Shadow Army: A Shadows Rising Novella

4. Troubles

Cress

"It is in the bank's best interest to call in that loan, my dear. I've got other customers to consider. A faulty investment cannot be allowed to remain delinquent indefinitely."

I stared at Mr. Caulley. Watched his shiny red-rosebud mouth form those words. Watched the roll of fat beneath his chin wobble as he settled into his cushy desk chair and folded his pudgy hands over his belly.

"Your father's signature is on everything, fair and legal," he said. Again.

I still sat there, my chest aching for want of air.

"Do you... happen to have the money?" Caulley asked, his bushy brows rising. He was smiling like a grandfather, but there wasn't anything but greed behind his button-hole eyes.

I shook my head, finally looking away.

"That's too bad," Caulley said slowly.

Something about the way he said it - the syrupy tone of his voice, maybe, or the singsong way he said it - made me wonder if he already knew that.

"Sign over the farm to me, and I'll forgive the entire debt. Then you and the boys can go your way free and clear."

And absolutely penniless. I felt the telltale burn of tears in my throat. There was no way I was going to let that man see me cry. I pushed myself up off the chair he had offered, grabbed my knapsack, and turned to leave.

"Think on it, Miss Montgomercy," Caulley said loudly as I walked out of his office. "You've got a month before the note comes due. It's just not safe for a slip of a girl and two kids up there, working that land alone..."

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After I got out of the bank, I drove out to the edge of town and parked the Gopher behind Old Man Karrumu's place. Nobody ever went out there. They all thought it was haunted, so I could usually stay there as long as I wanted without anyone poking at me. Which was a good thing. I was in no mood for being poked at. 

I got out of the truck and stomped around what used to be Kai Karrumu's carriage park, my boots sending up puffs of dust as I shouted and argued with people who were nowhere around. It didn't do much good. Anger was still sizzling under my skin hours later when the sun hit the horizon.

I stopped my bawling and got back in the Gopher. For several minutes all I heard was the whir of the locusts in the grass. I glanced at my blotchy, tear-puffy face in the side mirror. My eyes were still hard and angry. I scrubbed at them with the heels of my hands, pressing away the tears. It wouldn't do to have Doc see me looking like I was going to kill something. He'd want to know why and I couldn't bring myself to heap all my burdens on the man.

I waited until just before the sun was only a melting sliver of gold crowning the mountains. Then I got the Gopher running, and set off on my next trip into town: the trip I had been planning on making anyway. 

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