The Bounty

The Bounty
Junior and Cutter pulled out of the inconspicuous homesite. Only then did the pain from the shootout ache their joints and muscles. The truck, older, built for longevity and strength than aesthetics raced down the road.
“Wish your mana would’ve given us some cash for dinner.”
“Not her way I guess. I got you covered. You’ll get your money when she’s done counting. You know she’s good for it. She’ll probably give you more for your troubles.”
Cutter knew Junior was right. The forest lining the river beyond the road provided only a dark view. It hid the surrounding wilderness. The ongoing shift in balance of prey and predator. He pulled a rolled bag from his upper shirt pocket. Squeezed the shredded tobacco and placed it deep under his lower lip. It was mint, sweet, and noxious. The taste brought back a nostalgic feel of his first taste of chaw. He was only twelve, but most of his friends had already begun by that age. The radio wasn’t working as Cutter played with the dial, finding only jumbled static. He waited a spell before he spoke. “Why ‘yo Mamma think I need to be involved in finding your brother? He ain’t no kin of mine.”
The truck crossed the narrowest portion of the river via the Old Arcadia Bridge. The rusting hulk was a layover from the post-war infrastructure money of the early ‘50s. Intended merely to transport construction vehicles through Arcadia and to New Orleans, the bridge was left rather than being deconstructed for its steel. It had since become a back-bayou short cut, despite falling in disrepair and slow depletion. Junior and Cutter gave it no thought as they rumbled the hundred feet across. Fallen pieces of the bridge danced on the wooden platform sending up a small cloud of dust and rust.
Junior shrugged and flipped the radio off, tired of hearing music and DJs behind a cloud of static. “Guess she think you family.”
Cutter grinned. “Yeah, I can see that. You think you could get used to calling me daddy?”
“Motherfucker, that will be a cold day in hell. Wait...did you fuck my Mama?”
“Not yet...but it’s a goal I got in mind.” He didn’t think it prudent to mention the previous night. Could cause problems and that’s the least they needed after what they’d already been through that night.
“Cutter, don’t you fuck my mama. You can have anything in my house except my mama and my comic book collection.”
“So, I can get some of that weed you got?”
“Okay, my mama, my weed and my comic book collection.”
“Why yo mama gots to be off limits. Don’t you want her to be happy?”
“Not with you. Eww!” he made a face of disgust, but glanced at his friend. His eyes betrayed him. The distrust was evident.
“Oh, you pictured me and yo mama. Yeah, me too, and what a beautiful sight.”
“Dude, if you fuck with my mama...”
“What?” Cutter goaded. “What you gonna do?”
Junior pulled the truck into the Theroit parking lot. Old Bennie had his tow truck in the center. It was dark but with the light illumination they could see the thick leathery wrinkles on his face and seemingly forming a single frown. His face was gaunt, giving the appearance of protruding eyes. He squinted as Junior pulled up alongside him.
“Outsider leave their car?”
Bennie nodded. an old ball cap, holed and sweaty pressed to his skull as if they’d merged together. “Just adjusting. Picked this one up on someone else’s place. Some lady from Nashville I think.” The nose of the Ford Sedan was being pulled up on the taut chain line. It was slowly dragged back onto the flat bed. Bennie slapped a mosquito on his neck. “These things are out late tonight.”
“You find any gold lately?” Junior hushed his friend’s laugh, “I think everyone else has given up on those old stories.”
Bennie released the button on his controller and the flatbed was back in its original position. “Well, if no one else is looking, then my chances of finding it is that much better.”
“Can’t argue with that. Mind if I come out with you sometime?”
Bennie let out a roar of laughter. He bellowed over, clutching his stomach. “I’m sorry kid. Don’t mean to laugh. I just don’t trust your family none. Who the fuck would.”
Cutter laughed and Junior slapped him across the stomach. “What? You blame him?”
Junior laughed too, then looked to Bennie. “That’s fine man. I wouldn’t either I guess. Still wouldn’t mind to know more.”
“You and everyone else kid.”
Junior rolled his window back up and pulled the truck forward into an unmarked parking spot.
Cutter yelled to Junior as they got out of the truck. “Since you talking shit, you’re welcome to go on and talk to them voodoo witches on your own. I’m gonna talk to Old Bennie about that car. Your brother gone. An outsider’s car lingering around. Maybe something there. ”
“Mama said we had to talk to them.”
“I don’t give a damn what yo’ mama say, and if you tell her I said that shit, I’m gonna whip yo’ ass after she beat mine. Besides, she just want us to find out information. We don’t both need to talk to them. I’m doing the same as you.”
“Man, come on in with me. Lenora makes me feel like she can run a blade through me at any time.”
“Uh, uh. I don’t fuck with no voodoo witch, and them some voodoo bitches.”
“You ain’t never even met them.”
“Shit,” he said dragging out the lone vowel. “Word of mouth a mighty reliable thing. And word is...they a pair of voodoo bitches. The food in that old ass bar taste like heaven, drinks always right, and they say they got pussy so good, even a woman drop her panties fo’ that ass.”
“Really?” Junior said.
“See, there you go. Pussy blinded. Look. Word is motherfuckers go in there, and sometimes they don’t come out. Yo brother was dumb enough to fuck with a voodoo witch. Oh well, that his business, and since he yo’ family, yo’ ass the one to go talk to ‘em, cause I don’t talk to no voodoo witch.”
“So you gonna send me in there all alone.” Junior shook his head. “My mama would be so disappointed.”
“Your mama don’t care. and those witches ain’t gonna do anything to you. They the type who take their time. They get to know you. They play with you. And they probably won’t kill you unless they have reason. Don’t give ‘em a reason.” Cutter paused and looked at the Ford sitting atop of Bennie’s flatbed. Bennie was leaning against the back end smoking a cigarette. The smoke twirled up into the air as if connecting to the stars above. “Boy, they not gonna do nothing to you. Just let me talk to Old Bennie ‘fore he drive off with that car. I’ll meet you when I’m done. Won’t take long.”
“Why is that car that big of a deal anyway?”
“Just thinking is all. New car in town. Brother gone. You know. Sure, I think it was Lenora. She’s the most likely, but you never know. Weird shit happens in Arcadia.”
Junior began walking to toward the bar. “Don’t be long. I’ll order you something to eat.”
“I won’t.” Cutter began to jog toward the flatbed. But as he did the truck rumbled into action. Old Bennie didn’t waste time as he pulled forward and then pulled the flatbed to the left forming a complete U before he straightened out and drove out of the lot.
Cutter dropped his head in defeat.
“Well, fuck, my future step daddy. Looks like you’ll be coming inside with me after all.”
“Looks that way, don’t it.”
The two started back toward Theroit’s bar, but not before something caught Junior’s eye. He turned back in the direction they’d just been looking. “What the fuck is that?”
Ahead of him, not far from where Bennie had just turned was a soft glow. It appeared to be facing them. It appeared to be a young girl. Or, if anything, in the shape of a young girl.
Junior grabbed Cutter by the arm. “You see? Them witches got shit going on here. I’m not liking this. Not liking this at all.”
“Well, damn. We go inside and face them witches with a warm meal and a beer. Or we go home and tell mama we was spooked by a haint in the parking lot.”
“That all we got?” Junior stuttered. He stepped back. “Shit. At least we know what them witches is.”
“Do we?”
Cutter’s mouth was gaped open. “I mean. We know what they are more than we know what that…”
“Junior pulled the gun from his waist and checked the clip. He looked at Cutter, “Got yours?” Cutter nodded. “Should probably make sure the clip is full before we go in.”
“You think?”
“With these two you’ll never know. That’s what mama always says about them.

As Junior and Cutter turned, the ethereal spirit of Ellie slowly lost her shimmer. She could only hold her image for a short period. The warning should have been sufficient. But as her image died away something else formed off into the deeper depths of the swamp. It also caught notice of the two men walking into Theroit’s. This image was all but ethereal. His eyes watched the two as he’d been watching them for the past hour.
The bounty on their heads had been swift. And he was going to make sure that he was the one to collect the ten grand. He needn’t worry about checking the clip in his gun. Nor did he need to use a weapon’s sites. His work would be done with the 18’ blade strapped to his leg. He worked in silence. He also worked in delivering heads literal heads. Guns just made too big a mess.