Chapter 7: Contact

As I drove the four of us toward the unknown I made plans to take most of the risks myself. Ricky was quiet on the way to the old iron bridges. His deputies were as giddy as schoolgirls on promnight. They were excited about getting in on some real action.

I could tell from Ricky's face that his mind had swept him back to his years in the service. He was in another time and place doing whatever it was he did for his country. He was in deep thought as we neared our destination. I stopped the truck about a mile from the bridge stirring him from his memories. He turned to his men and gave them their orders. They were to hide in the bed of the truck and wait until we knew who and how many people may be involved in sentry duty.

Ricky had become a different man on the ride from town. There was a predator looking at me when he spoke," If I give you an order and you disobey, you could get me or my men hurt or killed. Tell me that you'll follow orders or we go home right now."

"I'll follow, just let me go in and see what's waiting for us. I'll come back and we'll make a plan or I'll wave you in. Trust me I have a knack for this kind of work." I understated my abilities hoping not to explain anymore than I had to. I intended to simply walk up and shit-smack any sentry I met.

"Just be quick and damn certain. This is a civilian operation and I don't want any innocent people hurt."

I drove the remaining distance to the bridges and parked on the shoulder just short of the first of three old iron bridges. Ricky and his deputies lay in the truck bed armed and ready. I grabbed a fishing rod and walked midway onto the first iron expanse.

My senses were on full alert as I scanned the area for anything that would give away the alerted sentry that I could feel watching me. The sound of water rushing under me was masking the other night sounds. It was unlikely that I would hear anything unless it was nearby. I had to rely on the night vision of the predator I had become.

There had been no indication from my inspection of the first bridge that my target was nearby. It was when I approached the second that I caught the scent of smoke. It was reefer. The sentry was there and had been smoking a joint when we arrived. The odor was faint but my heightened senses led me toward my target.

I moved onto the second bridge that spanned the main body of the river beneath me. The man was underneath the bridge at the point where it met solid ground. I walked over this point to the middle of the bridge and propped my rod on the guardrail letting him assume my intentions were nonthreatening.

To add to the charade I answered the call of nature and took a piss from twenty feet above the running water of the river letting my piss mix with the noisy current below. The man knew I had my hands full and chose this moment to make his presence known.

"Hey! You can't do that in public." He shouted, trying to startle me. If I hadn't known he was there I probly would have pissed myself.

"Damn it! Where did you come from?", I responded sounding surprised. "I damn near jumped off this bridge."

"This is my bridge and you have to pay me to cross it, or piss off of it." He said it in a serious voice and I suppose most people would have been intimidated but, I was reminded of a troll.

It was almost funny as he came from underneath the bridge and stepped into plain sight. I thought of three billy goats and how their troll had faired. This man wouldn't be so lucky.

I hugged the edge of the bridge and tried to appear to be afraid.

"I'm just looking for a place to fish. I heard they were biting and thought I'd try my luck." I said as the man approached me showing no fear.

"Your luck is going to bad tonight. If you want to fish on my bridge you have to pay."

The sentry was at least six feet tall and weighed in at least two hundred pounds. What was worse he was stoned and had a glazed look in his eyes. He must have laced his reefer with angel dust or something just as bad to boost his high. He topped his bad habits off with a bad attitude. He stopped just an arms length from me braced for a fight.

"How much do you want? I can pay a little if it will avoid trouble." I sounded meek. He didn't suspect what he was walking into and my response only encouraged him.

"Everything you have Motherfucker!" He was bold now and seemed to be acting alone. I strained to hear, or see, or smell, anyone else in the area, and couldn't. He was either alone or so close to it that it didn't matter.

He swung a ham-like fist at my head only to find I had moved. He almost fell with the unexpected lack of resistance to his blow. I backed up allowing him time to call for help if he would. If I went down to easy there wouldn't be anyway of knowing for certain that he was alone.

I pulled a punch and bloodied his nose to bring him back to reality. His head snapped back as blood erupted and formed into a steady flow, but his mind didn't register the pain. Instead, he smiled and wiped his bloody nose on his sleeve. He was defiantly hopped up on something.

I wanted to hurt him, and make him call for help if he was going to. I didn't wait for the drug crazed attack to be launched. I slammed him in the nose again, this time breaking it with an audible crack. He was staggered but remained on his feet.

He screamed," Motherfucker! I'm going to kill you for that!", and lunged for my throat with both hands.