"It was a pleasure meeting you Mr. Thompson. I hope I get to see you again real soon." The man speaks directly to Mitch for the first time and utters the words as if he was holding all of the cards instead of being tied to a chair and surrounded by federal agents. "Hopefully the next time we meet will be under different circumstances. Maybe there will be a few less members of law enforcement around."
Chapter 28
Once he reaches his truck, Mitch looks ahead at the park where he has spent the night. The Ferris Wheel looms large in the foreground and hovers high above everything else. He can still see the same Ferris Wheel car that he was stuck in while his father was being killed. He feels sorry for leaving the other two deputies, the only other remaining members of the Twisted Timbers police force, to have to deal with the questions that will come from the federal officers.
Judging by the colors of the morning sky, he can tell that the area will be hit with another spring shower at some point this afternoon. The low clouds move in fast from the west, off of the Pacific Ocean, and are becoming darker in color as they progress. With the turn of a key, the engine of his truck roars to life. Before he can even make it out of the parking lot, he is regretting leaving his father alone. He knows the agents will treat him with the same respect they would give one of their own, but it was his father. He breaks down in tears and buries his head in his hands. His forehead is resting on the steering wheel and the sobs are hard to stop.
He remains in that position for far too long, maybe even falling asleep for a minute or two. He is snapped out of it when he hears a familiar song on the radio. He wipes the salty tears from his eyes and puts the truck into gear. The truck makes a large circle in the gravel parking lot, dodging at least a dozen sedans that have made the journey from Portland. He points his vehicle toward the exit and gives the park one last look through the rear-view mirror. He watches as the Ferris Wheel begins light up and starts to rotate. He feels relief to know that the computer experts are making progress in their attempts to hack into the computer system and return the park to its rightful state. Mitch is grateful that except for his father, the other three members of the police department have made it through the night alive. He can just imagine the attention Fred will get at the bar when he begins telling the stories about this night.
As he steers his car toward the highway, he is happy to be finally putting the events that took place out of his mind. He reaches to turn up the radio when he suddenly hears a series of loud booming sounds behind him. He slams on the brakes of the truck and holds on tight as the blasts are strong enough to shake him in his seat. He checks his rear-view mirror again in just enough time to watch the Ferris Wheel tumble to its side and land in giant fire ball. Several more explosions can be heard off in the distance.
He thought the whole ordeal was over and he was about to be heading home. Now the crisp morning sky is filled with plumes of smoke and raging fires. His friends are still inside the park as well as countless federal agents. He ponders for a moment the severity of what he just witnessed, and momentarily thinks about driving away and letting the F.B.I. handle this part of the case on their own. He knows that his father wouldn’t just run away from a problem like this, nor would he trust someone else to keep the folks in town safe from whatever could happen next.
Chapter 29
It's hard for him to believe what he just saw, so he adjusts the rear-view mirror in hopes that he was mistaken. It never even occurred to him that he could just get out of the truck or turn it around to face the park. Now all he can see is large clouds of smoke and areas where flames shoot high into the air. Maybe he is just dreaming this. Maybe he fell asleep in his truck before he even started the ignition. A smaller explosive blast from somewhere deep inside the park lets him know that he is living this nightmare in real life. The small blasts continue for what seem like forever, each one leaving a new cloud of dark smoke to rise above the trees.
Mitch puts the truck in drive and spins it around. He drives right past where he was parked for most of the night and through the group of black sedans. The truck barely makes it through the large entrance gate to the park, but he doesn't slow down as he passes by the Ferris Wheel and makes the turn toward where he left Agent Walker and more importantly, Stuart.
The entire office building is engulfed in flames and the roof no longer exists. Mitch slams on the brakes and the truck comes to a sliding stop just outside the entrance to the building. The fire is burning in a furious manner, making it hard for him to get anywhere close to the entrance. There are large piles of ashes laying on the ground a few feet from the building, small little fires are still burning through the ashes. When he realizes that these small fires are the remains of the agents who were trapped inside when the explosion ripped through the building, Mitch lets out a large stream of orange vomit. The smell of burning flesh is more than any man could handle, especially a small-town cop with just three years of experience.
He races back to the Ferris Wheel, coughing and gasping for clean air through the clouds of black smoke that seems to be everywhere. He races around the back of the ride, on the opposite side as where he passed by it earlier. The ride is not on fire, mainly due to the fact that it is constructed entirely out of steel. He finds two men leaning against the fence that separates the exit of the ride from the trees. The sight of someone who survived the blasts is a relief and he rushes to their side. When he notices that the one man is Fred, he is overcome with excitement.
"Hey Mitch, you look like you saw a ghost!" It is just like Fred to make light of the situation. The fact that he still has his sense of humor is the only sign needed to know that he is alright.
"I thought you were dead. We never saw you make it out of the ice cream building when it went up in flames. Stuart said he saw you wandering around on some of the cameras but after all of this, I didn't know if you were alive or not. What the hell happened here?" He has no idea who the second man is but judging from his attire, he assumes he is one of the federal officers.
"I'm not really sure. Just as I was about turn right and make my way to the main building, the whole ride started tumbling down. If this guy wouldn't have grabbed me when he did, it would have come down on top of me." Fred motions to the man sitting next to him, then points out the crumbled pile of steel that was once the most iconic ride in the park.
"Well we are lucky for that. Do you know what caused all of these explosions?" Mitch asks the question and takes his eyes from one man to the other. It didn't matter which one of them answered, as long as someone started telling him what happened.
"I have no clue. The sound of the ride coming down was so loud, when we got out from our hiding spot, all we could see was black smoke." Fred is the one who speaks first, not really giving an answer to the actual question.
"I'm Special Agent Michaels. The last thing I heard over the radio before everything went down was 'he's getting away and he's going to blow up the park.' I have no idea who he was talking about, but I would guess that it was the man that was tied up in the chair."
"I'm not sure how he would have been able to get out of the ropes, but I can't really think of anyone else who would be capable of doing this. I guess we need to walk the park and see how bad the damage is and if anyone is still alive." Mitch sticks out his hand to help Fred to his feet, then offers the same gesture to Officer Michaels.
As the three men start making their way through the park, they realize the damage is devastating. The roller coaster, which is completely wooden, is fully ablaze. Most of the water park is destroyed as is the area full of kids rides. It looks like multiple explosive devices were rigged to detonate at the same time, thus destroying most of the evidence as to what happened here. Hopefully the federal agents were able to salvage most of the evidence from the computer equipment before it was all lost.
Several agents make their way through the park and pass by the trio. Most of them have bewildered looks on their faces, skin covered in black smoke. "Agent Michaels,
do you know if they had removed my father's body before the explosions went off?"
"Yes, they did. I watched them put him on the gurney and start wheeling him to the front of the park. I decided to walk along a different route back to the main building and that's when I saw Fred, walking in the opposite direction."
Mitch is relieved to know that even through all of this destruction, his father's body was not affected. "In the opposite direction? Fred, I thought you said you were making your way toward the building when the explosions happened?"
Fred stumbles across his words several times before finally being able to form a complete sentence. "I thought I was. A lot of things happened and I might not have been in a clear state of mind. It's just like me to be lost, isn't it?"
"Do you happen to know the whereabouts of the other deputy, Stuart Johnson?" Mitch accepts the explanation Fred gives him and fires off another question at Agent Michaels. "He was in the building when I left, and he was the only one in the room with the prisoner."
The man looks like he is deep in thought for a moment before he answers the question. "I had no idea where he was until I just heard the chatter on the radio. It looks like they found him and our suspect out in the parking lot. Mitch, the word is that your deputy was responsible for helping him escape."
Chapter 30
There's no way that Stuart would be willing to help that man escape. He couldn't be mixed up in all of this, could he? Mitch is running through every scenario in his mind as the three men make their way out to the parking lot of Graham Park. They hurry past the smoldering remains of the carousel that once held Stuart captive and Fred runs a little faster when they make it to the curled-up steel that was once the Ferris Wheel.
They dart past the entrance to the park and find several men gathered behind a black SUV in the parking lot. Stuart and Steven Graham are both lying on the ground, with hands behind their backs. Mitch walks right past Stuart and shoulders his way next to Agent Walker, who he had presumed was dead before seeing him here.
"Give me the rundown on what happened? One minute I'm getting in my truck and the very next minute, all hell breaks loose." His face is red, and his words are labored as he searches to catch his breath from the long sprint.
"There are still things we don't know. I was working with the guys in the server room when I heard a fellow agent call out that the suspect was getting away. I made it to the hallway in time to see them exit the building and a foot pursuit followed." Agent Walker pauses briefly and responds to someone over the radio. "Luckily whatever kind of self-destruct mechanism he had rigged had some sort of delay, otherwise there would be a few more agents that would have been lost. We managed to catch up to them out here, your deputy was easy to catch with his injured leg. The suspect was a little quicker, but we eventually got him."
"So, are you sure that Stuart was involved? There's no chance that there is a misunderstanding of some kind?" Mitch has known the accused officer for more than fifteen years and in all of that time there was no indication that he would be capable of assisting in something like this.
"I don't think he was in on it from the beginning, but he definitely had something to do with the suspect being released and allowing him to trigger the explosives. We were able to tap into the live feeds from the cameras before the blasts knocked everything offline. Most of the actual video feeds were being saved offsite, meaning there was no damage to them from the explosions. Once we figure out the severity of the damage and the number of agents we lost, we will go over the video. You are more than welcome to be there for that, and for the interrogation of your deputy, if you'd like."
Mitch paces around the area and refuses to look down at his friend. The thought that Stuart is somehow responsible for the destruction here in unfathomable. He hated violence and had a pension for finding a way of excusing himself before a situation became to hairy. This is not the Stuart that has been a member of the Twisted Timbers Police Department for over a decade.
"I would appreciate that, thank you. I guess I will bypass the rest of the formalities and meet you back at the station. Do you want me to transport him?"
"That won’t be necessary. He is the custody of the F.B.I. and policy dictates that one of ours must transport him. I appreciate the help and the use of your facilities. I will send some agents over there right away to make sure we have things in order before I get there." Agent Walker speaks to Mitch as if they are co-workers, which is the complete opposite of how he usually gets spoken to by federal agents.
"It's not a problem and thank you for getting your guys here so quickly. I'll see you back in town." Mitch turns and walks away from the gathering of men, kicking at the loose rocks in the gravel as he heads toward his truck. His head is hung low until he reaches the side of the ambulance that holds the body of his father. He places his right hand on the back door of the ambulance and spends a moment in deep reflection before finishing with a prayer. He notices that Fred is making his way to his own vehicle and rushes over to meet him.
"Hey Mitch, do you believe what they are saying? It just doesn't sound like Stuart to me." Fred looks rough and tired. His uniform is no longer tucked in at the waist, something the sheriff would have pointed out immediately.
"I don't know what to think but that's what they are saying. I'm holding judgement until we get back and can see the video. You heading back to the station?"
"Yeah, they want me to give them my story as to how things went down. Want me to grab some food on the way?" If there is one thing that Fred enjoyed more than chasing women, it was a food.
"Sure, that would be great. Fred, make sure you don't talk to anyone about this until we know what's going on. We don't need the entire town in a panic before we have the facts." Mitch is aware of the fact that with the sheriff being dead, someone is going to have to step up and think about what is best for the town on a daily basis.
"No problem Mitch, but if I hadn't known any better, I would have guessed those words had come right out of the sheriff's mouth. I don't think I had a chance to tell you, and I'm sure you already know, but I'm really sorry for your loss. The town will not be the same without your father."
Chapter 31
The ride back to town is a familiar one but today the winding road seems to go by in a blur. The hills don't seem so steep and the sharp curves are far less intimidating. Since leaving Graham Park, Mitch has been unable to focus on anything in front of him. Thoughts of his father, the headless man on the roller coaster and the tumbling Ferris Wheel cycle through his mind as if they are on a constant loop. Things like this just don't happen in his small town, at least they didn't before last night. There is no telling how the town council will react once they find out what has happened, but he feels confident that he did everything in his power to keep the town safe.
He turns off of the highway and down the two-lane road at the center of town. The police station sits behind the only grocery store in town and about two blocks from Mitch's tiny apartment. He parks his truck in one of the empty spots in the rear of the building and heads inside. He is greeted by Lucille Pennington, the receptionist that has worked at the office longer than anyone else had, including Sheriff Thompson.
"Hey Mitch, good morning. There's some coffee in the back. It looks like you had a long night." Her upbeat personality is the last thing Mitch wants to hear right now.
"You have no idea and thanks for the coffee. Do you always work on Sundays?" This is the first time Mitch can remember being at the office on a Sunday when it wasn't tourist season, so he has no idea if Lucille is normally here or not.
"Not normally, but the sheriff wanted me to come in and get his files in order. Every election year he gets worried that someone will beat him out, even though he usually runs uncontested. He makes me get things in order just in case." She is holding a large stack of manila folders and has just left the tiny office that belonged to his father.
"Well, I don't think you need to worry about the election this year or g
etting his personal files together. He passed away last night." He is going to have to get used to saying these words but right now they only partially come out through his quivering lower lip.
"What! What are you talking about?" Lucille normally has a perfectly elegant voice, one that has been formed over many years of answering phones. She now speaks in a loud squeal that Mitch has never heard come out of her mouth. "Please tell me you're joking. Oh, dear Lord, this is not something you joke about young man."
"Lucille, I wish I was joking. There was a lot of things that happened last night, you will find out all the details when the feds get here. Be prepared for it to be a lot more chaotic in here than we're all used to." Mitch opens the door to his father's office and looks inside, decides he's not quite ready to go in and goes back to the side of Lucille's desk. "We need to clear out the conference room, I'm sure they are going to need it. Is the one cell still full of boxes?"
"I believe so. Are we going to need both cells?" The old lady is now standing and tidying up the space, much how women do when they find out they were having unexpected company. "It shouldn't be too hard to get the boxes out of there."
"Lucille, relax. I don't care what this place looks like or that there's dust on things. You have no idea the severity of the events of last night. We are going to need that extra cell though. I doubt Agent Walker will want to put Stuart into the same cell as Steven Graham."
"Wait, why in the world would they put Officer Johnson in a cell?"
Chapter 32
Lucille has been running around the office trying to clear out the boxes from the second cell. Mitch tried to explain to her what had happened last night, but he only got as far as telling her about the Ferris Wheel before the federal agents started coming in. From the moment they got there, they took over the small police station. Guys with wind breakers with F.B.I. printed in large yellow letters on the back, scurry around the rooms. They carry in loads of equipment that causes Mitch to look out of the window to see how big of a truck they brought to get all of this stuff here from Portland.
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