Chapter 6- Drill
“We’re doing what?” Helen asked, uncertain if she had heard Slow correctly. If what he said was indeed what she’d heard, then she was most definitely unprepared for his scheduled activity for the day. Moreover, the idea of it scared the bejeezus out of her.
“I need to see how you handle yourself and a weapon,” he said, passing her the paintball gun.
“This is a paintball gun.”
“Well, I don’t want to get into the field and have you accidentally shoot me or worse,” he said. “This way, I get to see firsthand your natural inclinations when faced with a threat.”
Cherry didn’t much like the idea either. Her head snapped around at the sound of tires crunching on the gravel outside giving her a facial expression of annoyance. Naomi their daughter ran to the window to see who was arriving at their home. The look of disappointment on her face at seeing the first vehicle was palpable.
“Oh, it’s just the Grandpa Man,” she said, suddenly smiling when she saw the salt and peppered hair of her grandmother. “It’s Grandma! Grandma is here!”
She ran to the bathroom to check her hair and then her clothing, coming back to stand in the middle of the floor after checking her outfit. “Daddy, do I look cute? I want to look really cute when Grandma sees me and comes through the door.”
“You look fine, Bunny,” he said, disengaging the alarm. As he walked to the front door to let in his parents, a second and third vehicle arrived. One brought over his sister Rebecca, and the other, his cousin Zeke with Tameka, his wife, and daughter Michelle. This would be the first time his cousin Zeke had come to his home; however, today had a purpose.
Cherry watched his face as the family members filed in, starting with his father. “Morning family,” Mark Neary said, holding up his paintball gun. His eyes went to Cherry, then back to his son. “I’m going to take you down, son. Slippery When Wet is taking you down.”
She took it as a threat, getting to her feet while looking at her father-in-law. “Sir, I’m not sure what your plans are for the day, but if this is a Neary playdate sort of luncheon, you’re playing around with the wrong piece of fruit.”
Ruth Neary, Slow’s mother, came through the door, followed by Rebecca, and they both flanked Mark. Mark offered a lopsided grin, looking at Cherry, as if he had ill intentions. Then she saw the sparkle in his eyes. “Me and my girls are going up against Michael and his girls,” Mark said.
Zeke Neary entered the door, followed by his wife and daughter. Cherry asked, “And what are you, the referee?”
“As a matter of fact, I am,” Zeke said, “Tameka here will oversee the girls while we hit the course, which I have been wanting to see.”
“What course?” Helen asked, feeling concerned.
Slow greeted everyone, mentioning the pots of coffee ready in the kitchen along with sweet rolls, venison sausage, and biscuits he’d prepared for the morning. After the course, he planned to grill burgers and dogs to make a day out of it for the family. It was also good for Naomi to have a playmate over, and hopefully, soon, she could start to have sleepovers like his sister did when they were growing up.
Tameka greeted the family, passing around a covered container of blueberry muffins. She’d brought with her blueberry soaps and shampoos, which also went to the counter. Helen watched in confusion, not commenting, waiting to understand what would actually occur in the rollout of this day of family fun and bonding. Slow noticed the concerned expression in her eyes. He was learning to read her body language and unspoken expressions.
“There is a shooting range course about half a click down the property line,” Slow said to her. “We will use paintballs instead of dummy ammo and work in teams. Cherry, you, and me against my Dad, Mom, and Rebecca.”
Cherry’s eyebrows arched as she looked at Ruth. “Michael, you seriously want me to shoot on a range course, with paintballs, at your Mom?”
Ruth stared at her mutherfuckingly, squinting a bit as she removed camo paint from her purse like a compact of finishing powder for a night at the opera. She used her fingers to swab the black grease under her eyes like a warrior, her gaze intense. “Just because I bake an awesome pound cake will not stop me from busting a cap in your butt, Ms. Ma’am!”
Naomi, amused by all of it, wanted to take part in the make-up and the playing of games. “Daddy, will I get to play too and bust a cap in somebody’s butt?”
It was then Naomi noticed Michelle, who’d come in after her parents, and spotted Tameka fiddling with the buttons on the child’s coat. She waved to Michelle and greeted her. “Oh hey, girl! What are we doing today?”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake!” Cherry exclaimed. “You want me to go out there and play war games with your parents and sister?”
Slow and Mark both looked at her, and she noticed Rebecca’s eyes. For a moment, Cherry nearly backed down. A sense of competitiveness kicked in and she nodded for her cousin to come closer. “Helen, I think we are about to have a side of Neary for lunch to go with those burgers. They have underestimated with whom they are dealing.”
Rebecca spoke up, “I think it might be you, my sister-by-law, who is failing to properly assess the threats that stand before you.”
Helen, now fully engaged in the game Slow was setting up, inched closer to her cousin. In her most intimidating voice, her hands on thin hips, she announced, with gusto, “You don’t want any of this, hairdresser! Where is my weapon? Oh, it’s on. It’s on, Madam Detour. You’re about to find out why they call it a country mile! Abi, let’s show them how we like to play rough.”
Slow chuckled a little at the mild-mannered woman turning into a mini beast. His daughter, also now with camo under her eyes, wanted to get out there and play with the family. She reached for her coat and scarf.
“Daddy, am I on you and Mommy’s team? I want to bust a cap in the Grandpa Man’s butt. Where is my gun?”
“Naomi, you and Michelle will stay with Tameka,” Slow corrected.
“No, I want to play too! It’s not fair. I want to bust a cap in Aunt Rebecca’s butt too! You know she still says I look funny.”
“Bunny, stop saying that,” Slow corrected, but he was too late. His father was a menace; a walking, talking, gun-toting, appointed by the law to chaperone the ill-conceived thinker’s daily routine, type of menace. The man had brought along with him two children’s paintball guns with mini ammo belts and helmets for Michelle and Naomi.
Mark was grinning as he passed the gear to Tameka and Cherry. “We’ll take Michelle on my team. Let’s do this! Everybody, it’s time to head out back; let’s huddle up!”
Cherry didn’t know there were three ATVs. She’d seen the golf cart, but never considered her husband having ATVs, although she knew he hunted on his land. Mark had brought along two of his own; Slow and Bunny took the first vehicle, Zeke and Michelle the second, and Cherry and Helen the third. Rebecca sat astride her own while Ruth wrapped her arm around her husband’s waist, holding up her weapon as if it were loaded with live rounds and set on repeat. She was still staring at Cherry as the ATV started up as if she planned to take her out of the game the first chance the old woman got to get the drop on her daughter-in-law. Cherry glanced at her husband, who simply winked, and she took that as her cue.
Over her shoulder, she whispered to her cousin, “Helen, let’s show these country bumpkins who they are fucking with.”
“On your six, Cousin,” Helen said, sliding onto the back of the ATV. All the motors started up as Tameka waved from the back porch, holding a blueberry muffin and watching them take off down the concourse between the homes.
Initially, the plan was to play the course, but after a quick pow-wow with the teams, Mark Neary wanted to up the ante. He suggested a quick run-through of the course for both teams as a warmup, and then taking the hunting lanes for one mile. His eyes were sparkling as he looked at Cherry. Mark gave her a wink as the twinkle in his eyes turned to a dancing glare.
“Old Man, you are cruising for a bruising,” she said.
“You might be the Cherry on Top, but I’m still Slippery When Wet,” he said, waggling his brows.
“Daddy, that is not a real handle. Stop saying it like it’s real; it makes me feel uncomfortable,” Slow told his father. He gathered Helen, Cherry, and Naomi for a huddle, doling out instructions to his team, making certain everyone understood the play. Mark waved his hand, and the teams went to the starting positions once Zeke was in place at the end of the course.
An orange flag went up as Mark and Slow started down the lanes, shooting targets, moving, firing paintballs, and reacting to pop-up hit men threatening their lives. A child target popped up, which was a new addition to the course Mark was not expecting, and he popped the child target in the forehead with a red paintball. He cursed, still moving, as Zeke aimed a water gun at Slow, saturating the front of his shirt, throwing him off, and making him miss the next target. With the element of surprise taken away, the water cannon didn’t throw Mark off, as they rounded the last corner, aiming at the final targets, both arriving at the same time to secure the flags.
Zeke called out, “Minus one point for each team; the score is tied.” In the air, he raised the orange flag, sending Helen and Rebecca down the line.
Slow watched Helen maneuver the course with confidence, firing, ducking, and rolling when unneeded, but hitting every target, bypassing the child, taking down the gunman, reacting to the water cannon, and missing getting soaked. Rebecca missed a gunman, got soaked by Zeke, and landed in a puddle of mud, coming in second place.
Slow chuckled, “Getting rusty, Sis.”
“Bite me, you Neanderthal,” she said, looking down the lane for the next pairing of shooters.
Next to come were Naomi and Michelle. He was impressed with his daughter, who had paid attention to what had transpired twice before her. He was further impressed that her mother had taught the child how to shoot. Ruth provided gentle coaching to Michelle, who shot everything as well and moved with confidence through the course, handling her paintball weapon and crying as if she’d been bitten by a swarm of bees when her father squirted her in the chest with water.
What grabbed everyone’s attention was Naomi. She’d watched her Aunt Helen and took a cute, almost adorable roll around the second marker, coming up next to the pop-up child target, she stood next to the child, looking innocent with her mini red helmet, easing around the child to fire a paintball at the gunman. She moved low, holding her weapon like she’d seen her Daddy do against the Grandpa Man, raising it, firing at the next gunman, and hitting him in the hand with a yellow dot. Naomi expected the water gun and moved out of range from the streams, darting left, coming up the side and around the back of the final gunman, shooting the target in the ear then claiming her victory flag. She looked at her father with pride, her tiny chest stuck out, which he rewarded with a fist bump.
His focus was now on the last run pairing, his mother and his wife. With a conflict of emotions running high in him as Zeke raised the flag the two took off. His mother moving with style and grace, and his wife, moving with trained precision, were picking off targets, making clean shots. Both women avoided shooting the child, but an unused gunman target popped up in the lane, surprising Ruth, leaving Cherry to pop the target with a cherry red paintball. She pointed to Ruth, giving a silent signal. Zeke raised the water gun only to be hit by both Ruth’s green paintball in his chest and Cherry’s red paint in his belly simultaneously. Ruth crouched low, preparing for the last target, and Cherry perched herself on the high board, swinging her body in one motion to seat herself on the top as she fired a final round into the target. From her vantage point, she could see the end of the lane and the victory flag. The next shot went into Ruth’s flag, knocking it to the ground and out of the reach of her mother-in-law. Ruth scrambled to get to her flag to finish the race, while Cherry took her time, walking into the final frame and securing her flag. She looked at her husband and double-winked, adding an additional tongue click.
Zeke called out from his stand, impressed with his cousin-in-law’s tactic, stating proudly, “Ladies and gentlemen, the infamous Cherry on Top.”
She bowed in acceptance of the acknowledgment, providing a hug to her daughter and praise to Michelle for not quitting, although she was wet in the chest. Michelle pouted, looking at her father, angry at him for shooting her with water. Her face was taut, but she held her weapon, looking him in the eyes, ready for the next rounds.
Mark picked up on the charged air. “Okay, let’s do it. Me and my girls against you once more son, but this time, we scatter into the wood line, moving to get a single victory flag from the opponent.”
Naomi didn’t understand. She asked her father, “Daddy, what is he saying? I get to shoot the Grandpa Man in the butt and take his flag?”
Mark bent down to one knee, raising the cover on the face plate of the helmet. “Yes, if you can shoot me, little one because I am very Slippery When Wet.”
She frowned at him, not understanding, but she wanted to play the game. She looked at her parents, then at her grandfather, back to her mother, then her father. Her eyes had questions and suddenly, she turned to look at her grandfather once more, staring at him mutherfuckingly, then she smiled wide, showing off her tiny teeth. “Okay, Grandpa Man, let’s do it!”
“Naomi, if we play, this means you can get shot with the paintballs. They do hurt,” Cherry explained.
“Not if I shoot him first,” she said, mimicking the wink her father did earlier, only her wink required the entire small head to bob.
Zeke blew the whistle, calling for places. Both teams headed to the starting point, moving to the wood line. Huddled together, Mark provided his team instructions, as did Slow, giving specific directions to his daughter, who gave a tiny thumbs up. Helen’s eyes were scanning, keeping watch on Rebecca as he spoke. Rebecca in turn sent menacing hand gestures to Helen with threats of bodily harm in sign language. Helen returned the conversational chatter with a hand gesture of her own, making Rebecca laugh.
The whistle sounded with two short blows. The teams came to the starting line. A louder single blow sounded from the whistle and they were off. Naomi stayed in the lane, running around the targets, making her way to the flag for capture, but a booming voice called.
“Oh no you don’t!” Mark yelled, startling the child, who tripped over her feet.
Naomi tumbled forward, landing on the ammo belt, her paintball weapon under her body. She cried out, loudly, wailing at the top of her voice. The cries echoed through the wood line. Mark, concerned she’d injured herself by falling on the weapon, ran at full speed, coming to her side. The crumpled body folded, her tiny form wracking from the tears.
“It’s okay, Bunny, I got you,” Mark said, reaching for the child. He turned her over to see where she was hurt, only to come face to face with a mini paintball gun aimed at his chest.
Her tiny teeth smiled at him as she pulled the trigger. “Gotchu, Grandpa Man,” she said, scrambling away and going for the flag.
She nearly made it to flag, when Michelle, hiding behind the pop-up target of the child, aimed through the arms of the metal target, shooting Naomi in her handful of bottom.
“Owww! That smarts!” Naomi said, falling to the ground and rubbing her butt.
Michelle moved forward, flanked by Ruth coming from the wood line, who was halted by a cherry red paintball in her chest. Cherry didn’t cover herself fast enough, as Rebecca got her in the arm, taking her out of play. Helen closed in on Cherry’s side, swung around then aimed, popping Rebecca in the thigh with a blue paintball. She double-tapped, popping Michelle in the helmet, and moving quickly, secured the flag.
Slow emerged from the wood line, cradling his paintball gun like an infant, pleased with his team and the victory. Mark, outdone with his granddaughter, sat in the grass in defeat. He scowled at everyone, upset with himself, announcing, “The oldest trick in the book and I fell for it. Me, the slippery one, fell for that trick,” he said, disgusted with himself.
Ruth, no worse for wear, walked over to help her husband off the ground and get on his feet from his wounded pride. Naomi, proud of herself for taking him out, came over and tugged on his arm. He bent down to meet her smiling face as she removed her helmet, and to his surprise, she gave him three small butterfly kisses on his cheek.
Mark sniffled a little bit at the affection she offered, surprised that it caught him off guard, tugging so hard on his heartstrings. “Well, that does soften the blow a bit.”
The love fest came to a grinding halt as Tameka arrived in the golf cart. The speed at which she drove caught everyone’s attention, making Slow, Zeke, and Mark move to the cart. Tameka’s attention went to Slow.
“The fax machine went off,” she announced.
Cherry asked, “Which one, left or right?”
“Both,” Tameka said.
“Cherry, on me,” Slow called out, taking off at a trot. Cherry, hot on his heels, followed, making a beeline for the home.
The two sheets of paper sat on the respective machines like sour omens in the center of a perfectly good afternoon of family fun. In the middle of planning to cook hot dogs and burgers, notices came in for work orders requiring the handling of some sick bastard who’d gotten too big for his britches. Cherry was due in Evansville by nightfall. Slow was headed to Bowling Green.
The family arrived at the home, the mood somber, as they entered the back door. Helen knew the procedure and drill after having supported her cousin’s life for so many years. She took command of the situation.
“Mark, let’s fire up the grill. I chopped a heckaton of firewood last week, so we’ll get some burgers on the flame. Ruth, there is butter, flour, sugar, and I’m sure baking powder. I will leave it to your magical hands to create a lovely dessert. Tameka, if you would, get the girls cleaned up and settled, please,” she said, looking at Zeke. “Sir, if you’d be so kind to get the meat ready for the grill. It is in bowls in the fridge. Just add the seasoning and shape the patties for burgers. We can get this afternoon moving. Rebecca, on me, as we extend the dining table and get out the paper plates and utensils. This is a day that the Lord has made.”
Everyone looked at the calmness of Helen in the middle of the change in the tone of the afternoon. All replied, “Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
“Very good, everyone,” Helen said, turning her attention to the kids, “Naomi, maybe you should show Michelle your room?”
Naomi, ready on cue, took up the call, her hand on a tiny hip as she waved to Michelle. “Come on, girl. I have a Princess Poppy bedroom,” she told Michelle, who followed along while removing her wet shirt.
Cherry was motionless, her mind now on the target of the evening. It was time to go to work and her burger would be to go. Tonight, if she were lucky to make it back to tuck her child in, would not have the same feeling. Naomi did well today, as did Michelle, but she couldn’t celebrate her daughter’s accomplishment. She was being pulled away to go and terminate the life of a scumbag who was more than likely not only doing an illegal thing but an immoral thing as well. Helen, saying no words, stood toe to toe with her cousin, who looked up. The eyes were distant. Helen shook her head, no, and Cherry nodded, moving away slowly to gather her gear.
Zeke watched the children walk away, but his focus was now on Helen and Cherry. The closeness between the two did not go unnoticed. Unlike himself, doling out affection, he walked over to Helen, his arm going around her shoulder. “I can only hope and pray that Michelle and Naomi will have what you have with Abigail.”
“I don’t know if you should pray for what we have,” Helen said removing his arm from her person. “I don’t even know what we have, but I will stab a rock for her. She is my ride-or-die. So, on that note, I guess, you can simply offer a prayer for us all.”
Whenever her cousin left the home, a prayer was all Helen had to go on that Cherry would return. There were backup plans in place should anything happen to Cherry, but she always came home. She had to come home because Helen and Naomi needed her and she needed them. Cherry also had a husband who would stay awake until she was safely home. For now, it was enough.