watching a movie, he’d be
calling himself stupid for that, but in real life, things didn’t
always work out perfectly.
Just as he was about to make his way down the
stairs, Joe noticed another man in a ski mask creeping into the
living room from the kitchen.
Joe didn’t hear
his dogs barking anymore and he knew that man had to come in from
the backyard. He hoped Yin and Yang were still alive.
The third man approached the two bodies in the
living room.
Joe fired a shot, hitting the third man and
knocking him down.
The man turned and aimed his gun up the stairs
at Joe.
Joe fired three consecutive shots.
The sound of rapid machine gun fire got louder
as a fourth man in a ski mask fired into the living
room.
Joe went back into the bedroom, ready to jump
out the back window. He heard the machine gun fire a few shots,
then it stopped. Joe looked out the window. Both of his dogs were
laid out on the grass, not moving.
He turned and went back to the top of the
staircase. With his gun out in front of him, he peeked over the
staircase, into the living room. The fourth man was not
there.
Joe tiptoed down the steps while keeping his
eyes on the smashed open front door and the entrance to the
kitchen. At the bottom of the stairs, Joe heard a car outside
screeching away.
He peeked out the front door. No one was there.
The street was silent. The sound of Sade singing continued in the
background from inside the house.
Joe went back in. All three men on the floor
were full of bullet holes.
He hurried to the backyard to check his dogs.
They were unconscious, but alive. They must have tranquilized
them.
Sirens got louder as Joe checked the rest of
the house to be sure no one else was there.
He stepped out the front door and took his gun
permit from his wallet as a cop car pulled up onto the front yard
with sirens blaring.
The cops pointed their guns at Joe.
He raised his hands. “They attacked me in my
house. My gun is on the coffee table inside. Here’s the
permit.”
They approached cautiously.
Michelle pulled up in her Maxima. She parked on
the street and got out. “Joe? What happened?”
“It’s okay, baby. Just stay by your
car.”
Two other cop cars skidded down the street and
screeched to a stop in front of Joe’s house as the neighbors peeked
out their windows.
CHAPTER 29
Joe and his mother had a guest for Sunday
dinner, Uncle Timothy.
While eating, they spoke about current events
and the weather.
After dinner, they all settled down in the
living room and polished off a couple six-packs. They talked about
memories, good ones and bad ones, and they did a lot of laughing.
Disco from the ‘70’s played in the background.
Joe was happy that his uncle the congressman
was still enough of a regular guy to have some beers and some
laughs with his family.
Uncle Timothy pulled a wooden pipe from his
pocket. “Sorry, sis, but I need a smoke.”
“Just don’t do it in here.”
Timothy stood and turned to Joe. “Come outside
and keep me company.”
Joe followed his uncle out the sliding glass
door to the backyard.
The white plastic furniture on the back porch
had a thin sheet of ice and didn’t look very clean, so they
stood.
The air was cold, but the lack of wind made it
comfortable.
Timothy packed his pipe with cherry tobacco,
then, before lighting it, he said, “Tell me everything . . . from
the beginning.” He lit his pipe and began puffing away.
Joe told him about finding the raped boy at the
fundraiser and explained everything that had happened since
then.
Timothy said, “Yates Pharmaceuticals is a
multi-billion dollar a year business, and The Republic of Tan Guk
Van recently granted them exclusive rights to eighty percent of the
country’s opium poppy fields.”
Joe said, “That explains a lot.”
Timothy let out a big cloud of smoke, then
removed the pipe from his mouth and said, “Do you believe Detective
McCoy took a bribe?”
Joe nodded. “I do.”
Timothy took another
calling himself stupid for that, but in real life, things didn’t
always work out perfectly.
Just as he was about to make his way down the
stairs, Joe noticed another man in a ski mask creeping into the
living room from the kitchen.
Joe didn’t hear
his dogs barking anymore and he knew that man had to come in from
the backyard. He hoped Yin and Yang were still alive.
The third man approached the two bodies in the
living room.
Joe fired a shot, hitting the third man and
knocking him down.
The man turned and aimed his gun up the stairs
at Joe.
Joe fired three consecutive shots.
The sound of rapid machine gun fire got louder
as a fourth man in a ski mask fired into the living
room.
Joe went back into the bedroom, ready to jump
out the back window. He heard the machine gun fire a few shots,
then it stopped. Joe looked out the window. Both of his dogs were
laid out on the grass, not moving.
He turned and went back to the top of the
staircase. With his gun out in front of him, he peeked over the
staircase, into the living room. The fourth man was not
there.
Joe tiptoed down the steps while keeping his
eyes on the smashed open front door and the entrance to the
kitchen. At the bottom of the stairs, Joe heard a car outside
screeching away.
He peeked out the front door. No one was there.
The street was silent. The sound of Sade singing continued in the
background from inside the house.
Joe went back in. All three men on the floor
were full of bullet holes.
He hurried to the backyard to check his dogs.
They were unconscious, but alive. They must have tranquilized
them.
Sirens got louder as Joe checked the rest of
the house to be sure no one else was there.
He stepped out the front door and took his gun
permit from his wallet as a cop car pulled up onto the front yard
with sirens blaring.
The cops pointed their guns at Joe.
He raised his hands. “They attacked me in my
house. My gun is on the coffee table inside. Here’s the
permit.”
They approached cautiously.
Michelle pulled up in her Maxima. She parked on
the street and got out. “Joe? What happened?”
“It’s okay, baby. Just stay by your
car.”
Two other cop cars skidded down the street and
screeched to a stop in front of Joe’s house as the neighbors peeked
out their windows.
CHAPTER 29
Joe and his mother had a guest for Sunday
dinner, Uncle Timothy.
While eating, they spoke about current events
and the weather.
After dinner, they all settled down in the
living room and polished off a couple six-packs. They talked about
memories, good ones and bad ones, and they did a lot of laughing.
Disco from the ‘70’s played in the background.
Joe was happy that his uncle the congressman
was still enough of a regular guy to have some beers and some
laughs with his family.
Uncle Timothy pulled a wooden pipe from his
pocket. “Sorry, sis, but I need a smoke.”
“Just don’t do it in here.”
Timothy stood and turned to Joe. “Come outside
and keep me company.”
Joe followed his uncle out the sliding glass
door to the backyard.
The white plastic furniture on the back porch
had a thin sheet of ice and didn’t look very clean, so they
stood.
The air was cold, but the lack of wind made it
comfortable.
Timothy packed his pipe with cherry tobacco,
then, before lighting it, he said, “Tell me everything . . . from
the beginning.” He lit his pipe and began puffing away.
Joe told him about finding the raped boy at the
fundraiser and explained everything that had happened since
then.
Timothy said, “Yates Pharmaceuticals is a
multi-billion dollar a year business, and The Republic of Tan Guk
Van recently granted them exclusive rights to eighty percent of the
country’s opium poppy fields.”
Joe said, “That explains a lot.”
Timothy let out a big cloud of smoke, then
removed the pipe from his mouth and said, “Do you believe Detective
McCoy took a bribe?”
Joe nodded. “I do.”
Timothy took another
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