Stephen Randel - The Chupacabra

“Thanks,” Kip replied as he took his seat. Peering into the kitchen, Kip looked for Jackie. It didn’t take long to spot the pretty blonde directing her kitchen staff as she inspected three plates ready to head to the dining room. Mark approached Jackie in the kitchen and pointed in Kip’s direction. Her blonde ponytail whipped behind her as she spun around from the plates she was reviewing, and she smiled from ear to ear when she spotted Kip. Motioning for someone to take her place, she disappeared from view for a moment before bounding out of the kitchen door and quickly making her way to the end of the counter. Kip stood and caught Jackie as she leapt into his arms.

“So good to see you!” Jackie said, practically choking Kip as she hung from his neck.

“Look at you!” exclaimed Kip as he set her down. “You look fantastic.”

“So do you, Kipper! I’m so glad you made it.”

“Me, too. Look at this place,” Kip said, motioning toward the packed dining room. “This is amazing.”

“Thanks, man!” Jackie replied with a smile and a playful punch to Kip’s shoulder. “It’s pretty nuts on a Friday night, but I love it. This is kind of rush hour, but it’ll settle down in a while and we can catch up. You don’t need to be anywhere soon, do you?”

“Nope. Bennett lifted my curfew tonight,” he joked.

“How is Bennett? He drops by occasionally, but I never get to spend enough time with him. You have such an interesting father. He just cracks me up.”

“Well, he’s been sick lately, but you’d never know it.”

“Yeah, I heard. Don’t you worry—he’s as tough as barbed wire and way too ornery to let anything slow him down.”

“That’s the truth. Now, you get back to your kitchen and come visit when you can.”

“Did you eat yet? You better not have,” Jackie said, shaking a finger at him in jest.

“Absolutely not. I’m dying to see what you learned overseas all those years. You know, I’m practically a New Yorker these days, and I know what the good Italian stuff is.”

“Well, I don’t normally serve yankees here, but I’ll make an exception for you. I’ll have someone bring you a menu.”

“Actually, why don’t you just put something together for me? Chef’s choice.”

“Do you drink wine, or are you still just a beer and bourbon man?”

“I love wine.”

“Great! I know exactly what to make for you.” Jackie hugged Kip one more time before spinning around and hustling back to her kitchen.

A few minutes later a bottle of wine appeared. It was closely followed by a series of four magnificent dishes. After the last empty plate was removed, he returned to his glass of wine and watched as the restaurant began to empty of its patrons. When the majority of the room was cleared and the frenetic pace of the kitchen and wait staff had slowed, Jackie emerged from the kitchen with an empty red wine glass.

“Jackie,” Kip gushed. “That was amazing.”

“I’m glad you liked it, big boy. Hope the selections worked for you.”

“Absolutely. I particularly liked the pasta with the anchovy and garlic sauce.”

“That was always one of my favorites in Venice,” Jackie said as she poured herself a glass of wine from the bottle.

“How’d you know Brunello was my favorite?” Kip asked as he clinked glasses with Jackie and took another sip.

“Just a hunch. I’m so glad you could come by. Sorry it was so busy earlier.”

“Hey, no problem. I enjoyed the chance to watch you work. You really have a passion for it.”

“I do,” Jackie said as she sipped her wine. “Now, tell me about you. How long are you back for?”

“Well, my return ticket is scheduled in a few weeks, but I may change it. I really want to spend some time with Bennett and you, if you can find some time.”

“Absolutely. Sunday nights are slow, and I close on Mondays. Maybe I can sneak out early Sunday night and we can catch a movie for old time’s sake.”

“Only if it’s subtitled,” Kip laughed as he raised his glass in a toast. For the next hour, the two spent time catching up and reminiscing about the old days as the restaurant staff readied the place for closing. Jackie howled in laughter as Kip replayed the events of the bingo hall earlier that evening.

“She actually fired her gun?” Jackie laughed as Kip finished his story.

“Swear to God. Man, I hope they put that little hellcat in solitary for everyone’s safety.”

“So you came with Polly? Can I give you a lift home later?”

“Sure, if you don’t mind.”

“No problem. In fact, I insist. Let me go check with the staff and make sure everything is ready for close, and maybe we can pop over to Sixth Street and grab a nightcap first.”

“I’d love that.”

After Jackie assured herself that everything was in order with the staff, she grabbed her purse and headed down the block with Kip to the still bustling Sixth Street. They made their way into a small jazz club and continued laughing about old memories over another glass of wine. After a while, they both decided they’d had a long day and should head home.

“I always loved your old home,” Jackie said as she navigated through the streets of Austin. “I’m so glad your father didn’t sell it when your mother passed away.”

“Never any risk of that. Bennett will die in that house before he sells it. The only thing he loves more is his dog.”

“How’s Avery? I haven’t met him, but when Bennett comes by the restaurant he’s usually grumbling about him.”

“Oh, he’s pretty weird, but mostly harmless, I think. He and Bennett fight like an old married couple. They make an unlikely pair, but Bennett swore to his second wife that he’d take care of her son after she died, and the one thing you can count on Bennett for is to keep his word. You’ll have to meet him sometime. It’ll crack you up.”

“So, we’re on for a movie Sunday?” Jackie asked as she pulled to the curb in front of the big white house.

“You bet. I’ll swing by the restaurant, and whenever you can sneak out, we’ll go,” Kip answered as he wondered if he should kiss Jackie goodnight.

“Can’t wait,” said Jackie as she leaned over gave Kip a quick kiss on the lips. “See you then,” she said with a smile. Kip watched Jackie pull away in her car as he mentally kicked himself for leaving Austin in the first place.

Back along the Mexican border, the Southwest Texas Revolutionary Armed Confederate Border Operations Militia was locked and loaded and ready for Operation Land Shark to officially commence, albeit a few hours later than the General would have liked. The men had regained their confidence and swagger after the disaster of the ATV training exercise earlier that evening. Private Zulu had painted the bright orange ATVs with ribbons and stripes of black shoe polish. It didn’t exactly make them blend into the desert terrain like General X-Ray had hoped.

“But at least it makes ’em look meaner,” the private had noted.

The men of STRAC-BOM had loaded their gear and weapons onto their vehicles, and with a flourish of his riding crop, the General ordered his men to start their engines. The General pulled his leather goggles down from the top of his tanker’s helmet and secured them firmly in place over his eyes. After kick-starting the heavy dirt bike to life, he led the convoy of vehicles into the desert, only to return to base a few minutes later because Private Foxtrot had forgotten to lock the door to the HQ. Once the base was secured, they moved out again.

Progress was slow and bumpy. General X-Ray’s stubby legs stretched as far as they could in order to reach the ground from his seat on the motorcycle, but they just wouldn’t make it. He had to ride straddling the dirt bike’s gas tank. His legs looked like a set of children’s training wheels as the General tippy-toed along while he struggled with great effort to keep from tipping over while navigating the broken and rocky terrain. The first phase of Operation Land Shark was for the men to make their way several miles north to Rally Point Uno and establish their first camp. The General shouted encouragement to his troops, but they couldn’t hear a word he said over the noise of the ATVs. Slowly, the convoy of vehicles began to separate. After an hour of slow progress, the General, noticing his men were scattered, brought his dirt bike to a halt and waived his riding crop in a circle above his head in an attempt to rally his troops to his position. Realizing that they couldn’t spot his position in the dark, the General grabbed the small handheld flashlight attached to his belt and clicked the light on and off several times in their direction. One by one, the ATVs arrived at his position and killed their engines.