Title: The Stranger

By: greygoose70

Chapter Fourteen

It has been seven weeks since Pierces ultimatum to Brent Carlson. Since then, the station has taken on a brand-new appearance. Equipment was repaired or replaced with new, new gas pumps installed, the type that accepted credit cards so people could then pump the fuel themselves and true to his word Brent received a check every week.

But during that time other things have changed also. More families have move away as Piece bought up their properties or were forced out after he bought the Baskerville Bank and increased the interest rate on their mortgages. Truth be told about the only establishments he did not own were Freeman's General Store, Lawson's Barber Shop and Curley's Place.

Sheriff Hanley had eased the 24 guard at the ends of Main Street going instead with a roving patrol up and down the street. Pierce was not willing to do any such thing, kept sentries at both the front and back of the main house with a rover around the outbuildings.

Jen was in her senior year at the Baskerville School, her and Susan Grimes being the only two that could be classified as such. It was Friday and they were now headed home; Jen however needed to stop at Freemans first to pick up an order her father called in, which fortunately only included three items bread, butter, and a half-gallon of milk, not enough to burden her for the half mile walk home. Little did she know she was being watched the entire time.

As Jen walked out the door, she spotted Nick Blackwell leaning against the white Caddy. She went to ignore him, but he stepped in front of her blocking her path.

"What do you want Mr. Blackwell, you are in my way," she asked.

"Me, nothing Miss Jennifer but Mr. Pierce would like to see you. I think he has a gift for you."

"Well, you tell Mr. Pierce. . ."

"Mr. Pierce was quite adamant, said it would only take a couple minutes of your time, afterwards I would take you home." Blackwell proceeded to open the rear passenger door to which Jen reluctantly got in.

It was a short two-mile ride to the Anderson Ranch entrance and another half mile to the main house which sat at the rear of the property and only about a hundred yards from the national forest. As they got closer to the circular drive-in front of the house Blackwell veered off to the right towards the barn. "Why are we headed for the barn? Jen asked

"Because that is where Mr. Pierce said to take you," Blackwell answered.

As they reached the barn Blackwell drove the Caddy through the wide double doors which were then closed. He killed the motor, got out then opened the door for her. Exiting the car, she looked around for Mr. Pierce but the only other men she saw besides Blackwell were the twin Bowden brothers, Bob and Bill.

"What is going on here, where is Pierce?" She stated angrily.

"He will be along shortly but while we wait, we've got a few questions," one of the brothers asked. "Yeah, like what makes you and your pa so special," the other brother said in follow up.

"I think I know," Blackwell declared, "he has a thing for young Jennifer, hopes to get a piece of her." Speaking as he then pushed her down onto the bundles of hay stacked there, the Bowden's instantly grabbing and holding her down. "Well, who do you think is going to get a piece of her first."

Jen was in a panic, started screaming and attempting to kick but Blackwell had positioned himself between her legs, so she was not making contact. One of the Bowden brothers placed a hand over her mouth, telling her she was wasting her breath no one could hear her.

Blackwell reached down, grabbed the front of her blouse, yanked on it causing the buttons to go flying across the dirt floor, the blouse spreading open revealing her bare breasts. "Well will you look here, aren't these pretty? He proclaimed as he went to cup one of them, and that is when it began.

The noise from the shot echoed throughout the barn, the blood and brain matter of Nick Blackwell exited through the back of his head. The Bowden brothers instantly released their hold on Jen and went for their guns, they never cleared their holsters as two more quick shots rang out and the Bowden brothers went crashing to the ground.

With everything now quiet Jen covered herself up. Standing she turned to see her savior. She knew who it was just not how he knew where she was and that she was in danger. "Because I have been keeping an eye on you and Brent for the past couple week," she heard him say from behind her.

"Marlowe," she clamored now in tears turning throwing herself in his open arms.

Marlowe held on to her letting her cry out her fear. Once she gathered herself up stopped the crying, he told her to get in the Caddy and go home. "What about you," she responded.

"I am not finished here yet now get going, I'll get the doors."

Tom Greer jerked his head toward the direction of the barn when he heard what appeared to be gunshots coming from there. He immediately got on his radio and paged Paul the roving guard but did not receive a response, so he tried George who was keeping watch at the rear of the house. "Did you hear that, George," he asked him when he responded. "Yeah. I'm gonna go check it out, get Paul to cover for me."

"Tried him first never got a response."

"Shit, it's that stranger, notify the boss," George yelled as he made a beeline for the barn.

George Knudson approached the front barn doors with caution, his weapon an M4 carbine at the ready. He stuck his head in the opening looking for his nearest cover, which was fifteen feet to his left, an equipment storage area. He inched his way around and through the door then sprinted to it, crouching down. It was unfortunate for him that he failed to see the dark figure hidden in the rear corner.

Marlowe upon seeing his prey position, himself exactly where he figured stepped up behind him, grabbed his skull pushed it forward and drove his k-bar up through the space just below the Nuchal Ridge into the man's brain killing him instantly.

Ding, ding, ding.

TBC