Regan Wolfrom - After The Fires Went Out - Coyote

“It’s good,” Stems said. “Right? I didn’t even like bananas before.”

“What kind of monster doesn’t like bananas?”

“So Gerald’s okay, by the way.”

“Oh. Yeah…that’s good.”

“He doesn’t blame you, Baptiste. He blames Justin Porter.”

“Same here. So he’ll trade Sara for Justin then?”

“I’ve told Gerald that this fight is over.”

“What does that even mean?”

“You’re not a threat to us, Baptiste.”

“Thanks.”

“We have three strategic rivals. And one rogue state.”

“And which one are we?”

“You’re not even on the list.”

“Again…thanks…”

“I’m not worried about The Souls, or Aiguebelle, or Sudbury right now. We have an understanding with each of them. But I am worried about our little North Korea.”

“Detour Lake.”

“There could be up to three hundred people up there. And twice as many guns. And they’re running out of food with no way to replenish.”

“No way short of coming over here and taking some.”

“This way or Aiguebelle,” Stems said. “And it’s my job to make sure they head east instead of west. That’s where you come in.”

“So I do merit a mention?”

“You’re our buffer state, Baptiste.”

“I’m thrilled.”

“You guys don’t have near enough supplies to feed Detour Lake, and they know that if they attack you they’re basically declaring war on us. So it buys us a little breathing room, some time to prepare if they make their move.”

“I’m your canary?”

“Or guinea pig. Whatever you prefer.”

“So you’re asking me if I want to be your buffer?”

Stems chuckled. “No…I’m telling you how it is. Do you think anyone ever asked Afghanistan for permission?”

“And it’s worked out so well for everyone.”

“Look…this is win-win. You get to chart your own course, look after your own…and we get to continue bringing a better life to the people of the Mushkegowuk Nation.”

“And you’ll bring Sara home.”

“Sara isn’t coming home, Baptiste.”

I kicked my chair back and stood. I pulled out my SIG and pointed it at his head.

He didn’t flinch.

“Where is she?” I asked.

“Put the gun away so we can talk.”

I put it away. I could always bring it out again.

I sat down.

“I had to give Gerald something,” Stems said.

“What did he do to her?”

“Not like that, Baptiste. She’s safe.”

“Then where the hell is she?”

“Kapuskasing. She lives with Genevieve.”

“No, she lives with me. And it’s time for her to come home.”

“Gerald doesn’t trust you. Can you blame him? So Sara will remain under the protection of the Mushkegowuk Nation until I can convince the Chief and Council of Taykwa Tagamou that you and Justin Porter no longer pose a threat.”

“I have no problem handing Justin Porter over to you. You can make breakfast sausage out of him if you want. But Sara comes home.”

“You didn’t hear me, Baptiste. They see you as a threat, too. Now I told Gerald that his people are to stay out of your territory from here on in. He’s promised to do that.”

“Oh…he promised…”

“Unlike you, I have a way of making sure people don’t lie to me. There won’t be any more theft of supplies. There won’t be any more trespassing of any sort.”

“The only way to fix New Post is to move them to your side of the river,” I said. “If the river is the border, the river is the border.”

“I’m already working on that. There’s no point in having them on your side of the Abitibi when there’s plenty of room in the Nation.”

“And if you really want peace, you need to bring Sara back here.”

“She’s not coming back. Get used to it. And don’t bother shooting me. Neither of us are any good to her dead.”

“Fuck you, Stems.”

“Fuck me? This is good for all of us, Baptiste.”

I stood up from the table. I had to get away from Ryan Stems. I wanted to kill him more than I wanted to continue living.

“We’re calling you East Abitibi,” Stems said as I walked back to the gate and pulled out my dongle and key. “Has a bit of an East German sound to it.”

I didn’t have anything to say.

I didn’t know what to do.

“A buffer state?” Lisa said as we headed back home. “He’s serious?”

“He’s serious,” I said.

“For how long?” Graham asked. “You know eventually he’ll want our side of the river, too.”

“Maybe someday…but not right now. For right now he wants to leave us alone. And move New Post across the river.”

“What about Justin?” Lisa asked. “Is Stems wanting you to hand him over?”

“Stems isn’t asking for anything,” I said. “And he’s not giving us anything in return. He refuses to let Sara come home.”

“We can’t accept that.”

I didn’t know how to respond.

“Baptiste…” she said. “We’re not accepting that…”

“Stems told me he’s sent her to Kapuskasing.”

“We can find a way to get there. There are ways around any roadblocks Stems may have put up.”

“Snowmobiles,” Graham said. “We could travel almost anywhere on those.”

“I appreciate this, guys,” I said. “But it’s not going to work. We can’t risk everyone to save Sara.”

“She’s part of our family,” Graham said.

“Sometimes families fall apart.”

“What’s happened to you, Baptiste?” Lisa asked. “When did you become such a wimp?”

“That’s not fair.”

“You’d’ve never responded to me like that a month ago. You’d have told me to go fuck myself. Why can’t I go fuck myself?”

“You can go fuck yourself all you want…but there’s nothing we can do. Sara’s gone.”

“That’s bullshit,” Graham said.

“Really?” I said. “Now you start swearing?”

“We’re not giving up on Sara. Some of us want her to come home.”

“You want to try that again?”

“I’m not going to apologize for the truth, Baptiste. If you and Sara hadn’t split up, there’s no way you’d let this stand.”

“Dammit, Graham. I haven’t said I’m going to let this stand. I’m not going to let Ryan Stems get away with this. Or Gerald Archibald. But that doesn’t mean we should run off to Kapuskasing against a hundred armed men.”

“Then what does it mean?” Lisa asked.

“I don’t know. But I would think that you guys would know me well enough to know that it wouldn’t end like this. Do I think we can get Sara back? Fuck no. But if we can’t, we’ll make sure that these assholes regret the day they took her from us. That’s how it is with us. That’s how it is with me.”

And I’ll do the same to the men who killed Ant and Natalie.

Kayla took me on a walk this afternoon. She told me that she had something to show me.

I had a feeling I knew what it was.

Kayla only had so many secrets.

She took me to the Williams cottage, to where Fiona and Gwyneth were now living, and where Sara had once hoped to get away from me.

We walked behind the cottage, toward the woods, to a large wood shed with a padlock on the door.

“Ant’s shed,” she said. “I guess it’s my shed, now.”

She took a keyring out of her jacket pocket and unlocked the door. She led me inside.

“No power?” she said. “No problem.”

She knelt down and flicked a switch.

I heard the hum of a generator.