The Final Shortcut

by G. Bernard Ray

  “Any idea where it is?”

  “On the far side of town, I've never been there myself. Is that a problem?”

  “Oh no! I can’t think of anything I’d like better.” Wheezer wanted to ruffle the big guy just enough to make it believable, but he was anxious to get away from them for a while.

  “Don’t get lost.” Wheezer didn’t answer the last remark. He just started his bike and rode off giving Tree a harsh glance before leaving. A glance that quickly turned into a smile, he couldn’t believe the sudden twist of fate that put him in Bontonville at the right time for his contact. It was still two hours away but there was every likelihood that his contact would be there already, there was no such thing as a set schedule in the service.

  And he wasn’t let down, just five minutes after parking his bike he was approached by a gray haired man with a dog. “I would have come over sooner but the dog was afraid you might bite.” Agent Palmer sat down on the bench with Wheezer, “You weren’t easy to ID, and you look a sight.”

  “Well I’ll be dogged, I didn’t recognize you either Rick.”

  “I can barely see you under that hair and all that beard, doesn’t it itch?” Rick scratched his own chin in mocking. “Yes it does, but I’m beginning to think I don’t need it any more. I believe my cover is blown.”

  “Uh oh, we can pull you out right now Ray.” Ricks mood changed immediately, “Where’s your constant companions now?”

  “They dropped me off to fetch a package, one that doesn’t exist I’m sure. But I’m not sure if they want me to come back.” Agent Hitchcock leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Every since they met up with Fudd, their general mood has changed, and I can see it in their eyes when they look at me.”

  “Well then you need to fly, don’t take any chances. You haven’t really turned up much anyway.”

  “I know, but I can feel it, I’m close I know it.” Ray sat back and took a deep breath, “I want to go to that big flea market in Elberton this weekend. Most of the merchandise we’ve recovered came from these sales.”

  Rick studied Rays’ face before answering, “Are you going to stay with the Wanderers?”

  “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. But I’ve got a car and all my spy gear in storage right here in Bontonville.” Ray smiled and gave Rick a wink, “I always have an escape route planned wherever I am.”

  “Well, that’s why you’re one of the best. Here you might need these after all.” Rick unbuttoned his shirt and handed Ray a folder. “There’s been another hijacking same as the others, now you see it, now you don’t, all the details are in there. So you’re going to doll up and go shopping?”

  “Yes, a shave and a haircut, some old man clothes and a touch of gray and I’m Dad. If I don’t find anything then I won’t have any reason to stick around.” Ray stuffed the folder under his jacket and stood up. “Tell Jenkins I’ll be in touch with him soon, my cell phone is in my car. I didn’t feel safe carrying it at the ranch.”

  “Right, too easy for someone to pick it up and see who you’ve called. I never carry one when I’m undercover. Are you sure they won’t recognize you later?” Rick got up and extended his hand to Ray. “No way, I’ll stay in Elberton until after the sale and see how it goes from there.”

  “Be careful Ray.” They shook hands and Rick just nodded his head, then he turned and walked away. Now was the time to be careful indeed, if they did suspect that he was undercover then he could be in great danger. The sooner he changed his appearance the better. Everything he needed was in the car, and once he got there Wheezer would not be seen again. When he left the storage building he would be a middle aged balding man in a tan Volvo, he even had colored contacts to make his eyes brown.

  The sale was in two days, plenty of time to rest and eat. Plenty of time to nose around the market site during the real business, before the sale. Many vendors would make the trek only to sell out in bulk to another vendor without ever setting up shop. He loved the carnival atmosphere, loved to act like a big spender and make vane offers. By nightfall he would be 138 miles away in a comfortable bed, and tonight for the first time in weeks, he would get a good nights sleep.

  Chapter 14

  A three-mile long flat bottom valley was the sole reason Elberton was on the map. An otherwise desolate stretch of road except three times a year when it hosted a mile-long flea market and swap meet. Buyers and sellers by the hundreds flocked to the grand event knowing that what couldn’t be bought, could be traded or bartered for. One end of the valley was set aside for the swap meet and the opposite end held the flea market. Over the years the city managers realized that two separate sites, one for a family flea market and another for a much more liberal swap meet, would keep the peace better than a peace officer. Vendors started arriving Wednesday for the weekend long event and by late afternoon Thursday, campsites and hotel rooms were getting scarce.

  Junior had the foresight to make reservations for a campsite, but he wouldn’t be camping. A lot of wheeling and dealing went on in this particular campground and many other sites as well. Buyers scouted the valley looking to make a slick deal. Anything of re-sellable value was traded openly. This was the way Junior liked to do business. He was carrying a pick-up load of his spoils, old and new, and he would take a little time to find a good price and sell it all. VCRS, clothes, toys and twenty-six items from InTroniKa that he knew would fetch a good price. Once he sold out he could catch a few hours sleep in his truck and spend all day Friday shopping.

  Main Street Elberton was only four blocks long. And at the exact center of town, on opposing sides of the street, were two luxurious bed and breakfasts. Agent Ramone Hitchcock had a corner room with a view at the Hampton House. A bit overpriced but he was certain he wouldn’t run into any of the Wanderers here. He would dine in his room tonight and after sundown he would go to work. There was a long list of items in a twenty-year long file of everything attributed to this case. The most recent was a load of toys, clothes, bikes and house wares headed for K-mart. But the full list had industrial items as well as retail goods, and a decided majority of electronics. The file was also stuffed with notes and letters from all the investigators that had ever worked the case. There was a general consensus that the hijackings had been random in nature and that they must be exporting the evidence to Mexico or elsewhere. Therefore it was assumed that there was a gang involved, one that had extensive connections. But in the last several years that train of thought had netted the feds zero leads, only supposition. Ray began to think that he needed to try a different direction To think of the unobvious answer. He sat staring out of the window while finishing dinner, a map from the case file open in front of him. There had to be another answer.

  In the back of his mind he began to ponder the possibilities that it had to be a much smaller operation, maybe even a single perp. However unlikely it was the only other M. O. that hadn’t been explored. Over the next two hours he tried to create a plausible scenario involving one person. In order to look for clues he had to have an idea of how the crimes could be committed. Working well past dark he almost forgot to take a tour of the pre-sale activities. It was almost ten p.m. when he parked along the road and began to walk through the market grounds. The traffic was at a near stop with pick-ups and semis all jockeying into their allotted spaces. Buying and selling was going on everywhere. Ray, with a list in his head, scanned every load with care. It was like looking for a pizza in Chinatown, but he had to give it every effort. If this didn’t bring out any new evidence then his part of the investigation was over.

  Across the grounds, next to the swap meet tables, Junior was displaying his load and waiting on the right price. The clothes and other goods went quickly, for the going rate. But he was playing the crowd for a bigger deal on the high-tech InTroniKa goodies. He’d had a few offers but he wanted to wait, the later it got the more crowded it got. The InTroniKa laptops were a big draw, and he had five. Most of the other goods were accessories, very expe
nsive accessories that everyone wanted. Mostly game controllers and fancy trackballs, but there were a few items on the cutting edge that he knew wouldn’t appeal to just anyone. At nearly midnight a van pulled up and an excited teenager jumped out with his father in tow. It was easy to see that the teen was educating the elder as to the value. And by their hushed tones, Junior could tell he was about to get an offer.

  “How many pieces of this have you got?” The normal civilities of business were cast aside in this environment. Nobody exchanged names or cared where any of it came from, as long as the price was right.

  “Twenty-six, are you interested?”

  “Could be. My son tells me this is all great stuff. Mind if I look at the rest of it?” His denim coveralls and burly beard gave the impression of a simple country gent, but Junior was not to be fooled. Most of the buyers dressed down hoping to get a better price.

  “Are you a fan of computers?”

  “My son is, he’s taking a computer course. He says he’s going to drag me into the modern age. What is this?” Junior didn’t want to piece out his load but for the right amount he would do it one piece at a time.

  “That is a digital artist’s draw pad, very new.”

  The younger son whispered to the father and they looked at the rest of the load with much scrutiny. Finally after a couple long moments of whispering and poking around the father approached him with an offer. “Give you thirty-five hundred for these pieces here. I don’t want the artist palette or that designer thing.”

  “Four thousand.” Junior was glad that his night was almost over but he had to haggle just a bit.

  “Thirty-six.”

  “Thirty-eight. No less.” After a brief glance at each other the elder put out his hand to Junior.

  “Done.” they shook hands and without a word the son began to load the swag while Dad pulled out his wallet. In less than two minutes the van was pulling away and Junior was counting his money. Now it was time for a few hours sleep before a big day tomorrow.

  All through the valley the campfires twinkled into the night, the activity slowed dramatically during the early morning hours. The brief lull was the only chance for the vendors to rest. For by the predawn light the customers would begin to arrive. Only two secondary roads led to Elberton. And before seven A.M. the traffic was already at a standstill. Anyone with property was renting parking spaces and there were at least five farm tractors with trailers serving as a shuttle service for pedestrians. The air was filled with the smell of popcorn, Polish sausage, cotton candy and beer. TVS, cosmetics, cell phones, candles, hardware and virtually anything small enough to fit in a pick-up was available and cheap. During the day the sales were primarily centered on the flea market side, but as the sun went down the crowd on the swap meet side would increase greatly. An undulating mass of people passed shoulder to shoulder in an unending blur going every direction at once.

  Ray worked his way through the crowd trying to hit as many booths as possible, quickly glancing at each table in an organized search. The festival went on until Sunday afternoon and he had divided the area into three sections. He hoped to hit every table at the festival but he knew the odds were against it. Still he searched diligently and carefully, not wanting to appear too curious. By lunchtime it was time to rest, his feet already aching. It was a warm day and most of the patrons had stripped down to tee shirts and tank tops. He was looking for a place to sit down when he saw Crazy Mary tottering away from a blooming onion wagon. Having no other leads to follow he fell in behind her hoping for a break. His disguise was good enough that he only had to act casual and he could get very close to her. It wasn’t very far before she caught up with Tree, Reverend and Cochise. The rest were probably here as well. They walked slowly along stopping only when Mary wanted to check out something. Ray managed to keep searching as he followed and after a bit he developed a pattern that allowed him to pass them and eavesdrop. He heard enough to know that the others were certainly there and they were really just killing time until the parties later. When they stopped at a beer wagon, Ray got in line right behind them.

  “Man I’m ready for a beer!” Tree barked from his spot in line. “It had better be cold too!” Cochise tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to a large tent with benches inside.

  “Why don’t we get a couple pitchers and grab a table? It’s almost four o’clock.”

  “No, you guys start drinking beer you won’t wanna walk any more.” Mary crossed her arms angrily. Tree reached for his wallet and pulled a couple bills out.

  “We got all weekend to shop, I’m tired and I want to rest before we meet up with Drago and Fudd, all right?” He handed her the money and watched her expression change. “Why don’t you go get that stuffed bear you saw and we’ll wait for you here.” She kissed him on the nose and trotted off smiling.

  Reverend shook his head at Tree. “Why do you indulge her so much? You know she’ll just run off and party with another man on a whim.”

  “But that’s the best kind. I don’t have to plan for the future.” Tree laughed and moved two steps closer to the wagon. Ray was so close he could smell the marijuana on Reverend’s clothes, and close to hear every word loud and clear. His luck may actually be changing for the better. If he couldn’t find any evidence on his case, he could at least get a description of the elusive Fudd. The market was turning out to be the perfect place for tailing suspects. Knowing that they would be in the beer tent for a while meant that he could search some more. Over the next hour and a half he criss-crossed the area keeping an eye on his quarry and when they finally moved he was not far behind. He followed them for what seemed like a mile before seeing any relief. Mary was the first to show any reaction as she jumped up and down several times trying to look over the crowd. “There they are.” She pointed excitedly and took off through the crowd.

  Ray could see her clearly as she hugged a large tattooed man and another man with blond hair standing at a vendor’s table. Standing next to them was Drago and Dolly. All of them crowded around a display of computer products. He worked his way around until he was across the corner of the table from Mary, close enough for a clear view.

  “Tai is just like a little kid when it comes to computers.”

  “Oh! Quit changing the subject, why haven’t you called me?” Mary shoved herself in front of Fudd demanding an answer.

  “I have been very busy, but I didn’t forget about you. I have a present for you later.”

  “What is it?” She grabbed him around the neck for another hug.

  “I’ll give it to you later at the meet.” His reply managed to satisfy her for the moment. “Ok Fudd, but don’t think you’re gonna get away from me.”

  From across the table Ray’s ears perked up at the mention of the name. He had already made a mental picture of the two new faces, and now he had a name for one of them.

  “Tai, why don’t you just buy the thing?” Fudd leaned up resting his hands on the table. Ray almost sat a joystick down on his hand and they both nodded at the brief interchange. He chuckled out loud and Fudd cut him a curious glance.

  “Your tattoo, that’s really cool.” Ray said.

  “Thanks.” He stood back up and turned away from the table. Ray watched as he walked away, the bigger man waved at the vendor and began haggling over a cherry red laptop.

  As the group started to wander off, he lagged a bit further behind, knowing that they were headed for the parties after the swap meet. It was time to examine his clues. He fished out a notebook and wrote down everything he had seen of the two men. One called Tie, about three hundred pounds and six three, mid to late thirties covered up to the neck in oriental tattoos. Paid three hundred fifty dollars for a cherry red laptop from InTroniKa, looked brand new. The other one known as Fudd, about two forty, five nine or ten, thirty-ish, teeth and hair guy with a single four inch square tattoo on the left shoulder of Elmer Fudd riding a chopped Harley. The caption read, “Live to Wide, Wide to Live”.

  It was
already almost six o’clock and the sun was setting fast. And with the coming darkness, came the cool night breezes that reminded everyone that it was still October. The closer Ray got to the swap meet, the more he realized that he needed another disguise. Most of the crowd was clad in leather and denim. His slacks and hush puppies were already getting some long stares. He knew it was mostly just posturing among the party crowd and he wasn’t in any danger. But he knew that he stuck out like a sore thumb, and that made him nervous. Quickly making a U-turn, he found his way to the road and waited for a shuttle tractor. He decided to call it a night and try again tomorrow.

  Everyone except Tree walked with the rest of the group, Fudd and Taipei followed a few steps behind. Mary was flirting shamelessly with Fudd as they walked. Which was the reason Tree walked alone. He didn’t want anyone to know that he was more than a little jealous. As he walked, he wandered from side to side exchanging hellos with familiar faces. Among them was a somewhat familiar Junior. Tree saw him standing at a knife display and walked over to greet him.

  “Hey there, good to see you. You remember me?” Junior stared blankly at him trying to remember where he had seen him before. “You know.” Tree leaned closer and lowered his voice, “From Mom’s Place. I helped you to your truck.” Junior did feel that he recognized the man but his memories of that night were faded. Tree pumped his hand and patted him on the shoulder, “You remember, if you need something special, just call me. You still got my number?” Junior nodded and Tree winked at him before returning to his tour. He watched the big scruff walk away and a brief memory flashed before his eyes. He did have a number tucked in his wallet, but that was all he remembered.