FOLLOW THE LEADER - Chapter 8
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Chapter 8
Jason Powers sipped coffee as he peered through the window of his prefab cabin in the woods. A serape hung from his shoulders. Outside, Sheena tended the fire. He noticed she was wearing her Raiders cap today. She was not a fan. Each of his girls had a cap or two and some of them were downright childish, he thought. He insisted that they wear them when they went into town. Bald women were too noticeable—especially two or them.
The campfire, the grill and the curling smoke, the three sunlit tents curving into a crescent—all of it should have made for a perfect morning.
But no. Rainbow, the youngest of his family, had fucked up again.
Just now a dark cloud slid toward them. Soon it would cast a grey pall over everything. As if things aren’t fucked up enough.
The hell of it was, he liked Rainbow. He enjoyed her bright eyes and friendly smile. And she was great in bed. She did everything he asked without complaint. He would miss all that.
He left the cabin and joined Sheena fireside.
She was tall, like the comic book heroine she was named for. She turned and looked up at his dark eyes, deep set and impenetrable.
“Good morning, Prophet,” she intoned with a solicitous smile, her crooked teeth ruining the effort. “How did you sleep?”
“Fine, thanks.”
Chapter 8
Jason Powers sipped coffee as he peered through the window of his prefab cabin in the woods. A serape hung from his shoulders. Outside, Sheena tended the fire. He noticed she was wearing her Raiders cap today. She was not a fan. Each of his girls had a cap or two and some of them were downright childish, he thought. He insisted that they wear them when they went into town. Bald women were too noticeable—especially two or them.
The campfire, the grill and the curling smoke, the three sunlit tents curving into a crescent—all of it should have made for a perfect morning.
But no. Rainbow, the youngest of his family, had fucked up again.
Just now a dark cloud slid toward them. Soon it would cast a grey pall over everything. As if things aren’t fucked up enough.
The hell of it was, he liked Rainbow. He enjoyed her bright eyes and friendly smile. And she was great in bed. She did everything he asked without complaint. He would miss all that.
He left the cabin and joined Sheena fireside.
She was tall, like the comic book heroine she was named for. She turned and looked up at his dark eyes, deep set and impenetrable.
“Good morning, Prophet,” she intoned with a solicitous smile, her crooked teeth ruining the effort. “How did you sleep?”
“Fine, thanks.”
Page 22
Follow The Leader Hal Savage
Trying to please me again, he thought. Sheena was once his
Top Girl before Cocoa came along. But now she had snitched on
Rainbow, which was against the rules. He had taught his girls to
support each other, no matter what. He taught them the dangers of
fraternizing with folks in town and on the road.
Behind him, his cabin door opened. Out stepped Cocoa in her cutoff denim shorts. She swished her long black hair back and forth.
Sheena could tell that she had just washed it.
She’s flaunting it, the bitch.
“Phone for you, Jason.”
“I’ll be there in a sec.”
He moved closer to Sheena and said. “I want you to get
Rainbow’s cell and bring it to me.”
Sheena went straight to her big tent that she shared with
Rainbow, who was under her tutelage. It still rankled her that Rainbow had slept with Jason more than she had. Now it was that bitch, Cocoa, who slept in the cabin every single night.
She jostled Rainbow.
“Jason needs to look at your phone,” she said.
“Huh?”
“Your phone.” Then she saw it on the floor and snatched it
up.
“Why does he need my phone? Sheena...?” But Sheena was gone.
Jason had to turn his back so that he could see the screen. He scrolled through Rainbow’s messages and saw that there were several calls to “Ronnie” going back ten days.
He handed the phone back to Sheena.
“I’ll be using Peewee for this detail,” he said.
“Why Peewee?” Peewee had a face like a Pitt Bull’s. All the
girls were afraid of her.
“Instead of you, you mean.” “Yeah.”
Behind him, his cabin door opened. Out stepped Cocoa in her cutoff denim shorts. She swished her long black hair back and forth.
Sheena could tell that she had just washed it.
She’s flaunting it, the bitch.
“Phone for you, Jason.”
“I’ll be there in a sec.”
He moved closer to Sheena and said. “I want you to get
Rainbow’s cell and bring it to me.”
Sheena went straight to her big tent that she shared with
Rainbow, who was under her tutelage. It still rankled her that Rainbow had slept with Jason more than she had. Now it was that bitch, Cocoa, who slept in the cabin every single night.
She jostled Rainbow.
“Jason needs to look at your phone,” she said.
“Huh?”
“Your phone.” Then she saw it on the floor and snatched it
up.
“Why does he need my phone? Sheena...?” But Sheena was gone.
Jason had to turn his back so that he could see the screen. He scrolled through Rainbow’s messages and saw that there were several calls to “Ronnie” going back ten days.
He handed the phone back to Sheena.
“I’ll be using Peewee for this detail,” he said.
“Why Peewee?” Peewee had a face like a Pitt Bull’s. All the
girls were afraid of her.
“Instead of you, you mean.” “Yeah.”
Page 24
Follow The Leader Hal Savage
“You’re a bit too fond of her, Sheena.”
“Not any more I ain’t. Last week she stuck me with the shopping so she could run off with her boyfriend. And that wasn’t the first time.”
“You were lovers,” he said simply. “Return her phone. If she asks why I wanted it, tell her nothing. Tell her to ask me.”
He turned and left her there beneath the gathering clouds. She hated “threatening” clouds.
Just rain, already!
“Not any more I ain’t. Last week she stuck me with the shopping so she could run off with her boyfriend. And that wasn’t the first time.”
“You were lovers,” he said simply. “Return her phone. If she asks why I wanted it, tell her nothing. Tell her to ask me.”
He turned and left her there beneath the gathering clouds. She hated “threatening” clouds.
Just rain, already!
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