on top of Amy’s and squeezed it. Amy looked at Patrick. “What do we do? Do we call the sheriff again?”
Patrick scoffed, his jeer for the sheriff and not for the intent of belittling his wife’s suggestion. “Are you joking? At this point I don’t even think he’d show up if we did.” He started towards the kitchen. Placed the rifle on the counter and ran both hands under the faucet, splashing cold water onto his face. Finished, he grabbed the gun again and faced both women. “Here’s what we’re going to do,” he said. “You two are going stay here. You’re going to turn off the lights; keep the doors and windows locked; and stay out of sight. I’m going—”
“No!” Amy screamed. “You’re not going anywhere! You’re not—”
“Shut up!” he yelled. There was a twinge of guilt for his outburst, but now was not the time for tact. He would apologize later. And there would be a later.
Patrick spoke his next words slowly and methodically. “I am going to the Blocker’s house. I will have the gun with me. I am going to search every inch of that house. If I find anything, I will deal with it. If Norm and the kids come back, you tell Norm what’s been going on, and all of you stay locked up tight until I return.”
Amy’s attempt at controlling her tears had failed. They were flowing freely now, her voice wet and strained. “And if you don’t return?” she said.
Patrick looked at his wife with desperate intensity. “I’m going to return.”
Amy cried harder. Lorraine stood and hugged her, then looked over her shoulder at Patrick. “I’m not too sure this is wise, Patrick,” she said. “If these men are as dangerous as they seem…”
Patrick’s gaze was unflinching. “Well then think about this, Lorraine: what if these dangerous men have got a hold of your husband and our children? What do you suggest we do? Sit here and wait? Excuse me, but fuck that.”
33
The moment after Patrick kissed his wife, hugged Lorraine, and walked out the front door armed with a loaded rifle, the two women sprang into action. They did exactly as Patrick had said: locked every window and door, turned off all lights, then hurried to Norman and Lorraine’s bedroom where they both took a spot on the floor, against the wall, out of plain sight, knees bent to the chest, arms wrapped tight around them, not daring to speak for the first few minutes they sat huddled together.
“What do we do if Norm and the kids show up?” Amy eventually whispered.
“What do you mean?” Lorraine’s whisper was even softer.
“Does he have a key, or will we have to get up and let him in?”
“He has a key,” she said. “But I’m sure he’d think it odd if I locked the door. I never lock the front door.”
A short pause.
“I’m scared,” Amy said. “I want my babies to be okay.” And then quickly, she added, “Norm too of course.”
Lorraine smiled. “I know, sweetheart.” She wrapped her arm around Amy and pulled her in tight. “We just have to do as Patrick said. We need to stay out of sight and wait for him to return.”
“Oh God, but what if—”
Lorraine squeezed Amy’s shoulder hard, cutting her off. “Stop thinking like that. We have to stay positive. We need to be strong.”
“I am positive; I am strong.” She stopped, her eyes, lit only by moonlight, re-living something dark.
“But those men…they’ve been following us. Watching us. They know—”
Lorraine squeezed harder. “Stop it, Amy. We need to keep quiet for now and listen for Patrick and Norm. Focus on it, okay? Focus. We are going to see my husband and your family very soon. We are. I promise. Just focus on that and be strong, sweetheart, okay?”
* * *
Patrick held the rifle vertically, hidden along the length of his body as he walked towards the Blocker’s cabin. The last thing he wanted was a nosy neighbor reporting a strange man walking the perimeter of the lake with a rifle in hand, looking as though he meant to shoot anything that blinked. Or maybe he did want that. It might be the only way for the sheriff to show his face again. No—the dumb bastard would probably shoot him by mistake.
Speaking of said dumb bastard, Patrick had no difficulty recalling the sheriff’s words and did not even try to enter the Blocker’s cabin through their front door. Instead he immediately headed around back and started for