Chapter 4: Family Grows

With his second Games now in the books, Bret resumed his job as the DI for unarmed combat. Bret was also assigned as Assistant Range Officer. Within a week Bret was fully immersed in both jobs.

Bret's and Bob's habit of exercise once again consumed an hour of their mornings. Ten days after returning from the Games, Bret and Bob were about half way through their ten mile run when the observed two large black males arguing with two young white females. The young girls each had a toddler clutching their legs. As Bret and Bob approached the larger of the two males reached for the arm of the blonde girl.

"Leave us alone! We don't want your help! We are not going to be your whores!" was being shouted by the struggling girl.

Bret arriving at the scene calmly said, "I think you and your buddy need to move along. Obviously these women are not interested in what you're selling."

Reaching for a gun in the waist of his pants the large man said, "You just move along, cracker! This ain't none of your business."

With escalation of violence threatening, Bret, while observing the second man, delivered a viscous blow to the throat of the first man. Seeing his partner collapsing, the second man also tried to pull a gun. Being a little farther away, Bret took a step and a jump, to get into range, then delivered a tremendously viscous kick to the second man's jaw. The sound, when the kick landed, left no doubt that the second man's neck had been broken.

Meanwhile Bob was moving the two girls and their toddlers to a park bench. With both of the girls in shock Bob and Bret just held a girl and a kid in their arms until the police arrived.

When the police arrived, the girls' story unfolded. Amber and Stacy, were twin orphans. While staying at the orphanage they had been raped by staff, and gotten pregnant. The orphanage's staff nurse had delivered both of the babies, without a doctor being involved. Three days ago, on their eighteenth birthday, both girls and their babies were kicked out of the orphanage. They had spent the first two nights in the homeless shelter but were late arriving last night and there was no room left. This morning, awakening in the park, they were confronted by the two black men. The men had said that the girls were going to become the men's whores. It was at that point that Bret arrived. Once the medical examiner and EMT's left, an with both would be pimps dead and no one else hurt, the police decided doing nothing was the best action to take.

With no reason to attempt to finish their run, Bob and Bret sat down on the grass to talk to Amber and Stacy. Stacy introduced her little girl as Molly and Amber introduced her little boy as Adam. Molly and Adam were both two years old and extremely shy around Bob and Bret.

Knowing the girls had no place to go, Bret told them, "Whatever you have to take with you, pick it up. We have about two miles to walk, to get to a place where you can stay."

Amber stated, "We have no money, and no way to pay anyone for a place to stay."

Bob said, "Where we are taking you, that is no worry at all."

Bret, seemingly always having a way with children, had Molly riding astride his neck, on his shoulders, before they left the park. Adam, not wanting to miss out, was on Bob's shoulders within a few feet thereafter. This is what the family saw, when they looked out the windows, at Bob and Bret returning from their run. The two men with giggling children riding their shoulders. The children were hanging on to the men's heads with death grips. Beside the men were two pretty young girls engaged in animated conversation. Diane took one look out the window and called Ann, Heather and Julie on the intercom that connecting the six houses.

"Time for a family meeting in the guest house," was all she said.

The guest house being the only one of the six houses, which was not being lived in, was by default designated the meeting place.

Before Bret could say anything, Diane pulled Bret aside and said that Anita Martinez had call that morning. It seemed the business, a veterinarian hospital, which Frank and Anita owned, had caught fire and burned to the ground last night. Being advised early enough, Frank was able to save all the animals, but the hospital was a total loss. They had insurance that would cover the loss, but loss of income, for the months it would take to rebuild, would hurt. Bret and Frank had talked, over the last year, about the Martinez's family selling the hospital and moving to San Diego. Frank and Anita were wondering if the offer to live in the guest house was still open. If so then they would be coming to San Diego this weekend to look into buying a new hospital or if none available building one. So armed with this new information Bret called the meeting to order.