AN: some vulgar language is in this chapter.
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"I don't like this, George," Dave said warily, "I have a wife and daughter to think of, I can't get involved in this."
"I didn't start it," I answered, "Beauregard did, and he is the one that is behind everything out here."
"I know, and I'm with you, believe me," Dave answered, "but I don't want to wake up to find my wife or daughter killed by an "accident" that he's generated. And if he's started a vendetta against you and Molly for refusing to follow him... and continuing it because of his rivalry with Mike... he'll extend that vendetta to anyone who helps you or Mike."
"He could already have it in for you," I told him, "You offered Mike a discount on your wine when it's ready."
"I've given that discount to EVERY rancher in the area," Dave answered, "Beauregard is jerk, but sometimes you have to put up with jerks."
I didn't answer right away. I noticed him walking back toward the front door and sighed heavily.
"Please, Dave," I sighed, "Beauregard hates Molly and I and will do anything he can that is legal to insure that we face hardship living here. And my training will keep me out of Columbia Falls and away from Bandhavgarh for awhile. Molly will be on her own with a guy that hates her and has an army of supporters. If I'm just going out to buy some meat for her, that is fine... I won't be gone long enough to give him the chance... but with my training, he might go a little farther. All I'm asking is that you come here from time to time and talk with her."
"What would that do?" Dave asked.
"He hasn't done anything illegal," I told him, "if you come to talk with her, his agents won't consider Molly being "accidentally" killed by a car on a country road if there is someone else there to witness things... and while, thankfully, the police aren't in Beauregard's camp..."
"They can't do anything until he actually commits a crime," Dave sighed.
"And as a friend of mine, you're the only one I can trust to do this," I told him, "you could even sell it as wine orders. Testing your market to see how much you need to make."
"That... that could work," Dave mused, "it might be difficult, but it could work... and... I'm the only one you trust?"
"Outside of Officer Howard," I told him, "but he can't act until after the crime has been committed."
"Thanks, George," Dave smiled, "so why all the background story?"
"I figured that if Molly needed help with something, you'd understand it better if you had all the information," I told him.
"I see," Dave nodded, "and you were just returning to Frank Rhoer's home."
"Yes," I growled, "the traitor. The Judas in the garden... the Benedict Arnold at West Point."
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I returned to Frank Rhoer's home to find everyone gathered in the front yard and driveway area. The television crew people had left.
"George," Molly said nervously as I parked the truck.
"We're leaving here," I said gruffly and walked straight up to Frank Rhoer.
"Son, I have no idea that Mr. Beauregard has done something like this," Frank Rhoer spoke, "please believe me."
"Bullshit," I growled, my mood not any better from the argument with his boss.
"George!" Molly protested.
"That man is out to make our lives miserable," I answered, "Beauregard wrote those people and had them come out here. Probable even made it seem like I'd agree to have my privacy invaded."
"I knew nothing of this," Frank Rhoer protested.
"Then why are you in Ranchers Against Molly?!" I demanded.
"WHAT?!" was the reaction from both Frank and Molly.
"He's formed some organization to make Molly and I go back to "the city" as he put it, and has called it "Ranchers Against Molly," I explained, "and you are a member of it."
"Now..." Frank Rhoer began.
"And that is something that really pushes my buttons," I growled at him, "Molly is a person and deserves to be treated with the same respect as anyone. Her parents treated her like she was a dangerous zoo animal and now the last of her family joins a racist organization being lead by a small minded bigot..."
"I am not against my niece, son," Frank Rhoer protested, "you're being unfair."
"Then why didn't you quit?" I questioned.
"Pardon?"
"You where there when he made his ridiculous job offer to have her attack bears, mountain lions, and wolves because he doesn't like them," I answered, "you were there when he made an ass of himself... sexually harassed Molly... and treated her like she was a mindless animal. You did NOTHING to defend her, and you continued to work for that ass of a man."
"And where would I go?" Frank Rhoer asked, "the job market is tight right now, and all I really know is ranching. I'm too old to go back into the army, and my daughters only know ranching work. Where would we go?"
"Anywhere BUT that man!" I retorted, "that man is evil and bigoted. If Molly and I could get in contact with Leona and she still has the drugs that freak show used, I'd get him with one that will turn him into a wild ass or a domestic one... it would be a fitting form for him... an ass."
"You helped Beauregard set this up, Uncle?" Molly asked, tears forming.
"I didn't know anything about this," Frank Rhoer protested.
"Bullshit," I said again.
"Hey now," Nessie called from the doorway, "dating Molly or not, you do NOT say that to my father!"
"And if I were him, I wouldn't value money over flesh and blood," I growled back, "he's sold Molly and I out to Beauregard because we aren't doing things his way."
"He said he didn't know..." Meredeth protested.
"And a lot of German citizens living outside Dachau said they didn't know they were killing Jews there, despite the fact that they could see trainloads of people going in," I answered, "while there was no corresponding enlarging of the camp, and they didn't see more people walking around the camp. They KNEW what their government was doing. And for the most part they did NOTHING to stop it until it was over."
"That's being unfair, son," Frank Rhoer answered.
"No, that's using common sense," I answered, "Beauregard said straight out that you are a member of Ranchers Against Molly. You can deny it all you like, but as far as I'm concerned you are no better the Beauregard is."
There was a shocked silence as I saw Molly rush past me and into the house. Both Nessie and Meredeth had to jump onto the lawn to get out of her way. Both women came forward, to defend their father, but stopped when Molly returned outside carrying my things and hers. And I could see tears going down her reddish orange cheeks.
"This is everything we own, George," Molly cried, "everything we have with us."
"Things will get better," I promised her and turned to face Frank Rhoer and his daughters while Molly put our things in the backseat of my truck.
"You have to believe me that I had nothing to do with this," Frank Rhoer spoke.
"You certainly helped it along," I answered back, "you valued Beauregard's paychecks over what is right. You are no better from him... and since you love ranching so much, you can KEEP working for that asshole. Molly and I are going to stay in Columbia Falls. In Bandhavgarh Cabin. We will prosper and thrive. You can tell him that."
"George... son... I love Molly," Frank Rhoer protested, "this is all shocking to me too. Trust me. I'll admit that Mr. Beauregard has his quirks..."
"QUIRKS?!" I shouted back at him, "Quirks is like an odd hand gesture that you do before every meal... or like what batters do in the Major Leagues before every swing. Quirks is not hiring a television crew to come out and invade the private lives of people who don't want to be bothered by them. Quirks are not wanting to hire a sentient being as a hit-man... er... hit-tigress to kill mundane animals. THAT is the action of someone with a plan. And Beauregard's plan is evil, and you've never defended Molly that I've seen. And this is the last straw."
"Come now..." Frank Rhoer protested.
"You want to treat the love of my life like she's a mundane beast?" I growled at him, "FINE, but it will be in a public place, where everyone can see the closed mindedness of Pierre Beauregard and all his employees. I never want to see you or your "family" darken the doors of Bandhavgarh Cabin. Ever."
"Molly, tell him to back off!" Meredeth protested.
"Meredeth Rhoer," Molly said in a fairly formal voice, but I could tell her heart was broken, "I agree with him. You may not have actively planned this... but you had to have given him information that allowed him to do this. I am tired of being treated like I'm some stupid animal. Yes, I'm a tigress... but I'm also a person, and I think I deserve the respect any person deserves."
And with that, we left.
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"Have you heard anything from him since then?" Dave wondered.
"No," I answered, "and as far as I know he is still working for Beauregard."
"Damn."
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We arrived at the school about ten minutes later.
"George..." Molly said weakly, "I don't think I can go through with the work today."
I could hear the weakness in her voice. She had thought that her uncle would actually be family to her, which her parents hadn't done. And now it was revealed that he was worse then them by working with a man who clearly wanted her to suffer for not following him.
"Okay," I sighed and turned around to caress her cheek with one hand, "I'll go in and let Mrs. Fitzpatrick now.
"Thank you, George," Molly answered, "her room is the first one on the right from that door in front of you."
I nodded and made my way into the building. I followed Molly's directions and came outside a room. I could hear several kids inside listening to something. I carefully approached the door and knocked on it.
"Um... is this Maria Fitzpatrick's room?" I asked.
"Yes, you are George Wayne, are you not?" came Maria Fitzpatrick's voice as she walked forward from the center of a circle of seated youngsters.
"Yes," I said slowly, "I'm afraid Molly won't be in today..."
"Is the tiger lady okay?" a kid asked.
"Go back to your alphabet game," Maria instructed the children and led me out into the hall. Once there, she asked, "is she okay?"
"Physically yes," I sighed, "but Beauregard pulled a stunt with a television crew this morning, and we found out her uncle was part of it."
"My word," Maria gasped.
"Yeah," I sighed, "she's in no mood to do much besides cry right now."
"Will you be here in Columbia Falls?" she asked.
I nodded, "we have a cabin that Michael York owned. We'll be staying there... and hopefully, Molly will recover from the emotional strain that Beauregard's put on her."
"I hope so," Maria answered, "I am with you and Molly."
About fifteen minutes later, I pulled my truck up to Bandhavgarh Cabin and helped Molly out.
"We're home," I told her.
She breathed in deeply and then nodded, "yes. Hopefully its a happy one. How long until the rest of our stuff arrives?"
"Between three and five days, I think," I answered, "though it may take longer if they're using a truck."
Molly nodded and collected her things while I then moved to get mine.
"Do you have the deed?" Molly asked.
"Yes," I answered as I was looking in the backseat, "and it's still there with no damage."
"We'll need a fireproof box for it," Molly spoke.
"Yes," I nodded, "but for right now we need to move in. I want you to go in and relax. I will then take care of the other provisions we need. Buying the food we need to eat. A fireproof box to protect all our important documents."
Molly didn't answer and I followed her into the cabin. We then slowly made our way up the stairs and went into one of the bedrooms, which appeared to be the bigger of the two. Molly only tossed her silk dresses on the bed and then took the clothes I had and tossed them with her clothing. She then turned and hugged me, pulling me against her.
"I can't believe he did this to me," Molly whimpered.
"Things will get better," I told her as I hugged her back, "I talk with the police to get a restraining order placed against your uncle, and Beauregard won't get any more updates on what we're doing."
"I don't want a war, George," Molly said.
"Beauregard has said that one has already started because you wouldn't serve him," I told her.
"Still no reason to do anything against my Uncle," Molly said weakly, "we've said we've told them we don't want to see them again. That's enough."
"You're sure?" I asked her.
Molly slowly nodded and I then looked out the window over the bed.
"We had one hell of a house warming party," I sighed heavily.
"Yes," Molly said simply hugged me.