“Dog,” Randy said, moving to his rucksack.
“Mom said Dad ate dog,” Clark said, taking off his backpack.
“More than once,” Randy chuckled. “That man could cook some dog.”
“And you expect us to eat that?” Ryan asked, walking over.
With dead drooping eyes, Randy locked onto Ryan’s face. “I don’t expect shit from you, except being the burden you are. I can honestly say; you and your wife are the two most worthless people I’ve ever met. If both of you dropped dead right this second, the world would be a better place,” Randy told him.
Ryan took a breath to retort as Kristi moved over, seeing the corners of Randy’s mouth twitch in a grin. “Ryan, you eat it or starve,” Kristi snapped, knowing Randy was baiting to kill.
“I hope it’s the latter,” Randy said, staring at Ryan. “Yeah, you’re worthless. You whine and bitch like you’ve done all your life. Expecting everyone to do for you. You don’t like guns, but where did you run when your world fell apart? You ran to someone who had some because in the real world, a person is responsible for their own safety. The cops come after the crime. But know this, you do for yourself now or you walk. We’ve lost enough because of you.”
“Ryan, go get warm,” Kristi said, seeing Ryan’s face turn pale. When Ryan walked away, Kristi turned to Randy. “They are doing their best,” Kristi told Randy.
Shaking his head, “No, they aren’t,” Randy replied, bending over and picking up a folding shovel. “Kristi, I love you like a sister, but if your decision of letting those two continue on ends up hurting Emily and Clark, I’ll never forgive you.”
Kristi gasped as Randy walked around the large oak tree and got on his knees. Folding the shovel out, Randy started digging plugs of grass up.
Walking up behind Kristi, Charlie grabbed her arms gently, startling her. “Go get warm and put the tents up, so the kids can start getting dry,” Charlie told her and then let her go, dropping his rucksack beside Randy’s.
“Charlie, I would never endanger my kids purposely,” Kristi mumbled while Charlie pulled out a folding shovel.
“Forest for the trees, Kristi. Forest for the trees,” Charlie said, moving over beside Randy and started digging out plugs. “You already have.”
As she stood there, Robbie came over while unfolding a shovel and dropped a poncho down. Moving back over, she helped the kids set up the tent and then was about to set up the other for Tabitha but stopped. “Tabitha, set your tent up,” Kristi snapped.
“I don’t know how,” Tabitha whined.
“Learn. We’ve set it up twice for you and that’s it,” Kristi said, shoving her backpack into the tent. When she turned to usher the kids inside, Kristi saw both helping the boys. The plugs of grass were set in lines, just as they’d been taken out of the ground and now, they were throwing dirt on the unfolded poncho.
Kristi moved over, getting on her knees and helping the boys dig. When they laid Cody in the grave, Randy covered Cody’s body with his poncho. “We’ll be back, brother,” Randy vowed. “You will be at the retreat with us forever, Babyface.”
“Uncle Cody doesn’t like being alone,” Emily said, crying.
Pointing at the bracelet on her wrist, “Why don’t you leave that with Cody until they get him to the retreat?” Kristi told Emily.
Taking the bracelet off, Emily moved up beside the grave and Randy pulled the poncho back, placing the bracelet under Cody’s hands. Stepping up beside Emily, Clark took off his dad’s dog tags. Looking at the tags, “Let Uncle Cody hold these till he gets home,” Clark said, holding them out.
Randy took the same dog tags he had pulled off Wheat a lifetime ago. “Babyface will like that,” Randy said with tears on his cheeks. Stepping up, Kristi took off a necklace that held Wheat’s wedding band.
“Cody can watch this for me until we get him back,” Kristi said, and Randy laid it under Cody’s hands.
“You watch that stuff for them,” Randy said, covering the body and stepping away from the grave. He came back with a yellow box and sprinkled powder over the poncho and Charlie looked at the box, seeing it was baking soda.
“Shadow, I hope you didn’t hurt anyone in taking that,” Charlie said in a low voice.
“Never knew I was in the house,” Randy answered, getting on his knees. The others helped cover the body and then put the plugs of grass back where they’d come from. When they were done, Kristi looked at the spot and couldn’t tell Cody was buried right in front of her eyes.
With the excess dirt in the poncho, Robbie carried it off and sprinkled it around.
Moving to a small stream, they cleaned up and ate. When they left at dark, there wasn’t any dog left.
The End
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The Sacrifice Tree" is a series set in Louisiana (and beyond). Juliet didn't expect for her family to have secrets from her. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she discovers she has the ability to jump across dimensions.
Find Books 1-3 on Amazon
This is not a romance tale, or a zombie story, or a book about the end of the world. The world will still be here after civilization falls. This is a story about a boy who becomes a man in the most trying of times, and this story is filled with the violence of those lawless times.
Book Seven Will Be Available in 2018
When the stock markets in Asia crash, this family knows that it is time to pull together with their circle of friends and get to their safe zone. But nothing worth doing is ever easy.
Look for Books 1-4 on Amazon
Stolen Liberty: Behind the Curtain Page 35
