On the Run by M Zeigler (online e reader txt) 📕

 “The one and only, and you’ll never believe who he is after?” I reply to Jack as I reach over to snag the spark plugs from him and read the numbers. “Who?” My father growls irritated with the fact that I realize he can’t see that well anymore. As predicted the two spark plugs are very different from each other, newer one looks like it belongs in the RV and the old one just came out of his car.

“You know that country star that Terra and I were raving about last summer? Barrette Green?” I present a second question, Jack nods yes confirming that he remembers because he to actually likes Barrette’s music. “That is who Andrew was after, Barrette was down where the money saver grocery mart used to be.” I continue explaining as I package up the RV’s spark plug before I start fishing through the other tiny boxes in the tool chest.

“And, what did you do about it?” Jack presses for details while I’m sifting through a second drawer in the tool box looking for the dang blasted part that has vanished out of the box.

 “I whooped him, then found out some very interesting news.” I explain sounding a bit joyous, not over the comment or the news. I’m in fact happy because I found the spark plug Jack needs. As I hand over the correct plug to Jack his eyes light up eager to hear what I have to say about finding Andrew.

“Is the news interesting good or is it interesting bad?” Jack asks suspiciously and slight worriedly as he’s leading out of the garage through the side door that leads into our rather messy side yard. Out of every space in the house I think our side yard is both the cleanest and the dirtiest. Clean because we have a nice shaded lounge that has stacks of colorful rocks collected by us from the vast Mojave Desert, but a bit messy, and dangerous, due to the face we have old car tires and car parts everywhere. In my opinion the most dangerous space in the entire side yard is the six foot by four foot patch of should be dirt that has large cobble stones sitting on top of loose dirt. If one isn’t careful going in or out of the side gate then you’re bound to wind up with a broken or severely sprained ankle and knee, oh and did I mention there is an avocado tree whose trunk hangs out in the middle of the pathway? It’s a great forehead banger if you’re not careful, or if your drunk.

My uncle Alex has knocked himself out on that trunk at least ten times in the last few years, I’ve ended up with a concussion because of it. As I said, the side yard is beautiful in its own strange way but can be very dangerous even to those of us who live here.

“Actually it’s good news. Well maybe it’s sort of good news, I found Devon today, the bad news is, Devon is trying to murder Barrette Green.” I explain to my dad whose face changes to shock, the hood of my dad’s truck makes a horrible squawking sound as it opens, in that brief moment Jack starts asking for more details on what exactly is going on.

“Why doesn’t he want Barrette?” Jack inquires reaching down into the truck to start fidgeting with something in the engine. “Apparently Barrette pulled out a loan from Devon years ago and was a few days late. The debt was repaid in full but we know how good old Devon can be, I’m guessing Devon thinks since Barrette has even more money than he did ten or so years ago that he should receive some cut of that check.” I explain, Jack looks at me with his arm almost entirely in the engine now.

“So are you telling me that you’re going to be working for Mr. Green in order to stop Devon?” Jack asks, his eyes suddenly go wide and he wrenches his arm back with panic. Clank! The sound emanates from under the car, looking down at the pavement I see some kind of red goo spilling down the drive way, motor oil I think.

“Yes dad, that is what I’m saying, problem is I don’t know where to start. Sure I have the training, the knowledge, the physical ability, but where do you start with something like this? I just stepped out of this depressive funk I’ve been in and now someone is asking me to be wonder woman?” My words and voice sound sad, Barrette isn’t around at this point so there is no reason to put up my arrogant front. I know that I don’t have what it takes to finish this mission.

“The first place you can start is losing that poor me attitude, I’ve taught you since you were a little kid, if you don’t like something, change it. If you want something work for it, lose the negativity and the entire world around you changes for the better. And try believing in yourself once in a while, that’ll never hurt.” Jack replies deciding to abandon the car for now it’s not worth having a conniption fit over and he knows it, it’s his own error in judgment that unscrewed the oil pump line.

“Grand, wonderful, Yehaw, now what?” My response is bitter instead of manic depressive this time which earns disapproval from my father. I hate it when he gives me that snarled face, I know I’m about to get the world worst lecture when he gives me that look.

“Bonnie, Elizabeth, Parker, I raised you better than that!” Jack shouts at me with his arms crossed over his chest and a stern look to match the disapproving tone in his voice. “Yeah then you left me with Michael and Adrienne! And now look at me, I’m an alcoholic, a smoker, and I have flash back of all the horrible things I faced in that house!” I shout back at my father, does he even truly understand everything I’ve been through? Most days it’s like the man doesn’t even care!

“I made a mistake Bonnie! I can at least admit that, what can your mother say? Oops? At least I face the problem head on, you don’t you hide under that poor pitiful me act! I know you better than anyone Bonnie, this is not you! Drop your depressive state and get focused! If you want Devon taken care of then go take care of him!” Jack shouts right back at me, so much for the lecture, now I’ve just managed to add insult to injury and get my dad all kinds of mad at me.

“I don’t know where to start, Jack! You trained me, you focused my skills but you never taught me where to start!” I scream at my dad causing him to fall gravely silent, I’ve never called him by his name before so he knows I mean business.

“Could you two shut up?” I hear one of the neighbors shout, it’s the lady across the street from us, her name is Linda and she has to be the most annoying neighbor in the history of neighbors. She has to be in everyone else’s business, and she’s always yelling at people to be quiet. Plus when she wants to talk, she will stand there talking to you for hours, and hours, and hours. There are many neighbors who will run straight for their front door pretending not to hear Linda calling them, or pretending to be on the phone if they see Linda waving at them.

“Stay out of it Linda!” I shriek across the street to the woman who grates on my nerve, I swear if I didn’t have to hold some level of civility that woman would have been on the ground bleeding years ago! She’s one of those people who have no verbal filter at all, if she thinks something rude she will say it. She called me fat and ugly once when I was a kid, I lost all respect for her after that.

“Bonnie, you already know what to do. It’s in your blood, I can’t teach you anything more than I already have.” Jack says sounding a bit sad now, of course now I feel bad that I hurt his feelings but on the same note he actually answered my question.

“Bonnie!”

After Jack has vanished into the house I hear Linda walking out the door calling for me, her voice is like nails on a chalk board. “Bonnie!” She calls out for me a second time as I fish for my phone, it’s not ringing but she doesn’t know that!

“Hello?” I answer to an invisible person then start laughing as if someone said something funny, about all the attention that I pay to Linda is a wave at least trying to be polite.

Once behind the safety of an eight food wood fence I tuck my cell phone away and head back towards the side door, it probably would have been easier if I’d have gone through the front door but I want to avoid jack for a little while.

Deciding I need time to myself I step inside the house through the side door and walk through the kitchen only pausing to look at the time on the oven’s clock. Seeing that its almost six o’clock in the afternoon I head up to my room eager to catch some sleep, I’m going to kick back here at Jack’s for a few days to catch some shut eye and ready my gear for battle.

On the run chapter 2

Family isn’t always bound in blood

Bonnie’s perspective

“Hi, I’m here to see Mr. Green, I’m one of his security guards. Bonnie Parker.” I say walking in the backdoor of Event staff only building. The guard looks at me and then scoffs, he thumbs over her shoulder to a mile long line of women and men standing around a long hallway. “Yeah? So are they miss Parker, pull up the wall, you might get lucky enough to meet him tonight.” The guard replies being rightfully rude to me, I’m sure every one of those people has used a lame excuse to try and get in. The down side to this situation is that I am not lying, but trying to convince this guy as much would be next to impossible.

“Would there be any way you can radio to Marcus? He can confirm that I know