Uncanny Tales of Crush and Pound 2

by Christopher D. Carter

  “No! No! Wait! I have a credit card!” Seth said as he anxiously ran a little closer to the thief so that he could hear over the train whistle. Bluffing, Seth whipped out a business card from his pocket in desperation.

  “Cash or nothin’!” the thief replied and tightened his grip on Dr. Tatum’s throat. Then something unexpected happened. A hand reached out from the dark and grasped the gun, turning it outward and away from Dr. Tatum. Then another hand covered the thief’s face and began smothering him from behind. Dr. Tatum used the opportunity to stomp down on her captor’s foot and to break loose from the chokehold. Stumbling forward she fell out from between the tracks and onto the hard gravels on the edge, just in time for Seth to catch a glimpse of Johnny wrestling with the criminal between the tracks an instant before the engine struck the two men at full speed.

  “What the heck! Johnny!” Seth screamed in agony as the two figures were plowed away by the hurtling locomotive.

  **********

  The following morning, a full investigation was in progress at the scene.

  “So, Mr. Hogan and Dr. Tatum, what were you doing out here in the dark? Couldn’t you do your investigating in the daylight? Or is there something else going on between you two?” asked Deputy Byrd with one suspicious eyebrow raised.

  “What! No, we’re not like that. We work together. And we did check out the mill in the daytime, but our reports had led us to believe that the sightings would occur at night. On Wednesday, to be more accurate,” Seth added.

  “The ghost sightings. Mm-hmm,” replied the deputy shaking his head as he wrote. “And what were you doing on the tracks?”

  “Like we said before, the assailant had taken me hostage and was holding me at gunpoint on the tracks,” said Dr. Tatum.

  “The assailant. Oh, yes, you mean the man who is over there, over there, and over there. And a little bit under there,” the deputy said pointing under the train. “Could it be, Mr. Hogan, that you had a score to settle with the deceased?”

  “That’s ridiculous. I didn’t push him between the tracks myself; he was standing on his own two feet while I was standing over there,” argued Seth as he pointed to a spot several feet away from the tracks. “He knew the train was coming, and he was using Dr. Tatum as a hostage! I don’t know why you doubt our word. The conductor has already confirmed our story, how the Doc managed to scramble away at the last second before the train hit him. Deputy Byrd, while we stand here unarmed, you have also recovered the thief’s gun, further proving that he was up to no good,” defended Seth without going into any details concerning Johnny.

  “That’s all nice and well, isn’t it? But his fingerprints, the ones we could find, match the prints of the suspect who robbed the store on Monday. And hit you over the head, Mr. Hogan. I’ll also remind you that there were two men seen on the tracks when the train struck, and we’re only finding pieces of one. That leaves you unless I’m mistaken. Or there was someone else here that you’re not telling me about. Anyway, be expecting a call sometime soon, but you two can go in the meantime,” the deputy said crossing his arms.

  Unsure whether to be thankful for the reprieve or angry at the deputy’s doubt in their story, Seth and Dr. Tatum left the site and made a trip to the local county library to research the history of the mill. After finding and reading through various articles in old newspapers concerning the mill, no stories of any special significance jumped out at them. As they returned the articles over the counter, the librarian noticed one of the headlines concerning the sawmill and shook her head as she recalled some memory from deep in the past.

  “You know, that mill was never the same after the accident,” she noted as she adjusted her glasses.

  “What accident?” asked Seth in astonishment. Although he could only imagine that news probably spread quickly in that community, he had trouble believing that she would have already heard the gory details concerning the death at the mill the previous evening.

  “Oh, it was a real shame the way that young man was killed. Yes, indeed, he died saving his wife,” she added while shaking her head and pointing to one of the men in the old newspaper photograph.

  “Who are you referring to?” inquired Dr. Tatum as she took a closer look at the picture in the newspaper. With a shock, she could hardly believe that she had missed the caption below with the names listed from left to right. “Darren Kennedy,” she read aloud.

  “Why, that was my Great-Uncle Darren, of course. His wife May had stumbled onto the tracks late one night, and Darren managed to push her clear just before the train struck him,” she said shaking her head. “My grandfather Johnny Kennedy was there, and he saw the whole thing. He told me that if he had the chance to relive it again, he would have saved May himself. He never could forgive himself for losing his brother like that.”

  Dr. Tatum and Seth exchanged looks of wonder as they walked out of the library in Pittsboro, North Carolina, and closed the case of the Kennedy Sawmill. They hoped Deputy Byrd would close the book on the suspect’s death as well, but only time would tell.

  Chapter 2

  *

  Werewolves and Rebels

  *

  Present Day, Guilford Battleground, Greensboro, North Carolina.

  On a beautiful Saturday morning, the sky was clear, and the birds were singing their early morning songs.

  “A perfect morning for a long walk,” Nina Suarez thought to herself as she sauntered down the dirt path to the historic park on the north side of Greensboro. The greenery in the park was immaculately kept by the grounds crew, and Nina wondered how such an enchanting place could have ever been the site of such death and destruction during the founding of her homeland. As she walked between the majestic white oaks on the dirt path, her eyes caught a glimpse of something gleaming just beneath an azalea bush deeper in the forest. Bending down for a closer look, she discovered that a silvery metal point protruded outward from the earth. Using her fingers to dig the thin layers of earth and moss away, she found that the object that had been wasting away was a silver cross still attached to a rope-wound necklace that delved deep into the earth. Nina broke loose the cross from the buried silver necklace and stuffed the artifact into her front pocket, then continued her routine through the park and back home to the nearby apartment complex.

  Back in the park, the dirt path that led deep into the shaded forest began to change. A squirrel sat perched on the side of a giant white oak tree above the azalea bush where Nina had unearthed a treasure only moments before. The acorn which he gnawed fell from his paws into the azalea bush below, and before he could climb down to find the nut, the green leaves of the bush turned brown and withered before his small eyes. Sensing danger, he scampered high up into the stately tree for safety, hiding from an ancient presence that he could sense had returned to the old forest.

  **********

  1776, London, England.

  Three barefoot prisoners were hauled out of their metal cages onto the dock and into the daylight. Surrounded by red coat soldiers, the prisoners were made to stand at gunpoint for the sentencing.

  “You three brothers, Jonathan, Stanley, and Louis McDuggins, are hereby sentenced to death by firing squad for your role in the murder of Captain Lawrence Tyler. Do you have any final words,” the commander said with a grim smile.

  “Ooh, we’re quaking inside,” declared Jonathan as Stanley and Louis laughed out loud. The commander gave the signal, and the men fired, striking each of the three brothers’ bodies in multiple locations. The prisoners fell to the deck without another word. The commander gave the order to bury the men at sea, which meant loading the bodies onto a small boat, wrapping them in chains and weights, and dumping the executed souls to rest forever at the bottom of the sea. Three soldiers dragged the brothers’ bodies onto the small vessel and sailed out into the open waters for the final ceremony.

  “This is far enough out, fellows. The fish will find them here just as wel
l,” said one soldier as he looked back at the dock, judging the distance by sight.

  “You’re right about that. The chains will take them to the bottom here just as well as anywhere, and I don’t see any need to expend any more effort on these traitors,” agreed another.

  “Now that’s an ugly thing to say. Have some respect for the dead,” said a voice from behind them on the deck of the boat. When the soldiers turned to see who had spoken, Jonathan, Stanley, and Louis stood face to face with the red coats, and each of the brothers now had a rifle in tow. The soldiers stared in disbelief at the three formerly dead men, and before they could utter a complaint, the brothers fired on the soldiers with no mercy.

  “Louis, take their uniforms and feed the fish,” Jonathan laughed. “Stanley, check provisions below,” he barked to his sibling. “It’s time we left this land and tried our fortune in the New World.”

  **********

  “More National Park work, and Doc sends both of us to handle a one man routine,” complained Pound.

  “Ah, come on. Lighten up on her, will you,” said Crush as he drove the oversized pickup truck down the interstate. “After what happened to Sherry, I don’t think she’s crazy about sending anyone out alone.”

  “I still say this is overkill. Either one of us can handle the work alone. I mean, you saw the folders piling up on her desk, didn’t you?”

  “Since when do you care about workload management?”

  “All right, I could care less about jobs piling up.”

  “Are you still angry with her about Sherry?”

  “No! But Doc shouldn’t have taken someone with no training out into the field,” explained Pound with fervor.

  “Sherry knew what she signed up for,” replied Crush. Silence crept between the two agents as Pound stared out the window. After a few minutes of quiet had settled between them, Pound answered.

  “I should have been there. I didn’t answer the phone for Doc.”

  “What?”

  “Doc doesn’t listen to us sometimes. I thought that by ignoring her, maybe she would get the hint.”

  “That makes sense. Teach someone to listen by not listening.”

  “Guess you’re right,” relented Pound.

  “So what about Park work?” asked Crush, knowing the answer he was going to get.

  “Nothing, it’s just boring,” answered Pound.

  “Three missing people in the area with no clues. It may not be interesting to you, but the authorities are spooked,” said Crush. Pound had no quick reply this time. Deep down he blamed himself for what had happened to Sherry, and Crush knew he was still brooding over the rebuke.

  “Do you think that there is any chance that this has anything to do with Sherry’s disappearance?”

  “It’s possible, but I’ve learned never to assume creepy events are related. There are more forces at work in this world than any of us could ever imagine. And that may be a good reason to send both of us, huh?”

  “Maybe.”

  **********

  March, 1781, Hillsborough, North Carolina

  A large British contingent set up camp in eastern North Carolina, waiting to confront the army of the colonies. Lord Charles Cornwallis sat alone in his tent, thinking deeply about the condition of his army and what move they should make next. One of his officers entered at the Lord’s request.

  “Captain O’Brian, have a seat.”

  “Yes, my Lord,” he said as he sat on a wooden chair.

  “Captain, I have heard rumblings amongst the men, usually in the evenings. There is concern that we may be running low on rations. I checked with the supply group, and they have confirmed this to be true. Do you agree with this assessment?”

  “Yes, Lord. We have had to cut back on portions at the meals. At first we implemented the rations only with the Germans. However for the last week, rationing has been extended to all of the troops.”

  “And the locals, are they not willing to help the King’s men?”

  “They have helped, but Lord, the population here is scarce, and there just are not sufficient supplies for our army. And some men have gone missing recently, perhaps deserted.”

  “Perhaps, but I am afraid they may have suffered another fate, Captain. Tell me, do you know our three scouts, the ones who joined us last fall?”

  “The three brothers. Yes, Lord, I am familiar with them. The other men have not taken to them well. Strangely, the few that have are among the missing.”

  “Thus the rumblings. Tell me, Captain, do they appear leaner from the rationing?”

  “No, sir. Not yet. With all due respect, Lord, what is your point?”

  “Nothing certain, Captain, just keep an eye on those three. On another note, I have received word that the colonial army is headed north to a small town, Guilford Courthouse, less than a hundred miles from here, and we must be ready to meet them. Prepare your men for travel, Captain.”

  “Yes, my Lord. We will prepare today.”

  “Splendid. And while you are at it, I wish for the scouts to lead the way.”

  “Yes, my Lord.”

  “Good day, Captain.” Lord Cornwallis closed his tent and took a seat in the corner. “What have we done to ourselves,” he thought as he held a silver cross in his grasp.

  **********

  Crush and Pound began their investigation immediately upon arrival at the park. Together they walked every foot of the fields in search of some clue that would give them a lead into the three disappearances, but they found nothing of interest that first day. When evening came, they ate dinner at a nearby diner and made plans for further investigation into the apartments where the missing persons had been staying.

  “It’s beginning to look like there’s nothing to this,” said Pound as he led the way out into the parking lot to the truck.

  “Tell that to the three people who are missing,” answered Crush. “It’s too early to make a call on it yet anyways.”

  They drove back to the park and walked over to the adjacent apartments, where they visited the home of each of the three missing people. At the first apartment no one answered, which was consistent with the information that they were given: single lady with no children.

  At the second apartment, an older gentleman answered the door, but refused to take the chain off the door. As they proceeded to talk to a distrustful eyeball through a small seam in a partially opened door, they confirmed that the man’s wife was one of the missing individuals and that she had been friends with the other two missing persons.

  “They would make laps around the park together occasionally,” he offered. That was more information than they had been given thus far.

  “Kind of a strange guy, don’t you think?” asked Pound.

  “If I appeared at the door, I wouldn’t let me in either,” said Crush. As they were heading to the third apartment, they passed by a young lady with dark hair and sweat pants who was taking a stroll in the parking lot. They watched as she made laps around the small lot, apparently for exercise.

  “I wonder if she knew the ladies?” questioned Pound.

  “I was thinking the same thing,” said Crush while knocking on the door of the third apartment, but with no answer. “The reports say she was alone as well.” Patiently they waited for the young lady to finish her laps, and when she climbed the stairs to the second floor, they noted the apartment number where she entered.

  “Come back tomorrow?” asked Pound.

  “Yeah. Let’s call it a night,” agreed Crush, and they drove to the nearest hotel to check in.

  **********

  The long train of men and supplies proceeded slowly along the narrow paths, and Lord Cornwallis directed from the rear. Three days of slow marching through the foothills had kept the men busy so that there was less thinking about empty stomachs and more concentrating on the war. Along the way, another soldier had gone missing, this time from near the front of the line. No one ha
d witnessed anything unusual, but the Captain had reported that the three scouts had placed this man out front. That was the last time he was seen.

  “And you still have faith in these scouts?” asked Lord Cornwallis.

  “The scouts say that the natives are following alongside, and that they are to blame,” answered Captain O’Brian.

  “I trust our men, not these scouts that serve themselves and care nothing for the King. I sent my own scouts to work, and they found the remains of the missing.”

  “What are your orders, sir?”

  “When we set final camp in Guilford, post a trial . . . and execute the scouts.”

  “On what basis my lord?” asked the Captain with grave doubt.

  “Murder. And lycanthropy.”

  **********

  Crush and Pound were out and about early the next morning. Since they had checked the fields, their next step was to walk the many paths of the forest in search of clues. There were many trails that crisscrossed over the park, and so the two agents split up to cover more ground that day. By lunch time nothing significant had been found by either of the men, however, Pound caught a glimpse of the young lady they had met at the apartments the evening before. Only this time she was taking a walk in the park, and Pound was determined to follow her at a distance. Keeping trees between each other for cover, Pound shadowed her down an obscure trail into the woods and down a small hill to a creek bed where she knelt down on one knee for a moment as if she were searching for something that she had lost. After a few minutes she suddenly rose to her feet clasping an object in her hands as if in fear. Glancing from side to side, she then broke out into a run over the next hill where she vanished.

  “What did she see?” Pound asked himself as he calmly strode over to the site where she had knelt. There, beneath a dead bush, were the remains of a human hand.

  **********

  Upon arrival at Guilford Courthouse, Lord Cornwallis ordered the troops to set up defenses for the battlefield, and then he ordered Captain O’Brian to bring the three scouts Jonathan, Stanley, and Louis along with one hundred troops to a creek bed deep within the woods.

  “Yes, my Lord,” O’Brian replied to the request and then parted from the tent.