On The Lamb Part 1

Chapter 165

On The Lamb

Part 1

Why is it that bad people always getting away with things long before they get caught and go to prison? I was a good kid and I didn’t do drugs or run with the wrong crowd yet I was a wanted man, more so then my friends. They were on the list because of association.

Yet once again we were being chased, hunted down like wild animals. I knew the moment they would find us we wouldn’t live long. Not after what we had accused Crawford and Gloria of doing even though most of it was true.

You heard things like if we disappeared or killed meant there would be no witness to bring down Crawford’s and his followers. No one said anything regarding why now, knowing the most likely answer was. They were waiting for a chance like this one to get too us, no parents, no one barricades to interference except a few guards on the property. They naturalized them once, so why couldn’t they do so again?

Adam and Jake quickly moved the dresser and the entertainment system in front of the door while the girl quickly grabbed robes for all of us, having Jeff show up at the right moment scaring the hell out me and Jared telling us that cops weren’t coming and our parents wouldn’t be here in time to help. The alarm went silent and so did the power. Jeff said move it.

Jared quickly emptied a pillowcase and in one sweep stuffed all our pills and medicines inside it. While I told Adam and the girls that we needed to leave before they break through the deadbolts using sort of machine, hearing the one in charge growling. “Come out, come out little Peggy’s. I am going to enjoy listening to you scream. No one’s coming to save your bacon this time.” I heard the machine roar to life.  Jeff pointed to the window and said he’ll hold them off as long as he can.

Jake busted the window with a blanket to help muffle the sound not that they could hear it over the noise of the saw. Jake quickly ripped one of the sheets and tied it to Sparky’s collar. We didn’t have time to dress other than a bathrobe as we quickly dove out the window.

Jake was about to go around to the side of the house until I stopped him telling him Jeff said there are two guys standing in the driveway, which meant the cars were useless. I asked Jeff if he could knock them out as he did with Gloria, he shook his head no, telling us it taking everything he's got just being in three places. I asked him to explain, but he said. “Kido just do what you are told. We can talk later once we get the hell out of here.”

Adam and Jake quickly placed mine and Jared’s arms around them and while Samantha pulled Sparky a long. As Christy carried the pillowcase that held our shoes, medicine and stats kit with a list of phone numbers in case of an emergency. What I would have given for a cell phone back then?

Jeff led us towards the trees staying in the shadows. We had to stop every so often just so Jake and Adam could adjust us, more like drag us along after our legs and feet gave out. I pointed towards the top of the lot where the big hill started to go up towards the mountain, Jeff telling me that was where the fence ends.

The moment we entered the trees and the bushes we heard shouting behind us and something that sounded like a shotgun. I thought we were goners when the bullet hit the tree instead of us. Jeff pushing us to hurry as the men shouting to each other to fan out and make sure they catch us this time or Crawford will have their heads on a silver platter. Telling them we couldn’t go far with to boys on their death beds and without our wheelchairs. Jeff refused to let us stop instead he told me and Jared to ride piggyback on Jake and Adam.

Jake said. “Man bro, you're heavier then you look.”

I said. “Giddy up horsey and stop complaining.” Hearing the guns go off again further into the trees where we were a moment ago. Jeff cursed and said to keep moving said he’ll try to cover or trail. Again I was about to ask, but the gunshots started to get closer. Sparky needed no reason to pull us along as he tucked his tail between his legs and whimpered. I heard some yell. “Damn it. I lost the trail give me a god damn second to see where they are going.”

Someone shouted. “There,” and the gun fired in the opposite direction. Jake saw where I was pointing seeing a break in the fence between the hill and the fence. It was going to be a very tight fit but doable; but only if we dug and climbed over it.

Christy threw the pillowcase over the fence so Jake and Adam could lift her and her sister Samantha over, watching the girls land safely on their feet. While Sparky fitted though without any problem being such a small little dog.

The gunshots were getting closer as Jeff looked tired as if he had run ten miles. I knew he must be doing something that took everything he got to keep us safe. There was no time to ask what as we journeyed further away from the fence with the moon being our only light seeing the men not far behind searching with flashlights.

I knew they were having trouble as they cussed about the flashlights going off every so often every time they shown the light in our direction as we duck behind some trees and bushes as we take a much-needed rest, keeping Sparky from barking, hearing the one in charge ordering to find us, and then men yelling back. “We are Donaldson, but if you haven’t noticed its black as night, we can barely see out here. What makes you so sure they went this way in the first place with two boys that can’t walk, and naked as the day they are born?”

I was able to see the man called Donaldson, but not his face as it was covered with paint as I have seen on Rambo, but what caught my eye was the tattoo on his right arm that looked like a cobra. His voice though sounded familiar.

The second man arguing that the nurse at our doctor office must have been lying as well as Shawn and Arthur telling them the last time they saw us we weren’t as hurt as we appeared to be. Another man said the one that must have been Donaldson. “Makes no difference, not when the whole God damn world has seen them and their backs and accusing our boss and that woman he’s been shaking up with did it; turning some of our loyal patriots against us and Crawford.

“No the only way this ends boys if we catch those Rothwell boys and make them disappear once and for all,” Jeff told us to make a run for it quickly and quietly further into trees and foliage about another mile or so. Then make our way south until we reach the closest neighborhood or a gas station, and call for help.

He vanished before we made the mile hearing the men going in the opposite direction back towards the fence line and the property, convinced that we didn’t come this direction or they would have found our trail or seen any sign of us. It seemed like forever before for we found a gas station. Where they had just started a new subdivision, I could still feel Jeff telling us to stay together.

When I asked through our link if our parents are coming to find us, he didn’t answer my question instead he said he working on the situation, but they are being difficult. He sounds stressed and a little bit angry, and I understood because it was hard to believe a dead person telling them to do something

Dotty was the only one in their group that could see Jeff, but seeing him and talking to him are two different things. Ma could see him but she seldom could communicate with him. Then there was our nurse Sara who wasn’t with them, but with my younger brothers and the Vincent boys. I had no idea about my other adult friends like Bishop Sakes and Bishop Lanwall, knowing Bishop Earl was too far away to help me at the moment.

Jeff was right, we were pretty much on our own, and it bothered me. Besides having them go back without a swat team would be suicide, and what were they going to tell them a ghost said we were in trouble. Hell, I didn’t even have my watch questioning if that was a good thing or a bad thing, because we couldn’t trust the cops at the moment, not knowing who we could trust.

The moment we reached the gas station we all went inside, wearing nothing but a bathrobe, filthy dirty from head to toe. Covered in mud, dirt, and leaves; didn’t go very well with the store clerk. Plus having a dog with us tied to ripped bed sheet and Christy carrying a pillowcase. Jake said putting me down that we needed to use a phone. He was about to say call the police, but I stopped him the moment Jeff said not to. Reminding me when the alarm went off that someone must have told them it was a false alarm. Again I wanted to ask a question, but Jeff refused to answer.

Christy and Samantha worked their girlish charms on the store clerk showing him enough cleavage to turn any man to putty in their hands. He handed them the phone and asked the store clerk where the nearest bathroom was. Telling Jake and Adam to take Jared and I get us cleaned up. As Samantha explained why we looked the way we did spinning a wild tale about burglars breaking into their house and nobody was home as they were having a nice time in the hot tub.

By the time we had cleaned up, Christy said she managed to get hold of Mr. Vincent’s Gardner; and he be here in a jiffy. She frowned hearing me coughing my lungs out and hearing and seeing my teeth chatter. They knew it was getting worse and had been during the last hour or so even Jared wasn’t doing much better.

Yet there was very little we could do about it as we ran for our lives. Christy opened the pillowcase as we waited inside the store in the storage room, to keep ourselves from prying eyes; opening the stats kit fumbling for the thermometers and placed them in our mouths.

Sending Samantha for something too drink for the pills and some hot water for the tea that’s supposed help with the cough, hearing her explain to the store clerk that her brothers were very sick. And their parents went out to a meeting at the school. The clerk was very nice and understanding as he brought her a first aid kit to help with some of our cuts and scratches, found a blanket in the office for us. He smiled when both the girls kissed him on the cheek. Like I said putty in their hands.

 It wasn’t long before Hank West; Gloria’s ex-husband pulled in to the gas station one look was all it took, as he heard me coughing and my teeth chattering and seeing us covered in dirt and mud. He gave the clerk a crisp hundred dollar bill for his trouble and a second one to keep his mouth shut if anyone comes looking for us, including the police.

Once we were in the car Christy quickly explained what had happened. He said he had driven by the place seeing armed guards and none of them were Mr. Vincent’s and the gate looked like it had been hit by a tank, which did nothing for our worries about what could have happened if our parents came home.  He didn’t take us to his place instead he took us to a hotel and told the girls to run us bath while he hunts down our parents. Telling us not to answer the door for any reason unless they give them password (brown speckled moss.) Then put Jared and I too bed, and handing them a couple of small pouches and telling them to mix them in hot water. Said should make us a little drowsy and bring down the fever quickly.

Jared and I didn’t hesitate as we both felt that same feeling that he was a man to be trusted. Again I wondered what made him a candidate. Like I said not everyone I got that feeling from could see Jeff or communicate with him. It was nearly three hours before Mom and Dad arrived with Mr. and Mr. Vincent. Once inside things happened so fast I could barely keep up.

Sara was there within minutes after Mom and Dad had arrived and so were my Grandmother and my Mother. Arguing what was best for me, making the obvious conclusions that we couldn’t go back to the Vincent’s, and neither could we go home or my mother’s house or my grandmother’s house; even though they were pushing it.

Dad ended it stating if they know where my mother lived they knew where my grandmother lived as well. My mother brought up the Cranny’s and everyone shouted. No. then the arguing started all over again until Hank gave a loud whistle stating he had an idea where Jared and I could go and nobody would be able to find us. He said Jared and I could go to the nudist colony after Dad suggested it. Being so far away that no one would think to look there,

Mom argued. “What about school?”

Sara said. “The hell with school, they will be lucky to even go by next week, you heard the doctor, they be lucky if they even saw school until after the long break.” Yet that wasn’t what she was wondering about, she was wondering about the Vincent boys and our two younger brothers. Dad and Mr. Vincent they would find a solution, but right now they needed to get to a safe place.

Hank whistled again as the arguing started all over again. He said. “I have the perfect place. I have a friend that has a cabin up toward Heber City in the mountains. It’s a five-hour drive or so, but it’s doable. The place is empty due to the winter coming on and he only uses it during the summer months and over Christmas Break when his children aren’t in school. It has enough room for three large families of 5 or 6. Providing children all share a room or a bed.”

Grandma frowned. “That leaves me out,” and my mother was trying to decide, but Grandma reminded her that she still had her own family to worry about, that I belonged to the Rothwell’s. I knew it hurt her feelings, but Mr. Vincent said it would be better if she went home as well as my grandmother, because they could be watching their houses if I showed up there. Dad made a compromise telling her they would find a way for her to see me and reminded her that school will be out for UEA and the deer hunt which was nearly entire week where she could spend that week with me.

Grandma put her arm around her and said. “It's better this way Linda, we both knows he’s going to be fine, besides he’s too damn stubborn to die. He’s safer with them then he would be with you and you know it.”

Dad said that I would call her and my grandmother once they know they are safe. Mr. Vincent suggested that if I did it would be better if they were either on a pay phone or one of their friend’s houses. In case Crawford had their phones were being, bugged. Not knowing who to trust at the moment.

Sara remind silent as she checked mine and Jared’s temperature, Dad asked how bad it was seeing her frown and hearing my teeth chatter as my cough worsened, she said. “Not good. I don’t think a five-hour drive would be such a good idea. They needed to be in bed and I needed to do a blood test to confirm if it is just the flu or if the poison isn’t gone yet. It will take a few hours for me to gather the things I am going to need and to run the tests.”

Mr. Vincent said. “Not a problem I’ll see if I can arrange some transportation, and gather some supplies.”

Sara nodded and she opened her purse and pulled out the two packets that she had prepared for my mother and my grandmother. And emptied them into two glass of hot water and made the tea she been having me drink and gave it to me and Jared. Mom and Grandma kissed me and Jared good night as if she was kissing us goodbye as the tears flowed down their cheeks. I was out in a matter of minutes as the words started to feel distant and garbled as I entered dreamland where Jeff was waiting for me.

He called me over as we drifted through the clouds and feeling the soft green grass under my feet. I looked up and we were standing in front of the Rothwell’s house, he said. “I need to show you something,” I nodded as I followed him. We walked around outside of the house near Shawn and Arthur’s bedroom windows. He pointed to the cement footing that the house sat on. Taking his finger and touched the siding as it dissolved the moment he touched it.

I followed his finger as saw four wires, Jeff explained that what I was looking at was a phone line. He said someone had placed this here and it wasn’t the phone company noticing one of the wires looked newer than the other three. I followed the line until it went down to Shawn’s window, at first I didn’t see anything then there was a small crack so small at first glance you would have missed it.

The line went inside the crack and looked like someone had filled it in to blend in with the cement. The crack and the line went down into the ground. Jeff told me the line had gone down into the window well and into a small hole just below the window itself.

He touched me on the shoulder and in a blink of an eye, we were standing in Shawn’s room. It held the basics. A twin bed, dresser, and closet with doors that looked like they had been punched or kicked in with several holes and so did the walls, it smelled like urine and the walls were stained with it.

Jeff pointed to the wall having me look close, there it was… a man-made crack filled in that if you weren’t looking for it you’d miss it. It went all the way down to the floor inside along the wall, where the cement met the floor and the wall into a small corner where there was a floor drain, or used to be a floor drain as I pulled back the carpet and the pad, finding the line with a telephone connection at the end.

Jeff said this is how Shawn was able to listen in on all conversation and call out without anyone knowing about it. I wanted to say “no da,” but instead it made me angry. Jeff said when I wake I needed to tell my Dad about it and tell him he needs to move Shawn and Arthur quickly from the group home. Or Crawford will get his hands on them before the nights over, he plans to use them to force the Rothwell’s to give me and my brothers up.

I knew Mom and Dad and I knew if push came to shove they’d do anything to prevent Crawford from killing them, I questioned if Mom and Dad would give me up to save their family, which was most likely.

Even though the idea made me all warm and fuzzy inside thinking of them killing Shawn and Arthur, I couldn’t let that happen, our family had been through enough. So I promised Jeff I would do it, he promised me the time would come when the Rothwell’s will be forced to make that hard choice. Like all criminals and sexual predators they always recommit the crime, thinking they got away with it once they can do it again.

Arthur will end up in long care faculty and Shawn will most likely go to prison for sexually abusing another boy. Twice he has been caught at school and each time he has gotten away with it. Arthur was just there along for the ride, letting Shawn overpowering him, and making him do it. The fact that he likes doing it said he no longer thinks it is wrong.

Jeff touched me on the head and I woke up instantly surprising Sara, She said. “What the hell are you doing awake my little man?”

I groaned seeing the needle in my arm attached to an IV and another medicine bag; with another needle, in my other arm as she was drawing blood. I noticed she had taken several vials with my name on it as well as Jared’s who was still out cold.

Normally I would have screamed and become a wild animal, because of my fondness of needles. However, I was getting used to being poked, she quickly finished and asked again why I was awake. I said. “Jeff woke me. Where’s Dad, I have something important to tell him?”

Dad heard me and rushed to my side. I asked for my glasses and a notebook. I said. “Dad I know how Shawn was listening in on our phone calls”

Dad said. “Yes, son we already know he used the one from your room.”

I shook my head and said. “No there’s another line in his room.” Dad looked at me and said. “He thought of that and he Mr. Vincent couldn’t find one other than the phone in his backpack,” I asked for the paper and something to draw with. Dad gave me the hotel pad and pen with their name on it, I said. “Jeff showed me this in a dream,” that got his attention. I drew a house, not a good drawing because it looked like a five-year-old drew it.

I said. “If you go to the side of the house where Shawn and Arthur’s bedroom windows are, and lift up the house paneling near the cement footing you’ll find an extra line there that is newer then the rest and attached to another line like some sort of patch. Follow it all the way down to Shawn’s window. Look for a crack in the cement using a wire brush you will see the line stuffed inside and pasted over, and then it will go all the way down into the window well on the right side and just under the window.

“When you go inside the room take the wire brush and scrape the wall to expose the crack and trace it all the way down to the floor and long its edges until it goes into a floor drain under the carpet and the mat. That’s where you’ll find the connection.” Dad looked at the drawing and me for several seconds, wondering if he should believe me or not, I said. “What do have too loose Dad in looking?”

Dad nodded and was about to put on his jacket. I said. “Jeff also said that you needed to move Shawn and Arthur in the next couple of hours. Crawford is about to take them and use them for ransom to get you to give me and my brothers up or kill them. Then work his way down to each of my friends, until he has me and my brothers. You can’t go to the police because he has them in his pocket, one of the reasons they didn’t respond to the alarm at Vincent’s house.

“In fact, the guy that was in charge of the raid his name is Donaldson and has a tattoo on his right arm that looks like a cobra. There’s more, but Jeff says he’ll explain more once we are safe. Which we are anything but safe, according to Jeff the hotel clerk has just given out our location, was paid with a large sum of cash and every hotel from here to Salt Lake City.” Jeff nodded to me and Sara. She confirmed it for me. Dad yelled for Lance outside the door and I heard a car peel out of the parking lot.