The Face of Fear: A Powers and Johnson Novel (51 page)

The alarm went off at 11:01 and Paul felt like he only had two hours sleep instead of four. He took a shower, came out and looked out on Main Street. He was surprised to see cars still going by past 11pm on a Thursday night. From his window he saw Joey Z walk out to the sidewalk. It wasn’t unusual to see him on the front sidewalk but not at 11:15pm. He leaned out the window and asked if everything was OK. Joey Z waved back and told Paul he was late tonight doing an inventory and wanted some fresh air. Paul told him he had a late shift tonight and would be leaving soon. Joey Z made one of his famous quotes, “Whose got it better then you?” to Paul.

“I’ll be here ’til about 12:30am my friend.”

“OK,” Paul said, “have a good night.” It really is fascinating how life can be affected by the small events in our life. Paul didn’t realize it but the fact that Joey Z picked this particular night to do his inventory at a restaurant helped shape the destiny of what was to come. Bud got up at 11:25pm, showered and put on his jeans and Hawaiian shirt and was out the door by 11:55pm. He sent Paul a text that he would be there to pick him up by 12:15. As Bud drove, his thoughts wanted to be of Deborah but they kept going back to Paul. So many things, so many thoughts going through his mind.

H
e reached the back parking lot behind Z Pita, knocked lightly and went up the stairs. Paul was looking over some papers with his back to Bud as he spoke. “So you decided to be a partner at least ’til this is over.”

“Do I have a choice?” was Bud’s answer. Bud continued to stare at Paul as his back was turned to him. He had started to dislike himself for the things he was thinking about Paul but his instincts were telling him things he didn’t like. He looked around the apartment and noticed the Ghost Face mask that was always hanging on the coat rack there was not there.

“Where’s the mask that hung there for years Paul?”

“Not sure,” Paul answered as he opened his drawer to get a shirt. Bud pulled out his 9mm and pointed it at Paul. Paul turned around as he lifted his shirt.

“Don’t move,” Bud said. “You Fuck! You son of a bitch! You couldn’t do this the right way. You had to be a hero vigilante and wipe them out!”

“Bud,” Paul said.

“Shut the fuck up! You listen to me, I will shoot and I will be angry at you and myself for handling it this way, but it won’t change things. I will shoot, you bastard!”

“Are you going to let me speak?” Paul replied. As Bud continued to hold aim on him, Paul spoke.

“Bud, you are mistaken, this is not what you think or it appears to be. I am not the vigilante.”

“Shut up,” Bud answered. “You really piss me off. You throw everything away for the sake of the girl!”

“I watched the interrogation you did with Simpson three times. You never even brought up the hospital video. The night Rachelle was attacked, where the fuck were you? I’ll tell you where you were, on the front lawn killing Winters.”

“Bud,” Paul said, “Shut Up!” as he held the 9mm steady.

“Where were you while Deborah was saved and Mason Winters was being stabbed? I could never reach you while this was going on! The attack of John Winters in the abandoned building. I was with Cronin and where the fuck were you! I got a call from the lab on the body type possibility for the masked figure. Guess who was on the list that could have done what he did in the hospital? You, you Paul were on the list. I kept putting if off thinking, no, not Paul. And then the note from whoever shot at me in front of the building and killed Allan. The note said stop the killing Detective Powers. It wasn’t about you being a detective to solve the crime and stop the killings, no, it was about you. You! You! To actually stop killing. You risked everyone’s lives in this case to get vengeance for Rachelle.” Paul started to move towards Bud. “Stop, Paul, I swear don’t make me shoot you. Get your hands up.”

“Now what,” Paul replied.

“And now,” Bud said, “the mask. The mask that you love so much that never left this coat rack is not where it’s supposed to be. Why because it has blood splatter on it? There are too many things that happen that point to you. I won’t even get to your sweats. That’s right, I know you. Every time you get stressed out and nervous, the back of your head gets wet. Where’s your piece?”

“Bud,” Paul said.

“Don’t go there,” Bud answered. He took out his handcuffs. “Lock yourself to the opening of this bedpost.” He watched Paul lock himself in as Bud searched the apartment for his gun. He found it in a small box inside his closet. “Where’s your back up?” he asked.

“Under the bed in a box.” Bud found it in the middle underneath.

“I guess I’ll be going to the Wilkerson house alone tonight,” Bud said.

“I’ll be calling for an officer to come over and pick you up. Don’t make this harder for everyone Paul. If you’re not here when I get back, I will find you and I will shoot you.”

“Bud,” Paul said. “Don’t do this, you are making a mistake Bud!” His partner started walking toward the stairs as he turned around and looked at Paul.

“Was it worth it Paul? By the way, it’s just a coincidence you are left handed also. It’s past midnight already, I gotta go.” Bud started running down the stairs as Paul started yelling, “Don’t do this Bud!” It was to no avail as Bud slammed the door as he left.

Paul started banging the headboard against the wall and began jumping up and down as best as he could. He remembered that Joey Z was downstairs late doing inventory and was trying to make such a racket that he would want to see what was going on. For ten minutes, he banged, and he hopped up and down and was so exhausted he almost gave up when he heard Joey Z locking up the front door. Paul grabbed the now famous coat rack with his free hand and drove it through the front window. As the pieces of window crashed over the sidewalk Joey Z threw himself toward the front of the building to avoid the falling glass and held onto his chest to make sure he wasn’t having a heart attack.

“Joey!” Paul yelled. “I need you Joey, come up!” Joey Z ran around to the back through the small alley way that separated the buildings on Main Street and found that the door was locked. He pulled out his key ring, unlocked the door and ran up the stairs to find the apartment a mess and the bed half torn apart because Paul was locked to a heavy bedpost.

“What the hell,” Joey Z remarked.

“Joey!” Paul yelled, “my gun, there’s a small box underneath the sink in my bathroom. Please bring it to me!”

“Paul,” Joey Z remarked. “Why are you locked up in handcuffs?” Paul replied, “If I tell you, will you bring me the box?”

“Before I pee my pants try me,” Joey Z said.

“Bud thinks I’m the masked Ghost Face doing the killings of the kidnappers.”

“Ugh,” Joey said. “OK, that makes me feel safe, maybe I will pee my pants,” as he went to get the box.

“I’m not a kidnapper,” Paul said to Joey as he handed him the box. Paul opened the box with his free hand and out came a small 22 handgun.

“Oh shit,” Joey Z said, “almost too late to hold it.” Paul ignored Joey Z as he fired into the chain that held him.

“I’ve got to get out of here before the officers come to pick me up.” He ran to his closet and tore apart the bottom drawer as he pulled out an older 9MM Glock from a combination box. He put on his shirt, got his car keys and ran down the stairs.

“Thanks Joey,” he said as the restaurant owner and landlord was now standing in the middle of the apartment he said to himself aloud, “maybe it’s time for a new tenant.” He looked around the apartment in disbelief, then walked into Paul’s bathroom and shut the door.

Bud had called it in for an officer to go to Paul’s apartment to bring him to the precinct as a person of interest. He was afraid of a total blow up of the media if he said anything else before they had a chance to formally question him. Bud pulled up to the driveway of the Wilkerson’s and met with Officer Dugan. Status was all good with no problems as Bud went to the front door. Lynagh opened it before he knocked which startled Bud.

“How’s it going?” he asked Lynagh.

“Quiet, which is good,” Lynagh answered.

“Healey and the girl are upstairs sleeping.”

“OK,” Bud answered “I would go up there but knowing Healey he would shoot me so I’ll just stay down here.” Lynagh didn’t crack a smile.

“Good idea.”

Ron, Eric and Brian drove to Cliff Road and parked the car about one hundred yards away from Bell Circle. Ron and Eric had handguns called Grandpower R100 Slovak semi-automatic pistols while Brian carried a pump action Remington 870 Shotgun. They walked in the still of the night and stopped about twenty five yards away from Officer Dugan now sitting in the cruiser. The three of them split up to their assignments while Ron attached a silencer to his gun. Ron walked to the left of the road and was given four minutes to peacefully cause Dugan to take a walk or to get outside of the car. The plan was to eliminate him before he could request back up. Once he was taken out, they figured they had five minutes to decoy what would be happening about a mile down the road to allow Simpson, Phil and the voice to secure the cash. The only thing that the three of them didn’t realize was Phil had already beaten them to the money. Ron began his walk in front of the house and true to form Dugan got out and stood by his car. What the three intruders didn’t realize was Dugan had texted Lynagh there was a pedestrian on the road before he got out of the car. Lynagh told Bud and the detective started looking out the front window. He had started to tell Lynagh to get his shotgun but he heard the officer already pull the gauge back.

“Probably nothing,” Bud said, “but let’s be ready.”

“Excuse me, sir,” Ron said. Officer Dugan spoke, “Kinda late for you to be walking the streets alone, even in Belle Terre.” As Dugan spoke, Eric was able to quickly climb from the side of the house to the front bedroom window where Lindsey slept. The twelve year old girl had heard noises on the house but was used to creaks and noises, especially from the heating system. This time her gifted hearing heard someone working quietly to open her window. Lindsey began getting nervous but was too startled to even run. She started throwing her plush pigs she always slept with against her room door to awaken Healey. By the time the window was open, she had thrown her last and final pig against the door. As she started to pull the covers over her head, Eric was already sitting inside the window ledge. He pulled out his knife in order to keep it as quiet as possible and even liked it that Lindsey covered her face with the covers. He noticed the door slowly opening and he pulled his gun out from his sleeve and pointed it at Lindsey just as he saw Officer Healey standing there with his 9mm Glock on him.

“So,” Eric said. “You are truly the good bodyguard. How did you hear us?” Healey stood there. No words but with the gun focused on the intruder. Lindsey lowered the covers and without moving her head, her eyes were rotating from Eric to Healey. Eric continued to speak. “Looks like we have a problem, I’m not leaving here ’til she’s not breathing and you will most likely shoot me, so either way, you have failed because she won’t be alive. You have failed, Officer.” Still, the officer with his arms straight out would not respond. The silence was uncomfortable to Eric but he continued to speak. “You shoot me, I will still pull the trigger. The question is who will shoot first.” Healey focused on Eric’s eyes without saying anything. Finally, the twelve year old girl spoke in words barely audible.

“I trust you,” as she finished those words, Monty who was sleeping under the bed let out a small sigh. Eric’s eyes quickly glanced to the bed and Healey took his shot. The bullet hit him squarely in the head as he fell through the window onto the secondary roof and on to the ground.

Dugan turned around and Ron fired twice hitting Dugan in the back and his leg. Healey’s shot was heard as Lynagh started to run upstairs but was held up by Bud.

“No! Stay here! Call for backup! If there are more of them, you need to be down here! Justin! Justin!” Bud yelled.

“I have the girl!” Healey yelled from upstairs.

“Get the family all in one place!” Bud screamed, “Now!” He saw Dugan on the ground in the circular driveway, he looked back at Lynagh.

“Nobody gets upstairs! You hear me!” Lynagh nodded as he stood against the wall with his shotgun pointed up. He had called for back up thirty seconds prior but it already seemed like ten minutes. Bud left the front door and reached Dugan to pull him to cover. As he looked down at the fallen officer, he could see he was still alive from wearing his vest. As he pulled Dugan toward the car, Ron had moved to the opposite side of the cruiser when Eric had fallen out the window. Bud tried to save Dugan, but he was about to realize it was a mistake. Ron crawled around the front of the car, stepped around the side and by the time Bud knew what was happening it was too late. Ron raised his gun and shots were fired. As Ron stood there, he looked down at his stomach and chest and saw blood coming out. As the blood started coming out of his mouth, he fell to the ground. Bud held on to Dugan and held out his gun as the figure started walking out of the darkness into the motion light of the driveway. It was Paul. Bud yelled, “What the fuck are you doing here!”

“Saving your fat ass! ,” Paul yelled.

“I’ll accept that,” Bud replied. Paul crouched down to look at Officer Dugan who was bleeding heavily. Paul started wrapping his leg from a cloth scarf that was in the cruiser when they heard shotgun blasts in the house.

“Fuck!” Bud said, “Where is the back up!”

“Stay here with Dugan” Paul replied as he ran into the house. “Lynagh, it’s Detective Powers! I’m coming in!”

Lynagh was behind the sofa, and he had fired a round from seeing Brian come in through the side door. Paul started moving around the back of the dining room to get over to the side. He looked at Lynagh as he spoke.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m staying here, he needs to get upstairs and this is the best place to be.”

“You!” Paul replied, “Are a sitting duck!”

“It is what it is,” Lynagh answered. “He’s not getting upstairs this way!” Upstairs, Healey moved the girl to the large bathroom and put her in the hot tub. By now, the mother Sharyn, was screaming and Walt was holding on to her. Healey grabbed them and moved them to the bathroom and had all three of them in the hot tub.

“Monty!” Lindsey started yelling. “They will kill my dog.” Healey put his hand out to her.

“Wait! You are not going anywhere!” He looked at the father and gave him the shotgun.

“Anybody but me coming through the bathroom door you shoot to protect your family, do you understand?”

“Yes,” Walt replied as his hands shook. Healey crawled out into the hallway with his handgun and stated yelling to Lynagh.

“I’m in the hallway upstairs! Who else is in the house!” Paul answered.

“Justin, you have me and Lynagh and we know of one in the house downstairs! We don’t know how many more are here. Two dead outside. Dugan is badly injured.” Lynagh spoke up.

“I’ve got the stairway covered. I can’t speak for upstairs!” Healey started calling for Monty as the dog looked out of Lindsey’s doorway but was afraid to leave the room. The officer crawled all the way to Lindsey’s room and grabbed Monty as the dog whimpered. It was too uncomfortable to crawl back with the dog in his arms so he stood up and started running for the bathroom.