a stomach now. He’d look like raw meat.
Grandpa’s warm hand closed over hers and gently took the gun from her.
“You okay, Maddie-girl?”
She nodded, still not speaking.
“Your dad’s a good man, and I respect that he wants to protect you from danger and violence. I don’t like going against his wishes, but I’m getting old, Maddie.”
Dee met her grandpa’s eyes in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“You need to know how to take care of yourself. What if I hadn’t had the gun in the barn when Hank came after you? It keeps me up at night thinking about it sometimes.”
Dee looked at her feet. “Can I ask you something?”
“You know you can.”
“Was Hank the first man you killed?”
Grandpa gazed into the distance. “Yes.”
Dee waited but he didn’t elaborate, so she asked, “What was it like?”
She wasn’t sure he would answer, but after a long pause he said, “I had so much adrenaline pumping through me I’m surprised my heart could take it. Afterward, I saw what I’d done to him.” Grandpa took the gun from her and began to reload it. “He didn’t leave me any choice. That’s how I live with myself. I want you to remember that, Maddie. If you take a life you’ll have to live with it for the rest of yours. It’s a decision you may have to make quickly. Never make it lightly.”
Grandpa handed her the loaded weapon and she looked down at it. It was heavier than before.
“How about some target practice now?” said Grandpa. “We don’t have a lot of bullets, so we need to make them count.”
By the end of the afternoon, Dee was cold and tired, but much more confident about using a gun. Besides shooting, she’d learned to load and unload, clean, and carry the weapon Mason had given her. She wished he could have been there.
“Thanks, Grandpa,” she said after the gun was safely stowed in his medicine bag. When she hugged him he smelled like the day—crisp, with a hint of wood smoke.
“You’re welcome,” said Grandpa. “One last thing. About your dad—”
“If he asks where we’ve been, I’ll tell him we were just killing time.”
Grandpa’s eyes twinkled at her. “That’s probably for the best.”
*
After waiting a few days to air out the smoke, the library was re-opened for school, however, Dee wasn’t invited back to teach. Instead, she helped her mother with the chores in the mornings, and in the afternoons she made house calls with Grandpa on the snowmobile. Sometimes he let her drive, and if they finished early enough, he took her to his secret hunting spot and she practiced shooting.
One afternoon after they finished up the home visits for the day, they saw dark shapes in the distance, moving quickly. When Grandpa stopped the snowmobile they could hear engines, and a small caravan of military vehicles approached Lookout Falls on the main road. They stopped when they neared Grandpa and Dee, and a man climbed down from the cab of a large army truck.
He was probably in his mid-thirties, clean shaven with sandy blond hair combed straight back from a widow’s peak. His army fatigues looked worn but clean, and he was well built. Dee couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen someone that didn’t look like they’d missed quite a few meals.
When he approached, Grandpa’s knuckles whitened on the handles of the snowmobile.
“Good evening to you folks. I’m Captain Downey and I’m headed for Lookout Falls. Is that where you’re from?”
“It is,” said Grandpa. “Have you got any news for us?”
“That’s why I’m here,” said the captain. “Good news. I’m here to meet with whoever’s in charge, and then I’ll be back tomorrow to drop off emergency supplies.”
Grandpa didn’t respond, and the conversation faltered.
Captain Downey looked more closely at Dee and Grandpa, his eyes settling on Grandpa’s physician bag. “You a doctor? My unit could use someone with medical training.”
Grandpa shook his head. “Nope.
Grandpa’s warm hand closed over hers and gently took the gun from her.
“You okay, Maddie-girl?”
She nodded, still not speaking.
“Your dad’s a good man, and I respect that he wants to protect you from danger and violence. I don’t like going against his wishes, but I’m getting old, Maddie.”
Dee met her grandpa’s eyes in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“You need to know how to take care of yourself. What if I hadn’t had the gun in the barn when Hank came after you? It keeps me up at night thinking about it sometimes.”
Dee looked at her feet. “Can I ask you something?”
“You know you can.”
“Was Hank the first man you killed?”
Grandpa gazed into the distance. “Yes.”
Dee waited but he didn’t elaborate, so she asked, “What was it like?”
She wasn’t sure he would answer, but after a long pause he said, “I had so much adrenaline pumping through me I’m surprised my heart could take it. Afterward, I saw what I’d done to him.” Grandpa took the gun from her and began to reload it. “He didn’t leave me any choice. That’s how I live with myself. I want you to remember that, Maddie. If you take a life you’ll have to live with it for the rest of yours. It’s a decision you may have to make quickly. Never make it lightly.”
Grandpa handed her the loaded weapon and she looked down at it. It was heavier than before.
“How about some target practice now?” said Grandpa. “We don’t have a lot of bullets, so we need to make them count.”
By the end of the afternoon, Dee was cold and tired, but much more confident about using a gun. Besides shooting, she’d learned to load and unload, clean, and carry the weapon Mason had given her. She wished he could have been there.
“Thanks, Grandpa,” she said after the gun was safely stowed in his medicine bag. When she hugged him he smelled like the day—crisp, with a hint of wood smoke.
“You’re welcome,” said Grandpa. “One last thing. About your dad—”
“If he asks where we’ve been, I’ll tell him we were just killing time.”
Grandpa’s eyes twinkled at her. “That’s probably for the best.”
*
After waiting a few days to air out the smoke, the library was re-opened for school, however, Dee wasn’t invited back to teach. Instead, she helped her mother with the chores in the mornings, and in the afternoons she made house calls with Grandpa on the snowmobile. Sometimes he let her drive, and if they finished early enough, he took her to his secret hunting spot and she practiced shooting.
One afternoon after they finished up the home visits for the day, they saw dark shapes in the distance, moving quickly. When Grandpa stopped the snowmobile they could hear engines, and a small caravan of military vehicles approached Lookout Falls on the main road. They stopped when they neared Grandpa and Dee, and a man climbed down from the cab of a large army truck.
He was probably in his mid-thirties, clean shaven with sandy blond hair combed straight back from a widow’s peak. His army fatigues looked worn but clean, and he was well built. Dee couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen someone that didn’t look like they’d missed quite a few meals.
When he approached, Grandpa’s knuckles whitened on the handles of the snowmobile.
“Good evening to you folks. I’m Captain Downey and I’m headed for Lookout Falls. Is that where you’re from?”
“It is,” said Grandpa. “Have you got any news for us?”
“That’s why I’m here,” said the captain. “Good news. I’m here to meet with whoever’s in charge, and then I’ll be back tomorrow to drop off emergency supplies.”
Grandpa didn’t respond, and the conversation faltered.
Captain Downey looked more closely at Dee and Grandpa, his eyes settling on Grandpa’s physician bag. “You a doctor? My unit could use someone with medical training.”
Grandpa shook his head. “Nope.
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