Paragon: Fall of Man (eBook)

Chapter Two

Javier Rodrigues grew up in Sunset Plaza. His father Tiago, took over superintendent duties when Javier was still a young boy. Most of his earliest memories came from Sunset Plaza. His mother and father worked hard to provide for him and his two younger brothers, David and Alvin. When Javier was old enough to pick up a broom or grab a screwdriver his father enlisted his help. During the school year Javier was expected to work with his father on weekends. His mother was a nurse. She spent most of Javier’s childhood working long shifts, unable to look after her boys. This duty also fell on Javier’s shoulders.

Javier was five years older than his brother David.

David was tall for a fourteen year old, with a skinny figure. His curly long dark hair was always a mess. Then there was Alvin, or Al as his family called him. Al was obsessed with his appearance and impressing girls in his fifth grade class.

Out of the three boys Javier was the most handsome. He had a muscular figure and stood taller than his father. His family always told him how much he took after his mother for her looks. Once he was finished with school, Javier planned to leave home. Life had other plans and he didn’t get to go to college like he wanted. His time working at Paragon car wash with Scott had been good for him. Not only did it provide extra income to help his family, Javier had an escape from Sunset Plaza. They were nine years apart in age, but Javier always felt like Scott treated him as an adult and equal. Scott would often come into work smelling like smoke. Sometimes late at night Javier could pick up the soothing aroma of marijuana. Most often on nights cool enough to leave the windows open. It wasn’t until he worked with Scott that he learned it was coming from his apartment.

Today was a good day for Javier to smoke, after his father spent the morning drinking and rounding up late rent. His only worry was on his brothers getting home from school safe in the bad weather. Javier’s car struggled to keep up with the pounding rain as lightning lit his path. His little car parked next to Scott’s as he slammed the door, looking down at the ground as the rain blinded his view. Inside, the tunnel was empty. The air stunk worse than usual. He knew that the pit had been cleaned. I bet they have you shovel the back hole, he told himself on his way to the back room. The back hole is what they called the second, smaller pit in the back room. It’s a hole big enough for one person, and several buckets of foul sludge.

The back room had a breeze and Javier could hear the sound of rain as if he were outside. The back door was open and he found Scott standing in the off camera spot. Scott turned around startled as he saw Javier. “You got any more of that?” Javier asked with a smirk. He told himself he needed this. “Man! you scared me half to death,” Scott quipped.

The timing was perfect as lightning struck outside. Thunder echoed overhead. Javier stared out at the menacing storm. Scott’s pipe was now loaded and he extended it out to Javier. The two of them smoked together and then hid the evidence. Scott used the bathroom to wash his face and his hands. Javier sat in the office chair and checked the next week’s schedule. Today was Tuesday and he would not get a day off for another six days. Thanks Ben, He thought. Javier liked Ben, They didn’t talk much but he was young and managed a business. Something Javier wanted to work towards. Not to mention Kelly, Ben’s wife. It was wrong for Javier to have attraction towards his bosses’ wife. Kelly was very active in the car wash community. She helped with events and charities. Her short red hair always fell in her face and Javier longed to be the one to brush it out of her eyes.

Scott came out of the bathroom wearing fresh clothes. As he finished his shirt buttons Ben’s headlights appeared in the parking lot. “Okay, Ben’s back.” Scott pointed out. Javier stood up from the office chair. Ben didn’t like it when the employees were in the office and not productive. “Hey so you gotta do the windows today, Ben wanted me to tell you.” Scott remembered. Thanks Scott, Javier thought, although he was relieved to have something to do. After all, he had been at work half an hour and all he had done was smoke in the back room. Panic hit him, What if Ben suspects we’re high? his mind teased. Javier rushed by Scott and got into the restroom before Ben made it inside the office.

Ben pushed through the office door as Scott sat reading the schedule. “I’ve never seen rain like this,” Ben said shaking his wet hair. The bag of food in his hands had become soggy. “We’re going to close early,” Ben teased. Scott took the bag of food from his hands. “Oh yeah?” Scott asked in a cheerful tone. Outside the sky was completely dark. Rain fell like sand in an hourglass. Scott and Ben’s phones interrupted the moment, as alarms blared in unison. Ben looked down at the alarm and his eyes got wide. “Or we could end up being stuck here.” Ben sighed. Flash flood warning in effect in your area. Thunderstorms in effect in your area. Wind advisory in your area, Scrolled across their handheld screens.

The bathroom door swung open. Javier came out as if unaware of the tension. “Bathrooms clean.” He declared, looking at the two older men. Thunder rumbled in the distant sky. It sounded like it was right on top of them and didn’t let up. Lightning flashed outside and the power went out. Their phones lit the small office as ringtones destroyed all silence. Scott and Ben stepped out of the room to answer their phones, leaving Javier alone. He was sitting with his phone out. Group chatting with his brothers.

Javier did what he could to calm the boys down. Their school bus should have dropped them off at home by now. Javier began to worry as David messaged him saying his bus wasn’t there. Al was stuck in the school cafeteria until more buses could arrive. Weather like this was common in the Midwest, but the boys were inexperienced. Scott came back inside from his phone call. Ben was still pacing outside the office. Javier stood up and grabbed his keys. “I gotta go home and get my brothers,” he told Scott. The door opened behind them and Ben stepped in. The office was dark except for their phone lights. Scott and Ben convinced Javier that it was a bad time to risk the weather. His brothers were keeping him updated, and their father Tiago was home waiting for them.

The storm raged on. They ate the food Ben had picked up, and played music over their phones. An hour passed and both David and Al had made it to Sunset Plaza. Another hour went by as the three men sat in the dark. Visibility was low, and the streets outside were dark and void of traffic. The wind howled as the power flashed to life. Standing at the door of the car wash was a figure. Rain showered them, concealing their identity. Scott and Ben jumped up as Javier dropped his phone. As fast as the electricity kicked on it was out. Lightning danced across the black sky. Someone’s outside in all this? Javier questioned. Scott and Ben were already in the tunnel making their way to the door as Javier stood. He stepped out into the tunnel as Scott wrapped his jacket around a blonde woman almost half his size. He embraced her.

Daphne Williams explained how she left work and due to low visibility decided to stop at Paragon. Scott introduced Daphne to Ben. Javier checked his newly cracked phone. Scott and Daphne went to the bathroom so she could change her clothes. Javier and Ben took that time to check the back door. Daphne Had worn Scott’s shirts plenty of times, but never his work shirts. They had the unique car wash smell.

Once she was dry and warm, she pulled Scott close. “This weather is scary, are we heading home soon?” She questioned. Scott leaned back from her, to look in her eyes. “Ben thinks we should ride the storm out here, I can’t just leave.” Scott answered. His eyes found comfort in her gaze. She smiled softly, “well, Baby,” she said in a tone that struck Scott to his core. He knew what it meant, where the conversation was going.

“You’ve said it several times that this isn’t a career to you, it’s a job. You don’t have to stick around here because Ben tells you to.” she said in an unforgiving tone. Scott rolled his eyes and began his defense, “Well I’m supposed to be here for another hour. That’s the mindset I came in with. Ben was going to let us go early but the storm was so strong we all decided to stay together. We can go home when you want to.” Scott and Daphne had slipped out of each other’s embrace.

Daphne frowned, “I don’t want to keep you from your friends.” she said. Scott rolled his eyes, Daphne had seen that several times before. “Why do you have to do that?” she asked. He softened his composure, and reached out for her hand. She reached back. “I’m sorry,” Scott started. “We’re doing this in the car wash bathroom. Let’s drop this and go home soon, does that sound good?” Scott looked down at her, and Daphne nodded. “Yeah, That sounds fine.”

Ben and Javier walked through the back room. Javier wanted to ask Ben a question about the equipment they had. Something caught Ben’s attention and he walked over to investigate. “Hey, Javier. Come tell me what this looks like to you?” Ben shouted.

Javier had an idea what it might be, but he didn’t want to think about that. He knelt down beside Ben, it was dark. How did he see this? Javier began to wonder. Ben used his phone as a flashlight. There was nothing in front...