Date: Tue, 25 May 2004 23:57:55 -0400
From: Sequoyah <sequoyah@charter.net>
Subject: Mountain Magic Chapter Twenty-four

Mountain Magic

Chapter Twenty-four

Warning!

The usual warning applies: This story contains erotic events involving
alternative sexualities. Do not read the contents if such will offend
you. If accessing this site causes you to break local laws (village, town,
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By reading or downloading this file you implicitly declare that you accept
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Disclaimer

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either
are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and
any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments,
events or locales is entirely coincidental and/or used fictionally.

It is under this rubric that the whole of Jonathan's ordeal and rescue
should be read.


Copyright Notice Reminder

This story is copyright by the author and the author retains all
rights. Expressly prohibited is the posting of the story to any sites not
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Thanks

Readers and I both owe a debt of gratitude to SAH, DA and GC, editors

Comments

Hope the length of MM-24 kinda makes up for it taking so long to get it
posted.

"A Special Place," which started my writing stories, will soon have its own
spot at Awedude's place, http://awesomedude.com/index.htm. Highly recommend
you check out the site which posts screened stories.


Comments to sequoyah@charter are welcome.

Sequoyah

Chapter Twenty-four

It was a half hour later before Mr. Anderson called again. When he did,
Mr. Sharpe walked out into the hall and talked to him for almost half an
hour. When he came back into the den, he told us, "Tim said the chief and
sheriff walked into the compound alone and unarmed since they didn't have a
search warrant. When they entered the central yard, they were met by Silas
Mitchell. No-one else was in evidence."

"As they were talking, a Humvee--camouflage painted--came thundering into
the compound and a boy hopped out as the vehicle whipped around and headed
back up the mountain. As the kid ran into a building, both the chief and
the sheriff spotted the shoes he was wearing--you guessed it, bright red
and white, nearly new Nikes. The chief said, 'Them guys were right, those
were some weird shoes, and a very small size.' To their mind there was no
question, none at all, that the shoes were Jonathan's and the Humvee was
the one the two hookie-playing boys had seen. They asked Mitchell about the
shoes and he said the kid had been given the shoes by Abel, his son."

"When they asked to speak to Abel, Silas said he was not in the compound,
but he seemed nervous and kept glancing toward the mountain where the
Humvee had disappeared."

"Tim said the sheriff and chief are sure they have Jonathan, probably with
Abel, somewhere in the compound. But the shoes were all the evidence they
saw--nothing else and no sign of Jonathan. Of course, the shoes could have
been a coincidence, but I doubt it," Mr. Sharpe said.

"They also said the compound was an armed camp. While they saw no-one other
than Mitchell and the boy, they were made well aware of the weapons
covering them. Mitchell said he didn't want any trouble; they were
peace-loving people who only wanted to be left alone, 'but we will defend
ourselves and our rights,' he announced, and Tim says there is no doubt he
means it. Neither the chief nor sheriff were willing to bring up their
troops, especially without a proper search warrant. They are going back to
the school to regroup."

"Do you have any idea what's going to happen now?" Mr. Dennison asked.

"Tim is making another attempt to get a search warrant. The truth of the
matter is if he tries to go in now, someone will get hurt, maybe
killed. Given Waco and the aftermath, no-one is willing to push too
hard. I'm going to the school to see what I might do to help."

"We're going too," I said. "I saw what happened to Jonathan the first time
and I don't want the same or worse to happen again."

"Yes, I'm coming along. He's my boy now," Mr. Dennison said.

"I'll not try to stop you, Mr. Dennison, but I think you really need to
stay here with your wife and daughter. They need you."

"If you think that's best," Mr. Dennison said. When I looked at him he
suddenly looked old, and I had never thought of him as old before.

When we were outside, Mr. Sharpe said, "I didn't want to mention it inside
to worry your mom and dad, Hank, but I had a brainstorm I checked out with
Tim. He thought it might be worth a try. We'll talk further when we get to
the school but, unless he vetoes it, I'll run with it and I want you all to
go on a mission with me and a friend. If you have them, you need to get
dressed in long johns and wind suits. Have those? Hank, can you go back in
and get yours without raising too many questions?"

"Sure."

"Oh, yeah, your backpack as well."

Hank nodded then said, "Jason, cover for me while I get it."

The two went into the house and when they got back, Jason said the
Dennisons were all around the kitchen table and didn't even know he and
Jason had come back. "We brought Jonathan's backpack as well, Mr. Sharpe,"
Hank said. "Thought you might need one."

"Great. Solves that problem, but I need to call Mom to bring a wind suit
and long johns from my place," Mr. Sharpe said.

We were standing on the Dennisons' front porch talking, and had not yet
started toward the Jeep when Beth came racing into the drive, hell bent for
leather. Almost before her car stopped, she was out and headed for
Hank. When she reached him she said, "Hank, how did you let this happen?
How did that nut bunch get Jonathan? Where were you when Jonathan needed
you?"

"I don't have time to talk now, Beth, but how did you know about it?"

"Dad's a volunteer sheriff's deputy, remember? He got a call and told me
Jonathan was gone and presumed being held by The Circle of God's Chosen."

"Dad can tell you all about it," Hank responded. "We're off to do something
about it."

"Be careful, Hank, but find Jonathan," Beth responded. She gave Hank a wild
kiss, slapped him on the butt and said, "Get going."

As Beth ran inside, we walked toward the Jeep. About half-way there, Wesley
said, "You don't need to."

"Who doesn't need to what, Wesley?" Jason asked, obviously irritated.

Jason had really come to accept Wesley most of the time but, occasionally,
he got irritated. Once he was irritated and had said something pretty nasty
to Wesley, then apologized. Wesley had responded, "Look, I know I was a
real shit to Douglas and I know how you love him, so I understand your
having a burr under your saddle, a burr I put there. But if it ever gets to
the point where I can't handle it, I'll call you on it. Otherwise, we'll
both just be cool with it. Ok?" Jason had agreed.

"Mr. Sharpe--Mr Sharpe doesn't have to have someone bring his wind suit and
long johns if he thinks he can wear some of mine. Silk long johns be ok?"

"You should be so lucky," Mr. Sharpe said, "but, yes, if you think they'll
keep us warm. We all need something warm."

We stopped by the house to get backpacks and clothes. Hank and I put on our
swim team wind suits and, you guessed it, Wesley had wind suits--two of
every kind and color, I think. Mr. Sharpe found one which fit him very
well. Wesley had silk long johns, but Mr. Sharpe said he'd take regular
ones because they would be warmer. Wesley got dressed in regular ones too,
as Jason, Hank and I had done.

All dressed, the five of us squeezed into the Jeep again and we were
off--we hoped to rescue Jonathan.

When we arrived at the school parking lot, there were several police cars
from Clarksville, sheriff's patrol cars and two state troopers'
cars. Someone had opened the school and everyone was assembled in the gym,
milling around, talking, looking bored.

Mr. Sharpe spotted Mr. Anderson and quickly joined him. Meanwhile, Vincent,
the school's chief custodian, and the sheriff came walking in with a
portable PA system which was quickly set up. As soon as it was, Sheriff
Hall did the "tapping the mike" routine and then said, "If everyone will
find a seat in the bleachers, I'll fill you in on what's going on."

"As I guess most of you know, some members of The Circle of God's Chosen
which have a compound in Sadies Cove, were arrested several weeks ago and
charged with child abuse. They made bond and got an injunction which
allowed them to take the children from foster care, then they disappeared."

"Yesterday, based on information given the Children's Protective Services,
another raid was made on the compound and a search warrant
executed. Several people were arrested and children taken into custody. The
children have been placed in foster care for the time being. In preparation
for the trial, an appeal was made for a young man to come forward to
testify. Without going into the details, he did come forward and, while
terrified of what members of the group might do to him, he agreed to
testify."

"This afternoon, the young man, Jonathan Henderson, disappeared while
walking from the Sharpe Building to Ace Hardware. He disappeared without
ever reaching the hardware. It is assumed by all involved that he has been
kidnapped by members of the Sadies Cove organization."

"An attempt to get a search warrant failed, but Chief Whisant and I went
into the compound hoping to learn something of Jonathan's
whereabouts. While we cannot prove they are Jonathan's, we saw a young man
wearing distinctive sneakers matching those Jonathan had been wearing."

"We noticed the shoes, not only because they are bright red and white and,
as his foster brothers said, weird-looking, but also because Jonathan has
little feet," Chief Whisant laughed, "and the kid wearing the shoes
doesn't. It was obvious his shoes were too small."

"The chief is into feet," the sheriff laughed, then became very
serious. "Another thing we observed was the compound is well armed and
guarded. People were not in plain sight, but plenty firearms were in
evidence. Now we don't want another Waco, but we will act. Right now
another attempt is being made to get a search warrant. When we get
one--when, not if--we will attempt a peaceful search. If we are turned
back, we will get state and federal help. We want a good show of force when
we approach the compound, but we don't want any of you or members of the
cult to get hurt. Now, until we get the warrant, stand down."

As soon as the sheriff finished, Mr. Sharpe motioned for us to join
him. When we reached him, he said, "It's been a few years since I was in
school here. You guys know this place. Isn't there a room somewhere close
where we can get away from this crowd and do some serious planning?"

Hank motioned for Vincent, who came over to where we were
standing. "Vincent, can you unlock the PE classroom for us? We need to do
some planning away from this bunch."

"Sure can. You fellows got to find Jonathan. He's a nice fellow," Vincent
said. "He's always polite and speaks to me."

Vincent was a bit simple, but was a good soul and generally loved by the
students. He unlocked the room and as we walked in Jason said, "Good
manners wins again. Remember that, Wesley." Wesley blushed.

Mr. Sharpe began, "Fellows, I hope you know I think the world of you
guys. I have great respect for what you are doing with your lives. I want
you to know that because I am going to ask you to do something which is
very dangerous and could cost you your life. I won't shit you. I want us to
be clear about that. If you don't want to be involved, I will think no less
of you. I am putting my ass in a real crack if things go wrong, since you
are all underage and I haven't gotten permission for you to participate. I
know that and it's a risk I am willing to take."

"I think it's also important for you to realize that I see myself as your
equal in this undertaking--totally. Another day I might expect and you
might expect me to be Mr. Sharpe, now I am Stone. Ah, here comes Tim."

As Mr. Anderson walked into the classroom carrying some rolled- up charts,
he said, "And I am Tim. Not being folksy, I just want us to be clear that
we are in this together, brothers, if you will."

With him was a short, stocky man with long, coal-black hair worn in a
braid. A leather thong--to which was attached a single feather, I was
positive it was an eagle feather--was braided into his hair. His complexion
and facial features certainly indicated he was entitled to wear the
feather. (Only Indians can legally own an eagle feather, much less wear
one.) He was dressed in buckskins and had a hunting knife strapped to his
waist. He looked every bit like a character from a western movie.

"Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet John Wesley Bushyhead of Bear Creek," Tim
said.

"I thought you were just a tale people tell," Hank blurted out.

Mr. Bushyhead laughed and said, "That's the way I like it. Don't want much
to do with a lot of folks and just as soon they think I am made up."

Tim laughed, "Don't let John Wesley pull your leg too far. He plays the
Indian mountain man role well and makes a good living out of it, scaring
tourists and their kids. That's one side of the man. The other side is he
is a man of these mountains. No-one, but no-one, knows them as he does. He
knows Sadies Cove backward and forward, right and left, up and down. He has
forgotten more about the area than any of those flatland foreigners in that
compound know. Stone suggested I see if John Wesley would help us out and
when I told him about Jonathan, he was ready and willing so, John Wesley,
take over."

"Who ar' you'ns?" he asked.

"Mr. Bushyhead..."

"Son, I'm John Wesley, been that since I was a baby."

"John Wesley, I'm Hank Dennison..."

"Deep Cove Dennisons?"

"Yes sir."

John Wesley fixed his eye on me and said, "If you're not a McElrath from
Deep Cove, I'm going blind."

"Douglas McElrath, sir."

"Sorry about your family, Douglas. Where's Gerald?"

"In Florida, sir."

"Bet Sara's having a hard time keeping his eyes off the young girls," he
chuckled.

"You have to be a Talltree," he said looking at Jason. "Knew your
grandparents well. Sorry for your loss as well."

He then looked at Wesley and said, "A flatland foreigner if I've ever seen
one."

"But I guess kinfolks," Wesley said with a twinkle in his eye as he thrust
his hand toward John Wesley. I'm Wesley, Wesley Wilson, Douglas's cousin."

John Wesley gave a great belly laugh and said, "You'll do. Now down to
business," his "movie" hillbilly accent gone. He reached out and took a
rolled chart from Tim and spread it out on the desk. "This is a map of the
area including Sadies Cove. When that bunch came to the cove and built
their place, they eventually fenced it all in. Created a problem for
animals and some people, but it hasn't slowed me down a lot."

"Not only did they build the buildings inside the inner fenced area, but
also four underground bunkers outside the central compound. They are so
well camouflaged I would be surprised if someone not knowing about them
could spot or locate them. They are scattered over the cove between the
inner and outer fence. Now I'm sure Tim here will eventually get a search
warrant for the compound, but I don't think it will do any good. Anything
they want to hide, they will put in the underground bunkers. I hope
Jonathan is in one of them. I suspect, however, he is in a fifth hiding
place known to very few in the cult. It's actually a kind of headquarters
for Abel Mitchell, Noah Holland and Mark Grey. Abel is Silas Mitchell's
designated heir and he, Holland and Grey are as tight as ticks in a hound's
ear."

"When the bunch decided the world was coming to an end, unbeknownst to the
general members, a cave was revamped into a bunker--first class. I don't
know how the world was to come to an end and the cave be untouched, but
there you have it. Abel was to emerge after the holocaust and establish the
Kingdom of God on earth. He chose Holland and Grey to join him. Never
figured how they were going to repopulate the earth, but I guess if you
survive the final holocaust, you could do just about anything. All kidding
aside, I think the old man may believe the line he feeds the faithful, but
Abel and the others are in it for the money and maybe something else, but
definitely there's nothing religious about their activities. I don't know
what they are doing on the side. I have my suspicions, but I've never been
able to catch them at anything.

"There are, I believe, only a dozen or so men who know about the cave. To
the best of my knowledge, there are no women in that inner circle. I guess
they were planning on choosing who they wanted just before the end
began. Anyway, that's more information than you wanted, I'm sure, but you
need to have some idea what we're up against. City boy, think you can take
part in a commando raid?" John Wesley asked, looking at Wesley.

"I'm Wesley, remember?"

John Wesley laughed again, then outlined the plan. When he had finished,
Stone said, "You know what we are up against--at least as much as I
know. If you have any hesitancy about what is planned, just say so. No-one
will think less of you." He paused then said, "We need to make this as
kosher as possible, given how unkosher it really is. Ok, Tim, call in the
sheriff."

Tim left and returned in a few minutes, walking with the sheriff. "Fellows,
it's a bit irregular for people as young as some of you to be deputized
but, then, I don't know how old you are, so raise your right hand and
repeat after me." A minute or two later, we had been sworn in as sheriff's
deputies. "That's just in case you need to have been deputized. When I walk
back out that door, I'll forget I was ever in here and I'd like for you to
forget it as well unless it is absolutely necessary to remember it. Ok?" We
all nodded.

As soon as that formality was over and the sheriff gone, John Wesley said,
"Great! Now let's get on with it. We'll be operating in two teams,
approaching any area from two sides. I'll take my namesake and Hank." John
Wesley said, "and, Stone, you take the other two. Stone and I will be
armed, you four will not so if there's any question, keep down and don't
try to be a hero."

Four deputies came into the room carrying two very large
containers--aluminum trunks. A fifth deputy was pulling a large container
on rollers. "Damn, we have to take our own coffins?" Hank asked, then
grinned. Stone and Tim opened the smaller container and passed out
flashlights, small FRS radios and first aid kits along with some other
things such as hanks of nylon rope and knives. John Wesley passed out
Ziploc bags with instructions to seal the first aid kits, flashlights and
radios in them. "Anything else water will hurt needs to be put in the
bags," he concluded. We packed things in our backpacks as Stone and John
Wesley distributed them.

"Ok, strip to your long johns," Stone said when the backpacks were packed
and as he started shedding his outer clothes. When we were all clad only in
long johns, Tim and Stone opened the large trunks and started taking out
wet suits. "I'm sure there's a wet suit here that will fit each of you, but
we need to make sure. We also want to make sure you know how to get into
one."

Twenty minutes to half an hour later, we had all gotten into a wet suit and
out and gotten it in our backpack.

"Ok, let's check things," Tim said, and started running down an imaginary
list. When he was satisfied we had what we needed, he hugged Stone and
said, "Be careful." That started me wondering, not for the first time, but
then he hugged each of us, including John Wesley, and told us all to take
care.

Stone took us outside where we got into an all-terrain vehicle--not a buggy
kind of thing but a cross between a truck and a Jeep, heavy duty
stuff--with a sheriff's department decal on it. I was surprised when we
didn't head for Deep Cove, since Sadies Cove was beyond it and that was the
best way in. It was the only way into the compound itself, I was
positive. Instead of heading for Deep Cove, we headed toward Pea Ridge.

Half an hour later, we came to the end of the state road. Stone stopped the
vehicle and turned off the lights. "We'll have to wait here until my eyes
get adjusted to the dark. There's a logging road which runs from here to
the top of the ridge." Then I remembered John Wesley has showed us our
approach on the map and it was from the top of Pea Ridge to the back of
Sadies Cove.

After we had been waiting for ten minutes, my eyes had made some adjustment
to the darkness and I was surprised we didn't move out. "What are we
waiting for?" I asked.

"We're only half of this operation," Stone said. "Tim will do everything he
can to get a search warrant and I am sure he will, but it will take some
time. Also, a personnel carrier from the Clarksville Armory is being
brought it. There is no way it can move very fast. John Wesley and I are
convinced Jonathan is in one of the bunkers, and our job is to find him and
get him out. But we can't have the whole bunch down on our necks. So we are
trying the commando route while Tim and the others will launch a formal,
legal attack."

"One damn big distraction," John Wesley said, "that's what we want and
need." After looking at his watch, the mountain man said, "It's almost
midnight...."

"Are you sure?" Wesley asked. "I can't believe it's that late."

"Three minutes 'til," John Wesley said. "Stone, I think we can move out
now."

The moon had been behind thin cloud cover all evening, but now the clouds
started moving away, revealing its brightness. "Good to have moonlight
now," Stone said as he started the vehicle, "but I hope we have clouds
later." He shifted the vehicle into four wheel drive and low range, and we
started a slow trek to the top of Pea Ridge, driving without lights.

Half an hour later, we stopped just below the brow of the ridge. "We are
about a hundred yards from the back fence of the compound," John Wesley
said. "The first bunker is a good way in. When we move out, we need to be
as quiet as possible and there's to be no unnecessary talking. Voices carry
far up here in the mountain air. When we get to the fence, my team will go
first and cut an opening. Any questions?" There were none, so John Wesley
said, "Let's move out." Before he left the vehicle, he reached in the back
and picked up a burlap sack which he slung over his shoulder and started
walking toward the top of the ridge.

The rest of us followed, walking single file. The night had gotten cold and
there was a slight wind blowing which made the temperature seem lower than
it was. The moon was once again covered by thin clouds, which meant walking
was treacherous. When we topped the ridge, I could see the fence a few
yards in front of me, the razor wire atop the chain-link fence shining in
the faint moonlight. Wesley and Hank were pulling aside the chain-link
fencing as John Wesley cut it with a pair of bolt cutters. The job
completed, the three walked through the hole in the fence and soon
disappeared in the darkness of the woods.

Five minutes or so later, Stone said, softly "Ok, time to move out. Keep
the person in front of you in sight, but leave five or six yards between
you for the time being."

We walked in silence for what seemed like at least an hour, but when I
looked at my watch, I found less than half an hour had passed. Jason was
walking in front of me and I suddenly realized he had stopped, holding out
his arm to indicate I should as well. A few minutes later, he motioned me
ahead. When I reached him, I saw he was crouched beside Stone, both looking
into the darkness. Jason tapped me on the shoulder and pointed ahead where
I saw John Wesley, Hank and Wesley moving toward us, approaching a slight
mound between the two teams.

When they reached it, John Wesley pointed to a stone which Wesley moved
aside. John Wesley reached into the sack he had taken from the vehicle and
when he removed his hand, it held a snake, at least five feet long, which
he handed to Hank, then took a second, smaller snake from the
bag. Apparently the stone Wesley moved covered an opening because first
one, then the other of the snakes were dropped and disappeared. The three
then sat back, relaxing. Perhaps five minutes later, John Wesley motioned
to us. When we reached him, he said, very softly, "I think we can safely
assume there's no-one in this bunker."

"Not unless they are snake charmers," Jason said.

"They were only harmless black snakes," Hank answered.

"It's always seemed to me that cardiac arrest is just as fatal as snake
bite," I said, not sure I wanted to be around people who played with
snakes.

"It's a good way to check on whether or not a bunker is empty without
revealing your presence," John Wesley said, then added, "Well, we've had
our break. There are three more bunkers and six more snakes and then the
cave, if we don't find Jonathan before-- which I sure hope we do." John
Wesley stood and he and his crew moved into the darkness. Stone lead us off
in a slightly different direction.

I had worked up a pretty good sweat walking to the bunker, and had opened
my wind jacket to keep from getting too hot. I had gotten more than cooled
off while we were resting and shivered as we started out again.

It was another half hour before the John Wesley team suddenly appeared
ahead of us. Stone signaled and we moved up to join them. The "snakes in
the bunker" technique was used once more with the same results. Over the
next two hours, the last two bunkers failed to produce Jonathan or anyone
else.

After the snakes had been released in the last bunker, John Wesley sat down
and we gathered around him. "I'm sure you are all disappointed and
discouraged. I can understand that. I really hoped we'd find the lad in one
of these smaller bunkers. But, to be honest, I really didn't think we
would. What's left is the main bunker..."

As he spoke, the radio on Stone's belt crackled, a noise so soft I wasn't
sure I had heard it until Stone took the radio from his belt as a faint
voice said, "Falling Rock calling Rolling Stone."

Stone whispered into the radio, "Falling Rock, this is Rolling Stone."

Tim's voice could barely be heard as he said, "Be aware permission for the
trip hasn't come yet, but we're ready for the show when you are."

"Roger, Falling Rock. Wait for my signal." Stone fastened the radio to his
belt again and as he did said, "Tim's got everyone in place. They haven't
gotten the search warrant yet, but he is ready to create a major diversion
when we need it."

"Ok, if they are ready, let's move," John Wesley said. "We have a couple
miles or so of fast walking to reach the cave. We'll stop, Stone,
half-way--under Eagle's Beak. We could go together to there, but just in
case something happens, I'd like to keep us separate. Besides, this city
boy is good company. Right, Hank?" John Wesley actually tussled Wesley's
hair.

Scudding clouds played tricks with the moonlight which made walking
difficult. Additionally, earlier we had been walking in a huge circle
parallel to the top of the ridge and, therefore, walking a more or less
level track. Now we were headed straight down the very steep side of the
mountain, which often was little more than a sheer drop. It was tough on
the legs and we were moving at a much faster clip than we had been.

After fifteen minutes I was sweating like mad and thought about taking off
my jacket, and when the clouds left the face of the moon again, I saw Jason
taking his off. When I looked, I saw that Stone had taken his off and tied
it to his backpack. I caught up with Jason, took his jacket and fastened it
to his backpack, then took mine off and walked in front of him so he could
return the favor.

In spite of the fact that I had been swimming and working out, I didn't
know how much longer I could hold out, when I looked up and saw a huge
black shadow rising from the mountainside. Stone turned toward it and soon
we were underneath the outcropping, sitting on a bed of leaves.

"You fellows need to come up this way in the daylight one of these
days--after Sadies Cove is cleaned up--and see the formation above
us. Looks just like an eagle's beak," John Wesley said. "And you have a
great view of Sadies Cove and beyond. Special place for me," he said, very
softly.

"Heard anything from the compound?" he asked Stone. Stone shook his
head. "We'll give Tim and the boys a little more time. I want to find
Jonathan and get him out as soon as possible, but I'd also like to do so
with as little trouble as possible. I'd like to have something going on in
the central compound that will hold the attention of all The Circle of
God's Chosen. We'll rest here a few minutes then start our part of the
operation. By the way, don't let yourselves get chilled, boys. If you're
like me, you worked up a pretty good sweat and the cold air feels good, but
too much and you'll stiffen up."

"How come you know so much about this compound, John Wesley?" I asked.

"Bill Simpson's son, Andrew, and I were best friends growing up. We spent
every free minute we had roaming the mountains-- hunting, trapping,
fishing, gathering herbs. We knew every crease and crevice of the Simpson
place and ours--most everyone else's as well. We had dreams of combining
the two farms and starting a number of things--a summer camp, mountain inn,
several things."

"We went off to college together, but soon I had to come home. Both my mom
and dad came down with something--it was never properly diagnosed--and I
had to drop out to take care of them. I guess I could have had someone
else, maybe a nursing home, do the job, but I didn't want to. They had
taken care of me, now it was my turn. It was tough. It took them two years
to die and not a minute of it was easy."

"Meanwhile, Andrew was in school at NC State. His mom died very suddenly,
shortly after I had come home to care for Mom and Dad. Bill Simpson hit the
skids. He was into the bottle pretty good before, and after his wife died
he was never sober. He was a very angry, bitter man. Then the Thanksgiving
before my parents died, Andrew came home. Thanksgiving day Andrew told his
dad he was going to my place for dinner. His dad made some remark about me,
I don't know what, and they got in a real heavy fight. His dad ordered him
out of the house, telling him he was never to darken his door again."

"Disowned, Andrew had no money for college. I wanted him to go on back to
school and told him I could pay his way, and if he didn't want to do that,
he could come and live with me, but he wouldn't-- couldn't. He said he
didn't want what had happened to him to bring grief on me. Beg as I would,
he told me goodbye and left. In the next six months I got letters from him
as he drove west. He would stay in one place a few days or a couple weeks
and then move on."

"Then I got a letter from a priest in San Francisco telling me he had been
killed in an automobile accident. Bill Simpson made no arrangements for his
burial or anything. I sent money for his cremation and scattered his ashes
from atop Eagle's Beak. You know what happened to Bill Simpson. I saw no
reason to return to college and I have developed a few things on my place
which keep me going."

"When I asked Silas Mitchell for permission to come up here to spend time
with Andrew, he gave me a sermon on worshiping the dead and the wickedness
of cremation and forbade me to set foot on the property, which meant I have
made it my business to know everything that's been done on this hundred
acres."

"So much for John Wesley the uneducated but wise-in-the-ways-of- the-woods
hillbilly," I said.

"I think you've just about John Wesleyed me enough. My friends call me
Wes. You don't have to be uneducated to be wise in the ways of the woods,
but it's a well-paying role sometimes," he laughed. "See, Stone's the other
kind of mountain man. He's obviously educated and no-one thinks he's wise
in the ways of the woods, but there are few places in these Haynes county
mountains which have not felt the imprint of Stone's feet. Same, by the
way, with Tim. So, Stone, Chapel Hill law school hillbilly, what's the
plan?"

"I think we approach from two routes as before, you take the north route
and I'll take the south. Then? I haven't seen the cave in... what? It's
been at least ten years, probably more. Certainly my memory of it isn't
perfect. Add to that the fact that I haven't seen what has been done to it,
and I'm pretty much in the dark once we get there."

"If you remember, Stone, the front opening was fairly large, large enough
to drive a small excavator into the first chamber, which they did. You'll
recall the first chamber had a fairly low ceiling compared to the other
two. It was a large room with a level, sandy floor. They cleaned out the
loose rock in it, stabilized the sandy floor and made the chamber a kind of
reception hall/garage/work area. The entrance was brought down in size and
large, motor- operated steel doors installed. You'd never spot them unless
you remembered where the entrance was. Not only are the doors well hidden,
but also you'd never get in that way unless invited."

"Stone knows this, but I'd like the rest of you to have some idea of the
inside. There are two branches off of the first chamber. One has a decent
enough opening and a high ceiling. A stream runs through it. That chamber
had been fixed up to provide water, food storage, so on. Essentially, it is
a warehouse with a year's supply of just about everything. Remember the
blowhole in that chamber, Stone?" Stone nodded. "It was fitted with
exhausts for ventilators and generators. The opening you and I remember was
sealed around the exhausts which are well camouflaged."

"Originally, the third chamber was almost blocked by a huge boulder which
had fallen from the ceiling. I'm sure you remember seeing someone a little
overweight try to squeeze through," Wes looked at Stone who had a grin on
his face. "I don't know how they managed it, but they removed the boulder
and created a large double door into the third chamber. Those doors are
never left unlocked. The third chamber is fixed up like a million dollar
condo. You wouldn't believe it. I'm thinking that Jonathan is in the third
chamber, probably in a bedroom."

"I may not be smart in the ways of the woods," Wesley said, "but us city
boys probably know more about locked doors than you guys do. What I have
just heard is the cave entrance has steel doors which, I believe you said,
are so thick and so heavy they have to be motor operated. I guess there is
a big switch outside with 'Open' and 'Close' on it and all we have to do is
walk up and flip the switch. Then, once we are inside, we face two more
doors that, you said it Mr. Mountain Man, are never left unlocked. So we
walk up, knock and say, "Let Jonathan go or we'll huff and we'll puff and
blow your doors down."

"Haven't you heard that locks are there to keep honest people out?" Wes
asked.

"Cherokee Slide!" Stone said suddenly. "That's it! Cherokee Slide."

"Right! You see there is a fourth chamber. It's kinda hard to find. I told
you there was a stream through the second chamber. Well, above the cave and
up the mountainside there is a huge rock which slopes toward a
sinkhole. The stream runs over the rock into a huge basin. From the basin,
it plunges into a large opening and disappears. What cannot be seen from
the surface is the lake formed by the water flowing from the basin. What
our good religious people haven't discovered--I hope--is a tunnel from the
lake to the third chamber."

"Just at the waterline of the lake is a narrow ledge which tapers back to a
very small opening, half-covered by water. The opening is the mouth of a
tunnel. It is narrow and you'll do some tight wiggling and crawling, but
it'll get you into the condo chamber. When I saw what they were doing to
the cave, I thought I might need to get in some day, so I went over the
slide, down into the sinkhole and out through the opening. It is behind the
wall of a very fancy bedroom. Even better, it is the back wall of a large
walk- in closet. I made sure one of the wall panels wasn't securely
fastened. It's our door into the cave."

Wes looked at his watch and said, "Ok, I wanted to give Tim time to get set
up to create a major diversion and for all of us to get a bit of rest,
because things are going to start moving fast and furious in a few
minutes. We now have a mile of quick time to do. When we reach the slide,
we'll leave behind everything we can. We'll get dressed in the wet suits
and put our wind suits over them to protect them. We'll take our
flashlights, radios and first aid kits, that's about it."

"I hope none of you are claustrophobic. When we reach the slide, we'll
slide down into basin, swim--or be swept--over the falls, into the sinkhole
lake and go through the tunnel to the closet. After that, we'll fly by the
seat of our pants. When we have Jonathan, I hope we can get out through the
doors to the outside without any trouble."

As we left the shelter of Eagle's Beak, my thoughts were running wild. I
was pretty sure Stone and Wes had both been hoping against hope that
Jonathan would be found in one of bunkers we had looked into, but both
seemed pretty sure he wasn't even as we searched. Now, neither was taking
this last search lightly. Another part of my brain was engaged in thinking
about a young man spending two years caring for his parents, watching them
die.

Also it was very obvious he had suffered greatly and still suffered because
of Andrew's rejection by his father and then his death. I was thinking
about Stone and Wes and how I really wanted to get to know these two guys,
men who were putting their lives on the line for a kid neither knew well,
and who were willing to allow us to put ours on the line for our brother.

The trip to Cherokee Slide seemed to take only minutes. I would like to
have seen the place in the daylight. A wide creek spilled over a very large
sloping rock, the slide of Cherokee Slide. At the lower end it formed a
waterfall, spilling into a basin perhaps ten feet or more below. As soon as
we reached it, Stone again said, "Any of you want to stop here, do. No-one
will think less of you for it." He then started stripping for action as did
we all.

As soon as we were all suited up in wet suit and wind suit, Wes said,
"Fasten your flashlight securely to your waist and as soon as you are ready
to slide, turn it on. That way we can find everyone should someone get
disorientated in the water. Ready?" We all nodded--I know I didn't trust my
voice to actually say anything. No doubt about it, I was scared.