Chapter 49
Word got back to Sean and the others that a male had been found about five miles from where they were located. From the description that they got, it couldn’t be who they were looking for. But they had to go investigate. They spoke with Harrison for a moment and told him that they would keep him apprised of any new developments and he stated that he would as well.
When they got to the cabin, a local ranger came out to greet them. “How yo’all doin’. I’m Ranger Bob and I’m the one that phoned yo’all about what I discovered.”
Sean and Miller looked at each other for a moment and tried not to crack a grin. The man talking to them sounded a lot like a certain army private from an old television show from the fifties or sixties. "Hello Bob. I’m Chief Inspector O’Reilly and this is my assistant Sergeant Miller. What have you found?”
"Well Inspector, come with me. It’s easier if I just show you rather than try to explain.” At that, he turned and led them toward the cabin. When they approached, they thought that they heard a small child talking. When they went through the door, the smell was the first thing that they noticed. It hit them like a ton of bricks.
"Oh man” Miller spoke. “It smells like a fucking out house in here.” Miller pulled his handkerchief and put it over his nose and mouth. The smell of dead bodies never affected him the way that stale shit did. It was strange how things can affect different individuals. The heat in the room was stifling which made the smell that much worse.
O’Reilly looked about and noticed a person laying in the corner, covered with a blanket and seemingly talking to himself or an unseen visitor that only he could see. He approached and for a moment was taken aback by what he saw. There, laying under a wool blanket was Jake Caulder, babbling to no one in particular, but sounding a lot like a small child. His face looked like a map with roads going every which way from wounds that he had received from God only knew.
"What the hell? Was he like this when you found him?” Sean turned and asked the ranger.
"He was laying on the floor curled up in a tight ball. His wounds were as you see them. I just covered him with a blanket and called it in. The strangest thing when I got here other than he sounding like a small child was that there was a wolf stuck in the door with extensive trauma about the head. It looked like that fella there beat him with the leg of the table and stabbed it in its eye as well. I can’t figger how someone that is like a child could do that kind of injury to a wolf as large as that.” At that he pointed outside just past the door to where the biggest, gas bloated wolf lay that Sean had ever see.
"Holy shit” Sean stated. “That is one big son of a bitch of a wolf, for sure. I didn’t even notice it when we pulled up. My mind was on the case at hand and not on anything else. How did you manage to get inside if the wolf was blocking the door?”
"I managed to pry the boards off the window and climbed through. They were on so tight that it took everything I had to get them off. That poor bugger there was trapped inside this cabin with no way to get out. He wouldn’t have been able to remove them.” He pointed to Jake just to let Sean know whom he meant. “Then, I managed to shove the wolf out from inside and get the door open to air the place out. Smelled like an outhouse in here.”
"You did a good job here Bob. I’ll be sure to let your supervisor know. You’ve found the person that we’ve been searching for. He’s on the ten most wanted list of dangerous criminals.”
"Golly, Inspector, how could anyone in his state be a threat to anyone? Look at him. He couldn’t hurt a fly.”
"I don’t know what has happened to him to bring him to this condition, but I can assure you that he is a very dangerous man and is believed to have committed several recent murders as well as others dating back almost fifteen years ago.”
"Well you could have fooled me.” Bob said shaking his head and giving it a scratch at the same time.
The look on his face was almost comical and if the situation wasn’t so dire, Sean probably would have broken out laughing. But the point of the matter was, here was Jake Caulder, lying at his feet, and now he could get him incarcerated and taken off the street so that he couldn’t be a threat to any one again.
At that moment Jake turned and spoke. “Momma, Jakie loves you. I feel safe with you. Good night momma.” And with that, Jake fell back asleep.
Miller spoke to Sean. “What the fuck do you make of all this sir? What’s with the baby talk?”
"Beats me, son. We’ll get him back to civilization as quick as we can and let doctors have a look at him. He is either a very good actor or he has suffered some trauma that he doesn’t seem to be able to cope with.
"It must have been quite the ordeal back at the Taylor homestead from the look of his face. He may have gotten some of those cuts from branches in the woods, but a lot look like knife cuts and even animal bites. We’ll get him air lifted to hospital and get treatment started right away. Two guards will be posted at his door round the clock.
"Don’t forget that we’ll need a sample of his blood for DNA testing. I haven’t forgotten about that slime ball sheriff Higgins. I want there to be a match so that we can start to prosecute him for the rape of Maggie Caulder and the murder of her husband. In one way or another, he’s going to pay for setting those four goons after us.” Sean remembered the attack that Higgins orchestrated and spat on the floor.
"Yeah, I almost forgot about that shit head as well.” Miller concurred. “We’ll get on that straight away boss.”
Sean turned and thanked Bob once again. Then he and Miller went outside where O’Reilly called for air lift to transport their suspect out of there and start the process of determining if he was the one responsible for all the crimes that Sean thought he was guilty of. He hung up the phone and then punched in Inspector Harrison’s number from the card that he had given Sean.
"Inspector, O’Reilly here. Just wanted to let you know that we have our man in custody. You can shut down the man hunt. Thank all those that helped that they have my utmost gratitude.”
The line crackled for a moment and then Harrison spoke. “That’s great Chief Inspector. Glad to have been of service. If you’re in these parts again, drop by and we’ll go for a beer or something.”
"Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” He hung up and turned to Bob once more. “Again, our thanks to your efforts in this. It is most appreciated.”
“Aw shucks” Bob said. “It was nothin.” He stood there with a sheepish look on his face almost like a lost puppy.
It was too much for Sean and Miller to take. They both started to laugh until their sides ached. Bob stood there for a moment, gave his head another scratch and then he too started laughing. Sean thought to himself that Bob was just a good ol' boy with a heart of gold but one hell of an officer and he would be glad to have him on his team if he ever decided to quit his present job. Just then, they heard the sound of an approaching chopper. Sean and Miller again shook hands with Bob and then went to meet the incoming air craft.
"Sergeant, you drive the car to the hospital and meet me there. I’ll go with the chopper and stay with Caulder until we get the guard set up. I don’t want this little prick having a chance at escaping. I think he’s putting on an act but I can’t be sure.”
"Okay boss” Miller said “I’ll see you there.”
"Good, see you soon.” With that Sean got into the chopper after Jake had been loaded aboard and strapped in. After a moment, the helicopter took off, leaving Miller in its dust storm from the beating of the props. He got in the car and he too raised a cloud of dust as he sped away.
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