Shot at Redemption

by Ken W. Smith

  “Excuse me,” the reporter said. “Can you answer a few questions?”

  As Jay pivoted to face the reporter, his foot slipped on a puddle of water and fell to the ground.

  He felt the air pass above his nose then heard a sharp crack. Concrete shattered from the wall, inches from Jay’s head.

  “Someone’s shooting at us,” Jay said to the reporter. “Get down!”

  Jay looked around at the buildings surrounding the aquarium. He scanned the roof of the Marine Biology Lab across the street. Then turned to look at the NOAA building next to the aquarium. The shot came from the vicinity of the fishing boat. Jay ran out of the gate and out to the parking lot next to the aquarium, squatting behind Marty’s squad car.

  There was another crack, and a bullet shattered the police car’s windshield.

  Marty ran out from the pool area with his gun drawn. “Jay, what’s going on?”

  “Marty, get down. There’s a sniper somewhere by the fishing boat. But I can’t see anybody. The shots are coming down from an angle.”

  Marty flopped down next to Jay, with his handgun drawn. He went to hand Jay his gun.

  “Here,” Marty said. “You’re a better shot than I am. I’ll get the long gun out of the trunk. I’ll call for backup first.”

  Chapter 26

  Woods Hole

  Jay kept staring towards the fishing boat, but the sun’s glare made it difficult to see any details.

  Another crack. The bullet hit the police car’s tire, which exploded from the impact.

  Jay saw the muzzle flash. It was coming from above the fishing boat. Then he saw a glint of sun. The shots came from a seagull hovering above the fishing boat. It was too far away to hit with the handgun. Marty opened the trunk of the squad car and pulled out an AR-15 rifle. Another crack and a bullet struck the trunk of the cruiser.

  “Marty, give me the rifle. Quick!”

  Jay took the AR-15 from Marty’s hand and stood up behind the car. He leaned his left elbow on the roof of the patrol car and aimed the rifle at the seagull drone. Jay saw a red light flash by his face. A laser designator. Jay saw the source of the red laser through the scope and fired off two quick rounds.

  The first bullet smashed one of the seagull’s eyes. The second penetrated the drone’s body. A small puff of smoke appeared from the body of the gull. Then more smoke. The drone was on fire.

  The seagull lurched away from the aquarium and flew inland. Jay followed the trail of smoke through the rifle’s scope.

  “I got it,” Jay said. “Now we have to catch it.”

  Marty tossed Jay the keys to the squad car. “Let’s go get it!”

  The other police officer opened the rear door to get in, but Marty turned to him, “Stay here and guard the crime scene.”

  Jay slammed the car into gear. The sound of metal rims grinding against the asphalt pavement brought Jay back to reality. “Shit Marty, the seagull, shot the tires out. Let’s take my car.”

  Jay and Marty piled out of the police car and ran into the street. Andrew’s Tesla Roadster stopped right in front of him.

  “Jay, what’s the matter?” Jessie yelled out the passenger side window.

  “I need your help,” Jay said. “Andrew, get out of the car.”

  Jay yanked the door open, then stepped back to let Andrew exit the car. Jay jumped in and closed the door. Without saying a word, he put the car into gear and pushed the accelerator to the floor. The Tesla took off, snapping Jay’s head back. The silent electric engine caught Jay by surprise. “Shit, this thing has pickup,” Jay said as he whipped the car around the corner. He took a left onto Woods Hole Road at sixty miles per hour.

  “Jay, what the hell are you doing?” Jessie said. “Where are we going?”

  “We’re chasing a seagull drone. It tried to shoot me. I hit it twice, and it took off.”

  “I saw it. It flew across the street and towards the golf course.”

  Jay saw the cart path crossing for the Quissett Country Club coming up. He slammed the brakes and spun the wheel at the same time. The speedy Tesla clung to the road and sped down the cart path onto the golf course.

  “Hey, it’s not your tee time,” yelled an elderly man in a pink polo shirt and khaki shorts. Then, realizing Jay wasn’t stopping, he dove out of the way. But it was too late, as Jay smashed his golf bag, sending clubs flying in the air. Trying not to create any more casualties, Jay weaved around astonished golfers and scattered flocks of Canadian geese.

  “Over there,” Jessie said. “On the other side of the fairway.”

  Jay yanked the wheel, and the car slid onto the pristine fairway. The wide tires dug deep grooves into the manicured lawn, spewing mud and sod high into the air.

  “The drone’s headed for that water hazard,” Jessie said, pointing to his right. Jay saw the dark trail of smoke. “Someone’s there to grab it. Hurry, Jay, we don’t want him to get away!”

  A green golf cart stood between Jay and the water hole. A man in a white hat, pink polo, and white shorts waved a plastic flag.

  Jay couldn’t react fast enough. The low front bumper of the Tesla caught the golf cart’s front edge, spinning the cart around in a three-hundred-sixty degree circle. The man screamed, but Jay and Jessie were too focused on the drone to notice.

  A fountain of steam and water erupted where the drone crashed. The man with the green overalls scooped the seagull up with the net and threw the drone into the back of a dark-green utility cart. Noticing Jay speeding towards him from across the fairway, the man jumped into the cart and took off.

  The Tesla overtook the golf cart in seconds. Jay slammed the cart’s rear bumper sending it crashing into a pine tree grove bordering the fairway. He jumped out of the car. Then reached into the cart, pulled the man out, and threw him down on the ground. The man resisted, trying to squirm free, so Jay punched him in the face then pressed Marty’s handgun against the man’s forehead.

  “Who do you work for?” Jay said. “Tell me now, or you’re dead.”

  “The golf club.”

  “I don’t believe you! Show me an ID card!”

  The man stayed silent. His blue eyes were cold and vacant. Jay pressed the handgun harder against the groundskeeper’s head. “Tell me now,” Jay said. “Or I’m pulling the trigger on the count of three. One, two…”

  “Jay, don’t!” said Jessie. “There’s a….”

  “Jessie, not now. I’m busy.”

  “Put the gun down and put your hands above your head,” a male voice said from behind Jay.

  “See, Jay I told you. You never listen to me.”

  Jay turned around to see two Falmouth police officers. Their handguns pointed at the back of his head. Jessie stood facing the side of the Tesla with her hands in the air.”

  “Officer, you need to arrest this man,” Jay said as he placed the gun down on the ground and raised his hands. “He’s involved with the Papal bombings.”

  “You’re talking about this groundskeeper?” the closest cop said. “What are you, some nut job?”

  “No, this bird tried to kill me,” Jay said. The second cop laughed.

  “No, I’m serious. It’s not a bird; it’s a drone. It’s equipped with a rifle, and it tried to kill me at the aquarium. So I shot back at it and hit it.”

  Both cops laughed. “Now that’s a good one,” the first cop said. “You shot the bird in mid-air from, let me guess, a hundred yards away?”

  The cops buckled over in laughter—their faces bright red. Jay saw tears streaming down their faces. Jay stayed quiet, waiting for them to gain some control. Then, he glanced over at Jessie, who was leaning against the Tesla. She was laughing too.

  “No, it was more like two-fifty yards, you idiots,” Marty said. The cops turned around to see their Deputy Chief standing with his arms on his hips. The second police officer pointed his gun towards Jay and the groundskeeper.

  “I was there,” Marty said. “The drone shot up my patrol car. Mr. Mendes used my long gun
to shoot it. Now arrest the groundskeeper and let Mr. Mendes go. Joe, the drone needs to be preserved as evidence. Frank, make sure you put gloves on when you pick it up. Be sure to put it in an evidence bag. Someone check the golf cart for weapons and evidence.

  Marty pulled out his handgun and walked past the two officers. He trained his weapon on the groundskeeper so Jay could get off. The other officer then rolled the groundskeeper onto his stomach and placed a pair of handcuffs on his wrists.

  “Read him his rights and take him to the station. The FBI will be here soon.”

  “Jay, did he say anything before these two morons interrupted your conversation?”

  “No,” Jay said. “He’s a pro. You won’t get any information from him.

  “I heard from your buddy McCauley at the FBI. His forensics team is on the way down from Boston to check out the crime scene at the aquarium and the bird drone.”

  Jay glanced over at Jessie, who was leaning against the Tesla. Her face was pale, and Jay could see she was in a lot of pain. “Jess, I’m sorry. Get in Marty’s patrol car. He’ll drive you back to the aquarium.”

  “It was worth it if this guy had anything to do with the bomb that nearly killed Roger and me.”

  “Tell Andrew I’m sorry about the car.”

  “He won’t care,” Jessie said. “His father will buy him a new one.”

  Jay and Marty helped Jessie limp to the patrol car. She sat down in the front passenger seat.

  “Jay,” Jessie said. “Did Roger give you his cell phone?”

  “Yes,” Jay said. “I gave it to the FBI.”

  “You know the bird drone. It looks like the one that blew up in New York.”

  “Marty, wait!” Jay said. “Don’t touch the drone. In fact, stay far away from it. Call the bomb squad.”

  * * *

  Marty dropped Jay off at the aquarium then drove Jessie home. Yellow crime scene tape fluttered in the light ocean breeze. Jay walked over to the gate of the seal’s performance area. Stephanie was on her knees scrubbing blood off the blue ceramic tiles.

  “Hey Stephanie, need any help?” Jay said. “I’m good at cleaning up messes.”

  Stephanie turned to see Jay and smiled. “Hold on. I’ll unlock the gate.”

  Jay noticed the smudged mascara on Stephanie’s face and her swollen eyes.

  “Are you okay, Jay? Did you find the guy who killed Jojo?”

  “Maybe. We found an accomplice, but I don’t know how much information we’ll get from him. Where’s Jojo? I mean his body.”

  “The FBI investigators took him back to Boston. They’re going to do an autopsy to look for evidence. Cause of death is pretty clear.”

  “Was there a security camera tape?”

  “No. There aren’t any cameras outside the aquarium. They’re all inside where the fish are. Jojo never came out to the pool area by himself. There was always someone with him.

  “How did someone kill him if you were in the pool area?”

  “My phone rang. It was in my office, so I ran in to grab it. The caller ID said it was Olivia, but when I answered the phone, nobody was there. So I came back out, and Jojo was, you know.”

  Stephanie began crying. Jay wrapped his arm around her shoulders. As they walked back towards the bloodstain on the ground, a thought came into Jay’s head. Did the rapist take Olivia’s phone the night he attacked her? Jay never thought to ask Olivia about that. Or did he call her with a different phone and use a phony caller ID. Either way, Jay now knew who killed Jojo.

  “Stephanie, it’s not your fault. Someone did this to hurt me. Actually, he knew I would respond. So he tried to kill me.”

  “What do you mean, Jay?”

  “I know who’s responsible for Jojo’s death. I can’t prove it, but it now makes sense. It’s the same creep who raped Olivia and tried to kidnap the Bishop. He’s hurting the people and animals I care about. Playing with my emotions in a very sick way.”

  “Aren’t you sad?” Stephanie asked, “You don’t seem emotional.”

  “Yes, I’m sad. He was my only connection to Olivia.”

  “I did call her,” Stephanie said. “After the killing to tell her the news. She was devastated. But she was more concerned about you, Jay. Why don’t you visit her in San Diego? She really misses you.”

  “I’ll think about it. But I need to catch this maniac before he kills anyone else I care about.”

  “What are you going to do?” Stephanie said. “I mean when you find him.”

  “I’m going to make him pay.”

  Chapter 27

  Jay and Marty drove back to the Quissett house. When Jay got out of the car, he saw Kyle run out of the carriage house door towards the harbor. Jay went upstairs to Jillian’s apartment. The door was open, and he saw Jillian sitting on the couch crying.

  “Is everything alright?” Jay asked.

  “I’m sorry,” Jillian said. “ It’s probably nothing.”

  “What’s nothing?”

  “Kyle,” Jillian said.

  “What about Kyle?”

  “I shouldn’t bother you with this. You’re busy.”

  “Jillian, please tell me what’s going on.”

  “I don’t know where to start. I argued with Kyle, and I’m concerned about him.”

  “I’ll go find him,” Jay said. “What’s the problem?”

  “I’m worried about him. He won’t talk, but I know something’s wrong.”

  * * *

  Kyle sat on the granite bench at the end of The Nob. It was a sunny day, and Buzzards Bay was filling up with boats. He didn’t care or notice. He enjoyed being alone for a few minutes. The occasional hiker or family with little kids came up the hill to enjoy the view, but Kyle didn’t pay attention. He looked out at the water and wondered, Was my mother, right? I don’t want to hurt myself. I never thought about it before. Why would I? Maybe because I was an only child without a father or because I was bullied at school daily. Why would that bother me? Is it because I survived a terrorist attack, got kidnapped, and now my best friend. No, correction — my only friend — is shipped off to a loony bin? That’s what every teenager goes through. Right?

  The thing is, I never thought about these things. Not until Mom told me Charlotte wasn’t coming home. I miss her so much. Her quirky smile. Her shy innocence. Her gentle touches when I needed them. I can’t believe she will stay away. She has to come back. I need to say I’m sorry.

  “Kyle?”

  Kyle turned around and froze. Jay Mendes stood at the top of the stairs.

  He looked back at the water.

  “What are you doing here?” Jay said. “Your mom asked me to look for you.”

  “What do you want?” Kyle said.

  “Your mother is worried.”

  Kyle laughed, “Tell me something new. My mother always worries.”

  “She’s worried about your state of mind.”

  “Are you a shrink? I don’t do shrinks.” Kyle backed up closer to the edge of the headland. He stepped onto one of the granite blocks.

  Jay stepped forward and held his hand out. Kyle backed away.

  “I don’t want to hurt you. I saved your life on the island. Or did you forget that already?”

  “I’m sure that’s what you tell your victims all the time,” Kyle said. “I know what you guys do to people who cross you.”

  “Kyle, what are you talking about?”

  “Uncle Marty said who you were and that you kill people.”

  “He was joking. Teasing me. I was a soldier, but I never killed a person in cold blood.”

  “What about the priest in Boston. Kathleen Amejian says you shot him.”

  “Yes, I did, but there was a reason. He was going to hurt people.”

  “How was a priest going to hurt someone? Bless them to death? Drown them in holy water? Get God to hit them with a bolt of lightning?”

  “It’s an ongoing investigation. But I will tell you it was a clean shooting, and the FBI cleared me. N
ow come away from the edge before you slip down the rocks.”

  Kyle reached out and grabbed Jay’s hand, then sat down on the granite bench.

  “Do you mind if I sit down too?”

  Kyle shook his head.

  Jay sat down on the ground a few feet away from Kyle, “So what’s going on? Why did you run out on your Mom?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “It’s Charlotte, right?”

  Kyle turned away from Jay and put his head in his hands, and cried.

  Jay waited until Kyle stopped and wiped the tears off with his sleeve, “How did you know? I never told anyone how I felt about her.”

  Jay sat next to Kyle and said, “Her father hired me to rescue her. I met with him after the rescue, and he told me he was sending her back to Oregon.”

  “He’s a jerk.”

  “I agree,” Jay said.

  “Did you ever lose anybody you loved?”

  “Yeah, too many to count. Buddies I fought with. My mentor in the military. My girlfriend. She didn’t die. She went away, like Charlotte.”

  “Why did she leave?”

  “She said she left to take a job. But I believe it’s because of the shame she felt.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She was drugged and sexually assaulted.”

  Kyle didn’t say a word.

  “What are you going to do now that she’s gone?” Jay asked. “Do you play sports or have a hobby?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I know you like robots and electronics. Your microbots are pretty slick.”

  “Thanks. I like programming and designing bots. I guess it’s my thing.”

  “Have you thought about patenting them?”

  “No. I don’t get all that IP stuff.”

  “Patents protect your inventions from getting copied by others. It gives you an advantage if you decide to sell them.”

  “Why would I do that?” Kyle said. “Nobody is going to buy them.”