Dark Secrets

4.

So it has come down to this. Everything my family has fought for now depends on me. It was going on 7:00 in the morning as JJ hid in the shrubbery under the living room window to watch Tom leave for work. It wasn't until Tom's truck had gone around the corner, at the end of the block, that JJ wrestled his way out of the bushes, and retraced his steps to the front door which, thankfully, was unlocked. Before entering JJ looked up and down the street. He had to be sure, so he carefully scanned every window, car, yard, and doorway, to be sure that no one would see him enter. Once he was convinced that no one was spying on him, he quickly opened the front door and slid into the hallway where they took off their shoes, softly closing the door behind him. Being careful not to bump into, touch, or move anything, JJ wound his way through the house, heading to what is now a spare bedroom, it was the room JJ's mother and father had shared for their 15 years of marriage.
     Once he had reached the room, he knelt on the floor and with his feet against the wall and his back to the king size bed JJ kicked off the wall and pushed. When the bed was up against the opposite wall, JJ rolled over onto his hands and knees and started knocking on the floorboards. He needed to find the right one, so he could lift it up and exposes his father's floor safe. It only took three tries before he found the right  board, he knew approximately where it was from the time his father had shown it to him.
"In case of emergencies," he'd said. At the time, JJ couldn't have imagined what sort of emergencies his father had meant; you have to admit ignorance is bliss.
     Getting up on his knees, JJ reached into his back pocket and grabbed out the army knife his father had given him for his 10th birthday. Opening the knife part,  JJ carefully slid the edge between the floorboards and pushed down to lift it up. The floorboard came up without much pressure, exposing what had been a perfectly hidden floor safe. Digging his pocket, he found the kit his father had given him and faced the square 8 x 8 inch doors keyhole. Inserting the lock picks, JJ began the careful task of picking a lock.
     As he picked the lock to the floor safe, JJ realized the hair on the back of his neck was beginning to stand on end. A sudden chill ran down his spine, causing him to involuntarily shudder, something seems different. He couldn't quite place it but JJ could sense it.  There'd been some kind of change. The click of the lock opening brought him back from his preoccupied thoughts. JJ opened the door to the safe and pulled out his father's 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun. It didn't take much more digging for JJ to find the clips of 9-millimeter bullets. Injecting them into the firing chamber, JJ made sure the safety was on, then he laid it on the floor beside him so he could replace the floorboard. Without a sound, the floorboard went back into the floor where it blended in so perfectly that Jay didn't know where it was; he would have to look for it again to return the items. Coming from what sounded like the kitchen he was sure he heard his mother's voice. Jumping to his feet, gun in hand; JJ went as quickly as he could without making too much noise towards the sound of a struggle.
     He was just outside the room when he was positive he had been right; something had changed, and he was not alone. He heard his mother cry out at the same time he heard the thud of someone crashing to the floor. But how? I saw Tom leave didn't I? By the sounds of the struggle in the next room, he began to doubt that.  Maybe someone else was driving Tom's truck. Maybe Tom was expecting this. 
What if I'm walking right into a trap?
No! It doesn't matter, that's my mother in there, and I won't stand back and watch Tom beat her to death! He had come with the intention of waiting until Tom got home and catching him off guard so he could trap him and finish this once and for all. Though now it seemed like the tables had turned. Tom has JJ and JJ has no idea what to expect.
     JJ's heart was in a drum roll, while his blood pumped with rage. This was the final straw, this time Tom had gone too far. Bracing himself, he looked around the corner. Just as JJ had feared, there lay his mother with Tom standing, back to JJ ,over her ready to strike her again as she whimpered on the floor. "How dare you leave me!" Tom raged "and after everything I've done for you and those thankless brats of yours!" Tom swung his hand hard across her face again, this time she began to bleed. JJ had seen enough.
     Careful to aim his gun steadily at Tom's head JJ advanced into the Room. Releasing the safety lock on the 9-milimeter JJ told Tom to get the hell away from his mother. Tom froze, then with a heartless slap knocked JJ's mother unconscious and turned to face JJ. Instinctually, JJs finger moved to the trigger. Tom took a step back but, oddly, he was smiling. Tom continued to move back and towards mom's China cabinet, that's when JJ saw it. Tom now laughed as he leveled a twenty-two even with JJ's chest and released the safety lock.
     "Did you really think you could outsmart me?" Tom sneered "like father like son. You know your father had that same look on his face right before I killed him."
"YOU SON OF A BIT--"
JJ bellowed, pulling the trigger, his shot hit true and struck Tom right in the face but not before Tom got his shot in too. His chest began to hurt and got really warm; when he looked down he realized Tom had shot him too. Time slowed to a crawl. JJ could hardly hear anything but the blood pounding in his ears. Falling to his knees, the last thing JJ sees is his mother's tear soaked face, then everything goes black.