by Joachim Jean
“Someone’s in the house…get up,” she whispered urgently, then fearing the intruders were Irvin and his friend, Callie picked up her cell phone and texted help to Danny.
The backdoor knob turned slowly and the intruders entered the dark kitchen quietly, bumping into Jason’s fire engine on the kitchen floor. The wail of the toy siren startled Mac who jumped out of bed. Callie texted Danny one more time.
* * * *
Danny awoke to the sound of the text message arriving. He read the message and went immediately into action, changing into a black shirt, black pants, a black stocking hat and gloves already laid out on his dresser. He tucked the Glock into his waistband and went out to the car. He checked the gun and ammo in the trunk then drove to Mac and Callie’s house, parking down the street. He removed the rifle and ammo from the trunk, and screwed on the scope. Slinging the rifle over his shoulder, Danny stuffed ammo into his pocket, crouched down and crept closer to their house, snaking around bushes and moving quickly, careful not to make a sound.
* * * *
Mac turned on the hall light and caught the three intruders by surprise. Fred pointed a gun at him. Callie came up behind Mac, but he shielded her, pushing her back behind him with his left arm.
“What are you doing here?” Mac asked.
“We want your kids,” Fred said, taking a step toward Mac.
“What?” Mac’s eyebrows shot up.
“We want to borrow your kids,” Fred said, slower.
“What are you talking about?” Callie said, stepping out from behind Mac, forgetting she wore only a filmy nightgown. Fred stopped speaking and stared at her.
“Your wife…look at her. She’s a real piece,” he said.
“Shut up about her,” Mac snapped, stepping in front of Callie again.
Fred pointed the gun directly at Mac.
“Don’t think you’re gonna tell me what I can say about anybody. She’s a piece, no different than any other broad, so just shut up,” Fred said, waving the gun in Mac’s face.
Mac’s fists were clenched, his face red.
“Gimme your kids. The school will pay plenty to get a dean’s kids back,” Irvin said, his lips curving into a vicious smile, his eyes glittering.
“Specially that pretty little girl you got,” Fred said, his eyes glittering with malice.
Callie gasped.
* * * *
When Danny got closer, he circled around, looking for the best vantage point to have clear access to his father and Fred. He found the perfect spot to shoot from as he spied the men standing in the hall. The cloudy, moonless night provided excellent cover. Darkness enveloped him, making him practically invisible. He stood about twenty feet away from Kitty’s bedroom window so he couldn’t be spotted from inside the house and looked in through the scope. Kitty’s bed was in the far corner, completely away from the doorway where he could see Fred. Perfect.
Danny took aim. Mac’s back to him, he spied Fred over Mac’s right shoulder with a little bit of Irvin over Mac’s left. But the closed window presented a problem; the glass would deflect the shot, putting Mac in danger. He had to get Mac and the window out of the way.
* * * *
“Leave her alone, Fred. Let’s get out of here,” Edna said, turning to leave.
“Shut up, Edna. Fred is entitled to a little fun. He’s been in lockup a long time and this piece is tempting,” Irvin said, leering at Callie.
Danny put the gun down and sent a text to Callie. She opened her phone and read the message.
“Who’s that, texting you now?” Fred asked, his stare locked on the phone.
“Just a friend,” she said, flipping the phone closed.
“Oh, a boyfriend, eh? Running around on your old man? He callin’ you to get a little? Too late. I’m gettin’ you instead. How’d you like to run around with me,” he said, licking his lips and laughing.
“It’s too warm in here. Mind if I open the window in this room?” Callie said, disappearing into Kitty’s room.
“Where is she going?” Edna asked. “Let’s get out of here.”
“I told you to shut up. Where you goin’, sexy lady?” Irvin asked.
“I’ll go with her. We’ll be in there a minute or ten,” Fred said, laughing.
Callie opened Kitty’s window from the top and got back beside Mac.
“If you go near her, I’ll kill you,” he said, fisting his hands.
Fred pointed the gun at Mac’s head.
“Who is killing who here? I’m the one with the gun…looks like the only killing will be done by me. So if I want your wife, I’m gonna take her and there’s nothin’ you’re gonna do about it, except maybe watch and learn something,” Fred said, laughing.
Callie counted in her head and when she got to thirty, she caught Mac’s eye, pulled his arm sharply and they both went down on the floor.
* * * *
Danny stood poised outside. He had a clear shot at Fred. His hand felt completely steady as he gripped the gun and prepared to shoot. First he moved the sight to Fred’s forehead. But all he needed to do was wound him so he dropped his gun, then Callie could get the piece and Fred would be out of the picture. He didn’t need to kill Fred so he moved the gun to Fred’s left shoulder.
He raised the gun again, position perfect. He saw Mac and Callie go down and fired. Twice. Then he moved the sight lower and to the left just slightly and fired into Fred’s other shoulder. Twice. All four shots were direct hits and Fred went down screaming.
Danny swung the gun around and aimed at Irvin’s forehead. Irvin looked straight out the window into the black night. Though camouflaged so Irvin couldn’t see him, Danny felt his father knew the gun was trained on him. Finger tensed on the trigger, he waited, his hand unsteady, then he put the gun down and Irvin moved out of range.
In the house chaos broke out. Mac and Callie were on the floor, out of the way of Danny’s gun. Fred had fallen to the floor bleeding from both shoulders. He dropped the gun, which had discharged into the wall, then Callie snatched it while Mac went to stop Kitty from going to her mother. When she turned to fire at Irvin and Edna, they had run out the front door.
Danny raised his rifle one more time and shot the back window out of the black car as Irvin and Edna floored the gas and took off. Then he dialed 911 on a disposable cell phone and reported the sound of gunshots at the Caldwell house, disguising his voice.
Danny crouched down again, picked up all the shell casings and moved quickly back to his car. He threw the guns, the cell phone and the empty shells in the trunk and took off in the opposite direction. Within five minutes he was on the highway, driving to Lake Onondaga in Pennsylvania and the little Caldwell cottage on the lake. Proud he didn’t kill anyone, Danny relaxed at the wheel and enjoyed the night drive having the highway mostly to himself. He saved Callie, Mac and the kids and he didn’t kill anyone. He wanted to, but he didn’t. Fred was going to jail and would no longer be a threat to anyone.
Danny hoped he scared his father enough to leave town so he wouldn’t have to make the choice whether the old man lived or died, again. He reached the cabin at about one o’clock. The clouds lifted revealing a full moon shining his way down to the lake reflecting on some of the fall leaves still on trees. First he took the shotgun, ammo, empty shells and cell phone and threw them as close to the center of the lake as he could. Then he put rocks in each glove and threw them into the lake as well. There went four hundred dollars worth of firearms. He got back in the car and drove back to Willow Falls.
He had a commitment to his Kiwanis buddies Saturday morning. He promised to help on some Cub Scout projects and then had soccer practice, so as much as he wanted to stay the night in the cabin, he returned to his life in Willow Falls after disposing of the evidence.
He pulled into his driveway at two-thirty and climbed into bed. Still enough time to grab a few hours of sleep before he’d be besieged by nine-year-old boys.
* * * *
While Danny went to Pen
nsylvania, Callie held the gun on Fred, who was in too much pain to do anything. Mac went over and kicked him in the gut for good measure before the police arrived. The children woke up with all the noise and sirens, when the Caldwell house became overrun with police plus the ambulance corps.
Dave Williams came in and relieved Callie of the gun, wanting to know what happened.
“Somebody shot me from outside that window,” Fred said, pointing to the open window.
Kitty continued crying and Jason was unable to sit still, running all over, afraid of everyone and terrified of the big pool of blood on the floor. Mac took charge of the kids, disappearing into the bedroom with a book.
“We’re searching the house and the yard, there’s no one there and no shell casings either. Do you know the shooter?” Dave asked Fred.
“No, but they do,” he said, nodding at Callie. “Her husband kicked me in the stomach, too. I bet I got internal injuries. I’m gonna sue.”
Once Kitty calmed down and played happily in her bed, Mac took Jason back to his room and tried to settle him down, then returned to the scene of the crime.
“He intended to rape Callie, he threatened to kill me, and kidnap the children, Dave. I don’t know who shot him, but whoever did it deserves a medal,” Mac said.
“Jeez. Just teasing. She’s so pretty, you know? Just a little flirting,” Fred said, while the EMT guys dressed his wounds and loaded him on the gurney.
“He’s in custody, guys. When you get him to the hospital, my men will be there,” Dave said.
Callie had put on a robe and clung to Mac who had his arm around her.
Dave turned to her.
“So who shot him, Callie?” Dave asked her point blank.
“Don’t know. Fred must have plenty of enemies. When you find out, let me know. I want to thank him.”
Dave’s expression said he didn’t believe her. “Just a lucky thing you happened to have that window open in the baby’s room on a chilly night like this isn’t it?”
Callie nodded looking him square in the eye.
“Nothing more I can do here. What happened to the two accomplices?”
“They ran. Their names are Irvin and Edna Maine,” Callie said.
“Any relation to Danny Maine?” Dave asked.
“They are his parents,” Callie said.
“Swell. Nobody’s dead, no big deal. I guess I’ll look him up tomorrow.” Dave said to Callie.
After everyone left, she went for a roll of paper towels to clean up the blood. She and Mac tried not to throw up in the process. Afterward, Mac poured them drinks while Callie picked up the cell phone. She dialed Danny.
“Can’t talk, I’m driving,” he said.
“Listen, then. Everything is okay. Police want to talk to you about your parents tomorrow. No one has a clue who shot Fred. Drive safely. You’re the best, Danny, I love you.”
“Glad you’re safe,” Danny said and hung up.
“The shooter was Danny,” Mac said. “I thought so.”
“He’s a dangerous man,” Callie said.
“Glad he’s on our side,” Mac said as he raised his glass. “To Danny.”
“To Danny,” Callie said, finishing her drink.
That night Jason woke up with a nightmare. Mac went into the boy’s room, picked him up and carried him into bed. Callie went to the kitchen to heat up some milk while Mac read a simple story to Jason. The boy clung to his father. He drank the milk his mother brought and after Mac settled his son down between them, the boy drifted off to sleep.
‘Do you think we’ll have to do this again tomorrow night?” Mac whispered to Callie as she pulled up the blanket.
“I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe more than tomorrow night.”
“I hope not,” Mac said, stoking the sleeping boy’s hair.
Callie leaned over and kissed her son’s head, then her husband’s lips.
“We’ll deal, Mac. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” he said, switching off the small bedside lamp.
* * * *
At eleven on Saturday morning, Danny showed up at the Kiwanis hall to work with the Cub Scouts as he promised. Several of his friends were there, including Harry Lawson. As the project got underway, Dave Williams arrived looking for Danny.
As Dave interviewed Danny, some of his Kiwanis friends gathered around. Word had spread from the hospital last night about the shooting and people in Willow Falls were upset monsters like Fred were living in their peaceful town. Much private speculation circulated quickly about who shot Fred, but no one knew for sure. Most folks were glad someone had taken the responsibility of taking him down before he could harm the dean and his family or anyone else. Some actually offered to pin a medal on the shooter.
“Danny, would you mind telling me where you were last night?” Dave asked him.
Harry Lawson’s gaze met Danny’s, and then Harry turned to Chief Williams. “He was with us, Dave. You know, the game. The game we’re not supposed to discuss with you?”
“He played…played, drank and lost,” Wes Carter added.
“Were you playing poker with these guys last night?” Dave asked, looking hard at Danny.
“You’ve got me, Chief. Playing and losing. Maybe if Lawson hadn’t bought such good scotch, I wouldn’t have lost,” Danny said, looking directly at Dave.
“How much did you lose, Danny?”
“Too drunk to remember,” Danny said, shrugging his shoulders.
“About two hundred bucks, mostly to me, Dave,” Al Peters chimed in.
“If you boys vouch for Danny, I’m through here,” said Dave.
He turned to go, then turned around again.
“Say, Danny, one more thing. Do you know where your parents are?”
“I haven’t a clue, Dave. I saw my father before classes began in August. But only for a few minutes. Haven’t seen him since.”
Danny knew Dave Williams didn’t believe any of them, but there wasn’t much he could do. If three upstanding Willow Falls citizens alibi you, it’s pretty tough to break.
Before returning to the scouts, Wes Carter clapped Danny on the back. “I’d like to buy you a drink later, Danny.”
“Me, too,” said Harry, while Al nodded.
Saturday night, Danny planned to go out with Eliza, but he almost fell asleep before he went to pick her up, so they stayed in. Eliza brought a movie over to Danny’s house and they settled down on the sofa. Eliza with a soft drink and Danny with coffee.
“Can we talk?” she asked.
“What’s up?” Danny put his cup down on the coffee table.
“Mac told me about that monster, and what he tried last night. Thank God someone shot him. Do you know who?” she asked him outright.
“I shot him.”
“You?” Eliza sat up straight, her eyebrows raised.
“We devised a plan…Callie and I. One that worked perfectly.”
“Aren’t you going to get arrested?” She touched his shoulder.
“Don’t think so. I’ve got an alibi…there’s no evidence.”
She sat watching the ice in her drink melt.
“I take care of my own,” Danny said, raising his cup to his lips.
“Why didn’t Callie call the police?” Eliza sat back against the sofa cushions.
“Too many things could’ve gone wrong, like Fred shoots one of them, takes a hostage or gets away when he hears the sirens and comes back again. This needed to be done clean and quick. Besides, I didn’t kill him. I consider that a step up for me.”
“People in town think you’re a hero.” A small smile played at her lips.
“I hope no one knows for sure.” Danny turned to gaze directly at her.
“They don’t.” She squeezed his hand.
“I’m no hero…I did what needed to be done. The only opinion I care about is yours.”
“You pulled this off, didn’t you?”
“Mac, Callie and the kids were being threatened, now they’re not. At l
east I didn’t kill him. This will send a message to my father.” Danny held his cup with both hands.
“Mac and Callie are pretty freaked out.”
“Fred is a scary guy. How about that movie, before I fall asleep? I had a crazy day today with nine-year-old boys jumping all over me.” He sat back.
Eliza put the movie in the machine, but her attention wandered. She admired his devotion to Callie and her family…he took a big risk for them.
She snuggled up to him and he put his arm around her. They both fell asleep during the movie. At two, Eliza woke him up enough to get them both into bed. She tucked an arm into Danny’s and they had a peaceful night with no nightmares.
At five, the sun crept in the window, shining in Danny’s face. He sat up in bed, ran his hand over his scratchy face, his eyes barely open. The faint sound of twigs breaking came in the window, causing him to jump to attention. Someone was sneaking around outside the house. He got up quietly, slid the Glock subcompact out of the nightstand and approached the windows. When he got to the kitchen window, he spied a small black bear making its way into a neighbor’s yard. He felt relieved. When he went back into the bedroom, he saw Eliza sleeping peacefully.
She always looked so put-together, every hair in place, clothing neat and wrinkle-free, so perfect. Now with her hair mussed up, the covers tossed, she looked lovely and vulnerable, and not the in-charge dean handling life with such aplomb, but soft, fragile, which excited Danny.
In the bathroom he examined his two-day growth. While stubble might look attractive on George Clooney, he didn’t feel a scratchy face would inspire lovemaking, so he ran an electric razor over his beard.
He got back into bed slowly and quietly as not to awaken his sleeping beauty. He gently slid the covers down so he could look at her naked. Although she wasn’t particularly shy, Eliza covered up with her children in the house and old habits can be hard to break. Danny liked to look at her body and didn’t get the chance often enough for his liking.
