Dance With Me

-Ain't Scared of a Bondurant? They'll Find a Way to Fix That-

It was midday by the time the first visitors for Forrest walked through the door. Sun was high in the sky, and the hospital was in a lull of lazy, slow-paced activity. The muffled sound of voices echoed out into the halls, and somewhere the static transition of a dialing radio added to the quiet noise. I'd been on my way to Forrest's room, carrying his lunch tray when I spotted them standing in the doorway, waiting to be greeted. Damn near scared me half to death, catching them out of the corner of my eye. Tall and dark figures looming silently in the doorway, didn't even speak up when they saw me.

They looked real official, I noticed as I turned to regard them. They were dressed to the nines in fancy fitted suits of gray and black, black ties tucked behind their buttoned vests. Their hands rested inside the pockets of their suit jackets, and nearly identical fedoras lay low over their eyes. When they'd seen I stopped for them though, they removed their hats real quickly. "Can I help you?" I asked.

The man in the gray suit, the older of the two, stepped forward. He had the darkest eyes and strong, sharp features, and I bet he could be quite terrifying, but he hid it well behind a warm smile. "Perhaps you can, Miss. We're looking for Forrest Bondurant. We were told we could find him here."

I hesitated, my gaze shifting to the side momentarily. I'd bet every penny in my pocket that these men were feds. Wouldn't be the first of them to visit Forrest's bedside, but the others were locals, and if I was hearing correctly, they were repenting to Forrest for whatever wrong done happen down at the bridge that day. These men didn't look like they were apologizing for nothing, to no one. They was townies too, you could tell, taking special care to enunciate their words like they thought I was slow, or something. "Forrest ain't taking visitors today," I told them.

The man took a few more steps forward, and I found myself stepping back, clutching the tray tighter as I desired to keep my distance between him. "Miss…?"

"Ellsworth," I told him.

"Miss Ellsworth," he said, his smile deceivingly kind. "Maybe I should introduce myself. I'm Agent Roy Thomas. My partner," he turned to gesture toward the man still standing in the door, "is Agent Donald Nelson. We're currently investigating into the disappearance of one of our officers, Special Agent Charlie Rakes. He was a member of our Bureau of Prohibition, assigned to clean up this area. There was a big bust supposed to be scheduled a few days ago, but by the time our officers arrived, neither local law enforcement or Agent Rakes could be found, but there was a lot of blood and empty shell casings on the scene. We understand now that there was some kind of encounter between the bootleggers and the law, but no one can tell us if and how our Agent Rakes was involved. Perhaps you've heard others talk of similar subject matter in these last few days? Any information you have at this time would be greatly appreciated and useful to our investigation, Miss Ellsworth."

I didn't say anything for a long while, and I bet I looked suspicious because of it. For good reason, too. I bet I knew a lot more than I was supposed to, and I bet it wasn't a good thing that outlaws and officers came out of that massacre on the same side. I didn't know anything about a Charlie Rakes, but if he was at that bridge and he was a Prohi, chances are he was dead as a doornail and wasn't ever going to be found. "I don't know anything about that."

Agent Thomas took a step back, straightened up, and turned to glance back at his silent partner. He didn't bother masking the disappointment and skepticism from his voice as he said, "Yes, nobody seems to around here. However, it's still important that we speak to Mr. Bondurant, to interview him about his acquaintance with Agent Rakes."

"That's all very well," I said, speaking lowly to hide the quiver in my voice, surprised that the handles of the tray weren't bending in my grip by now. "But if you want to see Forrest, you'll have to come back tomorrow. Like I said, he don't want any visitors today."

"I understand that, but time is crucial in this investigation, and we don't have a lot of it," Agent Thomas argued. "I'm sure Mr. Bondurant would understand the brief intrusion."

"The man is healing, sir. He ain't in any right state for an interrogation."

"We have no intention to interrogate him, Miss Ellsworth," he said lightly, as though he thought he could coax me into believing him. "Simply a few conventional questions regarding his whereabouts around the time of Agent Rakes' disappearance."

I opened my mouth to repeat my initial argument, but a shout from outside stopped me, and past Agent Nelson I could see Howard Bondurant propelling from a truck that hadn't yet rolled to a stop. The two feds turned around as he stormed up the steps of the front porch, red-faced with anger. "I told y'all not to come here, I told you!" he yelled, grabbing Agent Nelson by the collar of his jacket and throwing him into the wall.

Agent Thomas fumbled for his gun, but Howard had advanced on him too quickly, taking him by the shoulders and heaving him down to the ground in a heap beside his partner. "Mr. Bondurant, this violence is unnecessary!" Agent Thomas covered his head defensively as Howard took a threatening step toward him.

"I told you Forrest don't know nothin'. What happened at the bridge was a misunderstanding between locals. We ain't seen your Mr. Rakes. And don't you tell me anyone's said otherwise, 'cause I know that ain't true. We don't know nothin'."

"You understand we're just trying to sort out what happened, and find an explanation for his disappearance," Agent Thomas said quickly as he scrambled to a standing position. "It's nothing personal, it's just protocol. We have to ask everyone."

"And I told you, if Forrest had somethin' to add, we know how to contact you."

I don't know what might've happened in the feds' first encounter with Howard, but it must've been bad, because these grown men looked scared out of their wits. Could've arrested him for laying a hand on them like that. Should've arrested him. Instead, as an audience of nurses and the Doctor began arriving at the sound of the scuffle, they tipped their hats and scurried out the door after apologizing for taking up my time. I was still in the process of registering that they were gone, just like that, when Howard rounded on me.

"You ain't said nothin' to them, did ya?" he asked, tipping his head to send a burning glare straight to my eyes.

"Nothing," I said, and my gaze didn't falter under the God-honest truth.

He believed me, straightening up with a nod. Howard surveyed the skittish nurses, most of whom hurried away after being caught watching him. "If they come round here again, you let me know," he told the Doctor, and the elderly man promised to oblige the request. "My brother in his room?" he asked, directing the question at me as he plucked a biscuit off the tray still clutched tightly in my hands.

"He don't want visitors today," I said, wondering how many more times I'd have to repeat that. Starting to annoy even myself.

Howard surprised me by giving an amused huff, mouth full of biscuit. "Course he don't," he said, and dipped down close to my face again. I don't know what he was doing, but I stared back as he searched my face, maneuvering his tongue around inside his cheeks to remove small pieces of the dry bread from the corners and crevices of his mouth. With a "hm", he straightened to his full height yet again, and turned to take his leave. "Have a good day now," he said to, I assume, anyone who was listening as he walked on out the door. A moment later, I could hear the slam of the truck door, and the roll of tires on gravel. As the truck turned around to head back down the road, Jack, who'd only been released yesterday, sent a wave up to us before stepping hard on the gas.

I think there was a lot to learn about living in Franklin County. But I think the more I learned, the more I'd want to leave. That wasn't such an easy option these days. You go where the jobs are, and you stay if you're lucky enough to snag one. I got real lucky, happening upon this area on my way to New England. I'd figured in the big cities like Boston, there was bound to be something for me. But I'd never lived in a city before. Never wanted to. Too many people moving too fast, and getting their morals and priorities all askew. Franklin County, it was kind of like home, only the people were meaner, and more violent. I hadn't expected it to be a county of moonshiners, and it was just my luck that it was one of the wettest counties in the country, and a big target for the war on alcohol.

But like with anything, you got to take the good with the bad, even if the bad outweighs the good. Feds fighting bootleggers, bootleggers fighting each other – that meant the hospital was in need of help. And while the hospital needed help, I had myself a job. That was more important than anything. Even if that meant I had to live in a place run by corrupt law enforcement, shady criminals, and a crazy family with a gaudy reputation.

Forrest was awake and sitting up in bed when I entered his room, relieving myself of the weight of the tray onto his lap with a heavy sigh. "A couple federal agents stopped by wanting to talk to you," I informed him as I dragged a chair to his bedside. Man must've been hungry, because he dove right into that baked potato. "They're investigating the disappearance of Agent Charlie Rakes. They was pushing real hard to get me to let them talk to you, but your brother – Forrest Bondurant you are not an animal!" With a scowl, I ripped the thick slice of ham out of his mouth and from his hand, throwing it back down onto the plate. I offered him the knife resting beside the plate instead, and he took it with a begrudging frown as he chewed the piece of meat in his mouth. "As I was saying, your brother scared them off." I watched him for a pause, and then asked, "What do you think'll happen if they find out you all killed him?"

The quickness at which Forrest's eyes snapped to attention, widening very briefly before relaxing to their natural span, gave away the truth that my inference on the fate of the deputy was correct. "Whatever happened to Mr. Rakes, he brought it upon himself," Forrest said carefully, softly, like a father to a child. "But if we ain't seen him, then he ain't been here, and that's the simple truth." It took me a second to realize that he was teaching me a lesson. A lesson in Franklin County living. The good people of this area had their many differences, but when they came together on something, they were really together. As far as they were concerned, there may have been a Charlie Rakes in the area, but no one has seen or heard from him, or had any idea what might've happened to him. But the dark truth came in the fact that many could probably relay, in gruesome detail too, exactly what happened to the federal agent.

Franklin County was a home of chirping cardinals, bold and aggressive, but smart enough to silence their song at the presence of a circling hawk, and brave enough to attack should the enemy come too close for comfort to threaten what is theirs.

I nodded to let him know I understood what he meant as I took the fork from his hand, and replaced it with the glass of milk. He didn't like me dictating how he ate, but he obeyed nonetheless, bringing the glass to his lips for a long sip. "So if they do find out he's dead, what'll happen?" I asked.

He gave a strained huff of annoyance that I was pursuing the subject as he returned to his potato, but answered, "Nothing."

"Nothing?" I was shocked, and I let it show. "No further investigation on who killed their man. They ain't gonna try to find the murderer and bring him to justice?"

Forrest gave a small shrug. "Might. They'll die tryin'."

A human life held no value to these men, unless it was their own. They'd kill, and kill, and kill again if it best served their interests. There was no fear of law and legal justice; they were above it. No responsibility to their community other than keeping it and themselves inebriated off the hooch. These were mad dogs running wild. It was a scary thought, that all this was normal, everyday living for these people. I guess I just didn't understand the appeal. Maybe I didn't understand it at all.

Forrest was watching me, features contorted in a slight grimace as I collapsed against the back of the chair, resting myself in a most unladylike position. "You ain't from around here, are you?"

I glanced up at him, and crooked my eyebrow. "No. Where I come from, people are punished for their crimes."

"And where would that be?"

I wasn't sure if he was genuinely interested in my origins, or if he was questioning where in the country law enforcement was still considered a useful part of civilized society. "Union Parish," I said hesitantly, raising my chin and daring him with a glare to insult my home. "Louisiana."

He gave a low hum as he took another drink of his milk, keeping his eyes on me over the rim of the glass. "Miss Ellsworth," he grunted, returning the glass to the tray, then wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and locked his gaze with mine in a slow blink. "I know you think we's just a bunch of criminals. I know you don't like us. But keep running your mouth like you been doing, one of these you're gon' say somethin' to someone who ain't gon' take it as kindly as me. You've been warned."

Not ten minutes ago I'd seen federal agents scared away by Howard Bondurant, who obeyed my request to leave his brother be the first time around. I'd solved the not-so-secret case of the missing Charlie Rakes, and I'd discovered that Forrest almost knew how to hold a conversation. Ain't even seen Red yet today. But of all the unexpected occurrences to have happened so far on this glorious Sunday, Forrest Bondurant's warning to keep my opinions and my judgments to myself or suffer the consequences, was by far the least expected of all.

And what worried me the most was my unnerving confidence that every word he said was truer than time. Damn him to hell.


I adore you and your support of this story! Thank you so, so much. Let me know what you think of the newest installment, and what you're looking forward to!