by Dennis Elder
The radio hissed for a second before Mark come back on.
“Roger that, forward one,” said Mark. “Main body up and moving, should arrive at your location in….” Several seconds passed as Mark checked his map. “Three hours minimum. We will hold at your position until we check in again at twelve hundred hours, over,” finished Mark.
“Roger that, main body one,” replied Jacob. “We will check in at twelve hundred hours, over and out.” Jacob turned off the radio’s power button. Then he held out the radio to return it to Jake, who was still faking like he was asleep.
“Jake, here’s the radio,” offered Jacob.
But Jake didn’t react, and said, “You keep it. Today you’re communications’ officer. We’ll trade off from now on.
The young man silently pulled the radio back and packed it away in a safe place, all the while he couldn’t keep from smiling. Then he sat back and picked up the binoculars. He wanted to keep close eyes on the men who had finally coasted to the bottom of the hill below. They were pedaling hard now and looked determined to make good time.
Chapter 95: Frozen Solid
The front wheel on Squeaky’s bike was making a nasty sound every time it made a full rotation.
“Need to find a new bike?” asked Ralphy, as they huffed and puffed along I-15. The little state line town of Primm was about two miles ahead.
“That piece of junk is on its last leg,” continued Ralphy
“No kiddin,” answered Squeaky as he struggled to keep up with Ralphy’s pace.
Not only was Squeaky’s bike making some serious noises, but it was getting progressively harder to pedal.
Ralphy noticed and slowed the pace a bit.
“Maybe we’ll find something in that town ahead,” offered Ralphy.
Squeaky continued his struggle for another 300 yards when suddenly a low groan came from the front wheel and the bike shuddered to a halt. Squeaky was nearly thrown over the handlebars but was able to land on his feet. He tried to push the bike forward but the front hub had frozen tight. He reached down to touch some of the spokes near the hub and quickly pulled back his fingers.
“Hot as hell!” he shouted.
Ralphy shot ahead momentarily when Squeaky’s bike stopped, and now he circled back around to face Squeaky standing next to his now useless bicycle.
“Front wheel is frozen solid,” added Squeaky as he tugged on the tire.
“Bearings probably lost grease and seized up,” said Ralphy. “Looks like you’re walkin until we find a replacement.”
Squeaky threw down the bike in disgust. “Pile of junk,” barked Squeaky. “Leave me stranded here, in the desert. Thanks for nothin!”
Squeaky suddenly looked up at Ralphy with hope in his eyes and said, “Looks like we’re riding double from now on.”
Ralphy let out a small laugh.
“In your dreams fool,” replied Ralphy. “I’m not wreckin my bike for your sorry ass.”
“I can’t walk out here… this is a desert,” complained Squeaky, as he looked down the long road ahead. “I’ll die of thirst.”
“You’re not gonna die stupid,” said Ralphy. You’re gonna pick up what’s left of your crummy bike and walk it into the next town.”
“I’m not hauling that busted down piece of junk another foot,” shouted Squeaky.
“OK, but what if we find another bike in there and it only has a good front tire,” said Ralphy, as he pointed toward Primm. “If you leave your bike here, then you’d have to walk back out here again, pick up your busted down piece of junk, walk it and yourself back to the town for the second time, and then install the good tire on that bike.”
Squeaky squinted in the sun. It was taking him a minute to process what Ralphy was saying. Finally, he nodded in agreement.
“Yea,” said Squeaky. “I get what you’re sayin.”
Ralphy quickly turned his bike around back toward the town.
“The sooner we get there the sooner we get movin again,” added Ralphy.
Squeaky bent over and picked up what was left of his bike and lifted the front tire off the black asphalt. He struggled to push the bike without banging his right ankle on the pedal as he walked along. The fourth time the pedal struck the back of his heal, the impact left a small cut.
“Dam,” shouted Squeaky, as he came to a halt and looked down to check the damage on his heel. “I can’t walk this thing like this. I’ll bleed to death before we get to that town,”
Ralphy slowly circled back again and stared at Squeaky while slowly shaking his head.
“The guy was just plain stupid,” thought Ralphy to himself. He probably ought to just shoot him and put him out of his misery. But two guns are better than one and who knows what they might run into out here.
Ralphy got off his bike and put the kickstand down. He walked over to Squeaky and took the bike out of his hands. Then, while holding the handlebars, he deftly flipped the bike up on its back tire. The front tire now stuck straight up in the air. Then he started walking forward balancing the bike on its one good rear wheel. While keeping his face turned toward Squeaky, Ralphy walked the bike around in a full circle to demonstrate the technique, while Squeaky watched him suspiciously. When he came back around he stopped next to Squeaky.
“Think you could do that from here to the town, stupid?” questioned Ralphy.
Ralphy pushed the handlebars toward Squeaky and turned the bike over to him. The front wheel was still pointing straight up. Ralphy walked over to his bike, climbed aboard, turned toward the small town and started pedaling again.
Squeaky didn’t move at first. Then he suddenly got mad.
“Well why didn’t you show me this before I cut my heel up all to hell an back again!” shouted Squeaky.
Ralphy didn’t respond. But as he continued to ride forward he stuck out his right hand and flipped Squeaky the bird.
Chapter 96: Keystone Cops
Jake and Jacob had been standing by the side of I-15’s South bound lane for over ten minutes. They were ready to follow their targets, but at the last minute the two convicts slowed down and came to a stop.
Jake was watching their movements with the big binoculars. They needed the two men ahead of them to pass through the little town of Primm before they could move. That was their standard operating procedure. This ensured they were never seen and could provide scouting information for the main body, who were now 10 miles or so behind them, led by Major Harris.
Jacob was trying to see the men far down the road and was squinting in the bright sunlight. It was after 10:30 am now and he wanted to get moving.
“What are they doing?” asked Jacob.
Jake dropped the binoculars but kept his eyes forward.
“Can’t be sure from here,” said Jake. “Looks like they’re walking around in circles or something.”
“What,” said Jake.
“Keystone Cops these two,” said Jake as he pulled up the binoculars to his eyes again.
“Keystone Cops?” questioned Jacob.
“You know silent movies, Keystone Cops, funny guys from the 20’s,” continued Jake.
“Silent movies?” wondered Jacob as he looked quizzically at Jake.
Still watching through the binoculars, Jake noticed the little men were moving forward again. They’d be into the town in ten minutes.
“You know, like the three stooges, funny stuff,” said Jake. “Certainly, you’ve heard of the three stooges?”
“Can say I have,” responded Jacob defensively. “What’s a three stooges?”
Jake lowered the binoculars again and turned to look at Jacob.
“What!” said Jake. “Your telling me you’ve never watched a three stooges movie?”
“Not to my knowledge,” said Jacob. “What’s so special about um?”
“This generation,” said Jake in a mocking tone and shaking his head.
“Yea,” replied Jacob defiantly. “It’s an awesome generation.”
Jake didn’t
reply. He turned to his bike pack and stowed away the binoculars under a secure pocket.
“When we get to Salt Lake,” began Jake. “And when we get the lights back on.”
“If we get the lights back on,” added Jacob.
“When we get the lights back on, Mr. Negative,” countered Jake. “When we get the lights back on I’ll dig up a couple Three Stooges DVDs and we’ll have ourselves a Stooges party. You, me and anyone who wants to come.”
“Sounds fun,” offered Jacob.
“Guaranteed laugh fest,” finished Jake.
Jake threw a leg over his bike and slipped on his sunglasses. Jacob did the same. The downhill stretch before them was about five miles long.
“OK,” began Jake. “Here’s today’s challenge. Race to the bottom, those trees down there are the finish line,” gestured Jake, as Jacob looked for the trees. “No brakes, and no pedaling, slowest guy to the bottom has to pump up all the tires tomorrow morning.
“You’re on,” said Jacob.
Both men slowly began creeping down the road. Before long they were neck and neck and hitting over 40 miles an hour.
Chapter 97: Beef Jerky
Squeaking finally found a decent road bike in a storeroom out behind the casino on the East side of town. It was a much better bike than the one he had. And there was a pump with it too. After getting some air into the tires, Squeaky rolled out his newfound treasure and met up with Ralphy at the Big Money gas station and convenience store. Ralphy found a lot of food on the shelves. Some of it was still good.
“Find any dough nuts?” asked Squeaky.
“If I did they’d be harder than rocks and half as tasty,” countered Ralphy, as he chewed on a piece of beef jerky. Ralphy handed the half empty bag to Squeaky.
“Looks like you found yourself a good bike there, amigo,” said Ralphy, as he looked over Squeaky’s new set of wheels. Tires good?”
“Yup,” replied Squeaky. “Found a better pump too.”
“Good,” said Ralphy as he stood up. Then he took back his bag of beef jerky, stuffed it into his back pack and then slung it over his shoulder. “There’s plenty of water in there and food to if you’re hungry. I found some that was still good.”
Squeaky spent a few minutes gathering food and water. Then he came out and grabbed his pack and gun. Ralphy was sitting on his bike ready to go.
“You ready?” asked Ralphy.
“Just about,” said Squeaky, as he stuffed the long pump into his small backpack.
Ralphy took a quick look around.
“If we hustle we can make the town of Jean before dark and sleep in a bed tonight, said Ralphy.
“I’m up for that,” said Squeaky as he climbed on his newly appropriated road bike.
“Hopefully, we’ll be back in Vegas by tomorrow night,” added Ralphy.
The two ex-convicts pulled out of the convenience store lot and headed for I-15.
Chapter 98: Musketeers Bar
Jake and Jacob had make good time. Almost too good. When they came into the town of Primm they were caught off guard when they noticed their two targets were only a few hundred yards ahead of them. They quickly made their way down the off ramp and hid behind a building.
“That was way too close,” said Jake.
“Roger, wilco and out on that,” agreed Jacob.
The two men stepped off their bikes and peaked around the building’s corner to watch Squeaky and Ralphy pedaling down the road. Jake was still rattled.
“If they had seen us we’d would have been forced to stop ‘um,” said Jake.
Jacob hadn’t thought about it much. They were always a good distance behind the two men. The more he thought about it the more he wondered what Jake meant by “stopping” them.
“Do you mean we’d would have had to kill them?” asked Jacob.
Jake didn’t look at Jacob. He kept his eyes on the two distant men.
“I don’t know,” said Jake. “But we would have had to stop them from getting to Vegas before our group.”
“Yea but killing them, I don’t know if I…” said Jacob.
Jake cut him off in mid-sentence.
“You remember when we found you back in LA?” began Jake.
“Well yea, but…” replied the confused boy.
“Well, then you remember Mark’s little speech about if you come with us then your pledge allegiance to the group first, right?” questioned Jake.
Jacob didn’t like much where the conversation seemed to be going but he sensed a hard lesson was coming.
“Yes, I remember it,” said Jacob.
“If you’ll recall you also agreed that you’d follow all commands in the protection of our group first, right?” asked Jake, as he pulled out the binoculars and lifted them to his eyes. “So, the group always comes first,” said Jake
“Yea, I remember,” answered Jacob.
“Those two men down there are only alive because they are going to create an important diversion for us,” began Jake. “They will tell what ever other scum bags living in Vegas that a group of men and nine women are traveling North up road 127. Bad guys that they are, they will head off with their hair on fire if they think they can capture nine women.”
“Right,” said Jacob.
“The more of the scum bags that head toward road 127 out of Vegas will be that many less bad guys we’ll have to deal with when we try and sneak through Vegas undetected,” finished Jake.
OK, but…” started Jacob.
“OK nothing son,” snapped Jake. “If those guys saw us they’d warn whoever else is down the road that we were coming - all of us, including the women. Make sense?
Jacob thought it through. And saw where Jake was going.
“Yes,” said Jacob with a little more backbone. “I see now.”
“So, then we’d be dealing with who knows how many other crazies who’d be waiting for us,” added Jake.
“Right,” agreed Jacob.
“Since we have no choice but to pass through Vegas,” continued Jake, as he turned to face Jacob. “It would probably mean a stand-up fight, and unfortunately only one side wins in a firefight. And while I’m sure we would win in the end, I’m also pretty sure we’d lose about half of our group, maybe more. See what I’m sayin?”
It only took Jacob a second to see reason.
“Yes sir,” responded Jake. He understood now. No more questioning orders.
“So, you got your head right on this now?” asked Jake.
“I got my head right, sir,” responded Jacob, somberly.
“Good, cause sooner or later I’m going to need you to back me up, protect my blind side,” continued Jake. “That will most likely mean you’ll have to put some bad guys down.
Jake paused a moment to let that sink in.
“You ready willing and able for that?” finished Jake, with his eyes riveted to Jacob’s.
“Yes sir,” responded Jacob, with equal resolve. “I’ll be ready.”
“Good to hear, said Jake with a smile. “Then let’s pull back to one of these convenience stores and see what they’ve got to eat,” said Jake. I’ve been craving a candy bar for days now.”
Ralphy and Squeaky finally traveled far enough down the road that they’d passed out of sight, over the next hill. Nevertheless, Jake and Jacob moved forward carefully, keeping one eye on the Northbound freeway.
The men parked their bikes outside the closest convenience store.
“Looks like you need a little air in that rear tire,” said Jake, as he motioned to Jacob’s bike tire.
Jacob looked down and agreed. He reached for the pump strapped to his road bike’s frame and bent down to attach the nozzle.
“I’m gonna check and see what’s left to eat, said Jake.
“10-4,” replied Jacob.
Jake leaned his rifle against his bike, opened the convenience store door and went inside. The night clerk’s body was slumped on the floor behind the register. Her mouth was wide open and she looked a littl
e like a dried out Egyptian mummy. Jake looked down at the clerk’s dead body.
“Mind if I look around?” asked Jake, in a mocking tone.
He knew what he wanted. Then again, he knew he and Jacob would need to stock up on water bottles and any real food that was still edible. But he gave into his wants and headed for the candy bar aisle. The bars were there – lots of big ones. Jake like the larger size. He grabbed one and tore off the packaging and tried to take a big bite. But the candy bar was hard as a rock. He picked up a few more bars and squeezed them. But each bar was just as hard as the one he tried to eat.