****AUTHORS NOTE**** I wasn't going to submit chapters 5 & 6 until May, but it seems my computer is on the fritz, and I want to upload them before it's too late. I also seem to be losing another editor (Hmedits) He was the best one to date. I keep finding good editors, but can't keep them. If anyone knows a good editor, tell him or her to e-mail me. Chapter 7 is written but not edited. It might have to be submitted that way. Thanks for all of your kind words, and please comment on my stories. I love to hear from you.
D.S.
*
The sun was down, but it was still twilight when I started the outboard engine. It had been clouding up for the last few hours and now the wind had started to pick up. There was a storm coming. I had originally intended to dock at night, but with the place abandoned I didn't see the need, besides I wanted to get going before the rain started.
We motored up to the boatyard and right up to the berth where I had parked the Ford. I used the last of the light to tie up the boat, as Mom started to gather the few things we were to take on the trip.
We took the shotgun and the semi-auto, and I put them in the cab of the truck and then I started back to the boat. That's when I saw the doors of the minivan open up. I still wasn't alarmed, and my mom hadn't even noticed it yet, but then I saw the men emerge from the vehicle.
In the growing darkness I glimpsed six in all, and all of them headed towards us in a dead run. What made the hair stand up on the back of my neck was that they were all overdressed for a hot, humid night. Psychos!
"Mom!" I shouted Her head was still down.
I dropped the gear that I had in my hands and reached for the .380 that I had stowed in one of the cargo pockets of my shorts. I had it out in a second as they closed the gap on us, and I did the math in my head. I had six rounds in the magazine and one in the barrel, and there were six of them.
I immediately thought about shouting a warning to them, but the words of that Nassau County Cop came back to me.
"Remember this if you remember anything; you cannot reason with these men."
I fired three quick rounds in succession. CRACK-CRACK-CRACK as the little gun jumped in my hand.
I was lucky that they came en masse, and not all spread out, because one went down immediately as I saw blood spew from the left side of his head. A second one took a few more steps and then hit the ground with an "Oomph!"
"Mom, get the shotgun!" I screamed and she ran for the truck.
I had four more and only four more shots before I had to reload, and they had already covered half of the distance to us. CRACK-CRACK the pistol sounded again, but this time I made sure that I held it firmer in my hand.
The two shots found their mark, but both on the same guy who spun around like a ballerina when he got hit. There were now three more, and I had two more shots, and they were on me.
I fired both rounds point blank at the lead guy. I couldn't miss and hit him square in the chest, but I had used the last of my ammo on him. The new lead guy hit me full force like a defensive back. I stumbled back about ten feet before I regained my balance.
I don't know why I didn't go down. He certainly hit me with enough force. Maybe it was the High School Lacrosse and Football I played, or maybe it was the adrenaline pumping through my system. But whatever it was, it saved our lives, because if I had gone down, we were dead.
One guy was headed for my mom, the one who hit me was coming at me again with what looked like a pipe, and one of the guys I had previously shot, and considered down, had gotten up and was running full blast at us again.
Our only hope was if I got to the extra clip stashed in the cargo pocket on the left side of my shorts. But I didn't have time, because the one with the pipe was upon me. He came at me with a big old round to my head. If he connected, the pipe would have split my head open like a melon.
It was like I had seen so many times in bad TV dramas; I just stuck out my left arm and blocked the blow at his forearm. The next move was as if I had been taught it as a child. I sent the heel of my hand to the center of his face. At least it would have been the heel of my hand if the gun weren't there.
The flat of the gun butt landed full on the bridge of his nose and just crushed it; sending blood everywhere. He went down like a bag of rocks. By this time the one who headed for my mother had tackled her just near the truck and was on top of her. She was screaming my name to high heaven.
The one I had shot previously didn't even look at me. He too was headed straight for my mother and that sealed their fate. I hit the release button on the gun, sending the original clip to the floor, and got the extra clip out of my shorts. Two seconds later I had a new clip in the gun and I worked the slide to chamber a fresh round.
My mother was on the ground screaming, one of the psychos was on top of her trying to get her under control and the wounded one was standing there like he was waiting for his turn.
When I ran up to them the 'previously shot psycho' turned around and grinned at me like it was all a big joke, but the joke was on him as I brought the gun to bear and blew his head off with two shots to his smile.
The last one tried to get up off my mom, but it was too late for him. I stuck the gun in his face and fired two more shots that sent him and most of his being all over that parking lot. It was over, but I was still worried.
I helped my mother get up off the ground. She was hysterical, but I quickly rushed her into the pick-up. I couldn't be sure that all of them were dead, or if there weren't more still to come. I just wanted to get out of there as fast as I could.
I got her seated and ran around to the driver's side. I could see no one coming but I was still afraid. I quickly got in, started up the truck and floored it around the parking lot to the entrance. I'm not sure, but I think I ran over at least one of the bodies on the way out.
I didn't slow down until I was at least two miles away. Only then did I stop and pull over. My mother was crying and I couldn't catch my breath. It took us both a full five minutes to calm down.
"Are you okay?" I was finally able to get out. My mom didn't say anything, she was still sobbing, but she nodded to the affirmative.
"I'm sorry mom, but I thought that I was going to pass out. I couldn't catch my breath, I was so scared." I felt guilty about not consoling her.
"You were wonderful honey. You saved my life again."
"I guess." I didn't know what to think.
"Are you kidding? You took on five men, and they're all dead."
"Six men, and I'm not sure I killed all of them."
She started to gain her composure. "Five or six, we are still alive because of you."
It started to seep in. It was over. It was amazing that in the heat of battle I kept my head, but after it was over I ran like a child.
I tried to figure it out in my brain. They must have seen us come into the harbor, they must have seen mom on the boat and they must have seen me come ashore by myself. It wasn't until I brought mom ashore that they attacked.
Even though they were insane, they were still smart and cunning. As much as my mom wanted to congratulate me on my actions, I knew that I was responsible for getting us in that situation. I was ignorant of our foe and I underestimated them.
Their attack, although planned, was flawed. Still they almost had us. If that one guy had succeeded in knocking me over, or if they had all attacked me first, we would be at their mercy.
Lastly, I had used all of our .380 ammunition. We would have to find more ammo or I would have to get more acquainted with our other guns.
"Are you okay?" I asked. "I think that we should get on the road to grandma's."
"Yes I'm okay. Let's go."
I put the truck in gear, stepped on the gas and we started out through the lowlands of Delaware. Just then, the sky opened up, and it started to rain.