Necessary Sin

by Brian W Casey

  Saine tracked the leak of August identity to Dan Faraday. He worked his way into the Omaha office as a new agent. This gave him the opportunity to watch Faraday and understand the network he developed. Faraday’s reach was extensive and was funded with payoffs and bonuses by the Fuentes. Saine was in the process of reporting in his findings when Faraday’s car exploded right in front of him. That is when he knew that things were heading in the direction of August. Hector has a habit of eliminating those who work for him when he’s finished with them. Saine new this lesson all too well. That is why he needed to be so careful. He was close to ending the flood of information.

  According to Saine, the woman behind the attack that will happen soon is supposedly Hector’s daughter. The woman who was killed in the car wreck was an imposter sent to test Fr. Steve’s loyalty. Dan Faraday turned Steve against August by blackmailing him over an incident earlier in Steve’s priesthood. Steve was to pick up the girl and bring her to August. The Fuentes believed that if she was in town, August would never leave, and they would be able to achieve their goal of killing him in his own town. But then, Fr. Steve could not be trusted. He made a call to the FBI right before picking up the Angelina replacement. This was shared with the Fuentes who have contacts deep in all agencies. That is why Fr. Steve and the girl never made it back to Watercreek.

  Saine left Michelle’s apartment before completing all the information. Michelle now understood the complete destruction of the corpses in her care. With the corpses destroyed, there was no way to collaborate Saine’s theory. These people are obviously very dangerous.

  When Michelle finally reached street level, the smell of the fumes coming from the town center only blocks away almost consumed her. She started running towards the heavy smoke, stopping many times to catch her breath in the acid air.

  She had to reach August, before he encountered Saine. Without knowing what she knew, August will most likely kill him on sight thinking he orchestrated the attack.

  Chapter 95

  Angelina landed the twin engine plane back on the makeshift runway. The plane was noticeably lighter now that the payload was dumped on the targets. Angelina and her copilot walked side by side back to the barn. As they walked, Angelina worked a small .32 caliber revolver out of the pocket of her flight suit. As her copilot paced a short distance in front of her, she pulled the .32 up to the back of his head and fired one clean shot. He dropped to the ground in front of her.

  In the barn Angelina stripped the flight suit off and tossed it in a corner of the barn. Walking to the back corner, she uncovered a motorcycle loaded for her with a radio and weapons. As she pulled around the edge of the barn, she set fire to the corner of the building. Pulling away she watched in her mirror the flames rising around the barn and smoke going straight up in the windless air.

  Fire which had so horribly disfigured her, was now going to be the vehicle which set her free and enacted her revenge.

  Chapter 96

  Susan looked back at the building that was once St. Mary’s church. She was outside on her cell when the plane flew over and flares dropped on the roof. The explosion that followed the fly over of the plane incinerated the roof of the old church and sent debris flying out over the parking lot. Susan could hear the screams coming from inside the church and watched helpless as people ran out of the building. Most coming out were covered in building materials and blood. She turned toward the center of town and could see thick black smoke rising. She knew her town was in trouble and with the attack on the church, she was sure it was connected to August and Fr. Steve in some way.

  Trying to drive her car was pointless. The debris blocked the exit of the lot and those that could get out had already congested the narrow road. Susan started to walk down the hill to the center of town. Repeatedly she tried calling emergency services to find out what was happening. No one was answering. She could hear fire trucks and other sirens responding. None were coming towards the church. She knew she should stay and help but she believed she could be of more value in town. She chastised herself for thinking of the political gain she would receive being visible in the downtown, but, she quickly convinced herself that was part of being a politician.

  Halfway to town a volunteer fireman recognized her and picked her up. He had no information for her other than they were all called to drop what they were doing and respond. The best he knew there was some sort of attack on the city. They reached the edge of the business district just across from the Courthouse. The fireman gave Susan an extra turnout coat. Much too big for her but she thought it gave her an air of authority.

  Standing just outside of the burning zone, she began to cry as she looked at her downtown now unrecognizable as anything more than a massive bonfire. The Courthouse itself was blackened. All the trees surrounding it were black twigs standing in sorrow. The hotel where she had just spent the night was showing the effects of the intense heat. Canopies and signs were melted or gone and every car in the parking lot was on fire or burned out.

  Chapter 97

  August made his way back into his office. He broke open the cabinet containing a variety of shotguns and assault rifles. When he took over the office he never imagine using one of them, let alone having enough manpower to match all the weapons the rack contained. Now he grabbed as many as he could with the plan of passing out the weapons to the first citizens he came across.

  Stepping out the front entrance of the Courthouse, August was met with a scene out of his nightmares. The roar of the flames was doing little to drown the screams coming from up and down the main street. The sky which was already steely gray from the approaching storm was now black from the layer of smoke rolling up from the buildings.

  People were trapped on either side by the wall of flames that now cut the city in half.

  August caught sight of Stan Farney pulling up. Stan jumped from his truck in his fire turnout gear. August hollered,

  “Stan, get up here.”

  Stan following the orders from August, left the door of his pickup standing open and sprinted across the Courthouse lawn. Before he could make it half way across the lawn, he was picked off by a shot out of nowhere. August pulled back into the Courthouse door frame and tried to spot the shooter.

  August ran back through the Courthouse to the other side. Coming out the opposite side of the building put him on the highway side. It didn’t take long to see where the shot came from. A shooter was standing on the corner ready to take another shot. August leveled the shotgun in his direction knowing full well he was out of range. The shot had the effect August hoped for. The shooter turned towards August positioned behind the solid walls of the doorway. August knew what was coming next. A hail of bullets riddled the side of the building as August laid on his belly protecting his head from the shower of mortar and bricks being knocked loose.

  When the shooting stopped, August moved through the Courthouse on his belly back to the main street side. Smoke hung a few feet above his head. The emergency lights flashed through the smoke showing up as pockets of white and red light.

  The caravan of dusty SUVs lined the highway. Men dressed in jungle camouflage uniforms were positioned all along as a wall to prevent anyone from moving out of the area. August pulled himself upright with the help of a door frame into Susan office. He moved into her office which gave him a north and west view of downtown. Stan was laying out on the lawn. August felt certain he was dead, but he needed to try and help him.

  August grabbed a statue off Susan’s desk and threw it through the window. The minute he tried to get through the window another rain of gunfire shattered all the other windows. The bullets passed through and riddled the opposite wall knocking pictures and political collections to the floor. August took refuge behind Susan’s heavy desk. Another volley of bullets ripped through the office. August moved to the outside wall for protection. A surge of bullets tore apart the Mayor’s desk like it was made of cardboard. The drawer of the desk dropped out spilling the contents in front o
f August. Laying among the contents on the floor, was Fr. Steve’s phone.

  For a moment August forgot about the attack that was raging around him. He reached for the phone.

  What was Susan doing with the phone and better yet, how did she get her hands on it?

  August stroked the phone as if it was a precious object, something that should be revered.

  August used Steve’s phone often enough on hunting and fishing trips. It was nothing for him tap in the access code. Once in he went through the call list. He found the call Steve made just before the wreck. He also found a call to a number he recognized as the FBI office in Kansas City. Why would Steve be contacting the FBI? There were numerous other calls that August couldn’t identify with numbers that looked like they were out of the country. The number that finally sent a chill through August was the number for Dan Faraday. Steve called Dan the day of the accident. According to his knew handler, Dan was killed on the day after Steve died.

  August sat in the middle of the rubble that was Susan’s office. With his back against the wall facing his attackers he was safe for the moment. A third barrage of gunfire brought him back to the present. Hugging the wall for cover he slid over to the door to the office and back out into the main hallway.

  Chapter 98

  All went quiet, the calm before storm people always talk about. Someone must have commanded the shooters to stand down. August raised himself cautiously against the door facing the main part of downtown. Walking up the steps towards him was the image of the beautiful woman he last saw in his hospital room. August watched as she moved with confidence towards the Courthouse doors. He suddenly realized what a fool he had been. Here was the reflection of the woman he watched burn and Hector assassinate.

  The figure walking towards him was more beautiful than her mother and with more confidence than she ever possessed. He thought maybe he was already dead and this was some ugly after life. She walked toward him like a confident runway model, her eyes locked on August.

  When the she came close enough he could finally look in to her eyes, the haunting feeling of talking to Balifour came again. The woman had no soul. She was a walking shell of Hectors evil. It was hard to believe these were the same eyes that locked on him years ago.

  The disfigurement of her face and arm.

  The burned baby smoldering in the puddle.

  Angelina.

  August moved to get a better view but also to stay covered by the heavy stone of the building. He could tell it was her that commanded the silence of the guns. The smoke of the fires seemed to fall behind her in obedience. After a few seconds August stepped out from cover feeling like he was safe from attack.

  As August stepped to the front step of the entrance Angelina raise her hand as a signal for all to hold their fire. August walked slowly toward her, never moving his gaze. She was the embodiment of her mother and more.

  Focused on her, he failed to notice the man walking up behind her.

  As they drew closer the view behind her continued to block August from looking any further. When she was only steps away from him, she took one step aside to reveal the partner behind her.

  Hector Fuentes greeted August with a sadistic smile and a gun pointed directly at August.

  “It is good to see you Captain Father. I never expected to see you again. I have been truly blessed.”

  The sarcasm of Hector was enough to start the pounding of revenge in August head. He ignored the pain swelling in his chest.

  “What do you want Hector?”

  “All I want is your soul priest. I have a debt to deliver you. The fact that you are now a lawman makes it even easier.

  “You stole my Galina from me with the thoughts you planted in her head and you tried to steal Angelina. You are the cause my daughter carries these scars. Now I want you to burn as you should have that night along with your Marines.

  And priest, I want you to know, your parents did not stand in my way. The same way I crushed them, is the way I will crush you. Your father was such a weak man. Just like you he hesitated and for that he died.

  The men in your family must all be cowards.”

  August felt the life drain from him as he stared at Hector but did not see him. It was as if at this moment, he was the only person on the Courthouse steps.

  Hector began to walk closer to August, it was then that August turned to Angelina.

  August dropping his gun to his side,

  “It appears the man that calls himself your father and I have more than one score to settle. Since I am most likely going to die today, let me tell you what really happened. Then you and the man you think is your father can do with me what you want.

  I can see how you can believe his lies.

  The man you call father is apparently still a powerful man capable of creating any environment for you that fits his needs. But you have two other people in your life that cared even more for you than this man ever did. You were nothing more than his prize race horse, his trophy from one more village.

  Your mother and the man that loved you, your real father were hard working people in the village where you were born. Hector enslaved many of the men in the village with loans and other obligations which they would never be able to pay back. Christian, your father worked for Hector to protect your mother, you and your brother.

  You probably didn’t even know you had a brother, did you?

  As a result, your parents were poor, but honest people. Your mother, a woman looking just like you was the most beautiful woman in the area. No other woman came close to her beauty or determination.

  Hector was always jealous that a simple man like Christian was so respected and had a woman that he could never have. Hector tricked your father into working for him most of his life. His only goal was to distract your father while he had his way with your mother. Your mother confided in me as her priest the things Hector did to her and required of her. Your mother was raped repeatedly by Hector.

  To cover his actions, Hector raided your parent’s village in the jungle. He claimed he was looking for a traitor that had turned him into the government.

  My sin is that I was not strong enough at the time to save either you or your mother. I watched Hector execute your mother. When I tried to shoot him, I failed. He came at me with his knife.”

  August pulled up his shirt,

  “Here, this is the scar I received when I rolled to protect you from him. He snatched you from me and through you over like you would throw a stray cat to the side of the road. You landed in ruins of a burning hut. I was knocked out by Hector when we fought. When I came to, all the Marines were dead. You were laying in the smoldering remains of a hut.

  Christian, your real father, came back for you. He took you away under the orders of Hector. I learned later, Hector murdered him. He tortured Christian and finally killed him only after he told your father what he had been doing to your mother.

  I believe Christian thought that if he took you with him to Hector as he ordered, maybe you would have a better life than what was left in the village.

  Your brother, who he also stole was never heard from again.

  It wasn’t long and a Marine medivac helicopter landed. I was taken away and placed in a hospital. It was made clear to me that Hector meant to finish the job so the government hid me for my protection and those around me. Apparently, Hector counted on you carrying out your own revenge based on his distorted stories.”

  Angelina turned toward Hector. Hector could tell that the rage he had instilled in Angelina was now turning against him. Angelina raised her weapon and pointed it at Hector.

  “Tell me the truth now old man!”

  Hector just shrugged his shoulders in a display of cockiness.

  Laughing while he talked,

  “What the priest tells you is true. Your mother was nothing more to me than my whore. Your father, was a gutless man. He cried and prayed to Jesus like a little boy when I killed him. I knew you would be valuable to me someday
…and see you are.”

  Immediately Angelina saw him for his lies. The rage for being duped all these years overpowered her.

  Angelina pulled the trigger.

  Hector, anticipating her action ducked and fired his weapon.

  Angelina’s bullet missed Hector.

  Susan, was walking up behind Hector, not realizing what was taking place between these strangers in her town. The bullet from Angelina’s gun struck Susan just below her rib cage. She was blown back down the steps, blood leaking from her back.

  Hector’s aim was better. He hit Angelina, his intended target. She fell to her knees not fully comprehending what placed her there. She was looking at the man who for twenty years she admired and called father. Now he was her killer.

  August, reached for his shotgun on the ground. In the next second, he was brought down by a bullet from Hector. The bullet caught August in his right shoulder forcing him to drop the shotgun.

  Chapter 99

  Saine worked his way through the chaos of the burning town to his hotel room. No one was left in the hotel. With the elevators locked he was slightly out of breath from running the flights of stairs to his room. Once inside he slid a large duffle from under his bed. Placing it on the bed he reached in and pulled a rifle already scoped and sighted in. He pulled the scope up and looked out the window to the burning town. Smoke swirled in small funnels as the draft from the heat formed multiple fire tornados.

  He could see the action taking place on the Courthouse lawn.

  Saine took the butt of his handgun and broke out the window. He pulled binoculars from the duffle and stepped backed to the window. Through the smoke he could see Susan laying on the sidewalk at the base of the steps still in the same clothes he saw her in last night. There was another woman stretched out on the upper sidewalk.

  The last time he saw her was as a severely burned baby.