
Thursday, 24 February, 2000 "THE SHOWDOWN" It was a cool, Janruary day when Elena Quint discovered the most beautiful little house that she had ever seen. She had been loking for just the right house for her and her family to make thier new start in. Thier little cottage on OceanView road was just too small for the four of them. Had she had a son the second time around instead of a daughter, it still wouldnt have made much of a difference. The kids could share a room while they were small, but, as they grew older, they would need seperate rooms. But the memories were the main reason why she wanted new surroundings. Besides...she was looking forward to decorating each of the childrens rooms differently. In Mikeys room, she wanted to paint it blue with a nautical theme and, in her daughter Elizabeths room, she wanted to paint it pink with kittens and rosebuds. Her husband, Michael Quint, had just resigned as mayor of Amity island this past november. Oh, he fulfilled his obligation by completing his full term, but without much passion for it. He had wanted thier friend, Martin Brody, the current police chief, to take over for him as mayor. He had spent the remainder fo his time in office grooming Martin for the postition he'd begged Martin so long to take. Martin would be running against the same guy who had run against him...Chas Reese. It all worked...because now, Martin Brody was the mayor of Amity...and Quint was relieved that he could get out of all of those obligations and be able to leave the job to someone he felt that he could trust his life and family to. Quint didnt like all those obligations at once...but Martin lived for them. He had been a cop a long time. He was used to handling so many problems at once, dealing with so many obligations at once. Martin was a better man for the job, Quint felt...and so did the islanders, the voters. Well, not only was the cottage too small for her growing family, but there were so many bad memories there for Elena. She had been kidnapped and shot there, she'd had to move there after she had been told that her husband had been killed and she had to move back there, all alone... She loved that cottage very much...but she and her husband were starting a whole new life together...and she wanted new surroundings to go with the new life. She didnt think they could have much of a chance of forgetting the past if the visions of the old were still surrounding them. She had taken a drive every saturday with her children, for the last several months, all over the east end of the island. She wanted to be close enough to town, to Mikeys school and to the docks, where Quint was now working again as a fisherman, doing the thing that he loved to do. He was good at it. She didnt mind. They had been searching for "for-sale" signs all this time and had had no luck. Until today. Number one, Seagull Cove...only four and a half miles from the center of town, had a 'for-sale' sign in its little green, plush front lawn. It was a lovely home, with alot of surrounding property where the kids could play and thier own dock for the Orca II. The house sat higher than the road, on its own mound of land and had a view of the ocean to die for! There was a maintenance man there, airing the house for the realtor and mowing the grass in front and doing a few things like washing windows and the like. She asked him to let her in to look at the place and he did. Downstairs, there was a large living area with a fireplace along the right wall. Just ahead there was a massive window, over looking the ocean. She thought it would be nice to put the sofa in front of that window...her and Michael could watch the sunset over the ocean every evening. The kitchen was to the left and down a small breezeway, then to the right. There was a nice sized window over the sink at the rear of the kitchen, to the right, also looking out over the water, but her favorite part of this kitchen was the open wall above the gas, built- in stove, allowing her to remain a part of family activities from the living area while she was cooking dinner. She didnt like being cut off from the family while she cooked and washed dishes in the kitchen at the cottage while they were all in the other room. The dining area was across the breezeway from the kitchen...a very cozy little room with a dropped, beamed ceiling and a brick fireplace at one end and warm oak planked flooring. The staircase didnt have a typical wood, railed bannister. Instead, it had brass rods with open finnials at the top and a rope strung through them as a hand rail. It was a lovely nautical design that she knew Michael would get a kick out of. Once upstairs, you could walk straight ahead into a good sized bathroom with the same wood plank floors as the dining room and wainscotting on the lower half of the walls and a huge, old, iron 'claw-foot' bathtub that she immediately had some racey fantasies about. If you turned to the left, at the top of the stairs, there was a small, open walkway edged with the same style of bannister as the stairs. At the end of this hallway, toward the living area, was a bedroom. Between this bedroom and the bathroom was another bedroom...both, of which rooms, viewed the front yard and beyond. To the right of the top of the stairs was the large master bedroom with a private bath, with a large window at either end of the room, over looking the ocean, but she loved the glass, french doors leading out onto the little balcony. It wasnt really big enough to put a chaise lounge out there or anything, but she had a small, velvet-tufted stool, just big enough for two people to set on at the same time that would go perfectly out there! She just simply fell immediately in love with this house and she was determined to have it. She had the money for it...besides...they were selilng thier cottage and they would get most of the money back. But Mikey loved it and she could tell that 'Liz loved it, too...she acted like she owned the place while she was there! And, most important, she knew that Michael would love it, too. She knew this. He could dock his boat at his very own pier, clean his fish (or sharks) and back his truck all the way down to the end of the long driveway, right up to the pier to load his catch. He had been complaining for quite awhile that his back hurt him from carrying his heavy catch all the way from his boat onto shore somewhere to clean and prepare it for transport to the fish market on the mainland. He was also complaining about all the new, younger fishermen that were crowding the cove area these days. It was all unnerving him. Well...this would also take care of that problem! But the important thing about it all was that her and Michael could put thier past behind them. They need to do this in order to properly move forward. There was no doubt that these two had had a wild and painful past in this cottage...she had been kidnapped and shot by hoodlums there, they lived there when Michael had ran for mayor...and she had only moved into that cottage from her fancy digs in Manhatten only to be close to Michael in the first place...she had also had to move back to this cottage when she thought Michael was lost at sea and had been killed... Too many more 'bad' memories than 'good' ones. But the one most painful memory that she was trying to run from was the affair that she'd had. She had began the affair after she had been told that Michael was dead. She had no family for moral support, no one to turn to, to lean on. Oh, she had plenty of money from her fathers estate for her and the two children to live on for the rest of thier lives...money that Michael wouldnt ever let her touch and was now greatful for his stubborn pride. If he hadnt been so proud about being his family's sole support, she wouldnt have this money to fall back on. But she need a shoulder to lean on in this time of turmoil...and Rob Damon had taken quite a fancy to her back when he had first seen her in the hallway outside of the mayors office, the day he went to visit his friend, Martin Brody. And she had enjoyed the flirting he gave her. Rob had inquired as to her identity when he finally spoke to Martin, but was told that she was the property of the mayor and, if he didnt want to end up in the mayors chum bucket, to leave her alone. But the illicitness of the idea excited him immensly and he couldnt help but watch her and to talk to her at any chance that presented itself. A few months later, when his friend Martin had called him into the search for her missing husband, he took this oppotunity to walk right into Quints place in her heart and in her life under the guise of 'comforting' her...and she sorely needed it. But Michael eventually came home, alive and well...and she didnt quite know how to end her affair...especially when Rob had been telling her that her precious Michael had seemingly'got lost' on purpose. He had convinced her that Michael had been to that island before and had previously met this Maria Esperanza...and had set up this entire fake 'show' purposely, so that he could be with her. Rob Damon felt he had to tell her these things, no matter how much he hurt her, so that he could keep her. He was a very egotistical and selfish man. And she had already accepted Michaels death, so it was quite difficult for her to change her mind-set about him. Rob had become the one who had became her emotional stabilizer and emotional stability was something that she very much needed these days. But Michael hadnt been so innocent, himself...he had fallen in love with that island girl who had taken such good care of him when he had been near death after his accident. He had told Elena about her, eventually. He swore to Elena that he had never actually been intimate with her, but that he had fallen in love with her and that hurt Elena a great deal...which drove him a little further out of her heart. He had also admitted to a couple of brief but meaningless sexual encounters after he had discovered her affiar with Rob, which did even more damage to her love for him. But she knew that she was going to have to try very hard to clean things up and make her marriage work...after all...they had two small children between them and they had to make it work for them. Michael was making an effort. She should, too. She did love him. She knew this...and Quint loved her. They had to make it work. Months later, they had, pretty much, worked thier marriage troubles out and all the bad feelings they had been experiencing were fading, but they felt trapped within the walls of thier old life and they needed the change. Yes. She was positive that this new house was exactly what they needed, now... She took down the phone number from the 'for sale' sign in the front yard and called. She was suprized to find out that this house was being handled by her old school chum, Sharon Lawrence (who used to be Sharon Bettencourt), from Connecticut, when she had lived there briefly, as a girl. She was glad to see her old friend after so many years during lunch that day, to discuss the property in question. They caught up on old times, Sharon met her kids and showed Elena photos of hers and exchanged photographic glances of the men they had chosen to marry. Elena invited her friend over for dinner the following evening so that thier children...Sharons three, two girls and a boy only a year older than Mikey...and thier husbands could meet. Sharons husband, John, was a certified public accountant who enjoyed fishing on the weekends, so they knew he and Michael would get along well. And Sharon promised Elena the house on number one Seagull Cove, even though she knew that she was going to have to accept other bids within the next thirty days. That night, Elena broke the news to Quint, "...I've finally found the perfect house for us!". She expected him to balk and complian and, maybe, yell alittle...but he was just too tired to argue over anything. Quint had been setting on the edge of thier bed, removing his damp, fishy-smelling clothing. "How much, 'Lena?", he asked, tiredly, unbuttoning his shirt. "Eighty thousand", she said, waiting for the explosion. He had had a good day at the fish market today, but not good enough to handle the thought of an eighty-thousand dollar price tag. "Elena", he sighed quietly, grunting as he removed his wet shoes, "...We cant do this...". He wasnt yelling. This was a good sign. So she decided to push a little further. "But, Michael", she gently persisted, "...Once we sell the cottage, the money we get from it will almost pay for the entire amount of the new house". He was too tired to argue. He just wanted to get clean and dry and warm...and eat. "Elena, honey", he said softly, taking her by her hand and pulling her gently down onto the bed beside him...not wanting to fight or argue...no more... "We'll get all of sixty-five thousand for that cottage, if that much...besides...the cottage is all paid off...if we get this new house, we'll have a new mortgage...you want that bastard Thomas Reed on our backs again??". Ick. She had forgotten about that creepy little troll. She hated Thomas Reed. But she want going to let that little drone ruin her excitement. Not anymore. "Of course not, sweety...but he wont have anything to do with us...not this time, not anymore", she smiled confidently. "What are you grinning about?", he asked her, cautiously but curiously. "Sharon told me that she could get seventy-five thousand for our little cottage!", she smiled. "No kiddin'?", he leaned in as he whispered. "Nope!", she exclaimed happily, putting her arms around his neck, "...Shes coming here with her family tomorrow night for dinner...you can talk to her about it, then". Quint felt like protesting against a houseful of strangers on his only day of the week off, but gave it up. He was too wet and too tired. Besides...ten thousand more for that cottage intrigued him...that would mean he would only have to pay off a five-thousand dollar mortgage, which would mean easier payments for him to make...which also meant not having to deal with that bastard Reed, a new place to live and a happier, calmer home life. But remaining in the cottage wasnt as big a deal to him as it was Elena, anyway. But, he thought about her and Rob Damon and how Damon must have been with her, here, in this house, in this room...in this bed. He didnt want her always thinking about Damon. He wanted her to forget him. A new house would help make her forget... Quint made a mental note to support the move... ...And to get a new bed. While Quint was in the shower, he thought about it all...he had put Damon into the hospital for eight weeks when he came back fromj he called his 'self-cleansing' trip (his love for Elena renewed) and had found the two together in a publlic place. The whole idea of them being together was more than he could handle...but to have the entire island know of thier infidelities was the straw that broke the camels back. When Damon was released from the hospital, he had moved from his home in Boston clear out to California, from what Quint had heard. Martin had told him that he'd had Damon checked out and he had met some gal, had married her and she was expecting thier first kid. They were living in San Diego, near the Coast Guard station there. That relieved Quint a great deal. At least he wouldnt have to deal with the little prick anymore. The following evening, at dinner, conversation was going well for Quint, despite the fact that he had always felt uncomfortable around strangers. Sharon and John Lawrence were friendly folks...easy to talk to...and when John got Quint on the subject of fishing, the two men were lost to the rest of the world. As the children played in the bedroom and John and Quint sat in the livingroom talking fish, Elena and Sharon sat at the kitchenn table, chatting over coffee. "Say", Elena asked, "Hows your sister, Tammy?...Boy!...She was a wild one!", she giggled. "Oh, dont you know it!", Sharon exclaimed, "...But she met a guy whos in the Coast Guard out in San Diego...they got married last november and theyre expecting thier baby this august!". "No kidding?", Elena exclaimed, "Oh, thats great...is she happy?". "Well, yes and no...", Sharon mused, sipping her coffee, "...See, Rob...thats her husbands name...got beat up pretty badly last summer, so he's constantly having to go back and forth to physical therapy and having to have reconstructive surgeries done, so its pretty much a drain on her, emotionally as well as physically...hes been on sick leave so his pay is not up to what it should be so shes been having to work to make up the difference and her pregnancy hasnt been an easy one, so far...". Elena still hadnt made the connection. "Jeeez...", Elena winced, "Why'd he get beat up so badly??". "Well", Sharon fought a grin, "...Rob told everyone that he'd been mugged...but John said it was probably a jealous husband...". A giggle slipped out. **DING**. It finally hit Elena. "Uh...er...", Elena stammered nervously, "...Ummm...whats this Robs last name...?". "Damon...why?", Sharon asked, looking puzzled. Oh, shit. "Sharon...do me a favor, would you?...", Elena asked quietly, "...Whatever you do, dont mention that name around Michael...". "Why not??", still the puzzled expression. Elena told her 'why not'. "Oh, youre KIDDING me, right?!", Sharon squealed, trying hard to keep quiet, "You??...And Rob?!?...And youre Michael...the one who...oh, no...please...tell me that this isnt happening!!", Sharon dropped her head into her hands. Elena just sat there quietly, guilty as charged. "How in Gods name could you sleep with somebody like Rob, when you had a hunk like that at home, waiting for you?!", Sharon reprimanded her, hooking her thumb back in Quints direction, "...Lady...are you blind?!?". "Sharon", Elena tried explaining, "...I had thought that Michael was dead...I was alone, with two babies...Rob gave me his shoulder to cry on...he kept both me and the kids from going crazy during our turmoil, our loss...or, our supposed loss...I needed someone...", she tried hard to justify herself. "Look", Sharon said, holding her hands out in front of her, palms outward, "...Okay. I understand about that part...but I dont get the part where you continued to see Rob after that babe of a husband of yours came waltzing back into your life!...Jeez, Elena!...Rob is...well...such a 'putz'!!..A total dufus!!...I mean, he's not bad to look at and, so far, he's been treating Tammy alright, but...hes such a total jackass!!...He thinks hes 'cock-of-the-walk'...'Gods gift to women' and all that male-macho crap!!...Eeeeww!!...He can be so sickening sometimes!!...Blecchh!!", she shivered. "I just didnt know how to break it off with him, Sharon", Elena said, defensively, "...He kept telling me how much he loved me and needed me...and he was telling me a bunch of lies that he had actually seen Michael on that island, loving that girl...how Michael had told him that he had purposely staged that accident so that he could run out on his responsibilities...he kept telling me that, if Michael had loved me in the first place, that he would have taken me and the kids to that fair to show us off instead of doing something selfish like sailing off somewhere...Rob had my head twisted up in all sorts of directions, back then!". "Yep...thats Rob...", Sharon sighed, "...So full of bullshit stories that he could explode!". Just then, Quint walked into the kitchen, full of excitement, with John right behind him. "Hey, woman!", Quint grinned at Elena, "John, here, says that they are going out to California this summer to visit Sharons sister...and theyre all gonna rent a houseboat for a week and sail up the Monterey coast - shark fishing - and Johns invited us along!...Ya want to??". He was quite excited. Elena and Sharon exchanged glances. They were absolutely dumbfounded. Sharon just turned her head away and rolled her eyes...Elena had no idea what to tell Quint. For one thing, things were peaceful, these days. If Quint found out where Rob was, he'd go out of his way to finish the job he started back at Chas Reeses fund raiser. Second, if he found out that Sharon was even remotely related to Rob Damon, even by marriage, as she was, then she would have to fight with him to simply remain friends with her. Quint would accuse her of only being friends with Sharon just to get closer with Rob and the whole mess would be stirred up, all over again. Her and Quint had finally resolved thier issues of trust and things were peaceful, now...peaceful, loving and, finally, trustworthy. But if she told Quint 'no', that she didnt want to go, judging by how excited Quint was of the idea of this little tryst, she would have to go into a detailed explaination of why she didnt want to go...she had no other choice. She simply had to try... "I dont know, Michael...", she said, feigning indecisiveness, "...If we get the new house, I'll still be so busy settling us all in...and, dont forget...we've already promised Martin and Ellen that we'd take that camping trip up to Squam lake in Vermont with them, this summer...". "Come on, 'Lena...", Quint prodded, giving her one of his sexiest 'pleading' looks, slipping his arm seductively around her shoulders, "...Its only for a week or two...Mikeys out of school for almost three months for the summer...and you've still got enough money in the bank to cover our losses from my being out of work a couple of weeks!...besides...summer is still six months away! We've got plenty of time to settle into that new house...and plenty of time to spend with the Brodys, camping!". He leaned into her, grinning, giving her his very best 'knee-weakening', 'heart-swooning', 'make-the-ladies-sigh' smile, twinkling eyes and all and softly said, "Please, baby...?". Oh, brother!!...She went 'one-hundred-ways-stupid' and, before she realized what she was doing, she'd told him 'yes'. Jeeez...the way he had just made her feel, she would have handed over her vital organs without a second thought! The way he could manipulate his eyes and his smile and his tone of voice, even his body-language, all at the same time to get what he wanted from her was totally and completely amazing... That night, as she lay in bed, she realized something. She had been too 'captivated' by Quint, earlier, to realize what he had said. She sat up and screamed happily, in the dark. "Michael!!". He was startled out of a sound sleep. "What??...What??!", he grumbled, setting up straight with a jolt. "You really mean it?!", she squealed excitedly. "Mean what, woman??!", he asked her, sleepily confused. "You said, 'we'll have plenty of time to settle into the new house'!!...Does that mean that we can buy number one Seagull cove??!". He chuckled. He had always wondered how long the effects of his charms would last...now, he knew. "If I say 'yes', you arent going to maul me, are you?", he grinned. "I'm not making any promises", she grinned. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, one eyebrow raised, for a moment before he sighed, "Yes". She bounced up and down and squealed happily before leaning over and giving him a hug and a kiss, "Oh, I just love you...you know that?". He smiled, "Yeah...I know it", he grinned, then laid back down and pulled the blankets back over him to go back to sleep. She curled her body around his, hugging him tightly. "Oh, Michael", she whispered happily into his ear, "...Thank you, darling", as she gently kissed his earlobe. "Mmmmmm...", he moaned. She had just started something that she would be glad to finish. In the wee hours of the morning, however, she lay there, in the dark, wondering about so many things concerning this sharking trip...she knew the situation would be so much worse if she waited for Quint to find out about Rob on his own...then, again, he would be so angry if he found about him, now...after she had said yes to the trip. She wondered how she was going to feel, facing Rob again. And she wondered if Michael was capable of committing murder...after all, his temper frightened her...and he was still holding onto a nasty grudge against Rob Damon, even after all this time... Elena phone Sharon at her office the next morning, after she had returned from taking Mikey to school. She informed Sharon that Quint had agreed to buy the house, so she could start the paperwork as soon as possible. She also asked Sharon of she and John would keep mum about Rob Damon being thier brother-in-law to Michael. She would just rather that he find out on his own and have him believe that she hadnt known about it, either. It was safer, that way. She joked that, maybe, Quint wouldnt kill Rob right there in front of everyone becasue he wouldnt want to make a bad impression. But she sure wasnt laughing. She was scared to death. The day came when Quint and Elena got to go to the house and look at it, together. Sharon had taken them, giving them all the history of the place that she knew of...how old the roof was, what kind of wiring the house had and so forth. And, just like Elena thought, Quint was very excited about having his very own boat dock. He didnt really care about the rest of the place, but he sure took to the long driveway and the dock right away and spent the rest of the time that they were there talking about the advantages of having the boat so near to thier home. It sure would save on his aging, aching back, not having to carry those heavy nets and tackle boxes so far. Elena enjoyed her first evening in thier new home, watching Michael sailing into his very own dock, at the rear of thier house, directly from thier bedroom balcony. He saw her and waved. She waved back. Then, in a fit of mischeviousness, she pulled open her blouse and flashed her bare breasts at him. She laughed heartily at his shocked expression, but covered her mouth in fear as he almost rammed the Orca II right into the dock! She buttoned her blouse as she ran as fast to him as she could to him. He had managed to turn the boat, just in time, to avoid running up onto the pier, however, he had still been going too fast and ran the boat up onto the shore. As soon as she got to the boat, she climbed up on board and made her way to him, up on the bridge. "Are you alright?!", she asked him, checking him over carefully. "What the hell did you FLASH me for, woman?!", he exclaimed, "...You bloody-well could have killed me!!". She giggled, "Sorry, sweety...it was just my way of saying 'welcome home'!". "Come 'ere", he growled, laughing, grabbing her tightly before kissing her passionately. "Oh, but the kids...", she protested. But it did her no good to protest. It was the first time that they had ever made love on this new boat. The motnhs went sailing by happily. They were quite settled in when Quint took the phone call from John Lawrence on a pleasantly warm, June evening. "Quint!", came Johns voice from the other end of the line, "...Hey, buddy!...I just wanted to know if you and 'Lena were still going with us to San Diego...". "Hell yes!", Quint stated gleefully. "Great!", John exclaimed, "...Listen..we're flying out this saturday...I chartered a private jet to fly us cross-country...the houseboat has already been reserved, a three-bedroom!...we'll fish all the way through the fourth of july weekend!!...This boats a beauty, Quint...you'll like her!". "Sounds great, John", Quint smiled, "...Just tell me when and where to meet you...". "We'll pick you up about eight AM this saturday morning...hows that?". "Great!", Quint agreed, "...Just one thing...about my kids...". "Listen", John assured him, "We're leaving our three with Sharons parents...theyve got a huge place on the south end of the island...if you think it'll be okay, we can take yours over there, too...her mom wont mind...she loves kids...shes great with them!". "I'll talk to Elena about it and get back to you", Quint said. "Okie-doke!", John chuckled, "Dont forget your fishing rod!". They disconnected. Elena had been out front, setting on the cool grass, in the shade, watching Mikey and Elizabeth playing. Quint walked outside and sat on the grass, next to her. "I heard the phone ring", she smiled up at him. "Yeah...it was John Lawrence...he said that we're leaving for San Diego on saturday morning...if we still want to go...". He gazed into her eyes. She froze. She had kept this all out of her mind so that she wouldnt have to worry about it until the time came...and it was finally here. She couldnt put it off any longer. She had to try to get out of going. "...I dont know, honey...", she whined, "...I was just kind of hoping that we could just stick close to home, this summer...". "Come off it, 'Lena!", he snapped, "...You accepted the camping trip with the Brodys...and me??...Camping?!...I'd be like a fish out of water!...(Heh!)...but I agreed because you wanted to go. It would make you happy...So, now, lets go do something that I want to do!". "But...", she tried to protest, but he cut her off. "I said we're going, woman...and thats final!". "But, Michael...theres something I should tell y---", but thats all she got out before he cut her off, again...for the last time. "Godammit, Elena!!", he shouted, "...These people are YOUR friends!!...I thought, that since these were your friends and they wanted to do something that I actually wanted to do, we could enjoy ourselves together!!...Isnt that what you want?!". "Yes, darling, but...", she said. "Then lets not talk anymore about it, then!", he told her, in no uncertain terms, as he got up from the grass to play 'toss-the-ball' with his children. Well. She had tried. She deep-sighed as she had remembered what she had told Sharon...to let Rob Damon be a complete suprize to Quint. She resigned herself to that. "By the way...", Quint called over to her, "John said that Mike and Liz could spend the week with Sharons parents while we're gone...thats where thier kids are going to stay...how do you feel about that?". "I've always liked her folks", Elena answered him, her mind still on the troubles yet to come, "...Its okay with me as long as you dont mind...". So then it was all set. All that was left to do was to pack. Quint phoned John back that evening, after dinner, to verify the go-ahead for Sharons parents. Elena became an emotional wreck with worry. She hardly ate a bite or slept a wink the three days between Johns phone call and the time Sharon and John arrived to pick them up to go to the airstrip. Elena got into the back seat of the rental car behind Sharon, as John got out to help Quint with getting the luggage - and his fishing gear - into the trunk. As soon as the guys were out of ear-shot, Sharon turned and whispered to Elena. "Michael doesnt know about Rob yet, does he??...You didnt tell him, did you??", her eyes were wide. "No, I havent", elena told her, nervously, "And, quite frankly, I'm scared to death about whats going to happen when Michael see's Rob!...Oh, christ...!!". "Relax, Elena...", Sharon told her quietly, watching for the guys, "...Maybe it wont be as bad as you think...maybe Michael is over it, by now...after all, he's the one whos got you, now...". "Oh, you dont know Michael Quint!", Elena shook her head, quite seriously, "He can hold a grudge forever...!". Just then, the fellas came back around to the side of the car and got in. Elena felt guilty becasue Quint looked so happy and so excited... The two couples made sdmall talk all the way to the airstrip, but, on the plane, all the guys could tallk about was shark fishing. The two women sat in worried silence, occasionally passing each other worried glances...especially when Quint made the remark that he did about chumming... "What does chum actually consist of?", John had asked, "...Just fish parts?...Beef?...Whatre sharks attracted to?". Quint gave him a mishevious grin and said, "Well, basically, anything with blood in it...I usually use fish parts or...any kind of bloody meat thats handy...there was one guy, in particular, that I had tried to get my hands on, to use as chum...", still grinning, he shot Elena a look as he said that, to watch her expression. He knew that she would know exactly whom he was speaking of. She felt like she would faint. Sharons eyes were as wide as saucers as she glanced between Elena and Quint. John just sat in stunned silence. "Tell them that youre just kidding, Michael", Elena said nervously, "...I think they think youre serious!". But Quints gaze became hard and cold as he told her quietly, "...I'm not 'kidding'...". "Lets please get off the subject of bloody meat!", Sharon pleaded, "...Or I think I'll be sick!". Quint just leaned back in his seat, put his hands behind his head and crossed his ankle over his knee. Grinning evily at Elena, he began to softly sing, "...Farewell and adieu to you fair spanish ladies...fairwell and adieu to you ladies of Spain...". She wasnt going to let him intimidate her. Not this time. She was already worried enough. She crossed her arms and glared back at him, "...And speaking of 'Spanish ladies'...", she gave him an angry look. That caused Quint to stop singing. Okay. Enough was enough. He got the point...he let it rest. They landed at about two PM on a small landing strip west of the San Diego International airport, between the zoo and the Naval training center. Quint chuckled, "...Doesnt look like much has changed since I was her, last!". John had everyone wait at the plane while he had dispatch call for a cab, then he went to the main airport and rented a car. Elena perspired buckets while she waited. Sharon felt badly for her...there was nothing she could do to help her. She tried talking excitedly about the trip to keep her mind off of the impending doom, but Elena had blocked out everything but her fear. It seemd like a millenium before John returned. They drove west on Harbour drive, the took the Pacific Highway north. Then they took the Garnet street exit all the way to the end of the line, driving onto a small beachfront road near Pacific beach, continuing until they came to a small cluster of mobile homes on the left, with a few little boats docked beyond. They pulled off to the side of the little gravel road and stopped the car. "Let me go see if Tammys home", Sharon told everyone as she got out of the car. John, Quint and Elena stayed in the hot, stuffy car as they watched Sharon walk down the road, into the trailor park. There were fove trailors from back to front and about three in each row. Sharon walked along all five rows of trailors, then disappeared around the corner of the first row, closest to the beach. About ten minutes later, Sharon returned. "Okay, folks!", Sharon said, as she got into the car, "...Her hubbys gone to get the houseboat...hes been gone about an hour, already, so he should be sailing back anytime, now...", She glanced at Elena as she said this, seeing fear and great worry. She turned to John and told him that Tammy had told them to just pull the car around, into the carport. He started the car and drove around. "Hey, folks!", Tammy waved to everyone as they got out of the car and began unpacking thier belongings, "...My Rob will be back in just a few...come on in and make yourself comfortable!...I've got sandwiches, lemonaid and, best of all, air conditioning!". When Tammy said 'Rob', Sharon shot Elena a worried look. Cold chills went through Elena like shock waves. She glanced cautiously over at Quint...luckily, it hadnt seemed to mean anything to him. They had all been so careful not to mention Robs name, but now, they were going to go inside the place where Rob lived. Elena was positive that Quint would find out in there, talking to his wife, there would be photos of him around...and Elena wanted to put off the showdown as long as possible... "Michael", Elena tugged gently at his shirt sleeve. "What, sweetie?", he smiled at her. "Its so hot...why dont we take a walk along the beach?...We can look out for...Tammys husband?...Its just sooooo hot...". "I guess we can do that", he smiled down at her, "We've been settin' an awfully long time, anyway...besides...its been a long time since I've seen the Pacific!". *whew*!...She bought herself some time. They strolled hand in hand along the beach for about thirty minutes before Quint saw the houseboat approaching in the distance. "Here comes the boat!", Quint told her, pointing north, "We'd better go tell everyone!". He looked so cute when he was excited. She hated herself for what was going to happen. She walked back to the trailor with him...reluctantly. Elenas heart stopped when Quint stepped inside the trailor door to tell them all that he could see the houseboat, but, thankfully, he didnt do too much looking around. Apparently, either the air conditioning wasnt on or wasnt working and it was quite hot in there, because when he came back outside, he was perspiring heavily and his huge grin was still present...a good sign. They all walked back to the beach together, to wait at the docks for a closer look at the houseboat. Elenas heart raced as she dreaded the inevitable confrontation between Quint and Rob. She fought off a fainting spell (or two) as the houseboat drew nearer...nearer... Sharon placed her hand gently on Elenas shoulder, causing her to jump, "...You okay?", she whispered, "...You dont look so good...". "I'll be fine...", Elena told her, shaking. Quint didnt even recognize Rob, at first...he'd shaved off his 'mutton-chop' sideburns as well as his beard and moustache and his hair was a little longer. Since the beating that Quint had given him a year before, breaking his jaw in three places and breaking his nose, his face shape had been altered. But Rob had recognized him... Rob jumped off the boat and walked up the pier, not taking his eyes off of Quint. "Rob!...How ya doing?", John grinned at him...but Rob walked right past John as if he werent even there. "Honey?...Whats wrong?", Tammy asked, looking suprized by his actions, but Rob ignored her, too. Rob stopped and stood right in front of Quint. Quint still hadnt recognized him. He put his hand out for a shake, but Rob didnt take it. Instead, he turned on his heel to scream at Tammy, Sharon and John, who were all standing behind him. "What the HELL is he doing here?!!". But it still hadnt registered with Quint. He was totally confused. "Do I know you...??", Quint asked. "You know me, Quint!", Rob said, glaring at him, "...You put me through hell with month after month of plastic surgeries and physical therapies because YOU decided to take off and go slippin' around with some island whore and leave your pretty little wifey alone!!....", then his hard glare turned into a sarcastic grimace as he finished his explaination, "...I guess you got pissed off cuz I tapped your old lady just a little bit better than you did, eh?!...Cuz she sure didnt want to leave me, even AFTER you decided to sail back into town!!". "ROB!!", Tammy yelled, in shock. Elena saw Quints face...she took a few steps backward...she could actually feel Quints anger, rising from the pit of his belly, like the fires of hell exploding up from the earth. The look in his eyes, alone, made her recoil in terror. Quint remianed silent. That was a bad sign... Quint looked at her with those eyes of hate and softly, angrily asked, "...Did you know that he was going to be here??". All she could do was shake her head 'no'. Quint turned and walked away. He felt like he could honestly murder Rob and it scared him. Elena followed him. She tried grabbing his arm, but he spun around and swung his arm out of her grasp, knocking her hand away, violently. "Dont you touch me!!!", he hissed at her, pure hate in his eyes, "...Dont talk to me...dont touch me!!". He walked toward the carport where his bags and fishing gear were setting, his long, poerful legs taking huge strides away from her...she could barely keep up with him. "Michael!!...I didnt know!!..I swear to God!!", she lied, as she caught up with him in the carport. The truth would only cause him to explode. He turned quickly toward her, leaning down into her face as he screamed, "Goddam LIAR!!!", an angry reddish color rising in his cheeks, making his blue eyes stand out like blue flames, spittle forming on his lips. For the first time in his life, he raised his hand to a woman. Just as he was about to bring his large, heavy hand down across her face, Rob grabbed it. "I'm sick of you treating her like shit!!!", Rob yelled as he let a punch fly to Quints jaw with his free hand after spinning Quint around by his arm. Quint reeled backward and slammed against the side of the metal trailor siding with a huge 'THWUMP' sound, the force of his weight slamming into it rocked the whole trailor from side to side. Rob ran up to Quint to hit him again, but Quint put his foot up in front of him. It connected directly - and painfully - to Robs groin, doubling him over, clutching himself. Quint took advantage of it and leaned toward him. He brought his huge right fist straight up from the pavement into Robs face so hard that he felt something 'pop'...it was the plastic filler in Robs jawbone that the doctor had cemented in to replace the previously shattered bone. "Stop it!!", Tammy screamed, crying. But Quint had become just like the sharks that he had come to loathe...he wanted blood...Robs blood. "Michael!!!", Elena screamed, "...Stop it, now...STOP!!". John ran over and grabbed Quints arms from behind as Rob lay writhing in agony on the ground, moaning loudly. As Quint struggled with John, Rob crawled over to the steps that led up into the trailor. He managed to get up those steps and inside. The women surrounded Quint, who was still struggling to break free of Johns hold. Elena was trying to calm Quint, but her presence was only angering him more. He was positive that she had lied to him...which she had, but only because she didnt want him upset until he got here...she had hoped that he was at least over the affair enough to walk away when he found out! But that fucking Rob! Why couldnt he keep his sorry mouth SHUT??! Sharon made an attempt to try talking to Quint to calm him down, but Tammy was freaking out, hitting Quint, so Sharon had to restrain her and try to calm her down. "Michael...I'm swearing to you...", Elena pleaded, "I didnt know until the very last minute!!". "LIAR!!", he screamed into her face, "We're THROUGH, bitch!!...Its OVER!!...I'm taking my kids and you'll have NOTHING!!...NObody!!...Do you hear me?!", he was screaming angrily, spittle spewing from his lips, his face a raging crimson color and his teeth clenched. His eyes were wide and wild, a blue-grey, like a stormy ocean. With all the commotion going on surrounding Quint - who was now a ranting, raving madman - no one paid any attention to Rob...or what he was about to do... "Rob!!...DONT...!!", Tammy screamed. Rob fired the gun. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Quint turned and pulle with all of his might to break free from John, to get out of the line of fire. The bullet struck John in his upper left arm and he let go of Quint. Quint hit the ground and rolled behind the car. He reached over and grabbed the flat, wooden case containing his harpoon gun. He crawled to the other side of the car for shelter while he put the harpoon gun together...and load it. Rob clumsily made his way downstairs, in pain, determined to finish what he'd started...to kill Quint. He shook Tammy off of his arm when she tried to pull him back as he fought his way toward Quint. Sharon was busy tending to John. "Quint!!...Robs coming toward the car!!", Elena shouted, fighting her urge to scream at Rob first, so that Quint wouldnt think that she was trying to protect him. Quint clicked the metal harpoon spear onto the muzzle of the air gun, securely, with a quiet 'click' noise. Rob was in the middle of the driveway, now...headed for the car. "Michael!!", Elena screamed, sobbing, "...Hes coming!!". Just then, Quint popped up from the other side of the rental car, taking Rob by suprize. Quint had only a split second to aim and fire before Rob realized what was happening and fired first. Quint aimed and fired quickly, striking Rob. The harpoon embedded so deeply into Robs stomach, that the tip of it went through his back, severing his spine. Rob fell to the ground as Tammy let out a blood-curdling scream...the .32 revolver flying out of his hand. Quint walked over to Rob and stared down at him with an expression of disgust, then walked over and picked up the revolver. He walked back and aimed the gun directly at Robs head as he lie there, paralyzed and bleeding profusedly. Quint pulled back the hammer with his thumb. "Michael!", Elena pleaded, "Oh, please, God!...Michael...please...dont do it!!...Oh, God...!!", she was shaking like a leaf, sobbing, her hands clasped together. "Quint...dont do it...", John moaned, "...its not worth it...". Quint stood there, his gun aimed directly at Robs head, staring down at the man he hated more than sharks, loathing him, wanting him dead so badly that he could taste it. "Go ahead!...Shoot!!", Rob told him, then laughed, "...So this is what I get for being a better lay to your wife than you were, eh?", he laughed, again. "Shut UP!!!", Elena screamed at Rob, like a raging madwoman, fear and anger spewing angrily from her lips, "How the bloody hell can you even IMAGINE that you better than Michael when you couldnt even get it UP half the time!!! And when you COULD, it went limp before you could even DO anything with it!!!!!". That little 'revelation' shocked everybody! Sharon, John and Tammy let out a collective 'gasp' that sounded like an automobile tire going flat. Even Quint stared at her, wide eyed...before bursting out laughing, giggling so hard that he had to lean back against the car to keep from falling down. It had tickled Quint so much, that even when Rob said 'shut up bitch!', he couldnt get angry. For you see, guys can make cracks about other guys' male parts and its nothing more than a 'ha-ha' joke. But when a woman does it - especially one the guy has had sex with - its a worse blow that a guy can suffer! Total and complete humiliation, even worse than death!...And Rob had just got sliced to pieces! "Go ahead!..Pull the trigger, you no-heart sonofabitch!!", Rob screamed at Quint, but Quint was still far too amused at his wifes revelation to be concerned with anything other than wetting his pants from laughing too hard! "I've got to go and call an ambulance!", Sharon informed them as she left Johns side to run into the trailor to the phone. Tammy was in a sorrowful heap at Robs side. John was setting up, leaning against the trailor, holding his bleeding arm. Elena had collapsed against a support post of the carport, sobbing...and Quint was now around on the other side of the car, his back to them all, still giggling his ass off. Everyone was pretty much in the same position when the police and ambulances had arrived, only minutes later. The police took everyones statements, took photos of the crime scene, talked to everyone in the trailor park - looking for other witnesses - (which there were none) and wrote reports on the incident, but no one went to jail. It was a clear-cut case of self-defense on Quints part. If anyone went to jail, it would be Rob...after he got out of the hospital...but that would be up to the District Attorney and the circuit judge of San Diego county. The cops took Quints name and address...he and Elena would be called back to Californiawhen the hearings were to be held. "Whats your address, Mr. Quint?", the officer asked him. He looked over at Elena and winked, "...Number one, Seagull cove...". She smiled wearily back at him. Later that night, after John, Rob and Tammy - who was seven months pregnant and taken in for observation only - were in the hospital for the night, Quint and Sharon sat outside on the cool porch, sipping cool drinks and talking while the tv inside blared. Elena was in the back bedroom, lying down...traumatized and depressed, thinking she had lost Michael for good, despite having told the police that he still lived at number one Seagull cove, Amity. "You know, Quint...", Sharon said as she stared out over the moonlit Pacific ocean, "Elena honestly didnt know about Rob being my brother-in-law until just before you and John walked into the kitchen to inform us that we were all coming on this trip together...". Quint just 'snorted', as if to say, "Yeah, right", then tipped up the bottom of his can to finish the remainder of his beer. "No...honestly...", she peristed, "...And thats what she had been trying to tell you when she tried to protest against going...but you kept cutting her off, not letting her finish what she was trying to say!". He glared at her. "You", she said, pointing the index finger of the hand that was holding her Fresca by the rim of the can, "...Should listen to your wife more often before going off half-cocked!". He knew she was right. He sat silently as she reprimanded him. He knew, now, that he had this coming to him. And, brother!...Did she ever read him the riot act, too, about his bull-headed behavior! He just sat, quietly, listening to her, as the tv played the "Jaws" theme music in the background...Quint liked that movie... When she had finished what she had to say, they sat silently as she finished hr Fresca, then she got up to leave. "I'm going to the hospital to spend the night with John", she told Quint, "...If they'll let me, that is...if not, then I'll be back in about an hour. I'm taking sis's keys so no one has to wait up to let me in, okay?". Quint just vaguely wiggled his fingers in a weak attempt to say goodbye. He didnt want to say anything to get her started in on him, again. He stayed there, on that porch, long after she had left, thinking about the days events. Elena had protested about coming on this trip, but he had been so excited about going, so determined to go, that he hadnt even wondered why she hadnt sounded too enthused about going. He overpowered her objections, as usual. But he didnt know wether or not Elena or Sharon had been telling the truth about wether or not Elena had previously known that Rob was related to Sharon... He agonized over this for awhile, as he got himself another cold Coors and drank it. He took out his wallet. He gazed lovingly at his two sweet-faced, adoring children until his cheeks hurt from smiling at them. He deep-sighed, finally realizing that it just didnt matter. The most important thing to him was that she had tried to get out of going on this trip. To Quint, that meant that she hadnt wanted to see Rob...and this is what made the difference to Quint. He went inside and stepped quietly down the narrow hallway toward the rear bedroom where she was laying. It was so damned hot in there! He stopped into the bathroom and soaked a washcloth in cold water, then wrung it out, then went into the room and laid on the bed, behind her. He reached over and gently placed the cool cloth on her forehead. "Michael?", she moaned quietly. "Yes, woman...its me", he whispered soflty into her ear before kissing it gently. She removed the cloth from her forehead to keep it from slipping off as she rolled over onto her back to look up at him. He took the cloth from her hand and began dabbing with it at the persperation on her face. "You dont still believe that I came here wanting to see Rob, do you...?", she sounded so bewildered. He smiled down at her and whispered "No", as he wiped her cheeks with the cloth. "I have to ask your forgiveness at the way I behaved today...", he said, ready to pour out his heart to her with apologies. But she lifted her finger to his lips to quiet him, then she maneuvered her arms around him and kissed him passionately...her inner pain dissipating and the different surroundings causing her body to hunger for him as it usually did in new places... So, there had been a showdown between two men who, at different times, had shared Elena Quints heart...between the man she had once thought that she had loved and the man that she had always truly loved. The man that owned her heart had defeated the trespasser, once and for all. *****************************THE END**********************************