Death by Canvas

By Frank A. Prouty

Preface:
Death by Canvas

Escaping from Decoder prison took weeks of planning and in the process in escaping the three convicts terminated the life of two state prison detectives and two prison guards. The ring leader, Kendall and his two convict friends also robbed a small convenient store of food and supplies on their flight to freedom. One of the items stolen was a canvas, which they used as protective covering, but as it turns out, the mythical powers of the canvas could also be used for much more.

Kendall as the leader of the three, was a morbid individual and had robbed a bank in the town of Lamar which was owned by the State Governor's father. The Governor wanted the money found and returned to clear his father of mismanagement allegations.

Seasonal storms during winter months played a big part in Kendall's good fortune in recovering the money and misfortune for others. His driving abilities behind the wheel gave him an edge over his adversaries.

As time went by Kendall's two partners in crime, met their demise as separate events took place. This left Kendall by himself to make his way to Lamar and recover the money he had stolen and stashed away in a public location where no one, would ever think to look.

During treacherous weather conditions and hostile episodes, various challenges made it very difficult for Kendall to accomplice his mission.

With his continued surveillance for the local and state police, along with the prison detectives it was a continuous distraction.

Kendall's violent life of crime came to an abrupt halt as he was attempting his last escape. The mystic powers of the unknown can have fatal conclusions to ones life as Kendall found out!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 17, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499030280

Frank A. Prouty

Frank and wife Betty live in Coolidge, Arizona. They have been married fifty five years and have raised three children, Cindy, Julie and Douglas. Frank has completed fourteen years of education and has traveled around the world during his tour of duty with the USAF and has worked in the Jet Engine carrier field supporting Fighters and Bombers for five years, and his last sixteen years was in the Airborne and Ground Communications carrier field. During his assignment to Andrews AFB, MD he helped support President Johnson, Nixon, Ford and Carter as an Airborne Radio Communications Technician and Radio Shop Supervisor. His last assignment was spent at Offutt AFB, NE as the Airborne Command Post Communications Supervisor in support of the National Emergency Airborne Command Post and SAC Airborne Command Post Aircrafts. After his military years he remained working in the communications field supporting Small and Large Satellite Communications Earth Stations which provided Voice, Data, and Video Communications for civilian companies and the Department of Defense. The culmination of his carrier ended supporting the Communications Division at the Nevada Nuclear Test Facility, at Las Vegas, (Mercury) Nevada.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

ESCAPE

The three convicts were making their way into the mountains as a brisk breeze greeted them. What they were now experiencing was just a mild taste of what they would encounter in the upcoming weeks.

The leaves on the trees had already turned to the unique fall colors. The whole country side would soon become one large picturesque scene. As the fall winds increased it felt like this part of the country was in for one of those bitter winters that arrive about every five years.

Their traveling had been slow and nerve racking. Several obstacles had deterred their progress and things would only get worse, as time passed!

–––

The convicts had just escaped from one of the most notorious maximum security prisons in the State. They would soon experience challenges that would keep them occupied and in a defensive state of mind for several weeks to come.

While they were in maximum security the prison guard’s maintained constant surveillance of them twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Freedom within the prison cells was held to a minimum. Along with other rules and regulations, living conditions seemed like hell, but now they were free and wouldn’t have to put up with all that crap the prison guards dished out from time after time.

It would be a different story now. They were in charge of their own lives and no warden or guards would be around to tell them what they could and could not do. It was going to be great to be free. There wouldn’t be any more restrictions to endure. No more of not being able to see the outside world like it had been while inside the prison area. A free world, that’s what it would be. A free world from here on out!

Their time during confinement felt like they were in a third world prison camp. The maintenance personnel were not allowed to remove trash which had wedged itself into the chain link fence that surrounded the prison. The fence was completely entrapped with debris of all kinds. Paper, leaves, small bits of tree branches and whatever else the wind had forced into it. Everything clung to the fence like it had actually grown from the ground up and into the woven meshed cabling and was stuck there for good. The only way to clear their view would be to burn the trash and then maybe their view would be more like a civilized world.

For some reason things had changed. The last two weeks before their escape it seemed like they had been on vacation. Their switch to minimum security was beyond their belief. Maximum security was now something of the past.

The big question now, was why?

The move from maximum security was a major change and a relief from the harsh life they had been experiencing. None of the three were going to complain and they would never know why it had changed!

The two individuals the three were now rooming with were of another breed. These two had been in minimum security for quite some time, so they said, and had become very friendly toward the three. All in all, the five inmates spent a lot of time together, and in a short order were becoming close friends, so it seemed.

After several weeks they had slowly gotten together and now were making plans for an escape. The two from minimum security had taken over as leaders in planning the break.

–––

Approximately ten miles north of the prison was a large modern city of over two hundred thousand people. With the location of this city at a higher elevation than most, the air was fresher and a person could enjoy indoor and outdoor activities about every month of the year. Most residents felt this was the ideal location to move too, and to call it their final place to live.

–––

The prison didn’t fair quite so well in location as the large city. The prison butted up against the northern side of rugged mountain terrain, trapping prevailing north winds and making living conditions quite miserable during winter months.

Summer months were much more comfortable with the hills providing shade from the sun except around noon time and later in the day.

The prison had been constructed years ago and Warden Clay Tanner had been trying to get needed repairs completed. He fought continually with the state board of corrections for funding, but his luck in this area was no better than getting pay increases for his staff.

Warden Tanner had written the State Board of Corrections explaining the poor condition of the prison, but unfortunately no one listened to his concerns. Whenever he did hear from the state correction department, it was always the same reply. Repairs are limited due to lack of available funds.

Twice in the last year he had written the governor. To his disappointment, the governor had not responded to his request. Warden Tanner felt he was becoming a prisoner in his own prison.

Tanner was a medium height individual with graying hair. His features left you with the impression that he was much older than he actually was. Wrinkles and creases around his eyes had increased considerably in the last couple of years because of the stress he had been under. His disposition before that had been pleasant in most situations, but lately it had deteriorated considerably.

His attitude toward all circumstances, no matter what, was negative. He had gotten so he didn’t take any crap from anyone under his jurisdiction whether it was the prison staff, or the prisoners themselves.

The prison staff had noticed this drastic change in his attitude and the prisoners now knew his mood in only one way, damn bad. He would just as soon kick their butts as look at them.

The warden’s office was on the first floor in the southwest corner of the prison compound. Large windows were on the south and west side of the building. This helped considerably during the winter months in heating his office because the sun would shine in making it comfortable during the cold winter days. During the hot summer months, he would close the light colored hanging drapes to keep the sun out, and the office space remained fairly comfortable.

The outside temperature in the winter was just about unbearable on some days. The wind blew so hard that snow drifts would start forming on the windward side of the building, and would continue to rise to nearly ten feet in height blocking his entire view to the outside world. Sometimes the only thing he could see was the sky.

It seemed like all the damn snow in the mountains had decided to congregate around his prison and leave the other areas bare. He sometimes thought he should move his office to the second floor just so he could see what was going on in the prison. It had gotten so bad he hated to see winter come.

Tanner had grown up in the southern part of the country and was not aware of the rough living conditions in the north prior to this assignment.

Before he arrived, he thought the assignment to Decoder Prison was going to be good for him and his family.

The end of this year would make four years for him at the prison and he was now more than ready to head south. Anywhere would beat this place, he thought. It didn’t have to be a southern assignment, just get me away from this hell hole!

Twice this year he had put in for reassignment, but each request was denied. His wife was also ready to leave and he felt like the job was pushing them apart.

Damn the prison system, he thought. There ought to be a rotation of some sort so everyone could share the same hardship he had put up with. He would just about give anything to trade places with any other warden.

–––

What’s that???? Warden Tanner heard himself say! He had been in a deep sleep and woke with a start!

The phone on his nightstand was ringing and the irritating sound scared the heck out of him! He quickly grabbed the receiver and nearly knocked the phone to the floor as he sat up in bed.

After a few clumsy moments with the handset firmly in his grasp, he slowly put it to his ear as his wife rolled over and pulled a pillow over her head.

He could tell instantly who was calling! That voice! He thought, oh hell, now what? It was Lieutenant Dule from the prison. Dule was sounding like an idiot. His words were incoherent as he continually stuttered.

In a gruff sleepy voice, Warden Tanner said, Get your act together Dule and slow down! It’s about time you did your job correctly!

Lieutenant Dule thought to himself, I’ve got to get myself under control while moving from one chair to another within his office. He let out a deep breath and tried to relax. After a few more breaths, he started speaking slower.

Dule could hear a shuffling noise in the background and knew Tanner didn’t like being woken at this time of night. He could tell Tanner was getting restless. Go ahead Dule, Tanner said.

Warden, there has been a prison break!

What? Yelled Tanner! What do you mean; there’s been a prison break?

Dule kept his voice under control and this time he didn’t stutter. He wanted to make every word counted.

He said, The three prisoners you had moved to minimum security a while back, they’re no longer there! We have looked everywhere and we can’t find them.

What do you mean the three prisoners I had moved to minimum security? I didn’t give an order for anything like that to happen! What the hell are you talking about?

You must of, Said Dule. They’ve been there for several weeks now. I just thought!!!

You just thought what? When did that happen? shouted Tanner. And who were they?

The three prisoners are Kendall, Talus and Marlow, Said Dule. We thought you had moved the convicts, said Dule!

Hell no, I didn’t give an order like that, said Tanner. When did they escape?

Early this morning, said Dule. It must have been before the security guards made their five-thirty rounds. We can’t tell for sure how they managed it, but it looks as if they had keys to the primary and secondary doors. None of the locks have been tampered with, and the doors are not damaged.

"Why weren’t the doors secured? Do you let your guards do as they damn well please? You all know we have procedures that have to be followed, and keeping doors secure at all times, is one of them! Can’t you make your guards follow the rules? Damn it man, do you want back on guard duty and someone else in charge of that place at night?

Every one knows that the doors are supposed to be locked!"

All I have working for me are a bunch of lame brains that can’t think for themselves. You guys have to be told, time and time again, what the procedures are, and how to carry them out. What are you jerks doing out there at night, playing games instead of watching the convicts?

Warden, said Dule. The guards told me the exits were all secured at five this morning. So it looks like the prisoners must have had keys to the doors. The doors have not been damaged. The escape must have happened between five and five thirty.

How could the prisoners have keys to the doors? said Tanner. Those are secured items!

I don’t have an answer to that, sir. I don’t know how they could have gotten hold of keys.

All right, all right, damn it anyway, said Tanner. Call the county sheriff and advise him. Give him a complete description of the three convicts and tell him that we need his help immediately.

Yes sir, warden, said Dule. I’ll call as soon as I hang up. Also, I have two guards combing the area around the prison and I also sent some into town.

Okay Dule, said Tanner. You seem to be on the right track for the time being. I’m sorry I yelled at you, but damn it man, things like this shouldn’t happen! Things have been going kind of rough lately and I didn’t mean to take it out on you. That prison is going to be the death of me and maybe a few others before this is over. I’ll be there as soon as I can.

Okay warden, I’ll see you when you get here.

–––

Lieutenant Dule was a burly type of a person. He was in his early forties and over weight for a person of his job responsibility. His gut hung over his belt like he had been consuming too much beer and food for what work he did around the prison.

He didn’t pride himself in keeping in good physical shape either. Warden Tanner had been on his ass for the last year to lose weight, but he just hadn’t gotten around to taking it seriously.

Right now he was sweating and his shirt started to show it. The underarms of his shirt were wet and he kept wiping at his brow with his sleeves. He wanted to take time out to shower, but knew he had better keep things going until the warden showed up.

–––

A new prison housing project was under construction for prisoners whose jail terms were for minor offenses and for ones that were soon to be released if they showed willingness to rehabilitate.

Two security guards, Sergeant Bill Ward and Tom Duncan, had been sent out by Dule to check the local area near the prison. They were about to call it quits after an hour of searching and seeing nothing.

Ward and Duncan had driven up and down just about every street in the new prison area they could get into, when Sergeant Ward said, turn right, right here!

Why here, said Duncan?

Just turn, damn it! said Ward, pointing toward the right. I think there may be some houses nearly completed over that way and we haven’t driven there yet. Someone could hide in those and no one would think to look.

Okay, said Duncan. We’ll check it out.

As the two guards got closer to the new construction, they noticed several vehicles used by the workers had been left there overnight.

Several utility trucks with ladders strapped to their top framework were parked near two larger houses. These trucks had construction hardware and lumber lying inside the truck beds. Two of the trucks had Bonner Construction painted on their doors.

Also parked in the driveway of a smaller house was an older vehicle which is a four wheel drive, and is used for hauling heavy material, like bricks, cinder blocks, tar paper, and any other things that required transportation through the freshly dugout and rough landscaping.

With its four-wheel drive capability, it could maneuver around the area with little difficulty when the yards were not graded smoothly. This vehicle didn’t contain any marking as to whom it belonged to. The paint was faded and the rear fenders had rusted areas around the wheel wells, but outside of that, it was in pretty good shape.

The front and rear bumpers were made of heavy metal and looked as if it could withstand a lot of punishment, especially the front bumper. They had to have been custom made, because nothing like that had ever come from the factory.

The doors were dented and scraped a little, but the rest of the cab was in pretty good shape and the engine was in good running condition and had given the owner good service.

–––

After Ward and Duncan had made the right turn, they drove a little further and stopped. They sat in the vehicle looking the area over.

Duncan spotted what he thought was a person moving in one of the larger houses off in the distance. He pointed in that direction and Sergeant Ward followed his gesture.

Look there, in the window of that house, said Duncan. Could that be one of them, or is it a construction worker on the job early?"

Ward said, I don’t think it would be a construction worker. It’s not eight o’clock yet and those guys don’t show up early unless they absolutely have to.

They sat there for a while longer, looking at the house and Ward said, Duncan why don’t you go around the house to the left and I’ll go up that ladder leaning against the balcony on the right. Maybe we can get the drop on them if they are the convicts.

Okay, said Duncan, but we had better be careful. If they’re the bad guys, they may be armed!

They both got out of the vehicle and quietly closed each door very carefully. As Duncan slowly made his way toward the house, he thought he saw another person move past a window. It appeared this person had light gray clothing on and that’s what the prisoners normally wore.

He wasn’t able to tell what the first person had on that he had seen earlier, because he and Ward were further away than they were now, but he was sure of what the second person had on. The second person he just saw may have been the same person he had seen first, but he had a gut feeling it wasn’t.

As Duncan approached closer he could hear voices coming from the house since the window frames and window glass had not been installed.

Were there more than two? He wasn’t sure!

His heart started beating faster!

As he hugged up against the house, he could hear a person talking as if he was giving orders.

A second voice answered back.

Why? Why don’t we just get the hell out of here, now! If we wait too long, people will show up and they will call the cops!

Duncan heard another voice. Yes, there definitely were more than two people in the house.

The third person was saying! Have patients until the construction guys show up. Then we can knock them off and switch clothes, take their vehicle, and get out of here fast.

The first voice Duncan heard agreed with the third. He said, Just wait, we can make a clean get away if you just have patience.

The second voice said, I don’t like waiting.

–––

Sergeant Ward had also made his way closer to the house.

After looking the situation over, he felt he had made the right choice by entering the house from the second floor. The ladder he was going to climb went from a concrete slab to a small balcony on the back of the house. The entrance into the house from the balcony was through an opening where a sliding glass door would be installed.

He didn’t want the men inside the house to know anyone was near, so he was careful with each step as he approached.

The yard around the house had been torn up by graders and chunks of dirt made it rough walking. He nearly turned his ankle when one of the chunks rolled beneath his foot while trying to position his other foot in a more secure manner. This mishap just about brought him to his knees because his other foot was not yet firmly in position to support his weight.

Damn he thought. They ought to grade this yard. Someone could break an ankle.

On second thought, maybe I should have sent Duncan this way. That way I could have gone around the house instead of through this mess. The yard wasn’t torn up the way Duncan had gone.

As Ward approached closer, he could hear someone in the house talking.

The person was saying. When do you think they will show up?

How should I know, said the second person. Maybe in an hour or less, just hold your pants on and we’ll be out of here before you know it.

Where will we go after we leave here? the first voice was saying.

Toward the mountains, said the second person.

Why the mountains? said the first.

Can you think of a better place to hide out, said the second?

No, said the first voice, but where in the mountains? Do you know anyone up there that could put us up?

Sure, I’ve been there a lot of times, said the second voice. We should make out okay. I have friends there.

Ward heard a third voice saying. Why don’t you just shut up? Things will get better after we get different clothes and a car.

As Ward approached the ladder, he could see that there were a few obstacles he would have to maneuver around before he made his way to the balcony. The construction workers had left a box in front of the ladder, which had small pieces of wood, metal and other odds and ends inside it. Also there were all kinds of construction material lying around on both sides of the ladder and in back of the ladder were roof shingles and larger boards stacked under the balcony. Any part of this jungle of stuff could give his position away if it got knocked over.

Ward made a mental note of this and thought I’ll have to watch that, because if I knocked it over, the men inside would surely hear the commotion.

There was also a claw hammer hanging on one of the ladder rungs. Why would someone leave the hammer? He thought. It looked fairly new.

He could sure use one like that at home. The one he owned had a broken claw.

Several weeks ago he had been using it to pound nails into the base of his work bench, and not thinking of what he was doing, he swung the hammer to put the finishing blow to one of the nails that would hold the leg to the concrete floor and without realizing the hammer was turned upside down, he swung hard and when the claw hit the nail, the hammer glanced off the nail and hit the concrete floor. The right claw broke off halfway from the tip to the base of the hammer.

Damn, what a stupid thing to do. He just wasn’t paying attention which way the head of the hammer was turned before he swung.

After moving the box away from the ladder and taking the hammer from the rung and placing it quietly on the concrete, he started to climb the ladder.

As he put his foot on the rungs, he hesitated and his thoughts went back to old memories when he was a youngster.

–––

One night as a young boy, he and his buddies were playing cops and robbers around his house. Since his folk’s yard wasn’t large enough for all the bad guys to hide, they also used the neighbor’s yard.

Young, Bill Ward had run into the backyard of his neighbors when it was his turn to be one of the bad guys. He knew if he could find a good hiding place he could wait for the designated cop to show up and he could get the drop on him.

Their neighbor had been working on his house and had left a ladder leaning against the balcony. Bill thought if he were up there on the balcony, he would be well concealed and it would be to his advantage during a shoot out with the ‘designated cop.’

His neighbor had attached strands of wire from the ground to the roofs rain gutters and also from the balcony floor to the rain gutters. Vines had climbed both sets of wires and begun to spill over and cover the sliding glass doors which opened into the master bedroom.

He could barely see in the bedroom as he took his last step off the ladder and swung his legs over the balcony railing to his surprise he hadn’t made any noise climbing up the ladder so no one should know of his presence on the balcony.

Deck furniture was placed along the railing of the balcony and he slowly made his way behind it. This would give him a good hiding place and a splendid view of the back yard and he would be able to spot anyone trying to sneak around in the house. Darkness was getting closer and a few lights were already on in the house.

To his surprise he could see two people in the Master bedroom and he didn’t recognize either of them as his neighbors. He thought, oh hell, he should get out of here before they spot him.

Lucky for him though, the vines covering the windows blocked most of the light shining from the bedroom to where he was hiding. Anyone inside the room could not see him unless they moved closer to the sliding glass doors. He was hoping they wouldn’t get near the doors.

Bill thought again, he should leave, but now he was kind of curious as to whom the people were and what they were doing.

They must be guests of his neighbors to be in the house at this hour, but he wasn’t sure. Surely, they had to be guest so he just watched!

Ward got thinking of his past. As a child he wasn’t allowed in his parent’s bedroom during night time hours and he often wondered why? What was so secretive about his parent’s bedroom?

Instead of leaving and finding another hiding place, he moved all the way back into the corner of the balcony behind the furniture and it still gave him a good view into the bedroom as well as watching for whomever was the designated cop for this round of play.

He knew he couldn’t say anything if the designated cop came around the house looking for him because the people in the bedroom would hear. He thought it would be best if he climbed back down the later, but yet curiosity was getting the best of him.

The two people in the bedroom were standing very close to each other and the lady had her arms around the guy’s neck and was saying something. The man smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her closer. His right hand moved down and started to rub her left buttocks cheek. She moved her hips in rhythm with each stroke of his hand.

He began to caress her right breast with his left hand and nuzzle her neck and left ear. Her hip motion began to increase in rhythm. The man continued his caressing and at the same time moved her toward the bed.

Bill squatted down behind the furniture a little further as he watched. He thought, oh hell, what are they going to do? Are they getting ready for bed? Is that what his parents did before they went to bed and that’s why they wouldn’t let him into their bedroom?

All he ever saw was his parents kiss once in a while before they went into their bedroom, but that was it.

The man and woman were now lying on the bed.

He was unbuttoning the lady’s blouse. Her breasts were protruding outward so much he was having a hard time getting the buttons undone. She was moving back and forth while lying on her back and began to make sounds.

The man’s shirt was already off and he was removing his shoes by pushing them one at a time with the opposite foot. It looked like the woman was beginning to undo his pants.

Bill wondered why they couldn’t just undress themselves, instead of going through all that motion.

The man was now rubbing the ladies breast with her brassiere still on.

She had finished undoing his pants and now, had them pushed down toward his knees and Bill could see that the guy had on light blue brief shorts.

The lady rose up in bed and Bill could see her breasts were pushing hard against her brassiere. She unfastened it and her breasts appeared to explode out in front of her.

Bill’s eyes widened and he gasped as to catch his breath. He didn’t know women had breasts that large. He knew they were larger than the girls he went to school with, but not that large! Bill began to get a feeling of pressure rising in his pants.

Bill could hear one of the boys running under the balcony. Just as he thought the boy would continue running, he stopped and came back toward the ladder Bill had climbed.

Oh Hell, Bill thought. If that kid climbs the ladder the people inside the bedroom will hear that for sure, and catch me up here.

Bill could also hear the kid talking to himself and he was saying. This would be a great place to hide. I’ll just climb up there and nobody will know where I am.

Bill was wishing the kid would shut up and leave but unfortunately before Bill could make a move, the kid started up the ladder. With each step he banged the ladder against the balcony and Bill could feel the vibration and chills ran up his spine. It appeared the kid was planting his feet against each rung as if he was trying to send a message to the gods.

Bill knew the people in the bedroom would hear the noise so he quickly stood up and made his way toward the top of the ladder for his exit from the balcony.

As he neared the ladder, he could hear the guy in the bedroom say! What the hell is going on out there?

Bill grabbed the top of the ladder with both hands and put one foot on the rail of the balcony which gave him support as he swung his other foot over onto a ladder rung.

Just as his foot touched the rung, the kid below stopped and looked up at Bill in surprise.

What are you doing up there? he said.

Bill was about to say something to the kid when the guy in the bedroom slid open the glass door while pulling up his pants. He spotted Bill! What the hell are you doing up here, kid?

Bill thought, oh man, I’ve had it now.

The kid at the bottom of the ladder heard the voice from the bedroom also, and jumped. His feet were moving as he hit the ground and he was gone from sight within a flash.

This left Bill grasping the ladder as the man moved toward him. Bill began to descend the ladder as the man on the balcony advanced.

Bill was about half way down the ladder when his foot slipped on a rung. He caught himself from falling by holding on with both hands while his feet frantically searched for support. In his haste, he was unable to make solid contact with his feet on any of the rungs. His feet kept searching in a frantic motion.

The man on the balcony grabbed the top of the ladder and shoved.

Bill knew instantly if he didn’t do something fast, he would end up on his back with the ladder on top of him.

As Bill and the ladder moved away from the balcony, he pushed with both hands and kicked out with his right foot. Lucky for him, his foot hit a rung and slammed the ladder back against the balcony. He twisted his body in a cat-like motion which helped him clear the ladder while he turned his body to see the ground. He no sooner saw the ground, then he hit! With his arms extended he hit like a brick and didn’t receive any support whatsoever. His upper body took the full force of the fall and it felt like he must have weighed a ton.

Bill thought he bounced at least three times and then realized the fall had knocked the wind out of him. Not a sound would escape his mouth. It felt like he had just been crushed. Catching his breath was a great effort, and it felt like he had been kicked squarely in the stomach by a mule.

Due to the shock of hitting the ground, he barely heard the ladder bang against the balcony. It had rattled against the railing a few seconds and then slid over against the house wall and didn’t move. Lucky for him he had kicked out, otherwise the ladder may have landed on his back. The man on the balcony was yelling. You little bastard, get your butt out of here, you peeping Tom! If I get my hands on you, I’ll kick your butt all the way into the middle of next week!

Bill was gasping for air as he picked himself up and was feeling numbness in his left side. He thought he may have broken some ribs, but was afraid to stay where he was and find out.

He knew if he didn’t get out of there soon, the guy on the balcony was sure to come after him.

He was still having a hard time getting his breath as he stumbled around the corner of the house. His feet couldn’t move him fast enough. Every thing seemed to be in slow motion. Man, did he feel bad!

The guy on the balcony kept yelling, but Bill wasn’t listening. He stumbled in the same direction as the other kid, moving his legs as fast as he could.

CHAPTER TWO

TAKE CHARGE

Ward continued climbing the ladder. He now wished these times were like the good ole days back when he didn’t have to worry if someone was going to blow his head off or do him in for no good reason at all.

With his family and all, he now had a good reason to live a very long life. His family meant the world to him, and every day was a blessing to make it to the next.

Ward continued to inch his way up the ladder slowly. He placed his feet on each rung very softly as he climbed to ensure the ladder didn’t make any noise against the balcony. It was critical that he didn’t make any noise that could warn the guys inside the house. As he neared the top of the ladder he could hear men talking about going different directions when they got away from here.

One man was saying. We shouldn’t go into town because we will be spotted with these clothes on!

Yeah, a second voice said. We should head for the mountains immediately and not mess around in town.

Then he heard a third person speak up and say.

We will do as I have planned. We will get ourselves away from here as soon as we can and there won’t be any arguments from either of you! Do you both understand me?

The first voice Bill had heard said, What do you have in mind? I don’t know of any place we can hide out. I have relations up in the . . .

Interrupted by the person that seemed to be in charge, the first voice went quiet.

The one that seemed to be in charge said. We will head west out of town as soon as we get a vehicle, and I think I saw the one I want to take.

–––

This third person Bill had heard was a mean killer. His name was Gus Kendall. He had been in prison five different times and this last time was for robbery and murder.

The sentence he was given this time was supposed to be his last prison term because it was for life and without parole. He had murdered a family of three, four and a half years ago during his escape after robbing the only bank in a small town south of where they were now.

After the bank robbery the city police had received some leads about the robber and were close in capturing Kendall, but he had taken refuge in a house of a middle aged man, his wife and a small child.

Kendall figured since the police force were of a small community, they would back off and would give him room for negotiations and maybe escape, but they pressed on for his capture.

During exchange of words shouting back and forth, he let the police know if they stormed the house he would kill the family and