Twins of Prey II: Homecoming

by W. C. Hoffman

  Stepping out of the house’s sliding glass door and on to the deck, Hawkins could smell the remnants of smoke in the air. What used to be his store, home, and life’s work now lay as a pile of charcoal rubble smoldering into the early morning air. And here he sat, on the deck of the man he was sure sparked the flame.

  “Kind of feels like old times huh?” The mayor said as the two of them sat down at the octagon-shaped poker table where they had shared many a night playing cards in years gone by.

  “Yeah, old times,” Hawkins said rolling his eyes.

  “Why did you resurface this table in blue with this God awful cat logo?” Hawkins asked forcing himself into a casual conversation while holding back his rage. The mayor did not answer, he just held out his right hand proudly displaying his college class ring from a state school in Pennsylvania. The gold base held a bright blue gem about the size of quarter. It was very noticeable and the mayor showed it off as much as possible often working it into most conversations.

  “Matches my alma mater of course, go Nittany Lions!” The mayor said enthusiastically.

  “Go lions,” Hawkins said with a sigh while rolling his eyes again. “How about that drink?” Hawkins reminded the mayor thinking he needed it now more than ever.

  “Oh yes, Scotch okay?” The mayor asked.

  “Scotch is always okay,” Hawkins grumbled.

  The mayor then walked across the decking to an outdoor bar he had set up. The bar was quite nice and Hawkins often felt somewhat jealous of its design. The mayor placed ice into two glass rocker-style cups and then reached over the top of the shelf for the bottle of Scotch. The twins watched closely waiting for their signal. While Hawkins paid them no attention, he knew exactly where they were. Not that he had seen or heard them, he just knew where Uncle would have been and figured the twins would do the same and he was exactly right.

  The mayor then looked over his shoulder to see Hawkins staring off into the distance, enjoying what was left of the night stars as they faded into the sunlight. Seeing that he was not being closely watched the mayor flipped his class ring around on his finger. The twins then watched as the blue gem slid open on a tiny set of hinges swinging down and out of the way. The gems hollow cavity was nothing more than a small storage area for some type of powder that they observed fall into one of the glasses. With his nonchalant surgical like movements they could tell this was not the mayor’s first go around with poisoning someone. Perhaps the mayor’s dead wife’s demise was met as she enjoyed one of his corpse cocktails. The mayor then stirred up both the drinks and set the one containing the powder in front of Hawkins as he returned to the table sliding the gem back into its false resting place.

  “Come sit down, you have a lot on your mind enjoy the Scotch, its single malt and a great year.” The mayor urged Hawkins to join him at the poker table. Hawkins took up the mayor on his offer and joined him at the table. Reaching over to his left Hawkins grabbed a deck of cards and stared shuffling. The mayor watched as his guest started dealing out five to each of them.

  “What’s the game?” He asked Hawkins.

  “Cowboy Poker of course,” the old man replied.

  “I am a little rusty, what is that one again exactly?” The mayor again asked pushing his glasses back up on his nose.

  “Five card draw,” Hawkins answered annoyed that the mayor could not remember even the most simplistic of games.

  “Cheers,” The mayor said lifting his cup into the air in an attempt to get Hawkins drinking the poisoned elixir that awaited him.

  Hawkins in response raised his glass clinking it against the mayor’s as he then brought it to his mouth to take the customary sip. In doing so they both were startled by the blowing caution call of a whitetail doe.

  “Shhhhwooooooooo Shhhhhhhwwwwwooo!”

  The mayor jumped in his seat almost tipping it over in an attempt to get up and run inside. Hawkins laughed setting his drink down.

  “Jesus Christ you live out here and have never heard a deer snort before?” Hawkins asked.

  “That’s what that was?” The mayor said still shaken up as he started drinking his Scotch by the gulp full.

  “Yes sir, something must of spooked her that’s all. Probably the smoke from downtown,” Hawkins replied knowing that while it did sound somewhat similar to a deer snort it was far too human to have been one. He knew the boys were sending him a warning. He just was unsure in regards to what it was about.

  Both men picked up their cards and looked at their hands switching the cards around to organize their hands.

  “Five card draw, cowboy poker, how many you want?” Hawkins asked.

  “Just one,” replied the mayor discarding and taking one off the top of the deck.

  Looking at his hand full of nothing Hawkins took three cards for himself. All of which did not help in anyway.

  “I am glad we aren’t playing for cash right now cause I don’t got shit,” Hawkins said laying down his hand on the blue felt top.

  “Two pair,” replied the mayor boastfully as he laid down the eight and ace of spades paired with the eight and ace of clubs. Happy with his meaningless victory he raised his glass and then finished his drink hoping to encourage Hawkins to do the same.

  “Price of poker just went up,” Hawkins said smiling.

  “I didn’t think we were gambling, so what do you mean?” The mayor asked.

  “Well you got aces and eights, now that is an interesting hand,” Hawkins quirked.

  “Yeah, how so?” The mayor asked.

  “Well, that is called the dead man’s hand cause legend has it that, is what Wild Bill Hitckok had when he was shot in the back,” Hawkins explained. The mayor then laughed and looked nervously behind him. Thankful that he saw no one there he said,

  “Well, looks like I am safe tonight.”

  “That depends,” Hawkins said.

  “Oh yeah, I’m confused, on what?” The mayor asked.

  Hawkins did not answer he just sat there, relaxed as if he was holding an unbeatable hand in the biggest poker game of his life. The silence is what drove the mayor into a panicked state of nervousness.

  “What?” The mayor again asked getting no answer but a smiling Hawkins.

  “Did you enjoy your drink?” Hawkins asked.

  “Yes, why?”

  “Did you notice I haven’t touched mine? Hawkins said smirking with an eyebrow raised.

  “Yes, it’s a good Scotch and I am a little insulted you haven’t even tried it,” The mayor said yet again pressuring the old man to consume the poison.

  “You must really be more observant, Mr. Mayor,” Hawkins said getting up from his chair and walking towards his soon-to-be next victim.

  “I am not sure I get what you mean?” The mayor said as he remained puzzled.

  “I know your little ring trick you fat son-of-a-bitch, I’ve known it for years. Just never needed to worry about it till tonight. Nice try though, the fire didn’t work so you thought you would just poison me, huh?” Hawkins stood in front of the seated mayor who looked up at him in horror.

  “Poisoned? God no, it was an antidepressant crushed up. It takes the edge off of a long day, it is how I survive doing this fucking job. I was just trying to make you feel a little better. I was trying to be a good friend,” the mayor pleaded.

  “Oh okay then, that makes sense. Silly me,” Hawkins said taking a step back. Picking up his glass, he once again held it to his mouth and just as the single malt began to flow into his mouth the glass exploded into pieces. Looking down he saw his hand bleeding from the broken glass. He glanced to his right and saw an arrow stuck into the back of the house. Tomek had shot the glass right out of his hand in what he thought was a lifesaving gesture.

  Running up from their hiding place behind the wood piles, the twins climbed onto the deck joining the two of them. The mayor’s face again looked of both horror and confusion.

  “Mowgli, you are real. You are alive? There are two Mowglis?” The mayor knew abou
t the existence of Tomek from the picture shown to him by his former sheriff on the washed up satellite phone but had no clue about the existence of Drake.

  “Well, I guess the boys missed the same details of our little poker game that you did there, Mr.Mayor,” Hawkins said showing his annoyance by holding up and gesturing with his bloody hand.

  “What’s that?” asked the now trembling mayor.

  “You see that was not a deer snort, that was them,” Hawkins began explaining but was interrupted by Tomek,

  “Yeah, you are welcome for that and for my shot. I just saved your ass twice Old Man. How about a little appreciation?”

  Hawkins looked down at his bleeding hand and seemed less than appreciative. Hawkins continued on enjoying the panicked look on the mayor’s face. “Antidepressants huh? Then I guess you have nothing to worry about.” Yet the mayor certainly did have something to worry about thanks to his chugging of the Scotch.

  “What do you mean I have nothing to worry about?” The mayor asked getting the conversation back on track.

  “Well, while you were jumping up and down shitting yourself over a little noise from the woods I switched our glasses,” Hawkins claimed.

  “You did what?” The mayor asked again, but he knew the answer to his question.

  “Like you said, it was just a little antidepressant so you got nothing to worry about right?” Hawkins said as he looked at the twins with a smirk letting them know although they hadn’t seen him switch the glasses himself, he was in fact telling the truth.

  The mayor dropped to all fours and began coughing, slamming his own fingers deep into the back of his throat in an attempt to make himself vomit up the poison he meant to give Hawkins. The gagging and hurling sound alone was enough to make the others question the integrity of their own stomachs. Yet they stood there watching the large man deposit an enormous amount of what must have been dinner onto the wood planks of the home’s deck.

  “I know you killed your wife, I know you burnt my home and I know you are going to start telling me why,” Hawkins said as he pulled the mayor up to his knees punching him in the ribcage just up and under the arm pit. The blow dropped the politician back to the ground where he now laid chest down in his own vomit.

  “You, you need to talk to Niko and that bitch sheriff. I didn’t do any of those things. It was all them.” The mayor began trying to explain himself.

  “I was just out at the sheriff’s house, she was in quite the predicament thanks to Niko. So stop with the dime store lies. The more you lie, the shorter your life is going to get,” Hawkins threatened the vomit-soaked man who was now openly crying and sat there totally defeated.

  “That precious sheriff of yours has been working with Niko all along. She had the keys to the fire trucks, that is why your store burnt to the ground. The fire department couldn’t even respond cause they were locked out. Now why do you suppose that was? Cause she knew Niko was going to set it ablaze. I had to go down to city hall and give them the emergency set of keys. If it wasn’t for me the entire town would have gone up.” The mayor’s story made sense, but Hawkins knew that a guilty man always has an alibi.

  “Why would the sheriff want me eliminated?” Hawkins asked not buying a single ounce of what the mayor was saying.

  “She don’t give a damn about you, its Niko. With you gone, he can run the council and he can do as he pleases,” the mayor continued. “Henderson gave every bit of those fucking drugs she took off of that traffic stop where the two boys ended up dead back to Niko. That Tower kid was a loose cannon and Niko wanted him gone. He told her when and where and all she had to do was make it happen.”

  “Uh huh, sure,” Tomek piped in.

  “It’s the fucking truth. Father Niko has some grand plan for saving the souls of those who repent. And somehow both you and Henderson are part of it,” the mayor claimed implying Hawkins knew more than he was admitting too.

  “Now that is a bunch of beer-battered bullshit your slinging there.” Hawkins said.

  “She owed Niko for her promotion, and she is helping him get all the narcotics he needs for this so-called master plan of his,” The mayor claimed.

  Upon hearing that, Hawkins immediately disagreed saying,

  “She owed me, not him, nice try. I am the one who nominated her and I am the one who pushed for her to get that job.”

  “And you think Niko just let that happen?“ The mayor asked.

  “He didn’t have a choice in the matter,” Hawkins answered.

  “Father Niko always has a choice, his will and only his will be done. And if you think differently, then you’re as dumb as he hoped you would be, old man,” the mayor said.

  The mayor was beginning to make sense but luckily enough before he could be swayed, Tomek walked up and kicked the mayor directly in the face knocking out multiple teeth while smashing his glasses into the bridge of his nose where they snapped and lodged into his right eye socket. The mayor rolled over onto his back, rocking back and forth with his hand over the damaged eye he could feel was popped out of its socket. The man began screaming in terror at the thought of holding his own eye and lowered his hand allowing the disconnected eye to completely roll out of his orbital cavity and onto the deck.

  Pulling his bow back, arrow nocked, Tomek was actually looking forward to ending the mayor’s misery not to mention the fact that his screaming was getting louder and while the neighbors were not close by they did not need any extra attention brought their way. Looking up with his one good eye at Tomek the defeated mayor began talking while spitting out blood from his mouth,

  “Well it looks like you got me in your crosshairs, son.”

  “I ain’t your Goddamned son and bows do not have crosshairs, you fat piece of shit,” Tomek replied as the string left his fingers propelling the stone-tipped cedar-shafted arrow directly into the chest of the man where it cleanly sliced through his heart and exited out the back of his torso.

  “Hmm, I always figured he would die of a heart attack,” Hawkins said smirking as he turned around to face Drake and walk back towards the woods. As he made eye contact with the subject behind him, Hawkins stopped dead in his tracks. Standing there in shock, the old man had to look twice as he believed that his own eyes were deceiving him. It made no sense, how could, why? Hawkins was speechless.

  It was not what he thought or even what he saw that rendered him unable to speak. The man who saved the twins, the twin brother of their beloved Uncle, who took them into his home, taught them to adapt and survive inside a functioning society, was speechless thanks to the four-inch steel forged blade of the tactical knife Drake had just thrust deep into his throat.

  Hawkins instantly began to choke on his own blood as it ran down both the interior and exterior of his throat and dropped to his knees as the aggressive loss of blood combined with the lack of oxygen quickly did him in. Drake guided his body to the ground keeping him out of the previously spilled vomit and as Hawkins life left his body, his eyes closed and Drake removed the knife. The old man’s blood quickly poured out from the wound but within half a minute it stopped as the heart was no longer working at circulating it up and out.

  Tomek quickly reached into his quiver, nocked another arrow and drew his bow back aiming at his twin unsure of what exactly had just happened.

  Drake looked at his brother, reached around his back without saying a word pulling out the original letter Uncle had given to Hawkins for the boys. The same letter Hawkins had given the twins directly after saving them from the water-filled underground cabin. Drake opened it up slowly showing his brother exactly what it was and reminded him of one of their Uncle’s oldest lessons,

  “After three the truth you see,” Drake said extending his hand out toward Tomek handing over the letter.

  Tomek lowered the bowstring and snagged the handwritten parchment from his twin. With Uncle’s old saying taken into consideration, Tomek began decoding Uncle’s true hidden message. Something he had not thought to originally do. Drak
e had made it easier by circling the third word of every line.

  “After three the truth you see,” Drake said again reminding Tomek of Uncle’s hidden way of passing along written information that may get intercepted by an enemy. The genius of Uncle’s system meant being able to have a true directive hidden inside what seemed to be an innocuous letter.

  Instantly Tomek knew that their Uncle’s bother, Old Man Hawkins, had to die.

  23 Truth

  24 Lucky Trail

  The early morning sun had cleared the tall trees that surrounded the entire compound of Lucky Trail by the time Tomek and Drake arrived at the front gates. The hike to reach their current position was a mere thirty-minute trek if they would have gone directly through downtown, but with most of the residents now in the streets surrounding the smoldering remains of The Hawk’s Nest the twins were forced to stay out of sight within the wood line. A strategy that sat just fine with them.

  For all that Lucky Trail was, the fact that it was not heavily fortified seemed odd to the brothers. It was their understanding that Father Niko housed nothing but troubled kids and they imagined the property to be more reminiscent of the wartime prisons that Uncle had so often told them of. The twins were surprised to see the country club setting that was laid out before them.

  Drake carried the crossbow Hawkins had brought to Henderson House along with his normal assortment of throwing and tactical knives. A predator three-piece takedown recurve bow and a quiver full of arrows was all that his twin, who preferred to travel lighter and be less bogged down with equipment, carried.

  The long gravel driveway meandered through an open hardwood lot with enough twist and turns that each blind corner had to be crested in stealth mode to protect themselves from walking directly into an ambush. Working their way slowly through the open front gate and past the empty guard houses, they looked inside the small box that sat at the corner of the property. It looked more like a roadside fruit stand than a guard shack but once inside they knew what it was used for.