Page 5 of Fury
“I don’t think Davy knows,” Bethy whispered to Tabby, who nodded in response. “He can’t know.” Tabby shook her head, and the two girls turned around and headed the other direction.Davy would kill Daddy if he knew, she thought, remembering the men standing in a circle around her, touching her, touching themselves.
The girls eased out the front of the house, Bethy holding the screen door against the spring, letting it close quietly behind them. Tabby whispered, “If he knew, what would he do?”
Bethy looked over her shoulder, staring at the dark windows of the house. “He’d kill ‘em all.”
“They’d send him away like they did Mikey.” Tabby reached out, gripping Bethy’s hand. “You cain’t let him know.” The first time Tabby had been anointed, one of the men had gone too far. Scared and hurt, Tabby had run away from the church camp, making her way through the woods, bleeding. Her big brother Mikey had found out what happened, found out who had hurt Tabby, and had almost killed the man. That was five years ago, and he had only been allowed home a few times since then. The girls loved when he did visit, because his uniform was a novelty. Each with a foot in his boots, arms around the other, the girls would clomp around the house Tabby lived in with Aunt Loretta and Uncle Ezra, laughing and giddy. “You cain’t lose Davy.”
“I won’t tell. Not ever.” Bethy’s belly cramped, gripping her middle like a fist and bending her double for a moment. When she could straighten up, she looked into Tabby’s moonlit face and swore, “Never.”
Bethy shook herself, looking down at the phone in her hand, thumb already moving in a long-memorized pattern to dial a number from the past. When a woman answered the phone, Bethy didn’t say anything. Didn’t respond. Listened to the quavering voice call, “Hello? Is anyone there?” A pause, then, “Hello?” Bethy’s eyes closed, and she stared into the darkness. “Hello?” A final greeting, then the sharp click of a disconnect.
Only then did Bethany allow herself to speak, voicing what she wished to God she could still say. “Hey Aunt Loretta, is Tabby there? I really need to talk to her.” Fist pressed to her mouth, Bethy kept her eyes closed, tasting salt as the first tears slipped down her face. “Tabby girl, I miss you, baby. Miss you somethin’ fierce. Wish you were here, honey. I left it too late. Too late and I’m so sorry.” She swallowed convulsively, fighting against the sobs beating against her ribs, clawing at her throat. “I left it too late, too late. I miss—” Shoulders shaking, she bit her lips, unsuccessful in keeping the cries inside.
