“This is for Catherine.”
Jack squeezed the trigger sending a hot metallic death sentence straight into Bernard Kendricks’ forehead. Tristan watched as he fell to the ground, shocked look eternally cemented on his face, twisting in the air, and landing face up at her feet. Jack straddled over him, staring his enemy in the face one last time.
“And this is for Tristan.”
He shot one last time, this time in the chest, just shy of his heart - just to make sure he was dead. When it was done, when the bullet was firmly lodged in Kendricks’ chest, Jack dropped the gun to the floor and a flood of air released from his mouth. He realized that he hadn’t exhaled since walking through the door.
It took Tristan a moment to process the scene. What had just happened here? After days upon days of running and fighting and fleeing, never knowing if she would ever see her family again, never knowing if she would live to tell the tale, Bernard Kendricks was finally dead. For the first time since the ordeal began, she felt like she could breathe fully again. Tristan ran to her father, jumping over the lifeless body of her former English teacher and hugged her father so forcefully that he fell back onto the wall, supporting both of their weight on his one crutch. Into his shoulder, she sobbed.
“Its okay, my girl… my brave girl. It’s over. It’s all over now.”
*
“Did you hear that?!” Adam yelled at DiNolfo, who was already running down the path towards her car.
“Hurry up and get in!”
She sped up the road hitting sixty miles per hour, the car sounding as if it would break apart from underneath them as gravel flew up and hit the underbelly of the car. DiNolfo didn’t care. She could get a new one. She planned to ask for a raise after this case was over. She had decided days ago that her job in busy Pittsburgh was less stressful than this case had been.
As soon as the house was in sight she ran for the front door which was now wide open. She could see a man standing in the doorway. DiNolfo skidded to a halt as she approached the porch and ran up the steps. She could see the silhouette of a tall man in the entryway. With her gun drawn, she addressed him.
“Elkhart Police! Identify yourself!”
Jack grabbed his crutch and slowly turned himself and Tristan to face DiNolfo. Tristan was still buried deep in Jack’s shoulder, tears flooded down both of their faces. When DiNolfo realized who it was, she couldn’t believe her eyes. That is when she saw the body. Lying on the floor lifeless with a bullet hole in his head, Bernard Kendricks stared lifelessly back at her. Clutching her side, she had to sit down. It was all too much for her.
“Oh, thank God…” she said, catching her breath as she felt a giant weight rise from her chest. “Is anyone hurt?”
“War wounds… we’ll live” said Jack trying to lighten up the grim scene, “Right kid?” he said looking at Tristan. Somberly, she shook her head up and down. Adam and Liam watched from afar, still reeling from the events of the last few days. DiNolfo looked up at Jack with a perplexed look.
“Wait… how did you know?”
“The phone. It had been dead for hours. I tried calling at least a dozen times. I knew then that I had to come.” He looked down at his daughter, who was still gripping his waist tightly as he kissed her on her forehead. “And it’s a good thing that I did.”
Adam, who was looking perplexed, called up to his father on the porch.
“Where the hell is everyone?” he asked with a worried look on his usually pleasant face.
“I have no idea. I just got here,” said Jack wearily. All his attention, all his energy had gone into making sure that Tristan was safe. He had subconsciously always assumed that the boys could defend themselves as long as they stayed together. He was wrong to assume so.
“Uncle Frank’s truck is gone. I bet you they went to get help,” Liam suggested.
Jack gave Liam an agitated glare, “Frank would never leave if Tristan is in danger. He is here somewhere. If anyone took the truck, it was Bridgette and the younger boys. We need to look for Frank.”