some sort of strategist?” Will asked.
“Saw you throw. Damn shame about that knee of yours, but its always the knee with Quarterbacks, ain’t it?” Big mused.
“Yup,” Stupid agreed.
“ ’Course, we didn’t recognize you right away, but when we decided we were tired of trouble, we knew to come to you,” Big explained further. “We’ll help you get your girls back. We just want to do it smart, and you got the brains and the organizing skills.”
Will took a moment to look at the river, which he could now hear more than see as night darkened the valley quicker than the mountain sky.
“We need to regroup,” he said finally, deciding.
“That we do,” Big agreed.
“One Ear knows the city like the back of his hand, don’t you?” It was a statement, not a question.
“Maybe,” One Ear begrudgingly answered.
Stupid grabbed hold of his one remaining ear and growled, “Don’t ya remember our chat? And how you decided to answer all our questions?”
“Yeah, I know the city. I helped pick it. I helped him set everything in motion. He’s a visionary, you know.” One Ear seemed actually proud.
Big snorted at this statement. “We ain’t fans of visionaries, are we, Clarence?”
“Nah. Seems like there’s an awful lot of that going around. Maybe the virus does something to some people’s brains even when it don’t kill ‘em?” Stupid pondered.
Will arrived at his first strategic decision. “You, Buddy, you’re going to the city.”
Buddy freaked. “Boss’ll kill me, coming in without her.”
“You aren’t going in without Rhiannon; you’re following her and her kidnappers. That ought to be valuable information,” he suggested.
“And what’s to stop me from telling him your plans,” Buddy threatened.
“Tell him anything you want; what do you know?” Will shrugged.
“That you’re coming for them, that they’re important to you, that you’ve got others with you, and you’re coming from the east,” Buddy answered.
“Don’t suppose it matters. Unless your Boss has the girls, and if he does, that’ll make them easier to find. Won’t it, One Ear?” he prodded.
“So, Boss’ll rescue Rhiannon and the kid from the Red Jackets, and then you think you can just follow some map drawn by him to get to them.” Buddy, still sneering and sarcastic, jutted his chin at One Ear.
“Well, except for the map part, no one can read them properly anyway, that sounds like the beginnings of a real plan, Tex!” Big was beyond pleased.
“Plus a bullet to your brain will make it real hard to talk,” Stupid piped up.
“Right, I’ll be so scared of you when I’m in the city,” Buddy spit.
“You will, seeing as I’ll always be close enough to be holding a gun to ya.” Stupid turned to Will. “I do brainstorming, Tex. I was good at that part of school”.
He was happy for Stupid’s support. He’d never been a good bully, but he had serious doubts about this new plan.
Stupid continued before he could interject. “Say I’m Buddy’s new best friend, saved him from the river when One Ear met his death? He don’t go nowhere without me.”
Buddy wasn’t buying. ”Your threats are nothing compared to the Boss. I go to the city? I talk. You have Stupid here come with me? I get him killed.”
Buddy was right. It wasn’t a safe play, no matter how much he wanted to send help after the girls, right now, right away. Too many things that could go wrong. Stupid watched him closely and saw denial on his face before it made it to his lips.
“I got a lot to atone,” Stupid solemnly stated. “I figure I make sure the ladies are safe till you can get ‘em, that might square me a bit.”
“But you got no real way of keeping Buddy in line, Clarence. Even if you did manage to shoot him if he opened his mouth, you’d be sacrificing yourself.”
Big was nodding his head in agreement. Stupid looked devastated. Buddy looked a little too smug.
“No. Our choices are to
“Saw you throw. Damn shame about that knee of yours, but its always the knee with Quarterbacks, ain’t it?” Big mused.
“Yup,” Stupid agreed.
“ ’Course, we didn’t recognize you right away, but when we decided we were tired of trouble, we knew to come to you,” Big explained further. “We’ll help you get your girls back. We just want to do it smart, and you got the brains and the organizing skills.”
Will took a moment to look at the river, which he could now hear more than see as night darkened the valley quicker than the mountain sky.
“We need to regroup,” he said finally, deciding.
“That we do,” Big agreed.
“One Ear knows the city like the back of his hand, don’t you?” It was a statement, not a question.
“Maybe,” One Ear begrudgingly answered.
Stupid grabbed hold of his one remaining ear and growled, “Don’t ya remember our chat? And how you decided to answer all our questions?”
“Yeah, I know the city. I helped pick it. I helped him set everything in motion. He’s a visionary, you know.” One Ear seemed actually proud.
Big snorted at this statement. “We ain’t fans of visionaries, are we, Clarence?”
“Nah. Seems like there’s an awful lot of that going around. Maybe the virus does something to some people’s brains even when it don’t kill ‘em?” Stupid pondered.
Will arrived at his first strategic decision. “You, Buddy, you’re going to the city.”
Buddy freaked. “Boss’ll kill me, coming in without her.”
“You aren’t going in without Rhiannon; you’re following her and her kidnappers. That ought to be valuable information,” he suggested.
“And what’s to stop me from telling him your plans,” Buddy threatened.
“Tell him anything you want; what do you know?” Will shrugged.
“That you’re coming for them, that they’re important to you, that you’ve got others with you, and you’re coming from the east,” Buddy answered.
“Don’t suppose it matters. Unless your Boss has the girls, and if he does, that’ll make them easier to find. Won’t it, One Ear?” he prodded.
“So, Boss’ll rescue Rhiannon and the kid from the Red Jackets, and then you think you can just follow some map drawn by him to get to them.” Buddy, still sneering and sarcastic, jutted his chin at One Ear.
“Well, except for the map part, no one can read them properly anyway, that sounds like the beginnings of a real plan, Tex!” Big was beyond pleased.
“Plus a bullet to your brain will make it real hard to talk,” Stupid piped up.
“Right, I’ll be so scared of you when I’m in the city,” Buddy spit.
“You will, seeing as I’ll always be close enough to be holding a gun to ya.” Stupid turned to Will. “I do brainstorming, Tex. I was good at that part of school”.
He was happy for Stupid’s support. He’d never been a good bully, but he had serious doubts about this new plan.
Stupid continued before he could interject. “Say I’m Buddy’s new best friend, saved him from the river when One Ear met his death? He don’t go nowhere without me.”
Buddy wasn’t buying. ”Your threats are nothing compared to the Boss. I go to the city? I talk. You have Stupid here come with me? I get him killed.”
Buddy was right. It wasn’t a safe play, no matter how much he wanted to send help after the girls, right now, right away. Too many things that could go wrong. Stupid watched him closely and saw denial on his face before it made it to his lips.
“I got a lot to atone,” Stupid solemnly stated. “I figure I make sure the ladies are safe till you can get ‘em, that might square me a bit.”
“But you got no real way of keeping Buddy in line, Clarence. Even if you did manage to shoot him if he opened his mouth, you’d be sacrificing yourself.”
Big was nodding his head in agreement. Stupid looked devastated. Buddy looked a little too smug.
“No. Our choices are to
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