Frank Klus - Azaleas Don't Bloom Here

“We found them.” He heard Foote yelling to Wrenn with the message.

Ray and Cassandra were equally excited. They arranged to rendezvous at a motel on Rt. 89 to discuss new plans.

“They’re gone?” Dennis was flabbergasted.

Colderon steamed. Cocksucker.

“Are you there?”

“Yeah.” Fuckhead.

Dennis knew he couldn’t afford to lose his cooperation, so he dropped the attitude. “Look, just tell me what happened.”

“It was like I told you before. We found that jalopy she was driving—”

“Yeah. It took a lot of bribe money, but we got a lead. She bought the car from somebody we’ve been keeping tabs on for a while.”

“We rented a room above so we could check the registry. They’re still using the Mulligans. I brought three of my men with me, and leased a van. We parked right in front of their door and called for Eugene. I didn’t expect he’d answer, but he did. We got him and Pamela, but we didn’t know what to do with them. You weren’t answering your phone. We drove around for a while and stopped at a burger joint for supper. When we came back to the van they were gone.”

“Casimir had me on an assignment. I had to keep my phone off. I told you that when you told me you found them. I assumed you were bringing them here. My brother and his wife must have been with them, but how did they know where to go?”

“They must have figured it out. If they saw me go by, they’d have followed us.”

“Who would recognize the van? You told me that there was no one out there.”

“One of them must have stood watch from their vehicle.”

“Then how did you pull off the kidnapping?”

“I told you we parked in front of his room,” he said angrily. “We were quiet and fast. He’d have thought it was just a guest getting an early start. How the fuck do I know?”

“Then how did they know they were in your van?”

“Maybe there are more of them. These people were Blues. If Ray had help there, and I surmise he did, then I know they’re good. Christ, I trained under him.”

“All right, let’s focus on how to get them.”

“If I know Ray like I do, then he’ll let us come to him. We know all their plans now. It was with Pamela—maps and everything. They’re not going to go anywhere. My guess is they’ll go back to that same motel and wait for us. Then we’ll have it out.”

Chad Armstrong was made leader of security with Ray’s blessing. He’d handle all security issues now. He got them four rooms at the “kidnap” motel; all singles. Armstrong and Bones would tradeoff every few hours with Foote and Wrenn, who would be on lookout from the Suburban. They all met in Ray’s room.

“Okay, I get that we have to face the Hogs now rather than fall into some trap later,” Pamela said. “But what’s going to happen when they get here?”

Chad nodded, acknowledging her question. “That’s what we need to discuss.”

“Terry Foote and I staked the place out,” Wrenn said. “We can get up on the roof with our pieces. We can shoot them with no witnesses and get right back down.”

“How are you going to get up there?” Eugene asked.

“Climb,” answered Wrenn, with a subtle grin.

Armstrong just smiled. “They can see better from up there. If the Hogs get past them, we’ll be waiting for ‘em.”

“How?” Eugene asked again. “What if they come to my door, or Pamela’s?”

“Don’t answer,” Ray said.

“We should arm them,” Cassandra said.

Armstrong nodded. “Okay. We have extra hand guns. If we need to get you, we’ll rap twice, pause, and twice more; and then we’ll identify ourselves. If you don’t hear that knock, don’t answer the door. That goes for everybody. If someone forces their way in, shoot to kill.”

“We should have a sign for skedaddle,” Wrenn said.

Armstrong thought a moment. “Danger! That will be the sign to get in your vehicles and get out of here. We should head for South Dakota again and follow the original route.”

“Sounds like the plan,” Ray said.

“Me and Bones will take the first watch on the roof. The rest of you, go to your rooms and wait for the Hogs,” Chad said, smiling.

A few minutes later Foote came to Pamela and Eugene’s rooms with two Berettas. He got them together to show them how to use the military weapons. “This is the safety. Keep it on until you need to use the weapon. This is a nine millimeter, semi-automatic pistol. You hold it like this.”

Foote aimed at the rear wall. He showed how to hold the pistol with two hands. “Get a good athletic stand with knees bent and about shoulder distance apart. Stick your fanny out like this. Keep your trigger finger on the guard—not the trigger—until you’re ready to shoot. Here’s the safety. The weapon is ready to fire when you see the red dot. Aim at the middle of the guy’s chest, and fire.”

Colderon and his Hogs raced up Rte. 89. It was late when they got to the motel where they pulled off the kidnapping. Piper’s car was there.

“You got a tracker?” Colderon said to Piggy, his squad leader.

“Yeah.”

“Put it on the clunker she’s using.”

Piggy got out and walked to the car. Shots rang out, and Piggy went down. Colderon cut out of the parking lot. He turned around, entered the back lot, and then waited.

Armstrong and Bones came out slowly. Bones pulled out his Berretta and trained it on Piggy. He was moving a little, but there wasn’t much blood. They disarmed the Hog, and then Armstrong motioned for Bones to help carry him into their room.

“Rubber bullets,” Bones said.

They tied him up and muzzled him in Armstrong’s room, while Chad fished out his phone. “I know a way we can get what we need out of him,” he said.

Armstrong hung up, and the two went to Ray and Cassandra’s room, gave the proper knock, identified themselves, and entered.

“What happened out there?” both of them demanded.

“It was the Hogs,” Armstrong said. “They came. Wrenn and Foote shot one of them. We have him tied up in my room. Colderon is in the back parking lot as we speak, but I’ve got an idea. I called Dr. Schmidt, Dr. Grifton, and the woman who’s with them, and told them to come here. They’re leaving right away, but they’re bringing all their chemicals. Schmidt told me that one of the drugs acts as a kind of truth serum. Doctors Schmidt and Grifton know how to use them properly. This way we can learn what the Hogs are up to, what they know, what their plans are, and any other pertinent information we can get. Bones, why don’t you go over there and let Pamela and Eugene know what’s going on. They’ll be here tomorrow.”

“What about the Hogs in back?” Cassandra asked.

“We do exactly what they’re doing—wait.”

Schmidt wouldn’t get there until tomorrow. In the meantime, Armstrong was interrogating Piggy. The motel manager never saw Colderon and never knew about any impending contention between two enemy groups.

“Can you at least tell me what to call you?”

“Piggy.”

“Like a real Hog, huh?”

Piggy didn’t say anything. He just ate his sandwich. “I ain’t telling you nothin’ else.”

“Oh, I think you will,” Armstrong said with a slight smile on his face.

“Fuck!” Piggy snorted. “Why do you think that?”