Jim Woods was smiling as he left the local sports bar with his two brothers-in-law and their cousin. The Bills had just lost to the Chiefs in a very exciting and well-played game. Jim had enjoyed all aspects of the game ... the beer, the wings and the caliber of competition.

He had to chuckle to himself at how hard his companions took the loss. They were die-hard Buffalo Bills fans and the loss seem to trigger more than the usual disappointment.

Todd Benton was the older brother of Jim’s wife, Marcie. He was still cursing ten minutes after the game had ended, causing Jim to shake his head in amusement. Todd continued to berate the officials, the league and especially the Kansas City quarterback.

As the group approached their car in the back of the parking lot, a man wearing a Kansas City jersey with a big number 15 on it hurried past them. When the man pressed his key fob to unlock his truck door, Todd decided it was a great opportunity to shout profanities at the guy.

“I should rip that fucking jersey off your back. If the refs hadn’t been paid off, the Bills would have won that game. Kansas City fans are fucking faggots!”

The man in the red jersey simply laughed at Todd’s remarks. “It looks like someone bet on the losing team. If it makes you feel better, those refs don’t come cheap. We didn’t have enough money to buy a blowout, so we settled for a field goal victory margin. I have to get home now so that I can send another donation to the ‘Official NFL Bribe Committee.’ Better luck next year.”

As he finished speaking, the man turned to open his truck door. That was when Todd hammered him in the side of the head with his fist.

“That fucker will be laughing out of the other side of his face from now on,” Todd declared as he rubbed his knuckles.

“Damn it, Todd!” exclaimed his younger brother, Mike. “We barely got out of the parking lot ahead of the police last time. You said you wouldn’t pull this shit again.”

“He had it coming,” Todd asserted. “Everybody knows that the fucking Chiefs pay off the refs. He was making a joke about it.

“What the fuck are you doing, Jim?” Todd demanded as Jim knelt down to examine the unconscious man. “We have to get the hell out of here and pronto.”

“Todd’s right,” Mike’s cousin, Pete, stated. “That guy will wake up in a few minutes. He’ll be fine, but madder than hell. He’ll probably call the cops. Leave him alone and let’s get out of here now!”

Jim had dropped down on a knee in an effort to gauge the damage Todd had done with his fist. He felt the man’s carotid artery for a pulse and then looked for any bleeding.

“Guys, this man’s hurt pretty badly. We can’t just leave him here on the freezing cold pavement. We need to keep him warm and call 911. He needs...”

“Fuck what he needs,” Todd growled. “Get your ass up and get into the car or we’ll leave without you. We can’t be here when the cops show up.”

“I’m not leaving this man like this,” Jim insisted. “He needs medical care. Mike, call 911. Todd, get that blanket out of the back of your car. We need to keep this man as warm as possible until the ambulance arrives.”

“Are you deaf, or just stupid?” Todd demanded angrily. “We’re not getting involved with this dumb bastard. He got what he deserved. Get in the fucking car. We’re leaving now.”

Jim couldn’t believe that lack of concern Todd exhibited. If the man died, Todd might face manslaughter, or even murder charges. It was possible that they all could be found complicit in the man’s death.

Jim pointed to his younger brother-in-law. “Mike, call 911. You guys need to grow some balls and help me here. This could get serious real fast. You know we have to help this guy.”

“Mike ain’t calling shit,” declared Todd as he glared at his obviously nervous younger brother. “Mike, get in the fucking car. You too, Pete.”

As Jim dug his phone out of his pocket, he heard car doors slam. Todd immediately backed out of his parking spot and almost clipped Jim with his front bumper. The car’s tires squealed loudly as Todd floored the accelerator, leaving Jim in a small cloud of burned rubber.

“Holy shit! That guy’s nuts,” came a voice from nearby. “I’ll call 911 and tell them what happened. How bad is that guy hurt?”

Jim looked to his left to see a tall man step around a new looking sedan parked facing the spot where Todd’s car had been. The man had his phone in his hand and was already making the call.

Jim removed his coat and placed it over the unconscious man on the pavement. He was more than a little concerned about the blood that appeared to be seeping onto the parking lot from the back of the man’s head.

“The dispatcher told me to stay on the line while we wait for the ambulance,” the tall man told Jim. “He said it would be about five minutes. We aren’t supposed to move the guy because he may have a neck injury or something. Just try to keep him warm and watch for vomiting. It’s important that he doesn’t aspirate it.”

Jim watched over the injured man for what seemed like hours. He finally heard the siren of the ambulance as it approached the parking lot.

“That was pretty quick,” stated the man who had summoned the ambulance. “Three minutes is a good response time in this neck of the woods.”

Jim was surprised that the ambulance crew knew the man who had called 911. “Hey guys, this man was struck on the side of his head by a sucker punch from a distraught Bills’ fan. His head kind of bounced off the macadam when he went down. He hasn’t been conscious since.”

“Thanks, Greg,” replied a member of the ambulance crew as he examined the still unconscious man. “We’ll relay that to the doctor on duty.”

Jim watched in silent admiration as the crew quickly and professionally treated and back boarded the victim before loading him into the ambulance. Within a few minutes of pulling into the parking lot, the emergency vehicle was back on the road and headed for the local hospital.

“My name’s Greg Andrews. I’m a detective with the police department,” the stranger revealed as he offered Jim his hand.

Understanding swept over Jim as he shook with the man. “You’re with the police? I suppose that you’ll have to grill me about this clusterfuck.”

“Not tonight,” the man Jim now knew as Greg Andrews replied. “I’m off-duty and I had a couple of beers. I’ll be a witness on this one.

“Unless I misunderstood what happened here, you need a ride home, which I’ll be happy to provide. That was a good thing that you did, especially in the face of strong pressure to bail on that injured man.”

“What’s going to happen now?” Jim asked nervously. “Will Todd be in trouble?” How about the other guys? What about me?”

“Like I just said, I won’t be handling this incident. A lot will depend on how bad the guy was hurt and how pissed he is. If he isn’t seriously hurt and doesn’t press charges, it won’t be too bad.”

Jim nodded in understanding. “So, if the guy has brain damage or dies, things will get serious real fast?”

“I think that’s a safe assumption,” Greg responded. “How about getting in my car and I’ll drop you off at home. It’s getting cold and I promised my wife I’d be back by midnight. It doesn’t look like I’ll be keeping that promise.”

Jim was quiet most of the ride home. As they pulled into Jim’s driveway, he asked, “How come you didn’t ask me for names and addresses? It seems like you’d need to know a few things about those guys.”

“Jim, I’m a detective. I assure you that we’ll be able to work with the information we have and determine who the actors are. I realize that you’re not very popular with the other men in your group at the moment. It would be a lot worse if you couldn’t deny dropping a dime on them. The truth is that you didn’t tell me anything and I didn’t ask. You have plausible deniability.

“I don’t know how much good that will do you. There would definitely be some hard feelings if you rolled over on them to the police. You acted honorably and I don’t want you to suffer unduly for doing the right thing.”

Jim had been worried about that exact situation. Todd would assume that Jim reported him to the police and would throw a major tantrum. Todd was the family’s fair-haired boy who could do no wrong in their eyes. The fact that he’d had numerous brushes with the law over the years, couldn’t hold a job and had two children out of wedlock didn’t diminish his position in the Benton family.

Jim undressed and slid into bed next to his sleeping wife, Marcie. He was too worked up over the events of the evening to quickly fall asleep. He lay awake for another hour thinking about his situation and how Marcie and her family would react if the police showed an interest in Todd.

Marcie’s family was a fiercely loyal group. It was one of the traits Jim found most appealing in his wife. She was dedicated to family. He believed that dedication would translate into her being a great mother and a faithful wife. The downside to it was that her loyalty was essentially blind. It didn’t matter what kind of dumb shit Todd or Mike were involved in; she would support them to the end. If Jim had trouble with Todd and Mike over this incident, Marcie’s loyalties could be torn. That was something Jim hoped to avoid, although he didn’t think this situation would blow over quickly. Todd had seen to that with his senseless act of violence.

Marcie’s father had always treated Jim with a certain amount of disdain. Jim was just under six foot in height and weighed in at 180 pounds. Todd, Mike and their father, Jerry, all stood well over six foot and tipped the scales at 230 or better.

When Jim started dating Marcie seriously, Jerry Benton had put in a good word for him with a local electrical company. That helped Jim get the job. He had recently celebrated his second wedding anniversary and his third year of employment with Smith Electric.

Jim felt he could earn more if he signed on with a larger company from the next town over, but he worried that it would cause the Benton family to think he didn’t appreciate their efforts in helping him secure his job. For that reason, he remained with Smith.

He and Marcie lived rent-free in a small cottage Jerry Benton had inherited from an uncle. This allowed them to save a substantial share of their income for a down payment on a home of their own. Jim often told Marcie how much he appreciated her family’s generosity.

The only fly in the ointment was the dismissive way Jerry and his sons treated Jim. They seemed to think that Jim was lucky to have married into their family. Jim felt that he wasn’t shown the respect he had earned as Marcie’s husband and a family member.

Jim left for work before Marcie woke up for her teaching job, so he didn’t have the chance to tell her about the dumbass move her brother had made the previous evening.

“Todd told me that you got all mad while watching that stupid football game and clocked some random Kansas City fan,” Marcie practically snarled as he entered their home after work that afternoon. “What’s wrong with you, Jim? You could have put our future in jeopardy. Were you that drunk? I didn’t think you even liked the Bills.”

Jim was stunned by Marcie’s allegations. “I never hit anyone. That was your big brother Todd who felt the need to sucker punch a guy cheering for the Chiefs. You can ask Mike or Pete.”

“I spoke to all three of them this morning after you left for work,” Marcie revealed. “They all said the same thing. They were concerned that you might have lied to the police and that you would try to blame one of them for your drunken actions.”

Jim was reeling as he listened to Marcie recite her family’s version of the events at the sports bar. The three of them had sobered up and were now worried about police involvement. That fear prompted them to toss him under the bus. They had no idea that there had been a very reliable witness to the entire debacle. They thought that all they had to do was agree on a story and stick to it.

“Do you believe that bullshit story of your brother’s? Think about the ramifications of what you’re about to say,” Jim cautioned.

“They all had the same story, Jim. They’re my brothers and my cousin. I’ve known them all of my life. How could I not believe them?”

“You just answered your own question,” Jim declared. “You’ve known them for your entire life. How many times have they been caught lying to you and your parents? How can you believe them over me?”

“They just want what’s best for you, and for me. You’ve never been in trouble. They have and you know it. The courts would go easy on you while my brothers would get much stricter sentences if they took the fall for you. With the three of them testifying that you threw the punch, it’ll be a slam dunk. You know that they can’t lie for you when they’re under oath in court. They’re giving you a chance to confess and get out of this mess with as little pain as possible.”

“Marcie, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but your brother, Mike, is an asshole. Your other asshole brother, Todd, is a sociopath. He’s completely fucked up. He doesn’t care about anyone or anything. I bet he used to torture animals as a kid.”

“Now you’re lashing out in an attempt to save yourself. This isn’t your finest moment, Jim. Dad said you wouldn’t listen to reason. He’s going to be here in a few minutes to speak with you. I just hope he can help you see the light,” Marcie stated.

“This should be interesting,” Jim replied. “The entire Benson family is of one mind. I should take the fall for that pathetic piece of shit brother of yours. It’s not going to happen, Marcie.”

“Jim, why are you being so stubborn? I’m just asking you to do the right thing. You’ve always been the one to say that there’s no substitute for the truth.”

“There you go. You’re making my point again. I tell people they should tell the truth. Todd has never uttered those words. I have no criminal history, not even a speeding ticket. Todd’s been in several incidents which eventually led to his arrest. Who the fuck do you think might be lying here?”

By this time Jim had come to the painful conclusion that his wife was as willing to toss his ass under the bus as the rest of her family. Two years of marriage hadn’t convinced her that he was honest and law abiding. Over twenty years with her sociopath brother hadn’t convinced her that he was a lying piece of shit.

Jim was suddenly feeling old and weary, although he was in his mid-twenties. Marcie’s decision to back her brother’s bullshit story hurt more than he would have guessed. Her loyalty to her family didn’t appear to extend to him. He was her husband, but still an apparent outsider.

Suddenly, Marcie’s father, Jerry, stepped through the front doorway. He glared at Jim for a minute before speaking.

“I’m here to get this mess straightened out,” he stated. “Jim, you’re going to tell the police that you hit that guy because he was spouting off about the Bills. You had too much to drink and lost your temper, but you’re sorry it happened and you want to apologize for lying in your police report.”

Jim’s temper flared immediately. Marci’s father believed that Jim had ratted on Todd. In Jerry’s misguided mind, Jim had created the problem and needed to take the fall. He didn’t even ask Jim for his version of the events that led to the situation the family now faced. Jerry was convinced that Jim had spoken to the police. That was more damning to Jerry than the fact that Todd had sucker punched a random KC fan.

“No, you miserable old bastard. You’re going to get the fuck out of my house. You’re going to go home and get that sick fucker you raised to the police station as soon as possible,” retorted Jim. “Now shut the fuck up and get the hell out.”

Jim was furious at Marcie’s family. He wasn’t certain if they believed Todd, or if they were simply trying to save him serious jail time, even if it was at Jim’s expense.