Seaside

After Alex left the shower and bathroom, Ali dashed in to do all the morning necessities. While standing there, she had a thought. In their new house, the bathroom will be big enough for both of them, and the shower will have to be for two. While she was in the bathroom, Alex started the coffee pot after freeing the four-legged beast. He was deep into his first cup of the day when Ali walked out on the lanai. "Hi, baby." She called out while walking over to her man. She sat down, and they settled into a comfortable silence. As though their minds were again connecting without saying a word out loud. They were indeed one. Eventually, they finished their coffee. When Fred saw them approaching the front door, he knew they would all go to Maria's and Juan's place.

As Fred bolted out the door, Ali followed him while Alex closed and locked the door. Then he looked around and saw a couple walking on the beach heading towards the parking lot behind Maria's and Juan's place. Then he stopped and looked at them again. "Hey, Ali? Is the girl over there our old friend Ms. Karen? Who knows, maybe she has a boyfriend." Alex was standing still, looking carefully around while Fred was dashing back and forth. Softly Alex called Fred back to their side. "Ali? I don't know what is going on. For damm sure, I haven't heard anything. But things look different out here on the beach this morning." He looked to where the beach umbrella stand was. "In the past, there was only one guy there. Today, there are three folks there. Over on the breakwater, five guys are fishing and clowning around instead of one or two guys. If I don't miss my guess. You see that row of ligustrum over there?" Ali nodded with a frown on her face. "I'll bet there are five or six snipers buried in there and a command post too. And likely, they have put several loudspeakers high up in the hedge where they are hidden from sight. Nothing will move out here on the beach without them seeing it."

They went to their usual spots for breakfast and sat down on what they thought of as their stools, with Fred lying between them. As they sat down, Juan approached them and put down their coffee. "Senor Gimpy, something don't feel right here this morning."

Alex nodded, "Juan? I can feel that too. Tell you what. It might be best if you moved your truck over to the cut in the ligustrum that goes to the marina. If? If I see something that looks 'questionable,' I'll call Maria's and your name out. Stop immediately and go to the beer cooler and close the door. OK?"

Juan spoke to Maria and then went to his truck and moved it as Alex suggested. Several minutes after he got back to the shack, two large SUVs pulled up in the parking lot behind Maria's and Juan's place. Seven people got out of the SUVs, including Ms. Karen. An older man who seemed to be directing everyone. When Alex saw this softly called out, "Maria, Juan, cooler." When he did that, Ali grasped his hand. "Baby, everything is going to be OK. I promise you."

A commanding voice barked out somewhere high up in the thick row of ligustrum. "Police, drop your weapons and lay down on the ground." When that happened, one of the people who had just gotten out of the two SUVs popped off a round toward the ligustrum. Then the rest of the people turned and raised their weapons toward where the voice came from. The cops hidden on the beach opened fire. None of the targets walked away.

Author's postscript --- To err is human, to edit divine.