by Annie Berdel
“Tommy”, she shuttered.
“Yes”, he drew out. “What happened to Tom?
“They…they” She tried but her tongue was being held captive by images returning to her mind
Emma, take a deep breath.
“I really need to know what’s going on.” Mike stated.
Emma again tried to gather herself to a sitting position. As she was falling over, Mike gathered her and sat her against the nearest tree.
Taking her chin in his hand, he held her gaze. “Emma, what happened” he said with a gently intensity that seemed to help calm her
“They. They were here. Dixon. God!” Emma started to shake uncontrollably but Mike continued to hold her chin
“Emma. Tell me again. Why were they still here?”
Tears danced down her cheeks, intermingling with the dried blood still there.
Taking both of his hands, Mike held her face between them and focused her gaze. “Emma?”
Taking a deep breath in through her nose, Emma mentally allowed the cold air to circle her mind and chase out all the cloudiness. Pursing her lips, she slowly blew all the demons from her mind.
“They had Tommy in the basement. He beat him pretty bad. I’m not even sure if…if” her voice trailed off as the severity of what nestled into her soul. Tommy could be dead for all she knew. Mike, they took Tommy. Dixon is dead, hanging in the kitchen.”
“What?? What do you mean Dixon is hanging in the kitchen” he asked
“Can you help me back to the house now? We really need to get back to the house”
“Of course, but we are going to take it slow. OK? Emma? OK?” “Ya sure”, Emma responded but Mike already knew he would be trying to keep up with her.
9
Johnisse stopped dead in her tracks as she entered the doorway to the kitchen causing Tiffany to run right smack into her back with a thud.
Chloe let out a gasp as she crossed over the threshold.
All three were standing there as the knob turned and the backdoor opened.
Six eyes were affixed on the door and wide with horror as Mike entered.
Mike just stood there looking at them with a quick glint of curiosity.
Turning his head, he saw what had caused the frightened look on all their faces.
Hanging from the pot rack in the middle of the room, was one of the most grotesque scenes he had ever encountered.
Six eyes followed his gaze.
“Go in the other room” he commanded “Open the front door so I can bring Emma around and not see this again” pointing towards the front of the house
“Again? Emma saw this?” Johnisse asked
“Ya” he responded lowering his gaze
“Let’s go” Johnisse said as she grabbed Chloe by the arm and herded Tiffany before her.
Johnisse turned and glanced at Mike before she left the room. She saw the raw emotion burned into his face. Taking a deep breath she realized that the days ahead were not going to be one big happy party.
10
Ridley walked into the room with amazement and a new found respect for her mom. All these ladies actually. How did they manage to pull this all off?
Before her were shelves of supplies. Everything she could only imagine at a time like this that would be hard to find.
Running her fingers along the front of the wooden shelving, she mentally took inventory.
Turning, she looked at Mountain Man and smiled. “Any idea where a girl can get some paper and some kind of writing instrument?”
“Yes ma’am! You really think you can save her leg?”
“I’m sure going to try.” She said with a faint smile. “I want to get my thoughts down on paper first. Then make a list of things I am going to need. But first, I want to knock her out cold and examine her leg in detail. Any idea what’s all in here? Some of these totes are closed tight.”
“Oh sure! Shelby kept a detailed account of everything in here. We weren’t even allowed in here without her permission. First time one of the kids wandered in here being nosey, I thought she was going to cause an earthquake herself. She was mad. Never seen that woman that upset before.” Mountain Man replied “When do you want to get started?”
“Yesterday?” She replied as she walked passed him out of the room.
Mountain Man watched the determined young woman walk away. Turning, he pulled the heavy door shut and locked it tight. Resting his forehead against the door, he took a deep breath. Tears glinted at the inner corners of his eyes.
Straightening his back, he turned to leave only to find Ridley standing a short distance off watching him. Locking eyes, an unheard exchange of trust and hope floated on the musty air.
Turning, Ridley led the way back out of the lower half of the barn and into the sunshine. The air losing its strong scent of mold, Ridley took a deep breath. Laying a hand across her stomach, she told herself to be more careful about what she was doing. It wasn’t just about her anymore. She would need to discuss possibly moving the supplies out of the barn now.
“Hey Jeremiah?” Ridley queried “What happened?”
“Bella stepped on her leg. I thought you were told that?” He said looking puzzled.
“No, no. What happened out there?” she said pointing out past the barn
“I wish I knew” he said as his eyes followed the imaginary line traced in the air by Ridley’s hand
“Best guess.” Ridley quipped
“Well, guessing I would say it was some kind of localized nuke”
“NUKE? Why are we standing out here then?
“My guess is that it was an airburst, so less fallout. Most fallout hits the ground within 24 hours. And don’t forget, we are North East, more north then east of where the burst happened so the jet stream hopefully carried most of that towards say, Georgia. Raising his hand to shield his eyes from the sun, he continued. “I haven’t even seen mush Bikini Snow this far north so we will take our chances. Plus, Shelby. That woman has an oil or herb for everything out there. We just need to get her better.”
“Bikini Snow? Tell me about that over dinner, m’kay?” Making a mental note to check if Shelby had iodine tabs somewhere, Ridley entwined her arm in Jeremiahs thick meaty limb and tugged lightly to get him headed back towards the house. Still entangled when they reached the house, Ridley turned so she could see Mountain Man’s face. “I’m gonna save her. I promise”
“Listen, I need to go check on a couple things towards town. Think you could keep Shelby distracted for a while?” Jeremiah asked Ridley
Looking a bit perplexed, Ridley agreed with the condition that the Mountain Man tell her all about his adventure when he returns.
“What are you going to be doing?” she asked
“Just looking for answers.” he replied with very little information as was his habit.
“Okay, ya. Prepare to talk a lot when you get back. I want all the details.”
Ridley released her arm from Jeremiah and quickly disappeared into the house. She had a lot of work to do and needed to get started while all this was still fresh in her head. She wanted to get it all down in written form and tear in apart. Then tear it apart again. She had one shot at saving Shelby’s lower leg but there was a good chance, with all that had happened, that Shelby’s life was in danger. Dysentery was no joke and the number one cause of death after a down-grid. People prep food because it’s a comfort. People don’t prep medicine and sanitary items because it’s something they don’t want to let their minds slip into. They expect their rider on a white horse to rescue them. What they don’t expect is to die because someone took a dump in their water source.
Ridley also wanted Doc Scott to be involved in this. While he wasn’t a doctor of humans, he did have a lot of knowledge that carried between species. Cold hard facts needed to be weighed out and evaluated. What made the best sense considering the situation they were in? And then there was time. Something they had very little of. Too much time had already passed and with each minu
te erased, more damage was being done internally.
Giving a low giggle, Ridley remembered how shocked she was in medical school the further she got into her studies. Humans and beasts. Not a lot of difference in dealing with the basics. It was the emotions that made it tough.
Laying a hand gently on her stomach, Ridley smiled. She had made a choice, this time based on her emotions and not on fact. Would she regret her decision down the road? Was she being selfish?
11
He sat in his office, feet up on his desk, chair tilted back and a waft of smoke drifting from the stolen cigar between his lips. He needed to regroup, rethink his plan but for the life of him he couldn’t get that damn woman out of his head. He should have killed her right then and there in her kitchen but the torture that seeped out of every pore in her face was worth it. It also felt real good to finally beat the living shit out of that spic of a husband of hers. He wish he could see her face when they find his body. By spring the maggots should have done their job, that’s if the wolves or whatever demon beasts that roamed her property didn’t have at him.
A low chuckle escaped from his throat as he interlocked his fingers on top of his head and tilted his chin upward.
Lifting an eyebrow, he needed to find a way to stay entrenched in the good graces of Nina’s posse.
Too bad the little cunt wouldn’t be around anymore but that was life. Live and let die. And the more that died the better for me. He thought.
He was a bit grossed out seeing her pretty little neck ripped to shreds but it gave him a sense of justified vengeance to finally get rid of that damn dog of Emma’s. Call it a lover’s retribution. Ya, he liked that. Retribution. Had a good ring to it. He could play the fuck out of this, his loyalty to Nina. Hell, he may even worm his way into the White House.
Swinging his legs down from the desk, he needed to get busy packing. He had a trip to take, a funeral to attend. A house to visit and stay in as a distraught fiancée. Oh hell ya, this was going to go quite well for himself. Fuck this small town. A new Sherriff was coming to Washington.
12
“Come here honey” Tiffany said as she took hold of Emma’s arm. Slowly Tiffany, Johnisse and Chloe moved Emma into the living room and in front of the fire that Johnisse had built in the hearth. Nestling Emma in the recliner, Tiffany grabbed a blanket and tucked it in all around her.
“Thanks luv” the words so quiet that Tiffany wasn’t sure if she heard them. Glancing down at Emma’s distraught face, she gently flicked Emma’s bangs to the side and placed a kiss on her forehead.
“Just rest honey” Tiffany whispered. A faint smile crept across Emma’s face as she drifted off.
Tiffany looked at Johnisse and then at Chloe. “What do we need to do?” She asked, wringing her hands around each other in front of her.
“Well” said Johnisse with a sharp excel of breath “Someone needs to stay in here and keep an eye on her” pointing her chin towards where Emma slept. “You want to do that Tiff?”
“I can but what else needs done?”
Chloe flicked a finger up towards the kitchen as Tiffany’s gaze followed
“I’ll stay in here with Miss Emma” Tiffany said as she pulled a chair over beside Emma. “I’m just going to sit right here in case she wakes up and needs something. Go on about your business, I have this covered.”
“Well, let’s just get this shit done before she wakes up then” Chloe spurted out as she turned and walked towards the kitchen. Quietly, Johnisse followed her with her hands tucked deep in the pockets of her cargo pants. This was not something she was looking forward to.
Mike was already at the sink when Chloe and Johnisse timidly crossed the threshold into the kitchen. Physically he was there with them but his mind a thousand miles away as he remembered how lucky he thought his sister was living here at the farm. The last time he had visited, he stood in this very spot watching Emma’s grandkids through the big window above the sink. They were playing follow the leader with the goats across the field, laughing without a care in the world. Everyone even back then thought life was hard. Now, he bet they all wished they were back then again. Even as hard as it seemed, it was still better then now.
“Mike?” Chloe broke the silence first.
Turning, he saw them both there waiting. For what he didn’t know. The look of helplessness written across both their faces.
They are waiting on me? Mike questioned himself
Well, of course they are. Shit. How am I going to do this with these two? He had to get the dog down, he just wasn’t sold on having both of them in here helping him.
Taking a deep breath, he motioned to both of them to come closer. As quiet as he could he relayed the plan to them, this small squad of champions trying to protect their heroine. Emma didn’t need to see this. They could have a proper burial, but she just didn’t need to see the torture this animal endured. Demons, taunted at the flesh hanging from the ceiling making the tissue cry out with droplets of scarlet tears.
Mike motioned for both the girls to move the cloth tarp over alongside the dog. Mike took the hilt of the knife still in its body and yanked it upwards and out, letting the paper note float to the floor. Walking over, he picked it up and stood reading it for a moment before he gently placed both into the sink.
Taking a kitchen stool, Mike placed it near the tarp next to the body. Effortlessly, he climbed upon the top and stood up. Motioning to the girls, he moved both to each side of the dog. Grabbing his multi-tool from his pocket, he began to saw at the rope securing the dog to the pot-rack.
“Be ready” he whispered
The rope cut through as the dog slumped from its captive. Both girls grasped at the corpse but with the lack of fir, the cadaver slipped from their hands and onto the floor.
Everyone froze, ears perked for the slightest sound from the living room. Waiting for a few moments, Mike gave the nod to continue as he climbed down from the stool.
All three of them maneuvered the dog onto the tarp. Reaching over, Mike grabbed the pile of snow white fleece and laid it gently by the underbelly of the animal.
Bringing both ends of the tarp inward, they covered both the dogs face and rear. Then, as respectful as they could, they rolled the dog over and over until it was completely sealed within the tarp.
Mike had grabbed a skein of cloth-line and as the girls helped, he wrapped the cord around his bundle, securing it.
In perfect unison, the trio picked the bundle up and moved it to the back porch.
Back inside, they quickly swept and mopped away any evidence they could find.
In silence, the three stood in the middle of the floor. Tears started creeping down Chloe’s cheek. Mike encompassed both of them in his arms and allowed the emotions that they kept so tightly constrained to be released. Mike closed his eyes as his body absorbed the trembling these two women had controlled to help him. His respect, he owed them this. His life, he vowed to protect them at all costs.
13
He couldn’t sleep and ended up wandering into the kitchen hoping to find a shot of whiskey or at least make a cup of tea to help him dose back off. Both together would be perfect. He hadn’t been in there long when he heard someone either sleepwalking or being scalped coming down the hallway. Either way, they were making a lot of noise trying to make it into the kitchen. Standing back out of the light, Scott shadowed himself against whoever was shortly going to intrude into his much needed space.
Scott watched as Angie looked around the kitchen, rubbing her eyes trying to wake up. She knew the big black thing was what she needed to get hot to cook on but damn if she could kick herself for not paying attention to Emma when she had used hers. Her red hair tousled around by the little bit of sleep she had gotten, Scott thought she looked like an ethereal spirit who was having problems drifting through dimensions.
“I love you”
The words stopped her in her tracks. Turning, her eyes filled with terror as they met Scott’s.
He
was pulling a chair back to sit at the kitchen table. Walking over still shaking a bit, she knelt before him on the floor, resting her chin on his knee.
“Life can change in the blink of an eye, cant it?” he asked
“Yes, it can” the words drifted off of her lips with memories of times past. So much had happened recently that it made both their heads spin. Angie laid her head down on Scott’s knee obviously deep in thought. Running his fingers through her hair, Scott realized the simple motion was just as calming to him as it was to Angie.
She didn’t say it back.
Trying to cover his disappointment, he drew a deep breath and belted out a little louder then he anticipated “Hey, we got this!”
“Think we will make it home?” The question had bounced around both their heads for a while now. Asking it out loud was like admitting defeat. It was a given that they would eventually start back to Ohio, but now that the words had been thrown out there, they both knew it was a possibility it may take a long while or may just never happen.
“Don’t know sweets but we will make home wherever we happen to be. I think it’s time we sit down and actually address the issue though, as it’s been on both our hearts.” Scott replied
“I know, it’s just, things are so different now. There’s no way to go back. And it’s not that I even want to but there’s still this sadness of times and people lost, if that makes sense.” Angie replied
“It does.” Scotts head bouncing quietly up and down in agreement. Angie made motion to stand. “I need some coffee” she muttered half-heartedly.
“Coffee? At this hour?”
“Believe it or not, it helps me sleep.” she replied
Need some help?” he asked
A faint flush crept across Angie’s face.
“I’ll take that as a yes” he chided “Listen, if we are going to make life pleasant, we need to communicate a little better than this. I get that there are a lot of things you don’t know how to do off grid, but please, let me know if you need help. I may be very talented but mindreading is something I still struggle with.” he said with a little bit too much of an imperious tone.
