“I know. You’ve told me.” His face tightened and he hissed in a breath. “Be careful, I’m still not a hundred percent.”
Catherine released him and placed her tiny fists on her hips. “I wish you’d let me finish?”
“The pain helps me remember. I want to remember.”
Catherine wasn’t able to save his eye or the teeth that he lost in the fight. She did bring Hunter back from Death’s door and Molly was grateful for that. Nothing else really mattered, except for the price that Jimmy had paid a mile away in the front seat of the Escalade with Ginger in his arms. Hunter didn’t need the pain to remember. Molly guessed he wanted it so he didn’t feel the guilt. Jimmy wouldn’t have wanted that either, but Molly was having an impossible time convincing her stubborn boyfriend.
Ginger waddled over with Billy holding her hand, helping her on the uneven terrain. “Catherine, how many times do I have to tell you to wait until we come to a complete stop and I turn off the car before you unbuckle?” Ginger’s maternal instincts had shifted into overdrive when she found out she was pregnant.
Catherine sidled closer to Hunter. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” Ginger held out her free hand and Catherine hopped over and took it.
Molly grabbed Hunter’s hand and tugged. He pulled her close and smiled brightly at her. Her cheeks warmed all over. She loved his smile even more now. He was quite beautiful with those couple of missing teeth.
“Tree,” Catherine said, “You remember Hunter. These are my other friends Billy, Molly, and my roommate Ginger. Ginger’s pregnant and it’s a boy!”
“Catherine! I didn’t want to know that!”
“You didn’t?”
“No,” Ginger said, placing her hands protectively over her stomach. She looked down and the corners of a smile twisted up. “Is my baby really a boy?”
Catherine stared at her with her lips pressed tightly shut. A squirrel chattered at them from a branch high above.
Ginger looked up. “Well?”
Catherine mumbled as she gripped the green grass between her toes.
“Speak up. I can’t understand what you’re saying?”
“You said you didn’t want to know.”
Ginger glared, which was kind of funny seeing Ginger glare. She’s as threatening as a basket full of puppies.
Billy smiled up at her. He had assigned himself her personal protector after they buried Jimmy in the corner of the cabbage field outside of Independents.
Molly pressed her face against the tree’s rough bark. “Hello, tree.” She was submerged in happiness like she just slid into joy’s bathtub. Hunter gave her a hug when she let go and a big kiss followed.
“You sillies sure do kiss a lot.”
They smiled at Catherine and she looked at Billy with a giant grin on her face. Billy scooted around Ginger and hid.
They ate lunch and talked to the tree, sharing all the news that had happened in Independents since their flight from that awful place. Two months after their return, Vanessa turned eighteen and survived. Catherine was on hand just in case, but she said that Vanessa would be okay because she was touched. Molly was thankful that she was also touched, but worried for her brother and Samuel and the others in the world. Maybe it had been selfish of Jimmy to get up and walk away just to save Hunter. Or maybe everyone followed a larger plan without knowing why.
Scout now preached sermons every Sunday in the newly renovated church with the fresh coat of white paint. His services maintained a steady attendance that included Hunter and Molly in the front pew.
Catherine and Billy always sat together in the balcony writing notes to each other. Billy loved to write. Hunter taught Billy how to ride a motorbike, but the boy was more excited about what Vanessa taught him at school.
The warm sun checked into afternoon and it was time for them to leave. Everyone hugged the tree and said their goodbyes. Catherine promised to visit again real soon, with a hopeful glance at Hunter who nodded and smiled.
Hunter started his motorbike with the blaring echo bouncing around the valley. Molly climbed up behind him and squeezed. It would be a long trip back to Independents, but she knew they would survive.
Coming Soon
CHAPTER ONE
Hunter teetered on the edge of teeth-gnashing insanity from the pain in his shoulder. Most of the time his shoulder felt numb and he was able to cope. Other times, like this one, he wanted to rip his arm right out of its socket and beat the pain to death.
The pain sparkled as he climbed the rusty ladder to the grain elevator’s roof in Cozad, Nebraska. A mid- summer thunderstorm lashed upon him violently and sheets of water cascaded down the white concrete wall, making the climb more treacherous than he had anticipated. At least the rain provided good cover; the kid up top would be oblivious to Hunter’s approach in this mess.
Hunter reached for the next rung and his foot slipped, his body dropped and his left arm took the weight; pain seared through his shoulder. He clamped his other arm around the ladder tightly, trembling with fear from the thought of ping ponging down the safety cage. Rain pelted the hood of his waterproof jacket, loud and harsh in unison with his terrified panting. The ground waited to catch him a hundred feet below; another hundred feet of climbing and he’d reach the top where the sniper roosted.
Four months ago when Hunter had died, all of his cares and worries had been washed away. He was saved when his older brother, Jimmy, had made the ultimate sacrifice. That gift would be in vain if he fell now and crash-landed on his head.
Earlier that day, Hunter had slowed his motorbike up towards Cozad, visiting as an emissary from Independents to find out if Cozad’s food crops were also fighting a disease. That’s when the shots rang out, throwing up clouds of dirt from bullet impacts. Hunter had understood the message; go away.
Even if they had just been warning shots, he was still ticked off. Jimmy hadn’t given up his life so some yahoo could take Hunter out by accident or otherwise. Whatever the reason the kid had for scoping him with daddy’s deer rifle, he was about to learn the terrible consequence of jacking with people in the Big Bad.
With his grit back in check, Hunter climbed the rest of the way with no more thought about his shoulder. He peeked over the top where a hundred yards of puddles collected the rain over the flat surface. Thick drops clattered the metal roof of a narrow building that ran down the middle length of the grain elevator. No one was in sight.
Hunter stepped up and moved from the edge quickly before he was blown off like a kite in the gusty wind. He huddled against the narrow building and worked his bad shoulder, lifting up his arm and making small rotations. It still hurt, but that was expected. He could manage.
A taller out building at the other end of the grain elevator was barely visible through the curtain of rain. Maybe the sniper was inside cleaning his gun? Or maybe the kid went home at night? And maybe Hunter would just have to wait till morning before teaching his lesson? He’d been through worse weather out in the open.
Hunter caught a rotten whiff and pinched his nose. Whatever remained in the grain elevator had definitely turned. He crept alongside and peered with his left eye into the window of the lower building and saw only
