“Because I know you.”
“OK, fine, so I won’t practice ambushes on my mom. Which means I’m an honorary Ranger. Which means you can talk to me about what’s bothering you.”
“Well, you’ve got me there,” I say. Then I take a moment to think because, as tough as Josie is, I still can’t fill her in on all the bloody business the club’s involved in. “I’m in a sticky situation, Speed Demon. The club is, too. There’s something I can do to help them out, maybe even fix the problem, but it’s against the rules. It’s also dangerous. And not just dangerous for me. It would put someone I really care about in harm’s way.”
Josie looks out over the horizon, a deeply wise look on her nine-year-old face.
“Do you want to do it, though?”
“I want a lot of things, Josie. I want to protect the club. I want to protect the person this plan would put in danger. And I want something more than that, too,” I say, just letting my thoughts out, while remembering it wouldn’t be a good idea to tell a nine-year-old that I’m in love with Stone’s daughter.
“Snake, even if its dangerous, you should help your club if that’s what you want to do. Even if it breaks the rules. Because sometimes — actually, most of the time — the rules suck. I mean, do you know why Ash Williams is one of the best heroes of all time? Well, best hero except for Ellen Ripley.”
“Well, obviously Ripley is at the top all time. She slays aliens like it’s nobody’s business and she does it while still portraying a humanizing vulnerability. Speed Demon, have you been watching Evil Dead without me?”
“Yes, because it’s awesome. Ash is awesome. And do you know why he kills all those zombies and demons?”
“Because he has a chainsaw-hand and a shotgun?”
“Well, OK, that too. But he also breaks the rules a lot. And he only has a chainsaw for a hand because he doesn’t let anything keep him down. Like, when that deadite infected him and he had to cut his own hand off to save himself, he could have just given up. Instead, he stuck a chainsaw on his hand because, even though it’s crazy, he had to protect people from the monsters.”
“Ash isn’t a smart guy, though.”
“No. I mean, he can’t even remember three little words. ‘Klatu Verata Nictu’ isn’t so hard. I’ve only seen the movie once and already I know it. If I ever found the Necronomicon, I’d know how to beat it. I’d make it bring up zombies just so I could beat them up. But even though Ash is kind of dumb, he still beats the bad guys and gets the princess.”
“Great. But real life isn’t a movie, Josie.”
“No, because then I’d be able to kill zombies. And mom would let me have a shotgun and a chainsaw. So we have to make do, Snake. But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn from them. Be like Ash. Kick some butt.”
I muss her hair, and she glares up at me through her messy long locks. I needed to talk to her, even if just to hear from a little girl who still believes in heroes and that, maybe sometimes, I can be a hero, too.
It might cost me everything, I could lose my place in the club, and it doesn’t mean that I can continue to be with Addie, but it might be the only way to save the people I care about. Maybe it is the right thing to do. Maybe Addie’s plan isn’t so crazy.
“Let’s get you home, kid. At least we can break to your mom the good news that you’re a Ranger now, so you don’t need to do the marching every morning.”
“Sure. She’ll be happy about that.”
I get on my bike, and just as fast, she’s up behind me.
Once I give her a stern look, she grabs hold of me for stability.
I swear, if that kid didn’t have someone watching her to remind her to play it safe every once in a while, she’d probably be in line at the nearest military recruiter’s office, bullying whatever sergeant is on recruitment duty into accepting her straight into the Special Forces.
When we pull into her driveway and she hops off her bike, I reach out and pull her to a stop for a second.
“Hold up for a second, Speed Demon. I’ve got something for you,” I say. Then I reach to my neck and take off the dog tags that I’ve worn every day since I left the service. “Lower your head for a second.”
“Really? Snake, really?” Her voice rises to a pitch almost beyond human hearing, she’s so excited. And, as I hold the dog tags out to slip them over her neck, she’s bouncing so hard from happiness that she’s nearly a blur.
“These are for you. You’re an honorary Ranger, now. And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. But maybe let your mom sleep a little more in the mornings, OK?”
She does a salute. It’s sloppy, her hair flies everywhere, she’s such a mess of excitement, but she’s grinning from ear to ear and it’s the best damn salute I’ve ever seen in my life.
“Sir, yes, sir,” she yells at the top of her lungs with the enthusiasm that only a nine-year-old can muster.
She’d overwhelm even the toughest drill sergeant.
I salute her back. “Go in there and protect your home, soldier.”
She makes an exaggerated turn and then marches with perfect form all the way back to her door. She keeps her military demeanor until Kendra opens the door and then Josie turns into a jumping whirlwind as she shows off her dog tags.
Kendra flashes me a grateful smile and waves as I
