Cricket sat alone in the back seat. There was no comforting Becca. She was shocked to her core, and yet the disdain for her mom was tangible. All her love had gone to her father, and her bitterness chased after her mom, who had cheated death and escaped all injury on the night of her father’s first attack, the one that had put him in a coma. Now, she had been granted a swift, dignified death in comparison to the sadism inflicted on her father.
Cricket wanted to tell her that her father had felt nothing and had been unaware of his surroundings. Yet, she was no medical expert. Had Becca come to her for that comfort, she’d have to be honest about her limitations in understanding her father’s condition.
They swung into the garage, and Becca was out of the car before it had come to a stop.
“John,” Becca said to the driver, “please come upstairs with me.”
A few feet behind the driver and Becca, Cricket passed through the kitchen and the cook said nothing, just hung his head in sadness. He knew Elaine was gone. He knew because Becca swept through like some new force of nature that had absorbed the energy of both her parents.
Fritz sat at the dining room table working on a puzzle with the girls and Sister Marie.
Becca stormed in giving orders.
“I want all of you out of my house tonight.”
Fritz and Sister Marie rose and drew the girls close.
“These children are still recovering from their colds,” Sister Marie said.
“Don’t care,” Becca said.
“You’ve got half an hour to load your car. John will follow with your belongings, if there’s not room in the Barracuda.”
“This is mean as hell,” Fritz said, and the girls started to cry. “Where’s your mom?”
“Dead as hell,” Becca said with contempt.
Sister ushered the girls back to their bedrooms.
“What’s wrong with the morning?” Cricket fumed.
“I don’t trust any of you,” Becca replied. “Time’s up, asshole.”
“Where’s Angel?” Cricket said. “He can’t possibly feel the same way.”
“It doesn’t matter what he thinks. Go live with him. He’s got a big place on the west side.”
“We’re going to Lunken tonight.” Fritz circled his arm around his wife. “Predator and the two Bobs are there,” he said to her. He eyed Becca. “There’s a slave trade, and this city is supplying a large number of people.”
“Nonsense. An idea created by the Patriarchs, who murdered my father.”
“Your father was murdered by the drug gang that’s also behind the slavery ring. Ajax is its head. We have information that he’s right here in Cincinnati. That’s straight from Cleveland Command.”
Becca returned fire: “Right, a bunch of white guys who think they know everything and hold all the power. You’re in for a rude awakening.”
“You don’t know much about history or people or anything!” Cricket wanted to shake the nonsense right out of her. She started to walk toward the mayor, and John stepped in front of Becca. “John, you really think after everything we’ve been through that I’d hurt Becca?”
John had nothing to say. He took orders.
“Do you think a drug lord could be operating in this town with that kind of clout and my people and I would know nothing about it?” Becca fumed.
“Maybe all your people aren’t your people.” Fritz walked to the table and picked up a piece of the puzzle. “I’m not the best guy with puzzles. But that doesn’t stop me from working on them.”
“The Patriarchs!” Becca screamed in his face.
“You’re a broken record,” Cricket said with contempt. “Listen to what Fritz is saying. You don’t have to like me or my husband, but we’ve appreciated your kindness here and want to see your city thrive. For God’s sake, you’re the mayor. Figure out who’s lying, who’s telling the truth!”
“Angel is Ajax,” Fritz said, and everyone’s mouth hung open, including the bodyguard’s.
“You’re nuts.” Becca laughed. John glanced around the room, a look that said he worried that everyone had heard the words spoken.
Cricket faced her husband. “That’s a horrible charge, Fritz. Ajax is a monster.”
“Monsters can be attractive,” he said, and his wife blushed.
“I’m seeing Angel in the morning,” Becca said. “I’ll ask him about his drug operation.”
“That’d be a good place to start,” Fritz replied. “Then ask why he thought it was necessary to kill your father.”
Becca screamed as she ran past her bodyguard, aiming for Fritz. John took a step and missed her. Fritz blocked the kicks and punches until Cricket pulled Becca off her husband and shoved her into John’s arms, who held her as she screamed obscenities at them both.
70
Evil Spirits
They elected to cram everything into the Barracuda and were soon out of the house. Sister Marie had the girls dressed and handed their knapsacks and single suitcase to Fritz, who packed the trunk with the rest of their belongings.
“I didn’t trust John as far as I could throw him,” Fritz said, putting the old muscle car in drive and gliding away from Becca’s residence, tiptoeing away from a monster prowling empty rooms.
“Yeah,” Cricket answered, wanting to talk more about everything but unable to with Lily and Lee Ann in the back seat. The girls had lost plenty in one night and didn’t need to hear stories of Becca’s delusions and slavery’s return. She listened to Lily quietly asking Sister about Mrs. Givens, and Lee Ann talking to Diesel as if she needed to prepare him for their uncertain future.
Cricket examined all her feelings for Angel and couldn’t make the connection to a monster. He had saved the baby after the explosion and did his best along with Elaine to make their stay at the mayor’s as comfortable as possible.
The chill that shot through Cricket wasn’t produced by the daily encounters over the last month with Angel, but from her out-of-body travels where Angel had appeared, like a friend passing on the street.
They passed dark streets that remained dark even though nearly every house had dozens of candles burning. Cricket had never seen so many candles, not festive but a ritual to chase away evil spirits. Closer to the river lay businesses and gas stations that had been shuttered for months and wouldn’t open in the morning. It was near midnight, and she prayed everyone would have a warm bed to climb into. She had another child to protect, and placed her hands over the baby in her womb.
“Boots!” Lee Ann yelled from the back seat as Fritz happened to swerve wide of a dead car in the road. Diesel barked and the girls repeatedly yelled, “Stop!”
“Lee Ann, we can’t stop,” Fritz said.
“People are running after Boots!” Lee Ann said.
“They want to hurt her,” Lily added.
Both Cricket and Fritz searched the area. Fritz braked, saying, “I might turn around.”
“And do what?” Cricket said, the car slowing to a stop. “We’re not going to drive the car through backyards chasing the bad guys.”
Sister Marie started to say something about catching a glimpse of the snow leopard when Cricket shoved open the door and leapt from the car.
“Are you crazy?” Fritz tried to keep his voice down.
They were at the top of a hill.
“Meet you at the bottom,” was all she said, aiming for a house’s backyard that ran into a small woods. She had the Colt out, and the cold night air was as unfriendly as every other part of the long, terrible day. But she couldn’t abandon this great cat. She knew that as she ran down the driveway into the woods. The full moon offered enough light to avoid crashing into a tree or branch.
From the voices ahead, she knew she was going in the right direction, and their excitement told her they almost had Boots.
She saw the flashlights and that they had the animal cornered alongside a building. It paced and growled. The lights slashed its body. The instructions sounded like they came from a child. Th
ey were to not kill the beast but wound it with arrows and bring it back to Ajax. This was as much a religious rite as a hunting expedition.
She crept up on the group. Too many of them. They might only have spears, bows, and arrows in hand, but she was sure they carried guns, too. Cricket kept moving closer and saw the leader: a tiny woman with a giant bow twice her height. She had an arrow in its notch and took a step closer to Boots, who was outflanked by humans with long spears.
Boots stood still, eyes glistening.
Cricket had one chance to fire the entire magazine into the air and hope that in the several seconds of confusion, Boots would make her escape. She could slip away, leave the big cat to its fate, and protect her unborn child.
A squeal of excitement started to build among the group, a primitive chant to bring down the animal. Arguments whipped through Cricket in milliseconds. She elected to shoot left to right, not aiming, just a massive outburst to confuse, wound, and hopefully kill a few in the process.
The frenzied yipping overshadowed the Colt as it ruptured the cold night air. Decisively, she pumped all eight rounds from the small cannon into the tribe. Their display of savagery was instantly crippled. They no longer danced, but cried and screamed and fought one another. Two fell to the ground. Boots made her escape, exiting stage right.
Cricket also made her escape, continuing downhill and praying Fritz would be there.
Some were coming after her, but the others, judging by their shouts, had taken off in other directions. Thanks to the heavy air, the hill, woods, and houses nearby, the gun had echoed from many directions, giving the savages pause, introducing confusion.
There were several cars at the bottom of the hill, facing one another in some kind of communication, but only one was alive with precious cargo on board. She spotted the Barracuda’s exhaust.
“Go!” she yelled, diving into the car.
With gasps from the back seat and Diesel barking, Fritz floored the muscle car and they shot down the dark street toward the airport.
71
Gathering
There wasn’t time for a lengthy discussion.
Fritz said, “Our baby—you put our baby in danger. What the hell?”
“Hell makes its appearance if we don’t protect Boots.” She didn’t know why she said it—but she just had, and she believed it beyond any doubt. “I know it now. I sensed it. She knew I was there for her.”
Her husband looked dumbfounded.
“I see people coming!” Lily said.
“Watch out for those cars,” Sister added.
“Boots?” Lee Ann cried out. “Is she okay?”
Directions, quick statements from Fritz for staying alive. Finally Cricket said, “Boots escaped.”
Cricket wondered if the hunters from southeastern Ohio had made their way to Cincinnati with their signature bows and arrows and spears. No modern weapons need apply.
Fritz drove onto the tarmac and signaled a couple of National Guard troops with his lights before stopping.
“Quiet here tonight?” Fritz asked.
“So far. You?”
“Encountered a bunch of weirdos just a mile from here. We left them in the dust. But keep an eye out. How many men do you have?”
“Twenty. We could put the hurt to them mighty fast.”
“Good. See you in the morning. I plan on getting airborne right after the sun comes up. Two big sternwheelers aiming toward us, wanting to load up at the stadium.”
“Heard about that mess. God help them if they survive the firefight.” The guard shook his head, ready to comment further, but saw the girls in the back seat. “Have a good night, Captain.”
The hangar door was closed where the P-51 and Piper Cub sat. A heavy steel side door was open, and Fritz and Cricket walked inside, followed by their crew. Small lanterns made a path toward the lounge where Predator and his buddies slept.
“Wow, I like this place better already,” Lee Ann exclaimed. The lanterns’ soft light dramatically illuminated long sections of each aircraft.
Nearing the door at the back of the hangar, Fritz looked to Cricket, who just shrugged at the sound of talking and laughter and sadly smiled. “These fellas never let any of this brave new world get them permanently down. I’m not that highly developed.”
Fritz reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. He knocked on the door in case anyone was unclothed and on their way to the bathroom. Both water and generator electricity were rationed. All the talking and merriment ceased on the other side of the door.
As the door opened, Diesel gave a short, happy bark and Cricket saw why—Lawrence Davies and his boys had made it to Cincinnati. The girls squealed and ran to Ethan and Caleb and hugged them fiercely. Lawrence took everyone who entered the room into his arms.
Diesel ran to Predator, who lately had been feeding him deer jerky. When Lawrence got to Sister, Cricket watched her friend pause, the joy of the moment infused with the sadness the two of them had borne together over the passing months. Cricket knew also that if Lawrence was staying here only weeks after they had left, something lousy had mowed through the Holaday ranch. Cricket was right.
“The most important thing is that we’re all safe,” Lawrence said. “And that means my in-laws, all our friends, and the animals. But we were overrun. Too many of them.”
“Gangs, slavers?” Fritz asked.
“The hunters. The ones who attacked Cricket in the forest.”
Away from the children, Fritz and Cricket briefed Lawrence on all the gory details of the city that had proudly proclaimed the National Guard wasn’t needed, or any outside help. Model government and citizens in a time of chaos and death.
“Someone in government and the drug trade is in charge of the Coyotes and running the slave business. A full-time job.”
“This woman, the mayor, what’s her role?”
Predator offered his two cents. “She may just be a useful idiot, though a dangerous one. She put a scientist on trial for not accepting global warming. She could do plenty of damage even if Ajax and his army disappeared in the next five minutes.”
“She lost her father tonight,” Cricket said. “They had been keeping him alive. No one knew except a few people and the doctors and nurses. He’d been in a coma after being stabbed and beaten. And now she’s really losing it. I see all her problems, the quick-fixes-with-a-new-law, changing-people’s-behavior crap, but her dad was her anchor, like mine was. From everything I heard he was a decent man, a good man, and that gave Becca a connection to what was decent in life, knowing right from wrong. I’m afraid she lost everything good tonight.”
Cricket went to spend time with the children. She felt her own loss married to Becca’s. She knew the suffering well, watching her father fall out of the sky, burned and broken but still alive, only to be slaughtered, like Becca’s dad at the hospital.
72
Full Assault
The kids laughed as Ethan told stories, and Lily hung on to every word. Lee Ann had circled her arm around Caleb and was content to listen and smile. The two Bobs had scrounged up popcorn and dragged a Smokey Joe outside to pop enough for a small army. When he returned he handed the first bowl to Sister for the kids and said he was going to use the hot coals to cook up fish they had caught that morning. Two guardsmen accompanied him.
Predator, Fritz, and Lawrence stayed huddled, and Cricket seemed content to watch the kids transform into young adults. They had a strength that matched the adults’ in this new world of cruelty. They were already plugged in to the intangibles of love and courage, even self-sacrifice, as Lee Ann had demonstrated not long ago at the Holaday farm by offering herself to a deranged killed to save her sister. At times they had fallen into bitterness, like the adults, especially Caleb with his hatred toward Sister Marie after his mom’s death. But he had found the courage of self-examination and owning his actions.
Several guardsmen protecting the immediate area around the hangar died when the first explosion thundered throug
h the building. Sister, with the help of Ethan and Lily, dragged the other two children onto the carpet. Predator was out the door first, gun drawn, shouting that the attackers had already made it into the hangar and were crawling over the planes.
Fritz and Cricket ran to the lobby, and once assured of no rearguard attack, came to Predator’s aid. Fritz ran smack into a slaver who had run down the wing of the P-51. The punches came slowly due to the confusion, and Fritz fired first, point-blank into the man’s chest. Cricket ran up the wing and pulled several sticks of TNT and a timer from the pilot’s seat. She scrambled down the wing and tripped, missing the step, and rolled onto the floor, dropping the device. Fritz scooped it up and sped to the side door, everyone screaming at him to drop it. He opened the hangar door and flung it at several attackers going through PJ’s and Cub Bob’s pockets. Both men had been dismembered by gun and machete. The back of PJ’s head was missing.
Fritz slammed the door closed and ran to Cricket. He dragged her to the floor, and they both rolled toward a trash barrel for some protection. He covered her with his body.
The explosion stabbed several holes in the hangar, and debris flew over the couple on the floor and struck both aircraft. The blast blew off the door, and Predator yelled, “They’re coming!”
Seen through the explosion’s smoke, the remaining lanterns threw light on the blasted door, where three men and a woman rushed in with guns blazing. Fritz and Cricket shot from a prone position, and Predator added to the flurry of bullets. The three soon lay dead, but both planes had suffered hits.
“Check on Sister and the kids,” Fritz said, and Cricket rolled a few feet away, unsure who would come next through the hangar’s gaping wound. Cricket opened the door to the lounge when more gunfire erupted from the besieged hangar. She slammed the door shut and found her friends stretched out on the carpet against the couch.
American Blackout (Book 3): Gangster Town Page 21
