Redeeming (17 page)

“Don’t you worry about that.” He said. “Just keep your mouths shut and your ears open. Can the two of you do that? For once?”

They nodded.
“Yes…” they said in unison.

A few min
utes later, the door to the room opened once again. The jailor came back in and walked over to the cell.

“Tray…” he said as he motioned for them to pass it. Tricia got up and slid it back through the slot to him.

He grabbed it and turned to leave but as he did, he stopped and looked directly at Owen.

“I know about you, old man.” The jailor said. “You are a coward of the lowest sort. You turned your back on the clan, your
leader, and your people.”

Owen let out a half cough, half chuckle.
“Is that what you’ve been told boy? Ah, to be young and a fool. That’s a thing of bliss.”

“Hey!” H
e yelled as he walked back towards the cell. “Don’t call me boy, a fool or anything else…”

He grabbed the bars of the cell and tugged against them with hard pull while he sneered through the metal at Owen.
“If I’m a fool, then why are you the one behind bars?”

The man
’s sudden movement startled Daniella and Tricia but Owen was unmoved. Instead, the old man tilted his head to one side and smiled.

“What about your folks?” Owen said. “Do they feel like you do?”

“My folks?” The man replied with a look of confusion on his face. “What the hell are you talking about? What do they have to do with this?”

Owen narrowed his gaze, nodded his
head, and smiled.

“What are you smiling at?” T
he jailor said with rising disgust in his voice. “I’m done with this. You’re talking crazy.”

Owen ignored him.
“Oh yeah, now I see it.” He said as he snapped his fingers. “You’re Tucker and Millicent’s boy, aren’t you? Why you were just a cub the last time I saw you.”

“This is a stupid conversation. You die in the morning, old man. That should give you plenty to think about.”

“Suit yourself… Bucky.”

The jailor stopped in his tracks and remained silent for a moment.
“My name… is Buck…” he growled without turning back to face him.

Owen winked at Daniella.
“Your folks hate Kane. Don’t they…
Bucky?
”

Incensed, the man turned back.
“Call me Bucky one more time. So help me I will light you up.”

“Doubt that…” Owen chided. “You reckon Kane would appreciate it?”

The man bit his lip and banged the outside of the cell with a billy club. He spat on the ground through the bars.

Owen shrugged off his threat.
“You never answered me. Your folks hate the man, don’t they?”

“So what if they do?” H
e replied. “The way they feel about him doesn’t affect their loyalty to the clan. That’s more than I can say for the likes of you.”

Owen nodded.
“We all have our own ways of showing loyalty.” He said. “Did your mother ever tell you why?”

“No.” He replied. “What difference does it make? Kane is our leader and that’s all there is to it.”

“Mmm, hmm… mmm, hmmm…” Owen replied. “’Course you might feel different if you knew the truth.”

“Truth about what?”

Owen leaned back. “Ask her for yourself.”

“You know what? Fuck this…” the man replied. “I’m done with this horseshit.”

With that, the man picked up the tray, headed towards the door to the cell, and slammed it shut.

“Owen…” Daniella said. “What the hell was that all about?”

For the first time since she’d seen him on the trail, Owen looked at her… and smiled.

***

Hours passed or at least it seemed that way. Daniella, Owen, and Tricia fell in and out of sleep while they waited for something, anything, to happen.

“Owen,” Tricia asked. “Are you afraid to die?”

With his eyes half-open, he replied, “Used to be… when I was young. Had a lot more to live for then I suppose.”

Tricia looked down at her hands and fidgeted.

“Oh…” she replied as her voice drifted off.

“Are you?” H
e asked.

She looked up at him and nodded.
“Yes,” she said. Her eyes started to glass over. “I’m not ready to die. Not here, not now…”

With that, two tears fell from her right eye and splashed on her arm. Daniella scooted over and put one arm around her.

“We’ll be okay…” Daniella said in the most reassuring tone she could muster. “You’re not going to die.”

Daniella looked back towards Owen.
“Owen, tell her she’s not going to die.”

“I can’t do that…” he replied. “She will die.”

“Owen!” Daniella exclaimed. At those words, Tricia started to sob. “Don’t say that!” Daniella added.

Owen coughed for several seconds and adjusted his battered body against the wall.

“You didn’t let me finish…” he began. “She will die… as will you… me, all of us. But, she won’t die here. Not in this place. Not so long as I have breath in my lungs and fire in my belly.”

Tricia
’s tears slowed and she even managed the faint hint of a smile.

“Have faith…” Owen said.

Just then, Daniella heard the lock on the door unhinge. It opened and through it came Buck the jailor. Wordless, he walked to the cell and stopped.

“You have powerful friends old man.” He said as he produced the keys to the lock.

“No,” Owen replied. “Just a common enemy…”

Buck opened the door and came inside.
“Come on,” he said as he approached Owen.

The old man groaned and scooted forward to the edge of the mattress. Buck leaned around behind him and after pulling a knife from a holster on his belt, he cut the binds that held Owen
’s wrists.

“Alright…” Buck said. “Up you go.”

Owen stood and rubbed his wrists.

“Come on girls…” Owen said as he gestured towards the door.

Confused, the women looked at each other, unsure of what to do. As far as they understood Owen’s last instruction to them, they weren’t supposed to be anything other than wayward hikers.

“Ah, ah…” Buck said as he stepped in between them. “The women stay. No one told me anything about taking them. Nothing…”

“No,” Owen replied. “They come with me.”

“Hey,” Buck interrupted. “I told you that no one told me to bring a girl, let alone two. They said to bring you and that’s it. So either you go alone or you all stay. What’s it gonna be?”

Owen nodded and stepped back a bit.

“I know what you’ve been told but I am telling you that the women are coming.” Owen said.

Before the man uttered another word of protest, Owen continued, “After all, imagine how upset the folks who sent you here will be when they find out about this.”

Buck
’s aggressive posture softened. His eyes darted back and forth between Daniella, Tricia, and Owen.

“Look…
“ he said. “I’m only doing what they tell me. I don’t want any trouble. I don’t want to be in the middle of this at all, actually. You know what would happen to me if I was to get caught don’t you?”

“Yes,” Owen said as he extended his hand to Buck. “There’s nothing to worry about. So long as you do what I tell you and allow the women to come with me.”

Buck bit his lip and scratched at the stubble on his face.

“Alright,” he nodded. “Let’s go… all of you.”

Daniella, Owen, and Tricia exited the room and followed behind Buck. They walked down the hall until it split into two directions.

“This way,” Buck said as he pointed to the right. A few seconds later, they reached a door. He stopped, turned back towards them.

“From here, no talking…” Buck said as he looked at each of them. “Understood?”

Everyone agreed and they emerged from the building where a wooded thicket lie about twenty feet in front of them. It was still dark out but thanks to a partial moon overhead, Daniella was at least able to make out the surroundings. The mountain air felt good against Daniella
’s skin even if it was a touch on the cold side. Over the past several hours, part of her wondered if she’d ever smell fresh air again.

Right away, Buck started down a trail that led into the woods and as he
did, he motioned for them to follow. For several minutes, they wound their way through the trees until the trail came to a stop in front of a smaller version of Kane’s house.

They followed him around to the rear of it when
Buck opened the door, went inside, and motioned for them to follow. After they entered, he closed the door behind them and drew the blinds in the door window closed.

“Down the hall on the right.” He said. “They’re waiting for you in there.”

“Thanks Buck,” Owen said as he extended his hand. “Much appreciated.”

Buck clasped his hand around Owen
’s. “Don’t thank me yet.”

Owen nodded and with that, Buck slipped back out the door once again.

“Come…” Owen said as he gestured for them to walk down the hallway. “Time to get to work.”

***

Confused, Daniella and Tricia glanced at one another as Owen began to walk ahead of them. They reached the end of the hall and once he stopped at the door, he turned to Daniella and Tricia and raised his index finger to his lips. Daniella and Tricia nodded in understanding and Owen reached up and knocked on the door.

As he finished, Daniella heard footsteps move in their direction and by the sound of them, they belonged to someone quite large. A split second later, the door opened and before stood a tall man with a goatee and long, shaggy hair.

The man’s eyes widened as he staggered back a foot or so. “As I live and breathe… Owen Carmichael!”

“In the flesh,” Owen replied as he stepped towards the entrance. He embraced the man as the two slapped one another on the back.

Around the same time, from her right, Daniella noticed a female version of the man who opened the door… except without the goatee. She approached at a rapid pace with her arms opened wide.

“Owen!” S
he said. “I can’t believe it! Oh, I never thought I’d see you again.”

Owen broke free from the man
’s embrace. “Oh come on now, Millicent. You know me better than that!”

She collided with him and they hugged one another for a couple of seconds. Afterward, Owen turned and gestured towards the women.

“Tucker… Millicent…” he began. “This is Daniella and Tricia.”

Tucker nodded.
“Nice to meet you.” He said.

Millicent glanced at him for a moment and said,
“Oh hell Tucker, what’s the matter with you? Give these two a hug!”

With that, she walked towards Daniella and Tricia and embraced both of them.

“Nice to meet you both.” Millicent said as Tucker made his way over and did his wife’s bidding.

After they exchanged pleasantries, Tucker walked around behind them to close the door. As he did, he said,
“Of course, you getting caught like that wasn’t something we expected.”

Daniella wrinkled her brow in confusion as he spoke.

“Blame these two troublemakers for that,” he said as he pointed towards Daniella and Tricia.

“Sorry…” Tricia choked.

“Yeah,” Daniella replied. “We didn’t want to be left out.”

“Hey, speak for yourself.” Tricia replied. “I can think of a lot of places I’d rather be than here right now.”

“Well, I can’t…” a familiar voice said from Daniella’s left.

Her head turned on a swivel to see Jett walking towards her down an adjacent hallway.

“Jett!” She screamed. She turned, ran towards him, and leapt into his arms from at least three feet away.

“Ooohhff…” he grunted as she slammed into him. “Heyynnrrpphh…” he uttered as her lips collided with his.

For several seconds, they kissed and hugged. Daniella ran her fingers through his hair and squeezed his hard midsection between her thighs. At last, they broke free from one another but she remained hooked to his torso.

“What are you… how?” S
he said.

He laughed.
“I should be asking you the same thing. I’m glad to see you too but you really shouldn’t have come here.”

She sighed as she dropped to a standing position in front of him.
“I know, believe me.”

“Well,
doesn’t matter now.” Owen chimed in. “We’re all together now and that’s all that’s that. There’s much to do yet and no time to waste.”

“I’ll fix us something to eat.” Millicent said.

“Come on you two,” Tucker said as he motioned towards Daniella and Jett. “While Millicent is doing that, let’s sit and talk.”

With that, Tucker threw his arm around Owen
’s shoulder. The two old friends headed into another room with Tricia following close behind.