It’s been three days since JW’s goons attacked Joshua and two since we revealed our friendship to his family. Buck hasn’t spoken much all day. I’m sure vengeance is heavy on his mind. Hell, I know I want some payback and it wasn’t even my brother. I guess what I was feeling was the loyalty to a lifelong friend who I pledged my allegiance to. However, he wanted to approach this I was all in.
I tried probing him for some clue of what the next move would be, but he wouldn’t budge on the info. He seemed intent on keeping it to himself for the moment. I decided not to push because I knew he would tell me in due time. I also didn’t want to stir up any emotions that he was suppressing, so I decided to reminisce a little.
“If I would have known ten years ago that being your friend was going to be this emotional, I would have crawled into some other barn and let some other Negro save my life,” I said to try to get a rise out of him.
“Yeah, well, some other Negro would have left you to die.”
“Ah, it speaks.”
“Has it really been ten years?” Buck asked in disbelief.
“Almost.”
“My life was so different back then,” he said as he let his mind journey back to the past.
“Hell, both of our lives were. Before I met you, I thought the Negro was the lowest form of life on earth. When you saved me, I realized all that I had been taught my whole life was a lie. Everything my uncle stood for, everything I believed in was a falsehood. You displayed intelligence, compassion, and bravery that I was led to believe black people were incapable of. It was that moment that opened my eyes and from then on I swore to live my life differently. My number one vow was to you. I owe you everything, and I know I can never repay you.”
“Rebel, you have repaid your debt to me tenfold. It started that day when you told those soldiers what I had done for you and you recommended that they take me with them. You helped me gain my freedom. Not only that, but after the war, you took me along with you on your travels of the northeast, this opened the doors for me to learn and educate myself.”
“Those things may all be true, but I guess when a man literally saves your life, you don’t ever seem square until your life ends.”
“Well, we have had some good times, and I couldn’t imagine what my life would be like if it wasn’t for your influence. I was so happy to get your letter in Texas telling me about this place.”
“Hell, all I did was point you in the right direction. You were the one with the vision and the plan. Like I promised you when we split and you said you were going to find your family, I would keep my eyes and ears open for a place that you could build a new future. I had no damn idea you would do so well, but I’m not surprised.”
“Yeah, I know you had a hand in that too. So tell me, you are the one that got the word out when we needed a doctor and a banker, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about. All I will say is Elijah is the closest thing that I will ever have to a son and ain’t no way his coming into this world was going to be jeopardized.”
“Well, whoever did it tell them I said thanks.”
We continued to talk about old times for a while. It was good to be sitting on the porch with my old friend again. The last few years, we had to meet in private to keep our relationship hidden. We both thought it was best because it gave JW a sense of security to think that his number one henchman was a “nigger hater,” but it was also important for him to think that he could play us against one another should the need arise. When I sent for Buck to come here, I set it up for him to work for JW, figuring JW would do his usual two-face bit where he uses anyone who benefits him, whether he likes them or not. I wasn’t afraid that this would be a problem for Buck because I knew he was strong and smart, which meant he would benefit from the relationship as well. Not to mention would have me on the inside feeding him information should there be any cause for concern. Up until this point there was none, but now we faced a very serious situation and we both knew that it was far from over.
“So as far as you know, JW still knows nothing about you and I?” Buck asked as if he was ready to share his plan with me.
“Yep. He has shut himself off from the outside world other than myself and Doug. He fired all the residents from Asante that worked on his ranch. He is afraid that because of their loyalty to you they may try to seek some form of revenge.”
“How smart of him. However, he should know that any retaliation will be deliberate and vengeance will be had by my own hands.”
“So what’s the plan?” I asked, more than eager to get my hands dirty.
“For now we wait. You know, as well as I do, that in wartime mixed with uncertainty plays tricks with your psyche. He has already withdrawn from the world and sort of placed himself in an invisible prison. Pretty soon the walls will begin closing in on him. That will produce paranoia and irrational thinking. That is just the leverage I need to tip things in my favor because I am at an extreme disadvantage when you consider the man power and resources that are at his disposal. So it is imperative that I get him to make all the mistakes, and we make very few if any. I need for his thinking to be irrational and a little overconfident. Preparedness, anticipation, and execution are my only advantage.”
Buck spoke like a general preparing his troops for the battle that would turn the entire war. His demeanor was calm and poised, but his thoughts were intense and calculated. JW had picked a formidable opponent this time. I would sure hate to be on the wrong side of this face off. Buck was a man with purpose, direction, and motivation. Those are dangerous qualities in an enemy.
I listened as Buck continued to reveal his plan to me. He felt he knew JW well enough to anticipate most moves he would make. Based on available options, Buck was ready for just about anything. He also knew that he could depend on me for any information that would be useful. JW was sure to have me participate in any plans he was making, and I would pass that along to Buck as soon as I received it.
Buck also decided to hold a town hall meeting, which we agreed it was best I didn’t attend. We still wanted to keep our relationship under some uncertainty. We figured that people seeing us talking was one thing because they could draw their own conclusions. Most would assume that I was just acting as JW’s enforcer coming to advise him not to retaliate. Whatever the assumption we thought it would be better than coming out and saying we were old friends. There was still a slight possibility that JW could have a spy or at least tempt someone with cash to talk. Anyway, in the town hall, Buck asked for support and volunteers. No matter how good of a plan he had laid out, it was worthless if he had to go at it alone. Still cautious about security, he handpicked the members from the volunteers based on their perceived loyalty. No details were given at the town hall. He presented the information as a plan to protect the town from unfortunate incidents like what happened to Joshua.
The next few days we decided to meet in private as not to arouse suspicion. I gave him updates as to what JW was planning, but there wasn’t much to report. He wasn’t planning anything but was fortifying the ranch as if the Roman Empire was coming. Buck seemed pleased at this news. I guess it was playing out just as he had predicted it would. As JW was protecting himself from possible invaders, he was also imprisoning himself inside his own home. And just as Buck had said, this was causing him to become paranoid and irrational. He was smoking and drinking even more heavily than before and was not getting much sleep. This too added to his lack of good judgment and created a stress that I thought was going to cause him to take his own life.
After almost a week in solitude, JW looked like a man who belonged in a mental institution. His skin was pale from lack of exposure to the sun. His eyes were bloodshot from all the smoking, drinking, and not sleeping. If I had to guess, he hadn’t bathed all week because he hadn’t shaved or combed his hair. It was clear that he was not in the right frame of mind to defend himself from any attack. If Buck was waiting for him to crack before he attacked, I would say now was the perfect time. I’m not a doctor, but I would say mentally he was unstable. In my professional opinion, I would say the lights were on but nobody was home, all of his dogs weren’t barking, the cheese had completely slid off his cracker, and any other sayings that meant somebody was nuttier than squirrel shit. JW was as vulnerable as I had ever seen him, and I didn’t give a damn. I would have shot him myself if Buck would have let me, but I knew that he had something special planned for him.