“You, on the roof,” one of them yelled. “Put your weapon down.”
“Anyone shoots,” Piggy yelled, “and Sulke gets it. Get it?”
There were shouts of “Okay.”
While this was going on Ray slipped into Eugene’s room and came out a minute later, nodding affirmatively.
Armstrong’s phone rang.
“Chad, I just spotted that escapee. He’s armed with a revolver. He was hiding in the bushes next to the office. He’s sneaking around to the side of the building.”
“Can you get a bead on him?” Armstrong said, speaking in a low voice.
“Not yet.”
“Keep your eye on him. Take him out when you can.”
They got to the cargo van, but the doors were locked. They turned around and saw Armstrong smiling while twirling the keys around his finger. Piggy and the other two guys looked around but didn’t see anyone else.
“It’s a trap,” one of them yelled. “I fucking knew it.”
“Shut up,” Piggy yelled back.
Then Piggy began yelling at Armstrong. “Give me those keys, Armstrong. Where are your friends? I told you I’d kill those two if you try anything.”
“Relax, Piggy. I’ll give them to you.” Armstrong was calm as he walked toward the van, twirling the keys around his index finger a little faster now. Piggy gave the gun he was using to one of the ground Hogs, whispering instructions.
Now Piggy was smiling. “Doesn’t matter what your game is, Armstrong. I’ve got orders to kill Sulke. It’ll just be plain ole fun to put a bullet in him.” Grinning, his white teeth shining against his dark lips, he held out his left hand to take the keys. Armstrong, still grinning and twirling, let the keys fly off his finger just as he approached Piggy.
Piggy just grinned at Armstrong. He laughed, and looked over to one of his Hogs, “Do Sulke now.”
Armstrong was unfazed as a shot from Wrenn rang out and Piggy collapsed to the ground. Moon got spooked and came running from the building to take dead aim on Armstrong, but missed. His revolver had poor range from that distance. Now exposed, Foote drew a bead on him, and took him out.
Sandra screamed, and Eugene was frightened out of his mind. The guy with the gun aimed right at Eugene’s head and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened.
Ray came over. “Need some help? This one works,” he said as he calmly shot the gunman. The last guy fled and headed to Pamela’s room. He figured his only chance now was to grab Pamela and make his escape. He pushed through the broken door and saw Pamela standing there. He smiled and moved to grab her but Pamela pulled the gun from her back and shot him dead.
Ray came running over, saw what happened, and smiled.
“He didn’t give the secret knock,” she said calmly. “They surprised me the first time, but this time I wasn’t taking any chances.”
Eugene then bent over Sandra, who had fainted, and helped her up. Pamela came out, saw Sandra on the ground, and came running over to them. But everyone was okay.
Eugene turned to Chad in astonishment. “You knew that gun wouldn’t fire.”
Chad smiled. “It was the same gun I gave to Dr. Schmidt. I didn’t trust him with a loaded weapon so I removed the clip and put an empty one in instead. I left him with one bullet in the chamber. When we entered his room we saw the two dead doctors. Our three prisoners were disarmed, but I must have missed the knife one of them had. He probably cut himself free, surprised Schmidt, and slit his throat, taking his gun. He probably got Grifton to wake up Piggy, and then shot him with the only bullet he had.”
“But Eugene had a gun too,” said Sandra. “He had the gun when I opened the door.”
“Yeah, but I put it away.”
Foote nodded. “I told him to keep it in the top drawer. I didn’t want him carrying it around.”
“Exactly!” Armstrong said.
“I confirmed the gun was still there,” Ray said.
“Folks,” Armstrong said, “you were never ever in real danger, except for that pointman with the pea shooter. Foote already had him under cover.”
“I hate to break up this happy ending, people,” Pamela said, “but we’ve got a bunch of dead bodies, bullet holes, a busted in door—and the manager will be here in ten minutes. We better… how’d you put it… oh yeah, skedaddle on out of here.”
Cassandra just smiled. “I’ll explain it all to the manager when he comes in.”
Pamela was astounded. “Are you crazy? We got to get out of here, now. This place will be crawling with cops. What if they’re on their way now?”
Armstrong was more relaxed. “Point one. Unless one of us or them called the police, they aren’t on the way. The reason is that the other wing of the motel is closed down for the winter. We’re the only ones here.
“Second, the manager knows our vehicles, can identify us, and we’d be caught as fugitives running from multiple murders.”
“Cassandra is about as good as it gets at convincing someone of our good intentions,” Ray said.
Sandy and Eugene wanted to know what her plan was.
Cassandra explained. “A motorcycle gang was bent on rape, robbery, and murder. They came in the middle of the night, there was a shootout, and we killed them. Their bikes are still in the cargo van.”
“He’s going to call the police and let them do their own investigation,” Pamela said.
“You do have the doctors’ money, huh? And Sandy’s?” Cassandra said.
“Yeah.”
“We’ll need about ten grand of the money. It’ll be needed for repairs to the motel, and that manager will come out financially ahead. Sure, he’ll call the police after we leave, but we’ll be well out of their jurisdiction when they get here. We’ll get away.”
Cassandra went to the office and waited for the motel guy to get there. Armstrong, Wrenn and Foote went to Bones’s body, and carried him into the SUV. Armstrong was quite distraught as he said his final goodbyes to his lifelong companion.
Cassandra came out twenty minutes later with a smile on her face. “It’s all taken care of, fellas. He was pissed at first, but ten grand in the suitcase persuaded him to accept the story, and he promised he’d wait a couple hours before calling the police.”
Armstrong called for everyone to pack up and meet in the center of the parking lot. Ten minutes later, Armstrong addressed the group. “Well, our job is done. Pamela, you are about the bravest lady I have ever known. I turn over your troupe to you and we’ll go back to our business.”
Then Foote spoke up. “Me and Wrenn are going with them, Chad. In lieu of the money, we’ll tag along with Ray and Cassandra, provide extra security, and go to New America.”
“Why don’t you come with us?” Wrenn said. “We could really use you.”
“Yeah, come with us, Chad,” Foote said. “If that’s all right with Pamela.”
Pamela smiled. “The more the merrier.”
Chad wore a smirk. “Christ, man. What am I going to do without you guys? I lost Bones, and now you two as well. I got to admit one thing. I sure would like to know what’s on the other side of that border. Virtually no one goes in, no one comes out, and there’s almost a total blackout. Christ, you’d think it’s North Korea.”
“Some people call it heaven,” Ray said.
“I have a home there,” Pamela said. “It is like an escape from hell. Let’s all go there together. This time I’m staying over there.”
“Shit,” Chad said, smiling. “Fine! We’ll be the newest pilgrims.”
Then Wrenn yelled, “On to the New World.”
Then everyone else chimed in. “On to the New World,” cheering.
Part 3:
To The New World