As Arthur held Wendy tight and she cried in his chest, Nicole reached up to pat the tears on Wendy’s cheek. “Yes, and I could’ve made a big deal out of it, but I knew it would be an argument that would’ve put a bad stain on our marriage. A stain that Alicia wasn’t worth. In time, I knew you’d see through Alicia’s lies. I would’ve been hurt by the pain you’d feel, just like I’m hurting right now, but I knew you had to see it on your own.”
“In time?” Wendy moaned. “Arthur, we’ve known that whore over a decade and a half.”
“Yes, I’ve called Alicia a dumbass, but how many times have I said that bitch is conniving and intelligent?”
Burrowing her face into Arthur’s chest, “I can’t even begin to make a guess. But I just couldn’t see it. Alicia always acted so ditzy. I mean, even when you yelled at her during church to ‘shut the fuck up’, she never got mad. I thought only a simple-minded idiot would react like that,” Wendy admitted.
“Oh, Alicia got mad but never acted on it,” Arthur chuckled, and Wendy lifted her head to look at him.
“Alicia said something and you never told me?”
“No. I saw the anger more than once in Alicia’s eyes, but Alicia knew I saw through her lies and didn’t trust her,” Arthur told her.
“That just makes me feel worse,” Wendy sniffled. “I didn’t even listen to my husband, the father of my baby, my soulmate. What kind of person am I?”
Hugging Wendy tight, “The best person,” Arthur laughed. “Wendy, you wanted Alicia as a buddy and no matter what you say, Alicia was a very dear friend to you.”
“She wasn’t a buddy,” Wendy snapped. “Samantha is a buddy.”
“Yes, but if I wouldn’t have put up a fight, Alicia would’ve been a lot closer to you. I knew in time you’d find out what she was and the closer Alicia got to you, the more it would hurt. So my mission was to do what I could to stop that,” Arthur said and Wendy stopped sniffling as events played out in her mind.
Using his forehead, Arthur pushed Wendy’s head until she was looking up at him. “Wendy, I’ve never understood what you were talking about all these years about having a buddy. I mean, I wasn’t married to them so why would I trust someone on that level? I think you know, but I’ll tell you anyway. It wasn’t until Jason got here that I finally understood what a buddy is. Now that I have one, I’m glad I stopped Alicia from getting closer to you because if she’d gotten to the buddy stage, I don’t think I could deal with the pain you’d have.”
Leaning back in her chair, Samantha looked across the table at Jason and saw tears in his eyes. “Jason, take notes,” Samantha told him. “This is how you tell your other half they were wrong.”
Hearing Samantha, Wendy gave a small grin. “I should’ve listened to you,” Wendy said, then pushed her face back into Arthur’s chest.
“If we’re going that route, then I should’ve fucking listened to you about buying cheap-ass shit the first year we were married. But no, I bought cheap trying to save. I should’ve listened to you then,” Arthur said. “Would’a, could’a, should’a.”
Wendy’s head fell back as she looked up at Arthur in shock, “Wow,” she mumbled. “We should’ve done more travel nursing. We might’ve found Jason and Samantha sooner.”
Smiling, “What did you tell me right before we finished this house?” Arthur asked. Wendy did attempt to remember, but couldn’t even prioritize the memories.
“I have no idea,” she finally said.
“You were complaining that I didn’t have any buddies again, and I said I would go and find one. You replied: ‘You don’t find buddies, they find you’. And holy shit, you were right again. I mean, what’re the odds we’d each find a buddy and they’d be married to each other, and then the last one would be an old homophobe.”
“I’m not a homosexual!” LL screamed. “I like pussy, so get that through your fucking head!”
Many busted out laughing as Samantha turned to look down the table at a snarling LL. “Homophobe means you aren’t gay and don’t like being called gay, LL,” she stretched the truth a bit.
The snarl fell off LL’s face as he looked off. “I didn’t know there was a word for that,” he admitted.
“So, will you quit reading those books for now?” Arthur pleaded. “Trust me. Let your anger settle down, then read them.”
“I’ll agree to that if you make a deal with me?” Wendy offered. “If Alicia shows up, I get the bitch.”
Shocking Wendy, Arthur pushed her away and pointed down at her chair. “No,” Arthur replied. “The right page flipped, so turn it back before you start reading again. If that’s the deal, no. I can run faster than you, so I’ll reach her first.”
With her mouth hanging open and her face splotchy from crying, Wendy just gaped at Arthur. “I’ve watched that bitch weasel her way into our lives and get close to you. Forget it, I’m killing the whore,” Arthur stated.
Hearing a chair scrape, everyone turned to see LL get up and hand off the toddler he’d been holding, then walked down to them. “Sorry to both of you,” LL said with a grin. “I’ve never asked either of you for anything, but…” he paused and both Arthur and Wendy felt panic.
“I ask that I get the tingles from killing the bitch,” LL finally said. “If you two consider that repayment, I’ll take it, and after she’s dead, I’ll be on my way.”
Hearing that, most let out gasp and a few kids yelled ‘no’.
With a look of hurt, “You’re not leaving, but I’ll give you my Blazer,” Arthur offered.
“My BMW has less than two thousand miles,” Wendy countered.
Narrowing his eyes as his grin got bigger, “Let’s see just how bad you two want that whore,” LL cackled. “I’ll forgo my request to put the bitch in the dirt if…. You name me as the grandparent to Joseph’s and Sarah’s first baby.”
Both took a step back and Wendy moved to Arthur’s side. They both turned from LL to look each other in the face for several minutes. Neither said a word and they both nodded and turned back to LL. “You can have the bitch,” they both said.
Digging her fingernails into Joseph’s forearm, “We have got to tell them about my implant,” Sarah whispered.
“Ow, that hurts, damn it,” Joseph hissed at her. “We will,” he whispered when Sarah quit digging her fingernails into him. Hearing she could come clean, Sarah gave a sigh as Joseph added, “After you get pregnant, we’ll tell them what took so long.”
When she dug her nails in again, Joseph pried her hand off his forearm. “You might not like having two arms but I do like you having two arms. Trust me, you tell Mom and Dad, peeing on a stick in front of everyone will be the least of your worries,” Joseph warned.
As images filled her mind of Arthur and Wendy sitting in chairs at the end of the bed every night with flashlights on their heads, giving them instructions on how to make babies, Sarah started to hyperventilate. Even though that’s not what he’d in mind, Joseph was glad to see Sarah get worried. He just didn’t like the panicked breathing.
Pushing back, Joseph got up and Sarah grabbed his arm. “Don’t tell them,” she begged in a whisper.
“They’ll only find that out from you,” Joseph told her. “I’m going to get Nicole. Mom and Dad need a night alone.”
As Joseph left, Sarah couldn’t help but smile. Wendy and Arthur were Joseph’s parents and had raised him very well, but the three were also buddies.
Walking up, Joseph just took Nicole from Arthur. “You two go for a walk. Sarah and I will take the kids tonight,” he told them.
Wendy scoffed, “You and Sarah can’t make babies if there’re babies in your bed.”
“Ever think we might need a time out, Mom?” Joseph countered and Wendy looked up at Arthur.
“I didn’t think of that,” Arthur admitted.
Giving a wink, “Thanks, son,” Arthur said with his arm around Wendy and he led her out as Jason stood up nearly in tears.
“I’m sorry I got mad at you for pu
tting cheap shit on the guns!” Jason wailed out.
Walking out the back door, “My buddy acts so weird at times,” Arthur sighed.
“Hon, all buddies do, and yes, you also act very weird around Jason. But just the fact you don’t care how your buddy acts, lets you know how much your buddy means to you.”
Taking a deep breath, “Wendy, I have to tell you, when we went to Wilson Combat Arms, I didn’t like that place anymore,” Arthur confessed and was shocked when Wendy started laughing.
“Arthur, the rest of us were shocked when you didn’t blow the place up before we left,” Wendy snickered. “It was written all over your face. You thought Wilson was trying to steal your buddy.”
Feeling ashamed he was that transparent, Arthur looked down at Wendy. “I couldn’t have blown up Jason’s Graceland. He never would’ve forgiven me,” Arthur told her and Wendy busted out laughing.
“Oh man, I love the way you act now. For the first time in your life, Arthur, I think you’re acting like a kid,” Wendy told him.
Thinking that should’ve irritated him, Arthur realized it didn’t in the least. “Where’s your Graceland?” he asked.
Reaching over and slapping Arthur’s chest lightly, “The same place yours is, dummy,” Wendy smiled. “Right here. The ranch we built and gathered up our family at.”
Chapter Fourteen
Ohh, puppies.
Forcing his legs to go faster, Arthur gulped down the cold air as he ran. To his left, he saw Donald running at his side and then Arthur glanced back to see Jason and his dog Adam hot on his heels. There were no clouds in the sky and the moon and stars were so bright he didn’t need his night vision goggles as he weaved around the few trees that were growing on the ridge he was following.
“We aren’t going to get far,” Jason panted out behind him.
“Well, climbing a tree is out of the question,” Arthur replied.
After leaving the mini-mes in the Suburban, they’d moved off to get eyes on another kid gang location several miles away. The highest temperature since Thanksgiving had been thirty degrees and tonight it had been minus ten when they’d left the Suburban. They were halfway to the camp when Arthur had stopped on the ridge with the wind blowing hard from his back. He’d looked out over the valley below them and felt his asshole pull to the back of his throat. Nearly a mile away a vast field was below them, and it was filled with dogs. The first thought in Arthur’s mind had been hundreds but as his ass pulled to his throat, he realized it was thousands.
When he’d felt Jason stop beside him, Arthur was about to say ‘we’re going home’ but stopped. Not a hundred yards away a dozen dogs started barking and howling. Before Arthur even lifted his AR up, Jason already had his on his shoulder and was firing. Suppressed shots broke the cold night air as Jason cut loose, killing five before Arthur even squeezed the first round off. In six seconds they were all down, but the valley below was filled with barks and howls.
Before turning to run Arthur had glanced back out over the valley. “It’s like a doggie Woodstock down there!” he’d gasped and took off.
After running flat out for a mile, Jason glanced back catching glimpses of dogs through the trees. “Arthur, they’re faster than we are,” Jason reminded him.
“We’re making for the cliff face we passed,” Arthur told him never breaking stride.
Remembering the spot, Jason glanced back again. “Arthur, we have less than sixty seconds.”
“Relay, I’ll start it off!” Arthur cried out, skidding to a stop and Jason ran past him. Lifting his AR, Arthur was shocked to see just how fucking close the leading edge was. When the dogs were three hundred yards away, he opened up. After the first few aimed shots Arthur realized he didn’t even have to aim. There were so many dogs packed close together, he just had to get the range.
When he saw the first one tumble, Arthur just emptied the magazine and was shocked to see the leading edge turn into a rolling mass, as the ones that went down tripped others. Before he could celebrate, the other dogs behind the edge just jumped the pile. “Not good,” he said spinning around and keying his radio. “Out,” he said, taking off and glancing down to see Donald running along with him. “At least we left Daisy and Eve with the mini-mes,” Arthur said, changing mags and dropping the empty in his dump bag.
Sixty yards ahead, Jason stopped and spun around lifting his rifle. Seeing Jason aiming toward him, Arthur had to fight the urge to dive for cover. When Jason started to fire, Arthur could hear the bullets pass by him. Before Arthur reached him, Jason had dumped two magazines into the pack.
Coming to a stop where Jason was, Arthur spun around and saw the pack was two hundred yards away and he wondered why they weren’t closer as he started to pull the trigger. When dogs started dropping Arthur realized they weren’t really running anymore, they were loping. Changing magazines fast, he continued pouring rounds out as he glanced down each side of the ridge.
The underbrush along the slopes was very thick and he could see dogs, but they were much further back than those at the crest since there was no underbrush up here. “Out!” he called out spinning around and changing magazines, and already heard the sonic cracks of Jason’s bullets pass him to hit the leading edge of the pack from hell.
“Dammit, Dad! Move your ass!” Joseph shouted over the radio in his earbud.
The cold air hurt Arthur’s lungs as he gulped down air and saw Jason changing magazines. Before Jason opened up, Arthur skidded to a stop and spun around as Jason took off with Adam. Taking aim and firing, Arthur saw the leading edge was only a hundred and fifty or so yards away. Slapping in a new mag he opened up again, sending thirty rounds out in fifteen seconds. “Ready!” Jason called out and Arthur took off.
He yanked the magazine out and tossed it in his dump bag. Not reaching to his vest, Arthur dropped his hand to his left thigh where three sixty-round magazines were held in pouches. Yanking one out, he slapped it home.
“The pack’s surrounding you!” Joseph screamed over the radio and Arthur cut his eyes left and right down the slopes but didn’t see any dogs.
Grabbing his PTT, “Are they ninja dogs?” Arthur panted out.
“No, the bulk of the dogs are in the valleys on either side of the ridge. They can’t run through the undergrowth. I already told Shawn and the others to get in the Suburban because the dogs will reach the Suburban long before you will,” Joseph answered. Hearing not even the bulk of the pack was on the ridge startled the shit out of Arthur because it looked like a shit load of dogs chasing them.
When Arthur skidded to a stop Jason didn’t take off, and Arthur turned around to see the closest dogs were less than a hundred yards away. He lifted his rifle and opened up. The dogs melted under the rain of lead, letting out yelps as Jason and Arthur hit over a hundred in thirty seconds.
The pack faltered and stopped, but Jason and Arthur kept sending out rounds and dogs kept dying. After twenty seconds the dogs on the ridge turned and started bounding away, but the two didn’t stop shooting until their magazines ran dry.
Patting the front of his vest Arthur felt all eight mag holsters were empty. Like his hands were lying, Arthur looked down so his eyes could confirm. “Oh, fuck,” he said grabbing another sixty-round mag from his thigh. He glanced over at Jason and saw not only was Jason’s vest empty, but also the three sixty-round mags were gone, with the last one in Jason’s AR.
“Goddammit!” Joseph bellowed. “Fucking run now!”
With his brain on autopilot Arthur took off, letting his AR dangle under his arm as he reached back with his right hand to his backpack and unzipped the side, pulling out a bandolier of ammo as his left dug out empty magazines from the dump pouch. Something he’d never done or even considered doing, Arthur started feeding stripper clips into the magazine as he ran as fast as his legs would carry him. Shoving the topped-off mag in his vest he yanked out another, feeding rounds into it as the slope of the ridge got steeper.
“You’re a hundred yards fro
m a clearing! You’re going to have to make a stand there! You’ll have groups coming from the north and south!” Joseph shouted. Struggling to breathe, Arthur wanted to tell Joseph that’s where the cliff face was and that’d been his plan from the start. With the bandolier empty Arthur grabbed another, not remembering shoving a hundred rounds in magazines as his brain filled in that north and south at the clearing would be right and left.
Feeling a tug at his left hip Arthur nearly panicked thinking a dog was on him and he turned, only to see Jason digging an empty magazine from his dump bag. Before he turned back around, Arthur saw Jason was loading his magazine, then noticed all of Jason’s mag holsters on his vest were filled again.
Wondering how in the hell Jason had loaded all his magazines that fast, Arthur made a commitment that if he survived this, he would start practicing loading magazines as he ran. Grabbing another magazine, he could tell by feel that the fat magazine was the sixty rounder as Jason reached over shoving the magazine he’d loaded in an empty holster and grabbing another.
When it was loaded, he shoved it in the empty spot on his thigh as Jason shoved his magazine in the last empty holster. Feeling the bandolier still held rounds Arthur just tossed the strap over his head letting the bandolier hang and grabbed his dangling rifle. Through the trees ahead he could see the bright area of the fifteen-acre clearing. The barking was so loud around them, they could feel the vibrations on their skin.
It seemed like he’d been running forever as Arthur sprinted out into the clearing and saw the hundred-foot-tall cliff face on the northeast side. “The first ones will be on you in less than two minutes,” Joseph told them.
They skidded to a stop and put their backs to the rock wall and the dogs couched down beside them. “Joseph, can you give me a guess on how many are coming?” Jason panted out on the radio.
It was several seconds before Joseph replied, “A lot of them.”
Turning to Arthur, “You didn’t teach your son how to count?!” Jason asked gulping air.
Viral Misery | Book 3 | Revelations Page 25