by Karen Ward
Pinky says, “Yeah, we watched. It was not the Bureau’s most stellar moment. We have it on tape. I’ll send it to you so you can see for yourself what happened.”
Richard Dean says, “Yes, please send it. We need to see for ourselves how this guy manages to elude us. Maybe we can learn from it.”
******
A couple of weeks later Pinky is busy at the computer helping Scoot design a security system for a client when Jasmine comes walking in the office. She asks, “Have you guys seen Timmy?”
Pinky’s heart speeds up and he says, “No, he hasn’t been up here. Where was he when you last saw him?”
Jasmine answers, “He was sitting at the kitchen table eating oatmeal cookies and doing his homework. When I went back in to get him to take his bath he was gone.”
Pinky’s heart is beating heavily and he asks, “Did you check the pool?”
She replies, “Yes, that is the first thing I thought of. He wasn’t at the pool. Besides he’s a pretty good swimmer now. Eric and Damian aren’t in the house either. Do you know where they are Scoot?”
Scoot shakes his head, “No, I haven’t seen them this afternoon. I’ll call Skye and see if they are at the house.”
Pinky asks, “What was Timmy talking about after school today? Maybe we can get an idea about what was on his mind.”
Frustrated Jasmine says, “You know how he is ... his mind jumps from one subject to another so fast I can’t keep up with him. He talked about school, and a TV show he saw last night, and he wanted to know where oatmeal comes from.”
Scoot says, “Skye said Eric and Damian are at my house but Timmy is not with them. They don’t know where he might be. When they left the house he was in the kitchen eating cookies.”
Pinky says, “Well, we need to start looking. It’s going to be dark soon. I’ll take the barn, Scoot would you mind looking around the outside of the house. It we don’t find him I’ll fire up the helicopter and sweep the area.”
They all head down the stairs and see Bud Wilkes coming out of the barn. Pinky hollers at him, “Bud, have you seen Timmy?”
Bud says, “I was just coming to get you. His pony is missing from the barn.”
Pinky says, “Damn!”
Scoot says, “You go saddle up, I’ll get in the helicopter and locate him for you.”
Just as Bud and Pinky lead their horses out of the barn, Pinky’s cell phone rings, “Pinky.”
“Pinky, his pony is in the back pasture, over by where the wolf attacked Bixby. I don’t see Timmy. I called Barry to check the surveillance video to see if he can see anything.”
Pinky’s heart is pounding with dread now. He and Bud are riding as fast as they can across the pasture toward where Scoot saw Timmy’s pony. No one has seen Bixby for weeks, what if he got Timmy? Please God, keep him safe!
Barry calls Scoot to tell him he doesn’t see anything on the security video along the logging road at the back of the property.
Jasmine is pacing back and forth in the great room. Melanie, Barry, Leaf, and Sherrie are trying to keep her calm. Jasmine stops pacing and asks, “Where’s Samantha?”
Looking around, Barry says, “I don’t know.” He hurries to his study calling Scoot on the radio, “Scoot, do you know where Samantha is?”
Scoot says, “No, I haven’t seen her this afternoon. Do you think she might be with Timmy?”
Barry says, “I don’t know, I’ll check the barn and see if any other horses are missing. I’ll call you back.”
Pinky’s heart is pounding so hard he’s not sure he’s not having a heart attack. This ride never seemed to take this long before, is he ever going to get to the area?
Barry radios Scoot again, “Scoot.”
“Scoot, the bay gelding is missing. Do you see it anywhere?”
“No, I haven’t seen it, but it’s hard to see up in the trees. Pinky and Bud should be getting close now. Give them a call.”
Barry dials Pinky’s cell phone, “Pinky.”
“Pinky, Barry, the bay gelding is missing from the barn too and Samantha is no where around.”
Pinky replies, “I pray that Sam is with him but I may kill her if she took him somewhere and didn’t tell us!” Topping the last hill they see Timmy’s pony grazing peacefully under the edge of the trees. As they get closer they see the bay gelding deeper in the trees. Pinky says, “I hope they are having a picnic or something.”
As they get closer they see Timmy watching them approach. He is standing just inside the tree line and not visible from the helicopter. They urge the horses faster galloping toward him. Pinky’s heart rate and breathing returning to normal now that he sees Timmy and he appears to be unharmed.
Pinky dismounts before the horse even stops and grabs Timmy pulling him into his arms, “Timmy, are you all right? Where is Miss Sam?”
He is peering into the dimness of the woods but doesn’t see her. Timmy says, “Miss Sam is hurt Daddy. She’s on the ground over by that big rock. I can’t wake her up.”
They walk deeper into the woods where they find Sam lying in the snow, a gash on her forehead just below the hair line. Keith bends down feeling for a pulse. He finds a weak one, then calls Scoot, “Scoot, you’re going to need to set the bird down as close to this stand of trees as you can. Samantha is hurt. She’s got a big gash on her forehead and I think she may have broken her leg again.” He looks over at Timmy, “What happened Timmy?”
Timmy explains, “We were riding through the trees and all of a sudden I heard a noise and Miss Sam fell off the horse to the ground. I don’t know why.”
Pinky asks, “What were you and Miss Sam doing out here?”
Timmy says, “I came out here to look for an arrowhead. Damian found one out here last week and I want one. Miss Sam followed me out here and she was helping me look. She told me I shouldn’t be out riding by myself. I’m sorry Daddy. I promise I won’t do it again. I hope Miss Sam isn’t hurt bad.”
Bud Wilkes has been walking around the area looking over things and he says to Pinky, “It looks like someone was on the other side of the fence. I see what looks like footprints and possibly a shell casing in the edge of the trees on the other side of the road.”
Pinky looks over at Bud, a cold chill running down his spine, “Bixby?”
Bud says, “That would be my guess. If it was, he’s gone now.”
“I didn’t hear a shot, did you?” asks Pinky.
“No, but if he had a silencer,” Bud says, just as Scoot walks up carrying the backboard.
He looks questioningly at Bud, “If who had a silencer, Bixby?”
Pinky says, “Yeah, it looks like Samantha may have been grazed by a bullet. Bud sees what looks like a shell casing on the other side of the road up in the trees and some footprints.”
The men secure Samantha to the backboard and load her in the helicopter. Pinky and Timmy accompany Scoot in the helicopter and Bud takes the horses back to the barn. Scoot radios Barry to let him know that Timmy is safe and that he, Pinky, and Timmy are flying Samantha to the hospital in Cody. He explains that she was grazed by a bullet and has broken her leg again.
Scoot flies Samantha straight to the hospital in Cody Wyoming. After the doctor in the Emergency Room completes his examination, it is confirmed that Sam’s leg is broken and surgery is scheduled for the following morning. She also required a number of stitches to her forehead and has a mild concussion from her fall off the horse.
When they arrive back at the ranch Scoot calls everyone together in the great room of the main ranch house. He says, “All right, we believe that Bixby was the one that shot at Sam this afternoon. She was very lucky that the bullet only grazed her forehead. She re-broke her leg when she fell off the horse and is having surgery to set it tomorrow. We believe that he made his way up the logging road unnoticed by staying inside the tree line. Since he is obviously back in the area, I think it will be wise if everyone stays here in the main house. The only restrictions I would suggest for your activities
are to stay within sight of this house. Boys, this especially applies to you. Don’t go anywhere away from the house without an adult, understand?”
They reply in unison, “Yes sir.”
******
James Bixby is so frustrated. He was almost ready to begin his mission and then that kid and the woman showed up. He knew the minute she spotted him. He’s glad he picked up that silencer in Louisiana. He wouldn’t have wanted to notify everyone in the area he was here by shooting her without one. Well, at least she won’t be talking to anyone.
He wishes he could have taken the kid. With his red hair and freckles he’s probably Keith Williams’ kid. He would enjoy killing another one of his kids, just a little pay back for stealing Jasmine from him. If he hadn’t heard that helicopter fire up, he would have taken the time to get him, but after that he decided it wasn’t smart to hang around.
******
After a few days with no further sightings of Bixby, life returns to normal and everyone returns to their own homes.
******
Two weeks after Sam’s injury, Pinky’s cell phone rings and he answers, “Pinky.”
“Mr. Williams, it’s Richard Dean. I am calling you today to inform you we have identified the remains of the baby in Idaho. It is your son. I’m really sorry.”
“Thank you Mr. Dean. We knew he was in the woods around that compound somewhere. I’m glad he’s been found and we can now give him a proper burial. When will they release his remains?”
“If you’ll contact the lab, they can ship them to the Funeral Home of your choice. Have you seen anything else of Bixby?” he asks.
Pinky replies, “Not lately. I’m ready for this to be over.”
Richard Dean says, “Me too.”
******
Two weeks later, the Rock Springs Ranch extended family all gather under a huge oak tree behind the main ranch house for the graveside service of Anthony Keith Williams, infant son of Keith Williams and Jasmine Leblanc.
After the minister finishes speaking, Keith pulls Jasmine into his arms and together they watch as the tiny casket is lowered into the ground. Tears silently slide down their cheeks.
Timmy pulls on his sleeve and asks, “Daddy, what is in that box?”
Pinky, kneeling beside is precious son says, “Timmy, that was your older brother. He died a long time ago when he was just a little baby and we just now were able to bring him home to the ranch so we can be near him.”
Timmy says, “My brother? Did you love him too?”
Pinky says, “Yes, Miss Jasmine and I loved him very much.”
CHAPTER 18
Several weeks pass before any sign of James Bixby is found. Spring is in the air and most of the snow has melted. Around noon on a brisk March afternoon, Scoot’s cell phone rings and he answers, “Scoot.”
“Scoot, Bob Kenner here. I am in town and I ran into an old friend that told me he had run a man off his place late yesterday that matches the description of James Bixby. He said he was traveling on foot and had been staying in one of his line shacks in his back pasture for what looked like several days, maybe as long as a month. He slaughtered one of his calves and depleted all of the canned goods he had stored at the location. My friend lives about thirty miles east of Cody so he was about fifty miles from the Rocking J.”
“Interesting, no wonder the FBI hasn’t been able to get a lead on him. Thanks Bob. It’s good to know he’s in the area again. We’ll be ready,” replies Scoot.
After hanging up with Bob Kenner, Scoot calls everyone to bring their families and come to the main ranch house to stay until Bixby is captured or killed.
Before dawn the next morning the security firm notifies Barry of a breach in the fence at the back of the property. Barry immediately notifies the others and the men gather in the study and the women and children move to the bomb proof room in the basement. When Pinky calls Stump at his quarters over the barn he doesn’t get an answer. The men look at each other, dread in their hearts.
When Bud Wilkes walks into the study, he says, “Something’s going on in the barn. The horses are raising hell. I wanted to check with you before I walked into an ambush or something.”
Pinky says, “Let’s check the cameras.” The check the cameras from the barn and see Bixby spreading what looks like gasoline. He is staggering like he is drunk and is getting as much of the liquid on himself as on the ground.
Bud says, “Damn! I hope that fire suppression system works.”
When they check the camera from the Drake Security office they can see Stump lying in the office floor not moving blood staining the floor around him. Pinky says, “That bastard. I’m going to take pleasure in seeing him dead.”
He and Barry head upstairs with their sniper rifles and watch for Bixby to exit the barn. He will have to come out the main door because they have activated the security locks on all of the other doors and the windows. No way exists for any of them to be opened without the security locks being inactivated from inside the house.
Bear, Scoot, Goose, Bud Wilkes and Leaf Leblanc are watching Bixby as he begins trying to find an exit from the barn and are communicating by radio with Barry and Pinky. Bixby acts confused and is staggering all around the barn. He head butts the wall in several different places as if he’s trying to break through the wall. He hasn’t started the fire yet and they are curious if he will be stupid enough to do that before he figures out the only way out of the barn is through the main door.
Bear says, “It looks like the rabies is already affecting him.”
Goose says, “Either that or he is extremely drunk. It is possible it’s the rabies, the timing is right. If I remember correctly, it can take weeks or months to really affect humans.”
Finally making his way back to the main door of the barn, Bixby peeks outside and doesn’t see anyone so he strikes a match but before he can release it inside the barn the gasoline he spilled on himself ignites. He screams staggers out of the door of the barn screaming and runs across the yard toward the house covered in flames. As soon as he clears the barn Barry and Pinky drop him with dual head shots in the middle of the ranch yard.
The flames engulf him and his backpack which begins exploding as his spare ammunition and other explosives ignite. The fire is followed by a huge explosion that blows his body up into the air and shatters all the windows along the back of the house blowing the doors off the barn and breaking the second story windows. Pinky and Barry jump back from the windows as soon as they fire their shots and barely escape the shattering glass.
As soon as the Drake Security team hears the shots and the ensuing explosions cease they head out the back door of the ranch house. A huge hole is in the middle of the ranch yard where Bixby was shot.
Scoot yells at everyone “Careful, his remains are scattered everywhere. It is all hazardous! Don’t touch anything until we can get a team in here to clean things up! Barry, keep everyone in the house. Goose you call the FBI and get them to send a Hazmat team.”
Bud heads to the barn to remove the horses until the accelerant can be removed and the barn cleaned. He moves them to the pasture next to the house. Pinky and Bear, their hearts pounding with dread, head up the stairs to the office to check on Stump. They are followed closely by Scoot and Goose. Barry goes downstairs to tell the women it is safe to come out of the bomb proof room but to stay inside the house and away from the shattered glass.
Pinky kneels beside Stump checking for a pulse and breathes a sigh of relief when he finds a weak one. He says, “Hang on Buddy. An ambulance is on the way.”
After checking over his body, Goose finds a stab wound to his back and a big lump on his head where he had been knocked unconscious. He applies pressure to the stab wound to stem the flow of blood while Bear calls an ambulance then heads downstairs to direct them up to the office when they arrive.
Scoot and Goose begin to rope off the area around the ranch yard where Bixby’s remains may have touched.
******
When the women reach the first floor of the house they are shocked at the damage caused by the explosion. All of the windows along the back of the house are shattered and they see a large hole right in the center of the ranch yard. All of the glass on the second story of the barn is broken and the barn doors are missing.
When Barry sees the hole, he says, “Well, I was thinking about putting in an outdoor pool anyway. He just saved me little money.”
When Jasmine looks out at the destruction in the yard she is shocked and wonders what happened to James Bixby. Leaf puts his arm around her shoulders and says, “He’s dead Jasmine. He blew himself to smithereens. We watched on the security cameras.”
She asks, “You’re sure? You saw him die?”
Leaf responds, “I’m sure. He is scattered all over the backyard.” She turns her face into her brother’s shoulder and breaks down into sobs of relief. Her nightmare is finally truly over.
Timmy places his little arm around her waist, “Don’t cry Miss Jasmine. He was a bad man and now he can’t ever hurt you.”
She kneels and pulls the little boy into her arms whispering through her tears, “Oh Timmy, you are so precious. How did I ever get lucky enough to have you for my son? I love you Timmy.”
Smiling Timmy says, “I love you too Miss Jasmine. Would it be all right if I call you Mommie now?”
Smiling through her tears Jasmine says, “I would love for you to call me Mommie.”
The ambulance arrives and carries Stump to the hospital in Cody, Wyoming where he is immediately carried into surgery. All of the members of the Drake Security team and Barry have to stay at the ranch until the FBI completes their investigation except Bear. He and Jesse head to the hospital in town to wait for word on Stump’s condition.
The Hazmat team arrives and begins the tedious task of cleaning up Bixby’s remains. Because he had been exposed to rabies, everything has to be thoroughly cleaned. Even though the rabies virus doesn’t live long outside the host’s body, it is always better to be safe rather than sorry.
As the ambulance drives away carrying his buddy, Pinky places his arm around Jasmine and she turns her head into this chest. He wraps her in his embrace and they both take comfort in the fact their nightmare is finally over. Pinky prays that his buddy, Stump, will survive. He prays that Bixby didn’t take him away from them.