Chapter Three

"One-fifteen," Alex huffed, straining to sit up, before falling back on the floor.

His hands were behind his head, feet planted firmly under the edge of his mom's couch. He had been in the hospital for about a month before he was able to leave. Rehab wasn't strong enough for his Marine-Built body, so he was making due with his own training now that he was home. Tai was watching over him to make sure he wasn't overdoing it. Ken and Rolph both showed up occasionally to relieve Tai. Alex lay on the floor breathing heavily.

"One-fifteen is a new record," Alex said, looking up to Tai, "I'm gonna give up it. Let's grab a bit to eat?" "Sure thing," Tai said, helping Alex to his feet, "Looks like your healing pretty good there," "I wish it felt as good as it looks," Alex said rubbing his abs, "I know how sausage feels going through a grinder now,"

The two old friends climbed into Alex's Chevelle and started the engine. Alex pulled out of the driveway and headed towards town.

"How about we stop at Watts's Diner? Alyson has been dying to see you," Tai said. "I been dying for one of Alyson's Special Burgers," Alex said, steering the car into the parking lot.

Walking into the diner, Tai and Alex took the nearest booth to the door. The waitress came out and Tai smiled at her.

"Ma'am, is Alyson here today?" he asked politely. "Yes sir, one moment," she said.

The waitress that replaced her was about five foot six inches tall. With golden blonde hair that stretched to her shoulders, only it was tied in a neat little bun. Her blue eyes pierced into Alex's. He immediately stopped breathing for the entire time it took her to walk over to their table.

"Bout time you showed up," She said, a country swang in her voice, "I was beginning to worry I'd done scared you off," "Nah, nothing like that, Alyson….I got a bit tied with some health problems," Alex said. "What'll it be boys?" Alyson asked, taking a pen and pad from her back pocket, "Roast Beef sandwiches and sodas?" "Actually, Alyson, I'll take your Special Burger and Tai will take the Roast Beef," Alex said

Alyson smiled before she walked away.

Unbeknownst to Tai and Alex, Mark Bagwell stood outside the window and watched as Alex and Alyson flirted. Mark pressed a button on the walkie-talkie on his shoulder, Mark smiled.

"Boss. Ruler is eating at Watts's Diner. He appears to be interested in that waitress you've hit on a few times. She could be the key to hurting him since we failed to kill him," Mark said. "Keep following him until he returns home. Word is he loves his family very much too," Tommy Leons' voice came from the speaker. "Right Boss," Mark said, as someone approached him. "Following someone there, Marky Boy?" Ken asked.

Mark froze. He wheeled around to face Ken, who had just finished a class at Tai's school. He was still dressed for martial arts.

"No. No. Just trying to figure out how to get old man Watts's to sell this property to Leons," Mark said. "Let me inform you of a little known fact, Bagwell. See that waitress in there?" Ken asked pointing to Alyson, while he wrapped his free arm around Mark's shoulders, "She has the hots for only one man in this Podunk little town. He left this town right out of high school to join the Marines. Now that he's returned, he can bet your bottom dollar that he will fight to protect her, her job, his family, and his farm at all costs. Haven't the Leons boys noticed that Antoine hasn't been in town since Alex returned?" "You make a good point, Manson. Why hasn't Antoine been in town since Alex returned?" Mark asked. "That's for Alex to know and you never to find out," Ken said, tapping Mark's shoulder with a fist gently before entering the diner.

Alex returned home to see Chase being loaded into an ambulance.

"What the hell happened?" Alex asked a kid standing by. "I coped some Ooh-Wee from The Naked Cherry. I think C-Dawg had a bad reaction to the Ooh-Wee," the kid said with a gangster accent. "Ooh-Wee? C-Dawg?" Alex asked. "Marijuana and Chase," the kid said.

Amy climbed into the ambulance with Chase as Alex hurried into the house. He ran straight to his room and threw open the closet doors. He found himself standing in front of a mirrored door, he pressed his palm to the door and it opened to reveal several military issue guns. Alex grabbed a sawn-off shotgun that seemed out of place in the collection. He loaded it and hurried back out to his car. Stopping himself, he went to the garage and grabbed a four-by-four he had been working with earlier in the day. The board was about as long as his arm. He laid the shotgun on the table and picked up the four-by-four. Running outside, Alex slid across his hood and climbed in the window of the Chevelle. Kicking up dirt, Alex jetted out of the yard and turned towards the casino.

Alex slide sideways into the parking lot of the casino. His Chevelle tires let off the darkest smoke as he stopped right beside Tommy Leons Ford F-150. An evil smile spread across Alex's face as he climbed out the window of his car. Removing the small marine's knife he kept in his boot, Alex stabbed all four tires on the truck. Then he tossed the knife into the seat of his car before heading into the casino with the four-by-four in his right hand. Two of Tommy's bouncers saw him coming and tried to stop him. Alex kicked the knees out from the first one, and slammed the four-by-four into the back of the bouncer's neck, instantly knocking him out. The second bouncer pulled a gun and drew aim at Alex. Alex broke his arm by slamming the four-by-four across it. After the bouncer dropped the gun, Alex slammed him face first into the side of the building.

Entering the building, Alex was met by Mark Bagwell. Mark smiled as he raised his hands.

"Going all Dwayne Johnson on us, marine?" Mark asked. "Unless you give me Leons now, yes I am going to lay the smackdown on your candy asses," Alex said, tightening his grip on the board in his hand. "Leons ain't here," Mark said. "You'll do," Alex said. "what?" Mark asked, just before Alex cold cocked him with the board.

Three of Tommy's thugs ran from behind the gambling machines. Alex smiled as they rushed him with simple pocket knives. He kicked one in the chest, spun and kicked another in the face. The final one had climbed on top of the machines and leaped off. Alex swung the board in an uppercut motion. The third thug crashed into the wall after taking a four-by-four to the groins. Satisfied, Alex walked towards the back of the casino until two more guards jumped out at him. Both of these guards knew how to fight a little better than the previous ones. They lashed out at Alex with various kicks and punches, which Alex easily blocked.

"Come on, guys. Stop me from wreaking havoc in your precious little casino," Alex said, twirling the four-by-four in his hands. "RULER!" Tommy Leons shouted from atop a staircase. "I'm gonna get you, boy," Alex said, darting towards that staircase.

Tommy took off behind his mirrored glass office. Alex stood and stared at him through the glass, before he swung with all his might, throwing the four-by-four through the window. As glass rained down from the panes, Alex and Tommy stood their silently.

"You're a dead man, Marine," Tommy spat. "You'll have to kill me first, Leons," Alex sneered before turning to leave.

Alex quietly got into his car and drove away. Moments later, he found himself surrounded by police cruisers.

*********************************************8

Three weeks had passed since Alex destroyed the casino. He now sat in front of a judge with a lawyer beside him. Alex knew his lawyer was a bullshit lawyer because he was jittery and kept staring back at Tommy who sat a few rows behind the plaintiff. Alex shook his head before looking into his lawyer's eyes and saying loudly.

"YOU'RE FIRED!" "Mr. Ruler, are you going to represent yourself?" The judge asked. "Yes sir. I want to stand up for the people without having to worry about prosecution from outside forces," Alex stated firmly. "Very well, begin your testimony," The judge said.

Alex stood up and walked over to the jury stand and eyeballed each and every one of them.

"I grew up in this town. When I was growing up, I idolized every single one of the adults who lived here. They walked tall in this town. When I left to join the Marines, I knew in my heart when I returned home that my town would still be standing. I guess I was relying on blind hope because when I did return home, what did I find your honor? A town overrun by gangs, drugs, and casinos. Granted, what I did was wrong and I promise to the highest power of my marine status that it'll never happen again, it does justify what has happened to me since I returned home," Alex said unbuttoning his shirt, "If I'm acquitted of all charges, I'm running for sheriff. I will promise to prevent this from happening to anyone else in this town,"

Alex turned to the jury and showed them the scars.

"Order in the court. I instruct the jury to disregard what they have just seen and heard. Mr. Ruler sit down! " The Judge stated slamming his gavel.

Hours passed as Alex sat and waited on the jury to give their decision. He breathed a sigh of relief when they returned. The head juror remained standing as everyone else sat down.

"It is with great pleasure to announce our decision. We the jury find the defendant not guilty," the head juror said. "He is cleared of all charges,"

Alex walked up to the judge's bench, where the same exact four-by-four he had used to smash up the casino was lying with the letter a tagged to it. He picked it up and smiled at the judge.

"I believe this is mine," Alex said, removing the tag and throwing it at Tommy Leons. "You won't get away with this marine," Tommy said. "I believe I already have," Alex said, locking eyes with Tommy. "I want you to know, I'm going to kill you, your mother, your father, your sister, and your nephew. I'm going to torture your friends Tai and Ken. Then I'm going to rape your girlfriend Alyson," Tommy said. "Such a big man, Tommy, that you can't settle the score mano-eh-mano? I want you to know that if you come near my family or my friends, you'll be dead before you can blink," Alex said, just as the bailiff pushed him out of the courtroom.

Alex sat on the front porch of his mom's house with Chase. Chase was still a little weak from the bad marijuana he had smoked, but he and Alex had made it a habit to sit out on the front porch.

"You didn't have to bust up the casino, you know?" Chase asked. "I didn't have too, but I did. Chase, those guys at the casino aren't your friends," Alex explained. "Yeah well they were there for me when I needed them. Unlike you," Chase shot back. "I bet you didn't know that it was because of those guys at the casino that you grew up without a father," Alex said. "I know that. Those guys told me they started the gang war and if I joined them, I'd be doing my father a favor," Chase said. "Sorry pal. It isn't like that. But don't worry, your old uncle here is going to run for sheriff. I'm going to clean this town up," Alex said. "Sounds like a pipe dream to me," Chase said. "Maybe that's what this town needs is a pipe dream to look forward too," Alex said, patting his nephew on the back. "Uncle, when I get well, think you could teach me some of those martial arts moves? I've been training under Tai for a while, I'm good as you saw for yourself. But if they are going to call me the Prodigal Tiger, I need to learn from the master, right?" Chase asked.

Alex stood, stretching and smiling at his nephew. It was the moment he had been waiting for. He turned to look out across the yard and saw his father coming in off the tractor.

"Chase, I'll teach you. There are a couple rules you have got to follow. Rule Number One, study hard in school and at Kwondo's School. A great martial artist isn't always the strongest or fastest. Rule Number Two, if you aren't studying, sleeping, or eating, you are training. There will no time for smoking weed, or gangbanging. Martial artists don't do that stuff. Rule Number Three, give it your all. Don't give ten percent and expect me to give one hundred. You give one hundred, I'll give one hundred." Alex said.

Chase nodded as he ran into the house. Mr. Ruler came up onto the porch. He smiled a friendly smile at Alex before his eyes gave away his terrible secret.

"What's wrong dad?" Alex asked. "Something's gotten into our crops and killed everything" Mr. Ruler said. "That can't be!" Alex said. "Alex, this happens all the time now a days. We just learn to live with it. Come on inside now," Mr. Ruler said. "No. I've made up my mind. I'm running for sheriff." Alex said, jumping from the porch and climbing into his car.

Everyone had gathered in front of the town hall to await the announcement of the new sheriff. Mark Bagwell had run against Alex. He smiled over at The Marine, who just nodded back as the Mayor gave his speech before receiving the winner's name in an envelope.

"And the winner is…..ALEX RULER!" The mayor shouted.

The crowd erupted with applause as Alyson jumped on the stage to hug Alex. Mark dropped his head and joined the Leon's boys as Alex and Tommy exchanged glares.

"Ruler! Stop acting like a dummy and celebrate!" Tai said, slapping him on the back.

The next morning, Alex met with all the officers on duty. He had stayed up late the night before using his connections to run background checks on them all. He showed up in a Police T-Shirt and jeans, wearing his mirrored shades. He eyeballed the group as the former Sheriff, Jackson Leons, stepped forward.

"These guys are the best of the best. I can personally vouch for any of them. They will be the hardest working officers you've ever seen, Mr. Ruler," Jackson stuttered.

Alex took the paper with all their names out of Jackson's hands, smiled, crumpled it up and threw it over his shoulder. He cleared his throat.

"Gun Check. Drop your gun belts before me in single file please," Alex said.

One by one the fifteen officers, excluding Jackson, handed over their gun belts. Alex looked to Jackson, who stood smiling at the other officers.

"Officer Leons. That includes you too," Alex said.

Jackson fumbled a bit, nervousness catching onto him as he placed the gun before Alex. Alex quietly took the guns and placed them within a large metallic box.

"Good. Now, you're all fired. Leave your badges and keys with me. This also includes you, Former Officer Leons," Alex said, as all the men before him dropped their badges and keys at his feet.