Lay it on the Line : Prodigal book one

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter 15

2004

New Iberia, Louisiana

"I bet you I can make the next light before you." Sean wiggled his eyebrows over at JJ in the next patrol car. JJ just smiled and shook his head.

"Sean, No!" JJ watched the red light as Sean revved up the engine.

"Stop, remember the last time we did that?" Johnny warned.

"Yes, we both got written up and then you put that possum in my car to get back at me." JJ covered his mouth trying to not let Sean see him laugh.

"It wasn't funny. I had to get the prisoners at the jail to clean out all that poo." Sean made an annoyed face.

"that wasn't the worst thing the prisoners had to clean out of these cars." JJ rolled his eyes at his brother. "besides, it was to get you back for putting pepper spray on my door handle." JJ glared at Sean as Sean started to laugh.

"You couldn't prove it was me." Sean yelled and peeled out at the green light. JJ just shook his head and took off after him. Luckily it was past midnight and most of New Iberia was quiet. JJ tailed his brother singing along to the classic rock channel. Sean weaved in and out of the lines acting stupid and JJ had to flash his lights to signal him to stop it. Sean was going to get in major trouble if anyone was to see and report him doing that. It wouldn't be the first time Sean had been written up for that. The dispatcher came over the radio and JJ had to turn down the rolling stones that was blaring.

"510, be in route to north Hopkins, a possible squatter in an abandoned residence." JJ answered the dispatcher back and turned around, Of course Sean had to do a 360 in the middle of the street. JJ watched him out the rear-view mirror and curse under his breath. Sean was going to get them in trouble if he didn't stop with his horse play. The Simoneaux brothers then made their way to the abandon house call.

The brothers pulled up to the abandoned house and stepped out their patrol cars. The grass in front of the home was almost as tall as the home itself, they could make out a couple of broken windows as well as holes in the roof where nature had started taking over. JJ's partner was barking and trying his best to get out of the back of JJ's patrol car. JJ and Sean both took out their flashlights and carefully made their way to the house's door. The brothers had to step over trash as well as push the tall grass aside to be able to reach the door. JJ tapped on the door a little with the butt of his flashlight before slowly turning the knob. He pushed opened the door as much as I could go before stepping inside. Every step they took, a crunching noise could be heard. The brothers found it a bit odd. The noise didn't sound like leaves or trash but something else. To their horror it was something else.

The brothers looked at each other and then down at their feet, the floor along with their feet and part of their calf was covered in tiny roaches. Sean yelped and started running around to get them off him. JJ shook his legs and did a little dance to get the bugs off his pants.

"Dude! this is so disgusting!" Sean ran around a bit still trying to get the remaining bugs off him. A loud thump could be heard from the back of the home and JJ shushed Sean. He then pointed to the back of where he heard the noise come from. Sean frozen with his one foot in the air still trying to swat the bugs off him. JJ took his gun out his holster and made his way towards the noise, ignoring the bugs now. Sean put his leg down and walked behind his older brother holding his flashlight in the same direction. A couple bugs fell on their heads but they couldn't freak out, they needed to find out what the noise was. The two quickly rounded the corner of the hall to see a man sticking halfway out the window.

JJ holstered his gun and ran over to grab the man's legs. "I'll go around to the other side!" Sean yelled and ran out the room. The homeless man cursed and kicked like crazy trying to escape JJ's grip, He even turned a bit and started swinging at JJ through the broken part of the window. JJ grabbed his pepper spray.

"Stop fighting or I'm going to spray you!" JJ commanded but the man didn't listen nor care. JJ let go of one of his legs and took out his peppers spray. He let the man have it with a steady stream of the peppered liquid that would give Tabasco sauce a run for its money. The man screamed in pain and fell out the window on top of Sean, who only just arrived on the other side. JJ peeked out to see Sean and the homeless man wrestle around a bit, he couldn't go through the window like the homeless man because of his duty belt so he would have to run out and around like Sean.

"Hold on Sean! I'm coming around." JJ quickly ran out the room and soon out the house. He made his way behind the house, trekking through the high grass. JJ's main concern was for his brother.

His heart pounded as he could hear Sean and the homeless man scuffle. He finally cleared a little bit of the brush to see the homeless man break free from Sean's grasp.

"STOP!" Sean screamed and pulled out his taser. JJ screamed for Sean to stop, but it was too late. In the chaos Sean didn't hear JJ and tasered the homeless man as he tried to run away. The barbs hit the man in the side and sparked the pepper spray that was on him from JJ spraying him. Flames sparked up and set the man on fire. JJ jumped on the man and tried to help put out the fire. Sean got up and watched the two for a moment. JJ was successful in getting the flames out and cuffed the man. He then stood up and glared at Sean. "I'm not doing the paperwork!" Sean ran off to his car.

"SEAN GET YOUR BUTT BACK HERE!" JJ was beyond pissed. JJ quickly radioed his dispatcher to send out an ambulance to their location.

The ambulance finally came out to their location to take the man way. Sean was sitting in his patrol car sweating bullets. The sweat was not just from the humid Louisiana heat, but from the major mistake Sean made. His palms gripped the steering wheel as JJ walked up to his squad car.

"Dude, what were you thinking? You know better Sean." JJ scolded his brother.

"You set that man on fire, do you know how bad this is? Not just for you but for me as well?" Sean cut his brother off before he could continue.

"I know ok, I am always screwing up. The only reason I am still here is to be closer to you JJ." Sean almost sobbed. JJ's sighed as he looked at the other paramedics and police on the scene. "You know that isn't true...." JJ tried to defend himself.

"No, it is true. Mama and grandma never see you, you never come around anymore. We don't go fishing anymore, and heck you don't even go to church or even go to mom's house for supper. We are all worried about you JJ... is it because of Becky?" Sean looked up at his brother with sad eyes.

"No." JJ crossed his arms and avoided eye contact.

"Well ever since that break up, you changed. And this job, I think it is getting to you man. The job isn't supposed to change you. You are supposed to change and help others, not to become distant and ...... You know..." Sean wasn't good with words, he could only remember how his mother would put it in fussing about never seeing JJ.

"I know that Sean, but the job does change you ok. It helped me to grow up, and it is about time you should think about doing the same." JJ spoke furiously as he walked away to his own car.