Cemetery Club

Chapter 22

Andrew was floating on a cloud of fog. His mind couldn't quite grasp how he could do this considering his size.

"What is this place?" he asked himself silently.

"Where am I and what am I doing here?"

Just as quickly as the fog had appeared it left and now Andrew was walking along a path by a stream. The rapidity of this change affected Andrew by making him anxious and he was starting to get angry. But how can you be angry in such a serene setting? He didn't know how he had gotten here but Andrew knew he needed to find someone who could help him get home. He was still lost.

"Someone?" he thought. "Dad, mom?"

*****

Jeff knew he had heard Andrew moan as he got out of the van but he checked for a pulse anyway. Finding a fairly strong pulse and hearing Andrew moan again, Jeff started trying to figure out how to get his large son into the van. Picking him up while unconscious was not going to happen. He was going to have to get him conscious for at least a bit. Just how to do that was the problem.

*****

Walking along the path was so peaceful not so long ago. Where had all of these people came from? They were being pushy and crowding the pathway. People bumping and pushing and getting in his face. Suddenly Andrew was pushed from behind and plunged head first into the stream.

*****

The only thing Jeff could think of was to douse his son in the face with some water. Maybe that would bring him around long enough to help with the task of getting him in the van. When he threw the water in Andrew's face his son looked as if he was trying to swim. Sputtering and slapping at imaginary waves Andrew came out from under the cloud of unconsciousness. He looked at Jeff and recognizing his dad, put his arms around his neck and burst into tears.

"Everything is fine now son. We have to get you in the van and leave before the police happen by. Do you think you can help me get you into the van?"

Andrew nodded affirmatively and pushed himself upright. Still a little wobbly from the hit to his head, Andrew drunkenly tried to walk to the van. Jeff quickly got beside him and helped him the rest of the way. As he slipped back into unconsciousness, Andrew felt safe and secure back with his family. Where had the urge to hurt them come from? Were his parents the ones pushing him in his dream?

*****

The phone number kept going to voice mail. This had to be at least the thirtieth time Glenda had tried it only to get the same result. Evidently they didn't leave it on all the time.

"Any luck searching the area news papers?" she asked.

Blanco and Toby just shook their heads as they continued to scan them for the ad.

"Either they have left this area or they are laying low for now." replied Blanco.

"I'm voting for laying low. They came very close to being caught the last two times."

"Yeah but someone has a need for whatever they are killing for and I'm betting they will need it sooner rather than later. They will come up for air soon and we are going to be there to catch them."

"That's the last of the newspapers," Toby said. "Now what?"

Blanco sat silently for a moment then said, "Let's call all of these area newspapers and ask that they cooperate with us on this case."

"How would they do that?" asked Toby.

"By having their ad representatives report when or if someone presents them with an ad with this wording or something close. Then they would get word to us and we just might get lucky."

"That just might work," said Glenda.

"Man I hope so," said Toby, "These people have to be stopped before they do this to someone else."

*****

Jeff looked in the rear view mirror at his son sprawled out across the bench seat of the van. He hoped the blow he had taken to his head wasn't serious.

"Look at this." Marie said.

Jeff looked where Marie was indicating and saw the blinking red light of their 'callback/cancel' phone. He grabbed it like it was going to get away and looked at the screen. Thirty five missed calls? Who was calling this phone? They didn't have a current ad and the last one was almost a week old. The only people who had this number were dead! The answer to the question of 'who' couldn't have a good answer. Jeff was not sure what to do about this development. As he was pondering the possibilities, the phone began to vibrate.