Chapter 31 #3
“It wasn’t long after I left that Mac stepped down.
Talk about leaving a vacuum in leadership.
No one else could inspire and keep men focused the way Mac could.
Eli told me about all the infighting. Everyone had a different opinion of who should lead.
That bickering went on for years. I thought Eli would finally give up, but he kept going back, hoping someone who could actually lead would appear. ”
“But you weren’t involved anymore,” Max clarified.
“Nope. I’d gotten married. Had a kid on the way. Joanne—my wife—ex-wife now—tried to convince Eli to leave the group, but he refused. I think it’s the only place he felt like he belonged somewhere. He didn’t get along with many people. Had a hard time keeping a job. Probably because of his temper.”
“What did Eli most recently talk about?” asked Noelle.
“He sorta kept things to himself. He stopped telling me particulars and who was involved. Said it was for my safety and his.” Ricky paused, regret filling his face.
“I guess his safety didn’t last.” He looked Max and then Noelle in the eye.
“Mac must have come back, because last fall Eli was pumped and excited about the group again. Said their leadership was back in good hands and things were finally happening.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. That’s when Joanne and I started our divorce. I didn’t have time for long talks with Eli. I told him I was glad they’d gotten their shit together and left it at that.”
“What do you think was happening?” asked Max.
“Mac was back,” Ricky said simply. “Couldn’t stay away, I guess.”
“I thought Eli wouldn’t tell you who was involved,” said Noelle.
“True. But Mac is the only person who held everyone’s respect. He’s the only one every man would listen to. If it was suddenly smooth sailing there, it was because Mac came back. I even considered going to a meeting once I heard how good things were.”
“What can you tell us about Mac?” asked Noelle. “What’s his full name?”
“Mac is a nickname,” said Ricky. “Had it forever. His real name is Tom. Last name—”
“Hammaker,” Max and Noelle said at the same time.
Ricky’s brows shot up. “Sounds like you already know him. He goes by Tommy Mac too.”
And Uncle Tommy.
“Not really,” said Noelle. “We just know of him. What else can you tell us about him?”
“He’s a whiz with weapons. You name it, he’s got it. He’s also good with explosives. If you had a question about that sort of thing, he was the guy to see. Although he lost a few fingers during an explosion. But that was probably twenty years ago.”
“What did he blow up?” asked Max.
“Nothing like you’re thinking of,” Ricky said quickly. “He’d demonstrate on stumps or even rocks. Always out in the middle of nowhere.”
“Could he blow up a car?” Noelle had shifted to the edge of her seat.
“Sure. I’ve seen him do that to ones he got from the junkyard.”
Max didn’t know how to tell Ricky that this leader he admired might have killed his buddy Eli.
If he did, there’s a strong possibility he killed Michael Munoz and Rachel Johnson.
“Do you know Gage Chambers?” asked Noelle.
“Sure. He was with the group before I was.”
“There’s a gray truck in Eli’s garage,” said Max. “You familiar with it?”
“Yeah, it’s new. Well, new to him. I told him he needed to get that gray color repainted. Looks like a teenager did it with spray paint.”
“How long has he had it?” asked Max.
Ricky twisted his lips as he thought. “First time I saw it, Joanne was dropping off Trey. It was early in the divorce. So maybe Thanksgiving?” He looked at both of them. “You gonna tell me what happened to Eli?”
“We’re still trying to find family to notify,” said Noelle. “Do you know Michael Munoz?”
Ricky shook his head. “Don’t know the name.”
Max wasn’t surprised since Munoz’s sister had said he’d gotten involved with the group more recently.
“Ricky,” said Max. “You mentioned that Eli said something big was going to happen, but he wouldn’t tell you exactly what. I assume this ‘big shake-up’ could involve explosives? Or weapons?”
“I know what you’re getting at. You want to know why I haven’t told anyone,” said Ricky, earnestly. “But what was I going to report? No one would take me seriously if I said that there’s rumors something might happen, but I don’t know what or where or when. How helpful is that?”
“You could have suggested they question Eli,” said Noelle.
“He’s my friend. And I doubt he knew details.”
“He knew something,” said Max.
“Too late to question him now.” Ricky shrugged.
“Let’s look at it in a different way,” said Max, his mind scrambling to figure out how to get more information out of Ricky.
“You say you don’t know where something is going to happen, but maybe you know enough to stop it before it happens.
Where would the supplies come from to make that unknown thing happen?
That unknown thing possibly being an explosion. ”
“Tommy Mac’s place,” Ricky said firmly. “He’s got storage bunkers on his property.
I’ve seen them. Enough weapons and explosives for a small war and even a place to live—not that I’d want to live in such a small space.
Said he had the supplies to stay in there for six months.
He encouraged all of us to build bunkers if we had the property.
He always warned that shit could hit the fan, you know.
Maybe our country could be attacked or—”
“We’ve been to his home,” interrupted Noelle. “We didn’t see anything like that.”
But it was nighttime.
“The bunkers are beyond the barn,” said Ricky.
“Probably two or three hundred yards away. Easy to miss. They blend into the scenery pretty well, covered with dirt and bushes. There are two of them about five yards apart. Not really underground, they form large mounds and are taller at one end, where there is a vertical door hidden by more trees and stuff.” He frowned.
“There were two when I was there. Could be more by now.”
Max looked at Noelle, who had excitement in her eyes.
We’ve got a solid lead.