Stormwatch Chapter 06

©

2025 Duleigh Lawrence-Townshend. All rights reserved. The author asserts the right to be identified as the author of this story for all portions. All characters are original. Any resemblance to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental. This story or any part thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the expressed written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a review or commentary.

This is an all new addition to the Stormwatch series. If you haven't read Stormwatch Chapter 1, through Stormwatch Chapter 5, please take this chance first. All chapters are listed in the correct reading order in the

Stormwatch Series List

.

Chapters one and two are updates to existing chapters with 50% new material in each, and a corrected timeline. Chapters 3, through 6, are all new and hopefully they rekindle the joy of the series and expand on the story.

Welcome to summer in small town Western New York, where patriotism is still in fashion and friends are just up the block. This is Josh and Veronica's first summer together. He's having some issues with his accomplishments and the recognition for them, but with Veronica's love, he's coming around.

For comments, questions, or merchandise, please contact the author.

STORMWATCH Chapter 6

Storm Clouds Rising

June faded into July, and Josh and Veronica's love continued to mature and swell. Josh's favorite day of the year arrived, and they sat on the porch of her beautiful Victorian house, watching the crowds leave the park across the street. Yesterday was spent setting up booths and tents and the kiddy rides in the park getting ready for today, the big day: Independence Day! In Springville, it's still a monumental event for a little town and folks come from all over, from towns that gave up on the celebration, just to remember what it was like to celebrate America.

It was exciting just to watch the preparations. Their friends, John, Paul, and Macy were going to play in the gazebo later, after the parade and the firemen's bucket brigade. They had been practicing all week and Josh had never heard them sound better.

As for him and Veronica, they were going to watch the parade on Main Street, then come back to the carnival. He was going to get an Italian sausage with onions and peppers and she was going to get a funnel cake and they were going to share bites as they walked back up to Main Street to watch the firemen's bucket brigade competition. After that, they head back to the park for John, Paul, and Macy's concert. His quartet was planning to walk around the park, occasionally singing before and after the Jareckis played. Macy pleaded with Josh to sing one song with them, and he practiced several times with them. He just might do it...

"This is the first weekend we spent at home in months," said Veronica as they got up to walk up to Main Street and watch the parade. "We're always in the cabin."

"I was at the cabin this morning," said Josh.

"Doing what?"

"Don't spread this around but we have a couple of campers spending the weekend there and," he whispered their names in her ear. "Don't tell anyone, they want this kept secret."

Veronica smiled happily and said, "My lips are sealed," and she drew an imaginary zipper across her lips.

"Are you complaining we're not out there with them?"

"No, I love the cabin, but I love my house too," said Veronica.

"Well, I'm gonna go cut the lawn at the cabin on Sunday then pick up some more rocks for our creek rock garden. You can stay home and relax if you'd like."

"I wish I could. Macy wants help deciding on what to do with her nursery. Andi, Lucy, Melissa Kraft and I are going to help. What do I know about nurseries?"

"You have wonderful taste," said Josh. "That baby will have the perfect Victorian nursery with your help."

"It's been so crazy," groaned Veronica. "And we have the county fair coming up, I want to show you everything there."

"Just as long as they have that gooooood eye-talian sausage," grinned Josh. He was becoming addicted to western New York's fair foods, and the Italian sausage with grilled onions and peppers was his favorite.

"Shoot, I forgot my phone," said Veronica. "You wait here. I'll be right back," and she left Josh standing in front of Paul and Andi's big house.

Josh studied the waist high wrought-iron fence that surrounded Paul's house and wondered what wrought really means. He also watched Veronica hurry back to their house. The beautiful blond was wearing tight shorts and a t-shirt with diagonal red, white, and blue stripes with "

My Man Is A Veteran

" in broad black letters across her breast. As perfect as her tits were, Josh could watch that beautiful round ass of hers all day long. She came back out of the house and turned on the sidewalk to hurry back to Josh, and a man in a green uniform stepped in front of her, blocking Josh's view of her luscious breasts that bobbled nicely as she jogged back to him.

It was a Springville Park Patrol cop that was confronting Veronica. The park patrol was a tiny organization whose only job was to patrol the parks in the village. Nothing else. Outside of the boundaries of the parks, they had no jurisdiction. Inside the parks, their job was primarily ceremonial. To provide a semblance of law and order, answer questions, help visitors and if a fight breaks out or someone reports a crime, to contact the Town of Concord PD, who would come and take the complaint or make the arrest. However, the new mayor, Samael Windecker, changed their names to the Springville Police Department, armed them with night sticks and tasers, and let them patrol anywhere they want. None were trained law enforcement officers. They were thugs and a blight on the village.

As Josh grew closer, he recognized the cop. It was Patrolman Michael Brown. Brown was an overbearing idiot, who had a near terminal case of large fish in a tiny pond syndrome. Josh watched him day after day breaking up basketball games or soccer games in the park because he thought the kids were too loud. He drove the neighborhood kids away from the park with his loudmouth and his arrogant swagger, and he liked to use his night stick as a pointer and to make threats. John Jarecki occasionally said that he'd like the guy to skate up and play a little one-on-one hockey with him. John learned his hockey when he lived in Montreal and, being American, he was a target for each cheap-shot artist on the ice, so John learned to play dirty hockey very quickly.

Brown made Josh's 'shit list' by grabbing Veronica's wrist and he began yelling at her. Then Michael Brown signed his own death warrant when he grabbed her by the back of the neck and drew his night stick. He was accusing her of littering and was ordering her to pick something up. In his mind, he merely pulled his night stick to emphasize his order. That thought flew out the window when he felt himself in a choke hold and his right arm, which was brandishing his black baton, was twisted up painfully behind his back. Then he heard a voice that terrified him to the bone. "Ah have killed men that were more worthy than you and never shed a tear. Don't give me a reason to add your name to the list."

It's been a long time since Josh had been that angry and he wasn't enjoying it.

The terrified cop's eyes widened. He has never heard a voice more devoid of humanity than this. He tried to reply, but the choke hold tightened and he couldn't speak. Then came that cold, terrifying voice. "Let go with both hands if you want to live." Josh tightened the choke hold and twisted his right arm to the point where Michael Brown thought he was going to shatter his elbow. Michael let go of Veronica's neck, then he dropped his night stick, then shit his pants. "Now go tell your boss you refuse to work second street park, it's too boring," and with a painful jab to the tailbone with his knee, Josh sent the jerk sprawling.

Brown picked himself up and turned to see who had attacked him, but Josh had turned around and was walking away with the woman he was bullying. The man also had his truncheon tucked in his belt. For some odd reason, the woman was castigating the man.

"You can't go around beating people up for bullying me," said Veronica. "I'm a big girl; I can handle it."

"Ah stayed outta it, but then he grabbed you and pulled his Billy club," said Josh. "That's the same thing as leaving a suicide note."

"Thank you, you are my hero, but there's ways of dealing with it less violently."

"Ah wern't violent, ain't no blood splattered on either of us!" insisted Josh.

"Hey Joshua!" said a glowing Andi Jarecki as she and her twins walked out to the end of the driveway. Andi was the joyful picture of expectant motherhood; her baby bump was growing larger with every day, as was her smile. "I thought you were marching with the VFW today."

"Nah, we had a bit of a falling out," said Josh as he took the folding chair from the pregnant pixie and carried it for her. "First they wanted me to wear my dress blues, when ah refused, they wanted me to wear my medal, and ah told them ah was still comin' to terms with that and I weren't ready to strut around with it. So, the vice commander of the post said, 'A real American would be proud to wear that medal.' Ah then informed that feller that a real American would be proud to punch a tyrant in the mouth too, take your choice.'"

"So that's a no?" the tiny dark blond giggled.

"That's my man, spreading joy and friendship wherever he goes," said the voluptuous Veronica as she squeezed his ass through his jeans.

"Ah don't have no quarrel with Dale Lomis, the post commander, but that vice commander Don Hoobler has gotta go. Maybe ah will come to grips with it after an election at the VFW hall and we get some fresh blood in office." They walked two blocks to the corner of Howard and Main at the doorstep of Worzil's Bar and Grille, and they set up the folding chair for Andi. Then Josh went inside the bar and a few minutes later came out with drinks for Andi and her girls. He made a second trip inside for drinks for himself and Veronica, and they enjoyed the refreshing lemonade as the parade began. They were soon joined by Macy and John Jarecki, who brought a thermos of ice water and a folding chair, and Macy sat next to Andi.

Soon the parade started, and they were led by the Springville High School marching band. For a small town high school band, they were pretty good, and they even had six students playing glockenspiels, a sound that Josh had never heard and one that Veronica hadn't heard in years. "GO GLOCKS!" she called as the kids marched past, but the kids looked angry. For decades, the Independence Day Parade was kicked off with the pledge of allegiance, but when the band formed up at the reviewing stand, the new mayor, Samael Windecker, simply said, "thank you," and sat back down without leading the pledge of allegiance.

Shocked, the kids recited it without the mayor and the crowd around them joining in.

The reviewing stand was one block up Main street so Josh and Veronica could hear and see the bands playing as they passed the reviewing stand. The bands were usually quiet when they left the reviewing stands, but the drum lines were tapping out a cadence as they passed and the twins Sandy and Madeline were dancing in front of their mom as the band marched by. Every unit had a color guard and every time the flag passed by Josh snapped to attention and saluted. "I thought you put your hand on your heart," said Veronica.

"The Defense Authorization act of 2008 modified Title 4 of the US Code to allow Veterans the honor of saluting the flag during hoisting, lowering, or the passing."

'The honor of saluting the flag,' is what Josh said and Veronica thought about it. She sighed and clutched his arm tightly. His patriotism was so sweet, so pure, and so out of fashion these days. No wonder why he has a hard time with it.

Word had gone back through the units of what the mayor did and there was a rumor that a medal of honor recipient was a block past the reviewing stand on the right. Actually, it was Paul Jarecki that arranged that. He was marching with the American Legion and he told the commander of the color guard where to find Josh. The color guard came to a halt, the commander called, "right face!" then ordered "Hand Salute." Shocked, Josh returned the salute. Then the commander ordered, "Ready... Front!" The veterans dropped their salutes and grinned as Paul stepped out of line, marched up to Josh, and shook his hand.

"What are you up to?" asked Josh.

"Our mayor has no honor, so we're saluting someone who does." He winked and got back in line.

"I'm gonna kill him," muttered Josh.

"Stop," said Veronica as she hugged Josh. "Let them love you, please?"

"Only because you ask."

Three more units did that during the parade: the fire department's color guard, the Town of Concord's Police color guard, and the Grimsby Pipe Band, a bagpipe and drum band from Grimsby Ontario. The shocker was when the Lancaster Suburban Knights, a senior drum corps from Lancaster, stopped and turned the band to face Josh, his friends, and neighbors. The band director raised his arms, and the band played

Proud to be an American

. The sound was so beautiful and perfect, and as always when the song got to

that part,

Josh choked up and wept.

And I won't forget the men who died

Who gave that right to me...

Josh was surrounded by Veronica, Andi, and Macy, who hugged him through the end of the song, and even the twins were hugging his legs. When it was over, Josh blinked back the tears and realized that the band director was patting his shoulder. "Thank you for everything, Redneck." Then Josh recognized him. It was Bob Borst, the director of his barbershop chorus and coach of his quartet. He's also a marching band director. That's what a PhD in music will get you.

"Thanks Bob," said Josh as the band rotated ninety degrees and marched off.

Finally, a Town of Concord cop came up and asked what was going on, and Veronica said, "I guess they found out that Josh is a combat veteran."

"There's a lot of combat veterans here," replied the cop.

"I received a few medals," said Josh lamely. However, Julissa Tanaka was standing in the doorway of Worzils and she called out loud and clear what medals Josh had received, causing Josh to melt.

"No shit?" asked the cop.

"No shit," said Josh, who was dying to change the subject. "Hey, I found this on the ground, I figured it belongs to one of you fellows." And he handed the cop the Billy club he had picked up.

The cop examined it and saw that it was etched for the Springville PD, who were not authorized to carry weapons. "Go ahead and keep it, that way nobody gets hurt."

<><><><><>֍<><><><><>

Andi wasn't feeling well, so she went home to lie down after the parade, and Paul hadn't returned. Macy wanted to lie down as well, so while she and Andi relaxed in the shade of the grape arbor in Paul's back yard, Josh, Veronica and John Jarecki took the twins to the carnival. It appeared to Veronica that Josh's plan was to fill the twins up with so much sugar that they won't sleep until Monday. They loved the little kiddy rides like the little train and the baby roller coaster, but they still weren't ready for the rides that went up in the air.

When Paul caught up with them, Josh and John had completed a battle at the shooting range. Each twin had a teddy bear, as did Veronica, and John was carrying a bear for Macy. "Ah didn' realize a pastor could shoot so good," said Josh.

"Do you know what they call a pastor that can't shoot?" asked John. "A vegetarian."

That caused Josh to chuckle. John sticks very close to his oath of poverty and ends up eating a lot of game that was harvested from Paul's farm and occasionally from Josh's campground. John needs to learn to fish more and Josh has been meaning to take him to Cattaraugus creek for some trout. Veronica is becoming quite a fly fisher and often returns home from a fishing trip with Paul carrying a full creel. Maybe she should teach John.

"Ready to go watch the firemen play with water?" asked Josh. He had never seen a bucket brigade contest, and it sounded like fun.

"Oh kay," groaned the twins whose sugar meters should ping at 125% full. They've had funnel cakes, cotton candy, and snow cones, a healthy balanced diet for a five-year-old. Paul went home to check Andi and John led them up to main street where a 25 foot tall scaffold had been erected.

"There's a bucket at the top," said John, explaining the event. "the idea is to fill it with water with buckets, watch." Being the home team, Springville started. At the sound of the whistle, twelve firemen charged at the tower, and the captain shot up the thirty-foot ladder to the platform on top. Three other firemen spaced themselves out evenly on the ladder and one stood at the base of the ladder. The rest of the team grabbed the two and a half gallon canvas bucket and filled them at a tank and ran the buckets up to the base of the tower, where the guy at the base handed them up one after another. The three guys on the ladder each passed the buckets to the man above them until they got to the guy on top and he emptied the canvas bucket into the large bucket on top.

It was fun to watch. Water splashed everywhere and the guy at the base of the ladder got soaked from all the splashing and spilling as the buckets were handed up. John said the score was a combination of the time it took to hoist up sixteen buckets and how much water ended up in the tank on top, which didn't seem to be much. The twins were upset at first, but when the buckets started flying up the tower and water was splashing everywhere, they squealed and clapped. The teams were from all over Erie County and the guys were having a ball. There was Snyder, North Amherst, Lancaster, Main-Transit, West Seneca, Cheektowaga 1 and 2, City Line, Depew, Lackawanna, and the returning champions from John's old hometown of Williamsville - Hutchison Hose.

When Hutchison Hose came to the line, Josh walked out to the team, who all called out, "Padre!"

John and Paul's parents lived in the village for years, and Cecil Jarecki was a supporter of youth sports in the village. John was still known through his parents and he showed up at firemen's picnics throughout the county to cheer his team on. "Let's huddle up team!" and he brought the team in a huddle for a prayer for a safe, fun event.

Of course, the other teams were aware of this and started calling, "FOUL! THAT'S INVOKING DIVINE INTERVENTION! NO FAIR!"

After the prayer, John ran back to Josh, Veronica and the twins and at the whistle, Hutchison Hose showed again why they were the champions. They bested the other teams by over fifteen seconds and four gallons. When their score was read out, the exhausted 'base' man from Hutchison Hose emptied a bucket over John's head, then hugged his old friend. "Don't forget, water ball at Zoar Park tomorrow."

"Can't wait," said a soaked John. This was nothing compared to the soaking he will get if they win that tomorrow.

"Why did he do that Unka John?" demanded Sandy as she walked next to her favorite uncle on the way home.

"We're old friends and that's how we celebrate."

"But they're not 'pringville!" cried Madeline from her perch on Josh's shoulders. How could her Uncle John root for the other team?

"Who is your football team, Broncos or Bills?"

"BRONCOS!" cried the Denver born and raised twins.