by Jim Riley
Spirit Island
d'Iberville kept his gun pointed at LaBorde until the fallen man ceased twitching. Niki raced to John's side, embracing him with a two-arm hug. Streams of joyful tears ran down her chin. The relieved smile said more than words ever could.
When she tightened the embrace on his muscular midsection, Niki felt the cop wince. She immediately released her hold on John and stepped back, realization hitting her like a thunderbolt.
When she looked at his torso, she saw the crimson red blotch on her striped shirt.
"What—? You—?"
John took the thirty-eight revolver from the stunning young investigator. Welker bent, reaching for the shotgun.
"Don't do it, Henry. You don't have a chance."
Henry settled back into his recliner. Niki stumbled back to the chair next to the old contractor, her numb mind unable to comprehend this unexpected turn of events.
Henry addressed d'Iberville. "I should have known. It was you all along, wasn't it?"
d'Iberville laughed, followed by a hurt expression. "I couldn't let you guys drag me down. You know what they do to cops in jail?"
Niki regained focus. "I don't understand. How could they involve you?"
Henry answered by asking Niki a question.
"Do you remember the list you got off my computer, the one with the dollars?"
Niki slowly nodded.
"Do you remember the lines on it?"
"It showed how you split up the money from the job. How does that involve John? His name wasn't on the list."
Henry folded his arms across his chest.
"He was on there. We didn’t list his name, but he was on there."
The truth hit her like a sledgehammer.
"Protection. There was a line on it for protection. John was making sure you guys weren’t investigated."
She looked at John, who still smiled.
"Is that true, John?"
d'Iberville glanced at LaBorde, then back at Henry and Niki.
"I protected them for more than a decade. I kept the auditors and purchasing off their asses. Nobody in the state ever bothered them. Then that stupid freshman senator came along and ruined everything. It wasn't even his responsibility. I couldn't foresee it."
Niki put both hands to her face.
"Why did you have to kill them all?"
"It wasn't part of my original plan. I figured if I could frame that idiot, then all my problems would go away. But then he disappeared. I had a lot of loose ends."
Henry grunted. "And you started with me. You knew, that eventually, I'd put it all together. Bridgestone being framed was the key. Who else but a detective could plant all that evidence?"
"Oh, my God," Niki gasped.
Henry continued. "A detective that was threatened with exposure if the investigation went forward."
"You've got it, Henry."
Niki's mouth dropped.
"You talked Bobby into hiring me because you thought you could control my investigation. You never thought I would find out what happened to Mr. Henry, did you?"
"Nope?" The cop responded. "He was determined to hire somebody. It wasn't like you’re a great investigator. You were way too inexperienced to have a chance of solving a case as complicated as this one. You would never point the finger at me. You love me too much."
She gasped. "You used me. All this time, you used me."
"I did," he admitted. "But now, you're one of the loose ends."
“Like Jo Kemp? What kind of loose end was that precious little girl?"
d'Iberville shrugged. "I hated that. I really did. But she was collateral damage. Nothing personal. Just business."
Welker watched as d'Iberville's blood dripped down his shirt onto his pants.
"You made a mistake this morning, didn't you?"
d'Iberville grinned. "Lucky for me, only one buckshot hit me. Otherwise, it would have put me down."
Niki's face turned red with fury.
"I wish I had put a bullet between your eyes. Then there wouldn't be two innocent kids dead because they were collateral damage."
d'Iberville sneered. "You're starting to bore me. It's time to finish my business here. Then I'll find Bridgestone, and my career will be back on track."
Niki could not believe what she heard.
"Your career? Is your career worth all those murders?"
d'Iberville's lips turned into an evil smile. "Those and two more. Goodbye, Henry."
The bullet hit the contractor over his right eye. Blood drained from the small hole. Henry's body stiffened, then relaxed as though he fell asleep.
While d'Iberville stared at Henry, Niki took advantage. She somersaulted forward and kicked and gun out of the cop's hand. Rising, she hit him with a chop to his bloody side. He struck back, hitting her squarely in the face. She did not back down. Instead, one kick knocked the wind out of the injured cop and he rocked backwards. He scrambled for his weapon.
Niki thought of Dalton. The investigator bolted out of the door and catapulted down the stairs. She sprinted across the clearing. She heard the door slam behind her, and John hobbled down the stairs, gun in hand.
The first shot struck the ground six inches in front of Niki's right foot. The second shot hit two inches wide of her left foot.
Niki stopped and turned back to face d'Iberville. The cop closed the distance quickly. He stopped a dozen feet from her; the gun extended.
"I hate to do this, but I have no choice."
When the shot rang out, Niki cringed. Then she realized it was a rifle shot from the loft of the old barn. d'Iberville ignored her and charged the barn, shooting at the opening in the loft every third step. When he ran out of bullets, d'Iberville stop to reload. No more shots came from the barn.
Niki moaned.
Oh no. Dalton is bluffing again, and John is calling his bluff. John will kill him.
She raced to close the distance between herself and d'Iberville. When she neared him, the strawberry–blonde soared through the air, slamming into his body. He tumbled to the ground, clutching his bleeding side.
Movement from the barn distracted her. Dalton ran forward to meet them. A fist slammed into the base of her head. She fell backward, flat on the ground, her eyes unable to focus for a second.
d'Iberville picked up the pistol and pointed it at Dalton. The senator stopped not ten yards from the two of them. d'Iberville grunted from the pain, but managed an evil grin.
"This is better than I expected. I can kill two birds with one stone. Actually, two bullets, but there won't be anybody left to count."
Niki felt the warm cocoon gently embrace her body. She immediately stood, now confident.
"You can't hurt anyone else, John. Not on this island. Not on Spirit Island."
The evil grin reappeared.
"And who will stop me?"
Niki took a step toward him.
"The spirits of the rougarous. They won't let you harm me."
d'Iberville laughed out loud.
"Do you really believe in that hogwash? I thought you were more intelligent than that. You—"
Niki's foot slammed into the side of his head before John could pull the trigger. He tumbled to one side, and the pistol flew harmlessly. Another kick to his side and one to his head put the cop down for good. Although still conscious, John could not get to his feet.
Niki embraced Dalton as hard as she had ever embraced anyone in her life. They were safe. They had each other.
When they finished, Dalton asked her, "What will we do with him?"
Niki looked up into the sky.
"Nothing. Spirit Island will take care of John."
Dalton followed her gaze into the sky. He saw millions of mosquitoes descending on the crooked cop. In a matter of seconds, the biting insects covered every inch of John's body.
John screamed and clawed at his attackers. There were too many of them. The cop rolled over and over, all to no avail. The insects became so thick Niki could see no part of
d'Iberville's body. Then as quickly as they came, the mosquitoes rose, and disappeared into the sky.
d'Iberville’s pale body lay still on the green rye grass, all the blood sucked away.
Dalton hugged Niki tighter. They both stared at the ashen remains in the clearing. Niki pulled Dalton close and looked into his deep blue eyes.
"Are you convinced yet?"
Dalton nodded.
“And you?” he asked.
“I’m okay. I chose victory.”
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