Chapter 23
As I bounced and rolled through shrubbery and flower beds, as my skin was scraped and bruised, as my clothing was torn and mangled, I finally remembered the additional comment Scott had made about this dangerous maneuver. He had said in a somber tone, "Lance, if you ever feel the need to have to jump out of a moving vehicle, make sure it is an absolute necessity. Make sure it is a life or death decision that has to be made. Because and I'm telling you from personal experience, once you jump and hit that ground, believe me, you will never, ever, in your life, want to do it again!"
He was right. If I survived, I would never again attempt such a reckless, dangerous maneuver. My momentum was finally halted by a collision with a palm tree. I stood up, or attempted to. I was dazed, in pain, and the world was madly spinning around. I tried to walk, but I immediately collapsed back down onto the ground instead. I was too dizzy. I needed to get off the street before the men in the Muller's house looked outside and spotted me. The way to move while vertiginous is to focus your vision on a single object. I focused on their house and I lurched my way over to it. While passing by the wreckage of the cars, I spotted Rico, or what remained of him. His body had been torn in two by the impact of the Ferrari and the top half lay in a bloodied heap on the sidewalk near the half-crushed Town Car. It was then that I realized that had he chosen to jump out of the way instead of trying to shoot me, he could have easily captured or killed me afterward.
I stumbled over to the garage, plopped down in the grass, and then began examining my body. It reminded me of something out of a zombie movie. My tee shirt was ripped, but fortunately I had not broken any bones or sustained any deep lacerations. While ignoring the throbbing pain, I stood up, quietly opened the outside door, and then crept inside the garage. I reached back for the gun that I thought was still tucked in my shorts, but it was no longer there after having loosed itself free during my tumbleweed impersonation. After quietly opening the inner door, I could hear conversation coming from the den. It was the voice of Dwayne. I snuck up to the corner of the wall and peeked around it. He was standing in front of the window peering out of it while excitedly chatting on his smartphone. He was dressed only in pants. I paused. I had no desire to take anyone's life. I thought about Steve and Danny. I had killed them purely in self-defense. They had tried to murder me. I knew Dwayne and Kyle would also try to do the same thing given the chance. It was kill or be killed. Still, it was with great reluctance that I stealthily slipped up behind him and struck him hard in the spine. He gasped while dropping the phone and collapsing onto the floor with his body now temporarily paralyzed. I quickly wrapped my right arm tightly around his neck. With all the strength I could muster and while using my own body as leverage, I forced his head backward until his neck snapped. He sighed heavily and then his body went limp. I picked up his phone. "Who is this?" I asked.
"Who are you?" asked the voice on the other end.
"I'm the guy who just killed the guy you were talking to. Rico is also dead. After I'm done conversing with you, I'm going to kill Kyle. Oh yeah, there were two other guys, Steve and Danny, who attacked me near Galeto Beach. I ghosted them too. I don't know who you are and I don't care. But you listen to me, and you listen very carefully. You picked the wrong guy to try and murder. This candy store is now closed—permanently! If any of you dare to come back here again, I will kill you too. I will kill you all!" Then I snapped the phone in half with my hands and threw it aside.
I crept over to the stairs and I quietly began ascending them. Quietly that is, until I heard cries of despair coming from Shannon's room! I was immediately filled with rage and so I bolted up the stairs toward it. The door had been forced open and as I stood in the doorway gazing into the room, there was Kyle! He had Shannon pinned up against the far wall. With one hand he held her immobile and with his other hand he was furiously trying to tear off all of her clothes! His mouth was all over her face!
"GET OFF HER!" I screamed. I spotted his gun holster on the chair near the desk and dove for it. He quickly spun around and threw Shannon onto her bed while also trying to reach for the gun. We both arrived at the same time, and a vicious struggle for possession of it took place. I drove my right elbow into his nose—breaking it. As I pulled the gun out of the holster he savagely rushed at me while driving his shoulder hard into my chest! The blow sent me flying backwards against the wall with such force that it knocked the wind out of me! The gun went sailing out of my hand and through the doorway. With blood gushing out of his nose, he charged at me again. I sidestepped him, while trying to regain my breath. He was as fast and as strong as an enraged grizzly bear and in the small confines of the room, I couldn't completely avoid him. He grabbed my left arm and yanked me toward himself. Next, he picked me up as easily as a five pound bag of potatoes and then tossed me through the air straight into Shannon's dresser!
The force of the impact shattered her mirror while showering me in fragments of glass! Shannon screamed! I was still trying to catch my breath when he again charged over, picked me up, and threw me into her bookcase. He laughed menacingly while shaking his head—scattering droplets of blood everywhere. All at once I lost my will to continue this fight. I needed time to get away and recover. I needed time to catch my breath. My body was taking too much of a pounding. I could hear the wail of approaching sirens outside. While gasping for air, I tried to crawl toward Shannon's door and open space to seek help from the police.
"Oh no you don't, you big mouth punk." Kyle growled. "I don't know how you made it this far, but there's no way you're escaping me. I promised you a beating that would make you beg me for death and that's exactly what you're going to get! You're not leaving this room alive!"
Once more, he snatched me up in the air. He extended his knee and I knew he was going to try and break my back on it. But I flipped out and away at the last second to safely land on the floor. Then, while using Close Quarter Combat techniques, he proceeded to repeatedly attack my body, further aggravating my already bruised ribs. In my weakened condition I tried my best to deflect his blows while protecting my face and head. The next thing I knew, I was laying on my back with him sitting on my chest while clutching my throat with his hands. I grabbed his wrists and restrained them.
"You know what, smart mouth?" he mockingly asked, "I don't even need a gun. I'm going to squeeze your neck until your head pops off using only my bare hands!"
I had never been in a fight like this—struggling in the small confines of a room against a vicious, grappling brawler who was hell-bent on murdering me. As my will to fight evaporated, I resigned myself to the truth that he was actually going to succeed! That is until he made a huge, tactical error. He began to taunt me by describing in a graphic and profane way what he was going to do to Shannon sexually after he had killed me.
This immediately changed the direction of the fight in two ways. First, it helped me realize and refocus on the reason why I was there; the reason why I was fighting him. Secondly, it gave me the resolve and strength to make sure that what he had just described would never, ever take place! My resting there on the floor provided me with the opportunity to fully regain my breath, and now having recovered, I was furious! He was strong. But so was I. I squeezed his wrists with all my might. His eyes began to bulge and he gritted his teeth in pain. Slowly and surely I began to force his hands up and away from my throat.
While keeping a tight grip on his wrists, I continued to force him up and off of me. I swung my legs around underneath him and placed my feet against his chest. He struggled and fought to free himself, but I had him locked in a vice-like grip. With all my strength, I pushed my feet against him while at the same time releasing my hold on his wrists. His body shot back and with a crash and buried itself in the wall. He was momentarily stunned. I flipped myself up to a standing position and rushed over to him. After locking his left arm, I wrenched and dislocated it at the shoulder. He grunted in agony. I grabbed him by the throat with both my hands and yanked him to hi
s feet. Then I pummeled his chest and face with my hardest punches. My hands were like granite jackhammers against his flesh and bone! Finally, he collapsed in a heap on the floor—bruised, bleeding, and beaten. Now exhausted, I turned around to look at Shannon. As I did, I heard a clicking sound from behind me. Instinctively, I moved aside as he lunged at me with his uninjured arm while trying to bury a Recon-1 knife into my back! I couldn't believe it! He was a bull of a man and he was going to die hard! As he swung the knife at me again, I grabbed his wrist and forcibly redirected the blade hard into his chest. He stared at me in shock and disbelief.
"There are two kinds of people in this world, maggot," I triumphantly remarked while standing over him with my fists clenched. "Those who deserve to live and those who deserve to die. Now go join your cronies on the other side."
With his last dying breath he gasped, "Who… are you?"
My eyes drifted from his lifeless form to my bloodied hands. They were shaking uncontrollably. I felt light-headed, too. I turned around to face Shannon. She stood up and then fell into my arms while sobbing heavily. I held her tight. For several minutes we embraced. Finally, she stared up into my face as I wiped her tears away.
"Is he… dead?" she asked while glancing down at Kyle's body.
"He will never harass you again," I replied while still breathing heavily.
"They said… they said…" but she couldn't finish the sentence.
"They told you I was dead," I remarked matter of factually.
She nodded her head yes. "This morning AJ gave me your note and said, 'He's in love with you Shannon. I think you're making a huge mistake in the way you're treating him.' She was so right. I have made a huge mistake. I've always had boys chasing after me, Lance. I've never had to run after any guy. Yesterday, when I saw you with Reina and what she said and did, I became angry and jealous like I've never been before in my whole life! I know I've treated you unfairly. I do love you and… I need you. Will you… forgive me for the way I acted?"
"How can I not forgive the girl I'm so in love with?"
She hugged me tightly and I stroked her hair. "I give you my word right now, Shannon Muller. Never again will I leave you when your life is in danger. I will always protect you and your family from this day on. Now, we need to check up on your sister and mother. You'd better go into your mom's room first."
She reluctantly released me, and I followed her over to Stacy's bedroom. She entered the room but she came out distraught and not able to speak.
"Is she… decent?" I asked. Shannon nodded her head yes. I went in. Stacy was lying on her bed covered with a blanket. Her pants, blouse, and underwear were strewn about the floor. Dwayne had handcuffed her hands to the headboard. He had also gagged her. I looked around the room and I saw his jacket on a chair. A quick search yielded a key which I then used to unlock the cuffs. I removed the gag. She wrapped the blanket around herself as Shannon gathered her clothes. They both went into the bathroom. After having dressed, Stacy came over to me. Without saying a word she held me in her arms. I held her tight and then she started to cry.
"When they told us they had killed you, my mother…" remarked Shannon.
"It's okay Mrs. Muller," I said while trying to comfort her. "I'm alright." But in reality, I wasn't. My body felt like it had been forced through a six inch meat grinder! Stacy held my head between her hands and kissed me on the forehead. "Thank you," she said weakly. "Lance, look at you," she continued, "You look… terrible. You need to go to the hospital ASAP and get medical attention!"
"Not right now, Mrs. Muller," I sighed. "Where's AJ?"
"In the safe room," she replied. "The man named Rico was beside himself when she broke free of his grasp and escaped. He was doing everything he could to try and get that door open. He was even going to shoot it, but Dwayne ordered him to go outside and wait. Where are the other men?" she asked with apprehension.
"In a place where they can no longer hurt you."
She stared at me in amazement. We walked downstairs and I went over to the panic room door. Looking up into the camera I said, "Come on out AJ, or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow this door down!"
The door swung open and she came bounding out and then leaped into my arms.
"I knew they couldn't kill you!" she exclaimed, overjoyed.
I heard a loud gasp behind me and I determined that the girls had discovered Dwayne's body. Suddenly, there was a loud pounding at the front door! Stacy cracked it open and standing there was a uniformed police officer.
"Excuse me, ma'am, but is this your car?" he asked while pointing towards what was left of the Ferrari.
Stacy and Shannon stared at it. There was a loud commotion going on as fire trucks, police cars, ambulances, and a crowd gathered around the wreckage of the two vehicles. I stepped outside to get a better look and a kid from the crowd shouted, "There he is, mom! There's the boy I saw jump from the car!"
"Did you see what happened here?" asked the patrolman, now turning his attention to me.
"I did."
He took out a notepad and commanded, "Start talking."
Before I could say anything however, a plain clothes officer came up, flashed a detective's badge to the patrolman, and said, "I'm taking over this investigation."
The uniformed police officer acknowledged his authority, put his note pad away, and then left.
"Hello, Mrs. Muller," said the detective.
"Hello, Inspector Carter," replied Stacy.
"You know this man?" I asked Stacy.
"Inspector Carter was the officer in charge of the investigation when I filed my complaint about being assaulted."
"Wait a second," I remarked. "This is the guy who you talked to about being repeatedly attacked and he did nothing about it?"
Carter turned to me and said, "Now you hold on there a minute, son."
"I'm not your son, Detective Carter," I remarked, sarcastically. "Let me ask you a question. If men came into your house and repeatedly raped your wife and then attempted to rape your daughters, would you just let them? This woman filed a complaint with you that that is exactly what happened to her, and apparently you've done zero to help or protect her since then! You're either lazy, incompetent, or on the take. Which is it?"
His face became flushed in anger. "Who are you? What's your name?" he asked, annoyed.
"Lance!" admonished Stacy. "That is no way to speak to a police officer!"
Inspector Carter relaxed and said, "Let's start over here." Looking at me he said, "You were about to tell Officer Miller what you saw. Would you mind telling me? But first I need to know who you are and what is your relationship with this family?"
I shared my background information and Stacy corroborated what I said.
"Now, can you tell me what transpired here?" he asked.
"There's not a lot to say," I replied. "Two men tried to kill me up near Galeto Beach. They told me that there were three men in this house who were going to rape Mrs. Muller and her daughters. Instead of succeeding in killing me however, they died instead. Their bodies are in the ocean somewhere near Galeto. I raced over here in that Ferrari and then I decided at the last second to crash it into the Lincoln Town Car to prevent it from leaving. The man named Rico was standing in back of it. Instead of moving out of the way when he had the chance to, he pulled out a gun and started firing at me, trying to kill me."
"How fast were you going when you crashed?" Carter asked.
"Approximately 60 miles an hour."
"How did you escape from the car?" he continued while surveying the wreckage.
"I jumped out of it."
"You jumped out of a moving car at 60 miles an hour and you're standing here alive to tell us about it? How is that possible?"
I said nothing, but Stacy and Shannon stared at me in astonishment.
"There are two more bodies inside the house if you care to know," I remarked.
"Show me."
I led him over to Dwayne's body. He bent down to exa
mine him and feel for a pulse. "How did this man die?"
"His neck is broken between the C3 and C5 vertebrae."
"You broke his neck?"
I nodded my head yes.
"There's one more upstairs," I remarked.
While we walked up to Shannon's room, Carter made a call on his radio. Upon entering her room and seeing Kyle's body, a look of shock came over his face.
"You killed this man too? What are you?"
"Just a high school senior trying to stay alive long enough to graduate. Do you know him?"
"No. Why?"
"There was a look of recognition in your eyes when you saw him."
He glared at me suspiciously and remarked, "I’ve never seen him before in my life. Look, Mr. Rock, I'm going to need identification from you. I'm also going to need you and the others to fill out a report."
And so for the second time in as many days, I found myself on the way to a police station.