by S A Ison
“Made it here ta babysit you kids,” Boney laughed.
“You old bastard! Glad you could make it ta the party,” Wilber sniggered. Then he leaned in, and everyone else looked into the truck as well. Harry saw a young woman wrapped in a quilt.
“Megan? Is that you?” Wilber asked in confusion.
“Yeah, Pop Pop, it’s me.” Megan said.
“You know this girl?” Boney asked Wilber.
“Yeah. She’s a classmate of Alan’s. Or she was. What happened, honey?” Wilber asked.
“Some men killed Mommy and Dad. Then they took me an’ kept me locked up. They hurt me, Pop Pop,” Megan said, and started crying again. Wilber pulled the girl out of the truck, held her in his arms, and rocked her. The men stood around, their eyes fill with sorrow and tears.
“Oh, honey, we didn’t know. I’m so sorry, we didn’t know,” was all Wilber could say. Harry looked over to Bill and Richard. Their faces were a rictus in sorrow and shame. He wondered if they’d known.
He walked over to them. “Did you boys know about this?” Harry asked them, his voice rough.
Both men shook their heads, and Bill wiped his eyes. “No, we didn’t,” Bill explained. “We didn’t know. Because we wasn’t as enthusiastic as they wanted us ta be, we were kind of like outcasts. We was good enough ta work, but not good enough for the inner circle.”
“If we’da known it, we’d have done somethin’,” Richard said, wiping the tears off his face. “I know you think we’re dirt, and that’s okay, ’cause we went along with things. But we never thought things would go so bad and so wrong. We didn’t know so many people would be hurt.”
Harry looked at both men. He didn’t think they were bad, just weak. They’d chosen the wrong side but had been brought over. He nodded to them.
“Megan, you’ll need to stay in the truck,” Harry told the girl, who’d managed to get herself under control again. “Bill and Richard will guard you and keep you safe. Please keep quiet and stay put. It is going to get loud and dangerous soon.”
“Yes sir,” she said, and Wilber helped her get back into the truck.
“You stay here, honey, and when this is finished, I’ll take you ta see Alan,” Wilber said and patted her hand.
“Thanks, Pop Pop.”
Harry turned to the men, and they to him.
“This should be the last of them. At least, I hope. With Yates gone, and most of the ringleaders gone, it should break their backs. Shoot anyone that comes out of that house that has a weapon. If they are men, kill them, with or without a weapon. No one lives. We kill it here and we kill it now,” Harry said darkly.
“You damn right,” Boney said.
They turned and walked up the road, their steps cautious, their eyes searching. Boggy brought up the rear with Wilber, while Harry and Boney took the lead. They looked around, into darkened homes. Night frogs, normal after the rain having let up, chirruped into the night.
They heard distant laughter, and paused.
Harry signaled for them to go forward. Then Boggy hissed, and everyone stopped. Harry turned to look back at Boggy and saw lights. The men bled into the trees and behind bushes. Harry watched as a vehicle came to a stop near the trucks, and a big man got out. He let out a breath. It was Clay.
Bringing out his flashlight, he blinked it on and off. He waited, and the signal was returned. Clay, David, and Earl quickly approached. Boney and Wilber were whispering to each other, but he couldn’t hear what they were saying. It only took a minute before the three men reached them.
“How did it go, Clay?” Harry asked softly.
“Put Yates and some other shit heel in the coal mine. Sent them down in the cage, tied up. Figure they’ll die a slow death, which is what they deserve.”
Harry let out a low chuckle. “Damn, you’re good.”
Clay laughed. “It was Earl’s idea, really.”
Harry looked at Earl, his brows raised. Earl grinned shyly and shrugged. “I thank we all kinda thought that one up. We didn’t want that jackass to die too fast. A bullet was too good fir him.”
“You said it, brother,” Boggy said.
Earl smacked Boggy on the back good-naturedly. Harry smacked Earl on the back and laughed, shaking his head. He had to hand it to them, that was a good ending for the sheriff.
Everyone checked their weapons. They walked slowly toward the three-story house. It had seen better days. Apparently, Jeff Bluemont had not taken care of his grandmother’s house. They could hear laughter more clearly now.
“It sounds like a lot of them fellers is in there. I think, maybe, Boggy set one of the sticks and we let it blow. That should get the ants a-swormin’ out of the anthill,” Boney suggested.
“Yeah. We can position ourselves and pick them off,” Harry said.
“I think it’s a sound plan,” David agreed. “There are seven of us. We’re all good shots, and if they try to get dug in, I have a fair arm at tossing another stick if you have it.”
Harry grinned. “Yes, we have another stick. We’ll hold that in reserve and, as you say, if they dig in, we’ll blow them out.”
The men scattered, some farther out from the house. Harry positioned himself behind the engine block of a dead car. Boggy squatted beside him and took out a stick and a blasting cap. Harry handed him a lighter. Boggy crept toward the house, keeping low. Harry had his sights aimed just beyond him. He watched as Boggy crept low, then went to the house. Beneath the house was an open crawl space that had once been covered with lattice work. Most of it was torn away now.
Harry saw the flame from Boggy’s lighter flicker, then darkness. Then he spotted Boggy hauling ass at a low crouch, and Harry covered his retreat. Boggy arrived back to the vehicle and picked up his rifle. He brought it up and aimed it at the house, waiting.
They could see figures moved within the house, and laughter floated out through the cracks.
Harry was about to ask Boggy how long before the thing would blow up when there was a tremendous explosion. Harry could feel the ground and the car vibrated, and the shockwave passed over. He didn’t know what he’d expected, but this was impressive. He yawned to clear his ears and focused on the house. The front half of the house had been blown off. From beyond, they could hear men calling. Some were screaming.
Harry lifted his weapon and sighted a man stumbling out. Before he could take a shot, someone – Boney, he thought – shot the man in the chest. He collapsed where he stood. There was a lot of shouting now, and confusion. Another man ventured down the stairs, and another shot went off.
This time it was Boggy. The man tumbled down the rest of the stairs. Harry saw movement in the third story window. This time he took aim and shot. The man fell through the bottom half of the window and got stuck, his upper torso hanging out. The gun in his hand fell to the ground.
There was a shot from inside, but no one returned it. Good, he thought. They’re waiting until they have a target.
He could hear Boggy breathing, though it wasn’t fast. He looked over, and Boggy looked at him and grinned. He smiled and smacked Boggy on the back.
Everyone waited patiently. Someone stuck their head up and got hit; by whom, he didn’t know. It could have been Earl or Wilber.
It was now a waiting game.
Four down, unknown how many to go. He could hear Clay and David talking in low voices. There was another volley of shots from inside the house.
No one returned fire.
“Okay, we give up. We’re coming out. Our hands are up. Don’t shoot,” someone called.
There was no response. Four men came out, hands raised. One was limping badly. They tried to descend the torn-up steps in the dark. Harry saw Boggy aim his rifle. He did the same. They fired. Two men went down, and the other two tried to scramble back into the house. Two more shots rang out, and those two dropped.
Silence fell, there were no other sounds. Harry sat down on the ground behind the truck. He reloaded his weapon.
“You thank
there is any more in there?” Boggy asked softly.
“I don’t know. I figure we can sit for a bit and relax. I’m sure that if there is anyone else in there, they’ll make some noise in a while. I’m in no hurry,” Harry said.
He heard Boggy’s soft laughter, and the boy sat down beside him. Both men looked up into the sky. The clouds were scuttling away, and Harry could now see starlight. There were several fires from the house that illuminated the immediate vicinity, but it was dark where they sat.
There came a rustle, and Harry and Boggy got back up. Looking through his sights, Harry scanned the area. He didn’t see any movements. Then he saw Boney working over toward him.
“What do ya think? Should we send another stick over?” Boney asked.
“I was thinking maybe just set it afire. It is about trashed now. I have a couple bottles filled with lamp oil. We can light those and toss them into the house. What do you think?” Harry asked.
“I think it’s time for a barbecue,” Boney sniggered.
“I’ll go git the bottles,” Boggy said, and headed back to the trucks.
Everyone waited in silence. Time seemed to slow down. Earl made his way over, looking like a crab as he tried to keep his body low and his legs working together. They saw the silhouette of Boggy coming back with two bottles. When he got back, he squatted behind the vehicle. Two large shapes moved to them; Clay and David. They hunkered down.
“What’s the plan, Harry?” Clay asked.
“I don’t think we need to use more dynamite. A couple of these will burn the rest out if there are any hold-outs,” Harry said, indicating the bottles.
David grinned. “Let me throw one of those bad boys. I’ve always wanted to do that.”
“You army pukes are into that kind of shit?” Clay laughed.
“And you squids are just jealous we have all the fun,” David laughed. Boggy sniggered at them both, and Harry laughed and shook his head.
“Well, one of you girls git over there and throw ’em, fir Christ sakes,” Boney said.
Boggy pulled out the lighter and flicked a flame to life. David took one bottle, and Clay the other. They dipped the rags that protruded from the bottle and let them hang over the flame in turn. They caught immediately, and both men ran toward the house. They each launched their package, then ran back to the safety of the vehicle. The bottles landed true, and fire crawled along the surface covered in lamp oil.
Harry looked around. All the men were clustered around the small car. They watched as the flames licked the house and began going up its sides. The interior lit up like a Roman candle. They could now smell the smoke as it began to reach them, along with the sickly-sweet stench of burning flesh and echoes of the loud crackling and popping of wood. Then sporadic shots came, and the men tensed for another fight.
“Don’t fret. Just the ammo them peckerheads had on ’em. I ’spec there’ll be a lot of that fir a bit,” Boney announced.
The fire grew exponentially, and a brilliant glow surrounded the conflagration. The men walked forward toward the house. If there had been anyone alive in there, they were no more. The entire house was engulfed, and the heat reached out to them.
The men stood quietly watching, and for Harry it was a significant sight. They had burned the old regime out. They had destroyed their hateful enemy.
His shoulders sagged in relief. It was done. There had been no serious injuries to his friends, whom he’d come to care for deeply. They could all look toward a future now. A difficult one, to be sure, but a future still.
“Well, folks, this is fun an’ all, but I’m plumb tuckered out. I think I’ll head home,” Boney said.
The other men grunted, and they all walked back to the trucks, the massive bonfire behind them illuminating their way.
“You boys can take that truck,” Harry said, indicating the bloodied one. He was talking to Bill and Richard.
“I’ll catch a ride with you guys, if you don’t mind dropping me off at Gerhard’s farm,” David added.
“Yeah, we can do that. Thanks for the truck,” Bill said. He turned to the men and shook each of their hands.
“Thank you for what you did. I’m just sorry it happened at all,” Richard said.
Harry watched as the men loaded up into the truck. They pulled out and drove away. Boney went to his truck and looked in. Megan was bundled up.
“Did you want to go with me, or did you want to go with Wilber? I ’spec Alan would love ta see ya,” Boney said, a gentle smile on his face.
“I think I’ll go with Pop Pop,” she said. “Thank you for saving me.”
Boney helped her out of his truck, and she gave him a hard hug. He patted her covered shoulders and kissed the top of her head.
Getting in, he leaned out his window. “It has been an honor and a pleasure, gentlemen. Come by in a couple days, Harry. I think I found you an old-fashioned buckboard wagon. Also got a bead on a couple of horses. Make sure you bring some good stuff ta trade fir it.” He grinned, his brows waggling.
Harry laughed, and patted the top of the truck.
“Thanks, Boney. After all the dust settles, me and Earl will stop by. Thanks again for all your help.”
The group watched as Boney pulled away. Wilber took Megan to his truck and helped her inside. Clay got in as well. Harry, Boggy, and Earl got into his truck and they pulled out, heading home.
֍
Harry and Earl stood on the porch. The sun was just peeking over the mountains. The air was crisp and damp and clean.
“My God, I can’t believe it is over,” Earl said softly. He held a steaming coffee cup in both hands.
“Me either. My body almost feels weak with the relief of it,” Harry agreed.
They heard laughter in the kitchen. Wilber would be taking Alan home today. They were taking Megan with them. Alan had been happy to see her, and they had sat up talking the rest of the night.
The screen door opened and Clay, Boggy, and Katie came out, each with a cup of coffee. The children were still asleep upstairs. Boggy had a bag over his shoulder, and a shovel in his free hand.
“What are you up to?” Harry asked Boggy.
“I’m gonna head up the road to that switchback, ’bout two miles from here, that heads ta Lexington. I’m gonna blow the rocks down on that stretch of road so ain’t nobody from Lexington kin come our way without a lot of trouble,” Boggy grinned.
“Damn fine idea. Need help?” Harry asked.
“Naw. Just need your truck is all,” Boggy smiled.
Harry dug into his pocket and pulled out the truck keys. He traded Boggy’s empty coffee cup for them. They watched as Boggy walked down the hill and through the barricade. Harry had left his truck below, no longer worried about hiding it.
Boggy drove away.
Marilyn, Willene, and Wilber came out onto the porch. Everyone took a seat in companionable silence. They could hear a whippoorwill in the woods, and mourning doves. The sun was now shining up and over the mountains. The leaves on the trees were beginning to color. The sky was a brilliant robin’s egg blue. It would be a beautiful day.
After some time, there was an explosion, and the shock rattled the farmhouse. The explosion startled Marilyn and Willene. Behind them, the porch door opened, and Alan and Megan came out, both wrapped in quilts.
“What in the heck was that?” Alan asked.
“That was Boggy blowing the side of the mountain. Sealing us off from Lexington,” Harry said mildly. He smiled down at Marilyn.
“I guess this means we’re safe,” Willene said quietly.
“Yeah. I think our lives will be better off now that Yates, Audrey, and their people are gone. Any others that crop up will be dealt with in the same expedient manner,” Harry said, raising his cup in salute.
“Amen,” Earl said.
EPILOGUE
FIVE YEARS LATER
Harry and Earl carried baskets of food down to the wagon. The sky was just turning pink, dawn moving night out of its way. Boggy
followed behind with a bundle of quilts. Monroe carried two jugs of water.
Harry placed the baskets of food to the back of the wagon. Monroe handed him the jugs, and Harry lifted up the hinged padded seats and placed the water inside the storage area. Willene and Marilyn had done a wonderful job making the hard seats comfortable with the padded cushions.
They were heading to town for Freedom Day, which they celebrated every year on the anniversary of the destruction of the KKK’s grip on the town. It was also a time to trade and meet up with friends. Because of the distance, they only went to town every few months.
The men walked back up the hill.
“Looks like it’s gonna be a pretty day for travelin’,” Earl said.
“Sure does, Uncle Earl,” eleven-year-old Monroe said. Monroe was getting tall now and had taken on a lot of the heavy chores around the house.
“Go make sure your sisters are ready to go, Monroe. You know how they like to play around,” Harry said, and the boy ran ahead of them, Charlie trying to keep up. The dog was getting older, and Harry thought he might see if there were any puppies available in town.
They reached the porch, and Marilyn came out with a cup of coffee. Harry kissed her and took the cup.
“Morning, honey. How’d you sleep?” he asked his wife. Marilyn smiled at him and smoothed his hair back. He knew he needed a haircut.
“Okay. The baby was moving around a lot. Thanks for letting me sleep in.” She grinned up at him.
Harry laughed. “Sounds like you’re having a boy, just like Monroe. He’s as busy a kid as I’ve seen.”
“You may be right. Kimberly is as mellow a child as I’ve seen,” Marilyn laughed, and turned as their three-year-old daughter came out onto the porch. She held a cloth doll clutched to her chest, her large eyes looking up at her parents.
Harry bent and picked his daughter up. He looked into her eyes, which were just like his, one brown and the other hazel. Her dark ringlets framed her sweet face. She wrapped her chubby arms around her father’s neck.
“I’m sleepy,” she said softly.
“You can sleep on the trip. Go lay on the couch and I’ll fetch you when we get ready to leave,” Harry said softly, kissing his daughter’s forehead.