A House on Eden

18. Caterpillar

"I recommend the .357 Magnum," the gun dealer smiled. "It's a 7 shooter, real popular with the ladies. It'll stop anything coming your way. I also recommend using hollow point bullets. Packs a wallop if you ask me."

He lifted it out from the glass counter and put it in my hand. I tested the weight of if, admiring how it fit perfectly in my hand.

"I'll take it," I said, "with the bullets." He nodded and smiled. He was an undistinguished older man with a gentle demeanor, peering over his glasses with keen blue eyes.

"I just need to run a criminal background check, mam," he said. Please fill out this form. That means you're consenting to a background check. And let me see your driver's license please."

"How long will that take?" I said, studying the form.

"Few minutes," he smiled. "I just run it through the NICS and it will bring it right up."

"National Instant Criminal background System," Kevin said. "It's the law, Jess. It keeps guns out of the hands of the wrong people."

"My record is clean, Kev," I smiled.

"Of course it is," he said.

"Says here you have a conviction for possession," the man said.

"That's not possible!" Kevin said. "That was an illegal search, and they didn't find anything!"

"Sorry, mam," the man said apologetically, "but I can't sell you that gun with a record."

"There must be some mistake," Kevin said to me. "I'll find out who the judge was that signed off on that and have your record expunged."

"Thank you," I said. "How long will that take?"

"A couple of days," he said.

"If you'd like to come back," the man said, "I'll run it again. If it's cleared you can have your gun. I'm sorry about that, mam."

"I'll come back for it," I said.

We left the store and walked to our cars.

"Want me to follow you home?" Kevin asked.

"No," I said, "I'll be alright, Kev."

"Want me to come over later?"

"You're sweet," I said, "but I need some time alone. I'm really shaken up by what happened in there. That son of a bitch won't stop, Kev."

"I can clear this up, Jess," he said. "I'll make some calls."

I got in my car and drove to the house. A large truck and trailer were parked on the side of the road and Bruce was getting into the cab of a CAT. Its engine roared to life and it was making its way toward the front door.

I ran toward the cab and he opened the driver's window.

"What the hell are you doing!" I screamed.

'Taking her down a notch," he smiled. "That house there has come between us, Jess, yes sir. Come between a man and his wife. Without that house you'll come home, won't you? Got no place to go but back to me."

"You can't do this!" I screamed.

"Sure can," he laughed, and put the CAT into gear. It jerked forward, its front bucket aimed directly at the house. I jumped out of the way, horrified at what I was seeing.

The CAT aimed at the stone wall, gathering speed, preparing to ram the house. Then I heard the immense clank of metal on concrete as the CAT hit the house. It sputtered, jarred and I saw Bruce being thrown forward, hit head hitting the windshield.

"Sonofabitch!" He roared. He backed up the CAT, spinning it around, and aimed directly at the master bedroom window. Grass clumps were flying out from under the huge rear tires, blue smoke was erupting from the exhaust pipe.

There was another loud clank, and this time the bucket broke off its levers, plunging to the ground. The Dozer stood idling, crippled, and Bruce stepped down out of the cab.

"Got yourself a dandy of a house, Jess," he growled. "Don't make them like that any more, no sir."

"Will you please leave us alone?" I said.

"In a minute," he smiled. "Daddy still has work to do." He turned away from me back toward the Dozer, then stopped and faced me with a grin.

"Buy a gun yet?" He said.

I watched the CAT go at the house in reverse, the digger raised in the air, then bringing it down at an angle, attempting to slice the house. The digger bounced off the wall, twisted, and fell off its arm.

The house stood silent, undeterred, invincible.

"Sonofabitch!" Bruce roared, being thrown out of the seat into the windshield. It shattered, making his body fly through the opening and land in front of it in the grass.

Bruce surrendered. He drove the battered Dozer back onto the trailer, inspected it, cursed loudly and then came toward me. I sensed he could barely curb his rage, pushing his hands deep into the pockets of his uniform.

"Goddamn piece of shit!" He growled. "That Dozer is ripe for the scrap heap, yes sir. I don't know what type of game you're playing here, Jessie, but this ain't over! I'll be back when you're least expecting it."

"I expect it all the time, Bruce," I said softly and turned away from him. I watched him drive down the road and disappear around the corner.

I walked around the front side of the house, looking for damage, expecting it. There wasn't any. The house stood firm, untouched, unchallenged. I went inside and dialed Kevin's number.

"You won't believe what just happened," I said.

"What?" He said anxiously.

"That son of a bitch took a bulldozer to the house," I said.

"My God!" He exclaimed. "Is there any damage?"

"Yes," I smiled, "to the Dozer. The digger and the bucket snapped off like tooth picks. There's not a mark on the house, Kev."

"Incredible!" He said. Must have been a crappy Dozer."

"That's what Bruce said," I said. "I have never seen him so pissed."

"Is he there now?" Kevin asked.

"No, he drove away," I said. "I'm gonna need that gun, Kev."

"Working on that," he said. "Found out who the judge is. Should have your record clean by tomorrow night."

"Thanks," I said.

"Jessie, let me come over," he said. "You shouldn't be alone."

"Have you eaten anything yet?" I laughed.

"Very funny!" He said. "Be there in fifteen."