Alliance

by S. R. Franklin

  Walking into the bathroom, she peered into the eyes of her reflection. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, Sam.

  She took down her hair and tried to brush it. A quick look in the mirror told her there was no way to salvage it. She looked over at the clock beside the bed. 9 AM. She had three hours before JJ would be there.

  Sleep was her favorite escape. She fell down across the bed and snuggled up to her pillow. She pushed all of her thoughts out of her head and fell asleep.

  Chapter 2

  Daniel reluctantly walked to the elevator. Most people looked forward to the end of the day; going home to be with family. But for the last few years he had picked up his two-year old boy Adam at daycare and went to his sisters for supper, then the park or something ‘til bedtime. He did this Monday thru Friday unless his wife was in the hospital again. Her illness had gotten worse and so had his patience. By now he was at his car, staring into space. His job as DA for Chicago was easier than simply going home. He unlocked the door and got inside.

  Daniel drove to the daycare, trying to decide where to take Adam for supper. He had learned that if he let him decide it would be pizza hands down. He smiled at the thought of his little boy. It seemed he was the only thing good that came from his ten-year marriage.

  Daniel reached the daycare, pulled into the parking lot, got out of the car, and walked across the short path to the playground. He stood at the fence and looked for Adam. He looked everywhere but was not concerned until he saw Ms. Caroline. He waved at her and she started walking over.

  “Hello, Mr. Thomas. Is there something I can do for you?” Ms. Caroline said, looking somewhat confused.

  “No, I’m just here to pick up Adam,” Daniel stated.

  “I’m sorry, sir, your wife came and got him about an hour ago. She said you called and was working late. I hope that was okay,” she said ringing her hands.

  “NO, NO, it is not all right. I told you, no one is to pick him up but me or my driver.” Daniel was furious. He turned and ran to his car. “I’ll have that woman’s job if she has hurt my boy.” He jumped into his car.

  He raced home. Racing, hoping, thinking, and praying.

  He pulled into the entrance of his housing development.

  Please let everyone be inside, he said to himself as he blew past the guard. Why did I let the driver off today? He was angry at himself. Too late to worry about it now.

  He pulled in the driveway. He could hear Adam crying as soon as he got out of the car. Dang it, why did she have to upset that boy. He had been upset enough. I need to have her put away quietly and for good this time.

  He began to run towards the front door. Maybe I should just find a way to divorce her.

  He reached for the front door and heard Amanda scream. “Shut up Adam, just shut up.”

  Daniel threw the door open and ran inside.

  Amanda was sitting at the bar facing the door. She jumped up when she heard Daniel’s voice.

  He moved into the foyer towards Adam.

  “Calm down, Son, it’ll be all right,” Daniel said reaching for Adam.

  “Stop, stop! You think I’m stupid, don’t you?”

  Daniel was so mad at her for upsetting Adam, he hadn’t noticed the gun in her hand. “Easy, Easy!” With his hands out stretched, Daniel began to move across the room towards his son.

  Amanda was fumbling the gun back and forth between Daniel and Adam. “Don’t move!” she screamed over and over. “I can’t stand it! Shut up, both of you, shut up.”

  “Just take it easy,” Daniel said, staring down the barrel of the nickel plated .45 his dad had left him. Amanda, his wife of ten years, seemed to be in a daze, mumbling something he could not understand. Daniel moved slowly, finally reaching Adam. He stepped in front of him trying to console him and stop his crying.

  “Amanda, just put down the gun. Everything is all right.” Outwardly, Daniel wanted to appear calm, but inside he was beginning to panic. Amanda had not been stable for years. She was in and out of hospitals and institutions. Nothing worked for longer than a few months, but this last time the medicine had not worked at all.

  Amanda’s hands were shaking. She was crying and twisting her hands in her hair, pulling it out by the handfuls. Adam was crying louder and louder and then fell to the floor. Daniel instinctively lunged for him to pull him from the floor.

  Amanda screamed and began to fire the gun in every direction. Daniel fell down over Adam trying to keep him from getting hit.

  “It’s okay, Adam, Daddy is here.” Daniel was hugging him as tight as he could. It was no use. He felt a burning in his side and then another in his arm. There was so much blood. He couldn’t tell if Adam was hit. All he knew was that Adam was screaming like he had never heard him scream before.

  “I told them, I told them,” Amanda muttered. “I told them you would try to leave me and take him. You don’t want me anymore. I can’t let you leave me. Don’t you understand? You can’t leave. I told them I would not let you leave me no matter what. No one listens to me, no one listens. This is your fault, Daniel, your fault.” She walked towards them and pointed the gun once again. “It’s your fault. You will never leave me and I will never go back to that place.”

  Daniel pulled his phone from his shirt and dialed 911. He pulled Adam as close as he could. He tried dragging him towards the door. Maybe he could get Adam out before he got hit. But Adam was not moving. He was unconscious. Daniel feverishly tried to see if Adam was alive. All he could see was blood. He could hear someone yelling at him. He had forgotten about the phone. Not looking he yelled, “Help, help, we’ve been shot.”

  There were no sounds from Adam. Amanda was walking back and forth in front of the bar. He wrapped Adam up in one arm and began crawling for the door.

  “Sir, sir, are you okay?” the voice yelled from the phone.

  “Help, we need help.” Daniel struggled to breathe. “My son, my son he is not moving. She shot us, plea…..”

  That was all he could say. Amanda was coming towards them still holding the gun. He reached his arm upward. “Amanda.” The last thing he saw was Amanda shaking violently, trying to point the gun at his head.

  “I hate you,” she whispered as she fired again and again.

  Daniel could fight no more. He was beginning to fall into a deep sleep, hoping it was only a dream.

  “We, we? Sir, who is in the room? Sir, please tell me how many are shot. . . Okay, Sir, I’m sending units in your direction, Sir. Just hang on.”

  With his last wisps of consciousness, Daniel imagined the reaction of the officers who heard the address from the dispatcher. He knew they would know.

  He could hear them in his mind, saying, “What address was that?”

  Chapter 3

  Amanda walked over to her son and husband and looked down. “Now we will always be together, honey.”

  “Amanda, where are you? Time to go.” Her mother Clare had come to take her to yet another doctor’s appointment.

  Amanda heard a scream and turned to find her mother standing in the back entrance way.

  Clare ran towards her and grabbed her by the arm. “What have you done?!” There’s blood all over you!”

  Amanda observed her mother’s reaction but felt nothing. No fear, no anger. Nothing. She thought that was probably strange, but for the first time she felt happy. In control. Peaceful.

  And it was as if her mother were in a movie and none of this was real. She watched her mother’s face contort in grief as her eyes moved past Amanda and to Daniel and Adam lying on the floor covered in blood.

  Clare ran over and knelt down beside them. “Are they alive?!”

  Amanda crouched beside Daniel. She put the gun beside Daniel. “He will never leave me now.” She cradled Adam and began to stroke his hair.

  Clare grabbed her arm.

  Amanda glared at her. “Let me go! He’s mine!”

  Her mother stared at her.

  Amanda jerked her arm away and tur
ned back to Adam. Why could she not understand? Adam was hers.

  “I’m going to go get your father.”

  Amanda didn’t respond.

  Clare was talking to herself now. “I’ll get Ben. He’ll know what to do. I think he’s in the garden. He must be close.”

  Clare reached down and tried to pull Amanda away from Adam and Daniel.

  Amanda screamed and slapped her mother’s hands.

  “We have to go, Amanda. We have to get them help and you to the hospital.”

  “Go away, go away; leave me alone.” Amanda started rocking back and forth, singing to Adam.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Amanda saw her mother pick up the gun. She ran out of the room. Amanda heard her enter the laundry room. She heard the dryer shift to one side and the creaking of old wood.

  Amanda smiled. Under the dryer was the perfect place to hide the gun.

  She could hear sirens coming into the housing development. Amanda began drawing hearts on Daniel’s and Adam’s faces with their blood. She was singing Adam’s favorite lullaby. “Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep little baby.”

  The police burst through the door.

  Amanda did not even look up.

  Clare screamed. “Just don’t hurt her. She’s sick.”

  With guns drawn, they yelled at Amanda to move away from the bodies.

  The officers came closer, pulling Amanda out of the way. She screamed. She fought every move. The officers got her on her stomach and cuffed her. She was kicking and spitting at them.

  Clare ran over and had to be restrained by a third officer. “Ma’am, move back.” The officer barked at her.

  “MOM!” Amanda screeched.

  The room began to fill with police and EMT’s. The EMT’s tried to revive Daniel and Adam. They placed IV’s, then oxygen. They performed CPR on them both, shocking them back to life.

  “We have a pulse. We have to get them to the hospital now!” Others brought over stretchers. “Move, move!” They loaded both Adam and Daniel into the ambulances.

  “Noooo!” Amanda screamed.

  Chapter 4

  The officers led Amanda to the patrol car. She wasn’t fighting anymore. She seemed to be in a quiet trance. They placed her into the car and drove away.

  Detective Joseph Henderson walked into the house. It was flooded with police and CSI. Many were chattering, trying to piece together what had happened to the DA and his son.

  “His wife must have shot them.”

  “Why would she do that?”

  “Did she really shoot them?”

  “Where’s the gun?”

  Joe walked through the house. It had been a long time since he had been here. At least four years.

  He began to ask questions of the officers about the kind of evidence they had come across. “Where is the gun? Did we find a gun yet?”

  “No, sir.”

  He walked to the breakfast bar. The blood spatters showed Daniel and Adam had been shot while facing the bar. There were bullet holes all over the room. Someone had fired many times before hitting the victims. He stood over the outlines of both bodies, looking over the puddles of blood. He noticed small droplets of blood leading away from the outlines. He bent down to make sure it was blood. Sure it was, he called a CSI unit member over and asked him to take samples. He then started to follow the droplets. They led toward the back of the house.

  Joe called over the CSI team and asked them to photograph and sample those as well. Joe continued to follow the blood trail. It led outside and stopped. He walked into the yard. It would be hard to find anything more in the grass, but it was worth a look.

  Maybe Amanda had not shot Daniel and Adam after all. He could see nothing but decided to ask CSI to come outside. As he turned to go back into the house he noticed a bloody handprint on the door facing. CSI was coming to cover the outside and Joseph pointed out the handprint. He walked back into the house and yelled to get everyone’s attention.

  “I need to know who was first on the scene.”

  Two officers walked over.

  One of the officers spoke. “We were here first.”

  “Can you tell me what you saw when you got here?” Joe asked, taking out his pen and pad.

  ‘Yes sir, when we got here the door was open.”

  “Which door, both or just the front?” Joe asked.

  “Sorry, sir. It was the front. I did not see the back,” the officer stated.

  “What about you?” Joe turned to the second officer.

  “I’m sorry, all I could see was Ms. Thomas sitting beside the bodies and doing something with her hands.” The second officer was a little shook up.

  “Okay, continue, the front door was open and Amanda, Ms. Thomas, was sitting beside both bodies.”

  “Yes, that is correct,” said the first officer. “And another woman was standing behind her. She tried to move Ms. Thomas.”

  “Yes.” The second spoke up. “I had to restrain her somewhat so the others could get Ms. Thomas out.”

  “Who was this woman?” Joe asked. “And where did she go?”

  The first officer continued. “It was Ms. Anderson. Ms. Thomas’ mother and she went to the back door after we cuffed Ms. Thomas.”

  Joe ran out the front door to his car. He grabbed his radio and told all the officers not to let Ms. Anderson leave the housing development. He further told them to detain her and bring her to the station under arrest.

  There was a small pathway between Daniel’s house and his neighbor’s. It was mostly grass, but there were concrete stepping stones around a table and chairs. He had sat there several times with Samantha and Daniel, laughing and talking about everything from work to football. Sure enough, there were blood droplets on some of the stones. If Amanda was still in the house when the police got there, there was another shooter. Joseph called once again to the CSI and showed them the droplets.

  Chapter 5

  Clare ran towards the garden. She was running, yelling, “Ben, Ben come quick.”

  Hearing only his name, Ben meandered outside. He had finished his work in the garden and walked back to the house to cool off. It would be a long afternoon and a quiet one. Both Clare and Amanda were gone to the doctor’s office and Daniel would have Adam at the park until dark. He had planned on a quiet evening with a large glass of scotch on the rocks and the news.

  Now he was sure he heard his name. He bet Amanda was giving Clare trouble again not wanting to the doctor again. He peered towards their house and sure enough he could see Clare almost running towards the house.

  “Get the car! We have to go to the police station. Call Harry, she will have to have a lawyer.”

  “What? What are you saying?” Ben began to walk towards Clare. He reached the edge of the yard and Clare. “What happened? You have blood on your hands?! Oh Lord, what has happened? Has Amanda hurt herself again?”

  Clare was frantic and pale. “What blood, where? Oh Lord, I have to wash my hands before someone sees.” Clare was rambling and making no sense. She pushed passed Ben and ran into the house, heading for the bathroom. “Don’t forget, get Harry on the phone. Tell him to go to the police station and we’ll meet him there.”

  Ben followed her down the hall. “Know what, Clare?” Ben grabbed Clare by the arm.

  “Clare, stop right now. Tell me what happened. Whose blood is that? Is Amanda hurt? Or Adam, is he ok? Is that cops, an ambulance? What in God’s name is going on, you’re mumbling? What do I tell Harry and why who needs him?”

  “Shut up, Ben, and just move.” Clare jerked her arm away and continued washing her hands. “I will tell you on the way. Just call Harry and tell him to get to Amanda. She can’t speak to anyone.” Clare dried her hands and walked to the front of the house.

  Ben could only follow. He stopped at the phone and called Harry. “I don’t know, Harry, just please get to Amanda. He is on the way to the police station. We’ll meet you there.” Ben hung up the phone and grabbed the car keys.

>   Clare was already in the car, waiting for him. She was crying.

  Ben started down the driveway toward the police station. “Okay, Clare. What is it this time? Do I have the right to ask you now?”

  “She shot them, probably killed them. There was so much blood. I knew she wouldn’t take that medicine. What’ll we do? His family will see that they kill her for this.” Clare sobbed and wrung her hands.

  He looked at her incredulously. “What about Daniel and Adam, Clare? What if they die? Did you think of that? Adam is your only grandson. He’s barely two years old and all you care about is what happens to Amanda. How did she get a gun? Are you sure she shot them? Has anyone called his family? Where is the gun?”

  Ben slammed the palm of his hand against the steering wheel. “All you care about is what people think. Not about Amanda, Daniel, Adam or me. I am so sick of your crap. This is your fault. They told us not to let her out, but no, you were worried society would find out. Well, just think what your social status will be when they find out your crazy daughter killed her husband and child. No more parties at the governor’s mansion. No, it will just be you and me all alone. Well, me, at least because you will be in jail, too.”

  “Will you just shut up and drive? I have enough to worry about without listening to your crap right now. Stop asking so many stupid questions. I don’t know what happened. I walked in and found her standing over them. And besides, I hid the gun. No one will find it. We have to get her back into the hospital. They can’t get to her there.” Clare turned towards the window and became silent, still wiping tears.

  “Clare, if they die they will get to her anywhere. They own this town. She isn’t safe anywhere. But no matter what, she stays in the hospital for good. She is not coming home again.”

  “She’s our daughter, Ben, no matter what she’s done. I know Daniel’s family is going to make sure Amanda is blamed and put away forever. But we can’t let them kill her.” Clare became solemn.

  “What? You’re going to try to be a mother now? It’s a little late, don’t you think? Everyone from the head of CPD to the FBI, lawyers, and doctors everyone will be all over this; his entire family, Clare. There will be no safe place for us again. Any of us, Clare.”