by Sally Six
“What’s so funny?”
“This is the first time a man has insisted I mess up my hair and helped with it.” She said with a wide grin.
Of course this brought a big smile to his face. After he was done helping to mess her up, he went over and picked up her pocket knife, cleaned it off on Kit and did the same with his bowie knife. He then walked back over to her and handed her knife back to her. He noticed she opened it back up because he had closed it after he cleaned it. She put it back in her right hand pocket. He figured she wanted it ready and that she must have done the same thing before she rammed it into Kit’s throat earlier. He thought about 20 minutes should have passed by now, but they waited a few more minutes just in case. Kurt drug Kits body around the corner of the manufactured home and then roughed up the ground where he had drug Kit, just in case. They just stood there holding hands and not saying much.
Beulah started taking deep breaths. This seemed much worse than it had earlier to her.
“Alright here goes.” She let go of his hand and started inside the back kitchen door before fear got to her.
“Remember Beulah you’re not alone. I’m out here waiting.” Beulah turned her head in Kurt’s direction and watched Kurt slip into the deeper darkness. She took another deep breath and went through the door. Her head was down as she went inside and she shuffled through the kitchen. When George and Pike saw her, they became more alert.
She kind of sniffled as she talked. “Kit,” sniffle, “said it was Pike’s turn to bring his woman out,” Sniffle. “That he would be inside to help guard in a few minutes.” Sniffle. She shuffled back over to the others and started to sit down. As she sat down she leaned toward Barb and Lysbeth.
“I hope your knives are open, be ready.”
She didn’t dare say much more. Both of the girls tried not to react to what she had said. Neither of them had opened their knives. They hadn’t thought about how fast they may need them ahead of time. So to cover this they all started to scoot around and change positions. Lysbeth wasn’t real familiar with pocketknives and couldn’t get hers open. They were wondering just what went on for Beulah to be like this when she looked like she had been attacked. Brian couldn’t understand why his mom didn’t seem more upset than she was. He hoped what he was thinking had happened outside, did happen.
Pike with that awful grin on his face strolled over and looked down at Lysbeth. “Your turn babe. You and me are gonna have some fun. Time to get used to a real man.”
Lysbeth looked around then back at him. “Just where is this real man? Maybe the real man is standing over there at the counter?”
“You’re gonna pay for that wise crack girlie. Now get up.”
George grinned at her remark because he was sure her statement was true. Pike who had his pistol out and aimed at her and cocked it.
“You get up and get up now. You’re mine and gonna stay mine until I get tired of you. That’s the way it’s gonna be in this new world. Men the likes of us are gonna rule. The ones that should have been all along. Now get up.”
Lysbeth started to get a scared look on her face and her bottom lip started to quiver. She began to rise with her head down and to the side. She winked at Brian and Henry who were still sitting side by side with very glum looks on their faces. As Lysbeth stood up and took a step towards Pike, she acted like she was going to stumble. He grabbed her right arm and kept her from falling, he thought.
“See I’m a gentleman in my own way. Treat me nice babe and I will treat you the same way.”
He took her hand and led her out towards the kitchen and through it. As that was happening George leered at Barb from across the room knowing his turn wasn’t far away.
Pike and Lysbeth went out the back door with him pulling her the whole way.
“Why make this so hard babe?”
Lysbeth was trying hard to think. This was happening so fast. What could she do to delay things? She sure wished she had been able to get that knife open. All of a sudden out of the darkness a voice came. “Going somewhere scum?”
Pike dropped Lysbeth’s hand and whirled around.
“Who said that?”
Lysbeth took the moment when he dropped her hand to get the knife out of her pocket and again tried to open it. She got it open and was about to stab Pike with it when a figure ran out of the darkness from the left and slid something across Pike’s throat. Pike made a gurgling sound and dropped to his knees. Someone then grabbed her and pulled her to him. “You all right child?”
There she stood against his chest with her little knife she had been given still in her hand dumbfounded. The voice sounded a little familiar. She looked up and he looked a bit familiar, but it was hard to see him clearly in the dark or maybe she was just in shock.
“Who are you? You sound like someone I have met.”
“It’s me Lysbeth, Kurt Howell. Do you remember me?”
“Yes I do. How did you get here? Oh never mind. We need to figure out how to get the others loose and away from that last scum bag. I was amazed to see Beulah as calm as she was. Apparently the scum didn’t think about it. So is the other one taken out too?”
“Yes Lysbeth, he’s dead and laying around the corner, but Beulah pretty well took care of him before I even got to him.”
This surprised her after what had happened in the café earlier. She guessed that swift kick Brian gave her had really done the trick after all. He looked down at her. “We need to figure out what we can do to get that last one. Wait, Kit was about my size. I have an idea. He is going to start wondering why that first one Kit isn’t in soon.”
In fact Kurt was right. George was beginning to get antsy. He thought Kit should have been back in by now.
Kurt went over to where he had dragged Kit’s body and slipped off Kit’s jacket. There wasn’t that much blood on it because it had been open when the pocketknife had stabbed him and when Kurt’s own knife had slid across the man’s throat. Anyway with the shadows even in the Café any stains wouldn’t be noticed. He picked up the cap and replaced his with Kit’s. He wasn’t about to put Kits pants on as Kit had soiled them in death. The jacket and cap would just have to do. In the lantern light the shadows should help disguise that the pants weren’t the same. Good thing Kit didn’t have a full grown beard that would have been too hard to come up with. Like Kit, Kurt had a bit of growth on his face.
“Lysbeth you get Pike’s 44 and stick it behind you back. Then in about 30 seconds after I go in I want you to come running in the back door screaming. You got that? Just count to thirty and come a running screaming your young head off. Oh, what’s this other guy’s name?”
“His name is George and I got it. Come in screaming as loud as I can and acting freaked out.” She now had a smile on her face and was so glad this was almost over. This had taken entirely too much time out of their trip to her new home. The thought of rape and death hadn’t helped much either. She then went over and stood to the right of the door so she would be ready to go in.
Kurt stood at the door for a moment gathering himself. He was trying to think like a scum, cocky and sure of himself. He threw open the door and walked in quickly like he had a purpose. He had the cap cocked down over his face as much as he could and still see. Kurt walked across the kitchen and was almost to the counter where George stood when from behind him Lysbeth threw open the door running in screaming and yelling with all her might. Kurt whirled around like he was Kit and went for his pistol. George at the same time was walking closer to Kit and was raising his rifle. After George saw it was Lysbeth and she was freaking out, he started to smile because he thought she had gotten away from Pike. He would be coming in that door anytime to retrieve her. Then George could give Pike a hard time about the girl being able to get away from him.
Just then somebody slammed into George’s back and Kurt’s. Kurt was trying to get out. “Wait, wait, I’m not Kit.” Kurt turned his head to see an old man sitting on George’s back as he was trying to explain who he w
as. That’s when Brian got a look at Kurt and pulled the pocket knife away from Kurt’s throat as he had quickly jumped into the fray also. His mom had gotten the knife back to him just a few minutes ago. Henry was standing behind them and reached over and grabbed a frying pan and handed it to Les. Les then proceeded to slam the said frying pan onto George’s head and knocked George out cold.
Everyone took a moment to take a deep breath. Brian let Kurt up off the floor. Kurt took off the cap and the scumbag’s jacket. He was only too happy to be rid of them.
“How’s everyone? Is everyone all right?” Kurt looked around and everyone seemed to look okay to him. “Man Brian that was some tackle.”
“We’re all fine Kurt. It’s sure great to see you.”
Brian looked over at Les. “You, you old faker, moving around like you were in horrible pain and could hardly get where you were going. That was great.”
Les looked very proud of himself. “There’s more than one way to skin a cat son. If those around you think you’re one way especially if you’re on the old side, I say keep working it.”
Frank came over to the kitchen. He wanted to know where the other two were and if they should expect more trouble coming through the door.
Kurt with a smile on his face said. “Not in this life time. They’re about to meet their maker I bet.”
Les looked down at the man he still sat on. “What do we do with this scum anyway? We can’t let him go you know. He will just team up with someone else and do the same thing or worse. They killed Mr. Dale the owner you know. We were here when they killed him. All five of us were here when these scum bags walked in and took over. Mr. Dale tried to stop them. No way this one should live either.”
Kurt watched the faces of those around him.
“Well I guess it’s not up to me. I helped take out the other two. Well one anyway.” That got a strange look from the others. “But I say it’s up to those who were here and saw the deed done to carry out the execution.”
Frank and Les both nodded their heads yes. Then Les freed George of his pistol and Frank picked up the rifle.
Kurt motioned outside and said. “You will find the rest of the guns out there. Pike is still lying on the ground out there by the back door and the other one Kit is behind the house.”
Pike’s rifle was still sitting by the counter not far from where George was standing a few minutes ago. Flo went over and picked it up and acted like she knew how to handle it.
Frank was grinning at her. He turned towards the others. “She’s a better shot than I am folks.” He turned back to his wife. “Looks like we’re gonna get back home after all Ma. We’re going to unpack that gun collection of yours.”
She smiled back at him. “It’s about time to Father. I sure am tired of this place.”
George started to groan. Les still sitting on top of the dirt ball decided it was time to move. He wanted this over with so he could get home to his own bed and his wife could fix him a decent meal. He was sick and tired of this cold canned crap.
George came to and his hands went to his head. He looked over to see the prisoners standing over him with his and the other two men’s guns. Beside them was a strange man and he didn’t see Kit anywhere.
“Where’s Kit? What have you done with him? He was just here before someone knocked me out.”
Kurt was having a good time with this. “That wasn’t your friend, Kit. Your friend’s, Kit and Pike, won’t be bothering anyone anymore. That was me in Kit’s clothes. Where do you get off demanding anything after killing the owner of this place and holding these people prisoners? Plus trying to take advantage of these women. Well I will tell you one thing. It’s their turn to decide what to do with you. I think they have done that.”
George wasn’t looking so confident now and his face went white when he heard his friends were dead and no one was coming to his rescue.
Les backed up. “Now up you scum. We’re going to put you where you belong. There’s no law around to take you to. So I guess it’s time for us citizens to take matters into our own hands.”
George moaned and groaned as he got up. Frank came forward after his wife gave him Pike’s rifle. He and Les prodded George forward through the back door.
Les looked around. “I don’t want to spoil a good wall. Over there scum. Head that way. I think there’s a nice big pine over that way.” Les watched George’s eyes and saw that George was about to make a break for it in the dark. “Don’t even think it scumbag. Take one step in a different direction and you won’t even get to that tree. Well you may come to think of it, but you won’t like it. A few selective holes in you here and there would make the walking a mite harder for you.”
George trudged on ahead head hanging. He knew he was a goner no matter what. What did it matter anyway now? His dreams and those of his friends were gone. He found a tree in fact he almost walked into it in the dark. It looked like the old man knew the place pretty good after all. George turned and snarled at the two old men and the people behind them, but didn’t get to snarl long as two bullets in his brain cut that short.
The people turned and headed back to the café. It was such a relief to feel safe again. Bea at eleven had been left with the other children. The gunshots had scared them and they jumped when people started to come back in the door. Beulah went to them and told them. “It’s over. We are all safe now.”
The children started to cry except for Timothy. At ten he thought he was getting to old for that sort of thing. At least until Barb came over and put her arm around him. He then turned into her and cried his heart out. When the children were settled down, Beulah had them help get they’re sleeping bags and bring them in so they could go to sleep. Henry thought no way he could go to sleep, but within five minutes of lying down he was out cold.
The guard duty was light for everyone that night with so many to help. They did three-hour shifts until dawn. Before dawn, Kurt and Brian drug Ernie’s body outside after everyone else got up. They would have a short service for the man they didn’t know. Brian told Kurt what had gone on that afternoon and what had happened to Ernie.
Kurt said. “His family will never know what happened to him sad to say. It’s going to be and is that way for so many now.”
Brian looked into Kurt’s eyes. “I know just how that is Kurt. We have no idea what happened to my dad. I can’t say he was a good man. I loved him because he’s my dad, but he is or was a real butt head.”
Then Kurt took Brian’s arm and they headed for their walk around the front of the café. When they got to the front Kurt had them split and each go back in opposite directions with Kurt continuing around the manufactured home and meeting again in a few minutes. Kurt tried to do things different each time they met until the sun began to peek over the mountains. Then they headed back in to wake anyone that needed to be so that they could get on with their day. As they all were getting ready to go their separate ways and after saying a few words over Ernie, they made sure there was always someone watching out of the windows for any more trouble. The children were dressed warm as were the rest of them. The older couple’s went to their cars and took out what they could carry. They all carried winter kits in their cars and blankets. So with coats and a blanket wrapped around each of the ladies, Frank and Les using theirs to haul food and other things in. Then tied over one shoulder, they waved goodbye to each other. Les and Flo were headed to the west on the road that led away from the café. It was the back way into Winchester. They lived about a half-mile outside of the small town. Les figured they would be home in three to four hours. Everyone watched as Les and Flo got on their way and then turned to go back over to the road to head down towards Winchester Grade.
Kurt hated to leave the older couple behind. The older couple said that was fine. They would make it home now just fine and it was a much better walk having to go downhill than if they had to go up instead.
They waved goodbye to the young people and the children and wished them luck and Gods B
lessing’s on getting home. They watched the young people head off in front of them.
To Brian it was so good to be on their way again. He and the rest of them could do without any more delays like this one. If this kept up, he felt like he would be gray before he was twenty. Even though it was just coasting down this long grade, they had to make sure they didn’t go so fast that the children felt like it was so fast they were out of control. It didn’t take all that long as in 25 minutes they were at the bottom of the Grade and headed past Culdesac. The small town was on their right of the highway. So far it looked like no one had burned anything, just clean mountain air filled the day. Must be another community that was taking care of each other instead of tearing each other apart, well for now anyway.
Brian sure hoped it stayed that way. He knew there were more good people than bad. As long as the good were left alone, they would see to each other’s welfare.
Down they went past the grain elevator on the right and the little café on the left. The next half-mile was different buildings, homes and the Little League Field. “This place never looked so good,” thought Brian. Another eight miles would find them going straight through Lapwai. He was somewhat afraid of what they would find there. It was a poor Nez Perce Indian town and the people didn’t have much. He hoped the good people of the town had prevailed there also. Then they wouldn’t have any trouble getting through. An hour later they were entering Lapwai. The children were doing really well and they figured they would stop for a break a couple miles out of Lapwai. This part of the highway had quite a few homes along it.
So far so good. Kurt had taken lead with Beulah next then Henry riding beside Bea and Gil with Timothy and Brian with Karen and then Lysbeth and Barb in the rear. Many people were out in their yards cooking with tents and teepees set up beside their houses for the extra family and friends that had come to stay and help one another. It did look like there had been trouble here as a house here and there was burned to the ground. As they went passed the store, it was scorched but still intact with people coming and going from it. The gas station was closed, but there were two guards there watching over things. Kurt waved at the guards as they rode passed. The men had been keeping a keen eye on the group of riders, but when they realized it was a family and children they calmed down. They even gave a wave back as the group passed. Just regular men like most everyone else. It’s the scumbags that made things hard on everyone.