All In A Day's Work

by Gary Resnikoff

  “No. Should it?” He honestly had no clue what the detective was talking about.

  “Yes. The name Ray Baird should mean something to you. He was my uncle. Oh, and Julia’s, too. We happen to be cousins, if you hadn’t noticed the family resemblance. You and your misplaced civic duty ruined our uncle. A few years ago, he was a successful general contractor in Denver. That is, until you set your sights on him.” He waved the two guns around as he spoke. His anger was building up, and spittle was coming out of his mouth. “You and your fucking crusader show ruined him. You destroyed his business, and you killed him.”

  “I’ve never killed anyone,” Jackson shot back.

  “Not with your own hand. You’re too much a coward for that. No, you wrongfully destroyed his business, and, in doing so, you killed his will to live.”

  “I’m really sorry, Detective, but I just don’t remember him. Was this a long time ago?” He tried to sound calm and understanding—anything to slow things down and defuse the situation.

  “Too late for your sympathy now, shithead. It was years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember how he talked about you, and how you were relentless and didn’t give him a chance.” A tear dripped down the detective’s cheek.

  “Listen, I’m sorry about whatever happened. I don’t put people on the show unless there are complaints about them. He must have had quite a few customers calling us. I know I would have tried to resolve things,” said Jackson, still trying to defend his actions. The reality was that this sounded like a hundred different people he had dealt with over the years. Maybe more.

  “They were all lies!” Baird shouted. “You didn’t give him a chance to explain! If you hadn’t harassed him, he would be alive today!”

  “Look, Detective. I never meant to harm anyone. What can I do to make it right?” Maybe if he stalled long enough, the detective would calm down, and they could all walk out of here in one piece. He tried to reason with him. “I’m sure we can work something out. No one else has to get hurt. It will just make things worse.”

  “Are you that dense? What a fucking idiot. It’s too late for that. I killed all those people to frame you. Julia and I are the Revengers. You think that can all go away? My uncle killed himself because of you. You can’t bring him back any more than I can undo what the Revengers did.” Baird shook his head and turned to Julia. “Can you believe this guy? He ruins people’s lives and doesn’t even have the decency to remember their names. His name was Ray Baird. Try to remember it with your last breath.”

  “Wait… think about what you’re saying, Detective. You swore an oath to protect people. Talk about decency; you’ve been killing innocent people just to hurt me.” As soon as Jackson said it, he regretted it. Antagonizing the killer wasn’t going to calm him down. If anything, he could see it was having the opposite effect. Baird was shaking with rage.

  “You bastard. You think you can shame me into letting you go?” He fired the revolver over Jackson’s head for effect. The bullet struck the wall next to a moose antler, sending everyone ducking for cover.

  “Yep!” yelled Baird. “I’m fucking killing people, all right!”

  “Calm down!” screamed Julia. “Let’s just kill them and go!”

  “You shut the fuck up.” He grabbed his head, trying to drown out everyone around him. “Everyone, keep your mouths shut!”

  Baird fired the gun again, still aiming over Bob’s head. Joel ducked and fell to the floor, angling himself closer to the fireplace poker. He let out a moan like he was having a heart attack. Amber, seeing Joel fall to the floor, raced to his defense. Jackson put his hands in the air and was calling out to Baird to calm down. Joel moaned again, hoping to draw Baird or Julia closer to them. Amber was standing over Joel and growling at Julia and Baird, her teeth bared. She seemed ready to attack.

  “Control your dog!” yelled Baird, which agitated Amber even more.

  “Amber, stay!” Joel commanded her. She stayed but didn’t take her eyes off the Revengers.

  ****

  Detective Stein, accompanied by George and followed by Justin, arrived in Grand Lake, and they were greeted by the Grand Lake sheriff and two deputies. They were waiting on the side of the road and quickly exchanged handshakes.

  “I appreciate the support,” said Detective Stein. “We still aren’t positive about the situation. We’ve tried calling the Schwartz residence a few times, but no one answered.”

  Sheriff Anderson nodded. “What can we do to help?”

  “It’s possible we have a situation at Bob Jackson’s cabin. We still haven’t confirmed what’s going on, but it is possible one of our homicide detectives is involved in some way in the recent Revengers’ crimes. Bob Jackson was coming up here to meet with Joel Schwartz to establish an alibi for the case, and Detective Baird might be up here, as well. Honestly, I don’t know how serious the situation is, but I am concerned. What I’d like to do is have you accompany me to the cabin as backup, just in case.”

  “Just in case of what?” asked the Sheriff.

  “It’s possible that Bob is in danger. If the detective is involved, he might be here to silence Bob and Mr. Schwartz. I’m hoping I’m wrong, but if the detective is here, and I can’t talk him down, things could go south quickly.”

  “I assume the detective is armed?”

  “No doubt.”

  “Okay. Do you know the location of the cabin?”

  “George is here to lead us to it. He’s been there a few times.”

  “And what about Schwartz?”

  “Since he didn’t answer his home phone, we have to assume he is with Bob at the cabin.”

  “What’s your plan?”

  Justin had pulled up behind the group and exited his car.

  “He’s with us, as well,” said Stein. “Justin, you will need to stay behind the group as we pull up to the cabin. I’ll let George out as soon as he identifies it for us. I want you guys to stay back. I hope the situation doesn’t get dangerous, but just in case, I don’t want to be worrying about you two. George, you can ride back to town later with Justin.”

  “I understand,” said Justin solemnly.

  “Sheriff, if I can have you and your deputies pull up behind me as backup, hopefully Detective Baird will see there is no point in putting up any resistance.”

  The Sheriff and his deputies agreed and started walking to their cars to follow Jake to the cabin. They were all startled by what sounded like a gunshot in the distance. They all froze for a few seconds… until they heard a second gunshot.

  “It may have just escalated,” said Stein as he rushed back to his car. “Better call an ambulance, and more backup if you have it!” he yelled to the sheriff before he jumped in his car.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “No man ever became very wicked all at once.”

  —Juvenal

  “Detective. Please let them go, and you and I can work this out,” begged Jackson.

  “Let me explain it to you in simple words, Bob. Julia and I are the Revengers. We did all this to bring you down. We wanted you to feel what it was like to lose everything you worked for, just like our uncle. Now that your show is ruined, and everyone thinks you are responsible for these crimes, I think you understand just what our uncle went through.”

  “I think I do,” Jackson lied. “But we can still work this out.”

  “Chris, shoot them already, and let’s go. I don’t like this. Those gunshots might attract people. We need to leave,” Julia pleaded.

  “Almost ready. I need to finish this up. So, Bob, here’s the deal: You killed all those people because you’re batshit crazy. Your show consumed you, and you thought you were protecting society. That sounds like something you would do, doesn’t it?”

  “No. I would never do that. You need to stop this madness.”

  “Time to shut up and listen, Bob. I think you need to hear this before you die. After you came to your senses, you realized just how crazy you had become. How far y
ou had sunk. So, here you are with your accomplice. You and Tina are now officially the Revengers. You remember them, right?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Joel discovered your crazy scheme and confronted you. You decided to kill him, but it all went wrong. There was a fight, and Tina was hit by an errant bullet and died. You couldn’t take the grief of losing her, so you killed yourself. Perfect ending.” Baird was smiling, proud of himself.

  “You’re nuts,” said Jackson. “No one will believe this. Just let Joel and Tina go, and I’ll do whatever you want.”

  “Can’t let Tina go. The ending doesn’t work if she escapes. And as for Joel—sorry, buddy, but you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Shit happens,” he said matter-of-factly.

  Amber continued to watch the detective with a suspicious eye. When Joel fell to the ground, moaning, she was sure that Baird had caused her master harm. Had he not commanded her to stay with him, she would have already attacked. Now, when Baird addressed Joel, Amber could tell by his tone that he meant to harm him. She’d had enough and decided to act, ignoring her directive to stay. She knew his life was at stake.

  With a thunderous growl, she sprang into action and flew straight at Baird. Instinctively, she knew the threat was the object in his hand and went for it. Baird tried to shoot her but missed, this time, hitting Joel in the stomach. Amber reached Baird and chomped down on his wrist so hard, everyone in the room could hear a bone snap. He dropped the gun and tried to pull her off his hand, screaming for help, but Amber wouldn’t let go. In fact, she renewed her attack with vigor, shaking her head from side to side, seemingly trying to tear the hand off.

  Julia was, at first, shocked by the vicious attack, but snapped out of it, then grabbed a metal table lamp and swung it wildly at Amber. Barely missing Baird’s head, she finally connected with a blow to the side of Amber’s head. The dog squealed and fell to the floor, bleeding and moaning. The attack was over for her.

  As soon as Amber attacked, Jackson sprang into action himself. He helped Tina off the couch and pushed her toward the kitchen, then told her to run out the back door and get help. She was still in extreme pain and bleeding from her knife wounds, but she managed to limp out the door as instructed. With Tina out the door, Jackson turned his attention to Joel. The bullet had passed through him, and he was bleeding profusely. Jackson still tried to get him up and moving toward the front door, but the fight between Amber and the detective was over too quickly. Before they could reach safety, a shot rang out, hitting the front door. Jackson froze and lowered Joel to the floor. He realized he’d made a fatal error. Instead of trying to help Tina and Joel out, he should have followed Amber and attacked the detective. He turned back toward Baird and was shocked to see that the man was now holding the gun in his left hand. His right hand was dangling by a thread, dripping blood.

  “Shit. Shit!” The detective was crazy with rage and screaming. The pain in his mangled hand was excruciating, and the sight was unnerving. “Get the fuck back over here. Where’s that bitch, Tina?”

  Jackson didn’t reply.

  “Fuck. Julia. You need to find her and get her back here. Take the gun,” he said as he handed it to her. He took out the taser and pointed it loosely at Jackson.

  “Wait… get me something to wrap my hand.”

  Julia ran into the kitchen and came back with a dish rag, then wrapped it around the wound as best she could to stop the bleeding. Then, she ran out the back door to find Tina.

  “Fucking dog.”

  Joel was lying in a growing pool of blood by the front door, barely breathing. Jackson was sure he would die soon without help.

  “He needs help.”

  “Fuck him.”

  Joel wasn’t the only one in desperate need of help. The bandage on Baird’s arm wasn’t doing much to stop the flow of blood, and he was starting to shake. Jackson briefly considered making a move to attack but decided that even in his weakened state, Baird couldn’t possibly miss at this short range. He decided to wait it out. Baird was losing so much blood, he would probably pass out soon, anyway.

  Baird was in pain but not incoherent. He knew from the look of his hand that he was in trouble. Without medical help, he would probably die soon. He was having trouble focusing on a single thought, though. His brilliant plan for revenge was crumbling down around him. A new plan was needed, but his mind couldn’t stay focused for long enough to think it through. All these new things to explain. If Jackson was one of the Revengers and was killing Joel, then why would the dog have attacked Baird? It was confusing. Did the murder-suicide scene still work? He needed to slow things down, so he could think. Everything was moving too fast now. He actually wanted to cry.

  “Get back there and sit down,” he said to Jackson through gritted teeth. “I am really losing my patience with you.”

  Jackson hesitated, lingering near Joel.

  “Leave him there.”

  All Jackson could do now was stall. Someone had to have heard the gunshots and called the police. And, with any luck, Tina had escaped to the safety of a neighbor’s home and was also calling the police. He had to stay positive. He considered defying Baird’s latest command, but in the end, thought better of it. The taser gun might not be lethal, but at this point, he needed to stay alert and ready. He slowly made his way back to the couch.

  ****

  Tina had struggled to stay on her feet as she reached the back door and headed down the steps. The pain and loss of blood from the knife wounds was taking its toll on her, but being outside, away from the violence, was giving her new energy and optimism. She stumbled on the last step but regained her balance before falling into the grass beside the house. Glancing left and right, she spied a car a few houses up the road and decided to run to that house. Just as she took a step, she felt someone grab her hair from behind. The action pulled her backward, causing her to fall suddenly on her butt. The fall knocked the wind out of her, and the realization of getting caught again sucked out what little strength and resolve she had left. She cried when she saw Julia staring down at her.

  “Gotcha, you bitch. Where do you think you’re going?”

  Tina didn’t answer. She couldn’t answer. She was too weak, and her will to fight was gone. She was ready to accept her fate and just hoped that Julia would end her suffering quickly.

  Julia had her own pain to deal with and would have liked nothing more than to shoot Tina where she lay. She was fed up with the whole affair and wanted to go home, and if it wasn’t for Baird still thinking they could stage the murder-suicide scenario, she would have.

  “Get up,” Julia hissed, a mixture of blood and spit spraying down on Tina.

  “I can’t,” moaned Tina.

  “You’ll do what I tell you, or I’ll kill you right here,” Julia snarled at her. She bent down and pointed the gun in her face. “Get up!”

  Tina tried to move but didn’t have the strength anymore. Julia reached down and grabbed her hair to help her to her feet, but it was no use. Tina was like a dead weight.

  They were interrupted by the sound of a car pulling up on the gravel driveway out front. “Don’t move,” Julia commanded as she peeked around the corner of the house. She was alarmed to see a black sedan coming to a stop. She could see Detective Stein behind the wheel. Seconds later, two SUVs with the sheriff’s insignia on the side doors pulled up behind him. Panic and anger set in. She knew they should have left earlier, but Baird always had to have his way. Now, they were screwed. She watched Stein, the sheriff, and his deputies all exit their cars and take defensive positions behind their car doors. They were all focused on the front door of the cabin, leaving them exposed on their flank. They had no clue Julia was watching. She wracked her brain, trying to come up with an escape plan. Then, another car stopped farther down the road. Justin and George spilled out and took defensive positions where they could watch safely.

  “Detective Baird!” Stein called out. “It’s Jake! I need you to come out!” He waited for a response. All eye
s were on the cabin door. Nothing happened. “Chris, I know you’re in there! Don’t make this difficult!”

  Baird was in shock. How could Jake be there? How in the world had he made the connection? He could feel his world crumbling around him. The pain in his arm came in waves, making it difficult to think. The dish towel was now soaked through with blood and dripping continuously. He needed to see what he was up against. Creeping to the front window, he peered out and saw Jake kneeling behind his car door and two sheriff’s vehicles alongside his. His eyes were a little blurry, but he thought he counted three deputies, plus Jake. All with weapons drawn and pointing his way. His mind was reeling. What should he do now? This was not part of his plan. Failure was never something he considered when they’d embarked on this journey. Why would he plan for failure? He was brilliant and had devised the perfect crime. It was the dog’s fault. He had never considered a dog in the picture. Why hadn’t he just shot the dog immediately? Damn dog.

  But now what?

  Improvise, he told himself. You can do it. You can still turn this around.

  Then, from the corner of the house, he saw movement. It was Julia, running toward Stein. What was she doing? Was she crazy? She was never really his partner. She was always undermining him, and now, she was about to turn on him as soon as things got a little rough.

  In a final act of defiance, Tina let out a yell to warn the police. Julia had been all set to charge at them but Tina’s warning gave her pause and she hesitated. That hesitation gave Stein, who was closest to her and fully exposed, time to react. He ducked as Julia let out a primal scream of her own as she began firing at him. The momentary warning probably saved his life. The first two bullets missed, but then, a third one struck him in the shoulder, knocking him to the ground. The deputies weren’t in her direct line of fire, and they turned on her, returning fire. From Baird’s vantage point, he could see that at least one shot was on the money, and Julia went down hard. She didn’t seem to be moving.