Riders On The Storm

There's a killer on the road 
His brain is screaming like a toad 
if you give this man a ride sweet memories will die 
killer on the road 


Jim Morrison 

Swoop and Cody were holed up under the overpass, Cody sat on the slope up away from the road with his heels against his butt and his arms wrapped around his knees. His head was buried in his arms. He looked like he could be picked up and shelved, a perfect person box. Swoop who's real name was Danny Swopes stood closer to the bikes with his hands crammed deep in his pockets and his shoulders hunched against the wind and rain. The collar on his flight jacket was turned up but was soggy and threw water when the wind whipped it near his face. He still had his helmet on to keep the heat in. It was the first time he was glad he had it on in about 12 years, the last time was in a sudden hail storm. If it would just let up abit they'd go. They were already soaked all the way through. The trouble was, visibility was approximately zero. You could barely see the head lights on what few cars were still on the highway as they approached the underpass, and when they drove out the other side the taillights disappeared almost instantly. They were by no means getting dry sitting there. The wind whipped rain blew through the underpass and the mist from the occasional tractor's eighteen wheels followed the big rigs into the tunnel and settled on the bikers. Swoop wanted to tuck up under the road but was concerned that some blind asshole would run down the scooters tryin to pull over. Cody didn't give ashit at this point but a drink sure would be nice.

In a section of town called The Chester, in a sleazy apartment building, Detective Gerald Honus was surveying the mess. There was a large Hispanic looking guy in a hallway across from an open door to the apartment, he was slumped on the floor. Honus could see where two bullets had pinned him to the wall momentarily before his life had slipped away. "Don't let anyone touch anything here," He spoke to a patrol officer whose rain slicker was dripping everywhere. "And don't lets drip all over any possible evidence." "Yessir." The young cop did a couple of side steps away from the body and peered down the narrow hall at the residents who were peeking out of slightly opened doors at him. Detective Honus walked through the door into a living room that had hardly any furniture. An old ratty couch, a ratty chair that didn't match the couch and an old coffee table. What this coffee table had that most others didn't was a dead Hispanic flopped backwards over it who had also caught two slugs. Following the wake of bodies he came to a small grubby kitchen area with the table and chairs over turned and on the floor against the oven was yet another Hispanic also complete with 2 bullet holes. Honus checked the only bedroom and bathroom they were undisturbed. He layed his wet overcoat on a bare mattress, clipped the leather thong from his shoulder rig back over his .38 and went back to the kitchen. It was going to be a long night.'

Swoop dug a pack of luckys out of his jacket. He tapped one out and it was brown and soggy, he threw it on the ground then he looked at the next one it was the same he ripped open the pack lookin for a dry one then squished the pack into a tobacco juice ball and threw it on the ground. "Let's get the fuck outta here." Cody perked his head up. "Suits me." then rose and eased down the embankment towards his bike. "Where to." "Lets go to the waterin hole." Swoop brushed the puddle off his seat, got alongside his sled an pushed the kicker thru 2 times and hooked it near the top. Then he jumped on it with the throttle open, then he pushed it thru 2 more times and turned the key on this time when he jumped he got a weak pop from the rear head, he jumped her again same result, "Shit! She ain't gonna start." "It'll start." Cody hit the button and his bike turned over slow then sputtered to life, they're just wet." "Mine ain't gonna start until I pull the plugs and torch em and dry out the points I shoulda never turned her off." He kicked it again then two more times got the same weak pop so he got off and started to break out his tools. "Ya want me to kick it?" "Go ahead kick the shit outta it, it ain't gonna start." "It'll start." Cody got off his bike and invited Swoop to hold the throttle so it wouldn't stall. He walked over to Swoop's Pan and straddle kicked it with the throttle shut the third time he kicked it he goosed it and it backfired yankin at his leg and the fourth time it started. Cody gunned it a few times listenin to the echo in the underpass. It sounded good. He turned the throttle over to Swoop "Thanks." "Don't mention it." "I was talkin to the bike."

They clunked em into first gear and looked over their shoulders, when it seemed clear enough they eased out the clutches in unison and got straight with the highway before winding it up abit and hittin second. The road was slick under the bridge but outside, the rain had washed away a lot of oil. Puddles and visibility were the enemies now. They hit third as they exited the overpass and the rain curtain blasted them. They never got to 4th squinting into the curtain of rain, they couldn't make that speed. They concentrated on finding the next exit it was too shitty to ride the spressway.

When the phone rang Stacy's heart jumped then dropped, she just new it was bad news she could sense it. Shit. She looked down at the kid with a smile but the kid was way to smart to fall for a phoney expression and continued to stare into the rain. "Hello." "Who's this?" "Whaddaya mean who's this?, You called me." Pause "Is Daniel there?" no one ever calls him Daniel."Daniel who?" Click Stacy stared at the receiver for a moment then replaced it. "Who was that?" "I don't know it was strange." "He's in trouble."the little girl said it with certainty. "Now we don't know that Darlin." "Whatever Stacy." She turned back to the window. The young woman sat back down next to the little girl "Is he hurt?" "Not yet, but he's in bad trouble." "What kind of trouble?" "I don't know but its bad." The little girls chin quivered as if she might burst into tears but then she pouted her lips for a second and made it disappear. "Oh how do you know." "Cause I can feel it Stacey, just like you can. Besides he's with Uncle Cody, ain't he? That ought to be enough to scare anyone."...

Detective Honus' indigestion was gettin the best of him "never should of ate that friggin burrito" he thought to himself, between the belches and groans he made, as he studied the homicide scene. Honus had ascertained that a hellava gun battle had taken place here. Seemed everyone had guns, but that the ambusher was the only one fired, even tho two out of three of the dead guys had their guns out and safeties were off, the third had exposed his gun but the safety was still engaged. The shooter had fired six shots and all six would have been deadly. They were dealing with someone cold and dangerous. From the peeking lady in the hallway the rookie cop had learned that there were two biker types, jeans, leather, one with a long braid and one with a kerchief on his head and a long beard, you know the type, she had aspied them going in about five minutes before the second floor erupted in gunfire. She hadn't seen them coming out tho, she was too scared to open the door. She did however add that, " they did clump down the stairs like the same two that clumped in only quicker."

Honus had three dead Hispanics none with ID, a halfassed witness to nothing and a phone # on a matchbook that may or may not mean anything. His case looked like a lot of leg work .

In a section of town that used to be called little Italy until someone decided to change the name to the gardens of Florence to give the neighborhood a better classification than the old immigrant nickname with its connotations of hard won territory and bloody money. It wasn't the same anymore but there were still hardcore pockets and wealthy scammers that blended into society to milk off it rather than try to fight it anymore. It was there that Louis Veradocio was pacing the floor nervously as a couple of his clingers watched. " We fuckin shoulda heard sumthin by now." Louis or little louie as his compadres called him was gettin worked up. "I fuckin shouldin a trusted that friggin Bike scum." "Shit." Louis smacked his fist into his hand. Wonderin if he had fucked up or if his associate of days gone by had been ambushed, as he feared he would have been if he went himself. One of his clingers, a guy everyone called pockets chimed in, "he's pulled off some stuff for you before little louie he don't seem like a stabber." "Yeah, but sumthin aint right." He knew that pockets and the others knew that Louie had chickened out on the scam but no one was about to bring that up especially not Louie. Besides if his Uncle knew what he was playin with, Uncle Vido would kick his ass publicly. It was then that the phone rang. Louis plucked it from its cradle. The clingers watched as he said, "no shit. Who are they? What the fuck ya mean ya can't give no more? What the fu... oh . Ok. I gotta think." and he hung up. He looked at Eddie Turner who was the wisest of his little gang of four and laid it out. "There was gunplay at the address, its crawlin with cops, I called in a favor to find out, now they know I was interested. They won't tell me who got shot tho, they'll only deal with Uncle Vido from here on out. Thats my dilemna do I tell Vido and watch him hit the roof? Or do we sit tight?" Eddie Turner mulled it over in his mind as his ever present toothpick rolled back and forth between his teeth "Well, its like this if you pulled a favor and they bring up Uncle, I'd havta say thats where there final loyalty lies. So he may find out later and be really pissed, besides if the goods are missing they can get a long way away in a short time. Your gonna need resources. If it was me I think I'd take my ass whippin from Vido up front and have him on my side. ‘That wasn't the answer Little Louie wanted to hear.'

Almost to the back door of the bar, the rain continuing to fall in gusty sheets, illuminated by streaks of lightning banging thru the dark sky, Cody stopped. "Whaddaya nuts? Swoop asked as he continued walking. "No, well maybe. But you ain't goin inside." "Fuck if I ain't." Swoop continued towards the door "Yer goin home Swoop. This is where you an me part company. It's been great knowin you bro but this is it, now take off." "Cody, what the fuck are you talkin about." " Well ole buddy it's like this, I figure there are only 4 people that can put you an me together today 3 of them are dead none of which you did and the 4th is a little ole lady who prolly don't know what she saw. So, if we split right now, forever, and swear on a stack of bibles we ain't seen each other since the last Rally, you'll get out. If no-one ever figures it out, we'll both get out. but if we stay together we'll both prolly get caught and we'll both do hard time or worse." Swoop knew Cody was right but he couldn't leave him to face the music on his own so he just stood there soakin wet , water drippin off the end of his chin and a look of indecision on his face. "Get fuckin lost man and I mean it. I'm gettin ready to run and I don't want you draggin my ass down." and with those kind words he extended his hand. Just then a car pulled into the same lot, lights on, windshield wipers goin as fast as possible. Swoop headed for his bike and Cody headed for the bar.

Central precinct Identified the # on the matchbook as belonging to 1 Daniel Swopes, no criminal record, traffic citations paid on time, Steady job at Crawford and Co. Name in system due to associates with outlaw bike element. Detective Honus flipped open his cell and dialed the number, a female answered protective and ill at ease...Honus asked for Daniel then killed the connection taking mental note of where his next stop would be. He turned the homicide scene over for safe keeping to the evidence dept. For a clean sweep bagging and tagging, and he headed for his car and the address that belonged to the Number on the matchbook. He dialed Central again, "Get the phone company to record any conversations on this line for the next 48 hours." pause... " I know it won't hold in court I don't give ashit about that. Call me if there is any red flags. Ciao."

Alberto Rodriguez was furious, his Captain and two of his best soldiers were dead. He screamed into the phone in Spanish He wanted the heads of Louis Verdocio and whoever was working for them. And he didn't give a fuck about a little rainstorm he wanted them now. He sent one of his hit squads to the home of Louis Verdocio and another to the small bike bar where the original contact was made. The ironic part was Alberto had planned to rip off the stupid Miami big shot anyway. There never was the amount of Cocaine that they were dealing for $400,000 the plan was very simple entice some underworld pootahs to bring money, take their money and buy guns for the junta. Alberto had not however counted on the likes of one Cody Jenkins. The fury of the storm raged in thick bolts of lightening riding atop waves of thunder

He stood in the chickee by the roadside watching the sky as wave after wave of rain sheeted down in whipping wind gusts. The surface of saw grass that stretched for as far as the eye could see, bowed and changed colors as the rain and wind beat it down mercilessly only to see it stand in the face of the next gale. The Scarecrow was soaked. The little roadside booth he was standing in, was in the drive of a tourist trap that had been shut down. The booth was to give tourists free useless info and free money-saving wonder-park coupons. They in turn would fork over big bucks to ride an airboat into the sawgrass and look at alligators whose bellies were bloated with the marshmallows to which they had become addicted .

Someone had been killed at this particular site and it was wrapped up in lengthy litigation which would not bring back the dead. The water was running to the swamp as it fell in wind blown sheets and the swamp was rising up fast to meet it. The road was covered for hundreds of yards in places. Palm fronds and sticks floated freely where once there was a yellow line. Scarecrow tried to think where he might hole up but there wasn't anything else on this road for 75 miles, in either direction. Of course he hadn't planned on this place bein closed. He would need a plan B real soon. He looked at the restaurant bldg and the boat house of the former tourist trap and thought about breaking in or maybe if he made a run for it he could make it to Lauderdale. The water continued to rise and the road was fast disappearing for long stretches. Off shore, 150 miles to the east of the Florida Keys, the biggest Hurricane ever recorded churned the waters of the Atlantic. To Scarecrow it seemed more like it was already here. He had not seen anything yet.

Scarecrow finally got ahold of Sid's ex-wife who told him that no-one had heard from Sid in days. That everyone was looking for him for various reasons, mostly having to do with money. Some had even said they wanted to kill him, some thought he might be dead already. She was scared. Scarecrow could not figure out why he was last to know this shit, but he knew in his heart he was probably flat broke heavy in debt and left responsible for the mess. Tom Hallis got back on his ride and fired her up. He pulled from the muddy lot onto the road. He had gone about a quarter mile fighting the wind as it liked to move him about as if going into sudden turns. At times he thought the heavy gusts might take the wheels right out from under him. He stopped and looked into the ever darkening skies, the wind whipping at him, moving both him and the heavy harley. He stood astraddle and watched two waterspouts develop out over the sawgrass and whip wildly about. More would form, he was sure of that. He looked at what used to be the road ahead it was totally covered with water. He looked down at his wheels they were already up to the rims in water. If the rain did not subside, which it gave no indication that it was going to, the water would be at frame level in no time. There was no pushing on, he looked behind. The road behind him had disappeared also. Scarecrow turned the bike around in a tight (k) he didn't want to even accidently get no where near the ditch. The water had to be 8 or 9 feet deep in the roadside ditches by now. He headed back for the roadside tourist trap it was the longest quartermile he ever rode. He could not see the pavement. He was guessing all the time where the middle of the road was. The wind was shaking him from left to right and sometimes he felt as if the big harley would lift right off the ground. To top it off a pick up truck with gigantic tires passed him. He tried to flag them for help but they blew by throwing a wall of water on Scarecrow. assholes' , he thought. There appeared to be a frightened girl looking out the rear window, and why wouldn't she be frightened? riding in this weather with those yahoos. He rode hampered and at slow speeds back to the parking lot of the deserted tourist trap. His neck and shoulder blades felt like kinked knots from fighting the wind. Once he thought he saw another headlight far behind him but it could not be and he did not glance back again. When he finally made it to Restaurant Alipatah he worked to squeeze his scooter into the roadside pamphlet stand. He was satisfied this would do unless he found something better for her. Ringing wet and sloshing through ankle deep water he went to investigate the restaurant portion of the property. It was on stilts so if it didn't blow down it would be awhile before the water rose up to float it off its stantions.

Sid Weathers was in very big trouble and he knew it. He was afraid to ask about it cause he dint want the police suspecting that he was connected to whatever was going on. He knew this much, he had blown a sizable chunk of money most of which was not even his. He drew massive loans on promises and gambled all of it on a one shot deal to save his ass , his marriage his company, and his friendship with his partner. The one shot deal went sour somehow and now there were pissed off people everywhere, not just pissed off but deadly. Sid sat on the edge of the lumpy bed. He stared down at the small bedside table, on it was a small caliber revolver maybe a .22 target pistol. Beside that was a mirror with a hefty pile of cocaine on it, a straw, and a razor blade. Surrounding that were a bunch of bloody kleenex, a phone, a bottle of rot gut bourbon and Gideon's Bible. He cursed the pile of powder that would not let him sleep and then he cursed himself for being so weak, for being such a loser. His own whining sickened him even more. He picked up the pistol and put it to his temple. His drug and alcohol fogged mind screamed at him, 'pull the trigger you fucking loser' as his eyelids began to close and he began to squeeze the trigger he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror next to the pile of coke. He hadn't shaved in days his eyes were bloodshot and yellowed , his cheeks were drawn in from not eating and blood trickled from his left nostril. A cockroach ran up the wall distancing itself from the coming storm, Sid watched as it crawled into a corner and disappeared. He looked back into the reflection in the pile of cocaine mirror, he was still there distorted and unrecognizable, blood trickling from both nostrils now and down to his lips where they immediately became numb with coke, he sat there for a long time like that. The pistol to his brain. He stared into his own bloodshot eyes and then as a tear trickled from the corner he put the gun down. Wiped the blood from his nose put on a trench coat and stuck the pistol in the pocket along with a bunch of kleenex. He dumped the coke and the whiskey in the toilet and flushed it. He put everything else in the waste bag and then looked around the room. Satisfied, he took the bag with the mirror straw and empty bottle, turned up his collar and walked into the blinding rainstorm towards his car. In his shitty motel, that probably rented rooms by the hour the phone began to ring. No one would answer.

Little Louie was not about to lose 400 grand. It was not all his. He had called in fronts and favors and loans on his Uncle Vido's reputation. The guy that was supposed to broker the deal either never showed, or he had set Louie up, Louie didn't want to deal directly with the Columbians, he didn't trust them, the turnover was way to big for him to pass up so he called on Cody Jenkins, a pugilistic Harley ridin drunk who would stand up to anything , except normal citenzry style living. All that money... Now the money was missing there was no product, the biker was missing, He made a decision, he needed to take some insurance action, get the ball rolling before he called his uncle. When he asked Eddie Turner what he thought of his plan Eddie kinda rolled his eyes and gave a slight shake of his head but said nothing. "Good," Louie Veridocio said. " Then lets get crackin, Pockets, you track down this Weathers Guy, I want him." Then he called on two yahoos from the fish camp who he had used in the past to kneecap deadbeats, and sent them to the last residence Cody Jenkins had been seen hangin out at. Louie never invested this kind of money without knowing all the Players, which was the trouble with this deal he didn't know jack about the Columbians.

Clete and Jimmy Simms were a couple of nigger hatin jawbone cracker rednecks that would rather fight than fuck they would do anything for a buck or a dare if they thought it was gonna be death defying or profitable they had no conscience and their collective brain rarely made it to the ‘what if' phase of thought. But tonite they had it all, they were hired by some dumb "Wop" as Clete put it, " that had more money than brains." all they had to do was, go to an address and bring who was ever there to an address in Ft. Meyers, their instructions were simple, ‘ use force if you have to, but bring me someone alive.' They passed a bottle of rotgut between them and each swilled some down. "I cain't b'lieve were makin $2,000 to do this. "Me neither, wooowee thas allotta dough." "Whacha gonna do with yer half?" "I dunno maybe buy me one of them thar titty dancers." "Yah you could have a lap dance for free everyday." Then they started laffin, a goofawin hyuk hyuk sort of noise like they just heard the funniest thing ever. They were silent for a bit then Jimmy Simms says to Clete , "How we gonna do this?" Clete thought about it for almost a full thirty seconds and Jimmy furrowed his brow and stared at him as if to help his beleaguered thought process. Clete finally spoke. "We're gonna kick the door in stick the huntin rifle into the face of the first person we see and force em into the pick-up and head for Fort Meyers." "That's good Clete I was thinkin of knockin but that wouldn't scare the shit outta them like kickin it down." Clete mulled this over in his mind and took another swill as he drove one handed into the blinding rain, he handed the bottle to his brother, maybe knockin ain't a bad Idea. Jimmy Simms took a big swill then corked the bottle and checked the mag and chamber in his rifle. The wipers were slappin wildly, but not fast enough. The wind howled and the thunder rumbled as a new cell approached. Jimmy and Clete rode in silence. Every once in awhile one of them would let out a little hyuk hyuk noise and the other would hyuk back. They felt like secret agents.

Detective Honus Had had it for the day he wanted to go somewhere an hole up. The wind shook his unmarked cruiser violently. Trash cans, lawn furniture and other objects were blowing and jumping about. The traffic lights looked as tho they would be ripped from their cable and the stop signs wavered back and forth wildly. Honus had evacuated his mother and wife hours ago as did the majority of the metro, it had been a maddening experience of bumper to bumper cars people fleeing for their lives, rats from a doomed ship. Now all that was left was the natives, the homeless, the foolhardy, the scum, the firefighters, and the cops. The detectives radio crackled, another shit storm, this time in little Italy. Honus wanted to go to the Swope address and follow his only lead before too long, the trail was not warm, but he knew he should go to little Italy first. He sat still for a moment as a plastic milk crate bounded across the road and smashed into the side of his car then he pulled away.

Cody Jenkins climbed the four cement steps with the steel railing and fought to get the door open against the wind and then held tight as he squeezed thru so it wouldn't be ripped from his hand. He sloshed over to a seat by the window and peered at the Car, still running, headlights still on wipers going. He watched as Swoop eased away in the rain head down against the brutal weather. Cody glanced over at the bartender a old shriveled up man with a grouchy expression glued to his face for eternity his name was Jesse he had been behind this bar since moses was a child. He didn't seem to notice Cody come in but Cody knew better. The old man was propped at the end of the bar. The heel of his hand seemed to holding his head up and his other hand held a remote that he stabbed at a snowy and blurry screen that broke up wildly, each station he could almost get showed old news of the impending storm the live coverage had packed up and moved. The banner at the bottom stated "IF YOU HAVE NOT EVACUATED AT THIS TIME IT IS TO LATE. FIND SHELTER NOW" Cody kept an eye on the car outside and hoped Swoop made it home. "Howsit goin Jesse?' "It was nice and quiet til now." the old man didn't look around." "Well shoot Jesse whyn't ya say what ya mean?" "OK last time you was in here you got drunk, obnoxious, wanted to fight and run off all my customers. You're an asshole Cody Jenkins and trouble follows you where ever you go and whoever is near you gets caught in the shit fallout. Is that sufficient? Cause I can go on." Cody smiled at the knarled old man at the bar who had stared hard at him for a couple seconds after his lecture, then he resumed stabbing at the TV with the remote. The channels were going by so fast he couldn't possibly see what was on. Cody glanced at the car again he was going to have to try and follow it, if it left. It would be better if they were there to watch him then he could stay inside for awhile. Cody called to Jesse again. "Well my longtime fan, beings that there ain't no-one here I prolly won't be able to run anyone off, so if ya git a break maybe I could git a beer." "You know where they are can't ya see I'm fuckin busy." Cody glanced outside again. The car shut down, the lights went off two people rushed towards the bar back door. 'Maybe going behind the bar and getting my own aint a bad idea.'

Sid Weathers called little Louie. "Where are ya Sid? We'll come and get you." "No I'm coming to you, and I can bring the money in too if you can tell me what's going on." "Gee thats nice of ya Sid we're going to Fort Meyers to sit with one of Cody Jenkins friends I'll give you an address you can join us there." Sid took down the address, he knew there was deep shit. He decided to call the bike bar where Louie Veridicio had once met with the man who was supposed to watch Sid's back during the exchange. The biker with no real expression, but ever watchful eyes.

Scarecrow pulled his saddlebags and toolkit, everything was wrapped in garbage bags so it should've still been dry, (unlike himself), he slung the bags over his shoulder and headed for the boardwalk that surrounded the once seasonally booming novelty shop and restaurant, the wind was whipping hard now and scarecrow kept his head down and leaned into the stinging rain. Once on the deck he started peering into the windows but they were dirty and visibility was non-existent. He went to the door. He could see where it had been locked from the outside at one time but the lock and hasp were torn up he tried the door, it seemed open but would not give he put a shoulder into it and it moved. He slammed into it again and pushed it further it was then ahe realized someone was holding it from the other side. Tom Hallis stopped pushing on the door. He stepped back a step. "I don't mean anyone no harm, It's a mutha fuka out here tho, I could shore use a dry spot."

Danny Swopes aka Swoop took side streets and side alleys through the city edging his way slowly towards his house. His heart was heavy that he left his runnin partner behind . Swoop knew Cody was right. They had pulled a lot of shit in the old days and almost always came out alright Swoop had backed off quite a bit in recent years. He was sick of yahoos, he was sick of barroom brawls, and he was sick of looking over his shoulder for the law all the time, he had basically backed off. Danny Swopes had a good job right now. He had a decent woman, and a dynamite kid. She wasn't his kid but he promised her mother as she lie dying he would take care of her and he meant to do it. Not just because of her mother's plea, sure that was part of it but because he wanted to. The kid needed a break, all she ever got handed to her, in nine meager years, was shit. He liked her she was mentally tough and made from real stuff.... The wind slapped and wrapped something around Swoop, it had control of him, he could not even fight . It was all over him, suffocating, pulling him and his machine to the side of the road. It was melting to his engine and the fumes were gagging and suffocating him . As he let go of the bars with one hand, to pull the stuff from around his head he went down hard. The wind grabbed the moving bike, the big rider and the sheet of construction plastic like a giant sail and just blew ‘em over. BAM. He was seeing stars for a few seconds. Swoop scrambled to get loose of the bike. His elbow hurt like hell and his leg was caught up under the primary. The melting plastic was burning his eyes and lungs. He let out a growl of pain and effort as he strained to pull his leg free from 6 or 7 hundred pounds of metal. Gas was beginning to leak from the tank and the petrol smell was mixing with the melting visqueen. Danny was becoming desperate, he was afraid the gas would some how spark and he would burn to death lying there in the street, although, he may not make it that long. The fumes from the plastic were starting to make him lightheaded and sick. He got his good leg against the seat and pushed for all he was worth he was not ready to die just yet. As he pushed with one leg he wrapped both his hands around his pinned leg and pulled growling and cursing. His foot came free of his engineer boot, . Something popped or stretched inside one of his thighs the pain brought tears to his eyes, it was intense but his leg was free he rolled bootless into the gutter which ran fast with water over his face. Swoop scrambled to his feet. With one boot on, and his soggy sock extending 6 or 7 inches past his foot, he fought the wind as he tried to untangle the plastic mess from his scooter. It seemed hopeless for a time then... The wind finally worked in his favor as it ripped the plastic from his hands, almost yanking him down to the road again, then the big sheet of plastic was gone. It swirled down the street and caught on a small tree ripping it up by the roots and they danced madly out of sight. With what he could muster he squatted next to his fallen pony and got his hands under her like a scoop. His leg and elbow screamed in pain as he attempted to stand his ride back on her wheels. He got her up. He almost lost it to the other side but once again he got a help from the gusting wind. He got the stand down and leaned her over . Swoop was soaked to the bone the water was running off the end of his nose in a steady stream as he picked at the melted goo wrapped around his carb and jugs, what was on the pipes was there to stay. He of course could not get it all out of his jugs but he had to get out of the storm. Danny Swopes grabbed his boot, he was glad he wasn't wearing lace-ups this day, he dumped the water from it and stuffed his foot back in with some painful effort. His left leg was not worth a damn. He could stand on it but that was about it. The intense pain that kept shooting up thru his thigh and nuts told him he had prolly torn somethin real good. Swoop knew he couldn't kick the beast with it and he always did. He hoped granma as he sometimes called the Pan would help him out. "Come on baby, get me home an I'll fix ya like new. I'll get all this crud off ya an buy ya new things." he gave her a couple of primers and put all his weight on the kicker. She gave him that same weak assed pop that she gave him under the overpass . "Com'on granma don't fuck with me now we need to get the hell outta here." He reset and was about to kick again, a sign broke loose from somewhere and flew thru a car window setting off an alarm . Swoop kicked, again the rear cylinder popped and popped again and popped again he dared not give it any gas. It kept popping and putting and suddenly the front kicked in. He gave her a tease of throttle she got stronger he gave her some more and she started to run...

Cody stood behind the bar as the two strangers, a young guy and gal bursted thru the door and slammed it shut against the wind. They were drenched from the short run to the saloon. Cody eased his .45 back into its vest pocket. Jesse the gnarled old bar owner didn't even look at them he was still pokin the remote in rapid fire at the TV where snow and static were the only programs left. "Wow this sure is some storm."the young lad spoke first, prolly in his early twenties. Jesse looked at him dumfounded, "I hate to inform you kid but this ain't no storm it's the outer edge of a friggin hurricane." "Like Yo, I heard that dude." "Like we paid all this money for a tropical vacation and this is the kind of weather sunny Florida has?" Jesse sat the remote down and continued to look at the two as if he had just met his very first pair of totally out of touch with reality people. "You could write the chamber of commerce and threaten to sue them if they don't give your money back, sue them for not forewarning you of the weather we planned for this weekend." The youngster stood there seeminly taking to heart what the old man was telling him, his head bobbed up and down. "I will dude, yah, thats a damn good Idea. Thanks." his head bobbed some more. The gal hadn't said anything yet she just stood there looking wet and somewhat miserable in her finest Southbeach disco attire. Then the dude spoke again. "So like can we get something to eat here?" "Sure." said Old Jesse, " we have an extensive menu, what would you like? Peanuts ?, pretzels? Pork rinds? Perhaps some pickeled pigs feet?" Cody was gettin a small kick watchin the old barkeep practice his favorite pastime. After asking the old man for Pina coladas, bahama mammas, dos equis beer, amber this and pale ale that. They finally settled for a couple buds and a shot of jack Cody set them up for the old man and asked what they owed. "15 bucks." Jesse replied without batting an eye. Cody knew that the old man was gaffin the two youngsters for an extry 3 to 5 dollars but said nothing and put their money in Jesse's till. Hell, Jesse figured #1 he was never gonna see these two again and #2 they was prolly forkin over 5 or 6 bucks a beer and 7 or 8 a shot to the thump of some techno beat down at the beaches anyway. The youngsters thought they was gettin a bargin. It was then that the phone rang...

Clete and Jimmy Simms were in luck there were lights on in the house, there was even someone lookin out the window. Of course Clete and Jimmy were on their way to being purty wasted and almost drove past the house. Instead of stopping and turning around, Clete just whipped the steering wheel. The humongus pick-up rocked on two wheels and shot forward onto the property's front lawn where it skidded sideways tearing huge trenches in the soggy yard and rocked to a rest. Jimmy handed Clete the rifle and they jumped out and rushed at the front door. When the little girl seen the spectacle unfolding before her she said, "Um Stacey? I think we got troubles too. Stacey looked out the window "Shit who the hell were these bozos? You call 911 I'm gonna get Swoop's bat." but before the call could be made, the front window shattered and in stepped Cletus Simms followed by his Brother Jimmy. Cletus waved the rifle wildly about screamin, "don't fuckin move if you don't want to die!" Jimmy Simms grabbed the young girl by the wrist. She screamed and twisted and bit and clawed at her attacker but he was too strong and it was as if he enjoyed watchin her squirm like a racoon caught by the tail. With his other hand he yanked the phone and cord out of the wall. About at that same moment tho, Stacey reappeared and Jimmy Simms' lights went out. He was cold cocked blind sided by an aluminum t-ball bat that dropped him to his knees, and then he fell flat on his face. Stacey was about to swing again when she caught the butt end of a hunting rifle flush on the nose, forehead, and mouth. It was a sickening thud and sent blood flying everywhere. The woman reeled backwards where she fell over a chair and hit the floor with a thump and didn't move. Clete propped the rifle to his shoulder and aimed it at the woman, the little girl leaped in front of the barrel and covered the woman with her own small body. "No!!" She wailed don't hurt her no more." Cletus almost squeezed off a round thru both of them as this was becoming a chore now. "Don't fuckin move!" he yelled, "or I will kill you both right now so help me god. Now go get me some water." Which he had her throw in Jimmy's face after he rolled him over with his boot. Jimmy came to, sort of, he was messed up bad. Hits in the head had never slowed Jimmy or Cletus down before so this was a whole new experience for him. "What the hell hit me?" he slurred, his eyeballs struggled to focus but everything was spinning. Cletus hyuked at him as he kept his rifle trained on the fallen woman and the little girl, who was crying silently and trying to clean the blood from Stacey's face or at least wake her up. "You were beat up by a girl you stoopid shit." Clete hyuked then he hyuk hyuked somemore. Jimmy wobbled to his feet and tried to regain his equilibrium he staggered towards Stacey who lie motionless. He pushed the little girl aside with a kick, reached down and grabbed the young lady by the hair as if to stand her up or punch her. In the blink of an eye she was wide awake and produced a shiv from out of nowhere and stuck it deep in Jimmy Simms thigh. "Die muthafucka!" She was spittin blood and blood spurted everywhere from Jimmy Simm's thigh. He screamed in pain but did not let go of her hair, instead he started kicking her in the ribs and stomach. Which brought the little girl back into the fray clawing and biting him. "Jesus H Christ!" Yelled Jimmy. He grabbed the kid by the hair and let the woman flop to the floor. He nearly lifted her off the floor by her hair as he threw her towards his brother. "Give me the goddam gun." Clete handed his brother the rifle and grabbed the little girl by the hair and started for the truck. "Hurry up we got to get to Fort Meyers." The little girl screamed but No one would hear.

Jimmy Simms was losing a lot of blood , his head pounded and his vision was blurred. He followed his brother a couple of steps towards the door, then turned and tried to sight in on the woman who had spoiled his day. He squeezed off a round, she twitched, he fell back a couple steps then staggered to the truck...

Little Louie had just hung up the phone from his fortunate phone call from Sid Weathers and started rubbing his hands together. Things were looking up, at least for the moment, because within two minutes of the time he hung up, a window in the house broke. Before anyone could even react , a bomb went off in little Louie's digs, blowing out the windows, shattering glass and filling the conspirators with shrapnel. While they we're writhing on the floor in death throes the door was kicked down, and everything in the house was filled with lead including Little Louie and 2 of his clingers. ... Eddie Turner had already left to hunt down Sid Weathers.

Eddie Turner didn't even know where to start, no one had seen Weathers in 3 days, which is why the biker went by himself to the Columbians, which is why this whole thing was fucked up. Eddie figgered he would try the bike bar where the deal was originally arranged, even if no one was there He could stay dry and pretend that he was lookin. Besides Eddie was gettin tired of this shit. 'Louie is a fool, maybe I should call Uncle Vido before half this crap starts bouncin on me...'

Cody Jenkins hung up the phone from his fortunate phone call from Sid Weathers. He knew that the shit storm he was in hadn't played itself out yet, it was gonna cause more death, it was runnin parallel with the Hurricane that hadn't played itself out yet. What he didn't know was, how Little Louie had found out about Swoop, 'this could be bad'. He tried Swoop's phone the line was dead, he would have to go there, even tho he knew Danny could take care of hisself, he couldn't let him walk into an ambush. He looked at the disco duo and raised one eyebrow, "Is that a rental your driving?"

The Seminole man, one Toby Billie moved quickly to a boarded window he could peer out. He wanted to eyeball whoever had just pulled up, It was a giant four wheeled pick-up, the kind anybody who lived in the Florida swamps would be proud to own, he described it to the soaking wet biker. "That could be trouble..." Scarecrow thought out loud, "How so?" "They passed me on the road east of here heading west, I just got the feelin whoever is in the truck ain't too cool. Plus..." he added, " there is no goin back east and if they can't get that monster any farther west ... well we're all in trouble." Toby Billie continued to look thru the boards. "No one has moved yet..." "That might be good for us, you got a weapon?"

Swoop somehow made it to his driveway. He parked in the street, he knew his scoot would never stand in the driveway or yard, they were under water already. Things were very wrong. He dug his piece out of the inside pocket of his waterlogged jacket. The door banged wildly in the wind the window was broken there was no movement in the house. He crouched down and limpingly sloshed thru the water towards his abode, taking care to not be a good target. He edged up to the house and got his back against it. He looked around real good, his heart was thumpin loud he could feel it in his ears, he moved closer to the door. Swoop grabbed the banging door and tried to listen... It was impossible in the howling wind, he poked his head in quick. No movement. danny moved in slowly taking note of the body of a girl named Stacey he'd been shacked with for a whole month with. He called the little girls name, no answer. He moved to the young lady on the floor, her face had been pushed in bad, she had a bullet hole in her left shoulder that went in clean and came out dirty. What Swoop couldn't see was the fractured ribs and punctured lung. He leaned in close to see if she breathed, he could feel a faint pulse at her carotoid. "Stacey..." "Stacey, you still in there darlin?" Her eyelids fluttered ever so lightly "Stacey where is she?" Her bashed in mouth moved abit as she tried to speak but only blood spittled and gurgled out Swoop pulled his soggy head band off and tried to clear the blood from her mouth. "Please baby , try again." She was very weak, her tongue licked ever so slightly at her lips. He leaned in close as a weak wheezy rasp sounded "Ft. Meyers" "how long?" Again in what seemed an eternity to Swoop she managed with much effort to part her bloody lips and speak, "Just left." "Hang tuff Stacey, just hang tuff." He eased her back down and rolled her to a position where the blood could run from her mouth. He went for the phone. it had been ripped from the jack. As he started for the phone in the back bedroom the lights flickered and went out. He found his phone no problem, but lines were dead prolly down. Swoop started for his bike with a big decision to make...

Cody Jenkins was thinkin seriously of just taking the car from the kid who kept calling him dude and just punching him in the face. Up til now, all he had done was stand behind the bar waiting for some sign as to what if anything he should do next. Since Sid Weathers phone call his mind was made up. He needed to get to Danny Swopes. If the weather was better, Cody knew the place would already be crawlin with Cops, Columbians and small time gangbangers. He had sent Sid Weathers to Swoop's house to mebee buy some time Weathers seemed anxious to do it maybe redeem himself. A car pulled into the lot. Blocking the youngsters rental. Cody stood patient and watching, a lone figure appeared and hustled towards the door with head down against the wind and rain. A large branch tore loose from a tree on the next lot and as it crashed down it collected some wires and snapped a nearby pole sparks flew everwhere . Eddie Turner muscled his way thru the door and fought it shut. He wiped water from his arms and face then kinda shook his hands down and looked around. There was Cody Jenkins. "Don't make any nervous moves there OK Eddie? Because it wont be healthy." The lights flickered. "What are you doin here Jenkins?" "Why where am I supposed to be?" "Louie's hoppin." "Louie is a fuck up. I got his fuckin money, there is a goddamn hurricane goin on out there in case you ain't noticed." About then ole Jesse spoke up, I knew it, ya cocksuker, more of yer shit is fallin, y'all get the fuck out and do me a big favor an don't fuckin come back. "We'll be gone in a minute ole timer don't bust a blood vessel." "Yer goddam right you will..." before the old barkeep could say another word the lights flickered out. Within seconds of the lights flickering out a Van pulled up and four figures emerged then quickly disappeared into the stormy shadows, Cody seen em, "Jesse grab junior an his girl fren here and stuff yourselves in the bathroom." The ole man did not argue, he went. As they played a deadly waiting game Cody Jenkins spoke to Eddie Turner... " Eddie you better pray these are your guys." "They ain't my guys Jenkins, Vido's in the dark and Louie and the boys have headed for fort Myers by now." Cody "They go to Swope's house?" "Don't know, Louie had the address of some place he'd seen you hangin around." "Nobody better git hurt at that address." Cody Jenkins din't have time to jaw any more something shattered a window (Cody hit the floor behind the bar and Eddie Turner dove into the corner with his arms wrapped around his head. Instantaneously a large thud flashed across the room busting windows and mirrors and shattering bottles along the back bar. The bells from the concussion had not even stopped ringing when bullets started spraying from two windows. Cody crawled for the bar opening as glass and booze rained down on him. Eddie Turner lay on the floor under one of the windows. He had a piece of metal that entered thru the bottom of his shoe and was protruding up from the top of his foot, his left arm was gashed to the bone from his elbow thru his bicep, his left thumb was gone and so was his left ear. He bit on the fingers of that same hand to keep from screaming as he dug out his equalizer in last ditch desperation, he might have been a punk, but he was a scrapper. He watched in a pained daze as the muzzle from the automatic sticking thru the window above him swept back and forth. Two others attempted to kick the front door in But had no luck, as it weighed about 180 lbs and opened out, had they tried to pull it, everyone inside would have died in a deadly crossfire. It wasn't locked. About the third time they tried to kick it in, a figure stepped out of the shadows and pulled both barrels of an ancient 16 ga. lefever side by side. Cutting the two would be assassins practically in half.. At the sound of the explosion the gun waving over Eddie Turner held, as did the other. Eddie sat up and shot the hit man in the back of the head as he looked towards the Door. Cody Jenkins flopped out on the floor on his belly and shot the other sprayer dead in the face. Then rolled back behind the bar. Nothing, no noise, only the wind howling madly thru the broken windows... After a minute Cody could hear the disco doll screaming in the bathroom. He still didn't move. "Turner... You alive?" "I don't know, maybe... I don't feel so pretty good." "You see anymore?" "I don't know I think there was more but maybe they blowed themselves up by accident, somethin happened, I got one tho, maybe they took off." Cody Jenkins thought about that for a second. "Maybe,... I hit one pretty good too." Cody Jenkins peeked up over the bar the Van was still there. He ducked back down. "Can you get a peek out the window?" "Nah, I can't, .... I feel bad, I can't stop shakin, I think they fucked me up pretty good." Cody crawled out on to the floor, then ducked back, ... nothing ... he started out again when old Jesse emerged from the back. He was soakin wet . "Throw a bomb in my goddam bar will they, motherfuckers. Lookit this mess." Cody wasn't sure what happened but no-one was shootin. He waddled in a half crouch over to where Eddie Turner lay. While Ole Jesse was still throwin his arms about sayin "lookit this shit and lookit this goddam mess..."

"Hows it look Jenkins?" Eddie Turner's voice was weak "Not so good Eddie. You could make it tho... if I could find help on a night like tonite." "No sweat man, I was lucky to make it to 36." Cody pressed. "Where was Louie goin Eddie, an it ain't got nuthin to do with your loyalties." Eddie knew, and gave Cody Jenkins the scoop on Swopes, and the Ft. Meyers address. As Cody Jenkins stood and headed towards the door there were many background noises, the loudest being the wind but also Eddie Turner's moans the disco girl screaming muffled and from afar and Old Jesse cursing "don't come back ya sonofabitchin cocksuker."

Swoop had made up his mind and he would have to live with it. He was going to leave Stacey behind and try to track down the girl. She would probably not last the night out and he could not get her anywhere on the bike. He reasoned this to himself as he headed for granma. The panhead sat at the side of road it still idled as it rocked crazily on its kickstand. It was a good bike once it started, and the only time it really gave him trouble startin was when the weather was either real wet or real cold. As he straddled the bike, headlights pulled down the road behind him. He got back off again and moved off the road and crouched down. The rain drops were like wasp stings they hit with such force and you had to lean into the wind or lose your balance. The car pulled behind Swoop's bike and stopped. A figure fought to get out the drivers door and when he did he had a gun at his temple. "You here to try and finish us off?!" Swoop was so pissed. He knew this Weathers guy, had hung himself, and Cody out to dry. "No, no, I'm here to help, honest, Cody sent me and he's on his way, honest." Swoop thought about this for a second, he felt like pullin the trigger on this fuck right now but knew it wasn't to his advantage. "Alright, there's a gal in the house, she's hurt bad, she ain't gonna make it without a doctor. You get her to a hospital or die trying, because if I live thru this and find out ya didn't... I'll kill ya myself. Got it?" Weathers nodded and Danny put his piece back under his jacket. "If Cody gets here before you leave I'm goin to Ft. Meyers." With that he got on his Pan and wobbled off into the storm being buffeted and thrown around he worked his way into second gear, the storm, the Everglades.

The little girl was in the back of a King Cab monster pick up that the driver had literally thrown her into. She never would have made the climb her self. She was little cut up and bruised from being tossed around, but she kept quiet. When they started down the road, being blown wildly from side to side, the one who had been stabbed and clubbed by Stacey howled in pain and rage she could see something still sticking out of his leg and blood gooed out. He tried to Pull it out and howled in pain as the weapon Stacey had used was barbed and imbedded deep. To pull it back was going to rip up a lot of things in his leg. Cletus hyuked at him, "ya want me ta pull the goddam thing out ya big baby? I will." "Fuck You Cletus, just fuck you. It ain't funny anymore, she stuck me with a goddam arrow, maybe a broadhead, or a fishin arrow, we gotta get some where and push it thru, I'm bleedin like a stuck pig my heads half bashed in an your fuckin laffin at me.!" He swung the rifle up and aimed it at his brother. "Easy now Jimmy I was Just tryin to cheer ya up brother, I know yer havin a bad day." "A bad day!?" "You call this a bad day?" "I been hit in the fuckin head stabbed with an arrow bitten clawed and kicked..." Jimmy glanced into the back at the little girl, as if it were all her fault. She watched his eyes to see if he was going to lash out at her. She had gotten pretty good at avoiding direct hits in the years before Danny Swopes came along. Cletus leaned over and got the bottle of swill . "Here Jimmy take a swig it'll knock the edge off. I'm sorry man." Jimmy Simms lowered the gun and took a big pull on the whiskey bottle as he did, Clete nearly ran over a guy on a motorsickle. "What the hell is that dumbass doin?" he came within inches and blanketed the rider with a wave of water. He would of hyuked about it except he didn't want to rile up his whiner of a brother. The girl saw the rider and pressed her hands and face against the rear window hoping it was Swoop come to save her. It was not and they drove on with out looking back. They passed a deserted tourist airboat ride place and Jimmy wanted to stop but Cletus said it wasn't open and kept going. Cletus wanted to get to Ft. Meyers get his money then he would get Jimmy to a hospital. They argued about stopping and about halfa mile past the place Jimmy convinced Clete to turn around by pointing the gun at him again. This time making sure that Cletus knew he was lettin off the safety. They eased back towards the dilapidated restaurant fighting a violent head wind that seemed to lift the big truck in the air at times. They pulled in watching the place for any movement.

Cody was not gonna be able to get anywhere on a motorcycle, the Hurricane was just offshore now. Things were breaking apart. the roofs on the more modern homes to the south of the city were lifting right off the structures trusses and all. He commandeered the disco duos rental and drove over branches and other debris while still more bounced off the car. A branch from something shattered the rear window and for a second he thought he was being shot at again. He drove up on the side walk to skirt a down utility pole. He ducked down alleys and side streets where the obstructions were not to bad yet and continued to roll towards Swope's and the edge of the everglades. He pulled up on Danny's house as Sid Weathers was carrying Swoop's lady friend to his car. Cody got out of his soggy ride . "What the hell is going on?" They were having to yell to be heard over the wind. "I don't know, he didn't say, he just said to tell you he was goin to Ft. Meyers and me take this one to the hospital." "Is she dead?" "I don't know, maybe." They fought with car doors that wanted to pull free. Cody looked at her and lifted and eyelid as they placed her on the back seat. It looked doubtful to him. "Any little kid around?" "Nope." "You do what Swoop said." He gave Weathers a certain look that was dead cold in the eye. Then Cody Jenkins got back in what was now a mangled rental and headed for the swamps.

Nobody, nobody could have made the ride Danny Swopes made. 43 miles into the everglades at speeds of no more than 30 miles per hour but usually around 15 and sometimes 5 in 1st gear with his feet down but he pushed on, possessed. The wind tried to tear him apart from his scooter but he would not give in. Little bits and pieces of debris flying on the cross winds pelted him with stinging force, like BB's or worse, sometimes cutting him as he moved ever forward, determined to cross the state and find the pukes who had probably killed his woman and kidnaped his small friend. 43 miles he rode like that. His back, leg and arm muscles were twisted and knotted into lumps of pain that he somehow ignored. He no longer cared about himself, it was time for Swoop, as his close friends and brothers called him to step up. 43 miles, that was where his faithful Panhead he called granma gave out. She had been runnin real ruff since an earlier tangle with a large piece of plastic that slammed her to the ground and melted on her fins and carb. She would go no further. Her gas was contaminated, the carb was gummed, there was no fixin it in a hurricane the water on the road was 2 inches deep and rising. He tried to kick it a bunch of times with his good leg but he knew... Swoop shuffled around abit in the water and got his bike to the edge of the road. He wrapped his chain around the wheel and frame threw a lock thru it He felt bad about it, he was sure the wind would prolly get it off it's stand, but he started walking, each step was painful, it was along way back but Swoop was not going back, he headed towards Ft. Meyers.

Detective Gerald Honus was lead man on at least a triple homicide, but that wasn't important anymore because right now he was being over come by fumes as his cruisers left rear tire suddenly went up in flames and the down wires and cables were frying thru the trunk. He felt light headed and knew he was choking to death, and that his gas tank could blow at any time. He desperately needed good air, he finally decided to take his chances with the downed lines. Detective Honus tentatively touched and pulled away from the door handle, nothing happened, he touched it again, still nothing, he could hold his breath no longer and the next few whiffs of air in the car would surely make him pass out. He grabbed the handle nothing, he opened the door and leaned into it pushing against the wind. Honus wedged himself in the door. When he put his foot down he became electrified and burst into flames. Then the car's tank blew, rocketing the whole mess forward into a downed oak tree and everything burst into flame.

Tom Hallis tried to watch the progress of the three who had just emerged from the giant wheeled pick-up truck. Peering thru a crack in some boards out into some of the worst weather imaginable. He and his storm partner a Seminole Indian named Toby Billie were going to invite them in for what it was worth, when Tom, who was also known as Scarecrow to a few select friends spoke. "I think the sickly one is carrying something, maybe a crutch or cane, maybe a gun, I think they are prodding the kid along ahead of them. It's really hard to see but I don't like it. I didn't like these fucks when they passed me 15 minuets ago." Toby Bille nodded to Scarecrow and hid his wife and kids in the corner behind some piled up chairs and went to stand near the door. The wind was gusting so hard that it seemed the building would splinter apart at any time. Tom Hallis traded in his throttle cable for a chair leg he liked it better. He placed himself on the other side of the door.

Cody was stopped in his car. Something big had pounded off the roof of the vehicle just above the windshield and it spider'd the whole thing with tiny cracks making the already zero visibility into minus zero if that's possible. Glad to still be wearing leathers, Cody lowered his goggles and proceeded to bust out the useless windshield. He put the car back in drive and moved forward. He fought for vision as well as control of the car as the wind would instantly and violently change directions and the car with no front or rear windows would rise just enough to take the weight off the wheels and the steering and brakes would become useless. Cody was sure this action would just move him off the road into the ditch. He stopped again there was something at the edge of the road. It was a bike, Swoop's bike. He put the car in park and kept low as he fought the wind trying to get a look for his friend. When he saw that there was a chain around the bike he realized that Danny had moved on, on foot. He felt the engine and pipes between the wind and rain they were cool to the touch but Cody kind of felt like they wern't stone cold and therefore he might not be far behind. He got back in and pushed forward.

Jimmy Simms made it to the top of the steps that opened onto decking that surrounded the deserted tourist trap with much help from his brother Cletus. Jimmy was weak with blood loss he was passing in and out of a semi conscious state and with each movement he felt like he might pass out completely. The little girl crouched and huddled against the wall as they made it to the top she wanted to run but did not no where to go. Clete gave her a kick with the toe of his cowboy boot. "Keep movin ya little shit." he yelled at her over the wind. They turned the corner on the deck and Cletus leaned Jimmy against the wall as he prepared to bust down the door with his shoulder. He popped it real hard, twice, but it did not give. He looked at it hard as if trying to figure out what to do next. "Try pulling it." It was the little girl Cletus rose his hand back as if to back hand her for speaking. She didn't want to help these jerks she just wanted to be inside. She ducked out of the way and he missed, he was going to go after her and beat the snot outta her when Jimmy said "Jesus Christ Cletus, quit fuckin around and try pullin it I'm fuckin dyin here." Disgusted Clete tried kicking the door in three or four times. When it didn't give he tried the handle, it opened in, but it wasn't locked. He looked around sort of peered into the dark but could not see. Determining everything to be OK he sort of shuffled his brother away from the wall he was leaning on and crammed him into the doorway so it didn't shut again while he collected his prize. As he was grabbing the small girl tho, Jimmy just disappeared with a "Hey!"

Swoop was all but beat to the ground. He found himself staggering along in mid shin water fighting the wind to remain standing. His sensibilities had long since left, he was wracked with pain and was in danger of hypothermia even tho it was not that cold temperature wise, he had been wet to the bone for the better part of Four hours now. His limping steps were becoming smaller and less productive he could no longer control his urge to shiver and he was doing so almost violently when he spotted some sort of building ahead thru the sheets of rain. He tried to steady his pace and headed for it. The wind had staggered him an nearly took him off his feet a dozen times. As he slowly and painfully approached, Swoop noticed a rather large Pick up truck parked in what would be knee deep water but its axle design Humongous tires and everything about it was so high off the ground that the water wasn't even to the hubs. As he moved towards the main building, headlights broke thru the sheets of rain on the road and caught his attention.

Jimmy Simms' small mind was fogged and groggy, with pain, whiskey and a severe almost fatal loss of blood. So when he was yanked into a deserted building and someone had clubbed his rifle out of his hand, breaking his wrist, wrapped him up in a half-nelson and had a knife at his throat. Well he just didn't have much fight left in him. He just kinda hung there in Toby Billie's grasp, almost glad someone was holding him up. Toby Billie shook him a time or two but it was rag doll, he eased him to the floor as Scarecrow laid down his make shift club, scooped up the rifle and aimed it at the door. "I know this peckerwood." The Seminole said as he studied the grimaced look on his hostages' face. "This is one of the Simms brothers I should just cut his throat right now. Shit man, You don't know how right you were. These two, are bad news.

Sid Weathers dropped a young lady named Stacey he had in his Charge, at an emergency room in Deerfield Beach. It was way north of Miami but it was dots onna map as officials kept the public flowing ever north and westward. The Emergency Room doctor declared her to have very faint, very weak vital signs and there was a mad rush of activity on her behalf at which time Sidney Weathers eased out of the bustling hospital and disappeared.

Cletus couldn't believe his luck, he looked to the storm as if praying to some redneck god who helped people do evil deeds, and screamed, "I don't fuckin b'lieve this god, why me , Why ME." He had a hammerlock on the little girl, his pea sized brain hollered at him to snap her neck and drive away. After all, his brother was bein a dick, an the way their luck was runnin he reasoned he might not get paid. But, he was after all family... This was a lot of reasoning for Cletus Simms and his head was beginning to hurt. "Hey I don't know who you think yer playin with here." He started kicking at he door again while flopping the kid around by the neck as she clung to his forearm with both hands, trying to keep from choking. When the rifle shot rang out and splintered the top corner of the wooden door just above Clete's head , he like to shit. He stumbled back a couple of steps and almost fell over the rail backwards where he would have fallen into the swamp and taken the child with him, he caught his balance. "Hey! Motherfucker! I got a kid out here. you send my brother out an I won't break her neck and burn you the fuck out. Tom Hallis looked at Toby Billie, then he looked at Toby's wife. her arms surrounding her two small children as they huddled in the corner frozen with terror. Toby Billie was only scared for his family. He knew that the life he had lead should have put him in the grave many times. These two were suspected more than once over, of killing and beating on some of his tribesmen. He looked back at Scarecrow who called to the door. "Your brother is in bad shape he can't be moved or he'll die. Come in, bring the kid and sit on the floor, we'll ride the storm out and try to help your brother." "You sonsabitches, if you hurt my brother, I'll kill ya, now send him out NOW!" Toby Billie looked at Scarecrow, clenched both his fists, the right still wrapped around the handle to his hunting knife, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and slightly shook his head no. He was ready to die rather than turn their only bargaining chip over to a braindead maniac. Scarecrow shouted back., "Can't move him come in and sit down." "You Bastards !" Cletus was furious no-one kidnaps his family an gets away with it. He stormed off the deck dragging the young girl with him. Her arms upper and lower were bruised badly and tender from being yanked and hauled and thrown around so much. Her neck was sore and bruised and her scalp was starting to dribble blood where chunks of hair had been nearly wrenched from her head. Cletus tore down a length of old electrical extension cord from the rafters and lashed the small child to a supporting post tying her so tight it was cutting blood circulation. He was mumbling stuff to his self as he sloshed off towards the out buildings. the wind so fierce now it was becoming deafening.

The little girl was about to pass out. She wanted to cry out, but the wire was so tight around her throat she could not. As her eyes began to widen and bug out, and her tounge started to elongate from her mouth in a desperate last attempt at air, she had a vision. An Angel had come for her, to relieve her of her pain to take her to heaven. It looked like Danny Swopes, it spoke awfully softly, but yet it sounded like Danny Swopes. It loosened the cord that was wrapped around her, and life saving air flowed to her lungs. She tried to focus as the Angel lifted her to his shoulder like a baby. Then as she closed her eyes. The angel pulled a gun out of his belt and started up the steps to the deck.

Cody Jenkins found the release on the seatbelt. He knew he was upside down so he put his hand on the roof of the car which was rapidly filling up with muck from the bottom, he pulled himself over the seat back and forced his way thru the ever thickening muck and out the rear window. He was sure he would drown as the car settled ever deeper int the murky bottom. Cody clawed and dug at the silt as the weight, of the rear of the car sank it deeper. Finally being free of the cars weight he clambered the side of the car. He gasped for fresh air as his head broke the surface, he got on the under carriage of the auto which was on its back in the canal like a dead roach. Even standing on the bottom of the car his head was barely out of the water and whitecaps, whipped by the wind washed over him causing him to choke and sputter as he tried to catch his breath. The car was settling further into the muck he could not stop here. Cody Jenkins pushed off, swimming and kicking hard, his clothes, leathers and boots heavy with water, tried to pull him back to the bottom but it was only a few feet to the road side where he clawed and scrambled at the bank like a madman till he was free of the canal's clutches. He crawled to the road on his hands and knees, head down, trying to catch his breath. The water on the road was up to his body. He paused there for a moment. Then Cody pushed hisself upright, he looked back into the wind then turned, hunkered his shoulders against it and moved about three steps when he thought he saw fire flicker up ahead. He cleaned muck and water from his goggles emptied crud from them and peered harder into the night. There were buildings up ahead. He pushed on.

Toby Billie rushed to the window, as best he could tell the truck was still out there, not knowing if the other Simms brother had a gun or not they decided to try to get a shot at him if he broke for the truck. While Tom Hallis attempted to squint into the storm in an almost impossible job of keeping track of the truck that totally disappeared between sheets of rain, Toby Billie gaurded the door in case it was rushed . When someone banged loudly at the door, Scarecrow swung around and drew down and Toby Billie went into a crouch.

Swoop had laid the child against the wall and felt her pulse, it was young and strong, she was bruised and battered and he was pissed. .his heart sank with pity and then raced with rage as the thought, that she might have been raped, swept over him. He banged at the door. " Y'all have hurt this girl bad, and now its time to pay the piper." As the door knob turned Danny Swopes steadied his gun at eye level, with both hands. Wracked with pain and shivering his ass off he did not care anymore. Someone was going to pay. When the door was wrenched from Toby Billie's grasp and banged against the wall there they stood. Tom Hallis with a rifle aimed at Danny Swopes head, and Swoop with his weapon aimed at Scarecrow.

Scarecrow spoke. "We didn't hurt her mister, we have kids in here. One of the ones that did is right there on the floor he glanced at Jimmy Simms who was reduced to only letting out a low moan every now and then. Then he nodded towards Danny, never once lowering the rifle, the other is out there. somewhere. You Him? Swoop looked towards the body on the floor, he lowered his gun. "I got a hurt kid here we need to come in." Tom Hallis lowered the rifle. This was not the rangy guy that had jumped from the cab. "Bring her on in."

Cletus Simms was furious. He had wasted enough time fucking with these people. They had cost him one thousand dollars. Maybe more if his brother died . Who the fuck did they think they were. He sloshed gas from an old outboard motor external tank he had found on the pylons underneath the outbuildings. Then he moved to the main building where he sloshed gas on those pylons too. He checked his pockets, he was drenched so he headed for his truck to find fire. He crawled in thru the passenger side where his brother Jimmy always sat, cause Jimmy smoked. He went into the console and found a bic type lighter next to some smokes. Things were looking up. Cletus Simms grabbed a couple of rags and waded back underneath the building so hell bent on causing total chaos that he didn't even realize the little girl was gone. He got the gas soaked rag end to ignite in the heavy winds, suddenly the pylons, the water around his legs everything seemed to erupt in fire around him. Cletus went under water, came up and waded fast back towards the pick up. Enough of this shit I'm outta here.

The woman and her children came out of hiding to tend to the battered little girl. Swoop watched her for a few moments then turned his attention back to the two that had greeted him just moments before. "So what's the deal?" Scarecrow answered. "No deal, him an his fam holed up here, I holed up here, when these two came along they was armed and yankin that kid around. We grabbed one, we couldn't get the other one, or the kid. Frankly we don't know if he is packin or not and couldn't risk these kids." Swoop considered what he was told. The place seemed to be taking on a warm glow maybe exhaustion was setting in but the minute whiffs of smoke said something was wrong. Toby Billie peered thru some boards, the whole complex was in flames. One of the out buildings hissed into the water and disappeered as the wind snatched the smoke, sparks and anything above the water line, another outbuilding was completely engulfed and soon to follow, if the gales did not take it down first. He moved quickly to the other boarded up window, the one that they were watching the pick up from. The truck was still there. Toby made an announcement. "We got to go now. He's torched the place, it won't last ten minutes if that." Scarecrow added two cents, "If he does have a gun, he can pick us of like a shootin gallery." Swoop nodded agreement, "but even so we can't stay here, I'll go first I wanna pop at this sonofabitch." It was then that they heard the single gunshot, confirming their belief that their enemy was armed.

As Cody approached he could not believe his eyes some lunatic was burning down the only shelter for miles, he yelled to the guy "Hey!" But his voice was lost on the horrific wind that was trying desparately to take him off his feet. He moved in closer. The lunatic had a cord in his hand and was cursing the sky, then he started to run up the steps of the burning building. "Hey!" This time Cletus Simms heard Cod Jenkins yell and turned about to see who was behind him. He was furious and dangerously out of time. "You with them?" Clete pointed at the building, "Cause if you with them you gonna die too you fucker. Y'all got my brother, y'all got my money and y'all gonna die !" With that word Cletus Simms launched himself off the steps towards Cody Jenkins. Cody Jenkins basically side stepped the lunge and shot the boy in the side off the head on his way to going face first into the water. The wind pulled the partially floating man towards the boat ramp and into the swamp. Cody watched him for a few seconds as the body floated off to deeper water then disappeared in the storm. He started up the steps in hopes of finding Swoop alive and well. As he rounded the corner on the deck a door blew open with a bang. He drew down on the open door just being cautious when two slugs fired in succession both caught him in the chest and sent him spilling over the rail into the swamp not far below. Cody Jenkins' lifeless body followed that of Cletus Simms into the everglades.

Their plan was simple, take out their oppressor, jump start the truck, get the hell outta here or they were going under with the building. Swoop lined up first, then Scarecrow, Toby Billies wife carrying the still shock induced unconscious little girl. Then Toby Billie carrying his two small children. Swoop let the door fly and as he bellied out into the storm there he was leveling a gun at the door. Without hesitation Danny Swopes put two deadly shots into the silhouette before him and it disappeared over the rail. "That's it." He shouted back to the others, " lets get the hell outta here." The force of the wind thru the open door started moving things about inside the building and the rear half of the roof lifted from its trusses and slapped a couple of times like a bed sheet in the wind then tore loose and sank burning into the water. If they looked back all they would have seen was a wall of flame trying to creep against the wind. They hustled around the deck, the stairs were gone . Swoop jumped into the water and scarecrow handed him the girl then scarecrow jumped down and helped retreive women and children from above. Toby Billies wife asked him about the man who laid helpless on the floor behind them and Toby answered. "We will all be judged by the Spirits when we face them." And with that he helped her down. and jumped from the deck himself. As they sloshed towards the giantic pick up truck the building gave out a long mournful groan thru the roaring fire and whipping gusts and leaned over, slowly hissing and popping into the swamp, the wind snatchin all visible signs of the once prosperous tourist trap from sight.

They boosted and crammed people into the cab Toby elected to lash hisself to the roll bar and ride the back as room was at a minimum, Tom Hallis broke out a screw driver and liked to jolt hisself half numb as he jumped the solenoid on the starter standing in a foot and a half of water. Swoop hoped the beast wouldn't just blow over on its side, as it rocked and swayed more with each blast. As scarecrow climbed in cussin and shaking his arm, Swoop dropped her in reverse and backed around, put it in low and tried desperately to hold the middle of the road as they moved away towards the west. Behind them the only thing left standing was a small chickee stand used for handing out pamphlets and coupons to rubes eager to give away their money. In the stand was Tom Hallis' Motorcycle, not far to the east a panhead named granma sat rocking and jerking in the wind. It was a long ride to the north west and a long night. Somehow as if by miracle the small band in the pick up made it thru and wethered out the rest of the night behind the block wall of a shopping center praying to whoever might hear them to deliver them thru the storm. By morning the winds had subsided to nothing and the 98 degree temps partnered with jungle like humidity took over.

I could go on, I could go on about a small child awakening in the arms of her guardian angel, or about a mysterious truck that waded into the everglades the next day and retrieved a pair of harleys that had rode out the storm mostly intact if not a bit wet and in need of TLC. I could go on about a rental car sunk in muck upside down up to its wheels and completely covered with water, that had approx 400 grand rotting in its trunk, Maybe I could go on about three men who through disastrous odds became brothers and companions to each other for many years or about a brave young lady named Stacey who was willing to give her life to protect another and how she recovered and became part of a tight and loyal family. I could go on about homeless and unidentified people stacked like cord wood in refrigerator trucks, then buried in mass graves. Maybe I should tell about police and sheriffs' departments cleaning their slates of working crimes or unsolved deaths and attributing the missing persons to the storm death totals, I just don't feel like going on any further.

Hurricane Andrew was the third most intense storm at the time of landfall to strike the U.S. mainland in the 20th Century. It struck Dade county, Florida on August 24 as a category 4 hurricane with a central pressure of 922 mb, the third lowest for a hurricane at landfall this century. Andrew made a second U.S. landfall on a sparsely populated section of the south-central Louisiana coast as a category 3 hurricane. In southeast Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi, rainfall totals in excess of seven inches were recorded. Rainfall amounts near five inches occurred in several neighboring states. Estimated damages in the U.S. of $25 billion make hurricane Andrew the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history. It was reported Andrew destroyed 25,524 homes and damaged 101,241 others. Andrew was directly responsible for 26 deaths, but including indirect loss of life the death toll was 65.

Sludge
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