Chapter 25

The sound in the hallway surprised even me. Tommy Kilborn pointed the pistol at me and waited. His attention on the door. When the doorway filled with something out of a video game, I had the derringer in my hand. Kilborn jerked a little when the .22mag hit him, then his face exploded when the .45 caliber hollow point struck him.

I sat down hard, ad Liam removed his helmet. "Andrew is out in the parking lot making nice with the local cops. Lucky one of your deputies knew I was on the way with our 'dark swat team'," he said.

"How did you know he wouldn't shoot me?" I asked.

"I didn't really know. All the studies say the instinct is to go for the threat first. As you can see that is what I expected," he explained.

"You know this means I have to swear you in a deputy sheriff auxiliary or something," I said.

"Oh my, I work for you now do I?" he said laughing.

"Let's go explain why we executed Tommy Kilborn," I said.

"Simple he pulled a gun on you. That's enough to get anyone killed at least once," he said.

I tried not to think that way when the regular deputies showed up. Protocol required the deputies to call the SBI to investigate an officer involved shooting, since we had no internal affairs.

Liam and I had been separated after we got our stories straight. One of the things I had done on day one of my administration was to sign Liam, Andrew, and the Brit up as special volunteer deputies. So we were covered at least I hoped so.

Two hours passed before Morris walked into the conference room. "Well agent Morris good to see you," I said.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you here like this," she said.

"So what you going to charge me with?" I asked.

"I'm not sure yet. Why don't we start with why you walked into that room?" she asked.

"I thought you knew I traded myself for ten kids," I said. "Surely you would have done the same thing."

"What I would or would not do is of not consequence here. I want to know why he asked for you?" she said.

"Well he thought he could get a better deal with the federal prosecutor, than he could from us local people. He wanted me to intercede for him. If I'm not mistaken she was on the way down for a meeting, when Tommy Kilborn tragically died."

"He tragically died, when you and your mercenary friend killed him," Morris said.

"He had every chance to surrender, but he chose to point a gun at Logan," I said.

"You mean Liam Logan a known mercenary," Morris said.

"If you can arrest him for being a mercenary have at it. I know nothing about that, or of any law against it. As far as I was concerned, some very well trained men volunteered to be special deputies. Yes, I did call them in to help with this situation. At the time of this incident they were acting as deputy sheriff's of Warren County. Now agent Morris, I have cooperated. I have given you my statement, if you wish to question me like a suspect in some crime, I'll call my lawyer Rita.

I think Liam has cooperated. I am sure he gave you a statement. I am pretty sure if you started to question him like a suspect in some crime, he will call the company lawyer. So that means, we have given you our statements. If you want to hold either of us have at it. If not, I'm going to The Brit's Pub and have a beer. If you want to come along, I'm buying to celebrate being alive." I said it as I got up and walked out of the room.

I smelled like a wet dog, but I went to The Brit's just as I told Morris I planned to do. We had about three beers. I might have stayed for more, but everyone remarked on how bad I smelled. Since no one wanted to be near me, I went home. I took a shower. I also broke down and cried in the shower. I got out when the water turn lukewarm. I could see Tommy Kilborn's face explode every time I closed my eyes. There was no sense trying to sleep. I stayed on the computer till I was totally exhausted. I finally tried to sleep and found that it wasn't difficult, since I was drunk on green dragon and exhausted emotionally and physically.

I had no idea why Tommy had effected me so much. He wasn't the first person I had seen killed. He wasn't even the first one I had personally killed. He wasn't even close. Hell I had tortured people to death, but I had always thought I was on god's side.

The difference was I might have been doing it to save my own ass. This time I might have been doing it to shut him up and that was a bad thing, if I did it for that reason. Then I thought about it again. Jamison had given us all the same information Tommy was offering me. So I didn't allow anyone to get away by killing him. Even if I hadn't shot him, he pointed his gun and me and Liam was going to do it anyway. Hell before Tommy hit the ground, Liam had blown his face off. Screw it, I thought. Then I turned over and forgave myself before I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning was Saturday and the news crew was waiting at the edge of my driveway. They had called several times I was sure, but the phone was off. I had to face them it was all about the politics now. I had to get my side out before Webster and his machine went to work on me. I knew that without being told. I had seen them work, when I worked for the previous Sheriff.

Before I went out of the house I called Mrs. West. "Good morning, is anything happening there?" I asked.

"Lots of calls from the parents of those kids thanking you. They have been all over the cable's local TV. I don't think the other side is going to make any statements at all." she said.