Week 7 Thursday cont.
Luna and Violet decided to skip school.
Both girls just weren't into it.
Running the diner was just more fun.
Plus, Jacque refused to work mornings so there wasn't that drag.
The staff was light, as business during the week was usually slow early on in the day. Well it slowed after the breakfast rush.
"So I saw a positive test in the trash at home the other day." Luna spoke up. "Got anything you want to tell me, babe?" She asked making a joke about it.
"Not mine. I took one of those morning after pills." Violet replied. "My parents would kill me for getting pregnant."
"That's what you said about coming out." Luna said a bit disappointed.
"That too." Violet placed the last part of the recent order on a plate and sent it through the window. "Kinda wish I had the guts to tell them. Also, Lincoln is a great guy." She turned to see Luna smiling at her. "Yeah, I think you already know."
"Got an order for flapjacks!" It was Hank with his big booming voice.
"Coming up, dude!" Luna called and got to work.
"You know, we love having you around." Violet made a cute face and batted her eyes at her girlfriend. "Don't do that, it makes me hot and we need to work." Luna told her then stole a kiss. "Anyway, you should just move in with us."
"I don't know, Luna." Violet looked worried. "Dave and Sandra moved in together and... they broke up."
"Yeah, but all they ever did was fuck." Luna countered. "We play music, we write, you get sick of me you go pester my siblings. We work in different places, how is it at Hoppers anyway?"
"They... closed. That new place in the mall finally shut them down."
"No way!" Luna stopped short of running into Devi. "When did that happen?"
"Last week. I got my paycheck and Dale gave me a written reccomendation, complete with a typed copy."
"Is Dale taking it well?" Luna asked.
"He's already in Nevada." Violet took a seat on a stool. "Small town not far from Reno."
"Sorry you're friend moved, Bunny." Luna gave her girl a hug.
"He says go visit when we turn twenty-one. We'll throw some dice."
"So, you hear about Mr. Neilson?" Violet asked.
"He's missing." Luna stated.
"Not just that, now his wife is missing too." Luna looked over in surprise. "Their kids are staying with those kids Lynn watches."
"I hated both Mr. and Mrs. Neilson, and their kids are brats, but I kind of feel bad for them kids."
"I don't. I live next door to them." Violet hopped up as Hank boomed out another order.
Saginaw, MI
Lincoln slipped coming off the express bus, luckily Clyde had caught him.
They were right outside the hospital. The two teens sorted themselves out.
"Thanks, Clyde." Lincoln stomped his left foot a few times.
"Lincoln, that's five times that you have almost went down today!" Clyde informed his friend with worry.
"My leg gets a little spongy, or numb." He took a few steps and turned to Clyde. "You coming?"
"Yeah." Clyde caught up to his friend. "Is that from when you got stabbed?" Lincoln nodded. "Have you told anyone?"
"Just you, bro. I'd like to keep it that way for now."
"Your sisters will figure it out." Clyde warned.
"They're smart, I know they will, I just want some time of not being babied. Maybe I just need to build up the muscle."
They stepped up to the nurses station, got Eddie's room number and headed on down the hall.
After an elevator ride up two floors and doubling back South they spotted Harumi coming out of Eddie's room.
"What are you doing here?" Lincoln asked meeting her a few doors down from Eddie's room.
"Shinji asked me and Sol to watch the boy." Harumi answered. She gave Lincoln a hug, and though she had yet to be introduced, gave Clyde one too. "Sol will be here in a few. I'm going to go get a race in." She flicked Lincoln's cowlick stating cheerfully. "For luck!" As she strolled off.
"Who was that?" Clyde asked.
"We kinda got adopted. That's Harumi, our new cousin." Lincoln answered.
"Why does she have a gun?"
"I really don't want to know, Clyde." Lincoln replied.
Eddie sat up in bed the moment he saw them. He had a shaved head. Bandages wrapped around the left side. His left eye was badly swollen and he had stitches in his lip and across his nose. "Have either of you seen my mom?" He asked, his voice filled with urgency and worry.
"Sorry, bro." Clyde was the first to respond. "I thought you were in a coma."
"They sedated me, cuffed me to the bed." He held up his arm showing off the cuff. "I don't remember getting here, but Shiffon says I put up a fight. Fell off the gurney."
"What happened?"
"Not too sure, Link. All I remember is fat bastard's homies at the house, then, I spent some time in a basement. Then the hospital." Eddie eased back to sit down. "If it wasn't for those Asian chicks, Shiffon and Gunther, I'd be bored out my mind."
"Shiffon, Gunther?" Clyde pulled up a chair.
"My nurses. Or is it caretakers. Shiffon handles my sponge baths." Eddie smiled wryly after mentioning the sponge baths. "Gunter sneaks me in edibles. He's pretty cool too."
"I can see how Sol and Harumi keep you entertained. They have some funny stories." Lincoln decided to stand, leaning on the rail along the bed.
"You know them?" Eddie asked.
"Yeah. Their little sister Hikari too." Lincoln folded the blanket back to look at Eddie's leg.
"Three pins. Also have a steel plate." Eddie finished by tapping on his head. "You know they really can't do shit for cracked or broken ribs. Just gotta deal with it." He winced. Pressed a button a few times and sighed in relief. "Soon as the infection goes away they want to give me dental implants. Replace my twelve busted teeth." He turned his head and pulled his cheek back.
"Nasty!" Clyde had to look away.
"Smells like you been sucking roadkill's ass!" Lincoln felt his eyes water.
"That's what Sol said!" Eddie spit some yellow liquid tinged with red into a cup. "How do you know them?"
"Shinji's cousins." Lincoln replied.
"Sol has a badge. Harumi has some ID papers. The moment that those flashed, local cops were out of here quick!" Eddie informed. "I don't think they're much on the up and up, though." He added. "I hear Harumi running numbers and Sol was talking about a race."
"I came in second." The voice had all three teens look to the door. Sol closed the door and walked over. "Cruller." She set it down. "Thank Gunther. Guy is an amazing cook!"
"You know you can get in trouble for impersonating a police officer." Lincoln told Sol.
"After our dad died, some of Mom's family was supposed to watch us. It never happened. They took the cash, the bank and left. I had to take care of my sisters."
Sol dropped into a chair. "Sold drugs, whored, even used what I knew about gambling."
She popped a beer open. "When I was seventeen, I got busted at school with half a kilo of coke, cut and at the ready to sell." She took a long thoughtful pull from the bottle. "They wanted to try me as an adult, but one of the cops that nabbed me decided I could be useful. So they radioed in that I got away, which I didn't, and I helped them bust my supplier. Later he gave me a reccomendation for the Academy." She drained the bottle and opened another.
"I ended up working narcotics. Under cover. Harumi got expelled for gambling and Hikari was picked up because of a bait car, and nobody told me." Sol frowned.
"After the operation was over, I got Kari out of Juvie and we moved to New York City. I won a couple buildings in a card game and we got back into street racing like we did in highschool." Sol smiled. "I kept my badge for about another week after that. Shinji showed up the following year and I was brought into her operations."
"So what does that make you now?" Eddie asked.
"A crooked cop." Sol answered. "Better than dirty."
"You were a cop. Is that why Hikari wanted to be a cop?" Sol shook her head yes to Lincoln's question. "You practice that Takky stuff." Another nod. "Could you teach me?"
"No. You're Shinji's responsibility." Sol turned to look at him. "Shouldn't you be at home?"
"Probably." Lincoln answered.
"You grounded or something, Link." Eddie joked.
"He got stabbed!" Clyde spoke up. "Twice! Almost died!" Spent a week in the hospital. Should be resting." Clyde gave a stern and concered look to Lincoln.
"I agree with Clyde, man." Eddie sat up again and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.
Lincoln gave him a stare that said 'You should be resting!'
"Woah! That's the look Mom gives me when I'm sick." Eddie laid back down, fully. "You're gonna make a great dad." Clyde didn't catch it but Eddie did, the look on Lincoln's face.
"Some day." Eddie added, not wanting to make Lincoln more uncomfortable than he already looked.
"Thanks, Eddie." Lincoln smiled. He stepped away from the bed and Clyde had to catch him again.
"That's six, Lincoln! You need to rest!" Lincoln finally gave in and nodded that he agreed.
"Harumi will be back in about an hour. Kick back, visit with your friend. I'll make my rounds." Sol slipped out and the boys were able to shoot the breeze as a group of guys would.
As Harumi entered the room she motioned for the two visitors.
"We'll find out about your mom. Let you know what's up." Clyde gave Eddie an awkward hug.
"Thank's, bro! That means a lot!"
Lincoln hung around as Clyde made a trip to the restroom. "I'll take care of fat bastard." He scratched behind his ear. "Also, thanks for not pushing on the dad thing."
"No prob! Who is it?" Eddie asked.
Harumi took that as a perfect moment to wait outside.
"Lori." Lincoln said quietly.
"Score!" Eddie laughed, then cringed, then tapped his morophine button. "I knew you and them were close, I didn't think it would actually happen, though." He opened his eyes to see Lincoln was feeling better. "Good luck, bro. I'll be praying for you."
Lincoln smiled, patted Eddie's shoulder. "I'll pray for you too." and with that he exited the room.
"And get some rest!" Eddie called leaving Lincoln shaking with suppressed laughter.
The ride home was quick. Clyde was up front, he absolutely refused to sit in back with the large feline. He also had quickly learned to fully belt himself in with the racing harness.
It still amazed Lincoln how calm Frizzle was at the high speeds. "Sol is a cop?" Lincoln asked.
Harumi shrugged. "Was." The racer clarified. "Shinji can recruit whomever she likes. Benefits of having pull. We're all listed as being on some joint operation." She took the time to look back on a straight stretch of road. "Keeps the feds off our backs." Clyde's keen wine of fear made her smile. She held her position until a car passed and she finally looked ahead again.
They sped the whole way home, even driving in the dirt for stretches when traffic built up.
As soon as they stopped at the McBride residence, Clyde fell from the car and lay in the grass in front of his house. "I am NEVER getting in a car with her again!"
Lincoln laughed. "Next time ride with Sol."
Harumi had to look away to hide the grin, she reached into the back seat to pet Frizzle.
"Better yet, Hikari."
Harumi started to giggle, but Frizzle licking at her hair and cheek made it seem that it wasn't because of Lincoln setting up his friend for another wild ride.
"Mind if Frizzle uses the litter box?" Harumi asked.
Clyde was up on his feet and walking. "Let me get in the house and you can pick up after her."
"She only has to pee." Harumi called. "Her gotta poop face is more grumpy looking." She spoke up and motioned to Frizzle's face. The woman put her hands on her hips as she watched Lincoln and Frizzle exit the car. "I like him. Seems like he would be loads of fun to pick on!"
"He is." The white haired teen slid into the front seat. He looked over when he heard what sounded like water being poured out. "She looks relieved." Frizzle pranced back to the car and hopped in the back.
"What did Sol mean by I'm Shinji's responsibility?"
"Shinji talked with Luan. The girl is worried about you. So big cousin is going to see what would be better for you. Which means, who could help train you and in what. Considering your injuries, how you've been losing control in your leg. You'll see what I mean, just, get the rest you need and take it easy now. Shinji was never one to be gentle."
Lincoln pondered those words. "Swing by Eddie's, I need to see if his mom is home."
"Okay, but then it's home for you, Link." Harumi informed.
A quick drive to Eddie's. Harumi filling in small details about what kind of people Shinji chose for the job, or just to train in general. When they stopped, the Korean woman looked over at him. "Need back up?"
Lincoln gave a nod. "He almost smacked me once, my dad had a talk with him. Then, I had wondered if Dad had bribed him with food. Now, with everything I've learned, I wonder what Dad did."
Harumi slipped on her coolie hat and put Frizzle in her harness. The two walked with Lincoln to the door and the boy pounded on it.
"So, why Frizzle?" He asked as they stood there waiting.
"Magic Schoolbus." Harumi answered. "I've got thing for nerdy redheads and hippies."
"So you knew you were into girls as a kid."
"No." Harumi answered. "That was Shinji who liked fire-crotches." He heard her chortle off to his left. "I started watching it in junior high, I had already found that I was into girls the year before."
The door finally opened a crack and it was still obvious that the pot bellied man had hurried to dress
"What do you want?" He barked, his eyes on Lincoln.
"Is Mrs. Gomez here?" He asked politely.
"I haven't seen that puta the last few weeks!" He muttered a few things as he stepped out of view. Lincoln heard some shuffling, he stepped back into view and thrust something through the crack in the door. "She wrote that!" He stiffened and closed the door.
Lincoln and Harumi watched as his eyes appeared through the blinds.
Harumi followed Gomez's eyes to a car coming slowly down the street. Then the car lights went out.
"Lincoln." Harumi put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a light pull. "We need to get into the car now!" She warned.
Lincoln felt his hair stand on end and Frizzle growled lowly. The trio hit the ground when there was a series of shots. Harumi covering Lincoln and the bobcat.
Sounds of shattering glass and return fire from inside the house soon followed by screaming out of curse words from inside and the squealing of tires from outside.
Harumi was immediately looking Lincoln over, they both looked over Frizzel. No blood. Harumi had a close call, her large hat had several holes in the brim.
The calls for help from inside had Harumi sighing. "Get in the car. Keep low."
She was up and inside before he could protest.
He let Frizzle into the car, but he went back and then into the house.
He found Harumi holding Mr. Gomez's hand. He had been shot twice. "I swear I don't know where she is." He said weakly.
"Her friend. That woman from Miami. They call her Chi-Chi something." He weezed. "She went there to her. She couldn't find the boy. You need to find the boy. Find Eddie!" He was urgent in his words.
He coughed. "I... I must confess." He turned slightly. "I killed people. I sold drugs, I took drugs. I stole." He took a deep breath that gurgled. "My worst sin, I failed! At being a father. At being a husband." He gripped Sol's sleeve. "I have to, make it right. I leave, everything, to Eddie! To his mother!" Another struggling breath.
"Alala, I know I loved her, but, I didn't know how to..." His head rolled back and there was a breath that was followed by silence.
Harumi stood and turned to see Lincoln there. He stare at Mr. Gomez, his eyes wide with shock.
"Too many people realize it too late." She told Lincoln. "Go get in the car." She pushed him a little.
A short while later Sol relayed her testimony to the police. There were a few questions for Lincoln as well. She convinced the police to leave Lincoln's name out of it and that she was an undercover agent, so she should be unnamed as well.
She popped her trunk and grabbed a new hat. When she got in the car Lincoln looked at her. "How many of those do you have?"
"A stack." She looked over. "Why, you want one?"
"No thank you." He looked ahead. "I don't think I could pull it off."
"Seriously. You're not bothered by what you just saw?" She asked as they pulled away.
"Oh it bothers me. That I don't feel as bad as I should." Lincoln admitted. "Does that make me a bad person?"
"No. Also, as you probably have heard, Sol and I dealt. Of course, we stopped with the hard stuff when we wised up. Thank the family for that. Getting slapped around to straighten you out is one thing, being abused is another entirely."
She looked over at him at a stop light. "There are bad people and people who do bad things. One type needs to be eliminated, the other one needs guidence." She focused on the road as the light changed. "There are few things that we can all agree on being bad, and that is where we start to have a problem."
"What do you mean?" He asked after contemplating her words.
"War is bad, awful. To keep their homes and freedoms, you would expect people to fight. You would expect people to help. Soldiers kill people in war. They have a reason and often no choice."
She motioned to the glove box. He opened it to find a flask. He took it out and held it up. She nodded and he handed it to her. After a drink she handed it back.
"So, you have serial killers. They kill because they can. They enjoy it. For them it is fun. Instead of leaving them to grow old on the taxpayer dime, I believe in execution. Some people don't believe in the death penalty. Killing is bad."
She rolled her window down to spit out something. "Never did like the worm." She shook her head.
"Violent offenders who don't give a shit. They don't have any of the fun out of it probably not anyway, but the bodies of rivals they leave behind are often surrounded by those of the innocent. Or were innocent in the first place."
She pulled in behind Luna's van. "Cops, sadly, sometimes have to take one of those villains down. The public are often too quick to paint the officer as the murderer and violent criminal as the victim. Officers often are killed trying to diffuse the situation or because they were targeted. Hell! A guy shot a friend of mine because he was getting a parking ticket!"
"Is your friend okay?"
"Yeah. Nolt is paranoid. Always has a vest." She reached over and opened the passenger door. "Moral of the story, there are killers and murderers. Some are heros some are not, but killing is always seen as bad by the majority."
Lincoln thought a moment. "Morality is objective?" He asked only to get a nod. He closed the door.
She unbelted herself and moved to rest her arms on the passenger window. He could see her shorts filled out nicely by her bottom reflected in the driver side window. "For the record, I like guys too. Product of making some extra cash." She put a finger to her lips. "Sol and Hikari don't know." She gave him a peck on the cheek. "Sleep well."
"Why are you girls telling me these things?" He asked.
"Shinji wanted us to be honest. As for me liking guys too..." She grinned as she got back behind the wheel. "... When you feel better, I want a ride." He watched in surprise as the mustang sped away.
When he opened the door to his home he was greeted by Shinji. She did not look happy.
"Your sisters are worried. I need you to rest up and be able to take orders if I am ever going to train you!" She grabbed him by the hair. "If you get hurt, I'm pretty sure your sisters would not hesitate to kill me!" She was keeping her voice down. "I like living." She let go and hugged him. He felt that she had been worried too. "Wise up! Next time, tell your sisters. They'll take you or I'll take you." She let him go. "Clyde told me about your leg. Tomorrow you talk to Bonce." He nodded. "Now, how's Eddie?"
"He's getting better." Lincoln went to the couch and turned on the TV. "Why are Sol and Harumi there?"
"Eddie was attacked by his stepdad's gang. Gomez pissed the upcomers off. So he stepped down, that's what my informant tells me. They still want Eddie. That boy is a fighter! He got away, and he knows things now. Things he heard them talk about."
"Mr. Gomez is dead." Lincoln informed.
"Lincoln, please tell me I don't have to cover something up."
"No. We just went to see about Eddie's mom." He put his feet up, Shinji noticing the extra effort put into lifting his left leg. "You know a Chi-Chi in Miami?"
"No. I don't really care for Miami." She copied him and put her feet up. "Too many tourists and people that hate me. Orlando sucks too. Seaworld banned me, spent half a day in jail."
They both laughed.
"What?" Lincoln asked.
"Just dropped some acid. Kids decide that they want to go to Seaworld, it's just across the street. We get there, it kicks in." She rolled her eyes. "I tried to buy some narwhals to help me fight Cthulhu."
"No you didn't!" He laughed. The look on her face said otherwise.
"I sang the Narwhal song the whole trip to the station and for about an hour in lock up. Got a few of the others in lock-up to sing along." She looked over. "After I crashed. Woke up to a few people humming Narwhals. That was a trip all its own. Kept wondering why it was so popular and then got the damn song stuck in my head. Which pissed me off."
He laughed at her.
She hung her head but there was a slightly amused, though dejected grin on her face. "The kids bought a bunch of Narwhal stickers. I am still finding them everywhere!" She clicked her tongue. "YUP! Never going to live that one down." She looked over at him.
"When a kid has something to lord over you, it's damn tough to punish them. Every time pepper gets in trouble for something little, she sings a few bars of that and I can't really say much."
Lincoln had to cover his mouth to keep from waking up the house. "How did you get out of jail?"
"I only got out because a guy I know in the DEA showed up and told them that I was part of a sting that went bad when my drink was spiked. Of course after, I actually had to help him with a case."
Her phone buzzed and she looked at it. She Hmmed.
"Something wrong?"
"No." She set her phone down and looked at him. "Rough night? How you doin'?"
"Mi told you." He stated and she nodded. "I guess I'm doing okay." Lincoln shrugged.
"Well, get some sleep. I think Luan is in there." She waved towards his room. "Let me know for sure in the morning if you're doing well."