“Oh, my God…” Colt said with wide eyes. “A little Randy?!”
Randy laughed, “This kid is going to be awesome.”
***
Tim shipped out on February 17 to Fort Campbell, Kentucky for training. Everyone was in agreement that it was the best thing possible for him. He was a military man at heart, and this would keep his mind off of Shelly and on the road ahead. And although, in the quiet moments at night, when he was alone with his thoughts, Tim’s mind wandered to Shelly, he knew in his heart that he had avenged her. He missed her. He loved her. But he would love again. He owed it to himself, to learn how to live in the moment.
***
Randy, Cheyenne and Samantha moved into Tim’s wing of the house. With their family growing, Tim was more than happy with giving up the larger space, and taking over Randy’s refinished house as his own when he returned.
***
A lifelong pressure had been removed from Colt McClain’s shoulders. He could now walk into a restaurant with his wife and son and not worry about the stares he received. Now it was “Hello, Mr. McClain. Thank you McClain. How do you do, Mr. McClain.” Word had spread fast about what Colt, Randy, Tim and the others had done to protect the town – and protect Oakeley they did. Not a single Devil crossed into Oakeley that day. Randy Ford decided that he had enough with the lackluster law enforcement in Oakeley and decided to pick up a badge of his own. He finishes the academy in twelve weeks. Averi, who tried to talk him out of his newest endeavor, continues to pray for him to control his anger management problems. Randy still insists that he has no such dilemma.
There were some who weren’t happy with the outcome of the showdown on Monument Avenue. Stephanie Rogers-Rhoades, for example, was none too happy that her daughter’s father was taken down in the fight. Tina Marone, who had two kids with Rex “Linch Pin” Lynch, as well as a son by Trent Myers, not only had to bury her boyfriend, but also her father and two brothers as well. All four men were members of the Seventy Devils. Molly Hearns, Jimmy’s sister, perished, too. It was probably for the best, too. She was the woman that had called Shelly’s phone that night. Tim’s fight was well publicized as was Shelly’s father’s car accident. She died along with the Devils in the van fire that was set when Shawn Hall blew a hole in the engine of the vehicle. The truth hurts. Sometimes when you play games with the Devils, you’re bound to get burned.
Chapter Sixteen
Beyond Black
Thirteen Years Later…
Matthew McClain sat in sixth period Algebra as he tapped his pencil on his desk. A text message popped up on his cell phone and he discretely checked it.
Mom: Don’t forget I need you home by 4. It’s Dad’s big night…
Uncle Randy: Yo Ace… I’ll pick you up at 3:30 by the field.
As Matt flicked the text messages away, a whisper came from the next desk over. Matt’s cousin Samantha, who he called Samrae – a conjunction of her first and middle name, leaned over and asked, “Who was it?! Was it Kelly?!”
Samantha’s long chestnut brown hair fell over her one shoulder as her bright blue eyes peered up at her cousin.
“No!” Matt replied sheepishly, trying to remove the embarrassed look from his face. “It was my Mom. We gotta be home by 4. My Dad’s party is tonight.”
“I got football practice!” Samantha complained.
“And? You know you’re not getting out of this. Uncle Randy is picking us up at 3:30,” Matt said.
“He’s my Dad. It’s weird when you call him Uncle Randy to me,” Samantha said.
“And you’d prefer I’d call him what? He’s my uncle,” Matt quipped.
“Problem?” Mrs. Rice, their Algebra teacher asked.
“No, Mrs. Rice,” they replied in unison.
As the teacher walked away, Samantha felt someone kick her chair.
Barking back, Samantha screamed, “Piss off, Myers!”
Blaise Myers, with his greasy black hair and dull brown eyes, smiled back at Samantha. Samantha’s upper lip curled as she turned back around. Matt casted a heated look towards Blaise – it was a look of warning. But rather than recoiling from Matt’s gaze, Blaise glared back. It was no secret that Blaise had it bad for Samantha, and Samantha hated his guts. Matt just waited for him to cross the line. Then he’d make him sorry for messing with his cousin. But then, Blaise slammed a folded up piece of paper on Matt’s desk.
“What’s this?!” Matt asked, sounding agitated.
Blaise shrugged as if he had no idea. Matt opened the note to find a crude drawing of a black stallion with the words Black Horse written in a messy scrawl. Not understanding the reference, Matt shoved the note in his baggy jean pocket and went back to his work. Blaise hadn’t however, and as he tugged on a strand of Samantha’s hair, she shot up from her desk and sent Blaise’s notebooks, textbooks and ball point pen flying to the floor.
“What the hell?!” Blaise screamed in the middle of class.
Samantha pursed her lips and gave an ‘I told you so stare’ to Blaise.
Matt sat laughing in his desk, his tall frame nearly falling onto the floor in amusement.
“Ford! Office… now!” Mrs. Rice barked. “McClain, you too!”
Samantha rolled her eyes, but Matt was annoyed.
“Me?! What did I do?!” Matt demanded to know.
“Now,” Mrs. Rice urged with a frigid gaze.
“Not Blaise?!” Samantha asked in a huff.
“You, too!” Mrs. Rice said to Blaise.
“Mom!” Blaise griped, and was immediately embarrassed that he did so.
Samantha and Matt whipped around in surprise.
“Mom?” Matt repeated with a confused look on his face.
Mrs. Rice stared at Matt and Samantha with a sheepish expression on her face.
“Now, Blaise…” Mrs. Rice said as she pointed to the door.
“But your last name is Myers…” Samantha said to Blaise.
Blaise shrugged his shoulders. “Not that it’s any of your business, but she remarried,” Blaise said in annoyance.
“Your mom is the teacher… isn’t that against the rules?” Samantha asked.
Matt shrugged as they entered the front office and sat down on a hard wooden bench where they would await their meeting with the Principal.
***
“Hello?” Randy said into his cell phone as he hammered the final nail into the perimeter fence that surrounded Hall Ranch.
“She’s in the office again?!” Randy complained. “Alright. Yup. I’ll be there in a half hour.”
Slamming the final nail in the fence, Randy dropped his father’s hammer to the grass and marched off to his pick-up truck that was parked just a few feet away.
“I was never this much trouble when I was a kid,” Randy insisted as he climbed into his truck.
***
“He’s in the office? For what?” Averi asked as she spoke into the phone. “I’m sending my brother. He’s on the emergency contact list.”
As Averi ended the call, she gave her sister-in-law Cheyenne an exasperated look.
“Nothin’ but trouble, those two,” Averi said with a laugh.
“I can’t wait to hear the reason this time,” Cheyenne said with a smirk as she spooned some baby food onto a spoon. Cheyenne talked to her little daughter in her high chair in a sing song voice. “Your daddy’s gonna have a fit! And we’re all gonna laugh and laugh. Right Ms. Mallory?”
Mallory, just four months of age, laughed at her mother as baby food dribbled down her chin.
***
“Chief Ford…” the school secretary said as she shuffled papers across her desk. Randy thought she looked flustered.
“Doris,” Randy said with a polite nod. “I got a call about Matt and Sam…”
“They are in Principal Winger’s office, along with Blaise Myers.”
Randy’s temper lit up at the sound of the name. Blaise was the byproduct of his ex, Tina Marone (now known as Mrs. Rice) and Trent Myers. The f
act that the boy looked and acted much like his father did only made matters worse.
“Thanks Doris. I’ll let myself in…”
Randy passed through the office and knocked twice on Principal Winger’s office door. Without waiting for an answer, Randy opened the door.
“Ah, Police Chief Ford…” Principal Winger called as he peered down over his wire rim glasses.
He was an older man with a terrible comb over and a beer barrel gut that threatened to pop the buttons on his shirt.
“Principal Winger…” Randy replied. “What seems to be the problem?”
Samantha and Matthew shared a love seat that was tucked in the corner of the office, while Blaise sat in a wing back chair next to the principal’s desk.
“Hi Daddy…” Samantha said with a brilliant smile on her pretty face. She had him wrapped around her petite finger.
“Unc…” Matt said with a nod as if this was a casual social meeting.
“Samantha threw Blaise’s school supplies on the floor and screamed across a class room,” Principal Winger said. “And Matt laughed loudly, disrupting the class.”
“Mmmhmmm…” Randy said as he stared over at his daughter and nephew. “Sam, why’d you throw his shit on the floor?”
“Language, Chief Ford.”
“Huh?” Randy said as he turned on his heel.
“He was bothering me. Blaise kicked my chair and then he touched my hair.”
Randy turned his head and gave Blaise a death glare.
Like father, like son, Randy thought.
“And let me guess… Blaise got fresh, Sam snapped and Matt cracked up laughing? Am I right?” Randy asked Principal Winger.
Matt and Samantha nodded their heads. Randy rolled his eyes as he waved the two teens on.
“C’mon. Big night tonight,” Randy said as walked out of the office.
As they piled into Randy’s truck, Randy zoned in on Samantha.
“Keep away from that kid,” Randy barked.
“I do Dad… but he sits right behind me!”
“Not if I have anything to do with it,” Randy said as a dark look crossed his face.
***
“Cara! Travis! Dustin! Reed! Catie! C’mon… It’s time to go!” Averi yelled up the stairs, calling for her daughters and nephews. Like a herd of elephants they all came stampeding down the stairs.
“How do I look?” asked Colt McClain dressed to the nines in a black tuxedo with a silk burgundy napkin poking out of his breast pocket.
“Like a million bucks,” Averi said. “Here, let me fix your tie.”
Averi adjusted his tie and flattened it against his chest.
“Very, very proud of you, Colt.”
“I just hope I know what I’m getting myself into.”
“There’s no better man for the job.”
Randy, Matthew and Samantha barged through the front door.
Cheyenne, yelling from the kitchen, barked, “Straight upstairs! Put on something presentable! Matthew, no sneakers! Samantha, leave the football jerseys on the field. Find a nice dress.”
“Dress?!” Samantha complained.
“What am I supposed to wear if not sneakers?!” Matt asked.
“You have a nice pair of Oxfords.”
“Oxfords?!” Randy complained on his nephew’s behalf. “Jesus. Take that boy shopping.”
“Since you have an opinion on the matter, you take the boy shopping,” Averi said with a smile. “You need to go get dressed, too. Get out of that uniform, chief.”
“Does it matter, Ave?” Colt asked. “Let him go however he’ll be happiest. It’ll be better for our nerves.”
Randy glared at Colt for his comment. “Whatever,” he said as he walked out of the room to dote on his baby daughter, Mallory.
“I need a vacation,” Averi insisted as she chased her nephew Travis down with a freshly starched shirt.
Suddenly, Colt’s cell phone rang. Answering it, he replied, “Well if it isn’t Gunnery Sergeant Timothy Ford…”
“Well if it isn’t Oakeley’s newest Mayor,” Tim said in a proud voice.
“Where are you now?”
“Okinawa, Japan… but not for long.”
“You’re coming home?” Colt asked as he shot Averi an excited look.
“Yes… And I’m not alone.”
***
The festivities began at five o’clock sharp in the Oakeley Memorial Garden. Red, white and blue banners hung over a podium with the name McClain hanging overhead. As Colt McClain proudly walked up the red carpet to the podium, two hundred revelers clapped their hands loudly, the most fervent of applause coming from his own family.
Police Chief Randy Ford stood at the podium with a smile on his face. “And next up, we have the guest of honor… Newly elected Mayor of Oakeley… Colt McClain!”
Randy applauded loudly as he stepped out of the way for Colt to take center stage. It wasn’t much of an election. No one else wanted the job and Colt decided that someone who had fought for Oakeley before should take the reins. He had spent his entire life fighting for Oakeley and with some encouragement from Randy and Averi, Colt finally accepted the challenge ahead of him.
The community looked at him as a hero. They viewed him as someone they could trust. He had a troubled past, but he had the integrity and the fortitude to make sure Oakeley was a better place to live for the next generation. As the crowd applauded, Colt waved with a smile. Averi sat in the front room clapping loudly. Colt thought she looked beautiful in a crimson dress with their children sitting beside her. Randy had taken a seat next to Cheyenne. He placed a hand on Cheyenne’s knee and cast a hard glare at his son Travis who was flirting with a girl behind him. Samantha rested her head against Randy’s shoulder, and as usual Randy melted like mush.
As Colt began to address the audience, everyone stopped their excited chatter, and hung on his every word.
“I’ve seen the worse this town has to offer. I’ve also seen the best. I’ve watched a broken community come together and forge a brilliant future and we’re going to continue rallying. We’re going to change the course of our town. Oakeley was stolen from us for a long time, but finally, after a lot of blood, sweat and tears, we have her back. This garden memorializes the fallen of our town. My own mother included. Our job is to show them that they did not die in vain.”
Colt McClain looked out over the crowd as a proud thought came to mind. They had broken free of the past that poisoned their minds. They had forged a new path from a broken road. The power of Black Horse was shattered. Breaking Black. It’s not so easy, you see... But with the courage, strength and resilience of the Oakeley community, the town was cast from the darkness and shuttled into a new era.
Epilogue
Breaking Black
The shadows of the past are long reaching, but if you keep running, eventually you’ll crash upon the dawn. The Seventy Devils were dead. Some of the loyalists remained, but with Oakeley showing a united front, there was no tolerance for the violence and anarchy that the Devils spewed for decades. The trash was taken out. The slate was wiped clean. The next generation had been granted what the last had stolen from them. Colt and Averi’s children, as well as Randy and Cheyenne’s kids, would never know the pain of a childhood cut short by trauma, loss and pain. But how would the truth come out? How would they break the news to their children of the fiery past they came from?
The next generation owned just as much angst as the last. When the offspring of the Devils learn the truth about their history, will they pick up the fight? How will Matthew react when he learns of his grandparent’s fate?
Ties will be tested. Loyalties will be forged. Life in Oakeley will evolve beyond black.
-End-
Coming this fall….
The Breaking Black series evolves with the Beyond Black series. Follow the next generation as they learn of the sins of the fathers!
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