Twenty-one Year Rule

by Alaina Stanford

  They reached the bike parked under a street light. He turned to her, “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I need a place to stay tonight.”

  Grace laughed and said, “I’ve got you covered, dork.”

  He chuckled and climbed on the bike. Grace climbed up behind him and added, “Let’s head to Sadie’s and grab a bite before we head back to my place.”

  Sadie’s had a small amount of cars in the parking lot. Walking inside they headed toward the booths at the far end of the room. As Bash waited for Grace to slide into her seat, he caught sight of Pete and a couple of his cronies walking in the door and heading for the bar. Bash sat down across from Grace and forced himself to concentrate on the conversation at hand. He was keenly aware of the challenging glare Pete shot in his direction.

  Bash jerked slightly in surprise when Josh and Beth walked up to their table. Josh offered Bash his hand and said, “We were just leaving and thought we’d stop by and say hello.”

  Bash rose and shook Josh’s hand. Beth gave him a quick hug, and they both turned to smile at Grace. Bash stammered quickly trying to introduce them. “Grace, this is Josh and Beth Miller.”

  Grace smiled in greeting and said, “Yes I know, my brother, Emmett, is working for Josh this summer earning money for college.”

  Josh nodded and said, “Yes, Emmett’s a good kid. He’s a hard worker. It’s nice to see you Grace. How’s your mom?”

  “She’s doing fine.” Grace answered glancing at Beth. “Beth, mom says she owes you some plum jelly. The apple butter you gave us last fall lasted all winter.”

  Beth laughed, “I love plum jelly! I bought a plum tree and a blueberry bush last month so I can eventually make my own if I can figure out how to do it.”

  “It’s actually really easy. I’d be happy to come by when you’re ready and help you make your first batch.” Grace offered.

  “I’ll hold you to that, Grace.” Beth added.

  Josh said, “We’ve got to get going. Have a good night.”

  Bash glanced back at Pete as Josh and Beth turned to leave. He glanced at Grace and said, “Grace, I need to talk to someone for a minute. I’ll be right back.”

  Grace glanced in the direction Bash was looking and said, “Okay, I’ll order a pizza if the waitress comes before you get back.”

  He might as well give Pete the news now and get him off his back for good. Bash moved with slow purpose toward Pete. He sat at the bar in between his two companions. They rose as Bash approached. Pete waved his hand, and they sat back down. He spun the barstool around to face Bash and said, “You got news for me?”

  “Yeah,” Bash said quietly, “Chet says Joel wanted to separate the lot. He wasn’t clear why. Joel took them to a small storage shed just off the reservoir canyon road about a half mile before the dam. He says they hid it under the back of a small shed. Chet and Dave didn’t have anything to do with it. They were scared shitless of Joel, so they did whatever he said.”

  Pete’s face was void of emotion. He asked, “Did you get it.”

  “No,” Bash answered sharply, “That’s on you. I’m out of it.”

  “You’re out of it when I say.” Pete snapped.

  Bash locked eyes with Pete, “Pete, you’re business is with Mick, not me. I was just a messenger boy, and now that’s over. I’ve done everything I’m going to do for you.”

  Bash didn’t give Pete a chance to reply. He spun and headed back to Grace. Bash wasn’t naive enough to expect Pete to accept his declaration. He hoped recovering the meth would distract Pete long enough to forget about him.

  The waitress was leaving their table when he got back. Grace smiled at him and said, “I ordered you a beer. I hope I told her the right kind.”

  Bash chuckled and said, “At this point I’ll take anything.”

  The smile vanished from Grace’s face. She resisted the urge to turn and look at the bar behind her. “What happened?”

  “Just wrapping up a piece of my past,” Bash admitted. “There's nothing to worry about.”

  Grace took him at his word and changed the subject. “Tomorrow a bunch of us are hiking up the canyon. We’re trying to build up our stamina in preparation for a hike through Zion National Park. It has a trail you have to rappel down to reach, wade across streams and do a bit of rock climbing to get through. It’s awesome! Do you want to come?”

  Bash flashed her a look of amazement and said, “No,”

  She laughed, “No to which? Hiking tomorrow or Zion?”

  “I’m pretty sure it’s no to both.” Bash laughed.

  “Oh,” Grace answered quietly.

  Bash could tell she was disappointed. He added, “I’m not much of a hiker, Grace.”

  “You’re in great physical shape Bash.” Her face brightened, “I think you could do it. You might like it if you just give it a chance. We always have a great time. You met everyone who’s coming the other night.”

  “I’ll think about, Grace. But I’m not promising anything.” Bash didn’t want to disappoint her, but he was not interested in the nature experience.

  **********

  When they reached town, Josh turned the truck in the wrong direction. Beth stared at him and said, “Josh, just because Joanne was at Sadie’s doesn’t mean she was drinking. I don’t think it’s your place to challenge her.”

  Josh pulled up in front of Joanne’s duplex and turned off the truck. He turned to look at Beth, “You don’t know her, Beth. When she’s drinking nothing else matters and it escalates quickly to drugs. She has no self-control. It’s been all or nothing with Joanne her whole life. Either she’s clean or she’s a drunk and junkie. I don’t want Jake and Molly exposed to that.”

  Beth reached out and touched his arm. “I know it’s hard, but you’re upset right now. If you storm up to her door, she’s going to get defensive. You’ll get into a big fight over what could be nothing. I think you need to wait until tomorrow and talk to her calmly.”

  Josh stared at Beth, “Baby, I hope you’re right. If she's been drinking, I won’t have to say a word. I’ll know it when I see her.”

  Beth relaxed back into the seat. “Okay, so let’s look at it this way. It’s late. She’s probably home safe for the night, so nothing is going to happen tonight. The kids aren’t scheduled to see her until next weekend, so they are fine for now. If Joanne is off the wagon, it’s going to show sooner or later and right now we can afford to wait one more day.”

  Joanne stood at the window gazing through the curtain at Josh’s truck. “Don’t get out, don’t get out, do not get out.” She whispered. When the lights flashed to life, Joanne breathed a sigh of relief. As the truck backed out and disappeared down the road, Joanne went to work on the apartment.

  **********

  Bash and Grace stood at the cash register waiting for the waitress to ring up their bill. Bash placed himself strategically between Grace and Pete’s entourage. A young man in fatigues sat on the opposite side of Pete’s group talking with them. Bash heard the man say, “Yeah, I hiked out here all the way from Indiana. I’m heading to Las Vegas. A friend of mine is opening a bar, and I’m going to help him out. My investment should be just enough to get him up and running, then the sky’s the limit. I’ll be in Vegas with cash coming in and naked women all around me. Sounds like heaven on earth to me.”

  Bash cringed as Pete asked, “What are you using as collateral?”

  “No collateral.” The soldier said, “Cash, cold, hard, cash.”

  Bash’s heart sank. He knew what that meant. Pete saw a clean mark, and he was going to make the most of it. Pete said, “If you need a place to crash tonight, we’ve got a little cabin just outside of town. You’re welcome to bunk with us.”

  The soldier nodded and rose from his chair. He headed to the cigarette machine near the door.

  Bash handed the waitress cash and followed Grace toward the door. He stopped next to the soldier after Grace passed and waited until she was outside. He leaned in to look at the c
igarettes and said, “Buddy, you don’t want to hang out with those guys. They are bad news.”

  The soldier turned to look at him and said, “Friend, I did two tours in Afghanistan. I can handle myself. Don’t worry about it.” He slurred his last words as the whiskey shots Pete bought him began to take effect.

  Bash watched him stagger back across the room. Bash clenched his jaw and turned to follow Grace out the door. When they reached her apartment, he let Grace climb off the bike before he said, “Grace, I’ve got something I have to do. I’m sorry, but can I borrow your bike?”

  Grace frowned at him, “You have to go now?”

  Bash reached out and took hold of her hand. “Yes, those guys at the bar are about to stir up some trouble. I want to head it off before it gets started. It shouldn’t take long. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “Are you sure Bash?” Grace squeezed his hand. “I don’t like the way those guys looked.”

  “I’m sure,” Bash answered and started the bike.

  Grace stepped back to allow him to turn around. He couldn’t look at her face. He had a terrible feeling his past was never going to let him go. Grace was something pure, something genuine. He had no right to bring his garbage into her life. It was at that moment he realized, Grace was better off without him.

  Bash slowed down as he neared Sadie’s. He could see four men getting into a car. It had to be Pete and the soldier. Damn! Bash waited for them to pull out and followed at a distance. He had no idea where this cabin could be. He was sure Pete didn’t have a place up here. Pete was from Los Angeles. They must have broken into someone’s vacation cottage.

  They drove a short distance then turned off the country road onto a one-lane gravel drive. Bash turned off the bike and pushed it up the drive. He hid it in a patch of trees where the forest opened up into a clearing. A small cottage sat in the center of the clearing next to a tiny one-car garage. He watched as they went inside. The lights came on as the door closed.

  Bash didn’t wait. He headed for the door. There was no telling what Pete had in mind. He wasn’t going to wait to find out. Bash stormed up to the door and strode boldly into the house. Pete had the soldier sitting in a short armchair in the center of the room, next to the sofa.

  Pete’s two henchmen spun in surprise when Bash walked in the door. They glanced at Pete then moved quietly to the far end of the room behind the soldier. Bash flashed a smile and said, “You forgot to invite me to the party.”

  Pete’s eyes narrowed, “You followed us?”

  “Yeah, I thought I’d give the soldier here a ride to the bus station in Ogden.” Bash moved slowly forward offering the soldier his hand.

  “He’s not going anywhere.” Pete snapped. His hand moved around to his back as he stepped toward Bash.

  The soldier accepted Bash’s hand and allowed Bash to pull him up out of the chair. Bash held his ground as Pete advanced, “You don’t need this kind of trouble, Pete. You need to lay low until you get your product. There’s already a lot of heat because of the shooting. You don’t want to add to it.”

  Pete smiled at Bash. His hand reappeared holding a small handgun. “I am amazed each time you try to order me about. I’ve tolerated your attitude because I needed your help. But now you’re just getting in the way.”

  Pete shot a look at his henchmen, and they pounced. Acting as one, they took the soldier from behind. Bash saw the flash of a blade too late to react. The soldier’s eyes opened wide in surprise as they shoved the knife into his chest.

  “No!” Bash yelled diving toward them. A shot rang out, and Bash felt a fiery pain dig into his side.

  The henchmen shoved the soldier hard into Bash. Bash tumbled backward from the force of the blow. The soldier landed on top of him. Bash shoved him off and rose as the henchmen attacked. He took a step forward and sank to his knees. Glancing down, Bash grabbed at the burning sensation in his side. His hand came back covered in blood. The pain in his side went numb, and he sank to the floor beside the soldier.

  Bash gazed into the soldiers lifeless eyes. He rolled on his stomach and tried to rise. Pete walked slowly over to his side and said, “I’m not going to kill you yet, Bash. Not until we check out the storage shed. You better hope the meth is there.” Pete knelt beside him and punched him on top of the wound.

  Bash grunted and sank to the floor. Pete added, “Do you know what I do to betrayers Bash? I peel off their faces and feed it to them one piece at a time until they choke on it.”

  Pete rose and added, “then, I’ll find your little girlfriend and feed her the rest. That little blonde bitch of yours will bring top dollar from my South American buyers.”

  Chapter Ten

  Grace jumped up from the sofa when her cell phone rang. “Hello?” she asked.

  “Grace,” Bash’s hoarse whisper came across the phone. “Come outside, I need you.”

  Grace bolted for the door and tore it open. She rushed down the stairs. Bash’s voice sounded awful. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. She jumped the last three steps and sprinted for her parking spot. She could see the bike, but where was Bash?

  As she neared, she realized Bash was lying on the ground face down next to the bike. “Bash!” She gasped when she reached him. Rolling him over gently Grace’s heart raced at the sight of his blood soaked t-shirt. “I’ve got to get you to the hospital.”

  “No,” Bash opened his eyes to gaze up at her. “No, I’ll be okay. Just get me inside.”

  She helped him to his feet, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. They struggled up the stairs. Grace took as much of his weight as she could manage. Moving to the sofa, she laid him down and rushed to the bathroom for some towels and antiseptic.

  “What happened?” She asked when she returned and knelt beside him.

  “There was a fight,” Bash whispered as she ripped his shirt open to reveal the wound. “I lost.”

  Grace stared at the wound then looked at Bash’s pale face. “Is that a bullet wound? Have you been shot?”

  “Yeah,” Bash said between gasps for air. “But it’s a through and through I just need to be cleaned up.”

  “Cleaned up?” Grace questioned loudly. “No, this is serious you could be bleeding internally.”

  Bash reached up and took hold of her hand. “Grace, I can’t go to the hospital. You know my history. I need you to help me.”

  Grace lowered her head for a moment and closed her eyes. She opened her eyes and pulled the standing light closer. “I know someone who can help,” she lifted Bash gently and placed a folded towel beneath him. “He’s not a doctor; he’s a snow patrol paramedic.”

  “Grace,” Bash shook his head.

  “Bash,” Grace said sternly, “You’re going to have to trust me.”

  **********

  Amy stood outside the shower stall with her hands on her hips. “It’s six o’clock in the morning, Randy. You never get up this early, and the doctor says you aren’t supposed to return to work for another two weeks.”

  Randy stood inside the shower taking his time washing his hair. “Amy, I love you, but the holiday traffic is about to arrive, and Ed has been struggling with the minor day to day issues. You know he’s past retirement age. He can’t handle the holiday rush. I promise I’ll be a desk jockey and let Ed do all the leg work, but I’ve got to go in and get things organized before this weekend.”

  Amy pulled open the shower door and glared at him. Her eyes softened as they ran down the length of him. Scars covered his firm muscular chest and arms. Amy’s heart melted at the thought of the pain he’d endured. She sighed and said, “I’m holding you to that promise, and you’re taking Kilo with you.”

  He turned to look at her allowing the water to wash over him. She couldn’t help but smile at his sultry expression. He asked softly holding out his hand, “Care to join me?”

  Before she knew it, Amy was under the shower with him. His lips met hers, and she eagerly helped him strip the damp clothes from her body.


  **********

  Josh knocked on Joanne’s door and waited patiently for her to answer. She opened the door and stared at him in surprise. Despite the early hour she was fully dressed, her hair done and makeup on. Josh was not impressed.

  “Joanne, we need to talk.” Josh said calmly.

  Joanne opened the door and allowed him to enter. The blinds were open, and sunlight filled the room. The air conditioner blasted cool air across the small living room. Joanne moved to the sofa and turned to face him. “Have a seat Josh and tell me what’s going on? Has something happened to Beth or one of the kids? Is everything okay?”

  Josh sat down and glanced around the room. The house was clean and tidy, which was unusual for Joanne. He said, “I caught Jake with a bottle of whiskey. He says he got it from the kid down the street. I explained why he couldn’t bring liquor into your house. I hope you don’t mind.”

  Joanne gave him a bland smile and said, “I understand, he’s old enough to take responsibility for his actions. I think I know which kid he’s talking about. I’ll let his mother know what happened.”

  She yawned and added, “Sorry, I worked late last night. Would you like a soda or a bottle of water?”

  “No, thanks,” Josh stared at her wondering if her make-up was covering dark rings under her eyes. He glanced at her hands. They were perfectly manicured, no sign of meth degradation. “So how is your job going?”

  “Good, I’m getting lots of hours. The pay is low but overtime makes up for the difference.” She sighed and glanced toward the door. “I was actually getting ready for work when you dropped by.”

  “Joanne,” Josh said softly, “Are you doing okay? You shouldn’t have to work overtime to make ends meet. I’m paying the rent. If you’re not able to make ends meet, I’d be happy to sit down with you and help you create a budget.”

  “No,” Joanne snapped, “I don’t need a budget, Josh.”

  Josh was pleased to see some emotion. He decided to push further, “If it’s something else, now is the time to tell me. Whatever it is, just tell me. I’ll help you if I can.”