by Hunt, Jack
She sighed. “It only looked that way.”
“C’mon, you ran a popular hotel in one of the biggest and busiest cities in the world. What is there not to love about that?”
“A lot actually.”
“Oh yeah, I bet that salary of yours was hard to see rolling into your bank every month.”
“You think because I had money, I was happy?”
He studied her before taking another drag. “Hell, I would have liked a few hundred thousand in my account to blow through whenever I pleased.”
“Nate. I had to get up early every day, burn the oil at both ends and deal with disgruntled customers, kiss up to companies that my parents wanted me to do business with, and attend frequent meetings. And somewhere in all of that I had to find an hour for my own life.”
“An hour? Please. You paid people to do your dirty work.”
She rose to her feet and raked fingers through her hair. She was a good-looking woman even without makeup, curvy in all the right places, certainly his type. Since they’d arrived, Nate had noticed how attractive she was. Under other circumstances he could almost see himself dating her. “I had employees. Sure. Every company does. But that only meant more headaches, more responsibility and more time invested in hiring, training, and monitoring. You must think running a hotel is a walk in the park.”
He took a final drag on his cigarette, savoring it before flicking it out into the night and watching the golden sparks fly. “Compared to stealing iPhones. Yeah, I’d call that a walk in the park.” He hopped down off the wall. “Okay, what about vacations? Did you ever take any?”
“Yeah.”
“There you go. I didn’t. And what about weekends off? Nights off?”
“Of course.”
“I didn’t.”
“So, what, I’m meant to feel sorry for you?” she asked.
“No, I’m just saying… perspective is everything. I worked my ass off for a hand to mouth existence.”
“Why didn’t you get a real job?”
“I did. It didn’t pay well. I frequently got turned down for jobs by people like yourself who didn’t think I measured up. They judged me on the color of my skin, the way I dressed, the area of the city I lived in and my education or lack of. Nothing was handed to me. I had to take it.”
“And take you did. Right out of people’s hands.”
He scoffed. “Like you would have gone without. That iPhone of yours. I bet you had two more at home. That purse? It was probably bag number twenty, am I right?”
“Actually it was bag thirty-two.” She laughed and he nudged her. He’d begun to enjoy being around her. For someone who came from money, she didn’t take herself too seriously.
“You know, screw you, Dad!” Tyler said walking out of the hospital entrance with his middle finger up. They both turned and gawked.
“Ah, isn’t family sweet,” Nate said sidling up beside Erika and looping his arm around hers. Surprisingly she didn’t push him away.
“Don’t say anything to him.”
“I wasn’t going to,” Nate replied. Tyler reached them with a scowl on his face and kept walking.
“We going now, boss?” Nate asked. Erika nudged him.
“We aren’t staying.”
“What did he say?” Erika asked as they caught up with him.
“He told me if I wasn’t heading up to the cabin, I could figure out how to survive myself. If I didn’t know now, I would never know.” He shrugged. “I didn’t expect anything less.”
“So we’re heading to the cabin?” Nate asked, eyeing Erika. He felt like they were a third wheel, causing unnecessary strain on him and his family.
“Hell no!” Tyler shot back.
Nate frowned. “Not to throw a wrench in the works buddy but there is that little thing I like to call food. Your brother’s place doesn’t have much of it. I was rooting around in the cupboard. It was pretty sparse.”
“We’ll collect some supplies from the high school.”
“But why?”
“Because that’s where they’re giving them out.”
“No, I mean, why when you said yourself that his cabin had everything.”
Tyler stopped walking and faced Nate. “You wanted to come. I said it wasn’t going to be easy. Now if you don’t like it…” he trailed off as he turned away making it clear that they could find their own way.
Erika shook her head at Nate, trying to make it clear not to stir the pot. While he didn’t want to be a pain, it didn’t make sense to use supplies that could be given to those in real need, when his father had more than enough.
“You ever thought of burying the hatchet?”
“In his skull, yeah, many times,” Tyler said.
“No, I meant, what your uncle said.”
“Lou says a lot of things. It’s his brother, he’s bound to speak up for him. But he’s not the one that’s had to grow up with his abuse.”
“Teaching you how to survive doesn’t sound like abuse to me, it sounds like common sense,” Nate said.
Tyler turned on a dime, his brow furrowing. “Eight years old, dumped in the middle of the wilderness in the winter with nothing but the shirt on my back, and a knife to survive and find my way out. Nine years old, my father paid four kids to attack me, not to teach me how to protect myself but to teach me how to endure pain. Ten years old, my wrists and ankles were tied and I was thrown into a lake and told to make it to the shore before I drowned. Eleven years old, he trapped a deer in a pit, and made me go down and kill it with a knife otherwise I would not eat. Twelve years old, he purposely dislocated my arm just so—”
Nate threw up a hand. “Okay, I get it.”
“Do you? Because I’m only scraping the surface.”
Erika looked on bewildered. “Why didn’t you go to the police?” she asked.
“I did. Nothing ever came of it. He always had a good reason. And it only made it worse. Besides he would turn the punishment on my brother. I didn’t want him to suffer, so I said nothing. Accepted this was my life and that once I was old enough, I would leave.”
Silence stretched between them for several seconds before it was interrupted by the sound of hooves, and horses galloping. Nate turned to see a large group of men and women on horseback heading for the hospital. Slung over the back of one of the horses was an unconscious woman, and sharing a horse was Corey, his arm red with blood, his face pale.
“Corey?” Tyler yelled, running back towards the hospital.
By the time they made it there, the group had dismounted and assisted Corey into the building. He was being helped onto a gurney. Nate immediately recognized one of the men by his piercing blue eyes and dark beard. It was Jude Lawson. Blood dripped from Corey’s arm as Tyler rushed to his side and gripped his good hand.
“Gunshot victim,” a doctor yelled to several nurses as they wheeled him away leaving Tyler standing beside his father looking on in shock. Tyler wanted to go with him but a nurse stepped in and told them to wait, they would let them know when they could see him.
“What are you doing here?” Tyler’s father asked Jude in a disgusted manner. It was a strange response to someone who had come to Corey’s aid.
“He’s lost a lot of blood. If I hadn’t come across your son, he would be dead. Where were you?” Jude glanced at him before diverting his eyes towards Tyler then back at Andy.
Tyler’s father got up in his face.
“None of your damn business.” He pointed to the door. “Get out of here now. You’re not welcome down here.”
“And yet at one time I was.” Jude smiled. “Still the same, hey Andy?”
Jude turned to Tyler. “Is he looking after you?”
Tyler frowned, a look of confusion spreading over his face.
Andy placed a hand on his hip, just covering the grip of his Glock. “I said get out of here.”
Jude ignored him and spoke to Tyler. “You’re welcome to come up to Olney anytime. Go east on Crossover Road for abou
t six miles, there is a dirt road near Meadow Lake, take that and we’ll see you.”
Andy removed his Glock and several of the men around Jude stepped forward bearing their rifles. The young security guard who was meant to keep order just looked at them, scared. It was clear to see why his pal was shot and he was still alive.
Jude put out a hand and waved them off. “It’s fine. Isn’t it, Andy? Just some bad blood. Nothing to be concerned about.” He stared at him for a second or two before motioning for his group to head out. “Good to see you, Tyler,” he said before turning and walking away.
“Don’t come back again,” Andy said.
“Remember, Andy, I only give free passes once,” Jude said. He glanced at Nate on the way out and smiled. There was something about the group that struck him as odd. There was more to the story, and it seemed Tyler didn’t know but Andy sure did. They watched them mount their horses, pull the reins and gallop off into the night. As soon as they were gone, Andy turned to Tyler.
“You’re not to go up there. They are nothing but trouble.”
“Really?” Tyler responded. “Because it seems to me they just saved two lives. Now you want to tell me what’s going on? Or should I get the story from him?”
“I’m warning you,” Andy said lifting his finger and getting close to Tyler.
They weren’t even close in stature. Tyler had at least a foot on Andy, and had more muscle. “Go on, I dare you. Do it. It will be the last time you lay a hand on me, old man,” Tyler said through gritted teeth.
Nate considered intervening but decided to let it go. It was between the two of them. Whatever beef and history they had, only they could resolve it. Andy looked as if he was going to strike him with the back of his hand but he didn’t. Instead he unclenched his fist and lowered it. He shook his head, glanced at Nate and Erika as if embarrassed and took off down the corridor presumably to check on Corey.
Nate walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Well at least Whitefish isn’t boring,” he said before laughing.
Tyler rolled his shoulders and walked over to the mouth of the corridor. “I need to make sure Corey’s okay.” He looked at them. “I appreciate you coming tonight, but there is no point in all of us sticking around. There’s some dehydrated meat in the shed, and a few beers in a cooler that Corey left behind. Help yourself. I’ll be back late tonight or early in the morning. Don’t wait up.”
“We can stay,” Erika said. “It’s not a problem.”
Tyler smiled for the first time that evening. “I appreciate that. It’s okay. Head on back. Get some rest, we have a big day tomorrow.”
“With what?” Nate asked cocking his head.
“Heading to Olney.”
7
The whole house was in disarray. Glass crunched beneath Erika’s boots as she stepped into Corey’s home. The front door was hanging on by one hinge, and panes of glass in the window frames had all been smashed in. Someone had taken the two Adirondack chairs that were outside and thrown them into the living room. Nate put a hand on Erika’s arm. “Careful,” he said.
Both of them kept their rifles raised. Nate stood by the door scanning the tree line, while Bailey trotted down the side of the house. Nate kept his back to Erika’s as they pressed into the home and cleared each of the rooms on both floors. Someone had taken a sledgehammer and torn apart the house, leaving it behind embedded in the wall. There was very little structure that hadn’t been touched. Large holes had been smashed in dividing walls, and buckets of red paint splashed over carpets, furniture and walls. Shattered glass was below window frames, and pulled drawers across the room. Upstairs in the baby’s room it smelled like piss. They had tossed the crib into the backyard and graffitied curse words all over the walls along with the words. This is just the beginning. As soon as Nate saw that, he tugged on Erika’s arm.
“We need to get out of here, now.”
“I agree.” They backed out and made their way down.
No sooner had they reached the bottom of the stairs than they found themselves looking at two teenagers blocking the doorway and holding rifles on them. One was a blond female, dressed in tight blue jeans, a dark black hoodie, pink Chuck Taylors and had her hair tied back in a ponytail, the other was a guy, brawny, the kind of kid who might have played football in high school. He was wearing a white V-neck, a black bomber jacket, tactical pants and tall boots. Neither could have been above nineteen years of age.
“Leaving so soon?” the girl said, a grin spreading on her face.
Bailey took a few steps in front of Erika and growled.
“You better pull that mutt back or I’ll kill it,” the teen boy said.
Erika grabbed Bailey’s collar and yanked her back.
“What do you want?” Nate asked.
“Where is it?”
“Where is what?” Erika replied.
“The supplies, the bunker.”
Glass crunched behind them, and Erika turned to see an older man walking in cutting off the rear exit. He had a pistol in hand, and a cigarette hanging loosely from the corner of his mouth. He was short in stature, stocky and unshaven, wearing a plaid shirt, light blue jeans and yellow workman boots.
Erika shook her head. “We don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t bullshit us,” the boy said.
Nate took a step forward and put up his hand. “Look, there has been some misunderstanding here.”
“No. This is Corey Ford’s home, is it not?” the guy behind them asked.
“It is.”
“Then he has a bunker, supplies, and outdoor gear. Where is it all?”
They looked at one another but were at a loss for words. Erika knew Tyler’s father had taken everything from the store to the cabin but they had no idea where that was.
“I just told you we don’t know. We are friends of his brother.”
Right then they heard more footsteps approaching. “Move out of the way, and lower your rifles, for goodness’ sakes, this is not a war,” a woman said as she squeezed between the two teens and placed a hand on their weapons. “And Gus, I expected better from you,” she said, eyeing the older guy at the rear before shaking her head and facing Erika.
“You must forgive my family, they’re a little on edge. Who are you, darlin’?”
“Erika. A friend of Tyler’s.”
“Okay, Erika. We were hoping to find Corey?”
“What, to give him the bill for your nice workmanship?” Nate said, his eyes roaming the room.
“Oh, you think we did this?” She let out a short laugh. “We might look after number one, hon, but we wouldn’t stoop this low.” The woman eyed him then asked, “Where is Corey?”
“He was shot. He’s in the hospital,” Erika replied.
Her left eyebrow went up. “Nothing serious, I hope?”
“Oh no, getting shot isn’t serious,” Nate said in a sarcastic manner. “Hell, I usually like to get shot at least once a month. Far better than acupuncture, don’t you think, Erika?”
The woman looked at Nate with a stern expression and then burst out laughing, jabbing her finger at him. “I like that. And who might you be, sweet cheeks?” she asked walking up to him and grabbing him by the jaw.
He yanked his chin away. “Nate. Also a friend.”
She studied him for a second or two until it was uncomfortable before turning away from them and walking into the living room and looking around. “What a fucking mess.” The whole exchange was awkward, lots of silence and her walking through the house while her clan kept watch over them.
“Maybe someone got here before us?” the girl said.
The woman replied, “Possibly.”
She then sighed and ran a hand through her long, curly red hair. She reminded Erika of Reba McEntire, circa ’80s, all full of spit and vinegar and clearly at the helm of the show.
“Denise, let’s go. There’s nothing here.”
“Oh put a sock in it, Gus. He has to have store
d it somewhere.” She turned and looked at them. “How long you been here?”
“Five days.”
“And in that time he must have mentioned his plans?”
Erika pursed her lips and shook her head. “Can’t say he has.”
“Sweetheart. Don’t bullshit a bullshitter. There’s no way on God’s green earth that a man like Corey wouldn’t have a plan. Not with a papa like Andy Ford.”
Erika shrugged and raised a hand. “Don’t know what to tell you.”
Denise narrowed her eyes. “You want me to believe you were coming back to an empty house to relax?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Though that’s probably not gonna happen now,” Erika said before gazing around at the mess.
“Then where’s Tyler?”
“At the hospital.”
“And his father?”
Nate interrupted and ambled over to her. “Lady, we can do this dance all day or… you can take your nutso family to the hospital and ask Corey yourself.”
“I might just do that.” She quickly grabbed him by the balls and squeezed hard causing Nate’s mouth to widen. “Or… you can tell me where the supplies are.”
Erika came to his aid. “He doesn’t know, okay. And he tends to open his mouth without thinking. Look, feel free to look around but it’s true. We were planning on waiting here until Tyler got back and we found the place like this.”
“Sorry, darlin’, I don’t buy it.”
She released Nate’s family jewels and he crumpled to the floor gripping them and groaning. Bailey growled even more so Erika tried to settle her by running a hand through the dog’s hair. “The supplies have to be around here somewhere.” Denise sucked air between her teeth and looked at them. “Well, maybe we’ll have to go about this a different way. Jesse, Zara, zip tie them.”
Erika had her arm over Nate and was crouched down. “What?”
Her kids didn’t hesitate as they moved forward, rifles raised. “Hands behind your back.”
Erika frowned and shook her head. “This is a joke, right?”
“Do it!” the girl said.
“God almighty, we don’t know where the supplies are!”
