“That makes it a little more difficult. When I shoot, I’ll try to wing him.” Gimble whined.
“You better not kill him before we get some info or the Boss will have your ass.”
“Okay, okay, shit.” Gimble walked away toward the gate.
Mike went back inside the trailer. With Gimble’s back turned, and Mike in the trailer, I ran to the storage building and crouched behind it. That put me about ten feet from where Gimble was unfolding the chair. He sat down, laying the rifle on his lap.
I heard some high-pitched chattering, and looked up at the nearest tree outside the fence. I saw a spot of white, and I knew for whatever reason, Moses had come to the compound. I assumed that his troupe was with him, but I didn’t know for sure.
I was not the only one who heard the noise. Gimble leaped from his chair and pointed the rifle toward the tree. I looked up with fear that he might shoot Moses. I wasn’t near enough to stop him before he fired. The white spot had vanished, but Gimble fired two shots anyway and cursed. “I hate those damn monkeys!”
I heard yelling from behind me, turned and spotted Mike sprinting toward the gate. I ducked as low to the ground as possible.
“Did you get him?” Mike yelled.
“Hell no,” grunted Gimble. “I shot at those damn monkeys.”
“Are you nuts?” Mike shrieked. “If that guy’s near, you know he heard the shots. Get serious her Gimble. Don’t screw this up. Only fire if you see the guy, and you have no other choice. Do you understand me you dumb shitass?”
“Watch your mouth,” Gimble grunted in a steely voice. “When this is over I’ll whip your ass.”
Mike walked back toward the trailer, shaking his head.
Gimble said something to himself, and sat down on the chair. I looked toward the trees again, and caught a glimpse of the white spot.
With Gimble agitated and Mike back in the trailer, I knew this was the ideal time to attack. I placed the backpack and the shotgun on the ground and looked around again. Gimble was staring up at the tree, but did not raise the rifle.
In a low crouch, I sneaked up behind him. When I got within two feet, I leaped forward and punched him hard on the side of his neck. He grabbed his neck, gurgling. I was trained that this blow would render the victim unable to speak.
I kicked the rifle from his lap, and then landed a hard right to his chin, followed by a left hook to the midsection. He crumbled to the ground unconscious.
Running back to my hiding place, I grabbed the shotgun and backpack. Snatching the duct tape from the backpack, I taped Gimble’s hands and feet, and placed a large piece of tape over his mouth. He remained consciousness.
One down and two to go. I turned to run toward the trailer to deal with Mike and Mary when I felt cold steel jabbing my neck. Mike had the barrel of a rifle poking against my throat.
“Get down on your knees now!” Mike’s gruff voice ordered.
I laid facedown in the dirt. I heard the ripping of tape as Mike released Gimble.
Gimble was breathing hard and cursing.
“That son of a bitch cold-cocked me. I’ll kill him.”
“Wait,” Mike responded. “Remember we must follow our orders and question him. Control your temper.”
I turned and looked up just in time to see Gimble raising his foot. The breath escaped my body when he kicked me in the ribs. I rolled over grimacing in pain. Gimble’s eyes were red with anger.
“Sit up,” Mike ordered, pointing the rifle at me. “How did you get here and who else knows about our operation?”
Before I could open my mouth, intense shrieking filled the air. It sounded like an army of babies screaming in unison. I looked toward the noise and saw a swarm of monkeys jumping from the trees outside the fence to the branches of the trees just inside the fence.
Mike screamed. I looked over and saw Moses perched on his back at the neck area. He was biting Mike’s ear causing blood to stream down his neck. Mike dropped the rifle and began thrashing at Moses, when four additional monkeys leaped on his back, driving him to the ground.
Gimble reached for the rifle but before he could grasp it, at least eight monkeys attacked him. His atrocious screams pierced the air as blood from bites to his forehead and scalp flowed down his face, blinding him.
I was so flabbergasted that I momentarily froze. I quickly recovered and grabbed the rifle. Moses jumped from Mike’s body and stood in front of me on his hind legs. I swear I think he smiled.
Then he let out three yelps. The monkey’s immediately retreated from Gimble and Mike’s fallen bodies. Both were whimpering and drawn up in a fetal position.
A scream startled me from behind. Apparently Mary heard the yelling and rushed out of the trailer. When I looked, she stood frozen, grasping a butcher knife. Six monkeys surrounded her. Zippy was directly in front of her. Mary remained motionless, standing there in stark fear.
“Mary, drop the knife and come here. If you don’t they will attack.”
She stared at me in disbelief for a moment, and then the knife slipped from her fingers. The monkeys parted and she walked toward me.
“Mary, I want you to pick up that roll of duct tape and tape the hands and feet of Mike and Gimble,” I said, pointing the rifle toward her. I think she was much more afraid of the monkeys than the rifle.
Both men lay unmoving, I guess in a state of stock. Mary followed my instructions and secured their hands and feet. I checked them to assure the tape was tight. Their bites were numerous, but not life threatening.
I replaced the duct tape in the backpack, unloaded the shotgun, jammed the shells in the backpack, and threw it to the side. I decided the rifle would be a better weapon when I was on the boat.
I looked at Moses, and he was watching me. “Thank you Moses,” I said. He actually nodded.
“Okay Mary, I’m not going to harm you or the guys unless you force me. I want the keys to the boat and I’m leaving.”
“How did you do this?” she asked breathlessly. “How did you control those monkeys?”
“Just know that if I’m in danger, they’ll attack. Now where’s the key to the boat?”
“In the trailer. You should know that you are already a dead man. The guys who run this place will hunt you down, torture and kill you.”
“Good luck with that. Let’s go.”
I pointed toward the trailer and she slowly walked forward. Moses and Zippy and the rest of the troupe followed. When she got to the door I yelled, “Stop.” I moved to her side, opened the door and motioned her inside. “Wait here Moses, I’ll have something for you.”
The front door opened into a living area. To the right was a fully equipped kitchen with a table and four rattan chairs. To the left, I assumed were bedrooms.
“The office is to the left,” Mary said.
I accompanied her into the first door to the left. Inside was a surprisingly large office. At the back was a large mahogany desk with an Apple computer perched on top of it. A grey file cabinet was against the side of the desk. A white iPhone was laying beside the computer along with a wristwatch with a black leather band. I walked over and pocketed the phone and put the watch on my wrist.
“The keys are in the desk drawer,” Mary said, sheepishly.
“Get them.”
She walked over, opened the front drawer and looked at me. “Stop right there or I’ll shoot,” I ordered. She backed away from the desk.
I walked over and looked at the open drawer. Lying there was a Glock G17 pistol with a box of shells beside it. Just behind that was a key ring with several keys on it.
“Oh Mary, you weren’t going to shoot me were you?”
She lowered her head. I slipped the Glock and shells into the backpack and grabbed the keys.
“Okay Mary, if none of these keys fit the boat, I’m coming back and breaking your arm,” I warned, knowing that I would never do that.
“Those are the keys,” she said, nearly in a whisper.
“Let’s go back
to the kitchen.” When we got there I ordered her to sit down and tossed her the roll of duct tape.
“Tape your feet together,” I said.
She wrapped the tape around her feet. I leaned the rifle against the wall and walked over. I snatched the tape from her. “Put your hands behind your back.”
She complied and I securely taped them together and then wrapped the remainder of the tape around her body securing her to the chair. There was no need to gag her since no one could hear any screams.
“I’m sure that you’ll be okay till morning,” I said.
“Just tell me how did you get here?” she asked.
“Well, I was thrown off a cruise ship and the currents brought me to the island.”
I looked at the watch and it was two a.m. I still had, by my estimation, about three to four hours before the reinforcements arrived.
There were two things I wanted to do.
Before that, I needed to find a change of clothes. My ragged, filthy t-shirt and shorts were rancid. I walked back to the bedroom area and rummaged through the closet and chests. Locating a drawer filled with men’s clothing, I grabbed a pair of boxer shorts, white T-shirt, pair of cargo shorts with big pockets, and a grey cotton button up shirt with large pockets in the front. Even though I was dirty, the clean clothes felt great. I transferred all my goodies to the pockets of the new clothes.
I went back to the kitchen, looked into the counter under the sink and located a large black trash bag, then proceeded to the fridge. Opening the door, I surveyed the contents. The remains of a chicken along with several burgers were there. Plastic containers held veggies, corn, black-eyed peas, broccoli and what appeared to be mashed potatoes. I threw it all in the bag. In the crisper was a head of lettuce, cabbage, bag of white grapes, and a plastic bag filled with cut watermelon. Everything went into the trash bag. I looked on the counter and located bananas, pears, and apples. I loaded them in the bag. Grabbing the rifle and hoisting the backpack on my shoulder, I left the trailer.
Not a sound from Mary as I closed the door.
Moses and the troupe were still waiting outside the door. It was surreal that this albino monkey was protecting me, and had saved my life several times.
“Moses I have a treat for you and your friends,” I said, setting the trash bag down. I reached inside and began placing the food on the ground. I opened the plastic containers filled with the veggies and dumped them.
“You guys have a feast and take the leftovers with you.”
Moses looked at me and I swear he understood. After a squeal from him, all the monkeys pounced on the food and began eating. Zippy went for the chicken. Moses picked up a burger and must have liked it because he grabbed another before finishing the first one. I left them eating and chattering.
They were still feasting while I departed to complete my final task. When I was in the storage shed I noticed three five-gallon containers filled with gas. I went back to the shed and set two of them in the front of the building to take to the boat with me. I carried the other one with me. I left the rifle and backpack with the two gas containers I left behind. I checked the lighter to be sure that it still worked, and it did.
Approaching the front gate, I noticed Gimble and Mike struggling to no avail. The tape was holding just fine. I opened the gate and left the compound. A few minutes later I came to the perimeter of the marijuana field.
Walking past the twenty feet of rock and sand, which surrounded the field, I opened the gas container and poured gas for about ten feet around the edge. Then I went in about twenty feet leaving a trail of gas. I threw the remainder of the gas in all directions, dropped the container, and walked back to the perimeter.
There I picked up a twig, lighted it and threw it to the gas soaked plants. There was a whoosh and the fire quickly spread. Within minutes the blaze was gigantic. I knew it would not spread beyond the field because of the twenty-feet of sand and rock between the field and the rest of the island. It was put there, I suppose, as a barrier.
Fulfilling my last mission, I went back to the compound, stopped for a moment and knelt down beside Gimble and Mike.
“Well guys, you explain to your drug lords how you allowed a stranger to burn down their marijuana fields.”
Since their mouths were taped, the only noises they made were angry grunts from their red faces. I went back to the trailer area. The Monkeys were still feasting.
Grabbing another gas container, I went into the drug storage facility. I didn’t plan to burn it down. I threw gas on all the bales, knowing that the smell of gasoline would ruin the weed.
I walked back to the front of the trailer and stopped. Moses stood there looking at me. The other monkeys were in the process of gathering up the remainder of the food, I guess to take back to the trees where they congregate.
“Moses, I know you probably don’t know what I’m saying, but thank you for being my friend and saving my life. I will never forget you.”
I swear I spotted tears in his eyes as if he knew I was leaving. Tears welled in my eyes also. He walked up and stopped right in front of me. I knelt down and hugged him. I could feel his arms wrap around my neck.
“Okay, time to go,” I picked up the rifle and backpack and headed to the boat.
Moses followed me down the pier to where the boat was tethered. I untied all but one rope then turned and waved at him. He stood fast, watching me.
I boarded the large white vessel and it looked to be a thirty-five footer. On the side Century 3500 was printed. In the center of the boat was a middle console with a roomy cockpit. I walked to the back and inspected the twin three-hundred horsepower outboard motors.
Mark and Gimble must have used it for fishing as well as transporting the drugs to a larger vessel anchored in deeper water. There was a deep live well and prep area in the transom, which also could be used as storage.
Significant storage was everywhere on board the vessel. Under the gunnels there was rod storage, tackle boxes and storage bins. In the cockpit sole, there were self-draining insulated fish boxes. There were two large ones and four small ones. The back of the helm area had a large storage chamber. There was plenty of room for drug storage to transport to a larger boat.
The helm seats appeared comfortable and both had flip up bolsters. The helm was large and well laid out. There were two large Raymarine Hybrid Touch screens, one for GPS and one for Radar. Also there was a vhf, remote for the Fusion radio, Yamaha engine management system, and a compass. The T-Top was large and had led lighting, storage, and Taco outriggers.
Inside the helm was the enclosed cabin. Along with more storage bins, there was a vacuflsuh head, shower, sink and a single berth. I looked forward to a long shower as soon as I left this hellhole.
The cabin was spacious and bright. A propane tank below the cabinet powered a small fridge and stove. Above that was a cabinet filled with cans goods. I opened the fridge and it contained beer and soft drinks.
Forward of the helm there was a double seat with cup holders and an armrest. The forward seating was large and comfortable.
Everything in the vessel was perfectly suited for the job it was intended, and for the first time since my ordeal began I would be traveling in luxury.
I untied the last rope, walked to the cockpit, inserted the key and turned it. The big motors rumbled and started. The smooth rumble was one of the best sounds I’ve heard in a long time. I took one last look at the pier. Moses was still standing there. I waved at him, put the boat in reverse and backed away from the dock.
I had no idea where I was or which direction to go. Ironically a voice in my head whispered, “go west young man, go west.”
I laughed, and headed west.
Chapter 37
After the dinner of hot vegetable soup, Russ Brennan began clearing the table. Lisa and Joe went to the couch. She sat down and Joe jumped up and laid his head on her lap.
The cleanup finished, Russ walked to the couch. Lisa was fast asleep and so was Joe. He g
rabbed a blanket from the closet and covered her and his beloved dog.
He had an important task to complete and now was as good a time as ever. He was sure that Lisa was out for the evening. The time had come to dispose of Sonny, whose body was in the back seat of his truck.
Russ left the house, went to the storage shed, grabbed a shovel and a sack of lime. After depositing these items in the back of the truck, he returned to the shed and picked up three large pasteboard boxes and a roll of packing tape. He placed them in the back of the truck.
Russ cranked the truck and headed toward the nearest landfill, about thirty miles away. On the way he stopped by the Burger King and purchased a Whopper, all the way with cheese, Chicken Fries and a Diet Coke. The soup at home didn’t fill him up and he needed energy for the task ahead. He wolfed down the Whopper, drank about half of the Diet Coke. He saved the rest of the drink and the Chicken Fries for the trip home.
Thirty minutes later he arrived at the landfill. It was unmanned at this hour of the morning. He turned off the headlights and drove around to the right side. He pulled the truck over to the side, out of sight from the road. He was at the edge of a big drop off. Looking down in the darkness he saw many black bags and other garbage.
Russ reached into the bed of the truck and pulled out the large cardboard boxes, broke them down and spread out one of them on the ground. He opened the back door and dragged the heavy body out of the back seat onto the cardboard. Rigor mortis was setting in because the body had been in the truck for over three hours.
He grabbed the bag of lime and dumped all of it from head to foot of Sonny’s body. Even though the trash dump always smelled awful, a corpse had a distinctive odor. The lime would destroy the stench.
Russ carefully placed the remaining cardboard over the body. Starting at the ankles, he wrapped the cardboard around the body and secured it with the sturdy packing tape. He continued until the body was totally covered with the cardboard and used the entire large roll of the packing tape.
Lost in the Maze Page 18