Terror Grips the Beach

by Steve McMillen

  I hear the four clicks, the pause, and then two more clicks. Damn, now what do I do. I’m on my own with no backup.

  In a situation like this, my instincts need to take over. I am listening for the sounds of nature all around me and the silence is unnatural. Now I need to listen for the sounds of humans.

  Again, I hear a faint sound, maybe a step slowly taken, or an arm brushing against a tree limb or a bush. He is near. I catch a glimpse of him. He is prowling around the perimeter of my location, producing shadows of life-like hollow ghosts and goblins. He is so close I could reach out and touch him, but I am not sure if he brought Von along and if he did, where is he?

  I command my heart rate to slow down and my breathing to slow down as well. I need to be motionless and quiet. He has no idea I am here. Suddenly all sounds cease. I get that feeling that something evil is near. Someone or something is very close and getting closer. I can see the tall, thin man maybe twenty feet away. Time for me to fish or cut bait.

  I slouch down lower and call out, “You looking for me? Put down your weapon or I will drop you where you stand.”

  He looks my way, pulls up his weapon and fires. The bullet smacks into the tree just above my head. I point and pull the trigger of my M-16 twice. “Pop, pop.” he drops to his knees and falls forward on the ground.

  I slowly get up from my position and walk over to my fallen foe. I touch his neck. So much for the idea of taking him alive. I grab his weapon and stick it in my waistband. I get on my cell phone and call Steve. I tell him what happened and that Detective Connehey may be in trouble. I tell him where we are located. I jog back down the path to see what is up with Connehey. For some reason, I occasionally look back over my shoulder to see if anyone or anything is following me. The sounds of the night have not returned. I go through the rusty metal gate and hear Ed call out my name, “Mickke D, over here. Check the person in that car and see if they’re alive.”

  I gaze into the vehicle he was referring to and I see Von Spineback slumped over in the front seat along with the shattered driver’s side window. I find Connehey and notice he is handcuffed to the top of an SUV.

  “What the hell happened to you? Who shot Von?” I ask.

  “Well, I hate to say this, but some woman shot him. When I tried to arrest her, she got the drop on me and here I am.”

  I shake my head. “You’re going to have a black eye tomorrow. What did she look like?”

  “No idea. She was dressed in black pants, black shirt, black gloves, with a black scarf covering everything except her eyes. She was quick and strong. I never had a chance. I’m surprised she didn’t shoot me as well.”

  The EMTs show up along with Steve. He gruffly asks, “What the hell is going on here? Connehey, what are you doing here and why are you handcuffed to that vehicle?”

  I look his way and let Ed reply, “It’s a long story Steve.”

  He gets out his handcuff keys and un-cuffs Connehey. “I can’t wait to hear this one. Mickke D, where is the body?”

  “Well, Von Spineback’s body is up there in that car with the shattered window, and my dead body is about a quarter-mile up that path,” I say, pointing at the rusty metal gate.

  He looks perplexed. “I give up. Who killed Von Spineback? You, Connehey?”

  He replies, “Not me. Some woman dressed like a Ninja Warrior shot him and when I tried to arrest her, she got the drop on me, and I guess you can figure out the rest.”

  With his arms folded across his chest, he says to Connehey, “And why were you here in the first place, detective?”

  “Well, I was backing up Mickke D.”

  Reynolds looks at me. “I knew you had to be involved somehow. Why didn’t you go to Pickerington High School, or Berne Union, or Amanda Clearcreek High School? That way, probably none of this would have ever happened.”

  “But detective, think about how dull your life would have been without me.”

  I pull the tall, thin man’s weapon from my waistband. “Here’s the weapon from your killer doughnut guy. He’s about a quarter-mile up the path and literally right on the path. If you get to the flags where your people found the blanket, you’ve gone too far and probably stepped over him. You can thank me later.”

  Without replying, he turns and barks out a command to get a detail together to retrieve the body. He recruits two officers, along with himself, to escort the EMTs.

  After they leave, I ask Ed, “Tell me more about the woman. Was she tall, what color hair, did she have long legs?”

  “She was probably 5’10. She did have long legs. I have no idea what color hair, all I could see were her eyes. They were compassionless and cold. Why do you ask?”

  “Oh, no particular reason. Just wanted to know some more about the woman who kicked your ass. Also, I promise not to call Colonel Townsend and give him the news.”

  “Very funny. The thing that still gets me is why didn’t she shoot me? I am the only witness.”

  “Well, maybe it was a hit and you weren’t part of the contract.”

  “You think she could have been a hired killer?”

  “It’s possible. Stranger things have happened.” I reply.

  Actually, it sounds a lot like a hit, and I think of Beverly. I told her and GG about Von when I met with them outside of Atlanta. I went into detail about how he hired the man who killed my friend’s sister and then got rid of witnesses and got off scot-free. But, I did not ask them to get rid of him. I think I will keep these thoughts to myself for now.

  Fifteen minutes later, my cell phone rings. It’s Steve. “Mickke D, get your ass up here. We’ve searched high and low and there is no dead body here. Bring Connehey with you.”

  “What do you mean? He was dead. I shot him with an M-16. He had no pulse. He was dead! I even got his gun!”

  He hangs up without replying. I look at Ed. “Let’s go. Steve wants us up on the mountain. It seems as if my dead body got up and ran away.”

  As we approach the area where I had my encounter with the tall, thin man, I see flickering lights from flashlights and hear banter from the detail. I stop in front of the tree where I waited for my adversary. He is gone. The body is gone. I call out to big Steve, “Hey, back here.”

  Five minutes later, the detail shows up led by big Steve. “So where is the body?” he asks.

  “Steve, he was right here on the path. I was sitting with my back against this tree. He fired his weapon at me and hit the tree above my head. I fired twice and he dropped. I felt for a pulse and there was none. He was dead.”

  I walk over to the tree, get my knife out of my pocket, and say to Connehey, “Ed, shine your light over here on this tree.”

  Connehey shines his light on the tree and I look closely for the lodged bullet, “Here it is.” I dig out the lead projectile from the tree. I hand it to Steve.

  He accepts the bullet and says, “That’s nice. Can you dig the body out of the tree as well?”

  I take my light and look closely at the area where I remember the body being located. “There, blood drops on the ground! They are moving away from the location.” About twenty feet later, they disappear. I look at Steve with cold chills up and down my spine. “It’s as if someone or something picked him up and carried him away.”

  All conversation ends and we all begin shining our flashlights around as nature’s sounds disappear again.

  Finally, Steve ends the silence. “All right, we are treating this as a crime scene.” Looking at one of the officers, he says, “Tape this whole area off and get the crime scene boys up here right away. And don’t anyone step in any of that blood trail.”

  He points to the two officers. “You guys stay here until the crime scene boys show up. The rest of you, head on back and stay on the trail. I don’t want anyone else to disappear. Mickke D, Connehey, let’s go.”

  I give him a stern look and pull him off to the side and whisper, “Are you sure you want to leave them up here alone?”

  He looks at me and then he re
members the screeching sounds from the cave. He remarks to the two officers, “Okay, tape off the area and we’ll all head back.” The two officers look relieved.

  All of us arrive back at Fair Avenue without any incidents. The EMTs take Von’s body back to the morgue, and a towing company takes the car back to the impound lot. Steve tells me to meet him in his office at 9:00 in the morning.

  I get in one last dig. “Should I bring doughnuts?” I get a, you’re on thin ice look in return.

  CHAPTER 87

  The following morning, I arrive at police headquarters about 8:50. I check my weapon at the front desk and I am directed back to Detective Reynolds’ office.

  I knock on the doorjamb of the open door. Before I can say anything, Steve says, “You mention doughnuts and I’m going to deck you.”

  I laugh and reply, “No problem, I’m good.”

  Detective Connehey follows me in and Steve motions for him to close the door. Steve begins, “So Connehey, what were you doing over on Fair Avenue last night?”

  “I got a call from Mickke D and he asked me to back him up. The plan was that if anyone followed him up the path, I was to call him on the radio and then follow at a discreet distance. I watched a man go through the gate and I notified Mickke D. Then as I was getting ready to follow, I see a person dressed all in black walk up to the car the man just got out of and shoot the person in the driver’s seat. That’s when I moved in, and I guess you know the rest.”

  I jump in. “I would like to know how he knew I was going to be there last night, unless he was following me around all day. If he was, I did not see him.”

  Steve gets a funny look on his face. “I may have the answer to that. I had a call forwarded to me yesterday afternoon about a strange man looking around on Mt. Pleasant. I told the guy he was okay, and that he probably would be back tonight as well.”

  I chide him, “Thanks detective. With friends like you, who needs enemies?”

  He changes the subject. “And how did our killer know Von was going to be there?”

  Connehey and I both shake our heads. I ask, “Any idea who the woman was?”

  He replies, “We have no idea. She just seemed to disappear. And without a facial description, there’s not much to go on.”

  Connehey says, “She was good, boss, I mean real good. Mickke D thinks it could have been a hit and that she was a hired killer.”

  “That right?” Steve asks, looking at me.

  “Only because she didn’t shoot Connehey as well. If it was a hit, he was not part of the contract, plus he was law enforcement.”

  Reynolds replies, “But why would anyone put a contract on Von?”

  I reply, “I have no idea.” Then it is my turn to change the subject. “So where do we go from here?”

  “We wait for the forensic team to finish their thing up on the mountain today.”

  I leave Steve’s office, pick up my weapon and head out the front door. I hear Ed call out, “Hey, Mickke D, wait up. So now what are you going to do?”

  I think about the question. “I’m going back up on that damn mountain to find another entrance to that cave. I just know there has to be a second opening somewhere.”

  “If you need any help, just let me know. Sorry I wasn’t more help last night.”

  “No problem, Ed. When is your next day off?”

  “Tomorrow,” he answers.

  “Okay, meet me back on Fair Avenue tomorrow at ten in the morning. Fatigues and weapon.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  After leaving police headquarters, I walk up Main Hill to the courthouse to try to find some topographic maps of Lancaster. I go to the Recorder’s Office and I am met at the counter by a lovely young lady. “Well, hello there, my name is Rosemary. How may I help you?”

  I allow my eyes to play over her well-formed body. Just watching those faultless lines frees my mind of all of my problems, if only for a moment. Finally, she asks again, “Ah, can I help you?”

  I stop staring. “Well, I’m looking for some topographic maps of Lancaster. Do you have those here?”

  She frowns. “No, I don’t think we do, but I sure wish we did.”

  I give her my best flirting smile. “I wish you had them as well. So where should I go for those maps, Rosemary?”

  “I think what you’re looking for would be in the Engineer’s Office.” She yells out, “Hey, Gene, where can this guy find topogeographic maps or something like that?”

  The man replies, “The Engineer’s Office.”

  “See, I was right,” she says. “If you don’t find what you’re looking for there, come back over here. I’ll be happy to help you look around.”

  “Thank you, Rosemary, I may do just that.”

  As I move on to the Engineer’s Office, I am thinking I may have to stop back by the Recorder’s Office before I leave town.

  Just before I enter the office, my phone rings. It’s Steve. “Where are you?”

  “I’m at the County Recorder’s Office looking for maps.”

  He laughs. “Did you meet Rosemary?”

  “Yes, I did,” I reply.

  “Hey, the DNA from the blanket matched both of the missing persons. Also, the guys returned from the mountain and said the blood spots were human but we have nothing to match them to.”

  “So what’s next?”

  “I’m going to send another search detail up on the mountain to look around.”

  “Great, but make sure it’s during daylight and not tomorrow. Ed and I will be up there tomorrow looking around.”

  “Okay, no problem, we’ll go up the next day. Let me know if you find anything tomorrow”

  “Will do,” I say.

  I continue into the Engineer’s Office and ask where I can find topographic maps of Lancaster. They point me to an area marked “Maps” and say if I need any help just holler. I look up the maps for the Mt. Pleasant area and take them over to a map table. I am looking for anything out of the ordinary, that might give me a clue as to where a second entrance to the cave might be. I find one very small anomaly, on the far back side of the mountain.

  I take the map in question and ask the guy if I could get a copy of a particular section of the large map. He tells me no problem and charges me $1 for the copy.

  As I leave the Engineer’s Office, I ask myself if I should stop in the Recorders Office and say goodbye to Rosemary. Then I think to myself, Remember, Mickke D, women provide the greatest of pleasures and the worst of problems.

  I slow down as I pass the office but decide to heed my own warning and keep going. I need to stay focused on the mountain so I can find out what happened to Jake.

  CHAPTER 88

  Once I get back to my hotel suite, I start getting things ready for tomorrow morning. Not long into the process, I decide I have to call Beverly and see where she was last night. I know she won’t admit it, but I just want her to know that I know what she did.

  She answers after four rings. “What do you want?” Her voice is cold and toneless.

  I get right to the point. “Were you in Lancaster, Ohio, last night?”

  I can tell the question catches her off guard, but she quickly recovers. Her tone does not change. “Of course not. I don’t even know where Lancaster, Ohio, is. Why do you ask?”

  “Because I’m in Lancaster and last night someone shot and killed Von Spineback. Remember, I told you and GG about him when I met with you ladies outside of Atlanta?”

  She hesitates and then answers, “Sorry, not me. I’m in Atlanta. Been there since I left Myrtle Beach. Why are you in Lancaster? Were you going to eliminate the guy and someone beat you to it?”

  “No, I am here trying to find out what happened to a friend of mine who disappeared.”

  “Anything else, Mickke D?”

  “Yeah. Thanks for not shooting Detective Connehey.”

  She abruptly hangs up.

  CHAPTER 89

  I awake the following morning to a beautiful sunrise and a foreca
st for a very awesome early fall day in Ohio. Looks like a great day for a leisurely walk in the woods. I place two bottles of water, some protein bars, duct tape, two extra ammo clips for my .45, two two-way radios, my maglite, the copy of the map I made in the Engineers Office, an ammo belt, two flares and two grenades, in my backpack. The grenades were left over from my ‘fishing trip’ to Colombia. Colonel T never asked for them back and I never offered to give them back. I know deep down that he knows I still have them.

  After breakfast at Root’s, I change into fatigues and I arrive on Fair Avenue about 9:50. Detective Connehey pulls in right behind me. I ask if he’s ready to go. He gives me a thumbs up. We walk through the rusty metal gate and once on the other side and out of sight of any civilians, I stop and open my backpack. I hand him one of the two-way radios. I strap on my ammo belt and take the two grenades from my backpack. I attach them to my belt.

  “Damn, Mickke D, I didn’t know we were going to war. Where in the world did you get those?”

  “You really don’t want to know. Hopefully we won’t need them.” I pull my shirt down to cover the grenades, in case there are any civilians in the area. “Do you have your badge with you in case we run into any civilians along the way?”

  “Yes sir, back pocket. So do you have a plan? Are we just winging it?” he asks.

  “Probably a little of both.” I retrieve the map from my backpack and hand it to him. “I would like to look at this area of the mountain.” I look him in the eyes and ask, “So what do you think was in that cave?”

  “I don’t know, but it scared the hell out of me. I’m glad Steve decided not to go in that day.”

  “Tell me about it. I was in there for a very short time and it sure got my attention. But here’s the thing. I saw several tunnels running in different directions so that’s why I think there has to be another entrance somewhere. Whatever was in there had to be able to get in and out, and the vines on the rock wall were not disturbed before I cut some of them and went inside.”

  “Well, it looks to me like we are about here,” he says, pointing to the map.