The Shoot Out

The Shootout

It was after midnight when they got to Raoul’s Safe House. It was back in the woods several miles off the coast. As they drove up, Alonso got out and swung the metal gate. Louisa drove in and he closed it behind them.

About a quarter mile down the graveled drive the trees opened into a clearing and there stood an old hunting cabin. They were exhausted. The door was unlocked and they went inside bolting the door behind. Alonso walked over and turned up the thermostat. It measured fifty degrees F inside and the air blowing in off the ocean had a damp chill.

The refrigerator was stocked with hamburger patties, chicken and hot dogs. There were several bags of groceries on the counter and sodas stacked on the floor. In the corner was a bar. He fixed himself a scotch and water.

“Whatcha drinking?” he inquired.

“A bottle of water,” she replied.

There was a small refrigerator beneath the bar, well stocked. He took out a cold Dasani and broke the plastic cap open. Louisa yawned, took it and walked into the master bedroom. It had a king-sized bed and nightstands on either end. She took a long pull and let it trickle down her throat. There was a recliner, table, dresser and chest of drawers.

She took the overnight bag from Wal-Mart and he brought their newly acquired luggage inside and set it next to the door. The house smelled of fresh cut pine and the inner walls were paneled in quarter cut logs.

There was a large walk in bathroom with a huge shower having two nozzles. She turned on the water and took off her clothes. Some of the blood from the carnage had soaked through into her under garments and while there were beneath her newly acquired blouse and levis, they had a smell she associated with death.

She stripped of her shirt and blue jeans. Her undershirt and panties went into the corner along with her stained jogging shoes and socks. Steam began to rise up from the shower and she stepped inside. A fresh bar of creamy soap was in the metal dish and she took it as the delicious hot water cascaded down over her shoulders.

She heard the cabinet swing open from the opposite end and Alonso joined her turning on the other nozzle. He began to soap himself down and guzzled his drink laying the empty glass on the floor.

As the blood, grime and smell of anxiety came off in the lather they faced each other and embraced. She wallowed, melting into his chest as his biceps pulled her close.

It had been a quiet trip up from Boston. Events of earlier in the evening were still a blur.

She had seen on the monitors three men take Alonso down into the basement. Two more had remained, one in the drawing room and the other upstairs in the master bedroom. They were looking out the window onto the street below. They were armed with an assortment of automatics and revolvers.

Instinct told her that once they had what they were looking for, Alonso was a dead man.

“No way Jose,” she’d muttered under her breath.

On the wall was a gun rack that contained an assortment of rifles pistols and shotguns. She took the short-barreled browning pump. In the drawer were boxes of ammunition and shotgun shells. She found the box of slugs and began inserting them into the receiver. When it was full she charged the receiver it and dropped a half dozen more shells into the pocket of her jacket.

Taking one last look at the monitors she said to Rochelle.

“I’m going to go give your father a hand. Stay here and keep me posted on developments by cell phone." She stuck the headphone in her ear and dialed her number. “You have my back,” she said and stepped into the hallway.

The rest happened quickly. She walked around to the master bedroom and entered. The figure spun in surprise and she fired twice. The first caught him in the stomach and the second in the chest.

She heard a voice from downstairs holler,”Carlos?”

“He’s coming up the stairs,” Rochelll told her over the phone.

Louisa stepped behind the door as he burst into the bedroom. She fired twice more with the same effect. She heard angry voices coming from down stairs.

“What’s going on down there?” she asked.

“They can't seem to figure out what’s happening… no wait, one of them is coming up the stairs, moving cautiously.”

“Tell me when he gets to the kitchen door,” said Louisa skipping down the stairs.
She cycled three more shells into the receiver.

“He’s about to open the door,” said Rochelle.

Louisa fired point blank through the door and kicked it open. A body was rolling down the stairs. She followed right behind firing once more as she stepped across the sprawled figure.

“What’s happening in Carmelita’s room?”

“They’re confused…. Wait Dad just jumped one of them. The other is trying to get a shot.”

Louisa stepped through the door and fired twice more. The man with the pistol was thrown backward into the wall. Alonso struggled with his adversary as Louisa walked up and put the barrel beneath his chin. The Latino gave a wide-eyed look as she pulled the trigger.

Alonso checked the automatic and stuck it into his trousers.

“Nice work Agent Rodriguez or whatever the fuck your name is.”

From the computer he extracted the disk. He laid a thermite grenade atop the processor and pulled the pin.

“Upstairs!” he ordered as sparks and acrid smoke began emanating from the canister.

In the safe room Rochelle saw them returning up the stairs and rushed to her father's arms. In the distance sirens could be heard. Behind the gun case was an attaché case. Taking it he said, “ We’re out of here.”

They went out the back door as the flames were beginning to spread. They walked across the street and into the small shopping mall where a cab was delivering a customer to the grocery store. They got inside.

“Take us to McDonalds,” Alonso told the driver and they sped off.

Over a McDouble, French fries and sodas he explained to Rochelle what she had to do. “ Go to your Aunt Clara’s and get on with your life. There’s cash in the briefcase along with credit cards and fake ID. I’ll contact you soon. You know the drill, we’ve discussed it often enough.”

She kissed her Dad, took the briefcase and when out to the cab.

“What now?” asked Louisa.

“Well, Agent Rodriguez, its time for you to decide whether you want to fish or cut bait. Where I’m going is no place for the faint-hearted.”

He took out his cell and called a number

“Raoul, they hit my house…. I got out with the disk just ahead of the police. I’m sitting at the McDonalds in Teledyne Mall.”

He disconnected. “So what’s it gonna be?”

“I’m thinking you’re going to need another Carmelita.”

“Are you volunteering for the Job?”

“Try getting rid of me.”

A half hour later two cars pulled up. Raoul got out and came inside.

“What happened?” he asked.

Alonso related the story leaving out Louisa’s role in the shootout.

“You got all five single handedly? Now that was quite an accomplishment…I never thought you had it in you, Amigo.”

“The Big Guy is Mucho Ombre,” said Louisa, tongue in cheek.

“Take the black Audi. The GPS is programmed to take you to a safe house. Wait for me there, sometime tomorrow evening. You taking her with you?”

“We’re becoming attached and I’m thinking I'll need a replacement for my ex-wife.”

“She checked out last week and if you’re good with her, so am I.”

…

Louisa walked out of the bathroom and put on the Teddy she'd bought. The house was warming up but there was still a chill in the air. She turned back the covers and sank beneath the soft sheets and warm spread.

With a sigh she was soon fast asleep. Sometime shortly thereafter it seemed that Alonso joined her. She spooned into him and the stress and terror of the past flew hours seemed to lift off and drift away.

The sun was coming up when she smelled bacon cooking and coffee brewing. A few minutes later Alonso brought in a fold down tray with a platter of scrambled eggs, biscuits and bacon. As she sat up he watched as Louisa separated each, making sure that nothing touched and proceeded to eat one portion at a time. Alonso took it all in without saying a word. When she finished he inquired.

“Why do you eat that way? It all gets mixed inside your stomach.”

“Is this where you start trying to change the way I am?”

“No!” He replied. “I was just curious, that’s all.”

“Is that all you’re curious about?”

“Well, I was wondering where you learned to use that shotgun.”

“The same place you learned the Chewing Gum Trick.”

Alonso smiled burying his face in his hands. “So you’ve known since the Internal Review.’

“I can’t believe you never figured I was an undercover cop.”

“I should have sweetheart, you gave me enough clues.”

“Oh really!”

“Yeah, really.”

“For instance?”

“That night in the Kitchen…You always find an excuse not to do it…That look of sheer terror when you though I was taking you downstairs…The way you made yourself at home in the surveillance room…The way you suddenly warmed up to me.”

“I have to say you were the dumbest target I ever surveilled.”

“I didn’t see it because I didn’t want to… It wasn’t until I heard the shotgun going off and you in the doorway that the light finally came on. I didn’t see it Honey, because I was too in love to notice.”

“How did you ever survive without a smart woman looking out for you?”

“Taking on five of the Cartel’s finest hardly qualifies you as smart….In my considered opinion it makes you the dumbest broad I ever met. What made you do it.?”

Her eyes sparkled. “Do you have to ask?”