Chapter 17- Cessation
“What?”Apple askedas he rounded the rear of the van to help unload the spoils of Helen's private war with the Chrysalis.
“Over my right shoulder, ten o'clock in the shrubbery,” Helen said.
“Who the hell is the that?”Apple asked, reaching for the case of wine, wincing at the pain in his left hand.
“A man who can't take no for an answer,” Helen said.“Do me a solid, put this in the back of my vehicle, grab your crossbow, and put one in his shoulder.”
“Okay,” Apple said, delivering the case, reaching in the back, and securing the crossbow.He moved with precision, firing off a shot, striking the man, who let out a loud screech and bolted for the parking garage like a Cro-Magnon on the hunt for game.Apple, pleased with his own accuracy, gave a wide smile and looked into the back seat at Candace who watched him with horror on her face.
“Stop smiling, Apple; you're scaring the child,” Helen said.“Relax sweetie, he only eats bad guys.”
“Plus, my hand hurts,” he whimpered.“What's next?'
“That tracker needs to come out of her, which may be how he located us so quickly.It's in her arm.”
Apple used the tip of his bowie knife, tapping at her skin until it felt a solid.A quick slit and a flip of the tip of the blade, released the small device.He held it on the end of the blade.
“Want me to crush it?”
“No, leave it somewhere on the sleeping Sommelier,” Helen said, grabbing the last case of Hennessy XO and adding it to the back of the Explorer.“Let's make tracks and get her to Pear, have that hand taken care of, and go back to the house before it is too late.”
“You’re taking me back there?Won’t they come back to get me?”Candace asked, “That doesn’t seem very smart.Is there somewhere else I can go?”
“They are not coming for you again, trust me,” Helen said, looking at the girl in the rear-view mirror.“Did you not like it there, and wish to start over somewhere else?”
“No, she is really great,” Candace said, “I’m learning a lot, about being a woman, taking care of myself.You know real-world applications that make sense.”
“Good enough,” Helen said, setting the course for Pear’s place.
Apple had loads of questions as Helen plugged the address into the GPS and drove without a yawn to Pear's place to return the girl.She tossed Pear a stack of cash, which she said was for her troubles and off the books.She handed an additional five for Candace, in hopes Pear would start her an account.
“I need to see about Apple's hand,” Helen said softly.
“What happened to it?”
“I cracked it on that heffah's head who punched you in the face,” Apple said.His hand was now swollen twice its normal size.
“I have some pain meds, but I can't do the casting with one eye,” Pear said.
“I got it,” Helen told her, pointing in the direction of where she assumed the first aid materials would be located.She returned calmly with a bowl of water and the stocking for his hand as she prepped and cast the swollen paw.When she was done, she yawned.“I need sleep.”
She put away the materials, gave a salute to Pear, and headed for the car.Apple watched.“I guess that's my cue as well.Call if you need us.Call if you don't.”
In the car, Helen said little.Her mind was on a good nap before Mustang returned home.There was a bag of money, twelve cases of high-end wine and four cases of extremely expensive liquor and spirits along with a pissed off Swallowtail who now knew what she looked like.In some ways, she was glad she did, so when she called Kurtzwilde to complain, it would coincide with the arrival of his wedding invitation listing his seating assignment with his children.As of now, she had no idea if any of the people she planned to invite to the wedding were coming, but it was early, and she had time.
At the homestead, she waved to Apple and said she was getting some sleep.He didn't have anything to add at this point since the pain pill Pear had given him had kicked in, and he was seeing little blue men with mini machine guns.He too wanted to sleep.
****
FOUR HOURS PASSED ANDhe awoke, feeling groggy and out of sorts with the cast on his hand.He couldn't wrap his mind around walking into a home on a rescue mission, entering through the front door and leaving through the same said front door with the intended target and Cranberry not having a scratch on her.He’d also shot an arrow into a man based on her request and had no idea why.
