by mike Evans
Isaac pulled the rear door open and popped the seats down, making it possible for them to lay Tony flat in the sport utility. He said, “He doesn’t have time for this talking. We need to get out of here and do it now. I need someone to sit in the back with him and apply pressure. Jack, I don’t think you are gonna fit with him in there. Traci, can you handle it honey?”
“Well, I’m sure as hell not going to make any promises but I'll do my damnedest to do my best.”
Jack pointed with his free hand. “Now look here, you put pressure across the front of his neck and you hold this around his arm. Isaac, we lift on three. You ready?”
Isaac knelt down and the two lifted on three sliding Tony into the rear of the SUV. He started to shake and his eyes opened looking around insanely trying to speak. Traci screamed, “I don’t know what you were thinking but it wasn’t the answer! We are taking you to the hospital. We are going to get you help.”
Jack shut the door once she was situated. Isaac slid behind the wheel. He said, “I don't know when we’ll be back, but you guys wait here. Try to clean Brandi up and give her some of the good stuff. I think she could use it.”
Isaac slid in, started the vehicle, and accelerated while not flooring it and sped down the gravel road. He watched as they made it one, two, three hundred yards away, and then a half-mile and then out of seeing distance. He kept his foot steady on the gas and in the middle of the gravel road. He’d been on enough of them growing up with his dad to know that if you got into the middle of it the road would suck you in and send you straight into the ditch.
He looked into the mirror seeing a bloody engagement ring on his fiancé’s hand and tried to think of something to lighten the moment but little seemed appropriate. He turned around saying, “Hey, you doing okay back there baby? You are doing so good. He’s going to thank you one day for helping to save him, I promise.”
Isaac only saw it for a moment and in that brief second was unsure if he really did see it, or if his eyes were playing tricks on him. “Oh fuck, hold on.”
He veered the truck to the side trying to miss the giant man in the white mask. When he did, he tried to overcorrect too quickly never letting off of the gas pedal. This was his first of many mistakes. He felt the back end of the SUV giving way and sliding wildly left and right. He yelled, “Hold on to something baby it’s gonna be-”
That was when the truck's entire left side went up into the air and began a number of rolls. Traci and Tony were thrown violently up and down and back and forth on the inside. They looked more like a racquetball on a wild ride then two humans. Tony’s wounds having no pressure to keep them closed reopened and began spraying everything and everyone in the car as a geyser of blood began as the SUV made its first of many rolls.
When it came to a rest the front end was sticking out of the ditch, and the SUV was now dead. Isaac tried to push up off the seat but everything available to his senses hurt. He lifted his head and felt the spins instantly take place. The radiator had busted and again he couldn’t tell if his eyes were playing tricks on him. He watched what looked like a man with a white mask walking towards him before he blacked out.
Chapter 8
Traci’s parents’ home Sunday
Chuck sat in his seat flipping through channels. His wife Rosa sat watching him shaking her head. He saw her judging eyes and said, “What woman? What am I possibly doing wrong watching a damn show?”
“Because you and I both know perfectly well what we are going to watch. I would rather watch a hundred other shows, even no shows at all, but we know what you're going to watch so just go to the damn channel.”
“You know NASCAR doesn't start till noon. I’m sure as hell not going to watch those little prissy asshole announcers talk for two hours.”
She looked at the time. “Well, then you need to find something to do because that roast won't be done until noon and I’m not watching channel flicking for the next two hours, Chuck Pendergrast! You do know that there is a cable guide channel you can go to and magically see what is on every channel we have and it will even take you there once you’ve finally made up your mind.”
“Aren’t you a damn comedian? One hundred channels and there ain’t shit on, you know how many channels they had when I was a kid?”
“You mean they had television back then. I just thought you watched the horses walking around on dirt roads.”
“Oh you are a regular riot this morning, sweetheart.”
“Well, I’m just stating the obvious. Why don’t you just do what we both know you are going to do and find the oldest show that you can, that no one wants to watch, and put that on. I’m sure you can find Dirty Dozen…..Oh wait, let’s watch Easy Rider, or The Hustler, for the millionth time.”
“The Hustler, thank you very much, is a god damned good movie. You know what I think I have that on Blu-ray. They had that damn thing for like three bucks at Wal-Mart, only a fool would’ve passed up on that one.”
Rosa pinched the bridge of her nose trying to think to herself why she didn’t just put old batteries in the remote and he’d sit there too lazy to get up. “Just find something to watch, dear, before we hurt each other.”
Chuck said, “Don’t worry, I’m going to go for a drive. Maybe I'll see if Traci and dipshit want to come over for lunch. We got enough, right?”
“Don’t call Isaac that, he is a wonderful young man and you know it. Don’t be angry with him because she spends more time with him now than us.”
“I’m not jealous of him. Are you kidding me? She’ll always be my little baby.”
“Well, you never know, pretty soon maybe they’ll settle down and have some of their-”
He held up a hand signaling her to stop. Chuck didn’t care how old Traci was or how beautiful she was as she matured into a woman, he still only saw a messy faced six year old with pigtails looking up at him smiling. He sighed thinking what they would have to do to have grandkids and wanted to stab his eyes out trying not to think of that son of a bitch and what he would do to his daughter. “God damn it woman, you know not to talk about that shit with me. It screws me up all day long. She was supposed to wait till she was thirty five or forty to even date.”
“You realize we were eighteen when we married just before you left for basic training. Is there a reason you want her to wait to be an old woman before getting married?”
“Yeah, real fucking simple one to. I want to be dead and gone so I don’t have to think about her sleeping with someone. It gets my damn stomach going like a son of a bitch.”
“Well, just try not to keel over too soon, I’m pretty sure if there’s anyone in this entire world besides myself that she wants at her wedding it would have to be you."
He smiled, pushing up out of his chair and tossing the remote to his wife. “You know what, it’s a hell of a lot harder to tell me no to my face than to one of those stupid little texts you guys do. I’m going for a drive; I’ll be back by lunch.”
Rosa laughed. “Are you going to their apartment, Chuck?”
“I can’t say for sure. I’m just going for a drive, besides I’m sure the race will be shit and I’m about out of smokes. Last thing I need to do is run out mid race and have to deal with that stress nicotine free.”
“Yeah, you’d better get two packs honey, as cheap as they are. And good for you. I really wouldn’t want you to run out, dear.”
“Nobody appreciates a smartass, Rosa. Especially after kidding around about his only daughter. If I happen to end up over there I’ll make sure and let them know there is plenty of food to eat.”
“You make sure you knock and don’t just go walking in unannounced.”
“It’s ten o’clock in the morning for god sakes; I expect them to be awake and ready for the day.”
“Just remember I warned you dear. You might open a-"
“Yeah, yeah, I know. Well if you hear any gunshot reports on the news it’s probably just me finding out that kids their age don’t have a reason to ge
t up and moving in the morning. Horrible for Isaac though.”
“You be good, Chuck, Jesus you need a hobby besides worrying about your baby. Maybe you could get a job at Wal-Mart greeting people. Or maybe we could get Fit bit and start going for walks?”
“I don’t need one of them stupid Fitbit to tell me I don’t do shit. I can save a couple hundred bucks and tell you myself. Now I’ll be back, you make sure that gravy is thick and the bread warm. I’ll see you later.”
“You make sure you are back before the roast is done. I need you to cut it for me and to drop the fried bread down in the grease. Unless you want a nice side of cauliflower with it?”
Chuck did not answer. He knew that there wasn’t none in the house and until he was dead and buried that the only vegetable she would serve him would be corn on the cob with a side of butter and salt. Chuck climbed up the side steps on his Silverado. He revved the engine and pulled out slowly, nodding and giving one finger salutes until he was off his block and away from those that knew him. He did not hate the fact that Traci only lived a few minutes from their place. He liked to think the fact that it was extremely reasonably priced was not the reason that the two lovebirds had taken it. He was much more content telling himself that it was because they were so close.
He had no intentions of going anywhere and pulled out a carton of smokes from beneath his seat grabbing two packs. He pulled up looking her apartment not seeing the windows open. He couldn’t figure it was cold enough in there to keep the windows closed. He worked his way up the steps, wondering why in the hell anyone would pick a floor this high up. When he made it he knocked twice, then tried the door handle wanting to keep them on their feet. Never safe. Never alone. Dad can always be around the corner so don’t touch my fucking daughter, were the exact thoughts that raced through his mind.
After a few minutes, no one answered and he began pounding his fist on the door. Within another minute neighbors were slowly starting to look outside to see what it was that was going on. Chuck turned around not unfriendly or shy in the least and pointed to their door. “Hey, any of you all know where these two went? I’m her dad and I want to invite her over for roast today.”
Chuck got nothing in return but blank faces and nodded his head. “Okay, well thanks for the help amigos.”
He pulled out his cell phone and dialing his daughter heard nothing on the inside. He felt his pants for the extra key on the ring and went in. What he saw on the inside didn’t make him feel all that much better. It looked like the place had been ransacked. He saw a pair of past due notices on the table and looked through them. The first was for their cell phone bill and there were a few under that which he didn’t pay any attention to. “Well, that’s fucking great. Hard to get a phone call kids when you ain’t got any service on your damn phone." However, kids knowing everything nowadays, probably never gave it so much as a second thought to pay their damn bills on time. Chuck pulled out his wallet tossing it on the table and opened the phone bill paying both of theirs. When he went to hang up the lady with an English accent said, “Remember as this is a holiday it will be up to seventy two hours before the phone will be reactivated and available."
Chuck called Rosa and said, “Now tell me that I shouldn’t be nervous, or paranoid will ya?”
“You are always paranoid Chuck; it isn’t really a wonderful quality either. You make me nervous half the time when there isn’t anything to be worried about. Let me guess, you ended up over at Traci’s place didn’t you? Were you able to talk them into lunch?”
“Well, believe it or not I wasn’t able to talk them into anything, because neither of them were here. I don’t know where the hell they are and I don’t know how to get ahold of them because dipshit, or Mr. Wonderful Isaac, didn’t pay their damn cell phone bills. I can’t reach them and don’t know how to handle it. The neighbors haven't seen them either. I looked outside and saw her car sitting there and Katy’s little car sitting outside as well. I’m wondering if they tried to go out for the weekend. I don’t like not knowing what is going on. Do you think we should call the police?”
“Why, because your twenty something daughter hasn’t checked in with you? Is there any cause for concern that you are going to be able to tell them about?”
“You mean other than the fucking killer out on the loose, and them probably being ignorant to it all? No other than that, there isn’t anything that we should be concerned about. Did I mention the killer on the loose out killing people for absolutely no reason at all? The one with the knife that leaves people completely mutilated and fucked up?"
“Chuck, are you insane? What are you trying to do, give me a heart attack? You can’t tell someone something like that. For good god, call your friend at the force and get someone finding out where in the hell they are immediately. At the least hopefully you will be able to secure a missing person's report on the two of them.”
Chuck said, “I’m not calling about Mr. Wonderful. I’m calling about my baby.”
“Well, Mr. Wonderful doesn’t have anyone to inquire about him with the exception of our daughter, who is missing at the moment.”
“I’ll be more than happy to make mention to Nick about it, it’d be my pleasure.”
“You call me back the minute you talk to someone, Chuck. Try to keep yourself calm. Last thing you need to do is have a stroke up on the third floor. I can imagine that you are in her apartment by now?”
“Yep, and I’m even drinking one of their beers for the damn trouble. Parents shouldn’t have to worry about ignorant shit like this. Kids are supposed to check in and let us know what is going on.”
“Yes, it’s absolutely amazing at their age that they want to have a life of their own.”
“Goodbye dear.”
Chuck looked at his phone trying to figure out the web browser on it and gave up. He searched through the cupboards until he found a small phonebook with an inch of dust on it. He did his best not to disturb the dust and looked up the police’s phone number. He called, asking for his high school buddy, Nick. They’d enlisted together and they had gone through the marines together and were better than brothers because they were fellow marines. Someone stuck with the weekend shift answered less than interested in the call. “Washbaun County Police, how may I direct your call?”
“Good morning, I need to speak to Chief Lambert please. Tell him it’s Chuck calling.”
“Just Chuck?”
“Chuck, is that too difficult for you to understand son?”
“No sir, I understand right fine but he isn’t here. He’s off today. It’s Sunday so he’s probably getting ready to watch the race on television. You know about the race right?”
“Christ, it’s Missouri, of course I know about the race. So, he isn’t there. I’ll call him at home.”
“Well, sir he doesn’t like to be bugged at home on-”
“I tell you what, you pull his ass out of the jungle in Vietnam and he’s more than damn happy to take a phone call from you any given day of the week.”
When the man didn’t respond Chuck hit the end button, yelling, "What a dipshit," as he hung up the phone. He knew Nick’s number by heart and wasted no time calling it. His wife Tricia answered on the fourth ring, “Chief Lambert’s residence, how may I help ya?”
“Hey, Tricia, it’s Chuck. I can’t find Traci anywhere. She isn’t answering her phone, but that’s just because her dipshit boyfriend didn’t pay the bill. I know Rosa sent a text yesterday to check on her, and she said that she hasn’t posted anything on Facebook either.”
Tricia handed the phone to Nick saying, “Oh, hey Chuck, Nick, Traci is MIA.”
Lambert took the phone smiling shaking his head. “Sounds like a serious missing person case, Chuck.”
“Don’t fuck with me Lambert; you know I don’t worry about shit that I don’t need to worry about. Is there anything you can do? Don’t make me talk to Tricia again.”
“Damn it Pendergrast, the boys and the grandkids were going
to come over this afternoon. You are going to make me miss seeing the kids. I even had some racing hats for them to wear during the race today.”
“Boo fucking hoo. You don’t think that I want to be home? I had a very busy day ahead of myself also, I’ll have you know.”
“Rosa making roast and gravy. God, that woman can make a great roast and the gravy-”
"Focus, Lambert. Jesus man, we need to get moving on this. Her boyfriend wasn’t here either. He drives a Kia Sorrento and his license plates are Washbaun County as well and the number is Echo Foxtrot Golf 562. He is supposed to have LoJack on that thing. I would think if you guys just make a call to the company that they could find it. ”
“Okay I got it written down. You go on home; I'll call the guy that does missing people. He’s working those cases on missing persons that have been in the news lately as well. I hope that she doesn’t need found but he’s going to be pissed if he has to waste an entire day off out looking for a twenty something and her boyfriend.”
“If that is the case I'll buy the kid a top shelf liquor bottle. You can’t pass up an offer like that.”
Lambert said, “You can when the guy doesn’t drink. Why don’t you figure out some other way to bribe an officer of the law later? If I know him he’s still working at home.”
“You'll keep me informed then, right Nick?”
“Yeah, I will keep you up to date.”
“Thanks.”
Chapter 9
Tricia came up giving Nick a hug from behind holding a bottle of wine out in front of him in one hand with a corkscrew in the other hand swinging them teasingly in front of him. She had been married to the chief long enough to know when he was going to have to go to work. She said, “For god sakes Nicky, can’t you ever tell someone no?”
“Honey, it’s Chuck, what do you expect me to say? I owe him a lifetime of favors and besides, if it was Josh or Jake missing wouldn’t you want me to move heaven and earth to find them? I don’t even know if there is an issue but with that fucking crazy man running around I don’t want to take any chances with anyone. Throw in there that it is Traci, someone that we’ve had over here since she was in diapers and I think you can see my point, right?”
