Once back on the first floor it did not take Amos long to pick out the loud, sing song voice of Mrs. Garcia. “Non, you are not going anywhere, you are staying right there. Get mad all you want, you ain’t moving till we done here.” As he entered the apartment, he saw more residents from the building inside the landlord’s apartment along with some faces he did not recognize. Mr. Phil was awake, and he was yelling and carrying on from underneath the old boxers that Amos have pulled upside down onto his head.

  “Let me go, this is my apartment, and this thing is my property.” “Oh non, non no muchacho. Everyone here knows better and everyone here is finding their things which you took from them.” Mrs. Garcia raised her voice. “Things is gonna change around here now. We are no afraid of you anymore and you have to do you job and leave us alone now. If you don’t, then we all go and complain to get you fired onto the street. Do you hear me?”

  Everyone on the first floor had heard her. Mrs. Garcia had a big voice and when she wanted to be heard there was no stopping her. Mr. Phil tried to argue, to shout her down but he was no match for her now that she wasn’t afraid or alone anymore. In the end, the residents struck a deal with Mr. Phil. After much arguing and what kind of seemed like a sincere apology from the landlord it was agreed that he could have another chance.

  Amos leaned over to Alanah and whispered, “what did they tell him about us?” “Absolutely nothing, he woke up about twenty minutes before you returned and the only one speaking was Mrs. Garcia for the most part. Every time he tried to speak, she just raised her voice. She totally dominated him.”

  Amos thought that this was great news. The less Mr. Phil knew about who set him up and how it was done then the better off he was. He did not like having enemies or having to live in fear and getting a reputation for things like this on the street would just mean that he and Alanah would be easier to find. “Let’s get going then” no telling when they will cut him loose and release the blindfold, but Amos did not want to be there when it happened.

  He and Alanah left the apartment and Amos motioned Mrs. Garcia to follow while making the universal quiet sign with his finger over his lips. “Were you going now honey, don’t you want to celebrate with us some more?” “We would like that, but we don’t want to be around Filthy Phil when you release him. Please don’t tell him who did this, we don’t want to run into him outside the building ok?” Mrs. Garcia smiled and said “don’t you worry, I am gonna keep him on a real short leash. We all watch him now and if he fall outta line then we gonna make him do the time.”

  Her own joke brought a big laugh to Mrs. Garcia, and she seemed to really be enjoying herself. “Why would you keep him around, after all he did to you guys in the building” Alanah asked? “Honey, sometimes the devil you know if far better than the one you don’t.” Mrs. Garcia smiled and shook her head. He is not a good man, but he does keep the building in shape and now we can deal with him. We don’t want to get a worse criminal in here instead so we will keep him here, now he’s under my thumb.”

  Mrs. Garcia laughed again and then looked over Amos’s shoulder down the hall. “Looks like some more people want to say goodbye to you.” She gave him a big hug before he could turn around and when he did, he saw Mrs. Murphy standing there with a smile on her face. “Here, you must have this” she said pushing a large while envelope to him. “Take it, I am one of the luckier ones and I have more money than I need and no family to give it to.” Amos stepped back holding up his hands, but she was insistent. “I won’t take no for an answer, you earned this money and I can’t enjoy the peace and freedom you have given me unless you take it.”

  Stolen story; please report.

  On their way out of the building Amos lightly punched Alanah on the arm and told her “Well, that was an elegant plan, just brilliant. You can take over planning duties from now on.” “Hah…no chance, but I will help you out from time to time when you seem to be struggling for a good idea.” He smiled at this, Amos was still quite glad to not feel so alone and in the last few weeks his new friendships which had been nonexistent before had become suddenly a very real and welcome thing in his life.

  “There he is, I wondered if he would come.” Amos looked where Alanah was looking, unsure of what or whom she was talking about. Then he noticed Jim’s truck parked on the side of the road when the driver’s door started to open and Jim stepped out. “Don’t look so surprised, he really cares about you, and you never call him, so he asked me to check in and let him know that we are ok. I told him about this plan, and he was mighty curious, I thought he might show up.”

  Amos was surprised, surprised to see Jim but also unsure of how to feel about having Jim worry about him. “Just relax already Amos.” Alanah gave him the punch in the shoulder he knew that was coming, Alanah was not the type to let a punch, friendly or otherwise, go unreturned. “It’s ok to have people that care about you, life doesn’t mean that much without that.” Amos held out his hand when he got close enough to Jim to shake only to hear a snort of disgust behind him before Alanah shoved him none too gently into Jim’s somewhat surprised embrace.

  “Ok then, reunions over and I am hungry, and we are buying, the others got lunch when we left with Dan, but I was too nervous to eat.” Once they were at the diner Alanah ordered steak and eggs “I’ve always wanted to try that” she said and then slowly, between many chewy mouthfuls, she told Jim all about the scene in Mr. Phil’s apartment. Jim laughed and laughed at the description of the landlord trussed up with his own underwear on his head. “Somethings you just never imagine…...anyways, when you’re ready I will drop you off, I’ve got to back back to the store, but I brought some things for your new place too.”

  The conversation turned serious before they had finished their meal. Jim told him that his contact at BPD had made some more enquiries about the aftermath of the rescue at Giorgio’s. “This won’t go away, and they won’t forget.” Rumours are already starting about who did this to Giogio and his backers. Most of the stories are completely made up, rival gangs, police raids, stuff like that but more than a few times people are being told that it was two kids that shook down the local gangster.”

  Jim lowered his voice and was really serious for a moment, speaking in slow voice. ”Stay away from the North side, stay away from Giogio’s, and never brag to anyone about this. Maybe in a few months the rumours and the interest will die down but for now please stay under the radar.” Amos was still trying to puzzle out what radar was as they left the diner and headed for the truck.

  Stashed away in the small jump seat in the back of the truck were two new sleeping bags, some new cookware and dishes and small old fashioned style TV and DVD player with a bunch of movies that Jim said they must see. “They’re classics, absolute classics, you’ll just love em.” Amos was almost at his breaking point; he needed a bit of time to think about all that had happened and what he wanted to do next. The last few days had been absolutely full of worry, fear, happiness, joy, and excitement. Everything except sleep and some downtime to think. He was glad that they were on there way home where they could just relax and lay low for a bit.

  Just as they started driving to their hideout, he remembered one more thing that he should do. It had not occurred to him until now but as soon as the thought came into his head, he could not shake it. “Jim, can we make a small detour, there is something I really want to do.” After a quick stop Amos had Jim drive him a few blocks away and drop him off. “I won’t be long and this won’t be dangerous.” Jim looked at him with a bit of doubt in his eyes and Alanah sulked in the passenger seat of the truck, more than a bit annoyed that Amos had told her that he wanted to do this on his own.