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"I hate you!" The young girl screamed at her father as she rushed back into the refuge of her bedroom. She slammed the door extra hard so her dad would know just how mad she was at him. It wasn't as if she wanted to run off and get married, it was just a date. < I'm fourteen now. I have the right to decided what I do with my life, > she thought as she back slid down the door, blocking any attempt by her father to invade her privacy once again.
The last few years had been contentious between father and daughter, starting with Lynn's desire for privacy. It started when she'd demanded a telephone of her own. Terry reactively balked.
"What does a twelve year old girl need with a phone of her own?" had been his first question.
Lynn was prepared for that one. "You complain that I'm always one the phone when you need it. Please daddy." Lynn had watched he father's eyes closely on that one. If Terry had one weakness it was the pride he had in his daughter and Lynn wasn't above playing on that fact.
Terry watched his daughter just as closely. He wasn't ignorant of the fact that Lynn could manipulate him. Lynn struck before he could come up with another protest. "Daddy this will help me with my homework. I can hook the computer up to the phone and do research on the net."
< Damn she's good. > "If I say ok, that that's still a big if, how are you going to pay for the Internet access?" He knew he'd struck a weak point in her argument when her eyes darted to the ground.
"Iwashopingyouwouldletmedialintotheshop'sT-3" she muttered briskly and with as little emotion as she could muster.
"No dice." Terry wavered when he saw her eyes tear over. "I'll make you a counter proposal: You work at the shop on Saturday mornings and I'll agree to the phone AND." he added loudly, "I'll let you have net access through the shop." Lynn's eyes lit up like a bonfire in triumph, until the next words were spoken. "All of this is contingent on your grades staying above a B, and that I'm satisfied with your work at the shop. Deal?"
That set the pattern for the next few years. When Lynn wanted something, they negotiated. Sometimes they could find a compromise and other times they couldn't. Things came to a head when Lynn got her first period. Terry had been completely lost on how to deal with the fact that his little girl was growing up. And try as he might he simply hadn't been able to explain the facts of life to her. It wasn't that he didn't want to help her. He just didn't know how.
Fortunately for both of them, Uncle Andy had been there to help. With his medical background, he'd calmly explained the physical and emotional symptoms and described the options for dealing with them. That set the pattern for the future. When a problem developed, Uncle Andy was sure to get a phone call within minutes. This wasn't to be an exception to that rule.
Andy was slowly working the slide of a Gold Cup on the CNC mill when the flashing light that signaled a telephone call flooded the room with red light. He backed the mill off a half a turn and then slapped the big red stop button on the mill. < Damn it. That always happens. > The only reason he stopped working is that very few people had the phone number to the machine shop and they'd been told not to call except in an emergency.
He rolled over to the small office that contained his drafting board and an old rotary dial phone. Reaching the office he shot a quick glance at the clock mounted on the wall. < Too late for David or Suzanne to call. Hmm, who is it this time? > He mentally made a bet with himself and then reached for the phone. "Yeah," he said brusquely. When there was no voice on the other end, he hung the phone back on the cradle. It was only after he'd hung the phone up that he realized that he'd forgotten to remove the hearing protectors before answering. He stood there, willing the phone to ring again. Which it did!
"Hello," He answered. "Sorry I hung up on you."
"Nothing to be sorry for buddy. If you have the time, I'd like to talk about Lynn." The tone of Terry's voice was a little off and Andy already knew what that meant.
"What's the matter, she spamming the porn sites again?"
Even Terry had to laugh at that one. The first week that Lynn had access to the shop's T-3 she'd gotten an E-mail that she said was gross. Rather then just let it go, she'd found some Spam software on the net and had attacked the site. Terry had to restrict her from the computer for a week, though he was secretly please that she's taken matter into he own hands. She'd even learned to hack the IP address so it couldn't be traced back to the shop. Terry had only found out because the monthly utilization report has shown activity when no one should have been using the line. "If it was that simple I'd just ground her again. No, it's serious this time."
"Still, ya gotta give her creativity points for that one." Before Andy could continue there was a double clicking sound in his ear. < Great, another call. > "Hand on a sec Terry the other line is ringing."
He pressed the button, "Hello."
"Uncle Andy you hung up on me."
Lynn's high-pitched voice confirmed what Andy already thought. < Father and daughter are at each other's throats again. > "Sorry about that, munchkin. I forgot to take the earplugs out again."
Lynn managed to sound embarrassed even over a bad telephone line. "Please don't call me that Uncle Andy. I'm fourteen now, If my friends ever heard that I'd just die."
Lynn's words cut through the gunsmith like a knife. "You don't want to be my munchkin any more?"
Even a teenager could have heard the hurt in Andy's voice, so Lynn backtracked. "Sure I do, just please, please, please, don't call me that in front of my friends."
"Right." Even the small condition made Andy feel better. "Look Lynn, can I call you back? I have someone on the other line."
"Sure Uncle Andy. I'll be waiting by the phone. Love you."
"Love you right back honey." Andy clicked the receiver again, "Sorry Terry, business."
"No problem, But I have a catastrophe brewing here and I need your advice. Lynn wants to go out on a date." Terry's voice changed from a desperate tone to one of anger, "And be sure that there's better quality then the last bunch or I'll ship them back COD."
The fast change of topic left Andy twirling until he heard pots and pans banging in the background. < That explains a lot. Lynn came into the room. > "Ok buddy, "I'll be there Thursday morning. A whispered thank you was the only thing Andy heard before the phone went dead in his ear.
Andy smiled to himself and then dialed Lynn's phone number. The phone rang for more then a minute when she answered with an out of breath, "Hello!"
"Sorry honey, did I catch you at a bad time?"
"Not really," the teenager shot back, "I was just starting dinner."
There was a long pause where neither one of them said a word. The background filled with static and little else. "Munchkin, you there?" Andy asked.
"I'm sorry Uncle Andy, there was a quiver in his niece's voice that told Andy that she was crying. "Daddy is so unfair." Unable to say anything more, Lynn began crying again.
"It'll be ok honey, what happened?" < As if I didn't already know. > The sound of Lynn blowing her nose caused Andy to chuckle silently.
"I was standing by my locker with Kelly and Trish when Ryan Myers came over and asked me out to the football game Friday night. Oh my god I was so excited, he's the captain of the football team. I thought he'd never notice me. He's so good looking and I'm going to be the envy of all the girls in school." Lynn babbled on about the boy that has asked her out until she ran out of steam. "But Daddy won't let me go." That started another stream of tears. "I'll be humiliated in front of everyone if I don't go. Oh Uncle Andy what am I going to do?"
Andy did what any good uncle would do He lied. "Look honey I have to come up there on business on Thursday, How about we talk about it then and see if we can make your dad see reason, how's that sound?"
"You'll talk to daddy?" she said timidly.
"I'll try," he corrected her; "I won't make any promises."
"You're the greatest. I gotta go check on dinner. I'll see you on Thursday, Bye Uncle Andy."
Andy hung up the phone with one single thought, < What the hell have I gotten myself into now. >
The pilot and the copilot helped Andy down the steep stairway of the Lear jet. The private jet wasn't designed for the handicapped, but Andy didn't have any other choice at the time. It was either call Northridge and ask if he could use the jet or fly commercial and then still have to find a van designed to handle his wheelchair. Neither was a very appealing option. So he went with the lesser of the two evils and called David.
Earlier that morning the pilot wasn't happy about taking off in the middle of the night, but Andy wanted to be there before Lynn left for school and Terry had to open the shop. That left the pilot on the short end of the stick. < Too bad, that's what David pays him for. >
When they got the wheelchair firmly back on terra firma Andy spun around and handed each of them a 100-dollar bill. "That's for the inconvenience. If you'd like I can give you a lift to the boardinghouse." When it had become clear that Andy would be spending more time in Terrance Points, he arranged to leave the GMC at the airport, saving him the time and trouble of driving up each time.
Dropping the pilots off at Mrs. Ganzers, he spun the van around and headed for Terry's place.
He had no more then parked the van and barely gotten onto the lift when Lynn came running out of the house. "Hey Munch." Andy stopped himself, "Lynn how ya doing?" Andy could see why the boys had become interested in her, Even at 14 her body was starting to form the same generous curves that her mother had. But that wasn't the only thing. There was a sparkle in her eyes and she had a way of looking at you like you were the most important thing in the world. Any man would be crazy not to find her attractive.
"I'm fine." She bent down to give Andy a hug. "You're gonna talk to him this morning right," she asked, her voice literally begging.
"I told you I would. Why the big rush."
Lynn huffed like only a young girl that just knows everything, and expects you to know every answer as well, can. "I have to give him an answer this morning before he asks someone else. Please talk to him. I know you can make him see reason."
"I told you I would try." He paused. He could see what Lynn was worried. He remembered the way that high school was. If hers was anything like his had been it was a dog eat dog world and he'd be dammed if he'd let Lynn get hurt just because of some small social faux pas. "Tell you what munchkin, tell him yes for now. If it doesn't work out, I'll be the one that tells him why you had to postpone the date. Wanna give me a hand with the…"
"Thanks Uncle Andy. You're the greatest." Lynn took off faster then a bum avoiding work.
"…Luggage," Andy finished.
Andy dragged his suitcase up the walk and gave a yell. "Hey ya old fart, wanna give me a hand?"
Terry kicked the screen door open. "You're not the one to be joking about old farts." Terry smiled at his best friend. "Thanks for coming buddy; I don't know what the hell I'm going to do about her."
The pair of friends sat at the coffee table and discussed every aspect of the impending potential date. Finally it came down to a last question, and by necessity, Andy had to let Terry ask it. "Ok. So do I let her go, or not?
"Truthfully I don't see how you can say no."
"Real goddamned easy," roared Terry. "Damn it Andy, she's only 14.
"You didn't let me finish. I don't see how you can say no, without looking like a hypocrite. Weren't you the one that told me that you and Karen had your first date in the eighth grade? By my count that would have made her a year younger then Lynn is."
"That was different," Terry flustered. "This is my daughter we are talking about."
"Dude, Karen was someone's daughter when you dated her for the first time. Don't you think he had the same concerns that you have?"
"I guess." Terry hung his head in resignation. "I really have to let her go, don't I?"
"That's the way it looks to me. Don't worry buddy, nothing will happen."
"How the fuck can you know that?"
"Because I'm gonna be following them every step of the way. Now let's get down to the shop. I want to get some night vision goggles."
Chaper 3
In any small town there is no such a thing as a secret and the high school reflected the attitudes of the town. The news was all over the campus faster then the speed of light. The guys gave Ryan high fives and not so hidden winks. The all knew what it meant for and upperclassman to ask a freshman out, they were just pissed that they hadn't read the signs right themselves.
The girls in the school were another story. Half of them were jealous and the other half were just as jealous, but were better at hiding it. In all honesty, there was a damn good reason for the waves of jealousy that Lynn had been feeling all morning. At 16 Ryan Myers stood 2 inches over six feet and he had a golden complexion that was the heritage of his Greek mother, and jet black hair that never seemed out of place. That was starkly contrasted by eyes so blue that they rivaled the brightest Montana morning. He was also the only sophomore that had ever been chosen as Captain of the football team in the history of Terrance Points High School. Even the most profuse praise would fall short in Lynn's eyes. Lynn walked through the halls knowing that all the eyes were on her.
Lynn was pulled down from her dream world when he best friend Trish called her. "Earth to Lynn, come in Lynn."
"Huh." Not the most impressive response, but it was the best Lynn could do.
"Nice come back, girlfriend. What did your dad say? Is he going to let you go out with Ryan?"
Lynn faced the smaller girl and giggled. "Oh my God," Trish shrieked, "I never thought your dad would agree. I am so jealous. So what are you going to wear?"
Terry and Andy sat in the shop: well there wasn't any other thing to call it, plotting. The latest electronic surveillance gear that was available surrounded them and they were picking and choosing what was best. It was only after they had had begun to start picking guns that absurdity of what they were doing hit home. "Look maybe we are going about this the wrong way. My god it's just a date! Not the invasion of Normandy." Andy looked at his friend, "Maybe there's a better way. Remember what Sun Tzu said, 'when the enemy appears strong, retreat'." He smiled, "maybe we only need the appearance of strength."
Terry set the PNVS goggles back down on the table. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Think about it. Why does the Captain of the football team ask a freshman out on a date? There are only two possibilities. The first, He actually like her and just wants a chance to get to know her better."
Terry scoffed at that statement. "Yeah, and I'm the Easter bunny," he added.
"Do I have to remind you of Karen again? I'll grant you that it's an outside possibility and that it's much more likely that he wants to build his rep by getting into her panties and bragging about it to his friends."
Now that matched what Terry had been thinking but he began to wonder just where Andy was going with this train of thought. "You're point being?"
"THE point is, that we know we can kick this kid's ass anytime we need to, our problem is that HE doesn't know that. Can I use the phone?"
Terry was beginning to see what Andy was thinking. "Sure help yourself."
Andy picked up the telephone and dialed a number. "Hey David, it's Andy. Is Suzanne around, I need a little of her expertise." Fifteen minutes later he hung up the phone and looked down at his notes. "Ok lots of good here. His parents were married while still in college, seems that her parents owned a farm about 15 miles south of here, when they died she inherited it." Andy thumbed farther down. "Kid has decent grades and has been an outstanding athlete since grade school. Has pretty good taste in cars too, drives a '69 Mustang. Over all, I'd say we just need to curb his hormones rather then threaten his life."
Seeing that it was nearing 3:30, Terry pushed his chair back, "What do you say we go pay a visit to our wannabe Romeo?"
Like most rural high schools, Terrance Points had a rather large parking lot so that students from the surrounding farms would have someplace to park their cars. That made finding a 1969 Ford Mustang a little more difficult, however that difficulty was offset by the fact the Mustang was painted in the factory burnt orange paint scheme, so Terry and Andy found the classic car with in a few minutes.
Andy stared at the beautifully restored car, "You have to give the kid credit; he takes good care of it." Andy pointed out a tall student wearing a letterman's jacket, heading their way. "That's got to be him you ready?"
Terry cracked his knuckles, "I was born ready."
"Terry relax, were just here to scare him, not plant him six feet under."
"Either would work for me."
The pair approached the car as if there was nothing more important to them other then looking and experiencing the coolness of it. When the student in the jacket approached, he shouted at them. "What are you guys doing with my car?"
Andy imposed himself between Terry and Ryan. "Well," he said to the startled student, "if that's your car then that would make you Ryan."
"So what," the kid said in a tone that only a high school jock could manage, one that was half, I'm better than you, and half I'm gonna kick your ass because of it.
"So," mimicked Terry, "That makes me Lynn's father and I want to have a few words with you." The kid stood there like a deer caught in the headlights of a Peterbuilt that was charging down the road at it. Terry sized the kid up and decided that the best tactic was a frontal assault. "You study much history kid?"
"Some," Ryan admitted.
"Good that makes our little lesson a bit easier. You see both Lynn's uncle and I are Viet Nam veterans. He was a Green Beret and I was a sniper so it won't surprise you that we saw a few things that would scare the shit out of us." Terry leaned forward, so that his face was with in an inch of Ryan's. "Wanna know what the worst thing was?"
Ryan gulped. He'd never met men that could broadcast fear like the pair before him could. He nervously nodded his head in the affirmative.
"The VC were known for their viciousness, but the very worst was reserved for rapists. What they would do is strip the accused, then tie him down on a table. One of the women would strip, getting the prisoner excited. Know what they did next kid?"
Ryan began shaking in fear. Terry took his lack of an answer as a yes answer.
"Next they took a glass rod about a quarter inch thick and shoved it down his cock. From what I've heard most of them confessed right there, begging to be killed. Mr. Charlie wasn't that nice. What happened next depended on how much time they had. If they were in no hurry they would heat up the end of the glass rod until it glowed like a cigar butt and the glass started flowing down the guys cock. If they were in a hurry, they would take a rifle butt and smash it against the guy's dick, shattering the glass rod inside. Most didn't live out the day. They found some way to end the agony. Get the picture?"
"Ye-yes." the poor kid stammered.
"Good, now we are communicating. Let's talk about Lynn. I can understand why you would like to date my daughter, but if scoring some pussy and knocking off a virgin is on the menu for the weekend, well, if I were you, I'd change that plan in a hurry." Terry signaled Andy, that it was time to leave. He turned back to the now terrified Ryan, "One more thing, breathe a word to Lynn about our little conversation and I'll make you regret the day you were born."
Andy interrupted Terry, "I'll add one more thing, start telling tales about how easy Lynn is and you'll see just how far a cripple can kick your ass. Now get out of here. We will expect you at the house at 9:00 on Friday night. Nice meeting you kid."
Terry and Andy were sitting in the kitchen drinking a few beers when the front door slammed, indicating that Lynn was home. "LYNN," Terry shouted, "can you come in here a second please."
Lynn trudged into the kitchen like she was marching to the gallows. "Yes," she said.
"I've been talking with Andy and he has convinced me that I was a little to hard on your about the dating thing. So although it goes against my better judgment, you have my permission to go out on Saturday." Lynn rushed her father and gave him a huge hug, all the time staring at Uncle Andy and winking. "Don't get too excited honey, there's going to be some conditions."
The sound of slamming drawers and things being tossed around woke Terry out of a very sound sleep. When he turned his head, the large red numbers on the digital clock read 4:32 and the cursed AM light was set solidly. "Oh Jesus Christ," he moaned. "Who the hell could be up this early?"
A high pitched "Damn it" answered his question. Terry tried to go back to sleep, but even two pillows covering his head failed to block out the sound of his daughter's frantic search. Terry conceded defeat and reached for his robe. He looked skyward, "Is this your revenge for all the crappy things I did in life, or are you just having a good time at my expense?" Standing there not really expecting an answer, he got one as a vivid memory of Bill Cosby's one man show, 'Himself" came to mind and the part about the parents curse clearly replayed in his head. "Gee thanks, he said to the unseen god, "see if I go to church ever again."
The topper came when the bumping and slamming ended, giving Terry a little hope that he might get back to sleep. That fantasy was shattered when the shower started and Lynn began to sing in the shower. Terry headed for the door. Coming out of his bedroom he saw Andy, dressed in an old pair of BDU's sitting in his chair in his doorway. "Do you believe this?" he asked the ex-Green Beret.
Andy shrugged, "At this point, I think I'm ready to believe anything. You know one of us is going to have see what damage she's done, don't you?"
"Andy. Old buddy, old pal. Wanna do an old friend a favor?"
"Flying up here, that was a favor. Going into a teenager's bedroom, that's above and beyond the call of unclehood."
"C'mon man, she's already pissed off at me for the whole dating thing. If she catches me in her room, she's gonna flip out."
"I'd call that the joys of fatherhood." The begging eyes that stared back at him made Andy feel bad. He could understand what Terry was feeling, but that didn't mean that he'd just jump at the chance to be the next target. "I'll tell you what," he injected, "how about 'rock, paper, scissors', that way fate decides?"
The parents' curse struck again when the pair slapped their fists into an open hand and Andy's scissors sliced right through the paper that Terry had thrown down. Andy reached up and clapped Terry on the back. "Good luck trooper, if you aren't back in a half hour, I'll send in the Marines."
"Gee thanks, you're all heart."
Nothing could have prepared Terry for the utter devastation that he found in his daughter's room. Clothes were strewn all about the place. The closet looked like the sales rack at Nordstrom's on the day after Christmas. Blue jeans were piled about the room, sorted by color and the wear pattern they displayed. Blouses covered the bed. They weren't sorted by any method that the human male could possibly understand. Lynn's shoes were lined up by the foot of the bed, the only things in the room that looked like that they might belong to a rational human being.
Amid all that chaos, obviously placed there with great care, hanging on the lamp by Lynn's bed was a black bra and panty set that, from what Terry could see, contained slightly less material then the average Kleenex. The thought of Lynn owning something like that sent a deep flush to Terry's face. He couldn't even make the jump to the thought that she might actually wear the skimpy underwear. In his shock he missed the sound of the shower being shut off.
"What are you doing in my room?" screeched Lynn.
Terry turned around to find her standing there in a towel. Her hair was wrapped in a second towel and for just a second Terry could see the pretty little baby she'd been, rather than an irate teenager. "Hold it right there, Missy," he started. "First off this is my room, I just happen to let you use it. Second, considering the amount of noise you made this morning, Your Uncle and I thought it might be a good idea to check on you. < I'm not going alone. That'll get Andy in the doghouse too. > Lastly, would you mind explaining just where you got this?"
Lynn's face went from the rosy pink of anger, to the palest of white, then back to a deep red of embarrassment, in the space of less than a second, dumbfounded she ran back to the bathroom and locked the door.
"Lynn."
"Go away. I'm never coming out again," came the muffled response.
"Lynn Elizabeth Powell," Terry said in the same voice that has once commanded the Gunslingers, "You have five minutes to get dressed and then I want to see you in the kitchen."
Three minutes later by Terry's watch, Lynn shuffled into the kitchen, her head hung low and her shoulders slumped in depression. She sat down by Andy, waiting for the axe to fall. "Honey, I don't know why you're in such a hurry to grow up, but what I do know is that you're a very smart young lady who normally has a pretty good head on her shoulders. I was about this far from canceling your date tonight when I remembered that your grandfather trusted me with your mother." Terry grimaced. "You can have those things back on your wedding night. Go on honey, go get ready for school."
Lynn blushed, she knew what her father was talking about, she just hoped he hadn't told Uncle Andy about them. She left the table feeling a little better. Her father could have been a lot harder on her.
Andy and Terry sat there waiting until Lynn left for school. "Well," said Andy, "that's it? You're gonna let her off that easy."
Terry gave his partner an evil smile. "You kidding me? Not even." He laughed as he explained what they were going to do.
The football game had been over for an hour, and Lynn arrived home about 30 minutes after that. She instantly disappeared into her room. She dressed as quickly as she could and was in the middle of her make- up when she heard Ryan's car pull up. "Don't answer the door, I'll be right there." She jumped to her feet and ran down the hallway, bursting into the living room only to find her father and her Uncle sitting there dressed in their underwear, cleaning shotguns.
"DADDY!!!"
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