CHAPTER 10
Turmoil filled my every breath.
I woke up as the alarm buzzed six o'clock. Nightmare after nightmare had consumed my restless night, leaving my body completely drenched in sweat as I awoke. I attempted to make an agenda for myself as I ran myself through the shower and quickly dressed myself casually afterwards. I nearly ran out the door, not alerting Jennifer to my scheme for the day.
I started the car and quickly backed out of the garage. The engine roared and the tires squealed as I sped off towards town.
I found the place I had been looking for.
I parked the Mercedes on the street next to a store named Guns 'n More and hurriedly walked in. There was one, large man behind a large counter. He wore a ripped sleeve flannel t-shirt and faded jeans. I ran up to him in anxiety.
"Can I help you?" he asked while cleaning a half-assembled weapon.
"I need to buy a personal protection weapon."
"Pistol?"
"Probably."
"Nine millimeter?"
"Honestly I don't know that much about guns. I just want something that I can carry legally that is reliable and easy to get ammunition for." He smiled at my last sentence as if he had just found the perfect customer.
"Here is a Beretta 92 FS. Small, light, compact, powerful, and shoots nine-mil cartridges. Very good gun and easy to get ammunition for."
"I'll take it," I replied without hesitation.
"Do you want a spare magazine too?"
"Sure."
"Ammo right away?"
"Yes."
I paid him the appropriate amount for the weapon and he even showed me the basics of holding, shooting, maintaining, and reloading the gun. I later bought a holster and I stored the gun in it as I walked out of the small corner store.
I was now prepared to meet the man in the hooded sweatshirt.
I entered the alley, within seconds of the time I had been scheduled.
The familiar face, well, familiar hood was standing there, sucking on a cigarette. Before I was even done walking towards him he was already spouting questions at me.
"Do you have the quarter-million?"
"No."
He spat the half-used cigarette onto the concrete. "And why not?"
"I think you know why not."
He laughed at that, realizing that I had not only lost immense amounts of money, but now also recognizing that I was either to be enslaved to "Uncle Jack" or my family and I were going to die.
"I'm sorry to hear that," his voice faded, suddenly serious.
He pulled a hunting knife from what seemed like nowhere and slowly started to circle me, like a shark surrounding his prey. He came closer with every revolution, and finally he lunged at me.
A gun went off.
He was taken aback and blown to the ground. The knife hit the grey concrete a second later and clanged on the rock, almost cutting off a finger along the way. I looked down, not realizing what I had just done as I watched the smoke rise from the muzzle of the Beretta. Horrified, I ran back to the Mercedes. I could hardly put the key in the ignition because of my hands shaking so badly.
I sped home. I only had a little time.
"Get the kids, we're going."
Jennifer was suddenly alarmed as I came crashing through the kitchen door. Disgust and fear fought for control of her face, and she didn't know whether to believe me or not.
"What's going on, Paul?" She grabbed my arm as I walked by her to pack a few pairs of clothes in a backpack with some canned food. She repeated her question.
"Jen, just trust me please."
"And why should I?" My world almost stopped. "You have given me no reason to trust you for almost two years."
I fought back the tears of truth that I just started to recognize. "Jen, I'm sorry. I'll explain on the way. But if you ever trusted me in your life, trust me now."
Debate crossed her face. "Please Jen."
"I'll get the girls," she finally decided.
Ten minutes later we were out of the house and back in the Mercedes. An hour later we came back and the house was in flames. The kids were crying and screaming the entire time. They had no idea and could not understand the story that took me an hour to tell Jennifer. We stopped at a car dealership and sold the car for cash, something that we would need very soon.
And here we were, back to where we started.
EPILOGUE
There was a fever of anxiety that never stopped.
For the last year, Jennifer and I had been on the run with the kids, trying to escape Uncle Jack. The fever was always there, when we ate, when we slept, or when we talked. Everyone was continually on edge because he always found us. We traveled nearly halfway to Springfield just to find more of his loyal subjects there to try to scoop us up. Every place we hid they found us, and even though we escaped many close encounters, we somehow managed to always find a way out.
Recently, begging for money had become our new pastime, along with finding odd-jobs here and there. Finally saving enough money for a one-way ticket to Milwaukee, we hoped we could outrun the fever that hunted us, at least for a bit.
We did arrive in Milwaukee. After struggling at first, the family found a place to settle down and we had a short resting period before the chase would continue. For a time the fever broke, and we took advantage of the time.
When the fever broke, we all hoped we'd seen the last of "Uncle Jack." But everyone knew he would be back; he never stopped until he had gotten what he wanted. The excitement, agitation, and panic would continue. He would find me again, as he had done consistently for the last three years. Even so, we were safe for now, but-
The fever would find us again.
THE CHASE
PROLOGUE
When the fever broke, they had all hoped that they'd seen the last of "Uncle Jack." But everyone knew he would be back; he never stopped until he got what he wanted. The excitement, agitation, and panic would continue. He would find us again, as he had done consistently for the last three years. Even so, we were safe for now, but-
The fever would find us again.
CHAPTER 1
The chase was on.
I could not escape Mr. Jackson, also known as "Uncle Jack." When I came back to the burning of my house, my heart nearly split in two as I saw everything that I had worked so hard for go up in flames. I could hardly hear the kids' screaming and crying over the thoughts in my own head...
To Be Continued...
THE DREAM
PROLOGUE
When the fever broke, they had all hoped that they'd seen the last of "Uncle Jack." But everyone knew he would be back; he never stopped until he got what he wanted. The excitement, agitation, and panic would continue. He would find us again, as he had done consistently for the last three years. Even so, we were safe for now, but-
The fever would find us again.
CHAPTER 1
I simply could not believe my eyes when my husband brought home one-hundred thousand dollars in cash. We had been living so poorly, it was like a guardian angel had been watching us, knowing exactly when we were in the time of deepest need. I could not have been farther off.
"Ssshhhh, the kids are asleep!" I hissed at Paul as he slammed through the deteriorated front door.
"We're getting out of here!"
"What?" my voice raised in alarm.
Paul pulled money out from under his sweater and I could feel my eyes, suddenly wide in amazement and caution.
"Where did you get that?"
"That's not important."
"Paul-"
"Jen, can't you see? This is an opportunity to start over! We can go where we want, get what we want, and be who we want! We can completely start over. No more getting robbed day in and day out. No more worrying about if we are going to have enough food to get through the day! AND NO MORE SOUP! SOUP, SOUP, SOUP! I WANT SOME MEAT! TONIGHT WE ARE GOING OUT FOR STEAKS!"
"Hush now, the girls are still sleeping."
Paul smiled at me and I continued to stare back, but after a few moments, a smile broke and crept across my face.
"Is this really happening?"
"Every bit of it. C'mon, let's get out of here."
To Be Continued...
