3
Calaway drove to his apartment building. He knocked on his landlord's door. A few seconds later, a heavyset 40ish man with shaggy gray hair and beard answered.
"What is it, Calaway?" he said in a gruff voice.
"I'm letting you know that I'll be moving out tomorrow," Calaway said. "I'm giving you next month's rent."
He handed the landlord the money.
"Enjoy the rest of your night." Calaway muttered as he headed to his apartment.
As soon as he got into his apartment, he took his ruck sack and put all of his valuables in there. He didn't own many things, but the things he did own, they had some sort of value to him; his uniform, his badges, his father's uniform and badges, his guns, and old photos of him and his parents. He put them at the bottom of his ruck sack and put his clothes over them.
After he finished packing, he did his pre bed rituals; two hundred and fifty push ups and a hot shower. He lay in bed until somnolence engulfed him.
Suddently, he was surrounded by men in military uniforms. They were in a hot scorching desert firing at six men dressed in black and wearing kaffiyahs. Calaway shot down the one nearest him.
"Holy shit!" said Lieutenant Chambers. "They've got a grenade launcher!"
Calaway and some of the Delta Force operators took shelter at a fort as the Iraqis started firing the grenades. There was a loud deafening explosion. Calaway saw two of his comrades blown in the air. Two Iraqis were moving in. Calaway shot them down. The third Iraqi fired another grenade. It came right at Chambers. Calaway watched in horror as Chambers was blown up. His mind went into free fall.
Calaway awoke with a yelp. His whole body was glistening with sweat and he seemed to have his breath caught in his chest. It took a minute to get his breathing back under control. He looked around. He groaned and headed to the bathroom, where he took a leak and threw cold water onto his face. He went back to his bedroom. He sat on the tip of his bed and turned the T.V. on and watched it until the sun rose.
He showered and dressed and headed to the casino. He went into the back room. Nick was there with a teenage girl.
The girl was average height with reddish brown hair that fell to the middle of her back. She had peach colored skin and her eyes were green like Calaway's but they were a shade darker. She would have been pretty if she didn't have a stony look on her face.
"There you are, Calaway," Nick said. "This is my beautiful daughter, Lisa. Say hi, Lisa."
"Hi," Lisa said in a huffy tone.
"Now, Calaway, here's the address where her mother lives, here's a map, and here's the money."
Nick gave Calaway a suitcase.
"Now you take care of her," Nick said. "Or I'll hunt you down."
"Sure," said Calaway. He looked at the address on the paper. It read 340 East Grand Street, Lisbon, Ohio.
"Call me when you arrive in Ohio," Nick said. "That way I'll know you made if safe."
"Okay," Calaway said. He looked at Lisa and said, "Ready?"
"I have no other choice, do I?" Lisa snapped.
"Hey!" Nick said. "You watch your tone when you're talking to grown ups! You're not too old to get a belt across your ass!"
"Whatever" Lisa muttered, "Let's go."
Calaway lead Lisa to the car. Lisa dropped her bags and said. "This is your car?"
"Yeah," Calaway said. "Get in."
"Are you kidding?" said Lisa, "I'm not getting in that old car! I thought you were riding in a Mercedes Benz. All the money Daddy's paying you, you can't afford a new car? Are you cheap or something?"
"Listen, little girl, just shut up and get in the car," Calaway said.
"I am not a little girl!" said LIsa indignantly. "I don't know who you think you are talking to me like that. you want me to go back in there and get Daddy?"
"I don't give a damn if you do," said Calaway coldly. "And do you pay bills, mortgage or have a job or your own place? No you don't! You are a child, so stay your ass in a child's place and watch how you speak to me. I'm going to say this one more time. Get in the car. Now."
Lisa gave Calaway a look of deep resentment before getting inside the car.
"Fasten your seatbelt," Calaway said, as he started up the car. "Don't want you flying through the window on my watch."
"Can you turn the radio on?" Lisa asked
"Sorry, only AM stations," said Calaway as the pulled off.
"Well does it take tapes?" Lisa asked.
"No," Calaway said. "This is an old model car."
"I have to listen to music when I'm in the car." Lisa said.
"Too bad," Calaway said. She was really starting to get on his nerves.
"Oh my God!" Lisa said. "I have to go hours without listening to music? This sucks!"
This is just great, Calaway thought sourly. I have to deal with this shit, this irritating as little girl. Thanks a lot, Nick!
Calaway smelled smoke. He turned to see Lisa smoking a cigarette.
"What the hell are you doing?" hemanded.
"Well, I have to have something to do, don't I?" Lisa said.
"Put that shit out!" said Calaway.
"You're not the boss of me, you know." said Lisa, blowing smoke in his face.
Calaway took the cigarette from her mouth and threw it out the window.
"Hey!" Lisa exclaimed. "What did you do that for, you jerk?!"
"You don't blow in my smoke, ever, you hear me?! Calaway said. "And you shouldn't smoke, it's not lady like."
"But it's okay for you guys to do it?" Lisa said. "It's okay for men to smoke, drink, cuss, and sleep around, but when a woman does all of those things, it's frowned upon?" Give me a break!"
Calaway tuned her out for the rest of the drive until they got to Utah.
"I have to go to the bathroom," Lisa said.
"Next rest stop is half a mile," Calaway said. "You can use the bathroom there."
"Well, drive faster," said Lisa. "I really have to go."
Calaway pulled into Phillips 66 gas station.
"Alright, go inside to use the bathroom," he said. "I'm timing you, you have five minutes."
Lisa got out of the car and slammed the door as she went inside.
"And don't slam my door!" Calaway shouted after her.
20 Minutes Later...
Lisa was taking too long. Calaway got out of the Wildcat and went inside the shop. He looked around the shop. There was no Lisa in sight.
"May I help you with something," said the cashier.
"Yeah, did you happen to see a young lady come in here about this tall? asked Calaway, putting his hand to his stomach.
"Yes, she went out through the back there." said the cashier, pointing to a door next to an arcade game.
"You've got to be kidding me," Calaway muttered as he got back into his car and drove around the gas station. He drove around for a good few minutes when he spotted Lisa. He sped up until he was at level with her. He got out of the Wildcat and started to run after her.
He gaught her and grabbed her. She kicked and screamed as Calaway hoisted her over his shoulder and took her to the car.
"Get- off- of - me!" she shouted as she punched him in the back. "I hate you!"
This didn't faze Calaway, he put her in the car and said, "Listen you little brat, you're trying my patience! If you want to stay on my good side, I suggest you behave yourself."
He fastened her seatbelt before saying, "I hope you enjoyed your little bathroom break, because that was your last one."
He walked around to get in the car. Lisa unbuckled her seatbelt, went to the driver's seat and locked the car door. Calaway went to open his car door. He couldn't.
"Open the door!" he roared. "Open the damn door, you hear me?!"
Lisa gave a smug smile and wagged her finger.
"I'm not playing with you!" Calaway said. "Open the door!"
Then Calaway remembered something; During his OTC training, he was taught how to break into locks. He returned the smug smile before he jimmied the lock. Lisa's face fell.
"Nice try." he said as they drove off.
Lisa did nothing but glare.
It was nightfall by the time they reached Colorado. Calaway settled in Greeley. He pulled into the Sundown Motel. Lisa, who had thankfully stayed quiet, took one look at the motel and scoffed.
"Are you serious?" she said. "I am not sleeping in some sleezy motel. Take me to Days Inn or the Four Seasons. Now."
"First off, there ain't no Days Inn or Four Seasons around here," said Calaway, "second, you don't command me to do what you want."
"Well you're nothing but a glorified chauffeur anyway." Lisa snapped.
Calaway's face turned bright red. His eyes turned a darker shade of green and he bared his teeth. It was beyond frightening.
"Don't you ever call me that again," he said in a low and deadly voice. "I am an American soldier, I am not your chauffeur, you will respect me. You are a minor, not a grown up. If you disrespect me throughout this road trip, I promise you will regret it, little girl."
"Are you threatening me?" Lisa asked. "Because I can call Daddy and have him down here faster than you can blink!"
As she pulled out her mobile phone, Calaway snatched it and slammed it on the dashboard, until he shattered it into a million pieces.
"You asshole!" Lisa said shrilly. "How could you destroy my phone?!"
"Until you learn to stop doing things I don't like, I'm going to keep doing things you don't like," said Calaway. "Now come on."
Calaway checked the both of them into a room. He and Lisa settled in.
"I'm going to take a shower if you don't mind." said Lisa
"Go right ahead," Calaway said.
Lisa went inside the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
"Don't slam the door!" Calaway shouted.
Lisa opened the door and slammed it again.
"I'm warning you!" he shouted
Calaway collapsed onto one of the beds. He had a migraine. He just hoped he made it to Ohio without throttling Lisa.