Classmate Murders, Bob Moats [classic children's novels TXT] 📗

it?"

"Davey, I'm sneaking out of this stinking place tonight. There's a bar in New Baltimore that I can get to, want to meet there? I may not even come back here, it sucks. We could just run off together."

I whispered in her ear not to over do it.

He paused, thinking I guess, then said it sounded like a winner. He asked the name of the bar. She told him what we told her. She said she'd be there by 9 P.M. and would be wearing her sexiest outfit. I could almost hear him drool. Idiot. He said he'd be there and hung up. Cindy looked at us and we decided to go scout out the bar for best attack. I asked Luther to round up four of his best men, with their bikes, and follow us to the bar.

We headed down 23 Mile Road and arrived at the "Bore's Head" bar, scaring half the people in the parking lot, when the hot rods and motorcycles roared in. We parked off to the side and Buck, Luther and I scouted out the lot. Deacon sat in his patrol car across the street, in a restaurant parking lot, waiting for us to signal him to ride to the rescue. We figured on grabbing Davey while in the lot, so not to endanger any patrons inside the bar. We had Cindy stand out front and the rest of us just milled about the lot where most people were starting to party, before heading in the place.

It got to be 9:00 and we waited, no sign of Davey. Buck and I sat in his van and watched the road for the black Bonneville, Luther was hanging off his Harley about 20 feet from Cindy, talking to Boon.

It was now 9:30 and I was beginning to feel uneasy. We waited another 15 minutes, then I said to Buck, "Something's wrong. He should be here by now." He agreed.

I called Deacon on his cell phone and told him Buck and I were going back to his place and check. He said he'd continue watching here in case Davey still showed up. Buck went to Luther and told him our plan. We left the parking lot and headed back to Buck's.

We pulled into Buck's drive and got out, there was no one in front and it was way too quiet, I started to worry. We drew our guns and slowly went around back. There was no one there either. We went up to the back door and I looked in the window. I could see the people we left, sitting on the floor in the living room, feet and hands tied.

"Shit!" I yelled and yanked open the door and ran to the room. Everyone was tied and gagged, I pulled a gag out of Mouse's mouth and she cried, "They got Penny!"

My heart stopped. I got on my cell and called Deacon telling him to get the hell back here and bring everyone with him, Penny was taken.

Buck and I untied the eight people in the room and I started grilling Mouse. She said, “they were all in the back except Missy and Frank, they were up front. We saw a man and a woman come around the house with guns pointed at Missy and Frank's heads, saying they kill them if anyone moved. The woman told Penny to get over by her, Penny said not to hurt anyone. She seemed to know the guy, as she was scolding him for all this, and how could he do what he did. The guy told her to shut up and he grabbed Penny and pointed the gun at her head. They ordered us all into the house and the guy pulled out some rope he had, in a pack on his back. He ordered Frank to tie everyone and then he tied Frank. They left and you guys showed up.”

I asked how long ago, she said not long, about 20 minutes. Deacon and Luther came flying in and we filled them on the details. I asked Frank if he saw the car they came in, he said a black Bonneville. Luther told the men to get on their bikes and spread out to see if they could spot them. He said to Boon to hit the freeway toward Detroit and call if he sees them. They all headed out.

My heart was in my throat and I was having trouble breathing. I felt like someone ripped off both my arms and I couldn't do anything. I had let her down.

*

Chapter Seventeen


Deacon got on his radio and reported a kidnapping to the county Sheriff’s, and New Baltimore police, and to put an all points bulletin out. He called Trapper from his cell phone, I was in no mood to talk, and reported to him. I could almost hear Trapper yelling in the phone at Deacon's ear, he moved it back. Deacon knew I was hurting, so when Trapper wanted to talk to me, Deacon said I was out somewhere.

I sat at the dining table, my mind was spinning, Buck sat across from me, knowing nothing he could say would do any good.

I had to pull myself together, I had to find Penny. I looked at Buck and said, "They want to make their little film so they won't kill her right off. The police got their video equipment from the cabin, so they would have to buy new equipment or steal it. Where would they go to tape it?"

My mind went blank again, nothing coming out that would help. I took a breath and let it out, "OK, let's do this by steps, first, they need a place to tape. Second, they need the equipment. Third, and this is the thing that scares me, they would have to force Penny to confess and apologize for what the cheerleaders did. I'm afraid that Penny won't cooperate with them, and they would have to hurt her. She'd fight them all the way."

Luther came in and said he put the word out to all the Harley riders he knew, and said they'd spread the word to others to be on the look out for the car. He said it was a big network, in an hour, every hog hopper in the state would be watching.

I thanked him and went back to thinking. I couldn't, my mind was just so filled with the thought of harm coming to Penny. Buck could see I was on the edge.

He finally spoke, "Jimmy, stop beating yourself up. It happened and there's no one to blame, least of all yourself! Can you just get yourself back into finding her now. This is serious and we will need to stay focused, time doesn't wait, man."

I looked at him and got angry, not at Buck, but Waters and Morgan. The anger was welling up in me and I had to do something. "OK, let's put our heads together and work it out."

Boon ran in and said someone from the Warren Chapter Harley Riders called in saying a black '98 Bonneville was seen on I-696, around Van Dyke Avenue, heading west. They said there was a man and woman in the car, but didn't see anyone else. They're relaying between hogs following the car. Buck and I jumped up and we went out, I started heading to my car, Buck yelled to follow him. He went to the garage, off to the side, and he pulled open the door, and told me to get in, pointing to his souped up T-Bird. Deacon yelled that he would run blocker with sirens and lights, he radioed the sighting and reported he was in route. We sped out 23 Mile Road to I-94 and down the freeway until we hit the junction for I-696 and headed west. Luther and most of his men were keeping up with us on their hogs. It must have been a sight for drivers as we were roaring past, cop car in front, followed by classic cars and then bikers. The last call from the Warren riders was that they lost sight of the car between I-75 and Woodward.

We continued out, it was now about 11 P.M. and traffic was thankfully light, we made good time. All the way, I kept wondering why they were heading that way, what was out there. I watched the scenery flashing by and realized I had seen this twice now when we went to Penny's studio, for her show.

I yelled, "Of course!" startling Buck, "They are going to the TV station. Morgan worked there and has a passcard and there's plenty of equipment to finish their video. It has to be where they're going!" I called Deacon on his cell and told him my thought. He said he'd head that way and that he would call Trapper about our progress. About three more miles down the road, traffic started to back up. We had already passed the last exit and were in the walled section of I-696, the concrete ditch as it was called, no way out. Deacon carefully went up on the shoulder, followed by us, and rode down to where a tractor trailer semi- truck hauling dirt, was over turned. It was completely across the freeway from side to side. Deacon got out and found the truck driver, we came up behind him.

"Fucking black car was weaving in front of me, then the bastards started shooting at my front tires and my windshield. Hell, I hit the brakes and the whole damn truck just jack-knifed and went over. I'm lucky I'm alive and didn't kill anyone else. Son of a bitch!" The truck driver was furious.

Someone had called the Oak Park police as they came down the shoulder stopping behind our caravan. They didn't look happy, but Deacon told them about Waters and where we were heading, until this happened. They helped get traffic over and Deacon and I got in his patrol car, Buck in his car and while the bikers helped directed traffic, we drove the wrong way back on the I-696 shoulder, to the last exit off Woodward Avenue. Driving up the on ramp scaring the hell out of motorists, we spun around onto Woodward and then headed back to the service drive along I-696. We got to an overpass that took us over to 10 Mile Road and out past Greenfield Road toward Southfield. The TV station was on 10 Mile so we got there shortly after. At night, there would be just a skeleton crew and a few news and weather people hanging around the building.

We pulled up to the guard shack and it was empty. Deacon got out of the car, went over to push the button to raise the gate and found the guard dead on the floor of the booth. He raised the gate and got on his radio and called the Southfield police to report the murder and our reason for being there. We drove in and parked up front. The lobby was closed and the doors were locked. Buck just said fuck it and pulled out his .38 and blasted the glass in the door, shattering it. Deacon just stood looking at him, saying "nice play, grace".

"What, you wanted to wait for a locksmith?" He went through the door, followed by me and Deacon.

From the lobby I had no idea where we were going, so we just headed down the hall and kept a watch for movement. Just as we got to