Chapter 14: The Healing Begins

As the chopper settled down in the front yard Jesse saw how many changes had occurred in his absence. His snow cat had been repaired and was now parked next to the equipment barn. Someone had painted Harold's old snow mobile a bright red. Jesse almost didn't recognize it. Billy came out of the horse barn, an egg basket in one hand. He waved at them with the other hand.

"Hey Jess," he greeted them, "Marie, glad you're home. I sold a side of beef to that crazy French chef in Steamboat. He tried to cheat me and I pulled out my hunting knife and offered to give him a sex change operation. I told him you said it was all right and I could if I felt like it. He paid and I put the money in the bank."

He grinned with pride, "I sold all of the eggs to some produce guy out of Laramie who said he has a deal with you and he gave me cash too. I put it in the mayonnaise jar we emptied out while you were gone.

Jesse looked at Marie and smiled. "A lot of people around here use fruit jars." She wrinkled her nose at him.

Billy continued, "All the stock is fed and we fixed up your old Ford Ranger. Those government guys ordered a tie rod assembly flown in after I said it would look better if we had an outside job going to justify so many people wandering around the place. I painted that old snowmobile out behind the barn and installed the engine out of your wrecked one in it. Works great."

"Hell, I better leave for another couple of days. You'll have this place stocked with our own cattle." Jesse looked around in wonder.

"Ah Boss, you been gone six days." Billy told him.

Agent Scott came up behind him. "You were out for three days while the doctors worked on a blood clot that tried migrate toward your brain." He grinned at the way Jesse's mouth hung open. "You were damned lucky they caught it in time."

"I'm going into the house, Honey," Marie told him. "I want to lie down. Join me when you get done out here?" Her face had taken on a pinched look. Her fear had returned.

Jesse hugged her. "Sure Babe," he told her, "Go on in. I'll be with you in a little bit."

"Billy, for what it's worth, you are a good man. In fact I can think of no one I would rather have out here more than you and Annie." He smiled down at Billy. "To show my appreciation I'll give you a reward."

Billy looked his boss with anticipation. Jesse pulled the check to compensate him for the damages done to his motor home. "Why hell, Jesse!" he exclaimed, "This is for more than I paid for that old Sports Coach in the first place.

"Well, give the check back if you don't want it."

"Hell no, boss. I'm just hoping you can scrounge up a few more people to run over the old clunker. I just might be able to retire before long if you can find enough bad drivers."

Jesse looked up toward the road and frowned. "Oh hell, I think here comes more trouble." They watched a van with Sheriff's logos on both sides approach.

"Jesse," Troy greeted his friend as he got out of the passenger's side.

"What's the matter this time, Troy?" Jesse asked in a tired voice.

The deputy smiled and told him, "This is a social call. We were headed back into town from Steamboat and I saw you out here. We had to testify in a drug seizure and are just now on our way home."

"How come you're driving that van?" Jesse gave the van a sharp look. "You almost always take your own car when you travel out of town."

Troy looked at Jesse with a sheepish grin on his face, "Someone stole my car." He frowned and continued, "You hear of anything cheap let me know."

Jesse looked over at Barry Schultz's year old SUV. He smiled at the down at the mouth deputy and said, "I got a deal for you."

He urged Troy toward the black vehicle, "Send your partner home and come meet your new ride."

Troy waved toward the road and the van drove away. "Holy crap. Man, where did you get this?" He looked in awe at the vehicle. In a daze he approached the driver's side and ran a gentle hand over the door near the handle.

"I can put in a damage claim and get title with no problem. It belonged to that useless bastard of a New York cop who started all our problems in the first place. The FBI put that dent in the right rear quarter panel there," Jesse pointed. Then he added, "That white paint on the front bumper is where he took out the back steps."