by Chris Pike
“Did you?”
“No.” Her answer was steadfast. “I ran away after that. Nobody would help me. I’ve been stuck on Padre ever since.”
Kate and Reload walked up then. “What’s going on? And who’s this? Was she the one shooting at us?”
“No. The dead guys were the ones shooting.”
Reload padded over to one of the dead men and sniffed the body. He ran his nose along the pants, sniffed the hands, moved across the body then to the face. He growled.
“It’s okay, Reload,” Kate said reassuringly. “They can’t hurt us.”
“Haley, are you hungry?” Nico asked.
“Yes.”
“Kate, can you get her something to eat and drink?”
“Sure.” Kate dug around in her backpack, found a candy bar and half a bottle of water. She offered it to the girl. Reload sat on his haunches and watched the girl eat.
“Stay here,” Nico said to Haley. Taking Kate by the elbow, he guided her to the other side of the helicopter. Once they were out of earshot, Nico said, “We can’t leave her here.”
“I know.” Kate looked up at Nico. “But we can’t take her with us either. I don’t want my parents to be responsible for another person.”
“I’m not asking you to.”
Chapter 3
Nico ran a hand over his beard, thinking. “I can take you home.”
“You can?” Haley was beyond happy.
“Can you find your house from the air?”
“I’m sure I can. Just follow the road into town and hang a left at Everhart. I’ll let you know which one it is. We’re in one of the subdivisions, south of there.”
“Hop in. Kate, you and Reload can sit in the back.” While Nico was sure this girl wasn’t a threat, it paid to be cautious. If she was in the front seat, he could keep an eye on her.
After everyone was secured in their seats, Nico powered up the helicopter, and fifteen minutes later he had set the helicopter down in the middle of a wide street leading to the subdivision where the girl lived.
“Thank you so much,” Haley said, trying to be heard above the roar of the helicopter wash. “How can I ever repay you?”
“No need to. If you find someone else who needs help, then pay it forward.”
“I will,” Haley said.
“Wait,” Nico said. “Here’s your knife back.”
Exiting the helicopter, Haley closed the door, waved good-bye again, then, with her shoulders hunched over she sprinted to a safe distance away from the helicopter.
Nico waited until she disappeared around a corner house.
“That was nice for you to take her home,” Kate said.
Nico nodded. “She was a survivor. I like to help those kinds of people. The world needs more of them. Good riddance to the creeps who kidnapped her.”
Nico took the controls of the helicopter and guided it to cruising altitude, following the interstate through town, then guided the helicopter past the ship channel and the harbor bridge. Several big ships were docked at the channel, no doubt unable to sail anywhere. A few aluminum fishing boats were specks on the bay, and whitecaps formed on the choppy gray waters.
For the next hour they flew in silence, each keeping to private thoughts. Kate’s mind wandered to her parents and what they would do when they saw her. She thought about her oldest brother Chandler, and to the next oldest, Luke. It had been a long time since she had seen anyone in her family, and she wondered what it would be like to return home. She glanced at Nico and put a hand on his arm.
He nodded. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”
A lot had happened since Nico had walked into the bar at the Minor Hotel. When Kate first set eyes on him, she knew he was the one for her. She had fought the attraction, afraid to have someone else ripped from her life after what had happened to her fiancé. In the beginning, she felt she was not honoring Ben’s memory by having Nico in her life, until she realized the life she had planned with Ben no longer existed. She had to make a new life, and Nico was part of that. He was different. There were no pretenses or false promises, only the promise he’d be there for her. He had accepted her dog without protest from Reload, and that meant a lot to Kate. Reload was a good judge of character, and had accepted Nico from the beginning. Okay, maybe there was a growl or two, but, if Reload hadn’t liked Nico, he would have made it clear. The two were now bonded. Make that three.
Kate leaned her head against the window. The land segued from coastal marshes and bays to the flat farmland of cotton and corn. Palm trees became fewer. Woodland thickets and tall oaks dotted the land below in the hazy air. The warm cabin of the chopper and the noise and vibrating window lulled her to close her eyes, and she drifted off to sleep.
* * *
“Kate, wake up,” Nico said. He nudged her leg. “We’re here at the 360 Bridge.”
“Hmm?”
“We’re almost there. You need to direct me to where your parents live.”
Kate yawned and rubbed her eyes. “I must have fallen asleep.”
“You did. I didn’t want to wake you until the last minute.”
“I appreciate that. I needed the sleep.”
“How do we get there?”
Kate’s eyes scanned the city. They were flying over the 360 Bridge, which crossed the winding Colorado River. Fishing boats sat idle on the river. A man glanced skyward and waved at them. Limestone cliffs loomed high over one side of the Colorado, while on the other side, the land sloped gently to the river.
“Stay with the highway then turn left at FM 2222. Take another left at the second stoplight. Follow the street until it dead ends.”
“Is there a place to land?”
Kate mentally imaged the street grid leading to her parent’s house. “Probably at the intersection. You can land there, then we’ll walk the rest of the way.”
Minutes later Nico set the helicopter down where Kate indicated. He powered down the chopper and waited until the blades stopped rotating.
“How are you doing?” Nico asked.
“A little nervous.” Kate chewed on a ragged hangnail. “You?”
“I’m fine. Let’s take what we need and leave the camping equipment here. I’ll come back for it later.”
Chapter 4
Austin, Texas
Chandler household
William Chandler, better known as Uncle Billy, was sitting under the shade of a pecan tree at the John Chandler household. The previous evening, Uncle Billy had tied a six pack of Buckhorn beer to the dock and lowered it to a deep part of the river, hoping the beer would be cool by morning.
He had done his chores for the morning, including pulling weeds in the garden, and making sure the fence around the garden didn’t have any holes in it. Rabbits were a constant problem, but not so much lately. People ate whatever they could find.
The two-story homestead house sat on the banks of the Colorado River, built beyond the one hundred year flood plain. The Big View neighborhood where the Chandlers lived was known for its large lots and extra large houses, where it was common for BMWs and Range Rovers to sit in the driveway.
The Chandler house was a throwback to a different era and looked out of place among the newly built, modern mansions.
So be it, Uncle Billy thought.
All the money the dot.com crowd had made was now about as useful as a tin shed in a hailstorm.
After Uncle Billy polished off his second beer of the day, he retrieved a rag from the tool shed and used it to wipe down his prized possession, a two door, V-8 engine 1972 Gran Torino he found abandoned upriver. What fool would abandon a beauty like that was beyond Uncle Billy’s understanding. The car had a few dings and scraped paint. Who cared? Not Uncle Billy. When he found the car, he figured he could clean off the mud, give it a good coat of wax, put a quilt over the back seat to hide the ripped upholstery, and there you go. Almost as good as new.
The day he found the car, he and his nephew Luke had been out scouting for any
thing of value they might trade. Recent rains had flooded the river, and floods tended to push down all sorts of flotsam, some of it useful, and while they didn’t find much of anything that day, it did lead them to the car.
Uncle Billy and Luke checked for any type of message indicating the owner would be back, and after they had thoroughly searched the car, Uncle Billy decided to hotwire it.
“Isn’t that stealing?” Luke asked.
“Me? A thief?” Uncle Billy scowled and pretended to be offended Luke would say such a statement. “I’m only borrowing it so I can return it to its rightful owner.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“You can believe what you want to.” Uncle Billy ran his hand along the contours of the car, down the fender, along the tire rims, admiring the style of the old car. “Yes, sir. A beautiful car is like a beautiful woman. Treat her right and she’ll purr, treat her wrong and the claws come out.”
Luke rolled his eyes. “You’re hopeless.”
“Maybe so, but I know what I like, and I like this, and I’m gonna have it.”
“When are you gonna teach me to hotwire a car? Haven’t you already showed Kate how to?”
“She’s a quick learner. She likes cars, so yeah, I taught her. That’s what a good uncle does.”
“Teaches their nieces how to steal cars? You’re something else.”
“I’m the coolest uncle around too, don’t forget that.” Uncle Billy opened the driver’s side door and removed the plastic cover on the steering column. “I think I can do this.” He pulled a bundle of wires out, and let them dangle to the side. Taking the colored wires, he removed about a half inch of insulation then twisted them together.
Nothing happened.
“Think the car’s dead?” Luke asked.
“Don’t know. Let’s check the engine.”
Uncle Billy popped the hood and checked the connections. “I think all it needs is a good battery.”
“Where can we get one?”
Uncle Billy pondered Luke’s question. “Stay here with the car. I’ll be back in thirty minutes.”
True to his word, Uncle Billy came back, lugging a car battery. “Don’t ask me where I got it,” he said.
“I can only imagine,” Luke replied.
Uncle Billy installed the battery, tried twisting the wires together again, and the engine roared to life. “Nothing like a V-8 engine. Hop in, Luke.” He turned the car around, glanced at Luke sitting in the passenger seat, and said, “Hold on.”
The tires spun, the car fishtailed, and Uncle Billy raced it down the dirt road. “Whoowhee!” He glanced at Luke, who was desperately trying to snap the seatbelt into place. “Told ya she’d purr.”
* * *
Uncle Billy sat back in the chair, clasped his hands above his head, and stretched as he listened to a pair of chattering birds high in the top of one of the pecan trees. He waved to a kayaker on the river. “You catch any fish?”
“No,” the man replied.
If Uncle Billy was on the river and had caught fish he wouldn’t tell anybody where he’d found them either.
He polished off his third beer of the day, and as he crumpled the can, he caught the sound of a helicopter. He spotted it coming in south of the river, and tracked it across the treetops. When he couldn’t see it anymore, he hobbled around to the front of the house to get a better look.
The chopper glided over the houses then came in for a smooth landing, setting down in the middle of the street. Uncle Billy figured it was probably one of the homeowners of the adjacent multi-million dollar houses. Still, curiosity got the best of him, so he waited to see who was in the chopper.
Once the blades stopped spinning, a man exited the chopper, stretched, and checked his surroundings. The man saw Uncle Billy, studied him for a moment, and waved.
Uncle Billy didn’t recognize the man as being one of the homeowners, and wondered what he was doing in the neighborhood. The man appeared to be on the up and up, but in the current state of the world, one could never be too cautious. Uncle Billy raised his hand and waved.
The man looped around to the other side of the chopper and opened the door. A large dog hopped out, followed by a young woman. Uncle Billy shaded his eyes from the sun-glint trying to get a better look. He observed the man say something to the woman, then took the dog’s leash, directing the dog to step aside.
Uncle Billy noted the familiar way the woman moved, confident and self-assured in her surroundings, like she had lived here all her life. She was mid-twenties, sandy blonde hair, about the same size as…
“Kate!” he yelled. “Kate, is that you?”
The woman searched for whoever had called her, then spotted Uncle Billy. There was a moment of hesitation, and then the biggest smile spread across her young face. She dropped the dog’s leash and ran to her uncle.
Kate smashed into Uncle Billy and embraced him. He scooped Kate up and twirled her around once then set her down. He put his hands on her shoulders and stood her at arm’s length. “Kate, I’m so glad to see you. We thought we’d never see you again. You look…” he searched for the right description, “…happy.”
“I am.”
“Let’s get you in the house. Your mom will be so glad to see you.”
“Wait,” Kate said. “There’s somebody else I’d like you to meet.” She called Nico over.
Lugging a backpack, Nico extended a hand to Uncle Billy. “I’m Nico Bell.”
“Uncle Billy. That’s what everybody calls me.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“No doubt all good?”
“Of course, Uncle Billy!” Kate blurted. She teasingly knuckle punched him in the arm.
Nico said to Kate, “You go on in. I need to get a couple of things from the chopper.”
After Nico was out of earshot, Uncle Billy leaned into Kate. “Are you two, uh, a couple?”
“We are.”
“Does he treat you good?”
“He does.”
“Then that’s all I need to know, because if he didn’t I’d whip his ass a good one and slap him into next week.”
Kate jokingly elbowed Uncle Billy then put an arm around his waist. They walked toward the house, Reload following behind.
Coming to the house, Kate stopped and took it in, recalling the last time she had been here. The big fight with her mother had resulted in Kate packing a bag and storming out the house while her mother pleaded with her to stay. When Kate left, she had slammed the front door shut. Recalling the sound it made, and the force she used to slam it, she winced. It had rattled the windows in the front of the house. She had said hurtful words to her mother, and now regretted them.
“Is Mom still mad at me?” Kate asked, her voice tinged with a mixture of anxiety and hope.
“Not anymore. Whatever was said between you two happened a lifetime ago, Kate,” Uncle Billy said. “I’m old enough to know we only get one stab at this life. Live it how you want to, not how someone else says you should. I know your mother and you had your differences in the past. Let it go. By the looks of it, you’ve done a lot of growing up since you were last here. Am I right?”
“For someone who pretends he’s a backwoods good ‘ol boy, you sure are smart.”
“I take that as a compliment. Let’s go on in.”
Chapter 5
“Tatiana,” Uncle Billy yelled. “We have a guest.” He shut the front door and asked Kate not to say anything, wanting it to be a surprise. He took Kate by the elbow and guided her into the kitchen.
Tatiana had been in the kitchen inventorying food, trying to think of clever ways to use canned tuna, or rather ways to disguise it. Due to dwindling food supplies, protein such as fish or meat was limited to three meals a week. The unexpected company gave her a brief reprieve from her mundane task, so, with a smile on her face, she called back, “Who is it?” It took her a brief nanosecond to understand her daughter had come home. With open arms, she went to Kate and hugged
her. Unable to contain her emotions, rivulets of tears flowed easily down her cheeks.
“Don’t cry, Mom,” Kate squeaked. “I’ll start crying too.”
“Let me see you,” Tatiana said. “I’ve prayed every night you’d come home.” She clasped her hands together. “My prayers were answered.”
“Mom, there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you for a long time. I’m sorry for what I said, and for—”
“It’s all forgotten. None of it matters.” Tatiana brushed a strand of hair out of Kate’s face in a gesture of motherly love. “What matters is that you’re home safe. Can I get you anything? Are you hungry? When did you eat last? What have you—”
“Tatiana,” Uncle Billy cut in, “there’s another guest coming.”
“There is? Who?”
Before Tatiana could continue the line of questioning, the front door swung open.
Nico took a quick sweep of the house, noting the flow of the rooms and the placement of the furniture. As common in old houses, each room had a separate purpose from the formal dining room and living room, to the den and kitchen. Traffic flow appeared to be in a circular pattern. It wasn’t that Nico appreciated architecture, the observation was something to be filed away in his memory in case there was an emergency. He also noted the heavy mahogany china cabinet and table—bullet stopping furniture. It was old, heavy, and sturdy. His type of furniture.
Nico stepped into the foyer, wiped his shoes on the mat, and sensed the surprised atmosphere. “Am I interrupting something?”
“Not at all,” Kate said. She rushed over to Nico and put her arm around him. “Mom, this is Nico, or should I say Nikolai Belyahov.”
“Definitely Russian,” Tatiana commented. “I’m Tatiana. Nice to meet you.”
“Rad poznakomit’sya,” Nico replied.
“You speak without an accent. Kate, you must tell me more about Nico.”
Kate began to protest when Tatiana addressed Nico. “Do you mind if I steal my daughter for a little while? I haven’t seen her in a long time.”