General Fiction posted May 16, 2024

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76 trombones in the great parade

A chapter in the book Right in the Eye

Right in the Eye, ch 24

by Wayne Fowler

In the last part a sniper shot at Ben, but missed. The two local gangsters stole a case of dynamite. It exploded in their motel room, killing them. A plan was hatched to hide Ben and Sylvia at a local resort, setting a trap for the bad guys. Slim and Mary joined Ben and Sylvia at the resort.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Two men wearing newly purchased fishing attire exited one of the cabins on the opposite side of the Rio Grande. They followed behind the four sunrise observers. The two, for no legitimate reason, carried trombone cases. The two took note of one of the men they were following carrying a rifle.

Ben nodded acceptance of Slim carrying his 30-30.

“Benji tired this morning?” Mary asked.

Sylvia, leading the dog with a leash, stopped to consider Benji’s behavior. “He does seem more interested in behind us than ahead, doesn’t he?”

The two following men stopped as well.

“Back in the Colorados, we were tuned to our critters’ senses pretty good,” Slim said, “Animal’s hearing and smell, and all. You watch where they watch, pay attention to their ears. Might save you from a mountain lion.”

“Or two-legged varmint,” Ben added. “Why don’t I take Benji and check out what might be getting his interest?” Ben said, reaching for Benji’s leash.

“I’d lend ya my 30-30, but I’m thinkin’ yer better armed with a Bible.”

Ben looked to Slim and then the women, “I am. A Bible and prayer.” Never once had Ben in all his years, spoken of killing the man in St Louis. Ben and Benji carefully made their way back down. All four heard Benji’s growling.

“But even David knew to take a sling when he went against Goliath,” Slim said. “Goliath and his sword and spear. Don’t suppose you two would wait here?” Slim looked at the women’s expressions. “Didn’t think so.” The three cautiously made their way down, following Ben just out of sight.

Benji’s growl became ferocious. Then he barked, assuming a sort of bird dog’s point.

Ben stopped beside the dog, watching. Slim and the women stopped as well.

Presently, the two gangsters dressed as fishermen rounded a bend, stopping when they saw Ben.

“You boys looking for your seventy-four friends in the big parade?” Ben asked, his subtle reference to The Music Man tune.

The two looked to one another, befuddled. Both of them looked back to see whether they were sufficiently out of sight of anyone at the resort. Satisfied that they were hidden, they spoke to each other in tones Ben couldn’t hear. From their actions, Ben figured they spoke of an exit route after doing what they’d come to do. Soon after their talk, they each kneeled, laying their trombone cases on the ground.

Benji’s charge startled Ben, causing the leash to slip from his hand. Benji covered the distance in the time it took for each of the two men to unsnap one of their trombone case latches. Benji chose the closer of the two to bite his hand as he attempted a second latch. As that man quickly flinched and drew back his pained and bleeding hand, Benji leaped to reward the other man with the same treatment as he attempted the third trombone case latch.

As the already-bitten man managed to get his case opened, the crack of rifle fire echoed from behind Ben. Slim’s shot, finding steel within the case, shattered, sending at least one bullet fragment into the gun owner’s leg, causing him to fall sideways to the ground.

The other man finally managed to shake Benji off, ripping skin in the doing. With his bleeding hand, he scooped up his trombone case. With his other hand, he helped his partner up, taking the time for him to scoop up the wreck of his gun and case. The four, by then all assembled, watched as the two clowned their way back toward their cabin. Benji proudly strutted to Sylvia for rewarding pats.

They all watched the two make their escape.

“Could still put one in the back of each one’s head,” Slim said.

Ben smiled. “No doubt you could, Slim. No doubt you could. No, if God wanted you to kill them, they would already be dead. You snapped off the shot he told you to.”

“Didn’t really think about the shot,” Slim agreed.

“Oh my, Ben! This is better than shooting headlights! But…” Sylvia was beginning to be anxious. “I mean … there are people over there. Down there fishing. In the restaurant, others will be coming out after the rifle shot…”

“Shouldn’t we go after those two?” Mary asked. “They’re dangerous!”

“They have guns, honey. Maybe sidearms, too. We don’t want a shootout with them cornered and us with only this rifle,” Slim said.

“We need to let God work, I think,” Ben added. “Let’s give them time to clear out, which they will as quick as they can.”

“Oh, look at the sunrise!” Mary exclaimed.

“It’s beautiful,” agreed the other three.

After rewarding Benji with rubs and pets, Ben suggested they get to where they could see the walking bridge across the Rio Grande.

“Prob’ly a bad idea to cross it until we see those two get to where they’re headed,” Slim said.

That very moment they could hear the two as they stumbled their way over the wooden planks.

“I’ll run on ahead an’ try ta see if they still have their trombones, or if they’re high-tailin’ it, or what,” Slim said.

“Be careful,” Ben warned. “You’re a bit old to be running.”

All four laughed.

+++

It was mid-morning before Detective Albion arrived to get their statements. “Nothing from any hospital or clinic in Alamosa, Pagosa, Durango… If they made it to I-25, it would be harder to find ‘em. My guess is that they took care of the dog bites individually, one at one facility, the leg injury at another. Less conspicuous. They probably didn’t do anything but wrap the leg ‘til they got outta state. Or, they might be in Denver where their social club has a doctor on some sort of retainer, some doctor who … well, never mind. Bottom line, they’re gone, but we’re searching the room. The state boys are going through it now.

“Shot their trombone, did you, Slim?” Albion wasn’t smiling.

The two couples all smiled anyway.

“Way I see this, the Outfit sees a huge negative cash flow. The whole mess not worth one whore… prostitute, and one low-level pimp set-up. Or to the contrary, they take umbrage at the insult, afraid that if word got out, they’d appear weak and vulnerable.

“With burning your house in California down…” At this Albion nodded toward Ben. “… and sending two teams out here, it’s public enough that without a couple heads to mount on a wall somewhere, they would look bad. And that’s not to speak of the pride of the four already de-nutted. Sorry ladies.”

“So we can go back home?” Sylvia asked.

“Well, I really would hate to say yes, and then you all… Let’s just say, I don’t know. Tonight might be safe, but they could have people from Denver here this afternoon. Or more from New Jersey, or wherever tomorrow, or the next day. Los Cerrillos is looking pretty good to me.”

The four exchanged glances.

“Mary, the town looks out for you pretty well, as I remember.”

“Better now that you-know-who doesn’t come around anymore,” she replied.

Detective Albion grimaced and nodded.

Ben wondered why Albion avoided how anyone knew of their hiding at Antlers.

“Well, then… I hate to admit that the state of Colorado can’t protect you, but we really can’t. Your dog and quick shooting saved the day today, but…”

“How about another day of dominoes, tomorrow’s sunrise, and then off to Cerrillos after tomorrow’s breakfast?”

All agreed.

“Ben and I will just run over to my place to pack a few more things,” Sylvia said.

“I’ll follow you over, let the boys over there know what’s up. I’ll stop in and tell Sheriff Tate first,” Albion said.

+++

“Only thing that bothers me,” Ben said to Sylvia in the car to her place, “is how I’m leaving God out of our decisions. We’re making plans without asking first.”

Sylvia didn’t say anything, unversed in the practice of asking God anything at all. Finally, she asked, “Doesn’t God expect you to use your best judgment, take advice from expert authorities?”

“He does,” Ben replied. “But not to neglect him altogether.”

“I don’t see you ever doing that.”

“Still yet. Would you mind packing my things while I spend time on the back porch?”

Sylvia smiled as she glanced toward him, just as she pulled into her driveway. Neither thought it odd that there didn’t seem to be anyone there, or that Albion was not behind them.

Ben called the sheriff’s office using the number taped to the phone. “… Yeah, ask him to run by Sylvia’s place, would you? … Uh, yes. This is Ben Persons.”

Ben had barely begun praying, not yet through with praise and thanksgiving for all God had done for them recently when he was interrupted by Detective Albion. “Oh, sorry. I heard talking, thought you were both out here.”

“Just me and God,” Ben said, his smile not returned.

From far behind the house, two undercover officers came running up toward the house, their guns drawn. Albion nodded toward them. “Must be shift change.”

Benji came from Sylvia’s side, barking and snarling, looking from Albion to the backyard, and then to the driveway where the sheriff was just pulling in.

“Okay, then. I’ll be off, have to get the findings from the cabin search and finish my report.” Albion was out of the house before Sheriff Tate entered. Looking out the window, Ben saw a brief exchange between the two.

“Morning, folks,” the sheriff said. “I got your message, Mr. Persons, lucky I was just outside. Them the state boys out back?” The sheriff wrinkled his brow at them. “Haven’t seen those two before. But, can’t know everybody. Still…” The sheriff walked to the back door, opening it to greet the two men who seemed more interested in what went on inside than out back.

Neither Ben nor Sylvia heard the mumbled exchange between them.

“Everything all right then? I see you have a suitcase. Everything calmed down out to The Antlers?”

“Yes Sheriff, we won’t go to Cerrillos until tomorrow.”

“Oh? Sounds like a good idea. The same contact number as before?”

“Yes, Sheriff. And be sure to thank all your volunteers for us.”

“I’ll sure do that. Watch yourselves, now.”

“We will, Sheriff. And thanks again.”

Ben gestured for the sheriff to leave, which he was in process of.

“Just gonna say a word to the two out back,” Ben said. “And I’ll be ready to go. I’ll carry the bags.”

“I can get one of them,” Sylvia said, taking it out to her car, the suitcase in one hand and her Remington in the other.

“Hello, men. I’m Ben Persons. You gentlemen State, or County?”

Both shot nearly unseen glances to one another. “County,” they said in unison.

Ben nodded. After thanking them and telling them that they were leaving, they did.

Ben pondered their bizarre response.

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Ben P. Persons: 81-year-old son of Ben Persons
Sylvia Adams: grand-daughter of Livvy and William Ferlonson
Isaac Fisher: FBI Agent
Donald Albion: Colorado State Trooper detective
Sheriff Tate: sheriff of Creede and Mineral County, Colorado
Slim Goldman (Herschell Diddleknopper): miner who Ben (senior) rescued in 1886
Mary Diddleknopper: Slim's wife, great granddaughter of LouAnne (Slim's girlfriend from the1870s)

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76 trombones in the great parade

A chapter in the book Right in the Eye

Right in the Eye, ch 24

by Wayne Fowler

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