They were casing the place. They were inspecting things. After a few moments they turned around and started walking towards their car. As they passed by the police car the officer got out and demanded that they freeze.
They laughed at him and drew their guns. A firefight ensued but it only lasted about five shots each. Everyone missed as the men ran to their car, got in and drove away while the officer ran back to his patrol car to radio it in.
“Shit,” I said. “They found us.”
Bill shrugged. “I can’t say I’m all that surprised. I knew they pegged my license plate.”
“Aren’t you more scared? And why didn’t you tell me about it?”
He shrugged again. “It won’t help anything. These guys are coming. That’s it.”
“Well, it would help me,” I said. “I… I don’t know what to do. If they found you then they damn sure know who I am.”
“They do. But don’t panic,” Bill said. “It will be alright. Even if they’d gotten in here the alarm would have sounded like crazy and alerted the authorities. Plus, I would have been prepared for a showdown with them the likes of which they’d never seen. No one comes into my home and tries to murder me or anyone else in my house.”
I wasn’t sure how to feel about his crazy sounding speech. It sounded a bit ludicrous, but it was also a little bit awe inspiring. I wished to hell that I had half as much guts as he did. But I wasn’t battle hardened either. And he might have been a bit certifiable. I wasn’t sure what it was about him, but he was so hot.
Still I felt the emotions wearing through me. I was at the end of my rope. With all I’d been through I wasn’t sure how much more of this I was going to be able to stand. But I didn’t have a choice. I had to put up with it and make my way through until it was over.
But when the hell would that be?
“Hey, relax,” Bill said. He stood up and took me in his arms caressing my shoulders. I was wearing only a tank top and it was suddenly very cold down there in that basement. His touch felt great. I just wished I could be done with this nightmare.
I looked up at him then and I saw something there that I hadn’t seen before. There was a sweetness, a kindness in his eyes that really drew me in. The way he was looking at me, holding me, and the touch of his skin on mine right then really just eclipsed everything else that was going on around me.
He leaned down and I started to feel what I’d been thinking about in the back of my mind since I climbed in his truck. Even through all the insanity and the crazed emotion, I began to feel that lust pulsating through me.
I waited for it, the anticipation driving me wild. His lips were almost on mine.
Bannnngg!
A loud buzzing sound, that almost was loud enough to be a vibrating gunshot rang out loud above us. I jerked back and glanced up at the signal. It was a bell attached to the wall. It reminded me of the warning bell in high school. It was just as loud, too and we were standing right underneath it.
“That’s the doorbell,” Bill said. “I can’t always hear it if I’m down here. And I liked to be alerted to the presence of possible danger.”
I laughed. “Wow, I’d say you were paranoid, but…”
He nodded. “I am paranoid. But that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.”
We went upstairs and answered the door. It was the officer. He explained everything to us that we already knew. “We are going to have a few officers staked out here for the next few days in case these men come back, but if you folks have somewhere else to go then I’d recommend it.”
Bill sighed. “I’m not going anywhere. And we don’t need more cops out there. But do what you got to do.”
Then he shut the door in the cop’s face.
“Do you think I should go? I’m putting you in danger being around you,” I said.
“Well, I’m already in the thick of it. Don’t do me any favors. If you want to leave then go, but I’d advise against it. There is nowhere you can run that they won’t find you. These are professional badasses.”
I sighed. “Ok. Then I want to stay here. I feel safe here. I think you’re right. But what can we do to be better prepared next time?”
He shook his head. “We are as prepared as we can be. There is no next time. When they come we will show them how bad their world can truly be.”
Bill walked down the hall towards his bedroom. “Where are you going?”