Chapter 4
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Forty minutes after the call to the police a single cruiser showed at the entrance to the Tretcher estate. They met the officer at the front gate.
Johnny was the first to speak as he held out his hand. “Dontell.”
The police lieutenant looked at the rifle in Johnny's other hand as he reached back for a shake. “I heard the Simpsons were attacked?”
Johnny gestured down the road as he nodded. “We came in, Mace, Jane and I, just as they were about to be executed. You'll find nine bodies down there. One ran off.”
The cop pulled back. “Whoa. Wait. Nine bodies? Anyone else hurt?”
Jane walked up behind them. “Greg Simpson got pistol whipped, but he'll be OK. We have them both inside. We tried to call for an ambulance, but the phone was out. What gives with all this?”
The cop shook his head. “Shut down the power and communications and all the loons come out. Never seen anything like it. People just have no sense of right and wrong anymore. Gangs have hit at least seven other communities. That's just in and around Norfolk.
Jane asked, “Where they coming from? We don't have that kind of a problem here do we?”
“In my many years on the force this has always been a peaceful place.” The police lieutenant took a deep breath. “Criminal activity has been picking up in the last few months, but nothing like this. Captain thinks it's gangs coming up from Miami, as many as fifty to seventy-five people. Savannah had a bad spate for a while, followed by Charleston and then Wilmington.”
Johnny said, “That's a big group to be moving around.”
The lieutenant nodded. “If it's the ones that hit those other cities they're well organized. No power and with communications being down... makes just about any city a playground for a group of thugs like that. Captain was expecting them to show up here at some point. Guess they finally showed.”
“Well, our valet said he saw at least two dozen people grouped up on his way in. We encountered ten. There may be another horde out there of equal size.”
Jane nodded. “We heard other gunshots back up that way. You're gonna want backup. They were all armed.”
“Not sure what I'll get at the moment,” Dontell replied. “Captain's been trying to call everyone in. Phones haven't been working. Didn't even have comm to the car until on the way here. Your call had to be hand walked to me out the front door of the station. To be honest, I wish I was home with my wife and her mother about now.”
Mace said, “Lieutenant, I wouldn't go down that way by myself. If you need backup, I can lend a hand.”
Johnny nodded. “I'm with you too.”
Jane stepped up. “Uh, no, you'll be going back in the house. He took two slugs to the center of his vest.”
Johnny protested: “I'll be fine. Just a little bruising.”
Jane shook her head. “Dontell, Mace and I would be glad to accompany you up the road for a check if you like. Mace was special forces in the Army, and well, you know my background.”
Mace asked, “You know these two personally?”
“I played high school ball with Trenchfoot Tretcher. He's good folk. Give me a second to check on that backup.”
The lieutenant clicked on his shoulder mic. “This is 442. I'm out on Halloway. We have nine dead bodies down here with possibly eleven or more armed assailants on the loose. Requesting backup to this location as soon as possible.”
Only static came back from the radio. From a distance of about half mile, three moderate caliber gunshots could be heard, followed by two from a different weapon.
The lieutenant shook his head. “I'll follow you're advice. I'm not heading in there without backup.”
Jane said, “That was less than a mile. Lieutenant, we need more of you out here.”
Half a dozen muzzle flashes danced from the darkness of the woods across the street from the other side of the cruiser. Mace, Jane and Johnny ducked behind the safety of the car as Dontell dropped to the ground. The veteran officer emptied his revolver into the treeline.
Mace grabbed the passenger door, pulling it open and diving inside as Jane and Johnny blasted away at the darkness. The roar of gunfire was deafening as at least a half dozen more handguns opened up from the woods.
Mace climbed across the seat. Reaching out, he grabbed the moaning officer by the back of his shirt collar, dragging him up and into the car as bullets penetrated the rear and side windows. He felt the hot burn of a slug as it flew through the vinyl front seat of the cruiser, striking his upper arm.
As he pulled the officer out the passenger door, the gunfire suddenly stopped. Footsteps could be heard moving away as Johnny and Jane sprayed the darkness. The attackers had fled.
Johnny said, “Let's get back to the house. We can defend from there. That stone on the exterior is six inches thick and the windows are all triple-pane tempered glass, hurricane rated.”
Mace said, “Help me get the lieutenant up on my shoulder. I'll run him in.”
Mace hustled off on his body run as Jane and Johnny watched his back. Before they reached the house, the door of the cruiser slammed shut and the rear tires spun as it headed off on a joyride. Once in the house, the front gate was signaled to close. They entered Johnny's den.
Jane said, “You're bleeding!”
Mace nodded as he laid the lieutenant out on the floor. “Came through the seat. Just a hard graze.”
Mace looked over the fallen officer. “Tres, Vanessa, keep pressure on these two. We have two in the legs and... hmm, right in the shoulder joint. We need to get him to a hospital. The leg wounds aren't bleeding bad, but this one is a mess.”
Jane sprinted off.
Johnny said, “I have signal again!”
An emergency call was placed. “This is Johnny Tretcher of 2225 Halloway Road. We have an officer down with multiple gunshot wounds. I repeat: an officer is down!”
The dispatcher replied, “Are there any other injuries?”
Johnny replied, “What? He's bleeding like a stuck p—he's bleeding pretty bad. His shoulder is shattered. No. He's the only one.”
The dispatcher replied, “Emergency vehicles are all out on calls. You'll have to take him to Mercy Point. The ER there is accepting patients. Downtown is overloaded from that bus crash on I-664.”
Johnny huffed. “We can't move him. We have a dozen shooters outside who say we aren't going anywhere.”
The dispatcher acknowledged. “I'm sorry, sir. All vehicles are out. It's like a war zone out there and we just have a few officers coming in now. I'll send the first available your way.”
Johnny thought for a moment. “No, no, no! We have a dozen armed men out here shooting up everything. Unless you’re bringing the Army, don't send anyone!”
The dispatcher said, “You just asked for an ambulance.”
Johnny sighed, “Yeah, well, we're in the middle of a war over here. Things are a little out of control. Don't send anyone until you have at least a half dozen cops with them. And make sure they know what they're heading into!”
The dispatcher replied, “I have you as an emergency response priority—multiple armed assailants and an officer already down.”
Johnny shook his head in frustration. “Not just multiple! At least a dozen shooters! You send two officers and you're sending them to their death. Got it?”
The dispatcher replied, “I have it. Sorry for all the confusion, sir. Things are heated at the moment.”
Johnny ended the call. “We're on our own.”
Jane turned back from a view of the security system. “Grounds are clear at the moment. Gate is closed. Dirk, can you keep an eye on this for us?”
Dirk nodded as he took control of the tablet.
Jane said, “You think Don Rogers has his ‘copter running?”
Johnny nodded in response as he brought up a number on his phone, selecting 'Call'.
“Is this Cam? Is your father in?”
Johnny glanced at
Jane. “We'll know in a moment. Putting him on speaker.”
“Johnny?”
“Hey, Don. I have an emergency going here. Dontell Williams has three bullet holes in him. He's bleeding pretty bad. The cops and emergency people can't get here. We can't get out on the road. And we have an armed gang running wild over here that we're having to deal with. Is your chopper running? We could use a lift to get Dontell to Mercy Point.”
“Be right over.”
“Land in back by the dock. We'll be waiting. And go lights-off as you're coming in. Don't wanna make you a target. Dock and property lights will be on. Should be easy to see us.”
Johnny looked up as the call ended. “Let's move him down by the dock. Don will be here in ten minutes. Dirk, you see anyone coming in the front or over any walls, you let us know. Tres, come with me out to the garage. I have a few old army cots out there. We'll use one of those for a stretcher.”
Johnny turned toward Mace. “How's he looking?”
Mace said, “Bleeding has slowed. I think we stopped enough that he'll make it. At least for a short while.”
Jane stood over them. “Vanessa, first room down on the left, go in to the right and you'll find a closet with a belt rack on the wall. Grab three or four of the belts.”
Jane turned toward the door. “I'll get a couple hand towels. We'll make some tourniquets before transporting him.”
Jane worked to clean and secure his legs as Mace kept pressure on Dontell's shoulder wound. “Mr. Williams... we're gonna get you out of here.”
The groggy officer asked with a half smile, “What was your name again?”
“Mace Hardy.”
Dontell slowly nodded. “You take care of Jane and Johnny, Mr. Hardy. You won't find much better people in this world.”
The officer grabbed Mace with his functioning hand as he grimaced in pain. “Oh, and if you catch up to those assholes, get my car back!”
Mace smiled and nodded as Johnny returned with the cot. Jane applied her tourniquets. Seconds later the four men of the group were hustling toward the dock, carrying Dontell on the makeshift stretcher. Several minutes passed before the sound of a helicopter engine and the wash of rotor blades could be heard coming across the water.
The illuminated green grass of the lawn whipped and swirled as the four-passenger helicopter landed. Cam Rogers, the teen son of Johnny's friend Don, emerged from the front passenger seat. The back door was pulled open as the teen waved them over. Dontell's stretcher was lifted and slipped into the back. The ‘copter rose quickly, turning back over the calm night water of the inlet.
As the group turned back toward the house, a loud crunch, coming from the front of the property, was followed by the clang of metal mixed with the sound of shattering auto-glass.