by S G Read
Drummond kissed her on the lips.
‘What was that for?’
‘Boys are supposed to kiss girls aren’t they? They do in films!’
‘When have you seen films?’
‘I’ve been to the nickelodeon! I’ve seen films! Caleb makes a good living with his cup on the corner, near the paper seller.’
‘Is that how they do it then?’
‘Sort of, it’s the first time I’ve tried it.’
‘Do you want to try again?’ Cally asked.
Drummond did.
Baptiste led the way and found where the two fugitives had climbed on to the bank. He started to follow the tracks as the two fugitives moved away from the river bank. When the woods ended and they were in open fields they were able to travel quicker. The tracks were plain to see for a while and Baptiste walked along in pursuit, then it started to get dark.
‘Do we stop?’ Marco asked.
‘No. I know where they’ll end up. If we creep up nice and quiet, we can
take them unawares!’ Baptiste answered.
Travel was slower in the darkness with Barney falling over regularly and cursing when he did. When Baptiste smelled the smoke from the fire he knelt by Barney, where he had just fallen again, and held the machete to Barney’s throat.
‘One more noise and you will have another mouth! No?’ He warned. ‘I will look around, wait here.’
CHAPTER 9
When the dogs finally arrived, lieutenant Stone was ready to blow a gasket, as waiting was not his strong point either. He sent them into the woods immediately, hoping to pick up the trail or find something belonging to Cally. The dress on the makeshift line in the boat was a welcome sight. Even though it had been in the water, the dogs had no trouble finding Cally’s scent and started after her, baying as bloodhounds do, as they went.
‘Can’t you keep them quiet?’ Pruitt asked the dog handler.
‘No, it serves to spook the prey and they run like rabbit’s,’ the dog handler answered, ‘they quite often run themselves into the ground because of it.’
‘Well I expect this prey is scared shitless already, without all that noise coming after them!’ Pruitt complained.
‘Didn’t you say there was someone else after her?’ The dog handler asked.
‘Yeah’
‘It’ll serve notice to them that we’re coming and believe me there’s no getting away from my dogs!’
With the dogs pulling, the group travelled fast, even after it started to get dark. They had torches to help them.
Baptiste returned to Marco and Barney.
‘They are, let us say, comfortable in the house in front of us. All we have to do is to creep up and surprise them then they will be yours! The fat man stays here!’
‘What if they run for it? I could cover one side!’ Barney retorted.
‘If we got close enough you could but I fear they would be long gone before then!’ Baptiste waited for Marco to respond.
‘Stay here until we call you Barney,’ he said after a pause, ‘do you shoot Baptiste?’
‘If I had a gun, I do know how to use it but she is a little girl, No?’ Baptiste answered.
‘The boss wants us to wing her to slow her down, she keeps giving us the slip and it isn’t doing us any favours! Give him your gun Barney.’
‘What if they come my way?’
‘Jump on the girl and keep her entertained until we get there! You can manage that can’t you?’
‘Do dogs have fleas?’ Barney answered.
He reluctantly gave Baptiste his pistol. They moved closer to the farmhouse until they could hear Cally and Drummond talking. Then a hound bayed in the distance followed by another one. After a few minutes it was obvious the barking and baying were getting closer.
‘Now what?’ Marco asked.
‘We have to take them now before the dogs get here, then we send barney in one direction with the girl’s clothes, while we take her in the other direction and find some water to lose the dogs with.’
‘What about the boy?’
‘My sharp knife and his throat have to meet before we go; he will be excess baggage otherwise!’
They hurried forward trying to keep as quiet as possible and crashed through the door. There was no noise inside, no hurried flight, no heavy breathing in the shadows, nothing but the crackle of the fire. Marco lit a match and looked round, the farmhouse was empty!
When Drummond heard the dogs, he recognized the sound immediately. He had been chased by dogs before and he had not liked it one bit.
‘Come on,’ he hissed, ‘we got to go. We have to find water, to lose them dogs with!’
Cally obeyed without question for once, they climbed out of a window and hurried away, it wasn’t easy travelling in the darkness but they knew they had to go. Five minutes later the moon slid from behind a cloud and they could see where they were going. The baying grew louder but to one side of them and it spurred them on until Cally fell headlong down a bank into a drainage ditch. Drummond stopped at the top looking down into the gloom below.
‘How deep is the water?’ He asked.
‘Deep!’ Cally answered.
Drummond slid down to where she stood, soaked once more.
‘I hate water!’ She complained.
‘Don’t, this will stop the dogs from finding us.’
‘How?’
‘The water is moving so if we walk in the water our scent goes downstream and they can’t find it. They won’t know if we went upstream or downstream or which bank we came out on so they have to search for the scent on both sides until they find it and that takes time so it slows them down. Come on!’
They headed back toward the river, in the same direction the waste deep water was flowing. The noise of the baying hounds passed them and they hurried on, not knowing what might happen next. Behind them there was a splash as something or someone fell into the water. Drummond held his hand over Cally’s mouth while Barney spluttered and cursed as he climbed up the other side of the ditch. He had heard how close the dogs were and he was on his way home! He chose not to walk down the water but to cross it and keep on going.
In the empty farmhouse, Marco dropped the match as it burnt his hand.
‘What now?’ He asked.
‘The question is; are the dogs after us or the girl? If they are after the girl, we get out of the way and let them pass, then we follow them. They can lead us to her, then we can take her from them! No?’
‘What if they’re after us?’ Marco asked.
‘We have a gun fight with them and run,’ Baptiste answered, ‘but for the bloodhounds to be on our trail they will have been given a scent to follow, have you left anything lying about for them to use.’
‘No.’
‘The fat man?’ Baptiste asked.
‘No, there was the girl’s dress in the boat.’
‘Ah bon, then they follow the girl and we hope they catch her.’
They moved away from the farmhouse, as they did so the moon came out and they were able to watch for the dogs to approach.
‘What about Barney?’ Marco asked.
‘He’ll be in New York by now, that type always finds speed when their neck is at stake!’ Baptiste replied, with obvious loathing.
They watched the dogs approach and heard the voices as the police looked around. Then the dog handler yelled that the dogs had the scent and they were off again. Marco and Baptiste waited, guns in hand, until they were sure the dogs were going away from them then started to follow.
‘They are so kind!’ Baptiste said with a smile.
They followed at a safe distance, Baptiste still had Barney’s pistol in his hand as he walked along.
Drummond and Cally waited, breathing shallowly, until they were sure Barney had gone far enough away then they waded on. With the moonlight to help and the water to hinder, Cally grew very tired and weak. She wanted to rest but Drummond kept on going and she wasn’t about to be beaten by a boy! When they saw
the trees in front of them, she knew it was not far to the river but what then?
‘What do we do when we reach the river?’ Drummond asked.
Cally chose that moment to stop and rest. She did not answer straight away but thought about their problem.
‘I’ve got it,’ she cried after a few minutes, ‘we take Cally’s highway back to your back door!’
‘What do you mean?’
‘The storm drain comes out under the bridge. I know I’ve played in it enough times!’
‘Isn’t that dangerous?’
‘Yes, that’s why we like playing in it!’ Cally answered with a big smile.
‘That’s silly.’
‘I’m sorry, I forgot you were only a boy! Anyway once we’re inside, we follow the drain in until we find the one that leads to where I came out the first time we met and go and see Caleb, to see if he has any ideas!’
‘So, all of a sudden you want his advice.’
Cally looked at him.
‘I suppose I do really; are you coming?’
‘I don’t know.’ Drummond answered.
‘Fine, you wait here for the dogs and I’ll go up the storm pipe on my own!’ Cally declared.
She walked on and after a few seconds, Drummond followed her. They hid by the bridge until no cars were crossing it then hurried over it and down to where the storm drain was gushing water into the river.
‘Are you coming?’ Cally asked as she climbed through the damaged grating, the grating that was supposed to stop children from going inside.
‘Okay! But if I get drowned I’m blaming you!’ Drummond declared.
Cally laughed and disappeared inside. The main pipe was lit, not well lit but they could see to walk. They were in a large round pipe and with a solid bottom to walk on, their speed increased.
The dogs reached the drainage ditch and bayed loudly.
‘What now?’ Pruitt asked.
‘I cast about for scent but if they walked up or down stream it could take some time to find their spore!’ The dog handler replied.
‘Damn!’ Pruitt hissed. ‘Do your best.’
Pruitt sat down to wait but in the sudden quiet as the dogs stopped their noise, he heard a noise behind him, from where they had just come from. Carter heard it too.
‘We got company!’ Carter whispered.
‘Who is it?’ Pruitt asked.
‘Can’t be the girl or the dogs would know.’ The dog handler answered holding the dog’s muzzles to keep them quiet.
‘Unless they went up stream and are doubling back?’ Pruitt replied.
‘That could be the case,’ the dog handler answered, ‘but it could also be the ones who were chasing her; we could have passed them by! They might be waiting for us to find the girl and then try to take her from us!’
Pruitt and Carter drew their guns that was not going to happen. They moved back a little way, trying to keep very quiet. Carter saw a figure outlined by the moon. He could see it was a man and not a child.
‘Hold it! This is the police-’ He called, prompting the man to fire at him.
‘Shit. I think it is Clo’s men!’ He complained.
‘You don’t say,’ Pruitt replied as he returned fire, ‘what makes you think that?’
‘The colour of his suit, that’s what.’ Carter answered with a laugh.
The two police officers had been partners for a long time and enjoyed each others company. He fired at the man and saw him turn and run.
‘You see, it’s got a yellow streak right down the back of it!’
‘That’s Clo’s colour alright,’ Pruitt agreed, ‘damn! I missed him!’
Marco fled with a hail of bullets after him; Baptiste lay in the long grass watching, quietly.
‘Peasants.’ He complained quietly and settled down to wait until it all calmed down.
Cally led the way along the pipe, looking at every smaller pipe that came into the main one. She knew which side the pipe she wanted was on, but how far in it was she had no idea. As they walked they heard and saw nothing save for the water which poured out of the pipes either side of the main pipe. It took a long time to find the exact same three pipes clustered together. When she did, she pointed to the one on the left as they walked toward it.
‘That might be the one I came out when I was being chased.’ She said hopefully.
A closer inspection in the dim light showed tell tale marks in the algae where someone had slid down.
‘That was me. I went up into that one.’ Cally pointed to a pipe opposite.
‘How did you get in there?’
‘It wasn’t easy but then I was being chased!’ Cally replied. ‘I sort of stumbled through the water and ran up the side.’
They crossed the flowing water to the pipe she pointed to. Drummond cupped his hands to help Cally up doing the gentlemanly thing. Cally ignored the cupped hands.
‘No you go first up,’ Cally insisted, then added, ‘I don’t think I could pull you up after me but I can help you up from here and you will be able to pull me up.’
Drummond did not argue, it sounded sensible. Cally helped him up and he pulled her up into the pipe after him.
‘Now where do we go?’ Drummond asked.
‘Keep walking until you see light on your left. That was where I climbed up and you found me.’
They walked, slowly and carefully until they saw the light. Drummond went first and forced the grating up. Cally followed and they both climbed out into the light. Cally realized just how lucky they were as there was a streetlight right above the drain.
'Did you know that that was here?’ Drummond asked.
‘No, it’s not the sort of thing you notice in the daylight, is it.’
Drummond led the way to the shack but they found it deserted, what’s more when he lit a candle he could see that it had been trashed. He also found blood on the floor and Caleb’s chair.
‘This doesn’t look good,’ Drummond said quietly, he was worried for Caleb's safety. Although for a blind man he was quite accomplished, he was no match for the mob.
‘No it don’t look good, I recognize this as the work of the men who are chasing me.’
‘Where’s Caleb? I know I’ll go and ask Carl the paper. You hide here until I get back.’
Cally did not argue. She was tired, wet, fed up with walking and the pile of rags in the corner looked very comfortable to her.
‘Don’t be long and be careful.’ She warned as Drummond walked away.
Carl the paper’s stand was a charred mess, with no sign of Carl. It was late and Carl usually visited the local speakeasy for a beer or two before he went home. Even the police knew about it but they did nothing about it, apart from having a free drink there on occasion. Drummond waited outside and stopped the first man who came out.
‘Is Carl the paper in there?’
‘No he’s down town.’ The man replied: He was drunk and it showed.
‘What’s he doing down town?’
‘Nothing as far as I know,’ the drunk answered, ‘but it might surprise the guy on duty if he did start moving about again!’
The man staggered off without another word and Drummond waited for the next person to come out. This time it was a woman and he knew her.
‘Hi Molly.’ He greeted.
‘Drummond, we wondered where you got to, after they found Caleb! Are you okay?’ Molly asked.
‘Yes. I’m looking for Caleb have you seen him?’
‘Not since they took him away.’ Molly answered. ‘You do know he’s dead don’t you?’
Drummond did not show any emotion on his face; Caleb had taught him that trick, do not let anyone know when they are getting to you!
‘You didn’t know did you?’ Molly accused, she knew Drummond well. ‘I’m sorry. The story is Carl the paper tipped Clo that there was a girl with Caleb and they came looking for her. When they found she weren’t there, they tried to beat the information out of Caleb. They made the mistake of leaving him alive a
nd he knew that Carl the paper had split on him. Somehow he made it down there and toasted both of them. Do you need money, here take a ten spot.’ Molly walked off leaving Drummond holding the ten-dollar note in his hand.
He stood like it for a few minutes then thought about Cally. If they knew she had been in the shack, they might come back to look again! He started to run as fast as he could; he ran all the way back to the shack. As he got closer he slowed, trying to make sure he was not walking into a trap. He saw no one about and heard nothing to worry him, so he risked walking into the shack. There was no sign of Cally in there. He went outside and looked about, listening as he did so. Again this was what Caleb had taught him. Things are not always what they seem. With no sign of her, no sound of her struggling and the fact that he had not passed any cars as he ran back, Drummond walked inside and listened. He heard a noise and traced it to the pile of rags. When he investigated, he found Cally buried in them fast asleep.
The dogs kept going and the handler chose downstream as his first effort to pick up their trail. He was glad he did as they soon found the trail again, howling loudly. They led them across the bridge and down to the storm drain.
‘Her and this storm drain!’ Pruitt complained. ‘The times I’ve told her not to play in the storm drain, one thunderstorm while they’re down there and it’s curtains for the both of them!’
‘What do we do now?’ Carter asked.
‘We’ll ask the lieutenant. Last time she came out near Carl the paper’s stand, we should stake that place out.’ Pruitt answered. ‘Put two men on it. We will also take a note on what cars are parked near the houseboat, the men who were after her must have come in cars! You do that while I talk to the lieutenant.’
Carter nodded and Pruitt walked over to where the lieutenant sat in his car waiting for reports. He told him what had occurred and about their brush with Clo’s men. He told him that the girl was still alive and in the storm drain.
‘Where’d she come out last time?’ The lieutenant asked.
‘Next to Carl the paper’s stand I think.’ Pruitt answered not knowing that someone had parked on it when she tried to get through it.