by Annie Berdel
“I’m not a child, you have no reason to reprimand me!”
“I’m sorry. Come here” he said as he patted his thigh. “Listen, things are a little stressful and I am sorry that sometimes I don’t keep myself in check better. Especially when I’m tired.”
Angie crawled up onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck while she nuzzled into his collar. “And I’m sorry that I don’t show more patience, especially when things are so stressful.” she responded. She was safe here, maybe not for forever, but for this moment. Closing her eyes, she felt the stress in her muscles start to relax.
“I love you Angie”
Her lips barely moving as her breathing became heavier. “I love you too”
He felt the words against his skin before their reverberation surrounded his heart.
Giving her a few more moments to ensure she was fast asleep, Scott effortlessly lifted her and walked the few steps into the living room. Laying her down on the sofa, he pulled the quilt down from the back and covered her slumbering body.
Interesting he thought as he looked at the pattern of the quilt. Where have I seen this before?
14
The blanket of darkness was pulled back as the sun peeked its head over the horizon. Emma stirred, stiff from being in a chair all night. Turning her head slightly, she saw her brother across the room stretched out on the sofa. Nice. He gets to be comfortable. How did I get the short end of the straw and get stuck in a chair.
Her brows furrowed together as the fogginess faded from her mind. Why am I sleeping in a chair? Memories of the previous night flooded her with panic.
Tommy she whispered to no one
Lifting her arm to remove the blanket, she tried to lean forward and get out of the chair. Trying to restrain the moan escaping her mouth, she decided it was in her best interest to slow down her escape from the room. Looking around, she fought back tears as she secretly reminiscence the years she and Tom had been married.
Across the top of the fireplace mantel were pictures of their children when they were little. It was almost time to start decorating for Christmas. Would she put up the nativity scene this year? Tom had bought her the little white marble figurines depicting of the birth of a baby. Who would be left to celebrate that baby’s birthday this year?
She sat in Tommy’s recliner, his humidor on the end table beside her. Reaching over, her fingers trailed the smooth wood lid that held his favorite cigars. What she would give to once again know he was close by the smell of that distinctive smoke in the air. Where was he? Did Nina’s men take him?
Details. She needed to remember the details from last night but so much was still a blur. Laying her head back, she closed her eyes and tried a trick she had learned long ago to try and remember. Focusing on her breathing, she inhaled slowly in through her nose and released it through her mouth. Breath after breath until she felt her pulse slow. Next she concentrated on her chest. With each breath, she envisioned her lungs expanding and decreasing. Over and over until she felt herself start to relax. She moved on to her stomach. Each breath, each movement. Zeroing in on only that area. Drifting back, she began to relive last night.
Nina flashed before her. Not the person but the passions emanating from their memory. Hatred, jealousy…. Emma’s pulse quickened as she absorbed the emotions. Breathe, Focus
Taking a few moments, she concentrated on her breathing. Taking a deep breath, she felt the air rush into her nostrils and fill her bosom. Release the demons. She envisioned all the hatred escaping on the tendrils of her breath as she exhaled.
The night. The dark. She was back watching Dixon defend her as Nina tried to dig the knife into her flesh. His teeth grabbing Nina’s arm as she stabbed him in his side. She saw Nina’s hand reach into her boot and draw another blade to be used. Nina’s arm came back as her chest filled with evil force. With the quickness of a stalking cheetah, Nina brought her arm down towards Dixon. The blade finding its target. The dog released a high pitched squeal as the knife dug into his lung.
Time stood still for Emma. Her White Knight lay dying and she couldn’t move. Scenario’s played out in her mind like an old movie real. Staring in horror, she barely heard the scream escape from her lips. Everything had slowed down. Was she stuck in a lapse in time? Her mind was still spinning but any movement, any sound was like she had changed speed on an old record player to 33rpm when life was normally 45rpm.
She felt it first, the souls that build this homestead. Their essence painting on her soul the markings of a warrior before battle. She felt the power start to pulse through her veins as she saw the silhouette emerge from the tree line.
Snapping back to the present, Emma saw Nina on top of Dixon digging the knife into his side. Deeper and deeper she pushed as the dog winced in horrific pain. Running over, Emma grabbed the back of Nina’s hair and yanked as hard as she could, practically throwing the petite woman away from the dog. Unfortunately, Nina still had a firm grip on the knife, which yanked from the dogs body with the woman’s thrust backwards. Kneeling down, Emma placed both hands on Dixons wound and pressed as hard as she could, the blood staining his white fur crimson.
Emma knew the entity was near, she felt its soul mingle with hers. A feeling of unspoken recognition was exchanged. Not realizing that Nina was behind her watching, Emma kept her hands over the wound of her beloved dog. Closing her eyes, she started to pray.
The creature paused behind the woman standing with the knife in her hand. Her beautiful ashen fur masking her deceptive spirit. She recognized the warrior within Emma and fought beside her. This wolf, a part of this land as much as Emma was.
Nina raised the knife blade to strike Emma in the back and the wolf did not hesitate. With one swift movement the beast had Nina on her back. Digging its teeth into Nina’s neck, the wolf raised its jaws ripping the tender flesh from the woman’s collar bone. Raising her muzzle towards the moon, the wolf cried in retribution.
DIXON!
Emma woke from her trance with such force that her screams woke Mike. With years of living the life he had, Mike was on his feet, gun drawn faster than Emma could get the damn blanket off of herself.
With every ounce of strength she had, Emma stood up. A faint trail of perspiration starting to bead across her upper lip, Emma fought her own will to just collapse and give up.
I’ve got to get to Dixon, Emma exclaimed to Mike
Honey, Dixon isn’t here
“I know!” Emma said hurriedly as she looked around herself for something to hold onto.
Mike grabbed onto her elbow to stabilize her, a look of distress on her face.
Emma, sit down. Please.” he demanded
“No, I need to get to Dixon.” she pleaded
“Emma, please” he was begging now. He knew she needed to stay put.
“Mike, we need to go.”
“Go where?” he asked
“To Doc Scott’s!”
“What the hell for?” he asked
“Mike, stop asking questions, we need to go now” practically yelling, Emma was already walking out the front door. Running his hands through his hair, Mike was at least glad she didn’t go out the back door. Grabbing his hat, he followed after her.
15
Scott backed up against the counter, coffee cup in hand. Shifting his weight he leaned back and watched as Angie and Ridley set the table. It was these little things that were really making the difference right now, this sense of normalcy. It would have been just as easy for all of them to grab a bite and run off to attend to the ever mounting chores, but having everyone sit down at the dinner table each night to discuss what the day’s events were, helped. It also kept them connected. Well, except Shelby. Ridley did not want her moved around so they did move the table as close to her bedroom door as they could. They also made sure she ate at the same time as everyone else and they made sure they occasionally yelled out for her opinion on the current topic floating around the table.
It still had to be hard
. This being alone. She had sternly suggested that her husband and kids join the rest of the group at the table, which left her alone in her room.
“Rid, you have this fixed in your head yet?” Scott asked Ridley
Ridley, stopping long enough to glance up at him as she placed the silverware, nodded briefly. “Can we talk later?”
“I am at your disposal, young lady” Scott replied giving her a quick smile of assurance turning as he placed his now empty cup in the sink behind him.
“Ladies, what can I do to help?”
Strolling over, Angie slid her arm around his waist and gave him a quick squeeze. “If you want, you can go round up everyone? I think we are about ready in here.” she replied
Placing a quick kiss on the tip of her nose, he pulled away and started to make his way to the back door. Turning, he glanced over at Ridley.
“Hey Rid, you want to step outside for a minute?” Scott asked looking at Ridley with such an intensity that she dare not decline the offer.
Looking over at Angie, Ridley set the knife down and came around the table without taking her eyes from Scott. Why did she feel like she had just been sent to the principal’s office without knowing what she had done wrong? Damn flashbacks of high school made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. The walk of shame down that long, highly polished hallway always gave her pause to rethink some of the decisions that she had made, but once inside the office, sitting before that big desk, being spoken down to like she was an idiot made her rethink that shame part. She began to see her callings as more of a source of pride where the indoctrination had not taken hold. Tell her what to do? No way! She had her own mind and thoughts and views on how she was going to impact the world. It surprised many when she decided to go to medical school. More school. Eight more years to get all the pieces of papers that she needed to make the impact she wanted. Until this happened. This world now.
Walking passed Scott who, being the gentleman that he was, was holding the door open for her. Still not taking her eyes from him, her head followed his eyes as she strolled passed and turned to finish the way backwards. Scott walked out letting the screen door close with a thud behind him. Standing face to face to the young female, Scott put both his hands on his hips like he was about to unload.
“Give it up, missy.”
“What?” Ridley asked perplexed.
“You been keeping a secret from all of us. Spit it.” he said
“What! I honestly don’t know what you are talking about!”
“You feeling ok?” he asked
Ridley felt the color rise in her face betraying all the hard work she had done of keeping her secret.
Damn, she muttered under breath
“What was that?”
“Nothing” Ridley replied a little too fast. Backing up, she twirled around and walked over to the old wooden banister separating them from yard full of fall leaves. Hitching a leg, Ridley pushed one buttock onto the top of the railing and stretched her other leg out in front of her to keep her from falling forward.
“How long were you going to keep this a secret?” Scott asked
“Again, Scott, I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Oh stop Ridley. You might be able to fool all them” he said as his arm motioned in the direction of the house, “But, you aren’t fooling me. You’re pregnant.” he said matter of fact.
Looking Scott straight on, Ridley went to open her mouth when Angie came bursting through the back door.
“Come quick!” Angie exclaimed
Ridley came down off the banister and made her way towards the door but not before Doc could raise his finger towards her face. “We will finish this conversation later, young lady”
Ridley had the feeling he wasn’t kidding either. Gulping, she finished walking through the doorway with Scott hot on her heels, both following Angie into the living room. Both of them nearly running Angie over as she stopped abruptly blocking the view into the room.
“What the...” Ridley started before catching the slur of profanity about to escape her mouth.
“Ang, you want to tell us what is going on here.” Scott said as he stepped around Ridley and further into the room.
Angie moved to the side of the room as both Ridley and Scott looked at the visitor’s sitting in the room.
“Momma!” Ridley sang out with the excitement of a six year old on Christmas morning. Running across the room, she swung into the older woman with such velocity that she almost knocked the woman down. “Ridley!” she replied with the same excitement at seeing her daughter. Apple Jack, Ridley’s father was standing next to his wife, watching the reunion with a grin on his face. Walking over between both of his girls, he wrapped both his burly arms around them and gave a big bear hug. His family was together and the man’s heart was obviously overjoyed. Some men have the coldness to walk away from their families when things got rough. Not looking back, starting a new life. Not this man. Apple Jack was all about his family. A true man’s man who would walk through the fires of hell to save his own. They didn’t make them much like Jack anymore. In all the terror and upheaval going on outside right now with the unknown, it was good to see that beauty would rise from the ashes if one placed value on the important things in this life. Family.
16
There was literally nothing in the room except for a fluorescent light in the ceiling and a switch beside the door on the wall. No windows. No air vents. No chairs, nothing. The four men just stood there, arms in various poses, waiting for the fifth man to speak. They knew why they were there. The original plan was now trashed and they needed their new orders. Each of them had spent the last couple hours wondering where this unanticipated fork in the road would take them. How much the unforeseen incident would cost them?
They all had spent a lengthy time serving their country. At one time or another they each had questioned who or what they had taken an oath actually to. The words they each recited was to defend the Constitution of the United States of America but sometimes it seemed like it was more to preserve the lifestyle of certain elitists. The country had changed, of that they all agreed. Time and again they watched as the Rights of the People was stripped away. Greed reared its ugly head as back room deals became the norm until you weren’t sure if anyone knew right from wrong. It really just came down to how much currency was exchanged over the wires. Hell, it wasn’t even Federal Reserve notes or gold. Currency now had become cold hard commodities or in some instances, soft, warm bodies.
Breaking the silence, Sean cleared his throat. “Men.”
Each now straightened his back, all eyes on the brutish man who demanded their attention.
Handing each of them a pale yellow folder, Sean opened the last file he had left in his hands as the rest of the men followed suit.
Each man lowered their head to try and read what was written on the pages they held.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Lieutenant Tim Eklund burst out.
“Tim, contain yourself.” Sean muttered without looking up.
The silence resumed as the men continued reading. What lay before their eyes was the framework for a total dismantling of the country they had loved.
“Nina knew about this, didn’t she?” Lieutenant Miles Cottner asked, his eyes drilling into Sean, looking for any sign that he was wrong.
Commander Sean Kissler had been Senator Nina Varga’s confidant, her sounding board yet he knew nothing about this. “Yes, I believe she did.”
“So, I’ll pop the white elephant in the room. Think she was using us?” Lieutenant Commander Sam Benter asked looking for any sign of emotion of Sean’s face.
Keeping his eyes diverted, Sean’s head came up. He needed an answer for these men. Did Nina use them for her own purpose? What was going on that he wasn’t aware of? Was he a fool?
“I don’t know, yet” Sean replied
“Damn it General, you were with her all the time. What do you mean, you don’t know?” Miles asked.
>
“I don’t know means I don’t know!” Sean blurted out
Silence pierced the air as the four men looked at their Commander. The same thought weaved its way through each of their individual scrutiny. If Sean didn’t know, then what the hell was really going on here?
“What are we going to do now?” Miles finally asked
“If and I say, IF any of this were true, Nina has information somewhere hidden.” Tim broke in
“Probably” Sean replied
“OK, well, let’s go to her house and look around.” Tim threw out
“Which one? Miami? DC? Not as easy as it sounds, besides wouldn’t that be the obvious place to look? Was she that dense? Nah, it’s somewhere else.” Sam said
“Fuck” Sean muttered
“What?” Miles asked
“Her kids.” Sean replied
Fidgeting nervously, the men looked at each other like they each were afraid to draw the short end of the straw. They already felt bad about what happened at that homestead and none of them wanted to be responsible for a couple kids under these circumstances. Besides, there was no proof that the kids were the answer. Problem is, they knew Sean. No stone would be left unturned until he figured out exactly what was going on. And that might mean a trip back to the farm.
“You boys up for a trip to Hanny’s?” Commander Scott Jeffries asked, looking at his peers one by one.
He was met with a strong silence, yet Sean understood. They hadn’t been back in D.C. long and this meant more time on the road while all the interesting shit was going on here. Each of these men were now independent contractors, Black Water as the media called them. Since early retirement thanks to President Walker, it was about all that was left for someone with their skill level. It’s not like they could go down to the local pizza joint and get a job. These men were trained mercenaries compliments of the U.S. Government.
