can see what you have tucked in your waistband.”
With his left hand, he obliged my request. He appeared unarmed, but that didn’t mean anything.
“I’m not carrying, man,” he said. “I don’t need to.”
I felt his back and chest in one last search. “Everyone needs to these days, pal. Everyone.”
Back in front of him, I noticed his smile again. No, it was more of a grin. Like he knew something I didn’t. Yeah, I bet he did.
“So, what do you want to talk about?” I demanded, lowering my gun again. “Make it fast; I’ve got a lot to accomplish today.”
He nodded, still grinning. “A man with a plan, I like that. I think I like you. It’s Bob, right?”
Damn it. Either he was from Covington, or someone up the road had told him my name.
“You see,” he continued, his hands now hanging by his sides, “we’ve been watching you for a couple days. Watching and waiting.”
His hand rose to his chin as he stared off into the blue sky. “Let’s see. We’ve got Bob, and Daisy, and Lettie, and Violet, and Libby.” He snapped his fingers. “I’m sorry; I don’t think I know the baby’s name…yet.”
He knew way too much for my comfort. While I didn’t doubt he and his friends, hiding somewhere nearby, hadn’t heard our sometimes loud conversations, there was no reason to rule out that he was part of the trouble in Covington. Maybe Susan Weston had sent him, a kind of pre-attack attack.
“You’re not going to be around long enough to find out her name,” I replied, fingering my gun as I watched behind him for any movement. “And what’s your name, if I dare ask?”
Opening his arms, he bowed slightly. “I am your humble servant. You can call me Carmen.”
I inched closer. “You want to live to see tomorrow, Carmen?”
His eyebrows flashed for a split second, and then his grin broadened. “Kill me and my crew kills all of you. Don’t worry; they’ll keep you alive long enough to watch the rest of your cute little group die first. Among other things.”
Yeah, he meant trouble. And in a big way.
“So what do you want from us, Carmen?”
He tapped my chest once. “Here’s what I need, Bob. I need you, the old woman, and the little blonde girl to pack up and get out of here. Get out and never come back, Bob. We’ll take care of everything else for you. Don’t you worry about that.”
His words shot a bolt of adrenaline through my chest and out to my extremities. I wasn’t about to show him any fear. No, that’s what he wanted.
I let out a small amused huff. “I don’t think so, Carmen. I’ve battled plenty to keep my place. You’re just a number to me. And to be honest…” I paused to let my words sink in, “I’ve lost count long ago of those who’ve lost.”
He nodded like he understood, but I didn’t think he’d been swayed. “There’s no reason to start a war here, man. I don’t want to kill you, Bob. I sure as hell don’t want to kill that old woman or that little girl. Nevertheless, I want your place, your women and your supplies.
“You see, I’ve been living off the land long enough, I figure.” He looked away towards the road, then slowly back at me. “I deserve a break. My crew deserves one, too. There were eight of us not long ago. Now we’re down to three. We learned a lot in our last battle. We didn’t win, but we gained valuable knowledge. And we’re not leaving, just so you know.”
These had to be the clowns who tried to take Covington. Though I wasn’t sure which direction this one had come, he was on the north side of my property. If he came from the north, that meant he’d battled the Weston’s…and lost.
I moved so close our noses nearly touched. “If you and what’s left of your gang want to see tomorrow, I’d suggest you move on. Because that’s your only choice if you want to live. You don’t know what we have for firepower inside. You got no clue what you’re up against. So why don’t you move along.”
He
With his left hand, he obliged my request. He appeared unarmed, but that didn’t mean anything.
“I’m not carrying, man,” he said. “I don’t need to.”
I felt his back and chest in one last search. “Everyone needs to these days, pal. Everyone.”
Back in front of him, I noticed his smile again. No, it was more of a grin. Like he knew something I didn’t. Yeah, I bet he did.
“So, what do you want to talk about?” I demanded, lowering my gun again. “Make it fast; I’ve got a lot to accomplish today.”
He nodded, still grinning. “A man with a plan, I like that. I think I like you. It’s Bob, right?”
Damn it. Either he was from Covington, or someone up the road had told him my name.
“You see,” he continued, his hands now hanging by his sides, “we’ve been watching you for a couple days. Watching and waiting.”
His hand rose to his chin as he stared off into the blue sky. “Let’s see. We’ve got Bob, and Daisy, and Lettie, and Violet, and Libby.” He snapped his fingers. “I’m sorry; I don’t think I know the baby’s name…yet.”
He knew way too much for my comfort. While I didn’t doubt he and his friends, hiding somewhere nearby, hadn’t heard our sometimes loud conversations, there was no reason to rule out that he was part of the trouble in Covington. Maybe Susan Weston had sent him, a kind of pre-attack attack.
“You’re not going to be around long enough to find out her name,” I replied, fingering my gun as I watched behind him for any movement. “And what’s your name, if I dare ask?”
Opening his arms, he bowed slightly. “I am your humble servant. You can call me Carmen.”
I inched closer. “You want to live to see tomorrow, Carmen?”
His eyebrows flashed for a split second, and then his grin broadened. “Kill me and my crew kills all of you. Don’t worry; they’ll keep you alive long enough to watch the rest of your cute little group die first. Among other things.”
Yeah, he meant trouble. And in a big way.
“So what do you want from us, Carmen?”
He tapped my chest once. “Here’s what I need, Bob. I need you, the old woman, and the little blonde girl to pack up and get out of here. Get out and never come back, Bob. We’ll take care of everything else for you. Don’t you worry about that.”
His words shot a bolt of adrenaline through my chest and out to my extremities. I wasn’t about to show him any fear. No, that’s what he wanted.
I let out a small amused huff. “I don’t think so, Carmen. I’ve battled plenty to keep my place. You’re just a number to me. And to be honest…” I paused to let my words sink in, “I’ve lost count long ago of those who’ve lost.”
He nodded like he understood, but I didn’t think he’d been swayed. “There’s no reason to start a war here, man. I don’t want to kill you, Bob. I sure as hell don’t want to kill that old woman or that little girl. Nevertheless, I want your place, your women and your supplies.
“You see, I’ve been living off the land long enough, I figure.” He looked away towards the road, then slowly back at me. “I deserve a break. My crew deserves one, too. There were eight of us not long ago. Now we’re down to three. We learned a lot in our last battle. We didn’t win, but we gained valuable knowledge. And we’re not leaving, just so you know.”
These had to be the clowns who tried to take Covington. Though I wasn’t sure which direction this one had come, he was on the north side of my property. If he came from the north, that meant he’d battled the Weston’s…and lost.
I moved so close our noses nearly touched. “If you and what’s left of your gang want to see tomorrow, I’d suggest you move on. Because that’s your only choice if you want to live. You don’t know what we have for firepower inside. You got no clue what you’re up against. So why don’t you move along.”
He
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