Without (22 page)

“‘I’ll be gentle with her,’” I said, securing him to a tree
beside his brother. “Do you remember telling me that, J.D.?”

“I do. I was just kidding around, man. I didn’t mean
anything by it.”

“Cutting on her face wasn’t being gentle, was it?” I asked,
pulling my knife, holding it in front of his eyes.

“What?”

“The scar on Kelly’s face,” I said. “Are you the one who
gave it to her? Or was it Tucker? She fought for her life, remember? She tore
into one of their necks with her fingernails. I don’t see scars on either of
you, but that doesn’t mean you weren’t there.”

“You’re out of your mind,” said Tucker.

I drew one of my pistols, jamming it into his mouth. His
eyes became less defiant and fear started doing its job. It had the same effect
on J.D.

“I’m going to ask you some questions,” I said. “If I’m not
happy with your answers, I will kill him. Do you believe me?”

“Yes, I do, mister.”

“Who and where are your buddies that attacked Kelly and
River?”

“If I knew, I’d have them tied to this tree,” said J.D.,
staring me in the eyes. “They’re not my friends. Whoever did that to them needs
to die. It wasn’t us. Shoot us, but don’t stand there and accuse us of
something like that.”

I believed him.

“Then why are you here scavenging the campers and setting up
an ambush?” I asked, pulling the gun out of Tucker’s mouth.

“Ambush?” asked Tucker. “Buddy, you really have this all
wrong.”

“What do I have wrong?”

“Our family’s home is just over that ridge,” said J.D. “Our
momma asked us to bring supplies and clear anybody out who was staying here on
account the townfolk need it. We knew they were coming because Bruce told us
last night. Why would he tell us if he thought we were gonna ambush them? He
should’ve told you we might be up here.”

“So you’re trying to tell me you’re here out of the kindness
of your hearts? You want to help them, not hurt them? Come on, J.D., I know
your kind.”

“Mister, you know nothing about us,” said Tucker. “For all I
know you’re here to steal from them.”

“He’s right,” said J.D. “You don’t know a thing about us. Go
look in that camper. We brought everything we could spare. We’re not looking to
take anything from them. My family has lived in these hills for five
generations. Just because we think Pastor Jenkins is full of shit doesn’t mean
we don’t care about our town. We’re more a part of this place that you are,
stranger.”

I walked into the camper where they had dropped off their
packs. Both were jammed with food and supplies. I sat for a moment, trying to
figure out what the hell was happening. My gut told me they were being honest.
My brain told me to stay alert in case they weren’t. I returned to the men tied
to the trees.

“When you and your crew walked up on the table, Joey was
ready to come over it,” I said. “Why?”

“A girl,” said Tucker. “He liked her. I banged her. Simple
as that. We were in high school the first time it happened. The last time was
ten years ago. Joey just won’t let that grudge go. She moved away and he’s been
with his girl for years, but he’s still holding that grudge. Stupid, ain’t it?”

“So you’re doing this ‘cause you think we’re the ones that
raped Kelly and River, and we were gonna ambush the folks coming up here?”

“Yep.”

“What do you think now?”

“I think I owe you an apology,” I said, pulling my knife,
but this time to cut their restraints. “Play nice, Tucker. It was a mistake.”

“He will,” said J.D., rubbing his wrists. “This was just a
misunderstanding.”

“Who
are
you?” asked Tucker. “I mean, I’ve never seen
you before last night. Now you’re tying me to a tree and putting a gun in my
mouth.”

“Perry’s my uncle,” I said. “I used to come up with my folks
when I was a teenager.”

“Perry’s a good man,” said J.D. “Of course he’s gonna look
out for his son, but he’s always been fair to us. When I found out what
happened to River, I came down to see how she was doing. I think that helped ease
some of the tension between our families. I’m telling you the truth when I say
Joey is the one who needs to let this damn thing go.”

“Sounds like it,” I said. “Let’s get out of the rain.”

We moved under one of the shelters to continue our
conversation. I was apprehensive, but handed them back their weapons. I was
wrong about them. We sat on a picnic table, waiting for the group to arrive.

“Pastor Jenkins told me your family doesn’t like the rules,”
I said. “He said you chose to stay in the hills instead of joining them.”

“Because he’s an asshole,” said Tucker. “He’s brainwashed
everyone in town.”

“Damn it, boy. Keep that mouth shut,” said J.D. “He and the
pastor are friends. He don’t know nothin’ about what he is.”

“What is he?” I asked. “He seems like a good enough guy.
Everybody in town looks up to him, including Kelly.”

“He ain’t from Stevenson,” said J.D. “He came to town about
six years ago after Pastor Wilkins died. It’s hard to explain, but the way he
talks to folks during his sermons make them follow him instead of the Lord.
Have you ever met someone that tries too hard to be your buddy?”

“Sure.”

“That’s him,” said J.D. “But if you cross him, he turns
dark. I mean real dark.”

“How’s that?”

“Our daddy, gone two years now, didn’t like the way he’d talk
to women. Giving them too much attention and stuff like that. He’d stop by
their homes while their men were at work. I have a younger sister. When my
daddy came home early and found him sitting next to her on a bench, he had a
few words with the new pastor. After that, we didn’t go to that church
anymore.”

“Because he was sitting next to your sister?” I asked.
“Seems a little harsh, doesn’t it?”

“He was real close with his arm around her,” said Tucker.
“He told her she could come by his house anytime to swim in his pool. She was
sixteen then.”

“A few other ladies felt uncomfortable around him as well,”
said J.D. “He’s a young, good-lookin’ man, so everybody else figured it was the
ladies having crushes on him. Anyway, we’re not the only people that stopped
going to his church.”

“I’m not being an asshole here, but there’s just something
about that guy,” said Tucker. “He’s a manipulator. His congregation would do
just about anything he asked. They’re more like a cult than a church, if you
ask me. Have you been to Fort God?”

“No. What’s Fort God?” I asked, smiling.

“The pastor’s church,” said J.D. “It’s one of the biggest
buildings in the county. It’s surrounded by smaller living quarters for the
most devout of his flock. It really does look more like a fort now than a
church.”

“Someone’s coming,” said Tucker, pointing toward the
entrance to the campground.

Raising the AR, I looked through the scope. I lowered it,
shaking my head in disbelief. It was Kelly walking up alone.

“That woman is fearless,” said J.D. “Crazy, but fearless.”

“Gentlemen,” said Kelly, walking into the shelter.

“Probably won’t do me any good telling you how dangerous
that was,” I said.

“Nope,” said Kelly. “Who else was going to come up here and
get you? Parker?”

“Is everything okay down there?” asked J.D.

“So far, so good. We think maybe they made it to the dam. We
were getting everyone ready to move when the water started receding as fast as
it rose.”

“Sounds like they closed the floodgates,” said Tucker.
“That’s good news.”

“It is,” said Kelly. “What are you guys doing up here?”

“We were dropping off supplies,” said J.D. “You know how our
momma likes to take care of everybody.”

“Yes, she does,” said Kelly, taking off her pack and
propping her shotgun against the table. “You be sure to thank her from all of
us, but it doesn’t look like we’ll be needing them.”

“It’s gonna be dark soon,” said Tucker. “You guys wanna stay
with us tonight? We’ve got plenty of room.”

“No, thank you,” said Kelly, cutting me off before I could
answer. “I brought all the comforts of home. We’re going to stay here tonight
in case the river rises again and the group needs to move up.”

“You
are
the new boyfriend,” said J.D., grinning like
the Cheshire Cat.

“You’re never going to grow up, are you?”

“Probably not,” said J.D. “Don’t want to anyway.”

“We’ll leave the supplies here,” said Tucker. “You know,
just in case. We’ll come back in the morning to retrieve the packs. You two
have a good evening.”

“Guys,” I said, stopping them before they walked away.
“Thank you. And, again, I’m sorry about everything.”

“Well, at least we know she’ll be safe,” said J.D. “It ain’t
easy getting the drop on us.”

“What was that all about?” asked Kelly, watching them leave.

“A misunderstanding,” I said. “It’s all good now.”

“Okay. Come with me, I want to show you why this campground
is here.”

Taking me by the hand, she led me down a path into the
woods. A short walk later we were standing at the edge of a lagoon under a
twenty foot waterfall. As the light was fading she started to undress, shedding
everything down to a bikini. Grabbing a bottle of shampoo and a bar of soap,
she stepped into the water. I think I set a world record undressing and
following her lead.

“This is my favorite place on the planet,” yelled Kelly, wading
over to wash her hair under the falls.

“It’s beautiful,” I said, raising my voice over the
cascading water. “It takes the edge off me being angry that you walked up here
alone.”

“I’m not going to live my life being afraid,” said Kelly.
“It’s important that I feel like I can take care of myself.”

“That, I understand,” I said. “But I never want anything bad
happening to you again.”

When we finished bathing, she swam to me, wrapping her arms
– and legs – around me. It was impossible for me to hide my intent. I didn’t
want the kiss to end. And of course her hair smelled like strawberries.

“Enjoy the water for a few more minutes while I set up the
camper,” said Kelly, pulling away from me, stepping onto the bank.

When I returned to the shelter, she had already built a fire
in the pit and strung a line to dry our clothes. She placed a pair of shorts
and a T-shirt on the table for me. After dressing I turned to see the largest
of the four campers glowing with warm light from within. I opened the door to
see her sitting at the table. We were separated for only thirty minutes, but
she had completely transformed the dark and dreary camper.

I sat across from her as we enjoyed our candlelight dinner.
She opened a second bottle of wine and poured two glasses. Giving me mine, she
reached out for my hand. We stood and walked the short distance to the bedroom.
Somehow she had managed to pack clean sheets and two pillows.

In the warm glow of the candles placed on every flat
surface, she stood in front of me, undressing slowly. I thought my heart was
going to beat out of my chest when she lifted the T-shirt over my head,
pressing her naked chest into mine. With her warm lips tasting like wine, she
kissed me, pulling me down onto the bed.

“Are you still mad at me?” asked Kelly, rolling on top.

“No, ma’am,” I said, running my hands down her toned back.

“It’s okay to be a little mad. It’ll make this more fun.”

She lifted herself up to her knees, reaching down for me.
When she lowered herself again, I knew I wasn’t going to last long. As the low
moan drifted into heavy breathing, she started bouncing faster. It was
impossible for me to tell her to slow down.

Grabbing her waist, I threw her down onto the bed. Pushing
into her again, the camper started creaking and swaying with each thrust. For a
moment, I thought we were going to break through the wall and end up outside.
In spite of my best effort to prolong it, I felt it coming. When I did, there
was only one thought on my mind after.

“We get to do that again, right?” I asked, falling over,
trying to catch my breath.

“Yes, we do,” said Kelly, draping her arm across me. “We’re
going to be doing that a lot.”

I can’t confirm it, but I’m pretty sure I slept with a
smile. I can confirm it was there when I awoke. Turning to see that face on the
pillow beside me, I knew I’d have no problem staying in bed all day.

She woke shortly after with no intention of staying. Kelly
moved with purpose, gathering our gear to head back to town. True to their
word, J.D. and Tucker returned to recover their packs. I wanted to make them
breakfast, but she was ready to go. There were few words spoken between us as
we headed out of the campground. There were none spoken the first mile of our
hike down. I stopped walking.

“What’s wrong?” asked Kelly after taking several more steps
before noticing.

“Why do I have the feeling you’re not going to call me
later?” I asked. “You’re distant this morning. Is it regret?”

Dropping her head, she walked back to me. After staring at
me for a moment, she took my face in her hands, kissing me. There was concern
in her eyes.

“Doc’s probably having a heart attack wondering where I am,”
said Kelly. “I’m having a heart attack wondering if everyone is okay. As soon
as I see that train on the rails and everyone going about their business, I’ll
be fine.”

“Nice try, but there’s something else,” I said. “Talk to
me.”

“It’s nothing,” said Kelly. “Let’s keep moving, okay?”

“No. Talk to me now.”

Turning away from me, she sighed. “This is ridiculous.”

“What is?”

“This,” said Kelly. “You and me. I mean, I feel like a
teenager sneaking off into the woods to get laid. What do we do now? You want
to make reservations at a restaurant and then go see a movie? Better yet, let’s
go make out in the backseat at a drive-in. We’ll call that our first date.
Sound good?”

My timing sucked, but I couldn’t help laughing. I knew I was
in trouble when the head cocked, the brow furrowed, and the hand went to the
hip. She was still beautiful.

“I think we’re a bit beyond our first date,” I said, ending my
laugh. “Look, Kelly, we’ve both been living in a world of shit for over a
month. Everything has changed, and the bad moments are kicking the crap out of
the good ones. Yesterday, last night, were amazing moments. Will you give me
that?”

“They were,” said Kelly. “It was amazing.”

“Good. Then let’s leave it at that. But I’m going try like
hell to have as many of those with you as possible until you decide to stop
giving them to me. We’re going back to town, and you can put your eyes on
everyone and go about your day. And when you’re done, you and I are going to
have dinner at the best restaurant in town. I don’t need to make reservations.
I know the owners. Deal?”

“Deal.”

I could feel the tension escape her body as we turned the
corner onto Main Street. Bruce and Parker were inspecting the train that was
stopped in front of the museum. Doc was in a group to the side that included
Uncle Perry, Joey, and Rick. Everyone had smiles. Kelly dropped her pack and
shotgun in the street, running over to them and giving hugs.

“Hey, cousin,” greeted Joey, extending his hand. “Where have
you two been?”

“Setting up the campground that we didn’t need,” I said. “I
take it everything went well.”

“Town’s not underwater, is it?”

“No, it isn’t.”

“It only took the Kramers about an hour to close the gates,”
said Perry. “Didn’t see a soul on the way up, but we had to fight like hell on
our way back.”

“It was awesome,” said Joey, smiling. “They must have seen
us going up and knew we were probably coming back. They dropped a couple huge
trees across the tracks, forcing us to stop. About twenty or so started
shooting from the woods, and a few of them rushed the train. It was like
something out of an old western movie.”

“They saw us going up, but they obviously didn’t see the
twin 50s on top,” said Perry. “When we all opened up on them, it was over in
thirty seconds. Those guns are something else. I’ve never seen anything like it
in my life.”

“I’m not kidding when I say there wasn’t much left of them,”
said Joey. “When the shooting stopped we went into the woods as the other guys
started removing the barricade. It cut most of those bastards that attacked us
in half.”

“I’m not proud of what we had to do,” said Perry. “But we
had to do it. They didn’t give us a choice.”

“Everybody’s okay?” I asked.

“Minor injuries,” said Doc. “Worst one was a fella who broke
his ankle jumping from the train. He’s resting over in the clinic now. He’ll be
fine.”

“I’ll go check on him,” said Kelly, walking away.

“You guys spent the night up there together?” asked Rick.

I thought it was an odd question to ask in light of their
successful mission to save the town. “We did. We didn’t want to walk back in
the dark. J.D. and Tucker came to visit.”

Using it as a diversion from his next question, I saw Joey’s
reaction when I mentioned their names. I thought it was as good a time as any
to have a few words with him. “Joey, can I borrow you for a minute?”

“Sure.”

“This hard-on you have for Tucker,” I said, lowering my
voice so the others couldn’t hear us, “it’s about a girl, isn’t it?”

“Is that what that asshole said?”

“Joey, I’m an only child,” I said, putting my hand on his
shoulder. “You’re my cousin, but if you don’t mind, I’d prefer to think of you
as my brother. Would that be okay?”

“Of course,” said Joey, smiling. “I think of you in the same
way.”

“Good,” I said, looking him in the eyes. “I had them tied to
a tree and I was going to shoot them. I was going to shoot them because I
thought they were pieces of shit looking to cause trouble. The truth is that
they aren’t. Right?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say they –”

“They were bringing all the spare food they had for the
people evacuating Stevenson,” I said. “That sounds more like kindness that
being pieces of shit. They’re trying to survive this thing just like we are.
Let that crap go, brother. I know they want to. Tucker wants this to end.”

“It wasn’t just about a girl, but okay,” said Joey. “I’ll
make it right. It is pretty childish holding a stupid grudge with everything
else going on around here. We’ve got bigger fish to fry.”

“Thank you,” I said. “I also want you to invite your girl
over for dinner tonight. I’ll be asking Kelly and Doc to join us. We have a
reason to celebrate. You guys kicked ass and came home safe.”

“Wait a minute,” said Joey, narrowing his eyes. “You spent
the night with her, didn’t you? You hit that, didn’t you, bro?”

“Okay, maybe we’re taking this brother thing a bit fast,” I
said.

“You did,” said Joey, lighting up. “You are the man. My girl
is hot, but Kelly…damn. Do you have any idea how many guys have…”

“What are you doing?” I asked as he turned his gaze upward,
being silent.

“Just thinking about what that must have been like.”

He started laughing as I slapped him on the side of his head.
“Just messin’ with you, man.”

“Listen, this is all kinds of new, so keep it to yourself,
please,” I said. “I don’t think either one of us wants to piss her off.”

“No, we don’t,” said Joey. “In all seriousness, I knew it
was going to happen sooner or later. Well done, brother. Well done.”

“On that note,” I said, moving in closer, “Rick didn’t seem
too happy we were alone in a camper. Does he have a thing for her?”

“Um, yes,” said Joey as if I should’ve known. “He follows
her around like a puppy. I’m not saying he’s stalking her, but I do know he
doesn’t bring his wife around when he sees her. Kind of weird, huh?”

Shit
.

“Let me put it to you this way,” said Joey. “Rick’s a good
guy, but he’s a guy. If he found himself alone with her in a camper, he’d
probably take a shot like you did. She’d turn him down of course, but he’d
try.”

“Yeah, I didn’t really take a shot,” I said. “It was more
mutual.”

“Whatever, bro.”

After deciding to spend the rest of the day doing what I
could to help Bruce and Parker make repairs to the train, I asked Joey to head
home and ask Donna if a dinner party for the returning victors was possible.
When he let me know she was already planning it, I stopped by the clinic to
invite Doc and Kelly. They both accepted, looking forward to the event. Rick
graciously accepted as well, saying his wife wouldn’t be able to make it on
account of the pregnant sister…again.

 As the day ended and everyone gathered at the house, I
wasn’t surprised to see Rick escorting Kelly through the door. Perry and Joey
were in the living room recounting the harrowing details of their Cowboys and
Indians moment the night before. I noticed sly smiles from River and Donna whenever
I entered the kitchen to help them prepare the meal.

Damn you, Joey. I knew you couldn’t keep your mouth shut.

“I’m sorry,” said Donna, “but I think it’s just wonderful
you two are getting along so well.”

“Mom!” said River, spitting out her drink.

“What?” said Donna. “We’re all adults here. You two make a
very handsome couple. I’m just tickled to death.”

“I’m begging both of you –”

“Oh, stop it,” said Donna. “We’re not going to embarrass
you. I can’t speak for Perry, but we won’t.”

“Perry knows?” I said, deflating.

“This was a small town that got a lot smaller,” said River.
“Everyone is going to know soon if they don’t already.”

“Hi, ladies,” said Kelly, walking into the kitchen with
Rick.

He looked at me without saying a word, greeted River and
Donna, and then went directly to the deck. The knot in my stomach tightened.
She didn’t help to loosen it.

“You don’t look so good,” said Kelly. “You okay?”

“Oh, yeah,” I said. “I just stubbed my toe.”

“Well, that’s probably less painful than putting an entire
foot in your mouth, huh?”

Turning around – doing a poor job of hiding their amusement
– the ladies snickered over the stove. I can’t prove it, but my brain started
heating up from the lasers Kelly was shooting from her eyes. Even without the
ability to update a relationship status online, information moved with blazing
speed in this new world.

My escape plan was lousy. Standing on the deck with Rick, I
thought my brain was going to fry from the second laser attack. He handed me a
cup of clear liquid he poured from a Mason jar on the rail. This time I took a
big slug of the peach gasoline.

“You look a little uncomfortable,” said Rick.

“I’m good,” I said, taking another slug.

“And you’re reckless,” said Rick, cutting to the chase. “She
was raped and beaten in front of her own house that she still can’t go back
into. I think taking advantage of that is selfish and dangerous. I expected a
little more from you.”

  I went from uncomfortable to pissed off in less time than
it took to swallow the gasoline. I understood cutting to the chase, but he was
crossing a line that I needed to re-establish. His hypocrisy was impressive.

“I consider you a friend, Rick, so we’ll just call that
strike one,” I said, taking a step closer to him. “You may want to slow down
that fastball. I didn’t take advantage of her, nor would I ever. We’re two
unmarried
,
consenting adults. That’s where you need to keep this conversation.”

“She’s frail and confused,” said Rick. “This isn’t helping
her. Try being a friend instead of looking at her as just a piece of ass.”

“Strike two, Rick,” I said, putting down my cup, moving
closer. “Slow it down, right now.”

“She’s my friend and I won’t let anyone hurt her again,”
said Rick, closing the distance. “Certainly not by a drifter who’s been here
for two weeks sponging off an uncle, eating our food, and now fucking our
women.”

“Three.”