by Louise, Tia
The man chuckles. “I’d be a rich man if I could predict a late frost.”
Digger joins us. “Noel wants to have coffee this morning.”
The way he says it makes me wonder if he’s already told these men he’s my foreman. “Sawyer left me in charge. I thought I best know what’s coming.”
“I thought you were making beauty products.” Ed’s smile doesn’t reach his eyes, and I wonder if he agrees with my brother about bringing tourists onto the farms.
“I’ve started my own business, if that’s what you mean.”
Jeff Priddy pipes up. “That’s right. My aunt Jessica called last night. Said she wants to give Noel the old feed shed to turn into a store.”
“She did?” A blend of surprise and confidence fills my chest at this announcement.
“It’s probably full of rats, but she said you can have it if you want it.”
“I do want it. Thank you.” As disgusting as the prospect of rats might be, I’ve got a dog, and the old feed shed is only a quarter-mile from the orchard. I’ll be making an extra special care package for my number one customer tonight.
“As for frost, it’s best to watch the news… and the sky.” He continues, and I wonder if he might be on my side after all. “Moisture keeps the chance of frost forming low, so more rain means less frost. Clear skies are a warning sign.”
“Thank you again.” I nod, and when Flo appears, I hold up a finger.
She brings me a cup of weak coffee, and I take a seat at one of the tables across from the booth where the men sit. I listen as they discuss the latest news. I never cared about politics or what happened at the border before, and I do my best to absorb all they say.
Sawyer said Digger’s dad would watch out for me, but I don’t want Digger being too close to my business. As they continue, I think about what Miss Jessica has done, giving me her old shed. I wonder how much work it will take to turn it into a real store. I’ll have to wait until summer to work on it, until after harvest, but at least I can check it out.
The men start to break up, and I make my way over to Jeff, hoping to get a handle on what needs to be done to transfer ownership. I might have to hold it for a few months, but I don’t want to let it go. One thing I know for sure is you never know what might happen.
I’m still holding those words in my mind when my whole world tilts.
16
Taron
July
“Damn, you look amazing.” I’m lying on my bunk looking at Noel wearing nothing but a beauty pageant sash.
Her small breasts hang in luscious handfuls, rosy nipples hard and pointing upward with a thick white sash draped across the center.
“You’re the first person I thought of when I saw it at the party store.”
“I wish I was there.” She slides her palms up her ribcage, cupping her breasts. “I want to see you touch yourself.”
She gives me a naughty wink. “It’s part of my evil plan to make you beg for leave.”
“Actually,” I sit forward, adjusting the boner in my pants. “That’s why I called. They’re finally moving us to Caracas, and we have the option to take a short one.”
The phone drops, and for a minute, the screen goes crazy giving me views of her bedroom before it’s back on her again. She’s pulled the thin white shirt over her beautiful body.
“You’re coming home?” Her pretty amber eyes are watery and an ache hits my throat.
“I’m coming to you.”
“Taron…” She blinks down, and two crystal drops hit her cheeks.
I want more than anything to gather her in my arms and hold her tight. “I’m going to love you so hard, we’ll never leave the bedroom.”
“Is Sawyer coming with you?”
“Yeah, we all get four days.”
“That’s all?”
“Hey,” I force a grin. “Let’s focus on the good part.”
Her dark head nods, long waves bouncing around her shoulders. “I’m sorry. I just… I miss you so much.”
“Don’t say you’re sorry. I miss you.” My voice is warm. My arms long for her. “I’ve got so much to tell you. So many things I want to say.”
“I can’t wait to hear them all.” Her eyes look tired, and I want to slide my thumbs under them, dry her tears. “You made it through harvest.”
“We did.” A big smile takes over her face. “I was so scared we couldn’t do it without Sawyer. I ended up hiring Digger to be our foreman.” Her cute nose wrinkles. “But Leon and I both made a vow it was the last time. Next year, it’s just me and him… and maybe one other person, but no more Digger.”
That makes me laugh. “That bad?”
“He’s just so freakin annoying. You can’t imagine.”
“I can imagine. But hang on…”
Her brow furrows. “How did I lose my sexy pageant show?”
“Oh.” Her chin drops, and she looks up at me through heavy lashes. My dick immediately springs to life at the sight of her. “Were you talking about the grown-up Princess Peach.”
She traces a finger down the front of her shirt, sliding the sides apart and letting her beautiful breasts peep out.
“Shit, yeah…” My voice is rough, hungry, and we spend the next several minutes on a Facetime call so dirty, I’m covered in sweat and weak in the knees when it’s over. “I’ll never use this sock again.”
Noel’s lying on her back, her dark hair sticking to her naked, sweaty body. “You make me come so hard.”
“I didn’t even touch you. Just wait until I’m there.”
She rolls over to face me, her pretty breasts hanging down on her bed. “How long before you’re here?”
“If everything goes through, we should be able to leave by the weekend. Of course, travel days count against our leave, so I’ll only have a few days.”
“I’ll be so glad to see you.” Her voice is soft, sleepy.
“I love you, princess. Get some rest.”
“I love you.”
We disconnect, and I unlock the door before staggering to the shower. A few minutes later, I’m lying on my bunk, scrolling through the gallery of nude Noels on my phone. She is so damn fine. I can’t wait to have my mouth all over her body and my dick deep inside her.
The door flies open, and I quickly shut off my phone. “Taron!” Patton’s eyes are wide, his expression panicked. “Have you seen Marley this evening?”
My brow furrows, and I sit up. “No… he went on a fuel run after lunch, and—”
“He didn’t come back. Connor says he was at a fuel station that came under fire at sixteen hundred. It’s possible he was taken hostage.”
“What the fuck?” I’m on my feet, pulling a thick brown Cammie over my white tee. “Why would they take him hostage?”
“Guns, money, both.” Patton’s voice is fierce, and I know he’s worried. We’re out the door, heading down the hall toward the communications station.
Kidnapping a Marine is pretty serious shit. “How’s it being classified?”
“Don’t know yet.” He leads me into a large tent where Sawyer is already talking to the major.
He pulls back, coming to us. “His phone was recovered in a ditch halfway to Victoria. They’re waiting for contact.”
“So they’re expecting some kind of ransom?” I rub the back of my neck thinking of what this could mean.
“If they were going to kill him, they’d have found his body in the ditch. They think it’s some local thugs.”
Patton leaves us and goes to our field commander. I watch as they speak in animated tones. He’s asking for us to be assigned the rescue and recovery mission. Tugging at the back of my hair, I hate to think it, but the words come unbidden—so much for going home.
I want to hit somebody. I want to roar and throw things, flip tables and break something. More than anything, I want to find these thugs and beat the shit out of them. Sliding my hands over my face, I try to get calm, but all I can think about is Noel.
&
nbsp; 17
Noel
August
A year.
One year I was able to speak to him whenever I wanted. I could see his face, hear his voice. Now it’s gone completely dark.
My insides tremble, and instead of crying, all I do is shake.
Marley was kidnapped. That’s as much as I know.
Taron called me, and his voice was strained. He told me what they knew and how it changed his ability to take leave.
Having the promise of seeing him, touching him, holding him, even for one day taken away was like having my bones crushed.
He told me Patton insisted they be assigned the rescue mission. He said no one would be more dedicated to Marley’s rescue than them. I told him I love him. He told me he wasn’t sure when he’d be able to contact me again.
We ended that call, and the clock started.
Two weeks pass in silence until my brother breaks it.
I’m sent a special number and a special code. It’s all very top secret and high security. My eyes flood with tears the moment I see his face, covered in a scruffy beard. He speaks, and his voice is a balm to my trembling insides.
“They let me call you since I’m considered the head of the house.” Sawyer’s voice is apologetic, as if he knows I want to hear from someone else, which I do, but give me a break.
“I’m so glad you called me.” I can’t help the fear in my tone.
“I don’t have much to say other than we’re okay.”
“That’s enough.” My throat aches, and tears blur my eyes. “Thank God you’re okay.”
“Taron’s fine, but Marley’s…” He turns his face to the side, and I can tell by the flex in his jaw it’s bad. “We’re going deep to get him back. I might not be able to contact you for a while.”
“Please be safe.” Desperation is in my voice. “Take care of… all of you.”
“I will.” He nods. “You and Leon okay? You need anything?”
We need you. “We’re good. Don’t worry about us. Nothing ever changes around here. You know that.”
“I love you, sis.” His hazel eyes meet mine, and my heart beats faster. Anxiety twists my chest.
“I love you, Sawyer.” I don’t want to hang up. “Please call soon… or anything, send me a letter… And please just… Tell Taron—”
“I’ll tell him.”
The line goes silent, and I drop my face in my hands.
It’s the last I hear for another month. Leon starts his senior year of high school. Classes begin at the college, and I do my best to show up mentally and physically. Miss Jessica comforts me with stories of when her brother was in Vietnam. Stories along the lines of “the darkest hour is always before dawn.” I love her so much, I don’t want to tell her they don’t help at all.
I should start cleaning out her old feed shed. I should introduce more products to my line. I should talk to Digger about having the peach trees pruned… So many things I should do. All I do is wait.
The sun comes up every morning, breaking golden over the rows of green-leaved trees. The sun goes down every evening, casting long shadows with no answers or relief.
I go to church every time the doors are open. I go to bed and pray God will please not take another person I love from me. My prayers are always the same. Please, God. Please let me have lost enough.
Every day is one long line leading into the next, until the day comes.
I’m standing on the hill, looking out toward the horizon. My eyes follow the narrow dirt road that runs past that old house on the hill, and right where the blue meets the beige I see a faint cloud of dust rising.
My heart leaps to my throat, and I’m running down the hill. Leon’s in the yard, and he calls to me, but I don’t stop. I don’t feel the ground beneath my feet. I don’t notice the scenery as I pass. It’s all a tunnel of blur centering on the Chevy Silverado growing closer at a rate of twenty miles per hour.
Tears coat my cheeks, and I see the vehicle stop. The door opens, and a dark figure steps out. His hair is messy, long, and a beard covers his cheeks. I don’t stop running until we’re in each other’s arms, hugging each other long and hard.
“Sawyer…” I can only say his name. “You’re alive.”
His large hand grips the back of my head, and I listen to his heart beating. “I’m home. I’m home for good.”
18
Taron
Sweat coats my body. We’re in a place so hot, it’s hotter than the summer days in the peach shed.
A shed. I’m in the canopy of darkness. Slick leaves surround us, and the cinder block hut hides in the banana trees and vines. It’s my job to test the door. My rifle is in my hand, and Patton is directly across from me in the undergrowth. Sawyer is covering the back of the house, and I’m making my way across the face, ducking under empty black windows devoid of glass.
The cell phone signals, the satellite imagery, the IP addresses, all of it led us to this place. Weeks of torture videos, of watching Marley being beaten, strapped to a chair… We’re here to set him free.
My heart beats in my ears. Anyone could be on the other side of that door, and it’s my job to open it. Reaching out, I see Noel in my mind’s eye one last time.
I rap hard on the wood and pull back, allowing the cement blocks to shield my body.
Silence.
The noise of cicadas rises around us. The scream of a bird somewhere in the distance. I wait, looking deep into the forest until I find a pair of black eyes. Patton has my back like always.
He gives the signal, and I step back, lifting my leg and kicking the door open before dropping to a knee, my gun at the ready.
Again, silence is the only greeting.
Then I see him.
My stomach plunges. Our friend, a guy I’ve known as long as I can remember, who I grew up sharing my dreams and fears with when nobody else cared, is tied to a chair with ropes cutting through his skin.
Throwing the rifle on my back, I lunge forward, whipping out my knife and cutting him free. I rip the heavy bag off his head just as Sawyer enters the small space.
“We’ve got him.” His familiar accent sounds over the receivers in each of our ears.
Patton joins us, and he catches Marley as his knees hit the floor. “We’ve got you. You’re safe now.”
Blood drips from his mouth, and he’s incoherent. He’s been beaten unconscious, and I pray we get him to help in time to prevent lasting damage. I’m lifting him to his feet, ready to haul him over my shoulder when the air changes.
A woman screams at my left shoulder. Her eyes are blazing green like a cat, her dark hair fanning around her as she races toward us, machete raised.
“Jesus!” I don’t have time to think. Reaching for my left ankle, I jerk out the pistol hidden in my boot and fire.
She drops with a dull thud, a spray of blood fanning behind her, the large knife still gripped in her hand. She’s slim and young, full lips and long, wavy hair, green eyes staring vacant at the ceiling.
I killed her.
“God, no…” My breath freezes in my chest. What have I done?
I can’t stop staring at her lifeless body.
“GO!” Patton’s order snaps me out of my shock.
Throwing Marley’s arm over my shoulder, I help Sawyer walk him out of the shack, but my chest is tight. My heart beats too hard, and I think I’m going to be sick.
I killed that girl.
Two steps outside, and I go down hard.
“Fuck!” I scream as the stabbing of a knife hits me right in the lower back.
My eyes close, and I can’t breathe while I feel warm wetness covering my skin. I’m bleeding. Patton is in front of me, and I hear Sawyer yell for him to stop. It’s a trip wire he somehow missed on the way inside.
I found it and fell with Marley on top of me on the broken trunk of a sapling. Sawyer throws Marley over his back. Patton jerks me over his shoulder, and we race down the hill. Mission accomplished.
I’m
bleeding all over myself and all over my friend. We reach the trucks as the blackness sets in. The pain in my back is so intense, I lose consciousness. I hear Patton telling me to stay with him, but I’m not with him. I’m back in that hut looking at her dead body.
19
Noel
I don’t care if you’re hurt. I just want to see you. It’s the same text I’ve sent every day since my brother returned.
Still, no reply.
My brother came back, and after holding us all close for several minutes, during which all three of us broke down and cried, he went to his room and stayed there for several days.
They were all given medals and sent home, and even though my brother doesn’t have any visible injuries, he won’t tell me what happened on their rescue mission. He handed me a letter from Taron and said no more about it, which I’ve come to expect from Sawyer.
Can’t see you anymore…
Everything has changed…
Can’t ask you to wait…
Don’t deserve you…
I don’t deserve you? These are words I cannot accept.
Taron should know I won’t accept them.
If he wants to break up with me, he can do it to my face. Another week passes, and the anger in my chest has effectively burned away the grief I feel.
Sawyer joins us for lunch, and I have a bag packed. “I’m going to Nashville.”
His dark brow furrows, and his eyes cut up to me. “Why?”
“To see Taron.”
“He’s not coming back, Noel.” My brother’s voice is quiet, definite, and my heart rips in two.
I want to scream. I want to throw things.
My hand shakes so hard, I can’t drink my coffee. I set the cup down with a bang. “Then he can tell me to my face.”
“It’s not like that.” Sawyer’s eyes change. They become pleading, holding mine as if he’s begging me to understand. “He’s not the same. He’s changed. We all are.”
