Peter chuckled, watching the two boys clean their plates. “She’s a fiery little thing. That auburn hair really suits her.”
“Yeah, it does!” Caleb agreed with a smirk.
“You think you can handle her?” The older man cut his eyes over at him, toying with his fork.
“Yeah. I got it covered.” Caleb leaned back in his chair, also watching the two youngsters. “We’re gettin’ along good. When the time comes, she’ll fall in line.”
“I hope so.” Pete took another bite, allowing the conversation to drop.
In her room, Bailey sat on the edge of her bed, rocking back and forth. It was her night off, but she wished she had a shift and an excuse to be out of the house. As soon as dinner ended, they would be in the living room, gathered around the widescreen television. She had watched them a few times and hated to see her uncle giving the boys pointers at how to be better at killing people, even if they were only pretending through the game.
Turning to stretch out on top of the covers, she stared at the ceiling, with her arms folded behind her head. I guess we really are leaving soon, and Caleb being here does make more sense since he walks me home every night. Still, the idea of his being under the same roof bothered her, with the vibe she picked from him often making her uncomfortable.
We’re friends, she rationalized. At least he thinks we are. Deep down, she resented him almost as much as she did her uncle and held on to her anger. Yeah, he can think that all he wants. Her chest rose and fell calmly. I know the truth. I damn sure won’t hesitate to get me and my brothers out of this mess. All I need is the opportunity.
The last day of school arrived all too quickly, and Bailey could feel the tension growing within her. The next morning, her uncle handed her a single box to pack her things.
“Take only your warm weather clothing, everyday kinda stuff,” he instructed. “Leave the rest for next year.”
Well, I guess that means he does intend to come back, she sighed to herself. Placing the carton on the floor, she tied her long hair up in a ponytail and set to work choosing exactly the items that she would want. Caleb had said there were horses, and the boys had described a very rustic location, so she figured that jeans were in order. Also deciding on a few pairs of shorts, she found about a dozen shirts, in varied sleeve lengths and thicknesses, and tossed them all in.
It’s also a desert area, she recalled, so I may need a few heavier items in case the evenings aren’t warm enough for my liking. Choosing a hoodie and a sweatshirt, she packed them as well. Finally, she located the pair of hiking boots that her grandmother had sent. They had been in her closet back home, and she had only worn them once on a field trip with her science class.
Removing them from their smaller box, she packed them on top of the clothes and filled in the empty spots with all the socks, bras, and panties that she could locate. Taping the flaps shut, she sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the brown cardboard, a frown wrinkling her forehead.
The last time I moved, I was too young to remember it. Now I’ve moved twice in less than three months. Of course, if they were coming back to the apartment for the next school year, this wasn’t really a move and would be more like an extended vacation. Like a summer home. She hoped so at least and had asked Mark, her boss, to hold her job for her until she got back, to which he had agreed.
The thought brought a small smile briefly to her lips. Glancing up, she discovered Caleb stood in the hall, watching her through the crack in the door. Pretending she hadn’t noticed, her smile faded, and she moved to begin placing her grooming items into her suitcase. Opening the door to clear out the bathroom as well, she feigned surprise. “Hey, Caleb.”
“Hi,” he beamed, his mood seeming much lighter in the last few days. “You all set?”
“Almost.” She didn’t return the grin. “I’m a little on edge about where we’re going. Uncle Peter still hasn’t said much, and you aren’t any help, either.”
“You’re gonna be fine,” he reassured. “I’m not being secretive. I jus’ don’ know what else t’ say.” He leaned on the door frame, watching her gather bottles and jars from a drawer and toss them in a bag. “You probably aren’t gonna need any o’ that stuff,” he commented in an offhanded manner.
Cutting her eyes over at him, her features drew into a deeper frown, but her hands continued to move. “I never go without my makeup,” she retorted. “Not since I was twelve years old.”
The mention of her age caused a stunned expression to cross his rugged features. “Oh, hell,” he gasped. “Did we forget your birthday?”
“Yes.” She sighed. “It was two days ago.” She had been a little depressed that no one had mentioned it but wasn’t about to point it out herself.
“Wow, so you’re seventeen. Almost legal.” He chuckled as if it were a joke.
Turning her back to him, her hands began to tremble, her female intuition working overtime. “Yeah, whatever.”
“I’ll remember it next year,” he promised, watching her from behind.
“I don’t plan on knowing you next year,” she quipped, unable to catch her angry thoughts before they spewed out of her mouth.
Caleb only laughed at her. “Yeah, if you say so, little bit.” Resisting the urge to smack her rear, he turned around and left her to her packing. Instead, he made his way to the boys’ room, where they were helping their uncle gather their things.
“You two all set?” he called loudly, ready to chip in wherever needed. The twins had really taken to him, as they had their uncle, and it made him smile to see them so eager to get to their new home. “You guys know my little brother, right?”
Stopping to have a conversation with their new friend, Jess placed his hands on his hips. “You mean that kid with the red hair?”
“Yeah. Carson. He’s my little brother.” Carson Cross was twelve years old and therefore close enough to be a good playmate for the twins. Of course, he had been raised on The Ranch, so he held a bit more familiarity with the way of life, which would be useful as the twins were assimilated.
“We taking anything from the kitchen?” the tall blond asked calmly.
“Nah. Just leave it. We can throw the food items that won’t keep away.” Pete shook his head. “We get the clothes an’ the blankets from the beds. Everything else can stay. Oh, an’ we can take the TV with the PS4.”
“Roger that!” Caleb gave him a mock salute and went to find trash bags to pack the bedding, tossing them in a pile by the door when ready. Looking around, he decided to pack the gaming system and placed a few of the disc cases in the box with it. Doing a bit of mental calculation, he realized it would be a tight squeeze, getting everything to fit in the Suburban.
“I guess that about covers it,” he called to the older man, who joined him in the front room with one of the boxes.
“Yup, we’re set. Get it in the car, an’ we’re ready t’ roll.”
With everyone helping to carry the haul down the stairs, it didn’t take long, and they were loaded to depart. Stopping long enough for a good meal before they left town, the group piled into the overstuffed vehicle and left Midland with the intention of return in the fall. Deep down, Bailey wondered if that would actually happen; after all, nothing else in her life seemed to be going according to plan.
Seventeen
Home on the Range
The twins watched a movie, falling asleep a short time after they left. Taking the highway west for a while, they soon turned off and headed south. Looking over her shoulder, Bailey could see the boys resting in the seat behind, with their belongings piled in the last row and the cargo area beyond. She couldn’t see Caleb bringing up the rear, but she knew he was there. Almost as if she could feel his presence, her resentment of the tall blond smoldered.
Turning back to watch the scenery drifting by, she frowned at the recollection of her first Google search of the area. She had discovered that it was desert like, with hardly any plants to speak of and no animals, save an occa
sional bird, to be seen. “This is a terrible place,” she muttered under her breath.
“Why’s that?” her uncle asked softly.
Cutting her eyes over at him, she continued to hold the scowl in place. “Because it’s in the middle of nowhere. No people, nothing. Only empty, open…nothing.” She slouched in her seat, her body expressing the depths of her despair.
“It’s not so bad. Besides, some people like being away from the crowds.” He kept his eyes on the road as he spoke. “Brenda and I worked really hard on this place for nearly twenty years. If she hadn’t gotten sick, we still would be.”
“The boys said there are other people out here, on the ranch.”
“Yeah.” He nodded slightly. “There’s a few families that live out here. We form a community, or a township, if you will.”
“Let me guess, called Lawson,” she completed for him.
“Lawson?” His eyes grew wide. “Who said anything about Lawson?”
Bailey bit her lip, his tone taking her by surprise. “Caleb mentioned it. Then he wouldn’t give me any details. Isn’t that where we’re going?”
“No.” Peter strained to glare at the bike he could see in his side mirror, rolling along behind them. “We’re not going to Lawson. We’re going to The Ranch. That’s the name of our little town—The Ranch.”
Running her tongue over her teeth, the girl finally made the connection. “Oh my God. How stupid of me. The Ranch is really a name, like Midland.”
“Yes.” Her uncle nodded. “Don’t take it so hard. I can see how it would be confusing.” He grinned at her, glancing in her direction for a moment. “I want things to work out for you here, Bailey-girl. I really do. Just give it a chance, ok?”
Rolling her eyes, she turned back to her window, “Whatever, man. I’m stuck here, as you pointed out, but that don’t mean I always will be.”
A couple of hours passed, the pair sitting in silence, until the sun had moved over into late afternoon. She could see a small building ahead long before they got to it, and her uncle began to slow down when they were close. “What are you doing?” she demanded, still unhappy with the man behind the wheel.
“We need fuel,” he supplied. “The trip is just a little too long for one tank of gas, so we have to fill up.” Climbing out at the tiny store that had no other buildings around it, he closed the door gently behind him.
Twisting in her seat to look behind her, Bailey could hear their voices outside. Leaning over into his seat, she could see that Caleb had joined him on the other side of the pumps and was filling his bike as well. She scowled at the pair, the sound of their laughter only causing her displeasure to worsen. Assholes. Sitting up straight in her seat, she ignored her uncle when he rejoined her.
Leaving the station behind them, the group continued south for another long stretch until they reached their turn. Easing across a rough cattle guard and onto a smaller road, which hardly qualified as two lanes with no center stripe, they put the sun at their backs. The land on either side of the narrow band of pavement appeared as barren as all the rest she had seen on their journey. However, off in the distance, Bailey could see the faint outline of trees with a backdrop of hills.
Ten minutes later, she could make out their destination more clearly; there were indeed green limbs branching up into the sky, partially hidden from view by a large wall. To her dismay, The Ranch appeared to be behind the massive structure that extended at least half a mile along the front, with the road ending abruptly at the enormous gate, obviously intended to keep people out.
Leaning out the window, Peter typed in his code at the keypad, and the entrance rolled open, allowing them inside. Bailey’s heart had begun to thump loudly in her ears, and she fought desperately to keep her breathing under control. It’s a prison! In the back of her mind, she had held on to the belief that she would have an opportunity to get away and take her brothers with her.
Seeing their final destination unfolding before her, she became grief stricken, realizing it had been an impossible dream. Twisting in her seat, she couldn’t see the gate roll shut, but she heard the clang, its echo heartbreaking.
Inside the compound, they passed through a small group of large turbines, seemingly used to generate electricity from wind power. To her right, she could make out a small airstrip, which ran down the far wall of the complex. Turning to her left, large buildings lay beyond but their purpose not ascertainable.
The vehicle rolled slowly along, allowing her to take everything in, and she noticed that there were a few house-like structures, and perhaps a diner, followed by another small group of windmills. She also noted there was a labyrinth of smaller dirt roads, crisscrossing the area and leading away from the main road to the far reaches of the resort.
Finally, Uncle Pete made a left-hand turn onto one of the smaller thoroughfares, and she could see that the far end of the compound lay maybe another seven or eight hundred feet down the paved access. Passing between a small grove of trees and a large greenhouse, they pulled up in front of a garage.
A large house lay to their right, bigger than any that Bailey had ever been inside but certainly not the largest she had ever seen. “Is this yours?” she managed to ask, somewhat in awe. She had always thought of her uncle as destitute, but this was not the home of a poor man.
“Yeah.” He shrugged with a nod. “This is my place. Brenda an’ I built it, thinkin’ we would fill it with kids. Didn’t work out that way, though. Her folks are here, looking after things for me since I had to go an’ take care of you guys. There’s some other guys, too, but we’ll worry about them later.”
Bailey frowned at the thought of his keeping things from her and felt more vulnerable than ever. Waking her brothers, they went inside to use the bathroom and then began unloading their belongings. Hauling everything into the living room, they dropped it all in a large pile, to be distributed later.
At that point, she noticed Caleb was no longer with them. “Where’d he go?” she asked, trying not to appear that it mattered.
“He went home,” Jess surmised. “His house is down the street.” He pointed in the direction from which they had come.
“You play with his little brother…what’s-his-name.” She frowned, unsure what to make of their new surroundings.
“Yeah. He’s neat. He’s got a three-oh-eight and promised to teach us how to use his twenty-two!” Jase tossed out lightly.
“What’s a three-oh-eight?” she asked anxiously, afraid that she knew but didn’t want to believe it.
“Knock it off, you guys,” Peter interceded. “We’ll get to all that later. Right now, we need to get all this stuff hauled upstairs. Bailey, your room is on the third floor, end of the hallway, overlooking the east side of the property.” Handing her the box she had packed that morning, he dismissed her from the group.
Trudging to the stairs and focusing on her footing, she made it to the top a bit out of breath. Sure enough, a plain room lay at the end of the hall, containing a double sized bed and large dresser that hugged the wall between the entrance and the closet. The bed stuck out into the room, with a window at the foot, a second on the far side, and a small desk in the corner between them.
Placing her box on the bare mattress, she worked her way around to the far side, discovering the path around her bed to be about three feet all the way around. Damn, it’s cramped. And again, no bathroom. Through the wide-open frame, she could hear the squeak of a windmill turning in the breeze.
Leaning out the opening to survey the area, she noted that a patch of green grass and a line of trees lay beneath her, running between the structure and the noisy machine. She also noticed that the walls enclosing the compound came to a corner about a hundred and fifty yards from the house, beyond the windmill. However, the closest portion stood only about twenty yards to the left of her other window.
“Here’s your sheets and a bedspread.” An older woman entered without knocking, leaving the articles beside the box.
Bai
ley stared after her, surprised she had come and gone without so much as an introduction. Heading back down the stairs to locate and retrieve the rest of her things, she felt angry to find that her brothers’ room had been located on the second floor. “Why do they get to be there and I’m all the way up at the top?” she inquired curtly.
“Because there isn’t room for you on this floor,” her guardian informed her shortly. “You’ll be fine up there, an’ I’m sure you’ll enjoy the privacy.”
Snatching her suitcase and the trash bag that held her bedding, she frowned. I hate this place. She had already noticed the stark simplicity of the furnishings, almost as if she had walked onto the set of an old western. “Is that why you brought the TV? Because there isn’t one here?”
“Something like that,” he retorted easily, lifting more of the boys’ things and following them up the stairs. “We’ll eat in about an hour. Until then, you get to make yourself at home.”
Carrying the rest of her gear up to her quarters, she noticed that each floor held a single bathroom. Great. Looks like we get to share. And she scowled at the claw-footed tub on her way by. She paused as she passed the other two bedrooms on her floor as well, observing that they both appeared to be occupied, with each containing a set of twin beds and a desk facing a single window between each. Like dorm rooms. So, at least four more people live in the house. I can’t wait to meet them.
Making up her bed and getting her belongings lined out, Bailey eventually made her way to the stairs, ready to go down for dinner. Running her hand along the old wooden banister, she wondered how long the house had been there, as everything seemed to be a mixed lot, an odd blend of old and new. Guess I’ll find out soon enough, she sighed as she located the dining room to join the others.
Eighteen
New Girl in Town
Bailey entered the dining room slowly, a quiet chaos whirling around her. Her brothers were seated at the table, on the side closest to her, along with her uncle at the head of the long wooden surface. On the far side sat a large black man, another man who looked to be of some oriental descent, and a much older gentleman with shining silver hair.
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