Mac and Chief Atkins were carefully searching at the sugar factory, on the third floor. Chief Atkins eased around a corner, and standing by a window, cleared the aisle between the wall and machinery. He started to turn, when Mac heard him say, “What the… Mac, Mac, get over here and hurry. There‘s a fire.” Mac ran to the window where Chief Atkins was standing. “Holy Crap.” Mac said. “Chief, that’s at the tannery. They ran down the stairs and into the street and started toward the tannery. Chief Atkins stopped at the corner at a call box and pulled the alarm to dispatch fire department. Mac ran on ahead the two blocks to the tannery. He ran toward the open door, but was driven back by the intensity of the smoke and flames. He walked backward, into the street, watching the fire consume the building. Mac turned, and saw a shadow under the trees, sitting in the grass. Chief Atkins came running up to the group of trees. He stopped suddenly, when he also saw the figure in the shadows. Mac began to cautiously move toward the shadow. The shadowy figure, hearing a noise, turned and looked toward the Chief. Chief Atkins yelled loudly, “Ella! Mac, it’s Ella.” Mac’s heart began to race as he ran toward Ella. She quickly stood up and looked to the Chief, then looking behind her, saw Mac rushing to her. Before she could react, Mac reached out, grabbing her tightly, and crying, “Ella! Oh Ella, are you okay? Are you alright Baby?” Ella was sobbing and crying but managed to say she was okay. Mac pushed her back to arm’s length, looking at her and again asked, “are you sure you are okay?” Ella again replied, “Yes Mac, I am alright.”
Mac saw the large bruise to the left side of her face where Andre had hit her. Mac looked down at her arms and hands and saw them covered with blood. Ella realized Mac was looking at her bloody arms. Before he could speak, Ella began, “Mac, I killed him. I killed Andre and I killed Jacque too. I killed them both. I had to kill them to escape.”
Chief Atkins looked down at the ground at the large knife. He looked back at Ella. “I had to,” she again said.
Without speaking, Mac and Chief Atkins both put their arms around her and embraced her.
The fire department arrived and began to attend to their duties. Chief Atkins approached the fire chief and informed him, he would find two bodies in the fire. Looking at the Chief, the fire chief replied, “maybe, maybe not. Might just be a pile of ashes.”
Mac, Ella and Chief Atkins left the tannery fire scene and started back toward the Third Street Pier. Ella was telling Mac and the Chief about her kidnapping and what had taken place.
The Chief realized how tired Ella was and spoke up. “Mac. We are near May’s Coffee Shop. Why don’t you take Ella to the coffee shop, and let her rest. I will go on to the pier to have Captain Shelby start to shut down all the operations there and bring him up to date. We have a wagon on scene there, and I will have a couple of officers bring the wagon and take Ella home. They need to stay with her also.”
Mac turned to Ella, grasping her hand and said, “good idea, Chief.”
“And Mac, I will be back as soon as I can. I am going to bring Adam, Bobby, and Toney with me. We can then compare notes and develop our plans to go after Doc Baker and Kara.”
Mac was shaking his head. “Okay Chief. We will see you there in a while.”
Chief Atkins left headed for the Third Street Pier. Mac and Ella continued to the coffee shop. Mac knew Ella was exhausted from what she had been through.
Mac and Ella arrived at the coffee shop. Mac reached to open the door and stopped suddenly. So suddenly, that Ella walked right into his back.
Taking a step back, Ella asked, “ what’s wrong Mac? What is it?” Mac didn’t reply.
He took Ella by the arm and quickly led her around the corner of the building. “Stay here and don’t move.” Mac ordered.
“Mac, what is wrong?” Ella again asked. Mac reached under his jacket, and removed his revolver.
“MAC!” Ella was almost in a panic.
Mac looked around the corner, then turned to face Ella. Mac began to explain. “That wagon; That wagon being pulled by two horses. One of the horses has a completely white face and a blue eye. The wagon driven by the man who bought the yellow dress, was being pulled by a horse with a white face and a blue eye.”
Ella gasped, “but Mac…” She was interrupted.
“You stay here. Don’t move.” Mac once again ordered. He opened the cylinder on his revolver, looked, then closed it. Gun in hand, but hidden under his jacket, he cautiously approached the door to the coffee shop. Mac opened the door and stepped in. Taking a quick look around, he walked directly to the counter.
Mavis Bell, the owner of the coffee shop was behind the counter, and his daughter, Alma was pouring coffee at the tables scattered through the store. Mavis, who had been called May since he was young, greeted Mac. “Coffee?” May said. “Yeah, give me one of those I have to eat with a spoon.” Mac replied. Both men laughed. Mac turned slightly toward the wall to his right as May placed the coffee cup in front of him. Mac moved his jacket slightly, just enough that May could see his revolver in his hand. May looked Mac in the eyes and gave him a slight wink to acknowledge he had seen the weapon. May intentionally dropped a spoon in the floor and reached down to pick it up. At the same time, he reached to the bottom shelf and removed a sawed off, double barrel shotgun, and placed it on the top shelf of the counter, but still out of view. Mac looked at May and smiled slightly.
Mac looked at all of the patrons in the coffee shop, hoping to see Ricky, Ricardo, or whatever his name was. Alma walked back behind the counter. Seeing the shotgun, and knowing Mac, she realized something was wrong.
“Alma, honey. Can you go in the back and help your momma for a bit? I’ve got this covered out here.” May Inquired.
“ Sure Daddy.” Alma replied as she wiped her hands on a towel and started toward the back.
Several customers had left the coffee shop by this time. A man and woman were seated at a small table by the window. Three men at a table down the wall about fifteen feet and four men sitting at the counter, plus Mac. A short slender man sat at the opposite end of the counter from Mac. He was well dressed and well groomed. Mac remembered that Ricky had a scruffy beard and dirty ragged clothes. Then Mac remembered one other thing about Ricky. When Mac had grabbed Ricky by the front of his shirt while at the pier, Ricky’s reaction was to reach up and grasp Mac’s hands. It was then that Mac noticed that the ring finger on Ricky’s left hand was missing the first two joints.
Mac could not see the man’s left hand. After a moment, Mac stood and walked behind the counter. Picking up a coffee pot, he walked to the couple sitting at the window. “Coffee?” Mac asked.
“Yeah, you can top off both cups. Thanks pal.” The man replied.
Mac walked to the three men and filled their cups also. He then moved over to the counter, to the man on the end. “Coffee buddy?” Mac asked.
The man didn’t speak. But with his left hand, he pushed his coffee cup over for Mac to add coffee. Mac saw that the man was missing two joints on his ring finger of his left hand. Ricky knew Mac had looked at his hand. Ricky quickly swung himself around, removing a hand gun from his belt, under his shirt. Mac, instinctly, poured the remainder of the hot coffee into Ricky’s lap, just as he fired two shots. The hot coffee and the accompanying pain, caused his shots to be errant, striking a mirror on the wall. Mac quickly reached for his weapon, and May picked up his shotgun. Ricky turned and aimed at May, when one shot rang out, striking Ricky in the center of the forehead. Mac looked at May, and May looked at Mac. Mac saw gun smoke curling upward at the pass through window from the kitchen to the shop. Mac leaned down slightly to see through the window. There he saw Alma, holding a revolver. She leaned over, her head about halfway through the pass through window, and calmly said, “oops.”
Ella came bursting through the front door, screaming at the top of her lungs, “Mac.”
He looked at her, “I’m okay. We are all okay. Right, Alma?” Ella let out a breath, and literally fell into a chair at the table next to the window. The couple who were sitting there were now curled up in the floor.
The man looked up at Ella. “Hi, I’m Ella.” She said. Nervously the man replied, “Howdy,” as he reached out to shake her hand.