by R E Swirsky
Gerald responded by turning quickly around. He grabbed Tommy by the waist and tried to throw him to the ground, but Tommy was much too thin and wiry. Tommy easily slipped out of Gerald's grasp, danced around Gerald and gave him a hard shot to the back of the head. Gerald turned around and managed a grab of Tommy's shirt. He yanked hard, and Tommy's feet slipped out from under him. Tommy flailed his arms about in an attempt to recover his balance, but it was to no avail. Tommy soon found himself lying on the floor.
Gerald spun himself around as Tommy fell and Sarah could see that Gerald's rage ran deep. His eyes burned with a fire that danced about with a crazy hatred that Sarah knew could never be extinguished by the likes of a boy the size of Tommy.
Tommy tried to get to his feet, but Gerald stopped him abruptly with a hard kick into the ribs. Tommy fell over onto his back and grimaced in agony. He clutched the right side of his chest with both hands. Gerald readied to kick again but held his foot back as it was apparent that most of the fight had now gone out of Tommy.
Gerald paused and stared down at Tommy writhing in agony on the floor.
"You really want to mess with me, you fucking punk ass shit?"
Tommy opened his eyes to see Gerald pacing, back and forth, above him.
Gerald glanced around the room, reached over, and picked up a small wooden end table. He lifted the table high above his head and was ready to bring it down on Tommy who still lay on the floor and clutched at his ribs.
Sarah managed to find her voice and screamed, "No! Gerald, no!"
Gerald hesitated for just a second and looked towards Sarah. He grinned. He nodded at her as if to let her know that this was payback, and that this too was her fault.
Gerald raised the small end table as high as he could in the air above Tommy.
Suddenly, a shot rang out from somewhere and Gerald gasped loudly. His body went limp as the bullet struck him in the heart and brought him to an immediate stop. As Gerald's body fell to the ground, the small end table slipped out of his hands and landed hard on top of Tommy. Tommy was instantly knocked unconscious and a huge gash broke open on his forehead.
Sarah was dumbfounded as she looked around and wondered where the shot had come from. Her eyes landed upon another young boy who stood just inside the doorway. The long dark-haired boy stared blankly down to the two bodies on the floor. He held the handgun tightly in his outstretched hands.
Only a moment had passed when yet another young teenager appeared in the doorway.
"Jason!" This latest arrival shouted at the one with the gun. He stepped forward quickly, placed his hand on Jason's shoulder and looked past him to the two bodies on the floor. "Oh no," he exclaimed as he spotted Tommy laying on the floor with blood running down his forehead. He ran over to him and hovered over his limp body.
Jason remained by the doorway and lowered the gun. He let it slip out of his fingers to the floor and then shuffled slowly over to where Tommy lay. "I didn't mean to shoot him, Ricky! I didn't." He began to weep.
"I don't think you did," Ricky replied.
The two boys fussed over their friend and completely ignored Gerald's lifeless body just a few feet away.
Ricky placed his hands all over Tommy's body, as he felt for wounds and checked for blood. "I don't think you shot him, Jason."
Ricky placed his ear on Tommy's chest. "His heart's beating and he is breathing. Look at his head. I think he just got knocked out."
"You sure?" Jason replied. He moved forward next to Jason and stared down upon his brother.
The two boys continued to hover over Tommy's body when Sarah called out from across the room. "What's happened? Is he okay?" she asked. She managed to stand and shuffle around the side of the couch towards the boys with small steps due to the binding around her ankles.
"Huh?" the two boys both said in unison and turned towards her voice. Neither even noticed Sarah in the room.
"Tommy's okay," Jason said. He looked over at Gerald. "He's not so good though," he said as he motioned towards Gerald's body with his hand.
"What do you mean?" Sarah asked.
"I think he's dead," Jason said.
"Yea. He is very dead," Ricky added. He stood up and looked at Gerald once more and then over towards Sarah. His eyes crawled over the bindings on her ankles, and he could see her hands were also bound behind her back. He tilted his head to the side and frowned. Sarah could see the puzzlement in his eyes as they called out to her for an explanation.
Sarah let out a deep sigh. She wasn't sure if it was relief or sadness. A part of her hated Gerald, and she was glad to see he had not succeeded in harming Tommy. But no part of her had ever wished him dead.
With Tommy lying unconscious on the floor, Sarah remembered what Tommy had told her about why he was there and felt it necessary to tell the boys what Tommy had told her. She glanced quickly out to the front window where she could still see the glow of the blue and red lights that lit up the world on the other side of the window coverings.
CHAPTER 100
Dean was furious.
"Did you see that?" he shouted at Constable Heavy Head.
"See what?"
"That kid, for Christ’s sake. He ran into the house."
Heavy Head looked up at the house. "What kid?"
"Jesus! A kid just ran into the house there." He put his hands on his hips and stared up at the house. He picked up the radio, called to the officers out back and asked if they were in position. They confirmed they were in position to cover the back of the house and also reported that they saw no one leave the house.
Heavy Head shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't see anyone run into the house. You sure?" he asked.
"Goddamn it, yes! I am sure! And I think it was the same kid who tried to break in there a few weeks ago."
Dean looked around at the gathering crowd and immediately spotted Bobby who had been staring at Dean the entire time. He hustled over to where Bobby was standing.
"Was that your friend who just ran in there?"
Bobby nodded back sheepishly.
"What the hell is going on here? Do you know we have a very serious situation happening in that house?"
Bobby just stared back because he didn't understand what Dean was telling him.
"Your friend is going to get himself killed in there. Now why the hell did he just do that?"
"I don't know!"
"Listen to me, son. I need to know why your friend just ran into a house when it is damned obvious that it was a stupid and dangerous thing to do! Look at that damned front door!"
Bobby simply shrugged. "Ricky does crazy things sometimes."
Dean looked back towards the house. He really needed to get the situation under control.
"You stay right here! You hear me?" Dean shouted at Bobby.
Bobby nodded back timidly.
Dean moved back next to Heavy Head and spoke to his officers. Once Dean was sure the house was secured on all sides, he picked up the radio on his cruiser and turned on the loudspeaker. He called out on the loudspeaker to the house and announced the presence of the police. He asked if everyone was all right inside. He was surprised when the response he received came from the young boy he was sure was Ricky.
"Is that you, Ricky?" Dean called out.
"Uh huh. I'm Ricky," Ricky's voice called back softly from the doorway.
"Is anyone hurt?"
"Yes. There's a dead guy in here."
Dean remembered the two voices he had heard arguing earlier.
"Can you tell me who else is there with you?'
There was a moment of silence in the house.
"There's a lady. Sarah."
"Who else?"
"No one else."
Dean was suddenly puzzled. Something was wrong. He had definitely heard two voices earlier when he first rushed up to the house. With Ricky now inside, that meant three males were in the house. With one dead, there should still b
e two more. Dean picked up the radio and called the officers out behind the house. They confirmed that no one had exited back there.
"Is Sarah okay?"
"Uh huh. She's tied up though."
Dean felt relief at the news of Sarah.
"How many are dead?" Dean asked.
"Just the one guy. Gerald, I think his name is," Ricky called back.
Dean was agitated. Who the hell shot Gerald?
"Where's the gun now?"
"It's here. I've got it," Ricky replied.
"Don't touch the gun!" Dean shouted to Ricky.
"I've got it here in my hands. I'll bring it out if you want."
"Aw, shit," Dean said quietly to himself. “The boy’s fingerprints are all over the gun.”
"Can you toss the gun out onto the porch?"
Ricky didn’t answer, but in a few moments, the gun flew through the air out the front door and landed on the steps. Dean motioned for one of the officers to retrieve the weapon.
"Any other weapons inside?"
"No."
"Are you sure there is no one else in the house besides you and Sarah?"
"Uh huh. There is no one else in the house."
Dean wasn't so sure. He knew he would have to be quick to secure the house, and he directed a few officers to come with him as he cautiously approached the house. They advanced slowly and entered the house with guns drawn. Dean moved to the study and commanded the others to search every room, every closet, cupboard and possible hiding place. Dean was sure there was someone else still in the house.
Dean slipped down the hall towards the study and stopped when he was outside the door.
"You alright in there?"
"Uh huh," Ricky called back.
"I'm coming in now," Dean said, and moved slowly into the study. Gerald's body lay on the floor in a pool of blood, dead from a single gunshot wound to the chest. Ricky stood over by the couch next to Sarah. Dean could see that Sarah was securely bound.
He asked again if Ricky and Sarah were injured and quickly instructed Ricky to untie Sarah, while he kept his gun drawn. He looked at Sarah and asked her directly where the other man was.
"What other man?" she replied. "It was only Gerald who broke in here." Sarah looked like she was about to cry, and Dean asked her to sit. He didn't believe a word of it. "I heard two men arguing earlier. Where did he go, Sarah?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Sarah insisted. "It was just Gerald who broke in here while I was reading my book."
"Uh huh. So who shot him? You with your hands tied behind your back? I know it wasn't you," he said to Ricky. Ricky nodded his head in agreement.
Sarah looked over at Gerald. "He shot himself."
"Did you see anyone else?" He asked Ricky.
"No. That man was dead when I ran in here. It was just her sitting over there tied up on the couch."
Dean paced around the room and looked at Gerald's body. He noticed the broken end table, but other than that, there wasn't much more to see in the room. He paced and waited. Minutes passed. When the other officers returned, they reported that a full search of the house had turned up no one else. That included the basement and the attic. Dean didn't like it.
Dean turned to Ricky. "Why did you run in here anyway? You know you could have gotten yourself killed.”
"I do crazy stuff sometimes."
Dean didn't believe him. "And you kept running inside even after the gunshot. Most people would turn tail and run the other way. That includes me."
Ricky said nothing.
"Listen. I don't know what's going on here, but something just isn't right. I'm going to get this mess cleaned up, and then we'll all have a little talk about just what the hell is really going on."
Sarah looked up at Dean, and he could see she was trying not to cry. He had not yet told her about Simon. He wasn't sure how to tell her.
"About Simon," Dean said.
Sarah dropped her face into her hands and cried heavily. She pulled one hand away just long enough to point to the floor in front of the couch and then turned away. Dean stepped forward to see Simon's finger on the floor.
"I am so sorry," he said and placed his arm across her back.
Dean took both Sarah and Ricky out of the house and into the back of his cruiser. He sent the rest of the team back inside to do the cleanup. It would be hours before they were done, and Dean continued to collect the details of what happened from Sarah and Ricky. Ricky's parents were called and he was eventually sent home. Dean offered to take Sarah to a hotel. Sarah insisted on staying in her home. Even when Dean demanded that she should leave, telling her it was a crime scene, she refused. Dean had no choice but to let Sarah back into her home. He insisted she stay clear of the study until they completed their investigation. The last of the investigators left Sarah's home as the hour neared midnight. They promised they would be back around 8:00 AM the next morning to continue.
CHAPTER 101
It was black as pitch in the small room behind the fireplace. Jason had been sitting for hours listening to the mumbled voices that slithered through the blackness. Tommy laid outstretched and unconscious on the floor next to him.
Jason could hear Tommy's shallow breathing as the hours passed, and it gave him hope that Tommy would be all right. He didn't dare move around inside the small room. He saw how cluttered it was when the room was first revealed. He couldn’t risk making any sound that would attract the interest of the police officers on the other side of the fireplace.
The room was narrow and lined with shelving on both sides. He saw the shelves littered with VHS tapes, CD cases, binders, photos and stationery when they shuffled themselves quickly inside. There was writing on many of the cases, but he had not had time to read any before closing themselves inside.
It was Sarah's idea that they hide until this was over. She repeated to them Tommy’s confession about what was inside the room, and she told them she understood. She insisted they see this through. The boys didn't understand why she was helping them, but they didn't have time to argue. Listening to Sarah was the only real option they had.
Jason felt Tommy's leg move against him, and he leaned over Tommy's body.
"Tommy?" he whispered quietly.
"Hnnn," Tommy groaned back.
"Shhhh! Tommy, be quiet," Jason whispered close to his ear.
Jason turned his head towards the back of the fireplace. He could still hear the muffled sounds as people moved about on the other side.
Tommy stirred again and moaned.
"Tommy, you have to be quiet," Jason insisted.
"What?" Tommy replied in a soft, incoherent manner. "Where the hell am I?" He sounded groggy.
"Listen to me. Please, Tommy. You have to be quiet or else we are in deep trouble."
"Oh, my ribs," Tommy replied. His voice was quieter and clearer, and Jason knew Tommy was coming around.
"Tommy, it's me. Jason."
Tommy stirred and his breath became heavy and rapid. Jason suspected he was attempting to sit up.
"Don't move. You've had a bad knock on the head."
"Jason?" Tommy inquired tentatively. He suddenly stopped moving.
"Shhh!" Jason replied again. "Yes, Tommy. It's me, but you have to be quiet."
"Jason?" Tommy whispered back excitedly. "Oh, my God! I thought you were dead!"
"No, no,” he whispered.
"But how? I heard Patricia scream and the shot gun go off."
"I was so scared, Tommy. Doogie had me up against a tree in a small clearing. He had the shotgun pointed at me and I was so sure he was going to shoot me. Patricia came out from the trees behind Doogie, jumped on his back and screamed."
"I can't believe it, Jason," Tommy said. Tommy moved and groaned again. He began to cry, but it wasn't due to the pain in his ribs. "I was so sure you were dead. I was so sure. I think I cried all the way here. I am so happy right now.
Oh, God. I missed you so much."
He reached out to Jason and Jason reached back. The boys hugged each other in the darkness. Tommy grimaced from the terrible pain in his chest, but it didn't matter. Neither said a word as they shed tears of joy.
"When we heard Patricia's scream come from the trees and the gunshot, we were all sure Doogie killed you. Even Willie thought so," Tommy said. "He shoved me so hard to run away. I've never seen Willie so terrified."
"Patricia's the only reason I'm still here. She screamed and jumped on Doogie's back. That's when the shotgun went off. It hit the trees above my head and knocked branches and shit down on top of me. The two of them fell to the ground with Patricia on his back choking him. She screamed at me to run. I didn't know which way to go, so I just ran past them into the trees. I grabbed Doogie's Beretta that he dropped when Patricia took him down."
"I'm so happy right now," Tommy said again. "My forehead hurts like hell. I think it's cut. And my ribs. I think one or two are broken. It’s all kind of a blur. What happened? Where are we?"
Jason's voice saddened as he disclosed the details to Tommy.
"We're in the secret room behind the fireplace. I saw your backpack in the shrubs by the back door, so I knew you were inside already. I was so excited to see you, but I heard you shouting with that crazy guy as I came down the stairs and pulled out Doogie's Beretta."
"Oh, right," Tommy replied. "I totally forgot about that fight. Shit my head hurts."
"The wooden table fell on your head when I shot him, Tommy," Jason said. He sniffed as he tried not to cry. "He was about to smash your head in. He would have killed you. I had to shoot him." He remembered how he had swung his axe in the direction of his mother and killed her. That feeling of pain and loss returned. He sobbed.
"You had no choice. I should thank you."
Jason continued to sob. "What are we doing, Tommy?" he asked.
"We are setting things right. That is what we are doing."
"Are we?" Jason asked.
They hugged each other again. They remained quiet and waited to hear silence from the other room.
CHAPTER 102
Dean tried to sleep, but he kept waking as thoughts about the events of the night danced about in his head. He looked at his bedside clock and groaned. The sun would soon rise. He had been reviewing all of the facts in the case all night. He fluffed his pillow, rolled over and hoped to find sleep, but his thoughts returned to the events of yesterday.
