Lorie peeked through the curtains in the dark hallway and wasn't surprised that the shooters made no effort to stay behind the over sized dual wheel pickup truck. They had come closer to the front steps on foot, certain they were in no danger. There were only "women" in the house and their boss had obviously neglected to tell them there were also children. That probably would have made no difference anyways. There were six of them shooting, standing in the pouring rain with automatic weapons, but under cover of their steady firing, Lorie very calmly shot four of them, then picked off the last two as they ran for the truck when their friends dropped. They fell and lay still. The others weren't moving, either. Lorie wished she had shot to kill. Glen wasn't happy. Neither were the ambulance crews and the state police crime unit nor the dour state police Lieutenant. They had six heavily armed men with very serious gunshot wounds. The Whitley house, on the ground floor was riddled with bullets; And Loren Whitley wanted to know why Raney and Alan Parker hadn't been arrested. The police lieutenant and Glen Carey stared at her. They were wet. They were very, very, very, wet. They were monsoon drenched type wet. "Exactly what would you like us to charge them with?" State Police Lieutenant Myles Davis asked sarcastically. "They aren't even here, haven't been here." "Two of those men have dog bite scars from the night they were here before, and I saw them at Parker's place today." "What were you doing at Parker's place?" Glen asked, scowling at her. "You shouldn't be anywhere near that joint." "I was at Keller's Fabrics three doors down, getting some thread. Apparently, the Parker's always have a bunch of no goods hanging out there. Mrs. Keller said they harass her customers." "Mrs. Whitley, you gravely injured those men, you...... "Captain Whitley." Glen said quietly, "This is Captain Loren Whitley, United States Marine Corp, Reserve. She's a JAG lawyer." Lorie was more than a little startled and very pleased that he sounded so proud of her being a marine, and a JAG lawyer. Myles Davis sighed. This was not his first rodeo with a military service member; and life always got really complicated. It would probably get more complicated because the Captain was a female marine, and she was also close to the pragmatic police chief, as well as a lawyer. "Could I trouble you for a cup of coffee?" He really wanted whisky, preferably several stiff shots. "Please." "Mrs. Sanchez makes good coffee, Lieutenant." Glen flushed. "She sure does." Lorie agreed, smothering a grin . "Help yourself." Carmen had settled the children down again and the night's happenings would not keep them awake. They had complete confidence that their mother would keep them safe. After all, she was a marine. "The kids are asleep." Carmen told Lorie, pouring herself a cup of coffee.. "It's been a heckuva night." "Kids!" The state police lieutenant whirled on Lorie. "You got kids in this house and you shot people." "I suppose I could have let them kill us." Lorie said and Glen choked on his coffee. "But I'm really quite opposed to being dead." "Why didn't you kill them?" His curiosity got the better of him. "They're stupid enough to let the Parker's talk them into scaring the "women,", and unfortunately, one or more are probably related to my neighbors, so friendly relations with the natives and all that."
