Part 15- ‘The Great Southern Invasion…’
‘Hey Logan…?’ Marie was getting restless, they’d been stood around waiting for Eddie to finish appraising the battered SUV for the past half hour, and all the while Marie had paced, walking a few hundred feet in one direction and back.
She was scratching her palm, her hair messy and unkempt fell into her face and she pushed it back with an exasperated sigh, she stood in front of Logan, stabbing the dirt with her toes, he watched her silently for a while, puffing away on his cigar, ‘What kid?’
‘Ah thought ya said ya only sorta passed through here?’ She looked around her, all the dust; the bare emptiness of the place had her comparing the barrenness to a hole deep inside. It unnerved her, to be so exposed like this, out in the open, it was too much like standing still, she needed to keep going, to get moving again, a junkie needing her own sort of fix.
Plus she needed a drink, Logan hadn’t been exaggerating, Woodward was more of a piss-hole rather than having one.
He grunted at her, still chomping on that foul smelling cigar of his, ‘Sure I did kid, didn’t hang ‘round here anymore than ah had to, coupla hours at best, few years back.’
‘Oh yeah…?’ she nodded back towards Eddie who had done hovering by the SUV and was now headed for them, ‘so what’s the deal with ‘ol Billy Bob?’
Eddie laughed as he caught her words, ‘Ol Billy Bob huh? Ouch even as a Texan those words hurt…’ he looked her up and down before winking at Logan, ‘darlin’ ya look like a gal ‘bout ready to die from thirst, ah know exactly what ya need…’ He disappeared into the cool confines of the garage.
Marie stared after him, ‘Oh yeah…? If it ain’t a cold beer ah don’t wanna know…’ She grinned widely as Eddie reappeared carrying a crate of beer, she could see the metal tops glinting in the sunlight and the condensation drops running down the side of the chilled bottle necks. She licked her lips self-consciously, before catching the bottle Eddie threw at her; she twisted the cap open and downed half the liquid in one cool draft.
She sighed contentedly and raised the bottle in mock salute, ‘Ah guess ah could get to like ya…’
Logan grinned, stubbed out the cigar and reached for a bottle himself, ‘Last time ah came through Woodward needed some repairs on the bike, found the only mechanic here Eddie passed out under a car, by the time he came round and we started drinkin’ again we were ol’ friends.’
Eddie laughed at the memory, ‘Whoo-ee, sure capped some heat that day, Mama Cherry just ‘bout tore the flesh from ma bones.’
Logan laughed along with him, ‘Yeah, ah remember, she still runnin’ a no alcohol policy at that diner of hers?’
Eddie nodded, ‘Yup, coupla years ago, some pissed up truckers tore the place apart, shot the place up as well, she’s ran a no booze establishment since. But ah like the cold stuff too much,’ he raised the bottle and smiled wickedly at Marie, ‘partners in crime huh?’
She smiled, ‘Mama Cherry huh?’
Eddie nodded, ‘Ma gal, real southern sweetheart, jus’ like ya.’ Marie shook her head, and laughed a little, ‘Like me huh? Ah doubt it.’
Logan took a long sip; draining his beer in one gulp, he stared across the road at the diner with its flashing red sign, ‘Good ol’ Mama Cherry, one helluva New Orleans gal, makes the best gumbo this side of the Mississippi river,’ he dusted himself down and stepped forwards, ‘guess ah should go see her, ya wanna come?’
He looked back at Marie, she shook her head slightly, ‘Maybe later, ah think ah’m gonna hang ‘round here for a while yet…’ Logan nodded, his eyes shifted slightly to meet Eddie’s, he nodded slightly in agreement.
Any other time, and any other place Logan wouldn’t have entrusted Marie’s safety to anyone, but Eddie, he trusted Eddie. He hadn’t lied to Marie, he had only known the old mechanic for a couple of hours a few years ago, but sometimes it just takes a coupla hours sat in the sun drinkin’ beers with someone, or havin’ them climb in the back of your trailer to know that ya’d made a friend for life. Or at least met someone who was gonna have one helluva influence on your life.
Here in a small outback town it had been the likes of Eddie and Mama Cherry, and outside a windswept snowed under Laughlin city it had been Marie, strange how it had taken being chased across the country to bring these two influences together.
He was already halfway across the road when Eddie called out after him, ‘Hey Logan, ya wanna surprise Mama Cherry? Jus’ call her old, but boy ya better be ready to duck when she starts throwin’ those punches!’
Marie watched as Logan chuckled, she couldn’t help but smile, she looked back at Eddie who was muttering, ‘Ah swear that boy gets more clueless every time, to be crazy assed enough to call any woman old, never mind Mama Cherry!’
Marie walked past him to sit on the wooden dilapidated picnic table that was strangely suited to the whole rundown look of the place; she lay down on the bench resting the bottle on her stomach enjoying the feel of the cool glass on her flesh. Staring up at the sky, she could see the clouds darkening; a cold wind was beginning to blow in, the air smelt damp, it would rain tonight.
Eddie taking a spanner and an oily rag to clean it with came up and sat on the table, his heavy boots resting by her feet, her skirt rode up a little as she lay back, the scratches on her legs were most noticeable from this angle, his eyes couldn’t help but be glued to the deep marks and bruised flesh, before his gaze shifted to her arms and finally to her face.
The heavy bruise on the side of her face was beginning to purple nicely, and without make up to cover it, she’d taken to letting her hair fall over it as much as possible, she met Eddie’s gaze with a harsh look of her own, waiting for him to ask the endless questions she knew he must have.
He smiled instead and went back to cleaning his spanner, she shut her eyes and resting her head back decided to enjoy and make the most of what little sunshine there was before the inevitable rains set in.
‘Ah would’ve have thought ya’d jump at the chance of tastin’ some good food again, a taste of home what your bein’ a Southern gal and all. Don’t tell me the good folk of Caldecott, Mississippi have forgotten what real soul food tastes like?’
She froze at the sound of his words, ‘how’d ya know ah was from Caldecott?’ She sat up suddenly, her eyes glowering, her tone insistent and demanding.
Eddie smiled, ‘There ain’t a lot ah don’t know ‘bout ya Marie, soon as ah saw ya step out of that truck with Logan and that two tone hair of yours ah knew.’
Marie’s eyes narrowed, her hand instinctively headed for the small of her back, intending to reach for the Glock, seeing no compulsion but the to deal with this threat as she had dealt with any other, but her hand grasped nothing but the material of her shirt. Her eyes flew to the sight of the SUV; the gun was still locked up in the truck. She was trapped with this man who seemed to know everything ‘bout her.
‘Don’t look so worried kid, ah ain’t out to hurt ya, Logan talked ‘bout ya is all, last time he was here, ya were the one thing, the only thing he talked ‘bout.’
Marie hesitated, contemplating his words, deciding at last that maybe he was telling the truth; she glowered at him the longest while ‘fore settling back down on the bench, she rested her hands behind her head and brought up one knee, letting the other leg dangle to the floor. Eddie wasn’t a threat, jus’ an old man with too much to say.
She was quiet, before lifting her head slightly to take a long drag of the beer, she tossed the empty bottle across the grass carelessly, ‘maybe ah don’t want a taste of home, no matter how good the gumbo is.’
Eddie shrugged his shoulders and looked down at her, ‘Oh yeah, not the best memories huh?’
She didn’t reply, instead chuckled lightly, Eddie waited for her to begin talkin’ again, she looked up at him.
‘What?’ he asked.
‘The Texas ranger, the New Orleans queen of soul food and now the Mississippi misfit, ah’m beginning to wonder if this is another Southern invasion.’ Her smile widened as she went back to leaning lazily on her back.
‘Funny thing ya know, runnin’….’ Eddie paused and sighed, ‘seems can’t get far away from whatever it is that’s chasin’ ya.’ Marie opened one eye slowly, she saw him starin’ off absent minded.
‘Mama Cherry and me, we jus’ sort of drifted up here separately, a long time ago, fuck if ah can remember how many years it’s been now. Thing ‘bout driftin’ ya seem to forget what it is ya were runnin’ from in the first place, in the end becomes an itch, ya keep movin’, otherwise stand still and ya swear the walls start closin’ in on ya, and ya can’t breathe, ya gotta keep goin’, keep movin’ on. The constant flow and ebb, crawlin’ along the roads, a few months here and there, nothing solid, nothin’ real…’
She sat up at last, and stared up at him, maybe what the old man had to say mattered after all, it seemed so much like what she was goin’ through, minus the soldiers chasing her and the crazy voices in her head of course.
‘In the end, ya end up standin’ still ‘fore ya even know what’s hit ya, somethin’, someone makes ya wanna put down roots, ah’d only been ‘ere coupla months, was ready to drift right back out, guess that’s when Mama Cherry rolled in, and oh boy, she was somethin’ else, hit ya with all the force of a freight train.’ He looked back at her at last, smiling from ear to ear, he patted her shoulder knowingly.
‘Why ya tellin’ me all this…?’ She brushed his touch off, he didn’t seem offended, and just smiled wider.
‘Maybe it’s easier to talk to strangers, or maybe it’s ‘cause Logan trusts ya, ah guess that’s ‘bout as ringin’ an endorsement as ah need.’
She got up and walked over to the SUV, Eddie followed her, she climbed into the passenger seat, resting her head back against the car seat, she didn’t need this, didn’t need to hear what Logan could have said ‘bout her, didn’t need to hear what she already knew, what she had always known, no matter what Logan felt for her, he’d never see those feelings through, that was part of the reason they’d ended up in this mess in the first place.
Eddie pulled open the back door and climbed into the seat, she all but growled at him, but he settled back into the seat crossing his arms over his chest,
‘Ya two are a lot ya like ya know, both scared of what’s right in front of ya. Ah asked him, when he had all but done describing everythin’ ‘bout ya, how he’d found ya, what Magneto put ya through, and the hell he’d go through all over again jus’ to get ya back and even down to your favourite colour.
Ah asked him, this gal she’s special, so what are ya doin’ here, talkin’ to an old man, instead of doin’ somethin’ ‘bout gettin’ with her?’
Marie sighed, she closed her eyes and could almost picture the scene, but was she really ready to hear Logan’s excuses, to listen to his fears accentuated and passed on by a man he’d once upon a time shared a coupla hours and coupla more beers with?
‘Nothin’ but jail bait right now he’d said, but even after, when she’s done growin’ up, that gal is gonna be somethin’ else, more than ah deserve, more than ah’m ever gonna deserve.’ Eddie waited for her to acknowledge his words, he caught her gaze in the rear view mirror, but her eyes were cold and unmoving.
She ignored him, reaching forwards instead she tackled with the glove compartment until she had prised the box open, reaching inside she reached for Glock, again her hand came up empty. She whirled around to face Eddie; he had the gun and was pointing it in her direction.
She stared down the muzzle, before looking up and smiling at him, she held out her open hand for him, he placed the gun coolly in her hand, ‘Lucky for ya, ah have more than one line of business, that chambers just ‘bout empty, figure you’re gonna need a coupla these as well.’ He threw a box of bullets at her which she caught easily.
Marie climbed out of the truck; she tucked the Glock at the back of skirt again rearranging the shirt to conceal the weapon. Pushing the box into the top of her tattered boots she made her way back to the table and sat down heavily on the bench. The pounding in the back of her head had returned. She leant back and pounded the back of her head repeatedly against the table.
Eddie came to sit next to her awkwardly, he seemed unsure what to say next, he hadn’t known what to expect when he’d seen her step out of the truck, all he had to go on was Logan’s description of her, his words, and what Eddie had expected was a kid, a mere wisp of a thing, all fragile and needing.
But this Marie, she was tough; it was clear, there was an edge to her, sharpness, the trait of bitterness that hinted at a soul strengthened beyond what her age belied. Eddie suspected she would be able to handle herself, with or without Logan.
She sighed and looked at him, ‘How’d ya get him to open up, Logan’s shut tighter than Fort Knox, how’d ya get him to talk?’
Eddie smiled, ‘Like ah said maybe it’s easier to talk to strangers, and in a town without a bar ya jus’ don’t how much a man is willin’ to give for a coupla cold beers.’ He laughed and Marie smiled wryly. ‘Mama Cherry saw somethin’ in him, somethin’ like what we used to be she said. Ya don’t ever stop runnin’ Marie, ya feet maybe standin’ still but in your head you’re always movin’. Thing is ya gotta work out a way to make the two together, otherwise the itch is jus’ ‘bout gonna drive ya crazy, maybe ya can work that out together, ya and Logan.’
Marie didn’t answer, she looked down at the ground, she doubted it was something they could work out, thing was she was reconciling a truth she had come to realise within herself for as long as Logan had come back into her life, it had come on gradually but she was certain of it now.
She didn’t love him anymore, not the way she had done, the way she had adored him at sixteen and worshipped him at seventeen, to the time he had rejected her when she was just eighteen, and now, when she was older than most nineteen years olds had to be, when she was tired and jaded, she didn’t love him the way she had used to, she didn’t love Logan anymore, she wasn’t in love with him anymore.
Arrington smiled widely at the small group of heavily muscled and combat clothing clad soldiers stood in front of him, stone-faced and expertly turned out, he nodded at them in silent acknowledgment, this was his team, the very best, the elite, and he’d personally approved each of them.
They were men and women of the highest calibre, the best in their field, soldiers of fortune, assassins, killers every single one of them, hunters, they’d seen action all over the world, assignments for which he’d personally hand picked them.
‘Ladies and gentleman, ah think it’s time to up the stakes, let’s make this little game worth playing. Let’s really test her, ah think it’s ‘bout time we saw jus’ what little Marie is capable of.’
Lieutenant Bishop was stood in the corner of the room, his brow furrowed in concern; this was yet a new development in this operation he did not like. The general’s agenda seemed to run on its own accord, cold logic teamed with sadistic manipulation, and coupled with an attitude that said to hell with the consequences.
The young lieutenant was not used to running operations on such a seemingly reckless scale; the army taught him the use of strategic planning, not taking chances, with odds measured and calculated to a fine art. In contrast Arrington’s approach was to stoke fires with a napalm bomb.
‘Ah’m officially issuing a SOSP…’
Bishop eyes widened and he sprang forward, ‘What…?’
Arrington turned to look at him, he smiled, ‘A SOSP lieutenant, surely you’ve been in the army long enough to know what that means.’
Bishop gritted his teeth, ‘I known what it means, a shoot on sight policy, you can’t be serious, the board will never approve this action, you’re aware of that sir?’
Arrington approached the lieutenant slowly, all eyes were trained on the two men, ‘They’re bureaucrats Bishop, not approving is part of their job description, but shush,’ Arrington smilingly placed a finger on his lips, ‘we don’t have to say anything to them just yet. Anyway…’ he turned to address the whole room ‘who’s to say waiting can’t be fun, don’t you wanna to see how far she’s come, just how much of a challenge she can prove?’
Bishop shook his head, Arrington was determined to ignore him, he dismissed the company and they filed out in single file, marching double time, and issued with the policy, ‘shoot on sight.’
Arrington was last to leave, he smiled as he stood shoulder to shoulder with Bishop; the General was tall and towered over the young lieutenant. He stopped and gripped Bishop’s arm tightly, ‘don’t look so worried, she’ll kick their asses trust me, but Bishop…’ he leaned closer and almost whispered, ‘you ever think of questioning a direct order again, I’m gonna personally make sure I finish the job the Logan started on your gut.’
A swift punch to Bishop’s gut drove the General’s point home and left the lieutenant doubled over coughing and chilled to the bone.
Mama Cherry was a large beautiful African-American woman, with the most expressive eyes Marie had ever seen and the biggest smile; she had all but crushed Marie in a hug that seemed to last forever.
A couple of bowls of the best gumbo Marie had tasted and a few more beers later, ‘bout the time Marie was hugging everyone right back Eddie had a car ready for them. He called it a car but Marie sputtered out the beer she was drinking when she saw just what Eddie was offering them.
It was a Buick skylark, in a colour that might have been blue once upon a time, with a rusted chassis that looked as if it might fall apart if someone leaned too heavily on it. She shook her head, but Eddie was adamant.
‘Look kids, ya didn’t have exactly give me a lot of notice, this is the best ah can do for now, and trust me it’s a good car…’ he thumped the bonnet and grinned even when a loud creak could be heard, Marie tilted her head, looking to the side of the car, thinking for sure one of the doors had fallen off.
‘Uh-uh…no way, the SUV that y’all are gonna strip and ship halfway round the world by tomorrow, now that is a good car, this…’ she circled the car and kicked one of the Buick’s wheels, ‘this is a piece of shit on four wheels.’
‘Wow Logan…’ Eddie grinned at her, ‘she swears like a whore and drinks like a fish, guess ah was wrong she’s just the gal for you.’
‘Asshole…!’ Marie half-heartedly aimed the bottle at him; it sailed easily past his head just as she intended and shattered on the ground. Logan shook his head and pulled on the Buick’s driver side door, it was jammed. He tugged it and eventually got the thing open with a sharp pull, Marie laughed loudly.
‘We’ll take it…’ Logan called out as Eddie handed the keys to him; he also gave him a bundle of cash and fake driver’s licences. Mama Cherry had also stocked them up with food provisions.
Both Eddie and Mama Cherry watched them drive off into the sunset, it had only just started to rain and a strong wind was picking up. Neither Marie nor Logan turned around long enough to see the black SUV’s similar to the one they’d left behind roll into Woodward.
They didn’t see the soldiers climb down from their trucks, or see them shake hands with Eddie.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
She didn’t love him anymore, not the way she had done, the way she had adored him at sixteen and worshipped him at seventeen, to the time he had rejected her when she was just eighteen, and now, when she was older than most nineteen years olds had to be, when she was tired and jaded, she didn’t love him the way she had used to, she didn’t love Logan anymore, she wasn’t in love with him anymore.
A/N: A cliffie of sorts at the end of this, thing is I jus' can't seem to help the build up, but that big cliffie is comin'...promise *g*
A/N: A cliffie of sorts at the end of this, thing is I jus' can't seem to help the build up, but that big cliffie is comin'...promise *g*