Frank Klus - Azaleas Don't Bloom Here

“I don’t understand.”

“I don’t want them looking like guards. If they look like groundskeepers or something—”

“Oh, I got it. Yeah, good idea.”

Dennis knocked on Casimer’s door. “Come.”

“Sir, Alt House will be ready for interrogation in two weeks. A holding cell will be ready in two days, sir. I don’t know when we’ll be ready for Sulke, but once we find him we’ll have to bring him in right away. We can’t risk escape.”

“Is this Alt House in a secluded area?”

“Absolutely, sir! We have an eight foot fence all around it.”

“Where have you looked?”

“We checked Sulke’s home but he never returned there. My man is checking his parent’s home now. I’m expecting his call back any time now.”

“Keep me informed.”

“Yes, sir.”

Dennis returned to his office and perused all the motels and hotels in the area—thirty-seven of them ranging from B&B’s to large-chain hotels.

“Sir, Mr. Stevens is on Line One,” Faith said.

“Stevens, what do you got for me?”

“I’m at the family home in Countryside. Some goon followed me, so my guess is he’s in there. With a little help we could take him out, break into the house, and get Sulke.”

“Too dangerous. I’ll get you help. We still have two more days before Alt House is ready, anyway. In the meantime I want to know everything that happens in that house. You’ll be relieved every six hours. Got that?”

“Sure, Mr. O’Reilly.”

The trip to Sean’s house was a long one. They weren’t able to convince Bo to come with them. Gene would have to go it alone: start a new life, find a new job, find a new home; and do it all in a place he scarcely knew, without being able to talk to his family; possibly forever.

Traveling down Route 88 toward Iowa, Gene fell asleep. Sean lived in a secluded area just northwest of La Motte, Illinois, down a dirt road off Main Street. Sean stayed behind to watch the Sulkes’ house. Ray arranged for him to be relieved every eight hours. The Sulkes allowed each of the ex-Blues use of their house for food and rest. Pamela was expected to rendezvous at Sean’s house sometime tomorrow, and they would be off toward the New World the following day.

Eugene woke up around the time Ray was on Route 61, heading north. “You know, Ray, when I was telling my mom and dad about Dennis, I held something back.”

“What was that?” Cassandra asked.

“When I was talking to Professor Zinney, he told me to stay away from you two as well.”

“Did he tell you that I talked to him?” Ray said.

“Yeah, he did. He thought you were crazy. He felt that you were using him, and I felt the same way.”

“Gene, it was my fault. I pushed you too far and too fast. I’m really sorry to have put you through all that,” Cassandra said.

“Did you guys know about Hell House?”

“No,” Ray said.

“Ray,” Cassandra said, coyly.

“What?”

“You know.”

“Okay, I knew there was some place where they bring people to change them, usually they were very populist, then they change them into good little conservatives.”

“So why me, Ray? Yeah, okay, so I’m a populist. So are a few million others, and many of them know Zinney.”

“How many of them also know us?” Ray said. “How many of them were in the car with one of us when three Squad guys got shot?”

“Then why not leave me in prison? They were going to execute me, weren’t they?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Ray said. “We called your boss and left a message we hoped your lawyer would get. He must have caused some problems for Casimir and Martinez. I think that’s why they released you. But I also think that the combination of being in prison, your wife’s death, and us probably scared them into thinking you had already become radicalized. Hell House would be their final solution.”

“You guys called my boss?”

“We had to do something,” Cassandra said. “Springing you from jail would have been really difficult.”

“How did you guys know about my being in prison, and then in Hell House?”

“We have some very good people who care about you, Gene,” answered Cassandra. “We also have a spy inside Squad headquarters—Jay Casimir’s secretary. I believe I mentioned that to you.”

“We’re all ex-Blues,” Ray said. “Each of us has special skills we continue to use. Daniel is one of the best hackers, and Jimmy the Fox is an investigator and security guy. They can find out just about anything. Daniel hacked into Dennis’s computer and found out that’s where they brought you. Armstrong and his men are soldiers and sharpshooters. They planned and led the assault on Hell House.”

“How come you and Dennis are so different? You used to do everything together.”

Ray was silent at first. Cassandra looked at him perplexed. “I don’t know,” he said.

“Now something I had wondered about makes sense now,” Eugene said.

Cassandra just looked at Gene, quizzically.

“When I got back to work after Dennis got me out, my boss knew I was in Joliet. He was so worried about me. I didn’t even get a chance to ask him how he knew I was there. I guess I just figured the warden notified him.”

“Not likely,” Ray said.

“Yeah, that’s what I realize now. It must have been your call. Stu would have called up the lawyer, and he probably raised hell with the DA. That’s when Casimir or whomever concocted the scheme to let me out and let Dennis take the credit.” Gene paused and reflected. “Thanks for helping me, guys.”

Cassandra just smiled and wiped a tear from her eye.

“Mr. O’Reilly, Martz here. I just arrived at the Sulke house. Stevens is dead; throat slit. What do you want me to do?”

“Do you see anyone around?”

“A few parked cars on the street. Anyone of them could be occupied with the killer.”

“Wait there till I get some more men over to you. Don’t check for our killer until I get some help over there; then capture that goon who killed Stevens. Look for any sign Sulke is there.”

“I got to tell you, Mr. O’Reilly, I’m kind of nervous—vulnerable, you know.”

“Look, be on the alert. I’ll have somebody there in two hours. Don’t fall asleep or get distracted.”

“Yes, sir,” Martz said. He hung up and took a snort from a paper bag.

Dennis hung up and called Mad Dog. He told him what’d been happening.

“Commander, I need a squadron over to the Sulkes home right away.”

“You got it, Dennis. I’ll have them find and capture the other guy outside the Sulke’s. Then I’ll have them break into the house and get him.”

“Thanks, commander.” As Dennis hung up he was scared. What if more Blues are involved? It may be more than a couple hours before I hear from Martz. I can’t lose Eugene. Do I dare tell the boss? No, I’ll wait to hear from Martz.

More than two hours passed, and there was still no word from Martz. Dennis was frantic with worry. He thought about calling him, but hesitated, afraid he might not answer. Then, suddenly, the phone rang, but it wasn’t Martz on the other end of the line.

“This O’Reilly?”

“Yes, who is this?”

“This is Dean Sulke. You remember me, don’t you? I’m Eugene’s father. I just wanted to tell you that your men are all dead. Jesus Christ, Dennis, what the hell are you trying to do? Your men tried to kidnap my wife and me. They demanded to know where Eugene was. Fortunately, my house was being guarded. What the hell happened to you, Dennis? You and my son used to be best friends. You rescued him from that prison. I invited you inside my house, and I put my trust in you. So did Eugene. You betrayed us!”