"I didn't think you were actually going to shoot him!" Stuart sounds almost giddy with excitement at the result of the shot. "I almost wet myself when I heard the shot."
"I had to shoot him, he was looking around the burning remains of the building and for all we know Fred is still in there. I didn’t want him to be able to collect any money from the body of our friend." Mitch secures his rifle and pulls out his flashlight once again. The fire has subsided to the point that it is emitting very little light now. "We need to go up there and look around. Can you walk?"
"I don't think so but I'm willing to try." The injured man struggles to reach his feet, using the sturdiness of the tree trunk he has been leaning against to support most of his weight. He takes two hobbled steps toward Mitch and gives him the thumbs up sign. "I won't be able to move quick, but I think I can make it. Honestly, I’d rather be anywhere else than here right now, so let’s get going"
Mitch leads the way through the trees and shrubs, using his flashlight to point out any fallen branches that could be trouble for Stuart to get over. Once on the concrete path they pick up their pace slightly, still aware that there could be as many as four more killers somewhere in Graham Park. Mitch heads directly for the man that he shot and rolls over the body so that he can see his face. Just as he saw through his rifle scope, there is a large hole in the right side of the man's neck. He pulls out the list of the faces and names that Stuart was able to save before the fire started and quickly matches the dead man to the name of Vladimir Strotsky, a former KGB agent. Mitch pulls out the pen from his chest pocket, crosses off the name and face and returns the pen.
"Mitch bring me that list of names." Stuart is a few feet away and has opened the large bag that the Russian was carrying before being shot. The bag is open wide with the two cloth panels falling to the side, exposing everything on the inside. "There's a head in this bag!"
Mitch races over to where Stuart is seated next to the bag. There is indeed a head in the bag, covered with blood and looking up at him with mouth open. The lack of blood has turned the skin a pale shade of blue. Again, Mitch compares the face to the list of names, finds the corresponding face and crosses out the name of Roger Sheffield, a former member of the British Secret Intelligence Service. Apparently, Mr. Sheffield was once the private body guard to the Queen.
"That leaves us with only four more. Our odds are getting better." Stuart is speaking to Mitch while walking to the other side of the man that his partner just killed. He takes the machete out of the hand of the dead man and uses it to sift through the burning ruble. "There's no sign that Fred was inside here, but even if he was, I doubt there would much left of him to find. Should we get going to the pirate ship?"
Mitch is surprised by the sudden bravery of his injured friend. "Yeah, let’s get going. According to the map, if we head up through these trees, we should come out in a perfect spot to see the ride."
The storm has finally moved in as the skies open up in a downpour just as the two men make it to the safety of the wooded area. The travel is slow due to the number of fallen branches, no doubt as a result of the harsh winter. Stuart has surprisingly taken the lead and is wielding the machete like a surgeon, clearing any brush that would cause trouble for him to cross with his bloody leg.
Mitch is happy to follow in the rear. The footing is far worse for him than it is for Stuart. Once the terrain has been matted down with footsteps and mixes with the rain that drips down from the branches, the ground becomes extremely slick. As they reach the top of a small hill, the area begins to get brighter. he checks his phone and sees that they are a few minutes late. Mitch races ahead to make sure that Stuart doesn't rush out into the open with his new-found bravado. He grabs him by the shoulder to turn him around and halt his impressive march to the ride.
Both men take a knee and use the scopes on their rifle to look at the pirate ship ride. The Galleon has been a favorite of the teenagers who visited Graham Park, with most riding it just after they get off the roller coaster. The large ship consists of eight rows of bench seats, with four rows on each side facing the middle. It works basically as a pendulum, being elevated by long poles that are brightly lit with purple lights. Once the riders have all been seated and secured behind their seat belts, an operator would throw a switch which would begin the ship on its swinging path. Once the ride was fully in motion the ship would swing from side to side, high into the air, with the riders screaming in excitement every time their side rose above the trees.
The two men are posted on top of the hill, with their rifles scanning the area around the ride. If you were to see them from a distance, you would think they were hunters who were taking aim at a large buck. Instead, the two men are searching for any sign of trained killers who are out here to end the life of anyone they find. The ride is lit up brightly, meaning that the area around it is aglow with the stream of purple lights that are mounted on the entirety of the large poles which swing the ship from side to side. The Galleon doesn't look nearly as intimidating now as it normally does when the riders are screaming at the top of their lungs.
The rain is nothing more than a drizzle now and the low growls of thunder are now to the east of Graham Park. With the ship moving quickly from side to side, it is difficult to follow through the rifle scope. It takes several passes from left to right before Mitch is convinced that the ship is indeed empty. He begins to search the area where the riders would wait in line to board the ship when he feels a strong whack on his back. It knocks him flying to his chest where his rifle lands a few feet in front of him. He rolls over quickly enough to see a mountain of a man beginning to swing a giant piece of wood at his face. He throws his forearms up just in time to absorb the impact and shatter the branch that the giant man had been swinging at his face.
The attacker is dark skinned and has large tattoos all over his arms. The ink seems to dance across his skin with every flex of his large muscles. He reaches down and places his large right hand onto Mitch's neck and uses his enormous body to add pressure, trying to suffocate the deputy. Mitch is struggling to breath, using both of his arms to try to remove the huge paw from his neck. No matter how hard he tries, he is unable to move the massive hand a single inch, not even long enough to allow himself a small gasp of air. He is seconds from passing out when the man’s hand goes limp and his body falls to the ground next to him. From where Mitch is laying on the wet ground, Stuart looks like a warrior from ancient Rome with his blood covered machete held tightly in his left hand.
Chapter 20
Stuart stands motionless for a few seconds. His hands are shaking, and it isn't long before he drops the machete. The shock of actually killing a person may be too much for him to handle. The look in his eyes lets Mitch know that his fellow officer has checked out mentally, very similar to how he looked in the moments after he was shot near the carousel. Things have gotten very serious for Stuart Johnson and judging by the sound of his breath, he is having a tough time adjusting. He has made tremendous efforts in the past to avoid violence and conflict at all costs. Now he stands over the body of a killer that he just put a machete through.
Mitch rubs his neck a few times before rising to his feet and brushing the mud and dirt from his uniform. He is shocked that such a large man would have been able to sneak up on them, especially through all of the broken sticks and branches that they had to navigate through. He walks over to Stuart and slaps him on the shoulder. "Thanks! You saved my life and you did what you had to do. When we get out of this mess, the first drinks at the Bottom Dollar are on me." Stuart looks at him and gives him a small grin, meaning he is alright with what he had to do. His stare is still a little glazed over but he appears to be coming out of the shock of killing another human being.
Mitch reaches into his shirt pocket and removes the list of names once more. When he was being choked, the man’s face was only a few feet from his own, so he is able to find the corresponding name on the list with ease. He scratches off the name of Carlos Arro
yo, a Colombian assassin who has an extensive resume of gruesome murders, mainly surrounding the cocaine industry. There are now just three names left on the list but there could be several more threats at the park if you count the people who are in charge of the game and are not listed on this roster. There is no telling how many men are hiding out at the headquarters building.
"The odds are getting better for us, but we need to make our way to the main building. The place that is labelled as headquarters on the map. We have to try and stop whoever is in charge of this whole thing. We also need to be aware that it is possible that they may have a small army in there." As Mitch finishes explaining to his fellow officer what he thinks is the best way to proceed, the pirate ship ride shuts down on its own. The lights fade to dark and the two men instantly reach for their weapons fearing that someone had to flip the switch manually. "I don't see anyone, the people in charge must have everything set on timers."
"Or they have them rigged to be able to control them remotely, like from the headquarters." The fact that aspects of the park could be operated remotely had never occurred to Mitch. Being thrust into such an intense situation has brought out every ounce of courage and police intuition that Stuart had been hiding for all of these years. "Let's start heading in that direction. Hopefully we can make it there without any more surprise attacks."
The two men tread lightly as they make their way down the small hill where they had been perched. They leave the body of the dead assassin laying under the trees where his body fell after he was stabbed through the chest with the machete. At first, they tried to move him, but his enormous stature required far more strength than either man could muster. Once they reach the concrete path, right next to the entrance to the pirate ship ride, they head north toward the front gate of Graham Park.
The giant Ferris Wheel looms in the distance showing the men which direction they need to head to reach the front gate. Even in the darkness, the large metal structure is still seen from almost any point in the park. They make their way past the carousel that once looked like it was going to explode in a cloud of smoke. They shine their flashlights from side to side as they reach the midway and the collection of buildings that host the carnival games and arcades. They separate for a brief period so that the can go on opposite sides of the Ferris Wheel before meeting each other at the other side.
The deputies make it to the building they were looking for without much trouble. Other than Stuart limping along and making moaning sounds at random times causing Mitch to fear they had been spotted and reach for his rifle, the trip was uneventful. The headquarters is in a building that most people who have visited the park would only notice if they needed a restroom. The long building is very normal looking with no features that would stand out. The lack of an eye-catching facade is a strong indicator that it does not contain anything that the paying public would be interested in seeing. This is also the only building in the park that is not painted in the same bright colors as the rest. Instead, the wooden shutters are painted brown to contrast against the tan color of the exterior paneling.
Mitch motions to Stuart that they need to work their way around the building and once again the two men take off in opposite directions. Mitch is the first one to find the entrance to the building. He waits patiently for Stuart to make his way around to where he is before going in. The building has no windows, so there is now way for the two men to know if it is occupied. Even though there is no way to tell how many men are on the inside, Mitch fears that his current run of luck doesn't bode well for them.
They check that their weapons are loaded and do their best to kick the door in and charge in like experienced police officers. Of course, they are anything but experienced and end up practically tripping over each other when the door opens far easier than they had expected. The one floor building is nothing but a long hallway, with a few doors scattered on either side. Both men are relieved to see the hallway is well lit, allowing them to return their lights to their pockets and carry their weapons properly with both hands. More importantly, they are relieved to see that the hallway is empty, both men expected to stumble in on a small platoon of gun toting soldiers.
Mitch takes the lead and slowly heads down the hallway. He stops near the first door and places his ear against it. He shakes his head to show Stuart that he didn't hear anything coming from inside the room. He slowly turns the handle and cracks the door open wide enough to get a peek inside. There is a brief moment of tension before realizing the room is empty. They file through the door and find a small room with nothing inside other than large stacks of computer equipment. Neither of the men know what the equipment is used for, but the nest of wires and multitude of blinking lights must mean the units are hard at work. Confident that there is nothing else in the room that will help them, they make their way back to the hall.
As they inch their way down the hallway, they can see a ray of light escaping below the door on the far side. Mitch walks right past the other two doors and heads straight for this door. Once again, he places his ear on the door and listens intently. He hears something, but he is unable to figure out what it is. He knows it's not voices but there is definitely activity on the other side of the door. He looks to Stuart and gives him a look that tells the other officer to be ready for anything.
The two men stand side by side, with rifles at the ready, as Mitch slowly opens the door. The room is extremely bright, and the rush of light takes a while for their eyes to adjust to. In this moment, they both hear a sound very familiar to them. Once you have heard the sound of a pump-action shotgun, you don't tend to forget it. The two men dive on either side of the door as the shot rips through the wooden door and the frame that surrounds it. The walls of the hallway trap the sound of the shot and it echoes throughout the space. Mitch sits up and looks through the bright light to see if Stuart is safe. He nudges himself close to the wall, trying to hide the best that he can. He failed to hear the pumping sound as the shooter reloaded but as he tries to stick his head around what remains of the door frame, the first thing he sees is the barrel of the weapon only inches from his face.
Chapter 21
Mitch freezes for a brief second, fearful that any movement he makes will force the gunman to pull the trigger. His nose is so close to the barrel that he can smell the residue of gun powder that remains from the first shot. The bright light the room is emitting makes it impossible to see the person holding the gun on him but as his heart beats rapidly he figures it's a good sign that he is still breathing. If the person wanted him dead, chances are the back side of his head would be splattered all over the hallway by now.
"Get up son," comes the deep bellowing voice from behind the weapon. Mitch recognizes the voice instantly, not to mention the fact that nobody else has ever called him 'son'. "You too Stuart, get in here so we can take a look at that leg."
The two men rise to their feet and are beyond relieved to see that the person who fired the shot at them, and is now extending his hand to theirs, is Sheriff Thompson. The gray-haired man stands much larger than Mitch and is thicker in the shoulders. He has become sort of a legend in Twisted Timbers over the years for his ability to diffuse a situation using only his words. He has never seen the need to carry a weapon while on-duty, until now that is.
"Sheriff! Boy are we glad to see you." Stuart is heading straight for an office chair in the corner of the room. He is obviously relieved to take the weight off of his injured leg and to no longer have to be the most active member of the police force on scene. "What are you doing here?"
"Well Stuart, I knew something wasn't right when Mitch called me earlier and told me the Ferris Wheel was lit up. I made a few calls to the feds over in Portland, they'll be here in the morning by the way, and got in the truck and headed out here. You boys want to give me the rundown as to what has been going on." Sheriff Thompson looks at the two men as if he is waiting on them to give them a good excuse as to why there are dead men all over the park.
Mi
tch and his father pull up folding chairs near where Stuart is. The two younger officers give the sheriff a full description of everything that has happened so far, including the fact that they fear that Fred was killed in the fire at the ice cream shack. The sheriff sits quietly, listening intently and taking notes as the two men do their best to accurately describe the events that took place. There were several times when they talked over each other, mainly because they were having different experiences while they were separated in the park. The sheriff waves his hands while they talk to tell them which one of them should talk at a given time.
"OK boys, let me tell you what has happened on this end. About ten years ago, we got several calls that the Ferris Wheel was lit up well before the park was supposed to be open for the season. I decided to head out here to check things out for myself but when I got here everything was dark. I chalked it up to the kids in town trying to scare each other with more of those ghost stories they like to tell." The sheriff pauses in his story long enough to grab his thermos from the desk nearby and pour himself another cup of coffee. "I didn't think anything of it until a few weeks later when a groundskeeper here found a severed head hidden in the bushes. They were getting the park ready to open for the season and he found it laying off of the pathway over by the carousel. I talked to Mr. Graham about it, but he claimed to have no knowledge. We were unable to identify the head and sent it off to the Portland unit for further testing. That was the last I heard about it. I never really gave it a second thought until you called me last night."
"Dad...I mean Sheriff, do you think what they found back then is somehow related to what is going on now? I mean it seems a little farfetched to think that something like this could have been going on for ten years without us ever knowing." The dryness of his throat makes his voice much deeper than normal. He eyes his father's thermos of coffee but doesn't dare to ask for a cup. He learned that lesson very early in life when his father gave him a strong whack with a spoon when Mitch tried to take the last cup out of the pot one morning.
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