Wet with sweat, he shivered as they neared the spine of the mountain. The air was thinner and laced with frozen mist. Jack glanced at the unconscious Macgyver laid on a stretcher woven from tree branches. Jack worried what this cold wind would do to Mac's already wounded lungs. The bleeding seemed to have stopped, on the outside. On one of their rests, Jack had undone the dressing and checked. Mac's shoulder was twice it's regular size. The tampons were holding. Jack redid up the elastic bandage after changing the gauze.
"How is he?" Nick huffed. The man hunched over rubbing his hands blistered from toting the other end of Mac's stretcher. Jack looked at him and frowned.
"Not good. The sooner we can get Mac off this mountain the better." Nellie put a hand on Jack's arm.
"We're almost there." She assured the older man. Jack stood up and stretched. He glanced at Nick who nodded and lifted the blonde. Mac moaned, a sound barely audible over the constant moist grinding of his lungs. Jack was relieved when his partner remained out and hoped it was more from sleep than from unconsciousness. He couldn't imagine the torture the kid must be feeling.
The sky had dimmed to a dark purple by the time they reached their destination. Jack blinked sure he'd finally gone over the cliff to crazy. One minute they are in the same deep tinder the next they're on Main Street, USA. Uncle Ernie's house was a neat white bungalow on a half acre of perfectly green lawn. A cement pathway started suddenly at the edge of the forest and winded up to the front screen door. Through a bay window curtained with lace, Jack could see the golden glow of electricity. Jack almost cried.
Behind the house were two long buildings. One made of wood and bark reminded Jack of the Shoshoni lodges he'd seen in museums. The other was a greenhouse. Jack nodded and smiled. The herb Uncle Ernie made his money from was probably marijuana. To maintain this house in the middle of this inhospitable woods had to cost a buttload.
"We're here," Nellie said her voice despondent as if she were looking at gallows waiting to be hung. Jack had noticed the girl had been steadily walking close beside him. Now they almost brushed elbows. He could feel her fear.
"Hey," He murmured. Nellie looked at him terrified. Jack wondered what horrors awaited them behind the traditional facade that could scare the girl who'd faced a hoard of cannibals. He wished his hands weren't full; he wanted to hug the girl and make all her fear go away, "I'm not gonna let anything happen to you, ok?" Nellie swallowed and nodded, but none of her fear eased. She gently rested a hand on his arm.
"Thanks, Jack. It'll be fine." Nellie turned and walked to the door. Jack didn't like the fatalism in her voice or the slump of her shoulders. Nick's back was ramrod straight and his fist white-knuckled around the handles of their makeshift litter. Whatever the history was here, it wasn't right. Jack mentally braced himself.
The man who answered the door was not what Jack was expecting. The man was tall and fat, his shoulders hunched forward and his long arms hung forward like a gorilla's. His long silver hair was pulled back in a thinly braided bull whip. His dark eyes peeked out of a bushy nest of black hair that bloomed around a thin hawkish nose.
"Belle, you've returned to me." The man's voice was smooth velvet almost soothing; it was creepy. Jack pictured a tarantula waiting to pounce on its lunch. Unlike Nellie's folks, this man's voice had no accent, and he sounded well educated. The man wrapped his giant paws around Nellie who stood frozen in his embrace her arms at her side. The girl's head fell, and she bit her lip holding back tears. Jack's eyes narrowed. There was something possessive and cruel about the man's embrace. Jack did not like Uncle Ernie and believed that they all might be better off if he snapped the dude's neck right now. Jack's eyes fell on Mac's bleached face. All of them except Mac. Jack gritted his teeth.
"Th...these are friends of mine, Uncle…" Nellie started her voice wound with tension.
"No! I told you what to call me!" The man's tone never changed, but Jack could feel menace radiate from the man. Nellie's skull fit into one of Ernie's massive hands, and he cupped it as if he wanted to smash it like a coconut.
"Y...yes, Master." Nellie looked down. Jack growled his muscles were tightening. The man smiled his teeth a perfect row of silver daggers in the moon's light. Ernie patted Nellie on the cheek then pushed her toward the house. Nellie almost ran into the house shaking with bottled crying. Ernie studied the two men. He smiled at Nick who stiffened and looked down.
"You're the outsider staying with Ma and Pa." Nick nodded. Ernie dismissed him and studied Mac. The man frowned and sighed. Jack frowned thrown a bit. Ernie looked genuinely concerned. He glanced up at Jack, barely noticing him. "Bring him in quickly; this cold isn't good for him. What happened? Those bloodthirsty beasts?" Jack nodded. Ernie walked beside them and held open the door. Mac coughed and moaned as Jack and Nick worked the stretcher through the door.
Jack had a second to enjoy the warmth and the light of electricity before being led to a small bedroom. Jack and Nick moved Mac onto the bed. Mac's eyes snapped open wide as plates. He coughed and curled into a ball. Jack knelt in front of Mac and ran his fingers through the kid's hair wincing at the heat starting to seep through the outdoor's chill. Mac gasped and clung to Jack's arm. Jack rubbed Mac's arm gently.
"We're ok, bud." Jack hoped he was telling the truth. Ernie dragged Nick out of the room and started hissing orders in the same language as Nellie's family. Jack felt his hackles rise. The place didn't inspire good feelings. Rows of dried plants and herbs and rows of animal skins, skulls, and things in jars ranging from a giant black scarab to tiny eyeballs floating in yellow Jell-O covered every inch of wall space.
"Jack." Jack turned back to Mac and smiled. Mac's blue eyes were hazy with pain but calm as they studied Jack.
"Hey, kiddo how do you feel?" Mac grimaced and coughed. Jack wiped the froth from his mouth. Mac seemed to be coughing up less blood. Jack hoped like hell that was a good thing.
"What's wrong?" Mac whispered his eyes were roving the room with curiosity, "looks like we're in a witches house." Jack breathed out with relief at the quirked corners of Mac's mouth. "One with electricity?"
"Yeah, these mountains are freaky dude. This guy served in 'Nam and grows some pakalolo in the backyard. He's a...somebody of Nellie's." Mac raised an eyebrow not missing the razor's edge that came into Jack's voice.
"Nellie?" Mac asked frowning. Jack's worry returned.
"Yeah, girl that faced off with me against the choppers down the mountain?" Mac nodded his eyes heavy. Jack sighed. "You get some rest, brother. I'll see what's going on." Mac's head fell to the side. Jack glanced around the room and spotted a stack of old quilts under the skeleton of a baby alligator. Jack pulled a couple from the bottom of the pile. He put one under Mac's head and the other over his partner.
Jack searched the room for a weapon. He found a thick wooden paddle behind the door. He slid it under Mac's bed and stepped from the room. Jack grinned as he passed a small but blessedly normal bathroom. There were two other bedrooms, one contained only a king sized bed the other a bed piled to the ceiling with boxes and junk. Jack made his way to the living room. His eyes raised. It was a combination living room and kitchen. The center was a firepit made of stones fitted together so tightly there was no need for mortar or cement. Bookshelves every wall. The kitchen looked similar to the room Mac was in, only with food on the shelves.
Nick knelt beside the firepit glaring at the flames as if he were trying to freeze them. He glanced up at Jack. Jack was surprised. In the bright overhead lights, he looked younger than Jack guessed, barely past his teens.
"Where's Nellie?" Jack asked softly leaning closer to the fire. He finally felt the chill in his bones ease.
"He took her to the wives' house." Nick spat the words out as if he were chewing gristle. Jack frowned.
"Wives as in plural?" Nick nodded.
"He has seven, Nellie's the youngest. They've been married since she was 11." Jack leaned back hissing in surprise.
"11? That's fucking insane!" Jack stood up and paced. His hands squeezed into fists. She'd escaped this monster, and he'd brought her right back. Jack growled.
"Where are they?" Nick looked up and shook his head.
"The wives live in lean-tos about a quarter of a mile back in the woods. One is a doctor, and I think another is a nurse. Nellie promised to bring them back. She's also bringing clean clothes and meat for the fire." Jack grimaced at the meat not sure he'd ever see steak in the same way again.
"This nutbar's ok with all this?" Nick huffed and stood up. He wobbled between feet as if he didn't know which direction to pace.
"He's grateful to us for bringing his wife back." Nick looked sick. Jack put a hand on Nick's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, bud. If I'd known…" Nick shook his head and took a deep breath.
"No, Jack, I'm sorry. This is Mac's only chance. I just wish…" Nick looked through the kitchen to the back door and sighed.
"We'll be outta here first thing in the morning." Nick looked at Jack worried.
"Don't trust him, not for a second." Jack's eyes narrowed.
"Is Mac…"
"No, he'll help Mac, bringing us into his house it's a matter of pride, sort of an unspoken rule of hospitality. But he won't let Nellie leave, and I'm not leaving her here. If you knew…" Nick's eyes shined wet. Jack held up a hand.
"I get the idea." Nick leaned forward and grabbed the older man's forearm his nails digging in.
"No you don't," the kid hissed. "He's gonna sell us for more wives." Jack raised an eyebrow.
"Sell?" Nick sat back on the floor beside the fire. Jack perched on the edge of the firepit.
"It's the economy up here. The cannibals shoot down planes or capture hikers or anyone that comes here. They give them to the families in exchange for…" Nick looked away.
"For?"
"The old or feeble sometimes babies if there's too many." Jack's stomach churned. He'd been around the world but had never heard of anything so fucked up in his life. Jack waited crossing his arms across his chest. "The women and girls are folded into the families or sold to other traders on the mountains. Sometimes other girls from the outside are sold to the people up here." Jack got up and paced gritting his teeth in rage.
"Cannibals, trafficking, drugs, moonshine, pedophilia...What the fuck is the government doing about all this?" He growled. Nick shrugged.
"After too many of them disappeared, they stopped coming." Jack nodded and ran a hand through his hair. After hiking along the faint trails, Jack could understand how impossible it would be to police this area. Jack paused, fire in his eyes.
"I tell you this, kiddo. Before I leave this cesspit, I am going to do my best to clean out all these snakes." Nick looked up at him surprised and stood up eye to eye with Jack. He studied the older man wanting to believe him. Jack nodded. "You and Nellie are coming with us, no matter what, but we are doing some housekeeping before we leave." Nick grinned and took Jack's hand shaking it furiously unable to speak. Jack nodded. The back door opened before he could say anything.
Ernie walked in carrying a dead piglet. Jack had been raised on a ranch and in no way was squeamish, but somehow in Ernie's hands, it felt dirty as murder. Behind Ernie walked three women. Two were older than Nellie, probably Jack's age. Their plane faces were solid as stone; their eyes burned with cold fire behind the emotionless masks. Nellie was last in line. Her eyes were red, swollen, and never left the floor. She walked with a limp. Jack glared at Ernie with a silent promise of pain and death. Ernie didn't notice.
Nellie moved to the kitchen and began to pull out pans. Ernie brought in the pig slapping it on a stone counter. He paused to cup her head and leaned in close either kissing or whispering in her ear. Jack could see the girl shake. Nellie nodded. Ernie turned leaning over the fire stabbing it with a steel iron stoking it into a wild hot flame. Jack took a step forward ready to stick the poker up Uncle Ernie's creepy ass until it came out his eyes. Nellie's wide eyes met his, and she shook her head. He paused. She gave him a brave half-smile and mouthed the word "Mac." Jack bit his cheek and nodded giving Ernie a final glare. He glanced at Nellie giving her a silent promise. Nellie nodded then whirled back to chopping vegetables as Ernie stood up. He smiled at Jack and held out a hand. Jack almost bit his tongue in half. The man's grip was liquid and weak.
"I'm Ernie Raymond. You are Jack Dalton?" Jack nodded glad he didn't have to talk. He didn't trust himself to say anything nice. He wasn't as well put together as Mac, and it was taking all he had not to kill the mother where he stood.
"Connie and Ellen will help your friend. Feel free to use the bathroom. I have water that is pumped directly from a mountain stream; it's better than any bottled water I'd ever tasted." Again Jack nodded. Ernie yawned. He glanced at a wooden clock on the wall. "I have to harvest tonight so that I won't be back in until dawn." The hairs on Jack's neck stood on end. He wondered why Ernie was lying.
"Oh, we won't be in your hair any longer than we have to. I don't suppose you could do me a favor?" Jack asked his voice light and friendly. Ernie looked at him and nodded. "Well, my...son is very sick. I know your ladies are gonna patch him up, and I sure appreciate that it shows what a great guy you are…." taking us in and all." Jack gritted his teeth by managed to keep on his golly-gee happy face. As he'd hoped Ernie preened under the praise." But m'boy after being down in the cannibal hellhole...he's nervous around strange faces. I'm sure someone like you is smart enough to already pick up on that? Well, Nellie bless her soul helped him all the way back up here. Can she stay to watch over him? Just for tonight? I sure would appreciate your hospitality in this matter."
Ernie's eyes blazed with anger. His nose twitched as he swallowed an angry sneer. Jack's smile was a little more genuine. Mac would be proud of him. Jack had invoked the hidden rule of hospitality, making Nellie staying a matter of pride. Ernie still wasn't convinced. Jack decided to bring it home.
"I know you don't need a little thing like her to harvest your...crops, do you? It would be appreciated like more than you know." Ernie sniffed and nodded.
"Fine. Belle can stay here until I'm done tonight." Before Jack could gush his fake gratitude, Ernie turned and stalked out the back door slamming it behind him. Jack and the whole house breathed out in relief. Nellie ran up to Jack and threw her arms around him. Jack held her feeling her shake. She leaned back.
"Thank you!" Jack nodded looking down his face felt warm. Nellie embraced
Nick and they leaned in close murmuring to each other. Jack turned and went to Mac's room. The two women had him stripped, and the older woman was sewing up his shoulder. The younger one was giving the kid a bed bath. Mac laid stiffly, his eyes scrunched shut, his face red as a tomato. Jack chuckled. Mac looked over at him desperate pleading in his eyes.
"Having fun?" Jack asked. Mac gave Jack a full wattage glare. Jack laughed. "Well next time maybe you should duck the crossbow." Mac gritted his teeth and hissed in pain as the woman working his shoulder pulled on something. Jack almost felt sorry for teasing his partner, almost.
"Jack, do you have any idea what I can make a DVD player do when it plays...I don't know Die Hard?" Jack grimaced.
"Now that's just cold, brother." Mac moaned his arms curling around his middle. He closed his eyes his forehead furrowed with pain.
"Remember that old man," Mac growled.