The Zombie Deception

by Marvin Wolf

  Will said, “Landon is supposed to be at a poker game. We thought it was on the base, but apparently, it’s at the Richardson house. That means that there is some serious folding green in the house. That so, having outside security is a reasonable precaution.”

  “I’ll buy that for now,” Ash said. “What’s our next move?”

  “Do you have night vision gear in your car?”

  “I’m not Jamie Bond. Where do I get night vision gear?”

  “Landon’s got a satellite tracker on his belt buckle and a panic button in a shirt cuff button, I was thinking you might have some gear. And by the way, most of the helicopter training battalions have night vision gear.”

  “Tomorrow, go and borrow some,” she snapped. “Tonight, what’s our next move?”

  “I think somebody needs a nap.”

  “I’m not tired!”

  “Could have fooled me. Look, don’t take it personally. I snoozed about four hours in this car. Now it’s late, and I can’t blame you for being tired. So, why don’t you take a little nap while I go on foot and try to see what I can see?”

  “What if you run into more than you can handle?”

  “I’ll be fine. I’m just going to have a look-see, confirm that there is a guard in the alley.”

  “What about the roving guard?”

  “You saw a rover?”

  “No, but if I’ve got a man on foot in that alley, I’ve also got his backup, walking around the block.”

  “Are you sure that you’re not Jamie Bond?”

  Ash turned in her seat and punched Will’s left shoulder hard enough to elicit a gasp.

  “That is for your smart mouth.”

  Just like junior high, Will thought. She likes me!

  “Here’s my plan,” Ash said. “We’ll use Google Earth to find another approach to that alley. Then I’ll move to where I can keep an eye on that location. You watch the alley for a while, and I’ll be close enough to rescue you if needed.”

  Will and Ash exchanged stares for a long moment, then both burst into laughter.

  Will said, “What else is on your mind?”

  Ash said, “Same thing that’s on yours. But for now, let’s stick to the job. Let me see your phone.”

  Will reached into his coat pocket and handed her his three-year-old Nokia.

  “This isn’t a very smart smartphone, Spaulding.”

  “I guess I need a new one.”

  She took out her own iPhone and punched up Google Earth, then typed in Richardson’s address, zoomed in as far as the app would go, and studied the image for a long moment.

  “This is the house across the alley and one door east from Richardson. There’s a walkway alongside the house that runs from the sidewalk to the alley. It looks like there’s a gate at the front and one at the back,” she said.

  Will looked carefully. “No way to tell how high those gates are,” he said. “Do you have a pair of binoculars?”

  “Small ones.”

  “Small but perfect, I’ll bet.”

  Ash punched him again.

  “Mind on the job,” she said. “What are the glasses for?”

  Will smiled. “If I can’t get over the gate, or if there’s a dog, I might be able to slip into the alley at the far end, hide behind a telephone pole, and the glasses will let me see the other end.”

  “Let’s try the gate first,” Ash said.

  Chapter 37

  Landon was escorted to a tiny elevator, just big enough for three adults, which whisked him and Billie silently up what Landon estimated were three floors. The door opened into a vestibule with four closed doors.

  Billy pointed to the one at the end of the corridor. “That’s to the fire escape. If we have to leave in a hurry, use it.”

  Landon shrugged, “Why would we have to leave quickly?”

  Billy shrugged back. “I’m just saying.”

  He led Landon down the corridor past two doors.

  “What’s in those rooms?” Landon asked.

  “You came to play poker,” Billy replied. “This is the poker room.”

  He pushed the door open and Landon found himself in a spacious, dimly lit, high-ceilinged room. Against the far wall was a wet bar, attended by a beautiful young woman in a negligee. Three men leaned against the bar, glasses in hand, watching the room.

  There were six poker tables, each illuminated by a recessed overhead light. With a glance, Landon counted four to six people at each table.

  A beautiful, dark-haired young woman, clad very much like the bartender in a gauzy garment that revealed more than it concealed, materialized at Landon’s elbow.

  “Mr. Milgram,” she purred, taking his arm. “I’m Victoria. This way, please.”

  Billy headed for a table and Victoria steered Landon to a corner vestibule and closed the door behind him. Behind a wall of bulletproof plexiglass yet another gorgeous, scantily dressed woman smiled at him, then spoke through a circle of tiny holes in the glass. “Buy-in is $1,000. No maximum. And there’s a $100 cover charge. Also, if your cash-in winnings exceed your chip buy, we will deduct five percent. How many chips would you like?”

  “Let’s start with $2,000,” he replied and opened his shirt wide enough to remove the cash from one of the several compartments in his belt.

  He counted out twenty-one, hundred-dollar bills and passed the cash through an airlock-like arrangement. The cashier passed each note through a scanner that also counted the number of bills.

  “What’s the scanner for?” Landon said.

  “It detects counterfeit bills. Nothing to worry about unless you’re passing bad money,” she said.

  Then she opened the security door and put a tray with $2,000 in chips inside, closed her side and unlocked Landon’s door. He peered at the chips, each with a logo.

  “Those are also good at any Alabama Indian casino,” she said. “Of course, we’ll be glad to exchange them for cash when you’re ready.”

  Landon said, “Red on black is $100, blue on white is $20, black on white is $5?”

  “That’s right. Good luck, and enjoy your evening,” she said.

  As Landon left the vestibule, Victoria took his arm and escorted him to a table with two empty seats.

  “This is Forrest,” she said. “Would you care for a drink?”

  “Just Perrier, with a twist of lime,” he said.

  Victoria leaned in to whisper in Landon’s ear. “If there is anything you require, anything, find me with your eyes.”

  “Thanks,” said Landon, and took his seat. The tuxedo-clad dealer smiled. “My name is Nathan,” he said. “It’s table stakes, five-dollar ante, no check-and-raise, and each player in turn names the game I deal. You’re up. Any questions?”

  Landon shook his head. “Seven-card draw,” he said.

  Chapter 38

  Ash eased the car to the curb and turned off the dome light before Will climbed out. He moved silently across the street and disappeared into the gloom beside the building.

  Why don’t these people have streetlamps, Ash wondered. A moment later a car turned the corner ahead and Ash fell sideways on the seat before its headlights swept over her.

  The car passed so slowly that when Ash had inched up high enough to see the side mirror, she saw the black-and-white of a police car.

  The car stopped in the middle of the block, several houses past where Will hid in foliage. A spotlight appeared and swept back and forth over a house on Ash’s side of the street. After a long moment, the light winked out and the car resumed its stealthy prowl.

  Will extricated himself from the shrubbery and found a seven-foot wooden picket fence barring his way. He reached up and gently probed the fence top—and was greeted by a tight coil of razor wire.

  Without gloves, Will headed back to the street. But before he was out of the walkway the house, he saw Ash slowly, almost silently, pull away from the curb to move down the street at a pace that he could match without running. She turned left through the in
tersection and then slid to the curb beneath a bare willow.

  Will crossed the street, approached her car from the sidewalk, and climbed in next to her.

  Ash said, “When I saw you turn back, I assumed there was a reason you couldn’t get over the fence.”

  “Razor wire,” Will said. “Why did you move?”

  “I have a hunch that patrol car will be back soon. I think, he drives along east-west streets but not north-south ones. At least for now.”

  “I’m going to hide behind the dumpster just inside the alley’s mouth and watch the Richardson house. You wouldn’t happen to have a blanket in the trunk?”

  “What do you need it for?”

  “It’s for you. You should crawl into the back seat and take a nap. It’s getting really cold out.”

  Ash glanced at the dashboard clock. “It’s almost 11:00. What do you bet the poker game doesn’t break up until after midnight? Maybe 0200 or later?”

  “Good bet,” Will replied. “That’s why you should grab some shuteye.”

  A moment later a car turned the corner ahead of them and swept the other side of the street with a spotlight.

  Ash grabbed Will, pulled him to her. He felt her soft lips searching for his mouth and put his arms around her just as the car was flooded with brilliant light.

  He felt her tongue pry his lips apart, and opened to receive her.

  His heart beating wildly, Will surrendered to the moment.

  Chapter 39

  Landon raised his arm to glance at his wristwatch, noting that it was 11:00 pm and meanwhile taking a few more pictures with the state-of-the-art camera in his Rolex.

  Without counting his chips, he guessed that he was more than $7,000 ahead.

  He turned to look for Victoria, and she appeared at his elbow almost magically.

  “Can I get a roast beef sandwich and a bottle of Amstel Light?”

  “Certainly,” she said. “Anything else?”

  “That’s all for now,” he replied.

  As the dealer shuffled a new deck, Landon pushed back his chair and got to his feet.

  “Deal me out, for now,” he said.

  “Would you like to cash in your chips?” Victoria said.

  “No, not yet. I’m just taking a break. Is there a restroom?”

  “In the far corner,” she said, pointing with her head at an open doorway. “I’ll look after your chips.”

  Landon made his way through the room, his hidden camera recording faces on both sides of him as he walked. In the corridor, he found the men's room on the left.

  Inside the room, he used the urinal, noting meanwhile an ill-concealed video camera in the ventilation grate. Carefully, he washed his hands, dried them, and left.

  Returning to his seat, he found a warm roast beef sandwich on a French roll, a side of fries, and a little plastic tub of horseradish. An open bottle of Amstel Light and a frosted glass sat nearby.

  He ate slowly, following the action at his table. When he had finished eating, he turned his head and found Victoria, who seemed to arrive at his side instantly.

  “How can I serve you, Mr. Milgram?” she purred.

  “How late are you open?”

  “Until 4:00.”

  “I have to work tomorrow. Can I leave whenever I wish?”

  “Certainly. Give me a few minutes and I’ll arrange your transportation.”

  “Thanks. I’m going to play a few more hands, and then I’ll let you know.”

  “Of course.”

  Landon turned his attention to the table before him, and before the next hand was dealt to the three remaining players, he signaled to the dealer and was dealt in. Watching carefully, as he had since arriving, he had come to the conclusion that Nathan, the dealer, was a so-called mechanic, capable of dealing seconds and bottom cards, and seemingly able to control the game to a certain degree. So far, the games had been mostly stud and draw poker. After another hand of five-card stud, a big man, apparently in his late forties, well over 200 pounds with big hands, broad shoulders and a prize fighter’s face, pulled back a chair and sat down at the table.

  “I’m Walter,” he announced, and the other players offered their names. When it was Walter’s turn to call the game, he said, “Texas hold ‘em.”

  Landon shook his head. “Deal me out,” he said.

  “What are you afraid of?” Walter said.

  “Losing. I’ve played this a few times, and seems to me that chance plays a bigger role than skill.”

  “So you’re just chickenshit, is all,” Walter said.

  “If you mean that I prefer a game where I have a fair chance of winning, then yes.”

  “Got a big pile of other people’s money in front of you, and you’re afraid to risk it.”

  Landon nodded. “That’s about right.”

  Landon got to his feet and found Victoria with his eyes. She hurried to his table.

  “Are you ready to leave, sir?’

  “Soon as I cash my chips.”

  Landon reached into his pile, grabbed five $100 chips and dropped them into the dealer’s shirt pocket.

  “Thank you, sir,” he said.

  “Chickenshit asshole, that’s what you are,” said Walter in a low, conversational voice.

  “If you’re looking for a fight, meet me downstairs in ten minutes,” Landon said.

  Across the table, a player whom Landon knew only as George snickered.

  Victoria brought a tray, and Landon placed his chips on it, then followed her to the cashier. Inside the tiny room, he took five more chips from his pile and put them in Victoria’s hand. “Thank you,” he said. “You’ve been most kind.”

  She leaned in so close that Landon scented her perfume. “For five more chips I’m yours for an hour,” she whispered.

  “Another time,” he said and pushed his chips into the cashier’s revolving door.

  Chapter 40

  The spotlight winked out and for a long moment, Will clung to Ash. He heard the patrol unit roll by and felt her hands caressing his back, her heart beating wildly against his chest. Then she pushed him away and stared into his eyes.

  “There are two blankets in the trunk,” she whispered. “Could you get them?”

  “Are you sure?” Will said.

  “I’m sure,” she said and kissed him again, slowly, passionately.

  Abruptly she broke their clinch. “Go,” she said.

  Will climbed out of the car, heard the trunk pop open as he moved toward the rear of the car, In the trunk, he found two new dark gray blankets in plastic bags.

  By the time he’d fumbled a blanket out of its bag, Ash had moved to the back seat. He moved to the open door.

  Ash took the one that was still in its case. “You’ll need that,” she said. “The pavement next to the dumpster is cold.”

  “Excuse me?” he said.

  Ash handed him a tiny leather bag. “They have a magnetic base. See if you can get one on at least one of the cars that leave the Richardson’s garage.”

  “What is this?”

  “Radio trackers.”

  “I don’t understand?”

  “Wake me in an hour—I’ll take the next shift,” she said. Yawning, she pulled the door closed and left Will standing in the street clutching a blanket in one hand and a bag in the other.

  Chapter 41

  The elevator door opened and Landon stepped into a garage overflowing with identical black SUVs.

  “This way, sir,” said a man’s voice, hollow in the concrete room. “To your right,” the voice added.

  Landon turned right and followed the steep, angled floor until he came to the last SUV. Glancing to his left, he saw a stairway on the far side of the structure leading down and wondered where it went. He took a few steps toward it, then heard the man’s voice again.

  “This way.”

  Landon turned to find the man who called himself Walter standing in the aisle between two SUVs. In his right hand, he held an eight-inch Bowie knife.r />
  “I’ll have the money belt,” he said.

  “Come and get it,” Landon replied, spreading his legs and easing into a crouch.

  Walter moved forward until he was five feet from Landon.

  “Your choice. I cut your guts out and take the money, or I just take the money.”

  “Or you could turn and walk away, and be much healthier tomorrow.”

  Walter raised the knife and took a step forward, bringing his arm down as he reached Landon.

  In the twinkling of an eye, Landon parried the thrust with his left forearm, twisted the man’s arm while pivoting to his right, stepping inside Walter’s reach to jerk his forearm downward until the elbow broke. The knife clattered to the concrete as Landon turned toward his assailant. Alvie’s kick caught Walter’s lower groin.

  Walter doubled over in pain, his right arm dangling uselessly, and as he pulled Walter’s head down, Landon brought a knee up. Walter collapsed on the concrete.

  Four burly men appeared from behind Landon.

  “We’ll take it from here, sir,” said the nearest man.

  Three of the men grabbed Walter, now moaning in pain, and carried him away.

  “I apologize for this,” said the fourth man. “I can take you back to your car now.”

  Landon climbed into the SUV and accepted the goggles proffered by the man. “Your next visit will be free of charge,” he said. “We strive to make this a safe and entertaining experience.”

  “Thanks for showing up when you did,” Landon said. “He had a knife, you know.”

  The driver laughed. “Enjoy your ride,” he said. As before, Landon felt the driver’s weight shift the vehicle, and a new male voice from the driver’s side said, “Would you care for some music, sir? We have a very extensive music library available.”

  “Play, ‘Colonel Bogey March,’” said Landon, over the faint whine of electric motors.

  Chapter 42

  Torn between anger, frustrated desire, and amusement, Will crept into the alley’s mouth, peering into the darkness at the far end, moving his eyes from side to side, a way to improve his night vision which the Army had taught him was better on the peripheries than in the center.