Games people play
Far in the Sierra Mountains in California, hundreds come to try their hand at game poaching and hire out empty huts, vehicles and mountain equipment to aid their time and money on these pursuits. One such man is a seasonal poacher by the name of Bradley Evans who returns every year as regular as clockwork to collect his keys from the games warden.
"Another year and up to the minute as usual Bradley Evans turns up on my doorstep willing to throw caution to the wind along with the many jack rabbits around here will to die under your buck shot." Phil O'Neil said handing the keys to a hut to him.
"When have you ever known me to change my way of life over a rabbit?" Bradley said signing for the keys.
"Maybe you should get out more when you're not around these parts. You might find something other than poaching to your liking."
"Poaching is to my liking. Nothing else comes close."
"Don't you ever want to settle down, maybe think about a family?"
"These shot guns are my family. You can't get better loyalty than that." He said picking up his cases and going out.
Bradley drove up into the hills and slowly moved in to his hut for the rest of the season.
Further into the hills a deserted dirt road is all that leads to another hut that a family live in and have done so for many years. The family consists of a middle aged man by the name of John Lacy and his young daughter Claira who keep themselves busy tending a small animal sanctuary. They take care of any animals that they find and release them back into the wild with micro chips inserted into the animal's bodies so that they are able to track their movements within a specific area by satellite. As usual John Lacy has been trying to stop the poachers around their area and they are also well aware that they are not welcome within a few miles of their hut and vice versa.
Claira returns back to the hut with another jack rabbit in order to have the rabbit micro chipped and released back in to the wild.
John Lacy returns to the hut one evening after talking to the local game warden who had given him and up to date list of the recent poachers in their area.
Claira notices her father on the computer and slowly walks up to him.
"More trouble?" She says picking up the paper and reads it.
"Let's just say trouble. There's some guy over the next hill who is a season player. I've told the game warden that if he comes over here there will be trouble."
"But dad he takes that hut every year, you and I both know we cannot do anything about it as long as he stays within the rules which we know he always does.
"That's why I have asked the game warden to check up on him before he even starts poaching in anyone's area."
"I just picked up a jack rabbit from the turnpike that covers that area. I want to chip him so that I can have an idea where he ends up."
"Just as long as he doesn't end up on his dinner plate, ha?" John said looking at her.
Some days later Bradley was at the game warden's office checking out the ever updating gaming rules for his area when John walks out after talking to the warden.
"Speaking of sticking to the rules I see Bradley is back in town as eagerly not awaited by all jack rabbits in the area." John said making sure he heard what he said.
Bradley smirked and looked away.
"Bradley, would you mind signing the new regulations for this season." The game warden said moving over to him."
"Regulations that John Lacy wrote up, yeah?"
"Brad, you said you would abide by the rules while out here."
"What about the laws of being allowed to keep the amount of jack rabbits, bears and other animals around here down for fear of overpopulation?"
"Brad, we're not here telling you that you can't poach but you must be within your own allotted area."
"That seems to be getting smaller every year thanks to Mr Lacy and his family of micro chipped animals. I bet you even have a chip on your kid just to find out what she does every time she goes out. "
John now grabbed him and shoved him towards the wall.
"You think you're so smart because you only poach for a season." John said staring at him.
"Well I am not as so committed as you which probably works in my favour."
The warden pulled John away and allowed Brad to leave the office.
John returned back to his hut and loaded up his gun as Claira walked out of her room.
"What's going on?"
"I just had my first run in with Brad Evans and he's as mean as ever. I'm not gonna take any chances with him anymore. If I see him around any of my areas I will shoot to kill just, like him." He said checking the guns chamber.
Claira watched him doing this.
Brad carried on with his poaching staying within his area for most of the time. He drives out onto the dirt track that heads down to the warden station where he notices Claira walking back with some supplies and pulls over and gets out.
"Well if it isn't little Miss Lacy as I live and breathe." He says closing his door.
"Get your little jibe out of the way Brad so I can carry on saving all the animals your shot gun misses today."
"The tide is slowly turning Claira. I heard another hut got destroyed by a bear further up in the mountains last week and it took a poacher to shoot it before it went for another family. That could have easily been you and your old man, maybe it will be one day and I won't be around to save you from his claws." He said pushing Claira back.
"I hate you; I hate everything that you stand for." She said then ran on.
Brad watched her go then jumped back into his van and drove off.
Claira ran back to the hut and into her bedroom and started to cry.
Everything went on normally until Claira joined her father in the hills using a tracking machine to find some jack rabbits in a clearing to where Brad was now starting to hunt. John was having trouble getting the tracker to work and Claira headed away from him to watch some rabbits playing. Brad now caught sight of John checking a rabbit that he thought he had just shot and made his way to him.
"Get your hands off my prize you son of a bitch!" He said grabbing him.
John now jumped up and grabbed his gun.
"I'm not touching your prize I'm checking out my micro chips."
"Not in my area you're not!" Brad said cocking his gun.
Claira heard the scuffle and headed back to Brad and John now fighting as Brad dropped his rifle. John now cocked his gun as Brad knelt down to pick his gun up.
"Dad!" Claira shouted out as she ran up to them fighting and then made a grab for Brad's gun.
Brad pushed her away as his gun now went off knocking Claira to the floor with flash burns to her face.
John noticed this and moved to her.
"Claira!" He said noticing Claira was out cold then turned back to see Brad grabbing his gun and loading it for another shot.
John again went for his gun and they started to fight again as they both tried to fire their guns at one another.
Their guns both now fired into the silence of the mountains.
They were found by the games warden and air lifted to a suitable hospital for their gunshot wombs where they stayed for some considerable time until one morning Brad awoke and looked around.
"Where?" He said trying to sit up.
"I wouldn't try to move Mister Lacy you have been in a coma for over a month now which we had to induce in order for the plastic surgeon do his job." A nurse asked moving forward to check his vital signs.
"What hospital is this?" He asked looking at her.
"You are in Mammoth Hospital now along with your daughter who is also being treated here. Please, don't concern yourself with trivial things Mister Lacy. You were returned to this hospital once you were well enough to do so." The nurse said making a note in her file.
Brad looked at her.
"You said my daughter, what?" He said looking down.
"I'll tell the doctor you are awake, I bet he's be very glad to see you." She said then went out.
Brad watched her go then touched his face and felt the bandages covering most of it. He looked at his hands then sat back and closed his eyes.
"Mister Lacy." The doctor said touching him
Brad slowly opened his eyes and focused in on the doctor.
"Good morning Mister Lacy, I'm so glad to finally meet you." The doctor said then looked at his notes. "You know it was touch and go there for a while; this is why we have had to place you in a temporary coma so that we could attempt to reconstruct your face with as little fuss as possible."
"Reconstruct my face? What happened to it?"
"The gun fight you had with Mister Evans, you were fortunate enough to survive it with your life along with your daughter, Mister Evans was not so fortunate."
Brad looked down.
"Mister Evans, dead? I'm dead?" He said looking back up.
"No, I said Mister Evans is dead. His head was blown straight off. You were caught in the blast that killed him. Your daughter..." The doctor stopped and looked at his notes.
"Claira?" He said now looking at him.
"I think you have to prepare yourself for the worst Mister Lacy, there's nothing else we can do for her now. The shot blast took her site away and we have no way of getting it back for her." The doctor said turning away.
Brad looked down.
"Where is she?"
"She's in a room down the hall."
"Does she know about...?" He stopped then looked away. "Does she know about me?"
"No, not yet. I thought that now you were awake you would want to see her and tell her yourself. It would be better coming from her father."
Brad looked at him.
"Her father, I thought you said he was dead?"
The doctor looked at him.
"I know it must be confusing for you Mister Lacy but you're very much alive, Brad Evans died. Let me know when you want to see your daughter and I'll arrange a wheelchair for you."
"When, when can these bandages come off? I need, I want to see my face after..."
"A few more days yet John, can I call you John?"
Brad looked at him then turned away and slightly nodded.
The doctor went out.
Brad looked around for a mirror then found one and put it up to his face and looked at his eyes, nose and mouth.
"What have they done to me? Why, why are they mistaking me for, for him?" He said throwing the mirror to the floor and watching it smash into tiny pieces.
The next day Brad was taken to Claira's room and left alone with her for a while. He moved to her bed and stared at her sleeping. He did not say anything and turned round to go back out.
"Dad?"
Brad stopped and turned round.
"Dad, is that you?" She said silently. "I can't see you; I need to know you are there." She added looking into the darkness of her eyes.
Brad looked away then went out back to his room.
Brad waited patiently for the days to pass until the plastic surgeon came in and a nurse started to remove his bandages.
"I must warn you John that I have had to do one hell of a reconstruction on your face. When you came to me you were unrecognisable. Hopefully you will be able to make out some of your usual features."
Brad looked at the surgeon as the nurse cleaned his face.
"Could I have a mirror please?" He said to the nurse.
"Of course you will need further operations so please do not expect to see much change."
Brad slowly looked into the mirror as a face that he had been fighting for so long stared back at him and he tightly closed his eyes and looked away in disgust.
"Mister Lacy, John?" The doctor said watching him.
"No! I am not..." He said starting to fight with the nurse.
The doctor gave him a sedative and Brad slept through the rest of the day.
Brad awoke the next morning to have breakfast and the nurse checking his blood.
"I bet you're glad to finally have all those bandages off."
Brad looked at her then his blood.
"Don't tell me, I have the same blood group as him."
"As who, Mister Lacy?"
He looked away.
"Him, the one that stuck this face on me, stuck me with..."
"The plastic surgeon? He was your only hope after what happened to you, John."
"Don't keep calling me, that, that is not my name!"
The nurse looked at him.
"I'll call the doctor."
"Yes, you call him. You tell him the mistake they made on me, John Lacy indeed. You tell him I want my face back, right now!" He said shouting out.
Brad was left alone for a while and got some more sleep. He was awoken by the nurse knocking on his door.
"John, I have a little surprise for you."
"I've already had my surprise seeing that man's face on me." Brad looked as the nurse wheeled Claira into his room which made him sit up.
"There, I knew you were missing her and now that you're both on your feet. She's been asking for you." The nurse said moving her to Brad's bed.
"Dad?" She said looking around.
"He's right in front of you Claira. I'll leave you two alone to talk."
Brad looked up to see the nurse go out as he moved off the bed to put it between Claira and himself. Brad watched as Claira tried to get up.
"Dad?" Claira felt the bed in front of her. "Are you still there?"
Brad looked down and slowly moved towards her.
"I guess I look a mess ha? I'm sorry but I haven't looked in a mirror since." Claira moved forward and fell into Brad's arms for a hug.
Brad at first tried to step away but Claira hung onto him so much he knew he had to hold her. He put her on his bed then stepped away watching her.
"What's the matter?"
Brad noticed his reflection in the bathroom mirror which made him shudder.
"Dad?"
"Don't say that, not now, not ever!" He said so quickly he hoped she would not recognise his voice.
"I don't understand."
"Neither do I." He said looking back to the bathroom mirror.
Brad was supplied with some clothes and found the keys to John's truck and left the hospital and drove out to the mountains and up to the hut he had hired out to find the wardens car there. Brad jumped out and headed for the hut.
"John." The warden said coming out from the surrounding hillside.
Brad stopped and looked down.
"This is the last place I'd expect you to be. Did you lose your way or something?" He said making a joke.
Brad joined in with the laugh as he tried to put on John's voice.
"I just come up here to check out if the bastard stole my identity."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I, I'm just worried about Claira." He said turning away.
"Yeah I know. God, when I found the two of you. I'm really sorry John."
Brad looked at him.
"You found us?"
"Yeah."
"Well what the hell happened that made you think I was John?"
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
The warden's car phone now started to ring.
"Look err, I got to take that."
Brad stepped aside and moved in to his hut and looked around. He moved into his bedroom and immediately noticed his reflection again which made him move back.
"John? John, are you there?"
Brad quickly regained his composure and walked out.
"Yeah."
"That was the station. Claira's asking for you back at the hospital.
"Asking for me?" He said then looked down. "Err yeah, thanks I better get back there." He said moving out. "What are you going to do with my, with Brad's stuff?"
"Well I know he didn't have any family so I guess it will have to go into storage or something."
"Look, just lock the place up for now ha. Give; give Brad some dignity, ha?"
"John, are you sure you're okay?"
"I said I was fine, didn't I?" Brad took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, I, I've got to get back to Claira." He said going out and getting into John's truck and driving off back to the hospital.
Brad walked into the hospital to find the doctor waiting for him.
"Mister Lacy, Claira has been asking for you."
"So I heard. Where is she?"
"We've moved her to your room."
"My room, well what on earth for?"
"Because she's your child. John, she needs you more than ever now that she's blind."
Brad looked at the doctor then headed for his room and opened the door.
"Dad?" She said standing up and hitting the table.
"Hey, easy." He said grabbing her.
Claira felt his face which made her look at him.
"Daddy." She said smiling.
Brad stared at her then moved away to the other end of the room.
"Dad, I need help."
"You don't need help from me." He said turning back to look at her.
"What's happened to your voice?"
"Nothing."
"Oh so you sound like that Brad Evans but I feel my dad's face. I'm blind dad, not dead like him."
Brad went to her.
"Don't you dare say that!"
Claira moved into him and hugged him as Brad now hugged her.
"I'm scared daddy."
Brad closed his eyes and looked at her
"So am I Claira, so am I."
Brad and Claira met with a doctor to discuss her sight problems before she was allowed to go home.
"What's the home like that you live in with Claira?" The doctor asked looking at Brad.
"Err, just a standard home, I guess." Brad said knowing that he had never been to or in the house before.
"You mean because I'd have to get used to the house all over again because I am now blind, yes?" Claira said now turning to Brad.
"Yes. Would you mind if I could come over with you to carry out an assessment on the home?" The doctor asked looking to Brad.
"The more the merrier I'd say."
"Would we have to give up looking after the animals?"
"What animals?" Brad said turning to her.
"The micro chipping the animals, dad. Checking out how many animals the poachers have taken."
Brad looked away.
"Well we don't need to worry about that anymore do we?"
"Of course we do. It wasn't just Brad who was poaching in the mountains."
"Can we talk about this later ha? All you want to talk about is poaching when I'm sitting here and..." Brad stopped and looked away.
The next day Brad helped Claira into her father's car and drove out into the mountains and took the road that could only lead to the Lacy home. Brad pulled over and turned off the engine and looked at the house.
"This is your home?" He said softly that even to Brad he sounded like John which made him shiver.
"We're home?" Claira said putting her hand into his as Brad looked at her.
"Your home, yeah." He said jumping out and running round to open up the door. "I gonna pick you up Claira, okay?"
"Okay daddy."
"Alright." He said pulling her out and put her down. "You stay there, I've got the keys somewhere." He said checking his pockets.
Claira giggled and started to laugh.
"What's so funny?" He said looking at her.
"I really thought back there."
Brad moved up to her.
"You thought what?"
"Brad."
"What?"
"You sounded so much like him but..." She brought her hands forward to his face. "My dad's face, his voice, I thought but then I knew you were only playing."
"Claira, you're not making any sense."
"Your house keys."
"What about them?"
"Their on your car keys, as usual." She said as her hands touched his lips. "Daddy." She said smiling.
Brad looked at her.
"Oh yeah, silly daddy ha?" He said stepping away and grabbing the car keys and now went to the door and opened it. "Okay, first steps, here we go." He said leading her into the house.
Brad looked around at the house and led Claira to the sofa and sat her down. He made sure Claira was alright then went into John's bedroom and looked around.
"Proper little daddy pad!" He said delving his hand into a full washing load and mounds of paperwork basically on all the poachers and himself that Brad now started to read. "Hurh, this man seriously needs to get a life." He said standing up and moved into the bathroom to see a full sized mirror of John Lacy staring back at him as he jumped backwards into the door.
"Dad? Dad, are you alright?" Claira said jumping up.
Brad looked at his reflection.
"I've got to get used to this."
"Dad?"
"Claira, it's okay, I'm fine. I just err forgot where I was for a minute." He said as the phone started to ring. "Damn." He said making sure he was alright then went back out to see Claira trying to move around the living room. "Claira!" He said going to her and stopping her moving forward. "Claira, please just sit down for me, okay." He said pushing Claira back into her seat then quickly grabbed the phone.
Claira listened to Brad talking then again tried to get up and walk around as she stubbed her toe on the dining table.
Brad finished his phone conversation and moved over to her.
"Did you hurt yourself?"
"Only my pride. Who was that on the phone?"
"You're doctor, confirming our appointment in the morning." He said looking at her. "Do you want me to get you something?"
"What like my sight back?"
Brad looked away.
"Claira."
"If you could point me in the direction of my room I might just bunk in there permanently now I'm no use to you helping you out with the micro chipping."
"Damn micro chipping again, Claira will you just drop this chipping thing, stupid crap whatever it was." He said as he realised she was offended.
She tried to move past him.
"Claira."
"Forget it, where's my room?"
Brad stopped her.
"Claira, I didn't mean that."
"You sounded like him again, like Brad, like you don't care."
He took her hand but she quickly let go.
"Claira, I wouldn't even be here if I didn't care."
"You say that like you don't have to be here. I didn't get blind just to wind you up, Brad did this to me dad, and you know that."
"Yeah and you're..." He looked away. "Ah, forget it."
"No, why did you suddenly get his voice when you..?" She said then touched his face.
Brad now hugged her and tried to sound like John.
"I'm sorry child; I didn't mean anything I said. I guess we both have to get used to these new lives, now ha? Come on I'll show you to your bedroom but you are not going to stay in there forever you know and I am going to make sure of that." He said leading Claira to her room and setting her down on her bed and looked around.
"What do you think the doctor is going to say when he comes in here?"
"Regarding what, the fact that this room has no taste and imagination or about making this home more acceptable to a blind nine year old?" He said looking around.
"Nine year old? Dad, I'm ten, you know that."
"It was a joke." He said watching her.
"A bad one at that."
Brad sat down next to Claira and she put her head on his chest.
The next day the doctor arrived at the Lacy home as Brad was clearing away the breakfast table.
"John?"
"Come on in doc, Claira is just getting ready." Brad said wiping his hands then noticed Claira opening her door. "Ah, there she is, the doctors here." He added moving over to her and pulled her out to the living room and sat her down on the sofa."
The doctor walked in and noticed some pictures.
"So this is what you do, John. I've been reading up on your blogs over the internet. When they told me that the great John Lacy was going to be gracing my hospital I nearly didn't believe it." He said picking up one of the photos.
"The great John Lacy ha?" Brad said looking at him going through the pictures. "That's not how I would remember him." He added moving away.
"And how's Claira doing back at home?"
"Apart from bumping into everything I'm okay." She said looking down.
Brad now moved forward and sat down next to her and took her hand and tried to sound like John as he moved closer.
"I'm right here if you need me." He said then kissed her.
The doctor now sat down watching them.
"You know, that's exactly what Claira needs, to know that her father is going to be there for her. Along with the adaption's that are needed I can't see any problems with Claira living a relatively normal life here." The doctor said pulling out his note pad.
"A normal life, can that be achieved with the work that my dad and I do around here?" Claira said sitting back.
"I'm sure that your father can cope with what you both do, Claira. Believe me, I've seen parents devoting their whole life to sightless children in such a way that whatever they did before their accident was incomparable to what they did after it. Looking at all those photos and the case work on your father's desk at the moment it may take a little longer but you are both determined people, especially when it comes to dealing with poachers." The doctor said looking at his notes.
"Well it's glad the main poacher is dead then, thanks to dad here. He was a nightmare to live with knowing that he was around here and ready to..." She stopped and looked down.
Brad turned to her in the silence.
"If you keep upsetting yourself like this how are we gonna get through any of this?" Brad said trying to keep John's voice calm as well as Claira who was now starting to shake.
The doctor carried on with checking the house out for all the hazards while Claira sat trying to read a brail book.
"The sooner she learns how to read Braille the quicker she can be sent to a special school that will look after her." The doctor said looking at Brad. "How about you?" The doctor asked.
"What about me?"
"Well when you were in hospital you weren't making much sense. I mean, I could put that down to the meds you were on and the fact that what Brad did to Claira and yourself."
Brad looked up and to the doctor.
"What Brad did to us? What he did to me, stuck me in here, with this. Doc, do you know what happened to my..." Brad stopped and looked down then quickly back up again. "What happened to Brad Evan's credentials, driving license and other required ID?"
"His credentials? No, err when you two were brought to the emergency centre you were both badly cut up. Brad was already dead and you were totally unrecognisable, as I told you."
"Well, how did you know who I was?"
"I talked to the games warden who brought you in. He found you next to Claira."
"The games warden?"
"Look John, I need to make some more notes." The doctor said moving away.
Brad went back out to Claira still reading her book.
"How's it going with the all seeing doctor?" She said looking up.
"Don't talk like that. How are you going with that book?"
"You wouldn't call it a book if you actually read it." She said tossing the book to the floor.
"Have you? Read it?" He said moving forward to pick it up.
She looked away.
"It's just a stupid book dad, nothing else."
"What's so stupid about wanting to read it?" He said sitting down next to her.
"There's nothing in it. All it talks about is sentences, the alphabet in Braille. It's like staring from the beginning again."
"There's nothing wrong with starting from the beginning, is there?" He said grabbing her hand and placing it on the book. "I have to start from the beginning with you, are you going to deny me even doing that? You reading this book from page one is like me learning about being a father to you or looking at myself in the mirror every morning without seeing, without seeing, seeing him!"
"Dad..."
"Do you think I could keep this up? Do you think it was easy walking in here..?"
"Well at least you could see when you walked in here the last time." She said jumping up and tried to get past Brad as the doctor came back out. "Excuse me." She added.
"You're as single minded as him, only caring about one thing."
"At least I'm not sitting here mourning the death of a stupid poacher."
Brad jumped up.
"John, could I borrow you for a moment please." The doctor said breaking Brad's concentration.
Brad slowly nodded and stepped away.
"I hope you don't mind my team coming in here and redesigning some of these areas." He said handing over the plan to him.
Brad sighed then looked back to Claira now sitting back down then at the plan.
"Sure, it looks like the back area was only used for the micro chipping of stupid jack rabbits and other unimportant animals of which I am going to put a stop to straight away, so you can go ahead with these alterations however you see fit."
"I'm sure that we will be able to sort something out where the back room is concerned. I always believe in the saying don't change a hair for me and I know that you really do care for your daughter; it doesn't take a stranger to see that. I'll confirm these alterations with my team and I will contact you regarding when these works can be completed. In the meantime, I'd work on that bedside manner." The doctor said then went out to where Claira was now trying to read the Braille book again. "Time heals all wombs, that's another good saying that I shall leave you with. Mr Lucy, thank you so much for your time." The doctor said now shaking his hand.
"Thanks."
"Goodbye Claira and good luck with the book."
Claira was too engrossed with the book to notice. Brad looked back to the doctor.
"I'll tell her you left once she finally pulls her head out of that book. Thanks again, doc."
"My pleasure John."
Brad watched him go then closed the door and turned back to look at Claira still head buried in to the book.
The next day Brad drove over to the game wardens hut and noticed some poachers coming back from a night in the hills. Brad went into the hut to and noticed Phil talking to another poacher. Phil noticed Brad studying the map that John had helped create.
"Now come on John, you can't start redrawing the lines half way through the season. I could lose these new poachers I have here this week." Phil said moving up to him and shook his hand.
"I think the response would be that I couldn't be that lucky. Phil, could I speak to you in private for a moment."
"Sure, do you want to make an afternoon of it? It's been a long time since we shared a chat over a beer."
Brad looked at him.
"You actually sat down for a few hours with John Lacy?" Brad said looking at him.
"Hurh?" Phil said stepping forward.
"Forget it. I'll check that Claira is okay then I'll meet you back here in ten minutes." Brad said in John's voice.
"There, that's the John Lacy I remember. Do you want to see these new poachers before you go? I'm thinking of given them Brad's old hut, what do you say?"
"You haven't cleared the place out already?"
"I should, he left no forwarding address and we both know he has no family."
Brad looked at him.
"The less you know the better." He said turning away.
Brad drove back to the Lacy home and walked in to an empty living room.
"Claira?" He said looking around. He looked in to the back and noticed Claira slowly walking out. "What were you doing back there?"
"Trying to get the computer to work. It's a little hard trying to find the on switch when you're blind." She said turning away.
Brad went up to her.
"Never mind about a stupid computer. I just come back here to check you were alright."
"I'm as fine as a person can be who is blind."
"Claira."
"You just go off dad and enjoy yourself; I'll be alright around here."
"I want to know you're alright because I am going out to have a beer with Phil."
"Well, it doesn't take you long to get back on your feet after plastic surgery. Maybe I should have had the plastic surgery too, who knows I could be seeing by now." She said looking away.
Brad grabbed her.
"You can't keep blaming yourself for, for all this." He said touching her face. Claira now reached out and touched Brad's face and then they hugged him. "I won't be long; you just sit down here with your book." He added putting her on the sofa and placing the book in her hands.
"Daddy."
"Hurh?"
"I love you."
Brad stopped and looked back. He then went out and drove back down to the games warden station and pulled in to see Phil letting another lot of poachers go.
"And here comes the man to destroy all poachers' dreams, John Lacy." Phil said watching him walk up to him.
"If only you knew the half of it."
They now walked into the back of the hut and Phil handed him a beer.
"Sit down, god knows you need that beer after the month you've had."
"Thanks."
"Claira okay?"
"Claira is fine, thank you very much. I just left her with another Braille book. I told her I wouldn't be long."
"You're joking, right?"
"No, I mean it, one beer isn't gonna last long." He said drinking the contents of the bottle."
"Yeah, well err, I've been stocking up since you went into hospital." He said opening up his fridge to show Brad.
Brad stood up and went to him.
"Wow, no wonder why he was your best friend."
Phil grabbed a hand full of bottles and placed them on the table.
"You feel up to a race already?"
Brad looked at him.
"A race?
"I could drink you under the table anytime." Phil said releasing the tops off the bottles. "I've been practicing in your absence."
Brad starred at the bottles in front of him then Phil already starting on his second bottle.
Claira came to the end of her third Braille book when she heard a van outside. She slowly got up and moved around the sofa as Phil opened the door and pulled Brad in.
"Oh hi Claira, err I'm just returning your old man. I beat him at drinking again."
"So, what's new?"
Phil put him onto the sofa.
"He'll be alright in a few hours or so. How about you Claira, how have you been?"
"As well as could be expected, I guess."
Brad tried to focus in on the talking then recognised Claira and sat up.
"What are you doing here?" He said in Brad's voice.
"Dad?" Claira said moving to him.
"I'll grab him a cup of coffee for you to administer to him in slow quantities." Phil said going into the kitchen and grabbing a coffee mug and then coming back out.
Claira sat down next to Brad and took his hand.
"Dad, are you alright?"
He focused in on her.
"I'm not your dad, why, why are you calling me dad?"
"Here, get him to sip this." Phil said making Claira hold the cup of coffee and slowly handed it to Brad.
"What's he saying about not being my dad?"
"He's just a little under the weather. Probably not used to how many beers we sunk today."
"But he's drunk with you before and he's never been like this."
"We did sink quite a few."
Claira moved the cup to him and Brad slowly sipped at it.
"What do I do with him?"
"Just make sure he finishes that cup. I've got to go; I have some more work to carry on with." Phil said then went out.
Claira sat next to Brad as he slowly sobered up and realised what had happened.
"Claira?" He said looking at her.
"Finally. Do you remember where you are now dad?"
Brad got up and looked around.
"Ah, my head."
"You've had a beer with Phil before so what makes today different?" She said turning the page of her Braille book.
"You wouldn't understand." He said moving out to the kitchen.
"Why did you sound like Brad earlier?"
He stopped and looked back.
"I, what?"
"When Phil brought you back you sounded more like Brad and you said you didn't have a daughter. Does that what drink does to you because if it does then I don't want to know?"
He turned back and went up to her.
"I err, sweetheart daddy was just playing with you, and you know me." He said sitting back down and pulling her towards him.
"Playing with me? Dad, you scared me back then, sounding like a dead man and Brad of all people."
"Do I sound like your dad now?" He said putting on John's voice.
Claira didn't answer him which did not help matters.
Brad went to the bathroom and cleaned himself up and looked at himself in the mirror.
"You lose this kid, what have you got then? Can you actually see yourself going back to that hut alone?" He said then put his head under the cold water to sober himself up even more.
Brad made a light dinner and sat at the table watching Claira playing with her food.
"Are you gonna eat any of that?"
"I'm not that hungry." She said pushing the plate away.
Brad jumped up and took her plate and went to the sink.
Claira tried to get up from her seat.
"Hang on and I'll help you out."
"I can do it myself."
"You're going to end up walking into that wall if you carry on."
She now stopped and allowed Brad to pull her out.
"Do you want your book?"
"No, I want to go to my room?"
"What for?"
"To keep away from you!"
Brad stopped her.
"What have I done to warrant that?"
"I don't know Brad, you think about it."
He stepped back as Claira's words hit him hard.
"Claira." He said silently as he touched her face.
"Just leave me alone for a moment dad, please." She said moving away.
Brad watched her close her door and he turned back and went into the kitchen and started to clean up as he thought of her.
The house was soon turned upside down as it was made more effective for Claira's needs. Brad gave Claira a break from all the work and took her out for a walk around the hills. Brad followed the trail down to the area where he had poached and where he had engaged John Lacy on the day of the accident. Brad left Claira at the small deck area and walked around remembering that encounter then looked back to Claira waiting for him to return.
"Hey dad, are there any jack rabbits around?" She said as Brad moved back to her.
"Jack rabbits no, only this rabbit!" He said picking her up and playing with her.
Brad carried her back down the path towards their home when he noticed a poacher in the area. Claira heard someone and realised Brad had seen him.
"What's going on?"
"A poacher." He said moving forward.
"Like Brad." She said moving her head into him.
The poacher slowly made his way down the path and recognised Brad as John.
"Mr Lacy, mam."
"What are you doing on my dad's road?" Claira asked.
Brad looked at Claira then the poacher.
"Sorry but I got on the wrong trail. Don't worry I'll head back into the hills at the end of the road"
"Yeah you do that because a poacher named Brad tried the same excuse around here and my dad ripped his head off, literally, didn't you dad?"
"Claira, please." Brad said looking away.
"Tell him dad, we don't like poachers and you're on my dad's road which really gets him mad."
"Sorry again."
Brad watched him walk away then carried on back to their home to clean up the place after the workmen had left.
Brad walked out of the kitchen to find Claira reading her book.
"Well, it looks okay around here." He said trying to make conversation.
"I wouldn't know, I can't see anything."
"Yeah, I keep forgetting." He said going back into the kitchen.
"Are you forgetting I'm your daughter too now?" She said then turned away.
Brad looked skyward and finished the work in the kitchen then walked back out and sat back next to an annoyed Claira. Brad tried to pull Claira into him for a hug but she quickly moved away.
"What do you want from me ha?" He said standing back up.
"Nothing."
"So you hold everyone in contempt ha, even me?"
"Only the poachers, you know that."
"That guy got lost out there today, I..." He looked away. "Brad Evans wasn't lost you know that as much as I do."
"You let that guy go today like..."
"What like I was a poacher and we were acknowledging each other?"
"Yes."
"Claira, the guy was lost. You can't expect me to jump at him because he took the wrong trail."
Brad watched Claira as he slowly sat back down.
"You've changed since before the accident."
"Well what do you expect? You weren't blind before the accident."
"You know what I mean, your voice, your actions today, it's like I go blind and suddenly a stranger becomes my dad."
"A stranger? You think of me as a stranger?"
"Well someone who doesn't know anything about me and my dad. It's like someone has come in from the outside who hardly knows us."
"You think I hardly know you, I hardly know my own kid?" He said trying to sound like John. "Like I don't know my own kid doesn't like to be tickled?" He said starting to tickle her as she started to scream and jiggle around as Brad picked her up and played with her.
"Daddy, no stop, daddy stop!"
Brad played with Claira the rest of the evening until she fell asleep on him and Brad put her to bed. He walked into the bathroom and again noticed his reflection.
The next day Brad drove Claira over to the local shops to grab some food. Phil pulled over and jumped out of his van.
"Well, you look better than the last time I saw you." He said shaking Brad's hand.
"I am not about to have a rematch, I've got a kid now and I want to stay sober from this point on." He said pulling Claira away as a joke.
"Ah don't go all Brad Evans on me. The only reason he died is because he could never stomach a family man like you."
Brad stared at him.
"Is that what you think ha, well, you would know about that, wouldn't you?"
"This town is better off without him." Phil said.
"Well again, you would know." He said pulling Claira on.
"I'll give you two days and you'll be screaming for a beer with a friend."
Brad looked at him as they carried on.
"You know he's telling the truth." Claira said moving closer to him.
"We'll see. Now, do you want to start spending my money or not?" He said looking at her.
Brad paid for the shopping and pushed the shopping kart over to his van and loaded it up. Brad helped Claira into the van and drove out back into the hills and took the trail back to their house. As Brad reached their house a jack rabbit flew out in front of the van which made Brad swerve as he noticed a poacher chase after the rabbit.
"What's going on?" Claira said as Brad ended up in a ditch.
"Damn jack rabbit!"
"Round here, great."
"Not so great I'm in a ditch." He said getting out and noticing he had destroyed the front dif of the van. "Jesus!"
Claira moved over to the driver's side.
"Ah, bad luck John." A poacher said moving over to him.
"Did you scare that jack rabbit?"
"I never got a chance to fire off a shot. Your van caused the rabbit to bolt, nothing to do with me." He said reloading his gun.
Claira heard the man loading the gun and opened the driver's door and jumped down.
"You stay away from my dad."
Brad quickly picked her up and held her.
"It's alright Claira, I'm here."
"I would offer to call for a tow truck to pull you out but you'd probably get the wrong idea and blow my head off." The poacher said stepping forward. "I'll call the game warden in the morning if your still here by then. Did you happen to see which way the jack rabbit went?"
"Get off my road, your trail comes nowhere near here."
"Dad?"
The poacher looked at him then Claira and stepped away.
Brad walked Claira back to their house and went straight into his bedroom and grabbed a shot gun and started to load it.
Claira slowly walked in and heard him checking the gun.
"They'll kill you next time, I know they will."
Brad looked up to Claira in the doorway then dropped the gun on his bed and moved to Claira and picked her up.
"Their not going to take me away from you. No-one ever will." He said kissing her.
"You're fighting the poachers head on; we knew we could never stop them."
"We don't need to stop them. We just need to take action against them."
"We've been doing that for years."
"This time you have someone who's willing to listen as well as act."
"Yeah, like who?"
Brad looked at her and then kissed her again.
"Your dad."
"Hurh?"
The next day Phil arrived to help pull Brad's van out of the ditch and on to an awaiting trailer to be taken to a garage for repair.
"You said a jack rabbit did this?" Phil said helping Brad lash down his van.
"Only after a poacher shot at it and missed. It ran out from the dead trail." He said looking back.
"Now come on John there are no poachers around the dead trail for miles. You helped draw up the trail lines for this whole area."
"I know what I saw."
"Alright, I know you want to protect your home..."
"I want to protect my family more. You once told someone to think about having a family, maybe settling down. That's all I'm doing."
Phil looked at him.
"I told Brad that a few weeks before..., did he tell you that or something?"
Brad looked at him then jumped down off the trailer.
"Or something, yeah." He said now noticing Claira moving out to them. "Sweetheart, don't come any closer or you'll end up in the ditch." Brad said trying to sound like John as he went to Claira and took her hand.
"How long are we going to be without a van?"
"Not long, hopefully I'll be able to use Phil's 4x4, yeah." He said looking towards him.
"Err yeah, with one condition. That you come back with me for a beer."
"Ah no, not today, please daddy, no." Claira said pulling Brad into him.
"I promise he will be away for less than an hour." Phil said looking at Claira keeping hold of him.
Brad made his excuses and Phil drove him to the garage and dropped off his van and then they went back to Phil's station where he handed him a beer.
"So, are you telling me that I fucked up over the identities or something? I mean I sometimes thought your voice was a little bit like Brad's but..., man I really suck at my job."
"Hey, this is between us, okay. I guess I did need a reality check and Claira's defiantly that." He said sipping at his beer.
"Are you going to tell her?"
"Tell her what? Sorry the man you hated with a passion blew your dad's head off and the one that made you blind is now your dad, what do you think?"
"Tell her the truth."
"What truth? She's better off not knowing anything."
"You can hardly keep his voice up. One day something could happen and..."
"Something has happened. She doesn't need her old man's voice all the time, she just needs her hands to touch my face and she has her dad right there."
"The plastic surgery, reconstruction of a dead man's face." Phil said looking at him.
"I'm sure I can handle the rest, the voice." He said sounding like John. "Agreed?"
Phil swigged at his beer bottle.
"Speaking and looking like a man that was practically your nemesis. You know that he was Claira's nemesis."
"Just be glad he's not around then." Brad said grabbing another beer from the fridge.
"Hey, you promised Claira."
"No, you promised Claira." He said opening the bottle.
"You have anymore and I have the power to take my car keys away from you." Phil said looking at him.
Claira walked out onto the wooden porch entrance to hear Phil's 4x4 coming down the road and pulling over.
Brad got out and walked towards her.
"How many beers did you have?"
"Two otherwise Phil wouldn't have given me the keys." He said stepping up to Claira and hugged her.
"You're glad that we haven't got anyone coming over dad because you reek of beer."
"Two beers and you think I'm drunk. Do you want me to stick my head under the water for half an hour?"
"Yes, please."
"Fine, anything for you." He said leading Claira in and then went into the bathroom. He put his head under some water then grabbed a towel to dry his face then stared at himself for a while as he recognised Claira walking towards him so put the towel around his neck.
"Better?" She said reaching for him.
"Let's just say that it's a reality check." He said shivering then moved into her face and kissed her.
"Daddy?" She said as softly as she was touching his face.
"I'm right here." He said picking her up for a big hug.
Phil drove out to the Lacy home the next morning as Brad was sorting out breakfast.
"Anyone home?" He said walking through the door.
Brad looked back as he walked in.
"Hmm eggs, bacon, delicious."
"Don't tell me, you would never ask yourself but could I spare an egg and some bacon, yes?"
"Well, if it wouldn't be any problem, I think I could make room for them, please, thank you." He said moving up to him.
"I might as well put a load of oil on the bacon; it will help soak up the beers we got through last night."
"Ooops, something tells me Claira didn't let you get away with the excuses last night."
"You know you want to think about having a family, settle down like myself and maybe you'd understand." Brad said looking at him.
"I only said that because I have already had a family and been there like you have now. I don't see you following those trails anymore for jack rabbits."
"Dad would never follow any trails for them well, at least not anymore, not after." She went back to her breakfast.
Brad put the remainder of the eggs and bacon on two plates and handed one to Phil then he sat next to Claira as Phil tucked in.
"Are you okay with your breakfast darling?" Brad said making his voice sound like John as Phil looked on at Claira nodded approvingly.
Brad now looked at Phil then carried on with his breakfast.
After breakfast Claira went into the living room while Phil helped clear away the breakfast things.
"You know exactly what she wants. You lay on daddy's voice just when she needs it and she goes off merrily safe in the knowledge that her old man is right here whenever she calls."
"Dad?"
"There she goes again."
Brad moved to the kitchen entrance.
"You called."
"Could we go out for a walk later?"
"Sure. Just let me sort out the kitchen, eject Phil from the house and I'll be right with you."
He said then looked back to Phil.
"I get the message. Don't forget to come over for a beer or two later, okay."
"Whatever."
Phil now went out and Brad carried on cleaning the kitchen.
They were soon out on the walk where Brad remembered that fateful day again and stopped. Claira realised something was up and moved round to him.
He looked down and realised what Claira had done and knelt down to her.
"What would my life have been like if I never had you?"
"Are you thinking about mum?"
"No, I'm thinking about me, about us. How we got here."
"We walked down the path."
Brad laughed and hugged her.
"Yeah, we did, didn't we?" He said touching her face. "Ah, how did I deserve a beautiful baby such as you?"
"I don't know. I keep asking myself that question too."
"I wish you could see me now, here with you, holding you."
"I can feel you, dad."
"Sorry, I keep forgetting." He said then picked her up. "I love you so much Claira and I'm never ever going to let you go."
"You better not."
"Why?"
"Because I don't know how high you've got me off the ground."
Brad realised what she meant as they now laughed.
The next day Brad walked out if his bedroom and went to the kitchen to grab a glass of water when he looked out the back to see Claira holding a jack rabbit. He quickly opened the back door and went out to her.
"Claira, what are you doing out here with that thing?"
"He's an animal you chipped daddy, look." She said handing him the rabbit and the scanning device. "See..." She said as Brad passed the scanner over the rabbit.
"I can't believe..." He looked away.
"I know he was making a noise out here earlier, probably digging for the winter months or something."
"Well he can go dig somewhere else for this winter." He said throwing the rabbit away. "Come on, get back in here, you're out here in your bedroom clothes and that jack rabbit is..." He shook as the poacher side of him made him mad at the sheer thought of her caring for a rabbit.
"But daddy it's just a jack rabbit."
"I don't want to hear about it Claira. I care for you, not a damn jack rabbit." He said helping her back into the house and threw the scanner into the bin.
That afternoon Brad drove over to the games warden station where he was checking gun permits on a new set of poachers. He stayed in the background as Phil noticed him.
"Hey, do you want to do the John Lacy bit and put the fear of god in these guys?"
"After putting up with Claira holding a jack rabbit this morning they can get off lightly." He said stepping away.
Phil let the men go then grabbed two bottles of beers and went into the back and handed one to Brad.
"She started to hassle you for that micro chipping stuff again, ha?" He said sitting down.
"Just because one jack rabbit turned out to be micro chipped and it turned up on my back porch today. She told me she heard it digging a hole out back so she must have found the scanner and the chip registered on it. Who knows how many damn animals they managed to chip and she goes daddy on me thinking I may want to get back into the game." He said swallowing the contents of the bottle.
"That's one thing your gonna have to think about because she knows her old man won't put up with poachers and that John Lacy found solace in using satellites to track poacher quantities and quotas."
"Don't you start throwing that John Lacy crap at me, you should know better."
"You do look in the mirror when you shave every morning, don't you?" Phil said looking at him. "And the fact that Brad Evans never ended up in this back room every day with a beer bottle in his hand must mean something. I knew that he wasn't into that kind of thing and if he was I wouldn't believe it would have lasted as long as it has with John and I." He added looking at him.
Brad starred at him then looked away as he realised he was right.
"I know you believe that I have changed and that Claira has brought out that change in me but I am not about to go all out and restart up a programme that I was dead set against in the first place."
"Are you sure you want to use the word dead in John Lacy's case?"
"In regards to a stupid micro chipping scheme to protect jack rabbits during poaching season I would go to the ends of the earth."
"As long as Claira was right by your side as you went to this so called end of the earth, yes?"
Brad looked at him and nodded. "Well, good luck with that one." Phil added finishing his bottle. "Another one for the road?"
"One more and that's my limit."
Phil got up and grabbed two more bottles and handed one to Brad.
Brad soon returned to the house and walked in to find the kitchen bin strewn all over the marble flooring.
"Claira?" He said looking around then went into her bedroom. "Claira!" He now repeated.
"I didn't say you could come in."
"Why didn't you answer me back there?"
"Maybe my blindness has spread to my ears and I didn't hear you."
"What happened to the kitchen floor while I was out?"
"Hurh?"
"Again with the deaf ears along with the blindness. I wonder what will be next say; I know, no supper grounding, ha?" He said folding his arms.
"Why did you throw the scanning machine into the waste bin this morning?"
Brad looked at her then moved further into her bedroom.
"Err, I did?" He said covering up for his actions.
"You know you did because if I would have done it I would have scored a home run because it took me sometime to realise where the waste bin was located, not to mention the weight of the thing sitting in the bin when it's not exactly, waste!" She said jumping off her bed.
"Oh silly me, I must have forgot about it. It must have dropped from the table before I left for Phil's this morning."
"Then you were lucky I managed to stub my tow on it and wondered why a bin was so heavy only just having the bins emptied yesterday."
"Can we discuss this over dinner as I'm hungry and I believe you are also?"
"I'd rather die than to have dinner with a poacher!"
"A what?"
"You heard." She said going past him.
"Claira." Brad said stopping her.
"Leave me alone." She said pushing him away but due to her blindness she fell into the door and knocked her head.
"Claira!" Brad said grabbing her.
She looked at the blood in her hand from her head womb.
"I can't even storm out of my own bedroom properly." She said starting to cry.
Brad looked for a first aid kit but couldn't find one so drove Claira over to Phil who was just closing up for the night.
Phil noticed him running in with Claira.
"What happened?"
"She fell onto her bedroom door. We haven't got any bandages at home; do you have a first aid kit here?" He said checking Claira.
"Yeah, of course."
Brad carried her into the back as Phil handed him the first aid kit and he searched through it.
"Can you get me some water so I can clean up the blood?"
"Sure." He said going to the sink and grabbing a small bowl of water and placing it on the table. "Here."
"Thanks."
"So how did all this happen?"
Brad checked Claira then looked back.
"That damn jack rabbit."
"What, a rabbit caused her to hit her head on a door?"
"No! That scanner I told you about."
"Yeah, what about it?"
"She found it in the kitchen bin that I threw it into this morning."
"And that made her hit her head on the bedroom door?"
"Claira said she kicked the bin while in the kitchen earlier and wondered why it was so heavy. Knowing her she's probably got a bruise on her big toe too."
"Well, you would know her being Brad Evans."
"Do you mind?" He said looking at him.
Brad carried on cleaning the blood from her face. He then put a small bandage round her head and made sure she was alright then went out with Phil to have another beer.
"What are you going to do when she wakes up in the morning?"
"I don't know, play it by ear I guess, like I always have done since having Claira as my daughter."
"She doesn't deserve you."
"I'd like to think of it as I don't deserve her, especially after all this tonight. You know, back there I aged about ten years in one minute. That's the first time that kid ever scared the life out of me when I used to get off on scaring her and her old man every time I would run into them on the trail or something."
"Isn't it amazing what plastic surgery to a face can really do to the heart and mind?"
"Not to mention the voice, you know sometimes I can't keep it up. I'm just glad that all Claira really needs to do is touch my face and she's got her father right there." Brad said realising Phil was looking behind him. "What's up?"
"I think that should be, who's up?" Phil said directing his voice back.
Brad turned round to see Claira standing in the doorway.
"Oh my god, Claira." He said going to her.
"Don't touch me!" She said stepping away.
"Claira, how much did you...?" Phil asked standing up.
"Everything, Brad Evans!" She said turning to face him.
Brad looked at Phil.
"I'll, I'll..." Brad said fighting for some words to say.
"Phil, would you mind taking me back to my home, please."
"I could drive you back." Brad said moving forward to take her hand.
She quickly pulled it away.
"I don't want you anywhere near me."
"Claira."
"Don't even say my name; don't say anything to me ever again." She said moving out past him trying to feel her way to the front of the room.
"Claira, you don't know where you are..." He said looking on.
"I know exactly where I am. Phil I would like to go now."
Phil looked at Brad then moved to Claira and led her out.
"Are you sure you want me to take you back tonight, I mean with that head wound." Phil said looking at Brad.
"I just want you to get me away from that man, please." She said with tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Alright Claira." He said leading her out.
Brad watched from Phil's house as he drove her back to the Lacy home.
"Claira, about your dad..."
"He's not my dad."
"Oh yes he is. You will not find a man that would give up his life, his face, to be your father as much as Brad Evans." She looked away. "Claira, you have to realise that." He added as he slowly pulled up at the Lacy home. Phil led Claira from the van into the house. "Do you want me to get you anything before I leave?" He added watching her.
"No, I just want you to do me one favour and keep that man away from me and away from this house."
"Claira, I can't and I won't do that because whether you like it or not that man is your father and you need each other more than ever. I will give him a bed tonight but in the morning he is going to come over here and I will not stop him. Do you understand me, Claira?"
She did not answer and now moved to her room.
"I'll see you in the morning." He said then went out.
"I won't be here." She said reaching for a bag from under her bed and started to search for her clothes to load into the bag.
Phil drove back to his station where Brad was awaiting him.
"What's going on, what did she say to you?"
"That you're not her father that she doesn't want to see you again or anywhere near your house." Phil said walking into the house and grabbed a beer.
"I'm going over there."
"Brad, just give her the night. I told her that I am sending you over first thing in the morning,"
"What did she say to that?"
"Nothing."
"I'm going over there."
Phil grabbed him.
"Just sleep on it, please."
Brad looked at him then stepped away thinking of Claira.
The next day at first light, Brad drove down the road and entered the track to the Lacy home and quickly parked up and jumped out and ran straight into the house.
"Claira?" He said looking around. "Claira, are you here?" His voice fell silent as he ran into her bedroom to see a bed that had not been slept in. He now looked under her bed and noticed the bag had gone. "Damn, don't do this to me Claira." He said then grabbed his mobile and called Phil and gave him the bad news.
Phil drove out that instant and found Brad in his bedroom packing a trail bag.
"Brad?"
"Don't call me that, don't call me that ever again, do you hear me!" He said jumping up and grabbed his gun.
"I've called the other game warden that's checking the other side of the mountain. Do you know where she would have gone?"
"In her state and being blind..?" He looked away. "Anywhere."
"I'll put the whole mountain on alert for her."
"Thanks." He said moving out past him and walked down the trail into the surrounding hills.
Brad walked along the main trail as he came up to the area where the accident had happened and looked around for anything that he thought could tell him where Claira was.
"Claira, where are you?" He said looking around then shivered as he remembered the fight he had with John over the rifle.
Brad then carried on walking into the hills. He fell back into his old poaching ways and followed a trail over the hill towards the hut he used to hire out and stopped by the open spring to fill up his water bottle as he heard someone moving up behind him and he quickly picked up his shot gun.
"Step away from that water spring slowly."A poacher said moving the rifle but into his back.
Brad slowly complied with his order then turned round to see the poacher was unshaven and probably just wanted a drink too.
"Is his your hut?" He said looking at him.
"Yeah and I've been hunting for days out here and I don't need any trouble from you!"
Brad knew he had recognised him and stayed in character.
"I don't want to cause any trouble; I'm only out here to find my kid."
"You're kid?"
"Claira."
"She's blind, what the hell would a blind kid being this far away from your trail?"
"That's for me to worry about. Have you seen anyone around here while you've been out?"
"Apart from a new group on the mountain crest road after bears I haven't seen anyone sept you, Lacy." He said moving the but of his rifle closer to his throat.
"I just stopped here to fill up my bottle; I'd gladly leave you alone again without any trouble. As I said before, I just want my kid."
"Then you better be on your way and don't use this trail back to your hut again, if you want to make sure your kid still has a father in the morning." The poacher said moving out of his way.
"Thanks." He said then walked back behind the hut towards the mountain crest road. He called Phil to give him his position as the sun started to go down.
Claira followed the mountain crest road over the last hill into the mountains but because she was blind she moved away from the main trail through some dense undergrowth.
Brad carried on through the night and made it up to the mountain trail before daylight and looked at his compass for reference. He now checked his phone and found the signal blocked due to the mountains around him.
"Damn, not only have I lost my kid I've now lost contact with civilisation. Claira, where the hell are you?" He said looking around just as a jack rabbit appeared in front of him. "Don't tell me your here to mock me because I could never live up to a dead man's expectations, his aspirations even." The rabbit now disappeared into the undergrowth he had just come out of. "I can't believe I'm talking to a rabbit." He added then looked around to see the first shaft of light appearing over the mountains. "Oh, what the hell, CLAIRA!" He shouted into the night as a resting set of birds flew out of the trees next to him. "Not exactly what I was expecting, but then again." He said pulling his bag back over his shoulder and walking past the trail that Claira had taken hours before.
Claira awoke on some soft fern undergrowth and remembered where she was and quickly got to her feet as she felt the first shafts of sunlight on her face. She now stumbled around and did her best to walk further down an ever decreasing path until she realised she was lost but daren't go back as she knew Brad would not stop at anything to find her.
Brad made it to the last ranger station in the area and quickly made contact with Phil down in the valley.
"Phil, I need you to call a chopper out. I think Claira is heading for the mountain crest range but I think something has happened because I'm here and no-one has seen any kid around here for weeks."
"The chopper is out on a car crash down in the valley, I've been trying all morning to get a special request put through but I keep getting shoved back to mountain patrol."
"What do you do down there, sit on your hands? My kid is out there somewhere in the mountains and just because it's John Lacy's kid the head kill all poachers around here, suddenly nobody wants to know, ha?"
"John take it easy, I'm gonna keep trying. Just stay at the station and I'll call you when I get any news."
"I won't be here."
"What?"
"I can't wait for a chopper that could never come. I'm going down the other side of the mountain and work my way back through the fern undergrowth to the fork path."
"John, there were reports of bears in that area last week. It would be best to wait until we get a fresh set of poachers up there and search for her that way."
"I am not wasting another minute." He said dropping the receiver.
"Brad, Brad, come back." Phil said as his voice came over the speakers.
"Is that for you?" The ranger man said pointing back to the CB machine.
"No! My names John, John Lacy." He said then went to the entrance and grabbed his bag.
"Mister Lacy, I can't let you go out there without a poacher or two. You're heading straight into bear territory." The ranger said stepping forward.
Brad looked back and grabbed another set of bullets.
"Thank you." He said then went out.
He found the trail up over the mountain and started to make his way into the undergrowth. He loaded his rifle as his poaching instincts took over.
Claira held every tree as she walked around trying to find some kind of trail over the mountains and moved further away from Brad and the safety of the ranger station. Claira tripped on some ferns and fell straight to the floor.
"Ah just great if dad could see you now Claira freaking Lacy!" She said using another tree to get back up to her feet on and carried on walking again.
Brad found the fern track and made his way along it checking certain areas off the path listening for any sign of Claira and also watching out for bears.
Claira soon became tired again and sat down and brought her kit bag round and searched for her water bottle and whatever food she had left that was edible. She closed her eyes for a while then fell asleep.
Brad noticed the sun was now over the other side of the mountains and could hear a helicopter searching another part of the surrounding hills.
"Well at last, thank you Phil from the bottom of my undying heart." He said then heard a noise in front of him. He quickly jumped into a fern and looked up slowly. "Claira?" He said silently then noticed a dark shape moving through the trees. "Jesus!" He said grabbing his gun and loading it as a rather large bear moved away from him but unbeknownst to him, closer to Claira, as the bear picked up the smell of Claira's stale sandwiches.
Brad slowly moved through the ferns then followed the bear as it now reached Claira and started to pull the bag with the sandwiches in away from her.
Claira's hand caught in the handle of her bag as the bear pulled even more which tightened up her hand and made her jump up with a start. The bear now growled at her because she actually moved closer to it as she thought she was getting away.
Claira now screamed in to the air as the bear went on to its hind legs and was about to jump on a very scared and upset Claira doing all she could to get away. At that moment she heard a set of bullets fire in quick succession as the bear slumps down right in front of her.
Claira did her best and utmost to move away as she was grabbed.
"No! Leave me alone!"
"Claira, take it easy, it's me, your father." Brad said holding her.
Claira now tried to break loose.
"You're not my father!"
"Fine, can we take this conversation up back at the ranger station."
"Back there, that was a bear, wasn't it?"
"Was, yes. I think he was after your dinner though, not." He said pulling back her bag and realised her food was not good enough to eat. "You must be starving." He said grabbing his bag and checking inside for some food. "Here, try this."
"What is it?"
"Jack rabbit sandwiches." He said looking at her.
"What?"
"Well I think you would eat anything I'd say at the moment, including that bear." He said watching her take the sandwich. "It's fresh straight from the mountain ranger station this morning, sausage and bacon." He said as Claira started to eat it. "Take it easy, you'll choke. Here, have some water." He said handing her his bottle.
At that moment the helicopter flew overhead.
"You got the helicopter out over me?"
"And why not? A blind kid in bear territory, what do you expect?"
"You used your poaching skills to track the bear heading towards me, didn't you?"
"Not really, I knew you had to be around here somewhere and I was warned already about the bears in this area." He said checking his gun to make it safe.
Claira soon finished her sandwich and kept quiet as she thought to herself.
"Alright, let's get you out of here. The sun is going down and I have a good hour walk ahead of me."
"Ahead of you, well what will happen to me?"
"Well I thought you didn't want to know me after you found out who I really was." He said standing up and putting his bag on his back.
"Please don't leave me out here with all these bears around me." She said jumping up and moving her head into his side.
Brad picked her up and held her.
"I would never leave you anywhere I know that you would never feel safe without me being right there with you." He said kissing her and then started to walk back out onto the trail carrying Claira all the way.
Brad made it back to the ranger station to find the whole mountain side police force waiting for him. Phil now appeared and ran up to him.
"Thank god you two are alright." He said shaking Brad's hand and checking Claira.
"She's alright; she's with her father, where she should be." Brad said then walked into the station and put Claira on a makeshift bed in the back and made sure she was asleep before he went back out to see Phil letting all the cars go back down the mountain road.
Phil grabbed two beers from the trunk of his van and went in to Brad who was grabbing something to eat.
"Just a little something to wash that down with." He said handing him a bottle.
"Thanks."
They sat down where Brad could see Claira sleeping. Phil looked back then to Brad swallowing the contents of his bottle.
"You won't let that happen again besides I think she's finally accepted it now, Mister Lacy." He said leaning forward to touch his bottle in a salute to him.
"I wouldn't be too sure yet. Back in the hills she still tried to fight me." He said then looked at his bottle. "If I wouldn't have found her by tonight I would have sacked myself from being her father."
"So what was it like, the thrill of the chase, killing a bear again?"
"Something I don't want to repeat anymore if, I can help it."
"Maybe just a chase down to the main road will suffice you from now on ha?"
"We still need to talk but at least she's in the same room as me now and that's all I care about at the moment." He said finishing his beer. "I hope you have these on tap." He said as they both started to laugh.
Phil went out to grab a case of beers in from his van and Brad checked Claira was still sleeping silently then came back out.
"A toast, to Claira and John Lacy, may your days be forever without incident." Phil said handing him another bottle of beer.
"Let's get tomorrow over with first, ha?" Brad said then sat back down.
The next day Phil drove Claira and Brad back to their home.
"Oh, by the way, while you two were out gallivanting around the mountainside I took delivery of your now fixed van."
"I would hardly call it gallivanting." He said looking at Claira.
"I parked it up over the back and here are the keys." Phil said handing them to him.
"It's not even his van and yet..." She looked away.
"You've seen me drive before you lost your sight Claira, just because I am now driving a van that technically is your fathers, which I am, doesn't mean I would drive it any differently with you in sitting in it." He said looking at her.
"So, here we are." Phil said pulling up outside their house.
Brad jumped out and picked Claira up and put her onto the ground.
"Thanks for the ride back and for bringing back the van."
"My pleasure." He said then looked to Claira. "Take care of yourself Claira." He added then turned his van around and drove away.
Brad opened up the front door then turned round to look at Claira standing in front of him.
"Come on, Claira." He said going back to her and took her hand to lead her into their house.
Claira moved to the sofa and sat down. "Do you want to read one of your books or something?" He asked watching her.
"No, I just..."She stopped and looked away. "I just want to be left alone."
He stepped back and went into the kitchen to make some more sandwiches and came back out and placed the plate on the table in front of her.
"I've just made you some more sandwiches. They haven't got anything sinister in them as I am not about to bump you off just because you now know who I really am." He said grabbing one and sitting down next to her.
Claira slowly moved forward and grabbed one then sat back into her seat as Brad put his arm around her and gave her a small hug.
"I'm sorry for running away but, I couldn't understand why you would want to be my dad after everything, you knew dad and me..." She now jumped forward.
"Claira, take it easy, don't get yourself all upset over this."
"Upset over the fact that you chose not to tell me that the man who also made me blind is now my father? That's no reason to get upset, yeah right."
Brad now jumped up.
"I did my best to tell the doctor that they had made a mistake, that Phil had found the wrong id or whatever happened to make them give me your fathers face, but when they told me about you, the fact that you couldn't see me. Alright so I should have come clean sooner but, when you touched my face and said dad." He said then looked down to his feet.
"I remember the nurses telling me that's how I could feel you, by touching your face."
"I knew that my face meant a lot to you and I couldn't turn round and say that I wasn't your dad. The longer I left it the harder it got for me."
"How could you be John Lacy when you hated everything about him, including me?"
"Maybe it was easier knowing that you hated Brad Evans so much and the fact that being blind just made it be a whole lot better to take for me and for you."
"I should have realised when I heard you talking like Brad that something was wrong."
"Granted it's a little hard to sound like a guy I hated so much while I was looking after his kid who wanted her father so much, especially so because I looked so much like him thanks to the plastic surgery. All I had to do was work on the voice; I'll probably get there with it one day." He said trying to sound like John. Claira now started to giggle and laugh. "There, I bet that's the first time I've made you laugh like that in a long time." He said moving over to her and sitting down. Claira allowed him to hold her as they relaxed for a while.
"Dad?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you sure you want to drop the micro chipping project? I realise now that it was the poacher in you that was dying and that you was only fighting to keep it alive."
"The poacher in me will never die. If it did I don't think I could have taken that bear out before it decided to take you out over a stale sandwich situation." He said looking at her.
"Ha?"
"It doesn't matter now because you're home, you're safe and if you want me, your father is right here." He said bringing her hands to his face. "Do you understand, Claira?" He said kissing her.
"Yes, I understand, dad."
Brad smiled and hugged her.
Claira now took hold of Brad's hand which made him look at her.
"I'd just like to welcome you to the Lacy family, there's just me and my dad but the scenery all year round is very satisfying."
"I'm beginning to notice that. I love you Claira Lacy, my daughter."
"I love you too, John Lacy, my father, my dad."
"I'll accept that."
John Lacy now hugged his daughter and closed his eyes safe in the knowledge that he had won his game that he had played and collected his prize.
THE END.