Dakota (Ch 37)

I had persuaded Janie to do things my way instead. I didn't want to run. But she needed to. It was her only way to survive. She put on one of my flannels and pulled on an old ballcap. It wasn't the most convincing disguise, but it was all that we could garner in the few minutes we had. I sent her off with the shotgun. Just in case. I wanted her to have a means of protection. I on the other hand relied on the gun Rebekah had shoved in my face. I unlocked the liquor cabinet and found it where I had left it. I glanced out the window in the the back door and saw Janie moving slowly away from the house. I had told her to, 'Move forward. Don't look back.' She had listened. I knew there wasn't much time. A shot sounded again from outside. This one was very near the house. I paused for one more look out the window, she was still standing. Blink. I ducked under the stairs and took my place beneath the desk. I held the gun in my left hand, and hoped that I would be able to hit my target. The pain still swelled through my right wrist. Sweat was already running down the sides of my face and neck. My heart raced. My breathing was labored and unsteady.

A gun shot rang out once more. This was it. I heard the front door swing back and hit the wall. I sat silently and listened as footsteps moved inside, and circled the living room. It was impossible to move across old wooden floors without a sound. I waited. I lost track of the movements. He had moved to far away. He had to be in the kitchen or dining room. I anticipated his track. I waited for him to exit the kitchen and head for the stairs. I waited. Where was he? I tried to hold it together. I was getting anxious.

I heard another shot discharge from his gun. It sounded like it came from outside. It wasn't inside the house. It wasn't aimed at me. My thoughts turned to Janie. He must have seen her. She hadn't made it out of sight in time.

I pushed back the chair and opened the door letting in a sliver of light. I didn't see him. I didn't hear any footsteps. I pushed it open the rest of the way and ducked low as I slinked through the kitchen. I stepped in front of the back door and there, twenty paces ahead I saw the form of a body clad in black. I turned the knob and slowly pushed open the door. I dragged my foot onto the wooden planks. The door hung ajar. I stretched out my arm, cocked the hammer, placed my finger on the trigger, closed one eye, took a deep breath, and fired.

The hammer smacked back. The bullet propelled itself toward the target. I exhaled. I didn't waste a moment. In a seamless motion, I cocked the hammer, placed my finger on the trigger, closed one eye, took a deep breath, and fired again. As the second bullet torpedoed towards the target, I lowered my weapon and stepped forward. His shotgun fell on its butt end before landing prostrate between some fallen branches. The shooter stumbled, dropped to his knees and collapsed on the forest floor with a soft thud.

I glided down the old stairs and walked steadily in the direction of the shooter. I cocked back the hammer and readied to shoot again. The thirty paces from the porch to the body seemed like ten miles. By the time I reached his side, I was panting. I was drenched in sweat. My breathing had grown more erratic. And my worry for Janie continued to grow.

I looked down at the figure of the man who had caused all of this pain. The one who had started this struggle. The one who had changed the course of so many lives. And the one who had destroyed my family. For a moment these Dakota woods were silent before I heard the faint call of sirens in the distance. Death surrounded me. I was the last one standing. Somehow, fate chose to let me stand tall while every other person fell.

I nudged the body with my foot. My bare feet stood out in stark contrast to the black coat and pants the shooter wore. I propped the body on its side before rolling it onto its back with my heel. The aim of my gun never left the target. I could see his chest still rising and falling. It was labored breathing. But he was still breathing nonetheless. I knelt down at his side, and reached out my right arm. Wincing from the pain, I pulled up the mask that covered his face.

My mind raced. I felt my eyes bulge. I felt betrayed. The body before me was that of Carolyn Murphy.

"Why?"

I spewed spit and disgust at her as I questioned. Her opened and closed slowly. She wetted her lips with her tongue. She swallowed back the pain.

"For love."

She stared directly into my eyes as she spoke.

"I don't understand. These people didn't deserve to die."

"I had no choice. It was time. I had to finish what I started."

I spoke rapidly. I wanted answers before it was too late. She struggled for each word.

"Jacob, it all started so long ago."

She looked into my eyes. For a moment I thought I saw concern or pity.

"Tell me. I need to know. I need to know why you killed my family."

"When I was in college, I, I..."

She pushed her left elbow into the ground and readjusted her body. Her legs were still twisted together.

"I spent a year studying in Costa Rica. When I was there, I met a man. I was young and naive, much like your sister Janie is now. I fell in love."

My eyes moved back and forth as if I was reading the words in print. I tried to process what she was telling me.

"Pablo de Amantillo."

"Yes. He told me he was about to take over his father's trading business. He was two years older than me. I was enthralled with the idea of meeting an exotic man. He was wealthy, he had it all. He treated me like his princess. That year...the year we spent together was the best year of my life."

"When did you find out the truth?"

I noticed the leaves were being stained with her blood. I didn't know how much time she had left. Her speech was still fairly steady, but it didn't come easy. She tried to speak but was interrupted by a few coughs. They were wet. Blood. I pushed my right arm under her shoulder and slid her body to a tree that stood a few feet away. I propped her up against the tree. The pain in my wrist was excruciating now. I ignored it and turned my attention back to her story.

"When?"

She slowly raised her left arm to her face and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. Blood stained the cuff.

"We had been dating for about four months when I realized his father wasn't trading produce and handcrafts like he had said. It was drugs--"

She coughed again. She tried to bring her arm up but lost the strength midway through the motion. Her arm dropped to the ground. She let the blood and saliva run out of her mouth and onto the shoulder of her coat instead.

"For a while, I didn't let myself believe it. But eventually, I just decided it was best to just pretend I didn't know."

"What about Bobby? You loved him. What happened?"

She spoke with her eyes closed. She winced from the pain occasionally as she continued.

"My year of study ended. I wanted to stay despite what I knew, but I couldn't. My visa was going to expire. I tried to renew it, but it was denied. I went home."

The coughing returned.

"My love for him never faded. I went back every summer to be with him."

"I thought you took the kids to Boise to see your parents."

"I did. But I never stayed. I flew to Costa Rica to be with Pablo."

The coughing was no longer intermittent. It was getting worse. Blood now stained her lips and chin.

"Last summer he hold me not to bother coming down. It was the firs time in years."

She looked up at me for the first time since she had begun her story. Blink.

"He said he had a new girl. Janie."

She paused for a long moment. I thought I had lost her completely.

"Carolyn. Stay with me. Finish it."

"Jake, I never meant to kill Jason. I'm sorry. I wanted information about Janie. I wanted to know where she was. Pablo had told me she ran. I thought Jay would know something."

She paused and swallowed the blood that continued to pool in her mouth.

"He got defensive, I got angry. I panicked. I told him I was leaving. I went to the van we used to use for the store's deliveries. I got my shotgun. I went back inside and I killed him. I'm sorry Jake."

She glanced up at me again. I stared down at her without emotion. Apologies wouldn't bring him back.

"I brought the knife to scare him. I didn't think. I just put it in his hand. And left. I took off up the lane and turned on Elk River towards home. I saw lights in my rear view mirror. That must have been you."

"I was that close. That close!"

I couldn't believe the story. It was too much to process at once. I tried to slow my mind.

"It wouldn't have saved him. And you'd probably be dead too."

I nodded.

She was almost gone. Her speech grew slower.

"Why'd you kill Bobby?"

"I was tired of him. I knew that once Janie was gone. Pablo would want me again. I was ready to move on."

"You had a family..."

"I know. But I loved him. Once Jay and Bobby were gone, I couldn't stop. Time rolled by but I had to finish what I started. Janie came home. It was just a matter of waiting for the right time."

"You destroyed my family."

She was gasping for air now. Blood blocked her airway. It spilled out of her mouth and ran down her chin and neck.

"But I got...her."

Her head sagged down. It was over.