Voices of Conflict

Chapter 4

He felt the familiar turn; heard the crunch of gravel beneath the tires. Reaching over he rolled down the window and leaned his head out breathing deeply through his nose. He smelled the horses, the hay, and the memorable scents of home. A contented smile spread slowly across his face. Passing the corral he heard the horses beside the fence. He couldn't see it, but he knew went they reached the end of the drive and pulled up beside the house. "Thanks Charlie."

"No problem Gary. Let me get your chair and I'll help you out." Charlie put the car in park, stepped out, walked around to the passenger side, and pulled open the back door to get the wheel chair out. Gary already had his door open and was turning to get out. "Wait Gary, you don't want to hurt your casted leg." Gary sighed and stopped moving. Charlie helped him out and into the chair.

"Is anybody here yet?" Gary turned his head as if looking around, but not seeing with the heavy bandages on his eyes.

"No, not yet, but Jeff, Mark and Micky should be here any time though."

"Charlie do you mind taking me out back. I want to sit outside for a while?" He raised his hand and pointed to what he thought was the side of the house. Charlie pushed him in that direction.

"You want to go up on the deck?"

"No the hammock, I might take a nap. I'm kinda tired from the trip out here." Gary rubbed his temple.

"Do you have a headache Gary?"

"A little, but it's not that bad."

"I'll get you some Tylenol."

"It's okay Charlie. I think I just need a nap. I'll get some later if it's not better." Gary tried to sit up taller so he looked like he wasn't hurting that much. Charlie saw through the act, but he would honor Gary's request for now. He set the brake on the chair and helped Gary into the hammock. Neither man noticed the figure moving quietly through the woods just a few yards from the hammock. They hadn't heard the breaking branches under his feet. They were too busy with their own movements. Once Gary was settled in the hammock Charlie left him to his nap and went to start setting up for Cap's party.

Jimmy stood very still hiding behind the big tree. He watched as other men started arriving. Folding chairs and tables were set up. More people came out of the French doors that led from the house to the deck. Women milled among the men. Jimmy watched Charlie when a pretty petite brown haired woman walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. He watched the two in a loving exchange of kisses. 'He must be married. I can't take him from her like my wife was taken from me. It hurts too much. They're obviously deeply in love. Amber loved me like that. I loved her even more.' Jimmy was lost in his thoughts for a while as Johnny slept.

After about an hour Gary began making the normal stirrings of someone waking up. That brought Jimmy back from his thinking. He stepped back a little so he wouldn't be noticed. Gary heard the crunch on the forest floor of movement. "Who's there?" He listened intently and held his breath so he could hear. Jimmy stepped further into the darkness. He too held his breath. "Who is it? I know you're there. Jeff if that's one of your firehouse pranks I'm not in the mood." Jimmy struggled to hold in the breath he knew Gary might hear. Gary shifted in the hammock trying to tell where the noises were coming from. "I know you're there. What do you want? Why are you messin' with me? It's not funny. You know I can't see you."

Jimmy slowly let out his breath. Gary sat up alertly. Jimmy took one more tentative step backwards. He couldn't stifle the cough that came out. Gary jerked in the direction of the noise causing the hammock to tilt and he fell to the ground half twisted up in the hammock and half on the ground. Not being able to see and still startled from the presence of someone who wouldn't reveal themselves, Gary was a little disoriented when Charlie and Jeff ran over to help him. He was breathing too fast and his arms were reaching out trying to grab hold of the fabric that was twisted around his cast. Others came over to make sure Gary was all right. The noises from all the activity gave Jimmy the opportunity to slip into the woods and find a new hiding place to watch from near the barn.

"Gary are you okay? Are you hurt?" Charlie checked Gary's neck and spine.

"I'm okay Charlie I can't get my leg out of this mess."

"Don't struggle Saunders we'll get you up," Jeff commented as he untangled Gary's leg.

"Jeff, was that you?"

"What are you talking about?" Jeff stopped long enough to look over at Gary who was trying to rise up. Charlie held him down.

"In the woods, there was someone in the woods. They wouldn't answer when I asked who it was. I thought it was…." Gary didn't finish the sentence. He realized he was sounding like a frightened child.

Micky went over and looked around the edge of the woods. He turned and nodded to the group to let them know he hadn't found anyone.

"It must have been an animal or a dream Gary." Charlie patted his shoulder to try to calm his friend.

"No Charlie there was someone there. I heard them. They even coughed. I know there was someone there." He hit his fist on the ground. "You don't believe me, but I know. I know there was someone. You think because I have these bandages on my eyes that I don't know when someone is watching me!"

"Calm down. Let's just get you up." Charlie and Mark got on either side of Gary and lifted him under his arms. Jeff lifted the casted leg. Together they were able to get him into his wheel chair. "Cap will be here in a little while. Let's get you up on the deck and get you some Tylenol and something cold to drink."

Gary didn't speak. He knew they didn't believe him.

Jimmy now hid behind the barn and watched the scene unfold before him. 'They think he imagined it. They don't believe he heard anything in the woods. They don't know I'm here.' He leaned against a tree satisfied with himself for not getting caught. Now he would wait and watch. The party was in full swing now. More people had arrived. Jimmy recognized the doctors and the pretty nurse when they got out of their cars. She looked even better in regular clothes. He watched her go straight over to Gary. She placed one hand on his good knee and the other on the back of his head as she bent down and kissed him on the cheek. Gary knew it was her. He recognized her soft touch and her perfume. Jimmy watched them together.

Then the voices that had left him alone all morning made themselves known. 'You could have taken him in the hammock when he and Roy were the only ones here. A rock or limb could have been enough for you to knock him out. What were you waiting for? Now he has a hundred people here. Now we just have to sit out here in the woods like an animal.' Jimmy tried unsuccessfully to shut the voices out.

'Look at that nurse. She cares a lot for him. He doesn't deserve that fondness. He doesn't deserve any love. We don't have any anymore. He took Amber from us. He stole our love.' Tears ran down Jimmy's cheeks. He sat down and leaned against a tree. Curling his knees up to his chest he held his head in his hands and lowered it to rest on his knees. 'But he needs to see us when we do it. Maybe that pretty nurse can help make his eyes better. We need her to help us.' Looking up Jimmy nodded his head. He didn't want to hurt the nice lady. She helped people. It wasn't her that let Amber slip away. It was Gary. "No," he whispered aloud. 'We'll have to take her too. Now we just need to figure out how to do it. How can we get him away from all these people? We'll have to wait here in the darkness until we get the chance. Patience Jimmy, you have to be patient.'