Across the Tracs

(Sorry it took so long. I'm dealing with a recently dislocated wrist and some other problems, but I cranked out what I could.)

*

"Ok, so Otis grew up on the Hill with me and my sisters. All he's ever had was his dad and his papaw. Otis momma left at a real young age, and no one knows where she went. Otis's daddy was a firefighter, and he died in a fire a few years back. Otis wasn't really right after he lost his daddy. He kind of went off the deep end, and got into drugs and drinking. Me being the smart one that I am, and being his best friend who followed him anywhere, I went with him and done the same shit. The only difference between me and Otis was that he didn't get addicted. I did. Badly. So Otis started sobering himself up to look after me, beat up dealers who sold to me, beat the shit out of me if he thought I slipped, locked me in his shed at his pappaws for days to detox me. So, with all this violence against the local drug population, Otis had people looking for him. Back when we was in High School a lot of people called Otis Shrek cause his size and nose. When Otis started fighting alot, and his anger really got seen, it got changed to Ogre, cause that's what he was like. Them big, mean Ogres you read in the fairy tales you understand?"

Ariel nodded slowly. JB took a drag from a smoke, and ordered another coke from the bar. Ariel slowly chewed some French fries, and asked JB a question.

"So why do you say he was called Bones?"

JB grimaced. This was an ugly story. "Well, don't think less of him for it. Otis got called Bones because he used to beat the shit out of people and break a bone so they would remember him. It was like he was a surgeon after a while. He knew exactly where to put his hand, exactly how much pressure to use. It's fucking scary."

Ariel nodded, thinking of what he had done to Danny. "Oh yes, I know."

"So anyways. Otis met a girl a couple years ago, he was 17. She was a ugly little thing, in my opinion, but I was still getting smacked out every other day, so my opinion wasn't highly valued you see? Well, Makayla FUCKED HIM UP. Badly. Always cheating, always saying she would kill her self if Otis didn't take her back, doing drugs and getting arrested and Otis bailing her out, stealing and selling his shit, it was just terrible. She nearly killed him, and almost got him killed. Especially when her dealer busted the door down and started shooting. Makayla wasn't even there. Otis took four bullets to the back, never should have walked again. Miracle he even lived. But that's just him. He's lived through some things that should destroy the human body, and came out smiling. When he got shot, he waited until the dealer was gone, and called 911, deflated lung, shattered ribs, and a bullet fragment embedded in his spinal chord. He was walking again for the first time three months later. Makayla never came and saw him, but she did sell everything he owned except his bike and truck. Because Otis is such a idiot, that wasn't even the last straw, he stayed with her."

"Well, what was the last straw?" Ariels heart was breaking. How could someone who had been hurt so much, even think of liking her? She didn't have a chance.

"Makayla got pregnant. Didn't even give Otis a chance to be a dad. Went to the abortion clinic, and that was that. No more baby. Otis couldn't be with her anymore after that. That's why I named him Harley's Godfather. I looked at it as a second chance, something he could believe in I guess. And payback for saving me all those years."

After chatting for a little bit longer, Ariel got up to leave. She needed time to think about everything she had heard. As she walked out the door from the dark bar to the sunset right in her face, she bumped into someone. As she went to apologize, she felt a hand clamped over her mouth and she struggled in horror as she was dragged off into the back of a van. As soon as she was inside it, she felt a bandanna tied around her mouth and her wrists and ankles taped together. She went stiff in fear when she heard a very familiar voice.

"So whore, you don't have your little body guard to protect you know. Well, I would teach you the error of your ways, but since my arms broken, my two friends here will just have to help...."

Otis got back in his truck and waved goodbye to his grandpa. He had been working all day, and wanted nothing more than a cold drink and to shoot a game of pool. Stopping by his apartment and grabbing his phone, he headed to the Boonies. On his way in, he was almost run off the road by a silver van that was driving fast as hell. Otis pulled into the lot shaking his head, and seen JB's truck and Ariel's Dodge in the parking lot. He also seen JB running towards his truck. Throwing his into park, Otis leaned out the door and hollered.

"JB! What's Wrong?"

JB looked up and seen him. This was luck, or JB was a rabbit he thought.

"OTIS! We gotta go! These guys just grabbed Ariel and threw her in the van! I'd never seen it if she hadn't left her phone on the table and I went to bring it to her!"

Otis saw red. "Get in." As soon as JB's ass hit the seat, Otis was tearing off out of the gravel lot. They couldn't be that far ahead. "JB, you remember how to load my shotgun", "Well yeah I do." "Good then load it, it's behind the seat, and there's a .45 pistol in the glove box, make sure it and the extra clips loaded. This ain't ending good."

JB nodded his head and got to work. He didn't want to know why Otis had the guns still, unless he was thinking about any of the old crowd coming after him. He stared at the road, thinking of all the side roads.

"Otis, you know as well as I do there taking her to the Hollow House. That's where everyone would go."

Otis just nodded. Hollow house was a local legend, supposed to be haunted. It was isolated down in the river bottoms lands, and no one ever went there now. There was no thought of calling the cops, or of even not going to save Ariel. He would save her. The drive alone took 30 minutes, thanks to a old driver who thought a 55 speed really meant 15 on a one lane road. Otis had been ready to run him off the road, but JB made him see reason somehow. They parked away from the house, and taking the shotgun and pistol, began sneaking towards it through the fields. Otis handed JB the pistol, and using hand signals developed as kids playing army in the woods and hollers, explained the plan. The silver van was right in front of the house, and JB could see Ariel's purse laying in the back. JB went cold at what he saw. If they was hurting his friend, it was bad. If Otis felt for Ariel like she did for him and they was hurting her, it would be really bad. Sneaking up to the front porch, JB stood to the side while Otis got the shotgun ready.

The gun was very, very illegal. It was a AA-12 military edition, 50 round drum clip, full auto, 12 gauge, pistol grip, and thinks to Otis's saw, a very illegal 15 inch barrel. Otis looked to the sky and asked for the protection of the Gods. Looking at JB, they both took the safeties off their guns at the same time. Otis mouthed "One..... Two..... Three.....Go." He slowly opened the door and covered the opening as JB cleared the doorway and went in. Otis followed him in and the searched every room, clearing it effectively before moving on. As the walked down the hall to the last room. The heard a cry. It was unmistakably Ariel, and she was in pain. Otis quietly walked up to the door and placed his foot against the door as he grabbed the handle and slowly twisted it. Otis and JB had used this before. Otis would kick open the door, JB would cover it with his pistol, and Otis would come in with the 12 gauge. Taking a deep breath, Otis booted the door open and they went through the usual plan. Looking to the bed, Otis saw what they were doing to Ariel, and that was when all hell really broke loose.