Downfall

by V. B. Tenery

  Reaching into her handbag she handed Sara an envelope. “I could use a little excitement in my life. This is a letter of reference from Judge Harland’s attorney. Obviously, I couldn’t get one from the judge himself. The attorney’s number is on the reference letter. Feel free to call him. If you’re satisfied, and think I meet your qualifications, give me a call. Then, I’d like to meet the children.”

  Sara smiled as the woman drove away. She liked Aggie’s take charge personality. She would give the attorney a call. But first she had an errand to run.

  Eden Russell’s Condo

  Twin Falls, Texas

  Chris Hunter and Cole Allen sat in their unmarked car down the street from the Russell condo, awaiting instructions to move in. Chris had supervised the quiet evacuation of the neighborhood via phone calls, with the dispatchers telling them not to panic, but to leave their homes quickly and get to a safe place. If Bauer came out shooting or detonated explosives, the authorities would have plenty to worry about without trying to protect citizens.

  Eden left to take the twins to school and Chris huffed out a breath of relief. He looked over at his partner. “At least those kids are out of danger. If all goes as planned, this will be over before school is out.” He punched Davis’s number into his iPhone and told him the kids were out of harm’s way. A policewoman would take custody of them as soon as their mother drove away from the school.

  “What do you suppose is holding up the Bauer arrest warrant?” Cole asked.

  “Matt is waiting on McCulloch to verify the gun as the murder weapon. He’ll have the warrant issued as soon as that happens and give us the go-ahead. Sheriff Wilson is standing by in case we need additional backup.”

  “You worried?” Cole said.

  “I am, and you should be, too. I have a bad feeling about this guy. He’s not going down easy.”

  Cole nodded. That spoke volumes. The young detective had seen a lot of action in Afghanistan, but this was his first non-combat siege as a cop.

  He and Cole both wore the latest edition of Kevlar vests, but that didn’t make Chris feel comfortable. They needed a Kevlar suit and a bulletproof helmet. Bauer was a madman, with a stock pile of God only knows what in that condo. For all they knew, the nutcase could have a .50 cal. and a box of armor-piercing rounds. Nothing would stop those babies.

  Eden Russell returned from school and Cole glanced over at Chris. “You think the warrant will include Eden?”

  “I’m not sure. In my book she was a willing accomplice. She had to know what he was doing—knew he left the casino the night the Russells were murdered.” He hesitated. A young girl on a bike rounded the corner of the block and headed towards them. “What is that kid doing here? Find some excuse to send her away. I’ll call and have the streets cordoned off.”

  Cole stepped from the car and hurried towards the dark-haired girl. Before he could intercept her, she parked the bike and knocked on Eden Russell’s door.

  Snatching his cell phone from the dash, Chris called Davis. “Any news on the warrant?”

  “We’re still waiting on McCulloch. He has to make sure we have the right gun.”

  “Tell Mac to stop fooling around. It’s getting tense out here. We’ve got pedestrians in the area. Send the black and whites to close down this street and keep traffic away before we have a hot mess here.”

  Davis said, “Chris, go ahead and arrest Bauer. We can hold him without a warrant until Mac finishes his tests. I don’t want things to get out of control while we sit and wait.”

  “I think that’s the right move,” Chris said. “We’ll get right on it. I’ll call the sheriff to move in behind us.”

  *****

  Despite the bright early morning sunlight that seeped through the parted curtains, dread overwhelmed Eden as she accepted the reality of her situation. Her expectations of being free of her ex-husband had been dashed with the deaths of Stephen’s parents. Instead of being free of him, she faced death or life in prison.

  Stephen should have died with his parents, but he failed to show for their anniversary party. Jim had messed up royally. Instead of solving a problem with Stephen’s death, he now had unlimited funds to fight her in court.

  She stood at the bar and made a face as she downed a half-glass of straight bourbon. She hated liquor, but she needed the false courage today.

  She’d debated about sending the boys to school, but finally decided it was still too early for the authorities to come for Jim, and the kids were already gone when Jim spotted the unmarked car down the street.

  She reread the suicide note she’d written on the computer, for the hundredth time. The e-mail was addressed to her Aunt Judith. She would never understand the motivation behind what Eden planned to do. Even she had trouble remembering how and why this all began. Had she really wanted Jim to kill her parents? At the time, it seemed the only way to keep Stephen from gaining more time with the twins. She reread the note, then erased it, and shut down the computer.

  With her own alibi secured by Jack McKinnon, she never considered Jim would fall under suspicion. Too late, she realized they had both underestimated the authorities.

  Eden bit her lip and gazed around the room, momentarily distracted by the clutter. The remodeling project they’d started was still unfinished, and now it seemed it never would be. But that was the least of her worries.

  Was she ready to die?

  It had always been Jim’s master plan. If the authorities started to close in, and they were definitely closing in, the two of them would die together, along with her two sons, rather than face the death penalty or life in prison. She couldn’t bear the shame, and had agreed. Whatever it took, she would ensure Stephen Russell never got custody of the boys. At least that’s the way things were supposed to unfold.

  With the children at school, if she went through with the suicide plans, Stephen would get full custody. She couldn’t bear the thought of that happening.

  Jim was insane. She should have realized it sooner. The apartment was rigged with explosives, to detonate when the police stormed the building. He planned to take as many of them with him as possible.

  Eden reached for the whiskey bottle again and splashed a large portion into the glass. It had seemed so simple in the beginning. Her parents were going to testify against her, help Stephen get extended custody. She had to stop them. Didn’t she? And Jim had offered to help.

  She paced as she sipped the foul-tasting liquid, her thoughts racing. There must be a way out of this mess. Suicide was a big step. One she no longer wanted to consider. She drained the glass and weaved her way towards the stairs when someone knocked on the door.

  Police already?

  No, Jim would be shooting.

  “Who is it?” Jim bellowed from the landing.

  “Give me a minute and I’ll find out.” The words stumbled over her tongue. She looked through the peephole and blinked rapidly, trying to focus. Finally Taylor’s face came into view. “It’s Taylor.”

  “Well, let her in. The more the merrier,” he said.

  No, Taylor wasn’t part of this. Their parents were dead. Eden accepted responsibility for that, but she wouldn’t take her little sister down with her.

  Eden opened the door, leaving the chain in place. “Why are you here, Taylor? Why aren’t you in school?”

  “Teacher’s in-service day. I thought Nash and Nicolas would be home.”

  “No, they had school today. How did you get here?”

  “My bike.”

  Eden huffed an exasperated breath. “Go home. I’m too busy for company.”

  “You’re not busy, you’re drunk. I can smell you from here.” Taylor whirled and stalked toward her bike.

  When she was sure her sister had gone, Eden climbed the stairs, her feet like cement weights.

  She had made her decision

  CHAPTER 22

  Eden Russell’s Condo

  Twin Falls, Texas

  Cole uttered his favorite curse word under h
is breath and stopped, unsure what to do next. If he walked to the door, Eden would see him, and would know why they were there. But if he let the girl go inside, she could be a hostage, or get killed when they came to arrest Bauer.

  He turned back to Chris and gave him a what-do-I-do-now shrug. Chris pointed, and when Cole turned back, the girl had gotten on her bike and hurried away. He heaved a deep sigh and returned to the unmarked Charger.

  “Davis told me to go ahead with the arrest without the warrant. If we don’t get this taken care of soon,” Chris said, “I’m going to have a heart attack. We would have been in deep poop if that kid had gone inside. You ready to roll?”

  “Tell me about it.” Cole pulled his gun and chambered a bullet. “Ready when you are.”

  A red Jeep pulled to the curb in front of the Russell condo. As the woman exited the SUV, Chris almost choked. “Good lord, what is she doing here?”

  “Who?” Cole asked.

  But Chris was already out of the door, rushing to intercept her, yelling to Cole as he ran, “It’s Matt’s wife. Get us some backup. Now!”

  *****

  Eden stepped into the bedroom. Jim Bauer stood at the front window, scoped rifle clutched in his hand, his eyes bright and excited. She suddenly realized he was enjoying this.

  “You ready, Eden? Ready to pull the plug?”

  She stopped in her tracks, her voice cracked. “Why? W-What’s happening?”

  “Nothing at the moment. Looks like they’re waiting for something. Maybe just keeping us under surveillance. Could also mean they’re waiting on an arrest warrant and back-up.”

  She sat on the bed, eyes focused on her demented lover, and considered her options. Perhaps she could find a way out after all.

  The authorities had no evidence against her, there couldn’t be. After all, she hadn’t killed anyone. She could claim it was all Jim’s idea; that he had acted alone without her knowledge.

  Jim would have to die. He was an attorney, and he wouldn’t take the fall alone. She couldn’t have a long, drawn-out trial; she’d lose against him in court, and she’d lose the boys. She’d rather die first than see Stephen win.

  Jim was determined to go out in a hail of bullets and brimstone. To implement her change in plans, she had to have a weapon to stop him. She scanned the bedroom and spotted the nail gun on the dresser. Would that work, or just irritate him into killing her with his bare hands?

  Bauer gave a quick peek outside around the curtain. A deep laugh swelled in his chest. “Well, look who’s coming to pay you a visit. Looks like we have our first victim.”

  Eden lifted a corner of the drape and sucked in a breath. Sara Foley was crossing the street, a pastry box in her hand.

  “No!” Eden shouted, but, before she could stop him, Jim aimed and fired.

  *****

  Cole snatched the radio from the dashboard and made the call for help.

  At a full run, Chris Hunter launched into the air and brought Sara Foley to the ground as a shot from the condo broke the still morning silence. Chris grunted and crumpled, covering Sara with his body.

  “Mrs. Foley, get behind the retaining wall!” Cole yelled, firing three quick shots at the second- floor window as he covered the distance between Chris and Sara. He lifted his partner across his shoulders, and transported his limp body behind the barrier, while bullets pinged off the bricks, sending tiny cement projectiles raining down.

  With Sara safely behind the wall, Cole sneaked a look around the façade, and winced. He was pinned down. The sniper had the high ground, and there was no way to move without the risk of getting hit. He had known since the police academy that his job was dangerous, more so as a street cop than as a detective. But he’d never let himself fixate on it. That could cause him to freeze in a crisis. He just let his Marine training kick in. Take out the enemy, protect your buddies, and pray you and your team survived the encounter.

  He’d practiced this scenario a thousand times on maneuvers and in combat, and he knew what to do without thinking about it. But his objective today wasn’t to take the building; it was to take care of Chris until backup arrived.

  Without taking his eyes off the condo, he asked, “You okay, Mrs. Foley?”

  “Y-Yes. Just a few skinned elbows, thanks to Chris. Is h-he okay?”

  Cole glanced down at his partner and swallowed twice to get control. Chris was losing blood rapidly from the bullet that shattered his shoulder. “He’s hit pretty bad.”

  Removing her cashmere scarf from around her neck, Sara pressed it against Chris’s shoulder to staunch the blood flow. “Thank heavens he’s unconscious, or the pain would be unbearable.”

  Fear weighed heavily in Cole’s chest with each breath he drew. “I phoned for back-up. Help is on the way.”

  But would it be in time to save Chris’s life?

  *****

  From outside the condo, three bullets shattered the window, and Jim ducked and cursed. He set the rifle on automatic, looked above the window sill, and sent a hail of bullets through the broken glass.

  “Why did you do that?” Eden screamed and shoved him.

  “Get down before you get your head blown off. Can’t you see someone is shooting at us?” He sat on the floor, below the window, reloading the rifle. “Besides, I didn’t hit your friend. Some Good Samaritan stepped in front of her. Probably a cop.”

  While he was distracted by the scene outside, Eden lifted the nail gun from the smooth surface. She hesitated only a moment before placing it close to his temple and pulling the trigger.

  Bauer turned a disbelieving gaze on her, a look of horror on his face.

  Her lip trembled and remorse curdled like lead in her stomach. She reached out to him, failing to notice his right hand inching towards a black button on the window sill.

  Seconds before the fireball rushed at her, Eden understood.

  Panic clutched her throat and she tried to cover her face. She’d been right. Jim wasn’t going alone.

  As his last act before dying, he detonated the bombs.

  *****

  An explosion rocked the earth beneath Sara’s feet. Percussion waves stripped limbs off the trees above her. She pressed close to the wall, and she and Cole tried to shield Chris from the fallout.

  Sara peeked over the ledge, at the condominium now consumed in flames. Roaring heat poured from the shell that remained of the once beautiful building. Tornado-like winds rocked the Jeep, and it burst into flames. Smoke and dust enveloped them, and large chunks of cement and wood soared through the air and fell like artillery and just as deadly. Waves of intense heat from the burning building wrapped around them; lessened somewhat by the chilled morning air.

  She closed her eyes and said a fervent prayer for protection. They were out in the open, with no protection from the deadly rubble falling like hail around them. Her palms stung and her elbows throbbed from the fall after Chris tackled her. She pressed the scarf tighter over Chris’s bullet wound and smoothed the hair away from his face. His breathing was shallow, his skin clammy. He’d lost too much blood.

  She stroked his brow. “I’m sorry my good intentions put you in danger, Chris. Please, please hold on.”

  Where was that ambulance?

  A dark cloud seemed to cover them, and Sara lost track of time, trying to make Chris as comfortable as possible as they waited for the fallout to end. Shrill sirens promised the imminent arrival of emergency responders rushing to their aid. It couldn’t arrive too soon for her. Chris needed help, now.

  As the smoke began to dissipate, through the haze and dust the street became utter chaos, looking like TV footage of Beirut bombings. Fire trucks, police cruisers, and cops shuffled through the rubble, and someone lifted away a large piece of the building’s roof that had shielded the three of them—miraculously shielded them from the explosion’s aftermath.

  Visible through the smoke and dust, two ambulance units slid to the curb, and emergency techs ran towards them. One of the EMTs helped Sara to her
feet. “Are you hurt?”

  “Nothing important.” She steadied her balance and moved away to make a clear path to Chris. Her injuries were of no consequence compared to his. He was fighting for his life. “Please,” she pointed at Chris, “take care of him. He’s a police officer with a gunshot wound in his shoulder. He’s lost a lot of blood.”

  Two techs immediately surrounded Chris and soon had him on a stretcher and inside the emergency unit, with oxygen and an IV going. When he was secured inside, the rear doors slammed shut and the vehicle careened out of sight, sirens wailing.

  Once her heart rate slowed, Sara sucked oxygen into her lungs. The coppery taste of blood touched her tongue from a busted lip she just realized she had.

  *****

  Matt hung up from briefing Doug Anderson on the latest developments in the Davenport case when his phone rang.

  The desk sergeant’s breathless voice sounded through the phone line. “Chief, shots have been fired at Eden Russell’s residence. Chris Hunter is down and your wife’s at the scene.”

  “Sara?” Matt asked. “What’s she doing there?”

  “I don’t know, Chief. Cole didn’t say.”

  “Cole is with Chris and Sara? Are they okay?”

  “I don’t know, Chief. Davis and Turner are on their way now.”

  Fear choked off his air passage and Matt concentrated on breathing. It felt like a Texas longhorn was sitting on his chest. He speed-dialed Davis as he hit his office back door at a full run.

  Davis’s voice crackled through cell phone static on the line and he didn’t wait for Matt to ask a question. “We’re about a block away. There’s been an explosion. Smoke and dust is so thick we can barely see. I’m going to give my phone to Turner so I don’t smash into something or someone. She’ll stay on the line and let you know what’s happening.”