The Zombie Deception

by Marvin Wolf

  “Steve, we need the names and photos of the rest of J.J. Richardson’s flight crew, and anyone else who was on his aircraft or who went missing about the same time in Afghanistan.

  “And last, but not least, if Katrina was taken by this bunch, chances are her car will be wiped down and dumped in the same general area as those previous, perhaps as soon as tonight. But given the position she held here, there’s a chance that she might still be alive. They’ll want to pump her for anything she knows about our office.

  “Ash, can you coordinate with Sheriff Taliaferro and get plainclothes officers in unmarked cars in all the likely parking near that Walmart?”

  “On it,” she said, getting to her feet.

  Chapter 82

  Will had a short conversation with Doctor Allenworth, then called Captain Johnstone to learn that General Davis was in the air, en route to Atlanta for a meeting.

  “I need to brief you on important developments,” Will said. “I also must brief Mr. Chelmin, who’s in the hospital—”

  “What happened to him?”

  “That’s part of my briefing. It would expedite things if you could meet me in Chelmin’s hospital room.”

  “Half an hour,” Johnstone said, and hung up,

  §

  Will parked near the ER. He rolled Chelmin’s gun-belt into an old T-shirt and stuck it under one arm, then again badged his way past the security guard.

  At the end of the hall, he stopped at the entrance to the ICU and found a nurse.

  “Anything new on the condition of Special Agent Alvie Landon?” he said.

  “You’re his brother?”

  Will took out his badge again. “His boss.”

  “I’ll get his chart,” said the thin, middle-aged nurse.

  She returned in less than a minute to peer at it.

  “His pupils respond to light and some sensory functions have returned,” she said, “Hopeful signs. But he’s got a long way to go.”

  “Thank you,” Will said, and headed for the elevator.

  §

  When Will stepped into the corridor on the fourth floor, the first thing he saw was a short, heavy-set woman in green scrubs pushing a meal cart. She stopped at a room door, took a tray from the cart. and entered the room.

  Will went down the hall and found Chelmin. in a wheelchair next to the bed. Crutches rested against the wall.

  “How are you?” Will said, handing Chelmin the gun-belt.

  “Feel like I was hit by a bus,” Chelmin said as he felt the bundle. “Do I need this?”

  “You might,” Will said. Before he could continue, Johnstone, wearing a fatigue uniform, opened the door.

  “Whit Johnstone,” he said, extending a hand for Chelmin to shake. “I’m General Davis’s senior aide.”

  Will said, “I asked Captain Johnstone to come down here so I could brief you both,” Then, for the aide’s benefit, he described the events at the abandoned mine, followed by the murders and abduction at the CID office, the report that prints from the man that Ash shot matched an MIA/KIA from Afghanistan ten years ago, and finally Agent Bourassa’s report on seized counterfeit bills.

  Then he repeated his summary of what they knew and what they suspected about the kidnappings.

  Johnstone said, “What’s next?”

  Will said, “We’ve got to find Mrs. Richardson. We notified the FBI that she was a person of interest in a murder case, and put a BOLO on her. A few days ago she was reportedly in Switzerland with her maid; she may still be there.

  “And I’d like to get a drone with ground-penetrating radar to map parts of the base for me—I have a hunch whatever these guys are protecting is underground.”

  Johnstone shook his head. “You spoke with General Davis about this, and he sent me to Maxwell Air Force Base. I made my pitch, and the wing commander shot me down. They need all their drones for their own missions, which are need-to-know.”

  Will sighed, then looked at Chelmin. “Use your bathroom?”

  Chelmin shook his head. “Toilet’s stopped up. Guy should have been here to fix it an hour ago.”

  Will stood up. “I’ll be back in a minute,” he said. On his way down the corridor, he passed the meal cart and the woman in scrubs. He found the men’s room, voided his bladder, washed his hands, and was back in the corridor, all inside of a minute.

  As he approached Chelmin’s room, Will saw the meal cart outside. A moment later, a lean man in green scrubs, head down, came out of the room.

  As Will entered the room, Chelmin was looking at a tray with a covered plate.

  “No!” Will shouted, and gently took the tray.

  “What?” said Chelmin.

  Will carried the tray into the hallway and laid it on the cart. The male attendant was nowhere in sight.

  Will went back into the room. “Something’s wrong. The attendant ran. I’m going after him. Rudy, take your stuff and get as far from that tray as you can. Captain, could you call the bomb squad?”

  “Are you certain it’s a bomb?”

  “I’m pretty sure it’s something unpleasant.”

  Will left the room, raced to the nearest stairwell. Jumping down half a flight of stairs at a time, he reached the ground floor in seconds. He ran to the main entrance, looked around, and then saw what looked like the man in scrubs getting into a car. Drawing his gun, Will ran into the early evening gloom, but the car had left the parking lot and disappeared into the night before he could catch it.

  Holstering his Glock, he trotted back to the hospital. Along the way, he saw several more men in green scrubs leaving the building. None looked familiar.

  Fifteen minutes later, Will got off the fourth-floor elevator and found Chelmin and Johnstone waiting. Far down the hall, four men were lifting a short, heavy woman in green scrubs onto a gurney. Blood was visible on her head.

  Chelmin said, “I think you were right about the guy and wrong about the bomb.”

  Johnstone said, “The bomb guys are from the fire station. They sent two guys and a robot.”

  After the unconscious woman was wheeled away, at the far end of the hallway a short, cylindrical robot on wheels appeared. It rolled up to the meal cart and stopped.

  From an orifice on the robot’s top, a thick pole with a horizontal hook telescoped upward to stop level with the top of the dish cover.

  Will, Chelmin, and Johnstone retreated into the open elevator.

  The pole pushed the dish cover aside.

  As the cover fell, a big snake uncoiled and struck the pole.

  Carrying a small fire extinguisher, a fireman in heavy body armor approached the snake. From three feet away he unleashed a stream of frigid carbon dioxide that froze the creature. The fireman grabbed it with one gloved hand and dropped it into a lidded bucket.

  “Show’s over,” he called down the hall.

  Chapter 83

  Will took a bite of his hamburger and then slowly chewed and swallowed.

  “What kind of a car does she drive?” he asked.

  From behind the wheel of her Santa Fe, Ash stretched out her tiny frame. “Yellow Mustang convertible,” she said. “You going to eat all those fries?”

  Will handed her a paper bag, “Didn’t you just eat?”

  “First thing in my mouth since coffee this morning. I’m still a little hungry.”

  “Finish them,” he said. “I’m good,”

  She took a French fry from the bag and slowly ate it.

  “Tomorrow,” she said. “Tomorrow I’ll get good takeout and come for dinner.”

  “You must be exhausted,” Will said. “Why don’t you get one of those blankets and get in the back seat.”

  “Déjà vu,” she said, then reached up and turned off the dome light. Then she cracked the door, got out and walked to the trunk, returning with a blanket. She climbed into the back seat and pulled the door shut until it clicked.

  They were parked in deep shadow beneath a big tree inside the Highway 231 entrance to the Ozark Walmart
. Unmarked Ozark police units were concealed near each of the other entrances. Dale County units were positioned on both sides of the highway near parking areas for a mile in both directions. Foosler and Keiser remained in the CID office with Chelmin, who slept on a couch in his office.

  Will finished the burger, wiped hands on a napkin, and got out of the car. He stretched, then walked around the car to climb behind the wheel. He pushed the seat back, pulled the door shut. Slowly his eyes searched the enormous lot, turning his head once to the right and then again to the left.

  The store was closed. Outside lighting revealed half a dozen parked cars scattered around the lot. Nothing was moving.

  He took a sip of water from a bottle and tried to find a comfortable position in the seat.

  Headlights swept over the car as a vehicle turned in from the road. It sped across the lot and exited on the left side, then continued toward the rear of the enormous store.

  Will picked up his radio and pressed the button. “Anybody get a look at that one?”

  “White four-door SUV,” said a voice with a twang.

  Will sat back.

  Fighting to stay awake, he took another sip of water.

  Time passed.

  Will awoke with a start to the sound of tires passing on his right. He turned to look and saw nothing. Then a dark shape appeared in front of him, rolling slowly toward the back of the lot. A car, lights out. It stopped in a dark area near a wall.

  A second car without lights entered from the far end of the lot, drove completely around the lot in a big circle. When the car approached, Will fell sideways and waited until he heard the car moving away. Cautiously, he raised his shoulders and head and watched the darkened car complete its circuit. Then it drove slowly across to the car that had arrived a few minutes earlier.

  Will took out his binoculars and focused on the parked car. It was a convertible, top up. A light came on in the interior as a door opened and then closed. Will caught a glimpse of a very tall, gangly man. The second car pulled up and stopped. Its interior light came on long enough to show the tall, gangly man getting in.

  Will picked up the microphone and pressed the button. “I’ll follow. Ozark 2, back me up at a distance.”

  Ash sat up in the back seat and placed a hand on each of Will’s shoulders.

  “Got something?” she said.

  “Maybe. I’m going to follow this guy. One of the Ozark cars will trail us.”

  “I’ll stay back here,” she said.

  Will started the engine, put the car in drive and when the darkened car exited the parking lot, followed it to the road.

  As the car turned onto the highway, its headlights came on. The car sped south, toward Midland City.

  Lights out, Will followed at a distance. When the car stopped for a light, Will toggled on his headlights and rolled up alongside the car, a five-year-old Nissan. Behind the wheel sat a thin girl of perhaps sixteen. Seated beside her was a tall youth with severe acne.

  Will’s radio crackled. “Federale, Ozark 1. Confirm target is Yellow 2015 Mustang convertible. We’re running its Alabama plates.”

  “Roger,” said Will. “I’ll follow the pickup car and see where he goes.”

  The light changed and Will let the Nissan pull out first. He followed at a discreet distance. About a mile south of the light, the target turned right and entered a small tract of homes.

  Will circled the streets until he came to a darkened, single-story ranch house. The Nissan was in the driveway.

  Will rolled into the curb and got out, followed by Ash. She took the driver’s side and Will the passenger, and they crept up the driveway.

  Will’s flashlight swept over the couple kissing. They separated in horror as each agent pulled a door open.

  “Federal agents,” shouted Ash.

  “Step out of the car,” Will said.

  The Ozark PD unit rolled in behind the parked Nissan and stopped.

  “We were only kissing,” the boy protested.

  “Step out of the car please,” Will repeated.

  “Show me some ID,” Ash said to the thin girl.

  Lights in the house came on.

  Will said, “Step out of the car, or I’ll drag you out,”

  The boy climbed out.

  The front door yawned and a man appeared. “What the hell’s going on?” he yelled.

  The two uniformed Ozark officers approached him, guns drawn.

  “Police business. Get back inside.”

  “This is my home! That’s my daughter!”

  “Inside,” drawled the cop, and the man retreated.

  §

  The teens were bundled into an Ozark PD car, taken to police headquarters, and held in separate interview rooms awaiting the arrival of their parents.

  The girl’s father arrived first and was seated next to his daughter while Ash questioned her.

  Ash said, “Lara, my name is Asher Shapiro. I’m a federal agent. You are not under arrest. I just want to ask you a few questions.”

  Lara’s father, Henry White, said, “What’s this about?”

  Ash said, “It’s in connection with a kidnapping. Your daughter is not a suspect. But Lara, we think that you may know something about the kidnapper or kidnappers.”

  Henry said, “My daughter knows nothing about any kidnapping.”

  Ash said, “I need to hear this from her, Mr. White.”

  Trembling, Lara shook her head. “I don’t know nothing about no kidnapping.”

  Ash said, “Why were you in the Walmart parking lot at 2:00 a.m.?”

  “My boyfriend, Jason, was hired to drop that yellow Mustang at the Walmart, and he asked me to pick him up in his car.”

  “Who hired him?”

  The girl shrugged. “Some guy he met at Walmart.”

  Ash said, “Did he mention a name?”

  Lara shook her head. “Just that he was some older guy, a pilot or something at the fort.”

  “An older guy? Like your father’s age?”

  Again Lara shrugged. “I guess. He didn’t say. All he said was the guy gave him a hundred dollars, but the delivery had to be after 2:00 and before 4:00.”

  §

  In the other room, Will waited while Jason’s father, Lloyd Peters, a short, graying man with a thin mustache, peeled off his overcoat and sat down next to his son.

  Will said, “I’m Special Agent Willson Spaulding, an Army criminal investigator. I’m working a kidnapping case, and I have reason to believe that you may have information about the kidnappers.”

  Lloyd Peters said, ”Who was kidnapped?”

  Will shook his head. “Mr. Peters, your son is not under arrest, and he is not a suspect. For that reason, I’m not at liberty to disclose any particulars about this case. Jason, tell me why you delivered a stolen car to the Walmart parking lot in the middle of the night?”

  Jason blanched. “I didn’t know that it was stolen,” he said.

  “Who asked you to do this?”

  Jason shook his head. “I don’t know his name. A guy I met outside Walmart.”

  Will said, “When was this?”

  “About 4:00 yesterday. Right after school. I had to buy some batteries and stuff, and when I came out of the store, he stopped me. Asked to see my driver’s license. He said he’d give me $100 if I’d drive his Mustang and leave it in the Walmart lot.”

  “What else?” said Will.

  “That’s all. Except I was to wipe the steering wheel and door handles with a rag after I got to Walmart, and leave the keys on top of the back wheel, the driver’s side.”

  “Did he pay you?”

  “Brand new hundred dollar bill,” Jason said.

  “Do you have that hundred on you?”

  Jason fumbled in his back pants pocket and took out a wallet.

  “Leave it in the wallet,” Will said, then turned to look at the mirror on the wall behind him. “Evidence bag,” he said.

  A few seconds later a uniformed cop entered an
d handed Will a plastic bag and a tweezers. Using the tweezers Will extracted the bill from the wallet and placed it in the bag.

  “We’re going to fingerprint you,” Will said, looking at the boy.

  Then he turned to the cop. “Do you have a magnifying glass?”

  “I’ll see,” said the cop, and left the room.

  Will looked at Jason. “I’m pretty sure that bill is counterfeit,” he said. “If it is, then I will personally buy it from you at face value.”

  “Why would you do that?” said Lloyd.

  “Your boy is an innocent dupe. He’s already been inconvenienced. I don’t want him to think that law enforcement steals from him.”

  Lloyd smiled. “This I’ve never seen before.”

  Will turned to Jason. “Can you describe the man who hired you?”

  Jason said, “He was older than you but not as old as my father. About your size. Crew cut. Brown hair, I think. Kind of nice-looking, and he wore one of those coveralls like pilots wear.”

  “Scars, mustache, tattoos?”

  Jason shook his head. “Not that I remember.”

  The door opened and Ash entered. “A word, Agent Spaulding?”

  Will rose from his chair. “Yes ma’am,” he said and followed Ash into the corridor.

  “I sent the girl home with her father,” Ash said. “She knows nothing except what her boyfriend told her, which was that some guy hired him to deliver the car, and he needed her to pick him up at the Walmart lot. And that she didn’t exactly know where he’d be in the lot, so she drove around it to find the Mustang.”

  “Okay,” said Will.

  “There’s more,” Ash said, “A lot more. The Ozark cops ran the plate. It’s off a Dodge registered to a guy in Tuscaloosa, who reported it stolen off his car last September.”

  “And the car?”

  “They ran the VIN. Stolen from a leasing agency in Jackson, Mississippi, also last September.”

  “What the fuck? Katrina was driving a hot car with stolen plates?”

  Ash shook her head, no. “Katrina doesn’t exist.”

  “Start over, Ash, I’m lost.”

  The cop Will sent for a magnifying glass returned with a six-inch model.