tried to run up on Burncutt from his blind side, but Burncutt saw him.
Burncutt fired and hit Chad. Chad fell. Jimmy Earl saw what had happened and looked back at Charlotte who was holding her rifle. “Baby girl, give me that rifle.”
Jimmy Earl waited until Burncutt raised his head and then fired. The shot hit him in his right shoulder.
Burncutt screamed out in pain. By that time, lights and sirens filled the night.
Patrol cars were parked all over the place. A couple of officers handcuffed Burncutt and stripped him of his weapons and sat him in the backseat of their patrol car. Another officer went over to check on Chad, who was trying to get up on his own.
“Oomph--that hurt so bad!” said Chad.
The EMT’s rushed to Chad and took off his shirt and his bullet proof vest. He had a burn mark of where Burncutt’s .40-caliber round had made contact but the vest stopped the bullet.
The EMT’s also checked on Glass. She had a serious wound but she was all right. She had caught one slug to the shoulder, nearly at the chest .
Everybody in the Reeds’ house was ok.
* * *
I got out of my car and rushed up to the porch and opened the door.
“Is everybody ok?”
“Yes. We are fine.” Ruthie was wiping her hands on her housecoat.
Charlotte ran up to me and hugged me. I held her so tight.
“If it wasn’t for Chad, I don’t know what would have happened.”
Chad was now sitting on the porch in the swing letting the EMT’s check him out. He gave me thumbs up.
“Who was it? I asked, looking at Chad for the answer.
“Burncutt and Glass.” I thought I couldn’t be shocked more than I have been already tonight, but I was. “Anybody around to answer questions?”
“Yeah, Burncutt is in the patrol car. Glass is gonna be okay but she took a shot to the shoulder. She didn’t seem to know what this was all about…but she was doing what Burncutt told her to,” He was sluggish, as the morphine was kicking in.
I walked out to the patrol car. It took everything in me along with Capt. Davis and another officer, to hold me back from Burncutt. I wanted him bad, but I needed some answers too. I calmed down enough to open the door.
“Why, dammit--why did you kidnap Charlotte?”
Burncutt laughed.
The EMT’s came over to the car to bandage him. I told them to wait.
“I’m waiting.” I said, frustrated.
“You mean you haven’t figured it out yet?”
I had heard that once tonight. I answered him the same way I had answered Minton.
“Enlighten me on what I should know.”
“Eight years ago, you had busted my father for manufacturing Meth. He went up the river and my mother went down in the gutter.
I tried to hide my shock. “Go on.”
“We lost our home. We lived in shelters, scrounging for food from garbage cans.”
I looked away for a second but then focused on Burncutt.
“I spent my life making myself into the thing I hated most, a cop! I wanted to get close enough to you to make you suffer as much as I had.”
Capt. Davis looked at him. “Well, you are under arrest for murder, kidnapping, attempted…”
“Wait whoa, murder? I didn’t murder anybody. I mean—yeah, I kidnapped your girl—but I
didn’t murder anybody.”
Capt. Davis turned to look at me.
“What’s on your mind, Jared?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll call you when I got something.” I was trying to get the connection here. They
weren’t working together, but everybody in the terrible events in recent days seemed to have one
thing in common: Me.
Except for one.
I ran back up to the porch and kissed Charlotte.
“I have to go take care of something. You will be safe now. You have nothing else to worry
About.”
“I love you baby, and be safe.”
“I will. On second thought Captain, I need you to come with me,” I said, getting into my car.
Chapter 11
We turned out the lights as we pulled outside
Burncutt fired and hit Chad. Chad fell. Jimmy Earl saw what had happened and looked back at Charlotte who was holding her rifle. “Baby girl, give me that rifle.”
Jimmy Earl waited until Burncutt raised his head and then fired. The shot hit him in his right shoulder.
Burncutt screamed out in pain. By that time, lights and sirens filled the night.
Patrol cars were parked all over the place. A couple of officers handcuffed Burncutt and stripped him of his weapons and sat him in the backseat of their patrol car. Another officer went over to check on Chad, who was trying to get up on his own.
“Oomph--that hurt so bad!” said Chad.
The EMT’s rushed to Chad and took off his shirt and his bullet proof vest. He had a burn mark of where Burncutt’s .40-caliber round had made contact but the vest stopped the bullet.
The EMT’s also checked on Glass. She had a serious wound but she was all right. She had caught one slug to the shoulder, nearly at the chest .
Everybody in the Reeds’ house was ok.
* * *
I got out of my car and rushed up to the porch and opened the door.
“Is everybody ok?”
“Yes. We are fine.” Ruthie was wiping her hands on her housecoat.
Charlotte ran up to me and hugged me. I held her so tight.
“If it wasn’t for Chad, I don’t know what would have happened.”
Chad was now sitting on the porch in the swing letting the EMT’s check him out. He gave me thumbs up.
“Who was it? I asked, looking at Chad for the answer.
“Burncutt and Glass.” I thought I couldn’t be shocked more than I have been already tonight, but I was. “Anybody around to answer questions?”
“Yeah, Burncutt is in the patrol car. Glass is gonna be okay but she took a shot to the shoulder. She didn’t seem to know what this was all about…but she was doing what Burncutt told her to,” He was sluggish, as the morphine was kicking in.
I walked out to the patrol car. It took everything in me along with Capt. Davis and another officer, to hold me back from Burncutt. I wanted him bad, but I needed some answers too. I calmed down enough to open the door.
“Why, dammit--why did you kidnap Charlotte?”
Burncutt laughed.
The EMT’s came over to the car to bandage him. I told them to wait.
“I’m waiting.” I said, frustrated.
“You mean you haven’t figured it out yet?”
I had heard that once tonight. I answered him the same way I had answered Minton.
“Enlighten me on what I should know.”
“Eight years ago, you had busted my father for manufacturing Meth. He went up the river and my mother went down in the gutter.
I tried to hide my shock. “Go on.”
“We lost our home. We lived in shelters, scrounging for food from garbage cans.”
I looked away for a second but then focused on Burncutt.
“I spent my life making myself into the thing I hated most, a cop! I wanted to get close enough to you to make you suffer as much as I had.”
Capt. Davis looked at him. “Well, you are under arrest for murder, kidnapping, attempted…”
“Wait whoa, murder? I didn’t murder anybody. I mean—yeah, I kidnapped your girl—but I
didn’t murder anybody.”
Capt. Davis turned to look at me.
“What’s on your mind, Jared?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll call you when I got something.” I was trying to get the connection here. They
weren’t working together, but everybody in the terrible events in recent days seemed to have one
thing in common: Me.
Except for one.
I ran back up to the porch and kissed Charlotte.
“I have to go take care of something. You will be safe now. You have nothing else to worry
About.”
“I love you baby, and be safe.”
“I will. On second thought Captain, I need you to come with me,” I said, getting into my car.
Chapter 11
We turned out the lights as we pulled outside
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