by Hunt, Jack
“You’re not exactly being very neighborly, are you?”
Chase left them behind and changed direction, crossing through a cluster of trees, across another small stream and up a steep slope. He glanced back and grimaced. The men were still following.
“Hey, hold up.”
Chase turned and noticed the tweaker guy had disappeared. He scanned the trees but couldn’t see him. The bearded one was still following and getting closer. It was clear how this was going to end. He dropped the water and pulled his rifle around.
“I told you. I can’t help. Now fuck off!”
“Fuck off?” The guy stopped and shifted from one foot to the next. “Now that’s not nice. We’re out here trying to survive and ask for a little assistance and you act like a jackass.”
Chase kept his rifle pointing at the man, while trying to get a bead on where the other one had gone. He hadn’t seen him pass him but the woodland was dense and it wouldn’t have taken much to disappear.
“Look. All we want is five minutes of your time.”
“And I told you I can’t.”
“Have it your way then.”
There was a rustle off to the left side of him, and he saw a blur of darkness dart out. Before he had a chance to fire a round, the second guy emerged, lunged forward and took him down with a tackle. As he hit the ground, his finger squeezed the trigger and the gun went off. A flock of birds broke from the trees and he heard boots running towards him.
Chase struggled beneath the tweaker’s grasp. Close up he looked even more ugly than he had from a distance. His attacker was trying to jam the rifle down on his neck. It was taking every ounce of strength to hold him at bay. For someone who had zero muscle, the guy certainly had some unusual strength. One glance into his eyes and Chase could tell he was high.
Before he could bounce him off, the bearded fella reached them and latched a hand around Chase’s neck. “Now calm down. No one needs to die.”
“What do you want?” Chase asked.
“Well let’s start by letting that rifle go, shall we?”
“Can’t do that. It’s not mine,” Chase said.
“Kid, is it worth losing your head?” the guy said withdrawing a handgun and pushing it against his temple. Chase didn’t hesitate, he let go of the rifle and tweaker pulled it away, a look of glee on his face as if he’d won some competition. Next they started rooting through his pockets, emptying out several dollars onto the ground.
“What the hell?” Chase asked. “C’mon, man.”
“You got keys to a house, a car?”
“No, I told you I’m not driving and I’m staying with others.”
“On Shock Hill. Those homes are worth something. How about you—”
“Let him go!” a familiar voice bellowed from behind them.
Both men looked up from their crouched position to see Mason and Sam nearby aiming their guns at them. “Asshole. Did you not hear him?” Sam asked, making his way over. He took their guns and had to kick the tweaker away as he obviously wasn’t paying attention or was too high to understand.
The bearded fellow cowered back with his hands raised. “Hey man, it’s cool. We’re just...”
“Trying to rob him. Yeah, we see that,” Mason said. “Now get out of here.”
Sam gestured with a wave of his M4 for them to get going.
“Can we at least get our guns?”
“Are you joking?” Mason said as he pushed towards them in an intimidating manner. They scrambled back and turned and fled melting into the forest within seconds. Sam extended a hand and Chase clamped onto it. He hauled him up and patted him on the shoulder.
“Damn, I am glad to see you guys.”
“Don’t thank me, it was Mason who said we should come looking for you. What was taking you so long?”
“Uh, I don’t know, maybe I got held up by two freaks.”
“You left over two hours ago,” Mason said.
Chase rose and brushed off the earth’s grime. “I got a little lost.”
“How can you get lost?” Mason said. “You only had to stick to the path.”
“I must have got off the path.”
Sam patted him on the back and they retrieved the canisters and made their way back to the house.
“What did they want?” Mason asked as they trudged through the woodland in silence.
“They were looking for keys to a truck or a house.”
“You think it’s wise that we let them go?” Mason asked Sam.
“I’m not in the business of killing people without reason.”
“They were holding a gun up to his head.”
“And?”
Mason continued. “We should have taken them in. Handed them over to the cops.”
Sam pushed through a large thicket of branches. “No doubt they have their hands already full. Besides, what are they going to do? Put everyone in jail? If this continues to go the way I think it will, those cells will be filled in no time and then what?”
They trudged back to the house. Golden leaves blew across the ground like tumbleweed.
“So why don’t you take up Richard’s offer?” Mason asked.
“Are you kidding me?” Sam replied casting him a serious look. “No, that man has only one intention and that is my downfall.”
“Didn’t seem that way. I chatted with Chief Sanchez. He was pretty straight about the situation in Breckenridge. It’s getting worse with each passing day. The nights are the hardest. They’ve already had multiple home invasions, and even a rape.”
“Hold on a second,” Chase said. “The chief of police was here?”
Mason nodded. “This morning.”
“What did he want?”
“To bring on board Sam to help out.”
Chase looked at him. “That’s a good thing, right?”
“In any other town, yes. This one?” Sam shook his head. “It’s just another one of Richard’s mind games.”
“You really dislike the man, don’t you?” Mason said. “What’s the deal between you and him? I know you said he accused you of cheating but you didn’t, right? So why does he keep riding you over it?”
“Because he set me up.”
“What?”
Sam groaned thinking about it again. He’d tried to forget but it was lingering there in the back of his mind like a bad dream. “I really don’t want to go into it. We should just head back and continue getting the house prepared.”
“Prepared for what?” Chase said. “You’re acting like the whole town will go nuts.”
Sam turned and latched onto him. “Chase. You nearly got your ass served to you back there. Had we not shown up, the wildlife would have been chewing on your ass for supper tonight. What happened today was just the beginning. I don’t care what Richard says about this town, he’s deluded. It will fall and when it does I intend to be ready.”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Chase said. “I’m not sure I’m going to stay. The only reason I agreed to come along was because you mentioned you were heading back to California. But it sounds like you’re going to be staying.”
“My main priority is Anna’s safety. If that means I have to stay, I will.”
Chase nodded. “I’m not sure I want to.”
“Chase, you think it’s any better out there?”
“I didn’t say it is but I have family out there. They’ll be wondering where I am.”
Sam nodded as they came out of the tree line and made their way across an open field at the back of the neighborhood. “If you have to leave, I understand.”
“You think that’s wise?” Mason chimed in. “I mean after what happened out there in the woods? You had a gun on you and it didn’t work out well.”
“I…” Chase went to say something but he didn’t know what to say. Mason was right; he’d freeze out there. Fear had got the better of him and a lack of experience of being in that kind of situation didn’t help. The city was full of danger and although he migh
t be able to dodge some of it, this was all new to him. He wasn’t skilled like Sam, and he didn’t have the hunting experience of Mason.
“Don’t worry, Chase. It happens to the best of people. You should have seen some of the guys in boot camp in their first week. Not everyone takes to guns. In time you’ll become more comfortable with it. It’ll soon feel natural like an extension of your own body.”
Mason laughed. “It will if he shoots himself in the foot.”
Chase scowled as they made their way around the house. No sooner had they arrived than Sam groaned. “C’mon man, what’s he want now?”
Richard’s vehicle was out front but there was no one there. They could hear two people arguing inside the house as they approached the door. As soon as they entered Richard turned his way. “There is he. Was it your idea to let her go out by herself?” he bellowed.
Sam put up a finger. “You might want to mind your tone.”
“Mind my tone?”
Anna stepped out of the kitchen area into the hallway. “Grandfather, drop it.”
“I will not.” He charged toward Sam. “Do you know what happened?” Sam looked at him then at Anna. “She was almost attacked.”
Sam frowned. “Anna?”
She waved him off. “We weren’t attacked. We ran into a little trouble on the road but it wasn’t anything we couldn’t handle. I don’t appreciate the way you made me look like a fool in front of all those people,” she said to her grandfather. “I was there to help and dragging me out was humiliating.”
“Humiliating is having you serving up food. None of my family is going to do that.”
“Why? Because it’s below us?” she asked.
He didn’t answer that, instead he turned back to Sam.
“If you don’t watch over her, I will.”
“I’m not going back to your house,” Anna said.
“Hold on a minute,” Sam interjected. “You want to bring me up to speed on what is going on?”
Richard laughed. “Always the last to know. Tell me, where have you been?”
“He came to my aid,” Chase said. “I was attacked out near the creek.”
“Nonsense. This place is friendly.”
Even Chase shook his head.
Sam jabbed his finger at the door. “Richard. I want you out of here now.”
“I own this house.”
“Out of here now!” Sam bellowed opening the door and thrusting a hand out to make it clear. Richard stormed outside but turned to have the last say.
“This is not over. If I catch my granddaughter out there by herself again, I will…”
Before he could spit the words out Sam slammed the door in his face. “God, he doesn’t shut the hell up.” He looked at Anna. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said before noticing a cut on Chase’s forehead. “You want to fill me in on what happened?”
“Oh just a rumble in the woods, you know, the run-of-the-mill stuff that happens when the world goes to shit.” Chase ambled into the living room and slumped down on the couch while Anna went to find some warm water and a first-aid kit to patch him up.
“Anna,” Sam said catching up. “You not going to tell me?”
“Depends, are you going to act like him?”
Sam raised an eyebrow.
She sighed and brought him up to speed. When she was done he stood there staring at her. What occurred wasn’t what bothered him; it was the mention of who came to their aid.
“Eric Porter is still in town?”
“He never left,” she replied.
They’d never been friends but he knew Eric had liked his wife. He’d gone out of his way to speak to her even though she was married. He mostly did it when Sam was away on tour. It was creepy. He’d discovered this through a friend who had seen them on numerous occasions down at a local café. Here was Richard accusing him of cheating but Sam could have quite easily made accusations against Helen except he didn’t — he knew where Helen’s loyalty was and the fact that she hadn’t got hitched in all the time they’d been apart was proof of that. Sam knew she still loved him but that wasn’t enough. Blood was thicker than water and her naivety to think her father wouldn’t lie was what had caused her to believe his video — putting the final nail in the coffin on their marriage.
“By the way, did you see the power come back on?” Anna asked
“It came on?”
“Not for long, but yeah,” she said.
It was a small glimmer of hope but it was something. Perhaps the government was finally getting on top of the issue. Maybe soon the lights would come on and this would all be nothing but a bad dream. And maybe they wouldn’t have to fight for their lives.
Chapter 5
Twenty-seven years he’d served. Howard Boone felt like a prisoner in his own town. What we are doing is for your safety and protection, Mayor Underwood had said.
What a bunch of horseshit.
Had it just been the curfew he might not have had any issue, but with rumors swirling that all firearms would be collected in the city to avoid opposition, he aimed to send a clear message to Underwood.
“That’s not going to happen, not without a fight,” he mumbled under his breath.
Geared up in camouflage fatigues, he blended seamlessly into his surroundings. A hard afternoon sun beat down causing beads of sweat to form on his brow as he waited for his brothers Keith and Carl Boone.
He glanced at his watch for the third time. They were meant to be there forty minutes ago. Where the hell are you? he thought. He’d positioned himself in the tree line of the woods just beyond Richard’s home. He’d told them to meet him at just after one. Howard lay on his side thinking of all the shady jobs he’d done for Richard, and the trouble he had caused in the city over the years. From Richard’s pro-immigrant stance to clamping down on landlords, he had screwed up the town. Was it any wonder why his successor upped and left at the first sign of trouble? At least with the former mayor, Michael Lansbury, he’d listened. He was easy to sway, and had he not skipped town, perhaps there might have been hope.
Underwood just acted like a law unto himself.
Why they had allowed him to step back into the role of mayor was beyond him.
Well it ended today. He wasn’t going to sit by and watch him dictate.
Howard lit another cigarette and scanned the trees for his brothers.
He eyed the rear of Underwood’s mammoth home with jealousy. Underwood was so full of himself — living in a seven-bedroom home, in one of the most coveted neighborhoods in town, driving classic cars and flaunting his wealth in front of them. It was disgusting. But that wasn’t all. Oh no, he knew the game Underwood had been playing, cheating on his wife. He knew the truth about him. He presented himself as a family man full of values in order to get elected but behind the scenes he was having sex with a long line of women, one of which was Elizabeth Myers, a woman that he’d been close with, a woman he could see himself settling down with. Sure, Elizabeth was in the wrong business and he’d told her countless times to get out of it, but still, to learn that Underwood had been seeing her only incited his hate for the man even more.
Boone heard a rustle behind him; he grabbed his pistol in time to see his numbskull brothers running at a crouch towards him. “Where the hell have you two been?”
“We ran into some trouble,” Keith said.
“Like?”
Keith looked over his shoulder. “It doesn’t matter.”
Howard looked at Carl. “You better not be using again. I need you to be clearheaded.”
“I haven’t touched the stuff. I swear, Howard.”
He nodded, narrowing his eyes; he didn’t trust either of them. Carl had wound up with a nasty drug habit a few years back after losing his kid in a car accident. At first Howard didn’t ride him over it. He understood the pain of loss but when it started to affect his work and jeopardize some of his side businesses — namely rental properties — he came down on him hard.
As for Keith, he helped him at the butcher shop and assisted Carl in maintaining the apartments. At one time they had more than eleven until Underwood stepped in and started enforcing a law on what landlords could or couldn’t do. It had eaten into his profits and forced several of his apartments to be closed down until they met certain building and city codes.
“Come on, let’s go. Richard left about an hour ago. Who knows when he’ll be back? We need to do this quick. Did you bring what I asked?” Howard asked.
Keith lifted up a plastic bag and the cans inside rattled.
They dashed across the rear yard. Carl went around the front to make sure the coast was clear before Howard smashed the window on the rear door and entered. As soon as he was inside he took out a can of paint spray and went into the largest room in the house — the living room — and sprayed on the wall a portion of the Second Amendment. When he was done he stepped back and smiled.
He tapped his brother Keith on the shoulder. “You think he’ll get the message?”
Keith laughed and over the course of the next twenty minutes they went on a rampage smashing, tearing and tossing furniture out the back. But that was just them warming up. He stepped inside the garage and looked at three classic cars. Oh this was going to be good. He reared back a baseball bat and went to work on the cars.
When he was done, Howard looked upon the engine parts, crumpled metal, shattered glass and ripped-up seats and wiped sweat from his brow.
Keith stepped in. “The portable generator? Should we…”
“Don’t destroy it. I want it.”
“But Howard, that’s going to weigh a ton carrying that back through the woods,” Carl moaned.
“That’s why I brought you two.”
This wasn’t the first time he’d had a disagreement with Richard.
As Howard took a sledgehammer he found in the basement and plowed it through a door he thought back to the last night Richard had paid him to do his dirty work. Back then they were on good terms. He’d take care of business and Richard would pay him well. Back then they thought they had an understanding; that was, until he ripped him off.
“I know you have ties in the sex trade, make some calls. I’ll make all the rest of the arrangements. All you have to do is make it happen,” Richard said.