The Return Ch. 04

He lunged at Geoff, throwing a fist to his gut. Geoff saw this as a feint, since the goon's other hand was cocked back ready to strike. He spun into the thug's charge, his right hand curling around the other's right wrist. Before the hood could react, Geoff whipped around to his left, his left hand clasping over his right. Twisting, he fell back pulling the thug toward him in a painful wristlock. Jerking the man's wrist up, then sharply down, Geoff whirled the goon into his partner throwing both off balance and onto the pavement.

Geoff waited as the two came to their feet.

"You little worm, I'm gonna break you in half."

The three day growth growled and ran at him while reaching inside his coat. When the hand returned, it held a six inch dagger. Geoff smiled and waited. When the armed thug came at him, he lunged with the knife at Geoff's chest. Geoff easily snatched the wrist with the knife and pivoted forward and around, jamming his free hand against his opponent's elbow. Pleased with the loud crack of the man's elbow breaking, Geoff slammed him against a steel pole. With one down, Geoff turned to face the second goon, only to find him hanging several feet off the ground gasping for breath. With one hand on the man's throat and the other clutching the back of his jacket, Jenny smiled as he faced Geoff.

"These were the two guys I was tellin you about."

"Put him down, Jen."

The big man let go and the second thug fell to the pavement, pushing himself to his knees as he gasped for air. Geoff walked over and kneeled before the wheezing man. Taking a handful of hair, he turned the goon's face upward and said, "You and I need to have a little chat."

****************

Sarah walked out of the hospital after finishing her shift. She had to pick Becky up from school and strode to her Toyota Camry when a black and gray Rolls Royce pulled up alongside her. The rear passenger window hummed as it descended, Robert's face appearing.

"Sarah, it's been such a long time since we last saw one another," he leered.

"Hello, Robert. Let's keep it that way, okay?"

"Sarah! I'm deeply wounded you feel that way," Armestead mockingly smiled.

"Sure," she replied and tried to walk around the car.

The Rolls backed up blocking her path.

"Sarah, I know Geoff's back in town. In fact, I've already had the opportunity to run into your old beau. And a pleasant conversation that was. Was he pleased about little Rebecca? He seems to believe she's his child, not mine."

Sarah whirled and hissed, "She's not yours and you know it. Because of Geoff, she could never be yours. He pulled you off before you could rape..."

Snarling, Robert Armestead said, "It could hardly be rape when you were so willing. And, if I remember correctly, no charges were ever filed."

Sarah knew it was useless to argue with him, so she remained silent and waited.

"Tell Geoff to back off. He won't like the consequences of his snooping. Accidents may happen to those close to him."

Sarah glared at Robert. "Threats, Bobby? Is that what you're reduced to...threats?"

"No Sarah, not threats...cold hard fact...tell him!"

With a gesture, Armestead signaled the chauffeur and the Rolls sped off leaving Sarah trembling with rage. Geoff was so right about him and I was so damned naive, she thought.

Sarah remembered back to that evening, during the holidays, when she first introduced Bobby Armestead to her fiancée, Geoff. Out of the crowd, Bobby walked up and introduced himself to Sarah and Julie. He said he had just arrived with his father to live at his grandfather's estate on Moon Key Point.

"Oh, you mean the Armestead estate?"

"Uh...yes, I'm Robert Armestead, but you can call me Bobby. My father and I moved here from Chicago and I can say Moon Key Bay just became a whole lot more interesting." As he said this, he stared directly at Sarah.

"Um...Bobby, you should know I'm engaged to be married." Sarah held up her left hand to show her ring. For a brief moment, Sarah would have sworn she saw a flash of anger before he smiled and asked, "Who's the lucky guy?"

"Come with me, I'll let you meet him." She took his hand and pulled him along, with Julie, to find Geoff. Cutting through the throng, she found her fiancée standing by the bar with his friend Billy.

The moment the two set eyes on the other, she knew it was a mistake. When Geoff made sure Bobby was aware she was to be his wife, Sarah understood Geoff was setting the rules for Bobby...back off. She hated this male macho bullshit. She liked Bobby and was angry that Geoff would act so rude. When Geoff drove her home, she was angry over his attitude toward Bobby. She remembered chastising him over his reaction toward Bobby saying he was acting childish. Geoff reminded her she was his fiancée and that Armestead had eyes for her. She had better be careful; he didn't trust Bobby.

She recalled telling Geoff, "You mean you don't trust me!" The rest of the drive to Sarah's home was witness to a chilly silence between the two.

After the end of the holidays, Geoff returned to Cal Poly while she remained in Moon Key attending the local college. Three days after Geoff left, she was surprised when Bobby paid a visit.

She answered the door bell and, opening the door, there stood Bobby Armestead.

"Bobby! What are you doing here?"

He gave off that easy laugh of his and said, "That's a silly question. I'm here to see you. I thought you might like to go get a bite to eat."

"I don't think that would be appropriate, Bobby. Geoff's at school."

"I'm not asking you on a date, Sarah. I was in town and thought you might like to get something to eat. Don't tell me Geoff expects you to remain a recluse, trapped within your own home while he's gone?"

"No, of course not." She didn't tell him Geoff didn't like or trust Bobby.

"Well...shut in or someone with a life?"

Against her better judgment, she decided to go. "Dear, who's at the door?" Sarah's mother had just entered the foyer and spied the handsome young man standing on the porch.

"Uh...mom, this is Bobby Armestead."

"Armestead? Of the Armestead estate on the Point?"

Before Sarah could answer, Bobby entered and took her mother's hand and kissed it. "Yes Mrs. Cooley, Nathanial Armestead is my grandfather."

"Oh my, I didn't realize Mr. Armestead had a family," she said a faint blush coursing through her face.

"My brother and I moved here with my father." Looking back to Sarah he said, "And I have to say, I really like Moon Key Bay very much."

Mrs. Cooley giggled and touched his arm. "I'm sure Moon Key will enjoy having you here." Shocked at her mother's brazen innuendo, Sarah said, "Come on Bobby, I'm getting hungry," glaring at her mother. Mrs. Cooley ignored her daughter's gaze and raised her eyebrows in a gesture that expressed her approval with the young man.

Bobby turned and, holding Sarah's arm, escorted her from the residence. That would be the first of several non-date dates. At first, she felt uneasy, guilty about going out with Bobby but he always remained the perfect gentleman. Sarah enjoyed his company. He was funny and smart, always mindful of her feelings. And he was such a good dancer. She loved to dance and would drag Geoff to the club forcing him onto the dance floor. Geoff would always criticize his dancing skills apologizing to Sarah for his two left feet and Sarah would have to sooth his feelings by telling him she enjoyed dancing with him. However, dancing with Bobby was pure heaven though, a few times, she had to remind him not to dance so close during the slow songs.

Sarah never realized the young Armestead was ever so slowly seducing her. He was careful to speak well of Geoff and how her fiancée had nothing to fear; he was merely a good friend to Sarah. He lavished her with compliments on her beauty and how graceful a dancer she was. Bobby was also very careful to ingratiate himself with her parents, at least with her mother. Sarah's father was a hard nut to crack. Bobby discerned that her father never cared for him. When he mentioned this to Sarah, she shrugged. She knew he father disapproved of Bobby spending so much time with his daughter while Geoff was away at school. But Sarah saw nothing wrong. Bobby was nothing more than a good friend; she still loved Geoff and Bobby understood.

It was a month after the holidays and Geoff had been gone nearly four weeks when she had gone dancing with Bobby at the Club. The night her life became a nightmare. Bobby had dropped by and picked her up at seven in the evening; they were going to the Club. After several fast dances, she started feeling funny, a warm almost fuzzy sensation coursing through her. She'd only had a few glasses of wine but began to experience a heat building within her, almost as if she was becoming horny. When she found herself on the dance floor, she snuggled up to Bobby, only it wasn't Bobby. Somehow, Geoff was home and they were dancing. She could feel him intimately caress her, holding her tight. Sarah felt his hardness against her belly.

Moments later, she was being led outside to the car and Geoff gently laid her on the backseat. He got in and started making love to her. A part of her welcomed his sexual congress but a part of her was confused. Geoff was never into such an open display of intimacy. Then something happened to cause her to snap out of her lustful impiety. Confusion clouded her mind. Why was she laying down on the backseat of a car with Bobby Armestead hovering over her? And how did she become naked? She started pummeling her fists against Bobby screaming for him to get off of her when, suddenly, he wasn't there. Then she saw him standing just outside of the door, Geoff holding him but staring at her. She realized how it had to look and screamed, "Geoff! Oh, my god...Geoff, it's not what you think!"

Her blood turned cold when he, looking disgusted, snarled, "Get your clothes on, you fucking slut!"

She quickly dressed and got out of the car, Julie suddenly appearing and holding her. Sarah remembered crying on Julie's shoulder saying how Geoff will never believe her. Julie bundled her out of there and took her home where Julie stayed with her for the night.

The next day, both of them were shocked to learn Geoff was gone. Sarah had gone with Julie to the McKenzie home to talk to Geoff only to find out from Mr. McKenzie that Geoff had gone.

"He's back at school?" asked Julie.

"No, he...he's gone. Geoff decided to drop out of school and has left Moon Key." Julie's father said this while staring at Sarah. When Sarah heard that Geoff had left for good, her face paled and she fainted. Minutes later, she came to only to find herself on the couch, Julie pressing a cool wet washcloth to her forehead.

Hours later, after she explained what happened to Geoff's father; Mr. McKenzie notified her parents and called the Sheriff's Office. After she had given the deputy a statement charging Robert Armestead with attempted rape, he drove her to the hospital where she was examined and evidence collected. Mr. McKenzie then asked Sarah's father if he could speak with the man's daughter for a moment alone.

When her parents left, he held the broken-hearted girls hands and said, "Sarah, I know you. You would never have intentionally betrayed my son. I'm pretty sure that Armestead may have added something to your drink to make you more malleable to his advances. I know you love Geoff very much and Geoff loves you but, I believe, seeing you like he did, devastated him. Now, he needs to find himself. Sarah, I don't know how long it will take him and I really don't know where he's gone but give him time."

Sarah, tearfully looked up and nodded. "I know. I don't know how long it will take for Geoff to come back but I will wait for him. I desperately love him. I am so sorry I didn't heed his warnings about Bobby. I was so sure Bobby only wanted to be a good friend. While no one else did, including me, Geoff saw right through him. I can only hope he will, someday, return to me."

Mr. McKenzie nodded and held her. "Unfortunately, the boy inherited my temper."

Sarah closed her eyes as she thought about the following months that turned into years, no Geoff returning home. They had both been so wrong.

She shook her head and thought, 'that was the past, not the future,' and smiled thinking of Geoff and Rebecca.

****************

Sitting back at the helm of The Valhalla, Geoff gazed at the blazing surface of the calm waters as the sun began to slowly slip beneath the horizon. He had never seen the ocean so calm, the small yacht barely rolling.

"Geoff, another beer?"

"You bet," said Geoff and a Pacifico sailed up over the edge of the flying bridge. Geoff snatched the bottle and sat back, popping the lid. After sucking down some of the brew, he stood and climbed down the ladder.

"I think it's time to converse with our guests," he said.

The two men following Geoff earlier, now found themselves tied down to a pair of folding chairs, their arms, chest and legs duct taped to the aluminum frames. Heavy chains wrapped around their ankles, the chains attached to two anchors. Struggling against the chairs, the two men frantically tried to scream but only muffled sounds were heard through the thick gauze and duct tape strapped across their mouths.

Jen watched while he sat on one of the deck chairs, the wisp of a smile on his face. Geoff walked to the bigger of the two men, the one with the three day growth, and patted the struggling thug on the shoulder.

"Hey, Frank, nice to finally have a chance to get to know you." Looking through a wallet, Geoff whistled and said, "Nice looking babe! Your wife, girlfriend maybe?" Thumbing through cards, he pulled out a driver's license.

"Franko Manelli. Says here you're out of Detroit. That right Frankie? You from Motor City?"

The bound hood could only mumble but Geoff was pretty sure it was something about Geoff's mother.

"Frank, Frank, that's no way to act. After all, we're good buddies now." Geoff slapped the thug's cheek and stepped to the other man.

"And, here we have...Vic Silverman. You're not Jewish, are you, Vic?" Geoff grabbed the man's chin and forced it up. Staring into his eyes, Geoff smiled. "You know, Vic," he said staring at Manelli, "I think you might be hanging with the wrong crowd."

"Okay, guys, here's how it goes. We're going to pull the tape off and then we are going to ask you some questions. How you answer those questions will depend on whether you get back to dry land or not." Geoff pulled up a bucket and, turning it over, sat down facing the two bound men. Glaring at them, he said, "Don't believe for a moment, I won't toss your worthless hides over the side. The only person that would know your possible whereabouts could care less what happens to you. I know the two of you are on Armestead's payroll and he had you follow and try to intimidate me. You should have done your homework and did some research about me. That is your mistake. Armestead hiring you two idiots to take care of me, well, that is his mistake."

"Jen is going to remove your gags now. Before he does, look around. See anyone near? For that matter, you see any land?"

They both shook their heads.

"Good, consider that a clue," he whispered in their ears and tousled their hair.

Sitting back on the bucket, he shrugged to Jen who stood and ambled over to the two men.

"Okay, this may sting just a mite." With both hands grasping the tape to both, Jen yanked.

"Mother fucker...son of a bitch," each yelled as the duct tape tore from their lips.

"You're a fucking dead ma...," the unshaven thug tried to say before Geoff leaped up. Pinching off the man's nose, Geoff pressed the palm of his hand over the thug's mouth. The chair fell over with Geoff following the floundering man to the deck, his hands preventing Manelli from breathing.

Jenny sat back and watched the two as the thug tried to shake Geoff's hands away so he could breathe. He saw the second man watch, his eyes wide with fear.

Several minutes passed and Manelli fighting for his life, Geoff's steel grip clamped to man's nose and mouth. Geoff grinned as the goon's eyes began to roll back and his movements weakened. Releasing Manelli, Geoff stood and strolled to the railing and leaned back watching the thug gasping and sucking in huge gulps of air.

Geoff let Manelli lay there, his lungs heaving, for ten minutes as he watched the sun disappear bathing them in darkness.

Jen stepped to the controls and flipped a switch, a single overhead lamp flaring to life. The boat began to rock as the ocean surface began to lap against the side.

"Hmm, getting some seas coming in," said Jen staring out over the ocean. The stars had vanished behind an incoming marine layer of clouds causing the horizon to melt away.

"Yeah," mused Geoff, his eyes still on Manelli laying on the deck still taped to the metal chair. "Let's do this."

He strolled over to the fallen man and grabbed the back of the chair, easily heaving the heavy man up. The faint light from the cabin silhouetted Geoff to the two thugs but their faces were illuminated.

"Here's the deal. You tell me what I want to know and, maybe, I'll let you both live. Don't tell me...well, those are anchors chained to your feet. Look at it this way; least you'll be able to sit comfortably on the bottom strapped to those chairs."

"I'll tell you whatever you want, just let me go," wailed Silverman.

"Shut up you moron, he ain't gonna do anything. It'll be murder and he's a fuckin boy scout."

Manelli grinned at Geoff.

Without saying a word, Geoff opened a small hatchway to the swimmers deck. He silently moved to Manelli and, holding the back of the chair, spun him around and dragged him to the aft. Once he was perched in the open hatchway, Geoff stared at him.

"Try me."

Manelli shook his head and spit at Geoff.

"Wrong," was all the young man said as he kicked the chair over. Manelli pitched over the deck screaming, hit the swimmers platform and bounced into the water with a huge splash.

The chain rattled as it followed the sinking Manelli jerking the anchor toward the edge of the aft deck. Silverman wailed as he watched the anchor make for the water. Just as the chain and anchor were about to slip over, Geoff stomped on the chain halting it's advance. Grabbing the anchor, he pulled on the heavy chain until the drowning Manelli rose to the surface.

"Jen, hold this," said Geoff as he jumped onto the swimmer's deck and, reaching down, grabbed the back of the chair. Manelli's face emerged from the cold ocean water, shaking and sputtering.

"Want to try again, Frank?"

"Okay, okay! Just get me up. I'll tell ya anything ya want. Just get me back on the boat!"

With help from Jen, they brought the gasping thug back on board and set him next to his whimpering partner. This time, Geoff threw the anchors into the water, the chains pulled tight against their ankles.

"Know this, gentlemen, this time you go over, there's no coming back. Understand?"

Both vigorously nodded, their eyes the size of saucers.

"Who ordered you to follow me?"

Silverman babbled, "Armestead, Robert Armestead. He told us to watch you and, if necessary, to rough you up. He said he wanted you hurt but not dead. Not yet."

"Why?"

This time Manelli spoke. "He didn't tell us but we figured it was because you were McKenzie's son."

"What do you mean?"

Manelli continued, "Look, you been gone for a long time. The Armesteads and the McKenzies have been feuding for years over land. McKenzie owned a large parcel of land that old man Nathanial wanted but would never sell. Nathanial Armestead tried every dirty trick he had against your dad, but the man was smart and fucked the Armesteads every time. I guess it developed into a blood feud because the head man, Nathanial, swore he would get even with your father."