54 Bigsby Has Free Will But Bad Judgement
The Hesburghs and their two lap dogs went into the kid's house. He waited and there was no movement. He got out and walked a few cars down. The rest of his team were inside. Kevin opened the rear door and got in. Scott was sitting next to him. Steve and Bigsby were in the front.
He said, "Anything unusual?"
Steve said, "No Boss. Usual pattern."
Scott followed up. "The couple and the kid haven't moved. The kid's teacher is in there, too."
He looked over at his cousin. Bigsby took that as a cue to contribute his opinion and said, "That cop and the older Lass sister are there. They stopped to pick up a huge order of Chinese food. They each carried two big bags."
He said, "They really are getting sloppy. I followed Hesburghs all day. They only have the two, Jane and Tom, with them. So who's all in there?"
Scott, his second, spoke up, "Well, Boss. Both the Lass sisters and their mother are in there with that detective. The kid and his stepparents, the kid's homeschool teacher, and now we've got the Hesburghs and their two, and as they've done a dozen times they'll stay in there together until late tonight. And tomorrow they'll start the same patterns with slight variations all over again."
Bigsby rolled his eyes and said, "Kevin, what are we waiting for? You said yourself they're getting sloppy."
He ignored his cousin's foolish implied suggestion. "Yes, they are. Good. When Bob gets here next week he'll look over the information we've gathered and decide how to finish this off. I for one am glad this phase is nearing its end."
Bigsby wouldn't let go. "Well. Why don't we just finish the whole thing now?"
He always suspected his cousin was an idiot and these last few weeks absolutely confirmed it. What this job in general required was a lot of practical common sense and a calm controlled temperament under intense stress like when someone shot back. When Bob got here he would have a frank, private talk about the Monkey's future. He did not want him on another of his teams again, ever. But for now he just needed to keep him on a leash for another week and Bob could deal with him, and the kid's mother. He said, "Bigsby, didn't Scott say that the younger Lass sister was in there?"
Bigsby furrowed up. "Yeah, so?"
"And don't we have explicit orders to stay far away from her - no exceptions?"
"Yeah?"
"So aside from the obvious fact that our mission is to observe only. We were told that girl is not to be followed or approached under any circumstances. Bob and Dave made it clear she is extremely dangerous. She's there."
"But…"
"No. There's nothing to discuss. Nothing." He turned to the two sane competent members of the team. "Look, guys. I've been up since four this morning watching the Hesburghs do pretty much nothing. Do you think you can finish up here? Just monitor the house and then don't bother following them to their home bases. I want to start winding this down. So when they depart tonight just come back to the safe house."
Bigsby seemed surprised by this turn. "What? Winding down?"
"Is that a problem?"
"You mean we're going to do nothing?"
He knew his cousin meant well. He tried to soften the set back to whatever delusional fantasies he might have been fostering during these long boring stakeouts. "No, we do what we're supposed to do, we wrap up our very successful mission. It's coming to a close. We've accomplished what we were sent to do."
Bigsby turned forward. "OK. You're the boss."
"OK, guys. See you later. I'm taking off."
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A half hour later Scott noticed the younger Lass girl leaving. "Look. There goes the little big girl." He watched her through a small pair of binoculars he cupped in his hand. The sun would be down soon, but he could still see her clearly. "I swear to God she's talking to herself…again." Weird job, this was. "I wonder…where she's going?"
Steve said, "I wonder a lot about her, but, hey, we've had our hands full just following these other ones we got in there now." He pulled out his People magazine and started reading. He seemed happy. He would be at least until the light was gone, which was soon.
Bigsby watched her go too. "So the big no-no is gone and we have all the targets together…probably getting drunk."
Scott really didn't trust the Monkey. But he knew Bigsby was a Testalino and he had to be careful. The unspoken truth was that this idiot wouldn't be on any team anywhere for any job but for the fact his mama pulled strings with her brother, Bob. Bob was no softy, but Scott suspected he let Bigsby out on this safe easy mission just so the kid could show how unsuited he was for this business. Give the kid enough rope so he could hang himself…safely. That he was unsuited was clear to him and Steve and he was pretty sure Kevin and Kevin was the one that counted. As a Testalino he was sure Kevin would make sure that this was the Monkey's last job. Scott ignored Bigsby.
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An hour later, dark was settled in. Bigsby said, "I'm going to walk around a bit."
Scott didn't push him out but he wanted to. He watched the kid. The kid put his hands in his pockets and walked down the street looking this way and that. Christ, he stood out. He looked like someone checking things out. Just a few hours more and they would be back in the safe house. Maybe he could take advantage of the full cable hook up. See some games. Watch a few movies.
Steve was unhappy because it was too dark to read his People. He said, "You know, Scott, maybe after this job is over we can get a contract on one of these celebrity types."
Scott knew that Steve's brain took some odd twists. Exploring these passed the time - up to a point. "Oh yeah, and why would you want that?"
He pulled the magazine up and opened it. He held it so the street lamp showed enough light so Scott could see some young fresh starlet's face smiling into the camera. "I'd like to meet her."
What the fuck. He looked at Steve. The man was serious. "You want to meet this young lady so you get a contract on her. And what? You say hello and then shoot her?"
"No. Of course not. First I want to ask her why she and this other guy broke up. Of course. Then I'd shoot her."
He knew better than to pursue this down into the twisted knots that made up the man's personal logic. There wouldn't be anything there he thought made sense and he would end up agitated. He looked up to see the Monkey coming back. Shit. Why couldn't he take a longer walk? Soon they could all just head back. Maybe another two hours at most. The kid walked past and over to the car he drove here in. Good let him wait in the other car. He watched him in the rear view mirror and then turned his attention to the house.
Steve turned around to check out what the kid was up to. "Scott. What's the Monkey doing?"
He squinted into the rear view mirror. The street lighting was bad. The kid had opened the trunk of his car. What the fuck? Holy Shit. No. No. Scott got out and looked around. No one was in sight. He walked back trying to stay calm. "What's up?" Steve got out too and followed him back and stood on the other side.
"I've walked around the entire house. They're inside all gathered around a table playing some game."
"Ah, yeah, so?"
Bigsby looked up. "So. I'm going to finish this myself right fucking now."
"Whoa, guy. What do you mean?" He was afraid he knew exactly what he meant. Bigsby was loading the 22 pistol he carried in the trunk - they all had one. He couldn't be serious. These weren't their regular business weapons. These were more for a job calling for something light, but not for a heavy job, not this job, because there was no job, right here, right now.
Steve heard that and looked up wide eyed into Scott's eyes. The problem here was that while he was the senior man on site, Bigsby was a Testalino, a somewhat impulsive in-over-his-head-shit-for-brains Testalino, but a Testalino none the fucking less. This was one of those fucked either way situations taking shape with him in the middle.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Bigsby's hands were shaking. Scott watched him try to put the magazine into the pistol backwards, realize his error and then reverse it before getting it in properly. "OK. What are you planning to do?"
Bigsby's chest was heaving, adrenaline pumping him up. Scott knew the kid could be more dangerous to himself than his target, or more dangerous for them. The kid holstered the gun and fumbled before picking up another magazine, which he stuffed into his pocket. Just the two. He pulled the magazine back out of his pocket, checked that it was loaded and put it back in his pocket. He turned to face Scott. "I am going to go in the front door and shoot the whole lot of them."
"That would be contrary to Bob's orders and Kevin's."
"I'm not afraid of a bunch of drunks. Our orders were to stay away from that…bitch. Well, she's gone and all the rest are just sitting there…drunk and waiting to get plugged."
"Hey, man. No one said you were afraid. But we aren't supposed to shoot anyone under any circumstances. We're just here to…"
His voice was getting way too loud. "Oh, fuck that. I'm a Testalino. You hear me? You can stay here. I'm going in there and do it myself."
He was absolutely sure that any one of the cop, Jane, or Tom would shoot him down stone cold dead. They, he was sure, were not carrying 22's. And they knew how to use them. The kid would be shot stone cold dead. Then the question would be what would happen to himself and Steve for letting this little shit, a little Testalino shit, get himself killed. He would get blamed for not stopping him and for fucking up the contract. Because once this idiot got himself killed all their work was wasted. The Hesburghs wouldn't be so sloppy going forward. On the other hand…they would have the element of surprise and if…he and Steve were there…what would happen? They might just might pull it off. One thing he could count on was that the little shit would not be shy about saying to Bob's face that it was he and he alone who insisted on doing it. Then he and Steve could tell the truth, the God's honest truth, that the Monkey left them no choice. He looked over at Steve. Steve may have trouble grasping certain aspects of reality but when it came to killing he could weigh the odds as well as anyone. Steve shrugged. For Steve kill them now or kill them later. What's it matter? He couldn't finish his People until they got home anyway.
"OK. OK. Let us get our pieces and we'll go in together."
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Mabel picked up her glass and downed the rest of her strawberry Kool-Aid. She would have preferred something with a little more punch, but Daisy was uncompromising about having nothing stronger than this stuff in the house. She had never heard of it before. It must be some new health drink. It sure was sweet.
Tommy said, "Mabel, your turn."
She picked up the dice and looked around the table. They were well into the game. She had never played Monopoly before she came to teach Tommy. Paper money was stacked all around the table. Tommy was the banker. Tommy reached putting both hands on a half filled pitcher of orange Kool-Aid. Mason intervened and poured a clean glass for him. Tommy said thanks and carried it with both hands walking carefully into the next room to where Tom was watching one of his shows. Mabel blew on the dice like she saw Mason do.
Daisy was at the head of the table and closest to the front door. Mason and Tommy sat to Mabel's right next to Daisy. She looked to her left and Charlotte was counting her money and talking to Trip who was to her left. They had the end of the table opposite Daisy. Jane was sitting on a high bar chair right behind them holding a glass of Kool-Aid. Daisy had made three flavors and it looked like Jane had picked the purple one, which tasted like a super sweet grape.
John was watching her anticipating the roll. He was sitting just to Daisy's right across from Mason. Directly across from Mabel was Reggie. Reggie's mother, Joy, was sitting in the back corner to Jane's right watching the game. She never said much. Mabel knew she was Reggie's mother, but not much else.
The door bell rang. Everyone stopped and looked up. George had left sometime before and she never rang the door bell. Mabel didn't know where she went but on Wednesdays she would go early and not come back. She probably went to the other house where John and Reggie now lived along with Joy.
Daisy said, "I'll get it."
Mabel threw the dice. Two ones. Ah shit.
She heard three shots and looked up to see Daisy falling and men coming through stepping over her. Mason rushed toward them. Mason threw himself at the first of the men. All three shot at him and he went to the floor. Jane had jumped down from her stool and with both hands under the table edge she started flipping it up. Trip joined her and together they got it onto its side. Mabel should jump behind it but she stood there frozen as the slow motion chaos erupted engulfing her. John's gun flashed at the men. Hit one? Jane grabbed Charlotte and pulled her down behind the table. Mason stood up and lurched towards the three men. They hesitated for long seconds as Mason came at them from below. They seemed surprised, too. The men shot him yet again and then turned and fired at John. So close so much noise. Jane had her gun out. Reggie was down on the floor. The men hit John and hit him again. He fell hard. One of them shot at Jane and she fired back. She was hit and fell back dropping her gun. Reggie already had John's gun. Mabel could feel the thought taking shape, the realization that she was going to die. She stood there frozen in place. They fired at her. She heard a bullet whiz by inches from her ear. She was too young to die. And for what? Trip picked up Jane's gun and was bringing it up toward the men. Reggie got off a shot. Then she heard more shots coming from the living room - Tom? Yes, Tom. He was firing and he hit one of them. Trip fired. The men turned and ran back out the front door. After them, too late, Reggie, Trip, and Tom fired. She looked around at the shambles, the people bleeding. She glanced behind her. Joy was standing there like her frozen unmoving. The room spun…
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Scott held his left arm. It was bleeding badly. Mother Fucking Christ. "We'll take mine." The three stumbled half carrying each other toward his car, the nearest. "Get in. Quick. Bigsby, you drive."
They piled into his car and he threw the keys to Bigsby, who got the car moving away fast. That little prick didn't have a scratch on him. Scott said, "Take back streets and don't go through any lights. Don't want to show up on any cameras. Don't speed. Take it easy."
He looked over at Steve. He was hit. Scott asked, "Where?" Steve indicated he had taken a bad hit to his side and it looked like his arm was grazed. Steve opened his hand to show him. It didn't look fatal, but he would need a doctor.
What a cluster fuck. They were not drunk at all. That couple at the front door was definitely dead, but there were no points scored for killing them. The woman who answered the door took at least three bullets up close. And her husband was dead. The fool charged them unarmed. Jesus Fucking Christ. They all shot him, he feel, and then fuck. Twice. How could a man get up after that? No coordination. Just one should have shot the woman and then one taken out the man while the rest focused on separate targets. No. At least…nine bullets wasted on those two. Bigsby was out front shooting wildly at everything. Bigsby was shaking so much he probably didn't hit anyone but the couple. Where was the kid? Sleeping? Scott was sure he got Jane. And the cop took two hits. But he doubted they got any of the primaries. Trip shot back at them. They wasted too much time on those first two. Once Jane got that table up it was over. And Tom came at them from the side. That was really bad fucking luck. He knew Tom and he probably got a couple of shots into them, and he would have finished them off in another few seconds. They couldn't reload. He was out by that point. God damn it. The pain hit him as the adrenalin punch eased off. Bigsby was driving too fast. "Slow down. Do. Not. Go. Over…". He took a deep breath. Jesus Fucking Christ. They were so fucked. He pulled his phone and speed dialed Kevin. No answer. He was sleeping. Of course he was sleeping.
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Oh my God. Mabel sat up. She remembered. She looked around taking in the hell unleashed here minutes ago… She could see Daisy all bloodied and surely dead. Mason's body next to her, obviously dead too. Jane was down. Trip was over Jane. She was awake. Charlotte ran somewhere. Reggie was over John. Tom came in from the front door and holstered his gun. He was oddly calm. He looked them all over and walked over to John. Charlotte came back in with towels.
Charlotte said, "I called 911. They're coming."
Tom said, "We will need two ambulances." She could see Tom pull a phone and dial.
Joy was up trying to fuss over Reggie who shrugged her off angrily. Joy refocused on helping John. Tommy? Where's Tommy? She ran into the living room where she had seen him head with the glass. He wasn't there. She looked around. Could they have taken him? No. They fled out the front door she was sure. She ran back into the dining room. He wasn't there. He must have run into a back room. She went from room to room. Nowhere. She headed back into the dining room.
Trip was working over John. Joy was helping hold a towel over his upper wound. Jane was wide awake but looked stable. Charlotte was holding a towel over a wound to her side. Mabel looked around again. Tom, Trip, and Reggie were desperately trying to stop John's bleeding. She moved over where she could see better. He got hit twice, once in the shoulder and once in the stomach area. That couldn't be good.
From behind her she heard that girl, George. "Get out of way. Tom, take Mabel outside."
Tom moved quickly taking her by her arm and she was lifted, pushed, pulled out the front door. She said, "Where's Tommy?" But then she was outside. Tom wasn't open to discussing.
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George watched Tom half carry Mabel out the door and turned to check on Jane and John. Jane would be fine. Reggie was fine. Not hit at all. It was John who was in trouble. No appointment for him…yet. She moved over to him. Reggie looked up at her, eyes desperate. George said, "Move back." Trip shifted back on his heels and Reggie, hesitating at first, did too. Joy had moved off already and watched her. She ghosted John putting him into a suspension where he couldn't bleed out and slip into death.
Trip asked, "What? Where?"
"I'm going to hold him until an ambulance can get here." She made the other side visible. Ray, Benny, and Mason stood nearby. Daisy held Tommy. George looked over at the two bodies, Mason and Daisy, and ghosted both. She said to Ray and Benny, "Move those outside well away from the house and leave them for now." She said to Daisy and Mason, "Take Tommy to my house and keep him there." They should have gotten a warning…that Mason and Daisy would be in resurrection reaps. Rube…what the fuck is going on?
Trip was on his phone. Good they would have more armed living bodies to cover the gaps. She needed to focus on John. His destiny was always in that grey area and she would make sure he didn't slip over into an appointment. Trip put down his phone. She called him over and explained what she wanted. "Meet the medical team outside and explain John's wounds before they come in. Make sure they're prepared. Once I bring him back every second will count. I'll bring him out just before they walk through that door. The margin will be tight. They have to know what to do before they get inside." Trip left to wait for the team.
Everything seemed to be going so well, considering, then disaster struck, or Fate stepped in.