The Face of Fear: A Powers and Johnson Novel (52 page)

Brian couldn’t resist. He fired his shotgun at the running officer and it struck Healey down as Lynagh started firing his shotgun toward the wall where the shots came from. Three rounds he fired as he moved closer to the wall.

“Lynagh,” yelled Paul. “Get under cover.”

“He’s not getting upstairs!” Lynagh answered.

“What if there’s more in the house!” Paul answered. Bud heard the shots inside and it was killing him but he was afraid Dugan would not be able to defend himself. His BlackBerry buzzed as he grabbed it. It was a text from Cronin to get to the Lance mansion right away. “What the fuck,” Bud said.

“Go,” Dugan said. “Leave me with my shotgun. I’ll either bleed to death or kill someone. Either way I’m a hero.” Bud called Paul, and he answered.

“Bad time to work out our problems partner. Cronin needs me at the mansion, this was a decoy. Dugan is out here with his shotgun. Are you OK with me leaving. Back up will be here any second.”

“Go,” Paul said. “But it looks like Healey is down. I’ve got to get upstairs to the girl.”

“OK, I’ll compromise. I’ll wait ’til back up is here then I’ll take the car with me to the mansion.”

“Deal,” Paul said as he disconnected.

“Justin!” Paul yelled upstairs. “Justin! I’m coming up if you don’t answer!” Lynagh, still lying on the floor with his shotgun ready just stared waiting to hear a response.

“No one,” Justin Healey responded. “No one comes upstairs, I’m not dead yet.” The officer was bleeding from the pellets that hit him in the shoulder, arm and leg. His vest had prevented further damage as he crawled to the bathroom with Monty. As he entered the bathroom, he let the dog go which went straight for Lindsey. Healey crawled inside bleeding as the young girl started crying when she saw him bleeding. Monty was not shot and was trying to lick Lindsey but she was visibly shaken by seeing Officer Healey laying on the floor bleeding and not breathing regularly.

“It’s my fault,” Lindsey said crying.

“No honey,” Healey replied. “Just stay in the tub,” as he took the shotgun from her father.

“All of you just stay in there, I’m here.” He crouched up against the back wall of the bathroom with his legs stretched out and held the shotgun barrel toward the door. He looked at the father who was in the tub with his family.

“You know how to use my gun if something happens to me?” The father nodded as Lindsey tried to get to Healey but Sharyn held her back.

“No.” Lindsey was shaking as her mother held on to her tightly to keep her from going to Officer Healey. Healey looked at Lindsey.

“It’s going to be OK, but you need to be quiet, OK? It’s going to be fine.” Lindsey just stared at him and tried to hold back her tears. Her face told the story of how frightened she was, but not for herself, for the policeman who was injured trying to save her life. Sharyn Wilkerson held on to her daughter tight to control her shaking and the volume of Lindsey’s cries.

Downstairs, Paul continued to move toward the wall that Lynagh obliterated with his shotgun blasts. He started talking to the intruder.

“You are not going to get out of here alive. We will have no problem killing you, so why don’t you just surrender right now, your friends are gone. There were only three of you, right?”

“That’s what you think,” the answer came back.

“If there are more of you,” Paul spoke again, “then why are they not here to help you?”

“Maybe they are somewhere else asshole,” Brian answered. Paul got on his cell and called Bud outside.

“Get to the Lance mansion now. The others are there. We will hold the fort here ’til back up gets here.” Bud left Dugan with the shotgun and as he ran onto Cliff Road, three police cars and two ambulances came roaring down the road. Bud held up his badge and directed two squad cars and both ambulances to the Wilkerson house while he jumped in the car with Chapman who left Port Jazz on the call to go to the Lance mansion. Paul started speaking inside the house again while Lynagh was still lying on the floor with his shotgun ready to burst again.

“Back up is here, there is no way out. Don’t become a dead man and dumbass at the same time.” Brian sneaked a peek and saw

Lynagh lying on the floor and knew he didn’t have much of a chance with Eric and Ron gone but he still felt he wouldn’t be a failure if he got the girl.

As back up officers and medics attended to Dugan, Brian started blasting toward the floor at Lynagh as the officer started firing back. Lynagh rolled over twice as Brian ran up the stairs, Lynagh got up and ran firing toward the stairway with Paul firing from his handgun. The blasts hit Brian halfway up the stairs as he fell sideways taking the railing with him.

“Christ!” Paul yelled. He could smell the wood like it was burnt from the splinters in the house from all the blasts of gunfire. The cops outside had all their firearms out as they entered the house. Paul and Lynagh were standing there as Paul told them to secure the premises as they all scattered about. They started to walk up the stairs toward the bathroom as Paul grabbed Lynagh.

“Let’s be careful here. He will bleed to death before leaving the girl if he thinks she is still in danger.” Lynagh nodded.

“Not to mention shoot us if he’s not sure it’s us.”

“Justin,” Paul said. “It’s Powers and Lynagh. It’s all over in the house. We got them, all three of them. We are coming in with no guns drawn. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” the answer came back.

“You recognize my voice, right?” Healey looked at Lindsey as she nodded yes.

“I want to hear Lynagh’s voice,” Healey spoke back.

“It’s me Justin,” Lynagh replied. “We need to get you to a hospital.” The officer looked at Lindsey and she nodded it was his voice.

“Come on in,” he replied to Paul and Lynagh. They slowly pushed the door open showing their hands in the doorway hoping Healey did not have a quick trigger finger. He was laying there badly bleeding from the shotgun wounds. Healy dropped his shotgun when he saw it was Paul and Lynagh. Paul started yelling for the medics to come upstairs and tend to Healey as he looked at the family in the hot tub.

“Come on,” he said as he stretched out his hand to help them. Lindsey jumped over the tub herself and went straight to Healey holding his hand as she began to cry again. Paul warned the parents the house was practically destroyed downstairs and there was a dead body near the stairway. Most of all, he warned them it may not be over just yet.

“I’m going to have four officers stay outside to secure the premises. Lynagh will still be here while we take Officer Healey to the hospital.”

“I’m going with him,” Lindsey said as she stayed by his side. “Lindsey,” her Mom said. “Lindsey answered still crying.

“I’m not leaving him Mom. He didn’t leave me and I’m not leaving him,” she replied in her shaken voice. Paul looked at the parents, then Lynagh.

“Let her go, she will ride in the ambulance with Officer Healey and Lynagh. I’ll have an escort take you behind the ambulance.” He waited for Sharyn and Walt Wilkerson to acknowledge, but spoke again.

“It’s probably safer for you there while we finish this.” Sharyn Wilkerson replied, “I can’t say no to her.” Healey was put on a stretcher and carried down as Paul spoke to Lynagh. “Don’t let the girl out of your sight and keep the shotgun visible. Make anyone think twice before getting close to her, remember Phil Smith is still not in custody.” Lynagh jumped in the back of the ambulance as Lindsey got in and continued to hold his hand as the medics worked on him. Sharyn and Walt got in a cruiser and followed it to Mather hospital. Paul yelled to the ambulance driver.”take him to Stony Brook hospital!” The trip was an extra 10 minutes but Stony Brook was a trauma center and Paul felt it was the right thing to do for Healey. He stood outside the Wilkerson House and noticed how wet the back of his head was. When they arrived at Stony Brook Hosptal, it was quite a sight to see. Between the 2 cruisers that escorted the ambulance and Lynagh jumping out of the back with his shotgun. There were so many lights, it looked like a scene from a movie. Officer Dugan had already been at the hospital for 15 minutes and Mayor Margot Garant of Port Jefferson Village was on her way to the Hospital to extend her support to the injured police officers.

Simpson had the suitcase of money with him on the grounds between the mansion and the guesthouse when Agents Sherman and O’Connor pointed their weapons at him.

“Where are you going?” O’Connor said.

“Nowhere,” Robert said. “I’m just doing what I was told.” Agent Sherman moved around the other side for a different angle while he pointed his gun at Simpson.

“Who told you to take the money?” Sherman asked. “The voice,” Simpson replied.

“Who told you to try and leave the grounds with it?” O’Connor asked.

Simpson put the suitcase down and said, “Detective Lieutenant Cronin told me to leave the grounds with it tonight.”

Sherman looked at O’Connor and asked, “Now why the hell would he tell you to do that?”

“Because,” Cronin said as he stepped out from behind a tree. “Because I wanted to see who would show up here.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sherman replied. “This is a kidnapping that crossed state lines, involving $3 million in cash.”

“How,” Cronin continued, “did you know to be here tonight?”

“It’s a funny thing,” O’Connor said. “We are called investigators, we have leads, and we even read Twitter, Detective Lieutenant Cronin. You have a statement published that you know who is behind this, and it’s all over the fucking news. It doesn’t take a genius to stake out the house.”

“True,” Cronin replied as he called out Officer Chapman’s name. The officer came out with his gun on Sherman, and before O’Connor could react, Cronin was pointing his firearm at O’Connor.

“Now this is what I call interesting,” Cronin said. “You have guns on Simpson here, and we have guns on you.” Sherman moved his gun toward Chapman.

“I don’t know what the fuck is going on, but I will defend myself.” O’Connor moved his gun toward Cronin.

Simpson spoke, saying, “Since nobody has a gun on me, can I leave if the money stays?” He was ignored, as Cronin started to get closer to O’Connor.

“Jason 'Jack’ O’Connor, or should I call you 'the voice’? You almost had everyone fooled, but you see, I’m better at playing games than most people. Now drop your weapon before you stop breathing within the next 10 seconds.”

O’Connor started to laugh as he held the gun on the detective. “How did you know?” O’Connor said. With that remark, Sherman moved his gun to O’Connor.

“Well,” Cronin said, “where do I start? Let’s see, how about the letter from Phil to Rachelle. The only three people that knew about it were Paul, Bud, myself, and your partner, yet you brought it up when we spoke to Anderson. When Bud called in to the precinct requesting a list of who had blue cars from the Twitter messages, you were there. Somehow, Bud got in the middle of a hail of bullets. I had Rachelle change her cell phone number, yet you as an FBI agent still checked on how to reach her; your cell phone dialed the same number Phil gave to the Rite Aid store. You were interviewing William Lance when all of this started at his home and were the first one to know about the $3 million in cash. Oh yeah, besides me setting you up with Mr. Simpson here and Rachelle, I have a 12-year-old witness who happens to have a photographic memory who can place you with exact time and place speaking to Phil Smith. It just isn’t your day...or night, I should say.”

Bud was standing behind a tree watching about 10 yards away with his gun drawn, listening to Detective Lieutenant Cronin put the case together, and he began to understand why he was not sharing information.

O’Connor put his gun down as he put his hands up and said, “What about the girl, Rachelle? Her tweets prove she was involved with me.”

“No,” Cronin replied. “That was me. I took over her account and password. She had nothing to do with it. I only had her have lunch here with this asshole,” pointing at Simpson, “to throw confusion as to who was involved and how deeply.”

“Hey,” Simpson remarked, “I resent that.”

“Shut up!” Chapman yelled. “Only talk when we tell you to!”

“Now,” Cronin continued, “take out your backup.” As O’Connor bent over to take out his backup, a shot was fired from Bud, and it struck O’Connor in the backside. He keeled over in pain as Bud walked up to him, which startled everyone.

He looked at Cronin and said, “Sorry, boss, I thought he was going for his backup, and besides, I always wanted to shoot him in the ass.”

O’Connor was on the ground yelping, “You shot me in the ass, you shit! You shot me in the ass.”

Bud pulled Simpson away as Sherman picked up the money. Cronin kneeled over O’Connor as he lay on the ground and said, “You see, Mr. Voice, it’s one thing to bend the rules of the game, but when you start cheating, the details start being overlooked. And let’s see, shall I continue? Agent Sherman, did you tell your partner about the letter, yes or no?”

“No,” Sherman replied.

“Agent Sherman,” Cronin replied “when Paul and Bud requested that the masks you took out of Starfield’s house be sent to the precinct, why were they never brought?”

Agent Sherman kept his gun on O’Connor as he answered, “My partner here said he would take care of it.”

As Cronin moved a little closer, he spoke again. “What really screwed you up with the details was telling Paul about the girl witnessing the murder in Belle Terre. No one at the courthouse from the FBI could have possibly known at the time you mentioned it. Your greed has gotten the best of you. When Detective Powers wanted to reenact the kidnapping on the ferry, I let him do it expecting nothing to happen. There was no reason for the kidnappers to expose themselves, they had the girl, now all they wanted was the money. Yet somebody in charge wanted to get rid of his accomplices, to take the blame, and to keep a bigger share of the money for himself. Your greed got the best of you Mr Voice.”

He looked up at Chapman to take him to the hospital.

“Bud!” Cronin yelled. “You had to shoot him in the ass, didn’t you?”

“Sorry,” Bud replied, “I missed again.”