by C. G. Cooper
Chapter 33
Lightning crashed into the woods less than a mile away, thunder following a moment later. The sound shook the house. Without warning the power went out.
Laney looked up, waiting for the power to return. It didn’t.
Johnny had managed to contact some of his buddies, nineteen of whom agreed to make their way over. The rest had either never replied to his text or come up with some excuse. Laney made a mental note to recruit more help for the future.
“Call the power company and see if they can get a crew out here,” he order Johnny.
He listened to the conversation already knowing the outcome. They were too busy. There had been a thought in the past of installing a gas generator, but he’d put it off. What he wouldn’t give for it now.
Another thunder clap rattled the windows making both Laneys flinch.
“That was close,” Johnny said, on hold with the power company.
A crash somewhere upstairs. It sounded like maybe one of the huge trees near the house had finally fallen.
“Go see what that was.”
Johnny nodded nervously, handing his phone to his grandfather, his other hand palming a pistol. “I’ll be right back.”
Laney ended the call with the power company, knowing they were on their own until the storm settled down. He sat with his back to the wall, a Mossberg tactical shotgun pointing forward, half expecting the strange shadow from earlier to come creeping around the corner.
Two minutes passed, then five. No Johnny. “Johnny! Everything okay?”
No response. Laney stood, weapon at the ready. The first thing he noticed was the smell, swampy, almost like mildew. Peeking around the corner he had to squint in the dark to see mud spots leading from the stairs. He couldn’t tell where they started, but he could see where they led; toward the basement door.
Trying to steady his breathing, Laney crept along the wall, moving slowly, scanning. Despite straining his hearing to detect the intruder, the storm drowned out everything.
“Johnny!” he called again. Still no answer, only the repeated crash of thunder.
Still shuffling, Laney reached the door leading downstairs, weapon pointed at the open portal. He went for the light switch before remembering that the power was still out. Pulling out his phone, he turned on the flashlight app and held it against the shotgun so both the light and the barrel were pointing down the stairs.
He followed the tracks further, no marks on the wall, but it looked like something had been dragged. The door at the bottom of the stairs was open. The light from his phone tried in vain to cut into the darkness below.
Counting to three, Laney burst into the room, swiveling all around, trying to find a target in the pitch black. Nothing except Hollie’s figure in the chair.
Still scanning left and right, he approached where Hollie had been for almost a full day. “Hollie,” he whispered.
No response.
He could see that the man wasn’t moving. Maybe he’d passed out by the looks of how he was leaning back. The beam from his phone leading the way, Laney tried to focus on Hollie. Something wasn’t right. It…
Bathed in blueish light sat his grandson, obviously dead, a jagged tree branch sprouting from his eye socket.
Chapter 34
I was no longer human. Growling and grunting instead of speaking. All feeling had left my body. I thought and moved on instinct, a cunning mind no longer my own. Like a mighty beast, my focus narrow, body in perfect harmony. I gave in.
The small part of my humanity had been pushed to the farthest reaches of my consciousness. Morality no longer mattered.
No words left my lips. No emotion registered in my eyes.
Hollie followed wordlessly, sensing my change. He’d tried to engage me in conversation when I stepped into the basement. I couldn’t. Instead, I’d dragged Johnny’s lifeless body, untied Hollie from his bonds and replaced him with with the man I’d just murdered. Hollie watched in silence.
Whatever part of me that still existed told me to get Hollie to safety. I listened to the tiny voice much like a dog might listen to its master. Obey without a thought. Move when you’re told. Now.
After slipping out the first story window like a cat, I helped Hollie ease down to the ground. Still without speaking, I handed him the keys to the car in the drive, the one owned by the man who I’d killed on the road. Somehow I’d known him to be connected to my enemy. How does a guard dog know who to attack or who to care for? It just does. It smells evil. It senses the enemy.
It was like having a finger on the pulse of the universe. I knew without looking where my enemy was. He was within reach, and yet, I did not attack, sensing that it was not yet the time.
I kept my eye on the house as Hollie drove away, me standing in the rain. A face appeared in a first story window. He saw me. I stared. He screamed. I stood.
Bored with the exchange, I turned and melted into the storm.
+++
Max Laney screamed over and over at the figure in the distance, finally understanding what had come to pass and who had done it. His legacy lay dead in the basement. Utter despair…then a switch clicked. Even if was the last thing he did on earth, he would kill Daniel Briggs.
Chapter 35
Max Laney left his grandson’s body where it was, not wanting to scare the reinforcements. They came in waves. Half had been on the ill-fated excursion to Hollie’s farm nights before. The other half were more curious, and hungry for money. He’d promised them each a small fortune.
“Now that we’ve got everyone here, let me tell you what we’re gonna do.”
+++
Jaw set, eyes on the road, Hollister Herndon’s mind churned. In the past hour his world had turned upside down. Daniel was alive. Johnny was dead. While the image of the mud and tangle camouflaged Marine surprised him for a moment, it was what Daniel had become that was most disturbing.
He’d seen it before. Men pushed to the brink, whose lives no longer mattered. These men were often seen as heroes, but Hollie knew better. Yes, what they did could be heroic, but the detachment turned them into something else, something primal. Hollie knew that’s what Daniel was.
But it didn’t bother him. He knew the young man’s heart. In the short time they’d known each other the Marine had shown Hollie a true warrior. Against all odds, Daniel returned from the dead seeking vengeance. Hollie would help him now, and God willing, after.
+++
The baying of hounds preceded the first group to leave Laney’s estate. He’d called in a favor to have a local dog trainer, who supplied to law enforcement across the country, to bring his full contingent. Max Laney had agreed to not only pay the man’s hefty fee, but to also compensate the man for any animals that might be lost.
Twenty dogs leapt from their crates, eager to please their master.
“Come here, dogs,” The trainer held an old T-shirt that the dogs sniffed, soaking the scent. “Good, good.”
Without prompting, the dogs started the search, a scrawny healer finding the trail first, letting out a long howl.
“They’ve got it,” announced Everette Turner, the dog trainer.
Max Laney smiled. “Let them run.”
+++
Hollie banged on the rickety door. “Eli! You home?” He was getting soaked from the awning that let in more rain than it kept out. His old friend had let the place go to hell.
“Who’s there?” came the call from inside.
“It’s Hollie. Open the door dammit.”
“Hold your horses.”
Hollie waited as the plethora of deadbolts unlocked, the door finally opening.
Eli Henderson, bow-legged, hunched and withered, looked like a shell of the man he’d once been. Ten years Hollie’s senior, the two men hadn’t become acquainted until the 1990’s when they’d met a common enemy: Max Laney. Eli and Hollie were two of the last hold-outs to Laney’s complete takeover of decent land in Defuniak Springs. Each had the benefit of controlling
key pieces in the overall landscape, lots that the greedy Laney wanted badly.
“What are you doing out in the rain?”
Hollie stomped inside, shaking the water from his hair. “Waiting for you to let me in.”
Eli looked his friend up and down. “What the hell happened to you?”
“Give me a cup of coffee and I’ll tell you.”
Eli listened intently as Hollie recounted the incredible tale. When he was finished, Eli asked, “So where’s the kid now?”
“Out there doing what he does best.”
“Marine sniper you said?”
Hollie nodded. “A damn good one too. They don’t nominate just anyone for the Congressional Medal of Honor.”
Eli scratched his stubbly chin. “What do you want me to do?”
“Do you still have that stash in your attic?”
A crooked smile. “Damn right I do. Been meaning to use it too. Come on. Let’s go take a look.”
+++
The dogs were well trained, rarely having to double back despite the storm. Ten of Laney’s men followed, trying to keep up, grumbling as they struggled through the brush. The occasional bark from the scouts led them on through the soaked vegetation, further into the gloom.
+++
“You want to tell me how you got your hands on all this?” Hollie looked around like kid in a candy store.
“I don’t know. Just collected it over the years.”
“You better hope the police never see this.”
“I’ll be dead and gone before that happens. Besides, it sounds like we’ll get to use it before the day’s out.”
Hollie had known Eli Henderson was a connoisseur of sorts for military weaponry, but the amount of firepower in the old man’s attic reminded him of the armories he’d visited during his time in the Army. “And you sure you’re okay with me taking some of it?”
“Shoot, I’m going with you.”
“Now, Eli, are you sure you’re in good enough condition…”
Eli scowled. “I may look like an old fart, but I can still fire a weapon, better than you I’ll bet.”
Hollie couldn’t argue with him. He needed all the help he could get. A thought came to him suddenly. “Who else do you think might lend us a hand?”
The old man grinned. “I know just the people.”
+++
“Was he there?” Max Laney asked the rain-soaked man.
“No, sir. The house and the barn were empty.”
“And his truck?”
“Still there.”
“Did you do what I told you?”
“Yes, Mr. Laney.”
“Good. Now, here’s what I want you to do next.”
+++
Since it was centrally located, Hollie and Eli decided to use Henderson’s home as a staging area. Their recruiting efforts had already drummed up a handful of recruits, all men, all senior citizens. They pulled up in a mix of battered cars, rusted jeeps and polished Hummers. Hollie knew some of them, but they were Eli’s men.
The loose band of men had met through the years, some dying off, others moving to the area and taking their place. Most were bachelors, seeking the camaraderie of men with similar values, hard-working men who believed in an honest day’s work and helping your neighbor. All were veterans of the military, a smaller number having served in World War II, some in Korea and others in Vietnam.
They spent summer nights together, toasting to friends dead and gone. When one of their number was too feeble to leave home, the others would bring the food and drink, never leaving their sick friend alone. Goodbyes were never said. Their favored farewell a solemn, “See you soon.”
They came from all over, but had settled in the Pandhandle, seeking warmer weather and a quiet place to live out their remaining days. They found each other through service clubs, the VA and the VFW. Most importantly, they came when called.
Seven had braved the weather and sat chatting in Eli’s cluttered living room.
Hollie and Eli stood to the side. “Are you sure about this?” asked Hollie.
“I trust these men with my life, and you know that’s a lot for me to admit.”
“Okay. Let’s talk to them.”
Eli hadn’t told his friends a thing, only that he needed their help. He’d thought about what to say, not wanting to mince words. He coughed into his hand silencing the veterans. “First, thanks for coming. You know I wouldn’t have asked if it wasn’t important.” Nods around the room. “Second, some of you know Hollie Herndon. Good man. I’m proud to call him my friend. We won’t talk about the fact that he was an Army doggie.” More nods, and a couple wry grins. There was more than one former soldier in the group. “Here’s the deal, I’m not gonna lie, what we’re about to do it damn dangerous. I don’t want anyone in it if they don’t want to be. Now’s your chance. If you want out, feel free to leave. No hard feelings.”
He waited. Not a man moved. Good men.
Eli nodded. “Okay, now that we’re all in, let’s talk business.”
Chapter 36
Max Laney’s troops were deployed. He hadn’t heard from the group with the hounds, but he felt the plan coming together. The rest of his men were in place. It helped that Laney owned or controlled most of the land in the surrounding vicinity. He knew it well.
Still no word from the police, but he was sure that the Marine had gotten Knox as well. It would’ve been good to have the chief on his side. without him Laney couldn’t use the police department, and he didn’t dare try. Too many possible complications.
He was on his own to wage the battle on his home turf. Laney was confident in his resources. They’d never failed him before. It had never been a Marine sniper he’d hunted down, but there was always time for a first.
No, Laney trusted his instincts, and they told him that as long as he threw the full weight of his influence into finding and killing Briggs, it would happen.
Max Laney puffed on a pudgy cigar wondering how Gen. Douglas McArthur had felt before sending troops into battle. He’d have to read about it after the war was won.
+++
Hollie and Eli divided their men into two teams. Eli would take the less mobile in two trucks, and Hollie would command the rest.
With marching orders in hand, the years melted away from their grizzled appearance. The spark of youth and the bond of brotherhood reignited something in them that could only come in times of need. It was like a platoon getting ready to step off on a patrol, joking to calm the nerves.
Watching the men from a distance, Hollie’s memories floated back to his days in the Army, when he’d been a cocky Lieutenant ready for anything. He was far from that now, but being amongst fellow warriors brought a similar feeling of fraternity. He wasn’t as reckless as he’d once been, but he had years of experience on his side.
Eli looked up from the conversation he was having with a tiny man with jaundiced features. “You ready, Hollie?”
“Let’s go.”
Grabbing the weapons they’d been issued from Eli’s armory, the men walked out into the strong wind and rain, warriors once again.
+++
They’d been at it for hours, their energy draining as the last remnants of daylight faded. The dogs had slowed too, eagerly taking the tidbits of food from their master.
“How long do we have to be out here?” asked one of the hired guns, pistol stowed carelessly in his pocket.
“Let me call Mr. Laney and see if the guy turned up,” suggested another man. A minute later he shook his head. “He said to keep going. Hey, dog man, how come your bitches haven’t found the guy?”
Everette Turner, a sturdy man in his mid-forties, looked around. “Have you seen what we’re walking through?” In response the woods shook with a rattle of thunder. “My dogs are good, but this could take a while.”
By the look on his face it was obvious that Turner was a patient man and in no hurry. They were the opposite, men of action who’d sooner throw a sucker punch in the
back of an unsuspecting man’s head than to wait for anything.
“Feels like we’ve been going in circles,” said the first man, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. “How much is Mr. Laney paying you anyways?”
“That’s my business. You better stick to yours if you want to get paid.” The trainer barked an order to his dogs and they jumped off in pursuit.
Silently, Turner wondered if he should’ve taken the job. Max Laney had told him that a criminal was on the loose and he’d taken him for his word. Why wouldn’t he? Turner wasn’t from Defuniak Springs, but he’d heard of the wealthy family. Plus, it had been a slow month and he’d welcomed the chance to make up for it.
After searching the wilderness for hours with men who were obviously thugs, the trainer, a former military policeman, had his doubts about Laney’s true purpose. The description of the man they were looking for was vague. The reason even more so.
“A thieving bum,” was what Laney had said. “Gave him some work around the house and he stole my equipment from the shed.” He’d produced a shirt he said belonged to the thief. Turner now wondered how Laney had it in his possession.
All these thoughts sifted through Turner mind as he followed the pack, Laney’s goons complaining every step of the way.
+++
The fires still burned when Hollie pulled up to his property. Both the house and the barn. More than anything, the memories were lost. His wife calling for dinner from the front porch. His young son dangling from the tire swing Hollie had put up on his fifth birthday. All gone. Swept away once, now gone forever.