Chapter Twenty-One

Joe’s neck was killing him, but he persisted, and finally, he pulled one end of the rope out. He straightened up for a minute, attempting to let his neck muscles relax. Then he bent over again, and within another minute or so, his arms were free. He pulled the blindfold off to discover that it was totally dark in the room now. Apparently the killer had shut the light off before he left.

He would deal with that later. First, he had to untie his feet. That took what seemed to him like an hour, but in reality, it had probably been only about fifteen or twenty minutes. It took him more time to get feeling back into his feet and then to get his legs to work. Finally, he was able to stumble to a wall and then feel his way around it until he found a light switch. When light filled the room, hope filled his heart. The room was not too large, and there was only one door. Other than the table and a couple of hard-backed chairs, there was no furniture. The floor was covered with badly worn green linoleum. There were no windows. He had to figure out how to get through the door and escape from this room.

Every effort was being made to get Lucas to leave the house and surrender to the officers. They used a bullhorn to give instructions, but no sound came from within the house.

“Let me talk to Nattie,” Bo suggested to Sheriff Hermock. “Maybe she can tell us if Lucas might have his cell phone on him and, if so, what the number is.”

As they made their way toward the barn, they passed a couple of the SWAT officers. “You should have let me handle this case, Sheriff,” one of them said. “Joe killed Emil, and Bo has only put suspicion on a lot of innocent people.”

Bo recognized Will Merianos’s voice. He’d forgotten that he was part of the SWAT team. He wasn’t happy to learn that he was here.

“You were on the wrong track, Deputy. You still are. Now pay attention to what’s going on here,” Sheriff Hermock said, and he and Bo walked to the barn.

“You’ll see, Sheriff,” Will called after them. “Bo has messed up big time.”

The sheriff made no further response to Will, but to Bo, he said in a low voice, “I should have fired him.”

Bo didn’t say anything, but he agreed with the sheriff.

Nattie was standing at the barn door with Rosina and Karmen. Bo told her what he wanted, and Nattie said, “He has a cell phone, but I don’t know if he has it with him now. He took it when he left the last time I saw him.”

“Do you know the number?” Bo asked.

“Yes,” she said.

“Sheriff,” Bo said. “I know you have a hostage negotiator here, but would you mind if I try to get him to surrender—if he answers his phone?”

“That would be okay,” Sheriff Hermock said.

“Okay, Nattie, would you punch the number into my phone?” Bo asked.

She took it from his hand, pushed some numbers, and handed the phone back to Bo. It began to ring. It rang several times, and Bo was ready to end the call when a slurred voice said, “What do you need, pig?”

“Lucas, my name is Detective Bo Buckley,” he said even as he wondered if Lucas was high on something.

“I know who you are, but what makes you think I’m some Lucas guy?”

Although Bo had not put the phone on speaker, he’d held it so that Nattie, who was leaning close, could hear. He glanced at her.

“It’s him,” she whispered. “But he’s on heroin. That’s how he sounds when he’s high. I don’t know where he could have gotten it.”

Bo nodded to Nattie. “I rang your number, and you picked up. Lucas, it’s time you gave up. Come out on the porch with your hands in the air, and this will go a lot easier for you.”

“I ain’t coming out,” he insisted. “You come in and get me if you think you dare try.”

“It doesn’t work that way. You come out, and we can end this thing.”

“I just told you that I ain’t coming out. Why don’t you have Nattie come in? I’ll come out with her, and we’ll leave. I didn’t kill Emil, so it ain’t me you want anyway.”

“Maybe you did, and maybe you didn’t,” Bo said. “Come on out, and we’ll talk. If you are innocent of murder, we’ll figure it out.”

“Ain’t coming without my girl,” he said.

“Give it some thought, Lucas, and I’ll call you back,” Bo said, and with that, he ended the call.

“He won’t come out, Bo,” Nattie said. “I know him. If I go in, maybe he will come out with me.”

Bo and the sheriff both shook their heads. “We can’t let you do that,” Bo said. “You would be risking both yourself and your baby. Anyway, seriously, I don’t think you really want to, do you?”

Nattie ducked her head, and as tears started to trickle down her cheeks, she said, “No, but I don’t want any of you officers getting hurt. It’s bad enough that Ron collapsed. That would never have happened if—”

She was cut off by Rosina’s hand covering her mouth. “It’s time you quit blaming yourself, Nattie. None of this is your fault. Here, why don’t you sit down again with Karmen and me?”

Nattie looked up at Bo, then at the sheriff, and finally at Rosina. “Okay.”

Further calls to Lucas by the negotiator did no better than Bo’s call had. The standoff continued. Eventually, Bo sent Nattie away with Rosina and Karmen.

“Is it okay if we go to the hospital before we go to Rosina’s apartment?” she asked. “Melia needs support right now.”

“Yeah, she does, doesn’t she? Yes, that would be great,” Bo said.

“We’ll take care of her, Bo,” Rosina promised.

At that moment, a thought slammed into Bo. “Wait, you ladies can’t go without police protection.”

“But the danger is in there,” Karmen reasoned, pointing toward the house.

“Lucas is in there, but we don’t know that he killed Emil. If he didn’t, then someone else is out there, somewhere, who did it, and that person is dangerous.”

“But he’s probably with Joe,” Rosina said.

“Maybe. Let me see if the sheriff will send someone with you to the hospital. I don’t like the thought of Melia being there without protection, now that I think of it,” Bo said.

Bo spoke to the sheriff a moment later and explained the situation.

“I agree,” the sheriff said. “Where’s Deputy Grizzel?”

“He’s over there by the garage,” Bo said.

“Send him,” the sheriff instructed. “Next to you, Bo, he knows more about this case than anyone and how many other men could potentially be the killer.” As soon as Jim and the girls had left, the sheriff said, “I hate to break Ron’s window, but I think it’s time to use some tear gas.”

“Just a minute, Sheriff,” Bo said. “Joe’s dog is in there. As badly as he was injured, tear gas could kill him. He can’t just come out like Lucas can.”

“So what do you suggest we do, Bo?”

“I can go around the back, open the door, and let him out. We can lock him in the barn with Ron’s dog,” Bo suggested.

“Could be dangerous,” the sheriff said.

“Yes, it could, but for Herc, it’s more than just could.”

“How would you get him out?”

“I’d quietly unlock the door, and he’ll come to me. Then I’ll carry him to the barn,” Bo said.

“But how would you unlock the door? We don’t have any keys,” Sheriff Hermock said.

Bo reached in his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “I took these from Ron before the ambulance came,” he said. “I figured we might need them.”

“Okay. Do it then, but we need to let these other officers know what you’re doing.”

As soon as that was done, Bo walked all the way around the backyard and then made his way, hunched low and moving slowly, to the back door.

He unlocked it, whispered, “Herc,” and waited. The dog came to him, and Bo carried him back the same way he’d just come.

All four young women and Deputy Jim Grizzel were in the waiting room when a doctor came out.

“I’m Doctor Cummings. Are any of you ladies Ron Brady’s next of kin?”

Melia stood up. “I’m Melia Brady. He’s my grandfather.”

“Are you his closest next of kin?” the doctor asked with a cocked eyebrow.

“I am,” she said tearfully. “Is Grandpa going to make it? I can’t lose him.”

“He needs open heart surgery. We’ll need to fly him by helicopter to the University of Utah Hospital. Surgeons are standing by there to operate on him as soon as he arrives. Is that okay with you?” the doctor asked.

“If it will save his life, then of course it is,” she responded.

“Will you sign a consent form for surgery so we can fax it to the university hospital?”

“Yes,” she said.

“I’ll be right back with the form,” he told her.

After the consent was signed, Melia said, “I need to go to the bus station. I need to go to Salt Lake to be with Grandpa.”

“You don’t need a bus ticket,” Karmen said. “I’ll take you. Rosina, will you help Nattie—you and Deputy Grizzel—and keep her safe?”

They agreed, but then Melia had a thought, a difficult one. “I want to be with Grandpa, at least when he comes out of surgery, but there are still animals to feed on the farm.”

“You go,” Rosina said. “I’ll take care of the animals after the standoff is over.”

“And I’ll help,” Nattie volunteered.

“Thanks, guys. Then I’ll go. Please let me know what happens at my house.”

“We’ll let you know,” Deputy Grizzel promised. “You don’t have to worry about anything here. You go be there for your grandpa.”

They did not go to Rosina’s apartment as they had planned. After a quick call to Bo, the decision was made to find a hotel room for the two of them with Jim keeping watch outside their door.

Sheriff Hermock gave the order, and two canisters of tear gas were fired into the house from two different directions. Then they waited. “When Lucas comes out, hold your fire,” he ordered the officers. “If a shot needs to be fired, I will give the order.”

They waited some more, and a second round of tear gas was fired into the house. Finally, the front door opened, and Lucas Soto stumbled out onto the porch, coughing and rubbing his eyes fiercely with one hand. In his other hand was a pistol, but it was hanging at his side. A single shot rang out.

Lucas grabbed his chest as he fell over backward.

“Who did that?” the sheriff shouted as Bo rushed forward to the downed man.

No one spoke up. Finally, after the sheriff asked a second time, one of the SWAT officers pointed at Deputy Will Merianos.

“Will, what were you thinking?” the sheriff demanded.

“Are you blind, Sheriff? He had a gun. Am I the only one smart enough to recognize a threat?” Will asked.

“It was hanging at his side, and he couldn’t even see because of the tear gas. Deputy, you are suspended. Turn your weapons over to the SWAT commander. Then I’ll see you in my office at noon tomorrow.”

“You can’t do that, Sheriff. I might have just saved your life,” Will argued, angry and unrepentant. “This guy’s taken care off. Now you need to find and arrest Joe Whalen for murder. I’m sure he’s just faking a kidnapping.”

“That’s all, Deputy. You do as I just told you and do it now.” With that, the sheriff joined Bo and two other deputies on the porch.

Bo looked up. “We’ve called for an ambulance. He’s been shot in the chest, but he’s still alive.”

“Deputy Merianos had better hope he lives,” Sheriff Hermock mumbled.

“Was that who shot him?” Bo asked.

“He’s been suspended,” was the sheriff’s answer.

It had been several hours, and Joe’s captor still hadn’t come back. Maybe Joe was going to be left here to die. That thought spurred him to action. He was going to get out of here if he had to tear the door down with his bare hands.

He looked around the room, as he had been doing for several minutes, while he got his arms and legs loosened up. His bare hands were not such a good idea, but surely he could break some of the furniture and beat on the door with the pieces until it broke too. If the killer came back before he had accomplished that, then he’d try to bash him on the head with whatever he used on the door.

Table legs were his first choice. Joe worked for several minutes to get a table leg loose. Then he took hold of the small end of the leg and began to swing the thick end at the door. It only took a couple swings before he figured out the wooden door was a solid-core one. He beat the door handle off, but that didn’t help as it appeared that it was locked further from the far side. He smashed for all he was worth at the middle of the door, hoping it wasn’t too thick. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a lot of strength. The hours he’d been tied up coupled with newly broken ribs and the injures he’d received in the jail still hurting him left him doubled over after just three or four minutes.

He rested for a bit, and then started on the door again. Once more, he had to rest, but he did it beside the door so that if his captor opened it, he could use the table leg on him.

To Joe’s dismay, the door did open as he rested. The killer stepped in, and Joe let him have it with the table leg. The man dodged, and the club only hit him on the shoulder, but it was enough to slow him down. Joe hit him again, this time striking the killer’s left arm.

He wished it would have broken the killer’s arm, but the guy did not go down. Instead, he leaped with a loud yell and tackled Joe’s feet. Joe went down, smashing his head on the floor. He was dazed for a moment, and the killer started kicking him.

Fighting for his life, Joe scrambled unsteadily to his feet and threw a punch that caught the killer in the face. Blood spurted from his nose. Joe again tried for the door, but once more, the killer stopped his bid for freedom by grabbing the back of his shirt.

Joe spun and kicked the killer’s right knee. That brought a yell and curses. Joe kicked the other knee, and this time, the killer went down. Joe finally managed to dash through the door, took a quick look around to orient himself, and then headed for what appeared to be the front door of the house. It was locked. He tried to unlock it but realized he needed a key.

He bolted for the back door, finding it similarly locked. Finally, in desperation, he kicked out the front window. Glass shattered and spread all around him. He readied himself to leap for his freedom when he felt a strong tug at his shoulder. At that exact moment, he heard a gunshot. It knocked him to his knees. He tried desperately to get up, but before he could, the killer fired a second shot, which struck Joe in the back. This time, he fell forward on his face in the glass. He had only enough time to realize he’d failed before the world went black.

The same ambulance that had hauled Ron to the hospital earlier came roaring into the farmyard again and slid to a stop in front of the house. The ambulance attendants bolted through the gate to the yard and joined Bo and a couple other officers who were attending to Lucas. Bo was relieved that he could step back now and leave Lucas’s life in other hands.

Lucas was injured badly, and Bo was not at all sure that he would live long enough to get to the hospital. He walked over to the spigot on the side of Ron’s house and turned on the water. He washed the blood from his hands and face as best he could. Then he rejoined the sheriff and a handful of officers who were in a heated discussion just beyond the fence to the yard.

“You should just fire him, Sheriff,” Bo said with a touch of venom when he realized they were talking about Will Merianos. Two other officers voiced their agreement.

“I’ll deal with him later,” the sheriff said. “Right now, we have a large crime scene to process.” With that, he barked out orders to several officers and told the rest that they could leave. The entire SWAT team was no longer needed here.

Bo turned away, having received no orders himself, and walked wearily to the barn. He found Herc and Ace in the stall where he’d put them before the shooting. Herc seemed none the worse for wear, but now Bo wondered what to do about them. They were outdoor dogs, unlike Two Face.

“I’ll get you some food and water,” he said. Then he left them in a stall that had no horses in it and was fairly clean.

He let Two Face out of the Explorer, then he walked to the house and explained to the sheriff that he needed to get some dog food for Ace and Herc. “Sure. Go ahead, Bo,” he said. “Where is it?”

“It’s on the back porch where Herc had been until I got him out,” he replied. He and Two Face walked back there. Bo went in, found what he was looking for, and then he and the bulldog exited out the back door and started toward the barn with a sack of dog food in Bo’s arms. As they rounded the house, the ambulance was just leaving with Lucas. He shook his head sadly and proceeded on to the barn, his faithful bulldog right at his heels.