Chapter 35 – Waiting for Dawn
An
impromptu meeting took place involving our little group. Fenton advised that
any further excursion through town would subject the citizens of Kildeer to the
unpleasantness and inconvenience that we had already witnessed and experienced
ourselves. Additional electromagnetic pulses further into the city’s core could
cripple vehicles and disrupt communication systems and city power and lights
could also be adversely affected.
“I
think that if we could put some distance between the city and this weird
electric light show, we might be able to get our vehicles started again.”
Fenton’s face looked flushed and I could tell the events of the evening had taken
a toll on him.
As
for the rest of us, I looked like I hadn’t slept in days, and Clara still had lines
from crying visible on her usually placid face. Clara had climbed into the back
of the hearse with Joey to check on Frank. I knew that we had to do something. It was
literally a life-or-death situation.
* *
*
Frank
Calabrese opened his eyes. He experienced a moment of confusion. He was seeing
double. He saw the face of Joey Flowers. But this was a much younger Joey than
the one he had been talking to before he lost consciousness fifteen minutes
ago. The other face was mature. There was a touch of grey around the temples. Some
crow’s feet and age wrinkles. Subtle markers of time passage, but he knew it
was Joey at a different stage of development.
“Joey?”
he asked.
“No.
My name is Clara, remember. We explained it before…”
“I’m
sorry. Yes, I’m starting to recall it.” Frank smiled. The left side of his face
was less responsive. There was a distinct loss of muscle tone.
“Frank,
I’ve given the F.B.I. evidence that should take those two cops off the board.
We need to get our stories straight before Agent Farrow gets back with his partner.” Joey
took Frank’s pulse.
Rico
banged on the rear entrance of the vehicles. Clara opened it up wide enough to
hear him.
“I’ve
talked with Jax and Fenton. There is an abandoned railway that Jax and I used
to walk to when we got tired of hacking around town. It runs past an empty pasture.
We used to go down that way to smoke dope and watch the stars. Jerry said that
if he walks down that track, that the spirits will follow him. It’s only about a
mile away.”
“It
would get them away from Kildeer. They are wrecking the place with all of that static.” Clara said with
concern in her voice.
“Fenton
believes that if we can get them far enough away from the vehicles that he might be able to start them up again.” Rico added.
“If we send them that way out of town, I
don’t think anything could catch fire out there right now. It has been too wet.
I’m for trying it.” Clara reasoned.
Jerry
popped his head up from behind Rico. “I can hold them there until dawn. Nobody
with a car ever goes down there. There aren’t any ingress roads for miles. Come
dawn these noisemakers will be back in their graves.”
Rico
looked at Joey. “If you get the hearse started, just go on to the comic bookstore.”
Joey
frowned. “I don’t think we have that kind of time anymore. I’ll wait for a bit and
try to get this death buggy started. If I can’t, I’ll walk into town and boost
a car.”
Frank
groaned his disapproval from the back. “Quiet old man. I’m trying my damn
hardest to keep you alive.”
* * *
Jerry,
Rico and I began walking down the rails leading westward out of town. The spiritual
lightshow followed. When we got to the pasture where Rico and I spent part of
our formative years shooting bottle rockets into a nearby pond, drinking Dr. Pepper
and smoking marijuana. The spirits filled up the area. It was a rowdy group. I felt glad there weren’t any more of the living present to witness the noise. But as
it happened, there was. There was one more.
John
Farrow tapped me on the shoulder. I jumped back and shone my flashlight in his
face. “You gave me a start!” I practically screamed at him.
"A
field full of spooks and I'm the one that gets under your skin? Kid, you need to
explain all of this to me. It has already been a long night and there it so
much I can’t make sense of. How does this connect with the other homicides that
have happened over the last few days and… I mean, what is all of this? There is
no way I can put any of this into a report. Not and maintain my credibility.”
“How
did you find us?” Rico asked.
“How could I not find you? There are firework displays that are lower key than this
procession. I saw the lights a block or so down the tracks and followed them.”
“Well,
that’s some brilliant police work, congrats.” Jerry emerged from the dark like a gopher popping out of a hole, and patted
agent Farrow on the back. Farrow flinched and instinctively went for his
weapon.
“Damn
it! Don’t do that again. And for future reference I’m not a policeman. I’m with
the F.B.I. Special agent John Farrow.” His voice had shot up and sounded a bit squeaky. It was dark but I could tell Farrow had
nearly panicked. I suppose a field full of glowing spirits also had something
to do with it.
Farrow
quickly regained his composure. The special agent turned to me. “You’re Jax, correct?
Clara said that was your name at least. I threatened the red-headed kid with
jail if he didn’t give up your name. He wouldn't do it. What the hell is wrong
with him?”
“His
psychiatrist hasn’t figured it out yet?” I tried to answer with a straight face. Good thing it was dark.
Farrow played his own flashlight over my face after that last remark. “Anyway,
she said to tell you that the van or hearse or whatever that vehicle is,
started and she and her father are taking a friend to the hospital. Did you
know Frank Calabrese was in the back?”
"Which?" I mumbled
"Which, what?" Farrow asked in a tone of irritation.
"Did I know it was Frank Calabrese or if he was in the back?"
"Either or both...and FYI, I'm running out of patience with you kid."
“Yes. I knew it was Calabrese and that he was in the back. Am I in trouble for that?” I said dejectedly.
“Calabrese
is in pretty bad shape and as for you being in trouble…I haven’t decided yet. You
should know, my partner arrested your cop buddies Jennings and Davidson for possession
of contraband explosive materials and attempt to endanger the public with
homemade explosive devices.”
“They’re
not my buddies.” I protested.
“Well,
that is a point in your favor at least.” Farrow’s attention was caught by one
of the phantoms in the spirit cavalcade.
“Hey,
is that Billy Touche?” Farrow asked in amazement. I have some questions I’d
like to ask him.
“Ask away special agent Farrow.” Jerry pointed at the supernatural crowd “If you want answers, you came to the right place. I can facilitate that process…until dawn at least!
