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Cont'd from Part 1

Two weeks went by before I trusted myself enough to go back to the scene of my mugging. Back then I was really surprised and I only wanted to be reasonable, which is the way I am most of the time. But then I became angry, really angry at the way that mugger had humiliated me. And it had taken me this long to calm down enough to really enjoy my revenge.
           There he was standing on the footbridge with a stupid smirk on his face, just waiting for his next willing victim to come along. Well the Bunny was back!
           “Hey, I know you,” he sneered at me. “You bring me some more money?”
           “Back off, Jumbo! I've got nothing but trouble for you!”
           The big guy gave me a toothy grin and grabbed the front of my shirt. “You going to give me trouble?”
           And then it happened. Four years in the Marines, four very long years of day after long day learning just three big things over and over again – Improvise! Adapt! Overcome!
           Before the mugger had the first clue about what was happening to him his body sailed through the air and landed hard on the footbridge. Then he was laying there with his face full of pain and his eyes full of confusion while his brain tried to figure out why he was lying down on the ground with my foot on his chest.
           “I told you the last time I didn't want any trouble, but you didn't listen,” I told him. “Now you're going to learn that turnabout is fair play.”
           For a moment I almost felt sorry for him. I could see that he was confused and afraid. Things like this didn't happen to him. But then the moment passed and I decided to use his fear and confusion to my advantage. I grabbed some rope out of my pack and quickly wrapped up his big paws and arms behind his back. And then I smiled.
           Last week I found this old bandanna way down in the bottom of my laundry bin. It had been lying in there for so long I couldn't remember the last time I had used it to clean my car. Normally when I find something that is that old and that dirty, I just throw it away. But instead I had saved this bandanna special just for this guy.
           He winced when I drew it roughly between his teeth, and then he began to make these funny animal-like sounds when he tasted how dirty it was, but I just ignored him.
           “Have a seat!” I pushed him down onto the bridge.
           Then he started shaking his head and making all kinds of pleading sounds behind the bandanna. He thought that I was going to call the cops and he didn't like that idea at all, but I just laughed at him. So big, so tough; I just grabbed some more rope and lashed his feet and legs together so that he couldn't go anywhere.
           Then I waved bye-bye. “See you around Big Guy!”
           He thought I was gone and so he really began to struggle against the tight ropes and the awful tasting gag. But I just went a short way into the trees so that I could have a ring-side seat to watch his misery. It would do him some good to stew awhile. And then I got an even better idea.
           “Did you miss me Big Guy?”
           Surprise, happiness and fear washed over his sweating face in waves.
           “Come on, Big Boy, up on your feet. I've got something really special planned for you.”
           The mugger went along with the idea and let me help him up onto his feet. The whole time his gagged mouth was going like crazy. I think he was trying to beg me to let him go, but it was hard to tell with his mouth full of soggy cloth. Not that I really cared. I'd already decided what I was going to do with Mister Mugger.

           I rebound his hands up above his head to that he was hung up on this pipe that was all decorated with caution tape. He didn't mind that too much. But then he saw me take my camera out of my pack.
           “Come on, Mister Mugger, smile nice for the birdie.”
           I do believe that Mister Mugger was camera shy. He made all sorts of strange faces while I snapped away at him, and he made even stranger noises into the rank gag that was dividing his mouth. But I didn't care.

           “All right, big Guy, pay attention. This is what is going to happen. Me and my friends use this park every week. If I ever see you in this park or anyplace else ever again – these pictures go right to the police! You got that?”
           After a long moment, Jumbo nodded his head and closed his eyes submissively.
           “Good boy. Now don’t worry, some nice stranger will come along to set you free. They might even get here before the regular police patrol. Have a nice day.

The Mugger played by Steve
Gordon the Ex-Victim played by Ron
Photography by Caitiff