idioms...sayings understood by native speakers part eighty one

Deshaun circled the house. There was a cracked window on the second level. He looked around for a sign of any security... but did not see any guards... Maybe since the Matthews owned this town, they felt absolutely fearless of break in. He sighed. Eying the house again, with his binoculars to note for any alarms.

"Deshaun?"

"Yes, bro."

"I don't like what I heard. I think Rick is down. And... Deshaun? Carl is with them."

"No. Your kidding right?"

"They congratulated him for performing the initiation rite to become part of the inner circle."

"He wouldn't betray..."

"I will update you, but get in that house Just in case... I am contacting Scott and relaying the conversation to him."

---

Carl held the snifter filled with wine as A.J., Martin, John and Chris clinked their glasses together.

"To the newest member of the inner circle... Carl. The true inheritor of the proud name Matthews."

Carl took a sip noting a trickle of blood running from Rick's scalp from where he had coal cocked him. He made himself concentrate on the task at hand.

"Rick kept sniffing around. His very existance irritates me and when he told me of the "Recycling" business you were in... I finally had enough and got a hold of Uncle Martin."

"Yes. You did well my boy."

John narrowed his eyes.

"Whatever happened to Carl remaining innocent."

"Well, we are all getting older and should be thinking of retirement.... I was just waiting on what Carl would do should he find out." Martin calmly answered.

"And." John ground out. Not particularly fond of his nephew, especially when it concerned Jenny. "You decided it was time to join us?"

"Well, blood is thicker than water, right, father?"

A.J. looked at the man.

"You seem to have done an about face. What about your mother?"

"Ah, that." Carl stared into his glass trying to keep himself calm.

"Yes, That."

"You were right. It was something that a son should not have involved himself. I guess Mom had it coming."

"I see." A.J. put his glass down. He walked up to the man. "I suggest you put your glass down."

Carl complied, knowing what was coming.

"That blond bitch broke two of my ribs." As he drew his fist and hit Carl in the stomach, who braced for the impact and went down on one knee. He froze for a second, then righted himself, holding onto his stomach to splint the pain.

"Yes, father. I know. It was all an act."

"An act?"

"Yes. She is nothing more than a gold digger, like Uncle John said." Carl wondered if he was ever going to be able to tell the truth again, when lying seemed to be coming more and more natural to him, but this was important.

----

Deshaun had shimmied up a drain pipe and then saw an alarm system on the corner of the roof, noting that any foot step on the roof would activate it.

Really, he sighed. Never underestimate your enemy. That was one of the lessons he had learned the hard way when he and Dejuan were in the SEALS. Fine. The wind started to blow a little harder and the drizzle suddenly became a scattered hard pelting rain. Deshaun remembered a tree not strong enough to allow him to climb, but was rather tall, slender and partially dead. The fact was it tickled his back as he was trying to climb up. He smiled.

"Deshaun, are you in yet?"

"Give me a break. This place makes Fort Knox look like a candy store."

"How do ya mean?"

"Pressure sensors and probably laser sensors too. But I have a plan."

"Why do I always get heartburn when you say that?"

"Just tell me what is going on downstairs. Have they moved Rick yet?"

"No, right now, A.J. punched Carl."

"What a lovely family."

"What is the plan? How are you going to get past those sensors?"

"Easy with this storm, a limb should do just fine."

"Look, I hate to break it to you but being by a tree when there is a possibility of lightning probably isn't a good idea."

"Shut up. I am improvising here." He took out his switch blade and grabbed the brittle dead limb, after making sure of his foot hold.

---

"Sit down and let's talk."

"What about this garbage?" Carl asked, looking down at Rick, he sat in the chair closest to the sprawled out unconscious man.

"Ah, well, he will come in handy. My last check up revealed the need for a replacement soon."

"A replacement?"

"Yes. A new heart. Even though our genes are the best on the planet, we have a pesky one that takes out our heart by a certain age."

"I see."

"Yes. We found out about it when the old man got sick." John took a drink of his wine. We will see just where his loyalties lie.

Martin gave John a warning look.

Carl just arched an eyebrow.

"So you are talking about Grandfather's heart transplant?"

"Yes. Your little brother came in quite handy."

Carl made himself take another sip of wine. He pushed it down as hard as he could with every feeling and emotion and then came up to look at John evenly.

"I don't know much about that. Allan died while I was away at College."

"For being a full blown autistic, he did put up quite a fight." John watched every feature on Carl's face.

Carl nodded, then forced himself to say in a most nonchalant voice, "Allan really did not have much of a life."

Martin smiled. "I am glad you see it that way. I decided that he should be sacrificed to save a great man like father."

"You did?" Carl looked around at this Uncles. "So, " wondering if he was pushing for too much information, "How did he die?"

"He suffered a near drowning, with a little assistance from me." John replied looking for any sign of betrayal.

"I see." Carl was filled with anger that if x rayed at that time, he would have looked like a volcano ready to erupt, but instead, he replied, "Grandfather needed a heart. Allan was basically useless anyway... I get that."

"So how long have we been in this business?". Holding his glass to be filled again, he saw Uncle John grab his cell phone.

"That was security. Someone is on the roof."

to be continued.