David sat staring at the campfire, but from a ways off so as not to make a target. The more he thought about being buried alive, the more he didn’t like it. How could one person lie perfectly still for more than six hours? He thought he could control a persistent itch, but what about a sneeze or an involuntary muscle twitch? And then there was the knowledge that the hit men would scan the area with pen lights. None of this made sense, but what else could they do. He rubbed his chin and found more stubble than usual on his face. Janice walked up and said, “Kemosabe, let’s take a short walk in the desert before we put you and Johnny to ground.”
David rose without a reply took her by the hand and they walked off into the chilly night’s air. “I’ve a not very good feeling about this Pine Queen. I think Johnny can do it just fine, but I’m a long ways from an Indian.”
After thinking about it for a few seconds, Janice said, “Do you have an idea about doing this any other way? Me, I can’t think of a damn thing.”
“I wish I did, but I’m going to have to go through with it. To accomplish what needs to happen is between my ears. I’ll meditate and do some deep breathing exercises to help me remain calm and still for the time necessary to end this case. If I didn’t have you, I’d never even think about this, but you seem to bring out the best in me.”
The next thing David remembered about that walk in the desert was lying on his back while his wife made sure he was satisfied both mentally and physically.
Around four pm found our two guys being prepared for burial. The graves had been dug under the overhang and off to one side and now both David and Johnny laid on the canvas tarp. A face mask that covered the eyes and nose was next to be worn. Then a snorkels mask was set in place. Another canvas tarp was placed over the two of them. Finally they were covered in dirt.
Mosi and an old Indian friend made the graves look like they had never been disturbed. Janice was impressed. Her expectations rose and couldn’t imagine anyone buried alive not moving for a good twelve hours.
She said good bye and told David how much she loved him. Soon they were all back at the motor homes waiting for the time to go to bed.
*~~~~*
The assassins came in the middle of the night. By four am they were set up ready for action. The moon was full and the motor homes were clearly visible for the rocky over hang. Dennis set up to the left of Ann. Both were looking through their night vision scopes and seeing no movement relaxed for awhile. He thought that around six am there would be movement in camp. He nodded to Ann and rolled over on his back for a nap. She would keep an eye out.
David woke up and almost gave himself away. He froze and listened for any sound other than the breathing of his mouth through the snorkel. He wondered what time it was and then realized he could wonder all he wanted knowing full well he had no idea what time it was. He focused on listening for the gun shots and then would spring to action.
Actually he had not long to wait. It was just six am and things were about to happen shortly. Janice was the first one out of the motor home and then hid behind the opposite side as the holograph took over. All she had was her pistol and wish now she had a rifle.
Dennis and Ann were peering through spotter scopes at the camp below. It appeared that both targets were standing together around a small campfire talking to the other members of their team. Dennis nodded to Ann and gave a five finger motion. Both wriggled their bodies into the ground preparing for firing in five minutes.
Dennis was ready and when he looked at Ann, she nodded the go ahead. Dennis sighted in on David heart as well as Ann on Janice’s heart. He pulled the trigger and Ann followed a micro-second behind him.
At the sound of shots, David struggled up out of his hiding place followed by Johnny. They both ripped off their masks and were blinded by the light of day. They had completely forgotten about that part of the plan. Lucky for them the assassins were focused on looking their kills.
David could see only an outline of the two shooters; certainly not enough to take a shot. He lay back down. Slowly, his eyes adjusted and he looked over to Johnny who had done a similar thing lying down. Then both nodded to each other, sprang up and took what appeared clean shots. David hit Dennis in the right shoulder and he tumbled off the edge of the overhang. Johnny’s shot cleanly missed Ann and she too dove off over the edge. By the time both David and Johnny arrived at the edge of the overhang, both shooters were out of sight somewhere and still lethal as before.
Janice and the others heard the shots and hoped both were successful. She knew better than to jump out and make herself a target so she squatted down with gun in one hand and her cell phone in the other. Her cell went off. She put it to her ear waiting for David to talk to her. He said, “Shit I wounded him and Johnny missed the woman. Now they are over the ledge and still very dangerous. Have everyone stay inside their motor homes until we can wrap this up. We’re going after them now. Be alert and cautious. Now call the airport and get the chopper in the air. Also alert the police both reservation and state. We need to find their transportation and cut it off. After that we can get the dogs on their trail. I’ll call when I can. Don’t call me as I’m tracking the killers.”
“I screwed that up pretty good,” Johnny said.
“Me too, so our work is cut out for us now. I never thought about being blind when we came out of our grave. I hit the guy and if I’m guess correctly, I hit him in the right shoulder or there abouts. I see some blood and I’m sure he will stop the blood flow so to make it hard to track him. Remember Johnny he is Special Forces trained so be careful. You take the girl and I’ll take him.”
“I’ll get my dog on her trail and it shouldn’t take long to find her,” Johnny said.
“Okay, let’s go get em,” David said.
*~~~~*
Dennis and Ann both tumbled down the short talus slope together. After they stopped falling, both made for a outcropping that would protect them for the ledge above. Panting hard Dennis said, “Fuck me. Where did those guys come from?” He tore off part of his undershirt and wrapped it around his right shoulder just above the arm muscle. It’s only a flesh wound, he thought.
Ann said, “Damned if I know. I’m not sure what the hell we shot down there, but something just doesn’t feel right to me. Those were both men up there and I’m going to the camp site and get me that bitch cop woman.”
“While you’re there, steal a motor home so we can get the hell out of here before this place is flooded with cops. Here tie this rag tight so no blood seeps out giving my trail away. I’m going to ambush that bastard and then meet you on the road.”
Johnny called Mosi and told him to send Junior to him. Mosi said he was on his way and that the tribal force had been alerted. He told Johnny that he would stay put and guard the place. The last words he heard from Mosi was: “Be brave brother.”
Junior arrived panting. David had started to follow Dennis’s trail and Johnny traced the girl. She wasn’t hard to follow and Johnny kneeled down and whispered in Junior’s ear, “Junior, go to David and track the bad guy. He needs your help. Now, go boy!” Junior took off at a lope nose to the ground.
In no time Junior caught up with David. David rubbed his head and back and whispered, “Let’s get the bastard Junior.”
About a hundred yards ahead of them, between to outcroppings, Dennis found a place that would be ideal to bushwhack anyone tracking him. He made himself comfortable and double checked his pistol. He knew he and Ann didn’t have much time until the cavalry arrived so he must not miss this opportunity.
Janice had found some high ground to scope the area just behind one of the motor homes. Mosi was guarding the holograph folks so she felt comfortable with that. Now she peered through the spotters scope for any movement.
Just as she lowered the scope she saw some movement near the road. She looked through the scope and sure enough there was the woman assassin making her way to the camp site. Janice held the high ground and when she could take the shot, she
would delight in putting an end to this assassin’s life.
Ann caught a glimpse of a movement just above where the motor homes were parked. From where she was she could see the camp site and there was no sign of any bodies lying on the ground. This baffled her, but cast the thought aside to concentrate on the job at hand: kill the bitch cop.
Johnny had spotted movement near the road and not so far from the motor home camp. He was never one to hurry so he kept a steady pace behind the assassin.
Janice guessed the target was about one hundred yards out from camp. Way too far for a pistol shot. Her head rang with the word patience.
David had come upon what looked like a perfect place for a trap. He stopped and so did Junior. Junior never took his eyes off something at the far end of the outcropping. David looked for a way around the area, but couldn’t see one. Junior gave off a throat squeak and David decided to send Junior around and have him attack from above if he could. He took Junior’s head in both his hands and said, “Junior go around and attack from above this guy.” David moved his arm in motion to indicate go around and Junior went backwards as he understood what David had instructed him to do.
Dennis realized his adversary was nearby as he could feel him. He would stay concealed until the sound of a shoe on rock would announce +his arrival.
David waited three minutes for Junior to make his way around and then he boldly stepped out to make some noise for distraction.
Dennis heard feet on rocks and realized it was too far away yet to take a risk by stepping out and blasting away. He decided to wait until he could hear footsteps nearer to him.
David moved silently and slowly forward. The passage way provided no place to hide. He was totally exposed and counting on Junior to distract the assassin.
Daylight was fully upon the area. The desert chill was still felt as the sun had yet to break over the mountain tops. It would be awhile before any shadows were cast anywhere. The light was to no advantage to either side.
Junior rested on his belly above the bad guy. The distance was of no concern of Junior. He was just catching his breath and then he would dive off landing on top of the bad man. He couldn’t see David but he could smell him not so far away. Junior stood up and launched himself through the air to the man below.
Dennis had to struggle to not take a look where his pursuer might be. No sound came from the where he’d heard it before.
The next thing he knew something heavy hit him from above. The force knocked him out into the open where David went down on one knee to take the shot. However, Junior was tearing into the man’s neck as Dennis screamed in pain. He shot into the air three times and then succumbed to the relentless attack of Junior.
David ran up and took his gun away. Then he called Junior off as it appeared the guy was dead from the looks of his neck. Junior was still licking the blood off his mouth looking wild eyed at David. David told him what a good dog he was and Junior wagged his tail.
Not taking a chance, David felt for a pulse on the guys limp wrist. Finding nothing there he stepped back and gave off a sigh of relief.
Back at camp, when Ann, heard the shots, she automatically turned to look back at that direction. When she turned she caught the sight of Johnny and fired off two rounds in his direction. Johnny hit the ground and neither shot found its mark.
Janice saw the opportunity to take a long range shot and fired off two rounds at Ann. Both shots missed their mark. Ann fell to her knees and hid behind a mound of dirt and sagebrush. Johnny crawled towards the motor home nearest to him.
Ann hollered, “Hey bitch cop. How about we settle this between the two of us mano to mano, or maybe bitcho to bitcho.
“I’m all for that, but who is going to show themselves first unarmed,” asked Janice.
“I know you wouldn’t shoot an unarmed person as that would be murder. Here bitch cop is my gun. Now show yourself.” Ann stood up and threw her gun ten feet away.
Janice decided to take a chance. She stood up and in front of her tossed her gun. They were about fifty yards apart and both slowly walked to meet in the middle.
Ann peeled of her wind breaker coat down to her under shirt. Janice followed suit and soon a trail of clothes were left behind each one of them.
Stopping ten feet apart, Ann said, “Well bitch cop, look around now as this will be your last view of earth. I plan on breaking your pretty neck. Now let’s stop yakking and get it on.”
Janice was pumped with tons of adrenalin flowing through her body. Out of the corner of her eye she saw David walking towards her. That sight bolstered her confidence.
They circled one time and then Ann attacked in a classic martial arts method. Janice, the bigger of the two, thwarted the attack but felt the power of the smaller woman. Ann reset and came back again on the attack. The two of them exchanged blows and at first it appeared Ann was getting the best of the battle.
However, Janice was faking her slowness waiting for the right time to unleash a fatal finishing strike of her own. Ann said, while breathing hard, “I’m going to finish you off bitch.”
Ann attacked and Janice countered her thrust with a kick to the throat. Ann went down like a sack of potatoes. She never moved from that position until the meat wagon came and picked her up.
David clapped and Johnny with Junior gave her a warm, “Nice job.”
Mosi and the holograph people were standing outside clapping their hands. At the same time the helicopter made its presence known landing, thankfully, a hundred yards away amid a cloud of red dust. Not long after that police cars came along with an ambulance.
Chapter XVII
David said, “AJ sends his best Pine Queen. I’ll tell you more later as the story gets longer and longer. Meanwhile he told me to take you to Trinidad for a well deserved vacation. I told him we’d discuss it and see what developed. Let’s get back to the motel and get something really greasy and tasty to eat. I’ve a craving for strawberry jam and my wife for dessert. Being buried alive is not my idea of a good time.
Back at the motel all were invited to lunch or brunch. From the helicopter pilot to the tribal police, all were welcome.
Janice said, “Well Kemosabe, what else did AJ say?”
“He said that Allied Power is taking a big hit. The fall out will demand a restructuring and new management for sure. At least the Native Americans will not be hurt by that company in the future. Johnny and his girl friend will go home shortly. AJ said he will remain a US Marshall. BT Junior has been awarded a metal for his take down of one assassin. He’ll have a new collar with a miniature US Marshall Badge on it.”
“Now what do we do Kemosabe,” asked Janice.
“Well, strangely enough, we’re here in Arizona and my mother is just a stones throw away. I’m debating the notion of visiting her.”
“Why don’t we take our armored SUV and go see her. Chances are she might enjoy seeing her son again,” Janice said rather sarcastically.
“It’s settled then. We go see her and I hope it’s not a mistake,” said David.
END
Epilogue
AJ, Jake and Alex were toasting an end to a job well done when the phone rang. Alex answered it and told Jake it was for him. He handed Jake the portable and Jake identified himself and listened. Two minutes later he hung up without saying goodbye. AJ waited patiently for him to speak. After a lengthy silence Jake looked first at Alex and then at AJ. He said, Washington has a job for us. It appears that a CIA member has gone rogue and she, yes, she, needs put down.”
“There is no rest for our dynamic duo,” asked Alex shaking his head.
“Apparently not,” replied AJ.
Stay tuned for the third in the series of Inspector Cockrun and detective Janice Cockrun. Look for it on Smashwords late 2012.
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