Caching Out by Tammy Cheatham Page B

little family has no clue that they are
carrying the one thing that will lead me right to their front door.”  Sitting
back on the worn plaid sofa in the room, he propped his feet on the coffee
table, took a long draw from his beer and continued to watch his monitor.

 
    CHAPTER 10
     
                At
Tate’s request, the KCKY News van was back in the parking lot of the courthouse.
Standing at the top of the steps, he watched as the rooftop antenna attached to
the van rose skyward and the shaggy-haired cameraman hoisted his camera onto a
tripod and bent to adjust the focus. He walked toward the crew and took a deep
breath, knowing that the camera followed him as he made his descent. Tate stopped
at the bottom step and waited for the talking head from the television station to
reach him.
    Wes
Lively smiled a plastic smile and motioned for the cameraman to zoom in for a
close-up. “This is Wes Lively with KCKY News, live at the Shannon County
Courthouse where we’re talking to Chief of Police Tate Echo. Chief Echo, we at
KCKY want to thank you for meeting with us today. We understand that you have
some information to share regarding the recent homicide of Saralyn Parker.” 
    Facing
the camera, Tate tried not to scowl. “The investigation is open and specific
details continue to be confidential at this time. The Shannon County Sherriff’s
office is working closely with the city offices and by utilizing the manpower
provided by Shannon County, we have doubled our taskforce on this investigation.
I want to assure the residents of Pine Ridge that we are committed to solving
this murder and that when an arrest is imminent, we will let the community know.”
    The
newsman broke into Tate’s prepared statement. “Chief Echo, do you have any
suspects at this time?  When do you expect an arrest?”
    Tate
scowled at the man. “As I stated when we spoke last week, this is an open
investigation and there are sensitive details that would compromise the case
should they be released too early into the investigation. My statement to the
community is that while this appears to be an isolated incident, we should all
remain vigilant. Keep your doors locked and your eyes open for any suspicious
activity or people and report those to the police or sheriff’s department. Do
not make any attempt to approach any person or persons involved in what you
might consider suspicious activity. Do not attempt to take matters into your
own hands in any way. This killer is unstable and dangerous.”  Tate reached to
shake hands with Wes, signaling that the interview was over. Surprisingly, Wes
took the hint.
    Tate
made his way up the steps, into the courthouse and his office. The voicemail
light on his phone already blinked a steady red.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
    CHAPTER 11
     
    Settling
in on the small front porch of his cabin, Gavin sipped a beer and leaned against
the faded wooden railing. The sun drifted low over the lake; he admired its red
and orange rays kissing the smooth surface and fading into the water below. The
smell of charcoal fires filled the air, mixing with the aroma of pine and cedar.
Somewhere in the distance he heard kids laughing as they played. As night fell
on the campground, voices muted and faded as campers moved inside, settling in
for the night.
    “Almost
time,” he whispered and went inside to check his computer monitor for any
changes. The green cursor blinking on his screen was stationary at a location
just down the hill from his cabin. “So close.”  Smiling, he closed the computer.
“Ready or not here I come.” 
    His
cap on and backpack over one shoulder, Gavin stepped into the blackness of the
night. Darkness and shadows wrapped around him, offering an eerie welcome. He
slowed his steps so that anyone watching would assume that he was just another
camper out for an evening stroll to the docks. Gavin slowly moved down the hill
to the cabins at the lake’s edge.
    As
the cabins came