Page 81 of Her Final Hours
Knocking on the window, McKenzie raised his voice. “Hey, you better open the door now, son, or you are in trouble. Don’t make me come in there.”
Callie shook her head at McKenzie’s actions. He was a firecracker without a safety warning. “McKenzie, get down from there before you slip and land on your ass,” she warned, concerned for his safety.
Just as she said that, movement caught her attention from the corner of her eye. She turned, her gaze narrowing on Patrick, about twenty yards away. He was dressed in winter camouflage gear, blending in with the snowy surroundings. A rifle was slung over his shoulder; his other hand held a bloody rabbit, adding an ominous element to the moment.
“Patrick Bromide!” she called out, stern in her command. In an instant, Patrick turned and attempted to flee. McKenzie reacted swiftly, firing off a warning round into the air.
“Unless you plan to go ice skating on your face, I would think twice about trying to flee across that river,” he warned, his authority coming out in one burst.
Patrick hesitated, his hands slowly rising in surrender. He turned back towards them, his face fearful but with a hint of defiance.
“Remove the rifle and drop it!” McKenzie ordered.
As Callie closed the gap between them, trudging through the deep snow, Patrick obeyed their command and tossed the rifle aside. However, before she could reach him, he made a split-second decision and bolted into the dense woods.
Against her better judgment, Callie’s determination kicked in, and she pursued him into the forest, her heart poundingagainst her chest. She heard McKenzie curse behind her. “Sonofabitch!”
As they chased Patrick through the woodland, their handguns at the ready, their breaths came out in short bursts, the adrenaline pumping through their veins. The snow-laden ground made it almost impossible to maintain their footing, causing them to tread cautiously.
Suddenly, they lost sight of Patrick.
Panic set in as they turned in different directions, their eyes scanning the surroundings for movement. The silence of the woods was broken only by the muffled sounds of their breaths and the howl of the wind.
Then, McKenzie caught a glimpse of movement from the corner of his eye. Patrick emerged from behind a cluster of trees, his figure momentarily illuminated by the faint glow of the snow on the ground. McKenzie shouted, “Stop! Stop!” but Patrick continued to flee.
In an attempt to halt his escape, McKenzie fired another warning shot, except this came scarily close, sending a chunk of wood flying off a nearby tree. The sound echoed through the forest, and Patrick froze in his tracks, his grip tightening on a SIG Sauer in his hand.
“Put it down, Patrick,” Callie commanded.
Patrick shook his head defiantly. “Can’t do that,” he replied, his voice strained.
Callie motioned for McKenzie to hold back, her hand outstretched, urging him to let her handle the situation. She stepped forward, closing the distance between herself and Patrick. “Look, there’s no need to run. We just wanted to talk,” she pleaded.
Patrick’s gaze flickered between them, uncertainty etched in his expression. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, clearly wrestling with his options. “Yeah,about what?” he asked, his voice tinged with guarded curiosity.
Callie moved closer, her senses heightened, her nerves on high alert. “Why did you lie about Eduardo? He wasn’t in prison with you,” she questioned.
Patrick turned away slightly, conflicted. “They would have killed me if I hadn’t.”
Callie’s eyes narrowed, locking in on Patrick’s gun hand. “Who’s they, Patrick?”
He shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting around as if seeking an escape route. “The others,” he muttered.
“Others?” she asked.
“It doesn’t matter.” He wielded the gun, tapping it against his leg.
“So, what, you’re going to shoot us with that? Don’t be stupid. Put it down,” she said.
“I’m not going back inside. I won’t do it.”
Callie was quick to respond. “No one said anything about you going to jail. We just want answers.”
Sensing the tension rising, McKenzie began working his way closer, his determination apparent.
“Stay back,” Patrick warned.
Callie glanced over her shoulder, lifting a hand again in a plea to McKenzie. “McKenzie, back down,” she urged, wanting to de-escalate the situation.
