by Matt Juhl
“We’re just looking to question her,” Tonya assured him.
“This is a set up.”
Tonya looked at Leland and exchanged a glance of disbelief. “You think this was planted at the scene of the crime to implicate Harper in Bill’s murder?”
Nik pulled the police towards the door with an intense sense of urgency. “I saw Traci wearing that thing with my own eyes. She tried telling me it was a gift, but when I questioned Harper, she told me Traci had taken the necklace and wears it constantly. The woman’s unbalanced.”
Tonya groaned.
“Ask Harper, she’ll tell you how insane Traci is. That’s why Harper’s here. She couldn’t handle living with that nut bag any longer. Harper asked Traci for the necklace back, but she hasn’t been able to produce it…probably ‘cause she lost it. Traci must’ve left it behind when they killed Pops.” Nik tore open the door and motioned for Tonya and Leland to follow. “I can’t say for sure if Traci set Harper up at the crime scene, but I know she set her up tonight. She used Kendall to lure her back.”
“What?” Tonya asked.
“Kendall asked Harper over for dinner so they could spend time together without Traci interfering, but more importantly, so Harper could get her stuff while Traci’s out of town.”
“If you were so concerned, then why didn’t you go with her?” Tonya asked.
“’Cause Kendall insisted she wanted it to be a girls’ night only. Don’t you get it? Traci didn’t go to Chicago. She’s at the house waiting for Harper. The only way she knew she’d be able to convince Harper to come was to have Kendall lie about the plans. That’s why you can’t reach Traci. She probably turned off her phone so she can be alone with Harper and she couldn’t be tracked. And that’s why Traci didn’t want me giving Harper a ride.”
Tonya folded her arms. “How do I know you’re not just covering for Harper or that she’s not really working with Traci and Gage?”
Nik charged towards Tonya and stood in her face. “You’ve always been on our side. Don’t make me start hating you now! You might be a detective, but you’re also human. I know you’ve seen the hell Harper’s been through after losing her family. She’d never hurt anyone and until this, she’s never given you any reason to question that fact. I told you about Traci and the necklace. That information, along with bailing Gage out from prison, should be more than enough to see who she really is. So rather than wasting time, building a worthless case against Harper, I suggest you do your job and stop the maniacs before they kill another innocent person.”
The detective felt overwhelmingly compelled to renounce her suspicion and trust Nik. “Let’s see if you’re right.”
Tonya raced to the back door of the squad car and let Nik inside. Then she and Leland jumped up front. “I’m dispatching backup. Punch it, Brown.”
“Hurry,” Nik ordered. “I need to call her.”
Tonya handed her phone to Nik.
As he waited a response, the haunting silence between the long, unsettling ringing made Nik sick to his stomach.
“Anything?” she asked.
“She’s not answering.”
“Relax,” Tonya assured him. “We don’t know for certain that she’s in any danger.”
“I know what kind of person Traci is and the games she plays. I also know she’s furious at Harper for moving out. There’s no telling what she’ll do. I don’t wanna think about it.” His head began to throb, imagining the possible horror unfolding. All he could do was hope that they’d get there fast enough to halt Traci’s wicked scheme.
Harper nervously watched through the lingering shadows as Traci and Gage spoke in hushed whispers, nervously pacing back and forth in the foyer.
Uncertain of her fate, Harper briefly considered racing towards the door.
Were they so engrossed they wouldn’t notice her quiet escape? Could Harper regulate her breathing enough so they wouldn’t hear her? And if she made it outside, how far could she run in the snowstorm?
Before Harper took a step, Gage looked her straight in the eye. She noticed the gun he was boldly brandishing and realized she was confined to their merciless scorn.
Gage glared at Harper while he moved past her, making his way to the front door. Then he peered out the window just as a set of headlights flashed against the house.
“Looks like we’ve got company...”
“Are you serious?” Traci raced across the hall and watched the police vehicle slowly struggle at the end of her driveway.
“Bet that’s Detective Harris…”
“Shit, what are they doing here?” she asked.
He exhaled nervously. “Hell if I know.”
“Did they follow you?”
Gage covered his mouth in shock.
“Answer me, asshole, did they see you?”
“I doubt it.”
“Bull.” Traci jutted her chin in anger. “I’m not going down because of your stupidity.”
“That’s exactly what’ll happen if we keep standing here, arguing about this shit. What are we gonna do?”
Traci held her breath and wracked her brain in those fast seconds. “I can tell you one thing for sure…we won’t get caught.”
“Then what’s the plan?” Gage yelled, growing impatiently.
A vindictive grin overtook her face as she turned her attention back to Harper. “On your feet,” she ordered. Traci lifted her gun from the floor and pressed it against Harper’s back. “Move!”
“What’s going on?” Gage asked.
“You’re gonna wait on the balcony until they come inside. Don’t let them pass. Is your gun loaded?”
“Of course.”
Traci’s sharp words were cold and direct as she whispered, “Shoot to kill—that means anyone who comes inside dies. If you fail me this time, you die.” She raced to the closet and threw her jacket on.
“So where are you going?” he asked.
“Outside now!” she instructed Harper, ignoring Gage.
Traci pushed her to the patio door and slid the glass door open. She grabbed one of the candles from the dining room and placed it inside a lantern. Then she pointed at the lighthouse. “We’re climbing to the top.” Traci pulled out her gun and examined it under the moonlight. “I’m not letting the police spoil our goodbye.”
“She’s here. That’s my dad’s truck!” Nik shouted impatiently.
Leland pressed his foot against the gas pedal and made his way up the slippery driveway. He turned off the headlights and looked at Tonya. “Shit, we ain’t got back up yet.”
“Don’t count on it. There have been tons of accidents tonight,” she reminded him. “We don’t have time to wait. We’re going in.”
Rather than retort with some cynical remark about Tonya’s rash decision, Leland nodded solemnly and followed her out of the car.
She opened Nik’s door and then motioned to her seat. “Wait here.”
“You’re frickin’ nuts. I’m coming with you guys.”
Tonya put her hand on her hip. “No you’re not.”
“Yes I am,” he argued.
“You can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Besides the fact that it’s against protocol, these people are incredibly dangerous.”
“I don’t care. Don’t you understand that Harper needs me?”
“Look, it ain’t happening kid,” Leland interjected.
“Please, I can’t just sit here waiting,” he begged.
“This is a matter of life and death. I need you to truly understand that. If you’re right about Traci, every second that we stand here debating this could mean we’re putting Harper in more danger. Now get in the car and stay put, or I’ll cuff you.”
Nik reluctantly assumed his position in the front seat, feeling inexplicably helpless and defeated. However, he followed her orders.
Through the blinding snowfall, he anxiously watched Tonya and Leland draw their guns and cautiously disappear around the corner.
Then he turned his h
ead towards the lake and saw two shadowy figures, carrying a lantern as they approached the lighthouse.
“You ready, Harris?” Leland asked.
She put her finger to her nose.
Leland agreed and withdrew the pistol from his holster.
Tonya steadied her gun in front of her face, motioning forward as they cautiously crept through the unlocked door.
Adrenaline soared. Her heartbeat strummed a low, nervous song that rang mercilessly in her ears. Between short, quiet breaths, Tonya moved with her back to the wall, followed closely by Leland. Her brown eyes desperately scanned the darkness, listening for the slightest sound to signify uncertain danger.
Tonya’s face was stone cold and her senses were heightened. Over the years, she'd learned how to control her reactions and shut off her emotions. Although she'd never admit it to anyone, no matter how much training she'd been through and the number of times she'd been put in similar situations, she always doubted her ability to face the threat head on.
Slinking through the obscurity, she knew this mission was one of the most dangerous she'd ever faced. Her mind raced in circles, imagining that at any second she could reach out and be mere inches from a serial killer. It sent chills down her spine.
Overhead, Tonya heard a creaking floorboard and a man’s cough. She put her hand on Leland’s arm and stopped him.
At the same moment, a violent wind gust blew through the broken window in the dining room and knocked over a glass vase.
Suddenly the sound of a gunshot blasted from the balcony.
“Down,” she ordered.
The deafening blast was followed by several more. The clicking of rounds echoed across the drafty house.
Tonya pulled Leland to the ground and began shooting back.
The blackness illuminated with gunfire, recklessly soaring through the room like a senseless massacre.
Those brief seconds seemed like a dreadful eternity. Everything moved in slow motion, yet faster than her mind could comprehend.
Then she heard a loud thud.
"Damn!” Leland howled.
Tonya quickly rushed to his side and put her hand on his shoulder.
Leland was shot.
Harris began to panic. She reached along the wall and found the door knob for a coat closet, quickly pulling Leland inside in a desperate attempt to shield him.
“Brown, are you okay?” she asked in a hushed voice.
“I think so.”
“I’m gonna get you some help.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Leland whispered. “Just go blast his ass.”
“But—”
“Stop him!” he growled.
Tonya patted him on the arm. Then she bravely closed the door and faced the danger— alone.
The detective fired one warning shot in Gage’s direction before boldly sprinting across the grand entry way.
As she ran, the rounds blasted one after the other. There was no such thing as accuracy at that point. Both Tonya and Gage were hasty in their dangerous pursuits.
Before she was in the clear, one of the bullets grazed Tonya’s calf.
She fought with every ounce of her strength not to scream, but the sharp, burning pain was unimaginable. Although the blood ran down the inside of her pant leg, she couldn’t pay it any attention. Instead, she focused on her breathing and her target.
Tonya hobbled the rest of the way across the open space, leaning backwards and taking brief solace in the fact that Gage couldn’t reach her on the adjoining wall.
By that time, her eyes began adjusting to the darkness. The pale moonlight shone through the front windows, which helped make out the staircase to the magnificent loft where the psychopath lingered.
She cautiously leaned forward, hoping to make out a silhouette in the reflection. However, she couldn’t see as much as a shadow. Even in her presence, he was elusive.
Knowing that Gage was relishing in her misery pissed her off almost as much as all the devastation he’d caused. She wanted to take the handle of her pistol and bust his smug, little mouth.
While she began inching towards his direction, Tonya wondered if he was alone, or if Traci was beside him.
Then she began to panic, worried that Harper may be somewhere trapped in the house or worse…already harmed. Several horrific scenarios flashed through her mind, each one more gruesome than the last. It pushed her to persevere. She would protect Harper’s life if it was the last thing she ever did.
All of a sudden, Gage stopped firing his gun.
It caught her off guard. She waited breathlessly for the slightest indication of movement. However, he was hauntingly silent.
Thick tension mounted in the blackness, making her feel uneasy. The silence was unnerving, more daunting than the gunshots. It was as if he’d vanished.
Tonya considered her options. The detective’s thoughts needed to be quicker than any bullet, which was nearly impossible. She needed to be a step ahead of him, especially since he had an advantageous position over her.
She reached into her holster, pulled out her baton, and tossed it across the vacant foyer.
It was enough to provoke Gage’s gunshots, firing in the wrong direction.
With no time to think, Tonya made a mad dash to the staircase, quickly scaling as fast as she possibly could with her injury.
With each step, her heart sank. Never in her life had she known such unthinkable terror.
Over the sound of gun shots, Gage couldn’t hear the detective make her way to the top of the landing.
Tonya waited in the stillness for several seconds, astounded by his obliviousness.
Etched in the shadows, Tonya made out his figure. His long legs were bent and his entire body hunched to the ground.
Gage was almost impossible to see—almost. And he appeared to be alone.
He slowly stood to his feet and leaned over the banister, searching for Tonya. He lined up his shot, moving his arms back and forth.
In those brief seconds, where time was of the essence, Tonya swallowed hard and quietly lifted her hands. Every passing second matched her nervous heartbeat, thudding against her chest. With absolute precision, she pointed her gun, took a deep breath, and fired.
The steel bullet soared through the drafty loft and landed into Gage’s side.
He growled as his muscular body slammed to the ground, followed by the sound of his pistol dropping.
Tonya froze in utter disbelief.
The murderer lay on the ground, quietly moaning beneath his short breaths.
Tonya yelled into her radio for backup while keeping her eyes locked on Gage.
As she approached his body, she shouted, “Turn over and put your hands behind your back!”
Gage ignored her command, convulsing in pain.
Tonya looked down and noticed his gun lying mere inches from his hand. She quickly kicked it away and repeated herself. “You heard me. It’s over. Put your hands behind your back.”
“I can’t. You frickin’ shot me,” he yelled.
“Yeah well you shot me too, asshole! Now roll over!”
Gage and Tonya exchanged glares of contempt. Several seconds passed and neither of them budged an inch. Instead, they stared each other down in the dark silence, contemplating their next moves.
“I’m not playing with you. On your stomach, now!” she ordered.
Gage cautiously moved his left hand down to where the bullet had entered his hip. He howled in pain, applying pressure to the wound.
“Move!” she barked.
Gage rocked back and forth helplessly.
Tonya watched in pleasure as the wounded maniac struggled for his own strength. She could feel the beads of perspiration swell at her temples and run down her dark skin. The fear mounted inside her, but she stood strong.
Gage turned to his right side and shrieked, hunching over as he tried to hold himself up.
Within a matter of seconds, he leapt to his feet and knocked Tonya’s hand down, forcing he
r to drop her weapon. Then he lunged at her with carnal veracity, pushing her backwards.
Tonya pulled herself free and tackled him to the ground.
Gage flailed his arms like a cyclone and struck her several times in the head, making it impossible for her to grab a hold of his hands.
To stop him, she slammed her kneecap into Gage’s groin.
“You bitch!” Gage shouted.
Tonya looked down and saw her pistol. She scrambled to gain leverage, desperately reaching as far as she could.
Just as her fingertips grazed the firearm, Gage tugged her backwards by the feet and stood her up. Then he shoved her into the wall.
Gage hurled his heavy fist into her jaw and pulled her head up by her black ponytail. Then he pressed his large forearm against her throat with all his strength, viciously choking her.
Tonya gasped for air, anxiously contorting her body and fighting to no avail.
“Thought you could actually stop me?” he taunted.
Frantic that those were her final seconds of life, Tonya mustered enough strength to form a fist. Then she violently dug her knuckles into the open wound on the left side of Gage’s torso where her bullet had torn open his flesh.
“Shit!” Gage released his grip and fell over in pain.
After breaking free, Tonya coughed and struggled for air, feeling lightheaded. However, knowing that she didn’t have much time, she quickly picked up her gun.
“No!” He yelled. Gage attacked her, fumbling for the pistol.
She gripped the handle with all her might. Her fingers rested on the trigger as she pointed the gun towards him.
With all his strength, Gage forced her arms away, causing Tonya to fire a shot into the empty foyer.
Then Gage used his free hand to smack Tonya upside the head.
However, the detective stood unscathed. She stomped her boot against his shoe and flexed her biceps to maintain control.
“Give up!” he barked, underestimating her tenacity.
Tonya flashed a scowl and grumbled, “I’d never give you the frickin’ satisfaction.” Then she smashed her elbow into Gage’s jaw.
He knelt down and wiped the blood from his mouth.
Realizing how close they were to the banister, Tonya knew she only had a moment, a split second of opportunity. There was no way she could let it pass by. Her life depended on that brief instance.