22 Let the dogs out

"Let the dogs out." Jim demands as we enter the barn.

"As soon as you are up safe with Ethan, I will." Mark reassures him as we help him onto the hay lift.

I climb up the hay bales as Jim rides the lift. I'm getting poked and scratched by the dried grass, but keep moving. I arrive up about the same time as Pa, and grab the hook to help pull the hay lift over to the ledge.

I help Pa off the lift from where he was sitting, and move him over to the hatch door that opens to the roof. It's dark in this area, with us behind some hay that is stacked up here for winter. I'm searching for the handle with my hand, when Marks voice has me clutching onto Pa, freezing in place.

"Hey there, John. What are you doing here so early today?" Mark asks, loud enough for us to hear him.

"Hey Mark. Reed had asked me to come in early yesterday so he could handle some business today. Is your sister around?"

Mark can be heard opening up the dogs kennels, and their barking drowns out what he says.

A minute later, Ethan opens the hatch on the roof, whispering, "Come on, old man. Get up here." He pulls Pa up and get's him on the roof. They're hugging each other, Pa's shoulders shaking as he hugs his grandson tightly.

I give them a second and ask, "Where are the sheriffs?"

Ethan, not letting go of his grandfather, raises his eyes that are red and on the verge of spilling a tear, "I don't know, they should be here by now. Where's Mark?" He asks looking for him.

"John showed up, so I don't know, why?"

Ethan shakes his head, "We're supposed to be out here waiting on the roof."

"I'll see if I can get him to come up." I hop back down and close the hatch door, climbing back down the hay. I notice the dogs are still in the kennel though.

I open up the kennel, letting them out. I look around the yard and don't see him, so I slowly walk up to the house. Trying to pay attention for raised voices.

'Where the hell is Mark?'

"Mark?" I call out, "Come on! We need to finish feeding the animals so we can go home! Mom wants us to go to town today." I call out, hoping that he'll hear me and come outside.

John instead comes out with an awkward smile. "Hey Sam, can you come inside for a minute? Mark is talking to Reed, we have a problem. Have you seen Jim this morning?"

I pause, letting my brows narrow in confusion, "Yeah? I took him his breakfast this morning?"

"Yeah? Was he in his bed?" John asks stepping closer.

I nod, still keeping my façade of confusion up. I do spot the flash of light from a vehicles window coming down the road, but know that they're still a good ten minutes away, even driving fast.

I knew that had to be the sheriff's. So I feel a little better.

"Well, he's not now." John crosses his arms, and I let my jaw drop and widen my eyes in disbelief.

"Okay? What did he need help in the bathroom or something? Did he make a mess?" I ask starting to make my way to the house.

John grabs my arm, rather roughly, "Did you open the window in his room?" He asks firmly.

"Ow! That hurts." I whine, "Yes, he said he wanted some fresh air. OW! What the fuck!" I yell louder, as he grips my arm even tighter.

"He's not in the house, Samira! We don't know where he is!" He seethes, his whole countenance changing.

"HEY! GET THE FUCK OFF OF HER!" We both turn our head as Nurse Hubet shouts at John and starts heading over to us. Mark following behind.

"Reed? What the hell man! She helped our patient run away! Do you know what that will do to us?!" John still hasn't let go of my arm, as he turns to yell at Nurse Hubet.

I take the opportunity to knee him in the balls, and yank my arm free, before landing a swift blow to his nose as he falls to his knees.

Nurse Hubet freezes when he sees me attack John. Mark still comes my way though, as I back away from John.

"What the fuck, asshole! You act like I did shit intentionally!" I yell at him, rubbing my arm.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH! REED! HANDLE THESE TWO FUCKS!" John shouts clutching his family jewels, and bloody nose, from on his knees.

"John..." Nurse Hubet starts to say something, but John is quick to cut him off.

"DO IT!"

Mark grabs my hand, putting me behind him, "Hey now, don't you think this is a little overboard? We should be trying to find Jim, not treating my sister like she helped someone escape from prison." Mark's gaze is sharp, throwing daggers at them both with his eyes.

John, slowly stands up, pointing a bloody finger at me, "She fucking kneed me in the balls and broke my nose!"

Mark doesn't bat an eye, "And? Her arm is freaking bruised from the way you were grabbing her, be glad it wasn't me who fucking hit you."

John mutters something under his breath and duck walks to the house.

Mark perks up, "What the fuck was that, asshole?" He takes a step forward to go after him if he wanted to talk big.

"I'm grabbing a fucking ice pack!" John says, without looking back.

Nurse Hubet sighs, "I'm really sorry about that you two, let's go look for Jim."

In my mind, I feel that these two just switched personalities. That Reed here should be the one who reacted the way John did, and John would have reacted the way Reed is. My arm is aching from John's grip on it, so as I glance at it, I pause.

'I really am already bruising! That asshole!'

Reed starts walking towards the barn, getting a head of us, as Mark looks at my arm.

"Are you okay?" He asks me again, and I nod. He gives me a quick hug and starts walking into the barn that Reed has now entered. Mark looks around, "Nurse Hubet?" He walks farther in and I hear a thud from inside.

"Mark?" I call out for him, not sure of what just happened.

Instead of Mark coming out, Reed does. "Come on, Samira, I'll just tie you up. I won't hurt you."

That's when I notice the baton like rod of iron in one of his hands, a branding iron.

"What did you do to Mark?" I ask shaking my head and stepping back slowly.

"Now, Samira, he'll be fine, he'll just have a bad headache when he wakes up. Now, please come here and let me tie you up. Don't make me have to hurt you." He puts his hand out pleading.

"Fuck you!" I turn tail, running faster than I've ever done before.

"SAMIRA!" Reed shouts, "NOW YOU HAVE GONE AND DONE IT!"

I reach the truck and hop in locking the doors, but the keys are in Marks pockets.

"SHIT!" I scream as Reed reaches the door.

"Open the door, Samira." He demands, trying to open the door.

"NO!" I scream, opening the glove box looking for anything I can use on this asshole. There's a small pocket knife and that's it. I grab it, and look for something in the back seat, as Reed continues pounding on the door, trying to open it and screaming at me to open the door.

"FUCK YOU!" I scream, keeping one eye on him and the other at what I might be able to use to protect myself.

"FINE! YOU WANT TO BE DIFFICULT! LET'S SEE HOW DIFFICULT YOU ARE WHEN I'M UP IN THAT ASS OF YOURS!"

He hit's the window with the iron, just as I find the barrel of a gun. I pull it out, point it at him as the glass shatters.

"I WILL FUCKING SHOOT YOUR ASS IF YOU SO MUCH AS MOVE!" I scoot back on the seat, cocking back the hammer of the revolver I found.

I open the door as he backs up, his hands in the air.

"Now, Samira, I'm not trying to hurt you.." He says slowly, beginning to walk around the front of the truck as I step out of it.

"Stay the fuck where you are! Fucking liar! You just threatened to r**e me?!" My hearts beating so wildly, as adrenaline pumps through me.

"SAM! BEHIND YOU!"

Ethan's voice from the barn has me turning just as John swings a fist at me.

I don't have time to react to block but reflex kicks in and I pull back as I take the full force of his fist to my cheek and across my nose.

I didn't feel anything at first as I fall back to the ground, on my ass, the revolver going flying from my hand, firing in the process.

"FUCK!" I hear a cry from Reed, but don't see what happened.

I now understand why cartoons show stars rotating around the head of the character that has been hit in the head. My sight is coming in patches as I scramble back, the left side of my face a mass of heat and pain.

"FUCK JOHN! SHE FUCKING SHOT ME!" Reeds voice yells out, and my eyes are starting to focus on things again.

John is kneeling on the ground by Reed, the revolver is now in his hand, as he applies pressure to the wound on his leg.

"Come on, Reed, take off your shirt so I can make a tourniquet!" John shouts, "There's somebody coming down the road! We have to get out of here!"

"AHH!" He rips his shirt off, wrapping it around his leg. They tie it up and twist, it with a stick on the ground next to them and John stands up pointing the gun at me.

"Get the fuck up, now! BITCH! You are going to help me get him into the car, and then we are all going for a little ride." He cocks the hammer back at me.

I shake my head, tears running down my face as I back up on the ground. "No..." I mumble.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY BITCH?!" John takes a step closer to me and all I can see is the open hole on the barrel of the gun and the fury of the one behind the trigger.

"SHE SAID NO MOTHERFUCKER! NOW, DROP THE MOTHER FUCKING GUN, OR I WILL SHOOT YOUR ASS!" Ethan stands behind him shotgun pointed at him.

"Ethan...." I start to bawl trying to scoot back and see Pa standing next to the truck, gun on Nurse Hubet. The sound of dirt and rocks flying with the sound of the now blaring sirens from the sheriff's vehicles fill the air.

"My, how the tables have turned now, youngin'. " Pa spits next to Reed, "I should shoot your ass just for threatening my granddaughter."

The sheriffs stop, immediately exiting with their guns drawn, shouting, "DROP YOUR WEAPONS, OR WE WILL SHOOT!"

Ethan and Pa, both throw their guns behind them, putting their hands up.

John's eyes widen, his eyes and nose flaring with growing rage, his pupils dilate and his skin becomes moist, as he starts to sweat.

A smirk crosses his face as he looks at the sheriff's, then me. He turns his attention to Ethan, as my stomach turns and know something bad is about to happen. I looked at Ethan, hoping my eyes tell him all the unspoken love I have in my heart for him.

"You know, I don't have much left to lose now. You know what they say about men who haven't got much to.."

I closed my eyes, not wanting to watch him pull the trigger, heart breaking that I'm leaving Ethan again and saying a silent prayer to God to have this guy pay for this.

*BARK-BARK*

*BANG*