Spirits and Demons

Hitman With A Contract

                                                            Part Forty Three

  Mike woke the next day wondering where he was at. What he could remember seemed like a bad dream. Looking next to him in the bed, Jimmy Don was still out cold. Mike got up, showered and turned the radio up to see if the high volume would have any effect on his sleeping brother. Slowly Jimmy Don stirred, waking up groaning from the pain wracking his body. Mike brought a coffee to him and after half a cup he was telling Mike thank you for saving his life. A few hours later, he showered and took Mike to the local Huddle House to eat. They went to shoot some pool after eating, though Jimmy Don was still very weak from going cold turkey. Mike related everything that had been going on at home while he was gone. Jimmy Don related he'd be moving to Winnie before the week was out since the police would be coming around checking on him. Mike asked if he'd call home and let him know how Ricky and Ronny are doing. Jimmy Don assured him he would let him know as soon as he made it to Texas. He'd married right before joining the Navy and he would be going to pick up his wife, Terri and then head to Winnie. Mike related to his brother that he'd be moving to Winnie also, but first he had to make sure Tommy and Kathy had a suitable place to live and to know they'd be taken care of.

  Frenchman, Cale, and another friend, Danny had all three rented a room apiece in the same bachelor house Mike lived in. They'd gotten deep into religion and were sitting around reading scriptures from the bible and talking about God. Mike got ready for a date with Dolly, a young lady he began seeing after his separation. Dolly's dad and uncle had approached Mike a week before and threatened to have him killed since they didn't want Mike dating Dolly. Dolly's mother had asked Dolly to bring Mike by their house when her dad wasn't home. Mike went to speak with Dolly and her mother after the death threat he'd received. Dolly's mother related she didn't have any problem with them dating, though they'd probably have to leave town if they wished to continue their relationship due to Dolly's dad and uncle's death threat. Mike didn't really think the death threat was serious and he left his house while Cale, Randy, and Danny were talking about God. Arriving at the Ez Pak store at the end of the block, Mike went inside to get something cool to drink. While he was sitting in his car a guy walked up from the passenger's side and reached through the open window pointing a gun at him. While holding the gun on Mike, the guy told him to drive. Mike cranked his car and began driving all the while trying to wrestle an oak club free that was trapped between the driver's door and his seat. Seeing Mike fidgeting with his left hand trying to get something, the guy hit him in the head with the pistol and told Mike to keep driving. After getting Mike to drive to a hideaway bar in Monroe, the guy reached over, turned the ignition off and took the keys. He told Mike to not move or he'd kill him. He said he was going in the bar a minute to solidify an alibi. Nutland Road was nearby, a well known body dumping ground in the Monroe area. His mind racing, Mike recalled he had an extra set of keys under his seat and as soon as the guy got out of the car and went inside the bar he reached under his seat and grabbed them. Shaking, he got the car started and ducking his head as low as he could, he floored the accelerator and slung gravel breaking glass and heard several shots fired as he raced down the street with his headlights off. Reverberating through his mind over and over were the guy's words about how he was hired by Dolly's dad to kill him. Mike rushed by his house and grabbed some clothes, then picked Tommy and Kathy up at their rental house and took them to Arlis's house and dropped them off. Arlis wasn't prepared at all to raise them but he didn't have a choice. Tears in his eyes, Mike related to Arlis that he was having to leave town and he wouldn't be around to take care of Tommy and Kathy. Leaving Arlis's house, Mike drove to Dolly's house and picked her up. Mike assured Dolly's mother he'd let her know where he and Dolly would be living once they're settled some place safe. A few minutes later Mike and Dolly were on the dark highway headed to Texas.