ran past him into the house. Rita stepped back a foot.
“You’re one of them, aren’t you?”
Rita squinted. “One of what?”
“Lesbians. You’re one of them, aren’t you?”
“My sexual orientation is none of your business.”
He laughed. “You putting the kid in a home or something?”
“We’re not sure yet where Alex is going. He wants to join the Army.”
“Good. Make a man out of him. He’s too much like his mother though. A loser.”
Rita just looked at the ground, blew out her breath. Glanced at her bike. Looked back at this slob of a man. At least that’s how Rita saw this guy. “Where is his mother?”
“Vancouver probably. Just go look where the hookers hang out.”
Alex walked onto the step at that moment holding a small travel bag, jumped down beside Rita. He looked at his father. “My mom’s not a hooker.”
“Go on kid. Join the Army and learn something.”
“I’ll come back and kick your ass one day, too.”
He glared at Alex. “What did you just say, boy?”
Rita pushed Alex toward the motorcycle, stood between them. “We’re leaving now, Mr. Racine. Have a nice day.”
He stayed on the front step, looked at his son now near the motorcycle. “You watch your mouth, boy.”
Rita walked to her bike, looked at the kid and his one bag. “That’s all you have?”
He nodded.
“Carry the bag on your lap.”
The Army private in the van followed the motorcycle to a mall, Rita talked to the soldier briefly, then she and Alex went inside, followed by the private a discreet distance behind. Rita walked quickly, Alex walking fast to keep up. She spotted a sign, walked into the open doors of the clothing store. Forty-five minutes later, three full bags were loaded inside the van and Rita rode back to the beach house, it was time for lunch. Shopping always made her hungry.
She made up a plate of cucumber and tomato sandwiches, grabbed some milk from the fridge and led Alex across the road onto the beach, where they sat on a large piece of driftwood, the waves rolling slowly to shore.
He looked at her. “Do I really have to wear a sports jacket to school?”
She nodded. “If you want to live here you do.”
“I’ll get beat up.”
She grinned. “You want to a Badger?”
“Yeah.”
“Stop dressing like a punk and start dressing like a man. You may find the girls look at you differently too.”
He looked at her face closely, he liked her face. “Okay, Rita. I hope the ambulance gets there before I bleed to death.”
She grinned. “Yeah, so do I.”
“You don’t wear a sports jacket.”
“Sometimes I do. And a tie too. Don’t worry. You have some nice shoes, jackets, pants and shirts. You’re supposed to go to school to learn, not be a punk. Punks are stupid. Don’t be stupid, Alex.” Rita looked at him. “Close your eyes.”
After a brief pause he did as she asked.
“How many people walking on the beach?”
“Four.”
“Six. Two arrived and you didn’t see them. When you enter a place, or a situation, you have to see everything and remember it. It takes practice.”
“Will you teach me to be like you are?”
“It takes discipline. Up for that? No more hanging out all night, or being stupid. I want to know where you are at all times, and you have to practice. That’s the big thing.”
“I will, Rita.”
She nodded. “Okay. Eat your sandwich.”
“My mom’s a drug addict, but she’s not a hooker.”
“I know.”
Alex took a bite from his sandwich, looked up and down the beach, looked up at the afternoon sky. He said, “There’s an eagle circling above us.”
“Yes. What do you sense?”
“Its something good, I think.”
She smiled. “Yes, the bird is calm now.”
He just looked at her, ate his sandwich, glanced up at the bird, along the beach. Two more people were now walking on the rocky shoreline.
That same afternoon, Rita heard from Colonel Robinson at the Sidney Army base. The four men who attacked Rita at the beach house were local Muslims, no history of previous violence. Rita guessed that’s why they were amateurs and not professional killers, but something set them off. It must be tied to the thing on the pier, she thought. The identities of the men who had the drugs on the pier were still unknown.
Dixie and Cathy also called, worried, sorry they were out of town when the trouble happened at Rita’s house. Rita said everything is calm and the Army had men watching her residence. She would see them at work in the morning.
Stella came for a visit, met Alex. She liked the handsome young man, as she referred to him. Alex didn’t seem to mind being called handsome. The three had supper together, chatted until the sun went down.
Chapter Four (Monday, June 21, 2021)
Rita didn’t own a car, only her motorcycle, and she and Alex rode to school, the handsome young man now wearing his new clothes, gray blazer hidden under an old leather jacket of Rita’s, his lanky body perched on the back seat. She parked the bike out front of the school and walked inside with Alex. He looked nervous dressed like some preppy throw back, but remained quiet as he walked beside Rita to the principal’s office. There were a few students in the hallway and they all stared at Alex and especially the very attractive military woman that accompanied him.
Rita entered the Administration Office, talked to a secretary and waited for a few moments. She smiled at Alex and adjusted his shirt collar. A nice looking friendly faced woman with a milky white complexion and short auburn hair walked up to Rita and smiled. Did a double take when she looked closer at Alex.
The principal half stared at Rita. Immediately thought of Brigitte Bardot. She smiled. “Hi, I’m Isabel Zaharick. How may I help you?”
“I’m Major Rita Royale. I just wanted to let you know that Alex will be under my care as of now.”
She
