Death Glitch (28 page)

“
Okay, mind and you live. Nod your head if you understand.”

Mouledoux nodded.

“
That’s good. With your left hand, open the door, keeping your right on the wheel.”

Mouledoux opened the door.

And two beefy hands grabbed him by the collar, jerked him out of the car. A giant of a man threw him onto the road, which wasn’t nearly as warm as he’d imagined it to be when he was avoiding all those animals. The giant pulled his hands behind his back and in a flash of a second he’d been handcuffed with cold metal cuffs, the old fashioned kind that unlocked with a key.

The other man was on him now, a knee in his back as he reached into Mouledoux’s jacket and pulled out his weapon, then he frisked him the way only a professional can. The man found and took his shield and creds.

“
He’s a police officer.” He got off Mouledoux’s back.

“
He the one Mr. Wayne is expecting?”

“
How about it mister, is Mr. Wayne expecting you?” the one who’d shot out his window said.

“
Yeah.” Mouledoux figured the less he spoke to these men, the better off he’d be.

The giant pulled him to his feet.

“
Can’t be too careful,” the man who’d shot out his window said. “Weird shit’s been going on.”

“
Like what?” Mouledoux said. Then, “And can you take the cuffs off?”

“
Yeah sure. I’m Weed, they call me Weedy.” He unlocked the cuffs.

“
And him?” Mouledoux nodded to the giant, who stood seven feet, six if he stood an inch. He had lightning bolts tattooed on both sides of his neck, which set off his monster of a chin, but the massive square jaw and the tattoos were understatements, compared to the flattened nose that dominated the middle of the giant’s florid face. And, of course, he was hairless.

“
That’s Lugar.”

“
What do you feed him?”

“
Ha,” Lugar said, “good one.” Then, “Don’t let my looks fool you. I’m plenty smart. I’m also a mean son of a bitch and I don’t feel pain. Born that way. I can be your best friend or one motherfucking horrible nightmare. Better for you if we’re friends.”

“
Got it,” Mouledoux said. “Meanwhile, we’re standing out in the snow.”

“
Yeah,” Weedy said, “let’s get inside.”

“
You wanna give me back my piece?”

“
Not just yet,” Weedy said.

“
So, we’re not really pals yet, are we?” Mouledoux said.

“
Not yet.”

Mouledoux decided to end the conversation and walked with them, Weedy in front, Lugar behind, to the gated drive. The gate wasn’t like the decorative gates guarding the estates he’d seen as he was coming up the mountain. This one was made of sturdy chain link and had razor wire on the top of it, as did the twelve foot fence that surrounded the property. The place looked more like a prison.

“
Fence is electric.” Weedy pulled a remote from his coat pocket, pushed a button and the gate slid open. Mouledoux half expected a gatehouse and a guard but there were none. There were, however, cameras mounted on both sides of the gate.

“
Pretty thorough,” Mouledoux said.

“
But not tonight,” Weedy said. “Cameras are on the fritz. Phones, both landline and cellular, are out. Cable too, so no internet or TV. But what’s really weird is the radios don’t work, either.”

“
But you got electricity?”

“
Yeah,” Weedy said. “Lights, the fence, this, he held up the remote, they all work. But communications, video and audio, between us and the outside, are all out.”

“
That’s impossible,” Mouledoux said, remembering the radio in his car and his phone.

“
Yeah, impossible,” Lugar said.

“
You check the radios in your cars?”

“
All on the fritz,” Weedy said. “So, you can see why we’re just a little nervous about who comes calling tonight. Why we might want to shoot first and ask questions later.”

Mouledoux thought about telling them about his radio and phone, but didn’t. It was his job to ask questions and get information, not to give it.

“
Bobby!” Peeps shouted out from the front porch as they approached the house. Next to his partner were two men, Mansfield and Tucker Wayne. They looked every bit in the flesh liked they did live at 11:00 and in the Reno Gazette.

“
Mr. Mouledoux.” Mansfield Wayne stepped forward, hand outstretched. Mouledoux took it as Wayne said, “Come this way.” Mansfield led him along a covered porch that wrapped around his mansion to the back. “I like my privacy, Mr. Mouledoux, but I like to sit outside as well and I don’t like to look at that awful fence.” He sounded like he did on television, authoritative, in command, in control.

“
Wow!” Mouledoux said when he saw the view. The backyard was football field large and it bordered on a cliff. Off in the distance and far below he could see the lights of Reno. Rich people definitely lived better.

“
You should see it on a clear night,” Wayne said. “The lights below, dark here, more stars above than you can possibly imagine. It’s breathtaking. I thank God I’m alive to enjoy it.”

“
I can understand that,” Mouledoux said.

“
And we want to keep him alive,” Tucker Wayne said, “because he does so much good for his community and he’s got so much more to give. Can you understand that as well, Mr. Mouledoux?”

“
Sure.” Mouledoux couldn’t help but notice that Peeps, Weedy and Lugar hadn’t followed them to the back of the house, weren’t enjoying the view with the three of them. He was alone with the Waynes. He could take them, of that he was sure, but he wasn’t armed, so taking them down now would only get him killed, because he’d never get past Weedy and Lugar, not to mention Peeps and whoever else Wayne had guarding his little mountain fortress.

“
Peeps assures us you are onboard,” Tucker said. “Is that true?”

“
Depends.” Mouledoux hated that he had to play like he was on the take, but there was no other way now.

“
You will be paid handsomely, Mr. Mouledoux.” Tucker said,

“
Call me, Bobby,” Mouledoux said.

“
That fast,” Tucker said, “you’re not going to ask how much?”

“
Bobby’s a smart man,” Mansfield said. “He knows we’re fair.”

“
So, why do you need me?” Mouledoux said.

“
Two reasons, Bobby,” Mansfield said. “One, outside of you, me, Peeps and Lila Booth, nobody else alive knows about Dr. Isadora Eisenhower. And two, Peeps says you’re awfully good with a gun and before this night is through, there’s a better than even chance we might need your services.”

“
It looks like you’ve got the bodyguard business pretty much squared away.”

“
Looks can be deceiving. I’ve got six men on duty, my whole staff, plus Peeps and now you. Plus, I’ve got Eisenhower’s granddaughter, which might work in our favor, but with all this, I’m not underestimating the opposition,”

And all of a sudden Mouledoux understood. With all his wealth, with his bodyguards, with his electric fence, with his fortress house, with all this, Mansfield Wayne was afraid.

“
That Lila Booth,” Mouledoux said, “she must really be something.”

“
Yes,” Mansfield said. “But Eisenhower has proved to be something too and with the fact that she apparently can’t die, that makes her very dangerous, very frightening.”

“
And now your communications are out.”

“
That’s disturbing too,” Mansfield said.

“
So what do you want me to do?”

“
Same as us. We wait.”

* * *

“
Dr. Eisenhower, wake up.”

“
I wasn’t asleep.” Izzy had been resting with her head back, watching a cloudless sky and shadowy pines flying by, as Lila steered them through the night, driving faster than Izzy had ever driven.

“
We’ll be in Susanville shortly, ten miles. I want to stop by your son’s and talk to your daughter-in-law for a few minutes.”

“
I’d rather not.”

“
We need to,” Lila said. “I’d like to know who took the girls.”

“
My son and I don’t talk.” The last thing Izzy wanted to do was to show up at Johnny’s in the middle of the night.

“
Why not?”

“
It’s complicated.” But was it really? Sure she and Roxanne didn’t get along. The woman hated her actually, but over the years Izzy could’ve worked it out. But she hadn’t. After she’d won Amy in the custody battle, she’d shut her son and his witch of a wife out of her life.

“
I’m sorry to hear that.” Lila turned to Izzy, flashed her a quick smile, then put her eyes back on the road. “Really, I’m sorry, Dr. Eisenhower, but I need to get some kind of idea what we’re up against. I need to know who took your granddaughter, because Manny has people he can call on, dangerous people. He’s done it already, sent some black op types after me in that helicopter. If Black wouldn’t have been there, I wouldn’t be here now.”

“
Damn.” Izzy felt cornered and she didn’t like it. “Why can’t you call me Izzy?” she snapped.

“
Testy.” Lila slowed as they approached Highway 44. She stopped, made the left, turning toward Susanville.

“
Well?”

“
I don’t know. I think it’s because I respect you.”

“
Really?” Izzy knew she shouldn’t have snapped at her. But just the thought of seeing Johnny and Roxanne made her feel ill.

“
Yeah,” Lila said, “and that makes you the first person I’ve ever respected.” She laughed. “But I’ll try, Dr. Eisenhower, if it’ll make you feel better.”

“
I don’t know what I’m going to say.”

“
You’re not going to say anything.”

“
What?”

“
You look like your granddaughter, remember? And she’s just been kidnapped from them. So you can’t go showing up out of nowhere looking like her, with those big brown eyes. You’re going to stay in the car, out of sight.”

“
What are you going to say to them?”

“
I’ll keep it simple. I’m a friend of Amy’s. I have a message for her from you. I’ll be in and out in nothing flat.”

Fifteen minutes later Izzy slouched in the passenger seat, while Lila talked to Johnny and Roxanne, who were lit up under a porch light. It was dark and cold, but they hadn’t invited her in.

Johnny had gained weight. So had Roxanne. Izzy smiled, despite the situation. Johnny had always had a thing for thin girls, had always told her he’d never wind up with an overweight, fatty, fatty two by four and that’s exactly what he’d wound up with. Maybe there is a god, after all.

Or maybe Johnny had changed. Maybe he wasn’t as shallow as she’d remembered. Maybe he’d learned there was more to people than what was on the outside.

On the porch, Roxanne was gesturing, talking with her hands as well as her mouth. Johnny was silent. That was typical. In every relationship he’d been in that Izzy could remember, he’d been sort of a whipping boy. Pussy whipped, that was the term. He lacked self-confidence. She didn’t know why, but it was true and it made her feel guilty, like she’d failed.

Izzy couldn’t take her eyes off him. He was her son and she’d failed him. How come she hadn’t realized that years ago? She wished she could get out of the car, talk to him, make it right.

They went in the house, Lila came back to the car.

“
Good news, I think,” Lila said as she was buckling up.

“
How so?”

“
There were four of them.” Lila started the car, backed out of the driveway, headed back the way they’d come toward the center of town and the road to Reno. “One of them flashed a badge. He was a Reno cop and from his description it could only have been Peeps Friday. He’s one of Manny’s cop friends. Actually, the man fawns over Manny and Manny likes fawners. The others were part Manny’s private security force, Gerald, his number one and Weedy and Lugar. Weedy’s a schemer. Lugar’s a giant. All three are dangerous men, who Manny hired away from Blackwater, one of those security firms the government uses in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

“
You got them to tell you a lot,” Izzy said.

“
There’s more,” Lila said. “After they put the girls in their car, Weedy came back to the house, tied up your daughter-in-law and left that note for your son. You know the rest. But what’s interesting is that up until that point, they were acting like they were taking the girls in for questioning because they were looking for information about you. I guess they were acting that way because they wanted the girls to cooperate.”

“
And why is this good news?”

“
Because, and I’m guessing here, but I think I’m right, if Manny sent his own people here, that means he hasn’t called in any more of his black op friends. He’s figured out his mistake, has made some excuse to whoever he called up to send that helicopter after me and he’s called off the dogs.”

“
Why would he do that?”

“
Because, Izzy, see, I can call you that,” Lila made a left and was back on the highway, headed toward Reno, “because he doesn’t want anyone else to know about you. He wants to be young again and he’s figured out if your secret gets out, it might not happen because the government would take an active interest and once they got their hands on you, they’d be the ones eliminating anyone who knew what your blood can do, instead of Manny Wayne. Heck, he’d probably be the first person they eliminated.”