by Ed Robinson
I got up and found some insulated underwear and wool socks. I tossed them out in the driveway. They could gather some mountain air while I rested. I’d stuff them in my pack with the other non-scented gear. I was out as soon as I lay down. Those two hours flew by. Brody had to shake me out of my slumber.
“I’ve got coffee made,” she said. “You better sharpen up before you try again.”
“Thanks, babe,” I said. “You’re the best.”
I had Brody drop me off at the church where four bored troopers waited. I asked for a map of the mountain. While I studied it, Rominger filled me in.
“Shook is definitely a gun guy,” he said. “Went to the range on a regular basis. His wife said he took his rifle into the mountains almost every weekend. She didn’t know where.”
“I’d guess here on this mountain,” I said. “But I’ve never heard any rifle shots up there.”
“No military record,” he continued. “Heavy drinker.”
“DUIs or other alcohol-related arrests?”
“No, but there was an incident a while back with the Banner Elk PD,” he said. “He got sloppy drunk at Nick’s. His wife didn’t want him to drive home. There was a confrontation. The Banner Elk boys humiliated him, at least in his mind. They were only trying to take him home.”
“He put up a fight?”
“Only until he took a Taser hit,” he said. “Shit his pants right there in the bar.”
“That’s embarrassing,” I said. “Looks like he held a grudge.”
“That’s what it’s about,” he said. “Best we can figure.”
“Was Hollaway one of the responding officers?”
“It was his Taser,” he said. “He got no pushback from the Chief. Lots of witnesses on his behalf.”
“So Hollaway gets killed, and Chief backs out of the case.”
“They don’t get violent crimes in Banner Elk,” Rominger said. “Not used to it. We see all the shit from murder to meth labs.”
“Your team all good in the woods?” I asked.
“Good as we got,” he said. “Stamina will be the issue. Let’s find him and bring him in without hiking all over the damn mountain.”
“That’s the plan,” I said. “I’ll do the hiking for you, but you probably want to stage further up so you can respond quicker.”
“Good idea,” he said. “That will give us a chance to stretch our legs.”
“Chopper on call?”
“From Boone,” he said. “A few minutes flight time.”
I went back to studying the map. It wasn’t as detailed as I had hoped, but I thought I found what I was looking for. The general area that Pop had pointed to in my dream was heavily covered in rock. I showed Rominger.
“I’ll be focusing my search here,” I said.
“Any particular reason?”
“I haven’t looked there yet,” I said. “Let’s just leave it at that.”
He gave me a look like he knew there was more to the story, but he didn’t press the issue.
“You’re the tracker,” he said. “Go find him. Let’s put an end to this.”
“I’ll let you know,” I said. “If I text that he’s there, get that chopper over these rocks and come running.”
“I’ll send them the coordinates now,” he said. “Just in case.”
I backtracked to the driveway for Cody Banner’s old hunting shack and started up the mountain alone. It made for easy going at first. Above the shack, I followed deer trails and slithered my way through the woods like a ghost. I had to alter my course about three-quarters of the way up. I wanted to come down on the rock pile from above. I slowed and paid attention to my senses. So far Shook had maintained excellent discipline. Either that or he was just lucky. The only real fact I knew was that he had made a hell of a shot to take out Hollaway.
If he was where I thought he was, I’d be on him very soon.
Three
I stayed hidden and moved very slowly. I planned each step, looking for cover and concealment. At the same time, I listened intently. Shook couldn’t shoot if he were holed up in those rocks, but I couldn’t be sure he was in there. If he was on the move, he could send a rifle round my way at any minute.
I heard a food wrapper being opened. I froze and waited for more clues. Within a minute, I smelled chocolate. He was probably eating a power bar of some sort. He was near. Had to be in those rocks. I couldn’t see him, but I knew that I’d found him. I studied the boulders and the space between them, looking for a cave entrance. There was nothing evident from what I could see. That meant it was on the opposite side. If I went around there, he could shoot out of the opening.
I crept in closer until I could hear him drinking. His breakfast was about to be interrupted. I sent a text to Rominger.
He’s here. I’m right on top of him. Go.
A chopper would show up within ten minutes. A team of state troopers with rifles would be close behind. I took it on myself to try to talk Shook into giving up peacefully.
“Tom Shook,” I said loudly. “Come out with your arms up. No weapons or you’re a dead man.”
“Come in and get me, asshole,” he replied. “You a Banner Elk cop?”
“I’m not a cop,” I said. “Just trying to save your life.”
“Who are you?” he asked. “What do you care?”
“I live on this mountain,” I told him. “Figured I could find you before the cops could. Looks like I was right.”
“Congratulations,” he said. “But this doesn’t concern you. Run along before you get hurt.”
“Listen, Shook,” I said. “They are on their way to us right now. You’ve got only minutes left. Let’s walk out of here in one piece. Give it up, and you’ll live.”
“Fucking cops won’t let me live now,” he said. “I killed one of them. I’m already a dead man.”
“Killing you is not their first priority,” I said. “They want to bring you in alive, but if you screw up, they won’t hesitate to put you down.”
“I’ll take a couple of them with me,” he said. “You too, if you try to stop me.”
“I can’t stop you,” I said. “I’m not the law. Do what you gotta do, but that ain’t going to end pretty.”
I could hear the chopper in the distance. I was certain that Shook could hear it too.
“Time’s running out, buddy,” I said. “It would be a whole lot easier if you’d just come out peacefully.”
“I’m coming out,” he said. “Guns blazing. You don’t want to be in my way.”
He was right about that. I didn’t want to get shot. I didn’t want to shoot him either. I couldn’t shoot him, cop killer or not. My heart wasn’t up to killing another man. I’d had my fill of killing. I crawled backward and positioned myself between two boulders. I propped my rifle between them and zeroed in on Shook’s likely exit point. I saw the barrel of his rifle first. He hesitated before exposing himself any further.
“You going to shoot?” he asked.
“I won’t shoot you, man,” I answered. “But that chopper is a minute out. You won’t make it. One of those cops will gun you down. You can’t kill them all, and if you try, I’ll be forced to shoot you myself.”
“I’m a hell of a shot, mister,” he said. “Stay out of this. I won’t give up. Today’s the day.”
The police helicopter suddenly appeared over the ridge. I made myself into a stone statue. I didn’t want them to mistake me for their fugitive. That’s when I heard the rifle shots. Shook fired on the chopper. He squeezed off three quick rounds, forcing the craft to veer off. The state troopers would certainly know where to find us now. The chopper made a wide arc away from us and hovered out of rifle range. Shook made a break for it, running downhill towards a heavily wooded area. I watched him through my scope until he disappeared into a thicket.
My first instinct was to go after him, but the troopers would show up soon, and the chopper might not realize what was going on. I remained still in my rock fortress, li
stening for Rominger and his men. When I heard men approaching, I yelled out to them.
“It’s me, Breeze,” I said. “Don’t shoot.”
“Where’s Shook?” Rominger asked.
I stood up and came out into the open so that I could point in the direction of Shook’s escape.
“How’d he slip away?” he asked.
“He shot at the chopper,” I said. “When it backed, off he hightailed it into the woods.”
“We’re close,” he said. “We’ll pursue him.”
“He’s prepared to shoot you guys,” I said. “Today’s the day he said.”
“We can’t just let him run off,” he replied. “It’s our job to catch him, dead or alive.”
“Call that chopper,” I said. “Let them flush him out. If he gets behind some good cover, he’ll shoot you all one by one.”
Rominger made the call and led his team down the hill towards the woods. The helicopter swirled around and started searching from above the treetops. I climbed down to take a peek at Shook’s hiding spot. The entry was through a maze of big boulders that led to a dead-end lair about the size of a small car. There were cases of bottled water stacked along one wall. MRE pouches lined the opposite wall. Two ammo cans, both empty, sat next to the military style meals. Shook must have packed his remaining rounds in his backpack. He’d left spare socks, a poncho and assorted other items scattered on the floor of the cave.
There was no doubt that he’d made up his mind. He was intent on making his last stand or keeping his freedom for another day. I feared for Rominger and his team. If I’d been able to train them on the ways of the mountain, they’d have had a better chance. As it stood, they were rushing headlong into a buzz saw. I went back outside and stood to stare at the chopper. I heard more shots ring out. The chopper veered off once again, this time trailing a wisp of smoke. Shook had hit some part of the machinery, maybe an oil or fuel line. The best weapon on the battlefield had been rendered useless, just like that.
Our best-laid plans had gone to shit. A skilled shooter with a death wish was now hiding in the woods, waiting for his chance to kill more cops. After a deep sigh, I started hiking down the mountain towards the battlefield. My gut told me that I’d be needed. Death was down that hill for someone. I steeled my nerves and followed the team’s path.
I caught sight of Rominger and his men thirty minutes later. They’d spread out about twenty yards apart from each other and were creeping through the woods from tree to tree. One man would move forward to new concealment while the other three covered him. They were wearing black fatigues and carrying black weapons. They looked formidable, but a sniper’s bullet didn’t discriminate. Body armor wouldn’t stop high-powered rifle rounds either, although it might slow them down. I stayed well behind them, observing.
They advanced through the tangle of trees and rocks for another two hours. I didn’t like it. Shook could have used all that time to find a good perch. He would be anywhere, looking through his scope, deciding on a target. I didn’t have a chance at sensing him from the back of the pack. I was just along for the ride at this point. I didn’t want to be the one to pick up bodies. I was afraid that if I sent a text, Rominger’s phone would make enough noise to give away his position. I was equally afraid that if I snuck up behind them, someone would turn and fire at me.
I had to get my thoughts together. The events of the day had thrown me off my game. I was useless as a follower. I found a good pile of rocks and sat down behind them to rest and think. I drank some water and tried to relax. Shook was outnumbered and on the run, but he was lethal with his weapon. He couldn’t run forever. He’d stop and stand his ground sooner or later. There was a good chance that he’d hit a few cops before one of them got a good shot at him. It was conceivable that he could kill them all. That would leave me to hunt him on my own. I’d be obligated to end his life if at all possible. I didn’t want that. I had to interrupt his end of life fantasy and expose him to the troopers. It would be his choice to give up or die. I figured I knew what he would choose, but I couldn’t let him keep his advantage over the team.
I decided to make a wide circle around the team and get out in front of them. I wanted to situate myself someplace quiet, so I could use my God-given senses to locate Shook. I resolved myself to the fact that I’d need to shoot him if he started taking out cops. It made me shudder, but I wasn’t out there for a Sunday hike. This thing couldn’t carry on into the night.
The woods were thick, and fog had begun to settle over the trees. I moved quietly, but quickly. I joined the mist to ghost my way around the team and put some distance between them and me. I listened. I smelled the air. I looked for the glint of a rifle barrel behind every tree and rock. I had to give the guy credit. He was pretty good in the woods. He’d spent some time out here. I located a good place to settle in well ahead of Rominger’s men. I tuned in to nature, activating my extra-sensory perception. Within a minute I picked up on something. I smelled gunpowder. It could only mean that Shook was nearby. I didn’t hear him moving, so he was hunkered down. He’d found his sniper position and was waiting for the first target to present itself.
He hadn’t seen me, or he’d decided he didn’t want to shoot me. I wasn’t a cop, after all. I’d let him go when I could have stopped him. Maybe I’d developed some weird trust with the dude. I decided to run with that theory.
“I know where you are, Shook,” I said loudly. “You can’t hide from me.”
“You’re damn good,” he said. “I never saw you.”
“You never will until after my bullet brings you down,” I said. “That won’t happen as long as you don’t kill any of those men after you.”
“This isn’t your fight,” he said. “Why are you tracking me for them?”
“It’s what I do,” I said. “This is my mountain. You’re trespassing.”
“You’re trying my patience,” he said. “I’ll shoot you if I have to.”
“I feel the same way,” I replied. “I don’t want to kill you, but I will if it comes to that.”
“You think you’re as good a shot as me?”
“Maybe, maybe not,” I said. “But I’m better in the woods. I move like smoke. You can’t hit what you can’t see.”
“You’ll slip up,” he said. “I only need one shot.”
“I could shoot you right now,” I lied. “I’ve got you in my crosshairs. Give it up.”
“Not likely,” he said. “But you’re complicating things. I’m starting not to like you.”
“I only want to protect those men,” I said. “I’ll hound you until they kill you, or I’m forced to. Don’t make me be the one.”
“I’m past the point of no return,” he said. “If you don’t want to kill me, then leave me be.”
“I can’t do that.”
There was silence for a few minutes. I used my scope to zero in on the area his voice had come from. He was well-hidden. Rominger’s team wasn’t closing in on our position. If not for me, Shook would have been able to move freely. He could kill at will and keep moving, but for the moment, I had him pinned down. I could send a text with my SAT phone, but I couldn’t be sure Rominger would receive it on his cell. The wilderness didn’t care who your service provider was. Shook broke his silence.
“I’m going to come out and move on,” he said. “I’m counting on you to keep your word.”
“Do it without your weapon,” I said. “Stop this here and now.”
He stood and revealed himself. He was holding his rifle. I could have dropped him easily, but that wasn’t my goal. I wanted him to give up. I switched my view to a tree just off to his right. There was a plate-sized knot about six feet above the ground, the same height as his head. I smoothly squeezed the trigger, sending a round into the center of the knot. Shook dove for cover.
“What the fuck was that for?” he yelled.
“To show you I’m a decent shot too,” I said. “That was a perfect bullseye.”
“I didn�
��t see where it hit,” he said.
“Come out and take a look,” I told him. “And drop the weapon.”
“Fuck you, man,” he said.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked. “Your life isn’t over. Think about your wife for God’s sake.”
“My wife was sleeping with the Chief,” he said. “They all knew it. The whole force laughed at me on a daily basis.”
“The Banner Elk PD Chief?”
“That’s right,” he said. “You don’t know the half of it.”
“I know about Nick’s bar,” I said.
“Chief sent his lackeys to harass me,” he said. “Let me know he was the big dog.”
“That’s a bit different than the official story.”
“I confronted her about it, and she called him,” he said. “He sent his boys again. I wasn’t about to sit there and take more embarrassment from them.”
“So you ran rather than be humiliated.”
“I protected my dignity,” he said. “I got pretty worked up before I saw that cop coming up the mountain. I wanted to make someone pay. He was one of them.”
“The men looking for you now are state troopers,” I said. “None of them are responsible for what’s happened to you. There’s no need to kill them.”
“Chief wasn’t man enough to come after me himself.”
“Looks that way,” I said. “He wouldn’t stand a chance against you.”
“Damn right.”
“So let’s end this,” I said. “We’ll get you a lawyer, and you can plead temporary insanity. The Chief’s actions drove you mad.”
I heard the team approach. My gunshot had alerted them and led the men in the right direction.
“Time is running out, Shook,” I said. “I want you to surrender.”
“I can’t do it,” he said. “A trial would let the world know that my wife was cheating on me. I won’t sit in a courthouse while everyone learns that I shit myself at Nick’s. Those assholes made me out to be less of a man. Today I’m proving them wrong.”
“Killing cops won’t fix your legacy,” I said. “The whole country will hate you.”
“I already killed one,” he said. “It’s too late for me. This is the way it’s got to be.”
