Cobb Mt Mystery: Konocti Caves Part 10

Goons and Psychopaths The hired goon hung up his cell phone and grumbled. The midnight phone call didn't get the results he had hoped for. Instead of getting the go ahead to head up on the mountain and pick up the handful of brats that they were paid to find, they were told to sit on it some more. He didn't like waiting. He especially didn't like having to wear the monkey suits that he and his buddy had been forced to wear while taking turns parked in the heat, at the gate that shut off the road leading up to the great mountain. He was itching to get back up there.

"But the 'Bossman' insists on doing it the easy way. The sissy way!" he grumbled to himself, before taking a long drink from the bottle he had been holding while listening to his orders. So far the only action he and his buddy had been allowed, was the bugging of the porch of a deputy's house- outside of a few times when they did their own maneuvers on the mountain.

A couple times instead of just trading places at the end of a shift, he and his partner had gone up on the mountain to run maneuvers. Once they found a cave they had gone back up a few times hoping to catch the kids.

But mostly it was just sit and wait. This was not what they were trained for. They were mercenaries and they were itching for action. They had commando skills to be used. "We didn't sign on to be used like 'rent-a-cops'!" the goon growled and finished off the bottle.

He and his fellow goon had been sure that now, armed with the information they had been waiting for- the info they recorded from the bug they had planted under the deputy sheriff's deck, that Melbourne would give them the go ahead. But they were told to wait some more... to wait for his guy to come and lead them up the mountain. "Ha! That's a laugh- that guy couldn't lead us to the lake!" the goon scowled.

"Well Melbourne's man had better get here quick or we'll take matters into our own hands," he scowled looking out the window of his drab motel. For them it wasn't about the money. It was about the action.

The two men took turns waiting at the motel where Melbourne had put them up. Where, while waiting for their turn as security for the gate, they ate slept, drank beer, and listened to the bugging device all the while waiting for some action. His buddy was on shift now, which meant he had nothing but time on his hands- and that was not enough. He was aching to see some blood. And tonight he was going to see some- and he didn't care whose blood it was.

Finally he saw headlights and he walked through the door towards them, fresh bottle of beer in hand. He enjoyed seeing the fear in Melbourne's man's eyes as he met them with his own ice cold eyes. He contemplated the many accidents that could occur, ending up with this guy off Melbourne's payroll. The thought made him laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked Melbourne's henchman uneasily.

"Inside joke." the goon grunted as he shut the door. "Let's roll!"

They stopped and picked up the other goon who after locking the gate behind them, climbed in laughing. It seemed he had thought of the same 'inside joke'.

The three men rode in silence up the steep, b.u.mpy and winding road which was more like a rugged cow trail towards the top. When they could drive no more, Melbourne's henchman put the vehicle in park and the three men climbed out of the vehicle.

Pocketing the keys Melbourne's henchman said, "The cave is this way. We'll find them there." He turned and stared at only scrub brush.

The mercenaries had disappeared into the darkness.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

KONOCTI KIDS.

A few weeks earlier The trek up the mountain wasn't as effortless as Jimmy described. But the boys were up to the task. In fact they made games out of everything. One minute they were pirates sailing across the lake, the next they were hunters as they paddled their boat towards the blanket of pelicans that stretched out over a cove.

The game came to a halt and the five boys watched in amazement as the pelicans themselves became hunters; herding fish into the cove for harvestings. The spell was broken when Jimmy called out, "Step Hearty, Me Maties! If yer don't wanna be walkin' the plank!" The boys whooped with glee and continuing paddling toward the rocks and the Black Forest.

After stashing their row boat safely behind some rocks, the six little buccaneers transformed themselves into mountaineers raring to climb the shear rocks and cliffs up the side of the lake.

Wait here, and have a snack," Jimmy said, and called Hero and disappeared around some huge rocks, carrying a rope taken from the cabin. About twenty minutes later the boys heard Jimmy calling to them from high above the cliff. After securing the rope to a tree; Jimmy lowered the loose end down to Timmy who tied it one by one to the back packs of supplies. Then it was the boys turn. Timmy nervously tied the rope around Little Jon's waist first and watched as he was hoisted up the side of the cliff. The other boy's argued to be next. One by one as the boys climbed Jimmy and the others who had joined him on the top of the cliff, walked around the tree with the rope gradually pulling the dangling boy to the top, while Timmy held his breath from below, hoping his knots would hold. Finally it was his turn to put his faith and life into Jimmy's hands. It wasn't until he got to the top that he saw how secure Jimmy had rigged the rope.

Finally all six boys and their dog were hiding behind a large boulder beside Soda Bay Road. When Jimmy was sure the coast was clear they ran across the road and disappeared into the Black Forest.

The going was much slower than Jimmy thought it would be, and they didn't get very far before dark. They pitched the pop-up tent against a large moss covered boulder, and soon the boys were eating tuna on crackers, while Jimmy told them Indian lore about the mountain.

Jimmy realized that even though it would take longer, he needed to revamp the planned route. It was just too steep and too dangerous. All the boys including Little Jon were wearing back packs full of supplies. They even had a back pack strapped to Hero, which he wore proudly; but was having problems with on the steeper slopes.

The exhausted yet happy young boys slept soundly while Hero slept lightly with his head out of the tent, always on guard.

Early dawn found the boys already breaking camp and ready for another day's climb up the mountain. By the third day Jimmy was beginning to wonder how long it would take them to reach the top. He was also beginning to worry whether or not he could find the cabin. He remembered how easily he and Ron got lost in the storm. From below it all looked so easy, but up here in the Black Forest, surrounded by trees it was closed in, and he got easily turned around. Jimmy was thankful to have the compa.s.s, which came in handier that he imagined it would. He hid his doubts from the other boys, keeping a positive front.

The weather was getting warmer now, and Jimmy started getting the boys up earlier and breaking camp before dawn and then calling the hike to a halt earlier and earlier. The boys, although hot and tired never grumbled. Nothing was as hard as what they went through in the caves. They felt wild and free.

When they approached the top of the first peak, Jimmy felt too exposed to travel during the day, so the boy found places to hide during the day; taking turns climbing a tree to be 'look out' while the others slept; and traveled at night the best they could. It was even slower going than the climb up the Black Forest wall.

The survival lessons from Ron came in handy. As they traveled up the mountain, Jimmy kept his eyes sharp looking for signs of wild animals and snakes while teaching his brothers what to look and listen for. And, most importantly what to do if they came across anything. Which they did.

They encountered some coyotes and if it weren't for Ron's lessons they might have become victims of the coyote's tricks.

They heard whimpering and the boys thought it was an injured dog... or maybe a child and wanted to go check. Even Hero tried to go. But Jimmy stopped them. He told them it was a trick and that the coyotes used it to lure people or dogs away from a group to isolate them for the attack. And sure enough, soon they heard the yipping of the coyotes running away.

As the boys entered an area thick with manzanita trees which were loaded with berries Jimmy warned them about bears. It became necessary to travel in the day and to hold up in the tent with two boys at a time staying awake listening and keeping watch. Jimmy told them to watch Hero. He would know first if a bear was about. And sure enough one night the boys were all awaken by a low growl. Jimmy and the boys all started shouting and Hero joined in barking and although they never saw the bear, the next morning they saw droppings and a near by tree had been shredded. Jimmy would be very happy to get behind the doors of the cabin.

Which happily happened the next day. Jimmy never let the boys know how worried he was that they were lost. Not because of his ego. But because he knew that they all needed to feel that he knew what he was doing. They were counting on him to lead them to safety.

After setting up house inside the cabin and resting a bit the six boys were soon all having fun and just being boys; and at times even forgetting the recent nightmare existence that they had endured.

Jimmy tried telling them about Konocti; how it was actually made up of five peaks, but as he was naming them, "Wright, Howard, South..." Joey cut him off saying, "Hey school's out! We're on vacation!" They all laughed but Jimmy, who couldn't believe that not one of them was as interested in geology as him. Every time he started trying to tell them something about this mountain that they had made their home, they would either change the subject or loudly protest.

The only time he could get them interested was when he told them that the south slope of the mountain was covered with black gla.s.s rocks.

"They're called obsidian." Jimmy told his brothers. "The Pomo's used to make arrow heads out of them."

"Is it far? Can we go see them?" The boys wanted to know. Jimmy happily took them to the large area and even he was speechless. Looking out over about twelve square miles all you could see was obsidian rocks. The boys took off running wanting to gather some rocks, but Jimmy called them back sternly.

"It's too dangerous to go out that far. We are too much in the open," Jimmy warned. "Just pick up some here, around the edges." Reluctantly the boys returned. They were starting to feel confined- even though on the top of the tallest mountain for miles.

One evening Jimmy and his brothers found their way to the fire tower, and as the sun set they climbed the structure. Little Jon clung to Jimmy as they inched their way to the top. From there the panoramic view was breathtaking even to the young boys. After gazing at the vast lake below for a few minutes, no one protested when Jimmy pointed out that they could see the entire Big Valley agricultural area of Kelseyville. He told them about Mama Capra taking him on tours of some of the farms. He pointed to Lakeport, and then a mountain rising up in the northern horizon and told the eager boys that it was Mount La.s.sen, then he pointing to the west he said, "That's the Sutter b.u.t.tes ... they must be a hundred miles away!"

"Whoa! No way!" the boys cried out in unison.

"And look that's Lake Berryessa! I can't believe we can even see Mt. Diablo from up here." Even with the naked eye they could see all of the locations that Jimmy was pointing out, yet the boys took pleasure in viewing them through Jimmy's binoculars. And Jimmy delighted in sharing them with his brothers.

When it was his turn again, Jimmy turned the gla.s.ses towards Konocti Harbor, and let his eyes travel across the water to Edgewater Drive. To Ron and Kat's house. He wondered if they were in there now. He wondered if they were looking back at the mountain. Were they looking through Ron's telescope that he always had pointed at Konocti? He felt a tear on his cheek and brushed it away before his brothers could notice.

Later when, once again Jimmy tried talking about the geological aspects of Konocti and Clear Lake he was met with loud groans. Jimmy missed his conversations with Ron. He was the only person who ever 'got him'. He didn't patronize or feign interest.

"Even Mama Capra only pretended to know what I was talking about. But Ron listened. He really listened and understood, and encouraged me." Jimmy thought and the tear was back. He wished he had returned Ron's phone calls. He realized now that if Ron didn't care about him, he would never have taken the time to teach him all the things he did about surviving in the wilds. Just like he had been taking the time to teach his foster brothers, because he cared about them.

Jimmy had come to another realization too. "Just like Mama Capra wasn't at fault for getting sick, neither was Ron. Everyone gets sick. They can't help it. It doesn't mean they stop caring about you. It just means they are sick." The little boy's heart ached to see the man that he was once so close to. If he ever saw him again, he hoped Ron would forgive him. He hoped they could rebuild their friendship.

At any rate, he knew he could trust Ron to help them. If he had not been so childish he would have realized it sooner, and his brothers wouldn't have had to gone through as much as they did.

After a few days, the boys grew restless and wanted to go back down off the mountain. Jimmy kept trying to invent new games to keep them entertained and occupied. But he soon ran out of ideas and they started arguing with him about staying on the mountain. Even Timmy fought against him. In fact Timmy became so angry that Jimmy thought it may come to blows at one point! He was able to back Timmy down, but some pretty mean words were said.

Timmy accused Jimmy of being a control freak; and said he was tired of him bossing them around.

"All we have to do is call the cops! We should have done that a long time ago. Besides who died and made you boss?!" Timmy demanded. "You just want us up here so you can control us, you control freak!" And although all that hurt, what Timmy said next really took its toll on Little Jimmy.

"I don't think you care about the other boys that are by now taking our place in the mine. We don't need your permission, we can get off this mountain whenever we want. We can just leave. You may wake up tomorrow and find us gone."

As hurt as he was, Jimmy tried to hide it. He knew he had to keep the boys from leaving. Finally Jimmy was able to convince the boys to understand.

"Listen! Do you want to end up back at Melbourne's. Back in the mine? Is that what you want? You know that Melbourne is too powerful and persuasive; and no one would believe us. By now all the signs of the mine would be covered up. Even if we didn't get sent back to Melbourne we'd all end up back in the system. And we would be separated. Do you want that? Really?" Jimmy looked into the faces and hated what he saw. The happy adventurous strong boys disappeared in front of his eyes and were replaced by 'little lost boys'. He hated that; but he had to make them understand. He had to make sure they stayed together.

But one thing was true that Timmy said. They needed to do something to prevent Melbourne from getting his evil grips on any more kids.

"Listen, I haven't forgotten about the other boys. I just need to come up with a plan that isn't going to land us all back in Melbourne's lap. Or bounce us back into the system. Don't worry. I got us off Walker Ridge, didn't I? I'll come up with something." Jimmy was having a difficult time convincing the boys of something that he was not sure of himself. But one thing he was sure of. And that he could say with conviction.

"We are family. And families stick together. We have to stick together. We are all we've got!" Looking at each boy in the eyes, he asked, "Can we work together? Can we count on each other? Are we a family?"

That got to Timmy, and he apologized for causing a problem. But Jimmy was worried by what he meant earlier and the cold look in his eyes when he was threatening to sneak off with the boys. He worried about the boys wandering off and getting lost. He also worried about the anger that Timmy was unable to control at times.

Jimmy remembered being like that when he arrived at Mama Capra's home, and the anger management skills that she had taught him; and started trying to teach Timmy and the other boys.

He remembered something else he learned from Mama Capra. The thing she said to him each night before she said goodnight, "No matter how far from home we may stray the love we share will stay."

After telling them the importance of knowing how to find their way around the mountain, Jimmy spent the next few days taking the boys around to the different mountain peaks. Teaching them- as he learned himself- how to find the way back to the cabin, from all directions. They found alternative places to hide incase of intruders and they found the spring and filled up the water jugs that they had found in the settler's cabin, and hid some in shady places around the mountain. He saved the cave for last. He new that none of them were anxious to go into another cave. And neither was he, especially that one. But if there were another storm like the one that he and Ron encountered, the cave would be the safest place for them. He didn't think even the cabin would be safe in a storm like that.

The boys stood at the entrance of the cave peering inside.

"How far is it to the hole?" Little Jon asked.

"Not far," Jimmy said. "We have to go in. You have to know how far is safe, incase you ever have to go inside. I'll go first, follow me."

Jimmy led the way, with the five scared boys following him. "Count each step, he called back over his shoulder. And each crawl step too. Memorize it. Repeat it over and over so you will remember. You may have to come here in the dark." The thought of that made them all shudder. Once they got to the hole, and felt the blast of cold air rushing up from the abyss the boys scampered quickly out towards sunlight. Each vowing to themselves that there was nothing that could ever make them go back inside. Nothing. Only Little Jon voiced it.

"I hope we never have to go inside there again," he grimaced.

Jimmy rubbed his little head with his knuckle and said, "Well if you are ever up here in a storm like the one I was in, you'll be happy you know where this cave is!"

As they headed back something caught Jimmy's attention in the corner of his eye. He looked just in time to catch a glimpse of the golden hind quarters of a mountain lion disappearing into the brush.

"Guys, listen up! I just saw a mountain lion!" he said loudly, grabbing for Hero.

"I thought they only come out at night," Marty said.

"No, they come out in day time too. They are always hunting." Jimmy replied even louder.

"Pick up a stick and gather in close. Try to look as big as you can. Wave your arms and keep alert. Make a lot of noise. He won't attack if he thinks we are ready for him. And don't run! That will set off his chase instincts." Grabbing Little Jon's arm he pulled him to the center where he was protected by the larger boys.

The boys never saw the lion again, but they all felt his eyes on them, and Hero whined as they walked as fast as they dared back to the cabin.

That night they heard the screams of the lion and they huddled together and were thankful for the cabin door, which they had barricaded.

Other than a few more arguments, the following week was mostly uneventful; but it became apparent to Jimmy that someone was going to have to go down the mountain for supplies. The grapes and walnuts weren't as plentiful as he had hoped. And although they had filled every imaginable container with water the spring was rapidly drying up. He grew quiet and the boys noticed right away. Little Jon was the one who spoke up.

"What's wrong, Jimmy? Don't you feel good?"

"I'm fine, Jon. It's just that I am going to have to go down the mountain to get supplies, and I have to leave you guys here alone. Can I count on you to stay inside the cabin while I'm gone?"

"What are you talking about?" Timmy demanded angrily. "What do you mean, you have to go down? I thought you were the one preaching togetherness? Why can't we all go together?"

Taken aback by another outburst from Timmy, Jimmy couldn't find words to say at first. He knew that it would be a mistake for them all to go, but when he protested the boys didn't want to listen.

Finally Jimmy told them that six boys walking into a store, all matching posters that were surely posted all around the county, would be too risky."

"Then we can all just stay here!" Timmy demanded.

"We'll be out of food soon. Someone has to go get some."

"Well, why does it have to always be you? I'm just as capable as you!" Timmy challenged.

Jimmy sighed and just walked away, saying, "We can talk about this later..." and when he was out of earshot he muttered, "Just not too much later. We've only got a couple days of food left." He decided to broach the subject again later, and wondered how much money he would get for the water bottles they emptied. But now he was just too tired. He was tired of having to fight with Timmy at every corner. He was fed up with having to be the strong one. The thinking one. The one with the plan. He wanted to just be a kid again. He wanted to sit at Mama Capra's kitchen table and drink hot chocolate.

That night Jimmy tried to get to sleep quickly and forget about having so much responsibility.

Early the next morning Jimmy woke the boys up. He was standing over them with his back pack on. Tossing a second packed back pack to Timmy he said, "Let's go!" and turned for the door. The boys scampered to their feet. "Wait, aren't we going to pack our gear?" Denny asked.

"No." Was all Jimmy said. He was tired of negotiating, and explaining everything. He was just plain tired.

Timmy told the boys to grab some water jugs as they hurried to catch up with Jimmy, who had already almost disappeared in the brush. The boys climbed down the peak and scaled another and then finally headed down into the Black Forest. The trip down the mountain was much quicker, if not as fun as the trek up. At first.

As angry as Jimmy started out, he just couldn't stay mad at his brothers. And soon the boys were laughing and sliding and rolling down the steep hill. Although they carefully avoided the steepest area that had given them so much trouble coming up, they still managed to go into a free fall at one point ending up in a heap at the bottom against a moss covered boulder.

"Are you alright?" Jimmy exclaimed in horror looking at his sc.r.a.ped and bleeding brothers. Not even noticing that he had blood running down his face onto his dirty shirt. After ascertaining that there were no serious cuts or broken bones the boys rolled with laughter. Partly out of relief, and party because they seriously had a great time rolling down the mountain. All but Marty, who took charge of the situation, insisting that they take time to allow him to clean and dress the wounds.

"We can't chance anybody getting an infection, did you bring the first aid kit?" he asked Jimmy, who removed his back pack and dug it out. As Marty worked he talked for the first time of his dream of becoming a doctor. Jimmy's eyes met Timmy's and they both looked down. They knew the chances of foster kids finishing high school were slim. And making it into college was slimmer than slim.

By the time they crossed the road and reached the rocky cliff high above the lake; the brothers were in full mountaineer mode again- ready to scale down the cliffs with the rope Jimmy had tucked into his backpack. Then upon reaching the lake they instantly switched gears and were ready for pirating back across the lake.

"I hope we see the pelicans again," Joey said joyfully.

About the time the kids were climbing into the row boat The Henchman and the two hired goons barged through the Konocti cabin door.

The Henchman looked around and seeing the sleeping bags and other supplies that the boys left behind, he said, "They are up here somewhere. They must have seen us coming and are hiding. Spread out!" There were so many little foot prints from the boys weeks of play on the mountain that they had no idea which ones to follow. Before long they were finding the stored water jugs, but no boys. Finally after talking to Melbourne on his cell phone, The Henchman sent The Goons back to the cabin to wait incase the kids returned while he waited in a shady spot in the four wheel drive vehicle, wanting to be as far from the two goons as possible.

The joyous pirate song, "Yo Ho! Yo Ho! A Pirates Life For Me!" floated out over the lake as the six little buccaneers rowed towards the straights. However the song the boys were singing came to an abrupt halt as the sound of a helicopter rose over the mountain. They turned and watched as it hovered over the high canyon where the cabin was that the boys had slept in just the night before. Jimmy and Timmy took the oars and began rowing as fast as they could, and soon the little dingy slid in between the walls of the straight out of sight.

The boys didn't see the line descend from the air craft as Ron was lowered to the cabin. They also didn't see Melbourne's Hired Goons retreat with Ron in hot pursuit chasing them to their vehicle.

Ron stood gasping for air in the hot sun while watching the four wheel goon driven vehicle bounce down the rocky trail. He was relieved that they were leaving without the kids.

"But where are they?" Ron asked loudly as he turned and prepared to begin a painstaking search of the area surrounding the cabin.