A thick black smoke began to seep inside the SUV. Penny tried to open the windows to vent the smoke, but they too were jammed and refused to function. Alarmed and beginning to panic, Penny spun her body around in the seat and began kicking the passenger window as hard as she could. However, the petite woman was unable to shatter the tough glass.
The trucker climbed out of his rig holding his forehead. He had taken a nasty gash to the head when he tumbled inside the cab, but he had the fire extinguisher in his hand. He quickly saw that the enraged woman had finally stalled her car, which was filling up with smoke. He saw her futile attempts to break the window and rushed over to help.
Using the bottom of the fire extinguisher as a battering ram, the man slammed it into the center of the passenger side window. It spider webbed, but didn’t fall free. Two additional strikes with the fire extinguisher broke most of the glass out of the window. He then beat out the remaining fragments with the bottom of the fire extinguisher.
Thick black smoke was
now rolling inside the car. The frantic woman was coughing and gagging. Disoriented, her eyes streaming tears from the acidic smoke, she didn’t even realize that the trucker had cleared the way for her to escape.
The would-be rescuer felt an intense pain in his feet and legs. Looking down, he discovered that the burning fuel had spread and he was now standing in it. He used the fire extinguisher to douse the fire at his feet, but the fuel was still spreading and he knew that getting the woman out of the car before the flames reached him again was going to be tough. He tossed the fire extinguisher over his shoulder and leaned inside the open window. Grabbing the woman’s legs, he pulled her toward him. He had her lower body out of the car when the flames once more began licking at his feet and legs. Screaming in pain, the trucker pulled the woman from the smoldering vehicle.
The trucker threw the semiconscious woman over his shoulder and turned to walk away from the burning wreck. Other motorists, seeing what was happening, ran to assist. A woman whipped off her coat and wrapped it around the trucker’s legs to extinguish the flames while a man grabbed the discarded fire extinguisher and moved to try to put out the fire.
A police officer arrived on the scene. He took one quick look at the situation and ordered everyone away from the vicinity of the burning wreckage. He was still shepherding the onlookers away when the fuel tank of the SUV exploded.
Several of the bystanders were injured when bits of burning material struck them, but thanks to the heroic efforts of the trucker and the people who had rushed to help the accident victims, there were no further fatalities.
Ralph Grummer, the driver of the pickup truck who had caused the accident, was declared dead on the scene.
***
Jerry awoke to the smell of coffee and bacon. Glancing at the empty spot beside him, he discovered that Patricia had already gotten out of bed and was apparently making breakfast. He was both relieved and disappointed. Relieved, because there wouldn’t be that awkward moment with them both awake in bed together. But he was also disappointed, because he would have enjoyed feeling her body beside him once more.
With a sigh, he rolled out of bed. It was just as well. He needed to remain focused until the mission was completed. He’d already made up his mind to use his accumulated leave time to sit out any further missions until his hitch was up, and he had more than enough accumulated to accomplish that goal.
In the kitchen, Patricia added the finishing touches to the breakfast. When Jerry came into the kitchen to join her, he was surprised at the meal she had prepared. “Wow, I could get used to this,” he said in delight.
Patricia smiled, pleased by Jerry’s response. She liked to cook, and she liked a man who appreciated a good meal.
“Any more unpleasant dreams?” he asked solicitously.
“Nope. I slept through the rest of the night. I don’t think I moved an inch while I slept. You’re a warm bed partner,” she responded with a smile.
“Yeah, well, you’re not so bad yourself,” he replied and then he kissed her good morning.
“Breakfast is ready,” she stated.
The couple enjoyed their breakfast in a companionable silence. Jerry enjoyed the scrambled eggs, homemade biscuits, bacon and gravy. Over their morning coffee, Jerry said, “I really enjoyed sleeping with you last night.”
“I enjoyed sleeping with you too,” stated Patricia. “And you were a perfect gentleman,” she added.
Jerry laughed the hearty laugh that Patricia always found so pleasing, causing her to smile. He said, “You have no idea how difficult that was. But you know, I really enjoyed just holding you and smelling your hair. A few minor discomforts aside, it was a wonderful night.”
“Minor discomforts?” she asked raising a brow in curiosity.
“Well, yeah. You wouldn’t let me warm my feet,” he said with a mischievous grin.
Patricia laughed and he laughed with her. She got up, walked around the table and stood beside him. He slid his chair back to get up, but she sat down in his lap. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him and then said, “You make sure you get back in one piece tonight. You’re welcome to stay with me, but keep your icy feet to yourself.”
“You’ll let me sleep with you again?” he asked hopefully.
“Yes,” she replied.
“Good. I’ll look forward to holding you and smelling your hair.”
“You make it back to me in one piece tonight and I promise you, you’ll have more than that to enjoy,” she responded.
A smile slowly crept across his face, but he said, “Only if you’re sure you’re ready.”
“I was sure last night, sweetheart, but you looked as if you needed more time,” she replied.
“I just didn’t want to take advantage of you when you were vulnerable,” he said. “Besides, I really did enjoy just holding you. I’m sort of glad we did that first.”
“Be careful. If you keep saying things like that, I just may fall in love with you.”
“Good,” Jerry said. “Because I’m interested in a long term relationship, but if you’re not, I’d rather know now before I get even more attached to you.”
“If you’re serious about leaving the military, then I’m interested,” she said. “But I warn you, I’m not looking to get hurt. I’ve waited a long time looking for the right man. When I find him, I’d like him to be with me on a regular basis.”
“I’m serious,” he assured her. “When this case is closed, I’ll be calling in all my favors. I’ll use my leave time till my hitch is up next month. Then, I plan to get a job here and settle down.”
***
Phillis Green arrived at the Alcorn building at 7:23 A.M. A major accident on Highway 31 had delayed her arrival, causing her to be late. The moment she entered the security command center, the computer security expert knew that something was wrong.
In the wake of the breach of security during the recent incident involving the release of the test animals, Phillis had taken extra precautions with sensitive computer files in the Alcorn database. In the event that people tried to access the most sensitive files, the programs she had installed would report the terminal number and identity of the user. The software enabled security to learn precisely what the user had done with the file. If they copied it to another location, security would know where and how many copies. If they printed it out, security would know which printer was used and how many copies were printed. The monitor would display an alert and prompt security to enter their password to access the information contained in the report.
Phillis sat down at her terminal and keyed in her password. Moments later, a string of information began to scroll down her screen. Her face awash in the bluish green light of her monitor, Phillis read the report with increasing concern. But when she read the last paragraph the woman got to her feet and walked toward the desk where her security radio was sitting in its charger base. Someone had sent the file to multiple locations across the globe.
As she approached the desk, she saw that something was on the floor behind it. Getting closer, she saw that it was a small pool of blood.
Running around the desk, Phillis found Barney. He was lying on his stomach, his face turned toward the desk. Someone had apparently hit him on the head several times. She wasn’t certain, but she thought he was dead.
Phillis lurched to her feet and reached for the security radio. She was turning it on when someone hit her from behind. The security woman pitched forward, striking the desk before falling onto the floor. Her assailant landed two more sharp blows to the base of her skull, and then reached down and twisted her head sharply, breaking her neck.
Moving to her security terminal, the killer deleted the file Phillis had pulled up and closed the program. The murderer wanted no loose ends. Now only one remained.
***
Clarisse was in the restroom getting ready for Rusty’s visit. He had asked her to come to this hotel on her off day so that they could enjoy one of their occasional sexual encounters
. She had gladly agreed, because she was certain that he was going to tell her she would be getting everything she wanted. She had already picked out the car she wanted. The Chrysler 300 suited her fancy. Of course, she also wanted the raise she had demanded. She would get it too, or else she would make him regret it.
When Clarisse walked out of the bathroom in nothing but a skintight black teddy, she found Rusty on the bed waiting for her. “You look ravishing,” he stated with a frank and-appraising stare.
Clarisse smiled. She was an attractive woman and she knew it. She went to great lengths to keep her body in shape. “Before we get to the ravishing today, I’d like to know what you’ve decided regarding my car and pay raise.”
“If your performance this morning is up to par with our past encounters, I can promise you that before this day is over, you’ll get everything that’s coming to you,” he stated.
Clarisse smiled happily and nodded her agreement. She held out her arms and spun in a slow circle, permitting Rusty to see every inch of her body. “Do you like the teddy?” she asked.
“Is that one your husband bought you?” asked Rusty. “If so, the man has good taste.”
Clarisse approached the bed, doing her best to perform a sexy strut. She replied, “He bought it a few days ago in the hopes that it might rekindle our romance.”
“Haven’t you told him that you are filing for divorce?”
“Not yet. He’s planning a hunting trip with his brother soon. They’ll be gone for days. I plan to take all the money out of our joint bank account and sell the coins he’s been collecting since he was a kid. That collection is probably worth five to seven thousand dollars, which will pay for the legal fees. There’s an attorney in Huntsville who can get me the house, but he doesn’t come cheap,” Clarisse explained as she crawled onto the bed.
