Eric Walters - The Rule of Three

“I could wait here until you get back—that is, if you think it’s necessary to have someone here.”

“I wouldn’t be out here if I didn’t think it was.” Herb climbed onto the bike. “I won’t be long. Remember that discretion is the better part of valor.”

“What?”

“Sometimes the bravest thing to do is run.”

Herb rode away, getting smaller and darker until he vanished. I went to sit in the lawn chair and then stopped. I decided I’d feel better on my feet. I looked up and down the street and then for good measure did a complete three-sixty.

I started pacing into the intersection and then back again. Twenty steps up and twenty steps back. I rested the bat on my shoulder like a rifle. A rifle would have made me feel better. I could have a rifle. I knew where the key was to our gun cabinet, and I could be back here in a few minutes. But I wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t give in to Herb’s paranoia. There was no need for a gun—or even a bat.

I heard something from down the hill. It was somebody coming, dragging their feet as they walked. I could hear them a long way off, just like Herb said. After a while, I could make out a faint image. It was one person. I retreated a few steps and circled around the chair until it was between me and the person. That didn’t make any sense, taking refuge behind a piece of plastic lawn furniture, but somehow it still felt reassuring.

The man’s head was down and he was moving slowly. He hadn’t even noticed me yet. Wait, it wasn’t a he —it was a woman and I recognized her. It was Mrs. Gomez from up the street.

“Hello,” I called out as I turned on the flashlight.

She screamed and jumped. “Don’t hurt me!”

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to—”

“Leave me alone!”

“It’s me , Mrs. Gomez, it’s Adam , Adam Daley, from down the street.” I grabbed a bottle of water and took a few steps toward her.

“Adam… I’m so glad it’s you.” Her voice was hoarse.

“Here, take this.” I handed her the water. She tipped it back, draining half the bottle.

“Thank you. I’m so thirsty and my feet hurt so much.”

I panned the light down. She was shoeless and her feet were bleeding.

“What happened?”

“My heels were no good for walking. I came all the way from the city.”

She looked like she was going to fall over. I took her arm, holding her up.

“I’ll help you get home.”

I led her up the street. Her steps were small and strained.

“How’d it go out there?”

“Not good. I saw a man being mugged. For most of the time I stayed in a group, mainly women and a couple of men who were walking this way. It just seemed safer. One by one they dropped off as they reached their homes or had to go a different way. Nobody else was coming this far. I’ve been by myself the last hour. I was so scared.”

“I’d be scared, too.”

“I just wanted to get back to my family.”

“Your husband and kids were out on the street earlier this evening. They were worried about you.”

She started crying. We neared her house. She pulled out keys and tried to put them in the lock, but her hand was shaking so badly she couldn’t do it.

“Let me help.”

As I went to take the keys the front door opened up—Mr. Gomez rushed out and swept her into his arms. From behind them the kids appeared and they threw themselves at their mother, all four of them hugging and crying.

I felt awkward and started to walk away.

“Adam!”

I turned back.

“Thank you so much,” Mrs. Gomez called out.

“Yes, thank you for bringing her home!” her husband said.

“I didn’t do anything. I just walked her from the corner. I have to get back now.”

“You’re watching the street?”

“Herb is with me.”

Mr. Gomez came out and shook my hand. “I’ll get my wife and kids settled, and then I’m going to come watch, too.”

“It’s all right—we can handle it.”

“No, it’s important that we pull together. I’ll be there.”

“Thanks.” It would be good to have another person. Even if none of this was really needed.

I opened up one eye and then the other. I was back on the living room couch, where I’d crashed after Herb had sent me home for the night. Sunlight streamed through the windows. There were soft voices and strong smells coming from the kitchen. The voices were too quiet to make out, but the smells were unmistakable—coffee and bacon. Did that mean that we had electricity again? I looked over to the DVD player—no little red light glowing meant there was still no power from the wall sockets.

I got up and shuffled toward the kitchen. Before I’d rounded the corner to see, I could make out Rachel’s and Danny’s voices—and Mom’s.

“You’re home!” I said from the doorway.

It wasn’t just Mom and the twins, but Herb and that officer, Brett, all sitting at the kitchen table.

“Good morning! Glad to see you’re not sleeping away the whole day,” my mom said.

I looked at my watch. It wasn’t eight yet. “It’s not that late. Besides, I was up most of the night.”

“And your mother was up all of the night,” she said.

“That makes two of us,” Herb said.

“Three,” Brett added.

“Come and sit down, have some coffee and breakfast,” my mother said.

I noticed the extension cord leading in through the sliding glass door, snaking across the floor and up onto the counter, where it was connected to a toaster, the coffeemaker, and an electric skillet. Obviously this was the line coming from Herb’s generator. I poured myself a nice hot cup of coffee and then put a few strips of bacon and a couple of pieces of toast onto a plate.

“How are things?” I asked.

“Considering all the potential for problems, things are going well, especially since I was short so many officers.”

“Why so many?” I asked.

“Some have a long drive to work, so there’s no way they could report for duty. With others I suspect that they were worried about their own families and stayed home.”

“I can understand that,” Herb said.

“So can I,” my mother agreed. “I’m fortunate not only to live close but to have Adam to look after the kids.”

“We don’t need babysitting,” Danny said.

“Yes, we do!” said Rachel. They were on the opposite sides of a lot of issues.

Herb smiled. “I’m just saying I understand these officers wanting to protect their families.”

“I couldn’t go home even if I wanted to,” Brett said. “My parents are out west, and my house is well over an hour’s drive.”

“You’re welcome to stay here as long as necessary,” my mother said.

“I really appreciate that, Captain. I know a couple of the guys are sleeping at the station.”

“And I’m grateful for that,” my mother said. “We can’t leave it unmanned.”

“Brett did a fine job last night. It was helpful to have an officer standing post,” Herb said.

“There are actually three others from the precinct who live right here in the neighborhood,” my mother said. “And they’ve all reported in for duty.”

“What if they didn’t?” Herb asked.

“I’m sure they’ll come. All three are veterans and—”

“I mean, what if you assigned them to patrol in this area instead?”

“Then I’d be down three more officers that I can’t afford to lose.”

“Not lose— reassign ,” Herb said. “With those officers, along with Brett, this whole area would be completely under control.”

“And other areas would be less under control. I can’t do that,” my mother said. “I’d be accused of acting in the interests of my family and not of the whole community.”