by Terri Marie
"There're two coolers in the back. One has sandwiches and the other has cans of soda," the bus driver called out loudly, practically making everyone jump.
"I'll get em'," offered Brian as he slid out of his seat.
Emma said thank you when she was handed her lunch. She opened the orange soda and took a sip, but sat the submarine sandwich down on the seat.
"Eat," whispered Jacob.
"I'm really not hungry. Do you want it?" Emma held the sub out to him.
"I adore you, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make you eat, even if I have to hold it in front of your lips for the rest of the trip." Jacob began to unwrap the sandwich for her.
"I'm kind of sick to my stomach, Jacob." Emma turned her face away.
"There was a breakfast tray sitting in front of you this morning when I hopped in the shower. Did you eat it?"
"Um, well—"
"Did you eat it?" asked Jacob more firmly.
"No," Emma kept her face turned.
"Hey, Tyler!" yelled Jacob over the sound of the bus engine.
"Yeah. What's up?" Tyler responded just as loudly.
"Your assistant, the lovely Miss Emma Ward, hasn't been eating!" Jacob grinned.
Emma glared back at him. "Are you kidding me? Really?"
"Hey, Emma!" yelled Tyler with an angry expression. "You're going to eat, even if I have to feed you each meal!" he threatened.
"I'll help!" added Brian.
The others were making similar threats.
"Okay, okay!" Emma took a small bite of the sandwich and slowly began to chew. The food, all food lately, tasted like cardboard. She let the sandwich rest on her lap.
All of a sudden, Tyler appeared next to her and knelt down on one knee. He put his hands on her face, forcing her to look at him.
"This is hard, Em." He spoke softly to her. "I never thought you'd be caught up in something like this when I brought you from Miami to Southfield. Now that we know what we're dealing with, we're not going to let anything happen to you, or anyone else. The only way we can protect us all, is to have each person stay as strong as they can be. You have to eat to accomplish that, Emma." He took her into his arms and she let out a sob.
"Okay," she mumbled as Tyler lifted her sandwich and brought it to her lips. She took another bite and forced herself to continue eating.
Tyler stood up and clenched his fists at his sides. "It's on," he said to Jacob.
"Like Donkey Kong." Jacob nodded and kissed Emma's damp cheek.
Emma knew, in the pit of her gut, that the Montclairs were plotting something. She'd seen that look in Tyler's eyes when he couldn't find Renee, and every time he talked about Brian's parents. The tide was about to turn, and she knew it.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Robert counted his cash again. Nine hundred dollars left. He was happy that Ron the Cop came through, but he was pissed off about having to drive thirty minutes to pick his grand up. Useless town. He'd asked Drunken Ron about the location of his Stupid wife, and he said Terrance informed him the group, seven of them in total, had finally been relocated to Lyons. Robert wanted an exact address. Ron the Cop began to stutter, but after threats of sending out the cute little letters to his wife and boss, he recited the location; Taylor Plaza, on Industrial Drive, apartment number 1204.
He reached inside of the pocket of his sweatpants and pulled out a receipt he'd written the information down on. He laughed at how ignorant they all were. Seven people wasn't exactly what he'd been expecting, but he knew that one of those jackasses had hit him in the back of the head and ran him over. Robert looked at his arm and seethed. First, he'd shoot the bastard in the arm. See how he likes it. It'd taken him a good hour, to drink enough beer, and to painlessly remove the stitches from his surgery. The surgeon had to be part girl to sew like that. He kept the remnants in the ashtray to remind himself of his strength and courage.
The cops would be surrounding that apartment, so Robert decided to wait a couple of weeks and let them get settled into their new home. Waiting would also give his wound time to heal some more, because he was going to need both arms. He looked down at his welcome gift, the .22 Long Rifle, and laughed again. The cops weren't a threat. They couldn't find their way out of a paper bag, let alone challenge him. Robert was smarter than the authorities, waaayyy smarter!
He needed to lay down and take a nap. Robert could rest peacefully, knowing that Big Fat Buck's absence wouldn't raise any suspicion. Unlike himself, he was important enough to be sought after by everyone. "Good luck with that!" he bellowed as he went into the shabby bedroom and stretched out on the lumpy bed. He dreamt of Judgment Day. Robert laughed in his sleep as he sentenced the seven mongrels to death.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Tyler looked around before they came to a stop. There was a nice park for kids to play in, a strip mall across the street, and lots of traffic. He approved of the location, although the nearby woods made him uneasy.
The plainclothes officers quickly escorted them inside of the building to the elevators, and rode with them to the twelfth floor. Tyler was saddened when he thought about his office, located on the twelfth floor at Montclair Pharmaceuticals. He'd spent most of his time searching the streets, out of his office window, for the two people who were with him now. Did he somehow make the situation worse? Should he have butted in? He knew the answer, and he'd do it all over again, but he couldn't help feeling responsible after spending nearly two decades protecting his brothers.
When they arrived at the apartment, he was pleased to see how spacious it was. Three bedrooms would still make it a tad crowded, but it wasn't the hospital, nor was it a cheesy motel. As he opened the refrigerator to see if they had any food, one of the officers who'd traveled with him held out a cellphone.
"Who is it?" asked Tyler suspiciously.
"Detective Terrance Joy. He wants to speak with you."
Chapter 12
Tyler hung up the phone. When he looked up, he noticed everyone staring at him.
"What'd Detective Joy want?" asked Vincent.
"They've found Angelique Barns. Apparently she did sign in at the hospital. Fortunately for us, a cop recognized her, based on the description we gave, and they picked her up as she was walking into a store. Angelique had no identification, but she admitted who she was."
"So now what?" asked Emma. "Are they going to arrest her?"
"They can't arrest her unless they have proof that she started the fire," explained Vincent.
"She did! They let her go, so she could just disappear again?" Emma asked loudly.
"They won't give us the address," began Tyler, "but they said she's staying in a flat in Castle Lake. She said she'd been traveling when she walked into our house, and claims she'd been living there for a long time. Look, I don't know this woman, and we were never informed that anyone was residing on the estate."
"What all did she see?" asked Renee.
"Unfortunately, nothing. All she can attest to is that she saw us all together that day in the kitchen, and then the aftermath of the shooting. She doesn't know anything else." Tyler wished he had more to tell them, but he was just as puzzled as they were.
Their questions were interrupted by a knock on the door. Tyler looked through the peep hole while his brothers hurried to stand behind him. It was a female officer. He unlatched the door and let her in.
"Hello everyone, I'm Carrie Oliver, a local officer here in Lyons. I've bought some supplies for you. Here's my card. Once you've had time to get settled, you can call me if you need anything else." She didn't appear to be any older than Emma.
Vincent helped her haul the boxes in, while the rest of them began putting everything away. By the time they were finished, Tyler was happy to see that the fridge and cupboards were fully stocked. She'd even purchased them a coffee pot.
"You did a great job on the shopping spree, Officer Oliver." Tyler couldn't wait to get a pot of coffee brewing.
"Please, call me Carrie. I'm going back
out to pick up some clothing for everyone. All I need are sizes and a hint at tastes. I'm sure you're all tired of the scrubs," she chuckled.
Tyler knew that Emma and Renee would be grateful that he wasn't the one picking out their outfits this time. Besides a change of clothes, what he really wanted was something to protect themselves with. He would be forever grateful if Carrie would share her gun, but that wasn't going to happen. He and his brothers were going to have to stick to their plan. They'd have to find a way to sneak out of this prison block they were holed up in. Keeping secrets from Renee wasn't easy, but he knew if she found out what they were planning, she'd follow them and risk getting herself killed.
The three things that remained to be worked out were: how to get out of the apartment undetected, transportation, and where to get their hands on some guns. It wasn't going to be easy. The police officers weren't the only ones who wouldn't let them out of their sights, but Renee and Emma were doing the same thing. This task would prove to be difficult, but Robert needed to die so they could live. Tyler had never fired a gun in his life, but if push came to shove, with his family and friends at stake, he'd have no problem hitting that scumbag with a bullet, right between his eyes. Anger soared through him at the mere thought of Robert.
Officer Oliver didn't return until eight o'clock that evening. After handing out the clothes, she told everyone to have a good night, and that she'd stop by in the morning.
"Could you give us a minute?" asked Sean. He walked closer to Carrie when she stopped and turned back around. "Will there come a time when we can leave this apartment? Maybe go for a walk or something?"
"My assignment is only for the next two weeks, and then we'll reevaluate to see if Robert Preston has been picked up, or if we think he's out of the area. Hopefully, at that time, we won't see any impending threat and you'll be able to go about your lives. All we ask is that you give us a call so we know your whereabouts." Carrie's attempt at reassuring them appeared to work.
"Will you please give us a date when we can go home?" asked Emma.
"Don't worry. You've been well concealed and we're confident that Robert's still in Castle Lake, or near there. We're going to find him."
"Are you sure about that?" Renee shook her head and turned around.
Tyler wrapped his arms around her. "I promise you, he'll be found."
"You didn't answer my question," said Emma as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Carrie looked over at Emma. "I know this is upsetting to you all, but you're going to have to trust the system. There's a BOLO and warrant out for Robert. Since we know that he's armed and dangerous, the manhunt is very extensive. Do you have any more questions?" she asked. After everyone shook their heads, she left, double checking the door before walking off, down the hall.
Two weeks, thought Tyler, then Robert would be theirs.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Robert was on his fourth sit-up and thought he was going to die. If he was going to take on seven people, he'd have to become faster, stronger, and more agile. Just like my stupid ass wife. Right now she could outrun him, but not for long. Robert had to take a breath after the fifth one. He filled a small pot with water that he could lift to strengthen his sore arm. When he felt his muscles strain, he pictured himself slamming the bitch in the face with it, and then a surge of strength rushed through him. He'd already lost about twenty-five or thirty pounds from not being able to eat as much. That was okay, though. Robert would have a nice celebration, with a magnificent dinner of steak and beer, after he picked off the seven bastards. His old self was splattered all over the news again. Too bad his appearance would be totally different. Dumbasses.
The bills were starting to show up in the mailbox. Robert didn't even want to deal with the mail, but he knew that if it started to stack up, people would become suspicious. He didn't care. He'd be long gone by the time anyone showed up to turn his shit off.
Robert got really angry on his trip to the grocery store. He'd had to walk right past the cheese corn, avoid the beer aisle, and buy the foods his health-nut, stupid, wife shoved down his throat. I have to eat like a damn bird. Robert immediately envisioned a chicken, and snapping its damn neck. He laughed at his stupid Chicken Eating Wife. He'd put up with it for now. Soon he'd rid the world of seven drains on society, and do an act of public service again.
After losing weight, and looking like a muscle man on the beach, he'd poke a new hole in Buck Numb Nuts' belt, and waltz right out of the shabby trailer for good. The television sucked, the water pressure sucked, the location sucked, but soon he'd be leaving the Wilky Willy town behind him. Robert knew where he'd be heading, but the stupid police didn't. Ron the Cop wouldn't open up his damn mouth, that's for sure.
Robert would have to figure out a way to get his hands on some more ammunition. That's another thing Mr. Money Bags could send him. He could just picture the Drunk Bastard's face when he told him to overnight it. He laughed hard as he held onto the kitchen counter and lowered himself to the floor. After another five sit-ups, Robert fell asleep amongst cereal and cheese corn crumbs.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
The next morning, Tyler heard Vincent open the door to the back bedroom and walk down the hall. His hands were in his pockets, making him aware that his brother was deep in thought.
"I just got off the phone with Frank, my friend on the police force back in Southfield. He said that Robert and Renee's apartment is under surveillance. All the contents were already hauled to the curb, but just in case Robert shows up, they'll be ready to nab him," Vincent explained.
"He's not in Southfield, and won't return there. He's a psychopath, but he's not stupid." Renee ran her hands through her hair. "They're wasting their time."
"They have to cover all the bases," said Vincent as he turned to address her.
"If they were covering all the bases, he'd have been found by now!" She raised her voice.
Tyler wished he could get her to relax, but how could he, when she was right? "Renee made a good point. The fact is, we don't know where the bastard is, and neither do the detectives. Wherever he is, he's comfortable enough to stay there."
"Are we allowed to step out onto the balcony and get some fresh air?" asked Emma as she headed towards the sliding glass door.
"No!" they all yelled at once.
"I need to get some air," Emma repeated.
"Em," said Tyler as he walked in between her and the balcony. "If by chance, Robert is watching us, he'll shoot you. We can't risk going outside right now. The officer said she'd let us know when it's safe." He watched Jacob walk over to them and take Emma's hand.
"Come here, Love." He led her back to the sofa and pulled her down on his lap.
"Renee, other than the cops' names you gave to the detectives, are there any others you can think of who're affiliated with Robert?" asked Sean tiredly. Tyler doubted he'd slept much since the shooting.
"No, that's all I could come up with. Understand that he has a long reach. I've overheard conversations he's had with some of them, and it sounded as though Robert was blackmailing them. Who really knows? He's a lowlife." Renee slowly walked to the bathroom and closed the door. Tyler could hear her softly crying. He whispered to the others that he'd be right back.
He tapped on the bathroom door. "Honey? Can I come in?" Tyler's veins were pumping full of adrenaline. He wanted to rip Robert's head off with his bare hands.
Renee opened the door and Tyler stepped inside, closing it behind him.
"Hey, dry those tears." He held her face and wiped her cheeks off with his thumbs.
"I'm sorry. The stress is eating away at me. We’re all in this mess, and there's nothing I can do about it. I dragged you all into it, and now I can't fix it." She let her head fall onto his chest.
"Do you want to go lie down? You tossed and turned last night, so a nap wouldn't hurt." Tyler knew that Renee and Emma weren't your typical females. They were both normally very strong women, but Robert had altered them. Robert had alt
ered everyone.
"No, I'm okay. Let's go back out with the others." She went to put her hand on the door knob, but Tyler stopped her.
"Are you sure?" Tyler held her face and kissed her forehead.
"Yeah. I can't take for granted that you, or any of my friends will be alive the next minute." She opened the door and walked out to the living room, her eyes full of fury.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Jacob kept glancing at his brothers, hoping to meet their eyes. He had to find a way to speak privately with them, but that was proving to be a difficult task. Not only would Emma come looking for him, but Brian and Renee would get worried as well. They had to come up with a plan, sooner rather than later. Once they were on the road, where would they head? There's no way Robert would be dumb enough to return to Southfield, so going home would lead them in the wrong direction. They needed to go north to Castle Lake, and work from there. Surely he was holed up somewhere. They'd have to check out every abandoned structure, and look for signs of someone living in the woods. Delcan and Joy didn't see any use in flying over the area in a helicopter, due to all the foliage, and he knew they were right, but something had to be done. Their current methods weren't working.
There was a knock at the door, which made him slide Emma quickly off of his lap and head for the door. It was Detective Delcan.
"Did you find him?" Jacob asked immediately.
"No, we're still looking, trust me. I have to ask, who called Southfield?" The detective looked at each of them.
"I did," replied Vincent.
"Who did you call?" Delcan asked with concern.
"My buddy Frank. He's a cop. I just wanted to know if he'd heard anything." Vincent put his put his hands on his hips, ready to challenge the man. "You have our phone tapped?"
