Money Grab

As it played out the girls snuggled in closer, took their arms and put them around his shoulders. The feeling of two firm breasts pressing against his arms was very distracting. He suspected that Malina was doing it on purpose and looked down at her. He saw her shift and rub one hard little tip across his bicep. She felt his eyes on her and she looked up and smiled at him as she did it again.

"Stop," he mouthed at her.

She giggled and turned back to the movie.

At some point he fell asleep. When he woke up, both his arms were numb. He realized that it was because two heads had been laying on them for some time. At some point he had put his arms around them. The two girls were asleep and there was nothing but static on the TV. He disengaged his arms from behind their heads. They didn't stir. He propped Calley's head up with a pillow, stood and scooped Malina up in his arms. He carried her into her bedroom, managed to turn back the covers with one hand and put her in. She seemed light as a feather. He tucked her in and kissed her forehead. A wisp of blonde hair tickled his nose and with a smile he went to Calley's room and turned back the covers. He returned to the couch and slid his arms under her. She was a much heavier load than Malina, but he was strong and fit and he put her in her bed. He covered her up, turned the TV off and fell into his own bed. Life was definitely more interesting than it had been last week.

When he awoke, he smelled bacon and coffee and he walked into the living room to find both girls working in the kitchen.

"Good morning, Mr. Davis," Malina called and Calley turned and smiled at him.

"You slept late this morning, Davis. Breakfast is nearly ready. Please sit down."

"We have milked the cow and fed the dogs and the chickens," Malina said proudly. "Did you know you are running out of dog food, Mr. Davis?"

"Yes, I know. I'm going to have to do something about that. Do you think you girls could help me with that today?"

Calley nodded and Malina said, "We would be very glad to help, Mr. Davis, but I am afraid I know nothing about the manufacturing of dog food."

He laughed. "We aren't going to manufacture it; we're going to catch it."

"I don't remember going to bed last night," Calley told him. "Did you put me in bed, Davis?"

"Neither one of you would wake up so I carried you and tucked you in."

"You must be very strong Mr. Davis, to carry Calley. She is very rechoncho."

"I am not chubby," Calley protested. "My stomach is as flat as yours. Just because you're as skinny as a little boy does not mean that I'm chubby."

"Yes, it is true but I have tetas and nalgas like little boys do not."

Davis blushed a little. "Well, I what tetas are, and I want you both to know that I looked at yours when I put you in bed. Very nice!"

Calley threw a dish towel at him. "You big clown, I know you didn't do that."

"No," Malina agreed, "that would not be the action of a gentleman to look without permission and I know you are a gentleman, Mr. Davis. How will we catch dog food?"

"Here's the problem; each one of our dogs eats about 10,000 calories a day. They work hard for us. They protect the livestock, patrol the fences and let us know when they find something wrong. We owe it to them to make sure they are well taken care of. There's no way to get enough commercial dog food to keep them fed all winter, but I have an idea. Remember when we crossed the Medicine River the other day? That river has a lot of fish in it. Unfortunately, the main species produced is carp. They get big and they're high in protein but they're nearly inedible. We could eat them if we were starving. They're bony and smelly and slimy, but the dogs don't care. I have a net that we're going to put across the river and we're going to drive the carp down the river into that net. We'll load the fish on our trailer and freeze them. Every day we'll get out a carp and feed it to a dog. What do you think?"

"Yes, I would like to catch carps," Malina was excited. "When will we begin?"

"After we do the dishes," Davis laughed. "But the plural of carp is still carp, not carps."

"English is such a peculiar language," she complained.

He laughed. "You ladies cooked and did chores so I'll wash dishes. Go get your guns and if you think you can, you can get the Ranger out of the shed and hook the trailer to it. It's the green utility vehicle. Here are the keys. I'll do the dishes and get the net and a gaff. There are tall rubber boots and rubber gloves in the mud room. See if you can find some that fit and we'll go."

It took an hour to get ready and they were soon nearing the river. "Remember, we're outside the fence, so keep an eye out," he told them.

"Does the fence go all the way around your property?" Malina asked.

"Yes, it's nine feet of steel hurricane fence with razor wire on top. We can electrify it if we want to. That's the outer perimeter. If someone gets through that, and it will take some doing, there's the nine foot concrete wall around the buildings at the house. If they make it over that, we've got the bunker. There's a tunnel that comes out behind the hill so we won't be trapped inside. No one but the military could get in that bunker and it would take them a long time. I think we're safe there ladies. I hoped I'd never need it, but I'm glad it's there."

"Me, too," Calley said. "Where are we going Davis?"

They staked the net out across the small river in a shallow spot and Calley waited with the gaff while Davis and Malina walked a mile upstream. They entered the water and began walking downstream.

"Splash around, little girl," he told her. "The idea is to frighten the fish and make them swim downstream and get trapped at the net."

Malina enjoyed splashing and soon dozens of large wakes were running down the shallow stream ahead of them. They drove the fish along and the numbers increased. Some wily veterans sneaked back past them, but the majority was content to stay ahead of them and run downstream.

By the time they reached Calley at the net she was already busy gaffing fish and throwing them on the trailer. Some of the carp reached the 20 pound range and every one they caught was at least five pounds. She grew tired and Malina relieved her on the gaff, only to give way to Davis. The small trailer was loaded and they carried them into the freezer and came back for another load.

Many of the fish had begun to swim back upstream and again Davis and Malina walked back up the river. They were two bends away from the net when they heard Calley scream. She screamed again and Davis leaped out of the water, pulling Malina with him. "Take off those boots," he said while quickly removing his. "Wait here while you count slowly to one hundred. Then walk through the woods to the Ranger. Take this gun." He handed her one of the 9mm pistols.

"If you hear anything from me, do whatever I tell you. If you see someone other than Calley or I, you drive as quickly back home as you can. Shoot them if they chase you. Close the gate and call the dogs and stay inside until you hear from me."

He crouched and ran quickly and silently through the trees toward Calley's screaming. As he approached the Ranger he could hear the sounds of a fierce struggle and he heard the voices of two men mixed with Calley's screams. He peered around the trunk of a big catalpa tree and he could see Calley being held down on the ground by the two men. Her t-shirt was ripped open in the front and her breasts were exposed. One man seemed to be trying to remove her jeans while another held her down with her arms over her head. She was screaming at them and attempting to bite the man holding her arms while she kicked viciously at the man struggling with her jeans.

The man pulling on her pants was Grizzly. The side of his face was bloody and his ear was torn where Calley had obviously put the gaff to good use. He turned loose of her pants and slapped her twice. Davis stepped out and put three rounds into Grizzly's back. The man holding Calley's arms dropped her and fired at Davis. He felt the impact of a slug take him high in the left shoulder. The blow twisted him around. His foot was trapped under a root and he felt his left ankle break as it twisted. He fell on his right shoulder and almost lost his gun. He felt another impact on his left thigh and the sights came into line on the red plaid shirt. He pulled the trigger until the slide locked open and he was empty. The man fell face down and didn't stir.

Calley sat frozen, a look of shock and terror on her face. "Calley," he called. She didn't move. "Calley, snap out of it," he shouted.

She started and looked at him. "Check Grizzly and make sure he's dead."

She got up and walked to the store keeper. She felt his neck.

"He's dead," her voice was low and soft.

"Help me Calley. My ankle is broken and I've been hit twice. My foot is twisted and trapped under this stupid root.

She ran to him and knelt down. She opened his shirt and screamed when she saw the blood welling out of his shoulder. His thigh was a mess and the ankle was beginning to throb.

"Call for Malina," he told her. "She's at the Ranger. Tell her I said it's okay and we need her help."

"Malina," she screamed. "It's okay. Help us! Davis has been shot and I need your help."

She knelt beside him and leaned over him. "Don't you die, Davis! Please don't die. We just need to get you home. You'll be okay at home." She sat and cradled his head in her lap. Her bare breasts were in his face and he could see a bite mark on the skin of one smooth mound as she hugged his head into them. "Malina!" she screamed again and he could hear the footsteps of the other girl running toward them.

Malina ran into the clearing with her gun raised. She glanced around and then ran to where Calley was holding Davis. She burst into tears when she saw the blood on his chest. "Mr. Davis, what should we do?" she asked.

"First get my foot out from under that root. Then take off my shirt. Take Calley's shirt. It's torn up anyway. Make two pads and press them over the wounds. Then you have to help me to the Ranger. My ankle's broken and I won't be able to walk on that leg. I'm shot there, too. Calley, can I lean on you so I can walk?"

"Of course, silly." She eased his head to the ground and the two girls looked at his foot. Calley ran to the Ranger and came back with an axe. She chopped the root in two and lifted it off his foot. Malina eased it out straight. Davis' head was spinning from the pain when they moved the leg. Calley began to unbutton his shirt and gave Malina her torn t-shirt. They cut his shirt off with his knife and eased him out of it. Calley tore the tail off and made it into pads as well.

"Help me up, girls," he asked. "I'm feeling very weak."

"Wait," Malina ran to the Ranger and unhitched the trailer. She jumped in and drove the big utility vehicle down to within a few feet of Davis. Malina held the pads pressed to his wounds. Calley helped him sit up and his head was swimming. He drew his good leg under him and they managed to help him stand. He put his good arm around Calley's bare shoulders, she supported his weight two steps to the Ranger and he collapsed into the seat.

"I don't feel so good," he told her. "I'm very tired. When we get back can I lay my head in your lap and take a nap?" His vision grew dark and he slumped in the seat, his head lolling back.

"Davis, Davis wake up!" she shook his head. She slapped his cheek gently and his eyes opened, unfocused, for a moment and then he was gone again.

"Oh God, don't let him die," she prayed. "Please don't let him die."

Malina was sobbing as she sped back home. The dogs met them at the gate and seemed very upset as if they could sense Davis' condition. They got a blanket, got Davis onto it and dragged him into the house. Anubis took one corner and pulled, as if he were helping them. They managed to lift him onto the bar.

They cut off his clothes and located medical supplies in the bunker. There were several boxes of surgical tools and all kinds of bandages.

"Help me roll him up a bit," Calley said.

They rolled him up and she looked for an exit wound on his shoulder. There was none, but her fingers could feel the lump of the bullet under his skin on his back. She took a scalpel, made an incision and squeezed. The bullet fell into her hand, and she cleaned the wound and sewed the incision shut. They used alcohol and cleaned the wound on his shoulder and Calley stitched it closed and bandaged it tightly. Luckily, the bullets didn't seem to have hit any bones.

The second bullet had passed through his thigh muscles and they cleaned that wound carefully and closed it as well. They didn't know what to do about his ankle.

Malina suggested that they twist it back straight and tape it in place on a small plastic cutting board they found. He moaned as they twisted it back into place and beads of sweat sprang out on his forehead. They were thankful that he was unconscious. They dragged him into his bedroom and got him on his bed.

They collapsed on each side of him, exhausted by the ordeal. Malina glanced over Davis at Calley. "Do you know you do not have on a shirt?" she asked.

Calley glanced down at her bare breasts. "I had forgotten. I couldn't think about anything but Davis." She got a shirt out of Davis' closet.

"What should we do now?" Malina asked.

"I don't know. Wait, I guess. He's lost a lot of blood."

"Could we not give him some of ours?"

"How? We don't even know what blood type he is. I don't know myself, do you?"

"Yes, I am O negative. I can give blood to anyone."

"I still don't know how to do it. We just don't have enough skills. Why didn't I become a nurse?"

"I am not a nurse, either. No one could have foreseen this."

"He did," she nodded at Davis. "I'll bet he knows how to give someone a blood transfusion."

"Calley, we cannot allow him to die. He is a good man. He is very kind to us and he fought those men for us on the river and in the store. He is wounded for us and now we must save him. I love him Calley. He is beautiful."

"I know, baby. How could anyone not love him?" She began to cry. "He got shot because he was saving me. After I was so mean to him, he still did that."

"Do not cry, Calley. I think we will save him now. We will take very good care of him." She embraced the older girl and wiped away her tears.

Chapter 4

Davis was rarely awake for five days and when he was he was delirious from the pain. They fed him soup and made him drink water. When he woke up the fifth day he was raving. When Calley touched his skin he was burning up. She took his temperature and it was 104.

"We've got to do something, Malina."

"Yes, we must have antibiotics. He has an infection somewhere. Where can we get antibiotics? If we don't I'm very much afraid. We must find some. Who could we ask?"

"I don't know. Davis would know but he isn't making any sense. This fever is driving him crazy. He thinks you're Cindy when he sees you. He probably thinks I'm the devil."

"I think I have an idea, Calley. You gave it to me just now. Davis knows, but he has the fever. If we could cool him, could he not tell us?"

"How would we cool him? What do you mean?"

"We must make ice. We have large freezers. Perhaps we could even put him in one of those for a while? Or we could make ice and put it in the tub and run water and put him in. I have heard of this."

"You're brilliant, Malina. I've seen that on TV shows, too. I'm afraid to put him in the freezer. He's too heavy for us and we'd have to get him down three floors in the bunker after we got him there and then back out. I don't think we should move him that much, even if we could. Let's get buckets of water and put them in the freezer."

They put the plan in action and in six hours Davis was shivering in a bath of ice water. He raved and shouted and wept that he was freezing to death. They were implacable and kept him there until his temperature was 97. They got him out, dried him off and tried to wake him up. After 15 minutes they got him awake enough to ask him where they could get antibiotics.

"In the bunker," he said; teeth chattering and spasms of shivering wracking his body, "bottom level. White buckets that say 'fish mox' on the label. Don't use the mox. It's for smaller things. There's Vancomycin in one of the buckets. Give me that; one every four hours. Now for God's sake, give me some covers. I'm freezing."

"I'll do better," Calley told him. She got in the bed on his right side and lay half over him and pulled up a comforter over them. "Go get the drugs," she told Malina.

She soon returned with three bottles of the powerful antibiotic and they woke Davis up enough to swallow one. He drank a quart of water and fell asleep again, the warmth of Calley's body through the undershirt and boxers comforting him. In the night he woke her, kicking the covers off with his good leg. He was sweating like he had run for miles. The sheets and pillowcase were soaked and she changed them. After a half an hour he was shivering again and she covered them back up and held him through the night.

She was exhausted in the morning and Malina took her place while she slept. For three days one or the other of them was lying beside him and they forced the antibiotics and water down his throat.

On the third night he began to sweat again and Malina bathed him with cool cloths. She changed the sheets and it appeared that he was sleeping normally. At three AM, he woke her up. He was stroking her hair, playing with the golden strands with his fingers. She looked up at him with sleepy eyes and he was lucid and watching her.

"What are you doing in my bed, little girl? Not that I'm complaining, but how long have I been out?"

"Many days, Mr. Davis. I am watching over you while Calley sleeps. We have been taking turns."

"Thanks," he continued to play with her hair. "My leg hurts like hell. What's wrong with it?"

"It is broken. You have had a very high fever and probably do not remember. We do not know what to do with it. It was twisted to one side and we straightened it. I am afraid we may have damaged it, but we have no medical powers."

"You do. Just knowing you're here makes me feel a lot better."

She cried a little and snuggled her cheek into his chest. "We have been so much afraid. It seemed that you were dying and we were going to be alone."

"You'll never be alone again, little girl." He winced as she moved and she was instantly still.

"Do you think you could get me something for the pain, Malina?"

"I have nothing. I could get you an aspirin or something. Perhaps alcohol?"

"I'm an idiot," he said. "I should have shown you girls where everything is at the day you got here. We have pain medications. They are in the safe in the kitchen cupboard behind where we keep coffee cups. The combination is 12, 31, 19, 85. It was Cindy's birthday. There are bottles in there that are labeled Hydroxydihydromorphinone. The pain in my leg is driving me crazy. I can't think."

"I will get them for you." She slipped out of bed and came back with a bottle of the drugs and a quart of ice water.

"Thanks Malina." He took one of the large white pills and in 15 minutes, the furrow between his eyebrows began to ease.

"Are you feeling better Mr. Davis?"

"Yes, I've finished my water, too. Malina, I hate to bother you, but I would like another. I didn't realize how thirsty I am."

"You sweated away much water in your fever. You are not a bother to me. It makes me happy to do things for you."

She padded away and he heard ice tinkling in the glass jar. She came back and set it on his bedside table where he could reach it. He drank deeply and set it back down.

She snuggled into him again and lay with her cheek on his arm, looking up at him.