The Billionaire and His Driver

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

It was the end of the work day and Brina and the maids were seated at the table. Although the maids were waiting for the van, Brina knew her day as driver didn’t end until Ronny said it had ended. And right now, he was out back on the golf course with his brother. No telling how long he would be, according to Elvira.

James Prado, the house manager, was also seated around the table. “What we need after a long day,” he said, “is a nice glass of wine.”

“Here here,” said Gail.

“That’s the last thing we need,” said Elvira. “We need better pay and shorter hours. That’s what my staff need.”

“Here here,” said Brina and Shanilla, and they all laughed.

But then Elvira frowned. “What are you doing here?”

They all looked and saw that Jockey had walked into the staff room.

A small, white man with short red hair, he looked as if he was in a state of confusion mixed in with a lot of discomfort. Not at all like he normally looked. “I used to work here,” he said. “Remember that, Mrs. D? I was a devoted employee working here. Remember that?”

Brina’s heart began to pound. This wasn’t good. She could see it on his face. He aimed to make trouble.

But when he pulled out a gun, everybody included Brina scrambled and screamed and jumped from their seats trying to flee out of the back exit, but he stopped them in their tracks. “Nobody move or I’ll kill all y’all!” he yelled out. Everybody immediately stopped and looked at him.

“Put the gun down, son,” James Prado said to the former driver. “You don’t want to do this.”

“Shut up!” Jockey yelled at him. “Shut the fuck up!”

Then he aimed his gun at Elvira. “You’re the one I want.” His hand was shaky. He was trembling. “You’re the one that got me fired.”

“No, Jockey,” said James. “She fought to keep you employed even after you showed up drunk.”

“Quit lying! She never liked me. She wanted me fired. She wanted an n-word to do my job!”

Shanilla nudged Brina. “What’s an n-word?” she whispered under her breath. Brina shushed her.

“She wanted me out and she got me out!” Jockey said, as he began moving closer to Elvira.

James panicked. “It was Mr. Bradshaw that fired you, Jock,” he said urgently. He saw the young man’s eyes too. “It wasn’t Elvira. It was Mr. Bradshaw!”

“Liar! You always lie for her.” Then Jockey lifted his gun and aimed it directly at Elvira.

“Let them all go, if I’m who you want,” Elvira quickly said. “Let the rest of them leave.”

“I ain’t letting nobody go,” Jockey said. “You should have spoken up for me. You should have,” he said and as everybody were hanging on his every word, he seemed to get agitated talking and decided to let his actions speak for him. He pulled the trigger just as they thought he was going to continue talking, and James pushed Elvira down and took the bullet instead.

And then Jockey didn’t hesitate anymore. He began shooting anybody moving. He was shooting wildly, but bodies were dropping. He wasn’t stopping. Brina could hear the loud explosive pops in her ears. She and everybody else were trying to hide in that one space. Those who tried to run out the back door were the main ones getting shot. But eventually, she felt, he was going to get them all.

But Tex and the grounds security out back, who had been standing around small-talking, began running for the entrance as soon as they heard the first shot. Several more shots were being fired even as they ran in with their weapons drawn.

It was Tex who took out Jockey. Four shots to the head. But not before the damage, the carnage, was already done.