Billy Clyde stopped and looked back at him. “Are you okay?”
“Fine except for a couple of snake bites.”
Billy Clyde shook his head. “I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”
Dylan had no intention of moving. His leg burned and he was exhausted, physically and emotionally. Thank you.
Two minutes later, Billy Clyde walked back toward him, stuffing the hair ribbon in his pocket. “Ok, I’ll carry you up the steps. Already called, a chopper should be here in about fifteen minutes.”
“I can—”
“No, you can’t. The less you move around the less the venom moves through your body. I’ll carry you.”
“Don’t be ridic—”
As he spoke the words, Billy Clyde scooped him up as if he were a baby. No one spoke as he huffed and puffed their way up the steps and out of the house. Billy Clyde laid Dylan on a grassy hill with his legs sloping downward.
Billy Clyde looked down at him and shook his head. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“You were shot. I thought you needed to rest.”
“Well, believe me. Carrying you up those steps isn’t what I call rest.”
The two men stared at each other for a moment before laughing. Billy Clyde produced a knife and sliced through Dylan’s pants, revealing several bright red spots.
“I thought you said you had two bites.”
“That’s all I felt. How’d you find me?”
“The kidnappers told me I should retrace my steps and hurry if I wanted to see you alive.” Billy Clyde sat down beside him in the grass. “Said they had to verify that I’d done the favor. That’s what they called it—a favor. I commit a felony and probably treason and they called it a favor. Anyway, they said they’d verify it and that Theresa would be home by nightfall.”
“Do you believe them?”
“I don’t know what to believe.”
“Shouldn’t you like put a tourniquet on my leg or suck out the venom or something?”
“That’s just in movies. It doesn’t work all that well in real life. The best thing is for you to lie still until we can get some anti-venom in you.”
Dylan nodded, too tired to talk. As his head hit the grass, he took a deep breath. “If I don’t make it, buddy, tell Reggie I love her.”
“You’re going to make it. Just hang on a few more minutes and that chopper will be here.”
****
Reggie pulled into Billy and Theresa’s drive.
It always surprised her how well it had been camouflaged to look like a dirt path that led into the woods. The first time Dylan brought her here, she’d thought he was lost. But it had been her that had been so lost in so many different ways and now she had a wonderful life.
Not perfect but wonderful nevertheless.
She stepped out and waded through the knee-high weeds to the hidden intercom. She hit the button and waited.
No response.
Again and again, she hit the button.
Finally, she entered the code and the bushes slid back revealing a drive. She shook her head. Billy really was a genius. She jumped back in her car and drove through the gate. In the rearview mirror, she watched as it slid back in place.
She drove up to the attached garage. The door stood open revealing the fact there were no vehicles. Between Theresa and Billy, they owned three that were kept in the garage.
And none of them were there.
She pulled in the garage but before she could open the door. A low growl stopped her from moving. She looked over. Four pairs of eyes stared back at her. The dogs.
Billy never let the dogs loose. Unless there was a reason.
Billy had taught her how to deal with the dogs. Dylan preferred to ignore them, but she loved them. And they were as sweet as could be, when they weren’t on guard duty.
“Patches, Snappy. Relax.” Her voice was firm and calm. The way Billy had taught her.
Recognizing her as friend, the growling stopped and the dogs jumped up on the car window to greet her. She rolled down the window and let them kiss her hand.
She stepped out of her car. Bending down, she petted both dogs for a few moments. Then, put them back to work. “Go watch.”
Both dogs came to attention. Looked at her for a moment, and then ran through the open garage door leading to the back yard.
She tried the door leading to the kitchen. It was unlocked. A chill ran down her spine. “Billy. Theresa. Dylan.”
No answer.
Ignoring her racing pulse, she walked into the kitchen. Messy but nothing alarming. Then she moved into the dining room. Pictures were strewn all over the table. Walking over, she picked up several.
Her pulse moved up several notches.
Very odd pictures. Just pictures of the same street over and over from different locations and viewpoints but they were all the same street. She tore herself away from the pictures and moved into the living room.
A rumpled blanket lay on the sofa. Her gaze moved to the coffee table and her racing heart thudded to a stop. Bandages and blood. Her knees wobbled and she sat on the sofa, staring at the blood-soaked bandages.
Who was hurt? Not that it mattered. She didn’t want any of them to be hurt. Why wasn’t anyone answering her phone calls? Where was everybody? Her breathing turned ragged. She recognized the signs of panic and an anxiety attack.
She took slow deliberate breaths and prayed for calmness.
She forced herself to stand. He knees still shook as she walked toward the back of the house. Her eyes widened as she stared at the bathroom door. The wooden frame broken. Someone had broken down the door.
She could imagine who that was.
Tears filled her eyes. Why hadn’t Dylan brought her with him? She could have helped.
She walked into the room. Bandages, scissors, surgical tape. And blood on the floor. Someone had been hurt but the one thing missing was yellow crime tape. Whatever was going on, Dylan and Billy were taking care of it on their own. Of course. That’s the only way they knew how to operate. On their own.
But always, thankfully, with God’s help.
Reggie looked around the disheveled room. It looked as if they needed God’s help—desperately.
CHAPTER 31
Dylan was stretched out on the hill with his feet pointing downward. He looked over at Billy Clyde. “This is quite the mess we’ve gotten ourselves into, partner.”
“You ain’t kidding about that, brother. I can’t—”
His next words were drowned out by the chopper landing in the street.
Two soldiers jumped out of the army green helicopter wearing fatigues while a third person handed them a portable gurney, their faces were grim as they rushed toward Dylan.
Unbelievable. This was no ordinary medical helicopter. The Army green chopper had a red cross in a white circle emblazoned on the side but the other symbol below it blew his mind.
The presidential seal.
Billy Clyde certainly had his resources. They joked about it, but the truth was Billy Clyde had connections.
The two men set the portable gurney on the grass. The helicopter turned off the motor at the same time and the quiet felt good to Dylan’s ears. People walked out of their houses with jaws open staring at the spectacle.
After all, it wasn’t every day that a helicopter landed in the middle of their street.
“Ok, we’re going to put you on this and move you into the helicopter.”
“I can walk to the helicop—”
The medic nodded. “I’m sure you can, sir, but it’s better if you not move.”
“What do you want me to do?” Billy Clyde asked.
One of the men looked over at him. “No disrespect, sir. But we’ll handle this.”
In spite of the throbbing in his leg, Dylan chuckled.
Billy Clyde glanced his way. “Enjoyed that, did you, Monroe?” He looked at the medic, winked, and stepped back. “None taken.”
In moments, the two men moved Dyl
an onto the gurney and he being carried to the helicopter, feeling foolish. He was more than capable of walking.
Billy Clyde walked beside them. “I’m going to go calm the neighbors down. Don’t want them thinking we’re being invaded or anything. Be back in a few.”
A man crouched low at the helicopter door. He grabbed the handles of the gurney and the medic moved his hands to the side as the three of them guided Dylan and his gurney into the helicopter.
The moment he was in, monitors were slapped on, IV’s inserted, and temperature taken. One of the technicians approached him with a knife.
“I’d appreciate it if we tried to save the pants. There the only ones I have.”
The man glanced to the waiting woman, also in fatigues. She nodded. The medic set down the knife. Dylan unbuckled his pants and seconds later lay half-naked.
The technician drew blood from his calf, his thigh and his arm, then nodded at the woman. She stepped forward. “I’m Dr. Marsh. We were told you were bitten by several timber rattlesnakes. Are you sure about that?”
Billy Clyde hopped into the helicopter. “I am.”
“Perhaps, it was—”
Billy Clyde put his hand in his pants pocket and pulled out a dead snake. “You can check it out for yourself if you don’t believe me.”
The doctor’s eyes widened and she jerked back for a moment. “That’s a timber all right. Stephen, go ahead with the first injection.” She pointed to a spot below the first bite. “Right there.”
After the injection the doctor, turned to Dylan. “We wanted to give you the first injection immediately, but we’ll wait for further treatment until your blood test results come in. They’ll give us an idea how much venom you received.”
“Does it matter?” Dylan lifted his head up from the gurney.
“It does.” She nodded. “Not all rattlesnake bites actually have venom in them. The tests will let us know exactly how much you have in your bloodstream. And then we can proceed with treatment. However, we always give a first injection without waiting. The sooner the anti-venom gets in your bloodstream the better.”
The on-board medical technician adjusted Dylan’s IV and patted his shoulder. “It will be fine. Dr. Marsh is an excellent doctor.”
Dylan nodded but said nothing. The nausea was getting worse. And his leg was numb. He hated the fact Billy Clyde was here with him instead of looking for Theresa.
Dylan’s eyes took in the helicopter. It had been transformed into a state of the art medical center by the looks of it. He was on one bed but another bed was pushed to the side. There were monitors and machines all neatly tucked into their rightful spaces.
Billy touched his shoulder. “Do you want me to call Reggie?”
“No, she’ll panic. I’ll call her later after I hear what the doctors have to say. No point in worrying her until we know what the damage is.” Dylan lowered his voice. “Maybe, someone could take a look at your arm while we’re here.”
Billy Clyde shook his head. “It’s fine. Barely feel it anymore.” He pointed up to where the pilot sat. “I’ll be up there if you need me.”
“Good idea. Not much room back here. ” The doctor leaned down to inspect his bites. Then poked them with a gloved finger.
He moaned.
She looked back at him. “Did you feel that?”
No, he was just moaning because it felt so good. “Yes.”
“How would you describe the pain? On a scale from one to ten?”
“Six—maybe seven."
She nodded and placed her hand on the bottom of his feet. “Press as hard as you can.”
He pressed. She went through a series of neurological tests. When she finished the technician turned from the microscope. “Good news, Dr. Marsh. Only a negligible amount of venom in his bloodstream.”
“Are you sure about that, Stephen?”
“Absolutely.” He handed her the clipboard.
She studied it for a moment and then looked at Dylan. “You’re a very lucky man, Mr. Monroe. Four snakebites and practically no venom. Almost unheard of.”
Billy Clyde called from the front of the helicopter. “You might even say it’s a miracle, huh doctor?”
A quizzical expression crossed her face. “I suppose you could.”
“God is good, my brother.” Billy Clyde stood but bent low since he was too tall to stand upright in the helicopter. He looked at the doctor. “We believe in miracles.”
She cracked a smile. “In that case, I’d say you got your miracle today.” She turned back to Dylan. “But you aren’t out of the woods yet. Infection could still set in. You need to be careful.”
“But I can leave, right? No reason for me to go to a hospital?”
The doctor’s eyes flitted back and forth between Billy Clyde and himself. “I have a feeling my answer won’t matter much. To either of you. My orders were to come and treat your snakebites not make you go to the hospital. So, here’s my answer. We’re going to give you an antibiotic drip along with pain meds and then you can go. And another shot of anti-venom just to be safe.”
“How long?”
“Why? Are you in a hurry, Mr. Monroe?”
“Well, sort of.”
“I don’t want to know.” She shook her head. “At least thirty minutes.”
“Works for me, doctor.” Billy Clyde nodded and patted Dylan on the shoulder. “Just relax. God was watching over you, my brother.”
“I’ll say. But you don’t need to wait for me, I can find my way back to your house.”
“You should call Reggie now and get back up to your wife and to that farm of yours in Fredericksburg. I don’t want you—”
“No way. I’m not leaving here until we find Theresa.”
“I figured that’s what you’d say. We’ll need to do a better search of this abandoned house.”
“You sure you don’t want to call the FBI in or something?”
His voice barely above a whisper, Billy Clyde shook his head. “Now that I’ve committed a felony, it’s probably not the best idea. I’ll handle it myself.”
CHAPTER 32
On hands and knees, Reggie scrubbed the blood off the bathroom floor. Her eyes burned from the cleaner as she tried not to breathe in the nasty chemicals.
After waiting for someone to show up—anyone, she’d decided she might as well be useful. Cleaning up the mess in the bathroom seemed like a good idea. No reason for Theresa to see it.
She wasn’t quite sure how she knew Theresa hadn’t seen the mess yet. But she was sure it was true. Just the same way she knew the blood she was cleaning up was Billy’s and not Dylan’s.
Judging the condition of the door frame, Billy had been locked in here bleeding and Dylan managed to knock it down. Her hero. One of the reasons she loved him. He barged into help—no matter the consequences.
If she was right about the scenario that left two big questions she needed answered. Who locked Billy in the bathroom and where was Theresa?
A helicopter clacked overhead.
She smiled remembering Billy’s comment about helicopters when she first met him. She’d been telling him how remote his house was but he told her that it was only thirty minutes to the most powerful city in the world by helicopter. When she asked him if he owned a helicopter, he laughed and said no, the president sent one when he needed him.
She’d never been sure if Billy was teasing her or telling her the truth about that.
As the helicopter drew closer it drowned out the barking of the dogs. She stood and walked out to the patio door in the dining room. She watched as the helicopter moved further and further from her.
She shuddered and told herself she was being silly.
It was just a helicopter and it had nothing to do with Billy Clyde, Theresa, Dylan, or anyone she knew. Still, she stood transfixed, staring as it became a dark blip against the bright blue sky until it disappeared.
The silence in the house was oppressive. The dogs were no longer barking and the only sou
nd was the hum of the refrigerator. Why were the dogs wandering—Arms grabbed her from behind.
CHAPTER 33
Dylan limped back toward the abandoned house while the clacking of the helicopter rotors could still be heard in the distance as it headed back to the Army base. He shook his head. Leave it to Billy Clyde to get an Army helicopter here quicker than he could have gotten to a hospital.
Dr. Marsh released Dylan but clearly not happy about it. His leg ached, but considering what could have happened, he wasn’t going to complain. At the door, he looked over at Billy Clyde. “We stay together. Last time I was here I got sucker punched.”
He arched a brow at Dylan. “Oh....is that what happened?”
“That is exactly what happened and I refuse to take the bait.”
“But you’re right. We’ll stay together. I wouldn’t want you to get conked on the head again or—” Billy Clyde walked up the cements steps and into the house.
“I was more worried about you, big man. Not me.”
They cleared each room, upstairs and down. Again, the basement was the last area. Billy Clyde looked at Dylan. “I think you should stay up here, make sure no one sneaks back in while I’m down there. Like before.”
“What if someone’s down there?”
“Then I yell for you as I shoot him.”
Dylan knew Billy Clyde meant every word he said. “Well, don’t kill him. We need to find out what he knows.”
“I know that, Monroe.”
“And watch out for the snakes. They could be all over that basement by now.” Dylan sat down on the steps, keeping his gun ready. There would be no sneak attack again. He also kept his ears open for rattles, too. Just in case.
Ten minutes later, Billy Clyde walked in to the room. “I’ve got an address.”
Dylan stood. His leg still throbbed from the snake bites. Hopefully, the doctor and lab tech were right about the amount of venom. “Where’d you find it? Just sitting there waiting for you? I didn’t see it when I was down there. Might be a set up.”
“Don’t forget you were blindfolded most of the time you were down there, Monroe.” Billy Clyde looked at the paper and then back at Dylan, finally shrugging. “Besides, it was in a burger bag, crumpled up. No one had any intention of us seeing it. They were incompetent.”
Killer Reads: A Collection of the Best in Inspirational Suspense Page 95