by A. American
“Yeah, you know the girls are going to be happy about that.”
Kicking at the dirt as I walked, I said, “Wonder how Sarge’s inquisition is going.”
Danny shook his head, “I really don’t want to know.”
Sarge stepped into the garage with a broom. His house guest didn’t move at first. He was obviously exhausted and passed out from the strain. He went to the garage door and pulled the bypass handle on the door motor and raised the door. Smiling, he looked at the man and said, “I didn’t wake you did I?” Sarge went to the workbench and took a hand saw down from the peg board. Bracing the broom on the bench, he cut a piece about a foot and a half long off it.
The man didn’t reply. Sarge eyeballed him for a moment, noting just how beat the poor bastard looked. Turning back to the workbench, he poked around in the a little cabinet full of small pull-out trays. It was the sort of thing you’d store a few nails or screws in. The old man pulled out tray after tray until pulling one out that contained a couple of the old hook and eye style latches. Finding what he wanted, he removed the tray and took one of the small eyes out. Picking up the old bar stool that sat in front of the bench, he walked over and placed it in front of the suspended man.
Taking a seat, Sarge used a pair of pliers from his pocket to work the eye into the end of the broomstick. He didn’t speak to the man while he worked, but would glance up from time to time to gauge his response. The man’s eyes remained transfixed on the handle. Once the eye was screwed all the way in, Sarge stood and went back to the bench. Picking up a piece of rope and a Phillips screwdriver, he walked back to the stool and sat down. This he looked the man in the eye and asked his name, he got no reply.
“Come on now; what can telling me your name hurt?” Sarge pressed.
The man eyed him for a moment, looking at the rope Sarge held. He’d pulled it through the eye and was unwinding the end. After a moment the man spoke, “What are you going to do with that?”
Without looking up from his work, Sarge replied, “Tell me your name, and I’ll tell you what I’m going to do with this here rope.”
There was a long silence. Sarge had unwound the appropriate amount and now shoved the screwdriver through the rope on one side of the eye. He then pulled one of the three weaves of the rope through the hole, drawing it tight back against itself. Turning the rope slightly, he repeated the process. As he passed the next weave of the rope through, he looked up and asked, “Well, what’s it going to be?”
The man licked his lips. His eyes darted around the garage. Then he said, “If you give me a drink of water, I’ll tell you my name.”
Sarge laughed, “That wasn’t the deal. You tell me your name and I’ll tell you what this is.” He held the rope up. “Then we can talk about a drink of water.”
“Aaron, Aaron Altman.”
Sarge looked up, “Good to meet you Aaron, Aaron Altman.” He continued working on the loop. When it was done, he held it up. “This here is going to be a whip of sorts.” He held it out so it dangled on the floor. “I’ll soak it in water and use it to beat you with.” He looked at Aaron when he finished the statement, like he expected some sort of affirmation of his work; but Aaron didn’t reply. Instead he stared at the rope.
Sarge let him stew for a while as he finished his work. When he was done braiding the tag end back into the rope and it was affixed to the handle, he cut the strands off and pulled his lighter out and cauterized the ends of the nylon. Leaving the whip on the stool, Sarge disappeared into the house. He returned almost immediately with a large jug. Ted followed him and hopped up on the bench. Sarge grabbed a bucket and poured water from the jug into it. He then dipped the rope into it and removed it. Giving it a quick snap of his wrist, it let out a surprisingly loud crack that caused Aaron to flinch.
Satisfied with his work, he stepped outside the open door and looked back at Aaron, “Now for the good part.” He laid the rope in the sand at the edge of the driveway and ground it with his boot, all the while keeping his eyes locked on Aaron’s. Happy that it was sufficiently covered in sand, he walked back in and laid the whip on the stool.
“Now, about that drink of water,” Sarge said. Aaron’s eyes were still fixed on the whip. Sarge snapped his fingers and Aaron’s eyes drifted back to him. Sarge crossed his arms over his chest, “You one of Billy’s boys?” Aaron didn’t answer right away, so Sarge encouraged him. “Answer the question and I’ll give you a drink. I promise, no games. I’m sure you’re thirsty.”
Aaron licked his lips and looked around. After a moment, he nodded his head. Sarge asked the question again, and again Aaron nodded. Faster than Aaron could react, Sarge slapped him on the left side of his face. So hard that Aaron saw small white orbs dancing before his eyes and his ears were ringing as well.
“When I ask a question, you answer. Like momma used to say when you were a little snot-nosed shit, to use your words. So I’ll ask the question again; you one of Billy’s boys?”
Aaron nodded, quickly saying, “Yes.”
Sarge smiled and held his arms out wide, “See! That wasn’t hard now was it?”
Ted jumped off the bench and walked up to Aaron. He held a bottle to Aaron’s mouth allowing him to drink. He gulped greedily at the water, much of it spilling and running down his chest. When the bottle was empty Ted returned to his seat. Sarge went over to the bench and took down a large pair of scissors. He walked behind Aaron who struggled to spin himself. Sarge used them to cut away Aaron’s shirt. He howled in fright at first, but a quick blow to his kidneys silenced him.
“Shut up, I ain’t even hurting you yet!” Sarge barked.
With the shirt removed, Sarge stepped up in front of Aaron and grabbed his belt buckle to undo. Aaron wasn’t having any of that, and he kicked Sarge, knocking him off balance. Ted was immediately on his feet and closing quickly. Aaron saw him coming but there was nothing he could do. Ted stepped in and delivered several fast sharp blows to his liver. Aaron howled in pain as Sarge regained his composure. Breathing heavily, Aaron looked at the old man, who was holding the whip.
“You just fucked up, son.” Sarge held the whip out, “See, this was just to scare you. I wasn’t going to actually hit you with it.” Aaron’s eyes went to the whip, then back to Sarge. “But I am now.” Sarge looked at Ted, “Grab his legs and pull ‘em out Teddy.”
Aaron tried to kick, but he was so weak from hanging there for so long, there was little he could do. Ted grabbed his legs, tucking one under each arm and pulled them out as far as he could. Aaron was now belly up and in no position to resist. He watched as Sarge stepped back, flipping the rope; then it began.
Chapter 14
After changing clothes, I went back over to Danny’s. The house was full of incredible aromas. There was the smell of rising bread, a doughy yeasty smell that was like heaven. Then there was the smell of the squash frying in pig fat. It was more intense, a more incredible aroma than I had encountered in a long time.
“Damn, it smells good in here!” I shouted.
“Just wait until I get these loaves in the oven,” Kay replied.
Mel was at the stove frying the squash. I went into the kitchen and looked at a very large platter full of golden brown rounds. Picking one up, I shook a little salt on it. Mel looked at me, “Get out of it. Wait till dinner.”
Smiling, I stuffed the whole piece in my mouth, “I just wanted to sample it.”
Little Bit busted through the back door. She was holding a dead squirrel by the tail. “Dad, there’s something wrong with this squirrel.”
“Get that thing out of my house!” Bobbie shouted.
Little Bit stepped out onto the porch and I followed her. She laid the limb rat on the deck and squatted down as she examined it.
“There’s something inside it,” she said as she poked at it with her knife.
I re
ached down and picked it up to take a closer look. “Ah yes,” I said. Opening my folding knife, I said, “It’s called a Warble. It’s a little grub that lives under their skin.” I stuck the tip of the blade into the air hole the grub had cut through the skin, and split it open to expose the fat larva.
“Eww! That’s gross!” Little Bit shouted. “What is it?”
“It’s the larva of the Botfly. They get into the squirrel and grow up under their skin. When it’s big enough, it comes out,” I said.
“Does it kill the squirrel?”
“No, when it comes out, the squirrel heals and lives on.”
She looked at me, her face twisted, “Can we still eat it?”
Bobbie had come out on the porch and was looking over our shoulder. “I’m not eating that!” She shouted.
I laughed. “We could eat it, but it is kind of gross. Take it and toss it into the woods.”
Little Bit nodded, “Yeah, I don’t want to eat it either.”
“Looks like squirrel hunting is over until the weather turns cold,” I said.
Little Bit looked at me, “The Botflies go away in the winter?”
“Yep. We’ll just have to wait a while.”
I walked with her out to the tree line behind Danny’s and tossed the rat into the woods.
“I feel bad I killed it and we’re throwing it away,” she said.
I put my arm around her, “That’s good. I’m glad it bothers you. You should be bothered, but in this case there’s a reason.”
She looked up, her lip pulled into a sneer, “It was kinda gross.”
Chuckling, I patted her shoulder, “Yeah it was. Come on.”
Back in the kitchen, I took a seat at the bar again. It was getting late and we needed to get to the bunker for our shift. The good news was that meant we could eat now!
“Hey, we have to go on watch soon, so we need to eat now,” I said.
Mel dismissed the comment, “Whatever; you’re just looking for a reason to eat.”
Danny came downstairs and wandered into the kitchen. He did the same thing I did, grabbing a piece of squash. Looking at me, he said, “We better eat now so we can take our watch.”
Pointing at him, I shouted, “See! He says the same thing!”
Mel took a couple of plates and piled the squash on. Shaking her head, she replied, “Here, go ahead.”
Danny and I sat down to enjoy the fresh veggies. They were so damn good. As we ate, Thad came in, announcing his presence by saying, “Something smells good!”
“Dinner’s not ready yet,” Bobbie replied.
He looked at me and Danny, and I smiled. “We have to go on watch.”
“Guess I’ll just have to wait then,” he replied as he sat down at the bar beside me. I picked up a piece of squash and held it up. Looking at him I shoved it into my mouth and rolled my eyes back. He smiled and shook his head.
“You may have to wait Thad, but you’ll get some fresh bread too,” Kay noted.
I looked up with a piece of squash half in my mouth, “I like bwead,” I mumbled.
Mel smiled at me, “You have to go on watch.”
“That’s just wrong,” Danny added.
“Don’t worry boys; we’ll save you some,” Kay replied with a smile. She was always so nice, and I smiled in reply. That is, until Thad spoke up.
“Yeah, we’ll save you the crusts,” he said as he started to laugh at his own sad joke.
Looking at him, I said, “And I thought we were friends.”
Still laughing, he said, “We are; but we’re talking about fresh baked bread here.”
Looking at Danny, I said, “Add that to the list of how to tell your true friends. Roofing, moving, plumbing and fresh baked bread.” The comment got Thad to really laughing.
We finished our meal and grabbed our gear. I gave Mel a kiss and told her I’d be home later. As we were heading out, I remembered the job Thad had waiting on him.
“Oh Thad. We’ve got a job for you to do.”
He looked up, “What is it?
“Cecil’s going to plant a large field up towards Eustis. It’s huge, and he needs you and your tractor for a couple of days. It needs to be mowed and to have a disc run over it to get it ready to plant.”
“Sounds good to me. When do you want me to go?”
I shrugged, “Soon. Tomorrow maybe.”
Danny interrupted, “We need to get the water tower done first. We need the tractor to set the tank with.”
Thad nodded, “Yeah, we better get that done first.”
Agreeing, I said, “Let’s try and set it tomorrow. Once it’s up, you can take off. We can do the rest of the work without the tractor.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Thad replied.
Danny and I left and walked towards the bunker. Once we were out on the road, we saw the girls and Aric walking towards us.
“They’re always together now,” Danny commented.
“Yeah but I think it’s good for them.”
He glanced over at me, “You aren’t worried about them and all this training they’re doing?”
“I am, but they aren’t little girls anymore. They’re growing up. Sadly, they’re growing up in a world where they need to learn how to handle a weapon and use it to defend themselves. It makes me feel a little better knowing they’re being taught how to do so.”
“I guess you’re right.”
Taylor saw me and shouted, jumping up and down, “Hey Dad!”
I waved as we got to them, “Hey kiddo, what are you guys up to?”
“We’re going to eat.”
“I’m starving!” Jess added.
“The guys working you to death?” I asked.
They all laughed, “Yeah they are. Dalton scares the crap out of us.”
“He is slightly intimidating,” Aric added.
“Where in the hell did he come from?” Jess asked.
“He wandered in one night,” I replied.
“And you let him stay? Just like that?” Jess shot back.
“I think we had this discussion once about trusting your gut, remember?”
She crossed her arms and cocked her hip to the side, “So now we’re just taking in every stray that comes along?”
I laughed, “You’re one to talk! You were the first stray!” The comment got laughs out of everyone.
She flipped her hair, “I am not a stray.”
Smiling, I said, “You have come a long way since that day at the rest stop.”
She rolled her eyes. “I cannot imagine what would have happened if you hadn’t let me come with you.”
“Pfft, whatever. I didn’t let you. You just wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
With a comically indignant look, she replied, “And look how much better off you are as a result.” She walked on, not giving me the chance to reply.
Lee Ann gave me a hug as she passed, then Danny as well. We watched them walk away and Danny said, “You’re right. They’re not little girls anymore.”
We went to the bunker and found Ian, Perez and Jamie hanging around outside. Ian looked at his wrist, although there was no watch, and said, “It’s about damn time!”
“I’m ready to get out of here, it’s hotter’n shit,” Perez said.
“Dry up you whiney babies,” I replied with a smile.
“I think dinner is ready at the house,” Danny said.
“Good, I’m hungry,” Jamie said.
“Why aren’t you hanging out with the cool kids?” I asked.
She laughed, “I had to be here. The cool kids, whatever.”
“Just do me a favor and let me know if those girls get any crazy ideas.”
Cocking he
r head to the side, she said, “Their ideas are no crazier than anybody else’s.”
“That really doesn’t make me feel any better,” I replied.
Jamie winked at me and looked at Ian, “Let’s go eat.”
They left us there to face the coming onslaught. The early evening shift of the watch had become the most dreaded. As the sun dropped towards the horizon, thousands of spike-beaked Kamikazes would materialize from everywhere. Knowing what was coming, I slipped into my raincoat. As the sun kissed the horizon, the mind-numbing buzzing started quickly, and would persist for several hours.
Hearing Danny slap, I looked over to see him rubbing his neck, “Damn these things are horrible!”
Pulling my hood up, I grunted, “Tell me about it. Look on the bright side, it’s only going to get worse before it gets better.”
Slapping again, he replied, “Thanks for that.”
We settled into the same old routine of looking through the NVGs, listening and slapping the incessant mosquitoes. A flash of light broke up the monotony. Danny slapped me on the shoulder, “Someone’s coming.”
I brought my rifle up and rested it on the lip of the bunker, “Where is he?”
“He’s walking down the middle of the road. Here, take a look.” He handed me the device and I took a look.
Just as my eye was focusing, whoever was coming shined a flashlight at me. A really friggin bright one, that caused the NVG to shut down. It was quickly followed by a voice.
“Hey Morg, you in there?” It was Mike.
“Yeah I’m in here. You trying to get your ass shot tonight or what?” I shouted back as I walked out of the bunker.
“Someone wants to talk to you,” Mike said as he came up.
“Who?” I asked.
“It’s Livingston,” Mike replied as he handed me a radio.
“What the hell does he want?” I asked.
Mike smirked, “How the hell should I know. He just said he needed to talk to you.”