Beneath the Tombstone (The Tombstone Series)

by Martin Cogburn

  Soon, every window had arms sticking through it, and the whole jail house was filled with excited hollers, yells, and screams as almost every inmate joined in on Jason’s racket making. Jason dropped the bucket and began running back the way he’d come. As he rounded the corner, he spotted Sheriff Victor, Deputy Andrews, and the young lady all running in his direction.

  “Sheriff, sheriff,” Jason called out desperately. “I didn’t get there soon enough! The prisoners are rioting! The prisoners are rioting! Hurry!”

  Without speaking, Victor grabbed Jason, spun him around and slammed him up against the wall. He patted around on his own waist, as if searching for something, then turned to his deputy and asked, “You got your handcuffs, Andrews?”

  “Yes sir,” Deputy Andrews said as he handed them to the sheriff, happy to be of assistance.

  “Let’s lock this clown up,” Victor muttered to Andrews.

  “But the circus is out here,” Jason protested, face plastered to the wall. He cringed a little as the handcuffs were crimped down, digging into his wrist.

  “Should we put him in solitary confinement?” Andrews asked the sheriff assertively.

  “Andrews,” the sheriff sighed, “we don’t have solitary confinement. But don’t worry, I’ve got something even better in mind,” he added with a sly grin.

  “Boy oh boy, Sheriff’s got a surprise,” Jason mocked as they led him away, down the long, noisy hall.

  “Meet Big Jack,” the sheriff said quietly as he came to a halt outside of the last cell where the hall ended. Andrews gave a hushed chuckle.

  “Why quiet all the sudden?” Jason asked, the volume of his voice making up for their lack thereof.

  “Ssshhhh,” both lawmen hissed at the same time then Victor whispered, “You wake up Big Jack, we’ll all be sorry.”

  “Who’s Big Jack?” Jason asked, his tone no quieter than before.

  “You see that wall?” Sheriff Victor asked, ignoring the question as he pointed at a wall by the cell door. Jason focused on the wall in question. Yep. Saw the wall. I mean there it was – right in front of him. “Big Jack has a tendency to hurt people. There’s a mark on that wall for every man who has walked out of this cell on his own two feet.”

  “It’s blank,” Jason said in a voice that hinted he hated to have to point out the obvious.

  “Exactly,” the sheriff replied. Jason rolled his eyes. Oh boy. That was clever. Sheriff Victor removed the handcuffs from Jason’s wrist. “Get in,” he said in a harsh whisper while opening the door leading into the cell.

  Let’s see, the sheriff had taken him against his will, nearly froze him to death, squeezed his hands too hard in the cuffs, and now he expected him to just walk into the cell of his own accord? “I do believe I need a proper escort,” Jason spoke like some high-dollar gentleman.

  “What was all that yelling about?” a deep voice from inside the dimly lit cell demanded.

  The sheriff didn’t say a word. He just shoved Jason inside and slammed the cell door back shut. That accomplished, the sheriff and his deputy stopped outside of the cell window. “I hope you enjoy your stay here, Jason,” the sheriff spoke in a menacing voice, “because you’ll be here until…”

  “How dare you put someone in my room,” the deep voice growled from the bed. With that, a figure arose. A tall, thick man with slicked back, jet-black hair slowly made his way to the barred window that looked out into the hall. With the confidence of a ruler, he gazed down upon the sheriff and his deputy.

  “Haven’t we gone over this before?” the man asked in a voice that said the sheriff’s mistake was inexcusable. “When I said nothing in my cell but me, I meant it.” He then turned and looked at his new cellmate. “Get it out, sheriff,” he ordered before making his way over to Jason. When the big man got close, he just stood there and stared. In his eye was the look of a predator… like a hungry lion that had cornered a crippled antelope, intending to turn it into a meal. “If you don’t, I will hurt it,” he said before turning back to the sheriff and slowly walking over to the window. Suddenly, he shot his arms through the bars, grabbing for the sheriff. He missed by only inches.

  Sheriff Victor leapt back as Deputy Andrews cried out, “Watch ‘em sheriff!” But the sheriff didn’t need any encouragement. With eyes wide, he stared at Big Jack but only for a moment before cutting his gaze away and scurrying off like a frightened mouse running from a caged cat, the deputy hot on his heels.

  Although the big man didn’t smile or show any sign of humor, the way he watched the sheriff and deputy leave hinted that he received great pleasure from their fear. Then he turned to Jason. “Who’re you?” he asked flatly. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m Jason. I was thrown in here. I don’t like it, and I wish to leave now,” Jason responded in a rush.

  The big man didn’t reply. He just stood there silent for a moment before beginning to make his way back over to Jason – who was trying to keep it all together. This guy was a lot taller and a lot thicker than Jason, but it was his presence that was so unnerving. He seemed cold and unfeeling. “Keep it together! Gotta keep it together!” Jason coached himself. The convict could obviously sense fear.

  “I told you my name,” Jason pointed out. “What’s yours?”

  When the giant came to a stop, he was defiantly encroaching on Jason’s personal space. “Big Jack,” he muttered in Jason’s face.

  “So your real name is Jack?”

  “Yes.”

  “But why do they call you Big Jack, Big Jack?” Jason asked and, as a result, a confused look came over the big guy’s face.

  “Because I’m big,” Big Jack replied, like it really disturbed him that Jason hadn’t noticed that himself.

  “Yes,” Jason agreed. “You do seem to be a bit above average.” The bewildered look remained on the giant’s face. “Have you ever thought of abbreviating you name?” Jason asked. “You know, instead of Big Jack you could just go with B.J. – Like it?”

  B.J. didn’t look happy. Maybe he didn’t like his new name. “Of course there’s nothing wrong with the name Big Jack. It has a lot of character,” Jason added. Still nothing.

  Jason turned his head towards the window in the direction which the sheriff had gone. “You can’t leave me in here!” he yelled. A big hand yanked him around before being placed over his mouth.

  “Hush,” Big Jack hissed. “I don’t like yelling.”

  He removed his hand from Jason’s mouth. Thank goodness. No telling where that thing had been or when it had last gotten washed. Big Jack stood for a moment without saying a word as he used the silence and his icy glare in an attempt to intimidate Jason. It was working. Jason was feeling intimidated… he just hoped it wasn’t showing.

  “Why’d they put you in here – in my cell?” Big Jack demanded.

  “They think I kidnapped my wife,” Jason answered quickly. Then the whole story began spilling out. “My wife and I were walking in the park one evening when we were attacked by three men. They took her from me, sent me a little note telling me I have to climb the Tombstone or die trying. If I do, they set her free. If I don’t, they don’t… And now the sheriff somehow has gotten it into his head that I set the whole thing up.”

  Recollection began to dawn in Big Jacks eyes. “Hey, you’re that guy on TV!” he exclaimed, his cold, emotionless eyes coming to life.

  Jason stood shocked for a moment, trying to grasp what Big Jack was saying. Then he remembered the short interview he’d had with a local news lady at the coffee shop. “Well yeah, I guess so,” Jason admitted. “I did do one little interview.”

  “Did you tell them about the note?” Big Jack asked, obviously intrigued.

  “Um, no,” Jason responded. “Not in detail. The lady knew I had gotten one, though.”

  “They know all of it,” Big Jack said with excitement dancing in his eyes. “They were talking about it.”

  “How?” Jason asked as his head began to spin. “I only told a few people.
”

  “Well,” Big Jack said with a witty smile. “There’s a lot more than a few people wanting you to tell them stuff now.”

  “I really fired up the local news, huh?” Jason said with a half-hearted chuckle.

  “Yeah,” the big man replied, “not to mention the national media.”

  “National media?” Jason asked, unable to believe his ears. “You mean just a brief mention?” he questioned, remembering when the incident had first occurred several big-time news stations had mentioned it in passing.

  “No,” Big Jack responded. “I mean several major news stations are talking and debating on what happened and what will happen.”

  “Wow,” was all Jason could say.

  “Yeah, wow,” Big Jack agreed. “First your wife disappears… then you. They hear of some ransom note that’s not a ransom note, and then the rumors began to fly – Is Jason Hathaway dead? Did he get kidnapped, too? Did he simply run away… or is he preparing to climb?” Big Jack paused and folded his arms. “And the name of the rock you’re gonna climb… the Tombstone? Awesome! One TV show host said – I’ll never forget it – she said, ‘Will Jason Hathaway’s mission take him to the top of the Tombstone… or place him beneath one?’” he finished with a sweep of his hand for dramatic affect.

  “Yes,” Jason said solemnly, “several people have drawn that parallel.” He paused then put on a brave smile as he quietly said, “I hope it takes me to the top.”

  Big Jack nodded in agreement. “Me too, my friend. Me too.”

  “I’ve been training,” Jason said, confiding in the big man.

  “When are you getting out so you can get back to it?” Big Jack asked, obviously bothered by the fact that Jason’s training had been interrupted.

  Jason ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know,” he sighed. “If the sheriff has his way, I won’t get out until I pay the time for a crime I didn’t commit.”

  “The sheriff is a fool,” Big Jack spat.

  “Yeah,” Jason agreed. “He’s convinced himself that I’m guilty.”

  “Yeah,” Big Jack lamented. “He thinks I’m guilty, too.”

  Jason paused for a moment before he asked, “You’re not?” The doubt in his voice was obvious.

  “Nope,” the big man replied.

  “Why are you here then,” Jason questioned, still doubtful.

  “I was framed.”

  Jason held back a scoff. Every criminal behind bars would probably claim the same thing. “By who?” he asked, trying to sound convinced.

  “The sheriff,” Big Jack replied.

  “Seriously?” Jason asked, growing interested.

  “Yep,” the giant sighed. “I used to run drugs out of Mexico but decided to seek less profitable but much more honorable work. The sheriff knew I had been dealing but couldn’t catch me at it. When I went straight, word got out, but he wouldn’t believe it. One day, he pulled me over, told me to pop the trunk, went back there and pulled out some of the lining… found more than enough drugs to call me a dealer.”

  “You think he put ‘em there?”

  “Yep,” Big Jack spoke affirmatively. “He went straight to ‘em, man.” He shook his head before adding, “I mean, come on. He couldn’t get the evidence on me, so he created his own evidence. You don’t want him getting it in is head that you’re guilty. No sir. True or not, he’ll do whatever it takes to get you.”

  “Yeah, I noticed that,” Jason sighed then cast a quick glance around the room. There was only the one bed. No chairs. No privacy. Just the cold hard floor. Oh, and a metal toilet in one corner. Considering, taking care of business in the great outdoors hadn’t been so bad.

  “Man, you look exhausted,” Big Jack commented as he studied Jason’s face.

  “I feel exhausted,” Jason admitted.

  “Hey Jeremiah!” Big Jack yelled out the window. Jason jumped. For a guy who didn’t like yelling, the big guy was pretty good at it. A moment later, a man walked up to the cell window. He appeared to be a plumber or janitor or something of that nature. “Is the sheriff gone?” Big Jack asked.

  “Yes sir. Just left,” was the reply.

  “I’ve got company and only one bed,” Big Jack went on to explain. “Think you could get us one of them foam mattresses and an extra blanket?”

  “Oh man,” the guy in the window squirmed. “If Sheriff found out he might not be happy.”

  “Sheriff ain’t never happy anyways,” Big Jack responded. “Come on man. Help a guy out. If you had company over, would you make them sleep on the cold, hard ground?”

  “Well, um, no. No sir, I wouldn’t.”

  “Would you sleep on the cold, hard ground yourself?” the big man persisted.

  “Um, no sir. No sir, I sure wouldn’t.”

  “What would you do?” Big Jack asked, crossing his arms.

  The guy in the window smiled. “Alright, alright,” he said. “You got me. I’ll get him a mattress to sleep on – Just make sure Sheriff don’t find out.”

  “You have my word,” Big Jack smiled.

  “Yeah, I’d probably feel a lot better about your word if it wasn’t spoken between bars,” the man chuckled as he turned and walked away.

  A few minutes later, he was back with the foam mattress. “I don’t have the keys,” he stated. “I can’t open the door.”

  “Just shove it in between the bars,” Big Jack instructed. “If I thought you had the keys, we’d be a lot better friends.”

  Both men chuckled as they wedged, pushed, and pulled the mattress into the cell. It worked, and a blanket was soon to follow.

  After Big Jack tossed the mattress on the ground and chunked the blanket on top of it, he asked, “What about a pillow?”

  “Nope, Big Jack. Sorry,” the man outside the window responded.

  “Now Jeremiah,” the big prisoner lectured, “if you had a guest coming to your house and he had no pillow to sleep on, what would you do?”

  “Tell him he’s lucky to have a mattress and a blanket,” the man replied with a dry smile.

  Big Jack laughed out loud, and Jason had to join in. “Hey, I’ll be fine without a pillow,” he spoke to the two men gratefully. “The mattress and blanket was more than I expected.”

  “You betch’a,” Big Jack responded.

  “Yeah, no problem,” the guy at the window said then, as he turned to leave, he added, “If you need anything else just let me…” He cut himself off short, realizing he was committing to more favors. “No, don’t let me,” he corrected. “Harass somebody else.”

  Both Jason and Big Jack chuckled as the man left, shaking his head and mumbling something about, “mattresses and blankets and pillows,” and such.

  “Well, you missed supper,” Big Jack said like he was sorry.

  “Awe, that’s okay,” Jason yawned as he lay down on the mattress and pulled the blanket up to his head. “I just need a good night’s sleep.” Maybe it’d help clear his head. Soon, darkness settled in his mind as he faded off to sleep.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The hallway that ran the length of the cells began to light up with the first hint of the coming sun. Morning had never looked so beautiful… and so unwelcome. Morning meant the long night was over, but it also meant that Jason was too late to feed the horses and clean stalls back at the ranch. What would Tyler’s reaction be? All Jason could do was hope the short tempered cowboy wasn’t up at the shack, this very moment, tossing his things out into the dirt.

  Sometime later, when morning was in full effect, Jason heard a chirpy voice coming down the row of cells, greeting each prisoner along the way. That voice sounded familiar. He sat up in bed.

  “Will you marry me, Miss Jenny?” one of the prisoners, a few cells down from Jason, called out.

  “Now Jim,” she lectured, “how many times do I have to tell you that you gotta straighten your life out first?”

  “In that case, I just became fully rehabilitated,” the man jested, and Jenny chuckled at his joke.r />
  Moments later, she came to a stop at the window above Jason and peered in at a slumbering Big Jack. Thinking the giant was the only occupant of the room, she turned to leave.

  “Hey,” Jason whispered loudly as he flung the blanket off. “Hey, don’t leave.”

  Jenny turned back and squinted down at the bottom of the cell. “Oh, hi there,” Jenny said kindly. “You must be new,” she added then froze as he stumbled to his feet. “Jason?” she asked, astonished. “They locked you up? But the sheriff said he let you go,” she said, sounding confused. “Lack of evidence.”

  “Oh, he was right about that,” Jason scoffed. “He is lacking in evidence as well as other things, such as intelligence and honesty… but he didn’t let me go,” he added with a sigh. “In his little mind, I’m somehow guilty of kidnapping my own wife.” That bit of news seemed to come as a surprise to Jenny. “Locking me up with Big Jack was his idea of speech therapy,” Jason chuckled. “What he didn’t take into account was the fact that Big Jack seems to be a huge fan of mine.”

  His chuckle ended abruptly as a look came over Jenny’s face. Her surprise seemed to be morphing into… was that anger he saw in her eyes?

  “That sheriff,” Jenny muttered to herself as she shook her head before pointing her iced coffee, straw first, at Jason’s nose. “This time he has gone too far!”

  It seemed that Jason had an ally. “I need help,” he said quietly.

  “You can count me in,” Jenny spoke with an affirmative nod.

  “I need you to contact someone for me,” Jason instructed. “The girl who came in with me when you and I first met… when we did the drawings – remember her? She almost ran over you.”

  “Oh yes,” Jenny said with a smile. “You mean Susan.”

  “Yes, um, that – that is her,” Jason responded in surprise. “You have a good memory.” He paused, giving himself a moment to recover before going on. “I don’t have her number memorized, and the sheriff took my phone,” Jason said in an agitated voice. “But I can give you directions to her house.”