The ShowDown

The sun shines brightly in the clear afternoon sky. Birds are chirping all around them. A hint of flowers wafts through the air, a typical spring day in the Ozark mountains, but most locals know the fine weather can quickly change, and it often does.

Jeff is standing between two thugs, Antonio, his intended target, and a man who looks to be his twin, on Antonio's lawn. Houses built in the mid to late 19th century surrounded them. Eureka Springs's historic district is known for its lavish homes.

The attended victim is frozen in front of him, trying to decide what to do. His first thought is to kill the man, but he is afraid of what the crazed lunatic will do to his daughter if he does.

The second man, showing no regard for the child's life, rushes up from behind.

"Stop, stop," Antonio screams. His wife died in a similar situation a short while ago, and he didn't want it to happen again. "He has my baby, Mi Nena," Antonio yells, shakingly raising his hand.

Jeff's legs become weak and then threaten to give as the armed look-alike continues to race across the yard. Jeff's stomach churns with fury as nasty-tasting bile rises to his throat. Choking it down, he glances back to find the friend has stopped a short distance away. He looks over to find Antonio still immobile in front of him. I wish there were an easier way to do this. He thinks, feeling Antonio's four-year-old child trying to squirm free from his grip.

Jeff recalls the picture of his battered daughter tied to a chair. Dried blood caked in her golden blonde hair. Small streaks of blood dribbled down her bruised, battered face. He then pictures Julie's lifeless body on the floor below her. She looked to be already gone. The girls will suffer the same fate if I don't see this through. Gulping back the liquid, threatening to escape, he takes a deep breath and says, "Get in my car, Antonio, and I'll let your baby go."

"Help me, Daddy. Please help me," the child cries, reaching for her distraught dad.

Wiping the sweat streaming down his face, Jeff leans down and says: "No, voy a hacerte, te prometo que no lo hare'." (I'm not going to hurt you, baby, I promise.)

Seeing the evil lurking in the man's eyes, the preschooler screams louder than before.

Jeff quickly looks around, hoping the young child hasn't drawn any unwanted attention. Jeff sighs when he sees the neighborhood remains perfectly still.

"Drop the girl, or die," the friend warns, raising his gun. Cocking his weapon, the look-alike takes a shooter's stance.

Jeff's voice quivers when he says, "Tell Antonio to get into my car, and I will let her go."

"He's not going anywhere with you, so drop the girl now."

Realizing there's only one way to make it out alive, Jeff turns and shoots the friend. The bullet hits its mark by sheer luck, taking Jeff by complete surprise. He only shot a rifle once in his life. Being knocked on his butt, he'd had enough.

Gasping for air, Antonio's twin grabs the wound in his chest, hoping to stop the gushing blood. His eyes glaze over. The man's tatted body tumbles to the ground.

"Salvame, Papa, por favor, salvame," (Save me, Papa, please save me.) The terrified child cries, reaching for her dad.

Jeff turns to find Antonio aiming what looks to be a long-nosed revolver his way. Lifting his weapon, Jeff takes aim and shoots. Unlike the first time, the bullet whizzes past miles away from the attended target. It ricochets off the neighbor's retaining wall, past Antonio a second time. The 9mm slug continues to travel across the yard, lodging into the young child's chest.

A look of shock crosses the child's face. A glaze forms over the child's hazel eyes. The preschooler gasps for air a final time and then falls limply across Jeff's arm.

"You killed my baby. You killed my little girl." With tears streaming down his ashen face, Antonio pulls the trigger.

Dropping to the ground, Jeff raises his arms, aims the weapon mid-body, and shoots.

The man's muscular body stumbles back a couple of steps, then tumbles to the ground.

Scrambling to his feet, Jeff lays the child down beside her daddy. I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so, so sorry he cries. Jeff hears sirens in the distance. Racing to his car, he climbs inside. Bambini's orders replay in his head as he starts it up.

"Bring back Antonio alive, or you and your family will die."

Jeff eyes the three lifeless bodies in the yard. "I just killed my girls. I just killed my girls." Images of the good times the four of them had come to mind. I have to make this right, somehow. Jeff then recalls the goons stationed at his house. How? Jeff is searching for answers when a horrid thought pops into his head. "My family is probably already gone." Throwing his head in his hands, he begins to sob.

The sirens continue to get closer. He looks to his right to find the cops a short distance away.

"How can I live with myself knowing what I've done? Jeff glances at the gun clenched in his hand. "I don't have a reason to live now that my family is gone." Jeff lifts his revolver to his head. Images of his family continue to plague his mind. I don't deserve to live after what I've done.

Clenching his teeth, he cocks his gun. He wasn't sure what to expect, but from what he's seen on tv, he figured he wouldn't feel a thing.

The weapon shakes in his hand as he holds it up to his head. Years of memories flash through Jeff's mind. Crying harder, he presses the handgun firmly against his head. "I'm sorry, Mom and Dad. So sorry I let you down. I guess you were right, Dad, when you called me a loser. When you said that's what I'll always be, that I'd never amount to much no matter how hard I tried. I tried, Dad, I really did, but it was never enough. I'm sorry I was such a disappointment to you and Mom. I'm sorry. Jeff gulps back his emotions as his finger slowly slides to the trigger. Images of his family's dead bodies come to mind. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you." He bawls.

The sirens continue to get closer.

I'll be long gone before they get here, Jeff thinks. Taking a deep breath, he braces himself for the impact.

Something Bambini said echoes in Jeff's head.

"Eye for an eye, my boy, an eye for an eye. That's what the bible says, and that's why I want you to bring Antonio to me."

Jeff then recalls the scenario that's been plaguing his mind since this mess began, watching Bambini and all the rest of his goons die a horrific death.

Bambini's words replayed in Jeff's head again and again. The more he hears it, the more it rings true.

"An eye for an eye, Bambini, you said so yourself." Jeff glances over at the dead bodies and says, "I got your revenge, and now it's time for me to get mine."

With a newfound purpose, Jeff throws his car into gear. "My family's death isn't going to be in vain. Not as long as I'm alive." Flooring the gas, he speeds away.