by Nye, Laine
The three stopped their advance at five feet away as Steve lined up three more cans as weapons. “Any volunteers?” Steve asked. “Practicing my pitch. Really needs practice. Don’t you think?”
They were wary again like they were before.
“J, this is your last warning to get clear of these losers. If you don’t, I will target you for imminent destruction.” Steve told him while his arm was cocked and ready to throw. Johnny nodded and started to back away then he turned and walked swiftly.
“Get back here J, or we will mess you up.” Smack told him while holding his head.
So, Steve threw another can hitting Smack in the jaw. He went down to his knees in pain joining Spam. Holding his jaw.
“Don’t contradict me Smack. I wasn’t kidding. Leave J alone. He’s still got a chance to return to the world of humans. Just needs to get away from you animals.”
There were no threats or warnings directed at Steve this time. Perhaps they were too busy nursing their injuries. Gorilla was waking up to a concussion, a massive round bruise on his forehead accompanying a splitting headache. Steve walked over to him as he was sitting up.
“We’re done with this crap Gary. If you come at me again, I will do serious damage next time.” Steve warned him gravely. “When I say you, I mean specifically you.”
Steve walked away with less cans than he had purchased but he was still the victor. It would be during the next confrontation that things would get out of control. Steve decided that he needed to go back to the card store to see Nancy and warn her that the creeps were back, and she should take precaution. She looked very scared as she heard his warning.
“Will you stay with me for a while just to make sure they don’t come in?”
“Yes. I’d be happy to.”
She walked up close to him and wrapped her arms around him. This time, the contact was not romantic in nature. She wanted his comfort and protection. She was genuinely afraid.
For Steve, wrapping his arms around her was deeply rewarding. He was not afraid of those guys the way she was. He had just dealt with them and came out on top again. Holding her in his arms to comfort her made his feelings of attraction change quickly to feelings of love. He was surprised. He thought these things would take much longer than they were. Yet, he knew his father and mother’s story of how they barely knew each other even though she was flirting with him. Then the earthquake had struck, and he saved her and all of a sudden, they were deeply in love with each other. It didn’t take them long to get married after that.
Therefore, Steve did not resist the strong feeling he felt for Nancy, he just basked in the light of her holding him so tight. It was nice. So very pleasant for him. He tipped his head down and kissed her on the forehead.
“You will be okay Nancy. I already dealt with them again a few minutes ago. Hurt three of them enough to stop them in their tracks.”
“You had to fight them again?”
“Yes. They came at me and I defended myself. Threw some soda-pop cans at them until they didn’t want to play anymore.”
She chuckled. “That must have been a sight to see.”
“I don’t know. I was too busy throwing things to watch what was happening.”
She laughed and pulled back a little releasing most of her embrace to look at him. She was nearly as tall as he was, so she didn’t have to lift her head very high to look at his eyes again.
“This is nice. Isn’t it?” She stated more than questioned.
“Yeah, especially the part where you hold me tight.”
She smiled and leaned in close again. Her embrace didn’t threaten to cut off his breathing this time, but it was still tight. He loved it.
From that day forward, Steve found himself in a satisfying relationship with Nancy Cooper. They both looked forward to seeing each other whenever they could. Then came the big day when it was time to introduce her to Steve’s parents.
The card store she had been working at was closed with a last gasp. The owner having to reluctantly lay Nancy off two days before its final closing. She had a lot of time on her hands now and while she needed to look for another job, she was enjoying the extra time she could spend with Steve. She had been interested in him for the last three years, but he seemed distant for that time. He wasn’t aloof. He was kind to her when he saw her, but his greetings fell far short of her hopes and expectations. Now here she was in a full-blown relationship with him and she was loving it.
She felt that her skirmish with Gary and his group was worth it since it brought Steve to her rescue. She had been terrified that day when they dragged her behind the store almost to the point of having a mental numbness that left her feeling like she was removed from the situation and was seeing it from afar. She thought that her brain must have been starting to shut down, so she might not absorb the terror and the pain she might have received. Getting Steve to finally pay close attention to her made her feel like it wasn’t such a terrible event after all.
She came from a divorced family. She had a poor relationship with her father. He had always been the kind of person that thought if he threw enough money at his kids, then he wouldn’t have to spend time with them or give them any affection. It was his selfishness that had caused his wife to leave him four years previous. Nancy had a younger brother and an older sister who was married. The three kids were close to each other and their mom. Dad, on the other hand, had long ago lost the confidence of his family.
If Nancy thought about her encounter with the four bullies too much, she did have an emotional reaction. Her heart would start pounding and she would feel the fear again. She had never felt that endangered before. Nevertheless, she was glad that it led to a relationship with Steve which she had long wanted.
She drove her car over to Steve’s house at the time appointed when she was invited. She parked in front of their home on the street. Nancy felt a little nervous about meeting Steve’s parents.
She needn’t have worried. Steve’s parents made her feel very welcome in their home. They invited her to stay for dinner with them. She readily agreed. They had a wonderful time together as a family with their guest and she was impressed with Steve’s parents. She couldn’t help but wish that her own parents were more like Steve’s.
There had been one moment however, that had been one-hundred percent pure embarrassment. When she rang the bell at the door, Steve came to greet her and let her in. His Father was sitting in a chair in the far corner of the room. He looked at her and said, “Well Steve, have you asked her to marry you yet?”
Her mouth fell open and her face turned a deep red. Steve was shocked too. All he could do was work his mouth until something intelligible started coming out of it.
“Dad. What are you doing? She-we-I- we’re not ready for getting married.” He stuttered.
His dad threw his head back and laughed. He got up and walked across the room to Nancy, and said, “Just joking. Don’t take me too seriously.”
Then he gave her a warm friendly hug. “Welcome to our home.” He said. “For some reason you have been coming up in conversations we have around here quite frequently lately. Now I can see why. You are not only attractive, you have a demeanor that shows that you have class, confidence and smarts. Way to go Steve. You sure know how to pick ‘em.”
His words were pleasant to hear but she still felt self-conscious. Steve just stood there staring at his father like he was from a different planet. Steve’s father laughed again. “Steve, I promise you and your lovely date that I will not embarrass you guys again. Deal?”
Before anyone could answer, Steve’s mom walked into the room. She gave a warm welcome and hugged Nancy. She looked at her husband and asked, “Are you causing mischief out here Seth?” (That had to be the name she used now that they had a guest in the home.) “This girl is bright red. I think you caused that. Am I right?”
“Me?” Brad asked innocently.
She raised one disapproving eyebrow and responded, “Yes you.”
“Come on everyone.” Charlene said. “Let’s go eat while Seth learns to behave. Nancy, it’s so nice to meet you.”
They walked into the dining room Charlene arm in arm with Nancy. Steve leaned over to his father and said sarcastically, “Thanks Dad.”
“You’re welcome.” Brad said cheerfully.
Nancy had been back to their home a few other times since that night and she learned that Steve’s father was an engaging, friendly man with no hint of the hard time he had given her the first time she had met him. In fact, he seemed to take a real liking to her like she was already his daughter-in-law. Each time she had been over, they had a great time together. She seemed to fit into this family seamlessly. She enjoyed each visit and looked forward to the next time she would be invited.
Nancy was thoroughly convinced that Steve would one day ask her to marry him. She knew that it would be two or three more years before that happened, but she was okay with that. Didn’t want to get married at such a young age but looked forward to their future with great anticipation.
∆∆∆
Jeff Rowley had become rich as one of the most successful drug smugglers-suppliers in Utah. The pipeline from South America and Mexico led right up into central Utah where the population was very thin and there were plenty of places to land a plane on the smoothed-out dirt runways. Jeff never imagined himself getting into this kind of a business. He never thought he would be a real money maker. But opportunity had struck through some friends of his big brother. He had seized upon the chance to get involved with them and soon, they were arrested leaving him with all the key knowledge it would take for him to run the drug ops on his own.
That was how he made himself rich. He would have been a lot more satisfied with his life, but he had one itch that he could not scratch. One piece of unfinished business that he could not let go of even after all these years. He wanted to find Brad Shaw, his former friend and punish him severely for what Brad had done to him and his family. His little sister Sherry still walked with a limp after the injuries she suffered when Brad dropped her out of his anti-gravity field. Not once, but twice. Breaking both legs, the second time before the first leg injury had healed. Compound fractures of the kind she had were repairable but, in her case, they had to remove bone to fix her leg and now she had a permanent limp. She had become an alcoholic and had no discretion about how she acted ever since.
Brad had killed Jeff’s father Mack by dropping a boulder on him using his gravity control. After that, Jeff watched his mother go downhill mentally until just a few short years later, she had died of a heart attack. Jeff was absolutely convinced that it was because of her husband’s death at the hands of Brad Shaw.
Then there was his older brother Dan whose arm still did not work right because of the injuries he suffered when Brad threw Jeff and his brother through the glass doors at the library with his forced gravity.
Jeff’s whole family ruined because of his former friend, Brad Shaw. That was the perception that Jeff maintained on the incidents. Never mind that Sherry wasn’t seriously hurt by an accident that had dropped her from the sky where she had been floating next to Brad. Never mind that Mack enlisted the help of others to hunt down Brad with rifles they intended to use and did. Never mind that Jeff and his brother Dan with Dan’s friends chased Brad; That Brad and the friends with him who were also friends of Jeff’s were shot at by Dan and Jeff. None of that mattered to Jeff. His view was that everything was Brad’s fault and that was the way he saw it and let it eat at him for all those years.
Jeff had people that never quit hunting for Brad. He had hired private investigators to search throughout Utah to find him, but Brad remained hidden from view. He had used every resource to locate this former friend he considered to be his enemy and had thus far failed. He had sent investigators as far away as California. A few people named Brad Shaw turned up. But none of them were the one he was looking for. Somehow Shaw had truly disappeared. But Jeff would not give up. He wanted Brad to pay for all the heartache, death and injury he had caused Jeff’s family.
Jeff’s financial success as a drug distributer could continue to fund the search until His enemy was found. If he found Brad and learned that he was married, maybe had kids, he would kidnap them. Kill them. Or maybe just his wife. Make Brad suffer with the loss of his family members just like Jeff had gone through because of Brad. Jeff did not dare attack Brad’s father and mother because he knew that Steve Shaw was a dangerous man due to his years with the DIA. Jeff had overheard his father tell his mother that in a fight, his father had been completely overcome by Steve.
If a man as big and strong as his dad could be beat by a person five inches shorter than Mack had been, then Jeff didn’t want to take a chance in a fight with him. He knew that Brad had the gravity control capability and that made Brad dangerous also. But Jeff’s hatred was strong enough toward Brad that he was willing to take the risk to get his revenge.
At the time Jeff had overheard his father confessing to his mom how Steve Shaw had beaten him, Jeff knew his dad must have been terribly humiliated by the fight he lost. His enormous pride would have never let him admit defeat in anything. But that was the first time that Mack had ever lost a fight and he had been in many of them. Most of the time, he started the fights as he enjoyed beating people up, showing his strength. But Brad’s father had taken Mack down with little struggle. Being humbled, he admitted to his wife that he had lost.
No. He would leave Brad’s father out of it unless Steve got real old before Jeff could find Brad. Then he wouldn’t mind getting his revenge on Brad through Brad’s father and mother. Until that day, Jeff would take no unnecessary risks except those involving Brad and any family that Brad may have, such as a wife. He considered that to be a necessary risk.
∆∆∆
“I had this Barbara checked-out son, and I don’t see anything wrong with you calling her to see what she wants.” Steve said.
“I’m still surprised she ever heard my name and wants to call me all these years after Albert’s death.” Brad responded.
“Well, don’t throw caution to the wind. You still want to be careful not to reveal anything that could lead the bad guys to your door. Sherman Greene has been out of prison for a while now. I hope he doesn’t find you.” Sherman Greene was the corrupt police officer that harassed Brad. Roughed him up a couple of times and ultimately tried to kill Brad.
“I’ll be careful Dad. Thanks for having her checked out. I’ll give her a call after I get home.”
“Hello. Is this Barbara?”
“Yes, it is. Is this Brad Shaw?”
“Yes. I was really surprised to get a message from you. I had no idea that you had heard of me.”
“My father cared very much for you. After he moved to Florida, we were able to reconnect, and I had some wonderful conversations with him before he died. It turns out that my father was an extraordinary man. After he gained all those abilities he changed in so many positive ways. I really learned to love him and respect who he had become.”
“That he let you in on his secret says a lot about how he felt about you. He told very few people about his abilities.”
“Or about the hole in the ground.” Barbara added.
“That too.” Brad agreed. “Why did you want to contact me?” He knew that Barbara had no idea about his alias and how he had hidden from everyone in Utah except his own parents.
“Brad, I believe my father was murdered.” She told him. In fact, I don’t think that he is the one in his grave. I believe it is someone else.”
“What? Why would someone murder your father?”
“Did you ever hear about the accident that happened? When he set a young boy over the hole?”
“Yes. My father told me about it. I was out of state at the time. It bothered me for years that Albert had that eating at his conscience.” It also bothered me about the little boy falling so deep
into the hole. I know that your dad would have never done anything like that on purpose.”
“That was when he left Utah.” Barbara stated. “He left nearly everything behind and disappeared. They were not able to find him. That was when he came to me. I hid him in my home in Sarasota for a few years. Then he moved to St. Petersburg where he later died. I have reason to believe that the father of the little boy found my father and went there to kill him in revenge.”
“That’s terrible news.” Brad stated in alarm. “But why would his body have been switched?”
“Brad, I am stepping on some toes for talking about this with you. In fact, I think it could be very dangerous for you if I tell you everything that I have learned. I think that my life could be in danger as well. I don’t even dare go to his grave site anymore for fear of being found by this man or those he hired.”
“You mean the father of the little boy.” Brad asked seeking for clarification.
“Yes. The boy’s name was Danny Ringhand. His father is Rick. I have reason to believe that Rick knows I have been investigating him and he has become a serious threat to me. No one suspects he had anything to do with my father’s death. Only me.”
“What is it that I can do for you?”
“I want to know if you would go to St. Petersburg and look at my father’s body for me. Determine that it is dad or someone else. I already have a legal exhumation order in place and wanted to go see for myself until I started feeling threatened. You knew my father. You could recognize that it was him or not.”
Brad thought about the prospects of looking at a body that had been in the ground for several years. It was not a thought that he relished. In fact, he felt a little squeamish about the idea. Freshly dead was bad enough in Brad’s eyes. But someone dead for years? Yuck!