Under Ground: part 86

Chapter 45 continues

The story so far: Anton lies unconscious as Moose threatens Lily.

Lily frantically glanced at Anton, his body lying in a distorted mess on the floor. Old Joe caught her eye, shook his head and mouthed in Slovenian, "He'll be okay."

"Get out of my house, Moose."

"Put your baby down," Moose said.

"Why?"

"Because if you don't, Sandinski here is going to shoot your husband." One of the deputies, Eli Sandinski, pointed his gun at Anton. The other deputies pointed their guns at Dusca, Andy and Samo. "And there's something I want from you, Mrs. Kovich. Something sweeter than that screaming runt. Are you going to put your baby down?"

In one fluid action, Moose yanked baby Gregor out of her arms, breaking the cloth sling. He threw the bundle across the room, as if lobbing a horseshoe. The swaddled baby slid into the corner of the room with an ominous thud.

"No!" Lily screamed. As she moved toward her baby, Moose grabbed her and punched her in the nose. He did not hit her hard, at least not for him. Even so, she staggered, covering her face as she veered. Samo rushed forward and caught her, steadying her. Her face was bleeding, but she didn't seem to notice. She looked dizzy, as if she were trying to get her bearings.

Old Joe dragged his body toward the baby.

Moose Jackson motioned for Samo to back off from Lily. "I won't!" Samo yelled.

"Then I'll kill her."

"But Teta …"

"Do it."

Samo took a step away and Lily looked furtively back toward the corner. She saw Old Joe, his back to her, cradling the baby, who had stopped crying altogether. Blood flowed from the bullet wound on his lower calf. "I have no business with you," Lily said to Moose Jackson. "Let me take care of the baby. I leave you men to your brawls."

"Tell you what," Moose Jackson said, his gun still pointed her way. "I'll make you a deal. You can have your baby." He lowered his voice. "But I get you."

"Never!" Lily yelled. Samo, Dusca and Andy charged Moose. They shouted in English and Slovenian, trying to get close enough to Lily to create a buffer around her.

Samo, Dusca and Andy tried to get to her, but they were stopped. "Want us to tie these men up?" John Logan asked Moose. "We ain't got no cuffs, but Sandinski's got rope."

"You're an animal!" Samo yelled to Moose as one of the deputies tied his hands together. He and the other miners struggled to no avail.

"Moose," Sandinski said, as he finished tying Dusca's hands to a chair, "think about this a spell. We got our man. Hell, we got all of them. Maybe that's enough. We'll leave here, drop these boys off at the jail and stop by Vince's for a romp with Leppe."

Moose looked at Sandinski. "You gone soft?"

"I ain't got much in terms of morality, but it takes a pretty yellow man to hit a lady, not to mention a mother. We all got mothers. They different than whores."

Moose loosened his hold on Lily's throat. She gasped for air.

"That was mighty eloquent of you," Moose said. "But I don't have a liking for speechmaking. Question me again and I'll shoot you." He tightened his grip on Lily and she wriggled like an insect on a pin. "You," Moose said, pointing to a deputy, "Wake up Anton. I don't want him to miss this. This'll be something to write home about." He pushed her back on the table. Lily screamed cuss words until Moose slapped her again. He yanked open her blouse and pushed it down to her waist, revealing her simple white corset with the strings loosely tied. "Is Anton awake yet?" he yelled.

"Just coming to."

"Bring him over. He's going to get a front row seat."

"You'll burn in hell if you touch her, you will," Dusca said. He fumbled with the rope that secured his hands behind his back.

"Ti si v peklu!" someone shouted. And he was. He was in hell.