Ghost Shack: Adventures of Ben and Bob

By Bob Haider

In this novelette in the next adventure of Ben and Bob the duo travels to Mexico where Ben mysteriously disappears.  Amidst bizarre happenings Bob investigates to see if the events are connected to Ben's disappearance and stumbles upon what he believes is Ben's shockingly, tragic fate.  Ben is an entrepreneur, whose knowledge success and insight are sought worldwide.  Bob, published in many scientific journals, is a renowned inventor with numerous patents and winner of The Noble Prize in Physics.  Together, they form SWAMP---Strategies With A Meaningful Purpose---and team their skills to combat a menacing threat or solve an age-old mystery.  Follow the exploits of these two modern day knights as they crisscross the globe confronting intrigue and danger while exhibiting extraordinary physical ability.  After reading one, you will want to read another and another…until you have read them all.  Join Ben and Bob in their next adventure as they travel deep into Mexico…their next exciting experience---and yours---is only a CLICK away.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bob Haider
• Release date: Jan 28, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224206377

Bob Haider

In addition to Brothers and the short stories, Tree of Life, Bob has authored the Ben & Bob adventure series, as well as full-length novels Pictures on the Wall, his initial novel on political courage, Whispers in the Night about revenge on a criminal empire and The Game Begins about an elusive serial killer. Raised in Downers Grove, Illinois, Bob is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and lives in Glenview, Illinois with his long-time companion, Mary Ellen.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Ben and Bob walked up East Anna Avenue in Laredo, Texas along the calm, sandy brown waters of the Rio Grande River.  The iconic river flows just west of Laredo in a southerly direction before it turns eastward and loops around the southern tip of the city.  In Spanish the Rio Grande is referred to as Rio Bravo meaning Rough River, but here it is anything but as illegal aliens could actually walk across the Rio Grande at various locations.

As the heat from the late afternoon sun continued unabated, Bob wiped the sweat from his face, and complained, Damn!  You did it to me again!

What’s that partner? Ben asked feigning interest.

You know I hate the heat!  Yet here we are on our next assignment in this scorching climate.

Hmm, Ben answered behind a half-hidden smile.  Ben knew it was going to get a lot hotter as Laredo was merely their starting point before they headed farther south into Mexico.

Bob observed a couple of earth movers not far from the banks of the river and dozens of folding chairs set up facing a makeshift platform beyond, and questioned, I wonder what all that is about?

Oh, there is some kickoff speech scheduled for tomorrow before they get to work with earth mover on some kind of construction project.

Bob looked at Ben curiously.

Though Ben knew, he merely shrugged.

Bob wiped a handkerchief across his forehead, and asked, What’s the average temperature here in July?

I don’t know...97...maybe, Ben guesstimated.

Bob shook his head in disgust and tried to get his mind off the sweltering heat, as the old country western hit came to mind and he gently moved into song...

Out in the West Texas town of Laredo, I fell in love with an Indian maid.  Bob paused, and smiled widely as he asked, How’s that for culture?  Who doesn’t know that hit by Waylon Jennings?

Evidently, you don’t! said Ben sarcastically."

What?

The song isn’t set in Laredo, it’s in El Paso.  It’s not an Indian maid, it’s a Mexican girl, and it was sung by Marty Robbins!  You’re 0 for 3.

Bob gazed at Ben with a blank stare, his mind wandering into the past in his attempt to recollect the song and the artist.

But Marty Robbins did sing a song entitled, Streets of Laredo, Ben pointed out.  It’s quite a bit slower paced but maybe that’s the one you were thinking about and you simply mixed up the lyrics.

It’s probably this damn heat...making me hallucinate.

Ben did a slow turn toward Bob, and said, I don’t think the weather has anything to do with your frequent hallucinations.

Bob quickly changed the subject.  So...uh...what are we doing in this Oasis along the banks of the Rio Grande?

We’re walking over to pick up the rental car.

As Bob wiped the perspiration from his forehead yet again, he muttered, You know we could have taken a taxi, and he added with more than mild annoyance, How come we don’t ever have an assignment on the shores of the French Riviera while attending a movie premier in Cannes?

Because, said Ben, as they arrived at the rental car location, the case we have to solve isn’t in France, he said matter-of-factly, and...,

And what? Bob asked with hesitating trepidation.

And if we were on the French Riviera working a case, you wouldn’t have anything to complain about.

Chapter 2

The next morning the duo loaded their car with the equipment they each brought for this assignment.  They got large coffees and breakfast to go from a local McDonalds and began their journey with Ben driving.

As Bob finished his second sausage sandwich, Ben turned onto the bridge that spanned the Rio Grande, and Bob handed Ben his passport.  Bob always carried his passport with him no matter where their assignments took them since Bob’s flights originated in Rome where he lived.

Ben stopped and handed their passports to Mexican immigration official.

The purpose of your visit to Mexico? the immigration clerk asked.

We’re on vacation, Ben lied.

How long will you be staying in Mexico?

Ten days, two weeks maybe...depending on the fishing, Ben answered.

Oh, where are you headed?

Lake Azúcar and on to Pánuco, said Ben.

When the border agent’s eyebrows upturned, Ben asked, You know of it?

The agent nodded.  I heard it was all fished out.

Oh, crap, Ben feigned disappointment, as he replied, Well, if it is, we’ll try another lake.  Do you have any suggestions for us?

The agent shook his head, Enjoy your visit to Mexico, as he handed the passports back to Ben and waved him onward.

I guess it doesn’t matter which side of the border you’re on, said Ben, as he handed Bob’s passport back to him, they ask the same questions.

As Ben pulled away from the border check, Bob asked, Where are we heading?

Pánuco, Ben repeated or thereabouts.

Oh, so that part was true.

Somewhat.  It’s maybe four hundred miles give or take.  It’s hard to tell because there isn’t what we’d call an interstate.  I didn’t have any address to plug into the GPS but I’ve got the route mapped out so if you want to take a nap, Ben offered.

You know I haven’t really awakened fully so I think I will take advantage of that and get some sleep, if you don’t mind me dozing.

No problem, said Ben, who was the earlier riser of the duo and never had a problem getting his metabolism going in the morning.

Okay, thanks, said Bob, as he reclined his seat and settled in.

Hey? Bob blurted out.

What?

Really...why did we have to walk to the car rental place yesterday?

No reason other than to get you out and about in the wonderful sunshine.

Sunshine my ass, Bob bellowed.  It was another way for you to torture me in recompense for not helping to clean our apartment in college.  You just won’t let it go, will you?

Ben laughed heartily, I think it’s a matter of you still feeling guilty after all these years, he offered, as he turned onto the Carretera Federal 2 which took them in a southeasterly direction roughly following the Rio Grande.

Soon Ben drove into the small town of Ciudad Mier, home to just over 6,000 people and there he took a right turn and the compass on his dashboard moved into a southerly direction as Bob nodded off.

Chapter 3

Bob awakened some time later sleepy-eyed...his neck and back stiff from sleeping in an awkward position.  He rubbed his eyes and immediately realized the car wasn’t moving and Ben was not behind the wheel.  Bob glanced outside in all directions but didn’t see any sign of his partner.  Perhaps nature called thought Bob, as he now considered the same for himself as he exited the car.

Wherever it was that Ben had stopped, privacy was not a problem here, as Bob was standing in the middle of nowhere.  After he relieved himself he grabbed his cell phone to contact Ben but he was in a dead zone.

Damn, he muttered.

Bob heard the sound of a howling coyote in the distance but other than a small lizard scurrying across the road he didn’t see evidence of...anything.

Bob scanned the horizon for miles in all directions.  It was open country with low undulating hills but absent any sign of human activity.  In one direction Bob saw a steady line of trees and thought he heard something.  It was a rustling sound and as he listened intently he recognized the faint sound of flowing water.

Bob walked in the direction of the running water and as he neared the tree line the sound of flowing water was considerably louder.  Soon Bob was on the bank of a stream that was flowing with considerable pace.

Bob turned to look up stream but didn’t see any sign of Ben.  When he looked down stream he saw in the distance a large lake.  From his position on the bank Bob’s view was blocked by the trees, so he walked down stream to get a better look and see if Ben might have gone that way.

When Bob arrived at the point where the stream emptied into the lake, he had a clear line of sight all around the lake.  The lake was enormous but he could see to the other side where a dam in the shape of a semicircle was apparently designed to allow water to over flow