Centuries

This story is part of an ongoing series.

The chronological order of my stories is listed in WifeWatchman's biography.

Feedback and

constructive

criticism is very much appreciated, and I encourage feedback for ideas.

This story contains graphic scenes, language and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racism, racial language, violence, rape or violence against women, and any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.

***

Part 5 - Confrontation

I slowly rose to my feet, then wordlessly began tapping the red crowbar into the palm of my hand as I distanced myself from the table a little bit.

The older man nodded a few times as we peered at each other. "Do you know who I am?" he finally asked.

I shook my head slowly. "Besides the obvious fact you're Kenny's father, no I do not."

"His name is Harmon Belton." Teresa said as she stood up and came around to stand next to me, her gun drawn but pointed at the floor. "He's the Mayor of this town, and the 'Boss Hogg' of it, so to speak. He owns most of the properties, and he's been trying to crush the people of this town for 40 years... but he can't outrun a bullet, and he knows it."

"And you don't have a permit for that gun." said one of the Deputies.

"She has a Federal Firearms Permit." said Jack Muscone.

"Did I say you could speak?" drawled Harmon Belton looking over at Muscone with pure derision in his eyes. "Keep your worthless Federal Agent mouth shut, then."

"Say that again," I said, "and I'll shut

your

mouth. Permanently."

"I'm ordering you all to drop your weapons." said the Deputy, who was beginning to irritate me.

"Drop yours." said Jack Muscone.

"Tell you what." Teresa said as she holstered her weapon. "

Molon labe.

Come take my gun from me... especially if you want me to break your shoulder like I broke your worthless son's all those years ago."

"You fucking-------" growled Kenny, moving forward. He was stopped by his father.

"Boy, you still haven't learned, have you?" Harmon drawled at Kenny. "The little bitch is goading you. He turned to Teresa and chuckled, then said: "You really are just like your father, Teresa Cunt. You think you're brave, but you're just as stupid as he was."

He turned to me and said "Let's talk, Iron Crowbar."

"We have nothing to talk about." I said.

"Oh, I think we do." said Harmon Belton. "You come into a man's place uninvited, acting like you own the world, beating up law enforcement officers with that crowbar, like you think you're a big shot... like your little cunt's father tried to be. Yeah, we got something to talk about. Like you leaving this place a-

live

."

"Oh, that's a given." I said. "We're leaving alive. Whether you and your boys do, that's another matter. And I will make damn sure that Kenny is the first to die."

The threat to his son seemed to strike the man. "Tell you what, I'll buy you a drink. Meet me at the bar." He turned and began walking out, the Deputies watching us warily as they covered the retreat.

"What now?" asked Muscone.

"He offered to buy me a drink." I said. "I'll take him up on his offer."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Eduardo Escobar and Tim Jenkins went through the door first, in the manner of clearing a place, then Muscone and Griswold, then me. Teresa and Cindy covered the rear. Fortunately, Harmon Belton's men were on the other side of the room, sitting casually, though their guns were ready to go under the table.

Harmon Belton was sitting at the bar. A young man was the bartender, and he looked nervous...

very

nervous. More like scared.

"Two bourbons." said Belton. The man poured two glasses of bourbon. "Mix 'em up." said Belton. As the man began rotating the glasses in his hands, Belton said "I know what you're thinking; one of these glasses has poison in it. I don't play that way."

The man put the two glasses of bourbon on the bar. Belton picked up both of them and downed both. "Ah, that's good." he said. "Fill 'em up. Let the Iron Crowbar pick out his glass."

I reached down and picked out a glass among sixteen on a tray, and the man half-filled that glass along with Belton's two others.

"Salud." said Belton, clinking his glass to mine. I sipped mine while Belton downed his shot. An alcoholic he was, I astutely observed.

"So... why are you here?" Belton asked.

"I was hoping you would tell me that." I answered.

Belton let out a laugh at that. "Good one. Good one." he said. "You're here... because I want you to understand something. You have your Town, and I have mine. And this town is my town. It's not yours, it's not that little cunt's over there. It's mine."

"No, no it's not." I said. "And Teresa was right... it never has been yours. You've never been able to control the Police here. Only now are you making your play to gain control. Why? Because the Railroad is coming back?"

"Oh, hell no." Belton said. He downed another shot, then said "The Railroad does not fucking play. And I'm nearer the end of my time than the beginning. Hell, I'm going to sell out to them just as soon as they lay the rail."

"Then what is the fucking purpose of all this?" I asked harshly.

"Hmmphf." snorted Belton. "You want to leave your kids a legacy, don't you? I want the same for my son, that's all. But the one thing I'm not abidin'... is Teresa Cunt's interference. She shouldn't have shown up here. Take her home. And don't come back here again. Ever."

"I'd be more than happy to do that," I replied, "but for one thing: why fuck with Teresa's mother's gravestone?"

"That was stupid, I agree." said Belton with false agreeability. "But it wasn't my doing. I don't want that cunt here any more than she wants to be here. Hell, I'll put up a nice new gravestone for her whore of a mother, pay for it myself." He then looked at me with alcohol-addled eyes and said "Once. You. Leave."

"Thanks for the drink." I said, downing the rest of my drink. I got up, and saw a movement by the more irritating Deputy at the far table. With a fast movement I threw a

shuriken

, a Japanese eight-pointed star at the Deputy. It embedded in the wall just inches from his head.

"I can take your ass out anytime I want." I admonished him. "Leave my people alone." With that, I walked to the door and outside. Jenkins and Escobar covered our retreat.

"Where to?" asked Sheriff Griswold.

"Someplace we can talk." I said. "Let's go back to Teresa's rented house."

Part 6 - Friends And Lovers

I went in and took out the bugs I'd found previously, and flushed them down the toilet. Then I swept for bugs again, finding none this time. Still, I had the bug killer on and we spoke in hushed tones as we sat on the floor in the den room, with no lights on.

"I actually got the feeling that Harmon Belton is scared of our presence." I said. "Why, I don't know. He also said he wasn't behind the destruction of Teresa's mother's headstone."

"And you believe him?" Cindy asked.

"I dunno." I replied. "As Teresa said, he owns most of the property in this town. He's like a Boss Hogg... people pay him high rent rates in perpetuity, and they live their lives under his 'benign dictatorship' (air quotes). And he says he wants to sell out to the Railroad when it comes in, and leave a legacy for his son."

"People come in," Jack Muscone said, "he sells at high prices and retires and walks away. He's already fairly wealthy, from the tax reports of him I just peeked into. Plenty to live on for his remaining years, then leave the rest to his son."

"If he didn't destroy my mother's headstone, or he wasn't behind it," Teresa said, "then who did, and why?"

"The 'why' is to get you here." I said. "Whether for friendly or hostile reasons, I'm not sure, though we'll presume hostility for the moment. Harmon Belton has a secret, and he fears our presence. I want to know what that secret is."

"I have one idea." said Cindy. She recounted the reconnaissance mission she and Tim had gone on. "It looks like the crash that killed Alexis was set up all the way. In other words, it was murder.

And there is no Statute of Limitations on murder.

..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Teresa and I watched the Escalade leave. Jack Muscone had gotten everyone BOQ (Basic Officer Quarters) guest rooms at the military installation to the northwest, which were like nice hotel rooms, and where they would be a lot safer. Cindy had wanted to stay with us, but I insisted she go with them and get some dinner and some sleep. The Sheriff and Tim Jenkins persuaded her to go.

We were dressed in all black, with barely visible outlines of the Clan Troy

mon

on the front and back of our shirts. Teresa had bought some frozen pizzas earlier in the day, and we heated them up in the microwave and ate them, washing them down with Cherry Coca-Cola Zero.

Then I went about setting up a device. "This is a carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide alarm." I said. "If the Tau Fraternity members had had one of these, they might be alive today." (

Author's note: 'Unresolved', Ch. 05.

)

"So you think they're going to flood us with CO gas?" Teresa said. "And then come in and kill us?"

"Yep." I said. "But we have the alarm, and we have Todd's five-minute air masks. So we can lay in wait for them, then ambush the ambushers. Then I can 'interrogate' (air quotes) them to find out just what the hell is going on here."

"Sounds like a plan," said Teresa, "unless there are more of them than we can handle. Remember, they're expecting seven of us to be here, or at least four."

"True." I said. "But if they think we're unconscious, they may think they only need a few people... like two to four... to come in and kill us in our sleep."

"Those two Deputies?" Teresa asked.

"And those other two guys that were with Harmon Belton at the restaurant." I said. "They looked familiar to me, but I can't figure out where I've seen them before."

"Mug shots?" Teresa asked.

"Could be." I replied. "Could well be..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"What would you say if I told you,

I've always wanted to hold you,

I don't know what we're afraid of,

Nothing would change if we made love.

So I'll be your friend and I'll be your lover,

'Cause I know in our hearts we agree,

We don't have to be one or the other,

Oh no, we could be both to each other."

------ Gloria Loring and Carl Anderson, 'Friends And Lovers'

"That was good pizza." said Tim Jenkins as he and Cindy walked along the hallway towards her room.

"You were starving." Cindy said. "So was I. And the beer was good, too."

"I think you and I finished off a pitcher just between the two of us." said Tim, feeling no pain.

"Yeah we did." Cindy agreed as she reached her door. "And I lost track of time, talking with you. It was fun."

"Yes, it was." said Tim.

Cindy used the card and unlocked her door, then turned back to Tim. Their eyes locked, and she could see the purpose and desire in his. Don't ask! she thought to herself, just do it!

And he did.

Tim leaned forward and kissed Cindy on the mouth. She felt her own desire for him rising as her loins melted. "Mmmmph." she managed to gasp through the kiss as his arms slid around her waist and her arms around his neck. She was pulling his face to hers as their tongues began twining together, and she did not resist as he backed her into the room and the door closed behind them.

Clothes fell to the floor as they undressed each other and themselves, barely adding to the gasps and smacks as they kissed hungrily. Tim was guiding Cindy to the bed, and he eased her down on it and slid onto her, only their underwear remaining. The hot, athletic blonde pulled the slender, fit stud's briefs down his thighs, freeing his iron-hard seven inch cock.

"I think..." Tim said between kisses, "I have... a condom in my wallet..."

"Forget it." Cindy breathed into Tim's mouth as she slid her panties off her firm ass and down her athletic thighs. "

Take me bare.

"

Tim helped her get the undergarment down to her ankles and off. Once the panties were no longer her last defense of her honor, she spread her legs up and back in welcome as he positioned himself on top of her. Her hand reached out and gripped his throbbing hard cock, and she guided his manhood into her sopping wet womanhood.

"Uhhh!" Cindy moaned as Tim's cock penetrated her labes and began sinking in. He flexed his ass a couple of times as he slowly slid into the tight, wet heat of her cunt, forcing her vaginal walls to reluctantly but eagerly stretch and yield to his male invasion.

"Unnnh." Tim gasped as Cindy spread her legs that last little bit, and the last bit of his cock sank in until his balls were resting against her cuntlips and 'taint'. "Oh wow." he muttered as he withdrew half his cock, only to sink it back in nuts-deep as Cindy gripped his asscheeks in her hands and pulled him in.

"God, you're tight." Tim grunted as he began fucking the hot, athletic blonde beneath him. He tried to keep a slow rhythm, but Cindy was having none of it. She pushed her ass up to receive his thrusts as he drove in, her urgency compelling him to piston in and out of her with increasing speed and power.

"We keep... this up..." he gasped as they lustily fucked, "I won't be able to last..."

"Give it to me, hard and fast!" Cindy gasped as she felt a powerful orgasm building up inside her. "We'll make it last next time..."

*CHOCK!* *CHOCK!* *CHOCK!* *CHOCK!*

The room filled with the staccato slaps of flesh on flesh as the rutting couple humped passionately on the bed. Tim's thighs smacked into Cindy's as he plunged into her again and again with hard, driving thrusts. Cindy was keeping up, receiving his cock into her depths with seemingly desperate hunger.

Tim slammed his mouth against Cindy's in a hard kiss, and felt her wrap her arms around his neck. Their tongues twined and battled as eagerly as their loins merged together lustily over and over.

It was too much. Tim felt the intense painful ecstasy of his climax building, and knew it was unstoppable.

"I'm... I'm gonna come." Tim gasped into Cindy's ear as he nuzzled her neck. "I'm going to come inside you."

"Yes!" Cindy gasped, tightening her arms around his neck and wrapping her strong legs around his back, trapping him inside her. "Do it! Come in me... OHHH!"

Her own orgasm ripped through her loins, and she felt her cunt clamp down on Tim's pistoning prick. The intense ecstasy flooded her mind, and she was unaware of Tim pushing hard into her as he came, coating her cervix with long, thick streams of his potent, virile semen...

Part 7 - Spirits In The Night

"We've been here forever

And here's the frozen proof

I could scream forever

We are the poisoned youth"

------ Fall Out Boy, 'Centuries'

2:00am local time, Saturday, April 11th. Teresa was dozing on the sofa, and I was sitting on the floor, resting my back against the sofa's armrest, with the alarm device next to me. I was letting my mind range over everything that was going on, and while I was seeing fragments of the problem, pieces of the puzzle, they were too disjoined and had too many gaps...

I blinked my eyes, and when I looked up, I saw that I was sitting on a bench in front of the local Library. The moonlight bathed the cemetery across the field in front of me in an eerie light. As I looked around, I saw the old man coming up to me.

"Hello, Iron Crowbar." he said. "Mind if I sit down with you?"

"Please do." I said, then added: "Last time I saw you, you went into a bathroom and disappeared." (

Author's note: 'Secrets of Apple Grove', Ch. 03.

)

"Yes, I slipped past you that time." the man said.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Oh, my name doesn't matter." said the old man.

"Neither did my question." I said. "Your name is Wilkins. You were in Teresa's father's unit, which makes you an Airborne Paratrooper in the 173d Airborne Brigade."

"As they say from where I live now," said Wilkins, "not much gets past you. So, what do you want to know?"

"Everything." I said. The man chuckled.

"Mildred, he wants to know

everything.

" the man said.

"Then tell him." said a woman's voice seemingly behind me. I turned to see Mildred, the deceased school teacher, silhouetted against the moonlight that was lighting the cemetery.

"You mean about your friend Teresa, of course." said Wilkins. "Well, what I can tell you now is that her mother and father met right after he was commissioned into the Army. She was something of a wild child, but she was smitten with him, and as you know he was head-over-heels in love with her." I nodded.

"Her family did not approve of her marrying what her father considered to be a man of such low standing." said Mildred. "So she eloped with him. They ran away together, came to this town, where they thought they would not be found, and they got married. She used her middle name as her maiden name, and in that way eluded her family that was searching for her."

"You know the story," continued Wilkins, "that Teresa's father went to Viet Nam, and the great things he did there. He survived the war, thanks to that Navy Corpsman, Cordell, and he came back home."

"And you know," said Mildred, her voice eerie and seeming to fill my head, "that his beloved wife died in childbirth with Teresa. Such a sad story, but in its own way very necessary to future greatness." It struck me that she meant Teresa saving Carole, which would lead to The Greatness... and perhaps even more?

"What was Sarah's maiden name?" I asked, mentioning Teresa's mother's first name.

"That," said the old man, getting up off the bench, "is for you to find yourself. But you will, you will... you always do..."

*WHEEEEEE!*

I opened my eyes in shock. I was back on the floor of the house... and the CO alarm was going off!

"Teresa!" I whispered loudly, waking her up. We both went for our air masks, and put them on. Then we began silently looking around. Out the window, we saw two men near the laundry room dryer vent, running a tube into the vent. The tube was connected to a car exhaust, and the car was running.

I swiftly went to where I could look outside onto the front porch and the front door. Two more men were crouching, waiting to break in. Going back to Teresa, I whispered right into her ear: "Four of them that I can see."

Teresa nodded. She pointed at the two in back, and then pointed at herself, indicating to me that she'd take the two in back. I tapped my chest and pointed toward the front door: those two would be my fish to catch.

We crouched and waited. We did have to change out the masks once when the air ran out. Just when it looked like the men were going to break in, the beams of a car's headlights suddenly lit up the front porch!

I went to look out the living room window. A car had pulled into the driveway, having shut off its headlights just as it turned into the driveway. The perps on the porch had run to the far and of the house and around it, and now they and the men in back clambered into that car and drove away!

Three people got out of the car and came to the front door. I whispered to Teresa who they were, and that I'd hit the lights after they forced their way in.

The leader was a woman, and she was short. She said too quietly in a near-whisper "Federal Agents!", then one of the two men used a ram to batter in the front door.

The three rushed through... only to trip and go flying headlong to the floor, over the rubber tubing we'd stretched and tied down as tripwires for the original perps. As they collected themselves, the lights came on, and they found themselves staring down the barrel of Teresa's powerful handgun... and me, tapping a red crowbar into my palm.