CHAPTER 13 The Underground Railroad
It was several hours later when the investigators got back together at the police station. Adam was excited when he entered the office.
“Mac, a good portion of the old records were in the vault here at the PD, and they answered some of my questions. I also received a telegraph from Baton Rouge. It seems that Stewart Baker escaped from prison 18 months ago with the help of an unknown man and woman. He was found 4 months later in Shreveport, and was killed in a gunfight with authorities. The man and woman were never captured or identified, but get this; Stewart had one son and one daughter.”
“Yeah, my cousins, Colton and Denise.” Toney injected. “What have they got to do with this?”
“Do you know their whereabouts now?” Mac asked.
Toney again spoke up, “ my Mom says her sister, Nola, hasn’t seen them in about two years. My Aunt Nola told my Mom that Colton and Denise were very disturbed. They blamed Doc and Inez for their dad being in prison. They thought he was innocent, and he may have been. A man was arrested a few months later for raping and killing a 15 year old in the same area, but he could never be tied to Charity‘s murder.”
“What about the fact that Stewart was killed in a gunfight with police?” Mac wondered.
“That was strange too. It seems there was no weapon on Stewart when the body was recovered. It was just assumed that whoever was with him took the weapon.”
The investigators went back to the Baker Home to look for a clue of some kind in the underground cellar and the tunnel. The suspect list seemed to be growing and few were being eliminated.
The cellar was dark and damp. There were quite a few footprints in the soft earth, and most either came from or led to the tunnel.
Mac and Bobby followed the drainage ditch at the end of the tunnel to the river’s edge. They could see marks in the earth where it appeared a boat had been dragged up the shore. As they looked around, Bobby heard a voice.
“Mr. Policeman.”
It was a familiar voice. Bobby then realized it was Earl, the older black man who lived beside the tracks near Mumford Street. Bobby and Wally had talked with him a couple of days ago.
“Hey Earl. What are you doing way down here?” Bobby asked, looking at the fishing rod he was carrying. “Jest tryin’ to get me some cats for supper. Did you Fellers find out who kilt Miz Baker? She was a nice lady.” Earl mumbled.
“No, Earl, not yet. We were checking out the old underground railroad cellar and tunnel.” Bobby replied.
“Have you’uns checked the other tunnel and cellar? Earl again mumbled.
Bobby looked at Mac, “No, Earl. We haven’t. Where does that tunnel come out?”
“Up there around the bend of the river.” Earl pointed in the direction. “I wuz down here jest the other day and ol’ Doc, he come down here too. He give me two bits and told me to go over to May’s and tell ‘em he sent me. He didn’t want me to have to scrounge around out here in the swamp trying to find some food.”
Mac and Bobby went up the riverbank and around the bend and started looking for the entrance to the tunnel, Earl had mentioned.
“It’s over here.” A voice said again.
Bobby looked back and there was Earl again, standing next to a large brush pile. He pulled the brush back slightly and Bobby could see the darkness of the entrance, behind the brush.
It was obvious where someone had been going in and out of the tunnel. Mac and Bobby followed the tunnel until it opened up into the cellar. The room was not as large as the other. Leaned up against the wall directly across from the tunnel entrance was a ladder leading up to the back of the blacksmith shop.
To the left Bobby saw a door. He and Mac drew their weapons, approached the door. Opening the door quickly, both reacted at the same time. Doc Baker, and Kara, bound and gagged, barely alive were lying on the ground.
Mac and Bobby quickly holstered their weapons, and began to untie the two. Both were dehydrated, weak and unable to even stand. Mac stayed with them while Bobby ran to get help and bring back water.
“Doc, how long have you been here?” Mac asked. “Doc. Can you talk to me Doc?” He was delirious leading Mac to suspect he had been drugged. Kara was only semi-conscious and unable to speak either.
Finally, Doc reached up and grasped Mac’s arm. He began to try to speak, but was unintelligible.
“Slow down Doc. Try to speak slowly.” Mac directed. Doc struggled but began to utter a few words.
“Kill us.” Doc strained to say. “Kill us.” He said again. “She wants kill us.”
‘She’ Mac thought. “ She who, Doc? Who is she? Who is trying to kill you?”
Doc lost consciousness at that point. Mac heard a noise coming from the tunnel. He reached for his hand gun, and quietly eased back into a dark corner. Someone emerged from the tunnel. It was Earl.
“Earl.” Mac called out, startling Earl. “What are you doing in here?”
“I jest walked in here. I was wanting to see what you was doing. I seen that there other feller run out and go back towards the house. I jest…” Earl stopped in mid-sentence. “Oh my God, is that Doc and Ms. Kara?”
“Yeah, it is Earl. When did you say you saw Doc and he gave you money to buy supper?” Mac inquired.
“That was a couple of days ago, yeah, two days ago.” Earl said. “Are they dead?” He wanted to know.
“No, Earl, just real bad shape. I think they have been drugged.” Mac offered.
Earl took a flask from his back pocket, took the cap off and gulped a drink. “Want a drink, Buddy?” Earl asked Mac.
“No, thanks Earl, I don’t think I need any whiskey right now.”
“That ain’t whiskey, it’s just water. I don’t drink no whiskey no more…” And while he was still talking Mac was reaching for the flask of water. He removed the cap from the flask and tossed it aside. He then poured a very small amout on Doc’s lips. He began to lick his lips and in a moment opened his eyes. Mac gave him a small drink of water. Doc struggled wanting more water.
“Easy Doc , easy. We got to do it a little at a time.” Mac then moved over to Kara, wetting her lips with the water. She didn’t react.
Moving back over to Doc , He gave him a little bigger drink. He moved to Kara again, this time he opened her lips slightly and poured a very small amount of water , then almost like massaging her cheeks, he moved the water around in her mouth so it would be absorbed.
Doc was now getting a little more active, so Mac gave him a little larger drink. Mac heard a noise in the tunnel again, only this time he heard voices, and he recognized Bobby and Toney. They rushed to Mac, each one carrying a bucket of water and a long handled ladle. Doc was now sitting up slightly. He reached and grabbed the ladle, drinking down more water.
For the first time, Kara began to stir and opened her eyes. Her reaction and the fear in her eyes was a horrifying sight.
“It’s okay Ms. Kara. It’s Okay now.” Mac tried to assure her, then he turned his attention to Doc. “Doc, you said she tried to kill you. Who was trying to kill you?”
Kara’s fear seemed to increase when Mac asked the question.
Doc looked very nervous also, then he said, “she was, the Bokor. The priestess was trying to kill us.
“The priestess?” Mac repeated.
“Yeah, the Priestess Desiree.” Doc said.
Earl’s eyes then widened also, “ She was here. It had to be her. Covered with a cloak and a hood over her head.”
“When Earl, when was she here?” Bobby asked.
“Jest awhile ago. Jest afore I come in the tunnel.”
“ We have got to get out of here.” Mac ordered “She knows we are in here, all of us. Bobby and Mac helped Doc to his feet and started toward the tunnel. Toney helped Kara up and then put her over his shoulder. He gave Earl a push toward the tunnel and he followed, carrying Kara. As they reached the entry of the tunnel, Toney heard a noise. He saw the trap door above the ladder leading to the blacksmith shop open and something was thrown to the floor of the cavern. Toney’s heart sped up when he saw the sparks from the burning fuse on the dynamite.
“Run! “ Toney yelled. “Run. Dynamite. Run Earl.”
As he called Earl’s name, a loud explosion filled the cave, and progressed to the tunnel. It caused the cavern to begin to collapse, then the earth and rocks of the roof of the tunnel began to fall, slowly at first, then at a rapid pace. The strong concussion and the forceful rush of air out of the tunnel opening literally picked up Toney, Kara, and Earl, throwing them out the tunnel’s entrance.
A large cloud of thick, dry, dust, belched from the opening, covering everyone. Toney couldn’t see, he couldn’t hear, he couldn’t breathe. His mind wondered if this was the way his life would end. He heard his name.
“Toney. Toney. Where are you? Are you okay?
When Toney finally got a small breath of air he began to cough and choke. Just enough noise for Bobby to hear him, find him, and drag him to fresh air. Mac found Earl and dragged him to where Toney was lying. Doc was sitting there also. As the cloud began to clear a little, Bobby found Kara. She was not breathing. After a moment she began to cough.
Mac helped Toney down the river bank and into the water where he could wash the dust from his eyes, mouth, and nose and re-hydrate himself. The others were helped down to the river also.