Chapter 3: Just In The Line Of Duty
Chapter 3:
The helicopter took off and was in the sky on its way to Harmony. Luis was fidgeting in his seat anxiously, wishing he was there already, but grateful for the ride. Tina Alvarez was sitting next to him watching Luis. She smiled as she watched him look out the window, check his watch, and then return to looking out the window. "So Luis, what are you thinking about?" she asked.
Luis was almost in a trance when her voice seemed to break him from it. "What? Huh? Oh Detective. I was just hoping we'd be there in time. I have a feeling in my gut Roger and Pierre are already in Harmony. Maybe they've already killed her, I don't know." Luis voice trailed off.
"Please call me Tina," she said. "Thanks, Tina," Luis managed a small smile. "Luis, I'm sure we'll get there in time," Tina said. "If you want, I'll even go with you when we get there."
"Tina, these guys mean business. I wouldn't want to see anyone get hurt," Luis said.
"You're going, Luis, besides, I'm a cop too, remember? We have a big drug trade in Boston. I'm used to dealing with this type of scum," Tina said.
"Thanks Tina. Most people wouldn't be so generous to go chasing around on some crazy cop's gut instinct," Luis said with a half grin. "Well, from what I've heard from both you and Sheridan, I'd say your gut instinct where she is concerned is right on the money," she said. "You know Luis, it is very rare for one person to be so connected to another person that they can sense they are in danger. Very rare in deed. Sheridan is very lucky to have you in her life."
Luis let out a quick laugh. "Tina, don't you get it? Sheridan doesn't want me in her life. She's made that perfectly clear." Luis voice was filled with anger, regret and sarcasm. Tina shook her head. "You've got it all wrong, Luis," she said quietly. "Sheridan does want you in her life. Desperately! I'm not sure what it is, but there is something that happened between you two that's bothering her. She made some mention of you using her, and I could see the hurt in her eyes when she said it. I have a feeling that she had you arrested more, for whatever that was, than for kidnapping her."
Luis was getting very angry. His fists were clenched. "There are those words again. ‘USED HER.' Why does everyone seem to think I've used her! I've asked Sheridan over and over again id she would PLEASE tell me what I did to make her so angry. She keeps telling me I'm a cop, I should be able to figure it out myself. Well I've tried and I can't figure it out."
Tina smiled. Luis saw this and asked angrily, "What are you smiling about?" "I was just thinking that someone should kidnap the both of you, lock you in a room somewhere and not let you out till you've killed each other or made up," Detective Alvarez said. "Ha Ha Ha!" Luis said sarcastically. I mean it. You two need to clear the air," she said. "It isn't healthy."
"Well you tell Sheridan that," Luis said bitterly. "I will," Tina said with a small grin.
"Detective Alvarez, we will be landing in five minutes," the pilot shouted into the back of the helicopter. "Thanks, Pete," she shouted back. "Luis, do you want to call Sam and let him know you're coming?" "Yeah, I do actually," Luis said. He picked up his cell phone, flipped it open and called Sam. "Chief Bennett" "Sam, it's Luis." "Luis? Where are you? It sounds like you're in a wind tunnel," Sam asked.
"Actually Sam, I'm about to land on your doorstep," Luis said with a grin. "Detective Alvarez offered me the use of their Police chopper. I'll be there in five minutes. Sam, can you get me a cruiser ready to go? I'll need a gun too. Mine is at home. Tina and I are going over to Sheridan's cottage. I have a really bad feeling about this." Luis' face was now stone.
"Sure Luis. I'll have a car and weapon standing by for you," Sam said. "Thanks Sam," Luis said.
Luis shut off his phone and nervously waited for the chopper to land. All he could think about was getting to Sheridan. He hoped he was in time. Roger and Pierre were cursing as they climbed out of their car and quietly shut the doors. "Damn Sheridan Crane!" Roger said. "She has escaped death once again, but it will not last long. Pierre, you will try to get in through the front door and I will try the window on the side. She will not escape this time. There is no American cop to rescue her and her phone is dead. She too, will be dead soon."
Pierre nodded at Roger as the two men slinked off towards Sheridan's cabin. They continuously checked to make sure there was no one else around as they approached Sheridan's cottage. Roger moved off to the side, while Pierre stood in front of the front door. Pierre pulled out a small tool kit from his coat pocket. He opened it up and selected a tool. He proceeded to attempt picking the lock on the door. Roger was doing the same thing at the window on the side of the cottage.
Pierre had almost succeeded in opening the door when he heard, "Stop, police!" A uniformed officer stood there several feet from Pierre with a gun pointed at him. Pierre backed away from the door with his hands in the air. The uniformed officer started walking towards Pierre. Pierre remained still with a small smile on his face. The Officer looked puzzled at the smile on Pierre's face. Suddenly he felt someone behind him. He whipped around, but it was too late. Roger had pulled out his gun and shot the police officer several feet away. The man slumped to the ground, lying there silently. There was no sound, due to the silencer on Roger's gun.
Sheridan had peered out her window when she heard the officer approach. She witnessed the shooting of the police officer. She held her hands over her mouth as she gasped in horror. Tears streaming down her face, she retreated from the window in a panic. She still was trapped. She had almost no hope. She ran to the kitchen, getting away from the doors and windows.
"Pierre, help me move this body. It must not be too highly visible," Roger said. Pierre and Roger dragged the police officer around to the side of the house. They hastily dropped the body once they turned the corner of the cottage. "We will go back to the window, Pierre. The front door is too visible to others."
"But Roger," Pierre complained, "I was almost inside. If I'd had another minute I would have been inside. "I'm sorry, mon ami, but we can not take the chance. We can not afford to be caught. We must finish off Sheridan Crane tonight," Roger said. Roger and Pierre returned to the window on the side of the cottage. Luis practically jumped out of the chopper when it landed. Tina Alvarez followed quickly behind him as they headed towards Sam's office inside the station. "Sam, is everything ready?" Luis asked impatiently. "Luis," Sam said. Glad you made it. "I presume this is Detective Alvarez," he said as he smiled at the woman with Luis. "Yeah, I'm sorry," Luis apologized, "Detective Tina Alvarez, this is Chief Sam Bennett."
"I'm very pleased to meet you Detective," Sam said. "Please call me Tina," she said shaking Sam's hand. "And call me Sam," he said smiling. He then looked over at a very anxious Luis. "OK Luis. there is a squad car waiting for you. There are two radios in the car and your firearm as well." "Thanks Sam," Luis said. "Ready Tina?" Luis asked as he started walking out the door. "Nice meeting you Sam," she said as she followed Luis out the door. "Remember to call for backup if there is any trouble out there Luis," Sam shouted after him. "Silvano should be there by now. I sent him to keep an eye on things until you got here." "Thanks, Sam," Luis yelled over his shoulder. "I'll call him from the car and see if anything is happening."
Luis and Tina were gone in a flash. The closer they got to the Crane mansion, the worse Luis' gut feeling became. He had the car started and in gear almost before Tina had her door closed. As soon as he heard the door click, his foot was on the accelerator and he was headed for the Crane Mansion. Once on the road, Luis picked up his radio and tried to reach Silvano.
"Silvano, It's Lopez-Fitzgerald, come in Silvano," Luis called. Luis waited a moment, but their was no reply. "Silvano, come in Silvano," he called again. Still no reply. "Something's wrong," Luis said. "Something is terribly wrong." "Maybe he is away from his radio or turned it off?" Tina suggested. "Not likely," Luis said in frustration. He picked up the radio and called him one more time. There was still no reply. "Sam, come in Sam," Luis called. "Yeah, Luis, what is it?" Sam asked. "Silvano doesn't answer. Something ‘s wrong. I can feel it." Luis said anxiously. "That's not like him. Sit tight Luis, I'm sending back up." Sam said. "They can find me there, Luis said. "There isn't time to sit tight, Sam." With that Luis put his foot deeper on the accelerator and sped towards the Crane Mansion.
Ethan had just finished getting dressed and was walking down the stairs. He checked his watch and decided he was early, but he’d go to Sheridan’s cottage anyway and wait for her to finish dressing. He grabbed his keys and headed out the front door of the mansion towards the cottage. Ethan was walking towards Sheridan’s cottage, noticing it was just starting to get dark. He continued his trek towards the cottage, unaware he was being watched.
Roger and Pierre heard someone coming and Pierre peered around the corner of the cottage and saw Ethan closing the distance. “Roger,” Pierre announced. “Someone is approaching. Some young American male. Roger was getting quite irritated with all the interruptions. “Shoot him Pierre. You have the tranquillizer gun. He won’t be hurt permanently. We cannot have anymore interruptions. Just shoot him and don’t let him see you do it! Ethan stepped up to Sheridan’s front door and knocked on it. He waited a moment and there was no answer. He turned the handle and the door was locked. He knocked again. “Sheridan? Sheridan are you in there? It’s Ethan.”
Pierre raised his gun and aimed it at Ethan. Ethan began knocking on the door again. Pierre pulled the trigger and Ethan grabbed his neck an instant later. He pulled a small dart out of his neck. He was puzzled for a few seconds when he suddenly felt his head start to spin. Within another few seconds, Ethan was dropped in a heap at Sheridan’s doorstep unconscious. Pierre smiled wickedly as he watched Ethan fall. “He will not be bothering us Roger,” Pierre said with satisfaction. “Let’s hurry Pierre,” Roger said. “We must get into Sheridan’s cottage and kill her. We no longer have time to take her from here. We will kill her and leave. Sheridan Crane must die tonight!” Roger and Pierre continued to jimmy the window to Sheridan’s cottage. After a few minutes of working the window they heard a ‘pop’ and the window was open. “Chouette!,” Roger said. “Let us go kill Sheridan Crane now!”
Sheridan was in the kitchen when she heard the window open. Her heart began beating faster and faster as she heard the men enter her cottage. She stood behind the kitchen door waiting. Roger and Pierre crept through the cottage which was almost dark by now. Pierre walked off toward the bedroom, while Pierre searched every nook and cranny of the living room. Pierre came out of the bedroom. “She is not in there,” he announced quietly. Roger motioned for Pierre to keep quiet and pointed toward the kitchen door. They slowly walked towards the kitchen.
Luis’ patrol car finally came to a slow down when he reached the Crane estate. He did not want to alert Roger and Pierre of his presence if they were there. He parked the car near the main house and he and Tina quickly ran towards Sheridan’s cottage. Luis suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. Tina almost ran into him. He pointed to a car hidden in the distance partially covered by brush. “See, I told you something was wrong,” Luis said. Tina nodded in agreement and the two began jogging again towards the cottage. Daylight was almost gone. They were almost on top of the cottage when Luis again abruptly stopped. He suddenly felt his whole body shiver and his stomach was about to leave him. He saw a body laying at Sheridan’s front door. Tina saw this as well and now completely understood Luis’ fear.
Luis inched closer to the body laying there. “Oh my God! It’s Ethan!” Luis said in shock. this was getting much too close to home for him. He carefully walked up to his body to feel for a pulse. He heaved a sigh of relief when he felt a strong pulse. He then noticed something in Ethan’s hand. He picked it up and examined it. “It’s a tranquillizer dart,” he said handing it to Tina. “Thank God that’s all it was.”
Tina stood up and walked away from Luis and Ethan, as she carefully decided to check the perimeter of the cottage. She had her gun drawn as she quietly crept around the house. Luis stood up as well and tried the front door. It was locked. “At least she locked the door,” he said under his breath. “Psst! Psst!” Tina was trying to get Luis’ attention from around the corner. He finally looked up and saw her motioning for him to follow her. Luis didn’t hesitate. He quickly turned the corner and saw what Tina was so excited about. The window had been jimmied open. Luis felt his stomach sink again. “I’m going in,” he said. He pulled his gun out of his shoulder holster which he’d put on earlier in the car. “Luis wait,” Tina urged. “Sam said he was sending backup.”
“Did you see Ethan laying there? If I wait, Sheridan will be next with a bullet in her head instead of a tranquillizer dart. If she doesn’t have one already,” he finished quietly. Luis didn’t wait for a reply from Tina. He had a look of determination on his face that refused to let anyone stop him. He quietly climbed through the window into the dark living room. It was almost pitch black in there and Luis had to let his eyes adjust to the light. As his eyes came into focus, he saw Pierre and Roger about to enter the kitchen. He quickly crouched down to avoid being seen. He watched as they entered the kitchen. As soon as they were in the kitchen, he quickly jumped up and followed them to the kitchen door. He stood on the opposite side of it and waited.
Suddenly Luis heard a loud clinking thud. He pushed open the kitchen door to see Sheridan holding a cast iron frying pan in her hands and Pierre lying on the floor unconscious. Roger had been momentarily startled, but now was face to face with Sheridan. He raised his gun to her head and said, “Say goodbye Mademoiselle Sheridan Crane. You will die now. He cocked his gun, and suddenly there was a loud shot...
To Be Continued...
