from the Listening Hills (Ss) (2004) (16 page)

"If you get paid. To pay you Dolan must make money. He's broke now, and he won't win any more games. I think, Moran, you'd better listen to what I have to say."

"I wouldn't think of leaving Pop," Flash said quietly. "I'm not a college boy. I came off a cow ranch to the Marines. After the Marines, where I played some football in training, Pop found me and gave me all the real coaching I had, so I owe a lot to him."

"Of course," Cramp smiled, then he leaned forward, "but you owe something to yourself, too. You haven't long, no man has, in professional football. You have to get what you can when you can get it. Pop's through. We know that, and you must realize it yourself. You can't help him."

"I'm not a rat. If the ship sinks I'll go down with it."

"Very noble. But impractical. And," Cramp leaned forward again, "it isn't as if you would have to leave Dolan."

Flash straightened. "Just what do you mean?"

"My friend, we are businessmen. I want the professional championship. You would be infinitely more valuable on Dolan's team than on mine--if you were on my payroll, too."

"You mean--?" Flash's face was tight, his eyes hard.

"That you play badly? Certainly not! You play your best game, until, shall we say, the critical moment. Then, perhaps a fumble, a bad kick--you understand?" Cramp smiled smoothly.

Flash pushed back his chair, then he leaned forward. "I understand very well. You're not a sportsman, you're a crook! I not only won't do your dirty work, but I'll see nobody else does!"

Cramp's eyes were deadly. "Those were hard words, Moran. Reconsider when your temper cools, and my offer stands. For two days only. Then--watch yourself!"

Moran wheeled and walked out. He was mad, and mad clear through, yet underneath his anger there was a cool, hardheaded reasoning that told him this was something Dolan couldn't buck. Dolan was honest. Cramp had the money to spend...if Flash wouldn't cooperate, there were others.

There was Hagan, who needed money. Hagan who could fail to open a hole, who could let a tackler by him, who could run too slowly and block out one of his own players. Would Butch do it? Flash shook his head. He wouldn't--usually. Now his wife was ill and he was broke as they all were....

Higgins? He would stand by. Most of the others would, too. Flash walked back to his room, and lay down on the bed. He did not even open his eyes when Higgins came in, undressed, and turned in.

DOLAN MET HIM in the coffee shop for breakfast. He looked bad, dark circles under his eyes, and he showed lack of sleep. Tom Higgins was with him, so was Ken Martin. Ken, looking tall and bronzed and strong, beside him, Micky.

Flash felt a sharp pang. He was in love with Micky Dolan. He had never deceived himself about that. Yet it was always the handsome Martin who was with her, always the sharp-looking former All-American.

"Well, it's happened!" Pop said suddenly. "Cramp raided me yesterday. He got Wilson and Krakoff."

Moran felt himself go sick. Krakoff was their big center. He had been with the team for three years. None of them were working under contract this year, not in the strictest sense. Pop leaned over backwards in being fair. Any agreement could be terminated if the player wished. Krakoff at twenty-two was a power in the line. Wilson had been a substitute back, but a good one. They had been shorthanded before this happened.

Martin looked at Flash thoughtfully. "Didn't I see you going off the field with Rossaro?"

Moran looked up and said quietly, "Rossaro met me with an offer to drive me home. When we got up to dinner, Cramp was there. He made me an offer."

Micky was looking at him, her eyes very steady. "I told him nothing doing."

Ken Martin was still staring at him. So was Micky, but neither of them said a word.

IT WASN'T UNTIL they met the Shippers on Friday that the extent of the damage was visible. The Shippers were big and rough. Dolan's Tigers had beaten them a month before in a hard-fought game, but hadn't beaten them decisively. Now it was different.

Jalkan, the big Shipper fullback, carried the ball through the middle on the first play. He went right through where Krakoff had stopped him cold a month before. He went for five yards then Higgins nailed him.

They lined up, and Jalkan came right through again for four yards. Then on a fake, Duffy got away for fourteen, and the Shippers really began to march. They rolled down the field and nothing the Tigers could do would stop them. Duffy got away again and made twenty yards around end before Moran angled downfield and hit him hard on the eight yard line.

But it was only a momentary setback, for Jalkan came through the middle again, nearly wrecking Burgess, a husky Tiger guard, in the process. He was downed by Martin on the two yard line, but went over on the next play.

Then they repeated. Duffy got in the clear and took a pass from Jalkan and made twenty yards before he was doomed by Martin. The Tigers lined up and began to battle, but they weren't clicking. Even Flash, fighting with everything he had, could see that. Krakoff had left a big hole at center, a hole that Worth, the substitute, could never begin to fill. Burgess, the right guard, was badly hurt. They were working him, deliberately, it seemed to Moran. The center of the line was awfully soft.

At the half, the score was twenty to nothing, and the team trooped into the dressing room, tired and battered. Burgess had taken a fearful beating. Dolan looked at him, and shook his head. "No use you going out there again, Bud," he said. "We'll let Noble go in."

Ken Martin looked up, and then his eyes shifted to Flash. They all knew what that meant. Noble was big and strong, but he was slower than Burgess. That hole at center was going to be awfully weak.

"We'll be taking the kick," Dolan said simply, "let's get that ball and get on down the field."

MORAN TOOK THE kick and started down the field. Every yard counted now, and he was making time. He was crossing their own forty yard line when Jalkan cut in toward him. He cross-stepped quickly, in an effort to get away, and smacked into a heavy shoulder. Thrown off balance he was knocked squarely into Jalkan's path and the big Shipper hit him like a piledriver with a thud they could hear high in the stands.

Rolling over and over, Flash was suddenly stopped when the pile-up came. He got slowly to his feet, badly shaken. Martin stared at him. "What did you run into me for? You could have gotten away from Jalkan!"

"What?" Puzzled, he stared at Martin. Then he noticed Butch Hagan looking at him queerly. Frowning, he trotted back into position. Higgins called for twenty-two, and that meant Flash was to go around the end for a pass, and he went fast. He got down the field, saw Ken drop back with the ball, and then it came whistling over!

He glanced over his shoulder and saw with wild panic that he was never going to make it. It was leading him too much. Hurling every ounce of speed he had, he threw himself at the ball, missed, it hit the ground and was recovered by the Shipper tailback.

Schaumberg, the rangy Tiger end, glanced at him. "What's the matter?" he asked sharply. "Cramp got to you, too?"

His answer froze on his lips. Hot words would do no good at this time. He started to reply, but Schaumberg was trotting away. His head down, Flash rounded into position. He noticed Higgins glance at him, and Ken Martin was smiling cynically.

THE TIGERS KEPT trying. They made two first downs through the big Shipper wall with Ken Martin's twelve-yard reverse sparking the drive. Then a Shipper end spilled through and squelched a spinner, and the Tigers had to kick.

Higgins toed the ball into the corner, and it didn't bounce out.

Duffy fell back as if for a kick, but the Shipper's Jalkan took the ball and powered it through for five yards. They continued to feed him the pigskin for three downs, and he ran the ball back out of danger.

Then Duffy got loose. The flashy Irishman got into the secondary, and he was running like Red Grange. When Flash drove for him he met a stiffarm that dropped him in his tracks. Duffy was away and going fast. He was a wizard on his feet, anyway, and today he was running as if possessed.

Ken Martin cut down the field heading for him, but Duffy had a hidden burst of speed, and he pulled the trigger on it and cut back across the field, Martin swerved, lost distance, gained, and then made a dive that left his arms empty and Duffy went across the goal line standing up.

IT WAS SHEER murder. Duffy was playing way over his head, and Jalkan seemed to have more drive than normal. Against the weakened Tiger line even less worthy opponents would have had a field day; as it was, Jalkan pulverized them, and Duffy kept the backfield in a dither.

Then, with four minutes to go, Flash got away and Martin dropped back for a pass. The ball came over like a bullet, and Flash glimpsed it, then let his legs out. He was in an open field and there wasn't a man between him and the goal posts. The ball was leading him, he ran like a madman, stretched and got his fingertips on it, almost had it, then it eeled from his fingers and dropped, hitting the ground. Pounding feet warned him, and with a frantic dive he made a recovery.

When the pile untangled he got up slowly. Schaumberg stared at him, but said nothing. Makin, a Shipper end, stood looking at him and then said, "We don't need any help. We can win it without you."

Flash froze. Then he wheeled and started for Makin. Somebody yelled, and Makin said, "All right, come an' get it!" He threw a right. Flash slipped it, and smashed him in the ribs with his own. A left caught him over the eye, but it bounced off the padding of his helmet, and then he was jerked back and the referee was yelling at him. "Cut it out or get off the field!"

Without a word he pulled himself free and walked back. Tom Higgins took the ball and went through tackle for three, then Martin for two, and then Higgins took it over for their only score of the game.

Slowly, Flash started for the dressing rooms. Higgins was limping. As if it hadn't been enough to lose Wilson and Krakoff, now Burgess and Higgins were both hurt. He started toward Schaumberg, but the big German deliberately walked away from him, and Moran stopped.

Pop Dolan was standing by the door with Micky. His face was pale. Ken Martin was talking to him, then Martin shrugged and walked into the dressing room. Flash stopped.

Micky looked at him, her eyes scornful. "Well," she said, "you probably earnedyour money!"

Moran felt himself turn sick inside. He turned to her. "What makes you say that?" he demanded. "I do my best!"

"Do you?" she inquired. "But for whom? Dad, or Lon Cramp?"

Moran stared at them, pale and helpless. Even Pop suspected him. "What are you thinking of me?" he burst out. "Men have missed taking passes before!"

"After talking with Cramp?" Micky demanded. "And you, Moran, you who were supposed to be so grateful! You, who never missed a pass!"

For a moment, he stared at them, and then he turned and walked inside. There was dead silence when he came in, and he walked across to his locker and began to strip. He didn't even bother to shower, just dressed, and no one spoke, no one said a word.

MICKY AND POP had gone when he got outside. He walked slowly across the street and got into his car. Rossaro was leaning against it, waiting for him. "See how it goes when you don't play ball?" The smaller man arched an eyebrow and sauntered off and Flash watched him go.

Just what, he asked himself suddenly, had Rossaro meant by that? Those passes....But that would mean that Ken Martin was taking a payoff from Cramp. And Ken was going to marry Micky Dolan. It didn't make sense. Even from a selfish standpoint, it would be much better to marry Micky if Pop owned a successful club.

On the inspiration of a moment, he swung his coupe into a side street and turned it to face the highway. Who had Rossaro been waiting for?

He had only to wait a minute. Rossaro came by in the big black car, and there were two men in the backseat with him. Who they were he couldn't make out. He waited what seemed a full minute, then swung out and began to follow them. Up the drive and down the street toward the Parkway. Suddenly they turned sharp left and went down a street that led toward the country. He fell back a little further, puzzled, but alert.

The black car swung off the highway and took to the woods. He waited an instant, then followed. Ahead of him, the car was stopped. Hastily, he swung his own car into a side road and got out.

He was almost up to the black car when he heard a slight noise. He moved forward, through the brush, and then he saw Rossaro. The Italian was turning, then recognition caused a sneer to curl his lips. "Well, Moran! I guess you asked for it. Take him boys!"

Flash tried to turn, then something slugged him, and he staggered. In staggering, he turned. The man he was facing was Makin. Something slammed over his head with terrific force and he fell, tumbling away into an awful, cushiony blackness that smelled strangely of damp earth and pine needles.

WHEN HE OPENED his eyes it was dark. His head was one great throbbing burst of pain. He got his hands under him and pushed up, then lifted to his knees. He could see the dim marks of a dirt road, and then, overhead, the stars. He got shakily to his feet.

It came back, slowly. He had followed Rossaro to see who was with him. They must have guessed who he was, or known, and had turned off and led him into this trap. Makin had been one of them, and they had hit him. When he was facing them, Rossaro must have stepped up and hit him on the head.