Sincerity Lane (a short story)

Chapter Nine

Once all of the cult members were out of the Archers' house with Chloe, someone called to Aaron and Mark from the bottom of the stairwell. "Let's go!" 

Mark turned and descended the stairs.

"See you later Landon," Aaron said before turning to follow his dad.

Landon lunged at Aaron, and both boys tumbled down the stairs. Kate and Mike ran after them. As they reached the bottom, Mark was helping Aaron onto his feet. Aaron kicked Landon in the ribs, making him wince in pain. 

"Leave him alone!" Kate ordered Aaron.

Aaron and Mark quickly exited the house. 

Kate and Mike both helped Landon to his feet. "Are you okay?" Kate asked him.

Landon nodded. "Yeah, I'll live."

"I'm going after them," Mike said, before starting out the door.

"Wait. I know where they're taking her. Do you have any guns?" Landon asked Mike.

"Yeah, I have a pistol. Why?" Mike answered.

"You're going to need it to get Chloe back," Landon told them.

"I'll be right back." Mike ran back up the stairs.

"Do you have a hammer?" Landon asked Kate.

"Yeah, there's a tool box under the kitchen sink."

"Show me," Landon ordered. He grabbed a hammer and a screwdriver. He handed the screwdriver to Kate. "Here, keep this on  you, you may need it."

Just then, Mike came back downstairs with a pistol in his hand. "Let's go," Landon told them.

Kate and Mike followed Landon as they sneaked from their backyard to Edwin's backyard. They didn't want the cult members to know they were coming. Landon pointed to a building behind Mrs. Hindley's house. "That's the shrine," Landon told them. You could tell there were candles lit up inside, and they could also see the two guards standing outside the front door. 

"Mike, you follow me and we'll take out the two guards. Kate, call the cops back and tell them our new location, and then meet us at the front of that building in ten minutes," Landon whispered.

Kate pulled her cell phone from her back pocket. She looked at both Landon and Mike. "Bring my baby girl back to me, unharmed," she ordered softly. 

Mike kissed her on the head. "I will," he said before he and Landon left her.

Landon and Mike had to take a major detour in order to come out behind the so-called shrine that contained Chloe. Landon motioned for Mike to go around the left side and he would take the right. They each reached their target about the same time. Landon hit his guard in the back of the head once with the hammer, knocking him out. It was Jason Greenly, while Mike hit the other, Randy Samuels, with the handle of his gun. Once they were both lying on the ground, Landon rushed through the door of the building with Mike on his heels. 

"Drop it!" Landon ordered Mrs. Hindley, who was standing over Chloe holding a large knife. Chloe was tied to a table wearing a white lace gown. Edwin was standing on the other side of Chloe's head, while the other cult members, the Ansley's, the Caplans, the Prescott's, Sarah Greenly, and Debbie Samuels, were standing around the table. 

Aaron made a move for Landon. "Don't, or I'll shoot," Mike told him. Aaron stopped dead in his tracks. 

"Drop the knife," Landon repeated to Mrs. Hindley.

"You don't know what you're doing young man," Mrs. Hindley said to Landon.

"I know exactly what I'm doing, I'm trying to save the girl I love from a bunch of psychos," he spat. "Now drop the knife before you get shot, last warning."

Mrs. Hindley starred at Landon for a moment. "The Master said this must be done," she said before holding the knife up with both hands. Just before she brought the knife down at Chloe's chest, and before Mike could get a shot off,  Landon tackled the old woman to the ground.