Devil's Due

"So was I, you wicked stupid piglet!" I growled back. When he took a breath to talk, I talked over him. "Don't talk, asshole. Just listen. Your boys tried to kill me tonight! Lucky for me, Big Roscoe likes the taste of bacon better than Irish sausage. Now, I'm leaving. If you try and somehow manage to track me down, I'll fuckin' kill you. I know one thing for a fuckin' fact, Bacon Boy. You won't last five fuckin' minutes in Southie!"

Before he could say a word, I ended the call, turned my phone off, and threw it on my passenger seat. Shit yeah, that felt good!

As I drove, I seethed inside. The pain I was in, kept my focused. Where did I direct my anger? At everybody in that Goddamn redneck burg that I'd called home for the past two years. Yeah, I knew that most of them were hard-working honest people. That didn't change the fact that the whole fuckin' town was as corrupt as the South Boston Irish mob! If the whole damn Sheriff's Office would let this shit go on, something had to be done.

Then I felt like shit, because I knew I couldn't do anything about it. So then I turned my anger on Sophie. That was kind of a mixed bag. She was as much a victim as I'd been. Except, she went along with being a victim, in the end. She took the word of those fucktards over me, her own husband! Yeah, she'd known them all her life, but she also knew that they hated me. She knew that they'd do anything to fuck me over, just because I didn't talk with their accent. Add to that, the fact that they always hated me for being with Sophie, too, and there ya have it!

It all came down to lack of trust, thanks to what happened with her Dad cheating on her Mom. She said that she trusted me, but when the chips came down, she trusted those stupid fucks over her own husband!

Then something clicked in my head. I picked up my phone and turned it back on. There were several missed calls from Dwight, and one from Sophie, of all people! Huh! I'd let that slide for now, but I brought up Diana's number and called her instead. She picked up on the second ring.

"Hi, Rick," she said. "What has you calling so late, hon?"

"Some bad shit, Diana," I replied. "No matter what anyone tells you, I did not cheat on Sophie. You gave me that one chance, and I still haven't blown it. I need to know something, though."

"Uh, what are you saying, Rick?" she asked. I heard the guarded tone in her voice, but pushed ahead anyway.

"Did you physically see your ex-husband cheat on you? Like, with your own eyes?" I asked, playing a hunch.

She stayed silent for several moments. My guess was that she was thinking back to when the shit had gone down. "No, I heard it from Tim Bagwell, Dwight's father. I trust Tim, though. I know he wouldn't lie to me about something like that!"

"Yeah, right," I snorted. "Not that I don't believe you, but you can't believe anything those Douchebags say, Diana. Dwight just had Dawg... sorry, Brad and Gerry try to kill me. They tried to feed me to Big Roscoe."

"What?!" she gasped. "If this were April 1^st, I wouldn't believe you. I'm not sure I believe you, anyway. What are you talking about, Rick?!"

I took a deep breath, then related the events of the afternoon and evening to my very confused mother-in-law.

"I'm telling God's Honest Truth here, Diana," I finished. "I thought that Sophie actually trusted me, but she trusted those assholes and some innocent pics of me and a friend as something more than they were."

"You mean she let them... oh my God!" she gasped, then started crying. "They... Dwight's father and his friends, did the same thing when Carter came home that day," she admitted, her voice shaking. "They said that they were doing it for me, to make me feel sexy after finding out that my husband was cheating on me. They said they knew I wanted revenge on him!"

"Diana," I said softly. "I know this is hard, but do you know exactly what happened to Carter?"

"He... he was so distraught, that he left in the middle of the night," she admitted. "At least, that's what they told me. He didn't even pack anything. He just got in his car and left. I divorced him for Abandonment, but I've never heard anything from him since that night."

Now it was my turn to take a deep, calming breath. "Diana, I think they fed him to Big Roscoe, just like they planned to do to me, tonight."

"Oh, my God!" she gasped again, as the full weight of what I'd just told her sunk in.

"Diana, I know it sounds farfetched, but I have a gut feeling that I'm right," I continued. "You need to talk to Sophie and take her out of town. Brad and Gerry are Roscoe's lunch now, because of me. That means that Dwight might take it out on Sophie or you. I've known assholes like him before. They don't like losing."

"I'll do what I can, Rick. You can count on that," she said, her voice now one of determination.

"Also, I can't stay married to Sophie, anymore," I said, breaking the other bad news to her. "After what she did tonight, there's no going back. I'm sorry, but I can't forget what she did. I might be able to forgive her, one day, but that won't be anytime soon. Even then, I won't forget it. I know she thought she was right, but that's no excuse for being cruel to someone you claim to love."

"You're right, Rick," she said, sadness tinging her voice. "I'm sorry, for what it's worth."

"Me, too," I replied. "Just get you and your daughter out of town. Tell her to divorce me for Abandonment, same as you did with your ex. I'm going to disappear."

"Ok, I'll do my best, hon," she responded. "Can you tell me where you're going?"

"No, even if I knew," I replied, feeling my heart break even more. "I don't know where I'll end up, but even when I get there, I'm not going to contact you or Sophie again. I'm sorry, Diana. I like you, in spite of the way you treated me."

"For what it's worth, I like you too, Rick," she replied, trying to hold back her sobs. "Be safe, ya hear?"

"Yes, ma'am," I said, a sad smile on my face. "You two be safe, too. Get as far away from those assholes and that town as you can. Oh, and tell Sophie that everything but my business account is hers. She can list and sell the house, or whatever. Goodbye, Diana."

"I will. Goodbye, Rick," she said, and we ended the call.

Anger still fueled me, pushing despair aside, for now. Once again, I turned my phone off and threw it on the passenger seat. I was now past Gainesville, headed northeast towards I-75. I had a long way to go, and no idea where I was going... yet.

^^^^^

Sophie:

God, I felt so used! How could I have let Dwight, Brad and Gerry do those things to me?! I felt like shit, even after two showers to try and wash them off and out of me. Dwight had just gone, after receiving a call. He was mad, so he got dressed and left. I locked the door after him, and that was when I started to feel used.

It was soooo vindictive and slutty, what I'd done to Rick! He'd deserved it, though! I saw those pictures of him hugging and kissing that girl! I didn't really care what color she was, no matter what I said when Rick tried to deny it. I knew that Dwight and Gerry wouldn't lie to me about something like that! Would they? Oh God! I didn't know!

I shuddered to think about what I'd just done. Rick was right about one thing, at least. After all the talks we had about trust, I'd done what I did when I saw him hugging Kate back at college! No, I did a lot worse than when I saw he and Kate hugging back then! I'd even given my approval for Rick to be fed to Big Roscoe! Oh God! I couldn't stop the tears, as I covered my face with my hands and sobbed.

"What have I done?!" I cried.

Then my phone rang, and I saw it was Mom. I took a deep breath, then answered. "Hi, Mom."

"Sophie Jean, you need to pack some shit and get over here, now!" Mom commanded. "Clothes, toiletries, whatever you need for an extended vacation! Not in the morning. Now!"

I knew that tone all too well. Mom knew something was going on, beyond what had already happened. I wondered what it could be.

"Mom, you're scaring me. What's going on?" I asked, as fear crept in.

"Dammit, Sophie Jean, get packed and get your skinny ass over here!" Mom yelled.

"Ok, I'll be there as soon as I get packed," I said, capitulating to Mom's demands.

I grabbed a suitcase and started packing. Panties, bras, stockings, skirts, shorts, jeans, and blouses all went in. Mom sounded scared, and that scared me! I didn't know what had happened, but I was going to find out!

I hauled my suitcase and gym bag full of my toiletries out to my old Chrysler, threw them in the trunk, and drove to Mom's house. She came out to meet me, when I arrived. It surprised me to see that she'd also packed in a hurry, dragging a suitcase and bag of her own.

"Mom?" I asked as I got out.

"Pop the trunk, girl," she said, so I reached into the car and hit the trunk lever. She tossed her case and bag in the trunk, and got in on the passenger side. "What the blazes are you waiting for, Sophie Jean?! Get in and drive!"

I got in and hooked my seatbelt. "Where to, Mom?"

"Hell if I know," she sobbed, tears running down her face. "South. Miami? Key West? Anywhere but here!"

"Ok," I said, starting up and throwing it in reverse. I pulled out of her driveway, and turned south. "Are you gonna tell me what this is all about, Mom?"

"Rick warned me," she said, simply. "Honey, I don't think your father abandoned us, and now I don't think he really cheated on me."

I felt so stunned at that, that I nearly wrecked the car! "Mom? What makes you say that?"

"First, did you tell those boys that it was ok to dump your husband in Big Roscoe's pond?"

Now I had to pull off to the side of the road and put my car in Park, as I sobbed uncontrollably.

"Did you, Sophie?" she asked, gently.

"Yes, but I didn't think they'd really do it," I cried. "I didn't even know that's what they were planning. I thought they were joking, ya know?"

"Dammit, Sophie Jean!" Mom yelled. Then she breathed deeply to steady her voice. "You know that Dwight doesn't joke like that! Well, Rick is alive, and you're probably never gonna see him again. I think you know, deep down, that he wouldn't cheat on you for anything! Your trust issues are mostly my fault, though. I filled your head with how all men are dogs who will cheat on you given half a chance. I gave that boy a hard time, but I know he loved you. He loved you and me so much, that he warned me to get you out of town. Gerry and Brad are dead, because they tried to kill Rick."

That stunned me even more. I looked at Mom with horror, knowing that I'd basically signed off on my own husband's death warrant. "Did he tell you where he's going? Boston, maybe?"

"No, and he said he doesn't know where he's gonna go," Mom said, shaking her head. "But even if he did, he wouldn't tell me. I think he's going to get as far away from here as he can. He said for you to list and sell your house. He ain't coming back."

I pulled out my phone and tried calling Rick again. I felt horrible, and I had to make sure he was ok. I knew in my heart that we'd never be together again, but I still loved him. Just like before, it went straight to voicemail. I hung up without leaving a message, this time.

"Honey, listen to me," Mom said. "We have to go, now! When Dwight comes back from wherever he went, he's going to be mad as hell. Now drive!"

A new sense of determination swept over me, and I sniffled one last time as I threw the car into gear. I hit the gas, and we shot south. "You're right, Mom. We have to go someplace safe. That damn town isn't safe, anymore, if it ever was."

"Good. I think we should go to Miami, hon. I can get a job as a secretary, and they have plenty of hospitals that need good nurses. Rick said he left you everything but his business account. My advice is to file for Abandonment like he said, and let him go. We're gonna be fine, ya hear?"

"Ok, Mom," I replied, barely keeping it together. I'd lost the best man I'd ever known, all because of my lack of trust. I had to keep on track, though. I sure as hell didn't want Dwight to find us, after what had just happened to his two best friends! I just hoped like hell that Rick would be ok.

^^^^^

Rick:

I don't remember much, really. I drove on auto-pilot as I hit I-10 and started heading west. I had to get the fuck outta Florida, though. I could've gone north to Boston, but I didn't have much there, except for Ms. Murphy. No, I needed a clean break. I needed to disappear.

Maybe if I was a Marine, or a SEAL, I might have been able to take on that town, with a team of other highly trained shooters. You know, like in those old movies where the ex-Green Berets take on and clean up a corrupt town.

Nope. Real life ain't like that, though. That fuckin' town was as corrupt as they come, or at least the Sheriff's Office was. But when the law enforcement is on the take, chances are so is the rest of the government. I learned that, back in Southie.

The Irish Mob runs South Boston, and the cops look the other way. Granted, the O'Hara Family brought some much needed order, and they run a relatively clean operation. But when some other group comes looking for a piece of the action, the street wars get real bloody, real quick.

I stopped for gas and washed my face in the restroom sink. I got a bite to eat, grabbed a cooler and every fuckin' bottle of Mountain Dew Voltage they had, and hit the road again. Still heading west. I checked my watch, seeing it was after midnight. I wasn't tired, though. So I drove west on the Interstate, and hit Alabama. I finally got tired enough to stop in Mobile for the night, and paid cash for a room at a Motel 6.

I was up and moving, four hours later, though. I found a branch of my bank, and cleaned out my Business Account. I'd been putting half of my earnings into that account, for any expenses I might have down the road. I already had over eighty-thousand in it, thanks to starting it back during my Senior Year at Florida. I closed it out, and put all of the cash in a duffel bag I'd bought.

Dawg vandalizing my trunk actually worked out for me, as I could hide the small duffel under where he'd ripped up the upholstery.

I got back on the road, heading through Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. I drove like a bat out of hell, except when I saw a Highway Patrol vehicle. I only stopped for gas and a quick bite, here and there. That is, until I almost fell asleep at the wheel, just on the outskirts of Las Cruces, New Mexico. I found another Motel 6, and another cash paid room for the night.

I hit Phoenix, Arizona, the next day. I realized that I needed some new clothes, since my current jeans, polo shirt, and underwear had started to ripen considerably. So I grabbed another room, at a Super 8 hotel along I-10 in the west valley this time, showered again, and went looking for new clothes.

I found a Wal-Mart close by, so I did my shopping there. A new suitcase, t-shirts, jeans, shorts, socks, boxers, shoes, and I was good to go. All paid for in cash, of course. I didn't want to leave any kind of electronic trail. Yeah, I might've been overestimating Dwight's intelligence in tracking me down, but better safe than sorry!

Part of me, a big part of me, wanted him to track me down, though. I'd see him coming from a mile away, and I'd act accordingly. In other words, I'd beat the shithead to death. It had been too long since I'd been in a really good brawl.

Yeah, I know all about the "Irish Hooligan" stereotype. The fact is, it's mostly true. I'd rather kick a stupid fuck in the balls, than listen to whatever asinine bullshit he's spouting at me. If you ain't Irish, you don't know how fuckin' hard it was for me. I'd had to be civil to the Three Dickheads when they harassed me back in Florida, when every instinct screamed at me to stomp a fuckin' mud hole in 'em and kick it dry. As much as I hurt, physically and mentally, I also felt some relief to be out of there.

Oh, and did I mention that I got some stares when I went shopping? I'd been getting them since I first gassed up before leaving Florida. My face looked like a mile of bad road, thanks to the bruises from the pummeling the assholes had given me. Granted, my bruises had faded a bit, by the time I reached Arizona. I still caught a few stares, though. While I shopped for necessities in Wal-Mart, a lady came up to me in the toothpaste and toothbrush aisle.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking," I replied. Then I smiled. "Trust me, the other guys don't look so hot, either."

I failed to mention that the other guys were now dinosaur gator chow. She just patted my arm and nodded. "I hope you get better soon." Then she walked away.

I know it might seem strange, but that lady kinda reaffirmed my faith in people. After the shitstorm I'd just been through, I really needed that.

Oh, and I had to pick up a new phone, too. I got a burner phone and 1 month card for Cricket. It would do for now, anyway. When I got everything back to the hotel room, I took a moment. I had to take stock of everything that had happened over the past three days. In the space of 72 hours, I'd lost my wife, friends, and home, back in Florida. I'd almost been fed to a prehistoric monstrosity that once played an extra in that movie about the dinosaur park, too. Oh, and I may or may not be wanted by the FBI now. Yeah, I still hurt like hell, but I wasn't gator lunch, so that was good, at least.

I took the good with the bad, and it helped a bit. I started thinking clearer, so I took care of some necessities. First off, I showered and scrubbed myself raw. I put on new antiperspirant, brushed my teeth, gargled with mouthwash, and put on new clothes. I looked in the mirror, combed my hair, and actually started feeling Human again. Go fuckin' figure, right?

Then I sat down on the bed and activated my new phone. I plugged it into the charger, loaded in the time code from the card, and checked the number. Then I set it aside and took care of some necessities with my old phone.

First, I sent a mass text to every contact in my Customers Folder, letting them know that I would no longer be able to provide IT support for them. I explained simply, that I'd had to leave the state, and wouldn't be back. Then I recommended the competitor that I respected the most, to be my replacement. I'm sure that Kurt would appreciate the business.

Then an idea popped into my head. Now that I was thinking a bit more clearly, I made one last call from my old phone. It rang three times before she picked up.

"Rick! How are you, hon?" Alysha asked, pleasantly surprised.

"I've been better, sweetie," I replied, tiredly. The anger in me had started to fade, and with it, my pain tolerance. "I hate to ask, but I need a favor."

"Anything, Rick. You know that. What can I do?"

"I need you to recommend a place to stay. I'm in Phoenix, right now. I'll be in L.A. tomorrow, though."

"Oh my God! What happened? Is Sophie with you? Are you ok? What's going on?" Alysha asked in rapid-fire succession.

"Well, it's like this..." I started. Then I laid it all out for her. When she heard that some asshat had taken pics of us at BK, she gasped. When she heard how those pics had been used to turn Sophie against me, she cried out in disbelief.

"How the hell?!" she exclaimed. "Why the fuck would someone do that to you?!"

I then explained the how and why, as far as I could figure anyway, and she gasped again in disbelief. Then I explained how everything played out in the end, including almost becoming food for a fuckin' dinosaur. She kinda laughed when I told her that luckily, Roscoe liked the taste of bacon better.