by T K Foster
“How was I...?”
Briar faltered when Barret glared directly at him.
“....supposed to know they’d be here?”
Briar stood up, as short as he was, beside his own imprint in the dirt where he had woken up a little earlier beneath the full weight of a Hump’s bottom. At the time little light had filtered through but for a crack, enough though to allow the muffled sounds of Barret’s slander to penetrate through the gap. Within his tight cavern Briar had wanted to cry out and voice his disapproval, but to open his mouth would have surely meant tasting the coarse hairs that pressed against his cheek. He had only been trapped there for a relatively short time though before the Hump had stood up and run off, taking with him the other one who had been wrestling with Barret.”
“Because they knew we’d be here, didn’t they pig-face?” Barret yelled fiercely.
Cetra was poised ready at the opening by the bushes, anticipating their immediate pursuit.
“Come on lads,” Rod yelled from atop Cetra’s shoulder, “let’s get after them.”
Barret huffed angrily, “No need to rush, it’s not like we can ambush them. And anyway, pig-head knows where they’re taking him.”
“Serious I don’t,” Briar pleaded, the guilt welling up inside of him now.
“You think we’re stupid...” Barret screamed.
“They just wanted the thing in the box.”
“Huh? The stupid plastic pistol?” Barret yelled incredulously, “And how did they even know about that? I didn’t even know about it.”
Briar’s own admission captured even himself by surprise; he had actually felt a developing friendship with Billy, felt a growing fondness toward that someone who, for once in his deceptive little life, had outwardly shown some faith and trust in him. He tried to remember the deal he had struck up with the Humps, tried to recall what was in it for him. Briar was bad, but that had never bothered him before now. Pleasure in his life had always been at the expense of cheating others; but this time he felt like he had cheated himself by letting Billy down. So what was in it for him...? Ultimately.... nothing.
Apart from that, this kidnapping business.... what was all that about? It was the thing in the box they wanted, that was the deal, and Briar had delivered.
“I made a mistake, ok,” Briar yelled back at the tall Irishman, “You can kill me later, but we have to go now, ‘cause I don’t know where they’re taking him.”
Barret slammed his fist into his hand and snarled, “Why do you care all of a sudden, pig-boy? How ‘bout I smash you now and be done with it.”
Through the bushy opening to their rocky enclosure, Cetra witnessed the growing gap between Billy and herself with a great deal of frustration. Had she the time to actually concern herself with the breast beating of her fellow companions she may have done so, instead she gave heed to the wise little voice in her ear which told her to go and be done with them.
“You are right, Rod,” Cetra agreed, and without even a glance back toward Barret and Briar, she and Rod left the rocks and began their chase.
CHAPTER TWENTY
