“In line with your last question there, Stu, I think we might be in the clear.” Hal said, getting back on point. “They took care of their own internal problem and they even gave up one of their guns. The other families seem willing to accept their apologies and move on, so why shouldn’t we? They even smartened up and started doing a little work around here for a change. I’d say that everything we hoped to accomplish got taken care of on its own today.”
“I agree with Hal.” Rob said. “I’d say the problem’s solved. You guys came down, they got scared shitless that the big bad soldiers were here to kick them out and they exacted a little bushman justice to make amends.”
Hess was listening intently to every word and she could tell that her plans were slowly slipping away. Hal was getting close to calling this whole thing off and she couldn’t let that happen. Her idiot brothers may think that these guys were angels all of the sudden, but she knew better. They were scum and she was tired of living around scum. With Stu’s help, they could finally be rid of them and she could start to feel safe in her own home again. Hess simply couldn’t risk losing that help, so she prepared to let them all in on the problems that she had been having.
“Well, I suppose if that’s how you feel, we could just…”
“…Hang on.” Brian said, cutting Stu off midsentence.
Hess’ heart skipped a beat. She was just about to speak up when Brian beat her to it. As she breathed a sigh of relief, she hoped that Brian would make them see how unquestionably foolish they were all being. You don’t make friends with a snake and hope that it doesn’t bite you. You blow its damn head off and guarantee that it won’t.
Brian had been strangely silent through most of this, carefully digesting everything that he was consuming. Brian was an absolute genius when it came to untangling the twisted mind of the wicked man, straightening it into something legible. It had taken him a little while this time, but Brian felt fairly confident that he had finally figured it out. He would have loved a chance to mull it over for a few additional minutes, but Stu was already closing the door. Brian needed to jam his foot in front of that door before it was slammed shut. Doors like these close rather easily, but they’re extremely difficult to reopen, especially when danger awaited on the other side.
“Hey, guys, Stacey still isn’t feeling very well, so we’re just gunna take off.” Corey said, coming into the front room to collect their things. “I’m really sorry we couldn’t stay for dinner, but thank you very much for your hospitality.”
“I’ll send your plates down with the others, Corey” Nora said.
“Thank you, Nora. Goodnight, everybody.” Corey said.
“We’ll come check in on you after dinner.” Stu said.
Corey went back into the bathroom to give Stacey her coat. When they came out, Stacey already had it on with the hood pulled up over her head. Glancing towards her, Stu caught a glimpse of her face as she scurried into the kitchen. Her eyes were full of tears and her cheeks were flushed. He didn’t think that she looked sick as much as she did… distraught.
What the hell is that all about?
“Brian… you had something to say.” Hal said, urging him to continue.
Brian had noticed Stacey’s current state as well and now it had him concerned that mistakes were being made on many levels.
Damn it, Stacey… I need to know what’s wrong.
“I’m sorry, Hal… I’m just trying to figure something out here.” Brian said. “How long before dinner, Nora?”
“Oh, I’d say about 45 minutes.”
“Okay, for the next few minutes, I’m gunna lay out what I think is really going on here.” Brian said. “Then I’ll have to excuse myself, so that I can run down and speak to those two. I’ll be back in time for dinner though.”
“You’re heading down to their cabin, Bri?” Stu asked.
“Yeah, I think I’d better.” Brian replied. “Stacey didn’t look sick to me. She looked…”
“…like she was having a nervous breakdown.” Stu said, completing Brian’s sentence for him.
“You saw it too.” Brian said.
“Yeah, I saw it.”
“Oh, that poor dear…” Nora said. “All of this is a very upsetting for everyone.”
“You want one of us to go down there with you?” Stu asked.
“No, I’ll be fine.” Brian replied. “While I’m gone, Stu and Leo can walk you all through a few of the security measures that we thought might be prudent. We had a plan put together before we came up here tonight, so they might as well let you know what we were thinking. If it turns out all is well the ideas that Stu has in mind will still be helpful to you in the future. Once I’m done telling you what I think, though, you may still want to go ahead with our plan.”
Brian hesitated and thought of the best way to begin. Remembering that his badge had proven to be better than a thousand words, he reached down and began unbuttoning the lower leg pocket of his cargo pants.
“Before I begin, I have to ask… have any of you been told what I do for a living?”
◆◆◆
“Guys, it’s Brian… Open up.”
He heard a bit of shuffling inside the cabin, but no response.
Oh, for Pete’s sake.
“Hello, the cabin.” Brian said, trying a different approach.
The window curtains fluttered, locks were turned and the door opened a crack. The muzzle of Corey’s Beretta was the first thing to greet him. It was pointed towards the ceiling, but it was still extremely unnerving. The full moon, coupled with a thick blanket of snow, illuminated the outdoors quite well. Inside, though, not even a candle flickered. It was obvious that these two had already gone into ‘bunker mode’ and it had Brian seriously concerned.
“Get in here, Bri.” Corey said. “And keep your voice down.”
Brian stepped in and Corey immediately closed and relocked the door behind him. It would be a little while before his eyes would adjust to the lack of light, but he was fairly certain that Stacey was sitting on her bed with a box of tissues.
“Alright, talk.” Brian said. “Stacey isn’t sick, she’s scared shitless. What do I need to know?”
“Brian, you know Stacey’s from Sudbury and that Stu met her on the 400 highway, but did Stu ever mention to you what her home situation was like?” Corey asked. “Did he ever say why she and Emma were stuck on the 400 in the middle of the night?”
Brian grimaced and looked towards Stacey.
“No, not really.” Brian replied. “Stu told me that he met you the evening after the EMP, that you had been out driving when it happened, but not why you were out there at that time. I never asked and he never told.”
“Well, her…”
“…I’ll tell him, Corey.” Stacey said.
Stacey stood up, shook herself a little and exhaled loudly. Brian could tell that she was trying to rid herself physically of an obviously emotional demon.
“I used to live with a guy named Tom.” Stacey said. “He’s Emma’s father. Her last name isn’t Jones like mine, it’s LaFavre same as her dad’s… At least until I figure out a way to have it legally changed.
“Emma’s name is Jones, same as you, Stacey.” Corey said, assuring his partner.
“Brian… Tom was a drunken, son of a bitch, fucking abusive asshole!”
“Okay…” Brian said, taken aback by Stacey’s rare outburst.
“He worked at the mine when I met him. He had the looks, the money, the swagger… but when the job went away, I was introduced to the real Tom. He didn’t just become unemployed, he became unemployable. He turned into an absolute monster, slapping me around on a regular basis. I had a newborn in the house and my family lived hours away. I had no idea what to do. I thought he was just going through a rough patch, so I tried being supportive. I’d set up a job interview for him and he’d skip it. I’d prepare a nice dinner and he’d throw it in my face. The final straw was when I saw him try to pick up Emma while he could barely
stand.
“The next night, I made sure he found a fresh bottle of his favourite booze on the table. I even set out a bucket full of ice and a big glass. I let him get to work on that while Emma and I stayed out of his way in the basement. By the time we came back upstairs, he was a staggering nightmare. He wasn’t quite ready to fall down yet, though, so I had to endure his bullshit for one last wonderful evening. He finally passed out at around 2:00 a.m. Maybe it was 2:30, I don’t know. With him finally out of the way, I ran around and gathered up everything that I could carry. I loaded it all into the car and took off with my daughter.
“That was about two hours before the EMP would leave us stranded on the highway. If I had of delayed our departure just a couple of hours, my daughter and I would still be trapped with Tom right now. Not just him though. We’d have his older brother with us too and his best friend, I imagine.
“Brian… Tom’s brother’s name is Mick. The name’s kind of rare for Sudbury, but I still thought it might just be a coincidence. Mick has been in and out of jail since he was a kid. He’s a real piece of shit, so I never had him over to the house. Then when Hal mentioned that Mick had a Joe with him, I knew it was them. Tom’s best friend since high school was Joe Fleer. He was a hot headed little prick that was always getting into fights. I could totally see them all banding together and forming a little posse. That’s too big of a coincidence to ignore.”
“Did Hal mention the names of the others, Bri?” Corey asked. “Did they say they had a Tom with them?”
“No, he never said any other names, but I’ll find out.” Brian replied, deeply concerned himself now.
“I have no idea if it’s really them or not, Brian, but I need to stay out of sight until I can catch a glimpse of them.” Stacey said. “If Tom is here I guarantee you he’ll want to know where Emma is. This whole community will be in danger. Not just these people though. He’ll start searching for our people too. If he knows Emma and I live in the area he’ll never stop looking for us.”
“That’s not good, guys.” Brian said. “We’ve got a freshly plowed road leading from here directly to our place.”
“They could probably be there in two hours with those snowmobiles.” Corey added.
“Shit… this could be really bad.” Brian said. “I hope this is all just a terrible coincidence, but we need to be sure. Stacey, do you think you’d be able to come back up to the house? I want you and Leo to stay up there tonight. Corey, Stu and I will be on guard duty all night and it’s too isolated down here to leave you two in these cabins all alone. I wish we could just skip the night watch, but now I think it’s more important than ever. If we see those guys head off towards our place, we’ll have to take off after them in a hurry.”
“Okay, Bri.” Stacey said, wiping her face with her hand. “Time to toughen up and get my game face back on.”
“There’s the strong confident woman I know.” Brian said.
“Just give me a minute to grab my jammies first.”
◆◆◆
“That’s fine, Stu. If that’s what you guys think… we’re in.” Hal said. “I think Brian’s giving those guys way too much credit though. They don’t really seem like criminal masterminds to me.”
“I don’t think he used those words exactly.” Stu said.
“Yeah, they come off more like bumbling idiots to me.” Rob said, agreeing with his brother.
“Brian’s really good at figuring out this kind of stuff, guys.” Stu said. “Please don’t tell him I said this, but I don’t remember him being wrong about anything since this all started. Shoot, he even knew it was the North Koreans before we heard it on the radio.”
“Radio…? You guys have a…?”
“…Someone’s driving up from the cabins.” Hess said, looking through the kitchen window. “They’re running without headlights.”
“That’ll be Brian.” Stu said. “He asked me for the keys to the Bronco before he left. He thought it would be better to always keep it close.”
As a few of them went to the patio door to take a look, they saw that Brian wasn’t alone. Stacey and Corey were sharing the front seat with him.
“Oh, thank goodness. Maybe Stacey’s feeling better.” Nora said, having a look for herself. “Dinner’s in 10 minutes, everyone. Unless they say the North Koreans are at our gates, I’ll expect you all seated in nine.”
As Brian, Corey and Stacey got out of the Bronco, Stu went out to meet them for a quick word in private. He wanted a heads up as to what was going on before Nora shut down all conversation about it for the next 45 minutes. What he heard was concerning, but it was nothing that couldn’t wait until everyone had eaten. A few short months ago, information such as this would have sent them all into a frantic scramble, but a lot had occurred since then. It would take a lot more than four idiots with three hunting rifles to rattle their cages these days.
Still, though, Stu’s participation in polite dinner conversation would be very limited. His mind was racing with different scenarios and possible defensive tactics for each. When he had gone out to the Bronco, the first thing Brian had asked was if Hal had mentioned a Tom in their discussions. Stu said that he hadn’t, that the other two were named Enzo and Larry. Stacey had no idea who Enzo was, but she had immediately recognized the name Larry. She was relieved to learn that her ex wasn’t present, but at the same time she was terrified. Adding a third familiar name was more than enough to confirm her suspicions. Stacey knew these men from Sudbury.
After apologies were offered and quickly dismissed, all 11 of them sat at Nora’s table and ate dinner together, some talking more than others. None, however, mentioned a word of what was worrying them most. Dinner time in the Weyr household was a bonding experience. Along with nourishing their bodies, it was also meant as a way to reinvigorate their minds. Everyone always left Nora’s table with a sense of belonging and togetherness. It wasn’t always this way, as their duties often left them eating alone, but it was tonight and it was an energizing experience for them all.
“Thank you for a wonderful meal, Nora.” Brian said, patting at his belly. “I think we can probably skip breakfast tomorrow.”
“…and lunch.” Leo added.
“Harold tells me that moose was your doing, Leo.” Nora said.
“It was, but I only took the shot. It took all of us to get it home.” Leo replied.
“It takes a village, I suppose.” Hal said.
“Especially these days.” Stu added.
After they had all thanked their hostess and helped clear the table, the group retired to the front room again and retook their seats. Nora, Rob and Nate soon brought out a piping hot mug of coffee for everyone.
“I’ve got a couple of thermoses that I’ll fill up and send out to the gates with you guys too.” Nora said. “Harold would be a grumpy old bastard out there without his coffee.”
“Thank you, Nora.” Corey said as he brought his mug to his lips. “A thermos full would be terrific!”
“You’re joining us tonight then, Hal?” Brian asked.
“Yeah, I might as well.” Hal replied. “Rob and Nate can join the group tomorrow night.”
“This smells wonderful, Nora, thank you.” Stu said. After taking a sip he added, “If you guys have any coffee you’re interested in trading I’d be willing to hand over the Bronco and Leo with it.”
“Done!” Olivia shouted, bringing a chorus of laughter.
Leo just looked on nervously from behind his mug.
Stacey exhibited no reaction at all. She didn’t laugh or comment as she normally would have. She simply sat quietly and sipped her coffee, letting the rich wonderful aroma sooth her soul. She knew that the conversation would soon get very personal for her and she didn’t know if she’d make it through without another emotional breakdown.
“We’ll discuss you two later, young lady.” Nate said sternly. He had just recently been made aware of his daughter’s latest ‘hobby’ and he was planning on having a little chat wi
th her about it soon.
“Stacey, I realize that this is a sensitive subject, but would you mind filling these guys in on what’s going on?” Brian asked.
“I’ll do it.” Corey said. “Let’s let Stacey enjoy her coffee in peace. She can jump in if I get something wrong.”
“Thanks, babe.” Stacey said.
“There’s a very strong possibly that we know who these Sudbury guys are.” Corey said, jumping right into it. “Stacey used to live with Mick’s little brother back in Sudbury. They have a child together. She knows two of these other character too, Joe and Larry.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Hal said. “Did you guys even see them today?”
“No, we didn’t. That’s why we’re still not 100 percent positive it’s them yet.” Corey replied. “Stacey and her ex didn’t part amicably. If it is them there’s gunna be some conflict. The EMP happened the same night that she decided to leave, so they haven’t seen her or her daughter since.”
“This just got complicated.” Hess said.
“It has.” Brian said.
“Guys, Mick has been a criminal for as long as Stacey can remember.” Corey said. “The other two were constantly getting into trouble too. We don’t know about this Enzo guy, but you can be sure that he’s no different.”
“They’re all assholes, but Tom was the worst.” Stacey added.
“Who?” Nora asked. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, what name did you just say?”
“Tom.” Stacey replied. “My ex’s name is Tom. He’s Mick’s younger brother.”
“Oh, my goodness, Harold…” Nora said, covering her mouth with a shaking hand. She seemed to suddenly be on the edge of tears herself now.
“I know, Nora, just stay calm.” Hal said.
“What is it?” Brian asked.
“Those two fellas that took off a few days ago in a huff… their names were Xander and Tom.” Hal said.
“Tom never mentioned that Mick was his brother though.” Rob said.
“They didn’t even seem to like each other much.” Hess added. “They even got into a fight the day they left.”
EMP [Collateral Darkness] | Book 4 Page 13
