Chapter 17 #3
“You go ahead and watch. I will do it tightly. And I will do it right. But you really need to listen to me. I may not be the most brilliant tech person on earth, but I work with a few people who are just about geniuses when it comes to the world of computers and artificial intelligence, keys, controls, and so on and so on. They know what you’re planning. And you’ll never get away with it.”
“I will—unless they want to kill about twenty women and kids, along with a couple of pathetic drug addicts who believe this whole thing, that we are saved only by getting rid of the people—such as yourself—who are truly the ones in league with the devil! You and your boy toy, all this time—so cool, so professional, and so special! Well, sorry, but …”
“I’m tying myself, I’m tying myself! I was just trying to warn you!” Skye said quickly. She worked as he had ordered her.
With just a bit of an exception. Down on the ground the way that she was, she could do some twisting and turning and …
She closed her eyes for a minute. And she held on to Ben Chambers’s shoulder.
“Come on! Finish up!” Vince ordered.
“I am! I am!” Skye cried.
She prayed that her plan would work. And when she finished, she was seated on the forest floor, tied to Ben Chambers, with their backs to the giant oak.
Vince walked a few steps closer to them and smiled.
“Well, well, well.” Vince laughed. “So, so sad! You see, poor Officer Chambers was such a caring guy, so happy when he thought he’d found me—the missing detective who was wounded in the woods!
Then, of course, he learned the truth. Good guy, of course.
He would do anything when I promised to put a bullet between Jeremy’s eyes if he didn’t! ”
“You really think you’re incredibly clever,” Skye said. “What if Zach realizes that Ben didn’t call him from whatever house you invaded? What if he has an army coming out here for you?”
Vince laughed. “No problem. I shoot the two of you, and the good old wicked witch disappears. You see, witches know how to do that out here! Time to watch Mr. Superhero come for you!” he proclaimed.
Then a voice broke out of the woods.
“Mr. Superhero, eh? I’m deeply complimented, thank you,” Zach announced. “Drop it, Cason! I’m a damned good shot. I could try to disarm you, or … well, your head is in perfect range for me!”
Vince turned, instantly spraying the woods with gunfire, seeking to take out the man who had spoken.
But to Skye’s incredible relief, she had been right in her faith in the man at her side.
She had slipped her knife into Officer Ben Chambers’s hands as she had tied herself. He was free, and he had freed her, and together they fell flat to the ground as bullets spewed into the forest and …
And Zach proved his words.
A single shot took Vince Cason directly in his right shoulder. He screamed in agony, fell to the ground, and his weapon went dead silent as it flew into the brush near his side.
“Oh, thank God, thank God!” Ben breathed to Skye. “Thank you! Thank you for believing in me!”
They helped one another to their feet as Zach appeared, stepping out from behind the trees and walking over to the man on the ground.
Vince was howling worse than any five-year-old. But Skye could see why he was doing so. His shoulder and arm were destroyed, bloodied with bits of bone sticking out here and there.
“He’ll live,” Zach said, looking at Skye and Ben. “I’m sorry if my method was unnerving for the two of you; but I knew if I challenged him, he’d try to take me out first. And I did avoid his head; we need him to tell us where he’s keeping the kids, the people.”
“Help!” Vince screamed from the ground. “I need medical attention! Now!”
Zach hunkered down by him. “You do. You definitely do. If you don’t get help soon, you’ll lose that arm and shoulder. Or worse”—he shrugged—“you could bleed to death.”
“You’re a Fed! I’ll see your ass fired if you don’t act like a professional—”
“A Fed and a nice guy, usually,” Zach said. “But where are the kids? Sorry, I’d rather see you die than them.”
“Call someone!” Vince thundered. “It will take time!”
“So you need to be quick. Hm. For me, living in prison for life without an arm and a shoulder? I might choose death,” Zach said thoughtfully.
“They’re in the tunnels beneath the abandoned store off the main road, right off there, not even a mile from the café. Now—”
He didn’t need to finish. Zach already had his phone out; his call went through immediately. They were in the woods, but apparently close enough to the road.
And Skye quickly realized he’d had people at the ready.
He hunkered by Vince, staring at him, shaking his head. “Help will be here in seconds. So we have seconds, just seconds. And you’ve got us. Want to give this all a big flourish? Then talk! Tell us! Why? Figured you, but … the why. That’s what I can’t figure out in my head, with any kind of reason!”
Vince laughed, then choked in agony at the pain his laughter had caused him.
“Why? The better question, why not? And it’s entertaining.
The human mind is as messed up as it’s ever been.
Blame others, find evil when the world isn’t going your way, and then it’s just …
Ah, man! The power. The power of manipulating your fellow humans and knowing that, through your own control, you yourself will be where and how you want to be, as long as you shall live! ”
“Got it,” Zach said dryly. “Simple greed and selfishness. No great ideal, no attempt to fix the world around you—”
“No one can fix any part of the world!” Vince snapped.
Zach stepped away.
They heard a massive rustling; then agents and EMTs came running into the clearing within minutes.
Zach looked at Skye and Ben.
“Well, it’s down to the paperwork for us. And … sorry! A moment’s license here if I may …”
He gave Ben a quick hug.
Then he pulled Skye into his arms, and for a long moment, he held her tightly.