THE CRUEL SEVEN

by Terence Mitford

  “Who’s going to tell Lisa?”

  “Leave that to me. By the time she’s had your baby, she’ll be so used to complying she’ll think whatever we tell her to do is normal. And the baby will tie her to us.”

  “There is just one little issue we need to take care of.”

  Erica nodded. “I know, and I’ve been giving it some thought.”

  “Mike?”

  “You need to take the police jeep and find the drug traffickers’ vehicle. They probably left it down the track. Take one of the boys with you to drive it back. Then you need to drive Mike over to Larry’s place so he can take him into town. I’ll explain that Larry won’t ask too many questions, so there’s nothing for her to worry about.”

  “Won’t she ask why we aren’t taking him to town ourselves?”

  “I’ll explain we can’t show up in town in either vehicle because we need them both to stage the scene.”

  “What are we really going to do?”

  “Not we, you. After dropping off Mike at Larry’s, follow them to the top of Graveyard Pass on the mountain road and force them over the edge. Make it look like an accident.”

  Luke grinned at his ma. “Brilliant. You always come up with a solution. The facility lost out big time when they let you go.” He hesitated. “But what about Larry?”

  Erica shrugged. “Collateral damage. He’s old. Probably only got a few years left, anyway.”

  36

  LISA

  Lisa began preparing the evening meal as usual, with Summer by her side. They spoke when necessary to pass each other a knife or another utensil for peeling and chopping, otherwise they worked in silence until Erica walked over. “Okay, what’s up with you two.”

  Lisa nodded her head towards Summer. “I’m sure your daughter can explain.”

  Summer smirked. “Where shall I start; at the cabin, the lake, or the generator shed?”

  Lisa swore under her breath, then gave Summer a tight-lipped smile tinged with sarcasm.

  Summer grinned and glanced at her mother. “We just had a little misunderstanding, but everything’s fine now, isn’t it, Lisa?”

  Lisa wanted to wipe the smirk from Summer’s face with the back of her hand, but she just nodded. “Of course. Just a little misunderstanding.” Then she focused on Summer. “There won’t be any more, will there?”

  Summer raised her eyebrows and opened her lips. “I hope not.”

  Erica glanced back and forward, from Lisa to Summer and back to Lisa. Then she shook her head and walked away mumbling something like, “Youth is wasted on the young.”

  Lisa glared at Summer, but the girl just sniggered and walked outside.

  During the meal, Erica tapped the table with the butt of her knife. “I have some good news for Lisa.”

  Everyone stopped eating and focused on Erica. “Luke is going to drive Mike over to Larry’s place so Larry can drive him to the hospital.”

  Lisa widened her eyes. “Who’s Larry?”

  “He’s our nearest neighbor. Fifteen miles north-east of here, and he’s trustworthy. He keeps himself to himself and won’t ask many questions.”

  “That sounds good. Can I go with them?” Lisa asked.

  Erica shook her head. “Sorry. Larry only has two seats in his truck and the flatbed on the back is full of pig shit. You wouldn’t want to ride in that.”

  Lisa took a moment while she searched for solutions, but had to concede she couldn’t think of any. She turned to Luke, sitting across the table from her. “Can you ask Larry to check on the truck’s part?”

  Luke shrugged. “I can, but It’s a long detour for him to bring it all the way out here and then drive home. He’s in his eighties, so we’ll be asking a lot of him, just driving Mike to the hospital. The road from his place to town is risky, especially around the mountain.”

  “Oh, I see. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for anything happening to him.”

  Luke glanced sideways at Erica, then carried on eating.

  What did that look mean? Was he just grateful she didn’t insist on him asking Larry to bring the truck’s part all the way out here? “When are you setting off?”

  He swallowed some food and washed it down with a mouthful of wine. “I’ll take Billy with me in the police jeep first thing in the morning to find the drug traffickers’ car. Then we’ll come back for Mike. We need to get him over to Larry’s before noon to give him time to get into town and back before dark. Don’t want him on that road at night, it’s bad enough in daylight.”

  Lisa nodded. “I’ll clear away and go and give Mike the good news.” Then she glanced across at Summer. The girl was solemn and as angry as Lisa had been at her, she couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for her now. Because she was about to lose her patient, and the person who seemed to have given her purpose over the last few days. So tomorrow her life would go back to what it was before they arrived, and Lisa guessed that was nothing special.

  She spoke to Summer. “Do you want to tell him yourself?”

  Summer’s smile looked forced, probably out of politeness, acknowledging Lisa’s gesture. But she shook her head. “That’s all right, he’s still your husband, you can tell him.”

  Mike had finished his meal, but the tray was still across his lap when Lisa entered the cabin. His eyes followed her around the bed to the chair as she sat down next to him. She removed the tray and placed it on the sideboard. “I have some good news.”

  Mike raised an eyebrow. “I thought we’d entered some kind of forth dimension where good news hadn’t been invented yet.”

  Lisa grinned. “Well, Luke is taking you back through the wormhole tomorrow.”

  He stared at her.

  “He’s taking you over to a neighbor who’ll drive you into town.”

  “Why can’t he take me direct.”

  Lisa explained Erica’s plan for Luke to stage a scene with the sheriff and the three dead men, which meant they couldn’t be seen in town in the traffickers’ car or the police jeep.

  Mike thought for a moment, no doubt trying to think of a better plan, one of his slightly annoying traits, but then he nodded. “Sounds good. So by this time tomorrow we’ll be back in civilization.”

  Lisa got up and paced the floor. She didn’t need to say anything. It must be obvious from her body language.

  Mike sighed. “So you are staying here?”

  Lisa returned to the chair and sat down. “I have to. Larry’s truck only has two seats. But I’ll come to town as soon as we get Ed’s truck working.”

  “Sure you will.”

  “I’m serious, Mike. Whatever the future holds for us, I need to get home.”

  “I hope you mean that. Because I meant what I said before we came on this trip and I’ve not changed my mind. I love you, and I just hope you can believe me when I tell you this thing with Summer is not what it looked like.”

  Lisa shrugged. “I’m not saying I do or don’t believe you. I need time to work things out. But I know Summer is not the sweet little innocent she pretends to be.”

  “Thank God for that. I’ve been going crazy, stuck in this bed thinking that you thought I was lying to you. Despite what I did with Vicki, I’ve never lied to you. And one more thing. I don’t want you to have to lie to me, so I won’t ask you about your relationship with Luke.”

  Lisa winced inside, but was grateful to him for not making it any more difficult than it was. She would hate to lie to him again, and wouldn’t have known how to answer any probing questions. She had let Luke fuck her twice and couldn’t even promise Mike that she wouldn’t let him do it again. And she hated herself for it.

  Mike reached out and placed his hand over hers. “I will give you time to make up your mind.” He laughed. “Look at me. I don’t have much choice, do I? I can’t exactly follow you around.”

  Lisa leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for that.”

  “Just the cheek?”

  “It’s all I can do right now. I’m just co
nfused, that’s all. But I won’t take a minute longer than necessary to clear my head. And I have to admit. It’s all been great up until the last few weeks.”

  “Every minute I’ve spent with you has been great. Do what you have to do, whatever that means. I just hope I get another chance with you, because if I do, I’ll never mess up again.”

  His words brought a tear to her eye. Could he be telling the truth about Summer? Could he really be the same Mike she fell in love with, and married, and planned to grow old with? She headed for the door. “I’ll see you in the morning before you go.”

  “Lisa, wait. I’m going to worry about you here on your own with them.”

  She turned back. “It’s sweet of you to worry, but there’s no need. I’ll be fine here. And I’ll get into town within the week to see you. I need to go now before you make me cry.” She hurried out of the cabin, but took her time walking around to the veranda, where she sat for a few minutes before going inside.

  The house was quiet, with just a single lamp burning in one corner of the room. She found her blanket draped over the couch and a glass of wine on the coffee table next to a scribbled note. It will help you sleep.

  She sat on the couch and sipped the wine and watched the flames flickering in the hearth. She had some serious thinking to do and decisions to make. She glanced around the room and asked herself some questions. Could she live a simple lifestyle out here with Luke and the family? Could she have his children and be happy here? Would she miss the luxuries of home? Could this become her home? But the most important question of all, would she miss Mike?

  In a way, it would be easy for her to stay here and avoid all the explanations and the certain recriminations from her friends and family. She could just imagine their reaction if she chose a life with Luke. They would think she had lost her mind. And maybe she had, considering only a few days ago she thought this family was strange and wanted to know where the pistol was. Yet now she was contemplating becoming one of them. But how could she even think about life with a man who had forced her to strip in this very room and had even enlisted his mother’s help to get her to comply? Sure, the sex was mind-blowing, but was it clouding her judgement? Would she miss the emotional intimacy she had with Mike? He had always treated her with respect, and despite his transgression with their neighbor, she knew he adored her. And there had been a satisfying, intimate, and reassuring security to their relationship that, until recently, she wouldn’t have swapped for anything.

  She finished the wine and snuggled down under the blanket, reassured she would at least have a few days to decide.

  The next morning, Lisa and the family had just finished breakfast when Luke and Billy returned with Luke driving the drug traffickers’ Chevrolet SUV. The twins had already brought Mike from the cabin to the veranda and lost no time in transferring him to the back seat of the SUV.

  Lisa couldn’t offer any more assurances than she already had, but before they drove away, she leaned into the car and kissed Mike on the lips. Then she whispered into his ear, “I do still love you. Wait for me to clear my head.”

  He nodded. “I’ll wait for as long as it takes.”

  Lisa stepped away, and the SUV moved off. She watched until it was out of sight, then watched the dust kicked up by its tires swirling until it settled, leaving no evidence of this major event.

  A knot tightened in her stomach. Without Mike, she was alone with the family. But wasn’t this what she wanted? Wouldn’t it give her the time and space to work out her feelings? Of course it would.

  So why then did she feel so bad?

  37

  MIKE

  There was little conversation on the drive to Larry’s place. Mike guessed Luke was a man of few words. And what do you say to a guy who wants to steal your wife away, anyway? So apart from the occasional query to ask how long before they arrived, Mike stayed quiet.

  Larry’s cabin was smaller than the family’s house, and from the back seat of the SUV, it looked like a one-room shack with a small veranda built over a hundred years ago, and patched up many times with new timber. And Larry was not what Mike had expected for a man in his eighties. He was around six feet tall, with a good pair of shoulders and a head full of thick silver hair. The stubble on his chin was only days old, and as he pushed himself up from his rocking chair and grinned, he displayed a full set of white teeth.

  After introductions from Luke, a firm handshake through the vehicle’s open window, and a stripped down explanation as to why they were there, Larry agreed to help.

  But the old man insisted on sharing his beef stew first, and after helping Luke to get Mike onto the front deck of his cabin, he went inside and returned with a large steaming hot pot, which he dished up in wooden bowls with wooden spoons.

  He must have noticed Mike’s amusement. “Old habits die hard,” he said. “My grandfather carved out these bowls and spoons over a hundred years ago. I couldn’t bring myself to swap them for this new fangled pottery and stainless steel stuff.” He reached over and drew a large hunting knife from a scabbard lying on the table. “I got this for when I need to slice and dice things though.”

  Mike raised his brow and Larry chuckled to himself, then returned the knife to its place. “If yer belly’s full we best be on our way.”

  Luke jumped to his feet first, nodded to Mike, and then shook the old man’s hand. “I’ll get Mike into your truck and leave you to it, Larry, and be careful on that mountain road.”

  Mike gave a wave from the front passenger seat of the old Ford pickup and managed a thank you before Luke jumped back into the SUV and drove away.

  Larry took a few minutes searching for his keys before closing the cabin door and jumping in behind the wheel next to Mike. The old motor sprang to life on the first turn of the ignition and rumbled along the dirt road at half the speed of the SUV. “Let me know if I’m going too fast for yer.” Larry said, then he reached out and turned on the radio.

  Mike settled back, listening to Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, and other old time country singers with familiar tunes.

  He noted that the front passenger seat was a double, so there would have been plenty of room for Lisa. Was the family mistaken or did they lie? His guess would be the latter. It seemed clear they didn’t want Lisa making the trip, and that made him anxious.

  Ten minutes into the journey, which had mostly been uphill, the truck started down a steep decline. Larry shifted down through the gears and told Mike to hang on. “This is where it gets a bit hairy. The road narrows and there’s a two-hundred-foot drop on your side. We’ve had a few trucks go over the edge in my time. No survivors, of course. It’s like a graveyard down there.”

  As Mike looked out of the window, trying to see over the edge, there was a bang behind them, and the truck lurched forward. “What the hell?”

  Larry hit the brakes, but they lurched forward again. Mike glanced over to Larry. He was staring into the rearview mirror, eyes wide, mouth open. “Some damned fool is ramming us.”

  Mike spun around, looked through the small rear window behind their seats, and immediately recognized the vehicle and its driver accelerating towards them as it rammed them again.

  Larry was standing on the brake, but the truck slid forward due to gravity and the brute force of the SUV pushing them. Mike turned to the front again, just as the road disappeared from under the hood. They tipped forward over the edge and slid down the side of an almost sheer drop, accelerating into near-free-fall as the wheels lost traction on the dusty surface.

  Mike grabbed the door handle and shouted across to Larry, “Jump, man, Jump!”

  The front fender dug into the earth, flipping them head-over-heels. The pickup creaked and ripped and jolted Mike against the interior with each violent impact. He pushed against the door.

  Did it open?

  He couldn’t tell.

  Everything was a blur. But there was no pain, just bumps and thuds on the back of his head, neck, and shoulders, and the sensation of
somersaulting over and over. Then the violence stopped, and everything went black and quiet.

  Then nothing.

  38

  LISA

  To keep her mind off Mike, Lisa kept busy around the house and as she worked, Erica sat at the table watching her. When she had finished, Erica pointed to the third door, the one next to the bathroom that Lisa had originally guessed was a bedroom, but as no one was using it, she had changed that guess to a cupboard. “Come with me, I have something to show you.” Erica said.

  Lisa followed her into the room. She had been right first time. It was another bedroom, and although basic, it was fitted out with a double bed, drawers, bedside cabinets, and a large silver framed mirror on the wall opposite the foot of the bed.

  Lisa stared at Erica, waiting for an explanation.

  “It’s your new room”—she walked back to the door—“and look, it has its own lock.”

  Lisa widened her eyes. “For me?”

  “You and Luke.”

  “Oh.” Lisa held her breath as she thought about the implications of sharing a bed with Luke. Then she sighed. “It’s lovely, Erica, but I… I can’t.”

  Erica nodded. “Yes, you can. And it’s better than the couch, isn’t it?”

  Lisa had to admit, she would feel safer sleeping in a room with a lock. No more uninvited visits from Ed. But it would send out a message she wasn’t so sure she was ready to send. “What will the others think about me taking such a comfortable room when they have to sleep upstairs together?”

  “They know I’ve been saving this room for Luke and his girl. I mean the girl he wants to keep, not just have a good time with.”

  Lisa glanced at Erica. “That makes me sound like a possession, like Luke’s property.”

  “Well, you are his girl now.”