What Lies Beyond the Fence

by L C Hayden

  Bronson and Swanson stepped into the room. Bronson closed the door behind him.

  “Good,” Everett said. “You will continue to do as I say or Aubrey is dead.”

  Shiiit!

  Chapter 60

  “Your ride called. They are on their way over to pick you up,” Miller said.

  Virginia gasped and took another step backward.

  Seeing that the captors were distracted with Virginia, Roger grasped the opportunity to dash out of the room. Norma also broke out on a run. Virginia’s eyes danced with fear. She was stuck behind the bed. She let out a noise that sounded like a trapped animal. She attempted to force her way out.

  “What the hell?” Miller stood, his attention divided between watching Roger and Norma escape and Virginia’s pathetic attempts to do likewise.

  By now Roger and Norma had reached the top of the stairs. Each took them two at a time.

  “You two grab Virginia. She’s going to put up a good fight. I’ll get these two,” Prieto said. He broke into a run.

  At the foot of the steps, Roger ran toward his right. Norma took the left.

  “Great!” Prieto said. He turned left. Seconds later, he grabbed Norma.

  She screamed and kicked.

  Prieto moved to the side, thus avoiding Norma’s fighting efforts. He pushed her body toward his, preventing her from moving. He placed his hand over her mouth.

  She tried to bite him but was unable to.

  A noise from behind him urged him to turn around. Roger rushed toward him, holding a candelabra as he would a bat, ready to swing. Prieto placed Norma between him and his attacker. “Shh,” he whispered. “Friend.” He released Norma and signaled for them to follow.

  Both hesitated.

  “We don’t have much time,” Prieto said.

  Roger lowered his weapon.

  Prieto led them to a storage area under the stairs. He went in first.

  Roger and Norma exchanged looks. They moved toward the closet but did not step in.

  Prieto whispered from inside the closet, “Norma, you stay here. You should be safe. Roger, you come with me. We’ll position ourselves at the side of the steps. Use that candelabra to disarm whoever is closest to you. I’ll take care of the other one.”

  Roger nodded. Norma stepped inside the closet and closed the door.

  Prieto reached into his pocket and retrieved some keys. “Can you drive?”

  Roger nodded.

  Prieto tossed him the keys. “My car is parked outside. It’s the red Chevy Silverado. If something happens to me, use it to get out of here.”

  Roger began to protest, but Prieto silenced him. Prieto signaled for them to position themselves each at opposite sides of the steps.

  Upstairs, they could hear Clemens and Miller struggle to get Virginia under control. After a while, they were victorious. They dragged her down the stairs, each holding her by her arms. She wiggled and screamed all the way down.

  Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, Prieto nodded to Roger.

  Roger acknowledged the order with a nod of his own. He swung the candelabra hard over Clemens’ head. He went down as if a throw carpet had been pulled out from under his feet.

  Using the butt of his gun, Prieto attempted to hit Miller, but Miller was faster. He placed Virginia as a shield between the two of them. Miller pointed the gun at Prieto and fired. Prieto fell like a rag doll that had been discarded.

  Miller turned toward Roger, who was coming at him with the candelabra. Miller raised the gun.

  Prieto gathered the last of his strength to reach for the gun. He aimed and pulled the trigger.

  Miller was dead before he hit the ground.

  Roger rushed to Prieto’s side.

  “Ta-take . . . the two g-girls—” Prieto gasped for breath. “G-get out of here. El J-Jefe and his d-drug lords are c-coming.”

  “You’re hurt.” Roger tried to stop the bleeding by applying pressure.

  “G-go!” Prieto ordered, but by then it was too late.

  El Jefe opened the door and stepped in.

  Chapter 61

  “Told you you were making a big mistake,” Swanson said.

  Bronson would have laughed, but he found nothing funny about the circumstances surrounding him.

  “Should have listened to him,” Everett said. “Swanson, like everyone here, is nothing more than my pawn. You saw the picture of his daughter in his so-called office?”

  Bronson nodded.

  “You’ve got to agree with me. She’s a beautiful girl. I was offered half a million for her. But I didn’t accept it because Swanson has been such a good servant. Won’t accept it either, as long as he continues to serve me well.”

  Aubrey whimpered and almost fell under the pressure of the moment.

  “Let her go,” Bronson said.

  “Or what? What bargaining chip do you have?”’

  “Me. I’ll be your pawn if you release her.”

  Everett’s sharkish grin spread across his face. “Let’s see how good you listen. Throw your gun by my feet.” He cocked the gun that he held against Aubrey’s forehead.

  Aubrey gasped.

  Without releasing his hold on Swanson, Bronson raised his gun and threw it, but not by Everett’s feet. It landed on the other side of the room.

  “I’m not sure that was intentional or not,” Everett said. “But at least you’re heading in the right direction. Now release Swanson.”

  “Before I do, do we have a bargain?” Bronson locked his gaze on Aubrey. Like darting dark fish in clear water, he saw the fear swimming in her eyes. He looked down at Everett’s shoes, then up at Aubrey’s eyes again.

  A slight crease formed on her forehead.

  “You’re in no position to bargain. I couldn’t care less what happens to Swanson. You, on the other hand, couldn’t live with yourself if I pulled this trigger.” Everett pressed the gun barrel harder against Aubrey’s forehead.

  Aubrey yelped.

  Bronson looked down at Everett’s shoes. “Fine. I’ll release him, but I’m takin’ you at your word that you’ll release Aubrey.”

  Just as he let go of Swanson, Aubrey raised her foot and stomped on Everett’s foot as hard as she could. He screamed and somewhat released the strong hold he had on her.

  That was all Bronson needed. He threw his weight against Everett. Both tumbled to the floor. In his surprise, Everett released the gun. It went flying through the air.

  Everett threw a punch, but Bronson swiveled so that all he made a contact with was the air.

  Everett saw the gun that had landed three feet away from him. He launched for it. So did Bronson. So did Swanson.

  Swanson was the first to reach it. He pointed it first at Bronson, then at Everett. Back at Bronson.

  That small hesitation gave Everett the advantage. He rushed toward Swanson. They struggled for the gun. Bronson jumped in.

  A shot rang out and for a second, time froze.

  Swanson’s eyes widened and he tumbled to the floor, dropping the gun. Bronson bent down to retrieve it.

  Everett shoved Aubrey toward Bronson. The two of them almost fell but at the final moment, Bronson was able to steady both of them. He bent down and felt Swanson’s pulse. There was none.

  As Bronson straightened, he noticed the door to the room was open. He staggered out, searching every corner he could see.

  Everett was gone.

  Chapter 62

  Roger grabbed Virginia and pulled her toward the closet. He threw the door open. Norma swung a broom she had grabbed to protect herself. Roger saw it in time to dodge out of the way.

  Norma gasped when she saw who it was. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

  Roger steadied himself and shoved Virginia in front of him. He pushed her in.

  “I heard some shots,” Norma said. “What—”

  Roger regained his balance. He put his index finger on his lip. Immediately, Norma hushed.

  As quietly as possible, Roger stepped i
n and closed the door behind them.

  From where they hid, they could hear the conversation on the other side of the door. “This one is a real doll. We’re all going to have lots of fun with her,” El Jefe said. “That much I guarantee.” He opened the front door wider, stepped in, and paused. “What the hell?”

  “What happened here?” one of his men asked. He apparently bent down to examine one of the men on the floor. “Still warm. This didn’t happen that long ago.”

  “You think she did this?” El Jefe asked. He spoke with an incredulous awe in his voice.

  “Hard to tell,” a third voice said. “But if not her, then who? Do you think she might still be around?”

  “Could be,” El Jefe said. “If so, we’ll make that little bitch pay. Check the upstairs bedroom. Check all closets. The bathroom.”

  Roger heard footsteps heading toward them. He positioned himself toward the front of the closet so that when the jerk opened the door, Roger could hit him with the broom Norma had tried to hit him with. Norma stood beside him, holding a mop like a bat.

  The doorknob slowly started to turn.

  In the fury of the next few seconds, Roger glanced at Norma. Her eyes were wild, both with terror and determination. He gave her a weak smile. She returned it. They assumed their rigid positions, seemingly unafraid.

  The door opened an inch.

  Two inches.

  Then, “Hey, Boss, if she really did this, do you think she’d be stupid enough to hang around? She’s probably out there in the woods. Who knows? She might have even called the police. I know I would have.”

  “The police! You’re right,” El Jefe said. “Let’s get the hell out of here. I’ll settle with Everett later on.”

  The man who had begun to open the door slammed it shut.

  “Come on, let’s go. Let’s go,” El Jefe said.

  The shuffling of feet led away from Roger, Norma, and Virginia and toward the main door. Seconds later, Roger heard the slamming of the front door as someone shut it hard, the purr of the engines starting, and then the squealing of tires as they sped away.

  A cold, deathly silence filled the house.

  Still, Roger told them to remain in the closet until he was sure they had indeed gone. Minutes later, he slowly opened the door, glanced around, and stepped out. “They’re gone.” He let out a sigh of relief. “Let’s call the police.”

  Chapter 63

  Bronson stepped outside of what used to be his prison. His arm was wrapped around Aubrey. “She’s okay,” he said to anyone who would listen, “but she’s in shock. Can someone help her?”

  Two women disentangled themselves from the crowd. Bronson released his grasp on Aubrey to them. “Did anybody see where Everett went?”

  Some shook their heads. Others looked away. Most pretended that they hadn’t heard. “People, you are free, but I need to find Everett!” Bronson yelled to the crowd.

  “What about my daughter?” Chris asked. “Are you going to help her or are you more concerned with catching Everett?”

  “As always, my main concern is with Norma and Roger. I’m planning to—”

  “Look!” a female voice in the crowd yelled. She pointed to her left. Everyone’s heads swiveled toward that direction.

  Roger and Norma, hand in hand, headed toward the compound. As before, when Norma saw her dad, she released Roger’s hand and ran to greet her father. They embraced, and tears flooded out of both Chris’s and Norma’s eyes.

  Roger smiled and sought Bronson. Soon as their paths met, Roger said, “The police are on their way.”

  Bronson smiled and hugged him. “You did well. Think maybe you’ll want to be a detective sometime?”

  “No way.” Roger flashed a pinched smile. “I was scared half to death all of the time.”

  “And yet you managed to save the day.”

  This time, Roger’s smile was genuine. “Looks like you have a question.”

  “You’re very perceptive.” Bronson said. “Yes, I do have a question. Are the police coming here or are they going to The House?”

  “The House.”

  Bronson’s features tightened like a fist. “How will they know how to get here?”

  “Virginia will show them the way.”

  Bronson’s eyebrows moved infinitesimally. “Virginia?”

  Roger filled him in on the details. Bronson listened and remained quiet while he processed the information. “How old is Virginia?”

  Roger thought for a moment. “Very old for her age. She’s seen and done a lot more than any girl her age should ever have. You’re probably wondering if it was wise of me to let her stay with the dead bodies.”

  Bronson nodded.

  “I offered to stay, but she insisted she’d be okay. She’s seen dead bodies before. Many times, according to her. Knowing her, I believed her. Was I wrong in doing that?”

  Bronson placed his hand on Roger’s shoulder. “You’ve done an excellent job, and I’m proud of you.”

  Roger’s face lit up as bright as a lighthouse in a dark night. “Is there anything else we need to do?”

  “We’ll have to secure the entire compound as a crime scene.”

  “What does that involve?”

  “Not allowin’ anyone to leave until the police say it’s okay to do so.”

  “How are you going to do that?”

  “I’ll make a formal request or order—whatever you want to call it. Unfortunately, I won’t be here to enforce it.”

  Roger cast his eyes downward. “You’re going to California.”

  Bronson nodded. “I need to get to Ellen. You understand?”

  Roger let out a weak smile. “Of course. Anything I can help you with before you go?”

  “Not much to do. There’s a couple of people I need to contact. Mike, for instance. He’s Ellen’s ex, and he was my partner back in Dallas. I also plan to call the California police. But in order to do that, I need my phone and my other personal items.”

  “I can help,” Chris said, his arm wrapped around his daughter. “I figure you’d want to leave as soon as possible. This is a small community. I know about Ellen. You’re probably anxious to rescue her, but you’ll probably need these.” He handed Bronson his gun and his phone.

  “How did you know where they were?” Bronson asked.

  “I didn’t. A few of us made it our business to try to find them. Didn’t take long.”

  “Thanks, very thoughtful of you.” Bronson pocketed his phone and checked the gun to make sure all was well. Satisfied, he handed Chris the gun back. “Please put this back wherever you found it. I’ll never be allowed to board a commercial flight carrying a gun.”

  Chris screwed up his face but accepted the gun. “I knew it. You’re leaving us.”

  Bronson nodded. “But please make sure no one else does. Once the police say it’s okay to do so, then whoever wants to leave can.”

  “You can count on me—” Chris looked at Roger and Norma. “—us.” He offered Bronson his hand. “Thank you for all you’ve done for my daughter, for me, and for everyone here.”

  Bronson accepted his hand.

  “That goes for me, too.” Norma leaned over and gave Bronson a kiss on the cheek.

  “That made it all worth it,” Bronson said. “What are you all going to do now?”

  “Several of us have been talking,” Chris answered. “A lot of the folks here plan to stay, but not as a cult. They’ll build a new town. There’s even talk they’ll rename the place. Most popular vote is Tranquility Haven or some other similar silly name. Hope you plan to come back for the ceremonies.”

  Bronson shrugged. “I’m not much on ceremonies, but if I’m around, I’ll definitely drop by. Please thank everyone for the invitation. For sure, I will definitely have to come back to talk to the police and answer their twenty million questions. I know I should stay put right now, but I can’t, and on top of that, I don’t want to. I need to get out of here before the police arrive. Otherwise, they’ll
force me to stay.

  “Ellen is in danger because of me. I want to be there when she’s rescued. Please tell the police that I will come back after Ellen is safe.”

  “Somehow I think the police aren't going to be too happy with you,” Norma said.

  Bronson shrugged. “That’s how it goes.” He turned on his phone. No signal. Shiiit. He turned to Roger. “Are there any cars in The House?”

  “Now that you asked, you’re in luck.”

  “Meanin’?”

  “Prieto gave me his car keys in case something happened to him.” He handed Bronson the keys. “The red Chevy Silverado is parked outside The House.”

  Bronson accepted the keys. “Wow, the keys, my phone, my gun--I hope this luck stays with me.”

  “I’ll help you keep the luck if you take me with you,” Roger said.

  “That will create some problems,” Bronson answered. “The police will definitely want to talk to you about those bodies in The House. You’re the one most familiar with the goin’s-on in the compound. They’ll have plenty of questions about that. If I take you with me, they will be really pissed. Besides, you’ve faced enough danger to last you a life time. I want you and Norma to stay here and explain everythin’ that happened. Don’t forget to tell them how both of you helped to save all of the youths in there and other misdirected people.” Bronson pointed toward the compound.

  Chris looked away, avoiding both Bronson’s and his daughter’s eyes.

  Roger’s body sagged like a deflated balloon. “I can see your point of view. I don’t like it, but I understand it. Since I’m staying behind, I’ll pass on my contact information. As you suggested, Norma and I called the police using the land line they have in the house. I explained everything to a Detective Jackson Brandt from the Alaska State Police. He told me he’d contact the police in Morro Bay. He said they may have questions for me.”

  Bronson took out his spiral notebook from his shirt pocket and recorded the information.