Shine (Kentucky Outlaw Book 1) (15 page)

“I ain’t a liar, Ethan.”

“Bullshit.
 
You called me back to town for Nick’s funeral and now I find out he’s not even having one.”

They were sitting at the kitchen table, the entire family gathered in one place for the first time in years, and it was going just about as well as Ethan had thought it would.
 
Zeke had called them all together to discuss something, but so far the only thing that’d happened was Ethan and Ged getting in a yelling match.

“I didn’t know that that the time,” said Ged.

“And when you did find out, you didn’t bother to call me back.”

“Enough,” said Zeke.
 
“Ethan, it was time for you to come home.
 
End of story.”

“I think that was my call, Zeke.”

“No, it wasn’t.
 
Now I called you all here for a reason.
 
Ged knows all about it and that’s why he wasn’t straight with you.
 
Now you boys know I always lived my life a certain way.
 
I always thought a man should do whatever he needed to take care of his family.
 
I been running shine for damn near forty years.
 
I always believed folks had a right to earn a dollar however he wanted and no one, certainly no law, could tell him otherwise.
 
And the truth is I was damn good at it.
 
You boys know folks come from all over to get my shine.”

He looked to each of his sons.
 
First to Ged, who looked at his father with pride, then to Ethan, and finally to Jackie, who sat smoking and, maybe for the first time in his life, was listening intently to everything his father had to say.

Zeke continued, “That being said, there are certain truths we just can’t ignore anymore.
 
The first of which is, I’m finished.
 
You boys know it and even though it took me a long time, I have finally come to terms with it myself.
 
I just can’t make a batch half as good as Ged; he’s the real talent in the family now.”
 
He wasn’t looking at his boys anymore, but his eyes were focused on the jar of moonshine sitting in front of him on the table.
 
He picked it and held the amber liquid up to the light, moving the jar back and forth in his fingers.
 

“You saying you’re retiring, pop?” asked Jackie.

“I am.
 
Soon Ged will handle all of the family business.
 
I’ll still be around, if he needs any advice, but all decisions concerning the family will be run through him.
 
I expect to the two of you to follow what he says.”

Ethan said, “Zeke, you know I love you, but I’m not following anyone’s lead.
 
I got my own life to live.”

“Really?” said Ged.
 
“What kind of life is that?
 
Running from town to town, girl to girl.
 
What is it you’re looking for exactly?”

“Don’t judge me, brother, just because I can’t hang around Remington for the rest of my life.”

“And just because I like it here don’t make me weak,” Ged answered angrily.

Zeke help up his hand and without a word, his sons were quiet.
 
A flash of frustration crossed his face, but was quickly gone. “As I was saying, a man’s got a right to earn a living any way he sees fit and I’ve never made excuses for anything, but there are certain truths that just can’t be ignored.
 
Our last run was proof of that.”

“I told you I’d been out of the game too long,” said Ethan.

“I know that, now,” said Zeke.

“You were right, Ethan,” said Ged.
 
“We should’ve seen that.”

Ethan felt vindicated, but also strangely angry.
 
He’d told them his skills had diminished over the past couple of years and now that they believed him he felt the need to go out and prove that he did still have it in him.

Zeke continued, “The world just isn’t what it used to be.
 
It hasn’t been for a long time, but it just took me this long to see it.
 
Used to be a man could make moonshine, drive it down to the tavern, and get back to his house without anyone seeing a thing.
 
Now with cell phone trackers, helicopters, and who knows what else we can’t move freely anymore.”

“You saying we’re getting out of the liquor business?” asked Jackie, a concerned look on his face.

“No, Jack, we’re staying in the liquor business.
 
I don’t know how to do anything else.
 
I’m saying it’s time to go legal.”

Ethan and Jackie looked at each other.
 
Ethan would have bet money Zeke would’ve given up everything before going legit.
 
“Zeke, you always said freedom was the most important thing a man can have.
 
If you go legal you’ll have federal regulation, and all sorts of rules you’ll have to follow.”

“I know that, son, but as I said, it’s not me who’ll have to be doing any of that.
 
It’s Ged.”

“It’s going to cost a shit load of money,” said Jackie.
 
“The government bond alone is a hundred thousand dollars.”

“You’re right, but we have plans in place to take care of all that,” said Ged.
 
“We’ve got most of the money for the bond, but we’re still short thirty thousand dollars.
 
We can make that if we sell everything we got, and I have a buyer lined up in Ohio County.”

“Even combined, the both of your shares don’t come out to that much,” said Ethan.

“No, but all of ours do.”

Ethan and Jackie looked at each other again.
 
“You want us to put up our shares?”

“Yes,” said Ged.

Ethan turned to his father.
 
“But you’re asking, not telling?”

Zeke nodded.
 
“A man’s freedom is paramount.
 
You have to do this willingly, son, but I don’t want you thinking this is charity.
 
This is an investment, in the family and in a business.
 
You’re buying shares in a new venture, which means you’ll have voting rights.

“We’ll have equal say?”

Ged shook his head.
 
“No.
 
You’re voting rights equal the amount of money you put in.
 
Me and dad put in the most money so we get the most say.”

“What about the rest of it?
 
You said together we had enough for the bond, but what about buildings?
 
Equipment?”

“The Butlers will be taking care of the rest of it.
 
We’ll be partners.”

“The Butlers?
 
Nick Butler’s family is giving us money.
 
Do they even have anything left to give?”

“This is it for them.
 
We fail, and that family is finished,” said Ged.
 
“It wasn’t a tough decision for them.
 
If they didn’t do anything, they were going to be finished anyway.
 
Martha Butler’s only a couple of years from being a Wal-Mart greeter.”

“Do we have to answer now?” said Ethan.

“No,” said Zeke.
 
“We’ve got to get the car out of Traxler’s soon anyway.
 
Take the night and think about it, but remember if you don’t then I don’t know how much longer we can go on.”

The family broke from the table.
 
Ged went outside and Zeke headed into his study and shut the door.
 
Ethan leaned against the kitchen counter while Jackie remained seated at the table and lit another cigarette.

“You’re in, I take it?”

Jackie took a drag and said, “What else am I going to do?
 
Shit, Ethan, I barely graduated from high school.
 
I got no skills except driving.”

“They go legal and you won’t be racing through the dark streets anymore.
 
You’ll just be driving a truck into town.”

Jackie blew up a puff of smoke and said, “Guess I’ll just have to find another way to be an outlaw.”

He had a smile on his face, but Ethan could tell it was false.
 
His brother put up a good front, but he was scared under his bravado.
 
Running was all they knew, so how were they going to sit in business meetings and have employees?

The sun went down as Ged found Ethan in the living room.
 
The TV was on, but he wasn’t really watching it.
 

“Transport is on its way.
 
Load the car into the trailer and take it back to the garage.”

“Uncle Lenny said we ought to bury it,” said Ethan.

“We can’t afford any expenses right now.
 
We got to make a big run and we can’t spend thousands of dollars on another car.
 
Take it back to the still and tomorrow you and Jackie can start fixing it up.”

Ethan got off the couch.
 
“You know, I haven’t invested yet.
 
You can’t just order me around.”

“Jesus Ethan, would you drop it please, just for one night? When’re you going to learn that it’s not you versus the world, or you versus us?
 
It’s all just for the family.
 
Everything we do needs to be in service of the family.
 
Dad gave you till the morning to make a decision, but I’m telling you right now you are going to invest and that is that.”

“And what’s my role in this new company?
 
Executive Vice President?
 
We’re not business men.
 
We’re outlaws, moonrunners.
 
Why do we need to dress it up?”

Ged shook his head.
 
“You’re a short sighted prick, you know that?
 
Look at the Butlers.
 
They had everything for year, but they couldn’t change.
 
They couldn’t read the signs and now they are dying.
 
Is that what you want for us?”
 

***

Ethan drove down to Traxler’s and saw a pickup hitched to an enclosed car trailer parked outside the garage.
 
He parked the Mustang next to it and Traxler walked up to meet him.

“Did you know Neil Butler is here?”

“Guess Ged wasn’t kidding about the partnership.”

Traxler eyed him suspiciously, “What partnership?”

Ethan clapped him on the shoulder.
 
“Nothing, just my family’s idea of a joke.”
 
Ethan walked inside the garage and saw Neil Butler standing next to the car.
 
He hadn’t changed much since Ethan had seen him last.
 
Still tall, with his dark hair pushed back, and stubble across his face.
 
He stood rigid and his face looked like if a smile broke out it might crack his jaw.

“You really fucked this machine,” Neil said.

“Always good to see you, Neil.”

“Don’t be an asshole, Ethan.”

They shook hands.
 
Neil was Nick’s cousin.
 
The Daltons and the Butlers had always had dealings together, so Ethan and Neil had grown up around each other, but they had never became close friends like Ethan and Nick, there was something about their personalities that kept them apart. Still, in a situation like this, Ethan was glad to see Neil.
 
He could be trusted to get the job done.

“We’ll get the car loaded and then go different ways,” said Ethan.

“You got a tail?”

“I don’t think so, but let’s not take any chances.
 
I’ll head up Route Nine, so if you take Fichtner's Way there shouldn’t be any problem.
 
You remember how to get back to the still?”

“Yeah, no problem.”

They didn’t bother trying to start the Mazda.
 
It didn’t weigh much so Ethan, Neil, and Traxler were able to push it out of the garage and up onto the trailer.
 
Once it was secure, Neil climbed in the truck and started it up.
 

With the engine going Ethan figured there was enough noise to cover the sound of his voice.
 
He leaned close to Neil and said, “Forget what I said earlier.
 
You take Route Nine and I’ll take Fichtner’s.”

“You sure?
 
Route Nine is more exposed.”

Ethan looked over at Traxler.
 
He was busy sorting through some inventory in the garage, but Ethan thought he was just trying to look busy while he listened in.
 
“Should be fine.
 
You’re just hauling a trailer like a thousand other trucks.”

“OK.
 
Meet you there.”

Neil took off and Ethan headed for the Mustang.
 

“Before you take off come here a minute,” called out Traxler.

Ethan went back into the garage.
 
Traxler wiped some grease off his hands with a dirty rag and said, “Pretty fucked up, huh?”

“How you mean?”

“You kidding?
 
We’re hiding your car, the one you used on the run from the cops.”
 
Ethan didn’t say anything.
 
The two men just looked at each other in the eye.
 
“They shot at you and on the last run you made, bringing moonshine in here.
 
You stashed that Mazda in here.
 
Say, when you bringing the next load of moonshine?”

Ethan said, “You been drinking too much of your own stock, Trax.
 
I’ll see you later.”

Ethan got into his car and saw Traxler staring at him in the side mirror.
 
He took off quickly and headed towards the still.
 
Ethan drove up the hill on Fichtner’s Way, his mind going over and over what just happened.
 
Traxler was acting very strange and there a few things didn’t add up anymore.