Premeditated Murder Read Online Free PDF Page B

stupid of me, of course, because when the short guy fell, it made it hard to get the door open,” Cal continued. “But I kicked, and it finally gave way.
    “By that time, they were running all over the place, trying to get away, or I don't know, maybe to get guns to shoot me, but the weapon I had was incredible. I just swept it back and forth across the room again and again as I walked in, hardly aiming at anyone. I didn't have to. They were just falling like they were made out of cardboard.”
    Maybe the guy really was nuts, talking about killing a handful of people in cold blood with no more emotion than if he were just shooting the shit with his neighbor while watering his freakin' lawn.
    “Anyway, it seemed like a long time, but I bet it was only fifteen or twenty seconds before I thought I'd killed them all, and I stopped shooting. That was another stupid mistake,” Cal said, smiling again. “I started going from body to body, shooting them with a little burst, just to make sure they were dead, when all of a sudden the bathroom door flies open, and this guy comes out wearing only a bathrobe, screaming ‘You'll never get away with this!' and running across the room. I know it's strange, but the first thing I thought of was ‘Shit, I'm not getting away with
anything,
' and then I started shooting at him. Some of the bullets must have hit this window, though, because when he went down he kind of leaned against it, and ended up crashing right through it, and falling down into the courtyard.
    “Like a fool, I started to walk toward the window to look where he fell, but right about then I heard a pop, and I knew that I was dead, because I obviously hadn't killed them all. And before I could even turn I was on the floor with this burning pain in my leg. Luckily, I'd held on to my gun, and as soon as I could, I dragged myself past this table and started shooting again. The guy who shot me in the leg turned out to be the one with the big nose. I don't think that he got off another shot, so maybe the bullet that hit my arm was a ricochet. I didn't even notice it at first, because my leg hurt so bad, and I was bleeding so much.
    “I dragged myself out into the hallway, and then I called 911 on my cell phone. That's when I realized my arm was shot, too. I threw the gun down the hallway a bit, so the cops wouldn't think I was going to shoot them. Then I laid down and just waited for them to come.” Cal paused for a moment, in thought, then nodded. “That's exactly what happened,” he decided.
    The room fell dead silent except for the beep of the heart monitor. Zack looked like he hadn't moved in five minutes.
    Finally, Cal turned slowly to Terry and asked, “So how's your bullshit meter?”
    Terry nodded. “It's good,” he answered quietly.

FOUR

    Automated Voice:
January 30. Two twenty-four A . M .
    911 Operator:
Nine-one-one. This call is being recorded. What is your emergency?
    Male Voice #1:
Hello? I think there's somebody in my house. I think there are robbers … Somebody's inside my house.
    Operator:
There are intruders in your house right now, sir?
    Male Voice #1:
I hear—
    Male Voice #2 [in distance]:
Oh, shit! Somebody's here!
    Operator:
Who is that?
    Male Voice #1:
Oh, no.
    Male Voice #2 [in distance]:
Jack, we gotta get out of here! [Sound of door slamming.]
    Operator:
Sir, what is your location?
    [Crashing sound.]
    Operator:
Sir? Sir?
    [Sound of groaning.]
    Operator:
We're sending someone out to you right now. Can you verify your address? Sir? Can you hear me, sir?
    [Sound of female crying.]
    Operator:
Ma'am? Ma'am, can you hear me?
    Female Voice #1 [in distance]:
Grandpa?
    Operator:
Ma'am? If you can hear me, please pick up the telephone.
    Female Voice #1 [crying in distance]:
Grandpa?
    Operator:
Ma'am? Can you please pick up the telephone and tell