“Hit it, they’re gaining.”
“The hell you think I’m doing?”
Charles heard the whine of bullets whizzing by his open window.
“Can’t this thing go any faster Charles?”
“Shut the hell up and give em something back.” snapped Charles his knuckles white on the steering wheel.
Leroy leaned out the passenger window and did his best to level his 4 shot revolver at the car pursuing them. A bullet slashed by Leroy’s shoulder causing him to jerk back in the car cursing and screaming.
“They hit me Charles, the bastards hit me.”
Charles glanced over at his companion then shifted his eyes back to the road.
“We’ll get you cleaned up when we’re home, until get some fire back on those sons of bitches.”
Leroy stared at his shoulder whimpering.
“Now dammit!”
Leroy poked his head back out the window and looked back. The pursuers were in the process of reloading.
“I’ll show you to shoot at me you cocksuckers!” shouted Leroy producing the pistol and firing.
The first shot went wide, into a tree on the roadside.
“Dammit.” said Leroy cocking back for the next shot.
Again he fired, hitting somewhat closer to his mark but still off. Now the man in the pursuing vehicle had loaded and raised his rifle to return fire. Leroy snuck back in the window as the first shot rang out shattering the glass pane of the window behind the two men.
“We’re not going to last long on these straight a ways Leroy. Try to keep some pressure on them, we’re almost to the hill.” said Charles.
Leroy nodded and stuck his head back out the window. He lowered his revolver and fired. Cocked it again, then sent his final bullet into the front of the car behind him. It was then that another bullet took him in the shoulder, this one hitting it square.
Leroy yelped with pain as the gun was ripped from his arm and his shoulder hung limp. He fell back into the car cursing and crying, blood oozing from his wound.
“They got it now Charles!” said Leroy his eyes wide as the full moon.
Charles glanced over and cursed under his breath.
“Just hold on Leroy, we’ll lose em in the hill.”
Charles slammed down on the gas pedal as another bullet whistled by. Ahead of him he saw the turn that led up into the hills and roads that they could lose them on.
“We’re almost to safety Leroy just hang on bud, try to keep the bleeding down as much as you can.”
Leroy nodded tearing at his shirt with his good hand.
Charles slowed down as he took the turn up into the hills. The side of their car was peppered as they slowed down. He heard mason jars shattering in the back seat as they took the bullets meant for the men.
“The hell they care so much about our whiskey for anyways Charles?” asked Leroy trying his best to staunch the blood that flowed freely from his shoulder.
“I don’t know Leroy, they government men. The kill cause they can, it’s what power does to a feller.”
Charles heard the car behind them rev and spin out trying to keep up with them as they went up into the hills.
“We’ll lose these city slickers up in the hills Leroy, just hold on tight, alright?”
“I hear you Charles, ain’t the first time I been shot.”
“That’s a good man.”
The twist and turns of the hill roads played out before Charles. He accelerated when he should have, braked when he should have, and zipped up, down, and around. Slowly but surely the sound of the pursuing car grew more and more distant.
“Think we’re losing them Charles.” said Leroy a hint of elation in his voice.
“Don’t count your chickens yet Leroy. They’re still in this.”
Sure enough another bullet came whizzing by Leroy’s window. He poked his head out and through his shaky vision made out the lawmen’s car gaining.
“I’m gonna pass out fore we get anywhere good Charles.” said Leroy.
“No you just hold on dammit. Come on Leroy.” begged Charles.
“Ain’t my fault Charles, they done shot me twice.”
“They shot you once in the same place. You’ll be just fine. Just stay with me alright, just still with me Leroy.”
“I’m doing my best.”
“I know, dammit I know.”
Charles eased off the gas and took a turn, immediately going off the main road down a dusty backwoods path. The car rattled and bumped as Leroy groaned.
“Dammit Charles I’ve been shot.”
“I know Leroy but this might be the only way to lose em.”
Leroy looked in the back seat at the moonshine jars they had stacked there.
“What about the shine Charles? It’s likely to break.”
“Don’t mind that, we can always make more shine. What we can’t make is another me nor you. Now hold tight, we’ll lose em here.”
Charles took another sharp turn. The lawman’s car swerved and went off the roadside trying to follow them. Their own car bounced and shook as it hit roots, bumps, and plowed down the overgrown weeds and flowers. Leroy looked back and saw the men panicking.
He laughed.
“What you laughing about?” asked Charles.
“They look lost as shit back there.”
“Let’s hope it stays that way.”
But the lawmen got their car back on the road and were following Charles’ trail of dust up the path.
“They’re back on us Charles.” said Leroy shaking his head.
“Don’t worry, we’ll lose em still.”
“You keep saying that but they keep coming.”
“So then we’ll keep going Leroy, dammit I said we’ll lose em.”
Leroy lay back in the chair and went quiet. Charles kept on for another minute before becoming aware of Leroy’s silence.
“Leroy?” asked Charles but there was no response.
“Leroy!” shouted Charles looking over at his companion.
Leroy lay slumped against the side of the bloodstained seat, his face white as a ghost’s.
“Now dammit Leroy, I said hold on!” shouted Charles.
Another twist, another turn, and Charles slammed on the pedal whipping through the hill path at breakneck speed. Twice Charles nearly lost control and went off the edge of the hill and to their likely deaths. But he kept steady and soon he heard the pursing car go off the road and as a tire gave way.
Charles gave a woop of victory and turned to Leroy “Hold on Leroy, we’re almost there.”
Charles kept up the pace and soon there was a shack that came into view. There a man rushed out, shotgun in hand, to meet them. Charles pulled up next to the shack and jumped out.
“Leroy’s been shot.”
“Leroy?” asked the man blinking.
“That’s what I said, come help me get him out.”
The man raced around to the passenger side and helped open the door.
“Oh God Charles he don’t look so good.”
“He’ll be fine dammit. Just need to get him some rest and medicine.”
“Charles, what you expect me to do?”
“Well dammit Bill you was a doctor in the army, can’t you fix him up?”
“A medic Charles, there’s a difference.”
Charles turned to Bill his face red and drenched with sweat “You going to be able to help him or not?”
“I’ll do what I can.” said Bill holding up his hands in front of Charles and lowering the palms to the ground “I’ll do whatever I can, you know that. Leroy’s my kin too.”
Charles reached in and began pulling Leroy out. Bill scooted closer and helped Charles with the task. The moved him towards the cabin.
“Take him inside and lay him down…damn.” said Bill shaking his head as they moved him in.
“They got him pretty good.” said Charles.
“No shit…hey, won’t they be coming up this way?”
“Imma take care of that you just worry about making sure Leroy here’s alright…got it?”
“You gon’ take lawmen all by yourself Charles?”
“Imma do what needs to be done, same now as ever.”
“Give me a second Charles and we can round up the boys. We’ll have those city roaches buried before morning.”
“No time Leroy, gotta get down there quick. Put em away while they’re still recovering.”
“Be careful Charles, they got training and come with some big guns up here.”
“Yeah but this is my land. They’re strangers, I’ll take em.”
“I hope so.”
The two knelt down and placed Leroy on the bed.
“Alright Bill, do what you can. Imma grab the rifle and head on down. Anything happen to me you take care of em when they come up here alright?”
“Thought you said you’d take care of em Charles?”
“I intend to but just in case, do what you gotta do.”
“Always will.”
Charles smiled as he walked out the door with the rifle in hand. He made his way down the hill back where the agents had gone off. He heard the men off the distance and climbed up over a ridge that looked down on the path below. There he saw them.
Two were on the rear end of the car checking the tires in the back while another stood higher up on the trail looking ahead. Charles got down in a prone position and began sighting in the agent standing higher on the trail. Charles heard one of the agents by the tires yell and the agent on the trail turned and started walking back towards him.
Charles took in a deep breath and lined up the sights. Then the rifle recoiled as a puff of smoke temporarily blocked his vision. The wind quickly carried it away revealing the agent face down in the mud, the other agents scurrying behind the car their rifles pointing this way and that all through the hills.
One of the agents began firing rapidly into the hills as the other began slinking up the driver side. Charles smiled and aimed down at the approaching agent. The agent opened the driver side door and was temporarily blocked from view.
Charles cursed but kept his gun steady. The agent retrieved something from the back seat and then shut the door and started back for the rear. Charles lined up the shot and fired again. This time when the smoke cleared the agent was already behind the car, apparently unharmed.
“Dammit.” Charles began to slink away as the other agent zeroed in on his position.
Charles saw the dirt spray up in front of him as the agent fired. He crept back down towards the trail as he heard gunfire light up the ridge he had just come from. Rocks flew up, branches fell, as a wall of lead smashed into the outcrop decimating everything in it.
Charles got down on his belly and crawled forward “The hell is that?” he said holding his hands over his head.
The assault stopped and Charles resumed his course back down towards the trail. He cut across and began making his way down on the opposite side of the agents. He heard their shouting and cursing ahead of him and slowed down.
“He goings to be back, you know that!” said a voice, sounded like a young boy barely a man.
“I know that, alright.” replied a deeper husky one.
“Look what he did to Frank, we got to get the hell out of here. This hill will be crawling with them before long.”
“Dammit I know that. Now shut the hell up and keep your eyes focused on that trail.”
“I’m supposed to be getting married next week. Dammit why’d I sign up for this?”
“Keep your shit together and we’ll get out of here yet.”
“Not if I have anything to say about it.” muttered Charles under his breath.
Charles continued creeping through the brush, taking care with every step.
“I don’t hear nothing.” said the boyish voice.
“Don’t mean he isn’t there. Don’t get careless now.” came the husky voice from behind the car.
Charles climbed up onto a small vantage point and peered down though the bushes in front of him. There were the two agents. One, an older man with a dark black mustache and a stubby beard, was at the rear working on the tire. The other was a clean shaven kid who looked to just be about 18 and stood on the far side of the car looking out at the trail.
Charles sat and waited, not having a clear shot at either. The sweat began to pool and drop down his chest wetting the rock he was laying on. The sun went high and then began to sink.
“Tire’s fixed.” said the mustached man.
“Good let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Hold on, don’t move from where you’re at.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” the boy started glancing around nervously.
“He’s still out there watching us from somewhere. We’re safe where we’re at or he’d have hit us already. But he’s likely got a bead on that front seat there.”
“So what’re we going to do?”
The mustached man didn’t respond.
“Hank? Hank? Hank!”
“Dammit Sturgill keep you pants on I’m here.”
“Well you didn’t say anything.”
“I’m thinking dammit.”
“Sorry.”
Charles started sliding back down the rock to get another angle on the man still behind the car. When he got back on level ground with them he heard the man move. Charles crouched down and crept closer his gun at the ready. Bobbing above the brush ahead of him Charles saw Hank walk forward a gun underneath his armpit, towards the driver seat.
Charles readied his gun and trained it on Hank’s center mass. He hoped the brush wasn’t too thick. Holding his breath he fired. He heard a shout and then the ground around him erupt in a hail of bullets. Charles fell back and began crawling back prone towards his rock.
“Start firing Sturgill!” shouted Hank.
More bullets split the brush and ground around Charles as Sturgill began firing in his direction. Charles slipped up to the rock and began crawling back up to a vantage point.
“Shit Hank, you alright?”
“Shutup and get me behind the car, he’s still in the brush over there.”
Charles crept up the rock and peeked down below. He saw Sturgill and Hank round to the far side of the car and hunch down. Before they made it all the way around Charles made out a Thompson machine gun hanging underneath Hank’s arm.
Charles sat down and waited, he wanted to make sure he wouldn’t be gone when they made a break for it. He heard the passenger side open and lowered his rifle and fired a round through the driver side door, hoping it’d pierce through to the other side.
He heard cursing and shouting as Sturgill fell out the other side. The boy rose and shuffled against the side of the car nearly tripping down the hillside they were on.
“I know you there.” called out Hank “Why don’t we talk about this?”
Charles smiled and shook his head “He thinks I’m stupid.” he said under his breath.
“Come on now. No jobs worth dying for, neither yours nor mine. Look we all got family to feed and we’re just doing what we’re supposed to. Let us go and we’ll let you be how’s that sound?” said Hank.
Charles heard the click of the Thompson’s magazine being changed out. He lowered his rifle to where he figured Hank would be and fired again. It punctured through the car door but Charles couldn’t tell what happened after that.
“Or we can do things the hard way.” said Hank “You know I got a machine gun here and we’ll have troopers crawling through these hills if anything happens to me. You hear that? Every still will be busted and every one of your kin hanging from a tree. And it’ll all be because of the choice you make right here.”
Charles sighed already regretting what he was about to do “What’re you offering?” he called out.
Neither of the men responded for a few seconds. Charles lowered his rifle again expecting one of them to jump out and start firing wherever they thought his voice came from. Instead he heard Hank.
“Glad to see you’re reasonable. Now look, like I was saying. Just let us go and we’ll write this place off. We’ll say James back there got waylaid by some boys South a-ways and we took em out. And we won’t bother you no more. How’s that sound?”
Charles waited a few moments keeping his gun ready trying to make out the movements on the far side of the car. Finally he bit his lip then talked.
“Sounds like a fair deal to me.”
“Alright…there’s just one more thing.”
Charles clutched the gun tighter just waiting for it.
“What’s that?” asked Charles.
“Why don’t you come on out here so we can see you. That way we’ll know you’re not up to any funny business.”
“Not happening. You have my word you can go free, so long as you don’t take up arms against me or mine.”
“See now how am I supposed to believe you? I mean how do I know I don’t come around this corner here and you put one through my chest? You already grazed my leg.”
“With all due respect you were trying to kill me. And as for believing me I told you I won’t shoot you, so therefore I won’t shoot you.”
“Well I’m going to need more than that.”
“Well you’re not getting any.”
Again silence.
“Come on now. I made a fair deal.” said Hank.
“And I told you, you’re free to go.”
“Why can’t you just come out?”
Charles heard Sturgill whisper something to Hank and then a “shutup” come from Hank.
“You’re free to go.” said Charles.
He saw Hank poke his head up looking through the passenger side window of the car, right along the barrel of Charles’ gun. Charles felt his finger squeeze on the trigger then relaxed it.
“Alright now go.” said Charles.
Hank’s head disappeared from the far side the car. Again there was whispering between the two.
“No, Hank.” he heard Sturgill mutter.
Then Hank emerged from the side of the car bringing the Thompson up and started firing, he knew right where Charles was. The first bullet tore through the top of Charles’ back and shot out the other side. The next ripped off a chunk of his cheek as Charles struggled to make his way back down the rock.
The fear and adrenaline turned to anger. The bullets stopped and Charles charged back up the hill and into view of both Hank and Sturgill who was tentatively emerging from behind the car. Charles leveled his rifle as best he could and drew on Hank.
“Sturgill!” yelled Hank but it was too late.
The bullet cut through Hank’s neck, the agent dropped the machine gun and pitched forward. Charles’ rifle fell from his hands, he unable to steady it any longer. He looked down at Sturgill who just stared up at him, his rifle by his side. The two locked eyes and didn’t say a word.
After a minute Sturgill started forward slowly making his way around the body of Hank. Then he opened the driver’s side door and got in the car. He set his rifle by the side and then started the car. The car wouldn’t go at first but after a few tries and some cursing Sturgill got it going.
He eyed Charles as he sped away back down the path they had come up a short time before. Charles watched as Sturgill disappeared down the hill and out of view. He grabbed his rifle and went down to Hank. Standing over the man he pumped another round in him just to make sure. Then he laid his rifle down and picked up the machine gun. He went and kicked the other lawman making sure he was dead.
Then he started back up the hill, one arm hanging loose, and the landscape around him draped in a haze. He took one last look at the carnage behind him and then felt his own cheek, wincing as he did so.
“Still beats digging coal.” said Charles as he continued up the hill.
