by Q Allen
Sophia took Tammy by the arm, “Hey, back there, why did you want me to kill that man instead of just knocking him out?”
“I just didn’t think about knocking him out. They were trying to kill us… or worse. He was trying to kill you. Primis told me to kill him, but I thought if you did it, it might make you stronger. Make us stronger,” Tammy explained. “I wanted you to, but I am glad that you didn’t. You chose your own way. That shows more strength than just doing it because you knew I wanted you to.”
Tammy’s words and kind touch on Sophia’s shoulder radiated her sincere care and affection. Sophia didn’t believe Tammy was playing with a full deck of cards, but she cared for the woman and wanted to see this through with her. She still couldn’t be sure that the police actually were looking for Tammy. She couldn’t know for sure about the people Tammy supposedly killed at End Timers either. After all, she had not been there or seen anyone around in days, outside of the two attackers.
She believed she could explain the one attacker's death as self-defense but in order to help Tammy when the police finally did catch them, she had to keep her from doing any more harm. If she could do that, then she could help Tammy through the inevitable moment when she learned that the voice in her head is just that. In her head.
After taking some time to calm down, Tammy and Sophia went around the house to make sure that their perimeter was secure. All of the traps and alarms they set before were still in place. They even added a few more traps and alarms, but it wasn’t enough to make them feel safe again.
As they settled in, Sophia was still fighting the fear in the back of her mind that her husband was very likely looking for her. She also had the constant unease that the man tied in the basement might get free, and there could be more of them waiting just outside. Watching and waiting for a way in.
Even thinking about Tammy shooting the large man’s partner, Robbie, made Sophia’s skin chill. She kept taking deep breaths to stave off the nauseating guilty feeling. Even though they were protecting themselves, she still felt remorseful. She couldn’t explain it. She was usually the tough one, but she had never killed anyone or even seen a dead body.
She looked to Tammy for comfort. Tammy didn’t seem to be any more afraid than before, but secretly she was still a little suspicious that Primis might be her imagination after all. A voice that suddenly started when she couldn't take her medication. Telling her about secret agendas. Telling her to kill people she didn’t know.
Why was I taking medication anyway? I don’t even remember where I got it from. I just remember always taking it.
They gave you that medication. Its purpose is to distort your memory and your ability to link with me.
What is going to happen to me now? Without my pills?
Slowly, you will remember us. How we were before they separated us. Your link to me will grow stronger. You will grow stronger.
Tammy went into the kitchen and started to clean the fish the two caught earlier. Her hands were still shaking a little as she fought off the memory of Robbie’s face in the dark. The faces of all of her victims at the End Timers shelter. She felt like she was defending herself, but the guilt still ate at her.
She believed what Primis told her about the people at End Timers, that if she had not killed them they would have killed her. She fought hard not to allow the doubt to creep in. Even though she did not regret her actions, the idea of killing so many shook her.
“Women, we can bring home the bacon, or fish in this case,” Sophia joked hoping to cheer both of them up. Hoping to forget the dead body in the basement.
“…and fry it up in a pan,” Tammy laughed as she danced over to where the cutting utensils were.
Just as she cut open the first fish to remove the entrails, the two women heard the sound of a vehicle approaching the lake house. Someone was driving up to the house on the path out front.
You must leave, Tammy. Quickly.
Tammy sprang into action. Dropping the knife and the fish into the sink, she rushed over to the kitchen light switch and turned out the lights.
“Who you think it is?” Sophia asked believing she already knew the answer. “Is it the police?”
“Get all of the lights, then come up here!” Tammy yelled rushing up the stairs.
Sophia was not far behind as they rushed to pack the things from their rooms. Tammy peeked out of one of the upstairs room windows. Four or five cars and two vans drove up with lights out. As soon as they stopped, law enforcement officers dispersed from the vehicles in all directions. Some disappeared around the corners of the house.
Standing far in the back supervising it all was Special Agent David Roland and Sheriff Buford. Both men stood with their hands on their hips looking up at the windows as if they could see right through them.
Tammy sat down beneath the window trying to think of a way out. Sophia took her hand, “We’ll get out of this. Don’t worry.”
Tammy, get to the vehicle in the garage before they breach the doors.
Quickly Tammy removed an MP4 Carbine that she rigged to be fully automatic and a Sig Sauer P238 from one of the bags they were carrying. She paused for a moment before handing them to Sophia.
“Here. You’re gonna need these,” Tammy said.
Sophia didn’t want to accept the weapons. She didn’t want to hold one gun much less two, “Seriously? Two guns, Tammy?”
“Two is one. One is none,” Tammy stated flatly.
“I’m sure we’re not going to need guns,” Sophia pressed. “If we walk out there and talk to them, we can straighten this all out. No one has to die, Tammy.”
“Are you kidding?” Tammy retorted sharply. “They are not here to capture me, they are here to kill me, Sophie. There’s no reasoning with them. We are going to get in your car and get out of here.”
Sophia realized that Tammy would not go peacefully. Clearly she was out of her mind, but she had become Sophia’s friend. If she would not give in to the police, she would surely be killed. Their only chance was if Sophia could talk to the police.
“Ok, get my other bag from the closet. I’ll meet you at the garage door,” Sophia said crawling out of the bedroom door into the hall.
While Tammy looked in the closet for the bag that didn’t exist, Sophia made her way to the front door.
There is no other bag, Tammy. Your little friend has tricked you. Now leave her!
Tammy slammed the closet door, “No!”
She dashed for the stairs, but she was too late. Sophia opened the front door and stepped out. With both hands waving high above her head Sophia walked onto the front porch, “Don’t shoot! We give up!”
Tammy ran to Sophia stopping to the side of the doorway just inside the front door. Out of sight of the officers surrounding the house outside.
“We give up!” Sophia shouted continuing to wave her hands.
“This is Special Agent David Roland,” Agent Roland started to speak through a megaphone.
Before the agent was able to complete his sentence a single shot rang out. For one small moment after, almost a full second, everything was still. Motionless. It was almost a complete second before all hell broke loose. Tammy only had an instant to pull Sophia out of the doorway and out of the way of the barrage of bullets that came next.
Shots abruptly roared toward the front door and windows of the house. The bullets sounded like a bag of marbles hitting the floor as they tore the front door frame apart. A case of contagious shooting as every officer on site began firing until Agent Roland was able to regain control of the situation.
“Who was that? Who shot first?” Agent Roland demanded in anger.
His question was answered when a man snatched the megaphone from his hand and yelled through it, “Sophie! Sophie, we’re going to kill you!”
Agents rushed and tackled the man pinning him to the ground.
Special Agent Roland snatched the megaphone back, “Who is this guy? And how the hell did he get out here with us?”
>
“Sir, Daniel Roderick Monarch. He’s related to the hostage,” an agent said reading the identification from the man’s wallet.
Agent Roland walked over to the man who was now sitting the ground with his hands bound behind his back.
“Who are you and what are you doing here?” Special Agent Roland demanded.
“That virago, Sophia, is married to my brother,” Daniel said. “She destroyed his life with her false accusations. She called the police and had him thrown in jail over some love taps!”
Motioning over his shoulder Agent Roland ordered, “Get him out of here!”
“What are we going to do now, Agent Roland?” Sheriff Buford inquired like a young hungry student.
***
Inside the lake house, Tammy finally managed to get a near catatonic Sophia into the garage. Frantically, Tammy shoved their bags into the back seat of the Volvo. Sophia just stood at the door with the cold chill of shock taking her over. The sound of the gunfire still rung in her ears.
“That was my husband's brother. They were going to kill me for calling the police on him,” Sophia sobbed in disbelief.
“I told you they were going to kill us. They want to kill me and now they know you are with me. They don’t want to catch us, Sophia,” Tammy shouted.
Tammy, you must leave now.
“Grab that B.O.B. and get in the car, Sophia,” Tammy ordered.
Sophia trembled as she got into the car on the passenger side. Tammy shoved the previously offered MP4 Carbine into her hands.
“What the heck is a B.O.B.?” Sophia asked trying to shake the stiffness.
“Bug Out Bag. It’s the bag with the things we need when we need to bug out. Like right now. Are you ready to dive into the teeth of the beast with me?” Tammy asked trying to laugh.
Sophia dried her eyes. The thought of dying at the hands of her husband, his brother, or whoever else he sent enraged her. She was ready to go to the ends of the earth with Tammy. Just about anything would be better than suffering at Barton’s hands.
Tammy badly needed to escape. She needed to find out for sure if the voice was real or just in her head. If the voice turned out to be Schizophrenia, the guilt of all of the people she killed at End Timers would be crushing. She wished she could find out without endangering her hostage turned friend.
Raising the automatic assault rifle toward the passenger side window Sophia said, “I’m ready if you are.”
“Ok, let’s get out of here,” Tammy said as she started the car.
“Sir,” An agent yelled. “They’re in the garage!”
“Everyone!” Agent Roland yelled waving his hands in the air. “Move away from the garage! Get back!”
Tammy fired up the engine of the car inside the garage. Outside, agents scattered to get out of the way and into position to prevent Tammy from escaping.
Putting the car into drive Tammy squeezed the steering wheel. She clenched her teeth hard knowing this move could be their last. They could head out of that garage into a hailstorm of bullets and be torn to pieces. She looked at Sophia and faked a smile as she imaged her friend being torn apart by gunfire.
Imagine a bubble around your car, Tammy. A bubble that will protect you from their bullets.
Is that possible? Will that really work?
Trust me, Tammy.
She pushed hard on the gas and brake pedal. The tires cried and smoked as Tammy released the brake pedal sending the vehicle full speed through the garage door.
Agents ran and fired from all directions. Sophia screamed as she closed her eyes and squeezed the trigger. She tried to keep her head down and keep firing as the car bounced up and down. Not unintentionally, but without seeing what she was aiming at, Sophia hit several of the agents before their car roared away into the darkness.
“Stop shooting!” Special Agent Roland shouted. “Go! Don’t let them get away!”
Rushing toward his car Special Agent Roland stumbled over a body on the ground. Lying there bleeding from his arm and gasping for breath was Sheriff Buford. During the gunfire exchange, he was hit by two of Sophia’s bullets. Standing in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The sheriff now lay rolling in pain on the ground. His retirement decision had been made for him by two bullets. One in the sternum of his bullet proof vest and one in his left shoulder. Now he was going to be spending more time with his family. His career was over and his glory days were in the past.
Agent Roland didn’t have time to sit and comfort Sheriff Buford the way he would have wanted to. He could not allow Tammy to get away. Now that he knew Sophia was working with Tammy, they would have no way of tracking them if he lost them.
He scrambled to his feet and dashed to his car. Leaping inside he started the car and commenced pursuit. He refused to let them get away. Not now. Not after Sophia shot Sheriff Buford. More law enforcement injured chasing a deranged killer. This time there wouldn’t be the number of casualties like years before when Agent Roland was in pursuit of the killer The Psycho Rambo.
FBI agents’ cars raced over the lake house trail after Tammy and Sophia. Agent Roland drove as fast as he could to catch up to the two fugitives.
“Team Delta,” Special Agent Roland spoke into a small radio. “Have they reached you yet?”
“Sir,” A voice answered back. “They just blew through the roadblock. We got three agents injured.”
“No!” Agent Roland yelled. He switched to a prearranged channel on his radio that allowed him to speak to the helicopter he had flying above. “Rick, do you have them?”
“Yes sir,” Rick, the helicopter pilot replied. “They are headed straight to the highway, sir.”
Sophia noticed the helicopter following them onto the highway. She pointed up to the sky, “We have a fan. What do we do?”
“I don’t know, I don’t know,” Tammy replied in a panic.
I’ll take care of it for you, just keep driving.
Tammy and Sophia could only see the spotlight from the helicopter that had been tracking them since they left the lake house. The stalker spotlight from the helicopter took a sudden turn and then the light disappeared.
All of the lights in the chopper went out. With the helicopter in total blackout, the pilot suddenly lost control of the machine. He frantically called over the radio that the chopper was going down. He was eventually able to regain control, but the lights were still out on the helicopter. Still shaken from his fright, the pilot decided to be safe and set it down.
Throwing the walkie onto the floor on the passenger side. Both hands on the wheel now, Agent Roland drove even faster. More reckless.
Ahead, Tammy pushed Sophia’s Volvo S60 to its limits once they finally reached the highway. The Volvo blazed past a blur of other cars. They swerved back and forth through the lanes.
“Did you shoot the helicopter?” Tammy asked keeping her eyes on the road her hands upon the wheel.
“No. It just disappeared,” Sophia answered glancing out of the back window.
“Ok… ok. That’s good,” Tammy said. “I think Primis might have done something to make him lose us.”
Sophia was skeptical that Primis had anything to do with the helicopter losing them. She thought maybe the pilot hit something, maybe it ran out of gas. Maybe, the pilot just lost them.
Tammy interrupted her thoughts, “Are you hit? Did you get shot?”
“No, I don’t think so. I’m ok. You?” Sophia replied.
“Yeah, I’m good. There’s a bullet hole in the dash though,” Tammy said, “Do you think you shot anybody back there?”
“I don’t think so,” Sophia replied.
“Where your eyes closed?” Tammy inquired.
Sophia answered, “No. My eyes were wide open. Why?”
Her eyes were closed and she really had no idea whether she hit anyone or not. She hoped she didn’t kill anyone innocent. She would like to have hit her brother-in-law. She wouldn’t mind shooting him, but the other agents and officers she j
ust wanted to leave her alone.
“I just want to be sure that we don’t hurt any law enforcement,” Tammy said. “They are just doing their jobs. They don’t know what they are making them do.”
Sophia cut her eyes at Tammy. How could she be so worried about the officers and agents that were there trying to kill her for her brother-in-law? Didn’t she kill a whole building full of people?
She wondered how her brother-in-law was able to convince the officers and agents to kill her. She just wanted his brother to respect her and care for her. It wasn’t like she wanted to call the police on him.
Clinching the passenger side panic handle she tried to keep herself calm as Tammy drove fast through the other traffic.
Tammy, get off of the highway on the next exit.
But, I might have to slow down and they may catch up.
No, they won’t. Just listen to me, I have a plan. Trust me and I will show you.
Sweeping dangerously across several highway lanes, Tammy exited the highway at almost full speed. Slowing down only just enough, she skid onto the street just missing two other vehicles. The other vehicles collided.
Now, turn onto the first street and park in someone's driveway. You will be able to escape over the back fence.
Tammy took the first available side street and pulled into the closest driveway screeching to a halt. Tammy and Sophia heard the sirens closing in as they jumped over a back fence into the rear of a gas station. Casually they walked across the lot over to where the semi-trucks were. While a driver checked his trailer, the two slipped unseen into the back of the cab.
For the moment, the two could rest and relax. As long as they stayed quiet, they would be able to ride undetected.
As the semi-truck pulled nonchalantly out of the parking lot, Special Agent Roland’s car screeched to a halt behind Sophia’s Volvo. The S60 was parked crooked in front of a home near the highway. The agent grabbed his radio.
“I have their vehicle,” he spoke into the radio. “111 Missye Lane. No occupants.”
While Roland’s agents and police stormed the house and scoured the nearby neighborhoods where Sophia's car was found, Tammy and Sophia quietly escaped huddled together in the sleeper cab of a semi-truck.