Footsteps

Jack was so angry that she had lied about trying, he spent that night in the spare bedroom, the first time in their marriage that he did that.

The next night she came into the spare bedroom naked, and things were made up and back to normal.

"Just give me some time, Jack. I am still young and I want to stay attractive as long as I can, we have plenty of time to have kids later on."

"You are almost thirty years old now, don't you think it would be easier while you are still so young?" He encouraged her.

"Yes, probably, honey. Let's think about that in in another year or so." She cuddled up close to him.

Jack reluctantly accepted that.

+++

The day he was leaving on his annual hunting trip, Sandy hugged him and kissed him as he loaded his old 4 wheel drive Jeep. Sara was already over, she sat on the porch while he said goodbye, giving him a little wave when he glanced her way.

In a bit over four hours, he pulled into his favorite camp site. Several of his other friends were already there, they all sat around and drank some beer and talked about hunting.

None of Jack's close friends ever hung around his place much, it was nearly always Sandy's circle of friends that were at the house more often than not.

Jack had long since gotten used to Sandy's socializing, plus he really enjoyed having people around. Often they weren't really even parties, it was more like regular visits. A few times there was some drinking, and one couple that showed up with stuff to smoke but Jack refused to touch the stuff. He noticed Sandy did. He figured she was all grown up now, that was up to her.

He didn't like that, though. He made them smoke that stuff outside on the back deck, even though they laughed and called him an "old fuddy duddy."

They all had long since gotten used to Jack not standing for foul language around his house, so most of the gatherings stayed pretty mellow.

The hunting trips were completely different, the other men didn't have to watch their language or anything. The conversations became sprinkled with a lot of four letter words. But it was always a good and relaxing time.

Jack never swore himself, he always remembered his Grandmother's words.

"Filth in the mouth is filth in the soul." She told him many times.

Finally the rest of the hunting crew drifted off to their bed scattered around in the camp site, leaving just Jack and Darin at their camp.

Later that night a van pulled in, two men got out and came over to the camp fire. Darin introduced them but Jack almost instantly forgot their names.

Jack didn't know them but Darin, his best hunting and work out buddy did. He had invited them mostly out of politeness, and they had taken him up on it. Normally on the trips it was just Darin and Jack, they worked together very well on the hunts.

It didn't take the two men more than a couple of beers and they wanted to talk about their conquests instead of talk about hunting.

One of them wisecracked about how he loved hunting season, it was the best time to hit the bars because all the horny housewives headed out looking, too. It was all just bull, Jack thought, beer talking. Besides, he couldn't imagine anyone hitting on some other man's wife.

That terrible time far back in his past was kept shoved completely out of his mind.

Jack was bored with the bragging, the stories, so he excused himself and went to his tent. He could hear the two guys droning on and on out there, and was wishing they would shut up.

Then when one of them said something about a foxy brunette and a redhead, his ears perked up.

"That was just last season, and they were the nuttiest pair we ever ran into, let me tell you!" One of them said.

"Yea, that brunette spent more time sticking out of her clothes than in them!"

"Man, I still almost don't believe that we got to take turns with both of them! Did it right in the poor bastard's bed!" Then they laughed like that was hilarious.

Jack sat up. Redhead and a brunette? No, it couldn't be. He lay back down.

"Hell, I was working on using my best lines and the redhead just says, 'Come on!' Then she grabs my hand and off we go."

"That redhead hiked her butt in the air, the only flaw I could find on her was a little mole right on her ass, and I looked!" He let out a drunken snicker.

Jack sat back up. Sandy had a mole on her left butt cheek.

"Bareback, too. They both said they were on the pill." The other guy said.

"Nice thing about the married ones, less chance of catching anything."

"The redhead told me I had the biggest one she ever had." One of them snorted.

"Yea, Joe here is hung like a fucking horse, lucky bastard." the other man snorted.

"At least you could get it up her ass, I couldn't. That Sara sure could take it though."

Both of them were getting loud, roaring with laughter at their own comments.

Sara? Jack was now wide awake. He felt his face begin to flush, these two jerks couldn't possibly be talking about....?

"What was that redhead's name, Sandy I think? Damn, she had the tightest snatch I ever had, nubbin the size of a fucking marble. Hell, I even managed to fuck her twice." The one the guy called Joe said.

"We should be down there instead of up here in the fucking woods. I bet they are hanging out at the Flower Drum right now."

Jack knew where the Flower Drum was, it was a country bar less than three miles from his house. He got up and pulled on his pants and a shirt, went outside and sat down.

"Can't sleep, bud?" The one he now knew was Joe asked.

"Naw, too early. Say, those two you were talking about, did you get any last names?"

"Yea, what the fuck was that, Kerry? The brunette was...Anderson, I think, the other one I don't remember."

"She told me but damned if I can remember it. She kept flashing that rock on her finger, telling us hubby was out of town and it was time to play. Man, I sure would like to run into those two again!" He laughed.

Jack heard Darin let out a gasp. He saw red, his mind went into a total rage. Joe spotted the expression on Jack's face in the flickering light.

"What's up with him?" He asked Darin as Jack got up and went into his tent. He walked back out carrying the Winchester, the two men just looked at him.

"Hey, bud....?" Joe said.

"Jack!" Darin said.

"You guys are talking about my fucking WIFE!" He yelled, heading for the Jeep.

Filth in the soul. But now all he could think of was to get home.

"Oh, shit man! Hey we didn't...."

"Jack!" Darin was getting up, but Jack was already at the Jeep. He headed down the dirt path for the highway.

The Jeep was flat out at 90 miles per hour, it wouldn't go any faster, he tried. Jack was having trouble seeing, his eyes kept filling with tears, his mind was a whirlwind of emotion.

It took nearly four hours to get to his house, it was 4 in the morning by the time he arrived. He saw lights on in the kitchen, looking in the window he saw no one.

He went around back, it was dark. He listened, someone was snoring in their spare bedroom. He walked back to the Jeep, picked up his rifle, went to the front door. It wasn't even locked.

In the living room, he could see someone's shirt draped over the back of his couch, the night light they always kept plugged in gave off enough dim light to make that out.

As he was standing there in the near darkness listening, he heard a noise. Someone came out of the spare bedroom, it was a very tall black man. He was naked. He went inside and there were sounds of him urinating.

Jack just stood there, struggling with himself. The man came out, Jack knew the man wouldn't see him standing there unless he looked directly at him. The man never noticed, he went back to the spare bedroom, started to open the door.

Then he hesitated, turned and walked over to the main bedroom, went inside. Jack heard some muffled voices, some giggling. A shorter white man came out, went down the hall and into the spare bedroom.

He waited for a few minutes, then he heard the moaning. That was moment when he snapped. Walking over to the door, he pushed it open, switched on the light.

Sandy was on her back, naked, the man on top of her. The dark man was thrusting at her. She turned her head to look his way, her eyes widened in surprise. Jack saw the flash of the diamond he so carefully had set for her on her left hand, obvious against the dark skin. That was the trigger, the deciding factor.

That ring. On her finger, the token he had given her to show his undying love. The stone so carefully removed from the ring worn by his Grandmother for over 50 years.

Transferred and the ring made just for her. Sandy moved, the stone flashed once again in the light. It sealed her fate.

Rage tore though him. She opened her mouth to say something, Jack lifted the rifle barrel and shot her between the eyes.

The dark man leaped to his feet, looked at Jack in shock. His hands came up to protect himself, as Jack swung the barrel his way. This man had to have seen that ring. He was killing a marriage, for a moment of sex.

Jack shot him in the chest, he crumpled over backwards. He lay there for a moment, then he moved, struggling to get up.

Jack levered in another round and shot him the second time.

He turned and walked out the door, the white man was looking out of the spare bedroom door. He saw Jack and jumped back, Jack pushed the door open, the man cowered against the wall naked, his hand held up, palms out. He shot him in the chest, too.

Sara was on the bed, she had crawled back against the head board, the covers drawn up tightly as she tried to press herself backwards.

"Oh, God, Jack. NO! Please! Don't!" She screamed.

He had the rifle sighted on her face, she stared at him with tears streaming down her face.

"You motherfucking lying BITCH!" Jack yelled, through the haze of red. He pulled the trigger, Sara slammed backwards against the headboard, then slumped over.

Then Jack went back into the main bedroom. Both Sandy and the black man were obviously dead. He sat down in a chair, his eyes flooded with tears.

He stuck the muzzle of the rifle underneath his chin, reached down and pulled the trigger.

Click.

Cartridges. He had more in his Jeep. He stood up.

+++

"Oh, Jack. What did you do? My God! Oh, God, Oh God, NO!! JACK!" He heard Darin screaming.

The haze lifted. Jack looked over at his friend standing in the doorway, back at what he had done.

Then he passed out.

+++

{Click.

The clock ticked off another minute, five minutes to midnight. Two men stood over him, he could see the jailer he had befriended.

The man stood there with no expression on his face, still holding the sheet of paper Jack had handed him.

He felt his arms and body being strapped down snugly.

Click.

Glancing up, he saw the big clock. Four minutes to midnight. Jack closed his eyes, started to count.

"One thousand and one, one thousand and two...." He set a cadence in his mind.

Click.

That came just before he got to one thousand and sixty.

"One thousand and one, one thousand and two...."

Click.

He was early that time.

"One thousand and one, one thousand and two...."

Click.

"One thousand and one, one thousand....

There was a jangling noise, it interrupted his counting. What was that?

Voices.

"Release him." Someone said. He felt a brief stab of pain in his arm as the needle was removed.

Jack opened his eyes.

"What's going on?" He asked.

The jailer he had befriended stood there, grinning, looking down at him.

"That was the Governor, he overturned your sentence. Temporary insanity. Looks like they will be sending you to a facility for treatment."

"NOOOOO!" Jack screamed.

They wheeled him down the hallway, still screaming and struggling.

The jailer looked down at the piece of paper in his hand. He sighed, some days he hated this job.

He folded the sheet of paper, stuck it in his pocket. He knew he would do what he had promised.

The screams still came from down the hallway, they lasted for a long time.

"That poor bastard." He muttered to himself.}

+++

Dreams.

Jack woke up with a start, his body soaked in sweat. For a moment he did not know where he was, then he felt the chill night air, moist from the late night fog.

It took a few seconds, then he could make out the tent flap in the flickering light from the remains of the campfire.

Looking over, he saw the form lying in a sleeping bag on the other side of the tent, softly snoring.

Darin.

It was a dream, a terrible dream, already sliding from his mind.

Just a dream.

Then he remembered the two men, Joe and Kerry. They had arrived late the night before, and quickly gotten drunk, spending most of the night bragging about their conquests.

That had driven Jack nuts, so he went to bed. Bragging about looking for cheating wives was not something he cared to listen to.

Digging around, he found his watch, touched the button to illuminate it.

4 AM.

+++

Sandy had hugged him, kissed him as he prepared to leave for the trip in his old Jeep. Sara had sat on the porch, dressed in slacks and a sweater to ward off the cool air of Fall.

"So what do you girls have planned for while I am gone?" Jack had asked Sandy.

"Nothing special, honey. Just shopping, maybe go out for a nice dinner. You and Darin have fun, bring home a big one." She stood on tiptoe to give him a final peck on the lips.

+++

The dream again? What was that, it was in his mind but faded, like part of it was real and a portion of it just a bad nightmare.

Deep down inside, Jack knew. He had known for quite a long time, shoved it deep into the back of his mind, not wanting to know, not wanting to believe.

There was no escape from knowing, it kept coming back to him in those terrible dreams. The dreams kept changing though.

What was it the two men had been saying, just before he had drifted off to sleep?

Two women, a brunette, a redhead? A mole? Sara, and Sandy?

It couldn't be, it just could not be!

But Jack knew.

+++

The Dream.

He reached for his jacket, he still had his blue jeans on. He walked outside, it was quiet, so very quiet. He saw the two forms curled up in heavy sleeping bags over by the campfire, it glowed faintly.

Jack walked over, unlocked his Jeep and started the engine.

"Jack? Where in the hell are you going?" He heard Darin call out. Looking over, he saw Darin start to head his way.

Jack put the Jeep in gear and headed down the dirt path to the highway.

It was nearly 8 AM when he pulled up at his house. Jack went around back, reaching in and picked up the old Winchester. He walked up to his door, it was locked. Fumbling for his key, he found it, opened the door and went inside.

Standing there for a moment, he listened. It was quiet. Jack walked over to his bedroom door, shoved it open. Sandy lay there in the bed.

She was alone. Jack stared at her for a moment, then he reached down and eased the hammer down on the carbine.

+++

Just a dream, was he dreaming now?

Sandy stirred, looked at him in surprise.

"Jack? What? Why are you back so early? Did you get your Deer alre....?" She looked down, saw the rifle. Her eyes widened in confusion.

"What?"

"I just thought..." Jack started to say. Sandy just stared at him.

"What's wrong, Jack?"

"Who is here?" He asked.

"Just Sara. She is in the other room. She has a..boyfriend." Sandy sat up. She had on her flannel pajama tops. Jack could see that she didn't have the bottoms on, Sandy caught his glance and quickly tugged the blankets up, flushing.

It struck him that this was an odd thing to dream about.

"I'm sorry. Two guys came up to the camp, they were talking. They bragged about...picking up some housewives, it sounded like you and Sara and....I thought.."

Now Jack felt stupid.

"Oh. You thought I was cheating? You know I would never do that. You are scaring me, honey!"

"I'm sorry." Jack went out and put his rifle in the gun case, locked it. Then he went in and made some coffee, took it in and sat down in the living room.

Sara came out of the bedroom, headed for the bathroom. She was naked. She saw Jack, stopped.

"Oh! Jack? What are you doing home?" She looked suddenly nervous.

"Put some clothes on, Sara." Jack told her, looking away. She went back into the spare bedroom, Jack heard her saying something, then a male voice. She came back out wearing a T-shirt. She glanced at Jack again and went into the bathroom, closed the door.

A man came out, he was fully dressed. Jack had seen him several times before, he was at a few of their parties.

"Hello, Jack." Jack just nodded.

"I guess I better be heading out, work to do." The man said, heading for the door. He looked a bit nervous, too.

Jack just watched him go, sipping his coffee. His mind was completely blank.

Sara came out, looked at Jack, then she went into the bedroom where Sandy was. He could hear them talking but couldn't quite make out the words. It sounded like they were whispering.

"Christ, twenty minutes sooner and..." That was Sara.

"Shhhh!"

Sandy came out, smiled at him.

"Want some breakfast, honey?" She asked.

"Not really."

"I can make some eggs."

"No, that's all right."

"Well, come on in the kitchen and talk to me."

"I am fine right here."

"Honey? Please? Come on in." Sandy just stood there in the doorway.

Jack knew right then. It wasn't a dream this time. He got up, walked down the hallway and into their main bedroom.

"Jack?" He heard Sandy call out to him.

Sara stood there holding an arm full of the bed sheets, folded fresh ones lay on the mattress.

Her face flushed bright red.

"What are you doing?" He asked her, already knowing.

"I am just changing the bed." She looked frightened.

"Why? It's 8 o'clock in the morning."

"I just...Sandy wanted..."

Jack reached out and jerked the sheets out of her hand. He saw the stains, still moist. He dropped them on the floor.

He walked over to the dresser drawer, pulled out his .45 Colt he kept there. That one he never kept locked up.

Sara stared at him, frozen.

Sandy stepped in just as he turned.

"Jack?" She said, glancing down at the pistol in his hand, fear flashing across her face.

+++

Dreams.

Jack was sitting there, tears streaming down his face when Darin rushed in.

"Oh, God, Jack! What did you do?"

+++

It was just a dream. It felt like one, anyway. Every day when Jack woke up, he remembered the dream. There were a lot of days when he woke up and remembered the dream.

The dream kept changing.

+++

Jack looked at Sandy, back at Sara. The tall dark man cowered in the corner, naked. The other man was whining, trying to dress while saying he was sorry, he didn't know. He kept glancing down at the heavy pistol Jack held in his hand.

Sara, standing there naked, terrified. Sandy dressed only in the tops of her pajamas.

"You lying motherfucking BITCH!" Jack screamed at her, then turned and walked out the door.

+++

Footsteps. Jack could hear them coming out in the stark long hallway, they echoed oddly. He glanced up at the big clock.

Ten minutes to midnight.

+++

{Click.

Two minutes to midnight.

One thousand and one, one thousand and two...Jack counted the cadence out loud. He was right on the button that time. He smiled, closed his eyes.

One minute to midnight.

One thousand and one, one thousand and two...

Click.

+++

The jailer turned away as the other man opened the valve. It wasn't something he wished to see. He looked down at the piece of paper in his hand.

Being crazy as a loon, he thought that Jack Spencer did not belong here, he did not deserve the punishment he received. Or maybe he did? Who knows? Any man who could kill like that, six people dead and for what?