School's out for the Summer
Raylan had been so wrapped up in the Crowder clan's issues as well as his quick trip to Miami that he had lost all sense of time. He had been dumbfounded by the offer to return to his old Florida office. If it had happened a month earlier he would have surely jumped on it, but now – now it just didn't feel right. And he couldn't believe Art was so eager to get rid of him.
"So you're ready to ship me back so easily?" he asked his boss one morning.
"I figured it was what you wanted, return to the big city. Nate could go back to what he considered his home. You know it's not just you that I've been dealing with."
"Oh, so now you not only are done with me, but my son as well. I didn't see any complaints when you stepped up to keep him while I went to Miami, but now you don't like him anymore?"
"No, it's not that, I love that kid, he's great, but, like you he is a gigantic pain in my ass. I spend more time with him than I do my own wife and that's because he is constantly in here due to one adventure or another that went awry. He reminds me just a bit too much of you."
"Well he always says he wants to be like me," Raylan said with a smile.
"Wants to? Wants to – Raylan he is you, just two feet shorter, but at least he hasn't shot anybody…yet. I'm too old for this shit. I take it you didn't share the job offer with him?" Art asked cocking an eyebrow.
"No, he wouldn't take the news of my declining the offer all that well. I'm actually surprised myself to tell you the truth. But apparently I don't mind being where I'm not wanted."
"Oh you're wanted; it's just that you come with so many issues that seem to trail behind you. That and the fact you have problems listening and separating common sense and the job at hand," Art said thinking of Raylan's relationship with Ava.
"It's just that suddenly this seems like the right place to be, that my background in Harlan is important. Knowing how holler living works, my ties to the community, it seems to make a difference."
"Oh it makes a difference," Art said sighing.
Raylan had thought of returning to Miami and how happy it would make his son, but all he could focus on was what he had accomplished in Harlan; helping Loretta out of the trunk of that car when she had been kidnapped made so much of it worthwhile. Also, his knowledge of what made Harlan tick, might just be the difference maker. He had a history with the people and the place in this corner of the world and that just couldn't be replicated. Also the thought of raising Nate on his own in the place that took Nadine just didn't seem right, like he was trespassing on something he had no part of. Kentucky was home, Kentucky was his, his and Nate's. Whether it made sense or not didn't matter, he had no plans to go anywhere soon.
Since they had moved to Kentucky in March, the school year was quick to end, causing Raylan to scramble in finding summer care for his son. He found a day camp forty-five minutes south of Lexington but Nate wasn't the least bit interested in the program. He attempted to cajole, beg, plead and coax his son to take on the challenge of the camp but Nate had no desire to take on the wild, even during the daytime.
"I don't want to!" he said for the tenth time.
"They have swimming, boating, fishing, nature walks, archery; don't you want to shoot a bow and arrow?"
"No, shooting my gun is fine; I don't need a bow and arrow. I hate the woods, insects and nature."
"Oh you do not. Look I need to have you somewhere this summer and this is the best thing I could find."
"Well it sucks. I want to stay at home. Tommy's mother is home around one o'clock every day why I can't I stay here until then and head to their house after she gets home?"
"Because you'll be at camp," Raylan said.
"Give me one good reason I should go to that stupid camp?" Nate asked his arms folded his face reflecting his frustration.
"Because I'm the dad and I said so."
"Well it's stupid and I'll hate it," the boy said spinning around and heading to his room.
"Well it's up to you if you hate it or not," Raylan called after him. "You could always go to camp Arlo and spend your summer in Harlan."
"I'm not a baby, I can stay by myself," Nate yelled back down the hallway
"I know you're not a baby but you are still too young to spend all day alone."
"Just cause people are intent on killing you doesn't mean I'm in danger and besides I'll be twelve in a few months."
"In five months," Raylan emphasized. "If you want to continue to talk about this then come back into the living room where we can have a civilized conversation."
"What's the point, you won't listen to me anyway," Nate yelled and then slammed his bedroom door.
Raylan was ever so grateful that Winona was on her way to brighten his evening. She had been around more and more and even though she had come around for some nighttime recreation she had yet to spend the entire night. They had discussed it and even though he was more than ready, she was still hesitant where Nate was concerned. Raylan having learned his lesson with Ava decided not to argue and followed Winona's lead on this one.
"Trouble in paradise," she asked upon her arrival. "You look a little stressed there darlin."
"Oh just an almost twelve year old who thinks he knows everything," he said before he went to explain his decision and the ensuing argument.
"Ah the camp debate; I bet you that once he gets going he'll change his mind and love it," she assured.
"Hmmm, I hope so."
Nate hadn't taken to camp at all, complaining all evening how stupid it was so in exchange for silence Raylan promised him that they would spend time together that weekend. He had a plan that he couldn't believe he hadn't thought of before. As a lawman he was much more aware of what went on around him and as a father who was a lawman he drilled these same things into Nate. But he had lapsed in one area and decided that on Saturday they would work on a certain survival skill.
After tracking Loretta down and pulling her from the trunk of her kidnapper it got Raylan to thinking of a father son activity, he couldn't believe he had never worked on a trunk escape plan. But little did he know the fall-out that would greet him on Monday.
"Mr. Givens I have some serious concerns regarding your son," Head Counselor Williams told him that afternoon. "According to your son he spent much of his weekend locked in a trunk and when he was asked how this happened he said you threw him in there."
"He told you all this?" Raylan asked.
"Well, Kevin his counselor overheard him telling another camper that he had gotten out of the trunk on his own. When he asked him to tell her more about it he clammed up so he sent him to me. I finally got him to tell me what happened."
"And he told you it was an exercise we were doing?"
"Yes, he said something about escape drills, but then he told me I just didn't understand and wouldn't say any more."
"Ms. Williams, I did have Nate climb in a trunk this weekend, actually two trunks and it was for an escape drill."
"Why in the world would you do that? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?" she practically yelled.
"First of all I am a federal marshal and yes we do view the world differently and for good reason. In fact my reason for doing this was the fact that I pulled a fourteen year old girl from a pedophile's trunk not long ago. So yes I thought it was a good idea to teach my son to get out of a trunk, to face the darkness and be able to think clearly and do whatever he needed to get out of the dark confines of a locked trunk. And you know what, he impressed the hell out of me," Raylan said his voice getting louder and beginning to attract attention.
"I see, well it appears you have your reasons though I don't agree with your methods I'm glad I know what was going on."
"I assure you that he was never in danger, I was there the whole time and had the ability to get him out at any time. "
The conversation finally ended and Tim was just staring at Raylan. "Oh you've got to fill me in," he said smiling.
"What are we doing again?" Nate asked as Raylan pulled into the salvage yard.
Raylan didn't want to give Nate the details of Loretta's kidnapping so he had been vague as to the reason they were visiting the graveyard of cars. "I thought this would be an important thing for you to learn. You never know one day we may be taken hostage and they might stuff you in the trunk and I'll need your help so you'll need to know how to get out," Raylan explained.
"Right, whatever," the boy said rolling his eyes.
"Now first I'm going to put you in the trunk of our car. It has the emergency release so it shouldn't be too hard. But it will be dark and hot and small and you need to learn not to panic and keep your breathing even. I'll be right here the whole time and I won't leave you. If you get too scared and can't get out I will open it for you okay?"
Nate nodded and walked over to the trunk and waiting for Raylan to open it. Once the lid popped up he pushed his dad's hands back, declining the offer of assistance, saying he could climb in himself. He put one leg in then the other. Raylan once again reminded him to stay calm and that he would be right there. Nate got situated and then Raylan winked and shut the trunk. Raylan stood still and listened to his son moving around inside, he suppressed the urge to ask if he was okay. Less than a minute later the trunk popped open and Nate sat up with a smile.
"It took a minute for my eyes to adjust, I didn't want to flail around in there and get hurt," he said calmly.
"Well good for you that is very smart thinking. Do you think you could do it if your hands were tied?" Raylan asked bringing out his handcuffs.
Nate smiled. "Bring it on!"
"That's my boy."
And so it went, they did it several times until it was no longer a challenge. They then moved on to an older model. "Okay this car doesn't have the release so you know what you have to try and do?" Nate shook his head no. "You have to try and kick the brake light out, it won't be easy and honestly I'm not sure if you're strong enough. But you are small enough that you can maneuver your body around and get some good leverage and push with your feet. Do you want to try it?"
"Yes sir," Nate said biting his lower lip.
"It won't be as easy and don't worry if you can't get it. If it happened for real you would have a lot more adrenaline."
"I want to try it. What about the trunk release. I mean if there is one for the driver it has to have a cable to the trunk right?"
"Ah. such a smart boy, true enough, it would and probably worth a try if you can find it. Pull up the carpet and feel around for it on the driver's side. But be aware it will be a wire cable and not easy to hold and pull. I don't want you to cut your hand."
"Okay, duly noted," Nate said resolutely.
"Now I have the latch blocked so it won't really catch and it will never be truly locked. I also checked and it does have a driver side release that I already checked and it works, plus the backseat goes down so you can get out that way."
"Well then latch the trunk," Nate said.
"No, I think we'll stick with it the way I have it set up. Safety first times three," Raylan said smiling. "Now get on in there."
Nate climbed and nodded as Raylan closed the lid on him and plunging him into darkness. He wiggled around and found the seam of the so called carpet and pulled it up. The vehicle was older and some of the carpet crumbled into tiny pieces as he tugged on it. He felt the cable but found that his father had been correct in saying it wouldn't be easy to manipulate. He couldn't get a good grip on the thin cable and his sweaty hand just slipped with his efforts. He felt around for any kind of tool that might be useful but came up empty. He then felt around for the tail light; his fingers felt the edge of the cover and though it was far from easy he eventually pried the back off exposing the wires. He pulled a handful of wires out and then maneuvered his body around so his foot was against the light. Nate then began to push hard and found there was some give to it. His foot was small enough that it fit inside the well but he feared if he tried to kick he would miss and hurt himself so he stuck with steady pushing against the red light. He finally heard a crack and found his toes were in the daylight. He kept at it but found the other piece stubborn and unyielding.
Raylan saw his son's toes briefly and heard his renewed efforts at the remaining taillight. He heard Nate shifting and grunting with his efforts and finally pulled the trunk open. "Great job kiddo," Raylan praised.
"I only got half of it out," Nate complained as Raylan helped him from the dark hole.
"Well that's enough for you to stick your hand out and draw attention and besides I bet if you kept after it you would have broken that part off as well."
"Then let me try Dad," Nate complained.
"No I think that's enough for the day. You did great."
"Not as good as I could have. I found the cable but you were right it was too hard to grasp." He said as he bent down examining the damage to the taillight. He began to pull at it with his fingers but found it still wouldn't budge.
"Nate leave it alone, come on let's get you home so you can shower and get something to eat."
The boy looked disgusted and looked into the trunk for anything that might have helped him in his efforts. He was still searching when Raylan pulled him away. "Time to go, be proud of your efforts son."
"But I didn't meet the objective," Nate complained.
"Sure you did, you could have stuck your fingers through there, maybe even your whole hand."
"But we don't know that and we don't know if I would have eventually kicked out the rest of the light because you wouldn't let me try," Nate said stubbornly.
"That's right; it was my call and I say you did enough, now let it go."
Nate crossed his arms and grudgingly and climbed into the passenger seat.
"So that was my weekend," Raylan finished the story with a sigh.
"Wow, so did Nate get over his tizzy about not meeting his goal?" Tim asked.
"Eventually, but it took a while. He wants to go back this weekend."
"You going to take him?"
"Nah, I'm afraid of the damage he might inflict to the car and himself. He can be a boy possessed when he wants to be."
"Hmm, wonder where he gets that from." Tim said smiling.