Eternal Maze

by Alexie Aaron

“Painfully, my nose will never look the same.”

  Mia looked at him. “Don’t be mad, but I like it a wee bit crooked, gives you character.”

  “My nose is not crooked,” he insisted, touching his nose.

  “Okay, if it makes you feel better…”

  “Mia Cooper, stop torturing Mike!” Burt admonished as he entered the tent. “You are such a bully.”

  “Hicks, this better be good. I’m hungry and want to sit the fuck down,” Mia whined.

  Burt was not going to take her crap tonight. “Listen Cooper…”

  CRACK!

  Burt and Mike jumped.

  Mia smiled. It was nice to have Murphy around. “Okay, what else can I tell you?”

  “How are we going to deal with these ghosts?”

  “The three R method for a start,” Mia offered.

  “Three Rs?” Mike questioned.

  “Research, Recon, and Raize,” Ted said entering the tent. “Research, Beth has found out who they are… were… are.” Ted paused. “Recon, find their bones. Raize…”

  “I recommend fire. Road flares will do in a pinch, right Burt?” Mia said and smiled ear to ear.

  Burt smiled too as he remembered burning the bones of the hag in the hollow with road flares. “Yes, flares will do.”

  “What did Beth find out?” Mia asked Ted.

  “That’s my cue,” Beth said, stepping into the tent. She was holding on to Ted’s iPad. She consulted her notes. “Their names were Marvin Jones and David DeMarco. They worked on the fourth floor. Rumor has it they kowtowed with the wealthy patients. They became enamored with a Dorothy Marie Todd, mother of Karl Todd. They worshiped the woman.”

  “That sounds right. They seem to be very protective of her corpse.”

  “Dorothy Todd died of a lung infection. Marvin and David overpowered the morgue attendant and stole her body. They hid it somewhere in the hospital. When they were confronted by the police,they barricaded themselves in Dorothy’s room. When the police broke down the door, the orderlies climbed out of the window and jumped to their deaths. Their kin didn’t want to have anything to do with the two men, so they were given a pauper’s burial on the grounds. They never found Dorothy’s body.”

  “Somebody found it because it’s holding court up on the fourth floor,” Mia assured them.

  The conversation shifted back to Burt. “Sheriff Ryan and crew are going after Karl Todd. They are going to attempt a two pronged assault. The elevator, it seems, can be recalled from the basement level. The stairwell, they are going to take a sledge hammer to where the entrance to the fourth floor should be at the top of the stairs. The success of their plan depends on us neutralizing Jones and DeMarco.”

  “I volunteer for the graveyard hunt,” Ted said, raising his hand.

  “Sorry, but we need you on communications.”

  “Beth can do it,” Ted insisted.

  “The cops are used to your voice. Sorry, Beth, but I need you in the graveyard.”

  Mia made herself really small. She sat quiet, hoping she had achieved invisibility.

  “Mike and I will go with you and destroy the bones.”

  Mia sighed in relief. She hated graveyards.

  “Cooper, they need your eyes up on the fourth floor.”

  “I can ride the elevator…”

  Burt shook his head.

  “No.”

  He nodded.

  “Eight flights of stairs,” Mia whined. “Come on, “she complained, “I’ve been run off my feet. I’ll never make it.”

  Ted knelt down beside her. “Sorry for calling you this morning,” he said sincerely.

  “You know, I’ll never answer the phone again.”

  “It’s probably a good idea,” he said and offered her his hand. He stood up and pulled her up with him.

  “Fine, but this time, Hicks, I’m sending you a bill.”

  “I didn’t ask you.” Burt smiled and patted Ted on the back. “He did.”

  Ted smiled and pulled his empty pockets inside out.

  “Then you’re going to clean gutters,” Mia threatened. “Are we done here?”

  “You are.”

  “K, I’m leaving now to find some food, and then I’m going to start climbing those stairs. I may puke, so warn the fellas,” she said as she exited the tent.

  Burt and Beth shook their head at Mia’s theatrics. Mike felt sorry for the girl, but changed his mind when he looked at Ted’s face. He was entranced. He reached over and patted the tech on the back. He leaned in and whispered, “She’s a load of trouble.”

  Ted whispered back, “I hope so.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Mia pulled out her phone and looked at the time. It couldn’t be ten pm? How the hell was this the same day? Her body ached, and she felt like she had been running around for weeks. The rain had stopped, but the air was humid and chilly. She saw she had several voice messages. She listened to them while she walked over to the table Deputy June had set up. The industrious deputy had rallied the Ladies Aide of a local church. They had come through with sandwiches, casseroles, (Mia’s favorite) baked beans, and other buffet standards. June’s uncle ran the local hardware store and had donated two gas powered generators to the cause. The community was shocked by the kidnappings in their midst but had given their support as soon as the information got around.

  One of Mia’s messages was from her pseudo godfathers Ralph and Bernard. They wished her a Happy Halloween for tomorrow. Ralph wanted to know about the dance. Mia cringed. She hadn’t broke it to him yet that his selection of dress was still hanging in the garment bag from the store. Mia hadn’t even taken the price tag off. Could she return it? Money was getting dear these days. Having Whit in her life meant a bigger food outlay – boy, the man could eat. She had money from a legacy in the bank but tried to live just off the interest of her investments. Tricky economic times had forced her to take on more odd jobs.

  She never asked for money for consulting with the Paranormal Entity Exposure Partners. The reciprocal nature of this group of people negated the need to charge them. Plus, she was given her gifts by the universe and thus would give back whenever she could.

  June smiled as Mia pocketed her phone and picked up a plate. “Keeping in touch with home?” June asked, trying to make small talk.

  Mia smiled as June put a large glop of beans on her plate. “With family, extended family,” she clarified.

  “What did this drag you away from?”

  “I was cleaning gutters on a two story farmhouse, and then tonight I was supposed to go to a dance with Deputy Martin. You?” Mia asked.

  “I pulled double duty. Being Devil’s Night, all the department was on duty.”

  “Do you get much vandalism in this neck of the woods?”

  “Pranks and toilet paper mostly. But we were just gearing up when the AMBER Alert went out.”

  “The girls are safe. Shame about their sister and the other boy though,” Mia said sadly.

  “Do you think they are ever going to feel safe?”

  “Honest answer?”

  “Yes, tell me honestly, do you think they are ever going to feel safe?”

  “No.”

  June’s face fell.

  “Sure, they will recover, grow up, and move away, but there will always be the fear that someone stronger is going to take them.”

  “How were they when you found them?”

  “Alice wasn’t talking. Doreen the elder was in charge. You may want to mine that one for a future deputy. They didn’t know about Rita yet. I don’t know how they will be once her death gets explained to them. Any news about Melanie and Craig?”

  “They put Craig in a coma because there was too much pain from the damage to his body. The broken bones, torn ligaments and trauma were extensive. No word on Melanie. My sheriff said he’d call when there was.”

  “I’m surprised he isn’t here. And that Sheriff Ryan is in charge,” Mia said as she added another sandwich to her plate.


  “Between you and I,” June confided, “I heard that when the particulars on this type of trouble came out, an order came down from the top that Ryan was the man for this job.”

  “How far is the top?” Mia asked with her mouth full.

  “Way far.”

  “How much do you know about the nature of this problem?”

  “No one has said anything directly, but I have been staring at those PEEPs trucks for hours now. I think there is a paranormal element along with the human one. The minimum participation of state officers speaks volumes.”

  “I’m surprised the FBI isn’t already here.”

  “The kidnapping was resolved when the girls were found.”

  “There’s still a suspect loose,” Mia pointed out.

  “Maybe they have bigger concerns right now.”

  Mia nodded. “I’m going to find somewhere to sit. Thank you, for the conversation and the food.”

  June smiled. “It was good talking to you too.”

  Mia found her way into the command vehicle. She scooted past Ted who was busy on the computer. She sat down on the lounge chair and began to eat.

  “Looks like you pulled the short straw, Mia,” Ted said, spinning around in his chair. He scooted it over to her and turned it around and sat backwards. As he leaned on the back of the chair, Mia noticed for the first time his fatigue was showing. She lifted up her plate and offered him a sandwich. He took it and two homemade cookies.

  “I don’t think so. I hate cemeteries, and they are going to be searching the place in the dark.”

  “Au contraire, mon amie, Beth found the mortuary that did the burials and they are sending one of their guys and a backhoe. So they don’t even have to dig.”

  Mia’s mouth dropped open, showing a mixture of potato salad and beans. Ted still thought she looked beautiful, maybe even more so.

  “Hey, as long as the job’s done before I climb those fecking stairs. Bravo, Beth! Who says that research isn’t important?”

  “Not I. I’m going to grab some grub. Watch the console for me for a few minutes.”

  “Sure, do I get to wear the headset of power?”

  “Oh yes, if you leave the cop, you can wear it all the time…”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Mia said. She pulled off Ted’s hoodie as the truck’s computer components warmed the desk area.

  Ted handed her the headset and gave her a quick refresher. Mia didn’t want a computer in her home, but she did know how to use one. Ted was impressed by how quick she understood things in his world. He left the truck confident that she had everything under control.

  ~

  Sheriff John Ryan tugged at the wrapping around his ribs. The constant pressure was uncomfortable. He declined pain relievers because he wanted to remain sharp. He postponed going to the hospital, wanting to see the capture of Karl Todd through. In the morning the Feds would arrive. John wanted this collar. It wasn’t enough that under his direction the three girls were saved. He wanted the monster that perpetrated the crime. He would have put Whit in charge, but with his partner, Tom Braverman, out of the picture, he was a wild card. The boy’s emotions took over him. He had seen it first hand in the hollow and again after Melanie’s tracheotomy.

  And then there were the PEEPs. It wasn’t that Burt Hicks wasn’t a strong leader, but he had ego problems that negated his common sense sometimes. The other partner, Mike Dupree, was a smart fella. He could see a course of events, find information to support his theories and follow through. Unfortunately, he wasn’t a big decision type of guy. So John dealt with the pain and continued to delegate responsibilities to the right people. He looked at his watch and decided to rally the troops. He touched his com. “Ted, over.”

  “Ted is away from the office,” a sultry voice came over the speaker. “Can I be of service?”

  “Mia, is that you?”

  “Sheriff Ryan, how nice of you to call. Ted’s getting some food and will be back… Wait, he’s here now.”

  John listened as something called “the headset of power” was passed to Ted.

  “Ted, here.”

  “Listen, son, I need you to rally the troops. Have the two teams of law enforcement meet up just outside the doors. Any news on the grave matter?”

  “They haven’t checked in yet. I will give them a call.”

  “Get back to me as soon as you have an update on their progress, over.”

  “Will do, Ted out.”

  Ted looked over at Mia who had begun to stretch her limbs. He got lost in a fantasy as she pulled her arms over her head and downward to crack her back. Her large breasts made Ted forget about joysticks, video games, and why he was on Earth instead of Titan. She turned around and bent over to tighten the laces of her boots. That view wasn’t any easier on Ted, but he forced himself back to the job at hand.

  “Burt,” Ted’s voice cracked. He shook himself mentally.

  “Ted, are you getting a sore throat?” Mia asked, putting her hands on his neck and feeling his glands.

  “Burt here.”

  “Sheriff Ryan wants an update.”

  “We’ve located the graves and are just waiting for the backhoe to arrive.”

  “As soon as you have reached your objective, give a holler,” Ted said, his voice rising again as Mia gently probed his neck with her fingers.

  “Will do, Hicks, over.”

  “Mia, Mia, what are you doing to me?” Ted asked.

  “Checking for why your voice keeps yelping,” she replied.

  “K. I assure you, I’m alright. Maybe pour me some Joy Juice.”

  Mia did as she was told, taking a cup of the stuff for herself. She sat and reloaded the sawed-off shotgun with rock salt-packed shells. She added a dozen of them to the lower pocket of her cargo pants.

  “Are you going to need that? They’ll get the job done,” Ted assured her.

  “Teddy bear, one thing I’ve learned in my short life is, nothing is this easy. I’m taking no chances.” She slid the gun down her back and secured it by tightening her belt. She pulled Ted’s hoodie on and smiled as the Ted smell enveloped her.

  “What are you smiling at?” he asked.

  “This hoodie smells like you. I love this smell. I makes me, well… I won’t go there,” Mia realized she was about to be very inappropriate.

  “What do I smell like?” Ted inquired as he pulled up his lists of officers and their assignments.

  “Coffee, red licorice and unsatisfied desire,” Mia said simply and walked out of the command center.

  Ted took a moment to settle himself. “Down boy, be professional. You are a techie, and the first rule of ridding oneself of distraction is to think of Mario.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Burt waved the backhoe operator off when he heard the metal scoop hit wood. The mortuary attendant jumped down and began to move the rest of the dirt off the two cheap pine coffins. He was instructed to verify that these bodies were Marvin Jones and David DeMarco and leave. The PEEPs team would take care of refilling the graves. It wasn’t a kosher operation, but the hundred dollar bill in his pocket would go a long way to making him forget that he had deviated from his normal ethics.

  He found the metal plate marker and asked for a flashlight. He read off a series of numbers to Beth from each coffin. She confirmed the numbers were correct. He accepted a handout and nodded to his backhoe operator and followed the hoe to the trailer. They loaded the heavy piece of machinery and left.

  It was quiet in the small abandoned cemetery. The unadorned plots were kept out of the view of both the hospital and road. Burt doubted that it was consecrated ground. He was happy that the men were buried side by side. Evidently, their deaths were the only ones that year. That was except for Dorothy Marie Todd’s, but they never did find her body. He jumped down, and Mike handed him a crowbar. He popped open each coffin and climbed up to let the fumes dissipate.

  He and his group weren’t fond of opening coffins. These weren’t old ones, and chances
were that the contents could be quite disturbing. The representative from the mortuary didn’t remember any embalming being requested. This was just a quick, cheap burial consistent with the times. Pine coffins with no cement vault around them. Most certainly the insect population had come, consumed and left. The smell of decay wasn’t overwhelming, another good sign. He clenched his jaw and jumped back down. He opened DeMarco’s grave first. Bones and scraps of clothing greeted him. By the size of the skeleton he must have been a massive man. Most of his bones were broken, probably from the fall. Burt pulled off the lid and set it to the side. He next opened Jones’s box and found things remarkably similar. After propping the lid open to the side, he climbed back out with the aid of Mike’s firm grip on his hand.

  Mike poured a gallon of gasoline over the two men. Each took a road flare and lit it. They dropped them into the pit on top of the bodies and drew back as the pit exploded in fire. It burned hot for a considerable time. As it died down, Burt could see that only small pieces of charred pine remained. He touched his earpiece and spoke. “Ted.”

  “Ted here.”

  “Mission accomplished. Bodies are torched. We will fill in the graves and head back after we’ve finished.”

  “I will let Ryan know. Ted out.”

  Mike sighed and picked up a spade and began to move the dirt back into the pit. Beth set the iPad down and picked up another shovel. Burt took the third and they worked quickly and silently. The job at hand was a serious one, but as they neared the end Mike asked Burt. “Why is Ted’s voice cracking?”

  “I think his balls just dropped,” Burt said, forgetting the female in their company.

  Beth laughed, pleased to be included in the boys club again.

  ~

  “Sheriff Ryan, PEEPs mission is accomplished,” Ted’s voice came over John’s com.

  “Thank you, son, extend my thanks to the team.”

  “Will do.”

  John looked down at his plan and checked off RRR. He looked at his watch and noted the hour. Eleven PM. He put down his pen and hit his radio com.

  “Deputy Martin, over,” John called.