The Arcturus Man

by John Strauchs

  She lifted herself up again. This time he didn’t stop her. She was on her feet.

  “Walk Pretty Dog Lady,” said Sami.

  She still couldn’t take long strides. She stumbled every time he pulled on the chain. Her feet were chained too close together. Sami dropped the loose end of the chain. It was about ten feet of loose chain.

  “Pick up chain. You carry chain. This take all day. You walk.”

  Jenny bent down and gathered the chain in both hands, but sections kept falling out of her hands. He slapped her again. She felt a tooth come loose. She dropped the chain again and found the end and then carefully folded it into two five-foot lengths, and then divided it again. Her hands were free, but her feet were bound. She didn’t think. She acted instinctively. Her primitive brain took over.

  She opened up the chain and whirled in a circle, whipping Sami across the face with two lengths of five-foot chain. She screamed an unearthly sound as she hit him. The small padlock on the end added some weight. It was a very light chain, but she got lucky. The padlock struck Sami in one eye and several links raked the other. She had hurt him. She really hurt him. Sami squealed in pain. The rusty chain was abrasive and tore flesh. She saw in an instant that he was bleeding. Bellowing, he ran for the truck and yanked open the door. He was looking for something. For the moment he wasn’t paying attention to his captive.

  In that split second she searched for a weapon. If she could strike again with something lethal, she could save herself. She saw nothing that could be a weapon, not even a large rock. She didn’t know how badly he was hurt. Jenny ran for her life.

  She kicked off the oversized work boots and ran. It was a pathetic run, however. Each stride was no more than about twelve inches. She scampered as fast as she could. She wanted to get into the heavy brush and undergrowth and find a place to hide. She knew she couldn’t outrun him. As fat as he was, the pig was surprisingly nimble. She had to hide.

  She ran for about twenty yards into the densest growth she saw. She quickly turned and could see the Rover. She immediately turned hard left to change her course of direction, hoping that when he came for her he would run straight, giving her precious seconds to find a hiding place. She ran and she ran. The chain between her ankles kept catching on brush and rocks, causing her to almost lose her balance and wasting those vital seconds. She was leaving a trail that would be easy to follow. She had to hop at places to get the chain over fallen tree branches and rocks. Maine had rocks everywhere.

  She had to stop making so much noise. Maybe he would run in the wrong direction. Maybe his eye was hurt really badly. She squatted behind a large hemlock that had branches that grew to the ground. She held her breath and listened for sounds. Blood was oozing from both ankles now but the adrenalin was pumping in her veins and she didn’t feel any pain. She dared not move. She couldn’t make a sound. She squatted inside the hemlock and listened and waited. She had no watch so she didn’t know how long she waited. Maybe it was half an hour. It could have been an hour. As she gradually calmed down, her ankles began to throb. She looked down and saw that some blood had pooled beside her bare feet. Ants had found her. Her pants smelled of urine. It became agonizing, but she dared not make a sound or a motion that could give away her hiding place. She endured the bites.

  It had to be well over an hour. Maybe Sami ran off in the wrong direction as she had hoped. Maybe he left her behind. Was it safe to come out? The squatting posture was painful. Her legs began to uncontrollably tremble. She kept wiping the ants from her feet as slowly and quietly as she could. They were biting ants of some kind. They were large black ants. They were horrible. Jenny wanted to cry but if she did Sami would take her on another slaughter walk, but this time he would make sure she faced a slow and painful death. He would do horrible things to her before she was finally killed.

  She couldn’t hold the posture any longer. She slowly stepped out from beneath the branches and stood. She stamped her feet to shake off the ants. Her ankles had swelled and now each step was excruciating. She listened. There were no sounds except from the forest. She peeked around the tree. How far had she run? She didn’t know. It couldn’t have been very far. She inched her way forward, small step by small step, back toward the shack. She went a few more yards and then a few more yards.

  Jenny dropped to her hands and knees and crawled forward. She peered through the underbrush, keeping her body as close to the ground as possible. She could see the outline of the shack. She edged forward a few more inches, pushing her face on the ground. The Land Rover was still there. Was Sami still in the forest searching for her? Her heart pounded. She was certain that he could hear her heart beat…it was that loud. Could he have left the keys in the Rover? No. She must not have that hope, but yet, what other hope was there? Should she crawl back to the hemlock and stay there all night and try again in the morning. She had no coat. It would be intolerable when the temperature falls. The chain had only broken her skin. The bleeding would stop in time. She could endure the pain. But if there was a chance to escape now…should she try?

  Sami was in a rage after her attack. He might have left the keys in the Rover. He might have lost good sense because of his fury to find and kill her. It was possible. She made up her mind. She crawled out from her cover and slowly worked her way to the Rover. She decided to crawl under the Rover and wait there for a few minutes to make sure that he’s not around. Jenny crept slowly. She started to crawl under the Rover and then she froze.

  She saw a part of a dark grey shirt on the opposite side of the rover. She closed her eyes and prayed. It was a silent scream. It was Sami. It was his ugly shirt. The area was heavily treed but it was mid-morning, the rain had cleared, and a slit of sunlight was shining through the canopy, highlighting Sami’s shirt. She opened her eyes and looked again. She adjusted her body for a better look past the heavy tire and stared into Sami’s black eyes. He was on the ground looking under the car. She screamed. This time it was a loud, piercing scream. She rolled on her back and screamed holding her hands over her face. She shuddered and trembled.

  It was over. She had tried her best. She was going to die. The panic went away. All fear has a breaking point when it becomes resignation. It wasn’t bravery. It was just how all living things are wired. Jenny reached her breaking point. Shock was setting in. When she was a little girl she learned that rabbits could be scared to death. She was a rabbit.

  But…there were no sounds of anyone running. Nothing happened. Sami didn’t come running to her. She didn’t understand.

  She rolled back to a face down position. She mechanically looked again. Those hideous black holes were still staring back at her. They didn’t blink. They just stared. He hadn’t moved at all. He was still there, lying on the ground on the other side of the Rover…staring at her from beneath the Rover.

  “Get up Miss Nilsson.” The voice was behind her. The voice had a heavy Spanish accent.

  “What?” She panicked again. She wanted to scream but nothing came out. She slithered like a lizard half way under the Rover.

  “I am not here to harm you. Believe me. Here, let me help you,” said the voice.

  “NO. NO. NO,” said Jenny. Her voice was almost gone. It sounded raspy.

  The intruder took several steps backward, away from the Rover.

  “I am not here to harm you. I am here to help you,” he said again.

  Jenny peered back. If he had wanted to kill her, she would be dead already. Maybe he was telling the truth. She cautiously worked her way out from under the vehicle. She propped herself up into a sitting position.

  “May I approach?” asked the stranger.

  Warily, Jenny nodded OK. Maybe he was a cop?

  He knelt down very slowly. He had a small key. He opened both padlocks and removed the dog chains. He stood up. He balled up the chains and threw them into the bushes across the road.

  “Zhidov was a very bad man. I am so sorry this happened to you Miss Nilsson. I did not arrive soon enough. For th
at I ask your forgiveness.”

  “Who are you?” asked Jenny.

  “My name is Rubio Collazo Matos.”

  Jenny look puzzled. The name was familiar.

  “I am the former enemy of Jared Siemels.”

  Jenny pulled back. She felt dizzy. The terror was more than she could cope with.

  “But not to fear, he spared my life and it is a matter of honor to repay such a debt. He is an adversary one can be proud to surrender to,” said Rubio. “I am not a vain man.”

  “You are the one he fought in Panama?” asked Jenny in a time timid voice. She was a rabbit, just a little rabbit. She thought about Jared. He was gone. She fought against remembering him.

  “Claro…Yes,” said Rubio. “You and I also briefly met in a carnival town in Maine, but you probably didn’t notice me.”

  “You were there? Were you with the men who set that poor man on fire?” asked Jenny. His voice was calm and gentle. Maybe he wasn’t going to kill her. Maybe it was alright.

  “I didn’t want that. It was a very bad thing those men did and it wasn’t necessary," said Rubio. “They, of course, paid the price for their unnecessary cruelty.”

  That was also a horrible memory. Jared killed four of them. She stared at Rubio’s face but the men who attacked the vagrant were so far away it was impossible to recognize them in the darkness. Whatever her feelings about that night and what this man may have done, now was not the time to challenge him. It was a mistake to talk about what happened at Old Orchard Beach. Slowly, she was regaining her composure.

  Rubio held out his hand. She took it and he pulled her up. Her feet were free and she could walk again…normally.

  “You have been injured badly. Please, come into the cabin. There are medical supplies there,” said Rubio.

  She didn’t respond but she did follow him as he led her to the cabin. As they walked around the Rover, she saw Sami lying on the ground. See could see a bullet hole in his temple. Blood soaked the dirt around his head. It was brown. Black flies were swarmed on Sami’s head, attracted by the blood. It was horrifying. She averted her eyes from the corpse and walked up the steps to the cabin door.

  Rubio held the door open. Jenny was hesitant for a moment, but realizing that she was at his mercy no matter what, she stepped into the cabin.

  Primitive was an understatement. There were three metal folding chairs and a sixfoot folding table. She saw an old iron frame bed with a badly stained mattress. There were no pillows or blanket. The cabin had two rooms and a closet. One of the rooms was probably a bathroom. The kitchen sink was filthy. The cupboard doors were all open. The shelves were bare. A small refrigerator was to one side and a propane gas stove on the other. The door to the refrigerator was missing. Thieves must have broken into the cabin many times. Anything utilitarian was gone.

  Rubio pulled one of the metal folding chairs closer to the sink and signaled for Jenny to sit down. She did. He pulled open a drawer and removed a kitchen towel. The towel was grey and some kind of stuff was caked on it. Even the thieves didn’t want it. He went to the sink. There was a hand pump on the sink. He pumped the handle. After the faucet sputtered for a minute or so, a steady stream of water finally came out of the spigot. He wetted the towel and handed it to Jenny. It was a dirty towel but her face was dirtier so she didn’t mind. She wiped down her face and got off most of the dried blood. Her lip began to hurt again.

  Rubio drew his large knife. Jenny was startled for a moment until she saw that he was using the knife to pry up floor boards. He reached down and pulled up a large metal box. It was suspended by ropes beneath the floor, hanging in the crawl space beneath the cabin. He carried the box to the folding table and opened the lid. He took out a first-aid kit. There were two hand guns in the box but he set them aside, within Jenny’s reach. He sat on the floor in front of Jenny, holding a tube of antibiotic cream and bandages. “I have some experience with this. May I?” asked Rubio.

  Jenny nodded yes.

  “How did you know that was there?” asked Jenny.

  “In a matter of speaking, this is my cabin. I bought the land and cabin more than a year ago,” said Rubio. She nodded that she understood.

  He took the towel that Jenny had been using and rinsed it out.

  “I am sorry. There is no hot water.”

  “That’s OK,” said Jenny.

  He rolled up her pant legs and washed her feet and ankles with the towel. He emptied one pocket of his jacket. He dropped car keys, a cell phone, a Swiss Army knife, and a handkerchief onto the card table. He took the handkerchief and dried her feet and then wiped the ointment on her ankles where the dog chain had cut her. She winced, but appreciated the care she was getting. He found gauze bandages in the first-aid kit and wrapped her ankles.

  “”The handkerchief is very clean. I will be right back,” said Rubio. “If it will make you feel more secure, please take one of the guns.” She didn’t.

  He went out of the cabin, but returned a few minutes later. He was carrying a six pack of Pepsi’s. He handed her a can.

  “It is not cold,” said Rubio.

  “That’s fine,” she said. “I am so thirsty.” She chugged the entire can.

  “I do not have any women’s clothes with me.”

  “These will do for now,” said Jenny. She was beginning to feel much better. More importantly, she was finally feeling safe.

  Jenny grabbed the cell phone from the card table.

  “I am sorry. There are no cell towers here.”

  “Do you think there is a tower at one of the towns?” asked Jenny.

  “Creo. There may be a cell tower at Fort Kent,” said Rubio. “Now there is something that I must tell you Miss Nilsson.”

  “Jenny. Jenny is fine,”

  “Jenny, the cell phone may work when you get to Fort Kent, but I believe that the FBI is at that camp site you were at. Here is a map. This is where you are. If you drive there, they will take care of you and get you home,” said Rubio. “If they are not there, your drive back to Rockland will require eight or nine hours. In that case perhaps you should rest for the night somewhere and drive in the morning. You are very tired and I am sure this was been a very upsetting experience. But as I said, it may not be necessary. The FBI is probably waiting at the camp site.”

  She listened but said nothing.

  “Bueno. I have some things to do. I will give you privacy,” said Rubio.

  “Thank you,” said Jenny.

  Rubio left the cabin. When he returned, he was holding the work shoes she was wearing earlier.

  “Jenny, I thought that these shoes, such as they are, are better than your bare feet,” said Rubio.

  “Thank you,” said Jenny. She couldn’t help but notice that this man was kind and gentle. That he was also a brutal killer was incongruous. How could he be that? Was he that different from Jared? She wasn’t sure.

  “There is something you need to know, Jenny. I learned of Zhidov’s plans to kidnap you and to use Jared Siemels’…let us say affection…for you to force him to commit suicide. Jared Siemels is a man of honor. I know this. I knew he would do it. I was unable to prevent his death because I learned too late of this plot, but I thought I may be able to save you.”

  Jenny’s eyes filled with tears. She had tried so hard not to think about Jared. Jared is gone. He is gone forever. He is dead.

  “His death saddens me, but we must all cultivate our gardens and live in the world as it is rather than try to live in the world that we would like it to be,” said Rubio.

  “We must all cultivate our gardens?” Jenny repeated. “Candide?”

  “Yes, Voltaire,” said Rubio.

  Jenny was amazed. Jared used to say that she must cultivate her garden. This man read Voltaire, just like Jared.

  Rubio continued. “I intended to shackle Zhidov to allow your CIA to take him. He begged me to kill him. He did not want to be taken prisoner by the CIA. He offered me information to barter for his life…or rather for taking
his life.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” asked Jenny.

  “With the tragic loss of Señor Siemels, perhaps this matter is at an end, but it is possible that it is not at an end. I can not judge this. Your life could still be in jeopardy. You should not take any chances in any event.”

  “I don’t understand…Rubio…why would anyone want to harm me?” asked Jenny.

  “As I said, Jenny, perhaps there is no danger. I only believe that you should take every precaution.”

  “What information did that man…(she pointed outside)…give you?”

  “Of course, the information. There is a traitor close to Jared Siemels.”

  “A traitor? Did he give you a name?” asked Jenny.

  “No. He said that his employer used cut-outs to protect the identity of the traitor. All he knew was that it was someone close to Jared Siemels,” said Rubio.

  “Did he tell you who his employer was?”

  “Yes, he did. Sami found the Chechins…you, of course, have heard of the Chechins…to be very useful in his criminal activities. Through them he acquired ties to the Islamic radical movements. The employer was Al Queada.”

  Jenny was confused. What did this have to do with her? With Jared dead, why would anyone be concerned about her? It didn’t make sense.

  “Perhaps I should have kept him alive longer so he could answer these questions. I apologize for killing him. My judgment was poor. I did learn that Sami Zhidov provided money to the traitor through a blind account at one of those banks in the Caribbean. I believe he said that there were several accounts at different banks for safety. He received information from the traitor through the Internet. The messages were hidden in innocent travel photographs. But in any event, it is Al Queada who desired the death of Señor Siemels.”

  Jenny was stunned.

  “I don’t understand why they would have been interested in Jared,” said Jenny.

  “Unfortunately, I have no other information. But you should leave now. In the event that the FBI is not at the camp site, you may have many hours of driving. I urge you to spend the night somewhere, but the decision is, of course, yours to make.”