Endgame

 

Sundown in zion

Chapter fifty

              Nelson nodded. “This place is about to blow,” he said. “Come on.” He turned south toward the main gate.

“Wait,” Martin said. “Wait just a moment.” He turned and ran back around the corner of the building from where he had emerged. In ten seconds, he rounded the corner leading a tall girl with matted blond hair wearing a pullover shift that was ragged and stained. Blue eyes flashed from a face that was bruised and dirty. Even in this condition, a glow of beauty eased its way through the filth.

“Mr. Nelson,” he said as they approached, “meet Bridgette Thompson. Brigette, Gideon Nelson.”

Before anyone could speak further, a rumbling erupted from the building. The three began running and had covered only fifty yards before the compound went dark and the first explosion occurred. The heat reached them first and they ran faster, the way now clear. Behind them, the sounds of objects falling into the trees filled the air. A second explosion shook the trees around them and they ran faster. Then all was quiet. The three slowed to walk as they heard sirens in the distant competing with the sounds of debris falling in the distance.

“Want to explain?” Nelson said to Martin.

“I found Brigette in that first wooden cell,” he said. I think they left in a hurry.” Thy just had a clevis pin holding the lock.”

“A what?”

“Dad says you call it a ‘shackle’ in the Navy. Around here they call it a clevis. Anyway, I just pulled the pin, opened the door, and there she was.”

Nelson looked at Brigette and she nodded.

“She called me a name that would make you and Dad blush and threatened to scratch my eyeballs out before she recognized me.” The merest hint of a smile crossed the girl’s bruised face.

Nelson shook his head. “You’re from the Ransom Center?” Brigette nodded. “How?” Nelson said, turning to Martin.

“This girl got in touch with me, a really weird girl. Said she had been in the Ransom Center before Bridgette and had thought of something she forgot to mention to … she called you that ‘hunkorama cop that almost made her like men.’ She got to thinking after she talked to you and so she called me. A bit of a weirdo if you ask me.”

“Tricia Davenport?”

“That was her. She said something that aroused my interest. That’s why I wanted to see you and, failing that, followed you.”

“What did she say?”

“She said she got to wondering why it was only the ugly girls, her words, who ran away from the Ransom Center that the Soul Warriors ever caught. She wondered why they never caught the beautiful ones.” He looked at Bridgette. “I put two and two together with my substantial math skills and the use of chemistry.

“Chemistry?” Nelson said.

“Chemistry,” Martin said. “Covalent bonds and all that.”

“What?”

“They are chemical bond that allow the sharing of electron pairs between atoms.”

“It does what?”

“It connects things in wondrous ways. Connectivity: that’s what we’re talking about. Things aren’t connected by happenstance in every case. Things seemed too organized to me as I’m sure it did to Abbey. So here I am.”

“How did you get into the camp?”

“Same way, I suspect, that Bully intended to leave. There’s an old trail on the eastern side of the camp, maybe an Indian trail. We used to squirrel hunt back there when I was a kid.”

“When you were a kid?”

“Yeah. I mean yes sir.”

Nelson turned to Brigette. “Do you feel like talking?” She nodded. “Why?” he said.

She took a deep breath, then another. “They kept saying …” a catch stopped her. She breathed deeply and said, “They kept saying that they could get fifty-thousand dollars for me in Utah and that I would be happy there if I would learn to behave.” They walked on toward the main gate.

At that point, help arrived. The cars surrounded them as a final, mighty explosion rocked the forest. Sheriff Love was the first out and appeared soundly confused. “I’ll explain,” Nelson said. “First, let’s take care of this young lady.”

The three of them road back together in the back of the sheriff’s car. “You saved my life twice tonight,” Nelson said to Martin. “I owe you.”

Martin laughed. “I heard your PISS buckle from way outside,” he said. “That’s how I knew you were in there.”

“But the other,” Nelson. “Where did you learn to do that?”

“We have the same Sensei,” Martin said. “She tells me all about you every time I stop for a lesson. That’s why I chose her in the first place.”

“You’re ‘The Other’ she talks about?”

“I thought that was you,” Martin said. “I think she may play us against one another. I’m awfully glad I chose well. I usually do.”

“But why?”

“Dad told me a few years back that colored boy as smart as I am had better learn to defend  himself from dumb jealous crackers.”

Beside them, Brigette began to sob. Martin patted her hand. She leaned her head on his shoulder and grasped his hand fiercely. They didn’t part until they reached the assembly area.

Quite a sight met them. The van and the sedan that Nelson had seen on his way in were parked to one side. Agent Benson was standing to one side yelling into his cell phone. The SWAT group, weapons at arms, surrounded a group of men, most of whom had been part of group of Soul Warriors who ran with Bully Bridges. Nelson and other two were ushered to a Medivac van that had arrived while he was gone. An EMT tried to assist him, but he directed them to Bridgette first. The EMT led her to the back of the van where another wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. A third began cleaning her face.

Sheriff Love walked to Nelson who introduced him to Martin and gave a short version of what had transpired. The sheriff patted Martin’s shoulder. Mrs, ‘Nosey-Rosie,’ my guardian at the office, speaks highly of your family but I don’t believe I’ve had honor of seeing you since you’ve become a man.”

“My honor, not yours,” Martin said.

The sheriff looked at Nelson, and said, “The acorns don’t fall far, do they? So, Bully felt the heat, huh?”

“He may be feeling a new heat,” Nelson said, “if a dear departed friend of mine is right.”

“Can you stand another shock,” the sheriff said. “before the feel-good crew gets around to you?”

“Do I look like I need treatment?”

“You look like you’ve been bawling. Of course, Marines don’t know much about such things.” He laughed and winked at Martin, then back at Nelson. “Seriously though, do you feel like some more strange shit on an already strange day?”

“Anchors aweigh, as the late Bully Bridges said as he left for his new home.”

“You stay here with your friend,” the sheriff said to Martin. “There are some things young folks don’t need to know right away. Besides, you already represent another two pounds of paperwork to Agent Benson over there.” He pointed to where Benson was holding his cell phone with one hand and gesturing with the other. Deputy Cassidy leaned against his patrol car, smoking and laughing at the scene.

The sheriff led Nelson to where the SWAT team guarded the prisoners under the watchful eyes of Caruthers and Dillard. As Nelson and the sheriff approached, the squad members parted to make way. Just as they did, the prisoners also revealed a figure, the sight of whom made Nelson freeze.

The man raised his hands, manacled by a thin band of plastic, and managed a tortured salute. “Hate to meet you like this my friend,” he said, “but I have to ask. Have you accepted Christ as your personal savior yet?”