I got to the narrow, ten-foot open strip between the trees and the wall only glimpsing a few vague white blobs and what seemed to be a cloud of gnats both of which Cue said I could ignore. I also saw several outlines of dark, people-shaped figures that reminded me of the ones I’d seen the day of the Event. Since he hadn’t mentioned those, and they appeared to ignore me, I ignored them, too.
I stopped, breathing hard. I shivered as an icy breeze fingered its way between my knit cap and the collar of my jacket, chilling the sweat that popped out and trickled down my neck. There was a faint light coming from a streetlamp positioned near the wall. I couldn’t actually see the post, only the light, but Cue said it would be slightly to the left and in front of a tree. It was approximately where he said it would be and with tree branches limned against the light, I was confident that it was what I was looking for. I exhaled with relief. It’s good to know folk who’ll steer you right.
I took a quick glance up and down the stretch into the darkness. I couldn’t see much and debated whether to give my flashlight a brief click but decided not to take the chance. That… thing… might see it and come back.
Realizing I’d been standing there longer than I intended, I pulled up my jacket collar, took a deep breath, and trotted to the vine-covered wall.
I did a fast search among the dead and dried-out kudzu for the break in the wall that Cue drew on the map. It took a minute but I found it and carefully squeezed through the jagged opening.
I came out behind the big tree and stood in its shadow while I took a moment to orient myself – as much as that was possible. Then, ignoring the sting to my eyes, I moved off through the bushes and out into Blue Heaven.
Chapter Twenty-two
THE MOMENT I GOT THROUGH THE WALL, I reflected on how I’d promised myself I would never go back to that neighborhood. Yet, there I was again. So much for self-promises.
As I forged ahead, I discovered another unpleasant facet of Blue Heaven. Unlike during the day when it was quiet and practically empty, vague dark forms roamed the streets and there was an undercurrent of sound that came across as sibilant whispers and shuffling steps. I didn’t think these were regular pedestrians, instead, like the ones in the strip, they reminded me of the dim outlines I’d seen the day of the Event. I did not try to get a good look at them and they didn’t appear to notice me, but it was damned disturbing.
It seemed a whole lot darker than it had to be, and working streetlamps were few and far between. It was a good time to use that flashlight I’d brought along, the one from years ago that I kept for emergencies. It fit better into a pocket but, staring into the gloom, I wished I had brought the larger one of my father’s that I sometimes used when working a case. It cast a larger light and was nice and heavy – which could come in handy if I needed a club for bashing. Ah, well, with a little luck, I wouldn’t have to do any bashing.
I knew the location of the bar where the man I wanted to see hung out, as it was the same one I’d found, the one Adam verified that he also stumbled upon after getting lost in Blue Heaven. As long as I kept its whereabouts in mind, I’d have no problems finding it.
I pulled out the flashlight and switched it on.
After one quick, initial glance around, I concentrated on the bar and kept my gaze straight ahead as I crunched my way through the graveled streets. I ignored the shifting figures and unsettling noises, and in five or six minutes, I turned down an alley and spotted the flickering neon sign that spelled out the small bar’s name.
Had the bar been larger, it would’ve had a lot more wasted space judging by the fast scan I did upon entering the place. Two men sat at one of the small tables; two more at another; and three in the lone front booth. I saw the top of a messy blond head peeking over the booth at the back. Eight. That wasn’t many patrons for a Saturday night, or it wouldn’t have been back in my neighborhood. Of course, it was still early, only around seven-thirty. Maybe it would start filling up later. A lot of folk didn’t like coming into a bar until nine o’clock or so.
On the other hand, I didn’t suppose many would want to roam around Blue Heaven at night. That probably applied even more to women since, unless the blond in the back booth was one, there weren’t any around which was another difference from the bars at home. There, you could always find a few ladies in short skirts or skin-tight pants and heavy make-up, occupying a bar stool and nursing a drink. Usually they were trying to get work. Everyone had their ways of making a few bucks.
I grabbed one of the five stools at the bar and waited for the bartender to come my way. He was the same one from before and he recognized me. He even remembered my name. I wasn’t surprised; they probably didn’t get too many strangers in Blue Heaven. Especially at night.
He came over smiling.
“Well, hello – Tennessee, right? What brings you into the Hole tonight? I see you found us just fine – unless… er, you’re not lost again, are you? Going to get something a little peppier than water this time?”
I chuckled. “No, not lost, and yes, give me a whiskey neat. And Joe, you can call me “Tenn”.
I never drank much before the Event but as I’ve mentioned somewhere before, there was a time afterwards when I drank a lot. I hadn’t been alone in that – quite a few people had. But eventually, inflation set in and for a while, the cost of alcohol went higher than the price of a good hooker. It became very expensive unless you wanted to drink pure bathtub swill or homebrew, and drinking that stuff was slow suicide so I got out of the habit.
Prices eventually dropped though they never returned to a pre-Event state. I still drank from time to time but not as much as before and not as often, especially after I became a tracker. After all, tracking was hard enough cold sober. After the trip I’d just made, though, I felt I could allow myself one drink. It would only be one and not because of the expense but because I never had more than one while working.
Joe nodded and went about pouring my drink. He set it in front of me and watched while I took a sip. I nodded my approval. It was good; real whiskey, a smooth scotch and not some watered down shit. I placed a twenty and five ones on the counter, the price of the drink plus a five dollar tip. He stuck the bills in his apron pocket.
“Good drink.” I eyeballed him. “Would you happen to know where I can find a man by the name of Frank Berger?” I asked quietly. I took another sip keeping it small since I didn’t want to drink it too fast.
He peered over his glasses at me, again reminding me of Dave. He answered as quietly as I’d asked.
“Well, I might, Tenn. Law not looking for him, are they?”
From that question, I figured he knew what kind of work I did. Word gets around, even in Blue Heaven, so I didn’t bother to speculate on how he might know, though, it made me wonder if the police had come looking for Frank Berger before.
I shook my head. “No, nothing like that. I just want to talk to him.”
I didn’t know if he owned the bar but even if he did, from what I could see, like Lowell with the smoke shop, he wasn’t making a fortune from it. I laid a c-note on the counter. He took a swipe at the counter with a towel but didn’t touch the money.
He studied my face for a moment. “Guards give you any trouble at the gate?”
I took another sip of my drink and shook my head. “Didn’t come in that way.”
I understood the question. It was his way of verifying I wasn’t with the police. He knew I didn’t live there and only residents of Blue Heaven, or law enforcement – or somebody working for law enforcement – got in easily through the entrance at night.