Tammy burst out laughing, “Yeah Derek, no one wants to watch you play with your man bits.”
“I hope everyone in here heard them. They said man bits. Not boy, but man,” he laughed as he turned around.
The whole room erupted into a volcano of laughter that we all needed. It was wonderful to see a small part of our old Derek shine through and I was hoping there would be more to come. Maybe we were all healing, somewhat, or it could be that we knew we were going into an ordeal where we realized that death was only a breath away. After the sounds of joy died down, Tanda finally announced that other than our make-up, we were as ready as we were going to be. We undressed as fast as we could and with bloodbreeder speed redressed in our black clothes and ran for the back door. ***
We now had less than one hour to find a few pigs or goats to bring back to Martin’s overly large barn; which, to me, looked more like a smaller version of his home. It was twice the size of our barn back in Texas and there is no comparison to the look. My whole family and our livestock could have made a fine home out of what Martin called his stables; with its iron gate stalls and stone walls. It had floors that resembled brick roads and large rooms with solid doors on brass hinges that held bags of feed. It was built far better than our home but I couldn’t even imagine it holding the love that the Crocker barn held.
“You okay?” Derek asked, bumping my arm with his.
“Yeah, just thinking about home.”
“Come on, let’s go find some supper. I’m starving and I know Sydney is too; he was sucking on the end of his club.” I heard him snort out a little laugh.
“I know what you mean, I saw Tammy gnawing on Cates’ nub.”
“Excuse me?” Tammy cleared her throat from behind me. “I have never gnawed on Cates’ nub.”
Derek and I both started laughing and without knowing our full conversation, Tammy joined in. We took off toward the back left side of the property the way the others had gone. Cates was waiting on us at the far corner of the wall where wood had been stacked halfway up.
“Wow, this looks like it will be much easier to go over,” I smiled as Cates pushed himself off of the wall.
“Oh, but our Master Jacob has figured out another way.” Cates reached down and grabbed the wood pile and pushed it forward and revealed an oval shaped hole.
“Thank the stars,” Tammy looked up, then walked over and hugged Cates. “I could just chew on your nub, sweetie.”
“My lovely lady, you can chew on anything of mine that you would like,” Cates wiggled his brows and lifted Tammy with his good arm and kissed her full out.
“Look what you got started,” Derek shook his head and hurried through the hole in the wall.
“How is that my fault?” I asked as I followed him.
“I wonder where Garvin and Jacob went?”
“Really, how was them two kissing my fault?”
“You started with the gnawing,” he winked at me.
“And I ran with it,” Cates laughed.
“The big brute did and I love it,” Tammy slapped him on the backside then came and stood by me.”
“They will return shortly. Jacob knows of a small farm not far from here.”
“Isn’t it a little too dangerous for them to be out there alone, Cates?” Derek asked.
“Two can go through the trees and brush much more quietly than six.”
“I wonder what Tanda is doing to poor Sydney? I bet she has him trying on the shirts she’s sewing up,” I guessed, just making small talk as we waited.
“Sydney is a good sport. He didn’t seem to mind helping even when it came to putting the rollers into the wigs that you and Tammy will be wearing.”
“Cates!” Tammy lightly swatted him in the stomach.
“It is true.”
“It is. I was watching him hand Tanda the pins when she was hemming Tammy’s dress. I think he may have helped his mom or something?” Derek added.
I would have told them that all of my brothers, but Johnny, could do almost anything that I could, from cooking to mending their own things. But Garvin came running around a group of trees as fast as he could move. “They have him,” he yelled with what little air he had.
“Who has him?” Cates asked as he grabbed Garvin under the arm.
“Angelica’s people?” I asked.
“No, worse,” Garvin replied, leaning heavily on Cates.
“Worse?” Derek looked back at me.
“Normals… normals have Jacob at gun point and the sun will rise very soon.”
“We must hurry. Find your feet and show us the way,” Cates pushed Garvin upright and gave him a sharp nod.
With that said we moved with a solid purpose; to find Jacob and get back home before the sun came up. I saw the top of the farm house before we ran around the last of the trees and out into a plowed field. Two men stood in the opening of a barn that looked very much like the old one where I came from. A pale light came from inside where I was guessing that Jacob was. The closer we got it was easy to tell that one of the men had a shotgun and he had it pointed at the open barn door.
“Hello!” I called out.
“Renee,” Cates scolded much like Jacob always did.
Both of the men looked our way and you could see their fear as the shotgun swung our way. “Don’t take another step or I will pull this trigger.”
“Yes sir, I have no doubt about that. We just came for our friend. I think that you must have thought he was trying to steal your livestock.” I had both hands in the air as I spoke.
“Neither of the two that came here…not the one in me traps, or the one that stands at your back, are right. They be dead walkers of the night and they come to take our very souls.”
“That’s down-right hogwash. They’re both my kin and may be a bit ill, but they sure ain’t no whatever you just called them, and damn sure didn’t come to take anyone’s soul. Only God can do that, so if I were you, I would be holdin’ off on that trigger. You kill an innocent person and He’ll be coming for your soul for sure.”
“Then what are they doing in me stalls?”
“I was needin’ some goods for me…my stalls, and I had them out lookin’ for someone who might sell to me,” I lied as I slowly walked closer.
The man turned back to the barn door and waved the gun and Jacob walked out with his hands in the air much like mine. He walked by me and stood where I had left the other. I gather he was leaving this ordeal up to me. “Well, would ya mind selling me a bit of your livestock? I could sure use a few good hogs, a few goats for the lawn, and maybe a young bull. I can pay top dollar.”
“I gather ya got your own chickens?”
“No sir, I just didn’t wanna push the issue,” I winked, stopping on the edge of the barn’s shadow.
“Old Tink here has more hens then he’ll ever be needin’ and plenty a hogs as well. I can sell ya two, maybe three, of me best goats and a milk cow. Got to keep me bull.”
“If you find yourself in need of the hens, I can fetch ya ten and at least four wee hogs. Unless you’d rather have the bigger ones? Makes a better bacon but a tougher butt,” Tink explained.
The one holding the gun walked over and stuck out his hand and I took it. “Names Daniel McGale and we have an accord…if the price is right. Though, I don’t normally do business before the crack of dawn.”
“That I understand but we just got off the ship this night and have no supplies at the new place, if you can call it that. You name your price, Mr. McGale, and I will see that you have it. But, I will need to take one of those goats back with us now. You have my word that you’ll get your pay.”
“I don’t know…”
“This should cover the cost nicely.” Jacob walked up and handed the man two silver coins.
“I’ll be right back.” He turned and he and Tink disappeared into the barn.