Chapter XXV

ane reached into his shoulder holster and pulled out the 45.  It had taken the shot, and the slide had a deep gouge in it destroyby the bullet that struck it.  Only a sliver of the slug from Scotts 357 had nicked his arm, but it was bleeding pretty badly.  He reached for his other 45, pulled it out, got to his feet and said let's go!" and headed into the house.

With a general idea of the house plan, they split up and began to clear each room, each taking one of the Policemen.  There were several rooms which showed they had been occupied.  All male, and firearms in each.  But they were all empty.  In one room was a phone system and the central location of the alarm and intercom system.  A light was flashing on the board under which was tagged, basement #2.

On the monitor he saw a title of the room called basement, and could see five men laid out side by side with blood everywhere.  Then he saw the door in the basement wall open and two men emerge.  Both were carrying firearms, and both were in a hurry.  Instantly they headed across the room and were coming up the stairs to the main level of the house.

Lane was horrified at what was about to happen.  Len was out there somewhere and he was in extreme danger as were the other two officers.

Len had finished clearing the last room on the south side and was heading in the direction of the basement door which was next to the door leading to the garage.  Trayborn and his partner were coming in the door from after having cleared it when the door to the basement busted open.

One officer was knocked down with his back toward the men.  A fierce volley of shots rang out and both officers died on the spot.

The siren of the Chief and a couple of cruisers as well as the ambulance and fire department were making an awful noise coming up the drive.  Len saw one of the men coming out of the door leading to the basement and yelled at him.  At the same time Len heard the voice of a woman's yell.  It sounded as if it came from the basement and it sounded like Melinda.

The man in sight of Len instantly lifted his gun but never pulled the trigger.  Len shot him through the head from the front and Lane's shot blew his face off, his shot coming from behind.  His Glock clambered to the threshold where it fell onto the landing floor.  At almost the same instant, shots came from the basement, and the other man was thrown out the door as two XD 45's opened up on him.  His only shot went harmlessly into the ceiling of the mansion, rupturing a water main and a natural gas line.

The water was dripping down at a rapid pace as Sharon and Melinda advanced up the steps.  She hollered "Len, it's us.  You OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine.  The old man is bleeding like a stuck pig though.  Do you have anything to stop the bleeding?" he responded.

"No, we're not in the ambulance business" she shot back.  The tires of a vehicle outside were making an awful noise as the Chief skidded to a stop.  Right behind her was the ambulance and two cruisers.  The fire truck was lumbering up the driveway in their clumsy way, diesel smoke pouring from the tail pipe.  Chief Williams busted into the room where they were all gathering, checking the bodies for signs of life.

She holstered her 45 and exclaimed "What a royal mess!"  She radioed the dispatcher, and said "Karen, contact Roger Theilgood and see if he can get us a handyman up here on the double" then turned back to Melinda and Sharon and said "How did you get over so quick?  And where did you disappear to?"

"We thought we knew where the tunnel was, and headed straight there.  You were busy with your men clearing the place, so we found the latch and went in.  We heard voices of men talking and they were running toward us.  Sharon yelled out 'freeze, FBI.'  Whoever was running toward us each emptied a magazine in our direction.  But there were enough turns in the tunnel to expend the energy in them; none ever reached us."

Melinda continued.  "We started firing back and could hear them running again, we hoped in the direction from which they came.  We were nearly to the door of the Kingpins basement when we heard the first volley of shots.  Sharon stuck her head around the corner and saw the guy in the hall upstairs being riddled.  She stepped into the basement with her 45 trained on the guy with his back to us.  He turned and saw us as he started back into the basement, raised his gun and we both cut loose on him.

"Are any of you hurt besides the old man?" the Chief asked.

"Hey, who are you calling old man" Lane asked.  He was the senior of the group.

"You wouldn't call him old man had you seen him in action a few minutes ago" Len said then added, "I sure wouldn't want to tangle with him!"

"What is downstairs Melinda?" Chief asked.

"Four men, all look like tough bodyguards.  All were shot execution style.  But Roger Strickland is down there too.  He had a garrote around his neck with a chrome hook and a chain attached . . . and a burned hole through his heart" she answered.

A female officer was checking the bodies as the Chief came down the stairs.  With gloves on her hands, she picked up what looked like a flash light, then picked up a note.  "What's that?" she asked.  The officer handed the note to the Chief.  A chill ran up the Chiefs' back, and she looked at the 'flashlight' the officer had given her.

Lane was getting some attention to his arm.  He was sitting there stripped to the waist while the gorgeous looking ambulance attendant fussed over him.  It was kind of a puzzling scene.  Seems she was familiar with his body, which was embarrassing him something fierce.  Len was smiling very big.  Lane looked up at him and pushed the attendant aside and said "That will be all Miss."

"But Lane, honey . . ."  Melinda, Sharon, Len and the Chief were laughing.  The attendant said "Lane, haven't you told them yet?"

Lane was trying to shush the woman but she wasn't taking no for an answer. "I am Lorraine Waters, and we're engaged" she announced.  The cheers went up and Len grabbed his hand and was pumping it furiously in a handshake.  Even Sharon was distracted for just a minute or so with a huge smile.  Then, it was back to business, and she said "Unless I miss my guess, laying there is Garrett and James Bannister.

"Yeah, that's what their ID says.  But look at this" the chief said.  Don't point it at anybody and don't press that button!"

"Unless I miss my guess, this is the laser described as the last weapon in the game Death Vengeance she said.  And, it was used on the Kingpin" she finished.

"Yeah . . . and the guy on the basement floor with the hole burned through his heart is the Kingpin" Reginald Lewis quipped in.  He had entered during all the congratulations without anyone noticing, and took everybody by surprise.  He then asked "how did the four body guards die?"

"Well, hello Reginald.  Fancy meeting you here!  What's up?" Chief Williams was asking.

"Well, there are several things" Reginald started.  Then he began again "And some we can help with.  We have some exceeding good news but it will have to wait.  We must have you all come to Strickland House at two o'clock this afternoon.  Many things will be unraveled for you there concerning this case, and all the related tentacles attached to it.  Can I have each of your promise to be there?" he finished.

"Well, it's going to take . . ." the Chief was interrupted by the outstretched palm of Reginald.  If you can come, be there.  If not, please spare me the excuses.  But, it would be nice if you'd all get some decent clothes on.  Miss Doris prefers people in their finery.  Refreshments will be served right after the introductions.  After the revelation, dinner will be served.  Good day."

Lane stood there wondering what was going on, and voiced what everybody else was pretty much saying.  "Well, I guess we have a dinner engagement to attend."

Sharon sat down and started sobbing again.  "I am not going without William and that's that!"  Melinda handed her a napkin from the box on the end table.  The huge leather chair sitting by the fireplace into which she had sunk was harder to get out of than into.

The rest of the group was looking puzzled as she helped Sharon up and headed off to locate a restroom.  "What is going on with her?  She always had a much stronger character than that" Len said.

"If you ask me, I'd say she's pregnant" Chief Williams said.  And on top of that, in case you have forgotten, William is still missing" she finished.

"I think William is being very well taken care of" Lane said softly looking after Reginald.  Then "something in my gut tells me we're going to learn a whole lot this afternoon."  At that he followed Reginald outside and caught him just before he stepped into the Rolls Royce."

"By the way Reginald, one of the four body guards died of garrote, the other three were shot.  I figure the first guard was killed with garrote and the others, seeing the commotion in the basement via the camera security system, came to check what was going on with his his gun in hand, but was shot by the other.  The Kingpin was killed by having a hole burned through his heart.  He saw it coming.  Also, the note was in his hand and crumpled up as if he'd read it."

Lane finished with "There's no doubt he had met the reaper."

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