by Elle Casey
The man in front of her moved, acting as if he were going to crawl in her direction.
She tried to lift the gun, but it was so heavy. “Stay over there or I’m going to blow you away, you sonofabitch.”
He kept coming and Sarah began to panic. The dog growled and whined, struggling to move closer to Sarah.
“Don’t move, asshole,” Sarah begged, crying at the pain in her shoulder and the valiant attempts by her dog to help her. “I’m going to fucking shoot you, you idiot.”
He kept coming, getting up on his hands and knees to cover the rest of the distance. He reached her foot and put his hand on it.
Sarah screamed, lifting the gun and pointing it at him. “Get off me, you fuck!” she howled, just before she pulled the trigger.
***
Candi saw Jonathan tearing out of the cabin and racing towards the shed.
“Jonathan!” she yelled, jogging now in response to his obvious panic. “What are you doing?! Why are you soaking wet?”
“Getting the car! Sarah’s been shot and Xena’s been stabbed! Go help her!” He yanked the shed door open as Candi raced by. “Direct pressure on their wounds!” came a muffled yell from inside.
Candi made it to the cabin so fast, she didn’t even notice her feet touching the ground or the fact that Jonathan hadn’t answered all her questions. She took the stairs two at a time and burst through the door just as the sound of a gun went off, partially deafening her.
A man who’d been in front of Sarah fell back from the force of the bullet hitting him in the chest. He landed near the bedroom door, one of his arms twisted behind him.
Candi was shocked into immobility for a few seconds before she could gather her wits enough to continue on into the cabin.
“Sarah!” she yelled, getting over her shock enough to speak.
Sarah turned and looked at her, her complexion dead white. “Oh. Hey, Candi. What’re you doing here?” And then she passed out, her head falling back and hitting the floor with a solid thunk.
Candi screamed and ran over to her, hovering over her friend’s still form. She wasn’t sure what she should first, do there were so many things wrong with this picture in front of her.
Xena’s whining caught her attention, and she noticed immediately that the dog wasn’t in any better shape than Sarah was. Both of them were covered in blood, and Xena was just seconds away from going into la-la land too. Her eyes had a faraway look to them, but she was crawling towards Sarah and made it far enough to rest her head on the girl’s chest before she closed her lids too, letting out one long sigh as she lapsed into unconsciousness.
“Nooooo!” screamed Candi, standing there and wringing her hands. “Jonathan! Help me!”
No help came, and she knew she had to do something. She dropped to her knees, scrambling over to Xena so she could lift her head gently off Sarah’s body and place it carefully on the ground. She was bawling as she worked and talked.
“I’m sorry, baby! I’m so sorry! Please forgive me. I have to get Sarah out first. She’s carrying a baby in her tummy.” She went back to her friend, staring at her white face. “Oh my god, oh my god … Sarah! Don’t you die on me, you brat!” She stood up halfway and leaned over, taking Sarah and dragging her through the door and out onto the porch by the material of her shirt, almost pulling it completely over her head in her hurry. “Noooo, dammit! Don’t you die, you stuck up, self-centered jerk! Don’t you dare! If you die, I’ll kill you!”
Candi ran back into the house to get a kitchen towel, racing back out to put it on Sarah’s shoulder. She left it there to go inside again when she heard the Camry roaring to life and driving up to the front of the house.
Xena lay on the floor, her eyes still closed. Candi rushed over and stood above her, straddling her prone form. “Okay, Xena. Now, don’t bite me. I’m sorry if this hurts.” She put her hands under the dogs front armpits and lifted her enough to drag her. She walked forward two steps at a time, using her lower back muscles to heave the dog towards the door between steps, inch-by-inch. The dog’s limp legs just bumped along the floorboards behind her.
The door burst open and Jonathan strode in. “You go hold the towel on Sarah’s shoulder. I’ll get Xena.” He scooped her up like she weighed nothing, and Candi stood up to go hold the door open for him. She followed Jonathan out to the porch and dropped to her knees by Sarah as he went down the stairs and loaded the dog in the back seat. She pressed down hard on the towel against Sarah’s bleeding shoulder, trying not to freak out about all the blood that was already soaking through it.
When Jonathan was done, he came back for Sarah, picking her up like a baby in his arms, water dripping from his wet pants onto the porch at his feet. “How long has she been unconscious?”
“I don’t know,” wept Candi. “A couple minutes? Five? I have no idea!” Time had stood still. She had no concept of it or of reality in general. All of this was too unreal and awful to be happening.
“Don’t worry about it.” He reached the front passenger seat and waited for Candi to open it before putting Sarah inside. He leaned over to buckle her in before coming out again. “Where’s Kevin?”
“Up the road. Just go,” said Candi, breathless from the stress and the worry and the crying. She jumped into the back of the car, lifting Xena’s head so she could cradle it in her lap in the center of the backseat.
Jonathan got in and buckled up, reversing so fast and yanking the wheel so hard to the right he made the car spin out to point in the right direction. Slamming the gears into drive, he pressed the accelerator to the floor, making the car shoot out diagonally at first and then down the path leading to the dirt road.
Seconds later they were barreling towards Kevin.
“Stop here!” yelled Candi. “He’s over there in the trees with James. James got hit too. Both of them were hit.”
“Stay put,” said Jonathan, putting the car in park and getting out. He was only gone for less than a minute before he came out with Kevin walking next to him but hanging onto his shoulder for support. Kevin held James in one arm. The dog was awake now but definitely missing his usual energy.
Kevin got in next to Candi, shoving her over in his hurry to get inside and shut the door.
“Hey, what happened to Sarah?” he asked. “Jonathan’s too freaked out to talk.”
“She was shot by the jerk in the house.”
Jonathan got into the front seat, slamming the car into gear and flooring the gas pedal. “Hang on. I’m going to break the speed limit.” The car roared around the corner nearest the main road, sending gravel and dirt flying.
Kevin held onto the handle above the window. “I think you mean the sound barrier.”
“Sarah and Xena have lost a lot of blood. We have to get them to the hospital or …” Jonathan choked on the last part of his sentence.
Candi leaned forward and patted his soggy shoulder, his fear making her gain better control of herself. She couldn’t fall apart when they needed her so much. “She’s going to be fine. We all are. Just relax and get us there in one piece.”
Candi was distressed to see the rental car missing as they drove by, the one with the folder in it. That meant the killers would still be out there, maybe even waiting for them at the hospital. But she’d worry about that when the time came. Right now, she just needed to pray that they were all going to survive the attack they’d just suffered. Later they could worry about how they were going to get through the next few days without being murdered.
Chapter Ten
Trials and Tribulations
KEVIN MASSAGED HIS SORE SHOULDER. He’d carried that little dog for what seemed like hours until someone at the hospital had finally felt sorry for him and taken the mutt off his hands, promising to watch him carefully while Kevin waited for his sister to get out of surgery. He was surprised they even let him in with the dog in the first place, but he figured it was probably the fact that they looked like they’d just barely survived a bombing or something
that had caused the hospital staff to bend the rules. The veterinarian someone had called for them later had arrived two hours ago and taken Xena to her office for surgery and James for observation. He had her business card in his back pocket.
Candi came over and sat down next to him, handing him a cup of coffee in a styrofoam cup.
“Thanks,” he said, nudging her affectionately before taking a big sip. He looked around as the cup rested on his lips. The stares of the strangers around them had ceased to bother him as of about three hours ago. Their bloody clothes were quite a sight, so he could hardly blame them. He’d stare too if he saw three kids who looked like they’d gone on a killing spree.
Kevin leaned over and tapped Jonathan’s knee, gesturing for him to take the cup. “Come on, man. You have to drink something.”
Jonathan just shook his head, saying nothing.
“Listen … she’s going to be okay. I know she is. She’s too mean to do anything else.” Kevin ignored the lump that rose up in his throat. He refused to go weak on his sister now. Candi and Jonathan all needed him to be strong and positive.
“Kevin’s right. She’s going to be fine,” agreed Candi.
“I’m not just worried about her,” said Jonathan, his voice ragged with emotion. “The baby …” He dropped his head into his hands and sobbed quietly.
Candi rushed over, crouching down in front of her brother and taking him in her arms as much as she could. She was crying now too. “Jon, please don’t cry. Everything’s going to be okay. You know Sarah. She’s strong and stubborn and totally protective of the baby. She’ll pull through. They both will.”
Kevin was glad Candi didn’t say what he’d been thinking - that someday they could have another child if this one didn’t make it. It was a natural thing to consider, but definitely the wrong thing to say. If he had to choose one or the other, he’d choose that his sister survive, no question; but hopefully, they wouldn’t have to.
Kevin reached over and rubbed Jonathan’s back, patting it hard a few times, at a loss for what to say to him. The guy was completely overcome with worry and sadness, and Kevin didn’t consider himself that great with words on a good day. Physical stuff was more his thing.
Candi and Jonathan were so wrapped up in their misery, neither of them noticed the man who stopped in front of them. Kevin was immediately on alert, and not because he thought the guy was an assassin, but because he was wearing a uniform.
“Hello,” he said to Kevin, glancing at Candi on the ground and Jonathan in front of her.
“Hello,” said Kevin. Candi and Jonathan looked at him for a second but ignored him, immediately going back to their own private world of misery.
“Can I talk to you for a minute, please?”
Kevin stood. “You can talk to me. Not them.”
The officer raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. Motioning for Kevin to follow him, he walked away from the waiting area and into a nearby hallway. Kevin stopped when they got to a point where he’d no longer be able to see the Buckleys. “This is as far as I go.”
The officer stopped and walked back to stand in front of him. “This is good enough. My name is Officer Baker with the local police department. Can you tell me your name?”
“No.”
The cop’s posture signaled that he didn’t like being given this particular answer. “And why’s that?”
“Because I have the right to be who I am without having to tell you, that’s why. I haven’t done anything wrong.
“You’re with the young girl in surgery from a gunshot wound, correct? A nurse directed me to you.”
“Yes, that’s my sister. My twin sister.”
“How’d she suffer the wound?”
“Some guy shot her, but not me.”
“I need to fill out a report, and since you’re a witness, I need to have your name.”
“Who said I was a witness? I didn’t say that. I know my sister didn’t.”
“Oh … well, I suppose I assumed it since you’re the one who brought her in here.”
Kevin crossed his arms over his chest. “You assumed wrong. Can I go now?”
“Of course. You’re free to go whenever you want. But I’d appreciate it if you’d choose to stay and talk to me.”
The officer’s expression softened, and Kevin couldn’t help but feel a little bit bad about evading his questions. But he had to hang tough for the safety of his family. This guy was a direct line to the FBI which was a direct line to their killers. He couldn’t take the chance.
“I’m concerned about your sister. She’s been seriously wounded, and that means either there’s a person out there I need to apprehend and put behind bars, or there’s someone out there who at the very least needs a lesson in gun safety. Either way, I’d like to be involved. The State wants me to be involved, yes, but this is personal too.”
Kevin frowned. “How so? You don’t even know us.”
“No, I don’t. But I had a younger brother who was killed by gunfire, and so I take these kinds of situations to heart.” He cast his eyes down, clearing his throat a couple times.
“How old was he?” asked Kevin, unable to help himself. He was picturing losing Sarah, and it was killing him to even imagine it.
The officer’s voice was rough. “He was seventeen. I was nineteen. He and a friend were playing with our father’s gun when it went off.”
Kevin’s heart went out to the guy. “Man, I’m sorry. That really sucks.”
“Yes. Thanks.” He lifted his head to look at Kevin again. “So you can see why I’d want to help out here. Every time I see a young person with this kind of injury, I need to be involved … for my brother.”
Kevin searched the guy’s face but could detect nothing but honesty and genuine caring there. Either he was a really good actor with a heart of stone trying to trick Kevin into trusting him so he could kill him later, or he was just a good cop trying to make a difference. Kevin wasn’t sure if he should take the gamble and believe in the good cop angle, and with so much to lose, he wasn’t in a position to make the decision alone.
“Listen, man … I know you’re just trying to help here. I can see that. But I’ve got my sister in surgery, and she’s pregnant; I’ve got my girlfriend and her brother in there - and he’s the baby’s father … it’s just too much for me right now to be talking to you. You get where I’m coming from? I really need to get back there with them, so I’ll see you.” He held out his hand. “Sorry about your brother. I’m glad you’re doing what you’re doing to try and fix things with the world.”
The officer took Kevin’s hand and shook it firmly, reaching into his breast pocket with his free hand. “Take my card. It’s got my cell phone number on it. If you ever want to talk or just … whatever. Give me a call. I answer twenty-four seven.”
Kevin took it and read the name. “William Baker.”
“That’s me,” he said, holding onto his belt with two hands. “Call anytime. Seriously.”
“Will do, man. Thanks.” Kevin walked back to the emergency room, resisting the urge to turn and see if the guy was watching him.
***
Jonathan looked up as Kevin approached, shivering a little from the cold air on his damp clothes. He’d seen him talking to the police officer in the nearby hallway and was relieved to see him returning so soon and not looking too distressed. Obviously he was concerned about his sister like they all were, but he didn’t appear to be worried about being arrested too.
“What did he want?” asked Jonathan, his voice scratchy and hoarse. He twitched around a little on purpose, trying to warm himself up. His clothes were taking forever to dry out, and he could smell his damp sneakers without even bending over. It wasn’t very pleasant.
“He wanted to talk to me about what happened to Sarah.”
Candi stood and went back to her seat on the other side of Kevin. “What’d he say?” she whispered.
“He told me he wanted to help.”
“Help with what?�
�� asked Jonathan. He couldn’t imagine how anyone but the surgeons could help them now. Everyone else was just going to get them killed.
“Help with the gun safety issue we’re having.”
“That’s an interesting way to put our problem,” said Candi, sarcastically.
“He assumed she was hurt by someone playing with guns. I guess we don’t look like the type of people that get shot by criminals. Whatever. I told him we were too upset to worry about it right now and that I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“He gave you something,” said Jonathan.
“Yeah. His card.” Kevin pulled it out of his back pocket and held it in front of him so they could all see it. “He was a nice guy. I think he really cared and wanted to help. He told me about his younger brother who got killed when he was goofing around with a gun.”
“That’s terrible. I mean, that his brother was killed,” said Candi.
Jonathan’s heart spasmed, thinking about someone young being killed with a gun. Maybe that would be Sarah. He felt the tears coming again and turned away from the others, standing when it wasn’t enough to keep them from spilling over. “I’m going to take a walk outside. I’ll be back in a couple minutes.”
“Want me to go with you?” asked Candi.
“No. I need to be alone for a little while. Just … I’ll be right back.” He left without another word, needing to put some space between himself and the people he loved. It was too much, all this emotion and pain and worry. It was closing in on him, making him feel powerless and suffocated and overwhelmed. All he needed was some fresh air to help him gain his perspective again. At least, that’s what he hoped would happen.
His shoes made squeaking sounds on the hospital’s acrylic flooring with every step. Squeak, squeak, squeak, he went down the hallways, turning the last corner that would lead him out the doors of the emergency room.
He stopped short when he saw the police cars outside. There were three of them and a tow truck in the middle. It was hooking up their Camry and loading it to be taken away.
