Voices of Conflict

Chapter 7

Slowly coming to awareness, Gary woke from a deep restful sleep.

He stretched his arms and neck and scratched his hip. It felt stiff from the weight of the cast.

With his eyes still bandaged he couldn't tell if it was still daylight or if it was dark. One thing he did know, it was quiet. 'The party must be over. They must have let me sleep,' he thought to himself. "Charlie," he called out thinking that Charlie had probably stayed with him. There was no response.

In the kitchen Jimmy suddenly smiled. He reveled in his luck. First the window had been unlocked allowing him access inside, and now his luck had increased. The voices in his head chanted with glee. "He's here!"

Gary heard a noise in the front of the house. "Charlie," he called again a little more loudly. Still he got no response.

Feeling a little uneasy he reached out trying to find the wheel chair he knew Charlie would have left nearby.

He couldn't help but feel a little nervous about the lack of response.

Shaking off what he perceived as his own ridiculous thoughts, he grabbed the arm and pulled the chair close to the bed. The metal of the chair arm was cold. He struggled to get the chair in place. If he could just maneuver to the edge of the bed he could slide into the chair without putting pressure on his casted leg.

Gail stirred. In her sleep fogged brain she had heard a noise. The house grew quiet again; she snuggled back into the warmth and drifted back to sleep.

Jimmy moved to the hall, he stood very still and waited.

He listened, breathing quietly.

"He's here Jimmy. Go get him. Make him pay." The voices urged him on. "Make him remember your wife. Tell him why he has to suffer. Go Jimmy. Go get him."

Jimmy inched gradually down the hall, his excitement building uncontrollably.

He heard a noise in the room where he hoped Gary Saunders was. He stopped, waiting. His hand pressed against the wall steadying him. He stood completely motionless, holding his breath.

The door to the room opened slowly as Gary tried to keep it from hitting against the wheel chair. It was not an easy task with his eyes covered. After several tries with the door repeatedly banging the wheel he got it open. "Charlie, come on man where are you?"

A wicked smile spread slowly across Jimmy's face.

There he was, the man he had been trying to figure out how to grab, there he was right in front of him; right where he wanted him to be.

He let out the breath he'd been holding.

Gary stopped as soon as he got the chair into the hall. 'Someone's here. Something's not right.'

He tilted his head upward, pausing as he slowly breathed deeply through his nose. He smelled it.

He knew he was not alone anymore.

The hair stood up on the back of his neck; his body tensed.

"Who's there?" he smelled the aftershave again sending tension down his spine. His hands trembled. He gripped the arms of the chair more tightly. "What do you want?"

Gail heard voices downstairs. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Glancing over at the clock on the bedside table she wondered who would have come over this late. It was almost midnight. 'Whoever you are you had better have a very good reason to be disturbing Gary at this hour.' Sliding from beneath the warm blankets she reached for her clothes.