“It’s just not right Jim. We can’t let those two keep running around and just barely getting by. Simon says you’ve been giving them the ammunition for their guns and how did they get any guns anyhow?” Andi sat back in her wooden chair and held her arms up and out before letting them fall to her sides. Whether she was trying to convey weariness or frustration, it didn’t really matter as it was likely both anyways.

  “I know, I know….you don’t have to tell me about the risks those two are taking and trust me, I think about it all the time. That boy Amos found himself in an awful spot and came to me for help. I should’ve taken him in but I’m barely getting by as it is with an old shop and a one bedroom apartment at the back.”

  Jim sighed and looked down at the table. “I figured he already had the gun and he would more’n likely find bullets somehow or try to bluff his way without any. It would be better to give him the rights ones and show him how to use the damn thing rather than have him have a bad accident.”

  “He’s right you know” said Randy from his spot leaning in the open doorway to the back porch. “I know you don’t want to hear it Andi but kids these days are growin up real quick and finding out most things the hard way. Best for someone to show them how to do things, even unpleasant things”.

  Andi stood up as quick as she could for someone her age and turned to face Randy. “For Christ’s sake Randy, that young girl was almost abducted by two men. If it was your daughter would you still want her out there on her own fending for herself?”

  The farmhand picked at something that did not appear to be there on his arm and said after a moment. “Nope, no I wouldn’t and this is why May and I aren’t having any kids right now. World’s gotten too messed up and I don’t want my kids caught up in it. I best get to the barn now, have a good mornin’ and good ta see you again Jim.”

  “Andi please” Simon said in a low voice “we are all doing what we can to help them. I know we’ve both thought about takin’ them in but we’ve got our hands full and our own obligations. Two more mouths to feed won’t work for us at all and until things get better, that’s just the way it is.”

  His chair scraped as Jim got up and went over to Andi and gave her a light hug. “I appreciate you callin’, I really do. I didn’t know that they had gotten a car and had been drivin’ about or about the kidnapping attempt neither.” He let go of her shoulders and went back to his seat as Andi sat back down at the table.

  “Next time I see em’ I will give them both an earful. I admire their pluck and determination but the way they go about things, trouble is soon going to catch up to them and they’d best be ready”.

  “Can’t you talk them out of ….” Andi’s voice trailed off “I guess I don’t know what’s best for anyone anymore either. I’m glad our kids have grown up Simon and maybe I don’t want grandkids after all…that’s a sad thought now isn’t it?”

  To lighten the mood Jim told Andi and Simon about Amos’ troubles with filthy Phil. Early in the story Andi was only getting more worried and upset but when he got to the end even she was laughing. The idea of the tyrannical landlord waking trussed up and blindfolded in his own apartment while his victims reclaimed their possessions was funny enough to take the edge off even the most recent troubles.

  A while later Jim’s old blue and grey truck rolled down lane to the sideroad and back on to Boston. He tried not to show it in the farmhouse with his friends, but he was sick with worry, Amos and Alanah had enough trouble in Boston to deal with, they certainly did not need to find more of it out on the road. He would have a long talk with them the next time he saw them.

  He had his chance a lot sooner than he expected as Alanah and Amos paid him a visit the next day. “Where were you, we passed by yesterday, but you were closed up during the day. What was the holiday?” Alanah asked him playfully once he had let them in the store.

  “I was asked to visit the farm; you’ve several people mighty worried about you both now including me. You mind telling me what you both have been up to and just exactly when you were planning on letting me know?”

  Amos exchanged an awkward glance with Alanah and then launched into his explanation. He had been having this conversation with Jim in his mind for a few days now and it had gone much better when it was just him imagining the outcome.

  The reality was much different. Jim was furious about the car and it took Amos over twenty minutes to calm Jim down enough that he could convince him to go for a ride. After five minutes of careful driving on Amos’ part Jim told Amos it was ok to drive back to the shop. Amos had enjoyed the drive immensely. Alanah had been on her best behaviour in the back seat and had not once told him to “hurry the hell up” or “don’t miss the light too” or yelled “what the hell are you doing” at both Amos and the car he was letting in.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  On the way back Amos made a point of asking Alanah to confirm their knowledge of safe driving tips for Jim. She did know a lot of them, she had invigilated her own version of the driver’s exam with a strict pass threshold onto Amos before letting him drive. The moment she was in the car however, her rules of the road prioritized driving like the king of the road instead.

  With Jim sitting up front she at least had to pretend that driving safely and courteously was a priority for both of them.

  Jim took more time looking over the car in the small driveway behind his building. He found the tires, brakes and engine to all be in good order and he helped Amos make a maintenance schedule moving forwards from where Sherman had left off. “It’s possible to get another five years out of this car if you take care of it. Even more if you don’t let Alanah drive it.”

  “I wouldn’t be caught dead behind the wheel of that senior’s econobox” Alanah shouted from the open door of the kitchen. “You don’t need to worry about that”.

  After Jim closed the hood and wiped his hands off on his pocket handkerchief he told Amos “wait here, I’ve got something you should always carry with you in the car”. A moment later he came back from his shop through his apartment and handed Amos a small red can with a large loop style handle on top with a small nozzle. “Its dry chemical fire extinguisher” Jim told him, “keep it in the car door and always out of sunlight.”

  “I thought you said that the car was in good shape”. Jim shook his head and said “no, this is really for when you are in a pinch and you can’t use a gun. This will spray out up to ten feet and will instantly make a huge, suffocating cloud. Hopefully if you do need it, then it will just be for a small fire or something like that”.

  After an early dinner, Amos and Jim headed home. Amos had convinced Jim to let him take an old roll of pond liner he had spotted in the back of his building and to let him borrow some woodworking tools. “What are you making now? A cover to disguise this car when we drive around?”

  “Ah…you wish. I actually have a good idea and I think it might work.” The next few days passed slowly. There were two days mid-week without farmers markets worth going to so it gave them a chance to catch up on Jim’s school work and much to Alanah’s dismay, Amos’ project.

  Jim had agreed to allow Amos to make this project in lieu of doing Jim’s coursework and while she languished in her chair reading The Willows Amos was happily moving heavy things around and sawing and banging away.

  “Why does it have to be a surprise? I want to see it now.” Alanah called out from the kitchen area. Amos had blocked off part of the main part of their hidden office space come apartment as his workspace. He had Alanah swear to not peak and the suspense was killing her.

  “Because you will misunderstand and say something mean and then I might be so upset that I quit.” “Hah, fat chance, you are so freaking stubborn I can’t see you ever quitting. You’re worse than one of Simon’s goats when it wants to eat something it shouldn’t.”

  Alanah got up and packed her baton and revolver. “I’m going to the library quickly to check email. If I don’t go now then the kids hours will end soon and its open season on all the machines. I don’t want to have to sit next to boozy old bums. I’m not sure what’s worse, the smell or what they look at online”.

  “Be careful” Amos called after her but this time of day was a safe time to be out and about on the streets. He was also happy to have time alone with his project. He realized that he had overlooked some essential plumbing functions and he wanted the time and space to think about them without disruption.

  Alanah was glad to be one her own for a bit. There had been way too many questions about her mental well being after she had been grabbed from the car and she was tired of answering them.

  It had been terrifying at the time but she was proud of herself for how she had handled the situation. With two heavy boots pressing her down into the footwell of the truck she could barely move but she had managed to squirm just enough to fish her revolver out of her cargo pants and pass it behind her back to her left hand. After that she had managed to point her gun up and over her thigh and she had begun shooting.

  She did not care what she hit and after just three shots inside the truck cab the man who grabbed her had already jumped out and the driver was trying to do the same as the vehicle rolled into the ditch.

  At the time she was furious at Amos for not having brought his gun but she after she had a chance to think things through she realized that he had done well to get to the truck to help and he had made all the right choices afterwards.

  Her anger was really just her coping mechanism. She did not want to think about what could have happened next if she hadn’t gotten away and just how close she had come to that outcome.

  Alanah was now also somewhat worried about the emails she might have received since she had last checked her account. For certain there would be many angry emails from her aunt demanding this and accusing that. Would she have added the theft of her license plates to the list of wrongs she already blamed on Alanah?

  Alanah didn’t much care as long as the police were not contacting her aunt about a juvenile shooter at a gas station, that would be hard to explain. In the end however, it was the other emails that Alanah had received that would cause her the most angst and inner turmoil.