by C. L. Brees
A familiar voice yelled back, “Yes, we have the situation under control.”
Alex fully opened his eyes and stood to his feet. In the distance he could see the three officers encircling a body that was sprawled out across the road. The burgundy color of blood dirtied the snow.
Thinking aloud to himself he said, “Is it really over? Are we actually going to go home?”
He slightly shook Amy, who was still sitting on the pavement with her eyes closed. He shook a little harder as she opened her eyes slowly.
“Hey, it’s over now. We can get up,” he affirmed as she fully opened her eyes.
“Really? You’re absolutely sure we’re no longer in danger?”
“I’m more than absolutely sure—I’m absolutely positive.”
He helped her to her feet as they both stood with their arms stretched over the top of the passenger door. From a distance Mike could see them as they emerged from the protection of the vehicle, and he stopped talking and began making his way towards them. Alex could see him as he picked up his pace about halfway towards them. Finally reaching Alex, he grabbed hold of him and embraced him as he began to become emotional. “I’m so glad that you are alright—I’ve been so worried about you since I found John. I’m never going to let you go again.”
“Thank you for coming to our rescue. I was seriously beginning to wonder if we were going to die out here. I’m cold though, can we sit in the car and turn the heat on or something?”
Just as Alex asked, an ambulance pulled up to the scene. “Oh nice, and what perfect timing,” Mike breathed under his breath.
The paramedics quickly rushed to aid Alex and Amy towards the back of the ambulance. They wrapped each of them in dry blankets, and Alex attempted to speak to the paramedic, but everything was starting to come out slurred. Concerned, Mike looked at the lead paramedic. “Get them to the nearest hospital right away. We’ve got all of this under control. That DB isn’t going anywhere; I can promise you that. Why is he slurring so much? Is he in shock or is he possibly suffering from hypothermia?” Mike asked as the paramedic jumped in the back of the ambulance, while the other rushed to the driver’s side door.
“How long have they been out here in the cold for?”
Amy chimed in, “We’ve been out in the woods for at least two hours I would say.”
“Is this all he had on the entire time?”
“Uh huh. I wanted him to take this coat but he refused.”
“I see. He’s probably suffering from moderate hypothermia. Not to worry though—we’ll take good care of him.”
Alex laid on the stretcher, glaring at Mike who stood outside the rear door. As the paramedic began taking vital signs, he reached his hand out towards Mike. Alex knew something was wrong with him, but he was slowly fading in and out of consciousness by the point he realized something was wrong. Mike stood there, watching and trying to hold back a complete meltdown from happening.
He could see Alex come back to and explained to him, “I have to go now and see about your mother. She’s been involved in an accident just up the road from here. Just rest now, and I’ll be at the hospital just as soon as I can.”
Leaning in he spoke quietly to the lead paramedic, “I’m going to close the door so you can get to the hospital now. Promise me that you will take good care of him—he’s all that I have left in this world.”
Nodding his head, the paramedic promised, “He’s in good hands now.”
Mike slammed the door shut, banging his hand on the back to ensure that it was secure. Running up the side of the ambulance, he tapped on the driver’s side window. The medic behind the wheel rolled the window down to speak with him. “Be careful, and please let the hospital know I’ll be there just as soon as this is all over. Mike Temple is my name.”
The ambulance backed up and retreated back down the mountainous road. The glow of flashing red and blue lights reflected off the sides of the mountains as it disappeared into the abyss of darkness. Two minutes after the ambulance left, two county sheriff deputies arrived at the scene.
Sergeant Reed looked at Agent Tanner and said, “Well it’s about fucking time they showed up.”
The three began walking towards the cruiser where the sheriff himself was just stepping out. He noticed the three men moving rapidly towards him.
“You must be Sergeant Reed,” he said as he extended his hand.
“I am. We have one hell of a mess on our hands here,” Sergeant Reed said, as the sheriff nodded in agreement.
“I’ll say, I don’t believe I have ever heard of anything this twisted before. Is the entire situation under control?” he asked.
“Not completely. We were heading up the road towards where OnStar reported the crash site; however, our plans were derailed when we came across the kidnapper and her hostages,” he said as he patted Mike on the back.
“Well, I’m glad to see that at least that is under control. Everyone is alright?” the sheriff asked.
“Yeah, the only casualty here is, well, this young lady,” Sergeant Reed said as he pointed to the lifeless body lying in the middle of the road, two bullet holes piercing her head.
“I see. Well, why don’t you three head on up to the crash site. My deputies can handle this scene from here,” he said as Reed motioned for Mike and Tanner to get back into the SUV.
“Thanks sheriff,” Reed yelled as he opened the passenger side door.
“No problem! If you need anything, radio me from this,” the sheriff said as he tossed a hand held walkie-talkie towards Reed.
“Thanks. I can assure you that we will more than likely require your assistance.”
The three officers buckled in, continuing along the desolate road towards the site of the wreckage. Mike glanced out the window; all he could see were the twinkling lights of a few isolated homes that dotted the mountainside. Exhaling slowly, he breathed a sigh of relief to finally be in a safe, warm vehicle. The fear he once harbored of being shot in the back by a psychopath was now merely a distant memory. However, his sense of relief was short lived as he refocused his attention on Alex. Amy was in as good as shape as to be expected after experiencing such trauma; Alex, on the other hand, was barely hanging on when he left him in the hands of the medics. The only thing he could do now was wrestle with the guilt he felt by leaving him to go on to the hospital with Amy. He beat himself up all the way towards the crash site—this was so typical of him, to put his job ahead of anything else in his life. It was clear that he was fully dedicated to his career in law enforcement; he just wished sometimes he would put the important things ahead of his job.
The drive uphill was short, and they arrived at the accident site within four minutes. Agent Tanner crept the vehicle as close to the bumper of the Land Rover as he could. Looking out of the window at the wreckage, Mike’s heart sank—there was no possible way he was going to find any survivors.
As he studied the wreckage he thought to himself, this is going to be a body recovery.
As the SUV stopped, the first ones out of the vehicle were the senior officers in the front seat. Sergeant Reed, having been in law enforcement well over fifteen years and having responded to hundreds of accidents in his time, knew that this one was one that didn’t require any sense of urgency. The chances of surviving an accident of this magnitude were very rare.
Mike open the rear passenger side door and slowly placed his feet onto the ground. The cold upon his feet was an unwelcome feeling as he began walking towards the driver’s side of the mangled wreckage. As he rounded the rear of the Range Rover, the sight of a bloodied arm hanging motionless from the driver’s side window startled him. From down the hill he could hear the familiar sound of sirens wailing off the sides of the mountainside. He turned away from the gruesome sight ahead of him and walked back to his superior who was talking shop with Agent Tanner.
Looking up, Sergeant Reed could see the sickness in Mike’s eyes. “What did you see?”
“I recognized the bracelet from
the bloodied arm hanging out of the window. It’s definitely Carol Jones in the driver’s seat. I am going to wait for assistance for this one—I don’t feel comfortable going down there any further.”
“Agent Tanner, would you mind going down and checking for a pulse? It’s in his best interest if he sits this one out, given everything he’s been through tonight.”
“Yeah absolutely. Temple, why don’t you wait in the car and try to keep warm. Neither of us want to have to rush you to the hospital.”
Tanner worked his way down the steep embankment. He inhaled deeply. The crisp mountain air filled his lungs. Exhaling quickly, he crouched down to look inside the front of the vehicle. Buckled in her seat, Carol Jones was barely recognizable to Agent Tanner. He reached inside and touched her neck with his middle and index finger—there was no pulse. He stood up and walked in circles in the same place. He put his hands upon his head and looked back at Reed who was standing at the top of the embankment. Yelling up he confirmed, “It’s her.”
“Is there anyone else with her?” Reed yelled back.
“There’s a huge hole in the passenger side windshield—it looks as if someone flew through it. I’m going to look around and see if I can find another body,” Tanner informed Reed as he walked around the front of the SUV.
The bright white light from the headlights extended far into the darkened wilderness. Reed watched anxiously as Tanner disappeared slowly into the dense forest. Reed reached underneath his jacket and pulled his weapon out as a safety precaution. He knew the people they were dealing with were sneaky, and there was no telling if they had anything else up their sleeves.
A few minutes had passed since the Marshal walked into the woods, and Reed was now pacing back and forth—the suspense was driving him mad. So much time had passed that there were now two ambulances and a police cruiser on the scene.
His nervousness reached its peak and Reed began walking down the embankment yelling out, “Tanner, what in the hell is going on down there?”
Emerging from behind a tree a split second later, Agent Tanner came running out of the woods at a high rate of speed.
“I found another body—it’s Anja Petrov…or better yet, as you know her, Heather Burgess. She must be the one who kidnapped Carol Jones.”
“Well, don’t keep me in suspense; is she dead or alive?”
“Oh, she’s definitely dead.”
“Well, at least the two masterminds behind this entire ordeal can’t inflict anymore harm,” Reed affirmed as the two walked back up the embankment.
Approaching the government vehicle, his superior knocked on the widow to get Mike’s attention. “Temple, where is your vehicle located?”
“From here maybe two miles up the road,” he informed them. “This road dead ends at the cabin where they kept Alex and Amy prisoner.”
“They? Are you telling me that there are more than just the two deceased?”
“Indeed, sir; there were two Russian cronies who frisked me once I arrived at the cabin. They escorted me inside where they were keeping my friend’s hostage. However, once we got inside they realized they had escaped.”
“So, why in the hell are we standing around here talking about this? Let’s go get these assholes.”
Reed ran over towards the police cruiser and briefed the local officers as to what they found within the wreckage and that everything was secured now. The two officers on the scene nodded as he darted back towards the passenger side. He had barely closed his door when Tanner floored the pedal and sped onward up the hill. The incline was becoming steeper and steeper as they continued on. The two miles seemed like an eternity—an eternity that, in reality, took less than four minutes. Eventually, they arrived at the end of the road. Mike looked upon the cabin; he swallowed hard. He had no idea what to expect once he stepped out of the vehicle.
He departed the rear passenger door, just as another police cruiser arrived on the scene. He stood there momentarily and stretched his arms above his head. His knuckles cracked as he flexed his fingers. Everything around the cabin was calm and serene, so he decided to walk towards his Escalade parked in the exact spot he left it. Without warning, a rapid succession of gunfire rang out from the front window of the cabin. He dove for cover along the side of his SUV.
Thinking aloud to himself he exclaimed, “I thought everyone left the cabin in search of the escapees. Are there more than just those two?”
The feeling of helplessness was sinking in as all he could do was hope that he would be safe in his current spot. His service weapon was still locked in his glovebox, and attempting to recover it seemed perilous. All he could do was hope that his fellow officers had enough fire power to get the situation under control. Time ticked by slowly as the chaotic gunfire was becoming more intense with each passing second. The uncommon snowstorm, which had tapered off for some time, was now escalating once again. The wind steadily blew harder and howled across the wide open lot.
Mike squeezed his eyes closed as tight as he could. Bullets zoomed by, and the only thing he had on his mind was getting back down the mountain alive. He had to see Alex at least one final time. His concentration was derailed by a loud yelp in the midst of the gunfire. His eyes immediately opened, as he looked over towards the police cruisers parked fifteen feet away. All he could only see was Sergeant Reed shielding himself behind the passenger door, dodging bullets as they zoomed by and attempting to get a few rounds off himself.
Mike was concerned and thought to himself, Where’s Agent Tanner at?
Just as his thought finished, he peeked around the rear of his vehicle. Lying on the snow covered gravel was Agent Tanner, in a pool of his own blood. He had been hit. He studied the body closer and could see that he had been shot in the chest. He watched for any movement or breathing, but there were none. A few feet from where Agent Tanner lay was his weapon. The gunfire had ceased, and he didn’t think—he just reacted to the opportunity to retrieve the unsecured weapon. He could see Agent Tanner’s weapon; it had been dropped a few feet from his body. If he was going to die on this mountain, he wasn’t going to die without fighting back.
Dashing across the open driveway, the only thought that entered his mind was, Maybe the attackers are reloading?
He grabbed the weapon from the ground and ran over towards Reed. Not a single gunshot was fired by either side during his daring move. That quickly ended, just before he made it to the safety of the government SUV. A single shot rang out from the cabin, striking him in the right shoulder. He fell to the ground in immense pain. The weapon fell from his hand as he lay there grasping at the wound with his left hand. Reed witnessed this happen and yelled over to him. “Temple, are you alright?”
“I’ve been hit in the shoulder, but I’m still alive.”
“Hold tight. I’m coming to get you out of harm’s way.”
The local police now had more reinforcement arrive at the cabin and took advantage of the lull in gunfire to act. Mike lay in the driveway, bleeding profusely from his shoulder as the sight of six individuals dressed in military grade armor stormed the front entrance of the cabin. He tried to watch, but by this point he was slipping in and out of consciousness.
The SWAT team threw canisters of tear gas through both of the front windows of the cabin. Within seconds smoke billowed from the windows, just as Mike regained consciousness. They waited anxiously for the attackers to exit the building.
Meanwhile, while one dramatic event was underway Mike continued to suffer as he writhed in pain. He was trying his best to breathe slowly and remain calm, but as seconds turned into minutes the blood continued to pour from his shoulder.
“This has to end,” Mike thought aloud as he lay in agony.
A few moments had passed since the first canisters of tear gas filled the cabin. Suddenly, two large, bearded men appeared at the front door with their hands raised in the air. The SWAT team descended upon them with their M-4’s drawn. Seeing the situation under control, Sergeant Reed dashed to the aid o
f his officer.
Once Reed reached him, he frantically grabbed for the radio that the sheriff had given him to use. He had to get help right away.
“Sheriff Miller this is Sergeant Reed. I have two officers down at the cabin. Can you please send all available medical personnel this way?” he demanded as the bass in his voice grew stronger.
“Copy. I’ll have two ambulances up right away—hold tight.”
He leaned down towards Mike squeezing his hand in hopes of providing him with some sense of comfort. “Son, I need you to hold on; help is on the way,” he tried to reassure Mike, who opened his eyes and nodded his head.
Reed’s anxiety was starting to kick in because he felt like everything would fall apart if he lost him. All he wanted to do was put this awful nightmare to rest. He gazed around his surroundings and looked back down at Mike who had just lost consciousness once again. He shook him vigorously as a cascade of snowflakes fell upon his face.
Reed thought to himself, I can’t lose him—I just can’t.
As panic was setting in, two ambulances arrived at the cabin. Wasting no time, two medics raced over. The two broad shouldered men surrounded Mike as he lay on the ground. The younger medic dropped his bag onto the ground and grabbed for his wrist to check for a pulse.
“I have a pulse—a weak one, but that’s a good sign.”
The taller medic softly pushed upon Reed’s chest, “Sir, I’m going to need you to step back so we can have room to work.”
“Oh right, sorry about that. He’s going to be alright, isn’t he?”