The Hideaway: A Backwoods Justice Series novella Read online

  Chapter Two

  I pull my hair up into a ponytail and take a deep breath. Leaving the farm still doesn’t feel right. Each time I do it, the anxiety creeps in. When I’m in school, I have to leave ahead of time and chill in the parking lot before I go inside. Luckily, once I’m in there, I’m good to go.

  Before that night, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I didn’t expect to do much of anything except work on the farm. It was Jess who gave me the idea of becoming a veterinarian. She knew me so well.

  Mom was all for my idea of going to school. She thought getting out a bit would help me put what happened behind me. That’s one thing about my mom, she doesn’t believe in dwelling. My friends used to think she was kind of strange. She never was one of those who would bow down and kiss ass even to those she loves.

  The first time I really saw compassion from her was when I was in the hospital. I could actually see the fear in her eyes. She’d been faced with the reality of losing me. It didn’t sit well with her. While I recovered, she stayed by my side. Hell, she carried food to my room, brushed my hair, and even held me while I cried myself to sleep. She didn’t come when I woke at night from the nightmares though. Nope, that was Dad.

  He went into complete overprotective mode. He checked the house and the property constantly to make sure nothing or no one was around. He still does it. It makes sense though. Dad was one of the few who believed me about the boy. When the police wouldn’t look for him, Dad did. He and his hunting buddies spent weeks out there in those woods. They found leads. Enough to convince him and his friends that I was telling the truth. The sheriff? Nah, he just wanted to be able to say it was all over.

  While my dad combed over every inch of Del-Rio, Mom and I watched the local news. For the first few weeks, my story was all they could talk about. Crystal and Jess would be mentioned, but talks about them began to wane. Most of the reporters wanted to focus on me, my claims of the boy, and on Cletus Fox.

  The first time I heard his name, I was still in the hospital. Dad told me who he was and about him going crazy. He wouldn’t offer much more than that. What I learned came from the news.

  Cletus Fox grew up in Del-Rio. His family, who all claim they never imagined he was capable of murder, own tons of land out that way. Of course, after he died, they all wanted to be on television talking about how much their family was wronged over the years.

  According to his mother, Cletus and his five siblings were always targeted by the sheriff’s department. She claimed Cletus was a good dad and didn’t deserve to lose Dalton. In her exact words, “That’s enough to make any good man go bad.”

  While his family was hopping in front of the cameras claiming their family wasn’t a band of inbred hillbillies, the TBI was uncovering his crimes. By the time it was over, thirteen bodies were found hidden around the Fox properties. The rest of the family claimed they knew nothing. Cletus, the bastard that tried to kill me, is now infamous and takes the title of Del-Rio’s first serial killer.

  I hope the bastard rots in Hell.

  Everyone in town knows what happened to me. It’s one of the reasons I get so many stares when I’m out and about. I’m learning how to deal with it, but it doesn’t mean I like it. Especially, when I run up on those people who think I’m some kind of crazy person for claiming there was a kid out in those fields.

  I’ve never liked being called a liar. All my life I’ve tried to be a stand-up person. Sure, I grew up on a farm where I learned to hunt and fish, but that didn’t make me some heartless redneck. I will give the people I love the shirt off my back. To think people I’ve known all my life are accusing me of making stuff up is hard to swallow.

  I close the suitcase and stare at it. I know Dean is waiting. He wants to help dad check the animals and get things squared away before we leave. It’s the walking out of the house part that’s so hard.

  “You can do this,” I tell myself then scoop the bag up and step out of my sanctuary and back into the real world.

  Of course, my feeling of being on my own two feet doesn’t last long. Before I can even make it to the truck, Mom is waving at me from the main house.

  “Do you want some sandwiches for the ride?”

  I shake my head, knowing what she’s trying to do. Instead of climbing on in, I walk down the worn path we’ve made to her backdoor.

  “Have you already made them?

  “Well…”

  “Then yeah, I guess we’ll take them.” I chuckle at her. “You didn’t have to do that, though, Mom. We could’ve grabbed food on the way.”

  “I know how you are about being around crowds, baby girl. You wouldn’t do well in a restaurant right now, and you ain’t eating fast food. That shit will kill ya.”

  Del-Rio’s wild ass 70’s child is telling me that something will kill me. How original. I wonder how many times my Mamaw tried to tell her the drugs and booze would do her in?

  “Thanks, Mom, we appreciate it.”

  “I know the two of you need this time away. I just ask one thing,” she continues as she crosses the kitchen and snatches a brown paper bag out of the fridge.

  “What’s that?” I ask her as I take the bag.

  “Just give us a call when you make it up there. You can collect if you need to. I don’t know how the phone deal works at those rental places. Just let us know you guys made it, and all is well. If you don’t, your daddy won’t make it. He’ll end up coming up there to check on you. You know how he can be.”

  I nod my head in answer. She is right. Without a check in, at least one, Dad will panic. His panic saved me once though, so I’m not going to complain.

  “Try to have a little fun, will you?”

  “I’ll try,” I agree as I lean down and kiss her on the cheek. “Be nice to my daddy while I’m gone.”

  “Ha, you’re funny.”

  I offer her a last smile then make my way back toward the truck. Before I have time to climb into the passenger seat, I see Dean and dad making their way down from the new barn.

  “We’re packed and ready,” I tell them.

  I watch a smile light Dean’s face. I think he’s loving the idea of having me to himself, away from the daily grind of the farm.

  “You two be careful up there,” dad tells us he motions with his head for me to get in the truck. I climb inside, and he slams the door tight. “Give us a call to let us know you made it.”

  “Yeah, mom already said that. Don’t worry, I’ll check in.”

  “Everyday.”

  I give him a look. “Daddy.”

  “Sissy.”

  “I’m a grown up.”

  “Yeah, I know, and I really don’t give a damn. I nearly lost you once. You’ll call every evening and check in. Right?”

  I know when to argue with this man and when not to. Now isn’t the time. If I push it, he’ll drag me out of the truck and dare Dean to stop him.

  “Okay. We’ll check in every night.”

  “Good,” he adds then pats the door nervously. “You keep your eyes open up there, alright.”

  “I will.”

  “Do you have…” his voice trails off.

  “We wouldn’t leave here without them,” Dean pipes up to let Dad know we have protection. “My rifle is under the seat.”

  “And your pistol?” Dad asks me directly.

  “In my suitcase.”

  “That’s my girl. If anything weird happens, just call.”

  “We’ll be fine.” Dean laughs as he climbs in.

  Dad offers a last smile then steps away from the truck. I hear the truck crank up as I watch him wander down the path slowly. Every few steps he glances back toward us. He doesn’t like the idea of us going. I’ve always trusted his instincts. Maybe I should right now.

  I feel the lurch of the truck as Dean puts it in drive and begins to move. I absently take his hand as I watch Dad reach the backdoor where Mom is waiting. He wraps his arms around her and pulls her close to him. It’s his way of comf
orting himself. He’s hating this.

  “He’ll be fine, Sissy. He’s just worried. I get it.”

  “Yeah, I know,” I tell him then glance his way. “We need this though, right?”

  “We definitely do.”

  I nod my head at him to let him know I’m alright. Before we leave the driveway completely, I look back one last time. Mom’s already back in the house, but Dad is still watching. I just hope he’s waiting there when we get back.

  Chapter Three

  The drive up into the mountains is absolutely breathtaking. Having grown up around here, I guess I sometimes take things for granted. Since nearly dying, that’s changed a bit. More times than I care to admit, I simply stand around on the farm and gaze up at the mountains surrounding us. It helps take your mind off things to think of everything God and nature has to offer.

  “I’m glad we left before it got dark,” Dean tells me over a mouthful of ham sandwich.

  “Why?” I reach over and wipe a squirt of tomato that is seeping down his chin.

  “I haven’t been up this way since I was a kid. When I drove by the rental company to pay and pick up keys, they told me the roads could be tricky in the dark.”

  “And in typical man-fashion, you shrugged it off like all was good, right?”

  “Of course.”

  I shake my head and crack open one of the sodas Mom sent. “It’s been a while since I’ve been up this way too. I used to go into town with the girls, but not up here in the mountains. I think the last time we came was in elementary school with Jess’s mom for a hike.”

  A soft smile settles on Dean’s face and instantly I know what he’s thinking. It’s not real common for me to talk about things the girls and I used to do. I try to avoid it. I don’t think people realize how hard it is to think about the good things when all you can see is the faces of people you love dying right in front of you.

  “It’s time for new memories, Sis. I’ve been telling you that. You can’t dwell on what happened. It was shit luck. The three of you run up on some crazy bastard on a backroad.”

  “No. No, we didn’t. We were led out there to that crazy bastard by his asshole son. That’s the part that sticks with me, Dean. How could all of us have been so fooled by Dalton?”

  “We all were. Hell, I talked to him in school too, ya know. I even went by the swimming holes with them and drunk beer. I never knew. None of us did. That’s not on you either.”

  I know he has a point, but considering what happened, it’s hard to admit it. I guess I feel a bit glutton for punishment since I’m the one that survived.

  Wanting to change the subject, I peer out the window at the winding road we’re traveling up. “How far up the mountain is it?”

  “Nearly to the top. I bet we have another half hour drive.”

  “Jesus, Dean.”

  “I know, right. These cabins are starting to pop up everywhere. Before you know it, they’ll be more popular than the hotels around here.”

  “Yeah, owners are even giving them cute little names to get more people interested. I like that.”

  “I know. The one we’re staying in is called The Hideaway. They advertise it for honeymooners on the radio.”

  Okay, things just got awkward. Yeah, Dean and I are an official couple. I would go toe to toe with any chic in town that tried to get in between the two of us, but we don’t linger on talks about our future. Honestly, there doesn’t seem to be a reason. I love him. He loves me. We’ll stay together. That’s that. Hopefully, this trip isn’t his way of trying to get more out of this. At twenty, there’s no reason to rush into marriage and kids. I don’t want to be like our parents.

  “That’s a cool name. Someone should write a sad, country song about it,” I tease with a laugh.

  “There’s enough sad ass country songs. Let’s not come up with more. Here, I’ll show ya,” he tells me as he reaches over and flips the radio to the nearest country station.

  I reach over and tease his hair as he begins to belt out the words of a Conway Twitty song. I can’t help but laugh as he holds the wheel with one hand and pours his heart out to me with the other. The deep, cracking voice he’s using is enough to make anyone want to cover their ears and run from terror, but I love it.

  I join in, helping sing. The two of us are filling the car with our terrible vocals when suddenly Dean stops singing, and I feel the truck yank to the left.

  “What the hell?” I cry out as I grab the door handle to help keep myself in place.

  “Fucking asshole!” he yells as he throws the truck into park.

  I look around, trying to figure out what he’s talking about. Seeing nothing in front of us, I turn and look out the back glass. Standing in the middle of the road is a man, possibly in his sixties with long, gray hair and dirty clothes.

  “Who is that?” I mumble as I hear Dean’s truck door swing open. “Dean, wait!” I cry out but it’s too late.

  “Hey, what the hell are you doing out in the middle of the road up here? You could get someone killed.” The anger in Dean’s voice is enough to make anyone shrink back in terror, but the man doesn’t give an inch.

  “I’m walking, boy. What’s it to you?”

  “You nearly caused us to run off the side of the goddamn mountain. That’s what it is to me.”

  “Should pay better attention. People live up here, ya know.”

  I can’t completely make out Dean’s following comments, but I can easily tell he’s getting angrier. The idea of getting out of the truck terrifies me, but I know it’s what I need to do. I can calm Dean down and possibly diffuse the situation. Strange men in the woods are just a bad subject for me.

  Taking a deep breath, I decide to conquer my fears and swing the truck door open. I can feel myself shaking as my feet hit the ground.

  “Sissy, get back in the truck,” Dean demands.

  “Then come on,” I tell him as I step closer. “The guy was walking up the road. He didn’t mean to cause us issues.”

  Dean cuts his eyes toward me, and I see the annoyance there. It’s not so much the fact the man was in the road like a dick; it’s the attitude he’s giving over the situation.

  “Listen to your woman and go on about your way.”

  Dean balls his fist up like he’s ready to lay into the dude. Instead, I reach out and grab his hand. “Come on, let’s go. You said you want to get there before it’s dark, remember?”

  With a roll of his head, Dean relents and takes my hand in return. “Just be careful up here, man. You’re going to get yourself or someone else killed.”

  With the warning lingering in the air, Dean and I turn and start for the truck.

  “It’s going to be a hot one tonight. You two better be ready for it.”

  I glance back wondering why the man would say something so strange. The way he’s staring at me sends chills down my spine. I know I’ve seen him somewhere, but I just can’t place him. Most likely some creepy old timer from town.

  “Have a good one,” I offer finally as Dean opens my truck door. I’m ready to climb in as Dean goes around the front when I hear the guy’s voice again.

  “Keep your eyes open up here. You never know who’s watching.”

  I whip around to see coming my way. I hop in the truck, close the door, then lock it. He strolls casually by like nothing happened and continues on his way up the mountain.

  “I’d offer him a ride if he wasn’t such an asshole,” Dean mutters as the truck roars back to life, and he speeds off past the guy who almost killed us unintentionally.

  With the mood completely changed, the rest of the ride is taken in mostly silence. I try to eat my sandwich but can barely stomach it. The man, his smell, and his creepy words keep popping up in my mind. His ominous tone makes me want to high tail it off the mountain and forget about Dean’s plans.

  “I know what you’re doing.”

  I look over to see him staring at me instead of paying attention to the road. “What do you mean?”
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  “You’re wanting to use this as a reason to freak out and go back home.”

  “I didn’t think you were a mind reader.”

  “It’s not going to work, Sis. I’m not taking us back. We’re going to stay up here, have a good time, and start trying to move on past what happened two years ago. Understood.”

  “You don’t tell me what I will and won’t do, Dean Gunner.” The idea of him trying to dictate to me, something he’s never done, completely pisses me off.

  “Oh, I won’t? You gonna stop me?”

  I whip myself around and stick my finger in his face. “You ain’t my daddy. You don’t tell me what I can and cannot do. If I want to go home, I will walk my ass off this mountain, and there’s not a damn thing you can do to stop me. You got it!”

  He laughs. He fucking laughs, and I want to punch him in the nose.

  “There’s my girl. There’s the one I know who isn’t afraid of shit and isn’t going to let some dead son of a bitch dictate to her.”

  “Is that what you think I’m doing?”

  “I don’t think you’re doing it on purpose, but it’s what’s happening. You can’t stop living because Cletus Fox made your life hell. You can’t give him that satisfaction.”

  I try to control my anger. I haven’t felt myself this worked up since that night. I wanted to fight then. Hell, I kind of want to fight now.

  “Do you see what I’m saying? You aren’t being yourself. It’s time you took yourself back and that starts here.”

  I look forward to seeing a small, one story cabin sitting in front of me. It’s cute as hell. A hot tub is sitting on the wrap-around porch; a table lamp is burning from the front window. My immediate thought is how much I’d love to live here.

  “How about we start putting the past behind you, so you can heal, Sissy. That’s all I want.”

  I feel tears sting my eyes. I’m torturing him. I’m making him relive my nightmare with me, and it’s not fair. For us to have any kind of life, I have to try.

  “I want that too,” I tell him then squeeze his hand. “But if you ever talk to me like that again, I’ll break your nose.”