Only if Justice Prevails

Golden fields of wheat swayed as the scorching breeze seared the skin on your face. Stomach churning with only the coffee in it the bile rises hearing the terrifying shots rang out sending the quail in the field bursting into the air. You can hear them. You can hear their jovial tone as they boost each other's egos about killing for sport.

Out of the corner of your eye you see the flecks of red peeling paint along the white border. Turning your head you look at it. The old red barn that held what they call trophies of the hunt.

At a young age your parents taught you something called the law of the jungle. You only killed to eat or to keep from being eaten when it came to the animals around you. They had firmly believed in the balance of nature.

They were by no means what people now viewed as hippies. They did have regular jobs and both were wicked smart from what you remember. They loved the barn. You had seen it filled with animals both farm and not so farm since your parents also ran the local wildlife refuge, out here in the sticks they were the people that when wildlife got injured they brought them to you guys.

The accident changed that, it changed everything.

Hearing your uncle and his lackey friends moving closer on their atv’s it pulls you from the snippets of memories that you refuse to forget. Even though now you have lived longer without them then with them. Walking to the wrap around porch of the house your parents built you sit on the steps leading to the back sunroom. Call it a morbid curiosity but you needed to see what they had killed, who they had killed.

Crunching gravel signals their arrival causing your stomach to tighten. You begin to count. One...Two… Three … Four is as far as you get before the exhaust from ten atv’s fills your lungs. You can tell that they have been drinking by the slur at the end of each word. Their balance and coordination was off as well. When two of the men tried to high five they missed so badly that they both almost fell flat on their faces before catching themselves.

He catches you out of the corner of his eye. Turning you see the sadistic grin pull his lips almost reaching his eyes. Your heart speeds up as if trying to warn you to walk away. That what you will see will change everything. Rolling your shoulders and then your head to try and ease the tension building he curls two fingers calling you over. Standing every cell in your body is already blazing with rage. Learning long ago you know that he thrives on the reactions from others. When he is intoxicated the emotion he feeds is anger.

Reaching the atv’s you swallow trying to escape the desert that has filled your throat.

“Hey kiddo, you wanna see what I got you for your birthday tomorrow?”

“Wouldn’t that ruin the surprise Luke?”

Watching the flicker of his anger in his eyes as your sarcastic tone of distaste, you know that you are poking the bear. He knows though what tomorrow means. Turning eighteen means that everything your parents left behind becomes yours. That he and your aunt are no longer executives of the asset they left behind.

“Come on Phoenix. I know that it will blow you away.”

Nodding your neutral look is one that he has never been able to read. It has saved you more than once from his wrath. As you move closer you can smell the iron in the animal's blood filling the air with greater force every step you take. Out of the corner of your eye you see him nod to one of his lackeys. Yanking back the tarp your mind screams. Swallowing the sobs that keep threatening to unleash from your throat you close your eyes trying to keep the dam holding your tears in from breaking.

“Isn’t she pretty, Phoenix? It took us the better part of the last few days to track her down, snag her with a trap and then it was an easy shot.”

“She?”

“Oh yeah. Her cubs will be the real prize once we find the den.”

Turning slowly you look away from the Canadian Lynx. Her empty eyes have burned into your memory. You know what you have to do. In your mind the screaming has subsided as you begin making a checklist of everything that you need to do in order for tomorrow to be one of the best birthdays you will ever have.

“You are right, this present is something that I will never forget.”

“Oh just wait until Dave stuffs her for your room. Then you can look at her every day. You know she can probably replace that stupid pink panda that you have had since you were eight. I should have thrown that ratty old thing out years ago.”

You know that he is trying to bait you. It was the last thing your parents gave you before the car accident. Turning to face him, your smile holding in everything that has built up inside of you for the past ten years. Hugging him you use the sickening sweet voice reserved to placate him at times like these..

“Thank you Uncle Luke.”

Walking back towards the porch you grab your phone from where you had it propped against the railing. His stupidity astounded you, more so when he was sober. Rounding the corner of the deck out of sight you lean over the railing losing all the contents in your stomach. Closing your eyes you inhale deeply, gaining your composure back slowly. Turning you see your aunt watching you from the kitchen window. You know that she is as angry as you are, that she had kept the violence away from you. You watched her pick fights with him so that his tempestuous nature shifted to her, away from you. Her love for you outweighs the fear of him most days. Nodding you know that it is time for your fury to be unleashed. The measures that you have taken will ensure that he will be held accountable.

Laughter could be heard throughout the party to celebrate you. Your smile reached your eyes as you danced with your friends. Your aunt and uncle were gathered with their friends on the east side of the barn as the sun began lower, giving them shade from the heat. Looking out over the area you spot the line of big black suv’s coming down the road that led to your house. Smirking, you excused yourself to walk across the property. Reaching their group you take your aunt’s hand.

“Aunt Kate can I get your help with something real fast?”

“Of course darling.”

Walking away you hear the gravel crunching from the bog tires on the suv’s. Weaving through your friends you smile as you stop in the center of the crowd. Her head tilts as the line of suv's pull into the packed dirt drive that ran to the back door. Everyone stopped. You could hear the crickets chip with the cooling air. Watching the two dozen agents coming out of the dozen suv’s you smile as you see who you were waiting for, her voice is like ice cutting through the air in every direction,

“I am looking for Lucus Redding.”

Hearing your uncle grumbling he walks across the property, “I’m him and what the hell are you doing on my land?”

Moving forward she hands him a warrant as she pulls out handcuffs, “I am Agent Hawkins of the ENRD. I am placing you under arrest as well as your buddies for poaching. Then the DOJ has a few more charges they would like to speak to you personally about.”

The other agents spread locating all of his lackeys. You watch as six of them cut the locks on the barn entering it. Murmurs begin to spread. Locking eyes with you as he is being escorted away smirking you wave as you watch him struggle trying to come after you but staying silent.

One by one people are allowed to leave. Sitting on the porch with your aunt you both stay silent as the suvs holding your uncle and his friends leave and the forensic team pulls in with at least six trailers. Watching Agent Hawkins finish with the team she takes a deep breath walking towards you and your aunt.

“Phoenix Melisande?”

Standing you extend your hand, “That would be me?”

“Your parents would be proud. I mean six years worth of footage of him bringing in and boasting about his kills, you know that he might spend the rest of his life in jail for the other footage you have as well?”

“Only if justice prevails.”

Her eyes are trying to dissect your mind and what might be going through it. You know how it works, your parents had taught you how it worked. “Phoenix, I have to ask, why today?”

“It was my birthday present to myself. I gained freedom today in more ways than just gaining what my parents left behind for me. I gained the freedom to finally speak and honor every one of the creatures held in that barn.”

Turning she steps forward hugging you, “My team said that the wiring is a bit outdated. Be careful after they leave tomorrow.” Stepping back she looks into your eyes as you blink back the tears. She understood what you needed to do, she understood you needed to free yourself from the memory.

Fire is a force that is seen as many things, destructive, disastrous, merciless, uncontrollable are just a few. All of those words could be used to describe humans as well. Sitting on the porch I watch as fire consumes the barn beginning in the shell of what remains of its belly till it explodes from the cracks causing the red and white paint to turn liquid coursing through the flame bringing the stench of chemicals into the air. The wood protests as the heat breaks in turning its matter into embers and then ash. I hear the sirens approaching. Standing I began to walk to the forest, I had to find the Lynx cubs. All of us are orphans now. Yet when I bring them home we will rebuild the old red barn, rising it and ourselves from the ashes.