Forget to Remember

situation under control.”
    Ivan said, “Call Tim now.”
    Bob had a two-way radio. He used it to attempt to raise Tim. There was no answer. Ivan took the flashlight from Carol and looked around.
    “You’ve got a good defensive setup here. I’m going out to find Tim. It may be nothing. Batteries or something like that. Leave the lights off.”
    Carol said she was going with him because she knew the grounds. Audrey started to argue, but Ivan told her they’d stick together. They went out the front door and quickly moved off the patio in the opposite direction from which they’d approached the house. This route took them toward the garage.
    They carefully looked around the corner of the house at the garage door. It was closed. Audrey’s car was parked in front of the garage. They walked along that part of the driveway, watching for movements in the dark. Clouds covered the moon and stars. They approached the old house cautiously. It looked eerie.
    Carol saw the outline of the well that stood beside the old house and had furnished water for it. Ivan was letting her turn on the flashlight for a couple of seconds at a time, but not long enough for someone to get a bead on it. She flashed it toward the well.
    She spoke softly. “It’s supposed to have a cover on it so people don’t fall in. I don’t see the cover.”
    They walked the few feet to the stone well. Sure enough, the wooden cover was lying on the ground. Carol shone her flashlight down the well. The hole went down about fifteen feet. The flashlight beam hit something. She turned it off, observing the two-second rule, before she realized what it was. She turned it back on.
    A person was jammed into the hole that was too small for his rotund body. Carol saw his white face and unblinking eyes with horror. “Tim.” No answer or movement from the body. She called again.
    A shot came from the shadows of the old house. Ivan pulled Carol down behind the well. She had left the flashlight on too long. She turned it off.
    “Michael?”
    No answer. Carol called again. A strange voice answered.
    “It would have worked. The plan was foolproof. It would have worked if you hadn’t screwed it up. Cindy, Cindy, fat and windy. You’ve ruined everything. That’s the story of my life.”
    “Michael, are you hurt?”
    “It should have worked, anyway. I came in through the gate above the creek. That asshole was between me and the house. Without Grandma, you can’t prove who you are. I snuck up on him with the knife, trying not to make any noise. I stepped on a twig, damn it. He turned and I didn’t get a clean strike, but I hurt him. We wrestled. I tried to dump him in the well. He’s heavy; it’s a good thing I’m a weight lifter. Just as I got him over the edge, he grabbed my knife and…”
    His voice trailed off.
    “Michael, we’ll get you help.”
    A shot went right over their heads. Carol cringed and crowded against Ivan.

    CHAPTER 39
    “Michael, throw your gun out in front of you.”
    Ivan used his most authoritative voice. Michael’s answer was another shot. He wasn’t going to surrender.
    Ivan whispered, “He’s still dangerous as long as he has the gun. We’ve got to stop him. Shine the flashlight over the top of the well, but don’t expose your arm. Look around the side with one eye so you can see to focus the light on him. I’ll get him from the other side.”
    It was cold-blooded. Strangely, Carol didn’t feel anything, even though it was her brother they were talking about. She peeked around the left side of the well and simultaneously turned on the flashlight, holding it just above the stone surface, so her hand was minimally exposed. It took her a couple of seconds to find Michael and shine the light on him. He was sitting, sprawled, with his back against the side of the house.
    Michael fired at the light. Almost simultaneously, Ivan fired. Michael grunted. Carol saw his gun hand drop to the ground. Ivan kept his gun trained on Michael, watching for movement. There was none. Ivan approached Michael and kicked his gun away from him toward the well. Carol held the flashlight while he inspected Michael. He turned to Carol who was standing and leaning against the well for support.
    “He’s either dead or close to it.”
    There was a groan from the well. Carol shone the flashlight on Tim. “He’s still alive.”
    “I’m going to the house to let them know what happened. They’ll have heard the shots. We’ll call the police and