Slowly Sam moved to the couch. “Now you did.” He swallowed. “What? If it’s about your mom being involved with Tracy, I know...”
“Tracy?” Dustin asked. “It’s not some girl. Geez, Dad. Mom’s not a lesbian.”
Christian looked embarrassed. “Can we not discuss lesbians?”
“Dustin,” Sam crouched down to the couch, “your mom may have been confused while I was gone. Got emotionally tied up with some woman, deepened the friendship more...”
“Ugh!” Dustin shrieked. “Stop that. My mother’s not a lesbian. I would know.”
“Please,” Christian begged, trying to block them out.
Sam ignored Christian. “No, Dustin I do know. Where do you think she is now?’
“Not with some woman named Tracy. She’s with who she’s always with. Mick.”
Sam stood to his feet. “Mick?” After a brief hesitation, Sam chuckled. “Mick’s not a concern. She uses him.”
“She loves him.” Dustin stood as well. “And...and….” Trying to sound grown up and calm, Dustin finished, “And she’s happy, Dad. Really happy.”
“Is that where’s she been? Really? With Mick this whole time?”
Dustin nodded, and before he could look up his father had flown from the living room and into the kitchen. He heard the cellar door bang open. “What’s he doing?”
“See, now.” Christian stood up. “You opened your mouth.”
“You started it.”
“No, you did,” Christian argued.
“Oh, yeah? Who’s the one...” Dustin looked up at the sound of his father’s angry steps and he panicked. “Dad!” He charged toward his father, who raged to the door holding a shotgun. “Dad! No! I was kidding.” Dustin gave a quick snicker. “Wasn’t I, Chris?”
Christian hesitated and he tried to fake a laugh as well. “Yeah. Bad joke.”
Sam looked at both of his boys. “Thanks. But I think I needed that blast of reality. And now, I need to do this.” He pulled away from Dustin and flung open the door.
“No!” Dustin screamed. “Don’t go after Mom. Don’t!”
“I’m not doing anything to your mom,” Sam spoke calm. “I’m only killing Chief Owens.” With these final words, before Dustin could stop him again, Sam was gone.
“Shit!” Dustin shrieked. “Shit. Shit. Shit.”
“Oh my God,” Christian panicked. “He’s gonna kill Mick.” He calmed down then looked at his brother. “Can he kill Mick?”
“I don’t know. We have to let him know though.” Hurrying, Dustin moved to the phone and picked it up. “I’ll call.” He frantically dialed. “Shit.” he hung up.
“What?” Christian asked.
“It’s busy.”
“Keep dialing.”
Dustin returned with resolve to the task.
* * *
With the modern country music playing, Mick finished pulling his hair into a neater ponytail. He glanced at his watch and turned around with a smile. “We have ten minutes, we can make it, Dylan, before Sweet Treats closes.”
Slipping on her shoes, fully dressed, Dylan stood up. “Why do you want to run down there?”
“You know it’s an idiosyncrasy of mine. I like ice cream after we make love.”
“Then you should have bought some.” She turned to the bed.
“Right.” Mick laughed. “That means I was assuming you’d sleep with me. I never make that assumption with you.”
Dylan gasped. “You are so rude.”
“I’m honest. Now hurry.”
“Why can’t you smoke afterwards like normal people?”
Mick shut off the stereo and walked to the bed. He grabbed her hand from the covers. “Don’t worry about making this. Let’s go.”
“Fine.” Dylan stopped. Stepping to leave, she backtracked. “Oh! The phone.” Reaching to the night stand she replaced the receiver. The second she did, it rang.
Mick moaned.
“Hush.” Dylan lifted it. “Hello.”
Fervently, quickly, Dustin spoke into the phone, “Mom. Oh my God, Mom, tell Mick, Dad’s coming over there to shoot him.”
“Your father’s on his way to do what?”
BOOM. The bedroom door crashed open. Sam racked a round into the chamber, lifted the shotgun, and aimed it at Mick.
“Dustin, I’ll call you back.” Blindly, Dylan hung up the phone.
Two inches was all that separated the barrel of the shotgun and Mick’s face. Mick kept his eyes steady on Sam who glared back at him. The gun didn’t waver, and that concerned Mick.
“Sam,” Mick said calmly. “What are you doing?”
“Yeah, Sam,” Dylan snapped. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Dylan,” Mick gave a calm warning.
Sam exhaled harshly. “I can’t believe you did this to me.”
“Who?” Dylan asked with edge. “Me or Mick.”
“You,” Sam told her.
“Well, then if I did this to you why the fuck are you holding the gun on Mick?”
“Dylan.” Mick grumbled her name.
“Put the goddamn gun down, Sam, you asshole!” Dylan yelled.
“No.” Sam shook his head. “I have to kill him. He took you from me.”
“Oh, he did not.”
“Did you sleep together?” Sam asked emotional. “Did you!” He looked at Mick. “Did you sleep with my wife?!”
Gun pointed at him too close for comfort, Mick answered, “No.”
Dylan edged closer. “And really that’s none of your business, now is it. Put the gun down, Sam.”
Mick inwardly cringed. “Dylan, please. The man has a shotgun pointed at my face.”
“Yes, Mick, I see that,” Dylan said. “I’m trying to help.”
“By pissing him off?”
“I am not pissing him off!” Dylan yelled. “He’s pissing me off. Sam! Put it down!”
“Dylan!” Mick snapped.
“No!” Sam shouted. “I’m shooting him.”
“No, you aren’t,” Dylan argued.
“Yes. Yes, I am.”
Mick watched Sam’s trigger finger. ‘She’s taunting him? Right now? She’s taunting him?’
“Sam.” Dylan breathed out his name with calmness, “you don’t have it in you.”
“Geez, Dylan,” Mick spoke through his clenched jaws. “Please don’t try to help.”
Dylan ignored Mick. “Sam, come on. This isn’t gonna prove anything. What? You shoot Mick. Not only will I hate you for it, you’ll be in jail. What’s that gonna solve or prove? Put down the gun, I’ll walk outside with you, and we’ll talk.”
Mick felt the anger rise in his chest. “Like hell you will, Dylan. The man has a gun. No.”
“She’s my wife!” Outraged, Sam edged the shotgun closer.
“I know she’s your wife!”
Watching both men heatedly stare at each other, Dylan saw her opportunity and gently placed her hand on the shotgun and lowered it. She stepped to Sam whispering, “Let’s go outside. Come on.”
Mick, though he didn’t show it, was losing it inside, yelling, screaming, ready to kill Dylan. ‘He has a gun to my face and she touches it? Oh, she’s gonna hear about this. She will definitely hear about this.’
“Sam?” Dylan spoke his name again.
Sam let the gun dangle in his hand at his side. “Tell me, Dylan. Just tell me the truth.”
Dylan stared at him. “It’s over this time, Sam. It’s really over. I’m with Mick.”
Sad, Sam swallowed heavily. “Do you love him?”
Mick watched. He kept his eyes on Sam who still had his finger on the trigger. How long Mick had waited to hear Dylan admit her love, not only to him, but to Sam and anyone else who asked. Never would she own up to it. Of all the times he wished she would come clean about her feelings, he had to admit, the current moment—enraged spouse with a shotgun—was not one of them.
“Yes,” Dylan replied.
Mick cringed.
Sam nod
ded. “I see.” He tossed the strap of the shotgun over his shoulder. “I’m sorry I did this. I’m...I’m really sorry.” He stepped back.
“Sam.” Dylan reached to him.
“No.” With partially closed eyes, Sam shook his head. “I’m going home. I’m sorry.” He looked at Mick then Dylan, and finally turned and walked away.
Dylan let out a soft ‘whew’ of relief then noticed Mick rushing to the phone. “What are you doing?”
“Calling the station for backup. He’s armed. I’m grabbing his ass before he reaches the end of the street.”
“Can you call the boys first?” Dylan asked. “Dustin seemed a bit upset.”
“Dylan!” Mick snapped. “You are failing to see the seriousness of this—”
“Dylan!” Sam was calling her name from outside.
Dylan, curious, headed to the window. She parted the curtain and peered out. “Oh, shit.”
Sam stood in the front lawn, shotgun aimed under his chin. He looked at her. “I love you.”
Bang.
The phone dropped from Mick’s hand, and in the midst of Dylan’s scream, he flew out of his bedroom and from his house.
Mick paused slightly after the screen door slammed and his foot thumped onto the porch. He hesitated when he saw Sam’s body lying in the front yard. Mick pulled his shirt off as he lunged off the porch; he had to get to him, because clearly, despite what Sam had done, he was not dead.
His throat was tight with emotion and his voice husky when Mick called out as he reached Sam. “Dylan! Call emergency services! Hurry!” Mick dropped into the damp grass saturated with Sam’s blood. He sighed, his hand still holding the shirt, “Oh, Sam….”
Sam was alive, his eyes wide open and slightly rolled back. His arms were extended, rigid. His entire body spasmed.
Mick slipped his arms under Sam’s body, lifting him up in order to do his best to stop the bleeding. Though he pressed the shirt against Sam, he knew it was useless. Mick was stopping nothing. He was merely holding back the section of face and side of Sam’s head that was still attached by only a fragment of skin.
“Goddamn it, Sam, what did you do?” he asked with passion. “Why’d ya’ go and do this?” Mick stayed focused on Sam, hearing Dylan faintly as she cried hysterically behind him. She sounded far off, as if in a tunnel, but she was close, Mick knew. His jaw tensed and his teeth ground together as he held back a combination of feelings that all fought to surface. Anger, sadness, confusion.
Sam’s eyes shifted, connected with Mick’s. Huffs, short gasps of labored breath emanated from him. His lips parted, and he stuttered barely-heard words. “Dust...Dust...”
“Dustin?” Mick asked.
“Love...love...”
“I’ll tell him.” Mick swallowed emotionally. “I’ll...I’ll tell him, Sam.”
Sam’s eyes closed.
Mick held him tighter, closing his own eyes when he heard the sirens of the approaching ambulance.
* * *
Dylan watched through the small window as they worked on Sam. The small thirty-bed clinic was not only ill-equipped to handle Sam’s injuries, but Dylan knew they were ill-experienced as well. She folded her arms tighter against her blood-covered body as her mind said silent, strong prayers, wanting desperately to turn her eyes from the awful sight but unable to pull herself from it. How long did those few minutes seem? How many times since they dropped Sam onto that emergency room cart did she wish Mick, who stood right behind her, would pull her away from looking at the tragedy she knew that she had caused?
“BP sixty over forty.” Alice, the attending ER nurse, looked at the monitor then back to the IV she was inserting.
Dr. Evans let out a short frustrated breath. He, too, looked at the monitor, heard it as he reached over Sam’s heavily bandaged head to gently and quickly reach into his mouth. “Hold on, Sam. Hold on. He’s tightening up,” Dr. Evans spoke as he held a tube. “I can’t intubate him. Damn it!”
“Forty over twenty. Pulse thirty.”
“I know.” Dr. Evans tried diligently, his eyes moving rapidly from the monitor, to Sam, to the tube. His finger forced open Sam’s mouth as he struggled to insert the breathing tube. “Come on, Sam. Let me in.”
“Dropping fast.”
“I know!” he said frustrated.
“We’re losing him, Doctor.”
“Damn it,” he snapped, “I know.” He exhaled loudly as the tube slipped through. “I’m in.”
Flatline.
The beeping of the heart monitor froze them both as it rang out in the room.
Alice moved quickly, pulling the crash cart forward. She rushed it to Dr. Evans, and yanked forth a tray. “Twenty milligrams epinephrine?” she asked.
Dr. Evans lifted his trembling hands.
“Doctor?” she questioned.
Dr. Evans peered over his shoulder. He looked at Dylan on the other side of the window, then back down at Sam, his open eyes, head bandaged and bloodied. With a long, slow blink and a shake of his head, Dr. Evans reached up and shut off the screaming monitor. Silence filled the room.
“Doctor?” Alice whispered curiously.
“Time it.” Stepping back, Dr. Evans looked back at Dylan and watched sadly as her head dropped forward and her hand slid down the glass leaving a bloody trail of defeat.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Lodi, Ohio
August 27th
Scrambled eggs, sausage, potatoes. Basically anything that could be reheated without being ruined was what Mick sought. “And just toss them in separate containers.” Mick said to Cook, who stood behind the counter at Jean’s Diner in the extremely early hours of the day. “You know, eggs in one, so on. I just wanna toss it on the table.”
“Got it.” Cook nodded and said he’d get right on it, despite the fact that he was short a waitress.
“Thanks.”
Tired. Mick was tired and he lowered himself down to the stool at the counter. He looked up with a sad smile when Belinda set a cup of coffee in front of him before she darted off to her customers. Mick pulled it forward and sipped. Setting down the cup, he rubbed the corners of his eyes. And in closing them to do so, all he saw was Sam.
Mick thought it was a nightmare seeing what Sam did to himself, watching him die. But it was nothing compared to the nightmare of facing Sam’s three boys and telling them their father was gone.
Mick still felt it in his stomach, a malignant pain that gnawed at him. The night didn’t get better. Not one bit. There were tears, but not a lot; they would come in profusion when the shock wore off. The abundance of hurt in the Hughes’ home this morning was only a scratch on the surface of things to come.
Mick was all too aware of what would occur. He had been there. The look on Dylan’s face and the quiet pain she expressed, Mick had seen before on his own mother. He remembered all too well the feelings of denial and disbelief when he was a child and his own father walked out the door, never to return. Not that Mick’s father deliberately took his own life, but in a way, he did.
Angry, loud shouting preceded the tossing of the last of many empty beer cans his father produced that fatal night. He fought with Mick’s mother, and Mick, a mere thirteen, only turned up the television; he was so accustomed to it, so immune. What Mick didn’t expect was that his father would storm out, jump on his bike and crash not a mile down the road.
Thinking of his father made Mick look down at his keys that rested on the counter. He glanced at the thick plastic cloverleaf and his thumb brushed over it. Old, faded, the color almost bleached out. His father had it for years before Mick took it.
When he closed his eyes, he heard an echo of young Sam’s voice:
“Oh, man,” Sam said with the dreamy enthusiasm of a fourteen-year-old boy. “Oh, man, Mick.”
They were so young. Mick could see Sam’s face, the backward baseball cap he wore as the two of them walked to the motorcycle parked off to the side of Mick’s trailer home, a bike that was beaten, dirty, and ugly.<
br />
“My Uncle Leo gave it to me last month,” Mick said to Sam. “Don’t work.”
“That’s why I’m here.” Sam smiled and set down the tool box. “Oh, man.”
“You keep saying that,” Mick stated.
“How come you waited so long to tell me?” Sam examined the bike. “You know I could fix it.”
“Can you?” Mick asked.
“Heck, yeah,” Sam scoffed with a snicker. “Ain’t I the best?”
“Next to your dad.”
“He taught me.” Sam crouched down before the bike. “So, you didn’t answer. How come you didn’t tell me?”
“Embarrassed.” Mick shrugged as he crouched down.
“Embarrassed?” Sam asked, shocked. “What for?”
“Look at it,” Mick pointed.
“Yeah, now. But, Mick, this is gonna be awesome when we’re done. Awesome.”
“You think?”
“I know,” Sam said with certainty. “It’ll be so cool riding it around. All the kids are gonna be so jealous. But better not let Chief Callahan catch you riding. He’ll nail your ass for riding too young.”
“We’ll ride it up here then,” Mick said.
“You gonna let me ride it?”
“Hell, yeah. You gonna fix it for me?”
“You bet.”
“Then you’ll ride.” Mick nodded with a smile. “It’ll be...cool.” He smiled again, his grin meeting Sam’s.
Mick could still see it, that smile on Sam’s young face. Then that vision faded, and the keychain came back into focus when a voice calling his name pulled him from that memory.
“Chief Owens,” the male voice spoke.
Mick turned to see who it was. “Oh, hey, Mr. McCaffrey.” Mick extended his hand.
“Patrick.” He shook Mick’s hand. “Call me Patrick.”
‘What can I do for you?” Mick asked.
“Sorry to bother you. But today is the trip to the zoo, and I have the first group scheduled to go. I didn’t get a confirmation call from Dylan about Tigger. Could you tell her to let me know if I need to pick him up today?”
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