by Jack Hunt
The attacks on people were brutal.
Had it not been for a couple in a car ahead of him gesturing out their window to turn off, he might have driven right into a trap.
“I miss mom,” Lily said as she walked beside him.
“Me too. But it’s just you and me now, okay?” he said. He took some loose foliage, branches, and undergrowth and covered the bike up. After that, he crouched down beside Lily and held her gently with both hands. He surveyed the area. There were few options. Take her with him or leave her here — both were equally terrifying. “Listen, Bean, I need to go over to that farmhouse and find some gas. I want you to stay here with the bike. You are not to move.”
“Can I come with you?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ll slow me down.”
“I can run fast.”
“I know you can but it’s not fast enough.”
Lily looked around her, disconcerted. “I don’t want to stay here.”
“I won’t be long. Look, I’ll be right over there,” he said, pointing across the road to an old, white clapboard farmhouse with a large barn. “Now I’ll cover you up with some branches. No one will see you. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“How long?”
“I don’t know. Five, maybe ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes?”
It might as well have been an hour to her.
Tears welled in her big brown eyes. Her breathing sped up to the point that it was bringing on an asthma attack. Josh rooted through her pocket and gave her the inhaler. She took a few hard hits on it.
“Lily. Hey. Hey, look at me.” Her lips quivered. “It’ll be okay. I promise.”
“You won’t leave me, will you?”
“Of course not.”
“That’s what mom said.”
His stomach sank and he sighed as he looked off toward the house. They were burning daylight. If they were to make it to Jasper before nightfall, they needed to get moving. “What are the rules?”
“If I see anyone, hide. Unless it’s you, I say nothing. Trust no one.”
“Good. Okay, now get beside the bike under the tree.” She crouched, wrapping her small arms around her legs, pulling her knees to her chest. Josh collected some heavy branches with lots of leaves and started covering her up.
As he was about to lay the last one, Lily raised a hand. “Josh.”
“Yeah?”
She looked as if she wanted to say something but then changed her mind. “Nothing.”
He covered her up and stepped back and walked around the bushes and tree to make sure that both Lily and the bike couldn’t be seen from any angle. It wasn’t perfect but it would do for the moment.
Shrugging off his backpack, he took out the second Glock his mother owned. He made sure a magazine was loaded and then took off, hurrying across the road and climbing over a small wooden fence that wrapped the property. There were multiple structures. A two-story home, another one farther back, a weathered red barn off to the right, along with a two-car garage, and an old rusted 18-wheel unhitched trailer, and a metal shed nearby. Parked out front was a couple of old trucks and a beat-up Honda Accord. Josh scanned the windows and zigzagged across the yard. He couldn’t be too careful. Even when things were good, Texas was known as a shoot first and ask questions later kind of state. The homeowner wouldn’t take too kindly to a stranger trespassing, especially now.
There was no movement.
He headed straight for the garage, figuring there might be a fuel canister he could use. He’d siphon out whatever he could from the vehicles and then be on his way. He didn’t need much. The dirt bike only needed 2.6 gallons. That would be more than enough to get them the rest of the way.
The side door on the garage was unlocked.
Carefully, Josh slipped inside and gazed around. He took one more glance behind him before exploring. Inside there was a classic Ford car covered by a cream-colored tarp. The whole place smelled of oil and grease except it wasn’t dirty, there was order to it. Every tool had a place. All of them hanging from a rack. It didn’t take long to find an empty red gasoline container beside a lawn mower. Josh snatched it up and figured he’d try to siphon gas from the Ford. All the while he kept looking nervously at the side door while he opened the gas cap and took some old tubing from underneath a wooden bench and sliced it to the right size.
He stuck it in the car and began to suck on the other end. Almost immediately liquid came up and his mouth was full. He spat it out and gagged. It tasted foul. He took the end and stuck it into the canister.
Okay. Good. A sense of relief washed over him.
It didn’t last.
As it was filling, he heard someone approach.
Fear spiked. A shot of panic went through him and he pulled the tubing out of the canister and closed the gas cap on the car. Josh shuffled to the rear of the Ford where he took cover behind a collection of Rubbermaid boxes.
The door opened and he heard someone step inside.
There was a moment of silence, then a gruff voice said, “Come on out. I know you’re in here.”
Josh remained still.
“I’m not going to harm you.”
Other than the main garage door, that side entrance was the only way in and out. There was a chance the stranger would eventually make his way to the back and find him. Keeping a firm grip on the pistol, he peered out to get a look at who it was. The guy was in his late fifties wearing a white, dirty T-shirt beneath blue dungarees. Gray hair shot out the sides of his green John Deere baseball cap.
He was wielding a shotgun.
Josh weighed the odds. There was a fifty-fifty chance he was trigger happy and would shoot, but right now he had the car between him and the threat.
Josh slowly rose.
“Ah, there you are.”
“Sorry. I just needed some gas.”
“And you figured you could take what we have without asking?”
“Looked as if no one was home.”
“Still don’t make it right. Come on out from there. Let me get a good look at you.”
Hesitantly, Josh shuffled a little but remained at the back of the car. He kept his finger hovering over the trigger of the Glock. If the guy lifted that shotgun, Josh wouldn’t think twice. He didn’t want to kill, let alone shoot anyone, but Lily was depending on him returning. “Where you from?”
“Vidor,” Josh replied.
“Huh.” The man squinted. “How is it down there?”
“Bad.”
Nervously he swallowed.
“Where are you heading?”
“North.”
“Anyone else with you?”
He didn’t hesitate for a second. “No. Just me. Look, mister, I don’t want any trouble. I’ll be going now.” He moved around the side of the car to make his way to the main garage door, hoping he would open it.
The old guy looked out again then closed the side door behind him and locked it.
The clunk sounded final.
The man took the key and placed it in his upper pocket. “No. No, you won’t. I’m sorry, kid, but I’ve got a boy inside who is sick. So if you want that gas, it’s going to cost you.” Josh knew what he meant. It wasn’t money he wanted.
The reports on the news had to be true.
Josh shifted ever so slightly. The old-timer hadn’t seen the Glock he was holding beside his leg. In an instant, Josh lifted his arm and pointed it at him before he had a chance to aim the shotgun. Hand trembling, he gestured to his right. “Mister, open the garage door. Now!”
“Can’t do that.”
“Look, I don’t want any trouble.”
“You already said that. But waltzing in here tells me different.”
He had to have a death wish.
Josh shuffled forward. “Listen, this can go one of two ways. Open the garage door and I go on my way and you live to see your son again, or… Don’t make me do it. Please.” Josh pl
eaded with him but whether he thought Josh was bluffing or he was desperate to change his son’s grim situation, he made the wrong choice.
In a sudden move of stupidity, the man raised the shotgun. Before he managed to get it above his waist, Josh squeezed the trigger. The Glock let out a crack and the old-timer hit the ground, disappearing behind the car. Josh skirted around the Ford and found the guy holding his shoulder, the shotgun nearby. Not wasting a second, he dashed past him, kicked the shotgun out of the way, bounded up three small wooden steps, and stabbed the button to open the garage door.
It groaned as it rose.
Josh looked down at the man.
He’d live.
“I’m sorry. I never wanted this to happen,” he said as he darted out, taking the gas with him. His heart pounded in his chest as he made it back to the tree line. Even before he uncovered her, he was yelling. “Lily, let’s go,” he said looking over his shoulder, expecting any minute to see other members of the man’s family following.
Josh tore away the foliage covering the bike only to find her gone.
“No. No, no.”
A lump caught in his throat. He turned 360 degrees. “Lily!”
No response.
“Lily!”
He called out to her multiple times before she appeared. “I’m here.”
He turned toward her, angry as hell. “I told you not to move.”
“I saw a rabbit. I just wanted to…”
He grabbed hold of her, frustration boiling over, the impact of what had just happened getting the better of him. “If you don’t do what I say, you will die like mom. Do you understand?” The words rushed out before he could remember that he hadn’t told her the truth of what had happened to their mother.
Tears welled in Lily’s eyes.
She pulled away and took a few steps back.
“Lily. I… I meant to…”
“You lied to me.”
“No. I just…”
Before he could find the words, Lily turned tail and ran into the forest, crying. Josh took off after her, weaving in and out of the trees, calling her name until he was able to tackle her to the ground. Both of them hit the forest floor hard. She writhed in his arms like a wildcat. “Get off me. You lied. YOU LIED!”
Josh held her tight. “I’m sorry, Lily, I’m sorry. Please.”
“You lied to me.”
“I…” he sighed. “I was going to tell you. Just not this way. Not now.”
“Then when?”
“At the right time.”
“You still lied to me.”
Slowly but surely she stopped fighting and sat up. “You’re right. From here on out I promise I will always tell you the truth.”
“Promise?”
“I swear.”
He gripped her tightly, feeling the weight of their changing world.
Why here?
Josh looked down at the address on his phone again and then back at the rundown shack on the outskirts of Jasper, Texas. Had she given him the wrong location? He’d seen better doghouses than this. The home had fallen into disrepair or had taken one hell of a beating from the weather. White paint was peeling, the brown shingles were almost nonexistent and one side of the one-story abode looked as if someone had begun renovations but had abandoned the work mid-project.
Surely his mother couldn’t expect them to stay here.
The yard, if it could even be called that, was overgrown with weeds and covered with rotting apples. The dirt path shrouded by cedar, elm, and live oak had huge ruts in the mud where a truck had worn it down. It all snaked up to a warped wooden porch.
Josh looked again at the metal box.
The name on the dented mailbox with an American flag sticker matched the initials RW. This was it. It had to be. After a few setbacks in the last leg of their journey, they had arrived by early evening.
The dirt bike rattled between his legs.
“Is this it?” Lily asked.
“I hope not,” he muttered before squeezing the clutch, shifting gear, and giving the bike some gas to get up the short driveway.
There was no vehicle out front or a garage to speak of other than a cheap carport that had a tear in the side and a heavy amount of leaves and rainwater on top. There were oil stains on the driveway and a few broken bricks that were stacked as if they’d been used to support a vehicle for repair.
Josh killed the engine and Lily climbed off, removing her helmet.
He removed his and set it on the handlebars. They made their way over to the porch steps and both looked down at one of the planks which had a hole in it.
“Hello?” Josh asked.
There was no answer.
“Stay here,” he said.
He went up the stairs and knocked on the storm door. No response. He made his way over to one of the two front windows and cupped his hand to see inside. When he turned, Lily was looking through the other one. “What did I tell you?”
“You’re not the boss, Josh.”
He shook his head.
“Looks like no one is home,” she added.
“Well, then let’s go.” As he made his way down the steps he heard the storm door open and the handle on the door turn. Josh glanced over his shoulder to see Lily peering in.
“It’s open,” Lily said.
“Lily.”
“What? You had no problems entering at the last place and this is the address mom gave.”
He looked around for a second.
“We came all this way,” she said. “Can’t we stick around?”
“It’s not safe.”
“And going out there is?”
He groaned. “All right, just for a while, but we should just wait on the porch.” He beckoned her away from the door and they took a seat on a porch rocker. They gazed out across the yard. The owner didn’t give two hoots about gardening. There was a vinyl shed nearby that had collapsed, and a well without a bucket.
Lily picked at the porch rocker. “What happened back at the house?”
“What?” Josh replied his thoughts elsewhere.
“At the property. I heard a gunshot.”
“Oh. That. It’s nothing.”
“Didn’t sound like nothing.”
She wasn’t going to let it go so he said, “Look, let’s go inside.”
“But I thought you…”
“Lily.”
She huffed as they entered.
Although the outside of the home had taken a beating, the interior was surprisingly clean. It wasn’t modern by any means. The décor was dated, a decade or two old. The appliances looked vintage. Thick pine cabinets framed the kitchen.
Nearby was a glass table with three cushioned chairs tucked beneath. On top of that were a dirty bowl, a newspaper, and a coffee-stained cup. Josh glanced at the white fridge covered in magnets. He stepped inside and noticed the dark hardwood flooring was scuffed and buckled.
The small living room had a brown sofa, and a creme recliner positioned in front of a boxy TV. There was a single dinner tray with a few leftovers. Lasagna by the looks of it. Perched on the edge of the sofa was an empty ashtray with several brown apple cores and chewing gum in it. “Nasty,” he muttered.
Josh turned. Lily wasn’t there.
“Lily?”
He found her around the corner, peering into a bedroom. “Take a look at this,” she said, holding up a kid’s toy. “Maybe they have a kid.”
“What makes you think it’s a couple?”
“Well, mom wouldn’t send us to live with someone who wasn’t good with kids.”
They poked around in the bedroom for a minute or two, picking up décor items off a dresser drawer that had a fine layer of dust on it. Josh ran his fingers through it and showed Lily. “I wouldn’t get your hopes up. Doesn’t look like anyone’s been here in a while.” They made their way out and glanced in the main bedroom. There were no photos on the walls. Nothing to indicate who the homeowner was, let alone if they had children. The bed
was made. The curtains open. As much as Josh was intrigued by why their mother had sent them there, he was a little disturbed.
In the kitchen, Lily opened the fridge while he looked at a corkboard of notes, postcards, and mail.
“It’s full,” she said, sounding surprised.
He took a look. There were cans of soda pop, eggs, milk, ham, other food, pretty much all the essentials. “It looks fresh.”
“You think they’d mind if I had some water?”
“Help yourself, Bean.”
While she took out a glass from the cupboard and filled it, he looked again at the corkboard and pulled off several envelopes. Bills. They had a big red stamp on the outside with the word OVERDUE. He took one out because the address wasn’t on the outside. As soon as he opened the letter, he noticed it was from years earlier.
That’s when Josh saw a name at the top.
A different name to the one on the mailbox.
A familiar name.
His jaw dropped.
“Lily, let’s go.”
“What?” she asked, smacking her lips together.
He tossed the envelopes down and grabbed her by the wrist and led her out.
“Josh. Hold on. I wasn’t finished.”
“I’ll get you a drink elsewhere.”
“But…”
He pushed wide the storm door and was arguing with her as they stepped outside.
“Josh?” He glanced off toward his bike to see a middle-aged, bearded man, roughly six-foot, wearing a blue jean jacket, a checked shirt, and cream-colored khakis with boots. He was broad-shouldered and had a full head of short hair.
He was carrying a duffel bag. Behind him was an old black pickup truck parked a little farther down by the entrance. That’s why he hadn’t heard him.
Josh froze.
“Do you know him?” Lily asked.
The man must have heard. His eyes darted to Lily. “And who might you be?”
Lily looked up at Josh as if waiting for direction but neither of them answered.
Instead, he said, “Get on the bike, Lily.”
Josh ushered her down the steps and across to the bike. The man watched quietly as Josh made his way over and climbed on, put his helmet on, and attempted to start the engine. It spluttered a few times but wouldn’t catch. “Come on.”
