Terrible Cherubs: Tales of Sinners, Mistakes, and Regrets

by Steve Wetherell

  “911, what is your emergency?”

  “I think someone’s in our house.” I said, “My husband heard something. He went to investigate. Please send help.”

  “Ma’am, please calm down. You say you think someone is in your house and your husband went to investigate?”

  “That’s right. Please, send help.”

  “Are you someplace safe?”

  “I’m locked in a room with my children. Please, hurry.” She asked for our address and I managed to give it to her.

  “We have a patrol car in your area, they should be there shortly,” the operator added. “Just stay on the line with me, okay, Ma’am?”

  A crash from downstairs woke Miles. “Momma?” He said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with the back of his fist.

  “Shh.” I rushed over to him, hoping to keep him from waking his sister. “It’s okay, go back to sleep.”

  “Why’s Addie in my bed?”

  “Just a dream, sweetie.” It wouldn’t be the first time Addie had woken, only to climb into bed with him.

  “I’m glad you’re home.” He whispered before closing his eyes and falling back to sleep.

  The 911 operator was saying something, but I was too concerned about Rodney to listen to her. I went to the door and put my ear against it, hoping I could hear something. I heard a creak on the stairs and my heart leapt into my throat. A light knock sounded on the door, “Kate. It’s all clear.”

  “Ma’am! Ma’am!” The operator shouted from the phone.

  I unlocked the door and allowed Rodney access. “What happened?” I asked before he even squeezed through the small space I’d allowed between the door and the jam.

  “It was nothing. Must have been the wind.”

  “What was the crash?”

  “I walked into the curio cabinet. I’m afraid I might have broken the glass.”

  I went to squeeze his arm, a small sign to show I couldn’t care less about the stupid curio cabinet. I realized I still held the phone, “I’m sorry. My husband is back and he says he thinks it was a false alarm.”

  “Ma’am, I suggest you allow the police to do a walk-through anyway. They should be pulling up to your house any moment now.”

  “Yes. Thank you. We will.” With that, I hung up. Putting my gun on the highest hanging ornamental shelf, right beside Mile’s first Teddy Bear and far out of reach of little hands, I motioned for Rodney to follow me. He looked at me questioningly as we left the room. After closing the door softly behind us, I said, “When you didn’t come right back, I called the police. They’re here now.”

  Rodney and I went downstairs and opened the door before they could knock. Rodney recognized one of them as Hal, his former partner. He’d called Hal from the hospital after the two officers who’d taken our statements left, to see if any red flags popped up on the farmhouse we’d driven past. It felt comfortable having him around. Rodney told them what he’d heard and how he searched the house. They came in and did a sweep of the downstairs while we waited.

  “Want us to check the upstairs?” Hal’s new partner asked. He was a rookie, young, but he seemed able enough.

  Rodney answered before I could string together a reply, “No, thank you. I think we’re all set.”

  As Rodney walked them to the door, I heard Hal say, “We’ll take a walk around the perimeter just to be sure.”

  “Thanks. We appreciate it.”

  “Any time.”

  Rodney joined me by the window and we watched until the police cruiser pulled away. We turned off all the lights and went back upstairs.

  “Should we put Addie back in her own bed?” I asked as we passed the kids rooms.

  “I think she’ll be fine where she is.”

  Crawling into to bed, I finally had a chance to ask Rodney what he’d heard before I woke up.

  “It was probably just a nightmare bleeding into reality,” he said dismissively, planting a kiss on my forehead. “We should get some sleep.”

  The clock on my nightstand said it was one-thirty in the morning, but it felt like the night that would never end. I didn’t think sleep would come, but the warmth of Rodney’s body snug against mine and his even breathing, soon lulled me back to dreamland.

  ~ * ~

  Nothing lived in the dead zone. No birds flew through the air; no mice scurried through the fields. Not even a plant stirred in the breeze. The only light emanated from the road which was lit up like a runway. Dust swirled about my feet as I walked, and no matter how far I went, the road never ended. The dead zone expanded, swallowing everything in its gaping maw. In the distance, I heard Addie screaming. The scene sharpened and shifted. Dark buildings came into view up ahead. I ran, but running didn’t get me there. Hands on knees, I fought for breath.

  I heard a round being chambered behind me and I stilled. Gritty laughter filled the sky and carried on the wind like so much sand. I fought the urge to breathe it in, my lungs burned with the effort. Dark clouds swirled above my head, threatening to take me under. Addie’s cries were a backdrop to it all, urging me on. I crawled, gravel and grit blistering my hands and knees. I had to get to my baby. Someone grasped my ponytail and yanked me to a stop. A shot rang out, making me jump. The pain came swiftly. Like a knife, it cut me down. Searing my arm, my neck, down my back, the pain raged on.

  I woke up screaming.

  But beyond the horror, I heard Addie’s screams as well.

  ~ * ~

  Fumbling, I fell out of bed and hit the carpet on all fours. Scrambling to my feet and ignoring the pain in my arm, I took off running. Rodney wasn’t far behind. Addie’s cries filled the house. Running to her room, I tried the door, only to find it locked. Remembering earlier, I turned around and ran right into Rodney.

  “She’s in Mile’s room.” I said, panic gripping my insides.

  We turned in unison. Rodney got there first, flinging open the door. The nightlight cast enough light for us to see Addie standing in the center of the room, screaming. Miles was sitting up in bed, his eyes as wide as saucers. Rodney grabbed her up and held her close. The screaming stopped, but it turned into giant sobs and incoherent babbling.

  Miles, who sat in the same spot in the middle of his bed, pointed, “Mom.”

  I followed the direction of his finger and screamed when I saw a dark figure standing in the adjoining bathroom. I thought for a moment that maybe this was just another nightmare. “Rodney.”

  The figure emerged from the shadows, its form taking shape slowly, like a nightmare come to life. “It was mighty rude of y’all to just take off like that.” The stranger said, leveling his shotgun at us.

  Rodney hushed Addie and slowly slid her to the floor, pushing her behind him. Instinctively, I’d already put myself between Miles and the gun.

  “Cute kids you got.”

  “Stay away from them.” I said, my voice guttural and hard. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Miles scurry off the bed. I could only hope he’d stay down.

  “What do you want?” Rodney asked.

  The stranger laughed, but instead of answering Rodney, he said to me, “Too bad you ain’t still wearing your fancy outfit. That woulda made a good picture for the po-lice to find.”

  Even in the dim light, I could see Rodney’s jaw clenching. The stranger was obviously a few bricks short of a wall, but it didn’t stop me from wanting to know how he found us. I asked as much. Then I remembered my phone. Sighing I said, “You found my phone.”

  “That’s right, little lady. Junior died tonight because of you, and I’m here to see to it that you pay for your sins.”

  I’d dealt with a lot of crazies in Iraq. Granted, I didn’t have my kids yet and I usually had a weapon, but I’d just have to improvise. At least Rodney was by my side.

  “Fine. You can kill me. Just leave my family out of this.” I said.

  The stranger narrowed his eyes, “Like you kept my son out of it?”

  Oh shit. The Ogre was his son.

  Rodney rushed t
he stranger, pushing the barrel up. I lunged for the shelf hanging high on the wall. A boom and a flash filled in the darkened room behind me. Ears ringing, I spun around. Rodney was down. My heart lurched, but there wasn’t time to think about it. The stranger was recovering. The kids screamed. Retrieving my gun, I chambered a round, the slide snapping sharply back into place. The stranger pointed his gun at me as I dropped to one knee and squeezed the trigger, just as another blast from his shotgun filled the room. The buckshot sprayed high, lodging like a sky full of stars in the ceiling above and spattering drywall all over the floor. The stranger fell, clutching his chest. I hurried over, picking up the shotgun. My phone lay beside him. I snatched it up too.

  Addie sobbed in the corner.

  “Are you two alright?”

  Miles peeked over the edge of the bed and nodded. “Is the bad man dead?” His small face was pale, his eyes two large pools of terror.

  I nodded and knelt beside Rodney. He was conscious, but bleeding heavily from multiple wounds in his chest. I found a towel lying nearby and folding it, pushed it against them. “My hero.” I said, tears filling my eyes. He tried to say something, but it came out a coughing croak. “Don’t try to talk.”

  For the third time that night, I dialed 911.

  ~ * ~

  The sun had just started to fill the sky with muted pinks and purples when the police and EMTs arrived, sirens wailing. Only a few minutes had passed, but Miles had gained enough courage to crawl out from behind his bed. Even at the tender age of eight, he reminded me of his father.

  “I’ll go let them in,” he told me.

  “Addie?” I asked.

  “Sucking her thumb.” He pointed to the corner beyond his bed. There wasn’t much chance Miles would forget what happened tonight, but being half his age, Addie might. I wanted to comfort her, but that would have to wait. Right now, keeping Rodney alive and conscious was my top priority. “Stay with me, Rodney. Help’s here.”

  Seconds later, the overhead light was thrown on and a pair of strong arms pulled me away. I stood there immobilized watching the EMTs work, until Hal blocked my view. He was holding Addie. “Let’s get you and Addie out of here.”

  I nodded feebly, noticing that Addie’s head was buried in his neck. Good, I thought. I didn’t want her to see any more than she already had.

  Hal stopped outside my bedroom, “Why don’t you get changed.”

  I looked down at my blood-soaked pajama top and pants. Rodney’s blood. I nodded.

  Hal touched my good arm. “I’m sure it looks worse than it is. Still, you don’t want to scare the kids. We’ll wait for you in the kitchen.”

  I nodded. “Yeah. Okay.”

  ~ * ~

  After changing, I went downstairs to find Hal in the kitchen with the kids. Miles slurped some chocolate milk and Addie still sucked on her thumb.

  Kissing each kid on the top of their heads I said, “I don’t suppose she’ll give up that habit anytime soon.”

  “They’re loading Rodney up now.” Hal said, and then added, “I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of calling my wife. She’s going to come by and get the kids so you can follow Rodney to the hospital.”

  “That was very thoughtful of you. Thank you, Hal.”

  “I’ll need to take your statement, but it shouldn’t take long. I’ll drive you to the hospital myself when we’re through.”

  Swallowing back the tears, I nodded.

  While I was giving my statement, Hal’s wife, Mary, arrived. When the guys had worked together, we’d all gone out a few times. She’s a pleasant woman who, like her husband, can calm a person down just by walking in the room. Though being close in age, we didn’t have a lot in common, other than our husbands both being cops, so we hadn’t stayed in contact. Despite that, she gave me a hug when she bustled in. I voiced my concern about it being too much to ask. She assured me that it wasn’t any trouble and she’d keep them for as long as I needed. “We’ll be fine, just take care of Rodney.”

  “I’ll try to bring some clothes by later,” I said, first giving Addie a hug and kiss, and then Miles, to whom I added, “Watch your little sister and be good for Mary.” I could tell they were both in shock, their skin cold and clammy, their eyes still dilated. Mary hustled them out, and I finished my statement.

  True to his word, Hal took me to the hospital. Rodney was already in surgery. A nurse led us to a small family waiting room. “A doctor will be in to talk to you shortly.” And off she went.

  I took a seat in one of the pastel-covered chairs and rubbed my forehead. “It all seems so surreal.”

  Hal stayed with me. He even called Rodney’s parents to let them know what had happened. They’d moved to Florida last year and were happy as clams. They often urged us to make the move, but neither one of us wanted to leave our home. Now, I found myself dreading ever returning to our house. Any sense of security I’d felt there had been stripped away.

  When I was just about ready to rip my hair out by the roots, a doctor came in dressed in a surgical gown, his mask a white tumor on his neck. “Mrs. McDermott?”

  I stood, “Yes?”

  “Mr. McDermott’s injuries were quite severe, but we managed to remove all of the buckshot. We also had to remove one of his ribs and part of his left lung, but we managed to stop the internal bleeding. He’s stable, but not out of the woods. He’s being moved to the ICU now.”

  “When can I see him?”

  “In about an hour. Give us time to get him settled.”

  “Thank you, Doctor.”

  Before walking out the door, he turned back, “Being shot at close range like that… well, he’s lucky to be alive. The next twenty-four hours are critical.”

  I nodded. The cold reality of just how thin my husband’s lifeline was loomed all around me. Death mocked me from the darkness edging my vision.

  Before I could pass out, Hal put his arm around my shoulders and guided me back to the chair that I’d occupied all morning. “I’m going to get some more coffee, would you care for some?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Hal returned a few minutes later carrying two steaming cups. “It’s hospital coffee, but it’s better than nothing.”

  “Thank you.” I took the paper cup from him. It was a comforting distraction from the tangle of thoughts I’d been battling while alone.

  A short time later, another nurse came in to escort me back to see Rodney. I was advised that he was in an induced coma and that I’d have five minutes. I could tell which one was Rodney’s room, by the uniformed officer standing guard outside. He was rather young and I didn’t recognize him, but he nodded and allowed us access. The nurse came in with me and looked at the machines readouts, made some notes and then turned to go. Before leaving the room, she reminded me, “Five minutes.”

  A breathing tube snaked down his throat, and I heard the soft swishing of air being supplied to his damaged lungs. Tubes and wires ran from his arm up to a machine that monitored his pulse and whatever else. My heart broke all over again. I bent down to his pale face and brushed a light kiss on his hollow-looking cheek. Tears pooled and ran down my face; my voice broke as I ran my hand through his hair, whispering, “I’m here, Rodney. The kids are safe. We need you to get better. We need you to come back to us.”

  Before I knew it, the nurse returned.

  “I love you, Rodney.” I kissed his pale lips one last time before heading back to the small room where Hal waited.

  ~ * ~

  “Why don’t you stay with us for a while? Mary would love the company,” Hal offered while we waited. I knew he meant until the police had a chance to find the other two guys who’d been there during the altercation on the side of the road last night. He was probably afraid I’d crumble if he brought it up, but it wasn’t like I hadn’t been worrying about them this whole time.

  “I don’t want to be an imposition,” I started, but Hal put his hand up to stop me.

  “I talked to Mary. She has the gue
st room all fixed up and the kids have already made themselves at home. She’s made her special lasagna for dinner tonight and she’s making a big breakfast as we speak.”

  I was too exhausted to argue, so I agreed.

  On the way to his house, I asked, “Is there an ID on the perp yet?”

  “Yeah, name’s Edward Layton. Lives with his three sons on a farm in Clayton County. They’ve all been behind bars multiple times for various things. DWI, drunk and disorderly, assault, battery, possession… you name it, they’ve done it. One of the boys, Eddie, was even arrested for rape, but the victim disappeared before the DA could go after him. She’s not been seen since. I believe he’s the one you shot on the road.

  I swallowed hard, “Doesn’t surprise me. The way he looked at me was terrifying—like I was dinner.”

  “I don’t know how you managed to keep such a cool head. I know you’re ex-military, but what you did took guts.”

  “I don’t know about that. I was scared out of my mind, but I saw an opportunity and took it. I knew I couldn’t let them take us anywhere. That would have been a death sentence, for sure.”

  Hal fell silent. Probably thinking about what he and Mary would have done in our shoes. It wasn’t worth thinking about. As long as they caught the bastards, our little slice of the world would be safe. At least it would feel safer.

  Hal broke through my thoughts, “Jones and Rainy went out to their farm this morning. The place is deserted. Looks like they’ve gone underground.”

  A chill swept down my spine. Would I ever feel safe again?

  When we arrived, Mary had made a big breakfast and was just putting it all out in serving dishes. The kids were helping set the table. Miles went about his task with quiet efficiency and Addie was her usual chatty self. They both ran to me with open arms when they noticed I was in the room. After hugs and kisses, I told them that their dad would be staying at the hospital for a while, but that he’d be fine eventually.