A Choice of Blades: The Blade Remnant, Book One

by D. N. Woodward

  Leon pushed through the screen door. “Cut what down, Mr. Adler?”

  Gus jerked in surprise. “Nothing, Leon, just an old disagreement between two friends.” He tried to smile, but Leon smelled a sour mood forming. Whatever Ethan had just been talking about had them both pretty pissed off.

  “I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you take Reed with you into town to drop that scrap and bring us all back some grub? They’ll be visiting for the next few days.” Gus tried to make it come across as a light request, but Leon could tell it was an excuse to have some privacy with Ethan.

  Ethan nodded. “That’s a great idea, and it’ll give Reed and you both something more to do than listen to a couple of old has-beens gripe at each other.”

  Leon reached up to scratch the hair under his hat. Though he was suspicious of whatever they were hiding, he went along with the request, nonetheless.

  Perhaps Reed will help explain whatever those two old birds are crooning over.

  # # #

  Leon and Reed took the better part of the afternoon to make the run into the nearby town of Bastrop. The market for scrap wasn’t bad but, unfortunately, the level of effort Reed put into answering his questions or helping make sense of the simmering argument between Ethan and Gus was halfhearted at best. By the time they turned back into the CW's main gate, Leon realized he had totally forgotten to pick up dinner. By that time, though, he was just too tired and annoyed to head back.

  The only nuggets of information he managed to whittle out of Reed were that Ethan and Gus had been close friends prior to and during the Vietnam War, and that Ethan currently worked as a recruiter from some sort of private University located in Idaho. In both cases Reed danced around the details, only providing the bare minimum in terms of dates and places.

  When they returned, Gus and Ethan didn’t seem to have made much progress over their disagreement. Gus begged off with some excuse that he needed to haul hay to the south calving pasture, leaving Leon alone once more to entertain. Luckily, Ethan took the hint that things were getting awkward and asked Reed to help him get some dinner going.

  It was late afternoon before Leon and Merle were able to escape the house to the nearby sanctuary of the workshop, which doubled as his makeshift gym.

  The shop’s bay door was open to the sunset and Leon had a great view of a massive thunderhead spearheading some rather ominous-looking clouds. The storm slowly crept his direction while he burned his way through alternating sets of chin-ups, push-ups, and curls.

  The cooler evening air being sucked in from the back of the barn, ahead of the building storm, was the perfect setup for a tough as nails work out. Leon had learned a long while back that while his metabolism may not have allowed him to stack on muscle and he would never be one of the meatheads that graced his high school with football prowess, he had corded strength to spare.

  Pushing back worries regarding all the craziness going on at the ranch, Leon focused on the weather and the workout. Muffling out the questions and concerns nipping at the back of his mind was that faintly electric scent of soon-to-come-rain wafting in on a gusting breeze.

  He always loved the build-up to a storm, when the wind changed and calm gave way to mounting chaos just before the actual storm arrived. He could practically taste the electricity in the air, and it served to boost his endurance past normal limitations as he pushed out an extra twenty push-ups on his last set.

  Call it Gus' influence, but he always played classic rock when he hit the gym. His radio rocked an AC/DC classic with bells ringing in the background. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, reminding him he was alive. He let all his worries and troubles fade away, embracing the mounting tempo of the music. He even picked up the pace, pushing his body to go further, to dig deeper.

  He was so into the moment’s exertions he nearly dropped a thirty-pound dumb-bell weight on his foot when a tall shapely figure appeared in the doorway. Wearing a disruptive smirk and trendy workout clothes, his visitor casually gave him a half-hearted wave. The beautiful brunette’s name was Shana Weidner, and Shana was just about the last person Leon expected to see at his shop, but it sure didn’t mean he wasn’t somehow happy to see her there either.

  Shana grew up just down the road. Until leaving home a year back she lived with her stepmother, Daphne Higgins, in an old ranch foreman's house that Gus had sold them for next to nothing years ago. Shana’s deceased father was one of Gus’s distant cousins, by marriage, but Leon had lost track of how that connection played out over the years. Since about junior high, it had always been enough in his mind to know she was of no blood relation to him. Unfortunately, that was also about the time they had grown apart.

  As far back as he could remember, Shana had been one of his only friends, until she got to high school a year ahead of him and simultaneously disappeared into the social hierarchy reserved for beautiful girls in semi-small-town communities. She dated a senior her freshman year and, as far as Leon was concerned, never looked back. When she left for college, they weren’t really even close enough to talk much at her graduation party. Since then, he hadn’t heard a word from her.

  Now, here she was, standing in his shop door, looking at him with those sparkling green eyes, smiling at him with her signature smirk. He racked the weights and killed the volume on the tunes.

  “Leon Waldman, just how far do you plan on taking that farm boy strong stereotype?” His cheeks went crimson, and he sputtered to find a retort, but she saved him the trouble. Her eyes shifted down, and she greeted Merle, leaning forward to give a pet.

  Leon continued to blush as he shrugged. “I’m a rancher, not a farmer. Anyhow, wasn’t planning on company…or any more company that is.” He motioned to the Jeep parked out near the main house. “Gus has some friends visiting. But, well, what are you doing here, Shana? Thought you were off at school?”

  She laughed, but the laugh didn’t reach her eyes, and it certainly didn’t hold any of the lighthearted banter Leon seemed to remember from ages ago.

  “It’s summertime, in case you hadn’t noticed. I took off the second summer session to get some things worked out back here. Was headed for a run when Daphne told me the south gate is open and asked if I could let you guys know. Gus’ phone isn’t working.”

  Odd, Gus was heading to the south pasture when he took off earlier.

  “Thanks. Gus should be down there. Probably forgot his phone. But it sure isn’t like him to leave a gate open, even if he is only hauling hay.”

  Shana’s smile turned to a frown. Leon couldn’t help but notice even her frowns were cute. Wherever her life had taken her the last few years, one thing still bound them together—she loved Gus just as much as him, “That’s true, you think we should check on him? I have my 4Runner parked at the gate. Just didn’t want to risk trying to drive it over y’all’s sorry excuse for a road.”

  Leon could see the twinkle in her eye at the put-down and decided to play along, “Hey, this road is perfect. Mostly keeps out the riff-raff!”

  Shana gasped with a wide-eyed smile. “Oh, I gotcha. Is that what I am these days?”

  Leon's smile got tangled up with his blushing once more as he quickly prepared to leave. He already had his running shoes on, so he only needed to throw on a plain gray T-shirt before sliding his ranch-emblemed ball cap on backwards. Though miles out of his league and an inch or two taller than him to boot, the more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea of getting to catch up with Shana.

  # # #

  Leon gazed out over the horizon where a line of dark clouds continued to build, “I’d say we still have a little light left. The rain should hold off, at least until we make it to the south gate.”

  He looked her in the eye. “Thanks, by the way, you know you really didn’t have to jog all the way out here.”

  It was her turn to look uncomfortable, “Yes, I did. Gus texted me twice this week. He's been pretty insistent, wanting to discuss something…something about my dad’s family, not a big d
eal, but sort of the reason I’m back, so, perfect opportunity, right?”

  Leon didn’t know what to say to that. Once again, Gus hadn’t mentioned anything to him. He merely nodded and, just like that, they took off down the road. Merle popped up beside them a minute or two later and with his long loping stride, quickly took the lead.

  The road cut a rough swath through the pines, totaling a mile and a half from the house to the main gate. Yet, once they got going, any thoughts Leon had of taking it easy for Shana’s sake were soundly put to rest. She surged forward, setting a brutal pace. Leon could recall Shana always maintained an athletic physique, but she wasn’t exactly a track athlete in high school.

  He, on the other hand, was a runner. Weights may not have been his thing, but long strides on asphalt or even dirt roads had always been a comfort of sorts for him. He loved to run. Despite the teasing Gus liked to give him, he had been district champion in the 800. His daily routine still included a long run nearly every evening. Even so, halfway down the road he was actually sucking wind to keep up.

  They made it to a dinged up 4Runner in no time flat and Shana drove them down to the south section's gate well before the rain hit. There wasn’t much conversation as they both took time to catch their breath.

  Once there, Shana pulled into the open gate and shut off the ignition. “If I wasn’t willing to take this old girl up the main road, there’s absolutely no way I’m taking her down that goat trail.”

  Leon would have normally bantered back some disparaging remark at Toyota’s expense, but his mind kept slipping back to Gus. Something didn’t feel right. It was so unlike the old man to do something like leave a gate open, and he absolutely never left a gate open if he wasn't close by. Yet, there was no sign of him or the tractor.

  “I guess Merle and I are gonna hike up the road a bit. You’re welcome to come along, but we may all be about to get totally drenched.”

  “Of course, I’m coming.” She grabbed a lightweight weatherproof jacket from behind the backseat, “Just to clarify though, YOU all may be about to get totally drenched. I'll only be a little drenched.” Her grin was infectious and spread. Despite the back-and-forth humor, Leon’s gut continued to tell him something wasn’t right.

  They took a little time to catch up as they walked along, looking for Gus. It seemed life at college wasn’t as rosy and easy for Shana as he had assumed. He tried asking her more after she shared that classes were horrendous and most of the guys she knew were animals, but she quickly side-stepped further questions. “Enough of my sob story, I've just got to buckle down more in class is all. What’s been going on with you Leon? You heading off somewhere this fall?”

  Leon had always considered himself somewhat of a loner, but the past few months had left him feeling more alone than ever before. While others were getting ready to take off in life, he was stuck digging fence posts more often than not. He wasn't happy to hear about Shana’s struggles, but it did take some of the sting out of how he had been feeling about things lately.

  “Nope, college ain’t for me. Gus needs me here,” the answer was easy to rattle off, but Leon knew it to be a half-truth the moment it left his lips.

  Shana seemed to sense there was more to it as well, but she didn’t have the chance to question him further. They turned a corner and saw the tractor down the tree line.

  The hay fork out front still carried a round bale, but it was pressed up against a thicket of young pines. The engine was dead, and Gus was nowhere to be seen. They sprinted to the small wreck.

  Then, the forest’s silence exploded in the echoing bang of a heavy caliber hunting rifle. A moment later, a second gunshot ripped through the unsettled stillness.

  Shana turned to Leon. Perfectly sculpted eyebrows were climbing up her forehead as she reached for her phone. Her fingers shook as she frantically tried to call for help. She couldn't get service. Reception was notoriously sketchy out on that part of the ranch.

  "What do we do?" Shana's unflappable confidence faltered.

  Leon wasn't used to people looking to him when they had problems, but he took a shot anyway, “Run back to your car and get to the ranch house? There are two men there, Ethan and Reed. Tell them what you heard. Oh, and maybe call Sheriff Tony on the way? Tell him he better head this direction.”

  She snapped back to herself, “Yeah…um, I mean sure, but what about you?”

  “Me? Well, I guess Merle and I are going to try to get a look at what Gus is shooting at without letting him put any holes in us. I have a hunch I know where he's holed up.” He tried to smile for her sake like he just told a joke. She briefly smiled back but didn’t offer anything more when she turned to leave.

  She took off toward the gate, moving gracefully in cotton shorts and a pink jacket that read World’s Okayest Runner on the back. A part of him was bummed they couldn’t chat longer. She was definitely still the beauty he remembered.

  Then he slipped into the cover of the trees, into a place of familiarity and comfort, a place he understood. Those shots gave him a good idea as to where Gus was holed up. It wasn’t far.

  He knew most areas of thick cover and heavy timber about as well as any boy could grow to know a place. Merle knew them better. Using that cover they traveled fast enough to make decent time but quiet enough to slip up on an Indian. Leon had always been able to move quietly through the woods and Merle seemed to instinctively pick up on the mood. He flowed through the undergrowth like a shadow at his side, only stopping from time to time to sniff at whatever rogue scents wafted their way.

  Lightning lit up the dimming forest ahead, followed several seconds later by the distant boom of thunder. Just then the wind kicked it up a notch and small droplets struck his arms.

  Hang on, Gus, we’re coming.

  Chapter 3

  Leon approached where he suspected Gus was holed up. Wind and rain whipped against his face as he crept forward. The deluge pelted down on him from above. It even hit him sideways when larger gusts surged through the pines where he hid. He ignored the discomfort and cautiously inched closer until he came to a stop in some brush on a slight hilly rise.

  Downhill, directly in front of him, and out in the middle of an intersection of two widely cut trails, which local ranchers referred to as senderos, stood a deer blind on rusty metal stilts. With each flash of lightning, Leon could see open windows. No one knew the door’s combination to the blind but him and Gus, and Gus always kept it locked, windows included. Gus was definitely in there. Leon had guessed right. Though the guess was easy when one knew Gus left a .30-06 caliber rifle up there in a weatherproof gun case, year-round. Gus always claimed to hate hauling a rifle up a deer blind.

  Leon was never one to do much of anything without carefully weighing his options. Often, if a quick decision became necessary, he was apt to freeze up, unable to take a step either toward or away from the problem. In the past, this had grown especially challenging when rivalries ignited during roping competitions.

  He wrestled with his natural inclination to hunker down and wait things out as he studied the blind below. Would Gus need help? If so, he had to be ready to act when the time to move came.

  He looked down at Merle and gave the dog’s neck another reassuring squeeze.

  He whispered into the mutt’s ear, “If it looks like Gus needs help, we help, no excuses!”

  Down below, the sendero continued to appear empty. Twilight would come early due to the cloud cover above. Buckets of rain continued to fall. Lighting flashed and thunder boomed as the storm’s fury raged right over the top of him.

  Still, he waited. He had enough confidence in Gus to know the old man wouldn’t be holed up without a good reason. He was thankful at least for the mid-summer climate. The storm’s temperature drop was uncomfortable but tolerable.

  Eventually, the worst of the rain from the storm's initial band subsided into the ebbing pitter-patter of drizzle. The last of the sun's muted light abandoned him beyond the horizon. The forest was quiet
and still.

  All of the sudden, from multiple locations surrounding the deer blind, an ear-splitting chorus of howls broke loose. These weren’t the types of howls conjured up by local coyotes. These were guttural, bone-rattling, wailing, spooky as all get out, angry howls. Leon felt goosebumps rising from head to toe.

  Another rifle shot flashed from the window of the blind, followed instantaneously by the thh-boom sound of a well-placed bullet smacking into something solid somewhere off to his right. This elicited more howling from the woods before all the noise abruptly cut out. The forest was silent once more.

  Leon didn’t dare move. He let his eyes slowly adjust once more to the point where he could just make out the silhouette of the blind.

  Then, large projectiles came zipping across the sendero from multiple directions. They converged on the deer blind. Their collisions deafened his ears with reverberations that sounded like several sledgehammers pounding a giant drum.

  With the aid of the lightning, now intermittently striking behind him, Leon saw more than one chunk of debris flying off the fiberglass frame. The metal bracing holding the blind aloft clanged and sparked as it too was repeatedly struck. This barrage of pounding was silently executed from the shadow of dense cover.

  All hell literally broke loose before his very eyes, and he had no idea what to do about it. Merle’s coat quivered against his leg. He knelt and rubbed his dog along the wet tuft of his neck, calming them both and silently hoping Gus would make it through whatever happened below.

  The near-constant onslaught of rocks finally busted through the thin metal base beneath the blind. The deer blind lurched, leaned, and lurched again before tumbling down sideways. The pummeling finally stopped.

  From opposite locations, on either side of the sendero, spotlights kicked on, illuminating the now shattered remnant of the blind. The devastation caused in such a short amount of time was incredible. The area surrounding the blind was littered with large rocks, twisted metal, and floating bits of dust.