by Gabe Sluis
Chapter 17- The Key
The crisp air in the early morning would have made Jake shiver had he not been so warm from walking. His clothes were almost dry as they walked down along the tree-shaded roads next to the river. Houses were becoming more frequent, being seen at a distance, covering the area. Dirt and gravel roads ran away from the main river road as they got closer and closer to the town.
As the river began its bend, a strawberry stand sat with its back against the rivers edge. The boys approached and they caught a glimpse of two people, the first they had yet seen, apart from their guide. They approached with open, staring eyes, watching a little girl throw a big pink ball against the whitewashed side to the strawberry stand. And the girl fit right in. She was right around kindergarten age, with curly strawberry blonde hair, her backside was stained with dirt. The girl’s mother was inside the stand, a spitting image, tall and thin, but with straight hair unlike her daughter. It was no question that they were related.
As they approached, another thing caught their attention. The huge bones of a concrete monster stood about a half-mile down the road, also on the bank of the river. Unfinished and apparently not currently under construction, the several story building had a sad look about it, as if it could feel how close it was to being buttoned up and usable.
“You guys wanna buy some straw-berries?” the little girl asked, running over to meet the boys.
“Lanie! Lanie, come back here!” The girls’ mother scolded. “I’m sorry about her.”
“Oh, not a problem,” Chris said to the woman. “How much are your strawberries?” He said, kneeling to the little girl’s level.
“Three bucks a basket,” the girl recited, holding her ball in both hands.
“Well, I’m afraid we don’t have that much money right now,” Jake said.
“That’s okay. How about a sample!”
“Here, you guys can try one each if you like. Where are you headed?” The mother asked.
“We are headed up north, to the redwoods,” Jake said trying his berry. “Mmm, this is good thank you.”
“We pick ‘em ourselves,” the girl said.
“I don’t know if you guys have heard, but you may want to stay out of those woods. There is a bad man up there picking people off with a rifle. I don’t know what the world is coming to. The Sheriff went up to stop him, but ever since, all the cars stopped working. We haven’t really heard much in days.” The woman looked truly concerned. Finally she added, “The Sheriff is my dad.”
The added fact hit the boys and Jake, who was staring off at the unfinished building, turned back to the woman. “We are on our way to help. This is Captain McCourtney, and I’m Sergeant Gates. We are in the 104th with the National Guard, Long Range Reconnaissance. We were sent to give the Sheriff a hand.”
“Oh! It’s about time they called in some backup! You two look so young to be soldiers, but I guess I only think that from watching too many movies. Have you two walked all this way?”
“We have. What is the best way to cross the river? We didn’t bring a map.”
“No map? Well, the only bridge is on the west side of town. You will have to walk through town to get to it. But, you will know when you get to it, because you will reach the clock tower first. You can’t miss it.”
“Perfect, thanks so much!” Jake motioned to Chris to go.
“Where in the woods were you told they would be?” the woman asked.
“Oh, what was that place called again, Captain…” Jake drew out.
“Redwood Cathedral?” The woman provided. “If that’s where you were told, I would go straight there. Dad is smart; he knows that those whole woods are Golden’s home field. He might not stay in the same place for long. It’s already been two days…”
“We will keep that in mind,” Chris said.
“When you see the Sheriff, tell him Donna says to be safe.”
“We will. And thank you again for the strawberries!”
They were just out of earshot when Chris finally had to break the silence.
“A Captain, huh? Where did all that come from?”
“Well, I had to tell her something. And it worked didn’t it? Now at least we know how to get across the river. A bridge on the other side of town.”
“You may want to stop on your way through and collect your friend.”
Renault was leaning against the chain link fence surrounding the building where the two were walking the past. They stopped and waited as their guide joined them. The three of them stood facing each other, Chris the tallest, Jake and Renault at the same eye level.
Back at the strawberry stand, Lanie threw her ball against the wall and missed the catch. Chasing after it, she and looked down the road and saw the three men talking. She watched as they exchanged a few words and saw Chris and Jake slap each other on the back and take off from the third. The man in the green jacket crossed the street, and she lost him. But she didn’t loose sight of her ball. Snatching it up, she went back to the side of the shack and continued her game of catch.
Bob Kirkwood had finally left, leaving Donny to himself. He sat against the back of the cell, butt on the cold concrete floor, knees tucked to his chest. He felt on fire, mad, ashamed, and as if he was going to explode with rage at the situation. He was being treated like a potential presidential assassin when all he did was try to find his way out of a cave. Even more frustrating was the way that the older sheriff questioned him. It was more than just the questions; it was his way of handling a complete stranger that really burned Donny. And now here he was, stuck in a cell after getting pulled away from Chris and Jake, who could be anywhere by now.
“You did good, kid,” came the deep voice of his neighbor. “You didn’t tell him anything that would get him excited, except for the part about wanting to go to the redwoods. But he seems to think he stopped you from doing that, so it all lies where it should. You have gotta make him forget all about you. They can’t keep you in here forever. And as soon as the big sheriff makes it back, we’ll just walk on out of here and say thank you for the hospitality. No point in makin’ a fuss at all.”
“I just can’t believe this. I’ve done nothing wrong. How can cops get away with stuff like that? Just because, ‘strange stuffs been happening,’ gives you no right to be that way.”
“I know boy, I know. But you know what,” Daniel rolled off his bunk and walked to the bars separating them, “I did nuthin’ either.” He was a short black man, slightly round, with short hair and matching goatee. His hands were large and they wrapped easily around the bars. Donny had a momentary flash of crazy hope that they would be strong enough to tear the metal apart. “You know why I’m in here? A couple days ago, my brother-in-law decides to shoot a bunch of people and take off into the woods like some damn mountain man, shooting at everyone they send to stop him. So then, yester-dee, that man, Sheriff Kirkwood, calls me in and starts questioning me, like I know somethin’. ‘Where is he at?’ and such, like I know! I married his sister, not like I’m a best friend with the guy. I’ve never gone hunting with him in my life. I don’t even talk to the man much. I tell all this to him, and he don’t even believe me! He throws me in here and tells my wife I’m inhibiting an investigation, so I gotta sit in here and cool off a while. She came over to my window after that and told me he tried the same thing on her.”
“This can’t be legal.”
“I ain’t no lawyer. But that man is right, some strange things have been happening. So I’m sure he will use that as some excuse. And you know what, I’m not going to get in his way. I’ve got nowhere important to go. Live to fight another day. Things will come down, you’ll see.”
“But, I do have somewhere important to go,” Donny said aloud, more to himself. Regardless, he was answered.
“Damn right you do,” Jake said from above him.
“Guys!” Donny said, jumping to his feet.
“Hey there D.B.,”Chris grinned. “Is it safe to talk?”
&nb
sp; “Yeah, just me and my fellow prisoner,” Donny said.
“I’m Daniel.” The two boys on the outside of the brick building bent their heads closer to the bars and nodded at the man next to their friend.
“We gotta get you outta here, buddy. Any chance they will let you out? Renault seemed to think that would not be the case.”
“No, dude. The guy in charge is a total dick. They are all on high alert cuz of the stuff up north. I don’t know how you guys are going to get me out…”
“Sounds like we have no other choice but bust you out,” Jake said seriously.
“I don’t know. I don’t know how you could,” Donny said, grabbing the solid bars and demonstrating with a whole body tug. “And I don’t really want to get in trouble. Breaking out of jail…”
“Dude, I don’t think you will get a police record for this particular break out,” Chris said, then motioning to his left, “Is he cool?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Well, then. We could wrap a rope or cable around these bars and yank them right out of the brick…” Chris thought out loud.
“With what? Tires won’t turn here,” Jake said.
“Uhh, dynamite? Just like in a old western,” he tried next.
“Where do you suppose we get dynamite?” Jake shot back.
“I am not letting you guys blow down this wall with me in here!” Donny hissed. Frustration was quickly escalating.
“In through the front, somehow…”
“What, past three or four guys with guns?”
“Fine, then what is your plan, Jake, since you don’t seem to like any of mine.”
“I don’t know, man… Let me think.”
“They were just starting points anyway…”
“Maybe a diversion or something…” Donny began, but was cut off.
“I have an idea,” Daniel said. “You just need to get the right key.” The feeling of being on the verge of an argument disappeared and the three boys listened to the town local.
“There is a special key up in the clock tower, out near the bridge leading out of town. It’s been a symbol of this town for as long as I can remember, and I guarantee you; it could get your friend out of here. All you have to do is go get it from the tower where it is on display for safekeeping, and bring it here. I can show you how to use it.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Jake nodded. “We can do that, not a problem. Not a problem.”
“Oh, son. I’m not done yet. The key is only half your solution. Once you break this guy free, you have to get away. These sheriffs are not going to let you go without a chase. And if you boys are really going up north, he will follow you all the way like a hound dog. They got men watching the bridge, too. So when you bring back that key, bring a plan for escape with you.”
Across the cellblock, through the glass, Donny saw movement. A deputy holding two Styrofoam to-go boxes was walking toward the cells. Donny warned his friends, and they took off from the jail before they could be seen taking with the prisoners. The two men received their food, and when they were alone, Donny popped back up to look out the window. But, Jake and Chris were gone from his limited field of view, leaving only the sunny morning empty street.
