by K. J. Dahlen
"Ok, I’ll walk you down," Nick said.
The paramedics readied Gabriel then headed for the elevator. They made it as far as the short hall in front of the elevator when Shawn stepped out of one of the darkened offices.
"I don’t think the old man is going anywhere. Take him back into the conference room," Shawn ordered.
Sable didn’t reach for her weapon. She saw the expression on Shawn’s face and knew he had gone off the deep end. His eyes were empty pools of cobalt blue rage. His face held no emotion at all. Then she glanced down to his waist and gasped. Dragging her eyes away from what she saw there to Nick’s face was hard but she did it. She saw the same concern on Nick’s face. Around Shawn’s waist was a belt made of C4 explosives.
They went back to the conference room. Nick, Max, and Sable separated themselves from Gabriel, Emma, and the paramedics. No one spoke as Shawn entered the room. He had a gun in his hand and the bomb around his waist.
"Which one of you bastards murdered Sam?" Shawn asked.
"I shot him, if that’s what you mean," Max told him.
Shawn swung his head toward Max and raised his weapon. "Then you’ll die first," he said as he shot Max. His voice held no emotion. He simply shot him.
Max dropped to the floor. The bullet ripped through his chest but didn’t kill him. Sable dropped to her knees to check Max’s condition but Shawn screamed at her, "Get away from him, bitch. He deserved that bullet."
Sable slowly got to her feet after she checked Max’s wound. She hoped the bullet wouldn’t kill him before he could get the medical attention he needed. Shawn motioned her away from Max, but she wouldn’t move. Shawn stepped toward her with a snarl on his face. "I said move away from him or I’ll shoot someone else."
Sable kept her eyes on Shawn’s face but she moved a step away from Max. "So now what? Are you going to kill us all right here and now?"
Shawn curled his lip. "I might but I want to hear his life end before I do anything. He shot my brother and now he has to pay for that."
"Which rule is that one?" Sable asked, trying to buy time. Max’s wound would take some time to bleed out, and she meant to take Shawn’s mind off of him.
"Micah didn’t make a rule for this. He taught us too well to anticipate someone getting the drop on us," Shawn told them.
"So what are rules five and six? Sam didn’t get around to telling me those two rules before he died," Sable goaded Shawn.
Shawn snapped his head to look at her. His eyes glared pure hatred. "Rule number five is remember who you are and never apologize to anyone for it." Shawn hesitated a moment then told her, "Dad taught us that sometimes people deserved to die the way they lived."
"That may have worked two hundred years ago, but not today," Sable told him. "Today we all have rights to protect us. Even you have rights, despite whatever you have done in the past, you have the same rights as anyone else."
Shawn grew agitated. "Yeah I know. The only people those rights protect are the criminals that break the laws everyone lives by. The murderers and the rapists sit in jail until the horror of their crimes has died down. Everyone wants them to just go away. The police should take the bastards out behind the jail and shoot them. That way they pay the ultimate price for their crimes."
"What about rule six?" Sable asked.
Shawn seemed confused for a moment then he continued. "Rule six is never draw attention to yourself."
"Well you blew that rule out of the water," Sable said. "So what are you going to do now? You can’t kill us all and expect to walk out of here. The whole building is full of cops. The security cop you murdered earlier has the whole building on lock down until they find you. Sooner or later they will look up here."
"I realize that but I can take everyone out with this." Shawn motioned to his belt of C4.
"Then Micah wins after all," Sable told him.
"Maybe that’s the way it was supposed to end all along," Shawn agreed. "Maybe Dad knew this was how it would go down."
No," Sable commented. "Micah was a loser from the beginning. He figured if he was dying, so should everyone around him. He didn’t care about anyone other than himself. He was selfish and self centered."
Shawn grew angry. "That’s a lie. How can you say that about him when you didn’t even know him?"
"But I did know him," Sable growled. "I knew him though his words. When he first came to town, he gave me pieces of himself in the form of words he had written down on paper. I saw a part of him he never showed anyone else. I got to see his most intimate thoughts and feelings and they made me sick. Micah was a murderer who enjoyed his passion for killing. He enjoyed watching his victims die a slow agonizing death."
Shawn frowned as her words sank in.
"Did he share his diary with you and Sam? Did he ever allow you to read it?" Sable asked as she began to pace back and forth. "Did he ever share with you his most intimate thoughts and feelings?" Sable stopped to confront her brother. "I’ll bet he never told you he had a brother either, or the fact that I was his first born or that he tried to kill me when I was four years old. Did he tell you about that?"
Shawn grew more confused. "He didn’t tell us about you until we got to Chicago."
"Would you like to know why he never told you about me until then?" Sable asked quietly. "He didn’t know I survived his first attempt. He told me the day he died I never should have been born. He tried to kill me when I was four and I survived; he also tried to kill me a month ago and you know what, I survived again. Do you know how the fire started that killed him? He stuffed a rag into a bottle of alcohol and he was going to light the damn thing. He told me that he was dying and he wanted to take me to hell with him."
"So what did you do?" Shawn asked.
"I shot the bottle out of his hand and the flame from the lighter ignited it. He burned to death by his own hand."
Shawn raised the gun in his hand to point at her chest. "You’re lying to me. I don’t believe Micah was sick and he wasn’t going to kill Sam and me."
Sable saw the police captain peek around the corner of the doorway. Shawn had his back to the door. Everyone else was riveted to the scene playing out in front of them. Sable knew she had to keep Shawn distracted for a little while longer.
"Did Micah ever explain the S tattoo on his right hand?"
"He told us it was to celebrate the fact we were born," Shawn told her.
Sable tilted her head and stared at him "That’s funny; because my mother told me it was because my name started with an S. He got the tattoo right after I was born. I wonder what else he lied to you about." She began to pace again. After a moment she paused to look at him as something else occurred to her. "It was you that killed Abbey, wasn’t it?"
"Micah found out that she was still alive and he told me to watch her. He never told me who she was; just that I should watch her and if she became a problem he told me I would have to kill her."
"You did know she was your mother didn’t you?"
Shawn curled his lip. "She tried to tell me the same thing before she died, but I didn’t believe her then and I don’t believe you now. Micah told us a long time ago our mother died in a fire. I had no reason not to believe him."
Sable scoffed. "Micah lied to you boys over and over again. Abbey was the woman that gave you life and you took hers. What a grateful child you turned out to be."
"That woman was not my mother," Shawn yelled.
Sable snarled, "Yes she was. She called me the day she died to tell me to watch my back. How do you think we figured out there were two of you? Abbey told us. I have her diary. I read her words about the last sixteen years. She followed you and Sam through hell. Why would she do that if she wasn’t your mother?"
Shawn caught his breath. "I’ve about had enough of your lies and deception." He had lowered the gun in his hand but now he raised it again. "Everything you’re telling me is a lie and I’m tired of listening to you twist the truth to suit yourself. It’s time for you to die."
A shot rang out and Shawn got a perplexed look on his face as a single drop of blood appeared on the front of his shirt. They all watched as the blood stain grew bigger. Shawn dropped to his knees. He glanced up at Sable and she could see the confusion in his eyes as he dropped to the floor.
Emma screamed at the sound of the gunshot and everyone turned to see Captain James crouching in the doorway with his gun pointed in the general direction of where Shawn had been standing. "Is everyone else alright?" he finally asked as he slowly got to his feet.
One of the paramedics rushed to check Max while another one checked on Shawn. Nick moved over to Sable and wrapped his arms around her. Sable stood frozen in his embrace as she stared at her brother’s body. She felt nothing at his death and that frightened her. She should have felt something even if it was relief, but she was drained of all emotion.
More police personnel rushed into the room and for a few minutes it was chaos. The paramedic working with Gabriel began taking vital signs again. Gabriel’s breathing had become shallow. His face was pasty looking. When the paramedic working on Gabriel called for help, the man working on Shawn rushed to assist. It took them a few minutes to stabilize Gabriel’s condition. Finally they began moving the gurney toward the door. Emma had been standing with her arms wrapped around her and when the paramedics moved the gurney toward the door, she followed. When she passed Shawn’s body, she couldn’t look at him but instead she glanced at Sable. Emma reached out her hand and took Sable’s hand. Emma pulled her along her to the door. Nick’s arms fell away. He watched as Sable tagged after Emma.
Sable didn’t speak during the short elevator ride to the ground floor. Emma held her hand and every once in awhile she would squeeze it. Sable felt her touch but was so raw with emotion she couldn’t respond.
When the elevator stopped on the first floor, the EMT rushed the gurney toward the door. Sable looked at Emma then back at the gurney. "What happened?" she asked as she came out of her stupor.
Emma began walking quickly in the same direction. "I think Gabriel had another stroke while you were talking with Shawn. He wasn’t doing well at all and when Shawn made us go back, he was agitated. His agitation only got worse the longer we waited. "
Sable began jogging toward the door. "Oh my god…"
By the time they reached the ambulance all they could do was watch as Gabriel was hooked up to the monitors inside. The paramedic rushed to get him stable again. Sable kept watching the red flashing light on the monitor. The beeping sound seemed overloud as it kept pace with Gabriel’s heartbeats.
A second ambulance drew up beside the first and a few minutes later a second crew brought Max down on a gurney. Sable watched as they loaded Max into the ambulance. Max glanced over to Sable He tried to sit up to show her he was ok, but Sable saw him grimace and the paramedic gently pushed him back down on the gurney. Max groaned, giving her a thumbs up sign. Sable smiled. She knew Max’s wound was serious but she had a feeling he would be alright.
Nick joined Emma and Sable a few minutes later. In silence they all watched as the paramedic worked on Gabriel. Sable turned her gaze back to Gabriel. Emma grabbed her hand and held it tight as they watched Gabriel fight for his life. A few minutes later the red light on the monitor stopped flashing and the beeping sound became a steady hum. They knew Gabriel’s fight for life was over. The stress of the last few days had been too much for his aching heart. The paramedic glanced back at them shaking his head. Gabriel had died waiting to be rescued.
Emma caught a sob in her throat. She just stared at the ambulance praying for some sign of life. She couldn’t believe the man she loved all these years was gone. He always seemed bigger than life to her. Tears slipped down her face. Sable pulled her away from the ambulance leading her over to a bench in front of the building. "I am so sorry." She told the older woman as she helped her sit down.
Emma tried to smile but couldn’t. Tears welled in her eyes as she patted the seat next to her. "Don’t be sorry" she told Sable. "If he had been meant to live, he would have. God knows when our time is up and it was Gabriel’s time to live with Him now."
Sable said, "You really believe that don’t you? I mean you have faith in God above everything else, don’t you?"
Emma smiled. This time her smile was genuine. "Yes, I do. I believe in God and all His wisdom. I tried to pass my beliefs along to my son, but apparently he chose not to believe. He chose his own path."
"Yes, he did." Sable told her. "He chose to turn his back on everyone but himself. You didn’t do anything wrong. Greg did."
Emma glanced over at Sable. "You must not think very highly of the whole Reardon gang after all of this. I know we’ve been a disappointment to you, but it didn’t start out that way." She glanced over at the ambulance that held her husband’s body. "He was a good man and he was beginning to love you. We all were. You were becoming a part of us."
Sable followed her glance nodding. "I know he was." She gazed at Emma’s face and told her, "I was beginning to love you too." She could see Emma’s heart was breaking but Sable didn’t know how to help the older woman. So much had happened in the past twenty-four hours she didn’t know where to start figuring it all out. None of what happened made sense to her.
Emma could barely breathe. Her whole life was a shambles and the chaos left her feeling wounded.
"Are you alright?" Sable asked. She had turned to look at Emma and found her pale.
"I don’t think I’ll ever be alright again. My family is gone. I have no one left. Micah had so much hate for us I don’t think we ever had a chance to mend it. I still don’t understand where his hatred came from," Emma said sadly.
Sable was silent for a moment. She wanted to ask Emma What about me? I’m still here and I need you. But she couldn’t. "We may never know the answer to that, but does it really matter anymore? Something inside Micah was broken and rather than find out what, he gave into the rage he felt. It twisted him into something monstrous. After that there was no turning back. Not for him, not for any of us."
"I know you’re right about that but it hurts so much he hated us. I don’t understand that kind of hate."
"I know, neither do I."
"I’m sorry," Emma closed her eyes for a moment and whispered. "I’m just so weary."
Sable glanced at her. It had been a very trying few days. She tipped Emma’s head to her shoulder. "You just rest then. There will be another tomorrow."
Emma relaxed and held Sable’s hand for a moment. When her hand slipped out of Sable’s and onto her lap Sable frowned. She glanced at Emma and noticed something was wrong. Sable reached for the pulse at Emma’s wrist but couldn’t find one. Carefully she moved Emma head off her shoulder and searched for the pulse on the side of her neck. She couldn’t find that one either.
Sable glanced over at Nick and with tears in her eyes called him over. Nick came over to the bench was alarmed by Emma’s pale coloring. Carefully laying Emma on the bench he called for a paramedic. He pulled Sable away from the bench as they watched the paramedic work on Emma. A few minutes later the EMT glanced up at him and shook his head.
Sable caught her breath as tears fell down her face. Emma had survived so much in the last few hours Sable didn’t understand why Emma had to die now. Their nightmare was over. She felt Nick’s arms surround her. She felt the tears burning and tried not to give into the pain she felt. Sable turned her head watching as they loaded Emma’s body on a gurney. They placed her next to Gabriel then slammed the door shut. When the ambulance pulled away, Sable watched it. She was numb inside. She knew the grief would overwhelm her when it came. She had grown fond of Emma and Gabriel. She couldn’t believe they were gone. She knew in her heart she would never forget them. They had become her family and had sneaked into her heart somehow.
"Are you okay?" Nick asked.
"Not at the moment, but I will be." She paused then said, "I guess I’m made of stronger stuff than Micah. I survived."
Nick grinned. "Yeah,
you take after your great grandfather Gabriel."
Sable grinned. "That’s okay too. He was a good man." She inhaled a deep breath then said, "I suppose we’d better go see if Max will survive another trip to the hospital."
Chapter Fifteen
A week later Sable watched as the church filled for the funerals of Gabriel and Emma Reardon. Greg, Sam, and Shawn had been buried quietly a couple of days before with no one at the funerals except Sable and Nick. They had been buried beside Micah in the family crypt.
Sable wanted so much more than that for Emma and Gabriel. They deserved more and the people that were showing up thought so too. Sable sat in the front pew usually reserved for family along with Nick and Max. Brandi and Quentin were back from their job in Madison and had joined them.
As people walked up to view Emma and Gabriel they glanced over at Sable and wondered who she was. Sable didn’t care. She wasn’t there to explain herself to anyone. She was there to honor Emma and Gabriel.
After the service was over and the people began to file out, one person came over to Sable. He smiled as he reached for her hand. "Hello, my dear. I’m going to assume that your name is Sable Quinn."
Sable shook his hand. "Did you know Gabriel and Emma?"
His smile grew. "I did indeed. My name is Stephan Walker. I was Gabriel’s attorney."
Sable frowned. "Thank you for coming. I’m sure Gabriel and Emma would appreciate your coming today."
"I’m afraid you don’t understand my reason for seeking you out," Stephan told her. "In my capacity as Gabriel’s attorney I think you should be aware of a provision for you in his will."
Sable’s frown deepened. "He included me in his will?" Sable glanced at Nick and back to Stephan. "Why would he do that? He barely knew me."
"That’s the same thing I told him when he came in to change his will a few weeks ago," Stephan told her. "Apparently you didn’t know Gabriel very well. He was a stubborn old man. When he made up his mind about something, that was it as far as he was concerned. We had many late night arguments because Gabriel wouldn’t change his opinion. We also had a long conversation about you. He said the day he saw you in his home he was shocked. He hadn’t known Micah had any children. At first he wanted to deny your claim to his family, but he said you didn’t want anything from him. He said you made that clear from the very beginning. He respected you for that and in his own way he came to admire you. He said you were fast becoming family and to Gabriel family was everything. He told me about what had happened with Micah. I am so sorry he put everyone through that," Stephan told her. "I told Gabriel I would look into Micah’s activities over the years but Gabriel told me not to bother. If there was more to the story, he didn’t want to know it."