Bobby Cole - The dummy line

Ollie looked at his watch, rolled down his window for some fresh air, and settled into his seat. He thought about the pistol and the role it might have played in this crazy scenario. The camp looked sinister in the dark shadows created by the maze of floodlights. R.C. was in his vehicle trying to run down the pistol’s serial number. That would take some time, unless it was stolen. Somewhere there was a missing girl. He hoped this wasn’t going to turn into a high-profile case that put him under the microscope.

A gruff voice crackled over the radio. “Hale County Unit One to Sumter County Unit One.”

“Unit One here,” Ollie responded and thought, OK, here we go .

“Ollie, what the hell’s goin’ on?”

“Sheriff, I’ve got a situation over here that’s really got me worried.” He gave him an abbreviated account of Mick’s phone call and the camp house. He quickly explained about finding Tanner Tillman and that Elizabeth Beasley was missing. The girl was his priority. Sheriff Marlow said that he knew Zach Beasley-Zach did his taxes. Ollie tried to be concise yet stress the uncertainty of it all.

“Ollie, this is serious. I agree that we should concentrate on the girl…let me get some deputies over there and we’ll start canvassing. It’ll take an hour,” Marlow replied, staring out his bedroom window.

“Sheriff? I was wonderin’ if we should call in a ‘copter to search at daylight?” Ollie asked.

“The closest one’s in Tuscaloosa, and I know it’s broken down. If the National Guard wasn’t in the Middle East, we’d get one of theirs. I tell you what…I might call the governor to see if he’d dispatch his helicopter. Let me get there; then we’ll make a plan. Remember last time?”

“Yes, I do.”

“I’ll have my deputies call your office for directions. I’m on my way, son.”

“Thank you,” Ollie replied, feeling an immediate sense of relief. Help was coming, and Marlow hadn’t been arrogant or uncooperative.

R.C. was standing by Ollie’s door nodding his head in agreement. “A helicopter could do a fast search of this area.”

“True, but the more I think about it, the more I think they’ve left. Why would they hang around? And where? It’s cold, wet, and muddy out there. They had to leave. That may be why the truck’s tag was missing. Trying to buy some time,” Ollie explained.

“You’re probably right. Unless it’s teenagers, and then they may not have any place to go.”

Ollie nodded. He hadn’t thought about that. “Any word on that gun registration?”

“They’re gonna call back,” R.C. explained.

“R.C., I want to find that girl. I’m afraid…I can’t even go there-we just gotta find her, and fast.”

“I know. I feel the same way…but where do we start?” R.C. threw up his hands in frustration.

“That’s the problem. We could tie up all of our manpower in the wrong direction.”

Ollie pulled the radiophone out of his pocket and studied it. “This might be our ticket. If we could get them to disclose their location or at least give us a clue.”

“You’re right…or…it might tip ‘em off and make ‘em run.” R.C. shook his head in confusion.

They looked at each other and then at the phone.

As the trio approached a small creek, they stumbled upon an Indian mound. Any other time, Jake would have been excited to explain to Katy the significance of this site. Jake loved Native American history and over the years had found a number of arrowheads while planting food plots. It always amazed him that the last person to touch the artifact had been an Indian.

Jake, needing to rest, found a spot to set Katy down. Elizabeth stumbled up, leaned against a tree, and slowly lowered herself to the ground. He looked at them both. Katy was still terrified, and Elizabeth looked like she could be going into shock; he wasn’t sure. Jake sat down between the girls. He checked the safety on the shotgun then laid it at an angle across his lap.

The words of Conway Twitty’s song “That’s My Job” kept going through Jake’s head. He was doing his job-everything he could to keep Katy safe. He breathed in deeply.

“Y’all OK?” he asked.

“Sure,” Katy said tiredly.

Elizabeth just grunted. Jake could tell that she was just going through the motions.

“Elizabeth, tell me about yourself,” he asked, trying to distract her. “Do you go to school?”

“I’m a senior at Sumter Academy. I’ll probably go to The University of Virginia this fall,” she said flatly. There was no emotion in her eyes or voice.

“I guess you live around here somewhere?” Jake asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

“In Livingston.”

“What does your father do?”

“He’s an accountant.”

Katy joined in. “Do you play sports?”

“I played softball until the tenth grade, but not anymore,” Elizabeth answered.

“I play softball and basketball,” Katy said proudly.

Elizabeth managed a small smile. Jake thought, Maybe she’s holding up. Katy seems to be calming down, too.

Elizabeth looked off in the distance, then back at Katy. “I’m a cheerleader,” she said; then, looking squarely at Jake, she added, “And my boy…my boyfriend plays football.” Elizabeth burst into tears.

Katy looked at her dad with a sad, bewildered look, and he shook his head at her, signaling that it was all right.

“Elizabeth, I’ve been thinking about him. After I get y’all safely in a shooting house, I’ll go get him,” Jake remarked assuredly.

“No! You can’t leave us…they can track us…please, don’t leave!” she said in a panic and added hopefully, “We’ll go with you!”

“OK, OK, I won’t. I won’t leave y’all,” he promised. He placed a hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder to comfort her, but he was thinking how he might be able to turn the tables on the rednecks and become the aggressor.

“Listen to me-both of you. We’re gonna get out of here. But we have to really push ourselves. We’re all hurtin’, tired, and scared. Katy, you have to do everything I say…immediately, no questions. Elizabeth, I know you’re worried about your boyfriend, but right now, you have to think about helping yourself first. You can’t help him right now. Since he’s a football player, I’m sure he’s a strong, tough guy. I have a plan. It’ll get us out of here. Y’all understand? Helpin’ yourself helps us all; that’s how it works. Got it?”

They both nodded in agreement. Jake didn’t have a plan yet, but he was going to get these girls out of there even if it killed him.

Turning to Katy, he wrapped his arms around her and looked her in the eyes. “You believe me, don’t you?”

“Yeah, Dad, I do,” she answered and hugged him.

Jake kissed her cheek and held her tight. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Dad.”

“Is your boyfriend in love with you?” he asked Elizabeth. She smiled slightly. With enough light, he might have seen her blush.

“Yes sir, he is,” she responded with a smile.

“Well, think about that…that’s a good thought,” Jake said, standing. “Let’s go,” he said as he stretched. “It can’t be much farther.”

“Dad?” Katy asked.

“Yeah, baby?”

“Mom’s gonna kill you when we get home.”

Jake smiled and said, “I know.” If someone doesn’t beat her to it.

Larson drove as fast as he could to Johnny Lee Grover’s trailer. All local law enforcement knew his address. The sheriff’s department had spent years watching Johnny Lee, who was suspected of drug manufacturing, possession, distribution, and other crimes. He had no apparent means of legitimate income.