Reign Of Terror by Chris Morin

Chapter 7 - Showdown!

    On a hunch, Inspector Troutman made his way to the Crenshaw cabin totally unaware that Ike had been secretly busy safeguarding the cabin from visitors. This time Troutman was wearing his gun. He would not be taken off guard another time. He turned off the road down an overgrown dirt road. The road showed signs of recent travel. About a half mile down the road, Troutman stopped the car. He decided to get out of the car and walk the rest of the way to the cabin.
    The walk gave him time to think, time to plan and time remember better times. It would also give him a chance to enter a different state of mind - a killer's state of mind to try to figure out how Ike would play his next hand. This showdown would be different. It would be one on one and there would be no police backup this time. There must be a winner and a loser. But this time, Troutman was the one with the ace up his sleeve.
    The walk to the cabin was a short one in the cool winter air. The birds chirpped wildly as if cheering on their would-be hero to a boxing or wrestling ring. The area looked deserted except for the fact that the front door of the cabin was open. Troutman looked around cautiously, gun in hand. There was no car but there were fresh tire tracks heading towards the lake. Maybe he'd made a mistake coming here. Maybe the cabin was sold and there were boaters on the lake.
    He made his way to the front door and looked in. Empty. He pushed the front door completely open. Not a single person would surprise him from behind a door today. He steped gingerly into the cabin. Nothing too out of the ordinary could be seen except a roll of duct tape and sewing kit near the kitchen sink. He took a quick look in the smaller bedroom and found nothing. He walked toward the kitchen sink.
    Without warning, a trap door opened  from the floor and Ike surprised Troutman from behind. He grabbed Troutman from the back of the hair and snapped Troutman's head to the floor. Troutman fell on his back. The fall dislodged the gun from his hand but he was able to roll out of the way as Ike drove a knife into the hard wood floor. Stunned but not quite dazed, Troutman was able to get to his feet and hit Ike in the face with a back kick sending the teen tumbling to the ground. The knife flew from the boy's hand. Both mortal enemies were now unarmed. Blood began to drip from the stitches in Troutman's leg.
    "Don't make this any worse than it has to be Ike!"
    Ike regrouped and got to his feet. He was totally unaware that he too was also bleeding from his previous battle wound.
    "Why'd you kill Speed? He was a good kid."
    "He was a good kid. But he was going to kill me. I had no choice!"
    Ike laughed the comment off.
    "You're gonna wish it was me that you killed."
    They both stood about twelve feet apart facing each other. The knife was about six feet to the right of Ike and the gun was about five feet from Troutman. Troutman knew that now was his time to act if he wanted to end this now.
    "I had more of an interest in you and your family than you think, Ike."
    Ike was momentarily distracted by the comment. He remembered the picture in the Inspector's home.
    "What do you mean?"
    The Inspector cautiously continued.
    "Why do you think I have followed you boys and have had an interest in everything you have done?"
    Fury, fear and anger filled Ike's watery eyes.
    "Because I loved your mother, Ike. I wanted to keep you all safe!"
    "YOU NEVER KNEW MY MOTHER!!!!"
    Troutman slowly took one step towards the gun.
    "Ike, I loved your mother. Your mother and I were lovers and were going to be married.  I knew what your father was doing to you and your brother and we were trying to get you all away from him."
    "YOU"RE A FUCKING LIAR!!! MY MOTHER WAS A DEMON AND NEEDED TO BE SACRIFICED!!"
    Ike eyed the knife. Troutman desperately tried to calm the boy down.
    "How do you think I knew about this place? Your mother and I used to come up here all the time. It was our special place."
    "I don't believe you and you will pay dearly for what you have done to my family."
    Ike took a step towards the knife.
    "Ike no! Don't do it son. Please don't. It wasn't your fault.Too many people including your innocent mother have died."
    Ike could not hear the voice of reason. He lunged for the knife. Troutman reacted quickly and lunged towards the gun. Because of Troutman's leg wound, Ike was able to reach the knife before Troutman could get the gun. Ike turned and threw the knife just as Troutman grabed the gun. Troutman turned and as the knife lodged into his shoulder, he fired the gun.The gunshot caught Ike squarely in the head. Troutman and Ike both fell flat on their back.
    The Inspector removed the knife from his shoulder and was able to get to his feet. He walked over to the teenager and looked down at the dead boy.
    The carnage was over.