HD novella

[ga flatwoods]

Flatwoods had barely left townwhen he heard the shots from a direction he knew oh so well. Something was amiss and trouble was agsin looking Flatwoods square in the face. Besides, he was still in a warring frame of mind. In short order he was on the ridge overlooking Corene's little cottage. Years in the field had trained him from making quick uncalculated moves that could cost his life. He could see a small lamp in the cottage but no other movements. Perhaps it was a shot for game or practice, but perhaps not. With no particular incline to be anywhere in particular, Flats decided that he might as well circle wide and see what was to be seen before he left. For this, he demounted and led the horse keeping mostly out of eye, or bullet, shot only appearing in well cooncealed places to get a view of the goings on around the cabin.
After traveling 3/4 way around the cabin some three hours after he first started, he finally caught a glimpse of a single individual. Were his eyes growing dim or had he just seen a man instead of a woman? The view was only a fraction of a second but it caused much more time of deliberation in his mind. His current location found him on the top slope of a small draw that had an overcrop of rock on the other side providing an area perfect to bed down and keep an eye out on this unusual situation for a while. With the location and wind direction being perfect for his mission, Flatwoods lit a small fire on the backside if the outcrop and set to boil a pot of coffee to go along with a big slash of jerky. The horse was staked out in a big grass plot for the night.
Flats thought to himself that this msy be a long stakeout. He had been there plenty times before....

[Truckinbutch]

Givin the early hour of the morning when Brock showed up with more intrigue there was no point in trying for any sleep . I had morning chores to do and false dawn was already upon us . i told Jaye to catch some rest while Brock and I did the morning work . She set a fresh pot of coffee to boilin before she headed to the bedroom .
>Brock volunteered to fill the self feeders for the hogs while I tended to the stock in the corral . I roped a couple of the young horses , a chestnut and an Appaloosa , and barned them before I fed the rest . Trust Brock to pick the easy job . Don't take much to carry a couple of buckets of pellet feed to the outside edge of hog lot fence and pour them into self feeder boxes . Ever try to portion out a couple of buckets of grain to a mixed lot of horses and mules when you got to be in the pen with them ? It can try a man's patience , I tell ya ...........
I fed Steppin Woman and my stud a goodly measure of speltz in their box stalls . They was gonna get some pampering up until the coming race . Then I just propped the side frame of the barn door with my shoulder and contemplated for a while .
>Odd , how a feller that is attuned to his stock can find peace just listening to and observing how his animals are eating a meal . Who might be off their feed a bit for whatever reason . Which ones might be having an issue over who is the dominate one . Lot to be learned by just casually observing and it gives a man time to think on other issues as well .
>I also observed that Brock swung by the smoke house on his way back to the house from the hog lot . Came out packin a side of bacon . Knew what he had on his mind ; keepin the scale even between us . I was bettin that he would have me and him a plate at the breakfast table by the time I got back to the house .
>He didn't disappoint me none . Right down to coffee on the table and he had even found some buttermilk in the cold room and whipped up some johnny cake to go with the bacon and eggs . That was a treat . Brock is only better at makin bannock than he is at makin johnny cake and it was perfect .
>Breakfast finished , we migrated to the porch to savor our coffee and tobacco . Watch the morning building .......
"Pilgrim , you ventured off to the Skodies trailin them two gals ....."
"And a poor venture it was . Like to have got my damned head blowed off before I could even get close ."
"You was laboring under a misconception ."
"How so ?
"They ain't there . They are at Corene's cabin . That was someone else shootin at you .'Sides , had it been Corene doin the shootin , she would have put some holes in you . We finish our coffee and smokin we'll saddle that chestnut and the Ap horse and trail over there and talk with them ."
"They broke ?"
"The chestnut more so than the AP . I'll take the Ap . You gettin cautious in your old age ?"
"NOT A DAMNED BIT ! Your definition of broke does give me pause for thought , though ."

[Truckinbutch]

Bump . No time to post now .

[goinbroke2]

GB was slowly idling out the driveway in his flatbed with a load of shine and he noticed the flag up on the mailbox in the headlights. "Hmm, how long's that been there" he wondered. With the hotrodded flathead at a loping idle he reached out and opened the box, "huh, from Corene...haven't heard from anybody on her side of the family in a while". Throwing it on the tattered bench seat he shifted into first and slowly crawled away, didn't want to wake momma and the yard apes with the twin stacks which were straight off of the headers.
After unloading he spied the letter laying on the floor and picked it up. With a frown he turned it over several times debating whether to open it or not. She was crazy, heck the whole friggen family was wack jobs. They'd just as soon shoot first and ask questions later than not. GB didn't pack up and leave in the middle of the night for nothing, what, 5-6 years ago? Oh GB did his own fair amount of shooting and stuff but after his still was blown up and someone shot the house up the old lady had enough. They moved north, stopped saying "y'all" and all the other telltale signs that would reveal their secret. GB opened a garage and built engines for hotrodders.

If i read this, he thought, I'm gonna get all tangled up in another situation I shouldn't be in. I've got plenty of money from the shine, the garage is doing great, even the old lady is not screaming continuously.....life is almost boring. He threw it on the seat again and started the truck, then changing his mind picked it up and tore it open.

"Damn it..I knew it" he swore, "a horse race". Well, I can stop by John-boys place on the way by, WV ain't that far outa my way..."ah sheeit, just thinking about it and the twang is comin' back". GB proceeded to head for home with almost $1200 in his pocket, if he gave that to momma and said it was an emergency...naw she'd never believe that. He scrawled a quick note on a piece of the tag from a 50lb bag of corn that was laying on the floor of the truck and stuck it in his mailbox lifting the flag once more. "Had to go see John-boy about his Bay, back in a fortnight". He was almost a mile away before he realized he forgot his rifles.

[HDNB]

Phil was out. The game had been going on for 4 hours and he bought back in for another 20. His luck was gone and no cards came his way. He was smiling as he played roulette, since he was still playing with Beck's money it would be a long tme before he pissed all that away. "If Ever!" he said to himself with a grin. the dealer looked at him like he called a bet, but the ball was already in motion. $100 straight up on 22 and damned if that ball didn't drop like it knew where it's home was.
"22 Black" said the dealer as Eck walked up behind him. A little fist bump and Eck said "really? nice hit Phil" as the dealer pushed a cool $3500 his way.
"What happened?" asked Phil
Eck replied by way of explanation: "I could see that Jed had a hand and so i pushed all in, trying to get Beck to pony up a call, but no dice. At least he has all of his stake back to take a run at Beck with."
Phill arranged a grand for a friendly color change at the wheel and Eck joined him in roulette. They played nickels and kept an eye on the poker room.
A bit of a crowd was growing at the door and a few people were peering in over the pony walls surrounding the pit. Eck and Phil colored up and made their way over to see what was going on and as they approached the throng at the door broke out into a melee.
"Bullshit!" a big guy to the right yelled as he took a swing at Larry.
Larry grabbed him up and pulled him over the short wall and fed him a few rights. The crowd pulled back in horror as his face exploded in blood, his eyes rolled back in his head.
Eck and Phil were a bit dumbstruck as they saw Jed being pulled from the poker table by a couple of big bouncers. A stocky fellow in a bowler hat held the door open for them as them hustled Jed through the door at the back. "Holy fuck" said Eck, looking at Phil "what the fuck's that about?" He asked the closest guy to the door.
The guy replied " He was looking good, I think he was running straight. All in, and Beck called him out for more and he pulled out some cash that the dealer looked at and said it was queer. The whole fucking place went nuts. I'm outta here." the guy said as he scurried for the door.
They didn't wait to see what happened next they were out the door and in a taxi when Eck finally exhaled. "Holy fuck, Phil. He's not stupid enough to play that fake cash in their own room is he?

[Truckinbutch]

Those young horses sensed that me and Brock were in no mood for bullshit . The Ap ducked his head and crow hopped a couple of jumps when I stepped into the leather .i could tell by the set of his ears that he really wasn't into it , just makin a point .
>It wasn't long before we rode up within hailing distance of Corene's cabin . Corene stepped into the yard and answered my hail with an invite to come on down . I couldn't help but notice as we trailed down off the ridge that there was an open window in the cabin . The hair on the back of my neck told me there was a rifle lookin at us from that window . I saw the same caution in Brock's eyes . We rode careful .
>With all the turmoil in our peaceful valley recently everyone was on edge .
>Corene invited us to light and set so we got down and followed her to the kitchen table . She introduced Sarah and Brock and Sarah joined us at the table after she leaned that rifle that had been lookin at us against the wall close to her hand .
>Between us we had a lot of gossip to share as Corene served us all coffee . I inquired about Flatwoods and Corene said she had cut tracks of his horse heading toward the Skodies when she was comin back from carrying some fresh cooked grub to (whoeverthehell , Jimbo I think ) was workin his new big still . They both assured us that it hadn't been them at Sarah's cabin shooting at Brock .
>Brock looked some relieved at hearing that . I couldn't help but notice that there were some pretty serious glances crossin the rims of coffee cups both ways between him and Sarah .
>We spoke some of the upcoming horse race and my trip next week to pack back back the rest of the corn I had traded for . Also about getting S3 together for a meeting in the very near future before that race . Corene mentioned as how she had sent off a letter to her kin , G B , up in Canidy . i kinda wished she hadn't done that . He had a way of being a bit too direct when faced with adversity .That's why he takened out so far away after the last fray . We all been trying to figure out a way out of this tight without bringing more grief down on us . Oh well , what is done is done . He's welcome come fightin time if he's on your side .
>Who was in Sarah's cabin and shootin at strangers concerned all of us . Sarah most of all . She was downright pissed . It was agreed between us all that that was the next priority and that we should all go to sort that out .
We didn't know at the time we hit the trail that Flatwoods had already begun unknotting that string ................

[goinbroke2]

He couldn't take "Nadine" his sawed off 12guage as she was laying against his nightstand and guaranfuckenteed momma would wake as soon as he went in the room. No matter he thought, I'd rather use the thirty aught six that had threads tapped on the end of the barrel. Under the stairway he slowly pulled out "ma-bell" his 1917 Remington 30-06 bolt action that he used several times to "reach out and touch someone". He carefully put the four boxes of ammo in his pocket and headed for the garage to get some oil filters.
Re-reading the letter from Corene he knew it wouldn't be a simple horse race, hell no, there would be fireworks no doubt. "Iffen ya thinks y'all can hep a girl out, c'mon back". Was she spelling and writing that way because she was drunk, or had she denigrated that much farther he wondered. Sounded like Flatwood when he was on a bender. He folded up the letter as reading by the light of the dash was quite hard at 50mph on back roads. He slowed then pulled off the road and drove down through a plowed field to the river. It had been a while so he idled along the shore looking for the two big rocks. As soon as he spied them he turned into the water and crept across the river. Water spilled in through the torn door rubbers but only collected about two inches on the floor before he was on the other shore. "Welcome to the US of A" he grinned.

It was Granpa who saw him pull into the sawmill first, "John, you better grab some of the "medicine" cause we got company". GB was treated to a feast after the drink and John-boy told him all about this big horse race that was coming up. After looking over the bay and generally talking about everything to everyone he accepted a bed for the night. On the road the next day he new he'd have to hurry so he could tell Corene what he learned in time. Roads were certainly smoother here he thought as he added throttle and listened to the twin stacks bark out a stuccato, echoing off the mountains. GB just entered the town when he snapped his head around, spying one of them suit-n-tie pricks from the revenue agency.

TB was in the tree line, sitting on his horse and having a drink when he heard something coming out of town making a hell of a racket. He pulled his brim down to shade his eyes a bit better, what the heck was coming he thought. A 29 Ford flatbed was throwing a trail of dust 50ft in the air as it tore towards him. He watched as it went by then turned the horse back into the woods as the dust billowed in. "Dumbass" he thought, if I didn't know better I'd say that almost looked like "what's his face", Corene's cousin that shot the shit out of all them Florida boys that time. After the dust settled he cleared the wood line again and headed across the open ground to the road.

[corene1]

As Corene sat at the table with TB Sarah and Brock she was starting to get a little pissed off. It seems that there were all kinds of things happening and she was being seen as the cause of it. TB , she said , I have lived in that cabin you let me rebuild for 20 years and I haven't ever mentioned any kin except my ma and pa and old Yellow Moon. and all three of them have already passed . You know I am an only child., and if you think I invited someone else to the big race you are completely mistaken or misunderstood . Either way I wouldn't cut in on your race especially since the outcome is going to benefit us here in Pagosa Springs. Besides that letter would have had to be sent before she had even known about the race. Now someone was up in Sarah's cabin shooting at people and she was getting the blame for that too. There is something strange going on . You think Old Forrest is doing some planning just like you are. You know he is a win at all cost sort of man. It seemed to her that someone was trying to spilt the secret society up by causing friction between them. She told TB she really wanted to be at the meeting but all this nonsense of all her misdeeds needed to be addressed. She was tired of being dragged into things she knew were not true. What about the shots Flatwoods had heard and the man he saw in my cabin . Too many strange things going on here in Pagosa.

[goinbroke2]

GB turned off the road and followed the horse trail up into the woods. He backed into a clump of little evergreens until they sprang back up in front of the truck. He grabbed his hatchet from behind the drivers seat and took a branch or two from about twenty trees around his spot and covered the front of the truck. Then he took an old burlap bag and cut it up placing it over the windows and mirrors to stop the reflection. He raised the flatbed and grabbed his rifle and gear from a secret box built into the bottom of the flatbed. "Five miles more or less to Cousin Corene's if I go as the crow flies" he thought. Well, not a real cousin I guess, he remembered when he was eight that his momma died given birth to his little brother and daddy took it real bad. After a while he was spending more and more time at the house on the other side of the holler with his "aunt" as daddy used to call her. After about a year or so daddy was so bad with his drinking that GB had to help out by riding the pack mule loaded with whisky. By the time GB was 12 he was runnin' the still, picking up grain, heck doing it all. His daddy lost a lot of weight cause he wasn't eating and slept a lot. The winter when GB was 13 he went to wake him up for breakfast one morning and he had passed. He buried him himself and nobody really asked about him for months as he was never around anyway. Hard life but it was all he knew so he thought it was normal.
Anyway, that was the past, he snapped out of it and got ready to head out. He grabbed the letter and before stuffing it in his pocket he read through it once more then felt ice in his belly as he saw Corene's signature. "COREEN"....COREEN??? That explains the way she was writing as well! Why didn't I pick up on that before, he said to himself.

It's a trap he thought and started to sweat. Who, WHY? Heck who even knew where he was living?
He screwed the oil filter on the end of the barrel and tried to decide what to do. Now what, he had to tell Corene about John-boys new Bay with the same coat as his old nag. What to do, what to do....he carefully crawled about 30ft from where the truck was hidden and covered himself in foliage. OK GB, time to think, what's the next move?

[HDNB]

[Bigbob]

THE PAGOSA SPRING WISHS ALL THEIR READERS A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

FEAR NOT FOR I BRING NEWS OF GREAT JOY,FOR IN THE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM WAS BORN A CHILD

[HDNB]

Jed was pinballed down the dim hallway, the bouncers taking turns with kidney punches and little jabs that stung his ribs. He was thinking fast and trying to recall why this plan seemed like a good idea going in. Finally they found the room at the end of the hallway and one of the goons opened the door with his face, opening too a big split above Jed's eyebrow.

They dumped him into a chair behind a loney table in the middle of the room and further tenderized his face with a couple of good fists, and laced his arms up behind the chair. Uncle Mo walked into the room and the two guys stood at attention. "Gentlemen," He began "Is this anyway to treat our guest?"
'Gentlemen?" Jed scoffed through the blood that ran down from the gash on his brow. It blurred the vision in his right eye and tickled as it ran through his moustache and into his mouth. The metallic taste made him angry, reminding him of other less than fortunate encounters in his life.
"Oh, a talker are you? this will make our visit so much simpler" said Mo. "I'll come to the point: where did you get the funny money, and what made you think you could pass it off in our house?"
"Listen you little fucker," blood spattered from his lips as Jed hissed at Uncle Mo' " Get these ropes off my arms and get these goons off my back!"
Mo advanced on Jed, the sudden harsh words had taken him by surprise, no one dared talk this way to him. He pulled his automatic from beneath his overcoat and was about to bring it crashing down on the bridge of Jeds nose when the door opened quietly and Enrico stepped in.
"Mo." Enrico made jesture, flipping his hand away and Mo stepped back like an obediant dog. He walked up to the table and rested his weight on closed fists on the far side of the table.
"So, a bit of a problem we have here, no?" Erico's voice was smooth and slippery. He stared Jed down like a viper ready to strike. "You come here to steal from me, eh?"

"Steal from you?" Jed smirked through the mask of blood on his face. "You mean return the favour! I came here to bring your fucking money back to you, you igorant prick! One of your pissant motherfuckers left this in my hotel in Atlanta over two months ago, it just took me this long to find you."

Enrico was also taken aback with Jeds impertinence. "You wanted to find me, Eh? Well now, here we are." Enrico took a step back and nodded to Mo. Mo jumped like a cat an brought down his gloved fist hard into jed's brow, right where the door had caught him and the blood exploded in a fresh river.

"Last chance boys" Jed sputtered through the flow. "Once more, and this shoe comes off. when it hits the floor, I've got thirty men outside with automatics that will end you and end this place."

Enrico raised his hand again and Mo uncoiled. "mi dispiace, I was perhaps hasty with my response to your words. Did you say this money, it came to you at your hotel in Atlanta?"

"Exactly." replied Jed, relaxing a bit into the chair. "If you would be kind enough to remove these ropes, perhaps we can discuss some business, and a bit of restitution for bringing this back to you, instead of the feds."

"I see," said Enrico. "Jimmy, please get our guest some water and ice and a towel to clean up with."

[goinbroke2]

It had been three hours and all was still quiet. GB was watching everywhere at once as he snuck back to the hidden truck and grabbed the last of his jerky and his flask. After thinking all that time, many things had went through his head. It was actually closer to 10 years since he left, he hadn't really talked to Corene much the year or so before he left and finally, if the letter wasn't from her, it could be from anyone and she might not even know he's coming. Heck she could've died in all those years GB was gone, he wouldn't know. "Well, I'll go to her cabin and at least see her if she's there, maybe she can tell me what's going on" he thought.
With one last slow look around ensuring his footprints and tire tracks were still concealed he headed up over the mountain to Corene's.

He smelled fire..fire and bacon. He stood still for a good minute listening and trying to discern where it was. Was it the cabin? No, that should be on the other side of the mountain and he was still a bit to the top. He was intimately familiar with both noise and light discipline so he was silent when he crept forward. He heard a snap of a fire but didn't see a reflection anywhere. "Hmmm he thought, somebody else knows their stuff too". Then he heard it, a low humph of somebody grunting as the moved or got up. To the right...aha he thought, got ya. GB had his rifle slung and his 45 in his hand, after stopping across from a little fire that was built in a rockpile he waited for the gentlemen to see him. He saw the eyes come up from the fire and then go wide as he realised there was a person standing 15ft away.

"Good evening" GB said, "and who might you be"?
"They calls me Flatwoods, you"? he growled.
GB took a minute to process, Flatwoods, why did that sound familiar?
"Names GB" he said "why you here"?
"GB sounds familiar, you got kin in these parts"?
Was he being evasive GB thought? "Not anymore, no, Only thing I got connecting me here is friends, good friends mind you".
"You might as well drop the 45 he growled, you're covered by my friend behind you" GB grinned, "is that so"? he said not taking the bait. "I'll tell you what, you show me your right hand you slid under the blanket and I'll drop it so we can talk about why your stakin' out Corene's place".
Well that changed the water on the beans as they say, "You know Corene" Flat asked?
"One of my aforementioned friends as it were" GB replied
"Well, she ain't there, some guy is in her cabin, thet you"?
"Nope, I just came up the mountain, haven't been to Corene's in many a year".
"Humph" Flat said as he rolled up on an arse cheek a bit and pulled an empty hand out from under the old horse blanket.
"Well set down and have a bite and we'll jaw about this" Flat said.
"Fine" GB said sitting down cross legged and laying the gun right beside his knee still pointing at Flat..."can't be to careful just yet" he thought. Then he pulled out the flask with his left and offered a drink.

[Bigbob]

THE PAGOSA SPRING


Wishes all its readers A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!

[goinbroke2]

Well? Somebody? What, did I fuck it up?

I'm wondering the same thing.....a few pages back people are looking for more people to help out/add characters/storyline and once I add in....silence....

That's it's, I'm gonna do a post about everybody involved here wearing toga's and playing electric guitars while watching a space shuttle take off towing a sign saying "gerbil's need loving too"!

Now start writing people or it'll take a nasty turn!


>>The fusion generator started to hum as TP loaded the elephant into the washing machine. Suddenly, a boomarang smashed through the window of the submarine and the pink water started to flow out, it would of flowed into the sub but it was perched on a 400ft carrot. As the pink water drained out, Flat ran in saying Corene lost a tooth in a fight with the albino with the hook for a hand. Damn albino, always picking fights just because he could sing opera but was secretly in love with Pogo. Pogo didn't know or care, he just liked the raw tomatoes the albino gave him for his talking bird that could only say "breakfast in one hour". Meanwhile on the moon....

[Truckinbutch]

It was late in the afternoon when the four of us came to a good place to camp just under the rim of the Skodies . We set up a cold camp to not draw attention to ourselves . Brock and I picketed out the horses and decided we ought to make a perimiter sweep before we settled in for the night .
>As we cast about Brock cut sign of Flatwood's horse and signaled me to ease over to him . We discussed the tracks and I scanned the country around us .
>"Up yonder , against that bluff would be the kind of place Flatwoods would pick for a camp ,"I opined .
We worked our way in that direction casting back and forth . I smelled wood smoke with a hint of bacon and coffee and signaled Brock with a finger to my nose . He nodded , he smelled it too . Swinging back and forth with our noses to the wind we located Flatwood's camp just before GB did . I was just getting ready to hello the camp when Brock placed a cautioning hand on my arm .
>When we saw GB step into the edge of the fire light we started flanking him as we listened to the conversation . When he got settled in his seat and laid his shooter down Brock took the initiative .
>First GB knew he was around was when his Tinker made bowie slipped up against his thoat ,
"Set easy , pilgrim if you care to eat some of that bacon later ," growled Brock in his ear .
>GB turned into a statue .
>I eased up on his side and relieved him of his pistol and rifle . As a second thought I slid that Arkansas Toothpick that hung between his shoulder blades from it's scabbard as well . Just to keep everything friendly , ya know .
>Flatwoods , grinnin like a chessie cat with relief , raised his left ass cheek and laid that big pistol he'd been settin on out beside him for a more comfortable seat .
"That old trick about someone behind you ain't always a trick , Pilgrim ."

[goinbroke2]

Well boys, let's have a little taste of likker and talk this over, GB said taking the his flask back from Flatwood and passing it to Brock. Jus' to show I'm on the up-n-up, here's what ya didn't get he said sliding a back up pistol and knife from his respective boots. We good fellers?
So, there are three of ya campin outside of Corene's, huh? GB questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Something is way off here he thought, why is there more people in the woods than in town? Like ta give a feller the benefit of the doubt, but somethin smells fishy here and I'm getting real concerned about Corene.

One a you two the one in the cabin Flatwood here saw? He casually looked around, looking for an out if it all went bad.

Brock started first, "who are you Pilgrim, why YOU here in these woods anyhow"? "Better make it good, cause you seein' sun-up might jus depend on it" added TB.

GB started from the first when he got the letter he thought was from Corene. A bit of rambling later, the cards were on the table. Either they was the ones who sent the letter and he was dead, or they was on Corene's side and he was golden..well, if not golden at least not worth killin'. GB finished and sat back on his elbows, his sleeve gun at the ready, inches from his palm if needed. He knew this was it, either it went good or he had to react fast, striking before they did if he was to survive. He waited as they sat in silence taking in his story. His eye's were averted from the fire, looking down a bit but actually watching for a move. He couldn't watch all three at once as they had stayed back to his left and right but his senses were fully alert, keyed up waiting for the response. What was only seconds seemed like hours as the tension built higher and higher. He looked at Flatwoods for an expression or a darting eye to betray their intentions. The hair started to prickle on the back of his neck, damn it he thought, somebody say something he almost screamed in his head. Flatwood had lost all expression and was just plain lookin straight at him as if waiting for something to happen. A trickle of sweat ran down into GB's left eye and started to burn, he very slowly raised his left hand and in an exagerated movement wiped it out and blinked several times. Hell, I'm gonna start shootin jus to break the damn tension myself in a minute he thought.

"Hallooo the fire" came from the woods to the right.

[Truckinbutch]

We was havin a study tryin to figger this ranny out . I seen him scratch his arm in a seemingly nervous way .Hideout gun , I guessed . Two shots , if he could get them off . Three of us at the ready . Bad odds for him .
>The unexpected hail from the dark gave motion to circumstance . We'd worked together long enough that the three of us didn't have to practice none . Bein closest , Brock rolled in behind GB and jammed a pistol into one of his kidneys as his other arm gripped him about the middle and drug him out of the light . Me and Flatwoods was already on the move flanking both sides . Right , wrong , or indifferent , GB was the first man to get dead here if things went wrong .
>I had recognized the voice at the same time we started moving . Puttin my lips close to the ground to mask my location I yelled ,"God damn you , Corene , why can't you stay where you was put ? You damned near got a feller killed that may not need killin !"

[S-Cackalacky]

GB, I well expect a few fellers to come trompin' through the woods clackin' coconut shells together at this point. Quick, pass me the holy hand grenade.

My main plot line, one Marcel Ledbetter, was sent to a fiery death. I'll need to ponder on a new train of thought and will contribute again when the creative spirit moves me.

[Truckinbutch]

GB, I well expect a few fellers to come trompin' through the woods clackin' coconut shells together at this point. Quick, pass me the holy hand grenade.

My main plot line, one Marcel Ledbetter, was sent to a fiery death. I'll need to ponder on a new train of thought and will contribute again when the creative spirit moves me.

I didn't expect Marcel to expire so suddenly , either . Such is life . None of us know just when we are going to leave . Those left living just have to keep going forward .

[jedneck]

Everyday you wake up and are on top of the dirt is a good day in real life and here in the novella.

[S-Cackalacky]

Don't get me wrong. I'm not lamenting the sorry bastard's death. Just need to find some new mojo and like TB says, "move forward".

One day I would like to read the whole thing from start to ... well, where it currently is. Not sure it will ever be finished. It's kind of like the Liar's Bench with a plot (of sorts). If someone ever made it into a movie, it would probably come off something like Monty Python's "In Search of the Holy Grail". At the end, we'll all step out of the woods into the real world.

[corene1]

We'll TB, he just might so don't turn him loose just yet. She moved into the firelight so he could make her out and put his mind to ease a bit. After they saw it was in fact the Corene they knew they all moved back towards the fire. As she stood there looking at GB first thing that came out was what the hell you doing hunting me for. That .30-06 with a makeshift silencer sure isn't a welcome I want to have by no means , plus you been hid out in the woods watching for me for a few hours now, How the heck do you think you can sneak in with that noisy old jalopy you drive. Your just asking to get shot that's for sure and for certain! They all settled down around the campfire a bit and TB asked ," where's that big gun you always carry Corene?' Left it with Sarah for safe keeping . Didn't want to shoot no one till I got all these stories figured out. Hey you can come on in now Sarah, I think we got this covered. Sarah emerged from the trees into the fire light still quiet as a stalking cat and eyes to match. What the hell is she doing here asked TB scratching his head. Hell it's her cabin them folks is holed up in. Personally I don't think they are a big threat. I mean look down there , place is all lit up you can see them moving around. That or the are just really stupid city hit men come lookin for their moonshine or whoever took it. Now GB spill your guts or wind up as fertilizer back here in these woods, and it better be the truth, you are right in the middle of a big can of whoop ass!

[Truckinbutch]

That gal stepped into the light and , I SWEAR !, the play of light on her made every man's eyes stare . The exotic play of light from the fire over her made all of us catch our breath . Man could be motivated to bring back things he never even stole for a sight like that . Not much of a gesture for folks like me and Brock , maybe , but a major thing for regular folks . I glanced at Brock and he was nearly as enthralled as I was . He looked over at me and said "Right turn , Clyde !" A veiled reference to a foolish night when we had been less than successful in stealing a bulldozer . Meaning 'Get your mind on the business at hand .' I snapped back to reality and Corene spoke her piece . The ball was back in GB's court .

[goinbroke2]

GB brightened at seeing Corene for the first time in so many years but the spirit went out when she barked at him like that. Put a gun to a guys head or a knife to his throat is one thing, but the cut of a womans scorn can really hurt a guy, specially if he likes her. All was forgotten though seeing Sarah move into the light, it was like the heavens opened up and an angel appeared.
There was dead silence for about 10 seconds until Corene let out a loud condescending sigh.

GB pulled the letter from his pocket and read the few lines.

"GB, I be needin yur hep in a bad way. I's involved in a horse race comin up. Lotsa bad folk been killin, bring yur gun, we gonna need it. Come fast ya hear?
Coreen"

GB raised an eyebrow at Corene when he finished and she almost exploded in fury. "I AIN'T WROTE NO DAMN LETTER TO YOU AN I DAMN WELL WRITE BETTERN THAT"! "All right, calm down Coreen" TB said, it seems that's there's more to this here story than we thought. No, if you didn't write this letter then who did and why?
Exactly! said GB. How about you guys tell me about your side of this story, what horse race and what city fellers are in Sarah's cabin that your talking about? I seen some government types in town on the way through, suit and ties and all. Thought revenuers but they could be anything. What is going on here?

Brock moved around into the light and started from the beginning, or what he thought was the beginning anyway. GB listened for a few minutes but when the name Enrico came up GB called a halt. "Enrico is in CHICAGO now? Enrico Beck? Well there's my tie in boys, he was one of the up-an-comers I tangled with many moons ago. I think he was with the crowd that shot up my house and blowed up my still. They was from Florida back then, mafia types trying to muscle in wherever they went. They showed up around here and started a fight which turned into a war, I was spending more on ammo than sugar by the end of it. I got quite a few but they just kept comin from Florida, Corene you remember when Chalky was killed..great guy, good shot but they surrounded him and kept firing till he didn't move anymore."
That was Enrico who was leading that group that cornered Chalky. "Bastards" he said remembering the pain of finding his friend full of holes, bled out in the tall grass.
"Anybody see a weasel named "Uncle Mo" or his pet gorilla Larry" GB asked? Those two were also from Florida and were really tight with Enrico as well.

Brock continued on.

When Brock was finished (with multiple tangents by TB and Flatwoods) Corene had her two cents worth.

"So", GB started, "this is what I see goin on then".
After explaining the tie in to several characters and adding several more names to the list of guys who need killin GB deduced the person who wrote the letter must of been one of the Chicago gang, obviously one from the past when the war was on before so many years ago. But why now, he wondered, what has changed that I would be on somebody's hit list? The letter came from Pagosa Springs, maybe it was addressed to him and was forwarded to his new address? Marcel Ledbetter was the piece of shit that in hindsight must of told where Chalky and Thumper was hiding out since it was originally his cabin, maybe he sent it to bring GB back? Marcel had a brother or something in Florida at one time, maybe he was in the mob? NO! I remember now, Marcel had a cousin in Florida who was a government agent of some kind! AND he continued, there's government types in Pagosa Springs AND in Muckalee Creek...a co-inky dink? I think not!
Boys, we got an Army of bad guys movin in on us, and I say "us" cause I'm in the middle of it with you now. Still not sure why I was brought back here unless it was to tie up all loose ends from those many years ago, kill us all and not leave anyone who remembers the old days, me included?

"Let's go huntin" growled Flatwoods "and that cabin is the first stop"
Everybody got up and started gathering their belongings as Brock put out the fire. "What's up your sleeve GB" asked TB. "which one"? GB answered with a smirk "derringer in each" he said and winked.



>>>man it's hard writing with a hangover, I got some stuff from a local micro for Christmas and was unpleasantly surprised to smell heads in it. Drank it anyway last night and this is the first hangover I've had in years. Considering the price the wife paid for it and all the hoopla in the papers about it I'm sorry to say marketing really is more important than quality. Not that I'm a writer by any stretch but sorry for this rambling <<<

[HDNB]

Jed held ice, wrapped in the towel to his brow. His head was throbbing from adrenaline and he was having trouble focusing his thoughts, he kept wanting to babble on so he pressed the ice harder to his forhead to bring on fresh pain. The notion that pain could relieve his suffering from the headache gave him pause to think and collect his thoughts before continuing.
The plan, he thought, was a good one. His backstory of Texas oil money led him to explain to Enrico about the chain of hotels they had bought up accross the south, reaching all the way from Nevada to Georgia. The way his head felt, it was no problem at all feining his anger for having the conterfeit money accepted at his hotel.

"Now I don't mind moving your funny money for y'all." Jed drawled "But i'm looking at ten cents on the dollar. I'll be damned if i'll be taking this shit at retail."
Jed could see Enrico's wheels turning and he went exactly where Jed had hoped. "Nevada? he asked.
Jed confirmed that his family had bought into the real eastate boom in Las Vegas 15 or 20 years ago when the Hoover dam had been under construction. Just after gambling had been legalized there to help fund the construction of the dam.
They talked over the details and negotiated a rate at 20 per cent. Just as Jed thought it was a done deal, Enrico piped up "Just one more thing Mr. Jed, How did you come to trace that money all the way back here to Chicago?" He stood up again, leaning forward with his fists on table. His black eyes were boring a hole through Jed and he tensed up, anticipating another blow from Uncle Mo.
The fresh surge of adrenaline had him cranked and Jed was about to start the lie when he caught himself and said "What's a guy got to do to get a Whiskey around here?"
Enrico nodded to Jimmy who turned to a cabinet in the back of the room.
The moment had given Jed time to think and he started with the simple version "A driver that has been staying at our place in Atlanta paid twice with the bad money. The first time it got by the manager, but the bank found it. He was on the lookout the second time and found the driver. Our family has a private detective firm on retainer, to protect our interests and they traced the driver's route from Florida to Denver and back."
Jimmy set the drink down in front of Jed and he eyed it hungrily. Picking up the tumbler Jed rolled the ice cubes around the glass and continued his story. "They looked at every place he stopped. One of them was here, another at your brother in law's. Ledbetter I think his name is. They put two and two together and here I am."
"Mio Dio!" Enrico exclamed "Even from the grave that bastard causes me problems!"
"Grave?" Enquired Jed, as he took a pull on the whiskey. His look immediately soured and he turned his head and spit out a froth of booze. Choking, he gasped "what the fuck is this!!" as he looked at the glass.
"Jimmy, get some of the good Bourbon from upstairs" Enrico ordered. "our local supply has dwindled, and the quality has suffered." he explained.
Jed saw his opportunity and jumped "I think I can help you there too. I'll deliver top shelf American Whisky for you in exchange for the queer. Fifteen cents on the dollar."
Enrico looked angered, he did not like the renegotiation but none the less he needed better booze and Jed knew he had him.
Resigned, Enrico said "Ten days time, 15000 worth of high end moonshine for 100 grand in trade." and extended his hand to seal the deal.
Jed shook and sat back down as Jimmy brought in a bottle of Van Winkle and poured out two measures. The men offered a "cheers" and with clinking glasses it was done. Jed savoured the flavour of the wheated bourbon as it slid effortlessly down and exploded into a bloom of warmth, deep in his gut. The andrenaline counteracted, he felt, for the first time in over an hour, that he may just live after all.

>>I'll be back in about ten days when Jed delivers the likker. There has been so much to keep up with on the forums, and i have been researching (making) Booner's casual corn. Too much work for me at this time of year! I'll see if i can get back to contributing in earnest when i get back. Happy New Year! Cheers! HDNB

[S-Cackalacky]

Flatwoods cleared his throat loudly and everybody turned to face him. He spoke with a low aggravated tone, “Well, I came out here to be alone and here it comes to be that damn near everybody I know and some I don't are settin' here at my campfire. Then, so be it. I reckon we need some kind of plan – maybe before the sun comes up. Sarah, you lived in that cabin settin' out there in the middle of that meadow for a long while. Any way to get close to it without bein' seen?” All eyes turned to Sarah in a way she wasn't used to. She bowed her head a little and looked at them sheepishly while she mulled things over in her head. She lifted her head with an air of confidence and began speaking, “There's a place where the view to the woods is blocked. There's a small section of the woods that can't be seen from any window in the cabin. The line of sight is completely blocked by the smoke house.”

Flatwoods nodded his head and said, “Good, good... So, we can get in close to 'em. Anybody know how many we dealin' with?” Brock spoke up, “I seen two, but don't know for certain – could be three. What are you thinkin' Flats?”. “I'm a thinkin' we need us some intel. We need to grab one of them ole boys for interrogation. We need to find out for certain why it is they out here and what they up to.”. Everybody just stared in puzzled amazement. Corene was first to speak, “And just how the hell do you plan to do THAT?” Flatwoods turned his gaze toward Butch and said, “That's were my good buddy Butch's true callin' comes into play. First one of them assholes visits the outhouse in the mornin' is gonna open the door staring down the barrel of a 12 gauge hawg leg.”. A big grin came on Butch's face. Corene spoke up again, “And, what's plan B if this goes to hell in a handbasket?”. In a somber voice Flatwoods said, “Plan B is a hail of gunfire into that cabin til they all dead or surrender.”.

Flatwoods laid out the plan, “Me, Butch and Brock will make our way around the perimeter of the woods to line up with the smokehouse and cabin. Corene, you and Sarah and GB make your way down to the edge of the woods and take up a position behind those rocks at a right angle to where we are behind the smokehouse. If you here any gunfire, unload on that cabin. Aim your first volly high and we'll do the same. Hope is - it will scare the bejezzus out of 'em and they'll be ready to surrender. If they return fire, God rest their souls. Anybody got anything to add?”.

[ga flatwoods]

As Flatwoods broke away from the meeting as nothing more was to be said he spoke from out of the side of his mouth to Tb "Butch, you ever meet someone you really dont like from the getgo? Well as far as GB is concerned, I really dont like that SOB! He thinks he got up on me. Boy dont even realize I had his ass 1/4 mile out dead to rights but noticed he was as particular as I have ever been and in that must be from round here. So, I went back to the fire and waited on him. At the rate he was going, he would have been getting stiff by now hadnt you showed up when ya did. Fucker! Going to bust all up in my camp and be rude to someone with coffee and bacon? Fuck him! Just watch him TB. Fore it is over I am going to bust his ass and show him what an old man is made of. You know the older the bull the stiffer the horn! Take lead now please. I am going to ghillie up and go peak into their windows!" I will be there right under your nose when the unlucky bastard hits the outhouse at daylight!"
"I fee the love brother, glad you arent a hater! I remember that boy as well. I answered my draft as did you. Dont take kindly to runners from a fight...." said TB with a big S P I T T O O E E E ! "LETS DO THIS!"

[corene1]

As she, Sarah, and GB started moving in towards the tree line Corene's back was crawling . Why did Faltwoods put GB with the two of us , she sure didn't like the way he was holding back keeping them in front of him. What did he say? You two move up front you know these woods better than I do, what a load of crap she thought. He was up to something and she really didn't want to be the first casualty. Sarah sensed it also as she started to move to the left and slowed up a bit keeping him in view. Corene kept on thinking why he had come and who would have sent him. Maybe the Florida mob guys had him working for them rather than just killing him to wrap up some of the Florida loose ties . On the other hand maybe they sent him the letter to get him down here to take him out along with the rest of us folks that were in their way, but that didn't make sense at all. The mob wants you out they kill you unless they can use you for something more important. That made a lot more sense to her. She knew Marcel had mentioned her name to the Chicago thugs that was a fact so the mob knew about her involvement with the stolen moonshine. The more she thought the more her back was crawling. She saw that TB , Brock , and Flatwoods were already over at the edge of the woods behind the smokehouse and it was just coming on gray light. It was only a short time before all hell broke loose and she would find out if GB's intentions were good or bad. He was just to the right and behind her as they set up their positions and Sarah had moved to the far left and behind Corene. She had Corene's back and could take GB out if need be. As she lay there scoping out the cabin and watching TB and Flatwoods moving into position she had a harsh cold feeling run through her body , and she knew deep down inside that this was going to be a bad situation for her, GB had come here for a reason and it wasn't to help any one in Pagosa Springs especially her. The sun was just starting to lighten up the skies as the first lantern in the cabin was lit, was this going to be her last sunrise?

[Truckinbutch]

Brock and I had holed up in a patch of blowdown timber for the remainder of the night . Nothin could come up on us without making noise . Hour or so before first light we made our way to where we expected Flatwoods to find us in that blind spot behind the shithouse . Find us I said because no fool would go blundering around in the dark lookin for Flatwoods . Drunk or sober , that is one mean sob to play hide and seek with. More so when he's sober on account of he gets extra cranky when the blood in his alcohol stream starts to reach a critical level of domination .

>10 minutes or so after we got in place Flatwoods slithered in between us and started with his SITREP .
"3 of them inside . Well armed and cautious . Main man seems to be a guy the other two call Tater . Older grey haired gent with snake cold eyes and a confident way about him . No names for the other two . One looks like he was a boxer in his younger years . Stocky , with a bull neck and a well beat upon nose .#2 is whippy , medium height , packs his rifle like it was a part of his body . Brock , I'd venture that he was the one shootin at you . I heard a ruffed grouse take flight over acrost the meadow just before I started easing up on you two . 'Spect that was caused by the other three gettin in place . I know we can count on them two gals,
what do you two think about that there GB feller ?"

>That question was something Brock and I had been mulling over since we parted company with him and the gals . packin more hardware than some small sporting goods stores have in inventory and thinkin it was all concealed from such as us . MALL NINJA that the rest of us couldn't put much faith in was our opinion that I shared with Flatwoods .
Flatwoods concurred with our estimate .

Daybreak coming over the ridge on the other side of the meadow began lighting the valley . Our hide would be the last place to be illuminated , as we had planned . We were all glassing the tree line on the other side trying to locate our friends . We could hear stirring in the cabin and smoke started coming from the chimeny .
>I heard a grunt on each side of me as they saw the same thing I did on the other side of the meadow . Something was not right over there . That skirmish line was staggered instead of even . Corene to the left front , GB a bit back of her to her right ,and Sara was off to his right and a bit back of him . Looked like we might be faced with a two front war . We looked at each other and nodded . Seasoned warriors don't need to do a lot of talkin about it . Been there , done that .

>Full light shown on the cabin and we were still in the shadows . The front door hinges creaked as the door swung open ....................
>Buckle Up , Boys ! Hell has come to breakfast !