Friends of the Family (The Colter Saga Book 1)

by Joel Baker

  That evening, two of the dogs returned, and joined the family and Daisy around the fire. As the darkness set in, Boss and the last dog trotted into camp, each carrying something in their mouths. As the younger dogs rose and left the camp, Boss walked up to Daisy and deposited a mauled rabbit in front of her. The second dog dropped a dead rabbit in front of Sarah as well. Daisy picked her rabbit up and bit down hard several times. With the sound of bones breaking, she pulverized it and devoured the thing in a single gulp.

  Sarah picked up the rabbit in front of her, by a back leg using two fingers. She dropped it in front of Daisy.

  “Here’s your dessert,” Sarah said. “I’ll be over in the bushes for a few minutes.”

  Sarah ran for the woods with her hand over her mouth. The sounds emerging from the trees, told everyone she was losing her lunch. She returned a short time later with as much dignity as she could and sat down by Jesse.

  “Well that was a Kodak moment,” Sarah said.

  “Yes indeed,” Jesse said. “Are you all right?”

  “I am now,” Sarah said. “I wonder why they thought I needed a dead rabbit.”

  “I’m not sure about anything with the dogs,” Jesse said. “They may just be looking out for you like Daisy.”

  “Well,” Sarah said. “It looks like they’re now friends of the family.”

  “I wonder,” Jesse said. “Do they think they joined us or did we join them?”

  “Either way,” Sarah said. “I’m glad they’re here. Mark, would you reach in the back of the truck and see if you can find me something to eat? Suddenly I’m starving.”

  Chapter 13

  Jesse wasn’t surprised the next morning, when the dogs lined up at the truck door. He and Sarah had discussed the dogs last night. If Sarah had to choose between him and the dogs, Jesse was pretty sure he would lose.

  They’d also decided to return to the highway and take it as far south as possible. The map showed the road passing very close to a cutoff to Haven. He knew at the first sign of trouble, they might have to consider a different route. Jesse backtracked to the highway and eventually began to make good time. He slowed as they approached the town of Linden.

  He remembered visiting Linden as a small boy with his father and mother. It was the first time he’d slept overnight in someplace besides his own bedroom. All he could remember was a picture over the bed of a deer standing by a lake surrounded by woods and mountains. He’d loved that picture. It had been painted on a piece of wood with the bark still on it. He vaguely remembered his mother visiting a doctor on that trip. But it was all fuzzy, and he wasn’t sure.

  As Linden came into view, Jesse felt he was looking back in time a hundred years. He stopped the truck at the first building on the edge of town.

  “Sarah, would you look at this?” Jesse asked.

  They both sat staring at the main street of Linden. Horses were tied to old parking meters. Buggies and wagons moved up and down the street. A wagon approached, with an old man and little boy sitting on the seat. Two large horses clopped along as the wagon first approached, then went by Jesse and Sarah.

  The old man stared at the truck and shook his head for no apparent reason. A shotgun lay across his lap. The little boy looked up at the roof of the truck and waved tentatively. Jesse and Sarah watched in the side rearview mirrors as the wagon continued up the highway away from town.

  “I think it must have looked like this in the eighteen hundreds,” Sarah said, astounded by what she saw.

  “It really does,” Jesse said.

  Jesse shut the truck down and told the boys to stay where they were. He, Sarah, and Lily got out of the cab, and walked towards the market set up in the middle of the street. It was the center of activity.

  Jesse and Sarah drew attention primarily because of his long canvas coat and they were new in town. They walked past little stands with handmade crafts for sale. Many candles, cakes, rugs, and quilts were displayed. Some fresh vegetables were displayed, but not many. Sarah commented it was still too early in the year.

  They stood and watched two women, who appeared to be sisters, examine some large white candles. The sisters were having a friendly discussion with the young girl behind the table. They came to an agreement, and the older sister reached deep into a large cloth sack she carried, and pulled out a chicken by the feet and set it on the table.

  The chicken wore a small sack over its head, and didn’t move from where it was placed. The girl nodded and picked the chicken off the table and set it on the ground under the table. The sisters considered the table full of candles for some time. They each selected a candle, not so tall as squat. The candles disappeared into the large cloth sack, and the sisters waved at the smiling girl as they walked on.

  Jesse felt a tap on his shoulder.

  “New in town?” a voice said.

  It was a man perhaps ten years older than Jesse. He was also considerably shorter and heavier, with a ruddy face and squinty eyes. His build was stocky and powerful. His hand rested lightly on a holstered gun.

  “Yep,” Jesse answered. “I’ve been here before, though. It was over thirty years ago. My parents brought me here with them. I don’t recall there being this many horses.”

  “The horses are new,” The man said. “Might say it’s a giant step backward for this part of the country.”

  Lily ran up to Sarah and looked at the man talking to her parents.

  “Jesse, why don’t you introduce us to this gentleman?” Sarah asked. “Mister…?”

  “My name’s Jasper…,” the man said. “Jasper Thiggs.”

  “Well, Jasper Thiggs,” Jesse said. “Meet my wife Sarah and daughter Lily.”

  “I’m pleased to meet you,” Jasper said. “You say your name’s Jesse?”

  “Yes, Jesse Colter,” Jesse said. “I’m originally from down by Eagle Rock.”

  “I’m the law around here,” Jasper said. “Eagle Rock, you say? Been there recently?”

  “No,” Jesse said. “It’s been a several of years since I’ve been to the old place.”

  “Just a second,” Jasper said. “Luther, stop sneaking around and come over here so I can introduce you. Excuse me, but my boy thinks he’s being clever. He’s my deputy, and he still has a lot to learn.”

  “Jasper,” Sarah said with a smile, “You don’t know how pleased we are to finally see some law and order.”

  "Thank you, Mrs. Colter,” Jasper said. “Not everybody feels that way. How about you Jesse, you glad to see the law?”

  “Usually,” Jesse said. “Mr. Thiggs, maybe those other two men trying to get up behind us could come over and we could all get acquainted.”

  The stocky Jasper smiled.

  “Call me Jasper,” Jasper said. “You got a good eye, Mr. Colter. Maybe you could have the boy on the roof of your truck take the scope off me.”

  “Call me Jesse,” Jesse said. “Cole, relax!”

  “Alright Jesse,” Jasper said. “Meet my son Luther. Luther, meet Jesse Colter, his wife Sarah, and their daughter Lily.”

  Luther was a younger version of his father. He also was short, with reddish coloring and powerful build. Jesse shook his hand.

  “I believe Lily and I will look around gentlemen,” Sarah said. “Do us all a favor, try to get along.”

  The gathering group of men watched as Sarah and Lily walked up to the nearest stall.

  “Well, Jesse, looks like we got to learn to get along,” Jasper said with a smile.

  “Seems so,” Jesse said.

  “Mind if we take a look in your truck?” Jasper asked.

  “No,” Jesse said. “I don’t mind, but I’d advise you against it.”

  “How so?” Jasper asked.

  “I got five of the biggest dogs you’ve ever seen in that truck,” Jesse said. “They seem to like us well enough. I’m just not sure how they would react to you.”

  Jesse looked back at the truck.

  “Hey, Boss!” Jesse yelled.

  Boss stu
ck his head into the cab. Jasper took a step back.

  “Good God!” Jasper said. “You sure he’s not a bear?”

  “He’s the runt of the litter,” Jesse said. “He’s the only one whose head can fit through the hole.”

  A small crowd began to gather as they talked. A murmur ran through the crowd when Boss stuck his head out. This brought an even bigger crowd.

  “Jesse, are you planning on staying for a while?” Jasper asked.

  “No,” Jesse said. “We’re moving on. Just wanted to see what civilization looked like. We need to get to our place by Eagle Rock.”

  Jasper pursed his lips deep in thought.

  “I’d go easy down there if I were you,” Jasper said. “A bad crowd has taken over in Eagle Rock. Vicious, mean folk. Make sure you watch out for wild dogs around there too. We’ve got a real problem with packs raiding farms. You seem like decent folks, so I thought I ought to warn you.”

  “I appreciate that,” Jesse said. “But it’s our home and the sooner we get to Haven, the happier we all will be. I have an old couple, Franklin and Hattie Pierce, living on the place. Have you heard anything about them?”

  “Can’t say that I have,” Jasper said. “If you’re set on leaving, you can turn down that street you just passed and out of town. Don’t want you to scare the horses with that truck of yours.”

  The men shook hands and Jesse headed back to the where the boys now stood. Sarah and Lily returned a short time later. Jesse took the turnoff and bypassed the town.

  They drove the rest of the afternoon. It was obvious to Jesse that horses provided the only transportation this far south. There were large numbers of road apples in the road. He began looking for the cutoff road to Eagle Rock just south of Linden. He drove slowly and barely recognized the road when it appeared suddenly. It was twenty miles to Eagle Rock from the cutoff and Haven was three miles north of Eagle Rock.

  The road was in bad shape. Jesse didn’t want to try the dirt road at night, so he told Sarah to keep an eye out for someplace to stop. It was late afternoon when Sarah saw a lane that disappeared into some heavy woods. The lane was high with weeds and appeared deserted. Jesse pulled a hundred yards into the woods, and found an almost level place to park the truck.

  Sarah turned the dogs loose, and they repeated the routine from the night before. All the dogs except for Daisy were gone from the camp when everyone turned in for the night. Daisy begged to get into the truck when Lily went to bed and Sarah decided to try it. Lily went to sleep using Daisy as a pillow. Daisy snored most of the night. Jesse felt everyone’s excitement about being this close to the end of the journey.

  Just before dawn, Jesse came wide awake. Something caused Sarah to wake as well. They sat listening to the sounds of deep woods. Suddenly the night sounds stopped and everything went too quiet. Not a sound.

  Some distance away Jesse heard the crashing of brush. This was followed by the yelp of a dog, then a second crash and the high whine of a dog in pain. The second encounter sounded closer. A few minutes later he heard a third yelp and a loud crack. The same sound that Daisy made when she crushed a rabbit. Then silence returned. Jesse waited and a few minutes later the crickets and frogs resumed their spring soundings.

  The next morning all four of the dogs sat staring at the truck door. Sarah woke Daisy and the dogs held a small reunion outside the truck. The boys peered over the top at the dogs below.

  “Did anybody else hear that ruckus last night?” Mark asked.

  “I think we all did,” Jesse said, kneeling down by the dogs to examine them. “It sounded like they took care of some wild dogs. I don’t see a scratch on the friends here.”

  Jesse stood and looked around.

  “I got good news everybody. Tonight we sleep at Haven! Now all aboard, cause this train is leaving!”

  Chapter 14

  Three miles south of Haven, Calvin Haskin sat at a table inside the Shadow Bar and Grill. It was one of the few businesses still open in Eagle Rock. With Calvin sat his twin brother, Clarence, and his little brother, Teddy. Sam Greeley, the owner of the Shadow, opened the doors each morning. He swept the front walk occasionally. Business at his bar had suffered since Calvin and his brothers had settled in.

  Calvin and Clarence were always together. Clarence really wasn’t Calvin’s twin. People thought they were, but they’d been born three months apart. They looked like each other. They had the same papa, but their mothers had been sisters. Papa Haskin liked to tell his sons he believed in keeping it in the family. Their father had been described by a minister as someone who was mad, bad, and dangerous to know.

  Calvin and Clarence were both physically large. They fed off each other’s cruelty. Three months earlier they’d beaten a man to death with axe handles in the street. It was in front of the bar. They were both so out of breath when they were through they’d vowed to cut back on the cigarettes.

  Their muscle had started turning to fat some years before. Except for the runt Teddy, all the members of the Haskin clan had been of generous proportion. But it was their smell that people first noticed and long remembered. Everyone used to speculate on the cause of the fetid odors. Some thought it must be diet, but most believed it was a lack of hygiene. Still others blamed the disgusting pomade they used to slick back their hair.

  Calvin recognized they were a tad unusual in their conduct and demeanor. Dirt poor with the twisted cunning of a rat, Calvin was most definitely the leader. But, while he would never admit it out loud, Calvin was really scared of his little brother Teddy. He’d given Teddy the nickname of Weasel and it had stuck. It just fit him so well. Little Teddy was simply quite mad.

  Teddy suffered the fate of most runts of the litter. Papa Haskin had seemed to take special pleasure in hitting him too hard and too often. It had turned Teddy insanely cruel. Calvin, like everyone, always watched his back when Teddy was around.

  It seemed to Calvin that Teddy had always been a problem. It was rumored, when he was ten years old, he’d murdered a neighbor girl in a hideous fashion. It wasn’t true. He was nine at the time.

  Calvin studied his little brother through bleary eyes and a pounding headache. Teddy’s hat was pulled down over his dirty hair so far it made his ears stand out to the sides. Teddy thought his thick glasses, with the Buddy Holly frames, made him look smart. Everyone else thought they made him look deranged. The frames, broken several times, were fixed with gray duct tape.

  Yep, Calvin thought. Having Teddy for a brother was like having a rabid dog for a pet. We’re going to have to do something about him.

  Right now, Calvin was hung over and had other concerns. Teddy looked bored. Nobody wanted to be around when Teddy got bored.

  “Is this all we’re going to do?” Teddy asked.

  His shrill voice was like a needle in the brain.

  “Jesus, Teddy,” Calvin said. “We’re so hung over we can barely sit upright, for Christ’s sake.”

  “Yeah, give it a rest,” Clarence said. “We’re dying here.”

  “You two were running around last night weren’t you?” Teddy asked. “You guys never ask me to do anything.”

  “It ain’t no big deal,” Calvin said. “We were out visiting some of the neighbors. If you’d been here you could a gone too.”

  “Yeah,” Clarence said. “Teddy, you missed a good time. Where were you?”

  “I was training my dogs,” Teddy said.

  The odd look on Teddy’s face made Calvin wince. He and Clarence exchanged looks. They both knew how Teddy trained his fighting dogs. The dried blood on Teddy’s tee shirt told a story all its own.

  “I told you,” Calvin said. “If you don’t stop torturing those dogs, they going to tear you up.”

  Calvin hoped someday the dogs would.

  “Now go find the bar owner,” Calvin said. “Tell him me and Clarence need whiskey or we’re going to bust his head. Then go get Cassy to clean this shit house. Tell her she better keep her pie hole shut too. My head’s killing me.
”

  Teddy stood and slouched towards the backrooms where they kept Cassy locked up. Clarence watched his little brother until he was well out of sight, and then turned back to Calvin.

  “Do you think it’s a good idea to let Teddy around the girl?” Clarence asked.

  Calvin thought for a few moments.

  “He may mess with her some,” Calvin said. “But I don’t think he would kill her. Besides, he likes little girls, not big ones like that bitch out back.”

  “He ain’t getting any better,” Clarence said. “He keeps it up and one or both of us will wind up dead. How many dead families we found? He keeps it up, and we’re going to run out of people to feed us.”

  “I know, I know,” Calvin said. “I think he suspects us of planning something. You know how he is. But I think I can still control him.”

  “You damn well better,” Clarence said. “You know what we need Calvin? We need more new people to move here. And we need Teddy to stop killing the ones that are already here.”

  “Well, people are starting to move around more,” Calvin said. “Worse case, we may have to move on. Either way, keep an eye on Weasel. I’ll do the same.”

  ****

  Cassy sat on the edge of her filthy bed. It was inside the barren little room in the back of the Shadow Bar and Grill. She’d made a really bad decision to come live with the Haskin brothers. She studied herself in the cracked mirror hung on the wall. She looked ancient for seventeen and in a sorry state.

  Her clothes were filthy and torn, the right breast exposed to the nipple. Her left eye was purple and swollen shut. Her stringy brown hair was bedraggled. She was tired of being passed back and forth between the brothers. Little Teddy gave her the creeps. She didn’t know how much more of this she could take. She just wanted it over, one way or another.

  The decision to move in with the Haskin brothers had not been thought out. Up until then she’d lived her whole life in a small ramshackle cabin. It sat about four miles south of town at the end of a long dirt path. Since her mother had died the year before of some sickness, she’d lived with just her little brother and pa. It had been a hardscrabble life before her mother died. It was worse after.