Bodhi cried as she said, “What does he want, and why bring me here? Please, let us go.”
The Kiowa chuckled and pointed at Troy, “He knows why.”
Bodhi’s face looked confused. She said to Troy, “You know?”
He nodded, but it appeared the nod was because he was too frightened to speak.
Bodhi said, “Who’s coming?”
Troy shook his head, lips pressed tight to form a thin gash for a mouth.
Bodhi pushed him, but he held onto her arm, She said, “Why here? Tell me that.” She looked down at the grave, “I don’t know this person, so why here?”
They stood maybe eight yards from us, and we fully focused on what they said.
A deep bass voice came from ten feet behind us, “Drop yo guns. I won’t ax you twice.”
“Shit,” I muttered under my breath.
Hondo said, “Yeah, that.”
We dropped our weapons and one of the huge black men came forward to take our pistols. “Cell phones.” We tossed them on the grass. He picked them up, sliding them in his pocket before stepping back and saying, “Turn around.”
We rose from our knees and turned. The two huge black men stood on each side of Jericho Moon, who held a single, long-stemmed red rose in his hands. The black men carried Uzis with extra-long magazines extending a foot beyond the handles. With the men’s size, the weapons looked like small toys.
Jericho said, “This is serendipitous, having you here. I feel blessed.”
I said, “What’s going on?”
He motioned for us to move ahead of them toward Bodhi and Troy. We joined the others and I started to ask again when Jericho barked, “Shut up, you coward!” His face changed from the peaceful persona of the beach to that of a furious, angry man.
Jericho’s face darkened with anger, so mad he had tears in his eyes. His hand, the one holding the rose, shook with contained rage.
He pointed at the grave and said, “This man was a hero, a real hero.” Stepping to the grave, Moon put the rose down gently and returned to his original place facing us, and mostly me.
I said, “I know he was a hero. I served with him. So did Hondo.”
“Hah!” He rolled his eyes as if he couldn’t believe it. He said, “You deserted him and left him to die. That’s what you did, you cowardly, gutless piece of trash.”
“Ronny’s no coward.” Hondo said.
Jericho turned his head to face Hondo, “Yes he is, along with two other cowards who were not as badly wounded as this man.” He pointed at the grave again.
Hondo said, “Jordan Hammond died right in front of me.”
“No! No he wasn’t! My brother was not dead!”
There it was. It felt like ice water trickling down my spine. “Your brother?”
“Yes.”
Bodhi spoke up, “But your last names…”
Jericho said, “Are the same.”
I said, “Moon is an alias.”
“No, you stupid, stupid man. It’s my middle name. I am Jericho Moon Hammond. My brother is Jordan Sun, spelled S-U-N, Hammond.”