The Black Chip

by Gary Land

  She had to get away from him. She took one last look at Finnegan and saw him inching his way backwards into the relative safety of the cabin. And out of the heat. She had no such luxury. She had to move forward, into the heat. She thought about killing him to get the keys to the car. Maybe with a large rock, but she didn’t think she could do it. Not cold-blooded murder.

  Kacy knew her directions, and she knew that the cabin was west of Las Vegas. If she walked with the sun in front of her, because it was still morning, then she would be walking towards the east, and back towards the city. Then keep the sun at her back in the afternoon, and maybe she could find her way home. There was something else she wanted to do, but she couldn’t think clearly.

  Kacy remembered reading a fortune cookie that said, “A long journey begins with the first step.” Something like that. Her mind felt fuzzy and light-headed. Then she took that first step, and her knees gave out. She stumbled forward, barely catching herself before she fell, but it was a short-lived victory. Kacy’s eyes rolled up in her head and she collapsed onto the hard, desert floor.

  Kacy didn’t know how long she had lain in the dirt. Was it dirt or was it sand? She wasn’t sure. It seemed like a mixture of the two. Whatever it was, it covered her body from head to toe. As she awoke, she sat up, but immediately went down again. The sky seemed to be spinning, so she lay there and waited for the dizziness to go away.

  Kacy tried again. She sat up slowly, closed her eyes, and put both hands on either side of her head in a desperate attempt to stop the merry-go-round spinning inside her. She took slow, deep breaths, and after a while, the carousel slowed and eventually stopped.

  Kacy stood, took stock of herself, and noted that everything seemed to be working. She carefully brushed herself off, and started walking back to Las Vegas. She checked her side--the bleeding had slowed down to a trickle.

  Kacy needed to keep her mind active and focused on getting back to the city. She tried to recite multiplication tables, but that got boring and too hard after she reached the twelves. She learned in class that Las Vegas meant The Meadows in Spanish. Then it occurred to her that she lived in the Mountain Meadows apartments. Coincidence? She didn’t think so. Kacy giggled and kept walking. One foot in front of the other.

  “Well, Kacy,” she told herself, “I’ve got good news and bad news.”

  “What’s the bad news?” she answered.

  “I’m lost in the desert, I’m covered in blood, and now I’m going to have to get a darn tetanus shot.”

  “Yeah, that sucks. What’s the good news?”

  Kacy kicked a small rock. “I lied,” she sighed. “There is no good news.”

  She was in the Mojave Desert. It was easy to forget when you were in the city, but Kacy was now acutely aware of how unforgiving the desert was. A steady wind blew circles in the sand at her feet. She had decided it was sand after all. The “Rolling Dice” development that had started out here had destroyed all vegetation. There was nothing left. Just some of the old signs and some concrete roadways that still existed, uncovered now and then by the blowing sand.

  For a fleeting moment, Kacy thought she knew the perfect way to find her way back. All she had to do was follow the tire tracks from when Finnegan drove out here. But they were all gone. Long gone.

  Kacy laughed. “The wind changes the landscape like an Etch-A-Sketch.”

  As the sun beat down on her, she wondered if she should have broken the car window and tried to hot-wire the ignition. Not that she knew anything about that, but maybe she should have tried. There might have been some water in the car too. It was stupid of her not to check. What other mistakes had she made, she wondered. It was too late now, and she had come too far.

  She knew she had walked several miles. She had started to see vegetation a couple of miles back. Mostly shrubs of some kind. Maybe some bushes. What was the difference between shrubs and bushes? If she ever knew, she couldn’t remember now. A jackrabbit jumped in front of her. She noticed several animals now. Mostly lizards. A Tortoise. That must mean something, she thought. It seemed like a good sign that there were animals here. There must be some source of water too. But she didn’t know how to find it.

  Every part of her body ached, and her side burned. The pain from the stab wound pulsed in a rhythm to her heartbeat. She began to associate the beating with the oldies songs she liked so much. As the pain intensified and the beating came faster and faster, she switched from one song to another until she finally ended up singing The Lion Sleeps Tonight--the Tokens version--over and over again. A-Wimo-weh, A-Wimo-weh, A-Wimo-weh. She sang the words in her head. “Hush my darling, don't fear my darling...”

  She dropped to her knees to rest for a few seconds, but she couldn’t stand up again. She was exhausted. She lay down--just for a moment.

  “Don’t fear my darling,” Kacy whispered.

  Kacy slipped towards unconsciousness. She teetered on the very brink knowing in her mind that she would never wake up if she let herself fall over that edge. She fought with all the power she had left in her bruised and battered body. She fought for her mom. And she fought for Noly, who she knew would come for her soon. She told herself that she just had to be patient and wait a little while longer.

  As she phased in and out of a dream-like sleep, she heard a slap-slap-slap sound that she couldn’t place. It sounded familiar and yet unfamiliar. Then, suddenly, she was on some beautiful beach watching the waves slide up the sand and then recede back again. She looked to her left and saw a large seal slapping the water with its flipper.

  Kacy wanted to go to the seal, but she couldn’t make her legs work. She tried to stand up, but it was as if she was part of the beach itself. She could still move her hands, though, so she reached out to the seal, who slapped the water faster and faster. She remembered reading a book at school that said seals are Pinnipeds. It had stuck with her, because she liked the way Pinniped sounded.

  I’m about to die and all I can think of is Pinnipeds are seals.

  She wanted to laugh, but tears filled her eyes instead. As they fell, they left jagged tracks through her dirt-smudged cheeks. The air was so hot that it dried the tears before they could make a complete journey down her face.

  She awakened long enough to crawl through the sand towards a large rock that cast one of the few shadows she had encountered. It would at least shade her head. She pulled something from her pocket and placed her hand on top of the rock, then slid down, her energy gone.

  “No fear.” She curled into a fetal position and drew her hands into fists, and tucked them under her chin.

  #

  The Huey’s rotors slapped the air as the helicopter sped towards the locator signal. Noly knew he was close to finding Kacy. It would be today. And God have mercy on the bastard that was with her, because Noly wouldn’t.

  Noly could see the Range Rover and signaled Woody. The helicopter landed fifty yards from the rear of the cabin. Noly was out of his seat before the skids touched down. Woody and a medic followed. Noly used the dust storm created by the Huey as cover and ran straight to the northeast corner of the cabin. He made his way around to the front, gun in hand, ready to storm the entrance. Instead, he found the door ajar and sand littering the opening.

  Noly eased through the door, and saw Finnegan lying on the floor, curled into a ball, hands holding his face. His breathing sounded labored as he rocked back and forth. He seemed unaware of the helicopter or Noly’s presence.

  Noly quickly scanned the one-room cabin. Kacy wasn’t here. Despair seeped into his body and guilt wracked his soul. He had let her down--let them both down. He didn’t know how he could face Sarah and tell her that her baby was gone.

  Noly accidentally kicked a bottle and it skidded across the floor. Finnegan froze listening for more noises. Then he grabbed his make-shift weapon and held it out in front of him.

  “You came back didn’t you bitch!” he yelled.

  Finnegan pulled himself onto his knees, and turned to face t
he noise he had heard. As he did, Noly could see the blood running down both of his cheeks. Finnegan’s eyes were open, but the sockets only held ragged balls of tissue. He was blind. Kacy had blinded him. Noly felt a surge of pride flood through him.

  Finnegan reached a hand out and swiped the air in front of him with the weapon. Noly saw blood caked on the ragged edge, and became enraged. He kicked the hand as hard as he could and heard the sound of breaking bones. Finnegan screamed and scurried back against the wall.

  “Who’s there?” he screeched.

  The medic waited outside while Woody stood in the doorway watching the scene unfold before him.

  “She must be alive, Noly. God damn, look what she did to him,” Woody said, a touch of awe in his voice. “Where is she, Finnegan?”

  There was no response. Woody saw the knuckles on Noly’s gun hand turn white as Noly raised it up and pointed it at Finnegan.

  “Noly,” Woody called. “Don’t--let’s take him in.”

  “Woody--close the door on the way out, okay?”

  Woody sighed. He knew he wouldn’t win this argument and he wasn’t sure he wanted to. This man, crawling for his life, was a monster. He didn’t deserve any pity.

  When Noly heard the door close behind him, he went to Finnegan and grabbed his shirt. He pulled him into the center of the room and put the gun to Finnegan’s temple.

  “Tell me where she is,” Noly demanded.

  Finnegan’s head jerked back at the touch of the gun. He tried to scramble away, but Noly held him tight.

  “Where is she?”

  Finnegan just laughed. Noly shot him in the hand that he had already broken. Finnegan screamed again and tried to pull away, but Noly held him in an iron grip.

  “Tell me where she is,” Noly demanded again.

  “I don’t know--she fucking blinded me. Fucking bitch! I should have killed her when--”

  Noly shot him in the other hand.

  Finnegan yelled some more, spit flying from his mouth.

  “She ran out of here, asshole. How the hell do I know where she is? She fucking blinded me!”

  “Did you hurt her?” Noly asked his voice calm and even.

  When Finnegan didn’t answer, Noly shot him in the left kneecap. Finnegan’s scream turned into a choking cough, and then a maniacal laugh. Noly was losing him.

  “Did you...” Noly started.

  “YES! I hurt her and she loved it. She cried out for more.”

  Noly emptied the gun into Finnegan’s head.

  Woody threw the door open. “Noly! We’ve got a trail. There’s blood...a lot of blood.”

  Noly ran out the door.

  #

  They had walked two miles following her trail, but now it had disappeared. Wind had blown the sandy dirt over any footprints and blood drops that remained.

  “My god, Noly, how did she walk so far?” Woody said. He almost instantly regretted saying it.

  Noly stopped, not sure how to proceed. Panic slowly rose inside of him, as doubts grew stronger in his mind. It was over a hundred degrees already. Kacy was tired, bleeding; she couldn’t survive this much longer--if she wasn’t already dead.

  Woody put a hand on his shoulder to steady his friend.

  “We’ve lost the trail,” Noly said. He went down on one knee, scooped up a handful of dirt, and let it run through his fingers.

  “It doesn’t matter, Noly, she’s following a straight line--like she was a human compass. She’s still alive, Noly. She held tough through things that grown men haven’t endured. She’s too strong to die. She’s waiting for you to find her, Noly.”

  They walked another mile, and then another. They had to go slower than they would have liked, because they thought if she stopped, she could have detoured to an abandoned building, a tree, a cactus, but they passed nothing but shrubs and rocks.

  He almost missed it. The large rock off to the right. Something, some shape, on top. Something that didn’t belong. He ran towards the rock, followed closely by Woody and the medic. He grabbed the object--it was the boot stamp. Kacy had been here.

  “Where is she?” Noly screamed.

  Woody and the medic spread apart and began a grid search of the immediate area. Noly moved around the rock and tripped on--a shoe. He looked down. It took him a moment to realize what he was seeing.

  “Oh, god,” Noly yelled. “WOODY!”

  Sand completely covered Kacy. Noly dropped to his knees, and frantically dug her out as Woody ran to his side. Noly held her limp body with one hand under her head, the other under her back. He pulled her to him, and hugged her, stroking her hair.

  “Oh, no...oh, Kacy, I’m so sorry,” Noly cried.

  Kacy coughed. He felt it more than heard it, but it was enough. “She’s alive!”

  The medic started towards Kacy, but Woody held him back and told him to wait.

  “Radio Huey and tell him where we are,” Woody told him. “Then radio the nearest hospital--tell them to standby.”

  The medic did as he was told. Woody knelt down and handed Noly a bottle of water.

  Noly gently brushed the hair off Kacy’s face. Sand still covered her body. He lifted her head and poured some water onto her face and mouth. Her tongue automatically slipped between her lips searching for the source of the cool liquid.

  As she slowly came awake, Kacy felt a hand on her face and jerked away. Finnegan had found her. She couldn’t understand how, but she had to get away.

  “No...” she whimpered.

  She flailed her arms and moaned in protest, but soon exhausted what little energy she had left, and she resigned herself to whatever fate awaited her.

  “You’re safe now, Kacy. It’s over,” Noly said, holding her tightly.

  It took several moments for Noly’s words to register in her brain. “Safe.” “Over.”

  “Whatiet?” Kacy said. The words tumbled roughly from her mouth.

  “I don’t understand, honey. Here--” Noly slowly poured some more water into her waiting mouth. She swallowed with difficulty as she struggled to form the words she was trying to speak.

  “What time is it?” Kacy asked. It came out in a hoarse whisper.

  Noly automatically looked at his watch, and his mouth fell open. For a moment, he couldn’t speak either, and then he hugged Kacy.

  “It’s 11:11, Kacy--Happy Birthday.”

  Her eyelids fluttered, then opened. She looked at her rescuer, trying to focus on the man’s face. Kacy blinked several times, and then she saw him clearly.

  “Noly?” she cried. She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him. “I knew you’d find me,” she whispered.

  “I’m sorry it took so long,” Noly said, anguish in his voice. A tear rolled down his face.

  The tension and fear that Kacy had lived with for so many days was finally gone. It drained away as if it was never there. She knew nothing but joy. She smiled with contentment and looked into his soft, loving eyes.

  “Daddy...”

  Noly’s heart leapt into his throat. “I’m here, Kacy.”

  “...take me home.”

  Chapter 37

  The Huey picked them up and returned to the cabin. Once inside the helicopter, Kacy had insisted on going back to the cabin to see Finnegan. She lay on a stretcher receiving fluids and antibiotics intravenously, but the medic said she was fine; they could wait to go to the hospital.

  The medic told Noly the compression bandage Kacy had applied saved her life. The medic fastened a new compress to the wound after making some temporary stitches to control the bleeding. Kacy refused any anesthesia. Instead, she hugged Noly while the medic did his work. She gritted her teeth but never cried out. It wasn’t out of bravery; it was because she needed to see Finnegan and she wanted to be fully awake when she did.

  Fifteen minutes later, Woody and Noly stood outside the cabin talking when the medic approached them.

  “How is she?” Noly asked.

  “She’s...great,” the medic said. “She’s si
tting up, eating a high-calorie granola bar I gave her, and drinking water.” The medic walked back to the copter shaking his head like he had never seen the likes of this before.

  “She’s an amazing kid, Noly,” Woody said. “When she realized it was you, back at the rock, her eyes, well, it was like someone flipped a light switch on.”

  Noly smiled and nodded his head. “I don’t know if this is right, if I should let her see Finnegan.”

  “It’s something she needs. She’s smart; trust her that she knows what’s best. I can’t really blame her, she wants to see her tormenter dead.”

  Kacy hopped out of the Huey, wearing a pilot’s jumpsuit in place of her bloody clothes. She walked over to Noly. Woody smiled at her, patted her on the shoulder, and left the newly minted father and daughter together.

  “Captain Kacy?” Noly said.

  She smiled up at him. “It’s a little baggy.”

  “You’ll grow into it...are you sure you want to do this?” Noly asked.

  “Yes, I...have to see,” Kacy said.

  She put her hand in Noly’s, and looked up at him. He had only told her that he shot Finnegan, but nothing else.

  “How many times did you shoot him?” she asked.

  Noly paused. “I emptied the clip,” he said looking straight ahead, as if ashamed of his actions.

  The corner of Kacy’s mouth inched up for a second, satisfied with the answer. She moved forward and opened the door, holding fast to Noly’s hand.

  She stepped through the door and took it all in with one glance, the shots to each hand, the shot to Finnegan’s knee, the remaining shots to the head. She nodded once to herself. Finnegan was really, truly dead.

  Kacy stood that way staring at Finnegan as a flood of bad memories whirled through her head. She stifled a sob, and quivered with a combination of rage and fear. She quickly turned and hugged Noly, burying her face in his chest. He went down on his knees and hugged her back.