They ran out to the driveway and pulled Bridget’s sign off the fence. She helped him carry it into the back of the pickup where they put it picture side down. Derek threw the magnetic signs in the woods and hid the gun in the glove box. He shut the door and stood back. “Oh crap,” he said.

“What?” asked Bridget.

He pointed at the flat tires on the truck. “That bastard slashed my tires.”

“How will we get out of here?” asked Bridget.

“We aren’t,” said Derek. “We are going to call the police.” He took out his phone and called.

Bridget wrung her hands as he called.

“Police, someone came in and tried to attack me and my girlfriend.” He paused. “No, we are fine, but the assailant somehow electrocuted himself.” He paused again and hung up. “They are on the way,” he said. “Let’s wait in the shed for them.

It took only fifteen minutes until the police arrived. Bridget shivered, but she stood by Derek as he explained his version of what happened. “Well we are looking into fixing up the farmhouse and moving here when my girlfriend and I move in together,” he explained.

“Why were you in the shed?” asked the policeman.

“My iPhone died. The house has no electricity yet, so I went out to the shed. When I plugged it in, I plugged in that power strip and plugged the iPhone into that. We were in the shed waiting until it charged when the guy came in. He said he had a gun and I knew he was going to hurt Angela.”

“Did he have a gun?”

“Well, no,” admitted Derek. He put his hand in his pocket and pushed his finger to make it look like he had a gun in his jacket pocket. “He did this and I didn’t know if he had a gun or not so we just listened to him.”

“You did the right thing,” said the policeman.

“He then grabbed Angela and held her by the throat while he bragged that he killed a bunch of children in some school and killing her would be nothing. Angela panicked and twisted away and hid under the table, but he chased her. I tried to pull him away, but pushed him at the table instead and he landed with a hand in that machine.” He pointed at the electrocution machine. “As soon as I could get up, I pulled the plug on the power strip. I only touched him to get Angela out.”

“Is that what happened, Miss,” asked the police man.

“Yes,” she said.

He looked down at her waist and wrinkled his nose. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“Can we go yet?” she asked.

“Not yet,” he said. He walked around her and looked at her bottom. “Are you sure you are all right?”

“I’m very uncomfortable,” she said. “I kinda had an accident and want a shower.”

“We’ll try to let you get away as soon as we can,” he said. That took another two hours. Another policeman came to question her.

“So then Derek pulled him away from the table to let me out,” she said.

“Have you seen this man before?” asked the man.

She hesitated, but decided the truth was better. “Yes,” she said. “He’s my college roommate’s uncle. He seemed nice Monday when he took me and my roommate to dinner. I didn’t know he would follow me out here and attack me though.”

“No one expects someone to attack them,” the policeman said. “I’d be more surprised if he was some stranger than someone you’ve met before. I’ve seen it happen many times.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize that,” she said. “He even slashed my boyfriend’s tires.”

“Probably to keep you from getting away.” He turned to go back into the shed. “Sit here for now.” He left.

“So did it work?” asked Ogre. He had come by to pick them up since Derek’s truck tires were flat. Derek had managed to get the gun out of the truck and into Ogre’s car without the police noticing. It had helped that it was not out in the open, but in its locked case before he called the police.

“Yes,” he said. “It worked like a charm. Once less tree spiker and justice for Fred Jones.”

“That’s Lia’s dad, right?” asked Bridget. She had to speak up because she was in the backseat with both windows open and only her duffle bag to keep her company.

“That is right,” said Ogre. “What I don’t understand is how you knew who he was. Derek said you told him more, but he couldn’t say.”

Bridget shrugged. “I really can’t go into it,” she said, “but I was after him for another crime when I received evidence that he was involved in the tree spiking. I’m not who I said I was, but don’t worry. I am Angela Murphy now.”

“Okay,” said Ogre, “no questions then, except one. I don’t want to embarrass you, but can you smell a bit better next time we meet?”

Bridget felt her face burn. “I guess I can keep my pants clean if no one points a gun at my face or tries to nail me to a tree.”

It was Ogre’s turn to be embarrassed. “Good point,” he said. He pulled into the driveway at Derek’s house and the two of them got out. “Have a good time,” he said before driving away.

Bridget went inside for a much needed shower and then spending time with Derek. She had packed special panties for this night with Derek and she couldn’t wait.