Chapter 10: New Start

Thanks to rlfj, the story's translation into HTML keeps on keepin' on

Zelda was still snuggled up tight to Jack when he awoke to what he thought was the sound of the front door opening. It was so faint he wondered if he actually heard anything. Perhaps it was his imagination. Then he heard it again, a faint shuffling noise. Someone was in the front room.

Jack kept quiet as he disentangled himself from the naked Zelda and slowly rolled over. Still quiet, Jack slid the drawer on his nightstand open. He removed the nine-millimeter Beretta stored there years ago. He felt to be certain the safety was off.

Jack strained to move in silence. He reached down and laid the piece on the floor. He followed his firearm and began a slow crawl toward the living room. He made out a shadow just a slight bit darker than the rest of the room. "Asshole, I have ten reasons why you had better sing out right now. I'll give you one chance then I shoot. Speak."

"Damn," a voice muttered. Jack saw a second shadow sneak its way toward him. He fired once. A body fell to the floor. The first shadow dove through a closed window and landed outside amidst a shower of broken glass.

"Jack, what's happening?" Zelda called from the bedroom.

"Better get dressed and turn on some lights in the living room. I just popped a round into somebody. His buddy beat feet."

Jack felt her foot brush his side as she eased by him and into the living room. She crossed to the den and threw the light switch on the wall. Two small lamps in the living room went on at the same time. A big man wearing biker's colors lay quietly on the floor. He looked like a clone of the one Jack shot in the hip.

Tense and naked, Zelda approached the man and squatted down to take his pulse. "He's alive and faking it," she said and slammed the man's face into the floor hard enough to stun him. Jack watched her with admiration as she walked past him, a near strut in her walk.

Then Jack became all business. "Asshole, the only reason I don't finish the job is the trouble it would be to get rid of your corpse. Also I want an answer. Who sent you here?"

"You shot our little brother," came the surly answer. "We was going to do your old lady to teach you a lesson. Maybe off you too if we felt like it. You shot me, you bastard."

"No, he winged you," Zelda contradicted him. "If he'd have shot you, you would be dead. What do you want to do with this fool, Jack?"

"Hey stupid, your brother have a phone?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Call him and tell him to come back and get you." Jack sighed, "Anything else would be too much trouble. If I were to kill you we'd have to dump you somewhere and that's too much work for my lady here."

"Jack, they intended to rape me," Zelda protested. "Doesn't that count for something? I mean, after all."

"Well they did show good taste when they chose you. But after what I've seen you do lately, they also showed real poor judgment. Give them a pass this time and rip their manliness out by the roots the next time." He grinned at the expression on her face. "Oh hell, go kick this one someplace where it hurts if it will make you feel better."

"Hey!" the downed would be rapist yelled, "I been wounded. You can't just stomp on me now that it's all over and you won."

"Jack, you're right, Dum-dum here is more trouble than he's worth." She took the cordless phone off the table and carried it over to the hurt man. "Here, idiot, I'll call your brother to come get you. What's the number?"

As she dialed, Jack struggled to his feet. He stood and leaned against the wall. He took a deep breath and staggered over to his wheelchair in the bedroom and dropped into it. He rolled out into the living room. "Did you search him for weapons?" he asked as she disconnected the phone.

"Good grief no," she answered. "Dirty as he is, I'd hate to touch him with rubber gloves on. Ugh!" The big biker gave her a dirty look.

They waited in silence until the wounded man's brother showed up to take him away. He never said a word as he carried his brother out the door.