Chapter 39

I was scrupulous to be early for work every day, clean and presentable, as well as rested and ready to do all that was asked of me. Part of my cover was how confident Othneal could be that I was exactly what I appeared to be, and gave him no reason to question my veracity. He must have begun to feel very confident in me, because he made his approach right after I paid him two-hundred and fifty dollars for our second week.

"Joe, do you feel like taking a walk with me? I'd love to get out and breathe some fresh air, and have a chat with you, without so many listeners around. Is that Ok?" he was proper, and careful to ask instead of tell, but it was a command all the same, and I acquiesced immediately.

We walked against the wind, which was cold and damp, for some time, which meant we would have it at our backs for the walk home. I was grateful for the knowledge that we'd not be taking it in the face for the last half of the stroll. Joe was bundled up for cold weather, but I was caught in between. It wouldn't make sense to suddenly show up with cold weather clothes on what I was making, so I toughed it out and didn't complain. For Angela I bought some sweaters, and nice second hand coat.

As we walked we came upon a large gang giving an old man a hard time. The older man was obviously minding his own business and these thugs decided to hurt him. There were seven of them, and they looked to be about fifteen, to seventeen years old. If they made me defend him, I was going to put at last three of them in the hospital, and try not to kill the other four.

The man did nothing to make it worse, but the idiots were totally focused on hurting him, and nothing he did was going to change that. I moved closer without seeming to, and Othneal caught the scent of violence in my manner and got in position to help. That pleased me. I doubted he was a coward, with all talk and no balls, but this proved it.

There was no way I was going to stand around and let him get beaten to death, so I walked up quickly, put my arm around him, and said, "Hey, Uncle Walt. Sorry I'm late. I got hung up at work. Mom says that supper is ready and I am to make you come home, right now."

I turned to his tormenters and said, "Sorry to break up our party but my mother is a killer. She'd kill us both if I didn't bring her baby brother home, after she'd cooked all day. See you guys later." Othneal watched my back as I led the old guy away from those cannibals.

The leader, if you could call a scrawny, ugly, stupid looking, jerk, in a black Oakland Raiders hoodie, a leader, took a step towards me, and showed me his knife.

I smiled.

That infuriated him, and as he lunged at me, holding the knife low for a belly stab, I broke his wrist, stomped his knee so hard the crack sounded like a gunshot, and as he pitched forward, I crushed his nose with my knee. Othneal stepped forward and put the second one down, and would have helped me with the other five, but they all backed away looking scared out their wits. I wanted to hurt them to teach a lesson on leaving people alone, but thought I might kill one or more because I was so angry.

The leader tried to speak but all that came out was blubbering, wheezing through his ruined nasal passages, and a lot of blood from his shattered nose and cheek. Othneal's gangbanger wasn't moving at all, and might have had a fractured skull but I wasn't about to stick around to find out.

I turned to Othneal, and said, "Thanks. There was no way they were going to hurt an old man just because they were bored, while I was around. My father might be a prick, but he taught me self-defense, and then paid for six years of judo. If they kept coming one of them wasn't going to go home when I was done. You can't let them have any chance when the odds are stacked against you like this, and you have to make sure whoever you touch doesn't stand up again for some time.

"I remembered it all just like my father taught me..."

When he knew it was safe, the man thanked us both, and nearly bolted for home. It made Othneal laugh. "I liked how you handled that, but what would you have done if those goons had decided to take you on?"

I smiled and took the can of mace out of my pocket that I kept for just such a situation, and said, "They'd have had trouble using their hands for anything other than to rub their eyes, then."

He looked at me as if I'd just made up his mind for him, and said, "Joe, you and Amy are good people. We like having you part of The Outpost gang, and hope you like being with us." He was friendly like used car salesman, and just as trustworthy. "We have a unique purpose for existing as a group. Everyone in The Outpost was chosen by me for their talent ... Even you.

"I've seen you and Amy go at it through the crack in your door, and I am constantly surprised at your devotion to her. She's tiny, and you're big. She's all bones and teeth, and you are a full grown man, with all the right pars, in the right places. And I've seen your utter commitment to what's good for her.