Chapter 8
After Darwin left, Red looked mutely at Lester while he opened a cardboard box of macaroni and cheese and began to fill a battered old pot with tapwater. He clicked the stove on to heat the burners and poured the contents of the box into the water the moment it began to boil.
"Watch close now. Imma show ya the secret ta makin' real good macaroni an' cheese." He told her, and held up the packet of cheese flavored powder. Red stared at him. It was surreal, the sight of this odd, rough fellow in her kitchen pinching a seasoning packet in his tattooed fingers as though it were a plague rat. She shook her head slowly.
"Okay, Lester," Red whispered, near tears, "Show me the secret to good macaroni and cheese."
Lester nodded his bald head once, then turned and hurled the powdered cheese into the trash.
"That's it right there. Heh." He went back to cooking with a satisfied grin. Red looked at the tabletop and tried to process everything that had just happened. The indentured servitude. The fact that this Jeeves fellow was clearly unstable and might attack anyone nearby with little to no provocation. Her heart beat a samba in her chest and her face felt hot, She wondered what Darwin might be doing to Tsugi right now.
"Your brother sent Tsugi back to the house. He was angry."
"Yep."
"Then he went back too, I think. Probably to fight with her."
"Yep."
Lester brought out a wheel of cheese and diced it, then opened a pint of cream and put both into a saucepan, setting it over low heat.
"I think he might punish her."
"Yep."
He added butter and garlic salt, then began mincing an onion with the fast precision of a master chef.
"He said he was going to deal with you, too."
"Yep."
"Well aren't you worried?"
Lester stopped chopping and turned around.
"Tsugi an' me is family. He ain't gonna kill us. Anythin' else, I kin fix. He'll have a stern conversation with her all right, but Tsugi knows her place an' she won't give him no sass. If she backtalked, Dar would give her what for. But she ain't the type ta backtalk none. An' as fer me…shit, Darwin ain't gonna take a belt ta me er nothin'. Good God, girl. We're fairly civilized. It'll be words. Now cool yer goddamn jets, ya actually made out real well."
"He wants me to be a slave! You know that was outlawed, right? The Civil War kind of put an end to the idea of one human being owning another!"
Lester snorted a laugh and checked the noodles with a battered fork.
"An' on top o' all the other annoyances ya present ta this family, ya gotta go bringin' up a sore subject like The War of Northern Aggression."
"The War of…seriously? Look, it's still slavery and it still scares me that he has this much power over me and I don't know if you're aware of this but the blue guys won!"
"Did they now?" Lester remarked mildly, tapping the fork on the side of the pot and giving the cheese mixture a stir, "Don't that just beat all. Darlin' the way I see it, yer over a barrel. Yer penniless, injured, ya got that sissified hairy dependent under the sofa yonder ta look after, yer about the shittiest woodswoman I ever did meet, an' the leader of this family ain't got a reputation fer sufferin' fools. But he's extendin' you mercy. Take it. 'Cause without our help yer as good as dead. An' in time after ya heal up a bit we kin have ourselves a discussion about who yer hidin' from an' why."
Red blanched, her face turning white. If Lester noticed this, he gave no indication. He poked at the noodles and nodded.
"Now that's what I call motherfuckin' al dente. Hope yer hungry."
"Perpetually." Red said faintly. Then it finally dawned on her what he was doing. "Lester…are you making me lunch?"
"Yep."
Red had no idea what to make of this.
"But why? I thought I was imposing and you hated me and I was a fat, useless, lazy, pathetic, citified bitch!"
"Hey now," Lester held up a hand, his back still to her, "I never called ya a bitch."
From her modest stores, supplemented even more by items brought down with him, Lester was able to create a sumptuous macaroni and cheese dish to go with the meat loaf, fresh corn and strawberries, and even a modest stack of white chocolate chip cookies he'd made the day before. Red was flabbergasted by his generosity, delivered with gruff unsmiling efficiency. She fell silent, gratitude making her docile.
They were just sitting down together when the door opened again and Tsugi returned. Composed and ever-graceful, she bent down and kissed Lester's cheek. Red looked her over with concern.
"Are you alright? What happened? Did he hit you?"
Tsugi didn't answer. She lowered her eyes and began washing the dishes. Lester took a sip of water and set the spotty glass down.
"We don't discuss family business, Red. Sooner ya learn that, the better. Eat yer food."
"Yes sir." Red found herself automatically replying. She took a bite of meat loaf, following it with some water, her eyes on Tsugi's slim back as she worked.
"How's yer leg been feelin'?" Lester interrupted her thoughts. Red looked back to him, swallowing.
"It's still sore. But the itch is gone. I've been leaving it dry when I take baths, propped on the rim of the tub like Tsugi told me to do. The throbbing doesn't wake me anymore."
Lester listened, nodding. They ate for a few minutes in silence, then he got to his feet and wiped his mouth, tossing the napkin on the table. He moved to stand behind Tsugi, wrapping his arms around her for a tight hug.
"Love ya, baby." He growled softly. Red felt a warmth in her chest as she witnessed this display of tenderness.
"I love you too, Wild One." Tsugi replied.
"Imma head up ta the house, talk with Dar."
"Be cautious. He's upset. And Jeeves knows that Red is here now."
Lester nodded and slipped his sunglasses on again.
"I figured that'd happen sooner er later. Can't avoid Jeevesie, the boy's got a curiosity bump the size o' Kilimanjaro. I'll keep him busy with dinner, let you two gals have some talkin' time. Darwin made Red an offer…she's ta serve the family in exchange fer our takin' care of her."
Tsugi paused, looking from Lester to Red and then back again.
"Oh?"
"Yep. If he's headed where I think he is, get her used ta the Rules. She'll be needin' 'em ta survive. See ya whenever." He said, and left.
Red looked mutely at Tsugi, who cleared her throat and sat down.
"There are a few things you should know about this family."
"What, other than the fact that you're all killers? That you have no respect for the power company and you believe in human slavery and you lied to me about being bitten by a dog?"
Tsugi rubbed her temple with one long, slim finger. Then she turned her liquid almond eyes on Red.
"I think we need to go over the Rules," she said softly, "Now that Darwin has brought you in."
"Slow down! I don't want to be part of this! I just need a little help to get on my own…"
"Red, I need you to listen to me very closely now. Your life kind of depends on it. Are you listening?"
Red nodded, biting her lip.
"You are in over your head. Please, let me teach you how to breathe."
Red felt like crying. She rubbed the back of one arm with her hand and looked over at the warm light glowing from the electric lamp against the cinnamon-colored wallpaper. She thought about the luxury of a hot bath. Cooking some actual food. Being warm. The ache in her chest eased slightly, and she looked back to Tsugi.
"I'm listening."
The other woman nodded, satisfied, and tipped a few modest spoonfuls of macaroni onto Lester's abandoned plate, then took a bite. Her eyes closed in pleasure for a moment.
"He is such an amazing cook. Now then…the Rules. You're new here. That means that you are not to leave the compound without permission. You will not be permitted use of a telephone, internet access, or other means of communication with the outside world until we can be sure that you're not going to present a security risk. You will be issued a two-way radio and you will be expected to keep it on and functioning at all times. I think you'll probably be coming up to the house a few times a week or even daily to work, and you will probably be traveling with one or more of the gentlemen after they've gotten used to you a bit." Tsugi reached up and touched her injury. "Yes, I lied to you. Jeeves can be aggressive. But he is not that way all the time and his brothers have a soothing effect on him. In addition to all of what I have just said, you will also be expected to completely open your life to the leader of this family. You'll have to tell Darwin the truth about everything, no holding back. He asks a question, you answer it."
"And why is that? Why do I have to just open my whole life and throw it all out there in exchange for a few meals and a place to stay? Did it ever occur to you that I might have some damn good reasons for running away from everything and coming to this place? It's not exactly the kind of life one would choose voluntarily unless they were completely insane." Red was on the verge of tears.
Tsugi reached across the table and touched her hand, eyes soft.
"It's to make certain that we can trust you, Red. And we need to be prepared to deal with whomever might be looking for you."
Red went still for a moment, then took Tsugi's hand in both of hers and just held it in silence. Bandit wandered into the kitchen and hopped onto the counter to stare contentedly out of the window at the golden light of oncoming evening. Red watched him, thinking about the cold nights spent in the car with the doors locked, trying to sleep but terrified to do so because of what she might wake up to. Would it be the police rapping sharply on the window? The car was stolen. Would it be gang members? She often parked overnight in bad neighborhoods where people were less likely to ask questions or look for her. Or would it be something worse…
She would huddle in the dark, clutching Bandit to her chest and petting him until he fell asleep. She'd stolen food, begged for money, gone to churches for help, anything. Anything to survive. To feed her cat, her only friend left in the world.
"Alright. Look…you and I both know you have me over a barrel here."
Tsugi slowly nodded, but there was no triumph in her eyes. Only a quiet strength and deep understanding. Compassion. Red took a long, slow breath and sighed.
"I'm in trouble. I can't be seen or found. I had to vanish and I can never ever go back. That animal on the counter there is the only living creature I have in my life anymore. I haven't even had a real friend until you came along."
"You're safe here. You don't have to leave the grounds. How did you buy this place?"
"Paid cash to a shady, lackluster excuse for a real estate agent who didn't ask any questions. I gave her everything I could scrape together and then some. This place is falling apart and it's on land that has no decent road access and no good foundation, land that was classified as fit only for seasonal use. The cottage itself should have been condemned. It's worth maybe $8,000 at the most. I gave her $10,000. She didn't even bat an eye when she accepted the name 'Gail Parsons' for the lease even though I'm obviously not the person on the driver's license I showed her. It was almost all the cash I had."
Tsugi's expression didn't change, but she nodded.
"Where did you get that kind of money?" she asked. Red shrugged.
"I stole it."
"Of course. From where?"
"Three drug stores and a convenience store. Small towns. I also stole that car. And I did some…some things…for money." Her eyes filled with tears, and she pulled her hand away and hugged herself. Tsugi bit her lip, implacable calm wavering slightly.
"You sold your body."
"Yes."
"You must have been phenomenally desperate to escape whatever it was you were running from."
"Yes."
"Do you have any family?"
"My parents are dead now. I had a little sister. But she's in hiding with friends of friends of friends of a cousin. As far away from me as possible, as though she were dead too. I had to hide her. She's…special. I told her that I loved her, and that she would need to keep quiet about her real name. I don't know a thing about her current situation or even if she's alright. She's gone. That cat is all I have left."
Tsugi got up from the table and moved to take Red in her arms, rubbing her back.
"Whatever you are afraid of, we can help."
"No one can." Red started to cry. Tsugi fumbled in her pocket, pulling out a cell phone. Red put her hand on her friend's arm. "Please don't. Let me g-get control of myself."
"Red, it's going to be alright. I promise. Take a few deep breaths and just relax. You made it. You're fine, and you're safe. You and your cat."
"I'm a human slave living in a shotgun shack right before winter next to a group of assassins. And one of them bites. How am I safe?" She was sobbing now. Tsugi kept rubbing her back.
"You are. Believe me, you are. There is no way you can know what these men are capable of. And Darwin Tremor, the leader of this family, has extended his protection over you. That means something immense, Red." Tsugi tilted her face up and wiped away her tears with her thumbs. Red let out a deep, shuddering sigh and nodded.
"I'm grateful. If what you say is true, then I am so grateful I can barely speak."
A smile lit Tsugi's eyes, and she straightened up. Her gaze flicked over the room. The leaky walls with rags and plastic bags and duct tape stuffed into the cracks here and there. A bucket under a water stain in the ceiling over in the corner. The sagging sofa. She pursed her lips and ran a hand over her stomach. Then she resolutely began wrapping up the food and putting it away.
"Get your cat and a change of clothes. You're coming up to the house tonight. You need to be around people. This isolation isn't healthy."
A little color drained from Red's face, and she chewed her lip.
"Is it…"
"Safe? After all the things you've been through, I think you're asking the wrong question here. Get your things." For a moment, the tall willowy Asian looked very much like her fiancé. Her tone did not invite argument. Red reluctantly got to her feet and limped to her room to collect some clothing, then came out again and picked up Bandit. Tsugi clicked off the lights and opened the door, letting in a modest gust of cool air.
"Is this going to be alright? I didn't get the feeling that Darwin was the type to welcome houseguests."
"There's no telling how he will react. But I'm not leaving you down here to sleep alone. If he wishes to have a discussion, then he is welcome to have it with me."
They walked up to the house as the sun was setting over the far hills, and Red hugged Bandit to her chest with a sense of rising nervousness coupled with the aching torment of hope. Tsugi reached over and laid a comforting hand on Red's shoulder as she swung the door open and they stepped into the warm yellow kitchen. It was just as Red remembered it, clean and cozy. Candles and oil lamps were lit here and there, and a fire in the hearth. The television was on, some inane hunting show. Lester sat at the kitchen table servicing a wicked-looking array of handguns. He looked up in surprise.
"Aw hell. Wondered when you were gonna bring her up."
Tsugi leaned down and kissed his cheek. Darwin lay on the sofa in nothing but a pair of jeans, watching the program on the flickering set. His eyes narrowed as he turned to behold the new arrival, and slowly he sat up.
"Love of God, Tsugi. You just don't know when to quit." He touched his belt buckle slightly, and to Red's surprise she felt Tsugi tense up beside her for a fraction of a second.
"It's going to be cold down there tonight, Darwin. And her house leaks. She'll be no good to you sick."
Darwin seemed on the verge of saying something sarcastic, but as he looked into Red's eyes he fell silent and sighed.
"Fine. Whatever. Put her up in the guest room or somethin'. Did you have to bring that animal?"
There was a heavy thud from down the hall, then another. And then, like something from an old horror film, the largest man Red had ever seen in her life emerged from one of the rooms off to the side. He was immense, well over six feet, solid as granite, wearing flannel pajama bottoms and a tank top that barely stretched across his broad chest. His hair was cut into a long Mohawk, slightly messy from sleep. His mustache was shaved into a thin line above his lip and up his grinning cheeks. Twinkling blue eyes, big and happy, looked down at her as he drew closer. The wall hit Red in the back, and she startled. She hadn't even been aware that she'd backed up that fast. Darwin chuckled.
"Play nice, Jeeves."
The giant stopped right in front of Red and reached out both massive hands toward her, and Red gasped and squeezed her eyes shut immediately. But nothing happened. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes. Jeeves was looking sadly at her, noting her reaction. And in a deep, slow voice that rumbled in his chest, he spoke.
"I juss wanted ta pet the kitty," he said, "I wasn't gonna hurt yew."
Red looked at Tsugi, who nodded, then at Lester, who inclined his head toward his younger brother.
"Jeevesie here loves animals."
"He…he does?"
"He's real purdy. Kin I pet him?"
"Will you be gentle?"
"Yeah."
"Please don't hurt him. He's defenseless and I love him very much. I'm begging you."
"I'll be gentle." Jeeves growled benignly. Red relaxed her death grip on the cat, leaning forward.
"There ya go, big fella. Nice an' gentle." Lester said softly. And Jeeves was extremely gentle, lightly stroking Bandit's black-and-white head and under his chin until the piebald cat closed his eyes in pleasure and began to purr. Tears sprang afresh to Red's eyes as she beheld the genuine joy evident in Jeeves's expression.
"Would you...like to hold him?"
Jeeves grinned broadly, his face lighting up like a child's.
"Yeah! Kin I?"
"Come sit on the couch and hold him proper, damn it. We don't need a mess in here." Darwin told him, and Jeeves immediately walked to the couch and sat down as his eldest brother moved over to make room for him. Red followed, then knelt down and set Bandit on the big man's thickly muscled thighs. He raised a paw and began to clean himself, oddly relaxed and content. It was the most wonderfully out of character thing in the world for her cowardly cat to have done, and Red suddenly felt the tension fall from her like frost from a pumpkin warmed in the sun. Jeeves was completely preoccupied with the cat, and Red raised her eyes to look at Darwin. He wasn't scowling at her this time. He smiled, and in that instant it was as though the sun had broken free from the clouds and shone fully upon her for the first time.
"Thanks." Darwin told her. That one word felt more important to her than anything had in a long, long time. Red blushed.
"You're welcome."