Dark Titan Journey Book 1

by Thomas A. Watson

  Billy shook his head at Nathan. “Nathan, I can’t hurt you for nuthin’. You helped my family. Besides, you saved Fred’s Allie. If I was to try and hurt ya he’d be liable to get real mad at me and hurt me,” Billy told him.

  “You can get hurt?” Nathan asked, not believing that.

  Billy shrugged his shoulders. “Well yeah, the last time we tussled we were at it for six hours. Paw shot us with rock salt to break us up,” he said.

  “When was that?” Nathan asked. He had to know.

  “Thanksgiving,” Billy said.

  “I just want them to eat and let me pay for it. If you’re going to hurt me, let me know so I can hide behind Fred,” Nathan pleaded with a smile.

  Billy turned to the mom and dad, taking his straw cowboy hat off and holding it over his heart. “Ma-am and sir, please let Nathan get sum vittles in y’all. He’s right nice and all,” Billy told them. “It would just hurt my heart if I had to say anything unkind to y’all,” he added.

  The mom stepped over to Billy and smiled at him. “We will, sir, and thank you,” she told him.

  “Thank you, ma-am,” he said, bowing down. As he bowed down, she reached out and grabbed his face and kissed his forehead.

  “Thank you, sir,” she said, smiling.

  Billy stood up grinning with his face turning red. “Aw, shucks, ma’am,” he said, putting his hat on.

  “Can I stand up without someone grabbing me by the back of the neck?” Nathan asked.

  Heavy footsteps sounded across the store. “Who’s gonna grab you by the neck?” Fred challenged, walking over.

  Nathan lowered his head toward his shoulders and the kids got closer to Nathan, thinking their parents were too far away for protection. “Nobody, Fred, I promise,” Nathan said.

  “Well don’t be sayin’ stuff like that. I don’t want to have to be unfriendly to someone,” Fred said as Nathan stood up.

  “I’m taking them to the diner,” Nathan told him.

  Fred held out his hands. “Y’all go get some food in ya. Y’all look starved,” he said as Nathan whispered to hand the tickets to Fred. When they gave the tickets back, Fred took his hat off. “Thank ya,” he said, throwing the tickets in the box.

  When they turned around, Andy walked over, holding out tickets. “Take the tickets,” Nathan told them, leading them to a table in the diner. Nathan pulled out chairs for them to sit down as the dad was looking at his ticket. “Don’t ask,” Nathan said as the dad sat down.

  Dad held out his hand to Nathan. “Bradwin, Bradwin Bedford, but everyone calls me Brad,” he said.

  “Brad,” Nathan said, shaking his hand.

  “My wife Abigail, my daughter Ashlee, and my son Raymond,” he said as Nathan moved his hand around the table, shaking hands.

  Allie walked up to the table carrying the menus. “Alright folks, what will it be?” she asked and looked up. “Oh my,” she said, looking at the family.

  Nathan smiled. “Allie, these are my friends. The kids want hamburgers,” he said, then introduced the family. When Allie finished taking their order, Nathan looked at Brad. “I don’t want you to leave before talking to me, okay?” he said.

  Brad pinched his brows together, trying to figure out what Nathan was getting at. “Huh?” he asked.

  “I just want your word that you won’t leave this building till you talk to me,” Nathan said.

  “I have no reason not to, but with the kindness you’ve shown me, yes, I’ll talk to you before I leave,” Brad told him.

  “That goes for your whole family. Please don’t leave till you talk to me,” Nathan said. Brad looked at him, bewildered. “You’ll understand later,” Nathan told him.

  “Okay,” Brad said, shrugging.

  “Thank you,” Nathan said. “Enjoy,” he said with a smile, then stood up and walked back to the store. “Fred, watch that family,” he said as he passed by him, then headed to the office. Grabbing two backpacks, he took two of the boxes and filled the packs with their contents, then put in the hydration bladders. Throwing them on the desk, he dug into his suitcase.

  He pulled out a pair of jeans, his tennis shoes, and a t-shirt and threw them on the desk. He walked out to Renee who was at the counter with Connie. “Renee, do you have any clothes here Abigail can wear?” he asked.

  “Who’s that?” she asked.

  “The pretty momma,” he told her.

  She thought for a minute. “I might have some sweatpants in my locker,” she said. “But she won’t wear them,” she said, then added, “I don’t know if I want someone that pretty to wear them.”

  “I’ll take ‘em,” Nathan said, then walked to the front of the store and grabbed t-shirts for the kids and one for Abigail. Then he went to the counter and waited on Renee. She came back carrying a pair of gray jogging pants.

  “They’re clean,” she said, handing them over.

  “Thank you.” He went back to the office where he dug out his Glock 21 and the two clips still in their holster and shoved them in one of the backpacks. Throwing the backpacks over his left shoulder, he walked out and set them behind the counter with the armload of clothes.

  He walked over to Connie and Renee, pulled them shoulder to shoulder and whispered in their ear. They both looked up in alarm and nodded. He went around to the brothers and did the same, then walked back behind the counter and grabbed the stuff and headed to the side door.

  Billy was waiting and held it open as Nathan jogged out to his truck. He unlocked the driver side door and opened the back passenger door on the driver’s side, then put the packs inside. Opening the one with the gun, he pulled it out and put it in the center console with the magazines. Then he threw his clothes in the passenger seat and laid the rest out in the back.

  Closing the doors, he ran back to the side door and Billy held it open for him. Billy locked it as Nathan stopped and looked out the window. He saw some people walking along the road out front, but not much out of the ordinary. He glanced at Billy.

  “You ready?” he asked.

  “I’m ready,” Billy said, taking his rifle off his back.

  “Let’s see if I’m right,” Nathan said as he walked toward the diner. As he passed the counter, Connie and Renee both nodded at him and Nathan nodded back. Fred and Andy did the same as he headed into the diner. Nathan smiled as he walked over to the family’s table to see empty plates and happy faces.

  “Was it good?” he asked, pulling up a chair and sitting down.

  “Yes, it was the best,” Ashlee told him with her little face split with a smile.

  “Nathan, it was great,” Brad told him.

  “Where are you guys from?” Nathan asked.

  “California,” Brad said.

  “I’m glad you enjoyed. Now I have a favor to ask?” Nathan said, leaning over. “Do you know how to protect yourself?” he asked.

  “Yes, I have a black belt in Aikido,” Brad answered, not understanding.

  Reaching down, Nathan palmed his knife and passed it to Brad. “It’s a switchblade, so be careful,” he told him and before Brad could speak, he continued in a low voice. “My Suburban is parked out on that side of the building,” he said with a nod of his head. “Walk out of here and head to the driver’s side. Open both doors and wait for me before you get in, and no, it doesn’t run but just wait on me, okay?” he asked.

  Brad took a breath to ask a question and Nathan stopped him with a low voice. “Don’t talk loud about what I just told you; just act happy and walk toward my truck okay? I’m begging you,” Nathan said calmly.

  Brad nodded. “Kids, tell Nathan thank you,” he said in a loud voice.

  Nathan shook their hands and walked them to the diner door as Fred held it open for them. Seeing the filthy men get up from where they’d been sitting, Nathan walked through the store and nodded at the girls at the counter. Billy was waiting by the back door and held it open as Nathan walked out to see Brad leading his family to the Suburban. Brad opened the doors as Nathan walked up.<
br />
  “What’s going on?” Brad asked.

  “Don’t have long, I think, but there are two backpacks inside with enough food for you guys to last a week or more,” Nathan told him.

  “Nathan—” Brad started.

  Nathan held up his hand for Brad to stop. “Wait Brad,” Nathan said. “In the passenger seat are some clothes and shoes. I want you to get in and change into them,” he said. Then he turned to Abigail. “There are some clothes in the back for you. All I could find was shirts for the kids,” he told her.

  “You want to change our appearance?” Abigail asked and he nodded. “We stand out that much?” she asked.

  “Well Abigail, you already have some admirers that don’t look too nice,” he told her. “Don’t turn around but bend down and look toward the front of the building and you will see two men standing at the corner wearing backpacks,” he said.

  “They could just be travelers,” Brad said hopefully.

  “They’re not,” Nathan said.

  Brad’s eyes became wide as it all feel into place. “Oh shit, what do we do?” he asked.

  “Do you know how to shoot a Glock?” Nathan asked.

  “Yeah, I have two. One for me and one for Abigail,” he replied.

  “And you’re from California?” Nathan asked, actually shocked.

  “Not everyone from Cali is a moron,” Brad informed him.

  Nathan smiled. “In the console is a pistol. Take it when you get out, but be careful, it’s loaded. Get in and change as I walk back inside. They are going to either walk over here or wait on you to leave, but either way don’t get out until I have them on the ground. Then get the backpacks on and walk to the side door over there. Billy will be waiting on you.” Nathan turned to Abigail. “In the console are some of my ponytail holders. I want you and Ashlee to put your hair up,” he told her.

  “Okay,” she said in a nervous voice.

  “Hey, the hard part is over for you guys. I wanted to make sure they let you out,” Nathan said.

  Brad gasped. “You wanted to see if they had friends,” he said.

  “Oh, I’m sure they do, but I don’t know where or who,” Nathan said. “Now change, and if you hear shots, wait till they stop before you run back to the store.” They both nodded as he turned around and walked casually toward the store. Billy held the door open as he walked inside.

  “Connie told me nobody went out with those two,” Billy said as Nathan walked in. He closed the door behind him.

  Nathan nodded. “Ares, come!” he shouted. Ares bounded over with a playful face. “Time to work. Guard me,” Nathan told him. The hair on Ares’ back stood up and his body tensed up as Nathan checked his gear and looked out the window to see the two bums walk toward his truck.

  “Wait till they’re in before you come out. You have to hold the door open for the family,” Nathan said, moving to the door.

  “Don’t worry, I will,” Billy said as Nathan pushed the door open, pulling out his pistol. Stepping outside, he aimed his pistol at the two.

  “Freeze assholes!” he yelled at the two. The two men turned to see Nathan aiming a pistol at them and a big ass dog with his hackles raised, growling at them.

  “I can kill you before you twitch, and if you run, Ares will tear you apart,” Nathan told them as Ares started baking. “Raise your hands high in the air!” he yelled over Ares’ barking and the two men did what he told them. Out of the corner of his eye, Nathan saw Fred at the corner of the building aiming his rifle at the two.

  Nathan smiled as he yelled, “Okay white man, on your knees and lay on your belly holding your hands out over your head.” The man did as he was told as Ares crept closer to them.

  “Black man, do the same thing!” Nathan yelled, and he did. Keeping his pistol aimed at them, he moved closer. “Either of you move, and you both die,” Nathan said. “Ares, watch ’em,” he commanded. “If you so much as twitch, he will attack,” Nathan told them as Fred walked over, aiming his rifle at the two.

  “Three men who were sitting on the side of the road took off running toward the Interstate,” Fred told him.

  Nathan kicked the white man’s leg. “How many more?” he asked sternly.

  “It was only them,” he whimpered.

  Nathan looked at Fred. “Will you know them if you see them?” he asked.

  “Yep, they easy to pick out,” Fred replied.

  “If you see them again, kill ‘em,” Nathan said, holstering his pistol. Then he pulled off the white man’s pack and took two pistols off of him and a large sheath knife. Then Nathan pulled out one pair of cuffs and cuffed him. Then he moved to the black man and did the same, taking the same off of him as Billy came walking up.

  “Whatcha’ need?” Billy asked.

  “Grab their packs and take them inside,” Nathan answered as Ares came closer, barking at the black man.

  “Officer, control your dog,” the black man begged.

  Fred stomped on his back. “Nobody said talk,” he said and looked at Nathan.

  Nathan was just staring at the man. He could swear the guy bounced up six inches after Fred stomped him. “What he said,” Nathan blurted out.

  Connie and Jessie came running out with pistols drawn. “What do you need?” Connie asked.

  “Get those weapons and put them in the office,” he told her and looked at Fred. “Let’s get them inside,” he said, grabbing the black man’s arms and pulling him up.

  Fred just walked over to the white man and grabbed a handful of hair and picked him straight up. “Stand or I’ll carry you like that,” he told the man. The man screamed but stood up.

  “You would make one hell of a cop,” Nathan told him as they led the men to the store and Andy held the door open for the group. Billy dropped the packs by the door as Jessie and Connie carried the weapons to the office. The customers inside just watched the spectacle as they laid the men on the floor.

  Fred grinned as he just threw his down. “I always wanted to be a policeman,” he admitted. “Just couldn’t pass the test.”

  “You can’t do this to us!” the white man yelled.

  “Billy, he’s being rude to me,” Nathan said. Billy walked over and stomped on the guy’s back.

  “You be nice,” Billy said as the man gasped for air.

  “Renee, bring me some rope please!” Nathan yelled out.

  “You can’t hang us, you’re the police!” the black man screamed.

  Nathan just looked at Fred and Fred walked over and stomped on him again. “You would think that once was enough,” Nathan said as Renee handed him the rope. He tied up their feet then bent them at the knees and hog-tied them. “We need to get that dolly and move them,” Nathan said, standing up as he finished.

  “Where you want ‘em?” Fred asked.

  Nathan shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know, I guess the showers,” he said.

  Fred nodded and walked over and grabbed the rope connecting the handcuff and the feet together, using it like a suitcase handle to pick up the white man. Then Billy walked over and picked up the black man the same way. “Finish searching them for me, will ya?” Nathan called after them. They both raised their rifles over their head acknowledging him.

  He turned to Jessie. “I’m almost tempted to stay just to have those three as my deputies,” he admitted.

  Jessie laughed. “Those three are having the time of their life.”

  “I’ll probably be sued, but hell, it’d be worth it,” Nathan said, grabbing the packs and taking them to the office, then heading to the diner. He stopped at the front door. “Andy, can you handle both doors till they get back?” he asked.

  “Sure, but I want to arrest the next one,” Andy said with somewhat of a pouty face.

  “It’s a deal,” Nathan said, patting him on the shoulder. Then he walked over to the Bedfords. They were still handsome but didn’t stand out so much. He sat down at the table with them and smiled. “I’m glad that went well,” he said.

  Brad lo
oked at him with a solemn face. “You saved my family’s life,” he said.

  “They might have just robbed you,” Nathan lied.

  Brad shook his head. “You know that’s a lie,” he told Nathan.

  Nathan nodded his head. “Nothing happened and you’re safe, so it doesn’t matter,” he said. “Now we can talk about my payment for lunch,” he informed them. They all looked at him in shock and Nathan smiled. “I think a kiss right here from a little angel should cover it,” he said, pointing at his cheek.

  Ashlee stood up in her chair and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “Wow, a kiss and a hug from a little angel,” Nathan said as Ashlee sat back down. Abigail stood up and hugged him and kissed his other cheek. “Holy cow, and from a big angel,” Nathan said, grinning.

  Brad laughed. “Nathan, I would kiss you too but I don’t think you would take it the same way.”

  “Dude, you’re almost handsome enough so I don’t really know,” Nathan said with a wink, making Brad laugh harder. “You guys stay here and eat some more,” he said, standing up. Brad was going to say something till he saw Nathan’s face and just nodded. “Kids, tell Lenore you want some ice cream,” Nathan suggested, getting cheers as Allie walked up and handed him a sheet of paper.

  He read the paper and turned to her. “Are you kidding me?” Nathan asked.

  “That’s what they said and I wrote it down,” she told him.

  “Not that. They’re questioning them without Andy?” he whispered loudly at her. Nathan turned to Andy. “Andy, go back there and find out the names of their friends, and tell Billy and Fred to come on back up here. Andy, just don’t break anything or kill them, okay?” Nathan said as Andy started jogging to the back of the store, grinning devilishly.

  “I’ll be easy. I saw a picture show on how to do this,” he called over his shoulder.

  When he was gone, Nathan looked at Allie, “I hope it wasn’t ‘Saw.’”

  Allie shook her head. “No, the Lethal Weapons.”

  Nathan shook his head as the two brothers came in. “Are you two insane questioning them without Andy?” he almost shouted.