Innocent Shadows

by Warren Ray

  “I’ve kept notes. Let me go over them, I might even have a suggestion or two already.”

  “That would be great,” said Green. He then confronted Stormy. “What about you? What are your plans?”

  “Well, I have a feeling he’s going to ask me out the next time he comes in,” said Stormy.

  “Will you accept?” asked Green.

  “I don’t know yet. Maybe. We’ll see how it goes. Regardless, he’ll need to ask several times before I accept anyway. Don’t want him to think I’m easy.”

  Green cracked a smile hearing this. She knew how to handle men and had a lot of experience doing it. “We have a meeting out in Manassas late tonight. Can both of you make it?”

  “I’ve got a short shift, so yeah,” said Stormy.

  “I’ll be there. I’ll bring my notes and go over them with you.”

  “Perfect.”

  They stood up, and Stormy took Green’s hand. “Thanks for everything you’ve been doing.”

  Blood flushed his cheeks and he could only give her a nod. She let go of his hand, and then she and Kyle jogged away. Green watched them head toward the Lincoln Memorial for a few moments before heading back to his office.

  Chapter 4

  Jackson Michigan

  Scar left Bassett in the cafeteria and headed outside for some air and to focus on what he needed to do today. He would have to give the men an update on Winters and let them know it would be business as usual. Scar decided to approach the situation as he did when he ran his business; he would hold a meeting. He’d need to get with his key players first, which included Burns, Meeks, Bassett, Taylor, and Nate if he was up for it.

  He stepped outside and took in a breath of fresh air. The sun was out on a cloudless day and it was already hot. The pickup truck Winters had been driving for the last week stood in the middle of the parking lot. The old Chevy hadn’t been washed in over a year. The driver’s door had a dozen dents in it from where Winters had destroyed Reese’s crutch and the windows were down as if someone had just parked it. Scar wished the man was still here, but knew wishes were for children. He set the thought aside and took another deep breath before heading back inside. Walking down the hall he bumped into Burns.

  “Is he back?”

  “No, he’s not,” said Scar, “and I don’t expect him anytime soon.”

  “So, what are we going do?”

  “Business as usual. But we need to get everyone together to discuss it.”

  “Probably a good idea. I’m already hearing the rumor mill cranking up.”

  “Doesn’t surprise me. The sooner we set things straight the better. We should all get together and hammer out our strategy first. You think you could go get Taylor. I’ll round up Meeks and see if Nate’s up for it.”

  After getting a nod from Burns, Scar headed to Nate’s room. He peeked in as he pushed open the door not knowing if he was asleep.

  “I’m awake,” Nate said in a gruff tone.

  “Hey, how ya feeling, buddy?” asked Scar.

  “Pissed off,” said Nate, as he put down an old magazine.

  Scar raised an eyebrow.

  “My best friend was almost killed last night. Captain Winters’ kid was murdered. Now he’s gone and I’m just sitting here and can’t do anything about it. I feel friggin useless.”

  “Believe me. You’re not useless. I’m going to need that gung ho attitude of yours.”

  “Oh?”

  “The rumor mill is already kicking in. I’m going to need your help to keep the men in line.”

  “What the hell? Nothing’s changed.”

  “Think about it. Lots of the guys here think Winters is bullet proof and now he’s gone.”

  Nate shook his head. Yeah, I suppose. It does suck that he’s gone. But we still got a job to do.”

  “I know that and I’m sure most of the men know that. We just need to show them a united front is all.”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “Gonna hold a meeting with everyone. Wanted to get us all together first so we could get on the same page. Didn’t know if you were up for it, but I can see that you are.”

  “Hell, ya.”

  “Good. Let’s say in about an hour.”

  “Cool.”

  Scar left to go find Meeks but he was nowhere to be found. He then decided to go check in on Elliott. The door was open and inside Amber helped Elliott drink some water. Both looked over when Scar walked in.

  “Hey guys,” said Scar.

  Amber gave him a nod while holding a straw to Elliott’s mouth.

  Elliott finished drinking before acknowledging Scar.

  “You’re looking good,” said Scar.

  “Well, I actually feel pretty good, of course, Doc's got me on something to dull the pain. And I got this pretty angel fussing over me.”

  “You trying to make me blush again?” asked Amber.

  “Always.”

  Scar let out a laugh. “Have you guys seen Meeks?”

  “He was here about an hour ago,” said Amber.

  “Did he say where he was headed?”

  “No. Why? What’s up?” asked Amber.

  Scar told them what he had in mind.

  “Would you mind letting me in on this?” asked Elliott.

  Scar gave him a surprised look. “Yeah, sure, we could do it right here.”

  “Thanks. I just want to be included.”

  Scar looked at Amber. “What about Reese?”

  Amber gave him a grimaced look. “I don’t know. She’s pretty upset. She’s sleeping right now.”

  “Okay, well, I don’t want to exclude her.”

  “I’ll check on her,” said Amber.

  An hour later, everyone started filtering into Elliott’s room. When Nate showed up he noticed Reese wasn’t there and wondered why.

  “She’s not up for it,” said Amber.

  “She needs to be here,” said Nate.

  “I told her, but she brushed me off,” said Amber.

  “All the more reason for her to be here. I’ll go get her.”

  Amber gave Elliott a surprised look.

  “He owes her,” said Elliott.

  Nate headed towards her room well aware of Reese’s love interest in Winters and figured she was depressed about him leaving. Nate didn’t want to be a jackass to her, but would risk it to get her head out of the clouds.

  Nate’s mother suffered from a bout of depression after his father had walked out on them. It took a couple of years for her to recover and Nate had to be the man around the house and take care of the fields as a teenager. It wasn’t until he had an accident with the tractor that she snapped out of it. Nate had over-compensated a turn and rolled the tractor over in a ditch. He broke his leg and some ribs, which laid him up for a couple of months. The accident gave his mother renewed purpose, which forced her to break out of the fog of depression.

  Nate would force her to do the same thing. Ever since the attack on the hospital, they shared a special bond. She saved his life twice that day. He owed her, and he knew she’d fight him on it, but he didn’t care.

  Nate reached her door and gave it a knock before entering. She opened her eyes as he walked in.

  “Hey, kiddo.”

  She didn’t answer him.

  “Are you giving me the silent treatment? Nobody gives me the silent treatment,” said Nate in a firm tone.

  “I’m not in the mood,” she grumbled.

  “I know you’re not in the mood. Why else do you think I’m here?”

  Reese didn’t respond.

  Nate stared at her in silence and waited for a response.

  Reese sat brooding for a half minute and then rolled her eyes. “Fine, what do you want?”

  “Well, first off, I don’t like it when pretty girls roll their eyes, it’s very unattractive.”

  Reese jerked her head back startled by his scolding. “I’m sorry.”

  “That’s better. Now…let’s start over. How are you?�
�

  It took a few moments before she answered. “Not good.”

  “Look kiddo, I’m not one to pussyfoot around, alright? I can see that you’re hurting and upset, I get that. But, I also know how that feeling can take hold of a person and not let go. I’ve seen it happen to my mother when my dad walked out on us.”

  Reese’s eyes lit up. “My dad walked out on us.”

  “Then you know what I’m talking about?”

  Reese nodded.

  “I’m not going to let you mope around here, alright. Now, I need for you to get up and come join us.”

  “Why do you care?”

  “Reese, you saved my life…twice. Not only do I owe you, but I care what happens to ya,” said Nate in a sincere tone.

  Reese tried to deflect by saying, “But, I just don’t want…”

  “No,” interrupted Nate.

  Reese glared at him.

  “No excuses. You need to come join us right now,” said Nate, changing his tone to a harsher one.

  Reese didn’t know how to respond and flung off the sheet. Nate moved out of the way as she swung her legs onto the floor. He grabbed her red crutch and handed it to her.

  “I don’t think I like you anymore,” said Reese, swiping the crutch from him.

  “Good, cuz I can barely tolerate you,” said Nate, giving her a sly grin.

  Reese feigned insult. “Ah, now I see it, you’re a jackass.”

  Nate let out a laugh. “Kiddo, that’s common knowledge. Now c’mon, let’s go, they’re waiting for us.”

  Reese slammed the crutch onto the floor as she huffed out of the room. Nate chuckled to himself. As much as she’d gone through she was still a young girl and like every young girl he had ever known, could be obstinate at times.

  They reached Elliott’s room just as Burns and Taylor showed up.

  Taylor gave Reese a hug. “Still feeling like a honey badger?”

  “I thought you said there can only be one,” said Reese.

  “Well, I’d like to think I’m irreplaceable, but if it had to be anyone you’d be my choice.”

  “You’re just the sweetest,” said Reese. She turned to Nate and said in a taunting voice, “unlike some people.”

  Nate shot her a smirk.

  After Elliott gave everyone an update on his condition Scar began the meeting. He talked about how the mission stays the same, and if they all stay on message, they can all help squash the rumor mill. Everyone needs to remain positive and to convince the others that nothing has changed. The end goal is still to bring down Mordulfah and save the citizens.

  Because their forces were spread out all over town they couldn’t hold a giant meeting, so Scar split his cadre into two groups to go visit with everyone and deliver the same message. Everyone was nodding their heads in agreement when Meeks entered the room.

  “You guys are not going to believe what Nordell is doing,” said Meeks in an excited tone.

  Chapter 5

  Sabine Iowa

  The clanging of the shovel echoed inside the van as it hit the floor and dirt flew off in different directions. Winters slammed the back door shut and turned around to take one last look at the headstone of his deceased wife, Ellie. He breathed a sigh of relief knowing Cara was now with her. The fresh dirt sitting on top of their final resting place would eventually level off and no one other than him would know he buried Cara in the same grave. He reached down and grabbed the bottle of water sitting by his feet. He finished it off before getting back in the van.

  He sat there with mixed emotions not sure what to think. He was no longer angry with Cara but couldn’t shake his overwhelming sense of guilt. He grabbed a fresh bottle of water and took a swig trying to get the lump out of his throat but to no avail. He leaned his head back trying to come to terms with his part in her death. When did his responsibility begin? Did it begin years ago and could he have done something differently? He sat up straighter in the seat to try to fight off these thoughts. What’s done is done. He couldn’t change what happened, but he still wanted to crawl out of his own skin. Of all the mistakes he’d been making over the past few months, this one cut him the deepest. How could he continue to lead his men if he couldn’t even keep his own daughter safe?

  He cringed, remembering how she died in his arms knowing he’d never be able to forget that helpless moment. How insignificant you are to the reality of life and death’s march toward inevitability. Thankfully, he had been able to forgive her. This was his only saving grace at this moment, a moment where he was teetering on the edge. Had he just gotten her forgiveness, he didn’t think the loss would be so devastating.

  Winters leaned his head back, slouched down in the seat, and dozed off in exhaustion. He hadn’t had any sleep for more than twenty-four hours and had fought in a battle with devastating results. The drive back to Iowa and digging a grave was all his tired body could take.

  Several hours later, the sun shined through the window and woke him up. He jerked up realizing he had fallen asleep. His body ached from the uncomfortable position of the seat. Reaching for the water bottle, he drank its contents. He looked around and realized he wasn’t sure what to do next. He did what he came here to do and had little desire to drive back to Jackson. It took long enough to get here, and he didn’t look forward to the reverse trip. The police van had guzzled fuel faster than he expected, and it took a couple of hours to find good gas because a lot of it had gone bad. Besides, he wasn’t sure he could go back after the way he failed Cara. Her death was the culmination of all the mistakes he’d been making over the past few months. Every one of them had cost the lives of some of his men and the gravity of that responsibility bore down on him. Up until last week he’d gotten used to the weight, but then there was the attack at the hospital and now the death of Cara added to it in spades.

  He looked across the cemetery and realized he hadn’t noticed all the freshly dug graves when he first arrived. Several looked less than a week old and were still grass free. Some appeared to be as shallow as the one he’d dug for Cara. He dug down as far as he dared not wanting to disturb his wife’s coffin. His fellow citizens seemed to be dying left and right. They must be filled with older people as they had a tougher time with limited resources, especially the lack of medicine. Or was it something else? He continued to stare when an idea struck him, and he started the van and headed over to his house. It was a quick ten-minute ride, and his heart began to beat faster realizing how much he missed it. They had lived in the same home for fifteen years, and it held many memories. He nodded his head promising he’d only think of the good times hoping that would help him get out of his melancholy. He might even stay the night and sleep in his own bed.

  He turned onto his street and his eyes lit up as he recognized all the houses. The park across the street now had rusted playground equipment and the grass was overgrown. He remembered taking Cara to this park and pushing her on the swings. The place held good memories, and he tapped his fingers at their recall.

  Approaching his house, he could only shake his head in disbelief. The place was burned to the ground. The houses on either side hadn’t been touched, nor any of the others on the street. He gripped the steering wheel tighter and began to breathe fast as he stopped in front of the driveway. “Who the hell did this and why? Was it the government or his neighbors?” His short-lived sense of euphoria slipped away and he sank in his seat in growing disappointment. If he’d learned anything over the past few months, it was to not to count on anything. He should have known better.

  As he continued to stare at the charred structure, he realized a couple of people across the street were staring at him. He recognized them as his neighbors, Edward and Judith Sherman. He opened the door to go talk to them but saw them scurry into their house. He let out a scoff figuring they didn’t recognize him. He had lost weight and looked different from when he left. Besides, he was driving a police van.

  He hustled up on their porch and banged his fist on the door. He could
hear voices inside and knocked again.

  “Ed, it’s me, Cole Winters.”

  He waited a few moments. “Ed, please, it’s Cole Winters. I just want to talk to you.”

  He strained his ears and heard murmuring. He scrunched his face in confusion. He had always gotten along with the Sherman’s and had always been there to help them as they were older than him and couldn’t always manage the place without some assistance. Their two sons were useless and never around to help and the grandsons were not much better. They were always getting in trouble with the law, and one of them even served time in prison.

  Winters tried banging on the door one more time. “Please, I just want to talk.”

  He stood there waiting and hadn’t noticed someone had snuck up behind him. The cocking of a pump shotgun prompted him to turn his head. He was startled to see a man boring down on him.

  Chapter 6

  Jackson Michigan

  Scar had been holding a meeting with the Shadow Patriots key members to discuss Winters’ absence when Meeks came in and interrupted them with news about Nordell.

  “Someone grabbed all of our prisoners and it looks like they’re going to execute them.”

  “What?” said Taylor. “Those sons-of-bitches came in just as I was leaving to come here. They said they needed to question the cops about Posey.”

  “Where are they?” asked Scar.

  “Downtown,” said Meeks. “Something else you need to know.”

  “What?” asked Scar.

  “The crowd is pretty riled up.”

  They all looked at each other and then at Scar.

  “We’d better get down there,” said Scar. “Corporal, you and Burns come with us.”

  They nodded and the four left Elliott’s room.

  Reese looked at Nate. “I ain’t missing an execution. You up for it?

  “Oh, we friends again?” asked Nate.

  Reese punched him playfully in the arm. “I suppose.”

  Nate looked at Amber. “What about you?”

  Amber turned to Elliott. “Would you mind?”