Chapter 59: Summer Break

At ten in the morning, Martin, Elena, Wood, and others exited the West City Police Station and gathered at its entrance.

"Wasn't that tough for you?" Wood inquired.

Martin remained composed, replying, "We were merely defending ourselves, and we're registered members of the Neighborhood Patrol Team." He glanced around and lowered his voice, "Martin, your shot was spot on, that gangster... that moron won't be able to use the bathroom normally for months."

Martin knew how to interact with these folks and bragged playfully, "If I weren't too young back in '96, I could've gotten an Olympic shooting medal. Probably even gold."

Elena quipped, "As long as the targets were all butt-shaped!"

Laughter erupted from the community members.

"Guys, we didn't sleep well last night because of me," Martin admitted, playing the gracious host. "Lunch is on me at Clayton Bar, with plenty of beer." He called out to the bar owner, "Reese, get ready for some big business."

Nani gave Martin a thumbs-up, saying, "You're a riot!"

Martin instructed Wood, "Call anyone who hasn't been to the police station. Let's make sure no one gets left behind."

Wood pulled out his phone and dialed.

The group headed to a bar near the community. Elena took the wheel, and Martin called Bruce, asking him to join them for drinks.

Elena inquired, "What's the whole story?"

Martin contemplated for a moment before explaining, "That scoundrel approached me, it's like... the side effects of making money. When I was at the strip club, I received two hefty bonuses, and our club's customer flow skyrocketed. This affected the bar across the street. The owner of that bar, Boyette, a drug dealer from South City."

Elena scolded him, "You promised me you wouldn't get involved in that stuff."

"I haven't. I'm incompatible with drugs," Martin clarified. "I found out that I had reported one of his younger brothers. Based on what Boyette told me, that moron had ties to the bar."

Elena commented, "The entertainment industry can be pretty dirty."

Martin enumerated, "Someone once told me that in the United States, there are three of the worst, ugliest, and filthiest circles: Hollywood, the New York financial scene, and the Washington political world. Compared to the latter two, Hollywood barely ranks third."

When they arrived at the bar, Reese had already opened up, and twenty to thirty people were gathered there, enjoying their drinks.

A round of regular dark beers and some snacks didn't cost much.

Martin's gesture was met with unanimous applause.

Several men huddled together, swapping tall tales and trading crude jokes. Some even teased Martin and Elena.

Elena had a couple of drinks before deciding to head back.

Martin ordered a few snacks and instructed Elena to take them back with her, saying, "Give some to Hall as well. That guy knows how to set a good trap; he can catch his own family as well as bad guys." Shortly after Elena's departure, Bruce walked into the bar, looking weary.

Martin beckoned him over, ordered a beer, and asked, "Are you exhausted?"

Bruce took a hearty swig of beer and nibbled on a piece of chocolate. "I just got back this morning from Savannah."

Martin casually inquired, "Were you up to something shady?"

Bruce offered a straightforward response, "There's an issue with a batch of avocados from Mexico. I went to lend a hand."

"Something went down last night. Boyette, the owner of the bar across from the Special club, suddenly showed up in our community with a few guys, and they attacked me..." Martin summarized briefly.

"I haven't been at the club for the past two days. Let me make a few calls," Bruce said, pulling out his phone. He found a quiet spot and made several calls in succession. The last one was to Lynch, from whom he gleaned more information before hanging up.

Returning to Martin, Bruce revealed, "Adam Smith seized the goods from Boyette. The DEA raided the bar the night before last and arrested everyone except Boyette. Maybe Adam Smith mentioned you to Boyette, and Boyette wants revenge."

Martin nodded, stating, "Boyette got quite a beating from my shot."

Bruce clinked glasses with him, saying, "You're one civilized guy. Good shooting, too."

Martin told the unembellished truth, "It was dark at night, the target was wearing black clothes, it had nothing to do with marksmanship."

Bruce smiled, "Luck was on your side."

Martin continued, "Three other men got away."

Bruce inquired more specifically, "My contact at the DEA told me they were members of black gangs from South City. These guys aren't with the DEA, the CIA, or the FBI, and lately, they've been dancing pretty hard. The DEA will be cleaning them up soon."

Martin pondered, "By 'cleaning up,' do you mean eliminating all the goods and personnel?"

Bruce cryptically replied, "They're dealing a lot of goods, and that naturally affects other people's interests."

Martin had once read rumors suggesting that large-scale traffickers often had ties to the DEA or CIA. He remarked, "Behind those big-time traffickers, there always seems to be a shadow—either from the DEA or the CIA, especially the latter."

Bruce added, "Old men tend to have some sort of mental malfunction. When they act on impulse, they often commit heinous acts that are hard for normal folks to comprehend. The DEA's sweep of the South City gangs is a process."

He offered some advice, "Martin, you and Elena might want to leave the community for a while. After the DEA deals with the key players, things should settle down."

He listened closely to Bruces advice as he himself was once a member of a gang and said: "I'll talk to Elena, come up with an excuse to leave town, and we'll check into a hotel outside of Clayton tonight, staying there for a few days."

Lily and Hall were wrapping up their school year and had a few days off before summer vacation—no issues there.

Bruce shared his insight, "Those gangsters have ruffled the DEA's feathers, and it should be resolved within a week at most."

"Given our relationship, I won't say thank you," Martin replied, then shifted the conversation, saying, "If possible, I'd like to meet your DEA friend and express my gratitude in person."

Bruce ordered another beer and chuckled, "You, you hopeless troublemaker. No need to worry about him or thank him. He once served alongside me in the UK when I was in the army." This piqued Martin's interest.

"Shall we team up against the Brits?" Martin suggested with a grin.

Bruce gave a subtle nod, earning a thumbs-up from Martin. "Now that's a strong alliance!"

The beer-filled gathering continued past 1 o'clock, with everyone departing one by one. Martin settled the bill, bid farewell to Bruce, and returned home to the community.

Inside, Elena was poring over job listings in the newspaper, particularly for bartender positions. She had jotted down some contact information on the nearby notepad.

Martin settled onto the sofa and invited her to join him. "I might've stirred up some trouble for you. Those folks who paid me a visit last night were members of gangs from South City." He recounted the situation, offering a plan, "I'm thinking that since Lily and Hall are about to start summer vacation, we could find a nice resort hotel where we can all relax for a week. You can take a break, and we can even do some traveling..." Lily couldn't wait to chime in, "Let's go stay at a resort hotel! I've been wanting to go for ages."

Martin shot her a stern look.

Elena considered Lily and Hall's safety, proposing, "A resort hotel sounds like a good idea."

Martin called Hall and Harris, instructing them to pack their belongings. He also found contact information for a hotel and made a reservation at a lakeside resort near the serene Mountain range.

Subsequently, he reached out to Mr. Wood and the others, sharing the news that they'd be embarking on a trip during Lily and Hall's summer break.