Chapter 92
Albert tided the old man’s hands and forced him into the back seat of the car then climbed in alongside him.
The daughter’s resentful eyes pieced through my soul as I forced her into the car.
“Get behind the wheel and drive,” I said as I pointed my Lugar at Jane’s head.
As Jane drove south on route 66 towards the Carlsbad cave, I could’t help but observe her natural beauty. Her long blond hear and deep blue eyes only aspirated my aguish over the loss of my own poor child.
Jane drove two miles pass the entrance of the national park till we came to a secret entrance. We followed an old railroad track for two miles until we came upon a large boulder. Mr. Dubinsky bound and gagged Jane as I cumbersomely maneuvered by wheelchair over the tedious territory. Albert dragged the old man and Jane until I came upon the foot of the mountain.
“The entrance is beyond that bolder,” the old man insisted.
Albert strong muscular build pushed the rock aside and reveal an eight foot hole in the wall.
Carefully I followed as Albert dragged Jane and Donald into the dark abyss. The smell of sulfur drifted from deep within the cave as we travel slowly toward a faint light. The cave soon opened up to a large chamber. We stared in amazement at hundreds of stalagmites Throughout the dimly lit cave. The cave's natural beauty filled our souls with ecstasy.
“This way,” Jane said as she followed the map through a maze of caves. We soon came upon the bat cave where several hundred bats slept awaiting till dusk to feed. Then we entered a large cave called the great giant were large stalagmites tower from floor to high in the ceiling.
Loud voices from the tourist and children reverberate off the great walls of limestone as we approached our destiny. The feeling of adrenaline and enthusiasm spread quickly among us as we followed the map into a room name the chocolate room. We then followed a maze of corridors that went on for a mile.
“According to the map we have to follow this path till we get to a natural limestone chamber,” Jane insisted as she read the map in the dimly lit cave.
We soon came upon a large cave named the big room. The vastness of the cave was amazing. We gazed in wonderment upon a cave that was the size of the super dome.
The map lead us to a small passage only four feet wide. “The treasure is in that small cave,” the old man uttered.
I cast my eyes towards the small opening and said, “Albert take Mr. Walker into the small cave a retrieved our treasure. I’ll stay here with Jane.”
While I am waited for Albert to return with our treasure, I cast my eyes on Jane’s beautiful face. Despite her tears, she was a stunning young women that reminded me of my daughter. Memories of my daughter’s innocent and jovial smile swirled though my heart as a smile adorned my face. Suddenly I was full of dread as my thoughts drifted back to the day my daughter died. Sorrow and bitterness swelled in my soul as I mourned my daughters death again.
Unpronounced to me, Jane picked up a rock and smashed it upon my head. I quickly became dazed and confused as Jane struggled for my gun. Suddenly I heard a gunshot echo throughout the vast cave. I soon realized that a bullet from my gun pieced her flesh. Regret quickly spread through my heart as I tried to comprehended what had happened. I climbed off my chair and crawled in the dirt towards her side. I turned Jane over and saw that she was shot in the chest. A plethora of emotion swirled in my soul as tears streamed down Jane’s beautiful face. Chaos erupted in the cave as another shot echoed in the great cave. Panic stricken tourist ran from the cave as I watched Jane slowly bleed to death.
Smoked still swirled from Albert’s gun as he ran back toward me and screamed, “Are you all right sir?” As Albert helped me back into my chair, he noticed that I was covered in blood.
“It’s all right Albert, it’s not my blood. An unsuspected tear trickled down my face as I gazed at Jane’s body strewn across the floor of the cave. Anguish besieged my heart as I mourned the passing of a young, innocent girl. I gazed up at Albert and inquired, “What happen to Donald?”
“He is dead, he triad to escape, so I shot him.”
“Did you find anything in the small cave?” “No, the old man lied to us. The only thing I found in the cave was three shotguns and several pistols. He lured us here so he could retrieve the guns from the cave and kill us. Before he died the old man confessed that Jeff Anderson removed the remaining treasure from the safe deposit box six month ago. The old man died before he could tell me where the senator hid the treasure.”
Albert hastily pushed my wheelchair back to the car. As Jane’s body faded into the darkness of the cave, I slowly sank into depression and self-pity. I suddenly found myself reminiscing about the similarities between Jane Walker and my sweet departed daughter Nicole.
The sting of betrayal crept back into my heart as I uttered, “It looks like I will need more leverage if I am going to forced the senator to reveal the true whereabouts of the treasure. Why don't you pick up the Senator’s girlfriend, Penelope Baggins. I am sure that my old friend will quickly divulge the whereabouts of the treasure when I threaten to kill his lover.”