Chapter 28
Gunnar let out a squeezed breath, banging his head against dirt, a rasping cry fed to the charred earth, soaking my denials.
Ada sent another cackling cry across the fields.
Beside me, Beau Crockett yelled, “Bitch,” and thrust a fist toward Ada. “I will kill you.”
Again, Rainey cursed his injury, then twisted around, stretching for Ada, but she slipped out of his grasp.
A cold fury ignited inside. Forgetting my wounds, I jumped up and lit after Ada. My feet swept across the crackling field—heels slapping close to hers—missing her by inches. Then I shot out my hand and caught her by the hair.
Ada spun around, clawed at me, her witching nails sunk into flesh. She lifted a foot, kicked my burnt legs, scraping blistered flesh.
I swung my arm, and she grabbed it and sunk her teeth into skin. I threw back my other hand to strike her, lost my footing, sending us both tumbling to the ground.
Ada rolled atop me and leaned into me and bit my check, thrashing, wild-catting her fists and feet against my burning legs.
I kicked back and raised my fist, striking her cheek.
Someone pulled me to my knees and pinned strong hands to my arms.
Ada toppled nearby.
“It’s okay,” Rainey said. “C’mon, come on,” he urged.
“Let me go, Rainey.” I jerked. “Sh-she—” I felt my body slack against him.
“Let’s get you home, Roo,” he pleaded.
“Everything’s gone,” I said. “Ruined.”
Ada bared her broken teeth.
“You evil fleabag . . . you . . . you destroyed our crops . . . us . . .” I screamed and struggled to loosen Rainey’s hold.
Ada scrambled to her feet, singsonging, “Made him go a’sleep in a deep hole, a bad beau that Carter beau—a’planting girls wherever he’d go. A bad beau that Carter beau . . .” She escaped to the woods, her ditty snagging the boughs of tall pines.
I felt Rainey tighten his grip on my arms, give a little shake. “No, girl, let her go!”
I lowered my head to my knees, rocking, sobbing a trembly hymn of denials.
Beau Crockett hollered out, “Tried to tell you ’bout them Stumps, Gunnar. Tried. Caught her two days ago tryin’ to steal my kerosene cans! Ya got more to worry ’bout than your nigger-lovin’ whore here.” He lurched after Ada.
Rainey let go of me and sprang sideways into the air. He tackled Crockett, slamming a fist into his face, once, twice. Beau’s nose laid over enough for me to see it was broken.
Behind me in the distance someone laid on a horn. Crockett’s son cursed, took off, barreling behind Ada, leaving his daddy to fend for himself.
I turned to see the sheriff’s automobile rolling through the dying rows, coming straight at us.
On the ground, Beau Crockett growled, shot his hands up, and grabbed Rainey’s throat.
Rainey drew back his fist, struck Crockett again, and then again.
“Stop, Rainey,” Gunnar ordered. “You’ll kill him. Stop!” Gunnar struggled to stand. Droplets of blood spotted his chin and splatted down onto his white night stockings. He winced and slumped over.
“Gunnar!” I scrambled over and shook him. “Gunnar, I—”
Slowly, Gunnar pulled himself to a kneeling stance, nailed a chilling glare to my eyes. He grimaced, then took a heavy hand and slapped me hard across the face once. Again.
My head rocked. Stunned and star-spotted, I cried out, pressed my hand to my stinging cheek.
Rainey cursed Crockett. I snapped my head upward and saw Rainey’s jaw harden, a killing blood taking hold of his eyes. Same as I’d seen pass through Gunnar’s when he was riled and there was no going back. His mouth set, jaw twitching. I knew Rainey would. He’d kill him, years of loss, pain, and avenging his daddy gathering deep.
“Rainey, no, please no,” I cried out.
“Rainey!” me and Gunnar rang.
A red light whirled, slashed through the automobile’s smoky headlights coming up fast. Doors slammed, and men’s shouts filled the air. Behind, a small fire truck rolled through the plumes of smoke, crushing plants, spraying water from a hose hooked up to its metal tank.
Rainey dropped his fist to Crockett’s face again. Fresh blood spurted out his mouth. Sheriff ran up to them and tried to pull Rainey off Crockett. “Lie still, boy!”
Rainey grunted.
“Gonna end up a dead dirt nigger like your pa if ya don’t lie still. Right now, I say!” Sheriff tugged again.
Rainey landed a wild punch to Sheriff’s chin, then a final hard jab to Crockett before Sheriff slammed the butt of a shotgun upside Rainey’s head.
Rainey crumpled onto the ground, grasped his head, moaning. Sheriff kicked him in the side.
Rainey tried to rise, but his jaw folded down, plowed into the earth.
Crockett crawled a few feet away and lay still in the dirt.
Sheriff knelt down, rolled Rainey over, and slapped handcuffs on him. “Rainey Ford, taking you to the can for assault,” Sheriff huffed. Then to Gunnar, “What happened here?” He hitched a thumb to the burnt tobacco and spit.
“Crocketts is what happened. Him.” Gunnar raised a burnt arm. “Him and Ada Stump.” Gunnar scratched out words as he slowly pulled himself up. “He’s trespassing, she lit the fire. Girl’s ran off into the woods.”
“That wisp of a gal?” Sheriff asked.
“She got hold of kerosene and straw.” Gunnar grabbed his side. “Claimed she lit up his boy’s tent, too. Crockett here was trying to kill her.”
Sheriff rubbed his sore jaw, narrowed his eyes. “Ada Stump done that?”
Gunnar coughed, clutched his side with his burnt arm again, nodded.
“Looks like you need Doc Sils out here,” Sheriff said. “Her too.” Sheriff jutted his chin my way. “I’ll send him out when I get back to town.”
I looked down at my nightgown, shreds of torched fabric clinging to a red blistered leg, felt my nipped cheek.
Sheriff turned to his deputy. “Get this colored boy into the car.”
“No, he’s hurt,” I said, and stumbled over to Rainey, fearing they’d hurt him more. “It was the Crocketts and Ada—”
Rainey tried to get to his feet. “Roo, I-I’ll be okay, get . . . now get on home.” He pulled himself up on one knee, then collapsed.
“Rainey!” I squalled.
Gunnar snapped me back and then shoved me into the dirt.
I sprang back up. “You.” I stabbed at Gunnar. “You and the Crocketts are in the same bone-pickin’ trash pile—”
“Silence!” Gunnar sliced his hand through the air.
I glared back. “I’m through with that. You and your tongue-burning potions and mean fireball God ain’t gonna keep me silent anymore.”
Gunnar looked off, like maybe he’d spent his last word with me. I didn’t know whether to feel tall or sorry for him, maybe worried about what would come next.
“Get up, boy.” Sheriff poked the barrel of his shotgun into Rainey’s back, then gave another hard shove.
Rainey tried again, this time wobbling on both knees. I slipped his arm over my shoulder and tried to heave him up.
The sheriff nailed me a warning, poked Rainey harder with his gun.
“Now see here, Lamar,” Gunnar said to the sheriff, “I’ll take care of Rainey. See that he’s punished for assaulting you. You go ahead and remove that Crockett trash, but leave the boy for me. He’s got a date with the army soon.”
A few feet away Beau Crockett rolled over, spitting out dirt, moaning.
“Hauling ’em both in. Both.” Sheriff goosed his intent and motioned to the deputy. “C’mon, Deputy, hurry up and help me get ’em into the car. Then go find that Stump girl, bring her in, quick-like!”