Hunting Indians - Chapter 19

Chapter One can be found at: https://steemit.com/fiction/@andrewgenaille/hunting-indians-chapter-one

Chapter 18 can be found at: https://steemit.com/fiction/@andrewgenaille/hunting-indians-chapter-18

1. Chapter 19

Kevin stood at the window staring out at the Department of Indian Control across the street. He was there for the better part of an hour not moving. The darkness inside and street lights below hid him so he had no fear of being spotted, not that he would anyway.
Karen watched him from across the room where she sat on the floor, her back against the wall and her legs stretched forward. Although she looked comfortable she was anxiously waiting on word from Reed and the people he was putting together, something they gave him until eleven to do before her and Kevin went in by themselves.
Reed asked for more time, "It's not like I have a car. I have to walk everywhere," he explained but understood that the time being short was out of their hands.
Karen considered what tonight was going to mean for the rest of the country. What new wave of pain would come down on them? She wondered what she would do if...not if, but when she got Beth out of there. Where was she supposed to take her?
They could head for the woods and rejoin those still hidden out there, but how long would that be possible? What if the country pushes further out looking for them, and was Beth capable of surviving in the woods? Hunted?
Should she take her south across the border? Abandon her own people, to be left up here without a leader.
Karen looked up to Kevin and felt pangs of envy. What peace must you have when you never have to consider the consequences of your actions.
Kevin looked down as a familiar black car pulled up to the front of the building. He narrowed his eyes, hoping that by doing so would bring clarity. He saw Mark and Ryan in the front seat.
Kevin smiled.

Ryan pulled the car into the underground parking, where both he and Mark exited the vehicle and rode the elevator up in silence. They both smelled like smoke, from the bonfire they turned Gordon's house into before they left.
Their search of the place turned up nothing. No letters, records, addresses or phone numbers that would give them a clue as to where he had been getting his information. If they didn't know he was Indian, and aside from the family pictures on the wall, they couldn't discern his home from any other law abiding citizen.
That above all else was what frustrated Ryan to anger, the knowledge that he was allowed to live peacefully for so long brought the Indian Agent to the point of rage, so he torched the place.
On their floor they moved quickly to Barry's office to find him watching the television on the wall. He motioned for them to come in when Ryan knocked but they knew to keep quite so he could focus.
Mark looked about the other offices to see that other Agents were sleeping wherever they could find a spot, afraid to go home he guessed. It was probably safer that they didn't.
The television showed the Canadian/United States border basked in the red and blue lights of police cruisers. The words 'Breaking News' scrolled across the bottom of the screen over and over again while above them in blue was 'Shooting at The Border.'
"What did he say?" Barry asked softly without looking at them. He didn't need to use Gordon's name.
"He has friends. We don't know who but someone high up was feeding him information." Ryan said. "Give me time. I think I can find them."
"Time?" Barry looked over at him, "We're out of time. There's none left to give you."
"I don't follow." Ryan stated.
"What they don't know..." Barry motioned to the television, "No, what they know is that there's two people dead, an Indian and the man that shot him. On a fucking camera phone. But what they don't know, but will find out, is the second dead man is an Indian Agent out of our office."
Barry flicked the television off and moved back behind his desk, being very calm for someone in his position.
"One of us?" Mark asked.
"Yes." Barry looked over his desk as if the answer to his problems sat on top somewhere. "We're on our own here gentlemen."
"What does that mean?" Ryan stepped forward.
Barry looked at him and yelled, "It means we fucked up." He calmed himself down again. "It means the Prime Minister’s office has disavowed us. They're cutting their loses and going to be looking for ways to cover their own asses. And when people come looking, and they're going to come looking, all they're going to find is us."
Barry gave them a moment to let that sink in. It was important that they knew when questions were asked they won't be backed up. It was important to know that they were also, like him, going to have to make the ultimate sacrifice for their leader in Ottawa and take the blame. Ending their careers.
For the greater good.
"We have a story and talking points." Barry started, "Our mandate from the government of Canada was to protect the people of this country from the threat of The Indian population. Several days ago one such Indian murdered Campers and several Agents performing their duties. This same Indian was, after attacking our agent, fleeing across the border. Which lead to him being shot, to which our agent was then also shot. The two of you will sit down for the next few hours and fill out reports to that affect Cover all your bases because over the next few months people will be looking very closely at them."
"This isn't..." Ryan started. He wanted to point out that the Indian they wanted was still out there and was still going to kill but Barry slammed his hand on the desk.
"In front of witnesses, he killed one of them in front of witnesses! There's video of it." Barry gritted his teeth. "It looks like a goddamn execution. But we can fix this, we can get ahead of it. Go, go now. Write something up. Make this Indian, make him look like...make him look like Satan."
Barry put his hand on the desk and went into his own world, hoping that he could turn this tragic killing into a heroic act on the part of the agent. The truth would destroy his political career. The lie would get him a seat in cabinet should he decide to run.
Mark nodded and stepped out. He held the door for Ryan to follow him. Ryan stared at Barry for a moment and then left the office.
"They just don't quit, do they?" Ryan said as he kicked his chair hard. He looked over as Mark put his phone to his ear. "Who are you calling?"
"My wife," Mark listened to the ringing. He turned away as Ryan rolled his eyes. The answering system kicked in. "Amanda, please give me a call. I'm here at the office. I need to know you're somewhere safe."
Mark hung the phone up and tossed it on his desk as he sat down. He booted up the computer. He had no idea how to start this report.
"Which Indian got shot?" Mark asked.
"Does it matter? I'm just going to make up a name." Ryan answered, they both looked up as the fire alarm goes off.

Milton wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. The sixty-seven year old security guard was manning the desk in the lobby when he spotted four vagrants outside the front door. He gathered up his gear to go chase them off but as he crossed the large lobby, the four become ten then twenty. He stopped and watched them for a minute, secure in knowing that between him and them was a metal gate and three inches of glass.
When they grew to thirty Milton moved back to the desk to phone the police and let the people upstairs know what was going on. He didn't have time though, he heard the roar of a loud engine and looked up as the people scattered then someone attached hooks to the gate. There was another roar of the engine as the truck ripped the gates down.
A sledgehammer shattered the glass, so Milton did the only thing he could think of and that was to hit the fire alarm.
He backed up against the wall in fear as nearly fifty people came in through the front of the building, shouting and chanting.
"This is private property..."
"It's public property." Someone shouted back at him.
Kevin and Karen came in with the second wave of people as more and more showed up, neither of them were expecting the tow truck but felt it was a nice touch. They blended into the movement and chaos as they headed to the security desk. The people around them scattered the papers.
"Detention floor. Which level?" Karen said to Milton.
Milton looked at her and saw two Indians looking back at him. "Oh my god."
"Not going to help you today," Reed came in with the third wave.
"Detention floor. Which one?" Karen shoved Milton against the wall and held a gun to his side.
"Seventh floor...but you can't get up there without a card."
"Do you have a card?" Kevin asked over the havoc behind him.
"Yeah?" Milton answered.
"Then give us your card." Kevin held out his hand. Milton handed his identification to Kevin. Kevin led Reed and Karen through the people to the elevators and hit the call button.
"This good enough for you?" Reed asked with a smile.
"I'd feel better if there were cameras..." Karen replied.
"They're coming. They're coming." Reed knew someone called all the news outlets to let them know something was happening.
The elevator door opened.

"Everybody up! Move!" Barry came out of his office; the Agents looked over. The ones on this floor were already awake from the screaming alarm, and Ryan was at the large window looking down at the street.
"What the frack?" Ryan watched the crowd forming out front, grouping between the building and a tow truck. Its light lit up the street.
"Get everybody armed. They're coming up the stairs." Barry continued. His office had a security feed and what he saw wasn't good for them.
"Who is?" Frank asked as he checked his weapon to make sure it was loaded. He was an older agent in his forties, retired from the police force and gruff.
"Protestors, who do you think? We're shooting Indians. They're going to be upset. But two floors they don't get on...this and seven." Barry pointed. "Cover the stairs and elevators, and somebody get to seven."
Frank and two others moved for the stairs as the rest moved to the elevators. In passing Frank noticed the numbers above the elevator doors were moving.
On the stairs Frank looked down and could hear the steps of people moving. Their chants came echoed up. "We're being overrun."
"Mark." Barry ordered, "Get downstairs, and get control of the situation. And get them to shut that goddamn alarm off."
"Yeah," Mark motioned to Germaine, another useless man with a gun but large like Mark. He was good for intimidation. The two moved for the elevators.
Barry got on his phone and dialed the police.

Reed, Kevin and Karen waited patiently as the elevator moved toward the seventh floor. Reed held a pistol out for Kevin.
"Where did you get that?" Karen asked.
"The service." Reed answered. He hesitated. "A gift for my contribution."
"I'm armed."
"I want you to use this." Reed said. Kevin saw the look in his eyes and took the weapon.
Kevin looked at the barrel and what the gun maker engraved into it. Scratches. "You kept score?"
"A reminder of past sins."
Kevin looked to him, a life-time ago he would've killed him where he stood and part of him still wanted to. Is he any different from the men I hunt tonight?
The elevator doors opened to the seventh floor and Kevin stepped out first aiming. He walked smoothly but carefully past the front desk and down the hall. He checked the rooms as he passed them and moved on. Karen and Reed followed up behind him.
An Agent came out a doorway aiming to fire but Kevin was quicker. His two shots dropped the man in the hall. Kevin paused for only a second and began walking again. "Check him for keys."
Karen did as instructed and came up with a pair. She caught up to Kevin who waited at the first of the cell doors. Karen unlocked it and pulled the door open to reveal an empty room.
"Keep trying." Reed said. He watched back toward the elevators and stairs.
Karen moved to the second door and opened it up. On the bed was George from the Squamish nation. He was a skinny man in his thirties that looked beat up in his orange jumpsuit. He looked at them, saw fellow Indians and started getting up.
"You came? You came for me?" George asked as Karen moved on. Kevin took the hug from the broken man but moved him against the wall.
"We're not done here, but we're all leaving together." Kevin said.
Karen opened the next door. Layla sat in the corner of the bed curled up. She looked up. "Layla?
Layla moved for the door but Karen put her hand up to stop her.
"Stay here. Wait until we're ready to go, then we all go together." Karen said. The other nodded her understanding. Karen moved for the next door. She became more frantic after each reveal.
They all grabbed the walls as Frank came from the stairs firing down the hallway. Kevin shoved George back into his cell as he fired back at Frank. The other two Agents came out of the staircase shooting and looked for cover.
Karen opened the next cell to find a white man in a blue jumper, young guy that fed information north caught up in the sweep. "Keep your head down. Head out of the building when it's safe."
"Okay..." He winced at the gun shots.
Kevin popped the magazine and Reed tossed him another one. Smoothly he put it in the weapon and chambered the round. He tensed up for a moment and then moved into the hall firing. He walked toward the Agents but went into another doorway. He paused in there.
"Drop your weapons. The floor is ours!" Frank yelled.
Kevin saw he was in an interview room and shot the one-way glass. He climbed through it into the observation room. From there he moved to the next door and stepped out far enough to shoot. The round sent Frank into oblivion as Kevin pulled back to avoid the return fire.
Kevin checked to see that he had one round in the magazine and one in the barrel. He waited. He contemplated pulling out his other gun but the sadistic part of his mind told him that this way was better.
I want to see their eyes.
Karen opened the next door and her breath left her as she stared at Beth. Her love was curled up against the wall with her hands over her head, terrified from the blaring alarm and gunfire.
"Elizabeth." Karen tested the name. Her voice cracked more than she wanted it to.
Beth looked up, wide-eyed and not sure if what she was seeing was real or part of a trick.
"Sweetie, we have to go." Karen said. It did the trick and Beth scrambled across the small room and latched onto Karen, who hugged her back. Beth started to cry. "Okay. It's ok, my girl. I'm here, and we're getting you out. We're getting out of here."
Kevin was a patient man, and listened to the sounds from down the hall. Years of hunting game and tracking small animals taught him to pick up on the smallest details.
He pulled out his blade and listened.
A round was fired. The trigger was pulled again but the chamber locked as the weapon was emptied. The owner released the magazine to reload.
Kevin came out into the hallway and fired his last two rounds at the Agent not reloading. The rounds hit his vest but only knocked him back in pain. It was enough to keep his return fire from hitting Kevin.
Reed watched from down the hall as Kevin screamed. The Indian slashed the reloading Agents throat without stopping as he pounced to the other. Kevin stabbed the second Agent six times before turning back to make sure the first was equally dead.
Kevin stood up straight and looked down the hallway. His hands were covered in blood.
"Let's go! Everybody to the elevator! Get down to the lobby," Reed said to the group and moved them along. Layla grabbed onto George to help him walk.
Kevin grabbed Frank’s weapon and started collecting magazines. When he stood up Karen was there with Beth. He nodded to her.
"You have to come with us." Karen said.
"Where are the rest?" Kevin looked to Beth. Reed came back to the group for more orders.
"Kevin...no." Karen insisted. "They will kill you."
"You got what you wanted." Kevin shouted, "Where are they?"
"Two floors up." Beth answered.
Kevin moved for the stairs. He pushed past Reed and went through the door.
Karen closed her eyes for a moment, then escorted Beth to the stairs "Let’s go."
As they did the protesters started filing onto this floor.

Two floors up, Ryan stood in the cubicles spread out with the other three Agents. Barry watched the security feed of the lobby from his office. He could see Mark and Germaine trying to talk down people as they shouted back.
The alarm shut off but left a ringing in their ears.
Focused on the elevators, no one noticed as Kevin came through the stairwell door. He reached the first agent quickly, stabbing his blade into the uniformed man’s kidney. Kevin fired three shots into the second Agent, who had taken his Kevlar vest off to sleep but forgot to put it back on after waking. Kevin turned and fired as he used the first man as a shield.
Ryan and the third Agent took cover behind the cubicle walls.
Barry dropped behind his desk and climbed underneath. He curled up and tried desperately not to make a sound.
Kevin pulled his blade out and the Agent hit the ground. Kevin dropped down and crouched through the cubicles.

Mark held his hands up partly to show he was harmless but they were forward to calm people down. The lobby was full of shouting people as they argued at him, some chanted "Indian Rights is Human Rights."
He lowered his arms as he gave up trying to reason with them, and looked back as Karen brought Beth through the doors from the stairs. The two women froze when they saw Mark.
Beth was now in Karen's long jacket but the orange of her jumper could be seen on below the hem. Around them stood George, Layla and the others looking for freedom.
There was moment as the realization of what occurred hit Mark and he had to decide what he had to do, or should do. He saw the fear in both women's eyes and knew it would've been very simple for him and Germaine to take them back upstairs.
Instead he weakly smiled.
Karen ushered Beth past Mark toward the front of the building, at the sidewalk they turned left and headed off into the city.
Mark watched them leave. He took note as the television news vans pulled up across the street. George was shepherded by Layla toward the news crew quickly, probably the safest place in the world for them to be right now.

Kevin sat on his heels as he loaded another magazine into the Beretta. He chambered a round and listened to the movements of the third Agent. Kevin aimed at the cubicle wall and fired through it, the rounds smacked into the Agent, killing him instantly.
Ryan stepped back from the gunshots. He kept low while aiming. Deep down he knew he was out classed, but there was an arrogance in him that told him he was the better race, the better man. He moved to his left and stood up, firing across the room into the cubicle walls. He stopped shooting but continued walking and aiming, the Indian had to be there somewhere.
He stopped moving and slowly scanned the room with a barrel. His nerves were razor thin.
"Is this really what you want?" Ryan yelled, "Is this how you want to take me down, like a fucking rat in hiding?"
Kevin moved slowly toward the offices, ignoring what Ryan had to say except as a way to keep tabs on his location.
"It's me, isn't it? It's been me all along, you and your fucking vendetta." Ryan backed up against the window. He didn't want to be snuck up on from behind. "And you think you have me now...you think this is going to be satisfying for you."
The office was quiet.
Empty.
Ryan felt a cold chill down his spine, a sensation that he missed something. Out of the corner of his eye there was a shadow, in the shape of a man. He turned his head to look. Kevin aimed back at him.
Ryan tried to turn but Kevin emptied the clip into him.
Ryan staggered to the side and hit the floor, most of the rounds hit his vest but several smashed into his arms. It wasn't romantic. It wasn't in any way poetic. It was simply revenge.
Kevin tossed the gun aside as he walked forward and knelt down on Ryan's chest, he pulled his cooking knife out and held it up.
"Yes." Kevin said as he leaned over Ryan to get a better look. "This is how I wanted it."
Ryan stared back at Kevin in horror. He couldn't move, he couldn't even scream out for mercy. Kevin could see it in his eyes, the fear, the soul of a man pleading for compassion, the raw need to survive. Kevin could see it all, but all it did was fuel his hatred.
The knife came down into Ryan's throat several times, sending blood into the air as it was brought out for more strikes. On the final stab Kevin pushed it in further and held it there as he twisted it in anger.
Kevin let the knife go and moved back, exhausted, he tripped over Ryan's leg to land on his ass then chuckled to himself at the absurdity of it all. He rested there, letting the tension release from his body.
He got it under control as he climbed to his feet.
Reed stood at the other end of the room near the stairs. He didn't see what just happened but the aftermath spoke for itself. Kevin's clothes and hands were covered in the blood of his victims.
"Are you done?" Reed asked.
"No. No, there's...where's the other one?" Kevin asked. He started toward Reed.
"The police will be here soon, you should leave..."
Kevin screamed at him "Not till I get him!"
Reed stepped back but the two of them looked over at movement from the office. Kevin bolted for the door and through it.
Barry tried to get back under the table but Kevin grabbed ahold of him and pulled him back out. "Don't kill me, don't kill me! I'm just the assistant, I'm just an assistant!"
Kevin looked Barry's face over. "You work here?"
"Just as an assistant. I'm a secretary. That's it."
"But you can find me someone? Someone that should've been here?" Kevin stepped back.
"Yeah, yeah. You name them and I'll tell you where they are." Barry saw his way through this unharmed.
"That man in there had a partner." Kevin pointed toward Ryan's body.
Barry thought about who was dead in that room as he didn't know where the bodies were, but it was an easy guess who in there was capable enough to be targeted by Indians. Ryan. "Mark, his partner is Mark. I don't know where he is..."
"Then what's the point of keeping you alive?"
"But I can find him. I just need to get to his desk." Barry said. Kevin waited a moment for intimidation and then nodded. Barry stood up straight and slid along the desk as he moved for the door.
Through the door Barry glanced to Reed and then walked to Mark’s desk while Kevin followed. The Indian collected his pistol and reloaded it. Barry sat at Mark’s desk and looked it over for clues, bringing the computer out of sleep mode as he shuffled papers around.
Reed leaned on the top of the cubical wall to watch Kevin, he thought about what he saw the other do and why. He had no qualms about Kevin fighting for the survival of his people but that's not what this was.
"I've seen that look before." Reed said. He waited for Kevin to look at him but he didn't, "Out on the battlefield. It's blood lust."
"Don't talk to me like you know me." Kevin stated, keeping his focus on Barry.
"You don't see them as human anymore. They aren't people to you." Reed said. "They're just meat. You kill them thinking it'll make you feel better...it's a dark road my friend, and it's empty."
"And what would you have me do? Let them go?" Kevin looked up. "After what they did to us, let them go?"
"Or remember what you're fighting for." Reed challenged him. "If you don't, when this is done, when it's all over, all that pain you're feeding right now, that's all you're going to be left with."
Kevin looked back to Barry, who noticed the cell phone Mark left behind and that there were four missed calls on it. Barry grabbed the phone and held it up for Kevin to see.
"That's his wife, she'll know where he is. If not, then after tonight wouldn't she be the first person he goes to see?" Barry offered.
"Call her." Kevin ordered. Barry hit the return call button.