Waiting It Out - Benny Rodriguez - Book 1

A Problem With the Vacuums

After yesterday's failure, we decided to step up our game.

Bertram had the bright idea of using three vacuums connected to a pipe with a mitt on the end to suck the ball up.

It's not an awful plan this time. Definately more elaborate.

Now for places...

Bertram and Smalls are inside the tree house with the vacuums. It's their job to control how many we're using and to make sure nothing goes wrong with the power.

Squints is on the ground, looking through the whole in fence with his cereal box binoculars. He's telling the us when and where to move the pipe and when the power needs to be stronger.

Ham, Timmy, Benny, Yeah-Yeah, and Kenny are going to be holding the pipe. They're on the top of the tree house. It's like a second story without a roof, there is a fence though so it's not like they'll fall off.

Me and Tommy are on the balcony. Our job is to tell the guys what Squints says. Whether that's to move the pipe a little to the right or to pump up the next vacuum.

We've set this up pretty strategically but it's definately gonna make more noise than either of the other two "plans" we tried yesterday. I'm just hoping The Beast is a hard sleeper. Chances aren't good.

"Okay, guys. Almost ready." Bertram whispers to all of us, sticking his head out of the entrance to balcony.

"Go ahead." I tell the guys.

They start moving the pipe into the backyard and directly over the ball. I can hear them struggling not to lose their grip.

"Okay. We're ready." Ham says.

"Initiate retrieval suction." Squints whispers to me and Tommy.

"Initiate retrieval suction." I repeat, telling the guys on the roof.

"Prepare to initiate retrieval suction number one." Timmy says to the guys holding the pipe. "Initiate retrieval suction number one." he then says to Bertram and Smalls.

"Initiating retrieval suction number one now!" Bertram says as he starts the first vacuum.

I hear the vacuum turn on and see the pipe slightly move back.

I can see the ball move but it's not enough suction to bring it into the mitt.

"Fire number two." Squints tells us.

"Get ready for vacuum two." I tell the guys, then Bertram and Smalls.

"Firing two now!" Bertram calls out as they start number two.

The ball isn't moving much more than it did with one vacuum.

"Fire number two." Squints says.

We repeat the telephone game.

"Firing number two, now!" I hear Smalls say before the pipe starts to pull for the ball harder.

They move the pipe down slightly and it's sucked up not much longer.

"You got it. Haul it up." Squints says, making an up motion with is thumb.

"Pull it up, guys!" I tell them.

Right when I look back I see The Beast bite on the pipe. The loss of suction makes the ball drop back down.

The Beast lets go to reveal a pinched pipe.

Did it know that would stop the plan?

"What's going on, Squints?" I ask him.

"The pipe. It's pinched shut." he whispers.

I could tell that from where I was standing but I wanted to make sure there weren't any other problems he could see.

"Turn it off, man!" I hear Bertram shout. I'm assuming to Smalls.

"I can't! They're shorting out!" He replies.

"What the hell is that noise?" Squints asks me.

"There's something wrong with the vacuums." I tell him.

"Guys the vacs are clogged. I don't know about you but I'm getting the heck outta here." I hear Bertram say.

They all start rushing to get down and right now I'm just trying to make sure Tommy's okay. He's been pretty silent for a while now.

"You okay?" I ask him.

He just nods and looks at me with a worried expression.

"Alright. Here's what I want you to do. You're gonna go down the ladder. Quickly but don't rush. Then run back near your house. I'll be down there in a minute. Okay?"

He nods again signaling he understands then rushes in to hug me.

Sometimes I forget he's only nine. He's pretty shy too. Only time you ever hear him talk is when he's repeating his brother.

He lets go then runs inside to the ladder.

Now just to figure out how I get down.

Just then, Bertram and Benny come running out of the tree house, on the balcony and jump off. Landing on their backs.

"Come on!" Benny yells at me.

"I'd rather keep my spine intact but thanks!" I say back.

"I'll catch you!" He shouts, trying to convice me.

"Not happening!"

I quickly climb on the outside of the balcony fence and put my hands where my feet are before letting them hang. I shuffle to the side until I get to a poll, serving as a support beam. I grab that and slide down til my feet touch the ground.

Benny grabs my arm before we start running away from the tree house.

When we're about 50 feet away he pulls me into him and falls on his back, again, then rolling over so I'm under him.

Everybody else starts to lay where we are incase the tree house explodes and wooden pieces are shot through the air.

"Do you realize how sore your back is gonna be after today?" I ask Benny.

"Worth it." he says back with a light smile.

Then we hear three explosions. One after the other.

We all look back to see the tree house fully intact and smoke coming out of the windows.

I look over at the boys to find Tommy looking at me with the same worried look still on his face.

Why would he still be worried?

Wait...

I look over all the boys to only count 8.

I don't see Timmy.

Soon enough we hear steps coming from the tree house.

Timmy's quickly revealed after that with dust all over him.

Once we meet him near the swing set in the Timmon's backyard, he shakes his head to get the dust off his face and hair with a cloud of dust coming from it.

Timmy sighs before adressing us. "We've been going about his all wrong. I blame myself." he looks back at the tree house. "We need total surprise. An airborne attack. The Beast will never expect it."

We all agree with him until...

"Wait. Wasn't that an airborne attack?" I ask him.

"I mean one of us." Timmy tells me.

"And we're gonna pull that off how?"