“You might want to start here, at the Beginner’s Wall,” Beth said, escorting Gramma to a benign looking layout. “Don’t be frightened. If you fall, your harness will catch you. I’ve double-checked the hookup myself.”
Andy stifled a laugh.
Lola winced.
Beth and Gramma looked up and down at the wall and back at each other.
“Thank you so much, dear,” Gramma answered Beth. “You’re too kind.” She dusted her hands like a pro and smiled her sweetest.
“Kick it up,” Andy whispered in Gramma’s ear.
“Risky,” Beth whispered to one of the other patrons who were watching.
Gramma left the Beginner’s Wall and walked to the ceiling climb corner. She looked up, then down, then around and hustled up. Gramma utilized a fast, dynamic climbing technique to scale the vertical wall. Her control and fluid moves revealed a mature technique. She took a restorative rest just long enough to give a little wave to the growing, appreciative crowd below. Beth, convinced her part in this event was done, went to the front of the building and out the door.
Patrons gasped at the senior citizen’s amazing performance. Some of them were more than a little embarrassed for assuming Gramma was out of her depth.
“Claim it,” Andy yelled up to her.
By now, a small crowd hastened to watch the elderly woman positioning herself to negotiate the craziest, most-difficult wall in the gym. Some observers looked scared and held their arms upward to catch the old woman should the worst possible scenario happen and she fell. After watching for a few minutes, they relaxed.
Some onlookers were taking photos with their cell phones while others were taping the unbelievable event and sending it into cyberspace to friends, family and out yonder.
Then it happened.
The lights went out all over the arena and the outside parking area. It was pitch black everywhere.
“Gramma,” Lola yelled. “Are you all right?”
“Hang on. We’re right here below you,” Andy called up to his gramma.
“I’m okay,” Gramma said. “What happened?”
“I don’t know,” Bonnie answered. “Some of the guys went to see what’s going on.”
“Where’s Beth?” Andy asked.
“Beth who?” Bonnie replied. “We don’t have anyone by that name working here.”
A woman’s voice called out from the front of the office. “Well, well, well. Gramma. You’re in a tough spot now, aren’t you?”
“Poppy. That’s you, isn’t it?” Gramma replied.
Poppy Gold shined a spotlight on her prey.
Gramma was holding tightly onto the ceiling.
“It’s me, for sure, Gramma. I like what I'm seeing up there.”
Poppy waved a gun and her light at the small group. “The rest of you here, get back against the wall.”
Everyone moved to where she was pointing.
Lola and Andy held onto each other.
“Sucks to be you,” Andy said quietly to Poppy.
Poppy didn’t hear him.
“I see you’re wall climbing again,” Poppy called up to Gramma. “I thought after our experience in Afghanistan, you’d have given it up.”
“You almost killed Grampa and me,” Gramma said. “I’ll never forgive you for that.”
“And you got me sent to prison,” Poppy said. “I’ll never forgive you for that.”
“You had it coming, you traitor. You sold out our government, our military, and tried to kill off those of us in the Development who’re working to help our country. You should’ve never been released from prison. How did you get out of there anyway?”
In the spotlight, Gramma was starting to look fatigued.
“I’ve got big money backers and it pays to know the right people,” Poppy said. “Enough about that. You don’t look so good. Are you getting tired of hanging up there? Huh? Don’t you just want to let yourself down with the descender?”
“You let my gramma alone,” Lola said.
“Shut up,” Poppy screamed. “It’s payback time. I could’ve gotten you many different ways, Gramma, and maybe I should have whacked you when I had the chance. When I found out you were going to be here tonight, I chose this place because it seemed fitting. I failed at getting you and Grampa tossed off the mountain in Afghanistan, but today, I won’t.”
“I’m starting to get tired, Poppy,” Gramma said. “Maybe this time, you’ll finally be successful.” She panted.
“Let yourself down with the descender,” Poppy said. “Go ahead.”
“You think I don’t know your friend Beth didn’t hook my harness up correctly, don’t you? You still take everyone to be stupid. That’s one of the mistakes your ilk often makes. I saw what she did and after I got up here, I fixed it.”
“Then, I guess I’ll just have to start using you for a target. You’ve been a good adversary, Gramma, one of the best, but I hate you and I hate what you stand for.”
Out of the group backed up against the wall, someone yelled, “Let’s roll.”
Before Poppy could get off a shot or shine the light on whoever called out, the adults in the group swarmed her, knocking the surprised traitor to the floor.
The light fell from Poppy’s hand, casting an eerie glow on the gym shoes of the gang on top of her. Her gun went skidding across the floor.
Lola picked up the weapon and backed away from the crowd.
Gramma descended from the ceiling and retrieved the light. She shined it on Poppy who was being held tightly by Andy and some of the other wall climbers.
“You were all so brave, going after her like that,” Gramma said.
“Some of us had already vowed to never let evil cower Americans into submission, again,” one of the men said.
Chapter 12
To the River Walk and a Scuffle
“So where’s Poppy Gold now?” Andy asked.
“She’s back in prison, awaiting trial on attempted murder. I hope they throw away the key this time.”
“Let’s talk about something pleasant, now. I’m leaving for San Antonio soon to meet my dear friend Ruthie and her granddaughter Jamie,” Gramma said. “And I have some business there.”
“Can I go with you? Andy asked. “I’ve never been to San Antonio.”
“How about me? I want to go. I’ve never been to San Antonio, either,” Lola said. “We can both go, Andy.”
“I’m sorry I can’t take anyone on my trip this time except for hired help,” Gramma said. She nodded Andy’s way.
Andy perked up. That could mean him or Chatty Mae. Or maybe Carl. Or, Uncle, if it has to do with computers, China, or safecracking.
“Things are a bit different for this trip. Maybe when I go to Paris, both of you can travel with me. If your mom and dad say it’s okay. We’ll have a great time there without too many interruptions, but for now, I’ll be leaving for San Antonio with some hired hands. Oh, and if Carl comes by while I'm gone, trying to take our fence down to join the neighborhood yards, stop him.”
"We will," Lola said. She rolled her eyes and wondered what that was about.
“If you're going to San Antonio, then I’m going to do some skiing. Some friends invited me last week, and I think I’ll take them up on it,” Andy said. He pulled his cell phone out and Binged San Antonio to find out about the weather.
“We’ll take good care of Sweetums and her puppies,” Lola said. “Andy can’t have one at his apartment. It’s in his lease. No dogs. Dad said I can’t have one until I get my own place. So, I guess you’ll have to find buyers for them.” She picked up her favorite, the chubby, white haired brother and cooed in his ear.
“That’s fine. I have lots of people who want the puppies. And why wouldn’t they want them? They’re from the prettiest, most darling dog there is.” Gramma petted her Pomeranian. “What’s important is for Sweetum’s babies to get good homes.”
“Maybe next time,” Lola said.
“What next time?” Gramma repli
ed. “Hey, do you think you can get your dad to wash and clean my Mini Bus while I’m gone? It really needs a good going over.”
“Sure. He’ll have it looking good as new when you get back,” Andy said. “Which doesn’t take much because it’s almost as good as the day it came off the showroom in ’65. That was a long time ago. How do you keep it looking that way?”
“TLC, Andy. Tender Loving Care. I love that vehicle. It cost me less than $2,000 brand new, fully loaded. Lots of memories tied up in that red and white beauty.” Gramma started to daydream.
Andy and Lola wondered what kind of memories their gramma could possibly have about her Mini Bus. They were about to ask when the phone rang.
“Hello,” Gramma said. “Yep, I’ll be leaving soon. See you tonight. I’m really looking forward to our time together and to seeing Jamie again.”
No sooner had Gramma hung up her phone than it rang again. She recognized the number and scowled. “Yeeessssss."
“Hi, Baby,” Red said. “Hey, how is anyone expected to get into that Development you live in?”
“Whatever do you mean? And did you just call me ‘Baby?’”
“The address I found for where you live doesn’t exist. That’s what I mean,” Red said. “And yes, Baby. I called you Baby.”
Gramma shivered.
“You’ve been scoping out my address?”
“Well, a little,” Red said sheepishly.
“A little?”
“Well, a lot, actually. I went through all the customary online searches. You know, there aren’t many photos of you to be found. Just thought I’d let you know. There is a nice one of you from when they put your hand and foot prints at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. You’re next to some pretty hot Hollywood stock. Anyway, I thought it’d be romantic for me to come pay you a visit sometime. Maybe take you to dinner, or I could cook for you. I’m an excellent cook.” He sounded hopeful.
“Swell,” Gramma said.
“You mean it?”
“No. And I ruined a perfectly good pair of work boots getting my prints in that cement.”
“About those boots . . . never mind. So how can I find your house? We have the address, but there’s absolutely no way of getting into that Development, short of parachuting in. First I sent Fernando. Guess I should’ve known better than to do that. He got nothing. Then I sent a drone to find the entrance. How do you get in and out? And your neighbors. How do they do it? Weird.”
“I’ve got questions for you. How is Fernando? Has he lost any weight? How about his hygiene? Does he still smell like something dead, like roadkill? Wait a minute. Don’t tell me. I really don’t care. Bye.”
“That was a weird conversation,” Lola said. “And who’s Fernando who smells like something dead?”
“You’re right. That was weird,” Gramma said. “Now, about San Antonio.” She was flipping something up and down while talking.
“What’s that?” Lola asked.
“What?”
“That,” Lola said, pointing to the thing Gramma was tossing into the air.
“Oh. That’s just a flattened penny. When Ruthie and I were little girls, we put pennies on the railroad tracks in Riverside and waited for a train to run over them. This is what happened to mine.” She showed the flattened copper curve to her grandchildren. “The D & H Railroad train squished it flat. Won’t happen as good if I did it to a new penny today because they’re mostly zinc filler. Anyway, Ruthie and I saved ours. It’s a sweet memento of our childhood.”
“Oh, my gosh, Gramma, did you ever ride on any of those trains?”
“Not too many times. Ruthie, a friend of ours named Bobby and I jumped into an open box car once. Bobbly wanted us to hold onto the handrails on the outside of the train and ride it that way. Of course, he also wanted us to wait until it started rolling along and ‘catch it on the fly,’ too. He’d run after it when it was moving and then he'd jump in. Bobby had a bunch of crazy ideas. Once he tried to get us to ride ‘suicide’ on a tanker car, riding where two train cars connect. Ruthie and I refused all the wild Bobby ideas, but we did jump into the box car. Doors open, it went all the way to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with us inside, backs against the wall, watching the scenery.”
“Oh, my goodness, Gramma, weren’t your parents scared when they found out what you did?” Andy asked.
Gramma gave them one of her looks.
“I guess you were the scared one when they found out, right?” Lola said.
“You got that right. I couldn’t sit down for a week. I had it coming, though. That was so dangerous.”
She thought about it for a while. “I knew enough to never do that again. Don’t you two ever try something that stupid. Now, did I ever tell you about the time your daddy . . .” And off Gramma went with one of the childhood stories of her son and the time he fell out of a second story window onto some bushes below while trying to reach an airplane he’d flown into the branches.
San Antonio’s Paseo del Rio―The River Walk
Ruthie, her granddaughter Jamie, and Gramma were deep in conversation.
“I’m glad I did a sweep over you two and this table before we started talking,” Gramma said. “You never know who’s listening in on us these days.” She frowned. “The weirdest people are using drones and everything else to nose in on our lives.”
“I know,” Ruthie said. “I’m still shocked someone bugged my home. Imagine that. They bugged my home and touched my things. I feel so violated. They were traipsing around my home. Not to mention the drone.” She looked out through the railings at the San Antonio River flowing past the sidewalk cafe where they were seated.
“Now, Nanna,” Jamie said. “Try not to think about it. There’s been a drone following me off and on for a while. We learned something from it, right? Thank you, Gramma, for sending the tekkies over to my house, too.”
“You’re welcome. It had to be done.”
“Now, how about you start telling Gramma what you got yourself into at your job so she can help you get out of it,” Ruthie said. “Or, at least she can help you deal with what’s going on.”
“I hardly know where to start,” Jamie said. “I’ve been working for this company for about five years now. I can’t tell you who I work for or what we’re doing, but we’re deep into security jobs. That’s all I’ll say here. For the past several weeks, I noticed I’m being followed everywhere. Whoever it is that’s shadowing me tag teams with others so it’s not always the same people or vehicle. There’s also the phone calls with no one on the other end. I know when I’m being stalked.”
“Did you go to your supervisor about this?” Gramma asked.
“Yes. The first night I noticed it, I told Dale what was going on. He asked me to give him some time and he’d look into it for me. He told me not to tell anyone else, so I didn’t. Except you and Nanna, of course. This week, he called me into his office and said there was nothing to it. He claimed he personally checked it out and no one was following me. That scared me because I know they are. As I said, I know when I’m being followed. It’s still going on. For all I know, whoever it is, is watching us now. It’s scaring me, Gramma. Why wouldn’t my boss admit what’s going on unless he’s involved?”
Gramma jumped up and asked, “Does anyone want more coffee? My treat.”
Ruthie and Jamie said no.
“Stay put. Don’t move no matter what happens. I’ll be right back.” Gramma walked to a nearby vendor. She ordered and paid for three large cups of coffee.
“Here you go,” the vendor said. His tag identified him as ‘Jeffrey.’ Jeffrey smiled and handed Gramma the coffees. The Chinese character for ‘Hate,’ tattooed on his neck, stuck out above his apron bib.
Gramma leaned in to get a look at his unibrow. “Thank you, young man,” Gramma said. She measured cream and sugar into the hot drinks.
Gramma attempted to get some napkins out of the holder and spilled one of the large cups of hot coffee all over Neck-Tattoo-Man Jeffrey. She abse
ntly dumped the other on a clock sitting on the counter.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I’m so embarrassed. How could that have happened? Please let me help you.” She grabbed more napkins from the holder and tried to blot the coffee which was dripping on Jeffrey’s tattoo, staining the front of his shirt, and dribbling further down onto the floor.
When she reached to help, she knocked the clock off the counter and it went crashing down at her feet, breaking apart. Gramma stepped forward, crunching the timepiece underneath her work boots, smashing it even more. She managed to pick up some chunks, secreted them in her purse, and dropped milk all over the remaining fragments.
“What the . . .” Jeffrey said, glaring at Gramma. “You oafish old woman.” His face glowed crimson red.
“Oh, dear. I can’t believe I did all that,” Gramma said. “How clumsy of me. And I’m not oafish. Maybe a little bit clumsy, but usually I’m quite coordinated. Except at times like these, of course. I was very good in sports in school, not clumsy at all, but you probably don't want to hear about that, do you?”
“You’re gonna pay for that,” Jeffrey screamed.
He jumped over the counter, fists flying.
“We should help her,” Jamie screamed.
“We should help him,” Ruthie said. “I know Gramma. He’s the one in trouble. Remember, she told us not to move, no matter what happens.”
A tall, well-built young man stepped between Gramma and the vendor.
“Shame on you for trying to hit this defenseless, old woman,” the young man said. “I’m shocked at your behavior, and after she tried to help you and all.”
Gramma gave the defender her most vulnerable look and cringed in fake terror of Jeffrey.
The kind young man decked the surprised Jeffrey with one blow.
Neck-Tattoo-Man went flying backward toward the counter.
Gramma had just enough time to lunge for her remaining cup of coffee to keep it from being spilled by Jeffrey’s descent. She took a sip.
The Amazing Adventures of Gramma Page 9
