Saturday Matinee - A Long Trail

 

 

It was a long and winding trail but Carson Ford had followed it no matter how many twists and turns it made....he had sworn he would find him and he had meant it!!!

It was right after they got the map that night in Khartoum....they outwitted the ambush the seller had arranged for them.....turning the tables they had walked away with the map and their money leaving seven men dead behind them!!!! 

Ford and his partner, Don Fowler were finally ready to go for the treasure....

"Did you book the flight Don?"

"Yeah....we fly out of here in four hours to Johannesburg....and from there to New Delhi....we'll stay there for a couple of days before moving on...."

""You have the tickets with you?"

Fowler patted his breast pocket....

"Right here...."

"Good lets get back to the hotel and get the bags and get out of this hellhole!!!"

Back at the hotel Ford took a few moments to wash up.....it was so damned hot here....he wished he had time for a shower but they had to get moving if they wanted to make that plane...

He grabbed his bag and walked to the room next door only to find Fowler's clothes scattered about and he could hear the shower running.....he waited a few minutes....

"Hey wrap it up in there....we have to get moving...."

All he could hear was the running water....

"Hey....did you hear me....let's go...."

Again there was no reply.

He pulled open the bathroom door and found the shower running but no trace of his partner!!!!

In a sudden panic he grabbed at his partners discarded clothes....he found no tickets, money or passports.....

"Goddamned son-of a bitch!!!"

He ran out of the hotel and took a cab to the airport just in time to see that the flight to Johannesburg had just departed....

There and then he vowed to track his partner down and kill him...

The chase led him around the world.....in Johannesburg he'd found out that Fowler had cancelled the flight for New Delhi and instead had flown to Singapore....

In Singapore it took him several weeks to track down the plastic surgeon....he provided some information.....that perhaps Fowler had moved on to Shanghai....

In Shanghai....the trail went cold.....people confirmed that Fowler had arrived but no one knew where he had gone....but Ford didn't stop....

The underworld was abuzz with tales of the vengeful man who was leaving a trail of bodies behind him....they tried to kill him but it had backfired on them and many of their best assassins were found in pools of blood....

The underworld bosses met and decided they needed to put an end to this....it was bad for business....they reached out and through their connections they located Fowler....it hadn't been easy!!!

An unmarked envelope was handed to Ford in the street....the messenger, a child, vanished into the crowd.....inside he learned where the treacherous bastard was and a note was included that he should "complete his business" and leave the country!!!

Ford was just as eager to leave as the crime lords were to see him go!!! 

He was waiting in the room when Fowler got back....he couldn't believe the change....he would have never recognized him or her as he appeared now!!!!

"Where's the map you bastard!" he growled.

"Oh Ford.....I've been meaning to contact you....I've lost the map....it was stolen from me in Singapore....maybe we could steal it back....you know be partners....like the old days...."

"You lying Bitch....I met the tattooist....."

He ripped open the back of the dress and found the map inked onto his erstwhile partner....

"I'm going to cut that off of you and sell you to the nearest brothel...."

"Please Ford....we can do this together....we can share it...."

The gunfire rang out and Ford didn't have a chance....although he did get off a shot or two there had been four killers waiting for him....

Fowler crawled away as the assassins made sure Ford was dead....

"Tell your Boss that I'm grateful and when I get the treasure I'll make it worth his while...."

"You will make it worth his while now....we will take you to the special house....you will serve many men there.....we will collect your earnings....and we will be using the map....the treasure will not be yours....a life of service will be yours....unless you prefer a quick death now....I can offer you that...."

His silence answered for him....

"You may come to regret that decision......come we will take you to have the map copied and then to your new life.....in fact I might even be your first customer...."

Fowler didn't even struggle as he was led from the room....but he could almost swear he saw a smile on his dead partners face....