by Bobby Akart
As a result, the bend of the Tennessee River stretching from Pickwick Dam to the south and along Nixon Loop to the north became the homes for wayward girls, so to speak. Thus far, Junior’s activities had avoided this sparsely populated part of Hardin County.
Rhoda warmly greeted Colton and the Allens into her home. With their help, she escorted Alex inside on the stretcher, where several high school classmates of Beau’s awaited. Naturally, they fawned over the handsome star football player, so when he asked them to welcome Alex and take care of her, they were eager to please.
“For now, we’ll set her up in the guest bedroom on the first floor,” said Rhoda. “When she’s capable of getting on her feet, we’ll move her upstairs near me. We’ll be glad to take care of her for as long as it takes.”
“Rhoda, you have no idea how much this means to her mother and me,” said Colton. “Madison doesn’t know what’s happened and she’ll insist on coming to see her.” Colton suddenly stopped speaking and began peering through the windows.
“What’s wrong, Colton?” asked Rhoda.
“How are we gonna get across the river?” he asked.
“Don’t you worry your head about that, mister,” replied Rhoda. “They’re not much, but we’ve got a couple of flat-bottom aluminum boats with trolling motors. We’ll get you back and forth as long as the current’s not too swift.”
“Thank you,” said Colton, who then turned his attention to Jake. “Jake, would you and Chase mind returning to Shiloh Ranch and fill in Maddie? She needs to know what happened and I’m sure she’ll insist on seeing Alex.”
“No problem,” said Jake. “We’ll leave now if that’s okay with Miss Rhoda.”
“Absolutely. Ladies, would a couple of you escort these gentlemen to the dock and point them in the right direction?”
“Yes, ma’am!” replied at least five of the girls gathered in the spacious foyer.
Rhoda laughed. She leaned in to whisper to Chase, “You have several admirers.”
“Appears so, ma’am,” he replied.
The front door swung open and allowed the full sun to light up the interior of the beautiful home built prior to 1900. Painted portraits of the Croft family adorned the walls as well as a painting of President Lincoln. Miss Rhoda was proud of what they’d accomplished.
Jake and Chase said their good-byes and followed a few of the girls toward the boats. Colton turned his attention back to Rhoda.
“May Madison and I stay a few days, you know, until Alex has recovered?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Colton, you’re among good people here. We live in troubling times and it’s good to be among friends. In fact, when you’re under my roof, you’re family.”
Colton spontaneously hugged Miss Rhoda and thanked God for the blessings of friends and family.
Chapter 11
8:00 a.m., November 2
Tennessee River
Shiloh Ranch
Jake steered the flat-bottom boat along the west bank of the river. They passed Rock Pile, where Jake and Colton had visited the other day. Jake needed to have a talk with Chase and he regretted not doing it in the car when they were alone earlier. It had been a frantic, tiring night and he didn’t feel like addressing what had happened at Cherry Mansion, but shortly they would have to explain everything to Madison. She didn’t need to hear the details just yet, but Chase needed to understand that the upcoming conversation wasn’t about him. It was about Alex.
He took a deep breath and tried to let go of the tension. In the past, when dealing with Chase, Jake would take his son’s bad behavior personally, as if it was intended to cause his father aggravation. The end result of these father-son talks was a blowup and everyone running to their own corner of the house. This time, he had a captive audience and he wanted this conversation to be different.
Jake started the discussion over the sound of the trolling motor. “Son, we need to talk.”
“About what?”
“About last night. About what happened at the RV park. A lot of things.”
Chase turned his back to his father and stared downriver. His body language spoke volumes, but Jake persisted.
“Son, you’ve been put in a horrible position. All of us have, but you more than others. You are our designated risk-taker. You have to seek out a stranger’s home, make sure that there isn’t a gun barrel greeting you at the door, and then return with valuable supplies that keep us alive. This is a lot of weight to place on a teenager’s shoulders.”
“Sure is, but I like it.”
“I’m glad, son. You’ve grown up fast the last month and now you carry a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. I hope you understand that your mother and I worry about you.”
“Thanks,” replied Chase curtly.
Jake didn’t know what to make of the conversation. Was Chase trying to avoid talking to him? Was the cold shoulder gonna be the new norm? Or was he simply tired? He pressed on.
“We had the conversation about being safe out there and how to avoid getting into bad situations. What happened last night was reckless.” Perhaps a poor choice of words, thought Jake, but he couldn’t retrieve them.
Chase snapped his head around. “I was trying to save Alex. Do you think I intended for that to happen?”
Jake got defensive too. “No, son, of course not. You need to learn to look before you leap. Calculate the consequences of your actions before you act on them.”
“I had the shot!”
“No, you didn’t. It was too dark, there was too much movement, and you didn’t consider what was behind your target if you missed.”
“You know I usually don’t miss. It was just bad luck. Besides, I told Alex that I was sorry.”
They were approaching Lick Creek and Jake saw horses approaching from the direction of the main house. The perimeter patrols must’ve picked up the sound of the boat. He had to bring the conversation to a conclusion.
“Chase,” said Jake sternly, “forgiveness doesn’t exonerate you of the consequences of reckless actions. You talk about luck. We’re lucky that you’re not apologizing to her parents as they buried their daughter! And that’s if we could find her body to bury!”
“Screw you, Dad! You know what, maybe we’d all be better off if I left. How’s that? Maybe I can save everyone a lot of trouble and find someplace else to live.”
Jake hoped the sound of the motor masked Chase’s words as he approached the entrance to Lick Creek, where Javy stood and waved. As usual, their conversation resulted in a blowup and silence. Mission failed.
Javy helped them tie off the boat and instructed two of the hands to relinquish their horses. Chase rode ahead and Jake encouraged his horse to catch up. Their arrival at the main house brought Madison, Emily, and the Crumps out of the house in a hurry.
Chase dismounted and tried to rush past them into the house, barely acknowledging his mother as he walked by. Tears immediately flowed from Madison’s eyes. She covered her mouth with her hand and couldn’t speak.
Jake dismounted and ran over to the group. “Madison, they’re fine. Don’t worry, they’re gonna be fine.”
“Gonna be?” said Madison, still crying.
“Yes. Alex was injured as we rescued her, but she received medical treatment at the hospital and now she’s safe with Colton. She needs to rest a few days before she can be moved.”
“Oh my! I have to see my baby. Where are they?”
Jake spent the next several minutes providing a summary of the events of the last twelve hours. Madison gradually calmed down as the reality of Alex’s safety set in.
“Can I go see her?” asked Madison.
“Of course, Colton and Miss Rhoda expect you to,” replied Jake.
Madison started walking toward the horses when Emily shouted after her, “Madison, wait. Why don’t you come inside with me? We’ll pack some fresh clothes for Alex and Colton. You’ll want to take a few things also. It’ll just take a moment.”
/> “Do that, Madison,” added Stubby. “I’ll send a hand down with some fuel for the boat. We’ll get everything ready for the trip.”
Madison reluctantly agreed and took Emily’s arm as they entered the house. She turned and smiled at Jake as she walked past the entry, mouthing the words thank you.
“There’s more, isn’t there?” Stubby immediately queried.
“Yeah,” said Jake as he nervously kicked at some rocks. “I didn’t want to go into it yet with his mother and Madison.”
“What happened?”
“The explosion occurred because Chase tried to take a few risky shots at the men holding Alex. It was dark, Stubby. She was wiggling to get away. There were bullets flying in all directions. I don’t know what he was thinking.” Jake shook his head and then ran his fingers through his hair.
“What caused the explosion?” asked Stubby, seeking answers from his tormented friend.
“Chase fired and missed, hitting a propane tank instead. He fired twice more, also missing, but hit something to trigger the explosion. A massive fireball flew in all directions and knocked Alex unconscious. She got her concussion from the blast.”
“Reckless.”
“Yeah. I tried to talk about it with him on the way across the river, but it didn’t go well. Now he’s sulking. It’s par for the course.”
Stubby nodded and put his hands in his pockets. He shouted to one of Javy’s men and instructed them to bring his horse and Madison’s too. He also told him to take gasoline down to the boat at Lick Creek.
Madison and Emily emerged from the house with a couple of duffle bags. She sheepishly asked Stubby if this was too much and he smiled and took her bags without answering. Emily helped Madison get settled on her horse.
Stubby whispered to Jake, “Listen, I’m no parent, but it seems to me that in this world, most of the rules of the road don’t apply. I love Chase’s spirit, but we’ve got to figure out a way to harness it.”
Chapter 12
3:00 p.m., November 2
Croft Dairies
Nixon
Three of the girls staying at Croft Dairies met Stubby and Madison at the dock. They immediately helped Madison out of the boat and took her bags. Stubby was left to fend for himself as Madison bolted up the hill toward Miss Rhoda’s home.
Stubby chuckled. “Go ahead, don’t mind me!”
Madison, who was already halfway there, turned and waved for him to join her. Stubby just laughed and waved back as he tied a perfect pile hitch around a post on each end of the dock to hold the aluminum boat in place. Stubby wanted to give Madison plenty of time with Alex before he visited with her.
He took a moment to take in the surroundings. This side of the river looked very much like Shiloh Ranch’s shore, grassy fields gently sloping into the river. Occasionally, a stream would find its way into the river which it fed, cutting through the turf and getting larger over time. Croft Dairies was a couple of miles closer to Pickwick Dam and the signs of erosion were more prevalent. Stubby noticed the Croft property was at least two feet lower in elevation than Shiloh Ranch. That could be a real problem if flooding occurred like in October. December was coming, the region’s rainiest month.
“Hey, Stubby,” yelled a jovial Colton, “you’re invited too.”
Stubby waved and walked up the bank towards the house. “I’m comin’. Just lookin’ at the river from a different perspective.”
The two men shook hands and then embraced. As they walked up the hill, Stubby filled Colton in on his conversation with Jake. He got an update on Alex’s condition and naturally asked when she could be moved. There was no definitive date. They’d have to evaluate day by day.
Beau was talking with a couple of the girls and Colton introduced him to Stubby. Stubby thanked Beau and complimented him on his heroics. Stubby engaged Beau in a conversation about the Tiger Resistance, the other reason he wanted to escort Madison across the river.
Beau provided Colton and Stubby with more details on their numbers and weapons capability. The planning and communications between Coach Carey and the boys was remarkable. Stubby was in awe at the play-calling scheme, which to a non-football player sounded complicated. Beau assured them that the play-calling was the easiest part of being a member of the Tiger Resistance.
“I thought a lot about this while I was watching over Alex last night,” said Beau. “It’s time we did something. Ma and Junior have to go or our town will never get back to normal. We proved last night that we are capable of winning. Now we need a plan.”
Stubby got serious. “There’s a lot to discuss, but I can assure you, if we don’t take the fight to them, they’ll surely bring it to us. Especially now.”
Rhoda strolled around the corner of the house and interrupted the conversation. “Gentlemen, we have sweet tea on the front porch and I don’t believe I’ve met our other guest.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Rhoda,” said Colton. “This is Stubby Crump. He and his wife, Bessie, are longtime residents of Crump. They run Shiloh Ranch.”
Stubby shook hands with Rhoda and smiled. “You have a beautiful place here. We’re practically neighbors, only separated by the river. Your place looks very much like Shiloh Ranch.”
“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Stubby. Come join us for sweet tea and then I’ll show you around. Maybe we can share some ideas.”
She took Stubby by the arm and they walked toward the front of the house. Colton and Beau joined them where a dozen teenage girls gathered around. They were discussing things like milk production from the Holsteins, repairing a broken fence, and transferring hay from a remote barn to the primary grazing area for the cows. The conversations weren’t that different from those at Shiloh Ranch, except it was an all-girl crew.
Madison emerged through the double front doors and approached Rhoda. She immediately gave her a hug. “Thank you for taking care of my baby, Miss Rhoda. She’s so comfortable in there. She couldn’t get better treatment in any hospital.”
“You’re welcome, Madison. You stay with us for as long as you’d like. It’s no bother. Alex will tell us when she’s ready.”
Madison turned to Stubby. “She’s asking for you.”
Stubby couldn’t suppress his smile. “Is it okay?”
Madison patted him on the chest and nodded.
“Excuse me,” Stubby said politely to Rhoda. “Let me go check on my protégé.”
“Protégé?” she asked as Stubby hurried inside.
Stubby spent several minutes with Alex as they discussed how she was doing. There was the obligatory conversation about her getting plenty of rest in order to recover. Then Alex’s brow furrowed and she looked past Stubby to make sure they were alone.
“Stubby, something has to be done. Those people are evil. I’ve never seen anything like them, in real life or on TV. I’m afraid of what they’re capable of doing to all of us.”
Stubby also looked over his shoulder and leaned down to Alex’s ear. “We’ve really pissed them off now, I’m afraid. There’s no turning back. We’re gonna have to fight.”
Alex nodded. “I learned a lot yesterday. They’re weak-minded. We can do it.” Alex let out a sigh and closed her eyes. Stubby gave her a kiss on the forehead and brushed the hair out of her eyes. This remarkable young woman was destined for great things if she could recover from her concussion.
Stubby returned to the porch and refilled his sweet tea. Rhoda instructed two of the girls to get the Rymans settled. They hadn’t slept in a couple of days and were on the verge of collapsing.
“How about that walk?” asked Stubby, anxious to learn more about the Croft Dairy operations.
The two walked to the milk house and through the barns closest to the residence. They found that their two farms had a lot in common. It turned out that Stubby had some spare parts that Rhoda needed for a broken-down tractor.
Likewise, Rhoda revealed that she was a ham radio enthusiast and had had six Baofeng UV 5R radios stored in her gun safe w
hen the solar storm hit. They work perfectly, although she hadn’t attempted to communicate with anyone. She was afraid Junior’s men might try to trick her.
She still had a decent supply of farm diesel to run her whole house generator. At some point, Rhoda acknowledged she’d have to search the surrounding area for more. Her solar panels on the milk house were in good shape, but the charge controller was fried. Stubby thought he had a replacement for her.
Throughout the conversation, they learned that they shared common goals and sought mutual benefits. Although Stubby hesitated at first, he brought up the issue of weapons and learned that Rhoda was in dire need of something more powerful than a .22-caliber rifle. Also, she really didn’t have anyone trained in shooting. This would be a real problem if Junior and his men began to search this part of the county, searching for Alex and her family.
“Didn’t your husband have any guns? You mentioned a gun safe.” Stubby stopped and put his foot on the lowest rail of the fencing as he admired the cows.
“He had a few that he accumulated after his service in the Army, but after he died seventeen years ago, they either broke or disappeared somehow or another. I just never replaced them.”
“Your husband was so young. How did he pass?”
“It was heart disease, which ran in his family, but he wasn’t so young at sixty-eight.”
Stubby thought for a moment and Mr. Croft’s age didn’t add up. If he died seventeen years ago at sixty-eight, he would be about eighty-five now.
“If you don’t mind me saying, Miss Rhoda, but that would put your husband at twenty years older than me. You look so young. It just caught me off guard.”
Rhoda laughed. “Well now, thank you for the compliment, Stubby. But I’m much older than you think. I’m guessin’ at least ten years older than you.”
