I see a thick metal chain and a heavy-duty lock attached to the main entrance doors.
“I have some bolt cutters that should do the trick.”
I walk back to the electric truck and find the bolt cutters.
I run back to the main entrance doors and position the bolt cutters against the thick metal chain.
I’m about to cut the chain, when I hear a dog growl and bark at me.
I look to my left, and I see a pit bull.
The pit bull is being held back by a heavy-set man that is just under six feet tall. The man has a handgun pointed at me in his right hand, and a dog leash in his left hand.
Another person comes out onto the roof of the main building of the luxury car dealership and shouts, “Don’t cut that chain, or I’ll have my dog bite your dick off!”
Lauren looks at the pit bull.
Bobby G and Phil grab their handguns and point them at the man holding the pit bull leash and the person standing on the roof of the luxury car dealership main building.
“I won’t cut the chain, we don’t want any trouble! We just want to get out of here alive!” I shout to the man who is standing next to the pit bull.
Lauren draws her bow string back and takes aim at the pit bull.
“Please don’t aim your arrow at my dog! I don’t want to have to kill you today!” shouts the man that is standing next to the pit bull.
I take a step back towards the electric truck, and the pit bull starts to bark at me.
WOOF! WOOF!
“I’m going to step towards my truck, and we are going to get out of here,” I say to the man that is standing next to the pit bull.
Lauren is still pointing her arrow at the pit bull.
Phil and Bobby G are still aiming at the person on the roof, and the man that is standing next to the pit bull.
“You okay Dar?” shouts the man that is standing next to the pit bull to the person on the roof.
“Yes, honey. I’m fine. How are you and Indy doing?” replies the person on the roof.
I look at the man that is standing next to the pit bull and ask, “Is that your significant other up there?”
The man replies, “That’s my wife, this is my dog, and this is my home. You can’t just take what you want here.”
Bobby G and Phil keep their guns ready to fire.
“Ry, what should we do here?” asks Phil.
“I got this Phil! Keep covered and don’t fire!”
Lauren nervously says, “Honey, my hand is getting sweaty. I’m losing my grip on my arrow.”
“Get in the truck sweetie. Take cover.”
Lauren replies, “Not without you.”
I look at the man and say, “I’m Ryan, this is my wife Lauren, my father Bob, and my friend Phil. We mean no harm. Please don’t turn this into a fight.”
The man lowers his handgun, looks at me, and says, “I’m Jaws Junior, my wife Darlene is on the roof, and this is our dog Indy.”
“Can you tell your wife to lower her gun please and make sure your dog doesn’t attack us?”
“Lower your gun honey but stay hidden!” shouts Jaws Junior to Darlene.
“You sure?” shouts Darlene.
“Yes!” shouts Jaws Junior.
Bobby G and Phil walk over to me and Lauren.
“We are sorry for the trouble, we only wanted to get that black SUV right there,” says Bobby G to Jaws Junior.
I look at the t-shirt Jaws Junior is wearing and see that it has a shark on it.
“You named after the shark movie?”
Jaws Junior replies, “Yes, it’s a nickname but it means a lot to me.”
Darlene comes around the corner of the main building of the luxury car dealership and stands next to Jaws Junior.
Phil aims his gun at Darlene as she quickly comes around the corner, but he doesn’t fire.
Darlene is a skinny white woman with long brown hair that is wearing an old green U.S. military jacket. The green U.S. military jacket is too big for Darlene, but she has made it fit her by rolling up the jacket sleeves.
“What car do you want?” asks Darlene to me.
Bobby G points at the black SUV and replies, “The all black one that is next to that red one right there.”
Darlene walks away from Jaws Junior and walks back around the corner towards the rear entrance of the luxury car dealership main building.
“Where is she going?” asks Lauren.
Jaws Junior replies, “I don’t know.”
“You live here?” asks Phil to Jaws Junior.
Jaws Junior replies, “Yeah, we live here. I used to work here, and we lost our house to some asshole group. You with that group? The Conquerors?”
“No sir, we aren’t with the Conquerors. We hate them actually. We are at war with them right now.”
Darlene comes back with a set of vehicle keys.
“Here, I believe these keys are for that SUV,” says Darlene as she tosses a set of keys to Bobby G.
Bobby G catches the keys and walks over to the black SUV.
Lauren looks at Darlene and asks, “Aren’t you hot in that jacket?”
Darlene smiles and answers, “I make this jacket look good.”
Darlene and Jaws Junior laugh.
“The jacket was her father’s. She loves that military jacket. It reminds her of her father,” says Jaws Junior.
Lauren looks at Darlene and says, “Oh, I’m sorry for your loss. I just lost my father also.”
Bobby G starts up his new black SUV.
“Thank you, I’m sorry for your loss as well,” says Darlene to Lauren.
“Thank you, we appreciate this. We truly are good people, and I feel that you are also.”
Phil gets into the electric truck.
Lauren stays next to me.
I look at Jaws Junior and Darlene and ask, “You doing okay here? You got enough food and supplies?”
“We are fine. We got some supplies, water, and food,” replies Jaws Junior.
I feel that Jaws Junior is lying to me and letting me know that he doesn’t want any favors from me.
“Thank you for the vehicle. I will pay you for it. I’ll be back with some stuff for you guys.”
“Why do you need the vehicle anyway? You have a freaking sweet electric truck,” says Jaws Junior.
“My father’s old SUV isn’t working anymore, so we decided to replace it.”
“I guess you can’t just take your vehicle to a mechanic anymore,” says Jaws Junior.
Darlene says, “I can. I live with mine.”
“You are a mechanic?”
“Yup, have been for the last fifteen years. I learned from my father and it means a lot to me to be a hard-working mechanic,” answers Jaws Junior.
“Good to know, we might need your services someday. I’ll be back. I’ll make this right.”
BANG!
A very loud gunshot goes off in the distance.
“You need to get out of here now!” shouts Jaws Junior.
Darlene, Jaws Junior, and their dog Indy run to the back of the main building of the luxury car dealership.
Lauren and I get into the electric truck.
Bobby G exits the luxury car dealership lot and drives down the road.
Phil follows behind Bobby G.
Lauren looks at me and says, “Guess it’s one of those crazy days.”
“Yup, just glad we made it out alive. It got tense there. I thought Phil was going to shoot Darlene when she came running around the corner.”
“I almost did. I had to stop myself from shooting,” says Phil.
Bobby G and Phil drive away from the luxury car dealership.
I look back at the luxury car dealership, in the rearview mirror of the electric truck, and wonder what is going on around there.
CHAPTER 5
YOU WANT
“When is the last time you saw him?” asks Felix to Hector as Felix, Hector, and James walk towards a row of shops in downtown St. Pete.
“I don’t know, I don’t even know what day or month it is anymore,” replies Hector.
“Me either, it’s kind of nice in a way,” says James.
Hector and Felix look at James with a shocked expression.
“What?” asks James
Hector answers, “It’s just kind of weird that you talk now.”
“I talk, I just choose what to say and when to say it. We all can’t be loudmouths who never shut up,” jokes James to Hector.
“Funny guy,” replies Hector.
Hector stops walking in front of a heavy steel door.
The heavy steel door is tucked away between two shops and painted a light brown color. The heavy steel door is inconspicuous and looks to be purposely hidden.
The heavy steel door has a number ten painted on it.
The shops next to the heavy steel door are tore up. The glass windows are completely broken, and the shelves have been ransacked.
Felix looks at his double sword and says, “I hope they can fix my baby here. The blades keep getting stuck.”
James looks down the street. The street is clear of zombies and people, but it is filled with broken glass, debris, abandoned cars, and a couple dead bodies.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
Hector knocks on the heavy steel door.
Felix looks at his double sword, James is ready to grab his handgun, and Hector looks at the heavy steel door.
Hector is about to knock on the heavy steel door again when a voice is heard above the doorway.
“Who is there?” shouts a man from inside a room near the window that is above the heavy steel door.
“It’s me Hector!” shouts Hector up at the open window.
A man with tan skin, a buzz cut, and a baby face peeks his head out the window and looks at Hector, James, and Felix.
“Hey Hector! Hey Felix! Hey new guy!” shouts the man with a Colombian accent as he looks at Hector.
“Can you let us in Juan?” asks Hector.
Juan replies, “I can, but what do you want? Does the boss know you are coming?”
“We need your help. We want to see if you can fix Felix’s weapon and make me a new weapon,” says Hector.
“You want, you want, you want. You always want. What are you gonna give us?” asks Juan.
Hector holds up a duffel bag.
“What’s that?” asks Juan.
“Payment!” shouts Hector.
“Let them in!” shouts Juan.
Suddenly the heavy steel door opens.
Hector, James, and Felix walk through the doorway.
A large burly white man with a long beard is standing in the doorway.
A short thin very tan Colombian woman walks over to Hector and asks, “Welcome Hector, what do you have for us today?”
“Hey Ileana. We have some good stuff for you. We owe you for the last time you helped us,” answers Hector.
Ileana escorts Hector, James, and Felix down a long dimly lit hallway and to a closed door.
The closed door is a very thick solid steel heavy duty door.
Ileana bangs once on the door and the door opens.
The heavy solid steel door is opened by a huge Samoan man with a shaved head and who is completely covered in tribal tattoos on his arms, chest, and back.
Ileana looks at the huge Samoan man and says, “They are okay Manu. You don’t have to check them.”
Manu stares at Hector, James, and Felix as they walk by him.
“Welcome to the Factory, we just updated the place recently,” says Ileana to Hector, James, and Felix.
“Looks great,” says Hector to Ileana.
“What’s going on Hector? I’m glad to see that you are still alive!” shouts Juan to Hector as he walks over to him.
Juan gives Hector a hug.
“Who is the new guy?” asks Juan to Hector as he looks at James.
“He’s James, he’s good people,” replies Hector.
“Welcome James, we are good people here as well!” shouts Juan.
Felix puts his double blade sword down on a wooden table and hits the blade release buttons.
Ileana looks at Juan and says, “Tell Javier that Hector is here.”
Juan runs up some stairs and into a room.
“Javier will be with you shortly,” says Ileana to Hector.
“Thank you, Ileana. Nice to see you,” replies Hector.
A man walks down the same stairs that Juan went up.
“What are you doing here Hector?” shouts the man.
“We came for your help Javier,” answers Hector.
Javier walks towards Hector.
James isn’t sure what to make of Javier and steps back as Javier walks closer to Hector.
Javier stops walking and stares at Hector.
Hector makes eye contact with Javier.
“It’s been too long,” says Javier to Hector.
Hector replies, “It has.”
There is an awkward silence between Hector and Javier.
James nervously looks at Javier and Hector.
Javier smiles and gives Hector a big hug.
James lets out a deep breath as he sees Javier and Hector hug.
Javier sees that Felix is working on the weapon that Javier’s people made for Felix.
Javier walks over to Felix and asks, “What’s wrong with your weapon Felix?”
Felix answers, “I don’t know, it must be jammed or something. I used it the other day and it worked fine.”
“Let me see it,” says Javier.
The loud sounds of metal grinders, gas powered generators, metal working, and bullet making are heard.
Ileana walks away from Hector and James.
James watches Ileana walk away.
Hector notices James staring at Ileana as she walks away.
Hector looks at James and whispers, “Careful James, that’s the boss man’s lady.”
James quickly stops looking at Ileana.
“Your release buttons are worn, they need to be replaced,” says Javier to Felix.
“Can you fix it for me?” asks Felix.
“Sure, for a price Felix. What do you have for payment?” asks Javier.
Felix looks at Hector.
Javier looks at Hector.
Hector puts the duffel bag he brought to the Factory on a metal table.
Javier smiles and walks over to the duffel bag.
“What did you bring me my friend?” asks Javier.
Hector unzips the duffel bag and opens the bag.
Javier looks in the duffel bag and smiles.
“Very nice, you got some good stuff here. This will clear your debt and give you some credit with us,” says Javier.
“I thought you could use everything in the bag. How’s Papa doing?” asks Hector.
“He’s doing okay, but these medications will help him,” replies Javier as he looks at a bottle of medication that is inside the duffel bag that Hector brought.
“Carlos!” shouts Javier.
A man walks over to Javier.
“Take this weapon and see if Marcello can repair it!” shouts Javier to the man that walked over to him.
Carlos grabs Felix’s weapon and walks away.
“Gloria!” shouts Javier.
A woman walks over to Javier.
“Take this bag and give it to Ileana!” shouts Javier.
Gloria comes over and grabs the duffel bag.
Hector looks at Javier and asks, “Who are Carlos and Gloria?”
“They are family. Carlos is Papa’s family. They have been here for a couple weeks now,” answers Javier.
“I haven’t seen them before.” says Hector to Javier.
Javier replies, “They moved in here after they were attacked by some rival group. Gloria had a falling out with the leader of the group they were previously with.”
James walks over to a man who is working on something.
BANG!
BANG!
The man that James walks over to s
macks a long piece of metal with a heavy steel hammer.
James is intrigued by what the man is doing.
James watches the man pick up the long piece of metal and put it in a tub of water.
Steam comes out from the tub of water as the man puts the object in the water.
“You got a lot going on around here. Everything okay?” asks Hector to Javier.
Javier looks around the Factory floor and answers, “We are making it. We are making weapons, bullets, and we are surviving. Downtown St. Pete is still a warzone, but we are doing okay.”
“I saw the street was pretty baron, and the shops around here were destroyed and looted,” says Hector.
Javier starts to walk away from the steel table and Hector follows him.
“We had to put more security on the front door. Use the backdoor from now on,” says Javier to Hector.
“Where are you living now?” asks Hector.
Javier answers, “We have taken over a large condo building near the pier, along with the entire row of shops on this street.”
“Is it safe?” asks Hector.
Javier stops at a large table where several people are making bullets and sharpening knives.
“We are making it safe. We are constantly clearing out the dead but more and more keep coming,” says Javier.
Hector sees James talking with a Factory worker in the middle of the Factory workshop floor.
“That sword is awesome. You really are making swords here?” asks James to the sword maker.
“Yeah, I made all these,” says the sword maker to James as he tosses the sword he just made into a pile of swords that are sitting in a metal bin.
“What type of weapon do you need now?” asks Javier to Hector.
“I don’t know. I love my hammer but it’s a little too bulky and heavy at times,” answers Hector.
“I think we can make you a lighter weapon that is still very strong. Give me a couple of days, but we will have it for you,” says Javier to Hector.
“Thank you, Javier,” says Hector.
“Let’s get a drink,” says Javier.
Hector calls for Felix and James to come with Javier and him.
Javier takes Hector, Felix, and James into another room.
“Like anything you see James?” asks Javier.
Ileana walks into the room and over to Javier.
James glances at Ileana but doesn’t say anything.
Ileana pours four shots of tequila. One for Hector, James, Felix, and Javier.
Fight 4 Us: Legacy Page 5
