By the time she finished the note she had tears in her eyes.
Chapter 35
Beth wasn’t going to lose her father.
She was sure of that; as sure as she’d ever been of anything.
He was her hero. It had always been that way.
He’d always been the one who fixed whatever was broken. The one who swooped in to rescue her when she scraped her knee or was cornered in the garage by an angry hornet.
He was the one who came looking for her when Sal and Nellie took her away from her mom.
She knew he would. She told Sal that and he didn’t believe her.
But she was right; he did.
She loved her daddy with all her heart.
Well, maybe not all of it. Some of it belonged to her mom too. And maybe, depending on her mood, a tiny bit for Lindsey.
But most of it was her dad’s.
She wondered what her dad was thinking when he wrote the note. What he thought might kill him and Sal.
He wasn’t sick. She’d have known if he was.
He must be afraid some of the bad men out there would kill him and her new grandpa.
Like hell.
She wasn’t gonna let anybody harm a single hair on her daddy’s head. Or Grandpa Sal’s either.
Something else about little Beth Spear: she was a schemer extraordinaire.
Better than most adults.
She carefully returned the note to the envelope, then affixed the tape to it and placed it back into the glove box.
She would never tell her father she read the note she wasn’t supposed to see.
But she would make some serious changes to her routine.
The horses pulled the rig at a mind-blowing speed of about three miles an hour.
It was easy to open the door and to step out without the risk of falling.
It was even easier to crawl through the mammoth maw which once upon a time held a windshield.
Sal removed the windshield before he and Nellie set out in the rig, so they could converse and to help circulate the air.
Beth did just that… climbed through the hole above the dashboard, that is… and joined her father on the wagoneer’s bench.
“Hi, Peanut.”
“Hi, Daddy.”
“You get bored?”
“Yep.”
“Wanna take the reins for awhile?”
“Yep.”
He handed her the leather straps attached to the horses’ harnesses.
“Daddy, can we talk?”
“Sure. About what?”
“Well, I’ve been thinking…”
“Uh oh.”
“Uh oh what?”
“Uh oh because usually when you start thinking about things it requires me to spend money or to fix something you broke.”
“Uh uh.”
“Uh huh.”
He laughed and said, “What’s on your mind, sweetheart?”
“Well, like I said, I was thinking, and I think I haven’t been pulling my share of the load around here.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, take for instance, security…”
“Security?”
“Yes. Security. Up until now we’ve relied on you to talk to all the strangers who come along.”
“You want to talk to the strangers who come along? You can say hello to them if you want. I didn’t mean for you to have to stay quiet if you want to say hello to them.”
“No, Dad. That’s not what I meant.
“I meant that every time somebody comes up to us, or blocks the road and tries to keep us from passing, or anything else, it always falls on you to stand up to them.”
“Go on…”
“It’s always you who has to use your gun to shoot bad people. Or to show bad people your gun to scare them into letting us pass.”
Dave was trying hard to maintain the serious look on his face. It was hard not to smile.
“So… you want to shoot the bad people so I don’t have to?”
“No. Well, maybe.
“If you want to scare away bad people, honey, you can’t argue with yourself. You have to be firm in your convictions. Otherwise they won’t take you seriously.”
“All I’m saying, dad, is that I’d like for you to teach me how to shoot. So that I can provide backup for you whenever there’s bad people around.”
“Provide backup for me. You been watching cop shows on TV again?”
“Dad, don’t make fun of me. And you know there’s no TV anymore.”
“So where’d you learn that term, providing backup to somebody?”
“I don’t know. In a movie I saw once, I guess. Or maybe I heard you and Sal talking about it.”
“But Sal already provides me backup when I need it.”
“Oh, I know, Dad. But…”
“His feelings might get hurt if we fired him as my backup and put you in the position.”
Beth turned to look at Sal to make sure he was still sleeping. Then she said, in a whisper, “But he’s old and doesn’t move very fast. How much help do you really think he’d be in a gunfight?”
“Well, I try to avoid gunfights whenever I can.”
“That’s my point, Dad. Sometimes the bad guys don’t give you a choice. Sometimes you have no choice but to fight to protect the people you love.”
“Is that what this is all about? You want to learn how to shoot to help protect Sal and me?”
“Exactly!”
Chapter 36
Dave was touched.
His little girl really was growing up.
Three years before he’d broached the subject of teaching the girls to clean and shoot weapons to Sarah.
Back in those days they were still living in San Antonio and preparing for a catastrophe.
They had no idea what type of catastrophe was coming, or when it was coming, or what impact it would have on the earth.
But they had the feeling something was coming.
All preppers share that feeling.
That’s why they’re preppers.
“Look,” he’d said to Sarah. “We can’t plan for every scenario. But we can prepare for as many as we can, since we’ll never know what we’ll be up against.”
“But I don’t know that they’re mature enough to handle a weapon safely. Beth can’t even lift the rifle, much less clean it. And if she fired it the recoil would knock her down on her little butt.”
“I was thinking more of Lindsey. She’s fourteen now and tall for her age. You were hunting with your father at fourteen. Were you able to handle a rifle?”
“My father only hunted birds. But I was able to fire a shotgun. Every time we went out I came home with a bruise on my shoulder, but I was able to handle it.”
“But my point is, if you could shoot a shotgun at age fourteen Lindsey could fire a rifle.”
“True. But then again I never hit anything when I went hunting with my father.”
“Never?”
“Almost never.”
“How about I teach Lind how to break down and clean a rifle and how to handle it safely? Then I’ll take her to the range and teach her how to shoot it.”
“And how about your handgun?”
“That’ll come next.”
“Okay. What about Beth?”
“On her fourteenth birthday I’ll start her training. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
The trouble was the world went black long before Beth’s fourteenth birthday.
And the world was a far different place now.
These days it was almost a requirement for adults to not only carry weapons, but to know how to use them.
Sometimes their lives depended on it.
Truth was, Dave had been struggling with the decision whether it was time for Beth to learn how to use a long gun.
In his view, it wasn’t a decision he deserved to make without Sarah’s input. After all, they’d agreed before to wait until she was a bit older.
&n
bsp; But certainly she’d agree that in a newly violent world modifications were necessary.
He looked to Beth and said, “You understand, don’t you, that people who carry guns sometimes become targets because they carry guns. Right?”
Beth countered with, “You understand, don’t you Dad, that sometimes bad men shoot people whether they’re armed or not. Right?”
He’d met his match of wits.
“I’ll tell you what, Peanut. Let me think about it.”
“Fair enough. But don’t wait too long.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t like thinking my father might need my help someday in a gunfight. And that I might not be able to help him because he never taught me how to shoot.”
“Okay. I’ll take that under consideration.”
“Daddy… I had a dream the other night.”
“A dream about puppy dogs and kitty cats and butterflies?”
She shot him a rather disdainful look.
“I’m not four years old, Daddy. I haven’t been for quite some time.”
“Sorry.”
“No, I had a dream that Grandpa Sal died.”
That caught Dave off guard.
“Really? That came out of the blue.”
“Yes, kind of. I was wondering if you knew what that means.”
“Why would I know what that means?”
“Well, I remember Mom used to be pretty good at itner… itern…”
“Interpreting dreams?”
“Yeah, that.”
“Yes. Sometimes I’d have a bizarre dream and explain it to her and she’d try to tell me what it meant. Why?”
“I was hoping some of the things she said rubbed off on you. So you could tell me what my dream meant.
“Like, for example, does it make me a mean person for dreaming that Grandpa Sal died? Or does it make me a devil worshipper or something?”
“Beth, don’t be silly.”
“Well, I don’t know. I’ve never dreamed someone I loved died before.”
“Well, I didn’t make a practice of analyzing dreams like your mom does. But I don’t think having that dream makes you a bad person.
“And it does not make you a devil-worshipper.”
“Then what does it mean?”
“I thought we already established that I’m not the expert on dreams that your mom is. But if you want me to guess, I’d say you probably had the dream because you’re concerned about Sal.”
“Well, yes. I am concerned.”
“Is there any particular reason?”
“He’s like a zillion years old.”
“At least. But sometimes people live a very long time. Even a zillion years or more.”
“Grandma Nellie died. And he told me she was five years younger than him.”
“Well, sometimes wives die before their husbands. Even when their husband is a zillion and the wife is just almost a zillion.”
“And he’s not taking his pills anymore.”
“What pills?”
Chapter 37
The shot cracked across the open brush but didn’t echo because the terrain was flat. There was nothing for the sound waves to bounce off of.
Still, it did an effective job of jarring Sal awake and he instinctively reached for his sidearm.
Then he heard the distinctive sound of Dave’s laugh.
Although he couldn’t see Dave, that sound told him there was no trouble. That his friend was more than likely shooting at a rabbit or a snake.
He lay back down and closed his eyes once again.
Whatever was going on, he’d find out soon enough.
No sense in getting up before he had to.
A hundred yards away, out of Sal’s view, Dave was rubbing his daughter’s sore shoulder.
“I told you it would knock you down,” he was telling her.
“Wow! How come it has to be so rough?”
“Well, as an old smart guy once said, every action has an equal but opposite reaction.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. Just understand that a rifle has to kick so hard because if it doesn’t the bullet won’t fly as fast.”
“It hurt.”
“I know it did, honey. I told you it would, but it was something you had to experience for yourself so you’d understand why I think you’re still too little to fire a rifle.”
He’d showed her the basics of firing, then stood to her side and held the weapon for safety’s sake.
But he couldn’t stop the recoil of the rifle from driving its stock directly into her shoulder.
It almost knocked her down, and knocked the rifle completely from her grasp.
“Okay. I understand now. But what about your other gun? The little one?”
“That’s what we’re going to fire next.”
The kick from the nine millimeter pistol would be far less, and while it would surely kick upward when she fired, as long as she kept it aimed more or less toward her target and didn’t lose control of it it was probably better suited for a girl of her tiny stature.
He took out his hand gun and let her hold it.
“Think this one would be easier for you?”
“Yep. I’m pretty sure I can handle this one.”
Dave wasn’t so sure.
But he’d underestimated Beth before and didn’t want to do it again.
“Okay, I’ll tell you what we’ll do. I’ll put a single round in the chamber and let you fire it. I’ll stand behind you and help you aim it.
“If you can fire it without letting it kick too much I’ll start teaching you how to use it and we’ll stop every day for shooting practice.”
“What if it kicks too much?”
“Then we’ll wait another year until you’re a little bit taller, a little bit heavier and a little bit stronger. And then we’ll try again.”
“Okay. Deal.”
Dave chambered a single round, stood behind her and coached her.
“Okay. Hold it with both hands like this.”
“Wow, this is heavier than I thought.”
“It seems that way at first, but you’ll get used to it.
“See this little thing right here?”
“Uh huh.”
“This is the rear sight. Now, see this thing?”
“Uh huh.”
“This is the front sight. Now, hold it out in front of you and try to line up the two sights so they’re together and level across the top. Be sure to keep your finger off the trigger.”
“Is the safety on?”
“Yes. We’ll take it off when you’re ready to fire.
“Okay. Now see if you can line up those two sights.”
“Wow, this is hard. They keep moving.”
“I know, honey. Just try to relax and focus on the sights, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Now, are you able to line them up?”
“Sometimes. But they keep moving.”
“That’s okay. I just want you to see what they look like when they’re lined up.
“Now then, see that cactus over there?”
“Uh huh.”
“That’s your target. See if you can line up the sights with the target in the background.”
She was trying her best, but the gun wouldn’t stop moving.
Dave knew the primary reason wasn’t that she wasn’t trying, but that the weapon was heavy for her.
“I’m trying. But the cactus is all blurry.”
“That’s okay. That’s just because your eyes can’t focus on all three things at once.
“Try to focus on the sights. If they’re in focus and you can see the target behind them it’s okay if the target is a little blurry.”
“Okay. I think I’m getting it now.”
Sure enough, she seemed to be able to steady the weapon a bit better.
“Good. Now, be sure to keep your finger off the trigger. Every time the three are lined up… your front and rear sights with the target beh
ind them, I want you to say bang.”
“Bang… bang… bang…”
The barrel of the gun still moved slightly, causing her to have to realign time after time.
The heavy weapon was straining her little arms.
“Okay. If you think you’re ready I’m going to let you take a shot. Do you think you’re ready?”
“I think so.”
He reached over and took the weapon off “safe.”
“Okay now. Place the first pad of your finger on the trigger but just barely touch it.”
“Okay.”
He placed his hands on each side of her own but didn’t quite make contact with them.
“Now, whenever you’re ready, take a deep breath, then blow half of it out. Hold the rest. Are you ready?”
“Uh huh.”
“After you blow half of it out line up your sights again with the target behind them. Say bang every time they’re lined up but don’t fire.”
“Bang… bang… bang…”
“Good. I think you’re ready. Do you think you’re ready?”
“Uh huh.”
“Okay. Do the same thing again. Take a deep breath again. Blow out half. Then line up your sights with the target behind it.
“When everything is lined up just pull your finger back. Don’t squeeze it. Don’t twitch. Just ease your finger back until it fires.”
“Will it kick?”
“Yes. But I’ll make sure it doesn’t hurt you. Are you ready?”
“Uh huh.”
“Okay. Go ahead.”
A few seconds later another shot rang out. A rabbit appeared from nowhere, running helter skelter through the brush in a zigzag pattern.
Sal rolled over and placed his pillow over his head.
The shot went wide.
The barrel of the gun went up, but not as far as Dave anticipated.
And Beth, to her credit, never lost control, never jerked or winced. Kept the weapon pointed down range.
“Did I hit it? Did I hit it?”
She’d closed her eyes when she fired, which didn’t surprise Dave much. It was something a lot of new shooters did.
“You came close, sweetie. That’s it for today. We’ll have another lesson tomorrow.”
“Did I prove to you I could handle a gun?”
“Yes, honey. I believe you did.”
Chapter 38
A short while later Sal was up and around and cooking their breakfast on a skillet.
A Stunning Betrayal: Alone: Book 9 Page 12