Black Horse (Breaking Black) (11 page)

There were voices. A young child spoke in a raised tone, yelling, screaming at someone. The sound was immediately followed by the sound of a car door slamming shut and wheels screeching into the distance. As Anna came to the door in a panic, she saw the rear headlights of her son’s truck veering off into the distance. At her feet, with bewildered eyes, a dirty face and shaking hands was her clearly traumatized grandson, Colton McClain.

***

Anna couldn’t believe her eyes. Her grandson, her precious boy that she never thought she would see again. He was visibly shaken, his tiny hands jerked from side to side involuntarily. Anna wondered what he say that would cause him such distress.

“Come my love, Granny will take care of you…” Anna said sweetly as she picked Colton up.

As he laid his head to her breast, the child broke into hysterics.

“Momma…” he cried.

Anna cast a nervous look at the horizon. Holding the child tight to her chest, she rushed inside and locked the door handle, dead bolt and chain lock, securing them inside.

***

“Okay, little one… Let’s go see if we can do something about getting you some clothes and supplies,” said Anna talking to Colton as she wiped down an old stroller that used to belong to her niece.

With a wet paper towel she wiped off the dust that had gathered on the tray and laid a patchwork crocheted blanket over the seat and sat the toddler in, not seeming to know the difference. She gave him a plastic cup with cheerios and the toddler happily ate them as he looked forward to the walk in the sunshine. Though it was brisk outside, the sun shone brightly. Anna placed another blanket on Colton’s legs and tucked it tightly across, so that he would not get cold.   

Anna pushed the stroller up the steep path towards town. Colton peered at the sky from the stroller, admiring the bright blue of the sky. There was another mother pushing a stroller up ahead, Anna couldn’t make out who it was, but the other woman clearly recognized Anna. She waved and looked happy to see her.

“Anna! Is this Colton?” Corinne Ford asked her, looking pleased to see that she was spending time with her grandson.

“The one and only. He will be staying with me.”

Anna bent down to look at the woman’s child.

“Averi is getting so big! Look at those sweet little curls! She looks a lot like Nathan.”

“She sure is! She will be three years old shortly. She is daddy’s little girl, for sure.”

“Colton just turned 3…”

“Is everything okay, Anna? You looked stressed.”

Anna eyed her friend precariously and as the women pushed their respective strollers, Anna told her what had transpired.

“He just left him there?! In the middle of the night?!”

“Yes. Poor child. I have no idea what has happened to Jessa. She would not let Colton out of her sight.”

“Oh, my… What if you hadn’t woken up right away?!” Corrine asked in shock.

“Honestly? I don’t think my son cares. I’m so embarrassed. You cannot tell a soul. I’m just so relieved that Colton is okay.”

“Anna, you cannot blame yourself for Tom’s behavior. You tried. It was more than most mother’s would be able to deal with.”

Anna shrugged. It was a topic that made her question her effectiveness as a mother. She felt indirectly responsible for the actions of her son.

“Send it up to God, Anna. That’s all you can do. So where are you off to today?”

Anna smiled at Corrine. She was always so kind. Though Anna lived on a fixed income, Corinne belonged to the upper middle class. Her husband Nathan was a powerful attorney who had an office in San Antonio but mostly worked out of his home office now, to be closer to his family. Anna was always surprised by Corrine’s kindness. Though Anna had at least twenty five years on the young mother, she didn’t seem to mind at all.

“We are actually headed to the children’s store to see if we can find Colton some clothing, diapers and such. It has been quite some time since I’ve had a child in my house.”

“Would you mind the company? Averi could always use some more dresses. And Randy and Timmy have worn down their sneakers again. I swear… I just bought them new Converses three weeks ago.”

Anna smiled, “Boys will be boys, and of course you’re welcome to join us. I’d love the company.”

The two mothers meandered up the path and made a right onto Carpenter Lane where there was a variety of boutiques for children, second hand shops and even a spot where they could stop for a bite to eat once they had worked up an appetite.

Corinne and Anna flicked through the clothes inside the children’s consignment shop. Though Corinne could afford name brand clothing for her children, she didn’t see anything wrong with purchasing lightly worn threads from the Born Again Children’s Consignment Shop. She loved the frilly dresses she could find for Averi, and she had no trouble finding wash and wear threads for the boys. Anna found this quality of Corinne’s to be refreshing. She never felt as if her friend was judging her. They had each found a handful of clothing, plus several pairs of shoes for each toddler.

Next, the ladies pushed the children next door to the children’s shop where Anna could stock up on supplies for Colton. When Corinne took a look at the state of the stroller that Anna was pushing Colton in, she directed her to the aisle where the new models were kept. There was a light blue one that had a durable tray for snacks, removable seat cushions and even a place for Anna to hang a diaper bag. Anna thought, wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could purchase that for him so he’d be more comfortable. She flipped the price tag over, and had a case of sticker shock. The stroller cost $219.

Anna walked away pushing Colton away from the high priced stroller.

“Is that the one you want?” asked Corinne.

“It is much too expensive,” said Anna.

Corinne waved for the sales clerk to come over. As Anna was browsing children’s toys in another aisle, Corinne told the clerk to take the stroller to the register, and she put a diaper bag and sweet sailor suit in the cart, too.

“Put it on my platinum card. I’ll be up shortly,” she said holding the card up to the clerk that knew her well.

When Anna had realized what her friend had done she was amazed and so thankful. She immediately transferred Colton over to the new stroller, folded her blankets and put them in the bottom basket and asked the store clerk to discard the ancient stroller with their weekly trash.

The children were beginning to get hungry so the kids stopped off at for something to eat at Summer’s Bar and Grille, which was something of a local hot spot. As they all sat down to their lunch, the conversation resumed.

“Do you think that he will come back?” asked Corinne with a concerned look on her face.

Anna slowly chewed her garden salad as she processed Corinne’s question.

“Honestly… I think he’s on the run. Ten to one he is in Mexico somewhere.”

“Maybe Nathan can help you gain custody of Colton?”

“We’ll play it by ear. One thing is for sure. I do not trust Tom alone with the boy. Tom has his father’s nasty streak in him.”

As the ladies talked, Colton and Averi made faces at each other from across the table. Averi threw a french fry at Colton. Colton smiled and ate it. Then, realizing that Colton bested her at her game, Averi reached over and took two french fries from his tray.

“I just hope he doesn’t have plans to come back around here…”

As the words escaped her mouth, an urgent news report came over the TV. Anna’s attention was caught and her breath was held. Her son’s face was on the TV.

“Tom McClain is wanted for questioning in relation to a double homicide in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, that involves his wife, Jessa McClain and police office John Radcliffe. It is not clear what relationship Jessa and John had. When authorities went to Tom’s house to question him, it appeared that no one was home and the house was ransacked. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Tom McClain are asked to call our Fight Crime hotline at 1-800-555-9264.”

Before Anna could say a word, every head in the restaurant had turned towards her, staring
nervously. With a gaping mouth and bewildered eyes, her hands shook as she asked for the check.

Chapter Sixteen

Outlaw

March 30, 1991

Mexico

Tom McClain had earned his nickname Black Horse from the Mexican people in the small town of Abasolo. Border patrol shot out the front wheels of his truck as he rammed the gate across the U.S./Mexico border. That didn’t stop him though. He ran on foot, storming through the desert. Hiding in abandoned shacks and working as a farm hand. He stole a black mustang and headed further south. No one knew his name, they only knew him for his crime. That horse became his accomplice; more durable and trustworthy than any truck or car, in Tom’s opinion.

There was nothing special about the horse. In fact, most horse owners would have shot it. Not for being lame, but for being volatile. Tom McClain and his ebony steed were one and the same. Unwanted creatures with a heart crafted by the devil, himself. Only Tom could tame the horse, and only a ride on his horse’s back could distemper Tom.

The wanted posters only said they were looking for a white male, mid 30s and a black horse. The more Tom spent atop his horse’s back, the tanner his skin became, and soon nobody could tell that he was an Irishman’s son.

***

Sweat beaded down Black Horse’s back as he held a woman on his lap. She grinded up and down upon him, throwing her head back in ecstasy. Her breasts bounced with the movement hitting her swollen belly as she made love to the man she hoped would soon marry her. While she looked enthralled, he simply looked bored.

“I’ve had my fill, Lili!” he said as he threw her to the bed.

“I haven’t.”

“I’m not here for your needs, remember?”

“But what about the baby…?”

“It hasn’t even arrived yet.”

“Will you be back in time for the birth?”

“Doubtful. Here,” said Black Horse as he grabbed his wallet. He threw down five hundred pesos on the bed as if paying her for her services.

“I was thinking of naming him James.”

A flicker of anger flashed across Black Horse’s face.

“Why James?”

“I think it’s a beautiful name…”

“It was my bastard father’s name.”

“James Thomas McClain…”

“Don’t you give that boy my last name! No one down here knows my identity!” Black Horse shouted angrily.

“Fine. James Thomas Hearns.”

Lili Hearns had moved with her father down to Mexico after he was caught embezzling funds from the church rescue fund. One day she hoped to return home to Oakeley, Texas, where her mother lived. Lili patted her belly as she gave Black Horse a longing stare.

Before she could say another word, a shouting voice from outside alerted Black Horse that the police were coming.

A neighbor cried out, “Policia, policia!”

With thunderous speed, Black Horse pulled up his jeans, pulled on his cowboy boots, buttoned his short sleeve black shirt and threw on his cowboy hat. In less than a moment’s time he was on horseback storming away from his mistress’ ramshackled house, bolting for the border.

Never in a million years did Black Horse think that he’d be running for the Texas border, a place where there were seven warrants for his arrest.