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Excerpt from Turkey Jerky Trader
"Well, so our foot trip begins." Michael said with resignation. He sighed and stretched.
"Where in the hell are we?" Becky asked. "We didn’t even get anywhere!"
"Well, just calm down. I think we’re about five miles from Mound City. Where ever that is." Michael said.
He walked to the their belongings by the road. "Well, now its take what we can carry."
"Of all the crappy luck!" Becky said. She shook her fist towards the west. "You dirty rotten…!"
"Give it up, girl." Michael interrupted his daughter. "Save your strength for walking."
Sighing loudly Becky huffed her way to her belongings.
The two picked over the bags of clothes and food. Michael tied some rope to his shotgun and slung it over his shoulder, picked up two bags of clothes, and one bag of food. Becky carried two bags of clothes and her backpack.
"Well we’ll have to leave the rest." Michael shrugged. "I don’t think we can carry much more."
"Not very far." Becky agreed. "Maybe we can come back for the rest?"
"We’ll see." Michael said. "But I doubt it."
Turning their backs on the rest of their belongings, they started walking up the road towards Mound City.
"You know there is more cover in those trees." Michael said.
"So?"
"I don’t want to get robbed again."
"Me either." Becky agreed.
"Let’s walk just inside the trees."
"Well, all right." Becky followed her father. "Just don’t go too fast."
The two walked just inside the trees along the road towards Mound City, not too far from the Missouri River.
Becky was not very happy. "This sucks, Dad."
"I just knew you were going to say that, Becky." Michael smiled.
"Well, it does."
They kept walking until almost noon when they came across a gravel road. They walked west along the road for a few miles when they came to a small Baptist church.
"Maybe they’re having a church supper." Becky said hopefully.
"Nope no luck. It looks deserted. Come on." Michael said.
Another road went north and they took the north road.
"Let’s stop and eat something," Becky said. "I’m really tired and hungry. Can we stop?"
"OK, for a little bit," Michael said, "but we should find a place to spend the night." He looked up through the trees at the sky. "It’s going to be dark pretty soon."
"What about the church?"
"Well, maybe there’s someplace up ahead a little further." Michael said. The church made him uneasy.
As they sat behind some trees they saw two pickups with hard looking men speeding up the gravel road. "They don’t look like they’re up to any good," Michael observed. He wished he had shells for his shotgun, and touched his pistol.
Becky wadded up the paper that had wrapped the roll of crackers she had been eating. "I wish I had some cheese," Becky said. She took a generous swallow from her canteen. "So, are they friend, or foe? You know we should have like a password to tell. Maybe… hmmm. Oh, I know, Are you cool or do you suck!"
"Becky, this is serious, now." Michael said, but he was smiling at her humor.
Michael walked to the road and looked to where the trucks had gone, he was sure he had heard them stop.
"Let’s walk quietly up the road," he said, "but stay close to the trees, though."
Michael and Becky picked their way through the tree line close to the gravel road. They could make out a house up ahead. Michael saw the two pickup trucks parked in front of it. There were three men, one he could see had a pistol, and the other a rifle.
In the tree line Roger was also watching the men looking over the farmyard and he said to Bonnie, "What are they after?"
Bonnie kept her eyes on the three men and kept her rifle ready to fire. "Tom filled the root cellar with food and ammunition and guns and things. He’d go into the taverns and brag about it sometimes, even though he always told me to keep quiet about it. I’m sure they’re after what’s in it."
Roger looked at the three men and looked at his wife. "I don’t think I should have a gun."
Bonnie whispered, "Pastor this isn’t the time to be thumping on a Bible, even David had to kill an enemy once in awhile."
"I suppose you’re right, Bonnie," Roger said, "But I just don’t feel like it will solve anything."
"Tom died for that fool stash of his," Bonnie whispered, "And I’m not letting my husbands killers walk off with it."
"Are they close to finding it?" Rose asked.
"I don’t think so," said Bonnie. "But if they come up this way, I’m not letting them hurt us."
Roger noticed the hard look of determination in her eyes. "No, I don’t think you will." He said.
Michael and Becky were in the tree line circling the farmyard. The sun was setting making it harder to see. Michael sensed more people up ahead. "Becky," he whispered. "You stay here with the pistol."
"God, Dad! You mean I can sit for awhile?" Becky whispered as she sat down.
Michael handed her the pistol.
"Is the safety on?" She whispered as she looked at it.
"Be careful with that, Becky, I don’t want you shooting me in the back."
"Oh I won’t, Dad." Becky sat between her bags behind the trees. The smell of the spring and evening dew was very relaxing. Becky wanted to lie back and go to sleep. Instead she forced her eyes to stay open and watched her father walk silently through the woods. His big shoulders brushed up against the tree limbs, but he didn’t make much noise. Becky thought to herself, Dad will know what to do, he always does. But she held the pistol ready, just in case.
Michael was now directly behind Bonnie, Roger and Rose. He could see them kneeling as they watched the three men darting about in the farmyard. Michael could just make out a book and a pistol in the white haired man’s hands. The book had a cross on it. A Bible, Michael thought. He’s a preacher. And he’s got a gun.
Michael crept slowly towards the three people. He wanted them to know he was there to help, but didn’t want to give them away either. He was about ten feet away from Rose when one of the three men found Bonnie with his flashlight.
"Here she is! And she’s got that damn rifle."
Rose screamed and Roger stepped out into the light. "We don’t want any trouble. What are you men up to?"
"No Roger!" Bonnie said and she stood up and fired her rifle at the flashlight. Roger dropped the pistol in the commotion and Rose fell to the ground. The flashlight went out.
Becky crouched down and pulled the safety on her pistol.
Michael crouched low, watching helplessly.
Bonnie squeezed the trigger again in the direction of the flashlight, but the rifle jammed. Just then the three men turned flashlights on Bonnie. "OK, you bitch. Drop that rifle or I’ll shoot all three of you right here and now." Bonnie squeezed the trigger again, but nothing happened. She set the useless rifle on the ground.
Michael looked to where he thought Roger had dropped the pistol. It was just a few feet from him, but he didn’t want to give himself away just yet.
Roger lifted his wife to her feet.
"Are you OK?" He asked.
"Yes, I think." Rose said as she fussed with her hair.
"Shut up!" A man hollered.
"Oh dear." Rose exclaimed.
Roger stepped towards the men, holding his Bible in front of him. "I’m Pastor Roger from the small Baptist Church up the road, what do you men want?"
"Oh, we got ourselves a pastor, too." One of the voices said. "Maybe he can preach a sermon for us before we kill him." The three men laughed crudely.
"Roger!" Rose said with alarm.
"I’m alright." Roger said.
Michael was listening intently now. He knew the three men were up to no good, but he had to figure out how to surprise them. He decided to wait a little longer.
"Come out here in the open." The tall thin man said. He had been drinking and his words were slurred. He had much more courage tonight than he had the night before, Bonnie thought. "I want you all to kneel down here in front of me, and you, whore!" he said to Bonnie, "tell me where your old man’s stash is, or we’ll shoot all three of you."
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