Book Five - Part Ten - Ending Evil: Chapter Ten

A Wintery Weekend In Montie

By 3:30, the temperature were already at zero with a ten-mile an hour wind.  Traffic was slow but steady and the jail was filling with several of the homeless men and women, while others were housed at a nearby motel over the weekend and their meals comped by the city.

By five, it was almost completely dark and cars traveling were much fewer.  Going out and about on a night like tonight just didn’t appear to be the right thing to do.

This Friday night was one of those times when hot tea and hot soup seemed to be the perfect choice to take the chill out of your bones.

Other homes cranked their heaters up an extra ten degrees or plugged in an electric fireplace, or even used the real thing and dropped a log or two into an existing fire and sat close by to enjoy the natural heat that seemed to relax people and bring contentment.

But Montie itself was tucked away from the outside world that could slice right through you if you weren’t careful.  It was every bit that kind of cold.

Ed and Stevie, Ellie, and her parents, would already be set up in their hotel rooms.  Stevie would spend about two hours in one of the hotel’s meeting rooms to have a team meeting and listen to what Coach Claymoore had to say.

Baker and Leon, after eating grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches and chicken-noodle soup, sat on the couch and watched a movie.  It was an older DVD, but one Leon had never seen: The Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles.  Leon laughed and laughed throughout, and surprisingly, Baker found it funny all over again, or maybe it was Leon’s laughter who had her laughing so.

Later, after Leon went to bed, she went into her bedroom, opened the bottom dresser drawer, and pulled out a white shoe box holding several important papers.  Opening it, she dropped in the small white box Satchell gave her earlier and it sat next to a pair of bronzed baby shoes and Stevie’s birth certificate.  Then her phone rang.

She dived across the bed and picked up the extension.  Two rings.  “Baker.”

“Hey, mom!”

“Hi, Stevie.  Did you guys get all settled in?”

“Yeah.  Ed’s in the shower and says hi.  We had a big team meeting tonight and dinner here was good.”

“Sounds like a fun time.”

“It would be even better if you were here.”

“I know.  I wish I could be there.  At least I can wish you much luck and good fortune over the next few days.  Leon and I will be cheering all of you on.  So will the city.”

“Mom, if we win tomorrow and Tuesday, we’ll be in the Final Four.  Do you think you might be able to come out here then and watch the game?”

“You bet-cha, Bub.  Leon and I will be there to see you win State as well.  That’s how confidant I am.”

“We think we can, too.  I love you, mom.  See you soon, okay?”

“You know ….”

Hell, he did it again. Get over it, Jan.