Page 59 of G8
“We’ll carry them,” K8 First replied and climbed out.
K8 Second nudged Ingrid’s arm. “You go next. I’ll hand the babies to you.”
It was a short drop onto the dirt. By the time she turned around, K8 Second was lowering an infant into her duplicate’s arm. Before she could receive a child, K8 First handed that baby over to her.
“You go on and head for your car. We’ll be right behind you.”
Clutching the child to her shoulder, Ingrid hurried around the corner of the house just as a white van raced up the dirt drive and screeched to a stop next to the farmhouse. One of the men spotted her and yelled for her to stop. She turned and began running toward the road. The man yelled at her again. Terrified, she kept going. The jostling woke the baby, yet it didn’t cry out. A quick glance at the child’s face told her she was holding Sl8. His eyes were wide open, yet she got the impression he was more curious than frightened.
For the next handful of seconds, she concentrated on not tripping or falling as she tried to outrun the strange man who was coming after her. The mad dash eventually forced her to stop and catch her breath. As she halted and gasped for air, Ingrid took the opportunity to look behind her just as K8 First raced past her with Cl8 pressed to her chest. There was no sign of K8 Second, or of G8 and P8. And the man chasing her…
“Where’s—”
A gunshot interrupted her, followed by second one. Then a third.
27NEG8
With the women inside,G8 and P8 snuck around the side of the house until they were able to see the front of the building. Sheriff Biggs and Deputy Conners were standing on the front porch as they addressed the occupants who remained inside.
“It’s merely a precautionary action on our part,” Biggs explained. “Given that this place has been vacant for over a year. You understand that, right?”
“We do, and we appreciate you taking the time to come check,” a familiar yet terse voice responded.
G8 felt his gut tighten in fear. Looking over at P8, he saw the same look of disgust on the man’s face. There was no mistaking who was in the house.
P8 tugged on his arm. “Let’s get the fuck out of here,” he whispered at G8’s shoulder.
Nodding, he began backing away. “Do you think the girls are out of the house yet?”
P8 shrugged when they both froze at the sound of another car coming toward the house. Going back to see, they witnessed a white van braking to a sudden stop behind the deputy’s car, effectively blocking it in.
The driver stuck his head out the window. “You! Stop! Stop right there!” The man jumped out of the vehicle and took off toward the rear of the house. G8 immediately knew who he was chasing after. He turned to go after the guy when P8 clutched his arm.
“We gotta help?—”
“Hey!Hey! Get those guys! Stop them!” a second man hollered as he and a third man exited the van. They advanced toward Biggs and the deputy, when both officers drew their weapons.
“Stop right there!” the sheriff ordered. “Don’t come any closer!”
Both men drew their guns and made a rush toward the officers.
G8 had no idea who fired the first shot. He and P8 sprinted toward the group, which had now become a brawl. Biggs and Conners were fighting to maintain possession of their firearms as Bill and Dorsey and the other two men struggled to overcome them.
There was a second gunshot. G8 thought he saw Dr. Farenthold fall. Dorsey broke away and ran back into the house, and a third shot went off just as he felt fire race up his leg. He knew he’d split open the wound in his calf but he couldn’t let it stop him.
He grabbed the first man he came to, lifting him off his feet then slamming him face-down into the ground. From the corner of his eye he saw the second man lift his pistol to fire at him. G8 started to dive backwards when P8 launched himself at the man, snagged a handful of the man’s stringy hair, and jerked downward. The sharp snapping sound was the man’s neck, and both P8 and G8 instinctively crouched down as G8 caught another movement, this time coming up from behind P8. It turned out to be Deputy Conners coming over to check the man P8 had dispatched.
“He’s dead.”
“I figured,” P8 drily remarked.
Sheriff Biggs came up behind them. “Dr. Farenthold is also deceased.”
G8 pointed to the door. “Dorsey went back inside. Are the girls out?”
Biggs whirled around. “Dodd, go call for reinforcements and an ambulance. I’m going after the woman.”
“What about the girls? Did they manage to get K8 and the babies out?” G8 asked.
