The hardest part of the plan was still ahead. Ruth had to convince him to kill Dena. Not only did she have to make him think it was his idea, but he also had to think he was a hero for doing it. This would test her skills at persuasion, and, frankly, she wasn’t sure she would succeed. She knew that the most effective manipulators used a combination of the carrot and the stick, but before she could apply either, she had to get to know him, perhaps better than he knew himself.
That was why she’d made so many trips to the Barracks, ingratiating herself with Jarvis, his sister, who was an unexpected but surprisingly helpful ally, and his buddy Beef Jerky. Jerky was a cipher. His eyes were intense, always observing, measuring, judging, and Ruth wasn’t sure whether he saw through her and her plan. The best strategy was always to play dumb. So she did, improvising by describing herself as apolitical. She could always tell Jarvis later she’d done so to make Jerky feel safe around her.
She realized they’d probably become lovers. That didn’t bother her; in fact, she took a perverse pleasure in the fact that she would be screwing someone who had initially wanted Dena. Ruth would make sure that he wouldn’t think that way for long. He would forget about Dena. Ruth would be the perfect lover and friend, supportive, nurturing, and accommodating.
A few weeks later, the plan was succeeding beyond her expectations. Jarvis was a ripe target, full of despair, depression, and fear. Caught between the horror of killing as a GI and the supposed reverence for life as a civilian, he was confused and vulnerable.
Her first step, after meeting him and studying the contours of his world, was to remind him of Dena. But it had to be done the right way. One night after a particularly rowdy political discussion where Beef Jerky vowed he would never stop fighting until the last fucking libtard was either locked up or dead and good white men were back in charge of the country, Ruth asked Jarvis to take a walk around the block.
“Hey, Scott, do you remember the first time we met?”
“At the bar. My sister introduced us.”
“Before that.”
“We met before that night?”
“Well, not exactly. I came in with this woman who proceeded to get really drunk and insulted you. Her name was Dena. She was part of this political group—well, I’m a member too, but I don’t believe in it anymore.” She smiled and squeezed his hand. “Especially since I met you.”
“Now that you mention it, I remember her. She was hot.” Surprise flooded his face. “You were the other chick with her?”
A stab of envy pricked Ruth. Dena was sexy, built for speed, while Ruth, no matter how attractive she made herself, was built for comfort. Compared to Dena, she was invisible. She nodded.
“She was a real bitch.” Jarvis squeezed her hand back. “I wanted to belt her.”
“I feel the same way.”
“How come?”
But Ruth had planted the seed. Better to leave it for now to germinate. “Oh, I’ll tell you later.” She snuggled close. “Let’s walk down to the lake and fool around. It’s not that cold.”
Her next opportunity came the last weekend of October, just past peak leaf-viewing season. She and Jarvis took a drive up to Wisconsin to a small lake Jarvis said reminded him of the place he wanted to live. With a mirror-still surface reflecting a big blue sky and the surrounding evergreens, it was a lovely place. Ruth saw only two boats on the water, and their occupants didn’t look like tourists.
“It’s beautiful,” she said. “I can see why you love it.”
“My family has a cabin up in Minnesota. Near Duluth. This reminds me of it. It’s totally isolated. And since my parents passed, no one uses it much. Kitty’s gone up a few times, but I haven’t been there since I was sixteen.”
“Is that where you want to live? In the cabin?”
“You ever hear of a yurt?”
“One of those round tents people have?”
“Right. I was thinking of something like that. You can get stuff that keeps it warm all year round. Heaters, stoves, insulated windows. Electricity. A bed and furniture, too. They are awesome. You’re cut off from the world, but you can still have everything you need. I used to think about it when I was on patrol in ’Stan. The things I’d want in the yurt.”
“Sounds like a dream come true.”
He smiled. “You think?”
“Well then, we should get one,” she said.
He whistled. “Are you kidding? With everything I want, it would cost thousands. Can’t afford it.”
“Oh. In that case, we can dream, can’t we?”
On the drive home, Jarvis asked, “Could you see yourself in that situation, Nicole? Living off the land under the radar?”
“Absolutely,” she said without hesitation. “It sounds perfect.” She giggled. “As long as you’re there to protect me from wolves and bears and things.”
“Of course I would. But what about that group you were active in? And the woman who came into the bar. What would happen if you just up and left town?”
Ruth smiled inwardly. She couldn’t have asked for a better segue. “Not a problem. Don’t you remember how Dena humiliated you? And the boys? That was—is—the way she treats everyone. She’s liberal, sure, but she’s the most dishonest, untrustworthy person I’ve ever met. She started the group, but she’s running it all wrong. I won’t miss her. Or the group. I gave my all for over a year, and I tried to help, but I’m ready to quit. She’s ruined it for me. And it’s not just me. A lot of other people feel the same way.”
“What did you do in the group?”
She gave him a quick summary, but embellished it with demeaning things Dena never said, degrading things she never did. “And talk about being loose . . . she fucked anything with pants. Just needed it, I guess.” She sighed. “There’s just one thing. I promised to be at this demonstration she’s planning for January, and I always keep my promises,” Ruth said with a solemn expression. “Even if she doesn’t.”
She was quiet for a moment. “I could run it so much better, Scott. I know it. I would build bridges, not burn them. I’d reach out to people who don’t agree with us. People like Beef Jerky and the Tat boys. I’d try to find something we could all agree on and go from there. I was willing to give Dena a chance, hoping she’d grow in the same direction, but it didn’t happen. She turned out to be an ambitious opportunist. From what I know, everyone else in her family’s the same way.”
Jarvis nodded. “Sounds like a real she-devil.”
“You said it. But she’ll never give up. She’s power hungry. I just wish there was a way to kick her out. Get rid of her. That would make a huge difference. Even though I don’t plan to be there anymore,” she added hastily.