Forager (9781771275606) by Ron Scheer Read Free Book Online

called a criminal didn’t sit well with me, but
this was a different kind of teasing than Josh and Jason doled out.
Ben’s warm smile and good-natured ribbing was simply a friendly
“hello.”
    John waved his knife at the carcass in front of him. “Glad
you’re here. We’ve got about two hours of work left, so let us know
if you need a break.”
    The men worked quietly for a while. I had fallen into a good
rhythm of pedaling, daydreaming about Chane sitting with me at the
next movie night, when Dan spoke up. “So, Dillon, why’d ya do
it?”
    I was still trying to figure that out for myself. Getting in
trouble was a given, and it was more than being hungry, or watching
the deer eat the corn. I thought about it more and more while Dan
stood there waiting for an answer.
    “ I guess I was just mad,” I said at last.
    “ Next time, let us know. We’ll cut it up good for ya, long as
you give us a bit,” Dan said.
    “ Yeah, bring it straight here before the mayor sees it,” Ben
joked.
    All three of them laughed, and even though it was at my
foolishness, I joined in. A little tension came out with the
laughter.
    “ Seriously if it should happen again, bring the deer here right
away. I’ve worked in here for more than ten years, and I have yet
to see the mayor walk through our door,” John said.
    “ Besides, it’s not like you’re the only one who’s ever shot a
deer,” Ben said. “It don’t happen often, but every now and then the
three of us spend a bit of extra time avoiding the mayor and his
Bulls. If you know what I mean.”
    My mouth dropped open and I missed the pedal with my foot. How
could they so calmly and openly talk about breaking the law, about
going against the mayor? I’d never seen this side of the townsfolk
before. In a way, it was exciting. Even though these men weren’t
being loyal to the mayor, they trusted me to keep their secrets.
They wanted me to be loyal to them. The right thing would be to
report them. Not that I would. Their faith in me made me part of
the gang.
    Two hours later, the guys finished. “Thanks for your help
tonight,” Dan called. I hopped off the pedal generator and made my
way across the now dark room, opened the door, and slipped out into
the night.
    I thought about Ben’s words. It never occurred to me that some
of the townsfolk might secretly be breaking the law. Then I
realized that if they were hunting, then they almost certainly
stashed food somewhere in their houses. Maybe the mayor wasn’t as
all-powerful as I had thought.
     
     
     

Chapter Five
     
    I rubbed my sore butt. It was a long, lonely walk back to my
RV along the deserted streets, but walking helped relieve the pain.
In the yards, crickets chirped and somewhere above an owl hooted
its arrival to its mate. Long ago, the street lights would’ve lit
my path. Now, only the faint light of a crescent moon and my own
memory served to guide my feet.
    When I neared the RV, the faint glow of LED bulbs shone
through the front windows. I hoped Sawyer was doing better than
when I’d left. The memory of him pouring the alcohol on his own leg
made me shudder. Would I ever have the courage to do something like
that?
    Inside, Sawyer was busy with an old cordless drill. He’d
inserted a crank into the chuck, and was rotating the chuck by hand
using the crank. Wires stuck out of the hole where the drill’s
battery pack should have been. Those wires were hooked to an old AA
battery.
    I liked that he offered an explanation even before I could
ask. “See, cranking the drill like this charges the
battery.”
    We didn’t have many AA batteries. The few that remained were
strictly rationed. Those little cylinders could power so many
items, but the one thing everyone wanted them for was light. We had
our LED bulbs and candles, but they couldn’t compare to a
battery-powered flashlight. Not only that, but taking a candle
outside on a windy or rainy night was useless.
    Sawyer finished cranking the drill and