Jack closed his eyes and thought of T1 and T2 and their loved ones. He also thought of Erica.
Toby Watts, you’re not getting away with this.
<°)))><
Toby Watts leaned against the closed door, puffing. The house was dark. His breathing was heavy as he waited for his heart to stop pounding. Once again the gods had looked after him and helped him make it to his shelter. He shivered. He needed to get out of these wet clothes.
Without warning, streams of light invaded the darkness, beaming in under and above the door. Toby turned and looked through the peephole. A spotlight flooded his driveway and then passed. The police. Darkness returned. He needed to move on before the foot patrols came, but that would have to wait till morning. Then he could blend in with the peak hour traffic as he made his getaway. Where to? He would sleep on that when the adrenalin rush stopped. He needed rest.
He crept through the darkness to his room, his hand moving across the wall, guiding. Doubt sneaked into his mind—they wouldn’t wake the neighbourhood with door knocking in the middle of the night, would they? Surely they’d wait till morning. Yes, but they’d still come early, before people left for work. He lay on his bed to re-think his strategy.
The knock on the door came at 3.00 a.m.
He sat up in bed and waited. They just wanted to know who lived in the house. But no one lived here. Not normally. He’d wait in complete silence and darkness until they went away. Because they would go away.
The knocking got louder. Toby reached down to the floor and found his rifle. He’d loaded ten rounds into the magazine, but a shootout wasn’t his preferred option.
He heard voices. They were around the side of the house, tapping on the windows. He picked up his rifle. He was not to make a single sound.
They knocked on the back door.
Footsteps. He hoped they were retreating. The neighbour’s dog barked. He hoped the police would shoot it.
A calmness came over him. He would wait a little longer and then make his way to his parent’s room. There was some paraphernalia he wanted from the war chest.
48 – Out with the old
AT 3.30 A.M., TOBY WATTS CRAWLED down the passageway, almost snake-like. He slid up the door and looked out his peekhole, peeking, on and off, for ten minutes. Nothing, not a single car or person or floodlight. No sound, silence. Maybe they shot the dog.
He retreated into his parent’s room and retrieved a false beard, wig, large glasses, and some contact lenses from the war chest. He’d use the contact lenses to create a farsighted condition, then correct it with the eyeglasses. He used a tablet device as a mirror and smiled at the large goofy eyes that stared back at him—like looking through an empty bottle. The mirror made him think of his high priestess. He found a recent picture of her and enlarged it on the tablet device. He missed her and apologised for what he did. She would forgive him in the afterlife. Maybe not.
The wig altered his appearance significantly. It could be detected from close up, but he only needed it to get past any vehicle surveillance points. He didn’t have a driver’s license but the gods would protect him. He looked in the mirror again. Smiled. Who are you?
He loaded weaponry and a change of clothes into a black duffle bag.
He snuck out to the yard through the laundry room, and around to the garage. A black cat was there. He placed his bag on the ground and unzipped it. The crossbow would deal with the cat. The cat’s yellow eyes stared at him and tried hard to avoid the missile heading towards it. It was mildly successful as he only wounded it, but that would keep it out of his yard. He watched it slowly retreat with the occasional look back and hiss.
A newer Ford now lived in the garage. An insurance replacement for the other Ford—the one involved in the accident that killed his parents. He’d tried to get his dad to let go of the old Ford, but it was like pulling teeth. The new one hadn’t been driven much, but a friend had been turning the ignition on every now and again when he came to mow the lawn. He hoped he’d given it a start recently—the length of the grass worried him—because he was about to try and start the car.
He threw the duffle bag in the trunk and sat in the driver’s seat.
The car started first go. Thank you friend. He drove out and paused before entering the road and then looked to his left. His heart froze as a police car drove up the other side of the road. They looked at him closely. He gave them a nod and focused on not breaking any road rules. The police car on-board computer would be checking his number plate. The car was registered in a good citizen’s name and he hoped the person had stayed a good citizen.
He must have, because the police car drove on.
Toby turned left and headed to the major roads. Plenty of police cars and police walking the streets, even at this early hour. Why are there so many police out and about? He laughed. He would drive out of the city, maybe up to the hinterland. His task was still incomplete only now it was more challenging, more exciting. Now he’d have to work out a new plan, to get around the obstacles. Obstacles were fun. The gods were probably putting them there to test him.
He wouldn’t fail his gods and fulfil the sacrifice requested. He sensed glory waited for him.
<°)))><
It was early morning. Ruby sat on a bench overlooking the large garden at the new hopefully safe house. The sun was slowly encroaching on the shadows of the trees and shrubs. She had a rug over her legs. It would be warmer inside but being outside brought her more peace. She already missed the river. Zoe was inside, lying down. The events had hit her hard, and she’d taken one of Ruby’s tablets. Maybe she should go and lie down. She probably needed the sleep.
Ruby was surprised at how well she was handling things, but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. It was practice. Too much practice. The deaths of T1 and T2 had brought back the feelings she’d had when her mother passed away. It was sudden and she’d never really gotten over it. It still lay below the surface but she wouldn’t let it bubble over. And again death had suddenly come upon her.
She sniffed then sobbed then cried.
Who was the monster who had done this? He wasn’t of a right mind. They’d catch him soon, and then it would all be over. The thought gave her strength. She knew there would be no logic to what he was doing. Just someone who had their wires completely twisted. But it was evil and she wanted to know what evil was. Where did it stem from? Her tears slowed. She dabbed her eyes with a tissue and thought of Shoana. Where was she, and what she was up to? Had she got over her guilt? Ruby picked up her phone to call, but it was too early. She opened up the location app to see where she was. Strange, Shoana was up and about. Normally, Sunday was her big sleep in. It was Sunday, wasn’t it? But it looked like Shoana was going for a drive.
A movement in the yard caught her attention. There was a bird on a shrub with red trumpet-like flowers. The bird was sticking its beak in the trumpet and feeding. Another bird came and joined it. Not a care in the world. Oh, to be a bird.
A car pulled up behind the shrubbery. Doors closed and the shadows of people moved through the bushes. Jack and Catherine came into view. Ruby stared at Jack as he walked up the path. He looked tired. Yes, he’d been up all night.
“You two haven’t been to bed yet?” Ruby asked.
“Do we look that bad?” Catherine asked.
“Yep.”
“Thanks, Ruby.” Jack said. “We just wanted to check up on you on our way home.” He found a seat next to Ruby. “You doing okay?”
“I’m okay. Couldn’t sleep, so decided to sit out here.” Ruby pointed to the garden. “That bird has been entertaining me.”
“Noisy Miner they’re called. And believe me, the name is appropriate because they make a racket, especially when they have a family get-together,” Catherine said.
Jack was watching Catherine, a look of mini-awe on his face.
He rubbed his chin. “Ruby, you up for a couple of questions?”
