The Pale Man Rises

CHAPTER SEVENTY FIVE

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After the death of deputy Branch Sheriff Harper now told the pale man that the authorities were seeking out him and his group. "You must deliver me to the lake." the pale man said upon hearing this information. "Yes whatever you say, but we have to have a plan to get you past those who want to stop you. My Jeep is just ahead and we can use it for now. We will have to be careful though because they will be looking for us to return soon to report what we've found." Harper explained.

"We can not make plans out here on this road, we must go somewhere and consider this matter." the pale man said then. He turned to the cowering Jack and the child. "Take this one's clothes." he ordered Jack pointing to the corpse of deputy Branch. "Why–why do you want me to do that?" Jack asked in an insolent tone. "Do it!" the pale man demanded and his harsh words drove Jack to the snow sunken body where he stripped off its uniform and gun belt. Sheriff Harper snatched the gun belt from him. He withdrew the revolver from the holster placed it in the waist of his own belt and then tossed the length of the leather into the nearby woods.

Now the pale man forced Jack ahead of Harper and himself holding the uniform, including the damaged hat in one arm and the child draped over one shoulder. As they moved along Jack could hear the pale man and his newest slave whispering to each other in conspiracy. He heard them, but he could not discern their words, which were soft murmurs and the child's endless protestations blocked most of it.

They followed the tracks the sheriff and his deputy had made until they could see the red Jeep near the entrance of the road. As they approached it they could hear the static of the walkie-talkie and the voice of Police Chief Orville Townsend who was now the one trying to raise the two absent lawmen. After several minutes the voice of the chief would soon begin coming from the walkie-talkies they had left in the Jeep. But this effort also brought no response.

They entered the vehicle ignoring the calls from the police chief. The pale man sat in the rear behind Harper who had taken the wheel. He had the child with him holding her close. He put an arm around her as if she was a valuable treasure, and she was just that to the beast. Jack sat next to the Sheriff his fear mounting because he realized they were on the last leg of the monster's quest whatever that was.

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Suddenly in the distance they could hear the thundering of a helicopter's blades. "That must be the other federals coming from Fort Dillman." Harper said to his new master. The one at the police department said they were coming to help find you. They are in a helicopter so they can look for you from the air. They may even start looking right now. Since we haven't responded to their calls they may think we're in trouble." Harper explained. "Curse you humans!" the beast declared and for a brief moment he betrayed the fear growing in him. "We have to find a place to hide out until we decide what to do. We can't go back to the house though." Harper now said. "Very well, where shall we go then?" the pale man asked in a frustrated manner. "I'm not sure master, I'm not real familiar with this area." Harper said with regret.

Jack Rankin was inspired by the problem confronting them, he cleared his throat in a obvious way so as to interrupt them. Harper turned to him curiously. "Up ahead on the right there is a peach orchard. There's a road through it that leads to the rear of the rest home. We can probably hide out there." Jack offered. "Yes, yes I know of it." Harper said with a semblance of enthusiasm. He looked into the rear view mirror to the master who appeared as if he was some strange bewildered blind man who had no pupils in his blank eyes. He'd broken the sunglasses when the Sheriff had shot him and now had to continue on without them.

"We can go there and stay until we can come up with a plan." Harper said near apologetically. "Very well do it." the pale man said softly, but with increasing anger in his voice. So now the Sheriff managed to get the Jeep back onto Bent Man Road turned left and began to force it on down that snow-covered line of highway. The going was terrible as always the vehicle swerving and careening all over the road as the Sheriff battled, the bright, white inundation. And at last they came around a curve in the road and could see the utility road that went to the right onto the property of the rest home. The road was lined on either side by flanks of the fruit trees, which had no foliage at this time of the year and presently appeared to be as feeble as those folks inside the home who unknowingly awaited their arrival. And then once again the radio was alive with the voice of Chief Townsend.

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The rest home was a low brick affair that stretched long and rather large, to Sampson Road near its western expanse. When they came into the rear lot of the building they saw several snow covered vans. But the snow was absent from their light blue doors, which only revealed the rest home company logo emblazoned upon them.

They could see a long bay window on the left side of the building and on the right were a number of smaller vented ones, which stretched high above on the wall. The sheriff pulled up and parked the Jeep as best he could to the side of one of the vans there. A door that led into the rear of this extension of the building was close by the bay window.

They exited the Jeep and Harper struggled over to the bay window. He began clearing a spot and once he was done shielded his increasingly callous eyes and attempted to look into the structure. He could hear a television over in a corner with the broadcast of the "Today Show" just beginning. Looking about the room he spotted numerous pieces of furniture. There were couches, divans, easy chairs scattered all about, but he saw no one seated upon any of them.

Soon however, he did see perched on a large comfortable looking Ottoman an old man dressed in a blue flannel shirt and wearing wrinkled gray slacks. Harper tapped on the window and watched as the old man peered about confused by the noise and looking for its source. At last he determined it was coming from the window. He went to it pulling his glasses over his eyes as he did.

He could not make out who was tapping on the window. Surely it was not any of the rest home's residents since they had specific instructions not to venture outside with such devastating weather in progress. They also had standing orders not to open the door for anyone since that had always been the place where Norman Rankin had arrived when he had visited the place.

"Who are you?" he asked the vague image on the other side of the window. He could tell the person standing there was wearing what appeared to be a large cowboy hat. "Open the door!" the voice opposite him demanded. "Who are you?" the old man repeated the question. He knew this was the way old Rankin had come onto the property having been the target of his attacks and they had their orders not to open the door for anyone.

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"I'm the goddamn Sheriff of the county you old coot!" Harper cursed at him. The harsh words frightened the old man and he turned about and trotted as best he could out of the room to seek out the resident staff member to inform her of the sheriff's arrival.

The pale man and the others stood at the door and he was growing impatient with the waiting. He placed both of his hands about the door's grip and straining with his tremendous power pulled the barrier open ripping its lock apart rendering it useless. Daylight now was in full force the bright snow all about gleaming beneath the cover of the clouds. It was revolting the pale man.

The noise was terrifying and the old people streamed out of their rooms all along the corridor the old man had disappeared down. Most were still dressed in their pajamas as they mingled out and into the day room. They stood there shocked and scared at the vision of the four intruders who were now just inside the day room exit. Momentarily a woman dressed in a nurse's uniform pushed her way through the crowd accompanied by the perpetual early riser who had been in the room when the Sheriff had tapped on the window.

The woman had a determined and angry look on her face. She was in her fifties with long premature gray hair falling from her bare head. "See here, what are you doing?" she asked the trespassers. "Madam I am the Sheriff!" Harper declared to her. "That I can see sir, but it is no explanation for why you have burst into this home and frighten these gentle souls!" she snapped.

The pale man drew down his hidden eyes and studied the angry woman who stood protectively in front of the senior citizens who were gathered behind her like the young of some great animal mother who they depended on for their survival. And as the pale man studied her he began to devise a plan for what was ahead.