Chapter challenge: Moonshine

cc.slim

cc.slim

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Aunt Mary called my bluff on my expressed desire to write a book and loaned me her laptop which croaked near the end of my story. I am a non published nooblet with a entered a poem in a local contest that passed on for no results showing me that I have all I need. So in return I share like she shared in hopes that she would enjoy, hehe not mourn! So once a week I will spoiler a pretty raw chapter. Starting with intro for week one.
Back in a time when a hand out meant a hand up. When laws made were felt to be just and protective. The American spirit, filled with pride began a time when the helping hand was pushed aside.

America was growing to fast. The Prohibition, which was prepared to protect its citizens, became a paved highway for a different kind of protection. Unlike the Prohibition this protection would go above and beyond taxation. If confronted you will pay for this protection or die!

Today the hand out had to be filled with bribes, with guns turning aside the hand that once helped them up. The long arm of the law was not long enough to slow the corrupt growth of organized gangsters. Using weapons and automobiles they spread from coast to coast choking all that stood in their way. Al Capone, Purple gang and those on their take were hell bent to dominate their markets.

The gangsters began killing all those that denied their authority and those that threatened their future. From roots they sprang up in New York, Chicago and Detroit growing outward, tenaciously feeding their ferocious appetite. The corruption spread like the connecting of dots from Canada to the border of Mexico. They stretched their arms as from ocean to ocean squeezing out every drop of control that they could. There was no place that the thugs wouldn’t go and there are some places maybe they shouldn’t.

This story begins when corruption grasped too far when they began to hurt those determined to pursue family and happiness. They scoffed at those who thought that laws would protect them. As a fist they clenched and squeezed unto their victims very last drop of will. Yet not knowingly that with in this last drop is where old heroes dwell and new ones are born. Squeezed under extreme pressure this last drop will shine like that of a diamond.

A story of when
Thugs reached to high
With history left untold
How heroes are born
And how heroes die
By some who had to find
That grasping the moon
Came with a price
A high price to its shine
 
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Sorry a intro is not a chapter so take two!
November 26 1928



Paul

I just got phone call from mom, and she said Tyrell Biggs died last night.
I'm sorry! I know you were as close to him as grandpa was. Mom asked me to bear in your place so you know the fuss I'll have to go through putting on that monkey suit. Thanksgiving 28 was the best. Glad you were on leave then and had a chance to see Ty. Boy we're all going to miss him.

Slowly, I push away from the typewriter and put my head down on folded arms listening to Sally typing quickly on Principle Smiths fancy new typewriter and drifting off to the night of Thanksgiving when all of us boys were gathered around a scrap wood fire. Hearing the interesting stories of adventure like the old men was old time heroes.
I smile to myself when I revision how daddy stepped up and called them old buffalo's, picked up a pitcher of lemonade that mom had left with us and walk over to the corner by grandpa's oak kiln and pulled a valve that sent a gush of grandpa's home brew into that lemonade. I watched Grandpa's eyes get as big as a baseball and his mouth get even bigger. As grandpa sputtered and fussed over the loss of a not so well kept secret, the rest of us just busted out laughing as grandpa wandered around pointing fingers demanding that the snitch better confess and take their whooping.
Dad setting the lemonade down on a bench and filled a small cup with shine, walked over and tossed it in the fire. Poof and he had grandpa's attention with the rest of us all ears. He proceeded to tell grandpa that he has known for nigh to twenty years grandpa was back into making shine. Grandpa chuckled and shook his head asking Tyrell if he ever known him to stop making shine. No sir no, I can vouch for this man has never stopped making shine up until he was knee high to a jack rabbit then before that he probably was on his mamas tit Ty said smiling. That had the place rolling with laughter with every one settling down closer to the fire.
Ty slipped over to a side bag he carried on Nelly and pulled out a jar of his charcoal mellowed. The finest whiskey ever made grandpa stated as he pulled a huge snort than smile before passing it on to Dad. That was the last tense moment because as that jar of shine was passed around the fascinating stories got taller and my head got lighter. Before the night was over, I assumed Charlie was jabbering at me like a monkey but somehow that had to be some kind of alcohol induced moment because that Indian rarely talks.
I roll my head back and forth in my arms as I remind myself that was the last time I saw Tyrell alive.
I pause and reflect upon the conversation with mom and amidst the static noise on the telephone it sounded like she said the sheriff is claiming the mule killed him .I'm not sure of that part, so I can safely exclude that from Paul because his temper would explode if I with held information, or if I was to tell him the mule he practically raised killed grandpas best friend.
I remember hearing mom say that grandpa was raising the roof over what she has found out. I shake my head and raise it up to stare at this letter to Paul. I glance over at what I had written.
Nathan Nash you best make mention that I miss him Sally says totally scattering my thoughts.
I turn my head toward Principle Smiths offices and reply.
I put you miss him but no other mushy stuff. You can put that in your own letter.
Can you hurry it up a little before Principle Smith pops a knot on your head and threatens me with cafeteria duties she says from within the principle's office?
I don't reply but turn back to writing this letter.

We are all proud of you and we all miss you especially Sally.
Thanks again for the loan of you car and Yes I am taking great care of it!
Take care of yourself and write when you can!

Nathan

P.S. Grandpa wants me to let him add some kind of special shine into your car, and he is very persistent. HELP!


As I pull up the letter from the typewriter and asked Sally if by chance, I could get an envelope, and she instantly replies I have an envelope stamped and addressed ready to go just come in a get it. I fold the letter up and stood up and walked into the principle's office and saw Sally staring at Principle Smiths new typewriter. “Oh how I love this new typewriter,” she exclaims peering over the typewriter at me. “I just typed this resignation for Mrs. Abbott in record time and with zero errors,” she continued wiggling in jubilance.
“I heard she fell fast asleep during fifth hour while Principle Smith sitting in the class,” I said humorously.
“She's been getting by even before I was a freshman” Sally says looking up from the typewriter smiling at me.
“Now that leaves us with is Snorky's afternoon classes to do our catch up work,” I remark while reaching down to grasp the letter Sally had been lying out. As I grasped the envelope her hand suddenly slams down on mine, and she stands up looking at me in the eye and exclaims "You had better of told something nice about me because when I become your sister in law I will have very close contact with your mother, and I will use that for leverage when you do me wrong,” she says with a hinting tone.
"Got you," I said smiling back at her noting the flash in her eyes and realizing the true compatibility of her as my future sister in law. I pull my hand from under hers pulling the envelope with me and proceeded to place my letter in the envelope, and as I was pulling it up to lick it close Sally interrupts.
“Ahem, I have intentions to share that envelope because I know that there is no way that you would say what this girl has to say” grasping the envelope from me, she giggled and folded her letter up and inserted it. As she dabbed a damp sponge on the envelopes glue muttering, something about using the tongue Principle Smith walks into the room and asks Mr. Nash is there a reason you're in my office with out my request," he says sternly?
"Yes sir I am dropping off a quick letter to my brother that Sally will send off for me," I say quickly.
"I am sorry to hear of your family's loss," he says laying his hand on my shoulder "And would you tell your grandpa my best wishes. "
"I sure will," I said in a wonderingly note.
"Might I suggest that you find yourself in a classroom or find yourself in detention Mr. Nash," he says sternly while peering piercingly over his glasses.
"Yes sir and Thank you Sally" I slowly say while making eye contact with Sally before smiling and leaving.''
As my back was turned, and I was walking out from the room I hear Principle Smith ask Sally how well has his new typewriter performed and Sally's jubilant reply excellent up to fifty words per minute. I smile at her enthusiasm and could feel her desire and deep down I'm glad Paul set his hat for her. While walking down the hallway my thoughts drifted to how well Paul looked in his U.S. Calvary uniform with shiny black riding boots and dapper hat. Very nostalgic momma said. I shake my head at the irrational view of the army still having horses when they have trucks that can haul tons more and tanks that can crawl over everything that gets in their way. Grandpa teased Paul that the reason he became a horseman was because there was corn in his blood.
Grandpa! I considered as I started down the ramp to the locker room. Mom said he was non stop fuss over this. With the loss of his best friend and finding out that Nelly was what killed him has to be tearing him up. I feel sad at his loss and humbled that I didn't know Ty as well as Paul and Grandpa. I shrug off the bad feelings and enter the locker room.
 
Since I know this is a write as you go challenge and I have already written alot and because of that I'll post five at a time until the end which is not finished. And will finish the story if I have started something worth finishing. Chapters 2 to 5.
The sound of glass could be heard breaking in the sink as a woman turns and says “Enough of this talk Daddy! You're scaring me with the way you're carrying on!”
“Elaine you know as well as I that mule didn't kill Ty” the old man gruffly states while sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee.
“I believe you Daddy but carrying on like you're doing will not change a thing,” she answers back visibly upset.
“Don't waste your time worrying about me young lady! I was taking care of myself long before you ever step into this picture,” he says.
“I know Daddy,” she says voicing her concern then continued on to say “But if you start to nosing around you could end up getting yourself hurt and after losing mom, I could not bear to lose you to”.
“I have no intention of going anywhere and intend on avoiding dirt being thrown on my face” the old man says with a serious look.
“Yes, Daddy but what can be done bellyaching? The sheriff did all he could do and investigated as through as he knew how” answers the woman.
“Look at this way for as you well know that mule was so gentle it let kids crawl all over it when Ty went to town for supplies, and she never hurt a single one, and I am supposed to sit here and listen to the sheriff announce that the mule killed him in a fit. Oh unbelievable and hell yes I am mad,” he says with his voice rising in tone as he stood up from the kitchen table.
With tears in her eyes, she turns back to the sink and began to pick up the broken pieces of glass and pleads to her father. “Daddy, please don't cause any trouble when you go to town”.
“Ouch! Please, Daddy” she says as she shakes her finger over the sink dripping small drops of blood.
As she reached over to grab a cloth to slow the bleeding her father in law had all ready crossed the kitchen floor and was wrapping it up with his handkerchief mumbling “Just like your mother”.
“Oh my, I just saw you blow you're snotty nose with that kerchief didn't I," she asks in disbelieve?
“Like I said just like your momma” the old man said while looking at her in the eye.
“Daddy, please behave” she says gazing back into his eyes.
“I promise” he replies backing off so he could pull a kerchief and blew loudly with his nose.
While blowing his nose, he winked and asked “Why the boys off so early in the morning?”
Noticing the kerchiefs looked identical, she smiles and replies “Tom received a real nice order for pine so he and Charlie left early to cut wood on the old Milford place”.
“That will make them late coming back” the old man said stepping over to fill his coffee cup from a pot on the stove.
“Yes” she says adding “Tom told me that and asked me to ask you if you would sharpen the crosscut blade for him”.
“I sure will after I haul a freight of oak flooring to town for that new carpenter whose building Doc Rogers a new house” the old man replies while pouring his left over coffee into the sink.
As he turns towards the door and plops on his hat, she reminds him “You best behave in town and lunch will be ready for you when you get back. Furthermore, Dad” she added “I called Nathan earlier and asked him to come home. I you can wait until this afternoon, he'll be here to assist you. ” “Nah I will be fine. Doc will see that I get plenty of help,” he assures her as he steps through the screen door onto the back porch closing the door behind him. He lets the screen door slam close as he stretches his arms and exhales a huge plume of steam in the morning sun.
Looking down the road he notices dust being kicked up on the backside of a hill. He swears under his breath and loudly informs.
“Elaine we have company coming”. He adjusts his hat and buttons up his coat as he peers down the road waiting to catch a glimpse of what was coming.
“Looks to be the sheriff,” he states, “Yeah sure as hell is,” he concludes. He cuts himself a piece of tobacco and puts it in his mouth. As he stands on the edge of the porch chewing on the tobacco he spits the black stream of tobacco juice on a chicken scratching the ground below while he was squinted into the rising sun at the ever growing site of the sheriff's car.
“Elaine, you best stay inside while I have a word with this fellow,” he bellows intending for her to listen.
“Daddy your promise” she says pointing at him through the glass of the kitchen window.
“Ah hell Elaine, quit acting like your mother,” he mutters before turning back to face the sheriff slowing his car down preventing the kicking up of dust.
As the old man slowly stepped down off the porch the sheriff's car door quickly opens allowing the sheriff to stand and face the old man from across the auto cab. The old man closes the distance between the car and himself when the sheriff speaks in self defense.
“I know what you're going to say Ethan, and if I had any thing else to point to I would do it”.
“Like hell you would! I know you better than your wife, and I know there's nothing you would do to willingly help a black man” Ethan shouts continuing forward while shaking his fist!
“Sure as hell would have tried Ethan because no man deserved the beating Tyrell received! I swear Ethan only that mule could have done that much damage. Old man Simms suggests closing the casket” the sheriff says while keeping the car between him and Ethan.
Ethan laid his hands on the sheriff's car and looks at him in the eye and says “Tim, I know darn well that mule didn't kill Ty”.
The sheriff calmly replied “I did go through the home looking for evidence of a robbery or signs of a scuffle and the place was clean except for his supper dishes in the sink. I saw his bible on a stand by the back door and his will be fallen out of it when I picked it up. I had Judge Biney look at the will, and he says it names your grandson as heir to his estate”.
“Paul” Ethan asks back quizzing.
“No Nathan is the heir” the sheriff answers back and continues “I did some research on his land supposing that maybe if there were back taxes owed that maybe I could assist in some way and found out the land is tax exempt for the next hundred years signed by Theodore Roosevelt himself! Now Ethan what could a black man do to impress a president”.
“Pinning ears back on smart asses like you” Ethan fired back!
“My guess he kept shoes to a fine shine” came the sheriff's snide remark.
“Are you telling me that you're closing the case on this Tim” Ethan asks remaining calm and ignoring what he just heard?
“I have no evidence to support other wise Ethan. The mule and Ty were in the same stall and the mule was covered with evidence” the sheriff concludes.
“You see sheriff Ty never put Nelly in any stall under any circumstances and this one time, he does, and it kills him” Ethan says getting frustrated and now inching around the car closing the distance between him and the sheriff.
“Yes Ethan, this one time he did” the sheriff says laying the bible on the hood of his car and quickly stepping back behind the shelter of his open door.
“That's what I mean” Ethan says before throwing his snotty handkerchief at the sheriff then adding “Here use that to wipe his blood off your hands”!
The sheriff ducks the handkerchief and slips into his car and shouts out as he starts to pull away “I am truly sorry Ethan!
Ethan grabs the bible off the hood before it falls as the sheriff begins to accelerate away. He stands for a moment staring at the bible he held in his hands. With a shrug of his shoulders he turns back towards the home and yells “Elaine did you hear anything the sheriff said”? He walks back toward the house staring at the bible he held in his hand “Elaine,” he shouts again as he climbs the porch stairs “Did you hear what the sheriff said”?
“Yes, I heard him Daddy,” she replies opening the kitchen door and asks him “Are you ok Daddy” as he pulls open the screen door.
“Everyday before Ty left the house he would lay his hand on this bible. It laid by his back door, and he'd pause for a moment before exiting, and also pause for a bit after entering” Ethan reminisces then closes his eyes and breathes deep before he answers her question “Yeah I am fine just fine”.
“You're late! Coa coa coach will ma, ma, make us run laps” stuttered Bobby as he folded towels.
“I don't think coach will run us hard today Bobby,” I said slow enough for him to follow.
“I hope not” he said turning towards me grinning.
“Should I get us in trouble, so we have to run extra Bobby,” I asked shaking his shoulder a little.
“You wouldn't have to get in trouble for me,” he said smiling pleasingly wide.
I laugh “Bobby just so you can run with us, I'll see if I can start a little ruckus to get us a pair extra laps with you,” I said smiling.
“Tha, tha, thanks Nathan” Bobby says sporting a great big smile and turns back to the towel rack and starts counting towels.
Grabbing a clean towel off Bobby's cart broke his concentration and caused him start counting all over again.
“I'm sorry Bobby for messing you up” I said continuing on to say “We'll see you out on the court" as I walk out up to the basketball court.

“Team gather around” the coach blared just before he shrilly blew a whistle. I gathered a few loose basketballs and tossed them to Link and hustled over to the huddle of players who were jostling each other for the closest spot to the coach.
“Team after that last game I saw how poor the execution was so this afternoon you are going to work on these ball handling skills” the coach said with a hint of disgust. “And”, the coach bellows out loudly, “for every shot outside the lane you will run extra”. Link you take baby hands, chairman and you, you and you and Link, make them run it smooth” the coach added. As Link and the starters grouped up down at the far end of the court I shouted out “Hey baby hands that's a basketball not a handful of teat so don't hold it all day”. The rest of the team just busted out laughing with a few adding extra outbursts of their own pertaining to his dairy farming.
“Josh did you just say that” the coach demanded while standing directly in front Josh who was standing directly in front of me!
“Do you happen to remember back to the last two games when you could have clinched our wins with last second free throws” the coach says with his voice increasing in volume?
“By the grace of God we held on to win” the coach said looking upward! “Did your mama ever teach you about Noah's Ark” the coach asks Josh while dragging him over to the free throw line with a basketball under his arm? As the coach lined Josh facing the basketball goal he asks “Do you know the story about Noah's Ark”?
“Yes sir” Josh answers back.
“So tell me how the animals came in to the ark” the coach asks inquiringly while he was bouncing the basketball slowly?
“Two by two coach two by two” Josh says quickly.
“Very good Josh but you forgot something” the coach says before bouncing the ball to Josh.
“I don't know what I could have forgotten because I have heard this story a hundred times” Josh says emphatically.
“Now that's what I supposed! In that story Josh you forgot God, and it shows when you're under pressure. You see for every two animals that went in the ark God led them! Man! God had to love basketball because for every two that goes in he generously gives us the chance to add one more” the coach says like he was on attack with the Holy Spirit. We chuckle among ourselves as he goes on to say “Now Josh to work on your addition, I want you to shoot free throws until you make twenty in a row and the rest of you bozos rebound for him” the coach says commandingly. As I started walking onto the basketball court the coach calls my name out “Nash, I need you to come with me” as he gestures me over to a corner by the locker room entrance.
I walk past the guys that were rebounding and one of them whispers to me “Nash coach is pissed at you”.
Now what could I have done I asked myself, my grades are fine, and I have worked hard at every practice.
“Nathan, I'm sorry to hear of your family's loss” the coach said softly. “I'm excusing you for the rest of the day and let your grandpa know that if he needs anything just shout it my way,” he says as he shakes my shoulder.
“Ok coach and thank you coach” I answer back.
He turns to shout at Josh telling him “And one little brother and one”.
I turned to see Josh bounce the ball twice and shoot, swish nothing but net. I looked at the coach admiringly when he turned his attention back me.
“Nathan congratulations on your football scholarship” the coach says shaking my shoulder and smiling. “I know you'll do well just keep your grades up for the rest of this year and your first year in college won't be so bad but keep in mind that mixing academics with athletics will challenge you” the coach readily advises.
Confidently I state “Thanks coach, I will keep them up”!
“Good job! Now scram” coach says as he turns his attention at two players pushing each other roughly trying to get the rebound and shrilly blows his whistle and yells “Hey you two monkeys just earned extra laps for the team”. Amidst the sudden stoppage of bouncing balls and groans and curses I smile and laugh thinking, I tried to get us laps so Bobby could run with us and failed. I turn away and proceeded down the ramp to the locker room believing news travels fast around here. As I push the locker room door to go in I bumped into Bobby going out.
“Did you get in tra tra trouble,” he asks?
“No Bobby I didn't but the team did, and they have to run extra sprints. Can you beat them today Bobby,” I ask?
“Everyday” Bobby states with a positive air to him.
“I know Bobby, your fast,” I praise as I pat his shoulder.
“Tha tha thanks Nathan” he answers.
“You best be getting them towels Bobby,” I say escorting him up the ramp.
I turned back down the ramp as I got him focused forward, and as I enter the locker room I heard a familiar voice. I turned towards the other gym door to find myself facing my childhood friend William.
“Well I'll be a monkey's uncle,” he says smiling sideways as speaks.
I smile as I cross the locker room floor towards noting that he has developed considerably in the two years he has been gone.
“You leave and never write or call, and then you show up out of the blue,” I remark as I reached out to give him a hug.
“Whoa, slow it down buddy this is a two hundred dollar suit and freshly starched so lets just see if you still got that sissy hand shake,” he says gesturing at me back and holding out his hand.
Now I have developed a bit myself in the two years he had been gone. Working hard every summer and on week ends also adding workouts here at school which has changed me from that skinny kid he knew.
Quickly, I grasp his hand while smiling and squeezing tightly.
“Ok, Ok that has changed since I left” he says as he quickly shakes off my hand.
“So what brings you here at school and how in the world does butchering meat buy you a two hundred dollar suit,” I asked stepping back to scrutinize him some more.
“Slow down and one question at a time. I started at the meat lockers and boxed at a local gym on my free time. After my third amateur win, I was approached to work for an insurance company who needed me to be a body guard for important clients. Anyway, life's been good,” he states while continuing to ask “How life's been going for you Nathan” as he starts backing up toward the locker room door.
“Not to bad William I got accepted to college under a football scholarship and the reason I got out of basketball practice early is because Tyrell Biggs died yesterday” I answered.
“No kidding that black died huh,” he says with a smirk continuing on to say, “That old man didn't like me no how. He always called me a hooligan and never took his eyes from me when I was hanging out with you and your grandpa.”
“Yes, he did always look at you from the corner of his eye,” I chuckled.
“Well I'm sorry to hear he died Nathan,” he says looking over his shoulder. “I have an appointment that I can't be late for so I best scram. I was just quickly cruising though looking back at old times, and I bumped into you Nathan. Meet me later say seven o'clock at the soda shop, and we'll talk more, but I really got to go” he continued.
“Great, you sound like you're doing well, and I can't wait to see you again” I stated to a now swinging door.
“He's gone” I say to myself as I walk over and sit down in front of my locker. I leaned over to look at the locker floor and considered what just happened. William and of somebody who puts that high of a dollar suit on their muscle had to have a lot of money.
As I enter the shower, I analyze the nagging bad thoughts of William and that high dollar suit.
Darn its cold” Grandpa says ascending the warm truck cab. He adapts his coat as he walks to the back of the truck. He spies Doc giving directions to a group of men standing by a barrel that has become their outdoor fire pit.
“This wind sure has a bite to it today Doc” Grandpa says as he walks to the rear of the truck while the crew of men pull on gloves and start unbundling the load of wood.
“Yes, it sure does” Doc replies as both men stand back to watch the carpentry crew start to unload oak flooring from Grandpas truck.
A man from on the stacked wood kept yelling out reminders to the rest of the crew to be careful and not to scratch the flooring even threatening them at times with a ticket to the soup kitchen.
“That man up there yelling is B Folk the finest carpenter I have ever witnessed” Doc says pointing at the man on the wood load.
“Say Ethan, would you come with me and critique his work while they unload, and we'll get out of the cold” Doc says gesturing to grandpa to follow.
“B Folk you say” Grandpa says repeating the name and turning to follow the Doc up to the unfinished home.
As the two men walked into the house Doc grabs Grandpas arm and looks at him in the eye to say, Ethan I am truly sorry about Tyrell. You know I checked him last month, and he was healthy as an ox. The only test he failed was the eye test, and I gave him glasses to wear when he needed to see up close. Then this morning I got an urgent word from the sheriff to get over to the hospital pronto. Ethan, what I saw was Tyrell's face smashed beyond recognition, both arms broke and one leg. Darn it Ethan the beating was so powerful that only that mule could have done it. I found multiple horseshoe bruises on his back and legs and a bite mark on his shoulder that all points to the mule.”
“Doc everything in me tells me that mule didn't kill Ty” Grandpa says.
“I can't change a thing Ethan. I am sorry for your loss, and I totally understand how all this is tough to absorb” Doc replies back looking at Grandpa sorrowful.
“Ah hell Doc, so your telling me your wiping the mans blood off your hands and letting the dead dog lie” Grandpa says with his voice rising in anger.
“Ethan now that comment was totally inappropriate, and you know as well as I do that I assist all men, and if I had one shred of evidence to authorize further investigation, I would but until then as the County's Medical Examiner, I have ruled on his death and stand firm on the facts that were before me” Doc says with his voice rising to match Grandpa's.
“Sorry Doc I didn't mean to come across like you didn't care, but this whole thing has got me riled up” Grandpa says hanging his head down as he spoke.
“Its ok Ethan this has got to be quite a shock to you and your family” Doc say's shaking Grandpa's shoulder.
Grandpa moves away toward the door and remarks “Yeah Doc it looks like you have a mighty fine carpenter” Grandpa says changing the subject away from Tyrell to the house.
Fine workmanship, nicely cut corners and my that's one beautiful staircase Doc.”
“Ethan, why don't you show up at my office later where I can run a quick checkup on you, since I haven't seen you in my office in over a year” Doc says ignoring the flattery and trying to be persuasive?
“Hell no Doc I am just fine, look at the boys are done unloading and I best mosey on over to the lumber yard and finish my delivery” Grandpa says as he walks out the door with the Doc right behind him.
“Oh by the way Doc” Grandpa says as he walked toward the truck, “I have your something extra for you.”
As he opens the door of the truck and reaches under the seat, Doc comments on how well the crew unloaded the wood as Grandpa grabs two quarts of shine and hands them to Doc.
“That ought to hold you over until next month” Grandpa says smiling.
“Ethan, I am truly sorry” Doc says as he grasped both jars and slips them both jars under his coat.
“By the way Ethan do you happen to make deliveries for old Newt” Doc asks?
“Yes I do about once a week. He is one of my regular customers” Grandpa says then asks “why do you ask Doc?”
“Because his place burned down the night before last night” Doc says adding “no remains were found in the ashes and no one has seen or heard from old Newt.”
“No kidding! Last week he was pissing and moaning about the revenuers. How they were hounding him more frequently” Grandpa says climbing up in the cab. He turns to face Doc chuckles and says “he told me they would just barge in with guns pulled out, flashing badges announcing that they were with the United States government. He said the last time they came, they just made asses out of themselves poking through most everything and causing a fuss with some of the customers. Ha old Newt called them dumb asses, and they should have known words can travel fast in these hills. Newt he is pretty sly, but I could tell he was getting fed up with pressure. He told me that if his place were to down it would mean he pulled up stakes and moved to California. Furthermore, here I supposed, he was joking. Well doesn't that beat all?”
“That ornery cuss would do something like, and in my opinion it's a good thing because I have had some patients come in with Jake legs so bad that I had to have the sheriff hold them until they detoxified! Consequently, someone is making bad shine Ethan” Doc says smiling as Grandpa closes the door of the truck.
A few revolutions of the starter the truck fired up with a loud backfire causing the carpentry crew to duck for cover as if they came under hostile fire. As Grandpa was rolling down his window Doc chuckles at the commotion and yells over the truck noise at Grandpa and asks “what in the world are you burning in this truck Ethan? Wow the smell is ghastly!”
“Just a fuel I have been tinkering with that I made with corn squeezing” Grandpa replied “and I might have gotten it a little hot for this old truck.”
“Yes maybe so” Doc says waving a gloved hand in front of his face as if to clear a fog and continued saying “from the look of your exhaust your fuel seems to burn clean Ethan but that smell is terrible.”
“Yes it is” Grandpa says with a smile then states “Doc if there happened to be more to Tyrell's death than what's being told I will dig it up.”
“Yes I know Ethan, I know you will” Doc says emphasizing the word will as he watches Grandpa pull away.
“A lot of nice cars downtown” Grandpa muttered to himself as he pulls to a stop at a stop sign by the bank. Three men dressed in very nice suits walked across the street in front of his truck.
He remarks out loud "Darn bankers” as he shifts the truck into gear. After they had passed, he turned and glanced over at the men entering the bank he notices that one of them walked like Nathan's friend William. He rubs his eye as if to see clearer and remarks out loud to himself.
“Well if that isn't the spitting image of Tyrell's porch monkey. Maybe I need to go see Doc for glasses” as he shifts gears.
The man pauses at the door as if he heard the comment then entered the bank.
“Tyrell” he says looking up grinning, “I just saw your porch monkey wearing a suit and darn it Tyrell, we might have had fun with this circus of monkeys.”
He stares ahead with both hands on the wheel as if in deep thought proceeding on to the lumber yard.

As he rumbles into the lumber yard he drives past a deputy sheriff's car parked by the front office. He bee lined for the back barn where the hardwood lumber goes. Two men that were loafing in a side shed watched him pull by and started following the truck to the barn. One of them whistled out and another man appeared opening the barn door for the truck to pull in.
Grandpa swings wide around stops and begins to back his truck into the barn as the man directs him back. He looks forward at the two men walking toward the barn pulling on gloves and behind them was the deputy sheriff stepping out of the office buttoning his coat and looking towards the barn. He rolls down his window and mentions to the men as they walked past the truck that they had company coming. His truck tires hit the wood floor of the barn with a loud creak as he continues back until he heard a whistle and sees a man gesture stop in his mirror. He glances forward noting the deputy steadily making his way to the barn as he descends the cab of the truck.

“Ethan I just heard from the deputy that Tyrell died last night killed by his mule is that true” the oldest looking of crew asked?
“That's what I heard Elgin, but that story seems awful far fetched to be true” Grandpa says breaking open a tie down on the lumber load and dropping a side extension to the floor.
Another whistle sounded out and Elgin and one man started pulling lumber off where Grandpa dropped the side panel.

“One less bootlegger is what I say, yep one less common criminal that we have to round up” the deputy states as he enters the barn focusing on Grandpa. “What do you have to say Mr. Nash about that black mans mule turning mad dog on him Lords yes? Shame I had to put the thing down. Pity! Yes such a pity.”
Grandpa turns and faces the big talking deputy and asks “Are you on duty Tom? If you're not I suggest that you best mosey, your bony butt out of here before I twist them big ears of yours off.”
A snicker is heard from one the crew riling Tom to spout “Look here Nash I know you're bootlegging, and it's my job to catch you, which I will.”
All went quiet for just a second, then the barn exploded with laughter.
“Yeah okay Tom” Grandpa says turning his back on him grinning knowing full well that behind the side panel and below the truck is a hatchway where a man immediately began unloading forty quarts of shine from the false bottom of the truck.
“Mark my words Nash the moon shining days are numbered and so are yours” Tom says face all flustered pointing his finger at Grandpa while backing out of the barn. He turns to walk away and Grandpa noticing a glass jar that had nails in it. He clinks it with a small wrench that he had in his pocket and Tom stops in his tracks and Ethan asks are you hearing things Tom causing another round of laughter. Tom walks stiffly towards his patrol car ignoring them opens the door and leaves out in a cloud of dust leaving the men laughing and unloading the wood.
‘Ethan', the old man named Elgin spoke low “the McCrery's went back to making their rotgut again.”
“Lord! That explains what the Doc said earlier about some of his patients having the Jake leg bad” Grandpa exclaims.
“Yeah their hooch makes good paint thinner if you ask me” Elgin confirms.
Darn, they never could make shine and if my memory is correct they started the last shine fuss by stealing customers with their under selling their low quality hooch” Grandpa says shaking his head.
“Yep, I remember Tyrell cornering McCrery at the feed store and McCrery just quieted himself down. Well at least until the old man got himself all shot up by the revenuers.
I heard it was a ten mile chase back and forth across the county line” Elgin states continuing “Well that's what the sheriff told me. Made him mean as hell is all I know. His boys stopped by to buy lumber and the red head made a comment that they just delivered shine to old Newt.”
“No kidding why I just delivered a load of flooring to Doc Biney and he told me that Newts place burned to the ground night before last” Grandpa added.
“That would be the same day they stopped by sure enough|” Elgin said pulling the last board off the truck. “The red head also told me that they had a new connection whom they met just after Newts and this client told them he would buy all they could make. Furthermore, here's the kicker Ethan this client guarantied that they would have protection during shipment.”
“Sounds like Nell Landing! If it is, then they hooked up with bad company” Grandpa apprised.
“Isn't that the man who had a big court case dismissed because lack of evidence” Elgin asked?
“Sudden lack of evidence it was to. He was caught selling guns by the feds but just before the trial all evidence disappeared” Grandpa notifies.
“You don't reckon the McCrery's had anything to do with Newts place burning to the ground do you” asked Elgin?
“No, Newt made a comment that when he was fed up with the harassment he was going to burn his place and light a shuck for California. If anything them boys could have done is add fuel to the fire” Grandpa added.
“That's about all its good for in my book” Elgin agrees.
The third man who was under the floor appeared from the back of the barn dusting his pants off and comments on how hard it was not to clink a jar or laugh out loud when Tom was trying to start a fuss. Grinning from an ear to ear, he asks “who was doing the clinking when Tom was leaving?”
Grandpa clinks the jar again with his wrench smiling at the man.
“It's a crying shame I missed that! In the future Bo, you take the floor, and I get the load,” he said shaking the other in fun.

“Ethan you better continue watching your back” Elgin warned in a low tone as Grandpa begins climbing into the cab of the truck.
“You best do the same Elgin” Grandpa replied then turns to sit and face Elgin asking “do me a favor when you get the chance and find out if your other yard needs a wood shipment.”
“Martin talked to your son and ordered from what I hear a large amount of pine” Elgin informs.
“Do you know who it's for” Grandpa asks?
“Nope but the amount suggests a factory of some sort” Elgin replies closing the truck door.
Grandpa leans his elbow out of the open window and winks at Elgin as he starts the truck. He holds out a thumb up to the guys behind as Elgin grabbed the mirror bar and stepped up on the side board saying “Ethan, I'm truly sorry for the loss of Tyrell. We all are going to miss him.”
“Yes we will” Grandpa says shaking Elgin's arm, “we all will.”
“Take care and be vigilant Ethan” Elgin says as he steps back to the ground slapping the fender with his glove.
“You do the same Elgin” Grandpa replied as he shifts the truck into gear and pulls out into the yard. He rolls up his window and turns on the radio and drives towards home.
 
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6 to 10

“Hey, wake up!” said Sally as she was shaking me violently. “You should have left for home hours ago! Instead you come over to my apartment, eat all my food, and sleep on my couch!” she says emphatically while throwing my feet off the couch.
“I only ate your leftovers.” I said in poor defense. “But you see, I met William today at school, and he asked to meet him this evening. You remember William don't you? Well anyway, I came over here, and accidentally fell sound asleep on the couch,” I replied giving my best puppy dog face.
Sally responds sarcastically with a smile, “Accidentally ate my food, and with a full tummy you accidentally sleep on my couch my butt Nathan Nash!”
I came to an upright position and look at my watch while she continues, “Principle Smith, and I saw that boy wandering down the hall and when he spotted us watching him, he took off towards the gym. Nathan, that boy was dressed sharply. I had to look at him twice to be sure it was him and when he walked away it erased all doubts.”
“He caught me in the locker room, and he treated me like, he forgot where he came from, he told me he was just walking though reminiscing” I reply.
“He doesn't have family here so why did he come back” she asked?
“He said he had business here and just stopped by to look around” I answered shrugging my shoulders.
“What could he be doing to be able to afford those kinds of clothes?” Sally asked?
“I asked him the same thing, and he didn't look at me in the eye when he told me he worked for an insurance company escorting clients,” I answered back.
“You mean he's a body guard,” she asked placing my dirty plate and glass in the sink.
“That's what I have gathered to date” I replied looking at my watch “but in thirty minutes I will have more information.”
“Well, if you stay in town late you come back here and stay! Don't you drive back home sleepy” Sally adds as she pulls the couch cushion beside me out? “Up,” she says pulling my arm and shoving me out of her way and straightens the cushion.
I pull on my letter jacket and Paul's keys jingle in my pocket. I smile at the thought of my brother loaning me his car.
“Sally. Paul doesn't deserve a girl like you,” I say as I give her a hug.
“Are you insinuating that you do Nathan,” she whispers low and sexy in my ear.
Her breath sent shivers down my spine as I stammered “Yes, I would.”
"Some day you shall,” she says turning me loose and stepping around me to the couch where she exclaims loudly “Oh No you didn't” grabbing an empty box of chocolates that I slid under the couch. She shakes the box in my face and threatens me in a low non sexy tone “Nathan one rule, I will lay down and that's to never, and I mean never mess with a girls box of chocolates. Now I am very disturbed and suggest that you best leave before I say or grab something that might hurt you.”
Her eyes said all I needed to know as I to start my way to the door as I apologized and promised to replace them.
“Nathan, bye” she says as she pushes me to the door and opens it.
I turn to say I was sorry and her finger touches my lips for silence, and she adds “Nathan remember, stay here if you are going to be late” then abruptly closes the door with me standing there speechless.
I turn and shrug my shoulders as I walk down the stairs to the street. The full moon in the night sky was so close it looked as if you could grasp it. It had brilliance that resembled twilight, yet it brightened the street with an eerie glow.
I comment to myself out loud, “Shiners moon, boy the bootleggers will be running the hills tonight.”
A haunting chill sent shivers through my whole body when I said that. Forcing me to remind myself that Grandpa doesn't really run shine, he just makes it for his friends.
As I look up at the huge indention on the moon I exhale a big white puff of air that lingered in the air like a fluorescent cloud before disappearing.
“No wind” I say out loud turning facing the direction of the soda shop then look at the car then back down the street debating with myself whether to drive or walk.
“Quiet out” I say trying to make a puff ring as I decided to walk. While walking down the street past closed shops I considered of how great a gal Sally was and how lucky Paul was. Town is really dead on a school night,” I remark to myself. Just before crossing a street I looked down it to see what was going on at the pool hall. “Business must be a little slow,” I tell myself noticing there were only a few cars parked outside. As I crossed the street playing with my shadow that the moon was casting, and I looked back towards the pool hall just before my view was to be blocked by a building, and I stopped and backed up a few steps.
“A nice car” I comment. “From,” I say as I back up and walk down the street closer to see the license plate. “Illinois” I exclaimed upon getting close enough to read it.
“Visitors from Illinois” I pronounce and concluded that somebody must have died had rich kin folk and consider no more about.
I glance at my watch and turn back towards the soda shop jumping up slapping business signs over the store fronts. After a few blocks of sign slapping and window shopping, I heard yelling behind me coming from the direction of the pool hall. I laugh because I know that it's not uncommon to hear fighting in front of the pool hall knowing that I have heard it worse on Fridays nights when I stayed in town with Paul.
I hear a car start up and turn the corner and drive the same way I was going with its lights off.
I watch as the car goes by, and I wave and say out loud “See you later Illinois.” Brake lights flashed for a moment then the car goes on turning its headlights on showing me the taillights marking them as they faded from sight.
I look into a shop window to see clerks working late organizing the store floor when one of them saw me peeking in. He walked over and pulled a curtain across the window leaving me feeling guilty like, I had done something wrong. I hold my hands out and back up looking up to catch the name of the store. I shake my head not understanding because their sign didn't have a name all it said was opening soon.
I snicker and say “Like I'm any harm to myself and continue on to the soda shop.”
I pause in front of the glass window of the soda shop and look in. I count out loud “One two three four five, five customers and not one of them is William”.
“I am just a little early” I say frosting the glass with my breath.
I push open the door with a tinkle of a bell and walked in to the soda shop. “I would like a hot chocolate, please.” I say to the girl who was doing her home work behind the counter.
The girl drops her pencil on her work and looks at me and replies “I tell you what, I will buy your hot chocolate for the rest of the night if you can answer a question that I haven't found in over thirty minutes”.
“What question would that be” I answer and added “Maybe I can get lucky”.
“Ok look at this” she says placing her school book in front of me. She points into the book and basically informs “Question number four has me stumped”.
I smile as I look at her book. “You are in Mrs. Betts class” I exclaim keeping her place as I look forward to seeing if it could have been mine. “You have Todd Withers old book, in my book, I wrote all the answers in Morse code” I said opening the book to her spot and looking at the question closer.
“That would explain how the boy who sits beside me in class always has the answers to Mrs. Betts questions” she says placing her palm on her chin.
“I remember this very question!” I exclaimed while holding her spot and flipped back a few pages to proclaim, “And your answer is right there” pointing to the last paragraph.
She turns the book towards her and reads what I had pointed out, and I watched her eyes grow wider with every sentence, she read until she pops her head up exclaiming “I can't believe I missed that”.
“I missed it to, the right answer came from a friend” I replied smiling.
“Here”, she says filling up a big coffee cup with hot chocolate and adding whipped cream and a cherry on top then handing it to me, “is your reward for saving my grade”.
“Thank you” I said smiling “and pardon me for asking what your name is”.
“Kristine” she says looking at me intently.
“Pretty name Kristine is that spelled with a K or a C” I ask noticing the sparkle of her eyes and the fullness of her lips.
“With a K” she says as if there was no other way to spell it.
“My name is”, I say intending to introduce myself when she interrupted me.
“I know who you are Nathan Nash” she says twirling her finger in her hair with an ornery look.
The tinkle of the door broke the moment as we both looked, and it was William dressed in normal clothes and a cap.
“Hey Nathan” he says scanning the room and points to a booth away from everybody.
“Thank you Kristine” I say grabbing my cup adding a question “Maybe some time we could go to a movie”.
“That would be great”! She answers back totally taking me by surprise.
A shrill whistle pierces the room, followed by William shouting “Nash quit hitting on the help and get over here and ask your friend for a hot cup of Joe no cream no sugar”.
She reaches over and pours a cup of coffee and comments “rude people” as she hands me the cup.
“I'm sorry for that” I whisper, and “I'll talk to you later Kristine”.
I turn and walk over to the booth and set the cups on the table and exclaiming “This is the William, I remember”.
“Oh shut up and sit down Mr. Letter jacket” he says with a sideways smile.
I smile as I leaned over to slide into the booth and believed I could detect the faint smell of kerosene.
“So of all the places you would have to go with important clients why here” I ask?
“I do what my boss says to do, and I get well taken care” he says lifting up his coffee.
“But why here” I repeat my question.
“Not my business to know Nathan. I just have to stand around and look good” he says evading the question.
“Well you do look dapper in that suit that's for sure” I state shaking my head.
“Thanks buddy I earn it” he said gloatingly. He then sets his coffee down and places his hand on my shoulder and says “Nathan, I'm sorry to hear about the death of your grandpa's buddy”.
“He will be missed” I comment.
“And how's the mill business” he asks removing his hand from my shoulder?
“The work is steady” I answer.
“So is your brother working with your dad” he asked adding “I bet he runs the show now”?
“No he enlisted in the army and is now in the mounted division” was my reply.
“You mean horses! Oh My Gosh that is so funny” he exclaims, slapping the table almost spilling both cups.
“He told Dad and Mom that's what he wanted to do, and they let him go. Mom cried Dad fussed a bit Grandpa he went silent for a spell and me” as I reach in my pocket and pull out a set of keys and hold them up to finish with, “I get to use his car” posing with a big smile.
“Oh you're the lucky one” he says winking and lifts his cup up to finish his coffee.
A quiet pause filled the room for a few moments while I smile and cast casual glances at Kristine wiping down a table. The tinkle of the door jolted William to squirm around and look at his watch rather nervously.
“Nathan it's great to see you, but I really need to go and catch some rest before work tomorrow” he says nervously.
“Are you going to stay in town long” I asked?
“I over heard some thing like, we could be here a week maybe a little less” he replies looking back at the door.
“Great I hope to see you later on then” I exclaim.
“You will be Mr . Letter jacket” he says pointing his finger at me and winking.
He rises up from the table and reaches in his pocket and pulls out a fifty cent coin and flipped it on the table and says “Tell your girly friend thank you and to keep the change”.
“Where you staying” I ask as he looks toward the door at the last customer leaving.
“The Windham” was his reply grinning from ear to ear.
“Wow nice place Lucky dog” I said reaching out for his hand.
He takes it strongly and pulls me in order to bump chests and says “No you're the lucky dog”.
I'm shaking my head no as he walks over opens the door and turns to remark “Damn cold Nash better bundle up before you catch a cold”. “Thank you for the tip William” I answer back as the tinkle of the door signaled his departure. I follow him through the glass as he walked briskly down the street. I turn and look around noticed Kristine stacking cups. “She is so beautiful” I say to myself thinking about her answer to watching a movie and finding myself compelled to learn more about her.
“Kristine, what nights are you free for a movie” I ask as I walk closer to her.
“You can call me Kris” she says looking away from the cups and giving me a smile, “Anytime except for the rest of this week because I have a lot of studying and exams” she continued.
I smile from an ear to ear with the thought of a date. I reply “Kris. How can I get in touch with you"?
She answers “I don't normally work here I just filled in for a friend. You can find me most all the time helping my dad”.
“What does your Dad do” I asked wondering about the caliber of a girl she is?
“He's a carpenter building a house for Doctor Rogers right now” she answers back.
“He has to be a good carpenter to work for Doc! Therefore, where are you living” I ask after I added my knowledge of Doc's pickiness?
“You can't miss it. Look for the metal man mailbox on Crescent Street” she replied.
“I know where the metal man is” I exclaim. “So I can find you there” I quickly ask.
“Yes, or assisting my Dad” she replies as the door tinkles and a flustered man ran to the counter shouting “Fire! There is a fire! Can someone call for help"?
“I will”! Kris said turning towards the phone.
“Where's the fire” I asked the rattled man?
“The pool hall down the street” he answered “I ran up the street searching for help and found one store with lights, on so I pounded on the glass yelling fire, but they just ignored me, so I ran over here”.
“I called”. Kris said hanging up the phone. The flustered man said “Thank you” and sat down on the stool at the counter.
I looked at Kris and said “I am going to run over there and see if I can assist”.
“I'll go with you” she said grabbing her keys and finishes with “but we have to come back and get my school work”.
As I walk to the door she grabs the fellow by his arm and states matter a fact like “Buddy, we are closed please come again during business hours” as she shoves him and I out the door locking it behind her. He stammers something at us as we walked down the sidewalk. The smell of smoke sent a surge of energy to my legs as I started to pick up my pace. “I hope no one is hurt” I say moving at a quick pace. She passes me and states “Well lets find out slowpoke” not looking back to see if I took her challenge. I did accept her challenge, and as I caught up with her, I noticed she didn't have a jacket as we both ran side by side down the sidewalk.
William pushes the door open to the hotel and enters shaking the cold from his arms. He remarks to the clerk behind the counter “Damn cold out there tonight isn't it”? No response from the clerk. Opening the buttons on his coat William comments again to the clerk “A good night to be indoors by the fire huh”? The clerk ignored him and continued to glance at the paper in front of him. William walks over to the counter, slams the palm of his hand down loudly on the paper the clerk is looking at and with sarcasm states “Sure is a good thing I have you keeping my room nice and warm isn't”? The clerk calmly lifts his hand off the paper looks up at William with a platonic look and with a tone emulating the look replied “You will find all our rooms to be satisfactory with clean linens, steam heating and hot water”. William shook his head in disbelief at the clerk, looks over to the stairs leading up to the rooms, then leans forward on the counter, looks at the clerk and suggests “Listen buddy, I've had a long day, and I know I have a room reserved so why don't you just give me my key”!
“Name please” the clerk asked taking his eyes away to open the guest ledger.
“Desardo Tony Desardo” William answers back while thrumming his fingers on the counter.
The clerk looks back at William and with a smirk snidely remarks “I show here Mr. Desardo has already secured all keys to his room's sir”!
“That does fine, just tell me what his room number is and I will get my key from him, myself” William asks as he pushes himself up right and away from the counter?
“That information is confidential” the clerk states then looks back down at the paper.
In sudden horror the clerk squeaks as William grabs the front of his vest, lifts him up onto the counter bringing him to face. In a matter of fact tone William states “You will give me that room number”!
“William put that man down he is not worthy of a prize fight! Why he wouldn't last one minute with the likes of you” boomed the loud voice from a man whom was descending the stairs.
“Yes Sir Mr. Desardo” William answers shoving the clerk backwards.
“Is this your animal Mr. Desardo” the clerk asks as he straightens his vest and bow tie?
“This is one of my prize fighters” Mr. Desardo proclaims as he steps beside William and shakes his shoulder. “Please forgive him because he is being groomed for fighting and not for dignified manners” Mr. Desardo reasoned with him while reaching in his evening jacket. “Here let me make it up to you” as Mr. Desardo laid a twenty dollar bill on the counter.
The clerk snatched the money quickly like a snake striking prey and said “Yes Sir Mr. Desardo, and if I can be of any other help you just buzz me” as Mr. Desardo turned to William and thumped him hard on the head and said “ It's time to hit the showers you young stallion you”.
As they proceeded up the stairs the clerk shouted “Thank you Mr. Desardo, and if you need anything I'm your guy” adding a pointing finger to himself.
“He'll be the guy all right” William mumbled.
“Shut up dolt this is business not a vacation” Mr. Desardo reminded sternly.

Upon entering the room Mr. Desardo's turns and pushes William hard up against the wall and threatens “If you ever make me apologize again you'll find yourself staring up at concrete pouring on you”!
“I'm sorry Sir “came William's sorrowful reply.
“Now William” Mr. Desardo says letting go of William and straightening the front of his evening jacket asks “Did you finish the job”?
“Yes sir just like you asked” William answered.
“Very good”! Mr. Desardo answered and continuing “These people need to learn that we are the only liquor market that offers product protection. Now William that skinny fellow down stairs just might be a customer to one of our clients and unhappy customers makes poor business. Get it?
“Yes sir! Our clients will accept our help and for those that refuse” William smacks the palm of his hand with his fist adding effects to his statement.
“That's right William business is business and our business is liquor and protection of that liquor” Mr. Desardo replies as William shakes his head in agreement then both turn their heads to the window where the sounds of a siren were emanating from. Mr. Desardo pulls back the curtain to see a fire truck with lights flashing and its siren blaring barreling down the street towards a thick column of smoke rising above the rooftops. “Was there any witnesses William” Mr. Desardo asked?
“No sir! The same man that was there earlier isn't going to say a thing” William answered with no remorse.
Mr. Desardo turned from the window and asked “Are you sure about that William”?
Yes sir! I threw him around the place for a bit and then when I threw him over the counter to the backroom, he off and jacked me with a handle from a mop across the top of my head, and I lost it like, I always do. I then proceeded to set the fire, stop by a soda shop for a cup of coffee and then right back here Mr. Desardo” William explained.
“Very good William very good” Mr. Desardo said then tossed a room key to William “and take a shower, then meet me down stairs for a nightcap” he adds.
“Thank you sir”! William said lifting the keys up to look at the room number on the key chain. “A shower would be nice” he adds tossing the key in the air then catching them. William turns to leave the room when a knock sounded from the door he was about to open.
“Who is it” Mr. Desardo quietly asked?
William looked through the peep sight and replied “Vince and Nubs”. William turns to Mr. Desardo and asks “Do you want me to let them in”
“Yes! I am expecting them”. As William opens the door Mr. Desardo mentions “I sent them out to gather information”.

“Porch monkey” a man states patting William on shoulder as he walks in.
“How's that shoulder of yours Nubs” William answers back grabbing the man firmly on his shoulder?
“Damn it William that still hurts like hell” Nubs says pushing Williams hand off and stepping away from William's reach.
Vince pushes himself between the two with a jesting comment “Next time you won't turn you're back to a mule will you Nubs” as William closes the door behind him?
“How in hell was I supposed to know that a mule would be so protective” Nubs says gingerly touching his shoulder then pointing his finger at William and finishing with “ ******oops*******oops*******oops*******oops* porch monkey, here was supposed to have that black man taking care of already”!
Shut up Nubs and William you go and shower” Mr. Desardo sternly says while snapping his finger and pointing for William to disappear.
Grandpa pulls to a stop at a gas station just outside of town. He looks at a car from Michigan being filled up by the station attendant. He climbs out of the cab of the truck and walks into the station. He glances in the side bay to notice the station owner changing oil in a car. He looks back out the station window at the car from Michigan trying to glimpse the driver but no matter the angle he can't. He grabs a package of peanuts from the stand on the counter and then plops a coin in the soda machine and pulls up a soda which he promptly opens and pours the bag of peanuts into it. He looks up at the clock noting that this was going to be his lunch. The attendant enters the room as the car outside sped off in a hurry. “Were they running late for something” Grandpa asked the attendant?
“No clue Mr. Nash” the man answered continuing on to say “They never said anything but to fill it up and check the tires”.
“What's brought you out of the woods Ethan” the man says coming from the side bay of the station?
“Hi Bill. I just delivered a load of flooring for Doc Rogers and a bundle of oak one by tens to the lumber yard, and I noticed one of my tires low” Grandpa states.
“Do you need me to look at it” Bill asked?
“Nah I will hit it with a dab of air before I left” Grandpa says waving him off.
“Roger that” Bill says saluting him and smiling. Bill turns back to the bay and states “If I don't get Ms Donner's car ready for bingo, I'll have a fuss on my hands”.
“Yes you will” the attendant agreeing grabbed a grease rag and proceeded to follow Bill when that Michigan car that had left moments ago slid in order to park close to Grandpa's truck. Big man jumps out of the passenger's door holding his backside. He moves quickly towards the station and upon entering, He asks “Where the rest room”? The attendant points him the way and the man reacted instantly to the information.
“Looks bad” Grandpa said swigging on his soda and crunching the peanuts that flowed out.
The attendant replied with a chuckle “Yes, that big old boy must have had a turtle sticking out to walk like that”.
Grandpa laughed loudly at the comment as he walks over and sits in a chair by the wood stove and says “I suppose I'll just rest right here for a bit” as he sets back with a comfortable groan. The attendant walks over to the car Bill was working on and asks “Need anything Bill”?
“Nope almost finished” was the instant reply. The attendant walks toward the front bay door and looks out a small window.
“Hey Mr. Nash” the attendant says trying to rouse Grandpa who had already tilted his chair against the wall and closed his eyes.
“Hey, the driver of that car is walking around your truck Mr. Nash” the attendant says flinging a wrench against the iron of the wood stove making a loud clank.
“What in the hell”! Grandpa said with the chair falling forward almost pitching him head first to the floor.
“I said”, came the instant reply from the attendant looking out the window “The turtlehead mans driver got out of his car and was poking around your truck, but because you were so slow he got back in his car and there goes on turtlehead getting in the passenger side and”.
“Do want your butt kicked” Grandpa said low and stern in the attendant's ear as he looked out the window to watch the car drive off in a cloud of dust. He then bumped the attendant with his shoulder, walked back to his chair and sat down.
The attendant looking at the wrench on the floor then at Grandpa and apologizes explaining “But you didn't want to wake up”.
“Well that sure as hell isn't the way to wake me up ******oops*******oops*******oops*******oops* it” grandpa grouchily says grabbing his soda. He stands up and complains “Hell, I was on a beach in Mexico until you screwed that up now I might as well drive my unhappy butt home”. He winks at the attendant and shouts “Goodbye Bill” and walks out the door tightening his coat up.
He walks around his truck and shrugs his shoulders and climbs in the cab and starts it up. He pulls up to where the attendant was holding the air hose and rolls down his window to point to which tire that needed air and the attendant had already begun inflating the tire.
“I run them hard, so put fifty pounds in it” Grandpa suggested.
The attendant stands up and says “There, Mr. Nash, and I really am sorry for screwing up your Mexican vacation”.
“Don't worry about it ah, I know you told me last week but what was your name again” Grandpa asked leaning out the truck window.
“Todd Wilmington sir” he said coiling the air hose up then asks “Why you go home this away when you could take the main highway which would save a half an hour I bet and time is money” the attendant said smiling.
“Time” grumbled grandpa shaking his head “is not about money young fellow. I go this way for the scenic drive not for the time or the money”.
“Yeah it is a nice drive but that last bridge has got to be scary in that truck” the attendant said.
“Nope you just have to drive it right” Grandpa replied then rolled up his window and waved his hand bye at the attendant, places his truck into gear and eases on to the road unaware of the attendant trying to flag him back.
The attendant walked back in to the station and yelled at Bill “Hey Bill Mr. Nash just took off from here leaking some kind of oil, and I tried to stop him, but he didn't see me”.
“He can't go very far or fast in that old truck so here” Bill tosses his keys to the attendant “Take my pickup and see if you can stop him and let him know”.
“No problem boss” the attendant replied then grabbed his coat before rushing back out the door.
As he runs to the pickup and notices that it sat lopsided and when he gets up close he kicks the flat tire and walks around the other side of the pickup to kick the other flat tire. “Damn Bill will be mad as hell when I make him aware of the damage to two tires on his pickup” he exclaims walking back to the shop.

“It's only been twenty minutes, since I had that soda but my stomach is rumbling like I'm next” Grandpa says to himself out loud.. He turns down a county road that puts him on the last leg of the trip.
He looks down at the floor pedals and comments out loud “Brakes feel spongy” as he steps on it a pair of times “but they still work” he says confident he can travel onward.
He slows as he tops a ridge to ascend to the river bottom. His eyes followed the road to where the tree line swallowed it up in darkness. “All clear” he said as if giving the go ahead sign to someone. He winded down the road and saw the frame work of the bridges roof just over the next small hill. He picked up a little speed to climb the last hill and when he topped the hill he tried to apply the brakes quickly to slow down for the bridge, but they didn't work. He pumped the break as momentum caused him to gain speed before entering the bridge. He reached down and pulled his emergency brake and his truck slowed some but not enough to stop him from crossing the bridge fast. He pulls hard on the brake pedal and no avail, so he attempts to shift his truck into a lower gear. The sound of gears grinding and the smell of burning brakes fill the cab of the truck when the truck bounces on to bridge, hits the side of it and careens back across to burst through the guard rail to plunge down to the river bottom.
“Crap” Grandpa says trying to move his leg but his foot is trapped by metal. He looks at his surroundings and vocally gives “Thanks” that he right side up and not in the river. He tries to wiggle his foot free, but it is badly trapped, but he continues to struggle. “I could be here awhile” he says to himself as he tightens his coat. He pushes on his horn and no sound emitted causing him to proclaim “Battery must have jarred loose”! He continues attempting to free his foot until giving way to exhaustion.
Black smoke could be seen highlighted by the full moon rising up above the tops of stores. Kris and I ran side by side as the smile on her face, effects of the moonlight, profiled her in such a way that she could have been mistaken for an angel. None the less, the smile was contagious because I was smiling as big as that moon in the sky.
We turned the corner to see the back of the pool hall billowing out black smoke and the silhouettes of two people standing in the middle of the street. Drawing closer the people emerged as an old man and old woman.
The woman turns toward our footsteps and asks “has any one called the fire department?”
Kris replies out of breath, “I did just a moment ago.”
“Good thing sweetie,” I overheard the old woman say as Kris start to describe the guy showing up at the soda shop.
I saw one car out in front of the pool hall, so I asked the old man standing beside me “Has anyone come out of the building?”
The man answers “Nope, nobody has gone in or out for ten minutes anyway.”
I look at Kris, smile and then out of the blue, jolted, as if lightning struck, causing me to react to her promptly when she crossed her arms and began rubbing them. I quickly slid off my jacket and covered her shoulders with it. She seemed to snuggle right into it as she said “Thank you Nathan.”
Getting all nervous just standing there I jogged over closer to the pool hall and back, not feeling good about the car still there.
“Kris, I am going to peek in a window and make sure nobody is in there!” I said as I turned back around.
“Be careful Nathan,” she said attractively in the moonlight.
I shake my head back and forth aggressively to shake my head clear of the feelings I was having. I surmise that I should just acknowledge the fact that I could fall for this girl.
I move closer to look into the window of the car in front of the pool hall as smoke began puffing out the front door.
“Empty” I say out loud and walked to the front door of the pool hall and placed my hand on the door. “Still cool,” I proclaim over my shoulder. I squatted down low and pushed against the door with my foot, and it swung open easily belching, a large amount of smoke. I yelled into the building “If any one is in here to holler out”. I waited for a few seconds with no results. I let the door fall back as I rise and look back at Kris whom has moved away from the old couple to directly across the street. I say to her “Kris the place is still unlocked so I am going to make a quick run through and make sure no one is hurt”.
“I don't suppose so Nathan!” was her instant reply adding the shaking no of the head.
“Kris, I wouldn't feel right with myself if I was this close and someone was still in there hurt. I will stay low against this wall and come right back the same way I went in”.
“Please don't be a hero Nathan, your not bullet proof and listen, sirens,” she pleaded.
“Not a hero Kris! Those sirens are still pretty far off from the sound of them,” I say before ignoring her other comment and grabbed a rock from the curb. I open the door and wedged the door open with the rock. I moved in low noticing dim lighting from the lights above the pool tables but the dark smoke kept them dim. "I'm glad for high ceilings at this moment," I say to myself as I moved along the wall towards the back.
“Hello” I yelled. “Anybody here” I shouted seeing flames for the first time shooting out of the back stockroom door.
“Hello” I yelled as I kicked open a bathroom door. “Empty,” I say out loud.
As I got closer to the back the smoke got thicker, so I stayed low and found the back counter where you buy drinks and cigarettes. I rose and could see flames burning the back wall, so I yelled again and no reply. I glance around and noticed behind the counter had the makings of a big fight or something had just taken place because there was broken glass every where, cigarettes scattered over the floor and a broken mirror on the same wall as the back room. I yell again as I slipped over the counter crunching glass under feet and squatted even lower and moved to look into the back room. The sound of the fire grew louder as I got closer, and I promise myself just a peek, and I will cut and run as I slowly looked around the corner I see a man's foot. “Oh crap,” I say to myself as I slid closer to find the man face down. At that moment a huge chunk of plaster fell off the back wall sending flame and smoke right at us. I quickly grabbed the foot and drug him through the doorway gasping for air, feeling the flame singing my tee-shirt on my back. I pull him over in a corner and looked at him closer. I have seen the skinny guy before working here when I came over with Paul, but I don't know his name. The back of his head had a huge gash that slowly oozed blood, and as I turned him over on his back, I noticed his face was all beat up. I grabbed his wrist and felt a pulse and when I held my ear close, I could hear his breath. “Sorry buddy!” I said as I heaved him up on the counter with a thump. I jumped over the counter and landed on a broken pool cue that rolled under my feet causing me to lose balance and to reach out to catch myself. My eyes were burning from the smoke and the flames were growing faster as it found more fuel to consume. I could faintly see the doorway out the front as I grabbed the guy and slung him over my shoulders. I smile, acknowledging that this fellow is light as a feather. As I stayed close to the wall my foot kicked a pool ball laying on the floor sending it pinging across broken glass and into a bashed up juke box. Suddenly, a gush of air pulled in through the open front door giving me a clear view of the opening and then as quick as I saw the opening a deafening explosion from behind pushed me and the unconscious man to floor. With my ears ringing, I grabbed his foot again and quickly started dragging him to the door only to be met by two firefighters spraying water on us both. A firefighter grabbed the man I was dragging and finished pulling him out of the building as the other one shouted at me to get out now. My knees went to the ground immediately upon exiting from the burning building with my lungs filling with fresh air causing me to cough uncontrollably.
As I coughed up black soot, I felt a hand on my back and through teary eyes I saw that it was Kris asking “Are you ok?”
“Yes.” I replied between coughs. “I am fine but he isn't!” I said pointing at the man being addressed by a fireman while the fire truck sprayed water on the now engulfed building. I rose up cold from the water spray as a firefighter grabbed me by the arm and drug me to the fire truck explaining that he had to check me out. I had no energy left in me to start a fuss so as he started checking me, he began asking me what I saw inside.
“The place was pretty broken up,” I answered “Almost like there was a barroom brawl.
That man was in the very back and when I went in it was the only place on fire.
He was out cold then, and” I hesitated to ask “is he going to live” as he draped a blanket over my shoulders and replies “You're going to be fine, and yes, he should live.”
 
11 to 15

Grandpa woke to the sound of truck tires crunching gravel as he squirmed around to get a look. “Damn” he mutters as he works to gain leverage and falls back in defeat as the sound got closer. “I hope the hell their not blind, and see me down here” he says pulling his coat tighter. The moons glow filled the river bottom with eerie shadows that moved with the night breeze. Grandpa chuckled at his predicament and looked up to the heavens and say “Tyrell this is one hell of a mess I got myself into, but we have been in worse situations haven't we”. A light suddenly appeared shining on his back window sending glancing at beams into the cab.
He tried to turn and look again but couldn't so he rolled down his window and yelled out in frustration. “Will you hurry your butt up, I am getting a tad chilled here”.
“Mr. Nash”, the voice sounded with a loud thump that came from the back of the truck along with the sound of gravel being moved by sliding feet. “Mr. Nash” the voice said again.
“Hello I'm in here” grandpa blared as the voice of a man scrambled to the front of the truck.
“Are you ok Mr. Nash are you hurt” came the voice when he suddenly appeared shining his light in grandpas eyes.
“Damn it boy doesn't shine that thing in my face” Grandpa said.
“Mr. Nash what can I do to get you out of here” as Todd stepped up onto the side of the door by the window and shined his light around the cab.
“My foot is wedged down in the floorboard, and if I had a bar of some type I would have had myself loose hours ago”.
“No problem Mr. Nash I have one on the tow truck”.
“Tow truck” grandpa asked “did someone call in or something”?
“No Mr. Nash nobody called Bill sent me to make sure you were ok because when you left you were leaking what looked to be brake fluid”.
“I found that out” grandpa said continuing to say “hurry up and get that bar would you my foot is falling asleep”.
“Yes Sir Mr. Nash” replied to Todd as he hurried back up the slope to the tow truck.

Grandpa sat quietly staring at the full moon through the windshield. Todd slid down the slope and jumped up to the passenger side door and tried to open it.” Stuck shut” he said through the glass.
“I can do it myself, if you give me the bar Todd” Grandpa said impatiently.
“No problem” Todd said as he worked his way around to the other side. Here he said handing Grandpa the bar.
“Thanks” Grandpa said grasping the bar and wedging it down and prying at the steel pinning his foot. “Damn good American steel” he said laying back in frustration.
“Want me to give it a try Mr. Nash” Todd asked?
“One more try and if I can't get my foot lose you'll have to go around to the passenger side and pry the door open or break the door glass” Grandpa's answered.
Todd climbed up to the cab and shined a light down to the floor board to help and noticed Grandpa's foot twisted at an awful angle. “Mr. Nash from the looks of things your foot must be broken” Todd said shaking the light shaking back and forth.
“Hold the ******oops*******oops*******oops*******oops* light still would you, so I can see” Grandpa replied beginning to lose his patience. Todd held the light steady while trying to give advice where to place the bar to get the best leverage.
“I got this boy just calm down” as Grandpa wedged the bar in again right where Todd pointed out. “Here you help me by pulling as I push” Grandpa said squirming through himself to get a better push. As they both worked together the steel let go of his foot with screech. “That's gotten it” Grandpa said handing Todd the bar through the window. “Now let me get out of here” Grandpa said pushing on the door. “Damn it's jammed to” Grandpa complained and “my foot is asleep” he exclaimed shaking the door. Todd wedged the bar in a bent area of the door and pried as Grandpa pushed when the door suddenly opened sending both to the ground. Grandpa rolled over towards the truck and grabbed the side to pull him up only to fall back down. “Crap” he said reaching down to his ankle.
“Looks broke to me Mr. Nash” Todd commented upon a closer inspection.
“I am not blind Todd go to grab me two straight pieces of wood and the lashing laying in back of my truck, and I will patch myself up a bit to get out of this bottom”.
“No problem Mr. Nash” as Todd shined the light around searching for the requested materials.
“So if you saw oil as I was leaving why so long to get here” Grandpa asked?
“Well I went right back in and told Bill, and he told me to use his pickup to catch you and two of his tires were flat and the tow truck was out on a run. Mr. Nash when I removed the tires off the truck and took the tires inside to repair them, I found that they had the sidewalls poked with an ice pick or something”.
“No kidding vandalism” Grandpa asked?
“Yes Sir” Todd replied “but Bill drove the pickup to work this morning so it could have only happened while we were working, and I can't help but think that the turtlehead guy and his driver had something to do with it”.
“You recon” Grandpa's replied continuing to add “you know I never had any trouble until I stopped at the gas station”.
“I think so Mr. Nash all the signs points to them” as he lays the wood by Grandpa's leg and asks “do you want me to lash your leg or do you want to do it”.
“Move boy you will just mess things up, and I know my own pain tolerance” as he begins to lash his ankle to the boards with rope.
“So an ice pick you say” Grandpa says grimacing as he tightens the last knot.
“Yes sir small holes on the side wall” Todd replied “and they were ruined so we had to have them special ordered and wait until the tow truck came back in”.
“Well thank you Todd for helping me out here” as grandpa holds out his hand and Todd grabs his arm and helps him stand, and “we'll get out of here and grab the truck in the morning”.
“Do you want to go to hospital” Todd asked?
“Hell no we are just a few miles from the house so if you can help me up the hill lets go there”.
“No problem Mr. Nash” as Todd helps grandpa slowly inch up the slope. As Todd helps Grandpa into the truck a long lonely train whistle pierces the silence of the night in the river bottom. “Why would a train travel that spur so late in the year? They never use that spur in the winter. They only use it during harvest time” Grandpa notes. “No clue Mr. Nash” Todd says as he closes the truck door for Grandpa.
I stand up chilled from the water spray and stare at the pool hall engulfed with flames as the firefighters franticly spray water in a vain attempt to slow the spreading fire. A second fire truck and police arrive with their sirens echoing loudly off the buildings. Fire fighters scrambled from the newly arrived fire truck and quickly began dragging hoses and spraying water on the adjacent building as the police man began herding the growing crowd over to a safe area.
I wrap the blanket tighter around myself as I walk over to the fire truck when an ambulance pulls up separating me from the fire truck. Two paramedics jump out and began to check the still unconscious victim. They then loaded him up and race off to the hospital.

Kris puts her hand on my shoulder and comments “Nathan, we had better be getting you indoors before you catch a cold”.
“I'm fine! Well, I was until I was nailed with that spray of water” I chuckled.
She smiled and shook her head and said “Nathan, I just can't believe you went in there”.
“Well, I have a haunting memory of when I stood right beside a house on fire and just on the inside of the wall two little kids were dying. I couldn't do a thing for those little kids, and here I saw a chance to ease my mind of that memory” I mention as a cold shiver shook my body.
“I'm sorry to hear that Nathan” she says as she pulls me up close and gives me a big warm hug. As her warm cheek met mine and with our bodies held close I look up at the moon with a smile. A gentle breeze lifts wisps of her hair to be held backlit by the moon while bringing her alluring aroma to join in our closeness. I close my eyes as I slowly begin to push away gently sliding my cheek across hers unknowingly leaving behind a noticeable streak of soot. I pause and open my eyes to see her face inches from mine and for a fraction of a second I felt the urge to kiss her when she suddenly puts her finger on my lips that pushes me back and points out my situation “Such a dirty boy you are Nathan Nash”!
I stood bewildered as she puts her hand on her hips and continues “To think for a second I would want to kiss you with black snot running out of your nose”. Her body shudders as she finished her sentence.
I reach down and grabbed the bottom of the blanket I was wrapped in and wiped my face and blew my nose.
“That was so gross Nathan” she commented.
With a grin I apologize “I'm sorry” as I wad a part of the blanket and hold it up and mention “You have a smudge on the side of your cheek”.
Instantly, she says “Oh gross” places her hand on her cheek and smears it on her face more. She then looks at her dirtied hand and reaches over to me and wipes her hand on my face and says “Here you can have it back”!
“Yuck” I reply smiling at her reaction “But you have just a little here” I point out as I reach over to her face to wipe off the soot. She stood motionless with her eyes closed. As she stood there smiling like she was daydreaming as I gently cleaned her cheek. When I finished cleaning her face, I spit loudly into the blanket and with a huge grin said “Just a spit shine away from flawless so hold still”.
“Nathan” she says smiling and opening her eyes “Thank you no. The sharing of your runny nose was enough for one night” she continued saying as she stopped my hand.
“Now I have to go wash up, and I know you could use some cleaning up yourself” she adds letting go of my hand and suggests “Lets go back to the store and clean up”.
“Ok hang on a sec, so I can give back the snotty blanket back” I chuckle, an answer back. I unwrap myself and felt the sudden shock of cold. “Wow its cold “I complain as I tossed the blanket on the side of the fire truck. I turn to see Kris already walking back to the store, so I shouted at the closest fireman” I left your blanket here” pointing at it. He gave me a thumb's up, and I turn to run and catch Kris. I began to jog towards her glancing back once to see the policeman talking to a firefighter, whom looked to be pointing my way spurring me to begin to run. I forgot everything but her when she looked back at me and began to run away. With her having a block head start I could tell immediately that I could catch up so I lesson my pace enough not to be too obvious as I watch her as she kept running. She turns the corner moments before me and with a giggly laugh begins to sprint faster as if she expects me to accept the challenge, but I don't, I stop pretend to be winded leaning over against a store front coughing loudly watching for her reaction. She slows down to a stop, turns around and hold her hands out to shout “See I told you not to go in there Mr. I got to be a hero Nash”.
I laugh, wave her on and shout back “I'm right behind you”.
She lifts her arms and as if to push air, gestures a forget you sign and jogs the rest of the way to the store as I watched how beautiful her hair bounces in the moonlight. A shiver shakes my body in order to motion as I follow her to the store. I pause at the door a moment and look back to see if I was followed and felt instant relief to see no one. The door tinkles my entrance causing Kris to stop washing her face and to look my way. She looks back into a small mirror in front of a huge sink and dabs at her face. She steps slightly to the side and says “Get over here and let's get you cleaned up. She flaunts a wash cloth up, and I accept it and immediately stuck it under the warm water. “Ah warm” was my instant response. She towels herself as my body warms itself hands first when she breaks my heat fascination by grabbing the wash cloth from me and says “Nathan, didn't your mama teach you not to play in the water”?
I stammer a “Yes, but I wasn't playing in the water I was warming up” as she began to wash my face.
“Such a dirty boy you are Nathan Nash” she says as she scrubs my face. I close my eyes and stand still adding a comment “Not me” as she washes my face. I open my eyes as she glides over the cloth down my arm and smile. She must of sensed my smile because her eyes met mine for a second and she smiled and coyly says “Nathan don't you think you need to take that cold shirt off and dry?
I just noticed that she didn't have my jacket, on so I glanced around and saw it laid over a chair behind her, so I answered “Couldn't be a better idea at this moment” as I begin to peel my shirt up. She helps with the removal and towels my chest, and I smile and ask “I am kind of bashful so could I finish this part”? She hands me the towel and steps over to my jacket turns back to face me and ask “Do you have girlfriend Nathan? I noticed your wearing your class ring, and I have never seen you hanging out with girls so how come?
“No I don't have a girlfriend, and I was so focused on college I never bothered” I reply back with a smile. She holds the jacket up for me to put on and when I turned around the front door tinkled and a man looks at me. Here I am naked to my waist as Kris is putting the jacket over my shoulder when he says “Kristine can you explain”?
“Yes daddy. This is Nathan and I just met him this evening when a man came in yelling about a fire” she calmly explains.
He steps up to me leaving about three foot separation, smiles, folds his arms against his chest and indulgingly asks “A fire you say? This sounds interesting since it leads to a young man halfway dressed in front of my daughter. Please, humor me Kristine”.
She pats my back and walks by her dad over to a coffee pot, fills three cups and says “Dad, have a seat, and I'll explain and Nathan would you like cream”?
“No black is fine” I answer back skeptical about sitting beside her dad.
He looked at me and must have read my mind because he chuckles and says “Nathan, I trust my daughter so have a seat and hear this tale of shirt removal”. He then looks back at Kris as she places the cups in front of us and states “Baby girl daddy has his car running outside so can you tell me quickly”.
“Okay “she begins quickly telling the story to her daddy as I drift into the warmth of my coffee and think about the pool hall. My mind tinkers with the thought that the man in the pool hall was supposed to die, but I ask myself why when it's just a pool hall. I shrug my shoulders and decide to leave the detective stuff to the police and refocus my attention to Kris and her story when suddenly I am back slapped into reality with Kris's dad exclaiming “A hero huh”? Nice to hear people really do care Nathan”. He holds out his hand and introduces himself as “B folk, and you've already met my daughter Kristine so Nathan your last name is”?
I spout “Nash sir! Nathan Nash”
“Any relation to an Ethan Nash” he asked?
“Yes sir he's my grandfather” I answer back.
“Doc Rogers referred him, so I'm ordering hardwoods from him. Why don't we clean up here, and I'll give you a ride home Nathan” he informed?
“I have a car just a half mile, or so I can walk” I offered.
“Are you sure” he asked.
“Yes and I really must head home before my family sends a search party” I reply rising from the stool polishing off the last of my coffee.
Kris walks around the counter and embraces me in a warm hug and whispers “Stop and see me sometime Nathan” and then kisses me on the corner of my mouth. She giggles and starts pushing a stunned me towards the door. I laugh as she opens the door and says “Sir this establishment is closed to come again during business hours”. I shout “Bye Mr. Folk nice meeting you' just before she pushes me out the door locks the lock and pulls a shade down in my face. I chuckle at her actions and make faces at her through the window. She laughs and waves me to go so I turn towards the car and begin to run.
Grandpa gestures and states “Todd, stop there by the porch where the light is on”. Grandpa reaches over and is about to sound like the horn when the screen door opens and Elaine steps out squinting to see who was inside the truck A gruff voice from behind her asks “ Who is it honey” and she answers back quickly “ I can't tell yet? I see two men in a tow truck and Oh my Goodness one of them is dad”. She quickly moves from the door and proceeds down the porch to the truck. Grandpa opens the door of the truck and says “Hold on their Elaine and holler at Tom to give me a hand”.
“Is something wrong Daddy” she asks?
“I had an accident over on the bridge and buggered up my leg a tad” he states as he squirms to pull his legs around to descend the cab.
Todd jumps out of the cab and circles around the truck to stand beside Elaine on the porch as Tom pushes his way between both to stand in front of Grandpa and says “What in the tar-nation happened to you Grandpa”.
“I'll tell you what's going on! Ty was murdered Tom plain and simple! And who ever killed him made a stab at me to follow him” Grandpa states angrily.
“Now why would you say that Grandpa” Tom asks?
”Firstly we know his mule would only defend him not kill him. Secondly, Todd here followed a trail of brake fluid to my wrecked truck that had begun leaking at the gas station just after two men from stopped there” Grandpa says angrily.
“Coincidence maybe” Tom asked?
Coincidence my foot! I can tell you without delay that somebody is pushing us around, and if we sit still there going to take us out one by one” Grandpa states emphatically then gestures to have a little help. He slid off the truck seat to touch the porch with his one good leg when Tom slid himself under grandpa's arm and helped walk over and set him down on a porch bench.
Todd asks “Is there anything else I can do? I really need to get back to the station and park this rig before I have a search party searching for me.
Tom answers “Go on home Todd and Thank you for bringing our cranky Grandpa home” with the shaking of Todd's hand.
Tom then turns to Elaine and asks “Elaine, we had best drive Grandpa to town to have Doc look at his leg, so I'll go and get your car ready”.
Grandpa waves at Tom to go on and comments “You just do that Tom,” and then he asks “Elaine is there a chance that you can make your dad a sandwich” he rubs his belly and comments again “Thanks again Todd for checking up on me. If it wasn't for you coming to look for me my family would've let me starve or freeze to death before they would have missed me”.
“Hog wash Daddy! Tom and I were just talking about you while he was eating at the dinner table. We both were talking about reasons why you were not home by supper, and I was asking Tom to hurry and finish eating to go searching for you when you drove up” Elaine said as she leaned over and gave Grandpa a big hug.
“I love my daddy, and he needs a sandwich” she says pushing away from him and finishes by giving Todd a big hug and to say commending him “I will go to make him one now and Todd my hero, thank you so very much for bringing my daddy home”.
“No problem Mrs. Nash” he replies as she lets go. He then turns to face grandpa and informs him “Mr. Nash, I will go to pull out your truck in the morning and tow it back here in the mien time you better get that leg patched up”! He turns and leaps off the porch and quickly climbs into the warm truck and proceeds to drive away.
Grandpa shifts himself around on the porch bench to watch Todd drive off as Tom pulls a car close to the porch. Elaine walks to back out of the house with a basket of food and a thermos of coffee and proceeds to place the articles in the back seat of the car. As she was walking to the car grandpa watches her intensely and with the placement of food in the car he spouts “Are you baiting a trap Elaine”?
“No daddy! I thought you could eat while on the way to the hospital” she informs him.
“I am not going to the hospital” grandpa says stubbornly.
“Ok fine dad but you are going to town to have Doc look at your leg. Now your supper is in the car so lets get you loaded up” she tells him.
Tom gets out of the car and walks over to grandpa to help him to the car, and as he walked up, he says “No use arguing with her Grandpa”.
“She's just like her mother” grandpa says as he squirms around to use Tom for leverage to stand shifting all his weight on Tom's shoulder, and says “Tom, I heard the McCrery's are back making shine again”.
“Do you think they're responsible for Ty's death” Tom asked as they both walked towards the car.
“No! Those boys aren't so low to commit murder but maybe someone that's tied to them could” Grandpa mentions.
“Does anybody come to mind” Tom asks helping to lower grandpa into the car seat.
“Nell Landing sure as hell comes to mind” Grandpa swears with a grimace upon pulling his foot in the door.
“I thought he was in jail” Tom said just before he closed the door on Grandpa.
“Hell no he got off Scot free and is still running that river club” Grandpa says when Tom sat behind the steering wheel. Elaine places herself in the back seat beside Grandpa and says “I'll set back her and help dad with his supper, and I left a note telling Nathan where we are going and” upon looking at Grandpa finishes “why”.
Grandpa shrugs his shoulders and leans over and pats Tom on the shoulder moments after he placed the car in gear and began driving and asked “Tom have you heard anything going on that the railroad would use their harvest spur for”?
“No nothing at all” Tom answers back.
The car rolled on towards town with the only sound was the gravel crunching under the tires.
“Dang its cold” I say as I start the car and begin to drive home. I glance at the moon and smile upon the thought of Kris as I turn down her street only to catch just one more look at her. I slowly drive by noticing a pickup in the drive and a light on in the window. I bite my lip and drive on by. I turn off the street on to the highway and began to accelerate up to speed when a car that looked identical to moms goes flying by. I laugh off out loud “Sure wouldn't be Mom driving that fast” as I watch it go on in my rearview mirror to the next intersection and turn into town.
My mind wanders back and forth between my meeting of Kris to Tyrell dying and then on to the subject of William being in town and the fire at the pool hall when suddenly to my amazement, I had already arrived at the drive that led to home. “Wow” I chuckled out loud as I turn up the drive. I noticed immediately that the house lights were on and the garage door was open wide and within it dad's pickup but moms car was gone. I proclaim to myself “I guess that was mom's car! I wonder what's going on”. I drive around to the side barn and noticed it was empty of Grandpa's truck. I park in Paul's stall and hustled up to the house to find out what is going on. I enter the house and immediately yell out “Mom, Dad, Grandpa” as my eyes locked on a note on the fridge. It read.

Nathan, Grandpa had an accident in his truck that hurt his foot. He says he's ok but we're going to run him into town and have Doc look at him. Supper in the fridge.

Mom


I open the fridge and grabbed a chicken leg and began eating it as I dash up the stairs to my room to change into dry clothes. I think to myself that this day has been real strange and exciting with the meeting of Kris and everything else that's happened as I pull off my damp jeans. The biggest question is why William is here. I ponder on the memory of when he moved away, he swore he would never come back. He said if I ever wanted to see him again I would have to be the one to go. He never let me know where he was after he left, I thought in self defense as I clothe in a sweat shirt and sweat pants. “Now he shows up out of the blue, all dressed in high dollar clothes sporting the same chip on his shoulder that he got when his brother died stealing shine over in the next county” I exclaim out loud waving the chicken leg at my reflection in the mirror as I opened a drawer for socks. I glance into the mirror then quickly back because I noticed a faint color of lipstick on the edge of my mouth. I giggle and say “Glad nobody saw that” as I use the edge of my cuff to rub it off. “Grandpa would have had fun with that” I say thankfully he missed it as I pick up my clothes and carry them down the stairs to the laundry room. I shrug my shoulders over the thought of leaving my shirt at the soda shop, and I smile and say “I will try to get it later” as I toss my dirty clothes in the hamper, and as I was stuffing them in, I caught the smell of smoke that brought to attention the memory of the pool hall. “Mom will smell this immediately when she opens the hatch. I'll wash them in a bit so she won't pester me with questions” I promise myself with wise intentions. Some how the word smell jogged my memory because when I sat down with William, I caught a smell of kerosene fuel and my eyes grew wider as I shook my head no in denial and said “Surely William isn't behind the pool hall fire. Even so, of all people William disliked the most growing up was Tyrell Biggs. Ty always called him a porch monkey and never took his eyes off him. Ty predicted William would never amount to much”. I don't have anything to compare William to be other than when he was young being raised by his aunt and brother to what I seen today I think to myself. He just changed for the worse when his brother died just months before he moved. His aunt passed away shortly after he moved, and he never showed up for the funeral I remind myself as I walk back to the kitchen. I glance at a bible laying on the kitchen table and notice that it was Ty's bible that he always had been laying on a stand by the back door of his house. I lay my hand on it like, I had seen him do so many times before and close my eyes and sadly say “Ty, I am sorry for not getting to know you better, and I want you to know that I thank you for being a part of the family, and we will miss you”. I turn wiping a tear that formed in the corner of my eye because we lost a good friend. I grab a coat hanging beside the back door and proceed to walk out across the yard to grandpa's shed. “I'll check the kiln's temperature for Grandpa” I tell myself as I lit a lamp. I carry the light to the kilns temperature gauge, and it says it's at the correct temperature indicating that fire wood is not needed. I turn from the kiln and begin to walk back to hang the lantern back up and turn it out when Charlie appears out of nowhere. “Hello Charlie” I say in surprise. He nods his head and in sign language tells me of a train with three cars stopped a mile from town. I nod understanding what he signed but bewildered as to why he thought I needed to know such information. Many horses, he signals quickly, yet unchanging in his stance and devoid of any facial expressions. I chuckle because I could tell he was excited so I ask “Charlie, Why would a train stop outside of town that's full of horses when a stockyard is right beside elevators there in town"? He shrugs his shoulders to my question and points to the woods and said “Took tracks home woods smell bad”. I'm stunned by his unusual sudden usage of speech and intrigued as to why the woods are bad. “Charlie, Grandpa had an accident in his truck today and Mom and Dad drove him into town to have Doc look at him. Maybe that's the bad that you smell” I offer as a reason. He shakes his head no and signs a death sign. “Tyrell Biggs died last night, and I'm pretty sure Mom said Nelly killed him according to the sheriff” I suddenly remembered. He steps back as if I pushed him, signs for a spirit to go up, walks to the edge of the barn, turns his face up to the moon, holds up his hand and speaks in a language I've never heard before. I sit on a stool and look at the floor while listening to his voice lament as I turn to my memory of Dad telling me of how Charlie showed up at a work site half dead of a bullet that to this day is still unclaimed. I shiver from the cold and smile at the thought of mysteriousness because no one really knows what Charlie's heritage is. All I do know that he is wonderful with the family and taught me to be a woodsman like Tyrell taught Paul about horses. He stops lamenting and turns to face me with the moon backlighting him holds up his hand and signs two days he must go and prepare sacrifice for the spirit of Tyrell. I nod a yes and ask “Will you come back”? He smiles and nods yes and turns in the moonlight to accentuate all the muscles in face suddenly losing strength when he spoke again adding sign language “Woods smell bad”. He drops his arms and turns and began walking away as I stood up and walked to the edge of the barn where he had just stood and turned in his direction, but he had vanished into the night. I turn and walk back to the light and sit back down on the stool and contemplate what Charlie said “Woods smell bad” I say in deep thoughts.
“Doc's wife told me he was called to the hospital moments ago, and that we would have to catch him there” Dad said as he closed the car door and begins to drive.
“I am not going to the hospital just take me back home” Grandpa says belligerently.
“She said there was a fire at the pool hall and somebody was hurt” Dad went on ignoring Grandpa's statement.
“Boy don't you make me crawl up there and twist your ears! I said I'm not going to the hospital” Grandpa threatens with the beginnings of movement to make good of his statement.
“Hold still” she said stopping him from leaning further as she replies “How about we just pull up to the hospital and have Doc look at your leg outside here in the car, so will that work out Dad”?
“I am, going to have to twist some ears” Grandpa says leaning forward to grab Dad and Dad giggles and leans forward evading Grandpa's grasp.
“Dad settle down” he replies turning a corner aiding in Grandpa's falling back in the seat grimacing.
“See Dad” mom said continuing “hurts doesn't it”!
“Hell yeah” Grandpa says closing his eyes in pain.
“Just one more block and we'll be there” Dad consoles glancing back in the rearview mirror.
“Did Doc's wife say who was hurt” mom asked?
“No she never said who, just told me Doc was called out” dad answers back.
“Pull up by that door Tom” Mom says pointing at the hospital's emergency entrance. Dad turns the car into the spot she pointed out and parked keeping the car idling.
“Sit right here and I will run in and find Doc” Dad says exiting from the car in a hurry. He runs into the hospital leaving mom to comfort Grandpa.
“He better be bringing Doc out because I am not going in there” Grandpa says stubbornly.
“Quit fussing over Dad nothing badly is going to happen” she says in a vain attempt to comfort him.
“Bad? Bad you say, here I have a bum foot, a wrecked truck, a murdered friend, and you say nothing bad is going to happen. Elaine if I go in there I won't come back out, and I'm not going to sit here and let any more of not bad happen” Grandpa proclaims opening the car door to make his escape.
“Sit Ethan” mom said with authority. “I am more than your daughter in law whose mother you once courted before she dumped you on account of your stubbornness but a wife to your son and a mother to your grandchildren whom all need you. Therefore, be nice”!
“Just like your mom always claiming somebody else is stubborn when somebody should listen to themselves” Grandpa says in frustration then leans back in to the seat. Dad suddenly appeared walking briskly to the car and say's “I talked to Doc, and he told me to bring Dad in, and he'll look at him”.
“Ah hells no just take me home” Grandpa grunts, crossing his arm in defiance.
“Doc was prepared for that Dad” as Dad whistles shrilly and three men, one police man and two fire fighters approach the car from the darkness with one of them speaking “ Doc said you were a stubborn one Nash, so we offer you an option, and you won't like either one, but you have to choose”.
“I choose to twist somebody's ears if they get close enough unless they are a doctor” Grandpa says matter a fact.
“I'm a medical technician Mr. Nash and am licensed to help you” fire fighter replies squatting down low by the car door.
“And I have some questions for you and your family Mr. Nash” the policeman mentions.
“Questions, is some thing wrong officer” mom asks?
“Seems your grandson was involved in a fire this evening at the pool hall, and I saw him run away when I needed to question him” the policeman informs.
“Not negative Mrs. Nash I was there but let's get Mr. Nash inside. Mr. Nash you have two options to going inside and that is over my shoulder or in a wheel chair. You chose” the squatted fireman says frankly.
“The police have questions do they” Grandpa replies lifting his arm out so the firefighter could lift him out of the car and as Grandpa rises, he demandingly says “ I have a few questions for the police myself that I expect to be answered”!

The other firefighter opened the door of the hospital as Grandpa and his support hobbled in with him grumbling about the smell to an awaiting room while the policeman remained behind with mom and dad.

“I'm not taking off my clothes and putting on one of them funny gowns” Grandpa states setting down on an examination table.
“Not a problem Mr. Nash, but I will have to cut yours boot off and them britches to see what Doc has to work with” the firefighter said.
“What's your name and what has my grandson gotten himself into “Grandpa asks with a grimace as his leg is lifted up onto a table extension?
“My name is Blake” and gesturing with his head “this is Tim and your grandson was last seen running down the street chasing a girl” he chuckles and pauses to look at Grandpa's expression before cutting on his boot. Before Grandpa could say anything Tim pops off in laughter and says “Was that before, or after you sprayed him with water”.
“After” Blake replied with a snicker as he continues to cut on the boot and in humor continued to say “I washed him down well that's for sure”.
“Hold on their boys and come clean. What's this talk of a fire, water and a girl” Grandpa asks as Blake removes the boot?
“Your grandson went into the burning pool hall and rescued an employee, and as he was exiting, I was going in and Blake here nailed us both with full spray of water” Tim replied.
“Had to keep you cool” Blake comments as he splits Grandpa's pant leg.
“Sure you just had to in the dead of winter pop us well with freezing water” Tim say crossing his arms and continues “Your grandson Mr. Nash was the only one who saw the inside before it was gutted by fire, and I'm pretty sure that's what information that he's needing thumbing over through the doorway at the policeman that came inside with mom and dad who were standing in front of a nurses station.
“And the girl” Grandpa asks?
“We don't know Mr. Nash, he threw a blanket I gave him on the truck and took off chasing her and” Blake commented as he began to cut off the sock leading him to ask “how long was your foot pinched”
“Blimey five hours maybe why” Grandpa asks.
“Just taking notes for your doctor Mr. Nash” Blake says narrowly evading the telling of the truth of what he sees.
“And the notes were taken” Doc says announcing his presence then adding “Now. What has Ethan done now” as he lifts Grandpa's wrist and checks his pulse rate? He then pulls out a light and looks into Grandpa's ears changing to looking into his eyes when Grandpa interrupts and says “Doc it's my foot, and it is behind you”.
“You don't say Ethan. Thank you Tim and Blake, I can handle this ornery cuss and you fellows can get back to your families” Doc says escorting the two out the door and closes the door behind them.
“How did this happen Ethan” Doc asks examining Grandpa's foot?
 
16 to 20

Its unfair to give Aunt Mary the sole credit for my writing this, but she was easy to use, because she's not here apologize for tempting me! Credit really goes to dorkelf! Yep! I can say that because the last I heard he found a key, and my bet is he used it, ended up in the belfry, lost the key, and has gone batty! Anyways the encouragement, the critiques, wisdom, and Time that dorkelf shared with me is the real reason I done this and I am humble to say Thank you! Now in memory of a lost batty dorkelf I will continue until someone cries UNCLE!

“They killed Ty Doc, and they just tried to kill me to” Grandpa says as Doc examines his leg and foot.
“How so Ethan” Doc asks.
Grandpa replays the day's events after he had left the lumber yard to Doc whom was listening intently while focusing his examination on Grandpa's foot.
“No kidding” Doc says as Grandpa got to the part of telling of Todd's arrival and rescue and in conformation states “That Wilmington boy is a good one. I hear to tell that he was accepted into the same college as your grandson”.
“Did you hear me Doc? They cut my brakes intending to put me in front of a slow moving parade” Grandpa stammered in frustration.
“Oh hell Ethan” Doc chuckled. “I heard you and right outside the door is a policeman you can convince but at this moment my concern is your foot. The ankle is broken all right, but because it was pinched the foot lost blood flow and that could lead to have it taken off”.
“Oh bullshit if you're going to cut it off” Grandpa exclaims.
“Slow down Ethan, I won't take it off. However, let me give you the choice of dying of gangrene or listening to me. Maybe if you listen to me with a bit of prayer, we'll have you walking in no time” Doc says laying out the facts. Then continuing Doc states “Ethan, I want to x-ray your foot to see how I need to reset it” as looks around the room and continues “Let me step out and find you some transportation” then opens the door and exits before Grandpa could get in a word.

“Vicky would you run down a wheelchair, so I can push Mr. Nash to radiology and Jacob” Doc says looking at the policeman standing beside mom and dad “run to my office and get a bucket that I have been setting by my back office bathroom”. He turns and continues “Tom, your dad lost circulation to his foot when he was pinned and his ankle is broken. I'll do my best but immediately there's nothing you can do but pray. I'm going to keep him overnight and in the morning we'll see how it looks”.
Mom grasps Doc's arm to question as the policeman exits the hospital “Will you have to perform surgery”?
“No Elaine not tonight. I'll reset his ankle, stabilize it for tonight and pray his body can make the rest of the repairs” Doc informs then adding “Why don't you go to say goodnight to him and then go home and get some rest, and I'll stay with him tonight"?
“Does Dad know he's going to stay the night” Tom asks?
“Hell no” Doc chuckles, then replies at the question. “Maybe I need to go in with you and be the one to inform him. Here's Vicky now with his transportation to radiology”. Doc steps forward and grasps the wheelchair and says “Thank you very much Vicky. By the way, have you found any information on the john doe”?
“No sir nothing yet” she answered.
“Something will give shortly I'm sure” Docs replies before he pushes the wheelchair in to the examination room to exclaim “Your chariot awaits Mr. Nash and Oh by the way I took it upon myself to check you into your own room for the night, and I'm about to send your kids home after they tell you goodnight. Then after I take at a picture of your foot you're going to bed” Doc comments in fact.
“Oh really” came the reply from Grandpa before he continued “How do you intend to keep me here”?
“I'll break your other foot if necessary” was Docs immediate response.
“Heck of a note, first someone tries to crate me up and now my doctor wants me to be still and be a sitting duck for thugs to finish me off, or he'll bust my other foot. ******oops*******oops*******oops*******oops* I can't catch a break can I” Grandpa complains.
“No breaks here and please pardon the pun Ethan” Doc relays as he swings the wheelchair around beside the bed.
“I can stay with you” Elaine offers as Grandpa as she rubs his back.
“I don't intend on staying young lady” Grandpa says as he swings his leg off the table with a grimace.
“Dad please quit being stubborn” Tom said tried to say convincingly as Doc casually walked to the back of the bed and pushed a button.
“I didn't want to have to do these Ethan” Doc comments as he steps back.
“Do what” Ethan asked as two huge nurses walked into the room and one of them asks “What can we do to help Doc"?
“I believe Ethan here needs a little encouragement to sit still and do as he's told” Doc answers with a chuckle.
“Dealing with cantankerous old men is our specialty” the larger of the two nurses said.
“We're going to go home Dad” Tom says smiling at what Doc had done.
“Oh no, you're not going home without me” Grandpa says almost in a panic.
“Yes they are” came the reply from the largest nurse whose voice was manning tone deep and had a smile that was extremely intimidating.
“Damn it Charles” Grandpa declares twisting back and forth as he looks up at each nurse that had positioned themselves to each side of him.
“Where do you need us to escort you to Doc” the smallish nurse asks as she and the other began hoisting Grandpa up and over into the wheelchair that Doc was holding?
“Depends on Ethan, do we really need their help” Doc asks holding back his laughter.
“Hell no, just let me have some space to tell my kids goodnight and you, and I can get this over with” Grandpa says as Elaine squeezes in order to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek goodnight. As she straightens up, she says “Love you Dad, We'll see you first thing in the morning”.
“Love you Dad” followed Tom's humored comment as he pulled Elaine from between the two nurses “See you in the morning” he declared as they left the room.
“We have it from here ladies” Doc says pushing Grandpa through the door and mentions to Vicky “When Jacob arrives send him to my room please”. He pushes Grandpa down the hallway and into radiology. Doc quickly sets Grandpa's leg up for x-ray machine as Grandpa remained seated.
“This hurts Doc” Grandpa complains as Doc moves around to the other side of a curtain.
“Hold still Ethan” Doc says followed by a loud click “One more hold still” Doc said as he walked over and grabbed a plate behind Grandpa's foot and slides in another.
“Huh, I never noticed that” Grandpa says leaning over.
“Sit still Ethan” Doc warns as Grandpa straightens up and Doc disappears followed again with a click.
“That should do it Ethan” Doc says emerging from around the curtain and walking over and retrieving the plate. He takes both plates and slips them into a covered slot in the wall and flips a switch and says “I will check on these in a moment, let's get you over in my room and out of this chair.
“You have a room here” Grandpa asks as Doc pushes him to a door that has a sign on it that states “Private”.
“Yes I do” Doc answers as he opens the door and kicks the door stop down and prepares to push Grandpa, he is interrupted by Grandpa wheeling himself in with the comment “I'm not helpless you know”.
“This I know very well Ethan” Doc comments in acknowledgement then close the door behind him.
“My idea of your private room was a whole lot grander than this Doc” Grandpa confesses upon spinning a slow circle in the small room which held a bed, dresser and a couch with a smattering of pictures and a large stand radio.
“I share on call with another doctor, so we share this room” Doc informs as a knock on the door focuses his attention to say “Come in. Oh great timing Jacob just set the bucket by the bed and help us get Ethan here up in the bed. Jacob set the bucket where Doc pointed and stood beside Grandpa who was trying to see what was in the bucket.
“One two three” and they both hoisted Grandpa out of the wheelchair over into the bed. As they set him down Doc introduces Jacob to Grandpa. “Ethan, this is Jacob. Tell him how you broke your ankle”. Grandpa proceeds to tell Jacob the story from when he left the Gas station.
“Bill sent word his personal pickup was vandalized, but I haven't investigated it yet. Do you think the same person vandalized your truck also” Jacob asks as he pulls out a note pad?
Grandpa face began turning red, and he began to open his mouth when “I have to interrupt and ask you to excuse yourself Jacob because I still have a job to do that requires your absence” Doc says grabbing Jacob by the arm and escorting him to the door, opening it and with a guiding nudge pushed him into the hallway with the comment “Jacob, talk to Bill in the morning and come back and talk to Ethan. Goodnight” as he pulls the door to.
“You saved him from a good butt chewing Doc” Grandpa proclaims adding “Chaps my butt when I have to repeat what should have been heard the first time”.
“You need to take a lesson on that Ethan” Doc chuckled.
“What are you saying Doc” Grandpa chuckled back?
“Lets get you leaned back where I can straighten your ankle up” Doc says as he fluffs a pillow for Grandpa to lean on. As Grandpa leaned back Doc walks over to the radio and turns it on to radio talk show. The talk show hosts were talking about how Chicago policemen are gunned down as Doc moves back to the bed and lifts up the bucket Jacob brought in and set it up beside Grandpa's leg.
“What's in the bucket” Grandpa asks leaning forward being snoopy?
“Nun Ya” Doc replied.
“What in tarnation is nun Ya” Grandpa asks leaning ever more forward?
“Nun Ya business, now lie back” Doc smarts off, and as he looks at Grandpa's expression, he continued “Ethan of all the years we rode together with Roosevelt did I ever bullshit anyone”?
“No sir you always told us like it was when half the time you should have lied” Grandpa replied.
Doc reaches into the bucket and pulls out this humongous leech and says “These little fellows have saved Mrs. Henshaws legs and they will tell me if they can save your foot”.
“Oh hell Doc, no really, is there nothing else” Grandpa stammers?
“Nope” Doc says as he places the leech on Grandpa's foot then reaches into the bucket as if to grab another, he instead pulled out one of the very mason jars of shine that Grandpa had given him earlier in the day and says “Maybe a snort will help relax you Ethan”.
Grandpa reaches for it with the comment “It's good to have friends”.
“Yes it is Ethan. Yes it is” Doc replies.
As the warm water trickled down William's back he gingerly touches a peeled back chunk of flesh on his side that he had taken the bandage off and with a grimace, he remarks “Damn mule”. He dries himself off and wraps a towel around his torso and moves himself to the bedroom where he had laid out his clothes on the bed for the evening.
He pulled on his pants preparing to meet Mr. Desardo down stairs for an evening nightcap as Mr. Desardo fondly calls it.
As he stares in the mirror he winces as he puts the finishing touch replacing the bandage on his side stating “That ******oops*******oops*******oops*******oops* mule ruined my shirt” when knock broke him of his self absorption.
“Hold on let me pull up my pants” he lies as he pulls on a shirt and buttons it. He then grabs his jacket and proceeds to the door to peer through a peep hole before he opens it.
“It's Nubs” William mumbles as he opens the door while at the same time pulls on his dinner jacket.
“Are you ready, Mr. Desardo is” Nubs says immediately upon the opening of the door.
“The man doesn't cut us any slack does he” William chuckles.
“Not when he's doing business” Nubs adds.
“So I'm learning” William comments exiting the room and follows Nubs down the hallway towards the stairs. As they walk down the hallway they are joined by the presence of Vince whom says “Mr. Desardo will meet us downstairs shortly” as the three continued down the hallway and then down the stairs.
“Clerk boy, Mr. Desardo has a few items he needs” Vince says as he lays a hotel note paper that has a list of needs on it.
“At this hour” the clerk asked.
William steps forward and with a smile comments with his two cents worth of advice “I suggest you make it happen puppet or someone will be unhappy”.
The clerk looks at the list and shakily says “I'll see what I can do” then scurries off.
“What a winner that one is” Nubs comments as he walks into a lounge where he immediately sets himself at a table as the other two slowly follow.
“What's our next project Vince” William asks as Vince lights a cigar?
“I'm not at liberty to say William” Vince says as he snuffs out the lit match.
“I don't care what we do as long as there are no mules” Nubs chimes in rubbing his shoulder.
The mention of the mule caused William to wince at the thought and Vince notices it and asks “Something wrong with you William”.
“Nope the thought of being bitten by an ornery mule just bothered me and seeing Nubs there rub his shoulder made me think how close it was to you or me” William replied to cover the fact that he has his own wound.
“You knew the guy William. Why didn't you tell us his mule was so ******oops*******oops*******oops*******oops* mean” Nubs asks just before he sips a shot of brew from a flask he stored in his vest?
“I never seen that mule act like that, shoot kids used to climb all over her when I last knew her, so I guess she just got old and cranky” William explains.
“Have you ever heard a mule scream like that one did when she slipped out of that pen and bit Nubs” Vince asked.
“That was a blood curdling scream if I ever heard one Vince, I thought you had latched the gate before you jumped in order to help” Nubs commented.
“I did you dolt” Vince says rising up from the table visibly getting to upset at Nubs for blaming him for his wound.
“Shut up you two and sit down Vince” Mr. Desardo instructs as he enters the room.
“Yes sir” Mr. Desardo” Vince answers and promptly sat down while glaring at Nubs.
Mr. Desardo immediately started discussing the need for self control “Vince, William you two hot heads need to learn how to control your anger and act like civilized gentlemen”. Mr. Desardo then pulled out a cigar and asked Vince “Did you attend to my necessities Vince”?
“Yes sir I handed the list to the clerk exactly like you requested” Vince responds adding a head nod.
“Very good Vince” Mr. Desardo commends as he puffs on his cigar then flips his ash in an ash tray to continue speaking “Tomorrow there will be a truck arriving at Mr. McCrery's, and I have Carson and Lindy there to escort the shipment north and Vince you and Nubs drive over there and make sure this first go around goes smoothly while William, and I will take a trip that will keep us out until late tonight”.
“I don't know why you trust that bloke Lindy. That Australian has always given me a bad feeling, and if I remember correctly he's the reason we had to change routes” Vince objected.
“You can't seriously blame him for blowing up Nigel's warehouse when we all know the place blew up behind him as they shot it out with the law” Nubs chimed in the mans defense.
“Shut up you two and listen up. I want you two to get over there early” Mr. Desardo demands and continues “Mr. McCrery had mentioned a deputy sheriff has been nosing around as of late so keep your eyes open, and if he gets in the way remove him”.
“Yes sir” the two answered in unison while William chuckles at their antics.
“What's so funny William” Nubs asks while lighting a cigarette?
William smiles at Nubs and answers “Nothing special just wondering if Mr. McCrery has a mule you can get to know”.
“Shut up William” Nubs replies touching his sore shoulder.
“You know one of these days somebody is going to lay claim to the fact that smoking is bad for you” William comments waving his hand to clear the smoke that lingered around their table.
“Oh baloney, this is as harmless as chewing gum so lay off” Nubs counters while blowing a large puff of smoke in William's direction.
“I feel like I'm working with school children at times” Mr. Desardo replies thumping his cigar on the ashtray.
The room seized the silence as the four sat quietly staring at each other while the only sound was that of a clock ticking.
The sound of footsteps ascending the stairs awoke me long enough to recognize the soft voices of mom and dad. I saw mom sneak a peak at me in my room and over heard dad say “Honey, We'll talk to him in the morning come on to bed”.
Mom withdrew her head and I heard her footsteps follow dads, and I instantly fall asleep.

I awoke early before the sun has risen and quickly dressed in warm clothing. I decided to go have a look around Ty's place and use feed his animals as an excuse to be nosy.
I descend the stairs and immediately noticed the kitchen light was on indicating mom was already up. I stop in the middle of the stairs because I forgot to wash my smoky clothes. I shake my head in forgetfulness and continue on to the kitchen. Expecting to hear my full name as I entered the kitchen, but I was surprised when I heard nothing because no one was in the room. I look around at the strangeness of not having mom in the kitchen in the morning and walk to the refrigerator to help myself to leftovers. I gnaw on a cold slice of chicken breast and look out the kitchen window to spy mom's car gone again. “So what is going on with Grandpa” I say with a full mouth. I turn and look and Ty's bible and the coffee pot had not been used this morning. I open the fridge and remove a large portion of the chicken breast and began searching for a small paper sack. Mom's wiener dog Troubles suddenly appears begging for his share of the chicken. I open the fridge and pull off a wing and toss it to the little fellow. “Want to go for a walk” I ask him as he crunches it up. He's small enough to fit in my coat if he gets to cold, I reason as grab my coat off its hook. I smile and say “Let's go on Troubles” as I open the door and screen which he took off though immediately. I proceed to our chicken coups and shake the feeders to make sure, they had grain and filled the almost frozen water trays as Troubles kept the chickens to a distance. “Let's go for a walk and feed Ty's chickens Troubles you tough and mighty weenie dog” I spoke as if he really understands while opening the coop door.
We begin cutting across the frosted pasture leaving a noticeable trail behind us. “We'll take the trail home Troubles but lets take the road to his drive to get there” I comment from the road to now lagging behind puppy. He catches up and passes me going in the same direction mom and him walk every morning except, we cut that in half by crossing the field. I walk on thinking about what to expect when I did get to Ty's while the weenie dog zigzagged across the road in front of me.
I pass moms turn around point and Troubles begins to turn and go back. I whistle for him and he turns back to me running. “You got to stay with me Troubles” I warn the weenie dog, and if he heard, he stayed really close for a half mile when he began getting to brave and extending his lead on me.
I stop at Ty's drive and whistle for the weenie dog, and he turns to follow as I begin towards Ty's home. I notice his house up ahead with a few chickens beginning to appear with the rising sun. I could remember many frosty mornings waking up to Nelly's braying echoing through the valley asking Ty for her breakfast. The place is now quiet except for a few squawking chickens that nearly lost their tail feathers because they wandered to close to Troubles as we proceeded to the chicken coop to check their food and water. I fill the feed hopper and the water trays and numbly walk over to the barn. I look down and spy a foot print in the dirt and notice its way smaller than Ty's foot and had no distinctive heel mark almost like a moccasin foot print. I shrug my shoulders at the remembrance of the sheriff and who knows who else has been here on the scene, so I continue to the barn. The dark opening of the barn and the silence lent eerie chills down my spine as I slowly walked in, seeking anything that looked odd or out of place. As I walk down the center of the barn I notice every stall door open as they should be because Nelly was his only animal save for the chickens, and she had free will over everything except the inside of Ty's house. I pause at a middle stall that caught my attention because I could immediately tell that the stall dirt had been disturbed. I step into the stall and scrutinize the ground and spot Nelly's hoof prints and a cigarette butt. “Everybody knows you don't smoke in the barn” I say, as I bend over to pickup the cigarette butt, when I spot the same no heel foot print prompting me to squat down and study the stall from a fresh angle. Nelly's foot prints indicate she's uneasy or nervous like, she was being penned, but I see no signs that she killed Ty. “You'd have to lock her in because that smart mule knew how to open a gate latches” I chuckled. I turn and face the stall opening and my smile drops as I fix my gaze across the walkway at a stall where I spot a sheriffs paper pinned against a rail. I stand and pocket the cigarette butt and walk over the stall and the note that stated accidental death. I roll my eyes in disgust after reading it, and as I was shaking my head, I saw a fresh gouge taken out of the stall fence. I step closer and confirm my thought that it's from Nelly. “Outside of the stall not inside and from the depth of it makes it look like a pretty hard kick with the front hoof” I express out loud as I turn to watch the weenie dog enter the stall that the sheriff had posted. I step over and peek in the stall, and I spot weenie sniffing around and lots of human foot prints on the ground. I go in and slowly walk around looking at the ground and the stalls walls. I see Nelly's foot prints here and there but most were destroyed by sheriff. I get a shiver standing in the stall that forces me to exit. “I'm sorry Ty” I say out loud sensing he might be watching. Troubles noses his way out of the barn and stops to look back at me. “Ok weenie but let's take the trail back” I mention as I followed. At the door of the barn, I pause and sadly look back into it. I raise my hand as if to wave goodbye then turn back to the yard and catch a glimpse of what looked like a horse and rider in the trees above Ty's house. I blink and they vanish. I shake my head and turn to follow the weenie dog whose nose was leading us right to the trail that began at our house and ends at Ty's or catches a main road to town. I continually glance up into the trees to see if I could see the horse and rider, but I do not as the weenie dog continued down the trail as if he knows how to go even though it's his first time on the trail. I follow him knowing we have a fork ahead, and I want to see if he knows the correct way, so I set my pace behind him with the gnawing thought of how Ty was killed. The weenie dog stops before the fork and pounces in the weeds to the side of the trail. I walk past him to the fork and call out “Come on Troubles lets go”. I look back to find he ignored me, so I stopped and called him again “Come on weenie lets go to see mom”. Still he stayed glued to his spot rigid like, he was a bird dog on point. I lean over to grab a stick to toss at him when to my surprise for the third time I spot the same heelless foot print. “Now I know the sheriff didn't go down this trail” I deduce as I straighten up without grabbing a stick and follow to the next few footprints and exclaim “That's a long stride almost like he was running from Ty's, and he ran back to the main road but I thought nobody but family knew of this trail. I turn back to weenie and clap my hands, and still he's frozen. “Fine after I run off that mouse I'm going to put you in my pocket” I said as I approached him. I stomp over in the weeds to scare off the mouse and see the whittled end of a post. I flatten the weeds around it and noticed that it had four horse shoes attached to it. I gasp at the sight because the sure sign of flesh and blood remained on the club. “Oh my Troubles look what you found. Oh my!
“Good morning sunshine” Doc announces as Grandpa opens his eyes and rubs them.
“It is not a good morning when a man wakes up looking at your ugly mug” Grandpa sleepily counters wiggling himself upright on the bed. He pulls the blanket over to look at a brand new cast on his leg. “When did you do this Doc,” he asks?
“When you passed out” Doc answers with a smile then suddenly his face changes and holds out a tarnished gold pocket watch and asks “Do you happen to know who this watch belongs to Ethan” as he drops the watch in his open hand.
Grandpa slowly turns the watch in his hands, opens it and closes it with a snap and says “Looks like someone threw the thing in a fireplace, but the only person that I ever knew who carried this kind of watch was old Newt”.
“A deputy sheriff brought this in last night after he went out and rummaged through the ashes of Newt's place Ethan” Doc claims with a low serious tone.
“Maybe he left it behind when he left Doc” Grandpa suggests with a shrug of the shoulder.
“Ethan, it was found in a pocket of an unidentified john doe” Doc says moving a tray that held a carafe of hot coffee and breakfast closer to Grandpa.
“Now maybe someone will believe my gut feelings when I say there is a killer running around with intentions of closing the lid on us old dogs,” he angrily claims while beginning to rise out of the bed.
“Lay your butt back down Ethan and let the police deal with it” Doc warns.
“And you'll do just what Doc” Grandpa asks then adds “I have had enough of laying back and listening to the talk that I'm over reacting. Its time to send these hooligans a message that when you push us, you will get pushed back, and I mean to generously help push them straight to hell”.
“Tis what we intend to do” came a thick brogue Irish voice through a now open door.
Doc quickly turned to the voice as Grandpa leaned over to focus on and exclaim “Argus O'Meara, of all the low down dirty rotten scoundrels that ever walked on this earth”.
“That little comment gives me great pride to be included with the likes of you Ethan Nash” Argus snickered upon entering the room.
The door closes behind Argus as he walks forward to embrace Doc in a firm bear like hug and quietly low mentions “Last time all three of us were in the same room was when Teddy Roosevelt was the one laying in the bed.”
Doc locks eyes as he eases Argus back to arms length and both in unison grunt “Rough Riders”.
Argus looks at Grandpa and says “I can remember back when I was laying there with a Mexican bullet in my Fanny and Ethan about right here” positioning himself to the side closer to the bed “making fun of that I was shot from behind. ” “That's because you were running down the hill when the brave remainder of us were going up and my memory is correct” Grandpa humorously adds.
“That's because Teddy forgot his saber at camp! Not because I was running from a standup fight ******oops*******oops*******oops*******oops* you Ethan” Argus answers defensively.
“I remember you two sparring with words like two bantam roosters sizing up each other for a fight just and Argus its time, I told you that bullet I pulled out your rear was actually a rock sliver from a ricochet ” Doc pops in as Argus steps up to Grandpa and strongly clenches Grandpa's outstretched hand.
“Doc's humor is wry as it ever was, but I can tell he's losing his memory” Argus adds with a wink to Grandpa “Great to see you again Ethan,” he commented with a great big smile.
“It has been a long time Argus” Grandpa replied as he attempts to swing his leg over to hang over the bed when Doc stops his movement saying “Ethan, What do you suppose you're going to do? Lay back and eat.”
Grandpa gives Doc a dirty look, shifts his body to accommodate the tray of food that Doc is shoving his way as Argus moves out of the way to the other side of the bed.
“Tell me what in the world brings you here Argus” Grandpa asks with a mouthful of breakfast.
“Like the old day's out searching for a fight!” he chuckles before adding “We found one working with the department of treasury” Argus smiles as he informs “We assist when they find the shipping routes and warehouses that deal with the transportation and containment of illegal alcohol”.
“Well if that isn't a hoot!” Docs replies with a chuckle adding “Welcome to America when old boozers chase the new boozers.”
“Hell yes! However, keep in mind Doc us old dogs never killed, threatened or intentionally sought to hurt America” Argus explains.
“That's right Doc” Grandpa commented waving a sausage link at him, “We are Americans first and boozers second,” he adds before he shoves the link of sausage in his mouth.
“You two are incorrigible” Doc adds pouring a cup of coffee for Argus and handing it to him as he accepts it with a thank you.
“Ok whatever Doc maybe we are whatever you said, but we are proud of our country even when we disagree with the laws that has been passed” Argus answers in a somewhat agreeably tone.
“Argus did you know they killed Ty?” Grandpa asks as he sopped the last of his breakfast off his plate with a slice of toast.
“Yes, someone called about his exemption to land taxes and that was our key to finding their new route” Argus answers sadly adding a cross sign to his chest and adds “We will miss Ty”.
“The sheriff stopped by yesterday morning and mentioned that he obtained that information and one of the ******oops*******oops*******oops*******oops* things that has me confused is Ty has left his estate to Nathan and not Paul” Grandpa mentions.
“If you can't explain that no one else ever will Ethan. You are the only one, he ever seemed to attach to, other than his mule” Argus pointed out.
Grandpa nods his head in agreement and asks “So what we were going to do next Argus?”
“What do you mean we, is there a frog in your pocket because you are retired and in no shape to go gallivanting, the country side antagonizing these hooligans” Argus answers as he holds out his coffee cup to Doc to be refilled?
“Antagonize my butt, I want justice for my buddy and which is with intentions to throw dirt on top them” Grandpa counters with his voice rising in anger.
“Settle down Ethan before you bust blood vessel " Doc commands.
“It's not like the old days Ethan when we could settle this with spit in the eye, these boys are determined to undermine everything we fought for” Argus contends.
“Like hell, it's just like the old days, dying hasn't changed one little bit” Grandpa counters.
“Enough you two, I have heard you to argue too much in my life and you both are the reason I retired and became a civilian” Doc declares hushing both up.
Grandpa fussed with the blanket as Argus milled around the room before Grandpa finally asked “Where are you staying at Argus?” “Just outside of town by the railroad switchyard” Argus relayed.
“I knew something was odd hearing that train running that spur.” Grandpa announces then asks “Why did you bring Paul?”
“He is a rough rider Ethan and familiar with this terrain” Argus replies as the door opens to reveal Tom and Elaine.
“Good morning Dad” the two of them say in unison upon entering the room. Tom walks over and thumps Grandpa's cast and comments, “I see Doc didn't have to remove that smelly old foot after all, Dad."
“I would have pinned his ears back if he tried” Grandpa exclaims as Doc chuckles at the comment.
“Oh my, Troubles” I exclaim as I scooped him up, packed him inside my coat and began to run back in the direction to Ty's house in lack of a reason. My heart beats rapidly as my mind wanders in the horror of a murder so close to home while my legs stretched out to gain every possible inch. My eyes scan the trail ahead me as I ran holding Troubles in my arm like a football turning every bend in the trail as though every second shaved was important. Then I suddenly exclaim “It's a crime scene Troubles” upon the thought of tampering with a criminal evidence. Slowing down to a walk, I begin to talk soft and low to Troubles about everything that was swirling in my mind while at the same time keeping a sharp eye to my surroundings.

“Troubles, why would somebody would kill Ty and make it look like Nelly did it,” I ask rubbing his ears as his head pokes out of my jacket?
“Nobody around here held any grudges against him and everybody liked him and Nelly, and I don't think there was a more photogenic team than them two,” I answer for Troubles smiling upon the only pleasant thought in my mind of when National Geographic drove though and took countless photo's of the two at the feed store and of them pulling logs out of the woods for Grandpa. “Oh what's Grandpa going to do with out those two,” I ask Troubles continuing towards Ty's.

As I ascend the crest of a small hill in the trail just below Ty's house, I spot a hoof print than a second one in the trail that I must have missed following Troubles, or I have someone on horseback following me. At the thought I squatted down low and examined the hoof print closer and noticed a different nail pattern than the normal horse shoe. “I wish Charlie was here weenie dog, he could read this,” I comment holding back the squirming dog.
I slowly rise and look first toward the area I believed I saw a horseman when Troubles wiggled out of my jacket and instantly began running and barking back down the trail. “Get back over here weenie,” I called out watching him ignore my request and proceed down the trail. “Mom will kill me if something happens to you, now get over here Troubles” I shouted following close behind him. He proceeded to follow his nose down the trail with me close behind when suddenly I heard the sound of something big moving though the woods quickly just ahead of the dog. I turned the bend to see the dog stopped beside the tall grass where the club was. As I got closer I could see the trail had been disturbed and when I arrived upon the spot I could see that a horse had just been here and swerved in the direction of the main road. I snatched up the dog which had begun to worm his way back to the club when I saw that the club was gone. “Oh boy Troubles there is someone out here following us” I exclaim in acknowledgement. I could see the path through the grass that the rider had stepped off his horse and attained the club and the suddenness of their departure from the scene. “Somebody came back to cover their tracks and now no one will believe us,” I conclude at the loss of the evidence while scanning the woods for the killer. “Someone is still here, and we need to tell Dad and Grandpa,” I decide as I begin to run fast down the trail towards home.

I scan from a hill that overlooked our homestead and scanned closely for signs of movement. I could see that everything looked normal after several minutes of diligent observation while holding back a wired up dog. “Ok lets go home,” I say to the dog that already took off towards home immediately after his paws touched the ground. I follow closely constantly scanning the surroundings for something amiss. I see nothing to suggest that there is a problem, so I ran after the dog until we arrived at the house, and I immediately let Troubles in the house and turned and hustled over to Paul's car to head to town with all the information, I have found. I start the car and spin out throwing gravel back behind me as I point the car in the direction of town.

It seemed like eternity before I finally pulled into the city limits due to the shock and horror planted in my mind. As I slow the car down I passed the street Kris lived on and just for a moment I forgot every thing but her. I smile for just that moment then as I passed the fire station it jogged my memory of the fire and somehow the connection set my mind afire with nagging thoughts of William and the smell of kerosene. “Surely not him” I pronounce out loud, but I didn't find that thought convincing. “Something is not right,” I stated like I was a detective putting together a crime scene with all the clues I had. A killing, a fire and William wearing fancy clothes sent my mind to be wondering whether he would do such a thing. I remember back when he was younger how he bullied smaller kids and mocked authorities. “He knows that trail to Ty's very well and hated Ty” I announce shaking my head in disbelief. I turned the car down the street to survey the damage to the pool hall in the day light and found part of it had collapsed into itself and that the fire fighters had saved the adjacent building from burning. My heart went out to the man I had dragged out and I as if in prayer asked that he would be ok as I drove slowly past. As I drove, I wondered if Kris was even thinking of me like, I was strongly thinking of her upon the passing of the soda shop and glancing over to see if I could see inside in hopes that, I could see her again but the windows had a film of moisture preventing outside observance. I dropped the thought as I slowly crossed over the railroad tracks and to my amazement assumed I had seen a ghost for what I saw was the backside of a man walking a mule. I stopped dead cold in the center of the tracks and stared at them slowly making their way out of town. I could see the sunlight highlighting the strangers protruding hair like coals in a night's campfire. I exclaim “Never seen him before” like, I had a passenger beside me. I watch them continue down the tracks in wonder of the man when a horn sounded behind me prompting me to move on. My mind wandered from the fire to Ty's murder to Grandpa in the hospital and upon the thought of Grandpa, I accelerated to hasten my arrival. I pull into the hospital parking lot and just sit and wonder on how I was going to explain what I had found to Grandpa, Mom and Dad.
 
21 to 25

“Sometimes I have to second guess our boss when it comes to Lindy” Vince complains as Nubs enters the car and closes the door behind him. Continuing complaining Vince points at the unlatched seatbelt beside Nubs and in a matter of fact tone reminds him “In this business that little strap can save your life” then quickly accelerates the car.
Nubs disinterested to the suggestion began pulling a cigarette out of a pack “Yeah, he grinds down on my nerves to but the boss trusts him and the job he does”.
“Do you have to smoke in the car? ******oops*******oops*******oops*******oops* look at the film on the windshield from all the scum you exhale” Vince complained irritably.
Nubs ignored his comment, lit the cigarette and cracked the window letting the smoke be pulled out of the car. He asked “Who does Mr. Desardo have to answer to be what I've been wondering” as he exhales a plume of smoke?
Silence filled the car as Nubs relaxed back in his seat to concentrate on the question and cigarette while Vince drove quietly towards the morning sunrise.
“I've never heard Desardo mention any names” Vince comments breaking the silence and continues “I know he makes calls and attends a monthly meeting in different places of the States”.
“What do you mean different places” Nubs asks as he turns his cigarette loose through the window?
LA, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Miami, Seattle, Kansas City, listen I'm here to tell you our boss is connected” Vince explained in one breath.
“Connected to what is what I'm wondering. Has to be New York or Chicago because Detroit doesn't have the muscle to reach these deep" Nubs decides.
“It takes more than muscle to make money you nub” Vince chuckles “The brains of this operation comes from Chicago.
“Capone”? Nubs asked upon the information.
“Maybe, but you talk you much for me to tell you more” Vince answers as he turns the car on a dirt road that had the look of a long tunnel with the side trees hanging over the road as Nubs stares ahead absorbed in thought.
“Damn creepy road, you sure this it” Nubs asks as his face changed to a concerned look.
“It's the same way I went in yesterday” Vince replies.
“How many ways are there back in here” Nubs ask as he rolls down the window and spits.
“This is the only way in here unless you're a Billy goat” Vince states.
“I don't like the idea of being trapped in” Nubs says.
“Mr. Desardo worked this all out and all we have to do is watch for snoops and see that the truck leaves on time” Vince conveys.
“A cul-de-sac in the boonies, our last layover place was blown up and now” Nubs rolls down the window and spits again and finishes “a bad feeling.”
“You need to get over it and focus on your job. Just think after this is done we get time off while Mr. Desardo leaves for Chicago” Vince relays.
“I could use some time off” Nubs contends as he gazes off into the woods.
“Slow down I think I see something.” Nubs requested as he focuses on something the woods. “Vince I mean to slow down now.” Nubs demands.
Vince slows the car instantly to a creep while Nubs stares intently into the woods.
“What do see Nubs” Vince asks leaning over to peek in the direction Nubs is looking?
“I thought I saw a man on a horse” Nubs answers “But I guess I was just seeing things”.
“Probably saw a deer” Vince says convincing himself to drive on.
“Yeah might have been. But it sure looked like a horse anyways” Nubs reluctantly agrees and faces forward.
“Like you would know the difference you nub” Vince replies as he accelerates.
Ignoring the comment Nubs pulls out a cigarette, lights it and blows the smoke towards Vince who immediately opened his window. Nubs chuckles and begins to roll up his window when Vince slams the brakes of the car throwing Nubs forward banging his head against the dash and smashing his cigarette.
While chuckling at Nubs sputtering curse words, he points to the unlatched seatbelt and comments “Our guys at the garage suggested to Mr. Desardo that our vehicles be equipped with protective belts, and they emphasized that we use them.” Nubs glares back at Vince laughing, rubs his head as Vince pulls up to the side of a large metal building and parks.
“A rock quarry for a layover location? This is a first.” Nubs comments as he scans the surroundings while rubbing his sore head.
“Not easy finding the right people who'll work with us but Mr. Desardo always finds them in key locations.” Vince informs as he exits the car and stands adjusting his coat. He leans over and advises Nubs “It strikes me that these people are nuts so be careful when you're around them.”
“Bout time you blokes showed up” a curly haired man commented opening the door to the building as Nubs was exciting the car.
“Was you missing us Lindy?” Nubs asked as he closed the car door.
“Aye, there's a shortage of intelligent conversation here.” Lindy replies with a nod of the head towards the inside of the building.
Vince looks over to Nubs as Nubs was looking at him and just as Nubs was about to speak Vince beats him to it and spouts “You're not gaining much here Lindy”.
“Speak for yourself Vince” Nubs snidely replies as he walks past Vince and brushes past Lindy to enter the building.
Vince points to Nubs and tells Lindy “He's grumpy because banged his head against the dash all because of a cigarette and no lap belt.”
“Is Mr. Desardo making you use those belts?” Lindy asks closing the door behind Vince.
“No not yet just advised us to start” Vince answers back as he opens his coat and spots Nubs already huddled next to a woodstove.
“What is the time schedule for the trucks departure” Vince asked “and by the way I didn't see it outside where is it?”
“As soon as you give the ok sign they go. And by the way its two trucks not a truck and their parked in the shop.” Lindy corrects as he opens a door beside Nubs and points at two trucks side by side.
“Two trucks” Nubs asked in surprise.
“Aye, the other truck is from what you guys hustled from right here locally.” Lindy explained.
“Would've had more if that black man would've told us where his stash was before the bosses pet broke his neck” Nubs adds.
“He wasn't going to tell us anything anymore than the old fart that had brake problems would've.” Vince snickers then looks at Lindy and informs “I need to see the shipment to get started and Mr. Desardo mentioned a sheriff's deputy has been nosing around. Has everything been quiet?”
“Aye, all quiet” Lindy quickly answers.
“Nubs go to have a look around before we ok these trucks to go.” Vince commands
“Sure thing” Nubs answers pulling out a pistol and checking it before putting it back and exits the building only to walk back in with four men behind him that had pistols out pointing at the middle of his back.
“A little help here” Nubs asked.
“He's ok guys” Lindy informs the four as they put away their guns and proceeds to introduce them as two of the drivers and Mr. McCrery and son.
“Thanks” Nubs replies looking back at the four for a second then he shrugs his shoulders and turns back out the door.

Vince follows Lindy with the other four in tow to the back of both trucks as Lindy flips a lever and opens the back on each truck to reveal crates. Vince paces from one truck to the other and steps back from the last one and points at Lindy and say “Open three crates each truck that I pick.”
Lindy nods his head and jumps up into the back and looks back to Vince pointing at a box and opens it.
“Tequila, direct from Mexico” Lindy grandly replies as he turns to model it for Vince.
“Excellent set that case here beside me, you” Vince commands pointing at a driver “Grab that box.”
Lindy reinserted the bottle and set it at the back of the truck to the waiting driver. He wordlessly preceded to the next box that Vince was pointing opened it and pulled up the same as the last. After he replaced the bottle he lifts the case and began to set down when Vince interrupts “That won't be necessary just the one case, open the one more.”
Lindy carries the box and opened the last box and with nod announces “Aye tequila”.
“Good seal this one up” Vince replies to turns and began to walk over to the next truck when suddenly “Hold it right there. Nobody move! You move over there” interrupting him to turn and face a deputy sheriff standing behind Nubs brandishing his pistol giving commands. Vince looks straight at Nubs and Nubs smiles comically, shrugs shoulders as the deputy points his pistol at Vince and demands “City boy move it!”
I take a deep breath as I open the door into the lobby to see Mom standing beside a policeman at the nurse's station talking. The door behind clicked to shut turning their attention to me as I walk to Mom.

“Nathan, are you okay?” She asked with concern upon seeing the anguish written on my face.
I embraced Mom with a hug and whispered “Ty was murdered.”
She pushed me back to look at my face. She wiped a tear from my eye to reply “Nathan honey, I'm sorry” as she embraced me tight.
“Is this your son Mrs. Nash?” the policeman interrupts looking at me in the eye.
“Yes he is.” She answered pushing me back to study my face again and smiling “Yes, he is!”
“Mr. Nash I need to ask you a few questions about last nights fire at the pool hall downtown.” The policeman immediately began questioning.
“Please if you could take this somewhere else other than my workstation like maybe to Mr. Nash's room thank you” the nurse politely suggests.
Mom took the queue and grasped my hand and began quickly pulling me down the hall with the policeman following. She stops us at the door and turns to me and looks at my face, wiped dampness off my cheek and ran her hand over my hair, winked and opened the door revealing to me Grandpa's smiling at face telling some kind of tale. His voice broke off to hold out his arms and say “Nathan my boy, give your grandpa a hug.”
The policeman pushes mom and me through the door and closes it behind us as I continue over to Grandpa. He stops me just before I hug and smiles into my face. He gazes into my eyes and his demeanor switched. He looked over my shoulder and warningly asked “You had better not of shaken this boy up with your questioning”.
The policeman steps back a little and answers “No sir, but I do need answers.”
“And you'll get them in just a moment. Now tell me what's gotten your face all flustered.” Grandpa asked with concern.
I lean over and give grandpa a hug, rise back up and look around the room. All eyes were on me as I began to spill my whole morning.

Grandpa nods his head at every twist and turn of my story and when I told them that the weenie dog found a club on the trail home Grandpa perked up and the policeman moved in closer while I described the club and how we left and came back to find a horseman on the trail and club taken.
“You found a club with horseshoes nailed on it then it was taken by a phantom rider” the policeman questioned?
“Yes sir” I answered “I scared the rider before I could see him, but I heard his horse take out towards the main road. One thing I did notice was the hoof prints had a horseshoe nail pattern I have never seen before.”
Dad put his hand on my shoulder and suggests “I'll have Charlie go over and have a look!”
“Charlie left last night to prepare for Ty. Said he will be gone for three moons, and he was excited about a train full of horses just outside of town” I convey.
“You don't say” Grandpa interrupted “Can you describe the print?”
“Yes sir” I answered as I went on to describe the details of the print.
I saw Grandpa wink over my shoulder at Dad and say “Don't worry Nathan, we don't need that to prove Ty was murdered.”
“But with a killer so close to home we have to do something” I said exasperated.
“We are doing just that” replied to the policeman.
I looked at Grandpa and he shook his head yes and nodded for me to look at the policeman. I looked at the policeman, and he asked “Nathan what do you remember seeing last night at the pool hall when you went in?”
As I was about to open my mouth to reply to a nurse walks in and says to the policeman “John Doe just regained consciousness and Doc said to come and get you pronto!”
“Thanks to you Nathan that man has a chance” the policeman said “Maybe I won't need to talk to you Nathan, but before I leave, let me shake your hand and say that I and the rest of us appreciate the fact that some people will step up when needed!” He shook my hand and smiled and left the room. Grandpa smiles at me as I felt on the spot while letting my eyes gaze upon everyone in the room when Grandpa spouts out “Hell boy all that is old news what we want to know is who the girl is?”
I blush at the comment and step back away from the bed and stammered “Girl” I stammered and blushed.
“Here's what we know” mom chimed in “Last night you were seen outside the pool hall with a girl whom was wearing your letter jacket and the policeman said you were kissing on her!”
“Aw mom I didn't go kissing on her and her name is Kristine Folk, and I met her at the soda shop, and she didn't have a jacket, so I lent her mine” as I corrected the story and smiled upon the thought of almost kissing her.
“What, you didn't kiss the girl” Grandpa asked in a disappointing tone?
“Nope, but honestly I wanted to Grandpa” I answered with a grin.
“I don't know any Folks here” mom says.
“I do” Grandpa answers “The girls daddy is the carpenter for Doc's new house, and I met him yesterday morning and from his work that I seen is that he is a mighty fine craftsman to, I say so myself!”
“That he is” I replied with a wink to Grandpa.
“Nathan Nash that's enough of that talk” mom says disapprovingly.
“Yes Mom” I concur then I looked at grandpa and asked “What happened to you Grandpa?”
“Hell boy the hooligans tried to place me along side of Ty by tampering with my brakes, and I drove off Clear Creek Bridge” he states with beginnings to get flustered.
“Dad I am going over to the station and go with them to tow the truck back to the house and have Elaine drive on home if you wouldn't mind riding home with Nathan” Dad chimed in to attempt to calm him down.
“That will be fine son, but we have a few errands to run as soon as Doc releases me” Grandpa answers as he smiles in a suddenly calm voice.
“Are you going to take care of the arrangements for Ty” mom asked?
“Doc has taken care of all that and tomorrow afternoon is the funeral” Grandpa informs.
“Then we'll head on out Dad” Dad remarks.
“Ok don't wait up for us because we could be late” Grandpa says as Mom hugs him and Dad opens the door to leave. Mom then steps over to me and gives me a big hug and says “Son, we are so very proud of you.”
“Thanks Mom” I reply as I kiss her cheek then walk with her to the door. Dad smiles and winks at me before saying “We'll see you tonight son.”
“Yes sir” I answered as they began walking out of the hospital. I watched them leave the building and turned to see Grandpa moving himself to arise from the bed.
“Ah Grandpa what are you doing” I asked?
“Damn sure not looking forward to hanging around here any longer. Hand me those overalls by the radio because this split sheet they gave me to wear is awful breezy” He complains as I turn so he could dress.
“Surely this can be resolved without violence” Vince says countering the deputy's demand.
“He won't budge Mr., I have already tried” old man McCrery replies.
“I said move it over city boy” the deputy demands waving his pistol at Vince to move closer to the others.
“How about I make this worth your trouble with a case of fine tequila” Vince comments as he walks by the case on the ground. “Maybe throw in some cash to sweeten the pot” he continued with a smile.
“You crooks don't get it do you. You think that because you can bribe that big city cops you can have your way down here. However, I'm here to show you that your sadly mistaken” the deputy replies to the bribe by pushing Nubs forward toward the rest.
“Two hundred dollars, a case of tequila and you can walk out of here clean as a whistle and that's my final offer” Vince offers losing his smile.
“I will see you in jail and that's my only offer” the deputy says with a sneer as he points the gun directly at Vince.
“Fine then, I will withdraw my offer and let you have the consequences of your decision” Vince replies smiling again.
“Consequences oh now you're a funny man city boy” the deputy says stepping a step closer to Vince leaving Nubs to the side of him unguarded.
Vince's face suddenly turned to a cold expression and with a wink to Nubs, he turned his back to the deputy.
“Turn around city boy” the deputy demands and at that moment Nubs grabs the deputy's arm that yielded the gun and wrenched the pistol away, pulls the deputy's arm behind him and snap, he broke the deputy's arm all the while Nubs is grinning and saying “Country hicks should never leave themselves open for bad things to happen” kidney punching the deputy to add more insult.
The shock and horror grew on the deputy's face, as he floundered on his knees, then a low moan escapes his mouth.
“Nubs take the hillbilly outside and deal with him and McCrery send your boy with him and Nubs, that was his last chance, and I don't ever want to see him again” Vince says smiling again as Nubs jerks the deputy up and proceeds to do exactly as requested when old man McCrery's son asks “What should we do with his car?”
The old man answers “Dump the thing back in the far pit that's full of water. Hell nobody will find it in that pit” he replies with a smirk.
“Lets fire these rigs up and get them on the road” Vince shouts as Nubs kicks the deputy's butt towards the door and a driver opens the garage.
Nubs pushed the deputy to the sheriff car hand cuffs him to the passenger door and the McCrery boy slips into the drivers seat and Nubs asks the deputy “I hope you grow gills because this car is about to sink with the fishes”.
“You'll pay for this scum” the deputy says spitting at Nubs. Nubs reaches through the window and lands a right cross fully on the deputy's chin and states “Shut the hell up dumb ******oops*******oops*******oops* and now would you drive this pile of puke out of here” looking at the boy.
The boy puts the car into gear and begins to drive off as Nubs turns to watch the first rig pull out of the garage. Lindy waves at the driver as he passes and when the second rig pulls out, he jumps up to the driver's window and gives directions all the while the deputy's car disappears over a knoll.
A gun shot rings out and the car could be heard smashing into the water and Vince replies “I guess your boy wasn't going to wait and see if the deputy could swim.” Old man McCrery suddenly became vigilant and states “Hell that was no pistol that shot came from a rifle and my boy didn't have a rifle. Suddenly, everyone that heard him say that stood dumbfounded at the comment.

All the while over at the pit a man leaps off his horse to jump into the water to save the deputy. He swims to the sinking car and slips past the dead driver who had the back of his head blown out by the bullet of a sniper shot and when he reaches the deputy he asks “Do you have keys to this” grasping the cuffs and the deputy groggily points to the keys in the ignition. Quickly, the horseman grabs the keys and proceeded to unlock the cuffs and as the car filled up with water, he pulled the deputy free just as the car sank. He swam inland with the deputy and was met on shore by a horseman that threw a rope out to assist pulling them up. The wet horseman says to the other fellow that tossed the rope “That was a hell of a shot Ben made” when suddenly another shot rang out from up high on the mountain.

The glass shattered on the truck driver's window with the bullet grazing Lindy's cheek forcing him to jump back and as his feet hit the ground the shot echoed through the area with Nubs shouting out “We are being shot at”.
Vince shouts to the driver “Go to go get these rigs out of here”!
As the first rig rounded a bend the driver notices trees had fallen blocking the road. He stops the rig and jumps out to survey the obstruction when from the woods he hears the stern words “Don't move a muscle, and you'll live but bat just an eyelid, and I will feel you so full of lead that it would take ten men to carry your casket. The driver didn't even flinch as he heard the other truck motor begin to accelerate down the road towards him.
A shuffle of hoofs moving through the woods causes the driver to turn his head and the voice that warned him spoke again “Still here with a sawed off shotgun loaded with buckshot pointing right at your belly so if you have a desire for a full tummy just move again.”

Vince recognizes the fact instantly that somebody was shooting at them and prepares to have a showdown he slips back into the building with Lindy and Nubs and old man McCrery close behind. Once inside the building he asks the old man “There has to be another way out of this place and you best find it because this is getting ugly.” Checking his pistol, he asks “Who in the hell is shooting at us old man?”
“Beats the hell out of me, but I know that was a rifle shot” the old man replies loading a rifle that was propped up beside the wood stove “and I intend to shoot back” as a bullet pierced the metal building inches from Vince's head and burying into the wall besides Nubs sending splinters into his eye.
“Shit that was close” Nubs comments ducking down low and backs up deeper into the shop.
Vince looks over to Lindy points his pistol at him and asks “What in the hell is going on because the last stop over was destroyed, and you're the only one who seemed to make it out?” Fear was in the eyes of Lindy as he stared into the muzzle of the pistol, and he stammers an answer “It was luck that I made it out of there only for the fact that I was down stairs as the roof exploded popping me outside beside the woods where I ran and the next day I bumped into a lad on a side road that drove me into town where I called Mr. Desardo and him and William came and picked me up.”
The moment he finished speaking a sound of an object rolled slowly down the metal roof bringing all eyes focused above.
“Ratted out and it had to be you” Vince insists as he pulled the trigger shooting Lindy square in the chest. Lindy propelled backwards by the bullet shot his pistol at the only target within range and that was in the back of old man who was peering out a small window. The old man swung his rifle towards Vince as an explosion scattered the remaining three to the floor. The old man wounded but still able to move began crawling out of the building as the place was rocked by another blast larger than the last. Vince rose and grabbed Nubs, who was huddled in a corner with his hands over his ears. “Let's get out of here” he commands pulling Nubs outside towards the parked car. He opens the car door as the old man fires his rifle at Vince hitting him in the leg as Nubs scampers around to the passenger side and jumps in and closes the door ducks down and yells at Vince to get in and go. As Vince rolled on the ground in pain the old man jumps into the car started it and began to drive off as bullets began to rain upon the car as hail.
“What in the hell are you doing” Nubs asks from the floorboard “and what happened to Vince?”
The old man replies as he drove the car towards the back of the property in the direction that his son went “He was shot, and I don't think he made it so that leaves me to get us out of here” accelerating the car to go as fast as it could. Nubs rises in the seat to look back at Vince rolling on the ground and at the building now engulfed in flames belching black smoke. He lowers his pistol at the old man and demands “Stop the car and get him now.”
“Like hell I will” he responded. Nubs slowly began to squeeze the trigger a tire explodes sending his bullet out through the car widow moments before the car went into a roll ejecting him out the window. He landed propped up to watch the car stop rolling and begin to smoke as the old man began to crawl out of the car. The old man pulled out his rifle from the rolled car and leaving the car began crawling towards the woods. Nubs watched in a daze the old man reaching the woods edge when a horseman emerged pointing a rifle directly at the old man and speaking “Drop your weapon and live”.
“Who in the hell are you” the old man asks slowly bringing his rifle up?
“Untouchable” was the riders reply, his gun never wavering.
“Like hell you are” the old man replied as he intended to fire from the hip but suddenly the area was filled with gunshots from within the woods and from the rider himself. Nubs watched his body twitch as each bullet hit him driving the old man to his knees and on to the ground. Nubs heard one of the shots behind him very close so he used his arms to maneuver himself to look down as to why he couldn't move his legs and in numbness, he felt nothing below his waist. He fell back looking up into the sky and as a cloud passed by a shadow was cast beside him. He reached around as if for his gun when he saw the shadow was that of a horse and rider backlit by the sun. The rider spoke “Be still help is coming” as Nubs fell back and black out.
“And what in the hell do you think your doing” Doc asks as he enters the room looking at my Grandfather snapping the last buckle to his overalls.
“Getting the hell out of here and your not going to stop me” Grandpa states in a matter of fact tone.
Doc chuckles and quickly exits back out of the room as Grandpa looks at me and say “Quick boy lets light a shuck before that hard ******oops*******oops*******oops* shows up with a story about hospital rules and regulations.”
I nod my head in agreement and smile as he picks up his only boot and curses low as he tries to pull it on but the cast on the other leg and the position he was in stopped him from being able to reach it.
I laughed out at his antics “Stop your hee-hawing and help your grandpa” Grandpa says in frustration..
“Sure thing grandpa” I snickered as I knelt down to help with the boot.
I felt his heel hit the bottom of the boot and his hand tapping me on me shoulder with him urgently saying “Get my coat over by the door and that crutch and let's go!”
I rose quickly and pulled his coat off the rack and tossed it to him and walk around the bed to grab the crutch when the door opens to Doc pushing a wheel chair.
“Ah hell no” Grandpa belts out at the sight.
“Need we rehash the rules of the hospital and force me to bring the nurses back in here and set your butt down do we” Doc explains as he spins the chair to a sliding halt and a humored look on his face.
My eyes got big at the thought of nurses and grandpa doing something ornery and Doc having the best in settling it as Grandpa answers “You can only can speak with that smirk because you put nurses uniforms on gorilla's!” as his butt slips down into the awaiting chair.
“I don't need gorillas to take care of cantankerous old farts like you Ethan” Doc replies with eyes twinkling with humor.
I grab the crutch he laid on the side of the bed and Grandpa begins to scoot off with a surprise twist of the wheel with Doc quickly stopping him short saying “Ethan, everything is in place for Tyrell's funeral to be tomorrow ten o'clock.”
Grandpa twisted his head around to look up to Doc's nodding head.
Then Doc looks over at me and commending me says “Nathan, something to have with you for the rest of your life is the fact that you saved a man's life last night.”
I nod my head yes as I look into his eyes. He winks at me and turns his attention to Grandpa and says “Ethan, I don't see how two of your grand babies turned out so well.”
Grandpa looks up at Doc and replies “Because these kids learned that they didn't evolve like those gorillas in uniforms you call nurses.”
As Grandpa is chuckles, Doc leans over and whispers into Grandpa's ear something that changes his facial features from his smiling humor.
“Nathan” Doc says looking at me with a grin and twinkle in the eye “Hold the door and let's have our nurse check your grandpa checked out.
I hold open the door as Doc pushes Grandpa out and up the hall towards the nurse's station by where I came in.
“Now remember what I say is true because I beg to differ that we don't use gorillas in nurse's uniforms do we Nathan” Doc asks me as I turned the corner to see a very pretty nurse pulling a file.
“No sir, not how I was taught” I chuckle and turn my gaze and a moment flashed by smelling Kris's hair as we stood cheek to cheek.
Doc looks over at Grandpa as Grandpa smiles back at him, looks over at me and says “Nathan, I'm telling you this man hires gorillas and dresses them nurses uniforms.”
Doc laughingly comments “Ethan, I would keep this gorilla business to yourself because last night you were pretty loopy” adding a twirling at his head as he winked at me.
“Loopy my butt, I'll make you think loopy Doc! When I get out of this wheel chair I'm going to brain you with my crutch, so let's take this outside” Grandpa threatens as he's wheeling towards the door.
“Nathan, ask your mom to stop by here, and” he fades in the voice to finish “I'm going to let that old fart wheel himself all the way out to the car, nodding, he says to grandpa as he was backing up to pushing the door open you “Don't make me send my gorilla's after you!”
Grandpa smarts off “You just send those gorillas because I'm going to knot on your noggin if you'll follow me outside, and they'll have to carry me off trying to slip in one more.”
Doc ignored him and looked at me as Grandpa let the door close with me chuckling at his fist shaking back at Doc.
“Nathan” he says “Leave the cart I'll bring it in after he leaves and Nathan” his eyes heavy “I'm sorry about Tyrell and tell your grandpa Benson has Tyrell over at the funeral home if he needs to go by there. Benson fixed him up well so as per Ty's wish's, there can be an open viewing in the morning” patting me on the shoulder has he began to walk with me to the door and opened it for me.”
“Yes sir I'll tell him” I reply walking past him through the door and where I could see grandpa nearly to the car. I turn to see if Doc followed me out, but he instead stayed inside so I jogged over to the car giving grandpa a push as I went by.
“Did the zoo keeper follow you out” Grandpa asks twisting around to see if he could spot Doc.
“Nope he stayed inside Grandpa” I answered opening the car door for him.
“Good thing for him” he commented as he hopped up on one leg and twists and plops down into the car seat.
I push the cart away from the car and went around the car to open the door slip the crutch behind the seat and sat down and closed the door and started the car.
“Lets turn the heat up in this thing and drive over to Bensons. I'd be willing to bet that he fixed old Ty up mighty fine” he says thumping the dash and staring straight ahead.
I smile at Grandpa's remark and relieved, he requested to stop without me having to bring it up.
“Sure thing Grandpa” I answered as I began driving, and he blurts “Down two blocks and second building on right!”
“Yes Grandpa I know where to stop” I remind him, and again he pops off “Tell me more about this girl. Did you kiss her?”
“She's pretty and smart and ran to fast to catch when I wanted to kiss her” I state because that was true.
“Hell boy maybe you weren't supposed to. A good run will do you good anyway because those slow ones want to get caught and beside the fact they just can't keep up.” He winks and nudges me “If you understand what I'm saying” adding a chuckle.
I'm blushed and reply “Ah Grandpa it's not like that, she is a very sweet girl and for your information, I asked her out on a date, and she said yes” as I pulled into the drive of the funeral home close to the door for Grandpa's. He opens the door and stands propped against the door to reach back for the crutch, and as he pulls it out he bonks me on the head with it and says “That'll give you something to think about when you let the pretty ones get away” closes the door leaving me watching him hobbles inside, rubbing my head and thinking of Kris.
I look at the time on my watch impatiently waiting on grandpa to come out of the funeral home.
“It's been two hours past lunch surely his stomach would tell him to go” I blurt falling back in the seat warmed by the sun and drifting back on to thoughts of Kristine and how sweet her hair smelled and the sexy smile when she winked at me when the door opened suddenly. My thoughts scramble as I have to do an instant maneuver to avoid being smacked by an incoming crutch as Grandpa follows it to plop in the seat and fails to grasp the door causing him to grunt and fart as he leaned over.
“Thanks for sharing that” I exclaim as I jump out my door to circle the car to close his door while he's chuckling “I might have more that until I put some food in my belly because food has been scarce the last couple of days now my stomach has begun cannibalizing it's friendly organs” as he squints his eyes at me busting out another loudly and then chuckling as I close the door shaking my head at his antics. I open my door and sniff loudly and comment “I'm not sure I want to ride in such close quarters!”
“Sit your butt down and drive us over to Mary's café, and we'll have her rustle up us grub and Nathan remember, haste is of essence” he chuckles with a deep inhale and leans back in the seat as I jumped, closed the door and started the car and began driving then he asks “Tell your grandpa how you met the girl.”
I commenced to telling him of my meeting with William at school and then again meeting him again at the soda shop and how she offered a trade, hot cocoa for help on a homework question.
Grandpa looked at me with a rye grin and “My eyes didn't deceive me then because I saw porch monkey crossing the street yesterday myself wearing a fine suit going into the bank with two other fellows”.
I drove silently frustrated that he paused on the fact he saw William instead of wanting to know more about Kristine.

“Park there close to the door” grandpa says pointing to the parking spot at the café. I stop and exit to circle the car as Grandpa is getting out farting again.
“Perfect timing Nathan” he remarks with a butt wiggle then began hobbling his way to the door after I closed the car door I catch up quickly and pass him to hold the door open for him to continue. He enters the room and Mary the owner yells from the back kitchen “Ethan Nash what in the world has happened to you?”
He smiles and waves at her as her face peers through a cook’s window and hobble over to a booth and sets back with a sigh. A waitress brings two coffee cups and sets them down with grandpa immediately turning his over to be filled, and I push my cup away and ask for milk.
Mary walked from in back with a tall glass of milk and coffee before the waitress had time to turn around. She asks grandpa as she's pouring his coffee “Now I have to know how you buggered up your leg Ethan.”
“I decided that I had enough of getting the willies driving over clear creek bridge, so I drove off it to prove to myself that the fall wasn't worth all the worries I put into it all these years” he replies with a chuckle.
“You drove off that bridge? Since they built the new one on the highway I could never have dreamt of them leaving that old bridge open for dumb asses” came her comment poking fun at grandpa's smart aleck comeback.
“Really some hooligans tampered with my brakes, and I couldn't shut my truck down in time, and it plopped my over the side and messed up my leg a tad but Doc gives me a thumbs up on it healing ok” he answers.
“Hooligans Grandpa” I question curiously?
“Damn sure was, they tried to kill me like, they killed Ty” he stammered beginning to have the look of anger.
“I'm sorry Ethan about our loss of Ty ., He was a well liked man and respected among all of us here in town and to think he was murdered” she commented, pulled out an order pad and added “Earlier today there was a pair of big explosions over on McCrery's place according to old man Rufus. He said there were a lot of gun shots, just before the explosions. Dandy people those McCrery's. So what will you boys have?”
“I bet old Rufus high tailed it to town when bullets start a flying living next door to that lot” Grandpa chuckles and adds “Lets have a tie of tamales with two eggs with a side of salsa.”
“Nathan” she asks not raising her eyes, and I answer “Same as Grandpa's order except add an extra tie thank you.”
“Hey Kenneth what do you say about that ruckus up at McCrery's place” Grandpa hollers to Mary's husband lounging back at the closest booth to the kitchen.
He looks over a national geographic magazine and answers “I don't give a”
“Kenneth” Mary says sternly interrupting his sentence, so he makes a face at her and turns back to the magazine.
“We know what you would say” Mary answers then warned Grandpa “Ethan, he's been quiet so leave him alone” then turns towards the kitchen with out another word.
Grandpa groans and rests back into the booth and asks “Tell me more about what's been going on and about this young lady.”
I rest back with a smile and begin “I met her as she was working in place of a friend. I helped her answer a question I had last year and earned a hot cocoa. Then after William left this guy ran by shouting fire. Kris locked the store down and we both ran over. I loaned her my jacket because she looked cold and forgot hers, so I snooped around, kicked open the front door of the pool hall. She was telling me not to be a hero and go in but since very little smoke came out the door I propped it open and went in anyway. I stayed in low finding the place all tore up with cigarettes and pool balls thrown around and then this guy laid out. I threw him over my shoulder and made it to the door when water hit me full in the face at the same time something behind me blew up. I remember then was of me grabbing the guy's foot and dragging him forward when a firefighter grabbed him, and I followed them out. Another firefighter handed me a blanket, and I walked over to her stood close enough to smell her hair and almost steal a kiss.”
“What do you mean almost stole a kiss? Boy, almost is unsatisfactory” Grandpa chuckled listening to me as he sips his coffee.
With a grin I leaned over in confidence and said “Dang it all, Grandpa, I had a black snot running out of my nose, and I didn't know it until she told me.”
“That's not good courting with a booger hanging out. Your grandma used to give me hell about such stuff” he laughs out.
“Yeah I remember you getting your dose” I laugh with him and then continue to tell more about Kris.
“After I cleaned my face, I tossed the blanket on the fire truck and ran behind her back to the soda shop to take off my wet shirt and put on my jacket.” I pause and set up straighter on the bench and finished “Grandpa you're not going to believe this, but she was helping me take off my wet shirt and toweling my back off her daddy walks in.”
“O hell I saw the man the other morning and boy” raising an eyebrow and cocking his head “I can see from the looks of you that you squirreled out that one” he chuckled.
“I sure did, well I mean we never done a thing wrong and wasn't in hiding in case your ears hear different” I stammered then smiled back at his smiling face.
 
26 to 30

“Looks like we're going to have to find another place to play a game of pool William” Mr. Desardo chuckles as they drove by the burnt shell of the pool hall.
“Well I'll be a monkey’s uncle, they had a fire last night” William replies grinning from an ear to ear.
“Amazing, we visit, and they decide to burn their place down and leave. The nerve of some people” Mr. Desardo says humorously.
“I guess they knew they couldn't handle real business' William replies leaning forward adding a tight twist of his hands on the steering wheel and snickers before resting back into the seat and driving on.
“Speaking of business, I wonder how the boys faired getting that shipment out on time” Mr. Desardo queries as they drive by a store front brightly lit in a Christmas theme highlighting the stores products. He rolls down the window and stares intensely as they slowly drive by.
“They should be back by now, but I don't see their car” William points out as he turns the corner to pull along the side of the hotel.
Mr. Desardo straightens up in the seat and rubs his chin in thought as William quickly jumps out of the car and opens his door for him.
Mr. Desardo stands to erect in car's open door and adjust his coat and looks around nodding his head.
“I don't know why they would stay out there with those hillbillies's and drink their local swill. I know for a fact Vince disliked Lindy” William casually mentions.
“Thank you William for your uninvited input” Mr. Desardo says as he brushes past William to enter the hotel.
William closes the car door to hurry past Mr. Desardo and opened the hotel door for him which Mr. Desardo entered passing him with out a word.
“Any messages” Mr. Desardo asks as he walks up to the lobby clerk.
“No sir” instantly replies to the clerk.
“Have you seen my other two employees” he asked.
“No sir. This place has been quiet as a church house mouse all day” the clerk answers quickly.
“Thank you. Please notify my room if anybody wishes my presence” Mr. Desardo states as he begins towards his room and after a few steps he stops and says “We will be checking out in the morning, so we will settle the bill before I retire” then turned and proceeded to his room with William closely behind. He pauses at the door and William bumps him and Mr. Desardo turns to face William and grabs his coat and says “You're not the only one who can have a terrible temper, so slow yourself down and shut up” then turns back to the door. He pulls out a pistol and slowly unlocks the door and opens it and quickly enters and moves to the side leaving William standing fully highlighted in the open door way. William unaware of the fact that he stood exposed in the doorway proceeded to enter the room and switched on the light to the room and walked past Mr. Desardo on into the room. As Mr. Desardo closes the door William quickly walks around the room checking bathroom and numerous closets and after closing the last closet he voices "all is clear."
Mr. Desardo walks over to the window to scan the street below and finds nothing amiss and closes the curtain.
“William I don't know where those boys made off to because I gave them instructions to be back here before dark. I don't know why I feel like a parent taking care of juveniles who can't follow simple directions. Hell I know those boys are either dining because Nubs is always thinking of his stomach or at a brothel due to Vince. ******oops*******oops*******oops*******oops* it.” He pauses to catch his breath and continued “William, I am going to have room service provide my meal tonight, and I suggest you do the same. I will take care of our debt before retiring. What I want you to do is get your rest tonight because I fully intend to sleep late in the morning before our long drive back north. I'm going to give you an easy task when you wake up and that is to keep a close watch on our car and do not to let anything happen to it” he sternly looks in Williams eyes and winks before saying “Surely guarding my car is simple enough for you so go and make sure you get your rest. I'll deal with the other two dolts when they come in.”
Mr. Desardo grasps William's arm, and escorts him to the door and politely adds.
“I am going to shower and relax. William I want you to remember let no one harm my car.”

“Yes Sir Mr. Desardo I can but whom or why would anybody mess with your car” William asks.
“Nobody would but its just simple enough of instructions that you should be able to follow it. Good night” and Mr. Desardo snidely replies then pushes William into the hall and closes the door.
“No problem” William replies as he shrugs his shoulders and walks down the hall towards his room. He unlocks his door and opens it and enters his room closing the door behind him. He checks his room over before kicking off his shoes and settling down on a bed. He folds his hand under his head and exclaims out loud “Man this is the good life.”

Mr. Desardo paces his room pausing frequently at the window over looking at the street waiting for the other two. He begins packing a suitcase breaking only to stare for long moments studying the street below. He snaps his suitcase closed and moved himself back to the window to study when he spots a sheriffs patrol car slowly turning corner and parking directly in front of the hotels lobby door. He closes the curtain a little more and peek through to follow the deputy exiting his patrol car adjusting his gun belt and walking in to the lobby. He nervously paces back to his suitcase stands it upright and walks to the rooms door to peek through the peep hole to study the hallway. He then lays his ear against the doorway to hear muffled voices from emanating down the hall. He hears the words “Have a goodnight” from whom he automatically assumed it was the deputy speaking. He paced quickly back to the window to follow the deputy exiting the lobby and entering his car. As the sheriff's car begins to drive away, he sighs out loud in relief “He was just making his stops I guess, but I don't recall him stopping last night. He then lets go of the curtain and walks to the door to the hallway and open the door and walks quickly to the lobby desk. He approaches the clerk with a smile and expectantly says “I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave this evening, but I do want to keep all three of my rooms until morning.” Reaches into his coat and pulled out his wallet and laid on the counter several large bills and casually replies “That should cover all our rooms and any room service requested. The clerk's eyes grew bigger when Mr. Desardo mentions “Your tip should express my sincere thanks for your excellent service” and turns away to look towards the lobby door when the clerk stammers with a nodding up and down with his head “Thank you sir, would you like a receipt for your stay?”
“No, let one of my boys pick it up in the morning when you give them this note” Mr. Desardo writes on a note pad placed on the counter and with the clerk's eyes following ever word written “Wait until checkout and proceed along home. Do not wait for anybody. Again leave exactly at checkout no sooner no later.”
Then Mr. Desardo signed the bottom, folded it and handed it to the nosy clerk with which the clerk answers “Yes sir, I will see to it that one of them receives it” bowing his head like, he addressed royalty.
“Very good” Mr. Desardo replies and walks away towards his room. He enters his room closing the door behind him and grabs his suitcase. While holding his suitcase, he stops by the street window and stares down the street. He sets his suitcase down and looks at his watch. He rubs his face vigorously and exclaims “Punctuality is important in this business” before peering through the curtain back at the street. He spots a car pulling in front of the hotel and let go of the curtain and picks up his suitcase and says “My departure out of here only five minutes late” exiting from his room. He gives the clerk a thumb up as he passes by without ever looking. Exiting the building and stretches his arms out and inhales his lungs full of air before proclaiming “Such fowl air with no sign of life” then opens the car door and enters the car to drive away with no remorse to look back.
“Earl, are you ever going to play that last domino” Grandpa asked as I lounged against a wall waiting for him to finish playing.
“Just hold on I'm considering” the bald headed buddy of grandpa answers back.
“Hell, I have been holding on for five minutes already” Grandpa grumbled then looks over at me and asks “What are you over there grinning about with your eyes closed Nathan?”
I just open my eyes and smile when he pops off “Thinking about that girl again? Boy, you got it bad. Did you hear that Earl? The boy is acting in love.” “What? Did you say the child was horny? Hell, what boy doesn't run around horny” Earl laughs, looks around and shouts “Hey Gerald, do you remember what being horny is like?"
"I have enough to worry about without the adding of morning woods to it” Gerald answers from two tables away shuffling cards alone.”
“All right guys! I'm not running around horny and lost in love,” I state all embarrassed, rise from my chair and pat Grandpa on the shoulder as I pass by him commenting “Thanks Grandpa for sharing. I believe you best be careful with these old farts. Too much information might give them heart attacks.”
I smile at Earl and shrug my shoulders and with a wink at Grandpa and add “All because they started supposing about young beautiful ladies.”
“Boy! I've had more women than a man should be allowed” Earl says looking at me in the eye before laying out his last domino adding “That puts me over Ethan.”
“Those weren't women Earl those were beached whales” Gerald pops off laughing loudly at his comment.
“Grandpa I'll wait outside this place is giving me the slight shivers supposing of beached whales,” I chuckle as I walk to the door, but before I exited, I heard Earl say “Those were not whales they were beauty pageant candidates I have you know” as he reshuffles the dominoes.
I shake my head and chuckle as I walk out of the domino parlor and walk over to the car and climbed inside. I lay my head back and smile upon the thoughts of Kris and laugh and smile. I closed my eyes and began to envision our future date when I heard Grandpa yell back at the boys from the door of the parlor breaking my wandering mind short. He slowly hobbled his way to the car and opens the door and swings his crutch in nearly taking my head off again.
“Dang it Grandpa I'm in here you know” I holler as I dodge it as he swings in to the backseat.
“Good for your reflex's son” he says as he plops down in the car seat and closes the door.
“Sure Grandpa sure it is. Now where do you want to go?” I ask as he leaned back and rubbed his face in genuine thought, so I continued “It's getting dark and Mom will have supper ready soon.” “I'm sure she will, but we have one more stop for the evening before we go home,” he mentions as I start the car.
“Just tell me we're to go, and I will get you there” I answer.
“Mocking bird lane down to the railroad,” he replies as he rolls down the window and spits as I pull onto the street.
“That's an awful rough road for this car Grandpa,” I relay considering the car.
“I have faith you can make it, so shovel some coal to this thing get moving on” he answers as I continue to drive.
“Why are we going over there anyway? There's nothing there but an old railroad trash dump,” I pointed out as I drove past a sheriff patrol car stopped at a stop sign. I drove on while Grandpa stared out the side window at the setting sun highlighted tree tops. I noticed the patrol cars headlights pullout and turn behind us, and I continued watching him for a mile more or less when I slowed to turn onto mocking bird lane immediately dodging a huge pothole jarring Grandpa to life.
“Careful with an old man son” he said adjusting himself in his seat.
I noticed a glow from a cigarette off to the side of the road hugged in tight to a wind row.
“There's a man over there beside the tree line Grandpa,” I said as I pointed at the man.
“Yeah there's one over there, to” he adds pointing to another man on the opposite side.
“Wonder what their doing here” I asked then noticed the sheriff turning in behind us and mentioned quickly before Grandpa could answer my question “And now the sheriff has followed us from town and turned in behind us.” “He won't go very far” Grandpa chuckled leaving me in the dark as to what we're doing and why he acted confident about the sheriff not following us. I drove on and saw the headlights of the sheriff's auto stop about where we saw the men, and it looked like somebody crossed in front of the machine breaking the light beam. I continued on dodging a pot hole here and there and watched the sheriff's car back up and drive away.
“He turned around sure enough. How did you know” I asked as we topped a knoll, and I saw two stockcars and one passenger car attached to a brand new locomotive parked at the railroad yard, and a big black sedan pulled up beside the passenger car?
“What's going on Grandpa,” I asked humorously?
“There some people I require you to meet” he answered pulling up his crutch up to prepare to exit.
“Could it be a fellow with bright orange hair and walk with a mule kind of like Ty used to” I asked upon the recollection of the man walking the railroad tracks when I was heading to the hospital.
“Aye, but don't call his hair orange. He'll start a big fuss.” Grandpa warned as I pulled the car to a stop close to the railcars and from between them, I could see people moving around and tents set up. Grandpa opens the door and quickly stands up and makes back into the stationary car to grab his crutch, he adds a word of caution “Careful what you say around these men, Nathan.”
“Yes sir, I will.” I answer dodging the swing of his crutch.
I open my door and stood up to see Doc stepping out of the passenger car and walking over towards Grandpa.
“How's the leg feeling Ethan,” he asks patting Grandpa's shoulder?
“Aw hell Doc the leg is fine it's this ******oops*******oops*******oops*******oops* cast I find irritating” answers Grandpa whacking the cast with the crutch.
“What you say we have a peek at what Argus has cooked up for us tonight?” Doc asks ignoring his complaint and points between the railcars and mentions “With you hobbled up like that maybe we could bring you the mule,” he chuckles.
“Aw hell no to that won't be necessary Doc, I can drag my butt around that train plenty well thank you” Grandpa began hobbling quickly towards the end off the passenger car past the black sedan. As we passed the car I noticed a tag on back that read DT-1. As I slowed gawking at the nice car I turned to see Grandpa turn past the tail end of the train, so I began to move quickly to catch up when a man wearing a newsboy hat and a denim looking jacket stepped out of the passenger car and wave towards me and enter the black sedan and pull away as I caught up to Grandpa and Doc.
Nubs squints on account of the bright lights above his head and in a daze he looks around the room to find it vacated. He twists his body to find himself strapped on to the bed, so he lays his head back upon the pillow and yells “Hey! Is there anybody around that can tell me what's happening here?”
The door opens a crack and a head with a nurse's hat peers from around the door and immediately withdrew.
“Hey you come back here! Aw, come on back. Somebody please tell me what in the hell is going on” Nubs wailed loudly in desperation. Moments after he spoken a nurse enters and begins to stack trays for removal.
“Why am I strapped down” he demanded?
“To keep you still sir, and the doctor will see you in just a bit” the nurse stated as she left the medical room, and as she opened the door Nubs could see a police officer and a doctor talking on the other side. As the door slowly closed Nubs curses at his predicament as he tries to move his lower body, and he felt a sharp pain low in his back bringing forth a loan moan.
“You're back is broken young man” the doctor says walking into the room with two other men closely behind. One was a police officer and a man wearing a newsboy hat and a denim jacket.
The man wearing the denim jacket moved closer to the bed and asks “My name is Elliot Ness, and I work for the Department of Treasury, and I need to ask you a few questions.”
Nubs turned his head to the side facing Ness and replied “I don't know a thing that can assist you”.
“Maybe you know more than you believe” was Ness's quick response.
“You assume so?” Nubs countered with sarcasm.
“Well let me tell you what I know, and maybe you can fill me in on a few details I may have left out.” Ness replies adding “Your name is Nudly Jacobs, and you presently work for a man named Amiga Desardo. Your primary job is to move liquor from the south back east. Your boss reports to Al Capone in Chicago whom in turn reports to Salvatore Luciano. Your team has moved your shipping routes five times this past year trying to avoid us”.
“How do you know all this” Nubs asks?
“My job is to stop the illegal flow of liquor and put an end to this Al Capone terror that has caused America so much grief” Ness answers back as he moves over for the doctor to remove a blanket from the lower legs of Nubs.
“My question I need answered is who killed Tyrell Biggs and attempted to kill an attendant at the local pool hall?” Ness asks.
“I don't know anything I'm telling you” Nubs defiantly answers.
“Just so you know you will be tried for the murder of Tyrell Biggs and for the attempted murder for the young man at the pool hall if you can't help me.” Ness casually replies to Nubs standoffishness.
“Wasn't me” Nubs defiantly answers then turns his head to the side facing away from Ness and towards the doctor.
The doctor butts in to ask Nubs “Can you feel this” pricking Nub's feet with a pen.
“Feel what” Nubs asks?
The doctor pulls the blanket back over Nub's feet and steps back with one hand under the bottom of his chin in consideration when Ness spoke “Let me tell you what is in store for you before you dig yourself deeper into a place that I can't help you get out of.”
Nubs remained silent as Ness continues “Your boss left an hour ago leaving you three behind, and I will say he left with out remorse for you or for any of your victims”.
“Three you say?” Nubs quizzically asked upon turning his head back towards Ness.
“Yes, we have in custody one Mr. Vincent Tolono and the other is in the process of being apprehended.” Ness casually informs.
“And you want me to be a snitch and forever have to watch my back” Nubs snidely replies.
“Or you can live out your life in a prison hospital with out hope of parole” Ness answers back with a wink and a smile.
Nubs turning his head away and stares straight up toward the ceiling of the room for a moment then answered “I really don't know much honest”.
Suddenly yelling and trays clattering to the floor could be definitely heard from outside of the room and the doctor quickly turned from Nubs and Ness and promptly left the medical room and Ness snickers “Sounds like your partner in crime doesn't have the acquired taste for hospital food. With his future I suggest he gets used to it because prison food doesn't get any better”.
“Vince is here” Nubs asks?
“Yes, he was shot in the leg and has non stopped cursed, fussed and just generally raised quiet a lot of noise since his capture. Now I am going to offer him the same opportunity to divulge information as I offer you which is a chance for parole in lieu of crucial information” Ness informs Nubs.
Nubs closed his eyes and then opened them to speak “William is Desardo's hit man. He does all Desardo's dirty work, and he was the one who lead us to the black man suggesting that if we knocked off him, then we would have this area clear of hassles. Ness, that boy is a monster. I couldn't help but to have a feeling that the boy was working out a grudge”.
“We found the discarded weapon that was used on Mr. Biggs, and I would like to know who used it” Ness asked.
“William used it because the old black mans mule attacked us biting me on the shoulder forcing me to stay back from the fracas” Nubs informs.
“My last question is where this shipment next stop was” Ness asked.
“Springfield Illinois for the remainder of the shipment” Nubs answered with a sigh of relief that the inquiries were about to end.
“Thank you! I will formally meet you again at a later time and will testify that you generously assisted in our quest to bring down Capone” Ness informed.
Nubs looked at Ness and asked “Maybe it doesn't matter much now but how are you able to follow us and who are the ghost riders I have seen a number of times every time a raid happens”?
“The key has been that you leave dead people where ever you go and the men that have aided tremendously are Roosevelt's Rough Riders” Ness says with a grin.
“You're joking? I assumed after Roosevelt died, the riders became obsolete” Nubs countered.
“Nope, they are far from an obsolete group! There isn't a better group of untouchables than the rough riders for which their illustrious history has proven that many times” Ness informed.
“I knew something was up when I saw horsemen hiding in the woods but every one believed I was seeing things and ignored me” Nubs says.
“They let you live is one of the remarkable facts that I find intriguing” Ness adds as he turned away and opens the door to face a doctor and two police officers standing just outside the door and Nubs could here Ness say “One more to retrieve information from and that's it officer you can transport them both out”.
When I turned back I saw a small city of tents and a corral full of horses. Two men were removing saddles off horses and had the exact same uniform Paul wore shining up for mom on Thanksgiving.
I trotted up to Grandpa and Doc and spotted a large amount of men gathered around a large campfire. I noted that one of them was Grandpa's friend, I saw back on the railroad tracks this morning walking with a mule directly behind him.

“Well look here if it isn't the scoundrel Ethan Nash and his nursemaid Doc Rogers” belted out his loud Irish voice.
“We'll see who'll need a nursemaid when I'm finished whooping the biggest scoundrel” Grandpa boasted as he dropped the crutch and said “Argus” locking arms and eyes and simultaneously grumbling out “Rough Riders” embracing and slapping each other on that back, parted shoulder to shoulder. I was bending over retrieving Grandpa's crutch two men walked up with one man wrapped in a blanket, and he said “You wanted to see us sir”?
Argus grabs Grandpa's shoulder as I slipped the crutch under his arm and said “Ethan let me tell you about these two fellows right here. The boys were out playing secret agent men and a moment in time offered them both to choose. “This one” he pointed to with a wry grin “chose a brisk morning bath. Bravery in the face of mockery by way of cold water” smiling and with a wink and a laugh added “and this one scored a bull's eye at two hundred yards forcing this poor lad into an early swim.” Laughing loudly at his humor, he steps back to the mule and pulls two silver flasks from a side pack and dances back and forth over to fire, bends over and with his thumb rubs a blackened rock and places his thumb print on the side of each flask and stands back up saying “Rider's lets see if that don't warm things up” holding the flask out.
“Thank you sir” ushered the quick reply by both men as each grasped a flask then a hoot rolled out from the crowd and a yell stating “Nothing could help his tiny chilly willy”!
The man smiled and pulled the flask close in under his blanket amidst laughter and moved away beside a group of men.
Argus faced Grandpa and lowly I overheard him say “He should have let that nosy ******oops*******oops*******oops* deputy go down with the car but bless his heart, he positively thinks he's untouchable”.
“The worst of all fears is the fear of living” Doc replies.
“There you go spouting off Teddy. Hell, the next thing your going to add,” Grandpa responded only to be interrupted by Doc with a smile added “We have a right to expect of the American boy is that he shall turn out to be a good American man”.
“I knew it, hell he'd shared that one every time one of us was laid up” Grandpa chuckled while shifting his weight on the crutch, losing his balance and Doc ably helps pull him upright and say's, “He used better sarcasm”.
“Aye he figured us below standard if we lay up” Argus butted in adding “Now its time to add my favorite quote,” he tucks his thumb under his suspender, “I never keep my men waiting”.
Handing a flask to Grandpa he loudly proclaims “Riders, tonight over by the corrals we have two fine US horses that are begging for riders and a case of fine Mexican tequila to assist you in finding the courage”!
A man stepped forward from the shadows and loudly barks “Riders dismissed”!
Most of the men around the fire disappeared to a smaller fire over by the corrals as the sounds of a fiddle rose upward close to the main fire coaxing the moon to rise in the evening sky.
“Are you a good American boy Nash” Argus asked interrupting my mind away from the fiddle, the rising moon and Kristine.
“Yes sir” I finally stammered “I try to be sir”.
“Why the delay with your answer lad, are you daft or something” Argus asked with a chuckle.
“He's a good kid Argus, he treats his mama well and tries hard at school but of recent time has found a girl and has stumbled around with her in his noggin” Grandpa explains then takes a drink and handed the flask to Doc, pointing at me “and had that silly grin ever since”.
“A girl you say, Is she pretty” he asked staring intently at me.
I felt my face begin to flush with the sudden attention “Yes, very pretty” I defensively confirm.
He chuckles and faces Grandpa and say's “Aye the lad has it bad Ethan”.
“Has what bad” Doc asks as if he was away.
“Love” both Grandpa and Argus said simultaneously with Grandpa finishing “The boy here is in love”.
The fiddle that was playing solo to the moon heard because it switched its beat to Froggy came a courting. A man began singing while other men joined by clapping hands all the while coaxing out two men to dance.
I faced the fire enjoying the music when I felt a nudge of something in my side. I looked over and found Doc handing me the flask that was being passed around.
I reached out to grasp it when from out of nowhere a stick comes between my hand and the flask.
“Ahem” Argus interrupts “For good American men young fellow!”
I leaned back a little on my heels when Doc spoke “Ah hell Argus leave the boy alone and enjoy the evening!”
“Aye and maybe all boys would grow up to be men rather than die as boys.” Argus replies retracting the stick as Doc withdraws the flask.
Argus looks over at Grandpa and asks “Ethan?”
Grandpa nods his head and the next thing I knew was Argus in my face asking me “What if you were face to face with a known killer what would you do?”
“Why I don't know? Make a citizen arrest on him I guess” I answered?
“And what if he wasn't going to sit and wait to be arrested, would you be able to restrain him,” he asked?
“I don't know if I could restrain him sir until I'm confronted” I answer.
He steps back and asks “Do you know how to fight lad? I don't mean backyard wrestling boys, I mean bare handed fighting winner take all?”
“No sir, nothing like that” I answered back.
“Aye,” he grunts then turns to Grandpa commenting “We can't have good American boys grow up to be men without proper training now can we Ethan?”
“What would America be like if we did” Grandpa asked back?
Doc includes himself by asking Argus “Who is teaching self defense now that Tim retired?”
“A feisty Irish fellow named Adams. He trained under Tim and champions in all arts of defense and may the Lord have mercy on those when he takes to offense!” Argus appraises backing away from me over closer to Grandpa.
As the three men huddled together I took advantage of the absence of attention and eased back out of the fire light where I could better see what was going on. I listened to the fiddle playing and man singing smoothly along joined by hoots and hollers from the men at the corrals bronco busting. My eyes absorbed the whole camaraderie of the men. The moon stood full in the night sky drowning the fire light out, and as I looked full into the moon I imagine I could see her full lips and her long hair flowing gently in the night's cool breeze.
“See there, slinking off trying to daydream about that girl instead of paying attention” Grandpa hobbled up complaining, interrupting my daydreaming.
I laugh and before I could try to lie and deny he spouts “You need to meet this fellow so get back over by the fire.”
I didn't argue and walked back with him and Argus steps over and introducing the man beside him “Nathan Nash, this is Coy Adams. Coy is always ready to give lessons, and he's going to teach you a thing or two!”
“Sounds good,” I replied bewildered.
He and I shook hands, and I saw him wink at Argus instantly I got a feeling something ornery was about to happen.
William tips the bottle draining the contents of tequila, tosses the bottle to the side of the bed cursing as he stood facing a closed window looking out. He aggressively pushes the curtain out of his way as he makes his way to the bathroom. He peers into the mirror rubbing his face then clinches his fist and threatens his mirror image, "I'll bust you up limey!"
Satisfied with his look, he strolls back to the window, opens the curtain a crack and scans the street for Nubs and Vince. He shakes his head and proclaims with a slurring by intoxication, "I need to get out of here and do something. Hey, let’s go rough up the desk clerk."
Seemingly pleased with his suggestion, he grabs his coat and hat and proceeds to the door and opens it to first study the hallway. The hallway was void of people, and he didn't hear any voices coming from the lobby, so he steps out of his room and closes the door and walks over to the apartment beside his and was about to knock when he decided against it saying "Mr. Desardo doesn't want to be bothered, I bet."
He walks across the hall and knocks on the door. He swears down low and walks to the room adjoining it and arrived at the same results.
"Where are you two," he questions out loud to nobody?
He shrugs his shoulders to answer himself and walks down the stairway to the lobby. He spots the clerk at the same time the clerk spotted him and the clerk closed his ledger and slipped through a door behind him avoiding William.
"Why you scrawny little weasel. Come back here and let's have some fun," he pleaded in humor knowing full well the guy could hear but was going to stay hidden so he had a look to see who may be in the lounge, and it was empty. He turned back towards the front and loudly exclaims "I believe I'll take a walk" and proceeds to the lobby door and exits. He pulls his coat tighter and begins to walk down the street.
"Boring town never had anything exciting going on until I showed up" he smirked looking down the street to the burned out pool hall. He continued on walking down the sidewalk casually casting glances at the bright moon above, and as he turned a corner he looked back and saw a man walking about a half block behind him.
"I believe I'm being followed" he mentions upon turning back around and walking towards the man.
"We'll just see if I am," he says walking closer to the man.
As he walked towards the man he noticed another man on an alley smoking a cigarette beside a trash can, and as he closed the distance to the man spoke "Nice night for a walk wouldn't you say?"
William stops and shrugs his shoulders and says "I guess so."
"It's a beautiful moon, I bet the bootleggers are working hard tonight" the man continued on to say.
"I doubt it" William snidely replies and begins to walk away.
"Well have a good night young man" the man ventured to say to Williams back.
William walked about a half a block and turned around to look back at the man and the man was gone vanished without a trace.
"Must not have wanted to follow me, Dad burned hicks anyway!" He says kicking a trash can beside an alleyway.
The can spills it contents and begins rolling out into the street and William ignores it and begins walking again. He stops in front of the closed soda shop and peers in. "Nash's girlfriend isn’t here tonight. Boy I wouldn't mind hooking up with that dame," he comments frosting the store's glass with his tainted breath.
He began to stroll back towards the hotel and when he turned the corner he saw that Nubs and Vince still has not shown up.
"Something must have happened to them because they never stay out so late," he comments to himself.
As he closed the distance to the hotel he saw a man across the street from the hotel smoking a cigarette lounging against a wall outside of a flower shop. William looks around to see if anyone else might be around and the street was vacant except for the guy smoking. He stares at the man for a moment as three dark cars slowly turn the corner and drive by him.
"Looks like the feds" he says gazing intently as they drove by. One car seemed to shaking like somebody in it was raising a fuss and William stared because as the car drove by he believed he saw Vince inside of it. He rubs his eyes and says "must be the booze" and turns back to the hotel.
He pushes the lobby door open and a blast of warm air hits him full in the face and the clerk instantly disappears again.
"Ah man, would you come on back squirrel boy? Let’s have some fun," he pleads to no avail.
He walks past the lobby desk and proceeds up the stairs to his room pausing at Mr. Desardo's door before entering his own room. He closes the door and walks over to the window and looks out and sees the same man still outside smoking and looking right at him. He jerks his head back in surprise that the man was looking right at him and says "Something isn't right" upon peeking back out the window and the man was gone.
"Just my nerves" he deduces before walking back over to the side of the bed and pulling out a bottle of booze and pulling a huge swig "there that ought to assist" he snickers to himself. He walks back to the window and peers out. The man wasn't there anymore and the street was deserted again.
"Dead town anyway" he snarls pulling a huge swig from the bottle. He turns and punches the wall hard cracking plaster and leaving knuckle prints.
"Ow" he says rubbing his hand "shame that wasn't somebody's face!"
He walks back to the door of his room and peeks out to see if somebody might have heard him but the place was quiet.
"I guess I'll just go to bed and leave this hick town in the morning," he replies closing the door.
 
Ch thirty one

Getting raw now!
“Get him little brother” I heard in the background of noisy men, Paul waving at me, and as I turned back to Coy, I was hit square in the eye, and then he punched me in the stomach followed with a punch to the side of the head dropping me to my knees instantly. As I floundered on the ground stunned, I over heard Coy say “Rule number one Nathan is to never lose your focus on your opponent” as he began lifting me back up while the men where laughing at me. My head swam with stars amidst a hazy fog as I began to refocus on my surroundings.
“Those were good licks you took Nathan, but now, what are you going to do?” Coy asked as I stepped back to regain my composure.
“Try to hit you back” I smiled trying to shake the ringing from my ears.
“Well I'm waiting” he said with a sly grin.
I began moving in on him as he lazily tossed jabs at my head missing every one by my ducking and weaving.
“Very good Nathan only if we were in a boxing match with referees and a time allotment, but we're not, and I don't have all evening to dance rosy little circles with you so if you have something in you that might impress me show me would you” he spouts in humor as the men gathered closer.
I circled him warily trying to get closer only to be met with his hand pushing the top of my head back every time. Frustrated that I couldn't move in close enough, I rushed him with my shoulder lowered and hit him mid section, picked him up to pile him in the dirt.
“Now there we have something Nathan” Coy said laughing as he dusted himself off “But what else you got lad?”
Beginning to find his toying with me humiliating I rushed again to find he dodged me tripping me into the dirt. A giant of a man picked me up and whispered in my ear “Pretend you're going to rush him again and stop in front of him and pop him square Nathan.”
I began to circle Coy again and rushed right up to him stopping quickly and landing a right hand square to the side of his head sending him staggering back holding the side of his head in shock.
I looked back at the man who helped me up and gave me the advice when a growl brought me looking back at Coy waving his arms and legs in some kind of a strange dance.
Suddenly, he spun in front of hitting me with his foot on the side of my head knocking me back to the ground as he jumped on my back, head locking me from behind.
“It's over lad” he says choking me to where I could barely breathe when I heard Argus yell “Not that lesson Coy.”
He eased the pressure and slowly removed himself from my back and said “Lesson no two Nathan is once you have the upper hand don't let up, because the man you're fighting might have more experience and quite possibly be stronger and faster!”
“Jorge” I heard Argus say as Grandpa was laughing beside him “Show him something that's useful. He doesn't need to learn that flying monkey stuff!”
I rose from the ground and saw Paul standing beside Grandpa, Argus and Doc and turned back facing Coy wondering why I had to go through this nonsense.
“Lad what we need to work on is breaking loose, away from your adversary and turning the table on him” Jorge said smiling while moving in close to me. Coy then stepped forward shaking my hand like, we just met “I'm sorry lad, it's just a part of how I give training to the rest of these lads and you” he pointed at the man that helped me up “are next!”
The man smiled showing his gleaming teeth and replied “Ah Coy, I couldn't think of anything better than pinning those knobby little ears back and spanking your bottom, but you have to wait until next week at the challenge, and then trust me, there will be all you want and more!”
Coy grabs his belly and rolls out a laugh from way down deep and counters “One good whooping wasn't enough for you to learn a lesson was it Jorge?”
“A win is not a whooping” the man said easing up close to Coy dwarfing him with his massive size and tree trunk arms.
“Enough you two save it for next weeks competition” Argus says.
“Aye sir” both said in unison backing away from each other.
Coy looks at me and says to me “He's still mad that he lost last years match for the division championship.”
“Ignore him lad, and let's have a look at what you need to learn!” Jorge said smirking back at Coy.

The night rolled on as Jorge showed me how to break certain holds and how to use my legs to add power. He told me stories of his country back in Greece as he demonstrated maneuvers related to how he learned to wrestle. Finally, he seemed satisfied with what I have learned and embraced me in a bear hug saying “You have done well lad just remember focus and stay calm so your mind can keep up, and you will be fine.”
I grin back in response and said “Thank you sir. I will remember.”
I turned back towards Grandpa, and Paul was not, around so I asked Grandpa where he went.
“He went back to his work Nathan and its time for us to mosey on home” he answers waving his crutch towards town.
I looked at him and both, he and Doc began laughing hard, pointing at me.
“What now” I asked?
“Boy you have the prettiest shiner around your eye that I have ever seen” Grandpa snickered a reply back at me.
“Thanks to you guys I have one and if mom asks I will be sure to point it out that it's on account of you all” I smile in reply.
 
Chapter thirty two

Within vision a full moon in the night sky to be grasped by a greedy hand, squeezed to emit a single drop and as the single drop touches the ground within behold in black and white a ancient calvary hero of old astride his steed to honor to his right, a young man rising from the ground.
I could smell breakfast rising from downstairs as I was pulling on my clothes, staring out my bedroom window into the morning darkness beginning to sort my thoughts. Everything that has happened in the last two days, and it always ends with my holding her close. How the bright full moon stood as back lighting, and how that slight breeze sent shivers though my wet body as I held her close. Standing cheek to cheek, I gazed up at the moon as slivers of her hair flitting through my vision giving me the feeling that I was holding an Angel.
“Put a move on it son! We have things to attend to.” Grandpa rumbled up to me with the thumping of his crutch on the stairway as he passed by on his way to the kitchen.
“Almost there!” I holler back losing her to the moment. I leave my room and cross the hall entering the bathroom and popped in the sink plug before filling the basin. I dipped both hands in the forming puddle, and wet my face then back into it again to run the cool water across my face and the up through my hair damping it as cool droplets fell upon the back of my neck sending a chill down my spine. I reached for my toothbrush and smile at my reflection in the mirror and admire the black eye I was sporting.
“Mom will flip when she sees this,” I chuckle to the reflection pulling the plug, and began to brush my teeth. I finished rinsing my mouth and caught a dab of water to re-wet my hair, and turn the water off before hastily running a comb.
I walk back into my bedroom and hastily tossed the bedspread across the bed and proceeded to descend the stairs bee lining for the irresistible smell of breakfast.
I enter the kitchen and Dad and Grandpa were sitting at the kitchen table both focused on eating breakfast all the while chatting about the wood order Dad was filling. Mom was placing a plate of bacon and eggs on the table in front of my chair, and I didn't see a glass of milk on the table, so I stopped at the cabinet and grabbed a glass and walked to the table when Mom turned around and said “There you are. I was about to holler for you.”
She did a double look at me, grasping the glass I held and looking at my smiling face, she exclaimed “Nathan, what in the world happened to you? Who have you been fighting with?” Not waiting for me to answer she turned to Grandpa and asked “Dad, what did you let happen to my baby boy?”
He smiles and began to reply, but I blurted out “Mom, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and got popped. It wasn't Grandpa's fault and no, I was not fighting!”
Not looking at me, she stared intently at Grandpa as he chuckles and sips his coffee before he decided to say “The boy's telling you right! He should have been paying attention and instead of thinking of the girl” adding a wink towards me.
Oh no, I mumble to myself, he pulled me out of the fire and tossed me into the frying pan.
Mom turned to me dropping the black eye incident and gave me a wink and smile.
“Grandpa's inflating that Mom. I met the girl and nothing happened. Gosh, Grandpa I only just met her, and you keep pestering me like, I proposed or something.” I stammered in frustration.
‘Its ok honey” she said soothingly “He does like to pester. I can remember back when you're Dad, and I met, he bugged the fire out of your Dad because I was so cute, and he was such an ogre!”
Dad chuckles as Mom pinches his cheek and says “Who had better shaved if he wants kisses from this lady,” showing her love in humor before patting Dad's shoulder?
“He sure did behave like all jealous as a matter a fact up until he found out your mom moved back and all he's done is set the moon” Dad mentions then looks up into Mom's eyes, and I could see both their eyes sparkle before he replied “And yes baby, there is nothing I could want more, than for this ogre to kiss his princess!”
Mom laughs at his comment as she takes my glass to the icebox and pours milk into the glass as I settled down in front of my plate full of eggs and bacon. I grasp two hot biscuits from the stack in the middle of the table and dropped one onto my plate and tore the other in half placing the halves down. Mom places the glass of milk in front of me and say's “Honey, when you find the right girl you will know deep down she's the one for you. You don't settle for just any girl because you're a smart good looking boy. Remember God has made your perfect match you just have to be patient. Ok Honey,” hugging my face to hers, voice sounding sincere.
“Yes Mom” I reply more interested in the food in front of me than girls at this point.
She eases away as I began eating hurriedly when Dad says “Nathan, you don't have to eat that fast slow down and enjoy please!”
I look up from my plate and slyly reply “Sorry Dad” then looked at Grandpa and as if on cue, he intervenes “We are going to assemble early with Roosevelt's Rough Riders, (cough) Ness's Untouchables, excuse me” Grandpa informs in humor, “The seventh don't exist anymore as true horsemen, our political boys took away all but these few men's horses” he looks to Dad and continues “The last few true United States horsemen are working for the department of treasury chasing gangsters in our backyard”.
“I'm sure Teddy had something to do with the U.S. keeping horses” Dad replied removing his gaze from me and to Grandpa.
“Aye” Grandpa replies as I finish sopping the remainder of my plate with last biscuit, then draining the remainder of my milk. I set my glass down and look at all three looking at me, with Dad busting out in laughter saying “Boy, if that other eye was dotted you would look like your Mom's pet raccoon!”
“Rocky is not a pet, he is a wild animal and Nathan you go to change your clothes because you are not going to the funeral dressed like that” Mom replied!
“Yes mom” I answered.
“He doesn't have time for that” Grandpa interrupted then proceeded explaining “We need to head out of here! He can take his clothes and change in town after he ditches me!”
“Ok Dad I'll leave it up to you to see that he does just so and Nathan, don't wrinkle your suit throwing it in the car and make sure you wear your black socks, wait, I will pack your things, just wait second “, Mom answers lifting one finger indicating for us to wait and quickly left the room ascending the stairs.
 
Lol I guess I can't count to boot! Chapter 32

“Stop right here and when I tell you step on that gas pedal, and I mean to mash it to the floor” Grandpa says opening up his pocket watch as I eased the car to a stop facing town.
“One, two, three, step on it son” He commands as I floored the car, and with a lurch forward and a squealing of tires we took off faster than I have ever gone!
“Don’t let off it yet” He replies after a glace at my white knuckles choking a vibrating steering wheel all the while utility poles whipped by in a blur.
Ah Grandpa, this steering wheel is shaking bad, I replied as my foot laid that pedal down! I glanced at the pegged speedometer and as if he read my next thought, he says “Stay with it son!”
I was about to close my eyes and say a prayer when he snaps his watch shut and says “You can ease her down son!” I comply slowing the car down until the speedometer began tracing our speed again, and the steering wheel relaxed on vibration. With my heart beating loudly within my head he asks with a chuckling “Bet that’s the fastest you’ve ever got to town son, and so you know, you just beat your dads time and your brothers. How does that feel? Nathan?”
In what seemed like a blink we whizzed by the town limit sign, and in response I reply to smart aleck , “Like a guinea pig testing your jet fuel!”
He laughs and replies “Turn right on Maple.” I slow down and turn as he continues “We gather at Sunset park, parade up to main and over to gather Ty at the funeral home and then out to the cemetery!”
I nod my head and pulled to a stop away from the large gathering of horses and riders and as turned the ignition off, a uniformed man ran by pulling a small red cart.
“O the hell they are” Grandpa sputters upon the sight and continues sternly “I’ve seen this pony show, and I’m not going to be their clown! Start this thing up and let’s catch up with them closer to the cemetery!” Not hesitating at his command, I turned the ignition and the car wouldn’t start just a click! I tried it a few more times and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man wave at someone and point us out.
“O this isn’t happening “ Grandpa mutters as the crowd of riders began filtering in around the car blocking our chance to leave even if the car started. Grandpa flings the door open and swung his cast leg out saying “You boys backup a bit and give this old man some room! Move that horse or I’ll have you remembering busier than a one legged old man in a butt kicking contest rider”, waving his crutch at the rider that was already backing his horse.
“You’ve more to worry about than kicking butt Nash” emerged Argus from the circled horses leading a young colt mule pulling that same little red cart we seen go by. I let loose a snort in sudden humor and Grandpa lays back in the seat and say’s “Boy do you think this is funny? Grandson you best not laugh because you’re going to have a someday!” then suddenly lurched up from the seat and up on his crutch slamming the car door behind him. I disregarded his comment knowing grandpa like, I do and grinned even more at what was happening to him.
As I emerged from the car I heard Grandpa say “I’m not sitting in that, and you can take that mule on over to the glue factory!” and I heard Argus reply to him as I closed the car door “You took the mark and its responsibilities Nash!”
Grandpa looked at his thumb and from where I stood, I could tell it was blackened just like Argus’s thumb last night by the fire. Grandpa grinned and answered “What choice do I have? You can see I have a bum leg and in no position to wrestle with a young colt!”
Argus smiling walking the colt and cart to Grandpa ,tied the reins to Grandpa’s crutch and yelled “Riders mount up!” The colt lurches back and about yanks Grandpa’s crutch away from him as Argus says to Grandpa “See you at the cemetery Nash” and turns away walking as Grandpa calmed the colt down.
Grandpa asks Argus “Who chose this colt?”
“Paul” Argus replies never turning to look back at Grandpa.
“Dad burn it” Grandpa fussed pulling the colts face close his and whispered something in its ear and instantly one of the colts hind legs kicked out. Grandpa chuckles and caresses the side of the mule when the colt let out to bucking, jolting grandpa to the ground, but he was never letting go of the reins. I rushed around the car to help him up as he was pulling the colts nose down mumbling something to it as I lifted him up. I picked up his crutch and slid it back under his arm while he rested on the side of the mule. I looked over to see the riders a block away and grandpa spoke before I did “You better catch up with them son, Ill have this ornery rascal of a mule eating out of my hand in a minute!”
But Grandpa I can’t leave you here fussing with a colt! I’ll stay behind and make sure you’re ok, I said not wanting to leave.
“Boy I don’t need you’re help now run along, or I’ll put a knot on your noggin” he replied sternly. I turned around and saw them turn the corner he said “Go son, I got this!”
Ok Grandpa I answer with a shrug of my shoulder and began to trot towards main. I looked back just before I turned the corner and glanced to see Grandpa still standing by the colt then back to see the riders stop in the middle of the road. I continued trotting toward them watching Argus walk his mule up to the front of the column. As I drew closer I saw Argus walking the mule to the front of a car parked in front of the hotel and the next thing I heard was glass breaking, and I saw Argus whispering in the mules ear and the mule kicked again when suddenly out of the motel William and I bounced into each other with both of us staring at Argus!
He yells “Stop that old man” then turns to me and pushes me back as Argus said “What will you do boy when you know?”
 
oOpsy hehe, 3 n 4 blended so this is 34

One or two chapters left, and I guess an epilogue if that's what its supposed to be called.
“What will be ye, when ye know?” Argus emphasized loudly as he leaned over and whispered in the mules ear and out popped it’s hind leg smashing in the grill of the car!
“That’s enough old man” William snarled “ Now I’m going to have to brain both you and your mule” slamming his fist into his hand.
Argus’s words echoed in my mind swirling with two days of highs and lows, and while I stood denying in my mind, I noticed two men walking up the sidewalk toward William and another crossing the street behind Argus. My eyes caught the fact that everybody was staring at William and not me and in an instant I blurted “You killed Ty!”
William stopped dead cold in his tracks and turned back to me and slyly grinning. His reply “That black man had it coming! Walking this earth like he was as good as us!”
Anger surged through me and with everything I had I hit him with a jaw crunching blow, staggering him. I yell at him as he straightens himself “My family took care of you and this is how you treat us. You killed Tyrell!”
He looks around at the small gathering circle of men and back over my shoulder at the riders still in formation smiles and spits blood on the side walk and say “I wondered when this day would come” easing off his jacket and began rolling up his sleeves when the hotel clerk steps out of the hotel lobby door babbling. Something about blood being on the sidewalk and William hits the guy straight on with a left that knocked him out cold, lying him against the lobby door!
He faces me and with his grin bull rushes me catching me mid section and driving me back against a brick wall forcing the air from my lungs with a whoosh, and he drops me down and kidney punches me in rapid succession. In defense I lifted my knee and pushed against the wall placing my shoulder into his midsection driving him back a step! He laughs and hits me in the eye so hard its sent sparks through my mind, and as I staggered back he says " it's over Nash” crouching down low driving his fist spine deep into my belly as I chop down hard with my forearm on his shoulder causing him reach his hand to his shoulder and curse loudly in pain. I stepped in and reached down and swung an uppercut hard to the underside of his jaw sending him back a few steps. Coy’s advice “don’t let up” swam through my mind as I stepped forward and hit him in his mid section, and as he doubled over I hit him hard to the back side of his head piling him on the sidewalk in front of me. I back up a step and through my eyes streaming water, I watched him slowly stand back up and nods his head and stepped right back up to me and threw a lazy jab to my face, and I countered with a shot to his kidney when he suddenly dodges and spins around grasping my neck and trying to lift me off the ground. I instantly knew what to do because Jorge worked with me repeatedly with that very same move as I grabbed his arm twisting it down and around forcing him to stand up straight as my open palm crashed up under his chin. He loses his footing and began falling forward, and I hit him hard behind his head sending him face first hard into the concrete sidewalk! He didn’t move as I stood shaking staring at him when two of the men walked up and lifted the groggy William up handcuffing him and one says “You are under arrest for the murder of Tyrell Biggs!” Out of the blue one of the riders let out a whoop, and I heard Jorge spout out “Way to go Lil brother!”
William lifted his head and looked at me eyes locking, and I say “If there ever comes a day that I see you, you’d had better had found him, or you’ll get it again” turning my back to him never looking back as the men place him to an arriving car and see Grandpa riding in that red cart being slowly pulled by that colt mule. I chuckle at the plodding pace the two had set for themselves, and I could see Grandpa’s cast leg propped up and my suit laying nicely beside him. I check myself over and found blood. I wipe my nose and don’t see any, so I spat no blood, and I looked at the lobby clerk being helped up. I walk away towards Grandpa as he eased the cart to a stop.
“Did I miss something” Grandpa asks with his eyes twinkling and an ornery grin on his face and then begins to, after looking at me, laughing out loud pointing at me saying "Boy, I covered you're behind by bringing you a fresh change of clothes, but you won’t be able to hide the fact from your mother that you now look like Rocky raccoon!”
I gently touch around my eye and reply “You knew he killed Ty, and didn’t tell me, then you set me up facing him! Furthermore, your saying I’m sporting two black eyes! Why am I Grandpa, why?”
His grin slowly melted before he spoke “Son, America has the right to know that good American boys shall grow up to be good American men! Son, today in witness before the finest of American men, the graduation of my grandson to a good American man!”
He then smiled so huge, and I would’ve sworn I saw a tear to trickle out, but he grabbed his hankie and pretended to blow his nose catching the tear with the corner.
“All fine for you but I’m the one with my eye throbbing, the other nicely circled” I reply in sarcasm.
He chuckles and replies "Grandson, I guess this didn’t quite play out the way we wanted! You were only to see him being arrested, not get involved in his resisting arrest! You must have moved just a bit quicker than that slow ******oops*******oops*******oops* Argus! To show its true, Argus can be a scoundrel!” pointing his crutch toward the back Argus in the rear of the moving parade.
“From flying a rocket ship to a fist fight , boy what a good start to this day! What do you have for me next?” I ask as I grab my suit off the cart.
“Aye grandson a good start!” smiles cheerfully then his face drops to a serious expression and says “We have a funeral to attend to so run on up to Spencer’s Tack and use their bathroom to clean up, and I’ll catch up with them and see you at the cemetery ahead of you.”
He sounds like a click and wiggles the reins and the mule began moving along leaving me standing there holding my suit all scruffy. He laughs at me and says “I told you I’d have him eating out of my hand!”
I stand for a couple of seconds, and began walking toward Spencer's, and I passed Grandpa and his plodding mule.
“Does that thing have only one gear Grandpa” I teased going by.
 
Chapter 35

I think that there is only one left, I think?

I stopped at a corner and could see the slow pace of the riders ahead and back at the plodding pace Grandpa had set for himself and decided to change my clothes at Sally’s apartment. I began walking with my suit over my shoulder towards the apartment thinking depressing thoughts of how my family had taken care of William and to have him turn his back on us . My head was down as I ran through my mind as to why I was set up to face William and how Grandpa kept his past so quiet. I never heard talk about his being a Rough rider. I only knew that he was in the cavalry. I have heard him quote Roosevelt a few times but so does my shop teacher. The more I thought, the more my eye throbbed as I walked thinking when I heard a tinkle of a door bell, and I heard my name.
“Nathan is that you?” I was asked.
I look up and see Kris smiling at me from the doorway of the soda shop.
I look at her, smile, and before I could reply she spouts “What in the world happened to you? You were fine just the other night, and now look at you, You’re hair all scruffy and face all beat up, walking like you’re a whooped puppy dog!”
I grin and reply “I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going, and no, I am not a whooped puppy!”
“Oh really” she answered back with her arms crossed asking “So what caused you to run into things Nathan?”
I grin even bigger as my mind denied the fact it was her that my mind wanders to remember so I answer her “My Grandpa and his orneriness!”
“He did this to you” she asked”
“No, not exactly” I hesitated, then began telling her of last night and this morning as she pulled me into the soda shop and sat me down on a stool in front of the counter. She lays my suit over the counter and then wraps ice in a cloth and hands it to me and tells me “I smelled fuel oil on him the other evening but didn’t think anything of it other than that he maybe had been drinking some of it as belligerent as he was! In addition, now you found out, he killed your Grandpa’s friend!”
“Yes” I reply holding the wash cloth against my eye “and I was on my way to Sally’s apartment to change for the funeral when I ran into you!”
“You can change here if you would like” she offers, taking the cloth from my hand and readjusts it and gives it back.
I smile and with my one good eye focused on her and answered “That would be great! I should be able to catch up with the parade if I do!”
She removes my suit from the counter top and began walking to the back of the store saying “You can change in the store room if that’s ok, or you can use the restroom.”
“Whichever is no problem for you” I reply following her.
“Ok, the store room then” she says opening a door and turning on a light. She hangs my suit off a protruding shelf and turns to find me very close behind her. She places her hand on my chest guiding me over to the side and says “There’s a chair in the corner, and I will go make us a hot chocolate.”
I smile and rub the spot where her hand was placed on my chest after she left the room and edged the door closed and began undressing.
As I was pulling up my pants with my back to the doorway I heard the door squeak a bit and suddenly laughter. I turned to see Kris holding two cups and smiling. We locked eyes and she asked “Nathan, do you sleep on a bed?”
“Yes, of course I do” I answered wondering why she would ask such a silly thing.
She hands me a cup and answers “Your back has the perfect impression of a brick wall!”
“You’re kidding me” I answer trying to twist my head to see.
“Nope, turn around” she said as I complied when goose bumps formed because I felt her cool soft hand gently tracing outlines on my back as she informed “I can see mortar outlines and the bumps from the bricks, almost like your back is a brick wall.”
“Ahem” sounded behind us.
Kris’s hand left my back, and I reached to the chair that my shirt hung over, and I heard her say “Hi Daddy! Your coffee thermos is filled on the counter and your lunch is by the cash register.
“Thank you baby girl” he said, and I could feel his eyes upon my back as he comments “This is twice, I caught you with your shirt off in front of my daughter.”
I slip on my shirt and turn around, and he began chuckling.
“Boy it looks like you picked up one of them gag telescopes or my daughter decided you‘re getting to close” he chuckled more and asks “Each time I’ve seen you, you’re sporting two different looks. Have you decided which one you like son?”
“Definitely not this one sir” I grin in his humor of the awkward situation as I buttoned my shirt and tucked it in.
He stood there smiling at me as I sat down on the chair and slipped on my shoes. Kris left the room and I stood up and put on my jacket. I smile at him and began to open my mouth to explain, and he interrupts “No need to explain son! I know what happened, and I would like to say I’m proud of you for standing up!”
“Thank you sir, but I wish it wasn‘t me” I answered the compliment.
“Just as well you as another” he replies leaving the room.
I could hear both chatting up front when the door tinkled announcing someone came in.
I heard Kris say “I have everything ready so you can open.”
I heard her dad say goodbye and the door tinkle his departure, and I left the storeroom to find myself face to face with Kris. Her smile was contagious because I felt my own smile pushing against my puffy eye. From over Kris’s shoulder I could see another girl turning a sign around on the door and when she turned around, she saw me and say’s "Kris, I don’t know how you managed to open with such a cute guy hanging around. Oh my goodness" she laughs “he’s a raccoon!” She looks at Kris and asks “I know the fairy tale about kissing frogs to make them princes but kissing raccoons is unheard of!”
Kris laughs and kisses me full on the mouth and backs off and says “Now you just witnessed that fact!”
My mind swam with sensations I never felt before, and I blushed, as Kris asks “Would you mind if I walked with you to the funeral?”
I stammered “Sure, if you don’t mind walking around with a raccoon.”
“I absolutely would love to walk with this raccoon” she answers back inserting her arm under mine like, she was being escorted to the prom.
 
Chapter 36 and epilogue

Doing something is the same as nothing if it's not God's will!

I saw Grandpa place a silver flask beside Ty and step back and nod as they closed the casket and began lowering it. The preacher began his farewells, and I looked at Mom, she smiled and winked at me as she stepped forward to assist Grandpa through the crowd. Dad visited with Paul and a group of men, and Kris, and I hand in hand eased back the edge of the crowd. A slight breeze would bring the pleasant scent of her hair as my mind wandered to the kiss she gave me earlier. I watched my family gather around the preacher, and I saw Mom hugging Paul and then Sally. We stood there watching people visiting when Grandpa hobbled over to us grinning and said “Now I know why you have been walking around with your head all up in the clouds Nathan, she is a pretty girl!”
She smiles and lies her head upon my shoulder as I put my arm around her pulling her close and reply “You have to watch him, he is ornery as all get out, always trying to cause trouble for somebody!”
‘You seem to find trouble well enough on your own son, without my assistance” he says smiling then informs us “We‘re going to gather back at the park if you two want to mosey back that way, we‘ll be along shortly.”
“Yes sir” I answer back as he turns toward the group of riders and hobbles to them.
“Would you like to go to the park and see what is going to happen next” I asked Kris?
“Yes I would” she said lifting her head from my shoulder and smiling back at me.
We began moving away from the crowd and Mom spotted us and waved and went back to talking to Sally. We walked down the sidewalk, hand in hand like giddy school kids with me grinning from an ear to ear all the way towards the park.

By the time we arrived at the park we could see the park gazebo filling up with people. Mom and Dad had already beaten us there with Mom fussing over things in the gazebo, so I tugged Kris over to a bench close to the pond, and we sat down. We watched the parade of riders slowly make their way back and along came Grandpa and the little red cart reminding me of a circus act. I sat dreaming as Kris pulls me in and moves my arm around her and snuggles up close. She looks up into my face, and I smile back and say “Your beautiful” shocking myself because I blurted out what I was thinking.
“Thank you Nathan. Your quite handsome yourself” placing a hand on my cheek and leaning in giving me a kiss that sent charges of electricity through my body.
A banging of a metal plate turned everybody’s attention toward the gazebo and the preacher man announces that Paul and Sally are about to be married and that the family of both bride and groom to come forward. I never met Sally’s parents, but I could tell them apart from the Nash family because they were very well dressed and short in stature as they went up in front of the gazebo.
“A wedding after a funeral” I blurt in confusion as Kris whispers “One heartbeat fades as two will become one.”
I pull back a tad amused at her comment, and we got up and began walking to the gathering people and riders whom were whooping and cheering Paul on! Sally walked over to us and asked Kris if she would be her maid of honor, and she instantly replied “Yes!”

As the preacher finished saying “You may now kiss the bride!” They kissed and he said “Ladies and Gentlemen may I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Paul Nash” as Mom leaned over and kissed my cheek wetting my face with her tears as Dad stood silent beside a grinning Grandpa! Paul and Sally walked through the crowd being congratulated, and I eased off the gazebo to stand alone. Kris left her mom and dad to walk over to me as Sally was gathering the young ladies to throw the bouquet. She points to Kris to get over there, and she complies with a giggle asking “What if I catch it Nathan?”
I smile and smart off “You’ll have a handful of flowers!”
She smiles, pokes me in the chest with her finger and walks over to the gathering girls as Paul stood beside Dad and a few of the riders leaving me standing alone. I watched the scene unfold around me when I felt a hand on my shoulder, and it was Argus saying “The unforgivable crime is soft hitting. Do not hit at all if it can be avoided; but never hit softly.”
“Well said Argus” Doc replies moving in close to us.
“I have doubts with questions, like why you use alcohol while at the same time trying to rid the world of it?” I asked staring Argus down.
“Son, we fight illegal liquor not liquor itself and those that undermine the direction this country has put before us for no man is above the law and no man is below it; nor do we ask any man's permission when we require him to obey it. Obedience to the law is demanded as a right; not asked as favor" Argus answers!
“Son, your Grandpa, Ty, and this man” as he pats Argus’s shoulder “saved this country numerous time with their ability to make alcohol” Doc informed!
“How’s that sir” I asked?
“A great amount of times in the field our medical and supply lines lacked fuel to reach where we were, and they created the fuel that allowed those lines to reach us, which saved lives in man and animal alike!” Doc replied.
“Aye that it did” Argus adds.
“Have you ever seen your Grandpa except money for what he shared” Doc asks?
“No sir never” I answer.
My mind wandered to him and Ty to assure myself that they never did.
“Son” I was asked by Grandpa easing up into the conversation “What does your mother do with her extra vegetables?“
“She cans some of it, and gives the rest away to her friends” I answer.
“Does your mother ever except money for what she gives them” he asks?
“No sir” I answer.
“There’s more to this life than money son, like the satisfaction of sharing that of which you’re blessed with” Grandpa says then continues “what I share only goes to my friends, and they share the same with others for no profit only for pleasure.”
“Knock the snot out of them if they put a price on our hooch” Argus states!
I stood silent, as my mind tried to make reasons of what I heard leaving me to ask Argus “So why did you set me up to fight William and please don‘t say you have the right to know”?
“Son” Argus replies coming in so close I could see every wrinkle on his face “This country is changing! Now children are pushing away family, God and the respect for others just to satisfy selfish desires. Now your family had done right in the helping of others the way it used to be, and is supposed to be. Let me ask you, do you feel guilty for facing that bully down?”
“No sir I don’t” I answer.
“A healthy-minded boy should feel hearty contempt for the coward and even more hearty indignation for the boy who bullies girls or small boys, or tortures animals." Doc chimes in.
“Can that talk for the history books” Grandpa replies!
“Well at least something will endure, even if we don’t” Doc counters.
“Like anybody would want to know about us and our endeavors” Grandpa concludes!
“I would” I state “and would like to have known more, but after the way this last couple of days have gone, I truly believe I have learned enough!”
“Son from the looks of things you have more yet to learn” Argus says smiling at as he looks over my shoulder.
I follow his eyes to turn around and there was Kris holding a bouquet of flowers. I turn back around and I see Coy easing up behind Argus’s mule, so I smile and ask “What do you say to make your mule kick?”
“Son, we embarrass the mule by telling them their daddy was a jackass” he says loudly almost like he knew something was up and that mule kicked Coy full in the face.
“And to add fun is to tell the mule, It’s time to fight” Argus again loudly proclaims without turning his back and that mule turned on Coy and bit him on his shoulder forcing Coy to take out running with that mule right behind him in hot pursuit!
Grandpa and Doc turned as I saw others pointing and laughing at the sight of that mule braying loudly chasing Coy, yet Argus never once turned around to see, his eyes never left me the whole time.
“Son” Argus says, “This country will not be a permanently good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a reasonably good place for all of us to live in” he pauses, places his hand on my shoulder and shakes me slightly adding “Ye will do well in life" and turns away to walk towards the rest of the riders who were guffawing over the sight of Coy and the mule. Grandpa pats me on the shoulder and says “Grandson, you have some paper work back at the house that you might consider offering as a wedding gift, then he and Doc followed Argus just as Kris and her beaming smile arrived beside me. I stood confused at what all they said and that left me with nagging thoughts of what could happen next.
I lost my shell that I crawled out of.
Forty years ago it was as I smile upon my fading memory as I stood in front of the church congregation beside my wife, son and daughter in law while holding my grand baby boy as the preacher wore on the importance of Godly guidance during the babies dedication. I smile and see Mom and Paul sitting beside Sally, and I silently pray that both Dad and Grandpa were looking down seeing this when in the far back pew a man caught my eye. I strained my eyes to see, and I immediately could tell it was William by his almost famous grin. I remember well what I said to him as I smile and dropped my gaze back to the baby, and back over to where he sat, and he was gone leaving me to wonder if he really was ever there. A tear slips down my weathered cheek as the grand baby smiles, and as it lifts it’s small hand upward I wonder if he will believe his grandpa when he starts yarning the tall tales of old heroes of days long gone.


The hand out, is a hand up
Today as it was yesterday
What has never changed
Remembering back to a time
Where old heroes dwell
Beside the stars in the sky
Written in the moonshine.
 
Awful quiet for a chapter challenge. I Know it's not ready to submit to an editor, and I need advice , constructive critique and support and this is the only place I know to go. I believe I wrote the monologue in the outline and just need to add more variances in description. I don't know. I do know if I had an editor they would use the Red Pen to highlight my bads and send it back, and that is what I seek to avoid, at least a lot red blotches. I truly dislike standing alone, done enough of that in my life but unafraid to do so if deemed to be so. Therefore, I will begin a spoiler for my edit after each chapter in hopes that, I can beat a book out it. My direction I see would be to clean up language a tad, remove the abuse of alcohol in one chapter, and tighten the sentence structure more, and adding visual descriptions. Critiques on this would be appreciated beginning with chapter one as I seek to repost an edit a week in hope that I even have something worthy of the time.
 
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