Hi, My Name is Tessee

[Rabbit]

Emory has been invited in by the clan and he knows what resources they have. Elmer might or might not be trustworthy, but we already have a clue about his wife. This could get very interesting. Emory was missing his brother but I wonder if this will be one of those, "Oh yeah, now I remember" moments.

No use me trying to out guess Pac, all I can say for sure is I need more please.

[prep4four]

I wonder if these were the eyes watching as the Clan gathered their supplies?

[Sammy55]

I wouldn't doubt that these were the eyes watching. Elmer's "group" probably don't have many resources, and if there are two in the truck, I bet they are Elmer's wife and a wife for Emory.

But we'll see. I've been wrong before. Pac takes her stories and winds them up so tight that when she lets them go, who knows where they end up!

Pac, love the story and waiting for MOAR!

[kaijafon]

so many things to go so wrong~!!! LOL! they could be a distraction for those sneaking up through the back fields and woods....

I just can't help but think they are up to no good!!!!! grrrrr! maybe those wolves will get anyone sneaking around that should not be!

hehehehehehehehe!

[PacNorWest]

#172

"No! I don't know you. You're not Elmer, so don't peddle that bologna to me." Ben said shortly.

"I could have shaved my beard," the short and pudgy man blustered, "but you're right; I'm not Elmer, I'm Eddie."

"Eddie who?" Ben demanded, already tired of the cat and mouse game.

"Eddie Edwards, Elmer and Emory's brother." he explained like Ben was thick headed and slow.

"So.." Ben snarked as he tried to keep Cindy inside, but the dog kept trying to get out so she could bark at the newcomers.

"It's been a real trying time finding you guy's. You sure don't leave many clues when you skedaddle, I had to ask all over and finally that old lawyer told told me about another lawyer, and he told me he would get in touch with you guy's and you would get in touch with us, but," he drew a breath "we never heard from you'ns, so we had to find yous by asking around."

Eddie Edwards shivered in the cold and wet snow. "Any chances you would let us come in and warm up, we been staying in the rig tills we found you'ns and the women is cold and tired."

"Stay there," Ben ordered and he shut the door while he conferred with the clan. "Oh Lord," he groaned and rubbed his aching head, "what's your take on the problem?" he looked at the edgy adults.

"Sound's like he expects to be taken in and welcomed," Clora said tiredly, "I don't like the idea he searched for us and found us. Mark's gonna be furious."

Lainey shifted Davey to a more comfortable position, "he looks enough like Emory that there is a strong resemblance so I believe he is a brother, but why is he here?"

"Ev coughed and then said, "Mooching. Free ride with little work."

"I'm afraid you're right," Ben said as he kept his eyes on the yellow plaid pants that were wet and dirty around the man's feet. The grungy faded yellow plaid sports coat didn't quite go all the way around the ample girth and the once white shirt was stained with the evidence that the man had eaten recently.

"Helga and Helmer, I'm going to have you go to the kitchen and Helmer, you keep an eye and gun on these people. Lainey and Clora, you take the children to the playroom. Ev, you stay off to the right of the stove and keep your gun on them, Cheryl you do the same off to the left."

"You can come in," Ben instructed the man that had come to the bottom of the stairs, "bring in the ladies very carefully and don't make any sudden moves or you will regret it."

"Oh yes," the man waved his hand at the women and they slowly responded. Once inside the women timidly skittered toward the stove and hesitantly held their hands out for the warmth. "This here is wifey Irma and girl Irene." Eddie introduced the thinly dressed women and the hitched his thumbs in his pants and said, "fancy diggings you got here, real nice." he looked around in an appraising manner. "Emory really fell into it this time. Where's Elmer, I 'spected he'd be here by now."

Ben let the question go by, preferring not to have a conversation, but Eddie was persistent. "I done real well being a used car salesmen," he bragged. "Real well." he rocked back on his heels and ran shrewd, calculating eyes over the interior of the lodge, until his eyes landed on Cheryl as she sat in the shadows with her rifle pointed in the visitor's direction.

"Hey now," he protested, "ain't no reason to be unfriendly, no reason a'tall."

"We'll let you know what's unfriendly and what's not," Ben said shortly. "We don't know you and we are very cautious with visitors." He went to the kitchen and brought out three chairs and placed them near the stove. This was going to be a ulcer and aggravating problem until the winter campout guy's got back from their snow romp.


Early morning in the snow camp was cold wet and miserable. Clustered around the fire, the teens felt the pangs of true hunger. The squirrel they shared last night had been chewy and mostly charred on the ourside and certainly not cooked enough on the inside. Their cooking session had been a dismal failure, twice the stick with the cooking tree rat had fallen in the fire, and it was difficult to get it back out.

Mark didn't offer any advice, just let them observe if they would, how he and the woodsmen secured their sticks with an additional forked branch that supported the meat as it angled over the coals. The adults created a fir and pine branch barrier between themselves and the snowy ground, and Toby caught on immediately when he overbalanced on his heels and sat in the cold and wet mush they had trampled into the ground around the fire.

Willie was all for striking out to home the minute it got light enough to see, he suddenly understood the real difference between thinking you are prepared, and being prepared.

"The next time you will have experience to draw from," Mark explained to the teens as they broke camp and he stepped casually to the rear of the group. "Lead on," he called out, "we might as well get going."

Emory took the lead and they walked until they came to the river. "Not this way," he muttered, as they retraced their steps. Wayne headed out, directing them to a left angled path that took them finally to the small creek. The trouble was, the creek was flowing the wrong way.

Wayne called a rest break and started a small fire as he tried to turn his mind around and figure out how they got on the opposite side of the small stream. Water boiling in a small billy can created a tea break, as they passed the sooty and lip burning hot metal can around the group.

Going over and over in his mind the puzzlement of how they got to the creek but it was flowing the wrong way, Wayne realized Mark had taken them through another watershed. The creek they had come to was not the creek behind the lodge. As they finished their break, it started to snow again and this time the wind increased until it was the most miserable time Toby and Will had ever experienced.

"We need to follow the creek downstream," Mark took pity on the cold and wet young men. "we are a creek over to the right of the stream past our lodge."

Mark stopped them as he spotted the dark shape of the strange vehicle in the drive way. Through the snow he could see smoke from the chimney and faint light from the windows. "Careful" he cautioned, "It looks like we have visitors."

[sssarawolf]

Thank you pac I have been waiting all day

[stjwelding]

Pac thanks for the chapter, I think the boys got a real eye opener as to the reality of survival in the wilderness without the proper training and or supply's.
Wayne

[kua]

Should be some good lessons in here for some of us as well. We keep hearing 'old timers' say we should practice, practice, practice but how many of us actually do? We think we have our beans, bandaids, and bullets safely stored away but do we actually know how to use what we have stored? Do we actually know how to survive?

Good writing Pac, and good reminders, even for the best of us, that preparedness is not just now and then but a way of life.

[PacNorWest]

#173

When the crew got inside the lodge, Eddie found out he was as welcome as a skunk at a garden party. Nobody wanted him there, especially Emory, as the almost but not quite shyster tactics of his brother did not set well with Emory.

Emory really liked being with the clan, he worked hard to make himself welcome and earn his pay and keep. Later when Emory, Helga and Helmer sat around the table talking, they agreed that they had to work harder than they normally did to stay up with the members of the clan.

"They nevers ask us'ns to do anything they wouldn't do, I'm real happy to be here." Emory reported as a cookie and a cup of coffee restored his good nature. There had been a fuming fuss and a fight when Eddie learned he and his family would have to spend the night in a locked room, but Mark, Ben, Wayne and Ev had been adamant about that fact.

No way were they going to allow a stranger full run of the lodge after they went to bed. As it was, Mark had been furious about the tale of what lengths Eddie had to go to find them, as Eddie so proudly told over and over. Emory had pulled Eddie aside and tried to get him to tone it down, to just shut up and not create a further problem, but Eddie paid him no mind and wound up behind a locked door for his indiscretion.

Emory sought out Wayne and they went out to the barn for a discussion. "He needs to go," Wayne said as soon as they shut the door against the wind blown snow, "either Mark or Ben will have to kill him if he doesn't."

"I'm not trustin him," Emory said after a bit. He picked up the manure fork and cleaned up after Bill and Bob as a way to think and gather his thoughts. "I don't know why he is here, we'ns never been that friendly since we got growed. He didn't do right by our Mama and it stuck in Elmer an me's craw.

"I got's a plan, I'm for takin him an his cultch up to Elmer an leavin them there. Iffens you take your pickup, and I drives Eddie pickup, we's can disable it oncet we gets them there. I ain't too sure this ain't a plan offen Elmers or some of those othern peoples up there."

That was a long speech for Emory and Wayne listened till he was finished. "I don't want to be hurtin your feelings cause he is your brother, but he has to go and your plan is as good as any." Wayne acknowledged. "How do you think we can keep him from leading someone back here?"

"Well, we gots to confuse them real good, just like Mark did to us out in the woods," Emory grinned. "That was a right good lesson."

[sssarawolf]

Thank you Pac, I sure hope they can lose them ).

[Sully]

Nothing like having unwanted relatives mooching off of you. I'm sure most of us here have had an experience or two with moochers.

Thanks Pac!

Sully

[PacNorWest]

#173b

It worked just liked they planned. In the snow and through a twisting and turning round a bout way they traveled the backroads until the women grew sleepy and Eddie started telling stories out of boredom, certainly not paying attention to where they had been driving.

With Mark and Ben's help, they crafted a plan that brought them out of the woods, far south of where they lived. Wayne made sure to stop as soon as they reached businesses, so as to print the closest but out of the way store in Eddie's mind. He paid no attention to the convenience store, but zoomed in on a used car lot that had flapping flags and a help wanted sign.

"I should," he mused as he put the name in his data bank mind, "that might be a good place to get a job." Emory shrugged, not wanting to encourage the man.

"Your friends, they are kinda ornery and hard to get along with," Eddie remarked, "real unfriendly like. Ole Elmer," and he swallowed the word, but Emory had heard and it was as he suspected. Eddie was a plant, and all of their snow job of running him around the country side was most likely for naught. His brother knew exactly where they lived, and exactly how to get there.

Emory drove and Wayne followed, going directly to the valley. Eddie kinda hemmed and hawed when he figured out where they were going, but got out with the basket of sandwiches and turned to look up at the spot where the upper camp was located. "Elmer," he said, "ain't gonna like this one bit."

"Too bad, I knowed something was up when you showed," Emory told his brother, "don't bother with nothing else, I ain't interested."

Wayne drove up in his pickup and turned the motor off, Emory got in and didn't say a word all the way back to town. Over a couple of beers in a not to great part of town, he finally told Wayne, "we gotta figure out how protect the family, they know where the lodge is located. Elmer sent them, I'm afeared he's gone to your enemies." Emory stared into his glass of beer and felt miserable. He supposed the family would send him on, perhaps he should just stay in town and save them the trouble of escorting him away.

"I want you to talk to Ben and Mark, you have knowledge of what Elmer is capable of doing and how we might counteract it." Wayne said as he made a face at the taste of the lager. Sitting side by side, close together, it was easier to talk when they weren't looking at each other. The beer was no matter, neither of them liked the taste, it was the freedom of the space and time to talk that was important.

They stopped at the store and bought ice cream, listening to the storekeeper's wife rave on about the paintings Kent had done. "One guy in particular was real interested, he asked if there were more and he would buy all that the could get his hands on. Said the man had real talent, the guy that painted them, I mean." It was difficult to get away from the gossipy woman, she started going on about the weather and finally the men had to wave themselves out the door.

Mark was so mad about the whole episode that Clora had to take the children to the playroom, lest he say something inappropriate. It was close to bedtime so that's what happened to Milo and Teddy. They wanted to stay up until Tessee went to sleep, but bright eyed Tess didn't look a bit sleepy, then Clora insisted and sat in the darkened room until the boys started yawning and getting sleepy. "No more problems," she insisted. "The adults have problems to work out and you need to behave."

"Yes Ma, we will," Milo said in a small tired voice.

Helga made coffee and tea and passed the cookies. She and Helmer listened quietly but carefully, listening to the alarm but determination in the men's voices as they planned how to protect their families.

"You know what they say about a good defense, and that's a excellent offense." Mark was stomping around the table in a real worked up manner. "I am not willing to have the fight come here, I am most willing to take the fight to them, or anywhere they choose but we are entitled to a peaceful life, free from raiders, attacks, and misguided scum."

[sssarawolf]

Thank you Pac.

[Vtshooter]

Now what in the world is Elmer up to? Thank you Pac!

[PacNorWest]

#173c

The words fell like bombs on family ears. Never had they been the aggressors, always they had turned the other cheek and only fired when fired upon. There was silence as individuals digested the news.

Immediately Ben wasn't in favor of such a plan. "What about a gate and guard post down close to the road, a way to communicate with the house, and with the snow it's doubtful they would bother coming through the woods, so I think that would be adequate." he hedged around the idea of firing to kill before fired upon.

No one else said a word until Mark stood up and said, "I respectfully disagree. This time we are dealing with a different type of people. From what I've observed they are woodsmen, sharpshooters, mountain men, rednecks and capable of keeping us pinned down for weeks at a time. There is a plan that we might consider, and that would be killing only Elmer, as perhaps the mastermind?"

That announcement brought additional silence and some squirming in the seats. When push came to shove, everyone wanted the deed done, nobody wanted to pull the trigger. Everyone was hoping Mark would volunteer with his 'background' to use his expertise and just do it and it would be clean and sanitary and they wouldn't have to think about it.

Mark was very aware of the pressure on him, and he kept silent. He figured everyone here needed to own a piece of the problem, not just him alone. And then there was the problem of Emory. Would he stand by and let them plot to kill his brother without throwing a monkey wrench into the mix.

All in all there were far too many unknowns, even Helmer and Helga, and Emory were untested if they came under fire, so what might they do?

Mark was busy thinking about the members, trying to put them in categories according to the jobs they might be trusted to handle.
The core of the family had been tested and he knew how they would react, but they had three new bodies that could help or hinder.

The silence got heavy and deafening. The clan members were all thinking, 'just say it Mark, just say you will use your sniper abilities and take the man out.' but Mark continued his silence.

In their minds, every member had an excuse why they shouldn't be an aggressor, why they shouldn't go hunting another human.

"I think we should sleep on this, it's a irreversible decision that will affect our lives from here on out," Ben stalled, hoping to pray out a solution in the privacy of his bedroom.

All around the table, heads were nodding in agreement. In the background, Helga, and Helmer were impassive faced, not giving a clue to their feelings and Emory......Emory was looking downcast and out of luck.

[prep4four]

Oh my oh my! What will they do?!
Thanks for the new chapters.

[sssarawolf]

Sure would be a hard choice but how many times does their home have to be attack and they get burned out and harmed.? Who may they loose next time?

[Echo38]

I think Emory just might take care of the problem for them, he's not saying much but he likes being there and doesn't care for what his brother is up to.

[Rabbit]

If they were to go on offence somebody in the clan would go to jail for a long time, plus it is so not them.

[momengineer]

"hoping to pray out a solution "..... i hope they do too!! (and what a good phrase to remember!)

[stjwelding]

Pac thanks for the chapters it looks like Mark is trying to see how deep the loyalties of the new clan members really are, especially Emory. Just a thought.
Wayne

[PacNorWest]

#174

It was a haggard looking group that assembled for breakfast the next morning. The strain of examining such deep personal tenants concerning the possible taking of a life, even for the protection of family and self, were evident.

Not a word was said during the meal, but family members were sneaking looks out of the corners of their eyes, trying to gauge how the clan felt. Finally Ben stood up, asking for the floor and permission to speak. "I have spent a sleepless night praying for guidance and asking myself what would I do. There is no other way to put this; I cannot fire before fired upon. I understand and accept the risks that I may be killed or a member of my family killed, but Lainey and I agree. It has to be in self defense only." He and Lainey clasped hands, showing unity with their decision.

Clora grabbed Mark's hand and stood up. "Good, that's the way Mark and I feel, but we needed to have the family agree with us without pressure. How say you, Ev and Cheryl?"

The vote went around the table and it was unanimous. The clan would only retaliate if fired upon. When Helga and Helmer were asked, she stood up and said her mind. "Sounds much good, makes people sorry in the end, but helps conscience before hand." Helmer nodded.

"Enemy does not fight with conscience," he said, "they fight to win by any means." and Helmer sat down.

It was indeed a sobering thought. Clora finally said, "we respect your opinion Helga and Helmer, because we feel that comes from experience, but we have to live within the framework of our belief's."

[sssarawolf]

Thank you Pac very good.

[Rabbit]

"......we have to live within the framework of our belief's." That takes courage and I wonder in real life how many would do as well?

[PacNorWest]

#174b

Wayne came in from milking and said, "lot's of big paw prints around the barn door and the chicken house. I think we need to get logs and stack them around the chicken fence, keep our visitors from digging underneath. The horses seemed a little edgy and skittish this morning, Helmer, would you be interested in having a look at them?"

Of course Helmer was johnny on the spot to look at his favored horses, so back to the barn they went.

"Hold up," Helga ordered before they left, "vhat is Sally and Sally Mae acting like?"

"The usual," Wayne replied, "no problems milking, nothing strange in the barn, in fact I looked for a skunk or something like that, didn't find a thing."

"OKey, Dokey," Helga dismissed the duo out the back door.

Lainey and Clora looked at the small cup of egg and vanilla pudding that Helga required them to eat each meal. It was good tasting, but tiresome after two months. Helga was certain it was the only way for the two of them to keep their ability to feed their babies, so they let her have her way.

Cheryl came in from the family room, "Helga? Do you suppose you and Helmer might help me walk Ev, I just can't do it by myself," she explained.

"Ja sure," Helga agreed, "soon as the mans get back froms the barn." She turned to the stove and stirred the bubbling pot of tomatoes that was destined to be soup for lunch. "Yous may tink yous is fooling me," she said with pursed lips, "but I hears the volves last night, very plain and very close."

Clora went to burp Tessee, "They were close last night, this crazy weather is confounding the animals too." Tessee did her bullfrog sound as she burped, making Helga smile. "That von, she likes her food," the older woman remarked, "no like a lady, she is."

"As soon as the kids finish brushing their teeth, I'll start school," Lainey called as she went to change Davey's diaper. Clora went to stand by the window and then asked Helga, "how much danger do you think we are in by not pursuing Emory's brother? You talk to Emory, what is he saying about the problem?

"He is much puzzled, has no answers. He has not seen the brother that comes here for mores than 10 years, sudden like he comes readys to moves in. Much strange, Emory says." Helga stopped stirring and turned to face Clora, "I am much happy yous did not push him abouts his brother Elmer. That man," and she jerked her thumb toward the barn, "has deep hurts in heart about brother."

Clora stood rubbing her chest in an unconscious motion, it itched, and the tingle was deep inside. Staring out the window, her action didn't go unnoticed by Helga. "I makes you an oatmeal poultice," she declared. "It vill bring flesh together to heal. You vill be much careful vith bebe, she is much big and heavy."

"Sometimes," Clora admitted, "it doesn't feel very healed. I hate being sick and having people wait on me, I should be cooking and cleaning and helping Lainey, and helping Mark and you," Clora said in frustration.

[stjwelding]

Thanks for the chapters Pac, sounds like someone should be night vision scope at night to reduce the wolf population.
Wayne

[sssarawolf]

Modern man has forgotten how dangerous wolves are . Put I don't think Helga had by any means. Thank you pac.

[bjoyce09]

Finally I am here. Have been following your stories.
Love them. Always a new adventure.
Keep up this great story. Thanks.

[PacNorWest]

#175

Clora took the small berry dish full of moist, cooked oatmeal from Helga and listened to Helga's instructions on how to use the drawing poultice. "Special use the liquid that drains to the side of the dish, dabs it on the scar. It will pucker and draw the poisons from insides of you. Cover vith this," and she handed a square of old clean dish towel to Clora. "That vill no harms the bebe's food."

Clora retired to her room and dabbed herself with the oatmeal starch. Later that morning when she was in the schoolroom Milo said loudly, "Ma, you smell like breakfast."

"I do," she agreed, "now get back to your alphabet." Milo was learning the letters and numbers, and always looking for a diversion.

The men congregated in the barn, watching as Helmer ran his hands all over Bill and Bob, checking for any minute problem that might be annoying his team. "Ole Bob has a little wind puff on hissen leg, been there for a vile but is no big deal. Bob is fine."

The rest of the men almost felt cheated, no one needed their advise or help as there was no problem. It was a bummer, in the least.

brother looked at brother, friend, and then back again. There was no outside work they could do, the house seemed so small and close with all the ladies busy inside, so they enjoyed the cool dusky atmosphere of the barn.

"The wolves have been looking to find a way in the barn," Wayne said with a sigh, "any idea if we have protected it enough?"

"Not one hundred percent," Ben pulled a length of hay from a bale and fiddled with it. "wolves are a real touchy subject. The environmentalists have used them as a 'poster child' you might say, and then there are the rest of us who have to put up with the senseless damage they do."

Emory nodded. "They'ens run the elk and deer, kill way more than they eats. Mr. Ev's cows have themselves sharp horns, but we'uns should bring them in a'fore he loses any calves."

"Hey, we could do that today," Toby and Will looked interested as it was a project that had real possibilities, especially since they would be back in time for supper.

"Welll..." Mark drug out the word. "First of all, do we have enough hay to bring them in. They eat more browse than hay, so we didn't plan on feeding them totally."

"It's not fair to loose them to the 'volves' ...I mean wolves," Toby pointed out, 'the loss would be more than the extra hay we might have to buy."

"True, true but hay gets scares in February," Mark countered.

"If it thaws, we could go out and get more hay," Toby and Jr. looked at each other, secretly pleased they had countered his objections so quickly. A trip to town would certainly liven up the sameness of the oncoming days, something to look forward too.

"True, but hay costs money," Wayne inserted in the conversation.

"Yeah but Mr. Ev thinks a lot of those cattle," Toby said slyly, hoping that might be the edge to turn the thought to going to town.

"You're getting better," Mark complemented and then laughed. "All too true, Ev treasures those goofy looking cattle and I suppose we should bring them in. Want to do that today?" Everyone but Helmer was interested in the roundup, he said, "I stay and help Ev guard vile you are gone."

Lunch was an excited affair, the men ate quickly and donned their winter clothes in anticipation of a cold, wet afternoon doing something.

The cattle were holed up in the brush, under the furthest stand of trees from the lodge as they could get and they weren't all that anxious to move. The 6 men formed a line and walked slowly, pressing the cattle to move quietly along the fence line. The foot of snow was tiring to walk through, and several times they crossed a line of wolf tracks, so the danger was real.

It was dark by the time they funneled the cattle into the corral nearest the barn, using hay to entice them inside the structure. The horses stomped and snorted, unhappy with the intrusion but they settled down with oats to assuage their tempers.

Oats were put out for all the animals, they could smell the treat and all wanted some. Sally had been milked and she and the calf were bedded down, but the sound of oats got her up and mooing.

The lodge was alight with lamps in the windows to guide the men safely in, and when they trooped in, they stopped abruptly. In the warmth of their kitchen sat Gertie, Elmer and a huge blond haired man that could have only been Gunnar.

[Debob]

Thanks Mrs. Pac. No way this couldn't be anything but trouble. More twist and turns.

[kaijafon]

[Rabbit]

Holy Cow! Are the others tired up or being held at gunpoint? This is not good. More please Pac.

[kaijafon]

[Deena in GA]

Please, please, please don't leave us hanging here!!!!!!

[PacNorWest]

#175b

It was tense inside the kitchen. Mark instantly looked at Clora and she had a tight, pinched look to her face, but she wasn't holding her gun on them. Her hand was in her pocket however, and she had her eyes narrowed and her eyebrow raised. Lainey and the children were nowhere to be seen, Helga and Helmer were standing behind chairs at the end of the table. Ev and Cheryl were off to Clora's right.

The visitors were seated at the table with cups of coffee in front of them, hands on the table.

Mark tapped the teens on the shoulder and sent them directly to the family room, skirting the table, they were gone in a flash. They knew the drill, they positioned themselves at the half wall with their rifles so they could protect the children.

Mark, Ben and Wayne stood together like a coldly furious wall, joined by Emory who ignored his brother.

Mark looked to Clora for an explanation and she sat down, giving him a small smile. "Gertie wants to buy the valley from you, and I told her you weren't interested in selling; but she wants to hear it from you."

Mark looked down his nose at the shriveled looking old woman, and Gertie stared back with reasonable intelligence in her eyes. Mark figured she must be on her meds, as she looked capable of holding a conversation. "I don't know why Clora's explanation wasn't enough, I have nothing left to add to her statement. I do not wish to sell the valley." he reinforced Clora's announcement.

Gertie tapped her finger on her cup in annoyance, the only sign she was mad.

Mark directly challenged the large man he didn't know. "And who are you?" he asked low and mean. His cold eyes never leaving the man's face. The man looked back, equally involved with the high stakes game of 'stare and don't blink'.

"I am Gunnar Colin Samuels, Gertie is my stepmother," his lips curled in a cold, cruel smirk; "she did not have my permission to sell you the land, we are here to negotiate it's return to us, as rightful owners." he said proudly. tilting his head back in an arrogant gesture.

"I am not selling, exactly as Clora told you," Mark repeated patiently.

"We insist," Gunnar used his hand to poke Gertie in the leg when it looked like she was going to say something. Her mouth stayed shut, but her eyes were snapping mad. "You do not seem to understand," Gunnar said coldly and forcefully, "we insist you sell us back our rightful property."

This time it was Clora that spoke. "No, the valley is my heritage also, and we are not selling. In fact, our lawyer was just here and he is preparing a will that automatically deeds the valley to the state of Washington, if something happens to us, or the family," Clora warned softly.

Mark didn't let the unexpected news change a wrinkle in his forehead, but he actually wasn't surprised Clora had done that. He knew Wade would have eagerly agreed as a measure of protection for her and Tessee, so there was an additional layer of safety.

"I don't think you understand my request," Gunnar was cool and collected, "we expect to have the valley back," his voice took a slightly menacing tone.

[bjoyce09]

Looks like Gertie is causing more trouble. Thanks for the chapters.

[Echo38]

What you expect and what you get are two different things as I believe Gunner is about to find out.

[Rabbit]

Oh go ahead Gunner, take a menacing tone with Mark. LOL

[kaijafon]

so glad I double checked tonight before I went to bed!!! thank you! no longer at the very edge of the cliff, about a centimeter back now....

[sssarawolf]

Wonderful, Gunner the murdering blankedy blank. Thanks Pac.