Epilogue #2
“I can try,” he said, looking down at the woman.
The possibility of her surviving through the night was slim.
Whoever did that to her wasn’t counting on the lady living.
He took out his phone and pressed one. Based on her appearance, he could tell the eldest boy had tried to cover her up to protect her modesty, but she was worked over.
“State your need,” the Moloch’s voice said.
“Stopped at a truck stop on I-90 coming from Albany heading home,” he said, “in case you can’t track my location. Kid asked for help. His mother is in a bad way; said it was three men.”
Moloch asked, “Possibility for survival?”
“Through the night, if the tree has beetles, I wouldn’t count on it,” he added, trying to lessen the blow. “Can I get an assist?”
“Hold one,” he said into the line.
In the background, he could hear the boss talking to maybe another Archangel. He was still in Louisville. “Rolling emergency services your way. How old are the kids?”
“Somewhere between 8 and 10 for the older, the younger, maybe seven; lack of regular meals may have me off by a year or two,” he replied.
“Any deets? Where they were heading, family close by?”
“Hold one,” he said, looking down at the lady. He told her help was on the way. “Hey kid, where were you guys headed? Do you have family close by?”
The boy shook his head no. “She got a job offer in Springfield. We were coming from Schenectady. The new job paid more money. Ma got us a hotel, and we were trying to make it there, but she needed more gas and to pee. She took us to the bathroom with her, but we heard the noise. The men came into the bathroom, grabbed her, and drug her outside. I was screaming, but no one helped me.”
His bottom lip was quivering. The second child was not saying anything, just watching carefully over his mother. In the distance, Elm heard sirens.
“Moloch, did you get all of that?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Any ID, anything you can get out of her before they roll her away?”
“Will try,” he said, “And the kids?”
“Your call,” Moloch replied. “If they are from out of state, it will be a gamble what happens to them. White Cedar is in Vermont right now and won’t be near you for a week. Again, your call.”
“Hold on; she is saying something to me,” Elm told his boss. “I’m sorry; what did you say?”
“Please don’t let them separate my boys. They are good kids,” she said. “Find them a loving home for me. Find my boys a good home.”
It hit him hard in the center of his chest. The voice on the line was speaking as he stepped from behind the dumpster and waved to the ambulance. The driver pulled up, walking around the green dumpster, eyeing the damage.
Into the line, Elm said, “Help has arrived. Requesting guidance?”
“Either they go with the ambulance and take their chances, or you take them tonight, give them a good meal, and be there when the news comes in, if it is what you say it is, you know, the beetles in the bark and all.”
“The beetles are in the bark,” he replied.
“Get the info, touch base when you get home, and send me some data to start getting info,” Moloch said. “Anything else?”
“Pull any CCTV, footage, film, or any idiot on social media thinking of posting the results of the unwanted party,” Elm said. “I’ll be in touch.”
He watched the boys closely as the smaller one held onto his mother’s hand while they loaded her into the ambulance. Her purse was close to her, and Elm picked it up and looked inside. He found a driver’s license and an insurance card. He passed the insurance card to the driver.
“What hospital are you taking her to?”
The driver replied, looking at the woman as the female in the back began trying to patch her up where she could. The EMT lady gave him the stank eye, but as the smaller boy took his hand, her expression changed.
“You with them?” she asked Elm.
“I am now,” he said, looking down at them “I’m going to give you my card, hopefully, for any updates. I think, for now, these guys need a hot bath and some food.”
The EMT looked him in the eyes. He provided that knowing look. She understood and nodded.
“Son, show me to your mom’s car so we can get your things,” he said, turning them away as the doors of the ambulance closed.
The younger boy didn’t want to look away. “Are you guys hungry?”
“Yes,” the older of the two said.
“Okay, we will get your things, move your mom’s car, and head to my place for the night,” Elm said, trying to bring a bit of optimism to the situation.
“What’s going to happen to us?” the eldest of the two asked.
“Right now, my job is to keep you safe until we can figure it out. You are safe with me, under my watch and under my care,” Elm said. “The rest, we will figure out as we go along. It’s all I have. Will that work for both of you?”
Both boys nodded. However, first things were first: food, home, bath, and bed for them all.
“Let’s get this situated, get some food, and head to my house,” he said. “I’ll check on your mom when we get settled.”
This is where they stood. The boys, Joshua and James Wellin, sons of Jenna, were now under his protection.
The men who had hurt Jenna were also on his list. If there was one thing an Elm hated, it was an infestation of beetles.
On his land, in his greenhouse were also sorts of concoctions to end the life of a boring parasite. In this case, it would be three.
Time was an equalizer, and he had plenty.
- The End –