Chapter 57: Neighbourhood Defence Committee

After having breakfast at the hotel, Martin made his way to the lobby and dialed Benjamin's number.

During their previous conversation, Benjamin had mentioned that he was a film and television graduate from the Savannah Art Institute when Martin had inquired about accents. Benjamin had then offered to help Martin get in touch with the right person.

Within minutes, Martin received the contact information he needed. He promptly drove to the Atlanta branch of the institute, connected with the relevant personnel, and secured approval to audit classes in the performance department, along with the associated class schedule.

Having spent the morning in professional classes, Martin devoted his afternoon to visiting a nearby specialized bookstore where he purchased additional materials like recorders and tapes.

He decided to give Kelly Gray a call, but she was still in Washington dealing with important matters. Recognizing the sensitivity of the topic, Martin opted to wait until she returned to discuss it in person.

Upon his return to the Clayton community and the school bus stop, Martin encountered two young boys attempting to harass Lily. Lily, who was nearly as tall as Elena, rushed over when Martin honked his horn.

The two persistent boys refused to back down and attempted to follow. In response, Martin retrieved a short-barreled shotgun from beneath the passenger seat, causing the boys to retreat.

Lily got into the passenger seat and tried taking the gun from Martin's hand.

Martin reassured her, "From now on, Harris will pick you up."

Lily requested her own weapon, but Martin firmly denied it. Back at Carter's house, Elena was still practicing her bartending skills. Martin recounted the earlier incident to her.

Elena made a decision, stating, "Harris, you'll be responsible for taking Lily to the school bus station from now on."

The community's public security had recently deteriorated, leading residents to stay indoors after dinner, engrossed in their activities.

With headphones on, Martin immersed himself in the recorded material to practice his accent, knowing that this process would require ongoing dedication.

As night fell, a sleek black car approached Clayton. Inside, Scott-Carter lay in an uncomfortable position, occasionally glancing out the window. The streetlights were all out, casting the surroundings into darkness.

By the dim moonlight, Scott observed two men emerging from a dark alley, robbing an unfortunate victim.

The car stopped after a short drive, and the driver ordered, "We're here, get out of the car!"

Scott carefully maneuvered his aching legs and exited the vehicle, still experiencing pain despite taking painkillers in advance. He moved slowly in a strained manner.

Upon reaching the store's entrance, he struggled to lift the rolling shutter door.

Just as he entered, four African American men dressed in dark cloths rushed out from the shadows and stormed into the store before Scott could close the door. They pointed their guns at him.

Scott was taken aback, realizing that an old man from hood had made good use of his talents.

The bald old man with the gun demanded, "If you want to live, hand over all your money."

The other old man began lowering the rolling shutter door, stating, "We've got plenty of time."

Scott raised his hands and pleaded, "Don't shoot, I'll give you the money! I'll give it to you!"

Money meant little when compared to one's life.

He surrendered the earnings he had made that night before even having the chance to use them.

The old man holding the gun asked, "How much is this? You've been quite generous in the bar lately, claiming you've made a fortune. But this is just a few hundred dollars. Are you trying to deceive the devil?"

Scott insisted, "No, that's really all I have!"

"Search him!" the bald old man ordered, and the other three quickly began scouring the store for hidden money.

With the gun trained on him, Scott remained completely still, well aware that the gangsters had targeted him specifically, searching every nook and cranny of his grocery store.

In the end, the gangsters unearthed several boxes filled with bills of various denominations. The night grew long as they continued their search.

Scott trembled, feeling helpless as the old men disappeared into the night. He didn't dare call the police, as his store contained many stolen goods from unknown sources.

"My money! My money!" Scott exclaimed, his legs giving way as he sat on the ground. Then, he jumped up again, realizing, "My ass!"

---

The next morning, five people gathered around the coffee table in the Carter house for breakfast.

Martin inquired about Harris, whose cast had been removed, "How did you do on the SAT?"

Harris knew Martin wasn't familiar with the specific scores and replied, "I scored well on the test, but my extracurricular activities are lacking. I have a better chance at public universities."

Martin asked about tuition, to which Harris replied, "Student loans."

Lily chimed in, "You won't pay those off until you retire."

Elena pulled a lottery ticket stub from her pocket, checked it against the newspaper results, cursed under her breath, and tossed it into the trash.

Martin inquired, "Did you miss out?"

Lily added, "She's always been unlucky."

Mr. Wood entered with a smile, saying, "I see you're all here."

Elena quickly hid the bottle under the coffee table and asked, "Wood, what's going on?"

Mr. Wood took a seat and explained, "There have been numerous robberies in the vicinity lately. We've called the police with no response. I've reached out to various contacts, and the Atlanta Police Department has finally agreed to meet with us. Martin, I've heard you've joined a significant social organization, and I'd like to invite you to accompany me."

Elena glanced at Martin, who agreed, "Mr. Wood, I'll go with you."

Lily, unable to hold back, muttered, "They're all black and maxican gang members; they should be locked in a zoo or something!"

Elena chose to ignore Lily this time.

Martin changed into more formal attire, grabbed his ATL Women Association work permit, and followed Wood to the outskirts of the community.

Ashley, Welbeck, Nani, and Valencia, who held slightly more prestige in the community, were already present.

After waiting for a while at Nani's community supermarket, police department representatives arrived.

Among them was a African American police officer.

Nani, attempting to remain civil, said, "Officer, the security in Clayton has deteriorated significantly since these black gang members arrived!"

The African America police officer retorted, "This has nothing to do with race."

Nani couldn't help but argue, "The security in Clayton wasn't this bad even before they came!"

The black officer stood up, questioning, "Are you discriminating racially?"

To defuse the situation, Martin quickly showed Nani his work ID.

The black officer glanced at the Women Association ID and decided not to pursue the racial aspect. He coldly stated, "We'll increase supervision in the area, but our resources are limited, and we can't maintain high-frequency patrols. My suggestion is to form a neighborhood defense committee. You report incidents, and the police station will keep a record."

He subtly implied the racial issue without openly addressing it.

After a cursory look at his watch, the officer concluded, "I have other matters to attend to. Goodbye."

The group had to let the racial aspect go, and they watched as the officer departed.

Nani asked, "What should we do?"

Wood offered, "I may be old, but I'm willing to contribute to the community. I have a shotgun."

Welbeck suggested, "Let's establish a neighborhood patrol!"

Fletcher raised a practical concern, "What about the expenses?"

Everyone fell silent, as their meager earnings were barely sufficient to support their families.

Martin proposed a practical solution, "Post notices on community bulletin boards, limit nighttime outings, and avoid remote areas even during the day. Identify families with firearms and exchange contact information for mutual support in case of an attack."

Wood added, "Let's compile a list and report it. If these gangsters target our community, we can be prepared to defend ourselves."

Joining the defense alliance would streamline the process if they ever needed to use their firearms. After a moment's thought, Martin mentioned, "Elena and I have firearms."

That afternoon, Nani, Wood, and the others took the list to the police station and officially registered the Clayton community's Neighborhood Defense League.

To bolster their security, Martin and Elena collected empty cans, filled them with gravel, and attached them to the front and rear fences of their yard.