by Ed Robinson
Blue Ridge Breeze
By
Ed Robinson
Copyright 2018 by Ed Robinson
All rights reserved. No part of this work shall be reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Leap of Faith Publications
This is a work of fiction. Any actual person or place mentioned is used fictitiously. Though some of my work is based on my real life experiences, most of it is a product of my imagination.
For those who love the Appalachian, Blue Ridge, and Smoky Mountains; may we enjoy the High Country for the rest of our days.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Author’s Thoughts
Acknowledgements
Other Books by Ed Robinson
One
I was sitting by the creek watching for trout when the police cruiser came down our driveway. The Chief of Police from Banner Elk stepped out of the car, along with Officer Hollaway. I was familiar with them both. Our relationship wasn’t the most cordial, as a result of a series of murderous events that had taken place on my mountain in the past.
I lived outside of their jurisdiction, but they had warned me not to interfere in local issues. Not only had I ignored their advice, but I’d also resolved the matter myself. I should have been the prime suspect in a murder case as a result, but the FBI had swept in and taken over. I was not a friend to the Banner Elk Police Department or the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office. I had no idea why they were paying me a visit.
“As you can see, I’m just sitting here minding my own business,” I said.
“Good morning, Breeze,” said Hollaway. “How’s Miss Brody doing?”
“We’re both fine, thanks,” I said. “What can I do for you?”
“Mind if we go inside?” asked the Chief. “We’d like to explain something to you.”
“Should I ask if you have a warrant?”
“Nothing like that,” the Chief said. “We need your help.”
“Odd turn of events,” I said.
“I understand your hesitation,” he said. “But let me give you the rundown before you say no.”
We went inside, and Brody started a pot of coffee once pleasantries were exchanged. She gave me a questioning look. All I could do was shrug in reply.
“There’s a fugitive somewhere on your mountain,” the Chief began. “We responded to a domestic yesterday down in town. Our suspect fired some wild shots out the front window before fleeing out the back door. We gave chase until he ditched his truck and set out on foot.”
“You couldn’t run him down?” I asked.
“He just stopped in the road and bailed out,” said Hollaway. “Disappeared up into the woods. Hell, we were all wearing street shoes and uniforms. Chasing him up there was hopeless.”
“We had a dog brought up from Boone,” the Chief said. “We regrouped with better gear and followed his trail.”
“Lost him at the creek,” Hollaway said.
“We had him sniffing around until dark,” the Chief said. “Never picked up on the scent again.”
“If he stayed down in the creek bed long enough,” I said. “He could find a spot to climb out on the rocks or grab a low-hanging branch. Wouldn’t be much for a hound to go on.”
“We’ve got a chopper coming today,” the Chief said. “Should be over us at any time.”
“He’ll hunker down as soon as he hears it coming,” I said. “Probably expecting it.”
“Which is why we’re here,” said Hollaway. “We need you to track him.”
“I’m no tracker,” I said. “I know the mountain. Shot some deer up there, but I’m not an experienced man-hunter.”
“We made some inferences after the Cody Banner episode,” said the Chief. “Two men went up that mountain. Banner was younger, tougher, and knew the terrain well. You were the only one who came back down alive. We figure you’ve got a talent for this type of thing.”
“Are you trying to deputize me?” I asked. “Do they still do that?”
“Unofficially,” said the Chief. “I’ll send Hollaway up there with you.”
“How long can he hold out?” I asked. “He’s got to come down sooner or later.”
“When he jumped out of the truck he was carrying a backpack and a rifle,” Hollaway said. “His wife tells us he’s a survivalist. His house looks like a bomb shelter. Canned goods, water, and ammo all over the place. That’s what their fight was about.”
“So he got tired of waiting for the apocalypse and created his own?” I asked.
“Something like that,” said the Chief. “It means he could be dangerous. Not likely to give up easily.”
“What crimes has he committed so far?”
“Assault and Battery,” he said. “Discharge of a weapon connected with the assault. Firing on law enforcement doesn’t get taken lightly.”
“I suppose not,” I said. “But before now he was clean?”
“He’s been keeping a low profile,” said Hollaway. “Quietly building his stockpile for when the shit hits the fan.”
“But he ran and left all his goodies behind,” I said. “Doesn’t make much sense, unless he’s got supplies stashed on the mountain somewhere.”
“This is why we need your help,” said the Chief. “We hadn’t thought of that.”
“It’s just what I would do if I thought I might have to bug out,” I said. “Same as traveling along the creek to lose the hound.”
“Will you help us?” asked Hollaway.
I looked to Brody to gauge her response. I detected a slight eye roll before the shrug she gave me in return. I translated that into, here we go again, but go ahead if you want to.
“Where did he enter the woods?” I asked.
“Across from White Rock Baptist Church,” the Chief replied. “The slope is damn steep there.”
“We can use Banner’s lane to go up and around,” I said. “Not as tough a climb.”
“What do you need to do to get prepared?” Hollaway asked.
“Pack some supplies and change my clothes,” I said. “Load my rifle.”
“I’d rather you weren’t armed,” the Chief said.
“Then I won’t go,” I said. “I’m not tracking an armed man with no weapon.”
“Hollaway will be carrying,” he said.
“So will I, or no deal,” I said.
“Listen, Breeze,” he said. “We can’t have another incident like the last one. We were forced to look the other way concerning what happened to Banner. You’ll not have that luxury this time.”
“But here you are,” I said. “Asking for my help.”
“Because you are the only one that knows this mountain,” he said. “We’re not equipped to find the man ourselves.”
“I’m willing and able to assist,” I said. “But not unarmed.”
“Okay, damn it,” he said. “Get your shit together and get started. We’re setting up a command post with the state police at the church. Meet us there as soon as possible.”
They left, and I started stuffing my backpack with essentials. Brody checked my weapons while I got dressed.
She hadn’t said anything about what I’d just agreed to do. She wouldn’t try to stop me, but I knew she wasn’t thrilled.
“Go ahead,” I said. “Let’s hear it.”
“I guess I’ll give up on the peaceful life we hoped to find here,” she said. “The almighty Breeze is off to save the world again.”
“Not the world,” I said. “Just our mountain. I can’t tell them no.”
“You never tell anyone no,” she said. “You jump at the first hint of adventure, dangerous or not.”
“Would you prefer I slink into the shadows and avoid conflict at all costs?”
“That’s not going to happen,” she said. “Look, I get it. It’s who you are, but someday I’d like to have nothing to worry about. You know what I mean? Just live here quietly without a care in the world.”
“We live on a mountain far from the hustle and bustle,” I said. “How much more shit can happen up here?”
“I think trouble would find you in a desert,” she said. “If not, you’d seek it out.”
“Seems that way sometimes,” I admitted. “I was sitting down there looking for trout this morning. Can’t mind my own business any more than that.”
“So you and Hollaway are going after this guy,” she said. “How do you intend to find him? You aren’t a tracker.”
“I realize that,” I said. “But I’ll hear him or smell him up there somewhere. I’ll sense him if I can get close enough.”
“Get your mountain Zen on,” she said. “Just be safe.”
“I love you, Brody,” I said. “That’s enough incentive for me.”
I double checked my pack and gave her a purposeful kiss. I half expected her to ask to go with me, but she didn’t bring it up. That was good because I didn’t want her up there on the mountain with a potentially dangerous man on the loose. She could handle herself, but she was still recovering mentally from our last ordeal. She’d be safe at our cabin. We drove to the church to meet the Chief and his men.
“Tell me what more there is to know about this man,” I said.
“His name is Tom Shook,” said the Chief. “Drives a truck. Regular guy.”
“Over the road or day trips,” I asked.
“Local deliveries,” he said. “Home every night.”
“Any radical postings on social media or strange browser history?”
“We haven’t had time to do a deep dive on him,” he said. “But he had no Facebook account.”
“It would be interesting to know what websites he visited regularly,” I suggested. “Is he a hardcore doomsday believer or Zombie Apocalypse guy or what?”
“I’ve got someone trying to get some information out of his wife,” he said. “I’ll get someone to go through his computer.”
“How are we communicating?” I asked.
“We’ve all got radios,” he said.
“Our quarry will hear the chatter,” I said. “Hollaway can’t have his radio on.”
“Call on the cell to check in,” he said.
“We might not have cell service up there,” I said. “I don’t own one so I’m not sure.”
“I bet you don’t have a Facebook account either,” he said.
“You’d be right,” I said. “Shook isn’t the only person on the planet without one.”
“Another reason I think you’re the right man for this job,” he said.
“What are we supposed to do if and when we find him?”
“Talk him down,” he said. “Hollaway knows what to do. Just bring him in peacefully.”
“You think it’s going to be that easy?”
“What other choice does he have?” asked the Chief.
“I can think of several times where a man’s end of the world fantasies didn’t end so well.”
“We’re not going into Waco with tanks,” he responded. “We’re all just good old boys trying to make it through the day.”
“Let’s hope he’s on the same wavelength,” I said. “You ready Hollaway?”
“Ready.”
We backtracked a quarter mile until we came to the driveway of Cody Banner’s hunting camp. It was now overgrown with grass and weeds, but it was still the easiest access to points higher up the mountain. We came to the now abandoned shack where Hollaway had to rest. I couldn’t see him being much help on this mission. Mountain hiking didn’t appear to be his thing. He was there to represent official law enforcement. I couldn’t leave him behind, or I’d lose my authority to find the man we were looking for.
Once we got away from the old Banner camp, I tried to tune into the sights and sounds of the woods. Having a partner that I didn’t know hindered my ability to heighten my senses. He was a distraction. I held my hand up for him to stop and put a finger to my lips to keep him quiet.
“Bear with me for a minute,” I whispered. “Just stay still and silent.”
I walked a hundred yards uphill from him and got still and quiet myself. I picked up on every tiny sound of the forest. I smelled the crisp air for signs of human activity. I looked for odd colors and shapes in the tree line ahead of me. The babbling of the creek was like a hypnotist’s watch. My senses amplified like I was in another dimension. If there was a man nearby, I’d know it soon. I got nothing but the scent of Hollaway and the sound of his breathing. We weren’t close to our target. It was a big, wild mountain and we’d have to keep searching. I waved for my partner to join me and listened as he stomped his way uphill. It was clear that he was going to be a handicap. I could only hope that Tom Shook was an amateur. Otherwise, he would easily stay one step ahead of us.
We kept climbing upward, and my partner kept making noise. The sound of his heavy breathing was enough to alert the wildlife of our approach. I took a quick scan of the landscape ahead of us before gesturing for him to stop. I spoke in a low whisper.
“Listen, man,” I said. “No offense, but you sound like a truck that needs a new muffler. We’ve got to be super quiet up here.”
“I don’t think I was that loud,” he protested.
“You stomp with your feet,” I said. “You breathe like a cardiac patient. We can’t sneak up on anything like this.”
“I’ll walk lighter,” he said. “Keep my breathing under control.”
“Walk like smoke,” I told him. “Glide through the trees like a cool breeze. Concentrate on it. Do it long enough, and it becomes second nature.”
“You sound like an Indian nature guide,” he said.
“At the same time, be as aware as possible about what’s going on around you,” I said.
“Now you want me to walk and chew gum at the same time,” he said.
“I’m not trying to pick on you, man,” I said. “I’m trying to help you survive.”
“There’re two of us,” he said. “We’re both armed to the teeth. We got one truck driver up here somewhere. All we have to do is find him. I don’t need a course in tree hugging.”
We started up the mountain again. Hollaway was slightly more careful, but the noise he made was still unacceptable. It interfered with my ability to perceive sights and sounds at a higher level. My gut was telling me that we were setting ourselves up for trouble. The man we were after might be a truck driver, but he had the high ground, as well as a rifle. I needed a way to separate myself from my cop friend so that I could do my own thing. We were bumbling around in the woods so loudly we could have been wearing cowbells.
“Stop for a minute,” I whispered. “Catch your breath. I’m going to move off from you about a hundred yards. Just keep sight of me as we go uphill. We’ll be covering a wider swath that way.”
“Signal me if you see anything,” he said. “Don’t take action on your own.”
“Got it,” I said. “Move like smoke. Stay out of any possible line of fire whenever possible. Take note of good cover.”
He nodded, and I walked towards the west for several minutes to get away from him. I pointed upward, and we started our ascent again. Now I could hear like I wanted to. I cou
ld think clearly. What would drive a man like Tom Shook to put himself in this position? Police showed up at his door. He fired a few shots through the window. He didn’t come close to hitting anyone, but it gave him time to run to his truck and drive away. His first big decision was to leave his home and all of his survival stash. Then he drove a few miles and picked this very mountain to climb. His second decision was to leave his truck behind.
I had the feeling that this would not end peacefully, regardless of what Hollaway thought. Something had driven Shook over the edge. He was making his last stand up there on my mountain. He’d forsaken his wife, his home, and his truck. That seemed like the perfect trifecta of a death wish to me. What could I do when I found him? I had no bad will towards the man. I’d never met him, but he’d be ill-advised to start a gun battle with me.
We walked on, maintaining our separation. Occasionally, I stopped behind a big tree or rock to listen to the world around me. I sniffed the air for the artificial scents of modern man. I wasn’t sensing anything, just nature and my loud-walking partner. I was watching Hollaway when he went down as if Thor smacked him with his big hammer. A split second later I heard the shot. I dove behind a set of boulders and rammed a round into the chamber of my rifle. A faint whiff of gunpowder reached my nostrils. It mixed with the coppery odor of blood. I waited several minutes without receiving any more sensory clues. I carefully pointed my rifle up the mountain and peered through the scope. Shook wasn’t there, or he was so painstakingly camouflaged I couldn’t make him out.
Hollaway made no sound whatsoever. He was as still as the rocks I was hiding behind. Getting to his radio and cell phone meant exposing myself to the shooter if he was still up there. If I thought he was still alive, I would have risked it, but there was no need to rush. He was gone. I stayed hunkered down and continued to listen and sniff the air for any signs of Shook. None came. The shooter had fired and moved on quickly while I was pinned down. He had two potential targets, assuming he saw me too. He’d chosen to kill the cop first. All hope for a peaceful resolution had disintegrated.
I made my way to my partner’s body and grabbed his radio before retreating behind a large oak.