by Payne, T. L.
Dean’s hands dropped ever-so-slightly. Raine could tell that he was listening. Could she win him over? Could she appeal to whatever humanity remained within the man? She hoped so. That was the only chance they had left.
“That’s not gonna happen,” Dean said, turning and pointing the rifle’s barrel at Raine. Raine stopped and stiffened.
“Are you going to shoot me to stop me?” Raine said. She wasn’t sure where that even came from. She didn’t want to find out. Could she bluff this man?
“My boy and I aren’t going to let you take our truck.”
“Are you willing to die for it?” Scott asked, his rifle now pointing at Dean’s chest.
Raine twisted and brought her rifle up, pointing it at the boy. His eyes grew wide with terror. Raine stabbed the barrel at him and said, “Drop the gun and back away from the truck.”
The boy looked to his father, then back to Raine.
“I said drop it or I’ll shoot. I promise I will.”
“Don’t you hurt my boy,” a woman screamed. Raine saw a flash of long red hair, and then a woman threw herself in front of the boy. “Don’t you hurt my son. Please, just take the damn truck. Take it, save your friend, and kill every one of those bastards”
“Melanie, stop. We can’t get involved. They’ll come back and kill us,” Dean said.
The woman wrapped her arms around herself and stared at Raine with tear-filled eyes. Her face was contorted with pain. Her swollen lips quivered. Her left eye was black and nearly swollen shut. Raine wondered what could have happened to her. How had the cartel made seemingly good people so complicit in what was happening to JJ?
“We are going to stop them. We are going to wipe them off the planet,” Raine assured her.
Tears slid down the woman’s bruised cheeks. She closed her eyes, nodded, and then turned. She took hold of her son’s arm and led him inside the house. Raine turned her attention back to Scott and Dean. Dean’s shoulders were slumped. He still held the shotgun, but it now pointed to the ground.
“We could use some help, Dean. You could come with us. You could make sure they never come back to hurt your family. You could convince others to join us, and we would stand a chance of ridding this county of this evil group,” Raine said, approaching Dean.
She tried to keep her tone soft and low, but she was aware that time was ticking by. JJ’s father and brother could very well already be in a gun battle with the cartel.
Dean lowered his head and nodded. “You’re right. I’ll help you. Just me, though. I already tried to get the others to go after them. They’re cowards. They think we can buy them off.”
“All right. Let’s go, then. You drive,” Scott said, stepping aside to allow Dean to pass. Dean hurried over and fiddled with something under the hood of the pickup before slamming it shut. “Let’s go!”
Dean rolled to a stop at the intersection and waited.
Scott leaned around Raine, who was seated between the two men.
“Why are we stopped?”
Dean said nothing.
“Dean. We have to hurry. JJ’s father and brother are likely already there. People could die.”
Something slammed into the passenger side door. Raine whipped her head around to see a man’s face in the door’s window.
“Get out!” the man demanded as he yanked on the handle.
“Floor it!” Scott yelled, pulling on the door with all his might to keep it closed.
Dean just sat there staring straight ahead.
“Dean?” Raine asked. “We have to go save JJ and stop the cartel in order to protect your family and the community.”
A second man appeared next to the driver’s door. He pulled it open, and Dean slowly slid out of the pickup. Without thinking, Raine slid over and grabbed the door. She slammed it shut and locked it. As the man raised his pistol, Raine threw the gearshift into drive and stomped on the gas. She heard the man who’d been holding on to the passenger door scream as she dragged him, but Raine didn’t stop.
“He let go,” Scott said, twisting in his seat and looking over his shoulder.
“Are they following?” Raine asked a second before a bullet slammed into the truck bed.
The next round went through the back window, sending tiny pieces of glass raining down on Raine and Scott. Raine ducked a second before the third shot hit the rearview mirror. Raine stomped on the gas again and the truck slid sideways. The tires spun and whined, struggling for traction in the wet snow. They were going nowhere fast.
Finally, the tires caught, and they shot out onto the highway. The pickup again slid as Raine made the left turn. Another round struck the bed of the pickup, and then another. Raine lost count. She prayed that none hit a tire. Or the gas tank.
The vehicle lurched and then caught traction.
“What the hell are those people thinking? What have we done to them to make them want to kill us?” Raine asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe they believe we were kidnapping Dean or something.”
“Or maybe they were trying to stop us from going after the cartel,” Raine said.
Scott turned to look over his left shoulder through the busted back window. “Or that.”
It got unbearably cold in the truck very quickly with the back window broken. The windshield had two small holes that spidered out, but it remained intact. At least for the moment. Raine wasn’t sure how long she could drive with the cold wind whipping down the back of her coat. She reached back and pulled the hood up on her jacket. That helped some, but it did nothing for her frozen fingers. She placed her right hand under her leg and steered with her left. Rotating hands to try to keep them warm enough to drive.
They rode in silence for miles, it seemed.
“We should have made Dean tell us how to get to Randolph Court,” Scott said.
Raine shook her head. “Damn. That was stupid. Do you have an idea where look for it?”
“South.”
“That’s not much to go on,” Raine said.
Scott said nothing.
A moment later, Raine asked, “Do you think we could follow the sheriff’s tire tracks?” Raine pointed to the ruts made in the snow in the middle of the road.
“I don’t know. There are too many tracks for that. One of those was the Suburban’s.”
They’d come too far to turn back. They’d almost died. She’d be damned if she’d give up so easily. But where would they start to look for JJ? Raine rubbed her temple. She fought back the doubt that screamed at the back of her mind. Her skeptical side warred with her practical side, and her newfound brave side was finding it hard to win the battle. She was just an ordinary girl from Florida. She had limited experience with the rifle leaning against Scott’s leg. It was crazy what they were doing. She’d admit that. But she told herself that they had to. Her friends back at the farm were at just as much risk from the cartel, maybe even more than Dean Cartwright’s family. She pictured DeAndre sitting at the kitchen table, drawing horses and playing with his plastic soldier.
Raine sped up.
“What do you want to do?” Scott asked.
“Me? I want to stop the cartel and rescue JJ.”
Scott reached over and put a hand on Raine’s knee. “Are you sure? Really sure. You see how dangerous this is. Those were just regular people. Scared people, but ordinary folks. The men we will be going up against are hardened criminals with experience.”
Raine turned her head. “Do you want to quit? After all this? Do you want to give up on JJ and her family?” Raine chewed on her bottom lip, trying not to cry. She hated that she’d gotten so angry with him.
“No. I just— I just don’t want anything to happen to you. I couldn’t live with that.” Scott turned his head and stared out the passenger's side window.
A tight knot formed in the center of Raine’s chest. She was scared and his little speech made her more so, but she was committed, nonetheless.
“I came to have your back. We’re going to let Jim and A
iden take the lead. They seem to know more about what they’re doing. We’ll be there if it all goes bad. Otherwise, we’ll be there to take them home.”
Scott lowered his head and nodded. Raine wasn’t sure if he really agreed with her. She wasn’t sure if she believed that was what would happen. She hoped, but this all felt like some Hollywood movie script. Stuff like this didn’t happen in real life. Not to medical students from Florida. But it was happening, and she’d have to adapt. Or die.
Chapter 14
The Ward Farm
Farmington, Missouri
February 23rd, Approximately 1:15 pm
Lucy and Sheena lowered Brandon onto the plush leather recliner. His face scrunched up as Lucy extended its footrest. JJ’s brother, Nick, rolled onto his side on the sofa.
“What happened?” he asked.
“I think I caught a ricochet,” Brandon said. "This fella fired a shotgun, and everyone fired at him. I dove and tried to get out of the line of fire but caught one in the leg.”
“My dad and brother—they okay?”
“Yes. They went to the neighbor’s to borrow his truck. They got a lead on where JJ was taken.”
Nick pushed himself up to a seated position, wincing as he moved. “I should go with them.”
Lucy rushed over and put a hand on Nick’s right shoulder, pushing him back down on the sofa. “Oh no. You aren’t in any shape to go anywhere. You can’t even make it to the bathroom by yourself.”
“I can,” he said, looking up at her, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. “I just chose to accept your help.”
Lucy slapped the side of his head with the palm of her hand and backed away. “Si no fueras tan lindo.”
“What’s that?” Nick asked, leaning back out of her reach.
“She said you were cute,” Brandon said.
Lucy pivoted and kicked the footrest of Brandon’s chair, eliciting moans from him as he grabbed his injured leg.
“Hey. Watch the leg.”
Lucy smacked his forehead. “Watch your face.”
Sheena laughed as she turned toward the kitchen. "I need to see what I can round up for dinner. DeAndre will be up from his nap soon. Can I get a hand, Lucy?”
Lucy looked back as she entered the doorway to the kitchen. Nick winked at her, and she flipped him the bird.
That boy was still trying to make moves even in the middle of an apocalypse. Lucy turned her head and bit her upper lip.
Keep your head, Lucy.
Gage was bent over with his head halfway in the pantry.
“Who’s on guard duty?” Lucy asked.
Gage jumped and stepped back.
“Um, Antonio and Tom?” Gage said.
“You don’t know for sure?” Lucy asked.
“I just woke up.”
“I hope you slept well. You might not get another chance for a while,” Lucy said.
“Why? What happened?”
Lucy and Sheena tried their best to fill him in on everything that had happened that morning.
“Raine went with them?” Gage asked.
“I saw her and Scott walking back toward the neighbor’s. A little later, I heard a truck start up.”
Gage eyes widened. “They just left us here to defend this place alone after they poked the bear?”
Sheena whipped around to face him. “They went to save JJ.”
Lucy thought Sheena was going to unleash on the kid. They were all on edge after everything that had happened. She was sure that Sheena was worried about Raine and the others. She didn’t appear to be handling the stress all that well.
Gage walked over and pulled a chair away from the table. He lowered his head. “What are we going to do if they don’t come back?”
Lucy was prepared for Sheena to go off on him, but she didn’t. Sheena said nothing.
She turned her back to him, pulled a glass from a shelf above the sink, and poured herself a glass of water from a pitcher on the counter. Sheena took a long drink, then turned.
“We’ve lost a lot of people since we left our apartment. Raine’s tough. Scott and JJ are tough. If anyone can make it, they can. But…” She paused. “But if they don’t make it back… We keep going. We keep surviving for as long as we have breath in our bodies,” Sheena said.
Lucy stepped over to Sheena and placed a hand on her arm. “Well said.” Lucy walked over to the table and pulled out a chair. “We’re going to work together and do what has to be done to take care of one another.”
Gage looked up and nodded. He held out his bandaged hands. “They’re getting better. Soon, I’ll be able to pull my weight more.”
Lucy smiled. “I know. You’re doing good.”
“I appreciate you looking after DeAndre for me,” Sheena said, walking up and placing a hand on his shoulder.
Gage looked back. “Thanks, Sheena. He’s a great kid. We have a ton of fun.”
“Can you keep an eye on the beans while I take Raine’s watch shift? All you have to do is make sure they don’t boil dry. I haven’t quite got the hang of cooking on this wood stove.”
Gage smiled and nodded. “I think I can manage that.”
Sheena tilted her head back and to the side. “Should we go check on Tom and Antonio?”
Lucy sighed deeply, walked over, and pulled her jacket from the coatrack by the door. “I am so over this cold weather.”
“It’s a little warmer today. The snow is starting to melt some.”
“All that’s doing is making it a slushy, muddy mess. I sank to my ankles in the goat pen.”
“Gross,” Gage said.
“That is something you could do, Gage,” Lucy said.
“What?”
“You could gather the eggs.”
Gage slumped his shoulders and lowered his head. “All right. I can’t promise I won’t kill that rooster if he comes at me again, though.”
Lucy and Sheena chuckled.
“Will you make sure that Brandon and Nick don’t try to teach Dee how to play poker again? I wouldn’t want them whining ‘cause he took all their butterscotch candies,” Sheena said as she stood in the doorway.
“I heard that,” Nick yelled from the family room.
Lucy rolled her eyes and followed Sheena out the back door.
Sheena and Lucy walked the inside perimeter from the barn to the front of the property without seeing any sign of either Tom or Antonio. They turned to their right to search the south side. As they walked, Lucy checked the cans tied to the barbed wire fence to make sure each still contained the bolts or rocks that would alert them if anyone tried to climb through the fence—if they made it past the other defenses along the road, that was. Personally, she didn’t think anyone would bother chopping through the thick living fence that Jim had helped them create.
“I can’t believe Raine didn’t even come say good-bye before running off with Scott like that,” Sheena said, breaking the silence.
“Things tend to move fast these days. I don’t think she had the time,” Lucy said.
Sheena shrugged. “Maybe, but…”
Sheena was interrupted by the sound of clanging tin cans. She pivoted. Three men ran toward them, closing in on them fast.
Lucy brought her rifle up and fired without aiming. She heard more gunfire coming from her right but didn’t turn to see if it was friend or foe. Lucy dove to her right, knocking Sheena down and rolling behind a nearby boulder just as one of the men returned fire. Lucy reached and grabbed hold of Sheena’s jacket, pulling her behind the cover of the large rock. A round ricocheted off the boulder and chunks of rock hit Lucy in the face. Blood trickled down her cheek.
“Where are they?” Sheena called as she rolled and got up on her elbows.
“Two men ran toward the driveway. The other one is pinned down behind that tree near the gate,” Lucy said, pointing in that direction.
“I don’t see him,” Sheena said, raising up to have a look.
A round whizzed by, striking the ground behind t
hem and sending wet snow splattering across their backs.
Someone to their left returned fire. Lucy wanted to see who it was but was afraid to raise her head for fear of taking a bullet.
“Can you see who is shooting to our left?” Lucy asked.
Sheena rolled onto her right shoulder and peeked back and to the left.
“I think it’s Antonio.”
“We have to get to the house before those other two men.” Lucy wiggled and turned to look behind them. She had to find a way for them to get out from behind the rock without the man seeing them. A clump of overgrown juniper shrub about thirty feet away would provide them cover if they could make it there without being shot.
“Sheena. The next time Antonio fires, we’re going to run like hell to the bush back there,” Lucy said, pointing over her shoulder.
“Are you sure?” Sheena asked, her big brown eyes questioning.
“We have to make it to the house.”
Sheena nodded and turned toward the juniper shrub.
A moment later, the intruder opened up on Antonio’s position.
“Get ready,” Lucy yelled over the thunderous sound.
The man stopped firing and Antonio popped up, sending round after round into the tree the man was hiding behind.
Lucy grabbed hold of Sheena and hauled her to her feet. The two women sprinted to the bush and dropped behind it. From that vantage point, Lucy could see Antonio positioned behind a concrete statue next to a huge old oak tree in the center of the yard.
When he stopped firing and dropped back behind the tree, Lucy yelled, "Antonio. Where’s Tom?”
Antonio looked over his right shoulder.
“He ran toward the house.”
“Can you cover us?” Lucy asked. “The other men are headed that way.”
“I’m getting low an ammo, but yeah. I’ll keep him busy while you run to the south side of the house.”
Lucy turned to Sheena. “Are you ready?”
“I’m ready. We have to get there before those men get to my baby.”
“Okay, Antonio. We’re ready,” Lucy said, rising to a crouch.
