Ken Douglas - Death Glitch

“ That’s my boy,” Peeps said. “I knew we could count on you. How fast can you get up here?”

“ I’m five hours away, maybe a bit more.” He looked at his watch, 4:30. “Give me the address and I should be getting there around 11:00 or so.”

“ Great, let me put Manny on the phone.”

Showered and rested, Lila sipped at her tea. It wasn’t the Earl Grey she was used to, but in a pinch Lipton would do. She thought about her future as she took a second sip. This was the life; a wooden rocker in front of a fireplace, tea with cream, well, evaporated milk, but it was a good substitute, and not a care in the world.

Her house in Reno was secure, but even if it weren’t, there wasn’t anything there she couldn’t walk away from. Her savings were stashed away in Switzerland and the Caymans and that’s really all she needed. That, and the passports in her bag. With those, she could travel anywhere, start over anywhere.

She got out of the rocker.

“ Okay, I’m going down to the lake.”

“ We’ll be here.” Black was engrossed in a camera magazine. She said she’d taken up photography a year or so ago and was getting good at it, but she hadn’t felt she’d had enough years left to be great. Now, it looks like she did.

“ You wanna come, Dr. Eisenhower?”

“ No, but can you take the dog? He could use a little exercise. And for the last time, call me Izzy.”

“ Alright, Izzy.” Then, “Are you sure you don’t wanna come, a walk in the fresh air might do you some good, might clear your head.”

“ My head’s pretty clear. Besides, I want to keep trying my son’s. I’m starting to get worried.” She’d called several times, despite the fact that the voicemail message said to call after 6:00. She was worried and that worried Lila, because Izzy Eisenhower was one cool customer.

“ You got twenty minutes. If he doesn’t answer then, then you can start to worry. Right now, it’s pointless.” She went to the door, turned to the dog. “Coming?”

At the lake, Lila reveled in the solitude as Hunter ran ahead and she wondered what it would be like, to be old, thinking your life was almost over, then to wind up with a second chance. Izzy made the most of her first go round, but it looked like Black maybe hadn’t.

She hadn’t either, but fortunately she didn’t have to wait till she was at death’s door to turn her life around. She’d done some bad things in her life, but that was all over now. No more killing. When winter was through, she’d find someplace to settle and she’d do something worthwhile with her life, make something of the new person she planned on becoming.

“ Lila!” Izzy’s shout sounded desperate, distressed. Lila started for the cabin at a full run. The dog did, too. She saw Izzy and Black on the front porch. They looked okay. A quick look around, everything seemed normal, no black Suburbans. Lila slowed to a jog. It must’ve been the phone call. Amy Eisenhower must be in some kind of trouble.

At the cabin, Lila caught her breath, said, “Your granddaughter?”

“ They have her,” Izzy said. “I have to go.”

“ Tell me.”

“ When my son got home from the prison-”

“ Whoa, stop!” Lila said. “The prison?”

“ He’s the warden.”

“ At the prison in Susanville?” Lila said.

“ Yes.”

“ Ah, okay, go on.”

“ When he got home, he found his wife tied up in the bedroom with a note telling him to have me call Mansfield Wayne and nobody else if I want my granddaughter back.”

“ Of course you called,” Lila said.

“ He says if I come up to his home outside of Reno and give him some of my blood, that he’ll let her go. He says he won’t harm me, Amy or her friend. All he wants is some of my blood.”

“ He’s lying.”

“ I know, but I have to go.”

“ I’ll get my gear.” Lila went inside, got her duster from the closet where she’d hung it, put it on. In the bedroom that had been assigned her, she got the dart gun and the envelope with her cash and papers out of her bag. She took her passports and additional driver’s licenses out of the envelope, put them in the bag, then she zipped it up, slung it over her shoulder. She found a pen on the nightstand, she took the pink slip to the Jag out of the envelope, signed it, put it back in the envelope.

In the living room, she found Izzy and Black, ready to travel, Hunter between them by the door. He was ready too.

Lila turned to Black. “You can’t come.”

“ And why not?”

“ Because there’s something going on here bigger than us, maybe the biggest thing that’s ever happened to mankind. We’re most likely going to be fine, because Manny Wayne won’t expect me to be coming along with Izzy. I know him and how he thinks. His home up on that mountain is almost a fortress and he thinks he’s safe there, that it’s impregnable, but I know it’s weaknesses. I know how to get in and get out without being seen and I know how to deal with Manny. Chances are very good we’ll be back with the girls.”

“ But,” Black said.

“ But in case we’re not, in case it all goes south, somebody who knows about this incredible thing that’s happened to you and Izzy has to survive, has to figure it all out, has to use this thing, whatever it is, for good.”

“ I’m an action kind of person,” Black said.

“ Yeah, I get that.” Then, brushing aside what she’d said, she tossed the envelope on the coffee table. “The title for the Jag is in there along with some cash. The pink slip is signed, so the car’s yours, all you have to do is phony up a bill of sale, that shouldn’t be too hard. I wish there was more I could do for you, but there isn’t. If we don’t make it, you’re going to be on your own.”

“ I’m not a staying behind kind of person,” Black said. “I’m going, that’s final.”

“ Alright,” Lila said. “I can see there’s no talking any sense into you.”

“ Nope,” Black said.

“ Okay, then you can follow us in the Jag,” Lila said, “because more than likely we’re going to need two vehicles. Are you up for a five hour drive? If not, you can ride with me and Izzy can drive the Jag.”

“ I’ve been a long haul trucker for over four decades,” Black said. “I think I can handle the drive.”

“ Good, then we should be on our way.”

“ Let me get my guns.” Izzy said. Lila wasn’t the only one with a carry on bag with a couple guns in it. She went to her room, got her bag, unzipped it on the way back to the living room, pulled out the forty-five. “It’s big and it’s loud and it’ll stop anything short of an elephant.”

“ Good,” Lila said, “because when we get there you’re going to have to think fast, shoot fast and shoot anyone up there who gets in your way.”

“ What are you saying?” Izzy shivered some as she put the gun back in her bag.

“ Manny has a security crew who guards his place. Six men. He’s given them ranks, like they’re his personal little army. The man in charge of this mini army is a major named Gerald. Under him he has one captain, two sergeants and two corporals. No privates in Manny’s army. Gerald and two of the enlisted are on duty from 6:00 in the morning to 6:00 in the evening. The captain and the other two enlisted take the nightshift. Then there are two Rottweilers. They’re fierce.”

“ Christ,” Black said, “he doesn’t sound sane.”

“ Plus,” Lila went on, “he’ll have his son Tucker up there with him and who knows who else. And I’m guessing he’ll have both his security shifts on duty, because he might be expecting you to try something. Manny Wayne is thorough and he doesn’t take unnecessary chances.”