#old 37

"Can I help you get those into the car, ma'am?" She startled a bit, which made you happy that you had kept a respectful distance between you still. There were plenty of people that would take offence to the offer of help, especially around here, a small town were most were used to providing for themselves. If she said no, you would back off.

"That is very kind of you dear. If You don't mind." You offered her a smile, still waiting to step forward, not wanting to crowd her.

"Not at all." When she stepped back, that was your cue to move forward. Carefully, you began to load the car. There was more than you expected but you knew better than to question. You had no idea of her situation. Nor did you have any right to inquire. Just as you got the last bag into the car, an angry sounding voice called out.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" It was your turn to be startled, almost stumbling back from the car before you caught your balance. The look on the face of the man approaching the car matched the anger in his voice. Immediately, your hands shot up in an innocent gesture. Admittedly, that was more the reaction that you had been expecting.

"I was just…" Before you could finish your explanation, you were cut off by the woman that you had just helped.

"Calm down, Darryl. This nice young lady was just helping me get the groceries in the car while you finished up. She's been nothing but polite and helpful." As she spoke and reassured the man that everything was okay, some tension leaked from his frame. He still looked distrusting, but he wasn't about to physically approach anymore. A fact that you were thankful for. A fight in the grocery store parking lot was the last thing that was needed. No good deed went unpunished.

"I didn't mean any harm. I saw that she was having a hard time getting the bags in the car and thought I would offer my help. Didn't do anything until she gave me the okay."

"Go on and get in the car, Mom." Ah, okay that explained the man's protective nature. You stepped back further, offering a soft smile.

"Thank you very much, dear."

"You're welcome." She shifted around the car slowly to be able to get in. It left the two of you in a slightly awkward silence. "I'll just get going…"

"Thank you," he sighed out. It caught you off guard. Being thanked was not what you expected. Giving a small shake of your head, you were quick to assure him.

"It was really no big deal. No one else was stepping up to help, and it looked like your eggs were about to hit the floor."

"You're new around here, aren't you." That wasn't the first time that you had heard that this week alone.

"It's that obvious, is it?" You held out your hand for the man, giving your name since you already had the advantage of knowing his.

" Well, thank you again. I'm sure we will see you around."

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While the town itself was decently large, most of it was more rural, so the population wasn't all that big. That resulted in you running into both Darryl and Martha a few times over the next few weeks as you settled in. Each time, a friendly conversation was struck. Darryl became increasingly more relaxed at each interaction, even going so far as giving you a friendly and welcoming smile the last few interactions. 

There were some whispers around town, but you hardly paid attention to them. If every person was judged by their past, well, everyone would be screwed. What mattered was how he acted now, mainly how he acted with you. 

The brash and aggressive personality was certainly there, though not as upfront as it had been in that first meeting. He loosened up further as you spent time helping out his mother, who had taken a shine to you. Mainly through some volunteer work that you were doing at the church. Martha had recognized you and instantly seemed to latch onto you. Not that you minded. She was kind. A woman of faith where you had lost yours. She didn't judge and simply was happy for some companionship and help outside of her family. 

Of course, you weren't quite aware of the way that she watched you interact with her son or the way that a bit of happiness sparked in her when she was present for those meetings. 

It had gotten to the point that Darryl trusted you enough to pick her up from the salvage yard, where they also lived. It had become almost routine. You would pick Martha up on Sunday mornings for her church service and then a little afternoon lunch and outing. Sunday mornings turned into another three outings throughout the weekend. Always scheduled and never random but that worked for you. 

Darryl had taken to greeting you at the entrance to the yard, the two of you chatting about this, and that, nothing specifically as Martha made her way down. You enjoyed the time with the older woman, but you had to admit that you began to really look forward to the chats between the two of you. It really came as no surprise when he finally asked you out for a coffee.

Coffee turned into dinners, dinners into late night drives with stargazing. Random talks turned a little more serious. Neither of you talked about the past, focused only on the future. There was a soft side to the man that you were privileged to see. A side that you found yourself liking more and more. It was easy, and he seemed to appreciate that you didn't expect anything of him besides some respect and time to enjoy one another.

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Two months had passed, and things couldn't have been looking better for you. There was an easy routine that allowed for the stability that you had been seeking. Volunteer work, spending time helping Martha, dates with Darryl, and working in the small home that you had purchased kept you plenty busy. In a good way.

It was comfortable enough that you didn't recognize the signs of being followed. For the past week, something had seemed off, but it was nothing that pulled too hard at the front of your mind. You simply brushed the feeling off as a result of the recurring nightmare that had played you for the week, which had led to a distinct lack of sleep. Anything else seemed silly and never entered your conscious thoughts. Darryl had noticed something, making a comment on it during your date two nights ago. You had promised him it was simply from you not sleeping well, not wanting to go into detail on what the nightmare was about.

Maybe you should have. Maybe offloading would have helped ease some of the tension and help stop the nightmare. That would have let you sleep better, which in turn may have let you spot the car that had been following you to the salvage yard. Just as you pulled up to the entrance, lights flashed behind you.

"You've got to be kidding me." A cop really decided to pull you over? You hadn't been speeding, and you knew for certain that nothing was wrong with the truck. Scrubbing a hand down your face, you looked behind you and frowned. It was an unmarked car. Now that was unusual, and you could feel the hairs on the back of your neck standing. Something was wrong. That was an instinct you had learned to trust a long time ago. Still, you remained in your car and as relaxed as possible. There were no cameras at the front of the yard. Which meant that Darryl or Jon Roy would have no idea what was going on.

With the window already down, you were getting ready to ask what was wrong, but you were never given the chance. A large hand reached through the window, grabbing the back of your neck and slamming your head forward. Pain blossomed outward from your nose, and your ears were ringing almost immediately. The action stunned you long enough for the man to pull you from the car, one arm wrapped around your torso before cold metal was pressed to your temple. Your head was clearing enough for you to realize that. You could feel the blood leaking down from your busted nose. That was going to be a bitch come tomorrow.

"This is how this is going to go. You are going to get this gate open, and then we are going to find the two degenerates that run this place. The ones that killed my daughter." Killed his daughter? What the hell was this man going on about? You didn't have any choice besides to play along. You just hoped that Darryl or Jon Roy would be around, see what was happening and get help. "Anything I don't like, I put a bullet in your brain. Do you understand?" 

'I understand." Your mind was racing to figure out how you could get out of the situation. If he hadn't gotten the jump on you, you may have been in a better position. Reaching into your pocket carefully, you produced the key that Martha had given you. You shuffled forward, the man still pressed against your back. As long ashedidn't check your hip…

Getting in was easy. But there still hadn't been an opportunity that presented itself for you to try and get away or gain an upper hand.

"Come on out you sick fucks! I know you are here. You wanna take away something of mine, then I'm gonna take away something of yours." The gun was pressed harder against your head Enough so, you were forced to tilt to accommodate the pressure with gritted teeth. As your eyes jumped around, you didn't spot either of the boys.

"Woah, woah, woah. What's going on here?" That was Darryl. After a second, his form appeared from around a nearly junked car. His hands were in the air, though that anger that you didn't often see anymore, was so clearly present.

"Don't play dumb, asshole. You may have others fooled, but I'm not. Once a twisted fucker, always one. That record of yours was easy to pull up. And all the missing people along this stretch of road? I don't know how anyone didn't put it together sooner. You and that deformed brother of yours are behind it all."

"Listen, I don't know what you think you know, but you got it all wrong. I haven't been in trouble since I got out…"

"I tracked her phone here! I know she was here. The last place that she ever came. " Darryl was doing a good job of distracting the man. It was now a question where Jon Roy was. Something that the man was acutely aware of, unfortunately. "Where is your brother?" 

"I'm not his keeper. How the hell should I know where he is?" You subtly tried to shift your lower half away from the man. Creating a little space would give you the chance to throw a blow or slip from his grasp. Either would work right now.

"Bullshit. He doesn't show himself in the next fifteen seconds, I'm shooting her now. Then I'll shoot you." With the underlying hint of something in his voice, that unhinged nature, you actually believed that he would do that. So, there was no time to waste. 

"You know, if you were coming here, guns blazing, I would have thought that you would have had a slightly better plan than this. Really it's a shit attempt at trying to get what you want. Two on one, the odds weren't ever in your favor." The man behind you let out a cry. There was little time to react before your balance was thrown forward, though his grip didn't exactly leave you. Cursing, you tried to twist out of the hold as the man swung around. The loud crack of gunfire echoed out. Ithad been aimed at Jon Roy, who wasn't hit and tried taking another whack at the man. The momentum was something that you tried to take advantage of, toring to continue the motion through. Managing, you broke free, but stumbled in the process.The gun was aimed at you this time. it was only that continued motion of the stumble that the shot missed your chest and caught your arm.

"Fuck!" It sent you to the ground. The sound of rushing footsteps came, likely signalling that Darryl had moved forward. He still had the gun though, which put the brothers at a disadvantage. Rolling to your back, your good hand patted your side in a near frantic motion. Don't panic. It was the only thing running through your head. Finding the handle of your own gun, the action was all but muscle memory, practiced ease before the trigger was pulled.

Both Jon Roy and Darryl jumped back as the man's body hit the ground.

"Son of a bitch!" With a heaving breath, your head hit the ground. Between the throbbing, pulsing pain the gunshot wound in your arm and the slightly less sharp pain in your face, You couldn't be bothered by the reactions. 

"Is he dead?" You would need to get the bullet out of your shoulder. Hopefully, the two would be able to help you with that.

"Don't think there is a doubt about that." There was a moment of silence. Then Darryl was standing over you. There was that hard look still on his face. He went to open his mouth but you cut him off.

"Good. Now, can you help me up and help me get this damn bullet out of my shoulder?" This could turn into a proper nightmare. If what the man said was true though, maybe there was another path to travel. After another second, an almost disbelieving laugh came from him.

"You serious?"

"Darryl, I have a bullet in my damn arm. Yes, I'm serious. I can dig it out but I will need some help." He knelt down, an arm going underneath your shoulders to help you getup into a seated position.

"You just shut someone dead and you're more concerned with that?" Distrusting. That was what his tone was. Something you hadn't heard in the past two months. 

"It's not the first person that I've shot and killed. Frankly, the bullet is my first priority. The second will be figuring that shit out so nothing comes back on you and your family." His arm tightened around your shoulder but it wasn't from anger or distrust. That was far more the comforting touch that you had come to expect.

"Let's get you up on your feet. Jon Roy's got him." There was confirmation. Clutching your arm, you got to your feet with his help. "So, not the first person you've killed?" Was that a hint of pride in his voice? Seemed that quiet wasn't quite what you were going to have in this small town. At least not anymore.

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