The Retirement

In the blur of the moment, he thought he saw a man in a World War II Army combat uniform standing in front of him. Before he could focus, he was hit repeatedly in the face. He tried to raise his arms to block the punches, but they were knocked away. He was hit again and again and could feel something warm running down his face. In the haze that surrounded him, he guessed it to be blood. He landed against a tree and was hit once in the stomach, but because he was wearing a ballistic vest, the blow was cushioned. His mind told him now was the time to fight back, while his attacker was assaulting a protected portion of his body. Before he could react, the blows shifted to his sides—not protected by the vest—and back to his face. He reached for his holster to pull his pistol but found it empty. Something hit him hard in the groin, and the pain seemed to take over his body, causing him to drop all his defenses.

Suddenly his attacker grabbed him by the throat, and he found it hard to breathe again. He focused through the fog and found himself facing a man in a steel helmet—not one of the modern Kevlar ones, but a World War II–era helmet to match the uniform of the man standing before him. The man’s face, while familiar, wasn’t someone he knew. He was being held by one hand, but the pain from the last blow was so intense he couldn’t fight back. He was hit several more times in the face, bringing him to a state of near unconsciousness.

The voice was deep and even. “The old Indian warned you about the spirits in these woods. You’ve hurt my family and brought bad medicine to this island.”

Hapke could barely speak but managed to whisper, “Who . . . who are you? Why are you dressed like that?”

A strange smile came over his captor’s face. “This is my island, and you came here to do harm to people I love. I’m one of the spirits who inhabits these woods—and this, my friend, is what I wear to war. Unlike you, I served my country honorably. You placed members of my family in danger. It’s time to pay the price.”