by Jim Riley
"But a chicken is ugly. Those Sika deer are so cute. I don't want them to be part of the food chain." Niki sighed.
Dalton rose and entered the ranch. He returned a minute later with a hunting rifle in his hands, a seven–millimeter Remington Model A bolt action. He used a post to brace himself and take careful aim.
The shot hit the water six inches in front of the massive snout of the reptile. It swirled and disappeared in the muddy waters to the deepest parts of the lake. The black deer bolted for the cover of a nearby briar patch, their white rumps shining in the spring sun.
"You missed," Niki chuckled.
"I hit exactly where I wanted. I hate to cheat that old boy out of a meal, but he'll have lots of other opportunities when you're not watching."
"Thank you. That was nice."
Chapter Nineteen
Dalton's Exotic Ranch
"I don't know Dennis Hopper at all," Dalton continued their discussion after placing the Remington back inside the Lodge. He's a newcomer to politics. I don't know of anything he would have to gain by going after you."
"What about the independent? He looks more like a farmer than a politician. His hands look like sandpaper."
"I don't know him either. I guess we have our work cut out for us."
"We? Don't you have a regular job that the taxpayers are paying you to do?" Niki grinned.
"That's why I donate my salary to charity. I'll take care of my job, but I also want to take care of you. If it comes to the point where I have to give up one or the other, the governor will have to appoint a replacement for me."
Niki reached over to place her hand on his arm. The effort made her wince.
"The first thing we need to do is to get you healthy. You aren't ready for hand-to-hand combat yet."
"I'm fine. By tomorrow morning, I'll be ready to wrestle that alligator and teach him a lesson or two about messing with my cute little deer."
"Your cute little deer?" Dalton feigned shock.
"Yep. I can already tell they can't depend on you to keep them from becoming an appetizer. They need me around."
"That works for me," he smiled. "Plan on staying here as long as you want. Nobody knows you're here, so you should be a lot safer than staying in your townhome in Central."
Chapter Twenty
Dalton’s Exotic Ranch
Niki took a lot of pain pills, probably more than the doctor intended. The home nurse cautioned her, but relented after seeing the extreme pain the private investigator experienced.
She was in a deep sleep when she felt a hand on her shoulder. After she finally got her eyes focused, she saw Dalton standing by the bed. Then she saw the rifle in his hands.
"What is it?" She whispered.
"We've got company."
She looked at the weapon in his hands.
"Must be someone you weren't expecting."
"Nobody should know I'm home. I'm only here because of what happened to you."
Niki pushed aside the covers and tried to stand. Pain shot through her body, but she forced herself to ignore it and rose to her feet.
"Where is my revolver?" She asked.
"We didn’t bring it. Here is one of mine. It'll have to do."
Dalton handed her a Dan Wesson .357 Magnum double-action revolver. It was a bit heavier than her own Smith & Wesson .38, but she figured she could handle it. She twirled the cylinder, and saw there was a bullet in each chamber.
"Where are they?" She asked.
"They were circling around the lodge when I saw them. Looks like they'll come in the back way."
"How do you want to handle it?"
"You stay right here and keep the pistol handy. I'll find out what they're doing here."
"I'm going with you. They’re after me, not you."
Niki took two shuffle steps forward, and let out a cry of pain. That did not stop her. She kept heading for the hallway.
"Hold on. I’ll help you."
Dalton carried the strawberry blonde to a love seat facing the double back doors. Then he pulled a sofa in front of her for protection, and to give her a brace to steady her aim.
"You stay right here. If anybody but me comes through that door, don't hesitate."
"Where are you going?" Niki asked.
I'll do better right out there. I've never been one to like being on defense. I'd rather take the game to them."
"Isn't it safer in here?"
"Somebody has already tried to blow you up with a bomb. We don't know what kind of weapons they might have."
"Why don't we call Samson?"
"Good idea," he answered, handing her his cell phone. "He'll need to be here to collect them after they tell me why they're here."
Dalton disappeared through the office door. Niki did not hear it close, but knew the senator was taking the fight to the intruders. She hoped surprise would be on his side.
Chapter Twenty-One
Dalton’s Exotic Ranch
Dalton slipped out the door and knelt beside the Ford F250 pickup truck. He stayed in this position until he saw the pin lights probing through the woods on the side of the Lodge.
He smiled. The advantage was his. He saw only two lights bobbing among the trees. He belly crawled off to the side down toward the lake. If he could get behind them in the dark, the element of surprise should be on his side.
The senator hurried. The two intruders walked quickly, and he wanted to be in position before they were set up. He made too much noise, but guessed the sound of their own steps would cover it up.
He crawled until he reached a small drainage ditch, and positioned himself behind a huge live oak. When he peeked around the massive trunk, he saw the two intruders were almost on top of him. He ducked back behind the tree. Then he heard the sound of their voices.
"I don't see no movement," one said.
"Why would there be? Nobody knows we’re within a hundred miles," the other answered.
"Do you think they got an alarm?"
"From the information the boss told me, he never turns it on. I guess he thinks the big fence gives him enough protection. Too bad we have wire cutters."
"Let's get in, do the job, and get out," the first said.
"Are you sure the master bedroom is the last one down the main hallway?"
That's what the boss said. Are you ready?"
"I am," Dalton announced stepping from behind the tree. "Welcome to my ranch."
The two men froze, totally surprised by the turn of events.
"Drop your weapons on the ground. This is a 7mm Magnum I'm pointing at you. It'll blow a two-foot hole out of your back." He took a step toward the two intruders.
"Hey, man. You got us wrong. We were out here looking for coyotes and got lost. We don't mean you no harm," the first man pleaded.
"I guess you needed those wire cutters in case one of those coyotes tried to bite you. Do you expect to find them in the master bedroom?"
The two went intruders realized Dalton had been listening to the conversation. Their shoulders sagged.
"What do you want? The second man asked.
"Who are you working for? I think I already know why you're here."
"We don't work for nobody," replied the first man.
“So you guys decided on your own to come pay me a visit in the middle of the night?" Dalton phrase the statement in the form of a question.
He wasn't ready for what happened next. He saw the first man give the other a slight nod. Then, the two men fell to the ground in opposite directions.
Dalton fired at the first one. He heard lead hit flash, but could not tell what part of the intruder’s body was damaged. Then the senator ducked behind the live oak just as the second man opened fire.
The senator guessed it was a 9mm semi-automatic pistol from its report and the rapidity of the shots. Most stock magazines for the stipend pencils held a maximum of seventeen bullets. But in the fog of the fight, he lost count of the actual number fired.
When the second g
unman paused, Dalton stepped from behind the tree and fired at his attacker’s position. He cursed under his breath when he heard this shot strike wood. He had missed the intruder and hit a tree.
The response from the attacker was immediate. Slugs tore into the Live Oak to Dalton's side and whirred past his ears. He realized he had underestimated the intruder. The gunman had multiple weapons or multiple magazines for one weapon or both. Now he was stuck behind the Live Oak with a rifle that required a sliding bolt action between each shot. He was at a decided disadvantage. Dalton tried to visualize possible tactics to regain the edge in the life-and-death battle.
The senator found his breath coming in short spurts. His fingers tightened around the rifle stock with each slug ripping into the Live Oak or past him toward the lake.
There was a slight pause in the volley hammering Dalton's position. He rolled to one side, but remained in the ditch. He fired at the silhouette positioned between himself and the Lodge. He missed.
The intruder charged toward the senator. Dalton understood the gunmen was a professional, and knew the senator was firing a bolt action rifle. He was using the rifle's limitations to his advantage. The intruder could keep Dalton pinned down until the senator had no chance of survival.
Sweat poured off Dalton's brow.
Is this how it will end? What will happen to Niki? She will be no match for these ruthless killers. I have to do something.
He waited as the shots continued to rain on his possession. Then he heard a report of a weapon fired from the Lodge. His first thought was the other intruder was now attacking Niki. But the shot sounded more like the .357 Magnum he had loaned her.
Niki fired at the intruders. Dalton knew she had little chance to hit the gunman at the distant range separating her from him with a revolver. He leapt from behind the tree. Dalton saw the gunman rise and take careful aim at the strawberry blonde. One chance. That was all he would have.
The senator reacted. He did not pause to think about the reason for his actions. The 7mm rifle seemed to fire on its own accord.
He watched the body of the intruder lurch, then convulse. The gunman crumpled to the ground. Dalton involuntarily smiled until he remembered the other intruder.
He glanced over at the Lodge. He saw Niki propping herself up behind one of the over-sized rockers.
Then he heard the other gunmen. The man had stepped behind him while the senator was occupied with the other shooter. The second one was seconds away from being in position to ambush him.
The senator ran down the ditch fifty yards to a loblolly pine. He slid in behind it and waited.
"Jake," he heard the second gunmen yell. "Jake, did you get him?"
Nothing but silence. Jake was not listening. He would not be answering his partner in this world.
"Jake, where are you?" The voice lost some control.
Dalton waited. He thought he knew where the second government was hiding. The intruder was taking cover at the edge of the pier that extended over the lake. He might get a lucky shot and terminate the threat.
He preferred instead to take the second man alive. The senator wanted to know who had hired the intruders. Someone had sent this pair to assassinate Niki. That person was the source of the attack. That person was responsible.
"Jake, answer me. Where are you?" The voice sounded from the darkness down by the lake.
"Give it up," Dalton shouted. "Your friend is dead. I prefer not to kill you. Give yourself up."
A hail of gunfire answered him. The bullets were not that close. The second gunman was still shooting at Dalton's original possession and was unaware the senator had moved.
Dalton waited for the volley to die down. When it did, he took his time and fired at the peer. The lead slammed into the wood six inches from the gunmen.
The intruder panicked. He slid out under the pier, seeking its protection. Dalton could hear him wading in the water.
Then Dalton remembered. He yelled out at the intruder under the wooden structure.
"You need to get out of there. There is no place for you to go. There–"
His words were interrupted by an awful shrieking and screams of pain. Dalton knew what happened. He closed his eyes and tried not to visualize the carnage happening under the peer. There was nothing he could do to stop it.
Dalton trudged up the hill toward the Lodge. He yelled out.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm good," Niki replied.
"It's over. I'll check on the other guy on the way out."
He watched her struggle to position her long body into the rocking chair, and then stopped by the dead gunman. Kneeling and using the shooter’s penlight, Dalton examined the deceased.
He did not recognize Jake. At least, that's the name his partner called him. Dalton was fairly certain it was not his real name. The senator rummaged through the dead man's pockets, but found no identification documents.
He picked up two AR–15 rifles and toted them back to the Lodge. Niki looked at him expectantly.
"Don't worry," Dalton said without waiting for her to ask. "He’s dead."
"What about the other one?" She asked.
"We don't want to worry about him either," Dalton responded. "He has become part of the food chain."
Chapter Twenty-Two
Dalton’s Exotic Ranch
"The one down there is Twigg Webb from New Orleans," Samson told Dalton and Niki. "He is, or was, a hired gunman available to whoever had enough money to hire him."
"Any idea about his partner?" Dalton asked.
Mayeaux nodded. "Well, he usually teamed up with a guy named Johnny Rowinsky. He's originally from Chicago, but has been spotted in New Orleans the last six months."
"How will you be able to tell?" Niki asked.
"We found a foot still inside a boot. The alligator didn't eat it. We can run a DNA test."
"Good," Dalton said. "I was afraid you would have to take the gator. He was only doing what came naturally. A bleeding animal waded into the water, and it took advantage."
"You might want to be careful," Mayeaux admonished. "Once that thing has tasted human flesh, it might want to add it to his regular menu. I wouldn't go Kenny dipping in that lake anytime soon."
"You want to worry about that," Dalton laughed. "Until Niki’s scars heal, she's put skinny dipping way down on her list. Much to my disappointment."
The senator dodged the pillow aimed at his head.
"I'm not qualified to give much advice on that," Mayeaux said. "But you might want to consider trapping that big fella and relocating him to somewhere that doesn't include humans during his daily routine."
"We can do that," Dalton answered. "Any idea who might have hired those two thugs?"
"Could have been anyone," Mayeaux replied. "But what it tells me is somebody is deadly serious about eliminating Niki."
"That's my conclusion, as well. It was serious after the bomb. Now they're sending hit men to my place to get her. They have declared war on Niki."
The strawberry blonde was listening, but her eyes were fixed on the lake. A myriad of thoughts raced through her mind. The bomb. The screams. Clarice. The young cashier. The gunfire. The alligator.
She wanted to fight back. Every sore and aching fiber of her body yearned to strike back. But strike back against whom? She did not know the person or the organization responsible for wanting her dead. She had a list of suspects, but it was a long list. How could she narrow it down?
Chapter Twenty-Three
Dalton’s Exotic Ranch
"Nope. You can’t get rid of us," Drexel Robinson.
"We're here as long as you are, Niki" Donna Cross added. "They'll have to get through us to get to you."
Niki had not called her two associates. She assumed they learned of the attack through Samson. The massive cop was overly protective of his strawberry blonde friend.
“I've got a gun,” Niki responded. “I know how to use it. Besides, Dalton is here to watch over me.”
&nb
sp; "That's the problem with you young people," Drexel scoffed. "You want to depend on the government and politicians to protect you from the world."
"C’mon now. Dalton's not like that."
"I bet," Drexel retorted. "All politicians I know would rather talk someone to death instead of shooting them."
"Somebody talking about me?" Dalton walked into the room. "I heard something about politicians and big mouths."
“We were discussing the situation here,” Niki answered him. “They want to stay. I tried to tell them I was doing okay.”
"I think it’s a great idea," Dalton said to Niki's surprise.
"You do?" Niki's voice rose and her eyebrows arched.
"Sure. We can protect you a lot better here than we can at your townhome or out on the streets. And it’ll be nice to get some sleep without exposing you to more hit-men."
"Thank you," Drexel interjected. "Maybe you have a little more sense the most politicians. Of course, the standard isn't very high."
"You don't have to tell me. I work with them every day. I don't have a whole lot of success," Dalton chuckled.
"How do you want to work it?" Donna asked.
"There's three of us. Why don't we–" Dalton started.
"There's four of us. I'm not helpless," Niki inserted with a firm jaw.
"Okay. Four of us. Why don't we work in six-hour shifts? That’ll give the three of us who aren't crippled some free time to look for the bad guys," Dalton said.
"Hey. I want to look for the bad guys too. I'm the one they're trying to kill," Niki insisted.
"And that's the reason you're going to keep that pretty little butt right here at the ranch. I'd rather draw them into a trap instead of letting you walk into one."
"I know how to take care of myself," she stressed.
"Normally I would agree with you, but you can barely walk. Wait until you get healthy, and we’ll turn you loose on them."
