by: iluvaqt@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: As per default chapter.
iluvaqt's Notes: How are we progressing? Your feedback always means a lot to me. Thanks guys.
Chapter 5 -
November 22nd 2020, Late afternoon,
Lounge, Walker Ranch
Jondy sat next to Syl on the couch, while Krit stood by the fireplace. Mary, who held Leo on her knee, sat opposite the girls, and Buddy occupied the only armchair in the room. They'd all shared tea and biscuits, while Syl spoke about Adam. Jondy commented occasionally, but mostly answered questions about Leo.
"Logan said that Adam didn't want to remember his past…" Buddy interjected.
Syl bristled and grit her teeth, her blood reaching boiling point even before the ignorant man's last words left his mouth. 'Logan didn't give a rat's ass what Zack wanted.'
Krit could see that his partner was about to launch into a bloody retaliation at the suggestion that Zack wanted to forget about them. He decided to jump in before anyone lost an eye. "Ah, if you'll allow me to set a few things straight?"
He hadn't said more than a 'hello and thank you' since they got there, so everyone turned to stare at him when he spoke up. Good, he had their attention, for the moment.
"Firstly, Logan would have been helping out the girl. The one you talked about, Buddy - Max, wasn't it? She works for Eyes Only. So did Zack, or Adam, as you know him. They used to work on assignments together, the last one they did, didn't quite turn out as planned."
Krit knew he was treading a highwire. He couldn't be sure just how much Logan had chosen to divulge to Buddy. He thought his best bet would be to stick as close to the truth as possible without revealing too much.
"Logan was right in telling you that Zack has a dangerous past. Which is why it's important that he remember it. If he doesn't know who he is, how do you expect he can defend himself when his past catches up with him? And believe me, it will."
Buddy looked to be digesting the information, whilst Mary just looked even more anxious. Syl chose to plough on before the couple had time to over analyse what had been said.
"We're not here to take him away. We just want a chance to talk to him. Too see if he can remember us at all. Wouldn't you want the same if you'd lost someone, only to find out their still alive?"
"You thought he was dead?" Mary asked in astonishment.
Krit flashed Syl a warning look. It was too late to take it back. Damn, she hated when she reacted emotionally. If she had a weakness, that was it. She was never a sob or love-struck idiot, but she had a wild jealous streak and she had to admit, she was impulsive at times.
Glancing at Jondy for a moment - who was staring blankly at Leo - she answered honestly. "After we didn't hear from him for months, we thought he was. We knew who he was working for, but we never had any way to contact him…it's been torture."
Jondy couldn't hold it back any longer. For the past hour, she'd tried to remain objective while conversation floated around her. Mary and Buddy seemed like really nice people. They were a happy married couple. From the way they spoke about Adam, Jondy realized how much they cared for him, without even really knowing about his past or his family. Here they were deliberately holding back his location. They were grilling them because they wanted to protect him. If they only knew the reason she had risked everything to see Zack, even if it was only to say goodbye, she knew they would help. Tears filled her eyes and slipped down her cheeks. "Leo's his son," she burst out.
Mary stared down at the child and instinctively knew, without a doubt, the woman's claim was true. She also now understood why these people had come so far. Without any prompting and not waiting for her husband to comment, she told them where Zack was. "Adam is up at the cabin. He won't be down for at least a week."
Abruptly, Jondy stood. "I'm going there."
Buddy stood just as quickly. "Are you sure you can't wait a while? He'll be down in a few days. You can settle here for now and get a chance to see how he's fit in around here."
Jondy shook her head, her red tresses swaying against her back with the movement. "This has waited too long already. I just have to see him. I don't want to force his memory. I just need to see him for myself."
"Well I'll go with you," Syl said getting up, ready to trade blows with anyone that said otherwise.
Turning to her sister, Jondy gave her a pleading look. "I need to go alone. I'm trusting that you'll watch over Leo while I'm gone. I'll be back later tonight."
Syl wasn't happy, but she reluctantly accepted her sister's wish. For the next twenty minutes. The house became a hive of activity. Mary loaned Jondy her snow jacket, she'd thought of boots, but they'd turned out to be too big.
"She'll be riding, and the cabin has a stable that comes off the side of the veranda, you shouldn't have to get into snow," Buddy argued. "Some gloves and she's good to go."
"Here." Mary handed Jondy a saddlebag. It was heavy and packed to the brim. "You can say I sent you up with some supplies."
Jondy accepted it with a grateful smile. "Thanks."
When they had Jondy ready to go. Mary led them down to the stables. Jondy had wrapped Leo in a blanket and put his beanie back on so Syl carry him outside. They found Buddy waiting, a horse saddled and bridled, ready to go. The horse was a dusty gray Mustang. She neighed softly when Jondy approached, and at her touch, the horse nudged her hand gently.
"Head towards the cattle shed, there's a big coral to the side of it. Mind the river. It's mostly frozen, but the ice is thin. Follow the river until you reach the bridge. Go over, and then head straight ahead till you reach the gate, after that head North West till you hit the tree-line. Let Shadow lead from there, she knows the trail. Going steady, it'll take about an hour to reach cabin. Take this with you." Buddy handed Jondy a two-way radio. "If you run into any trouble, you can reach us down here."
Jondy nodded and slipped the radio into her jacket pocket. Gripping either side of the saddle with both hands, she pulled herself into the seat. Buddy passed her the reins and Jondy turned Shadow to face the barn doors. She had never ridden a horse before. She hoped that she looked competent. She wasn't going to waste time with lessons. And she certainly didn't want Buddy to offer his services as a guide and riding companion. The man was kind enough, it was just that she wasn't comfortable with the idea of being left alone in his company.
Men made her uncomfortable. Sure as a dancer she'd had to perform and entice them, but that's all it had ever been, a performance. The only other close contact men had with her, was a boot in the gut or a fist in the face. That was what a guy earned if he thought he could make moves on her. Which was what made Zack's accusations all those months ago even more ludicrous. She could count on one had the number of times she'd succumbed to her heat induced urges. And every time, with the exception of once, she had felt disgusted and frustrated with herself afterward. She'd never fallen for anyone before Zack, and hadn't since.
"Syl, Leo should have one warm bottle in his bag. He'll want it in about an hour, and then he'll go down for a nap. I should be back before his next feed time, if not, mash the banana and give that to him. Warm his smaller bottle for about 20 seconds in the microwave and give it to him at six. He'll sleep through most of the night. Although, I'm sure I'll be back before then," Jondy said.
Syl came closer and held Leo up to Jondy as leaned down for a kiss. "Mamma will be back soon BOM, be good for Aunty Syl." After kissing her son, she smiled down at her sister. "Wish me luck."
Growing up, the term luck was as foreign to them as mommy and daddies. They'd been taught that nothing happened by accident and that failure was a result of poor preparation and lack of skill. But somehow, when Jondy asked it of her now, it didn't sound like such a silly request. "Good luck, Dee."
Looking out ahead, Jondy stared at the winter wonderland outside. All of a sudden she felt cold, and she shivered. Shaking her head, she forced herself to focus and remain calm. 'You're going to do this, and everything's going to turn out fine.' Gathering the reins in her hands, she nudged Shadow into a trot. Slowly, they passed through the barn doors.
Syl watched till she could no longer see Jondy and Shadow. Their shape disappeared into the white mist. The snow fell steadily, the wind whipping it into a thick fog.
"You guys must be starving. Did you have anything to eat on the way?" Mary asked.
Krit shook his head. "Jondy feed Leo on the way. We didn't stop."
"I have fresh apple pie in the kitchen, and I'll start on dinner. How does roast beef sound?"
"Delicious," Krit replied enthusiastically. He'd smelt the apple pie when they arrived. It had, had his stomach churning hungrily, since. If her cooking was half as good as it smelt they were in for a real treat.
Syl smiled to herself as she followed the group into the house. Krit and food. One thing she'd learned about her partner in crime, was that he and food were inseparable. He took his food very seriously. There was no such thing as sharing when it came to his food. He was a firm believer in, "You order it, you eat it," and "If you want it, order it. Don't pick off my plate." She'd learnt that one the hard way. He'd sulked the rest of their meal at a diner once, after she'd taken a sip of his milkshake. For weeks after he hadn't taken her out again. She couldn't understand it. Why not order another one if he was so cut up about it? He'd argued that, that wasn't the point. It was his order, if she'd wanted a milkshake, she should have gotten her own. Sighing, she walked up the back stairs of the house. Turning for one last look at the spot she'd last seen Jondy, she cuddled Leo, squeezing him gently. He hadn't once made a fuss as he watched his mother ride away. Hopefully, the rest of the day would be just as easy.
The mountain trail, Walker Ranch
Above the trees ahead, Jondy could just make out a thin spiral of smoke. The forest cover wasn't dense, but the bushy pine trees cut out most of the wind. The snow was still falling, but since she'd left the open field, it had eased up quite a bit. Judging from the distance she'd already covered, Jondy estimated that she couldn't be far off now. Not wanting to push the horse, they'd taken a little longer than Buddy had said. She knew an hour had gone by already. She could tell by dull glow just visible in the sky. Measuring how low the sun was, it was past four o'clock. Syl would have put Leo down for his nap by now.
Jondy relaxed in the saddle, one hand rested against her thigh and the other was placed over the reins that were loosely wrapped around the horn. She had let Shadow lead and plod at her own pace for several miles. The cold was biting her nose and she rubbed it a little. White specks blurred her vision and she reached up. She had snowflakes on her lashes and eyebrows. Grinning like a child, she dusted the snow. Pulling off one glove, she opened her palm, catching a few snowflakes. Closing her eyes, she tilted her face to the sky, letting snow fall against her skin. It was so soft, like feathers, only icy. Deep in thought, Jondy didn't notice the dark shadow moving in the trees until it cut off their path.
The bear roared and Jondy almost jumped out of the saddle with fright. In a reflex action she gathered the reins in her hands, and pulled back hard. Shadow squealed, her eyes wide. In response to the jerk action of her rider and the sudden appearance of the bear, the horse took a step back and reared up her hind legs in protest.
Jondy was thrown from the saddle and hit her head, slumping unconscious against a tree trunk. Shadow took another few steps back out of the bear's swiping range. She kicked and jumped, and pawed the air with her front legs. Loudly shrieking and tossing her head wildly, she positioned herself between Jondy and the bear.
Adam was sitting in the old rocker by the fireplace, dozing when he heard the noise. He'd been tracking the old grunt for a while now. It always disappeared off the property and then returned. The Walkers Ranch bordered, the local National Park. Once it left the property it was protected. But when it trespassed, they were within their rights to get rid of it. The bear preyed on the cattle and was a danger to the workers. True, during the winter neither were about, but it was the best time to track the grisly. Right now, he had all the time in the world to run around after it. Once the winter was through, there'd be too many other demands on his time. Whatever the bear was after now, it was sure getting loud and insistent about it. Maybe it was a mountain lion and his bear. It would certainly make things interesting.
It was then that another sound became clear. Between the sound of the bear and the crackling of the fuel in the fireplace, he heard a sounded he'd grown familiar with. It was Shadow, and she was in trouble.
Adam didn't waste another second. Jumping into his boots with both feet, he hoped that Mary wasn't riding her. Capable as the woman was, he hated to picture her up against a grisly bear with nothing but a horse between them. He'd grown very fond of the woman, she was like a mother to him. He couldn't remember his mother. He often wondered if he'd ever even had one. He didn't have any pictures. Buddy said, when he arrived at the ranch looking for work, three years ago, he'd almost nothing bar the clothes on his back.
Not bothering with a coat, Adam picked up his shotgun, and swung open the door. Bounding down the stairs, he was down the hill so quick he didn't even have to blink and he was there. The display unfolded before him like one of the many animal films Mary liked so much. Shadow was confronting the bear, even as it made an aggressive move to strike. Noticing Shadow's empty saddle, Adam did a quick scan for the rider. It wasn't Mary, he should have felt relief over his initial concern, but he didn't. The woman was pale in the face and very still. She was lying in the snow, her head a tree. Shadow was protecting her. He couldn't believe it, it just look too surreal.
He knew the gun was loaded, and he raised the barrel with his right hand. He whistled, letting both the bear and Shadow know, he was there. The bear turned its head, but didn't move back. Adam fired one shot into the air. This time the bear flinched, but again it didn't back away. The bear stared at Adam for a moment, before turning and lunging at the horse.
Another shot cracked and echoed through the small clearing like the sound of a whip. The bear hit the ground with a heavy thud, and Adam lowered the shotgun. He shook his head, trying to shake off the blood that had spurted from the bullet wound, between the bear's eyes. It was only a second later that he realized that he wasn't standing close enough to be hit with any spatter. There had been a few times that his eyesight had played tricks on him - things seeming closer than they actually were. It was kind of freaky sometimes. Once he'd seen Buddy change his shirt on the verandah, from where he'd been standing by the barn. Everything had been perfectly clear, right down to the splash of curly graying hairs on his well-rounded chest. Down right scary.
Quickly making his way down to Shadow, he patted her neck and brushed his hand along her jaw in a soothing manner. She whinnied and nuzzled his hand. "Good girl," he said praising her. Lifting the reins, he lashed them around the horn of the saddle. He led Shadow back a little, so he could get clear access to the woman behind her.
Kneeling down by her still form, Adam reached beneath her scarf and felt for a pulse. She was still breathing; he could see the slight rise and fall of her chest beneath her bulky clothing. His fingertips found a steady beat and he gingerly checked her neck and limbs for any breaks. Satisfied she could be moved, he picked her up and started back toward the cabin.
Shadow followed behind them like an obedient puppy and paid no attention to the lifeless bear that had threatened her mere moments before. As the party trudged up the hill, no one noticed the little black radio that had fallen between the bushes.
