They left the caravan quickly, not knowing where to start looking. Surprised, seeing Suzi, Salty and Pepper heading towards the big tent, they decided to see what was going on inside so early in the morning. Normally there would be no sign of life around at that time. Even more surprisingly, it wasn't just the three performers inside when they walked through the flaps. Elsa and Desiree were there and so was the young woman they were looking for, sitting on a chair and sobbing quietly. Richard Spencer was there, too, sitting beside Maggie. Exchanging a look of deep suspicion, the two women joined them quickly.
"Maggie?" Jimmy pushed through the tent flaps with Dell on his heels, striding towards the crowd quickly.
"Oh Jimmy!"
"What? What happened?"
"That is what we are trying to determine." Elsa informed him, looking much more composed than she had the last time her daughter had seen her.
"I… I was out in the woods, picking flowers for Ma Petite's memorial grave." Maggie started to explain. "There was a crash. I went to see what it was and there was a car… and in the car... I'm sorry, Jimmy, it was your mother. She's dead."
"What?" Elsa exclaimed overdramatically. "Not Ethel? Oh no… that can't be!"
"She was in an accident?" Jimmy breathed in disbelief.
"It wasn't an accident… I think she killed herself."
"Shit!" Dell exclaimed.
Elsa clapped her hands to her mouth, shaking her head slowly. "Suicide? Oh, dear, no. Oh, but why?"
"She was sick… in a lot of pain, too." Desiree told them all, sniffing as tears escaped from under her eyelids.
"No. My mom wasn't sick."
"She was, though, son. No. She told me so herself. Guess she wanted to go out on her own terms."
"Oh. My God. Where is she? Take me to her." Elsa demanded.
They rounded up the rest of the troupe, including Paul who refused to consider staying behind when he heard what had happened, before making their way to the spot in the woods where Maggie had left Ethel in the car. Greta stayed with Eve and Pepper as they stood around, appraising the scene quietly.
"Her head's come off?" Desiree exclaimed."Jesus. How hard did she hit that tree?"
"Look!" Richard held up a chain, with a loop in it, which appeared to be covered in blood. Beside Greta, Eve wretched at the sight and turned away. The blonde reached for her hand, squeezing it tightly. "She must have wrapped this chain around that tree and then wrapped it around her neck, then hit the gas. I guess she wanted it to be quick."
"Oh! Oh, mein Gott in Himmel! Why?" Elsa exclaimed wildly, causing her daughter to wince and the overdramatic nature of the outburst.
Greta pointedly avoided Suzi's eyes, knowing that the woman would probably be cynical about the reaction after her comments the night before. Ethel had been Elsa's best friend and, although Greta knew that they had argued the night before, she didn't want to believe that her mother could possibly have had anything to do with Ethel's death. On the other hand, she admitted to herself, it wouldn't surprise her if that turned out to be the case.
"Oh, Ethel, why?" Elsa continued, dropping to the ground and prostrating herself in front of the cardigan under which Ethel's severed head was hidden. "Oh, my sweet sister! Why? Why? Why? Why? I could have helped you. I could have helped you. I could have helped you. Oh, my God. Oh, my sweet, sweet sister."
Jimmy moved forward and wrapped Elsa tightly in his arms, stopping her hitting out at the floor in her grief. Apparently he didn't share the woman's daughter's suspicions about the authenticity of her outburst. Pepper moved forwards as well and then Desiree. Together they lifted the woman and helped her over the uneven ground back to the camp.
Greta and Eve helped to dig a grave for Ethel while Jimmy and Dell sorted a coffin and laid the woman's body inside it. They waited until nightfall to bury her, wanting to give her the proper, respectful send-off that she deserved.
As soon as it was dark, they processed to the spot they had picked, dressed entirely in black, and stood in sombre silence as Jimmy prepared to say a few words in his mother's honour. Greta squeezed his hand tightly, standing on his right. She tried to let go, but he shook his head sharply at her, clinging on as though drawing comfort from her proximity. Nodding, she moved closer and wrapped her other arm through his, resting her head on his shoulder.
"A flat tire, a leaky faucet…. my mother could fix anything. She was famous for her dirty jokes, but she was also a woman of culture." Jimmy stared quietly, gaining confidence as he went along. "But she loved poetry; she used to read it to me as a kid when I was going to bed. Emily Dickinson was her favourite. 'I'm nobody. Who are you? Are you nobody, too? Then there's a pair of us. Don't tell. They'd banish us, you know.' You weren't nobody, Ma." He broke down, sobbing painfully. Greta rubbed his arm soothingly with the hand that was resting on his bicep. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay, son." Dell assured him gently.
Greta moved aside as Maggie walked towards them from the other side of the group, pulling the crying Jimmy into her arms and holding him tightly. She felt a hand on her arm and turned to see Desiree looking at her sadly. Stepping closer, Greta wrapped an arm around the older woman's waist and leant her head on top of Desiree's on her shoulder, watching as the coffin was lowered into the grave.
"All right. Let's go get a drink."
Everyone dispersed at Dell's words, except for Desiree, Eve, Suzi, Penny and Greta. They stood in resolute silence, staring down at the wooden box almost hidden from view in the darkness of the hole in the ground. Greta felt hot tears clouding her vision as she stared, until everything was so blurry that she couldn't see properly. She took a breath, sniffing and scrubbing at her eyes.
"That woman was my friend." Desiree announced in a broken voice, still clutching the blonde beside her tightly for support. "She was tough… funny. She didn't need a man to take care of her or her child. She was a survivor from the day she was born… nobody handed her nothing. We never had it easy, none of us; especially not us women. I know you all know what I'm talking about."
"It's true." Penny agreed tearfully. "Look what my daddy did to me… because I dared to live my own life, love who I wanted."
"You think the law might have anything to say about it?" Suzi asked, already knowing the answer she would receive.
"Hell no. She's his property." Eve said bitterly.
"Nothing more than a man's possession…" Greta added.
"Let me tell you something, ladies. That girl… she's every last one of us. Well, I say no more. Not in my house! Any man that would do that, he needs to pay." Desiree bent and picked up a handful of dirt, holding it out over Ethel's grave. "Who's with me?"
As one, the other four bent and scooped up a handful of dirt of their own. Their eyes met, determination flourishing over every face as they dropped the dirt on top of the coffin in a silent vow for revenge.
They headed back to the camp, briefly separating to change before meeting up again in Desiree and Dell's caravan. Desiree took charge, doling out jobs to the other women, who did as they were bid without argument. As Eve stirred the pot on the stove, heating up tar until it was nice and hot, Suzi went in search of rope and Greta set about sharpening a couple of kitchen knives at the table.
"What do we do if Dell comes back before we do?" Eve asked, removing the handkerchief that was blocking the fumes from her face for long enough to ask the question.
"Then he'll be next." Desiree shrugged. "This caravan's still as much mine as it is his. Hey, who's got the rope?"
Suzi flipped it off her shoulder, holding it out. "I do."
Pushing it into the pillowcase they were using as a bag, Desiree held out her hands for the knives Greta was holding. Carefully she passed them over, grinning as the older woman used her thumb to check the sharpness, drawing her hand back quickly as a bead of blood appeared at the point where she had touched her flesh.
"Careful." Greta warned her with a smirk. "They are sharp."
"No shit." Desiree muttered. "Good job, honey."
"I'll take it from here." Penny announced suddenly, jumping to her feet nervously and looking between them. "It means a lot that you want to help, truly, but this isn't your fight."
"Honey, you're family. We take care of our own." Desiree told her firmly, giving her a tight hug. Suzi reached out and squeezed her hand, while Greta and Eve smiled reassuringly at her. "Evie, put our soup on simmer… low flame. Let's go."
They filed out of the caravan, all smiling at Penny as they passed her. Greta shot her a wink and grabbed her hand, squeezing it and pulling her along with her. They drove a little way in the truck, but then Eve parked up and they walked the rest of the way, heading quietly through the darkness on the road towards the town. When they reached the first houses on the outskirts, Desiree turned to Penny for directions. Taking the lead, the young woman led them towards a decent-sized house in the middle of a respectable looking street. Hiding in the shadows, they hashed out their plan once more in whispers.
"You ready?" Desiree whispered, glancing quickly at Greta.
She nodded, brandishing the two short lengths of thin wire at them, before sneaking carefully towards the front door. Crouching down, she fitted the wires into the lock and jiggled them around until she heard a soft click. Reaching up and turning the handle, she pushed it ajar. Looking over her shoulder, she beckoned the others over to join her.
They didn't speak again, knowing that any sound could alert their target to their presence. Instead, the crept inside and looked around quickly. Greta pulled the front door closed carefully, avoiding making any sound. Penny pointed towards the staircase and then upwards. The others nodded, understanding what she meant.
Soft music was playing somewhere upstairs, so they followed the sound. Getting in position, Eve hiding in one upstairs room, Desiree in another and Greta around a corner out of sight, they waited for the signal from Suzi. She knocked over a vase, smirking with satisfaction as it smashed, before nodding at Penny, who prepared herself at the bottom of the staircase.
A loud click broke through the quiet and then footsteps on the hardwood floor. A door opened and the footsteps moved out onto the landing. From her position, Greta peered around the wall and saw a man standing at the top of the stairs, armed with a shotgun. She waited with baited breath for her cue to reveal herself.
"You. How'd you get in here? I changed the locks."
"Locks can't stop us." Penny told him coldly.
"Us? Who came here with you?"
"My sisters."
Hearing the cue, each of the women hiding on the landing revealed themselves. As Penny's father focused on Eve and Greta in front of him, Desiree hit him over the head with a thick branch they had found on their walk into town. He went down like a sack of potatoes. Not wasting time, they pulled the empty pillowcase over his head to cover his face and Eve hoisted him easily onto her shoulders.
"Let's beat it." She said determinedly.
Penny led the way down the stairs, followed by Eve, with the other three bringing up the rear. They paused just inside the front door to check they were not likely to be spotted. The road was completely deserted, so they slipped out into the night.
"What are you doing?" Desiree demanded, her whisper harsh in the silence.
Greta looked up at her, a lighter and an oily rag in her hand. "He will not be needing the house anymore, will he?"
"No need to draw extra attention, honey."
Nodding, the blonde pocketed the lighter once more and followed the others into the shadows. They reached the truck quickly and Eve deposited the unconscious man into the back. Greta and Penny climbed in with him, while the other three got into the cab.
"Are you OK?" Greta asked softly as they made their way up the track towards the camp.
Penny nodded. "I'm fine."
"You are not having second thoughts?" The blonde asked gently. "I would not blame you if you were… he is your father…"
"No." Penny assured her bluntly. "He isn't my father. Not anymore." She pointed to her face. "No father would do this."
Reaching out, Greta squeezed her hand and smiled sadly. The truck drew to a halt and they jumped down, waiting for Eve to come and lift the man onto her shoulders once more. They hurried back to Desiree's caravan, thankfully finding it still empty.
Desiree pulled out a chair and Eve dropped the man heavily onto it. Greta and Suzi made short work of securing the rope around him, preventing him from moving when he finally came round.
They didn't have long to wait. Penny and Suzi had taken seats, watching him for the first indication that he was waking up, while Eve, Desiree and Greta prepared for their next move.
"Oh! Look who ain't dead... yet." Desiree laughed as Suzi whipped the pillowcase off his head.
He blinked, looking around the caravan fearfully. "What's going on? What do you want?"
"So many things…" Their ringleader told him, walking closer and waving one of the knives Greta had sharpened earlier at him. "But today, we gonna settle for a little payback. Penny, Suzi... grab them pillows. Evie, Greta… fetch the tar."
"Oh... Oh, God, no... No, no, no. God..."
He wriggled and writhed on his chair as the two women, wearing oven gloves to protect their hands, carried the pot of bubbling molten liquid over from the stove. His eyes widened in terror at the smirks that were plastered on every face looking at him.
"No, no, no. There is no God… you proof enough of that. What you done to your little girl... that was chickenshit. We gonna make sure you look the part. And after that, I'm gonna cut your dick off with this knife and then I'm gonna shoot you in the head. After that we gonna chuck you in the Loxahatchee River… see if the gators got any use for what's left!"
Desiree laughed almost manically as Greta and Eve smirked down at him. He continued to struggle, wrenching his arms in an attempt to free them from the ropes.
"I would not bother to struggle." Greta told him with a fake-sympathetic sigh. "You will not escape." Turning to her friends she nodded. "Ready?"
"No! Please, no!" Penny's father begged as, between them, Eve and Greta lifted the pot of tar.
"Wait! Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait." His daughter came running through the beaded curtain from the other end of the caravan. They lowered the pot again, frowning at her in confusion.
"Penny..."
A smile broke over her features and she turned to the women beside her. "Let me."
"What...? Penny? Penny... No. Please, I'm sorry, Penny. No! Penny, baby, I am sorry! No! No! Penny! No!"
As they manoeuvred the heavy pot between them, Greta moving aside so that Eve could help Penny pour the tar, his begging reached a new level of desperation. Desiree was cackling excitedly and Greta couldn't help but find it contagious. She moved closer to the older woman and grinned at her, chuckling softly as Desiree slung an arm around her shoulders.
They watched as the tar covered his body, sizzling as it hit his flesh. He screamed, the sound no doubt travelling all across the campsite. Frowning, Greta shook her head.
"Can we not shut him up?" She asked. "He is giving me a headache."
Nodding, Desiree reached behind her and grabbed a dishcloth. Taking it from the older woman, the blonde stepped forward and, careful not to come into contact with the molten liquid, Greta pushed the fabric roughly into his mouth, gagging him and stopping the sounds he was making.
Once the tar pot was empty, they gathered the pillows that Suzi and Penny had slit and covered him with feathers. They stuck easily to the tar. Greta laughed at the expression of complete joy on Penny's face as she took her revenge on the man who had mutilated her.
"Evie, get behind him… hold him steady. Suzi, drop his drawers!" Desiree commanded, wielding her knife in anticipation.
"Stop!" Maggie threw open the caravan door and surveyed the scene with horror. "Holy shit. That's your father, isn't it?"
"Well, goddamn… you really are a mind reader." Desiree exclaimed sarcastically. She stuck the knife point-first into the counter and rested her weight on it threateningly. "Get out. This is freak-women only."
"Greta's here." Maggie pointed out quickly.
Eve narrowed her eyes. "Greta's one of us. She knows what it means to be a freak."
"And is this what it means to be a freak woman?"
"What would you know about it, anyway?" Penny asked her quietly.
"I know that if you do this, it will change you... more even than he changed you."
"It will change me." The girl agreed, nodding wildly and smiling. "It will free me."
"You'll get caught… go to prison or worse. And what about Paul? He loves you. And you're gonna give all that up for him? Then he wins!"
Desiree snarled and pulled the knife out of the counter, pointing it at Maggie. "Look at you… pretty little white girl. You got no idea what it's like, always living on the outside, looking in through a window, seeing all the things you can never have because they say so."
"You're right. I can't really understand what it's like for you. And I do plan to have all of those things. But, Desiree, what if you could, too?"
"Mm-mm. I've lost my chance."
"You don't know what chances you might have left. And you never will, if you do this. And neither will they."
Taking a breath, Desiree turned and offered the blade to the young woman behind her, giving her the final choice."Penny..."
There was a long, tense silence as she considered her next move. They all watched, wondering what she would choose. After a moment or two, Penny took the knife from Desiree decisively and turned on the man, barely clinging on to consciousness, angrily.
"I am the Astounding Lizard Girl." Penny announced, looking down at her father imperiously. "You get to live only because I say so. But you come near me or mine ever again... and I will kill you."
Penny threw the knife down with a clatter and stalked out of the caravan. The others stayed quiet for a moment, the enormity of the situation settling over all of them. Greta chewed her lip as she spotted the watery eyes of the woman who had led them to battle that evening.
"Evie... Take him to the edge of camp and let him crawl home."
There was a tearing sound as Eve pulled her oven gloves away from them man's face. It was like removing duct tape and he moaned; his screams stifled by the dishcloth that was still stuffed in his mouth.
Greta picked up the knife that Penny had discarded and made short work of slicing through the ropes that bound the man to the chair. They pulled him roughly to his feet, paying no attention to the agonised moans that he was making at every movement, before dragging him out of the caravan and marching him to the woods at the edge of the camp. Pushing him onto the ground, they left him there without a second glance and returned to Desiree's caravan to help her clear up.