Free An Incidental Reckoning by Greg Walker

trail over there. Loves nature. Me, I'm not a fan of bugs and snakes, so I told him I'd wait right here. We're not staying, just pulled over for a rest, be heading on to a buddy's place in Altoona in a bit."
     
    "Well, this area is for camping only. We have some picnic tables and a pavilion down that way for day use. But since we aren't busy, I'll let you slide this time, as long as you don't stay the night. Have you seen those two at all? I'd like to ask them if they know anything about the Amish boy."
     
    "Nope, I haven't. But we just got here maybe a half hour ago. Could be they went hiking ahead of Chris...that's the guy I'm riding with. If I see them before we leave, I'll be sure to ask them. Did he say what they looked like? These guys that beat him up? Maybe my friend and I could have a little chat with them, if we would happen to catch them on the road."
     
    "No, said that he kept his head down, trying not to provoke them and then covered up when they started to hit him. I got the feeling that he knew more than he let on, but nothing I could do. His horse got spooked, too, and ran a ways down the road. I should tell you that it's best the police handled this...but if you do happen to have that 'chat', say a few words for me, okay? Off the record."
     
    "Will do, sir. And I promise we'll be gone in a few hours, tops. I'd actually have preferred not to stop, not crazy about riding in the dark. But Chris insisted we pull over and stretch our legs."
     
    "Okay, well drive...or ride careful then. Thanks for your help."
     
    "Wish I could do more. Take care."
     
    Will heard the door close and the vehicle pull away, until the sound of it faded, leaving only the stream's constant babble and Jon's chattering teeth in its place. Jim appeared at the top of the embankment and signaled for them to come up. They stumbled and slid their way up the now muddy bank, growing worse with each passage. Jon pushed with legs he could no longer rely on. At the top he collapsed on the ground, unable to stand. Will tumbled down next to him. Jim looked on bemused.
     
    "Okay, right to the point. Can't risk someone else coming in here. Did one of you throw rocks through the window of my car? That's what it said on the invite in my mailbox. You're the only two here, and I couldn't fathom that either of you little girls had the balls to do that...but now Chris is dead and here you are. So tell me... just who the hell are you?"
     
    Jon couldn't have spoken if he had wanted to. If he had heard correctly, if he had pieced together what Will had told him, minus the complete mystery of the invitation, the man that stood before him wasn't Jim and his friends did not call him Jimbo. His name was...
     
    "I did it, Brody. And I left the note. He didn't know anything about it. It was all me."
     
    "All 'me' who? How do you know my name?"
     
    "You don't remember us? Tanville High School? You made us fight each other. Will Roup and Jon Albridge."
     
    Brody stared at Will, and then at Jon. Whatever answer he had expected, it wasn't this. He looks like someone showed him a picture of his grandmother naked , Jon thought, biting his cheek to keep from laughing. He knew it was hysteria edging in to take the controls and refused to allow it. Not now.
     
    "What? Are you...kidding me? Is that what this was all about? You and him? You're... those guys?" He began to say something else, but he trailed off, and sat down hard on the ground facing them. He put a hand to his head and ran it through his hair. And then he laughed. Once begun it rolled out of him. Tears ran down his cheeks. “You guys…YOU guys,” he managed to say while gathering more air to fuel the laughter.
     
    Jon supposed, in a way, it might be funny. Could be, if they hadn’t killed a man. His nervous hand had found a rock when he sat down, embedded in the soil. Carefully, he had worked at it, digging his fingers under the edges and wiggling it back and forth and finally it had come free. A