The Tall Man: Chapter 1, 2 and 3

Calvin's parents had left to go to an office Halloween party across town. His older brother Trevor promised to take him Trick or Treating until eleven o'clock. His Werewolf costume he wore last Halloween was a little tight, but Calvin was determined to wear it anyway. Calvin pulled his Werewolf mask on with some effort. Staring into the mirror, he adjusted it enough to see through the openings. He let out a long howl as he made his way down the stairs. "Trevor, hurry up" he called out. His brother didn't answer, so Calvin said " I'm not waiting all night". Calvin grabbed his Trick or Treat bag, mumbling "see you later looser" as he went out the door to meet his friend Ricky.

Despite telling his parents that he wouldn't let his little brother Calvin out of his sight, Trevor had plans of his own. He had left twenty minutes earlier to pick up his girlfriend Melany, then drive to a Halloween party at Lincoln lake. He sure didn't want his little brother tagging along all night.

Ricky lived in an old musky Victorian house with his widowed mother Sarah. Their house was a block from the Lincoln cemetery, where he was waiting for Calvin in his Frankenstein costume. Ricky was a hyper kid who didn't like to wait around. He dialed Calvin's cell to see if he was on the way. Calvin answered and said "you got the stuff?" Ricky replied "what the hell do you think?" Calvin said "old man Williams will never know what hit him". Ricky laughed and said "hurry up you chump, I've been at the graveyard for five minutes already". Calvin started to jog as his mask slipped over his eyes. He said "I'll be there in a minute, just wait for me" and hung up the phone.

Calvin was still adjusting his mask when he notice the Tall Man blocking the sidewalk. Calvin growled "what's your problem old man?" as he turned to go around. The Tall Man reached out and grabbed Calvin by the neck. Within a few seconds, Calvin was in a choke hold being drug down a walkway towards an unlit house. Calvin fought back but was unable to breath, eventually overpowered by this assailant, he passed out just as he saw the front door opening.

The sound of his phone ringing woke Calvin up. He ripped off his mask and reached in his pocket to answer it. A horrific odor hit him as his feet pushed against what seemed to be a fence. It was Ricky calling, who said "are we going to do this or what?" Calvin replied "someone grabbed me and stuck me in their house, I think I'm in a cage!" Ricky replied "I'm calling the cops, where are you?" Calvin kicking at the cage door, then replied "I don't know, I was walking down Cedar Street and this old man got me in a choke hold, and then I passed out". Ricky said "I am coming to get you out of there, just leave your phone on and tell me when you hear the firecrackers". Ricky ran towards Cedar Street lighting a firecracker every other house. Calvin cried out "I hear it, I hear it, keep lighting them I think you're close".

Just then Calvin heard a door open and dim red light lit up the room. He turned off his phone and played like he was dead. He could see an operating table across the room with someone on it. The Tall Man came over to Calvin and looked in his cage. At that moment a firecracker went off outside the house, Calvin screamed "Ricky, I'm in here, I'm in here". The tall man opened the cage and pulled Calvin out by his hair. He hit Calvin with a right cross and Calvin fell silent to the floor.

Ricky was at the end of the block when he dialed Calvin's cell phone. It went to a message, over and over again. Ricky decided to call Trevor and see if this whole thing was a prank. Trevor didn't answer, Ricky walked back down Cedar Street yelling for Calvin. When he reached the end of the block he saw a police car approaching. After flagging the officer down and explaining how his friend was put in a cage inside a house on Cedar Street, the officer called for backup.Within minutes the whole police force was at the scene.

Ricky was still in the police car when he saw an old white van drive by. He noticed the driver smiled at him as it rounded the turn onto Broadway. Ricky screamed "that's him in the van, it's got to be". The officer replied in a dry voice "now calm down son, we will find your friend any minute now, calm down and just give me your home address, parents names?"

Ricky bolted from the car and began to chase the white van, leaving his mask along with the bag of firecrackers, eggs and toilet paper in the police car. The van was easily two blocks ahead, but Ricky kept running with his over sized boots. He ran another block before he tripped on a crack in the sidewalk, he tried to get back up, but he was too tired to go on. Crying now, he started off for his home that was three blocks away. He dialed Calvin every ten steps he walked, only to get a message each time.

Calvin awoke to the loud pounding of a hammer. He was being nailed inside a small box and couldn't move much at all. He screamed "let me out, I won't tell anyone." The pounding continued. He screamed again "I'm sorry mister, please let me out sir!" The pounding suddenly stopped. Calvin continued with his pleas and then felt the box roll over and over again, until it fell with a heavy "crack." He could hear the sound of a shovel digging into the dirt, and dirt was hitting the box. He tried to get his cell phone out of his pocket, but in reaching for it, he felt another hand. He screamed when he realized there was a dead body in the box with him. The sound of the crashing dirt was growing faint. He was having trouble breathing when he finally got the phone out of his pocket. Crying uncontrollably, he dialed Ricky's number and waited for it to ring. Nothing happened so he looked for a signal, but there was none.

Ricky had made it home and was telling his mother Sarah what had happened to Calvin, and how the police just let the old man drive right by without a blink of an eye. Sarah tried to calm her son by saying "let me give them a call" and got up to call the police station to see if they had found Calvin yet. Ricky yelled back "they don't care if they find Calvin and neither do you" he ran out the door in a hurry. He walked towards Cedar Street dialing Calvin every ten steps. When he heard a car he looked up for headlights, but there wasn't any. He saw some lights in the graveyard and started running up the street to see better. A white van came out of the entrance and headed straight towards him. Ricky ducked behind a tree until the van passed by. Then he ran into the graveyard calling out for Calvin.

Calvin tried to dial every number in his phone, and finally gave up. Finally dropping it. he was just trying to breath now. Ricky had looked all over the cemetery for Calvin and was sitting on a headstone catching his breath. He decided to try to call Calvin again. It rang twenty times before he heard Calvin's voice. "Ricky" Calvin whispered. Ricky said "yes it's me Calvin, where the hell are you?" Calvin replied "It's hard to breathe, the, old man, he, he buried me inside a box, "cough" Ricky jumped up and said "I saw him come out of the cemetery, I am right here, do you know where you are?" Calvin whispered "I don't know Ricky, I'm dying here. Tell me you will get him for doing this" Ricky tried to answer as he started to cry "I promise you man, I will kill that eff "CLUNK". Calvin whispered "Ricky, Ricky are you still there?" Ricky shook his head and looked up. The Tall Man was standing over him, holding a shovel and smiling. The Tall Man asked "looking for me?"

Ricky was just regaining his vision when he reached for the back of his head, It was wet with blood. He yelled out "your dead old man". The Tall Man grinned, and pulled the shovel high into the air and took a step forward. Ricky's cell phone rang out, distracting both of them. Ricky leaned over reached for it, only to feel the shovel's blade pierce his forefinger and slide into the ground with a thud. The Tall Man was standing directly over Ricky, who cried out in agony as he kicked for the knee with his Frankenstein boot. The Tall Man turned and fell to the ground in a heap, grumbling and clutching his knee, as the cell phone rang again. Ricky jumped to his feet, and in a single motion grabbed the shovel and swung it down on the Tall Man's head, knocking him out. Blood splattered onto a headstone, as he took another full swing gouging deep into the neck. Blood sprayed out from his jugular onto the grass. Ricky raised the shovel again and again, he swung with all his might, until he couldn't lift it anymore.

Ricky was sure he had killed him, as he dropped the shovel and picked up his phone. He answered in a huff, "Calvin! Calvin! can you hear me? I killed him, I really killed him." Ricky was breathing hard and fell to his knees, listing for a reply. A lazy voice finally replied "quit the crap you dwarf, put that little twit Calvin on, I've been calling his ass for the past hour." Ricky yelled back "Trevor! Oh my god man, Calvin is somewhere in the graveyard, this old bastard buried him in a box, Calvin's really dying" Trevor replied with distrust " I don't need a big old story dude, Calvin needs to get his ass home by eleven, or it's my ass on the line". Ricky pleaded "call the police and check it out, there is a hundred of them all over Cedar Street right now, they think he is still in this old bastards basement, I just killed the old man with a shovel, he tried to kill me! I swear, you gotta believe me!" Ricky picked up the shovel and started walking "I am going to find Calvin with or without you, I know he's here... somewhere." Trevor replied in a angry tone "I am on the way to the graveyard, you better be there and this better not a joke Ricky."

Everyone at the party turned to see the matter. Trevor, embarrassed, now slammed his phone closed, then threw his beer into the bonfire, Trevor kind of yelled "I have to go into town for a minute, I'll be right back" as he stood up and sprinted toward his truck. Melany yelled for him "wait a up I want to go too." Trevor just ignored Melany and drove off for town.

Ricky redialed Calvin's phone as he banged the shovel on every headstone he passed. He got about halfway to the end of a row when he started to cry. He collapsed by a grave and screamed out for Calvin to answer his phone. His finger was bleeding bad, so he tore off the sleeve of his shirt to wrap his finger up.

Sargent Baker, who had Ricky in his car for only a few minutes. Had just been chewed out by Captain Porter, regarding his lack of information in the matter and ordered to join the house to house search on Cedar Street for the so called "kidnapped little boy, Calvin." Sargent Baker had only written down the two names, Calvin Schroeder 14, and Ricky Borden 15, when Ricky suddenly ran off. The Captain was not happy with whole situation.

The search wasn't turning up anything suspicious, with almost all of the houses cleared, it wasn't looking good for the Monday morning meeting at the station. Sargent Baker noticed a faint red light coming from the basement across the street. He called for another officer and asked if that house was cleared. The officer confirmed that it was. The Sargent went to investigate the red light anyway. The front door was open enough to see inside, Sargent Baker pushed it open announcing his presence "Lincoln police here, is anyone home?" Getting no response, he immediately drew his weapon and started to search for the basement door. There was very little furniture in the living room and a horrific odor coming from the kitchen. The kitchen was empty except for a grimy trail of muddy footprints between an old freezer and a doorway. He grabbed his radio and called for backup "get some men over here to the white Victorian." He walked slowly towards the freezer and pulled on the handle. It was half full of bloody legs and arms "Oh Christ Almighty" he blurted, as he fell back against the oven. He got back on the radio and with a commanding tone, "Captain, bring everybody, call the F.B.I. in Evansville, tell em we got multiple bodies here" as he headed for the hallway and the presumed basement door.

Trevor was driving down highway 12 towards town in his pickup truck when he saw the flashing lights on the S.W.A.T. van entering the highway, it was a half mile in front of him, traveling fast. Trevor sped up and got behind it as the other cars pulled off to the side of the road. Trevor dialed Calvin's phone, mumbling under his breath " I'll be damned if the little bastard was telling the truth... Calvin dammit, pick up... pick up"

Ricky had resumed his search when he spotted a muddy tire track on the next row over. He started to run down the row of graves when he slipped and fell into mud, loosing the shovel. It was a fresh grave! He started digging frantically with his hands. Not more than a minute later he scraped the top of the crate with his nails. He screamed "Calvin! Calvin are you in here?" He picked up the shovel and began to pry between the boards. "SNAP" he broke a board, he pried another board loose and reached inside. "Calvin" he yelled, pulling another board out. He reached inside the opening and Ricky knew what he felt was Calvin's Werewolf costume. "I got you Calvin, hold on, just hold on". Ricky broke another board and reached inside to pull Calvin free. Ricky's phone rang just as he pulled Calvin out. Ricky held Calvin upright, who faintly spoke I thought I was done man." Ricky laughed in relief and then said "hey, I killed that bastard for ya, and this must be your drunk ass brother calling" as he answered the phone. "Trevor he's OK! I found Calvin he's OK!" Trevor replied with some amazement "I saw the police cars all over Cedar Street, and a S.W.A.T. truck too! where are you guys?" Ricky yelled "is that you coming up the road?" Trevor started laughing and replied "I just turned into the graveyard, ya need a lift? Where are you guys?" Ricky replied with relief "We're all the way in the back, next to the fence." Ricky helped Calvin to his feet, explaining how he had killed the old man and that they had better call the cops.

Sargent Baker had found the operating table and dog cages in the basement. He was going through some papers he found in a desk when Captain Porter came down the stairs. "What do we got on this guy? This better pan out for your sake, Baker" barked The Captain. Sargent Baker reported in a strong voice "there is no sign of the kid, unless he is up there in the freezer." As he lifted up a stack of papers for review. "I've got some invoices here, all with the name of a Dr. Mark Buskin Adams on them". The Captain grabbed an invoice and after a quick glance, exclaimed "This guy is on the F.B.I.'s ten most wanted.. He escaped from Wakefield prison in the UK last year by killing three guards during a medical transport. He was sentenced to life for killing 139 of his patients and selling the organs on the black market." He then radioed headquarters for the ETA of the F.B.I agents.

Trevor, Calvin and Ricky had decided to bury the old man in the same grave he put Calvin in. Telling anyone that Ricky killed a defenseless old man would not turn out too good. After scouting the graveyard and finding only a bloody mess next to a headstone, they realized the old man was not dead after all.

They hurried back to the truck discussing a new plan, they would all go home and let the police sort it out. Ricky's mom Sarah was a retired nurse and could stitch up his finger. Trevor and Calvin could still make it home before their parents did. Trevor took a right turn out of the graveyard and headed for Ricky's house. Five black SUV's sped past them in the other direction, as Trevor started to go over the whole story again, and again.

A tall man in a black suit made his way down the basement stairs and asked "who was in charge and can we get some lights on down here" as he shined a light on the bloody operating table. Captain Porter stood up from the edge of the desk "That would be me sir, Captain Porter, Lincoln police, and you are?" "Special agent Ness, C.I.A. out of Evansville, we understand you have a kidnapping by a Mark Buskin Adams" The Captain held out an invoice to Ness, adding "it would seem so by the name on these invoices for medical supplies, we have been attempting to contact the parents, all we have is the boy's name at this time. Calvin Schroeder fourteen, he's been missing two hours now, according to his friend Ricky Borden, who is also gone missing." Agent Ness let out a long whistle as he shook his head "we will take it from here, have your men seal off a six block area, we have bloodhounds in the van and we will start a search as soon as your men are in place." Captain Porter was reaching for his radio when another C.I.A. agent came rumbling down the stairs, "we have a hit on Ricky's cell phones sir, one mile northwest. Agent Ness pointed at the Captain "You come with me, tell your men to stand down and wait for orders, we don't need any local hot shots playing hero"

When the boys got to Ricky's house all of the lights were off, along with Halloween decorations on the porch. Ricky said "Oh no, Oh, no no no! That's the old man's van right there beside my house. My mom's in there, what the hell is that van doing there?" Trevor shut the truck off, and coasted to a stop, all the time glaring over at the van "this ends now... Calvin stay in the truck." Trevor ordered, handing a flashlight to Ricky. Trevor's eyes narrowed before he let go of the flashlight "you wait until you hear me knock on the the front door Ricky, then you flip that breaker box, got it?" Ricky nodded his head in utter shock. Trevor stepped from the truck and tipped the seat forward, reaching for his shotgun, he looked over at Calvin "you lay on the horn when the lights come on, can you do that? Can you?" Calvin was nodding in disbelief when he asked "what are you gonna do with that?" Trevor spun his ball cap around, stating "if that freak has Miss Borden in there, I'm going to blow his head clean off."

Ricky had made it to the passenger door of the van. He put the flashlight inside the open window, there was a lot of blood on the drivers seat, but no sign of the old man. He looked back to see Trevor walking through the front gate. Ricky quietly went around the back of the house and pointed up at the breaker box. "Oh crap" he whispered under his breath, when he saw the wires hanging down.

Trevor walked up to the front door and knocked loudly "Trick or Treat, Trick or Treat" he shouted. He tried turning the door knob, but it was locked. The lights didn't come on, so he slammed his shoulder against the door and it swung open with a crash, hitting the inside wall and bouncing back. Trevor couldn't see much as he leveled the shotgun at a figure in the front room. "Sarah is that you?" he shouted as he took another step inside. "I have a guu.. "CRACK" Trevor fell to the floor in pain, as Adams picked up the shotgun and pressed it against Trevor's chest. "don't move a muscle big brother" Adams said in a calm voice. Trevor felt the sting if a needle go into his thigh, as his body went limp. Adams picked Trevor up and carried him out of the front door.

Ricky had panicked and was almost back to the truck, when Adams yelled from the front lawn "I got your brother here young man, if you want him to live, you'll follow me" as he walked towards the van with Trevor over his shoulder. Ricky yelled back at Adams "You better not have hurt my mom, you bastard!" Adams replied "I just gave her a little something to help her sleep, now you do as I say or big brother here won't be so lucky" Ricky got in the truck and asked Calvin what they should do. Calvin, watching the van backing out of the driveway, said "start the truck Ricky, he's got Trevor now and we better do what he says" The van sped away and Ricky put the truck in drive, pressing down the gas pedal. Ricky handed his cell phone to Calvin and said "call 911"

Agent Ness was with the Captain in the lead SUV passing the graveyard when a voice came over the radio "it looks like they're on the move sir, northwest on Highway 122." Captain Porter ordered the driver to turn left at the next intersection. "we can cut them off by shooting west down Lindsey Avenue to the Highway" Agent Ness ordered the driver to make the turn. He gave the Captain a glare as he cued his mic. "Ness here, get a chopper to pick me up at.. Highway 122 and.. Hagan Lane." a voice replied "affirmative, 122 and Hagan, ETA six minutes, sir" Ness reluctantly turned to Captain Porter and asked "what are we looking at as far as terrain, if they break off the Highway?" The Captain replied "if they head east we'll loose their signal in the mountains, there's also a couple dozen silver mines, back roads that go on forever" Ness told the Captain "you might do better to stay on the ground, and I will follow you from above... someone here give the Captain their radio"

Calvin had been on the line with the 911 operator for five minutes, after explaining their situation twice to the operator, she had put him on hold in order to patch Calvin threw to Ness. Ricky's phone began to beep, signaling a low battery. Calvin said to Ricky "Oh great, now were loosing the battery! They better hurry up, man." Ricky seeing the brake lights come on in the van, slowly said "we got bigger problems than that, looks like he's turning into the woods"

Agent Ness had just entered the 122 when a voice came on the radio "Agent Ness, we have a Calvin Schroeder on the line who claims him and another boy, Ricky Borden who are in a pickup following a man who kidnapped his brother Trevor 18. The description is a late model white panel van" Ness replied "patch him through" as he looked over to Porter. The operators voice came back on the radio "we seemed to have lost him sir, I will attempt to get him back on the line" Ness replied sharply "negative, do not attempt to call back, we have been tracking his cellular signal and I don't want to compromise his situation." Ness released the mic as the chopper appeared from from the treeline. Ness took a deep breath and turned to Porter "OK Captain order all available units to converge on 122 and Hagan, we need containment if we drop the signal"

The cell phone died as Calvin tried to call 911 again. In searching the truck for a phone charger, Calvin found some shotgun shells and asked Ricky what they were going to do when they finally stopped. The van had continued driving on a narrow dirt road, leading Calvin and Ricky further from the the Highway. Ricky had lost sight of the van's headlights when the dirt road curved sharply to the left. He hit the brakes when he saw Adams standing by a trailer with the shotgun. Adams ordered the boys out of the truck and threw a pair of handcuffs at their feet. "put em on now!" yelled Adams. Ricky picked them up and handcuffed himself to Calvin. "get in the trailer, I don't want to hear one word out of you!" barked Adams, as he leveled the shotgun at the boys. Once inside Adams taped their mouths and then lifted them up to a hook that hung from the ceiling. Adams pulled on a chain until their feet were just able to touch the floor. Adams smiled and said "now don't you go anywhere" as he went out on the porch and down the steps.

Agent Ness was in the chopper scanning the roadside with a spotlight, as the whole convoy was headed south on 122 to where the last signal was picked up. Captain Porter's voice came over the radio "we aren't getting anything out here, agent Ness, I'm going to send half of my units up to the mines.. the mining roads are to the east and there's miles of em, I am betting these boys are up in there.. somewhere" Ness replied "affirmative Captain, we have the Highway sealed off in all directions around their last known signal." Ness ordered the chopper to the hillside.

Adams came through the front door carrying Trevor's lifeless body and into the kitchen, where he dropped his body on a wooden table. Calvin and Ricky couldn't stay quiet anymore and removed the tape from their mouths, they began pleading with Adams to let them go. Adams shouted "Hush up! this will only take a minute" as he took the pack of cigarettes from Trevor's pocket and threw it at them. "I hope you boys don't smoke, do you?" Ricky replied quickly "no sir, we have never smoked in our lives." Adams grinned and said "Good for you boys, because young healthy hearts bring top dollar." Calvin and Ricky fell silent as they realized what the old man was going to do to them. Adams added "that Sarah sure did a bang up job on my neck, probably saved my life." Adams lifted Trevor's shirt to his chest and reached for a scalpel on the counter. Ignoring the shouting from Ricky and Calvin, Adams slowly cut a semi circle around Trevor's liver. Peeling back the skin he reached his hand inside to grasp the liver.

Meanwhile, Ricky had wrapped his legs around Calvin's shoulders and with a quick jolt of his wrist, they were free from the hook. Adams paid no attention to the noise and continued to position his hand under Trevor's liver. Ricky and Calvin ran for the kitchen, tackling Adams to the floor. Adams simply held the scalpel to Ricky's face and lifted the boys arms up by the handcuffs. "Bad, bad boys" Adams snarled. At that moment the kitchen was lit up by the choppers spotlight. "This is the C.I.A.. come out with your hands over your head.. you are surrounded" blasted the chopper's loudspeaker.

Adams could see the chopper hovering just beyond the van. He kept the scalpel to Ricky's face and walked the boys out on the porch. The chopper was about to touch down, and Adams could see six or eight officers with their guns trained on him. With the boys positioned in front of him, Adams yelled out a deal "Give me the helicopter, and I give you the boys" Ness was still in the chopper and squeezed the mic "No deal Adams, put your hands over your head and release the boys" After twenty seconds, Adams finally replied "OK, you win! Just don't shoot me" Adams dropped the scalpel and raised his free hand. "Now the other hand" requested Ness over the loudspeaker. Adams grabbed a rope hanging next to the porch light, and pulled. A large trap door opened underneath Adams, as he pulled Calvin and Ricky down with him.

Agent Ness ran to the porch and shined his flashlight downward. It was about a twenty foot drop to an old mattress. "Someone get me a rope" shouted Ness. Ness then called down the hole for the boys "Calvinnn... Rickyyy... can you hear meee? This is agent Ness with the F.B.I." Then a voice came back "Yes, yes, we hear you, were coming" The boys came into view, just as agent Weber was lowering a rope, while the Captain secured it to the porch railing. Ness asked "are you boys alright?" Calvin replied in a confused tone "we are fine, take care of my brother Trevor, he's in the kitchen" Agent Weber repelled down to the boys and unlocked the cuffs. Without a word, Weber drew his gun and dispersed into the tunnel.

Calvin was being pulled up when agent Weber returned into view, "it's a dead end sir, no sign of Adams" he reported. Ness requested that he double check the tunnel, and look for a hidden passageway. Agent Weber went to investigate again. When Calvin was hoisted out of the hole, the chopper was lifting off. Agent Ness put a hand on Calvin's shoulder and said "your brothers in good hands, he'll be at Lincoln Mercy in five minutes." Calvin then told Ness "we fell right on top of that bastard and I think it knocked him out, so me and Ricky took off through the tunnel till we hit a rock wall, that's when we heard you calling our names" Ness replied " you are a couple of brave young men, you just leave Dr. Adams to us. Your parents are waiting at the station, Sargent Baker will give you a lift. Ricky asked Ness "is my mom there too? He said he did something to her." Agent Ness tipped his hat up and said "she's just fine Ricky, she's just a little sleepy from a shot of morphine, go along with Sargent Baker now."

Agent Ness walked back over to the porch and shined his light down the hole. "Weber.. anything yet?" Agent Weber came into view with his hands out "there is absolutely no way out of here" Ness asked agent Weber if he had looked under the mattress. Weber lifted the mattress up and cried out "yes sir, there is another hole here" Weber pulled the mattress aside and Ness could see a rope ladder running down the hole. Ness barked out an order to Weber "get down that hole Weber" Ness called into the tailor for Captain Porter. The Captain who was unaware of the discovery, asked "any idea where he went?" Ness pointed his flashlight down the hole, then explained that he knew Adams was already long gone.

Captain Porter suggested that this was most likely an old air shaft that tied into the maze of silver mines. Ness inquired "how can we our dogs in there, where does it come out?" Then Captain replied with a "know it all" tone in his voice "there must be fifty mine shafts on this mountain and most of those are collapsed. However, there is only one opening to the mine and that's a good five miles south of here, next to the old rock quarry." Ness called for agent Weber to come back up, and motioned towards the SUV. Ness didn't appreciate the Captain's tone of arrogance and he was going to relish putting him back in his place. Ness opened the back of the SUV to reveal an impressive cache of weaponry. He picked up a small red plastic box "this is what we call big daddy, it will level a four story building in two shakes" Porter took a step back and tilted his head "do you intend to seal him in with that? You must be crazy, this is a privately owned mine and it is still active." Ness started to walk back to the trailer, stating "I intend to flush him out."

Agent Weber was on the porch patting the dust off of his three piece suit, when Ness yelled "catch" and threw the box at Weber. Weber never looked up and the box crashed off of the trap door and fell down the shaft, landing next to the mattress. Ness yelled into his mic "we have two minutes to clear out, I repeat, two minuets to clear the area" glancing back at Porter, he winked and said "Captain you drive, you get me to that quarry before Adams." Captain Porter was the lead SUV not more than five hundred yards from the trailer when the explosion happened. He hit the brakes when he saw the sky light up and skidded into a ditch. Ness grinned and said " come on Captain, your holding up traffic."

Captain Porter was now pissed off, and turned the wheel sharply as he stepped on the gas. The SUV lurched back onto the dirt road while rocks from the explosion fell from the sky. Ness got on the radio and ordered the returning chopper to land at the quarry, with instructions to shoot at will. Captain Porter was driving as fast as the road allowed, but still being tailgated by the SUV behind him and asked Ness if his agents were suicidal. In reply Ness keyed his mic "all units, close in and keep up."

Porter was driving as fast as he could through the old mining roads, knowing now, he had to step up the pace. A frantic voice came over the radio "Sir, AR1, we are taking on heavy fire from the mine at close range... 50 cal. by the looks of whats left of the chopper sir... request permission for a full retaliation. Sir this is AR1, do we have a go?" Ness replied in a stern voice "AR1, you are go... repeat, you have a go."

Captain Porter and Agent Ness went silent, neither one was willing to anticipate the next transmission. The tension was growing with every second. Captain Porter let off the gas pedal and stomped on the brakes when he saw the horizon light up. He looked over at Ness with irony in his eyes. Ness squeezed the mic "AR1, report... AR1, report"