Chapter 8: Talk of the Dead
"You mind not jumping 'til I leave?" TJ asked the man who spun around and looked at him in surprise. TJ was sure that the man thought he was all alone prior he had spoken up. "I've already seen a lot of people die so could wait 'til after the sun rises?"
Vince was stunned to hear someone address him. He was sure he hadn't seen the man up here when he had come up. "Who the hell are you? How long have you been here?"
TJ just ignored the man for a moment as he took another bite out of his omelet that was part of his breakfast. While chewing TJ studied the young man before him. He was tall and muscular with an athlete's build and air about him. He was colored but spoke good English so he was educated. TJ guessed his age around his own, about 22. He was also gutless, suicide by jumping off five stories to the pavement below. TJ snorted at the thought, real men would have blown their brains out or hung themselves. Even so the sunrise wasn't going to be over so TJ figured he could hear the kid out before he let the kid get plastered to the sidewalk.
Vince studied his observer was he slowly ate his breakfast. The man was sitting next to the do with his back to the all. He was in a military uniform and had a strange patch on his sleeves. A sort of teardrop made up of little tents. The man was clean-shaven and seemed to carry himself with discipline. He had his back straight up against the wall, which showed Vince that this man was well built. Several medals clung to the man's left breast but Vince didn't look at them. Instead he looked at the man's eyes. They were brown and displayed a hard glare that the man was using to some him up. The eyes also told Vince that the man had seen more then any man should, army or no and the man's cheek testified to that. A long scar adorned the man's right cheek stood out the most.
"I'm a Master Sergeant in the US Army. Since you're gonna be jumping soon my name really isn't that important. How about yours kid?" TJ ask the man. Though they may look close in age TJ had learned a long time ago as a result of promotion that even old men didn't make them good men. Rank was what mattered.
"Mine's not important." Vince answered the man sternly.
TJ nodded his head and finished off the last of his omelet. "Care to tell me why you're taking the easy way out?" 'Ya, the cowards way out, death.'
"My problem, my business." Vince answered turning his back to the man and looked back out over the buildings.
"I knew a man who had run before. He had said that he was in love but he thought his girl didn't want him so he wanted to end it. He thought about just killing himself as well but he had more balls then you do. He was thinking of using a knife to die the old samurai way or blow his brains out."
With that the man stood up his full height but was still shorter then Vince. What the man did next surprised Vince. The man pulled out a gun from the inside of his vest and a long knife from his right boot and offered them to Vince.
"Here, take one of them and be a man." TJ told the surprised person.
Uncertainly Vince chose the pistol over the knife. Engraved on one side were the words; "Desert Eagle .50" and one the handle was engraved "TJD" but Vince was too shaken to make too much sense of the engravings right now. He had never held a gun before but knew he was holding a gun that could kill men on the other side of walls.
"What's the matter kid? Never hold a weapon before? Or don't have the guts to pull the trigger?" TJ asked. A long pause ensued. "Here's a deal; tell me your story n I'll blow your brains out for you." TJ proposed and took his gun back and put away his knife.
Vince turned and faced the sun again. "Bout six weeks back me and my girl made out after a party and went a step further. I'm pretty sure I raped her since she was crying afterwards. Two days ago I found a pregnancy test in her bathroom and it came up positive. I've screwed up my life, ruined my relationship with my girl and got her pregnant." Vince muttered to the man in the military costume.
"And so you're just gonna leave your girl and child to the world. That's even more gutless then jumping off a building to commit suicide. You're a coward if I ever saw one. If you want to die join up. That kid in my unit did. At least he's doing something with his life and not just throwing it away. Plus how do you think your girl and kid are gonna be without you to support them?" TJ said with a disgusted tone in his voice. The kid was a coward and was gonna leave some poor lady and a child without a father or caretaker.
Vince was speechless for a moment. He had never really thought about how Gretchen would cope with school and rearing a child. How could he been so selfish?
"Well you have a nice story kid but I can't help but feel sorry for your little woman. Nice knowing you..." TJ said bring the gun up to Vince's head.
"NO! Wait! You're right. I'm just running from this. How would Gretchen cope with a child and school and work? No, you're right, I'm going to do something with my life and that is to be a good husband and father." Vince said making up his mind.
"Good for you! You just may have some spine in you after all!" TJ told the man as he put his gun on safety and placed it back into its holster. 'Gretchen, heh? Where have I heard that name before?' TJ thought.
"Hey, thanks for stopping me. You're new around here aren't you? If you need a place to stay or a guide around town I'll be more then happy to help out." Vince offered.
'Well I could use a place to stay 'til I get my fort up and running.' TJ thought. "Sure, if you have a room to spare I'll take you up on that offer." TJ said slowly.
"Sure thing, we've got a room you can use. How about we get your gear and go over to my place?" Vince offered.
TJ picked up his thinks and walked with the man in silence as they went to his hotel and got his large duffel bag. The two men then proceeded to Vince's place. Too caught up in his own thoughts of how he was going to fix up the old fort so that it was livable TJ didn't notice as he entered his own house.
What you think? I'm not demanding a set number of reviews per chapter but I've noticed I get about 5 a chapter. If you guys just keep them coming I'll just keep posting as it comes to me. LockDown out....