Without Law, page 23
“Small farming supply store down the block,” Tara called out from the other side of the tank. “I guess it was meant for, like, keeping water for animals or something.”
“Well it’s perfect,” I said as I grunted and hefted my edge up far enough to get it into the trailer. “How much water can it hold?”
“Five hundred gallons,” Anna grunted as she pushed on her end.
With just a little more force the group of us had the large black plastic tank positioned securely in the trailer. Next to it were two bicycles, and another two duffle bags from the sporting goods store.
“Looks like you guys found some more good stuff,” I commented.
“We would probably find enough for a second full load,” Paige said as she wiped the sweat from her eyes.
“Pass,” Bailey said as she rejoined the group. “I think I’ve seen enough of the outside world for a while.”
“I’m with her,” Tara said. “Today was enough excitement for me for a while.”
“What if Tav offered you some excitement?” Anna asked.
“That’s a little different,” the blond model replied with a grin. “I could never get enough of that excitement.”
“Come on, sun’s already going down, let’s go home,” I said as I laughed, shook my head, and climbed into the Jeep.
“Yes please,” Paige said as she joined me.
The others followed quickly and settled into the barely cushioned seats.
I started the old Jeep and turned to look at my team. They each leaned against each other and looked more tired than I had seen them since we first met.
The engine roared, and we sped off towards home as the sky grew orange around us. All things considered, this day had been a good one. I hoped Rolly had been as productive as we had. Though I had not known the man to be anything but productive.
Chapter 19
It was dark by the time I drove the Jeep back up the hill toward campus. It’s engine purred softly as I came to a stop in the parking lot. I hopped out as, Rolly walked up to meet us with a pistol in his hands, and a visible look of relief etched onto his wrinkled features.
“Did you miss us?” Bailey asked after she let out a large yawn and jumped out.
“I admit I was starting to worry a bit,” the old man said with a shrug before he holstered the pistol I had left with him.
“No need for that,” I said with a big smile. “How bout we make some dinner, and we can tell you all about our day.”
“Oh, I got some food already warm over the fire,” Rolly said. “Figured you all might be hungry when you returned.”
“Aw, thanks old timer,” Tara said as she stepped into the parking lot and stretched.
“No need for that,” Rolly replied. “Just doing my part.”
“God, why are both of you men so humble?” Anna joked.
I chuckled and shook my head. Rolly was a good man, and I was glad to have his skills. Without him we wouldn’t have even been able to make today’s trip.
“Hey, we got you a present,” Anna said as she got out and went around to the trailer. She fished around in the back for a moment before she pulled out a fresh bottle of Bulleit Bourbon whiskey. “I think you mentioned once, back when this all started, that this was your favorite.”
“Holy shit,” the handyman exclaimed as Anna handed him the bottle. “I can’t believe you remembered.”
“We are good like that,” Tara said with a grin.
“Yeah, we couldn’t leave it behind if there was even a chance it was your favorite,” Anna added.
“I-I don’t know what to say,” Rolly stammered.
“You don’t have to say anything,” I said as I exited the Jeep to stand behind him, placed a hand on her shoulder, and gave a firm squeeze. “We appreciate all you have done.”
“Yeah, I don’t think we would have made it until Tav came along if it had been just us four girls,” Paige said. “No offense, Anna.”
“None taken,” Anna said. “Rolly helped me to calm down after our initial freak-out and never did anything other than to give us helpful suggestions.”
The old man shrugged and tried to stifle back some tears. He cleared his throat and turned away suddenly. “Come on, let’s go eat some dinner.”
I looked back to the girls, smiled, and gave them a thumbs up. They never told me about the whiskey but that was one of the nicest things they could have done for the old man. Every day they seemed to find a new way to make me proud, so I waved them forward and followed Rolly to the fire.
Several large fish sat in a metal pan surrounded by fresh mushrooms, slices of onion, and seasoned with some wild herbs.
“When did we get onions?” Bailey asked as she licked her lips.
“Found it today while checking the trotlines,” Rolly said before he took a seat and poked at the meal with a big fork. “Isn’t a very big haul, but wild onions pack a lot of flavor.”
“Uh, yum,” Paige said.
“I can’t wait until we start our little farm and get fresh vegetables on the regular,” Anna commented.
“Me too,” Rolly agreed with a nod. “What about you all? Find anything good today?”
“You mean besides trouble?” Tara asked.
“Bikers again?” Rolly asked with a scowl.
“Afraid so,” I said. “It’s why we took so long.”
“Everyone’s okay though, right?” the handyman asked.
“Physically, yeah,” Bailey said and nodded. “I might need an extra drink after moving bodies though.”
Rolly raised an eyebrow and started to serve the food. “How many guys were there?”
“Three,” Anna said. “Tav took out two, and I killed the last one.”
“I’m sorry that you had to bear that burden,” Rolly said as he handed her a plate of food. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good,” the athletic redhead replied as she looked at me and smiled.
“I hope so,” Tara said. “After all, you did save our lives.”
“Probably,” Paige said.
“Probably?” Tara asked as she turned and shot her a hard glare.
“I mean, there was no guarantee they would have killed us,” Paige said with a shrug. “Though I’d rather be killed than what the alternative could have been if Anna didn’t step in when she did.”
“Oh, yeah definitely,” Tara said as her expression softened. “If she didn’t step up things could have gotten waaaaay worse.”
“Well, thanks,” Anna said with a chuckle as she shook her head.
Bailey was too busy shoving large mouthfuls of fish and veggies into her mouth to add much to the conversation.
“She showed tremendous bravery and initiative,” I said.
“Still, it’s unfortunate that you ran into trouble at all.” Rolly said.
“There were more than the three we took out,” Paige said. “They came looking for their friends and, when they didn’t find them, they took off to tell some boss.”
“Not before leaving three of their dumbest bikers behind,” Bailey said.
“Oh my god, they totes were!” Tara exclaimed. “They were so crude too.”
“At least be thankful you didn’t have to look at them much,” I said.
“I did,” Bailey said as she stared, wide eyed, at the fire. “I saw waaay too much. I still really need to burn these clothes.” She looked up and noticed everyone else stared at her with raised eyebrows and amused smiles.
“What happened?” Paige asked.
“Yeah, sounds like quite the story,” Anna added.
“Trust me, it wasn’t,” Bailey said.
“It was a little funny though,” I said.
“It was gross!” she replied.
“Would you just, like, tell us already?” Tara asked as she rolled her eyes.
Bailey sighed and set down her, now empty, plate of food. “Fine, the first guy was a fat pervy biker. We found him with his pants around his ankles, and I got a full view of what little he had to offer.”
“Um, ew, I’m sorry I asked now,” Tara said with a grimace on her face.
“I warned you,” Bailey chided.
“She left out the worst part,” I said.
Bailey groaned and buried her face her in her hands.
“Oh no,” Paige said. “Do I want to know?”
Bailey shook her head rapidly.
“Alright, I’ll bite,” Anna groaned. “I’m gonna regret this but I just have to know. What could be worse than a fat dead biker dick?”
“She dragged him out by the hand he was using to jack off with when I killed him,” I laughed.
“Aaaaaand I’m done,” Anna said before she set down her plate of food and pushed it away from her. “I really should not have asked.
Paige and Tara had horrified, open-mouthed expressions on their faces as they stared at their hippie friend.
Then everyone started laughing.
“I coulda gone my whole life and been fine not knowing any of this information,” Rolly said as he shook his head.
“Why did you have to ask?” the platinum blond yelled at Anna.
“Trust me, getting to know that information was punishment enough,” the redhead replied with a chuckle.
“I would totally understand if you want to take that hand off,” Paige joked. “I am no surgeon but I am sure with a sharp enough knife it would be easy.”
“That is a weirdly tempting offer,” Bailey said as she peeked her head up.
“How about we just scrub off real well and call it good?” I asked.
“Easy for you to say, Tav,” Paige said. “You're not the one who had to carry a dead man by his jerking hand.”
“You’re right. I am just the one who had to sneak up on him, and stab him while he was mid-stroke,” I rebutted.
“So much eww,” Tara said.
“Yeah, okay, can we be done talking about what fat bikers get up to in their free time?” Anna asked.
“Yes,” Rolly stated before he pulled out his bottle of whiskey and popped the top. He took a drink, smiled, and passed it across the fire to Bailey. “Let’s celebrate instead.”
“Good plan,” Bailey said as she grabbed the alcohol and took a large drink.
“Agreed,” I said with a nod. “What we gathered today will go a long way towards not only our survival but also our quality of life.”
“Do we need to worry about the bikers though?” Anna asked.
“Long term, yes, but for now I don’t think so,” I said “All the guys they have lost have been lost in Lanceton. There is no evidence to connect our home to their troubles, so they’ll think whoever got all their guys is from Lanceton. Until that changes we are in the clear.”
“Sounds like one hell of a reason to celebrate to me then,” Anna said as she took the bottle from Bailey.
“We didn’t happen to get any other alcohol so that I can savor my favorite, did we?” Rolly asked.
“Hell yes we did,” Tara said. “I’ll go get some.” She stood and started to pat her pants down as if looking for something. A moment later, she patted her back pocket, grinned, and pulled out a mini flashlight that could not have been comfortable to sit on in such tight pants. She flipped it on and ran off towards the Jeep.
“Well alright then,” Rolly said. “Can I get my whiskey back then?”
“Yeah, sorry,” Anna said after she nodded and handed him back the bottle.
Rolly took another small sip and let out a content sigh as his eyes drifted towards the sky.
Tara’s flashlight heralded her arrival as it bounced wildly around the area. A moment later she appeared with two bottles, one in each hand as she held her flashlight with her mouth. She spit the light onto her seat and started to pass around the booze.
“My hero,” Bailey said.
Everyone started to loosen up as the bottles were opened, passed around and enjoyed their drinks for the rest of the evening.
“I think you deserve a drink as well,” Rolly said as he handed me his bottle of whiskey.
“Very kind of you,” I said before I took a sip. The amber liquid was smokey and mellow in my mouth. I let it sit there for a moment before I swallowed, and then I let out a slow breath as I savored the smoky finish. It was good stuff, and the only thing that could make it better was a cigar.
“You gotta share good whiskey with good friends,” Rolly said as he leaned over and patted my shoulder.
I returned the bottle and leaned back into the wooden seat. It was way more comfortable than one would assume when looking at the simple, wood slab furniture. I was simply grateful to not have to sit on the ground.
“Hey, I don’t know if I ever said thank you,” Paige said.
“For what?” I asked as I looked over to her and raised an eyebrow.
“For everything you did today,” she replied with a shrug. “You, and of course Anna, kept us safe and you helped us to gather even more supplies.”
“It’s what I’m here for,” I said.
“Yeah but we, like, still want you to know that we appreciate it,” Tara said. “I’d be willing to show you how much I appreciate it later if you like.” She winked at me and ran her tongue suggestively over the mouth of the bottle.
“Hey, what if I wanted him tonight?” Paige asked with mock offense.
“Sorry ladies, I already had plans with Bailey,” I said.
“Yeah, we were going to burn our clothes together, but there are all these pesky people around,” the blonde hippie said with a grin.
“I got plans too,” Rolly said as he capped his bottle, stood, and stretched. He tucked the bottle under his arm and started to collect the plates. “I’ve got a very intimate meeting with my slightly lumpy and perfectly warm bed. Goodnight all, I’m glad you’re back and safe.”
“Night Rolly,” Anna said as she gave him a wave. “Thanks for the food, it was delicious.”
“Try not to have too much fun,” the handyman said with a chuckle. “I look forward to seeing all you guys bright and early tomorrow morning.”
“Sleep well,” I said as I gave the man a nod.
Rolly disappeared into the darkness as he headed for his bed.
As silence fell over the group the crackle of the fire filled the air.
“I never thought I would spend this much time, like outside around a fire,” Tara mused as she stared into the flickering flame. “Not that I’m complaining or anything. It’s just funny how things work out or whatev’.”
“I even like the outdoors and I didn’t think I would spend this much time in it,” Bailey admitted.
The girls all moved a little closer to the fire as the chilled night air started to press in around us.
“If you guys are tired, I can finish up out here,” I said as I smiled at my team.
“No way,” Anna said. “The liquor is good, the night is gorgeous, and the company is extraordinary.”
“Aw, you think we are extraordinary?” Bailey asked.
“If you weren’t, do you think we would have made it this far?” The athlete asked in response.
“I always knew I was amazing, but it is nice to have a chance to prove it,” Tara said.
“It’s not what I thought I would be doing with my life but at least I know I won’t be stuck in some middle-class suburb all my life,” Paige added with a shrug.
“That’s good, because things would be a bit harder out here without you,” Tara said as she leaned into the brunette.
“You are all valuable as part of this team,” I interjected. “Your reasons for staying here over break are your own, but damn am I glad you guys did.”
“Of course, you are,” Anna said with a smile. “Who wouldn’t want to come home from a year in the forest to find four gorgeous women in need of help?”
“And to think you almost didn’t want me to stay when I first offered,” I said with a wink.
“Hey, why were you in the woods anyway?” Paige asked.
“Before you answer just remember that if the reason was too weird, you might want to lie,” Tara added quickly.
“I don’t know, at this point it would take something really serious to make him lose my trust,” Bailey admitted with a shrug.
“Well it’s nothing too crazy,” I said with a chuckle as I shook my head. “I got outta the military and needed some time to decompress, so I packed up my bag, got dropped off at the edge of the forest, and got lost for a while.”
“That’s kinda cool,” Bailey said.
“What about family though?” Tara asked.
“Didn’t really have any,” I replied. “Dad died when I was young. He was a good guy, and I joined the military to be like him.”
“What about your mom?” Paige asked
“After dad died, she sorta just drifted away,” I said. “I resented her for that for a while, but as I grew up, I realized loss was hard and could do as much damage as any bullet. We never really reconnected.”
“That’s so sad,” Bailey said with a large frown.
“It’s okay,” I assured her. “I made my peace with all of this a long time ago. That’s just the way life goes sometimes, and honestly, I hope, if she is out there still, that my mom is doing alright.”
“Have you thought about trying to find her?” Anna asked.
I shook my head. “The time for that has passed. I appreciate your concern but I really am okay with how my life has played out to this point.”
“That’s a power I wish I had,” Paige mumbled.
“I think I can speak for the rest of us when I say that we all do,” Anna said.
“It’s not a power or some sort of trick,” I said. “I just learned how to be content with what I have now, and not what I didn’t have in the past.”
“That’s way easier said than done,” Tara commented.
“Maybe,” I said with a shrug. “Though now is a great time to practice. Nothing about our past matters anymore, so we would all do well to live in the now.”
The girls fell silent again.
“My dad’s out there though,” Tara said. “I still have a family that I know is looking for me. Right now I bet he is out there, like doing whatever he can to make sure that his little girl is found and returned safely to him. It doesn’t seem right to just give up on that idea.”
