“I wonder what life would have been like on Freedom Street if we would have taken care of those two punk-ass kids earlier before it escalated into what it did?”
 
That was the end of Paul’s journal. But that was not the end of Freedom Street. In fact, this was the point where things started to change to a level never seen before.
 
Three months after the incident in Dennis’ house took place, there was still no sign of Keith and Andrew. Their father, Don, kept insisting to police that they must have run away because he hadn’t seen or heard from them.
 
Dennis sold his home and moved to a neighboring city, got another job, and his daughter, Shelly was attending another school. He was now mentally stable and was working days.
 
Paul was still renting another home with his wife Pat, and daughter Mindy. He was working from home, and Mindy continued going to the same high school she attended before they moved.
 
She kept in contact with Shelly and Paul kept in touch with Dennis. They had several dinners together and have become much closer than they ever were before.
 
Dennis and Paul hadn’t heard anything from Eric or Hal, until Sunday night, when they both showed up to Paul’s house, unannounced.
 
“Holy shit! I can’t believe it’s the two of you!” Paul excitedly said when he opened the door to see them both standing there.
 
“Hey, Paul. It’s nice to see you as well!” Eric responded. “We would like to talk with you, privately, if that’s possible?”
 
Paul paused for a brief moment, concerned about what they had to say.
 
“Sure! Yes, come on in.”
 
Paul led the two into his living room and reacquainted them with Pat and Mindy, who were watching TV. After the pleasantries were over, they went into the backyard, and each took a seat at Paul’s picnic table.
 
“So, how have you been, Paul?” Asked Eric.
 
“I’ve been doing pretty good, considering I miss my house and neighborhood. We’re just renting here, and I can’t do what I want with this place since it’s not mine.
 
How are you guys and how’s the old neighborhood?”
 
“We’re doing fine. But we have something we need to tell you. Also, there have been a lot of changes to the neighborhood since you left.”
 
Eric continued, “The Neighborhood has been in a different state since the beating you took in Dennis’ house by Keith and Andrew.
 
One month after that incident, these letters started to appear in neighbors mailboxes: not everyone, but certain neighbors.
 
The two neighbors on the North end of the street, who kept old, beaten up cars and junk in their yards, each received one. Then another. Then another. They felt the letters were from a neighbor on the street, asking them to clean up their yards and make their places more pleasant to look at for the whole neighborhood.
 
They ignored the second and third notices.
 
So did Don. He was sent a letter as well, asking him to move out in 30-days.
 
The second and third letter also went unanswered. No one who received a letter did anything the letter requested. 
 
Then, a Blue Envelope with a more serious letter arrived in Don’s mailbox. It was completely revised and professional looking.
 
Here is a copy of the letter Don received in a Blue Envelope,” Eric said as he gave the letter to Paul.
 
The letter said,
 
“Don,
 
In a community, a successful, thriving community, where harmony and equality are prevalent, it is imperative everyone plays their part.
 
Otherwise, there will be strife and the harmony and equality will be disjointed and not in balance.
 
We strive to achieve this type of community on Freedom Street and ask that everyone do their part.
 
Unfortunately, you and your wife, Gail, do not share our vision of this community. In fact, you both share a desire to both do what you wish when you wish, and to whom you wish. You have exhausted our patience, and your own sons have caused great harm to others and forced two families to move out and one neighbor to lose their job.
 
Therefore, and under these circumstances, the officers of the Freedom Street Council are giving you and Gail 30-days to vacate your rental property.
 
Failure to do so will result in a number of actions that may be necessary to bring harmony back to our community.
 
We ask for your cooperation and support.
 
Yours,
 
The Freedom Street Council.”
 
Paul finished reading the letter and handed it back to Eric. He then asked, “So, what happened? Is he still there?”
 
“No, he is not,” Hal answered.
 
“What happened?” Paul asked.
 
“We tried unsuccessfully, as we did before, to get the owner of the house to evict them. We explained everything. But he could care less. He lives in New York, and basically said that as long as they pay their rent, he doesn’t care what they’re doing to us or the neighborhood.” Eric answered.
 
Hal then said, “Don was given one more blue envelope, with the same type letter, but it was a final warning and for 15-day.
 
During this whole time, they had even more parties with their biker friends, raced up and down the street when coming and going, and played their music as loud as they wanted, just like their two kids did.
 
The police, just like before, did little to nothing. The city fined them, but they refused to pay. The city put a lien on the home, but it wasn’t theirs to begin with, so they didn’t care.
 
On the evening of the 18th day of the final warning, Don and Gail came home to fire trucks in front of their home. They quickly realized their house was burned down to the foundation.”
 
“Paul quickly got up from the picnic table, wiped his face with his left hand, and said, “Are you telling me someone burned his house down?”
 
“Yes. That is what we are telling you,” Eric answered.
 
“What did Don and Gail do?”
 
“Oh, they were very upset. They lost all of their belongings. Even their motorcycles were burned. They freaked out. It was fantastic!” Hal said.
 
“Did they do an investigation?” Paul asked.
 
“Yes, an extensive one. They asked all the neighbors if anyone saw anything suspicious or why it took so long for anyone to call the fire department.” Eric said.
 
Hal then followed-up, “Because Eric and I never really had much to do with the two kids or Don, at least as far as the police were concerned, they didn’t suspect us.”
 
Paul sat back down, lowered his head and covered his face with his hands, then looked up at both of them and asked, “Are you two behind this”?
 
Hal answered with, “What would you say if we were?”
 
“I would say, well done!”
 
“Would you consider any of this a reason to go to the police?” Eric asked.
 
Paul thought for a moment, then asked, “What happened with Don and Gail?”
 
“They got back into their pick-up and left for who knows where. We haven’t seen them since and doubt we ever will. Especially since the fire was ruled electrical,” Hal said.
 
“So, the fire was ruled an accident?”
 
“Yes. It started in their electrical panel. Insurance will be paid to the owner. Case closed,” Eric said.
 
Paul then asked, “Neither of you has electrical experience, do you?”
 
“We don’t.” Eric answered, “But someone else does.”
 
“Who?”
 
“Paul, you need to tell us what you think of this whole thing first, before we can continue,” Hal emphasized.
 
Paul stayed silent.
 
Then Eric said, “Paul, you can move home now. You, Mindy, and Pat can come home! We miss you! This is your neighborhood.”
 
Paul then started to smile. He got up from the table again and began pacing back and forth. “You mean, that evil man, the father of those two bastards who almost beat me to death, is gone?! All the terror in that neighborhood is gone?!”
 
“Yes, Paul! Your neighborhood, where you have raised Mindy and love so much, is free from the tyranny of that scum. And the Freedom Street Council will keep it that way,” answered Eric.
 
Paul was excited and said, “I don’t think it’s a problem to have this group you call the Council. I do know it’s not legal and many would consider it a vigilante organization. But I want to know more, and no, this does not warrant going to the police. I want to move back home desperately. But I want to know more before I get involved myself with this Council you call Freedom Street.”
 
“Paul, Hal and I are happy to hear you say that. But we need to make sure you’re 100% with us; otherwise, we are reluctant to tell you all the details.”
 
“Can I ask you two what happened the night Keith and Andrew were beating me? I called you, Eric, and you were sick in bed and couldn’t come over to help me check on the house. And you, Hal, never answered your phone. I think someone shot the two of them, but there were no bodies found? What happened, or do you even know?”
 
Hal and Eric were quiet for a moment and looked at each other.  Then Eric said, “When you called me, I was sick. I knew you would be going over there and had a feeling those bastards may find you in there. I called Hal, and we talked. He agreed something had to be done to help you and Dennis.
 
I told Hal to call me when he saw you going over. But I had fallen asleep and didn’t hear the phone. When Hal came to the front door, he heard the commotion in the living room. Luckily, you didn’t lock the front door, so Hal walked in. The two kids were so busy beating you; they didn’t notice Hal walking in.”
 
Hal then said, “I shot them both one time. That was to keep the noise to a minimum. I walked over to finish them both off. I quickly went next door to wake Eric and came back to drag their bodies out the back on a carpet to avoid blood trails.
 
Eric and I pulled the bodies to his back yard and put them in his shed. Then we called the police and ambulance for you.”
 
Paul sat there is disbelief. It seemed surreal listening to his neighbors talk about the murder and hiding of the bodies of a 16 and 17-year-olds. After about a minute, he said, “What happened with their bodies?”
 
Eric answered, “We took them in my pick up the next night to the alligator farm. We used a wheel-barrel and dumped their bodies in the alligator swamp. They chewed their bodies up really good. Bones and all.”
 
Paul looked at them, and for a moment, Eric and Hal didn’t know what he would say, but then he got another smile on his face and said, “Thank you! Thank you both for all that you did! Well done!”
 
“Does this mean you’re in?” asked Hal.
 
“Yes! I am in!” Paul eagerly replied. “What I see we have here are people doing the job that wasn’t done by our system. Our judicial, city, school, and parents all failed miserably. We cannot hold these people accountable for their inability to get things done properly.”
 
Then Eric smiled and looked at Paul to say, “Maybe we can.”
 
“Can what? Hold them accountable?” asked Paul.
 
“Yes.”
 
“With just the three of us? How are we going to do that?” Paul asked.
 
Hal then said, “Who said it was just the three of us?”
​
 
Part 2.


“Well, I just assumed it was. How many are in the Council?” Paul asked.
 
“I think you’ll be surprised. We would like to have you come down to where we meet and discover for yourself what we have,” Eric replied.
 
“OK. Where at?”
 
“7521 Falcon Ave. It is a residential home. Come around 8 p.m.”
 
They finished talking, and Eric and Hal went home. When Pam asked what they wanted, Paul just told her they were all just catching up on everything. He didn’t want to tell her about what happened to the two boys and didn’t want to tell her about the Council. The less she knew, the better, was his opinion.
 
The next night, Paul decided that since the house he was supposed to go to was only four blocks away from their old neighborhood, he would drive through Freedom Street.
 
He turned the corner on the South end and pulled up to where Don’s house used to be.
 
“Holy cow! There nothing left!” He said out loud to himself. “They really did a number on it.”
 
All he could see was a cement foundation. Everything else had been cleared and taken to the dump. He then began to roll forward and then stopped in front of Dennis’ old home. There were a few cars he didn’t recognize in the driveway. Not surprising, since Dennis sold it soon after the beating.
 
Paul looked at the house and gazed into the upstairs master bedroom.  Behind that and out of view was Shelly’s old room. That’s where he hid in the shower until they pulled him out of there.
 
He turned his attention to his right and looked at Hal’s place. He noticed his car was gone, figuring he was already at the other house where the Council was meeting.
 
He rolled up a little more and stopped in front of his house. The windows were all boarded up, and there were no outside lights on. “There she is. Home. I can’t wait to be back in you soon,” he said to himself.
 
He looked to his left at Eric's place and noticed his car was also gone.
 
He started driving down the block again and came up to the two houses on the South end which used to have junk in their yards. “Boy, they really cleaned up their places,” he commented.
 
He then proceeded to the house he was to meet at.
 
“Here it is. 7521 Falcon. There are a lot of cars here.”
 
He found a space in the vast grassy area in front of the expansive, two-story home.
 
He walked up to the front door, rang the bell and waited. A man answered the door and asked, “How can I help you?”
 
“Hi, my name is Paul. I’m here to meet with Hal and Eric.”
 
“Oh, Yes. Hi Paul. Come on in. We’ve been expecting you.”
 
As they started walking toward the back of the house, he introduced himself, “My name is Jasper. I own this house, and I’m so delighted to have you all here.”
 
“Thanks, Jasper.”
 
Paul didn’t know what else to say, because he was still figuring out what was going on. As they approached the back room, he started to hear people talking. Jasper opened the door and walked in. Paul followed and as he entered the room, peopled started cheering and clapping for him.
 
“Here he is, the man of the hour!” yelled Eric.
 
Paul felt jubilation as he went toward Eric in the middle of this large room. As he did, people he didn’t even know were patting him on the back and shaking his hand. Some were also telling him how glad they were he was there.
 
Paul shook Eric’s hand, and Eric pulled him to his side. Then he said out loud, “Friends, this here is the man I respect more than anyone. Paul went to check on a neighbor’s house, even though he knew how dangerous it could be. He is selfless and courageous! Let’s hear it for Paul.”
 
Everyone started clapping and whistling. Peter felt really good inside and started to feel accepted. There must have been about twenty people there.
 
Eric then asked everyone to take a seat so they could start their meeting. The room had about eight couches and many recliners and other comfortable chairs, all in a circle.
 
“Peter, grab yourself a drink and get comfortable,” Hal said to him as he passed and patted him on the back.
 
Eric started the meeting. “I’d like to thank everyone for taking time out of their busy schedule to be here. I would also like to thank Jasper for hosting us. And, I would like to thank Paul, who I now consider my friend, for being here with us tonight. Welcome, Paul!”
 
“We have been together for one month, and already we have taken care of several problems plaguing our neighborhoods. The most important, Don. Freedom Street is once again free of bullies and free from those unwilling to get along well with other neighbors.
 
I have been reviewing the complaints and suggestions you’ve been sending me. I do want to make something clear, though. We cannot allow ourselves to be petty. Meaning, we cannot take action for revenge or because we don’t like someone or something they may have done.
 
We are brought to this point because our city failed us. Our schools failed, and most importantly, parents failed their kids. Every avenue has to be exhausted, every reasonable chance given, and no other choice to be made before this Council will act.
 
Let us always be mindful of those trying to use our leverage to further their own agenda. We are to remain silent and hidden. Not public with a loudspeaker. We are here to improve our quality of life. The safety of our kids and homes. Improve our schools, and someday, maybe our community. Our goal is to work together, utilize each other’s skill sets, and come together to form one entity that will always swear to achieve the purpose of a community in harmony.”
 
Everyone started to clap and cheer to Eric’s poignant opening and Council mission. Even Paul was impressed.
 
But then, Eric turned the tables unexpectedly.
 
“I would like all of you to consider, for a few minutes, appointing a leader, a person who can deliver what I just said but have the level head to keep us grounded. Words are merely words until put into action or said with feeling.
 
I ask that Paul, who you just met, be allowed to be considered. Because of him and Dennis, we are who we are. They are the reason we are here.
 
The Council started clapping, and Paul didn’t know what to do. He felt his heart racing, and he started getting nervous.  Eric stood up and then asked Paul to stand and say something.
 
Paul did stand up but was reluctant to say anything. He hardly knew any of these people and was practically overwhelmed. As the clapping stopped and Eric took his seat, Paul looked around the room, but couldn’t say a word.
 
Then Hal said, “Paul, you got this.”
 
Paul took a deep breath, looked around once more, then said, “Thank you, Eric. I really appreciate your very kind words.”
 
Paul paused for another moment to think. He was very nervous and didn’t know what to say. Then a few people started clapping again, and one yelled, “Come on Paul, let’s hear it!”
 
Paul, without even thinking, then started talking to the Council, “I am honored to be standing here in front of you. Although I don’t know many of you yet, that shall change. And as each day goes by, we will bond and become more united.  We shall become wiser and know we are better, not because of what we can do, but because of what we won’t do. We shall always have restraint when needed and the courage to set out and conquer when necessary.
 
If you so choose me, I shall dedicate myself to you. Thank you all!”
 
Everyone stood up and gave him a standing ovation. When everyone sat down, Eric stood back up and said, “By the vote of aye, do we elect Paul as our President?”
 
The room was filled with their response. Any nays? Silence.
 
Eric then said, “By unanimous vote, I hereby declare Paul, our new leader of the Freedom Street Council. “
 
The room was filled with applause and cheers. Eric and Hal both walked up to Paul and hugged and congratulated him.
 
Eric then asked the Council to please have a seat and said, “As Paul as your new president, I will assume the role of vice president. I would like to have everyone introduce themselves and tell us why you are here, what your trade is, and skill or talent you can contribute to the Council.”
 
There was no voting for vice president and no Robert’s Rules of Order” followed. But since Eric put together the Council, it was fitting he be second in command if he so desired. The group would have let him run it, but this was his decision, and they respected it.
 
Eric was able to convince many of the people attending to join through word of mouth. One person was passing the information on to another.
 
They discussed ways of communication at their first meeting a month ago. They decided to use a custom phone app that one of the members, Dixin, created. He called it The CounApp, for Council App. It is entirely private and can only be accessed with a personal identification number.
 
Dixin is a software engineer but loves to dabble in projects on his own.
 
Paul sat and listened to each person present take a minute to talk.
 
As they went around the room, Paul started hearing a familiar tone. Most were there because they have issues with neighbors and no longer had confidence in the city to help resolve them.
 
Several that lived next to each other talked of one neighbor behind them that always burned trash and wood in his backyard. He was belligerent and didn’t care what his neighbors thought. Apparently, nor did the city.
 
Others complained of a neighbor or two who didn’t properly upkeep their homes.
 
But a more serious common complaint was about the city police department. They said theft and burglaries were on the rise and the police did little about it. When they did, the jails and courts let the kids out as soon as they got there.
 
As one member was complaining about having items stolen off her porch and how quickly the kids were returned back home, another member shouted out, “It’s the parents who we need to hold responsible. Most don’t care what their kids do.”
 
Many members agreed, and there was a smattering of applause in agreement with the comment.
 
Many members didn’t have a particular skill or talent to provide but did offer strength, strategic planning, or even just the willingness to help; however they were needed. These people were desperate for many changes, but only a small percentage of those changes could be possibly solved with the scope of this Council. To many, it was a start they were willing to take.
 
Of all the members, there were three that stood out to Paul: Alberto, a mechanical engineer; Kim, an intelligence specialist; and Sean, physicist, and chemical engineer. With Dixin, Paul was starting to see a group of talented and smart people emerge, to combine and form many different solutions to many problems.
 
As they were almost done, he realized the Council had all the skills and talent required. All they needed now was a wise and insightful leader, which was now him, or was it?
 
He wondered if he could pull this off. What about Pat and Mindy? What would he tell them? What if this gets too big, what if they got into trouble.
 
When everyone was done, Paul stood up and asked for six volunteers, including Eric and Hal, who would be willing to be on an advisory board. This board would meet every week and discuss matters which may be brought up to the entire Council, which was now going to meet on a bi-monthly basis for the first few months, then every month.
 
Paul was lucky because only four other hands went up. They happen to be the ones who had just stood out in his mind for their talents; Dixin, Alberto, Kim, and Sean. With Eric and Hal, he knew he had his team.
 
He asked them to meet back at Jasper’s house next week. They all agreed.
 
The meeting ended, and Paul was congratulated by many of the members as they left and given words of encouragement. When they were gone, it was just Paul, Eric, and Hal outside by Paul’s car.
 
“I wish you would have warned me about this, Eric,” Paul said to him.
 
“If I did, you might not have done it,” he replied.
 
Paul thought for a second, then said, “You’re right. I probably wouldn’t have. But honestly, I’m not sure I should, or we should. I'm not sure we should be taking matters into our own hands.”
 
Then Hal said, “Paul if Eric and I didn’t take matters into our own hands, where would you be now? I think you know. What did the cops do for you and Dennis?”
 
Eric added in, “We can take this opportunity and put as much effort or as little effort as we would like into solving our problems.  We have an opportunity for a better community.”
 
Paul agreed and thanked Eric and Hal for everything they’ve done for him. As he headed home, he knew he had to keep this from Pat, or she would worry too much about doing the right thing.
 
Once he walked inside his front door, Pat started yelling at him, “Where have you been?! We’ve been trying to call you for hours.”
 
Paul pulled out his cell phone and seen all the messages, He forgot to turn his volume back up after the meeting.
 
“What’s going on? Is everything OK?”
 
“No, it’s not. Mindy had an altercation with a girl at school. Now, this girl is making up things about Mindy and threatening her online and through social media. Other people have begun to call her names, including slut, a piece of shit, and one even said she should kill herself.”
 
Paul stopped dead in his tracks and looked at Mindy, who was sitting on the couch crying.
 
“What happened, Mindy?” Paul asked her.
 
“I was talking with this one boy at lunch, just friendly conversation about a class we have together. He was walking by, and he asked me a quick question. Then we talked for a minute. I was with my friends, and he was with his friends. Then this girl comes up and pushes me and says, “Stay away from my boyfriend, bitch.”
 
I tried telling her that I was just talking about our class, but she wouldn’t buy it. She found out who I was and started all this crazy stuff online this afternoon. I mean, this girl is crazy. She made up all these fake claims about me like I was a tramp trying to steal her man.”
 
Pat asked him again, “Where were you?”
 
“I’ll tell you in a bit. I need to think for a minute.”
 
Paul walked into the bathroom and closed the door. His cell phone started ringing. He pulled it out to look at and seen it was Dennis.
 
“Hey Dennis, how are you?”
 
“Hey, Paul. Not good. I received a death threat from Don, our old neighbor. He said he blames me for the fire and knows where I live and knows where Lucy works, and Shelly goes to school.”
 
It was at this point in Paul’s life that he knew, without a doubt, that he just made one of the best decisions he has ever made in his life; accepting the job of President of the Freedom Street Council.


Part 3.


“Dennis, don’t worry.”
 
“Why’s that, Paul. My family is scared. What are the police going to do to help us? They weren’t able to do anything before. Why is he holding me responsible for burning down his place? I had nothing to do with it.”
 
“Dennis, I would like to talk with you privately tomorrow with a few other people. Can we meet somewhere?”
 
“Who are these people? Do I know them?”
 
“A few of them you don’t know. But Hal and Eric you know.”
 
“Listen, Paul, I really don’t want to get mixed up with anything.”
 
“Quite frankly, Dennis, do you have a choice? What options do you have?”
 
Dennis was quiet. After a few moments, Paul asked him if he was still there.
 
“Yes, I’m still here. Just thinking. Where do you want to meet?”
 
“Let’s meet at the beach pavilion on Tunnel Street, at 7 p.m.”
 
“OK. I’ll see you and the others there. Thanks, Paul.”
 
“You’re welcome, Dennis. Tell Shelly and Lucy I said hi.”
 
“Will do. The same back to Pat and Mindy.”
 
When Paul hung up, he sat down on top of the toilet seat and thought for a few minutes about what is taking place. Paul then thought to himself, “Man, I’ve got to help these people. My own daughter and my previous neighbor need help. But now, I could be entering an area that could lead to a world of trouble. I need to be clear and deliberate. Think each action out.”
 
When he exited the bathroom and walked back into the living room, Pat asked him what he thought they should do.
 
He sat down across from both of them. “I think you should go to the office in the morning and report it.”
 
“Dad, that may make things worse, and I’m not sure they can or will do anything about it.”
 
“Doesn’t your school have a policy against this type of online behavior?”
 
“Yes. But so many people use usernames that are not their own. It’s hard to know who wrote what.”
 
“Then maybe we should call the police? I mean, you said you got a death threat.”
 
“I have to face these people at school. It may only escalate things.”
 
“Then what do you suggest?”
 
“Maybe I’ll just wait a day or two and see if it blows over.”
 
“If that’s what you want to do, Mindy. It’s up to you.”
 
“I think so. Sometimes these things just blow over, and they move on to the next one.”
 
“Maybe just ignore their bad behavior and see what happens,” Pat then said.
 
Mindy was at least content with the notion that she had options if it didn’t work the way they expected and now had her parents support.
 
Paul then pulled out his phone and used the CounApp to text Hal and Eric and let them know what Dennis just told him. He also suggested bringing in the other four members of the advisory board to meet with Dennis tomorrow.
 
Hal and Eric wrote back and were each furious to hear Dennis was being threatened by Don.
 
“I THOUGHT WE GOT RID OF THIS PIECE OF SHIT ONCE AND FOR ALL?” Hal said in all caps.
 
“We need to deal with this and get it over with,” Eric then said. “I will text the others and set this up. What place and time?”
 
Dennis gave him the details. Within two minutes, Eric wrote back and said, “It’s set up. See you both there tomorrow.”
 
Paul was impressed with the speed in which Eric worked and was happy to have the others on board. “Thanks, Eric!” he texted back.
 
“You’re welcome, Paul! You’re the man, now. We are going to straighten this out!”
 
Later that night, when he and Pat went to bed, he wanted to tell her so bad. She was his best friend, his lover, and mother of his daughter. However, she was innocent now, because she didn’t know anything about what took place with the two boys, and what may take place with Don. Telling her now would hold her responsible for not reporting it to authorities.
 
Paul felt alone and stared at the dimly lit ceiling fan spinning while Pat fell asleep.
 
The next morning and throughout the day, while he was working, he thought about what to do with Don. He didn’t have any easy solutions, and the ones he did think of were drastic. “Murder. Man, I can’t have that,” he mumbled to himself while gazing out the window.
 
When Paul picked up Mindy from school, he could tell she was upset. He asked her what was going on as they headed for home.
 
“That girl came up to me in the hallway and asked if I was sorry for trying to steal her boyfriend. I told her I wasn’t trying to do that and apologized if it looked that way. She snapped at me and said, ‘I’ll f**k you up, you skinny hoe.’”
 
“Did you go to the office and report it?”
 
“Yes.”
 
“And what did they do?”
 
“They called the girl down to the office and talked with her. She then tried to tell them it must have been some type of misunderstanding between the two of us and that she didn’t really threaten me.”
 
“What about the social media comments?”
 
“She told them she was angry and was apologetic. They even called her mom, and her mom told them, it was her understanding, I started the whole thing.”
 
“What did the school end up doing?”
 
“They warned her that if they saw any more comments or threats, they would report her to the police.”
 
“How do you feel about how it was handled?”
 
“Well, the mom lied, or she lied to her mom. I feel like she got a break for hurting someone unnecessarily. These other people piled on when I was first being attacked by her yesterday. They hide behind the obscure usernames they create, remaining invisible.”
 
As they continued walking home, Paul thought about what she said about being invisible. Then they turned the corner of Freedom Street, and Paul stopped for a moment and stared at where Don used to live.
 
“Whatever happened with Keith and Andrew?” Mindy asked as they started walking again.
 
“Not sure. Have you heard anything about them at school?”
 
“No. Even the people they hung around with haven’t heard from them. Some think they were involved in something bad and are running from the law.”
 
Later in the day, as Paul was working on the computer creating a custom scheduling program for a large company, he heard Mindy yell from her bedroom, “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
 
Paul stopped and yelled out to her, “What’s going on?”
 
She came out of her bedroom and said, “These bitches are at it again. This time, they are using these new usernames and accounts and are calling me a snitch and lying whore. They’re even using this phone app that parents can’t see to do the same.”
 
Mindy sat down and began to cry. “Dad, I’ve done nothing wrong! I didn’t do anything to her. I’ve never been to a party or even on a date. Now they’re calling me a whore and attacking me. Please make them stop!”
 
Paul sat next to Mindy on the couch and put his arm around her to console her. He then decided to call the police department to see what they could do.
 
He called the non-emergency number and talked with a person familiar with these types of issues.
 
“Unless there’s a direct threat of harm or of hurting yourself, there’s not much the police can do. The school and we consider this a minor infraction, even if they can prove who wrote what,” the employee said. “We can send out an officer to take a report if you’d like?”
 
“So, my daughter can be harassed online, and there’s not much you can do about it?”
 
“I’m sorry, sir.”
 
“Would you like me to send out an officer to you?”
 
“No, thanks. It won’t do any good anyways.”
 
Paul hung up and felt terrible for Mindy and the other kids who must endure this online bullying.
 
“What did the school recommend?”
 
“They suggested staying off of the social sites if it keeps up and keep reporting it to them.”
 
“Then maybe you should just “unplug” for a while and let them talk all the crap they want. Your friends know who you really are.”
 
Mindy settled down and agreed to stay off social media and phone app. She said she would go watch some funny videos to help cheer her up.
 
Later that evening, after dinner and discussing everything that happened with Mindy to Pat, Paul told her he had to go to meet Eric and Hal.
 
“Why are you meeting with them?” she asked.
 
“We’re actually meeting with Dennis too. He has been getting threats from Don.”
 
“Don? The guy who lived on the corner?”
 
“Yes. Him.”
 
“Why?”
 
“He is accusing him of burning down his house.”
 
“But he didn’t, did he?”
 
“No, but he’s blaming him anyway.”
 
“What are you and the others going to do. You can’t do anything.”
 
“We’re just going to spend a little time with him and try and comfort him. Maybe give him some help by offering advice.”
 
“Not sure what advice you can give him. You’re a software scheduling programmer. I’m not sure what advice you’re going to give him, that the police haven’t already given.”
 
“Well, we're going to try.”
 
“You better stay out of his business. You already took a beating checking on his house.”
 
“Yes, honey. Don’t worry.”
 
Paul knew he stirred up something in her; he wished he didn’t. But with him leaving for a second night, he knew she would also start becoming suspicious if he didn’t tell her something. At least now, she knows a little of what’s going on.
 
Paul wanted to make sure he got there before Dennis. So, he arrived at the beach pavilion at 6:45 p.m.
 
He walked up and saw Hal, Eric, and two of the other advisory board members already sitting there. But he couldn’t remember their names.
 
“Hey, Paul. You remember Dixin and Sean?” Eric said.
 
“Yes, hey guys, thanks for coming out.”
 
“No problem, Paul. We’re here to help,” Sean said.
 
As he sat down at the picnic table they were at and waited for the others to arrive, he started talking about what was going on with Mindy.
 
“The poor thing. She’s being tortured by one looney girl and a bunch of invisible dumb shits,” Paul told them. “She was in tears today.”
 
Hal asked, “What did the school do?”
 
“Not much. They gave the girl a warning. That’s it. I mean, people nowadays hide behind their steering wheel and intimidate people or use an ambiguous name on the internet and feel like they can say whatever they want. There are no real laws to govern people on the internet.
 
Years ago, you could sue someone for slander if they printed something in the newspaper that wasn’t true. What do you do for a teenager who posts something that isn’t true?
 
They don’t understand how it impacts other people. To me, it’s the cruelest of bullying, because the words never disappear, and others can join in from anywhere.”
 
Then Dixin said something that brought a real smile to Paul’s ears, “We should develop an app that reveals anyone’s true identity. You could reveal their real name, telephone number, address, everything.”
 
“That would be wonderful! Do you think it could be done?” Paul asked.
 
“I’m sure it could. I can look into it if you’d like? In the meantime, I am pretty savvy at the computer. What’s your daughter’s full name? I’ll see what I can find on the girls that are attacking her.”
 
As Paul was giving Dixin the information, Alberto, Kim, and Dennis all came walking up to the pavilion. Paul walked up to Alberto and Kim and thanked them for coming. Then he went to Dennis, shook his hand and pulled him in for a hug.
 
“It’s good to see you, Paul.”
 
“It’s good to see you too, Dennis. Come, let me introduce you to some new friends of mine.”
 
Paul walked Dennis up to the table and introduced him to the advisory board members he didn’t know. When he was done, they all took a seat.
 
Then Dennis asked, “So, how did you all meet Paul, Eric, and Hal?”
 
Sean spoke up and said they were brought together by Eric. Alberto explained they all had the same desire to make a better community.
 
When Dennis figured out what that meant, he immediately became defensive and started to think about leaving.
 
“Listen, I think it’s great that you all are here to help ‘protect’ others and ‘make a better community.’ But this has been done before, and many people frown on citizens taking matters into their own hands.”
 
Eric then said to Dennis, “Tell me, friend, what did the police and the city do for you and your family? For over three months, you could hardly sleep, you and your daughter were both threatened. Your house was vandalized, and oh, let me see, you also went to jail, lost your job, and moved and sold your home.
 
Plus, Paul here, almost died!” So, tell me, how do you plan on getting this asshole, piece of shit Don, off your ass now?!”
 
Eric was visibly upset, and Paul tried to calm him down.
 
“Well, I’m sorry Paul. But he needed to hear it. Don’t come to tell me you don’t want to get involved in some type of vigilante group because it may have a bad stigma when society took a dump on your pile of concerns.
 
If Hal and I didn’t do what we did, all of us would still be dealing with the whole family, not just Don.”
 
Dennis heard that last statement, then asked, “What do you mean if you and Hal didn’t take care of this? What are you talking about?”
 
Hal looked at Eric, and Eric knew he just went too far. He was very upset and got up from the table to take a quick walk and cool off.
 
“Paul. What is he talking about?” Dennis asked him.
 
Paul, nor the others, said a word.
 
“Would someone please tell me what really happened in my house before I sold it?”
 
Paul then spoke up and said, “I was checking on your house, and they attacked me. They pulled me from your daughter’s shower, beat and dragged me down the stairs and continued to beat me. They said they were going to kill me.”
 
“What happened!” Dennis asked.
 
Then Hal said, “I shot the two of them. Then I went over and stabbed them both to death, alright?”
 
Dennis was stunned. He just stared at Hal. Then he said, “What did you do with them after? There were no bodies found.”
 
“Eric and I disposed of them.”
 
“But why didn’t you just call the police? You could have simply said you were protecting Paul. Part of this whole thing could have been avoided. Now, you could be charged with murder and cover-up.”
 
Hal, moved in his seat a bit. Took a sip of coffee, then looked at Dennis to say, “I am a convicted felon. I’m not supposed to have any guns. I made some mistakes in the past, and I didn’t want to be in jail again. I would have broken probation.”
 
Dennis didn’t say another word. Nor did anyone else. Eric came back and sat down, clearly hearing the last part of what Hal just said.
 
“Dennis, I have an intelligence officer, a chemical engineer, mechanical engineer, computer engineer, and a weapons expert sitting at this table. I ask any of you now, do you have a problem with anything Hal said or what happened with those two boys?”
 
They all shook their heads no.
 
“Dennis. Do you have a problem with what we did?”
 
Dennis stared at Eric for a brief moment, then looked around at the others. “Eric, I’m scared. My family is scared. I thought I was done dealing with this. We ran away, and it followed us. You’re right. The police and the city didn’t and couldn’t help us. I doubt they can now either.”
 
Paul then said, “Dennis, people of the past took care of matters on their own or with the help of others. The police are also responsible for protecting government property and upholding the laws, not just helping us. Our system needs an overhaul to protect those who really need it and punish those who deserve it. Until then, we need to help each other.
 
Do you want our help or not?”
 
Dennis asked, “Do you honestly think you can help my family and me?”
 
Paul looked at the others and asked, “Well, can we?”
 
One by one, they all said yes or absolutely.
 
Then Dennis said, “Then please, help my family and me.”
 

Part 4.


Paul looked at Dennis’ face and noticing a deep layer of despair upon him once again he knew he and the others had to act. But he also didn’t want Dennis to be involved with whatever they came up with. So, he told him, “Dennis, since you are the one in the middle and you’ve already made a police report, I think it is best if you not know what we’re going to do.”
 
“Are you saying I have no say in what happens?” asked Dennis.
 
Hal then said, “The less you know, the better.”
 
“I understand.”
 
“Tell us exactly how he threatened you and your family,” Eric asked.
 
“He called our home phone, which is listed publicly. He first told my wife when she answered that he knew where she worked, where Shelly went to school, and where I live and work. The second time he called, I answered. He just told me I was going to be punished for burning down his house. When I said I didn’t do anything, he just hung up.”
 
“Dennis, do you really think he knows where you live and where your wife and daughter work and go to school?” asked Sean.
 
“I’m not sure. But it scares the life out of me that something could happen to either one. I can’t imagine Shelly being taken or worse. I just can’t think about it.”
 
“What did the police say?” Eric asked.
 
“They said unless we have proof that he made the threat, there isn’t much they can do. Plus, they don’t know where he’s living.”
 
“Dennis, let us talk about it here, and we’ll hopefully come up with something,” Paul said.
 
“Thank you, guys! I really appreciate your help!”
 
Dennis went on his way. Then Paul looked at the others and said, “What do you all think?  Anyone have an idea of what we can do?”
 
“We need to find out where Don lives or is staying. We also have to remember he had biker friends who don’t respect the law or anyone else that’s not in their gang, for that matter,” Hal said.
 
“How can we find out where he’s living or working?” Paul asked.
 
“If we know that, we can take the fight to him. Otherwise, we’ll have to meet him if he comes after Dennis,” Eric said.
 
“Before we go on, can I please ask if anyone is bothered by what Eric and I did to those two bastards?” Hal asked.
 
None of the others said they had an issue with it. Then Hal asked, “Do any of you have a certain objection to how far we should go or what we could do?”
 
Still, nothing. No objection, and no sign of sweating fidgeting, or checking of their phones.
 
“What if we were to murder this bastard. Who objects to that?” Hal asked.
 
Alberto then said, “Look, we can’t set out to say we’re just going to murder someone. Many of us, including myself, have families. My goal here is to make this community better for them, not to go to jail for avenging someone who no longer lives in our neighborhood.”
 
“I agree,” said Sean. I am a chemical engineer making $100,000 plus a year. I have two kids and a beautiful wife, who happens to be a lawyer. If I get arrested, for whatever reason, I could lose my job.”
 
Dixin and Kim agreed.
 
“We need to come up with a plan that drives him away from here. We need to solve the problem without murder and without being caught. We are more than willing to help you and Dennis out, Paul. But we need to be smart. We have college educated people sitting at this table. Very smart people here. We don’t need to be barbaric to solve a problem,” Alberto said.
 
At that point, Paul was convinced. “I got it. You’re absolutely right, Alberto. All of you are. I have a family myself. I don’t want to leave them either. Let’s utilize what we have first and go from there.
 
Sean, since you’re an intelligence officer, can you find out what information is public about Dennis and his family? Also, if we can find out where Don is?”
 
“Sure, Paul. I’d be happy to.”
 
Paul gave her the information, and they decided to all go home and think about what could be done, depending on where Don lives or is staying, and what he actually knows about Dennis and his family.
 
Later that night, Paul got a CounApp text from Sean. She said, “Don and his wife are staying at a hotel not far from their old place. It’s a weekly pay, dive. I couldn’t find where Dennis and his family live through public searches, but Shelly is social, and it’s easy to find where Lucy works through LinkedIn. 
 
Peter wrote back to her and said, “Thanks, Sean. Great work!”
 
He then sent the information to the other five and asked, “Send me any suggestions, please.”
 
Hal was the first to reply and offered to “Confront Don and demand he stay away from Dennis and his family.”
 
Then Peter got another text from Sean, “Don is a convicted felon. He has a very long rap sheet going back to when he was a teenager. He had been charged and served time in prison for attempted murder, battery on a law enforcement officer, assault, burglary, drug dealing, and much more! He is also a member of a very violent motorcycle gang.
 
He thanked her again and forwarded to the others.
 
Paul now knew there was no way they were going to confront him. He knew that wasn’t their style, certainly not to take on a motorcycle gang.
 
He retired to bed, contemplating what to do. He knew he had to make a decision, but one that would not lead to criminal charges for any of them.
 
The next morning, he texted the group and asked that they meet later that day to discuss what they were going to do. But soon after he got a call from an unknown number. Since he didn’t want to talk to a solicitor, he let it go to voicemail.
 
30-Seconds later, he heard the notification letting him know he had a voicemail. He went to retrieve it and was stunned to hear it was Dennis. His voice was trembling, and he was obviously distraught.
 
“Paul, it’s Dennis. I’m calling you from work. Lucy told me about six bikers came into the office where she works and were asking for her. She didn’t talk to them, but they said they needed to see her for important business and to pass on that message.
 
They called the police and filled out a report. But that’s all they did. Luckily, she works in the back office, and the front office staff didn’t call for her. They said she was unable to leave where she works.
 
Dennis, this is my wife were talking about. The mother of my only daughter. Please call me on this number or my cell after work. Please, Dennis! Ask your new group for help!”
 
Paul was afraid this might happen, since Sean told him Lucy’s work location was listed online. He sent a text out to the others. He knew they had to do something fast, but what? His own work was starting to pile up, and he needed to make a decision. Tonight, might be too late. His thinking was getting cloudy.           
 
Around 12:00 noon, Hal texted the group to suggest they go and meet Lucy when she gets out of work to make sure she is OK. Eric texted back and agreed. But Paul was reluctant. He knew this could be bad if those bikers did show up. “What the hell are we going to do to defend her? To defend ourselves?” he questioned himself out loud.
 
 
But Eric and Hal kept texting back and forth to each other that they wanted to make sure she would be OK, without Paul deciding. Nobody else said or suggested anything. They just stayed quiet.
 
A little later, Eric texted everyone back and said he spoke with Dennis and Lucy and they agreed it was the best solution. They would all meet up at her office building at 5:00 p.m.
 
Paul still hadn’t weighed in and was now concerned Eric and Hal were eager to help without the consent and backing of the Advisory Board or the Council. But he had no other options at this point.
 
He picked up Mindy at school and on the way home, she told him she found out that the girl who’d been threatening her was close to Keith and Andrew. The girl knew Mindy lived a few houses down from them before they went missing. Mindy said she figured that may have been the real cause to her stirring up all this nonsense that Mindy felt something for her boyfriend and was trying to steal him from her.
 
She said the other girls who taunted her online were friends of this one and that others just chimed in because they could.
 
Paul told her Don threatened Dennis a few times, told her of his criminal record, and that Lucy was also now becoming a possible target. He told her he needed to go and make sure she was alright after work.
 
Mindy was fearful of what could happen and tried to talk her dad out of it. But Paul knew, as the leader, he had to be there. Paul asked her not to tell her mom when she got home from work. Mindy agreed.
 
Later in the day, Paul made the nerve-racking 20-minute trip to Lucy’s work to meet the others. When he pulled into the parking lot at 4:55, there was only Dennis’ car there, and not Hal’s or Eric’s.
 
He texted Hal and Eric, but there was no response. He texted Dennis, and he texted back that he was in inside with Lucy and they were getting ready to leave.
 
Paul waited in the parking lot, backed into a parking space so he could see if anyone else was coming. At 5:05 p.m., he saw the office door open, and several employees walked out and to their cars. Then, he saw Dennis and Lucy come out. They spotted Paul, and they walked over to talk with him.
 
“Hey, big boy!” Lucy said to Paul, kidding around. “I’m glad you came to help protect me.”
 
“It is my pleasure to try and help, Lucy. I don’t know where Eric and Hal are though, they said they would be here too.”
 
“Not sure either. That’s what they told me earlier,” Dennis said.
 
Paul then told them, “I’ll follow you both home and make sure you arrive safely.”
 
“Thanks, Paul!” Dennis said.
 
Lucy got into her car and Dennis his. They both pulled out and onto the road. Paul followed. As they were traveling South toward Dennis’ place, Paul kept looking in his rear-view mirror for bikers. But so far, nothing.
 
When they were a few blocks away, Dennis noticed one motorcycle a few cars back that had been there since he’d left ten minutes ago. He didn’t pay much mind then, because he blended in with the vehicles. “Probably just a worker going home,” he thought.
 
As they were making the right turn onto Dennis’ street, the motorcycle sped on by and kept heading in the direction they were once going. Paul was relieved to see him go past and not follow them onto the side street.
 
Once they arrived at Dennis’ house, Lucy pulled into the driveway, and Dennis followed. Paul pulled up in front of the house but kept his car on the road. As Lucy and Dennis got out from their cars, Shelly came out to greet them.
 
Then, Paul started to hear a loud rumble coming down the road they just went down. He looked into the rear-view mirror and saw a bunch of motorcycles coming down toward their way.
 
Dennis honked his horn and rolled the window down to warm them, “Get inside, now! Get inside!”
 
Just as they started running toward the front door, the motorcycles pulled up next to Paul and in front of him.
 
The noise was tremendous, and more bikes kept coming. Paul locked his doors and started calling 911. They answered, and he started yelling for them to help and gave them the address. As before, they needed to transfer him to the police department. But by now, the bikers were off their bikes and knocking on the driver’s side window for him to get out of the car.
 
About six of them walked to the front of Dennis’ front door and started banging on it and yelling for them to open it up. Paul thought he recognized one of them as Don.
 
Paul was quivering in total fear and trapped in his car on the side of the street. They started yelling at him to “Get the “F**k out of the car.” Then one of the bikers began pounding on his roof and another on his hood.
 
The police answered the phone, and he started yelling for help. Then, in the corner of his eye, he saw the front door of Dennis’ home get kicked in. The bikers walked into the house. He then saw one of the bikers close to his car grab a steel bar off the back of his bike and start walking toward his car. “Oh my God, they’re going to kill us all!”
 
Then, Paul started hearing very loud pops from inside the house!
 
A few of the bikers started running out the front door. The ones surrounding Paul heard the noise and ran for their bikes. They started them and began racing off in different directions.
 
The few that ran from the house also started running toward their bikes, but before they could get out of there, he heard a few more pops outside, and they fell to the ground. He looked up at the front door, and a man was standing there with a black mask over his face.
 
The man retreated back inside the house just as the police came rolling down the street with lights and sirens going.
 
Paul just sat there, shaking. The police cars kept coming but there were no more bikers, except the ones on the ground and however many were still in the house and never came out.
 
Paul had no idea what happened in that house, but he may have been better off not knowing.


Part 5. Conclusion


Within just a few minutes, at least twenty motorcycle gang members showed up, shots were fired, many fled, and now Paul was surrounded by at least a dozen police cars.
 
He was asked to step out of his vehicle, which he could hardly do because of the adrenalin still pumping through his body. He was fumbling with his seat belt and trying to open the door of his car.
 
The police went into the house, and soon ambulances started rolling onto the scene. A few officers came out of the house and shouted to others that “It was a real blood bath in there!”
 
Once Paul began to calm down, he told the officers what happened. “I offered to follow a friend and his wife home from her job, and all these motorcycles started showing up. They wanted me out of the car and kicked in Dennis’ front door. Then I heard ‘pops’ from within the house.”
 
Paul was asked what happened to the men laying on the driveway.
 
“I don’t know. I was so concerned about the others beating on my car, and one of them was coming at me with a steel bar, that I wasn't paying attention.”
 
Paul wasn’t exactly sure who the masked man was he saw shooting at them as they were fleeing. But he had a feeling it was Hal. And he knew he couldn’t tell them he saw the masked man, because that would unravel their self-defense. It was easy for him to tell them everything he did and saw, except that masked man. He knew these were the actions from his own group and had a feeling Hal and Eric were behind it. He also knew he was intentionally kept out of the loop. 
 
As Paul was waiting outside after telling them his story, he saw Dennis, Lucy, and Shelly, come out of the house with blankets around them and a few suitcases. They walked up to Paul with an officer and a detective.
 
Paul intentionally acted excited when he saw they were OK. He had to keep the game going.
 
“Are you guys okay?” Paul asked them as they got near.
 
“Yes. Thank God!” Lucy said.
 
Lucy and Dennis both had a few blood stains on their face. Shelly looked like she was in shock.
 
Then the detective said to Paul, “I am Detective Paulson. They have been through a traumatic experience, but do not require hospitalization. Is there any way they can stay with you for a few days?”
 
Without visible hesitation, Paul said “Sure. Absolutely.” But he was wary of what Pat would say to him when she knew all this went down, and now, he’s bringing them home.
 
Paul told them he was so glad they were unharmed and asked them to get into his car. He said he had to call Pat really quick and let her know he was fine and let her know he was on his way home with company.
 
He stepped into the street, past the bodies lying on the driveway and in between a few police cars. He called his wife and waited for her to pick up.
 
“Paul! Are you alright? There are news reports of a biker gang shootout, and Mindy was scared, so she told me what was going on.”
 
“Yes! I’m fine! Dennis, Shelly, and Lucy are also fine. But there was bloodshed, and they are very shaken-up. They need a place to stay, and I offered to bring them home.”
 
“Absolutely! Please do. We need to be there for them!”
 
“Alright, I’ll be home shortly. Thank you, for understanding, Pat.”
 
“Paul, we will talk later about what’s really happening. But for now, let’s just help them, okay?”
 
“Yes, dear.”
 
Paul got into his beaten-up car with Dennis and his family, started the engine, and turned on the air conditioning. The area was covered with police cars, ambulances, forensic vans, and the media. As he started to maneuver his way out of the congested area, he happened to catch a glimpse of the front of the house, where he saw several men moving a stretcher with a body in a body bag on it.
 
While on their way, Paul didn’t say a word. Nor did Dennis, Lucy, or Shelly. All the way home, it was dead silent.
 
He pulled into his driveway, and Pat and Mindy came out to greet them. They all embraced each other and then walked into their house.
 
Pat showed Shelly and Lucy the guest bathroom and gave them towels to take a shower. Dennis just sat down on the couch in the living room, still having the blanket wrapped around him and a few blood stains on his face.
 
Paul gave Dennis a bottle of water and sat across from him. He looked at him and said, “Eric and Hal were in on this, weren’t they?”
 
Dennis didn’t say a word. He just stared at the floor. Paul then said, “I wish I would have known.”
 
Dennis still didn’t say a word.
 
Paul got up and went to his bedroom. He closed the door and sat on the end of his bed. A few moments later, Pat came in and sat down next to him.
 
“I’m glad you’re alright. But I was terrified! When I saw the news and then Mindy told me what you were doing, I had a bad feeling you might be in the middle of that. Why didn’t you tell me?”
 
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. But there has been a lot of shit that has taken place and now I’m on the outside looking in. I need to talk, but I’m afraid to put you in a position that may make you feel uncomfortable.”
 
“Paul, I’m supposed to be your best friend! We are supposed to be able to talk about anything.”
 
“I know, but.”
 
“But what? How do you think I feel about you going off at night to meet them and I don’t know what’s going on? Now, you have Dennis and his family that was involved in a shoot-out with a biker gang. The news said there could be at least seven dead?!
 
Where are Hal and Eric?”
 
“That’s a good question. I don’t know.”
 
“Did you know any of this was going to happen?”
 
“No. But I should have.”
 
“Why’s that?”
 
“Because they nominated me as president.”
 
“President of what? What the hell is going on here, Paul?! I’m getting scared now. Tell me what’s going on.”
 
“When Eric and Hal came over, they told me Hal shot and then killed those two boys. They then both took their bodies and fed them to the alligators at the farm a few miles from our old home.”
 
“Holy shit!! Are you f**king kidding me?!! They disposed of their bodies?”
 
“Yes.”
 
“Why didn’t they call the police?”
 
“Because apparently, Hal is a felon, on probation.”
 
“Oh, you’ve got to be f**king kidding me. This is getting better and better.”
 
“Then they told me about this new group they put together, called the Freedom Street Council.  They invited me to a meeting at a neighbor’s house. There were about 20 of them there. Eric was the person who organized all of it. He spoke to the group and asked that they nominate me as president.”
 
“Why you?”
 
“I think it’s because of what I went through. They respect me for helping Dennis out, even though there could have been trouble, which of course, there was.”
 
“Well, Mr. President, tell me what happened today and why you didn’t know about it?”
 
“I can’t explain it. I knew Dennis had been threatened and we knew through Sean that anyone online could find where Lucy worked. The bikers must have found out because they had been to her place of employment today looking for her. Eric and Hal kept insisting we be there when she got off of work. But they may have developed another plan by themselves and let me believe the original plan was still a go.”
 
“Maybe they are just using you. Or, maybe they didn’t respect your decision. We need to know what really happened. Can you text Hal or Eric? I’ll go check on Dennis and the others.?
 
“Sure. I’ll text him now.”
 
Paul sent out a text to both asking what happened and if everything was OK. Eric wrote back and asked if he could come over and talk in person, instead.
 
Paul agreed and asked about Hal. Eric texted back, “I’ll tell you more when I get there. I’m on my way.”
 
Paul went out to the living room and told Dennis and Pat that Eric was on his way over. Lucy was still taking a shower, and Shelly went to Mindy’s room after her shower.
 
“Dennis just told me a few things that might surprise you. Eric and Hal weren’t the only two involved in this. I guess some of your other members were too.”
 
“Who?”
 
Paul took a seat next to Pat and across from Dennis. “Sean, and Dixin,” replied Pat.
 
“How do you know that, Dennis?”
 
“Eric told me.”
 
“What did they do to help?”
 
“Sean was able to get several of their cell numbers and gave them to Dixin, who sent the fake texts to the others.”
 
“Fake texts?” asked Pat.
 
“Yes. This whole thing was an ambush. Eric knew it was just a matter of time before they got to Lucy by herself. Once he found out they visited her, he decided to bring them to us. 
 
He had Dixin send bogus texts to several of the bikers, appearing to come from Don. They, in turn, spread the word. Sean and Dixin fooled Don to think Paul was ready to fight them and made threats that Don would die if he ever tried to see Lucy again.
 
Don was then tipped off at what time Lucy got off of work and who would be there. Don had a spy watching across the street, while the rest of them were a few blocks away and kept their distance.
 
Once we had them follow us to my house, you alerted us to them coming. We ran inside and waited.”
 
As Dennis told the story, Lucy came out of the bathroom and sat down in the living room to listen.
 
“Then when they kicked in the front door, we waited until they were upon the three of us. They talked of slicing our throats and raping Lucy and especially Shelly. Then Hal from one room and Eric from the other came out and started firing on them. Lucy and Shelly ducked and crawled into another room. I shot several myself.
 
Hal walked onto the front porch to finish the few that took off running. He shot two of them when they turned to return fire. Then Eric and Hal both ran out the back of the house before the police arrived.”
 
Paul and Pat sat there silent, with their mouths open. Then Pat asked, “How did you explain how many you shot by yourself?”
 
“We all used the same type of guns and ammo. Hal set me up with buying a couple of guns a while ago. We even installed cameras within the house, and Sean was able to doctor the video, remotely, before the cops reviewed it. The cameras were strategically put in places so that Hal and Eric wouldn’t be seen, except when Hal went out the front, which wasn’t supposed to happen. I’m sure Sean was able to delete that scene.”
 
Just as Dennis finished talking, there was a knock at the door. It was from Eric. Paul invited him in, and Eric sat down. Paul went to tell the girls that the adults were going to be talking and to please stay in the bedroom until they were done.
 
Paul walked back into the living room, sat down, and asked Eric, “Where’s Hal?”
 
“Hal’s been shot. He’s in critical condition at the hospital. He was hit in the chest when he went to the front porch to get those running.”
 
There was a long period of silence in the room. Everyone just stared at the floor.
 
Eric then said, “I’m sorry. I should have listened to you, Paul. I just felt this was the right thing to do. Now, we may lose Hal.”
 
Pat then said, “How many did you guys kill?”
 
Eric answered, “I think six or seven, total.”
 
Paul looked up at Eric, and said, “Do you realize we have blood on our hands that could have been avoided? Those bikers may come back again for revenge. With all the smart people we have, we could have done this differently.”
 
“I know. I agree, Paul. We messed up, bad! I thought I was doing the right thing. Nobody else was helping them. The police couldn’t protect Lucy. You have felons roaming the streets, city government lining their own pockets, the system is shot. The family dynamic in this country is shot. And nobody gets held accountable. I mean, cops, politicians, millionaires and billionaires, all commit crimes and walk away from punishment. Who is helping us?
 
Pat asked Eric, “Do you respect Paul enough to listen to him? Do you respect the Council, you put together, enough to work within the boundaries set forth by its members?”
 
“Yes, I do respect Paul. That’s why I nominated him as President. And yes, I could learn to stay within the boundaries. But only if we have leadership willing to act quickly when needed.”
 
“What if I help?” asked Pat.
 
“Me too?” asked Lucy.
 
Dennis looked at Lucy with a stunned look, the same as Paul gave Pat.
 
“Lucy, we just murdered people in our own home. Our daughter witnessed raw murder. Now, you want to be part of this?”
 
“First off, we didn’t murder them, we defended ourselves. They were going to rape Shelly and I and then murder us. We took out some real pieces of shit today, and I’m ready for more! I think Shelly would agree.”
 
“I do agree, mom!” Shelly said standing in the hallway with Mindy.
 
Mindy then said, “Me too! I’m sick of it! We need to help people and make those who cheat the legal system pay.”
 
Pat looked at Paul, and said, “I suggest we go bigger. Instead of just covering the Freedom Street area, we include our whole city. We hold all those who run our city accountable. And if the courts can’t do their job, we’ll hold them accountable as well. To make sure we avoid another blood spill like this, the families in this city and the system need to work better.
 
Instead of us going to them to plead for help. We can make them come to us.”
 
Dennis, Eric, Lucy, and the girls all agreed.
 
Lucy then added, “We can set up a citizens review council or something. Hold hearings and make decisions. We can use social media and other ways to ‘persuade’ them to do the right thing.”
 
“We will need a lot more help,” Paul said.
 
“I know we can get it. It was easy to assemble these neighbors because so many people are just fed up and pissed off with our system. And they’re tired of others screwing them over. Recruitment would be no problem!” Eric happily proclaimed.
 
As the girls walked into the living room and sat down, Mindy said, “We need a name.”
 
“Well, we live in the city of Aria. How about The Aria Citizens Review Board?” asked Paul.
 
“I like it!” Eric quickly said. “A citizens review board. We can hold elections for the board from the citizens who are involved with us.”
 
“Exactly!” Paul replied.
 
Then Dennis said, “I agree with Pat 100%. We can fix what the police and city couldn’t do to help me and my family. We need to hold everyone accountable for their actions. If not, then we’ll take action.”
 
 
E.