Chapter 23

I came toward our home cautiously. Bert was at Hannah's house with Irene and Stan was on his way. I went by my house and turned around at the corner. I parked off the road and pulled my Glock. Mentally, I told Bert to pass the word to Stan to park behind me cutting his lights at the corner. He told me he had. Mentally, I went on. "Laura, where are you?"

"I'm with Frankie at his house. What should we do?"

I responded, "Stay put. Be on watch. Tell Pam and Frank to beware and watchful."

"Yes, dad. We want to help."

I was already moving out and mentally said, "I understand but I never learned the buddy system. I will call if I need you, then come running."

I was close to two men who were performing a casual sentry duty when I felt Stan's presence. Mentally, I got in touch. I told him where I was and for him to hang back and cover my back letting me know if the two had company. I came up beside the car and saw that it was empty. I then came behind the two and said, "Without noise of any kind, place your pistols and any other arms on the ground. Don't screw with me. My wife is inside and I consider her life to be threatened by your presence. There will be no warning shots. There will be no hesitation. I will kill you."

One quietly moved to obey. The other said, "We aren't here to threaten..."

He said nothing else because I hit him hard knocking him out instantly. I said, "Your partner is now dead. You may surrender or die, too. Pick one."

"Surrender."

"That's a good decision as long my wife remains unharmed. If she is harmed in any way, I will return and kill you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

Stan came up. I said, "Stan, two trespassers are here. One resisted and is unconscious. The other had some intelligence and surrendered. Make sure he stays that way. There is another in my house. I'm going after him."

I held the Glock on him while Stan handcuffed his hands behind him. He quietly began reading him his rights while I headed for the house. I went around and entered through the kitchen silently. There was one man in the living room seated facing the front door and Lisa. I could see his hands. I came up behind him and pressed my pistol just behind his ear. "Don't think. Don't move. I will assume it is with deadly intent and you will be dead instantly. One of your men is seriously hurt after he resisted." Lisa stood up and ran into the bedroom and pulled one of her pistols from its hiding place and came out with it held at ready. I said, "I am going to remove your pistol. You need to concentrate upon holding still and keeping silent unless you want to die." He apparently didn't want to die. I removed his pistol and his identification. He was with the Secret Service according to his identification. "If this is real, why would the Secret Service enter my property without warning?" He started to say something. I said, "Don't bother. I don't care. It cannot have been legitimate. You are under arrest for trespassing, having false identification, impersonating a federal agent and making threats to my wife."

"Lisa, call the police. Tell them that Stan is outside with two trespassers with one hurt who had resisted. I have a third here. We will prefer charges." Lisa left to make the call.

The man in the chair said, "May I speak?"

"As long as you don't move, though there is nothing you can say that will interest me other than perhaps making me mad enough to silence you permanently."

"We had no instructions to harm anyone. We were sent here to protect you. In one hour, the man who wants to speak to you will be here."

"He is an idiot. I will not talk to him but, if he enters the property, he will be treated like any other criminal coming on private property with deadly intent and will be met with deadly force to protect the lives of those rightfully here. After you make bail, you can tell whoever sent you that trespassers will be met with deadly force and there is no talk with criminals. It is easy to contact me by phone and arrange an agreeable meeting. A man is hurt because someone thought too much of themselves to be even marginally polite." I heard the sirens. I said, "Stand up very slowly. Don't lose your balance or move fast or you will be dead before you hit the floor." He stood very carefully. "Put your hands on top of your head with your fingers interlaced." He did. I frisked him finding no other weapons. His weapon and identification were in my pocket. I moved us to the front door. I stood behind him and waited. Two policemen came to the door, knocked, and asked for me.

I said, "Officers, I'm here. I have the other one captive at the door. Come in slowly."

They pushed the door open letting me see them in their uniforms. I recognized the sergeant as Ted Sullivan from the SWAT team. "Ted, he's all yours. I will file charges. I have a pistol he was carrying and some identification that I suspect is faked. Lisa and I will follow you guys into town as soon as I get my car. According to this bird, there is another group coming. Maybe, we can bag them all."

Ted nodded. His partner handcuffed my prisoner and led him away. Ted went out and talked to Stan and, moments later, all the lights went out. We waited. Forty-five minutes later, another SUV pulled into my drive. It was immediately blocked by police cars with all the lights turned on. Ted's voice came over a loudspeaker. "You in the SUV. You are trespassing on private property and we understand you are armed with deadly intent toward those who live here. You are surrounded. Come out slowly with your hands high in the air. Do it now!"

An older man stepped out of the rear side door on my side. His hands were out but not raised. He started to speak when Ted came over the loudspeaker. "Hands up now! There will be no warning shot. We assume you are intent on using deadly force. Your initial crew is in custody except for the one who resisted. He's badly hurt. Do it now!" The man raised his hands high in the air. One by one the other three with him came out and all were frisked and taken away. Two wreckers were called to haul off the SUV's and, after they were finished, we went to my car and headed for the police station.

We arrived at the police station to find that all seven were in a cell. None of them were talking. The Secret Service had quickly said that all the credentials identifying them with that agency were false. I went to Stan and talked with him for a moment. He chuckled. He went to the cell and selected the older man. "We're releasing you. However, we're really busy tonight though we have heard that Mister Chambers is waiting for you outside armed. He is quite angry and we are in no position to protect an unknown person who trespassed upon his property. Get out!"