“Wait a minute. You didn’t even know the guy?” Garrett asked.
“Nah. He was just some jerk who kept running off at the mouth. I got sick of it so I called a cab for Paula and then took him on.”
“So you had a good relationship with her prior to that?”
“Yeah, I think so. I don’t do usually do well at relationships. I kind of drift in and out of them,” Dan told him.
“Okay. This one was different, right?”
“Yeah, I would say so. I really like being with Paula. She is fun, smart, and attractive. Also, she doesn’t mind my crazy hours which is unusual,” Dan said.
“And along comes some looser who can’t keep his mouth shut and you decide that it’s more important to show him who is boss than to take care of your date? Geez Dan, I hate to say it but that sounds pretty dumb to me,” Garrett replied.
Hot damn. Way to go Garrett.
“I couldn’t just let him insult me.”
“Buddy, the way I see it is you had two choices, you could leave with your girl the bigger man or stay and make a fool of yourself. I don’t care if you drank him under the table, there was no way to win. The minute you called the cab for Paula, you had already lost. No woman is going to play second fiddle to some drunken jerk. If you want to mend your fences with Paula you need to totally rethink what that relationship should be like. She is your lady and you need to keep that in mind all the time. If I were her I wouldn’t even spit on you if you came calling again,” Garrett said.
“That’s rather harsh,” Dan replied.
“You need harsh,” he said.
This was all very amusing to me. Garrett was as right as rain and Dan needed to hear it. I had sung the same song but it didn’t seem to get through. Maybe Garrett could talk a little sense into him. I had only met Paula twice but she seemed like a really nice young lady with her head on straight. She was a Physical Therapist and a part time student at IUPUI Medical School. Dan was right, she was a real looker and smart too. Dan needed to get his head on straight and figure out what he really wanted.
When we finished at the last shooting site, the heavens opened up and it poured buckets of rain. Of course we were at least three hundred yards from the car and by the time we got there, we were absolutely soaked. Garrett just walked back to the car while Dan and I ran.
“What the hell?” Dan said when he finally opened the door and slid in the back seat.
“Well, you can only get so wet. Once you are drenched what difference does it make?” he asked.
“Maybe, but just walking is weird,”
“Running didn’t seem to do you much good. You are no dryer than I am,” he pointed out.
“That may be true but it still seems wrong,” Dan said, but didn’t sound very convincing.
“So what now?” I asked, trying to wring the water out of my ponytail.
“Something to eat?” Garrett suggested.
“Oh sure, like we could just slosh into a restaurant and order. In case you missed it Garrett, we are drenched,” Dan replied.
“Then go someplace not so fancy.”
“Like?”
“Joe’s Bar-B-Que.”
“Oh yeah, now you’re talking,” Dan said.
Ribs? Really? Pulling a few strands of meat off of bones and getting sauce all over you is a big treat? What is it with men and eating ribs? You go to all that trouble and you are still hungry in the end. Stupid idea.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Three Years Ago
Jill Taylor thought she heard something outside. She lay totally still, trying to listen. Finally she woke up her husband.
“Johnny, I think I hear something,” she told him.
“Come on Jill. You always think you hear something.”
“No, I’m serious. I heard someone whispering outside the house.”
“Jill, it’s nothing. Go back to sleep. Come on honey, it was probably just the baby stirring.”
“I know what the baby sounds like. Please at least go look out the window.”
“For heaven’s sake. Do you have any idea how many times I get up and go look outside? Have I ever seen a single thing?”
“Damn it Johnny, just go look,” she said sternly.
He just shook his head and slowly got out of bed. The floor was cold and it really irritated him to paddle through the house to look outside and see what? Nothing, like always.
He pulled back the curtains and peered out. He saw several cars stopped in the street. This was kind of weird. He wondered what that was all about. He could see a large black truck and could make out the S.W.A.T. sign on the side of it.
What the heck was going on he wondered, sitting down on the back of the couch and looking out. He could see people scampering around every once in a while but couldn’t make out what they were really doing. Finally he realized they were setting up a road block. Something big was going on but he had no idea what it could be. This was a pretty peaceful neighborhood and there were seldom any problems.
“Jill, come here,” he shouted.
“Quiet, you’ll wake the baby,” she shouted back.
Great. I can’t yell but you can, he thought but didn’t say anything else. She finally came into the room with her robe pulled around her.
“What?” she asked.
“Look out there,” he said, pulling the curtain back a little further.”
“What in the world? Are those police cars?”
“Absolutely.”
“What are they doing?”
“I don’t have a clue but it must be big. They have a SWAT truck so it has to be a raid or something.”
“Which house?”
“Heck Jill, I don’t know. Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Should we go see what is going on?” she asked.
“Oh sure. That’s a good idea. They all have guns and are getting ready to raid someplace and we just stroll out to see what is going on. I don’t think so Jill,” he told her.
“I’ll bet it is the Robertson’s.”
“The Robertson’s? Why?”
“They have been arguing a lot lately.”
“Honey they don’t bring in the SWAT team for a domestic problem. This is a lot bigger than that.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Someone being held hostage. Something like that,” Johnny said.
“On this street?”
“All I can say is they are out there. I don’t think it’s just a picnic. Something is going down.”
“Maybe I should take the baby back in our room,” Jill said.
“I doubt that will be necessary. Hell, it has to be happening across the street,” he said.
Johnny was just starting to pull the curtain back a little further to get a better look when flash-bang grenades were tossed through the windows and someone yelled police. The door crashed open and cops rushed in the room. They threw Jill and Johnny on the ground and in seconds they were cuffed as other men poured into the house.
“What the….”
“Shut up,” one of the SWAT men said grabbing him by the cheeks and pushing his mouth closed.
“My baby. My Baby,” Jill was screaming.
“Someone shut her up,” one of the men said.
It was mass confusion as men poured into the small house checking every room and the house from top to bottom.
“Get a medic,” One of the men screamed from the back room.
“My baby,” Jill wailed, “I want my baby.”
Several EMT’s rushed in and headed to the back of the house.
“My baby,” Jill screamed at the top of her lungs.
“Shut that woman up,” the SWAT leader yelled at one of the men.
“Ma’am please calm down. It is going to be alright. Everything is going to be just fine,” he said trying to assure.
All she could do was cry hysterically and repeat over and over that she wanted her baby.
“What the hell is this all about,” Johnny sai
d, trying to look up from the floor.
“Just keep your mouth shut.”
“You dumb bastard, I want to know what this is all about,” he yelled.
The man turned around and kicked him in the ribs.
“I said shut your mouth.”
“I am going to sue you into the weeds when this is over,” Johnny said.
***
They were kept cuffed and held on the floor for almost an hour when some new people showed up. One of them was obviously a police officer.
“I’m Lieutenant Miller. So far we have not found the drugs. We don’t want to have to tear this place apart so how about handing them over,” he said squatting down.
“Drugs? What in the hell are you talking about? The only drugs we have are in the medicine cabinet.”
“Collins we know that you are a dealer. We know you just picked up a shipment. Now I want to know where they are,” he said.
“Collins? What in the hell are you talking about? My name is Johnny Taylor. This is my wife, Jill. Collins lives three houses down you stupid bastards,” he spat out.
The lieutenant quickly stood up and walked over to the SWAT team leader. They talked in a low voice for several minutes.
“We need to check this out,” he said when he came back over.
They waited another ten minutes before he came back and told the men to release them. They took their cuffs off and Jill immediately demanded to see her baby.
“We have taken him to the hospital.”
“The hospital? Why? What did you do to him?” she screamed.
“One of the grenades accidently landed in his crib. He got burned a little.”
“Burned? You burned my baby?” she yelled at him.
“Ma’am it was an accident. It just happened to hit the wall and land in the crib,” he tried to explain.
Everything seemed to freeze for a second as Johnny turned and swung his fist as hard as he could hitting the SWAT team leader right on the side of his jaw. He went down like a sack of potatoes.
“You bust in here, cuff me and my wife, kick me while I’m lying down and then you aren’t even smart enough to know you don’t have the right address,” he shouted, spit coming out of his mouth.
No one made a movement to restrain Johnny.
“Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, we would be more than happy to take you to the hospital so you can check on your baby. This isn’t going to change a thing about what happened. It was all a misunderstanding,” the lieutenant said.
“Misunderstanding,” Johnny said and laughed, “Misunderstanding. Oh yeah I would say that is the understatement of the year. Misunderstanding my ass.”
“Please calm down. You need to check on your little boy,” the lieutenant said.
The SWAT team leader was being helped to his feet.
“You hit a police officer,” he mumbled.
“Shut him up or I’ll do it again,” Johnny said.
“No one is hitting anyone. There will be no charges filed I guarantee it,” the lieutenant said.
“We want to go see our baby. How about getting your people out of here.”
“We’re going. So sorry for all of this. We will send someone to board up the front door and have a new one installed,” the lieutenant said as they started clearing the room.
As the SWAT team leader walked by Johnny whispered, “This isn’t over yet you bastard.”
***
Present Day
Maynard Jones had been the SWAT team leader for six years. He still remembered the night of the big screw up. It had nearly cost him his job but the investigation found him not guilty of any wrong doing.
The police department and Jones were sued by the Taylors. $225,000 was awarded to them and all medical bills for the baby were paid for. Every time Johnny looked at his boy it reminded him of how they had treated him and Jill.
That night had managed to destroy their marriage as well. Jill fell into a deep depression and one winter night, got in her car and drove to the reservoir. She sat there for an hour before putting the car in drive, flooring the gas, and driving into the lake. She made no attempt to free herself, even when the freezing water started to rise over her head.
Now Johnny was raising little Ted by himself and trying to work. His mother had taken over many of the duties. He was lucky to have a younger energetic mom who loved Ted like he was her own.
***
“Sir, we have a hostage situation.”
“Address?”
“7874 Branson Dr. A man is holding a woman and her kids at gun point. Evidently the neighbor saw the guy force his way in and grab the woman before slamming the door shut.”
“Assemble the team and get them rolling. Are the police on the scene yet?”
“On their way.”
“Okay. I want to be ready to roll in ten minutes,” Jones said.
The place went from one of relative calm to a madhouse as men grabbed their gear. Others were notified where to meet. Ten minutes later the large black SWAT truck rolled out.
“The others on their way?”
“All but Wilkerson. She is out of touch but we are trying to locate her.”
“Alright. I want a meeting with the officer in charge,” he said.
“As always.”
“Look, just do it, okay?”
“I already made that call,” came the reply.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Jane Wilkerson along with Maynard Jones were the only two who had survived the repercussions from the Taylor raid. The other members had been demoted for their part. Somehow Maynard had managed to lay the blame one everyone else.
Though Jane Wilkerson had been the one who had tossed the grenade that had landed in the baby’s crib she had also been exonerated of any wrong doing. It was nothing more than politics. She was the only female SWAT team member and the department was under heavy fire from the press about the gender disparity.
She was certainly a good enough SWAT officer but she was the one who threw the grenade and under normal circumstances that officer would have been relieved of duty as well.
While Jones and the rest of the team were assembling she had no way of knowing about it. She had her own problems at the moment.
***
Jane had just stepped out of her house when she felt a gun shoved in her back.
“Don’t do anything stupid or I will shoot you right here. Raise your hands,” a rough voice said.
“Look, I’m a police officer. You are picking on the wrong person.”
“I know exactly who you are Jane Wilkerson.”
She was taken aback by the mention of her name. She had figured it was just a random attack and the person would flee once they knew she was a cop.
“What do you want?”
“I want you to get take your gun out and using only two fingers hand it to me.”
“I need to lower my hands.”
“Of course you do. Just do it carefully or you will either be dead or paralyzed for the rest of your life.”
She slowly lowered her hands, opened her purse and handed the gun back. The man grabbed it quickly.
“The other ones as well,” he demanded.
“I don’t….”
She felt the gun slap her upside her head causing her ear to hurt like hell.
“Okay, okay,” she said and took the one out of her back holster.”
“Leg gun too,” he replied.
She bent down and removed it as well and handed it back.
“Knife,” he said.
She sighed and took the knife out of its sheath and handed it to him. Just for a brief moment she thought about trying to whip around and stab him but decided she would never make it in time.
“We are going to get in your car and go for a little ride,” he told her.
“Where to?”
“You just worry about driving. And keep it at the speed limit. I will blow your ass away if you try anything funny. Got it?”
“Yeah, I got it,�
� Jane replied.
He directed her toward the reservoir on the outskirts of town and had her pull into a cabin that was right on the water.
“Get out and wait until I get around to your side of the car,” he warned her.
When he reached her he led her down to a small pier that jutted out into the water. She could hear the boards under her feet as they got to the end.
“Hands behind your back,” he instructed.
She placed them behind her and felt the plastic cuffs being drawn tight. He was going to shove her in and let her drown she decided.
“Get in the boat,” he said.
She had to jump down into the boat with her hands behind her back and even then the boat rocked and she went tumbling across the seats hitting her knees and head.
“Gotta’ watch that first step,” he said and laughed.
She did not see the humor in the situation but kept her mouth shut.
The man jumped in, threw off the line and started the motor. A few minutes later they were skimming across the water. The reservoir was big and he kept going until the boat was about half way across the lake. Jane estimated that they were a good three quarters of a mile from the shore on either side.
He stood up and walked to where she was wedged into place. He grabbed her feet and started winding duct tape around them.
“You can’t just kill a cop and get away with it,” Jane said.
“Yes I can. I have before and I will again. You are the easy one. No fuss no muss.”
He bent down and placed a rope around her legs that was connected to a car jack. Then he stood her up and took out his knife.
This is it, Jane thought. He is going to stab me and throw me in and let me sink. Instead he cut the plastic cuffs from her wrists. She looked at him and frowned.
“I want to give you a fighting chance. It is more than you deserve but since I am such a nice guy and all.”
“Sure. A real gentleman.”
“Time to go now,” he said and shoved her over the side of the boat.
It was late in the year and there were no other boats on the water. The shock of the frigid water hit her first then the weight of the jack started pulling her down. She struggled to pull herself to the surface, finally managing to get her head above the water and grab a gulp of air. She tried to roll onto her back and see if she could float but was immediately pulled under by the weight of her clothes and the anchor around her legs. As hard as she tried, she kept slipping under the water, taking in mouthfuls of the icy water. She knew she would never make it to shore.
Payback (Angie Bartoni Case Files Book 13) Page 7