RUNNING CH 18


The master bedroom door was maybe six inches ajar. I gently pushed the door open and took a deep breath to steady myself. I was sorry I had as the familiar fug of stale garlic and unwashed feet floated out into the hall. The faint glow of a nightlight illuminated the room. I could see Vern curled up in the fetal position sleeping soundly and snoring.

I flipped on the overhead light and waited. Vern woke cranky. “Cut it out. Turn that fucking thing off,” he complained. He rubbed his eyes and looked around, finally focusing on me standing in the doorway. “Marty? What are you doing here?” I thought I saw a flicker of fear wash across his face as he started to get out of bed.

“Don’t move,” I warned as I gripped the stun gun in my right pocket. “I just came to see what a coward looks like,” I said. “Are you still beating up on unarmed women?”

He scooted back in the bed. I noticed the electronic monitoring bracelet on his right ankle. “Where have you been?” he asked. “I’ve been worried sick. I’ve been looking for you everywhere. You know I’m sorry for what happened.” He was trying to sound sincere. The right side of his face seemed droopy. Maybe he had had a stroke.

“Nice bracelet,” I said pointing to his right foot.

He jerked the sheet to cover it up. “That’s your doing,” he said. “Why did you testify against me?” his voice grew whiny.

“It seemed like the right thing to do,” I said.

I watched his face as he seemed to come to some decision. “What do you want?” he almost shouted at me. “What are you doing here?” He hadn’t moved, but something had changed. I moved toward him. He cringed. “Stay away from me.” His voice was louder than before. I wondered if there was someone else in the house.

Suddenly I was grabbed from behind by a beefy arm. “Help!” I yelled.

“Shut her up,” Vern ordered. I slumped backwards and fell to the floor as if I’d fainted. I could hear Vern opening the drawer in the bedside table. Damn, I thought. I’d forgotten about the gun. “Get rid of her,” Vern said.

A short scuffle behind me alerted me to the hope that Aaron had arrived. I heard a loud crash as my assailant fell to the floor beside me. I sat up and scurried out of reach. “Vern has a gun,” I warned. I turned back towards Vern as he pointed the gun at Aaron and me. I heard a rapid series of clicks as Vern pulled the trigger again and again and again.

“No bullets,” Aaron muttered concentrating on tying up the bodyguard. “Use the stun gun,” he said. I got to my knees, pulled the stun gun from my pocket ant pointed it at Vern. I pressed the button. The electrodes shot out of the stun gun and hit Vern in the right shoulder. Vern fell to the floor, muscles twitching, and his gun clattered away under the bed as he flopped around the floor.

I looked over at Aaron as I got to my feet. He had efficiently taped the arms and legs of the guy with black electrician’s tape. “Don’t take your eyes off Vern,” he warned.

I glanced back at Vern. His eyes were beginning to track and he looked horrified at the sight of Aaron who was wearing a ski mask. Aaron looked like a burglar out of central casting. “Stun gun,” Aaron said holding out his hand towards me. I gave him the stun gun.

Aaron approached Vern, flipped him onto his stomach, and, placing the stun gun on the floor beside them, taped up Vern the same efficient way he had with the other guy. Aaron reached over to the bed and pulled two pillowcases off the pillows. He then pulled one of them over Vern’s head, securing it with a strip of tape across his mouth and around his head. He did the same with the other guy who was beginning to moan.

Aaron pocketed the stun gun, and moved to the bureau where Vern’s wallet and watch were visible. He grabbed them both. “Let’s go, “ he said to me. We rushed downstairs. “You need to turn the alarm off,” he instructed. I did that and we hurried down the front steps and up the driveway back to the car.

He pulled off the ski mask and started the car pulling it forward down the alley. Suddenly he braked almost sending me through the windshield. “There’s a truck in the way. I don’t think I can get around it. He backed up and turned into the driveway of our next-door neighbor’s house. “Does this go through to the street?”

“I think so,” I said hastily securing my seatbelt. Aaron carefully drove down the driveway lights still off, inched around the bumper of a car partly in the way, and into the street where he turned the lights on and we headed south driving well within the speed limit. I thought I heard an approaching siren and found I was holding my breath until we reached Aurora Avenue.

“Did you accomplish what you set out to do?” Aaron asked.

“Probably,” I answered. “I appreciate your help. You are great at backup. But why didn’t you tell me you’d taken the bullets out of Vern’s gun?”

Suddenly Aaron pulled into the parking lot of a 7/11 mini-mart. He pushed 911 on his cell phone and in an excited voice reported a burglary and repeated the address. Taking Vern’s wallet out of his pocket he removed the cash, and tossed the wallet and the watch onto the sidewalk in front of the trashcan. He pulled into the street again heading south.

“Why did you do that?” I asked.

“I don’t want either of those guys to choke to death. And, I don’t want to risk getting caught with Vern’s watch and wallet. I’ll drop off the cash in the poor box at a church as soon as I can.”

“I didn’t think you were religious,” I said.

“It’s not a question of religion. Just common sense.”

“And integrity?” I asked.

“Something like that.” Aaron sounded uncomfortable. I knew he didn’t much like talking about himself.

Back at the motel I headed for the shower. I felt both exhilarated and weary as I crawled into bed hoping for a few hours sleep before we headed south later that morning. As Aaron emerged from the shower and headed for the other bed I asked, “Aaron, how do you feel about the idea of friends with benefits?”

“Sounds like a good idea,” he said turning towards me.

“First,” I began, “I think that…”

Aaron interrupted me with a quick kiss, and a finger to my lips. “The time for thinking is over.” He slid into bed beside me.

I awoke hours later. It was almost checkout time. Aaron was gone. I dressed quickly and collected my things. My body was happier than it had been in a very long time, but I wondered if my impulsivity had damaged our friendship.

The door opened. “I returned the rental car,” Aaron said. He took one look at my face and added, “Yes, it’s morning, and I still respect you. And, no, I will not interfere with your independence. Any other questions?” He grinned at me.

I grinned back in relief. He had been a generous and efficient lover, but I was aware that even thinking that was close to damning with faint praise.

We shared a warm hug and a friendly kiss before setting out in the RV.