“You said something about Danny being alive…” said Carrie. “How can you be so sure? Have you seen him?”
“No, the news isn’t quite that good. But I overheard a conversation between Crack and some other guy. Apparently one of Crack’s cronies took off on his own and somehow caught up with Danny in Surrey. He’s taken him prisoner, and he’s forcing him to go somewhere.”
“Where?” asked Carrie.
“I’m not sure. But I’ve got a feeling it’s the place I found before – the Wild Rose place.”
“What’s their interest in the boy, anyway?” asked Keller.
“I think I know almost everything,” said Richard. “I’ll fill you in as we ride. Crack’s headed for Surrey to intercept them right now. I’ve got to reach Danny before he does, and before they get where they’re going.”
“I hope you're not going try to talk us out of coming with you this time,” said Keller.
“I hate to see either of you risk your lives,” said Richard, “but I can’t think of two people I’d rather have alongside me.”
Carrie made a shushing sound, and put her finger to her lips. “I hear something,” she whispered.
Sure enough, when he listened closely Richard heard a faint tapping sound approaching them. It didn’t sound human – it might be some wild animal crossing the road. There was no time to get out of the way. They moved to the shoulder, ready to take cover if necessary. Within seconds, a running animal appeared on the road, headed directly for them. Seconds later, Richard recognized what it was.
“Zonk,” he cried. “I don’t believe it!”
Zonk came bounding toward them. He ran straight to Richard, jumped up on him, and began licking his face. Richard ruffed the fur of Zonk’s neck and scratched his head affectionately.
“Good boy!” he said excitedly, as Zonk jumped around him in an uncharacteristic display of excitement. “Good boy!”
“Wow, he found us all the way out here,” said Carrie. “Maybe that dog has some use after all.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” laughed Richard, scratching Zonk’s head again.
They continued on to Keller’s place, with Zonk happily loping alongside Richard’s bike. Keller shook his head slowly in disbelief as Richard explained how he had broken into the complex, been taken prisoner by Crack, and finally escaped. He left Crack’s revelation about Zonk out of his story.
Finally they were within sight of Keller’s RV. Keller had been riding a few bike lengths ahead, acting as a lookout. Richard motioned to Carrie and they both caught up with him.
“Like I said, somehow I’ve got to try to get to Danny before Crack does,” Richard said to Keller. “You might be able to help me.”
“I’d be happy to help,” said Keller, “but I don’t see how I can get you there any faster.”
“There might be a way. I know how attached you are to the Black Cherry. Would you be willing to let us take it to Surrey? It would probably mean the end for the car. Chances are you’d never see it again.”
“Come on,” Keller snorted, “What do you think I am? If it came down to a choice between that car and Danny’s life, there’s no contest. You don’t even have to ask me that question. But I’m not sure the Black Cherry will even run properly. I’ve never driven it more than a few feet at a time, and that was inside the garage. Anyway, there’s only enough gas to go a few blocks. There’s no way it would make it to Surrey.”
“There might be something I can do about that,” said Richard smiling, as they pulled into Keller’s property.
The Black Cherry
“You’ll have to explain to me exactly what you have in mind,” said Keller as they approached his RV. “Are you planning to drill for oil on my property?”
“Funny you should put it that way,” laughed Richard.
Both Keller and Carrie stared at him as if they thought he was losing it.
“Is it possible the fall off the roof did more damage than I first thought?” said Keller. “You’re not making much sense.”
They parked their bikes and dismounted. Zonk trotted up to Richard, who affectionately scratched his head.
“Remember you were saying that the previous owner had a stash of gasoline buried somewhere on this property?” Richard said.
“Yeah,” said Keller. “That was the rumour. But that’s no use to us. Like I told you, the old guy croaked before he could tell me where it was.”
“Well,” said Richard, “I might have found us a secret weapon.”
“Really,” said Keller. Both he and Carrie were giving him that look again. All through the conversation, Richard had been scratching Zonk’s head. He finally turned to the dog,
“Zonk,” he said. “Come with me.”
Carrie and Keller shrugged at each other. Carrie turned to Keller and made a walking motion with the fingers of her right hand, as if to say 'Should I go and get him?' Keller shrugged again, but finally shook his head.
Richard led Zonk out into the center of Keller’s property, stopping at a point midway between the RV and the shed. He gave a goofy smile at his two companions, then leaned down at Zonk and said, “Zonk – Eldorado!”
Keller and Carrie watched stunned as Zonk jumped up and began moving, as before, in a tight circle, alternately jumping and sniffing at the ground. He turned several times, letting out the occasional yelp or bark as he moved.
“What the hell is he doing?” said Keller. “Is there something wrong with him?”
Richard pushed his hand down in a motion for them both to be quiet. Within seconds Zonk had completed his dance and found a scent. He moved off, his nose intently sweeping the earth. He reached a nondescript spot in the middle of the property, ten or twelve yards west of the RV, and began pointing his snout repeatedly at the ground.
“Is he having some kind of fit or something?” whispered Keller.
Richard laughed and clapped his hands together. He ran over to the spot Zonk was indicating and crouched down beside him.
“Good dog, Zonk. Good boy!” he laughed, scratching Zonk’s head and hugging him.
“Okay,” said Keller. “I think it’s time you told us what the hell’s going on.”
Richard explained Zonk’s almost magical ability to his astonished companions.
“So, what you’re saying is,” said Keller, “that in a few seconds your dog here has found the stash of gasoline I’ve been searching for all these years.”
“That’s right.”
“Well, I’ll believe that when I see it.”
“Got a shovel?”
The three of them took turns digging at the spot Zonk had indicated. Richard was taking his turn when, at a depth of about three feet, his shovel struck something solid.
“Careful,” said Keller. “If it is the gas, we don’t want to break the container.”
“So you believe me now?”
“Let’s just say I’m open to the possibility.”
Within minutes, Richard had uncovered a large, red, plastic container about two feet high. He carefully removed the dirt around it until it was free and clear. He and Carrie jumped into the hole and Richard inspected the container before trying to lift it.
“It’s hardly deteriorated at all,” he said, running his hand over the plastic shell.
“That kind of material tends to deteriorate in sunlight,” suggested Keller, “It would probably last a long time buried underground. Try lifting it. Is there anything in it?”
Richard grabbed the handle at the top, and rocked it back and forth.
“It’s not empty,” he said. “In fact, I’d say it’s pretty much full.” He unscrewed the black plastic cap and bent down to smell the contents.
“Gasoline – must be five or ten gallons of the stuff.”
“Great God Almighty,” whispered Keller. He gaped open-mouthed over at Zonk, who sat at the edge of the hole panting, his tongue lolling out of his mouth, the usual otherworldly expression on his face.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Keller yelled. “Let’s gas up the old girl and get this show on the road!”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” said Richard.
“I’ve only got one condition,” said Keller.
“What’s that?”
“I get to drive,” he said, beaming.
Between the three of them they managed to haul the container of gasoline over to the shed where the ancient vehicle stood. On the way, Richard explained what he knew about Danny’s discovery, and Crack’s interest in it.
“Incredible,” said Keller, shaking his head. “So Zonk has been the center of all this all along.”
“Of course you realize,” said Keller when they reached the car, “this car hasn’t been driven more than a few yards in something like sixty years. Just because we’ve got gasoline doesn’t necessarily mean we can actually go anywhere. It might go for a few blocks then fall apart.”
“With you as the mechanic?” said Carrie. “No way.”
“I thank you for your vote of confidence,” laughed Keller. “I just hope you won’t be disappointed.”
It took both Richard and Carrie to lift the container up high enough to pour the precious liquid into the tank. Richard was almost overpowered by the heady odour of gasoline fumes as they poured. It brought back the image of Crack inhaling the fumes from the rag at the compound. The image made him shudder. In a few minutes they had emptied the entire container into the gas-tank. Richard ceremoniously handed the gas cap to Keller, who, equally ceremoniously, screwed it back on.
“We should think about what supplies we need,” said Richard. “Jim,” he said, turning to Keller, “How about tools, in case we have a breakdown?”
“I’ll throw in some wrenches and screwdrivers,” said Keller. “We better pray we don’t need any parts – or even tires for that matter. With this car, what you see is pretty much what you get.”
“Have you got any food we can take along?”
“There’s some bread and some biscuits in the RV. In the cupboard above where the stove used to be.”
“I’ll get them,” offered Carrie, and she headed toward the door of the shed.
Keller called after her, “And there’s some dried meat in the cupboard just to the right of that one – might as well grab that as well.”
“Sure,” called Carrie as she left.
“We’d better take the bikes, too,” said Richard. “In case the beast breaks down and we can’t fix it. Do you think they’d all fit in the trunk?”
“Are you kidding?” laughed Keller, “You could fit one of our modern cars into this trunk!”
Richard headed over to where they had parked the bikes, grabbed two and began to wheel them, one in each hand, toward the shed. About halfway he saw Carrie emerge from Keller’s RV with a bag of food. He stopped and watched as she stepped confidently from the bottom stair.
He stood holding the bikes and waited for her to catch up. She smiled as she approached, and they walked together.
“Is it true - what Keller said back there?” he asked her.
“Is what true?” she answered, though she knew exactly what he meant.
He felt warmth rising to his cheeks. “How you feel about me…”
She stopped and turned to him. “Do you want it to be true?”
“More than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.”
Richard let go of both bikes and took her in his arms, so that she almost dropped her package.
He looked into her eyes. “There’s only one thing that scares me about what we’re about to do. It’s not the wild dogs or the bandits or tackling Crack and his gang – it’s the thought that now that I finally found you I could lose you again.”
“You’ll never lose me,” she whispered. “No matter what happens.”
“Where the hell have you two been?” Keller said as they returned. “This is no time for ‘lovey-dovey’,” he joked, guessing what had delayed them. “This is a momentous occasion. You realize we’ll probably be the first people to hit the road in a Galaxie in something like fifty years?”
Richard manhandled the bikes into the massive trunk. As Keller had predicted, they fit with plenty of room to spare. He headed out the door for the third bike, as Carrie loaded the food into the back seat, and Keller opened the heavy sliding door to allow the car to pass through.
Richard had grabbed the bike and was wheeling it back when he heard a faint whine in the distance. He jumped on the bike and rode it quickly to the car. Keller sat behind the wheel. Carrie stood by the open passenger door with Zonk beside her.
“Can you hear that?” Richard said.
“What?” said Keller. “I don’t hear anything.”
“Sounds like a motorbike,” said Richard. “It could be the cops, or…”
Keller yelled, “Get that bike in the trunk and jump in. I’m going to try to start her up.”
The Road to Surrey
Richard quickly tossed the bike in the trunk with the others. Keller turned the key, and the Black Cherry roared to life. Zonk jumped back in shock.
“She purrs like a kitten, don’t you think?” shouted Keller above the din.
“If you say so,” Carrie shouted back.
“Zonk,” Richard patted the back seat. Zonk hesitated, frightened by all the noise.