They all laughed at that, and as if on cue the report of a gunshot echoed from the back yard. Jimmy went on to explain how the people at Bailey’s had a different belief system when it came to arming themselves. The leaders there believe that by allowing anyone a chance to stay there unarmed, untold lives would be saved. Jimmy caught Patty and Rita exchanging exasperated looks.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if life were that uncomplicated,” said Patty.
“There will come a day when they regret that decision,” said Rita, shaking her head. “We’ve seen that enough times. Oh, those poor people. Jimmy, you’ve got to bring the others back home. They aren’t safe over there.”
Jimmy felt something bump his leg and he looked down to see Whiskers looking up at him. Jimmy gasped. Whiskers was now completely bald, except for a patch of mottled fur on her face. To Jimmy, she looked like a plucked chicken with paws. She meowed at him and wrapped herself around his leg.
“Look who’s here,” said Patty, as if she was talking to a toddler. “It’s our long lost friend, Jimmy. You love Jimmy, don’t you? Oh look, isn’t that sweet.”
Whiskers suddenly jumped up on Jimmy’s lap and rubbed the top of her head under his chin. Jimmy had to use all of his strength to keep the smile on his face. The cat smelled as if it had been dead for weeks. Whiskers stayed there for a moment and then seemed to wink at him before she leapt back down on the floor and moved next to Patty.
“You haven’t told us how you feel about how they live over there,” Rita said, perceptively.
Jimmy had been on the fence over that ever since Tony and Myron had went on their killing spree. Pluto had made a good point, that it was Ken’s people that had introduced the weapons, but Jimmy also knew that guns were everywhere. The next time they showed up over at Bailey’s could very well be the last. “I don’t agree with their no-gun policy,” he said, as much to himself as the women in the room. “I agree with you, Rita. I think if we had law and order and they wanted to live that way, that’s their deal. The way things are now, they’re dreaming if they think they’re safe. The trouble is that their leader is never going to change his mind. He’ll never allow another gun inside the compound.”
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” Patty said.
Chapter 26
They relished their lunch of roast venison, freshly baked bread, canned corn, and instant potatoes. Wart and Ken carried the conversation with the ease of old friends. Jimmy found that Wart never ceased to amaze him. He not only handled himself with class, but he was knowledgeable in a number of areas. He was also a superb listener. His table manners set the bar, and Jimmy had to fight to keep from laughing. He knew that after grace had been said, Ken’s people usually ate like sailors. They were comfortable enough around each other to sit with their elbows on the table and to use the “five second” rule. That wasn’t the case this time, and everyone seemed to enjoy putting on their Sunday manners.
“What happened to your front teeth?” asked Patty. “If you don’t mind my asking?”
“Not at all,” said Wart. “I got in a scrap with a pipe wrench. I was pulling when I should’ve been pushing. Not smart.”
They all laughed at that, and then Ken went ahead and told Wart about all they’d experienced since arriving up north. Wart listened with wide eyes.
After dinner Patty and Rita reluctantly handed Jimmy off to Ken, and Wart put on a shooting display like they had never seen. He shot three times with the M-16; hitting three quarter dollars from one hundred paces using open sights.
“You’re such a bullshitter,” said Ken with a wide smile. “Oh, I don’t know how to shoot an M-16. What a load of crap. Where did you learn to shoot like that?”
“My old man was a marksman. You should’ve seen him shoot,” Wart said, with as much pride as any son had ever used talking about their father. “Never missed, and I mean never. He was a sniper over in Viet Nam. The old man never talked about the war. Anyhow, yeah, he taught me everything I know. Sorry Ken, I wasn’t trying to show off.”
Ken waved him off and laughed. “I wouldn’t give two shits if you were,” he said. “What I’m trying to figure out is how I can get you to stay with us. I’ve got plenty of guns. I’m just a little short of people to help shoot ‘em.”
Wart shocked them both by his response. “All you have to do is ask. I think those people over at Bailey’s are nuts.”
“I’ll expect you to earn your keep,” said Ken. “We share the workload, but we’ve got plenty of food and enough guns and ammo to put down a third-world country. I’m a fair man, but Patty and I are Christians, and we expect people to behave accordingly. We don’t cuss, fart, lie, cheat, or steal. We live and let live, but God help anyone who messes with us. Does that sound fair to you?”
“Everyone farts,” said Wart, but he said it with a toothless grin as he nodded. “But yeah, I’d love to stay on with you people. Jimmy, you’re going to have to get Julie out of there. She’s not safe. You understand that, right?”
“Hell no, she’s not safe,” said Ken, his voice full of conviction. “I’ve been worried sick about you guys ever since I got back home. I want you to go back there and bring Julie, Burt, and Doc, back home to us. Bill can stay there, but make sure to ask his girl if she wants to come back to us. We all miss having her around, especially Rita.”
“Okay,” said Jimmy, knowing that this was the right thing to do. “I’ll give it my best shot. I don’t know about Burt and Doc. Burt’s in love, and Doc loves it there. You know how he feels about guns.”
“You have to try to reason with him,” Ken said, putting a heavy hand on Jimmy’s shoulder. “You need to get through to all of them. They’ve been lucky, that luck is going to run out. You mark my words.”
They all took turns shooting with Wart critiquing them and giving instructions. The sun beat down on them, and the snow grew soft as it began to melt. The freakishly warm afternoon would pass all too quickly, and they were soon packing up their guns to be cleaned down in the workshop.
“Do you have a lot of gear back at Bailey’s?” Ken asked Wart as they walked down the back stairs into the basement. “I’ve got plenty of things here that you can have. I think I’ve got clothes that will fit you, and I’ve got enough toothbrushes and razors to last all of us for fifty years.”
“Thank you,” Wart said. “That’s very kind of you.”
“Are you a Christian man, Wart?” Ken asked, from over his shoulder.
“I never thought much about it. We never went to church while I was growing up.”
“Well, we’ve got plenty of religion, too. We’ll get you fixed up.”
Jimmy smiled. Ken had taken to Wart like he was a long-lost son. The opposite seemed to be true, as well. Wart looked up to Ken with unabashed admiration and a fondness that couldn’t be faked. Jimmy was proud to claim both of these men as friends, and he knew that they had both been right. He needed to get the others back here. This was their home, and as small as it was compared to Bailey’s, at least it offered some level of protection from the outside world.
Jimmy helped Patty with the supper dishes that night. They talked about anything and everything, like the two old friends that they were. Patty tearfully apologized to Jimmy for what she had said, explaining that something hadn’t been right with her mind. Jimmy hugged her tight and told her over and over that he forgave her. Whiskers was again looking up at him from Patty’s feet, and once again, Jimmy swore that the naked cat had winked at him.
The cribbage board was dusted off, and they played a tournament, sipping cold beers as a hot fire roared in the fireplace. Patty played her boom box like a high school girl, changing CD’s every few songs. Rita made a tub of hot popcorn, and Jimmy couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so good and at ease. This was home. He could see from the look on Wart’s face that he felt the same way. He was happy for him; he was now among family.
Jimmy slept in his old room, and all too soon he was sitting at the k
itchen table, lacing up his winter boots.
“You listen to me,” Ken said. “You tell them whatever you have to. I want them back. I don’t care if you lie to them. God will forgive you for it.”
“Amen,” said Wart. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go back with you?”
“No, I want to do this alone. Don’t worry. I won’t forget to grab your bag.”
“And the picture of my family. Don’t forget that.”
“I know—it’s on the shelf next to your bed. I’ll get it.”
“Thanks, man.”
“Don’t let me down, kid,” said Ken. “I’m counting on you. Something bad is on its way. I can feel it in my bones. We’ve got to get them out of there.”
Jimmy nodded and stood. He then shook both Ken and Wart’s hands and got his hugs from Patty and Rita. Soon he was headed across the lake under a gray sky. The temperature had dropped a good twenty degrees, but it was still much warmer than it had been the previous week. Snow began to fall as he coaxed the old Skidoo up the embankment and onto the opposite shore.
He stopped the snowmobile at what he figured was the halfway point. He lit up a cigarette and leaned back on the long seat, blowing his smoke straight up in the air. He needed time to think. There was a lot at stake here. He couldn’t forget what Bill had said about seeing Jasmine that night. The thought was eating him from the inside out, and he knew that he had to come clean about it with Julie. Those types of secrets never kept, and even if he flat out denied them, there would always be doubt. He was either going to have to kill his friend or tell Julie the truth. Nothing had happened. Not that Jasmine hadn’t wanted it to, but because Jimmy had put a stop to it. She was dead now, but he knew the truth in his heart, and Julie would see it there. She had to. She would be angry, probably furious with him, for allowing her to spend the night, but she would accept it and move on from there.
Besides, thought Jimmy, what about all the time that she’d spent with Mars? That was also eating at him. Mars was a smooth operator; there was no denying that. He was strikingly handsome, well-spoken, and all the girls in camp seemed to have a crush on him.
The sky looked like a shaken snow-globe, and Jimmy smoked as he watched fat white flakes float to the ground. There was no wind to speak of, and the quiet had settled in around him like a warm quilt. Jimmy suddenly felt at ease with himself. The truth was about to come out, and his burden suddenly seemed lighter. He was also anxious to see how Julie now looked. Had his prayers been answered? Did it matter? No, Jimmy decided. He would love Julie no matter how she looked, and he would love her until he took his last breath. He would convince her to return to Ken’s. He would convince Burt and Doc, too. He hoped Cindy would see the light, but she was in love, and he doubted she would leave of her own accord. Bill wouldn’t leave—at least that’s what he hoped. Jimmy flipped his smoke into the fresh snow and fired up the Skidoo. There was much to do.
By the time he reached the gate at Bailey’s, it was snowing so hard that Jimmy could barely see fifty feet in front of him. The wind had suddenly picked up, and it brought with it an icy cold chill. Jimmy slowed and finally came to a stop at the tiny gatehouse. There was a cable stretched out across the road.
And then Mars and Bill stepped from out of the wooden gatehouse. Jimmy killed the engine.
Chapter 27
“Hello Jimmy,” said Mars, but he didn’t sound happy to see him. “What have you done with Wart? We were expecting him to ride back with you.”
“Yeah,” said Bill. “Where’s Wart?”
Jimmy stood up and brushed the snow from his shoulders. “Wart stayed over at Ken’s. What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal, Jimmy, is this!” roared Mars, ripping the .45 Colt out of his waistband. “Bill found it stashed in the ceiling of Julie’s cabin. What do you have to say for yourself?”
“Asshole,” Jimmy said to Bill.
This only seemed to enrage Mars, and Jimmy saw that in his eyes, wide open and wild looking. Jimmy thought that Mars had somehow tumbled out of his orbit. His eyes suddenly narrowed as his face was contorted with rage. He pointed the .45 at Jimmy’s head.
“Put it down, man,” warned Bill. “He’s not worth it.”
Jimmy wanted to scream at Bill for saying that, but Mars still had the gun trained on him from five feet away. Jimmy crossed his arms in front of him and awaited his fate.
“You’re lucky I don’t bust a cap in you,” Mars spat. “I could do that. I’m going to let you live, but understand that you’re not welcome here—you or any of your gun-crazy friends. Turn that tub around and go back to wherever the hell you came from.”
“I’ve got to get my things. I’ve got to see Julie.”
“You’re not going in, and she doesn’t want to see you,” Mars said, but now he was smiling. “Julie is mine, and you’re not taking her from me.”
Jimmy had heard enough. “Listen Mars, I rode out here to see her and that’s just what I’m going to do. Put the damn gun away before you hurt someone. This doesn’t have to be like this. I’m not staying, I’m moving back to Ken’s.”
“You sure are,” said Bill. “You really messed up, Jimmy.”
“What did you say to her?”
“I didn’t say a thing to her. I didn’t have to.”
“Jasmine told me, and I spilled the beans to Julie. Not that it matters,” Mars said, with obvious delight. “While you and Jasmine were shacking up, I was sleeping with Julie.”
“That’s a lie!”
“Is it?”
Jimmy felt his face grow hot with anger, and he turned on Bill. “Tell me the truth, shit-for-brains, what do you know about this?”
“I don’t know anything about it,” Bill said. “This is the first I’ve heard of it.” Then he turned to Mars. “Are you kidding me?”
Mars shook his head with all the smug he could muster. “She’s a hot number. I especially like the little mole on her right butt cheek. Have you seen it, Jimmy? I think it’s sexy as hell.”
Jimmy had seen the mole, and he suddenly charged Mars like an angry bull. Mars was waiting for him and swung the butt of the Colt down on his neck. Jimmy went down like a ton of bricks.
He woke up already seated on the idling Skidoo. Bill held him up while Mars covered him with the Colt. “You’d better get going,” said Bill. “I like you, Jimmy, no matter what you think. I don’t want to see you get shot. He’ll do it. Trust me, he’ll do it.”
“That’s right,” said Mars. “Go ahead and give me an excuse to kill you.”
Jimmy’s head was spinning, and he tried to clear his vision. He growled at both men and spun the Skidoo around in a looping circle. The fresh snow was starting to pile up, and Jimmy’s heart felt like it’d been shattered in a thousand little pieces. He stopped the snowmobile just as Bill and Mars were stepping over the cable. “Nothing happened, Bill! You make sure that Julie knows that. Nothing happened that night, do you hear me? Nothing at all!”
Bill looked at him for a long moment before Mars turned him away, and they resumed their walk back to the camp. Jimmy pressed hard on the throttle, and the Skidoo bleated like a wounded sheep, but it quickly carried him away from Bailey’s so he could be alone with his own tears. What was he going to tell the others? How could he tell Ken and Patty the truth? Was Mars telling Jimmy the truth about Julie? Jimmy rode on and stopped about a mile down on what was left of the trail heading back to Ken’s. With shaking hands he pulled a crumpled Camel from his pocket, barely managing to get it lit. The snow was falling fast, and even at a dead stop Jimmy could hardly see fifty feet in front of him. Jimmy’s head felt as if an invisible someone was forcing it down onto his left shoulder. He tried to straighten it, but it was no use. This only served to make him angrier than he already was.
Jimmy smoked and swore at the snow-covered pines.
What would Ken and the others think of him when he showed up all alone and with his neck bent at a ninety degree angle? Jimmy didn’t want to think of i
t. He didn’t want to think of any of it, so he focused on how he was going to get even with Bill. Doc would be putting his fat face in a cast and soon, Jimmy swore it. And what about Julie and Mars? Jimmy turned that over and over in his head, but he always ended up at the same conclusion. There was no way Mars was telling the truth. Julie wouldn’t sleep with a dirtball like him—not in a million years. Beyond that, she wouldn’t have slept with anyone on this planet, not with a plaster cast covering her face.
He watched the snow pile up, and it finally dawned upon him. He had to get Julie out of there, and his best chance would be right now during the storm. The snow would provide cover, and they wouldn’t be expecting him back—at least not right away.
At least that was what Jimmy hoped.
Desperate Times 2 Gun Control Page 21