Chapter 22
TWENTY-TWO
Jack
“So he’s gone?” I said.
“Left this morning,” Asia said.
“You don’t find it strange that Dante didn’t say good-bye?” I asked.
She moved around the shed where Dante slept.
It was cleaner than it was when he got here, the small cot neatly made, and the jar of green beans Lourdes no doubt gave him sat at the edge.
Her gaze swept the room one last time, and then she put the rag she held into her pocket.
“He doesn’t strike me as a formal kind of guy. ”
“And you think he won’t come back?”
She shrugged, and I couldn’t help but stare at her.
“Maybe, maybe not. But hopefully he’ll remember the hospitality,” she said. She grabbed a broom and steadily swept the floor of the shed. “I’m just glad we have the space back. I think it’d be good to spread out some more of the supplies, making sure things aren’t all in one place.”
“Asia, he knows where we are,” I said.
“I’m aware, Jackson. Lots of people know where we are. If there’s a problem, we’ll deal with it.”
It took everything I had not to rip the broom out of her hands.
Or better yet, bend her over my knees and spank her juicy ass until it was covered in my handprints and she begged me to fuck her.
I left the shed.
“What the fuck?” I muttered, spotting a cloud of dust on the horizon that told me a vehicle was approaching.
“Company,” I said to Asia.
She appeared almost instantaneously, the broom still gripped tight in her hand.
“I’m assuming Christopher,” she said.
“Assume, Counselor, that maybe it’s your new best friend, Dante, with reinforcements.”
“Everyone knows what to do. Let’s go see what this is about.”
She sounded resigned and not at all nervous. That bothered me.
By the time the truck rolled to a stop, Lourdes and Miles were out of sight, and I spotted the glint of Elliot’s binoculars from the perch.
A man got out, but it wasn’t Christopher. I recognized him from before.
“Hello,” Asia said.
“Hi, Miss Newman. You know the routine,” he said.
“But I don’t,” I interjected.
Asia stiffened but stayed still.
“No. You don’t. Why don’t you let him show me around, Miss Newman?” the man said.
“I didn’t catch your name,” I said, before Asia could speak.
“Because I didn’t throw it,” he said.
“It’s fine. Steven, I’ll show you around, and you can get back to all the important business that I’m sure you need to take care of,” Asia said.
“No. I think he should,” the man, apparently Steven, said.
“Fine.”
“What exactly am I showing Steven?” I asked.
“Just giving a quick tour to show him how we’re holding on in case Christopher has some things to offer to help us out,” Asia said.
“Yeah, it’s all routine,” Steven said.
“Fine.”
I started walking, Steven behind me. He was almost looming, even though he was five inches shorter than me. I let him. I clocked the Beretta he had strapped to his ankle. Saw the knife tucked at his back. The other handgun he gripped like a talisman.
If he was worth a damn, he’d know that a Beretta at his ankle was impractical, making it hard to run.
A revolver would have been a better choice.
The knife at his back may as well have been on Mars, because by the time he managed to fumble with his waistband enough to get it out, he’d be dead three times.
The gun in his hand wasn’t a problem. The idiot had the safety on, which was probably good, since him shooting himself was something I easily imagined.
“Sounds like you’re familiar with the farm,” I said as we walked towards the largest barn.
“Yeah. Levi used to run this thing when I was a kid, helping out the unfortunate townsfolk.”
“Were you one of them?”
“Yeah, but I worked here in summer. Saved up enough money to pay for baseball,” he said.
“So why the fuck are you doing this?” I said. I stopped. Looked at him.
“I’m doing what everyone else is: surviving. And watch your fucking mouth,” he said.
“There’s the barn, Steven.”
Steven looked around. “Still clean as a whistle. Levi never compromised on that.”
I said nothing, and quickly showed him through the other buildings.
“Got good supplies. What’s in that building?” he said.
“Nothing,” I responded.
“Then you won’t mind me taking a look.”
I started walking, Steven still beside me.
“You call this nothing?” he said as he looked at the supplies lustfully.
“It’s nothing of your concern,” I said.
“It’s cases of formula. Diapers. Canned goods. Things people need,” Steven said.
“Yeah. Things people need.”
“So you certainly wouldn’t mind sharing,” he said.
“The people here need these things,” I said.
“But we’re a community,” Steven said, mirroring Christopher, but poorly.
“We are,” I said.
I was about a foot away from Steven when I looked at him.
“Steven, it’d be good if you left and didn’t mention any of this to Christopher. I’m giving you a chance that I wouldn’t give others. You should take it.”
He looked back at the storeroom, then at me, a smile on his face.
“And what if I don’t—”
The knife found its target unerringly. Messy as his guts spilled out into the dry dirt, but effective. He screeched, then fell to his knees. Two quick slashes, left to right, then right to left, and it was over. He fell to the dirt, his eyes open, staring wordlessly at the sky.
A second later, I heard her voice.
“Jack?”