“What happened to not committing crimes with the aid of forgery?” I asked with actual defiance in my voice. What am I doing? Why am I even thinking about risking my neck for a man like Dempsey? Okay that was an easy answer, because as terrible as he was, no human being deserved to die such a slow and painful death.
Alexis silently closed the distance between us and looked down at me as he asked a question in the same annoying way fathers do when they know the right answer and are hoping their kids will finally get it right this time. “Do you think he doesn’t deserve to die?”
“No, if anyone deserves to die, he does. But I think we can do something better.”
His attention perked up and I could tell that he went from dismissing what I was about to say, to being cautiously curious. I chose my next words carefully. “Someone like him would rather die than spend his life in jail, right?”
With a nod Alexis answered, “Yes, but someone like him has the lawyers to get away with anything.”
“You’re right, they would have to get caught red handed, standing over a body with the literal smoking gun, but if we could arrange that...” I trailed off hoping Alexis would see what I meant.
However, he must not have since all he said was, “But men like him never do anything directly.”
“I know, believe me I know a thing or two about that. But for the sake of argument, let’s just assume Dempsey were to get caught holding a gun over a victim. Don’t you think that would be a more just punishment?”
I could see frustration building in Alexis’ eyes as he thought over what I had said. But he just couldn’t or wouldn’t see where I was going with this. With a shrug of his shoulders he finally replied. “It would be nice, with the exception of your victim. So just forget it he’ll have his punishment here. After a couple of days he’ll just be a high profile missing person.”
After pressing my palms into my forehead, I then waved Alexis closer and told him exactly what I was thinking about trying. Talking over his gasps of disbelief and brief protests. I finished telling him my plan and braced myself for his response to my last two questions. “Well what do you think? Isn’t it at least worth trying?”
Personally stunned by the enormity of my plan, I was a little shocked when I saw that all too familiar smile. “Perhaps that might be worth trying after all.”
Chapter 22
“Do you really think we can pull this off Alexis?” I asked as we stood in the cavern.
“Not so sure of your plan anymore, Francis?” Alexis asked sharply through his wicked little grin.
“Fine, let me rephrase the question, can you do all of what I’m assuming you can do?”
Alexis sighed and paused a moment in thought before replying, “Normally I wouldn’t even think about doing something like this, much less condone one of my forgers acting in the way you’re suggesting. But then again this isn’t exactly a normal situation, and you’re right, this way we would essentially break most of his criminal ties. In the process, we will be able to keep you alive, that is of course if you’re right.”
“So is that a yes?” I asked, in what I hoped was a casual manor.
“I’ll need some help, and it’ll be tricky. But with a little bit of luck, we should be able to pull it off.” Alexis said with a hopeful nod of his head. Taking a couple of steps closer to Dempsey, Alexis studied the man. If this was going to work he had to have a really good picture in his mind. Turning, Alexis fixed his eyes on me and commanded, “Get in the truck. If this is going to work I won’t have the time to come back here and get it.”
I obediently got in the passenger side of his truck and waited for my next order. Once he finished with his tag Alexis hopped into the driver’s seat and quickly drove through the newly made portal right onto his driveway. Before exiting the truck, Alexis told me, “Now when we walk through the front door we are going to back in the cavern, okay.”
I nodded and we both got out of the truck and walked through Alexis’ front door. True to his word we walked back into the cavern and grabbed Dempsey, Alexis making the tag that would allow us to enter his home undetected. Once there, Alexis deposited Dempsey on the couch, “How are you at making hand warmers?”
“Decent.”
“Well that’ll have to do. Start making some, I don’t know about you but I need to start replenishing some body heat. Also I’m going to go make some tea, would you like any?”
“Tea?”
“Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, anything hot.” He placed extra emphasis on that last word, which of course just rubbed my nose in how stupid my question had been. “Drinking something warm or hot is another great way to replace heat lost through forging. Haven’t you ever tried that before?”
Feeling silly I replied, “No, I haven’t.”
“Talent, you have talent, but no common sense. I’m going to have an uphill job training you. That is, as long as this all goes according to plan.” Alexis said as he left to go make us our tea.
I sat down and started to make hand warmers for both of us. When he finally came back in he had an electric kettle, a gallon of water, and a collection of miscellaneous items, not to mention the required tea bags. I hadn’t done much forging that night, Alexis had done a lot more, but as I waited for him to return I started using a couple of the hand warmers I had just finished making.