by Warren Ray
Chapter 32
Winters recognized the man to be Ed Sherman Jr. Earlier that day he’d killed his parents and his son, Tim. He slowly let out a breath because he was about to kill another Sherman. This one was as useless as the others and it wasn’t a surprise to find he was involved. Sherman’s state of mind would be out of control and would shoot Laney on sight so Winters decided against sending her in there.
“Any suggestions?” asked Winters in a whisper.
“I could just walk in and distract him.”
“Now that would be the impulsive thing. This one will take something better.”
“I know. My bedroom window is cracked open for air.”
“Where is it?”
She pointed to the other end of the house.
“Anything in the way?”
“No.”
“Any creaking floors I should know about?”
“Wow, you really do think ahead.”
“Learn this, okay?”
She nodded.
“Watch him while I crawl in. If he moves, come and tap on me.”
Winters moved to her window and pushed it open. He looked inside before placing his M-4 on the carpeted floor. He then jumped up on the frame and shimmied inside. The room reminded him of Cara’s. Posters of her favorite bands and pretty boys covered the walls. He let out a small laugh realizing that Laney was still just a young innocent girl at heart. She seemed to be holding onto whatever teen years she had left. He didn’t blame her. This room was her sanctuary where she could still be herself and forget about her obligations.
He moved to the door and tiptoed down the carpeted hallway. He now had an open view of the living room and peeked around the corner. Sherman moved to the picture window and pushed aside the heavy drape. He then flicked on a penlight and flashed it toward the car outside. He waited a moment before trying again.
“He better not be sleeping,” muttered Sherman.
Winters let out a smirk before stepping out into the living room. The movement alerted Sherman, whose eyes grew wide when he recognized Winters. He tried in vain to raise his rifle. Winters pulled the trigger and fired a three round burst into his chest throwing him into the drapers before he crashed onto the floor.
Laney’s mom and daughter screamed.
“It’s okay, Laney’s outside,” Winters said while moving to the entrance and unlocking the sliding glass door.
Laney rushed inside and ran to her mother and sister both of whom started crying.
“It’s okay, Mom. Everything’s okay.”
“Honey, what’s happened? He said he wanted to kill you?”
“I know Mom, but it’s okay now.”
“Who is this?” she asked looking at Winters.
“This is Cole Winters and he’s here to help.”
“Cole Winters?” She looked at Laney. “Oh honey, what have you done?”
“You mean besides never having to work again?”
“What?”
“Look, I’ll explain everything later, okay, but right now we have to get out of here.”
“But honey, this man,” she said looking at Winters.
“He’s here to help and has been. He’s stopping Billy Gamble and everyone else.”
A light seemed to go on making her realize the significance of that statement. She grabbed Laney and gave her a big hug.
“I’m sorry, Mister Winters,” she said getting up to shake his hand.
“It’s okay, I get that a lot.”
“I’m Jamie and this is my daughter Riley.”
“It’s nice to meet you. Laney has been a big help tonight and very brave.”
“Yes, she’s always been rambunctious. Little impulsive, too.”
Winters cracked a smile. “You don’t say?”
Jamie gave him a puzzled look.
“Look, mom, we have to go, okay. So, get Riley some clothes and let’s go.”
Winters laughed to himself watching Laney taking charge. She might be impulsive, but she was also a quick thinker and seemed to easily take charge of situations. Her mother dutifully took Riley down the hall to get dressed.
“I’m gonna get out of these wet clothes,” said Laney.
She disappeared before getting an answer, and Winters began to grow impatient. If they were here waiting on Laney, then it made sense they were at Finley’s place as well. He didn’t have time to get Jamie and little Riley to safety and decided to have them drive the car Sherman and his partner conveniently left out front.
“See, only took a second,” said Laney, who put on another pair of jean shorts, a black cami top and a dry pair of sneakers. “My feet were totally wet from the grass.”
“Think your mother could drive that car out front?”
She nodded. “Mom! C’mon, chop, chop.”
Winters shook his head and let out a chuckle.
“I’m coming, honey,” said Jamie as she entered the living room. Riley, now out of her pajamas, followed close behind her.
They exited through the front door and walked up the street toward the car.
“Mom, we need you to drive to our hide out.”
“Where?”
Laney gave her directions and told her who was already there.
“But where are you going, honey?”
“I still need to help Cole.”
Jamie seemed hesitant, so Winters assured her that she was going to be perfectly safe. It took a few more seconds of convincing from Laney before she got in the car. They watched her drive off before running back to the van.
“Your mom seems nice,” said Winters, putting the van in gear.
“She is, but she’s always been a little unsure of herself.”
“She’s just careful is all.”
“Yeah, I suppose, I’m just more like my dad.”
Winters didn’t bother asking about her dad because he had gone to the Patriot Center just like everyone else in town. They were all dead now and there was no sense in bringing it up.
“How far to Finley’s?”
“Not far. Make a right up ahead.”
“We need to come in stealth like again.”
“Stealth like, I love it,” said Laney.
Winters gave her a curious glance. This little one was intrigued with the operations.
It only took a few minutes before Laney had Winters pull into the driveway of another abandoned house. He pulled it into the backyard to hide the police van since it stuck out like a sore thumb.
They hopped out and threaded their way through backyards and over a chain link fence before coming to Finley’s house. They sat across the street hiding behind overgrown hedges. Winters noticed the front door was wide open. Sweat dripped from his temples knowing something was wrong.
“Front door’s open,” whispered Winters.
“They might have left it open when they took off.”
It was a possibility and gave Winters pause. “Let’s check the streets.”
They moved back behind the house and traveled across more back yards.
Winters had a knot in his stomach, and it was getting tighter as they trampled through more wet grass to the street behind Finley’s to find the Impala.
He shot his arm out, stopping Laney. “The Impala is up there.” They climbed over another chain link fence and crossed the yard. They were across from the Impala and could see no one in it. Winters’ pulse quickened as he looked up and down the street expecting the worst. It was becoming obvious that someone had scooped up Finley and Collette. Why else would the front door be open and the Impala still be sitting here?
“Let me look through those,” ordered Laney.
Winters took the goggles off and helped her put them on. He watched her bob her head around looking for anything out of place.
“I don’t see anyone.”
Winters decided to let her keep them on while he approached the car. He rose up and started across the yard. He kept his M-4 at the ready as he reached the car to find it empty. L
aney followed close behind him darting her head around, keeping watch.
A kicked stone bounced on the pavement up ahead and Winters jerked around pointing his weapon. He began to pull the trigger when Laney called out.
Chapter 33
Winters strained his eyes as he looked through the darkness trying to figure out who was approaching when he heard Laney speak up and rush past him.
“It’s Collette.”
“What?” asked Winters, wishing he was wearing the goggles.
“Collette, you’re okay?”
Winters saw Laney wrap her arms around her friend. He found himself doing the same thing, happy she was unharmed.
“Where’s Finley?” asked Winters.
“They got her and her mom and sister.”
“What happened?” asked Laney.
“We came in through the back like you said and didn’t see anything wrong, but Finley told me to wait while she went inside because she didn’t want to, like, freak out her mom, who always slept on the couch. I heard her scream so I knew they had her. I backed away then moved around the house and watched them take her.”
“Who's them?”
“Billy Gamble and Bobby.”
Winters mind began to spin trying to figure out his next move. The sun would start to rise in the next half hour, which would negate his biggest advantage. He needed to know where they had taken her and how long ago. He also needed to know how many were left.
Laney grabbed onto Winters’ arm. “Oh my God, they’ll torture Finley and she’ll tell them about the hideout.”
“Girls, I need you to focus.”
They both nodded.
“Laney, you got the list?
“Yes,” she replied pulling it out of her pocket.
“Update it and tell me how many are left.”
“Collette, how long ago was this?”
“About thirty minutes. I stuck around hoping you’d come here.”
“You were right to do so. Now, where do you think they took her?”
“Billy’s place. I heard him yell to Bobby to meet him there.”
“You’ve killed eighteen,” said Laney. “Wow, eighteen. You’ve got four left.”
“Very doable,” said Winters wanting to give these two a confidence boost.
“Where does Billy live?”
“Over on Pine Street. At the end of the street.”
The street was a cul-de-sac, so there was only one way in or out. Winters needed to get over there as soon as possible. If they tortured Finley, which he had no doubt they would, then they would send someone to go fetch the rest of them.
“Girls, c’mon. We need to get to the van.”
Rather than running through more wet grass, Winters led them up the block and took a right on the next street. They were out of breath as Winters fired up the van. Laney sat on Collette’s lap while still wearing the goggles.
Winters turned on the interior lights, reached back, and grabbed some water bottles and power bars.
“Oh, just what I needed, I’m starving,” said Laney, flipping the goggles up.
“Me too,” said Collette, tearing open the wrapper.
Winters took a few moments to gulp down some water and start munching on a power bar. He had spent a lot of energy tonight and needed to recharge. Sleep was what he needed, but that wasn’t an option. He turned to the girls who were devouring the energy bars as if they had never eaten one before, or at the very least, not in a long time. Looking at how underfed Laney appeared this was probably a luxury for her.
Winters finished off the bottle of water and tossed it in the back. He put the van in gear and pulled out onto the road. He figured the last four targets would all be at Billy Gamble’s place, so he turned on the headlights. It would be light soon enough anyway and they would be exposed.
His heartbeat slowed down in relief as he turned onto Pine Street. He stopped past the last street that intersected Pine. He parked the van right in the middle of the street and leaned back in his seat. He figured it had been forty-five minutes since they took Finley. They wouldn’t know exactly what happened and she would lie as best she could. She would feign ignorance and they wouldn’t be sure if she was lying or not. All of that would take a minimum of thirty minutes. If they got anything out of her, they would argue amongst themselves, which would take up more time. They would then need to go check it out. Who would go? It wouldn’t be Billy Gamble. No, he would send someone else, but that person wouldn’t want to go alone. Winters straightened his back certain that two people would be leaving the house.
“What are we doing, Cole?” asked Laney.
He turned to her. “Something stupid.”
“Oh, right up my alley then.”
“Yep,” said Winters, noticing the darkness was beginning to disappear.
“Are you gonna think about it?” asked Laney as she took off the goggles.
“Would you?”
“C’mon now, you know I wouldn’t.”
“So, what are we gonna do?” asked Collette.
Winters told them what he suspected was going to happen.
“You sure?” asked Collette.
“Nothing’s for sure, but I’ve got a gut feeling and sometimes that’s all you can go on.”
“So, what do you want us to do?” asked Laney.
“Well, why don’t you get in the back and pick out a bigger weapon than that Sig,” said Winters, as he turned on the interior lights.
Laney slid off Collette’s lap and looked in the back. “Oh my God, look at ‘em all. Is that an AR?”
“It is?”
“I want that one, I love that gun.”
Winters looked at Collette. “Ever fire a gun before?”
“A few times with my Dad.”
“Take a look.”
Collette climbed in the back, and the two girls started talking in excited tones. Laney was the more experienced one and suggested Collette grab the Glock 17 that Winters absconded earlier tonight. The 9mm was a good size for her, and she had some practice with a similar gun.
Winters hopped out of the van and scanned the neighborhood. He wasn’t sure how many people still lived here, and didn’t really care. They’d see the police van and stay inside. He spotted a couple of old oak trees standing tall next to each other on the left and decided that was where he would place the girls. It was a good place to hide and big enough for protection should someone try to run them over.
The girls stepped out of the van, each holding their weapon of choice. Winters gave them both instructions with the weapons until he was satisfied they wouldn’t shoot anyone by accident. He then told them what he wanted them to do and that it was a waiting game. They walked over to the oak trees but decided to sit down on the street not wanting to sit in the wet grass.
Winters’s eyelids began to close and he had to stand back up. He walked toward the van and leaned back against it. The sun was peeking over the horizon and the neighborhood was starting to come alive. Squirrels began jumping through the branches and birds were chirping away. The chirping became mesmerizing, and he started to fall into a trance when Laney yelled out. “Here they come.”
Chapter 34
Sarnia Ontario
The back of the paddy wagon was not a comfortable ride, and worse yet when you were wearing handcuffs. The steel bench seat was not cushioned and the men bounced up in the air whenever they hit a pothole. Thankfully, the ride was a short one, but long enough for Scar to tell the guys it was best to just come clean. He had no doubt they would separate them once they got to the station. They had no time to come up with some BS story so he decided to throw the dice and cast their fate.
The wagon pulled into a garage and the back door opened. The station was like any other police station with fluorescent lights, steel doors and cameras watching your every move.
They led Scar to a small room that had a narrow table and two chairs on either side. Scar sat down and waited alone a few minutes before Sergeant Major Wi
lson came in.
“Scott Scarborough, this is your real name?” asked Wilson.
“It is indeed.”
“Why are you here?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I’ve dealt with a lot of American refugees over the past year, hundreds in fact. They come here desperate for shelter and food. Some are trying to escape criminals that seem to be running the show over there. The one common thing they all have is a certain look of desperation on their faces and the way they act. My problem with you and your friends is that you don’t have that look. In fact, you have the exact opposite look. Besides not coming through our official border crossing, you’re bold, confident, and you were armed, which tells me you are a criminal and you guys came here to cause us trouble.”
Scar fought to control the outburst that boiled inside him. He needed to hear the man out before he responded. He took a deep breath and pretended the man was a past customer of his who had a problem with the work his company had completed for him.
“Add to the fact that we found you with a pocket full of money, both Canadian and American, and a couple of gold Maple Leaf coins, which leads me to believe you didn’t just cross the river. In fact, I believe you’ve been busy at work robbing the good citizens of Sarnia.”
Scar tightened his fists listening to this cop who seemed to have already made up his mind as to what it was they were doing. He was going to have to remain calm and try to explain to him who they were and hoped they didn’t believe the American media who had painted them as raping, murdering, anarchists.
“So tell me, am I wrong? And before you try to lie your way out of this, I know when someone is lying to me.”
Scar cleared his throat. “Sergeant Major, you couldn’t be more off base. You’re correct in assuming we’re not refugees. We came here not to steal, but to buy supplies and bring them back to a town that is starving.”