by Victor Cruz
“I do,” Reggie stated, finally stopping which ended Belle too. “Nice job Belle.”
“Thanks!” Belle said proudly.
“Well speak up,” Catalina sneered impatiently at Reggie.
“Who do you think? Konrad,” Reggie said it with an obviousness that Maxson could completely understand his tone.
“Motherfucker.” Maxson said nonetheless, hopping back to his feet. The burning from his calves transferring somewhere else, but remaining inside him.
Maxson thought about everyone that he had seen today. Suzie and Mabel were harvesting the last of what the garden would produce. Diego and Slug had been working on fixing the windows that providing too much breeze. Krystal had been getting a tan in a bikini that Maxson thought was unflattering, but he also never saw what all the men saw in her. The dirty blonde had never said a word to him and always acted like she was too good for working around the place. Tyler had at least gone out with Colton for the city boy’s first hunting experience ever. Pete made them a group and between them, they hoped to bring back something fresh. The meals could always use meat which fueled their bodies for the new world’s labor-intensive lifestyle. Scott, on the other hand, was sleeping right now since he had to wake up when it was dark out. Henry could be heard, even if he wasn’t seen and even had to remind himself of Achilles who always seemed to be everywhere all at once. The rascally dog had been acting extra wild lately, as though he knew he was going to be locked up inside when winter came. Maxon realized. “Eddie and Dustin are with him, aren’t they?”
Reggie nodded in confirmation. “Of course.”
“Where did they go?” Catalina asked Reggie.
“Now that. That, I do not know,” Reggie shrugged. “I saw them leaving and I was just glad to see them go.”
“Geez, Reggie.” Belle-Lyanna snickered then gushed to Catalina. “Did you see us? Reggie is teaching me how to improve my footwork!”
The interaction between Belle and Catalina was a bit nerve wrecking for Maxson who thought it would end poorly. However, was surprised to see Catalina smile at her in adornment.
“Wonderful, Belle. Just beautiful,” Catalina said softly and sweetly. Both of their body language was stiff and without Catalina’s confession, he would have never understood why. Reggie hadn’t seemed to notice the unspoken bond that the two women shared and it felt sort of nice to be in on the secret for Maxson.
His enjoyment of their awkwardness around one another was a pleasant surprise, but one that was interrupted by an old raspy voice. “Get your butts ova’ here, Ol’ Henry’s got something to show you kids!”
The group consisting of Maxson, Catalina, Belle, Reggie and Inez all began walk over. Henry had walked back in, but Mabel was now standing outside of the opened barn door. She was standing in front of the semi sticking out of the front of the barn and in her hand was a tray of full glasses. Achilles was circling around her feet while looking up to her hoping to entice a sip for himself.
“Hot and fresh cider,” Mabel said with a smile holding it up to them.
Achilles made a yelp.
Maxson disliked cider, but took a glass with a smile, “Why thank you, Mrs. Jarret.”
I bet she went through a lot of trouble to make this.
She smiled sweetly while handing out the cider. Everyone took a glass with thanks. “Henry’s been hard at work the last few months. It’s so cute how excited he is to show you guys. Like a little boy.”
Maxson noticed how happy Mabel was seeing her new squeeze in his element. “Well, I’m sure whatever Henry did is going to be spectacular like always.”
“You’re sweet, Maxson. He really seems to have taken a liking to you,” She said with twinkle in her eye.
“Hey!” Henry said over to Maxson and Mabel. “You guys talking about me?”
“Only about the bad stuff,” Maxson said.
“Good, since there ain’t much of it, then your conversation must be over with then. Now get your butts over here, children,” Henry snipped at the group.
Maxson made sure to take a sip of the cider with a smack of his lips, even though it was distasteful to him. “Mabel, you sure know how to make a good cider. Thank you.”
Mabel gave a small smirk, “You better hurry before Henry starts to pout.”
“I haven’t pouted about a thing since Maxson was in diapers,” Henry deflected as Maxson made his way over towards him.
“What’re we taking a look at, you old bag?” Maxson asked.
“Nothing. Yet,” Henry said holding the tarp draped over the semi and covering the entrance to obstruct the view of the inside from the group. He looked at all the faces amongst the group, “Where are Colton and Diego?”
“Hunting with Pete,” Inez said.
“They took Tyler on his first hunt,” Mabel said with sentiment.
“C’mon Henry!” Impatiently said Catalina.
“Okay, okay, calm down. You kids nowadays have no patience,” Henry used his hands to push towards the ground to persuade everyone to hold on.
“How is everyone liking their cider?” Mabel asked.
The tension was halted for the soft-spoken older woman. Everyone loved Sweet Mabel. Caring, nurturing and ensured that everybody was being taken care of.
“Mmmm” The group said in unison, some raising their glasses. Everyone complimented the taste of it.
“Delicious!” Belle-Lyanna’s words were genuine.
“So good!” Inez raised her glass up.
“Very good!” Reggie sounded unnatural.
“Sweet as you, Mabel,” Catalina charmingly stated.
“Best cider I ever had, Mabel,” Maxson didn’t feel like he was lying, since he said nothing about the taste.
Mabel did her best to show that she wasn’t gushing on the inside, but she was too honest of a woman and had a terrible poker face. The group had made her day and probably her entire week.
Slug came out from under the tarp from behind everyone. He was looking around at the cups in everyone’s hand. The round man had hurt in his face and anger from being left out. “There’s cider out here? Nobody said anything about cider being out here.”
“Oh, darling, my apologies,” Mabel said holding the tray with a few glasses of cider still in their glasses. “It should still be piping hot.”
Slug took it and instantly took a sip. He winced in pain, but smiling that he now had something to drink for himself. “It’s hot.”
“Henry,” Inez said while having a hard time looking away from Slug taking a second sip and burning himself again. “Can we get on with this? I’m feeling cramped in this barn.”
“Well, I’ve got some good news and some bad news.” Henry started with his hand holding the tarp.
“Why can’t it ever just be good news?” Maxson asked, his eyes going over towards Catalina, referring to the day by the lake side resort.
“Bad news first,” Catalina said.
“Well, school bus, has gone to shit and was unable to salvage anything important off of it. Won’t even run anymore which means that we don’t have something big to move us from one location to the other.” Henry shrugged as though he had no other way to frame the bad news.
“So how are we going to all move?” Catalina worried, but also knew that the old man must have a trick up his sleeve. Something, he was always known for.
“Well, that’s the good news. This truck runs like a gem and is going to haul that bus,” Henry threw the tarp open and hung it off the hood of the big rig. Maxson was in the back of the group, but could easily see over everyone in front of him, with the exception of Reggie who lightly blocked his view.
“Wow,” Maxson said, looking at their new bus. The hood was resting on the back of the trailer of the semi. Its front tires were missing and it looked like it was attached by a custom trailer pin that Henry made. It still had its back tires which would support the backend of the hybrid vehicle. The front of the vehicle as a whole still looked like a semi-truck, but the back lo
oked like a school bus, instead of a trailer.
Catalina inspected the vehicle up and down. “Is this thing road ready?”
“Not quite, I have at least 20-30 hours of welding to do on this thing and I’m hoping I have enough gas for that torch kit. No thanks to you,” Henry said in a salty manner.
“Hey, I told the guys to grab the kit. We had to go find our new home. What more do you want from me?” Maxson wondered why he was getting a hard time.
“We got the kit, but I’m not sure if I’m going to have enough gas, ass!” Henry protested.
“Is that going to be a problem?” Catalina question.
“No, no, no, I think we’ll be more than fine, I just like knocking that cocky S.O.B. down a peg or two.” Explained Henry.
“I completely get it,” Smirked Catalina.
“Hardy-Har-Har, everyone…” Maxson shook his head.
“Whoooaaa! Henry! This thing is badass!” Belle was clearly impressed as she ran a finger against the side of the bus.
“Nice job, Henry,” Catalina said walking towards the back of it and looking underneath it.
“See? At least someone appreciates my work!” Henry said at Maxson.
“We all appreciate your work, Henry!” Belle nurtured the old man’s fragility
Slug cleared his throat.
“Oh yeah, sorry Slug. Both Slug and Diego both were big helps,” Henry added.
“And I kept the secret the whole time,” Slug added with a boyish smile and looked awkwardly towards the ground. “The whole time, none of you guys knew that I knew.”
“You sure did, Slug,” Henry said in a way that confirmed that he was proud.
Maxson crossed his arms over his chest, “No armor on the thing? That big yellow bus has so many windows, you might as well build the dead something to climb up.”
“The dead can’t climb,” Slug was perplexed.
“Maxson, I’m only one man, and as much as Diego and Slug have helped, I also know they have to get that house ready for winter before we almost freeze to death like last year.” Henry asserted.
“Unless we go before winter,” Catalina said.
Maxson was quick to push through the crowd to walk towards Catalina in a confrontational manner, “Oh no, we aren’t doing that, we already decided to bunker down here.”
“I decided before Henry unveiled his surprise for us,” Catalina opposed. “Now. Things changed.”
“Does everybody hear this mad woman?” Maxson looked to everyone else.
Reggie shrugged, Inez was already standing next to Catalina, Henry nodded and Mabel smiled sweetly. His rally cry was unheard and Catalina knew it. Her lips pursed firmly stifling the smile of her small victory.
Where the hell is Colton? Wondered Maxson. He needed some backup.
The door swung open as he had that thought, but Colton didn’t answer. Suzie’s round plump form squeezed by the semi with a jolly smile on her face. The entire group watched her enter the barn which made her nervous at first. However, she greeted each one of them individually with a smile to be polite.
“What brings you out here, Suzie?” Henry asked her directly, knowing that it could get a while to get to the point with her.
“I heard the truck coming back. And Konrad and the boys are on their way back. I overheard you guys talking about not being able to find him earlier,” She explained with a face that conveyed her stress of delivering the news.
“Konrad’s back?” Maxson pushed to the front.
Suzie began to squeeze back out of the barn, “Mmhmm.”
Maxson followed her and could hear the truck pulling up. He waited for Suzie to get out of the way which took a second for her frame to waddle pass the semi. As Maxson passed, Suzie’s words halted him.
“Maxson, I heard them boys saying…” She began.
“Saying what?” Maxson stopped and immediately turned to face towards her. He could see her shrinking out of fear, but he couldn’t hold back. It wasn’t a yell, but more of a firm second asking. “Saying what, Suzie?”
Her back went to the hood of the car and she almost was trembling at Maxson’s sudden aggressiveness. Looking down and at the ground she answered, “It sounds like they’ve been sneaking out. I think they have a campsite or something up in Greenbrook.”
Reggie had caught up to Maxson and Suzie, “I bet they’re sneaking off from here with that dirt bike.”
No, that would be too loud. Maxson dismissed mentally.
“That’s why they’re never around to help,” Inez concluded, catching up behind them.
Maxson looked at Reggie, Inez and now Catalina who had heard everything. They all looked at Suzie who obviously had more to say and they let her talk.
“You can’t tell them I told you this… but I overheard them saying that they met somebody or somebodies up there. And they sound like they have a stash they are supposed to give them or something. I think they’re making some sort of deal,” Suzie’s eyes were on Maxson and filled with truth. “I’m sorry, it might be all nonsense, I’ve been a little on edge lately, but just wanted to warn you.”
His face must have shown anger, “No need to apologize Suzie. You did the right thing telling me. Now if you’ll excuse us, we have some business to take care of.”
Catalina walked with Maxson. Belle Inez and Reggie were all trailing behind them. “Nobody say a word about the campsites or anything about them twats meeting up with others.”
“Why not?” Belle didn’t understand.
“Because, we need to see their cards before we show them ours,” Catalina stated.
“What the fuck does that mean?” Inez sneered.
“Just trust me, sis, we will find out how honest these pendejos are.” Catalina confidently stated.
The group did trust her and they walked up to the three men exiting the pickup truck. Konrad out of the driver seat, Eddie in the passenger and Dustin climbing out the back. Each of them looked annoyed that the group was walking towards them, but Konrad met them halfway. Achilles came running from behind him to pass him right up and begin to walk with Maxson’s feet. The dog could smell something was in the air.
“Hey, it’s the welcoming committee!” Konrad waved his hands out wide and obnoxiously.
“Knock it off, Konrad,” Catalina said. “Where were you?”
“We went for a joyride, no biggie,” Konrad stated. Eddie stood a few feet behind him with Dustin a good five feet behind him. “You can’t keep us all locked down on this farm without us stretching our legs a bit.”
“So you guys drove around?” Catalina asked. “You expect me to believe that?”
“Of course, doll, because a real man’s talking, and I know you’re not use to that, seeing who you surround yourself with,” Konrad snorted, with Dustin laughing behind him. Eddie’s piercing eyes and frowning eyebrow made it clear that he wasn’t looking to be friendly. “Oh c’mon, I’m just fucking with you all!”
“She said knock it off,” Maxson interjected coldly. Achilles froze still and its body pointed at Konrad before it gave a faint grumble in its chest.
“Ooh, Maxson. The big white knight coming to his Queen’s defense?” Konrad mocked.
Dustin snickered. “Wonderkid.”
Eddie looked impatient, but remained silent. His hand was reaching at the back of his waistband, to remain hidden. The movements were subtle to the untrained eye, but Maxson was more than versed in the dirty tactics of criminals.
You’re not smooth, kid.
“Call it whatever you want to call it. It ends the same way for you. Any of you,” Maxson’s fist clenched at his side as he looked to each one of them before returning to Konrad. “Now, answer your Queen’s question.”
“M’lady, we were just voyaging the realm of Greenbrook, where plenty of treasure has been bestowed upon us!” Konrad theatrically spoke with an arrogant Shakespearian accent. He ended his antics and began to walk off. Eddie was grinning with narrowed eyes as he began to go with his brother. Dus
tin waited for them with his arms crossed waiting for his buddies.
“Then where’s the treasure?” Catalina asked.
All three of them froze. Konrad spoke for the group, “Huh?”
“You went to Greenbrook to scavenge for stuff. Where is the stuff?” Catalina asked.
“Oh, well… we didn’t find anything we wanted to bring back, that was worth the effort. Figured if we’re going to be moving soon, why not just wait?” Konrad said with only a minor stumble of his words. Yet he faced away and sent his words backwards and over his shoulder.
“Seems stupid of you,” Maxson antagonized. Achilles gave a single loud bark.
“I’m big. Not smart, Maxy,” Konrad snorted.
Catalina had a look of surprise, while Maxson’s cringed at the similarities he shared with Konrad. The feeling provoked Maxson into initiating conflict without realizing where it stemmed from.
“What about your dumbass brother?” Maxson seethed through his clenched teeth. Achilles barked a few times, but added a low growl this time.
Eddie didn’t say a word in response to the attack on him. Instead, he began to walk towards Maxson, but Konrad held him by his chest and pulled him back. Achilles took a few steps towards the Essex brothers, but Maxson backed him down with one grunt in his throat.
“He didn’t see anything either. Like the rest of us,” Konrad said with less hostility than before.
“I didn’t see a damn thing,” Dustin said from the back. “You ain’t got nothing to ask me.”
“Your little ass can barely see over the steering wheel, I wasn’t going to ask you anything,” Maxson continued to poke at them.
Konrad had to continue to drag Eddie back and he walked backwards the entire time glaring at Maxson. Dustin followed his buddies with a laugh and a confident stare with Eddie and Konrad with him. He gave a special farewell towards Maxson, “Later Wonderkid!”
The group of them began to chant “Wonderkid” obnoxiously while they walked off. It was dumb and only meant to get under Maxson’s skin, but it worked. Maxson’s fist were clenched and he was doing his best to calm the rushing blood. Angry with himself for allowing the men to openly disrespect him.
