by Annie Berdel
This was her home, she thought, as she walked from tree to tree as she headed toward the first cabin. She had built the cabins years earlier and they were here for a purpose. She boarded them up and only came out a couple times a year to do a physical check of them. When the time came, she would put them to use.
The trail wound down close to the river and back up into the woods. As she cleared a large oak, she stopped. I wonder where Dixon is, she thought. He should have caught up to her by now. That’s odd. Making her way to the first cabin, she checked the water pipes, windows and fireplace screen. All looks good, she thought. Double checking the supplies, it looked like nothing had bothered the locked totes. Emma had put these totes out here each spring, exchanging them for the ones she picked up with her 4-wheeler. Inside each tote was an assortment of basic items to last for a few days of being at the cabin. Cooking pots, blankets, food, bottled water, medical supplies and fire-starters for both the fireplace and the small cook stove. A pair of ham radios was also included that Emma had a base unit for back at the main house. While there was no electricity out here, each cabin had a solar battery charger that could easily charge any small appliance or electronic.
Emma stepped out onto the porch and locked the door. Dixon still wasn’t there. Looking around, Emma descended the steps and headed off to the next cabin.
36
The second cabin was located along the creek that ran through the property. Still sitting back far enough from the water’s edge that someone passing by could not see it, Emma knew that people on vacation sometimes took canoes along this particular stretch and she didn’t want them to be messing around the property or breaking into the cabin. The cabin itself was bare bones with just a tote of supplies like the first cabin, but teenagers looking for a place to hang out would find it prime real estate for some late night partying.
Glancing around, Emma took the lower trail that ran parallel the water. She could then circle to the rest of the cabins and exit the woods exactly where she entered without crossing her footsteps twice. She loved this time of the year as the trees were losing their bright green color gifted to them from the hot days of summer. Now, they were journeying into deep blood reds and rustic browns with splashes of yellows and oranges thrown in for surprise. Nature was never boring if one just simply looked.
One would simply think the boulder along the creek bed was put there by nature herself, but Emma had it purposely placed as a waypoint. Tapping the rock with her hand, she made a sharp turn and headed up towards the crest of the hill. Halfway up her ascent, a putrid smell filled her nostrils. “Hmpf,” she grunted to herself, ”What died out here!” Grabbing a bandanna she placed it over her nose and mouth trying to block out the horrible stench and continued on towards the cabin.
Having just passed a large oak, movement out of the corner of Emma’s eye caught her attention. Stopping fast, she scanned the area and caught glimpses of red. Her breathing quickened as she squinted her eyes to try and get a better look. Yes, red and now purple and white. Someone or something was at the cabin.
Slowly taking a step back, Emma tucked herself in behind the big tree she had just passed and listened. She couldn’t make out any sounds but dang if she hadn’t seen something that shouldn’t have been there. “Know your normal” was something a friend had taught her years ago and it had come in quite handy on a number of occasions.
Taking a deep breath to try and calm her nerves, Emma double checked both the Mossberg and her Glock to make sure they were ready if she needed them. While confronting whoever was at the cabin was probably not the brightest idea since she was alone, getting a better idea of what was happening there would enable her to get a plan together as whoever or whatever was obviously trespassing on her land.
Keeping the tree between her and the cabin, Emma took a step back. She could now scan the area on both sides of the cabin without them seeing her. Nothing. She took another step back, with the tree still blocking her. Her ears caught a branch snap. “Shit!” The sounds echoed in her ears as it was obvious something was headed in her direction, the stench was long forgotten, as her other senses kicked into high gear. Raising her shotgun, Emma waited and listened not knowing from which direction her visitor would be revealed around the tree. Sweat started to break out across her brow as she tightened her grip on the shotgun, her finger itching for the trigger.
Expecting a much taller assailant, Emma was a little taken aback when Dixon popped his head from around the tree. Dropping the shotgun, Emma crouched down and gave him a scratch. “What the hell are you doing out here, do you know I could have just dropped you dead?” She barked at him as she rubbed his face between her hands.
Without missing a beat, Dixon walked around the tree and headed back up towards the cabin, Emma, still stunned, just looked on. About halfway he stopped and turned back towards Emma and barked. “That’s odd,” Emma muttered and decided it best to follow him. She trusted that dog with her life and knew he wouldn’t put her into danger. But it was quite obvious he wanted her to follow.
Dixon led the way up the rest of the hill as Emma’s senses started to return to a normal balance and the awful stench returned, burning her nostrils.
Dixon walked up the steps to the cabin door and Emma followed, feeling very uneasy. Something was wrong. The door wasn’t locked and was sitting slightly open. Dixon nosed his way in and disappeared. Emma took the steps one at a time, trying to see in the door as best she could. The stench was becoming overwhelming. Standing outside the door, Emma stopped. Raising the shotgun to her shoulder, she used the muzzle to slowly open the door.
Little by little the tired sun made its way in the cabin and filled the room. Slowly, the horrible scene inside the room filled Emma’s eyes. Old, dirty blankets were thrown about the floor as if someone had been sleeping there and from the looks of the things, whoever it was still wrapped up under one of the blankets.
Dixon stood in the middle of the room, looking back at Emma. Slowly Emma edged her way into the room. The smell now so powerful it made her eyes begin to water. Tears streaming down her face, Emma kept her eyes on the mound. “Hello?” Emma called out.
Off to her left Emma caught the flash of color. Moving quickly, she backed up and ducked behind the wall. The movement came from the kitchen. Without warning, Dixon headed into the room. “What is going on here?” Emma thought
Small, quiet voices. Emma listened with her full attention on the room Dixon had just entered. There they were again. High pitched, she could almost make them out…. “No way”, she thought to herself. Take a step away from the wall, Emma slowly moved forward as more and more of the kitchen room was revealed. Finally, she saw Dixon’s tail wagging excitedly with his face still hidden. Taking another step, Emma gasped. There was Dixon with two small children, watching over them like the protector he was.
Emma made her way into the kitchen step by step and realized they were the only ones in the cabin. Trying not to startle the children, their eyes already huge and staring at Emma, she knelt on the floor beside Dixon. “Hello,” she said in her best soothing voice. Looking at her, the little girl blinked away a tear and Emma noticed how grimy their faces and hands were. The little boy was a bit older, maybe 5, Emma guessed. Emma reached over and scratched Dixon behind the ear. Both of the children relaxed a bit as they realized she knew the dog.
Just then the boy said something to the little girl. Spanish, Emma thought. They speak Spanish. “Hola” Emma said quietly.
Both of the kids smiled. Emma took a deep breath and smiled back. “Hola, ninos,” Emma said through her smile as both kids reached up to pat Dixon.
“What the hell is going on here,” Emma muttered to herself as she stood, still smiling down at the kids. “Dixon, sit,” she ordered and Dixon promptly sat with the kids. “Stay. Keep them here,” she said to the dog.
Emma walked back into the area of the cabin where the blankets were. Shotgun in hand, she approached the large lump under them. Using the end
of the gun, she slowly pulled the blanket up. “Oh Jesus,” she said. Laying the gun against the wall, she crouched down beside the blanket and lifted the corner, making sure the kids were still in the other room.
The woman’s jet black hair was splayed across the floor, a gold comb used to hold her tresses back from her face. Judging from the decomposition of her body, she had been dead for more than a week. Getting up quickly, Emma ran out the front door and through herself over the railing on the porch as she heaved her breakfast into the leaves scattered upon the forest floor. Drying her mouth with the bandanna, she quickly walked back inside and made sure the woman was covered up completely with the blankets. Walking back into the kitchen where Dixon and the kids were, she knelt down and patted Dixon again. She had to get these kids out of here.
Pulling a chocolate bar from her pocket, Emma opened it and gave the kids each a small piece. Grabbing for the food, Emma figured that they hadn’t eaten for a while. Standing, Emma told Dixon to follow and beckoned for the kids as she waved the candy in front of them. She had to get them through the other room and out the front door as fast as possible.
“Dixon, home,” she commanded and the dog walked to the front door. Stopping, he turned and Emma followed with the open candy motioning to the children. “Ven conmigo,” she said brightly to the kids as she motioned towards Dixon.
They walked towards Dixon into the next room, their eyes darting towards where their mother was lying. The chocolate and the dog were now pulling their attention outside.
Emma kept walking, the dog and the kids followed, until they were far enough away that they couldn’t see the cabin anymore. Stopping long enough to give them each a drink from her water bottle and another small piece of chocolate, they continued on towards the house.
Getting a better look at the kids now that they were outside, Emma felt they couldn’t have been at the cabin for more than a couple weeks. While they were definitely hungry and dirty, they were well cared for prior to their mother’s death. Expensive shoes and clothing, hair that had a decent cut, even a gold bracelet around both of the children’s wrists were all telling Emma that these kids were not neglected. “How did they end up at my cabin,” Emma thought “And what happened to their mother?”
Dixon, Emma and the kids were coming around the barn when they met up with Tom. “What in the world?” Tom said as he took in the party of four.
“They were at Cabin Two. Mom is still there. We need to get a coroner out there immediately with Sheriff Olan. And don’t worry, I don’t think they understand English,” Emma included based on the puzzled look on Tom’s face. “We” she said making a big circle with her hand over the top of the dog and kids “Are going inside to get cleaned up and get something to eat. Can you make the call?”
“No worries, I’ll take care of it.” Tom returned. “No sirens”
37
Emma took the kids into the house and helped them take their coats off. While she really wanted to get them into the tub, she knew they had to be hungry more than the dirt was bothering them. They could wash their hands and faces, though. Leading them into the washroom off of the kitchen, she knelt before them and turned the water to warm. Squirting some soap onto her hands she ran them under the water and made lots of bubbles. “Lavar limpia!” she said as she rubbed her hands together. The boy was a bit hesitant but the little girl stuck her hands in with Emma as if it was the same way her mom had washed her hands. Taking a washcloth, Emma dampened it and wiped the grime from the little girl’s face. “Oh, you’re a little cutie, now aren’t you” Emma said as she brushed her hair back with her hand.
“Comida?” Emma asked and both kids nodded. “Lavar limpia,” Emma said to the boy and walked out of the bathroom, the little girl trailing behind. Emma sat the little girl at the table and walked to the cookie jar. Inside were packs of crackers for her own grandkids. She grabbed a couple and poured two glasses of milk. Good thing she still had sippy cups around, she thought. She heard the water in the bathroom turn on and smiled, kid knows what he’s doing, she thought, his momma was raising him well. Emma sat the crackers on the table and was pouring the milk into the cups when the little boy joined them. Pulling a chair back, he sat down beside his sister. They watched as Emma put the lid on the cup and sat it in front of them. On cue, both bowed their heads. Emma was taken aback. She had to find out what happened here. What brought these children to her cabin and more importantly, what happened to their mom? “So many questions,” Emma muttered as she turned to make them something to eat.
The kids were bathed and in front of the fire fast asleep with Dixon on Dixon's bed when the sheriff arrived at the house. Luckily Emma had some pajamas at the house from the grandkids staying that fit them just right until their clothes were finished in the wash.
Emma made them stay in the kitchen so they wouldn’t disturb the kids when Ed brought Sheriff Olan into the house. “Sheriff” Emma said as she nodded in his direction.
No love lost between either of them, Emma was waiting for the next election to get Ben Olan voted out of his position. Emma, Scott and Ben had all gone to school together in their teen years. Ben had moved to the area his sophomore year of high school from Chicago and came with the arrogant liberal mindset that his parents liked to flaunt at all the town hall meetings. Ben carried the same mindset onto the debate team. Lucky for Emma, it just gave her more practice in shutting down the arguments against socialism and what our actual rights are under the Constitution with Ben’s slant from the left. While Emma began to look forward to their lively debates, Ben silently started to despise the girl who time after time made him look like the laughingstock of the school. It was even more startling that he went into law enforcement after high school and became a deputy in their small county. He was a sheeple, a follower, or so she thought, and that worried Emma in light of what was on their horizon. He obeyed his orders no matter the consequences to the citizens of their town or how much those orders might infringe upon their constitutional rights. Little did she know the scheming that was going on behind the scenes when their old sheriff was fatally shot while on duty. Ben was quickly thrown into the position by a landslide of votes. Emma thought it odd for Ben to gather the majority of votes considering his background until she started asking around town. Small conversations here and there with the townsfolk. All she was hoping for was that nothing happened before they could get someone elected who would back their town and have their best interests at heart, and not sell them down the river to the highest bidder. And Ben Olan smelled like a big old pile of corruption. Several of his deputies had already been busted with prostitutes, and Emma knew the manure only ran up the ranks.
“Where’s these kids?” he asked
“They are asleep in the front room with the dog.”
“I have someone from CPS on their way out to get them.”
“Now sheriff, no need for that tonight. They can just stay here. We can take them into town in the morning.”
“Really? You want to keep two mangy kids here that broke into your cabin? Who knows who will come looking for them and from what Tom says, they can’t even speak a lick of English” retorted the sheriff
Emma raised a brow and calmly replied “Yes, really. Those children, who I am sure you are referring to have been cleaned up and fed” They have been through a horrible ordeal and don’t need to be passed from house to house tonight. For heaven sakes Ben, have a fucking heart for a change!”
“Emma, you and I both know those illegals are nothing but trouble,” the sheriff responded.
“These are someone’s children, here legally or not!” Emma hissed back. “And they will be staying here tonight so call off your damn henchmen.”
Ben knew he was walking into a snake pit at this point and backed down. It was like old times on the debate team and Ben hated the feeling he got when he tried to argue with this woman before him. They made arrangements to meet in town the next day before lunch with the children.
“Any reports of missing kids? A husband or father is out there somewhere. Someone has to know something,” Tom asked
“Problem is trying to get them to communicate. They don’t like to talk, especially to law enforcement” the sheriff responded
Ben shook Tom’s hand as he left without even a word to Emma. Tom carried the sleeping kids one by one into the guest room as Emma tucked them into the big bed.
“Dixon, stay,” Emma commanded and the dog promptly lay across the door frame. Being the best protector ever, Emma knew he would keep track of the kids and alert her if they awoke during the night.
38
Emma arose early and went to check on the kids. Dixon was all sprawled out on the floor in front of the door, snoring away; she had to step over him to get into the room. Lifting his head, Emma thought he was giving her his “I’ve got everything under control” look and she gave a quiet chuckle. Assured that the kids were still sleeping she went back into the kitchen and fixed a big breakfast of waffles and bacon for the kids before they left. It was going to be a long day for all of them.
39
“What do you mean you can’t take them?” Emma asked sarcastically. “You were bound and determined to take them last night!”
“They just don’t have room nor do they have anyone who speaks Spanish. With Tom being fluent, I thought maybe they could just stay with you until we get this all sorted out,” Sheriff Olan replied
“That’s fine,” Emma replied. “I would be more than happy to help,” she said as she walked out with the kids.
Ben sat back in his chair and grinned from ear to ear. “Fucking bitch,” he mumbled. Served her goody two shoes right. Always sticking her nose in where it didn’t belong and now he would make sure she got stuck with those kids for as long as it took to find out where their father was. Problem was it wasn’t top of his priority list and he now had the power to make her sit and stew. He had the power for once and he liked the feeling. She had cost him so much in his teen years. It was bad enough that he had never won a debate against her but it was hard arguing with the girl you had a severe crush on. She had a wickedly quick mind that mesmerized him. With her constant taunting of his loss after loss in debate class, it had been a struggle getting a date from any of the other girls in their school since they all were friends. Albeit a small school at that, but since he wasn’t one for the football team it was hard getting a date since everyone knew everyone else and had their nose stuck in each other’s business. It wasn’t until he had moved away to college had he had his first encounter with a woman, and a pretty miserable one at that. He was attracted to her long black hair and ferocious sexual appetite. She had taught him a lot about pleasuring the lust inside of his soul. It was his first encounter with a woman of Latino descent. She immersed him not only in her culture but also her version of the Kama Sutra in all kinds of public places. The thrill of getting caught was enough to drive Ben mad. He became enraged in his lust for her to the point he was closing himself off from anything and everything that deviated his attention from her, including school. Later, Ben’s world crashed around him when another student had taunted his conquest of Ben’s girlfriend. “Oh man, don’t take it so hard,” the kid had laughed in his face. “Everyone knows she was cheap and easy to begin with. Why else would she be with you?”