Innocent Shadows

by Warren Ray

  “Stop here,” said Winters.

  “You need help?” asked Laney.

  “No. You girls stay here and stay alert. I won’t be but a minute.”

  Winters exited the car carrying his M-4 and dashed across the street. He didn’t want to take a lot of time with this one and decided to just shoot him. There were no neighbors anywhere near who might hear the gunfire.

  He crept up on the porch and found the door unlocked. He twisted the handle and pushed the door open. He stared through the goggles to find the place with little to no furniture. He took a moment to listen for any movement before heading upstairs to the master bedroom. The door was open, and he heard the snoring before reaching the doorway. He walked in and found Grayson sleeping alone. He looked around the room before taking aim and squeezing the trigger. A three shot burst found its mark and the snoring ceased.

  Winters got back to the car and found the girls quiet, which was odd for them. Perhaps they were having reservations about what they were doing so he asked them.

  “No, not at all,” said Finley.

  “Me neither,” said Collette, who looked at Laney who shook her head.

  “Okay, just wanted to make sure. I haven’t seen you guys this quiet before.”

  “We don’t want to do anything wrong is all,” said Finley. “We know we talk a lot, I mean, we’re all friends and we love each other, but we know this is, like, serious stuff so, you know, you can count on us.”

  “Yeah, like when Jasper grabbed me,” said Laney, “I saw how it can go wrong, like, really fast.”

  “Good, I’m glad to hear this, cuz tomorrow things are going to heat up, which is why I want to take out as many as I can tonight.”

  “Then let’s go,” Finley said while starting the car.

  Winters leaned back satisfied they were still in good spirits. His leg started to bounce when he realized he’d have to get these girls and their families to the hideout before the night was over. He looked at his watch and saw he had only a few hours until sunrise.

  Chapter 27

  Finley slowed the Impala and pulled it into the driveway of a house she knew was empty. She told Winters most of the people from this neighborhood had left the area. She had driven to this particular neighborhood because there were three targets living next to each other. Killing these three would enable them to cross off most of the names on the list, which would be a hell of a night.

  He still needed to get these girls’ families rounded up and taken to safety. It wouldn’t take too long for the remaining men on the list to figure out who had been helping him tonight. All they had to do was to see who had been killed and which girl he had seen last. A little arm-twisting would be all that was needed before one of them coughed up the other names and then they’d kill them all. He couldn’t risk getting even one of these girls killed like that. It was already bad enough that they were here helping him, but at least with him, they stood a better chance than if they were alone.

  “Do you need help?” asked Finley.

  Winters gave it some thought. “Why don’t you guys help me recon the area.”

  “Recon, uh, I love it,” said Laney.

  “Just keep quiet and stay with me. Okay?”

  They all nodded their heads and then exited the car. The girls gathered behind Winters who led them across an overgrown lawn to the next one. Winters slowly moved his head from side to side. He wasn’t too familiar with the neighborhood, having been through but a few times in the past. He didn’t know anyone who had lived there and wasn’t familiar with the next three targets.

  They trekked through the wet overgrown grass for another block before Laney grabbed him by the arm and pointed up the street.

  “That one, and the one next to it,” she whispered.

  “What about the third?” asked Winters.

  Laney shrugged her shoulders and looked at her friends.

  “It’s right behind those two,” said Collette.

  Winters liked that the targets were grouped together. He decided to do the two up ahead first then sneak through the back for the third. Not wanting to leave the girls at the car again, he decided to have them wait across the road for him.

  “Let’s go,” Winters whispered to the girls.

  As they continued to get closer, a pair of headlights lit up the street. A car was coming. “Get down, get down.”

  They fell to the ground as a car approached. Its headlights lit up the pitch-black neighborhood as the car slowed to pull into the driveway of Winters’ next target.

  He motioned the girls into some overgrown bushes. They crawled on their hands and knees while breathing in quick breaths and hunching close to him. Their eyes were as big as saucers as they peered across the street at the car. Suddenly the car’s horn blasted through the stillness of the night and made them jump.

  Two men holding shotguns got out of the car yelling. Something was up because these two were fidgeting around the driveway. The front door opened up and out walked a man wearing nothing but boxer shorts. Winters couldn’t quite make out what they were saying but figured it had something to do with him. He scanned the area deciding what he wanted to do. It was no longer feasible to sneak in on them because his targets now knew he was somewhere about and intent on killing them. The other front door opened and out stepped another man. He was taller than the others were but just as young, maybe mid-twenties. He didn’t look happy about being dragged out of bed.

  Collette moved up to Winters’ ear. “Those two at the car are Mickey’s cousins.”

  Winters nodded figuring they had gone to his house and discovered the dead bodies.

  The loud voices continued to echo through the quiet neighborhood. They were agitated and appeared to be drunk.

  He put his hand on Collette’s shoulder and whispered into her ear. “Are they drinkers?”

  She gave him an affirming nod.

  Winters watched and determined the cousins were drunk. The one wearing the boxer shorts disappeared behind the house, and Winters figured he was going after the third target, which gave him an idea.

  “Girls, I need for you to trust me.”

  “What are you gonna do?” asked Finley.

  “You’ve heard of a drive-by?”

  They all nodded.

  “Well, I’m gonna do a walk-by.”

  They all looked at each other trying to figure out what he meant.

  “You’re gonna attack them?” asked Collette.

  Winters nodded.

  “That is so badass,” said Laney.

  “What do you want us to do?” asked Finley wide-eyed.

  “Stay here and don’t move. No matter what happens, stay out of sight until I come for you.”

  “What if you don’t or can’t?” asked Finley putting her hand on his arm.

  “Stay quiet and leave.”

  “No, don’t go,” begged Finley.

  “I’ll be alright. You girls just be ready to leave in a hurry, okay?”

  Small hands tugged at his jacket as he got up and scurried away. He headed across another lawn to get directly across from the driveway. He studied the cousins who hadn’t settled down yet. The one with the shotgun had laid it down on the hood of his car while they waited for Boxer-boy to return.

  Their attention was directed toward the backyard as Winters slipped out from his hiding place. The night-vision optics lit up his way as he glided across the street to a big oak tree. He peeked around the tree. Boxer-boy came back with another man who held a gun. Winters liked his chances as the five men began arguing on what to do. He heard the cousins telling the man with the gun what happened at Mickey’s house.

  Winters flipped the safety off the M-4 and switched it to fire a three shot burst. He peeked around the tree again deciding to first eliminate the one who had joined the party last. He seemed more alert and carried a pistol. The cousins would be next and then the other two.

  Winters' heart began to race as he slipped away from the protection of the
big oak tree. He raised his weapon to his shoulder and focused on his first target as he eased toward them. The car’s headlights blinded them and concealed his presence. He aimed at the first target and began to apply pressure to the trigger when suddenly another set of headlights projected a bright beam of light through the dark neighborhood.

  Chapter 28

  Sarnia Ontario

  After crossing the Saint Clair River into Canada, Scar agreed to go into a grill and pub they just happened upon while walking toward the business district of Sarnia, Ontario. A cold beer and hamburger seemed like a delicious way to kill a couple of hours before finding a hotel. It had been ten days since they left the base in Winnipeg and they hadn’t had a hot meal since.

  Bassett reached the door and opened it for the rest of the crew. Delicious aromas of charbroiled hamburgers and a faint suggestion of garlic hit their senses. Scar breathed it all in before approaching the smiling hostess.

  “Welcome, a table for four?” asked a young hostess.

  “Yes, please,” said Scar.

  The place looked like any American style sports bar restaurant. A small bar off to the side had a couple of TV screens playing soccer games. The hostess led them to the dining area, which was one big room full of tables.

  “Your waitress will be right with you gentlemen.”

  They had trouble containing their excitement as they sat down and looked around. No one gave them a second look, which relieved Scar’s anxiety. He needed to relax and this was just the place to do it. He didn’t need to pick up the menu to know exactly what he was going to order.

  “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m getting a burger, fries, and a beer,” said Scar.

  “Same here,” said Burns.

  Nordell looked at the menu and then put it down. “Make it three.”

  “Well, I hate to be different, but I’m making mine a cheeseburger,” said Bassett.

  “Corporal Bassett,” said Scar, “cheese goes without saying.”

  A waitress appeared out of nowhere and took their order.

  “Notice she was smiling,” said Burns. “I haven’t seen a genuine smile on a girl in a long time.”

  The waitress came back with their beers and all four took a moment to just stare at them. Frost began melting off the sides of the frozen glass mugs. They picked them up and clanked the glasses together.

  “To the Shadow Patriots,” said Scar.

  “And America,” said Nordell.

  “And the Captain,” said Burns.

  “Here, here,” finished off Bassett.

  They each began with a small sip before taking another larger one. Smiles spread across their faces as they put the glasses down.

  “Forgot how good this tasted,” said Burns.

  “Can’t remember the last time I had a beer,” said Nordell.

  “I do,” said Bassett. “When I came back from the Middle East, I went to visit with my parents back in Yoder, Indiana. They put together a welcome home barbecue with friends and neighbors. Best damn food I thought I’d ever tasted.”

  “It’s always the best food when you come home from war,” said Nordell.

  They all nodded their heads in agreement, as everyone at the table had fought in one conflict or another while serving in their youth. Now that they fought at each other’s sides, they would be bonded together forever.

  After the second round showed up, the cheeseburgers followed and they were big and stacked tall. The guys dug in without fanfare, and no one talked as they devoured the burgers along with the fries. As the guys finished off the last of their fries, a couple of strangers stared at them as they left the restaurant. This got Scar’s attention and pointed it out to Bassett who sat beside him.

  “You saw that too?” asked Bassett.

  Scar nodded.

  “What’s up?” asked Nordell.

  “Not sure. Got a couple of gentlemen taking notice of us as they left,” said Scar.

  “If it’s anything, we’ll know soon enough,” said Nordell.

  “They’re coming back in,” said Bassett.

  Scar picked up his mug and took a sip while watching the guy sit back down and say something to his friend while looking at them.

  “Something’s definitely up,” said Bassett.

  “Should we leave?” asked Burns.

  “Let’s get our check,” said Scar motioning to their waitress.

  “We still need to find a hotel,” said Burns.

  “I’ll ask her,” said Scar.

  She came over and dropped off the check. Scar had already produced five twenty-dollar bills and told her to keep the change.

  “Thank you very much,” she said.

  Scar was about to ask her where the hotels were when four men approached their table.

  The waitress backed away from the table as they pulled out badges.

  “Excuse us, gentlemen, I’m Sergeant Major Wilson with the Sarnia Police.”

  Scar looked at his friends. “What can we do you for?”

  “Americans?”

  “Yes, we’re Americans.”

  “What is your business here?”

  Scar remained calm knowing this could go either way. “Besides getting some amazing cheeseburgers, we’re refugees.”

  “Do you gentlemen have your papers?”

  Scar wasn’t aware refugees were issued papers. Perhaps they did things differently here.

  “That’s the thing, we’re fairly new refugees.”

  “How new?” asked Wilson.

  “Couple of hours, actually.”

  “You just crossed?”

  “We did indeed.”

  “You gentlemen are in violation of the American Refugee Act and will need to come with us.”

  “Sergeant Major, isn’t there something we could work out here.”

  “I’m afraid not. All refugees have to file for status as soon as they arrive.”

  “But we just arrived and when we saw this place, and well, the cheeseburgers were calling out to us.”

  “I understand the hardships you Americans have been going through, but still, we need to get you sized up and make sure you’re not going to cause any trouble.”

  Scar let out a disappointing sight. They weren’t going to get out of this and would be going with them. He was afraid they were going to frisk them. Each of them carried a sidearm, which he was sure would get them thrown in the slammer. This wasn’t how he pictured the evening going. He had made a mistake coming in here and now they were going to pay for it.

  Scar looked at his men. “It would appear we have a change of plans.”

  They all nodded in agreement and began to get up from the table.

  “One at a time, gentlemen,” said Sergeant Major Wilson.

  Sweat formed on Scar’s forehead knowing the cops were going to frisk them. He got up first, and one of the other officers approached him and asked him to put his hands on the table.

  Everyone in the restaurant watched in silence at the scene unfolding in front of them. The officer grabbed Scar’s right arm first and slapped cuffs on him. He then searched him and yelled out when he found Scar’s Kimber .45 pistol.

  “Gun!” said the officer in an elevated voice.

  The rest of the officers drew out their weapons and pointed them at the table while screaming at them.

  “Hey, take it easy guys,” yelled Nordell. “We’re all armed, but we’re not here for a gunfight.”

  “Everyone! Put their hands on the table,” ordered Wilson.

  They all complied while a policeman pulled Scar away from the table. The remaining cops moved in and cuffed the men one at a time.

  “The burgers were worth it, sir,” said Bassett.

  “And the beers,” said Burns.

  Scar grew angry with himself as the police escorted them outside. The gun charges weren’t going to help them talk their way out of this. He thought about the angle he would use and decided to just come clean and hope they were aware of and knew the
truth about the Shadow Patriots. His only ace in the hole was their friends in Winnipeg. They would vouch for them, but what he didn’t know was if they had enough juice to get them out of this mess, and, if so, how long it was going to take.

  Chapter 29

  Sabine Iowa

  After sneaking up on the five targets, Winters had the element of surprise, but as he was about to squeeze the trigger, headlights broke through the darkness alerting the men of his presence. It took a second for Winters to recover from the surprise before he pulled the trigger on the first man carrying the pistol. Three rounds punctured his chest and threw him to the ground. He had only seconds before the car behind him figured out what was going on. He jerked the M-4 toward the cousins whose reactions were slowed by alcohol. Winters discharged a volley into the one who had placed his shotgun on the hood of the car. He collapsed to the ground as his brother raised his shotgun and fired at Winters. Pellets flew by Winters as he moved out of the way while pulling the trigger. The second cousin fell down screaming in pain, which meant he merely wounded him.

  The car squealed to a stop. A door opened and a gunshot rang out. Winters hustled around the cousins’ car for cover and found the tall man huddled on the ground quacking in fear. Winters took no pity on him. At such close range, the man’s head exploded in different directions. He finished off the second cousin who was bleeding on the pavement, and then looked around for Boxer-boy whom he soon discovered behind another car taking a shot at him. Winters shook his head knowing they got him in a box. If he went to either side, he’d expose himself, which meant he was staying put for the moment. He took the butt of his gun and smashed the headlights of the car he was using for cover.

  He needed to know how good a shot this guy was, so he rose up a little and heard a shot hit the side view mirror. “Not bad.” Winters then got on his stomach and looked for Boxer-boy. He spotted bare feet hiding behind the back end of the car. He aimed and took a shot. It missed, forcing him to hide behind the tire.

  “I don’t have time for this,” thought Winters, as he looked toward the road. Tall grass moving up on a lawn across the street got his attention. “What the hell?”