Operation Wolfe Cub: A Chilling Historical Thriller (THE TIME TO TELL Book 1) (30 page)

Al kept on chopping. “More cost savings and all, I know. Heard y’ before, but she corners like hell.”

Eddie picked up his axe and started chopping again. “I told you this before, I know I did. The cornering comes from the front wheels, not the rear ones. Maybe you need your ears cleaned.”

Al paused to adjust his glasses. “I know th’ first time you said was,
uh
, ‘bout a year ago, I think. But you can’t travel fast with a design like ‘at. Not safe. Maybe that’s why the Pribil comp’ny went outta business. You ever applied thinkin’ into that?”

Eddie stopped for a second to feel the cutting edge of his axe. More perturbed, he started chopping a little harder.
“No, Al, guess not. Here’s one for you I bet you don’t know. Mr. Ray Harroun was one of the main partners of Alexius R. Pribil.”

“What? Ray Hurray? Who’s ‘at?”

“They worked together inventing the Pribil camper car. So you don’t know who Ray Harroun is?”

“Nope, can’t say I do…he the inventor of the squirrel cage wheel ’r somethin’? You know them squirrels get rollin’ pretty good, don’t you think?
Hu hu
.”

Eddie looked at Al in the most peculiar way, “
Ha ha
, very funny…he was the winner of the Indianapolis Five Hundred—eight times. I think he was the very first winner of the Indianapolis too. That’s who he was…don’t talk about how fast it goes because it’s not meant for speed.”

Al looked genuinely sad. “Well,
uh
, sorry…didn’t mean to offend your Prickle, or whatever it’s called. Still unsafe, though, you have to admit that right here.”

Eddie just kept working. “They didn’t call it the ‘Pribil Safety Aircar Company’ for nothing, you know. It’s safe for cornering. The triangular frame is made of vanadium; it doesn’t bend.”

Al puckered his lips. “Oh? Vanadium? There y’ go with your fancy words again…why’d they call it an air car company anyway? It’s not like it flies or anythin’ like ‘at.”

“Because it’s crafted from aircraft-quality design, you bozo. Look at it. Those narrow wheels in the rear are not only efficient, light, and safe—they go along with the looks. You see anything about that teardrop that’s different?”

“Now that you mention it, it does look like a—fat, short, aero-plane without wings, doesn’t it?”

Eddie threw his axe aside, then picked up his saw. “That does it…one more smart-ass remark and I’ll talk about something of yours.”

Al dropped his axe. “No-no-noooo…you got me wrong. I’m jokin’ with ya. I was just—”

“Hell, Al, I know how smart you are. I didn’t think you knew about this teardrop design, though. The body slopes back to the rear wheels. This completes the look of the only true teardrop design to this day. It’s a real teardrop, not just the partial, flat teardrop that most trailers have.”

Al perched his hand beneath his chin, thinking with that oh-so-unflattering expression of his. “Oh? There’s a difference?”

“Yes, I’m telling you…it’s a three-dimensional teardrop.”

Al suddenly looked like he had lost interest. He couldn’t remember where he dropped his axe until he stepped on it. He then picked it up and continued, “I didn’t know that. Well, still, you should know that Chantain was tryin’ like hell to speed in it this morn and it was swayin’. Teardrop, wingless, aero-dynamic, three-wheeler ’r not. I saw it, and I don’t wanna see one-a-you wreck ’n get hurt. That’s the truth… take it ’r leave it.”

Eddie calmed right down. He picked up his cut limbs and began to throw them into a pile not far away. As he walked back and forth, he said, “Yeah well, that’s life…that’s Chantain. I can’t teach her nothing. I told her that the instructions said not to drive the damn thing over forty-five.”

Al rubbed his nose and wiped his glasses. “I didn’t mean to pop off so much. Ain’t nobody never heard of a home with a motor before. That’s really what it’s about. I c’n see that. Maybe they should’ve called it the motorized home or somethin’ like ‘at?”

“That’s ridiculous…call it a what? A
motorhome
? It’s a camper car, for Christ sake. You
camp
with it. You don’t see motors sitting around in your living room do you? Sounds like you’re stepping in grease everywhere,
sheesh
.”

“I do like teardrop trailers, y’ know. Been thinkin’ about buying one f’r myself to tow behind my car.”

Eddie grinned. “What? You mean that hot, stinkin’ heifer of yours?”

“You aren’t talkin’ about my wife, are ya?”

“Noooo, I’m talking about the stupid car you drive.”

Al looked behind him, then all around before shaking a finger. “Oh…my Lincoln Zephyr…well, well…it is hot, isn’t it? With twelve cylinders ’n all. How many cylinders yours got?”

“
Four
, damn it! It’s efficient. Don’t need anymore.”

“Oh, that’s a third the car mine is…three times four makes twelve.”

Eddie started throwing the branches on his pile a little harder. “Let’s talk about something else, can we? This is getting on my nerves.”

Al seemed genuinely cooperative. “Oh, well, okay…my baby, Arlis…yeah he’s doing fine, growin’ like a weed.”

“Yeah, well, how’s Julie been with her knitting? I don’t care about your kid right now.”

“Boy, that Arlis…he sure is a bundle.”

Eddie wiped the sweat off his forehead, looking just a tiny bit on the nervous side. “
Ahem
…I wonder what the weather’ll be like tomorrow. What do you think?”

Al started pitching in with piling up the branches. “I think Arlis is goin’ to be a big kid…say…my wife and me, well,
uh
…we saw you carryin’ a clean, white bundle…looked like a baby’s head stickin’ out of it. You came from right over there yonder I think—today. What’s with ‘at?”

Eddie glared at his axe, then reached for it and started swinging again. “You sure do have a knack, I’ll tell you what.”

Al stepped away from the flying wood chips and smiled. “I’ll take that as a compl’munt. So where’s it from?”

“He’s not from anywhere. He’s mine.”

Al dropped his bundle of limbs, squinting preposterously. “
Your
baby? I thought you couldn’t have kids. You’re shot up down there, right?”

“That’s right—I can’t. I found him.”

“You found him? Where?
Ha
, nooo. In the storm? Lay it on me, ‘cause that’s goin’ to be hard to—”

“
Ah
, knock it off, Al. I was down at the cliffs at the head of Port Rock. Major and I. We found us a wrecked, abandoned boat. I found him there.”

“You’re not kidding, are you? Were there any others? You know, surviv’rs? Women or somethin’ like ‘at?”

“Nope. Just the baby.”

“Well, why would you want a baby? You got it made. I mean—you ‘n Chantain can jump around like rabbits ‘til y’r hearts’ content and not worry ‘bout a thing.”

“That part’s nice. You already have kids, though. If I could have just one, I might be able to keep Chantain around. I wouldn’t go to pot then.”

“I didn’t quite catch all ‘at.”

Eddie stopped what he was doing. “Hell, you know it’s true, Al…you’re not letting me in on one of the biggest secrets in all the town of Devil’s. A kid might save my marriage, marriages save people, people save towns.”

Al looked off into the nearby tree line, as if he were bothered. “You didn’t get that from me. Why didn’t I come up with ‘at? Come at me again? Did I hear you say kids ‘n marriages, people and what? Saving towns?”

“Something like that, Al.”

“Y’r pretty good for not havin’ any-a-those little shits in y’r house.”

Eddie kept working. “It’s true, damn it…I know that you know it…give it up.”

Al faced Eddie as he scratched himself. “Devil’s gotta keep quiet somewhere, I guess. I admit it’s hard work. Well… y’r right on one thing. Julie never worries ‘bout me runnin’ around anymore. I ain’t as good lookin’ as you, but—I sure had my share of wild women, I tell ya.”

“Oh yeah? Al the Great Woman Slayer with four eyes.”

“Yeah, man, I tell ya…just put a bag over their head…I didn’t care. My wife knew it too. That’s why she nailed me to the cross ‘n got pregnant.”

Eddie stopped in the middle of his swinging. “So
she
wanted to get pregnant and
you
didn’t?”

“That’s right…a lotta men are like ‘at I thought. It was all three pregnancies, in fact. I was a wild mess half th’ time and couldn’t get her fat-ass off’en me. I have to say though, if it weren’t for her, I’d probably be dead. I had to give up a lotta shit when the little farts came around. I’m a new man now…guess you can call me ‘accoouuntable.’ Dependable as the—day is long,
ha
. Who woulda thought.”

Eddie started chopping again. “See, for me it’s just the opposite.”

“Opposite? How’s ‘at?”

“I think Chantain doesn’t want kids. I do. I’ll know for sure if she wants one pretty soon, though.”

“
Hmmm
, you two would be up a creek without a paddle if neither-a-you want kids...
hmmm
, kids save towns, marriages, and…what else you say?”

“Never mind what I said. We’d both be maniacs…burning down villages…blowing up everyone if I can’t get this family thing going.”

Al bent down, picking up sticks. “There you go again… do us a favor…take out a knife ‘n stab yourself ‘cause you won’t be saving the town, I tell ya that,
ha ha
….kids work all right, so there y’ go…I know about it. I’m surprised y’found out.”

“Yes, that’s what I thought…one of those secrets nobody wants to share…this kid I found might work.”

Al started walking in a circle, thinking with his hands clasped. Then he came back around to face Eddie shaking his head, looking half-worried. “
Hmmm
, I don’t know….th’ kid’s not hers...no, won’t work.”

“What?”

“I said I don’t think it’ll work…she’s as good as not having a kid. Maybe worse—he’ll be some kinda stepchild now with her.”

“Al, you were just talking straight for once. What the hell?”

“No, let me tell ya…my wife and I? We think the same. There ain’t-a-whole lot…I mean there’s not a lotta breakups goin’ ‘round…I hate to say but—if there
was
any, I’d lay th’ odds on you ‘n Chantain.”

Eddie stepped back. “What? What kinda crap’s that? Thanks for nothing.”

“Sorry, but it’s true. I’m talkin’ straight…I didn’t know you before you got injured. You might-a-been different back then; I don’t know. You two just seem like you’re headed there, that’s all. The little snots ‘n runny noses helped me but—a strange kid ain’t gonna help you. I gotta give y’ credit for thinkin’ that way, though.”

“We’re not headed for divorce. This’ll work—you watch. I think it’s time I go get cleaned up. Thanks for helping me out or whatever. Talk to you later.”

“
Huh
? Oh, that quick? Here, just a few more sticks on the pile…sure thing. Guess I gotta go too, I suppose…
hmmm
, I wish y’ luck. I’m done from here. Let me know how it goes.”

Eddie’s cutting job seemed finished too. Just as he began hobbling away with an armful of axes and saws, he looked back at Al squinting up into the gray clouds.

Al turned around to say, “Hey, Eddie, y’ better get that big burn pile-a-yours lit up. Look up…we ain’t seen the last-a-the weather yet, I’m afraid.”

When Al made it back to his home down the road, he casually stepped up to the porch and then looked back to see if Eddie was watching him. He wasn’t, so he barged through his front door like a fireman entering a burning house to save someone. “Julie! Where are you? Julie! Where you at? I can’t find ya!”

“I’m out in back!”

He darted through the kitchen, nearly slipping off his feet, then blasted through the back screen door of the porch, nearly scaring his wife half out of her wits, “You’re not going to believe this, Julie!”

Julie dropped her dirty clothes by the wringer washing machine and backed up against the wall. As she stood there shivering from fright in her thin nightie, she barely sputtered, “Wha-wha-what’s the matter? You scared the tar outta me, darn it. You all right?”

“Yes, ‘course I am. Eddie ‘n the baby I thought I saw? Excuse me, gotta catch my breath…okay, this morn? It
was
a baby. Get this. It’s
his
.”

Julie gasped, “What do you mean it’s his? What the heck did he do? Go out and find it under a rock ‘r somethin’?”

“Yu-yeah. How’d y’ guess? Port Rock to be exact! Did y’ call Chantain about it?”

“No. You were supposed to snoop, not me.”

Al nodded. “I did…he found th’ baby inside a wrecked boat by Port Rock. There was nobody there, and that’s why it’s all
his
.”

“Well, I never heard such a…” Julie piled up Al’s arms with clothes all the way over his head until he couldn’t see anymore.

Al let out a muffled protest, “Hey-hey-heyyy!”

“Do the wash. Straighten up your back, will you? You’re hunching again.”

“Where y’ goin’?”

“I’ve got to take supper off the stove so it won’t burn. Then I’m gonna find my sweater and march right over to hear Chantain’s side-a-this.”

“Better change outta those nighties ‘n slippers. You’re showin’.”

Julie hurried inside. “I’ll put a sweater on…where’s my sweater?”

“I don’t know. Look upstairs.”

Julie spoke from inside the house, “Oh, Al…wring the clothes all out too, will you? I can’t find my sweater…oh, dear…don’t wanna dress.”

Al stood there like a clothes basket with two legs before he finally dropped them back to the floor. More pressing issues came to him, such as listening to Julie opening and closing doors and bickering with herself as she moved throughout the house. “Why, I never. They ain’t good enough…that child belongs to somebody…don’t they know that? Chantain’s no mother. She’s a bitch…Eddie’s goin’ to kidnap the poor thing.”

Back over at the Coolidge house, things seemed to be quite calm. Eddie had hobbled down the hallway and into the bathroom, where he was actively cleaning himself up. He splashed water on his face then hung his head low in the sink to think. Something was weighing on his mind, and it showed. Still, he carried on with what he was doing. He stood up straight to take his shirt off and started mixing some shaving cream.