Tina returned his smile. “There had better be,” she said, and then she walked off into the kitchen.
There was a knock at the door and Mark gave a sigh of relief. Out in the predawn darkness, he could see no headlights, and he quickly assumed that something must have happened to his pickup. Walking to the door, Mark told himself to bite his tongue. The truck was a material possession, nothing more. He unlocked the door and opened it. “Well, it’s about time,” he said, and then he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.
Mitch Lystrom bullied his way into the house. He was quickly followed by his ugly brother, Clyde. Mitch held a snub-nosed revolver and it was pointed at Mark’s head, in his other hand was Mark’s bank ledger. “Surprise,” Mitch shouted, smiling. “I found your bankbook and I wanted to come back and return it.”
“Oh my God,” gasped Tina.
Clyde ducked behind Mitch and he stuck a shotgun barrel under Tina’s nose. She clutched her arms to her chest, still holding her mug of coffee. Clyde grinned at her. “Isn’t this cozy, Mitch? I thought this one belonged to Larry?”
Mitch laughed. He then shut the door and nodded his head toward the living room. “In there,” he ordered. “I want both of you on the couch!”
Mark was first into the living room and without asking permission, he picked up his blanket and he handed it to Tina. “What are you doing?” asked Clyde.
“Have some decency,” growled Mark.
“Screw your decency,” replied Clyde, reaching for the blanket.
“Clyde,” barked Mitch, “let her have the blanket. We have bigger fish to fry.”
Tina wrapped herself in the blanket and she sat down next to Mark. He could feel her shaking with fear. “What the hell do you want?” he asked.
Mitch dangled the bank ledger in the air, as if it were a dog treat. He looked as if he hadn’t bathed in weeks. “I want five million dollars, that’s what I want.”
“That’s what we want,” said Clyde. He was dressed in a baggy blue t-shirt over blue jeans. The t-shirt was on, inside-out. The brothers had matching barbed wire tattoos, running from their wrists up to their biceps. “And if you don’t give us your PIN number, I’m going to shoot your little friend in the head.”
“Are you serious?” asked Tina. “You can’t get that kind of money out of an ATM.”
“We know that,” growled Mich. “What, do you think we’re stupid? I don’t need you; maybe I should just let Clyde paint the wall with your brains?”
“Settle down,” shouted Mark. “I’ll give you the money!”
“Tell her to shut her yap, then,” said Mitch. “Good, I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
“Speak for yourself,” said Clyde, playfully poking the shotgun barrel in Tina’s direction. “I love to paint.”
Mark felt powerless to do anything, except give them what they wanted and to pray that Mitch kept his word. He couldn’t imagine anything happening to Tina. “If your brother so much as lays a finger on her, you’ll never see a penny of that money. That’s a promise, Mitch. You two had better get that worked out.”
Tina cowered next to Mark as tears ran down her cheeks. Mitch turned and shook his head at his brother. “Knock that shit off,” he grumbled. “We’ve got work to do. Go find me some rope.”
“You don’t need to tie us up,” said Mark. “I already said that I’d give you the money.”
Mitch chuckled at that. “Do you think I’m crazy, man? I saw that box of medals in your sock drawer. Clyde, find that rope!”
Clyde stepped forward and pointed the shotgun at Mark. “Where do you keep the rope?”
“In the kitchen, third drawer down,” said Mark, dejectedly. He knew that once his hands were tied, the two of them would be helpless to defend themselves. And while he didn’t see Mitch as being a coldblooded killer, he recognized the bloodlust in Clyde’s dark eyes. He wondered how Mitch would control his brother after they had what he wanted; he wondered if Mitch would even try. Mark could hear drawers being opened and slammed shut. There was the sound of rummaging and then Clyde reappeared, holding a thick roll of duct tape. “I didn’t see no rope,” he grunted. “But this should work, right Mitch?”
Mitch smiled. “That’ll work,” he said. “Good job, Clyde.”
“I won’t be able to sign my name with my hands bound,” said Mark, desperately hoping they’d see the logic in his statement.
Mitch shook his head. “Nice try, but when I need you to sign, I’ll cut the tape.”
“What about her?” asked Clyde, pointing his shotgun at Tina. “Maybe we should split them up. Let me bring her upstairs and tie her to the bed, Mitch. I’ve always wanted to do that.”
“We ain’t got time for that, right now. Will you just listen to me?”
“What do you mean? The damn banks ain’t gonna be open for at least two hours. We got plenty of time, brother.”
“I said no! Now, keep your damn pants on and let’s get to business.” Mitch waved his gun at Mark and directed him to his feet. “Stand up! And if you so much as twitch, I’m going to blow your brains out. After that, I’ll let Clyde have his way with your little gal. Do we understand each other?”
Mark sighed and nodded his head. Slowly, he rose to his feet. He looked at Clyde. “If you lay a finger on her, I will kill you.”
Clyde laughed like a hyena. He then propped his shotgun against the wall. “Hands behind your back,” he said. When Mark complied, Clyde began wrapping the strong tape around his wrists. When he was satisfied, Clyde dropped to his knees and he bound Mark’s ankles together. He then pushed Mark in the chest and sent him sprawling back onto the sofa. “What were you saying?” he asked.
“I said that if you touch her, I’ll kill you.”
Both of the brothers burst out laughing. Mitch took the duct tape from Clyde and he tore off a short strip. He then slapped it over Mark’s mouth and he pressed it tight to his cheeks. “Shut your damn mouth,” he said, still laughing. He gave Mark’s head a vicious shove and then he grabbed Tina by the hair. “Come on, Clyde,” he said, lifting Tina off the couch. “Let’s go have us some fun. You were right, we got plenty of time.”
Clyde let out a whoop and he began to dance around the living room. Tina screamed and Mitch stuck his gun in her face. She closed her mouth and moaned. Mark struggled against his bindings, but Clyde had him firmly trussed up. Underneath the duct tape, Mark began to scream.
“Get up the stairs, bitch,” growled Mitch.
“I get first dibs,” said Clyde. “This was my idea, Mitch.”
“No, it was my idea. I just didn’t say anything about it; I didn’t want any trouble from that damn Indian. I’m going first.”
“The hell you are!”
Writhing like an animal caught in a trap, Mark was now twisting on the living room floor. He tried to think rationally, but he was nearly out of his mind with rage.
“I’m the brains of this outfit and I’m going first!” barked Mitch.
“The hell you are!”
Mark heard Tina roar like a lioness and one of the brothers gave a girlish shriek. The next sound was unmistakable: it was the sound of the brothers tumbling down the steep wooden stairs. Both men cried out, in pain and outrage. From Mark’s vantage point on the floor, he watched as the brothers seemed to be spit out from the staircase. Mitch still held onto his gun, Clyde did not. The next sound was a thunderous boom. The door behind the brothers exploded outwards in a shower of glass and wood. “I’m going to kill you!” screamed Tina. Mark heard the sound of another shell being racked into the shotgun.
Mitch was already on his feet and he was clawing at what remained of the door. Staggering, Clyde was right on his heels. Another shotgun blast sounded as the brothers disappeared into the darkness. Mark heard Tina as she ran down the stairs. At the bottom, she racked another shell into the firing chamber and she took aim. The shotgun boomed again and orange flame shot from the barrel. Calmly, Tina strode into the kitchen. A second later, she emer
ged, carrying his butcher knife. She tossed the shotgun down on the empty sofa and quickly cut the duct tape from Mark’s hands. He then peeled the tape off his mouth as she hacked away at the binding around his ankles. “Did you kill them?” he asked.
“What?”
“Did you kill them?” Mark repeated, much louder this time.
Tina shook her head. “I couldn’t,” she hissed. “My ears are ringing.”
Mark nodded and he tore away at the duct tape that was still stuck to his skin. He leapt to his feet and picked up the shotgun. “Stay down,” he shouted. “That ringing will pass. They’re probably still out there.”
“Those bastards,” she grunted. “I should have killed them!”
“Yes, you should have. Run upstairs and get some clothes on. There is a handgun in the top drawer of my nightstand. Bring it back down with you.”
“I’m sorry, Mark. I just couldn’t do it.”
“That’s okay, I understand,” Mark said. “Just go. I’m going to shut off the lights down here. We’re sitting ducks.”
Tina nodded and she sprinted for the stairs. Mark shut off the television and he began turning off the lights. He then went to the ruined door and listened, but his ears were also still ringing and he found that he couldn’t hear a thing. He wished Tina would have killed the brothers and he shook his head in frustration. But he knew that shooting men in the back was a hard thing to do. Mark was just happy that she had gotten free of her captors. What she had done was very brave and he was proud of her for it. She had kept her head and when the opportunity had presented itself, she had acted, decisively.
As his eyes adjusted, Mark peered into the gray of the early morning light. Dawn was fast approaching and he took comfort in that. Still, he began to feel guilty for not protecting Tina. He replayed what had happened over in his mind, knowing there was nothing he could have done, but that didn’t make him feel any better. He vowed not to let it happen again.
Tina crept onto the stairs. “Don’t shoot,” she said from the shadows, “it’s only me.”
Mark smiled at that. “Just be careful. Did you find my Ruger?”
“What’s a Ruger?”
“The gun, the one I asked you to grab.”
“Yeah, I got it.”
“That’s good. When you get down here, you can have the shotgun.”
Slowly, she made her way down the creaky staircase. She was dressed in yesterday’s clothes; her brown hair was tied back into a ponytail. Mark handed her the shotgun and took his P95 from Tina. “I’m sorry about shooting your door,” she whispered. “Any sign of them?”
Mark cupped the back of her head in his hand and he gave her a kiss. “I haven’t seen them,” he said, “but I did find this,” Mark pointed to several small drops of blood on the white tile floor.
“Did I do that? I wasn’t trying to hit them.”
“I know you weren’t, but I’m glad you did. I’m sure they’ll think twice about coming back. Look, if you see them again, you have to shoot to kill.”
Tina nodded her head. “I know, I’ve been kicking myself ever since they ran out of here. I just couldn’t do it. Shouldn’t we call the police?”
Mark had thought of that, but something had kept him from making that call. He pointed to the telephone. “Go ahead,” he said. “I’ll keep watching for them.”
Tina stood and picked up the wall mounted receiver and she dialed 911. She crouched down next to Mark and waited, and she waited some more. Finally, someone answered on the other end. Tina quickly gave them her name and their location. She then explained what had happened. “Mitch and Clyde Lystrom,” she said. “They both have criminal records,” she listened for a minute and thanked the 911 dispatcher. She then stood and hung up the phone. “They don’t have anyone available. Can you believe it? The woman told us to shoot them.”
“I believe it. I kind of figured that would be the case.”
The eastern sky was now a purplish color, which slowly turned orange. Mark left Tina at the door and he went from room to room, peering out the windows. There was no sign of Mitch or Clyde. Mark stuck the Ruger in the waistband of his jeans and slipped on his tennis shoes. He then went to the closet and grabbed his semi-automatic .308 Browning. He slung it over his shoulder and then he grabbed the extra magazine, stuffing that into his front pocket. When the sun topped the trees, Mark put his hand on Tina’s shoulder. “I’m going outside to check the property. You stay right here. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.”
Tina shook her head. “Don’t go out there,” she said, staring at Mark with her big brown eyes. “Mitch still has his gun. They’ll kill you.”
“Not if I kill them first,” Mark said, unslinging the scoped hunting rifle. “Don’t worry about me. Just stay right here.”
Tina sighed and nodded her head. Carefully, Mark stepped out into the early morning light. He swiveled his head from side to side, holding his rifle at the ready. He then stole a quick look down to the porch and he saw the red droplets of blood. There wasn’t much, a stray pellet must have caught one of the men. Still, it was enough for an experienced game tracker. Slowly, Mark followed the trail. He wasn’t surprised to see that it led directly to Jumbo’s house.
The air was still and full of the sounds of morning birds. From far up the road, Mark heard the sound of an approaching vehicle. Feeling exposed, he jogged over to the Quonset hut. Gun leveled, he stepped inside, finding it empty. Mark walked over to the window and waited. A minute later, his Ford rolled into the driveway. He watched as Gadget and Tiffany, both laughing, stepped out into the sunlight. Mark walked over to the door and stepped outside. Immediately, both Gadget and Tiffany grew silent. Gadget held up his finger to Tiffany and he began to limp over to the workshop. “What’s going on, man?” he asked.
“I should be asking you that.”
Gadget smiled, dreamily. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I like it. I think I’m in love. Hell, I know I’m in love. I’m sorry about taking your truck. That just sort of happened. I would have called, but I didn’t know your number. I hope you weren’t worried about me.”
Mark bit back the words he wanted to say. “We had company last night. Mitch and Clyde came over with guns. They tied me up and tried to rape Tina. Somehow, she was able to disarm one of them and she scared them off. We don’t know where they are, but I think they’re in there,” Mark nodded in the direction of Jumbo and Tiffany’s house.
“I hope you called the cops.”
“We did, but they’re too busy to send someone out. They told us to shoot them.”
“Holy shit, really?”
“I’m not kidding. Do you have the gun I gave you?”
Gadget pointed into the workshop. “It’s in there,” he said. “I’ll go get it. We’re going over there, aren’t we?”
Mark nodded. “We’ll have to get Tiffany inside my house. Tina is inside with a shotgun.”
“Not anymore,” said Gadget. “She’s out on the porch. Hang on, I’ll be right out.”
Mark turned to see Tina, still carrying the shotgun, walking down to meet Tiffany. He smiled, watching as Tiffany began backing away from her. He could only imagine what she was thinking. Gadget appeared with the stainless .380 and he nodded his head. Mark found that his anger towards Gadget was gone. He was not only happy to have him back, but he was happy that he had been gone. His night alone with Tina would not have happened with Gadget in the house. Together, they walked up to join the women. They found Tina trying to explain what had happened to Tiffany. “They were going to kill us,” said Tina, sternly. “You don’t have to believe me.”
“They were,” agreed Mark. “And they were going to rape Tina.”
Tiffany turned to Mark and stared at the rifle. “So, you’re going to hunt them down like they’re rabid dogs, huh?”
“Something like that.”
“Can’t you just let them go? I don’t like them, but that doesn’t mean I want them dead. They’re all the family that Jumbo
has left.”
“They’re a poor excuse for family. I’m sorry, Tiffany. If we don’t find them, they’ll be back. I’m not going to take that chance.”
“Myron, don’t go with him. I don’t want you to have any part in these murders.”
“Are you serious?” asked Tina. “They were going to kill us!”
Mark turned and began walking up the driveway. “Stay with the women, Gadget. I’ve got this.”
“Be careful!” shouted Tina.
Mark was angry with Tiffany, but he didn’t want to start an argument that would divide their group. He needed Gadget to build that antenna, today, as soon as humanly possible. Slowly, Mark stepped onto the gravel cul de sec, where he picked up the blood trail. He crouched down to make a smaller target, trying to decide on a plan of attack. He then sprinted over to Glick’s house and he began to creep around the house, being careful to duck under the windows. Tina and Larry’s house stood between Glick’s and Jumbo’s. Mark studied it for a moment, before jogging across the lawn to the near corner. His shoes were wet with dew and speckled with grass clippings. Mark could feel his pulse quicken. He crept around the side of Larry’s house and he peered around the back. He could see the back of Jumbo’s house.
An explosion of sound sent Mark diving to the lawn. Quickly, he crawled on his belly to the safety of the corner of Larry’s house. He then listened as the unmistakable sound of Mitch’s truck began to roar down Hemlock Road. His heart in his throat, Mark got to his feet and he ran to the front lawn. He arrived just in time to see Mitch’s tailgate disappearing in the dust. He looked over at the ruins of Jumbo’s garage door. Bits and pieces of it were scattered across the driveway. Mark turned to face his house and he saw Tina shaking her fist at Tiffany. Gadget stepped between the two women. Cursing under his breath, Mark began walking home.
Tina met him at the end of the driveway. “She called them,” she hissed. “I heard her tell them to get out of there; that you were on your way.”
Mark hid his anger. “That’s okay; at least we know they’re gone. I didn’t feel much like killing anyone, anyhow.”
Bunkers Page 16
