CHAPTER 36

It was almost mid-afternoon as Lucille stood by the windows looking out over the hilly land lost in thought. Her mother sat busy reading a book by the fire. Lucille was visiting with her parents down the lane a ways until she and Benton could compromise, when all the sudden she heard gunshots off in the distance.

"Did you hear that?" Lucille asked her mother a bit concerned.

"It must be the other neighbors shooting at birds" her mother answered listening.

"No, I don't think so… I suddenly have a bad feeling mum" Lucille said grabbing her stomach.

"The neighbors are always doing some kind of sport, but not to worry you know, they are quite a ways down the lane" Lucille's mother tried to put her daughter at ease.

A couple more shots went off. "No! That sounded louder this time. How close to do they shoot their guns to the house?" Lucille asked more than a bit concerned.

Lucille walked over to the window towards the neighbor's property but saw no one off in the distance. "I see no one outside down towards the neighbor's property mum and the children are outside!"

"Well let me phone them and find out if it really is them because that definitely sounded louder that time" her mother walked to the parlor to use the phone.

It was a few moments Lucille's worst fears seem to come to fruition. She heard Matthew and Heidi screaming hysterically as if someone was hurting them.

"Matthew! Heidi!" Lucille didn't hesitate running outside the front door dashing toward right side of the house.

"Mum! Mum! Aiiieee!" Lucille could hear her children screaming for her.

"Matthew! Heidi! Where are you?" she ran screaming trying to remain calm knowing that panicking was not going to allow her to help her children if they were indeed in some kind of trouble.

Lucille ran around the bend of the right side of her family's estate and saw the kids screaming at a man who had been seriously wounded with three gunshot wounds.

"Eric!" Lucille screamed instantly recognizing him running to assist him.

Eric was limping badly as Lucille ran to hold him up.

"Kids! Go tell your grandmother to phone the police and the ambulance!" she yelled.

The children ran quickly back to the front door while Lucille took off her scarf wrapping Eric's leg in an attempt to slow the bleeding. He had a wound on the shoulder as well and a grazed wound on his side.

"You've got to hold that wound for your shoulder!" Lucille instructed him as she could feel how weak and pale he looked.

"Lucille… I think they took Benton…" Eric wheezed.

"Who?!" she grunted trying to shoulder his weight as her clothes were getting soiled by his blood.

"I don't know…two men dressed in police uniforms…ugh!" he gasped.

"Keep talking to me… you're going to make it!" Lucille continued to try to keep him from slipping into unconsciousness.

Lucille's mother came rushing outside to help Lucille bring Eric in the house to tend to his wounds the best they could until the ambulance could arrive.

"Who shot you?" Lucille asked.

"Two other men…grey haired one of them…they sounded…Russian…" Eric spoke with a labored breath.

Lucille's mother's face had a grave expression. The kids were crying.

"Mommy is he going to be ok?" Heidi cried.

"He's not going to die is he mommy?" Matthew was crying too.

"Mum, take the kids and watch for the ambulance" Lucille asked her to keep the kids from seeing anymore.

"Come on Eric! Stay with me!" Lucille was trying to hold back her tears now frightened for her husband's safety. Eric was slipping away.

"You've got to be strong for me Eric!" Lucille said holding his head knelt on the floor next to him.

"Lucille… if I die…please tell my wife and kids… I love them…" Eric began coughing up blood.

"No! You're going to tell them yourself! You hear me!" the situation was beginning to overwhelm Lucille emotionally.

That moment a few medics arrived as Lucille's mother led them in the house.

"He's here!" Lucille's mother pointed as two young men brought a stretcher in with a case of medical equipment tending to Eric to prevent him from losing any more blood. Then they moved him onto a stretcher and took him away.

"Mum!" both Matthew and Heidi ran to cling to their mother.

"We need to ask you a few questions Ms." An officer walked in with a notepad.

"I need to know what happened" the officer asked in a serious tone.

"I heard gunshots and then a few minutes later I heard my children screaming outside" Lucille answered keeping her composure for her kids and mother.

"Did your children see anything?" he said as another officer was talking to Lucille's mother as she seemed to know him.

Matthew and Heidi looked more than a bit traumatized.

"Matthew? Heidi? You've got to tell the officer what you saw…" she said getting on her knees looking at both of them.

Heidi and Matthew were still crying some but nodded in response.

"Did you see who shot Eric?" she asked quietly.

Both Heidi and Matthew only nodded no in response as the officer observed taking notes on his notepad.

"When did you see the victim?" the officer asked.

"It was barely thirty seconds when I was out with my children when I heard them screaming about forty minutes ago" Lucille explained.

"So you know the victim?" the officer continued.

"Yes, he's my husband's co-worker" Lucille answered.

"Where's your husband?" the officer asked with a hint of suspicion.

"He told me that two officers took him" Lucille said anxiously hoping the officer would have some explanation.

"Is that so? What's your husband's name?" he narrowed his eyes.

"Benton Hadley" Lucille said almost inaudibly.

"Eh! Biggs, did we have any order to take in a Benton Hadley from the revised list this morning?" the officer shouted.

"Um…no I don't remember seeing that name," the other officer shouted back in the other room with Lucille's mother.

"So…that's what happened to the other two…" the officer nodded as if he suddenly made a connection.

"What do you mean the other two?" Lucille almost demanded.

"Two of our officers went out on a call and were ambushed by four men. They took their uniforms and were both wounded but will survive" the officer shook his head.

"…but why would they come after my husband?" Lucille asked rhetorically.

"I'm sorry mam, that I don't know the answer to that" the officer shrugged.

Shortly afterwards the officers had obtained all the information they thought they were going to get.

"If any of you can think of anything else or if you need anything don't hesitate to call" both of the officers bid them farewell.

Lucille and her mother cleaned the bloodied floor and changed out of their bloodied clothes. Heidi clutched her doll as Matthew sat quietly staring at the fireplace in the parlor.

"What a mess" Lucille thought as she began to realize the aftermath of the incident.

Her mother made tea for them and hot cocoa for the kids.

"Heidi, Matthew, here's some cocoa for being so brave" Lucille's mother said setting the tray down on a coffee table in the parlor for them. Matthew and Heidi sat at the table quietly sipping the cocoa but still both of them disturbed.

"What's Benton gotten his self into now?" Lucille's mother asked.

"I don't think this has to do with anything he did mum" Lucille said deep in thought while sipping her tea. Lucille appeared distraught deep in thought trying to think of anything that would have triggered such a tragic event. Lucille knew her husband had done some questionable things in the past but nothing that warranted murder or abduction.

"We can only sit and wait dear, there's not much we can do but hope Eric and Benton will be ok" Lucille's mother nodded.

The more Lucille thought about what happened, the more sick she felt at her stomach she as they just sat around, but what could she do? Lucille began to become more irritated just sitting around doing nothing until she stood up and grabbed her purple trench coat and her purple head scarf.

"Dear where are you going?" Lucille's mother asked with concern.

"I'm sorry mum, I need to ask you a favor" Lucille shook her head as she ran upstairs to her fathers study.

"What are you doing Lucille?" her mother asked following her into the main foyer.

Lucille came back down five minutes later with something in one of her coat pockets.

"What did you get?" her mother asked now really concerned.

"I'm sorry mum, I can't just sit here. I got to go check on the house and I need to do my own investigating or I'm going to be sick" Lucille explained quickly grabbing the keys to the car.

"Lucille! You can't just go out alone like that! It's dangerous!" her mother gasped.

"Mum! My husband is somewhere out there, alive hopefully, and I can't wait knowing that Benton is somewhere out there suffering without doing anything" she nodded.

"You're a lady Lucille! You can't just go gallivanting out there!" her mother disagreed with her thinking.

Lucille reached in her pocket showing her father's revolver.

"Lucille!" her mother said shocked by her daughter's sudden determination.

"Mum, please watch my kids" she pleaded.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Matthew and Heidi ran to her.

"I promise I will be back, but you have to be good for your grandmother, mommy is going to find daddy ok?" she knelt down hugging them both.

"Please be careful mum" Heidi begged.

"Can we come with you? We'll protect you from the bad men" Matthew said bravely.

Lucille smiled at the sudden bravery her son displayed like his father. "Sorry Matthew but you need to protect your sister and your grandmother" she winked at her mom.

"Ok mum please come back soon" Heidi almost started to cry again.

"Lucille! I hope you know what you're doing…" Lucille's mother nodded in disapproval.

"I hope so too… now let me leave before dad arrives" Lucille said hugging her mother and dashing to the car and speeding up the driveway toward the house.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The house looked empty when Lucille pulled into the driveway. She quickly got out of the car to check the house for anything that would give her a clue as to where Benton may have been taken to. When she went to unlock the front door she found it was ajar. Lucille instantly became suspicious, had Benton escaped and returned?

"Benton?" Lucille entered slowly turning on the lights in each room. The main living den had paw prints with dirt on the floor.

"We don't have a dog" Lucille thought instantly as she slowly withdrew her father's revolver.

"Benton? Are you home?" she spoke again but this time she got a response in a low growling.

Lucille's hands began to tremble, as it was coming from the back of the house. She didn't see anything unusual in the kitchen except more of the dirty paw prints. Lucille was going to search for any clues of finding Benton but the noise suddenly kept her from completing that task. She slowly walked towards the bathroom turning on the light. The bathroom had dirty paw prints on the floor as the towels and soap were strewn about.

Lucille checked the chambers to make sure the gun was loaded before she left the bathroom. The gun only had five bullets.

"I'd better make these shots count" Lucille thought grimly.

She walked slowly down the hall as there were only two more doors, she and Benton's room and the kids' room. Her heart began to beat faster. Her senses became so acute she could hear shuffling coming from one of the rooms as well as if someone had broken in and was pilfering through their belongings. She crept to her children's room and slowly turned the door knob and peeked in the room.

The room had toys thrown all over the floor and more dirt tracked in on their shaggy carpet near the bed. She knew the kids didn't do this. The afternoon sun was beginning to wane as she continued towards the last door in the hall. Her hair began to stand on the back of her neck, and her gut feeling was screaming for her to turn around and run, but her desire to find her husband kept her going.

She quietly reached for the door knob as her heart raced and she could feel her blood surging through her. The growling began get louder as she slowly turned the door knob. Lucille thought better of opening the door but against all her rational thinking she flung it open and stood face to face with the intruders.

The light was already on in the room and a dark robed man with a plague bird mask stood in front of her as her clothes and Benton's clothes were thrown all over the floor from the closet and the drawers were pulled open. He had a stone with green markings in his hand as he was climbing out the back window while a huge Doberman Pincer with eyes that looked pale was guarding him as he was climbing out. He turned to her and said only two words.

"Kill her" he whispered.

Lucille screamed as loud as she ever had. She instantly turned around and closed the door behind her as the huge dog began barking with a voice that didn't even sound like a dog's. Lucille had never been so frightened, but she realized she had to be brave if she was going to survive and find her husband. She could hear the beast jumping on the bedroom door until it was flung open. Lucille was running for the front door as she could hear paws with nails hitting the floor in rhythm coming for her. She opened the door and squeezed through just as the beast was about to nip her heels shutting the door.

Lucille's heart felt as if it was going to burst through her chest. She was gasping for air as the beast was jumping on the door trying to force it open. The door was reinforced enough to keep the beast inside. Lucille took a moment to catch her breath as suddenly the beast quit trying to open the door. Lucille took out her car keys and determinedly bolted for the car door with her father's revolver in one hand and the car key in the other.

Just as she was about to open the car door to get in the rabid looking Doberman came zipping around the corner of the house towards her at an incredible speed. Lucille turned around surprised at the agility and speed of this beastly looking dog. Something about it just didn't seem normal. Lucille didn't have time to think so she reacted by turning to face it holding the revolver out in front of her pulling the trigger just moments as it lunged in the air at her throat. The revolver had a kick to it with a slight push back towards the car and made a deafening sound as she fired hitting the dog while it was airborne.

The Doberman landed on her still growling causing her to buckle against the car under its weight. Lucille knew she couldn't call for help, who would help her? She knew that even a damsel in distress sometimes has to save herself. Somehow the dog was still alive it seemed as its body seemed to vibrate with muscle spasms while it continued to growl and drool. Lucille pushed with all of her might as the Doberman was still trying to bite her. She managed to move away without allowing the beast to latch on to her.

Lucille put the car keys in her jacket pocket and held the revolver with both hands keeping it trained on the Doberman as it seemed to vibrate quicker as it open its mouth and two long tentacles emerged from its back. The Doberman stood up on all fours as its tongue seemed to grow in length. The Doberman turned to her growling with a renewed sense of rage. The tentacles were almost eight feet long!

"Oh my what in…!" Lucille's shocked and terrified expression emerged.

Lucille didn't hesitate, she fired again at the beast hitting it again knocking it back a foot. It recoiled back on its legs and sprang quickly and with greater agility at her before she could fire a third round. One of the tentacles smacked her hard on her shoulder as it it spun around knocking her back a couple of feet to the ground.

"Arrgghhh!" she cried out in pain, but she still held the gun out in front of her. The Doberman's tongue wagged as the other tentacle came flying at her. She fired hitting the tentacle just before it could reach her causing it to retreat the opposite way. The Doberman's legs buckled and it fell to the ground. The two tentacles were wiggling with muscle spasms.

"I can't allow this thing to harm any family or friends! I must finish it off!" Lucille thought as she courageously stood up as the Doberman was still trying to scoot towards her. She quickly jumped up with her backside still hurting and pointed the gun at the Doberman's head. It growled and didn't even look like a dog anymore.

"I won't let you hurt my family!" she yelled out turning her head firing the last round finishing the monstrosity off. It finally stopped moving.

Lucille took several steps back breathing heavily dropping the gun while grabbing her chest trying to catch her breath. It was just too much to take in considering that abnormality of everything that had just happened. She had blood on her clothes, but fortunately it wasn't hers. After a couple moments passed she instinctively took flight fearing another assailant would come to finish her off since now she was defenseless. She quickly grabbed her now empty gun and opened the car door. She got into and peeled out of the driveway trying to keep her attention focused on the road as she was trying to decide where she was going.

The dark robed man watched in disappointment and looked at his pet. The other Doberman whined in a melancholy way as it and its master watched Lucille quickly drive away. The other Doberman drug its dead companion into the fields.

"Impressive for a woman" The dark robed man muttered to himself.