Authors: J. Richardson
One
of the men smiled, “W
ell,
where are you two headed?”.
Jack
didn't slow down and said, “Just into town”.
The
darker of the two turned and fell in beside Jack and the other one
dropped a little behind. “What'cha got in the bag, old man?”
“
N
ot
your concern,” said
Jack.
He moved
his
hand to the case on his belt. Cody pulled
the
cart and
looked
very
nervous. Jack turned
and
gave
him
a wink. He
noticed
the
guy that had
been
checking out the car, leaned
on
the top and watched. The man that had
fell
back said, “Damn, must be something good in that bag”.
Jack stopped
now,
these
slimes were not just going to walk on.
Cody
stood
still
beside him, his voice was not that steady but he said,
“
Dude,
why don't you guys just go on where you are headed, we don't have
anything but some water and a Snicker's.”
The
man beside the bag, stepped up and pulled out a short bladed knife.
Jack smoothly pulled the 380 from the case and looked right at the
grubby face, “Sorry,
dude,
bullet trumps blade”
and he raised the automatic. The guy slashed at Jack's forearm and he
lowered the gun and shot, hit the guy in the foot. The man fell to
the ground, “The crazy ole som-bitch shot me! Ow-w-w”.
The partner backed up and Cody backed up, he moved in the direction
that he and Jack had been headed. Jack picked up the knife that the
injured guy dropped and flung it as far as he could, out into the
high weeds beside the road. The man that was by the locked car had
taken off running. Jack, the gun still in hand, walked backwards for
a bit. The injured guy howled and held his foot, the other guy was
trying to calm him down. Jack felt the caddy at his heel. He said,
“Go Cody, MOVE!” He turned and the two of them, in not
quite a run but moving fast, put some distance between them and the
two guys.
About
fifteen minutes down the highway, with no sign of the attackers
behind them they stopped under a shade tree near the shoulder. They
had moved over a rise and around a curve, Jack didn't think the
idiots were following them. He had to stop and rest for a bit, blood
trails striped down his arm but it looked like it had nearly stopped
bleeding. Now his feet really ached and his hips were beyond cramped.
Cody had not spoke a word and he looked pretty pale, he still had a
death grip on the caddy.
Jack
looked him in the face, “Cody, sit down and look in the bag.
There's a package of those nasty wipe things in there.” The kid
dropped down on the ground and dug the antiseptic wipes out of the
bag and a bottle of water, handed it to Jack. Jack took a deep drink,
dribbled some water down his arm and handed the bottle to Cody. He
started to clean the cut with the wipe, at least it probably had some
kind of soap in it. There wasn't anything to wrap it but somewhere in
that bag was a tube of neosporin...Beth bought that stuff by the
gallon and they both called it
magic elixir
.
Cody
gave a not so sincere laugh, “Mister, that really scared me”.
Jack
was tired and he hurt, he dropped his head back against the tree
trunk and laughed hard, tears squeezed out of his eyes. “Me
too, son. Those guys were trouble. You did good. Get that candy out
and I will share with you. Let's get moving”. He gulped down a
couple of his headache pills with a swig of warm water and they
started back along the road.
At least, that little episode has
moved us
a little further than we
probably would be.
In two more hours or so they would be in the edge of town, maybe
close to where Cody needed to go.
Cody
insisted that he pull the caddy. Jack knew it wasn't really all that
easy, he had drug that cart over many a miles of golf greens, loaded
with clubs. His arm throbbed, a little better though since the pills
kicked in. The boy was young, he let him pull. After a little over
two hours, Cody said, “Over there, Jack, that's my uncle's
house.” A small frame house sat back off the highway. On the
front porch, a man leaned against the post, a cigarette in his cupped
hand. Jack could see he was wearing camo pants and boots. The man
squinted at the two of them, Cody yelled, “Lee!”. The man
threw down the cigarette, mashed it out with his boot, ran out and
grabbed the kid in a bear hug. “Dam-mit, you goof, I was
worried sick about you.”
“
Lee,
this is Jack. He let me walk with him all the way from the county
line”. Jack stuck his hand out and the ex-soldier noticed
the
gashed arm.
Lee says, “Nice
to meet you. Why don't you come in and let me fix up that arm a bit.
You and the genius here, can tell me the story behind that.”
Jack
knew he needed to keep moving but the events of the day had caught up
to him. He followed the two into the little house. Not an excess of
furniture or decoration, the place was neat and clean. Lee told Jack
to sit in the recliner, the best seat in the compact living room and
he went to get some first aid supplies. Cody sauntered into the
kitchen, came back with a Dr. Pepper and a beer for Jack. Jack said,
“No thanks. What I really need is for you to get in that bag
again, bring out a bottle of whiskey and pour me about two fingers.”
Cody
pushed his hair behind his ear, “Two fingers?” Jack held
out two fingers together to show the kid about how much. The chair
felt so amazingly good. He probably shouldn't, it was going to make
it hard as hell to get moving again. He needed a shot bad at the
moment. Cody came back with a coffee mug, asked Jack to say when. He
put the bottle back in the bag and plopped down on the well worn
sofa.
Lee
came in, looked at the cup and said, “Looks like you got some
medicine”. He cleaned and wrapped the wound and said, “Cut
doesn't look very deep, I am sure it will be sore as all get out”.
Cody
with great enthusiasm, told the story of the encounter. He described
in great detail and said, “Uncle Lee, you should have seen the
look on that A-hole's face when Jack shot him in the foot!”.
Jack and Lee exchanged a look.
Lee
said, “Probably not going to get any better up ahead”
“
I
think you're right” Jack replied. He forced
himself
up out of the chair, “I'm not that far now, from home, I have
got to get moving. My wife will be so worried.”
“
Just
sit for a little longer and rest, we will be sure you get on your
way.” Lee and Cody nod to each other.
Jack
eased back into the chair, just couldn't seem to keep his eyes open,
soon he was out. He woke up a bit disoriented, Cody shook his
shoulder. It had only been an hour but he slept like a dead man. It
was dusk, the creeping dark moved in fast and he pushed himself up
from the chair. He said, “I've got to go.” Lee stood in
the doorway of the tiny kitchen.
“
Hey
man, I've got this old four wheel ATV out back. I haven't used it
much lately because I don't have a trailer. Not much riding room
around this little place. Anyway, I do keep it running. It's not a
speedball or anything, I think you can sit on the rack in the back. I
have already tied your bag on, got it pulled around front. I can get
you home a lot faster than those feet”.
Jack
thinks it sounds better than a cadillac limo at this point. They
moved out to the porch, the light was nearly gone and it was eerie to
see no lights anywhere in sight. Lee said, “No head lights, so
you'll have to hold this flashlight.” Jack climbed on the rack,
not real comfy but no complaints. Cody cleared the two front steps,
walked over and stuck his hand out to Jack, “Thanks Jack, for
getting me home.”
Jack
shook the hand, grinned and said, “It was nice to meet you kid,
take care of yourself.”
The
ATV was purring and Lee spoke above the noise, “Cody, I don't
think this will take me much more than an hour. You go inside and
lock up. Don't open for anybody but me.”
“
Gotcha”,
with a wave he turned
and
went
inside.
The ATV rumbled
it's
way toward the road, Jack pointed
the
flashlight they twisted
their
way between the cars in the very last glow of daylight.
***
It
was completely dark outside now and inside the house, an hour or so
earlier the rooms had lost the last hints of daylight. Beth lit the
lanterns in the kitchen and bedroom and a candle in the bathroom, off
of their bedroom. A large candle burned on the mantle in the living
room, which was open to the kitchen and small dining area. On the
kitchen stove, covered in foil, sat the grilled pork chops, a pot of
vegetable beef soup, and a pot of chili. She had opened a can of
beans and warmed them and cut up about half of the tomatoes and fresh
vegetables that were left. She even had some cornbread, Jack's
favorite, made in a skillet with a lid on the propane burner. A
pitcher of tea sat on the counter, although after today there won't
be ice. She treated herself to a glass of wine with an ice cube in
it. Beth realized that it wasn't classy to have cold wine, she didn't
give a rat's ass...she liked her wine cold. She perched on a stool at
the kitchen bar, the revolver on the hard surface in front of her.
She was really tired from more activity than she was used to and
stress. The wine made her even more sleepy. She didn't feel
comfortable going to the bedroom and getting in bed or even going to
her comfy chair or the sofa. It was so darn quiet and still, every
little sound seemed magnified. She could see a few very dim glows
like hers, in a window or two.
The
counter top was cold and soon her head rested
on
her arm. She dozed
with
her hand on the gun, one slip-on sandal dangled
from
her foot. Lights flashed
across
the oven front and there was a noise. Half asleep and not really sure
what she saw or heard, she jumped
up,
gun in her hand. She tried
to
barely crack the blind and see out in the blackness. Some kind of
motorcycle or four wheeler was parked in the drive. She caught
a
glimpse of two figures moving around to the front of the house.
Was that her heart
pounding out of her chest or was it pounding on the front door
.
She eased
quietly
into
the entry of the front door and thought,
Maybe
it's just someone I know. How can the damn bad guys sniff out the
first opportunity for mischief and mayhem!
Both hands held
the
gun down, she stood
terrified.
She tried
to
see through the slit in the blinds, the front porch was so dark that
she
could
only
make out a couple of sets of feet.
“
Beth,
BETH! Are you there? Open up Beth.” Relief flooded
over
her, “Jack”... she laid
the
gun on the chair nearby and unlocked. As soon as the door swung
back,
she pulled him inside, held
him
tight. Lee stood
in
the doorway. Jack said, “C'mon in Lee.” Beth let go long
enough to lock up again. She turned
and
placed
both
hands on the sides of his face. “God, I am glad you're home”.