The trip back to the cabin seemed to play in slow
motion as Jessie hung tightly to the deputy's waist. The swerving of
the other vehicle barley registered in her mind as she fretted about
the trouble Richard might get himself into. He had a tendency to
pull pranks without regard to the potential fallout. She could see
it now, he would sneak out of the house and rattle the windows,
scrape at the doors, and make wild animal noises, working Jim into a
frenzy. Jim would come racing out of the cabin with his gun and...
No, there was nothing to be concerned about; Richard was just fine.
The boys were just out for a little midnight target practice. She
would get there and the two of them would be drunk off their asses
and laughing up a storm. But if that was the case, then why did the
gunshots stop so abruptly? Each time she was able to squelch the
influx of worry, a new train of thought wormed its way to the
forefront of her mind.
At long last the headlights of the four-wheeler
illuminated the path to the cabin. Her heart sank as she noticed
that the cabin looked dark and vacant. The vehicles slowed to a stop
and the crew dismounted. Jessie watched as the deputy and sheriff
drew their guns from their holsters and proceeded to circle around to
the front. She and Roger crept behind them, maintaining a distance
of several feet. As she rounded the corner she saw in the sheriff's
flashlight beam the open door. The left side of the frame was badly
splintered, with chunks of wood hanging off.
“This is Sheriff Bradford and Deputy Smith. Is
there anyone in there?”
Several moments ticked away as the silence knotted
Jessie's stomach and fanned the flames of dread which washed over
her.
“I tried to stop him but...” a quivering voice
called back. “Ya'll better get in here lickety split before it
gets back...” The voice trailed off and went silent.
“That sounds like Jimmy. What the hell is that boy
goin' on about?” said the sheriff.
Jessie watched as the sheriff, deputy, and Roger
trudged up the stairs and walked through the open door. She stood
frozen in the darkness, the words of Jim replaying through her head.
She felt dizzy as her worst fears swirled through her mind. Light
spilled through the cabin's doorway. A moment later, she felt a hand
on her shoulder. She looked and saw Deputy Smith, who guided her
into the cabin.
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