2008-9-22 05:03:00
by Ted Dewey
Henry rolled over in bed and reached for the alarm clock which was jingling away. He pressed down the alarm button. No need for that for he was now wide awake.
It was three o'clock in the morning. Julie had departed for the kitchen about thirty minutes ago. The smell of fresh brewed coffee was in the air. The sound of bacon frying whetted his appetite.
He got out of bed and began to dress. The clothes that he would wear were piled neatly on a chair. Everything was a dark color, right down to a black pair of shoes. He placed an old black stocking cap that he had found in the closet on his head. A black sweater was draped over one arm. It would be cold outside, and he would slip it on after breakfast.
Rodney Goldsmith was already up and also dressed all in black. He greeted Henry with a smile, "Good morning friend. You are up early." He glanced at his watch. "And right on time as usual."
"After Julie got up I thought I would catnap a little, but the smell of that coffee drug me right out of bed."
Julie broke half a dozen eggs into a skillet and poured three cups of black coffee. "Sit down." she told the two men. "Everything will be ready in a minute."
As they were eating Rodney slipped Henry a piece of paper with some writing on it.
"Here is a list," he said, "of the items we have laid out on the table in the living room. Check it over and make sure we have everything we need." He laid the paper on the table between them.
Rodney continued. "Number one, the shot gun with the silencer. Number two, ten sticks of dynamite tied in a bundle, complete with fuse and caps. Number three, one ax -- a Henry special I call it. There is also a box of shotgun shells and a flashlight. Now is there anything else that we might need?"
Henry shook his head, "That should about do it."
"I got my little .32 pistol stuffed under my belt, just in case."
Julie was gathering up the dishes. "There is plenty of gas in the car and I will be ready in about two minutes." She raised her coffee cup. "Here's good luck to all of us!"
Three cups were lifted "We will all drink to that," said Henry. "And I hope she is with us this morning."
It was just four o'clock in the morning and everything was right on schedule. Julie brought the Ford to a halt in front of the row of mail boxes. Both men climbed out and headed for the bushes.
Henry was carrying the shotgun and the bomb. Rodney the ax and the flashlight, and the little pistol under his belt.
Their timing had been perfect. The big yellow moon was just coming up over the mountain. Everything was quiet and peaceful. The two men took their time, making as little noise as possible.
They moved from one clump of bushes to the other, keeping in the shadows. Henry leaned over and picked up a handful of dry leaves and toss them up into the air. As they fell down they drifted slightly to the right. Again the wind was his friend, not blowing much this time of the morning but what was available was in their favor putting that black devil on a chain at a disadvantage.
Then they arrived at a place where they had a good look at the house. They crept forward and took another peek. Except for the yard light burning on a pole the place was all dark. The black Ford was in its regular place, parked just outside the door.
The two men exchanged glances and nodded with satisfaction. So far so good. They backed into the bushes then proceeded on. They were now only about a hundred feet from the shed.
From that place they moved slowly and with great care. The slightest mistake could start that monster to baking.
Minutes later they parted the bushes and stole another look. This time they had emerged about fifty feet below their destination. They parted the bushes and stared in amazement.
The overhead light was shining down on the doorstep and sitting there on a chair was a man. He had a rifle across his knees and was calmly smoking a cigarette!
The two men exchanged glances. Here was something that they hadn't counted on! They retreated slowly back into the thicket.
A conference seemed to be in order.
When they were a safe distance back they stopped. Rodney swore under his breath. "Damn! What do we do now?"
Henry seemed to take the change in stride. His old nerves were evidently made of steel. He found a rock to sit down on and turned to his friend.
"We have all the advantage," he whispered. "There are two of us and we have a shot gun."
Rodney set down beside him. "Right you are General, and I thank God that you are here. One general is enough, so from here on out you are in complete charge. So start giving orders."
Henry didn't argue the point. He sat for a moment deep in thought. They must be very careful; that big black Doberman was back there somewhere and could come charging out any moment.
A daring plan was forming in the back of his mind. He told Rodney, "I believe that the surest and fastest way is to do like this...."
In a low voice he began to give instructions.
Rodney was a good listener, and at the end of several minutes of planning they reached a decision.
"I can see no other way." Rodney commented. "We will give it a go and hope for the best."
The two men shook hands and wished each other luck. Then Rodney took off. The plan was to go through the trees and bushes for about one hundred yards, then make a dash across the runway and come back on the other side. He would slip up to the back of the shed, stay close, come around the corner, pistol in hand, and demand that the man on the doorstep surrender.
Henry would be about fifty feet back in the bushes with the shot gun trained on him. If the man chose to fight there was only one thing left to do!
Henry slowly made his way back to the last clump of bushes that was between him and that shed. He crawled the last hundred feet on his belly. He found a granite boulder and concealed himself as much as possible. He was now less than fifty feet from the man on the porch. At this range the old single barrel would tear him to pieces!
The man on the doorstep must be a chain smoker, Henry decided. He kept lighting one after the other. He didn't know the fellow but there was one thing for sure he would never forget that face.
Henry kept an eye on the runway below, hoping to get a glimpse of Rodney as he crossed over. Several minutes passed by. Suddenly it was becoming much darker. Henry looked up and saw the big yellow moon had passed behind a cloud.
The morning was cool but Henry began to sweat. He hoped that Rodney wouldn't make a move until that cloud went away.
A half hour passed and still no moon. Also no Rodney. Henry began to breath easier. Rodney was no fool.
Then just as suddenly as it had disappeared the moon came out shining. This seemed to act as a signal. The voice of Rodney came in low, but clear. "Don't move fellow, or you are a dead man."
Evidently the guard had dozed off. He sat up startled. Then Henry's voice came from out of the darkness, "You are covered from all sides. One little move out of you and I will blow your head off!"
The rifle was in the man's hands and the hammer made a click as it stopped on full cock.
"Lay it down fellow. Don't try anything foolish." Once more it was the voice from back of the shed.
The guard looked wildly about. He could see nothing to shoot at.
"You've got three seconds," said the voice from the bushes. "One ... two ..."
Slowly the man laid the gun on the ground and raised his hands. Rodney moved in fast. His pistol was in the man's back. Henry moved forward, and shoved the shotgun's silencer into the man's stomach.
Rodney frisked the fellow and came up with a small pistol, and a big knife. He tossed them in the bushes.
Henry swung the muzzle of the shotgun around and pointed it down the runway. "Take off man, and keep going. In just five seconds I am going to take a shot at you and I hope you are not far away!"
Rodney cocked the little pistol. "Me too..."
The world's record for the hundred yard dash was probably broken in the next few seconds. The man took off in leaps and bounds, jumping like a kangaroo, Henry thought.
There was no time went to waste. The big wide blade of the ax in Rodney's hands was coming down hard on the side of the shed. A gaping hole appeared.
The bundle in Henry's hands had come to life. Like a big kid on the fourth of July holding a sparkler he stood there and watched it burn.
Rodney took one more swing with the ax. The hole was now large enough. Henry stepped up close and dropped the bundle inside. It landed with a thud but kept right on hissing. Knocking that hole in the side of that metal building had made a lot of noise. The big doberman pincher evidently had been left guarding the house. He lunged at the end of his chain and barked loudly.
A light came on inside. The door opened and a man appeared. "What's the matter boy?"
The dog growled viciously and lunged toward the shed. The man stepped outside and took the dog by the collar. He unhooked the chain and hissed. "Go get'em boy!"
With a fierce growl and a mighty leap the dog took off straight toward the two invaders. The man went back into the house and more lights came on.
Now Henry and Rodney had only one thought in mind. Get the hell out of there. There was less than a foot of fuse left on that bundle and it burned a foot a minutes. They had better hurry.
They were just on the edge of the clearing. Henry turned to take one last look and he was just in time! The big dog was coming at them on a dead run.
"Look out Rod," Henry hissed and put the gun to his shoulder.
Rodney swung around to see what was going on. He gripped the handle of the big ax and raised it above his head. He was ready!
The big dog was in his final spring when. Henry pulled the trigger. The animal fell at his feet, missing part of its' head.
The two men exchanged quick glances, then hurried off into the bushes. If that fellow going down that runway had set a record so did the pair going through that jungle of rocks and foliage. Both of them had fallen several times. Their arms and faces were cut and bleeding.
Henry was breathing hard. The years had taken their toil. A big granite bolder was just ahead of them. He gasped. "Stop. Let's get behind that rock!"
Rodney was also running out of breath. Both men slipped behind this fortress and drew themselves close. They were just in time. A brilliant flash lit up the sky, followed by a colossal explosion that shook the earth beneath them.
"Stay close." Henry whispered. "Don't move."
For an instant everything was quiet. Then suddenly it began to rain everything but raindrops!
The two men exchanged quick glances. They had made a correct guess alright. That shed and house was a giant arsenal. It was raining everything from machine guns to exploding cannon shells!
The two men did not move until the shower was over. Then slowly they rose to their feet.
A dense cloud of smoke blackened the sky back where the house and shed had been. It seemed to be a mile high, and was drifting slowly with the gentle south wind.
Once more the men were making their way back to the road. In a few minutes they came out in the clearing and just ahead with the engine running was Julie. What a welcomed sight!
There were tears in her eyes as she opened the door for them. "Thank God!" she whispered. "I thought you were both dead!" Sobs shook her body. "You were gone so long."
"Blame it on the moon," Rodney told her. "He turned out our lights."
Julie put the Ford in gear. "Where to now?"
Henry grinned. "Back to the ranch. I'm hungry!"
-- End Of Chapter Thirty-Two --
Copyright © 2008 by J.J. Dewey, All Rights Reserved