Grizzly Season

by S. W. Lauden

  Magnus jumped to his feet, pulling Greg up by the shirt with him. They reached the nearest bodyguard and Magnus held his empty hand out. A handgun was placed there in response to his silent command. Magnus pointed at Marco’s motionless body first. Greg froze.

  “We need to evacuate. Now. Get him down to the van. Wait for me there.”

  The bodyguard studied Lathrop with a confused look.

  “What about him?”

  Magnus was shoving Greg out the door when he answered.

  “Get somebody to carry him out, or finish him off yourself. I’ll trust you to make the right decision.”

  Lathrop started wailing. He fell to his knees, pleading for his life. “You have to save me, Greg! Please…”

  Greg pulled away from Magnus and spun to face Lathrop. The one-time Hollywood hot shot looked like an abused animal now—scared, alone and waiting to die. Greg was torn between mocking him, saving him and killing him.

  “Is that what Maggie sounded like? Out on your precious yacht.”

  Magnus stepped in before Lathrop could answer.

  “I’d love to see how this drama plays out, but we’re running out of time.”

  Lathrop collapsed to the floor when Greg and Magnus turned to leave. They wound through the small crowd starting to form in the hallway. Your usual collection of film crew miscreants, with backwards baseball hats, stained T-shirts and three-day stubble. The few women who popped their heads from the bedrooms were either totally naked or well on their way. Nobody seemed troubled at all that Magnus had the barrel of his gun pressed against the back of Greg’s head. Business as usual.

  Magnus guided Greg down the stairs and out through the front door. They were standing in the driveway together when Magnus finally lowered his weapon.

  “My offer still stands.”

  It took Greg a minute to understand what Magnus meant. He knew it was no use arguing with a lunatic, but Magnus was also an egomaniac.

  “You’re surrounded by beautiful women. You don’t need her back.”

  “Love is a many splendored thing. Two days, or your friend dies.”

  Magnus turned to leave, but Greg grabbed his shoulder.

  “I won’t give her up without a fight.”

  “Forty-eight hours before we come and take what’s mine. You get any of your old friends from the police force involved, Marco pays the price.”

  Checkmate.

  ›

  Junior was frantic when she came out of Chris’s bedroom the next morning. She ran for the couch to wake Kristen up, but she was gone too. Her blankets and pillows were neatly folded and piled in the corner. It was like she was never there, except that her phone was still plugged into the wall charger. Junior was checking the rest of the house when somebody started pounding on the door.

  Greg was standing there when she went to answer.

  “Where is she, Junior? I keep calling, but she doesn’t answer.”

  He pushed by her to survey the living room. A Christmas tree was standing in the corner, but nobody had taken the time to decorate it yet. His eyes came to rest on the couch. Junior grabbed his elbow and spun him around.

  “Jesus Christ, Greg. What’s going on?”

  “Where is she?”

  “I don’t know! And I don’t know where Chris is either, if you care at all.”

  It was the first thing she said that actually registered. It felt like the wind had been knocked completely out of him.

  “What do you mean he’s gone?”

  “The place was empty when I woke up.”

  He ran back out the front door with Junior chasing after him. The El Camino was still idling when they both arrived. Greg climbed in, putting the car into reverse before he even noticed she was in the passenger seat. “You have to stay here in case she—in case either of them come back.”

  “I know, but…but…”

  “Spit it out, Junior. I have to go right now. The clock’s ticking.”

  “Don’t hurt him, Greg. Don’t hurt Chris if he has anything to do with this.”

  Greg reached over and took her in his arms. She was too overwhelmed to even cry. He was too wound up to do a very good job comforting her. Somehow it still felt right. They stayed like that until she finally pulled away.

  “You have to go find her.”

  “I’ll find both of them. You can’t let yourself think Chris had anything to do with this.”

  Junior was back on the porch when Greg sped away. He could see her standing there in his rearview mirror. The knots in his stomach got tighter as she shrank into the background.

  ›

  The back gate was open when Greg pulled up to his house. He clipped a couple of trashcans sliding to a stop before he jumped out of the car. Kristen wasn’t in the backyard so he kept moving into the house. Both bedrooms were empty; the same with the living room and kitchen. There was no sign of a struggle, and all of her clothes were still in the closet.

  Greg had no idea where else to look. She’d barely left the property since moving in. The only other place he could think of was the beach, but she rarely went there on her own: Only to sit on the sand and watch him surf. He decided it was worth a try anyway.

  He was flying across the backyard when J.J.’s apartment door flung open. Greg stopped, even though he knew not to expect any help from his former bass player. Part of him was surprised that J.J. was still living there after their heated conversation yesterday. He turned around to face his tenant, but was greeted by Tommy’s puffy, hung over face instead.

  Tommy squinted as he looked up at the sun in disbelief.

  “What time is it?”

  “Close to eight. What are you doing here?”

  “Closed Eddie’s down last night. Way too drunk to drive. Your boy told me I could crash here.”

  “He’s not my boy, but I’m glad you made it home in one piece. Or somewhere safe, at least. Now go back to bed.”

  “Ain’t happening. I’ve been awake since the last time you came crashing through here.”

  “Wait. What do you mean? This is the first time I’ve come home since last night.”

  “Hell if I know. I heard a bunch of loud noises a couple hours ago. Sounded like a big truck pulled up in the alley. People were talking. Doors were slamming.”

  “What time was that?”

  “No idea. It was still dark out. Too damn early, if you ask me.”

  Greg pushed past Tommy, searching the apartment for any sign of Kristen. J.J. didn’t even stir the whole time Greg was digging around. Tommy looked much more alert when Greg brushed by him again on his way out.

  “Man, you really are a terrible landlord.”

  “Do me a favor, tell J.J. to keep his mouth shut.”

  Greg slammed the gate behind him and ran down to the beach. A strong offshore breeze was blowing and the waves were choppy. There were only two or three die-hard surfers out in the water, his kind of people. He also spotted a couple of paddleboarders climbing out of the water down at the shoreline. Greg reached them right before they started the long, slow slog across the sand. They all recognized each other at the same moment.

  “Greg. How are you?”

  It was Shelia and Pete from the SUP Sober group. Pete went in for a handshake.

  “Long time, no see. What brings you down here in your street clothes?”

  Both of them smiled. Greg was only barely aware that he was still wearing the same outfit as last night. At that moment it was impossible to pretend like he cared.

  “I’m looking for my girlfriend. She’s hard to miss since she’s eight months pregnant.”

  Pete was doing all the talking for the two of them now.

  “I heard you were going to be a daddy. We’re so stoked for you.”

  “Thanks. Listen, I’m kind of in a hurry. You haven’t
seen her around, have you?”

  “No, sorry…”

  “That’s okay. Take care you guys.”

  “…but Junior’s son was out here this morning.”

  Greg wanted to believe that Chris had shown up to attend the SUP Sober meeting, that at least Junior’s nightmare was over. But he knew it was only a daydream.

  “What time?”

  “Must have been close to six. We tried to say hi, but he paddled away. Didn’t seem like he had gotten much sleep last night, if you know what I mean.”

  “Was he alone?”

  “He was with Jeff Barrett.”

  Greg was lost in thought all the way across the sand and down the alley to his house. He had gone to the beach on a mission to find Kristen and ended up with a lead on Chris. Calling Junior to let her know was the right thing to do, but with Barrett involved that would only mean more trouble. The more Greg thought about it, the angrier he got.

  He was jogging into the backyard when he remembered that there was one other person he could always trust. They hadn’t spoken in a few weeks, which must have been some kind of record for them. He tried to catch his breath as he pulled the phone from his pocket, finding the name in his contacts.

  “Chief. It’s Greg.”

  “It’s about goddamned time you called. I was getting worried that this joint task force was going to your head.”

  “Very funny. What’s new?”

  “Another day closer to retirement. You calling to set up that meeting with the kid in the blue hat?”

  “Nope. I actually want to take you up on your offer.”

  “I’m getting old, so you’ll have to refresh my memory.”

  “I need you to look somebody up for me. Name’s Kristen Raines.”

  ›

  Greg was sitting at his kitchen table, trying to come up with a plan. He had given his old Police Chief all the information he had on Kristen. Or, at least, everything she’d told him. It would be up to the police database to let him know what was true and what wasn’t.

  Until then, he still had Chris to worry about. He could definitely handle Barrett on his own, but things would go much smoother if he had back up. Especially if he heard back about Kristen and needed to shift gears.

  Greg went to refill his coffee when somebody knocked on the door. He got up to check the front door, but nobody was there. Then he heard it again, coming from the backyard. Tommy gave Greg a head nod when he opened up. He looked only slightly better than the last time they spoke.

  “I’m taking off. Thanks for letting me crash here.”

  “Better than crashing out there.”

  Greg didn’t even get a smile in return for his lame cop joke.

  “You should be thanking J.J., not me. Is he awake yet?”

  “Not even close. Dude snores like a bear.”

  Tommy was backing away, but Greg stopped him. “Is your motorcycle over at Eddie’s?”

  “Man, I hope so. I really don’t like leaving her in strange places over night.”

  “Why don’t I give you a ride? It’s a long walk from here.”

  “That would be great. Especially since I can’t find my wallet.”

  “Cool. We need to make a quick stop on the way.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Jeff Barrett was in his usual spot on the beach despite the season. Greg and Tommy crossed the sand, trudging toward him. Greg had taken the time to switch into board shorts and a hoodie, but his new friend was still dressed in his motorcycle leathers. He hoped the extra padding would come in handy if the situation turned ugly.They didn’t see the second beach chair behind Barrett’s until they got closer. Greg almost couldn’t believe his eyes. Chris was dressed like Greg in board shorts and a hoodie, along with wrap-around shades. Barrett sat forward and gave Tommy a once over.

  “Sup, Salem? I see you got smart and finally brought some back up.”

  “At least my back up can drink legally.”

  Chris barely looked up from the tablet computer in his lap. Barrett didn’t flinch.

  “I’m teaching the kid the ropes. Trying to share some of my success.”

  “You know it’s a school day, right? Not sure the district would agree with this apprentice program you’re running. Or his mom.”

  “You and I barely ever went to class and we turned out fine.”

  “I guess that’s a matter of opinion, when it comes to you and me. Not really your call when it comes to Chris.”

  The boy lifted his chin at the mention of his name. Greg couldn’t read his expression through the sunglasses. Barrett tried to laugh it off, but he was starting to sweat.

  “Am I supposed to care about your opinion?”

  “No, but I’d be worried about Junior if I was you. After all, her son’s a runaway. That means she can probably press charges if she wants to.”

  Barrett looked over at Tommy, as if for affirmation. Greg had Barrett right where he wanted him.

  “Let me ask you something. You got a thing for little boys?”

  Barrett stood up, ready for a fight. Greg took a step back to brace himself for the attack. He barely made it out alive the last time the two of them fought on Barrett’s home turf. They started circling each other, fists raised and heads bobbing. That’s when Tommy finally stepped in.

  “Why don’t you sit back down?”

  “Feel free to make me.”

  There was a brief moment when everything was perfectly still. Only the sound of the waves breaking in the background and the seagulls overhead. The next thing Greg knew, Barrett went crashing through his beach chair. Chris barely managed to get out of the way before the big man ate sand. It happened so fast that nobody even saw Tommy move.

  Greg grabbed Chris by the wrists, tugging him up from the chair. The kid was in shock and felt like dead weight in Greg’s grip. It took them a while to reach the car because Tommy struggled to walk across the sand in his biker boots. Greg didn’t mention the fight until Chris was buckled in the middle of the El Camino’s bench seat.

  Greg was facing Tommy over the roof of the car.

  “Thanks for your help.”

  “No problem, but I wouldn’t mind a heads up next time.”

  Greg nodded in agreement.

  “You were like a motorcycle Ninja back there. What the hell was that move?”

  “Little something I learned in my line of work.”

  ›

  Greg tried to find out where Chris had been all night, but the kid didn’t say a word the entire ride from the beach. He just kept his head back, watching the world go by outside the car window. A world that he’d inherited far too soon when the people around him started dying. Greg tried to tell him that he knew how he felt, but Chris wasn’t listening. Greg wouldn’t have listened at that age either. He turned up the stereo and let Steel Pulse’s “Drug Squad” do the talking instead.

  Junior bolted from the house and took Chris into her arms. She was crying, screaming and smiling all at once. Greg and Tommy watched through the car window until the they disappeared inside.

  Greg took Tommy to Eddie’s, as promised. They drove in silence for the first few blocks. Greg tried to picture the kind of adult Chris would turn out to be. Ghosts from his own past swirled around his head. The property values might be skyrocketing in his old neighborhood, but the problems remained the same. Greg wondered if his own unborn son would face them too.

  He was so deep in thought that he almost didn’t hear Tommy talking.

  “You wanna get a cup of coffee or something?”

  “Maybe next time. I’ve got a few things to take care of today.”

  “Cool. Let me know if you ever need any more help from the ‘motorcycle Ninja’.”

  Greg spun the wheel and pulled into Eddie’s parking lot. Tommy was genuinely relieved to see his motorc
ycle still leaning on its kickstand. He reached for the door handle, jumping out before the El Camino stopped moving.

  “Thanks again, Tommy. You really saved my ass.”

  “No problem, bro. Be safe.”

  Greg’s phone buzzed. He answered while watching Tommy unlock his helmet and slide it on. It was the Police Chief in Virgil Heights.

  “I checked on Kristen Raines for you. Not done yet, but I found some info that I thought you might want right away.”

  “What do you got?”

  “You ever heard of a place called Deer Springs?”

  “Yeah. It’s a little town up near the cabin.”

  “Well, according to her colorful police record, that’s where Kristen grew up.”

  “Thanks, Chief. Gotta go.”

  “Wait! Don’t tell me your heading up there again. You’re already in way over your head. You should have let the police handle this in the first place. Now it might be too late.”

  “It’s never too late.”

  “Same thing goes for meeting with the kid in the blue hat. It’s never too late.”

  Greg sighed, but the Police Chief didn’t let up. He was like a broken record.

  “It’ll give you some resolution. If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for him. What’s the worst that could happen?”

  “Fine. Set it up.”

  Tommy was already on his bike, revving the engine, when Greg approached.

  “Change your mind about that coffee?”

  “No, but I might need a Ninja after all.”

  ›

  Greg didn’t tell Tommy everything that was going on, just enough to pique his interest. They agreed to meet at Greg’s cabin and regroup there before moving on to Deer Springs. Tommy had offered to call a few of his other motorcycle friends, but Greg thought the reinforcements would be overkill. Just because Kristen grew up in Deer Springs, it was no guarantee that it’s where she was hiding now.

  He watched Tommy tear out of the parking lot and up the boulevard. Greg went inside Eddie’s for a quick conversation before following him up the mountain. Eddie was seated in his usual spot at the corner of the bar, reading the paper and sipping from his mug. Greg could smell that it was more whisky than coffee these days.