by Kate Morris
Huntley canters back to them and lets them know that it’s safe and that Cory wishes to continue. She and G join the group, and they keep going.
“The path shoots up through here,” Cory says as he pushes his stallion up a steep hill.
“Lean way down on him, G,” she instructs her since she is newer to riding. “That’s it. Just like that. He’ll follow along. Don’t pull back on his reins. Give him his head. He knows what to do. He’ll follow me. Hang onto the saddle horn with your hands and with your thighs on his sides. Lay down on his neck if you have to. He’s not gonna run off or spook. He doesn’t want to be left behind.”
Sam guides her horse up the treacherous bank around trees and dense brush and avoiding bothersome rocks. It must be close to a half mile climb. By the time she reaches the top, Sam is practically laying on her own horse’s neck the hill is so vertical. Luke brings up the rear, and he and his sister both look surprised that they are still alive when they reach the top of the long incline. Luke wanted to go with them this morning when they set off after Cory caught a few hours of sleep. He’d spent most of his night on the road with John. When Gretchen found out her brother was going, she’d started begging to go, too. Sam already knew that she was going because she discussed it last night with Cory when she awoke right before dinner. The aromas of Hannah and Sue’s cooking had brought her out of a deep slumber. Not such a bad way to wake up in her opinion. Simon hadn’t looked like he slept as well as she did because his hair stood on end and his clothing was rumpled. That is definitely not how Simon prefers to present himself. However, after dinner, he’d gone into Doc’s office with him to discuss the fatal shooting of the woman from Dave’s camp. He was distressed and wanted to know what they could’ve done better. Sam doesn’t think there was anything they could have done to prevent that outcome from happening. She’d been shot twice, once in the shoulder, the other in her abdomen. She bled out before Uncle Scott and Simon could even work on her, cardiac arrest setting in. Nothing was going to fix her. He can’t let things go, though. He never does. This is one thing she hates about Simon. It is also what keeps them apart if she were to speculate on it.
Sam really hadn’t thought they’d find any trails since the guys have been going out from different locations; the condo village, both towns, their neighbors also hunting, and most importantly Dave’s men and the men on the McClane farm and not spotted them yet. This could be another dead end, but it does seem like quite a few people were traveling this trail.
They ride for another half hour before Cory’s fist shoots up, ordering them to stop. He spins his stallion and charges everyone to turn around. They do so, and he leads them a half mile back the way they came.
He vehemently whispers, “Dismount!”
Everyone gets off their horses.
“What’s going on?” Sam asks, since she was behind Cory, Huntley, and also G. She and Luke were bringing up the rear this time.
“I saw a camp down below. A house and three, small log homes. We need to check it out better.”
“G and Huntley, you guys wait here and watch our backs,” Cory commands quietly, getting nods. G looks very concerned about this. “You’ll be fine. Hunt, use your bird call, the hawk, if there’s danger coming.”
“Yes, sir,” Huntley says.
He can copy many animal sounds, Sam has learned. His mimicry skills are bar none.
She follows Cory with her rifle slung over her shoulder like his. Luke has his own out front in the ready with two hands. She doesn’t know a lot about him, but he seems like a man who can take care of himself and especially his little sister.
They come to a slight incline and Cory has them belly crawl to the top. She slides in beside him and pulls her binoculars from her backpack. Luke and Cory do the same, and they all spy on the small village below them.
“Four-wheelers,” Luke whispers. “Three of them.”
“Motorcycle over there on the side of that shed,” Cory says.
“A van and a car,” she points out.
Cory says, “This isn’t six hundred people. This can’t be them.”
“Unless that guy was lying and this is all there is to the group,” Luke says.
Sam considers both options. “There are kids over there playing. And I see a woman hanging clothes out to dry on a line.”
“I see them, too,” Cory remarks. “No men, though.”
“How the heck were they taking ATV’s and vehicles on that path we just went?” Luke asks.
“The tracks stopped down near the road,” Cory explains. “I came this way on a hunch. There has to be a driveway in somewhere on the other side of their camp.”
“Oh, I see horses,” Sam remarks as soon as she spots three horses in a small corral.
“I never saw their tracks,” Luke says.
“Me, neither,” Cory adds. “They have another way in. We just stumbled on their camp by accident.”
“We should head back and tell the others what we’ve seen.”
“Yes,” Luke agrees, and they shimmy down the hill and jog to the horses.
They ride back at a more vigorous pace, which the horses love because they know they are going back to their farm. Cory skirts around the steep hill and takes them another way, circumventing the need to ride vertical going head first. Luke and G seem relieved. When they arrive, John is in the barnyard using the portable mill cutting slabs of barn siding for repairs, which still aren’t finished from the tornado damage. The family also hasn’t completed the chicken coop yet, either. With the highwaymen issue, there is just never enough time to get it all done.
Cory relays what they’ve seen near the back porch where they have gathered the family to listen. Everyone seems as puzzled as they were at the discovery.
“It was very well hidden,” Cory says.
“Yeah, it was,” Luke adds. “That was not a location anyone would ever look for someone. They had to be miles from the nearest road.”
“We also didn’t run into anyone doing perimeter checks, standing guard or perimeter fencing,” Cory says.
“We’ll run over there tonight and try to find their access point,” John says. “We need more information on this group.”
“Right,” Cory says with a nod. “They didn’t look familiar. I’ve never seen them in town. Have you, Sam?”
“No, never,” she concurs. “I didn’t recognize any of them. And their men weren’t there. That was weird, too. Unless they were out hunting.”
“Could be a possibility,” Kelly says. “Let’s get back to work. We’ll discuss this further after dinner later and set a schedule for another run tonight to check it out.”
“Got it,” Cory says, “I’ll help you finish that wood, John.”
“Thanks,” he returns.
“Hey, Simon,” Reagan says, gaining his attention. “Can you run up to my room and get that book on osteopathic manipulative treatment.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he utters and turns to go immediately.
“Oh, and bring down the second-floor trashcans, please. I don’t think I can do those stairs one more time today,” she jokes and rubs her ever-growing stomach.
“Yes, ma’am. And you probably shouldn’t.”
“Oh, I don’t know, Simon,” Sue says in a teasing voice. “I’m getting anxious to see the little guy. We might think about making her jog up and down the stairs a few times each hour.”
“That is highly illogical. You should be careful and not run up and down the stairs at all,” Simon lectures. “Walking would be more prudent…”
“Don’t be a dork, Simon,” Reagan criticizes.
Simon leaves on a scowl, realizing he is never going to get anywhere with this. Sam smirks and is glad he left. She doesn’t want to spend a lot of time around him right now. Her feelings are torn. She really likes Henry, but she doesn’t know if it will ever be more than just a friendship and Sam knows he wants more. He’s made that very clear.
“Doesn’t matter,” Reagan says, s
till thinking about running the stairs. “I’d probably fall on my fat ass.”
“Hey!” John scolds his wife. “I like your ass just the way it is.”
This causes everyone, including Grandpa, to laugh out loud. John never swears. The curse sounds funny on him. For good measure, he pulls her close and kisses her. Then he does the unthinkable and pats her bottom in front of everyone.
“More to love,” he says with an ornery smirk and a quick double raising of his eyebrows at the crowd observing them.
“Gross,” Huntley says and walks away.
“John!” Reagan corrects with feisty anger. “I’m a fat cow. You’re just being nice. And don’t worry about my ass. Fat or not, I’m never letting you get near me again after this kid gets out.”
“Yeah, sure,” he says cockily. “I can’t keep you off of me. It’s so ridiculous. I always say, ‘no, babe, not tonight’ but you never take no for an answer.”
“This is gettin’ deep,” Kelly jokes.
“And rather personal,” Grandpa remarks with a chuckle.
Everyone laughs again. Reagan is outraged and backhands her husband’s stomach. He just flinches and holds onto her small hand. Then he jerks it to his mouth and presses a kiss there.
The screen door to the kitchen slams against the wall of the house, startling everyone. Sam even turns to look in time to see Simon flying out of the house. His face is full of anger and rage. His eyes are wild.
“You son-of-a-bitch!” he roars and comes off the back porch, missing all the stairs and instead vaulting the railing like he’s running hurdles in a track meet.
He barrels toward Cory and shoves him.
“What the…?” Cory manages to get out before Simon punches his best friend in the face.
Cory goes down. He goes down hard and does not get back up.
“What the fuck, Simon?” Kelly yells and shoves him back from his brother.
“He’s out cold,” John remarks as the rest of the family circles around Cory on the ground.
He is coming to, shaking his head, and sitting up.
“What…?” he mumbles, then startles. “Damn.”
Simon lunges forward, but John shoots out an arm to hold him back. Of all the people on the farm, Simon would be the last one that any of them would peg to knock Cory out cold. He’s not as big or strong or usually as lethal and prone to sudden spurts of violence. He just proved everyone wrong, very wrong.
“Get up!” Simon shouts angrily.
“What’s going on, Simon?” John asks as things escalate.
Cory is getting back on his feet with Kelly’s help. Simon is trying to break free of John to get to Cory again. It seems everyone is yelling and going crazy.
“Let me go!” Simon blurts fiercely and tries to get around John. “Come on, you bastard. Get up and fight me.”
“Dangit, Simon! Stop! What’s going on?” John yells loudly.
“Get out of my way, John!” Simon yells right back in a tone Sam has never heard from him before. It actually frightens her.
“Stop! Stop it!” John says. “Just calm down.”
“No! Move!” Simon yells.
Cory is also trying to get around his brother, but he does not seem angry. He is definitely confused. All of them are now.
“He knows. He knows what he’s done, and he’s gonna pay for it. Now move!”
“No, calm the hell down, Simon,” Kelly bellows.
“Yes, calm down, Simon,” Derek joins in the melee in a more rational manner. He is hobbling with his crutches.
“I will not! Move it!” Simon continues to yell. “Get out of our way. We’ll handle this like men.”
John finally backs off, throwing his hands in the air with bewilderment, obviously seeing no point in trying to calm him down. Simon is acting completely irrational. Strange that he’s always accusing her of this, although Sam has never outright physically attacked someone. Unless she were to count the night she slapped Simon in the face in the barn. That was pretty bad behavior, very irrational, indeed, but she did and still does believe he deserved it.
Kelly also stands aside, and Simon squares up on Cory ready to fight him. By the look of pure rage in his blue eyes, probably to the death.
“Bro, what the hell? Why the hell’d you punch me like that?” Cory asks.
“Put your hands up and fight,” Simon orders.
Grandpa stands next to Sam and rests his hand on her lower back. She thinks he would like to lead her away, but Sam isn’t going anywhere.
“No!” Cory shouts. “What the hell, man? Why’d you do that?”
“You know why, asshole,” Simon swears, also uncharacteristic of him, especially in front of women.
“What?” Cory asks and rubs his sore jaw. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You said you were my friend. You told me nothing was going on. You’ve been lying the whole time.”
“What do you mean?” Cory asks and shoves back when Simon rushes him. “Stop it, Simon. Dude, I don’t want to fight you. Tell me what’s wrong.”
Simon jabs and catches Cory in the side of his face before he can react in time. This is starting to piss Cory off, Sam can tell. He clenches his jaw tightly together and his eyes narrow.
“Cut it the fuck out, man. You’d better stop. Now!”
“No, fight me, asshole. You’re gonna get your ass kicked, and you deserve it.”
“Why? What the hell did I ever do to you?”
“You know what you did! Paige! My sister? Remember? Or do you screw around so much that you can’t remember her?”
Everyone swings in one fluid motion to look at Paige, who is blushing and staring with her mouth wide open.
“Simon, stop this,” she finally says uncomfortably.
“No, he brought this on himself, and I’m gonna kick his ass. Right now and in front of everyone. It’s what you deserve.”
“What are you talking about, man?”
“I told you to stay away from her, damn it! You lied. You said you weren’t interested in her. You’re a damn liar. I thought you were my friend.”
“Simon,” Paige says, but he interrupts.
“No! Don’t defend him. He did this, and he’ll take his ass whipping and not whine about it. Then I’m moving to town, and you’re going with me. I told you to stay away from him.”
“What do you mean?” she asks cautiously.
Simon jabs at Cory again. This time, Cory deflects it, which seems to piss Simon off more. Within seconds, they are in a locked embrace, but not one of affection. Simon is punching Cory in the side and the stomach. Cory is trying to block his friend but is mostly failing. Then they’re on the ground in the dust and dirt, causing it to plume up around them. It goes on for a few minutes, too, this grappling. Simon finally gets on top of Cory and manages to punch him in the face again. Then again before Kelly pulls him away. In Cory’s defense, Simon is in a rage, and Cory isn’t fighting back much.
“You stay away from her, or I’ll kill you the next time.”
“For goodness sake, Simon! Just explain to all of us what’s going on,” Sue demands, her patience at an end.
“He’s sleeping with my sister!” Simon shouts, spittle hitting his chin, which he wipes, leaving a smear of dirt there. Sam notices that his knuckles look bloody.
Cory is to his feet finally and dusting himself off. He looks mad but not as insane as Simon. There is blood dripping from his lower lip.
“What? I don’t think so, honey,” Sue says gently.
“No, he is. Ask him,” he prods.
Sue asks, “Is that true, Cory?”
Cory doesn’t answer right away but looks instead toward Paige. She, in turn, looks at everyone with flame red cheeks.
“I found a pregnancy test in her trashcan upstairs just now. I thought I’d be nice and empty hers, too. The test was used. There’s only one reason she’d have that. And who the hell else would she be sleeping with?”
Grandpa steps forward an
d asks, “Is this true, son?”
Cory looks at Grandpa and must realize that the truth is not something he can escape and nods.
“Cory!” Kelly says with a loud exhale of disapproval. “What the hell, Cor? That’s not cool, brother.”
“I know,” he admits and hangs his head. “I didn’t mean for it to happen.”
“Neither of us did. It just sort of happened.”
“Seriously? It doesn’t just sort of happen. It’s a conscious choice one makes,” Simon reminds everyone, the pitch in his voice going higher and higher with irrationality.
“We didn’t mean for anyone to find out yet,” Cory says.
“Or ever. It’s over. It’s never going to be something,” Paige is quick to correct, leaving Sam and probably everyone else even more confused.
“No, that’s not true,” Cory says.
Simon tries to rush him again but is stopped by John.
“What do you mean?” Kelly asks. “Do you have feelings for her?”
“Yes, absolutely. I wouldn’t have…I’m not…”
Simon laughs again, this time loudly and rudely, “Yeah, right! You are exactly like that. You use women for sex. You sleep around with women in town and neighbors and whoever you can. She doesn’t mean any more to you than they did.”
Cory looks angrier now than he had after Simon punched him, “Hey! Bullshit. That’s not true. I do care for her. I wouldn’t have done that if I didn’t. I wouldn’t have done that to her or you. I want…”
“No! Nope. No way,” Paige interrupts, waving her hands, and steps toward Simon. “Don’t say it. Look, everyone, it’s over between us. We ended it. We didn’t want everyone to know or anyone to get hurt by it. It was just a one-time thing, and it’s over, and we’re both really sorry to all of you for this…misunderstanding.”
Cory looks surprised to hear this, leaving Sam to believe that Paige isn’t quite telling the truth.
“Then why did you feel the need for the pregnancy test?” Simon demands.
“Was it positive?” Cory asks, his voice painfully and transparently hopeful.
“No!” Paige says with a nervous chuckle. “I wouldn’t even have taken it had Reagan not made me think I could be because I passed out. It’s not positive. So you see? That makes it even easier to end this once and for all.”
