Part 33 (1/2)
She ran into the living room and went toward the foyer. She would nail him on his way out the front door. But he wasn't in the foyer. And the front door was closed. She darted into the dining room and flipped on the light. Then she checked the kitchen. He must have gone downstairs, she thought. She hurried downstairs to find him.
But when she reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard the front door opening. He tricked me, she thought. That old man tricked me! She ran up the stairs, through the kitchen, the dining room, and the foyer, and out the front door.
She expected to see Hadley driving away in his car. Where was he? She strained to find him out in the darkness. There was plenty of moonlight-but her eyes had not adjusted from the brightness of the foyer chandelier.
Then she thought she saw movement. Yes, there he was-running toward the woods. She took aim and fired. He went down. She watched carefully-he was not moving.
She was about to walk out to him and make sure he was dead, when she heard Sylvia calling to her. She ran back into the house.
Hadley had underestimated Carnie's shooting skills. He had figured he'd be safe at that distance in the dark. Otherwise, he would have tried going for his shotgun in the trunk. But he thought it would take too long to get it out and load it. By then, she would have been close enough to hit him with her eyes closed.
He felt the blood oozing from his side. How long before he would fade to unconsciousness? Could he make it to the car? And even if he managed to get to the car, would Carnie be watching and waiting just inside-ready to finish him off?
Mallie Mae and Elmo were not just his employers. They were as much his family as his Horatio was. And Macy had become family too.
Now his family was apparently in grave danger. For all he knew, some or all of them were already dead. He prayed not. But if there was any way he could help them, he would.
But first he had to find out if he could stand up.
All eyes were on Carnie and the gun in her hand when she walked back into the hospital ward.
”Who'd you shoot?” said Sylvia.
”Hadley.”
”No,” said Mallie Mae, looking as though her husbandhad just been murdered.
Elmo hung his head.
”Why did you have to killhim?” said Macy.
”I thought he wasn't coming home until tomorrow afternoon,” said Sylvia.
”He wasn't supposedto,” said Carnie. She walked to where Sylvia was, across the room. Carsie was still standing with the prisoners, as though she wasn't sure whose side she was on.
Sylvia walked up to Macy and gave her an evil grin. ”So, where were we, Carnie? I believe you were about to start with this one. What'll it be first-a shot in the leg? Or chop off a finger? What do you think, Carnie?”
”What about the money?” said Carnie.
”You heard Mallie Mae. There isno money. But that's okay. We can still enjoy torturing her and her clan. Anyway, that wasmy number one goal.”
”That might have been yournumber one goal,” said Carnie, seething.
Sylvia spun around. ”What do you mean?”
”The most important thing to meis the money. I'm getting tired of running your scams. I want enough cash so I can get away from you-once and for all!”
Greg thought this was his best chance-while Sylvia's back was to him and the two women were arguing. He quietly flipped the latch and released the bedrail his handcuffs were attached to.
”But, Honey, we're a team. And you don't break up a great team,” said Sylvia.
”I don't want to be on your team anymore,” screamed Carnie.
Greg eased the bedrail up and out of its slots, rushed up behind Sylvia and wrapped his right arm around her throat. The he slammed the bedrail across the front of her body, knocking the pistol out of her hand.
Macy jumped forward to reach for the gun, but Sylvia kicked it across the room.
”Looks like we have a change in plans. Thisone wants to go first. Let go of me right now!” said Sylvia. ”Or Carnie will start shooting people!”
But Greg tightened his grip around her neck. It looked like they were all going to die anyway. He had to try something.
Carnie seemed ambivalent.
”Kill them, Carnie! Start with Macy or Elmo.”
Carnie stood frozen.
”Do it, Carnie! Now!”
”Only if you go along with what Iwant,” said Carnie coldly.
”Are you crazy? Shoot somebody!”
”No! I'm tired of following your orders. The woman in that bed right there is Marcia Cleggmore. Her family is very wealthy. We can get a huge ransom for her.”
”I don't care about the money, Carnie. It's all about making Mallie Mae suffer-for what she did to me.”
”That was 50 years ago, Old Woman! Why can't you just get over it?” said Carnie.
”I'm not going to bargain with you-just do what I say!”
”No! I'm sick of it! You made me murder all those innocent people. And you made me kill Jake. I really liked him.”
”Quit being a baby, Carnie.”
”Andyou abused me.”
”No, I didn't.”
”You started having s.e.x with me when I was just a little girl.”
”You wanted it too. You knowyou did.”
”I didn't know whatI wanted. I was just a kid! You're the one who turned me into a monster.” Carnie pointed the gun at Sylvia and walked toward her, getting angrier with each step.