Retribution (The Protectors 3)

I couldn’t pinpoint a specific event that had led to the change between me and Denny. At some point, he’d just grown more and more distant and one day when Buck went after me for accidentally spilling some of his beer as I’d been bringing it to him, Denny had stood off to the side and watched for a minute or two before disappearing into his room. I’d spent the next several days making excuses in my head for Denny’s defection, but I hadn’t been able to deny the truth any longer when everything had changed less than a week later.

I’d been exploring the woods behind our trailer when I’d come across two stray puppies and I’d carried them back to the house where Denny had helped me get them cleaned up and fed. We’d spent hours playing with the puppies and he’d named his Comet while I’d named mine Ranger after one of my favorite cartoons. But when Buck had come home, I’d seen something in his eyes as we’d shown him the puppies and asked if we could keep them. He’d looked almost…giddy.

I hadn’t understood what he’d meant at first when he’d started talking about only being able to afford one of the puppies and that we’d have to choose which one to keep. But Denny had gotten it because his face had fallen and he’d looked back and forth between his puppy and mine. I’d still been confused when Buck had grabbed both puppies and taken them outside. We’d followed him and I’d asked Denny what was going on as I’d watched Buck put the puppies down on the driveway and then grab a shovel from the back of his truck. Buck had looked at Denny before holding out the shovel. By the time I’d finally figured out what was happening, Denny had straightened next to me, strode over to Buck and grabbed the shovel. My scream of denial had come too late and wouldn’t have mattered. Ranger had yelped once and after that, all I’d heard was the sickening sound of the shovel striking flesh over and over again. I’d fallen to my knees and thrown up and when I’d finally had nothing left to expel, Buck had walked past me, a triumphant smirk on his face. Denny had followed, his puppy in his arms. He hadn’t even spared me a glance as he’d left me there on the ground.

Everything had changed after that. Buck had still been my judge and jury, but Denny had become the executioner. And he’d been every bit as ruthless as Buck. I’d stood no chance and I’d spent the next fifteen years of my life in hell on earth.

“There’s nothing here,” I heard Hawke mutter in frustration as he tossed a stack of papers he’d been holding in his hand to the ground.

“I know of a couple more places we can look,” I said.

Hawke cast me a glance and nodded, but he didn’t look reassured. And in truth, I suspected our luck wouldn’t improve. And while I’d dreaded the prospect of having to confront Buck and Denny, the idea of Hawke not being able to find the closure he so desperately needed actually bothered me more.

I ended up being right.

After we left the trailer, I directed Hawke to several different locations including the two places Buck had used as meth labs. The first had clearly been abandoned some time ago and the second had been obliterated by what I suspected had been an explosion. We’d checked out a couple of bars Buck had often frequented and while one had gone out of business, the other had been open. But instead of going inside, Hawke and I had sat in his truck across the street and watched people come and go for nearly two hours before he’d started the car up. And not once had he spoken even a single word to me.

As Hawke drove us to a motel on the outskirts of town, I tried one last time to draw him out by saying, “There are a few places we can ask around tomorrow.”

Hawke didn’t respond in any way and I could see his anger simmering just under the surface. Once we reached the motel, I followed him inside to check in because it was the same motel where Reggie and I had hooked up at on a couple of occasions and I was hopeful the owner would know something about Buck and Denny’s whereabouts. But I didn’t recognize the woman behind the check in desk and when I asked if she was new, she said she and her husband had just bought the place a couple months earlier. When I asked about the Buckleys, she had no idea who I was talking about.

Once we were in the room, Hawke began getting a few things out of his bag. I was unpacking my own things when he handed me his credit card.