The Director drew in a heavy breath and added, “I don’t question your ability to let’s say clean up afterwards, but I’m sure by now they are on to you and I can only hold off a field investigation for so long. My question is how do you intend to apprehend our project since nothing seems to faze him”?
Agent Boling quickly replied, “I do have my tranquilizer darts and before you say anything these are made with a polymer blend instead of the regular metal and will penetrate through his protective electric shield as long as I am within fifty yards. He will be unconscious in thirty seconds and I have a driver coming down Friday afternoon to help since
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they are too familiar with my vehicle. Does that sound acceptable Director”? “The only thing that is acceptable is the success of your plan. Call me immediately after your conquest”. “Yes Director”, Agent Boling answered.
She knew that not only her financial future but her future health relied on a successful plan of attack. The Director would see to the latter if she failed, but she was not scared, she lived for the challenge. Agent Boling knew that the director was correct about them being on to her but she didn’t know how. She was sure that Billy was too young to figure this out and the Sheriff was too much of an antique. There had to be an answer to this and she figured her former partners could provide it. No call has come back to her from her colleague’s findings upon searching her ex-partners vehicle. She would need that information to insure her success. Agent Boling put her phone back in her pocket. She would talk to them in person and in the process obtain another vehicle of a less conspicuous nature. She figured one day would be enough time for her Techs to finish digging through Marrick’s computer, plus a chance for the dust to settle from her failed attempt.
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sherIFF pAsco needed a safe haven for not only himself but for Billy and Gordon as well. What better place to keep safe than the County jailhouse. It was located on the other side of the bend and would provide security more to the Sheriff’s liking. As we pulled into the parking lot of the local lockup the Sherif f took a quick scan to make sure there were no vehicles he didn’t recognize. Satisfied with his findings he pulled into his own personal spot with his name displayed on the wall of the jail house. “Nice, you even get your own spot”, I mentioned. “It’s the only perk that I get worth mentioning”, the Sherif f grumbled.
Before we got out the Sheriff added, “We’re going to hole up here for a while, if miss Fussy Britches decides to start anything she’ll meet up with a bit of resistance. If you two were wondering, the food here is much better”, he finished with a grin.
The food was the last of my worries. It now seems that everyone associated with me is in danger. The two FBI agents were murdered while trying to help me stay safe from Agent Boling. The three of us were almost killed by a speeding truck, whom I’m sure was hired by Agent Boling. That leaves Jennifer and I’m sure that since we were all being watched, that Boling is well aware of her. If Agent Boling tries to harm Jennifer in any way, I will take my gloves off and start the barbeque. I believe they would call that justifiable homicide.
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The County jailhouse was not much to look at, just your basic cinderblock building painted an awful light brown. The Sheriff had mentioned that the building was a good fifty years old and it looked every bit of it. The white paint on the windows was peeling and you could see old caulking just hanging ready to fall to the ground. The inside did not improve much, an old swinging gate to come to the main counter was weathered and squeaky. The floor was hardwood but has not shined for years. An assortment of old wooden chairs and metal desks lined the back side of what you would call the office area behind the counter.
The Sheriff took Gordon and I back behind the counter
through an open doorway that led to the collection of desks. Back behind the desks was an office with the Sheriffs name
painted on it; this is where he led us. The Sheriff closed the door behind us as I asked, “I told Jennifer I would call her later, but I would like to know if I could talk to her a little sooner, you know to give her a heads up since what we just went through. I don’t want anything to happen to her just because she knows me”. The Sheriff nodded and replied, “Use the landline on the desk, it’s the only secure line left in town by now, come on Gordon let’s get something to drink, bring you back something Billy”. “Dr. Pepper, or anything at this point, thanks”.
I pulled Jennifer’s number out of my jacket pocket and started dialing. She picked up on the second ring, “hello”. “Hi, it’s me Billy. “Thank god, I thought something had happened to you, when I saw the Sheriff department come up on my caller ID”. “No, it’s okay we’re fine, but I wanted tell you that someone tried to run us over on the way back
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from the Point. Did you notice any big city trucks going past you when you left”? There was silence for a moment when, “Come to think of there was. I don’t usually pay attention to those since they’re normally going to a job site”. “It was going to a job site, only we were the job”, I replied.
I spent the better part of fifteen minutes explaining what had happened. I even told her about my other little secret, about moving things with my mind when she reminded me that’s how we met since she popped her head inside my room because I was flicking the light switch off and on with my mind, and that I wasn’t really mobile enough to run back into bed after doing it with my hand. I hope someday to be as smart as she is. It’s funny, I wasn’t trying to keep anything from her, but she had already figured it out.
We continued on about the truck, and what Agent Boling is trying to accomplish with me. I warned her to keep a close eye out for anything. She had mentioned that she already had told her uncle(Poopy Pants) Detective Hargrove about what’s been going on, and he will pick up the flash drive and have some of his technical people look it over. I didn’t ask if he remembered me, the answer was already apparent.
“You need to be careful Billy, I don’t want anything to happen to you”. She sure knows how to make me feel good. “I will, but I still have Friday night to contend with and it’s the only way I know to keep Gordon safe. I also have a feeling that Agent Boling will try something that night anyway”. “What makes you say that”? “She’s been watching our every move from day one. I’d be willing to bet she planted a bug or two at where I’ve been staying”. “You sure do have a nose for this type of work Billy, maybe my Uncle can put in
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a good word for you if you decide to try your hand in law enforcement”. “Maybe someday”, I replied, “Right now though, I just can’t let anything happen to you; I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise”.
The line was silent for a moment; I could hear sniffling. “Jennifer are you still there”? She finally responded, “Yes Billy, sorry but I’ve never had anyone as concerned for me as you are”, her voice still a little shaky. “I am and I hope you feel for me the way that I feel for you”, now my voice was getting shaky. “Well I do and if anything new comes up you can call me at the Hospital, talk to you soon”. I think that she already knew that I would because on that other side of the paper she wrote her home number on she had the Hospitals number on it. Okay, now I feel better and I need to pick Gordon’s memory bank about what else he may have overheard of the Four Horsemen’s plans.
I opened the door to the Sheriff’s office and saw the Sheriff and Gordon sitting on a wooden bench right outside his office. Gordon had inhaled his Mt. Dew as he was trying to shake a final few drops from the can. The Sheriff handed me a can of Dr. Pepper; sweet. “Thanks Sheriff”. “It’s the least I could do for someone who saved my skin”, as he motioned for us to come back into his office. I whispered to Gordon, “I think it’s time to tell him”. Before Gordon could reply the Sheriff said, “Tell me what”. Damn, I thought Gordon had good hearing.
“It’s about Friday night”. Gordon shrugged his approval, “What about Friday night”, The Sh
eriff asked. I pointed to Gordon and he reluctantly started filling the Sheriff in on what he overheard and when everything was going to happen,
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and who helped to make this happen, Frankie’s Uncle.
“Diamonds, from Bay Ridge you say, and they’re supposed to hit a bunch of other places to make it seem like random robberies”, the Sheriff asked? Gordon nodded and added, “They beat the crap out of me and Joey because we overheard their plans. Joey died and they have the same intentions for me.” Gordon started rubbing his hands through his curly red hair while the Sheriff looked at me. “So you’ve been running interference for Gordon to help keep him safe by using your”, as he pointed at my head referring to my new found telekinetic abilities.
“I’ve been lucky so far, I guess, but you need to make sure that we are back by Friday afternoon so we can go to the Movies”. The Sheriff gave me a look of confusion, “I don’t follow”. “You see, you guys are going to be busy with Agent Boling and that will free me up to intervene with robberies; plus I think we both know that Agent Boling knows what we know, except for the flash drives that is. So maybe tomorrow you go over to the Coast Guard base and tell Mr. Watkins about what’s going down and make sure to include the part where Gordon and I are going to the movies, just to be on the safe side. You see that way she’ll know where I’ll be at and I’m sure that she will make a move sometime
that night; this is where Gordon comes in. Gordon nodded reluctantly and added, “This better work”.
I filled the Sheriff in on our plans and he was truly impressed. He did have a few questions and I was able to answer most, but he added, “It would make this a little more feasible if we had some answers from the flash drive”. That reminded
me of something the Sheriff should know. After I told him
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about the second flash drive, he wasn’t disappointed like I would have thought, but said, “That makes sense actually, that way if something happened to one of them, the other would still have the backup drive. Are you sure Detective Hargrove has the other one”?
“Jennifer said she gave it to him and he’s going to have some of his technical people look it over”. “Sounds good”, the Sheriff added, “You sound pretty sure that she bugged the Coast guard base”. I nodded while chugging the last of my Dr. Pepper, “It’s the only explanation for how she knows where we’ve been. I know that when Mr. Watkins walked
me out of his office, and introduced me to the others, Agent Boling was still in the office, and I’m guessing that she put one in our sleeping quarters as well”. The Sheriff ran his hand through his hair and surprised to find that his hair still had bits of soot scattered about.
“I suppose I could do that shortly, then run a quick check for any unwanted electrical devices that shouldn’t be there. I believe that I’ll run home real quick and shower off some of this smoky smell and then I’ll stop by to see Mr. Watkins about another set of clothes for you two. We have showers and stuff in the back. You’ll be fine here, you got two Deputies out front and two on the roads trying to locate her vehicle”.
Gordon and I handed over our keys to our lockers for the Sheriff when I asked, “if you remember, could you bring my other tennis shoe, I think I’m ready to lose this”, as I pointed at my walking boot. Now all I have to do is pick Gordon’s memory bank for any useful information for Friday night.
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gordon And I made ourselves at home in the Sher-
iff’s office when Gordon noticed something sticking out of the side of the Sheriffs computer monitor, “Say isn’t that the flash drive you gave the Sheriff. What do you say we have a peek at what’s on it”? I shook my head, “No way, I wouldn’t know where to begin”. “Not a problem, I’m the local computer geek”, as he sat down at the Sheriff’s desk and began tapping on the keyboard, “Shit password protected”. I was relieved, I didn’t want the Sheriff to walk in and see us prying in on his computer.
“Well how about we run over what Frankie and the Boys said, in particular the car. I’m sure somewhere you overheard either Frankie or someone else comment on the car, you know what type, color, where he’s supposed to pick it up at”? Gordon looked at the blank screen on the monitor. He
seemed to be trying to maybe re-in act the events of what he overheard as he was moving his fingers back and forth as if retracing footsteps. I just sat back in one of the padded arm chairs in the office while Gordon was hard at work.
Gordon continued moving his fingers around much as Picasso might have done while creating a new masterpiece. Maybe if I got him canvas, brushes and some paint, he could show me what they said. Then out of nowhere Gordon stood up quickly and said, “I sure hope it runs like a goat”. To say I was disappointed was an understatement, I’m sure Frankie’s
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Uncle wasn’t sending him a goat; hell there’s no trunk on one of those things. “I give up what’s that supposed to mean”? Gordon continued with his fingers, it looked as though he was about to explode, “I heard B.B. say, I sure hope it runs like a goat, then Sully chimed in with, 1960’s he couldn’t get us a newer one than that”. Gordon sank into the Sheriffs
high back chair, he looked exhausted.
“Well that’s a start, now all we have to do is figure out what the hell a goat is”. Gordon snapped back to life with, “Let’s ask one of the deputies if we can look something up on the internet; maybe we can find out what that is”. That was a pretty good idea, I hope the Deputies will let us on one of their computers. “Cool, it won’t hurt to ask”, I added.
I opened the door and Gordon went out first; I quickly followed. One of the Deputies had his back to us sitting on a large stool behind the counter that you see when you first come in. The other one was pecking away at his computer. He was noticeably smaller than his partner, and quite a bit younger too. We couldn’t see the other Deputies face, but could see a lot of gray hair poking out from his hat.
“What do you boy’s need”, the younger deputy asked?
“We were wondering if we can look up something on the internet, it won’t take but a minute”, I was guessing but didn’t want to sound too needy. “What is it you need to know”, the younger one asked? Gordon and just looked at each other, we weren’t prepared for this line of questioning, when Gordon said, “We wanted to look up a 1960’s goat of some sort”. That must have sounded as stupid to them as it did to me. Without turning the older Deputy said, “1968 GTO, 400 cubic inches with 360 horsepower, man oh man could that
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thing fly, and its nickname was The Goat”.
According to the smile on Gordon’s face, I think we hit pay dirt. “Was that the only year they made those”, I asked. “Oh, hell no, come on over here you two I’ll show you”, the older Deputy replied. We hustled around the other desks and made our way up to his monitor. By the time we got there he already had Numerous GTO’s on his screen. I stood back a few steps as the monitor started to flicker. He was explaining some of the features to Gordon as I was studying the various body styles. For the 1960’s models I didn’t think I would have any problem spotting one of those. The front ends really didn’t change much at all until 1968, but it still had the same type of grill. Great now we knew what, now all we had to figure out was where.
Gordon had asked me if I was thirsty, and of course I was so I asked the helpful Deputy behind the counter, “Say, where is that vending machine that the Sheriff got our drinks from”? Without turning the Deputy replied, “Go back towards his office go left down the hall and turn right. We don’t have vending machines, just a big fridge filled with a bit of everything”. Gordon and I headed down the hall and turned right as instructed, and noticed a small kitchen area complete with sink, stove some cabinets and a fridge. I opened the fridg
e and heard Gordon let out what sounded like a squeal of delight. Turning my attention back on the contents of the fridge, I understood the meaning of his squeal. There must have been at least three cases of assorted soft drinks, good god, I think we hit the mother load. I wasn’t sure, but I thought that I could hear angels singing softly in the background. I’m sure I was mistaken but this loaded
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fridge was one step closer to heaven. Gordon and I indulged with our normal beverage of choice.
Closing the door behind us in the Sheriff’s office I said, “Okay we know what they’re going to drive, but think Gordon, Do you remember them mention a clue, or anything about where he was going to pick up the car? Gordon sat down in one of the arm chairs next to the Sheriff’s desk
and started pecking at his imaginary keyboard in the sky. Several minutes had gone by without a hint that Gordon had remembered something. We had both finished our drinks as Gordon declared, “I’ve gone over every sequence of events and I’ve got squat. I’m convinced that Frankie is keeping that information to himself”.
Interesting, I wonder what else Frankie was going to keep to himself. The whole thing was starting to make sense. “I bet that Frankie didn’t say, because he has no intention of taking them with him after they finish”. Gordon looked at me like I had Chinook salmon popping out of my ears, “I don’t follow”. “Think about it for a minute, all Frankie needs from his Horsemen is their help in getting the diamonds, after that it’s all gravy. If there’s guns in the trunk, I’m sure he’ll know which one has the live ammo and which ones
The Road to Round Mountain: The Betrayal by Page 15