A Root from Infertile Ground

by Thomas H. Reed

  “No.”

  “Why?”

  Because one of the men trying to kill us is a deputy sheriff. I’m certain that on a personal level, he couldn’t care less if we live or die, but he’s owned by the head of the snake-pit party. So he’ll do whatever he’s told. Fortunately he never saw my face while they had me chained to a pipe in their basement, but I saw him.”

  “What put them onto you, Mel, I thought we pretty much cleaned out that rat nest before we abandoned the place?”

  “After finding evidence that both of us had been there, they found nothing to indicate that either of us had been killed, so they naturally concluded that we had split. The only thing they learned about you came from a recorded conversation that took place inside one of the trucks. It looks as if Jake didn’t trust any of the men he ruled, so he bugged their trucks and recorded their conversations. The recorder was found in the truck by this crew that’s after us. You were referred to as an ugly, skinny-assed crack whore that the skinheads were trying to find and kill. The driver of the truck was bragging about what he would do to you when he found you. That driver had said enough to put together what had happened at the camp, and why the skinheads were so bent on finding you. There wasn’t enough information on the tape to put it all together, but enough to know two people were missing from the party.”

  “That still doesn’t explain why they zeroed in on you, Mel.”

  “I don’t think they just suddenly decided to put a gun in my back in a men’s room and invite me to their party. They had been putting the pieces together for a long time, years in fact. They pretty much had the puzzle put together except for one piece, you, and then suddenly they ran across something that led them to me, and they were sure that finding me filled in the hole in their puzzle.”

  “So do they think you’re the one who took their loot?”

  “They think the two of us planned the whole thing. Now they want you, but don’t have a clue as to who you are or where to find you. And the description they heard of you on the tape... well, I’m sure you’ve figured it out, they could never connect you with that person. But they don’t believe for a holy second that blast was an accident, or that the female who blew up the camp didn’t know about the ammo or the safes in the basement. Strangely enough, I don’t believe even Jake knew there was anything more valuable than a stockpile of weapons and heroin in that hole. And frankly, I’m not sure there was. But tonight I was given a good reason to believe there might have been something more. I also know our lives are not worth a plug nickel unless something changes real soon. This crew will never stop looking until they find us. They will try their damnedest to recover their property, whatever it is. If they fail, they’ll level the field with a vendetta that would have made Bonnie and Clyde set up and take notice. Fortunately, they don’t know who you are, but they won’t rest until they find out. But they know who I am, and a bit of investigating will give them the big picture in a heartbeat. Neither of us will be safe at the clinic now.”

  “Shit, Mel, how am I going to run my clinic if I can’t even be there?”

  “It’s going to present a problem, sweetheart... a problem I don’t have an answer for.”

  Jodie glanced sharply at Mel when his voice suddenly began drifting off. She reached over and shook his shoulder, “Mel, stay with me. I don’t even know where we’re going. You have to stay awake until we get there, and then you can rest. I’ll patch you up and try to find something for you to eat. Are you with me?”

  Mel raised his head for a second, looked around as if in a fog, and then mumbled, “Next right turn, and then keep going ‘til you can’t go any farther.”

  “How far after the turn?”

  “About half a mile. It’ll be dark. Key’s under the door mat...”

  “Stay with me, Mel, we’ll be there in less than four minutes.”

  Jodie saw the turn at the last minute and hardly slowed for it, surprising herself by keeping the car under control. Three minutes later she was pulling into the yard of a wooden shack. Everything near it was shrouded in thick shadow of a dozen or more huge cottonwood trees.

  “We’re here, Mel! You still with me?”

  “Yeah, I’m okay. Just having a problem keeping my eyes open.”

  “Think you can stay awake long enough to walk thirty feet if I help you?”

  “I can do it without your help... told you I’m okay... just sleepy...

  He’s lost too damn much blood. How in hell can I get him a transfusion out here? I don’t even know his blood type, or a doctor that I could ask to bring blood out here in the middle of the night. But wait a minute! I know my blood type is o-negative. It matches all blood types, and I have the equipment in my bag to give Mel a transfusion.

  With Mel’s arm around her shoulder, Jodi practically carried him into the isolated shack and led him to the first bed she saw, which turned out to be the only one in the house.

  To her surprise and pleasure she found the water heater was working. She stripped his clothes off and bathed him in warm suds from a pail she’d found in the kitchen. She sprinkled a heavy layer of antibiotic powder on the raw holes in his body, and then covered them with large bandages.

  Mel was breathing raggedly but his pulse was still okay. His color had morphed from a great tan only a few days ago, to a faded-denim color, now.

  Jodie decided not to wait to do the transfusion. She dug out the needles and tubes and without hesitation pushed the needles into each of their veins…. at least she hadn’t forgotten how to push needles into veins.

  Within minutes she saw Mel’s color begin to change; it looked near to normal now, but she knew it could be wishful thinking or an allusion created by the bad lighting in the room. Nonetheless, her hopes were raised a notch. But even so, she wasn’t fooling herself; she knew Mel was still low on blood and in serious condition. But if she poured another pint or two of her own blood into him, she could kiss both their asses goodbye; someone in this party had to remain on their feet.

  She pulled the tubes from both their arms, covered the needle punctures with gauze and tape, then turned off the overhead light, leaving only a dim light by Mel’s bed.

  Jodie was putting her medical supplies away when she heard the automobile. She stopped in her tracks and listened. The wind must have changed directions because sound from the road almost a half mile away was reaching the shack now.

  Jodie had remembered to close the blinds and pull the thick curtains across the two front windows. If someone was looking in this direction it wasn’t likely they’d see anything to indicate life at the shack, even if they saw the shack, which was also unlikely. I suppose there are other people living out here somewhere. It’s not like this is a private road. I’ll just gather whatever firearms Mel has stashed in this place and not worry about an automobile on a country road ....

  Jodie looked around for a telephone, didn’t see one. She pulled her cell phone from a shirt pocket only to learn that its battery was dead and she’d forgotten to bring her charger along. Maybe Mel had left his phone in his car, she’d go search for it, but first she’d search his soiled clothes, maybe it was in a pocket.

  She cursed under her breath when she didn’t find the phone. But she found clean clothes for Mel, and went about getting him dressed just in case they had to leave in a hurry... or even if they had to make a stand here in this shack. Granted, clothes never did much toward making a body bulletproof, but they did seem to lend a bit of moral support in combat situations.

  As she replaced a pillow under Mel’s head, she heard the automobile again. This time it sounded as though it was in the front yard. She eased herself up from her bent position, pushed the small flashlight into her pocket, she doused the remaining light. She tiptoed to the nearest window, eased the curtain aside and peeked out. She couldn’t see anything that looked like an automobile, but what she did see curled her toes.

  Reflecting in the shimmering moonlight was the largest four-legged animal she’d ever s
een. The beast was sitting beneath one of the huge cottonwood trees, looking toward the road that ran past the shack and snarling at something invisible to her.

  Jodie decided then and there that she most likely would not be going out to search for Mel’s cell phone unless she was fully armed. Why didn’t we see that beast when we came in? Where was it? Deciding the question was immaterial to the situation, she didn’t wait for an answer. She dropped the curtain back into place and stood there running her hand through tangled hair while considering her next move.

  Not much of this moment was stacking up toward anything near a Sunday picnic, but the added presence of that mammoth looking beast had thrown a monkey wrench into her cogs of hope.

  Jodie’s realization that she’d been living as a civilized being for several years now was far from comforting. She wondered how much of her old skills she could rely upon if push came to shove and she had to handle an explosive situation alone. She knew she was still very strong physically, but did she still possess all the instincts and lightening speed reactions she once had. She feared she was going to find out all too soon.

  Jodie heard a groan and turned back to where Mel had begun to move about. He was obviously in pain and there was little she could do for him short of overdosing him with pain killers, and that was not an option.

  When she reached the bed, Mel was trying to sit up. Jodie placed a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him back onto his pillow. He opened eyes that were red veined with fever and looked directly at her, but she wasn’t sure he saw her; she wasn’t sure he was seeing anything. She found a washcloth, ran cold water over it, squeezed it and placed it on his forehead. After a moment he relaxed onto his pillow and seemed to be sleeping almost normally except for his rapid, shallow breathing. She checked his pulse rate again. It hadn’t changed since she checked it ten minutes ago.

  Jodie thought again about trying to make a dash to Mel’s car, she really needed that cell phone. She hadn’t heard anything from outside during the past five minutes, and she wondered if she were letting her imagination rule her thinking; if there was even a breeze stirring outside it was undetectable. And maybe that animal had moved on. It was probably a stray searching for food anyway, and why would it stick around after discovering there was nothing to stay around for?

  Jodie’s concern for Mel was growing by the minute, and due to the eerie quiet all around her, her nerves were pulling loose from their moorings. Deciding it would be safe enough to search Mel’s car if she took one of Mel’s fully loaded handguns along, she rose with a new determination. She had no desire to shoot an animal that wasn’t bothering her, but if that sucker decided to get nasty, well... that would be a different story...

  Jodie pulled the small flashlight from her pocket, checked it to be certain it would work if she needed it, and then pushed it back into her pocket. She picked up a Colt Python .357 Magnum, one of three handguns within easy reach, and checked its cylinder. It held a full load.

  Jodie’s eyes had long since become accustomed to the darkness of the room, and knew where everything was located. She tiptoed softly toward the front entrance, eased the door open and stepped quietly into the darkness. As she headed toward Mel’s car, her earlier concern for the situation suddenly rebounded; the light would come on inside Mel’s car the moment she opened the door. Any person or animal near the shack would see the light and know someone was entering the vehicle. If there were people out there waiting for her to make a move, it was reasonable to assume they would begin firing at an easy target caught in the overhead light. If she decided to search the premises before opening the car’s door, would she encounter the large animal she had seen in the yard earlier?

  Regardless of the outcome, she had to at least try to get help for Mel. Just hoping he would recover was not enough. His condition hadn’t improved a whit, and wasn’t likely to without medical attention. Her supplies and ability were much too limited; she had to find that damned cell phone ...

  Chapter 15

  Jodie looked right and left as she dashed toward Mel’s car. After reaching the driver’s side of the automobile, she stood for a moment searching the darkness as thoroughly as possible. There were just too many damned trees and wild shrubs growing around the shack, and even though the moon was casting a glow over the area, she could not see objects fifty feet away. The animal was gone, or at least it had moved from its original place beneath the cottonwood.

  Jodie was mentally working a plan to disengage the overhead light in the car, but realized that she could not prevent the light from illuminating her position for a few seconds before she could press the button to shut it off. She was reaching for the door handle when she felt the presence of a body behind her.

  Jodie had been concentrating so thoroughly on the overhead light that she had let her mind wander from dangers of the moment. She surprised the gunman by turning so quickly he didn’t have time to anticipate the action. She didn’t wait to ask him what he was doing there, she kicked the weapon from his hand and before it hit the ground, she had him out cold with well placed kick to his solar plexus. To insure that he remained out for a spell, she gave him another sharp kick to the head. She turned back to the car and quickly opened the door. She already knew where the button was located that would douse the overhead light. She pushed the button in and held it until she felt inside the console for the cell phone. The phone was there. With one hand she pulled it lose from its charger and pushed it into her shirt pocket just as a barrage of bullets came through the window opposite the open door.

  She took out the overhead light with a single shot and began firing at the flashes in the darkness. The gunman was secluded near a heavy growth of shrubs about ninety feet to the south. Then suddenly the animal was back in action. Jodie couldn’t see the huge animal, but from the sound it was obviously on the run and making a noise that was neither a growl nor a bark but a combination of both. She heard a car door slam and seconds later a vehicle was racing away.

  Now what? Are the bastards gone?

  Jodie didn’t have long to debate the question. She was straightening up from her crouching position with the intentions of returning to the shack to call for help and didn’t hear the gunman sneaking up behind her. The man clubbed her gun hand, knocking the weapon from her grasp and at the same time placing her in a choke hold that was squeezing the life from her.

  Jodie knew she couldn’t last long unless she could break the hold. With her life rapidly slipping away, she tried desperately to break away. With her last bit of energy she managed to bring her boot up far enough with a backward kick to catch her antagonist in the crotch. He let out a yelp and loosened his hold long enough to give Jodie the advantage she badly needed. She pulled in a deep breath and sent her elbow into the man’s rib cage with such force she felt the impact clean to her midriff. The man went out like a light and she guessed he would be down for the count.

  She didn’t even have time to wonder how many more gunmen were lurking around the shack before hearing the sound of metal not ten feet to her right. The second gunman said in a growling voice, “Now ain’t this just what makes life worth living? I knew if I waited long enough that fate would eventually deal me an ace, and here it is. Now, woman, you and I are going to have us a little talk and you’re going to tell me where you’re keeping something that belongs to me. Then you’re going bye-bye.”

  “That doesn’t make good sense, you stupid bastard. You’re not even promising me my freedom if I corporate, so why should I?”

  “Mainly because the longer you hold out, the longer you’re going to watch as I slice neat little strips of hide from your body and force it down your throat... or up your... private parts. Yes, you’ll be glad to tell me just so I’ll kill you quickly. Now, in case you’re still harboring doubts, maybe you should just let your imagination run wild and free for a moment, I’ll bet when you see the big picture, you’ll beg me for an opportunity to talk.”

  Against her will, Jodie was feeling s
ome genuine fear now, not just for herself, but for Mel, too. She was sure they would kill him before he ever regained consciousness so they wouldn’t have to worry about the possibility of him surviving and coming after them later.

  But they had her now, and that was what they had wanted from the start. This crew would not believe for a holy second that she had not the slightest idea where their loot was, or who might have it now. She also knew she wouldn’t tell them even if she did know. This bastard was being honest with her; he planned on killing her and Mel no matter what she said or did.

  Jodie was hoping against hope that she could get close enough for one good kick to the gunman’s crotch before he pulled the trigger on that automatic weapon he held so confidently. But he wasn’t giving her the satisfaction of making a single wrong move. He had the upper hand and he wasn’t about to willingly relinquish it.

  In spite of her unwillingness to do so, Jodie was mentally planning her next move: all she had to do was make the first move herself to end it all here and now; at the least she would die quickly. She knew this bastard would go after Mel the minute she was dead, but Mel was so near death already that anything they did to him would finish him off quickly.