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“Why?” he asked softly. “You said last night that you don’t care about me. That I deserve whatever happens. Have you changed your mind?”
No, I thought.I haven’t changed my mind because I never meant what I said. Of course I care about what happens to you. I care about you more than you know.
Before I could answer, a rumbling noise drifted in the distance like thunder from a cloudless sky. All of us turned toward the sound—the sheriff, Judge Benjamin, Mindy, Scott. Even my parents, who still looked frustrated and confused by the situation. And finally, Jayce and myself. We stared to the north as a wind blew across the main street of Eastland, bringing with it the smell of death.
Sid was here.
49
Jayce
I wanted to hear Charlotte’s answer. I wanted so badly to hear her explain why she didn’t want me to throw my life away—to hear her say that she still cared about me, and maybe evenlovedme.
But fate decided otherwise.
The sound of the Copperheads preceded them like the freight train sound of a tornado before the funnel was spotted. The line of them appeared in the distance, winding around the road and drawing closer, sun reflecting off the chrome of their vehicles. It was a bigger group than Sid normally traveled with. At least three dozen Copperheads. Maybe fifty.
“You have to leave,” I repeated, turning to face everyone. “All of you: get out of here now!”
“Not happenin’!” Flop shouted from his bar. “I didn’t get shot down in Vietnam just to run from a fight!”
“Aww, hell,” Mindy said while drawing her gun. “I always wanted to die under a blue sky.”
They’re crazy,I thought as I watched them all stand around.They’re all crazy for staying with me.
“I’m not going anywhere until someone explains what’s going on,” Charlotte’s dad said. He sounded like a cop.
“Dad, please!” Charlotte begged. “You and Momma have to leave!”
But it was too late. The Copperheads were already rolling up. If anyone tried to flee now, Sid would chase them down for sport.
I held my gun at my side and turned sideways to conceal it from the approaching bikers. With luck, I could squeeze off one shot at Sid. Maybe even two. My shotgun would have been a better weapon, but they would notice if I drew it from the holster on my bike. The pistol would have to do.
The column of Copperheads slowed to a stop thirty feet from our group, pulling off to either side of the road. The men at the front pulled shotguns from their bikes and aimed it in my general direction.
“Drop it, Jayce,” Brick, my old friend, said. “Let’s have us a peaceful day, yeah?”
I tossed the weapon forward. The heavy metal scraped across the pavement before coming to a stop in front of Brick. The cold lump of the sheriff’s pistol still pressed against my back, tucked behind my belt. I faced the Copperheads directly.
They swung their shotguns toward Mindy. With a scowl on her face, she tossed her weapon forward too. I glanced at Flop’s bar. Neither assault rifle poked out of the window now.Guess they came to their senses after all.
The rest of the Copperheads pulled up in formation, parking along the road like the first few. Sid rode down the middle slowly, like Moses. He parked his bike far from the rest of us, which allowed him to dramatically stride forward. His boots thumped heavily on the pavement and a huge smile covered his face.
“Well,helloeveryone!” he said, spreading his arms amicably. His crowbar poked over his left shoulder. “If I’d known we were having a town event, I would’ve brought a pie.”
“Sid!” the sheriff shouted. “They took my sidearm and cuffed me.”
The judge bobbed his head. “Thank God you’re here. I prayed for help to come, and my prayers were answered…”
Sid laughed mockingly. “I’m not here for you.”
“But Sid…”
The leader of the Copperheads shook his head, which made his long dreadlocks sway around his head. “Seems the good townfolk of Eastland have had enough of you two. That right, Mindy?” He didn’t wait for her to answer before nodding to himself. “About time we had a change. Get some fresh blood in here. I’ll see that it’s done.”
There was a squeal of tires and the sickening sound of metal twisting against metal. I whirled to see the Honda Accord backing up, slamming into the side of the station wagon. Charlotte’s ex shifted into drive and roared south out of town.
“Smartest thing Scott’s ever done,” Charlotte whispered.
