Chapter XIX

hat one is for Gilroy Hastings.  William hit him again.  That one is for Police Chief Amanda Williams.

William was naming off the licks as he hit the dirty culprit who'd caused so much grief and harm in the world.  Danny was unable to defend himself yet he didn't cry out for William to stop, nor that he surrendered, nor that he'd had enough.  He didn't 'tap out' which meant he was still in the fight.  And, he continued to struggle in an attempt to get far enough way to bring the big Colt to bear.

The goggles had been knocked off his head with the first blow, besides, they were of no value as the first rays of sunlight had thrust through the window in the upper office.  All he could see was this big guy built like a steam ship which kept battering him.  He did not know the guy, but he was certain the guy knew him.  But why was the guy beating the holy crap of him like this?

One last blow and Danny laid back on the steps, dazed and in more pain than he'd ever experienced in his life.  He didn't move and figured if he was going to get out of this situation he was going to have to play dead.  William left off the attack as soon as Danny quit struggling.  He was positive of who had been hammering.  He could feel it, his sixth sense warning him to finish Danny off.

But goodness and integrity with which he was made stopped him from killing Danny.  Even though he knew Danny was a snake and would strike him if he had the chance and kill him dead.

What distracted him was the cry of a baby.  Completely drawing his attention way from Danny, there was something about that voice, the cry, it seemed familiar to him.  But that was impossible.  His baby had been completely consumed by the blast . . .  There it was again.  Was he going out of his mind with grief?  With the anger he'd just let go on Danny?  Why had he accosted him with his fist instead of holding him at gunpoint?

Why did he feel it was necessary to touch this person, to render him unconscious, the feeling, the urgency, the need to kill him with his bare hands?

It was still very dark in the corner where the sound of the baby emanated.  Not knowing what awaited him when he stuck his head above the level of the floor to which he was ascending, he cautiously waited, sensing danger, sensing the unknown.  A slight sound from behind him caused him chance a quick look at Danny who was now stirring.

Like a cat, he descended the few steps back to Danny and slugged him again, this time with the idea of killing him.  Danny went down and laid still again.  William cuffed him, very hard, left arm to right ankle, right arm to left ankle.  He did not want him to be a threat any longer.  If he raised up again, he'd put a bullet right between his eyes.

But, he thought.  I can't do that unless he is wide awake, and conscious; fully knowing what was happening, expecting the gun to blossom and end this crummy life he'd lived.  Nope, when he kills Danny, Danny will be wide awake.

He wondered how long before the police would get here and swarm the whole place.  He was unaware of the other corpses.  All he knew about was Danny and somewhere, a baby.  But no sirens sounded.  No sound in the building with the exception of the whimpering's of the baby who was probably tired out and falling back to sleep.

Watching Danny for a few more seconds, he frisked him and pulled from his pockets two of the little .380s, and placed them upon a shelf out of his reach with him trussed up as he was.  He then laid the big 44 beside them.  Again he began ascending the stairs, and by this time the whimpering's had ceased.  It was quiet as a slab in a mortuary.  Nothing stirred, nothing reached him except the smell of an outhouse.

Obviously the toilet was being used without a means of flushing it.  The baby was still a mystery.  What in the world would Danny, of all people be doing with a baby?  In this secluded warehouse?  William could not make heads nor tails of the situation.

The shafts of light were getting bolder as the sun continued it's forward march across the heavens.  He could faintly make out a form laying over next to the wall to his left, but it was covered.  Looked kind of small, like the form of a woman.  "Well that kind of explains some of the mystery" he thought to himself.

Just about that time, a much smaller form stirred, then a whimper across his ear fell.  It cried "mama."  Tears of joy, relief, anger, and a thousand other emotions flooded forth from William.  He moved forward a little more and looked upon the face of his very own little baby boy, William Travis Jr.

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