Chapter I

Billy Bob awoke as the train began to slow. He glanced out the window to see where he was, and not recognizing anything, looked at his ticket stub. It said: ‘To Erie, Penn-sylvania’. ‘Ah,’ thought Billy Bob. ‘Erie; I presume that this is near Lake Erie.’ As the train finally came to a halt, he got up, and exited the train.

After he got out of the train, he navigated through the throng of people to the nearest intersection. ‘This city’s too full of hustle and bustle; I need to find a smaller, more re-mote city,’ he thought.

He found his way to a shop that sold maps, and picked one up. He noticed a town called Corry not far southeast of Erie, and saw that it’s population was less than 7,000 people. ‘That looks like an ideal place to go; for there I can carry out my schemes of crime, practically unnoticed by the Federal Government. I doubt they have any special agents there, so I’ll just have the city and state police to ward off.’ At that very moment in Corry, unbeknownst to Billy Bob, Special Agent Jon Zinger was walking into the door to HQ.

Billy Bob went to a parking lot behind some buildings, and found an elderly woman preparing to enter her car. He silently walked up behind her, and pulled his gun on her. ‘Give me your keys, lady, and your purse too.’ He cocked his trigger, and she reluctantly handed over her keys and purse.

'Please don't hurt me,' she pleaded.

'Don't worry, lady,' he assured her. 'I've already killed one person this month – I've met my month's quota.' He then got into her car, and drove to the nearest gas station, where he asked for directions to Corry.

When he got to Corry 45 minutes later, he pulled over in the parking lot of Kwik Fill, on the corner of Route 6 and North Center Street. ‘Now let’s see how much money I’ve collected so far,’ said Billy Bob with a sneer as he opened the wallet of the man from the train. He found $400 and the man’s ID. ‘Hmm, Stu Pickles, well, I guess you’ll be needing some new identification,’ laughed Billy Bob.

He then opened the woman’s purse and found the section with the money. There was $600 and her Driver’s License. ‘Well, May Parker, you’ll just have to pay another visit to the driver’s license center as long as you’re in Erie,’ said Billy Bob.

Billy Bob then pulled at his hair as he usually did when he was thinking. ‘Ow!’ he said as he pulled a hair completely out of his scalp. ‘I hate when I do that.’

‘You know what,’ thought Billy Bob. ‘I’m starving, so I’ll just have to go in here to Arby’s and get something to eat before I begin terrorizing this city.’ He then got out of the car and went into the restaurant.

Billy Bob and the Polka Dot looked around as they entered the building. There were dozens of men walking around in the main room; most of them with long, shaggy hair and earrings similar to the Polka Dot. Several had eyebrow rings, lip rings, spiked hair, and other strange hairstyles. There were many guns lying around on the floors and on the tables, as well as knives and even some explosives.

'Wow! This is what I call Utopia. How many men do you have here, Polka Dot?’ questioned Billy Bob.

‘Well, we have 'bout 50 guys here between 18 and 30,’ the Polka Dot informed him. ‘They all hate the cops and some of 'em have already spent a few months in the pokey. Some were in juvenile detention when they were younger. A lot have never gotten caught, just been gettin’ away with it all these years. This is a regular motley crew. I’m sure you won’t be displeased.’

‘I’d better not be. Well, you'd best let these blighters know who’s their daddy. A little introduction would be nice.’

‘You’re right,' agreed the Polka Dot as he turned to the men who had stopped to listen. 'Boys, we got ourselves a boss. His name’s Billy Bob and he just broke out of the pokey the other day. He’s what I’d call the ultimate boss for some dirty rascals like us. He knows what he’s doin' too. You’d better do what he says, or ya answer to me as well.’

'Hmm, what should we do now,’ said Billy Bob to himself as he pulled at his hair again. ‘Ouch! That hurt, and you know, that just helped me figure out what we should do next.’ said Billy Bob. ‘The first thing we need to do is to capture us somebody who can tell us some things about this here city. Do you got anybody in mind, Polka Dot?’

‘As a matter of fact, I do. I know of a kid by the name of Kody Corbett. His uncle’s the head cop. I’ve had my eye on that kid for some time, and I really hate him. I’d love to capture him and torture him. He’ll be the perfect subject.’

‘Well, we’ve got to find this Kody,’ said Billy Bob. ‘Take me to him. I’ll do the kidnapping.’ With that they walked out of the building and into the car. Billy Bob and the Polka Dot drove to East Main Street and down that road until they got to Summer Street.

‘Well, that's his house,’ declared the Polka Dot as they approached Summer Street. Billy Bob turned right and pulled to a stop on the right side of the road and Billy Bob got out of the car. There was a group of kids outside talking in the yard.

‘Which one of you is Kody Corbett?’ demanded Billy Bob as he drew his gun and cocked it. ‘Come on, speak up, or I’ll have your guts for garters – all of you!'

Finally one young man who appeared to be approximately 17 years of age stood up. ‘I’m Kody. Do what you want with me, but don’t hurt my brother or our friends.’ He walked over to Billy Bob and Billy Bob pushed him in the back of the car and locked the door. Then he got into the front and drove off towards the hideout.

‘Well, Mr. Corbett, my name is Billy Bob Matthews and this is my partner the Polka Dot. I hear your uncle’s the head cop, and you know quite a bit about this city that would help us in terrorizing it. I suggest that you tell us what you know, or face the music.’

‘I won’t tell you anything,’ declared Kody defiantly. ‘You can do what you want with me, but I won’t tell you a thing.’

‘I think you’ll change your mind in a moment. Polka Dot, put a blindfold on the lad, so he won’t know where our hideout is.’ The Polka Dot did so just as they passed BP.

When they got back to the hideout, Billy Bob and the Polka Dot got out of the car. The Polka Dot opened the back door and pulled Kody out, then led him inside. They took him into a back room with three of their thugs and removed his blindfold. ‘Well, Mr. Corbett, you had better speak or we’ll teach you the meaning of pain.’ Kody said nothing, looking with fear towards the three thugs, who were very well built.

‘Beat him, until he decides to speak,’ commanded Billy Bob. The three thugs did so, being as brutal as they could, yet Kody did not make any sound in reaction. Billy Bob walked out of the room and told the Polka Dot to inform him when Kody was ready to talk.

Special Agent Jon Zinger was on his lunch break at Pizza Hut, eating pizza with his friend Charles and old mentor Bro. Gee. ‘Hey, Charles, remember when you got kid-napped by that 60-year old man? And he tried to bury you alive in the middle of the city park, but you were rescued by Jevin who beat the living daylights out of the man with a stick?’

‘Yes, that was funny when Rachel came and took the stick away, then knocked Jevin over the head with it three times, knocking him unconscious.’

‘I had come to resolve the situation, but when she beat him over the head for the first time, I fell to the ground laughing my head off. I couldn’t keep from laughing. Then the police came and arrested her for aggravated assault. I had to testify in court that she was only defending the old man, who was already in critical condition. After all, she wanted to beat Jevin to a bloody pulp too, but she didn’t.’

‘You and your girlfriends, Jon,’ said Bro. Gee. ‘How many do you have now? Seven? I know how you are.’

‘Zero, Bro. Gee, Zero. You are always trying to say that I have six or seven, and you can’t prove a one of them, because none of them are my girlfriends.’

‘That waitress sure had a pretty smile,’ remarked Charles.

‘Oh, you’d better believe she did,’ affirmed Bro. Gee. At that moment Zinger’s cell phone rang.

‘Hey Zinger, you’d better get down here now.’ It was the chief. ‘There’s been a kidnapping, and I need you to investigate it.’

‘I’ll be right down – Zinger out.’ He put away his phone and got up from the table. ‘Duty calls – actually it was the chief. There was a kidnapping, and I’m needed to investigate. Well, toodle-pip!’ said Jon as he walked out of the restaurant.

He mounted Silver, his 26” Next Mountain Bike – 'Hi-yo, Silver, away!' he shouted as he rode off towards HQ. When he got there, he dismounted Silver, and walked inside where the chief was waiting.

‘Zinger, the kid who got kidnapped was Kody Corbett. I believe that he is a friend of yours, isn’t he?’

‘Yes, he is, although we don’t see each other that much.’

‘Well, he was outside his house about half an hour ago with his brothers and some of their friends, when a black station wagon pulled up next to their house on Summer Street. A tall white-skinned man with black hair got out of the car with a gun drawn and asked for Kody Corbett. He threatened all of them if he did not show himself. Kody succumbed in defense of his friends and the man pushed him into his car. There was another man in the passenger seat, whom the police already know. That is Joe Tuna, better known as the Polka Dot. As they drove away, the kids wrote down the license plate number: it was a New York plate, and the number was L11-OUG.’

‘This man, did they ever see him before, or do the police know who he is?’ inquired Zinger.

‘Well, no, but they did think that he looked just like that Billy Bob Matthews who just escaped from Lompoc Federal Prison the other day. They’ve had his picture on TV all across the nation. They say he killed his cell-mate just after he escaped from his cell. If it is Billy Bob, then you’d better be extra careful.’

‘Wow, I sure wouldn’t like to get into a tussle with him. Well, I’ll be off.’

‘Wait, Zinger. I know that you’d much rather take your bike, but I think that it would be better if you took my car. We don’t want you to be at a disadvantage if it comes to a car chase or something like that.’

‘Well, alright,' said Zinger reluctantly. 'I would much rather take my bike, but I suppose you’re right.'

Zinger took the car keys from the chief and walked out the door. He then opened the door to the car, got in, and drove away.

As Zinger was driving around, looking for Billy Bob and the Polka Dot, he spotted a body lying on the ground by the West side of First Avenue, near the railroad tracks. He screeched the car to a halt, parked it on the opposite side of the road, and got out of the car. He crossed the street and ran over to where the body was.

‘Kody! Are you all right?’ asked Zinger as he recognized him.

‘Not really,’ groaned Kody. ‘They dropped me here just a few minutes ago, after they finished beating me up.’

‘Where are their headquarters?’

‘The old Roger’s Structural Steel building. They blindfolded me when they took me in there, but they didn’t think to do it again on the way out. They figured I was too far gone, but they underestimated the human spirit.’

‘Roger’s Structural Steel? There’ve been rumours about that place for years. Come on, I’d better get you to the hospital. Can you stand?’

‘Yeah, I can stand. You might have to help me walk a little though. Jon, it was Billy Bob! The one that’s been on TV that just broke out of Lompoc. He told me his name.’

‘Oh, boy. I have a bad feeling about this. Come on, I’ve got to get you to my car.’ Kody stood up; Zinger helped him over to his car, and put him in the passenger seat. He then drove to Corry Memorial Hospital.

‘What did you tell them, Kody?’ asked Zinger as they were nearing the hospital.

‘Nothing. I told them nothing. They kept beating me and beating me, but then they got sick of me so they just threw me over by the railroad tracks.’

'Whew, that's good,' sighed Zinger as they pulled into the hospital parking lot and Zinger parked his car. He helped Kody into the hospital and then got back into his car.

As he was turning onto West Washington Street from York Street his cell phone rang. ‘Hello, Zinger here.’

‘Hey, Jon, this is Nate. I was just wondering what you are up to.’

‘Well, Nate, I’m kind of busy right now. I’m on the trail of that Billy Bob that escaped from Lompoc Federal Prison the other night. He’s in Corry, and he’s hiding out at the old Roger’s Structural Steel building. I’m sorry, but I must let you go. Zinger out.’

At that moment he turned to the right from West Washington Street onto Mead Avenue, heading towards Roger’s Structural Steel. As he slowed to a stop near the building, he turned left onto Eagle Street. He stopped his car and parked it next to the building. There was a black station wagon with a New York plate reading ‘L11-OUG’.

As Zinger got out of his car, he began to softly sing a song that came to mind. It seemed as if this song was written for this very situation. ‘Today you face a battlefield you have never seen before. Though it seems a hopeless conflict, you must stand and fight once more. It is in your darkest moment that the Lord can use your light though you’re battle-scarred and broken, in the strength of Jesus Christ you can overcome each conflict, when you stop and realize that the victory is yours today with Jesus by your side: you can fight any battle; win any war; the victory is yours today in the strength of the Lord.’

‘What a beautiful song,’ thought Zinger. It was written by a friend of his sister’s and there was an amazing piano arrangement that his sister had written for it. ‘In the Strength of the Lord. I must go in the strength of the Lord. Well, I’d better pray before I go in here.

‘Dear Lord,’ Zinger began. ‘I don’t know what I’m going to find in that building, but I do know that You know exactly what’s in there. I pray that You’ll help me to overcome Billy Bob. Help me to go in Your strength, Lord, in Jesus’ name, Amen.’

Feeling refreshed, Zinger got up and walked over to the entrance of the building. He opened it and walked inside.

Billy Bob turned towards Zinger as he heard the door open. ‘Who’s this puny little mouse?’ he asked.

‘That’s Special Agent Jon Zinger,’ said the Polka Dot with fear.

‘Special Agent?!’ asked Billy Bob. ‘You mean to tell me that there’s a special agent in this small town?’

‘Yes, there is, Billy Bob,’ declared Zinger. ‘There is a special agent in the small town of Corry.’

‘Man, that messes up all my plans. Darn you, Zinger.’

‘I was not aware that I could be darned like socks, Billy Bob,’ said Zinger. ‘If you’ll explain to me how exactly you intend to do this, I’ll be more than happy to sit down and listen to you.’

‘So technical. You son of a biscuit, don’t you know who you’re dealing with here? I am Billy Bob Matthews. I was in jail for 10 years for attempted murder. I broke out just the other day and killed my cell-mate who helped me escape.’

‘I know perfectly well who I’m dealing with. You are simply a reprobate, Billy Bob: a morally unprincipled person. That’s what you are.’

'Zinger, you turd of a bass. Don’t you know when to shut up!’

‘That is something that I’ve always had a problem with. Ask my sisters, they’ll tell you,’ said Zinger.

'You're getting on my nerves,' declared Billy Bob as he walked up to Zinger.

'I have a knack for that,' admitted Zinger.

'Not anymore,' said Billy Bob as he pulled at his hair again. ‘Ouch!’ he exclaimed.

‘You know, Billy Bob,’ said Zinger. ‘It would be much more efficient to go to the barber shop and have him do it for you.’

‘That’s it!’ exclaimed Billy Bob. ‘I’ve had enough of your mouth.’ He picked Zinger up by the throat, balled up his fist, and punched him hard. Zinger fell to the ground, holding his jaw. Blood was streaming from his face. Billy Bob stomped on him again and again. Zinger reeled in pain as Billy Bob kicked him in the side. Billy Bob then picked him up and threw him against the wall. He picked him up again, and slammed his gun against Zinger’s forehead, knocking him senseless. He then dropped him on the ground and walked away.

As Billy Bob walked away, the door opened again. Billy Bob turned towards the door and said ‘Why doesn’t anybody knock anymore? Who is it this time?’

‘We are the Fellowship of the Nate,’ replied the man in front. There were three more people with him: a man and two women.

‘And who are the members of the Fellowship of the Nate?’ inquired Billy Bob sarcastically.

The first man said ‘I am the Nate and I am that dang stupid!’

‘I am RJ the Magnificent,’ replied the other man.

‘I am Rachel, your worst nightmare,’ declared the first woman. She was brandishing a rubber band gun, which was a long stick with a nail on the end sticking up in the air that was used for firing the rubber bands. She had a hook fastened to her shoulder with many rubber bands on it – these rubber bands were thick, and heaven help any who got hit with them. To use this rubber band gun, the person would take a rubber band, put it around the nail, pull it back, and release it.

The fourth and final member of the party, who had a basket full of Saturday Corry Journal’s with the Warren County Guide in them, said ‘I am Toast – I believe that I’ll be toasting you today because you’re making me crispy.’

‘I don’t think so,’ replied Billy Bob. ‘Men, get them!’ Thugs from the back of the building began to charge towards the group at the door.

Rachel began firing her rubber band gun with deadly aim. With each shot she took, one thug fell to the floor. She downed 30 men before they got to them, then when they got there, she began to hit them with the rubber band gun.

Nate began to punch and kick the men, picking them up and slamming them on the ground. ‘I am the Master of Stupidity, the King of Procrastination, and a bonehead by nature!’ As he said ‘bonehead’, as if to prove his point, he knocked his head against that of one of the thugs, knocking him out cold.

RJ, who had been carrying a bucket of water, dumped it on Jon’s head, waking him. Then he got back into the battle and began to punch and kick thugs.

Toast picked up two Saturday papers and began to beat some of the thugs over the head with them. One hit from the papers knocked them senseless. ‘I put the Guides in myself,’ she said.

By this time most of the thugs were on the ground, unconscious. Nate performed elbow drops on several of them to be sure that they were out. There were only a few left, and Zinger was on his feet now, as well. He took out a few thugs, hurting as he was.

When the last thug was taken out by RJ, Billy Bob and the Polka Dot slipped out the back door. Zinger, Nate, RJ, Rachel, and Toast ran out after them just in time to see the Polka Dot kick Billy Bob to the ground and jump into the black station wagon. He took off while Billy Bob picked himself up, yelling and screaming at him.

Billy Bob tried to get into the chief's car, but it was locked. He turned and pulled his gun on Zinger, not knowing that the Polka Dot had replaced it with a cap gun that looked, felt, and sounded like the gun that he had taken from the security guard. It was also weighted to make it the same weight. Zinger walked up to Billy Bob as Billy Bob fired at him. Zinger stood there, undaunted, yet confused. Billy Bob fired again – nothing happened. ‘Why won’t you just die?’ asked Billy Bob as he fired four more shots.

'It's just not something that I'm interested in as a career move,' said Zinger. Billy Bob threw down the gun in frustration and ran over to RJ’s bike, got on it, and headed South towards Corry Rubber. Zinger, still wondering why the gun hadn’t killed him, noticed that Nate had stopped at HQ and gotten his bike. He tossed the car keys to Nate, said, ‘Go after the Polka Dot,’ and jumped on his bike. Rachel got on her bike and they rode off after Billy Bob. Toast went as fast as she could after them on her motor scooter while Nate stooped to pick up the gun. He began to laugh as he realized that it was a cap gun. He and RJ then got into the chief’s car and drove off to find the Polka Dot.

Billy Bob had not ridden a bike in ten years, so he wasn’t able to go very fast. Before too long, Zinger and Rachel were right behind him as they approached the intersection of Mead Avenue and West Main Street between the two buildings of Corry Rubber. He then crossed West Main Street without looking, and fortunately there were no cars coming. Zinger and Rachel stopped to make sure no cars were coming, so he got quite a bit ahead of them.

They caught up to him again as he turned into the Corry Manufacturing parking lot, which was empty, save for two cars. Rachel turned off to the left and turned back in towards Billy Bob, crashing her bike right into his, and sending him flat on the pavement.

Zinger dismounted, and picked up RJ’s bike. Billy Bob lay groaning, holding his right shoulder. At that moment Toast got there and beheld Billy Bob lying there on the ground, with Zinger and Rachel standing by him. ‘But I wanted to hurt him!’ she complained.

Zinger called on his cell-phone, and got the ambulance to come and take Billy Bob to the hospital. They found that he had broken his right humerus. ‘Does that mean that he actually had a sense of humour to begin with?’ asked Zinger. At that moment Nate called him on his cell phone.

‘Zinger here.’

‘It’s Nate – I found the Polka Dot. He crashed into that big grey apartment house on the northwest corner of West Washington Street and Mead Avenue.’

‘Great, Billy Bob’s being taken to the hospital. I’ll fill you in later. Live long and prosper. Zinger out.’

After Billy Bob had been taken to the hospital, Zinger thanked Rachel and Toast and bid them farewell. He then walked over to the parking lot on the other side of Third Avenue and knelt down to pray. ‘Dear Lord,’ he began. ‘I thank You for this beautiful day and I thank You for my job as a special agent. I also thank You for helping me to capture Billy Bob, and I thank You for friends such as Nate, RJ, Rachel and Toast, and I thank You for sending them to help me just at the right time. Thank You, in Jesus’ name, Amen.’

Zinger rode his bike back to HQ and noticed that Nate had returned the chief's car. He then parked Silver, and went inside. He noticed that the chief was sitting there waiting for him.

‘You know, Zinger; I’ve been watching you,’ he said. ‘On the security cameras that we have all over town. I’ve been noticing that you always kneel down and pray before you face the bad guy. And I’ve also noticed that it works for you too. You never catch a villain until you kneel and pray. And I also noticed that just before you walked into Roger’s Structural Steel, you knelt down and prayed. And not five minutes later your four friends showed up. Zinger; I want what you have. I want Jesus as my Saviour. Can you show me how I can accept Him, Zinger?’

‘Yes, sir, I’ll be glad to,’ said Zinger as he pulled out his New Testament. ‘Well, Chief, there are a few things that you must realize before you can be saved. First of all, you must realize that you’re a sinner. You see, the Bible says in Romans 3:10 that “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.” And in Romans 3:23, it says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” You see, everybody’s a sinner. Do you admit that you’re a sinner, Chief?’

‘Yes, I do,’ said the Chief as his eyes started to well up.

‘Secondly, you must realize that there is a price to pay for that sin. In Romans 6:23, the Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death”. You see, Chief; that doesn’t merely mean physical death, dying and going to the grave. That means spiritual death; dying and going to a horrible place called hell. And in Revelation 21:8, it says that “all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone.” So even lying is enough to send us to hell.’

‘Yes, I realize that,’ said the chief as tears began to stream down his cheeks.

‘Well, finally you must realize that Jesus paid that penalty when He died on the cross. Back in Romans 6:23 it says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Eternal life is a gift. And in Romans 5:8 it says, “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” You believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins, right, Chief?’ asked Zinger.

‘Yes, I do, Zinger. Keep going,’ said the chief as he continued to weep.

‘Well, now that you’ve realized those three things, all you must do is accept Jesus as your personal Saviour. The Bible says in Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Chief, do you believe that God raised Jesus from the dead?'

'Yes, Zinger, I do.'

'Then, Chief, all that you have to do is accept Christ as your Saviour. Do you want to accept Jesus as your Saviour?’

‘Yes, Zinger,’ the chief wept.

‘All that you have to do is to repeat this prayer after me, and mean it in your heart. It doesn’t do any good if you don’t mean it in your heart. Notice the Bible says that “with the heart man believeth unto righteousness.”

'Alright, pray this prayer after me and mean it in your heart. Dear Jesus,' he began.

'Dear Jesus,' repeated the Chief.

'I know that I am a sinner.'

'I know that I am a sinner,' admitted the Chief.

'And that I deserve to die and go to a horrible place called hell.'

'And that I deserve to die,' said the Chief, 'and go to a horrible place called hell.'

Please forgive me of all my sins, come into my heart, and save me.'

Please forgive me of all my sins, come into my heart, and save me,' requested the Chief.

'And take me to heaven when I die or when You come again.'

'And take me to heaven when I die or when You come again, Jesus.'

'Thank You for saving me, Amen.'

'Thank You for saving me, Amen,' finished the Chief.

‘Now, Chief; did you mean that prayer sincerely in your heart?’ asked Zinger. The chief nodded. ‘Well, then you are going to heaven when you die. There is nothing that you can do to change that. God says in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” You just got eternal life, and if you could lose that, it wouldn’t be eternal.’

‘No, Zinger, it wouldn't. Well, thank you, but I’d better get home. Thank you so much. Goodbye.’

‘See you later, Chief. I’m going to stop by the hospital and see how Kody is doing. See you tomorrow,’ said Zinger as they walked out the door.

‘You know what,’ said Zinger as the chief drove away. ‘I’d better pray and thank the Lord.

‘Thank You, Lord, for working in the chief’s heart so he could accept You today. And I thank you for this beautiful day and also for my job as a special agent. Please help me to remember to pray more often, in Jesus’ name, Amen.’