Chapter Thirty-Two
Danny and Kevin
DANNY STEPPED OFF the elevator onto the lower level of the store. A chocolate mint scent lured him in the direction of the alcove. As he drew near, he made out the distinctive green-wrapped Frango® mint candy boxes on the shelves. The sight increased his appetite.
He stepped inside, but didn’t get far before discovering something quaint, but nice. Plaster replicas of the Marshall Field’s clocks sat on one of the shelves. Now that was ingenuous. He’d never noticed them before. Were they candy holders? Distracted, he picked one up and turned it around in his hand.
The next thing he knew, he heard a crack. The clock burst into tiny pieces and fell to the floor. Puzzled, he bent down to look. Something whizzed past his ear, then landed with a thwack on a nearby candy box, toppling it over.
He whirled. What was happening?
Quick comprehension dawned. He’d done target practice and knew the sounds. He was under attack.
He leaned to the side of the display, craning for a glimpse of the gunman. A chestnut haired, mustached man stood next to the scale with his arm upraised.
Who was it? Who would want to shoot him? Danny could think of only one person, but from here it didn’t look like Kevin. He didn’t have time to solve the puzzle as a bullet winged past.
How could he have guessed the showdown would be at Field’s of all places? He had no defense. His weapon lay in a sock drawer at the Palmer House.
“Callaway, you’re dead meat.”
The familiar voice sent chills up his spine and poured fire into his gut. He would not be a victim like the others. He turned, but his pursuer was close behind, blocking his exit. The only direction was up. Dodging bullets, Danny flung himself onto the escalator. He jumped up the stairs two at a time. What should he do? How could he escape?
If only he were prepared to face Kevin Green head on, but again his enemy had surprised him. He must think fast to gain the advantage.
What type of gun was Kevin using? Danny hadn’t gotten a good look, but from a brief glimpse, it appeared to be a Magnum.
How many bullets were left? Five or six? He had no time for arithmetic while he was fleeing for his life. Another shot rang out. He twisted and stooped, almost falling off the escalator.
The situation was deadly and frustrating. He hated to run like a coward, but until the cartridge was spent, he had no choice. The problem was how to live that long. The thought lent him extra speed as he ascended up the escalator with Kevin steadily gaining.
Where were the security men? Were they still clustered around the precious tree? The lighting snafu had to be Kevin’s doing—a simple matter for a proficient bomb-maker.
Another thought flashed through Danny’s mind. Had Kevin tampered with the security system? Did the monitor reflect something that wasn’t happening? You’d think by now someone would have noticed the commotion. Help should have arrived.
He was alone and would have to fight his own war. He couldn’t give up. Innocent people had died. He had to make it stop. Kevin must be wiped out. If necessary, he’d go down himself in the process.
Another bullet flew by, singeing the back of Danny’s hair. That was close. Where would the next one land? He dare not think of it. The cartridge had to run out soon.
He continued his climb, reaching the fourth floor landing. Finally he was blessed by a sweet sound. Click.
“You motherfucker,” Kevin swore.
Good. Now Kevin had to stop and reload. That would take valuable time. For now, he was weaponless. It was Danny’s chance. He swiped at Kevin’s hand. The gun fell, clanking as it bounced down the stairs of the escalator.
Roaring, Kevin threw himself at Danny. Rolling, they rained blows on each other, then staggered upright.
Once again Danny gazed into the coldest green eyes he’d ever seen. Time flashed back. He was a young man standing in the courtroom, facing an evil monster, feeling afraid and mad. It was the same as then, yet importantly different. Years had passed. Now he was a grown man capable of destroying Kevin. That’s what he’d vowed to do and he’d do it. The day of reckoning had come. Kevin would pay, but not for the original crime of which he’d not been guilty. Danny lashed out with his fist, connecting with Kevin’s chin, knocking him sideways toward the marble floor.
Kevin proved surprisingly agile. Before hitting the landing, he rolled away, then lurched upright at Danny, knuckles boring into Danny’s abdomen.
Danny’s breath gave out and he gasped for air. Kevin moved in.
He had to do something, but it was hard when you couldn’t breathe. Taking hasty gulps, Danny stumbled down the escalator with Kevin trailing behind. On the second floor, he jumped off and dashed to the right into men’s sportswear. Sure enough, Kevin followed.
Grasping a zippered sweater jacket off a rack, Danny flung it over Kevin’s head, then wrestled him to the floor. He jumped astride him, pounding Kevin’s shoulders against the marble.
With almost superhuman strength, Kevin thrashed, managing to rip the jacket off his head and throw it over Danny’s eyes instead. Danny couldn’t see the knee that crashed into his groin, but he could sure feel it. This was what it meant to see stars.
“You bastard,” he said, elbowing his enemy in the neck.
Kevin retaliated by kicking Danny’s cheek. They exchanged blow for blow, with neither of them weakening. One, then the other, gained then lost the advantage, as they retraced their steps out of men’s sportswear. Danny tripped and felt himself being pushed backward against the top bar of the escalator. Kevin’s hands tightened over his throat. The world spun. He couldn’t breathe, yet the hold on his throat tightened. Any minute he’d fall. Was this how it would end? Here of all places?
Through a red film he heard Kevin speak. “You fuckin’ prick. You put me in prison and wrecked my life. Callaway, before you go, here’s some tidbits to take to your grave. You know the auto accident Senior Day when your parents were killed? It was supposed to have been you, not them. My friend, Billy Holliday, drained the brake fluid from your car as a favor to me.”
A feeling of unreality gripped Danny. A picture of Mary Alice in her prom dress flashed through his mind. His parents joined her, along with Cathy and Sean.
Kevin crowed. “You’ve lived on borrowed time ever since. Your number was up long ago, Danny boy. I’m just getting around to finishing the job.”
Danny’s mind reeled.
His enemy laughed. “What do you say to that?”
Kevin momentarily released his grip.
“You’re not human,” Danny croaked out, as hatred overwhelmed him.
“Thanks for the compliment. Oh, I’ve got more news for you.” Kevin grasped Danny’s chin in his hand. With bright eyes glaring into Danny’s, he said, “By the way, that kid of yours—the one you thought died in the explosion? Well, I gave him to the wife of a deserving crook. He’ll be raised as a murderer’s son. Pretty neat, huh?”
Joy, then despair filled Danny. The son he’d thought was dead was alive, yet he might not see him again. If so, Sean would be raised by the worst elements. At the prospect, adrenaline pumped through Danny. He had to fight for his son. He must survive and rescue him.
He pushed forward against Kevin with all his might, but Kevin returned the push.
Danny fell backwards, over the side of the escalator, crashing against the outer side of the balcony. As he fell into space, he groped for some kind of hold. His right hand miraculously closed over the lower ledge of the balcony. All the tireless basketball workouts stood him in good stead as he swung the left side of his body forward and grasped the ledge with his other hand as well.
He dangled, his legs slipping on the smooth column below. A thump told him Kevin had jumped onto the other side of the balcony. Danny had to do something and fast. Was it his imagination or did the water from the fountain below gurgle louder than before?
With all his might, he heaved upwards as if he we
re doing a chin-up. His wrists, biceps, all the way up his arms to his shoulders, as well as his back, felt the strain as he fought to raise himself. Sweat dripped down his cheeks, but he couldn’t wipe it away.
His left knee slipped off the ledge, but his right one connected and he was able to pull the left up. On his knees, he teetered and reached for the rail. He breathed a sigh of relief as his fingers closed over the gold metal.
Before he could rise, a foot smashed his left hand off the rail. Kevin had climbed over the balcony rail to the outer ledge. Pain screeched up Danny’s arm. He lost his hard-earned balance.
Again he swung, this time holding onto the bottom of the rail with his right hand. The pressure of the ledge dug into his abdomen. A shadow from above moved closer. He had one hope left. As Kevin’s foot descended, Danny chopped as hard as he could at Kevin’s ankle with his free hand.
Kevin teetered, then lost his balance.
Danny ducked as Kevin cartwheeled over his head and plummeted past him.
“Nooooooo,” Kevin bellowed.
Danny fought the urge to look down. In the background, he heard the sound of bone striking iron, followed by a splash.
The sounds, instead of making him happy, increased his terror. Would he be the next to crash into the elegant Victorian fountain? Desperately he swung the left side of his body back toward the railing and groped for it. His sweating fingers barely grasped the gold metal. His left foot almost slipped off the bottom, but somehow he steadied himself and got his other foot in place solidly on the outside ledge. When he’d caught his breath, he swung over the rail to the safe side.
Danny stood still, waiting for his equilibrium to return, trying to calm his racing heart. Thank God he’d made it. He felt like crying.
He couldn’t dally around and feel sorry for himself. A voice told him to check on Kevin and find out if his enemy was really destroyed. He had to be sure. With quaking legs, he made his way down the escalator and stumbled off. As he stepped onto the main floor, he saw a body sprawled face up in the fountain.
With dreadful fascination, Danny moved closer to the rushing water. Kevin had to be dead, didn’t he? Danny drew up to the fountain and stopped, blinking blood and sweat from his eyes as he gazed at the unmoving form. Surprisingly, Kevin’s eyelids were open. His eyes followed Danny’s movements. It seemed impossible, yet the devil still lived.
Rage filled Danny. Kevin had almost killed him. His parents and wife, plus an innocent guard had been murdered. His baby was stolen. Through it all, the bastard had survived. Danny wouldn’t allow it. Kevin deserved to die. With deadly intent, Danny gazed into the comprehending eyes of the man who would now be his victim. Kevin lay defenseless, awaiting the blow which would rock him into hell’s eternity.
Danny’s arm rose to administer Kevin’s just punishment. As it descended, he heard a voice say, “‘Do not avenge yourselves; leave that to God’s wrath, for it is written: Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord...Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.’”
Torn, his eyes filled with tears. He’d sworn to God he’d abandon revenge, but under the circumstances, keeping that promise was asking too much.
He looked down at Kevin and saw himself lying there instead. Once upon a time, Kevin had been released from prison, healthy and whole. His entire life had stretched ahead of him to enjoy, yet the corruption of vengeance had eaten his soul and destroyed his happiness.
Did he want the same fate? If Danny struck that final blow, how could he live with himself? Would he be as evil as the monster before him? Guilt would eat at him constantly, eroding his joy. His father had told him as much after the trial, when he’d said, “Two wrongs don’t make a right.” Dad, in his wisdom, had realized the consequences of letting vengeance rule.
But what about the harm Kevin had done? Shouldn’t he be punished for that?
Danny wavered, then lowered his arm. It wasn’t for him to decide. Leave it to God and the judicial system.
Footsteps rushed across the marble floor. Uniformed men approached. Bentley anxiously peered at him. “My dear Mr. Callaway, are you all right?”
Danny stood there numbly as Bentley rambled on. “This is dreadful, most dreadful. The monitors were misaimed. When they were readjusted, we couldn’t believe our eyes. Two of our security guards were knocked out on the lower level. Then I saw someone trying to kill you. I say, sir, are you positive you’re all right?”
Danny took a shaky breath, then pointed at the fountain. “I think you should be more concerned about him.”
Bentley switched his attention to the fountain’s occupant. “My goodness, that’s our Godfrey Gordon. I had no idea. He seemed such a pleasant chap.”
Bentley gazed with distaste at the unmoving water-soaked figure, then shook his head. “Well, we’ll have to get an ambulance to attend to Mr. Gordon. I think he may have hit his head. It’s a wonder he’s still alive.” The look on Bentley’s face indicated he wished otherwise.
“Yes, it’s a wonder,” Danny said.
Bentley couldn’t guess how true that was.