A/n: yeah, uhhh.. I expect hate mail at the end of this chapter...
Chapter Ten
Frank stood there with Mitch, watching his brother and Bruce drive away. He gave a little sigh as he hitched the backpack further along his shoulders in an attempt to get comfortable. After a moment, he shook his head ruefully, chuckled quietly, and turned to his guide. "I'm all yours. Take the lead." he gestured vaguely with one hand towards the path that was so overgrown you could hardy see it. Mitch gave him a veiled look, but then shrugged his own shoulders and started down the path. After a few minutes silent walking, though, he looked back over his shoulder and it appeared as if he was trying to decide whether or not to speak.
"Ummm.." Mitch began, hesitantly.
"Something on your mind, Mitch?" Frank asked.
"Look, maybe it's none of my business, but, I just can't help but notice. Earlier today, with the Alarm.. did you cross a line?" He asked.
"Crossed a line? In what way?"" Frank was confused. "Charlie was all for it."
"Not to hear Joe talk about it. All he did was gripe."
"Ahh. That." Frank understood now. "Quite the opposite. I'd be more worried if he wasn't grousing." He smiled before continuing. "Joe's the kind of guy that the more he complains, the less things are bothering him. If he were very quiet, or withdrawn, then I'd know I went too far and really hurt him. The exact opposite of me, in fact. I tend to let the little things slide, but when I am really upset or mad, the whole world knows it. Drove our parents crazy until they figured out we are polar opposite personalities. They got spoiled with me being first born. I was the perfect baby. Never any trouble at all, hardly got sick, amused myself, that sort of thing. Then Joe came along and tossed everything they were used to on its' ear." Frank smirked with a touch of smugness. "I let him think he's pulling one over on me. Later this evening, he'll make a big show of still being upset, I'll make a big show about apologizing, he'll magnanimously forgive me in front of everybody. All for the benefit of the spectators."
Mitch stopped in the middle of the path and just gaped at him. Then he shook his head in half wonder, half disbelief and commented "And I thought my family dynamic was whacked out." Frank laughed at the comment but said nothing more. For a while, the two men walked in silence, concentrating on the overgrown path. Occasionally Mitch, still in the lead, would point out a hazard such as a half buried tree root, and once, a very irate snake who was not happy about being interrupted in the middle of swallowing a mouse. They had to wait for the snake to finish and slither away before continuing on.
Once they resumed, Frank started asking question about the Sawmill and logging industry, and what had happened to end it. "Way before my time, of course, and I am sure that half of what has been told over the years has been exaggerated, or mistaken. Calverton was founded by Josiah Calvert, around the same time the Railroads were being built. Needed good hardwood for the rails, and Josiah had owned nearly all the surrounding land. Lots of trees, he wanted to found his own settlement, so it was a win win.. he chopped everything down, sold half to the Rockefellers and the other half he used to built the town. He was a little reckless though, and caused a lot of consternation among all the conservationists of the day. I couldn't tell you how the blight started. Some swear it was God's wrath, other will insist it was sabotage. For all I know it was just one of those things, you know?" Mitch stopped to carefully pick his way over a fallen tree, reaching back to assist Frank. "Anyway, trees started dying left and right, rotting from the inside. Calvert was told to accept the loss, and burn what was left to wipe out the disease. He refused and for another 5 years or so, it spread. He kept the sawmill running and would pass off the wood as disease free, and when he couldn't get away with that any longer, started selling it to corrupt contractors."
"Mob contractors?" Frank guessed.
"Probably. One year, some apartment building or something collapsed only a couple of years after being built. The investigation brought all the dirty laundry to light. Calvert was disgraced, and forced into bankruptcy with all the fines and lawsuits against him. The mob of course slithered into the underground and he was left to hang all by his lonesome. After Calvert died, his family slunk away as well. Ever since then, the entire place has been left alone. The old Calvert Mansion was turned into the City Hall. The Government took control of most of the outlying land, and turned it into a National Park. The sawmill was condemned but nobody bothered to demolish it or anything. The rest of the townspeople politely pretended it never happened and concentrated on being one of those small quaint towns where hardly anyone ever leaves to find their fortune. Hell I can count on one hand the number of my school mates who left for college or the military and never came back."
"So Bruce is the norm, not the exception?" Frank queried.
Mitch blushed. "Actually, no. I think he would have gone career, or at least settled in San Diego where he was stationed. If it weren't for us being together."
"You didn't want to leave?" Frank knew how he felt. Despite them having every opportunity to move to New York or any other big city, and still be successful Detectives, Joe and he had never seriously considered leaving Bayport.
"Not really. Of course I have some family obligations that keep me here, my dad died when I was a senior in high school, I have 4 little sisters, all of whom needed braces and shoes, and a mother whose job skills were limited to housekeeping. She makes enough to keep the house and car, but its the other stuff that gets ya. So I went to school semi locally, got a decent job at City Hall keeping the computers from crashing and Bruce and I live next door to make sure the lawn gets mowed, the driveway gets shoveled and the horny teenaged boys don't corrupt my sisters." Mitch stopped, and stretched, twisting his shoulders to work out a few kinks. "But really, I just like it here. Sure it's kinda slow, and a bit like Mayberry, but that's the charm. Once a year or so Bruce and I take off for a couple weeks to someplace exotic to stretch our legs, as it were. But we always come back. I think I'll stay here even after the girls go off to college or whatever."
"Good on you." Frank approved. "Me 'n Joe are the same. Bayport is home. We get plenty of business that comes to us, so there's no real need to go anywhere else. We have easy access to the big city if we need it. But we don't miss out by living where we do, either." Frank took the time for a little stretch of his own. When he asked how close they were to the sawmill, Mitch shrugged and indicated it was probably another half hour walk or so.
The path, while still overgrown, began to show some signs of having been recently trod. Frank took the lead then, pulling out his gun silently. "Stay close. All I want to do is have a look around. I sure as hell don't want to run into anyone." Mitch nodded, solemn and a bit nervous. They continued forward, but far more cautiously and a lot more quietly. They were almost to the spot where the path opened out into the clearing that held the sawmill, which could be seen in the distance by now, when the sharp crack of a branch being broken directly behind them caused Frank to whip around, gun raised in a defensive stance. Mitch was taking no chances and he dove off to the side. But nothing could prepare Frank for the sight before him.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" he hissed in a low voice, venom practically spitting out of his mouth.
"What do you think?!" Melody's voice was equally venomous and low pitched. Mitch stayed where he was, crouched on the ground, eyes flicking between the two rapidly in a parody of the typical tennis match. Before things could come to blows, he stood up and placed a firm hand against two heaving chests.
"Settle down, the both of you!" he whispered harshly. "Or do you want to be discovered?!"
Frank recovered faster, logic as always prevailing. Melody was still nursing a grudge so was slower to accept the necessity of quiet. Mitch quickly scanned the area and half shoved the two near combatants into a small clearing just off the path but still hidden from any prying eyes that may be at the sawmill. He roughly grabbed Melody's arm and shoved her down to her knees. Frank knelt, facing Melody with a glare. "You shouldn't be here!"
"Oh please!" she spat in contempt. "If it was you in my position, what would you have done?!" Her eyes blazed in anger, and then gave way to a triumphant gleam as she saw in Frank's eyes the truth. He would have done the exact same thing as she had. Gone after the bad guys himself, regardless of the consequences. He flushed under her gaze, knowing she had pegged him good. (Dammit. She's right. But does she have to be such a bitch at the same time?!) Frank mentally shook himself out of the dark place his thoughts were taking him.
"You don't know how dangerous it is..." he began only to be cut off peremptorily.
"Do you think I give a damn about that?!" She spat. "Or that you would if you were in my shoes?"
Frank bit off the retort he was itching to say. But he reluctantly had to admit he had no leg to stand on, and if Joe were here he'd be agreeing with Melody even as he was telling her off for getting in the way. Sighing deeply, he rocked back on his heels and ran a hand through his dark brown hair in resignation.
"Fine." he finally ground out through clenched teeth. "But since you are not here under any official authority, you will do as I say, understood?!" His tone brooked no arguments. "If you push me, I will hog tie you myself." Despite her anger, Melody blanched, as she could tell he was deadly serious. She nodded once in acquiescence. Neither noticed Mitch's exaggerated sigh of relief and release of tension. They took another few moments to reorganize thoughts, and Frank tightly asked Melody what she had seen and learned so far.
"There's three of them" she began in a low voice. "One comes and goes every few days, the other two are there pretty much full time. They leave together when they leave at all, but are only gone a few hours."
"Any idea what they are up to?" Frank asked.
She shook her head. "No clue. But a few times I have seen them come out wearing surgical masks."
"Are they there now?" Mitch queried.
"Yes. The suit was last here yesterday, which means, if the pattern continues, he'll be back tomorrow. The other two will probably leave this afternoon, be gone about 3 hours and then return."
"Can we see them leave from here?" Frank continued his questions.
Melody nodded. "I have a campsite just a few hundred yards from here. Been watching them the whole time." Frank decided to have Melody lead them to her current hideout and they quickly made their way to another small clearing. She had a small 2 person tent and a variety of foodstuffs that did not require a fire. "Sorry, can't offer coffee. Aside from the fact that I didn't want to give myself away with a fire, the fire ban is still in effect." She had calmed down somewhat and reverted to her Park Ranger persona. She did, however, offer bottles of water from her backpack.
As the three of them sat around sipping, Frank got down to business. "Did you ever go into the Mill after they left, even for a minute?" he interrogated Melody.
Melody shook her head. "Wasn't sure there was a pattern until I watched them for the last 4 days." She paused, considered, then spoke again, a challenge in her voice. "I was going to do that this afternoon when they left, if you must know."
"I suggest we continue with that plan. Mitch, if you wanna go, you can. There's no real reason for you to lead me around any more, and it is probably going to be dangerous." Frank offered.
Mitch shook his head. "If it's all the same to you, I'll wait until you get back. That way any information you gather , you can give it to me, and I can pass it along when I return. That way you won't have to worry about getting a cell signal." Frank hid his surprise at that insight and agreed that was a good idea.
It was less than an hour later when Melody announced she had seen the two suspects leaving the sawmill. Frank grabbed the binoculars out of her hand and looked for himself, taking a good look at each before jotting down descriptions on a notepad. All three kept still and quiet as the two men stomped their way past, only yards away along the path. Frank strained, but could not make out their low voiced conversation. He sighed in resignation, but forced himself to wait 15 minutes after they left before making his own move.
"Mitch, I won't be gone long, no more than an hour. But if I don't come out by then, do not wait around. I want you to get back to the firehouse as fast as you can and bring Joe up to speed. There's no telling what I'll run into in there."
"What we'll run into." Melody growled. There was no way she was going to be left behind, and despite his reluctance, Frank knew it was safer if he did have backup; he just wished it was his brother, or Sam, and not this cocky Ranger with a chip on her shoulder the size of a two by four. He glared at her a minute longer before nodding once and offering a hand to lift melody to her feet.
"Be careful. I can barely do CPR." Mitch joked lamely as he watched them get ready to leave. Frank still had his revolver, and Melody produced her rifle.
Frank shook Mitch's hand. "Remember, one hour and you make a run for it. Just don't get caught by the bad guys." Mitch nodded before giving Melody a significant look, as if silently telling her to play nice for a change.
Melody and Frank started out, Frank in the lead but Melody close behind. It was maybe 5 minutes before they got to the door the two suspects had left from. Mitch watched as Frank jimmied the lock and eased the door open slowly. Frank slipped in and a second later, Melody followed. And for 45 minutes, Mitch alternated between pacing nervously back and forth, glancing at his watch, and jumping at every little sound, convinced that the suspects were going to return any second. He was peering intently through the binoculars, facing the sawmill, when it exploded into a huge fireball that threw debris everywhere. The concussion threw Mitch the ground and he lay there, dazed and choking on the smoke, oblivious the the expanding flames which were eagerly attacking the dry grasses and woods surrounding the clearing. Within seconds, the fire was out of control and had expanded beyond the sawmill's immediate vicinity.
A/n: So, you have to admit that this is entirely in Melody's character, and that the boys would be hypocritical if they tried to stop her. As for what Mel and Frank saw inside, well, sorry you'll have to wait and see. No I am not killing off Frank. I make no promises as to his health and well being though. Haven't decided on Melody's fate yet.