The actions of the next day were intense. Everyone in the AG’s office was working on the preparation of documents for a special session of the Grand Jury. The indictments against Munford were being changed and his attorney had been notified. The more the story of James Harrison’s death unraveled, the more people within the Department came forward. Near the end of the day, the infractions by Munford were too great to number. The man would be lucky to see the light of day in his remaining lifetime.
The day was a busy one for JD, professionally, politically and personally. Because his father’s death was now a part of the indictments against Munford, he had to turn everything over to Calvin and Rossie to handle. After bringing them completely up to speed on things, he had a press conference scheduled to announce the additional indictments. That was the easy part of the day. He now had to take his father’s ring to his mother and tell her how and why her husband was taken away from her. Last on his agenda, was to go to Brian and apologize for his actions. If it took him all night, he was going to get his friend to forgive him.
It was after eight at night by the time JD was finished talking with his mother. He was on his way to find Brian when Samuel received a telephone call from his brother. Sitting in the back of the SUV, he glanced at JD, who sat next to him as he listened to the information.
“What’s going on?” JD asked after Samuel hung up the telephone.
“There’s been some activity around the weapons. Pull over Donnell,” Samuel said as he turned in the seat. When Donnell parked, he turned to listen as well. “From the description, it may be members of the Eagles. Joshua is sending over pictures.” The pictures appeared as they watched the blackberry screen.
“They’re dead?” JD asked.
“You know his philosophy—shoot, ask questions later.”
“No shit?” Donnell almost smiled.
JD’s mind wondered. “Joshua?” he asked knowing how Samuel’s brother liked to kill people. “We need to ask questions first. A weapons charge on Munford will seal the case.”
Another picture appeared and Samuel smiled. “He kept one alive for you.”
A relieved JD looked up at Donnell. “Get us over there. If we get the right answer, Munford will be behind bars by morning.”
Donnell turned around laughing and pulled back into traffic. “I’m going to enjoy this.”
“We don’t have him yet, but damn if it’s not beginning to smell like a victory.” JD pulled out his cell and called Tracy. “Hey babe, it’s going to be late by time I get home. Give JC and Jasmine a kiss for me.
“I will. Jasmine is running a little temperature.”
“Anything serious?”
“I don’t think so. But I’ll keep her in bed with me until you get home.”
“Okay babe, I’ll see you soon.”
“Everything okay,” Samuel asked when he hung up the phone.
“Yeah. The baby has a temperature. You’ll find out about those real soon.”
“When is the baby due Samuel?” Donnell asked.
“Next month, if I can live through it.”
JD laughed, “Nothing humbles a man like a woman giving birth to their child. You realize there are things in this world that you cannot control. Like labor pains, or the things the woman you love calls you during them.”
♡♡♡♡
The report from Samuel was good. With any luck, they would be able to breathe a sigh of relief by morning. Brian sat in his office making notes on the events of the day wishing he were at the site where the action was. He had made up his mind earlier that this bull was going to end tonight. As soon as JD wrapped things up, he was going to clear this shit up, even if he had to whip his ass to do it. They’d been boys since high school, and he’d be damned if he was going to let something like this come between them. So what, he kissed his wife, hell JD had kissed Caitlyn before. Brian stopped writing, “Where in the hell did that come from?” He put the pen down, turned in his chair, and stared out the window. Over the last few years, Caitlyn had crossed his mind more than once. Since she disappeared, he had wondered time and time again where she was, how she was doing, was she married, did she have children? Why in the hell did she leave campus and him? This was the point where he would get pissed off and banished her memory from his mind. But just like before, she would creep right back in. One day he would find her and get the answers he needed to move on with his life.
“Hey.”
He turned in the chair to see Pearl walking into the office. “Hey yourself. Working late?”
“It doesn’t make sense to go home. The media is chomping at the bits for this story.”
“Let’s hope it ends tonight.”
“Yeah.” She took a seat in front of his desk and crossed her legs.
“What would the good doctor say about you trying to entice me?”
“Get over yourself,” she smiled. “I am not trying to entice you.”
“What do you call sitting in front of me with those long legs I just happen to remember the feel of very well.”
“I call it your loss and his gain.” They smiled, “You and I was just something to past the time. Something to distract you from your friends’ wife or Caitlyn.” Brian sat back in the chair. “I never knew which one it truly was, but after the other night I’m sure you know it’s not Tracy.”
“Why you in my business? Doesn’t the doc keep your mind occupied?”
“Leave Theo out of this. I’m here as your friend. I don’t know all of what went down, but I do know you would never do anything to hurt JD or Tracy for that matter. One of you needs to man up, apologize, then move on.”
“You finished with the lecture?”
“I guess so,” she said as she stood to walk out.
Brian watched the sashay of her hips. “Hey,” she stopped and turned. “Tell the doc he’s a lucky man. And stop wearing those swing dresses around me.” Pearl smiled, turned around in the middle of the floor allowing the sway of the dress to show off a good portion of her thighs. “Get out,” he smiled as she was leaving. His cell phone chimed, “Thompson.”
“Boss, we have a situation at the house. Ryan has gone silent in pursuit of a figure on the lawn of the neighbor to the right. I’m moving through the house to secure the perimeter.”
“Location of Tracy and the children.” He said as he stormed out of the office.
“The house is secure. The family is in the bedrooms. This could be nothing boss.”
“Too much happening tonight to take that chance. I’m en route to your location. Meet me in the pool house in seven minutes.” Brian placed a call to Samuel. “What’s your status?”
♡♡♡♡
Brian hung up his blackberry as he stood in the pool house. Something didn’t seem right. Magna wasn’t there and Ryan was not answering their cell phone. He parked one street over and walked through the neighbor’s house Magna mentioned. Scanning the outskirts of the property things seemed a little too quiet. Walking around the back to the pool house, he checked every monitor, closely scrutinizing each as he watched the feed. He saw a motion on the screen as he scanned pass one. He quickly returned to it. The hedges on the far end of the neighbor’s yard moved. It was a still night in September, there was no wind. His concentration stayed on that monitor. There it was again, a movement from the house next door. Brian flicked on the house monitors. He quickly scanned to the rooms to get a location on Tracy and the children. A movement from another monitor caught his attention. A male figure was dragging a body behind a bush. Another, male body emerged from the back end of the neighbor’s house. Brian immediately jumped into action, pushing the panic button alerting the police department, then he grabbed the portable handheld to keep a track of the intruders.
Reaching the door of the pool house, he peeked around to make sure no one could see him. Staying low and close to the hedges, he walked along the back patio, through the basement door and up the back staircase. Knowing, Tracy and the baby were in the master bedroom, he went there first. He slowly opened the door and quietly closed it behind him. The lights were low as he walked over to the bed. Tracy and Jasmine were asleep and if he was lucky the baby would remain that way. He placed his hand over Tracy’s mouth and she jerked awake startled and swinging. “Tracy. Tracy. It’s me Brian.” Her eyes roamed widely until they reached his. Then she bit his hand. “Ouch.” He pulled his hand away shaking it from the sting of the bite.
“Why are you sneaking around the house scaring me half to death? And where have you been?”
“Shh,” he put his finger up to his lips. “Grab the baby and come with me.”
She did as she was told. “What’s going on?” she whispered.
“Try to keep the baby quiet. Someone’s on the premises and I don’t think they are friendly.” They walked into JD’s closet to the back wall. Brian pushed the clothes aside and put his hand on the security pad. The light turned green and a panel of the wall slide up. He picked Tracy up with the baby in her arms and placed her in the opening that resembled a laundry chute. “When you reach the bottom, move to the far corner of the room and stay close to the wall.”
“Okay,” she said with fear in her eyes.
“I’ll be right behind you.” He reassured her. Not wasting another moment, he pushed her head down and watched as she and the baby traveled down the soundproof chute. He then climbed into the chute, hit the panel on the wall to close the slide down behind them. His feet hit the floor of the basement with a thump. Remaining motionless for a moment, he listened to see if there was any indication that someone heard him. Secure they were undetected; he looked at Tracy, “Let’s go.”
“We can’t. JC is still upstairs.”
“I’ll come back and get him.”
“No. Go get my baby and bring him now,” she cried.
He grabbed her around the waist. “Tracy, I have to get you and Jasmine to the safe room. Then I’m coming right back to get JC. I don’t have time to argue with you about this. Hold on to Jasmine.” He clamped his hand over her mouth, picked her up, and carried her kicking and mouthing what he was sure were very choice words at him. He felt the tears drop on his hand, but knew this had to be done. They reached the pool house undetected. He sat Tracy down just as the baby began to whine. He put the code in the door for the panic room, then placed both of them inside.
“My baby is in there. Brian, you left my baby in the house. Don’t let anything happen to JC Brian, please—go get my baby.”
The tears streaming down her face couldn’t be helped, no matter how much it tore at his heart. “I’m going right now. Stay here. I’ve alerted the police. Do not open the door unless you hear my voice. Do you understand?”
She nodded as he closed the door and heard the automatic lock click. Brian checked the monitors before moving back towards the house taking the same route. He looked back as soon as he entered the house. A figure walked by the opening, but if you did not know the door was there, you would have no reason to look that way. Now there was a bigger problem. The intruders were closer to entering the interior of the house. Time was of the essences. He took the back stairs two steps at a time and made his way to JC’s room. Grabbing the child out of the bed he made his way across the hall to the master bedroom, walked into the closet and closed the door. JC opened his eyes to see his uncle Brian. “Hey lil man. We going to play a game okay.”
“Kay,” a sleepy JC nodded.
“I need you to be real quiet all the way to the pool house. Okay. Can you do that for me man?”
JC nodded, “Where’s Mommy?”
“She’s in the pool house with Jasmine.”
“Jazz.”
“Hmm hum,” Brian replied as he tucked JC under him and climbed into the shoot. “Hold on lil man.” He reached the panel, the wall closed and down the chute, they went. It would have been a fun ride if the situation wasn’t so serious.
When they reached the bottom just JC began to giggle. “Do it again Uncle Brian—do it again.”
“Shh. Remember we are playing the quiet game.”
JC put his fingers to his lips just as Brian had. He couldn’t help it, Brian smiled at the boy and for the first time in his life, he wanted one. “You look like your daddy—do you know that?” JC bobbed his head up and down. “Okay, let’s go find mommy.” Placing the boy tightly against his chest, he checked the exit to make sure the way was clear. He watched as a figure walked through the patio door with a semiautomatic weapon. Another man with a similar weapon followed from the opposite side of the house. If he were alone, he would take both out. But, he had JD’s son and it was his job to protect him with his life if necessary. Squeezing the child to make sure he was securely in placed he opened and stepped out of the underground door. Taking the three small steps up, he stayed close to the hedges leading to the pool house. Just as he took the next step, the last man to walk into the house turned and looked directly at him. They both raised their weapons at the same time. Brian’s shot rang out first taking the man down. The other man in the house ran to the door and raised his weapon. Brian let off another round as the man took cover. Hearing shots from the front of the house, Brian, took off towards the pool house; a round of gunfire rang out. The first shot hit his shoulder, he continued to run. The second shot hit his side, he continued to move, but at a much slower pace. The third shot hit him in the back. That shot sent him to the ground. His body fell on top of JC who cried out. “Shh, lil man. You have to be quiet.” The pain surging through his body was becoming unbearable, but Brian had to stay focus. “Uncle Brian needs you to pull your feet up.”
“Kay.” JC did as he was asked. He tightens his hold around Brian’s waist. “I can kiss your boo-boo--make it better.”
Brian smiled as he tightened his hold on JC and pulled his weapon closer to his side ready to squeeze the trigger at the footsteps he heard approaching. He turned to pull the trigger and saw Ryan standing over him with two guns in her hands firing into the house. Brian lowered his arms and the gun fell to the ground. He heard loud voices and gun-fire. He smiled thinking the cavalry is here. The last thing he felt was JC’s little fingers touching his face. “Kiss and make better Uncle Brian,” he kissed the child’s fingers as his eyes closed.
♡♡♡♡
They had what was needed to close the case on Munford, permanently. After all that he had learned of his father’s death in the last twenty-four hours, JD was close to jubilant. The man had changed his life ten years ago and now, he was finally getting it back. With Munford put away, he and Tracy could finally live in peace. No more secrets, or security day and night. They could live a somewhat normal existence. JD watched, from behind the police tape, as investigators continued to review the crime scene. Four body bags were on the ground near the rental truck that housed the weapons. Joshua had left the scene once the interrogation of the lone survivor was over. A smile appeared on his face as a thought suddenly hit him, next week was Tracy’s birthday, and he knew exactly what her gift would be.
“This is the way a evening should end.” Samuel joined JD at the SUV, “The bad guys in cuffs.”
“Or body bags,” JD grunted. “We have one more to take in. And I want the pleasure of reading the charges to his face.” In the distance, JD heard one of the detective’s pager go off.
“You deserve it JD. That’s for sure,” Samuel said as his cell phone rang.
Donnell was walking in their direction, smiling. “You got to love this. I want to be the one to bring Munford in,” he said, then pulled out his cell phone that was ringing.
The sounds of multiple pagers resonated in the area and JD stood shell shocked for a moment. The scene was eerily reminiscent of the time Tracy was beaten. He turned to Samuel just as he looked over at him. JD pulled out his cell and pushed a button. “Come on baby, pick up.”
Samuel jumped in the driver seat of the SUV and was pulling off as JD and Donnell hoped in. “A silent signal was received from your home, two minutes ago.” Samuel said. He wasn’t sure if JD heard him. “Officers are en route.”
“Ryan is not picking up,” Donnell added.
“Neither is Tracy,” JD franticly pushed another button. “No answer from Brian.”
Samuel frowned as he pushed another button. “Joshua, give me a location on Munford.” He waited, “Good, stay on him.”
“Munford don’t do dirty work. That’s what Jonas is for,” Donnell grunted.
JD’s heart lurched when they turned the corner to his house and a police curser appeared coming from the other direction. Neighbors were standing in their doorways as gun fire continued to ring out. JD was the first to run from the car towards the house, but was tackled from behind by Samuel. Donnell ordered all of the neighbors to go back into their homes to keep them safe. A barrage of gun fire rang out again from the back of the house. Samuel was struggling to contain JD. The sound of police cruisers screeching to a halt could be heard in the background. Donnell reached them, “I’ll take the lead. On three.” He counted off, when they reached three, Samuel, and JD got up and ran behind him towards the front door. They stood to the side, as Donnell kicked the door in. He quickly peeked in, it was clear. They entered quickly with guns drawn. The foyer was riddled with bullet holes. JD ran up stairs, “Tracy?” he franticly called out. When he reached the bed room, it was empty. He pulled the drawer to the night stand open and took out his weapon. He looked inside the closet and saw the escape pad was exposed. Running out the room, he checked the children’s rooms, then took the back staircase to the kitchen. Samuel and Donnell had searched the lower level of the house and reached the kitchen the same time he did. There were two bodies one in the walkway between the foyer and the kitchen, and another near the patio door. Donnell went down to the basement, as JD and Samuel ran out the patio door. Another body was near the hedges. “The safe room,” JD yelled and ran towards the pool house. The sight of Ryan kneeling next to a body stopped them in their tracks. She was moving another body that was on the ground. Samuel and JD ran over.
She looked up with a look of horror. JD bent down just as Donnell joined them. “Brian,” JD cried out as he gently moved his body. “JC,” his father cried out.
“Daddy,” his son cried.
As gently as he could JD pulled at his son, but the boy was firmly in his friends grasp and Brian wasn’t letting go. JD leaned over and took his friends hand. “Brian, it’s okay. I got him now, you can let go.” Seconds ticked before, JD felt the hand relax. He pulled his crying son from under Brian but continued to hold on to his friend’s hand. “It’s okay JC, daddy’s here.” He hugged his son. “Get an ambulance here now,” he yelled. He took a moment and examined his son. “Do you hurt anywhere JC?”
The boy shook his head no. “Uncle Brian got a boo-boo,” he cried.
“I know son.” JD said as he yelled again for an ambulance. Samuel and Donnell kneeled on the other side of Brian and began checking out his injuries. “Where’s mommy JC? Where’s mommy?” JD franticly asked his son. Brian squeezed his hand as JC answered.
“Jazz and mommy.”
JD held onto JC as he bent closer to Brian. “Hold on Brian. Hold on man.”
Ryan walked away from the scene and continued on to the pool house. The light on the safe room was activated. She checked the monitors and saw Tracy in there pacing back and forth with the baby on her shoulder. The room was sound proof and she had to hit the speaker button to talk to Tracy. “Tracy, it’s Ryan hit the button on the right of the door.”
“Where’s JC and Brian?”
“JC is with JD and Brian,” she trailed off. “Hit the button to open the door.”
Tracy hesitated. Brian told her not to open the door until he returned, but JC was out there. She pushed the button, the lock clicked and the door slid open. “Where’s JC?”
Ryan finally breathed a sigh of relief. “He’s with JD. Come on.”
Tracy walked from the pool house following Ryan towards the small crowd that gathered in her back yard. She heard JC cry, ran pass Ryan, and burst through the crowd. “Jeffrey.”
“Tracy,” JD pulled away as they turned Brian over. He grabbed her in his arms and held her and his children close as she cried.
She looked around him. “Brian,” she cried out. “Oh my God, Brian.”
JD held her a moment longer. He put JC in Ryan’s arms, “Secure them.” He then went back to Brian’s side. The paramedic’s were franticly working on the man as more officers filled the yard. The medical chopper could be heard above. JD took Brian’s hand and held it against his chest. “Man don’t do this. Don’t leave me now. I need you.”
“We’re losing him,” a paramedic said as he pushed JD aside and began administering CPR. The other EMT, placed the defibrillator next on the ground, then place the paddles on Brian’s chest, “Clear.” The man giving CPR stopped as the electric shock was sent to Brian’s heart.
“Come on B.” JD cried out.
“We got a pulse,” the EMT said and continued to work franticly. “We need to get him in.”
The EMT carefully positioned Brian face down on a backboard. Several men including JD and Samuel carried him while the EMT’s ran along the side with tubes that were keeping Brian alive. The chopper landed on the street that was cleared by officers. They placed Brian on the chopper. JD and Samuel climbed in just as the chopper lifted off.
♡♡♡♡
It was two o’clock in the morning by the time Tracy joined JD at the emergency room. The security at the hospital was tight. She entered the room filled with police personnel, FBI agents, and people from JD’s office. Magna sat near the door in a hospital gown and a pole holding a bag beside her. “Are you all right?” Tracy asked.
“A bullet in the shoulder. I’ll be fine.”
Tracy nodded, “Thank you,” she squeezed her hand and moved forward with Ryan still in tow. She finally reached Calvin and his wife Jackie, Douglas, James and Ashley, Samuel and Cynthia, but she still did not see JD. Hugging each of them, she held a distraught Cynthia a little longer. “You shouldn’t be here.”
With tears in her eyes, Cynthia just shook her head. “I can’t believe this happened to Brian. He was supposed to be invincible.”
“I know,” Tracy whimpered as another tear ran down her cheek. She looked up at Samuel, “Where’s JD?”
He pointed around the corner. JD was leaning against the wall with his head hung down. “He hasn’t said a word. I thought it was best to give him some distance.”
Tracy nodded, “Thank you,” she said and walked around the corner. The look on her husband’s face told the story. He was about to lose his best friend. She wiped the tears from her face, walked over, and put her arms around his waist. His arms comforted her and hers comforted him. “He put me and Jasmine in the safe room then went back for JC. He saved our lives. God is not going to take him.”
JD held her a little tighter and sighed, “I love him and I don’t think I ever told him that.”
“He knows.”
Three doctors walked out of the surgical unit towards them. “Who’s the next of kin?” one of them asked the crowd of people that gathered as they walked in.
“I am,” JD replied.
The doctor directed his comments to him. “Mr. Thompson sustained three gunshot wounds. We were able to remove two of the bullets. One is still lodged close to his spine. He lost a substantial amount of blood. His body is very weak. The team has decided not to attempt to remove the last bullet until he is in stable condition. The diagnosis is not good. If there are no complications, he has a slight chance of making it. I’m sorry the news couldn’t be better.” He walked away from the stunned crowd.
No one said anything for what seemed like minutes. Tracy could feel the increase of pressure from JD’s hand as it tightened around hers. He looked down at the blood on his shirt as if it was the first time he had seen it. His gaze turned to her and she could not read what was in his eyes. “Where did you park the car?”
“Ryan drove.”
He looked around until he saw Ryan. “Where are the keys to the car?” she gave them to him. Looking down at Tracy, he kissed her forehead then turned to look at Douglas and Calvin. He walked over pulling Tracy with him and put her hand in Calvin’s, then looked up at him. “Take care of my wife.”
Tracy wouldn’t let his hand go, “Jeffrey.” she held on tight as he pulled her fingers away. He turned without looking back and walked angrily out of the hallway. That’s when she noticed the gun tucked in the back of his pants. “Jeffrey,” she called out, now screaming while James and Calvin held her back.
Douglas and Samuel ran out after him. They saw the car pull off as they reached the parking lot. “He’s going to find Munford.” Douglas said as they ran to his SUV.
Samuel called Joshua. “All hell has broken loose. JD is on his way to you. Stop him.”
“If he is here to kill Munford, I’m not going to stop him,” Joshua replied then ended the call.
“Shit. Get us there.”
♡♡♡♡
The local news had preempted all programs on each of the three major stations showing coverage of the shoot out at the home of JD Harrison. Scenes from the house where the shooting took place as well as from the hospital where still were being shown. Word from the hospital, according to the reporter, was Brian Thompson is reported to be in grave condition. Munford sat in his study alone, replaying the scene when JD is climbing into the chopper near tears. “You’re playing with the big boys Harrison, the big boys.” He chuckled as he got up to fix another drink. He was enjoying this. The call from his attorney saying Harrison was amending the indictment to include murder was the last straw. It was time for Harrison to feel his wraft. The petty indictment was nothing compared to the information he could give. The deal he planned to get would even swipe away the murder charge, once he talked to the FBI and agreed to give information on his weapons contacts. The only regret he had was that no one in Harrison’s precious family was taken out. But he eagerly continued to watch the coverage, hoping the media was keeping something under wraps. They would do that when dignitaries were involved in violent situations.
With a fresh drink in his hand, in his pajamas and robe, Wilbert T. Munford was enjoying the local news coverage.
“You’re up late Chief, or should I say early. It’s three in the morning.”
Munford jumped from the sound of the voice and spilled some of his drink. “How in the hell did you get in my house?”
“I have my ways. Unfortunately for you, I’m the least of your worries.”
JD walked in the room with his gun in his hand. Joshua met him in the doorway. “Sammy said I can’t let you shoot Munford.”
“Where is he?”
“Right this way,” Joshua said eagerly pointing to the room he had just walked out of.
Joshua walked into the room to find Munford standing near his desk with his weapon drawn. He positioned himself directly in front of JD blocking any chance of Munford shooting him. However, JD walked in and fired his weapon, hitting the picture directly above Munford’s head. Joshua had the feeling the miss was deliberate. “You killed my father, attempted to take my life, had your goons to attack my wife, shot up my house with my children inside, and now because of you, my friend fighting for his life. Pull the trigger and give me a reason to end your sorry ass life.”
Samuel ran in the room with Douglas in tow. “JD,” he walked around until he was directly in front of JD’s weapon, putting his back to Munford. Joshua looked at his brother as if he had lost his mind. “You don’t put your back to a man with a gun.” He stood between Munford and his brother.
“You can’t do this. Think about Tracy and the children. Think about your father. He expects you to fulfill your destiny. Don’t disappoint him.” JD took his eyes off Munford and looked at Samuel. “Your father would expect you to do the right thing. This isn’t it. Let me have the gun.”
Munford had heard enough. “You are just like your father, with your self righteous ways. Two god-damn goodie two shoes. I offered your father a way in. Was willing to give him a sixty-forty split on the take. He spit in my face, talking about public trust and protecting the community. The same bullshit you be spreading. I knew that eventually he was going to spill his guts. That’s why I took him out. Just like him, you don’t have the balls to eliminate your enemy. I did.” Munford snarled. “And I’m going to get away with it. Don’t think the FBI won’t give me a deal to get information on my contacts. You know how this works Harrison,” he laughed. “I’m going to get a pass for killing your father and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.” Now, holding the gun at his side in a cocky stance, “I don’t need this. You won’t shoot me, because it’s against the law.” He laughed.
“Munford, shut up,” Samuel yelled. “JD, give me the gun.” Samuel watched as JD’s eyes hardened. They were the eyes of a man that had reached his limit.
Suddenly, the house went black. Gun fire erupted, a semiautomatic weapon from the sounds of it. There was the sound of glass shattering and bodies hitting the floor.
When the dust settled, Joshua called out, “Sammy?”
“I’m good.”
“JD.”
“I’m good.”
“Douglas?”
“Good man.”
Joshua pulled a light and began to scan the room. Samuel was on the floor with JD under him. Douglas was on the floor in the doorway. Joshua noticed a movement outside the window, and then the lights came back on. The men looked around. Munford was slumped over his desk with several bullet holes in him. “Ah hell,” Joshua turned and looked at JD.
“Is he dead?” JD asked.
He stood, walked over to the body, and felt for a pulse. “Yep, he’s dead.” Joshua looked at Samuel. “Get him the hell out of here. I’ll take care of this.”
“Let’s go JD,” Samuel said as he took the gun from his hand.
“I’ll stay until the police get here.”
“Like hell you will,” Douglas said and grabbed him.
JD pulled away. “If I leave, it makes me no different then him.”
“Come here JD,” Joshua ordered. JD exhaled and walked over. He pointed to the body. “He has at least six bullets in him. You shot once, it hit the picture over his head. You didn’t do this. These shots came through that window.”
JD turned and looked at the window, then down at Munford. “I meant to kill him.”
“I know,” Joshua said. “But you didn’t. Now, I need you to let me do my job and get the hell out of here.”
♡♡♡♡
Jonas Gary stood on the outskirts of the property as he watched the whole scene unfold. Now he could leave knowing Wilbert T. Munford would not be singing his song to anyone.