A violent hiss of air indicated that the lines had severed, and mere moments later the drive wheels locked up under the spring brake pressure. The truck and trailer rig then finally came to a complete halt.
“OK. I’m ending this right now,” Hugh told Jenny as he felt himself getting into Marine combat mode. And then he added, “Please forgive me for what I am about to do.”
Without waiting for her answer, Hugh hopped off of the catwalk and hurried over to the left-side tool compartment door. He popped the latch with his knife, reached in and grabbed the fire extinguisher, then ran over with it to the passenger-side window.
With no hesitation, he hurled the fire extinguisher through the window with all the strength that his temper and his anger could muster. The window shattered and, before the hijacker on that side of the truck could react, Hugh reached in past the glass shards, grabbed a handful of clothing, and dragged the surprised man out through the window opening.
The broken glass rimming the window cut the man to shreds, but Hugh was virtually out of control. He pulled the man up off the ground into a sitting position, straddled him from behind, grabbed a yank of his hair with one hand, and the man’s chin with the other hand, and violently twisted. A sickening crack sounded, and the man fell to the ground, his head lolling loosely to the side.
The man’s body twitched on the ground with automatic nervous reaction, and the spasming of his trigger finger caused several rounds to go off from the gun that his lifeless hand still held onto.
Jenny screamed, “Hugh, look out!” And then Hugh felt a jarring blow to the back of his head. He started to topple over, but kept his balance enough to avoid the next killing blow that was aimed right at his face. Blinded by the pain, and fighting unconsciousness, he staggered back to get distance between himself and his attacker.
But, Hugh’s defensive actions were not enough. The man was right on top of him, and he managed to get a glancing blow against Hugh’s temple. Blacking out, and sinking to the ground, Hugh’s last barely conscious thought was about Jenny.
“I told you your ass was mine,” the man said with a vicious sneer, while he raised his tire iron for the final killing blow.
“No, uncle. His ass belongs to me. Good-bye!”
With that, Jenny brought the fire extinguisher down on the back of her uncle’s head with such force it caved in his skull and splattered brain matter all over the highway.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Hugh dreamed he was floating on a white cloud, with an angel’s soft, smooth hands caressing his cheeks and forehead, and cooing soothing words very close to his ears.
“Is this what it’s like to die?” he thought to himself. Perhaps he said it out loud. He wasn’t sure in his half-conscious state.
“No. Silly goose. This is what it’s like to be in the care of someone who loves you.”
Do angels talk?
Then lights and shadows moving before his closed eyes began to slowly raise his level of consciousness. He opened his eyes.
He found out he was on a cloud. It consisted of white sheets, pillow and comforter. He also was looking at an angel. The angel looked like a girl he used to know named Jenny.
Then he came fully awake, and realized it was Jenny sitting on the bed next to him, gently caressing his face. She bent down to whisper in his ear, “Welcome back, lover.”
“I thought I was dreaming,” Hugh said. “Where am I?”
“You’re home, sweetie.”
“Home?”
“Hi, Hugh, welcome back.” That was his mom.
“Hughey, you stinker. Don’t ever do that again.” That sounded like Mary.
“Hey, big guy.” And, “Welcome back, Bro.” Those sounded like Dad and Roly.
“Hello, Mister Mann.” That was a voice that Hugh didn’t recognize.
“Hugh, I’d like you to meet my kid brother, Jimmy.”
In answer to Hugh’s questioning look, Jenny explained how Roly had used some lawyer leverage to extricate Jimmy from his uncle’s guardianship, and have it transferred to Jenny until Jimmy turned eighteen—and that he’ll be living at the ranch.
“He’s already been a big help around the place,” Hugh, Sr., said. “He’s more than welcome to stay with us.”
“And, of course, Jenny is too,” Martha added.
“Well, Toto, it sure is good to be home to the new, expanded family,” Hugh ventured a quip, then winced as pain shot through his head.
“Take it easy, Hugh. You’ve suffered a bad concussion. You’re going to be in bed for quite a long time,” his mom said. Then she caught the attention of the others, and gestured for them to let Hugh and Jenny be alone together.
“What happened? Why am I here? Where’s my truck? Are you OK?”
“I’m fine, Hugh. But, you’d better slow down. I’ll explain everything. You just listen, OK? No talking.”
Jenny told him how she couldn’t bring him out of unconsciousness, so she had gotten her cell phone and had called 911. When she had relayed the urgency of the emergency, and because of the remoteness of their location, they had brought in a helicopter to med-evac him out to Spokane.
He had spent two days in the hospital there to stabilize his vital signs, and then they had OK’d him to be transferred home for care there. The doctor was certain that Hugh would come around as soon as the swelling had gone down.
He’d been at the ranch two days.
Jenny
