Desperate Times 2 Gun Control

by Nicholas Antinozzi

  Julie gave Jimmy a hard look, but all Jimmy could do was shake his head. Village idiot or not, Bill was right. Mars would have no problem killing them. Jimmy raised a finger to his lips and hoped for the best. A long second passed, followed by another.

  “Good,” shouted Mars. “About time you assholes wised up! Look, I don’t want to kill you guys. I really don’t. I’m a good guy. I just won’t listen to anyone lie about me and smear my good name.” He then paused for another long moment as if he were thinking things through. “Here’s the deal: if I kill the three of you, which I’m ready to do, it’ll take me forever to rebuild their trust. I don’t want to have to do that, just as I’m sure you don’t want me to blow your brains out with this superb piece of hardware. Does that sound agreeable to you?”

  “Yes!” screamed Bill. “Oh, please, just let us live!”

  Julie buried her head in her hands and began to sob. Jimmy could only look at Bill in wild wonder.

  “That’s the right attitude,” snickered Mars from the other side of the plywood wall. “Now, I’m going to give this gun to my friend, Chico. If anyone tries anything, he has my permission to shoot the three of you. I’m going to gather up the rest of your bad seeds, and you can all leave together. That’s a pretty sweet deal if you ask me. I’d take it if I were you.”

  “We’ll take it!” cried Bill.

  Julie crawled up onto the bed that Jimmy had slept in and curled up into a ball. Jimmy stared at Bill with an angry glare that didn’t pale with passing of time. The seconds turned to minutes, and Bill’s expression suddenly darkened as he stared with cold eyes right back at Jimmy. “I’m going to kill him for what he did to you,” Bill whispered to Julie with more venom than Jimmy thought possible.

  “Thank you, Bill,” Julie whispered back. And then she began to sob.

  Jimmy waited a minute and then tried lying next to Julie in an attempt to console her. She immediately began to wail and pushed him away. He tried again, and she beat on his chest with closed fists. Jimmy pulled her close and held on as she continued to fight him. Gradually, like the dying embers of a fire, Julie gave up her struggles and clung to him with all her strength. “I’m sorry, Jimmy,” she said. “I’m so sorry.”

  Jimmy stared coldly at the plywood walls as his hatred for Mars mushroomed into something close to a nuclear blast. Julie’s body continued to be racked by sobs, and his chest was wet with her tears. Bill paced the floor, and Jimmy wondered what was going through his mind, if anything. Bill had grown so difficult to read while it seemed that he himself had turned into some kind of open book. That didn’t seem fair, and he vowed to try to change that. He only hoped that he had the chance.

  Jimmy didn’t trust Mars, not for a second, and there was a very real fear that he would return and kill them all. His brain had snapped like a dry twig. That level of insanity was their only hope of survival. They had to convince him that they were leaving and that they’d never be back.

  They would have to act like Bill. God help me, Jimmy prayed.

  Hours passed.

  Chapter 29

  Jimmy’s stomach growled as Bill registered his tenth complaint in as many minutes about his own hunger. None of them wore a watch, and Jimmy estimated that it was well past one and perhaps as late as three. The steel gray sky offered no clues, and outside the wind had only picked up in intensity. Chico had long ago moved his guard post inside Jimmy’s fish shack. What was keeping Mars? Jimmy could only guess.

  Julie had finally dried her eyes and had seemed to pull it together. She began by making small talk about the weather and how filthy Bill’s little shack was, and she didn’t stop there. Jimmy went over and sat on the bed next to her. He felt like he’d been roper-doped when she suddenly popped the question. “So,” she said, taking both of his hands in her own and staring straight into his eyes. “Tell me about Jasmine. I want the truth, Jimmy.”

  Jimmy’s eyes never left Julie’s, and he paused as he gathered his thoughts. “She popped in on me the night before she died with a bottle of wine. I know—I should have never let her in. I was bored, and it was dumb. We drank the wine and talked, but that was all. Nothing happened, nothing at all.”

  Julie stared into his eyes without any expression, and Jimmy fought the urge to look away. He could feel Bill watching them. Finally, she gave his hands a squeeze and kissed his cheek. “I know,” Julie whispered. “I just wanted to hear you say it.”

  “That’s right,” said Bill. “Nothing happened, and that’s all that matters.”

  Jimmy smiled and let go of Julie’s hands. He stood up and walked the four steps to the edge of Bill’s bed where he was lying on his back and scratching his hairy stomach.

  “What?” Bill asked, looking back at Jimmy as if he’d just sprouted antlers.

  “You just had to tell her, didn’t you?”

  “I didn’t tell her anything. Honest, Jimmy. I didn’t say nuthin’ to nobody. Honest, I didn’t.”

  “You knew?” snapped Julie, which confused Jimmy. “And you didn’t say anything to me?”

  “See Jimmy, you heard her. I didn’t say nuthin’ to nobody.”

  “How did you know?” Jimmy asked, turning away from Bill. “Did she tell you herself?”

  “She knew better than that,” Julie said, staring at the floor. “I know what she wanted. I’m proud of the way you fought her off.”

  “How could you know that?”

  “Yeah,” Bill agreed. “What? Were you there?”

  “As a matter of fact, Bill, I was. I stood outside and almost caught my death of cold, but to answer your question. Yeah, I stood next to that stupid fish house, all night.”

  “Holy shit,” muttered Bill.

  “Bill, this has nothing to do with you,” Julie shot back. “Shut your Goddamn mouth. Yeah, Jimmy, do you think that Jasmine didn’t talk to anyone about you? I knew she was headed over to your place an hour before she even showed up. Do you want to know who told me? It was Mars. Jasmine had to ask him for the wine, and he got the truth out of her. You were right about one thing—you should have turned her away. You could’ve lost me forever. I hated that bitch, but I had to see how you would handle her. I was proud of you, even though you let her spend the night.”

  “She passed out. What was I supposed to do?”

  “I know she did, and it’s over. She’s gone, and that’s all that matters.”

  “Mars told you, huh?”

  “See Jimmy, it was Mars,” whispered Bill.

  “There are only three of us here,” spat Julie. “We know that, you moron.”

  “I meant when Jimmy tells anybody else about this,” Bill shot back. “I didn’t want anyone to think I was talking behind his back.”

  “Bill,” Jimmy said. “You do that all the time. You are like my own personal talking diary. That has to stop. I’m getting sick of you telling everyone my life story.”

  “What else is there to talk about? Nothing new ever happens.”

  The wind howled from across the lake and snow peppered against the side of the fish shack. Jimmy had plugged the gaps around the door with Bill’s dirty clothes and covered up the door with a heavy blanket. Still the swirling wind found its way inside, and even with the little stove on high, there was something crisp in the air. Voices suddenly chimed in with the wind, and Jimmy’s ears immediately perked up.

  The door was jerked open, and Mars stuck the gun inside, quickly covering the room. “I thought you’d try something stupid,” he said to Jimmy. “You disappoint me.”

  “You wish,” hissed Jimmy.

  Mars stepped back, and Burt and Venus were ushered inside followed by Doc and Cindy. Jimmy was glad to see them all. Both Venus and Burt looked strong considering their injuries, and Doc and Cindy looked grave about their situation. There was an awkward silence as everyone kicked the snow from their boots and found a spot to occupy.

  “I’ll be right back,” promised Mars from outside the shack where he was replacing the lock. “They’r
e insisting that you be fed before you leave.”

  Jimmy wasn’t going to argue that. They were all hungry, and the prospect of walking back to Ken’s during a ground blizzard was starting to frighten him. There would be no tracks to follow, and before too long it was going to be dark. The Skidoo, if they hadn’t found it, would only transport two at a time. He needed to think about this, but time seemed to be running out.

  “This reminds me of that time when we were all locked up in Ken’s shed,” chuckled Burt.

  “When I saved the day,” boasted Bill.

  Julie groaned and Doc began to laugh.

  “What are you talking about?” Venus asked.

  And Burt began to tell the story of how they’d been locked up inside Ken’s shed and the miracle that followed. They all chimed in with bits and pieces, mostly Bill, and Burt skipped over most of the bad parts of how they had arrived there. Venus sat on one of the chairs and listened with rapt attention, saying things like: “Oh, my,” and “are you shittin’ me?”

  “I’m not kidding,” said Burt. “They seemed like the nicest people you ever met. We invited them into our place, fed them and took care of their wounded. They followed this woman who called herself Sister Margaret. They seemed like such good, God-fearing folks. That was like their Trojan horse; they used it to pass through our gates.”

  “I never thought of it that way,” said Julie.

  “That’s exactly what they did,” agreed Jimmy.

  Burt nodded his head. “They did,” he said. “And as soon as Sister Margaret saw what we had, she wanted it all to herself. I never fell for her line of bullshit, but a lot of our own people fell under her spell. She could spin the Bible like it was a tabloid newspaper, any way that suited her purpose. She said that it was the end of time and that the only way for them to be saved was through her. Lots of people bought that load of crap.”

  “And then I electrocuted her!” shouted Bill, prematurely.

  “Not yet, you didn’t,” said Burt in a sharp voice. “I’m getting to that part.”

  “Fried her like an egg,” said Bill, winking at Venus.

  Burt ignored the comment and continued. He told Venus how they had been run out of their own home and how they had held two of their people against their will. Bill tried to interrupt, but Burt plowed on, right up until the time that they had been rounded up into the cage Sister Margaret had built in the back yard. “They were going to burn us in that cage,” Burt said. “They filled it with sticks and logs, and she was screaming for someone to light us up.”

  Bill suddenly leapt from his chair. “So, lucky for them I was playing possum. You should have seen me. I knew what was coming and set a trap for that rotten bitch. She had me build her a pulpit in the back of Ken’s place, and I gave her a nice steel plate to stand on. I had that plate wired to our generator. You should have seen her dance when I hit the switch! That was great, wasn’t it? I’ve never seen anything like it. The juice didn’t stop there—it kept going across the lawn and knocked out her entire congregation. I said to myself, I said, ‘Bill, you just saved the day.’”

  “Why do you always have to ruin a good story?” mumbled Cindy. “Why can’t you leave good enough alone?”

  Bill turned to face Cindy, but he just shook his head as he sat back down in his chair.

  There was a long silence, and it was Jimmy who finally broke it. “What the hell is going on here, Venus?” he asked. “This is crazy.”

  Venus was dressed in a navy blue jogging suit and a Yankees cap. She shook her head and turned to face Jimmy. “My guess is that Mars is up talking to Pluto and that we’re all about to be expelled from the community.”

  “What crime did you commit?” Jimmy asked. “And why aren’t you part of that discussion? You’re an Equal. What happened?”

  “I told Mars that wherever Burt Sharpen goes, I’m going with him. He’s my husband.”

  There was a long pause as all heads turned to Burt for confirmation. He smiled broadly, got up from his chair and stood behind Venus who was seated at the table. He rested his hands on her shoulders. “We were married last night,” he said, leaning down and kissing Venus on the top of her head. “Pluto married us.”

  “Congratulations,” said Jimmy and walked over and slapped Burt on the back. “I didn’t know he could do that. Did you hear that, Julie?”

  Julie smiled at Jimmy and opened her mouth to speak, but a sudden burst tears ran down her cheeks. She covered her face and wept. Jimmy quickly rushed to her side and took her into his arms. Julie buried her head into his shoulder and wept quietly.

  “Good for you guys,” said Bill. “I don’t have a problem with the age difference.”

  Jimmy glared at Bill, as did everyone else except Burt and Venus.

  “You don’t like to beat around the bush, Bill Huggins, do you?” asked Venus. “The only people who matter don’t care about our age difference. Those people are me and my husband. You should know something else, mister I-don’t-have-a problem-with-it: Burt and I are going to have a baby.”

  Doc finally broke his silence. “That’s impossible. You couldn’t possibly know that already.”

  Venus turned and jabbed a bronze finger at Doc. “I know my body better than any medical doctor. I am pregnant. I know it like I know my own name.”

  Bill started to say something, but Burt cut him off. “And that name is Missus Bernice Sharpen. She still likes to be called Venus, isn’t that right?”

  “That’s right,” said Venus, turning up to face Burt.

  “That’s the most foolish and irresponsible thing I’ve ever heard,” chortled Doc. “Why did you think it would be a good idea to bring a baby into this world? Look around you. Is this the proper environment to raise a child in? I thought you both were a lot smarter than this. I’m very disappointed in the two of you.”

  Julie suddenly ripped free from Jimmy and raged across the little shack, stopping inches away from where Doc sat. His eyes grew large, and he held up his hands.

  “Who are you to judge, anyone?” Julie snapped, planting her hands on her hips. “They have every right to be married and to have as many children as they like. Don’t you dare call them foolish.”

  “I was only saying the obvious.”

  “Don’t you get it? They’re in love, they got married, and they want to have a baby. What, does life stop when it gets difficult? Hell, no!”

  “Julie, that’s okay,” Venus said quietly in a soothing voice. “We have talked about the risks and about Burt’s age. We both knew that people would have questions. That’s why I brought it all out into the open. Let’s have this discussion now, and then it’s over. I don’t want to hear another word from anyone on the subject.”

  “No, it’s not okay,” said Cindy, standing up and stepping into the fray. “Julie is right. We should all be able to get married and have babies and do whatever we like. This is still America.”

  “That’s right, baby girl,” said Bill. “You tell him.”

  “Congratulations, Burt and Venus,” Cindy said, walking behind Burt and giving him a warm hug. “I love you guys, and I’m very happy for the both of you.”

  “Don’t make it sound like I don’t care,” Doc grumbled, standing up and towering above everyone standing. He raised a long arm and pointed his finger at Burt. “Right now, that man is the best friend that I have in this world. I have every right to voice my concerns. Congratulations, Burt and Venus. Believe it or not, I’m also happy for the two of you. I just wish you’d have waited until the world returned to something more stable. I wish the two of you would reconsider and start using birth control.”

  “But, I’m already pregnant!”

  “You can’t possibly know that! I’m a doctor, and I do know more about your body than you do! You’re in love. You’re just imagining that you’re pregnant. I’ve seen it a hundred times.”

  Doc’s words hung in the air for a long time. Jimmy scratched his chin and quickly did the math. There was no doubt as
to who was right. Venus had no way of telling if she was pregnant.

  “Eight months from now you will be delivering our baby,” Venus said with a broad smile that said she didn’t care what he thought. “Get your mind around it.”

  “Yeah, Doc,” agreed Burt. “Get your mind around it. I thought you’d be happy for me, man. I’ve never had children. I’ve never been with anyone who wanted to have my baby. Don’t you understand? I’ve never been happier to be alive. This beautiful woman wants to be the mother to my children. We don’t want to stop with just one.”

  Doc held his hands out in exasperation. He then flung them down and returned to his chair, passing by Julie with an awkward bump. Julie returned to where Jimmy was and sat next to him.