together back in the day. But Uncle Jack was a daredevil type, did stuff the other boys shied away from. During low tides he’d come up here alone and fish all day until it went back out and he could walk home with a bundle of perch. Drove my grandmother crazy with worry. In fact one time the tide didn’t go back out far enough and he had to wait through another cycle before he could wade back to shore.”
“So what makes you think the tide today isn’t going to be higher than anything your uncle Jack saw?”
“I looked at the tide table yesterday morning. I was showing a couple who came into the store how to read one.”
James lit his salvaged cigarette and inhaled deeply. He stood up for a moment and stared toward the shore before sitting down next to her.
“Jesus Ann. I can’t believe you shot at him.”
“I was thinking about what he did to Tami and how mad I was. I wanted to take him out, was sure I could do it. Then something made me move at the last second.”
James slid closer. “You’re shivering.”
“I know that.”
“You remember what hypothermia is, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
He slipped a hand inside his jacket and came out with the flask. Ann glanced at it and nodded and he smiled and unscrewed the lid for her. Her hand was shaking as she brought the whiskey to her lips and felt it glide down hot like those unexpected rays that cut through a frigid spring fog and sent steam curling off the sand. The whiskey was a little gritty but not worth spitting it out. James fingers kneaded her shoulder before working their way up to the tense chords of her neck. She closed her eyes and tried imagining his face.
“Have another drink,” he said when she tried to hand the flask back to him.
Chapter 30
“What can I do to help, Sheriff?” Coach Burns asked.
“I need your car. And any guns you’ve got in the house.”
“Whatever for?”
“Because it’s finally happened. God, you remember the movies don’t you? How they’d drop out of the sky like monkeys with machine guns? Blowing away every American they saw until some redneck locals banded together and fought back? I never thought we’d actually see the day…”
The sheriff reached out his glass for another refill. Burns noticed the blistered marks on his wrists. He lifted the bottle from the table and poured Dawkins another sour mash. Part of him was sorry to see the whiskey go so fast. He’d been saving it for St. Paddy’s.
“I still don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“I’m talking about them!”
“Who?”
“The goddamn Russians. They’ve landed here in Traitor!”
Burns took a deep breath and exhaled slowly through his nose. He counted to ten. It didn’t quite take, so he counted again. Retirement had demanded less daily practice. “Cuke Burns” was not known for losing his cool, unless he caught one of his students smoking cigarettes. He searched for tell-tale signs of madness, but nothing had swum to the surface of Dawkin’s lumpy white face. The poor man’s head looked as if it had been used as a soccer ball. Had he been on one of his benders again, got mouthy with some other fellas while off duty? Why didn’t he have his own guns?
It wouldn’t be the first time Cuke had seen Dawkins in trouble. One had to wonder if he went out in search of it sometimes. He was just lucky the county was forgiving, always came through for him during election season. Cuke lifted the bottle halfway to his mouth and glanced down its throat at the golden mash winking back. He changed his mind and set the bottle down.
“Did you just say what I thought you did?” Burns asked.
“I did Cuke. The Reds are here. But they haven’t stormed our beaches like in the movies. They got here by taking the goddamn highway!”
“I’ve got to be honest with you Dawk. You’re not on drugs are you?”
“Of course not.”
“Then why are you telling me the Russian army is invading Traitor?”
Dawkins drained his glass. He glanced around the room at the framed sports photos and shelves of trophies gathering dust. His face was up there on the wall too somewhere. “I’m talking about the mob, Cuke. The Russian mob is here in town and they took Mitch and me hostage along with a couple of kids. They’re looking for some money they say is theirs.”
“How’d you get those marks on your wrists?”
“They cuffed me with a plastic band. There was no other way to free myself. I pressed them against a wood stove until they melted enough to pull apart.”
“Jesus,” coach whispered. “Should I go get my first aid kit?”
“No. I’ll be okay. There’s no time for it anyway.”
“No time for what?”
“To stop them before they leave Traitor.”
Cuke shook his head. “That’s not possible Dawk. All the phones are still out, even the cell phones. They say Traitor is cut off from both sides. There’s an overturned truck on bay bridge and up north of town it’s a total mess. I heard a piece of highway a half block long slid down and almost took a lucky trucker with it. There’s heavy equipment on the way, but it can’t go nowhere until the bridge is cleared.”
Dawkins held out his empty glass. His eyes seemed to be staring inward. “One more hit Cuke and I’ll be on my way. Now please go get me your guns.”
“No one’s asking you to be a hero, Dawk.”
“I know that.”
“You’re serious about this.”
“Look at what they done to me. I’ve got to go see if I can find them.”
Cuke got up from the table and walked stiffly toward the back bedroom. “Son of a bitch.”
“What’s that?”
“You heard me.”
Dawkin’s mind began to drift while he waited. Cuke’s whiskey had warmed him up nicely. The hot anger he’d felt had passed and he was glad for it.
Ten minutes later Cuke returned with a gym bag and set it on the table. He’d gotten dressed. The sheriff noticed he was armed with a.45 in a holster.
“What do you think you’re doing, Cuke?”
“We can get the rifles from the truck. I’ve got two pistols in that bag and plenty of ammo.”
“You’re not coming with me.”
“Like hell I’m not.”
Chapter 31
As soon as he reached town, James headed for a vacation home development he remembered being mostly deserted during the winter. Wealthy city people loved their big trophy summer houses. But when it came to hammering storms and the idea of having to rough it without electricity, most chose to stay close to home where cell phone service and an operating Starbucks were guaranteed.
