Nathan looked at Lauren to get her permission and she nodded gently. Ignoring Roderick would just piss him off more.
Nathan turned and nodded to Caleb, and then he stood up and in front of Lauren. She wondered if Roderick would be mad that Nathan was interfering but she really didn't care.
She heard the shuffle of feet outside the door and Roderick, stiff and annoyed, stepped in.
Nathan stood his ground in front of Lauren, waiting.
"I'm reasonable now," Roderick grumbled and Nathan stepped aside, standing by the door with his arms crossed, making it clear he wouldn't be leaving.
Roderick rolled his eyes and directed his attention back at Lauren.
He stared at her with cold eyes, waiting for her to say something but she stared right back, knowing fully well she had nothing to say to him. She had nothing to say to this side of him.
Roderick shifted his weight, trying to get her to say something but she remained quiet. Nathan watched from the door.
"Goddamnit, Lauren," Roderick said in a low voice, annoyed.
She frowned, starting to get mad already. "Goddamnit, what? What the hell did I do?"
Roderick's fists balled and Nathan coughed from the doorway, warning him.
"You know why you had to come here. You know you couldn't stay in Havenport," Roderick pressed.
"I know that," Lauren said through grit teeth, feeling like a scolded child, "I'm not pissed about that."
"Then what the hell are you pissed about? I told you to stay in the truck, I didn't want you in here," Roderick growled.
"She shouldn't have been waiting in the truck, you should have left her somewhere safe," Nathan said from the doorway.
Roderick cocked his head to look at Nathan with his peripherals. "I wasn't talking to you."
"Roderick," Lauren said, getting his attention back on her and jumping to her feet, "I'm pissed because you kicked the shit out of Adam and threw him at my feet like I'd be happy about it."
"I did think you'd at least appreciate it. Appreciate that I won't stand for you to be mistreated," Roderick spat.
Lauren shook her head. "Really? You think I want you to parade around like my goddamned white knight and protect my honor? Not if it means you beating the shit out of people! What were you going to do? Kill him?"
"If it was necessary, yes," Roderick said plainly, "If he wouldn't apologize."
Lauren grit her teeth, trying to control her rage, and trying not to scream. This was not the sort of man she wanted in her life. This was not the Roderick she knew.
"You really think I'd want that? You think I'd be proud of you for that?" she growled.
Roderick smirked. "We're all fucked up, right?"
This time, Lauren really did scream. She was outraged, beside herself. Caleb popped his head in to make sure everything was okay and he took a stand beside Nathan.
"You said you understood," Roderick said quietly, disappointed, shedding an edge of vulnerability despite the men standing behind him.
Lauren took a deep breath. "I understood you were like this… but I didn't want anything to do with it… This is a side of you that I understand, but I don't want to be part of. Remember when you thought I went running? You need to control yourself around me."
Roderick took a deep breath, calming down and regretting his actions. He hadn't connected this to that time. She had indeed warned him to control himself in order to be around her.
"I'm sorry that you had to see it…" he said quietly, "I will control myself from now on…"
Lauren breathed deep, calming down. "Thank you…"
Nathan spoke from the doorway. "I think it's best if Lauren stays here while we go to Havenport… if things don't go as planned, we can't guarantee her safety there."
Roderick thought about it while looking at Lauren. He'd brought her to Kentucky because he didn't want her in Havenport…. he wouldn't bring her back. There was no way she could tag along, nor would he want her to. He would have to do worse than just punch someone in the face… he didn't want Lauren to see that, too. He would have to do far, far worse things.
He didn't like the idea of leaving her anywhere, but there didn't seem like another option. He said he'd kept her away from Joe for a reason… he should know better than to bring her straight to him.
Roderick sighed. "You're right… she shouldn't have to be involved in this more than she already has…"
"She'll be alright," Nathan assured him, "Caleb will stay with her."
Caleb held his breath, though he wanted to sigh in relief. Nathan would give him a second chance…
Nathan was a believer in second chances. Caleb knew that's one of the reasons why the militia rallied around him. Nathan gave people a chance, and even after they failed him, he let them prove themselves again. Roderick thought that made him weak but to Caleb and the others, it made him strong and made the rest of them very, very loyal.
"I'd prefer to have Caleb with us," Roderick countered, not a believer in second chances whatsoever, ignoring Caleb's presence, "But if I can't be with Lauren, it's better for him to stay with her."
Lauren rolled her eyes. "I don't need a babysitter. I'm going back to Havenport and I'll stay at a motel and that will be the end of it!"
Roderick smiled, finally she'd gotten some of her fire back, and he turned to Nathan. "You heard her."
Nathan rolled his eyes, knowing he wouldn't argue with either of them.
Caleb stepped forward, determined to still prove himself. "Y'all should've seen me sneak up on her. If she's staying by herself, she needs to learn a thing or two. C'mon, girly, we only have so many hours before sun up. You can sleep in the car."
Caleb put his hand behind her back, leading her out of the room. Lauren was getting sick of being pushed and led around. It was getting annoying, but she was in no position to cause a fight.
She wasn't surprised when Caleb took her to a make-shift outdoor gun range. She wanted to roll her eyes at the hillybilly, backwoods feel of being in the middle of nowhere Kentucky with bearded militia men. They were awfully serious about this whole thing.
While Caleb turned on floodlights and got eye and ear protection, Roderick approached her. Nathan had perched himself on a wooden fence outlining the perimeter, bent over, elbows on his knees as usual. He'd asked the group of four men, Williams, Adam, and the two others, to scout the far perimeter of the property.
Lauren zipped her jacket up higher, the wind through the trees was cold.
Roderick stood next to her, hands in his pockets.
"You know why he's doing this, don't you?" he asked quietly so only she could hear him, eyes on Caleb.
She looked at him but he wouldn't face her. "Just in case Joe Carroll knows you're still alive and that I helped you?"
Roderick smiled. "I wish I could say that this would help that… but what I meant was Caleb is trying to make amends for letting Adam get to you."
Lauren rolled her eyes. Oh, that.
"Can you please drop that? You made your point, I get that it pissed you off but I'm fine," she said, annoyed, "Besides, it wasn't that bad. If I can you carving me up, I can take a hit to the face."
She turned away from him as Caleb came closer, handing her ballistic glasses and ear protection.
Roderick frowned. Her tone had been sarcastic and bitter. He grumbled as he took eye and ear pro from Caleb ungratefully, eyes on Lauren.
Caleb had a few weapons laid out on the table down range from the hay bales, a target of a person's outline attached to it.
He'd laid out a few 9mms and a .38, gesturing to the .38.
"This is a hell of a lot better than that pea shooter you had, still got some kick to it though," Caleb warned her, trying not to sound chastising, "You any good at shooting?"
Lauren shrugged. "I know how to… and I've shot both a .38 and a 9mm before… but I'm not that great…"
Caleb tried not to roll his eyes. "You better be great if you're gonna carry one of these around… lemme see what you got…"
He handed put on his eye and ear protection and handed Lauren the .38, hoping he didn't have to explain correct posture, where the safety was, and how to clear the chamber.
Lauren frowned, not taking it yet.
"You mean, shoot from all the way back here?" she asked incredulously. She'd only shot targets close at 5-10 meters… the hay bales were at least 25.
"Anyone can shoot somethin' right in from of em… The better shot you are from far away, the better shot you are up close," Caleb said, trying not to embarrass her.
Lauren looked unsteady. "I don't think I can…"
Caleb took a deep breath. He'd taught his seven year old how to shoot last spring and Lauren sounded just like him.
"Alright," Caleb said, trying to relax her, "Just show me how you'd shoot if the target was closer… Show me your stance and your grip."
Lauren adjusted her glasses and took the .38, already palming it in her hand like she'd done all her life.
She took her stance and raised the .38, one hand over the other, finger off the trigger, eyeing the target.
She waited… and Caleb didn't say anything.
"Well?" she asked, not turning her head.
"Well what?" he laughed, "Shoot."
Lauren frowned. "You said you wanted to see how I would shoot! I can't shoot from this far away!"
Caleb struggled to keep from rolling his eyes. "And you look fine. Shoot!"
Lauren wanted to throw down the damn gun and hightail it back to Havenport.
Son of a bitch.
Roderick watched her line up her shot, not squinting like he thought she would. He didn't think she knew much about guns. Her stance wasn't bad, not the way the academy taught it, but not bad.
Lauren let out her breath, put her finger on the trigger, and shot, barely hitting the corner of the paper target.
Frustrated, she dropped the clip from the .38, emptied the chamber, and put the gun on the table, ripping off her eye and ear protection.
"Satisfied? I told you I can't shoot from here!" she said in a huff, almost stamping her feet to prove her point.
Nathan watched with a smirk on his face. He and Charlie had learned how to shoot before the learned how to read. Charlie had taken on faster than he had. Charlie had a calculating mind and if his shot didn't line up right, he'd made small adjustments until it was perfect, never losing his cool. Nathan had always gotten frustrated and as he continued to miss, his shot would get worse and worse until he was forced to put the gun down and take a break.
Caleb thought of his son and summoned his patience. "I'll do it with you, this time. It really isn't all that different."
He picked up the bullet from the chamber and put it back into the clip, popping it back in with a click.
He handed it to Lauren who had a sour look on her face, annoyed, frustrated, and somewhat embarrassed. All three men behind her ate, slept, and breathed guns.
Lauren took the .38, holding it in front of her but not raising it up yet. Caleb got behind her, keeping his body away from her, but lining up his arms with hers, palms on the back of her hands, mimicking her grip.
"Take aim," he said, guiding her hands, "See how it all lines up? Line it up and then look at the target behind it. See? Even the smallest tilt or tremor changes the entire angle. Take your right hand off… move your finger like you'd pull the trigger… see how it naturally goes down? Take that into account when you pull the trigger, you'll bring down the gun this much… see how it changes your aim? Aim a hair up and when you fire, it'll match up to what you saw…"
Lauren had no idea how Caleb saw any of this with his head beside hers but it lined up clear as day. Every little movement or adjustment he did to her hands changed everything.
"Aim just above the bullseye… you pull the trigger when you're ready," Caleb calmly ordered, his breath in her ear.
His hands cupped hers and held her steady, she could move her trigger finger without moving his.
Letting out her breath, she put her finger on the trigger, and pulled. Lowering the gun slightly, Caleb's hands dropping off hers, she looked at the target, trying to find the hole in the paper… but not seeing it.
Frowning and looking closer, she finally saw it, perfectly, geometrically, centered right in the middle of the bull's eye.
"YES!" she screamed, lowering the gun on the table, "Holy shit!"
She turned to Caleb who was grinning. "Told ya, girly, you can do it."
Grinning, she turned back to the target, "I want to do it by myself!"
Caleb smiled. "That's the next step. I'll stand right here, you know how to do it…"
Lauren adjusted her glasses and took up the .38, much more confident, much more relaxed. Caleb stood by proudly as he watched her line up the shot like she'd done before, hesitate, then raise the angle slightly, remembering what he taught her.
Her hands were not as steady without Caleb's and she struggled to get the perfect angle. She waited patiently for her hands to steady and her breathing to become fluid.
Roderick watched her intently, seeing her calculate and gather her confidence. He was glad he'd brought her here… she needed a lesson or two in shooting and he knew Caleb was a much more patient teacher than he would have been.
She had been so quiet on the drive here and had been pushed and moved around all night, she finally looked like she was herself again. Deny it as he wanted, Roderick had missed carefree, easygoing Lauren.
When she was ready, Lauren moved her finger down, let her breath out, and shot.
This time, her shot was to the left of the bull's eye, but still close, still close enough for Caleb to be proud.
"That's my girl," Roderick murmured, grinning.
Lauren put the safety on the .38, set it down, and ripped off her glasses and ear protection, jumping into Caleb's arms.
"I DID IT!" she squealed, Caleb grinning and setting her down.
"Can I go look?" she asked excitedly to which Caleb nodded proudly.
Roderick watched her bound down the range, hair bouncing at every step, and then peering at the target, eyes full of wonder at her own shot.
She grinned back at Caleb and then turned back to the target, feeling the hole she'd made and studying it with a smile on her face.
Roderick couldn't help but to smile as well. He'd never seen her this happy… he'd never seen her this full of joy and excitement. Her smile was so big and her eyes were so wide… she was simply stunning.
No matter how beautiful she'd ever looked to him, scar or not, it was nothing compared to this moment. She was so full of life and energy.
Lauren came back to Caleb looking like a kid at Christmas, trying to keep the smile off her face but failing.
"I want to try again!" she beamed and Caleb looked at her like she was his favorite thing in the world. He'd redeemed himself.
"It's all yours, girly," he said pleased, looking at Nathan to make sure he saw his success with her.
Nathan saw it. He saw Lauren put her eye and ear pro back on, pick up the gun, and ready her shot again. He saw the way Caleb coached her and guided her. He was content that he'd given him another chance.
Nathan watched Roderick out of the corner of his eye, most of his focus on Lauren. Roderick's face was cold up until the second Lauren shot and when she realized she'd done better.
Nathan saw Roderick grin, something he'd never seen him do before, and watch Lauren with pride. He saw Roderick admire her as she jumped up and down, clinging to Caleb in gratefulness, amazed with herself.
Nathan wondered how a girl like her could ever be that happy with a man like Roderick… but then he turned gaze back to Roderick… and Nathan could see in the slight fall of his smile that he'd never made Lauren that happy before.
Lauren happily shot again and again, unaware of the two men watching her with such intent. She was thrilled at her progress, feeling electric every time she pulled the trigger. Caleb gazed down at her with such pride she thought she'd explode with gratefulness. She stood obediently next to Caleb, already excited to hear his next lesson. She had become radiant, her skin glowing and her eyes bright. She was so happy it almost hurt.
She didn't want to think about going back to Havenport tomorrow. Roderick's world of Joe Carroll terrified her and Nathan's gun wielding militia overwhelmed her. She didn't want to think about the two of them colliding.