Chapter 1

‘Can’t see the forest from the trees.’

J Randall G got to the lodge early. He had specifically asked(told really) them he wanted nothing made out of this; he just wanted, no needed, some time alone and away from ‘The Business’.

Things had been headed South for a while now, so it was a good time to leave; he figured. He knew why, good help was hard to find and expensive if, if they were found. It was not like the ‘Old Days’ when if you gave someone a job they treated it like it was family, not now, not anymore. It was all about No 1 and what No 1 could get out of the job.

The lodge was out of the way, just the way his associates liked it. I should have said ‘former associates’ since many of the businesses had been shut down. Since then it was better to stay low and keep your head down. When he left Atlanta he drove himself down. Supplies and things he might need had previously been delivered and few, if any, guests were expected.

He was headed to Arkansas, Baxter County; Whiteville to be more specific. The place was chosen because a lodge was nothing out of the ordinary there; he even had a successful one. Another, sort of lodge he owned which was a good excuse and also gave him a place to provision more supplies and things, after-all, the other was a successful legal business.

This place was too big to be called a cabin but too small to be considered a commercial lodge, by any local standards. For what he wanted, needed though, it fit the bill. He had all the comforts of home but no one to share that home with. The one he thought was ‘The One’ turned out, well anyway, she was not for him.

It was starting Fall and outside was stacked enough firewood to last a year. In the shed were trail motor bikes, ‘Ranger XLs and Honda ATVs. He had hoped for horses, then again they may still arrive, he was early he remembered.

In one room there must have been 1,000 movies. Three large TVs were in common rooms and smaller screens in each bedroom. Satellite shows were tied into them also. He lit two fires, one in the Great Room and the other in the room he would sleep in tonight.

After a call of nature, he went looking for food. Steaks tonight, baked spuds and some carrots, lunch would be more simple, pasta, canned tuna and cheese sauce sounded good. He put steaks into the fridge, from the freezer to thaw out. Rand was not the world’s greatest chef but he was able to look after himself. There was an assortment of meats, seafood and ‘heat-um-up’ things in the freezer. He was glad his people had gotten that right. Water came from several wells and bottled for drinking and cooking.

Solar panels, three generators, all diesel powered as well as the commercial power made it like a home. The laptops, internet, streaming shows and a land line did too. It was what he wanted but the ‘sounds’ of silence was getting to Rand today.

He was up high on a ridge. In the valley below there was a small town he could see, several groupings of houses, more of cabins and tree-houses. The were animals around his lodge, he could see their droppings but had not seen anything, too soon; he was the invader in their home.

One bright thing was the sound of a truck, then he could see it and a trailer behind. The horses were here. Dwayne and Edna greeted him. “Where to Boss?”

Rand showed them the barn. “We brought two horses and two Missouri Mules. In this rocky forest, mules should be more sure-footed.” Rand noted their foresight. It seemed not everyone was so capable as these two. He took them inside after they fed and watered the stock. “We did not know what you already had so brought extra, hay, Alfalfa, oats and molasses for them; sort of glad we did, you had nothing in the barn except tack.” Yep, they were getting a bonus. He made lunch for them, soup, salad, burgers and hot dogs plus part of the pasta and tuna thing. They intended to deliver more food for the animals each week he was there.

As they pulled out, each $1,000 richer, she came up to him; more ‘snuck’ up.

Out of a mist she came!

“Hi, Mister. You hiring? We can ... and she went on and on extolling all the things, ‘they’; whomever ‘they’ were could do. He almost wet his pants when she said ‘Hi’. Turning around, he almost did not see where the voice came from until he lowered his eyes. There she was, near 5 foot, thin as a rail post but hair hanging past her butt. He nodded.

“Yep, youngster, I could use some help for a bit.”

Her face brightened and she motioned towards the treeline. An almost mirror image, but shorter emerged. I had a pretty good idea who ‘They’ were now.

“And how much is this ‘service’ going to cost me, youngster?”

She thought a little, turned to her shadow, now behind her and got the universal, ‘I don’t know’ shoulder shrug’ before she turned back to me and said: “Depends Mister, for how long and What we got to do to you, I mean for you?” The smirk on her face was more like that on the face of a ‘working girl’ in the big city.

“How old are you two and do your parents know you’re ‘looking for this kind of work’?”

“Ha, old enough and ‘we’ got to eat. Ma won’t be out for a good while and Jenna, Sam and I would starve otherwise. Them Good Folks’ down there(She pointed to the town) are ‘paper Christians’ they only want to know ‘what’s in it for them’.”

I nodded. This girl had learned early in life about the hypocrisy of ‘good people’.

“Okay, youngsters, room, board and if you are reasonable I’ll pay you what you want. Reasonable please. I take it we need the Jenna or Sam one yet.”

“She’s back there hiding. Can’t be too careful Mister, not anymore.”

This was one tough and smart little girl. “You each do the things you can. There are two horses and two mules in the barn, they are ‘numero uno’ and your totally responsible for their care.”

“Si Senore!” said the smart ass.

“Inside get yourself a room or rooms, eat some food, hit the head and make a list of what ‘we’ need. If town doesn’t have it I’ll have it brought down. And, Miss Smarty Pants, two things, what is your name and will you take cash for your salaries?”

An even younger one came out of the trees. “That’s Jenna(The Mother), the other urchin is Sam(The Maiden) and I’m May(The Crone). You are?”

“RG or Master will do May.” How she knew how to flutter her eyebrows that way, no man would ever know. In a few years she would be dangerous; what was I thinking, she was already dangerous.

When we went to the barn it was instant love, the horse and mules, not me. May said: “Apples” and Sam responded, “Check”. She looked around then turned to me. I just said: “More food for them coming each week Dear.” She nodded. Again “Check” from Sam.

Going into the lodge, well there I was in my element. They just stopped, looked, then played ‘guppy’ with mouths open-wide. I pointed. “Kitchen. Upstairs bedrooms with baths and down here more ‘little girls rooms’. Now go wash, freshen up, eat something and make your list up. We leave the building in 90 minutes to go shopping.”

Close but no cigars. All three were still ‘playing guppy’, I could not blame them. A lot had happened in so short a time, even I had to wonder about it. Whatever motivated May to come to me, asking for work was good enough reason for me to agree. I knew the look on her face. Whatever it cost and more she would have if I could give it. Be it legal or not, this was not some casual thing for her; it was survival and I was damn certain I would help her, them.

It’s funny how a complete stranger can grow on you. In May’s case that did not take very long at all. Looking at them there was no doubt they were sisters; also no doubt they were doing the best they could under less than ideal conditions. Shopping gave me the proof that I did not need. There was a Piggly Wiggly and a Target. They turned towards the food, I turned to the Target.

“OK, urchins, I know you probably don’t need it but I want you to get matching outfits, matching sleepwear and stuff you can wear in the Hot Tub and anything else you need. Keep it under $5,000, each will you? I don’t want you running around bare-ass naked. Well maybe I do but you are all too damn cute for me not to want to run away with you when it’s time to leave. You are all better fits than my ex girlfriend, less expensive too.” I had said it as a joke.