Free Hell Happened by Terry Stenzelbarton, Jordan Stenzelbarton Page B

shoulder, ready to shoot, but the vehicles never slowed at the dirt road and soon they were far enough away that both men lowered their weapon.
    They looked at each other.
    The smile Eddie had perpetually worn was gone. He’d been the only one who had a perfect view of Terrill’s sacrifice and it had changed him…aged him.
    For Jerry, it had been a trial he’d never expected having to face, but he’d done it without thinking about it too much, though he knew he’d play it over in his head for the rest of his life.
    No words needed to be said and neither of them really wanted to talk about it anyway. They turned their attention to Tony in the back seat. Jerry opened the rear door on the crew cab. Tony, who Jerry had unceremoniously manhandled into the truck, was lying on the back seat, feet on the floor and arms hiding his eyes from the light.
    Tony’s clothes were dirty and sweat dried. From the stains and smell, it looked like the boy had been tied up there overnight. He was obviously in a lot of pain.
    There was dried blood from his nose on his face, and more in his blonde hair. He had taken a beating, and it was plain to see bruises on his face and arms. His right ankle was at an odd angle, but Jerry didn’t know how to set it and he knew Eddie didn’t either.
    “How you feeling, Tony,” Jerry asked gently.
    Not moving his arms, he rasped “Not good, Jerry. I feel real bad. They beat us up real good.”
    “We’re going to get you home, Tonedeaf ,” Eddie added, using his friend’s made up nickname.  “Don’t you worry,” It was Eddie and Jerry who worried when Tony leaned over and threw up on the floor. There was blood in it.
    “Sorry,” he barely whispered. Jerry grabbed a red handkerchief to wipe the young man’s face and Eddie held the canteen up to his lips.
    “No sweat, Tony. Just take a sip of this. There you go, not too much,” Jerry said to him. “I’ll clean it up after we get you home. That’s what we’re going to do right now, as fast as we safely can.” Eddie took the hint and went around the other side of the truck.  Jerry shut the door, careful to not shut Tony’s foot in it. The way the foot was angled, it might very well be broken.
    Jerry climbed in to the driver’s seat and started up the truck. Once they were on their way he indicated the CB and told Eddie to tell the shelter that they were on their way back with Tony.
    “Don’t give them any details except that we got Tony,” Jerry told his son’s friend. “Tell them we’ll be there in less than an hour and coming in the same way Kellie had.” Eddie knew Jerry was going to drive the long way around and enter through the back gate of Jerry’s farm. It would take longer, but it kept them off the main roads, away from anyone who might be looking for them and Jerry would drive right up to the entrance of the shelter. If someone were listening on the CB to their conversation, they’d be looking for someplace an hour away instead 20 minutes from where they were now.
    Jerry drove in silence and Eddie sat quietly with his thoughts. Tony moaned, but there was nothing Jerry or Eddie could do to help him except get him back to the shelter.
    He arrived at the back gate which was off a dirt road and well hidden by over growth. Jerry pulled out the key from the ashtray. He hadn’t been here in months and Eddie had to move some brush out of the way. The chain was rusted, but the lock had been coated with grease to protect it from the weather. Eddie opened the gate and after Jerry had pulled through he closed and re-locked it before climbing back in the truck.
    Eddie gave the microphone three clicks then waited. Then he gave three clicks more and received a two click response. It was their way of telling the shelter they were a couple minutes away without sending any information over the air.
    Kellie, Monica and Mike were waiting for them as they drove up to the partially hidden entrance. Jerry hardly got the truck in park