Chapter 3
Saturday Morning
Okay. He accepted it. He was going to die. He just hoped that Cici would get Rabb to safety. Damn it, he hurt. He shouldn’t have come back here. He should have stayed with Rabb. The bleeding had stopped but he knew he needed more bandages and supplies. Knew he had to get help. Sweet Jesus what a joke. All those years in the Middle East, Russia, hell even that bitch Theresa hadn’t been able to kill him and now he was going to die in the middle of butt fuck nowhere America at the hands of Boss Hogg and Sheriff Roscoe whatever the hell his name was. The worst of it was he couldn’t get those stupid banjoes from Deliverance out of his head.
"Ease on up there, Donnie. You know that Bobbi Jo don’ want him hurt."
"Wale, why not? Gol’darn faggot murderer."
Webb crumpled as the man’s foot met his ribcage. His cheek touched the filthy carpeting and the smell made him retch. He was operating on no sleep, no food and now the blood running down his arm was making him dizzy.
"I said knock it off, Donnie."
Shit. He couldn’t believe it. God he hoped that Rabb would make it. Rabb. Bastard! It was his fault. Every bad thing that had happened in the past eight, or was in nine years now, Rabb was somehow connected with. He should be ADCI by now. Oh for Gods sake snap out of it. Rabb wasn’t responsible for this.
He had to die sometime. It’s not like anyone was going to miss him, besides his Mother. He spared a thought for her and then the people he considered his friends. It amazed him that the first faces he saw were Harmon Rabb, AJ Chegwidden, Sarah MacKenzie, even Bud Roberts. Well if he had to die somewhere, kneeling face down in a dirty hotel room in rural America surrounded by deputies who were obviously members of the clan, and too stupid to breath... Oh yeah. Go on. Start that shit. Who has who bent over double with a shotgun, a forty-five and a thirty-eight pointed at whose head? He just prayed that Rabb would get out with the information. Damn, had any week gone worse? He reminded himself of that time in Pakistan. Somehow that didn’t make this better. He took a deep breath – big mistake - and tried to raise his head. He just got dizzier. The carpet below him was disgusting. He could feel the critters crawling over his skin. The entire room was disgusting. The town was disgusting. The fucking county was disgusting. They should have let the entire fucking state secede when they had a chance. He struggled to get his nose out of the incubator of the next outbreak of the seven-year plague.
"Quit it now, boy. Ya’ll just wait till Bobbi Jo and the big guy get here. They’ll know what to do with you."
"Great. I get to see his face right before you blow me away right?"
"You hush up now."
"Look, do you bottom feeding, scum sucking, rejects from Mayberry have any idea who you are fixing to murder here?"
"I said shut yer trap."
"Hey, Horace?"
"Yeah, Jimmy Bob?"
"What’s he talkin’ about?"
"I don’t know, Jimmy Bob. I’m just waiting for Bobbi Jo."
"She’s real pissed ain’t she, Horace."
"Yep."
"She thinks we’re a bunch of dumbass crackers don’t she?"
"Well it sounds like the brains of the outfit knows her men." Webb spat out.
"Oh God! Let him go!"
He heard the voices and thought he must be hallucinating.
"You heard her. Damn it. Why the hell is wrong with you? His hands are cuffed behind him! God damn, dumbass bastards! It’s a wonder one of your guns didn’t go off by accident." It was a woman’s voice. One he hadn’t heard before. At least he didn’t think he had. Maybe.
Firm hands helped him to his feet. "Webb?"
"AJ? Mac?"
He raised his eyes and met the gaze of the woman he had seen at the coffee shop that first day in town. She had seemed upset about something then. Maybe that was the reason he told Rabb he wouldn’t take it to her for safekeeping.
"Uncuff him." AJ demanded.
"Hale, no! This here is a murderer."
"Otis, so help me God, uncuff him or I’ll shoot you myself."
"Aw Bobbi Jo. Ain’t no call to talk like that."
He rubbed his wrists. The blood rushing to his fingers shouldn’t feel that good. The rush knowing that AJ was there to protect him almost made him giddy with relief.
"Hey, AJ?"
"Yeah, Webb?"
"You gonna break my nose again?"
"Only if we don’t find him."
"Well let’s go then." He started for the door.
"Now hold on. You’re bleeding." He gazed into her soft blue eyes and saw concern, embarrassment and anger.
"Sit down, Webb. It won’t do us any good if you faint in the middle of taking us to him. Can you tell us? Can we get there without you?" AJ said.
His gaze flitted over the deputies, still looking like they wanted a piece of him. "Uhm… no. I’ll make it, admiral. I could use something to drink though. Probably need some sugar." He was outside, trying to fill his lungs with fresh air. That was one thing, this place sure smelled clean – once you were outside.
He smiled down as Mac stepped close to him, offering her support. "I’m sorry, Mac. I didn’t realize we had stepped into the Twilight Zone. We should have called for extraction the minute someone made that comment about the two of us being queer.
"It’s not your fault, Clay. You two are just magnets for trouble." She wrapped her arm around his waist. He noticed a look flicker across the face of the very pretty sheriff who holding a bottle of something out to him.
"Thank you." He took the orange juice and drank it down. It wasn’t cold so it didn’t hit his stomach as hard as it could have.
"You sure you’re up to this, Mr. Webb? I can bring maps and you can show us," the sheriff offered.
"No, we…no. I’m pretty sure I can find it. It’s a house, no, a shack really."
"Plenty of those around here. Back in the woods there?" He followed her gaze then pulled away from Mac to stand and look back at the knot of deputies. The sheriff saw where he was looking and sighed. "Look. I know you won’t believe me, but they are basically good old boys who…." Her voice trailed off and she blushed. "Never mind. You don’t want them with us?"
"No sheriff." He met her gaze and saw the question in her eyes.
Mac must have seen it too because she bent back into him and whispered. "The Admiral says she’s okay, Clay." He saw that look flash in the sheriff’s eyes and a feeling of surprise and even pleasure went through him.
Keeping his eyes on the redhead he said in a normal voice, "Well, if AJ says she’s good, then who am I to argue." He was pleased with the way a bright blush suffused the redhead’s cheeks and her eyes danced in anger. She huffed and turned back to the jeep and this time he allowed his gaze to linger on the fine form bending over the back of gate of the Jeep.
"Don’t stare." Mac nudged him.
Embarrassed at being caught, his eyes darted to Manetti. "She the one?"
"One what?" Mac stepped away and it was her turn to blush.
"Come on, Mac. Rabb couldn’t stop talking about you, her and how complicated his life was."
"Harm is always talking, just not to me, not when it counts. It’s over, Clay. It never really started." He let his eyes flicker to AJ and he knew she caught it. She turned away and muttered, "Don’t go there. Not now, not ever." In a stronger voice she told everyone, "I think we should check his wound."
"Just a scratch, Mac."
"Here. Sit on the gate, Mr. Webb. I’ll bandage it up." The sheriff had a stern look on her face. Webb looked longingly at entrance into the forest. He wasn’t sure how much he had left in him. "I don’t suppose you have B-12 shot in there? How about just an nice upper, speed, ouch."
"Sorry." She dabbed at the graze on his arm. He allowed his gaze to return to the knot of deputies, focusing on the one who had shot him in the arm. Oh yeah, he owed that deputy a good thrashing. And he would give it to him. Yeah, when everything was done he would…
"Clay?" Mac’s voice was full of concern. He had to do this. Had to stay focused.
"Where’s AJ?"
"Talking on his cell with the FBI. They’re about ten minutes out."
"FBI…oh shit. The…" He looked at the sheriff who was concentrating on wrapping in arm. She finished then helped him back on with his shirt.
The sheriff met his gaze and said softly, "I understand from one of my witnesses that you walked a lot and always took your laptop with you when you did. I assume it is important?"
He gulped then remembered that AJ said she was fine. "Yeah. It’s important. It’s real important. I left it with Rabb."
Her sigh made her breasts do really wonderful things. "Perhaps not the best course of action. Why did you trust Cici? How did you get her to go along with you?"
AJ and Manetti had joined them around the Jeep and all of them listened closely.
"I might as well tell it now. Then we can concentrate on getting to them. Give the FBI a chance to get here. He started to close his eyes, but that wasn’t a good idea. Then he thought about telling the tale to the sheriff, she was pretty and easy on the eyes and no, maybe not. Oh yeah, he rearranged himself so the thing biting into his butt was gone and focused on AJ’s scowl. "Rabb and I had dinner at the drive-in down the road, Ned’s Shed."
"Brave." Even the grimace on the sheriff’s face was cute.
"The barbeque wasn’t bad. Rabb had the catfish. Which I thought was a real concession on his part. But when we returned to the hotel, things were hopping already and I told Rabb that I had had enough and he could damn well trade rooms or share his bed. ‘After all everyone knows we’re lovers anyway. What could it hurt?’ The look on Rabb’s face was priceless. I thought he was going to punch me out but he just sighed and said fine. We watched some television. I threatened to kill him if he didn’t turn off the Grand Old Opery rerun. We settled on Deliverance. Christ, how damned appropriate." He hung his head and started laughing harder but when he looked up and saw AJ’s concern, held up his hand. "No, you don’t understand, it was perfect. It was at the part where the hillbilly tells the city guy ‘I’m gonna make you squeal like a pig’ when the door crashed open. I swear we had no warning. We were just sitting there on the bed. Well these two clowns dressed in white robes come in and they have shotguns pointed right at us. Then this other guy, also in a robe comes in. He was shorter and a little pudgier. He told us to stand up. Well, I hadn’t really been expecting anything, but still, AJ, you know I had my gun nearby."
"I know, Webb. What happened?"
"Well, as I was getting out of the bed, reaching for where I had my gun, keeping between it and the yahoos, Rabb was doing the whole, ‘What the hell are you doing here, get out and how dare you,’ schtick. It was all so they would focus on him. I got my gun, spun around and fired. Got one of them right between the eyes. Then the shotgun went off and the two others went running. Rabb was shot. I didn’t know how bad at the time. But he said he could make it. We started hearing shouts and I went to help him, but he made me get the laptop. He wouldn’t even take time to put on his jeans; he was in his exercise sweats. We barely had time to put on our shoes. We ran out and I saw people standing in the other doorways staring at us. I didn’t know where to go so we ran into the woods."
"Mr. Webb, why didn’t you just wait for us? What did you think we would do?"
"Well, sheriff, you tell me. After all, you found him." This wasn’t good. She was part of it after all.
"No we didn’t. There was no body in the room. Only blood. Blood on the bed and blood on the wall."
"Well I don’t know where the blood on the bed came from, Rabb had grabbed up a pillow and was holding it against the wound on his arm and shoulder. That’s what I used to clean him up with and staunch the blood. We have to get to him. Those buck shots have to come out." He pushed up off the truck and made sure that his wooziness wasn’t apparent to any of them. But Mac was there on one side and the sheriff was on the other.
"Mr. Webb. Tell me. Why didn’t you wait?"
"Because sheriff, when I blew the bastard away and he slid down the wall, his robes flew up and somehow it didn’t inspire a lot of confidence on my part when I saw the deputy’s uniform."
"Deputy?" Her voice was barely a whisper and she too looked at her men, the horror evident on her face. "You saw his face?"
"No. Just the slacks, and the gun, radio and nightstick at his waist." He met her stricken look. "It was a deputy, sheriff."
Three cars pulled into the parking lot and men climbed out of all the doors. "Damn, are there any agents left in the state?" He sneered.
"Sir." Manetti gasped. "That’s Commander Turner."
"Son-of-a-bitch, I swear to God, Mac, Rabb is infecting everyone. Does anyone follow my orders?"
Webb thought he saw a look of wry understanding flicker on the sheriff’s face. "I know, sir." Mac agreed. It was Manetti who went to meet with the head of the detail and brought him back to the group.
"Jace Seaborn, Admiral Chegwidden. I got word from the Director himself; it’s your show until I hear otherwise. What do you want me to do?"
AJ rubbed his hands over his face, but it was the sheriff who spoke up. "I think the first thing you need to do, Agent, is take charge of my jail, protect the remaining witnesses. Check each room in this hotel; look for evidence that a body might have been hidden in one of them." She took a deep breath and looked to Chegwidden for his approval. At the Admiral’s nod she continued. "We’re looking for any clan robes, or even paraphernalia. You are to consider each of my deputies as suspect. Question them on where they were before, during and after 2:00 AM Friday morning." She looked from Webb to Chegwidden. "If you will trust me to handle it, Admiral, I will leave you to it here and follow Mr. Webb to where he left Commander Rabb. I know the lay of the land out there, and will be able to direct rescue operations. I’m sure with Colonel MacKenzie along, as well as the Federal Agents here, Webb and Rabb will be protected."
Webb was impressed. Chegwidden gazed at her and Webb knew the depth of that gaze. Lord he had been under it enough times. AJ then looked at Mac. "You’re in charge Colonel. Look after Webb and bring Rabb back."
"Aye-aye, sir."
"Sir?" Manetti’s voice was firm but he could see the fear and the determination there. "Request permission to go…"
"Colonel? Any problem with Commander Manetti on your team?"
"None whatsoever, sir."
"Well can we go then?" Webb didn’t wait for an answer. The sky above was overcast. Of course it was. Just what they needed; a damn downpour, in this weather. Damn he was cold. He just hoped CiCi was keeping Rabb warm somehow.
:: :: :: ::
"This is where we stopped and I tried to wrap his shoulder the first time. It was so dark, but the moon was out and the trees weren’t blocking the light here."
They stood in a small clearing surrounded by tall Southern Pine trees. Five of the federal agents, all wearing FBI windbreakers, fanned out in a protective stance, each scanning the forest.
"This is some of the oldest forest in the state. There has been some logging but mostly it’s just like it was when my momma’s people came and settled out here." The sheriff told them. "Lots of people here live off the land."
"Well I for one am glad some of them did. The cabin Cici took us to was fairly tight. No food or medicine though."
"You never told us how you found Cici, Mr. Webb." Manetti asked him. She was trying to see into the woods, past the pines and the nearly nude oak trees.
He idly considered the remains of the pillow, it’s stuffing scattering in the breeze here. He shivered in the cold. One of the agents must have seen him, because the next thing he knew a windbreaker was thrust over his shoulders. He didn’t fight it. He could have kicked himself for not asking for something earlier but earlier he had been hot and sweaty and he knew he was running a fever and from the look on the sheriff’s face she knew he was running a fever. She could have said something back at the Jeep. But she must have realized he needed to do this. Or, she was part of it and she wanted him dead.
"We were standing here trying to decide what to do when we heard her. She called out to us. ‘Where ya’ll goin?’ she asked. ‘Why’d ya’ll run like that?’ We didn’t know what to say and then she just shrugged in the moonlight and said, ‘Wale, come on then. Ya’ll need to get out of the night air. It ain’t good for wounds like that.’"
"You weren’t suspicious?" The sheriff asked.
"Sweetheart, suspicious is my middle name. There wasn’t a lot I could do though, was there. I still had my gun and I could tell in that skimpy little dress she had on…" He stopped as two pairs of eyes glared at him. He thought he understood Manetti’s low growl but once again he was pleased at the rather disdainful look in…what was her name? "Well, Bobbi Jo, there wasn’t anything I could do about it. I had on jeans and a Henley, Rabb had on his sweatpants and a tee shirt. I had to get him out of the cold." Her eyebrow cocked up like that really was cute. Oh man, snap out of it. You must be losing it. You don’t let women affect you this way.
"Where did she lead you? There are several shacks in the vicinity. Well not vicinity but within a mile or so."
He gulped and pointed down a path. "This way. I know there were two paths we could have taken but she led us this way. Said it was easier because it led down to the river."
"Terrific." Bobbi Jo sighed.
"What?" Mac demanded. "What’s wrong?"
"There are about a dozen different paths that lead off of that one."
"Yeah. Well I paid attention on my way back. I even marked them because I know a path might look different depending on the direction you take."
"Gee you’re not as soft as you look." Now she looked like she was mad at him.
"Lets go, Clay," Mac said gently.
The path was easy to follow and he nodded his thanks as several of the men made approving noises as they passed each small mark on the bark of a tree. Mac walked along side of him sometimes reaching out to help him if he stumbled. Her voice was low but he could make out her banter and he knew she was trying to keep him calm.
"Never seen you in action before, Clay."
"Huh?"
"Does this work with all the girls?"
"Never worked with you."
"You never tried with me."
"I’m not stupid Mac, I know where your interests lie." And it’s not with Rabb.
"Stop it Clay." Her sigh changed the tone of the banter immediately, but his normal reticence was somewhere down on the river. He needed to stay focused and this dangerous change in conversation was doing more to clear his head than trying to tell one tree from the other.
"Please. You’ve danced around him for years. Did Rabb ever have a clue?"
"Clue about what?" Her voice had definitely hardened. The only reason why she kept a firm hold on his good arm was because she was probably taking great delight in the pain her fingernails were giving him. Oh yeah, he was definitely alert. Not real on the ball, but alert.
"Come on? Am I the only one who sees it?"
"Sees what? That I’m going to draw blood here in a second if you don’t shut up?"
"Sure Mac. I’ll…There!" He pointed and they saw the back of a ramshackle shack."
"She brought you here?" There was confusion in Bobbi Jo’s voice.
"She didn’t want to stay, said we were too close to…to something, I forget damn it. But Rabb was starting to really shake in the cold and she couldn’t have been real comfortable. What difference does it make? Let’s just get him and get out of here."
"GOD DAMN IT! RABB! HARMON RABB!" Silence was his only answer.
"Clay!"
"Damn it, Mac, he was here. You can see he was here. Where the hell did she take him? Why? I wasn’t gone that long. Was I?"
"You two go that way," one of the FBI men said. "Mike and I will go this way. Don’t worry Colonel. We pick up their track."
"Not if they came and took him by the river." Bobbi Jo walked out of the empty cabin.
He left Mac to comfort the softly crying Manetti and followed her outside to where she stood overlooking the broad expanse of the river he hadn’t even realized was there until this morning when he left Rabb and the laptop in CiCi’s care. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Tell me something, Mr. Webb. Why did you believe her? Was it because she was tiny and pretty and was wearing something skimpy?"
"I told you why I had to trust her. I was running out of options. She seemed to know her way around the forest pretty damn good."
"Oh she knew her way around all right. I hope to hell we can find them."