By DocPaul
Chapter
Fourteen: Bedlam…
“Ouch!
Watch your foot!”
Tess
looked behind her at Kyle. “Just give me a good push!” Kyle grunted and
tried to find a way to push her up without putting his hands on an indiscreet
part of her anatomy. “What are you waiting for? Just put your hands on my ass
and give me a lift! You can find my
ass, can’t you?”
“Hard
to miss!” Kyle muttered as he put his hand on her person and pushed hard.
Suddenly she was gone, and he heard an ‘Omph!’ on the other side. Once she
was over, Kyle searched for a foothold and pulled himself up the wall. With
great effort, he pulled his body up the wall and went over, just missing Tess on
the other side.
Breathing
hard, he winced when Tess punched him on the shoulder. “What was that crack
about my ass? Did you call me fat?”
Kyle
smiled to himself. “I just call ‘em like
I see ‘em. Let’s go!”
Tess
swallowed her retort as she followed him along the dark hedges of the
“How
do we get in?” she whispered.
“We’ll
try the doors and windows, but I think the best approach is an upper level
balcony or window.”
“How
are we going to get up there?”
“Climb.”
“Climb??”
squeaked Tess. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”
All
the downstairs doors were locked, and the windows were tight. Kyle found a
trellis, and swiftly scaled upward. He got off on an upper balcony, and looked
down for Tess. “C’mon!”
“I’m
trying.” Tess slowly pulled herself up the trellis. Kyle had to reach over the
side and pull her over. They both stepped back and fell over on the balcony
flooring. Tess was sprawled on top of Kyle gasping for breath. Okay, so she
spent so much time studying that she was a little out of shape.
“You
okay?”
Kyle
nodded. “I will be if you promise not to move that knee.” Tess looked down
and noticed where her knee was positioned. Moving it gingerly, Tess smiled at
Kyle and quickly gave him a peck on the cheek.
“Let’s
go!”
They
tried the door, but it was locked. Kyle squatted down and studied the lock.
“It doesn’t look that firm. Not like the ones downstairs. Were you serious
about being able to pick a lock?” Tess nodded.
“I
need something flat and firm. Thin.”
“I
don’t have anything like that!” Kyle looked around helpless.
“How
about a credit card?”
Kyle
dug through this wallet. “Here, use this one.”
Tess
took it and looked at the name. “You know this card has Michael Guerin’s
name on it, right?”
“Yeah,
he sort of loaned it to me.”
“Sort
of?”
“Semantics.
Will it work or not?”
Tess
stood up. “Got a pocket knife?” Kyle passed her his pocket knife. As he
watched, Tess jimmied the blade in behind the fascia of the door, and slid the
credit card downward. The lock popped, and the door opened.
“Okay,
that you’re teaching me.”
“No
way in hell. You already have a shady personality. God forbid you should
actually acquire talent or skill.”
“Oh,
I have talents and skills in abundance. Trust me.”
Tess’s
eyebrow went up. “Really?” Smiling, she slowly and carefully entered the
upstairs bedroom. It was dark. She moved inside, and waited for Kyle to join
her. They waited in the gloom for their eyes to adjust. Cautiously, they moved
through the room and opened the door to the upper hallway.
“Stay
close,” Kyle whispered to her.
“I
say we split up and check the rooms up here before moving downstairs.” Tess
started to move away. Kyle quickly snatched her back.
“No
way! Slasher movies, remember?” Kyle grabbed her hand to keep her with him
because he didn’t trust her not to take off on her own.
They
searched the entire upstairs rooms as quickly and quietly as they could.
Nothing. Slowly moving down the stairs, they hugged the wall. Kyle went first.
There were lights on downstairs. Ignoring the lights, Kyle ducked into a dark
room directly across from the stairs. It was adjacent to the room with the
lights. Putting his hand to his mouth, he gave Tess a shushing motion.
“Kill
her? Is that the best solution you can come up with?” Brody. Kyle recognized
his voice. “She might already be dead. She hasn’t moved in hours, and I
didn’t know she was a woman until after I hit her.”
A
woman’s voice was in the room, in the corner. “What did you hit her with?”
“A
pewter statue. It’s pretty heavy. I don’t know if she’s still alive.”
“All
the better for us, wouldn’t you think?” from an unidentified male voice, one
that wasn’t Brody’s, over by the woman. No doubt they were sitting next to
each other. A nest of vipers. Kyle winced at how they were talking about Liz and
her condition. At least there was nothing they had said to indicate that Liz was
already gone or taken elsewhere.
Tess,
who had been listening, moved away from Kyle and felt her way around the room.
On the sofa she ran into something soft. Moving her hands along it, she was
shocked to feel a body. Small.
“Kyle!”
Tess whispered.
His
head turned toward her voice. It was too loud. Locating her in the gloom, he
quickly crossed over, knelt next to the sofa, and turned on the weak flashlight.
They had found Liz Parker.
~~~
“Okay,
we call the cops. Now!” Max said.
“We
don’t have any proof.” Alex ran his hands through his hair. “By the time
we explain our beliefs Liz could be dead, and Kyle and Tess as well.”
“To
hell with Kyle and Tess. We told them to stay put.” Max said as his pacing
increased.
“Oh,
that’s nice!” Maria pushed her hands on her hips. She was going to slug Max
Evans in his big ugly nose. Michael looped an arm around Maria, and pulled her
back despite the stiffness of her body. “That’s my friend you’re talking
about!”
“Okay,
calm down. Everyone.” Michael tried to infuse some calmness in the crowd. What
the hell was up with his life? He was always the hothead, and Alex and Max the
calm ones. Everyone was insane. “We need a reason to get into Brody’s
house.”
“I
can do it,” said Maria.
“No.”
Michael put that out of his mind immediately. Maria had a new kitten who needed
her at home, safe from harm. No matter what happened, Maria was going to be kept
out of this.
“Tess
is my friend. She’s out there. I’m going.” Maria grabbed the piece of
paper Max had written the address on.
Max
didn’t wait either. He was with Maria. His fiancée and unborn child were out
there. Michael sighed. His brother. Dammit. Looking at Alex, he shrugged.
“It’s
up to you, buddy. You and Isabel have to bring the cavalry.”
Alex
groaned and took Isabel’s hand. If he drove fast enough, maybe he could get
the police there before the Trio of Fools intercepted the Duo of Doom.
“C’mon, Isabel. Looks like we’re going to have to play the adults in this
one.”
~~~
“How
do we get in?” Max looked at the gate.
“I
say a frontal attack is far better than a sneak,” said Maria.
“No
way. Alex and I will go over the wall, while you stay here with the kitten and
keep an eye out for the cops.”
Maria
stroked the tiny kitten in her pocket. “Forget it. I suggest you put your head
down. My car. My rules.”
Michael
swore. As soon as he found Kyle, he was going to beat the crap out of him. It
had to be Kyle who stole his keys, forcing them to let Maria drive. Max was
driven to Maria’s house by Alex, so he didn’t have his car.
“Maria,
what are you going to do?”
“Duck.”
Maria drove directly up to the intercom at the gate and rang the house.
“Can
I help you?”
“Yes,
I’m here to see Brody.”
“Do
you have an appointment?”
Maria
laughed. “No. This is Maria DeLuca, could you please tell Mr. Davis that I’m
here to see him?” Maria sat back in the car and waited.
Michael
was down in the seat next to her, scrunched beneath the dash, and not too
pleased. “This is stupid! He’s never going to let you in if he has a hostage
inside.”
“Shut
up! All these negative vibes are going to wreck my composure. Do I look like I
need an anxiety attack right now?”
Max
was hiding in the back. He just groaned. He was trusting his entire future to
these two? He needed therapy. Lots of therapy.
“Please
come up to the house, ma’am.”
“Thank
you!” Maria waited until the gate opened and drove on through.
Michael’s
head popped up over the dash. “Fuck me! It worked.”
“Later.
I have things to do first.” Maria said with a little sass. Laughing at a
comment Max made in the back seat…something about him suffering fools?
“Peepers.”
Michael
looked at her, scratching his eyebrow. “What? Peepers?”
“His
name. Mr. Peepers. What do you think?”
“Maria,
we’re not going to name the kitten right now.” Michael said, eyeing the
pocket of her jacket as tiny gold eyes suddenly peeped over the rim. Damn. She
might have a point. He really was a little thing.
“Okay,
I’m going to go up to the front door,” Maria said as she moved the car just
a little beyond the front door. “Wait until I distract them before getting
out.” Maria quickly went up the front stairs and rang the front door.
“Maria?”
Brody answered the door himself. Maria couldn’t help but notice the way he put
himself in the doorway to bar her entrance. Fine.
“Hi,
Brody. Hope you don’t mind me stopping by. I’d say I was in the
neighborhood, but I wasn’t.” Maria took the cute little kitten out of her
pocket. “I was going to tell you that this kitten, Mr. Peepers, was a present
for your daughter, Sydney, but….”
“He’s
adorable.” Brody paused. “You were, but now you aren’t?”
Maria
scratched the little kitten’s ears as he purred contentedly. “No. Sorry.
He’s too precious to me. I couldn’t even use him that way. So let’s cut to
the chase.” Maria moved closer to Brody and continued in a low tone, “Do you
realize how many years you’ll be in jail for kidnapping, murder, and accessory
to murder? It’s not just the attempt on Michael’s life, but that young woman
you have as a hostage is pregnant. So that’s an additional two counts. Now the
underhanded business dealings would cost you your company, some stiff penalties,
and even a possible white-collar prison sentence with time off for good
behavior….basically you’d be ruined, but at least
Brody
seemed taken aback by Maria’s tone of voice. It was authoritive and
knowledgeable in the area of the law. “You seem to know quite a bit. Perhaps
you should come in, Maria.”
“Okay,
but I’m afraid I’ll have to bring my bodyguards as well.”
“Bodyguards?”
“Yes,”
Maria looked around for Michael and Max, but they were gone. Well, hell! “Oh.
Nevermind! Looks like it’s just me.” Brody stood aside as Maria entered.
~~~
“Is
she breathing?” Kyle asked Tess, his voice quiet and afraid.
“Yes,
but she’s unconscious. I don’t how for how long. We need to get her out of
here.” Kyle looked at the room. Maybe he could carry her out the front door,
but how was he going to get her over the wall?
“Ambulance.
We’re going to need an ambulance.”
Tess
nodded. “It’s for the best. I’d be afraid to move her otherwise. Help me.
Her hands are tied behind her, and that can’t be good for her circulation.”
Kyle helped Tess roll Liz a bit, and she quickly used Kyle’s knife to slash
through the duct tape that was used on Liz’s hands. Tess worked on removing
the blindfold around her eyes, and she looked at the scalp wound to the back of
Liz’s head. It had bled a bit. It looked bad.
“Kyle,
she needs a doctor. Now.”
Kyle
licked his lips. No choice. They couldn’t wait and leave her here. “We’ll
take her and try to go out the gate. You still have the phone?” Tess nodded.
“Then we take her out of here, and we call the others and the cops and tell
them where we are and we need an ambulance.” Kyle stood up. “Go check the
door. Make sure they’re still talking, and then we’ll take her.”
Tess
went to the door leading to the other room, and as she put her head next to it
Kyle was bending to pick up Liz in his arms. The doorbell rang. They both froze.
~~~
“Did
you get it?” Max asked as Michael swore.
“No.
It’s locked.” Michael looked up at the trellis. “Let’s go up.”
“That
isn’t going to hold your damn weight.” Max said.
“I
told you we should stay with Maria!” Michael ignored Max’s warning and
quickly scaled the trellis. Max was not so quick to ascend, but he followed.
“How
did you learn to climb so fast?”
“Dammit,
Max, you have to know I own a construction company. I’ve been walking high
steel since I was sixteen.” Michael tried the door. Turning back to Max.
“It’s open.” They both quickly entered the room. Michael went straight for
the door and out into the hall with Max on his heels. The stairs were to their
right.
“Where
are you going?”
“Downstairs
to get that pest I’m going to marry. What the hell does she think she is
doing?” Michael started for the stairs.
“Wait!
We should stay upstairs and check the rooms for Liz!”
Michael
pushed Max’s hand off his arm. “You look. Maria’s downstairs, with Brody.
That’s where I’m going.”
“Michael!”
Max swore and followed.
~~~
Kyle
rushed to Tess’s side. “Is it the police?” Tess gestured for Kyle to be
quiet.
“It’s
Maria!” Tess whispered loudly.
“Shhh!
What’s she doing here?”
“Like
I know?” They both pressed their bodies to the door, with Tess on the inside
and Kyle leaning in over her.
Maria
had entered the room with Brody, seeing the three other people in the room, she
paused. “I’m sorry. I hadn’t realized that you had company, Brody.”
“Dinner
guests.” Brody said. “Let me introduce you.”
“There’s
no need.” The woman stood up. “We all know Maria. Ms. DeLuca, how nice to
see you.”
“Judge
Whitaker. Mr. Hovel. And Councilman Atherton.”
“You
know them?” Brody looked at his silent partners and Maria with interest.
“Of
course,” said Vanessa Whitaker. “As the legal representative for the
Coalition, Ms. DeLuca is well known to us.”
“A
lawyer?” Brody looked at Maria with new eyes. “I thought you were a quaint
shop owner.”
Maria
shrugged. “Appearances can be deceiving. I do have a license to practice law
in
Brody
stroked his jaw. “I wondered who the legal representative was who was blocking
the Maps Project. My….associates here would not say.”
“That
would be breaking legal protocol. Until you get the contract, Mr. Davis, there
is no need for us to have any dealings, and in fact, once the contracts are a
done deal, my part in the Maps Project comes to an end. We are, in a sense, ends
that never meet.”
“I
see.”
Maria
looked at the people in the room. “So do I.”
“Nonsense,
Ms. DeLuca. This is nothing more than a social engagement,” assured Vanessa
Whitaker. “Brody is an old friend of ours.”
“Perhaps,
and as long as you don’t discuss the Project, then there’s no conflict of
interest.”
“Exactly.”
Maria
looked at the group. “But that’s not what’s happening, is it? You’re his
partners. I guess Liz Parker found that out and became a complication.”
Atherton
stood up. “I have no idea who this Elizabeth Parker is, nor do I have any
knowledge about her.”
“I
didn’t say her name was
“Maria,
there must be something you want? Something we can offer you that…”
Maria
looked at Brody in horror. “Are you offering me a bribe for my silence? My
silence about what exactly? The death of a young woman and her unborn child? Or
your illegal activities?”
Tess
listening, moaned and leaned even more against the door. Now Maria was going to
get all indignant! Shit. They were so screwed. How were they going to get Liz
out of there, and Maria too? Where the hell were the police and the others?
Before
Tess could move the door of the next room crashed in and Michael entered with
Max on his heels.
“Maria!”
“Guerin!”
Brody looked at Maria. His eyebrow going up. “Your missing bodyguards?”
Maria shrugged. Well, they did have bodies, and Michael’s was particularly
delectable. Brody, pushed too far and highly irrational, drew a gun and aimed it
at Maria, Michael and Max.
“Don’t
be a fool, Brody,” said Michael. “More bodies?”
Max
turned pale. “Where is Liz? What have you done to her?”
Brody
motioned for them to move into the room away from the door. “Move it. She’s
pretty bad. Hasn’t made a sound or moved since I bashed in her head.” Max
made a motion to jump Brody, but Michael held him back. “Pity it wasn’t you,
Michael. I missed earlier with the car.”
“Doing
your own dirty work, Brody? I would’ve thought you would’ve hired
someone.” Michael smirked. “Or didn’t you make enough money off the
Prescott and Jenkins bids?”
Brody’s
eyes narrowed. “Those bids were pitifully low. How the hell you make a profit
and flourish is beyond me. Stay over there.” Brody reached for the door
leading into the other room, intending to retrieve his other hostage. Unaware
that Tess was leaning on the door, he pulled it open.
Tess
fell into the room with Kyle on top of her.
“Tess!”
Maria said as she moved towards her friend, but a wave of Brody’s gun held her
back.
“Bloody
hell!” exclaimed Brody. He reached
down and dragged Tess’s smaller body up against his with the gun to her head.
“Back off! All of you! Dammit, all these people in my house, I need a better
security system!”
Kyle
recovering his feet saw Brody grabbed Tess, and he charged. “Get your fucking
hands off her!”
“Kyle,
no!” Tess’s voice was drowned by the sound of the gun discharge as the
bullet made contact with Kyle, who went down practically at Tess’s feet. She
struggled as Brody dragged her back a few feet towards the other room.
Michael
looked at Brody holding Tess to his front with an arm around her neck and his
arm extended out towards them holding the gun. Michael could hear sirens in the
distance. Barely sparing Kyle a glance, he concentrated on Tess.
“Little
Bit, you’re not going to stand for this treatment from this bastard, are you?
Not after he killed Jinx?”
Tess
looked at Michael and nodded. “No. No, I’m not.”
Tess
grabbed for Brody’s hand, and Michael quickly ducked toward Maria to push her
to the ground while Max did the same as the gun went off in Brody’s hand.
Tess’s elbow went back hard into Brody’s stomach as she stomped down on his
instep. Moving her head back, she smashed her hard head into his nose, and
finally turning around, she kneed him hard in the groin.
Brody
dropped the gun as his body hit the floor a mere foot from Kyle’s in a
groaning mass of pain. Tess was breathing hard. Staring at Brody, she kicked him
again. “That’s for little Jinxy, you bastard!” Tess went to kick him again
for Kyle when an arm came around her center, and pulled her off her feet.
Tess
went to react, but it was Michael. “Whoa, there, Scrappy Doo, back it down!
Talk about male testosterone!”
Tess
straightened herself from Michael’s arms. “PMS. It’s a bitch.” She then
seemed to realize where she was and what had happened. “Kyle!” Rushing to
him, she rolled him over. He was awake and aware. He took a bullet to his leg.
It was bleeding.
“It’s
okay. You took it in a nice fleshy part.” Tess searched for something to plug
the wound and add pressure to stop the bleeding. “Someone give me something to
press to the wound. A cloth?”
“Where’s
Liz?” Max asked.
“Next
door on the sofa. She needs an ambulance.” Tess said holding her hand firmly
to Kyle’s leg. Max literally jumped over them to get to the other room.
Tess
looked down at Kyle. “Don’t worry. I’m going to take good care of you. You
were so brave and……brave!” Tess sniffed. “Wasn’t he?” Tess didn’t
wait for anyone to answer. “I promise I won’t leave your side.”
Kyle
looked at Tess and then helplessly at Michael. She was a damn menace! Since he
met her, he had been nagged to death, scolded for his behavior, harassed, and
shot. Now she expected him to behave. “Help, Mike!”
Michael
looked down as Maria came to rest at his side under his arm. He had picked up
the gun and was waving at the other three people to stay seated. “I don’t
know. You look bad, brother. In need of some one-on-one care.” Michael watched
as Tess used Kyle’s knife to cut through Kyle’s jeans, then pressed a cloth
Maria handed her over the wound. Michael frowned. “What have you got there,
Tess?”
Tess
sniffed and looked at Michael. “Oh, here’s another weapon.” She handed it
to Michael. “Kyle’s pocket knife.”
Michael
hefted the knife in his hand. “Kyle’s? Looks like my missing one.” Kyle
avoided his eyes, and his moaning increased.
“Oh,
this is yours too!” Tess passed Michael his credit card, and then his set of
keys. Michael’s eyebrow went up as he looked at his brother.
“You’re
doing a good job, Tess. Keep it up. He needs lots of care.”
Kyle
grimaced. “Oh, c’mon, bro! Don’t be that way!” Kyle looked at Tess and
felt his wild years starting to melt away. Nothing like the cold hand of fate to
chill a man to the bones. “C’mon, Mike! Help me out here!”
Michael
hugged Maria closer and kept an eye on their other guest, ignoring Kyle. Who was
he to go against a man’s destiny?
Max
ignored all the happenings in the other room as he found his missing fiancée.
Liz was still on the sofa. Kneeling down next to her, he quickly checked her
pulse. It was there. Sighing in relief, his hand wandered down her body and
rested on her stomach that was just beginning to show her pregnancy. Emma. He
had a daughter named Emma.
Max
looked at Liz’s face. Framing it with his hands he spoke her name softly.
“Liz, honey? Come on. Wake up, Liz. Open your eyes, honey.” Max kept talking
to her, his one hand stroking her hair. It was when his hand came back with
blood that his voice became more urgent.
Liz
could hear him. In a cloud of daze, his voice seemed to come over the rushing of
a waterfall. Her name. It was repeated again and again. Liz never realized it,
but she actually hated her name. Emma. Now that was a beautiful name. Emma? Her
baby?
Liz’s
eyes fluttered open. It was hard. The lights hurt. Focusing her eyes, she could
barely bring the images of Max into one main Max. Her mouth was dry. She was so
thirsty. “Max?”
“Liz!
Oh my God!” Max hugged her tight and slightly rocked her. It was her slight
sound of pain that made him back away from her. “Oh God! I’m sorry! I’m so
sorry. It’s okay, honey. An ambulance is on the way.”
Liz
licked her lips, but they were so dry. Her voice sounded cracked and harsh to
her. “Papers. My back pocket. The safe. Evidence.” Liz tried to formulate
complete sentences, but it was so hard, and she was too tired and thirsty. Max
watched as her eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out again.
“Liz!”
Standing up, Max called out to Michael and the others in the other room.
“Where the hell is that ambulance!”