Resurrection by Kevin Collins

tinted windows.”
    Toms stepped around Mark’s truck and peered into the back.” Man you’ve got a few weapons in there,” he said.
    Mark nodded his head in agreement
    “Well, you wanna follow us back to the camp because supper will be ready shortly and we’re awful hungry. And you can keep that pistol ready if it makes you feel more comfortable because Carlos and Two Gun got us covered if you know what I mean. So were gonna get back in the truck and turn around and you try and keep up with us.”
    Tom turned the dually around and headed back down the road. Mark started the Ford and watched in the rearview mirror as Darrin and the others backed out and drove away before he crossed the cattle guard and started up the road.
    Twenty minutes had passed before he saw any signs that there was anything out here other than grass, cactus and jackrabbits. They passed several decrepit structures before they came upon some buildings set back into some cottonwood trees.
    The lead truck came to a stop and the occupants got out and Tom approached Mark’s vehicle.
    “Well this is it, ain’t much but, why don’t you come in and meet the others,” Tom said.
    Mark got out of the vehicle and followed Tom.
    “This here’s Two Gun and Carlos I told you about them earlier, this is Mark, Tom said.
    Marks shook hands with the two men and continued with Tom to the house. Tom introduce him to several men who were sitting outside around a fire pit cooking a whole hog,
    The house was filled with men and women, all armed and children sat on the floor playing. Tom introduced Mark to everyone in the room and then brought him into a parlor where some women sat talking. When he entered the room went silent and one woman stood up and approached them.
    “Mark this is Isabel.”
    She was tall with long black hair which was tied up in a ponytail. Her dark skin and eyes betrayed her Mexican heritage. She was a beautiful woman, in her early thirties and very feminine but her attire and her manner exuded a toughness born of hardship and trial.
    She extended her hand and Mark lightly shook it and then she quickly pulled hers back.
    “Nice the meet you Mark,” she said.
    “Mama, mama,” a young boy cried as he ran into the room.
    “What is it Mijo?” Isabel said kneeling.
    “Luz popped my balloon, she took it and now it popped,” he said holding up the limp piece of rubber.
    “I’m sure she didn’t mean to, we’ll get you another, now run along and play,”
    “Okay mama,” the boy said.
    Isabel smiled at Mark and then introduced him to the other women in the group.
    We’ll be around later Isabel but right now we have some things to do,” Tom said.
    Tom took Mark by the elbow and led him back outside of the house and across the yard to a set of four outbuildings situated toward the back side of the main house.
    “Isabel is the one to talk to if you want to sell some of those weapons,” Darrin said. “This is where you’ll be sleeping…”
    “Whoa, hold on a minute, am I staying or something? I mean no one discussed that with me,” Mark said.
    “There won’t be any word about selling any of those weapons tonight I mean it’ll be tomorrow morning before anyone gets to look at them and I figured you might be ready for a hot meal and some uninterrupted shuteye before we get down to business.
    “And what if I don’t want to stay?”
    “Well in that case you leave here and you leave Texas tonight and we keep the guns including the ones in your waist band and the one strapped to your ankle and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it. Stay here and you get a square meal or you can go back out that front gate with no weapons and take your chances and you will be escorted out of Texas and then you can deal with the Oklahoma boys and I hear they ain’t right in the head. Now I’m gonna leave you to ponder on that. That’ll be your bunk for the night and supper is at six.”
    Mark was silent, he was turning over Tom’s words in