Chapter Text
Fuller, Texas June 21st , 1974
„Blegh, what a shithole...“ Judd Hewitt scrunched his nose as he crawled through the narrow tunnels under the city, following the trails so conveniently left behind by the FBI.
He scrambled through a narrow opening, squeazing through the mountain of rubble blocking the tunnel. He halted, held his breath, listening to his surroundings.
Ah, there they are....
He could hear voices in the near distance, one unknown to him, the other so distinctive, he would have recognized it among a thousand.
„Please...“
„SHUT THE FUCK UP AN' SHOW SOME RESPEK! IT'S PRAYIN' TIME!“
„Zeke...“ Judd shuffled further through the dirt and muddy water, until he found himself behind the grid of an airshaft, allowing him a secluded view into the room infront of him.
The Hewitt family was gathered around a large dining table. He spottet his Aunt Luda Mae, Thomas behind her, sharpening a celaver, aunt Kathy as well as her daughter Henrietta, little Jedidiah on one side oft the table and uncle Monty on the other, and -his heart clenched a bit out of hapiness- his younger brothers Zeke and Shiloh. It had been so long since he had last seen them.
Apparently he had arrived just in time for dinner.
There was also a man next to Henrietta, the poor guy clearly not himself. Well, he couldn't say the same about the woman sitting on the far end of the table.
She was rather pretty, many men would have considered her attractive, but with her blonde hair and attitude she just reminded him of his highschool teacher and he felt a wave of nausea crashing down on him.
It filled him with satisfaction to see her like this, crying and begging, unable to escape her fate.
He sighed a bit and rattled on the grid, the screws of the frame barely holding it in place.
Well, losen those two screws, give it a good tug and it should be gone...
BAM!
„What in tarnation?!“ Luda Mae hurled around, and Judd shiftet in his hiding spot, trying to get a better view.
Am burly man stood in the doorframe, his face a mask of determination. His left hand pressed down on an ugly wound in his right side, the other was holding a grenade.
„Guess whos coming to dinner...“ Judd heard a little Plink! and he knew that son of a bitch just relased the safty catch of the grenade.
„None of you motherfuckers move!“
Ah fuck... gotta work faster...
Fighting down his rising panic, he pulled out a knife, finagling with the screws as silent as he could, all while he tried to follow the events in the dining room.
The agent apparently had come to rescue the other man in the room, as well as the blonde haired woman.
He wasn't to steady on his legs, most likely from blood loss, and Thomas had taken that chance. As the lady and his colleague made their escape, the agent staggered a bit.
Thomas quickly took aim, gave the cleaver a powerful throw, and chopped the hand holding the grenade straight off.
It was all a matter of seconds: Judd saw Shiloh jumping for the flying hand, still holding the grenade, in an attempt to catch it before it exploded. He turned around in the narrow shaft, kicked the grid out of it's frame, and sprinted towards his brother.
He barely noticed how Thomas pushed the table over, serving as a barrier, and just in time he grabbed his younger brother by the collar, yanking him behind the thrown over table.
Not even a millisecond later, here was a small Tunk! as the muscles in the sewered hand finally gave way, and the grenade exploded in a powerful blast.
For a few moments, he couldn't hear anything. There was only smoke and white noise, deafening him while he held onto his brother.
He then heard Luda Mae scream, her voice full of hatred.
„Get them! Kill those sons of whores!“, and the familiar screeching of Thomas' chainsaw as he took up pursuit of the fugitives.
He could hear the hollering of uncle Monty, demanding to be set back and upright in his wheelchair, as well as Henrietta begging her still unconcious mother to wake up.
A few bruises and a deep shock aside, they all seemed to be unharmed.
Zeke rubbed his head, still a bit dizzy from the blast, then blinked towards his brothers.
„J-Judd? What in heavens name are ya doin' he-“ Judd cut him off by grabbing him by his collar.
„You god damned idiot! Didnt' i told ya to take care of our brother you asshole? DIDN'T I?!“
He shook Zeke, spraying his face with a bit of spit, but he didn't care. He knew it was unfair of him, but he needed someone to take out his anger and fear, and poor Zeke was the only punchingball available.
„I-i'm sorry Judd, i...“ he stammered, still shaking from head to toe. Judd released his brother, only to pull him in a thight embrace.
Reluctantly, Zeke hugged him back.
Shiloh crawled up to them, pulling a bit on the sleeve of Judd's shirt.
„Nyii, nyiii....“
Judd pulled him into the hug too, holding onto his little brothers, still trembling as the pent up shock started to spread out through his body.
„You stupid jerks. Never ever scare me like that again... 'M one more breakdown away from white-vest-vacay...“
„Judah Hewitt, where the hell did ya come from?!“ Luda Mae's voice brought him back to reality, and he let go of his brothers.
„Nice to see ya too, Auntie Mae. Actually wuz lookin' fore Thomas, but he seems busy right now.“
She gave him a stern look as he crawled up to his aunt Kathy, helping her up as she slowly regained conciousness.
„Your darling daughter is lookin' fore ya'll. Needs to have an urgent talk to ma beloved cousin.“
His aunt seemed quite puzzled, looking at her sister for a moment before turning back to him.
„Ya mean Holly? Where's she? Is she in trouble? And where have you guys been all this time?!“
„Something like trouble, yeah.“ He put one of uncle Monty's arms around his shoulder, then lifted him back into his wheelchair.
„But all in due time. Need to talk to Tommy first. We need to get ya'll to ya house auntie Mae. She'll meet us there.“
„No. Zeke, get ya rump outta here and help ya cousin with those assholes.“ Luda Mae pointed a finger towards Judd „And ya better tell me what in the hell is going on here!“
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„A man should keep his livestock secure.“
„I hear that, Boss. Can't have 'em running loose now, can we?“
„No, sir.“
William 'Bill' Miller slammed the metal door shut and returned to his place behind the bar, indifferent of the fate awaiting the pretty woman outside.
It was simply the way of things. Had been for a few years now. The Hewitts had become the big dogs around this town, they practically ruled it with the fear they spread among it's townsfolk. Nobody came in their way. Nobody wanted any trouble with them.
The front door creaked as it was opened, and for the second time this evening a pretty lady stood in the doorframe.
But she didn't yell in a panic or frantically tried to call the police.
She calmly walked up to the bar, took a seat, waiting for Bill to take her order.
Now, in the light he got a better look at her: the clothes she wore looked very costly, a white form-fitting skirt and a matching blouse wich was barely able to contain her large breasts. Silky dark brown hair tumbled down her back in graceful waves, a light dusting of powder acentuatet her pale face, eyes highlighted with black eyeliner and mascara and her lips where painted with deep burgundy lipstick.
She looked familiar to him somehow.
„Well pretty Lady. What can i serve you in this fine establishment.“
She cocked an eyebrow at him.
„Never thought you even had the word 'establishment' in your vocabulary, Bill. But i wouldn't say no to a cold Sprite.“
He blinket at her a few times. „Do i know you, Ma'am?“
She leaned on the counter and shot him a light smile, all while he was barely able to keep himself from staring down her cleavage.
„If i remember correctly, i rejected you four times when you asked me out for the school dance in 1956.“
His eyes nearly bulged out as he rembered.
„Holly? Holly Schaefer?! Lord almighty, where have you been? What did you do all these years?“
Holly tilted her head, the dim light glittering in the movement of her hair.
„Well, i went to Cambridge. Studied law. Then returned to Fuller. Got married. Had to leave Fuller again. And now i am back and intend to stay. But right now i just want a bottle of cold Sprite.“
„Holy shit, you studied law? But makes sense. You always were pretty smart.“ Bill rambled as he groped around in the fridge under the counter, unable to tear his gaze from her.
She had grown more curves on her chest and hips, even a bit of fat on her stomach, but that didn't turn him off; even though he preffered skinny women.
On the contrary: That woman was oozing grace and sexappeal out of every pore.
He cracked open the bottle and pushed it towards her.
„I can make you something stronger if you like. It's on the house.“
She may have told him that she got married, but that was merely an obstacle than a real no-go for him.
Never had he thought that a ugly duckling like Holly would grow into such a beautiful swan.
She still smiled that dangerous, sensual smile.
„I appreciate the offer, William. But it would be very unwise of me to drink in my current state.“
„What, are you pregnant?“ he joked.
„Oh nonesense.“ Holly took a deep sip from her lemonade. „I am already ahead of that.“
Bill looked at her, quite puzzled.
That guy is still as dense as a dying star....
She sighed before explaining to him „I am breastfeeding“.
„Oh, uhm, sure.“ Holly threw her head back as she emptied the bottle, breasts pushing against the fabric of her blouse, her expression changing into a mask of seriousness.
„Pleasantries aside, Bill. Where are the Hewitts? I am aware that you know something.“
He nearly couldn't stand her suddenly stern gaze; indicating that she could definetely tell if he was lying to her.
„Just missed him. Thomas. About ten minutes ago. Drove down the Route 17 in a trailer with some blonde dolly and his cuz Zeke.“
That dazzling sweet smile of her's returned as she pulled a five dollar bill out of her purse and placed it on the counter.
„See? That wasn't so hard now, was it?“
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It wasn't difficult to find the truck on the desolated road, nor catching up to it. Holly followed them down Route 17, flashing the headlights and beckoning it to halt. Instead, the driver accelerated, and she let out a annoyed huff.
„Fuck you Zeke, i ain't got time for that shit!“
She overtook the truck, made sure to stay in front of it, then breaked sharply.
„What the hell?!“ Zeke stomped on the break, trying to avoid collision with the car in front of him.
In the trailer, both Thomas Hewitt and Kim Burns lost their footing as the truck made an emergency brake.
Thomas tumbled forward, loosing sight of his victim as he fell on his knees. Kim Burns took the opportunity and made a run for the exit, unhatching the doors of the cargo hold.
She threw herself against the door, as it suddenly gave way, and she tumbled onto the harsh asphalt of the street.
„Ahh, shit!“ as she tried to get up, a pair of black Manolo's stepped into her view. A young woman stood before her, dressed in a white skirt and blouse, looking down on her, her face a mask of indifference.
„Quickly Miss, we need to get out of here, please!“ The woman bent down as if to help her up, but grabbed a fistful of hair instead.
„Oh we need to get out indeed, but not you Missy.“ Kim felt a sharp pain on her forehead, folllowed by a loud click as the safety catch of a revolver went off.
„Please, no!“
She didn't even heard the loud 'bang' before everything went black.
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„Thomas Brown and Ezekiel Hewitt! Get your asses out of that truck this instant!“
Holly watched as Zeke climbed out of the truck, her skirt painted red after shooting that bitch straight in the face.
„Are ya mad?! You damn bitch, who do ya think-“ he cut off his rant as soon as he recognized her. „Shit, Holly-Holls, what are ya doin' here? I haven't seen ya like... in forever!“
„Oh shove it up your ass with a spoonful of sugar Zeke, better shut your mouth before i loose my patience, you son of a whore!“
In the cargo hold, Thomas got back up, rubbing his head. What in the hell was that?
Then he heard a gunshot, followed by a loud argument. And he would always recognize this voice.
He climbed out of the truck, and there she was:
Holly stood in the middle of the street, her lower body sprayed red, the remains of Kim Burns still in her grasp. She yelled at Zeke, and he was clearly much to intimidated to retort. Obviously her own nerves where on the edge, and she needed someone to let her frustration out on.
She was just as beautiful as the day he lost her. Splattered with the blood of a victim, her face a mask of raw fury, long hair floating behind her in light breeze... It certainly did something to him.
Her gaze fell on him, and she dropped the dead woman, running towards him. Thomas crossed the distance between them, hugged her close, and kissed her deeply.
As they parted, Holly scanned him from head to toe, looking for any kind of injury.
„Oh Tommy, there you are! I have been looking for you everywhere! Are you alright my darling, are you hurt?“
He shook his head, and his gaze fell on her stomach. Her flat stomach. Panic flooded his brain and he was unable to move, frozen in fear.
What happened to their baby? Did she loose it? Why had he inisted that in her going home? He was her husband, he should have stayed at her side.
Please Lord, not again...
No, he couldn't do it. Couldn't go through all the pain an heartbreak a second time.
He went to put his hand on her tummy, but she was faster; cut him off by taking a step back to examine him, searching for any injuries.
„Hmm, good. Now... HOW THE FUCK DID YOU ALL GET CAUGHT BY REPORTERS AND THE FBI?! ARE YOU NOT BEING CAREFUL? IF THEY GET YOU; THEY WILL SEND YOU ALL TO THE CHAIR! AND WHY DID YOU HIDE IN THE FUCKING SEWERS WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A PEEP? WHILE I WAS SITTING IN JAPAN, NOT KNOWING WHERE YOU ARE?!“
Holly yelled at him, and now it was Thomas who had to endure her anger and frustration. He flinched back, just like Zeke, all while she scolded them like two little schoolboys.
Suddenly she seemed very tired, rubbing her eyes and surpressed a yawn.
„Now, you will listen to me: clean up this mess and when you're done we meet at Momma Mae's house. I need to call a certain someone. Have to make sure the FBI doesn't send reinforcements...“