Brushfire Plague: Reckoning

by R. P. Ruggiero

  Cooper bounded up from the basement. His face told Dranko the search had been fruitless.

  “Freddie’s here!” Calvin called from outside.

  Cooper brushed past Dranko as he raced to exit the cabin. Angela was kneeling next to Buck, tending to his wounds. Calvin was pointing to the tree line just past the garden area.

  Freddie was ambling towards them, slow on his feet. The three men sprinted toward him.

  “What happened?” Cooper shouted as soon as he was within earshot.

  Freddie looked up, seeming surprised. He collapsed where he stood. There was no sign of any wounds, but he fell into an awkward seat on the ground. His hands clasped to his face, hiding it.

  Cooper knelt beside him and shook him, “What happened?”

  “They came. Too many…happened…so fast,” he stammered.

  “In cars or on foot?” Dranko asked.

  “On foot. From the woods. All sides. Two pickups…right after.”

  “They took Jake?”

  “Huh…Jake…I don’t know,” he said, lowering his hands and looking up at them. His face was dirty, tear-stained.

  Cooper grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him, “What do you mean you don’t know?”

  Fear and shame clouded his eyes, “I…I…ran.”

  Cooper’s eyes blazed and threw him backward, jumping on him, “You ran! You let them take my boy!”

  His right hand reared back to smack Freddie in the face, but a steely grip caught it. Cooper glared over his shoulder to find Dranko constraining him. Dranko used the leverage to throw Cooper off of Freddie.

  “C’mon Cooper. Knock it off!” Dranko yelled at his friend. The two men stood facing other, both falling into natural fighting stances.

  They began circling each other before Cooper lunged forward, trying to get past Dranko and get his hands once more on Freddie. Dranko caught him and stood him up. Then, Calvin jumped into the fray and they wrestled Cooper to the ground, each pinioning an arm to the ground.

  Cooper struggled mightily before exhausting himself and then collapsing.

  “OK, I get it. Let me up!”

  Calvin and Dranko eased up cautiously. Cooper sat up, with Freddie across from him.

  “I’m sorry, Cooper. I panicked when I saw how many there were.”

  Cooper glared at him.

  “I didn’t know they were coming for Jake. I just thought they were coming to kill everyone,” Freddie continued pleading.

  Cooper dropped his gaze to the ground and waved an open palm towards him, “Fine. I get it.” His shoulders dropped and he took a deep breath.

  He sat there for several moments, letting the situation absorb him. When he got up to stand, he rose slowly and heavily. Calvin reached in and offered him a hand up. Cooper took it gratefully.

  “Sorry, Freddie.”

  He climbed onto his own feet, “No worries. Me, too. Do we know who took Jake?”

  “Hodges’ men,” Dranko informed him.

  “What are we going to do now, boss?” Dranko asked, turning to Cooper.

  “First, I’m going to talk to him to get Jake back.” Cooper trailed off.

  “And, then?”

  “Then, I’m going to kill him.” The deadly mirth in his voice made the other men shiver.

  **********

  Cooper and the others staggered back to the cabin, rifles sloppily slung over their shoulders. Freddie’s banged up and down as he dragged it along the ground. Cooper didn’t have it in him to chastise him. He was back in a daze, overwhelmed by all that had happened so suddenly. When he reached the porch, he clung to one of the poles and stared blankly ahead.

  Suddenly, his eyes flashed, “Where’s Julianne?”

  Dumbly, heads jerked to survey their immediate surroundings. Bewildered, they then looked at Cooper blankly.

  “You see her?” He snapped at Freddie.

  “No,” Freddie said, eyes downcast.

  “Where is she?” Calvin asked.

  “Where haven’t we searched?” Cooper asked and then answered his own question, “The Airstream.”

  Calvin and Freddie were in motion before he was. Freddie’s younger legs carried him and he dashed into the Airstream trailer at least ten yards in front of the others. By the time Cooper pulled the door open again, Freddie was already on his way out.

  “Nothing,” he lamented.

  Cooper’s hand cradled his jaw as he thought, “Where could she be?”

  “Who?” Angela asked, walking up, while supporting Buck with her arm hooked around him.

  Cooper turned to face her, “Julianne’s missing, too.”

  “And?” Angela replied coldly.

  “Enough,” Cooper flatly replied, cutting her off with his fierce eyes as much as his tone. “She’s the ticket to getting to the final truth about the Brushfire Plague.”

  Angela rolled her eyes, “Whatever you want to tell yourself, Cooper.”

  They conversed as the group slowly migrated back to the cabin. Dranko took over supporting Buck’s gingerly steps from Angela. She retreated to the shed to clean up the supplies left lying about when she had tended to Buck. Dranko helped him sit on one of the crude benches that fronted the cabin. Buck fished a cigarette out from his shirt packet and lit it. Cooper noted his still shaky hands.

  “Why would they take Julianne, but tie Buck up and leave him?” Cooper mused.

  Buck blew out a blast of smoke, “That’s easy. She’s a damn sight better looking than me!” The others laughed for a moment.

  “Timothy’s dead. They let Freddie retreat. They knock Buck upside the head. They take Julianne and Jake. Doesn’t add up,” Cooper continued.

  “Could just be the simple fact that no plan survives the point of contact with the enemy,” Dranko answered.

  “Ah, what’s that mean?” Freddie asked.

  Cooper looked annoyed, “It just means that maybe this wasn’t their plan. Maybe it just happened.”

  “That makes sense to me. They probably only came for Jake and then Julianne got rounded up with them, somehow.”

  Cooper looked unsure, “We’ll figure it out.”

  “I’m gonna miss these when they run out,” Buck said, having ignored their conversation. He was holding out the cigarette, blowing a stream of smoke, and gazing at it all longingly.

  “I picked up the habit in the Corps, but quit cold turkey the day I got serious about being prepared,” Dranko responded.

  “Why’s that?” Calvin asked him.

  “You can’t really be prepared and be addicted to anything.”

  “Because it would run out?”

  “Exactly. I used to laugh my ass off at others who were getting ready for the end of the world, but would be puffing away on a Marlboro while loading up their bulk food,” Dranko extolled as he laughed.

  Cooper, Freddie, and Calvin smiled politely. Dranko saw the others’ muted reactions and waved his hand to dismiss them. He turned and headed back into the cabin without another word.

  Moments later, he returned from the cabin with a white piece of paper in hand. Seeing that stirred Cooper.

  “Ransom note?”

  “Looks like it. It just gives you a radio channel to contact them.”

  Cooper snatched it from his hands. He scanned it, confirming the contents.

  “You going to call them?” Calvin asked.

  “In a minute. I need to think about it for a minute,” he said, before moving off toward the garden area to give himself time to think.

  **********

  He clutched the paper that held the radio channel in his hands. It felt rough against his fingertips when he rubbed them together. He studied the handwriting, wondering if it was Hodges’ or not. He studied it for a moment to see if he could divine the personality of the writer. You’re stalling, his inner voice warned him.

  Cooper shook his head and then looked up, “Alright, where are you now?” He beckoned the Heavens for advice from his dead father, closed his eyes, and breat
hed deeply to clear his mind. He heard the murmur of voices from back at the cabin. The wind rustled the leaves of the trees that lined the property. An insect buzzed by his left ear. He inhaled the sweet smell of the pine trees clustered off to his right. His mind drifted.

  **********

  The young boy eased the black leather shoes off of his Father’s feet. For the seven year old, it took straining his muscles to get it done. Once the shoes were off, Cooper made a big display of fanning his hand across his face, “Peee-Yoooo. They stink!”

  His father rolled with laughter, despite having seen this ritual many times. His father’s laugh infected him and Cooper fell into wild, gleeful, laughter. As it subsided, they both sat in the glow found in the shared moment that had become their routine. Cooper splayed his legs out on the floor and unzipped the shoeshine kit. As he always did, he brought the kit to his nose and inhaled. He loved the smell of the polish, cleaning cloths, and the horsehair brush. He was especially proud of the brush: a gift he had bought for his father.

  Looking up, “What were you doing today, Papa?”

  His father arched his back, groaning, “Negotiations.”

  “Nego-what?”

  Cooper began to apply polish to one of his father’s shoes, setting to work diligently working it into the leather. His father smiled down at him.

  “Negotiations.”

  “What’s that?”

  His father cocked an eyebrow, “Tough to explain. Let’s see. It’s when two sides come together and try to compromise.”

  Cooper stopped his work, “Huh?”

  His father laughed heartily again, “Sorry. It’s like when you try to figure out who gets to watch their TV show with your brother.”

  Satisfied with that explanation, Cooper set back to polishing, “Arrgghh! So, it’s no fun!”

  “Yes, sir. It’s not very much fun.”

  “Are you good at it?” The child’s words held the tone of assurance that every seven year old has that his father is a god, omnipotent.

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  “What makes you good?”

  “It’s simple, really. Know what your side wants. Know what the other side wants. Try to work it out.”

  “What if you both HAVE to watch a show at the same time?” Cooper squealed.

  His father chuckled, “Then it gets hard. Do you want to know what my secret is?” He had a devilish look on his face as he leaned down to whisper in his son’s ear. Cooper’s face exploded into a smile and a furious nod.

  His father made a display of looking to his left and his right, as if to ensure no enemy agents were lurking nearby.

  “I act a little crazy. Out of control. The other guys always hate unpredictable things!” His father cackled at delight of a joke his son had no way of understanding at that time. Confused, Cooper settled into shining his father’s shoes and the rest of the talk was easy banter.

  A week later, when Cooper smashed a lamp against his brother’s head during a heated exchange over a TV show, his father fought to restrain his laughter when his wife told him what Cooper had said, “I was just acting crazy in my negosheeayshuns!”

  As Cooper’s attention came back to the present, he was chuckling to himself.

  **********

  He strode confidently back to the cabin, knowing what he had to do now. Raise Hodges on the radio. Plead for this son’s life. Act more unhinged than he was. Present himself unpredictability to throw Hodges off his game. He was mentally rehearsing what he would say when the throb of an engine whirring up the drive disturbed him.

  His pistol was drawn before he even realized he was doing it. The others spilled from the cabin and took up defensive positions, rifles at the ready. The light was fading from the sky. Better cover for us, who knows the terrain here. He welcomed the sight of Dranko sprinting across the open space to take up a position opposite the cabin’s entrance, near the Airstream trailer. Cooper ran to his left and took cover behind a water barrel about fifteen yards to the left of the cabin’s doorway. His muscles tensed and he forced himself to take a deep breath to try and relax.

  A beat up Corolla came churning around the last bend in Dranko’s driveway. The driver brought it to an abrupt stop in front of the cabin, gravel spitting from the front tires.

  Cooper drew a bead on the driver side door. The door swung open and a woman emerged. It took Cooper a second to recognize her. Bethany. He exhaled in surprise, “What the…”

  “Cooper,” she yelled, her call so loud it echoed off of the cabin’s walls.

  He stood up, holstered the pistol, and walked forward.

  “Yeah?”

  She pivoted from looking at the cabin’s door and immediately rushed over to him. The others slowly stood up from their hidden positions. She stopped for a moment, surprised.

  “What do you want?” Cooper asked, coming to stand a few feet from her.

  “I know where they have Jake,” she panted excitedly.

  Cooper did a double-take, “What?”

  “I know where they have taken him!”

  The others drifted in to stand around them. Curious looks adorned their faces.

  Cooper’s mind whirred.

  “Where?”

  “It’s an abandoned hunting cabin up in the hills. Just above 224, a few miles outside of town. In the Mount Hood National Forest.” Her words came in a rush.

  Dranko stepped in, “Why are you telling us?”

  She turned to him, confused, “What?”

  Cooper stepped in and grabbed her by the collar, “You’re with Junior, ain’t you?”

  Her head snapped back to face him, “Well…yeah…but…” she stammered.

  “But, what?” Cooper growled.

  She grabbed and wrenched his hands away from her. He didn’t resist her efforts.

  “What’s that got to do with anything?”

  He just stared at her in disbelief.

  Her eyes blazed, “That’s between Miles and me. Yeah, I love the nasty son-of-a-bitch! It’s true. But, I know what I’d do if someone took one of my kids. It ain’t right!” Her tone struck Cooper like someone explaining an obvious thing to a stupid man.

  Cooper stared at her for a long moment. Her eyes burned back at him, unwavering. Finally, he nodded.

  “Alright, can you show us on a map?”

  She nodded, “Sure. I don’t have much time. I don’t want Junior to know I went missing.”

  Cooper caught Dranko’s skeptical look out of the corner of his eye.

  **********

  Fifteen minutes later, they had finished debriefing her. She had indicated where the cabin was on one of Dranko’s maps of the area. She told them that the place was heavily guarded. Eight to twelve of Hodges’ best men had been sent up to guard the place; she couldn’t be sure of the exact number. She knew that there was at least one machinegun in the mix, but likely other automatic weapons. She had clambered back into the Corolla when she was done, wished him luck, and quickly drove away.

  Dranko and Cooper watched her tail lights round the first corner and disappear.

  “You believe her,” Dranko grunted.

  “I do.”

  “Could be a trap,” he retorted, eyebrow raised.

  “I don’t think so. I made my living reading people. I saw truth in her eyes,” Cooper said evenly. “Besides, if Hodges wanted a shootout, he could have just stormed us here.”

  Dranko nodded in agreement. “Alright. Enough said. So, what’s the plan?”

  “Let’s convene the war council,” Cooper raised his voice so the others could hear him and then turned back toward the cabin.

  Timothy’s body had been moved out at some point, but the hasty cleanup effort had left smeared bloodstains across the floor near the entryway. Cooper dipped his head in respect as he carefully stepped over them. I owe you, Timothy.

  Cooper moved to the head of the table as the rest of the group drifted in and stood around the table.

  He cleared his throat, “
Here is what I’m thinking. I want to go and get my boy.”

  His short, obvious statement elicited awkward laughter from around the table.

  “We need more firepower,” Dranko said matter of factly.

  “Yeah, I know. I figure we could probably get Miles and a few others.”

  “That’s not enough,” Dranko responded curtly.

  Cooper looked at him sharply, his voice rising, “You got any solutions or just problems?”

  Dranko didn’t back down, “I won’t apologize for stating the facts.”

  “Go piss out your testosterone in the bucket outside, will you two?” Angela chastised.

  “Where can we get more men?” Cooper asked, thinking.

  “Or women,” Angela added.

  “Michael Huynh.” Calvin said, slowly, resignation clouding his words.

  “Who?” Buck Floy asked.

  “He leads the Vietnamese Protection Society in Portland. He hires out armed men, for the right price, of course,” Cooper answered.

  “He is a gangster,” Calvin said with disdain. “Let us call it what it is. I do not like it one bit, but he is the only resource right now.”

  “Good idea. But, we don’t have time to get back and forth to Portland. We need to make this happen tomorrow morning,” Cooper responded.

  “I know how to reach them over the Ham radio,” Dranko said.

  “What? How?” Cooper asked.

  “I pay attention. I know who talks on what frequencies,” Dranko responded, his voice full of self-satisfaction.

  Cooper took a step backward, “Alright. What can we pay him with?”

  “That’s easy. The weapons we take from Hodges’ men. I can sweeten the pot with some gold,” Dranko continued.

  Cooper looked at his friend with warm, thankful eyes. After a moment, he turned to the rest.

  “This will be beyond dangerous. I can’t ask you to come, but I’d welcome…”

  Calvin looked at him askance, “Really? What are we surviving for if it is not to go and save a boy from this madness?”

  As Cooper surveyed the table, the others nodded agreement with what Calvin had said. Cooper was nearly overwhelmed by their support. He choked out a “Thank you.”