#slg1e5

Mark was right, there was SOMETHING out there, and that something was a someone wielding a gun.  As the intruder got closer to the house, neither Seth nor Mark saw him, but the dogs could from their vantage point at the window and they started barking even more ferocious. As the intruder came around the garage towards the pool and in sight of Mark and Seth, Mark saw him first....

MARK- “SETH!!  OVER THERE.... SOMEONE HAS A----

SETH- “What? What! where?”

Mark lunges towards Seth, as a gunshot rings out into the foggy Sunday morning. Birds scatter in the nearby trees and their dogs run to the back door trying to get out and protect their owners...

INTRUDER- “He got in the way!!  It doesn’t matter though, You got the message right Schrieber, just know your were the target!”

A FEW WEEKS LATER...

GABE- “Great game, Jack!!”

JACKSON- “Thanks to you!  We finally have a receiver that can catch the ball and run! There is no stopping us now! Oasis Springs down, once we play Windenburg and beat them, then it is on to the regional championship and then State!!”

GABE- “We are the dynamic duo, just like the coach said!”

JACKSON- “Brothers to the end!”

Jackson goes over to his locker to change and just stands there for a moment...

GABE- “Hey, Jack, you okay?”

JACKSON- “Yeah, just thinking about my mom.  Wish she could have seen this game. She was so excited for me to get the quarterback spot, and she didn’t even get to see me play.”

GABE- “Sorry brother, I know it’s got to be hard.  But at least your dad was here to see it!”

JACKSON- “Please don’t remind me! Of all the people I would want to be here, he is the last one I would have wanted to see in the stands.”

GABE- “Dude, I would love for my dad to be here.  He has never come to one of my games, ever! He always has something else to do, even now and he is retired!  Of course mom don’t come either, she is always too busy as well. Your old man is proud of you, I can tell.”

JACKSON- “Let’s just get dressed, Uncle Seth is waiting in the car for us.”

GABE- “Sure, but you should tell your dad thanks for coming.”

JACKSON- “Please just stay out of it, Gabe, okay?”

Jackson puts Rowan down and she just glares at him, but what he wants to say is important and he has went over it in his head many times and wants to get it right...

JACKSON- “Listen Dad, I know at one time you loved mom, you loved her very much....”

ENOCH- “Yes, I did, she was an amazing mother, and wife Jackson.”

JACKSON- “I understand, I do. I mean you were only three years older than I am right now when I came along. When you should have been graduating high school, you were working and trying to be a father. I am sure it was difficult.  I can’t even imagine what I would do, or how I could do it.”

ENOCH- “I am not going to lie, it was hard. and I missed out on a lot.”

JACKSON- “Like football, college, all of those things that Seth was able to do. And over time I am sure you began to resent mom...and me and she probably felt the same at times.”

ENOCH- “Maybe she resented me, but she never ever did you.  You were her world, Jackson, trust me.”

JACKSON- “But she is not here anymore, at least not physically, all I have left is you dad. You and Rowan.  And you have done well for yourself this last year or two.  Hailey is a great person and great mom.  I am not saying I want to move in, because that wasn’t mom’s wish and honestly, I think it is better I am with Uncle Seth and Mark.  But I need a dad. And I am sorry for being such an---- an ass towards you. So if you will forgive me, I would really like to start over with you.”

Enoch grabs him and start hugging him.  So tight that he almost knocks the wind out of his son.

ENOCH- “I would like nothing more.  You have made me the happiest man alive right now Jackson!! You have nothing to apologize for. Your mother did good with you son, really good. You are smarter than any thirteen year old I’ve ever met.  I love you Jackson!”

ROWAN- “Dada, wove Jack Jack... I wove Jack Jack. He is my Jack Jack Dada!!  I wove Jack Jack!”

It was both Jackson and Ian at the door, Seth yelled for Jack to call 911 and for Ian to get a hold of Daniel, as one of the dogs ran out towards the gunman...Seth knew who it was, there was no mistaking that voice. He just kept putting pressure on the wound, hoping the bleeding would stop. The police would catch him, there was no where for him to go, the bay was right there...

The intruder, who Seth knew was Jake took off running towards the bay as Jackson ran back into the house to call 911.

Mark seemed to be coming around, Seth couldn’t tell where the bullet ended up and was just putting pressure on the area he could see, he tried to comfort him as he heard the sirens of the ambulance and the police come into their drive.

MARK- “Franklin it is good to see you again, even if the circumstances are horrible.”

FRANKLIN- “Yes, such a terrible tragedy. You and your husband need to come out to the island and see our B&B, it is all completed and going to be ready for the Winterfest Season.”

MARK- “We will definitely need to do that! It may be a little more difficult to get away now that Jackson is living here with us.”

FRANKLIN- “Bring young Jack with you! We have activities for the kids so that the parents can have some time away from them.’

MARK- “Well, you have thought of everything.  And a beautiful eulogy today, thank you.”

JACKSON- “Grams, I apologized to Uncle Franklin, and I am sorry I was rude earlier.”

LILA- “Jackson, I know it has to be so hard for you, but you have to remember we all love you.  Including your father.”

JACKSON- “Sorry Grams, but I am just not ready for that yet.”

LILA- “Okay, but don’t wait too long. Life is short, son.”

JACKSON- “Yeah, I get that.”

LILA- “Oh baby, I am so sorry, give me a hug.”

DANIEL- “So I do not want to seem presumptuous, but I was wondering if you are currently single?”

IAN- “Yeah, I don’t seem to have much luck finding the right guy, so I have sworn of dating for a little bit.”

DANIEL- “Oh, I see.  Okay then.”

IAN- “Wait, why are you asking?”

DANIEL- “Again, I do not wan to seem presumptuous, but there is this big event for the police department, a gala so to speak.  It is to raise money to help the department and actually I think it is just an excuse for us to dress up and drink. But I do not have a date, and was hoping that----

IAN - ‘YES!!!  I will go out with you.”

DANIEL- “Okay, that was easier than I thought it was going to be. So this takes place the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and it is formal, so you will need a tux.”

IAN- “I have one, just for occasions like this. No worries.”

DANIEL- (laughs) “Okay, soooo..  I like you Ian, I think you are a good guy, and not had much luck with guys, and I want to get to know you better. I thought this was a good way to do that outside of work so to speak, even though it is a work event.”

IAN- “I was attracted to you the minute Mark and I walked into your office that day. I mean, you are very good looking and your ass...well”

DANIEL- “You are so funny.  You just say exactly what is on your mind don’t you?”

IAN- “Yes, and unfortunately that has caused for a lot of awkward situations over the years. but I am better than I used to be. But what I mean is, I am DEFINITELY attracted to you, and think you are very nice as well. But like I said I have a way of choosing the wrong guys.”

DANIEL- “Well, I am not going to drop a roofie in your drink, and I don’t have any hidden agenda, and I have no deep dark secrets lurking in my past, except for my son, who lives with his mother that I have every Wednesday night and every other weekend. So I think you are safe going to a Police Gala with me... and who knows, maybe if things go well, we can compare our asses....without the coverings.”

Seth and Mark decided it was time to take up Franklin’s invitation and went to the Bed & Breakfast out on the Island near the lighthouse for a weekend stay. On the second night of their visit, very late in the evening, they get a visitor back at their house...

(’doorbell rings”)

JACKSON- “Coming, be right there!”

DANIEL- “(To himself)  “Nice house, being a vet and a psychologist pay off!”

DANIEL- “Hi, you must be Jackson, I an Detective Daniel Hartmann, is your father home?”

JACKSON- “Well my father doesn’t live here, he lives on the other side of town, but if you are looking for my uncle Seth, he and Mark went away for the weekend.”

DANIEL- “Oh... okay then.”

JACKSON- “But, Ian is here, if you would like to talk to him?”

DANIEL- “Oh, that would be great, thanks.”

Just a few minutes later, Daniel rushed into the house and met Ian who was waiting for him to arrive...

DANIEL- “So are Seth and Mark, okay???!”

IAN- “It was Mark that got shot, They just left in the ambulance. Not sure how bad Mark is, but there was a lot of blood. Seth said he jumped in front of him to save him from being hit.  Seth said it was Jake, Daniel.  He said he recognized the voice.”

DANIEL- “Damn it!!  I knew it.  I knew that asshole would try something terrible, I just never thought it would be this.  Was the patrolman we had here get him?”

IAN- “Not sure, I was helping with Mark, but Jackson was out back just a little bit ago with one of the officers that showed up.

About that time, Jackson came running into the house from the back.

JACKSON- “Daniel!  You are here, one of the officers said that the police you had patrolling the area chased the intruder to the docks, they both took off in boats.  They have no where to go but to the Island, that is where my Uncle Royce and Franklin live, they own the B&B There, you need to get there!!