Swing Low: Chapter 23 An Uber Long Chapter

Biggest Chapter of this book

This might be my last release for this week, since this chapter too so much longer to edit.

I'll try to get another one out by Saturday, but if not, sorry.

If you're new to this, start atThe Beginning. And thanks for sharing my stories with all your friends.
Installment #24 of:Sing Low: The Hangman of the WoodsBy B.C. Crow (Chapter 23Don’t believe everything you read, unless of course you’re reading it from me. I’m not trying to pad my wallet with money. My sole aim is to improve all the lives around me. Maybe you’d expect most journalists to believe in their work. Well, they make a good show of it. But give equal weight to my version of the story too, as you make up your mind about the truth.It took a whole month for the news to leak out. I hadn’t forgotten seeing Biahn in the woods that one night with Krystal. Something about his little mob reminded me of a witch hunt, and I could only hope that they were trying to clean out the forest from those evil soothsayers.It’s almost ironic—no, it is ironic. The group they should be hunting down was left alone. The title of Biahn’s first article that the paper published was titled, “Mass Murderer Makes Widows in the Woods.” It was by no means front-page material, but for our periodical, it found its way there. I happened to find it on the printed version, since I never felt comfortable in front of a computer.You had to look deep into the printing to find my story about the ringworm outbreak in the college gym, even if it carried more truth than this slanderous article about the hangman.The title had a memorable ring to it. I usually ignored what I considered the bad-news articles. Somehow, just knowing Daddy Smiling, I was inspired to look for the good in everything. Well, most everything. Reading bad news tended to make that exercise a little more difficult.The news was as grim as I could've imagined. Not one hint about Devil-worshiping hags and wizards. No, but he made plenty of mention about being on the trail of a dangerous man with a rope who kidnaps children for who knows what purpose. The innocent fathers were strangled to death. This hangman preyed on all who dared enter the woods.Of course, the article made no mention as to why the fathers were taking their young babes into the woods in the first place. Nor did it mention that all these children were seconds or thirds in a family that was allowed only one.Few details were given. Just enough to confirm to me that these men actually were on the path of the hangman, and that he truly was hiding on the southeastern side of the woods. I’d been wrong to dismiss the inhospitable landscape. It made some sense, though. If he was being pursued, where better to hide than among dangerous witches and hard-to-hike-through brambles? If these men had been pursuing the hangman for several months, which it now appeared they’d been doing, then living in that part of the woods was the only reason he and his children hadn’t been found yet.I finished my last class for the day, then half ran to the publishing house. As I walked in the door, Krystal eyed me coldly. My gaze fell to the floor. Ever since that night I’d walked with her, seen Biahn, and well, I’d avoided her. I’d promised myself to Midnight, and I truly did like her over Krystal. The fact that I hadn’t told Krystal why I’d been avoiding her only made things more awkward between us. In the last month, she’d become increasingly critical of my work, even snippy with me on the occasions when I did have to converse with her.“Is Biahn here?” I asked, still staring at her shoes.“Yes.” But the ice in her voice said that I had no hope of speaking with him.“I’ve really got to talk to him. It’s about the story he’s working on.”“Your job is to report on campus life. Leave the real stories for the professionals.” Krystal planted her primly manicured fists against her waist.“Krystal,” I begged, “this is important.”Krystal’s lush lips puckered. Not in the way that would suggest a kiss, or another kiss I should say, but more like the kind that was wetting itself for an indignant verbal assault.Just as her finger lifted and her lips parted, the suave tone of Biahn’s voice broke the tension. Waves of static washed away from Krystal’s defense as the senior reporter asked, “The mass murderer? You know something about the hangman story?”“How much time do you have?”Biahn was a professional. His ego wasn’t important, at least, not while chasing a story. Any lead he had on a story was time worth spending. I admired that about him. He ushered me into his little office. It was surprisingly clean. I thought that with all the firsthand research he did, he’d have clutter everywhere. Krystal didn’t join us. She stalked away. I got the impression that my audience with Biahn, against her will, would soon come back to trouble me.I told Biahn everything about the hangman. His only sources up until now had been the extremely biased lies from that posse hunting down the unusual foster parent. Biahn sat silently. One hand massaged his chin. The other gripped a pen that went first to his lips, occasionally down, jotting notes in a form of shorthand that I didn’t understand, then back to his mouth again.“Iddo, my good man, you are wonderful!”“So, how close are these men to actually finding the hangman?”Biahn’s hand lifted from his chin to wipe at his eyes, then rested back on the table. He was careful to answer, clearly concerned over my feelings for the hangman. “To be completely honest, Iddo, I think it won’t take long at all. The hangman—er, I mean, Daddy Smiling—he keeps moving his camp around. But from what you’ve told me, with all those children, he won’t be able to move very quickly. My guess is that in another couple weeks, these men'll have tracked him down once and for all.”“But you know the truth now. Isn’t there anything you can do?”“These men hunting him don’t care about the truth. If what you’ve told me is true, they're just as bad a bunch of murderers as they accuse the hangman of being. They’ve all lost either a brother, a friend, or a child to this guy.”“Yeah, but if they lost a child, they’re lucky they didn’t lose their life, too; something they really deserved.”“Look, Iddo, I agree with you. But I’ve spent time with these guys. I can tell you of a surety they'll not relent. Not till the hangman is dead.”“That’s not fair!” My fingers ached, and I noticed that I was gripping Biahn’s desk, trying to wring the slick, unmalleable laminated-wood top like a sponge. I relaxed my grip and tried to calm down. “Isn’t there anything we can do?”I knew I wasn’t making the best impression. I’m not especially good at being angry. I would sooner be mistaken for nervous, not the most helpful of expressions.Biahn leaned back in his chair, clasped both hands together, and raised them. A few gentle taps against his lips as he contemplated, then his eyes lit up. He was still careful with his words as he voiced his thoughts. “As I see it, the real issue has nothing to do with the stories I publish, but everything to do with finding and saving this so-called hangman and his children. I don’t usually participate in the stories I follow, I merely observe. It’s one of the main reasons I’m allowed access to so many good digs. But maybe I could bend my rules just a little bit.”He puzzled in his chair for a few seconds. His eyes were distant, staring through me, through the wall beyond me. Slowly, one eyebrow at first, then the other raised. I’d never taken much time to know the reporter, but I could see in his calculating features that he was more than a man with a pencil and a knack for being where the stories were happening. He might not have hit the big-time reporting yet, but he would someday. Finally, he opened his mouth.“I’m going back into the woods tonight with those men. I’ll—”“What! You can’t be serious, after what I just—”He raised his hand to silence me, but it was the hardness of his face that froze my speech. With all the coolness of a shrewd general he said in measured tones, “I'll go with them tonight. But I'll be more than just a spectator. I’m going to join their hunt.”I wanted to cry. How could he join them? His hard stare kept me silent, though.“I’ll increase their trust in me. I'll learn what I can. Everything I learn about their hunt, I’ll pass on to you. It’ll be up to you to find the hangman first. Once you find him, I’ll help you keep him at least one step ahead of this mob.”I exhaled in relief. “What about your stories?”“Don’t get me wrong, these men are dangerous. While they aren’t exactly the smartest bunch of guys, don’t think for a minute that they’re alone. The ones tromping through the woods are just the tip of the spear. They're the muscle behind the real power. There're many men, smart, too, who'd notice if my articles took on an opposing stand to their activities.”“Who are you talking about?”“Let’s just say that if the hangman is ever captured, there'll be no fair trial.”I swallowed hard. I had to find Daddy Smiling first.“Meet me here tomorrow around noon. I’ll let you know everything I learn. Can you take time off school to start searching the woods?”“I’ll talk to my teachers. I’m sure I can work something out for a week. Two might be a stretch, but if I need to, I can make it happen. My job here is another thing.”I looked out the door. I thought Krystal had completely abandoned us, but she was there, eavesdropping. Our eyes met. She sensed my nonverbal intentions.“Oh no you don’t.” She threw her hands in the air as she stepped closer to the doorway. “You can’t drag me into this. This romp of yours would put me on the line, too. If I lose this job, I’ll have to go back home. That isn’t happening!”“Krystal.” Biahn pouted, his lower lip not quite protruding. “Couldn’t you cover for this young man for just a few days? A week at the most. It’s not like his work is all that difficult or important, anyway.”That stung a bit, even if Biahn was arguing on my behalf.“No way. I’m not getting involved in this. I don’t owe you any favors, Iddo.”“Then do it for me,” Biahn begged gently. “I’ll have a talk with the bosses. They’ll be more than happy to lend me Iddo, if I tell them it’s for a big story I’m working on. He’ll be my temporary partner on this.  Think about it. If Iddo’s story is true, how big would you imagine this story could get once I expose it for what it is?”“Why not just do that now?” I asked.“Evidence. We can’t just make outrageous accusations. Like I said, this little mob has powerful backing. I’ll need more time. I’ll make sure you get some credit for this too, Krystal.”“So tomorrow at noon?” I confirmed.Biahn nodded his head then turned to Krystal, eyes locking on hers.She threw her shoulders down with a huff of frustration before storming out of the office.“You must've done something to that girl. I’ve seen that brand of anger before.”I just shook my head. How could I explain what I had yet to understand?“Don’t worry about her,” Biahn assured me. “She’ll come around.”For the rest of the day, I wrote article after article. They were the plain vanilla sort of stuff that the company could use as filler material. I had every intention of taking as much pressure off Krystal as possible. After seven articles, enough to last a whole week, I crashed onto my bed. The little hand on my cheap clock was pointing at one o’clock. Reluctantly I got off my bed again to flip off the light.Duy wasn’t home yet. He was probably still out partying at some girl’s apartment. If he was out there this late, he probably wouldn’t come back until the sun was up again. Even if he did come back, though, I doubted he’d wake me. I was asleep before my head even hit the bed.I woke up early. Still tired, I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep. Nightmares had plagued my head all night. I’d imagined all sorts of evils done to Daddy Smiling and all his children. None of my professors would be in yet, so I cleaned myself up and cooked a hearty breakfast. Might as well start off the day right. I reviewed all my articles from last night, and realized how horrible they were. I spent the next hour editing them. They still weren’t great, but Krystal could touch them up for me, even if grudgingly.My first class started at eight thirty and I was there at eight fifteen to visit with the professor before class started. The professor basically just pointed me toward the syllabus from the beginning of the semester. She told me to keep up on the reading, and that the final test would make up for any small quizzes I missed.Most of my other classes were similar. Missing two weeks irked some of my professors a little, but only one took some real persuasion to give me leeway with my assignments.By noon I was running to the publishing house. I'd be late in meeting with Biahn. Not a great way to start things out, but at least I’d accomplished what I needed to this morning. I was all ready for two weeks of catching up to the hangman before someone else did.Biahn was even later than I. After I’d waited in his office for nearly an hour, he strolled on in. His face was a passive display of good humor. I could almost think that he forgot all about our meeting. I had no intention of accusing him of such. Not only did I fear confrontation, I needed his willing participation.“Is it noon already?” he asked, smile and charm never wavering.“Uh, sure.”We stared somewhat awkwardly at each other for a minute. I’d just opened my mouth to fill the void when he said, “Iddo, my boy, are you sure you’re ready to tackle this thing?”I straightened my back. “I’ve never been more ready. Someone’s got to help, and it would seem that I’m the only one who cares enough to do so.”“I care too, Iddo, don’t forget that. I want you to return to me every day or two to report where you are and what you’ve found. I’ll lead the hunters to areas you’ve already searched, and let you know where else they might have looked or are planning on looking. Together we’ll stay just a step ahead of them. We'll find the hangman first, I promise.”I smiled for the first time since our meeting had started. It was still a serious, measured smile, but I was pleased with where the conversation was going. Pulling out my small aerial photo from my last crossing of the woods, I asked, “So, where do we begin?”Biahn scrutinized my crude map. “We start by going over the areas that have already been searched, but not with that.” He reached under his desk and produced two expensive looking fold-out maps. Fully opened and flattened, the maps were each close to a meter wide and about two-thirds of a meter tall. Everything about them was identical, including the yellow and red highlights that Biahn must have penned in.As I studied the map, Biahn pointed out the few red marks first. “These are where we discovered remnants of the hangman’s band. They move very stealthily, but it’s impossible to move that many kids without occasionally dropping some evidence of their passage.” The numbered marks zigzagged all over the forest, but clearly moved in a lazy southeasterly direction."As you can see, there's a little overlap. They're trying to make it real hard for the hangman to backtrack," Biahn said. Eventually the hangman would have to attempt to backtrack, or he'd get cornered on the sea shore. But that could take up to a month or two at their current pace.A month or two wasn’t very much time. If I was to help, I needed to find them either this week or next. Silently I examined the map for a minute.“Well, what do you think?”I looked up at Biahn. “The map shows very few lakes or ponds between your searched area and the sea. There are plenty of small streams, but not enough to catch a lot of fish in. I’ve spent enough time with them to know how they forage for food."Most likely what they're doing is moving every evening before dark, even if just a little. Then they’d need to camp for the night. In the morning, they'd send the boys to gather food. Since fish will be scarce, they’ll need to search a little wider in the woods to find enough food to bring back to the camp. By late afternoon or early evening, I’d guess they’d be on the move again.Instead of combing the woods like your hunters are doing, I think I should be able to find them by hiking perpendicular to your search patterns. If I go from your search area to the sea, then zigzag back about a kilometer or two farther, I should be able to find them. That is, as long as I do most of my hiking during the first half of the day.”“Why the first half of the day?”“Like I said, that’s when all the boys will be spread out looking for food. Your hunters are just looking at night when they’re all huddled up in a group. During the day, while they’re foraging, they’ll be spread out over a much larger area.”Biahn nodded. “Iddo, you'll make a great investigative reporter someday.”“I hope not. I want to be a doctor.”“Well, you have a good head on your shoulders in any case. I’ll look you up on that day when I need a doctor. Shall we plan on meeting here again tomorrow afternoon?”“Let’s plan for three days from now. Those woods are hard to hike and I might not move as fast as I’d like. I’ll plan on meeting you here around five or six in the evening.”Biahn extended his hand. “Good luck, Iddo.”I grabbed his hand with one of mine, reaching my other to grab the map. “I’ll see you in three days.”I started at the edge of the forest where the band of men chasing the hangman had ended their search only one night ago. As tempting as it was to continue the mob’s search pattern, I didn’t want them to find the hangman first. I was wary of witches, but no longer afraid of them; I knew how the hangman’s children moved and foraged.After the first day of hiking, I realized that it would take a whole week to get all the way down to the sea. Instead I decided to hike only one-and-a-half days in that direction before coming back about two kilometers deeper into the woods.All day, every day, I searched for any sign or footprint that might suggest a foraging party. Nothing. No sign of the children, the hangman, or even the other searchers. I refused to slow my pace. When darkness fell, I was nearly exhausted. Even my bones felt as weary as an overworked muscle.I almost collapsed just making a campfire to cook my food. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d pushed myself so hard. Sleep would've come quickly, but I forced myself to study and do homework by firelight for at least an hour or two each night.At the end of day three, I was only an hour away from the college town again. If I hadn’t been ready to collapse from fatigue, I might have finished the hike to sleep in my own bed. Three days of the hardest hiking I’d ever done left each muscle feeling bruised and worn into knots. There was no way I’d ever be able to hike that last couple kilometers tonight.In the morning, like each morning before, I ate a light breakfast before starting my hike back. Like the morning before, the first kilometer was just as hard as the last kilometer from the night before. Bones felt like splintering and muscles were so tight that my feet dragged with every step. What should have taken an hour, took two. By nine in the morning, I was pushing my way into the publishing house.Biahn wasn’t in yet but Krystal was. She said little, mostly she just eyed me. Whether she felt spite or curiosity, I was beyond worrying about it. I waited until noon, catching up on my homework, then Biahn finally came through the doors. After a quick stop in the break room for a porcelain cup of coffee, he entered his way to his office.“So the cavalry returns. You’re a day late.”“Yeah, I think meeting every four days is a little more reasonable. Any news from your friends?”Biahn gave me a sly, knowing glance. “Same story.” He pulled out his map. I pulled out mine. “I updated this last night. You can scratch about two more kilometers from your search area.”“They covered that much ground already?”“Remember, you were gone for four days.”I showed him the area I'd covered. Together we went over the anticipated search area for the next few days. When we were done, Biahn offered to buy me lunch. I was delighted; I never eat out. It’s one of those luxuries reserved for people with money, not people struggling to get by or save up to care for a sick mother and possibly a new wife.He took me to a grill shack. It was a dusty, open-air shed roof over a hot grill and two televisions. Meat, pickled cabbage, and cheap wine were the top menu items. I think wine was usually ordered more often than the meat. Not really surprising. The food was subpar compared to what I could cook.I opted against beer, choosing an orange soda instead. It was one of only two flavors of soda they had. But, it was a free meal and I guessed that Biahn could easily afford it. In my estimation, he would soon be leaving our small-time publisher and make a break for some of the bigger outfits in the region.“Listen, Iddo, just so you know, my schedule is starting to book up pretty fast for the next couple days. I need to know that you'll be able to make an appointment with me at noon in three days.”“Three? Not four?”“Like I said, I’ve got a busy schedule coming up. Watch your time better, don’t push so deep into the woods. Do whatever you need to do, but I want to plan on three days.”It wouldn’t be easy. But I figured it was possible. “I promise. I’ll be there on time. I have a much better idea of what I’m doing now.” At least I hoped I did.I finished the last bite of skewered chicken. No, the golden-brown chicken wasn’t great, but it was salty, and that was something I’d been craving for the last day or so. Hiking three days straight can really drain a guy.A few more words of encouragement from Biahn, then we parted again. It wasn’t like I needed a pump-up speech. I was already motivated far more than Biahn was. But he was older and had a take-charge attitude. This was going to be a good story for his career, but I wasn’t thinking about my career. I was worried about my future wife and a good-hearted man trying to protect so many children.I didn’t set straight out that afternoon. I went to my apartment first. My muscles were still sore, but I still had some time and energy left in the day to work on my schoolwork. Still, as soon as I sat down, it took all my self-control to keep from falling asleep. Somehow I managed to get all caught up before Thing Two walked through the door.“Have you seen Thing One today? I need to talk to him.”I looked up from the kitchen table. My blank face told him everything before I said, “No.”“What about Duy? Is he in?”Again, a slight shake of my head.Thing Two slammed his fist down hard on the table. I jumped, my eyes suddenly popping wide open.“I don’t have time for this!” Thing Two shouted. “Argggh!”I leaned back ever so slightly. I wanted to sneak off to my room, but caution held me steady. Thing Two’s mood swings were getting worse every month. The last thing I needed was to trigger an outburst directed at me.Even Duy was trying to avoid the guy. Somehow, much to Duy’s displeasure, Thing Two always found his way to the parties that Duy was at, even when Duy flat out tried to ditch our roommate. It looked like this was one of those days when Duy succeeded in sneaking off without Thing Two. Usually when that happened, Duy would show up hours later, drunk or high on who knows what. It always surprised me that he could find his way back here at all when in that state. Usually he couldn’t even remember where he’d been once he sobered up. At least he didn’t own a car. He’d be long dead by now if he ever got behind a wheel.Luckily, Thing Two vented his frustration quickly before slamming the door on his way out of the apartment, mumbling something like, "Why can't I remember?"He didn’t seem to notice that I’d been gone for the last three days. Oh well. Not like I wanted him to notice. Talking to him was like talking to someone who'd already heard everything and couldn’t bear listening to the same story again.My old hard futon mattress had never felt more inviting. The sun still hadn’t settled, but I did. Before I completely drifted into dreamland, something Thing Two had said struck me. Thing One had been gone quite a bit this semester, but I couldn’t remember even seeing him in the past two weeks. I wondered what could be so time consuming. If there really was anyone that I’d enjoy a talk with, it would have been him.Morning came quickly. The chirping alarm on my cheap digital watch woke me at four in the morning. An hour later I was rubbing sleep out of my eyes as I walked down the quiet street.There was a chill in the air and smells from burning cook fires were clinging low to the earth. It was both refreshing and a little ominous. I hoped it wouldn’t rain. I could warm up quickly just by hiking. Not only was hiking in wet clothes annoying, but the day after a rainstorm, the extra humidity would make an unbearable sticky hot day to follow.Dark clouds shaded the morning sunlight, but passed on by late morning. By that time, I was already hiking along my previously planned route. Well, maybe not exactly along my planned route. This early in the day, I felt comfortable in stretching the space between my hike yesterday and my path today by nearly a whole kilometer. The boys in the hangman’s group would be out foraging and they often wandered more than that in a day. If they were near, I might find them.At the end of day one, I found nothing. Day two was about the same, but I lost too many hours dodging not one but three witches’ homes. They could have just been hermits; well, at least one of them could have been a hermit. The other two were definitely dabbling in evil arts. If the creepy bones, runes, and weird idols weren’t dead giveaways, the dark mood of the surrounding area was. I assumed that the third shanty was a witch’s home, also. It didn’t have the same unnerving decor scattered around the home, but it was so close to these other two.The delay meant that I didn’t reach my turnaround point until late in the second day. I could smell the salty water teasing me from a distance. I knew I was still too far away to find it, but the scent of the sea made me feel that if I could just see beyond the next the trees, I’d have an open view of waves lapping against the shore. That was just wishful thinking on my part. I was simply catching the smells carried on the wind.Instead of pressing on, I ate a hearty dinner. I’d found plenty of roots and berries earlier in the day. The berries were especially good when eaten with the last of my bread. How I’d like to push on till I got to the water’s edge, but that wasn’t practical. So, I started my next leg back. All of this hiking was exhausting, but my endurance was improving. I hiked for a few more hours, until it was too dark to go on.When I finally did stop for the night, I didn’t collapse immediately to sleep. For the first time in my life, I offered a quiet prayer to a God I’d never really known. If there truly was an omnipotent being of righteousness, which I’d slowly been coming around to accept over the last year or more, maybe I should try this prayer thing I’d heard about. I wasn’t sure exactly how to go about it. But if He could read my mind, then maybe it didn’t matter how I addressed Him, as long as I was sincere.I spoke, then lowered my voice to a whisper, my words feeling lonely in the vast still night. I pleaded my case, and remembered to thank Him for the faith to overcome the witch of last year. I also thanked him for any help he may have lent me with the witches I’d passed last night. Mostly I asked Him to help me find Midnight and Daddy Smiling. I figured that God would rather I call him Daddy Smiling instead of the hangman.When I was finished, I sat there for a long time, wondering if I was being silly or if my petition had even been heard. Finally I drifted to sleep. Early in the morning, I was wakened by the sound of a light drizzling rain. It didn’t last long, and I was able to stay dry, but it did hit the ground enough to dampen it. Before the sun lit the sky, the cloud passed. I’d eaten all my food last night, so I didn’t worry about breakfast. I could gather a thing here or there as I walked.I felt more refreshed than I had on any other morning this week. Occasionally I looked down at my cheap compass to make sure I was still heading in the right direction. I didn’t think I’d find the hangman today, but I did have a good spring in my step. Around midmorning I realized that I needed to start back to the town if I was to meet Biahn. I went for one more hour, or at least until I reached a small pond that was a key landmark on my search. I found the pond at ten o’clock. Still there was no sign of anybody around. I had just two hours to get back to the publishing house for my follow-up with Biahn.I knew that I’d be late, so I tried to jog. Obviously that didn’t last long. I was just slowing down when I tripped on a branch and did a face-plant. I wiped damp twigs and dirt from my body, then my eyes caught the faintest imprint in the ground. The footprint was smaller than mine. I would have missed it entirely if I hadn’t fallen. The print had to have been made this morning. It was so light that, if there'd been no rain earlier, the footprint wouldn’t have even been noticeable.I wanted to ditch my meeting with Biahn and track down the boy who’d made it, but I was late already. At least I had a good idea where to start looking tomorrow. I had to consider that it might take me another three days just to track them down. So I made a mark on my map, then continued on until I exited the woods.I found my way to Biahn’s office around three in the afternoon. He was just working on touching up an article when I burst through his door.Click here to read Chapter 24Copyright 2017: While I encourage you to share this link with your friends and family, please keep in mind that this is copyrighted material. Under no circumstances do you have the right to re-publish any or part of this content without specific written permission from BC Crow and Blue House Publishing.