She smiled, “Aww, that’s too bad.”
“But here’s where it gets interesting: I’ve had a new player contact me. I know nothing about him. I don’t know if I can trust him, I don’t even know if it is a him. He says he can fulfill all of the obligations of the other party, and much more, but I have to play by his rules.”
“Enter the dark horse.” She smiled. She always enjoyed toying with William. She knew that she intimidated him, and she found it intriguing.
“A dark horse indeed, and I have absolutely no idea what I should do.” He motioned for another beer and was promptly accommodated.
She gently set her wine glass on the bar and placed her hand on his arm. She turned her head and stared at the people in the bar. They were smiling and laughing as they drank away the night while the rest of the world burned. She concealed her resentment well, but he could see a glimmer of it. She returned her gaze to him and said in a whisper, “William, Mr. Arayo can be trusted, but he will not wait long for an answer. I suggest you leave now and call your friend, I believe he should be back in his room by now.”
William stared at her incredulously, but she ignored him and swirled her drink about.
He placed a crumpled hundred dollar bill on the bar and stood up to leave. He squeezed through the dense crowd that continued to trickle in from the stormy night. As he reached the front door and turned around to wave goodbye, but she was already gone.
As he stepped back outside into the rain, he retrieved his phone and dialed the man’s number.
“Yeah?”
“Where’re you?”
“I just got back to my room, why?”
William paused.
“William? Are you there?”
“Yeah, I’m here. So, I thought about everything and, I want you to tell him we’re in.”
“Are you sure? I thought you were going to take the night to consider it. This is a huge risk, remember?”
“I’ve considered my options, I understand the risk and I’ve made my decision. Also, prepare the secondary objective. We’ll execute the plan as soon as possible.”
Ch apter 16
Clayton
Washington County, Alabama
Clayton drifted alongside the narrow pier in Hellcat Bayou and looped his bow and stern ropes around the piles. Another run had not been scheduled for a couple weeks, but he had made an exception. Clay decided it best to leave Moses with Claire for the night. The cur did not usually tolerate strangers in his boat. Clayton had looked back at the porch as he idled away and watched his friend whine and protest the decision.
The grief-stricken mother gingerly stepped out onto the pier with Teddy behind her to ensure she did not fall. Clayton remembered the last time he was there and thought perhaps Deputy Greene should be the one helping her. Clay took her hand and helped her balance as she stepped down into the boat. Her two sons, sixteen and fourteen years old, followed behind Teddy on the pier. Deputy Greene remained on the bank and aimed his flashlight at their feet.
Her husband had been a diabetic before the world had changed. As false stability gave way to uncertainty, it had become increasingly difficult to find the medicines he needed to regulate his condition. When they were finally able to obtain insulin, the periods of extended power outages ensured that it could never be properly refrigerated. Ultimately, it would be ruined by the heat. After months without proper preventative medicines, his health began to decline. His kidneys failed and slowly, over the course of several weeks, he succumbed to a very painful death.
The slow death of a loving father and husband was unbearable for the young family to witness. The agony he went through near the end had driven their mother into a deep depression. He was the love of her life and a wonderful father, and now they were alone. They had no one else on this side of the river.
The remainder of their family resided not far from Clayton’s drop point on the opposite side. He had arranged for several of his contacts to meet him at the usual location and escort the mother and her sons to her family’s homestead. His contacts had dutifully agreed; it was the least they could do for one of their own.
Once everyone was safely seated in Clayton’s boat, he untied the vessel and pushed off.
As the boat drifted away from the pier, Deputy Greene called out, “Clayton.”
“Yeah?”
“Be careful out there tonight.”
“Why? What’s the word?”
“Well, we’ve been having some problems over the last week or so and it’s getting worse.”
“Like what?”
“Mostly home invasions; a few people’ve been killed. I could be wrong, but I’m afraid it’s going to turn up on the water soon enough.”
“I don’t doubt it. Think it’s outsiders?”
“Not sure yet; we’ve been checking to see if anyone’s had family or friends move in from out of town, but so far we haven’t got any leads.”
“Keep looking, you’ll find them. It’s hard to cause trouble ‘round and stay hid for long.”
“Agreed; anyway, be careful, Clay.”
“Always do; take care, deputy.” Clayton started the motor and slipped on his helmet, before disappearing into the night.
The stars were particularly bright. They caught Clay’s attention, and he glanced up occasionally to marvel at them. They sped under gnarled branches draped with Spanish moss. The eerie limbs looked like the frail appendages of some underworld beast. The slough beyond the lake began to narrow and wind more severely. Clayton slowed the shallow-draft boat to a more reasonable pace so as not to frighten the already-grieving family.
He watched as the mother stared blankly ahead into the darkness, unaware of his empathetic gaze. Her boys sat on either side of her. The elder son draped his arm around her while the younger clasped her hand tightly. He admired the boys for their courage. He knew their resilience was all that was holding their mother together. He thought of his own children and hoped they had remembered all he had taught them. He prayed that they were safe and that God would let him see them again.
Clayton shut off the motor as they neared the mouth of the slough. They sat in silence as he listened for any unnatural sounds, but heard none. He watched as the youngest boy occasionally glanced up at his helmet and goggles. Finally the boy broke the silence of the boat with a whisper.
“Mister Clay?”
“What is it, little man?”
“What’re you wearing on your head?”
“That’s his night vision,” the older brother replied.
“Your brother’s right; it lets me see in the dark like a barn owl.”
“Cool, can I try it?”
“Joshua,” his mother scolded, “leave Mister Clayton alone.”
“He’s fine Hanna; here you go, Josh.” He pulled the helmet off of his head and plopped it onto the boy’s. “Try it out.”
“Wow!” The boy gazed all about and laughed as he said, “I can see everything!”
“That’s right,” Clayton replied as the Josh handed it back to him, “it’s my secret weapon. Well, the coast sounds clear. Let’s shoot across the river and back into the safety of the cutoff. Is everybody ready?”
The boys replied, but Hannah simply nodded. Clayton started the motor again and twisted the tiller throttle as far as it would allow. The boat roared to life and leapt forward as it began to plane across the water. They burst forth at full speed from the slough and flew down the river towards the cutoff.
Clayton squinted in an attempt to discern several objects that were barely visible along the bank in the approaching bend. The closer he got, the more obvious it became as to what they were. He yelled over the roar of the engine to the others, “Hannah, I want you and Josh to get in the bottom of the boat; get as low as you can. Josh, try to keep your mother calm, alright?”