I look at Nicole and ask, “What are we going to do about Derrick? What do you want to do next?"
Nicole looks at the babies and says, “I can't trust him and don't want him to be a part of this going forward. I don't agree with killing him, but don't want him around us. Mia and Mason deserve better than that guy."
I turn towards Nicole and say, "I guess we can let Derrick stay here at your house. We can all leave this house and go back to our house in Tampa without him. We have plenty of room for you and the babies. Do you want to go back to Tampa with us Nicole?"
Nicole looks up at me and says, “Yes. I want to get the hell out of here and away from Derrick.”
Phil and I start packing up the SUVs with everything that will fit in both of our vehicles. We have our own belongings, Nicole's belongings, two babies and some baby supplies. Phil is putting gas into the SUVs and I am loading up the SUVs with our supplies.
While Phil and I are loading up the SUVs, Phil asks me, “What are we going to do now? How are we going to meet up with Shaun and Matt? What's the plan?"
I place a bag in the trunk of the SUV and reply to Phil, “I have an idea for how to meet up with Shaun and Matt, but the main plan right now is to keep moving forward and surviving."
Phil places the last item in the SUV, and we go back inside the house. I go back into the garage and get a couple big pieces of cardboard, some black paint, a paintbrush, nails, and a hammer. I take the items outside and place them in the SUV that I'm a driving. I give one last look around the neighborhood. The neighborhood would have been a nice place to hold up for a while, but due to Derrick ruining that, we are going home to Tampa. I take a long look at the outside of house, shake my head, sigh, and proceed back inside.
As I enter the house, I hear a baby whimper in the kitchen. I find Lauren and Nicole each holding a baby, and Phil all standing in the kitchen. I walk over to them, and ask, “Do we have everything that we need? Everything that is going with us?”
The group says, "Yes."
I look at the door that goes into the garage and ask, “What do we do with Derrick?"
Nicole says, “Untie him, and bring him inside the house.”
Phil and I go in the garage, cut the duct tape off his wrists and ankles and help Derrick stand up. We help him in the house. Derrick is in rough shape, but he’s still alive and breathing. He can see out of his right eye, but his left eye is puffy and severely swollen. We help him to the sofa in the living room and sit him down.
Nicole walks over to him and says, “I’m taking our babies and leaving. You don't deserve me or our children. I loved you Derrick. We were married for 3 years. How could you just piss it all way?”
Derrick starts to cry and mumbles something. He is struggling to breathe and talk, but he says, “I’m sorry Nicole. Sorry for everything that I did wrong. Hopefully one day I can make it up to you.”
Nicole looks right at Derrick and says, “I hope I never see you again.”
Nicole walks away from Derrick, Lauren follows as well as Phil. I stay to have one last word with Derrick.
I look directly at Derrick and say, “What you did to Nicole was wrong. What you did to me was wrong. You need to live with both of those things. This is your only warning. If I ever see you again, it will be a problem, and it won't end well for you."
I walk out of the house and meet up with the group by the vehicles. Phil, Nicole, and baby Mason get into his SUV. I walk over to Phil who is in the driver seat of the SUV and say, “When we get through the front gate, I want to put something up on the security guard post by the front gate.”
Phil says, “I will go unlock the gate and wait for you at the entrance.”
Phil drives off to the front gate. I get into my SUV along with Lauren who is holding baby Mia. I turn to Lauren and say, “Home, here we come."
I start the SUV and drive down the street to the front gate of the neighborhood. Phil has already opened the front gate and cleared out any zombies that were close by. I drive through the gate and park the SUV. I get out of the SUV and go to the trunk. I take out the cardboard, paint, a paintbrush, nails, and the hammer. I nail a couple pieces of cardboard underneath an awning at the security guard station. I take off the paint can lid and pick up the brush. I dip the brush in the paint and start to right my message on the cardboard.
As I finish the message I think to myself, “I hope you guys are alright and see this message soon.”
I get back into the vehicle. Honk the horn, and we start to drive away from Nicole’s neighborhood. Phil leads the drive home. I follow behind him. I slow down and see the sign in the rear-view mirror.
The sign reads:
Matt & Shaun. Meet Us In Tampa. Took Nicole & Her Babies. Left Derrick Behind. He’s A Cheating Asshole.
Phil and I drive to the end of the street and make a left. We drive onto the I-4 West Highway entrance ramp. We past a sign that reads:
Lakeland 50 Miles
Tampa 82 Miles
I hit the gas, look back at the sign, and whisper to myself, “C’mon Matt and Shaun. Hopefully we’ll see you guys soon.”
TO BE CONTINUED....
Fight 4 Us (Book 1): The Beginning Page 18