Chapter 25
I don’t know why I was worried. Luna and I were with three big strong guys who also just happened to be a special breed of giant werewolf. So if that man had any intentions of hurting us, he’d be sorry as hell he offered us a ride.
We pulled onto the highway, and drove several miles, before turning off again. I saw an old house ahead in the far distance. Joseph didn’t see it because his face was buried in his arms, propped up on his knees. Luna was facing me, so unless she had eyes in the back of her head, she couldn’t see it either. And James was asleep. I swear that guy could sleep through a hurricane.
When I tapped Joseph on the shoulder it startled him. He jerked and quickly raised his head, opening his eyes. I pointed at the house. “That doesn’t look anything like a truck stop to me… I’m just saying.” I threw my hands out, palm up, and shrugged.
I tried to play it down, like I wasn’t worried, but I’m sure Joseph saw right through me. He shook James awake and whispered something to him that I couldn’t hear. James didn’t say anything, he just simply nodded at Joseph.
We turned onto the path that led to the house. It was an old one story shack. Most of the paint had worn off the clapboards, and half of the railing was broken or missing on the front porch.
He and Joshua opened their doors, and stepped out. A three legged dog came hopping from around back, barking and excited to see his master.
“You youngens get on out and stretch yer legs and get some water. I’ll only be a few minutes.” The old man said, and dropped open the tailgate. “There’s some fresh rain water in that barrel over there.” He pointed in the direction of a few large barrels sitting beside the house.
“Do you have a phone we can use?” I asked earnestly.
“Nope, afraid not. I ain’t never had anyone to call, so I couldn’t see payin’ for one.” He turned and started to walk in the direction of the back of his house. He walked like maybe one leg was a good two inches shorter than the other. “Sorry.” He called out without bothering to turn around.
As soon as the old man disappeared around the house, Joshua spoke up. “He’s just a harmless bootlegger. He said he saw our plane go down on his way back from one of his “customer’s” houses.” He did air quotes for the word customer’s.
“I hear what you’re saying, Josh, but I just have a bad feeling about this “harmless” guy.” I did air quotes for harmless, but I was really just mocking Joshua.
He looked at me severely. “My name is Joshua, not Josh.”
“Sor-ry! I had no idea you were so touchy about your name.” I spun on my heel and stomped off toward the rain barrel.
I scooped out a small handful of water and tasted it. It was surprisingly cool for such a hot day. When I picked up the ladle hanging on the side of the barrel, it was all grimy and nasty looking. I wasn’t about to stick that thing to my face without cleaning it first. I took it with me and went looking for a water hose. When I stepped around the back of the house, I saw wires going from the house to a telephone pole. I didn’t see the old man anywhere so I knocked on the back door.
While I was standing outside the door, I heard the old man’s voice coming from somewhere inside the house. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but his conversation seemed one-sided. There was a couple of crates under the kitchen window, and even though I knew I shouldn’t, something compelled me to see who he was talking to. My whole body shook like crazy at the idea of him catching me peeking in his window.
After quietly situating the crate, I stepped up on it, and slowly stood. When I peeked in, he was standing in front of a cabinet with his back to the window, and I saw a curly black phone cord stretched up from inside a drawer to a receiver pressed against his ear. My elbow hit a can on the window ledge, sending it crashing to the ground. My stomach tensed with fear and I quickly ducked. When I heard his footsteps clomping across the wooden floor, I bolted and didn’t slow down until I’d made it around to the front where Luna and the boys were drinking.
As soon as I saw them dipping their hands in the barrel, it hit me and I promptly looked down at my empty hands. Oh my God, the ladle. I was in such a hurry, I’d left the ladle laying on the back steps.
I was about to sneak back and get it when the old man came out the front door and yelled for us. While we walked, I tried to think of a good excuse in case he asked who was around back, but he didn’t.
“Load up. I got one more stop, then I’ll drop you kids at Beaver’s. That’s the name of the Truck Stop I told you about.”
While riding, all I could think about was how the old man had lied. Finally, I couldn’t hold it in anymore and I told Joseph what I’d done.
“Are you trying to get yourself shot?” He scoffed. “Moonshine runners don’t play.”
“Chill out. He didn’t see me.” I scoffed, but knew he was right. “What I want to know is why he lied about having a phone.” I had my chin propped on one knee, using my finger to draw objects in the small sand piles scattered across the bed of the truck.
I raised my head and looked around when we turned off the highway, again. I furrowed my brow. “Where are we going now?”
“Joshua said, the old man had one more stop on the way to the truck stop, so I’m guessing this is it.” Joshua pointed to a much nicer house than the one we’d just been to. It was a large two story white house with a manicured lawn, and beautiful flower beds. It had a long circular drive with a massive fountain right in the middle. It looked out of place to me.
We drove around to the back, and passed a carport to our right with several ATV’s and a golf cart parked underneath. A tall man wearing jeans, a bolo tie, and a cowboy hat came out as soon as we stopped.
“Howdy folks. I’m Walter. Welcome.” He smiled broadly, and tipped his hat. “Howdy J.D.”
I assumed he was referring to the old man, since none of us were named J.D., and the old man answered to it.
“You kids look a bit on the parched side. Come on in and cool off in the air conditioning.” He stood at the back door, holding the screen open.
We just sort of looked at each other, and Luna shrugged her shoulders. They happily jumped out, but I remained hesitant. The whole thing seemed a little too…easy.
My stomach was in knots, and I tried to tell them we were making a mistake, but Joseph called me paranoid, so I reluctantly followed them inside.
Once we were all inside, he led us to the den where a football game played on a giant t.v.. He had us sit down, and I hated to admit it, but the cool air felt awesome. A couple minutes later he left and came back with a tray full of icy cold sodas, and a bowl with chips and salsa. I was so thirsty, I couldn’t open mine fast enough.
We all settled deeper into the large sectional, laughing and having a good time, until all of a sudden Luna’s smile disappeared.
“Uh, guys…where did Walter go?” Luna uttered, and slipped her hand inside mine.
The room grew eerily silent, and then we all heard it at the same time. J.D.’s truck started up and drove away.
Joshua and James jumped up at the same time. “Come on you guys, let’s get out of here,” they said in unison.
Joseph was already up, stepping toward me when Walter stepped around the doorway leading to the kitchen, and he had a shotgun pointed at Joshua and James. They both stopped instantly.
Luna squeezed my hand, but didn’t say a word. Joseph slowly eased in front of us, then I heard two distinct clicks from somewhere behind. My heart hammered against my chest. Adrenaline mixed with panic rushed through me. I slowly turned my upper body. Two men we hadn’t seen before stood behind us with their guns aimed at the group.
Before I knew what happened, the deafening sound of a shotgun blast filled the room, causing my ears to ring. Joseph fell to the floor. I looked on in horror as a red stain slowly spread across his shirt. Luna screamed and dropped to her knees beside him.
“You! Get over here, before I shoot these two boys,” Walter said in a low evil ton
e, pointing at me.
I hesitated, and he pulled back the hammer on his shotgun. “All right, all right. Just don’t hurt them.
I had taken only two or three steps when Joshua and James did some kind of jump, pounce thingy off the wall, and leaped clear across the room, transforming into Adlet wolves in mid air, landing on the two gunmen. A fight ensued, and my eyes were fixed on them when Luna screamed for me to watch out.