A Matter of Trust

17 -Closing In

"Looks like they left the bottom of the gorge here and headed up that way." Skunk was squatting beside Harley, checking the tracks. "Gonna be a little tougher following them up there. It's mostly rock."

"That mean you can't?" Claude asked.

"It means what I said it means, pal. And I'm getting' mighty sick and tired of your attitude." Harley thumbed down the volume on his Ipod and slipped it into his pocket.

Vincent didn't want to lose any potential allies and he immediately stepped between the two men. "Can we keep this little outing sociable?"

"Just tell your friend to mind his mouth." Harley went back to searching the ground for tracks.

"Can't you just once be pleasant to someone?" Vincent glared at Claude, who shot him a flat deadly look and lit up another cigar. "I figured as much."

They climbed for another hour and then stopped for a rest and some food. Vincent reminded Feldman about his concern over Claude and then set up the radio and powered it up.

"Who you calling?"

"I already told you, Claude, I'm checking to see if they have their radio on so I can lock in on their GPS."

"Show me how."

Vincent felt like he'd been stabbed. This was the worst possible scenario. Once Claude knew how to work the radio, Vincent was expendable. "It's uh- it's too complicated to get into now." He began shutting down.

"I said, show me how, Vincent."

"Look, I-" The shout from Harley startled them all and Vincent looked up to heaven, giving thanks to something or someone he had never before considered.

They stood on the lip of the small canyon that hid the giant stone statue and through the mist they could make out that the entrance was open and no one was around.

"That's one mother of a statue, boys," Harley laughed.

"Looks like they're already inside," Feldman observed. "Wonder how they managed that."

"Isn't that what they do?" Vincent reminded him.

"Let's get down there," Skunk began a running descent down the overgrown side of the canyon.

"Get down there and make sure he doesn't go inside, Harley." Feldman pushed his man ahead and followed at a more careful pace.

They climbed down in uneasy silence after the two men, halting when Harley let out a shout that he found new tracks. Everyone congregated about the spot on the ledge overlooking the statue and listened to his explanation.

"I would guess they stopped here to use the radio." Harley said. Vincent felt a bead of sweat run down his side.

"How do you figure they used the radio?" Claude asked, impervious to the foul looks he received.

With a rare chance to show off, Harley took up the challenge. "See this here? Somebody came over here and put something on the ground. Check out the bottom of Vincent's radio, you'll see the feet that make this impression."

"Why over here?"

"Wadda ya mean?"

"Why walk over here to use the radio. Why not back there with the others?"

"Well gee, Claude, I don't think I can answer that one. Wait a sec!" Harley got down on his knees and placed his ear against the marks. "Nope. Nothin'. They ain't talkin'." He dusted his hands and stood just in time to feel Claude's hand around his neck. Feldman and Skunk raced forward and grappled with the two men, wresting Claude's hand from Harley's throat and dragging them apart.