by Jake Aaron
“No, Cap, she said loudly, “I am with Zeke!”
*****
Dismounting at the compound, Marsh sighed. "Long day, Jen. More so for you. We’ve been going nonstop, without a break to compare notes. Thanks, as always for giving me cover. I was concerned back there when I ran into Cody Denton. I thought I might have seen some wildcats tracking us, yellow flashes and all.”
"They gave me a start, too! Honey, those were two yellow labs. I gave them my sandwich … . Who were with Cody, Marsh?”
"Joan, his business partner, and a redheaded female they ran into. Really bad shape physically and emotionally. She couldn't speak; appeared to be in shock.”
"In the old days, Marsh, you'd still be at work checking her background and possible criminal record.”
"Yeah, but now we have the Benefactor. He'll check her out, I'm sure. His criteria for who stays in our groups appears to be damned stringent.”
“Yep. Marsh, do you think we can get Cody to give us a mini concert?”
“I bet we can, Jen. Thanks again for protecting us from those killer labradors. Speaking of canines, I 'm as hungry as a dog … ”
*****
Sitting on the bed in their B&B room that night with Zeke, Keala explained her history with Cap. Before she could recount all of her conversation with Cap, Zeke suddenly kissed her.
“Keala, I realized tonight that I love you — more than anyone I have ever met or dreamed of.”
Zeke's brain exploded with self-talk: Whoa, buddy! You're moving at hypersonic speed again. Remember how quickly you were enthralled with Meagan. Hours, man! Here you go again with Keala. What the heck are you doing? What happened to I-need-to sleep-on-it Zeke, the guy who never made rash decisions? He wouldn't make any big decision on the spot.
He argued back with that inner voice: You are right. I am moving fast. It could be that my cloistered years at the New Mexico Military Institute and demanding years of engineering studies left me a little naive. But I contend that the times have changed. Yes, those may also explain my being hoodwinked by Sondra; however, since January first, everything is more uncertain. We're plagued with the ever-present imminence of death from deprivation and assault. We struggle with the looming unknown every single waking minute and then again in our nightmares.
No, I may not be behaving rationally, but I am acting as appropriately as the Yanks who fell in love so quickly with English women in the unsettled times of World War II. A crisis speeds up relationships. Perhaps, you should cut me some slack, bucko!
“Zeke, Zeke, where did you go? You seemed to go into a trance just now. Are you all right?"
"Yeah, Keala. Whew! I think the pace of change since New Year's finally caught up with me ..."
Hugging Zeke, Keala sympathized, "I get it. I had many of the same kind of moments when I was recovering from the plane crash. You never get any time alone to allow that to happen. I think it's healthy to let your system catch up, so to speak."
She laughed at the break in the romantic moment, "Zeke, back to us." She then paused to emphasize her seriousness. "I feel the same way about you. I love you! But Meagan told me about Sondra …”
“Sondra is history, I assure you!” he scoffed. "Although I do miss her disrespecting eye-roll — which she never used to do ..."
“I'm trying to be serious here! She still carries a torch for you. It may come out in hostility, but it’s there. Karen pointed that out to me.”
Zeke opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it. He could tell his denial was going nowhere. He just shook his head.
“I also know you were very close to Meagan. I’m not sure I can compete with that memory,” she tested.
Zeke knew this was game point. “Meagan was a fantastic person. She was dear to our whole group. You are Keala, wonderful in every possible way. Please know that I value you above all others, forever. That’s saying a lot, for me.” He graded himself on closing this issue: good but not great.
One thing was still bothering Zeke. “Keala, when Cap’s partner was telling me about her husband’s disappearance, she told me he had a wife. Did you know Cap was married?”
Keala reeled at the news. After letting the revelation sink in, she said, “Not a chance! Zeke, I was brought up better than that! He told me several times he had never married. Frankly, I’m shocked … . You do know that many pilots don’t wear rings. It’s a safety …”
Zeke cut her off, “I figured you didn’t know.”
Keala squeezed him for a long time. “Thank you for thinking well of me. I always assume the best about you. And thank you for telling me your concern. That’s how it should be.”
Still sitting on the bed, Keala laughed without humor, “Well, enough about us!”
“We are going to be a never-ending story,” Zeke smiled.
Keala: “That’s my belief, too. You know, thinking about the B & B group, I can’t believe they couldn’t or wouldn’t decide on a leader!”
Zeke shook his head, “Makes me feel lucky to be a member of the sometimes-dysfunctional Denton group.”
“That couple, Wesley and Donna, seem to be the spoilers. When they’re not dragging everyone down with negativity, they’re fueling anarchy. And it’s not like it’s a one-time occurrence; it happens again and again and again. I’m ready to vote them off the island.” Keala laughed at herself. “Now that’s constructive of me! I try to be nonjudgmental.”
Zeke was unaware he was foreshadowing, “We ought to give them a fair trial before we hang them." He laughed. "They are Brock and Sondra on steroids. At least we have local huckleberries to look forward to at breakfast. Cap said he found them at the bottom of the freezer. He put them out to thaw in the living room near the fireplace. That will be a real morale booster. Small things count!”
Keala shrugged her shoulders. “I guess I missed that. I was probably showing the ladies some of Karen’s cooking tricks.”
“On another score, was Sondra always that way?”
Wondering where that came from, Zeke chuckled, “You really know how to hurt a guy. Rub salt in the wound, then twist the knife!
“Your mangled metaphors are a deflection, Zeke, and you know it!”
“I apologize. Really! No, Sondra was a sweet young lady when we dated. I never would have seen her becoming this way — crying in her room, sullen, and harpy-like. She and Brock have bad chemistry. Or maybe she was always that way and kept up an elaborate facade while we were dating.”
“My take: same old story,” Keala said. “The two just aren’t good together. Do you think we are, Zeke? Don’t give me a smart answer.”
Zeke’s extra-serious look portended coming humor. “We’re a pretty good team, but I get a little tired of pulling your weight.”
Keala had no doubts about her contributions, so she hit him hard in the face with a pillow. She laughed and kept up the fusillade. The only way to stop the attack was for Zeke to hug her.
Before he could do that, Zeke had his arms up in front of his face like a prize fighter. He finally pinned her left arm against her trunk, but she continued the rain of pillow blows with her right. “Let’s call it a truce. I’ll let you go if you stop with the pillow, Keala.”
“How about I stop with the pillow, and you don’t let me go?”
“I can live with that!” Zeke smiled.
“You know,” Keala whispered, “for a person who likes to be in control, you play like the best of us.”
“I try, Keala, but you should hear the voices going off in my head when I do. I have to mentally duct tape The Efficiency Expert in me who outshouts the other voices. He screams, ‘You’re wasting time!’”
“For all objective measures, my reluctant ruler, you have it all together. I think all of us have the other stuff going on all the time, but we’re just not as self-aware as you. You’re more evolved. Despite being the responsible oldest sister, I’ve always been pretty happy-go-lucky. Some say breezy, but I’ve learned from you. I’ve found it valuable to loo
k at my motivations and values. I’ve grown emotionally and can make better decisions. Thank you.”
“Glad to be your mate, mate. Now I’m going to list all that I’ve learned from you …”
“Zeke, I’m honored, but let’s do that tomorrow. I don’t even have to duct tape any of the inner voices that try to keep me awake. I’m fading. I’m so far gone that I’m wondering whether I’m dreaming now.”
There was an unwritten rule between Zeke and Keala that play kept them sane. It lifted each from the depressing reality of their new existence. It relieved unspoken tension and distracted from anxieties about the future. It cleared their emotions for sleep.
At 1 AM, well after they fell asleep, Zeke’s smartphone chirped with a text:
Wesley and Donna hid the huckleberries in front of the B & B in the snow next to the eight-foot tall, wooden grizzly bear.
Waking with Zeke, Keala reacted to the text, she said, “Who was watching?” Her mind then remembered the spontaneous cell phone incident at the Idaho reactor site and the magical powering of gasoline pumps.
Zeke: “I don’t know. In fact, I wondered why Marsh insisted I bring the phone. Not the only mystery of late, though. What do we do with the information, that’s what we should be asking. It’s like The Caine Mutiny. Remember the captain ranting about theft of the strawberries. In a way, this is also mutiny.”
January 13
The B & B bunch sat down to a breakfast of venison, canned corn, and coffee. Something was missing.
Cap clamored, “Where are the huckleberries? I couldn’t find them this morning.” The baritone words sounded like a man. The man pounding on the table with two fists looked like a toddler screaming for candy.
Zeke said, “Just a moment! Come with me, Cap.” They walked briskly out the front door and retrieved the canister buried in the snow by the large bear statue carved out of pine. On return, they were greeted with cheers from the B & B bunch. Wesley and Donna tried to act excited, but their enthusiasm was lacking.
Zeke and Keala carefully observed the B & B members’ behavior.
Zeke addressed the group, “Sorry these are still frozen. Someone removed them from the great room, where they were to slowly thaw.”
Cap added, “Yeah, I left them twelve feet from the fireplace last night …”
Zeke noted Cap’s precision. Twelve feet, not eleven or thirteen; twelve, he thought. He noted, I like this guy!
Both Wesley and Donna were flushed. Wesley tried to divert attention from himself, “Who would do that?”
Keala calmly said, “I saw you two do it!”
Wesley snapped back, “You couldn’t have. There was only one of us … .” He realized his mistake too late.
“Houston, we have a problem,” Zeke began. “I think you all need a formal meeting on what you intend to do with these two. Keala and I will observe.”
Cap followed, “It’s not as if this is the first time we’ve had problems with you two.”
One B & B member proposed that a two-thirds vote by the non-accused would be sufficient for a decision. There was a quick second. Then, another member proposed banishing the two troublemakers. Again, a quick second. All eight of the non-accused voted to oust Wesley and Donna. Cap ordered them to be tied up in their chairs for the time being.
As the last knots on the prisoners were tied, Zeke caught a glimpse of Marsh hanging out at the gate. Zeke went out to greet him, “Morning, Marsh. You’re a few hours early.”
“Yeah, I figured I’d bring the B & B gang vitamin C and vitamin D. I might even get caught up on my coffee drinking.”
“Well, good that you’re here, Marsh.” Zeke went on to explain what had happened in case Marsh didn’t already know. He finished, “Not unlike restraining unruly passengers on one of Cap’s flights!”
Marsh nodded. “I’m sure Keala wishes she could have done that many times in her previous life!”
Cap swaggered out to greet Marsh and unlocked the gate. “Howdy, Marsh, I’ve got news,” Cap proudly announced. “I’m the new official leader here. Just happened after Zeke stepped out. Marsh, we need your help …”
“Cap, Zeke read me in. I happen to have two extra horses. I’ll take care of this. First things first! Where’s my coffee?”
All three headed for the entrance to the B & B. Cap held the door open for Marsh and Zeke. He laughed and slapped Marsh on the back. “You’re right. First things first!” He pointed at Wesley and Donna. “Put gags on those two.”
For the first time, Keala realized how much Hap reminded her of William Shatner playing Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek television series. Was it her imagination, or was his bluster approaching the legendary captain’s?
After three cups of coffee, Marsh rose. “You have your vitamins. I have my coffee. Hope the huckleberries are good when they thaw. Get the exiles out front!”
Disgusted with the pairs’ continued bad behavior, the eight — men and women alike — manhandled the pair out of the B & B as Zeke, Keala, and Marsh shook their heads.
Standing next to a horse, Wesley was trying to scream something through duct tape. When Marsh pulled the tape off, Wesley insisted, “Marshal, I can’t ride! I don’t know how! We can’t go!”
Marsh put the tape back in place. “We’re going whether you ride or not. You can try to run on a tether if you want, but I wouldn’t recommend it. You’ll have trouble keeping up.”
Despite having his hands tied together, Wesley unhesitatingly climbed on his horse like a seasoned cowboy.
Two B & B men tried to help Donna onto the other horse. As they boosted her up, she surprised one with an elbow in the nose and the other with an elbow in the eye. Each went down on both knees. As she slid off the horse to a standing position, Marsh gently tapped the back of one of her legs with a boot. She collapsed on the ground. The two injured B & B men rose and threw her belly-down across the horse saddle and tied her arms to her legs, the rope running under the horse.
Cap quipped, “We’re going to miss these two — like a drowning man misses water.”
He is Captain Kirk, Keala thought. Definitely Captain Kirk! She was surprised she had never seen it before.
Marsh tipped his hat at Zeke and Keala, “I’ll be back this afternoon to pick you up.” He looked at Cap, “And I’ll look at getting two suitable replacements to handle the workload here at the B & B.”
*****
Marsh returned in mid-afternoon with the two extra horses. No mention of the two exiles.
As they rode toward the Denton place, Zeke remembered Cap’s longing look at departing Keala. That could have been me, he thought. To lose anyone you cared about to another would be devastating. To lose Keala had to be worse.
He was flipping mental coins on whether to ask Marsh where he took Wesley and Donna. First, he realized, Marsh would be elusive. Second, if Marsh told him, he might not be able to handle the truth. Third, it was too late to do anything about it anyway.
As they rode, Keala was having fun playfully goading Zeke, “Ask!” She meant about the details of the previous night’s text. “Ask!”
After half an hour, Keala herself rode up beside Marsh. She asked. Marsh mumbled. She asked again.
Tapping his right ear to signal I can’t hear you, Marsh got directive, “Back in tactical formation! It’s a war zone out here!”
“Come on, Marsh. We’re brothers-in-arms after the Idaho trip. How did you know to show up at the B & B — on cue, with two extra horses?”
Marsh didn’t even turn his head. “Back in formation! Dangerous out here.”
As Keala dropped back, Zeke rode over beside her. His look said I told you! He smiled knowingly.
She blushed and said, “Shut up!” to Zeke. “Don’t say it!”
Both thought they heard Marsh snickering. He seemed to know everything.
*****
Zeke and Keala arrived back at the Denton Ranch in time for an antelope supper. All but one were eager to eat. Only Cody begged off. “I�
��ll go with cold beans, if that’s okay with you, Karen. I’ll be up for antelope next time we have it, though, I’m sure.”
Cody didn’t want to explain his aversion this evening. Last night he had vivid dreams, reliving the mountain lion attack and its aftermath. Not starved, he had no appetite for meat right now. The smell of cooking meat evoked memories of butchering and eating his horse. The thought of eating antelope just didn’t sit right.
Joan shot Cody a knowing look. “You know, I’ll join you in beans, Cody. And, no slight to our hunters or Karen!”
Cody gave Joan a grateful look. He appreciated her support. She had an emotional quotient of 200, at least.
John: “Speaking for Keala and me, no problem. As for Karen, remember: She’s vegan!” He winked at Karen.
The gods of manners were satisfied.
The highlight of the meal was dessert.
“Karen, what did you do to make those peaches so good?” Cody asked afterward.
“Trade secret,” she laughed. Cinnamon and clove, she thought, work wonders. “And thanks for the compliment, Cody.”
Lee: “Zeke, what did you and Keala do to warrant the extra rations from Marsh?”
Keala: “I’ll let Zeke tell you, but I must add Marsh said he has another bonus coming our way for good work.” She gave Zeke time to get the jargon out of his words. Alone with her, he still occasionally reverted to inside words and phrases like synergy, granularity, delta, and boiling the ocean. He called the buzzwords an occupational hazard.
Joan interjected, “This sounds like a good story … .”
Zeke took a deep breath and smiled, “I’ll tell you, folks, as I’ve told Keala, I’m so proud to be part of this group. We have somehow managed to do an awful lot very well, under some very bad circumstances.” He went on to discuss the many dysfunctions of the B & B group. He concluded, “I’m not here to talk them down. I’d say they were probably about average for our conditions, but pulled down by two people who consistently put their own self-interests over the good of the group. Their disruptive influence was undermining their team.”