Emap Ch. 04

Hey if you are reading these and like them vote already sheesh you lazy bones. :p

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I admit it, when I opened the door I expected to see bats or wild dogs charging out the door. Instead the inside is clean, the carpet is a little threadbare and the kitchen is poorly designed, but it is enough. Not like I need a lot of plugs, toaster and microwave are plenty for me. Tony groans behind me making me turn and collect the top box that is falling. Our little Melanie wobbling past making bat noises, I sigh regretting saying it looks bat infested. In my defense the outside does look terrible, along with most of the houses on the street, some are of course falling down so it is a step up.

"So do you think Detroit is bad enough?" Tony asks setting the box I'm not holding in the kitchen.

"Tony, if this place gets any worse it would be better to bomb it and let the plants reclaim the area."

"I do live here you know, it's actually on an upswing should have seen it a few years ago, everything was closing it seemed." Our mover Frank says hauling in our TV on a dolly.

"We do as well now, please tell me the schools here are good at least, our daughter may get old enough before we move on."

"Oh now you remember the report I got, we move to each city for six months while Jaguar gets the police on a big upswing then move on." Tony says giving me a hug.

"Be careful with your daughter you got sent to one of the absolute worst areas, there are wild dogs roaming here still. They are crafty fuckers, excuse my language, fences don't seem to deter them for long." Frank says on his way out the door.

I take Melanie on a tour of the house while Tony overseas the moving in of the living room. I suppose it is our dining room again, I do miss our apartment the only thing we had to worry about was pigeons roosting. The bathroom is not terribly nice, clean enough just a green not seen in nature except on plants that are dying. The bedrooms are large enough at least Melanie lays claim on the master bedroom until she see's the closet and runs out. Tony comes in carrying Melanie consoling her to look at the closet, he grins seeing the metal sliding doors.

"Well I guess we are keeping the master bedroom, come on Melanie the other bedroom has a regular door closet."

I follow them to the other bedroom that does indeed have a regular door closet. Melanie instantly laying claim to this bedroom, Frank comes in laughing with her toy box followed by the other two with her bed. Melanie quite happy now in her barely moved in room Tony and I go out to the living room. While he directs the movers I go outside darting out then around Frank with our big chair.

Looking around I see two guys, barely guys unless their smell is clouded heavily in a strange chemical watching. I realize we have a neighbor an older dark skinned woman is sitting on her porch watching with a dark skinned girl of maybe six. I take an empty doorway moment to tell Tony we have neighbors before walking over on the sidewalk.

"Well hello to you both, we were told there were no neighbors." I say getting close to them and holding out my hand.

"Well hello back." The girl says to me after looking at the older woman who nods.

"Neighbors or not greatly depends on when you were told, we only officially moved in two weeks ago. We were in the projects and the city offered us a house out here seeing as how Jaguar was coming and they wanted more people in the bad sections to call the police. This sprightly little girl here is my granddaughter Steffi, I am Anna." Anna says holding out her hand to me.

"Pleasure to meet you both, I am Emap, I'd offer to have you over but we are just moving in now. Say Sunday is coming up we have a barbeque every Sunday cheeseburgers and chili cheese dogs you are both welcome to come over." I say shaking her hand.

"Lord have mercy chili cheese dogs, I have not had one of those since I visited Coney Island in the sixties. We would be very happy to attend, is there anything you would like us to bring?"

"Just a couple hungry mouths is all." Tony says at my shoulder.

"Tony respect Anna's lawn there is a sidewalk for a reason." I say hitting him on the shoulder.

"Oh now don't you worry none about my lawn, it's not even a lawn just crab grass." Anna says with a laugh.

"We are getting a crew in a couple days, the city has promised to get us a regular lawn. I'm sure they will do your lawn as well and we would be happy to mow it for you." I say getting Tony to groan.

"I will be happy to mow it for you she tried mowing in Phoenix that didn't go over well."

"Tony they never said it was artistically grown grass, they just said I could mow it. Oh I should ask in case of allergies, I make ambrosia with honey in the whipped cream. Our last neighbors insisted on bringing Cole Slaw, it was strange tasting never did get the recipe for their version."

"Well in that case I shall insist on bringing potato salad, my grandmother made ambrosia like you do and it was heavenly, I don't have the hands to do that anymore but I can make a right tasty tater salad." Anna says smiling at me.

"Oh that sounds lovely, we just buy it I'm stuck on making ambrosia. It was what my mom had me doing when I was growing up. I wish we had better plugs, the wiring in our house looks old."

"Oh that's because all of these houses were built in the seventies when the car companies were expanding and getting more workers. They at least remembered how to make cars then. The guy who signed us up to move out here promised we would get electricians to come through and upgrade all of the houses we move into. I'm not holding my breath and making do until then. Oh that reminds me don't plug your microwave in unless everything else is off in the kitchen, we blew the fuse twice. At least the fridge and stove are on different fuses."

"Oh thank you for telling us that, Tony did they say when the electricians would be out?"

"No, they did not, we got a vague there will be electricians, I think we better call an independent and see what he says."

"If you could have him check ours as well, all we need is better lines for a microwave. We don't have much just a small TV and a radio. I also think you need to be careful, those kids over there are spotters for a gang that was a big TV and computer unless my eyes are deceiving me." Anna says leaning closer like they could hear us from way over there.

I listen in on the two, they are talking about a TV and making a call and telling someone our address. I look at Tony he sighs then nods so I turn back to Anna.

"Well it seems you are correct, they are calling in our address to someone. I'd like to formally proposition you for a job we need someone to watch over our Melanie at night, she's too old to ride in the car all night. Free access to our internet as soon as they come put it in along with cable and an Xbox, oh say twenty a night." Tony groans then pokes me.

"Ten a night we agreed seventy a week is plenty."

"Oh my heavens, no way, you're her." Anna gets out sputtering a little in her shock.

"Yes but please no sharing that little tidbit, if it's widely known who I am I'd never get a moments rest." I say as Frank comes over.

"Say we could use a little help on the locations, the walls aren't marked."

"I guess I'm your gal." I say as Tony pushes me that way.

I spend the next couple of hours getting our movers to put boxes and furniture where we want it. I send them to Tony for their tip while I start unpacking my kitchen Melanie comes out saying she is hungry so I pick her up and go in search of Tony. I find it is starting to get a little dark outside, Tony is sitting with Anna, Steffi has gone inside I can see someone moving around in the window.

"Tony we have a hungry daughter and I could eat." I say as we get closer.

"Anna was offering us ham and beans you're slipping a little not noticing it cooking."

"I smelled it it's rude to speak on food before dinner time." I say giving him Melanie then hitting him on the head.

"Daddy you promised pizza." Melanie says looking up at him with her pouty eyes.

"I did I know, Anna would you go halves on a pot luck, ham and beans with pizza? I believe we are going to have to do a little work tonight, two cars are parked over there, have been for five minutes." Tony says nodding at them.

"I would be delighted, have you found your plates or should I bring ours?"

"I unpacked my kitchen already, the cabinets are quite nice and I got everything away. Do wish I had bigger counters, the mixer blender and toaster are occupying almost the same place on top of the microwave."

"Oh I miss my mixer I had one until it died, it lasted almost twenty years. These new ones are so strange, they claim it works better yet you never get everything mixed in them. I borrowed one from our neighbor oh two years ago now." Anna says getting up and heading for the front door.

"Oh Anna before you go get your half of dinner, what do you like on your pizza?" Tony asks pulling out his cell phone and entering a search for pizza.

"Oh heavens it's been a while, Steffi has never had pizza even. I was always partial to the basic pepperoni and sausage peppers would be nice as well if you're going fancy." We all laugh when Melanie cheers.

Tony takes Melanie back to our house as I go in and help Anna get the ham and beans. Steffi helps Anna walk over while I carry the pot, there are three cars now all with four guys in them. I listen in on them as we walk along they are saying wait for the dude to leave. I hold my laughter until we get inside Anna and Steffi give me an odd look as I start to laugh.

"Let me guess wait for the dude to leave." Tony says with a grin.

"Yep, let's make them wait this time. When is the pizza getting here?"

"They said twenty five minutes tops. Are you sure you don't want to report them for loitering?" Tony asks as he gets the plates and silverware.

"Yes they are armed, we should put the curtains up so they don't know what we are doing if they move closer."

Once Anna is in a chair Tony comes over to help me put up the heavy curtains, Kevlar inside they will stop anything short of a heavy caliber machine gun. After we get that up I go into our bedroom find my robe and radio then get out of my clothes. I check the battery as I walk back toward the living room to find it is full enough.

"Anna I'm curious, how do you get to the store?" I ask as I sit down at the table.

"I take the bus after school or on weekends so Steffi can help. There is a really nice store about ten miles away."

"Oh that sounds lovely, and so close would you be averse to showing us tomorrow in the afternoon? We need to stock up for the barbeque and basically stock our fridge. Oh speaking of shopping, when is the cable man coming to give us internet and TV?"

"The installation team is coming tomorrow to give us internet, TV, and phone, they said in the morning ten to two I think." Tony says after Anna motions him to answer first.

"Steffi gets home at three thirty so if you wait until then we can spend a few hours going through the store. She likes riding in those little electric cars with me."

"Grandma I need to do the research at the library tomorrow remember they gave me that report to do." Steffi says before jumping when there is a knock at the door.

"Don't worry Steffi we should have internet tomorrow you can research right here. I got it it's just the pizza." I say with a smile smelling the pizza.

I open the door to a very nervous young man he's trembling a little holding the boxes.

"Ma'am I don't mean to scare you but it seems there is a gang activity going to go down on this street soon."

"Oh yes we know all about it, Jaguar is going to put an end to it in a little while, she's watching them right now, probably come and get a slice of pizza in a minute or two. Don't worry go on back to your store." I tell him with a smile.

He leaves quick just walks fast to his car gets in and drives away almost burning rubber. I wave to the guys waiting four cars now and go back inside giggling as I hear them talking about how I waved to them. Melanie cheers as I sit down with the pizza, I take a couple slices of the pepperoni and sausage pizza before passing it over to Anna, I drop one slice onto Melanie's plate keeping the second for myself get a slice of the pepperoni lover and then a bit of the ham and beans.

"Oh Anna this is excellent ham and beans, we need to do pot luck dinners with you more often." I say taking a little of that first, Anna smiles at me.

"Thank you, lots of practice with it sadly, just us two means we don't get much money, I barely get any support from the state for her so we are stuck on what I get for my retirement. Her father my son is in prison for another two years, hopefully he will get a job and not go back to peddling drugs when he gets out."

"The quick buck is very tempting, especially here if it was as bad as I've heard." Tony says then looks at me. "So are they still there or did the wave run them off?"

"Still there, now Tony you did not get us any coke, it's just not the same with no coke." I say poking at him.

"Let me guess you are tired of waiting." Tony says with a sigh as he gets up.

"Well that to but I do actually want a coke with my dinner, find the closest place and whatever works, can's preferably but not to much for them." I say getting up and following him to the front door.

"Well try to not get the radio destroyed again, they like shotguns." Tony says as he walks to the car and gets in, I just wave after him and go back inside.

After checking to be sure the door is locked I go back to the table and take a bite of pizza. Anna is looking at me a little scared, I give her a smile then turn around to undo my radio. Seeing no point to putting it off I lose my robe and go feral before I turn back and hand her the radio.

"Anna if they start shooting get everyone on the floor and use the radio to report Jaguar gang activity and our address. Yours is fine if you don't remember ours in the heat of the moment. I'm hoping they run away and I'll be back in a minute or two, otherwise I have to beat them all unconscious and report it along with doing a run of the city." I say to her before heading for the back door.

Once I have shut the back door, a little squeaky I'll have to remember that I perk up and listen, the cars have not moved yet though they are running. I take this opportunity to leave my scent on the fence all the way around then jump up on the roof. I hunker down and look at the cars, they are sitting there running, four guys in each one trying to steel themselves up to going to the house. Hearing the rumble of the giant car they gave Tony I get in motion, appearing in the driver side window of the first car they jump.

"So guys I understand you are wanting to do a little robbery."

"Holy fuck its Jaguar shoot it man." The driver says looking at me with my fangs showing.

"If you are going to do that you should lower the window first, I understand with these new cars you have to replace the entire door to replace a window." I say still leaning against the door.

One of the guys in the second car gets out and shoots at me, his aim is really bad he puts two into the car I'm leaning against right off. I go over quick and kick him down then punch him he just lays there after, two more of the guys in the car get out and start shooting. These two have slightly better aim, one manages to shoot the ground ten feet past me to my right. I leap over the car kicking one in the chest then grabbing the second and shoving his face into the hood of the car.

Things get a little worse then, the four guys in the first car get out, and four guys in the third car get out. Three of them have shotguns, they all fire on me where I'm standing next to the second car I just leap back across the car and go after the two on this side from the first car. I drop the first with a kick bouncing his head off the car, the second actually turns and runs. I run and collect his gun then direct him to run for the car Tony behind it running a commentary over the radio. When I turn back I only have two more guys to deal with the other four are laid low with shotgun blasts.

I lay the first out with a couple punches, the second drops his gun and holds his hands up. I direct him to Tony before walking toward the fourth car hearing ambulance and police cars coming, still a minute or so away. I motion to the driver to lower his window, he does so I lean against the car and look inside. The four guys are young and very scared the two in the back seat are trembling.

"Guys you should go on and go home, tonight's activities have been canceled. If you're not actually in the gang yet, stop trying, trust me it's better to not join."

"We can just go?" The one in the passenger side asks.

"Of course, sitting here isn't illegal you understand, I came over because the plan was to rob from the nice people moving in and I wanted to convince everyone to give it up and go home. They fired on me so are facing charges, you four were smart and stayed in the car." I say then back away from the window, the smell coming from the back seat brings me back. "You may want to lower your windows in the back at least one is going to lose his lunch."

I direct them to drive back the way they had come when the ambulances and police cars come from the other direction. In all there are three dead, the driver of the second car was shot still in the car and two of the four that fired on me from cars one and three. I make a report to one of the patrolmen on what exactly happened then run off on the street. I go perhaps a mile then turn around and go home through the backyards and alleys. When the patrolmen come inside to speak with us, I am sitting in my robe wearing my radio and enjoying pizza.

"Evening ladies, did you see what happened outside?"

"Oh no sir, we were to busy being on the floor scared." Anna says with a smile.

"If you can spare a few minutes we have a very lovely ham and beans and pizza dinner, there is enough to share with you." I say pointing to our food.

"I would love to it smells wonderful, but I need to return to the station and do the paperwork on all this. I was heading back in to go home when the call came out, my wife made meatloaf today. I think you will have a very quiet evening now, good night ladies."

We all say good night as he leaves, Tony comes in a minute or so later with the coke. I give him a look when he puts a one liter in front of me and puts a couple two liters on the table. Tony just goes and gets some glasses and ice then gives a glass to Anna and Steffi, a sippy cup to Melanie and one for himself.

"So why do I get a one liter and everyone else shares the two liters?"

"Because you just had to go have fun, I know you get hungry after that and buying you a one liter seemed the best choice." Tony says before sticking his tongue out at me, Melanie does the same with a giggle.

"Are you going to work tonight?" Anna asks getting a second slice of pizza.

"Not really no I'm going to go and get a layout of the area later, leave some markers where I can see them. Makes life easier on me if I do that, I can follow the markers around. Hopefully find a nice walk up all night place so I can get snacks, running around fast makes me want a candy bar every hour or so, fights I gotta eat a hamburger or burrito. Phoenix was good for burritos though I honestly miss Los Angeles for those. Washington D.C. was bad, I raided the fast food places most of the time."

"Oh I remember hearing about that on the radio they said you loved Long John Silver's in Washington." Anna says with a smile and a laugh.

"I know I heard the radio and the jokes on cat's loving fish, truth be told that was the cleanest store in the area I spent most of my time at there. They were of course also the only twenty four hours besides the gas stations. I wanted to spend more time there, those politicians all got very nervous when I was near them."