Shock registered for a moment on Joe’s face as he frantically tried to think of anything he might have left out. “No, that’s it. Honest to God.”
“Better hope so.” Nick took out two more OxyContin and helped Joe get them down. “Sit quietly. When I hear your buddy, I’m going to tape your mouth temporarily.”
“Stay in the living room,” Nick said when Suzan returned from the garage. “Keep an eye on Joe, Rachel. Put the tape over his mouth when I tell you to. If he even looks like he’s going to make a sound, give him something to make sounds about. I’ll leave the stun gun with you. You two stay cool. The hard part will be over shortly.”
Nick went into the kitchen after checking that the main entrance was locked, carrying the Taser gun and Joe’s silenced automatic. He placed a chair to the right of the connecting door from the garage. With Joe’s weapon in his left hand, and the Taser in his right, Nick waited. Ten minutes later, he heard the ragged exhaust sound of the
Dodge driving into the garage.
“Put the tape on Joe, Rachel,” he called out.
Two minutes later, the kitchen door opened. A huge man with carefully trimmed black beard and hair entered. The Taser needles struck the man’s left breast. Craig cried out, his arms flailing wildly as Nick gave him burst after burst until the man fell first to his knees, and then pitched to the floor on his face. Nick kept up the charge until Craig moved only spasmodically. He could smell the unmistakable odor of singed flesh. Ah…smells like…victory.
“Come in, Rachel,” Nick called out. “Suzan, you keep an eye on Joe.”
Rachel hurried in. She took the Taser from Nick. Setting the automatic on the kitchen table, Nick quickly duct taped Craig’s crossed wrists behind his back, relieving the man of a 9mm Glock he had in his waistband. He then taped the man’s ankles together and, bending them upward, Nick taped the wrists to the ankles. Lastly, Nick put tape over Craig’s mouth.
“Put the Taser gun down right where you are, and come search this clown, Rachel. Empty everything out on the floor. I’m going to drag Joe in here before I get the kids.”
“Nick,” Rachel caught hold of Nick’s wrist as he passed by, her lip trembling. “I -”
“It’s not over yet, Wonder Woman. Hang on a little longer.” Nick jogged into the living room.
“Grit your teeth, Joe. I’m dragging you into the kitchen.” Nick applied duct tape to keep the black plastic bags attached to the oak chair. He tipped the chair backwards. With the plastic bags making the quick slide easier into the next room, Nick dragged Joe out of sight in the kitchen.
Nick went into the garage carefully, having picked up Joe’s silenced automatic, and some scissors from the kitchen counter before going out. The front seat was empty. Nick breathed easier. He heard the kids squirming in the back seat as he opened the door. Garth, Kelly, and Jean stared back at him, wide-eyed with fear. Nick made a shushing sound, setting the automatic down under the van for the moment. Using the scissors, Nick cut away the plastic ties Craig had bound the kids with.
“Go easy pulling the tape off your mouths, kids,” Nick urged.
The kids pulled the duct tape off with some difficulty and muffled cries. Jean was the first to get hers off. She dived into Nick’s arms.
“I knew you’d come, Nick,” Jean sobbed, tears streaming down from her eyes. “I told Kelly and Garth you wouldn’t let them get us.”
“You’d better believe it, kid.” Nick hugged her back. “C’mon, I want you three to walk out of the garage and go in through the front entrance. Go straight upstairs with your Moms, and stay there until I tell you to come down, okay?”
Kelly and Garth nodded silently at the near stranger. Jean twisted around in Nick’s arms.
“I told you the Terminator would save us,” Jean claimed happily as Nick put her on the cement. “C’mon, we have to go in the front.”
Nick watched Jean help Kelly from the van, and then Garth. When they were around the corner, running to the front, Nick picked up the weapon from under the van. He went inside the house to relieve Rachel. Nick took the Taser from her. She ran into the living room to scoop Jean into her arms, crying in relief. Suzan sat with her arms around Kelly and Garth on the couch, holding them silently, rocking back and forth. When Jean saw Nick standing at the kitchen doorway, she whispered in Rachel’s ear. Rachel set her down, nodding in agreement.
“We have to go upstairs for a while,” Rachel told Suzan, motioning the woman up from the couch.
After Rachel, Suzan, and the kids were upstairs, Nick checked on Joe and Craig. When he was satisfied neither man could do anything, Nick put Joe’s silenced automatic into his gym bag, along with the Taser gun. Nick then went out to trigger the garage door closed. He rooted around until he found bleach and paper towels. Nick placed them on the Dodge’s passenger side front floorboard before moving to and opening the rear doors of the van. Craig and Joe had emptied the back, expecting to transport bodies.
In the kitchen, Nick found Craig beginning to roll around in pain, groaning under the duct tape. Nick flipped Craig over and dragged the man out by his legs, down over the three steps, and across the garage floor to the Dodge’s rear doors. Nick managed to work Craig’s upper body onto the van’s cargo floor. After taking a couple deep breaths, Nick flipped the man’s legs into the van.
“Damn Craig, you weigh a ton.” Nick breathed heavily but smiled when he heard muffled noises. Craig’s body rolled side to side.
Nick joined Joe in the kitchen. He helped Joe swallow two more OxyContin. Nick tore off four more strips of duct tape. From behind Joe, Nick cut the shoulder and waist tape.
“I’m going to slice the tape away from your wrists, Joe. Put your hands behind your back immediately. If you don’t, I’ll push you forward, right on your knees, understand?”
Joe nodded. Nick sliced the tape away from his wrists. Joe leaned forward, crossing his hands behind him. Nick put two of the strips around Joe’s wrists. Nick sliced the tape off Joe’s ankles and duct taped them together.
“Okay, Joe, time to go in the van. I’m going to ease you forward onto my shoulder and do a fireman’s carry out to the van. Don’t make this hard, or I’ll throw you on the floor and drag you out by your knees.”
Nick pulled the man over his shoulders, lifting with his legs to a standing crouch, and slowly trudged out to the Dodge van. He eased Joe inside the cargo area. Nick retrieved his duct tape and wrapped each man two full times around their chests and arms, immobilizing their upper bodies. Craig’s eyes verged on insanity. Nick patted his cheek.
“You’re lucky I don’t have time to play with you, Craig.”
Chapter Eleven
Nick closed the van doors. An hour later, Nick had bagged all the men’s personal items, and cleaned the living room and kitchen meticulously. His gym bag was repacked. One black garbage bag was tied closed near the front door. He walked to the staircase.
“I’m sure you all are hungry and thirsty, so come on down,” Nick called out.
When they were all sitting in Suzan’s kitchen, drinking sodas, and eating chips Suzan had served, Nick waited until they were through before speaking.
“Rachel, Jean, and I have to leave. I have a couple more errands to run. Tomorrow’s Sunday. Rachel and I would like to have you all over for the barbeque we missed today. Once we leave, this bad stuff will all be in the past. We’ll talk tomorrow, Suzan. Talk to no one until then.”
“I won’t,” Suzan promised.
“What if those guys come back?” Kelly asked.
“They won’t be coming back,” Jean told her with exasperation. “Are you stupid?”
“Jean!” Rachel rebuked her daughter. “You apologize right now!”