Dead Guilty (32 page)

‘‘Well,
finally. We
can get
out of
this damn
place.’’
LaSalle worked his way around the rocks to Diane.
‘‘Move.’’ He waved his pistol in the general direction
from which he had entered the chamber.

Diane
had walked in front of him for several steps
when
two
shots
went
off
behind
her.
MacGregor
began screaming. Diane whirled around, dread filling
her chest. Mike was halfway up, leaning toward MacGregor, who was screaming and sobbing. Blood was
flowing from both his boots.

Diane
rushed to MacGregor and kneeled down be
side him, but LaSalle pulled her up and began drag
ging her from the chamber. He dropped his flashlight
and it clattered on the floor.

‘‘See
what
you
made
me
do.’’
He
shoved
her
to
the ground.
Her hands stung as she broke her fall.
‘‘I ought to just shoot you and cut my losses. Pick
that up and hand it to me.’’
Diane picked up the light and handed it to LaSalle.
‘‘Why did you have to shoot him? He was no threat
to you.’’
‘‘The hell he wasn’t. He was just winged. After we
left, what was to stop him from walking out and calling
the police?
He can
wait and suffer
with the
rest of
your group. Now, listen and understand this. I showed
compassion
by
not
putting
a
bullet
in
their
heads.
That’s
my
show
of
good
faith.
Now
it’s
your
turn.
We’re going to get out of this fucking cave and get
my
diamonds.
No
more
delays,
no
more
problems.
You got that?’’
Diane turned to Mike and MacGregor. ‘‘Dick, don’t
take
your
boots
off.
Put
pressure
on
your
wounds.
Stay warm and still. Keep that space blanket around
the two of you. Talk to Neva occasionally, but don’t
strain yourself. I’ll come back with help.’’
‘‘Aren’t you just the sweet little mother.’’
For the first time, Diane got a good look at LaSalle.
His good looks were ruined by a mean expression. He
had dark hair, sharp, well-defined features, muscular
build. She thought she understood what the story was
with
Ashlyn
and
Justin.
Two
arrogant
kids
caught
smuggling contraband, probably caught by him—a cor
rupt cop. He offered them a deal—working for him
for a much bigger prize than cigarettes. Ashlyn proba
bly fell for him.
Diane walked slowly out of the chamber and started
up the passage. She remembered Everett’s last words
about not trusting policemen. At the time, she thought
he was talking about the policeman who shot him. He
had meant LaSalle.
‘‘Did Everett find you out and think you were in
volved in his sister’s death?’’ she said.
‘‘Yeah, you figured that out, huh? I tried to explain
to him all that happened before I met the little twits,
but he wouldn’t listen. Caught me off guard one night
with
this
electric
cattle
prod.
Damn
thing
hurt
like
hell. Before I could recover, he had me tied up like a
pig
and
I
was
riding
in
a
truck
from
New
York
to
Georgia
with those
three
sniffling kids.
All of
them
tied tight like me. Cried and moaned the whole way.
The worst thing was, he stole our diamonds. Stuffed
three of them down the kids’ throats before he hung
them. He cut off their fingers while they were alive.
God, he was a maniac.’’
He
was
a
maniac,
thought Diane.
You’re
doing
a
good
impression
of
one.
She listened to him talking
and kept walking and checking her compass.
‘‘Can’t you speed up?’’
‘‘This is a cave. As you witnessed, caves are danger
ous. You walk at a slow pace in a cave. Why didn’t
you just wait for us to come out?’’
‘‘I got the stupid idea that I could deal with all of
you
and
not
have
any
witnesses.
I
didn’t
know
this
place was a hazard waiting for an accident. Why would
anyone in their right mind come to a place like this?’’
‘‘It’s fun,’’ said Diane.
‘‘You
like
it
dangerous,
huh?
I
can
give
you
dangerous.’’
‘‘Why did you rape Kacie?’’
‘‘Why? She had my stone. She belonged to me. That
prick of a boyfriend of hers ruined my diamond.’’
‘‘You’re some piece of work.’’
‘‘Just
get
us
out
of
this
cave.
I’ll
show
you
what
kind of piece of work I am.’’
‘‘He didn’t ruin your diamond, you know. I was told
by an expert that it was a superb cut.’’
‘‘He took it to an amateur.’’
‘‘A very gifted amateur.’’
‘‘Well, pardon me.’’
Diane had a plan, and it seemed like a good one,
but it was looking less feasible now that she was alone
with him. If she could just play for time. Keep him
talking. Slow the pace.
‘‘How did you escape from Everett?’’
‘‘Being the last in line for the hanging. Wait a min
ute. I’m not recognizing any landmarks.’’
Diane pulled the map from her pocket. ‘‘Would you
like to lead?’’
‘‘No. Just don’t shit with me or I’ll just cut my losses
and shoot you.’’ He grabbed her hair. ‘‘I might fuck
you first right here in the cave before I kill you, and
I won’t make it fun for you.’’
‘‘I’m
trying
to
get
us
out
of
here
as
quickly
and
safely as I can. Remember, I have friends I’m trying
to save too.’’
‘‘
You
just remember that.’’
‘‘I will. Tell me the rest of your story.’’
‘‘Why? You like to hear me talk?’’
‘‘I
just
want
to
know
what
happened.
Will
it
kill
you to satisfy my curiosity?’’
What Diane desperately wanted was to distract him.
So far, he proved to be a talker, but it wouldn’t last
forever.
‘‘Everett Littleton was Judge Roy Bean with a Rube
Goldberg device. When we got to Georgia he zapped
us, drugged us until we were practically zombies, and
stuffed us like sardines in the backseat of his truck.
He
unhitched
the
trailer,
drove
the
truck
into
the
woods. First thing he did was tie all the nooses around
different tree limbs. Shit, the guy was crazy—all those
ropes. He seemed to get some kind of satisfaction out
of tying knots. He had this routine he did.’’
They came to the There Be Dragons Here passage
and Diane turned down it and looked at her compass.
‘‘What are you doing?’’ He pulled at the compass
cord on her neck.
‘‘I’m
checking
the
compass
reading.
You
want
to
get out of here, don’t you? I’ve been doing this the
whole time we’ve been walking.’’
He let go of the cord. ‘‘Why the hell you think this
kind of thing is fun is beyond me.’’
LaSalle
continued
talking
and
hadn’t
noticed
the
change of route. She didn’t think he would. All the
passages probably
looked alike
to him.
She guessed
he
had
followed
their
voices
and
lights
to
locate
them—and he obviously got his hands on a map that
had
the
route
marked
on
it.
LaSalle
struck
her
as
resourceful.
‘‘Everett pulled the first kid out and told her why
she
was
being
executed,’’
LaSalle
continued.
‘‘Then
he cut off her fingers and hauled her up with a winch,
her screaming like a wild animal. While she was dan
gling in the air, kicking and screaming, he climbed on
top of the cab and put
the noose around her neck,
took off the rope from around her chest that he pulled
her up by, and let her swing by the neck. Sick bastard
said
a
prayer.
He
did
the
other
two
kids,
one
at
a
time. Each one of them having to watch what he did
to the ones before them. By the time he got to me,
I’d sobered up and managed to cut my rope on a file
he had in the back of the truck. While he was doing
the
last kid,
I
got out
of
the truck
and
ran for
the
woods. He looked for me for a long time, but I found
the road and got the hell as far away from there as I
could. I jacked a car from somebody’s front yard and
got back to town. I got even with the son of a bitch,
though. I got to slice his throat.’’
Diane was looking for a place that would put her
at an advantage. She would have no more than one
chance, and it had to work. She had to surprise him.
If she didn’t do it right, he’d kill her and the others.
She wasn’t under any delusions that he would let her
go.
He’d
get
the
diamonds,
kill
her
and
come
back
and kill them. But she needed just the right place.
This tunnel was looking very different from the ones
they
had
passed
through.
It
was
larger,
with
more
breakdown littering the floor. The hydrology that had
created it was different, and the shape of the tunnel
was different. Would he notice? Diane searched for
more conversation.
‘‘What happened to Steven Mayberry?’’
‘‘Bastard almost got away—still trying to steal my
diamonds.
He’ll
be
found
by
hunters
one
of
these
days.’’
‘‘How did you know about Chris Edwards and Ste
ven Mayberry?’’
‘‘I got lucky. I saw them being interviewed on televi
sion. I knew that Everett threw
the pouch with the
rest of the diamonds into the woods. I went back there
to look for it, and it was gone. I figured maybe these
guys found it. I discussed the possibility with them.’’
LaSalle
stopped
suddenly
and
looked
around
the
tunnel, shining his flashlight on the walls and floor.
‘‘Are you trying to distract me? I don’t recognize
this place. None of the tunnels were this big. Damn
you, bitch, I told you not to shit with me.’’
He slapped her in the jaw with the side of the flash
light. Instead of recoiling, Diane lunged into him with
her shoulder. Off balance, he stumbled over a rock,
fell and hit his head on the floor. The gun and the
flashlight went flying. The cave had done for her what
she was searching for a way to do.
Stunned, he rose to his knees, shaking his head. She
switched off her headlamp. He scrambled in the dark
for the thing that was most important to him, the thing
he thought he couldn’t live without—his gun. Diane
scrambled for the thing he needed most in a cave—
his flashlight. She got to her prize first and switched it
off. They were plunged into absolute darkness. Diane
silently picked a path several feet away to a large rock
near the entrance to the passage, crouched behind it,
and listened. She could hear him feeling for his gun.
‘‘Okay. You’ve had your little laugh. Get the fuck
over here with the flashlight.’’
Diane said nothing.
‘‘Are you listening to me, bitch! Turn on the goddamn fucking light.’’
She was silent.
‘‘If I have to find you, you won’t like it.’’
Diane concentrated on breathing softly, hoping he
couldn’t hear her, hoping she wouldn’t have to cough
or
sneeze.
She
waited,
trying
not
to
think
of
the
others.
‘‘Okay. You win. I’ll help pull your friend out of
the hole she’s in. You know how to make deals. How’s
that for a deal?’’
He
was
silent
for
several
moments,
as
if
he
was
waiting for Diane to ponder his offer.
‘‘Look, you stupid bitch, you have to get out of here
too. Did you think that far ahead?’’
Yes,
thought Diane.
I did.
‘‘You can’t move. If I hear you I’ll shoot, you have
to know that. I’m a pretty good shot. I can aim by
sound.’’
Diane heard him fumbling in the dark. He’d started
walking, bumping against the rocks. She picked up a
stone and threw it. He didn’t fire.
‘‘You
didn’t
expect
me
to
fall
for
that
old
trick,
did you?’’
Diane
said
nothing.
She
picked
up
another
stone
and threw it. Again, he didn’t fire. This time she rose
and slowly slipped out of the passage, and this time
he fired—toward her.
The bullet pinged off the wall and echoed through
out the chamber. The cave was cold but she felt sweat
trickling down her back and between her breasts. She
started to shiver.
She
heard
him
moving
and
fumbling
through
the
breakdown. He cursed and yelled at her. In the dark,
her plan seemed to have vanished with the light.
Focus
on
the task.
You’re
a
cave
creature,
she re
minded herself.
Diane stuffed the flashlight in her pocket and felt
along
the
walls,
felt
the
scallops
carved
by
water—
steep slope of the scallop upstream. She focused on
remembering the cave, the paces, the directions. She
moved as quickly as she dared, feeling the wall along
the
way.
The
breakdown
debris
was
the
hardest.
It
slowed her passage as she felt for a firm footing with
each step.
She came to a passage and stopped. She fished her
small
knife
out
of
her
jeans
pocket
and
worked
on
prying the cover off her compass. She fumbled, search
ing for a place to put the point of her knife, trying
not to slip and stab herself. It was stuck fast.
She stopped, took a deep breath and tried again. It
moved. She stuck the knife in the widening crack, rais
ing the cover. She broke it the rest of the way open
and felt the compass inside with her fingers.
‘‘I’m going to catch you, and when I do, you’ll wish
you’d never crossed me. You won’t die quickly.’’
Diane let her compass rest level for a moment be
fore she put her fingertips on it, feeling for the tiny
raised
arrow
painted
on
one
of
the
hands.
She
had
succeeded in separating LaSalle and herself from her
friends for the moment, but what if he found his way
back to Mike and the others? There would be lights
there. They and she would all be worse off than when
they started. She’d promised them they’d be safe.
Off in the distance she occasionally heard a muffled
cry. MacGregor, or Neva maybe. If LaSalle heard it
he could home
in on it—maybe, or maybe
not, but
she
couldn’t
take
the
chance.
If
he
found
the
right
passage, he might eventually see the glow from their
lights,
unless
they
thought
to
turn
them
off.
Mike
might think of it, if he weren’t so injured . . . if he
weren’t dead.
No!
she shouted inside her head.
You are going to
get everyone out of this mess.
She wondered if she dared turn on the flashlight for
just
a
moment
to
check
her
bearings.
She
leaned
against
the
wall
and
listened.
She
heard
him
in
the
distance, stumbling over the rocks, cursing under his
breath. He was not in this passage. Maybe he would
pass
it
by—more
likely
he’d
take
each
passage
he
came
to.
That
plan
would
eventually
lead
him
into
bad trouble.