Chapter 13

Maryanne awoke, with a sickly medicine taste in her mouth that was over and above the rubbery taste of the gag. The curtains were closed but there was a faint light spilling around the edges so she knew it was light outside, early morning or late afternoon she didn't know. The longer she was awake the more aware she became. She was naked and Susie was lying beside her also naked. Maryanne tried to move her feet but found that they were tied to something on the floor. The other thing that Maryanne realised was that she was in a van or RV and they were going down a highway she could feel the heat coming up through the floor, where they were and where they were going was a different story.

Then she noticed that the Winnie the Pooh t-shirt that Shelley, Maryanne's youngest sister, always wore to bed was laying a few inches from Maryanne's face. As the drug was wearing off she could smell something on the t-shirt. The odour was familiar but so faint she couldn't make it out. She wiggled her body until she could put her nose in the shirt. When she took a big whiff it hit her, a sickening sweet smell combined with a funny smelling smoke. She didn't have to wonder too much where it came from. That sickening sweet smell was the hair tonic her stepfather always used on his hair, and the funny smoke was from the Clove cigarettes he always smoked. He was such a loser he'd go to jail for sure this time she thought. Maryanne wouldn't let herself think that he wouldn't get caught. The gag in her mouth was causing Maryanne to drool by the bucket full not to mention how much her jaw was hurting. She was wishing that Susie would wake up so she could see if she was alright. Maryanne's right arm was tingling like it was going to sleep. It took her a few minutes but she finally managed to roll over and there on the other side of her was Aunt Sue and for some reason that just seemed to make everything seem that much more hopeless. 'Oh dream man, where are you and your girlfriends?' Maryanne thought, 'if only they would save her and her family she would even kiss the girl with the scar on her lip.'

There wasn't a lot to do around the house that morning. If there had been then maybe just maybe Don wouldn't have been going stir crazy. As he stood up to go walk around the house yet again Rose grabbed his hand. She was about to take him to the bedroom and jump his bones when his pager went off. The pager was his connection with the security system and the code that it had sent said that someone was coming up the road and had just passed the first check point. He had just cleared the code when a second one came in. Again the code was from one of the proximity sensors, it told him that the vehicle was still heading to the house and it told how fast the vehicle was travelling and its ETA or estimated time of arrival. In a few minutes the vehicle would pass another sensor and Don would know if it was someone he knew, sure enough when the vehicle reached the one mile mark the computer relayed that the vehicle was Don's father's truck and that there was an ninety percent chance that the person driving was indeed his father. The computer based its guess on the latest generation facial recognition software using CCD images and thermal scans.

Jim and Sara had watched it all on the kitchen laptop. While Don got codes on his pager Jim and Sara watched the live feeds as well as the information the software was producing. Security was Jim's chosen profession and he had seen some very complicated and intricate systems, but the system that his cousin had built into his house was almost beyond belief.

Don put the pager back on his belt and pulled Rose into a hug. After giving her a good kissing he turned to Jim at the table, "The system thinks it's Dad. If it is, he'll drive up to the garage doors. Can you let him in Jim?" "Yeah, it's Uncle Jack. I just can't get over this system. I know of some very secure military installations that have nothing that is even half this good," Jim's excitement was almost child like.

A few minutes later Jack walked into the kitchen area where everyone had collected. He was about to ask how everyone was when he noticed the worn and frazzled look on Don and his wives faces, "Well I was going to ask how everyone slept, but it looks like the vast majority didn't. Ann?"

Kiesha walked over and hugged her father in law, "We all felt it last night, she's getting close."

"Well the reason I'm here is Mike Clark called, we've had another sleepyhead drive through the fence on the north east corner of the ranch. We have sheep in that pasture but he said there weren't any up close to the road. Can you take care of it?" Jack asked.

"Sure Dad, I'll just need to get a new roll of sheep wire and maybe a roll or two of barbed wire. I'm pretty sure I've got plenty of t-posts," Don replied. "Come on girls, let's go relive the day we met."

Jim started getting up, "I'll come help you Don."

Don turned, motioning to his cousin to sit back down, "No, Jim you better stay here. It probably was some idiot who was trying to drive too long but it could also be a trap, some one tears up the fence to see if you come help fix it. No, I'd feel better if you and Sara would stay here."

Ann Gallardo was smiling at Don, "Thank you Don," turning to Jim, "Look, I know this is hard but we really don't have a handle on where Jeff Nagel is, we don't want to take any chances."

Jim sighed and nodded his head, "I know, I know, just not sure how long I can stay cooped up. It felt better when we were stuck on the side of a mountain." Sara stood up and walked over to her husband and took his hand, "Come on, let's go check out the hot tub. Don, y'all, be careful."

Sara and Jim left, headed for the hot tub, and Don and the girls left, headed to the Tank. Don drove up to the barn at his Dad's house and loaded up two rolls of net wire and three rolls of barbed wire. While Don was loading the wire the girls filled their five gallon water cooler with ice from the big ice machine Jack and Beth had in their garage. As soon as the girls got the water fixed they all hopped in the Tank and Don headed to the highway that led to the interstate. As they were coming to the end of the caliche road that led back to Jack and Don's houses Don saw light reflect off of something across the road, "Amber, did you or Kiesha see that?"

"Yes, I did, it looked like someone flashing a mirror at us," Amber replied.

"That's what it looked like to me too Don. What do you think it was?" Kiesha asked.

"Well I guess it could be a piece of glass lying on the ground, but it could be light reflecting off a scope or binoculars just as easy. See if you can get Ann on the radio."

Amber picked up the mike, "Tank to Hobbit hole, come in Ann." Don laughed and shook his head at the nickname the girls had given their home. "Tank to Hobbit hole, come in Ann," Amber repeated. A laughing Ann keyed her mike, "Baggins residence, how may I help you?"

Everyone in the truck was laughing now. Amber struggled to stop long enough to get the message to her, "Well Frodo, we saw a reflection from the top of the hill across the highway from the turn off. Keep your eyes open there could be Orcs about."

A far more serious Ann keyed her mike, "10-4 I'll call the watcher and check if he's seen anything. Thanks, y'all be careful," Ann's satellite phone was ringing. She answered it and Jack told her he was looking into something strange on the same hill.

Forty five minutes later Don and his wives pulled off of the interstate at the hole in the fence. The first thing they saw was that this would be no small job. Usually it was a car or pickup that leaves the highway and drives through the fence. This time it had been an eighteen wheeler that had left the interstate and instead of just driving through the fence this driver had straddled it and driven over a mile before he had ground to a halt. Don measured the length of the damage using the odometer on the Tank. A mile and two tenths, Don shook his head and reached for the two way radio. After telling his Dad how bad the damage was his Dad said he would load more wire and posts and the tractor with the post hole digger attached.

Don and the girls walked over to where the truck service crew was trying to cut away the hundreds of feet of wire that had wrapped around the drive lines of the eighteen wheeler. "Hey Don, Ladies," Mike Clark tipped his hat to the girls, "Don, I'm going to head back to town, I have to testify in a DWI case there in about an hour. This guy is genuinely sorry about your fence, he's already talked to his boss and he's agreed to pay for the damage, that's better than you usually come out," Mike laughed.

"Where is the driver?" Don asked. Mike pointed to the three men under the truck cutting the wire loose. Don and the girls started the tedious task of pulling up the bent t-posts while they waited for Jack to get there.

It took the men under the truck over two hours to cut all of the net wire that had wrapped itself around the drive-shaft of the truck. Don had once caught less than ten feet of the net wire in the universal joints of the Tank once so he knew all too well the special hell the men were having.

Jack showed up about an hour and a half after Don had radioed him. They unloaded the Kubota L3400 tractor and Jack started digging postholes while Don and the girls put the new t-posts in. They had just stopped for a drink of water while they waited on the men to move the Truck when it happened.

Tim Jennings had spent a long day, and an even longer night, lying on the hard ground watching the Phillips Ranch house. He had almost frozen last night, and that was after baking the day before, and it was already getting hot again. The only thing he had to show for it all was the burning knot where the scorpion had stung him earlier that morning. He was convinced that it was true what they said about this area. Everything really did stick, sting, bite or scratch. He was sure that there was only two people living in the Phillips ranch house but his information on them said they had an eighteen year old son. Tim was pretty sure it had been their son in the old beat up four wheel drive Dodge pickup. He had gotten more than a little excited when he realised that there were five girls in the truck with him. He didn't get a good look at all of the girls but still he was pretty sure none of the girls was the one he was watching for. He pulled out his satellite phone and called his boss, Tim would be very happy to get back to Boston where he belonged.

Jack Rimes had seen the same reflection that Don and the girls had. Jack had spent the night and the morning in the rocks above Jack Phillips' house. The reflection had been enough of a concern that he had called in for the DPS helicopter. The American Eurocopter AS 350B2 was based at Midland Regional Airport and was supposed to be here with in the next two hours, Jack just hoped it wasn't all for naught, he was ready to get off the side of this hill. He had felt every bump and bruise he had got earlier this year when Scott Miles and he had narrowly escaped death when Jack's Yukon had got caught in that flash flood. Jack shivered involuntarily thinking about that night, one man had lost his life and even Jack had forsaken his usual agnostic beliefs and whispered a thank you to Scott's Goddess for getting him out of that particular mess.

Jack was pulled out of his thoughts as his hand held radio came to life. "This is Air One, we are approximately five miles from the GPS coordinates you gave us." Jack keyed his mike in response, "Air One, just south of due west from my location is a hill, it is opposite of the caliche road that goes east back into the ranch. I saw a reflection on the northern half of that hill top." Jack could hear the helicopter approaching, "Air One can you hold off your pass till I can get to my vehicle?"

"Roger Jack," Air One responded.Jack hot footed it down the hill and got in his Yukon and headed to the highway as fast as he could drive. Air One spotted him and headed for the hill.

Tim Jennings heard the helicopter long before he saw it and silently hoped it was an Army pilot out of Ft. Bliss. When it came swooping over the low hills of the ranch across the highway from him he knew he wasn't going to be that lucky. Sure enough the black and white helicopter with the gold DPS logo on the side passed within fifty feet of where he was laying. There was no way in hell that they would miss seeing his rental car parked on the back side of the hill. He thought for a brief second about taking a shot at the helicopter, but the thought of being strapped to a gurney with a needle being put in his arm was more than enough to make him toss that piss poor idea. He took up and broke his rifle down and put it in the hard sided aluminium case and closed it up, then he put his hands in the air and stood up.

He watched as a white Yukon pulled up beside the car he had rented. Tim reached down and picked up the case with his favourite rifle and started down the rocky hill. He thought back, he had had a fairly long career, now it was over. He had had a bad feeling about this job from the time he opened that envelope and looked at the beautiful face of the girl he was supposed to kill. He'd always had a hard time killing women, Sara was going to be his youngest victim and he was never able to square it with what he called his conscience. He was almost to the Yukon and Tim was almost out of breath, he had really let himself go over the past three years. He could see the man with his gun drawn, it looked like he was a Texas Ranger.

"Put the case down and then put your hands in the air," Jack called out to the man.

The man started to set the case down when what looked like a three foot stick flipped up and hit him in the arm and seemed to be frozen there before it dropped back to the ground. The man dropped the case and grabbed his arm, a good deal of blood was already dripping from the man's arm. Jack could hear the buzz from over thirty feet away and rushed up the hill to the man who was obviously in a lot of pain.

As Jack got to the man he could see the rattlesnake and the double wide white bands on this four foot monster meant this man was in big trouble. Jack aimed at the snake and pulled the trigger. The Colt .45 jumped and the snake's body, about six inches from its head, disappeared in a cloud of blood, meat, and caliche dust. Jack holstered his gun and took the time to look at the scales on the snakes head. Jack muttered a quiet curse and grabbed the man's arm, "Come on, let's get you to the hospital." Jack used his free hand to pull out his radio, "Air One, I need you to sit down on the highway, this man just got bit by a rattlesnake, a very bad one."

By the time Jack got the man into his Yukon, he was already going into shock. The pilot had the back door of the helicopter open and waiting as Jack pulled up. Jack jumped out and ran around to the passenger side to get the man out, he had already lost consciousness, Jack waved at the pilot to come help him and the two men got the two hundred and fifty plus pound man out of the Yukon and into the helicopter. Just before Jack got in beside the man he yelled over the helicopter's noise, "Get us to Ft. Stockton as fast as you can."

In the helicopter Jack finally took the time to look at the bite. It was smack dab on one of the large veins in the man's arm, the bleeding had slowed but then so had his breathing and heart rate.

The pilot called ahead to the hospital and their first question had been what kind of snake had bit the man. The copilot handed Jack a set of headphones, "What kind of snake was it Jack, the doctor wants to know."

Jack was trying to find a pulse on the man and not having any luck, "Tell the doctor it was a Mojave." Jack watched as the man took one last breath and died, "Tell the doctor he just died."

(Authors note: The Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) has been slowly invading west Texas from its home range of Arizona and southern New Mexico. The venom of the Mojave is the most toxic of all the North American pit vipers, it contains a strong neuro toxin along with the Hemo toxin causing more respiratory distress in its victims than the more common Prairie or Diamondback species. The easiest way to recognize the Mojave is by the white bands on the tail. They will be twice as wide as the black bands where the Diamondback bands will be roughly equal in width, there is also a difference in the scales on the Mojave's head but I don't recommend getting close enough to tell them apart that way) http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/c.s.scutulatus.html

At the hospital they loaded the man's body on a gurney and took him inside. Jack got back on the helicopter's intercom, "You have enough fuel to run me back out to my Yukon?" The pilot nodded, Jack pulled the door closed and they took off, headed back to the road where Jack had left his Yukon. The pilot dropped Jack off and headed back to his base, Jack got in his Yukon and drove back over to the man's car.

Jack checking and double checking every rock and scrub walked back up the hill to pick up the case the man had left. Taking the case back down to the car Jack opened the car and started searching it. There on the front seat was an envelope. When he opened it there were pictures of Jim and Sara along with several other documents, all of which linked the man to Nagel. Also lying in the front seat of the car was a journal. It looked like the man was writing a book about what he'd done, Jack only had to read a few pages to know it was going to clear up a bunch of cases. Jack put everything in evidence bags, locked the car, and called for a wrecker to come pick the car up. He couldn't help feel that this case was getting very close to being over. Jack drove to the hospital to see what he would find on the body, he was tired and he missed Zara, he'd be damn proud when he could go home to her.

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