Mute

Introductions

         “Where am I?” he could sense someone nearby, he could feel their eyes boring a hole through his soul. His throat sounded just like it felt, like he had swallowed an entire gravel road. He tried to lick his lips, his tongue protested because it was too was dry. “Who is there?”

        He heard someone rustling around but the person didn’t answer. The person walked away, he heard an old wooden door hinge squeak open and close. He forced his eyes open and tried to focus on what was above him. Large wooden rafters, and was that a chicken sitting on the far end of the beam? Think, what else can you tell about your surroundings? He tried to take a deep breath but broke into a coughing fit. He had caught the smell of hay, and horses, and horse s**t. Great, he was in a barn.

        “I hear you are waking up now mister.” He tried to move his head, to raise it up, to see who stood at his feet. He had to force his eyes open again. An old man and a teenage boy from what he could barely see.

        “I need your help.” He dropped his head back onto the hay beneath it with a groan. He tried to reach up and lay his arm over his eyes but he only got it raised high enough to see almost the whole length of his arm caked in blood and hay stuck in it here and there.

        “Yeah. That’s what your boss said when we talked on the phone to him. He asked us to keep you safe until someone can come get you.”

        “How? How did you find his number?”

        “He called you.” The man kneeled down and checked the bandages scattered around his body over the worst wounds. “Says your name is Jace Cantrell.”

        “Yeah, what’s left of me.” He groaned, “my bike laid over and I went tumbling down the ditch. What else happened?”

        "You mean the two bullet wounds in your back don’t you?”

        “Two? Damn, I’ll kill him.” He growled and clenched his eyes shut.

        “You mean the drug runner, that we thought you were part of originally?”

        “That was just a cover, I was trying to bust that ring up.” Jace groaned, “they blew my cover. I managed to get away, and then I guess that is how you found me.”

        “You are a big guy. We had to leave you here in the barn That leather jacket saved you from serious wounds, kid. Gave it’s life for a worthy cause.”

        “Yeah,” Jace tried to nod but really didn’t succeed. “I appreciate what you and your boy did. You are really helping me out.”

        “My boy?” the man laughed. “He is banged up. Thinks you are a boy!”

        “Jack right?” He tried in vain to raise his head and focus on what he thought was a gangly teenage boy just beyond the old man, just out of his limited eye sight.

        “No. Jack is my gelding in the next stall. Used him to get you up in the trailer last night. Sam is my daughter.”

        “s**t, I’m sorry. It’s hard to see right now.” He lifted his head, he didn’t blame the girl for not coming any closer. He was sure he looked as bad as he felt.

        “Well the bleeding has stopped for now. Get some rest. One of us will bring you something to eat in a while.” He paused, “I will have to fish those bullets out, and you will need some stitches, that can wait till you are in the house. Too dirty out here for that.”

        “You sound like a man of experience.” He commented dryly.

        “Two tours in Vietnam as a field medic enough experience for you young man?” the man asked.

        “Yes, Sir. You are used to meatball surgery.”

        “That is about what you look like right now young man. That road chewed you up and spit you out.”         He chuckled at that, and everything faded to black again. Hello old friend.