Moon Underfoot

by Cole, Bobby

  Before the steel door shut, Tam began assessing everyone for potential usefulness under the circumstances. He slowly made his way to the far corner, spread his legs a bit, and squatted down on his heels, surveying the room for weaknesses, both human and structural.

  CHAPTER 58

  WALTER WATCHED SEBASTIAN carefully trying to tease the lock open with his pocketknife.

  The radio in his pocket cracked again. “You guys okay? We need to hurry up.”

  “Yes, Bernard. Just relax.”

  Sebastian grunted at Bernard’s impatience. “What’s the matter with him?”

  “I think as a kid he used to chase the mosquito truck down the street, and that probably melted some of his brain cells.”

  “I remember those days,” Sebastian commented with a chuckle as he worked. “We drank water from a garden hose, not a plastic bottle, and we didn’t have a care in the world.”

  “And we ate what we wanted.”

  Walter laughed. “You know, when I was newly married, sometimes I’d tell a white lie about where I was or what I was doing. Nothing serious. My late wife, rest her soul, didn’t like me playin’ poker. Then when I got older, hell, I had to lie about what I ate for lunch just to keep her off my back. She thought I ate a great many grilled-chicken-breast sandwiches and salads.”

  Sebastian was enjoying the distraction as he worked. “I know exactly what you’re talking about. Now we’re old, worn out, and facing Obamacare…but at least we can eat whatever the hell we want.”

  “You get that door open and the future’s gonna look a lot brighter.”

  “I think I got it…hang on and get ready to run,” he said as the lock slid back. He slowly pulled the door open.

  They both stared at each other for a few seconds as they listened for an alarm, and then wide smiles broke over their faces.

  “Walter? Just to be sure, go check the keypad; it’ll probably be flashing if it’s sending a silent alarm.” Sebastian slowly raised himself from the floor.

  Standing right in front of the keypad, Walter pulled on his bifocals to read all the buttons. “I think we’re good to go.”

  “Thank you, Lord. Now, let’s get busy. We’ve been in here over eight minutes already,” Sebastian said as he walked into the office.

  “Gold’s over seventeen hundred bucks an ounce. We should grab all the gold he’s got and sell it somewhere else,” Sebastian said as he stared at the big gun safe.

  “First, let’s get the safe open. I’ll let you have the honors,” Walter said with a twinkle in his eye. He glanced around the dark room and saw framed Manning jerseys. Those numbers woulda been my choice for a code, he thought.

  “Thirty-six, twenty-four, thirty-six, pound,” Sebastian said as he punched the keypad, listening to each high-pitched beep.

  When the lock released, Sebastian turned the five-spoke handle to the right and pulled open the safe door. They focused their flashlights on the inside.

  “There are the boot boxes! Just like Bailey said!”

  Walter reached inside and started taking out the boxes. They weren’t too heavy. He opened the top of one and saw cash stacked haphazardly.

  “How much you think’s in there?” Sebastian asked with schoolboy excitement.

  “I don’t know…maybe a hundred thousand?”

  “It’s gotta be more than that; she said it was sometimes as much as three hundred grand!” Sebastian said.

  “It’s hard to say. It’s a pile of money, though. Help me fit ’em in this bag. We gotta get outta here! We’ll count it later. See anything else in there?” Walter asked as he placed the boxes in his duffel bag.

  Sebastian peered inside like he was looking in the stomach of a whale.

  “Hell yeah!”

  “What is it?”

  “I can’t believe this.”

  “What the hell is it?” Walter asked as he slung the duffel on his shoulder.

  “It’s my old huntin’ rifle that got stolen years ago!”

  “Are you serious?” Walter had what he wanted, but if Sebastian could get his old rifle back, that was fine by him.

  “Yep, it’s my old Steyr. I know it. I loved this old rifle. I’m taking it!”

  “That’s fine with me, but let’s get the hell outta here.”

  Sebastian looked at his watch and realized they’d been inside twice as long as they had anticipated.

  Walter stepped toward the door and grabbed his radio. “We’re ready to come out.”

  “Clear as the coast,” Bernard reported back. Walter shook his head.

  “Hey, you feelin’ guilty about this?” Walter asked Sebastian.

  “The Kroger deal, yeah…but this guy’s a two-bit dirtbag, and no,” he said with a serious look. “You?”

  Walter had already given this plenty of thought. He had grown up in a household of strong values and tried to live as an adult by the same standard. Until Kroger came along, he had never stepped out of line. What he had promised his wife somehow justified the path he was now on. Walter looked at the rifle in Sebastian’s hands and said, “This redneck had your rifle. It’s just payback.”

  “Man, am I glad to get her back,” Sebastian remarked, holding the gun with the same care as he would a newborn baby.

  “Okay, we need to wipe everything you’ve touched since you took your gloves off,” Walter said, trying to cover their tracks. “I’m gonna place this can of dip where it can’t be missed.”

  Walter placed the silver-topped can on the desk next to the safe, as if it had been forgotten in a moment’s haste. He walked out of the office and from the shadows looked out the front window. Rain gently fell. A few cars passed. His heart began to race as he thought about how close they were to pulling off this heist. He knew that once they got into the van and hit Highway 45 heading north, they were home free. He couldn’t wait to count the money. He started to unwrap a cigar, when he heard Velcro being ripped apart and wondered what Sebastian was doing.

  “Walter,” Sebastian said in a strange tone.

  “Yeah?”

  “You need to get back in here and look at this.”

  CHAPTER 59

  A MUTED CELL phone had been silently ringing for twenty minutes in Levi’s pocket while he explained in great detail to his date that the most bacteria-infested place on a man was his wallet. She had been fascinated with his trivia knowledge but didn’t like hearing how bacteria colonies were formed in a guy’s sweaty wallet and were being passed around through the exchange of currency.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, glancing over at her as he drove south through the rainy night.

  “Let’s talk about something else, anything…please.”

  “Sure. Wadda ya wanna talk about?”

  Levi’s date unbuckled her seat belt and sat Indian-style facing him. “What’s next?”

  “Wadda ya mean?”

  “What do you want to do with the rest of your life?” she asked. “This gold rush probably won’t last forever.”

  “I dunno,” he said sheepishly.

  “You haven’t thought about it?”

  “Oh, I have, but you’ll laugh if I tell ya.”

  “No I won’t.”

  “I love trees.”

  “Trees?”

  “Yeah. I’ve been takin’ some online courses from Mississippi State…and I’d like to be a guy who travels around saving old trees.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah…think about it. There are trees that have been around since the American Revolution. They can live a long time, and they’ve experienced a lot of history. There are trees around here that were alive when the Union and Confederate forces marched through back in the 1860s. But every year, I notice one dyin’ somewhere…in a neighborhood or a pasture. I wanna save trees.”

  “I hadn’t ever thought about that. Can you make any money doin’ it?”

  “I don’t really know, but it’s what I really wanna do. I figure if I save up enough money to bankroll me for about a ye
ar, then, if I’m any good, maybe I’ll make a decent living, and at least I’ll be happy.”

  Levi’s date appreciated his honesty and smiled at him as she brushed her hair behind her ear. “So, what’s a tree savior called?”

  “An arborist, but some folks call ’em tree surgeons.”

  “Oooh…I like that. I always wanted to tell my friends I was datin’ a doctor, but a surgeon would work!”

  “So…we’re dating?”

  “Well…you’re not a surgeon yet.”

  Levi smiled and turned up the volume to the CD he had bought at the concert and sang “Bless the Broken Road” to his date. It had been an enjoyable night. He’d had a good meal and seen a great concert, he had luckily crossed paths with Moon Pie’s nemesis, and now he was telling a beautiful woman his dream and she wasn’t laughing at it or him.

  Levi had been on a direct course for incarceration, particularly over these last few years. His half brother was the worst influence imaginable. However, given the proper inspiration and influence, Levi had the basic values to be a productive citizen. He just needed the proper motivation.

  Meanwhile, in his pocket, Levi’s cell showed seven missed calls and two unread text messages from his quickly angering half brother. The last text read, “Call me asap u stupid shit!!!”

  CHAPTER 60

  BERNARD DESPERATELY WANTED to turn around to see the money Walter and Sebastian were excitedly talking about, but he had to concentrate on driving. They couldn’t get stopped by the police. Judging by Walter and Sebastian’s comments, they had stolen a hell of a lot more money than they had anticipated.

  Sebastian was trying to rough-count the cash. “I’m telling y’all, there’s a million bucks here…just in this bag!”

  “It’s gonna take us all night to count.”

  “You got something better to do?” Bernard asked.

  “Nope. Just get us back home safe,” Walter replied. Then to Sebastian he said, “You did really good tonight. Crackin’ that door lock was impressive.”

  “Thanks. It felt good.”

  “What door are y’all talkin’ about?” Bernard asked.

  “The door to the office was locked, and our man here picked it.”

  “Years of gunsmithing finally pay off.”

  “I’ll say it’s paid off,” Walter remarked, slapping the side of the money bag.

  Bernard held up a silver key. “Bailey gave this to me this yesterday. She said it’s the key to the office and that we might need it. Sorry, I forgot.”

  Walter placed his cigar in the corner of his mouth, leaned forward, and took the key from Bernard. “This certainly would have made things easier.”

  “I’m sorry,” Bernard said as he watched Walter’s eyes in his rearview mirror.

  “Don’t worry about it. Thanks to Sebastian, we went over that hurdle.”

  “Did y’all leave the evidence?”

  “We sure did,” Walter stated as he pointed with his cigar.

  “Woody’s not gonna have time to bother Bailey anymore,” Sebastian added.

  “Perfect!”

  “And thanks to Bailey’s insight and direction, our little foundation just received a huge donation,” Walter said.

  “Is there really a million dollars back there?” Bernard asked as he turned his head to look.

  “I’m thinkin’ there is…this bag’s is full of big bills. They’ll add up to a huge number quick.”

  Following a moment of clarity, Walter said, “Guys, listen to me. This is serious shit. We gotta be really careful. We can’t tell anyone or draw any attention to ourselves. Somebody’s gonna get killed for this.”

  “Yeah, like Woody,” Sebastian chuckled.

  “Seriously. It could be Bailey or us if we aren’t careful. That’s a lot of money, and somebody’s gonna be really pissed.”

  “Are you thinkin’ that we shouldn’t have framed Woody?” Sebastian asked.

  “Maybe.”

  “You serious?”

  “Somebody’s gonna completely freak out about this money! Woody’s an abuser, and that’s about as low as it gets in my book, but we shouldn’t be playing judge and jury.”

  “But what we’re doing is to help others,” Bernard said.

  “We just stole a shit pot full of money…and now you’re feelin’ guilty?” Sebastian asked.

  Walter’s guilt was that he had convinced the others to believe in him and his ideas. They now believed that some wrongs were right, if they were done to benefit another. How did one determine what was right and what was wrong? And who gets to make that determination? He had convinced them to alter their core beliefs. The allure of money was powerful. It motivated people to make excuses for their actions rather than taking responsibility for their choices.

  “Let’s just get back to the Henry Clay. We are all jacked up on adrenaline and coffee. I don’t mean to suddenly change and sound like a television evangelist after we’ve done all this.”

  “You think we oughta go back and get the can of dip?” Bernard asked.

  “I don’t know…maybe? The fact that there was all this additional cash makes me think something really big was about to go down and that we got real lucky.”

  “We can go back if you think we should. I trust your judgment,” Sebastian said. Then he added, “But I gotta say, I think we’d really be pushin’ that luck.”

  CHAPTER 61

  JAKE FOLLOWED A Mississippi state trooper all the way to the north side of West Point and then followed a local black-and-white to the house in Old Waverly. At first Katy and her friend thought it was “so cool” to follow a police car, but they had both fallen asleep after about fifteen minutes. Morgan hadn’t said much, and Jake could tell she was angry—not necessarily at him, but he was the handiest target. He wondered what more he could have done.

  Two West Point police officers walked around the outside of Jake’s house and shined flashlights in potential hiding spots. Everyone assumed the inside was safe, since the alarm had been set. Jake shook each officer’s hand and thanked them. He noticed that it had quit raining and the temperature had dropped several degrees since they left for the concert.

  “You sure you don’t want us to look around inside? We don’t mind,” one of the officers politely offered.

  “No, it’s not necessary. Y’all have done plenty, and the house alarm was set. I really appreciate the offer, though.”

  As the police cruiser pulled away, Katy’s friend’s parents pulled up. It didn’t surprise Jake that they would want to take her home. He’d do the same thing. He’d even offered to drop her off on the way home, but they insisted on coming to his house. He assumed that they didn’t want him anywhere near their home.

  Morgan met them at the front door with a very sleepy twelve-year-old girl. She was clutching her concert souvenirs, including a curled, airbrushed cowboy hat with pink feathers that seemed like a good idea at the time but would never be worn again.

  Not knowing what to say about everything that had happened, Morgan said to the mom, “I think she had a great time. The concert was really good.”

  “Thanks for taking her. She texted me that she had fun,” she said as she stroked her daughter’s hair.

  Jake quickly added, trying to assuage her fears, “Don’t worry; she was with Morgan and me the whole time.”

  “Are y’all gonna be okay?” the father asked.

  Morgan looked at Jake and then back at the dad and said, “Oh yes. A whole bunch of cops are lookin’ for this guy.”

  As the parents were heading for the car, the mom said, “Call us if you need anything or if Katy needs a place to stay. Oh, and congratulations! I heard you’re expecting!”

  “We will, and thank you,” Morgan said with a slight wave. She folded her arms tightly as the parents hurriedly drove off.

  Jake looked at her and sighed. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault, Jake.”

  “I sure feel like it is.”

  “Come on
, let’s get inside. I’m cold, and I wanna lock the doors and turn on the alarm.”

  “Go ’head. I’ll be in shortly. I need to make a phone call first.”

  “Who are you going to call at this hour?”

  “R.C.”

  “It’s almost two.”

  “Knowin’ him, he’s probably watching Law and Order reruns.”

  “Okay. Please be sure and set the alarm when you come in.”

  Jake nodded and then watched Morgan walk into the house and close the door. She doesn’t need all this stress, particularly bein’ pregnant. They had finally gotten their lives and marriage back on track since the Dummy Line.

  Jake knew that he had to do something; everything was in jeopardy yet again. He had plenty of firepower, and if he had the element of surprise, he could take out Moon Pie. He’d kill him Pie if it came down to it.

  Jake looked back through the leaded glass of the front door, thinking that others were depending on him, just like at the Dummy Line. He needed a plan. He couldn’t go off half-cocked. Success, and most likely his life, would depend on it.

  He glanced at the dark sky, wondering where the moon was, and realized he had to talk to R.C. He dialed the number. When it went to voice mail, Jake said, “R.C., this is Jake Crosby. We had an incident at the concert tonight. Moon Pie saw us there and passed a note to me. By the time I read it, he was gone. At any rate, I’m sick and tired of this bullshit. Monday mornin’ I’m goin’ to his gold shop and confront him. I was hopin’ you might join me. You’ve got my number. Please give me a call.”

  Jake slid the phone into his pocket and opened his front door.

  A distraught Morgan met him. “I can’t find Scout!”

  CHAPTER 62

  MOON PIE SAT in the dark, chain-smoking cigarettes, waiting for Levi. By 2:10 a.m., he had been through every scenario he could imagine, trying to determine a way to at least keep the cash and possibly even Tam’s drugs. Each scenario, however, involved him eventually losing his life in a manner that would make a sadomasochist flinch. Moon Pie finally settled on making the drop as planned, demonstrating to Tam that he was more than capable of handling the business in Tam’s absence.