Suzie’s House 539 : Hopes and Schemes

Suzie left the boys in their rooms upstairs, re-checked the lock on the front door, then stepped into the kitchen. Drew and Vin were huddled up around the kitchen table while she checked the back door. Miranda came in from the bathroom as Suzie pulled a chair out to sit.

“So. What’s the plan?” She looked at each of them in turn.

“Plan?” Vin looked at her with wide eyes innocence is of to ask what plan.

“Don’t give us that!” Miranda took the words right out of Suzie’s mouth. “We know you’ve already got something in mind. Don’t make us try to come up with something on our own.”

“Right.” Drew straightened. He had a cup of coffee in front of him, which he stared at for a minute. “We believe Petrovich will try to contact Vin through his cell phone.”

Suzie looked at the phone, which sat in the middle of the table like a little, black brick.

“That’s not your phone,” Miranda said, stating the obvious. “I mean, you use a smart phone.”

“Yeah, it’s a disposable.” Vin nodded. “I picked it up a few months ago. Paid cash. Always pay cash for more minutes.”

“Good.” Drew added his nod of approval. “Untraceable.”

“What does that matter? He’s just a serial killer, right?” Miranda shrugged as if to say that hardly counted for them.

“He has friends in high places,” Vin said darkly.

“You think they are protecting him?” Drew looked at Vin with knowing concern.

Vin shrugged.

“Wait…” Miranda’s eyes widened in horror. “You mean…”

“We aren’t just taking on a mad man. We are taking on those in power who have become corrupt, people backing him.”

“How are we supposed to do that?!” Suzie felt her throat tighten as she spoke.

“However we can.” Drew wouldn’t meet her eyes. He spoke carefully, brows furrowed. “They won’t…. They won’t protect him if he dies.”

A chill fell around the table.

“We’re hunting him?” Miranda’s expression made Suzie very uncomfortable.

“No, no.” Both Vin and Drew hastened to assure her. “We’re just… not going to try to take him alive.”

“If it comes down to self defense, then we will defend ourselves.” Drew looked bleak as he said it. “We won’t be calling him. But if he calls Vin…”

“How do you know he won’t just show up?” Suzie’s first concern must be for the safety of everyone in her house.

“Because this is the only way he can reach me. I was at least careful about that.” Vin didn’t look please with himself. He was just stating a fact.

“Well, maybe he won’t even call.” Suzie more than half way hoped this would prove true.

“No. I know this guy. He’ll call.” Vin spoke with bleak conviction.

Suzie might have argued, but right then the phone rang.

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