The truck's rumbling could be heard before the smell of the diesel engine grinding toward the cabin came to Cherry. Standing on the porch, she waited for it to stop behind her newly washed truck. Steve jumped down from the passenger side, running up the remainder of the path toward her, waving. An older man sat in the driver's seat, shaking his head as he cut the engine, watching Steve approach her. He slowly opened the door and climbed down. Stretching a little before looking around.

"Hey," Steve called as he came closer, "hope you don't mind. I asked my Dad to help with the delivery."

"Why would I mind?" Cherry smiled, waving to the man at the truck, who raised his hand, returning the greeting before moving toward the pair.

"I'm grateful you made the delivery," Cherry said, smiling, "I finished the wood I had yesterday and was hoping the rest would come today."

Cherry turned her gaze to Steve's father. Something about him seemed familiar, but she couldn't place it.

"Hi," she smiled, stepping forward to shake his hand, "I'm Cherry."

"Tyron," he said, "I know who you are. The last time I saw you, Steve and I visited here at this cabin a week before the Tenderhooks turned our town into a Soap Opera."

"You ... knew my parents?" Cherry asked, glancing at Steve before meeting Tyron's gaze.

"I did," Tyron nodded, "grew up with them. I wasn't here when the ... town went mad. I would have done everything I could to stop it."

"Thank you for saying that," Cherry smiled, "I was telling Steve about the work I was doing on the side of the house."

"You're doing the work?" Tyron asked, frowning.

"Yes," Cherry nodded, laughing at their expressions. "By your expressions, I take it you don't see many women using tools, lugging wood around, or raising a cabin wall."

"Not many," Steve said, smiling.

"What do you mean?" Tyron grinned, shaking his head, "we don't see any."

"Well, I'm on my own and have no one I can turn to for help," Cherry shrugged, "so I do everything myself."

"Fetch water? Cut wood? Everything?" Steve asked, frowning.

"Everything," Cherry said, "now, before it gets much hotter, do you want to bring the wood around this side of the cabin?"

Tyron nodded, "Sure, we'll get the wood and follow you."

"Thank you," Cherry smiled, stepping off the porch and ambling toward the corner of the cabin, "I was just coming out to check that everything was as it should be ..."

Tyron turned as Cherry stopped talking, "What is it?"

Cherry stared at the two men with raised paint cans about to empty them on the side of the cabin she had erected the day before.

"I take it you're related to the Tenderhook brothers," Cherry said, anger filling her, "you're trespassing on my land and damaging my home."

"This is our land," they hissed, "you were told to leave."

"This is my home and land," Cherry said, walking toward them, "if you do not leave, you will be in a world of trouble."

"Our cousins gave us this land," they said, "we own it."

"No, you don't," Tyron said, "Cherry owns it, as her mother did before her. You have no right to be here. I suggest you leave."

"We bought this land from our cousins," the taller of the two sneered, "you don't own anything."

"I'm sorry to say your cousins extorted money out of you," Tyron said, shaking his head, "this land and cabin were never theirs to dispose of in any way. Now leave."

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"Make us," the shorter of the two sneered, "it's just you and this ..." he leered at Cherry, "woman."

Tyron shook his head, "Oh, you're deluded," he sighed, "there are so many more than you realise. You will pay the price if you come back here or are seen anywhere on this land."

"What are you talking about?" the taller man narrowed his eyes on Tyron.

"There are those in this town that know the truth of what happened here that night," Tyron said, his eyes turning cold, "we know why you did what you did. We know who was behind it, yet they never got what they wanted."

"Who are these supposed people who know?" the shorter one asked.

"That is for us to know and you to regret when you find out," Tyron said. "If you don't want to be shot for trespassing, harassing the rightful owner and destroying property ... leave and never return. I suggest you find your cousins and get your money back."

"You can't shoot us," the taller one said, "we are invincible."

Before anyone could say anything, a gunshot rang out, and the thud of a bullet hitting flesh made Cherry jump. Looking around, she found Steve with a shotgun resting against his shoulder aimed at the brothers. Quickly he loaded another shot into the chamber. Never lowering the weapon as he waited.

Turning toward the brothers, Cherry found the taller one holding his shoulder as blood poured from the wound.

"If you want another one lower, stay right there," Steve said, his voice even and unemotional, "it won't be a loss to put this town out of its misery."

The brothers looked at each other before dropping the paint cans and running into the forest. Cherry watched them go. So much information in that scene.

What was that all about?

She had so many questions?

Where did she start?

Turning to Tyron and Steve, she stared as father and son watched the brothers run into the forest. Steve held a radio to his mouth, whispering words Cherry could not hear. Tyron turned to Cherry, smiling.

"I doubt they will back," Tyron said, "Steve is coordinating the tracking team that will make sure they leave the area if not the next city or two."

"You shot one of them," she blinked, shaking her head, "isn't there a law against it?"

"Steve didn't kill him," Tyron said, "we were defending you and your property. Everyone saw your truck in town, and now we caught them red-handed about to do the same to your home. Enough is enough. Those two have terrorised this town long enough."

"It's in play," Steve said, resting the shotgun on his shoulder, "we have posts set up all the way to the river making sure they keep moving."

"The one you shot may die from blood loss," Cherry said, worry creasing her brow.

"Then they will know they are not invincible," Tyron said, looking at Steve, "nice shot."

"Thanks, Dad," Steve grinned, "let's go get that wood."

"Yes, there is a lot of work that needs to be done here," Tyron said, clapping Steve on the shoulder.

Cherry watched them leave before turning toward the spilt paint on the ground. Where did it come from? She had been here all day and had not heard any vehicle approaching. Looking around, she couldn't see any cart or manual means of getting the items to the cabin.

"Guess I shouldn't let it run everywhere," Cherry said, sighing as she walked toward the mess.

Picking up one can and then the other, Cherry moved them away from the cabin and sealed them. Counting them, she found ten large tins of paint. Frowning in thought, Cherry moved toward the wall, which would have been splattered by now if she hadn't arrived when she had. Something caught on her foot, tugging at it and making Cherry lose her balance. Crying out, Cherry floundered before hitting the ground hard.

"Cherry," Tryon called as he and Steve came around the corning with planks of lumber, "are you okay?"

Pushing to her hands and knees, Cherry winced, "Ouch ..." looking at her hands, she noticed welts rising across her palms, "that is odd. "My foot caught on something ..." she hissed in pain as she tried to move, "there's something hard under here."

Knocking against the grass, she felt shocked at hearing the sound of metal. Looking up at the stunned faces of Tyron and Steve, she struck the ground again. Slowly pushing to her feet, Cherry stomped on the grass.

"I thought I was hallucinating," she said, "but that definitely sounds like metal."

"Where did you trip?" Steve asked, walking away from Cherry.

"About there," Cherry pointed in a general area, "I was moving the paint cans and sealing them ..." she frowned at the slight glint in the grass that caught her eye, "what is that?"

"What do you see?" Tyron said, breathing heavily as he delivered another load of wood.

"There," Cherry moved carefully toward the glint, "something is glinting in the ground."

"I see it," Steve said, "it looks like a latch of some sort."

Cherry watched as Steve pulled the latch, jumping sideways as the ground under her moved. Silently she watched as a metal door rose, exposing a lit set of metal stairs descending below the cabin.

"Do you think this is where they have been living?" Tyron said, starting down the stairs while Steve hooked the door open.

Cherry stared down the stairwell, watching Tyron move into the earth. Something about what he was doing was familiar. Something seemed ... a memory flashed, but Cherry couldn't hold it.

"Coming?" Steve asked as he followed his father.

"Sure," Cherry nodded, slowly starting down the stairs, "what could possibly be down here?"