A/N: OK, OK, I'm finally back. I know that it has been a very long time but due to many circumstances in my life I have been hindered from updating before now. I hope no one is upset and I plan to get the final couple chapters up much more quickly. Thanks for your patience.
26.
It was 8:00 pm. Louis' Chevy Nova was parked a few houses away from Corey's. Louis was hiding in the neighbor's bushes, just waiting. As soon as Tawny showed up, they could start getting ready. A few minutes after eight, he saw Tawny's car turn from around the corner. Before she knocked on the door, she ran her fingers through her hair and then she knocked. Corey was there within seconds to answer. She entered and Louis sent out a whistle for the guys. They heard it and scurried over from their hiding places. They huddled and made their final preparations. Louis instructed, "Now, Twitty, when I come running out of the house, that is, if I make it that far, I want you to play track 4 from the CD on the loudspeakers turned all the way up, got it? But only when I come running out of the house and I say it's time, got it?"
"Got it."
Then he gave Tom and Beans their final instructions and positions. Twitty was to be on the sidewalk, directly across from the front door. Tom and Beans were to take positions just to the left and right of the house. They also had one station for desperation across the street. Then they moved the car a little closer in case they needed a quick getaway. Since Tawny was already in, Louis took a single water balloon with him and took a seat beside a bush next to the front door of the house.
Inside the house, Tawny and Corey shared a hug and a little kiss. "Hi, sweetie," Tawny said.
"Hey there. Can I get you something to drink?"
"No thanks. I've been working around drinks all day," Tawny explained.
"No," Corey said taking ahold of her. "I mean, a drink."
"You mean, like beer or something?" He nodded. "I don't think so, Corey."
Then his eyes appeared a little red. "I think so."
Tawny was a little creeped out by this time. "Um, I think I'll just get some juice to drink," she said quickly moving to the refrigerator, viewing all the beer that was in there and shutting the door just as quickly. "This'll do."
Corey was not especially amused. Corey decided to go with another way. He cooled off and gave Tawny one of his charming glances. It was saying I'm sorry, but I sure am cute so you can't resist me. "I'm sorry about that, Tawn. Can you ever forgive me?" He almost stuck out his bottom lip to get some sympathy from her.
Tawny rolled her eyes and said, "You're pathetic," and kissed him to let him know he was forgiven. At that very moment, Louis was peeking in through a window. He needed to know what was going on at every moment. The mood was very tense. The sun was setting on the day and every movement was crucial. "Louis, I have to go to the bathroom!" he heard over his walkie-talkie.
Frantically, Louis reached for the gizmo and said very tensely, but not very loudly, "Beans, we have to focus here. Focus, focus, focus. Do it quickly and don't ever call me on this again unless there's a problem. I can't be bothered. I need to watch every move that goes on in that house. Now go do your little business and give the walkie-talkie back to Twitty!" As Louis finished saying that, he heard something come from inside. It sounded like a slap. A slap? What could that be? he thought. He quickly moved to get a better picture, although it was hard because he was still positioned outside and looking through windows. He looked in and saw Tawny clutching her cheek. That jerk slapped her! Louis was burning mad, but he couldn't do anything. Yet. He saw him grab her by the arm and take her from the kitchen down the hallway. Louis took off running to where that hallway would have stopped. There was a room at the end of the hallway and Louis looked through one of its windows. He could see Tawny, caught in Corey's grip, struggling to get free.
Inside the room the conversation was difficult. "Let me go!" Tawny demanded.
"No."
"Let me go!" she said again, this time a little louder.
"No, now get on that bed!" he said throwing her down. When she hit the bed, he locked the door so she wouldn't be able to slip away and escape. They continued in a physical struggle that Tawny was losing.
Louis knew this was the time. He abandoned his position from outside the window. He couldn't hear the conversation that was going on inside, but he knew it was his time to act. He got on the walkie talkie and sent a message to Twitty. "This is it, buddy. Get ready. I'm about to move in. Over." Twitty returned with an "Over" and then Louis turned it off. There would be no distractions when he made the big move. He took off his helmet and sunglasses. He ran across to the front door, which luckily was still unlocked. Louis didn't really want to break a window to get in. Not only would it hurt, but Corey would definitely come after him and Louis might not be prepared. Once he was inside, Louis very carefully tip-toed through the hallway until he found a closed door. He carefully tried to turn it, without making any noise, but he could tell it was locked. From there he could hear a muffled scream and another slap. He wiped some sweat from his forehead and carefully walked down the hallway. He was going to break it down. He was going to run full speed, break it down with his left shoulder and protect the water balloon with his right hand. Once he was in position, he went running at full speed and crack! The door broken and Louis stumbled and hit the floor, but bounced up. Corey's attention was suddenly drawn away from the frightened Tawny.
"Fluffy!" he cried in shock.
"Sorry to disturb you, folks, I'm just here to check the gas meter," Louis said as he hurled the water balloon at Corey. A direct hit! "Run Tawny!" Then Louis bolted out the door. Corey wiped the water off his face, slapped Tawny one more time and ran after Louis. Once he was gone, Tawny didn't run, but instead called the police.
In full stride, Louis ran through the open doorway, out of the house, jumped down the front steps and screamed, "NOW, TWITTY, NOW!"
Corey jumped down the steps himself to watch Louis get away and be greeted by a flood of lights, a few more water balloons, and the song "Stars and Stripes Forever," the national American march being played just as he made it outside and was getting hit by those balloons. The lights mentioned were installed by Louis that afternoon on the roof of Corey's house, up in trees, and anywhere else Louis could put them. They were so bright, that they almost completely illuminated the front yard.
