Bug Out! Part 11: Motorhomes on the Dark Road (12 page)

“Dammit,” Scott said, feeling his way to the sink to wash the pepper spray out of his eyes. Howard backed up as students ran over, all of them with their camera phones pointed at the motor home.

“No!” Howard said. He put the coach into drive and punched it, students diving out of the way as they hauled ass down the street.

Bailey felt her way to the sink and joined Scott, trying to wash the pepper spray out of her eyes as the van rocked, making quick turns and speeding up too fast.

“Thank God,” Howard shouted as he hit the freeway on-ramp. He got into the fast moving traffic and settled down.

“Well, that didn’t go so well,” Scott said, wiping his eyes.

“I told you, idiot,” Howard said. “Girls with a handful of books are doable. Strong girls carrying nothing aren’t.”

“Settle down,” Scott said. “We’ll get another chance.”

“Are you nuts?” Howard asked. “We’ll be lucky to get home before the cops find us with one of their choppers.”

“Relax,” Scott said.

“Relax my ass. You see how many students were out there with their phone cameras? We’re already on YouTube. The cops know our license plate number, and what this coach looks like. We’re screwed.”

Bailey came up, tears still flowing from her eyes. “Sorry.” She looked terrified.

“This wasn’t your fault, Bailey,” Howard said. “Don’t worry.”

“We’re going to get caught, aren’t we?” she said.

“No we’re not,” Scott said. “Been in worse jams than this. We’ll be fine, but we need to think it through.”

“No, we’re done, at least with this vehicle,” Howard said. “I’m not going to be able to sell my truck stop now, either. They’ll be right there.”

“Report this thing stolen,” Bailey said.

“Now that’s a good idea,” Scott said.

Howard thought about it for a moment. “Yeah, that
is
a good idea. You guys can’t be around when I do that, though. You can bet there’s video of both of you. I’ll have to do it alone.”

“Okay, Howie,” Scott said. “Just get us home safe, and we’ll plan this out.”

Bailey looked terrified, leaning on the engine cover in front, looking down.

“Hey, this wasn’t your fault,” Howard said. “And you thought of a way to save our bacon. Don’t worry. You did good.
We
let you down.”

***

Terry’s watch was over. The Sheriff relieved him up on the roof of the barn.

“How you doing, Terry?” he asked as he climbed up.

“You aren’t afraid of heights, Uncle?” Terry asked, smiling.

“No, not yet,” he said. “I actually like it up here.”

“Me too,” Terry said. “Looks like the motion sensors are all set up.”

“Yeah, those guys got them placed. Charlie helped. That guy knows how to lead a job like that.”

“I remember when we set up the cameras at Hilda’s place? He was a big help.” Terry looked out over the horizon. “That seems like so long ago.”

“Yeah it does,” the Sheriff said. “Had any thoughts about what to do after this is over?”

“Have babies,” Terry said, grinning.

“Well, that’s a given,” the Sheriff said. “I mean for a living.”

“Oh,” he said. “I wouldn’t mind running this place if I could make a deal with the group.”

“You mean set up the dungeon as a museum?” the Sheriff asked, chuckling. “Most of that stuff will get confiscated as soon as we show it to the authorities. If it’s not the locals, it’ll be the FBI. It’ll be like pulling teeth to get it back, too.”

“True, that might be a problem,” Terry said.

“If you want to run an RV Park, there might be another possibility. Remember that Charlie and Hilda have an extra park. They might hire you to run one, and those parks are both going concerns. Lots of traffic. It could be a good gig for you two.”

“You think they’d trust me with that?” he asked.

“Hell, yes,” the Sheriff said. “You’ve impressed people here. You know that, right?”

“Maybe,” he said, sheepish look on his face. “Trish said I ought to go into business with Jake. Help him with the electronics store.”

“That’s another possibility,” the Sheriff said. “You interested in that?”

“I’d rather run an RV Park,” Terry said.

The Sheriff chuckled. “Yeah, so would I.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know, Terry. I’ve got a pension vested. Was getting ready to retire when the shit hit the fan. I need to be busy though. I’ll need something to do.”

“You think we’ll get hit here again?” Terry asked.

“Hard to tell,” he said. “Maybe, but I think the enemy is about done.”

“What about those serial killers?”

“Malcolm and George will kill them when they figure out where we are. Probably get away with it again, too.”

“You change your opinion about them?”

“Somewhat,” the Sheriff said. “They play fast and loose with the law, but I can’t help liking them. Especially Malcolm, and he’s the one I was most worried about. We’re actually becoming friends. Who’d have thought?”

Terry laughed. “Trish and Heidi have gotten close.”

“Seen that,” the Sheriff said. “She’s good people. I’m surprised she’s stayed with those two for so long.”

“Remember how she was in the battle?” Terry asked. “She’s valuable.”

“Yeah, but so are Jane and Jasmine. Strong women aren’t rare, you know. You married one.”

“You got that right,” Terry said, looking off into the distance. “She’s my whole world. I worship the ground she walks on.”

“I can tell,” the Sheriff said. “Too bad her mother died so young. She must have been something.”

“Yeah,” Terry said.

Terry’s phone rang. He answered it and got a smile on his face. “Okay, Frank, thanks.” He put it back in his pocket.

“What?” the Sheriff asked.

“Give me your phone. Frank got the app for the motion sensors done.”

The Sheriff laughed. “That guy amazes me.” He fished his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Terry.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he said as he headed for the ladder.

The Sheriff looked out on the horizon, thinking.
Is life going to be as good when this is over?

***

Malcolm laughed out loud, watching his laptop at the workbench in the barn. George was standing outside chatting with Heidi when he heard it.

“What’s so funny?” he asked, walking over with Heidi.

“Howard and Scotty just had a royal FUBAR moment,” he said.

“What happened?” Heidi asked. She and George were next to Malcolm now, looking at his laptop screen.

“They tried to snatch a young lady on a street near the University in Columbus, Ohio,” Malcolm said. “The victim pepper sprayed Scotty and some chick who was with him. It caused such a ruckus that students came out of the woodwork and shot video. It’s all over YouTube. Watch.” He started the video again. George and Heidi watched, mesmerized.

“Wow,” Heidi said, smiling. “They’re screwed. See how clear Howard’s face showed up through the windshield?”

“Yeah,” Malcolm said. “I’ll start my house search in Columbus. Thought it was too far away, but I’ll bet that’s where it is. We’ll find them.”

“You sound pretty confident about that,” George said.

“Of course. We have the police interviews with Chet and the suspect for the Torso Murders. I’ll start with the suspect’s name. Rupert Smith.”

“We also better put a trace on this class C,” George said.

“Why?” Heidi asked.

“I know why,” Malcolm said. “They’ll report it stolen.”

“Yup,” George said.

“What do we do when we find them?” Heidi asked.

“We go get them,” Malcolm said.

“You mean set up an ambush in the middle of Columbus?” she asked.

“No,” George said. “Frankly, when we find out where they are, we ought to get with Ted and sic the FBI on them.”

“They’ll screw it up,” Malcolm said.

“Maybe we should go and act as backup to the FBI,” Heidi said. “Just in case they
do
screw things up.”

George looked at her, shocked. “Really, honey?”

“Yes, but I’m going with you guys,” she said. “You okay with that?”

George studied her face. “You’re having a change of heart?”

“Yeah,” she said.

“Why?”

“All this study I’ve been doing. I’m looking at things differently now. I’m feeling comfortable doing something. Besides, we’ll give the FBI first crack.”

“Excuse me, guys,” Malcolm said. “I’m going to start searching.”

George nodded and walked Heidi away from him. Her arm went around his back as they walked, and she pulled him close.

“I’ve been thinking, George,” Heidi said.

“So I gather.”

“Maybe instead of resisting you and Malcolm, I should work with you,” she said. “I’m getting pretty good at the research. I could help.”

George stopped and turned to face her, his arms going around her back.

“You look like you’re going to cry,” she said.

“You’re back,” he said. “You’re letting your guard down.”

“I guess maybe I am,” she said. “I’m sorry it took so long.”

“You were right about a lot of that,” he said, caressing her hair. “You’ve changed my attitude. A lot.”

“I know,” she said. “We’re growing together instead of apart. I can feel it.”

“Then maybe you’ll accept my proposal next time,” he said, a soft smile on his face.

“Time will tell,” she said, a worried expression sneaking onto her face. “I can’t do that until I tell you everything.”

“I don’t care what happened,” George said. “Don’t you understand that?”

“I care,” she said. “I can’t have secrets from you if we’re going to be together for life. There’s things that happened in Vegas and at Sailor Boy’s compound I have to tell you.”

“Go ahead,” he said. “Don’t worry. I know what world you were in.”

“I’m not ready yet, but I’ll work myself towards it. Okay?”

“Okay,” George said. He hugged her.

“We’ll have to manage Malcolm a little better when the world gets back to normal, you know,” Heidi said. “He’ll get locked up if we aren’t careful.”

George sighed. “Yeah, it’s been three times since I’ve been with him. I’m not even counting the Red Dagger thing.”

“There’s gonna be four, I suspect,” Heidi said. “The world is still nuts though.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“I’m suggesting that we help him take out the trash,” Heidi said, an embarrassed grin on her face. “Even if we’re not playing by the rules.”

“Bingo!” Malcolm said from in front of his laptop. George and Heidi looked at each other and smiled.

“What’d you find?” Heidi asked.

“Rupert Smith’s house sold in the right timeframe, after being in the family since 1922,” Malcolm said. “We’ve got them. I know exactly where they are.”

“Yes!” George said as he walked up arm in arm with Heidi.

“Call Ted,” Heidi said. “Notify the FBI.”

Malcolm looked at her, then George. He saw resolve.

“You sure we can trust them?” he said.

“No,” Heidi said. “We’re going there too, remember? Just in case we need to step in.”

Malcolm got a smile on his face, and then his phone rang. He looked at it and cracked up. “Ted.” He answered it.

“We were just talking about you, Ted.”

“See that YouTube video?”

“Yep.”

“All we have to do now is wait for something to happen with the motor home.”

“We don’t have to wait for that.”

There was a pause on the line.

“Okay, Malcolm, what did you find out?”

“The address of their house.”

“How?”

“The house belonged to a suspect in the Torso Murders. I know Scotty bought the place.”

“How do you know that?”

“Long story, Ted. I’ll fill you in, but first I want you to bring the bureau in on this.”

“You sure, Malcolm? It’s Agent Keith’s case. That idiot will screw it up.”

“Yeah, but we’ll be there too, just in case. These folks aren’t getting away. They’ll be in the joint or dead. Soon. We’ll make sure of that.”

“Okay, I’ll go along with that. Mind if I join you?”

“That’d be great. Call me back after you’ve talked to the FBI, and I’ll tell you where to find us.”

“Okay, Malcolm. Talk to you later.”

Malcolm set his phone next to his laptop.

“He’s coming out here, isn’t he?” George asked, smiling.

“Yep,” Malcolm said. “Wait until he gets a look at the dungeon.”

“You already told him about that, didn’t you?” Heidi asked.

“Yeah, but there’s nothing like seeing it firsthand.”

Gabe pulled the broken semi-trailer
towards the front gate of the RV Park. It creaked along. The wheels turned, but the chassis was tweaked. Jackson followed behind on foot. He guided Gabe as he pulled it across the opening.

“So, you’re thinking this is our new gate?” Jackson asked as Gabe strolled over from the backhoe.

“Well, it ain’t much, but it’ll stop bullets. Also stop cars from rushing in,” Gabe said.

“Won’t it stop us from getting out?”

“There’s that opening in the back, remember?”

“Oh, yeah,” Jackson said. “We ought to at least put a gate back there.”

Gabe looked the trailer over. “We should move the lead from the inside wall to the outside wall.”

“Doesn’t matter. We’ll be behind it, not inside. If the first batch of lead doesn’t stop the bullets, the back one will.”

“Roger that. I’ll move it over for a few minutes and tow the cab in.”

“Why?”

“Don’t need it out there to hide behind, and we could use it for parts,” he said. “The engine is pretty much intact. It’s a Cummins. Some of the pushers are Cummins.”

“Gotta pull the bodies out,” Jackson said. “They probably didn’t get burned up in the Willie Pete.”

“Oh, yeah,” Gabe said. “Forgot about that.”

“I’ll give you a hand.” They both rode the backhoe out into the field again.

***

Charlie walked into the Clubhouse and sat next to Hilda on the bench facing the TV. She had the news on.

“All done, honey?” she asked.

“Yeah, we got all five routes covered with the motion sensors,” Charlie said. “Not completely air-tight, but it’ll be hard for them not to trip at least one.”

“We’ll go nuts when a deer walks around out there,” Hilda said, smiling.