by Hunt, Jack
Alicia placed a hand on his and gave it a comforting squeeze. He hadn’t thought for a moment what it must have been like for her to be caught up in this, to be exposed to the skeletons in his closet. He was about to say something when the doctor emerged with his mother. He closed the black bag in his hand and talked quietly with her. His mother nodded, thanked him and he cast a glance toward Colby.
“So?” Dylan asked, pushing away from the porch railing. “What did he say?”
“He’s given him painkillers and will be back later tonight to check on him.”
“But he’ll be okay, right?” Miriam asked.
“He’ll survive just as you did. Just as we always do.”
“I’m going down there and dealing with them once and for all,” Zeke said, scooping up a rifle. Colby rose and stopped him from leaving, pressing a hand against his chest.
“Zeke. Wait.”
“For what? For them to attack another one of us? Screw that! I’m taking them out now. Every last one of them.”
“It might not have been them.”
“Of course it was. I’m going with you,” Dylan said, glancing at the others.
“Stop. Both of you,” Martha bellowed. “Colby might be right. Either way, if it is them, this is exactly what they want. To divide us, to draw us out and pick us off one by one. No, we need to double down here. Protect the homestead.”
“And do nothing?” Zeke asked in astonishment. “Father is dead. Lincoln is dead. Miriam had God knows what done to her and now Jessie?”
“What do you expect?” Colby asked.
“What did you say?” Zeke asked, lowering his rifle and giving Colby a stern look.
“You heard me. We’ve been playing with fire for years. All of us. You can only do that so long before people get burned.”
Dylan piped up. “Are you saying he deserved this?”
“No. Of course not. What I’m saying is that his involvement in the death of the Stricklands could have brought this on, but do you think this would be the outcome? If they somehow have figured out that Jessie was involved, and that it wasn’t just Alby, do you think for one moment they would have left him alive? They would have killed him, and probably strung him up from that bridge.”
Zeke threw a hand up. “Well, maybe they think death is an easy way out. They could have killed Miriam but they didn’t and we all know they were responsible for that. Seth was responsible.”
Colby looked at Miriam who was nodding.
“I’m just saying that what if it wasn’t them?”
Before any of them could say any more, there was a commotion down by the gate.
“Please. Let me through. I just want to see him,” a female said.
“Get off the property.”
Martha stepped down from the porch and cupped a hand over her eyes to see what was happening. “Laura. Who is it?”
Laura was closer to the gate than them.
“It’s one of the Stricklands. Nina. She says she needs to speak to you, to speak to Jessie. That… hold on a second…”
Everyone waited on bated breath.
Whatever Nina had told Laura, it must have convinced her to open the gate. Few Stricklands had ever stepped on their property, those that had were buried in a shallow grave in the hills. They watched from the porch as Laura escorted Nina up to the home. She was an attractive woman, dark-skinned. “Where is he?”
Martha raised a hand to those who stepped forward, still angry at what they believed was a beatdown from Nina’s family. “Better question. Why are you here?”
“To see Jessie.”
“Why?” Martha asked.
“Who cares? Get off our land,” Dylan said.
“You need to hear this,” Laura said. She didn’t need to encourage Nina to go on, what came out next shocked them all.
“He’s the father of my child or…” she dipped her head. “Or was.”
It was a strange and shocking statement. No one moved an inch. No one said anything. A few heads turned his way. He could only imagine what they were thinking. Skye. A repeat of history. Colby made his way down off the porch.
“Was?” he asked, probing for more clarity.
Nina squeezed her eyes shut, the pain becoming her expression. “Please. I’ll explain but I just need to see Jessie.”
“He’s inside,” Martha said.
“Give the woman some room,” Colby said, stepping forward to part the wall of Rikers that was blocking her way. As she went to pass them, Miriam grabbed hold of Nina’s arm.
“You have some nerve coming here.”
“Get off her, Miriam,” Colby said.
She hesitated, scowling at Colby, then released her grip. He led Nina into the house and into his room at the front. When she made it to the doorway she stopped and looked on in shock. “Jessie…”
It was as if she didn’t know.
As if this was new.
Slowly she made her way across the room, the daylight filtering in through the drapes offering her a clear view of his battered face. “No. Why would they do this?”
“Who did this?” Colby asked. His mother was nearby, almost breathing down his neck. A few of his family members lingered in the hallway.
“The militia.”
“The militia?” Martha said, stepping into the room. “You want us to believe the militia did this? Why? Huh?”
She shrugged, not taking her eyes off Jessie, then closed her eyes and shook her head. A groan escaped her lips. “Seth.”
“Seth? He was responsible?” Colby asked.
“Yes. No. I mean sort of. He led them to us but it was the militia that dragged him out.”
Martha had heard enough, she grabbed Nina and spun her around. “A child? Militia? What are you talking about? You better start making sense and fast.”
She took a seat on the edge of the bed, then gripped her stomach as if she was in pain. “I was carrying Jessie’s child and...”
“Impossible. Why would he get involved with you?”
“Mother. Let her speak.” She folded her arms, defiant, annoyance spreading. She stepped over to the window and looked out while Colby drew closer.
“The militia showed up. They said that Jessie wasn’t supposed to be carrying weapons in Eureka. They said he knew about an arsenal of weapons and gold. When they threatened to harm me he told them that he would take them to it.”
“Oh God,” Martha said, turning.
Colby was confused. “Mother? You know about this?”
She nodded. “Before Alby went in, he told me about the cache of weapons and gold bars. I removed it.” She brought a hand up to her face. The reality of it dawned on them all. It was beginning to make sense. Jessie would have taken the militia to Alby’s only to find it not there. They would have thought he was lying or withholding and… Colby’s eyes drifted to his brother. To his swollen and battered face.
“How did they know?” Martha said.
“Well, it’s obvious, you were seen.”
“No. There was no one around.”
“Obviously, there was,” Colby said. He exhaled hard, looking at Nina again. “You said you were pregnant with Jessie’s child?”
She nodded, looking as if she could barely get the words out. “Until Seth told Hank and my father.” Her lip quivered. “They brought in a doctor to abort the baby.”
“What?” his mother said. Nina placed a hand over her belly, clearly still in pain from whatever had been done. “You agreed?”
“Why would I agree? They held me down. I had no choice,” she spat before her eyes welled and tears streaked her cheeks. “I hate them. I hate all of them.”
Martha looked at Colby as if she wanted to say something but she didn’t. Instead, she walked out of the room.
“Can I stay a while?” Nina asked. “At least until he wakes.”
Colby nodded. “Take all the time you need.”
He walked out and could hear his mother talking with the others outside. Colby made his way out in tim
e to see them heading in different directions, each one assigned some task. “Colby, take Dylan and Zeke to collect the rifles.”
“Where are they?”
“I stashed them at your cousin’s in Redway.”
“Heath?”
She nodded, distracted, bellowing more orders to the others.
“Why would you put them with him? That guy is crazy.”
Martha jabbed a finger. “Watch your mouth. He’s your cousin. He’s still family.”
That didn’t matter to him.
He watched her head back into the house. Colby followed. Alicia and Kane sat on the porch, just observing the whirlwind of activity. He glanced at them and lifted a finger to indicate to give him a minute. He felt bad. Like he should be entertaining her or keeping her away from all of this, but she was getting dragged into the drama as much as he was.
“Why do you need them now?”
“Isn’t it obvious? To protect this homestead from an imminent attack, and, well because if they’re looking for it, there’s no safer place than here.”
“Then why didn’t you just bring it here in the first place?”
“Because…”
“Because?”
She ignored him and asked him to grab some more water and cloth so she could tend to Jessie. He collected what was needed but he wasn’t letting her off the hook that easily. Although he hadn’t been around in ten years, he remembered that look — the way she would distract them to avoid answering a question.
Colby returned.
“So?”
“So what?”
“Why didn’t you store them here?” Colby asked.
“Does it matter?”
She wouldn’t look him in the eyes. “What are you not telling me?”
“Colby, would you just go and do what I’ve asked. I have enough stress to deal with right now,” she said, glancing over at Nina, who was on the other side of the bed. Colby’s gaze bounced between them.
“You going to be okay here?” he asked.
“Of course I will,” his mother snapped.
“I was asking Nina.”
The look on his mother’s face was priceless. Nina managed to summon a smile of appreciation for him asking. She gave a nod. “I’ll be fine. Thanks, Colby.”
Benjamin assessed the unfolding situation.
Being present when Johnson delivered the news was every bit as much about assessing the potential threat level as it was about speaking to Derek. “Now again, this only applies if you decide to move into Eureka or if you plan on entering the city limits.”
Hank Strickland sat on a rocking chair, like a king on a throne.
In his peripheral vision, Benjamin could see a large number of armed individuals, male, female, they all looked comfortable holding weapons, capable even.
“Who made this new rule? Dan or you?” His eyes diverted to Benjamin.
“It was mutually agreed upon,” he said.
“And the council. Did they have a say in the matter?”
“That’s between them and us. We’re just the messenger,” Benjamin replied.
“Are you?”
Johnson was quick to ensure that things didn’t get heated. He stepped forward. “Now Hank. We’re not here to argue. Everyone is hearing the same message. What is being done is not to control the people but to protect them.”
“Is that right?”
If this guy and his family were supposed to be intimidating, they weren’t doing a very good job. His eyes scanned for Derek. He couldn’t see him. “Well, we’ll be going now.”
“Actually before we go, is Derek here?” Benjamin asked.
“Why?”
“I have a question for him after getting his assistance today.”
Hank turned his head. “Derek.”
Off to his left, Derek appeared, making his way through ten other guys. “Yeah?”
“A word in private.” Benjamin went to walk away and Hank chimed in.
“Oh no, whatever you need to ask you say it in front of us. We have no secrets.”
“I appreciate that. But…”
“But nothing. Ask, or leave. Those are your options.” Hank emphasized the word options, especially after they had been given theirs concerning moving into the city, or going to a FEMA camp, or surviving on their own.
Benjamin nodded, scanning faces. “All right. There was no arsenal of weapons or gold. Were you lying?”
Derek frowned. “No.”
“Weapons? Gold?” Hank asked, looking at his son.
“Keith Harrison told me,” he said. “Said he was paid to give Martha Riker a hand with a stockpile. He said she had a lot of guns.”
“Where were they taken?”
“I don’t know. You’d have to ask him but I doubt he’ll tell you. He said she only wanted it loaded into a truck.”
It struck him as odd that she wouldn’t have gotten her family to help.
“And where can I find this Harrison fellow?”
“I know his address,” Johnson said quietly to Benjamin.
“Was that it?” Hank asked. Benjamin stared at Derek. He’d contemplated taking him in but now he’d mentioned a third person, how could he charge him with a false report until they verified it with Harrison? “You know, if you’re wrong, you could be charged with making a false report of a crime.”
“I didn’t know it was a crime to own guns in California,” Hank said.
“It isn’t,” Johnson replied before turning to Benjamin and saying in a low voice, “What are you doing?”
He ignored Johnson and continued. “It will be if they are found to have made their way inside the boundaries of Eureka.”
Hank stood up. “Really? Well, I guess you better go find out.”
It was a threatening posture. Johnson was quick to smooth out the building tension, taking hold of Benjamin’s arm. “Hank. Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, you know where we are.” He kept a tight grip on Benjamin’s arm and strong-armed him back to the gate.
All the while he could hear the Stricklands chuckling behind them.
“You be sure to visit us again, Captain Evans.”
More laughter ensued.
“What the hell was that all about?” Johnson asked in a disapproving tone.
“I got what I needed.”
“Yeah, well next time you plan to do something like that, give me a heads-up. You have no idea what these people are capable of.”
Benjamin pulled his arm away. “Am I supposed to be scared?”
“You should be.”
Chapter Seventeen
Where his family grew product, Colby’s cousin was the mad scientist behind every successful grow. Heath had chosen to focus on developing technology and equipment for growing, harvesting, extraction, and packaging. It was for large-scale commercial and small businesses looking to dip their feet into the world of cannabis. With so many flocking to the Emerald Triangle and trying to earn money growing, trimming, or selling weed, few had considered how profitable equipment sales could be. Some had tried to dabble in the market but Heath knew it like the back of his hand. He’d built every single one of the contraptions they used.
That’s what set him apart.
It could take months to get other companies to ship large products to Humboldt. Heath knew that. Hell, everyone did. That’s why he’d made a killing selling to those who preferred convenience and speed over low cost. And that was about everyone here. No one had patience. They wanted to roll in the green as soon as possible. The Stricklands were no different.
It was even said that they had bought from him, of course through someone else as there was no damn way Heath would sell to them. When he found out they were using his equipment, he was livid. But by then there was little he could do.
Heath’s business, Buds Gear, was located in the west end of town. The one-story ramshackle building was set back from the road, surrounded by trees and tall grass. It was more of a dangerous laboratory than
a showroom. His home was beside it. A two-story cabin that looked oddly out of place among the various homes nestled in the redwoods. He said he liked to stay close. It was easier to keep watch over the shop. Not that anyone would be able to steal much, as most of the equipment was too large for a smash and grab, and there were rumors that he’d booby-trapped the entire property.
This was verified when two locals figured they were up to the challenge of breaking and entering. They hit the place at night when he was out of town. They were found a day later, alive and well, at the bottom of a 20-foot-deep pit. Heath let them go, knowing humiliation was punishment enough. Of course, they didn’t want to press charges.
That was only one of the many tales about Heath.
Now, standing outside his workshop, Colby blew his cheeks out at the thought of what they’d find inside. They could never tell what mood Heath would be in. Some days he was your typical stoner, all peace and love, the next, paranoid that the cops were on to him or the CIA were trying to steal his patented ideas straight out of his brain.
From outside they heard the dull drone of classical music.
“Sounds like he’s in the moment. Perhaps you two should go in,” Colby said.
“Oh, hell no!” Dylan replied. “You were sent to help as well.”
“You two crack me up. Heath’s fine,” Zeke said, dismounting from an ATV with a trailer attached to the back.
“Yeah, if you have riot gear on hand,” Dylan retorted.
Before getting off his horse, Colby said over his shoulder to Alicia, “Forgive my bizarre family in advance. I can’t be held responsible for what you’re about to see.”
“That bad?”
“Oh, trust me. This guy makes Cheech and Chong look like the Dalai Lama.”
She chuckled as he gave her a hand down. Colby whistled to Kane and he came over from sniffing near the doorway. “Well at least we can all breathe a sigh of relief. There are no bombs inside,” Colby said, sliding off the horse.
Alicia frowned. “Bombs?”
“Yeah. Let’s just say that Heath thinks he’s a visionary. When he’s not building products that can be used to help grow product, he’s concocting all manner of experiments inside. He’s a modern-day Nikola Tesla. An eccentric fool that is liable to kill himself before he kills anyone else.” He motioned to his brother Zeke. “Okay, you first.”