Captive Audiences

“Can I help you gentlemen?”

“Where’s the girl, Tilby?” Mayor Williams said. “She killed my boy. We want her.”

“Now slow down and calm down there, Mayor. In this county, she’s still innocent until proven guilty. And I’d appreciate it if you would call me Sheriff. I know you’re grieving, but that’s no reason for disrespect.”

One of the councilmen, the town’s banker, stepped forward and pressed a finger in to Tilby’s chest. “If we saw someone worth respecting, maybe we would, Tilby.”

Mayor Williams pulled the banker away from Tilby. “Now, now, Earl. Sheriff Tilby’s right. He’s a respectable man and we should treat him as such. Besides, that’s no way to talk to the man who will certainly be bringing my boy’s killer to justice.”

Tilby held up a hand to stop the mayor. “Well, now, Mayor, let’s not get ahead of ourselves and just assume anyone’s guilt. I’m beginning to think there’s more to your son’s death than a simple lover’s spat. Some psycho just blew up the Montalvo place, and almost took me with it.”

“Was that little murderer inside?” Tilby could sense the gleam of hope behind the mayor’s words.

“I don’t reckon so,” Tilby said. “My guess is she’s on her way out of the county by now. Probably half way to either Des Moines or the Ozarks by now.”

“Damn it, Sheriff,” another councilman said. “What the hell we paying you for?”

“Now don’t you worry, Nate,” Tilby said. “Even if she’s out of my jurisdiction I plan on getting to the bottom of Richie’s murder. Whether it was the Montalvo girl or not.”

The mayor moved within inches of Tilby. Tilby found himself less than intimidated as he looked down. The five and a half feet tall mayor barely came to Tilby’s broad chest.

“You better hope they catch that girl, Sheriff, or I’ll make sure you’re never able to find a job even as a goddamn security guard.”

“Is that a threat, Mayor?”

“You bet your ass it’s a threat.”

Tilby’s grim expression slowly turned to a smile. “Just as long as we’re clear on it, Mayor. Wouldn’t want to send any mixed signals, would we?” The mayor continued to glare up at him.

Tilby looked around the room at the five men. “Now if you gentlemen don’t mind, I’d like to confer with your officer before I head back out to look for the girl.”

Tilby pushed past the mayor and his cohorts. He headed in to the office of Tudor’s one and only policeman. He had suspected something was rotten in Tudor since this case began. He silently thanked the mayor and his friend for confirming it. And whether they liked it or not, he would find the truth.

*****

Iniri pulled in to a gas station on the outskirts of Knoxville. “Sprint car capital of the world!”, a sign proclaimed as they entered the town. Freedom didn’t really understand why any town would admit to such a thing, let alone display it proudly. Whatever the case, he didn’t particularly like stopping for any reason. He couldn’t really argue with the pointer on the dashboard aimed at “E”.

Iniri ran inside to pay as Freedom pumped the gas. As the total passed thirty dollars Freedom remembered why he so infrequently made his way by car. He couldn’t remember the last time, he’d kept thirty dollars to his name for more than several hours. Thankfully, Iniri seemed willing to assist with the budget. Well, not assist really, as she paid for everything.

The pump clicked to a stop at $36.48. Freedom put everything back in place as Iniri emerged with a pair of bottled waters and a bag of Doritos.

“To keep our energy up,” she said after climbing back in to the driver’s seat. “The guy inside said it would be a little over an hour before we made it to Tudor.” Iniri handed him the chips and started the car.

Freedom opened his water and took a drink as Iniri pulled the car out of the gas station. “Thanks, Iniri.”

“No big. It was on sale.”

“I didn’t mean for the water. Well, not just for the water. I mean for all of this. For helping me. For everything.”

“Oh come on, Freedom—”

“No, I’m serious. Back in New York, I fucked things up between us pretty well. You have every right in the world to hate me and to never speak to me again, but here you are treating me like nothing ever happened. Helping me to find a young girl whose life is in serious danger.”

“Freedom, you did mess up. And bad. Really bad. But our entire relationship was based on the fact I couldn’t read you in the first place. I set myself up for a fall and I realized that in hindsight.”

Freedom shook his head. “Don’t think that way. It was my fault from the moment I cheated to my attempt to hide if from you. Hell, the entire mess I got us both involved in wasn’t particularly conducive to a serious relationship.

“But believe me, Iniri, when I say that in everything I’ve done in the last five years, the thing I regret most was screwing up my time with you.”

Iniri nodded. “Thank you, Freedom. I still don’t know if I forgive you, but that means a lot. I don’t even think that psychopath hurt me the way those images of you with those girls did.”

She accelerated back up to sixty-five as they left Knoxville, heading due west. Freedom didn’t say anything for the remainder of the drive. Iniri concentrated on the road as Jan Mickelson continued his discussion of Iowa politics on the radio.

But Freedom couldn’t help but notice as Iniri continued to glance towards him again and again.

*****

Annabelle emerged from the scrubs and headed across the ramp over I-35. A car zoomed up the ramp, coming off the interstate. She tried not to flinch as it zoomed past her. She felt exposed on the road. As soon as it was past, she picked up her step. A moment later, she was across the bridge. She stepped down in to the nearly empty corn fields and made her way as far away from the road as possible. She silently prayed she could make it to the city without encountering another human being.

The first three men emerged from a bank of scrub brush only a few yards in front of her. Their brown and gray camouflage blended perfectly with the dry grass. The laser sights of their assault rifles came alive as they raised the weapons towards her.

She turned to run. The soldiers stumbled through the brush behind her. At least they want me alive, she thought. But why?

She made it eight paces before a pile of dirt and dust separated in the field. A man rose from beneath it, clad in bright red and white except for a large blue shield on his chest. He raised a submachine gun, also equipped with a laser sight, on her.

“Girl, I don’t plan on killing you,” he said. “But if I have to I’ll tear your legs in to shred. We’ve got a field medic that I’m sure could patch you up well enough to keep you alive.” He lowered his aim to her legs to reiterate his point.

Annabelle stood in the field, gasping for breath. She couldn’t understand it. How could they have found her?

The red, white, and blue soldier moved a few steps closer. “Hands behind your head, girl.”

Annabelle glanced from him to the other soldiers coming up behind her. She raised her hands.

Her captor smiled and waved his Uzi towards the ground. “On your knees now, Montalvo. Don’t make any other moves as you are approached from behind.

Annabelle dropped to her knees. She sobbed as the men behind her grabbed her arms.

Their commander smiled as he saw her tears. “Annabelle Montalvo, by the power vested in me by the people of the Free States of America, I arrest you for the murder of Richard Williams. Anything you say…”

Annabelle stopped listening as they handcuffed her and pulled her to her feet. All she wanted was the chance to bring Richie’s killer to justice. Now, she feared that she would be joining him all too soon.