Originally based off of Breed's Hill by Billy Breed
((A few lines from Billy's story are still here, I credit him for the general outline and inspiration of mine))
CHAPTER ONE: Jenny the Small Town Server
Robert and Jenny Fannon were driving out of Crawford's Corner as fast as their old Toyota would take them. Rob was 19, and Jenny was 18. They had decided to marry as soon as they could, the day that Jenny was of age. The morning of her birthday she had skipped school, gone to the courthouse with Rob and been married by the Justice of the peace. Neither was leaving much in the town where they grew up. Rob's parents had had passed two years earlier, and Jenny had been in a foster home for the past four years. All the money the two had in the world lay in an envelope in the back of the van. They planned to stay with one of Rob's cousins on the other side of the state, near Independence Falls.
Unfortunately the pair stopped at a gas station in a small town named Blossom Valley to fill up at just the wrong time. Blossom Valley looked like a ghost town, the only businesses on the dilapidated main street being an ancient garage, a tiny cafe, and a gas station. Into the last of these Rob guided the aged van. After filling the tank he wandered in to join his wife. As he walked in, Rob paused to admire at his wife. At 5'6" she wasn't exactly petite, but she had the lithe figure of a younger girl. Her long legs bent into a cute little ass. Her modest chest was capped by upturned nipples set in the middle of puffy pink areola. In high school her lithe figure had turned the heads of many young men and a few teachers too.
Rob had attracted the gaze of many young women himself. Just over 6' tall he was a bit thin but handsome nonetheless. His smooth face and sandy blond hair completed a picture of American youth. He was just walking up to his wife when he heard a commotion outside.
A battered sedan had pulled up next to theirs. Four men got out. Laughing, the group entered the store. Inside they spread out. One scoped the back of the diner and another stayed near the door. The one watching the back only saw some knocked up old bitch, darning socks. The store owner, a late thirty-ish guy, was behind the counter. No threat. Two moved in on Jen and Rob.
One of the roughs grabbed Jen by an arm and roughly pulled her away from Rob. The other stepped up and pushed a snub nosed revolver in the terrified groom's face even as he began to protest. "Fuck off loverboy," the hoodlum said in his face. "We're just gonna take your lady and have some fun, aren't we boys." The others nodded, and the one holding Jen ran a rough hand up her front to her pert breast, cupping it. The young wife whimpered, god, she wished Rob could save her.
Just then the man from the back room emerged with a shotgun, and leveled it on the one with the gun. He just stared as Rob backed away. The panicked gang member holding Jen let her go, and she scrambled away. "You boys had best git, this here gun has a hair trigger and I just may let 'er go on accident," said the man in a strong, commanding voice.
The hoods took the message and backed out of the diner, hurling insults. Outside one of them suggested that they grab the bags they had seen in the van and take, just to fuck with the straits in the diner. Rob started out, but the owner of the diner put a hand on his shoulder and said, "it's just not worth it son." Helplessly, Rob watched them haul the bags with all their worldly belongings out the window of the van. As they drove off one of the gangsters shot the nose of the van four times. A puddle of oil rapidly formed under the stricken vehicle. "Jen are you OK?" Rob asked as he went and embraced his shaken wife. She nodded and said, "thank god they didn't get the money."
"He looked at her, "yea it's a good thing you got it out of the car honey."
Terror came into her eyes, "but, you got it didn't you?"
"No I thought you had it," he said. Her pleading eyes said no, and Rob headed for the car before he started to swear.
The old van was obviously leaking both oil and antifreeze, but Rob ignored it and headed to the back. Sure enough the gang members had taken the bags, and all the couple's money. Now all they had was the cloths on their backs, and one badly wounded van.
Rob ran back into the diner. "Hey mister call the cops, those guys made off with near two thousand dollars of our money."
The diner owner whistled. "I called 'em, but don't expect too much. They were heading away from the valley, there's probably twenty directions they could go. And only three cops in McAllister county to catch 'em. Best count yourself lucky to be in one piece and head on your way."
"But we can't," Rob declared anxiously. "Our van is toast and they took all our money!"
"You can use my phone to call your kin," suggested the older man kindly. Seeing the young man's expression he added "Even if you're on the outs with them I'm sure they'd help you out."
"We can't," said the young groom in a defeated voice. "We don't have anyone."
"Well I can at least help you push your car to Jethro's garage. Maybe it isn't as bad as it looks. And if it is Jethro has been known to help out people in a bad spot." after they started pushing the van Clem (the owner of the diner) put a variety of questions to the young man. He was starting to suspect that this young man and his bride were the answer to some very particular prayers he had made. In short order Clem knew all about the couple.
*****
"Fifteen hundred!" exclaimed Rob in dismay.
"Plus the parts. No tellin' how much they'll run you on a foreign job."
Rob looked wildly around. "I don't have any money. The same creeps who shot the van made off with my cash!"