by Tom Clarke
Darrel smiled, nodded and said, “Okay boys see you in the morning then.”
It was eight-o’clock on the nose when Jim walked out the front door of the hotel and into the not so cool morning air of Arizona. He walked over to Nico, who was, as usual, already up and waiting for him out front.
“Any sign of Darrel?” Jim asked.
“No” Nico replied as he took a sip from his coffee. “He’s either already set up or he took your SUV, all of our gear, and hit the road.”
Jim snickered, “Probably hit the road… come on, let’s get going.”
As Jim and Nico walked towards the address for Red Foot they started to take notice that there was no one else out moving around.
“Jim” Nico said in a somewhat concerned tone of voice, “For a tourist town why are we the only ones up and moving?”
Before Jim could answer he received a text message on his cell phone.
“That’s Darrel” Jim said after reading the text. “He’s parked to our left and back in the trees and has eyes on us. Once we get inside, he will readjust to the lot across the street.”
Jim and Nico both finished their coffee as Jim’s phone chirped again with another text message. “He says that an Indian male late 50’s opened the store about 30 minutes ago, beyond that no other foot or vehicle traffic.”
Nico nodded, “That’s the place right there” Nico said, pointing to a small store across the street from them.
Nico started to cross the street when Jim grabbed his arm, “Come on, let’s go over to that restaurant across the street from it and get something to eat. Give us a chance to put some additional eyes on it for a few minutes before we head in.”
Nico nodded and then started towards the restaurant as Jim sent the reply text to Darrel telling him what they were doing.
Jim and Nico walked into the restaurant and pursuant to the sign at the front counter went ahead and seated themselves at a table by a window giving them a full view of the store across the street.
The sun was mostly up, but a low fog had seemed to settle into the town. “What can I get you boys?” The waitress asked as she approached their table.
“Coffee for me,” Jim replied.
“I will have the same” said Nico, “Along with a couple of eggs, over-easy.” The waitress wrote down their order and then without saying a word walked away.
“That was kind of odd” Nico said.
“What’s that?” Jim asked, looking across the street at the business.
“That waitress, she didn’t even look at us when she took our order, and then to just walk away like that. Not very friendly for a tourist town.”
Before Jim could answer his phone started to buzz, “It’s Darrel” Jim said as he answered the call.
“Hey man I got some movement over here” Darrel said. “I’ve got eyes on two adult males, late 30’s, dark colored clothing moving into the back entrance of the store with a third male, probably late fifties wearing what looks to be church attire.”
“What do you mean by church attire?” Jim asked.
“He had a priest’s collar and the black uniform. Holy Shit! Jimmy one of the first two males just came back out, bro he’s got a tattoo on his neck just like on the dude that Shelly blasted in your kitchen!”
Jim reached out and smacked Nico, who was till watching the waitress, in the arm. “Are you sure?” Jim said back into his phone.
“Fucking-A I’m sure!” Darrel replied. “Hey bro, you guys better get in motion, something’s going on and it’s not being done by us.”
“Okay” Jim said as he started to scoot his chair back from the table. “Do you see any vehicles they might have arrived in?”
“No, it’s almost like they just appeared. I do not have eyes on the far side of the building though. You want me to change positions?”
“No, don’t risk giving yourself up by moving” Jim said. “We will come out the front door of this place and walk past the store, see what’s on the other side. Stay on the phone as we move.”
Jim and Nico both stood up from the table. Jim pulled a $10 bill from his pocket and left it on the table and the two walked back out the front door.
As they walked away from the restaurant Nico looked back, standing in the dining room, watching them walk away was the waitress and three cooks. They all had blank expressions on their faces and just stared as Jim and Nico walked away.
As Jim and Nico walked past the front of the store Jim could see, through a cluttered front window three people standing in front of a counter.
They then walked past a dark colored SUV with deeply tinted windows parked in a side lot, “Okay, I got eyes on a dark colored SUV, unknown occupants, parked on the side of the building opposite from you” Jim said into the phone. “Wait, okay the cars in motion, it’s pulling around the back side of the building.”
“I got it” Darrel replied over the phone. “All three players are out of the business and getting into the SUV, they don’t look happy. Jim one of those cats had the same neck tattoo as one of the shit heads Shelly busted in your kitchen, are we letting them roll?”
There was no answer to Darrel’s question, just dead air over the cell phone call. “Jimmy, what are we doing here?” Still no answer. “Jim!” Darrel barked into the cell phone.
“See if you can grab the plate, beyond that let them roll. We stick to the initial plan” Jim responded grinding his teeth.
Jim pulled the phone away from his ear and looked up at the sky, “Fuck! Darrel just saw a dude coming out of the store with a tattoo on his neck like one of the guys who attacked Shelly back at my place.”
Nico looked back at Jim with a look of confusion on his face.
“I thought I heard Darrel say that one of the people who went into the store was dressed like a priest?” Nico asked.
“He did” Jim replied. “Listen once that SUV leaves the area we need to get in there before we have any more surprises. Do you have an idea what this map is going to look like?”
“I’m pretty sure I’ll recognize it when I see it” Nico replied. “Listen, Jim we need to start thinking about a plan in case there is no map, or this John Red Foot decides he doesn’t want to tell us anything.”
Jim ground his teeth and nodded his head, his eyes fixed on the front door to the business across the street, “These jokers have my wife, he’s going to tell us everything we want to know, one way or another. And as far as there not being a map, I have an idea about that as well.”
Jim could hear Darrel speaking at him through the cell phone, “Say that again” Jim said as he replaced the phone to his ear.
“They're all accounted for and in the SUV” Darrel repeated. “Pulling out, you should see them from your position now.”
“Yeah, I see them” Jim replied as he and Nico stepped back into a dark alleyway, watching the SUV pull from behind the building and then drive away.
“Okay, they’re out of the area” Jim said into his phone. “Nico and I are going to head in.”
Jim disconnected his call with Darrel as he and Nico crossed the street. As they approached the building they could see an open sign surrounded by Indian themed trinkets flashing in the front window. Above the front door another neon sign spelling out Reds Curiosities was also coming to life.
“HA! It’s a fucking junk store!” Jim said as they approached the front door.
“Are you sure this is the right place?” Nico asked as he looked around for another building in the immediate area.
“Yeah, this is it, come on, maybe we can find a bobble-head for you in here.”
An automated chime rang out as Jim pushed the front door open. As he and Nico walked into the store a strong odor of chili hit them, then a musky smell, like walking into an antique shop.
“Hello,” said a voice from a side room behind the cash register counter, which was covered with maps of the area and cigarette lighter displays.
“Good morning” Jim said as he scanned the store for
security cameras, possible back exits, and any other customers that may have walked in while Darrel wasn’t looking. Amongst the junk and tourist themed trinkets Jim saw a very modern looking Remington 870 police model pump shotgun set in the corner by the register.
He tapped Nico, who had become engrossed with looking at all the different items in the store, on the shoulder.
Jim discretely held up four fingers as he nodded his head towards a security camera mounted on the ceiling. He then made a gun symbol with his hand and nodded towards the cash register counter. Nico nodded and then wandered off into the depths of the store.
“Good morning… good morning” the man in the side room said as he emerged behind the counter. The man, an Indian male in his late 60’s standing about five-foot five-inches tall, slightly balding with a long-braided ponytail and glasses walked over and put both his hands on the counter. “How can I help you, and your friend there” referring to Nico, who was tapping the head on a bobble head figurine.
“Busy place this early in the morning” Jim said with a smile on his face. “We passed some clergy in the parking lot on our way in.”
“Yeah” the shopkeeper said as he squinted and shook his head slightly. “The Sheriff’s office opened a small substation here in town about two weeks ago, staffed it with a new deputy, they wanted directions on how to get there. Said they saw my light on and thought I could help them. Strange folks, the priest, very odd accent, his two friends didn’t speak at all. Strange folks.”
Jim smiled as he approached the counter the man was standing behind. “My name’s JT” Jim said, extending his hand for a handshake with the shop keep.
“Nice to meet you JT” the man said as he took Jim’s hand, “I’m John, John Red Foot, owner of this fine establishment. How can I help you fellas?”
“Well sir, we are writing a book on local mythology, you know ghost tales and such, anyway, I’m currently researching a story about a cave in the area that has some supernatural attachments and it was recommended that I talk to you.”
“Ah yes,” Red Foot replied with a smile on his face. “You are interested in the demon’s cave. I know the story, we have been telling it to the kids in the area for years to keep them out of the desert.”
“Is there any truth to it?” Nico said as he walked up and placed a bobble-head figure of an Indian warrior on the counter.
Red Foot looked at Nico hard for a few seconds. “You tell me,” he said.
“What do you mean by that?” Jim asked as he picked up the bobble-head, looking at Nico somewhat crossways.
“You look just like him” Red Foot said. “Was it your great grandfather who was in the first expedition to find that cave? Back in the mid 1800’s I think.”
Before Nico could answer Red Foot said, “I have an old plate-photo. Let me go get it and I will show you.”
Red Foot walked off to a back room, when he was out of ear shot Jim turned to Nico, “A photo, what the fuck!”
“I had forgotten” Nico replied as he shrugged his shoulders. “Besides back then photos were developed on glass plates, I didn’t think it would survive. We had it taken after we interned the demon in that cave.”
Jim looked at Nico and shook his head, “And this thing?” he said holding up the bobble-head.
“It’s for Darrel” Nico replied.
Red Foot returned with a framed picture obviously taken in the mid 1800’s. It depicted several people, including three priests, posing with some soldiers next to horses. “There in the back” Red Foot said. “That guy, he’s got to be your relative, you look just like him. Different haircut, but certainly a relation.”
Jim looked at the photo; his heart skipped a couple of beats. He knew what his friend had told him about being immortal, but suddenly confronted with evidence caused the color ran from his face. Jim looked over at Nico who had turned and walked away from the counter.
“Yes, that’s my great grandfather” Nico said looking away from Red Foot. “We wanted to put some sort of a family history to the legend, that’s why I’m here. Do you know where we can find this cave?”
“I don’t, but there’s an elder living not far from me, he knows. I can certainly check with him, you know, for the right price of course.”
Jim stepped forward, looked at Red Foot and smiled, “Of course. Hey, I have a great idea! If you can get the location of this cave, and then take us there, we will do a photo shoot with you and the rest of our crew. We will even do some here in the store, I will name your store in the book, and we will get you some free advertising. It will go nicely alongside, let’s say a consulting commission?”
Jim could see the wheels turning in Red Foot’s head. “I will even talk to my publisher and see about making arrangements to get copies of the finished book for you to sell here in your shop.”
Red Foot’s face lit up with an ear to ear smile, “You got a deal JT! Listen, I will close early for lunch and go see the old man. I’ll meet you back here at the shop at 1, how does that sound?”
“That sounds like a deal my man!” Jim said as he shook Red Foot’s hand. “How much for the bobble-head?”
The sun was still trying to come up when Nico and Jim walked out of the store. “That was nice of John to give us this bobble-head for free” Nico said as he and Jim walked out of Red’s Curiosities and onto the poorly lit sidewalk running adjacent to the street.
“You!” Jim said as he started to call Darrel on his cell phone, “He gave you the bobble-head, don’t drag me into whatever weird world you’re rolling around in.”
“Hey man” Jim said into the phone as it connected with Darrel, who was still sitting in a stationary surveillance position near Red’s Curiosities. “Yeah were clear and headed back to the hotel. Give us about five minutes to make sure we're not being followed and then come and pick us up.”
Jim hung up the phone call and turned to Nico, who was playing with the bobble-head he had just acquired, “Darrel’s gonna sit tight for about five and then…. what the hell!”
Jim grabbed Nico by the arm and pointed towards a dark alley way across the street from them. “I just saw a set of eyes in that alley looking right at us!” Jim said.
“Jim in front of us!” Nico said, pointing at a woman who had just stepped out of an alley on their side of the street about a block in front of them. “I think that’s our waitress from the restaurant? Jim, look at her mouth and her eyes, my God, they’ve been sewn shut!”
A cold biting breeze suddenly enveloped Jim and Nico. The street lights, which were still on flickered and then started to go out. A smell of rotten meat started to permeate the area, coupled with a low, metallic hum.
Jim grabbed his cell phone and hit the send button which called the last number in his call list, Darrel. “Change of plans brother, come get us right now!” Jim said, not even giving Darrel a chance to say hello.
“Jimmy” Darrel said with a sense of concern in his voice. “The damn SUV won’t start. It’s acting like the battery is dead.”
“Okay, save it, we're coming to you!” Jim replied. “Things here just got real weird really quick, get one of the rifles running were just around the corner.”
Before Jim could disconnect the call, Darrel reported, “Jimmy, be advised I have eyes on an unmarked PD vehicle arriving at the back of the store. Oh my God… it’s Tyler! Jesus Jim, he’s got Thor with him! Tyler’s in uniform and Thor’s wearing what looked like a priest’s outfit!”
“Get that rifle!” Jim barked into the phone. “There’s a vest in the back, get it on as well were headed back to the store!”
Staying on the open line with Darrel, Jim and Nico ran the short distance back to Red’s Curiosities. As they arrived both men stopped short of the front door and moved off into a lightly wooded area where they could take a knee and catch their breath.
Over the open phone line with Darrel, Jim could hear Velcro being adjusted and then the distinct sound of a magazine being slapped into place and the charging h
andle being manipulated on Darrel’s M-4 rifle.
“I’m set” Darrel said into the phone his voice sounding like he was in a tunnel as he had set the phone down to get the vest on.
“Copy” Jim said into the phone. “I’ve got eyes on our guy Red Foot, he’s in the front of the store. I can see two males standing in front of Red Foot. We’re going to make our entry through the front door. Darrel, you come in through the rear, once we have Red Foot we will all exit back through the rear door. Nico and I will manage Red Foot you cover our movement out of the building and then to the SUV.”
“Copy” Darrel said, “You will enter the front, I’m through the rear. You guys will grab the target I will cover inside, egress, and then to the truck.”
“Correct!” Jim said his heart starting to pound in his chest. “When I disconnect give us a 10 count and then make your move.”