Page 88 of Rex

I look toward Reeves, who’s now sitting in the dirt without a shirt and jeans bunched up at his ankles, stuck on his boots. He’s trying to see over his shoulder, hands reaching back while the same damn squirrel sits off to the side, still chattering angrily.

“I can’t swim!” Horse shouts while thrashing around in the water.

I continue watching him thrash about as Petey and Trigger’s laughter carries up to join with Pigeon’s.

“For fuck’s sake! Can one of you grab his dumb ass and drag him out?” I finally shout out angrily.

Petey and Trigger step out of their boat and pull it out of the water while laughing at Horse’s distress. Pigeon is now on his knees, gasping for breath. I start walking down the short slope, realizing it’s up to me to save his ass. I’m going to hurt him when I get to him, but I will get him out of the water first.

“Calm down, brother. It’s only waist deep on someone his size,” Trigger says to me when I reach the edge of the water.

“Seriously?” I ask while I watch Horse try to leverage his large ass onto the bottom side of the canoe. He has no success.

“Yeah. He’ll figure it out when he finally sinks to the bottom of its depths,” Petey adds, still laughing hard.

“Horse! Put your feet down and walk the fuck out of there!” I shout as his head disappears beneath the water.

When it pops back up, I repeat my order. Horse coughs up about a quart of water, wheezing as he does it. When his head jerks up and his eyes meet mine, I know he’s finally realized he’s not drowning. Shaking my head in disgust, I walk back up the slope to the cabin. Going inside, I start searching for anything that might be helpful. I find nothing.

When I step outside, it’s to find all of them standing next to the cabin. Angry squirrel is now sitting on a low limb, and Reeves is eyeing him for signs of another attack. I’m so discouraged and pissed I want to smash things with my bare hands. Petey must read that thought on my face because he speaks up first.

“We’ll find him, Rex. Pigeon said he’s obviously staying here, so he’ll return as long as he doesn’t know we know about this place.”

“Can’t disguise the busted door,” I mutter. “I’ll stay behind and wait for him.”

“Not alone, you won’t. Horse can stay with you. We’ll move his truck so it’s not spotted. Reeves has to take a trip to the E.R. to start a series of rabies shots,” Trigger says, then pauses to laugh before finishing. “Gunner is with Aria, so she’s covered, and her mother is at the governor’s mansion with Lucy’s mom. We’ll take Reeves back with us.”

“And Chubs just arrived,” Pigeon says while pointing behind me.

I turn and see Chubs hustling toward us. His face looks like thunder, and it’s a very rare occasion that I’ve seen him this angry. When he stops next to me, his words explain his face.

“You took him out without waiting for me, didn’t you?”

“No, he’s not here,” I answer in a defeated voice.

“Oh. Okay, well, then, I’m here to help. Where do we look next?” Chubs asks.

Petey explains our plans, and Chubs nods in agreement.

“You might as well head home, Pigeon. No sense in you going back to town,” I state.

“Makes sense. Horse, you can either take the canoe back the way you came, or you can carry it up here and load it on my truck,” Pigeon says.

“Why are you soaking wet, and why is Reeves only partially dressed?” Chubs asks in a curious voice.

“Squirrel attack,” Trigger says while pointing at Reeves, and then pointing at Horse, he says, “Can’t swim in knee-deep water.”

“Fuck you, Trigger! It was deeper than that out in the middle where I was,” Horse mutters irritably. “I’m not risking it again, so fuck that canoe. It’ll find its way to shore eventually.”

“It attacked out of nowhere. Just came at me,” Reeves murmurs, seemingly in shock.

“I thank fucking God every day that Gunner saw fit to put you two at the security shop and not the auto body. I’d have retired immediately,” Petey says, then starts laughing all over again.

“We’ll tow the canoe back with us,” Trigger volunteers, then slaps me on the shoulder as he walks past.

Everyone heads out, and Horse and I walk back into the cabin. Looking around, I see a case of bottled water and grab three from it. Tossing one to Horse, I open mine and take a deep swallow. Horse disappears down the hall and emerges holding up a pair of battered sweatpants and a t-shirt.

“Not sure I want to put these on, but at least they’re dry.”

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