Hell Released (Hell Happened Book 3) (25 page)

Russ didn’t want to take the time to hook up a generator so it was all done with the sinking sun through the front windows and flashlights. It was a good time for everyone with someone calling out something they had found that someone else might like. It was an adult game of Marco Polo and everyone enjoyed the evening of playing in the store.

Russ picked himself up some digital video equipment, a bag full of movies and music, tennis rackets and tennis and golf balls. He also found a nice pair of running shoes and house slippers. He had hopes of spending Sundays playing a sport either by himself or with someone else.

Russ knew they would return to the store again, for sundries like toilet paper, laundry detergent, toothpaste and deodorant, but it was a fun night they all needed before the seriousness of dealing with the prisoners the following morning.

Saturday evening, after the store party, everyone retired to their homes with their booty. Lisa had grabbed every romance book she could get her hands on, a lot more work clothes and every day clothes, a tablet and several wireless mouses for her computer, movies, better shoes, gum and some of the store’s better wines.

When they pulled into the garage, Russ was reminded of the hundreds of times he’d gone grocery shopping with his wife. They always took several trips back to the car retrieving what they’d purchased before unpacking everything in the kitchen.

Lisa was nothing like that. She picked up everything she’d purchased in one load. She carried so much she could hardly fit through the door. Russ opened it for her and she squeezed through and dumped the whole lot on the couch and started going through what she’d picked out.

Russ took three trips, putting everything close to where he’d eventually keep it. By the time he was finished, Lisa had the tags off everything she had picked out.

Russ put batteries in his electronic equipment and took a few practice shots of Lisa. He then sat and watched her fold her clothes, but that wasn’t what made him smile most.

Lisa finally got to the bottom of her bags of goodies opened up a pack of gum. She carefully unwrapped a single piece, put it slowly in her mouth and began chewing. Her eyes were closed and Russ watched her chew it slowly, savoring every drop of mouth-watering taste it had to give.

“I had forgotten how much I love chewing gum. Next time I go back, I am going to get every pack of gum that store has.” To Russ, she looked on the verge of ecstasy. Russ watched her and smiled. He might never bring happiness to the world, might never get a community running, might even die tomorrow by accident or someone’s whim, but right here and right now, he was watching a woman with whom he was friends, enjoying something as simple as a stick of gum.

It made him happy. Lisa opened her eyes, saw him and blushed like he’d never seen her before. He didn’t say a word and Lisa smiled coquettishly, looking down at the wrapper still in her hand. “Sorry,” she explained, “it’s just been so long.”

Russ thought there was a subliminal comment there somewhere, but he wasn’t sure. To get everything put away, he started putting her new books onto the bookshelves, but she stopped him.

“I don’t want that crap in the living room,” she said to him. “That reading goes in our bedroom. I don’t want our friends thinking we read that smut.” Russ joined in her tinkling laugh and was halfway up the stairs when he realized she’d said “our bedroom.” Three nights before, she had come into his room because she was alone and afraid. She slept in his bed with him and even though nothing happened physically, it had helped them both through the night.

Two nights ago he had forgotten her offer of spending the night in her room until he had gone to his room and it was already cleaned out and his clothes from his room had been moved into hers.

The first night sleeping in the same room was a little awkward, but the next was easier for both of them. They went to bed tired and sleep came easy. Russ was usually up first and showered and dressed before she got out of bed.

Now he was taking two dozen romance novels to their room so she could read them before going to sleep. Russ was more of a movie watcher before going to sleep, but it was something they would work out.

He was stacking the books when Lisa brought up the last few books Russ hadn’t been able to bring in his first trip and the movies she had picked up at the store. She also had a handful of his movies too.

Whoever had lived here before had really done a nice job of decorating with the latest electronic equipment. There was a 42-inch flat panel in the bedroom and the remote was on Lisa’s side of the bed. There was also a DVD and Blue Ray player and a high-end stereo system.

They stacked the books and movies together, discussing which ones they’d read and watch and wondered if the movie industry would ever put out another movie in their lifetimes.

In a long moment of silence, Lisa finally asked about the elephant in the room. “Have you decided what you are going to do with the prisoners?”

“I think I have,” he told her. “I asked Doug to find shackles for the two and if they accept parole, we can put them to work on menial, low-supervision jobs until they prove themselves capable of being part of our community and willing to follow our rules.

“During the day, they’ll work and eat and join us, but they will be shackled at the feet and have no access to weapons. At night, they will be returned to their cells before our communal dinner. I don’t think anyone wants them there for our time.”

“We’re going to use them as slaves then?” she asked.

“I thought the same thing when I was searching for an answer and I know a chain gang is reminiscent of slavery, but I think the goal of any penal system should be to punish someone to an extent to where they see that following the laws of the community in which they live is more beneficial than violating the rules. The punishment will direct them to rehabilitate their attitude.

“If they violate the rules to an extent where we can never trust them, then we have the choice of ending their rights to life or send them away with instructions that they will be shot on sight if they ever come back.

“The second option puts us in the position that we may be pushing our problem off on someone else. We may send them away, but they may survive and kill someone else. That death will be our fault for not dealing with our problem. I will not do that to some innocents who are living like we are, hoping to make it from one day to the next.

“If the prisoners decide, after living with shackles and sleeping in cells, that they’d rather follow our rules, then they can earn the right to become part of our community. If they want to stay in their cells for the rest of their natural lives, then that’s where they’ll stay. I will not take someone’s life for anything less than murder, rape, arson, child molestation, or doing something that will intentionally endanger our community.

“We’ve all been through the worst kind of hell imaginable. As we rebuild the United States, we need to feel safe in our homes and as we go about our personal business. As long as we are not infringing on the rights of someone else, I believe we have the right to protect ourselves and the people with whom we live.”

Lisa was looking at Russ. He had been talking to her, but she had the feeling he was talking it out for his own benefit more than it was to explain it to her. She already knew what she would do, but as the leader of their community, Russ had to think of everyone and how they would see the punishment he meted out to the two.

“Have you listened to any of the surveillance tapes?”

“Yea, Todd fast forwarded though the recordings and he saved out six or eight recordings. There was no overt admission of guilt from Miguel, but Mason did admit that his shooting and killing of one of their cohorts was because the man had lied to him” Russ told her.

“So he is a killer,” she said, a statement, not a question.

“There is no doubt.”

“And you think he would work in leg irons and try to be part of our community?”

“No.”

“But you’re still going to give him the chance?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” she asked, not sure why the man now sitting on her bedroom floor would do something like that.

“Because I don’t know the man; don’t know what he might do. He might surprise us. He admitted to one killing, but maybe there were extenuating circumstances that we will never know. I think we need to at least try to give someone a chance to change before we take their life. Killing someone is the only permanent punishment we can inflict, and it is the most severe.”

Lisa had been sitting on the bed listening to the reasoning of Russ as he sat on the floor stacking movies beneath the television. When he finished, she reached a hand down and he took it. She helped him to his feet. He had obviously thought long and very seriously about what he would have to do tomorrow and she was glad he wasn’t being cavalier. He might have to take someone’s life and permanently punish them. “Come on, colonel. Tomorrow is the day you have to worry about that. Tonight I have something special for you.” She winked at him. “You get ready for bed and get back here.”

Russ went into the bathroom, washed up from the day, brushed his teeth and put on the pajamas that were hanging on the back of the bathroom door.

When he was finished, Lisa was already in bed with her trademark impish smile. Russ wasn’t sure what special thing she had for him, but he hoped he’d be up to it. The lights were off in the room except for her night stand light.

He crawled into bed and she giggled.

She slid down from sitting and got to the same height as him, so they both had their heads on the pillows. Russ knew she was teasing him in her own way, thinking that she knew what he was thinking. “Ready?” she asked huskily.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, almost choking on the words. She was very attractive and she was in the same bed as him and she did seem like she was game.

She rolled over to her side of the bed, opened the drawer to her night stand and pulled something out. She rolled back over to him.

“Here you go,” she said and handed him the remote for the TV. “Blazing Saddles is already loaded and it’s ready for you to watch. I remember you saying you really liked that movie.”

Russ smiled and took the remote from her, aimed it at the TV and pressed the power button. The TV took a moment to warm up and he looked over at Lisa while he waited. She was smiling at him, happy that she’d given him something that he had wanted.

“You are a rare treasure,” he said and kissed her on the forehead. She turned off her night stand light and cuddled beside him as he folded his pillow so he could see the TV better.

“And you, sir, are a true gentleman.”

Lisa fell asleep before the end of the movie. When the movie was over, Russ shut the TV off and reached across her to put the remote on her stand. As he fluffed his pillow and pulled the covers up to go to sleep, Lisa repositioned herself with a leg across his and her warm body pressed very close.

“You’re a true gentleman, Russ,” she whispered and kissed his shoulder. “A true gentleman.” Russ fell asleep with the woman draped on him and he was thinking very ungentlemanly thoughts.

Morning was not as awkward as previous mornings. Russ woke shortly before Lisa who was still hanging onto him. He cleared his throat softly and heard Lisa say she was awake, but not wanting to move because she was comfortable. Russ told her she was going to have to move or he’d have an accident like he hadn’t had since he was four years old. She laughed and rolled off him.

By the time he was out of the bathroom, she’d already gotten her robe on and headed down stairs. He pulled out a uniform because he would be performing his job as a military officer this morning. He’d told Capt. Eldred and LCpl. “Deputy” Doug Angelopoulos to be ready at 8 a.m. to go deal with the prisoners.

When he went downstairs, Lisa had his coffee poured and breakfast almost ready. The gravity of the day’s upcoming events weighed heavily on him and Lisa had the good sense to not flirt or act like she didn’t know how serious the day was for him.

Russ looked at his watch and realized he must have slept in. It was already quarter to 8 by the time he finished breakfast. Lisa sat with him and had her breakfast too, but it was in silence.

When he finished rinsing his dishes, he dried his hands and walked to the door where his field jacket was hung. Lisa walked with him to the door but wouldn’t be going with him.

“Wish me luck,” he said as he put his cap on.

She reached up and kissed his cheek. He had to bend over a little to accept it. “Good luck, colonel.”

She opened the door for him and he smiled at her as he left. She waited for a moment as he walked away and then closed the door behind him.

Deputy Doug was already waiting in the middle of the street and Eldred was walking down his walkway to meet them. Both saluted the colonel.

“Are we ready, gentlemen?” he asked. Both said they were. “Let’s take the deputy’s Army truck. I know he has the shackles already loaded.”

Doug tapped out the garage door’s access code on a panel and backed his truck into the street. Russ sat in back and the captain in the passenger seat. As they drove, Russ asked the two men to follow his lead. He briefed them on what he’d decided to offer.

Doug said he had a portable copy of comments Mason and Miguel had made, and that he’d gone through the recordings up through about 6 p.m. the previous night and didn’t hear any more conversation between the two prisoners. Russ said they had enough for what he needed.