Two Against Two
Chapter 23
December 24, 1990-9:55 P.M. CST
(Harry's PoV:)
I watch the girl go limp in Marv's arms, and he drops her to the floor. I place my thumb under the unconscious girl's neck to see if she still has a pulse, or not. "Is she still alive, Harry?"
"She's alive, but for how long, depends on how much time it takes to find the kid and clean out the house,"
"So, where do you think the kid went?"
"The kid's hiding in the attic, scared. It shouldn't be too hard to find him,"
"So, are we going to question him the same way we questioned the girl?"
"Yes," I nod. "Well, time's a wasting. Let's get the little brat." Marv and I climb the stairs up into the attic, unknowingly dropping the bottle onto the floor…
(Kevin's PoV:)
I quickly run straight for the window sill to zipline down toward the backyard, using the makeshift handlebars that Christine helped me rig up as a grip. "I wonder what's taking Christine so long? I hope the burglars didn't get her," I worry.
I gasp, when I hear the little burglar yell, "Where are you, you little creep?!"
They stomp their way up the attic stairs. I can't wait any longer for her, as the burglars are getting close. I hope she's okay. I scream, as I dive out the window and zip down the rope into a large pile of snow.
I shake off the snow and quickly grab Dad's hedge clippers that Christine laid beside the snow pile. I soon see the burglars approach the window…
(Harry's PoV:)
"Did I just see the kid jump out the window, or are my eyes playing tricks, Marv?"
"Your eyes are not playing tricks, Harry, because I, too, saw the kid jump out the window," he replies, as we both peek out the window to see if we can find the kid's splattered remains anywhere…
(Kevin's PoV:)
I have to be brave for Christine. I see the crooks stick their head out the window, looking for me. "Hey, you big horse's ass! I'm down here! Come and get me, if you dare!" I yell at them…
(Harry's PoV:)
"There's the little brat, Marv, standing in front of the snow pile. He must've used this rope to get down from the window," I stick my head out the window. "You'd better watch your potty mouth, or I'll harm you the same way I harmed your friend…"
(Kevin's PoV:)
"What did you horse's asses do to my sister?!" I scream, choking back a sob, fearing the worst.
"You don't want to know what we did, because the truth would make the itty bitty baby cry for his Mommy!" the midget robber taunts.
"I want to know what you did to my sister, you gutless yellow turd!" I scream louder, angry these punks called me a baby.
"You call me yellow again, and you'll be spitting teeth out both your ears! As for your sister, she's dead! Two bullets in the stomach, was all that was needed to end your sister's life! That's the fate that awaits you, once we get ahold of you, you snot-nosed brat!" Of course, I'm unaware they're lying to mentally screw with me.
"No! You're lying about killing my sister! You have to be lying!" I sob…
(Harry's PoV:)
"Your suffering warms my black heart on this Christmas Eve. Come on, Marv, let's get this wise-ass kid," We both climb out the window and slowly zip down the rope.
"You sure this is safe, Harry? It's awfully high up,"
"Don't be a baby, Marv,"
"Whoa. I'm getting dizzy, Harry,"
"Stop shaking the rope, you idiot. If you make the both of us fall, Marv, I'm going to beat in your head with my crowbar…"
(Kevin's PoV:)
"I can't believe she's gone. Mom is going to be so heartbroken," I cry, as I watch both of the burglars slowly zip down the rope. "They must suffer. The death of my oldest sister will be avenged," I grab the hedge clippers and prepare to sever the rope from the ground. "Hey, you horse's ass! Check this out…"
(Harry's PoV:)
What the hell is the kid up to now? My eyes widen, when I see the little bugger is about to cut the rope with hedge trimmers. "Go back! Go back!" I frantically yell at Marv.
"Why, Harry?"
"The little psychopath is about to snap this rope with shears! So, move it, you idiot!"
"Have a nice flight, you guys!" the little shit taunts, as I hear him cut the rope.
"You're getting a rump full of pipe wrench, when I get ahold of you!" I scream, as our bodies go smashing into the side of the house…
(Kevin's PoV:)
"That's what you get for killing my sister!" I scream at their motionless bodies, sobbing. "You'd better catch me, before I call the cops!" I quickly hightail it for the Murphys' house for the final phase of the plan, once I see their bodies stir…
(Harry's PoV:)
"Get up, Marv. We've got to catch the brat, before he can call the cops," We both get up and start chasing after the kid, not caring about being seen.
"I'm right behind you, Harry," Marv wheezes. "The little imp is going down house 656's cellar. We'd better follow him."
"That's what he wants us to do. I've got a better idea. Follow me," Marv and I head for the backdoor and enter the kitchen, guns drawn. The floor is all wet and soggy. "Again, Marv, was it necessary for you to leave the water running?"
"I thought it would be funny that victims found their houses flooded after being robbed,"
"You're a sick-minded manchild, you know that?" I tell him, as we wait by the basement door for the kid to show…
(Kevin's PoV:)
I climb down the Murphys' cellar. I wonder what's caused their basement to be flooded. I wade my way through the deep water, soaking my shoes and socks, and climb up the stairs to implement the final phase of Operation Ho Ho Ho.
I gasp as the door is suddenly jerked open, and standing at the top, are my sister's killers. I try to flee back down the stairs in fear for my life, but I don't get very far, because I'm yanked from behind by my shirt collar. I soon find myself hung up on the door, and two guns are placed under my chin.
"I'll be seeing you soon, Christine," I silently cry, feeling scared.
The little man starts ranting and raving, "Seems like your luck has finally run out, little fella. You're at our mercy, defenseless, and alone. You make one sound, and you will be spitting out bullets through your nose. You and your dead sister have been nothing but a thorn in our sides for the past three days. I have already paid back your sister for her part. Now, it's your turn, you little creep," The little man smacks me hard across the face, causing me to cry and my face to throb in pain.
"This is for scaring the crap out of me and my partner with the car alarm," He smacks me again. "This is for causing me and my partner to almost have an accident in our van."
"Stop! Please!" I shout, crying.
The little man grabs me by the hair and yells right up in my face, "I told you, I was going to kill you, if you made a sound!" The little man smacks me again. "See the damage you and your sister's death traps did to me and my partner? I think it's only right we do the same to you, before we kill you. What should we do to the little punk, Marv?"
"Maybe smash his hands or face in with a barbell or shove a nail in his little feet!" the big goof yells at me—his spit hitting my face.
"Then, burn his hands and face with a blowtorch, smash the face some more with a paint can, and then put a few bullets in his gut to finish the job! But, right now, I'm going to bite every one of his little fingers, starting with this pinky finger," I close my eyes tightly and scream No, waiting for the pain to come…Someone help me please.
(Mr. Marley's PoV:)
When I return home from Church, I know something is seriously wrong, when I see Kevin being chased by those two burglars to the Murphys' house, without Christine. So, I quickly go to my shed and grab my snow shovel. I just hope I'm not too late. I make my way to the Murphys' house as fast as I can.
I slowly creep in the back way, snow shovel in-hand. A feeling of anger bubbles inside me, when I see Kevin hanging on the door, crying. The tall burglar has two guns pointed at him, and the little burglar is about to do something to hurt Kevin. I have to act fast, without alerting one of the burglars I'm here. I swing back my shovel and bonk the tall burglar in the head.
He falls to the ground, knocked out. He drops the two guns on the floor, causing them to fire, and both bullets hit the short burglar in the leg. The little burglar drops to his knees in pain. I put him flat on his back and knock him out with a second swing from my shovel to his head.
"I'd better get you home, Kevin," I lift the crying boy off the hook and carry him out of the Murphys' home. The poor boy is shaking like a leaf. What did these evil men do to this child? "Calm down, Kevin. You're safe now. I'm taking you home."
"Go to the backdoor, Mr. Marley. The front door is booby trapped," Kevin sobs, as I carry him across the street to his house. I wonder what he means about the front door being booby trapped.
I take Kevin to the backdoor, push it open, and enter the kitchen. "Christine's dead… The evil men shot her. They smacked me repeatedly, and almost me… I want my parents," Kevin sobs more. My heart almost gives out upon hearing Kevin say the burglars killed Christine.
"Where did you last see Christine, Kevin?"
"Upstairs hallway, close to the attic. And watch out for the tripwire," he sobs.
"I'm going to put you down, so you can show me, okay?" Kevin just nods and motions me to follow him up the rear stairwell.
"The front stairwell is rigged with traps to hurt the burglars," Kevin tells me, as I follow him upstairs and make a right at the hallway. Kevin quickly runs up to his sister's lifeless body and starts sobbing. "Christine, why did you have to die? I'm going to miss you…"
"Kevin, move please. I might be able to help your sister," I untie the tripwire, approach Christine's motionless body, and place my thumb on her neck for a pulse.
"Thank you, God," I feel a heartbeat. "Kevin, I've got some good news: Christine is not dead; she's just unconscious. You have any smelling salts? You know what that is, right? Get a cold washcloth, too,"
Kevin nods and quickly runs to one of the rooms to get the things I asked for.
"Christine, why didn't you listen to me and hide in a safe place, like I told you to?" I gently touch her forehead to see if she has a fever. Kevin soon comes back with the smelling salts and cloth, and hands them to me.
I quickly kneel beside his sister. I place the washcloth over her forehead, before I quickly rub the smelling salts under Christine's nose. I breathe a sigh of relief, once her body begins stirring. "Christine, say something, if you can hear me."
"Why's my head hurting so bad?" Christine moans, as her eyes open slowly, to the joy of her brother, Kevin.
"You're alive, Christine! I was so worried about you." Kevin squeals.
"Not so loud please. It hurts,"
"What's the last thing you remember, Christine, before you blacked out?" I ask her.
"The last thing I remember, is the burglars threatening to kill me, hitting me, and asking me questions about where Kevin was. Then, they covered my mouth and nose with a rag that caused my surroundings to go blurry, and black out. Is Kevin okay? The burglars didn't get him, did they?" Christine starts sobbing.
"I'm right here, Christine, and I'm fine. The burglars are about to be apprehended any moment at the Murphys' house," Kevin explains to her, hiding the fact the burglars did catch him.
"Christine, I think Kevin and I should help you get back on your feet,"
"Okay," Christine replies, as Kevin and I take hold of an arm, and help her to her feet.
"How do you feel, since you're on both feet? Do you think you can walk, without any help?" I ask concerned about Christine's well being.
"A little dizzy, but I think I can manage, Mr. Marley,"
"Look what I found near the attic door! The burglars must've dropped it!" Kevin yells, holding up a small brown bottle, while Christine holds her ears.
"Let me see that bottle, Kevin," I ask, as Kevin hands me the bottle, and I investigate the contents.
"So, what did the burglars knock me out with, Mr. Marley?" Christine asks, while gazing deeply at Kevin's face. She must be wondering why his face is all red.
"It's chloroform, judging by the smell. It's very strong, too," I reply, turning my nose.
"Why is Kevin's face all red?" Christine abruptly asks, while Kevin tenses up.
"Kevin, I think you should tell her the truth," I tell him.
"What truth?" Christine interjects. "What's Mr. Marley talking about, Kevin?" She gazes hard at Kevin. Kevin quickly runs up to his sister and sobs into her stomach about how the burglars told him she was dead, sending the burglars crashing into the house after cutting the rope, and fleeing to the Murphys' house, only to be caught.
He then goes on to explain the guns pointed at him, being smacked repeatedly, and the threats of torture, before I saved him. Christine is sobbing and apologizing after Kevin finishes his story.
"I think I can handle it from here, Mr. Marley. Thanks for rescuing my brother and coming to help me. I appreciate it,"
"Do want me to take you and Kevin to the hospital to get checked over, to be safe?"
"I think Kevin and I will be okay, but thanks. Besides, I would have to tell them how Kevin and myself got hurt, and I don't want to do that. It would mean going to court and encountering those burglars again," Christine shudders.
"Let me know if you change your mind or if you and Kevin need someone to talk to, okay? I'm just worried about you, because you're like a granddaughter to me,"
"I will. Let me escort you out, since the house is booby trapped,"
Christine tells me an interesting story about punishing the burglars with painful traps, involving household objects, as she escorts me out, with Kevin following behind. After Mr. Marley leaves, I take Kevin to the bathroom to look at and treat his face from where the burglars hit him…
December 24, 1990-10:15 P.M. CST
(Christine's PoV:)
I'm in the middle of disabling the traps and cleaning up the house, when Kevin yells from the living room, "Christine, come here! The police are out front at the Murphys'!"
"I'm coming, Kev!"
I pick up the last of the marbles and head for the living room. I join Kevin at the window he's looking out of. I'm in awe, seeing all the red lights flashing, and five cop cars in front of the Murphys'. I watch a group of police officers storm the house.
"What do you think is going to happen, Christine?" Kevin asks.
"I don't know, to be honest, Kevin," I reply.
Kevin and I both tense up in fear, when the cops drag the burglars to the police car. They can't see us, thank Heavens. The little man looks like he's limping. Kevin notices it, too, and mentions the little man was shot in the leg twice after Mr. Marley whacked the big goof in the head with a snow shovel.
I can't help but snicker at that. The burglars try to put up a fight with the cops, when they're shoved into the back of the car. Kevin and I both start sobbing, as soon as the car drives away.
"It's finally over. The nightmare is finally over, and we survived," I cry. "Kevin, I want to apologize again for putting your life in danger, and for failing in protecting you from being harmed, little brother," I apologize, as I embrace him tightly.
"You don't have to apologize, Christine. I'm just happy you're alive, especially when the burglars told me they killed you," Kevin cries. I just cry harder, as I finally realize what Kevin meant, when he squealed that I'm alive. "Are we going to tell Mom and Dad about what happened tonight?"
"Someday, in the very far future. Mom and Dad have worried enough about you being home alone, and they don't need any more worries. I can take you to see my therapist with me, if you need professional help in coming to terms with what happened tonight," I explain to him, as I look at the grandfather clock. "I think it's about time for a certain blond-haired someone to go to bed, if they want Santa to visit the house."
"Goodnight, Christine. I love you so much," Kevin hugs me and kisses me on the cheek.
"I love you, too, little guy. I'll be up there in a minute to tuck you in," I tell him, smiling, as Kevin rushes upstairs.
With Kevin out of the way, I take the time to place the presents Kevin and I purchased under the tree, and to leave a plate of half-eaten cookies and a half a cup of milk.
I say a quick silent prayer, thanking God for letting us live, and to help Kevin and I cope with the trauma from what happened tonight. I then head upstairs to tuck in Kevin.
Kevin is dressed in Christmas-themed pajamas, when I arrive in Mom and Dad's room. "Let me get ready for bed, and I'll tell you a Christmas story, okay?" Kevin just nods, as I head to the bathroom to change into a green tank top and red shorts.
"Ready for that Christmas story?" I ask Kevin, as I come out of the bathroom and climb into bed beside him. Kevin nods and lays up against me, as I tell him the story, The Night Before Christmas.
Kevin soon falls asleep, and I begin softly crying again about what happened tonight, before falling asleep. I see a couple snowflakes hit the window, before my eyes droop closed. "I hope Mom and Dad come home tomorrow…"
END
