Chapter 6: Life with Hondo begins

I awoke on the morning of Halloween as if it were any other morning. I took a pee and a shower then struggled into my fake leg and then my clothes. Just like every other morning I made a pot of coffee. Then sat drinking the whole thing while my head removed itself from my ass. I needed to do that before I even came close to getting myself up to speed for a new day.

It was my day to hook the water trailer to my scooter for the trip to Fred’s house. There I would fill the twenty gallon plastic tank for my half a week’s water supply. I usually did my laundry at the same time. His washer and dryer were in the garage where I filled my tank from his outside faucet. The way we had arranged it, I didn’t have to bother my brother or his family.

It was afternoon when I finished my to do list. Alice’s large SUV was missing so I assumed she was out doing errands. When I finished my 2nd pot of coffee, I was back home and had finished pumping the water from the trailer tank into the tank from which I would use it.

In the seven months I had been back in Coletown I had built the Gatehouse and Circus Tent. By Halloween it was my home. It would never do for anyone else, but it was the best fit for my lifestyle. I was enjoying my afternoon shop work, when Alice drove her SUV into my yard.

“Hello sis to what do I owe the pleasure,” I asked.

“Someone I know needs your help,” she said sternly.

“Oh do they need a scooter?” I asked.

“No she does not need a scooter. She needs you to prevent her ex-husband from stalking her,” she said.

“Alice, that’s something for the cops,” I said.

“She has tried that. They don’t take her seriously. He has to harm her before they can do anything,” Alice said.

“Surely they have had a talk with him when they served the restraining order,” I said.

“They did and he seemed to do it, but then last weekend he showed up drunk. She had to call the police again. He had gone by the time they arrived. She is terrified,” Alice explained.

“Alice what do you think I can do for her? She surely doesn’t want a stranger hanging around her house,” I said.

“That’s exactly what she wants,” Alice said.

“There is no way I can stay with her 24/7 even though you think I need a love interest,” I said.

“Then make her house safe for her to live in,” She said.

“Okay, I’ll do a security survey for her.” I suggested it just to get her off my case.

“Would you please go spend the night with her tonight,” Alice asked.

“Why not have her come stay with you tonight?” I asked.

“I suggested that, but she doesn’t want to scare her kids,” Alice said.

“You don’t think they will be scared by a stranger in the house?” I asked.

“No, she is planning to tell them you are a relative passing through. You are going to sleep on her sofa, if you agree.”

“Alice, why me?” I asked.

“Honestly, I don’t know anyone else with the proper skill set,” Alice replied.

“You sounds like some commanding officers I had in the military. Okay I’ll go do the survey, and make the suggestions. I will even provide some perimeter checks. So where does she live?” I asked.

“Five miles from here, yes I measured,” Alice said.

“So do I know her?” I asked.

“Not her, she is the daughter of Janet Evans. Her married name is Janet Martin,” Alice explained. “Her daughter, the one being stalked is name Elanor Hardcase.

“You said she has kids?” I asked.

“Two little boy,” she answered.

“Wonderful,” I replied.

“Oh Fred has something to talk to you about,” she said. “How about stopping by our house on the way to Elanor’s place.”

“Okay what time is Elanor home from work?” I asked.

“She works at the plant your brother manages. Her shift ends at 3PM,” she explained.

“Well call her tell her I’ll be there around 5PM,” I said.

While Alice made the call, I went inside to change. I put on the heavier twill cargo pants. I wore those because I could fit my tools inside the many pockets. I packed everything I thought I might need. From the Colt wheel gun, to the collapsible baton. I even found room for a hand full of extra rounds and the stun gun. Better to be prepared in advance than sorry later, I told myself.

I rode the trike past Fred’s house just a mile away on the county road. I called to tell him I had an appointment at four. I knew he wouldn’t be home that early but I asked anyway.

“No I don’t get home on a good day till five, and this isn’t a good day. We can talk tomorrow maybe,” he said.

“So what’s it about?” I asked. “Give me a hint.”

“It’s about your future,” he said.

“That’s a boring subject,” I suggested.

“Not so much as you might think,” he replied. “The rest can wait till we are together.”

“Fair enough just call me when you get home one night this week around five or six,” I suggested. “I need to get my attention back on he road.” At that point I closed the conversation. A half hour later I pulled into the yard of a double wide mobile home. I left my trike and walked to the door.

“Hi,” I said to the twenty something girl who came to the door. “I’m Keith, Alice said you needed some help?”

“Yes she said you might be able to make me safe from my ex-husband,” Elanor said.

“I can try,” I said. I also took a really good look at Elinor. She was just slightly over five feet tall. Not exactly skinny, but a few more pounds on her frame wouldn’t hurt, I thought. The most striking thing about her was her red hair. If that red hair was a dye job it was a good one.

Once I got in the house and saw her two sons, I knew for sure it was a natural color. Both of her sons had the same color hair. She told me their names when I first entered the house, but to be honest they didn’t register that night.

“Elanor I need some hard information about your husband. You might not want the kids to hear it,” I suggested.

“Kids how about we go outside to play for a while,” Elanor said. The two boys went on the deck at the rear of the double wide, but they carried their game boys or whatever they had with them.

“What does your husband do for work?” I asked.

“Max is a carpenter. He has worked for AAA construction company for years. He renovates houses mostly,” she informed me.

“How long were you two married?” I asked next.

“Nine years next month. At first it was fine. We had our squabbles, but they didn’t last overnight all was forgiven by morning. Then last year I found out Max was having an affair. I couldn’t forgive him so I asked for a divorce. At first he was happy it was over. We filed the papers, then Cindy, his girl friend, decided she would give her marriage another chance,” Elanor explained.

“So he decided things weren’t so bad at home after all?” I guessed.

“Yes sir,” she said.

“Keith, call me Keith. So he tried to make up with you. I assume at some point things got a little nasty?” I asked.

“They first got nasty when I found out that Cindy was the woman. I got past that and we filed, then when he wanted to come home I said no. I had made up my mind to move on. He started coming around and demanding I sleep with him. He had decided that if I slept with him, it would all go back to the way it had been,” she said.

“Ah the old make up sex trick,” I suggested.

“Something like that,” she agreed.

“Did he ever get violent?” I asked.

“He had always lashed out at me. Mostly it was words, but now and then he slapped me. We had kids so I hid it from them. A couple of months ago he hit me with his fist. Cops told me to get a restraining order. My lawyer helped me file it. Everybody knows those things are really only good after he does it again,” she said.

“That’s not always the case, but it mostly is true. You need proof he has violated the order. The best proof is right there on your cell phone. If you catch him within twenty feet of so of you, then you take a picture and email it to your lawyer. The lawyer can have him arrested. It will really piss him off, so expect that and plan for it,” I said.

“The trick is make damn sure he know that you are going to have his ass arrested for the very first infraction and everyone after that. Then fucking do it.”

“OK but he is the father of my kids. I might be pissed but they still wants to see him,” she said.

“Do you have a schedule of his visitation?” I asked. “He sends a texts me when he wants to see them. Then I agree to drop them at his mother’s home at a convenient time. He can not come out of the house and his parents must be home or I keep going,” she said.

“Save the texts and follow that procedure every time,” I said. “Seems like you have a pretty good plan so what’s the current issue?”

“I’m sure he is watching me. He is trying to make sure I don’t date,” she said.

“Your divorce isn’t final. Maybe you should hold off on the dating until it is,” I suggested.

“I want to start my life over,” she said. “I want to begin just as soon as possible.”

“Okay let’s see what he does if you have someone here at the house. If you would like, I’ll sleep on your sofa tonight. I can keep an eye on things. If he does a drive by to check your house every night, then something should click. If he doesn’t make a move on me, which most stalker don’t, then we will have to make your house more secure.”

“I don’t have any money for home improvements,” she said.

“We can figure that out in the morning,” I said with a smile.

I spent the evening playing video games with the two boys. Mark the oldest was ten and Simon the younger was eight. They beat the shit out of me on their games. Then they accused me of throwing the games. I didn’t throw them of course.

At 3AM there came a pounding on the front door. First I called the cops, then I opened it to a drunk Max Hardcase. He pushed his way in and asked, “Where is the slut?”

“Not sure who you mean but smile,” I said that as I took his photograph with my cell phone.

What did you do that for?” he asked with slurred speech.

“It’s for the cops,” I said smiling at him.

“Give that to me you son of a bitch,” he said.

“I think not. That picture is good for about thirty days in county lockup if I’m not mistaken,” I said. Then of course he lunged at me. I made a pivot on my good leg as he came forward and I removed the folding baton from my pocket. I hit him across the bridge of his nose as his momentum carried him past me. Just for the hell of it, I gave him a second shot as he was headed down. That one was to the base of his skull. I doubted he felt it at all. While he was down I zip tied his hands together. Then I stood back and waited for the sheriff’s deputies to arrive.

“Max you are probably going to need a stitch or two in the nose. I would call you an ambulance, but I want the deputies to see you here in your full glory. I do hope you learned a couple of things tonight. First, leave your ex-wife alone, and second, don’t fuck with the handicapped.”

I was happy to know I could still move if need be. To be honest when push came to shove, I didn’t even think. I just reacted as I would have before I lost the leg. Maybe I wasn’t going to be totally helpless after all. It hadn’t been graceful, but it had been effective. Deacon would have been proud. I set his ass up and with a minimum of violence. Then I taught him a lesson.

When the deputies came, they came with sirens blasting. They would have been too late but it was what I had expected, so it didn’t matter this time. I answered questions for half and hour. Max refused medical attention. His version was I had beat him up without justification. My answer was if I’m going to get accused of it, next time I see you I will beat the shit out of you on sight.

I told it like it had happened. Elanor told the same story and she had the restraining order to back her up. When the Deputies left, I told Elanor to get her dish washing detergent and a clean washcloth. I blotted the blood stain with the cloth soaked in a mixture of cold water and the dish washing detergent. It took both me an Elanor doing it but we finally got it all up. At least it looked that way in the middle of the night.

“Elanor, Max might come back. He isn’t going to like what I did to him, so it you even see him, call 911. Get some better locks and remember you kids are here you are protecting them as well as yourself. Don’t be afraid to use your son baseball bat on your ex. Hit his head from behind, it’s effective and easier to do. You also can’t half ass so it, you need to put him on his knees.”

I knew she couldn’t do it, but she at least had permission to do it. If it escalated, I would have to step in, but I hoped not. I’d rather play chess than go to war. I rode my bike home after our little discussion.

All that probably explains while I was in the right mood for my meeting with Hondo a few days later. Hondo was the name I gave to a half starved pit bull mix who wandered onto The Gatehouse plantation. He was the color of buckskin and looked like hell. He was dirty and had a couple of open cuts on his body and a couple of scars on his face.