Sky and the Starlets

Fiction by Frank Knebel

Chapter 3

“Go ahead and take the lead, Sky,” Sheriff Winchell said into his radio microphone. “That way you can direct us wherever we’re needed. Over.”

     Winchell watched Ted Barry’s Piper Cub pass to the east of the two police cars. The plane was headed directly toward Nolan Wells while the police cars had to follow the road to the north and wait for the oblique right turn to the town northeast of their present position.

     “Any news from anyone else, Winch? Over.”

     “Harry and Andy are almost to the highway but haven’t seen anything yet. Over.”

     “I’ll bet they’ve eaten a lot of dust out on that road to Red Lake. Over.”

     “They’ll be set until breakfast tomorrow,” the Sheriff replied dryly. “I talked to one of the constables in Nolan Wells. They’ve seen a few planes flying rather low out that way today, but can’t be sure that any of them landed anywhere close to town. Traffic through town’s been normal: a few strangers who appear to be late season tourists. Nothing that was suspicious enough to look into. Over.”

     “Roger, Winch. We’re going to head north and east of town and check things out. If Tim heard Julie’s radio transmission correctly, that’s where they’ll be. Over.”

     “Right, Sky. We’ll keep our eyes open on the road. Car One out.”

     “What’re we keeping our eyes open for, Sheriff?” asked Deputy Barnes as Winchell replaced the radio handset.

     Winchell slipped his broad-brimmed hat back and wiped his forehead with a bandanna. He reached for one of the canteens that lay on the seat between them.

     “I wish I knew, Charlie. Anything unusual, I suppose.”

     But there was nothing unusual about the dark sedan with two couples in it that passed them going in the opposite direction a few minutes later. Nor was there anything suspicious about the panel truck waiting at the turnoff stop sign some five minutes later. They were just part of the normal light traffic on a warm fall afternoon.

Copper Ryder moaned into her gag in exasperation. For nearly half an hour she had been trying to find some way of untying the knots of Julie’s wrist bonds with no more success than Julie had had trying to untie Copper for at least that long before that. She felt Julie take her hand and press it in attempted reassurance. She then let go, and Copper heard Julie struggling to move herself in some way. Copper rolled awkwardly onto her belly and looked around. Julie was now facing her again. Seeing the older woman’s face, light blouse and lightweight slacks streaked with dirt, Copper tried to look at herself. Though she could see little, there was no doubt that her face, checkered shirt and jeans were equally dirty. Both women’s clothes were sweat-soaked as well. Copper was grateful that the shade of a nearby rocky ridge was almost to them. It would be cooler in the shade. Almost immediately after the thought of welcome shade came the realization that the afternoon was wearing on. As hot as the arid land was by day, it would be equally cold by night. If they had to remain as they were overnight, they faced the possibility of death by hypothermia. They had to do something!

     Julie tried to say something but the gag made her words unintelligible.

     “I wonder why they bothered to gag us,” Copper thought. “It sure wasn’t to keep us from yelling for help out here miles from nowhere. It had to be to keep us from helping each other get untied. I wonder if our teeth would be any help with these ropes. Our hands and fingernails sure aren’t! Maybe if I get closer I can understand what Julie’s trying to say.”

     The girl wormed herself closer to her fellow captive. By pushing with the heels of her booted feet, she was able to scoot herself a few inches at a time. After she had done it three times she felt something hard against her left leg. For a moment she wondered what it was. Then she remembered. It was her pocketknife!

Julie wondered what had happened. She saw Copper’s eyes widen, then the girl squealed loudly into her gag and made several beckoning motions with her head. Julie’s first thought was that her niece had spotted a rattlesnake or a Gila monster and turned her head to look behind her. She saw nothing. It was too early for most of the nocturnal desert predators to be out, and she doubted that they would be in any danger from them anyway. She turned back to Copper and watched as the girl rolled over on her right side with her back to Julie. Copper rolled and twisted her shoulders as though trying to reach something on her left side with her bound hands. With her arms looped so tightly against her, the blonde had little flexibility or leverage to move, but Julie finally saw that Copper was trying to reach the pocket of her jeans. Julie mewed loudly into her gag to show her comprehension.

     Copper rolled over to face Julie. Julie nodded. The two women scooted closer together, then Julie rolled onto her left side so as to have her back to Copper. Copper rolled onto her right side and inched herself back toward Julie. When their hands finally touched, Copper took Julie’s and attempted to guide it toward the pocket. Julie gave Copper’s hand a squeeze and felt her way along Copper’s bottom toward her pants pocket. Copper tried to twist herself so her pocket was closer to Julie’s reaching fingers.

     Then they heard the approaching engine.

Ted Barry peered at the desert floor ahead of them.

     “Is that it, Sky?” he asked.

     Sky lowered the binoculars and nodded. His expression was still grave.

     “It’s the Hummingbird all right,” he said. “The cabin door’s open but there are no signs of anyone around. We’d better go down for a closer look.”

     Ted pushed the yoke forward and headed directly for the Hummingbird. He examined the stretch of road where the plane rested.

     “I never knew there were any paved roads out here.”

     “Probably some kind of access for a speculative mining operation that never got very far,” said Sky. He pointed south. “It must connect to the main road back that way.”

     “I wonder what ---“ Ted stopped abruptly and pointed. “Look down there! It looks like two...” He was barely able to suppress the instinctive description ‘bodies.’ He managed to finish “... people.”

     Sky trained his glasses on the small figures for a moment then turned excitedly.

     “They are people, Ted. Two women apparently tied up. It’s hard to tell, but I think it’s Julie and Copper. And they must be alive, because they’re moving.”

     “What happened to the two actresses?”

     “Only Copper and Julie can tell us. Do you think you can set her down on the road?”

     Ted smiled.

     “Copper landed the Hummingbird there. It’ll be a cinch for us.”

     Sky clapped Ted on the shoulder.

     “Good man. Let’s go.”

Julie and Copper watched the single engine Cub make a descending circle and slow for a landing. No sooner had the plane taxied to a stop than two tall men leaped from the cabin and sprinted across the sand toward them calling as they ran. One man wore a wide brimmed Western hat, the other a baseball-type cap. Both carried canteens over their shoulders. The women very quickly recognized Sky and Ted.

     The men dropped their canteens a few feet from the women. Sky knelt beside Julie while Ted went to Copper. Sky took a folding knife from his pocket.

     “Got a knife, Ted?” he asked. “Cut the ropes so that we can have a good look at the knots later. They might give us a clue as to who did this.”

     “Right, Sky,” said Ted holding up a pocketknife.

     They set to work cutting the women free starting with the cruel hogtie ropes. When the prisoners’ hands and feet were released they helped both women to sit up and remove the tape and cloth gags.

     “Thank goodness, Sky!” gasped Julie hugging her husband.

     “Are you two all right?” Sky asked. “What happened?”

     “Oh, we’re all right now, Sky,” said Copper. “But we’ve got to find out what they’ve done with Joan and Diana!”

     “Where are they?”

     Julie shook her head.

     “We don’t know. They were taken away.”

     Sky picked up the canteens. He passed one to Ted and Copper then unscrewed the cap and offered it to Julie. With her arms still tightly bound to her sides, she needed his help to drink.

     “Who took them?” asked Sky as the women both drank deeply.

     Julie swallowed a mouthful of water then moistened her lips.

     “We don’t know,” she said. “At least five men and three women, maybe more. They made it look like they’d had to make an emergency landing over there.” She gestured toward the planes. “When we landed to help them, they pulled guns on us. The truck and car were hidden over here. They tied us up and put Joan and Diana into the back of the truck. Then they brought Copper and me over here and left us.”

     “What’s it all about, Sky?” asked Copper rubbing her wrists.

     Sky shook his head. He began cutting the ropes holding Julie’s arms. Ted followed his lead by resuming his sawing at Copper’s remaining bonds.

     “I don’t know what it’s about, but the first thing we have to do is to find those girls.”

“No, Sky we haven’t seen any Jeeps out this way,” said Sheriff Winchell. “There are always trucks on the road, so we might have passed it without noticing. We’re coming up to Nolan Wells from the west and Harry and Andy are closing from the east. Where are you? Over.”

     “We’ll be over Nolan Wells in two or three minutes, if my pilot doesn’t get lost,” said Sky grinning at Copper in the other front seat. “I’m going to make a pass or two over the town with Copper and Julie spotting, since they can identify the Jeep and the truck. If they’re not in town they must be west of there, possibly heading for Kermit. Over.”

     Winchell thought for a few moments.

     “All right, then. Here’s the plan: Charlie and I will go into town. We can have a word with the local constable and be close at hand if you spot any of the gang. Harry and Andy can block the road on the east and Amy and Sue on the west. If there’s no sign of them in town we’ll all head back west. If they’re running hard, there’s not much chance we can catch them, but at least now we know who to look for. Where’s Ted? Over.”

     “He was running low on fuel. After he fills up he’s going to stand by in case we need him. I can see Harry’s car coming up to the east side of Nolan Wells. We’ll have a look and let you know if we spot anything. Over.”

     “Roger, Sky. Car One out.”

     Sky put his hands on the yoke.

     “I’ll take it now, Copper,” he said. He looked over his shoulder at Julie. “Ready?”

     She nodded.

     “I’m ready to put the cuffs on that whole group,” she said firmly. She reached up and patted Copper’s shoulder. “How about you, Sweetie?”

     “You bet I am.” Her determined expression softened a bit as she added: “I just hope we’re in time to keep anything from happening to Joan and Diana.”

     Sky put his hand over Julie’s.

     “We’re going to do everything we can for them. Now look sharp.”

Joan O’Connor tried to roll a bit to shift some of the weight off her left arm. Lying on her side was much easier than lying on her back with her bound hands and arms under her, and being on her belly while thoroughly gagged made her feel at times that she was suffocating. She had rolled on her right side a couple times, but on her left she knew that she was facing Diana and, even though both girls were blindfolded, that was somehow comforting to her. That sense of comfort had probably caused them to inch closer together as the time went by. Joan could hear Diana’s breathing and her little mews and moans of discomfort as she changed her position. For a while they had tried to talk, but the gags were so well packed and sealed that communication was impossible.

     Joan shifted again and was surprised to bump into her bound friend. She was even more surprised when Diana wiggled herself even closer. Their legs were in nearly complete contact now and Joan could feel Diana’s breasts touch hers. Diana leaned forward so that her forehead touched Joan’s cheek. Joan heard her friend say something into her gag and, while Joan could not understand the words, Diana’s tone seemed hopeless, even pathetic.

     Joan raised her head a bit and laid her cheek against Diana’s. She could feel the edges of the tapes that gagged and blindfolded her friend and wished that she could put her arms around her. She inched herself closer and felt Diana do the same. They were now pressing against one another from head to foot. It was growing noticeably cooler in the little kitchen, probably from the sun sinking toward the horizon. Joan remembered how cold it could get in the desert at night. The girl was astonished and alarmed when the thought came to her that she hoped their kidnappers would return soon.

Copper Ryder ran her hand through her curly blond hair.

     “Oh, Sky,” she asked fretfully. “Do you really think this is going to do any good?”

     Julie Ryder reached over the front seat to put a consoling hand on Copper’s shoulder.

     “I know it’s difficult, Copper, but you can’t lose hope. We’ll find them.”

     “Of course we will,” added Sky. “They must have come this way, and there’s a good chance that they’re somewhere along this road.”

     Copper turned her teary eyes to Sky and Julie.

     “I just can’t keep from worrying about them. They must be so scared, alone and all tied up like they were. And who knows what those men could be doing to them.”

     “Just stay alert as we look,” said Sky. “That’s the best thing we can do for them. Here’s another house. Let’s go lower.”

     After twenty minutes fruitless search near Nolan Wells they were now continuing west in the Hummingbird. Houses were few and far between along this stretch of road and they looked closely at all of them, checking the number and types of vehicles parked at each ranch. The house they were circling at the moment appeared to be deserted but they checked closely for any fresh car or truck tracks. As Sky circled for one more look, Julie pointed to the road to the east.

     “I think that Amy and Sue have caught us, Sky,” said Julie. “That means that the Sheriff and Harry can’t be far behind.”

     “Well at least we know that help is close if we need it,” said Copper.

     Sky smiled at his niece who couldn’t help smiling back. He completed the circle around the ranch below.

     “Nothing here,” he said. “But there’s another place not too far ahead.”

     “It looks pretty deserted,” said Copper. “That barn has almost fallen completely down.”

     Julie picked up Sky’s binoculars and looked closely.

     “There’s something parked next to the barn, Copper!” she said excitedly. “I’d say it looks like the same Jeep the gang had!”

“It looks like Sky’s going in for a closer look at that place ahead,” said Deputy Amy Cole.

     She and Deputy Sue Kendall watched the Cessna descend as it neared the ranch a mile or so to their front. Sue removed her sunglasses to get a better view.

     “That place looks deserted too,” said Sue. “There are a lot of those out this way.”

     “Just the place for hiding a couple of kidnapped actresses.”

     “It’s hard to believe that one of those actresses is a local girl. I never knew her here.”

     “I did,” said Amy. “Joan and I were in the same class in high school. We both went off to college for a while then came back. I joined the Sheriff’s department while she did some acting with the Kermit Players and groups in a few other towns before she left for Los Angeles a little more than three years ago.”

     Sue raised an eyebrow.

     “So who around here do you think would want to kidnap her?”

     Amy chuckled.

     “You’re thinking more like a cop all the time, partner.” Her eyes narrowed as she thought. “Her folks aren’t rich by any means, and they moved to San Diego a couple years after Joan left. There were plenty of guys stuck on her when she lived here, but I don’t think any of them would resort to kidnapping.”

     “What about jealous women?”

     Amy shrugged.

     “I don’t see what any woman could be jealous about after three years. Of course every man in town will probably fall all over her while she’s here, but it’s a bit early to be jealous of something like that. But whoever it is, Joan’s an old friend and I’m taking this personally until I find out anything different.”

     Sue nodded. She was about to speak again when she noticed Amy’s body tense. Her shapely partner leaned forward, looking intently at the house ahead.

     “It looks like there’s something parked behind that supposedly deserted house,” Amy said, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice. “Use the binoculars and have a look.”

     Sue took the binoculars from their case beside the seat and trained them on the house. It took a few seconds to adjust the focus.

     “Amy!” she cried. “There’s a Jeep parked next to that fallen down barn. It looks like ---“

     Copper Ryder’s voice from the radio speaker broke in.

     “Calling Car Four. This is Hummingbird calling Car Four. We’ve spotted the Jeep. It’s parked behind a deserted looking ranch house a half-mile ahead of you. Do you read us, Amy and Sue? Over.”

     Sue grabbed the handset.

     “This is Car Four, Copper. We just saw the Jeep and we’ll be there in a minute to have a look. Over.”

     “Roger, Car Four. Sky’s going to find a place to land and we’ll join you. Hummingbird out.”

     “Better check your weapon, Sue,” Amy said calmly. “We might need them.”

     Sue took her revolver from her holster and broke it open as Amy pressed the accelerator pedal down. The car shot ahead.

Amy Cole, her .38 police-style service revolver drawn, moved quietly toward the rear door of the house. Sue Kendall followed. Though Amy said nothing, she pointed to several sets of fresh tire tracks in the sand and dust around the house. There had evidently been a lot of car and truck traffic here not long ago. Sue nodded to show she understood. Amy then pointed a finger at Sue then at the Jeep, instructing her partner to have a look inside vehicle. Sue nodded again and took several long silent strides to it. She craned her neck to look around the open Jeep. Amy kept watch on the back door constantly glancing back to Sue, checking the progress of her search. The slender deputy leaned over the rear compartment and reached down as though for something on the floor. When she stood up, Sue held a neat coil of rope. Amy waved her back to the house. Drawing her pistol, Sue rejoined her partner. Amy gestured toward the door with the muzzle of her pistol. Sue nodded and took in a deep breath.

     The two deputies rushed the door and threw it open. They pointed their weapons through the doorway.

     “Kermit Sheriff’s office. Everybody freeze!” shouted Amy.

     The only replies to her order were some muffled shrieks from within. The two women looked around the ranch kitchen but saw nothing until movement from something on the floor caused them to lower their gaze. Sue’s eyes widened and she started to take a step toward the bound figures, but Amy reached out a hand to stop her. She pointed to the doors leading to other rooms. Sue nodded. Amy ran to the door to the front room, Sue to the door to a side room. After a few seconds they returned. Both women holstered their revolvers.

     “Nobody in there” said Sue.

     “And nobody in front,” reported Amy. She knelt over the bound form of Joan O’Connor. “It’s all right, girls. We’re Kermit Sheriff’s deputies. We’ll have you loose in no time.”

     The two shapely bound, gagged and blindfolded women sighed in relief. Amy began peeling the tape from Joan’s eyes. The blonde blinked several times at the comparative brightness of the dark room. As Amy reached for the corner of the tape over Joan’s mouth, the starlet looked closely at the attractive brunette deputy. Amy smiled as she slowly worked the tape off.

     “Yeah, Joan. It’s me, Amy Cole.”

     Joan glanced at Sue removing Diana’s gag and blindfold then looked back at Amy. When the tape was off her lower face, Joan tried to push the wadded cloth from her mouth and speak, but the band bound around her head and between her teeth kept the gag in place. Amy pulled on the gag tie and stretched it enough to pull it out of Joan’s mouth and over her chin. Joan spat out the wad.

     “Amy! Of all people!” cried Joan. “What’s going on here? Who were those people who did this? And how did you find us?”

     Amy took a folding knife from her belt and opened the blade. She bent over and began cutting the ropes around Joan’s arms and body.

     “Sue and I,” Amy nodded toward her partner, “were hoping that you could tell us what this is all about. We don’t know who did this to you or where they’ve gone. And we found you with the help of Sky and Julie and Copper.”

     Relief flooded Joan’s face.

     “Thank goodness you’ve rescued them too.”

     “They should be here in a minute. Sky was landing the Hummingbird down the road a way.” Amy gently rolled Joan over to work on the ropes binding her hands. “I guess there’s not much point in asking how you are.”

     Joan looked back over her shoulder at Amy as she worked.

     “Do you remember how we used to compare notes about being pawed by the guys on the football team?”

     Amy nodded.

     “Well, this was a lot worse. We even got pawed by women.”

     Amy finished cutting Joan’s wrist bonds and moved to the loops around her arms and torso.

     “Whoever they were, they did a thorough job of tying you up. They must have thought that you two were pretty dangerous women.”

     “Now I know how a Thanksgiving turkey feels,” Diana said ruefully as Sue went to work on the ropes securing her hands.

     Amy freed Joan’s arms just as Sue finished on Diana’s. The two actresses sat up. Diana massaged her chafed wrists as Sue cut her legs free. Amy moved over to work on Joan’s ankle bonds while Joan reached down to untie her knees.

     “Don’t untie anything, Joan,” said Amy. “All these knots are evidence and we’ll need to examine them. I’ll cut those ropes as soon as I’ve freed your ankles.”

     The two deputies had just freed the prisoners’ legs as Sky, Copper and Julie appeared at the door.

     “Is everybody all right?” Sky asked.

     “Oh, we’re fine, Mr. Ryder,” said Joan. “I imagine we’ll get our circulation back in a day or so.”

     “When you asked us to come here for Wild West Days I never suspected that they’d be quite this wild,” added Diana.

     “Do you think you can stand up?” asked Sky.

     The girls nodded. Sky reached out a hand to help Joan to her feet. Julie and Sue assisted Diana. The two blondes wobbled slightly but managed to stay up. Joan looked at Copper and Julie.

     “How about you two?” she asked. “Last thing we saw was you two bound and gagged and miles from here. How’d you get loose?”

     “Oh, this is all in a day’s work for us out here,” Copper said lightly. “It wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle.”

     Julie raised an eyebrow.

     “Don’t pay any attention to her, girls. Sky and a pilot friend of his spotted the Hummingbird and found us. Unlike Copper, I don’t mind being saved.” She gestured toward the actresses, Copper and herself. They all had disarranged hair, dirty clothes and equally dirty faces. “Now, I think we could all use a bath.”

     The three blondes agreed in chorus. They all heard the sounds of cars stopping outside.

     “That’ll be the Sheriff,” said Amy. “He’ll want to have a word with you first, but we’ll get you into town as fast as we can so you can clean up. We can talk about this later tonight at your motel.”

     She turned to Sky.

     “We’ll probably need your help too, Sky.”

     Copper and Julie looked eagerly at Sky. The tall rancher grinned.

     “I guess we have another adventure on our hands,” he said.

Jackson rose from his seat in a padded armchair and sauntered across the cozy living room to the wheeled cart that held several liquor bottles and an ice bucket. With his right hand Jackson poured bourbon into the glass in his left, not stopping until the ice cubes were nearly covered.

     “This is the good life,” he said. He raised his glass no one in particular. “Here’s to it.”

     Jones looked up at him from his seat on the end of a comfortable looking couch. The lean Southerner’s eyes were a bit glassy.

     “Hey, Jackson,” he said holding up his glass. “How ‘bout pourin’ me some more of that fine sippin’ whiskey.”

     Jackson stepped to the couch, tipped the bottle and poured into Jones’ glass.

     “Glad to, my friend. Anything for a man who’s shown so much devotion to his duty.”

     Jones raised his now full glass in salute.

     “Thanks, buddy.”

     Jackson looked around the comfortable and spacious room. Arlene, Dugan and Baynes were all sipping drinks. The little man shook his head in wonder before continuing the thought that Jones had interrupted.

     “Yes, sir, this is the life. Our bosses have provided for our every comfort in this fine house with good food, excellent liquor, generous pay and beautiful scenery.” He bowed slightly to and toasted Arlene who stared stonily at him. “I say, to their health. And to the health of Mr. Dugan, who made this all possible by hiring us.”

     “Hear, hear!” shouted Jones.

     Jackson and Jones drank. Baynes looked stolidly at Dugan then, with a slight shrug, lifted his glass and took a sip. Arlene put down her glass and stood up.

     “I think I’ll go join Gloria with her headache,” she said.

     “Don’t go just yet, Arlene,” said a female voice.

     They all turned. Patricia Perry and Jarvis were standing in the doorway leading to the kitchen. Patricia was removing her white gloves.

     “So glad that you all like the working conditions so much,” she said frostily. “Let’s just not get too carried away with our celebration. We have work to do tomorrow, you know.”

     “So everything went all right?” asked Dugan.

     Patricia strolled to the drink cart. Every man in the room drank in the slow, graceful movement of her body as eagerly as they had the alcohol. Seeing that she intended to make herself a drink, Jackson hurriedly stepped in front and handed her a clean glass.

     “Please allow me,” he said.

     She batted her eyelashes a couple times.

     “Why thank you, Jackson,” she purred.

     Jackson fumbled with the tongs, but managed to get several ice cubes into her glass.

     “My pleasure,” he said as he added Bourbon and soda.

     They all waited for her reply as she took a delicate sip of Jackson’s creation. Dugan fidgeted.

     “Everything went just as planned,” she said with a smile.

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