Looking at the time on his phone, Red snuck away to the cottage porch and rang Ernie to postpone the meeting.
“We’re almost at the house now. Jack and I are just coming in the side patio doors!” Said Ernie.
“Ok, never mind, I’ll be there in a few minutes,” snapped Red. “Why so early anyway?” Red continued.
“We wanted to work on an idea Jack’s dreamed up. I think you’ll like it.”
“So, you don’t need me there right away then?” Asked Red hopefully, feeling a little wobbly out in the fresh air.
“No, I wasn’t expecting you for another hour yet.”
“Ok perfect. Run it by Mick if you want, he’s there somewhere,” replied Red, sitting on a cobblestone wall, trying to clear his head.
“Sure will. Where are you then?” Asked Ernie.
“I’m at the cottage with the kids,” said Red, and hung up.
Red sat for a minute looking over the grounds and trying to formulate his conflicting thoughts. About his new grandchild, about his secret plans for retirement. And now having to disappoint his daughter again for leaving the party. ‘What the hell, I still got an hour or so,’ he thought.
He was about to go back inside, when he heard muffled gunfire coming from the main house. Four or five shots then silence. As he stepped to the edge of the patio to listen, he saw men running from different directions toward the house. He redialed Ernie but got no response; he tried Mickey, but his line was busy.
He looked into the cottage and by their actions realized they hadn’t heard the shots. He quietly tried to grab a rifle from the rack in the den, startling his guests. Pulled back the bolt, checking to see that it was loaded. Then, ran out, without a word. “You see a deer, or what?” Laughed Axle. Looking over at the women, while holding his arms open in wonder.
Red’s phone buzzed his pocket, as he was nearing the house, he could see his body guard crouching down behind a patio wall, directing and motioning with his arms to someone out of view. Red looked at his phone, it was the local police. He ducked and squatted, working his way over to his bodyguard.
“What the fucks going on?” He demanded in his loudest whisper.
“I haven’t a fucking clue. Its quiet as hell in there. I got men all around the place, no ones going in, or fucking out! I can see Ernie on the floor; he looks dead.”
Red poked his head up and saw Ernie laying on the floor.
“I’m going to have a peek, the fucking cops just called me!” Red ran over to the side of the patio glass doors, before the security man had a chance to respond. He leaned tight, back against the house, and quickly peeked around into the room. The security man tucked in beside him. “Fuck, Ernie’s dead!” Red handed him his rifle and gestured for the mans handgun. He then ducked and crawled along the front of the glass doors, reaching up to see if they opened.
“Mick, you in there?” yelled Red, after sliding the door open a crack. “Mick!” Red snaked through the patio doors up beside Ernie, avoiding a puddle of blood. Red heard something over to his left and pointed his gun. He could just see Jacks head, behind the couch, jammed up against the wall, hacking out his last breaths. “Micky you there!” Yelled Red, using his boss voice. Then he heard Rosa and Angela’s tinny voices coming from a phone somewhere nearby.
Red stood and slowly walked over to his office, and saw Micky laying dead. His little body looking strange now, jammed in behind his desk. He could hear Angela calling to Axle, asking him to answer her, over Micks phone. Red picked up the phone and was going to smash it against the wall, then stopped himself. Red tried to tell her everything was fine. Then realized she couldn’t hear him. Red turned and screamed, “check the house, and clean up this mess, fast!”
Red dialed his police chief buddy.
“Listen to me, Jake, its procedure, They’re on their way.”
“Tell them to keep it quite then, my daughters going to have a baby, we’re just celebrating the good news. I don’t want that ruined, you hear me!” Screamed Red into his phone.
“Ya, Jake I hear you, I’ll let them know. What’s the gun fire all about?”
“Just my son-in-law trying out his new rifle.”
“I thought we talked about that, your neighbors don’t appreciate it! Their bitching bad this time Jake. My hands are tied.”
“Just tell them to be quiet, no sirens!” Then he hung up. It was obvious to everyone in the room what had happened, and nobody was more pissed than Red. “Get over to the gate right now and stall them.Then allow them to look around if they wish,” cried Red to his body guard. “Be nice, act calm, I don’t need to tell you.”
Red called Angela, appogized for the drama, and said he’d be right back.
“Get some plastic, tear down the shower curtains, anything, get them wrapped up. And out of sight. NOW! Chop chop!” Red was preaching to the choir, because they had already removed Ernie and Jack. And were rolling up Mickey as he spoke.
‘Mickey was ‘bugging’ me, fuck, I don’t believe it!’ Thought Red, walking fast over the grounds back to the cottage; and ran into Axle, calling and coming toward him. As Axle got closer, Red turned off Mickey’s phone, and slipped it into his pocket. He still couldn’t believe what had just occurred; it all seemed like a bad dream.
“What’s with the rifle?” asked Axle, confused.
“Nothing, I though I saw a bear? My mistake.”
“A bear.” “There’s bears around here?” Asked Axle, watching Red breezing by him. Running his hands through his hair. “Yup!” He replied laughing. Axle stood there, then ran to catch up. “Anything left in the bottle?” Laughed Red, throwing his arm over Axle’s shoulder. ‘There probably hasn’t been a bear around here for years?’ Thought Axle.
Axle thought he sensed something, but feeling the effects of the wine, and the happy party environment, it went unnoticed. Angela and Rosa were waiting outside in the the back patio when they arrived. “What’s going on, wheres the gun?” Asked Angela. “Up at the house,” laughed Red. “I thought I saw something, false alarm. Please don’t worry about it,” replied Red. Stepping back into the cottage, acting in a jovial manner.
Rosa, wraped her arm around Angela, and they neverously stepped back inside. Axled followed, looking back over the grounds. With Red around, anything is possible, he thought to himself. Axle stopped, and noticed the guards were all gone. That’s odd, he thought, there should be at least one around?
Red’s phoned buzzed in his pocket, he ignored it, and topped off his glass. “Happy, happy days,” cried Red. Lifting his glass for a toast. Every one grabbed their glass and joined him. “Salute,” said Axle. Raising his glass high. But, the atmosphere had changed, no matter how hard Red tried, to perk things up.
Red’s phone buzzed again. He sneaked it out. It was his body guard. He answered it, turning his back to everyone. “What?” He whisper-yelled into the phone.
“They’re gone, they bought the story,” said his body guard. “Said by law, they had to come.” “OK, good, you know what to do.” Red slipped his phone back ino his pocket, feeling a bit relieved.
Red spun around saying. “Lets all go out and celebrate!” “Ya!” Cried Axle, in agreement.
“But I’m not dressed to go out Senior Red,” cried Rosa. “Neither am I!” Said Angela.
“Women!” Laughed Red, turning and speaking to Axle, laughing.
“Dad, whats going on?”
“It’s your mother!” Replied Red, with a sigh.
“What? Is everything all right?” Asked Angela, looking worried, while stepping toward her father.
“Yes, yes. You know your mother, darling,” Red replied. “You know what she’s like.” Knowing that anytime her name was mentiond, it instantly put a pall over eveything. “I didn’t want to ruin eveything, by mentioning her, sweetheart.”
“O ya. I suppose I will have to tell her sometime,” she replied. Bringing out her phone.
“God no!” Spoke Red, “Please, tell her later. She’s in a foul mood. She’ll ruin everything. But go ahead if you want, it’s your life,” he said, hoping to hell, she wouldn’t call his bluff.
“Ya, your right. We don’t want to ruin anything, now do we?”
“Ya, for sure,” sighed Axle. Feeling you could cut the air in the room with a knife.
“Red’s phone rang. “Excuse me, again,” he said to the room, and stepped away, into his den. He listened, as he was told, all was well, and cleaned up. Red drew a hugh sigh of relief, and started shaking uncontrollably. “Yes, thank you,” he said politely, for his listening audience. And hung up. His body guard looked at his phone strangely.
“Ok, why don’t you gals go freshen up, and we boys will have a Scotch or something. Call us when you’re ready!” Shouted Red from the den, still shaking.
“Sounds good!” Cried Angela, dying for some fresh air. She kissed Axle on the cheek, and her and Rosa left by the front door. “He likes that one.” She whispered, pointing to a decanter, as she was leaving.
Red stood looking out his den window, shaking and confused. Axle poured their drinks in silence, then stood waiting. “Drinks are ready Red,” he eventually called from the front room. “Do you take ice?”
Red appeared from the den, combing his hair with the fingers of both hands. “No son, that’s sacrilege .”
Red held out a slightly shaking hand to receive the glass. “Bottoms up,” he said, clinking glasses with Axle. Then downed the whole shot. “Ahaa, BenRiach! Excellent choice, excellent choice my man. Axle sipped the strange tasting and powerful liquid.
“Look Axle, under the circumstances I think you should address me as “Jake” from now on. Drop the Red bit. It sounds weird and empty coming from your generation, anyway. Don’t you think?” Opening the stopper, and eyeballing the shot into his glass, stopping short of the brim. Maybe throw in a dad or father every now and then. What say ye, son?”
Axle was taken aback, slightly. “Aye Caption,” he said. “We’re family now, right?” Holding his glass out for another clink.
“It’s none of my business, Axle, but have you discussed marriage, at all?”
Axle swallowed hard, and choked a bit. “Ah…no. Not really.”
“You have a family now, right?”
“Well, when you put it that way, then ya.”
“How do you intend to support a family now?” He asked. “And you can’t live in that rain barrel anymore.”
Axle’s head began swimming. He hadn’t thought about any of these things until now.
“I have sold a few articles lately,” he stammered out. But even to him, that sounded weak. “Gees Red, Jake, I have not had time to even consider these things.”
“Ya…well,” paused Red. “Don’t you think it’s time?”
Dan Ger
