Page 17 of Triple Puck Valentines

12

KATRINA

The shadows have changed as the afternoon wore on. Our positions haven’t changed. I’ve gone to the bathroom. Gotten up for another soda and beers for the guys. Their mother stays in her room. It’s like a dark cloud hangs over us. A cloud waiting to strangle us in its whisky grasp.

I wish Abe and Jesse were here already. They should be landing soon. I’d feel safer. I feel safe with Hutch. Noah I’m not sure about. The silence between the three of us is the most uncomfortable I’ve ever felt. Again with the dark cloud. A dark cloud of doom.

“Shouldn’t we be leaving soon?” I want to get this over with. Started and over.

“Yeah. Let me get Ma.” Noah stands, his joints creak. I watch him walk out of the room, uncertain if he’s with us or against. He seems to be against what’s going on with that church of his mother’s. But who really knows? He holds his feelings close. Maybe that’s from having to be the man so young.

This day has run fast like on fast forward and dragged on. I want this to be over, so we can go on with our lives.

Stomping boots reach us before Noah does. “She’s not there.”

Hutch jumps to his feet. “What do you mean she’s not there? Not in her room?”

With a grunt Noah clenches and unclenches his hand, “that’s what I said. Weren’t you listening?”

“So, where is she?” Hutch can be the smartest man around, but also one of the simplest at times. This is one of those times.

“Called one of her friends to pick her up?” That’s what I would do. She scammed us into thinking she was a feeble old woman. Hiding behind her ninety-year-old looks. Hutch frowns, his teeth grit together in a snarl.

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go then.” Noah turns to head out the door, his long strides make it only a couple steps to the door.

“Let’s get this over with.” The longer it takes the more anxiety grips me in its engulfing grasp.

* * *

It takesabout a half hour to reach the other side of Haven. The cult. Church. Whatever, is on a large piece of empty land except for the large ornate building. Wasn’t there supposed to be a BBQ here?

“I have a bad feeling about this. Where is everyone?” I lean forward, peer through the window of the back seat in the truck.

“Maybe it’s somewhere else?” Hutch squirms in his seat. He’s not a sit down and wait guy. He’s a take over, take charge guy. Run in and worry later.

“Nope. Here. We’re early.” Noah shuts the engine off, leans back and closes his eyes.

“Are you going to sleep?” How can he?

“Nope. Resting my eyes.”

“Isn’t that called sleeping?” I lean back myself, but I’m watching the parking lot for others. “Can we open some windows? It’s stuffy in here.”

Noah’s truck might be old, but at least it has automatic windows, which roll down. Fresh air breezes in. Scents of cooking meat breeze through.

“I guess they are here somewhere.” I narrow my eyes, but there’s nothing. Only an empty parking lot.

“Gonna have to hunt them down.” Noah releases his seatbelt, steps out from the truck. Hutch does the same, stands protectively in front of me.

“Where do you they could be? They can’t be hiding. Not with the cooking meat smell.” Hutch stands in the middle of the parking lot, swiveling around in a circle. A strong breeze makes the scent stronger, but it’s harder to tell where it’s coming from.

“I haven’t been in at least six years. So I not privy to their thoughts. Brother-“ Noah scrunches part of his face at calling someone brother. I don’t know who. “Hamilton called me. That makes it suspicious.” He gives Hutch a hard, long stare. “For some reason you look a lot like him. It’s strange. Anyway. We need to be extra vigilant.”

“I agree. I don’t think we should separate. Staying together is safer. We don’t know how many will attack us at once.” The early evening sun gives way to grays, purple and pinks of twilight. Hutch stands in a masterpiece of colors as his backdrop.

We walk slowly in the direction of the building, the guys studying for any movement. They know what to look for. I look for anything visible that they might not notice.

Taking our time we creep, and I wish Abe and Jesse were here already. Their plane must have landed. I don’t think they’ve called Hutch. They definitely haven’t called me. It would be better to have them with us when we did this. Safer for everyone.

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