The End (33 page)

“Leave me alone!” Hunter cried out.

“Hunter, it's Daddy.”

“Go away. Leave me alone!”

“Hunter, can I open the door?”

“No, leave me alone!”

Gordon didn't want to press his son so he sat down next to the closet door. “Mommy told me what happened. I want you to know how proud I am of you. I know you are scared and don't understand what happened. Know this: You did exactly what I would have wanted you to do,” Gordon softly said. Hunter continued to whimper. “Hunter, you did nothing wrong, do you understand?”

“I didn't mean for the gun to go off, I'm sorry, Daddy!” Hunter cried out.

“Hunter, please don't apologize; you did nothing wrong. You were scared and that man should not have been in here. If the gun had not gone off he might have hurt you, your mommy or your little sister. I am proud of you, I really am. Now can I open the door?”

With an answer just above a whisper Hunter said yes.

Opening the door slowly he saw Hunter curled up in the corner. Gordon reached in and touched his arm gently, and Hunter responded by lunging toward him and into his arms. Embracing him tightly, Gordon rocked and kissed his head.

Hunter cried and kept saying, “I'm sorry, Daddy, I'm sorry.”

Losing himself in the moment, Gordon was reminded of the long night he still had before him. Samantha quietly stepped into the room and touched him on the shoulder.

“Gordon, we hear some more shooting.”

“Hunter, Daddy has to go.”

Hunter clung tight and said, “No, Daddy, don't go.”

“I'll be back, I promise.”

“No, please don't go, Daddy, I need you.”

Hunter's need for Gordon at this moment broke his heart. “I'll be right back.”

Samantha leaned down and said, “Come here, baby.” Hunter grabbed hold of Samantha and clung to her tightly, still sobbing.

Gordon walked out of the room and went immediately downstairs.

“It sounds like it's the opposite side of the community from Jimmy's house,” Nelson said.

“I don't think I can go, it might be a ploy to draw me out. The rest of our group might have to fend for themselves right now.”

Gordon, Nelson, Holloway, and Nelson's father chatted for a few minutes about the evening and the need to leave first thing in the morning. Their conversation was cut short when Samantha spoke.

“Absolutely not,” she said from the top of the stairs.

Gordon looked up at her. “Absolutely not what?”

“You are not going to stay here. You need to go. I want you to go see Mindy and end this,” Samantha said, walking down the stairs. After putting Hunter to bed she had overheard their conversation downstairs.

“I don't think it's a good idea, Sam.”

“We'll be fine, go finish this. This is all because of that bitch. You said Dan is out front dead so she's the only one left to deal with.”

“I said he was shot, he's not dead.”

Samantha looked surprised after hearing that Dan was still alive. Pressing him further, she said, “Gordon, we can handle this here. I'm telling you to go and finish this. Go now! Once you've taken care of things then go get Simone.”

Gordon was surprised by how forceful Samantha was being. “Sam, I really don't think I should go.”

She walked up to him, looked at him squarely, and said, “Go finish this!”

Gordon looked at Nelson, who raised his eyebrows and winked at him. Looking back to Samantha, he nodded his reluctant approval.

 • • • 

Gordon walked into the garage, reloaded his magazines, and wrapped his arm. As he walked to the front to leave he turned to Nelson and said, “Dan was out front bleeding out, can you take care of him?”

“Sure thing, I'll take care of it stat,” Nelson answered, pulling out a seven-inch knife he had sheathed on his side.

“Let me go with you,” Holloway asked.

“I got this,” Gordon answered, stuffing his pockets with more loaded magazines and double-checking his pistols.

Opening the door again, Samantha stopped him. “Gordon.”

Anticipating her comment he said, “I love you too.”

“Gordon,” she said again.

As he turned to look at her, she said, “Kill them all.”

 • • • 

Ensuring that he survived the night, he took his time getting to Mindy's house. Each step he took was careful and calculated. With so much fighting he knew they too were out for blood. When he reached her street he stopped and squatted down to just listen. Taking a moment to listen to his surroundings, he also thought back on what had transpired earlier in the evening. The thought of Jimmy being dead weighed on him, the loss his group would suffer without him would be great. He vowed he would avenge his friend tonight.

His eyes had begun to adjust to the complete darkness. Only his knowledge of the streets kept him going in the right direction. After spending minutes listening to the eerie quiet, he felt confident that he could move. Walking briskly, he made for her house. His anxiety grew with each step; his eyes darting from left to right straining to see anyone. He wasn't sure how long it took but he finally arrived. He touched the familiar large shrub just outside her house. He took up a position there and listened. The night had finally remained quiet for a long time. The shooting he heard when he left had lasted only moments. It ended as fast as it had started. Not hearing any movement in her front yard, he stood up and walked around the large shrub and into someone.

Startled by his surprise encounter, Gordon reacted by pushing the man away from him. Whoever it was groaned as he fell on the ground. Not taking chances, Gordon raised his pistol and shot toward the man twice. The man yelled out in pain and was moving on the ground. Gordon shot two more times. The man stopped moving and fell silent.

The sound of breaking glass made Gordon move quickly to take cover along the side of the house. Gunfire and yelling now erupted from inside the house. Gordon recognized Mindy's voice but could not tell whom the male voice belonged to. He wasn't sure how he should proceed; knowing her floor plan was an advantage but if Mindy was smart she would have blocked off doors and hallways with furniture.

Someone was shooting and it was near the middle of the house, which would have been the living room. Only hearing two voices, Gordon decided he would attempt to enter through a glass door on the opposite side of the house. The glass door was off a side patio and opened onto the formal dining room.

Gordon slowly made his way along the side of the house. Mindy was sounding hysterical inside and was barking orders to the other person in there with her. It took him minutes to make his way to the patio and finally to the door. He first tested to see if by luck it was unlocked. Unfortunately, Mindy was thinking and the door was not open. Gordon's plan was to shoot the glass out and walk right in. Knowing it was risky, he couldn't think of another way to get in unless he was going to kick down the front door. Leaning up against the side of the house, he was hesitating. He was hoping the glass would shatter and fall. Not being an expert on glass, he was hoping it would work. He stood and placed his rifle on his shoulder and was squeezing the trigger when gunfire came from the front of the house. This was different, though, it was coming from outside. Gordon hesitated again and took cover. Mindy and her companion were screaming and exchanging fire with whoever was out front. Sensing an opportunity, Gordon changed his plan and went to a side garage door off of the same patio. It too was locked, but when a volley of gunfire erupted from inside he took the opportunity to kick the door in. He walked in and went directly for the door that led into the house. It was locked, but still seizing on the chaos in the house he shot the doorknob and kicked in the door.

“Someone is at the back door!” Mindy cried out.

More unintelligible chatter went back and forth between her and the man inside. Leaning up against the door frame taking cover, Gordon laid down a volley of fire from his M4.

“I'll get him Mindy, don't worry,” the man said.

Hearing the man's voice clearly now he knew who was with Mindy.

“Hey, Max, I would say that there's not much you can do. You're surrounded and most of your men are dead, including Dan!”

“Fuck you, you prick!” Max yelled.

“We won't hurt you, Max, all I want is Mindy. If you surrender I won't hurt you!”

More gunfire erupted toward the front of the house. Gordon could hear Max and Mindy taking cover.

“Fuck this, Mindy, I'm outta here!”

“Please, Max, don't; he's bluffing. We sent thirty men after them tonight. There's no way they killed them all,” Mindy pleaded.

“You sent thirty and we killed thirty, that's why I'm here!” Gordon responded to Mindy's plea.

“Sorry, Mindy, I gotta go,” Max said, standing up and tossing his pistol. “I'm surrendering, Gordon!”

“Walk down the hall toward me!” Gordon instructed him.

Taking out his flashlight Gordon flashed it down the hall so he could see Max to confirm. With his arms raised, Max followed Gordon's command and walked down the hallway toward him.

Knowing there wasn't a better time to deal with Max, Gordon stood up and pointed the rifle at Max.

“What are you doing?” Max asked, concerned.

“I said I wouldn't hurt you, I didn't say anything about not killing you,” Gordon said, then pulled the trigger twice.

The force of the two rifle shots hitting Max caused his body to fly back and land a few feet beyond where he had previously stood.

Mindy started screaming hysterically. He heard her run from one room into what sounded like the kitchen. Advancing inside, Gordon took up a position just outside the kitchen door.

“Mindy, there's no way out, my guys are out front. You can't escape.”

Expecting a response, Gordon was surprised when she didn't say anything.

“You've never been one for a loss of words.”

To Gordon's surprise, he heard the front door burst open and someone come in.

“Who is that?” Gordon called out.

“Holloway.”

“Roger that, Max is dead and Mindy is holed up in the kitchen!” Gordon informed Holloway.

“I know just what to use,” Holloway said.

A few moments passed; Gordon could hear Holloway down the hall in the family room. There was a kitchen door off of that room too.

“Fire in the hole!” Holloway yelled.

Gordon took cover, not sure what Holloway was throwing into the kitchen. A loud bang echoed out of the kitchen followed by a scream, then silence.

Gordon and Holloway both entered the kitchen from their respective doors. The room was full of smoke as Gordon entered with his flashlight and handgun out in front of him. Both men looked for Mindy but could not find her. They turned their attention on the only other door in the room: the pantry.

“I know you're in there,” Gordon said, knocking on the pantry door. He had tried to open it but Mindy had locked the door from the inside.

“Gordon, you can take what you want, just let me live,” Mindy pleaded with him.

The desire to blast the door and pull her out kicking and screaming was strong, but he changed his mind.

“Mindy, I'm not going to kill you,” Gordon told her.

With Holloway's help, they pushed in a large china cabinet from the dining room and placed it in front of the door. Once he felt that she could not escape, he informed her of her situation.

“Mindy, I left you alive tonight so that you finally see the reality of the new world we live in. Your good friend Dan let the Villistas know where our pleasant little community was. They will be here any day, and if they find you, you will finally experience what so many have on the outside. When you finally close your eyes and death takes you, remember that it didn't have to be this way. You chose this path.”

Realizing the truth in Gordon's words, Mindy cried out, “Let me out, please!”

As he and Holloway walked onto the street and headed back home, her cries and screams grew fainter with each step they took until they could no longer hear them. Gordon knew there was a good chance that someone would release her, but he felt confident that she wouldn't survive the realities of the world outside her protected community.

 • • • 

Before going to pick up Simone, Gordon decided to check on his family. Exhausted, all he wanted to do was rest, but the day had only just begun.

“Hi, baby,” Sam said sweetly, greeting him with a hug and kiss.

“It's done” was all Gordon said. He didn't want to go into everything that had happened at Mindy's house. Kissing her, he asked, “How are the kids? How's Hunter?”

“They're both asleep in our bed. Hunter is doing better; I don't know if he'll ever be the same after tonight.”

“He won't,” Gordon replied. He paused, then said, “I'm going to go get Simone. I want to leave as soon as the sun rises if that's possible, okay?”

“Sure thing, babe; we'll be ready.”

Gordon was very short with Samantha; the night had been long and his strength was waning. As he closed the door behind him, he thought that this would be his last walk to Jimmy's house. He had walked to Jimmy's house hundreds of times over the years and now this would be the last. Thoughts of his times in Rancho Valentino came to him in rushes: times of celebration, a birthday party, Easter egg hunting, the Christmas Eve nights walking with his family and looking at the Christmas lights. As he looked at his community now, he saw a broken place. Not only had the houses physically decayed, so had the peacefulness and civility. Life was falling apart all around him and he knew their only chance now was outside the gates and in Idaho.

Jimmy's death was just the beginning. He didn't want to admit it, but death now was the norm.

Entering the house through the still-open garage door Gordon got a better look at the casualties from earlier. He only recognized Gerald of the three dead. He stepped carefully inside so as not to fall again. Now that he could see, he saw that one of the bodies on the floor in the hall was Lance Corporal Fowler, his eyes wide open. He reached down and forced his eyelids closed, then pulled his dog tags off his neck and pocketed them. Continuing on into the living room, he saw another dead body. It was the person who had shot at him just hours before. Gordon had many fond memories of this room; just last year they had watched the Super Bowl from here. The memories now proved depressing and he needed to find Simone, so he pressed on farther into the house looking for her.