The Road

by Lance K Ewing

  “Sorry, it was an accident,” James replied. “I got hit by the flies when I opened the basement door.”

  “I’m so sorry for those two,” replied Janice.

  Kneeling together, they said a prayer for their dear friends.

  “Let’s go home and talk with Jason and Lauren about the next step,” said James. “We need to all be on the same page before we go into town in the morning.

  “I want to give these two a proper burial,” he continued, pointing down the stairs. “I’m just not sure how to approach it all with Sheriff Johnson.”

  They left the house, closing both the basement and front door behind them. James was happy to have the wind blowing in his face on the ride home.

  * * * *

  Reaching the ranch, James and Jason cleaned the front porch.

  Filling him in on the scene found at the Whitters’ house, he added, “You did the right thing last night, Jason. May have saved my life. Let’s get a plan together, so we’re ready next time.

  “I’m sorry to get on you about the front door, but I spent my time and a bit of money to make it formidable for any attack. If we open it, we’ve lost that defense.”

  “I know,” replied Jason. “I get it, and it won’t happen again.

  “Chance woke up while you guys were gone.”

  “Janice checked on him every couple of hours last night,” said James. “She said he looks good and should recover soon.”

  “He ate two bowls of food this morning,” said Jason, “so I guess that’s a good sign of recovery.”

  The front porch was scrubbed with soap and water. While it wouldn’t pass a DNA test, it was clean to anyone just looking at it.

  Lunch was served, and it was decided that Janice and Lauren would have their little wine party inside and not on the roof tonight, as previously planned.

  The adults were able to talk in the afternoon, as the girls played hide-and-seek throughout the house.

  It was agreed that they would bring the three bodies to town tomorrow to show the Sheriff. James didn’t want him looking around his ranch if he could help it.

  The story was simple. They came up with rifles, looking for food, and threatened us after eluding to killing Mr. Whitter and his wife.

  James and Janice would relay the story of their trip to the Whitters’ house, citing what they had observed, and ask how to proceed.

  The night was quiet, with the ladies getting their time to relax upstairs while James, Jason and the girls read stories from the Bible.

  Chance was happy, with the girls barely leaving his side all day.

  * * * * * * *

  Chapter Thirteen ~

  Weston, Colorado

  James was up early to load the three intruders into the back of the trailer. Covering them with heavy tarps, he hoped to conceal them from both the girls and anyone in town until he could tell his story.

  “I don’t like leaving the ranch unattended, but the Sheriff will want us all there.

  “Chance should detour anyone hoping to come into the house with a good bark or two. Plus, everyone in and out of town now knows about the hangings, and I can’t imagine they would be trying to loot while that was happening,” he told Jason.

  They all loaded on the tractor and trailer at around 7 a.m., near as James could tell, judging by the sunrise. “I’d rather us be early than late,” said Janice, and all agreed.

  The road this morning was the busiest James had seen it since the lights went out.

  “It seems the good Sheriff got the word out to all the out-of-towners,” James said.

  “Well, I’ll bet that also comes with a lot of extra votes in the upcoming election,” added Janice.

  “Do you think the judge will expand the town limits?” asked Lauren.

  “Honestly,” replied James, “I think it’s already been decided and only he and the Sheriff knew about it. I want to wait until after the proceedings before I talk to him about these guys,” he added, motioning to the back of the trailer.

  “About us?” came a voice from the trailer.

  “No, sweetie,” said Lauren. “Not you.”

  “What are we going to do in town?” the girls wanted to know.

  “You’re just going to spend an hour or two at the school, so you can meet some other kids your age,” said Jason.

  “That’s fun! I miss reading in school,” said Carla.

  “Not me!” replied Jenna.

  “Well, maybe we can try and find you girls some books at the next swap meet on Saturday,” said Janice.

  “Just because you’re not in school doesn’t mean you can’t learn,” said Lauren. “That would be wonderful, Janice,” she added, with a smile.

  James was now in a long line of tractors, with a few old trucks and ATVs, all heading into town.

  “I’d say this trip is pretty safe so far,” James commented, as he waved to a few people he knew.

  “There’s safety in numbers,” said Janice. “I guess that’s the Sheriff’s point.” All nodded their heads.

  The one-room schoolhouse was bustling with children of all ages. Sheriff Johnson and his opponent, Mr. Grimes, were both greeting families as they arrived, each wearing their voting pins on their shirt. It was becoming apparent to most that Mr. Grimes was the underdog in this race.

  “It’s hard to beat a sitting Sheriff,” James said quietly to Janice, “and I’m guessing his opponent is just now hearing about expanding the city limits.”

  “All is fair in politics, even now,” she replied.

  “Great to see you,” said the Sheriff, shaking hands with the adults. “I can assure you your little ones will be safe here,” he said to Jason, pointing at his three deputies in front of the school. “No one’s allowed in but the teachers and children.”

  “Could I get a word with you after the…well…the…”

  “The hangings?” asked the Sheriff.

  “Yes,” replied James.

  “Sure. About the council position, I hope?”

  “It’s another matter, sir.”

  “Okay,” said the Sheriff. “Stop by the station about 9:45 and we’ll talk.”

  James, Janice, Jason, and Lauren made it to the square by 8:30, according to the ticking town clock. Last preparations were made to the gallows and hanging platform.

  The convicted men were not in sight, and Lauren was uneasy about seeing the men who attacked them. Would they speak to her or just stare? She was starting to sleep a little easier. Well, until a couple of nights ago, that is.

  “Will they be covered when they come out?” she asked out loud. “I mean, will they have those black hoods on?”

  “Not at first,” replied James. “They will be sentenced first and may even be allowed to say some last words, but I can’t be sure about that.”

  At 8:50, Judge Lowry and Sheriff Johnson climbed the stairs to the hanging platform. The crowd of nearly 500 quieted as they reached the top.

  “Thank you, good folks, for coming out today,” started the Sheriff in a booming voice, needing no microphone. “We understand it was a bit of a trip for some of you.

  “Our great Judge Lowry,” he said, gesturing to the man beside him, “and I want nothing less than the safety of our townspeople in this new and unforgiving land we were handed only a couple of weeks ago.

  “As most of you know, our Federal Government has declared martial law, giving the power to the US military. And in their absence, it is passed down to local law, including judges and law enforcement.”

  “I know the military rules during martial law, but I’m not sure it gets passed down to local law enforcement in their absence,” James said quietly to Jason.

  “They don’t know, either,” replied Jason, waving his arm across the crowd.

  “The four coming before you today,” continued the Sheriff, “have been tried and sentenced by our good Judge here for various crimes. Our town is sure to be safer when they are gone. Judge Lowry would now like to say a few words.”


  “Thank you for coming, folks. I’ll talk as loud as I can and hope you all can hear me,” called out the Judge.

  “First, most of you I see are from town, and the rest have been outside the town limits. By order, I declare our town borders to be expanded by 20 miles in all directions, effective immediately. This expansion will give most of you previously outside the limits added protection by our law enforcement and the ability to vote in our upcoming town elections.

  “Second, I have asked for you all to be here today to bear witness to today’s proceedings, as I hope it will become known far and wide that we do not condone criminal acts of any kind in our town.

  “And last, but certainly not least, I want to invite you all to our second swap meet, commencing this Saturday and every one after—weather permitting, of course. The times and rules are posted on the front door of the courthouse.

  “Let us begin,” he announced, and the four men shackled by their wrists and ankles were brought out from the jailhouse, walking single file.

  Flanked by deputies, they were led up the stairs slowly. Two of the men needed help when their knees buckled. Reaching the platform, they were placed across in a line.

  Judge Lowry stood on the ground in front of the platform and addressed the sentenced men in a loud voice that most townsfolk could hear.

  “You four have been tried and convicted in my court. After careful review of all available evidence, I find you guilty of crimes ranging from assault to thievery against citizens of our fair town.

  “The sentence for each of you is death by hanging until you are dead.

  “We are a God-fearing town, and as such you are each granted one minute to pray or make amends to your Maker.”

  No man spoke out loud, but one moved his lips, apparently in prayer, with his head bowed and eyes closed.

  Lauren had been staring at the man who attacked her, as she could never forget his face. He seemed to be scanning the large crowd over the last couple of minutes. Their eyes met, and Lauren jumped as the man smiled and blew a kiss with his still shackled hands in front of him.

  Jason saw this, his face turning red.

  “You son of a bitch,” Lauren said under her breath. She looked at Jason, but he was gone.

  “Excuse me. Pardon me, ma’am,” said Jason, as he made his way to the front of the crowd on his crutches.

  Most of the crowd had their eyes on him as he reached the platform, now looking up at his wife’s attacker nearly ten feet above him. “I’m as close as I can get!” he yelled up at the man.

  James had followed Jason up front and put a hand on his shoulder. “Okay. We’re okay,” he said. “Justice will be served.”

  James met the Sheriff’s eyes and nodded, indicating he had this under control.

  “Blindfolds,” called the Judge to the deputies. Each man was fitted with a black hood, with each noose tightened securely on their necks.

  “May God have mercy on your souls,” said Judge Lowry, as he nodded to Sheriff Johnson.

  The Sheriff, with his hand on the drop lever, said a quick, silent prayer. “Forgive me, Lord,” as he swiftly pulled it down, felling the four men.

  They fell about five feet. A standard drop-hanging, thought James, having studied the various hanging techniques a while back. The standard drop was long enough to ensure the neck was broken, but not so long to risk decapitation and turn off the large crowd of potential voters. He had spent nearly a week’s full of nights after dinner researching this, after a chance Google search when looking for “hanging plants.”

  Two of the men were motionless, and the other two were struggling. Jason’s man took longer. “That could be me,” he whispered to James, as he turned and headed back to Lauren.

  James followed him back, and they all headed for the rear of the crowd.

  “We’re done here,” announced James, as they walked away. The ladies picked the girls up from the schoolhouse, as James and Jason waited outside the Sheriff’s office.

  Nearly thirty minutes later, Sheriff Johnson walked into his office. James and Jason followed him inside.

  “Well, how did we do?” the Sheriff asked James.

  “I’m not sure what you’re asking, sir,” James replied.

  “About the hangings. It was our first one, and the Judge and I had to do some research on it. Turns out there are a number of traditional ways to hang. There’s the short drop, the standard drop, the long drop, and the suspension hanging. Each has a different set of criteria for the gallows or platform. Drop heights and body weights must be carefully calculated to ensure the final result.

  “One of your guys took a full 15 minutes to die, according to the town doctor.”

  “I had done some research on that a while back,” said James. “I was searching online for ‘hanging plants,’ and it autocorrected to ‘hanging plans.’ Interesting read, though.”

  “Well, the Judge and I had to do it the old-fashioned way, so it took a bit longer to find the books on the subject.”

  “Do you think there will be more of those in the future, Sheriff?” asked Jason.

  “I believe so,” he replied. “Now, what can I help you gentlemen with today?”

  “Well,” started James, wanting to do most of the talking. “We had an altercation at our property a couple of nights ago.” He went on to explain how the three had threatened them, wanting food (leaving out anything to do with the still). He told him about he and Janice’s trip to the Whitters’ place and what they had found.

  “I always liked those folks. Didn’t make it up to their place the other day, but sounds like it wouldn’t have made a difference, from what you’re telling me. I was counting on their votes, though.

  “It’s a shame about those two. I’ll run it by the Judge later today, but I think we’re okay on this. You’re not the first of your neighbors to run into something like this, you know.

  “Let’s get the bodies dropped behind the station and I’ll figure out what to do about old man Whitter and his wife. It would be good to have them up here in the town cemetery, but from the sounds of it, cremation may be a better way. Can’t have a contaminated house getting people sick around here.”

  The talk all the way home this time was from the girls. They were so excited to meet some other kids their age. Even Candice was now apparently eager to learn.

  “And the teachers said they were all welcome to come back each Saturday to the school for learning,” explained Jenna in an excited, high-pitched voice.

  “Can we, Mommy? Can we?” they all asked, with hopeful faces.

  “We’ll see, girls,” replied Lauren.

  “Wouldn’t be too much trouble,” whispered James to Jason. “I’m quite sure the Sheriff will make the schoolhouse the safest place in town.”

  “I don’t doubt that, but I’d hate to put you and Janice out, if you weren’t going to be trading, that is.”

  “Rest assured, we will be trading every week, so no worries there,” Janice piped up, overhearing the conversation.

  They paused just outside the locked gate to their property, and both James and Jason observed the property for several minutes before pulling in.

  “All good, Chance?” asked Janice, petting him on the head as they opened the door. He barked once and stretched as only a dog will do after a long nap.

  Early in the afternoon, with the girls playing outside under careful watch, James saw Sheriff Johnson’s truck pass by the property without slowing. He could make out one passenger up front and another two in the bed.

  “Guess they’re checking out the Whitters’ place,” said Janice. “Think we should meet them up there?” she asked James.

  “Naw. I’m already getting cozier than I’d like with the good Sheriff. The last thing I need is him and his deputies wanting to spend the weekend on our ranch. I’m sure he’ll let us know if they need any help.”

  “Mr. James!” came a worried voice from Jenna an hour later. “Look at all the smoke!” she said, pointing
down the road.

  “It looks like we have our answer,” said James out loud, to no one in particular. “Cremation it is… Rest in peace, old friends. Rest in peace.”

  Sheriff Johnson and two of his men stopped just outside James’ gate on their way back from the Whitter place. James walked down to meet them, hoping they wouldn’t ask to come in.

  “Well, it’s done,” said the Sheriff as they shook hands. “I was hoping to bring them back to the cemetery,” he added, “but it was too much of a mess.