Free Terminated by Simon Wood Page B

the old man’s wheelchair.
    “Oh, look at the big man,” Dennis said. “See him pick on someone who can’t fight back and slap a sick old man around.”
    “It worked for you, didn’t it? A backhand for me. A kick in the guts for Mom.”
    The glee turned to anger. “You two brought it upon yourselves. If you hadn’t pissed me off, I would have never laid a hand on either of you.”
    Dennis grabbed the wheels on his wheelchair and pulled on them to steer himself away, but Tarbell held the chair firmly in place.
    “Get your damn hands off my chair.”
    “Make me.”
    Dennis raised a hand to strike out. Tarbell blocked the weak attempt and slapped his father across the face. It wasn’t a hard slap, but it affected both of them. It changed a lifetime of abuse. The balance had shifted. Tarbell wondered if, for the first time, his father realized he was no longer the dominant male in his world. He hoped the hell so, but regardless, he felt like the dominant male at last. It failed to make up for all the years he didn’t stand up to his father or protect his mother, but it did fill him with a newfound power. Going after Gwen had opened the door, but he’d walked through it when he hit his father.
    “Enjoy that, did you? Did your dick grow a couple of extra inches?”
    His father was scrabbling for control. He wouldn’t give it to him.
    “Would you like me to scream?” Dennis contorted his faceand let out a fake sob. “Would you like me to squirt out some tears? Do you expect me to beg you to stop the way you used to?”
    “I don’t expect you to do anything.”
    Dennis snorted. “You want an apology or something?”
    “No. You wouldn’t mean it.”
    “Damn right.”
    “You’re an ungrateful son of a bitch,” said Tarbell in disgust.
    Dennis snorted again. He tried to puff himself up to look bigger than he was, but his body was weak. “You expect me to be indebted to you because you keep me living in this lap of luxury?”
    “Something like that.”
    “Well, I’m not.”
    It was a good front, but Tarbell could see that his father was scared. He knew his body had sold him out, but until now he had still had Tarbell to lord his power over. Now that was gone.
    “You need to be taught a lesson in manners and respect,” Tarbell said.
    Dennis laughed. Tarbell brought it to a swift end by grabbing the oxygen tube and bringing it in front of his father’s face. He folded the tube back on itself. The reaction was instantaneous. His father withered without the flow of oxygen. He reached for the tubing, but Tarbell slapped his hands out of the way.
    “The lesson isn’t at an end yet. You need to understand your ability to continue living relies on my generosity. My money and my will keep you alive. Like oxygen, you’ll only notice when it disappears.”
    The color drained from Dennis’s face. His mouth flapped open and closed like that of a hooked trout on a riverbank as he fought to suck in air.
    “I can cut you off at a moment’s whim,” said Tarbell. “I’ll be honest with you, my whim isn’t in your favor right now.”
    Fear burned white hot inDennis’s eyes. Tarbell had never seen his father scared. He drank the moment in until it left him giddy. At long last, his father knew what it was to be human. It was good he was learning it before his life ran out. Tarbell released the tubing.
    The pressure in the line forced the kink open and life-giving oxygen flowed back to his father. After three ragged inhales, he began to recover. Tarbell patted his cheek.
    “Good boy. Lesson learned, I think.” He returned to the sofa and picked up his coffee mug. No tremors now. He blew at the steam still curling off the surface. “I’m the head of the family now.”

CHAPTER EIGHT
    P etersen sat at the bar watching the Sundaynight football game and nursing a beer. This was how he’d conducted his surveillance on Tarbell since Friday night, hiding out, leaving Tarbell free to do whatever he wanted.
    He was