The Rented Mule

by Bobby Cole

  Gates’s hands had been all over her. She almost slapped him once, but she decided to suffer through it. He had been drinking for hours and was quite intoxicated. From the staring and snickering of the male guests, she knew Gates had made up stories—bragging—about her to them. That was clearly his style. Throughout the entire ordeal, she had gathered a few facts but nothing substantive. Twice she excused herself to call Clarence. At least everything was on track there, she thought.

  Jenny watched Gates finish another story, laugh too hard at his perceived wit, and then leave the huddle of men to go refill his drink. She glided to his side, “Y’all really know how to throw a party.”

  “It’s always fun, especially when we play another SEC team,” Gates replied, glancing down at his cell phone to check scores. “Damn it!”

  “Won anything yet?”

  “I’m one for three… so far,” he answered, jamming the phone into his pants pocket.

  “This is just sooo exciting. Are your buyers here?” she whispered.

  “I don’t think so. Not yet. I haven’t seen ’em,” Gates slurred, spilling his drink on his shoes. “Damn it.”

  Jenny was disappointed but didn’t show it. She decided it was a good time to wake him up. “So, how long have Brooke and Cooper been havin’ a fling?”

  “What!?”

  “Shh. Don’t say anything.” Jenny placed a finger to his lips.

  “Cooper? Nah. Ya think?” Gates asked with a smirk. “No… not Cooper; ’sides his wife would gut him, and he knows it.”

  “Well, sumthin’s goin’ on because she and I are bein’ watched. Don’t turn to look. There’s a man three tents down that hasn’t stopped watchin’ Brooke and me. He might be a cop, but I doubt it. His shoes aren’t right. They’re too nice. My guess is he’s a private investigator.”

  Ignoring Jenny’s request, Gates wobbled as he turned to look for the man. Turning back to face Jenny, he said, “You’re crazy. Y’all two are the hottest women round here… hell, probably in the whole stadium area. He’s just enjoyin’ the view.”

  “I know when I’m being watched and when someone’s just checkin’ me out,” she replied with raised eyebrows and folded arms.

  Suddenly, Gates got a serious look on his face. “Okay, I’ll tell you a secret.”

  Jenny leaned forward in anticipation.

  Gates, holding his drink in his left hand, slowly moved his right outstretched arm and hand, palm up, in a broad sweeping motion, indicating everything in view, whispered, “Just so you know… every man here… no exceptions… wishes that they were me.” Gates winked, and then after a brief moment’s pause, continued, “Now… that’s not that unusual… but ’cause you’re so damn fine, you clearly up my game!”

  Gates then reached over and gave Jenny’s butt a squeeze. She whirled around, grabbed him by the shirt collar, pulled him close and hissed, “Look, you obnoxious asshole, in the real world, being a drunk ain’t like Otis on the Andy Griffith Show. You’re not cute or endearing. You’re a piece of shit. And if you ever touch me again, I’ll hurt you in ways you can’t possibly comprehend. Am I clear?”

  All that Gates could do was nod, with wide, unblinking eyes.

  A few hours later, while eating a piece of grilled deer sausage, Brooke’s cell phone vibrated in her pocket, indicating the arrival of a text message. When she read Cooper’s note saying he wasn’t coming to the game, she was crushed. She quickly typed a courteous but regretful reply and then returned the phone to her pocket. But as she gathered her purse to leave the tent, she became furious. For several days she had been excited about spending time with Cooper, and now she was near tears and livid. She was pissed off at Cooper and disappointed at the missed opportunity to further put him under her spell. Eighty-nine thousand crazed football fans were beginning to make their way into the stadium, anticipating victory. As she started walking away from the game, she began feeling a painful loss.

  Jenny’s plan had been to furtively slip away at halftime if she didn’t get a significant amount of actionable information. The only thing of value so far was not anything factual but a strong intuitive sense that Brooke was somehow part of the conspiracy. When she overheard Brooke explaining to Gates that Cooper wasn’t going to make it for the game, she could see the disappointment in Brooke’s eyes and body language—Brooke’s facial expression later turning to one of scorn spoke volumes. Well then, Jenny thought, looks like little Miss Brooke is far more complex than I gave her credit for.

  Jenny noticed Gates start telling another joke as Brooke was hurriedly walking away, never saying good-bye to anyone. She also observed that the mystery man from three tents south had vanished. Jenny knew that this was her cue to get out of there.

  CHAPTER 42

  Darkness was approaching as Clarence, Jesse Ray, and Maynard arrived at Vaughn Road Park, which was basically deserted, except for an older lady walking her dog on a leash. The poor pooch didn’t look like it would be able to make another lap around the mile-long path. The only vehicle in the parking area was a dark blue Honda minivan, presumably owned by the dog-walking woman.

  Clarence really liked the park’s setup for this job. The trees offered adequate concealment, and I-85 was only about a half mile away. His plan to grab the Target and then hop on the interstate to quickly and easily leave the area made tactical sense.

  Jesse Ray helped fit Clarence and Maynard with their radio earpieces and microphones. Clarence poked fun at Jesse Ray and pretended to flirt with him. Jesse Ray did his best to ignore him and concentrate on the tasks at hand.

  “Okay, boys and girls, let’s do radio checks,” Clarence said not quite transitioning into the seriousness of the mission.

  Jesse Ray said, “Clarence’s radio name will be Big Dog; I’ll be Chase Dog; and Maynard you can be—”

  “Hound Dog!” Clarence interrupted.

  “I like that. That’s fittin’. You know, Larry’s been married seven times,” Maynard chimed in, pleased with his radio name.

  Jesse Ray said, “Whatever.” Then into his headset, he said, “Chase Dog to Big Dog, you copy?”

  “Copy that.” Clarence replied into his headset.

  “Chase Dog to Hound Dog, you copy?”

  Maynard said, “Yep, I can hear ya.”

  “Good. Is the volume okay?” Jesse Ray asked and watched both men nod their heads. “Could you hear each other?”

  Both men said, “Yes,” into their headsets and nodded again when they heard each other’s voices.

  “Okay. No real names, and be careful what you say. This is not a secure system. You never know who’s listenin’. The system’s voice-activated, so just talk low and keep everybody informed. Big Dog, here’s a night-vision monocular in case you need it. Pleeezze don’t leave it behind. It’s expensive. Let’s take off these radios for now—we don’t wanna be broadcasting yet.”

  All of the men removed their headsets for the moment.

  Maynard started opening the wrapper of a Crest whitening strip and asked, “What will we call our girl?” He pointed to the photos that Jenny had given them.

  “We’ve been callin’ her friend or Target, but tonight we’re gonna call her the Rabbit,” Jesse Ray replied, proud of his wit.

  Clarence reached around into the backseat and grabbed a small black bag filled with assorted medical supplies, including premeasured syringes of Lorazepam to keep Rabbit knocked out until they were completely secure in the hideout. And if she got out of control, he would give her an IV cocktail of Lorazepam, Lidocaine, and Milk of Amnesia.

  “Big Dog, how fast does chloroform work?” Jesse Ray asked, fingering a quart-sized Ziploc that contained a shop rag soaking in it.

  “Almost immediate since she’ll be takin’ deep breaths,” Clarence replied after he stowed the night-vision gear inside his black gear bag. “You sure you can handle grabbin’ her?”

  “Don’t worry about me,” Jesse Ray replied confidently.

  “You sure don’t look like
it,” Clarence said with a chuckle while looking at Jesse Ray’s more than ample bosom. “Okay, listen up. Don’t let her scream, and after she’s out, you gotta be careful that she doesn’t fall and hit her head. I don’t want her to get hurt. We can’t be goin’ to the hospital.”

  “I know, I know.”

  “I’ll be just a few yards from you, ready to carry her. Hound Dog will meet us with the truck. You’ll need to make sure the back doors are open. This whole thing should take less than two minutes from start to finish. Perfect timing’s required,” Clarence explained, looking at each of them in the eyes. They were nodding their heads. He continued, “We have a plan, and all we gotta do is work it and to communicate. If anybody gets close and sees us, we abort, and that’s okay. Am I clear? Abortin’ the job is better than gettin’ busted. We can regroup and reload later.”

  “Rabbit should be here in thirty minutes,” Jesse Ray announced after checking his watch.

  “All right, let’s get into position. Remember, she drives a red Volvo,” Clarence said.

  Deadly serious, he turned to face Maynard in the backseat. “Hound Dog, if you leave us, I’ll hunt you down and hang you with those suspenders.”

  “Ten-fo. Stay tuned. We’ve gotta great show tonight!” Maynard replied, upbeat and in his best Larry King voice. He was thrilled to be a part of the team.

  CHAPTER 43

  Maynard was sitting patiently when a silver Suburban pulled in a few parking spaces away. Tapping a tune on the steering wheel, he paid little attention to the vehicle. He considered for a moment that they didn’t need any witness to what was about to happen, but he didn’t know what to do as he was specifically instructed not to work off script. He just sucked harder on a fresh whitening strip, which soothed him somewhat.

  Kelly’s plan to aggravate Cooper was executed to perfection. She left her car at the Chevrolet dealership, promising faithfully that Cooper would be down first thing Monday morning to sign all the papers. She loved her brand-new vehicle. The new car smell was intoxicating, but the smooth, tight leather seats made her back sweat until she finally figured out how to adjust the thermostat. On the way she had tried unsuccessfully to reach her sister, realizing that she would be looking for her Volvo. Kelly was certain that Cooper would blow a gasket when he arrived home tomorrow and saw the $56,000 vehicle parked in the driveway. Thank goodness for connections. She chuckled as she slid out of the vehicle.

  “Big Dog to Hound Dog, you see anything?” Clarence asked.

  “Nope.”

  “Who just pulled up there?”

  “Dunno. It’s a silver Suburban. I can’t see who it is yet.”

  When Kelly closed the Suburban’s door, she pressed the lock button on her key chain. The lights flashed, and the horn chirped. She smiled, paid no attention to the only other vehicle in the parking lot, and began stretching her arms and back as she walked toward the path. She had decided to walk a lap or two until her sister arrived.

  “The skeeters are eatin’ my ass alive,” Jesse Ray responded.

  “It’s that perfume you’re wearin’,” Clarence said.

  “I ain’t wearin’ no perfume,” Jesse Ray replied. He was sitting on a wooden park bench and had his legs crossed in a very unladylike fashion.

  “Well, they ain’t botherin’ me,” Clarence replied from his vantage point in the trees at the edge of the walking track, approximately fifty yards from Jesse Ray.

  “That’s cuz you stink,” Jesse Ray whispered.

  “Has anybody ever told you that you look just like Oprah? I swear, y’all could be twins,” Clarence said with a chuckle.

  Jesse Ray said snidely, “Well, thank you, Gayle.”

  “What?”

  “Never mind. It’s a complicated relationship.”

  Clarence took a deep breath trying to refocus on the job, but when he glanced again at Jesse Ray, he couldn’t help but grin.

  Sitting low in the driver’s seat of Clarence’s Escalade, Maynard stared at the blonde who was about to walk by his position. Damn, she looks like the Rabbit, he thought. But there’s no red Volvo?

  “Yo, dogs… I uh… I think the Rabbit’s here, but she ain’t in no red Volvo.”

  “What?”

  “She drove up in a brand-spankin’-new Suburban,” Maynard answered. “She just walked by me, and I swear it’s her.”

  “We gotta be sure… are you sure?” Clarence asked excitedly.

  “I know. She looks just like the woman in these pictures. She’s walkin’ toward y’all right now,” Maynard said as he looked at the woman and back at the photos.

  “I see her, but I can’t tell shit with this monocular. You see her, Jesse Ray?”

  Jesse Ray cringed that radio protocols were immediately breaking down under pressure. “Big Dog, I got her, but I can’t tell for sure.”

  “Chase Dog, we gotta be sure,” Clarence cautioned Jesse Ray.

  “I know. I know. I got an idea. Hold tight,” Jesse Ray responded.

  “Whattaya gonna do?”

  “When she gets close, I’m gonna make sure she identifies herself,” Jesse Ray was confident that even if he gave her a three-second head start, he could chase her down. “Y’all just make sure the coast is clear.”

  “All clear in the parking lot,” Maynard quickly responded.

  Clarence didn’t have any faith in Jesse Ray’s athletic abilities but was counting on the element of surprise. He hoped that Jesse Ray wasn’t going to blow this one thing that he had in his favor.

  “Chase Dog… talk to me: what are you thinkin’? Chase?” he said in a loud whisper. “Damn it, don’t do anything stupid.”

  “Let me think.”

  “Don’t think. We have a plan, and we execute it. Is it the Rabbit?”

  The woman was a couple hundred yards away, slowly walking toward them. Jesse Ray had decided to ask her if she was Kelly Dixon. He could say that her sister left a message. He knew it would work. I’ve always been brilliant under pressure, he thought.

  “Chase Dog, I want to abort. I can’t tell. It looks like her, but shit, man, I can’t be certain. I can only see the side of her face,” Clarence said as he studied her through the night vision. “Jesse Ray, you listenin’?”

  The walking trail would bring the woman to within fifteen yards of Clarence’s position. Clarence, on his knees in the dark shadows, watched her approach. It looked like her, but it was impossible to be certain. Clarence watched her punch numbers into her cell phone as she continued walking toward him.

  “Hey, it’s Kelly, where are you? Call me,” the woman said and then ended the call.

  Clarence clearly heard what she said and smiled with satisfaction. “It’s her. It’s her, Chase Dog. She’s all yours,” he whispered into his mic.

  “Got it,” Jesse Ray replied nervously.

  Through the trees, Clarence glimpsed Maynard begin moving into the extract position just as planned. Clarence slowly rose to his feet and realized that one leg had gone to sleep. He quietly shook and then rubbed his leg, desperately trying to regain feeling.

  “Coast is clear,” Maynard reported.

  Clarence watched Jesse Ray stretch and act as if he was just getting up from resting to continue his walk. Jesse Ray was also pretending to check his pulse on his neck while looking at his wristwatch. Hell of an actor, Clarence thought. The Rabbit was quickly approaching Chase Dog’s position.

  Kelly glanced toward the black woman but didn’t pay her much attention. She would not have purposely engaged her in conversation. The woman’s jogging outfit was hideous, almost causing Kelly to laugh aloud. Glancing around as she walked, Kelly looked for her sister. Kelly was the one who intentionally made people wait on her—she wasn’t accustomed to the tables being turned. Where the hell is she!? Kelly wondered.

  Jesse Ray took a deep breath as he reached into his pocket for the chloroform-soaked rag. His muscles tensed, anticipating his next move. He purposely bent over to act as if he was stretching, forgetting the
wig. His left hand caught it a moment before it fell off his head. His heart raced.

  Kelly walked past Jesse Ray, who was careful not to make eye contact. The moment she was a step past him, he was moving toward her, prepared to cover her face with the damp rag.

  “Move!” Clarence whispered into his ear, and Maynard stepped on the gas at the same time. Clarence slowly and painfully worked himself into a position that would allow him to sprint.

  Jesse Ray ran forward, and his third step crunched a piece of gravel on the concrete, causing Kelly to spin around and see him approaching. She started screaming and running. Jesse Ray leaped to tackle her. He caught only her left leg. Holding her cell phone in her right hand, she screamed and then hit Jesse Ray in the face as hard as she could. Jesse Ray, dazed, lost his grip and screamed in agony. Kelly took off running, straight for her vehicle.

  Jesse Ray’s nose was on fire with pain, but he struggled to his feet and gave chase. He glanced toward Clarence who was running to assist but lost his balance and veered off course slightly. The Rabbit was now ten yards ahead of Jesse Ray, but Clarence was approaching rapidly as he adjusted his angle of pursuit to cut off the panicked woman.

  For Clarence, the chase was just like running down the ball carrier when he was in college. The only attack angle, however, would force him to jump a forty-four-inch-tall park bench set in concrete. His football form instantly came back to him as he hit full speed. Upon reaching the bench, like a high-hurdler, he stretched to jump.

  Maynard slid the vehicle to a stop exactly where he was supposed to be. In the darkness he could see Jesse Ray holding his wig in one hand and chasing the woman. Suddenly, he saw Clarence’s jumbo frame fly through the air, crash, and skid across the dirt as if he were stealing home in the World Series. Only managing a vertical height of forty-three-and-one-half inches, Clarence’s trailing foot had caught the seat back, causing him to plow face-first into the gravel.