Complicated Matters

by Unknown

  “In the house now!”

  Jess and Millie toppled out after Alex.

  Taylor took a shot in the direction where he thought the bullet came from.

  Another shot came from the tree line. Taylor muffled a scream as blood ran down his arm.

  Once everybody was in the house, Taylor slammed the door.

  Farrah turned away from the window for a second. “You’re hurt.”

  “It’s nothing.” Taylor ripped a sleeve off his shirt, and tied it around his arm to stop the bleeding. “Does anyone else know how to use a gun?”

  “Everybody but Jess,” Farrah said.

  “Millie, cover the kitchen window. Boys, get in the attic. Alex, shoot anything that so much as bumps the door without identifying himself first.”

  He hit the button on his tactical mic again. “This is Special Agent Taylor. I need assistance. I’ve been shot. I repeat, get somebody out here. I’m hit.

  He waited a few minutes but there was no answer.

  Another bullet crashed into the front door.

  “I’ve had it with this shit.” Taylor put some extra shells in his pocket. “If you see Daniels--”

  “Don’t worry,” Millie yelled. “We know what to do.”

  Taylor slipped out the back door. He made his way around the corner of the house, and stopped long enough to figure out where to run next.

  Champ was barking nonstop. Taylor ran to her kennel and let her out. The dog headed straight for the tree line.

  Taylor could hear growling, then a bang followed by a loud yelp.

  There wasn’t any time to feel sorry for the dog. He had to end this today. He edged his way to the equipment shelter taking care to keep low and check the ground for the feet of his assailant.

  He tried to listen for anyone who was around, but the sound of his own pulse was all he heard. He breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth in an effort to control his adrenaline charged heart.

  A shadowy figure darted from the tree line toward the house.

  Taylor edged closer to the figure. He could see droplets of blood on the ground. Champ got a piece of him. At least she got that much satisfaction.

  The old man was cursing.

  Taylor picked up a stick and threw it up the driveway hitting the metal mailbox.

  Daniels shot at it.

  Taylor smiled when he realized his keys were in his pocket. The Bronco the county supplied made too easy a target for his liking. He drove to the farm in his Camarro. He pushed the remote startup button on his key ring.

  The car sputtered a little, but came to life along with the radio blasting heavy metal music.

  Daniels sprayed the car with bullets. Smoke billowed from the car’s engine as it quit running. Daniels left his hiding place to inspect his work. “What?” Daniels jerked his head back. “Where is the little bastard?”

  “Right behind you.” The deadly click of the hammer being pulled back sounded just behind Daniels’ right ear. “Now put your gun down.”

  Daniels held the gun in his right hand.

  “Slowly.” Taylor reminded him.

  “Okay, Sheriff. Old Papa Daniels is gonna be a good boy.” The old man squatted down.

  Something whizzed past Taylor’s right ear.

  Daniels sprawled out on the ground. His right hand grasped his Bowie knife.

  Taylor turned around to see Farrah holding her rifle. She was shaking as tears streamed down her eyes.

  “How did you know?” he asked.

  “I saw his hand go for his boot just after he dropped his gun.”

  Taylor started walking toward the woods.

  “Where are you going?” she shouted from the porch.

  “To get your dog.” Taylor started stumbling. “She probably saved my life.” He fell down on one knee.

  Farrah opened the front door. “Somebody help.”

  Chapter 17

  Flo came into the conference room carrying a file folder where Farrah, Millie, Alex, and Jess were taken. “Hello, I’m Special Agent Florence LaBoe, with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. I already know who all of you are, and would like to thank you for your cooperation. The state of Florida owes each and every one of you a great debt.”

  Farrah chewed her fingernails until two of them were bleeding. She had never killed anything before and didn’t like the nauseating feeling she was experiencing now. “Where’s Heath?”

  The boys jumped and stared at her.

  She squeezed her knee trying to calm herself. “I mean how is Sheriff Taylor doing?”

  Flo stared at the file folder and took a deep breath. “Special Agent Taylor is currently undergoing surgery at Tallahassee Memorial Medical Center. Daniels used a shotgun on him which makes a much more complicated wound than a rifle. But I don’t have to tell you that. He sustained a massive amount of blood loss, and an infection has set in.”

  Farrah bowed her head. The woman had the same mechanical voice Taylor did when he told her about her parents’ demise. She wondered if they taught that tone at the police academy.

  Flo went on with the debriefing. “Miss Jackson, I need to ask you a few questions for my report.”

  Millie looked at Flo with a raised eyebrow. “What do you want to know?”

  Flo sat down and took out a note pad. “Did you see the actual shooting of former sheriff Daniels?”

  Millie looked into Flo’s eyes. “No.”

  Flo looked up and took a deep breath. “Before this goes any further, I want to make it clear that Miss Mathews, is in no way, in any kind of trouble.”

  Farrah didn’t care what kind of trouble she was in. She began to wonder if the boys wouldn’t be better off living with relatives or in foster care.

  “That still doesn’t change the fact that I was standing at the kitchen window when it all went down,” Millie said.

  “I see.” Flo wrote down some more notes. “Is there anyone I can call for you?”

  “There’s no need to bother any of my family. Just let me have my truck and I’ll be on my way.”

  “I’m sorry, but your truck is evidence. We have provided you with a replacement, and another agent has retrieved your personal possessions.”

  “Thanks.” Millie stood up. “Can I go now?”

  “Do you have any questions, Miss Jackson?”

  “None you’re likely to answer,” Millie said.

  Flo handed her a business card. “These are all my numbers in case you think of anything. I’ve assigned an agent to you just in case Daniels has any more friends out there.”

  “What about the kids?”

  “They’re in protective custody for now. We’ll take good care of them,” Flo promised.

  Millie hugged each one of them. “You guys take care of each other. Call me if you need me.”

  Flo tapped on the door.

  Another agent came in.

  “Miss Jackson is ready to leave now. Don’t let her out of your sight.”

  After Millie left, Flo sat back down. “I don’t know how to go about telling you this.”

  Alex stood up. “Why don’t you just cut the crap and spit it out?”

  “Taylor said you were a tough lot. I see what he meant.” Flo went to the door and tapped on it. “Send them in.”

  “Mom and Dad,” Jess yelled, as he and the others stared at John and Tara Mathews.

  John forced a weak smile. “Don’t we at least warrant a hug?”

  Alex stared at the table. “They told us you were dead.”

  Tara went over to her sons. “I wish there had been another way, but we had to keep you safe.”

  “Get away from them.” Farrah didn’t realize she was capable of feeling that much rage. Her tone of voice and anger scared her. She stood between her brothers and put her hands over their shoulders.

  “Farrah, we were only trying to protect you,” John said.

  “Protect us?” Her mouth remained open as she gasped for breath. “The farm looks like a friggin’ w
ar zone. Champ is at the vet’s fighting for her life. And Sheriff Taylor is in the hospital because you protected us so well. You died four months ago, so you might as well stay dead now.”

  The minutes ticked by one-by-one. The Mathews’ family just stared at each other.

  John took his wife’s hand and they sat down. “I’m sorry, Farrah.”

  Farrah couldn’t believe her ears. In her entire life, she had never heard her father apologize for anything. “What did you just say?”

  “Your mother and I were in the swamp last spring.” John bowed his head and focused on the table. “We happened upon a livin’ nightmare. We couldn’t see their faces, but there was no mistakin’ that black Stetson Daniels always wore. I had your mother with me so we hid in the bushes and called for help.” John closed his eyes and cringed. “I ain’t never been so scared in all my life. The thought of anything like that happenin’ to any of you--”

  “Threats were made against you and the boys.” Tara continued the story. “Our deaths were arranged, and we were placed in protective custody.”

  Farrah still held her brothers under her arms. “Why didn’t you take us with you?”

  “In a town this small, an entire family getting killed so suddenly, would have sparked unwanted attention,” Flo interjected. “It was a bad situation all the way around. There were no good answers.”

  Farrah sat down. “You abandoned us. I killed Sheriff Daniels.” She stared at her hands. “It’s all part of the grand-design. Right, Mom?”

  John stared at his daughter who was rubbing her hands as if trying to clean them. “What’s she talking about?”

  “She’s the one who shot Sheriff Daniels.” Alex was close to laughing as he explained the incident. “She sure plugged him good.”

  “Don’t talk about it like that,” Farrah snapped. “The whole summer has been a friggin’ nightmare come true. I can still see the expression on his face when the bullet hit him, and this damn blood doesn’t come off. I can feel it. Warm and sticky all over my hands. It smells like somebody slaughtered a pig.”

  “Farrah, honey.” Her mother knelt down next to her and stroked her hands. “Your hands are clean. You just did what you had to.”

  “I killed a man,” Farrah sobbed.

  “But you saved five people. That has got to count for somethin’.”

  Farrah looked up at her father. “There should’ve been a better way, Dad.”

  John wrapped his daughter in a tight hug. “Sometimes we’re only given one way. Daniels was trying to kill a bunch of innocent people. You stopped him.”

  Farrah broke her father’s embrace. She’d never been so confused in her life. The same people who dragged her off to church where she was taught hurting people was a sin, were now telling her that this killing was a good thing. “I’ll think about it later. Right now my head is killing me.” She folded her arms and put her head on the table.

  Chapter 18

  Farrah woke up in the hospital. The sickening smell of disinfectant stung her nose and mouth. She rubbed her eyes. Something was sticking in her hand. She tugged at the tape.

  Her mother rushed to her bedside. “Leave that in there.”

  Farrah hadn’t heard such a soft tone of voice since she was a little girl. “Mommy?”

  “I’m right here, darling.” Tara caressed her daughter’s forehead. “I’m never going to leave you again.”

  “What happened?” Farrah tried to sit up. “How long have I been here?”

  “A little over a week. The doctors say your body shut down on you. They think it was stress related.”

  “Where are Jess and Alex?”

  “They and your father are probably out trying to lose their agents.” Tara giggled. “That seems to be their favorite pastime these days.”

  “Agents. Where’s Heath? Is he okay?”

  Bells went off, summoning a small army of doctors and nurses.

  “What happened?” someone yelled.

  Tara backed up out of the way. “We were talking about her father and brothers. Something about the word agents upset her and all hell broke loose. What’s going on?”

  Someone said something about a sedative. Somebody gave Farrah a shot, and all was quiet.

  Time passed by unaccounted.

  Farrah opened her eyes when she heard someone’s voice. She tried to speak, but couldn’t beckon her voice. It took a few minutes, but she finally realized her mother was singing.

  A young man wearing black sweats knocked on the opened door.

  Tara got up from a corner chair. “Hello. Can I help you?”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize Farrah had company. My name is Heath Taylor.” He extended his good arm to shake Tara’s hand.

  “I’m Tara Mathews, Farrah’s mother. You look familiar.”

  “I’ve been working as the interim sheriff of Morgansville for quite a while now.”

  “Yes, of course.” She squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry, it’s been a rough summer.”

  Farrah was finally able to make her voice work. “Heath?”

  He leaned over the bedrail and took her hand. His wounded arm was bandaged and strapped to his side in a sling. “There’s my hero.”

  She looked up. “They told me there were complications with your arm.”

  “My tennis game is shot to hell, but I’ll heal.”

  Farrah knew he was trying to make her smile, but the only thing she could think about was how he could have lost the use of his arm. “I’m sorry.” She stared at her blanket.

  “It’s okay, I wasn’t much for tennis anyway. They told me to get out of bed and move around. When I heard you were here, I came right over. I guess I’m still looking for excuses to be around you.”

  She held his hand in both of hers. “I’m glad you did.”

  “So what’s happening with you? Flo said you collapsed when you found out about your parents.”

  “You told me a while back I should talk to someone.” She tried to joke about what he said the first day they actually talked.

  He leaned over the railing and lowered his voice. “Can we talk in private when you’re feeling better?”

  “Sure. Later on.”

  The world seemed to fade.

  When Farrah woke up again, she was alone with her mother. “Where’s Heath? I mean, where is Sheriff Taylor?”

  Tara put her magazine down. “They sent him back to his room when you fell asleep. You two certainly seem close.”

  “I suppose. But nothing was what it appeared to be. Maybe playin’ nicey-nice was just part of his job.”

  “Whatever you say, dear.” Tara went back to her magazine. “But I don’t think he was acting today.”

  “Mom, we’re just friends.” Farrah stared at her hands. “I think.”

  “If you say so.” Tara held her daughter’s left hand. “But I noticed you’re no longer wearing the promise ring Ted gave you.”

  “He found other interests at FSU.”

  “I guess you gave up a lot this year. Sorry about Duke. I know how much you wanted it.” Tara took a deep breath and put a happier tone in her voice. “But your father and I both agree you’re still in charge of the farm. It looks like you’re actually turning a profit.”

  Farrah was surprised to find out she could sit up now. “Mom, can I be totally honest with you?”

  “Of course.” Tara sat on the edge of her bed. “What’s on your mind?”

  “I don’t want to run the farm anymore. That’s Alex’s dream. And I think it’s completely unfair for some old man to sign a piece of paper over a hundred years ago, and still be bossing us around today.”

  Tara started laughing. “I was wondering when you were going to tell us that.”

  Farrah’s eyes grew big. “You knew?”

  Tara hugged her daughter. “Sweetheart, nobody spends her life working as hard as you, without having a dream or two of her own.”

  “But what about Dad? Don’t you think he’ll blow a gasket?”
>
  “You just be honest with him. I’ll deal with the aftermath.”

  Alex plopped down next to his sister. “Damn, Sleeping Beauty awakens.”

  “Maybe I just didn’t want to stay cooped up with a freak-of-nature like you.” Farrah shoved him off her bed.

  Alex got up off the floor laughing. “She’s feelin’ better.”

  John hugged her. “Are you ready to go home and start bossing your mother and me around?”

  “Well,” Farrah looked at her mother, “I’m ready to leave.”

  “Go ahead,” Tara encouraged her. “Stand up to him.”

  “Dad, I don’t want to run the farm. Alex wants that.”

  John tried to say something, but Farrah wouldn’t let him get in a word.

  “It’s not fair that I should have to obey some old coot that died over a century ago. And if you think about it, Alex is the rightful heir anyway. Women weren’t allowed to own land back then.”

  John stared at Farrah. “What are your plans?”

  “I want to go to college. Coach Jergens said I was good enough to take a shot at the pros. Mostly, I just want to see if there’s life outside of Morgansville.”

  “But your scholarship is gone, baby girl.”

  “Then I’ll find some other way. Come on, Dad. I’ve earned this.”

  John gave his daughter a hopeless look. “I just don’t see how we can make it happen.”

  “I’ve been working on that.” Flo interrupted the family. “It seems the University of Florida has been interested in you for quite some time now.”

  “I’ve never heard anything from them.”

  “Your basketball coach was pushing you toward Duke. When U of F approached her last year, she told them you weren’t interested. Now, if you enroll at the university during the spring, you can try out for the team as a walk-on. If you’re good enough, and work hard, you can become what is known as a recruited walk-on and receive that glorious scholarship.”

  John placed himself between Flo and Farrah. “But there’s still an entire year’s tuition, and there aren’t any guarantees.”

  “Who said anything about tuition? Remember that debt the state owes you?” Flo cocked her head to the right and smiled. “I think we can work something out. There’s bound to be some confiscated drug money lying around somewhere. And according to the State Forfeiture laws, it all goes to the state. I don’t see any problem with using some of it for that first year of college. I have to go, but I’ll be in touch. Hey, Taylor,” Flo said, as she passed him standing in the doorway.