nuclear explosions tomorrow? Or
“No… but, legalities aside, an arrest is not that easy at the Custer Hill Club.” She pointed out, “There are only
“We are the law.”
“I know that, John, but-”
“Do you have that little card to read him his rights?”
“I think I can recite that without a card by now.”
“Good. Do you have handcuffs?”
“No. Do you?”
“Not on me.” I said, “We should have brought the duct tape. Maybe Madox has the shackles he used on Harry. Or, maybe I’ll just kick him in the nuts.”
“You seem very confident.”
“I am very motivated.”
“Good. By the way, why do we need these BearBangers? We have guns and shields. Right?”
“Well…”
“Yeah, well. Okay, John, I’m with you. But don’t get us into something you can’t get us out of.”
I may already have done that, but I said, “Just be alert, aware, and ready-like any other tricky arrest. We are the law, he is the criminal.”
She had two words for me: “Remember Harry.”
I looked at her and said, “Kate, that’s why we’re doing this alone. I really want to make this bust myself. Just me. And you, if you want.”
We made eye contact, and she nodded. “Drive.”
Kate seemed a little anxious about the evening, but she also seemed to be looking forward to it. I know this feeling very well. We’re not in this business for the money. We’re in it for the excitement, and for moments like this.
Duty, honor, country, service, truth, and justice are good. But you can do that from behind a desk.
In the end, you carry the gun and the shield out into the field for the sole purpose of confronting the bad guys. The enemy. There is no other reason to be on the front lines.
Kate understood that. I understood it. And, in about an hour, Bain Madox would also understand it.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
We passed Rudy’s darkened gas station and continued on into the state park preserve.
We approached Stark Road and saw a power-company truck parked on the side with its lights flashing, and I was sure this was the state police surveillance vehicle. I slowed down to be certain he saw us turning onto Stark Road.
As we continued on through the tunnel of trees, I said to Kate, “Okay, give the state police a call, and tell them that I need to speak to Major Schaeffer, and it’s urgent.”
Kate took her cell phone out of her bag, turned it on, and said, “I have no service.”
“What do you mean? Madox’s relay tower is only about four miles from here.”
“I have no service.”
I took my cell phone out and turned it on. No service. “Maybe we need to get closer.” I gave her my phone.
I turned onto the logging road, and Kate, holding both cell phones, said, “Still no service.”
“All right…” McCuen Pond Road was coming up, and I slowed down and hit my brights, hoping to see a stakeout vehicle, but there was no one at the T-intersection.
I made a left onto McCuen Pond Road and looked at my watch. It was 6:55 P.M. A few minutes later, we approached the lights and warning signs of the Custer Hill gate. I asked Kate, “Service?”
“No service.”
“How could that be?”
“I don’t know. Maybe Madox’s tower is having a problem. Or maybe he shut it down.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Let me think.”
“Oh… yeah. He really is a paranoid asshole.”
“A smart paranoid asshole.” She asked me, “Do you want to turn around?”
“No. And leave the phones on.”
“Okay, but no one will be able to pick up our signal here unless the cell tower at Custer Hill comes back on the air.”
“It could just be a temporary glitch.” But I doubted that. Now that we wanted to be located, we were electronically silent. Shit happens.
I slowed down at the speed bump, then stopped at the stop sign. The gate slid open a crack, and I could see my favorite security guard in the floodlit entrance to the property. He came toward us, and I stuck my Glock in my waistband. I said to Kate, “Be alert.”
“Right. Ask him if you can borrow his landline phone to call the state police to tell them we’re at the Custer Hill Club.”
I ignored the sarcasm and watched the security goon coming toward us at a leisurely pace. I said to Kate, “Anyway, I’m sure we were spotted by the state police stakeout.”
“I’m sure you were, Rudy.”
“Oh… oh, shit. That was pretty stupid.”
She could have been angry or critical, but she patted my hand and said soothingly, “We all have stupid moments, John. I just wish you hadn’t picked this particular time to have one.”
I didn’t reply but gave myself a mental slap on the face.
The neo-Nazi got to the van, and I rolled down the window. He seemed surprised to see me in what he probably knew to be Rudy’s van. He looked at Kate, then said to us, “Mr. Madox is expecting you.”
“You sure about that?”
He didn’t answer but stood there, and I wanted to smash his idiotic face. I noticed his name tag. Mom and Dad had christened their little boy Luther. They probably couldn’t spell Lucifer. I asked him, “Is anyone else coming to dinner, Lucifer?”
“Luther. No. Just you.”
“Sir.”
“And ma’am. Let’s try again.”
He took a deep breath to show me he was trying to control his temper, then said, “Just you, sir, and you, ma’am.”
“Good. Practice that.”
“Yes, sir. You know the way. Sir. Please drive slowly and carefully this time.
“Fuck you.” I proceeded to the gate, which was now fully open.
Kate asked, “What did he mean by ‘this time’?”
“Oh, he and his buddy there”-I slowed down at the gatehouse and blasted the air horn out the window at the other guard, which caused him to jump about five feet-“tried to throw themselves under the wheels of my car this afternoon.” I drove on.
“Why did you do that? You scared the hell out of me.”
“Kate, these two bastards, and their pals, were the guys who grabbed Harry on Saturday. And for all I know, one or two of them helped murder him on Sunday.”
She nodded.
“We’ll see every one of these guys in court.”
