Chapter Twenty-Three
The coal belt ran from the old section of the plant to the crusher house, where it dropped coal into a massive crushing mechanism, and disseminated the pieces into an underground hopper.
The conveyer belt only ran during delivery days, and Roland’s mind had become fuzzy.
He couldn’t rely on the information that swam in his head.
The antifreeze had seized his senses. It had taken all his energy to drag that damn pot smoker up to the coal belt.
He’d thought about leaving the body where it was, but he didn’t want to chance it being found by other stoners, and having Marissa taken away.
He pushed the bloody body onto the ash-covered belt, turning the face away, so he didn’t have to look at the gaping hole beneath it.
He leaned over and threw up. Sweat poured from his brow.
He touched the bottle of alcohol in his pocket.
He could swig the antidote to the antifreeze now and still be okay. Marissa.
Laughter floated up from the level below.
Adrenaline fueled Roland’s strength. Laughter?
Did they know where he was? Were they laughing behind his back?
Were they laughing at him? Roland turned toward the sounds, breathing hard, heat spreading up his neck and cheeks.
He could take them down, whoever they were.
Stick to the plan, Roland, he told himself.
His plan had already come up against too many hitches.
He couldn’t risk doing something stupid.
Cover your tracks. Don’t make more tracks to cover.
He’d learned that on television. Roland had to get the stoner’s body onto the belt to transfer it down to the crusher house, and dispose of it for good.
He pushed the body further onto the belt and pulled the long, metal lever that stuck out from the control board with all his might.
The belt growled to life, shifting the belt slowly into its descent toward the crusher room.
The laughter stopped.
Roland listened to the silence. He had to move fast. He climbed onto the moving conveyer belt behind the body and lay flat, the belt vibrating against his fleshy stomach and arms as it descended the steep incline.
This wasn’t part of his plan, but luckily he’d checked out the conveyer belt and the crusher house during his preliminary rounds of the plant.
Being ready for anything was another of his favorite mantras from the television shows he’d watched.
Every five feet there was a rumble and hitch, then the belt moved slowly again.
Roland held his breath, watching through the open sides of the conveyer housing as the plant receded toward the sky.
The crusher building grew closer by the second.
He was almost there. Soon there would be one less body to deal with and he could get back to Marissa, and to his plan.
Suddenly the belt stopped. Roland flipped around.
The crusher house was only a few feet below where the belt had stopped.
He kicked the body down the belt until it caught on the edge, hanging over the gaping hole of the crusher.
Three swift kicks with his boot sent it spiraling down. It landed with a muffled thud.
He looked up at the building again. Two figures stood at the other end of the conveyer belt.
“That was weird,” Jackson said after he pulled the conveyer belt lever to the off position.
Ted stood in the open doorway, looking at the steep incline of the belt. It connected to the crusher house a hundred feet below. “Is it supposed to do that? Randomly turn on?” Ted asked.
“Nope.” Jackson shook his head.
“And…you’re not concerned?” Ted watched Jackson as he switched levers and pushed buttons.
“Hold on a sec,” Jackson said. He reached under the control panel and fiddled with wires.
Jackson stood up and wiped his hands on his thighs.
“This old place is going to pot. I guess that’s another reason they’ve decided to close it.
Heck, even getting security cameras operational again can take weeks.
Our technology is a bit ancient, and neglected.
” He looked once more down the steep incline of the belt.
“That must have been it. A few loose wires can send things haywire.”
“Or a few ghosts.” Ted laughed.
“Don’t even get me started. You wouldn’t believe what people say they’ve seen up here.”
“Really?” Ted lifted his eyebrows.
Jackson nodded. “If you listen hard enough, you can hear old man Kearn walking the halls. At least that’s what I’ve been told.”
“Kearn? As in Kearn Power?”
Jackson nodded. “They say he’s all around this place.” Jackson pointed past the coal crusher room to the yard. “Some say more than a few of his crew were buried in that hopper.”
“Hopper?”
“That big hole there.” He pointed to a deep hole in the coal yard. “That’s where the coal goes after it’s delivered, before it goes through processing. You’d never know if a couple of guys were mistakenly buried.”
Ted gave him a nervous glare.
“Don’t you worry, Ted. You’re safe with me.”
“I’m not worried.” Ted took a step back from the open door.
As they turned to walk away, Ted caught a glimpse of movement at the other end of the conveyer belt. He hesitated.
“What is it?” Jackson followed his gaze.
“Nothing. Must be those ghosts,” he said, and laughed. “I’d better get back to Mimi before she goes to the police because I’m missing, too.”