Chapter 6

I took a deep, cleansing breath, trying to capture everything Big Leo ever said to me, then loud and clear said, "No point in arguing, gentlemen. All those drawings are wrong."

I paused to wait out the storm as Darryl crumpled the paper, throwing it on the ground as he yelled loudly, "Dirty bastards, now I am out of here. This is too fucked up."

Clayton looked over at him with an amused expression saying, "Christ sake, Champeau you're no virgin this aint the first time the print been fucked up."

Darryl was mad now, screaming, "How 'bout it intern? What the fuck you want? Or are you another stupid bastard in a suit?"

It seemed an inopportune time to remind him I was wearing jeans. Before I could answer, Gwen's voice came loudly past my ear, saying, "William probably shouldn't have to answer that. You are the guys with the skill and experience. I DO know one thing for goddamn sure."

Darryl was just a touch softer as he asked, "What the fuck is that?"

Gwen spoke in a stronger tone, "This exhibit must be ready for the public the very second the opening day gates unlock. No excuse and no bullshit. If it doesn't open on time, the 'Big Boss' who ordered this exhibit will get real mad, and start firing people, and keep firing until he's happy again."

Darryl snorted. "He ain't my boss."

Guy seemed to wake up, as he said in his very attentiongetting way, "Darryl, use your God damn head. When he gets done slashing and burning inside his own shop, he'll come hunting for everybody who had a hand in this fucking fiasco. You really want him and his legion of bloodsucking lawyers to come visit? I sure as fuck don't."

I was leaning on the hood of the Benz, smoking a cigarette. The site was a beehive of activity, with Gwen leading Guy and Allan from the exhibits company around, explaining how she wanted the exhibit trailers and their porch and deck placed, while Bailey and Jennifer were telling Darryl and Lonnie the truckers exactly how the motor homes and travel trailers would be situated.

Diana had authorized unlimited overtime and materials, while Guy assumed overall coordination, so all was right with everybody's world. Clayton bummed a cigarette while he waited for the dust to settle before he could start his fencing.

Clayton was older, with snow white hair; a classic grandfather type, if yours is artfully profane with a love of filthy jokes. He toed out his butt as he headed for his people, saying sympathetically over his shoulder, "Don't sweat it, kid, you got'em moving. I've seen a bunch of these projects. Plenty of time now."

Then he was yelling at the men and women of his crew to get off their lazy asses, while they, for their part, laughed, while quite noisily questioning his leadership and parentage among other physically impossible things. Oddly, while this all was loudly happening, the crew was already in motion.

I headed for the toilet building behind me. Might as well take a piss while I waited for my ladies to finish creating their feminine havoc on the site.

The men's room had extended stainless troughs, with a long row of toilet cubicles for the press of people who attended the fair. During this pre-fair, time I was alone. As I washed my hands I heard a barking laugh followed by a loud, "Hey, if it aint the faggy fag of Lake County High. You in here trolling for cock to suck, fag?"

I looked up into the piggy eyes of Neil Cartwright. School psychopath, and our class's bully extraordinaire. Neil had been held back so many times that he was older and bigger than even the seniors. He was a big, fat slob, but he used his weight inelegantly to crush you to a wall while he hammered you down with his fists. It was a humiliating and painful beating. Only his rich parents prevented his expulsion on the numerous occasions that he injured the other kids. Of course I leave it to better psychologists to explain why Neil always went for homophobic references in his insults.

Without further preliminary, Neil yelled loudly, and charged with his two fists high over his head. My body then did the oddest thing, quite of its own volition. I came up on my toes, facing Neil with my fists raised. Neil laughed.

My left hand jabbed forward catching Neil flush on the nose. I smoothly pivoted to the right with my right hand driving into Neil's right side just under the ribs. As I straightened behind him, my left palm slapped him hard on the back of the head.

Neil skidded forward, slamming face first into a metal toilet partition. I stood in wonder at my sudden ability, while he turned, leaning against the partition with blood streaming down his face. His expression contorted even more hatefully as he straightened. Once more, he charged me; this time, his hands were in front of his face as he tried to press me to the wall with his great belly.

Standing my ground in the middle of the men's room floor, I stabbed into his exposed gut with my left hand, then my right. I was already moving sideways as his hands came down. Neil was stumbling as my right came up, striking the side of his jaw so hard my hand stung clear back to my elbow! Neil staggered forward, falling face first into a urinal trough.

As the adrenaline flowed from my body I sagged against a sink shaking my fist as the pain of my knuckles shocked me. Before I could really begin to process what just happened, the cavalry arrived. Gwen slammed the door open, charging in with her gun drawn. Angel followed, holding a tiny automatic pistol, with Bailey right behind.

Gwen was on the edge of hysteria as she screamed, "What's going on? Are you all right? What the fuck is happening in here?"

It made me grin. No mama grizzly bear protecting her cubs was half as mean as mommy Gwen right that second. Before I could answer she spotted Neil groaning as he tried to crawl out of the urinal. Gwen grabbed Neil's hair jerking him out of the urinal to sit down hard on the concrete floor. Neil's nose was still leaking blood, while more ran out of his slack lips. He was going to have a spectacular bruise on his jaw, even as one eye was closing.

Gwen ground the muzzle of her pistol into Neil's ear, as she screamed at him to wake up. The only reason we didn't draw a crowd was that the cacophonous engine noise of Bobcats, Lulls, and trucks, accompanied by their almost constant shrill backup alarms, drowned out even Gwen.

Neil's one eye opened, then widened in fright as Gwen shoved that gun barrel in his mouth, likely breaking a tooth in the process. Now that she had Neil's undivided attention, Gwen paused breathing deeply. Neil, wisely, did not move a muscle.

By this time, Bailey was hugging me, checking for damage, while Jennifer stood backing Gwen up, with a minuscule automatic pointed at the floor. I was chagrined. I had never bothered to ask Angel if she had a gun or could shoot. I was going to have to get smarter quicker.

Gwen began speaking slowly, ominously, saying, "You were going to hurt my son."

Then she punctuated her words by cocking her gun as she continued, "I should kill you."

Neil looked terrified and nauseated by turns as Gwen contemplated him in gathering silence. No one, least of all Neil, doubted that she would pull that trigger. The puddle under Neil, slowly running to the floor drain, only confirmed his terror.

In good conscience, I was trying hard to feel some sympathy for Neil as he sat in his own waste, waiting for Gwen to decide his fate, but Neil had been so purely vicious in his hounding actions that all I could really be conscious of, was an intense satisfaction at his comeuppance.

Gwen pulled the gun out of his mouth. In the hush, you could hear the tooth she displaced hit the floor. She settled the muzzle between his eyes. Neil's' eyes crossed in an almost comic fashion, trying to keep track of it.

Gwen asked softly, "What's your name, bully?"

Neil swallowed a big mouthful of blood, gagged, taking a deep breath to answer in a noisy rush with tears streaming down his face. "Neil, Ma'am. Neil Cartwright."

Gwen smiled coldly as she continued, still softly, "Well, Neil Cartwright. You were going to beat up my son today. I don't know what all went on here, but it appears you got your ass whipped. Quite a surprise, I'm guessing."

Neil didn't know how to respond to that so he sat gulping and gasping while Gwen continued, "Neil, from now on your bully days are clean over. First, if you so much as talk to Billy, ever again, I will kill you. You don't ever come near him, much less touch him. If you see my son you run away. Do you understand Neil?"

Neil nodded. Gwen pressed the muzzle harder into his forehead as she repeated, "Do you fucking understand, Neil?"

Neil quickly said, "Yes, ma'am. I understand. No talking, no touching, stay far away. Yes, ma'am."

Gwen continued now even softer and slower, "Neil, you are the very worst sort. Brave only when your victims are weaker, and a total coward when confronted by someone stronger. Never again, do you understand?"

Neil was quicker this time. "No, ma'am, never again."

Gwen smiled coldly as she continued, "You don't realize it Neil, but this time you mean it. Billy will be watching you, Neil. If you slip back into your old tormenting ways, this pain today is but a tiny sample of what you will receive just before I cap your ass."