9 Seconds of Freedom, Original Suspense, Part 37, links to earlier episodes.
I came back to the car with a cardboard carrier filled with four coffees and a dozen donuts. I had to do something to ease the tension or someone’s brains would end up splattered all over I-35.
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“Coffee sounds nice,” Sarah said.
She looked at Leeanne. Leeanne nodded.
“Yeah, it does. Thanks, Dalton. Sorry, I’m just on edge,” she said.
I handed out the coffee.
“It’s black, I got sugar and creamer if you want it, in that sack,” I got into the car and opened the donuts.
There was peace for ten whole minutes, as we cruised north toward Kansas City. Then the questions started.
“You were my friend. You knew what this meant, how could you work with them?” Leeanne asked.
“Whoa, you got it all wrong. I wanted the farm gone just as much as you. I want Skinner dead too. It’s just,” Boots said.
She got quiet.
“Just what?” Leeanne said.
Leeanne was watching Boots in the mirror. The Pistol laid in her lap.
“I don’t know, you just got to walk away, you know?” Boots said. “I earned my way out. I had to do a lot of crap I’m not proud of, but you just disappeared.”
Leeanne scoffed. “Seriously?” She said. “I spent over two years clawing through that cesspool, then I got stuffed in a trunk, about five minutes after my baby was torn out of my body and taken to live with hillbillies. You call that walking away?”
“At least your kid lived!” Boots screamed.
Then she was all sobs. I felt hot coffee splash on my neck. I said nothing.
“You had a kid too?” Sarah asked.
“No, it didn’t survive. Jensen showed me the body, then Skinner offered me a way out,” she said. “I just had to kill a guy. Over in the panhandle. A real piece of work. He was one of them, but he was trying to push Skinner out.”
“They let you out?” Leeanne asked.
She looked like she didn’t believe it. The car stayed silent for a full minute.
“So, if you’re not working for them, why’d you kill Jensen?” Leeanne asked.
“I don’t know, your kid is safe where he’s at, I guess. It just didn’t seem fair, you got out without having to do anything for them, and you’re going to get your kid back and,” she paused. “I don’t know. Being in The Farm really screwed up my head, you know? Literally fighting to the death over food will do that to you,” Boots said.
Yeah, It would. I began to see Leeanne’s rage in a new light.
“Besides, I tried to let Crawford handle it,” Boots said.
“At the Living Center?” Leeanne asked.
“Yeah, he was supposed to get to Jensen and take him out first,” Boots said.
“You told him about my baby?” Leeanne asked.
“No, yeah, I don’t know,” Boots said. “I guess I did, I didn’t think about them not knowing.”
Leeanne moved before I could stop her. The butt of the pistol hit Boots’ forehead. Boots slumped back in the seat.
“Not to mention, he could have killed you, Dalton!” Leeanne said. “When this is over, we’ll settle this, me and Boots.”
I wondered if she would ever not think like a cage fighter, struggling to save her own life.
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