Kid Vigilante Series(Story #1)

Kid Vigilante

REVELATION

               

                It’s another day for me in Starville. Who am I? Well to most I’m just another kid on the side of the street. To you? Well, you can call me Robert. Robert Carver. Starville is like a crime haven. Every other day there is a robbery, or murder in the newspaper. The killer, or thief is sometimes caught, but most of the time it is unknown who the dude is. There is a “legal” system here, but I don’t think anyone cares about it. Let me tell you something about myself. I have this thing. I view reality in slow motion. Like if someone was about to punch me, and the fist was coming in really fast, I’d see it coming in at like 1/3 the speed. I’ve visited many neurologists, but they just told me that it was just rapid perception. I guess I’m lucky. It makes school easy for me to some extent. The lessons are extra slowed down for me to understand.

I’m entering school now. Things actually seem to be going pretty well this morning…

(everything is in slow motion now)

BANG!

It’s Mark…again… his fist just misses me by inches. He’s the high school bully. His parents are part of the richer group of people in town. He just doesn’t care about school. He knows he’s going to make it to Lucerne University. It’s only the BEST University in the area. His parents can pay it off. Life is really slow motion for me. Nothing much is new.

Mark’s friends start to form a circle. I just stand there. Everything is like a half a second slower than in reality. I swear, when people moved it was felt like watching a slow  motion film. Mark’s fist hits me, and I am winded. The pain is not a problem. It is slow, but I manage to get up. Things start to come back into real time, all of a sudden. The bell rings for first period. But nothing matters to me., I guess this is the least of my worries.

                With all my strength I push at Mark, and manage to drive him to a wall. I scrunch down like a scared little kitten, and manage to slip out of the mob that is around me. I hear laughter, but it echoes, and soon I don’t hear it anymore. I make it to class, and listen to the same monotonous lesson. Since things are so slow for me, at times, it is easy for me to remember material, not that I can use it or anything.

                So, that’s my school. A day of bully beat-downs, late arrivals to class, and bad grades. What could be even worse? I have to go home. My abusive brother and sister, and my hot tempered dad, and my mom who always ignores me, all are waiting at home. It’s like a bomb waiting to explode. What choice do I have. My dad thinks I’m a failure, my brother and sister beat up on me some more, and my mom… well she’s always so “far away.” I’m like an outcast to my own family.

“ROBERT! GET IN HERE! YOU’RE ALREADY 10 MINUTES LATE! YOUR MOTHER CAN’T COME HOME ON TIME, AND I’M LEFT GETTING FOOD READY FOR A RECKLESS KID LIKE YOU!”

Oh Yeah, did I forget to mention my dad? It’s a rhetorical question. I have tons of homework, and tons of trouble coming my way. Oh yeah, and I promised my friend Joey (whom you’ll meet soon), I’d be over at his house tonight. I don’t know how my dad’s going to look at it, but I’ve got to go. Maybe I’ll pick up a little something at Samson’s Bakery on the way. You’ll meet Mr. Samson soon too.

                So homework takes about 3 hours for me to do like usual. We are not a very rich family. In fact, the past 2 generations lived off of welfare, and I think we were of the peasant class during the Middle Ages. Anyway, my dad’s gone. He’s always rushing to make ends meet. My mom works at the grocery store, Shop-A-Way, and her manager, Trump St. Martin, is actually pretty nice.

                My bicycle is all clunky. It rides really bad. I squeak my way over to Joey’s house, but first stopping at Mr. Samson’s bakery.

“Hey, Mr. Samson, how are you doing?” I ask

“Good, how are you son?”

“Okay…as usual.” I say. Mr. Samson runs a bakery. He’s a war veteran. Sometimes his talk is a bit deep for me.

“What can I do for you Rob?” Mr. Samson asks.

“Just two blueberry muffins, please.”

“All righty. I have a few coming right out of the oven about now.”

“Thanks.”

“So, is this for any special occasion? Or should I just keep my mouth closed?”

“Oh no, I’m just heading over to Joey’s.”

“Cool. Well, have fun. The muffins will be 5 dollars in total.”

So, I pay him the cash, and leave the store. I bicycle by Shop-A-Way, where I see Trump St. Martin, the owner. He takes his grandchildren out to the nearby island every weekend. So in a few minutes I make it to Joey’s house, and his eyes bulge at the sight of the muffins.

“Sweet. So what do you want to do?”

“I don’t know.”

“Fine, let’s just play away on my Xbox.”

So that was that, and for hours we were latched onto that gaming system. Before I knew it, it was already 11:30. Dang!(Things are going back into real time now) Dad was going to be home, and yell at me…. Again. So I say good bye to Joe, and start back. Now is where things start to seem fishy. Did I tell you about the mayor of Starville? The fat cat who has his own chateau near the lake (close to the island). His name is Timothy Johnston. He is by far the most arrogant man in town. I mean the way he walks like he is the law…one time he knocked over a lady’s shopping cart, and left her to pick it up. So… oh…my god… am I really seeing this? I’m a good distance away from the chateau right now. The mayor is outside. His Cadillac is behind him. He’s making an exchange. Man I’ve got to see this. I can be a nosy person sometimes, so I carry around my binoculars. So I’m looking through and… what are those crates he is taking from that other dude. And who is that butler who is standing next to the mayor? Oh…there’s an argument. Crazy dude in the hoodie is yelling. Butler is getting something out of his pocket. Dang! In a flash he puts a knife in the guy in the hoodie. He stabs him again, and makes sure he is dead. They are dragging the body away. Near the lake. I feel like puking right now. This has to be reported to the police. I pull out my cellphone and dial 911. The operator puts me on and I report the incident.

“…And this incident happened when?”

“Just a few minutes ago. The mayor was involved.”

“What is your name?”

“Carver, Robert Carver.”

“Thank you, and your age?”

“16.”

“Where did you say they dragged the body off to?”

“Near the lake somewhere. I couldn’t see all the way.”

“Thank you very much for the help, Mr. Carver.” The woman said, and the dial tone came about.

                So, I’m still on my way home. I’m about 10 minutes away now, but crap has to happen to me doesn’t it?

SCREECH! A car comes around the bend behind me. It’s going way too fast for a neighborhood road. I turn my bike onto the lawn of one of the houses, and the car turns in the same direction. Oh no! I start pedaling like there’s no tomorrow and the car stops following after a while. Luckily there is an entrance to the woods nearby. I drive my bike into the woods. I see a little glint behind me, and hear a roar of the engine, which tells me the car is gone.

I’ve been walking through the woods for about 10 minutes now. (Everything is in slow motion again for me again, due to the trauma of the experience.) Who could the guy have been. I’ve got no beef with anyone in this town except maybe Mark. But really, he wouldn’t want to run me over. It’s past midnight. I start to hear voices. Maybe it is just me. I need some sleep. The voices grow louder. Through the faint light, I can see a man. It looks an awful lot like… it can’t be… Trump. What was that man doing out here at this hour? Then again, I could be asked the same question. He’s talking on the phone, and is carrying a… gun?. What? Why would Trump need a gun? Anyway, I choose to duck behind a thicket, and try to wait it out.

                 

 “The kid. He’s not here Ed. Where’s the money? Now listen. If I find him, all I’m going to do is turn him over to you. My job ends there. What… What are you going to do to my family if I don’t huh?” Trump yells into the cell phone.

The caller says something.

“Look Robert is a good kid. I don’t want any harm to come to him… Wha? Yeah I know that the Mayor has asked favors from me in the past. I’ve helped him with the drugs before. I know. But now a kid is involved. I’m not going to shoot a kid. I don’t want to kill anyone. If I do…..”

The caller says something again.

“So I get 50 grand and a trip out of the town? I have lived here for over 20 years. My grandchildren and every one of my relatives come to visit me. What?”

“Yes, the shipments near the lake are safe.”

Man, there was more to St. Martin, and even this town, than what met the eye. No wonder he took his grandchildren out every Saturday and Sunday. He wasn’t trying to be nice. He had a stockpile of drugs laid out there. He wanted to protect the shipment, and the grand children were just a cover. Now who can I trust? It’s almost like the whole town has some underlying conspiracy.  The store, Shop-A-Way must have some sort of storage area for the drugs. All they have to do is come and pick it up at like the dead of night.  The conversation continues.

“Okay, I’ll give you the coke. Fine. Let’s end this.” Just then, I made a run for it, trying to sneak by. Bad decision. I stepped on a bunch of twigs. The man saw me. He fired . I dove out of the way for the first shot. The other missed by a long distance. I left the woods. Luckily, the man in the truck was gone. I walked the rest of the way home. I don’t think that Mr. St. Martin saw my face, just the back of my hoodie. Thank God, I thought. I almost got a heart attack. Wait… I am saying stupid things again. Sorry. So I turn the corner, and make it home. Inside, instead of a hello, what is waiting for me is a big tirade.

(Things are back in real time now)

“WHERE WERE YOU ROBERT?! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, TO JUST GO RUNNING OFF LIKE THAT!! NOW TELL ME. WHERE WERE YOU?!”

“Dad, I was just over at my friend’s house. Joe’s. I lost track of time.”

“YOU LOST TRACK FOR OVER 4 HOURS?!!”

“Dad, it’s a long story.”

“Robert, you are doing a horrible job in school. Don’t bring up study hall, where you have an A. You come home or sorry, you don’t even return today, go to some stupid friend’s house, and play this so called Xbox. Do you know how hard I am working to make my money every day. That lady who calls herself our boss burns us out. She has the power to put us on the side of the street! Look at your brother and sister. How well prepared they are for life. What do you want to do when you grow up? Huh? Become a beggar? If that is the path you want, well, I guessed your future correctly.”

“Dad, I’m sorry. Something… happened today.”

“WHAT HAPPENED?! YOU HIT PUBERTY! AT LEAST YOU WOULD GET SOME MATURITY THAT WAY!” my dad’s voice rose again.

“I don’t know if I should talk about it.”

“Son, tell me what happened. Maybe I can help.” My dad said more softly, but he was still fuming inside.

“Dad, you will probably get in trouble too.”

“Did you sleep with a girl, and get her pregnant? Did you steal from a store? WHAT DID YOU DO?!”

“Dad I swear it’s nothing.

“Nothing?! Why did you even bring it up?!” My dad’s voice rose again.

“Never mind dad.”

“Now I’m going to give you one more chance at this Rob. If you don’t answer, you’re in deep trouble.” Dad’s temples were bulging

“Dad, I am not telling you. At least not yet.”

“When are you going to tell me? When you are shot dead?”

“I can’t tell you dad. Period.”

“THEN GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! DON’T RETURN UNTIL YOU MAKE SOMETHING MORE VALUABLE OUT OF YOUR LIFE! LEAVE! YOU ARE GONE HALF THE TIME, AND DON’T EVEN CARE. YOU FAIL SCHOOL, DRAIN OUR MONEY, AND WANT TO STAY HERE. NOW YOU ACT LIKE YOU HAVE A PRICE ON YOUR HEAD, AND DON’T EVEN WANT TO TALK TO YOUR OWN FATHER! GET OUT!”

“Dad…” it was my sister. “Please let him stay. It was just one time” She said. This surprised me, as she was such a mean sibling. Looks like she did care.

“JUST ONE TIME?! NO! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE ROBERT!”

“Dad... I…I promise that I will get better… Good bye.” That’s all I said. I couldn’t think of anything more to say. I’m just a teenager trying to find his way around. I don’t even know if he said anything back to me. Maybe it is time I stop by at an old friend’s place before I decide where to go.

“Hey Rob, ol’ pal, how are you doing?” I’m at Mr. Samson’s bakery.

“Hmm. Could have been better.” I say all straight up. None of the fancy talk.

“Now that doesn’t sound very happy. How about a Danish. Something to munch on while we talk this over like two gentlemen.” Mr. Samson said in a friendly way. His talk was a bit outdated, but he was still a nice guy so it did not matter.

“Thanks Mr. Samson. But really, I’d rather not share. For your own good Mr. Samson” I reply.  So, Mr. Samson heats up two spare Danishes, and bags a third one for home, well, not really, in my case. And he pulls up a chair. It is really late out, and it just started to rain. But, this conversation felt fun. Huddled up in a little building in the dark of night, just talking about things. It was spooky but cool.

“Rob. If I have known one honest kid in my life, it is you. I am here for you and am willing to help you with what you need. I hope you believe that…”

“That’s all good, but this thing…”

“I know it isn’t too pleasant, but you have to let it out at some point. It’s like love.  Sometimes when you like a girl, you’ve got to man up and go up to her and tell her what you think about her. I remember that girl. Oh Janet, if you were here now… Anyway Rob tell me what is going on.”

“It’s a long story. I don’t even know if I should tell you everything.”

“Oh come on, your family has known me for the past 15 years, can’t be longer than that.”

“Well, it really is not as light-hearted as what you told me just now.”

“Now what could possibly trouble a 15 year old boy so much? And by the way, love is not as light hearted as you think. Now I swear on my medals and my honor as a veteran of war, that whatever you tell me will stay with me, and me only. So you don’t have to worry about Facebook having blogs filled up about you. That’s right I’m getting into the hang of this modern world.”

“I was in a near death situation.” I reply.

“Now what could that be? You couldn’t decide when to tell your girlfriend that the relationship was off.”

“No, that is more what Joe would consider a life-death situation. I was attacked.”

“By who? Why? And Where?”

“I don’t know. Some random dude did it. I think it all started at the mayor’s. There was a black SUV parked in front of his house. The Mayor was standing with his butler guy, or some assistant. He was talking to another guy in a hoodie. Few minutes late, things start getting rough, and the assistant puts  a knife in the hoodie dude, and ends him forever. Looks like he saw me, and that’s why... He shot at me first. But I made away in time. I started off on my bike towards home, but not before calling the cops. Out of nowhere, this car turns around the corner and tries to run me over. I rode my bike  into the woods for cover, and out of the blue comes St. Martin. It’s like these guys are all part of some hood. Damn! I forgot to tell you how the mayor was involved. I happened to carry my binoculars along with me you know. I looked through them, and the mayor was loading up some crates of this substance…”

“I knew it from the start! That St. Martin does not go out to Crescent Island for any old reason. Roger, the good guy there, tells me that the gangs are in the cahoots with this guy. From what you are telling me, the mayor has some hand in the gangs operations. Those crates are probably weapons or drugs. Crescent Island has a little alcove cave on the coast. I don’t know if you know that. It is barred up, and made to look like some old unusable tunnel, but guys like the gang members have keys to that place. From the looks of it, so does the mayor and St. Martin. I never trusted that dirty fellow. But Rob, the Mayor too? I always had a little suspicion, but I never knew it would go this far. What is this place coming to?”

“But why would St. Martin do something like this. He was, and still is so nice to his kids. And what do you mean, Roger, the good guy?”

“I know he took his grandchildren over there. But that was like a propaganda thing. He is trying to get them to join the gangs.”

“Okay…. Who are all of these gangs?

“A cult of corrupted idiots that have been trying to rule this city for decades. That’s the short version.”

“You still did not tell me who Roger is?”

“Roger pretends to be on their side. You know the same double agent thing. He and I have been buddies for the past few years. Whatever happens on the island usually stays on the island, but looks like Roger sprung a leak, for me. He has been giving me this information.”

“Why don’t you tell the cops?”

“Oh there are cops that are on the gangs too. Robert Carver, you have much to learn about this town and its people. The most unsuspecting ones are the ones that are part of the gangs. He has got something big planned. Go back home, and try to stay there as often as you can. You are not safe anymore, Robert Carver.”

“You know Mr. Samson, for the first time, I am starting to think that you had a bit too many of those crime movies. And…and…My dad…he…he kicked me out.”

“WHAT?!”

“I stayed out too late. Once! And he kicked me out. Now I have respect for my parents but I don’t know what my dad was thinking. Why does he hate me so much? Every day I come home from school, I feel like I am not a part of the family. I get beaten up by my siblings. My mother ignores me, and my father goes on about how I am destined to be a failure.”  I could feel myself choking up a little.

“Robert, look at me.” He said and I did, “your dad is one of the bravest men in this town. He and your mother and your siblings love you more than anything. It is just the pressures that they face, that cause them to behave that way.”

I lost it. “WHAT PRESSURES?! OTHER THAN WORK?! WHAT PRESSURES!”

“Robert! Don’t talk to me that way! Did you know your dad, when you were a little kid, used to work as a lawyer in this town? He was a darn good one too. Always tried to get the best of both sides, but one time he took it a little too far.  He wanted to go all “recon soldier.” It was the current mayor’s father, Alex Johnston, at the time, who was mayor of the town. He was like 75 years old, but the crook still was a selfish moron. So he tried to profit off of the drug trade. But if he did it directly, he could be at large. He had his son, the present mayor, be his liaison. He got him the money and everything. But what happens next? The son grows jealous of his father. He hired an assassin from the island, and I tell you those gang members would make good soldiers, if they used their skills for the right cause. They are like a mini army over there. He got killed by; man I don’t remember the guy.  Anyway, it was so organized that people thought it was natural cause. The man was frail, even though he was in power; the gang still had the heavy artillery. The gangs knew he was an old man, and they played on that age factor. They constantly sent him into fits of fear, and anxiety, and soon he had a nervous breakdown, because of the death threats, and comments they made towards him. They even took his son as prisoner, although it was all planned and was all an act, but the old man did not know about the truth behind it. He was frantic. So they had an excuse to take him to the hospital. THE HOSPITAL. It was an asylum located near to the gangs main Base of Operations and close to the equipment sheds and prison area. They kept him in there, and loaded him with drugs and sedated him to the point of no return. Soon he was as good as dead, and then completely dead. They used the excuse of mental illness and old age as an excuse. Trust me, I saw the medical charts. It showed the dosage. They give him the medicinal amounts that one would give to a buffalo, or some animal that large. Nobody could say anything about it. The saying goes, “You never know what the gang has planned.” Crazy I tell you! John has something on his mind, and it is going to be big. Anyway, the reason your dad is not a lawyer anymore is because he almost died being one.  Turns out he was there the night the mayor was being transported to the hospital. He saw the helicopter flying to the island, rather than the one in town. From that point, he researched as much about the island as he could. He even disguised himself and went in a few times, and took pictures. He showed them to me first, but could never put them on paper. I’ll tell you why.  One day, he left his office to go somewhere on an errand. He came back, and found his place on fire. All his copies of the documents, pictures, and what not that he had salvaged, were gone. That same night, he got cornered by some gang members sent over from the island, and was put at gun point, and asked to sign his resignation papers. They took everything out of his bank account except for a few thousand bucks, and he had to run around for a job. He tried to leave the town, but was cornered again.  If you want to expose this son of a gun, you are going to have to wait till that moment. Until then, try to stay safe. My suggestion. If you can’t go home, leave the city. I’ll stay in touch with you. Don’t worry. Everyone here is too lazy, too weak, or too scared to do anything. But you, Rob. You have that charisma. That fire within. Leave this city; take the journey of your life, and when you are ready. Come back. The fate of this city lies in your hands Robert. Call me a crackpot, but this is why they are harassing you so much. They want you down.”

“This sounds really deep Mr. Samson. I guess I’m just going to have to trust you blindly.”

“You’ll be glad you did.”

“Mr. Samson, if I want to help at all though, I am going to need to see this island first hand .”

“No, boy, you do not want to go there. I pray that you never have to see such a horrible place.”

“Then when do I pool up the information to go up against this mayor.”

“Oh no, information is not enough. You are going to need some force. That is why I am saying. When the time comes, I will show you what you need. I will give you those tools when you need them. But believe me, I can see a new man emerging in you. You will make a difference for this town, Kid Vigilante.”

That name rang in my head over and over again. So I headed over to the nearest bus station. It was the only place I could go. I sure hope that Mr. Samson hadn’t lost his marbles. ‘cause there is no place for me to stay here. But I am going to come back soon, oh yes. This town is going to see a change.

“Mr. Samson, you are never going to regret your choice.”