Unbridled Murder

by Leigh Hearon

  “Lots of luck. Around here, you’re more likely to hear the drone of crop reports on the air than anything else.”

  He turned the ON button and started to scan. Most of the selections were a variation of static. The rest belted out energetic Mexican music. He switched it off and leaned back in his seat. Within a minute, he was gently snoring. Annie smiled and carefully unwrapped a candy bar, trying to make as little noise as possible. Wolf whined once for a bite, but when Annie refused to give in, he sighed and joined Marcus in the sleep of the innocent.

  Unlike her passengers, Annie was wide awake. Some small scrap of information was eluding her, and it was bothersome. She knew it was something she had heard on her trip to the county airport, but what the devil was it? The memory simply wouldn’t come to the forefront of her mind. She relived her conversation with Mack a dozen times, but still it refused to reveal itself. Annie knew it was seeing the choke on the old pickup that had pricked her brain, but after several hours of loading horses, her brain simply refused to fully engage and give her the pertinent connection.

  Her cell phone lit up, and she grabbed it before it began to ring. It was Kim, who informed her she’d just passed Annie’s alma mater in Ellensburg and that she and Sam Higgins were making excellent time.

  “Great,” Annie said sotto voce. “I’ll be the last to arrive, but that’s okay. It’ll be wonderful to see all the horses that preceded us at Patricia’s farm. Then I’ll really know they’re safe.”

  “If it’s still daylight by the time you get there. But I know what you mean. Why are you talking so softly?”

  “The prince is sleeping. I think jet lag finally caught up with him.”

  “Or something,” Kim said coyly. “But listen, Annie, I called to tell you something else. I just got a call from Rick, Tony’s pilot friend, who got some interesting news. Off the record, of course. Technically, the crash is still under investigation, and Rick only got this because he’s pals with someone on the NSTB.”

  “Do tell.”

  “They think they’ve discovered the cause of the crash.”

  “An IED. We’ve known that for ages.”

  Actually, it had only been ten days, but at this point, the plane crash seemed to have happened a long time ago.

  “Sorry. I mean the NSTB has figured out where the fire started. And where the IED was placed.”

  “The primer. The IED was attached to the primer.”

  “Annie! Who have you been talking to? I just got off the phone with Rick!”

  “I just figured it out. I mean, literally, just this minute. The IED was on the primer barrel. That’s why nobody spotted it—who looks behind dashboards before takeoff ? And as long as it didn’t detonate, Trevor’s plane would have flown just fine.”

  Annie was now thinking fast, trying to envision what would happen once the primer barrel exploded.

  “But once it did, all the fuel would feed down from the wings—that’s where it’s stored—into the cockpit. And because the fire was behind the dashboard, it would be almost impossible to put out. And . . .”

  Suddenly, Annie couldn’t go any further. She was imagining what it must have been like for Tony to be in a cockpit with the odor of fuel swirling around and smoke surging through the small area before everything erupted into a terrifying fuel-induced fire.

  “You are absolutely right. Brilliant, Annie.” Kim sounded genuinely impressed. “I continue to say you should consider a career in law enforcement.”

  “No way. But thanks.”

  Annie realized that Marcus was now awake and looking at her. His eyes still looked as if he were half-asleep, but there was an urgency about him that Annie couldn’t ignore.

  “Gotta go, Kim. Let’s talk later.” She put down the phone. Just as quickly, Marcus touched her arm holding it.

  “Annie! Coming up on your right! There’s something in the road!”

  Annie’s eyes followed Marcus’s outstretched arm. She saw a small oil drum about twenty feet ahead, prominently placed in her lane.

  “What the hell?” she exclaimed.

  Annie knew she couldn’t swerve around it. There wasn’t time, and it wouldn’t be safe with the trailer behind her, anyway. She also knew her truck and the trailer would never clear the drum if she tried to go over it. She’d have to stop, take it out of the road, and proceed.

  She looked around her and saw a place to pull over in relative safety. It was a small turn-in to an abandoned barn, a dingy grey, weather-beaten structure that listed at a perilously sharp angle. She put on her turn signal, as well as her brakes, and started to move toward the opening.

  “Call Jessica. She should know we’re stopping.”

  Marcus plunged his hand into his jeans pocket and pulled out his cell. Despite her concern about the truck, she was amused to see him simply punch a number and hold it to his ear. He had entered all of her friends’ numbers into his phone. And all this time she’d assumed he was attending to his business, not hers. She hoped her friends hadn’t shared any of her deepest, darkest secrets with the man during their many extended conversations.

  Suddenly, Annie didn’t have time to think about what her friends might have said or not to Marcus. She’d just seen Andy Johnson. He was crouched under the falling-down eave on the north side of the barn, shielded by an old, paint-stripped door. A rifle with a mounted scope was drawn up to his shoulder, and it was trained toward the road. But Annie knew Andy wasn’t aiming it toward her. He was aiming at the drum. And when the bullet pierced that metal container, she, Marcus, and the horses would be enveloped in a fiery blaze as deadly as the one that had destroyed Danny Trevor’s Cessna less than two weeks ago.

  CHAPTER 29

  MONDAY AFTERNOON, AUGUST 15

  Her warning came out as a high-pitched, out-of-control scream.

  “Get out! Get out of the truck right now!”

  Startled, Marcus looked at her strangely but did what she said. Her hands trembling, Annie brought the truck to a halt, shut off the engine, and wrenched her own door open. She leapt out and jerked open the door to the extended cab.

  “Run, Wolf! Run!” Wolf bounded out but refused to leave her side. With a cry of frustration, Annie gripped his collar and dashed across the country road, dragging Wolf with her. She prayed that Marcus was following them and that no other vehicles were on the road. She stumbled into the wheat field on the other side. A moment later, Marcus appeared alongside her and, without stopping, pulled her to the ground.

  “It’s Andy! I saw him! He’s going to shoot the drum and the whole trailer will blow! It’s a bomb, and it’s about to go off!” The last sentence came out in a sob. She looked over to the trailer parked on the other side, now a mere ten feet away from the drum. She knew she couldn’t save the horses inside. After all she, and they, had been through, they were still going to die. It was so horribly, terribly unfair. She covered her eyes with her hands so she would not see what was about to happen.

  And then a long, fearful shriek filled the air, and Annie’s head jerked up. She looked through the wheat stalks at the dilapidated barn where she’d last seen Andy. Behind the barn, and at a full gallop, came a black stallion ridden by a boy with a red handkerchief tied around his neck. The rider’s face was streaked with bright swatches of color, as if he were a warrior from long ago, and he held a long pole laced with white rags that rippled in the breeze. The stallion was moving so fast that his legs were a blur. As it neared the barn, Annie saw Colin crouch low by the horse’s mane. With one more eerie cry, he aimed his pole toward the terrified man, now standing, his body flattened against the barn door. The horse flew by him, and when Colin rounded the corner of the barn, the pole was no longer in his hand. It was now impaled in Andy’s chest, the end still quivering. Its tip must have penetrated the wooden door because Andy was still standing, despite the blood dripping down his shirt. Only his head drooped over. Annie saw the hand that had been holding the rifle slowly release its grip and the weapon fall uselessly to
the ground.

  She watched Colin spur the horse with his bare feet, urging the stallion forward over the disused farmland in a fierce and constant gallop, his warrior cries echoing in the breeze behind him. When they at last faded away, and Annie was sure that the trailer was still intact, she decided to stand up. She was shaking, and she noticed that Marcus had to help her to her feet.

  “You stay here,” Marcus commanded.

  For once, Annie was in no mood to argue. She had no interest in going down to gaze at Andy’s lifeless body. What she’d seen from the wheat field had been more than enough.

  * * *

  Jessica arrived minutes later, while Marcus was still investigating the scene. She parked her trailer next to Annie’s and ran over to her.

  “What is going on?” Jessica cried, grabbing Annie by the shoulders. “Marcus called me, but he never said anything. All I could hear was a lot of noise. What happened to you?”

  Marcus’s footsteps were so quiet that when he answered Jessica, she gave a small shriek.

  “Marcus! What the hell is going on?”

  He was holding Andy’s rifle with a handkerchief—a bright red one, Annie observed.

  “We’ve had a bit of a delay. By the way, you’ve just driven by an IED. We need to stop traffic immediately in both lanes. Would you mind calling nine-one-one?”

  “I already have. When I couldn’t get you to talk on the phone, I figured you were in trouble. The cops should be on their way now.”

  As if on cue, the screech of sirens filled the air, and Annie watched four sheriff’s office vehicles speed toward them. Marcus stepped into the middle of the road to flag them down.

  She groaned. The last thing she wanted was another encounter with Sheriff Mullin. But there he was, the leader of the pack, exiting his county vehicle now. It seemed a good time to check on the horses.

  * * *

  To Annie’s huge relief, the horses in the trailer had not suffered. From the number of piles on the floor mats and the sweat on their withers, she knew they’d been frightened by the sound of Colin’s war cries, and even a few minutes in the heat without moving ventilation was less than ideal. Jessica had found a better place to park her rig and had engaged the air-conditioning feature in her trailer. It meant keeping her engine running, but at least the infirm horses inside were comfortable. The trailer she’d loaned Annie, however, did not have this luxury. Thick, hot air surrounded the horses, and she knew the temperature inside the trailer could quickly rise.

  What was equally troubling was the line of vehicles that was slowly but steadily piling up in both lanes. Deputy’s vehicles had immediately blocked the road, and Annie assumed that someone in the department was frantically trying to figure out a detour route now. Considering that most roads around here were two-lane, finding an alternate route for motorists that didn’t bog them down just as much was going to be difficult. She willed herself not to think about the possibility that they’d all have to spend another night here. That would be cruel and unusual punishment, especially since everyone else in the rescue caravan would be happily reuniting at Patricia’s place over the next several hours.

  The wail of another law-enforcement vehicle filled the air, and Annie sighed. This was not a good omen. She wanted the police vehicles to leave, not multiply.

  * * *

  She noticed Marcus talking to a group of deputies who were watching the state patrol examine the oil drum. He seemed perfectly at ease as he engaged in conversation. Annie wondered if his bonhomie was genuine or based on currying favor with the people who were in control of when they could leave.

  “Annie!” Marcus looked a bit concerned seeing her in front of him. Well, tough darts, she thought. She was tired of hiding from Sheriff Mullin. She wanted to go home.

  “What’s happening?” she said in what she hoped was a friendly voice. “Are we any closer to getting the roads cleared?”

  A deputy turned toward her. It was Deputy Goddard. Annie felt cold anger wash over her. She noticed that the deputy looked a bit nervous. As well he should, she thought. Marcus obviously didn’t realize this was the cop who had tried to intimidate her several days ago. She remembered what Marcus had said about making him pay, along with all of his other rowdy friends.

  “Ms. Carson,” the deputy said. His tone was exceedingly polite.

  Annie did not respond. She was seething, and knew if she opened her mouth, nothing good would come out. And then, behind her, she heard Sheriff Mullin’s voice.

  “Why, Ms. Carson, fancy seeing you here. I was just about to call you.”

  Her heart dropped. What could he possibly have to tell her that was good? Sheriff Mullin was the harbinger of bad news, pure and simple.

  Annie’s head was swimming. She tried to control the emotions that were churning inside her and knew she couldn’t. It was too late. She had been here too long. And now, like it or not, Sheriff Mullin was going to get it with both barrels.

  She took two steps forward until she was standing just a few inches in front of him. And then she began to speak.

  “Please step aside and tell your deputies to do the same. I’m leaving.”

  She turned and made a step toward her truck.

  Sheriff Mullin grabbed her arm.

  “Hold on a second. I need to talk to you.”

  Annie flung her arm up, forcing the sheriff to drop it, and resisted the urge to punch him where it hurt.

  “I came to your town one week ago to do one simple task—transport four horses from your miserable feedlot back to where I live. I had the very bad misfortune to be present when a murder occurred there. Instead of being treated with courtesy and respect, I have been subjected to the worst possible treatment. I’ve been considered a suspect when all I did was report the crime. I have been cooperative at every step of your investigation. In return, I’ve been threatened by local hoodlums and told to leave town. My trailer was trashed. And your response through all of this has been to ignore these crimes and continue to harass me. So no, you can’t talk to me. I will not listen to a man who employs people who take delight in bullying people and destroying their property.”

  Sheriff Mullin let go of her arm. He actually looked somewhat surprised.

  “Who’s been bullying you?”

  Besides yourself, you mean? Annie thought, but didn’t say this.

  “Your deputy over there. He was part of the crowd that threatened me if I didn’t leave town. And undoubtedly trashed my trailer afterwards.”

  “Ray, is that true? You told me you’d seen Ms. Carson at the bar. You didn’t tell me you were part of the crowd that approached her.”

  Deputy Goddard’s face had turned bright pink. “Leroy was just having a bit of fun,” he began.

  “Leroy was there with his boys? And you were with him?”

  The deputy said nothing.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I was just trying to help her.” Deputy Goddard definitely was becoming a bit sullen. “I was trying to warn her what might happen if she didn’t back off. Besides, it didn’t come to nothin’.”

  “Oh, yes, it did,” Annie said angrily. “It resulted in thousands and thousands of dollars of damage to my trailer.” She pointed to it on the side of the road. “There are four overheated horses in it right now, and if I don’t get them on the road soon, you’re going to be investigating a case of animal cruelty, and you’ll be the one charged with a crime.”

  Sheriff Mullin looked over at the trailer. His eyes squinted a bit, as if this would bring the damaged vehicle into better focus. He slowly walked over to it and ran his hand along the creased aluminum siding. Then he turned to the silent group. Annie realized that Marcus was now holding her hand. She gave it a squeeze.

  “Here’s what I’m going to do. Ms. Carson, I’m going to ask the deputies to clear the roadway so you and your friends can leave now. Deputy Goddard here is going to escort you all the way to the I-90 ramp. After that, you’re on your own. Ray, I want to
see you in my office at oh-eight hundred tomorrow morning. Is that clear, everyone?”

  It was. Annie ran back to her truck, where Wolf had been patiently waiting in the driver’s seat. The heeler promptly vacated his position when he saw his mistress’s face, the one he knew meant no mercy. Annie turned the ignition key to get the oscillating fans going once more in the trailer and waited for Marcus to finish whatever he had to say to the sheriff. She glanced in her rearview mirror and saw Jessica already in her truck. They exchanged waves and smiled.

  Sheriff Mullin walked over with Marcus to the passenger side. Once Marcus was in and had his seat belt strapped, the sheriff put his arms on the window and leaned inside.

  “Don’t you want to know why I was going to call you?”

  Not really, she thought, but answered, “Sure.”

  “I was going to tell you you’re free to go.”

  Annie started to laugh. She couldn’t help it. The stress of the past week was catching up with her, and she found it hard to stop.

  The sheriff looked a bit puzzled by her response.

  “We will need to get a statement from you, you know. About this”—the sheriff nodded toward the crime scene in back of him—“and about that other thing.”

  That other thing. Annie reached around to get her purse.

  “Here’s my report. Photos to follow. Not to mention the bill.”

  It struck her that the trailer had been repaired by the man who had just tried to kill her. She started to laugh again, then stopped.

  “One more thing, Sheriff.”

  He nodded patiently.

  “Tell your deputy over there he can activate his lights but no sirens. The horses have been scared enough by all your noise.”

  Sheriff Mullin tipped his Stetson toward her. “Will do.” He walked toward the deputy’s car, and Annie began to laugh again.

  CHAPTER 30

  MONDAY AFTERNOON, AUGUST 15

  It took more than an hour for the small procession to crawl past the long queue of idling cars and trucks on both sides of the road. Deputy Goddard had decided to straddle both lanes, and Annie did her best to look straight ahead as she slowly watched the centerline disappear underneath her truck. She wanted to avoid the glares of sitting motorists, who she knew were destined to be there for hours before the road was finally cleared for travel. It was now late afternoon, and Annie mentally calculated their new arrival time. It would be close to midnight before they arrived at Running Track. But at least she was still alive, as were Marcus and the horses. That more than made up for a few extra hours on the road.