Confruntation & Conditions
(June 14, 02:00) The Camaro bounced down the dirt road toward Hank's cabin. The woods were pitch black, only the headlight cut through the darkness. As Lilliana pulled up to the cabin, stopping next to the old Chevy, she glanced over at the dark cabin. What are those two up to? She opened the door to the sound of a generator running beyond the tree line. She followed the sound past a dense bunch of trees to find a large barn with light leaking out of the cracks. From the door emanated the start and stop sounds of running a saw. When she slid the door open the image presented to her brought a smile to her face. Cecily was standing on a crudely constructed box at a miter saw, behind her was Hank standing over her shoulder, their hands together lining up a board with the spinning blade. She wore a dust mask over her snout, while they both wore goggles and what looked like steel mesh gloves. Lilliana looked around at the aptly equipped workshop. Dominating an automotive portion of the shop was a '57 Chevy Nomad wagon, far from any condition to be used. The sight of the car and the fabrication equipment reminded Lilliana of the look of disappointment on Cecily's face when she was sitting in the driver seat of the Camaro. We need to do something about that. She thought to herself, as a plan formulated in her mind. The center of the shop held several large wooden constructions held together by clamps. Whatever they were building was no small project. She walked over to the oblivious duo and switched off the saw. The loss of the sound caused Cecily to jump. The pair looked over; noticing her for the first time and removed the hearing protective headsets. Lilliana looked back and said, "Do you two have any idea what time it is?" Hank looked back at her with a smile and said, "Well... Um... You see. I was going to make furniture for you guys before you got here. But then you showed..." Interrupting him before he could explain, Lilliana said, "Never mind the excuses. Sisy, go ahead and get the mattress and sleeping bags out of the car and take them inside. If you need, the lanterns should be easy to get to also. Wait for us there, I need to talk to Hank alone for a minute." The look she gave him made Hank physically shiver from head to toe. He knew what it was about, and he had been avoiding talking to her for just that reason. "We got a lot to do in the
morning, Squeaky, so get some sleep if you can." Lilliana looked at Cecily with a smile as she hopped off the box and dropped the safety gear on the table of the saw. As soon as Cecily was out of sight the smile on Lillian's face melted to a stern look as she locked eyes with Hank. Seeing that he was sober, possibly for the first time since she left four years ago, she laid into him fast and hard, "What the fuck is wrong with you, Hank? Pull your head out of your ass for a second and look around you. You're living out in the wood, punishing yourself for something you had no control over." Hank stammered under the pressure, "B-but... you..." Lilliana picked him up by the throat and slammed him down on a cleared workbench, "I am not here to listen to your piss ant excuses for why you have not answered my calls, why you are out here hiding from the world, or why I have to find out about you from Susan. Right now I could give less than a shit about that. If you had any respect for me and what the fuck you guys think I did, you would get off you fucking ass and live that life I saved instead of wasting it here in a pit of self-destructive bullshit." Squeezing his neck just a bit tighter, "I thought leaving you here with Susan would help get you out of your little self-pity party, but I guess you're not man enough for that. I don't care if you think you fucked up. I don't care if you really did fuck up. I don't care if I saved all of America with my shot. That's all six
years ago. I need you here and now. I don't need some drunken hermit, I need Hank Hearken. I need the otter that sat with me in the desert in a puddle of our own piss for seventy-two hours waiting for the perfect shot. I need the man that went out of his way to show people what a good time is." Lilliana let go of the otter and dropped to the floor, "Look Hank, I have two girls that need a real man, and you're the only one I have handy." She looked at him as he dropped off the workbench onto the floor near her. As he gasped for air Hank looked at Lilliana, "Two?" he asked "Who is the other?" "You are so fucking stupid, Hank. She has been here for years just trying to get in the door. You know why I was willing to leave you here?" not giving him a chance to answer, as his mouth opened she continued, "Susan needs you, and you need her. I left you here because I thought you would not let go of the past with me so close. You need to think about her. The way you shut down back then almost killed her. Everything she has done for the past four years has been with you in mind." She looked him square in the eyes, "You really think she is staying in Oregon because of her career? She is staying because she can't leave you."
Breaking eye contact and looking at the floor, Hank said, "I know." in a weak and defeated voice. "That is not the big issue with her right now." Lilliana said, "She is trying to hide what she is doing, but I am no fool. She is looking at getting into a lot of trouble here, and your job is to keep her out of it. I don't care how, but you have to be sober and in full control to do that. You got me." Looking at the ground herself, "I don't think Alex will be able to get her out of this one if things go south." "All of this is for Cecily, and you." Hank said, finally able to look at her. "What is all this about? What the hell are you doing?" "Look... I... have no idea what I am doing. I just know I need to do it." Lilliana said still not making eye contact. "That girl needs someone. She has been abused and neglected for so many years. Just thinking about what has happened to her makes me sick." Looking back at the otter, "And she needs the Hank Heartken that we all know, love, and miss, also. She needs to see what a man is supposed to act like, and you're the only one I trust." Hank leaned back against the workbench, "Ok, I'm in. Tell me the gory details so I don't get tasered in the boys again." Lilliana's eyes went wide, "She tased you in the junk?" She literally rolled on the floor laughing, "What the fuck did you do?" Looking at her Hank said, "It's not that God Damned funny. All I did was offer to go swimming." As he spoke each word seem to elicit more laughter from her, "She said she had no swim suit, so I was like we're out in the woods, no one's going to see, we can just skinny dip." "Oh God!" Lilliana said with a huge smile on her face, wiping a tear from her eye, "Susan didn't warn you, did she?" "Warn me? What did I miss?" Hank asked. As she sat back up against the workbench by hank, Lilliana began, "OK, here's how things go. I found her in D.C. about to be raped by a gang of dingoes." Looking at him as he was about to say something, "Let me finish, I was fine, they were a bunch of pussies anyway, picking a defenseless mouse then drugging her like they did. I ran them off and took her back to my hotel." "Lilly, you're going to get hurt one of these days with your Wonder Woman complex, You can't save everyone and you're not invincible." Hank said in an attempt to be stern. "Maybe, but I did save one, and now I need to save her again. " Lilliana said, the sadness in her voice more noticeable than normal. "She was given up to the foster system. You know how I feel about that. Well, I think she may be one of those 'Worst case scenarios' if you know what I mean. One of the first homes she was in went south bad. The guy turned into a drunken wife beater, and when the wife wasn't around, he would use Cecily, if you catch my drift." "OH MY FUCKING GOD! I am such a dick. Why the hell did no one at least tell me about the sex abuse?" Hank asked as the gravity of the earlier events hit him like a ton of bricks. "Would you have been sober enough to have remembered?" Lilliana asked, "You weren't even sure what day it was when we got here." She patted him on the crotch making him flinch. "Besides, I think she got even. Anyway, the new rules while we are here; no drinking." Hank interrupted her, "No need to worry about that, she dumped it all out." "Good girl. And no skinny dipping or walking around nude... not yet at least." Looking at him, Lilliana said, "You think we can handle that?" "Yeah, I can do that. She is part of the family, and she is growing on me." Hank said with the
beginning of a smile on his face. "Good. Now about the contraption over there," Lilliana tilted her head to the wood working the duo had completed so far, "How were you planning on getting that into the cabin once it was finished?" Hank looked over at the wooden forms, "What do you mean?" Before she could answer he realized what she meant, "Shit, it won't fit through the door, will it?" "You live in a cabin you jackass, you have to think smaller." Lilliana replied with a smile. "You can fix it tomorrow, but you'll have to do it solo. I'm going to have her help me over there setting up some add-ons for the Camaro. She'll be turning sixteen soon." Hank,s eyes went wide, "Sixteen? She's barely taller than a grasshopper."
"Look Hank, we're only going to be here long enough to get the paperwork for custody done. If you want to work on furniture that you don't need, have at it. But I think you should work with us, and let that little mouse see a real man in action." Said Lilliana as she looked over at the Nomad setting in the workspace. Leaning back, now relaxed. Hank responded, "You know, I might just do that. It sounds more fun anyway." Lilliana stood and reached down to give Hank a hand up, "Come on River Rat, Cecily is probably looking for a place to plug in the air pump. Let's head over and get some sleep. We have a long week ahead of us." Hank stood and they walked out, Hank killing the generator from the 'EMER OFF' switch at the barn door. Together they walked through the pail moonlit trees back to the cabin. --- (08:00 Hank's Cabin) Lilliana opened her eyes to see Hank sitting in the rocking chair in the front room watching her sleep. In her arms was Cecily. The tiny kangaroo mouse was snuggled up close to her soaking up her warmth in the cold mountain night. She slowly slipped out from under the blanket trying not to disturb the sleeping teen. Lilliana, wearing only a bra and panties, walked out into the main room of the cabin. She grabbed a bucket and flipped it bottom up and sat on it next to the otter. Watching the Mouse with him she asked, "Do you ever sleep?" Hank seemed to not even notice the way Lilliana was dressed, "Not lately. I figure it's just better to skip it then wake up screaming again." He said, not taking his eyes off Cecily. "You know something? I hate you at times. How the hell do you do it? You go out and see something wrong, and you do something about it. Me, I would just sit there and look the other way." He started the chair rocking, "I don't know what that girl has been through, but it must have been pretty bad to make her like that. She is scared, especially of men. Whatever you have been doing with her for the past week I think is getting through. She is different with you. Just having you in the room makes her act differently." "Well, I think that is the point of all this. I want to give
her what she deserves, and we have the means to do it. The issue I have right now is, I really have no clue where I am going to be in a month. I have no upcoming contracts, and I don't plan on taking one." "And as usual you have no real plan whatsoever, do you?" Looking over at Lilliana, hank asked, "How do you plan on getting custody of a foster child in three weeks, with no home, no income, and no plan for your life?" "Well, that's why I have you guys. To make my crazy ideas work. I have no clue how, maybe it's destiny. But, I found a runaway from Oregon, where I just happen to have Susan, an influential friend in a good position with the government. I have Alex, a respected lawyer to deal with legal issues that are involved." She returned hank's gaze, "And I have you." "What am I good for?" "You're my support man; I can't do anything without you." She said with a smirk on her face. Hank snickered looking back at Cecily, "God help the poor kid if this is all resting on my support." Lilliana slapped hank in the back of his head, "You're not allowed to talk like that anymore. Now for the real issue we have here. You don't have anything to eat. When is the last time you went down for supplies?" "Susan brings them up. Hell I don't even have a valid driver's license, I haven't needed one in years." "Ok then, I'll give her a call. We need some stuff. After that we are clearing that Nomad out of the barn, I need to get the Camaro set up for Sisy to learn to drive. I will make the mods to the car; you work with her on studying for the test. We'll take her in on Monday to get the learner's test, and you can get yours updated while we're there. "Lilliana stood and walked back into the room with Cecily, "Plan set." "Roger." Hank replied, grabbing his straw hat and heading out the door. --- (18:30) The jeep rolled down the dirt drive to Hank's cabin, fuel cans and two weeks' worth of supplies for four people in the back, along with Hank's usual order. Susan pulled into the clearing with the cabin to find the old Chevy Nomad had been pulled out of the barn with the truck and were still chained together; Lilliana's Camaro was nowhere to be seen. Taking the hint from the sound, Susan walked out to the barn, where Hank had his workshop. The door was slid wide open and the sound of the Camaro running could be heard from inside. Walking into the shop, Susan saw Hank standing by the open door of the Camaro, while Lilliana was leaned into the engine compartment. She could not see Cecily, so she assumed her to be sitting in the car revving the engine. She whistled loudly to get their attention causing Hank to spin on his paws and drop the low crouch slapping his right side, and Lilliana to smack her head on the hood of the car. "Jesus Christ, Sue! You trying to get shot?" Hank said, standing back to his feet, then looked back into the car telling Cecily, "Go ahead and kill it, Squeaky." "If I was, I would fail miserably here. What are you guys up to out here?" Susan asked as she walked over to them. Cecily was sitting in the driver seat, which was positioned all the way forward and set higher than normal. her feet rested on what looked like platforms extending off the petals or stilts to extend her legs to reach. She stepped out of the car with the now obvious painters stilts strapped to her feet, and a huge smile on her face. She grabbed onto Hank to stabilize herself, then she looked at Susan and said, "Look, I'm as tall as Hank. And I can drive." "Not so fast, Squeaky. You have to learn to handle this beast first." Hank said. "Oh... My... God! She can talk, and smile." Looking at Cecily, Susan asked, "Who are you and what have you done with Cecily?" From under the hood came Lilliana's voice, "We sent Cecily up the river. This here is Sisy, Squeaky, or Squeaker, Call sign Dark Rider 23 Bravo." "And who approved this enlistment?" Susan asked lightheartedly. "The old man, Dark Rider 6. You want to take it up with him?" Hank said with a grin. "When did you talk to the old man?" "This morning." Lilliana said as she came out from under the hood, "You know, he's going to retire in three months? Said something about not wanting to put up with those asshat contractors anymore." She finished with a snicker. "And he said something about Sunday, any idea what he's talking about, Fluffy?" "He called me and said to set up a reunion while we knew where you were, Lilly. This might be the last time we can all get together." Susan said to her, "He and Alex will be here on Sunday, and we're all staying until this fiasco you started is finished." Susan knelt down by the car as Cecily dropped back into the driver seat, "So, Squeaky, you got your call sign. Do you know ours yet?" Cecily shook her head. "Ok, its easy; Hank is Mr. Wiggles DR81A, I'm Fluffy DR81B, Lilly is Longshot DR23A. You haven't met Alex or the General yet have you?" Again shaking her head, Cecily waited for Susan to continue, "OK, Alex is Boomer DR72D, and the General we call the Old Man DR6. Don't worry, it gets easier, and you'll get to see us all together this weekend." Susan said with a smile. Cecily managed a weak smile back. The sound of shattering bottles brought their attention to the fact Hank had left. Lilliana and Susan ran out to see what was going on while Cecily struggled to get the stilts off her feet.When
they got to the cabin, they all saw Hank sitting in the passenger side of the jeep pulling bottles out of a box in the back and throwing them against the Nomad. "What the fuck, Hank?" Susan shouted, Lilliana just stopped and smiled. "I am under direct orders not to consume alcoholic beverages for the duration of this mission... Or she'll choke me out again." Hank replied, continuing his assault on the car. Susan looked over at Lilliana, who shrugged and said, "What? We need him sober for Cecily's sake." Susan just smiled and mouthed 'Thank you.' Upon Hank's completion of the alcohol aside, the quartet took the supplies into the cabin before returning to the clearing and starting a fire. Lilliana and Hank pulled up two logs for them to sit on, and Hank began to cook fresh salmon he had caught earlier. Lilliana looked around at the group and said, "You know what this reminds me of? Operation Dark Night." With that they all laughed. And soon they begin trading war stories and correcting each other's point of view. Together their stories made them laugh and some brought tears to their eyes. Cecily watched the group in amazement as they bonded over their shared memories and loses. The joy and love she saw was like nothing she could have dreamed of. The thought of being part of this filled her with excitement and longing, but also fear and dread of losing it all once again. As the night rolled on, Cecily dozed off on Lilliana's lap as they continued to reminisce into the dark hours.