As the Ash Fell

by AJ Powers

  “Yeah, I guess so,” Jeremy replied as he wiped his hands on his shirt. “I can help you guys out if you need it,” he added.

  Silas let out a laugh, sounding more like a grunt than anything. It was as if he was insulted by the notion that he and his men needed help from Jeremy. “No, I think we’ve got this under control.”

  “All right,” Jeremy said. “I’ll go check in on Watson. Just be sure to bring me up to speed later tonight.”

  Silas nodded and started moving in the direction his men had gone. Jeremy watched him for a few moments before turning and heading back in the direction of the house. Once Silas was no longer visible, he moved quickly over to where he had laid Kelsey down. She was still there, her eyes wide. She had finally snapped out of the daze she’d been in since Jeremy first discovered her in the kitchen.

  “Jeremy!” she said as loudly as she could, which wasn’t more than a whisper. “Is that you?”

  He crouched down next to her. “Yeah, I’m here, but we need to move fast. They’ll give up the search soon.”

  “Huh?” Kelsey said, clueless to what he was talking about.

  “Nevermind. We need to get to the stables.”

  He started to pick her up when she stopped him. “I-I-I think I can walk if you help me.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She looked at him and nodded, “Yeah, I think so.”

  The pain was intense just laying still, and she imagined the hike to the stables would be nothing short of torment, but she knew Jeremy wouldn’t be able to carry her that far. Not quickly, anyway.

  Kelsey slowly rolled over towards her side and propped herself up with her elbow. If she felt that bad now, then she didn’t want to think about how she was going to feel in the morning—if morning ever came. She groaned quietly as the agony jolted through every muscle in her body.

  Jeremy quickly moved to her side and helped her to her feet. Though he only had just the faint moonlight to see, he saw the bruising already starting to form around her face.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “As much as I can be,” she said as she supported herself on his shoulder, keeping the other arm close to her body, stabilizing it as best as she could. The slightest knock on the wrist felt as if it were breaking all over again. It was excruciating, and she wasn’t sure she would be able to suppress the screams.

  They slowly made their way across the field and past the slaughterhouse. The smell was rancid, and it took everything in Kelsey not to throw up. She breathed through her mouth and kept her mind focused on the task at hand: getting to the stables…about a half mile away.

  “What happened in there?” Jeremy demanded more than he asked.

  “I don’t know…I don’t know,” she said, wincing with each step. With all her efforts focused on walking, having a conversation wasn’t easy. “I remember talking to him about what I owe him,” she said, racking her brain to try and remember what had occurred. “I remember being angry at him, and the next thing I know, I was trying to stab him. It gets a little fuzzy from there,” she said.

  Jeremy didn’t respond. She was clearly the aggressor, but he couldn’t convince himself that she was wrong in doing so. Watson wasn’t exactly subtle with taking advantage of the debt she owed. The ‘interest’ he was charging her—and all of the extra fees he tacked on—would have made even credit card companies sympathetic. She was never going to be able to square up on the debt, and Watson knew it. So did Kelsey.

  Though he could never prove it, Jeremy knew that Watson had roughed her up more than a few times since her arrival. Watson never came off as the type of guy who would beat a woman, but he had a firm line when it came to certain issues, and Kelsey had skirted that line several times in the past. Once Watson got going, it was hard to calm him down. Jeremy wondered if Watson would have killed Kelsey had he not knocked on the door.

  “Well, looks like you got the last word in, anyway,” Jeremy said somewhat light-heartedly.

  Kelsey wanted to smile, but even that would hurt too much. “Did I kill him?” she asked with mixed feelings.

  “Doesn’t sound like it. All the more reason we need to get you out of here before he’s coherent enough to tell people what happened.”

  Jeremy and Kelsey stopped about a hundred yards away from the stables, hiding behind an old wagon that had once served as a decorative lawn ornament before being reactivated as a functional vehicle.

  There was a single lantern just outside the stables. Jeremy couldn’t see the guard, but knew there would be one there. After all, it was Jeremy’s idea to have 24 hour security there. He turned to look at Kelsey who was resting on the ground, leaning up against the large wooden wheel.

  “I am going to go grab us a horse. Stay put! I will come back to you,” he said as he crouched down next to her. “We’ll be out of here soon,” he said with a comforting voice.

  “Okay,” she said, still trying to catch her breath. The journey across the field had taken a toll.

  Jeremy jogged towards the stables, and as he got closer, he could see that no one was outside. Maybe they abandoned their post to help the search party. That’s when he saw someone walk out the door.

  “Hey Derrick,” Jeremy shouted.

  “Mr. Hatfield, is that you?”

  Jeremy came out of the darkness, his face finally hit by the small lantern hanging on the outside wall. “Yes, it’s me. I need a fast horse right now, we’re tracking down Watson’s attacker, but he got a good head start on us,” he said, not even sure if the young man had heard about what was going on.

  “But Silas told me to not let anyone check out a horse unless he explicitly gave the okay,” Derrick replied.

  “What? When did he say that?” Jeremy snapped back.

  “When I heard all the commotion over at Mr. Watson’s house, I ran over, and that’s what he told me,” the boy said, with a tinge of fear in his eyes.

  “I don’t have time for this!” Jeremy said, frustration radiating in his voice. “I am the head of security here, not Silas. I am taking a horse.”

  Jeremy walked towards the door when Derrick blocked his path. “Sir, please don’t put me in this position.”

  Jeremy stepped back a few feet and pulled his gun out, aiming right at the young man’s chest. “You will step out of my way right now, or I will shoot you where you stand!” Jeremy was surprised with his immediate escalation of the situation. His reflexive response now put Jeremy in a ‘do-or-die’ scenario. His chips were all in, there was no turning back.

  Derrick was terrified, but he did not move. He seemed to be more worried about what Silas would do if he let a horse get stolen.

  Jeremy pulled the hammer back on his pistol. “Stand down, Derrick.”

  The kid stood his ground, and then he did what Jeremy was afraid he was going to do.

  “Don’t—” Jeremy shouted as Derrick reached for his gun.

  Jeremy shot three times, each one a direct hit to Derrick’s chest. The image of the boy’s horrified expression would be permanently burned into Jeremy’s memory. Even though his slide was locked back, Jeremy kept the gun trained on him as Derrick fell to the ground. A fluid-filled breath escaped the boy’s lips, then silence.

  Jeremy felt a pang in his stomach for what he just did, but there was no time to feel guilty. He’d worry about that later. Silas and his men had to have heard the shots and would be on their way.

  He changed magazines on his pistol and holstered it. Reaching for the nearest saddle, Jeremy slung it on top of a horse and climbed on. He led the mare out of the stable and saw Kelsey limping her way towards him.

  “I told you to stay put!” he hissed.

  As Kelsey got near, she saw Derrick’s body on the ground. She wanted to be shocked that Jeremy shot that boy who was on guard, but she couldn’t find enough strength for sympathy.

  “Here, let me help you up,” Jeremy said as put his arm around her.

  Getting her onto the horse was a much more difficult task than
he thought. Every movement made her cry out in pain. Finally, after several attempts, she was up, clinging to the horse’s neck like a log in a flood.

  “Okay, watch out. I’m gonna—”

  Shots rang out, striking the stable and spooking the horses inside. Jeremy looked over and saw a few shadowy silhouettes running towards him. He quickly smacked the horse’s rear, and it took off in a rush. Jeremy pulled his gun out and took aim, but before he could acquire any targets, he heard footsteps behind him.

  He turned around with just enough time to see the shotgun butt coming right at his face.

  Kelsey woke up feeling like she had been hit by the Titanic. Aches and pains plagued her entire body. Her head throbbed relentlessly; the slightest sound exacerbated the pain.

  She opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was the splint on her hand. She wrinkled her forehead and could feel the various butterfly sutures keeping the lacerations on her head from separating. She saw that her arms were riddled with bruises and small cuts. What had happened? Where was she?

  A noisy groan escaped her lips as she attempted to look around with little success. “Hello?” she said with a hoarse voice.

  “Kelsey?” a voice called out from behind her. He walked around and leaned over in front of her, flashing a penlight in her eyes. “Pupil response has improved,” he thought aloud.

  It was Doc.

  “Doc, where am I?” she asked before attempting to get up. She was tied to the chair. “What’s happening?” she asked, panic crept into her voice.

  Doc wanted to ignore her questions. Watson would probably have him killed if he even spoke to her, but he still honored the oath he took nearly twenty years ago. “Kelsey, you’re still on the farm.”

  Kelsey had presumed that much already. She wanted to sigh, but the pain was too great to inhale that deeply. “Why am I tied to the chair?” she asked.

  Doc walked across the room, reached into his bag for a bottle of pills, and returned to Kelsey. Because her good hand was tied to the chair, he gave her a sip of water and then placed the pills in her mouth. “Take these. It’s not much, but it will help with some of the pain.”

  She swallowed the pills before continuing her appeals. “Doc, please! Why am I tied to the chair? How did I even get here?”

  Doc nervously looked around. He put his hands on top of his head. “Kelsey, how much do you remember about last night?”

  She racked her brain trying to recall. She remembered just a few moments with Watson. “Not much, really. I remember who did all this to me,” she said glancing at the injured wrist. “Other than that…”

  “Well,” Doc said, exhaustion in his voice, “Mr. Watson is claiming you attacked him, and he was just defending himself. Nobody knew what was going on for a while until Silas and his men saw Jeremy helping you onto a horse.”

  Jeremy! Is he okay?

  Piece by piece, the events of the night started coming back together. She remembered Jeremy getting a horse from the stables. She remembered he killed someone in the process. Kelsey felt a pit deepening in her stomach as she considered the damage her actions caused last night.

  “The guard at the gate was able to stop your horse, and you were brought to the infirmary,” Doc continued. “To be honest, it’s a good thing they did. Wherever you were going on that horse, you wouldn’t have made it there alive,” he said with a somber tone.

  Kelsey wasn’t sure if his comment was due to the extent of her injuries or the complete and utter vulnerable state she would have been in as she galloped through Screamer territory. Like a juicy cut of meat in front of starving pack of dogs.

  She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She finally got that sigh she was looking for. “Are they going to kill me?”

  He was silent at first. “I don’t know,” he finally spoke. “I don’t see why they would go through all the trouble of having me work on you all night if they were just going to kill you anyway.”

  That prospect frightened Kelsey more than if they just wanted her dead.

  “What about Jeremy?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. They never asked me to look at him.”

  Kelsey began to worry. Not about her dilemma, or even Jeremy’s, but whether or not Hawthorne heard all the ruckus and was able to escape with Dakota. She began to weep at the thought of never seeing her daughter again.

  Heavy footsteps tromped across the porch just outside, sending a jolt of fear through Kelsey’s body. The door shot open. It was Silas.

  “I need to talk to her,” Silas said pointing at Kelsey.

  “Okay,” Doc said, “I’ll just excuse myself.”

  “Don’t bother, Doc. She’s coming with me.”

  Doc interjected. “Silas, she has been through a lot, and her body is in a very delicate state. Moving her now is not a good idea.”

  Silas paid no attention to the doctor’s professional opinion and untied Kelsey. She hadn’t realized some of the pain she felt was from the tightness of the ropes around her abdomen. There was a genuine relief as Silas unbound her.

  “Let’s go,” he said, grabbing Kelsey by the arm.

  “Stop it!” she cried out.

  “Silas!” Doc said, only getting a dirty look in response.

  Despite her cries, Silas led her outside and put her on a wagon being drawn by two horses. One of Silas’s men sat up front, reins in hand. Silas jumped in and sat next to Kelsey. “We’re ready,” Silas said to the driver.

  The ride was slow and painful. Every bump and jostle reminded Kelsey of last night’s beating. It was just before dawn, and most of the townspeople weren’t awake. After a few minutes, the wagon turned off the dirt road and traveled in the grass heading towards the back of the property line. A short while later they came to the top of a small hill, and Kelsey could see a large barn barely illuminated by the diffused sun inching above the horizon. With nothing else in sight, she assumed that’s where they were going.

  Her assumptions were correct.

  The wagon came to a stop. Without saying a word, Silas stood up and grabbed Kelsey’s hand, forcing her to follow. Much to her surprise, Silas helped her get down from the wagon, but then quickly got back to marching her along directing her into the barn.

  She had never been inside before—wasn’t even sure she knew it existed. There was an unpleasant stench filling the air making the place all the more uninviting. As they came out into the main room of the structure, Kelsey saw two chairs in the middle of the floor. One was already occupied.

  “Jeremy!” Kelsey shrieked. No response.

  “Sit down,” Silas commanded, pointing at the metal folding chair next to Jeremy.

  Kelsey obeyed.

  As Silas tied her to the chair, she looked over and noticed that Jeremy was still breathing, though he had been thrashed probably as badly as she had been, if not worse. Her relief was short-lived, though, as she heard voices from outside.

  Watson.

  The chatter drew closer, and Watson and a few of Silas’s men appeared. Watson was walking a bit gingerly, his arm bandaged, and the upper half of his head dressed like a mummy with a faint trace of blood seeping through.

  “Well, good morning, sweetheart,” Watson said ominously, his speech slightly slurred. Kelsey didn’t know if it was from alcohol or the trauma she inflicted. Perhaps a little of both.

  She stared at the floor, trying to focus on a kernel of dried corn next to her feet. Gripped with a debilitating fear, she couldn’t bear to look Watson in the eye.

  “Wake him up,” Watson said, waving his hand at Jeremy.

  One of the men that came in with Watson walked over, lifted Jeremy’s head and began slapping him quickly on the cheek. “Wake up, Cinderella!”

  Jeremy’s eyes were blood-shot; he barely had enough strength to hold his head up, not even enough strength to groan from the pain. He looked over and saw Kelsey, then Watson.

  “Well, I just don’t know what to do with you two,” Watson sa
id. “I mean, I can’t say that I am completely surprised with your actions, Ms. Lambert. I’ve always known of your thankless attitude for my generous accommodations,” he stopped and rubbed his head near where Kelsey had hit him. “And I kinda figured you hated me,” he sneered. “Though I do admit, you caught me off guard with that little stunt of yours last night.

  “You, on the other hand,” Watson said, turning to Jeremy, “to say I am disappointed is an understatement. You have been my loyal friend for several years. You excelled in all of your duties for this community, and I trusted you with my life,” he said shaking his head. “And now, you’re no better than the brood of criminals outside these fences.”

  Jeremy started to drift from consciousness, but Silas revived him with a backhand across his already battered face. He still didn’t scream.

  “You frustrate me, son,” Watson said, believable grief in his voice. I just don’t know what to do with you two,” he reiterated.

  A man from outside leaned into the main area and called for Watson. They all walked outside, leaving Jeremy and Kelsey bound to their chairs in the middle of the barn.

  “Why didn’t you just ask me to help you escape?” Jeremy asked slowly, forcing each word out of his mouth.

  Kelsey wanted to say it was because she was mad at him for betraying Clay, but it was just as much pride as it was anger. She was upset with him, and the thought of turning right around and asking for his help seemed nauseating at the time. If only she could turn back the clock.

  “I’m sorry about all this,” Kelsey said. “I didn’t think anyone else would get hurt…”

  Jeremy tried to shake his head. “Don’t be. You and your daughter deserve better than this. I should be the one apologizing to you.”

  What an absurd response, Kelsey thought. It must be the concussion talking.

  “If I hadn’t been so selfish, I would have helped you two escape months ago. I should have protected you from all of this, but instead…” Jeremy said as his eyes looked around the large wooden structure they sat in.