Hope (8 page)

“Um, Charlie here was making fun of Drew and the girls. Um, anyway, you see, ahh, they, them two began yelling at each other. Ahh, Charlie came over, and before you know it, Drew here was kicking his ass.”

“Is that what you saw?” Tony asked a second man.

“Yes, sir.”

“Okay, so you guys decided to settle your differences, and by the looks of Charlie, the matter is settled, correct?” Tony said.

Everyone, including Drew, nodded in agreement.

“Good, now get Charlie to the doc,” Tony ordered.

Two men carried Charlie’s bloody and battered body away.

Tony cracked his neck, a bad habit he often did before lecturing or admonishing people. He looked at Drew and said, “D, what the fuck? Did you have to beat him so badly? Huh? Charlie’s a good guy, a bit rough and foulmouthed, but he’s a good part of our team. Look at what you did, you busted him up real bad.”

Drew watched as Charlie was carried away. He heard what Tony was saying but didn’t care much about what he had done to Charlie; what he was concerned about was Tony’s reaction. “Sorry, boss.”

“Sorry, boss? That’s it? I let you buy these little brats because you’re a fucking bleeding heart, then you go and wreck one of my men, a valuable part of our team,” Tony said.

“I was afraid he’d kill me. You and I both know what Charlie’s capable of,” Drew said in his defense.

“Yeah, I know, but did you have to get on top of him and pound his head in?”

Drew looked at his bloody hands and bruised knuckles but didn’t answer.

Tony shoved Drew. “I asked you a question.”

“No, boss, I shouldn’t have done that.”

Tony looked at the girls and smirked. “I don’t get you, I just don’t. One second I think you’re becoming a split tail, then you go all Rocky on Charlie.” He reached out, pinched Drew’s cheek then patted it. “Make sure you’re thinking clearly, okay? I think these little brats have got your head all messed up.”

“Yes, boss.”

“Good, now go get cleaned up and keep those little brats inside. You know the men get all weird,” Tony said and walked away.

Drew looked at Charlotte and Hope and said, “Best you go inside.”

Charlotte didn’t hesitate. She nudged Hope, and the two got up right away and hurried towards the barn. As she walked with Hope, Charlotte made up her mind that she needed to escape. She was unsure just how she’d do it, but staying there was not an option.

El Centro, CA

Neal walked into the kitchen, hoping to find a snack, but instead found Karen packing a cardboard box with canned food. He smiled and stepped up behind her. “You’re so sweet.”

“It’s not a matter of being sweet, it’s the right thing to do,” she replied as she kept loading the box.

The box was a gift for Felicia, an elderly lady who lived alone in a house several blocks away. They had offered her a place with them, but she insisted on staying in the house she and her long since deceased husband had first purchased decades ago.

Karen had taken Felicia under her care and every week would take her food and check in on her.

Neal rubbed her shoulders and sighed.

She stopped and turned. “I know you’re mad at Carlos, but what’s done is done.”

“It’s not that.”

“What is it?”

“I’m ashamed of myself,” Neal confessed.

“Why?”

“Because I should have done something. I sat around while Carlos was out there getting shot.”

“You did what you thought was best.”

“But you told me to go, hell, you begged me to go, but I didn’t.”

“It is what it is.”

Neal looked down and shook his head. “I was afraid.”

Seeing the inner turmoil he was feeling, Karen caressed his arm. “I’m sure you were.”

“Not for me, not like that. I’m afraid of something happening to me.”

“That makes—”

He interrupted her by placing his finger on her lips. “Let me finish. I’m afraid for you and Beth. If I die, what will happen to you? It terrifies me to the point of inaction. That’s what happened. I was afraid to go out not because I was fearful of my own death, I’m fearful for yours.”

“I can appreciate that, I can, but you have to trust us. Me and Bethie are tougher than you think.”

“I know, it just plagues my mind,” Neal continued.

“Sweetheart, I want you to know that I love and trust you. We’ve made it this far, and I know in my heart we’ll make it all the way to Alaska or wherever we end up,” she softly and reassuringly said. “Now let me finish packing up these things for Felicia.”

“Let me help you,” Neal said.

“You want to come with us?” Karen asked.

“Sure, that will be great. It’s been a while since I’ve seen that crazy old lady,” Neal jested.

Karen elbowed him in the side and said, “She’s not crazy…she’s unique.”

“You call her unique, but that’s just another word for crazy.”

“I like her a lot. She’s a bit flighty, but I hope I’m as lucid as she is when I’m eighty-two.”

“Birds of a feather.”

“Huh?”

“Ahh, nothing,” he quipped.

“Are you saying I’m crazy?” she asked, placing her hand on her hip as she squinted and leered at him.

“Nope, not at all,” he joked.

She punched him in the arm and went back to packing.

Beth loved the short walk to Felicia’s house. Anything to get out and see the world beyond the four walls of their house made her happy. She skipped and sang as they went.

Neal pulled Beth’s overloaded Red Rider wagon, which towered with boxes and water. He smiled broadly as he watched Beth sing happily. Seeing her so joyful filled him with bliss, which temporarily kept his concerns about their pending trip at bay.

Soon they’d be on the road and heading north. With the truck in their possession there wasn’t anything that would stop them now.

While Carlos healed, they’d plan and pack.

Karen, though, had her mind on Felicia. What would become of her?

“I’m going to ask Felicia to come with us,” Karen said.

“That’s fine. I just don’t see her budging,” Neal replied.

“I’ll convince her. If she doesn’t, she’ll die, you know that.”

“I think she should come with us, but I don’t see her doing it.”

Karen stopped him. They were now feet away from her front door. “Don’t be so cavalier about this.”

“I’m not. I just know she won’t go,” Neal said and pointed at the house. “You see this place? This is her home. Her husband’s ashes sit on the mantel. She raised a child in this old home; she doesn’t know anything else. The only way she’d leave is if we kidnap her.”

“Then we kidnap her.”

“You’re joking.”

“We can’t just leave her.”

“I’m not saying we leave her, but we need to let her do what she wants to do. We can’t force anybody to do anything.”

“You’re right, but we have to try.”

“And try we will.”

“Good, I just wanted to make sure we were thinking the same.”

“We are. Now can we go in?”

They continued down the sidewalk.

“You know what I’m craving right now? Those jarred peaches, did you see those?” Neal asked, referencing a crate of homemade canned peaches that were found in the back of the Suburban.

“I saw them, and I packed a jar for Felicia.”

“That will be a nice surprise,” Neal said just as he knocked.

The door swung open immediately.

“Well, hello, hello,” Felicia said, opening the screen door that separated them. “Come in, please come in.”

Neal was always impressed when he saw Felicia. She was so small and frail, but there was a spirit to her that made her seem powerful. She stood just over five feet and must have weighed a little more than a hundred pounds, but it never stopped her.

As Neal hauled the boxes in, Felicia cleared the chairs in her dining nook so everyone could sit down. “Sorry, I’ve been going through photos. I was never one to scrapbook, but now seemed like a good time.”

Hearing her say this broke Karen’s heart. She knew Felicia was alone. The one child she had lived in Florida and had become estranged over the years. For all intents and purposes, Karen, Neal and Beth were her family.

Beth went directly to the makeshift playroom Felicia had created for her months ago. There she played with toys like Lincoln Logs, Hot Wheels and even a Howdy Doody doll. Neal joked that all the toys were older than him.

Excited to show Felicia the peaches, Karen pulled them from the box Neal was carrying. “Look what we have for you, Felicia.”

Felicia came in from the kitchen, squinting, and asked, “What, dear?”

“Peaches, canned peaches.”

“Oh my, I haven’t had peaches in ages. Let’s open them up,” Felicia said, excited about all the goodies but especially the peaches.

Karen and Felicia disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Neal to unload everything. One by one he brought the boxes and cases of water inside.

“Daddy, something smells bad,” Beth said as she pointed down the hallway.

“Where?”

Beth just pointed.

Neal put the box down and headed down the hallway. Within a few steps a strong fecal odor hit him. He remembered where the powder room was and opened it to discover the toilet had overflowed. He saw that she had removed the cover he had placed on it. Disgusted, he closed the door and walked into the kitchen. There he found the women enjoying the jar of peaches.

“Oh my God, they’re so good,” Felicia cooed.

Karen took a large piece between her fingers and dropped it into her mouth. When she saw Neal, she excitedly grabbed another piece and said, “Sweetie, have one. They’re great.”

He was tempted but wasn’t in the mood after having been in the bathroom. “Sorry, not right now,” he said, then turned his attention to Felicia. “Did you remove the toilet cover in the bathroom?”

“Yes, I thought by now it would be okay to use it; plus I just got tired of going outside in that dirty latrine you dug,” Felicia said with a tinge of guilt.

“You have a mess now in the bathroom,” Neal admonished.

She sheepishly looked at him and said, “Sorry, I thought it would be fine.”

“Well, it’s not.”

“Ease up, Neal,” Karen snapped.

“Fine, I’ll ease up, but I’m not cleaning it up,” Neal said and walked out of the room.

Beth ran by him and into the kitchen. “Yummy, peaches.”

Neal was irritated, but he knew that emotion didn’t originate with Felicia but was an accumulation of everything. He stepped outside and sat on the steps.

Beth came outside with a small bowl of peaches and sat next to him. “You want some?”

“Nah.”

“They’re yummy. Try one, please,” she insisted.

“Sorry, honey, I’m not hungry.”

“Oh, come on.”

“Beth, are you happy?” he asked. It was a question out of left field, but he wanted to know how she felt. He wasn’t sure if she’d answer honestly, but for some reason he needed to know.

“Yes,” she said, her mouth full of peaches.

“Are you scared?”

“Um, no.”

“Ever?”

“Sometimes, but mostly I feel fine.”

“Good.”

“Oops,” she said, looking at the empty bowl.

“You ate them all. I thought you were saving me one,” he teased.

“Sorry.”

“I’m just messing around,” he replied and dipped his finger in the juice and licked it. “Tastes good.”

Several loud cracks of gunfire sounded in the distance.

He craned his head to listen and get the exact location.

Silence.

Nervous, he stood up.

“Daddy…”

“Go inside,” he ordered.

“Why?”

A volley of gunfire cracked and popped in the direction of his house.

“Go, now!” he barked.

Beth dropped the bowl and ran inside. “Mommy, Mommy!”

Neal grabbed his rifle next to the front door and took off for his house.

Random gunshots continued then stopped as suddenly as they had started.

Neal sprinted the first two blocks. When he made the left turn onto his street, he could see the Lincoln and another SUV parked in the cul-de-sac with several men lying on the ground around the vehicles. Knowing what had happened, he increased his pace.

The scream of a woman followed by several shots came from Carlos’ house.

Neal didn’t need to see who screamed; he knew who it was.

Two men exited the front door. The second man was laughing while the first looked angry.

Close to the SUV, Neal took cover behind it just in time to avoid being seen. Sweat streamed down his face and his heart felt like it was going to explode. He had stayed in relatively decent shape, but that sprint had taken a lot out of him.

“Fuck,” the first man cursed.

“At least we got our truck back,” the second man said, patting the other on the back.

“Stay put while I look around,” the first man said.

“I’ll be right here, enjoying this whiskey,” the other man said, sitting down on the steps. He lifted a bottle of Jim Beam and took a sip.

Neal peered around the side of the SUV to get his bearings. He saw the man sitting but had lost sight of the first man. “Where did you go?”

The first man exited not a second later and said, “You gotta see the stash this motherfucker had.”

“I wish you hadn’t killed that tight piece of ass. I could’ve gone for getting my dick wet today,” the second disgustingly joked then took a swig of whiskey.

“That bitch bit me; she had it coming. And that little fucking kid, did you see his head explode?”

Neal heard the entire conversation, and it left his blood boiling. He had enough; he couldn’t stand and listen to these animals anymore. With his thumb he flipped off the selector switch on the M4 and pivoted away from the SUV. He was exposed, but he also had a clear shot. It wasn’t the most tactical thing to do, but right now he was running on anger.

By the time the men saw him, Neal had fired several shots.

Those shots hit the man on the stairs squarely in the chest. He reeled back from the impact then slumped over.

The first man reached for a holstered pistol, but Neal had sighted him in and squeezed off two more rounds. Like the other shots, these hit true too.

The man recoiled, hit the side of the house, and slid down. He was dead before his body settled onto the steps.