There's Blood on the Moon Tonight (26 page)

             
“Why is that a problem?” Tubby asked. 

             
Josie and Rusty looked to Bud, afraid to betray his trust, even if it was to anothe
r
Cree
p
.

             
To Bud’s credit he didn’t hesitate at all. He smiled at Tubby and held up the gun. “They’re worried because they know I stole this shotgun—along with several other weapons like it in the Bunker.”

             
Tubby nodded as if this was the most natural statement he’d heard all day. “So if Festus checks out the serial number on the shotgun…”

             
“Which he’s bound to do. And seeing as how I’m already on his shit list…”

             
“Then he’ll just naturally assume the worst.”

             
“That’s not the worst of it,” Josie said, turning on Bud. “Go on, Buddy boy. Tell him what’ll happen if you get in any more trouble with the law. Tell him!”

Bud leaned up against a tree and proceeded to tell Tubby about his stay in the mental care facility, over in Beaufort. He didn’t go into any detail over his mother’s murder; he would leave that for his friends to relate more tactfully. Just that he’d witnessed the whole thing and had had a breakdown because of it. “Then last year, when I got in a fight with Charlie Noonan, they sent me back there.”

              “With a warning that next time he might have a more indefinite stay!” Josie seethed.

             
Bud looked over at her, startled at her livid reaction. He couldn’t tell if Josie was angry with him or at the circumstances. Despite being one of the guys, Big Red was still enough of a girl to be a mystery to him.

             
Tubby got back to the subject at hand, the answer obvious to him. “So, we don’t tell anyone, that’s all.”

             
Rusty looked pained to point out the obvious. “Tubby, that dog had rabies. Maybe the deadliest disease in the whole world! We
have
to tell the authorities. What if a scavenging animal comes upon it? Shit, what if it
already
spread the virus? Before you know it half the wild animals on Moon could have the damn disease!”

             
“Which in turn will spread it to the domestic animals, then on to their human owners,” Bud said.

             
“Then lets bury it before all that happens.” Without further ado, Josie did an about-face and marched back down the path, purposely ignoring Rusty’s suggestion that the dog might’ve already spread the disease. She wasn’t going to let Bud get in any hot water over this mess—no matter how hell-bent he was on his own destruction.

             
The three boys exchanged bewildered looks before giving chase. Rusty tried to reason with her, pulling on her coat. “Hold up, Big Red!  Listen to me! If only a little bit of that dog’s body fluid gets into our bloodstream—”

             
“And there’s so
much
of her,” Bud continued, “all over those damn trees! We’ll never get it all!” He grabbed her by the arm and yanked her to a stop.

             
She glared up at him, daring him to contradict her any further. “Then we burn the bitch, and be done with it!”

             
                        *******

Rusty and Tubby waited topside, while Josie and Bud went inside the Bunker to put the shotgun away. Tubby wanted to have a look-see, but an invitation wasn’t yet forthcoming. He couldn’t get over the fact he was friends with someone who possessed stolen firearms! He looked over at Rusty and wondered why he’d remained behind.

              Gnat was looking around apprehensively.

             
“You know it’s dead, right? The dog?”

             
Rusty fiddled with his glasses. “What if there was
more
than one? What if she already spread the disease?”

             
Tubby scanned the tall pines, surrounding them like bullies in a schoolyard. “You really think so? Maybe—”

             
The sound of clattering pebbles interrupted his thought. Josie crawled out of the so-called rabbit hole, followed by Bud. The shotgun was gone, replaced by a sloshing gas can. Kerosene, used for a space heater below.

Tubby gulped, wondering what he’d gotten himself into. Bud caught the look of dismay on Ralph’s face.

“Maybe we shouldn’t do this,” he said, wavering as well. “What if the fire gets out of hand? I mean, there’s no way we can stop it once it’s burning good…and the Pines are so dry right now!” It wasn’t just a sense of responsibility that had Bud thinking twice—Bud
loved
the Pines. It was his home away from home. Setting fire to them seemed a betrayal of sorts.

             
Rusty adjusted his glasses. “I’ve been thinking about that, too,” he said, clearing his throat. “Now listen up
,
Creep
s
. ‘Cause here’s what we’re gonna do…”

             
                        *******

By the time they made their way back to the dead dog, a collection of flies had already gathered. The big blue nasty kind. “Can flies spread rabies?” Josie asked Rusty. Tubby thought it an excellent question, and as one of the insects landed on his arm, he slapped at it like a frightened girl.

             
Rusty did little to put their minds at ease. “Well, they sure as hell spread other diseases…”

             
Bud ignored the flies and began spreading the kerosene over anything that looked as if it had once belonged inside the carcass.

             
Josie timidly approached the headless animal. As if it might re-animate at any second. Not even in the most lurid horror movie she’d ever seen, though, could a disemboweled, headless creature come back to life. She turned to face Bud, now finished with the kerosene.

             
“All set, Buddy boy?”

             
Bud checked his watch and looked at Rusty, ready to implement his friend’s plan. “What time you got, Gnat?”

             
“Five thirty on the dot.”

             
Bud adjusted his watch. “Damn. I guess I should’ve waited before spreading that kerosene. Oh, well,” he shrugged. “I’ll give you guys thirty minutes before starting the fire. Think you can get to a phone soon after that?”

             
“Yeah, but don’t wait any longer than that, Bud. That kerosene’s gonna evaporate before long. Light it and then hightail it back to the Bunker until tomorrow morning. I’ll call Bilbo and tell him you’re bunking with me.”

             
“Bilbo?” Tubby said, blinking.
Gee whiz! Maybe this really is Wonderland!

             
“My old man,” Bud said. “Bill’s his name. William
Beau
regard Brown, but everyone calls him Bilbo.”

             
“Why can’t you just follow us out afterwards?” Josie asked, annoyed with the set up.             

             
“Because someone might see me leave the woods while the smoke is still in the air. Now get going, and come get me tomorrow when the coast is clear.”

             
Rusty checked his watch again. “All right. You be careful, Buddy boy, you hear? And stay put! Let’s go, Opie.” He and Tubby had hustled ten feet up the trail, when they noticed Josie wasn’t with them. “Big Red?”

             
Josie gave Rusty and Bud one of her patented frosty looks. Like Joel, they were fluent in its translation. Josie had made up her mind to stay behind. Rusty shook his head; he knew what she was thinking; why she wanted to hang back, and it was just plain silly.

             
“Tits, have you lost your
damn
mind? Well, you can forget about me calling your mom! Shayna’d probably just cuss my narrow ass out!”

             
Josie blushed. If Rusty was any indication, her motives were clearly transparent. “Just go over and tell my brother I’m staying at the museum tonight. Joel can tell Shayna himself, you big feckin’ baby.”

             
Rusty turned to Bud for help. Josie saw the look and intercepted it, stepping in front of her best friend. “Rusty Huggins! What did I just say?!”

             
Bud put his hand on her shoulder. “Joe—”

Her head snapped around, stopping him cold with a look. He checked his watch and silently cursed the stubborn redhead. He looked over at Rusty and Tubby, and threw up his hands. “You heard the girl! Instead of coming to get us tomorrow, meet Josie and me at the museum at ten o’clock tonight. We’ll sneak out of the woods after dark. Oh, and pick up our backpacks on your way out. I wouldn’t want Rupert or one of the volunteers to find them.”

              Rusty pulled his confused, overweight friend along with him. “You got it, Bud. See you girls tonight then!”

             
Bud watched them until they were out of sight. Then he turned to Josie, now looking at him a little abashed. “It’s not too late, Red. I don’t think Tubby could outrun a turtle, and Rusty won’t leave him behind.”

             
Josie smiled, instantly giving birth to a thousand fluttering butterflies in his stomach. She had an idea that Bud might have similar feelings for her but would have been astonished to know their true depths. “How much longer before you fire it, tiger?”

             
“Thirty minutes should do it.”

             
“Is that gonna leave us enough time to get down the rabbit hole before the firemen get here?”

             
“Yeah. It’ll take awhile for Chief Briarson and his men to get their equipment up the trail. And despite what Rusty says, I’m worried about the fire spreading out of control.” With this, Bud began to clear the perimeter of any natural debris that could encourage the fire’s growth. With his Timberlakes, he made a two-foot wide circle around the entire scene, raking away the pine needles and leaves until he’d reached the bare topsoil, creating a firebreak of sorts.

It wouldn’t stop the fire from spreading, but maybe it would be enough to keep it somewhat contained until the volunteer firemen could find their way out here.

Josie followed behind, picking up sticks and pinecones and flinging them out of Bud’s makeshift circle.             

Satisfied he had done as much as he could, Bud dug the Marlboros out of his coat pocket. He shook a cigarette free and fired up. “So what’s going on, Big Red? What the hell are you doing out here with me?”

              Josie looked confused by the question. The directness of it caught her off guard. “I’m not sure exactly. I guess it didn’t seem fair for you to take all the risk by yourself. There’s
four
of us now, you know!”

             
Bud looked like an angry bull, the smoke jetting forth from his flared nostrils. He didn’t believe Josie for a second. He saw the blush spreading up her neck and face.

             
A sure sign his friend wasn’t being truthful.

                                      *******

With their book bags heaved back on their shoulders, as well as those belonging to their friends, Rusty and Tubby watched the dirt road from within the concealment of the Pines. Rusty could smell wood smoke in the air. It was time. Past it, really. They waited until the road was empty of people and cars, and then ran from the brush, towards the now empty schoolyard.

              Tubby anxiously checked up and down Huggins Way, as they crossed over it and into the schoolyard. Behind them, above the tree line, he noticed a plume of dirty smoke rising into the air. He wondered at the time. By now his mother would be beside herself with worry. It had to be well past six o’clock! He’d never been out this late before without calling home.

             
“What time is it?” he asked Rusty, as they hustled over to the payphone in the school’s playground. It was perfect for an anonymous call. Impossible to see from the road, and unlikely to be traced back to them.

“Six-twenty,” Rusty replied. He punched in 911.

An operator with an officious tone answered right away. Rusty recognized the voice. Old lady Purcell. During the weekdays she manned the phone lines. “Moon Island, 911. What is your emergency?”

“Uh, um. Well…there’s a-a fire out in t-the…” 

“Excuse me, young man? Can I have your name?”

Tubby saw the stricken look on Rusty’s face and grabbed the phone from his hand. “There’s a fire in the Pines! Down the Old Oyster Trail! Hurry! It’s burning out of control!”

“Right away, sir,” the operator said, springing to action. “Could I have your name, please?”

“Yes, ma’am. It’s Lester Noonan, and I
started
the dadgum thing!”