Under a Thunder Moon (8 page)

             
“Hey Trailer Park,” Katrina said, “You are a little jumpy.”

             
“I guess you can say that,” Paul said, “it’s Katrina right?”

             
“Yeah it is,” Katrina said, “are you partying with us again tonight Trailer Park?”

             
“I suppose, but I wasn’t planning on it. Is Jim meeting you here?”

             
“Yeah, we are meeting Jim, Mike, and Tyler. Jenny and April are over there playing pool. I thought that was you over here so I thought I would say what’s up, and I thought you might be here with Jim.”

              “No,” Paul said, “I haven’t seen any of them since the party broke up this morning. Hey let me ask you something Katrina.”

             
“Sure Trailer Park what is it?”

             
“Did you mention to Jim about seeing me in the parking lot last night?”

             
“No Trailer Park,” Katrina said smiling, “I didn’t think there was anything to mention. I saw you with some girl. Is that who you are meeting here tonight?”

             
“Well sort of,” Paul said.

             
“Hey Katrina it is your shot!”

             
“That’s April,” Katrina said, “damn big mouth. Let me get back to the game.”

             
“Yeah sure,” Paul said. Katrina left and headed back to the pool table.

              “Damn!” Paul said to himself. “Jim is on his way here, and so is Alyssa. I have got to call Alyssa and tell her what’s up, and that I will meet her somewhere else.”

              Paul pulled out his cell phone. He checked the time.  It was twenty after six and Alyssa must be running late, but could be walking through the door any second.  Paul called Alyssa as he walked outside to get away from the blaring juke-box. Come on Alyssa he thought answer the damn phone. Paul lit a cigarette while he paced outside the bar. He walked around towards the back. Just as he turned the corner he got a blinding punch in the nose. Then he felt his legs get kicked out from under him.

              Paul hit the blacktop hard. It knocked the wind out of him. Paul felt a kick to the right side of his ribs. He tried to roll away, and while he gasped for air he got another kick in his stomach. After that Paul lost count of how many kicks he got, and where they kicked him. Then Paul’s attackers stopped.

              Paul had not been able to see who attacked him. It all happened so fast. Now Paul laid in the parking lot behind Billy’s Bar feeling like a stomped sombrero after a Mexican hat dance. Then Paul felt a hand grip him by the back of his hair and yank him upright. Now he knew who this was, and what this ass kicking was about. Paul knew this was coming. Now here it is.

              “Hey scumbag,” Jim said, “Take a look at this.”

              Paul couldn’t believe his eyes. It was a picture of him and Alyssa kissing.

              “If you like that picture asshole you are going to love this one.”

              Then Paul saw a picture of Alyssa bound and gagged. He couldn’t even speak.

              “Check it out Trailer Park,” Jim said, “Get your ass out to the Boat House in an hour. You, me, and the cheating whore are going to talk this shit out. Got it? If you don’t show… or if you’re thinking you’ll go to the Cops… let’s just say that either of those options would be a disastrous mistake. Because then I am going to kill her… Then I am most definitely going to kill you.”

              Paul got another crack in the face. It was a hard right hand in the jaw. He watched Jim and someone else walk away. Then peeled his beaten ass off the blacktop and crawled into his truck. Paul lit a cigarette, and then let out the smoke with a heavy sigh.

             
“I am totally fucked,” Paul said to himself, and started the truck. “If I am heading out to the Boat House I am going to get my gun first.  Then we’ll see how the fuck we are going to talk this shit out.”

              Paul tore ass out of the parking lot with action sound tires onto Montauk Highway. He headed home to get his gun, and then to rescue Alyssa from the Boat House.

19

             
Jim and Tyler watched
Trailer Park tear ass out of the parking lot.

             
“Hey Tyler, you stopped by Trailer Park’s trailer and took his gun right?”

             
“Sure enough Jim, it was right where Mike said it would be. I also left a note that read…”

“Fuck You! Ya Dang Buzzard!”

              “Very Cool,” Jim said.

             
“I thought you would like that Jim. By the way where is Mike?”

             
“He is keeping an eye on that cheatin’ whore Alyssa.”

             
“That poor girl,” Tyler said.

             
“Yeah,” Jim laughed, “I am sure Mike is making her wish she was dead already. Let’s go meet up with Katrina and her friends.”

              Jim and Tyler went into Billy’s Bar and grabbed a couple of seats at the bar. Betty Ann wasted no time bringing them a couple of Budweiser’s. 

              “Hey baby,” Betty Ann said, leaning over the bar and giving Jim a kiss. “Where have you been?”

             
“I have been around Betty,” Jim said.

             
“You just missed Trailer Park. He was here a minute ago.”

             
“That’s alright Betty,” Jim said, “me and Tyler are meeting some friends here and then heading out.”

              “Hey Jim,” Tyler said, “They are over there by the pool table.” Then Tyler went over and grabbed Jenny’s ass as she was taking a shot.

             
“Thanks for the beer Betty, but I have got to get going.”

              “Alright Jim, but let’s get together soon”. Then Betty reached over and whispered in his ear. “I want your cock.”  Then she kissed Jim on the lips.

             
“We’ll have to see what we can do about that,” Jim said. “I’ll catch up with you later Betty.”

              Katrina wrapped her arms around Jim’s neck and pulled him down into a kiss.

              “Hey babe,” Katrina said, “how did I do?”

             
“You did great Katrina Are you ready to go?”

             
“I am ready when you are Jim.”

             
“Come on let’s beat it on out of here,” Jim said to Tyler and the girls.

             
“Where is Mike,” April asked.

             
“Oh, he had something to take care of, but he is looking forward to seeing you April,” Jim said.

             
Jim led them all outside to the parking lot.

              “See you later Betty,” Jim said, as he passed her heading for the door.

             
“Looking forward to it baby,” Betty said, blowing him a kiss.

             
“Who is that Jim,” Katrina asked.

             
“An old friend, you aren’t starting to get jealous on me are you?”

             
“No, I am not getting jealous Jim.”

             
“Are you riding with me Katrina,” Jim asked, as he got on his Harley Davidson and started it up with a roar.

             
“Hell yeah! I am riding with you,” Katrina slid onto the back of Jim’s bike.

              “Do you want to ride with me Jenny?” Tyler said imitating Forest Gump, and starting up his Harley.

             
“I am not sure Tyler.”

             
“Go ahead Jenny you lame ass and live a little,” April said, “give me your keys, and I will follow you guys in your car.”

             
“Alright here you go,” Jenny said, handing April the keys. Jenny nervously got onto the back of Tyler’s motorcycle.

             
Jim and Tyler’s Harleys rumbled through the sticky summer heat. They headed east on Montauk Highway towards the Boat House. April did her best to keep up with them in Jenny’s VW Bug. Before Jim and Tyler went to the Boat House they stopped by Jim’s apartment to drop off the women. They pulled into The
Hedges apartment complex.

              “Who lives here Jim,” Katrina asked.

             
“I do. I need y’all to hang out here for a little bit. Are you cool with that?”

             
“Yeah Jim I am cool with that,” Katrina said.

             
“Good Katrina, Tyler and I have got some shit to take care of, and we’ll be back as soon as we’re done.

             
“Ok Jim,” Katrina said.

              Jim took Katrina by the hand, and led her up to his apartment. Tyler and the girls followed. Jim let them in and turned on the lights.

              “Y’all kick back here,” Jim told them, “me and Tyler got to go do something quick. There is some beer in fridge. Relax and I’ll call you soon as we’re done Katrina.”

              “Ok Jim,” Katrina said, giving him a slow kiss, “hurry up,” then she kissed him again.

             
“You keep kissing me like that I am not going to want to go,” Jim said.

             
“That wouldn’t be a bad thing,” Katrina said, kissing him again.

“Nope
,” Jim said prying himself away. “I have to take care of this tonight.”

              Then Jim and Tyler left to go to the Boat House.

20

            
 
Paul damn near crashed
into his trailer as he skidded into the dirt driveway. He left the truck running as he ran inside to get his gun. Paul noticed the door was left open a crack. He hesitated a second. I know I didn’t leave the door like that he thought. Slowly Paul pushed open the door to his trailer, and took a step in.

              It would so be like those fuckers to be waiting inside to jump him again. Paul thought about it. I left before them. They couldn’t have gotten here before me. Wait… there were only two of them. The third Howler has got to be here then. I will just make my way to the gun Paul thought, and if someone jumps me, I’ll shoot the fucker down.

              Paul hurriedly made his way to the bedroom. He dove onto the floor and pulled the box from under his bed where he kept his gun. Paul tore off the lid and found that his gun was gone. “Shit!”

             
“What the Fuck!” Paul shouted, “Where is my fuckin’ gun? What is this?” Paul picked up a piece of paper that was where his gun should be.

“A note?” Paul unfolded the piece of paper and read it out loud to himself.

“Fuck You Ya Dang Buzzard!”

             
“Shit! Those fuckers took my gun! Shit!”

Then Paul heard what sounded like a footstep behind him.
With a clench fist he quickly spun around to see … nothing.

              “Man… my nerves are shot. I am hearing things. Now what the hell am I going to do? Well, I have to go out to the Boat House,” Paul tried to convince himself. “I have to get Alyssa. I might as well be saying I have to get my ass kicked… again.”