Chapter 1

"Hey Melanie, you must have your phone turned off. This is just a message to say I will not be getting home for your friend's retirement party. I expect to be home by noon tomorrow, not this afternoon as planned. Have fun. Love you. Brad.

Melanie and I was a young couple in our late twenties. She was a grade school teacher and I worked in an office as an accountant. Melanie often said she wasn't one to take life seriously. She was tall, and extremely attractive. Her breasts were just right for her, riding high and firm. She didn't strut, but she came off as just a little arrogant.

Me? Well I was tall too, but I was somewhat gangly. I could move fast and that was what prompted me to have a hobby. That was for weekends though. I was working toward being a Certified Public Accountant. It was going to take awhile for me to see the name Bradley Higgins on the certificate I wanted on the wall of my office, but I plugged away diligently.

Several times a year I went to reenactments of western shoot-outs. My fellow actors and I dressed as gunfighters or as characters from different television series. Some of us acted out short skits and scenes from television. I mostly entered the fast draw contests. I had recently purchased a new outfit. This was a costume of the Lone Ranger and Melanie hadn't seen it yet.

Melanie thought all of this was foolish and childish. I enjoyed it and she laughed at it and me most of the time. If the dates were where she could go with me she did sometimes, and then found she thoroughly enjoyed herself. She did not mind my going at all, although she had one request. "I don't want any of our friends to know about this and that is for sure, you promise?" I did promise.

It wasn't long after I called telling her when I was coming home, the weather turned good and I decided to head for there instead of sleeping in the motel. It was two a.m. when I pulled my car into the garage and closed the door. The house was dark except for the nightlights on in every room. I assumed of course, that my wife was sleeping upstairs.

I didn't turn any lights on, just going through the living room and setting my equipment in the hall. I still had on my western hat and gear. My twin holsters and guns that I carried in a satchel I set down on the floor by my suitcase. My mask was in my pocket and I headed for the bathroom. Relieved, I was just shaking it when I heard a vehicle pull up in front of the garage. It sounded like Rich Rockford's '68 Firebird. I heard a car door slam and in a few minutes, the front door opened and slammed back against the wall.

Melanie was being supported and half carried in by Rich Rockford. Her golden hair was in disarray and her head didn't appear to be attached to her neck, it flopped around so much. Rich appeared to be almost as drunk as she was. This pissed me off. Why in hell were they driving around at this time of night and as drunk as they appeared to be? Melanie should know better. She knew my thoughts on being in a car with someone who had been drinking.

Understand, I didn't care too much for Rich. I considered him an arrogant bastard who was not above belittling his neighbors. It was tough that he was a schoolteacher in the same system as Melanie. I had to put up with him to keep peace with my wife and I did not like it or him. On occasion, he wasn't above playing a practical joke and these were meant to hurt and were hardly ever comical.

For instance, a photograph of me naked had surfaced and it had been circulated among our crowd. It had been doctored from me in a swimsuit to show me with it removed and I with the tiniest of sexual equipment. Melanie had laughed it off saying she knew better, but I had taken a lot of razzing and it all hurt. "Forget about it, it is just a joke," was her comment.

Melanie and I had had a heated exchange over the incident. I even wondered where the original photo had come from and accused her of providing the original. This of course led me to refusing to have intercourse with her for a time. I declared a man with such a small tool as mine could not or would not satisfy her and I wouldn't try. Eventually the hurt died down and we resumed normal relations, but it took several weeks.

Melanie wasn't aware, but Cindy, Rich's wife had come and quietly apologized to me. "I know Rich did this and I know someday he will run up against a person who will retaliate. When it happens, I'll never say a word except, I told you so."

All of this flashed through my mind as Rich and Melanie staggered into the living room. I also knew Melanie could only be a few minutes from passing out. She headed for the couch and flopped down on it. Her legs were splayed and Rich was looking directly at her crotch. He removed his suit jacket before sitting in the chair across from her. He was so drunk it could only be a short time before he would pass out himself.

Suddenly he rose from the chair, staggered across to Melanie and fondled her breasts, running his thumbs over her nipples. They of course became erect. He just had to see them. He pulled her dress off her shoulders, and unclasped the front hook bra.

He stared at them displayed in all their glory. Melanie's breasts were perfect for her and he must have admired them the same way every man did when they encountered her. Now they were right where he could touch them

He leaned down and took one nipple into his mouth. She batted at him, mumbling, "Go away!" I was ready to launch myself at him. He backed off and stood looking down at her.

Next, he turned and lifted her dress up. I knew she must have on the black lace panties that went with the dress. Was he going to rape her? Slowly he backed across the room and sank into the chair again, but didn't take his eyes from either her breasts or her panties.

He was about to make a decision, yes or no. I could imagine what he was thinking. Here was a beautiful woman who was passed out and fully in his control. He had a very pregnant wife at home who was about to, or had denied him sex recently as she was about at term.

It was time I stopped this. I backed quietly down the hall, put on the Lone Ranger's mask, dug my holsters and pistols out of the satchel and put on my Stetson. I put blanks in one pistol and returned to where I could observe what Rich would do next.

He was almost asleep and his head would loll to one side, but then he would open his eyes and stare. He made a decision. He pushed himself out of the chair and staggered over to Melanie. He reached for my wife's panties and started to pull them down.

"Uh, uh," I uttered. This stopped him. He turned to me, seeing a tall, slim, six-foot-one masked man with two gleaming pistols pointing right at him from about thirteen feet away. There was no light behind me and I was standing just back of entering the room. "Me, Kemo Sabe."

"Oh God, don't shoot!" I motioned him back to the chair he had been sitting in. He stumbled and went down. I waved the pistol again and he scrabbled like a spider until he reached the chair.

Before he could sit, I ordered in the worst western drawl ever, "Boots off. No man should die with his boots on. Wranglers or long johns go too. Off." This he hesitated in doing. I fired the pistol. I thought he might crap his pants.

He hustled some now. I glanced at Melanie. She had hardly stirred as I figured. She had been around gunfire at the re-enactments and contests and was used to hearing it. When my eyes returned to Rich, he had everything below his waist off and he was kicking his pants from his bare feet. I could see how gray his face was and he was now shivering with fear.

I slowly raised the pistol without the shells and pointed at his head. I pulled the trigger. Only a click. "God damned ammo. No good at all." I turned as if to get some shells out of my belt. I gave him a minute and he took the bait. The door banged open. I hurried across the room to see Rich fall in the driveway reaching for his car. He was going to have some serious scratches and abrasions.

He backed that Firebird out and took off wide open for home at the end of our street. 400 hundred horses in that Pontiac were galloping for all they were worth. He had a straight shot for home so I wasn't worried. Now to decide about my wife.

Melanie knew I had serious issues with Rich and yet she tended still to be friendly with him. Not only that, she had put herself at risk by riding with him in his car. Who knows, Rich might even have raped her tonight if I hadn't been here. There was also that niggling doubt that she might say he would not rape anyone, which would add another issue to hound me by her taking his side in all of this. She was believing in him more than in me.

I looked down at my passed out wife. I leaned down and planted a hickey on her left breast. I got a mumbled, "No Rich." My name is Brad and this was my wife. I about went ballistic. I picked up one leg and planted a hickey high up on the inside of her thigh. It was not enough. I went to the refrigerator and got an egg, separating it and sending the yolk down the garbage disposal. The remainder I planted in strategic places.

Now to clean up and get out of here. I would be home as I said I would be later today. I picked up the wad from the blank shell that had flown across the room. I took Rich's coat where he had hung it over the chair. His wallet was in it. I bundled up his shoes, pants and underwear and placed everything in a garbage bag.

All of my gear and equipment and his bag went with me out and into my car. I did get a clean set of jeans and a clean shirt from my bureau drawer. I checked everything and locked the house up.

When I backed out of my garage, I could see flashing police and rescue lights at the end of the street near where Rich lived. Oh well, I knew he was too drunk to drive. I hope he didn't kill anyone--or himself. I'm sure I would hear about it this afternoon when I got home. The motel I chose was kind of a dump, but I slept well.

I arrived home at the time I said I would. Melanie had not started her summer job yet, so she was at home. I had one more day before I went back to work. "Hi honey, did you have fun at your friend's retirement party? You said it was for the teacher who had mentored you when you first started. I'll bet you will miss her."

"Hi Brad. Not much fun and haven't had any today. I was bored at the party and I am kind of hung over. I guess I drank more than I usually do. I hope you aren't planning on sex tonight."

"No, of course not if you aren't feeling well. Any other news? I've been gone four days and I had a great time. I came in second in the fast draw contest. I'm going to keep practicing and maybe next time I can get first prize. I'll toss my dirty clothes in the hamper. I'll even do the washing if you're not feeling well."

"I did it already. I had some things that need washing. You could make dinner tonight. Nothing heavy though. Oh, Rich Rockford was in an accident and is in the hospital with a broken arm. He hit that huge cement gargoyle on the edge of his driveway. He was drunk. He smashed up his favorite car pretty bad. He crumpled the right front fender and did something underneath. One of the neighbors went down while the police were talking to him. He said Rich was going way too fast when he turned into his driveway.

"That isn't all. He didn't have any pants on and they are saying Cindy is pissed and embarrassed about it all. What made him take off his clothes, I wonder. I feel sorry for her. She is within a couple of weeks of having her first baby. The neighbor says Rich was talking crazy and said it was all the Lone Ranger's fault. Too drunk to make sense and kind of weird anyway, especially when he won't say why or where this happened. I always thought Rich had his head on straight."

"I know you did."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing, really. You just took his side when he pulled that prank of the picture of me with the tiny dick."

"I told you to get over it. Everyone else has."

"I can't. I felt he took my manhood from me."

"I never felt that way. I tell you so often enough."

"Let's don't fight Melanie, I know you aren't feeling well. I hope you feel better soon. So Rich smashed his favorite toy up did he? Too bad."

"You don't sound sorry." I shrugged and turned away so she couldn't see me grinning.

Whether Melanie thought she had sex last night I wouldn't know. The subject didn't come up, and she didn't get close to me for a few days. She kept away from mentioning Rich Rockford and his troubles never came up again. As far as anyone could tell, Melanie and Rich were never together that night.

He was charged with DUI, fined and lost his license for thirty days. He also had to replace all of the items in his wallet. I was going to return it anonymously, but he had two photos of me in it. There was the original snapshot of me in the bathing trunks and the one that had been altered and then circulated.

Rich was barely able to retain his job and had to fight to convince the school board to renew his school contract for the year coming up. He was called before the school commissioners and they decided that the last school year was completed, so he theoretically was not under contract at the time.

In addition, the accident was on his own property, the damage done by him was his alone, and he was the only one to suffer for it. Besides, they didn't want a story about a bunch of teachers drinking to excess at a party.

Cindy's baby came along right on time. Melanie and I went into the hospital to see her as good neighbors would. Two weeks later, we walked down with a hot dish. Rich was home, but kept out of our way.

On the way back up the street, Melanie asked, "Do you think Rich is crazy? Cindy is beginning to wonder. He tells her that he did drive me home that night I was so drunk. He said he sat down and then there was an image standing in the hallway and it fired a gun at him after making him remove all of his clothes.

"Brad, I honestly don't even remember coming home. What do you think happened to make Rich tell tales such as this?"

"Maybe Rich was doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing and dreamed this because he feels so guilty."

"You don't really believe that do you? What would he be guilty of doing?"

"I couldn't imagine. You and him were the only two people I know who were there in the house." There was total silence from my wife the rest of the way home. A week later, she decided it was confession time.

"Brad, may I talk to you tonight after dinner? I think I have something to say. You aren't going to like it and I think you are going to hate Rich more than ever."

"Oh, I don't think I'm going to be very mad at you, but I certainly would like to hear what you have to say. I love you, you know. I always have and I always will. I get upset with you sometimes, but I think our love is pretty strong."