“What seems to be the problem?” Teddy asked after Chase hung up the phone.
“I’m not sure there is a problem. I mean, Mr. Harris didn’t sound mad, but he said he needs to speak to us in person.”
“So it’s something important, then? Something he doesn’t want to discuss over the phone?”
Chase scratched the top of his head. “Yeah, I guess. Anyway, let’s go. We can’t say no to our bread and butter. Not now, not ever.”
“Yep, I’m ready to roll. We’ll fill up the van, grab a couple of sandwiches and sodas at the gas station, and hit the highway.”
If they left immediately, the brothers would make it to Augusta by five o’clock give or take a half hour depending on traffic. Mr. Harris wasn’t expecting them to arrive before six. That would give them extra time in case anything went to shit before they reached the city limits.
They filled the van with gas and bought sandwiches and snacks for the road, a six-pack of soda, and a bag of ice to keep their beverages cold in the cooler. With Chase behind the wheel, they were on their way and heading north by two thirty.
The next hour was filled with talk of their daydreams and plans—and music. Teddy passed a second soda to his brother and cracked a can open for himself. He glanced out the side mirror then spun in his seat. “Are you speeding?”
Chase looked at the speedometer. “Shit. I guess I was. Why?”
“Look out your side mirror. There’s a highway patrol car coming up on us pretty fast.”
Chase glanced out and cursed. “Damn it. We don’t have time for this shit.”
“That’s it? That’s what you’re worried about? What about the ropes and eye bolts set up in the back? What about the bloody tarp that we haven’t tossed yet? What about the bag with duct tape, zip ties, and gags in it? We’re screwed, Chase.” Teddy looked at the mirror again. “He just turned on his red and blues. You’ll have to pull over. There’s no way we can outrun him in this van.” Teddy opened the console and pulled out the knife.
Chase’s head nearly snapped off his neck. “What are you going to do with that?”
“Nothing unless I absolutely have to.”
Gravel crunched under the van’s tires as Chase pulled to the shoulder and set his flashers. They waited, likely while the cop ran the plates.
Chase looked through the mirror. “Stay calm. He’s getting out and coming to your side, Teddy. Lower your window and hide that knife.”
Teddy slipped the knife into the door pocket. As long as the brothers stayed cool, apologized, and accepted the speeding ticket, they should be on their way within ten minutes. If not, all hell would break loose.
Teddy watched through the mirror as the trooper walked to his door.
“Afternoon, gentlemen.”
They nodded.
“Driver’s license and registration, please.”
Chase pulled his license from his wallet, and Teddy rifled through the glove box for the registration, then Teddy handed both to the officer.
“In a hurry to get somewhere?”
Chase took the reins. “Not really, sir. We’re just enjoying the ride and listening to the radio. I’ll admit, I wasn’t watching the speedometer. My bad.”
“I clocked you at ninety-two miles an hour. Where are you headed?”
“To Macon, where I live. Just went down to Savannah for a few days to visit my brother here, then he decided to come back with me for a while.”
The trooper frowned. “This highway doesn’t go to Macon.”
“Sorry. I should have said we were going to visit cousins in Swainsboro first and then cut over to Macon.” Chase gave the trooper his best smile.
“What’s in the back?”
Teddy answered quickly. “Nothing, sir.”
“No suitcases?”
Teddy stammered. “Um.”
“I’ll need both of you to step out of the vehicle.”
With lightning speed, Teddy plunged the knife into the trooper’s throat. He grabbed the officer’s shirt so he would remain against the vehicle. Blood sprayed Teddy’s face and the side of the van. There was no way to hide that.
“Open the sliding door! Hurry. We have to toss his ass inside, restrain him, and then pull off the highway onto some back road.”
Chase jumped over the seat and yanked open the door. He removed the gun from the officer’s holster and ripped the radio from his shoulder. He handed both to Teddy, then together, they secured the trooper to the ropes.
“I think he’s good for now,” Teddy said. “He’ll be dead in a minute from blood loss.” He looked back and saw there wasn’t anyone coming. Teddy wiped his face on his sleeve the best he could, put on the trooper’s hat, and grabbed the door handle. “Get going and turn off as soon as you can. I’ll be right behind you.” He leapt out of the van and ran back to the police car. He peeled out behind Chase and followed him several miles down the highway until he saw the van’s right blinker turn on.
Finally. Now to find a place to ditch this police car, rip out the camera, and get the rest of that damn blood off me and the van.
Teddy followed closely as Chase got deeper and deeper into the back country. Several miles in, the roads turned from paved to gravel. That was a good sign, and hopefully, they would find an overgrown road with no indication it had been used by anyone. Chase slowed, and his brake lights flashed. He backed up until his window was alongside the police car. Teddy lowered the driver’s window, making sure to press the button with his sleeve.
“What’s up?”
Chase pointed. “That looks like a good spot. Pull in there and go as far as you can. That’s where we’ll leave the car.”
Teddy turned right and drove in. Tangles of overgrown bushes and tree limbs scraped the sides of the trooper’s car. He was sure they didn’t have a lot of time to screw around. Police vehicles usually had tracking devices on them, and sooner or later, the car would be located. They needed to take the cameras, wipe down the car, and get the hell out of Dodge.
Chase followed in the van until Teddy stopped. They exited both vehicles with little room to move among the brush.
“Let’s toss his ass in the trunk and wipe the blood off the van with some of the melted ice,” Chase said.
“Wait. We can’t throw away a perfect opportunity.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning, let’s gut the guy. He’s dead anyway, and why waste perfectly good organs? We have ice, and we can cut Mr. Harris a smoking good deal. He’ll thank us for our generosity.”
Chase shook his head. “How much time do you think we have? Shit, we don’t even have a change of clothes in the van.”
“Take off everything down to your skivvies. That way, you won’t get blood on your clothes. We’ll take what we have time to take then toss his remains in the brush. The animals will finish him off in no time.”
“Okay, but we have to hurry.”
Chase untied the trooper and placed him flat on the tarp they’d used for LeAnn. Teddy ripped the camera out of the car and wiped down everything he’d touched. He threw the keys into the brush then went to help Chase.
With the trooper lying naked in the back of the van, Teddy and Chase got busy. Using his knife, Teddy cut through the trooper’s chest and opened his rib cage, where the valuables were located.
He jerked his head at Chase. “Take those sodas out of the cooler then grab the baggies and foil from the supply box.” Teddy carefully removed the heart and lungs then the liver and kidneys. That was all they needed. After the organs were put in plastic bags, wrapped in foil, and placed on ice, Teddy dipped the trooper’s shirt into the cooler to soak up the water, washed his face with it, then cleaned the side of the van.
They carried the trooper’s hollow body into the brush and tossed it as far as they could.
“Look around. Make sure you have all his clothes and belongings, every camera inside the car and out, the radio, and anything from the car that could lead back to us. You got rid of the keys, right?”
“Yep, they’re gone.”
Chase scanned the area. “Okay, put everything except his phone, badge, and wallet in that tarp and roll it up. We’ll throw it in a dumpster somewhere in Augusta. The rest of the stuff will be tossed one piece at a time in different spots. Right now, we’ve got to get back on track. We have one hour before Mr. Harris expects us to be there.”