by Hunt, Jack
“Come on, Seth. Take a shot at it. It will do you good,” Derek said, offering him the baseball bat. He waved him off. “You were all gung-ho when we arrived. Shooting the family.” He shot him a scowl. Of course, he’d wanted to unleash his pent-up anger but that wasn’t the real reason why he’d killed the family. Initially, he had this idea that he could place the bodies on the Rikers’ property, then alert the authorities. Maybe then they would blame them for all the murders in town. They’d be forced into a corner, unable to explain where the dead family came from, and all of them would be scooped up and tossed in a jail cell to rot. But was that punishment? Inside, they were safe there. Sure, it was a hellish experience now that a month had passed, but who knew what kind of special treatment they would get for offering up dirt on the Strickland family?
“No, there has to be another way.”
“There is,” Derek said, swinging the bat wildly and taking out framed photos on the walls. One after the other. Glass shattered and the frames dropped to the floor. “Haven’t you heard? Dan Wilder put into effect some new rules. One of which is those who wish to keep getting supplies have to move into Eureka. And if they do, they have to relinquish their firearms.”
“Are you serious?” Seth took another swig.
Derek stopped and tapped the baseball bat lightly against his other hand. “Heard it from Baby Face.” Baby Face was some tweaker in town. A lowlife dealer they’d used to distribute product to locals. “Yeah, some folks are more than happy to give up their weapons in exchange for protection and food.”
“Screw that,” Eddie said.
He lifted a hand. “Hey, I hear it’s no different at the FEMA camps. Think about it. They aren’t going to let people just waltz in there with a .22 in hand. They might get the guns back when they leave, but can you imagine someone with a chip on their shoulder waltzing around a camp with a rifle? No. That shit doesn’t fly. In fact, I bet you a million dollars, some of those idiots who left the county arrived at the camp and turned around and came straight back once they found that out.”
“That’s what I would do. I don’t see anyone giving up that right,” Seth said.
Derek continued. “People will give up a lot if they have young mouths to feed.”
“And you would know this because…?”
“It’s obvious.” He jerked his head to the parents lying dead beside their thirteen-year-old boy. “Example one and two.”
“But that’s because they had a gun in the face.”
“If you don’t have any food or medicine, you might as well have a gun in the face as your fate is pretty much sealed,” Derek said before he drove the end of the baseball bat through some drywall, punching a hole in it.
“Would you stop doing that!” Seth yelled. “You’re giving me a fucking headache.”
Seth took another swig from the bottle.
“All right, settle down,” Derek said, returning and slumping in a La-Z-Boy seat across from him. He clicked his fingers. “Cigarette, let’s go,” he muttered, gesturing with two fingers. Seth tossed the pack to him.
“Anyway, how’s that going to work for us?” Seth asked.
Derek blew smoke out his nostrils, a smile forming. “Think about it, Seth. Anyone caught with a gun in Eureka has to hand it over, regardless if they are staying or not. You cross that threshold and are still carrying, you’ll be in a world of trouble.”
“Maybe you should have told us sooner,” he said, tapping his handgun against the chair.
“We’re not staying but by the sounds of it, Jessie is.”
“Don’t remind me.” He mulled it over. “Look, I don’t want to get Nina into any trouble.”
“That’s unavoidable. You remember what happened with Skye. If the Rikers find out, she’s as good as dead. You want that?”
“I don’t think they killed Skye because of that.”
Derek leaned forward. “Brother. Either way, she’s picked her path and it’s with a Riker. She’s tainted. Now listen to me. If we do it this way, no one will know it’s us. We go planting these bodies and father or Martha will put two and two together but this… no… this could work, Seth.”
He gave it some thought then bounced up out of the chair.
“I don’t know.”
“Trust me.”
He stared into his eyes then nodded. “All right. Let’s do it.”
A wide grin spread on Derek’s face as they exited out the back of the house to seek out the militia.
All the supplies were now kept where most wouldn’t even attempt to raid or destroy them — the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. The mistake that moron had made was thinking that no one would attempt to steal from the mall with police standing watch outside. It was a rookie mistake. There had been many missions in Iraq where his unit had to infiltrate enemy territory without being seen. Setting the mall ablaze had been the easiest mission they’d ever accomplished. Captain Evans stood in the large room that was filled from floor to ceiling with boxes full of supplies. They were burning through it faster than they could bring it in. There were just too many mouths to feed.
“At this rate, this will be gone in the next few days. We’ve got to approach this another way,” Elijah said.
“It works for now,” Benjamin replied.
“Yeah but each time we go out we risk being seen.”
“So what did you have in mind?”
“Look, we’ve handed out a lot of supplies. Why make our job any harder than it needs to be? These people already trust us. More people are leaving for FEMA camps by the day. They’re only now taking record of what homes are empty and who’s stayed. So I say we kill two birds with one stone. We reduce the number of mouths and take back what’s been given. The cops will think the supplies were stolen from homes by raiders and that we’re still bringing more in but…”
“It will be the same supplies we just gave out.” He smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “Recycling. I like that. That’s why we work well together, Elijah. Great minds think alike.”
Benjamin had originally come up with the idea of looting homes in other towns under the guise they were getting supplies from abandoned delivery trucks. He knew that would only work for so long. It was time-consuming. Dangerous work. And he hadn’t banked on Jessie showing up in Trinity County, nor did he imagine that people would go outside of the county if all their needs were being met inside. All it would take was one person to realize what they were doing and the gig would be up. They had a lot more to do before anyone could know where the supplies were coming from.
“Captain.”
Benjamin looked over his shoulder to see Davis, one of his guys, approaching. “Some guy wants to speak to you. Says it’s important.”
“Take a name. I’m busy.”
“Says he has information regarding weapons in Eureka.”
“Of course he does. We’re still collecting them. Just take a name.”
“He told me to tell you Jessie Riker is carrying and residing here.”
Benjamin cast a sideways glance at Elijah and he cocked his head with a curious expression. They headed out to the main lobby where a ratty-looking blond fella with patchy facial hair was waiting. He was alone and staring at awards in a glass cabinet. They’d been given to the cops for helping local businesses, and Little League groups in the community.
“Can I help you?” Benjamin asked.
The guy didn’t turn, he just continued to stare. “Crazy, isn’t it. To think that the world might not go back to the way it used to be.” He turned with a smile. “Actually, it’s me who can help you. I’ve heard you have had some problems with the Rikers, is that right?”
“Maybe. Who are you?”
“I’d prefer not to say. Think of me as… a friend. Would I be right in saying that you have a new rule that any residents of Eureka who wish to receive supplies or stay in the city must first relinquish all firearms for use by law enforcement and militia?”
“You would be right.”
“And what if I knew someone who has a firearm in their possession? Two residents? And one of them is a Riker. Jessie Riker to be specific.”
“It could be helpful. What do you want?”
“Nothing. Just to see what is good for one is good for all. That’s fair, right?”
Benjamin nodded, eyeing him with suspicion.
The stranger continued. “Plus, you might be able to get your hands on a lot more firepower too. You see, it’s come to my attention that the Rikers are known to have an arsenal of weapons stashed away in different places in the county along with a hefty amount of gold. Gold still has value, doesn’t it?”
That piqued his interest even more. Benjamin got closer to the individual. He sized him up. “And where would you have come across this kind of information?”
The stranger tapped one of his cauliflower ears. He was a scrapper and had been in more than one fight. “I like to keep my ear to the ground. Now would you like that address?”
Chapter Thirteen
After making love, Jessie and Nina stared up at the ceiling, hot, sweaty, and satisfied. “It feels good to have put it out there. No more hiding the truth. They’ll just have to deal with it,” she said, rolling over and placing her head on his chest and running her fingers down his chest and abdomen. “Don’t you think so?”
He didn’t reply. He was lost in thought.
“Jessie,” she said, lifting her head to meet his gaze.
“Yeah. Yeah, of course.”
“You don’t sound certain.”
He shrugged. “What do you expect me to say? I told them.”
“I don’t know, maybe be a little happier, I guess? I mean, we’re having a baby. I’m about to bring a life into this world.”
“That’s what worries me,” he said, sliding out from underneath her and padding across the room to collect his underpants from a chair. Nina sat up in bed, her long hair draping down past her shoulders.
“It’s no different than before.”
“You don’t honestly believe that, do you… that it will get better?”
She frowned, as he tugged up his jeans and buttoned them, then began putting his boots on. “I have to believe so. If we don’t have hope, what do we have?” She asked.
“I don’t know, maybe I’m overthinking it all. I just don’t like the idea of bringing a kid into this world. It’s full of suffering, and pain, and people who…”
“Who murder? Like Hank? Your mother?” she asked.
“I was thinking about myself.” He shot her a glance. “I’ve done a lot of things I’m not proud of, things I regret, things I wish I could change. I mean, look at our history. Look at how complex it’s been just for us. But this kid is going to have a father who’s a Riker, and a mother who’s from the line of Stricklands. Could it get any worse?”
“You say that with such disdain.” She climbed out of bed and slipped into her black panties and put her bra back on.
“But I have good reason to, right? It’s not just your family, it’s mine.”
She made her way over and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him tight. “We can change that. It doesn’t have to be this way for our child. It can be different but we have to be the ones to break that cycle of violence and hatred. Don’t you think?” She looked at him with those big doe eyes of hers that turned his heart to mush every time he was around her.
Before he could reply, Jessie heard the front door open. He gave Nina a confused look and then opened the bedroom door to find armed militia strolling into the house. One of them was Captain Evans, the same guy he’d seen in Wilder’s office. “You don’t mind if we step inside, do you?” he said with a smug grin.
“Get the hell out of my house,” Nina yelled, pointing.
They ignored her and continued walking toward the bedroom.
Jessie went to reach for his handgun when a rifle was raised by the captain. He tutted. “I wouldn’t do that if I was you.” Four of his guys entered the bedroom without any concern. Jessie’s eyes darted to his gun then back to Evans who looked at it.
“That yours?” Evans asked.
“That’s right.”
“You don’t know the rules, do you?” He jerked the barrel of the rifle to motion for him to step away from the gun. “No guns are allowed in Eureka.”
“Says who?”
One of the militia went to take it and Jessie swung at him, knocking him back. Before he could take out another, the other three charged him and tossed him on the floor, and began kicking him with heavy boots.
“All right, all right, that’s enough,” Evans said.
The men parted, allowing Evans through. Jessie looked up to see Nina trying to cover herself with one of the sheets. One of the militia soldiers close to her touched her hair and she slapped his hand away. His response was to backhand her to the bed. Jessie bounced up. “Get your fucking hands off her. She’s pregnant.” He didn’t manage to take more than three steps before the captain used the butt of his gun to knock him down again. Then coolly and calmly Evans handed off his rifle to one of his men and crouched beside Jessie. He sniffed, looked around, and then met his gaze. “I heard you Rikers are a little hard of listening so I’m going to make this loud and clear for you. It’s come to my attention that not only are you carrying in the city of Eureka but that you know where an arsenal of weapons and gold are. Where are they?”
“Fuck you.”
Evans smiled then grabbed the back of his neck and fired three hard jabs to his jaw. Nina screamed, “Leave him alone.” She tried to intervene but was quickly pulled back by a soldier. The guy wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off the ground.
“Let’s try this again. Where are the rifles and gold, son?”
“I’m not your son and I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Evans rose from his crouched position. “Get up.”
Jessie looked up at him.
“GET UP!” Evans bellowed. Slowly he rose, blood trickling from the side of his lip. “Now move,” he said, directing him toward the door.
Jessie glanced at Nina. “It’s going to be okay, Nina. Don’t worry.”
“No, you should worry, Nina. You two are in a whole heap of trouble and like my mother used to say, shit gets worse before it gets better.”
Jessie felt a boot kick him in the back, sending him sailing out of the bedroom and down to the floor. He slid across the hardwood. “You know, you fucking hicks are all the same. You grow up in a town and think you own the damn place.” Evans went to kick him again but Jessie grabbed his boot.
“Don’t,” Jessie said.
“Get your filthy hands off.”
When he didn’t release it fast enough, Evans rained down hard fists, beating the side of his ear. He then grabbed him by the back of his neck and hauled him and tossed him into the living room. His body went over furniture and came to rest near the far wall. “Like I was saying. You think you’re untouchable but you’re not. Not anymore. So I’m going to give you one more chance, son. Tell me where the weapons and gold are?”
Who had told him? Alby would have never said anything about his stash.
Had someone seen him go down below the garage? Had he been careless and left it open? No, they would have stolen it. Perhaps someone had just made this up. Seth, perhaps? It would have made sense after the way he stormed out, bellowing threats.
“I told you I don’t know. Someone’s lied to you.”
“Maybe they did, maybe they didn’t. Maybe you are telling the truth,” Evans said, making his way around to him and delivering a gut-wrenching blow to his stomach with the tip of his boot. It was so hard and painful he thought it had ruptured an internal organ. “But I don’t particularly like you or your family, especially that brother of yours. Colby, right? Now that’s a problem child if I ever saw one.” He crouched beside him and placed a palm on his bloody face and began stroking it like he was some pet to be toyed with. “All right. All right. Let’s try t
his another way.” He got up and crossed the hallway. “Elijah. You think our boys need to blow off some steam?”
“I’d say so.”
“Then you have my permission.”
He didn’t need to say it, Jessie knew what was about to happen.
Nina screamed, a door was slammed shut and a commotion started in the bedroom down the hallway. Jessie bounced up, surging forward only to come face to face with the barrel of a handgun. Evans pressed the tip of it against his cheek. “What’s it going to be, son?”
“Please. She’s pregnant. Don’t do this.”
“We’re not. You are. Now, where are they?”
Jessie sneered, grinding his teeth, but he couldn’t take hearing Nina’s screams anymore. “All right. I’ll take you to them but please leave her alone.”
Evans whistled. The door opened. “Elijah. That’s enough.”
Jessie cast a glance down the hallway. Nina was on the bed, her underpants still on but one of the soldiers looked as if he was about to have his way with her. One by one the men strolled out, smug grins spreading. He wanted to kill every single one of them. And he would. “Okay, son, lead the way.” Evans shoved him toward the door and Jessie looked back to make sure none of the soldiers stayed.
“I’ll be back, Nina.”
They forced him outside toward a military truck.
Across the street, Seth and Derek watched with glee from inside an RV. Seth couldn’t contain his laughter any longer as he saw Jessie thrust into the truck like a rag doll. Thoroughly liquored up, he puffed away on a joint, chuckling behind a plume of smoke. “Well done, Derek, well done.”
Derek shrugged. “I told you it would work.”
They waited until the truck had pulled away before exiting the RV parked in the driveway of the abandoned house. He gave a cautious glance down the street, watching the truck go around the bend and disappear before crossing over and entering the house. Nina was crying, sitting in the bedroom, holding a handful of tissue. At the sound of his boots, she looked up, her features twisted. “You bastard!” She raced toward them, all spit and fury. Under the influence of alcohol and weed, it just made him laugh hard. He let out a huge belly laugh as he stepped back, blocking her fists as she tried to punch him. “They nearly raped me.”