by Connor Mccoy
“Unless you can defy gravity and sleep on the ceiling, sure,” Juan said, while showing off his teeth in a grin.
Lance cringed. Sleeping on hard concrete. It could be worse, but as he crouched low to the ground and inhaled an old odor of automobile fumes, he wondered how much worse it could be.
Doctor Darber, he thought, with a tinge of anger. Why’d he have to skip town and throw me into this mess? He was beginning to hope some bad end would befall the doctor for all the trouble Vander and Blake had rained down on Lance. He gripped his arms tightly. Hadn’t he been through enough hell working for Derrick? How could life get any worse than that?
As he sat on the hard ground, another part of him wished he had thought of skipping town when he had had the chance. Given how Kurt’s men treated everyone in Davies, who could blame Darber for wanting to get out of here?
Maybe this is my chance, Lance thought. If I’m out of town, surely I can give these three the slip. It’s not like Kurt will send a bunch of guys to hunt me down. Who am I? I’m not a doctor or anybody useful. I’m just a grunt worker.
Perhaps getting mixed up in this pursuit of Darber wasn’t the worst thing to hit Lance Wilkins after all.
“It’s unfortunate that I don’t have an ultrasound available for you,” Darber said to Carla, who was seated right beside him on the bed in her and Liam’s bedroom. Conrad, Liam and Sarah stood at the doorway, watching. Darber’s medical bag lay on the bed, unzipped. Darber had finished putting his tools back inside.
Conrad had brought Liam and Carla in as promised. Darber then took Liam into the bedroom with Carla and shut the door for a private examination of Carla. After a while, Liam emerged to let Conrad and Sarah inside. Tom and Camilla remained busy with their tasks.
Darber smiled gently. “But, I can say that with what I have, examining you was no more difficult than someone who could have examined Liam. And I am happy to say all signs are looking good.”
Carla clapped her hands together. “Great!”
“Thank God,” Sarah said.
Conrad clasped Liam’s shoulder tight. Liam looked at his dad and smiled.
“I don’t guess you can tell if I’m having a boy or a girl?” Carla asked.
Darber shook his head. “Sorry. I suppose in this case, life will have to spring a surprise or two.”
Carla looked down at her stomach. “So, what do I have to look forward to? Any mood swings or binge eating in my future?” Then she flashed Liam a grin. “Biting my mate’s head off like a praying mantis?”
Liam mockingly stepped behind Conrad as if his old man was acting as cover from an attacking Carla.
Darber chuckled. “Well, I can draw up a list of what you might expect as your pregnancy progresses. It’s not the same for all ladies. But I would tell you to avoid any dangerous work, including anything that can puncture the skin or cause falls. Also stay away from dangerous chemicals. We’re particularly concerned with anything that can harm your fetus.”
Carla turned her left foot from side to side. “I hate the idea of not pulling my own weight.”
“Well you’ll be pulling a lot of weight soon.” Liam chuckled softly. “Don’t worry. We can handle everything.”
“We also should put together a list of supplies for a delivery,” Darber said. “You’re still early in your pregnancy, so we have time. I’ll also give Liam some pointers on helping you breathe during contractions.”
“Contractions?” Carla grimaced. “That’s right, I forgot having a baby involves a lot of screaming and pain.”
“There’s a lot of screaming and pain after the baby’s born. It doesn’t end there,” Conrad said.
Sarah slapped him on the chest. “Conrad!”
“As God is my witness, Liam put you through some sleepless nights trying to get him to go to bed,” Conrad replied calmly.
Liam shook his head. “I’m glad I don’t remember what it was like to be a baby.”
“Eating, crying, and pooping until you learned the words ‘I want.’ Then it was just eating, crying, pooping and saying ‘I want’ until you were three and a half,” Conrad said.
Carla reached out and took Liam’s arm. “I guess it’s not too late to build us a private log cabin in the fields, huh?” She laughed.
“Naaah. Who would help you two with dinner?” Conrad looked out the window at the setting sun. “Darber and I have had a long trip today. Let’s get the table set with a good welcome dinner for our guest.”
Chapter Seven
Blake put on the brakes, bringing the truck to a halt. “This is as far as we drive,” he said. “Now we walk the rest of the way.”
Lance quickly followed Vander out the door, least he get shoved by Juan close behind him. Blake brought up the rear. Once he locked the truck doors, Blake pointed to the road a few steps away. He had driven them up to this point, then pulled off the road. They were willing to use gas to get them out here, but not use more than needed for this job.
Juan grasped the opposite ends of the street map. Lance had marked the path along State Road 22 right to Conrad’s ranch. “Looks like we’ve got a couple of hours’ walk,” he said, “Since we didn’t spot anybody, there’s nobody to warn him we’re coming.”
Vander then slapped Lance on the back. “And when we get there, the little dipshit here will go to the door and call for the doctor.”
Lance froze. “Wait, you want me to go to Conrad’s door?”
“Hey, the little guy’s hearing’s working,” Juan said with a laugh.
“But I can’t!” Lance said as he shook. There was no way he could face Conrad again!
Vander glowered at him. “Funny. No one said you had a choice, little man.”
“But-but…he’ll recognize me! I was shooting at his house, his family! He’ll know it’s me, and he’ll…” Lance gulped. “He’ll blow my ass away.”
“This little guy’s so scared he’ll piss himself,” Juan said, chuckling.
Lance backed up a step. “I’m telling you, I can’t do it. I can’t let him see me!”
Vander grabbed a fistful of Lance’s shirt. “Oh, you’re going to knock on his door, or I’m going to throw your ass right into it.”
Blake stopped short of the road. “Wait.” He turned and faced Vander. “Little bug here may have a point. This Conrad guy sees him and freaks out, he’ll probably lock down his whole ranch.”
Vander released Lance, who wasted no time in scampering away a few steps, but not so far away that none of the men gave chase.
Juan pointed to Vander and Blake. “But he hasn’t seen us before, so he doesn’t know shit about what we’re going to do.”
“I don’t know.” Vander frowned, pointing his thumb back at Lance. “He makes this Conrad fella sound like a cracked-up gun totting nutjob. I’m not going to risk my ass.”
“It’s Kurt’s doctor,” Blake replied. “You want to go back to Kurt empty-handed?”
Vander twitched. He didn’t have to verbally respond to communicate that he sure as hell didn’t.
“Fine. We go there ourselves. But what do we do about him?” Juan pointed to Lance.
Lance smiled. “I’ll just…guard the truck.” He backed up toward the vehicle. “Yeah. I can do that. Make sure no one steals it.”
Vander suddenly smiled. “Hear that?” He turned to Blake and Juan. “He’s volunteering to guard the truck.” Blake and Juan then narrowed their eyes and nodded.
Lance was slammed hard into the truck’s back seat. Ropes bound his arms behind his back, with a second pair binding his legs. Vander, smiling at his handiwork, grasped the back door, ready to slam it shut.
“Hey!” Lance cried out, “What are you doing? I-I’m not going to run away!”
Blake smiled. “You don’t think we’re that stupid, do you? Be glad we didn’t throw you in the trunk. That’s only because we don’t know if you’d get enough air to live until we get back.”
“But what I have to go pee?” Lance cried.
Juan shrugged. “Who’s stopping you?”
Vander leaned inside a little. “You’re always bitching that you got too much work to do. So, now you can rest in the truck. Wait for us to get back with the doctor. Oh, and if we don’t find him…” Vander drew a knife from his belt. “You’ll get to rest alright, in peace.”
Lance’s eyes widened. Juan laughed heartily as Vander shut the door. Then Blake seized the keys from his pocket and locked the door before the trio embarked on their journey.
Lance struggled. No, it was no good. These ropes were too tight. He couldn’t move his hands. All he could do was roll around on the seat. His only hope was that they could find Doctor Darber and bring him back here.
Conrad massaged his left foot through his sock again. The pain finally was subsiding. His left boot lay on the floor beside him. In another few minutes, he’d be out of the dining room seat and back outside tending to the water well.
Just then, Sarah emerged into the room, freshly dressed, but still yawning, her eyes tired. When she spotted Conrad, she stopped and leaned against the wall. “Well, here’s a surprise. Thought I’d get another goodbye note. Instead I get the real deal sitting at the table.”
“I was planning on another trip, but I found out I had a date with a large brick.” Conrad massaged his foot again. “She had other plans.”
Sarah shook her head. “Is it bad?”
“Not really. Just a case of me being stupid enough to not look where I was going. Damn. I really am getting a little slower in my older age.” Then he narrowed his eyes at Sarah. “Now you heard me say ‘older,’ not ‘old.’ Crucial difference there.”
Sarah felt a lock of her graying hair. “I’m in the same boat,” she said as she approached. “Would you be okay if I sat down?”
“Go ahead,” Conrad said.
Sarah took a seat. As she sat down, it occurred to Conrad that this was the closest they had been to each other in a long time. In fact, they had not been alone in the same room together, not even since the rescue from Redmond.
“I hope I didn’t piss you off too much by taking off for Darber. I guess I’m just too used to doing things in the moment,” Conrad said.
“You brought me a doctor that’s going to help deliver my grandbaby. I can’t be too mad about that.” Sarah smiled, but it was a sad smile.
Conrad could tell she wasn’t happy about something. “Maybe I’m done being too mad about a lot of things, especially when it comes to you.” She sat back. “In fact, I’ve misjudged you, way, way too much. You’ve been far kinder to me than I deserve. I don’t even I thanked you for putting me and Tom up.”
“You did,” Conrad said, “Trust me, I heard the words.”
Sarah sighed. “I think that was a polite ‘thank you.’ I don’t know how much I meant it.”
Conrad cleared his throat quietly. Sooner or later, a moment like this was coming. The past wanted to rear its head, inflamed by the recent gathering at his father’s grave. A question burned in his mind, and he wasn’t sure if he was wise to ask it. Still, he felt he wouldn’t have peace unless he heard Sarah address it.
“Sarah?” Conrad asked, “Do you think I was the man who couldn’t stay in the valley?”
Sarah smiled hard, trying to hold back laughter. “Conrad, you’re going to have to speak a little more plainly for me. I’m afraid I’m still not in your world.”
“I understand. You remember the movie Shane?”
“Yeah,” Sarah leaned a little closer. “It’s been ages since I saw it. Actually, the last time I saw it was with you.”
“Well, in the movie, Shane’s the guy who gets rid of the gunfighters in the valley and brings peace back to the land. But at the end of the movie, he rides off. He wanted to rid the valley of all the guns, but it turned out he was one of them. He’s the last gun, who can’t stay. He can’t stay and enjoy the peace he created because he’s a man of violence. I’m just wondering if at the end of the day, I bring too much of that fury under a roof, if I’m the guy who can’t stay in the valley when all the outlaws have been dealt with.”
Sarah just stared at him. Finally, she said, slowly, “Conrad, it was just a movie.”
Conrad tilted his head in surprise.
“It’s not real. It’s just a story.” Sarah laughed once. “If anyone’s wondering if they belong under a roof, it’s me. This is your house, and everything here plays by your rules. I’m the oddball here. I’m the one who doesn’t fit! The world not too long ago announced that you, Conrad Drake, were right about everything. So, you don’t have anything to worry about.” She sat back. “No, I don’t think you’re the man who couldn’t stay in the valley. But, once upon a time, I thought you weren’t. And I and Liam had to live with that choice for almost thirty years.”
“But perhaps it was meant to be.” Conrad pointed to the ceiling. “It all brought us to this place, a home in the midst of the worst catastrophe mankind has seen in ages.”
“Maybe. But what did I give up? Could Liam have had a brother, a sister, siblings, a life with you? Could his life have been richer? Hell, maybe he could have gotten to know your wild and nutty family a little better.”
“We’re just going off the rails thinking that,” Conrad said. “We can’t change the past, and we can’t give Liam anything back that he’s lost because we split. He’s about to become a dad himself. And if I let any bitter feelings get in the way of what he’s got to be, if it got in the way of what we have now, then I didn’t deserve to be your husband in the first place.”
Sarah nodded. “I feel the same way.”
“Then I guess we can say certain things are over and done with,” Conrad said.
Sarah smiled again. “Tell me about Liam. How did it feel when you first saw him after all the time apart?”
Conrad rested his head back. “Oh God, what a time that was. I didn’t think I’d ever see him again, and then there he was at my front door with Carla beside him. They looked like us at that age, remember? We were an unstoppable force. We felt like we could take on the whole world. They came to me with this crazy idea of braving a town run by lunatics and gangsters to save you. And I’ll be damned, but by the end we pulled it off, even if he and Carla had to sit the last part out.”
Sarah rested her head in her hands, which were propped up by her elbows on the table. Her expression seemed dreamy, with her eyes staring out into the air past Conrad. She had to be as proud of her son as Conrad was.
Conrad stretched out his left leg. “Funny thing, he takes after you a lot. I guess some of me is in there too, but not in his mouth. He lets you know what he thinks, a lot more than I can.”
“And it was all good between you? No fights, no angry words?” Sarah asked.
“Not a one. God knows I don’t want any of that between us. But that doesn’t mean I can’t lay down the law. I know I’m his father, but around here I’m like the king of a small country. With our world gone to pieces, we can’t rely on the government or any ruling authority but ourselves. So, I guess I got to be whatever I need to be to keep this household going into the future.”
Sarah released her hands, then lifted her head. “I think I know what you mean.”
Conrad thought of Sarah decked out with those guns the other night, ready for her patrol around the ranch. He was sure she understood what he meant. Clearly, she had decided to take on whatever role she needed to take on to handle this new reality.
“Say, would you like a cup of coffee?” Conrad asked.
Sarah chuckled. “Conrad, you hurt your foot. I’m not making you get up for me.”
“Oh, come on, it’s no big deal.” Conrad got up and swiftly ignored the tinge of pain that shot up his left foot. Then he marched through the nearby door to the kitchen and fixed some coffee.
A few minutes later, he returned to the table with two mugs. He passed one to Sarah. “Thank you,” she said.
Conrad took a sip from his. Sarah set her mug down. “You’re still hurting.”
“Am not,” he replied.
“Liar.”
Conrad rolled his eyes. “Let’s say it’s a soft ache and we’ll call it even.”
“You really haven’t changed.” Sarah then took another drink. “And I’m glad you haven’t.”
A few sips later, Conrad set his mug down and looked at Sarah. “Whatever you might think about what happened between us.” He wiggled his right index finger back and forth between her and him. “Even if it hurt at the time, the end result was this place.” Then he pointed to the ceiling above, then to the walls and doorways leading to the kitchen, the hallway, and the living room. “If this was our destined place, perhaps there’s nothing more to say about what’s past.”
Sarah drank again from her mug, then said a quiet, “Right.”
Chapter Eight
Blake tapped the chain link fence that ran parallel to the road. A ranch lay on the other side. The soft sounds of goats bleating had lured Blake, Juan and Vander in this direction. Vander, with his hand shielding his eyes from the sun, pointed out the homestead off in the distance.
“This is it,” Blake said, “We’ve hit the spot on the map where the kid drew the line.”
The party hiked along the fence. Thanks to the overgrowth of vines and weeds on the fence and near it, their presence wouldn’t go easily detected. Still, Blake told them to watch out for anybody on guard. They’d likely be holding a rifle or other firearm.
As they closed the gap between themselves and the homestead, they spotted one of the ranch’s hands—a thin Caucasian man in an oversized shirt hauling a bucket of picked vegetables. He approached the fence line.
Blake turned to Vander. “Don’t say anything. I’ll take it from here.” Blake then straightened his jacket collar. “Remember, act neighborly.”
Soon Tom walked close enough to the fence that he could spot Blake, Juan and Vander. At the same time, Blake raised his hand. “Hello!” he shouted, “Afternoon to you.”