Moon Underfoot

by Cole, Bobby

  Being around so many cops terrified the two grave robbers, and they were nearly frozen, so all they could muster were slight nods.

  “One of these deputies will take y’all to the hospital. We’ll talk there.”

  “Oh, that’s okay. We’re fine, Officer. We can walk from here,” Trance instantly replied and stood. Yancey nodded his agreement.

  The warden, expecting something like this, said, “I’m sorry, fellas, but y’all don’t have a choice.”

  When the warden turned around, the gurney was quickly being unloaded from the ambulance. He climbed inside his truck to help.

  “Watch his legs. They’re bluish black with blood, and the left one’s broken.”

  The medics looked up, wanting a further explanation as they opened the blanket to examine Jake’s legs.

  “He’s been stuck in a pipe full of running water. I think it sucked all the blood down into them.”

  The medics carefully laid Jake on the gurney. They did a quick assessment. His pulse and respiration were extremely low; the color of his face was pale, verging on blue and puffy. The biggest concerns were his legs and that he was unconscious.

  “His legs can’t get above his heart. We gotta move, stat!” one medic said to the other. “Let’s roll!”

  As they loaded Jake into the back of the ambulance, the warden heard one say that the electric blanket was already warm.

  “You riding?” a paramedic asked the warden.

  It would be just as easy to follow in his truck, but the warden really wanted to stay with Jake. An older deputy understood immediately and spoke up, “Go. I’ll bring your truck.”

  The game warden, dripping wet, climbed into the back of the ambulance, the doors slamming shut behind him. Through the windows, the ominous blue lights filling the cold night air contrasted with the stark white, warm, sterile inside of the ambulance. He looked down at Jake’s colorless face. His head rocked in rhythm to the swaying of the big van as the driver sped to the hospital.

  The warden tried to warm his hands as he watched the young medic, who looked barely old enough to shave, deftly start an IV in Jake’s left arm.

  “Hang in there, Jake!” was all that the warden could think to say.

  CHAPTER 124

  LEVI WAS WAITING for Moon Pie outside the Baptist Hospital Emergency Department in Columbus when an ambulance rolled in. He never heard a siren, but the flashing red lights set the stage for bad news for someone. Two orderlies hurried out to help. Levi overheard one of them say that it was a DOA, a gunshot victim from a swampy area north of town.

  That got Levi’s attention. He was expecting Moon Pie to drive up, not ride up in the back of an ambulance. He asked, “Huntin’ accident?”

  The orderlies didn’t realize anyone could overhear them. They exchanged glances, wondering who this guy was.

  “I’m just wondering if it was a hunting accident.”

  Levi was dressed respectably and looked like any normal citizen who might be anxiously waiting in the ER.

  “I don’t think so,” one replied slowly.

  The other orderly crossed his forearms, making an X, signaling the driver to stop backing up.

  Levi said thanks and then stood silently as the orderly opened the back doors. The first thing Levi saw was a state trooper sitting inside. No one seemed to be in a rush, and when the gurney and the patient were pulled out, he immediately understood. Whoever was on the gurney was completely covered in blood, as was the formerly white sheet covering the person’s head.

  Levi sensed that it was Moon Pie, which wasn’t a surprise. He had always lived on the edge, cheating death more times than Levi could count, but he needed to know for certain that this was his half brother.

  Levi exhaled deeply and then approached the medics as they wheeled the body inside. At the last moment, he decided not to ask any more questions that could raise suspicions about him.

  “Car accident?” he asked the trooper instead.

  “I’m sorry, sir. We can’t give out any information,” the state trooper replied politely.

  Levi trailed several feet behind the covered gurney. He watched a young doctor in scrubs hurry to the side of the deceased. He raised the sheet, did a quick examination of the body, and pronounced the victim dead at 11:23 p.m. He pulled the sheet back over the body and pointed down the hall.

  From Levi’s vantage point, he clearly saw Moon Pie’s face. His half brother was dead. He looked around the empty ER and then slowly, calmly stepped though the exit next to the automated doors.

  As Levi walked to his truck, he realized that he didn’t feel anguish or sorrow. Moon Pie had tormented him all of his life. Ethan “Moon Pie” Daniels was not a good person, and Levi had allowed Moon Pie to lead him down many a wrong road from an early age.

  Levi experienced something liberating from Moon Pie’s death, and it occurred with perfect timing. Levi had been at a crossroads and needed guidance or a sign. Moon Pie’s death was one or both. He needed to find out who had killed him.

  He glanced back at the hospital. The state trooper was staring at him through the glass door.

  CHAPTER 125

  MORGAN, KATY, AND their police escort headed straight to the hospital after listening to the radio chatter that Jake was in an ambulance, en route to the ER.

  When Morgan saw an ambulance parked at the hospital emergency department’s door, she swallowed hard even though she knew from the radio that Jake had not yet arrived. The police car parked as close as possible to the entrance. The officer quickly got out to open the back door for Morgan and Katy. Morgan jumped out and was pulling Katy by the arm as she hurried inside.

  It was late, almost Tuesday morning, and there were no patients around, but she immediately garnered the head nurse’s attention when she rushed inside.

  “Is Jake Crosby here yet?” she asked, thinking that she might have missed something.

  “No, ma’am,” she replied, looking over her bifocals.

  Before the nurse could expound, the policeman said, “He’s not here yet, Mrs. Crosby. I just heard on the radio that the ambulance is just a few minutes away.”

  Morgan squeezed Katy’s hand.

  The nurse was looking at Katy but asked the policeman, “Is he the hypothermic patient en route?”

  “Yes, ma’am. This is his wife and daughter.”

  The nurse walked over and put her arm around Morgan and smiled down at Katy. “We’re ready for him. We’ve been warming blankets and IVs. We’ll take good care of him. I promise.”

  Morgan tried to smile.

  “Do you know what happened?” the nurse asked.

  Morgan sighed deeply. “No, no, we don’t.”

  The nurse glanced down at Katy and was about to suggest that Morgan and Katy see a doctor, when the policeman ran to the back door.

  “They’re here!”

  The ER nurse called back to someone, and the ER suddenly came to life. Orderlies and nurses ran through the common area to help. A doctor stood ready, and a state trooper emerged from a back room with a cup of coffee in hand.

  Morgan picked up Katy, and they pushed their way outside to get as close as possible to the ambulance. The red lights made Morgan squint, and she could see people in the back of the ambulance before the doors opened.

  When the doors opened, Morgan could see Jake’s colorless face. His eyes were barely open.

  Morgan gasped, “Oh my God!” She squeezed Katy and turned her so she couldn’t see Jake.

  The medics were explaining Jake’s condition to the nurses. At the top of the list were his swollen legs and ankles. The color had started coming back to his legs, but his ankles and calves were still grossly enlarged. During the drive, the medics had determined that Jake’s ankles were zip-tied together and, although it was difficult, had managed to cut off the ties. They relayed his last vitals. Jake’s temperature had improved considerably, but it was still dangerously low.

  With everything quickly explained, the hospital crew
was wheeling Jake inside. Everyone followed into the main ER. Morgan touched Jake’s face when he rolled by. She knew he wasn’t recognizing anything because of his blank stare. She sat Katy down but kept holding her hand as she tried to follow the mass of people.

  The nurse stopped Morgan as Jake entered the trauma area. “Mrs. Crosby, you must stay out here. As soon as I know something, I’ll come and tell you.” And with that, she disappeared behind an automatic door. As the door closed, Morgan could hear several frantic voices discussing Jake’s condition, and she caught a glimpse of Jake naked. His legs were dark blue, almost black, from the thighs down. They quickly covered him with a blanket.

  “Why is he naked?” she muttered to no one.

  “His clothes were wet, and we cut ’em off to help warm him up,” the game warden said, standing behind Morgan. He was dripping wet too.

  She jumped. She had not heard him approach. When Morgan turned to face him, he introduced himself. “Mrs. Crosby, I’m Banks Gran. I helped pull your husband outta the pipe tonight.”

  “Pipe? What? What pipe?” Morgan asked slowly. Then she continued, “I don’t know about any of this.”

  Two blanket-wrapped men walked into the ER with two deputies escorting them. When Morgan saw them, she pulled Katy behind her, thinking these men were responsible for what had happened to Jake. She stared at them, trying to fit the puzzle together in her mind.

  “Will you please tell me what the hell happened?” she asked. Then, pointing to the men, she said, “Did they do this to Jake?”

  The West Point police chief arrived in time to hear Banks beginning to talk to Morgan and interrupted, suggesting that they all sit down in the lobby. Morgan reluctantly walked away from where she had last seen Jake. She picked up Katy again, walked to the lobby, and then sat down with the warden and the chief.

  Everyone listened intently as the warden shared his story about where, when, and how he found Jake and the rescue. Morgan kept looking back and forth between the warden and the ER, watching for a doctor or the head nurse to appear. She was stunned to learn that Jake had been tied up and left to die inside a drainpipe. The warden explained that he knew only what happened to him after Jake arrived at the Corps of Engineers property. He didn’t have any idea how Jake and Moon Pie had crossed paths. The police chief admitted that he didn’t either but that they would piece it together soon.

  Morgan dropped her face into her left hand and kept her right on Katy. She asked, “What about Moon Pie? Has that bastard been arrested?”

  The warden looked at the police chief, who nodded his assent. He then scooted closer to Morgan so that not everyone could hear. He had just been briefed about the terror that Moon Pie had wrought on this family.

  “I left out one piece of the story.”

  Morgan looked straight up at the warden and then at the police chief. The warden placed his hand on her knee for reassurance. “Moon Pie’s dead. He didn’t even make it to the hospital. We’re pretty sure that Jake shot him.”

  Morgan was absolutely stunned.

  Katy lifted her head and blinked her eyes, a huge sense of relief sweeping over her. She asked enthusiastically, “So Dad shot the bad guy?”

  The chief didn’t really know what to say. He looked at Morgan and then back at Katy and said, “Yes, Katy, that’s what it looks like.”

  Katy exhaled deeply and said, “Way to go, Dad!”

  The chief and warden exchanged quick, uncomfortable looks and then smiled knowingly at Katy. Katy smiled back.

  Katy was finally free to be a kid again. Just a kid. Not one that was constantly being watched and talked about. A normal, regular kid, finally.

  Morgan leaned down and kissed Katy on the head. Katy hugged her back. Time seemed to slow as Morgan savored the first expressive hug from Katy in quite some time.

  The ER door pushed open, and a nurse called, “Mrs. Crosby, you and your daughter can come back now.”

  Morgan stood and wiped the tears from her eyes and then wiped Katy’s. Katy pulled free from her mom’s hand and then walked over to the warden and police chief.

  Katy hugged the chief and said, “Thanks for helping my dad.” Then she went to the warden, hugged his neck, and said, “And thank you for saving my daddy’s life.”

  Katy turned around and then ran toward the nurse. Over her shoulder, she yelled, “I love y’all!”

  Morgan, tears streaming down her face, was right behind her. As they passed the nurse, she handed them towels, since they were now wet from hugging the officers. The Crosby girls quietly walked into the stark white room. Jake was covered in several blankets and some odd-looking electrical cover. Only his neck and face were visible. He had a fleece toboggan on his head. His eyes were closed, and his facial features displayed exhaustion, but his skin color had improved greatly since they first saw him. Morgan hurried over and touched Jake’s face. Katy, afraid that she might hurt him, lightly touched his shoulder. Morgan’s bottom lip started quivering when Katy squeezed her hand.

  The doctor, who had been entering information on a handheld electronic tablet when they entered, looked up and smiled at Morgan and Katy, looking each in the eyes. He had bifocals on top of his totally bald head. Katy smiled. She thought he looked funny.

  “Mrs. Crosby, your husband’s had quite a night. He was in pretty bad shape when they first loaded him in the ambulance. We think his core temperature had dropped into the upper seventies, but he’s responding nicely. I’m sure you know it needs to be around ninety-nine degrees. Typically, major organs start shutting down when the core temp drops, but all indicators are that didn’t happen.

  “I have two concerns. During his time in the drainpipe, the suction of the water pulled a substantial amount of blood from his upper body down into his legs. If he had stayed there much longer, it would have been fatal. Very, very fortunately, when he was pulled out, they laid him on the ground with his head higher than his legs and transported him that way to the ambulance. By doing that they kept the blood circulating at a controlled pace. He also sustained an open fracture of his left fibula, and I am deeply concerned about infection at that site. As soon as he’s stabilized, he’ll need surgery.”

  Morgan was trying to take it all in, but she was just listening for the words He’s going to be all right. That’s what she needed to know.

  The doctor pressed on. “Primarily, at this moment, however, we are worried about blood clots. He’s not in the clear yet. His blood was violently reorganized inside his body, and when this happens, the red blood cells can get crushed. We have to closely monitor his progress. We’ll be giving him blood thinners to help dissipate any clots. In a nutshell, he needs rest. A lot of it. We will have to take all of these things in stages. Do you have any questions?”

  “When can I take him home?”

  The doctor smiled. “We’ll know more tomorrow.”

  “Can I try to talk to him?”

  “Sure. He was awake a few minutes ago, but he’s very groggy. Mr. Crosby, if you can hear me, open your eyes. Your family is here.”

  Jake cracked open one eye. He could see Morgan tightly holding Katy against her side. He could only move his lips to form a fraction of a smile.

  The doctor stepped away, saying, “I’ll be right over here if you need me.”

  Morgan bent over, kissed him, and straightened a few strands of hair that were escaping from the tight toboggan. She said, “I’ve been so worried about you.”

  “Me too, Dad,” Katy chimed in.

  “It’s been a long night,” he slurred.

  “I love you,” Morgan said, fighting back tears.

  “I know, and I love you too. Both of you. All three of you!” Jake said with as much emphasis as he could muster.

  “It’s over, Jake. Moon Pie’s dead,” Morgan said.

  Jake closed his eyes, and it felt good. He would learn the details later, but for now, that’s all he needed to know.

  Katy said, “Good job, Dad! I’m so proud of you.”

/>   Jake smiled, and a tear began to roll down his cheek.

  Morgan sat Katy down, leaned into his ear, and said, “I’m glad that son of a bitch is dead too.”

  Katy said, “Hey, Dad, Scout came home! Guess what? She hadn’t run away. The neighbors went outta town, and she got locked in their garage! The whole time we were calling for her, she was trapped and couldn’t get out!”

  Jake smiled deliriously and managed, “That’s good, kiddo.” He was thinking back to his near death inside the drainpipe and that same feeling of helplessness. With tears again in his eyes, he added, “Give her a big hug for me. It’s really scary to be trapped like that.”

  “Hey, Dad, can I have a Kindle Fire?”

  Jake turned to Morgan and smiled. They both knew that the Crosby family was going to be fine.

  CHAPTER 126

  BAILEY HAD NOT heard from Levi since he walked out of her hotel room four nights earlier with over a million dollars. Then he unexpectedly called and asked her to get the old folks together so he could talk to everyone. She was astonished at how nonchalant he was on the phone, offering no explanations or apologies.

  The old-timers had already made peace with their lost fortune and understood Bailey’s intentions. Now they all were worried about Walter. A police detective had been asking serious questions, and Sam was certain an arrest was imminent, regardless of what anyone said or did. Had the events of two days ago with Moon Pie not distracted the police force, it probably would have occurred already.

  Mostly out of curiosity, they all gathered at the long table in the Henry Clay library, sitting patiently while they awaited Levi’s arrival. Walter was secretly planning to flee, though he hadn’t quite figured out all the details, since he lived month to month on his social security check. Sebastian didn’t think Levi would show and was very vocal about it. Bernard didn’t care. He was more interested in watching Dancing with the Stars than in anything Levi might have to say.