“How did it go honey?” asks Lauren as I enter my master bedroom.
“Pretty good, but I saw Gloria and Carlos at the Factory,” I answer Lauren.
“Really, well now we know where they went after here,” replies Lauren.
“Yeah, Gloria was about to attack me but the guy Javier who runs the Factory stopped her,” I say to Lauren as I take off my shoes and socks.
“Why did she try to attack you?” asks Lauren as she folds clean laundry on our bed.
“She still blames me for her kids dying,” I answer Lauren.
“What did Carlos do?” asks Lauren.
“Nothing. He stuck by Gloria and I didn’t see them after Javier grabbed Gloria’s arm before she could swing at me,” I answer Lauren.
“I saw you talking with Brad out there. What did he want?” asks Lauren.
I take off my bulletproof vest and answer Lauren, “He wants us to meet with that Faith lady at the stadium.”
“Who is she?” asks Lauren.
I walk into my master bedroom closet, place my bulletproof vest on the floor and answer Lauren, “One of Brad’s friends that he said we can help. Brad said something about helping her find her daughter.”
“Where is her daughter?” asks Lauren as she puts two pieces of clean laundry in a drawer.
“I really don’t know, and I’m not sure what’s going on, but it could be connected with what the church was doing around here with kidnapping people,” I answer Lauren.
“People are important to have around now,” says Lauren.
“Yeah, but more importantly the right people,” I reply.
About an hour or two goes by and Matt, Jon, Jaws Junior, and one of the main Citrus Oaks entrance guards are in a truck and Jon is driving down a road.
“What’s your name again,” asks Jaws Junior to the Asian American Citrus Oaks guard.
“Russell,” answers the young male Asian American man that is dressed in Haven Warrior armor.
“What’s it like at the Haven Russ?” asks Matt from the passenger seat of the truck that Jon is driving.
“It’s Russell actually and it’s pretty good. I’m not sure why Bruce sent us to your community,” answers Russell.
Matt and Jon are kind of annoyed by what Russell just said to them and Jon asks, “Is it that bad being with the Brotherhood at Citrus Oaks?”
Russell looks towards the front of the truck that Jon is driving and answers with a slight annoyed tone, “It’s fine.”
“What kind of things do you have there at the Haven?” asks Jaws Junior to Russell.
“We have way more things at the Haven and Tran is a great mechanic there,” answers Russell.
“I’ll have to check it out and meet with your mechanic at the Haven,” replies Jaws Junior.
“We have much better food at the Haven as well,” says Russell.
“I bet, it’s so great at the Haven,” says Matt under his breath as he looks out his passenger door window as Jon drives down a street.
“The water has gotten worse around here,” says Jon as he approaches the small gun shop that Stacy and her mom took residence in.
Jon parks his truck at the side of the gun shop and there is water around the parking lot, street, and the surrounding area around the gun shop.
“There isn’t water like this around the Haven,” says Russell as he opens the rear passenger side door of Jon’s truck.
“Let’s make this a quick trip and get back home,” says Jon.
SPLASH! SPLASH!
Water in the parking lot of the gun shop splashes up as Matt and Jaws Junior step down from Jon’s truck and onto the parking lot pavement.
Russell and Jon exit from Jon’s truck and they look around the small gun shop parking lot and surrounding area.
Matt and Jon walk towards the back of the gun shop and Jon says to Jaws Junior and Russell, “Keep an eye out and let us know if you see any problems.”
“Will do,” says Jaws Junior as he stands by the back of Jon’s truck.
Jaws Junior gets into the truck bed of Jon’s truck and says to Russell, “You should come up here.”
“I’m good right here,” replies Russell with some defiance as he stands in the gun shop parking lot water near the back of Jon’s truck.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
Jon knocks on the metal door of the rear entrance of the small gun shop.
“I hope they aren’t expecting anything from us,” says Jon.
“Like what?” asks Matt.
Jon and Matt look at the closed metal door.
“I don’t know, but I think Ryan told them that he would bring them more items when he comes back here,” answers Jon.
“Who is there?” asks a person from inside the gun shop.
“Matt and Jon, we’re friends of Ryan. We just wanted to make sure you were okay here,” answers Matt.
“What do you want?” asks the same person that shouted before from inside the gun shop.
A small ripple of water starts to come from the water towards the gun shop parking lot where Jon’s truck is parked. Jaws Junior sees the ripple of water and he looks down the flooded street.
“Get up here now Russell!” shouts Jaws Junior.
Russell looks down the street at the ripple of water and asks, “What is that?”
“I’m not sure you want to find out. It could be a gator,” answers Jaws Junior.
“It’s Matt and Jon ma’am! We are with Ryan!” shouts Jon towards the closed metal door.
The closed metal door opens, and Stacy is seen as she opens the metal door fully.
“Where is Ryan?” asks Stacy to Matt and Jon.
“He’s back home, but we wanted to check on you and your mom,” answers Matt.
“That was nice, but we are doing fine in here,” replies Stacy.
Vivian comes out from behind Stacy and asks, “What do you have for us?”
“Nothing ma’am, we just wanted to make sure you were okay with the water starting to accumulate out here,” answers Jon.
“We are fine, but your friend said he’d bring us more stuff,” replies Vivian.
“Mom,” says Stacy to Vivian.
Russell becomes more intrigued with the ripples of water that seem to be coming more frequently towards Jon’s truck.
Jaws Junior looks down the street through the scope on his hunting rifle and he tries to see what may be making the water ripples.
Russell starts to walk down the flooded street as Jaws Junior stands up from the back truck bed of Jon’s truck and looks through his hunting rifle scope.
“Water hasn’t come in the shop and we have sandbags to block the water,” says Stacy to Jon and Matt.
“Okay, just wanted to make sure you were safe as the water is starting to fill up more and more streets,” says Matt.
“What are you doing?” asks Jaws Junior to Russell as Russell walks in thigh high deep water now about 100 feet from Jon’s truck.
The water ripples suddenly stop coming towards Russell. Russell stops walking. “I think it’s okay. The water stopped moving,” says Russell.
Jaws Junior puts his hunting rifle scope back up to his right eye and looks beyond Russell’s location in the flooded street.
Jaws Junior stops moving his hunting rifle scope and he sees something in the water. Panic and worry take over Jaws Junior as he is able to focus on what is seen in the water.
“You need to back away slowly Russ!” shouts Jaws Junior.
“Why? Nothing is here!” shouts Russell as he looks back at Jaws Junior.
SPLASH! CRUNCH!
Suddenly an alligator lunges towards Russell and latches onto his right thigh.
AHHHH!
Russell screams in pain.
Jon and Matt hear Russell’s scream and they look towards the side of the gun shop.
“Close the door,” says Vivian to Stacy.
BANG!
BANG!
Jaws Junior fires two shots at the alligator that has Russ
ell’s leg in its powerful jaws and teeth.
“Glad you are safe; we’ll be in touch!” shouts Matt to Stacy and Vivian as he and Jon run towards Jon’s truck.
Russell is pulled forward by the alligator and Jaws Junior doesn’t know what to do.
“What’s going on?” shouts Jon to Jaws Junior as he and Matt come over to Jon’s truck.
“A gator got Russell!” shouts Jaws Junior as he points in the direction of where Russell was previously standing in the flooded street.
“Where is he?” asks Jon as he and Matt look down the flooded street.
Jaws Junior looks down the street and he can’t find Russell anymore. “He must have pulled Russell under,” says Jaws Junior.
The once somewhat clear water in the street becomes bright red. Jon, Matt, and Jaws Junior see the red water, but don’t see Russell or the alligator.
Suddenly a body comes up to the water surface. Jon, Matt, and Jaws Junior look at the torn up body that is face down in the water. It’s Russell and he’s not moving.
“Is he alive?” asks Matt.
CRUNCH!
The alligator bites into Russell’s head.
“Doubtful, no way he survived that,” answers Jaws Junior.
Jon, Matt, and Jaws Junior want to help Russell, but they aren’t sure what to do.
More and more ripples of water come towards Russell’s dead body.
Jaws Junior looks through his hunting rifle scope and shouts, “We have to go! More gators are coming for the body!”
Jon looks at Matt and Matt says, “He’s right. Nothing we can do. We gotta go.”
Matt enters the passenger seat of Jon’s truck. Jon looks down the flooded street and shouts to Jaws Junior, “Nothing we can do?”
Jaws Junior watches as two new alligators bite into Russell’s dead body and he answers Jon, “He’s gone.”
Jon gets into his truck and starts it up. “Hold on back there!” shouts Jon to Jaws Junior.
Jaws Junior braces himself as he sits in the back truck bed of Jon’s truck.
Jon drives away from the gun shop and away from the flooded section of the street.
“That was only one street with all that water. We have to get the power back on. The pumps are the only way to decrease the flooding,” says Matt as Jon drives down the street towards Citrus Oaks.
CHAPTER 18
YOU REALLY MESSED UP
“What can we do about the water and the power though?” I ask Matt as I talk with Shaun, Matt, Jaws Junior, and Jon inside Shaun’s garage several hours after Jon, Matt, and Jaws Junior returned to Citrus Oaks after their trip to the gun shop.
“We should go back to the electric company and try to get the power back on as we can’t do much without electricity,” answers Matt.
“It’s night though and you could barely see anything in there the last time we went there during the day,” says Jon.
I look at Phil for some guidance and Phil sees that I’m looking to him for help.
“It’s too dangerous to go at night and with the water around,” says Phil.
“So we go first thing in the morning,” says Matt.
“Can we even get through the water though?” I ask.
“We could take a canoe or rowboat,” says Shaun.
“Yeah, good idea. Let’s row some shitty boat into gator infested waters,” says Matt with a sarcastic tone.
“We should be able to take one of the lifted vehicles,” says Jaws Junior.
“My jeep is the best one that is lifted,” says Shaun.
“Then we take your jeep,” says Matt.
“I can take me and three others, is that enough though?” asks Shaun.
“I think we’ll need help from William or Bakari with this,” I say.
“I called Bakari, but no answer or return call,” says Phil.
“Call them again and let’s try to get a hold of William also,” I say.
“What if we got a boat from Brad?” asks Shaun.
We all look at Shaun and Shaun feels us all looking at him.
“What? Was that dumb or something?” asks Shaun.
“Let’s talk with William and anyone from the Ghosts and then we’ll go from there,” I say.
Phil grabs the satellite phone and calls for Bakari. Jon calls for William over the radio.
I think about what to do and if we could get help from someone else. What about Javier? What about DK? Would anyone besides the Ghosts and Haven help us?
Jaws Junior walks over to me and asks, “Is it okay if I go home?”
“Yeah, thank you for your help today,” I answer Jaws Junior.
“I wish I could have saved Russell,” says Jaws Junior.
“You did all that you could. Sounds like he didn’t listen to you though,” I reply to Jaws Junior.
“He didn’t, but it was tough to watch those gators rip him apart,” replies Jaws Junior.
“Don’t let it get to you. You did all that you could. You could have died trying to save him,” I say to Jaws Junior.
Jaws Junior says goodbye to me and the guys and then he walks home.
“Still no answer from Bakari again,” says Phil.
I look at Jon, who is on his radio, and see that he’s talking with someone from the Haven.
“Thank you Bruce, we could use another vehicle for the trip,” says Jon into his radio.
Jon finishes his conversation with Bruce over the radio and Jon tells me, “We got another truck for the trip tomorrow.”
“Thank you Jon. When will they be here?” I ask.
“Sometime in the morning, but he said Tran needs to fix something on the truck before he can bring it over,” answers Jon.
“We now have a plan, and we just have to wait until tomorrow morning,” I say.
I see that Matt is not happy with the plan and I ask Matt, “You don’t like the plan bro?”
“No, it’s fine,” answers Matt.
“Don’t give me that it’s fine bullshit,” I say to Matt.
We all look at Matt and Matt feels us staring at him.
“What?” asks Matt.
“Just tell us what your problem is,” answers Shaun.
Matt looks at Shaun and doesn’t want to answer.
Shaun gets annoyed by Matt’s hesitation to answer and says, “Come on, don’t be a baby.”
Matt looks at me and I say, “Dude, come on. Enough with the build up here.”
Matt says, “I just think we need to go tonight. Every minute that we don’t get the power back on, more water will be flooding the streets.”
“It’s not safe to go now,” says Phil.
Matt rolls his eyes with frustration.
“Look, I want to go as well right now, but our safety will not be put in jeopardy with this or anything going forward,” I say.
Matt shakes his head and disapproves of us not going tonight.
“The gun shop could be flooded right now,” says Matt.
“They had sandbags and didn’t seem concerned about the water,” says Jon.
Matt looks at Shaun’s jeep, that’s parked in the driveway of the abandoned destroyed house that is next to Shaun’s house, and Phil sees Matt eyeing up Shaun’s jeep.
“Don’t even think about it,” says Phil to Matt.
Matt looks at Phil and asks, “What?”
“I see that look and know that you are probably thinking about taking Shaun’s jeep and going yourself,” answers Phil.
“You want the keys Matt?” asks Shaun.
Matt looks at Shaun, but doesn’t answer.
I feel the tension, anxiety, and emotions in Shaun’s garage. I don’t like where this is going and I shout, “Enough! We are going tomorrow and that’s it!”
Everyone looks at me, and I feel like they are taken back by my shouting.
“Everyone always wants to do what they want to do whenever they want to fucking do it! We can’t do that shit now! Let’s just fucking wait until tomorrow morning and do it right!” I shout a
nd then exit Shaun’s garage and walk towards my house.
“I wasn’t actually going to go tonight,” says Matt.
“Yeah right, how many times did you sneak out with us when we went to the street races in high school?” asks Shaun to Matt.
“High school? That was like twenty years ago,” answers Matt.
“But that’s who you are. You do whatever you want when you want to do it. You are either all in or all out,” says Phil.
Matt looks at Phil, Shaun, and then Jon.
“I like that you have been stepping up lately but let’s pump the brakes on this one,” says Phil to Matt.
“We’ll get it done tomorrow,” says Jon to Matt.
Matt smiles at Phil, Shaun, and Jon, and says, “Street races in high school. Man, going old school with that one.”
It’s the next morning. I’m in bed with Lauren and I pull her close as she sleeps with her back to me. I’m thankful for having Lauren with me and for everything that she’s done in our relationship, marriage, house, and everything around the neighborhood.
“You want to have a quickie?” jokes Lauren as I hold her back against my chest and spoon her.
I laugh and joke, “Some morning delight.”
Lauren turns around and she looks into my eyes.
“I love you honey,” says Lauren and I reply, “I love you sweetie.”
“I had a good dream last night,” I say to Lauren.
“Oh yeah? What was it about?” asks Lauren.
I look into Lauren’s eyes and answer, “We were together at a resort. Like one of those island resorts in the Caribbean.”
“That sounds nice, were you feeding me grapes?” jokes Lauren.
“Probably, but in the dream I was there with you and we had a child. Two actually,” I answer Lauren.
“Oh man, two girls?” asks Lauren.
“I couldn’t tell if it was two girls or two boys or what, but it was clear to me that we were safe and happy,” I answer Lauren.
“Let’s get to the baby making then,” jokes Lauren and then Lauren kisses me.
About twenty minutes go by.
I enter our master bathroom and go to the bathroom. I wash my hands in the bathroom sink and I see that our tap water is darker than it has been, and I say, “I think the tap water is finally bad.”
Lauren enters our master bathroom and she sees the brown tinged tap water and she says, “Eww, yeah I’m not using tap water now.”
Fight 4 Us (Book 11): Access Page 19
