by E A Lake
I grabbed the shovels while Violet and Libby played a quick game of tag. Standing in the spayed dirt, I watched Violet grab her shovel and start to turn in the far corner. Libby mimicked her with a stick.
“Can I ask you a question?” I asked, thinking she might turn when I spoke, but she didn’t. “Violet, can I ask you a question?”
She spun and scowled at me. “No, I won’t miss her, or either of them,” she spewed. “My mother told me she hated me when she found out I was pregnant. She turned Nate against me too. If Daisy hadn’t shown up, I don’t know how I’d still be alive.” She went back to her shoveling. “So quit being so damn nosey and sentimental and dig. I don’t want to be out here all day.”
Chuckling to myself, I put my back into the work. So much for Daisy and her wild theories.
Day 1,012
The two-day rain finally abated with a warm, late spring morning. It was a good thing the skies turned off the spigot. Lettie was all over me about planting, something I knew absolutely nothing about.
We spent the morning and well into the afternoon in the garden, “we” being Violet, Daisy and I. The other “we’s”, Lettie and Libby, sat on an old lawn chair in the shade some 20 yards away. The old woman went between helping Libby with her spelling and barking orders at her manual labor crew.
My lack of experience tripled when it came to my crew. Daisy knew less than I did about gardens, Violet a little more than that. If you can count picking beans and other vegetables for two years at Lettie’s, we all had some experience. I wanted to appoint Violet as foreperson, but Daisy warned me her mood was no better than it had been for the past few days sans mother.
“I think the baby’s crying again,” Libby reported, strolling towards the cabin door. “I’ll get her and bring her out.”
“No,” instantly shot from my lips. No way could a five-year-old handle a squirming infant in my mind.
“Just be careful, sweetie,” Daisy called out, looking up at me with her hands placed solidly on her hips. “She can do it just fine.”
I raised my hands in mock surrender with a smile. “Hey, if it’s okay with Violet, it’s fine with me. All I was saying—”
“You know,” Violet snarled, removing her gloves and tossing them in the sandy dirt, “you’re about the only one who doesn’t pick the baby up, Bob.” Her glare intensified as she drew nearer. “You got something against babies?”
Three sets of eyes zeroed in on me. For a moment, I felt like a condemned person.
“It’s just with all you women here—”
Violet stepped closer. “Oh, so babies are women’s work only?”
Lettie was laughing, Daisy grinning. Thanks for the help ladies, I thought bitterly.
“It’s not my child, Violet,” I answered, going back to planting golden sweet corn seeds.
Now she stood above me, her shadow covering my sun. “You’re really an asshole, you know that, Bob?”
I looked up at her. “I got things I gotta do, little girl. Adult things. You take care of your child and I’ll take care of the more dangerous stuff.”
I noticed Daisy next to her, stroking her arm.
“Are you going to try and come back in one piece this time?” Violet vented. “Or are you going to do something stupid and get killed?”
“Vi, that’s enough,” Daisy said in a soft but firm tone. “Leave it be.”
She turned on her friend hastily. “You’ve never had to fix him up,” Violet ranted. “You’ve never seen the blood pouring out of his body. You’ve never been so scared in all your life that someone was gonna die right in front of you.”
She glared down at me again, tears welling in her eyes. “You don’t need to do this, Bob,” Violet added. “You can wait for them. Kill them when they show up here. You don’t need to avenge Dizzy — not if it means getting yourself killed. He wouldn’t want it that way!”
I rose, towering over the pair. Both wept openly. “I can’t risk them coming and hurting any of you. Not here. I couldn’t live with myself.”
Violet lashed at my chest with her bare hands. “If you don’t live, I don’t want to live,” she cried. Turning, she noticed Libby approaching with Hope in her arms. “It’s not fair to her; it’s not fair to me, to Daisy, to Libby, or even to Lettie. We need you alive.”
She took one last swing and I grabbed her arm. “Well, you’d all better pray I get the job done then. Because I’m not backing down from it, not this time. It ends when Wilson comes back.”
She pushed away. “You make me so mad, Bob Reiniger!” she shrieked. “So damn mad!”
I watched as Violet turned Libby back towards the house. Daisy chased after them as Lettie laughed at the circus from her chair.
“Guess it’s just you and me, young man.” I heard Lettie rise from the chair. “Come on, I’ll help.”
I watched the quartet disappear into the cabin. “What was all that about?” I asked, opening a new bag of seeds.
“Just people who care, that’s all,” she answered. “We know you got to take care of it. Just don’t expect any of us to send you off to war with our blessings.”
“Tough shit,” I whispered. I was going, and if I had to die trying to exact revenge, then so be it. They’d all be fine without me.
Day 1,014
I crept through the woods, stopping and kneeling often. Stealthily, I checked my target. Damn it, her hand was up again.
“I heard you again,” Libby called out, turning the page of the book on her lap. “You aren’t very good at this.” Dressed down by a child. That hurt.
My shoulders slumped as I let out a long sigh. “I’m going back a couple more yards to start again,” I replied from the edge of the woods. She nodded while I turned and started back.
“Try being quieter,” she yelled. “Like a mouse, not a moose.” I heard her laugh to herself as I tromped deeper into the budding foliage. Another few weeks and everything would be in near summer splendor.
I didn’t have two weeks. In my mind, I didn’t want to wait another two days for the goods to be delivered. I was anxious to get at the deed while my heart was still in it.
“I’ll show her a mouse,” I muttered, dodging bare tree branches.
Stopping, I turned back towards the cabin. “Call out the minute you hear me this time, Libby. Don’t just raise your hand...yell it out. Okay?”
“Okay,” she sassed back. Good, I’d show her this time.
The entire purpose of this exercise was to get me close to my targets without the chance of them hearing me. I’d assumed the damp spring brush and carpet of leaves would hide my movements. Lettie suggested a trial run, using someone with good ears and not someone who doted on a screaming baby all of the time.
Libby won, whether she liked it or not. Since she was happy and not complaining, I was learning a lot.
I changed my game plan and sneaked forward in a new direction, more at the back end of the cabin than my previous attempts. The little turd would be listening for me coming straight at her. Now we’d find out if I could sneak like a mouse.
One step, two steps, three steps. I paused. So far so good, I thought. No word from my target…yet. Another two steps and a small piece of brush cracked under my left foot. Damn it, I scolded myself. She had to have heard that.
Kneeling again, I waited for her to call me out. Nothing. Good. I was getting better with each trail run. Finally on this fifth try, I was making progress.
Another dozen carefully placed steps and I spied the back end of the cottage. It was yards away, and still no word from Libby of being discovered. I was ready, I just needed to crawl out of the woods and slither around the far end of the place. This time, I’d scare the living crap out of her.
Safely out of the woods, I dashed to the north side of the structure. Still, nothing from my spotter. I rested against the cool logs, deeply breathing in their musty odor. Maybe I should treat the wood, I wondered, but the thought passed quickly as I refocused on the task at hand.
Standing on my tiptoes, I inched my way to the front, hugging the logs. I paused and could hear Daisy speaking, but not Libby. Maybe her mother had distracted her. That was okay, I figured. There would be distractions with the Barster gang.
Peeking around the corner, I spied Daisy. She was wringing her small hands together and pleading with someone, perhaps Lettie or Violet?
“You don’t need to do this,” she said, her voice soft but nervous. “We can give you what you want.”
That didn’t make any sense. She must be talking to Violet. What was that damn un-agreeable teen up to now?
I gave myself up and rounded the corner. It was only then that I saw them all.
Daisy, Libby and a strange man wielding a knife, the sharp tip held against Libby’s throat.
Playtime was over.
Day 1,014 - continued
Slowly I raised my hands above my head, palms open towards the scene and the man with the knife.
“Let’s take it easy here, friend,” I managed calmly, inching toward a shaking Daisy. “No one needs to get hurt. Just tell us what you want and we’ll take care of it.”
His threatening dirty grin shook me to the core. “Yeah, play nice and no one will get hurt,” he replied in a gravelly tone, “especially this sweet little girl here.”
He stayed behind her, the knife held firmly to Libby’s throat. “Have someone fetch me a big old plate of food,” he continued, licking his lips. “And fill me up a bag of goodies for when I leave.”
He waved the knife at Daisy and me. “Why don’t you turn around nice and slow like, buddy. Let me see if you got a weapon on you.”
I did as requested, knowing my 45 was exposed on my belt behind me.
“Give that gun to that pretty little mother there,” he continued. “And have her hand it to me.”
We did as ordered. Daisy’s hands shook as she gave the gun to the intruder.
“Please don’t hurt my daughter,” she begged. “Please.”
His grin broadened as he studied Daisy. “I ain’t gonna hurt her. Not if I get what I want, sweetie pie.”
Daisy moved back beside me, wrapping her arms around my waist.
I felt Daisy trembling. Nodding my understanding, I moved slowly for the front door. When I turned to open it, Violet stood on the other side with the plate of requested food. She stared at me stone-faced.
“I’ll give it to him,” I whispered.
Violet stared past me and flinched. “I’ll take care of it,” she replied, pushing her way outside.
When I turned, I noticed the man putting something around Libby’s quivering throat. She wasn’t weeping yet, but her cheeks were streaked with tears.
“This little necklace is going to keep us all honest,” the stranger continued, snapping it shut behind her head. “If you give me what I want, I’ll release it from her, down the road a little bit. If you try anything funny…well, you won’t be able to take it off without killing her.”
I studied the maniacal device. Two dark strands of thin wire ran parallel around Libby’s neck. Every two inches or so, two thicker pieces of wire stuck up. It looked like something modified from a small-game trap. The wires that stuck up from the device made my stomach flip nervously.
“If you try to take this off,” the man continued, rising from behind Libby, “it’s gonna spring these wires. And they’re going to shoot into this little sweetie’s neck. And then you’re gonna have a bloody mess on your hands.”
Daisy wept beside me; Violet shook uncontrollably next to her. Lettie must have still been inside, watching Hope. We had a problem, and as far as I could tell, the only solution was to give this drifter what he wanted. No matter how badly it set us back.
He nodded at Violet and the plate of food. “I think I’ll eat now.” He motioned at Daisy and me with his free hand, the other still holding the knife close to Libby. “You two go fill me a big ol’ bag with more food. This young woman can keep me company while I eat.”
I started to reply, but Violet shot me a look. “Do what he wants,” she said calmly. “Let’s get this over with.”
I watched as she led Libby to the bench and sat her down. Studying the necklace, Violet spoke softly to the young child in a comforting tone, “Now, you just stay here and we’ll have that off of you in no time. Don’t play with it.”
“Come here, young lady,” the man called out, holding up a spoonful of stew. “You take the first bite so I know this ain’t poisoned.”
Violet did as asked, wiping some of the slop from her chin when he tried to feed her too large a spoonful. I noticed his eyes wandering about on her body. For a moment, I considered charging him and pummeling him into the dirt. But the necklace warned me not to.
His dirty hands slid over Violet’s hips; I saw her blanch. Recovering quickly, she pointed away from the cabin. “Not here,” she said aloud as I followed Daisy inside. “We need to do this away from the girl, okay?”
Again, I wanted to charge him but something told me Violet was just doing what she had to, all to protect Libby.
The two stopped near the road. I stared through the front window, watching as Violet laughed and turned away slightly. When he reached for her breasts, she playfully slapped away his approach. More giggling followed and I became stupefied.
“What the hell is she doing?” I asked. Behind me, I could hear Daisy digging through the cupboards.
“She knows what she needs to do,” Daisy replied. “She’ll keep him at bay.”
Again, he pulled Violet in close, attempting to kiss her neck. She resisted, but not enough for my liking. His hand rose on her back, pulling her near, causing my stomach to twist. When that same hand slid down to her rear and patted it, then squeezed, I lost my patience.
“Give me that damn bag,” I shouted, turning to face Daisy. “I gotta get out there before this gets any worse. She doesn’t need to go this far.”
I grabbed the bag from Daisy’s outstretched hand, only for her to drop it before I could get a good hold.
Her sharp inhale and hands shooting to her mouth caused me to spin.
That’s when I saw the attack.
Day 1,014 - continued
I hadn’t seen the initial plunge, the one that caught Daisy off guard. However, I did witness the next two. And they were as brutal as anything I’d ever done myself.
The plate was in mid-air when I turned around, the man’s hands now off Violet’s body, clutching at his midsection.
Her arm twisted behind again, and I saw the glint of sun gleam off of the steel blade. A second time, or perhaps already a third, Violet thrust the blade into a free spot that wasn’t guarded by his hands. The drifter fell forward to his knees, his hands searching for the weapon. But it was in vain; the damage was done.
With another blow, Violet plunged the blade just below his left shoulder as I sprinted from the cabin towards the melee. Pulling it out, she leaned in for one last cut - the kill shot to his throat.
By the time I got to her, she was kicking the nearly dead form, screaming obscenities.
“It’s over,” I shouted, wrapping my arms around the seething teen. Still she pushed at him. “Violet, he’s dead. It’s done.”
She loosened in my arms, dropping the large pocket knife to the dirt. Leaning past me, she spit at him. “Piece of rotten, no good, slimy shit,” she spewed.
I held her for a few moments more, making sure he was dead. The gurgling from the bloody froth coming from his neck ceased, as the last semblances of life did as well. Only then did Violet nod and look up at me.
“We need to drag him across the road so your wild pets can have him for dinner,” she said, her words scarily calm for someone who’d just killed a guy.
She glanced back at the cabin, frowning for a moment. “I hope Libby wasn’t looking when I stabbed him,” she added, pushing away from my embrace. “Ah, whatever. She needs to learn how to survive.”
She grabbed one of the drifter’s lifeless arms and stared
up at me. “Are you gonna help me? Or are you going to make me do this all by myself? I’m just a girl, ya know.”
I felt my head moving from side to side. Though she had solved one problem, a bigger one still loomed.
“What are we going to do with that device around Libby’s throat?” I asked, grabbing the loose arm. “You didn’t think this through, Violet. We got a real problem.”
Dragging the corpse over the road, she laughed at me. “Oh ye of little faith,” she responded. “That’s not a problem,” she shrugged, “not much of one.”
Given the sobbing I could hear from inside the cabin, Violet was sadly mistaken. We had a huge problem, and the only one who could solve it was dead at our feet.
Back inside the cabin, I crouched next to Libby. While she was attempting to be brave, her tears suggested otherwise.
I inspected the device, not liking what I found. It was already tight, far too tight to flip over and render harmless. Furthermore, I could see the tension in the springs, ready to snap at the first wrong move.
“You have to get that off of her,” Daisy whined into my ear. “Please, Bob. Get it off.”
I turned and smiled at the terrified mother. “I’m working on it. Just need to figure it out. Don’t want it going off and hurting Libby.”
Lettie leaned in, studying the device. “Those prongs look like they’re off a squirrel or opossum trap of some kind,” she said. “If they can kill a varmint…”
Yeah, thanks, Lettie. No sense in sugarcoating an already dire situation, I thought. Beside me, Daisy’s crying intensified.
“Maybe we can put pieces of wood under each jaw, and work on it that way,” I suggested. No one dared offer their opinion, so I thought aloud. “Or maybe we can bend them back. That way when they go off they won’t dig into her skin…too badly.”
“And what happens when they snap while you’re playing with them?” Daisy asked in an appropriately tense tone.