IMBERADO XIII
As Andy came into the kitchen for her first cup of coffee she saw Travis standing out on the deck drinking one himself and looking into the brightening skies over the tree line. Once she had her cup in her hand she opened the door and walked over to join him. “Good morning Sunshine, penny for your thoughts.”
“Good morning Baby, how did you sleep? Not thinking about too much yet, just taking this sunrise in while I can.” As he answered her, he turned around, put his free arm around her neck and kissed Andy good morning.
“Travis Cody, you never had a non-thinking moment in your life. I’ve always admired that quality in you.”
“Well, you could be right. But right now I am just glad to be alive, have you and your love and be able to enjoy this great sunrise with you and dear friends. Where ever this day goes from here and the next ones from that, I know, I am a very lucky man.”
“Yes, you are. As we both are, I wouldn’t imagine any better life than we have right now. Did you call Daddy yet?”
“Yeah, I woke him up at six. He said I was just a couple of minutes before his alarm would have went off. I brought him up to speed with what John Little Horse told us last night. He was glad we at least knew Davis was here now, but concerned he would have to release Bigelow before Davis makes his move.”
“Do you think that will be a problem. What could Bigelow do to interfere?”
“Maybe nothing, maybe get to Davis before he comes for us? If he did get to him first, I doubt Davis would ever surface again.”
“You think he would kill him then?”
“That would be what his superiors would want. Davis is a liability to them now, and if actually caught alive, much less brought to trial, they could have to answer a whole lot of serious questions, to a congressional hearing. The Agency would do anything for that not to happen, even if Davis never admitted to being one of their Ghosts.”
“So what’s the plan now?”
“Same as before. We wait and watch. Our best chance of catching Davis alive is when he tries to get to me here, and shut me up just like he did Jim and then Principal Wilson in San Antonio. We are prepared and we have one ace Jim and Wilson didn’t have. We know he is coming, and now we know he is here.”
As Travis finished answering Andy and took another sip of his coffee, Levi and Helen walked out onto the deck joining him and Andy.
“Morning, you two. Andy, I hope you slept as well as Helen did last night. Man I walked into the bedroom about an hour ago and it sounded like I was in a railroad switch yard.” Levi’s smile quickly switched to a look of alarm as Helen swatted him on the back of his head. “Hey, sweetheart I almost spilled my Joe, I was only kidding.”
“I love you to death Levi Mueller, but beware that death could be from friendly hands if you keep making jokes about my night time breathing.” Helen was all smirks and giggles as she admonished her man.
“Night time breathing? Honey a whole heard of buffalo aren’t that loud.” Levi retorted as he also ducked like he was in a firefight back in the Nam.
But by now all four of them were laughing so hard that Levi was grabbing his side as if in pain, and Helen’s face was turning colors of red and pink she was laughing so hard. As the laughter began to subside Helen spoke first. “I do admit that I can sometimes be pretty loud if I’m sleeping on my back and sleeping hard. Sorry if I woke anyone up.”
“I never heard a peep Helen, and if you say anything about needing my hearing checked Levi, you will be answering to both of us.”
“I’m not saying a word, nope, nope, not me.” Levi answered and then turned to Travis. “Did you call Dexter yet?”
“Yeah, he’s up to speed. Just concerned that he will have to let Bigelow go before we have Davis.”
“I hope not, but he probably will, timing just wasn’t right. Do you want to make any changes in the plan?”
“Nope. We should be a little more observant though, a wider perspective. We’ve come to close too have Bigelow get close enough to take Davis out before we can catch him, or worse, him get spotted by Davis and never show up to get me.”
“Agreed. Let’s all just sit here a while, enjoy the morning and then we can kick it around more.”
“That sounds good Levi, let’s do that.”
At 3:15 Travis’s mobile phone rang, he could see it was the Sheriff so he answered it. “Hi Sheriff, what’s up?”
“Travis, I’m going to have to let Bigelow go by tomorrow morning and I wanted to bounce a couple of ideas off of you?”
“Shoot, I’m all ears.”
“Well first off, I think I’m going to put Sandy Milliken and Roger Beam on a plains clothes surveillance of Bigelow when I release him, I’ll have them be in their personal cars and try a two car interchanging long- range tail. So far he doesn’t know where you live yet. But if he starts to get close we could go to a plan B.”
“Sounds good, as long as he doesn’t make them. What’s the second thing?”
“There’s this guy I met with the Bureau, a few years ago out of D.C., he’s a square shooter with a real hard on for the Agency. If I was to let him know that I have an Agency agent here in my county playing “James Bond” in Loudon County, looking for one of my respected residents, he just might want to stir up the pot on Bigelow before he can find you or cause any trouble catching Davis.”
“Both of those have promise Dexter, just don’t let him know more than we need until we have Davis. Davis is too good at his job, if he gets any wind of the Agency or Bureau poking around, he may just vanish again. By the way, I had another thought, could you call someone in the Police Department in Manchester and make them aware that you might need Donna Gustafson brought in for questioning? Not yet, but right after we catch Davis, as say a person of interest. I wouldn’t want her to run either, if she hears Davis has been caught, it’s for sure she is his accomplice.”
“No problem, I’ll go talk to Judge Simpson, after I explain the situation, I’m sure he’ll issue me bench warrants on both Davis and Gustafson, and I’m sure he’ll agree to keep them on the Q.T. until we’re ready to serve them. Any guess as to when Davis will make his move?”
“I doubt it will be by tonight, but we’ll keep watch just in case. He just got here and unless he or Donna did better than Bigelow he still needs to find where I live. Once he does though I’m sure he will move quickly, he already has a plan working in his head, he thinks I’m getting ready to talk to you remember?”
“I was thinking along the same lines. How is Andy doing?”
“Like the champ we both know she is. Want to talk to her?”
“Not right now, thanks. You and I have things we need to be doing. She knows her old man loves her and she knows you aren’t going to let anything happen to her either, just like I do. I’ll if anything changes.”
“Got it, thanks Sheriff.” After hanging up the call, Travis turned around and relayed to everyone the parts of the conversation they couldn’t hear that Sheriff Dexter was saying on the phone.
The rest of the afternoon went by as if it was just another autumn day. The leaves were beginning to change colors, some turning gold, others red and a few bright yellow. By the next couple of weeks everything would be at the peak of change, except for the evergreens, some would even be going to umber and browns. Geese were beginning to migrate in their wide vee patterns to wintering areas, and squirrels were in frantic mode, gathering nuts and acorns for sustenance throughout the coming winter. Even the highway crews were starting to stockpile mountains of sand at their facilities across the county. Travis was glad this would be done soon, if it had lingered on just two or three weeks the trees and brush would be bare and any possibility of hiding to catch Davis would be more difficult.
Andy came into the office in the basement office just after it was becoming dark outside. She found Travis and Levi standing at the table working on a rifle at the table. “What’s going on Travis?”
“We’re getting a starlight scope mounted on my M86. I’m going out a while tonight and taking it with me.”
“That’s one big scope, and what does starlight mean?”
“It works different than infra-red. It enhances the night sky’s ambient light rather than sending out a beam of its own. Using this means I can use the light but not create a beam that anyone else can see.”
“But I thought you were planning on catching him not killing him?”
“I am Baby, I modified it to shoot a powerful tranquilizer dart. If that doesn’t work though, I will have my Glock 30 with me, we can’t take any chances on Davis getting away, this will be our one shot at catching him. Levi will be here in the house with you and Helen, just in case he gets past me.”
“That is not going to happen. Are you going to be able to see everything?”
“No, I can’t count on that either. Levi and I have modified these little walkie-talkies to only transmit a L.E.D. light, rather than voice. His will be here at the computer desk for whoever is watching during the night. If a camera shows any movement other than an animal, he will pick it up and blink the light three times then wait and blink it again using Morse code for N, S, W or E. That will tell me what part of the house something was seen. Then I can adjust my sight or location accordingly.”
“Okay, but you had better have that Morse code written down by the Walkie-Talkie in case it’s Helen or I sitting here. I know I never learned any Morse code in the Girl Scouts.”
Levi started chuckling as she said that, but stifled it back to answer her. “We got you two covered, Andy.”
“You better have Travis covered, I’m not worried about me. We’re all in this well protected house, he’s the one on the outside. So you’re going to be out there tonight, I thought you didn’t think he would be here yet?”
“I don’t, but we can’t be sure. Davis has made his other kills at night and I’m not talking any chances. As soon as I take a drink of tea and change into my night fatigues, I’ll be headed out through the escape tunnel.”
Travis and Andy walked out of the office, went upstairs and sat at the kitchen table while they both drank some iced tea. Then they went into their bedroom for him to change clothes. Thirty minutes later Travis was kissing Andy goodnight before he walked through the door to the escape tunnel and vanished into the darkness. Andy closed the door and locked it, as she turned around Levi could see a single tear at the edge of her right eye, hanging there not trickling down her cheek yet.
“He will be fine, Andy, Travis knows what he is doing.”
“I believe you, Levi, but it just got very real.” As soon as she said it, she wiped at the tear, turned and headed across the room and up the stairs to the main floor. Levi turned back to the computer monitor, there was nothing more he could say to make her feel better, and they both knew that.
Travis exited the tunnel and ultra-quietly made his way to the promontory he thought was his vantage point for most of the area around the house. Once there he settled into the edge of the brush and began the night’s vigil.
Just before full light Travis knocked on the door between the tunnel and basement office, it was Helen who opened it. “She’s upstairs getting coffees for all of us with Levi. She didn’t sleep much last night.”
“I doubt any of us did, Helen, if I know you and I do.”
“So I’m a mother hen, you weren’t in your nest last night. I know you too Travis Cody, and I love you like the brother I never had, don’t make me grieve for you too.”
“Not a chance, not yet, not by a long shot.” Travis answered giving her a warm hug. “Let’s join them.”
All four were enjoying a hearty breakfast in the kitchen when Travis’s mobile rang, he saw it was Sheriff Dexter and answered it. “Morning Sheriff, I suppose you’re calling to tell me you’ve just released Bigelow.”
“Yeah, had to. Beam and Milliken are watching him though. We went through his car pretty thoroughly though, he doesn’t have any way to monitor our radios, so they can keep me apprised with what he’s up to. How are you four making out?”
“Good, just finishing breakfast. We’re going to catch up on sleep in shifts during the early part of the day so we are rested up for tonight. Give me a call if anything changes though.”
“I will. That guy I knew from the Bureau is coming over with his partner this morning, said he wanted to hear more about Bigelow. But I think he’s really coming just in case he can get a crack at him, otherwise he would have just asked me more questions on the phone and he wouldn’t be bring help.”
“I agree, hope we don’t have to use him though. I was thinking last night and think I have new wrinkle to add to our plan. I’m going to call a couple of guys I’ve used on protection details before, both of them have mobile phones, if they’re not busy right now I’m going to put one of them down at the Three Corners gas market on the 304 and 671, and the other one at the cigarette market in Loudon Heights on the 671 starting tonight at dusk. No one can get close to here unless they drive past one of those two places. Since they have mobile’s they call here if anyone looks suspicious or looks like Bigelow or Davis. We have no way of knowing if Davis might have a police scanner. Then if we need help I have two more men I know I can trust. What do you think?”
“Now that’s a good idea, let me know if they can’t do it and I’ll find some who can. But I’ll keep my two on Bigelow for today at least. Okay, get some sleep, you’ll be needing it tonight. So long.”
“So long, Dexter.”
Travis made his two calls after breakfast was over and everything cleaned up. Both of the two men he thought about were more than happy to help out. Rick Chesterton and Dave Askew were both ex-Army Rangers and both had once worked for MVM Inc. Travis vetted them both years ago and used them more than once when a detail required multiple men. He had given them both Andy’s mobile number to add to his, which they already had. Rick and Dave would call Travis late this afternoon when they were set up at the locations. Then Travis and Andy took the first turn at getting some much needed shuteye.
Later when Travis woke up and came downstairs to the office, he let Levi and Helen take their turns at some sleep. Then he called Dexter again, asking him to have Beam and Milliken take copies of the photos he had to the two locations for Rick and Dave when they got to them. Dexter agreed saying that by then tracking Bigelow was almost pointless, with Travis’s two men on surveillance duty. Besides it would be time for those two to get some rest.
When Andy woke up she joined Travis in the office and brought down some sandwiches for them to eat. It was now back to a waiting game, just watching the monitor in case Davis showed up earlier than they expected. Andy sat close to Travis in one of the chairs, occasionally they would kiss and hold each other when the conversation drifted into more pleasant topics. At four thirty Dexter called saying Milliken and Beam were heading for the two locations on the 671 with copies of the photos Travis had asked for, Bigelow was back at his motel from a day at the county clerk’s office, land office and a few more places where they assumed he was still looking for a location where Travis lived.
At six PM Rick and Dave both called within minutes of each other saying they were in position and had the photos, with Milliken and Beam already gone. Now the vigil began anew.
Forty-five minutes later Sheriff Dexter called Travis’s mobile. He told Travis that he and two Bureau agents had driven by the motel as they were headed to have some dinner, and Bigelow’s car was not at the motel. There was no telling where he had gone, but Dexter had already called Milliken and Beam to get out on the roads and try to locate him. The two men from the bureau and he were doing the same, in their separate cars as well. He wanted Travis to know and be prepared in case Bigelow was able to get past Travis’s two men on the 671. He hung up saying he would call if Bigelow was found.
Travis couldn’t wait, it was time for him to get into position. He and Andy kissed just before all three in the house wished him luck and then locked the escape tunnel behind him. Once Travis made his way to the same location he had taken the night before, he signaled Levi on the Walkie Talkie.
As the night dragged on, each hour seeming to take millennia into the next. Travis scanned the entire area around the property continuously without seeing any movement of any kind, this only added to his edginess. It was unusual that he had not seen even one night creature stirring around yet. Then finally at three-thirty the light blinked on his mobile. It was Rick at the Three Corners Market on the 304 and 671.
“Travis, I just saw a guy who looked like Davis he slowed down in front of the market and then pulled his car into the gravel parking lot just around the trees west of here. He parked the car, got out and then started walking down the 304 on the south shoulder. Want me to go get him?”
“No, but follow him as far back as you can, just barely keeping him in sight. Stay as close to the tree cover as you can, remember this guy is a former CIA spook and a pro. When he starts climbing the hill be extra careful he doesn’t hear you behind him, it is dead quite out here tonight. I was actually counting on this, he has never parked close to where he committed either of the murders before. This was the one route I hoped he would take. You haven’t seen anyone who could be Bigelow yet?”
“No just Davis.”
“Good, now let’s go on com’s silent, until this is over.”
Travis turned his attention from the house and to the trees north of him and his view down the hill to the 340. Each minute seamed to tick by excruciatingly slow, as Travis panned the rifle’s starlight scope in a slow 180 degree arch. Finally there was a slight movement, no sound and the movement was methodical, just barely noticeable, and only if you were expecting it. Davis was going to crest the hill to the west of Travis’s location, he panned the scope in front of where Davis was and saw a good break in the trees for his shot, then back to find Davis again. “Damn” he thought at first, Davis is gone. But then he caught sight of him again, except now he was moving further west before reaching the crest. If he continued much more west, Travis would have to change his own location or not have a shot at all, much less a clean one. Moving would be a risk at alarming Davis “Damn and double Damn”, but there was no choice and he couldn’t risk even trying to whisper to Rick over the mobile and being heard in this silence.
No one knew this property better than Travis, his mind raced to think of the best spot to move to. It had to be a silent and quick move or he might not sight him again before he could get too close to the house. There was a large boulder 50 yards away with good views downhill from where he had seen Davis moving to and to where the escape tunnel opened onto the hillside covered in heavy brush.
Travis made the move staying as best he could under the cover of the trees, and as fast as quiet allowed. He dropped to the boulder silently, rested his rifle grip and side of his hand on the boulder and started to pan the scope downhill again. It seemed to be too long before he spotted Davis, in part because Davis was standing still, as if he had heard something, or sensed being in danger. “Crap, we’re so close” Travis thought. Then finally Davis moved, inching slowly forward.
“WHACK!” the M86 rang out. Travis saw Davis flinch, he tried to turn back, but dropped to the ground and rolled a few feet downhill until his body rolled against a tree’s trunk. Travis was already on his way to the body, as was Rick at hearing the shot. They reached Davis’s body at the same time.
“Shit, that was a good shot Travis.”
“Let’s get him up and you can help me get him inside.” As soon as Travis said this the two men hoisted Davis up and put each of his arms around their necks. As they were carrying him toward the entrance to the escape tunnel, walking rather sideways at times to avoid the trees and heavy underbrush they heard another crack from a firearm a little too late to avoid the thud in Davis’s chest, then Rick let go sending Davis downward and throwing Travis slightly off balance. Rick immediately grabbed his Glock and fired in the direction of where he had seen the muzzle flash.
“Go! Get whoever that was, now!” Travis yelled and Rick took off at a sprint in the direction he had fired. Travis leaned over and hoisted Davis now over his shoulder in a dead-man carry grabbing his rifle and using its butt as a crutch to rise easily, then as a walking cane for stability, as he continued to the escape tunnel. As he started down the tunnel he heard two more quick-fire pistol retorts from the direction Rick had ran.
As Travis made it to the tunnel door to the office he banged the rifle on the door. Levi hearing the loud raps, opened it with his pistol in his hand.
“Holy shit, what happened?”
“We got Davis, but before we could get him to the tunnel, someone shot him. Help me get him on that table, he’s bleeding and I don’t know how badly.” Levi helped Travis get Davis to the table and up on it lying on his back, pushing everything there onto the floor. “Andy get that green bag from the cabinet.”
Travis and Levi pulled Davis’s shirt back so they could see his chest by the time Andy got the bag to the table. Levi was using a rag to clean up some of the blood. “Looks bad Buddy, I don’t think we are going to be able to keep him from checking out before we can get help here.”
Travis pulled a syringe from the bag and plunged it into Davis’s chest and pushing the plunger down just as rapidly. “There, this will counteract the sedative. He should come to in a minute. Let’s get some compresses on the wound and bind him up as tight as we can to slow down the blood loss.”
As they were finishing that, Davis moaned hoarsely. “Hell, where have you got me?”
“You’re in my office, Mr. Davis. I shot you with a tranquilizer dart and we were carrying you here when someone shot you in the chest. I have one man on the shooter, and you compressed as best as I can, but honestly I doubt your chances.”
“Thanks for that. You, Cody?”
“Yes.”
“You got skills, gumshoe. More than just a small-time PI, you knew I was coming and set me up good.”
“Yes, I set you up so you would come. But I wanted to take you alive, so you could stand trial and I might be able go after who paid you.”
“Fat chance, Holmes. You forget, I was only the bullet. The real shooter is the man who sent me and when he doesn’t hear from me, you will be in more deep shit than you can imagine. If you didn’t fire the shot to my chest, I’ll bet you dollars to holes in donuts it was the Agency, they been looking for my Chicano ass for a long time. But it took you to find me go figure. Where did I screw up anyway?”
“You didn’t research Whiteside well enough, he would never have bought the gun you used.”
“Damn!” then Davis jerked up a moment, and just as quickly fell back onto the table. As he was breathing heavily he motioned for Travis to lean over close and whispered in as much coherence as he could. “You must know about Donna and my daughter, if you found me. I know I don’t deserve it but, I’m asking you to get them hid. If the Medellin find them like you did, they’ll be fish bait, you know loose ends.”
“So, that’s who paid you for Whiteside and then me?”
“Hell, you still don’t know it all brother. Not just you two but his daughter too, even after you rescued her from those two turds years ago. Hell, I had to come and clean up their dead ass messes. Was it you who got them? I know they weren’t smart enough to disappear.”
“It was me, no one else knows. But why your old high school principal?”
“Heck, that was just covering my bases. You don’t realize it yet man, but you just stirred up more trouble than you can handle. Better get outta Dodge and change your whole life, and don’t ever look back.” Davis winced again, this time more spasmodically and passed out.
While Travis and everyone were discussing what Davis had said. The light showing someone was coming through the gate lit up next to the computer, and cameras started popping up on the computer screen.
“We better get up stairs and close the door to this stairway, Dexter is coming up the gate followed by more cars.”
Five minutes later all four were up stairs and opening the front door. Once outside on the porch they greeted Sheriff Dexter, another car with the two Bureau agents getting out, Rick and Dave in Dave’s car, and what looked like Milliken behind them.
“Everybody okay?” Sheriff Dexter said looking straight at Andy.
“Everybody except Davis.”
