| Ethan guides his patrol car towards Custer's airfield passing the small picnic area. He slows down his vehicle to get a good look at four strangers, a couple and two men on motorcycles, in the grove. The woman waves at him, and he waves back right before he enters the airport�s parking lot. Parking his car, Ethan glances at his own reflection in the rear view mirror. ...FLASHBACK CUSTER, KANSAS The recreational vehicle that serves as a home for Ethan and his grandmother has been parked along the entrance of the driveway the leads to the Taylor�s home. Ethan, eight years old, reluctantly keeps pace with his grandmother as they walk up the long driveway. His grandmother looks down at Ethan and takes Ethan hand to comfort him and gather strength from his need. �We�re going to make it, you and me. You�ll see,� Irene says to him. A big man with course ways, Craig tries to gather his children to make a proper introduction. Craig is not comfortable with displaying any sign of affection even though he loves his children dearly. Lindsay, age seven, refuses to come down off the front porch steps and seems rather subdued and withdrawn. Justin holding his baby brother, Emmett, follows right along with his father. He is wary of the strangers, but eager for the help he hopes for and disparately needs. �We�ll now, Irene, here they are. My family. That one�s Lindsay, of course, the oldest. And this one�s Justin, and this little one here is my Em. He�s the one you�ll be taking charge of mostly.� �See, I told!� Justin yells back at his sister. Directing his hard gaze on his children, Craig barks, �Listen up now! This is Ms. Irene Gold. She and her son, Ethan, are going to be helping us out around here in exchange for a place to live.� �They�re going to be living with us,� Justin gasps. �Listen up now! They�ll be living in their motor home. I�m going to be hooking it up to water and all. Irene has agreed to keep an eye on you young�ens and the house.� Justin studies Irene�s face but says nothing. �May I hold the baby?� Irene asks. �Well,� Justin hesitates. �Go on boy!� yells Craig. �Okay, sure.� Irene takes the baby into her arms. �Oh, my. But he�s a healthy chunk. He reminds me of you, Ethan, when were this size.� Irene tells Justin, �You�re done a good job taking care of him.� Justin is not impressed. �His name is really Emmett. But we all call him Em, �cauze that�s what my momma called him. And I�m Justin called Justin, and Lindsay is... �Shut up, you little shit!� Craig yelled at his son �... Linz.� �Hush now boy. Mind your place.� Irene smiles as she looks over her new charges. �I�m pleased to meet you all.� �I�d best show you around the house, so you�ll know where thing are!� Craig explains. Craig heads up the front porch and steps into the house. �He�s waiting on you.� Ethan sighs. Turning to Ethan, Irene makes eye contact him. �You make friends, okay?� �Okay.� Irene quickly catches up with Craig carrying Emmett. The three children stand motionless for a moment as they size each other up. Suddenly, Justin rushes up to Ethan, and he tags him. Then takes off running in the opposite direction. �Tag. You�re it.� Ethan is somewhat startled by this but takes off after Justin anyway. He tries to catch Justin, but he is too fast for him. Lindsay shakes her head. �He�ll never catch him. Nope never will,� she says to herself. Lindsay watches as Ethan tries to catch Justin without any success. Quickly winded, Ethan makes his way over to the porch steps and sets down beside Lindsay. �He�s fast.� �Ya.� �You ever catch him?� �No, don�t want to either.� Ethan thinks for a moment. Then he replies, �Me neither.� ...PRESENT Ethan gets out his car as the plane lands and comes to a stop. Ethan considers wearing his patrolman hat but, in the end, decides not to wear it. A UPS truck drives into parking lot behind Ethan. Ethan check�s out driver as he parks and writes down on his clipboard. The driver, Blake, nods at Ethan. Ethan nods back and takes one last look at rear view mirror to check four people in the area before heading to the plane. Justin steps out of his plane. His right knee is stiff and he walks with assistance of the cane. He is carrying his bag, computer, and cellular phone . Looks at what must Ethan, he heads towards him. Ethan is taken off guard. He doesn�t not see the Justin he expected. The man before him is limping, and he quickly heads to his side. �Welcome home. Here, let me take your bag.� �I can manage.� �I know, but let me help you anyway!� Ethan and Justin�s eyes lock in battle of wills. �I�m not a cripple.� He sighs, �Just a little gimpy. It was a long flight for me.� �I want to help, so let me.� Before Justin could react, Ethan grabs his overnight bag from right off his shoulder. �Since when did you become a gentleman?� Justin looks around. �Where�s Em?� �He�s at the hospital. I take you over there first if you want.� �Yes, I would like to stop there first.� The two get into the patrol car, and they take off. *** Melanie sitting at the picnic table she helps herself to some of the picnic food as she watches Ben. Ben is speaking into a small radio. �...no blue eyes has already hit the trail.� The UPS truck starts driving back into town. �Yes, sir. No, I agreed with Blake. The deputy was armed. Sure, plan b it is. No, we haven�t seen your sonny boy yet.� Ben turns off his radio. �Come out lay little Brian. We�re waiting for you.� Ben takes a sit with the others at the table and grabs a piece of chicken. �I�m not so sure Brain is here,� he confesses to the others. If I had our disc. I would have sold it to Bin Laden or one of his flunkies.� �Thank God then that you don�t have the disc,� Melanie remarks. �What makes you think he hasn�t sold it?� �Where did Jack ever come up with a moron like you?� Gary answers, �We�re here. That's how we know he hasn�t sold it, right?� �That still doesn�t mean he�s within a thousand miles of this place,� Ben coughs. �I mean how could he know what we�re up to?� Melanie chokes on a piece of food. With the UPS truck shows up behind them, Ethan tries to get a closer look at the driver through rear view mirror as they continue towards the hospital. Justin looks out widow of the Ethan�s car door window looking at once was his town. �...we haven�t found a reason why Craig�s car went off the road. Maybe he fell asleep. Anyway, the doctor is certain he didn�t suffer a heart attack or a stroke. He could have been trying to avoid hitting something.� �Like a deer. I remember people were always having problems with deer, but, the thing is, I don�t see my father doinging anything to avoid hitting a deer or any other animal for that matter.� �Me neither.� �He hasn�t mellowed much then in all these years.� �Not in his manner anyway, but he has gotten older.� �Haven�t we all.� Ethan looks at Justin and examines the differences about him as he gazes at the changes in Custer. *** Justin enters the corridor alone. His limp is somewhat improved, but he is in pain and frustrated by the situation he finds himself in. His approach startles a young couple. Seated on a vinyl couch is Emmett, a skinny young man in his early twenties. He is wearing dirty pair of jeans, worn cowboy boots, and western shirt. Beside him, a pleasant looking young woman, Daphne, also clad in blue jeans. Daphne is resting her head upon Emmett�s shoulder. �Em?� �Damn, my tanned hide. Justin!� Emmett rushes up his seat and pauses only a moment before giving his brother a big hug. �You grew. You taller than me now.� Emmett smiles. �Yeah, got some height finally. Damn! I missed you so much. You should have come home years ago.� �Like Craig would welcome his queer son. You know I�m not welcome home.� �Justin, he misses you. He always has, but you know his temper. How on earth did you get here anyway?� �Ethan pick me up at the airfield.� �Ethan?!� �I decided that since I seem to be crossing burned bridges... well, I owe him a few thousand apologies and you a few million.� �You don�t owe me nothin� God, you�re not perfect maybe, but then who is? And I was there, remember? When Dad caught you and Ethan in the barn. He beat you bad. You did the right thing getting the hell out of here, and I can understand your not wanting to come home when Lindsay... that is...� Emmett couldn�t say it and decides to drop it. �I�m glad your here now!� *** A doctor peeks into the waiting room and sees Ethan. He takes a cellular out of his pocket and then puts away as he approaches Ethan. �Excuse me, Ethan. I�m glad you�re back. I need to talk to you for a minute.� �Sure, Doc. What�s up?� �I removed wood splinters from the wound across Mr. Taylor�s temple. To make what could be a long story short, I believe he was beaten with some kind of a club before or directly after his car wreck.� �But why?� �You�re the deputy. What I do know is someone did a pretty through job of beating that man nearly to death.� �Is he going to make it?� �It�s still pretty much touch and go.� *** Justin and Emmett stand side by side beside Craig�s bed. Craig is hooked up to an IV and a respirator. Tubes and wires seem to be running all over. His head is bandaged and both arms are in casts as Craig lay there in his coma. �Why do they have him here instead of Wichita or Kansas City where he could get some real help?� �Ya, can�t get help like that these days if you don�t have insurance I guess, but Dr. Hampsted is a good doctor. He had a practice in California, but he chucked it and the blackouts to bring his family to a small town. I feel Da�s in good hands.� �That�s so strange.� Justin stares at his father. �I remember being so frightened of him. Now he seems smaller.� �Maybe you�re just not afraid of him any longer.� Justin nods. �So, how have you two been going out?� �Two? Shit! I plum forgot about Daph. She is going to kill me.� He rushes out the room and brings in Daphne to meet his brother. |