Chapter 5b
What I wanted was to know what happened in town and where was Kat? I was feeling better and I missed her. I was also worried about her. You don't shoot people in most small towns and get away with it. Not as much because the law came looking for you as they usually had friends. They were assholes but even assholes have friends who, since they run in packs, might decide to do something.
I knew I wasn't going to Flagstaff. Not with my leg like this and maybe never. I suppose I should have been worried about people looking for me. I wasn't. For me it was another bar dustup and if they did? So what. Even with a bad leg I figured I could take who ever I ran into. I was even idly considering asking Kat if she wanted to back to Utah with me.
I started walking away from the hogan and climbing a trail all of 60 ft up to a sandstone ledge and sitting. I would watch the clouds and their shadows race across the land and let my mind idle. I would pull off the bandage on my leg, expose it to the air, and tell myself it was healing. Once I saw a big ass bird with the wingspan and size of a drone fly over head. That gave me the cold sweats until I figured out it was a condor. That put me in a bad mood for the rest of the day.
That night Ty showed up with Kat. He had antibiotics he had bought with the money I had given him. Kat had news. She didn't look happy and neither did Ty and that was before he looked at the wound. They also seemed changed around me more distant. More watchful.
"So whats up Kat?"
We had to chit chat. Nobody here seemed to understand that getting to the point was the main purpose for talking but I kept my tongue in check. Kat sat next to me and was very concerned about me. I couldn't think of a subtle way of letting her now that if she was spending the night I hoped it was next to me. So I skipped subtle and asked, "You spending the night?" She looked down and grinned and said in a much smaller voice "Yes."
"Good."
I reached over and let my hand curve across her leg while I leaned in close, smelled her hair, and whispered, "Thanks." Then I checked out Grandma and Ty's reaction. They seemed okay with it. My bad mood was gone so I was sounding and feeling upbeat when I asked them for the news.
It was easy to tell from their reactions that Ty had been elected spokesman which he confirmed by telling me, "You stirred up some people Gardener. Killing Apaches always does. Killing a couple of Feds does too. Killing them both at one time is like a grand slam."
Kat added, "Especially when it's Gardener doing it."
Monday, August 8, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
The Unknown - Chapter 5 by nova
I came to on and off. No pain. Just blood loss and maybe a touch of shock. The longest period was when I was riding in the back of a pickup, the night was dark, the air cold, and the stars brilliant in the sky above.
For a while kept fading out of now to then. Then was a long time ago but now it seemed like I could touch it. I remember yelling for Max and Night but I didn't get an answer. I felt them close by which was good enough. I went back to sleep.
I woke up inside a beehive. At least that was what I thought it was first. I found out later it was a hogan, a Navajo house made out of mud, railroad timbers, and wood. It smelled good inside, I always like the smell of pine burning. Kat was there as was a male Navajo who was looking at my leg.
"He's awake." This was Kat.
"Yes he is." I thought it was moderately funny but they didn't smile. The kerosene lamp that was the one source of light left shadows on their faces that made them harder to read then I liked.
The Navaho male, I found out later his name was Tyrone which I thought was the funniest thing I had heard in years. Both Kat and Tyrone ended up shaking their heads and leaving me to lay there laughing and holding my side for awhile until I calmed down.
Tyrone was the town EMT and a former army medic. He wasn't gay either. Not that I cared, it was unusual in my experience. Kind of like a male antique store owner with five kids from three different women.
Our first conversation began with him looking at my leg and saying, "You got one seriously messed up leg and thigh my friend. You even feel anything where he stabbed you?"
"No."
"Been that way for awhile?"
"Yeah."
"Seen a real doctor about it?"
"Yeah."
He looked at me. He wasn't a youngster and I didn't need to ask him to know he had seen some shit in his day. "So you know?"
Kat was listening. Women are always listening. They can be doing three different things including holding a conversation with a friend and still here everything that's said.
"What do you know?"
"I know that I should have shot all four them assholes as soon as I came in the door." Then I went back to sleep.
For a while kept fading out of now to then. Then was a long time ago but now it seemed like I could touch it. I remember yelling for Max and Night but I didn't get an answer. I felt them close by which was good enough. I went back to sleep.
I woke up inside a beehive. At least that was what I thought it was first. I found out later it was a hogan, a Navajo house made out of mud, railroad timbers, and wood. It smelled good inside, I always like the smell of pine burning. Kat was there as was a male Navajo who was looking at my leg.
"He's awake." This was Kat.
"Yes he is." I thought it was moderately funny but they didn't smile. The kerosene lamp that was the one source of light left shadows on their faces that made them harder to read then I liked.
The Navaho male, I found out later his name was Tyrone which I thought was the funniest thing I had heard in years. Both Kat and Tyrone ended up shaking their heads and leaving me to lay there laughing and holding my side for awhile until I calmed down.
Tyrone was the town EMT and a former army medic. He wasn't gay either. Not that I cared, it was unusual in my experience. Kind of like a male antique store owner with five kids from three different women.
Our first conversation began with him looking at my leg and saying, "You got one seriously messed up leg and thigh my friend. You even feel anything where he stabbed you?"
"No."
"Been that way for awhile?"
"Yeah."
"Seen a real doctor about it?"
"Yeah."
He looked at me. He wasn't a youngster and I didn't need to ask him to know he had seen some shit in his day. "So you know?"
Kat was listening. Women are always listening. They can be doing three different things including holding a conversation with a friend and still here everything that's said.
"What do you know?"
"I know that I should have shot all four them assholes as soon as I came in the door." Then I went back to sleep.
Friday, August 5, 2011
The Unknown - Chapter 4f - by nova
Chapter 4f
I leaned back in my chair, it helped relieve the back pain I felt damn near every day I wore a pack now. My leg was tingling. A good sign that. It meant it had not gone completely dead on me yet. One of these days it would not only stay numb, but start dying on me. The doctor I had seen told me eventually it would have to come off. That wasn't going to happen. No. Fucking. Way.
A loud scream of pain and I refocused. Kat was yelling, "You cocksucker! That hurt!" while she rubbed her left breast. The assholes were laughing, all of them except for Lizard Lips who just looked amused. It was show time. I decided to go with Plan B instead of the usual Plan A. Why? Because it was riskier.
I stood up and dropped a couple of silver dollars on the table top. Yeah, I was way over tipping but I wanted them to see the silver, hear it clink, and process what it meant. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Lizard Lips shift position and drop his hand down to his side. For an Indian he could hold his liquor better than most. I walked past them at the table and without looking at her I raised my hand and said, "Thanks. See you around.
I had to walk past the bar to get out the door. About ten paces from the door I hesitated, turned to the dumb ass bar keep who was polishing glasses, and asked him, "Hey. You got any matches?" I took a step toward him and went into overdrive. I hit the bar, grabbed the edge, and threw myself over the top of it. In doing that I knocked the barkeep back against the bottles.
The shotgun was where she said it was. Now came the fun part. Was it actually loaded and hopefully not with bird shot either? I had to flip it since it was facing the right direction for a right hander and I was left handed. I took that opportunity to bounce the butt off the barkeeps forehead. He was yelling in my ear, "What the hell you doing?" I didn't need any distractions. Then it was pump, watch the already loaded round eject, tuck it to my shoulder, and start acquiring targets.
I loved this part still. Everything else had turned to "stale same old same old" but this, this was magic, this was the rush drugs had always promised but only in the beginning had they come close to delivering. Life was chopped into frames of clarity and beauty that in real time lasted microseconds but crawled in this magic time, the time of killing.
I pulled the trigger and Lizard Lips went sideways. That happens when you are off balance and 7 or 8 balls about the size of a .38 bullet touch you all at once. He was good. Better than I thought. He still managed to draw and touch my right shoulder. I jacked the pump and found target two as I moved towards the end of the bar. He was just as good as his buddy. If I hadn't have moved, my head would have been all over the wall, but I had and it was his head that got turned into a bunch of puzzle pieces.
I hit the waist high swinging door at the end of the bar with the intention of coming out fast and hosing the two white boys down. I got past that, pivoted, and pushed off with my bad leg except it wasn't where my head told me it was supposed to be. I lost balance and went down. Not good. Not good at all.
I was getting untangled and back on my feet when I realized I had been too slow. Both of the white boys were up and moving towards me. One of them was screaming, in the lead, and had his butcher knife held low in his hand. The other had his gun drawn but couldn't shoot because his partners bull rush fouled his shooting lane.
I had cleared and pumped a new shell but when I pulled the trigger all I heard was click. Well, I hadn't asked her how many were loaded had I? Oh well. I dropped the shotgun and went for what I should have started with, my Rugers, when he hit me and bounced us both back against the wall. He was snarling "Fuck you" and his eyes were glazed with drink and the victory that was just seconds away. I realized he wanted to be in close for the knife work so I pulled him in even closer. "Fine you sonafabitch" I thought and pulled my bayonet from its metal sheath, pulled him in tight, and reached around and punched it in his kidney. He stiffened and I shoved him back towards his partner. I need the space to draw and I was going to be cutting this one just a little too close.
That's when I heard the "boom" of a large bore handgun. It was followed by another one and I watched the other white guy go down. I saw Kat standing there in a two handed shooters stance holding a Ruger GP100 with a long fucking barrel.
"That;s a big gun for a little woman."
"The world is filled with big assholes."
"Yeah. You got a point."
"You know you have a knife sticking out of your leg?"
I looked down, pulled it out, dropped it, and said, "You wouldn't believe how many times people have fucked this leg up. You got any bandages?"
"Yeah. Let me get them."
I pulled of my body armor and then my shirt. By then I was starting to get dizzy. I took the shirt and pressed it against my upper leg hoping to stop most of the blood loss. Then I slowly slid down the wall and waited for her to return.
extensive edit
I leaned back in my chair, it helped relieve the back pain I felt damn near every day I wore a pack now. My leg was tingling. A good sign that. It meant it had not gone completely dead on me yet. One of these days it would not only stay numb, but start dying on me. The doctor I had seen told me eventually it would have to come off. That wasn't going to happen. No. Fucking. Way.
A loud scream of pain and I refocused. Kat was yelling, "You cocksucker! That hurt!" while she rubbed her left breast. The assholes were laughing, all of them except for Lizard Lips who just looked amused. It was show time. I decided to go with Plan B instead of the usual Plan A. Why? Because it was riskier.
I stood up and dropped a couple of silver dollars on the table top. Yeah, I was way over tipping but I wanted them to see the silver, hear it clink, and process what it meant. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Lizard Lips shift position and drop his hand down to his side. For an Indian he could hold his liquor better than most. I walked past them at the table and without looking at her I raised my hand and said, "Thanks. See you around.
I had to walk past the bar to get out the door. About ten paces from the door I hesitated, turned to the dumb ass bar keep who was polishing glasses, and asked him, "Hey. You got any matches?" I took a step toward him and went into overdrive. I hit the bar, grabbed the edge, and threw myself over the top of it. In doing that I knocked the barkeep back against the bottles.
The shotgun was where she said it was. Now came the fun part. Was it actually loaded and hopefully not with bird shot either? I had to flip it since it was facing the right direction for a right hander and I was left handed. I took that opportunity to bounce the butt off the barkeeps forehead. He was yelling in my ear, "What the hell you doing?" I didn't need any distractions. Then it was pump, watch the already loaded round eject, tuck it to my shoulder, and start acquiring targets.
I loved this part still. Everything else had turned to "stale same old same old" but this, this was magic, this was the rush drugs had always promised but only in the beginning had they come close to delivering. Life was chopped into frames of clarity and beauty that in real time lasted microseconds but crawled in this magic time, the time of killing.
I pulled the trigger and Lizard Lips went sideways. That happens when you are off balance and 7 or 8 balls about the size of a .38 bullet touch you all at once. He was good. Better than I thought. He still managed to draw and touch my right shoulder. I jacked the pump and found target two as I moved towards the end of the bar. He was just as good as his buddy. If I hadn't have moved, my head would have been all over the wall, but I had and it was his head that got turned into a bunch of puzzle pieces.
I hit the waist high swinging door at the end of the bar with the intention of coming out fast and hosing the two white boys down. I got past that, pivoted, and pushed off with my bad leg except it wasn't where my head told me it was supposed to be. I lost balance and went down. Not good. Not good at all.
I was getting untangled and back on my feet when I realized I had been too slow. Both of the white boys were up and moving towards me. One of them was screaming, in the lead, and had his butcher knife held low in his hand. The other had his gun drawn but couldn't shoot because his partners bull rush fouled his shooting lane.
I had cleared and pumped a new shell but when I pulled the trigger all I heard was click. Well, I hadn't asked her how many were loaded had I? Oh well. I dropped the shotgun and went for what I should have started with, my Rugers, when he hit me and bounced us both back against the wall. He was snarling "Fuck you" and his eyes were glazed with drink and the victory that was just seconds away. I realized he wanted to be in close for the knife work so I pulled him in even closer. "Fine you sonafabitch" I thought and pulled my bayonet from its metal sheath, pulled him in tight, and reached around and punched it in his kidney. He stiffened and I shoved him back towards his partner. I need the space to draw and I was going to be cutting this one just a little too close.
That's when I heard the "boom" of a large bore handgun. It was followed by another one and I watched the other white guy go down. I saw Kat standing there in a two handed shooters stance holding a Ruger GP100 with a long fucking barrel.
"That;s a big gun for a little woman."
"The world is filled with big assholes."
"Yeah. You got a point."
"You know you have a knife sticking out of your leg?"
I looked down, pulled it out, dropped it, and said, "You wouldn't believe how many times people have fucked this leg up. You got any bandages?"
"Yeah. Let me get them."
I pulled of my body armor and then my shirt. By then I was starting to get dizzy. I took the shirt and pressed it against my upper leg hoping to stop most of the blood loss. Then I slowly slid down the wall and waited for her to return.
extensive edit
Tent City - Today
The Tent City of New Jersey: Desperate victims of the economic slump forced to live in makeshift homes in forest
The article is mostly photos. Notice the solar panel?
The article is mostly photos. Notice the solar panel?
Thursday, August 4, 2011
The Unknown - Chapter 4e - by nova
Chapter 4e
When she brought me my tea it was in a clear glass that was actually clean. She bent over to set it on the table and I noticed that one more button had been loosened on her blouse. I liked the view.
"There you go."
She did rush to stand up either. I was okay with that.
She smiled, straightened slowly, and said, "Back to the assholes."
"Hey!"
"Yeah?"
"Where exactly is that shotgun?
"About a foot to his right. It's loaded with one in the chamber. Don't be messing up my floors. Unless it's..."
"Hey baby. Bring that pretty ass over here!"
This was from the white guy who thought he was going to get some. He was too. I was positive of that.
"Those assholes." She yelled, "Hang on!" I heard her mutter "The shit I gotta put up with to make a living." Then she was gone.
I sat there nursing my tea and watching. They got drunker and nastier. The old man went to sleep. Two people came in, looked at the table of drunken assholes, and spun on their heel and bailed.
When she came by to freshen up my drink I asked her, "You have a name?"
"Kat."
"I like it. You look like one." She did too. Or an elf girl. "Move like one too" I added.
"Thanks. How about you?"
"I don't have a name anymore."
"Really?"
"Yep."
"So I should call you Unknown?"
"Yeah."
She laughed. "Okay Unknown. I get off in two hours...think you can nurse that drink that long?"
"Oh, I think you'll be closing early."
"Hah! I should call you Dreamer instead."
I just smiled. I saw her eyes change for a second. They got harder, more focused. Then the Indian called for her. I had noticed they didn't like her spending more than a couple of sentences with me. I was going to have to fix that.
When she brought me my tea it was in a clear glass that was actually clean. She bent over to set it on the table and I noticed that one more button had been loosened on her blouse. I liked the view.
"There you go."
She did rush to stand up either. I was okay with that.
She smiled, straightened slowly, and said, "Back to the assholes."
"Hey!"
"Yeah?"
"Where exactly is that shotgun?
"About a foot to his right. It's loaded with one in the chamber. Don't be messing up my floors. Unless it's..."
"Hey baby. Bring that pretty ass over here!"
This was from the white guy who thought he was going to get some. He was too. I was positive of that.
"Those assholes." She yelled, "Hang on!" I heard her mutter "The shit I gotta put up with to make a living." Then she was gone.
I sat there nursing my tea and watching. They got drunker and nastier. The old man went to sleep. Two people came in, looked at the table of drunken assholes, and spun on their heel and bailed.
When she came by to freshen up my drink I asked her, "You have a name?"
"Kat."
"I like it. You look like one." She did too. Or an elf girl. "Move like one too" I added.
"Thanks. How about you?"
"I don't have a name anymore."
"Really?"
"Yep."
"So I should call you Unknown?"
"Yeah."
She laughed. "Okay Unknown. I get off in two hours...think you can nurse that drink that long?"
"Oh, I think you'll be closing early."
"Hah! I should call you Dreamer instead."
I just smiled. I saw her eyes change for a second. They got harder, more focused. Then the Indian called for her. I had noticed they didn't like her spending more than a couple of sentences with me. I was going to have to fix that.
The Unknown - Chapter 4d - by nova
Chapter 4d
I watched as she dropped off the bottle, grimaced at their bullshit comments, an almost evaded an ass grope. She spun her way out of that one and told them to watch their hands. They laughed. As she made her way to me I watched them. One white guy was telling the other who wasn't listening because he was too busy watching her walk away, "I'm gonna get me some of that." He was an idiot. I was confirming my kill order and he was last on the list. His buddy was next.
The Indians though, they were both good. Probably very good. That was unusual. People that good don't spend time in little towns like this. They went where the money was. Yet here we were. One was tilted back in his chair staring at the ceiling. The other Indian was looking at me. Not looking, appraising. He would be first. Our eyes locked. I knew him. He knew me. He gave me the lizard grin, thin lipped and cold blooded. I winked. Fuck him.
The bar maid was almost to my table so I focused on her. It was a pleasure. She looked as nice coming as she did going.
"What can I get you?"
"Is your bartender as worthless as I think he is?"
She looked over her shoulder quickly. When she looked back at me her face had tightened, "Yes. He is. He's got a 12 gauge under the bar but I think he would rather use the back door first."
"Yeah. Okay. You got any ice tea?"
"Sun tea...not iced. That work?"
"Sugar?"
"She smiled, "You mean for the tea?"
I felt it. It had been a long time. "Yeah. For the tea."
Another big smile. I liked that smile. "Coming right up" and she was gone. I didn't bother looking over at the assholes. I was running a new scenario through my head.
I watched as she dropped off the bottle, grimaced at their bullshit comments, an almost evaded an ass grope. She spun her way out of that one and told them to watch their hands. They laughed. As she made her way to me I watched them. One white guy was telling the other who wasn't listening because he was too busy watching her walk away, "I'm gonna get me some of that." He was an idiot. I was confirming my kill order and he was last on the list. His buddy was next.
The Indians though, they were both good. Probably very good. That was unusual. People that good don't spend time in little towns like this. They went where the money was. Yet here we were. One was tilted back in his chair staring at the ceiling. The other Indian was looking at me. Not looking, appraising. He would be first. Our eyes locked. I knew him. He knew me. He gave me the lizard grin, thin lipped and cold blooded. I winked. Fuck him.
The bar maid was almost to my table so I focused on her. It was a pleasure. She looked as nice coming as she did going.
"What can I get you?"
"Is your bartender as worthless as I think he is?"
She looked over her shoulder quickly. When she looked back at me her face had tightened, "Yes. He is. He's got a 12 gauge under the bar but I think he would rather use the back door first."
"Yeah. Okay. You got any ice tea?"
"Sun tea...not iced. That work?"
"Sugar?"
"She smiled, "You mean for the tea?"
I felt it. It had been a long time. "Yeah. For the tea."
Another big smile. I liked that smile. "Coming right up" and she was gone. I didn't bother looking over at the assholes. I was running a new scenario through my head.
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