Free The Time Stone by Jeffrey Estrella Page B

town outside of Chronix Bay called
Radcliffe population 2001 but were not sure about the 1 according
to the sign on the outskirts of town.

CHAPTER 23
    James and Tina wandered together to
the local bar called the “Free Castle”, referred by Melville. which
seemed aptly appropriate as they had flown the coop sort of speak
and now were in need of disguises and a way out of state as Tina
advised but James felt that there more things to do here. They
waited for their entry into their future as they entered the dark
and dingy bar full of loud music and thundering sounds of rowdy bar
patrons banging on the bar and tables demanding service and singing
and talking, singing drinking songs, as the place was filled to the
rear with what appeared to James to be the most undesirable of
characters, bikers talking about the stretch they just did at the
prison up the road for convictions stretching from aggravated
assault to murder and rape and various other crimes he overheard as
they passed through the ruckus. He pictured this place as known as
a harbinger of future criminal activity. Meanwhile he observed his
companion clumsily walking in with a big smile as if feeling
comfortable amongst the riffraff he abhorred.
    “ You like it here?” James
asked apprehensively approaching the rough interior of the
bar.
    “ I love it. I used to hang
out in places like this all the time back in the day. Nearly was
raised in them before my stretch in the orphanage. Come on.” Tina
beckoned for James to follow her.
    “ Wow”, James thought, “Ok
I’ll stay behind you then,” he added.
    To those around them it was home but
to James it seemed different. He never asked to be part of this or
even requested a part of it. He felt far from home and miserable,
like an outsider walking amongst those with a mile long rap sheet
and trouble caused at every turn. He was set up for something and
did not know why. He looked at his companion who felt more at ease
as she wandered around the bar beckoning to him to follow and
remain casual. Before his current predicament, he never imagined
setting foot into a place like this. Now he felt he had no choice.
He wondered how he would survive as he lacked of knowledge of the
difference between a Harley Davidson and a motor scooter as the
bikers discussed before him. He felt uncertain of himself regarding
his ignorance of the names and images on the leather jackets
signifying separate groups or gang activity as he guessed to
himself.
    “ We should leave,” James
insisted awkwardly.
    “ No sit down. Don’t
worry,” said Tina who ushered him to the empty stools in the bar
left vacant after an overweight biker whose rear end occupied both
stools fell back from a combination of drunkenness and
dizziness.
    James and Tina sat and looked about at
the bar seeing only dirty bottles behind the counter.
    “ I’ll protect you,” Tina
smiled winking at James.
    As they sat down, a heavily-bearded
man approached them from behind the bar.
    “ What will it be?” The
bartender spoke hoarsely and loud.
    “ Uh…” said James looking
helplessly.
    “ We want to lay low for a
while,” barked Tina.
    “ You must be on the lamb
huh?” The man laughed acknowledging them as James gave a suddenly
shocked reaction as affirmative. “Many folks in here got problems
with the police but to be in here you got to buy
something.”
    “ I knew it. Let’s go,
Tina.” James started up but Tina held him back down with her eyes
firmly locked with the bartender.
    “ We’ll have whiskey,” she
smirked with a determined grin as James looked at her with a
complex glance.
    ” You kids got some balls,”
the bartender laughed as he reached out from under the counter and
poured the drinks and walked away.
    “ James we really need to
think of a plan.” Tina spoke sipping her whiskey.
    “ How are we gonna pay for
this?” James whispered to Tina.
    “ We’ll get a tab,” she
shook it off sipping her whiskey but curiously remaining fixated