by Marnie Perry
Some of the less injured animals had escaped the hospital and were milling around the barn and some of the birds were flying around the ceiling. He crept quietly towards the door but stopped dead when he heard a noise that he knew was no animal just inside the open door. A man breathing heavily. Lando made his way around from the opposite side, climbed on top of a box and heaved himself upwards into the roof space. He knew the sound of the animals in distress and the birds flying around would cover any sound he might make as he walked carefully across the boards. When he got to where he thought the man was hiding he squatted and looked through the gap in the ceiling and saw the man his gun out and pointed towards the door.
Lando smirked, if he was a fed he wasn’t much of one to be hiding around in here while his friends were having a shoot out with a convicted murderer. If anything could convince him that these men had been sent by Glissando this did.
He found a loose board and taking a deep breath stamped his foot down hard breaking the board; he immediately threw himself down and fired his weapon through the gap taking the man completely by surprise, Lando’s first bullet hit the man in the stomach, the second in his chest somewhere around where his heart was, or had been.
The man fell face first into a bucket of animal feed; Lando thought well, if the bullets hadn’t killed him he would definitely drown in the corn. He ran along the ceiling until he found a gap then jumped down into the barn, his gun still trained on the man. When he reached him he stuck his gun to his head and pulled him up, satisfied that he was indeed dead he let him fall to the floor.
He looked around, at the animals all running hither and thither and the birds swooping down as if to attack him. His eyes alighted on a fox lying unnaturally still amongst the chaos, he raced to its side, but he knew before he touched it that it was dead, his neck had been broken along with several ribs. Still squatting down he looked around and saw several rabbits, all with broken necks. His anger was so great that if the man had been alive he would happily have broken his neck.
He found a box and put the dead animals into it then carried them into the barn where he placed them in a corner away from Josie and the other animals, then covered the box with a piece of wood. He then went back into the hospital and searched the man, he found no FBI badge, but a wallet containing three hundred dollars, a driver’s licence in the name of Paul Woodson, and a cell phone but that was all. He grabbed the man’s hands and dragged him towards the side door and out into the trees surrounding the house. He looked down at his lifeless body then pulled back his foot and kicked the man in the ribs thinking it was a pity the guy couldn’t feel it.
He ran back to the house and closed and locked the door then dragged Benson who was just beginning to regain consciousness further into the room. He kicked him roughly over onto his back then knelt down beside him. He slapped his face a few times, hard, to bring him all the way round and keeping his voice low so the woman wouldn’t hear said, ‘Benson, just thought you’d like to know you’re on your own now, your other pal is dead. So do yourself a favour and cooperate, you know what that word means don’t you, you guys use it often enough.’
Benson said nothing but moaned. Lando said, ‘in pain, huh? Well it’s about to get a whole lot worse.’ Benson’s eyes widened in terror as he said, ‘you’re in a shit loada trouble, Lando, you’ve killed a federal agent and you’ve shot another, let me go and we can work something out.’
Lando laughed but it was not a pleasant sound, ‘like what? You’ll tell your superiors that I shot your partner because he attempted to kill an unarmed man?’
‘You weren’t unharmed,’
‘Yeah, but you didn’t know that did you? And then what’ll ya tell 'em, that you brought a civilian with you for extra protection, and that civilian broke into my barn and killed some of my animals and was lying in wait to do the same to me?’
Benson frowned, ‘I don’t know what you talking about.’
Lando laughed that mirthless laugh again. All the time he had been talking Lando was studying Benson’s cell phone. A week ago he wouldn’t have know what to do with them but when he had borrowed one in town to call Taylor the guy had shown him some photos of his family and friends. He hadn’t liked to tell the guy he was not interested in his photos after he had done him a favour and hadn’t even asked for money, so he had bitten his tongue and let the guy scroll down the endless list of photos, or so it seemed to Lando at the time, something else he had cursed the woman for. Now watching the guy had come in useful, he found a list of phone numbers but nothing under Glissando or Hennessey; of course neither man would put Glissando’s or Hennessey’s real names would they? But he was trying to find some corresponding numbers, something that might lead to Glissando.
He said to Benson, ‘who do you work for?’
‘I told you, I’m a…
Lando cut him off, ‘I know what you are, Benson, you’re a disgrace to your badge.’
‘Huh, listen whose talking.’
Lando dug the barrel of his gun into Benson’s wounded arm. The man cried out and Lando said, ‘that’s what happens when you get smart, Benson, although in your case that would take a miracle.’
He scrolled through Woodson’s phone. If he could find something, anything that would connect these two feds to Glissando that would get the woman off the hook, and maybe him too, but found nothing in the way of useful numbers. Maybe the police could.
But he did find something very interesting in Woodson’s phone, and it made his blood run cold. Photographs of the English woman. He scrolled through them; there were a few of her with a man, a tall man and very handsome, obviously Hennessey and very definitely the man he had seen in her cabin. In some she was looking up at him and smiling, in all she looked happy.
But as he scrolled through them his stomach clenched and his jaw tightened, one had been taken on a beach; she was smiling and looked very happy and carefree. Another showed her walking down a street; she was talking to a woman her back to the camera but had looked over her shoulder to smile at a passer by. Yet another showed her sitting outside a pretty cabin reading a book. There were yet more photos of her in different places and in all it was obvious that she was unaware she was being photographed.
But it was the last one that made his insides turn over and his hands to tighten into fists, and the need to break someone’s neck was so strong in him that it took all his strength to keep his hands from Benson’s throat. He clenched the phone tightly in his fist. The photo was taken in what looked like a cabin not dissimilar to his own except that it was dimly lit and none too clean. She was gagged and tied to a chair, she looked very pale almost white against the dimly lit background. The photo was clear enough for him to see the abject terror in her eyes. His fury and guilt hit him like a blow from a sledgehammer.
Obviously the first pictures had been taken by Woodson either with or without Hennessey’s knowledge. But the last ones, these had been taken by Hennessey in Eden and at the shack where she was held prisoner then they were sent to Woodson’s phone, obviously as prove that Hennessey was keeping his part of the bargain and was tailing the woman waiting for the right moment to pounce. The last one so that Glissando could see he had her at his mercy. Woodson’s phone not Glissando’s, because he would not want there to be any trail leading back to him if anything went wrong.
He prodded Benson again and his tone was deadly as he said, ‘you still haven’t answered my question but I’ll ask one last time, emphasis on the last. Who do you work for?’
Silence. Lando dug the barrel of the gun deep into his wound and the man screamed.
When he could catch his breath he said, ‘please, I can’t tell you, he’ll kill me.’
‘If you don’t tell me I’ll kill you.’
‘You…you wouldn’t, I am a federal agent.’
‘I have no compunction in killing corrupt federal agents, Benson, and that’s what you are. But I’ll make it easier for you, Glissando sent you didn’t he?’
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nbsp; ‘Who?’ He screamed again as Lando hit him with the gun in his now open and severely bleeding arm, ‘please, you don’t know who you’re dealing with; he’ll kill me, you and the woman.’
‘What woman?’
‘The English woman. That bitch,’ he spat, ‘she’s caused a heap of trouble; I’ve never seen Mr. Glissando so angry, he wants her bad, real bad.’
‘So bad that he sent a hitman after her.’
Benson looked surprised then nodded, ‘yeah, a hitman.’
‘His name Hennessey by any chance?’
Now the man looked shocked, ‘I don’t…He stopped as Lando pressed the gun against his wound, ‘yeah, yeah, all right, Hennessey, that’s his name. He had her but then the stupid bastard lost her.’
‘And what makes you think she’s here?’
‘We followed two cops from Mississippi, they had information she might be here.’
‘Information from whom.’
‘An anonymous tip.’
‘Ah, the infamous anonymous tip, which all law enforcement officials should never ignore.’
‘Look, that’s all I know, they came here and we followed.’ He licked his lips and asked ‘is she here?’
Lando looked at him with such contempt and hatred that the man flushed bright red and looked terrified. He said, ‘look, Lando, you’re in financial straits right, wouldn’t you like to get away from here, go somewhere a little less,’ he looked around, ‘compact,’ he finished tactfully.
But he was on a role now, ‘Mr. Glissando can make that happen; he’s very generous with those that help him, he’ll pay you enough to pack up and go anywhere in the world. You could even take your animals, a farm maybe; Mr. Glissando will help you with that.’
Lando was thinking that’s what the woman had said. What is it with people with money that they believe that cash is what everyone else wants and needs, that money is the answer to everyone’s problems, although to people like Glissando it probably was. But it hadn’t helped the woman had it.
He said, ‘you know where you can stick your offer, Benson, and when I see Glissando I’ll tell him the same.’
Benson actually laughed, ‘you don’t know Mr. Glissando if you think you can get that close to him and if you did you’d never have chance to speak to him. But I ought to tell you, Lando that others are coming, too many for you to deal with on your own. We should have reported back twenty minutes ago and since we didn’t they’ll be on their way.’
Lando didn’t look uneasy at this news although he was. Benson added, ‘let me go and I’ll tell them she’s not here, that we searched the place and found nothing.’
‘Sure you will.’
‘I will, I promise, I’ll tell them that you killed Tully and Woodson and I killed you, they’ll believe me since I’m shot myself.’
‘Fancy yourself the hero do ya.’
Benson smiled, ‘wouldn’t hurt.’
‘Yes, Benson, yes it would.’ He raised the gun and once again struck Benson with it knocking him out cold. He mumbled, ‘bastard.’ He dragged him into the bedroom then did the same with Tully’s lifeless body. Dante was cowering in the corner whimpering. Lando said, ‘it’s okay, boy, all over now.’ Dante put his head on one side as if to say, who you kidding. Lando smiled wryly, ‘yeah, right.’ He went back to the living room checking his weapon as he walked.
**********
At the sound of the first shot Adela had leapt a foot in the air banging her head on a wooden beam. She hoped and prayed that Lando wasn’t on the receiving end of one of those shots. After the shooting there was a short silence then she could hear voices but they were undistinguishable. Then she heard a moan and a cry but comforted herself that it hadn’t sounded like Lando. Then there was another silence much longer this time, until she jumped again as two more shots came to her this time not from the cabin but from the near distance, probably the barn, she hoped they weren’t harming the animals.
She stayed in the same position not daring to move in case the very worst had happened and Lando was dead and those two FBI agents searched the place and found her.
After what seemed like a day and a half she heard voices again and curled up even tighter trying to make herself as small as possible. Then to her relief she heard Lando’s voice he was talking to someone, a human, not Dante. Again she could not hear the words but to her horror she heard moans and screams which she knew did not come from Lando.
There was more talking and more cries and screams then silence again. Suddenly she leapt into the air again as there came three raps on the ceiling above her heard then the trap door opened and Lando was looking down at her. He took in her white face and said, ‘you okay?’
She nodded, ‘y…yes. Are you?’
He didn’t answer just looked at her. She stood up saying, ‘what happened?’
‘Nothing for you to worry about. Come on, we need to get out of here fast.’
Just as he reached down to help her up Dante began to growl again. Lando froze as did Adela. He said, ‘stay where you are, and remember what I said, anyone tries to get in run to the town.’
‘But, Mr. Lando…
He cut her off angrily, ‘for fuck’s sake, do as I say will ya.’
She slid back to the floor obediently and as Lando closed the door again he could have sworn he heard her say, ‘please be careful.’ He ignored the warm feeling that spread through him at her words, she had told him to be careful as though she really cared. Not once in the five years he had been married to Adrianne had she told him to be careful. Maybe he had misheard the woman, yeah, that was it.
Gun in hand he approached the window and peeped through the curtains. He saw nothing at first then as he looked closer at the trees he saw the foliage move, the wind maybe, no, there was no wind. As he peered closer a figure emerged holding something in his hand. Lando dropped the curtain and yelled, ‘Dante, bathroom.’ Dante barked and he and Lando ran towards the bedroom, he had just reached the door when a missile came flying through the living room window. He was running towards the bathroom just as another missile was hurled through the bedroom window.
He dived to the ground just short of the door; he had known instantly what it was that had been in the man’s hand. C.S. gas. His eyes immediately began to sting like crazy and his skin burned. He got to his feet coughing and retching and staggered blindly towards the bathroom door desperate to get water onto his burning eyes and face.
But the moment he was up he was down again pushed from behind by hands that twisted his arms painfully up his back; he heard the click of the handcuffs as they were fastened tightly to his wrists. He opened his eyes but the pain was so great he closed them again. He was hauled roughly to his feet and thrust towards the bedroom door, the guy pushed him hard in the back and he landed on the living room floor sending pain through his shoulders. He coughed and retched and tried again to open his eyes but it was agony, it felt like someone was pressing red hot pokers against his skin and pushing tiny burning pins into his eyes.
He was yanked to his feet again and pushed further into the room where he sensed rather than saw a man standing before him an instant before the blow caught him on the jaw, he staggered but didn’t fall. The agony in his jaw and cheekbone momentarily took his mind from the pain in his eyes. Through the mist he saw the hand come up again and braced himself for another blow but it never came, instead he heard a man’s voice, ‘leave him, Guildy, we need him to talk, and a man don’t talk too well with a broken jaw.’
Another voice said, ‘spoil sport.’
Lando shook his head to clear it and the first guy said, ‘get some water on his eyes.’
The one called Guildy said, ‘why, he killed Tully and Woodson and laid out Benson.’
The first man chuckled, ‘yeah, he’s quite something this cop cum wife killer; you gotta admire him, so the least we can do is flush his eyes out afore he goes blind. And anyway, I want him to see what’s coming to him if he don’t cooperate.’
&nbs
p; It was Guildy's turn to chuckle as he yanked Lando’s arm and dragged him across to the kitchen. He turned on the faucet and grabbing Lando by the back of his neck stuck his face under the water. The water stung painfully against his burning skin but after the initial shock it began to feel really good. He could have stayed under the faucet all day but Guildy of course had other ideas, he yanked him from under the water by his hair and still holding onto it dragged him back into the living room.
Lando blinked to clear the water from his eyes and realised that although there was still a misty film over them he could now make out the two men. One was very tall the other short, the tall one was bald and built like a linebacker. The short one had long hair tied into a ponytail and was sort of puny. Lando wanted to laugh, not just at the ponytail but at the incongruity of the pairing. His amusement must have shown in his face because the one called Guildy said, ‘hey, you find something funny about this pal?’
Lando said nothing and the man approached him his fist clenched but the other man said, ‘leave him, Guildy, we need him conscious and lucid.’
Guildy stared at Lando some more then reached into his pocket and took out a pack of cigarettes and a box of matches. As he struck the match Lando noticed he had only three fingers on one hand. Guildy lit the cigarette and blew smoke in Lando’s face, he didn’t flinch and Guildy looked disappointed then angry. The other guy noticed and said, ‘Guildy, go and see to Benson.’
Guildy turned to his partner, ‘quit telling me what to do.’
‘If you weren’t so stupid I wouldn’t have tell you what to do would I, you’d just get it done.’
Guildy took a step towards him saying, ‘who put you in charge?’
His partner never batted an eyelid, ‘you know who put me in charge, Guildy.’
The other man hesitated then smirked before turning to the bedroom door to do as he’d been told but over his shoulder said, ‘you in charge for now but that could change, Rosie.’
