Chapter 10: The Farce of Law

In the past, Xena Johnson learned a bitter lesson. The county she lived in, like many others, had undersized, understaffed, and unprofessional public safety offices. The county sheriff’s office provided the only coverage, with two spherical (fat) deputies patrolling in two elderly sedans. Including the 9-1-1 dispatcher, these three were the only staff on duty.

Her lesson began one winter night, just after she moved into Ben’s bedroom. She made a quick trip at 6 p.m. to the nearby convenience store. Two scruffy high school dropouts were all over a graying Asian woman who was less than five feet tall. As Xena came towards them, they tried to drag the woman around the corner of the building.

Thinking quickly, she found and picked up an empty beer bottle left lying against the front wall of the store. With all her strength, she swung the bottle and broke it against the side of one of the asshole’s faces.

Asshole #1 howled in pain, distracting Asshole #2, who released the small woman’s arm. Now that she was free, she backed up a step and kicked #2 in the crotch. Now both were howling, and Xena and her new friend fled inside the store.

The clerk was a former Marine, fighting his way back from homelessness and alcoholism with an entry-level job. Now sober, he had observed some of the violence outside.

He raised the hinged panel, sheltering the women behind the counter with him. When the wounded duo came storming in seeking vengeance, the clerk growled at them.

“Get out!”

Asshole #2 began to draw a cheap handgun from his waist while moving toward the clerk. Calmly, the ex-Marine pulled out his own handgun and shot him in the face. When he shifted his aim to the other asshole, he fled out the door, leaving a trail of blood drops from his bleeding face.

In a shaky voice, Xena thanked the clerk and turned to the other woman.

“Are you all right?”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t buy beer for them. Then they wanted to rape me. What’s your name? I’m Grace Fong.”

“I’m Ariel Evans. Are you sure you’re OK?”

“I’m fine, thanks to you. Excuse me for a minute.”

With surprising agility, Grace hopped up on the counter and leaned over, looking down on the man on the floor in a widening pool of blood. He wasn’t quite dead yet, though his wound was obviously mortal. She studied his still-twitching body, then spat in his perforated face.

“Whoa, lady. I’ve seen shit in the Corps, but you’re right up there.”

“What is your name, sir?”

“Gunnery Sergeant William Atkins, retired, at your service. Call me Gunny.”

“Gunny, I grew up in what used to be called South Vietnam. My family immigrated from China to Vietnam before I was even born. When I was only 9, the communists showed up and killed everyone in front of me. Later, a marine found me on the streets and brought me to America. I’m not in the least bothered by what happened here at the store. Ariel and I are grateful to you, Gunny. Have you called the authorities?”

“I was on the phone right when she showed up and clobbered that guy. On the phone, they told me I had about 90 minutes to wait before a deputy could get here. Perhaps they might get here sooner now that this dead asshole is leaking all over the floor I just mopped. I guess I should call them back. Oh, and I should call the county hospital so their security guy can handcuff the other asshole to a gurney before they start stitching up his face. I think there’s one other deputy that could go to the hospital and pick him up.”

“This is all hard to believe, uh, Gunny. I don’t think they tell us how unsafe we are in our high school classes. There are only two deputies for the whole entire county?”

“That’s right. Ariel, this isn’t the store’s handgun; it’s mine. Every family in this county should consider having a gun, provided they can secure it using a safe or a trigger lock. Listen, you should wait here for the deputy to take your statement, but that’s bullshit. Let me take copies of your licenses, and they can come talk to you when it’s convenient.

“You two came to this store to buy something. Take what you need, and go home; I’ll deal with the deputy when he shows up. Don’t worry, the whole thing was recorded with our inside and outside cameras.”

Grace’s old SUV swallowed up A’s bike, and then they were on their way to Lucy’s house.

“Grace, I have a question. Do you have someone at home waiting for you?”

“No, I live alone. My dad, the marine who adopted me died ten years ago. I still miss him. I’m on my own now.”

“Then you’re coming home with me and staying the night. You need to meet my grandmother and corrogulate my story.”

Grace ignored the mangled word and asked, “Are you sure?”