Chapter 4

Across the river gorge which formed their east boundary, there were eyes watching them through binoculars, as they ran.

Each of the three men had binoculars. They were dressed in camo clothing, with camo grease paint on their faces.

“Would you look at the damn tits on that bitch. I told you guys, I’d seen them once before when they came around there in a little Dodge pickup. It wasn’t that jacked-up truck he drives that looks like a fucking army tank.”

“Wonder where they got that camo paint? That shit looks just like their skin is colored. This shit we got on is like wearing hog lard smeared all over my face, and there’s no way I’d put it all over my naked body and run with it.”

“The only lard you got on you, is your lard-ass and your lard-belly.”

“Fuck you! You’re someone to talk about a lard-ass.”

“Fuck you too! Lard-ass!”

“Will you two just shut-the-fuck-up? I think that old boy’s been in the army. I bet he gets that paint through some outfit that makes it for the military. Damn, he sure is a big’un ain’t he?”

“Hell, I bet that big fucker would jump and run like a scared rabbit if we was to cross that river bluff and tackle that old girls big ass. Damn, I’d love to fuck that butt.”

“Wonder how in the hell they ever got them wild dogs to stay close like that? The ones on this side of the river are fucking wild. I wouldn’t trust them wild dogs that close to me no way – no how.”

“Ain’t no way I’m going over there with that big ol’ black dog of his on the loose. Just look at that sumbitch! Hell, he looks like a fucking wolf crossed with a fucking Black bear. That sumbitch would tear your ass half into with one bite.”

“I ain’t scared of no fucking dog, wild or not. I got my knife and my 45. I’d take his mangy ass out before he knew I was even over there.”

“You two are gonna keep on and talk yourselves right into crossing that river, ain’t you? You can count me out right now. I’m not tangling with that dog OR that that ol’ boy.”

“Well, the motherfuckers ought not to be struttin’ that big ol’ girl’s hot ass around all naked and painted up with camo. Hell that’s just begging for a fuckin’, if you ask me.”

“Both of them’s got a fucking knife strapped on their hip I’d like to have. That’s a pair of skinnin’ knives if I ever saw ‘em.”

“I’d like to take her knife from her and whittle around her nipples after I sucked them up big and fat.”

“You sick bastard. You always want to cut on a woman’s tits! You damn near made one bleed to death the last time we took a girl from her campsite and fucked her ass raw. The fucking law was all over these hills and forest for a month looking for us.”

“Hell, I like to hear them squall when I fuck’em.”

“If you had a dick big enough, you could make the squall without cuttin’ ‘em up.”

“Fuck you.”

“Fuck you, too and Fuck Yourself!”

“Hey knock it off, you two! Hell, lets go lay out some more maps for that bunch that’s coming up here weekend after next for the paint ball championships. We’ll make a lot of money from that ... That is, if you two don’t fuck it up and get us killed ‘tween now and then!”

“Hell Yeah, we can cross that river and fuck that big ol’ girl when we’re done with that tournament I reckon. That ol’ boy over there sure won’t hurt that pussy or that big ass of hers before we get some of it.”

“Crystal, lets cut back across the woods on this old logging road. I’ll show you where there’s another big spring coming out of some rocks that has some really cold water.”

“Okay, I want to know all about this place.”

They jogged side by side through the tall grass before they entered the wooded area again.

Once they were under the shade of the huge trees, there was no grass and just an occasional bush growing in the old logging road. Dog and his pups were running parallel with them, a few yards out into the larger trees, not on the trail.

They spent the whole day out in the forest — running, walking and exploring. Steve was showing her everything about the place, teaching her about her knife and compound bow. He showed her the stainless steel broadheads he used on the arrows for hunting and how they would cut right through bone and gristle when they struck an animal.

“We’ll stop and take your pickup back up to the cabin when we get back there. I’d hate for a limb to fall on it if we have a storm one night.”

“Will I get paint on my seats?”

“No. This paint will only come off when we use the special soap that comes with it. We may just wash our hands, face and arms and leave the rest of our body painted. We’ll come back out tomorrow when we get back from town,” he told her.

“You mean I can sleep in this and it won’t come off?” She grinned at the thought.

“Yes. You like this don’t you? You like being painted and being naked out here.”

“I’m not going to lie about it ... I love it and I’d stay naked all the time out here if we could.”

“We’ll spend a lot of time just like this. I want you to be as good at finding me as I am at hiding from you.”

“I love playing hide-and-seek with your ass. I get fucked as a reward, no matter if I win or lose.”

They kissed as they came to her pickup.

Steve dropped the tailgate and slapped the side of the truck, “Mount up Dog“, he said and walked around to get in the passenger seat.

Dog leaped into the truck and looked back at his pups. They sprang to the tailgate as if they were cats. When the truck started moving, they were scared at first, then they were looking over the sides, running from one side to the other, just like Dog.

Steve and Crystal were up early the next morning, just as they have been since she came here to stay with him. He wanted to get to town and back before late. He wasn’t worried about anything as long as Dog was here, but he’s always looked everything over before dark, just to set his mind at ease.

Old habits die hard and Stephen Everett Randall, still has all his old habits.

They had washed the paint off their faces, arms and hands and Crystal wore some of the camo pants that Lilly had worn. Steve told her they’d belonged to Lilly, before he handed them to her. She sniffed them and made a face and laughed. They were too short for her long legs and she took the scissors and cut them off about mid calf, making her some camo Capri pants to wear with her high top shoes.

Steve handed her a camo t-shirt of his and she pulled it over her naked titties. Her small camo-nipples appeared ready to pierce the fabric any moment.

He handed her a Browning camo baseball cap and she pulled her long red braid through the hole in back, then pulled the cap down on her head. She was smiling at him as they put their dark glasses on and walked out.

Steve told Dog to keep the peace while they were gone.

“You can drive, you need to get used to this thing anyway,” he said as he tossed her the keys to his 4x4, short wheelbase Chevy. With the oversize, all-terrain tires, and jacked up suspension, Crystal had to step on the chrome brush guard to get in. He’d mounted a chrome rollover bar behind the cab with four KC floodlights, for riding through his place after dark. There was also a 12 volt spotlight mounted on each door post with a hand grip for aiming the light beam.

Steve’s truck has a five speed stick shift. She knew all about them though and smiled when she started the engine to hear the loud pipes that roared and blared as she revved the engine and let off the accelerator.

They got to the apartment she’d shared with Janelle at 9:00 and boxed all her personal belongings and her clothes, using duct tape to keep the boxes closed. They loaded her stuff, and she left a note for Janelle, telling her they’d catch her at Julio’s one afternoon.

They arrived at the courthouse at 11:00 and went in to find the sheriff.

Sheriff Cole was sitting in his office with two deputies when the woman deputy took them back to see him. The deputies stood to leave when they were introduced.

“Sheriff – Crystal and I were in town today and I wanted to stop by and visit with you since my name was crossed up with someone up in Lawrence County by the same name. Plus, I wanted to visit with you about my service in the special ops.”

“Sure Steve, you and Crystal have a seat...

“Crystal, my wife has a pair of my old camo pants she cut off just like yours. She loves those things. I’ll have to tell her about you cutting yours off too.”

“Thanks Sheriff. Steve gave these to me. They were a little short, so I just cut them off to look like Capri pants.”

“About the mix-up with your name, Steve. We weren’t sure about what all was happening, since the chief of police over there told us he had some small time hoods who had weapons and narcotics and were out of Arizona. I just wanted to be sure they hadn’t been to your place. I’m glad you and Crystal are alright – although from what my deputy told me, the men are lucky they didn’t pay you a visit.”

Sheriff Cole laughed too, when Crystal and Steve laughed at him.

“Well, that’s one thing I wanted to tell you about. I get mail all the time with my name spelled with a ‘v’ instead of a ‘ph’ and never even think about it. I guess I need to pay more attention to what I throw away.”

“Steve you talk like you’re from around here, are you?”

“Yes Sir. I was born up at Jasper. Went to school there, then went to U of A before I hired on with Uno Bravo. I practically lived in that wilderness as a kid, when I wasn’t in school. I decided to come back and try to make my home here, when they kicked me out. I got shot up a few times, then I was too close to an IED that went off nearby.”

“Man, you’ve had a rough time of it. My hat’s off to you.”

“Thanks Sheriff.”

“Tell me Steve, did you have a UPS delivery up at your place in the past few days? The reason I asked is, the driver that runs that route and his wife have been reported missing after he didn’t show up for work yesterday.”

“Well, I did have a UPS driver come up there, but when I told him the name was wrong and the address was wrong and that I hadn’t ordered anything, he left.”

Steve decided to tell the Sheriff part of what happened. He figured he may as well be caught for lying if they ever suspect him of having the money – which he knew no one would ever find anyway. He already knew the UPS driver would have to accuse him of taking the boxes, which will bring about another lie, since they have no proof.

“That helps us a lot. He did finish his deliveries on Friday and went home at his regular time. He’s been a driver for almost nine years and has never missed a day. They were really concerned and we’re looking into all the leads we have. Did he say what he had for you? I mean before you told him he had the wrong man?”

“He just said he had ten boxes. I knew I hadn’t ordered anything. It was the day we had all that rain. The wind and rain was really romping and stomping up there the day he came by. He was soaked and he was in such a hurry, we didn’t talk hardly any.”

“So whatever it was in those ten boxes, was still on the delivery truck when he left?”

“As far as I know they were. Were they not on it when he got back?”

“The dispatcher said he’d delivered all his parcels and that he’d had a bad day, running over his delivery monitor, or whatever they call it ... The thing you sign anyway.”

“Well, I can’t help you there Sheriff. He seemed like a really decent guy who was just having a bad day. I sure hope he’s alright and its just a family emergency or something.”

“Yeah, I’m holding out for that too. But with his work record, I have a feeling something may have happened that involves foul play, or he would have called in by now.”

“Yeah, it sure doesn’t look too good ... With the thugs looking for a Stephen Randall and running firearms and narcotics ... Have they talked at all? I mean I know you have to keep it quiet. But if some of that trouble could be spilling over my way, I’d like to know all I can about it. Maybe I could head off something that could involve Crystal and me getting tangled up with the mob.”

“I understand, Steve. I talked to the chief of police up there this morning and he says the ASP picked them up and that’s all he knows. I’m not sure if they got anything out of them or not. They’ve probably gotten lawyered up by now and already posted bail.”

“I wouldn’t doubt that at all.”

“Steve, tell me about your time over in Baghdad. My deputy told me you were already there when the big battle broke out.”

“Sheriff, I was a part of an outfit you may not have even heard about. I was with Uno Bravo, which is a private contractor unit assigned to work under the CIA’s Special Ops. We were actually sent in ahead of any one else. I had been taught to speak the language and all the dialects. I was in Baghdad two weeks before the first CIA Ops even arrived. I saw it all, from the time Saddam started killing his own people, to the arrival of the CIA Ops, to the first rangers that came in. I was sending recon info back to them so they could get their men in position. It was pure hell on earth, over there for a lot longer than most people will ever know about.”

“Steve, you mean to tell me were you there alone?” Sheriff Cole asked.

“No, I had Dog with me!”

“My deputy told me about Dog. He told me you were the one who ran the meth-cooker out when he wandered onto your land after we started chasing him. I need to make you an auxiliary county deputy since you live so far out.”

The sheriff laughed at first. Then the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to have Steve on his team in the near future.

“Sheriff you probably wouldn’t like my way of enforcing the rules on my land. They’d have you and me both up for police brutality – or worse.”

“Steve, I sure like you and Crystal. You’re my kind of people and I hope if that bunch from Arizona does come calling, you leave enough for me to hang a pair of cuffs on.”

Sheriff Cole laughed, but once again, he was thinking of Steve joining the department as an auxiliary deputy.

“Sheriff, I won’t go looking for them, but if they come to me, what they do when they get there determines how and when they leave. If anyone ever touched Crystal or me, Dog would have their throat for supper and probably their heart too. Crystal and I ran upon two of his pups from a wild bitch cur that roams the back side of our place. Crystal has just about gotten them where they’ll roll over for her. They’ll even eat out of her hands.”

“Crystal, you must have been raised around those dogs like that. Those wild dogs roaming the northern parts of the county don’t usually settle down that easily.”

“I grew up in the mountains of east Tennessee. My family was mountain folks and we raised our own Mountain Curs. Daddy and I even trained and sold them for a while, before I went off to college.”

“I can see now why you and Steve make such a good fit for each other, you being a mountain girl, and him from the wilderness around Jasper.”

“Sheriff, your deputy told me you lost a son over there in special ops, was he there early or later?”

“He was there after our forces had occupied the place, so to speak. He was hit by a roadside bomb too. He didn’t make it.”

“Sorry Sheriff. I saw a lot of good young men go down needlessly over there in that hell hole ... I’ve never told this before, but I’ll tell you in front of Crystal ... I killed every son-of-a-bitch I saw carrying a gun, and wasn’t wearing a uniform I could identify. Some could’ve very well been the good guys, but most days, I didn’t have time to sort them out they were coming at me so fast. I figured when they met their Maker, He could take care of that.”

“I don’t blame you one bit either Steve, I’d be the same way ... I wouldn’t make a good soldier.”

“Sheriff, our outfit was trained to survive. Dying wasn’t even an option. When we went through our basic training, it wasn’t like the military. We didn’t fight by NATO rules, even though we were supposed to. They didn’t teach us self defense, they taught us how to kill and survive against all odds.”

“I’m glad you and Crystal came to see me today. I’ll be sure and tell my wife about both of you ... and that you took care of a lot of those who killed our boy over there.”

“I’d go back and kill some more if they’d let me. But the politicians are fighting the wars now. We’ll be there as long as there’s sand in the dessert. We’ll never win a war by occupying a country, then fighting in self defense to stay there. We need to take the country, then hand the pieces back to them. Either that or get the hell out from over there, and let them fight it out.”

“You’re probably right Steve.”

“Sheriff, I know its none of my concern, but I can’t keep from thinking back to those ten boxes the driver said he had for me. Do you think that could be what the thugs from Arizona were after. The UPS driver came to Strawberry in Johnson County and those men went to Strawberry, the town, up in Lawrence County.”

“I’ve been thinking the same thing, since you told me the driver said he had ten boxes for you, until he found out he had the wrong address.”

“Couldn’t they track the shipment?”

“I’ve got a man over there now trying to work with them on the tracking. They said the electronic thing was busted so bad it lost everything and the original scanning was botched so bad, it seemed to have never taken place.”

“Well, I was just wondering, since I almost had possession of what ever it was. Probably ten boxes of narcotics, or marijuana.”

“Yeah, that would be my bet too. Oh well, we’ll find out one day. I just hope the driver is alright, and safe with his wife.”

“We’re going to get out of here Sheriff. It was a pleasure meeting you and having a visit. Crystal and I will come back by one day when we’re in town.”

“You do that.

“Crystal, I wish you and Steve all the best. Try to keep him and Dog from taking my deputies down if they ever come back.”

“I will Sheriff. I want you to know, I feel like we’ve just made a friend today. I don’t have a lot of them and Steve has even less. I want to thank you for letting Steve visit about your son. I feel better now that I’ve heard both of you talking about it.”

“I feel better too Crystal...

“Steve, you have a special young woman here. She loves the wilderness, dogs, and country boys.”

Sheriff Cole felt good about his new friends. He laughed, shaking their hands as they left.

“Well, what do you think Crystal?”

“I think I have a new respect for you and I love you even more than I thought I could. You made him feel good Steve ... and you better never start asking me questions! Hell you had him telling you all about what was going on in the investigation.”

“I have a new respect for you too Crystal. I love you more than I did when we left home, you make me proud.”

“Thanks Steve. I need to hear that at least once a minute.”

They were still laughing as she drove away from the courthouse.

“Drive over to WalMart and let’s get a laptop. Julio wants us to get online with the satellite system. Do you know anything about them?”

“I have two computers boxed up back there, a lap top and a desktop PC, all we need to do is get a dish put up and we’ll be online.”

“Hell, I should’ve known.”

Crystal drove by the vet’s office and they picked up flea and tick meds. Then Steve filled the truck with gas ... It’s a gas hog, with that big V8 engine and he always fills it on his trips to town.

On the way back, Steve called Julio and asked if he had that number for the satellite internet company. He got the number ... and got fussed at too for not stopping by while he was in town. He knew about Crystal already. Janelle told him she’d moved in...

“With that big ol’ country boy who lives back in the woods ... The way she told it.”

As always, Julio wished him luck.

When they drove into the front yard at the cabin, Dog was lying in the same spot as when they left. He thumped his tail on the wooden porch and never got up. The two pups stood with their heads held low to the ground. They were looking at the pickup warily, never flinching until Crystal stepped from the truck and slammed the door. Then the pups lay back beside Dog, thumping their tails in unison with his.

“I see no one’s been here,” Crystal said as she walked to the porch with an armload of her stuff.

“We don’t get many visitors up here, and if they wander in they don’t stay long. There’s one of those driveway alarms down on the driveway. As soon as it beeps, Dog hears it, just sits and waits for them.”

“So, that’s what I heard when the deputy came up yesterday. I was looking all over for the beeping sound, when I saw him out there.”

“Sorry. I should’ve told you about it. But things like that, I just take for granted. I never even thought about it until now.”

They moved Crystal’s belongings into the cabin and she started unpacking and sorting through them. When she came to the computers, she got the phone number from Steve for Hughes Internet and called them on her cellphone. It took about twenty minutes to get the information to them and make an appointment for the installer to come put the dish up. He would be there in two days, before noon.

The next two days were spent in the forest with Steve showing Crystal how to stand next to a tree and never be seen. How to lay under a brush pile and have someone walk close enough, she could reach out and touch their foot. He showed her how to make a weapon from just a few sharp sticks. He showed her his natural tree stands, where he stood on a big limb and waited for a deer to walk by.

They shot their arrows hundreds of times until she became almost as good as him. She could hit dead center of a target 18 out of 20 arrows and make kill shots with the other two. She kept practicing with the big knife until she could stick it in a knot on a tree at thirty feet, every time.

The man came at 9:00 am on the day he was scheduled to install the dish. He sighted with his compass to the southwest, then picked a spot at the back corner of the cabin, making sure he had a clear, open shot at the sky with no trees. After getting permission to set the post there, he dug the hole, set and plumbed the galvanized pipe in ready mix. He told them he would be back in four hours to install the dish. He was back at 1:00 and within an hour, had the dish installed and sighted. Then he ran the cable underground to the corner of the house and into the living room where they wanted the modem and connection. It took another hour, with him on the phone at the Hughes.net office, getting the dish trued with the satellite, and them online.

Crystal signed up for the highest available broadband they had, and already had the desk top PC ready to connect. The installer showed them how to set up the router for the wireless laptop and made sure they were online.

“Julio should still be home, call him and see. If he is get his email address and send him an email,” Steve said, he wanted to be sure this was working.

Crystal called Julio on Steve’s phone and he was on his way to open the bar. She got his email address and sent him an email, so he’d have theirs when he went home later.

Steve was looking over her shoulder as she typed, her fingers flying across the keyboard in a flash.

“What was that you just typed,” he asked as she sent the email.

“I set up a screen name for you, countryboycansurvive.”

“I like it. You’ll need one too.”

“I’ll just use yours. It’s not like I’ll have a lot of mail.”

“Then let’s go run.”

“I’m ready. Are we going to take time to paint our face and arms?”

“Let’s just run today and let the dogs get some exercise too. We’ll take our weapons though ... you never know.”

Crystal stood and stripped naked, “I’m ready.”

She laughed when he looked around.

“I like it when you’re ready.”

Steve was gathering their bows, arrows and knives.

He’d mounted a lightweight, five arrow, rigid camo quiver to each of their bows. He had also schooled Crystal repeatedly about handling the broadhead hunting points mounted on these five arrows. They were made of surgical grade stainless and were just as sharp as a surgical instrument. These were the best stainless steel broadheads he could find. They were as close to those he used in combat as any he could buy.

When they ran like this, they each carried a small quiver looped over their shoulders which contained ten target arrows with round field points.

They ran through the big trees of the forest where there was no undergrowth, with Dog leading the way. His two pups were running alongside Steve and Crystal, flanking them a few feet out as they ran easily across the leaf-carpeted floor of the forest. The sunlight was filtering through the thick leafy canopy like beams from a thousand spotlights.

As they stopped to take a breather, the dogs would lay at their feet, waiting to run again.

When they’d stop for a rest, they talked in soft whispers to one another as they sat side by side. They saw the forest come alive, with birds flying and squirrels running up and down trees next to them.

“Lets go.”

Dog jumped to his feet, followed by his pups as Steve said the magic words.

They ran longer and faster this time. Through the forest, across the property on the old logging roads. They came out on the east property line next to the sheer rock bluffs with the tumbling river fifty feet below. They turned and ran north, following the river upstream along the high bluffs all the way to the north east corner. There, they turned and ran back south again. Miles and miles they ran, easily carrying their weapons, never missing a step as they leaped a limb or fallen log ... circling small bushes, ducking under low limbs, as they ran.

They ended their run with a long burst of fast strides, running side by side, kicking with all they had left. Then, dropping their weapons, they ran straight to the pool below the falls.

“Steve, I have a question and you don’t have to tell me if you’d rather not.”

“Sure, ask me anything.”

“You told the sheriff that the UPS driver left with the ten boxes ... There are ten large boxes in that hole up there and they have UPS labels on them. Would that happen to be the same ten boxes?”

“Come with me bring and your weapons – I’ll show you.”

They gathered their weapons and climbed the steep slope to the top of the boulders where the spring ran from the ground. They went through the waterfall just as they had the day he showed this place to her.

He lay his bow on top of the boxes. Using his hunting knife, he cut open the same cracker box he had opened the day they were delivered by UPS.

He pulled out the twenty five bundles of hundred dollar bills and handed them to her.

“Steve ... Is this what’s in all these big boxes?”

Her eyes were wide in disbelief.

“Yes, I figure there’s thirty million here, if they all have the same amount.”

“Who sent this and where did it come from? Is it traceable?”

She asked her questions as she looked at the money in her hands.

“I figured the money was from some money laundering outfit when I got it by mistake. Now I know I’m about 100 percent sure I’m right, after what we learned this week about the thugs who came to Arkansas looking for a Steve Randall. These boxes were shipped from a Steven Randall to a Steven Randall in Arizona. The only thing he did wrong, was put AR instead of AZ ... As near as I can figure out anyway.”

“So now the money is lost, the UPS driver that brought it here has disappeared and we have the money?”

“That’s about it. No one but the driver knew it was here and the sheriff said he’d wrecked his delivery monitor and the tracking had been messed up. I would just as soon have the money myself as turn it over to the law, or let the mob get it back in their hands.”

“Well, I always wanted to know what it would feel like to be a millionaire. I don’t feel any different, but I sure like the sound of saying thirty million dollars.”

“So ... Are you in with me? Or do you want me to accidentally find the money hidden on our property and report it to the sheriff?”

“I’m in with you – and we’re keeping the money! I don’t give a fuck if they come here and turn this place upside down – and inside out, they’ll never find it. Besides, no one in their right mind would ever come here, with you and Dog living here.”

“You’re forgetting about my newest partner – my number one fucking-buddy and number two backup.”

“Well, I’ll use everything you’ve taught me, before they take you or this money. As for the fucking-buddy, I’ll show you some of the tricks, in reverse, that you’ve taught me about fucking ... How will we ever spend any of it? I mean we can’t just go buy anything we want. Someone would notice.”

“We’ll spend it a little at a time. I have $250,000 of this money in the cabin. That’s besides what I’ve saved over the years – all in cash. I figure it’s close to $400,000, but I’ve never counted it.”