by Payne, T. L.
One corner of Raine’s mouth curled up into a half-smile. She wasn’t convinced.
No one spoke as they made their way through the woods down a narrow game trail. Occasionally, Raine or Scott’s packs would catch on branches or brambles, but the trail was clear for the most part.
“Scott. What did Buddy do with the prisoner?” Raine asked, her voice just above a whisper.
“He’s tied and gagged back in the barn. He can’t get free,” Scott said.
A moment later, she asked, “What happens to him when this is all over?”
Scott shrugged. “I don’t know. Normally, I’d say he’d be handed over to the sheriff, but there isn’t one now.”
Raine was silent for several minutes. Scott thought about all the rural counties and small towns that he would have to travel through to get to Lily. How many of those places would have functioning law enforcement? How many of them would have already succumbed to lawlessness or ruthless rulers? He imagined that most of the communities he passed would be reluctant to entertain strangers. He’d skirt as many of them as possible. When not practical, he’d attempt to pass through at night when most residents would be sleeping. Though, the sound of a running vehicle may alert anyone on guard duty. The risk of having a vehicle stolen these days was quite high. But what choice did he have—walk nearly eight hundred miles?
“So is law and order a thing of the past?” Raine asked, reading his thoughts.
“In some places, it appears so. At least for now,” Scott said.
“We’ll need people like Buddy and Russell then, won’t we?”
“I’m afraid that there aren’t enough of them to go around. I doubt many people would put themselves on the line like this,” Scott said.
“It’s hard to know who to trust.”
“And getting harder. You’d expect the sheriff to be the one to plan a rescue mission, not cooperating with drug cartels,” Scott said.
“Fear makes people do desperate things sometimes. I imagine most of the Wards’ community were good people before the lights went out,” Raine said.
Scott felt that society had walked a thin line even before then. Fear of being caught and losing their freedom was a strong deterrent for most people. It sure was what kept him from strangling his wife’s lover.
“I think you’re right. That’s why conmen and tyrants will be able to move into communities and take over. Unless you have people like Buddy, Russell, and James there to protect them, that is.”
“Do you think Buddy will step up and lead the community now that the sheriff and his men are gone? We need someone like him,” Raine asked.
“Maybe. If they don’t piss him off too much,” Scott said.
Everyone ahead of them stopped. James turned. “This is our rear fallback position. We’re leaving two cans of ammo and a couple of rifles here. If we call for a retreat, this is where you run to. Okay?”
“Okay,” Scott and Raine said in unison.
Scott turned in a circle, trying to locate landmarks to find the place again. He hoped it wouldn’t be necessary and that they’d all return here together and with JJ.
James placed the duffle bag containing the rifles on the ground next to a fallen tree and piled snow on top of it. The ammunition cans were shoved inside the rotted-out trunk of the tree. Scott reached up and twisted a limb, causing it to point toward the ground. He located several good-sized rocks protruding through the snow and placed three on top of one another beneath the tree to mark the rally point.
“What are you doing?” Raine asked.
“Making a trail marker. Look for this branch and rock pile if you have to fall back.”
Scott turned and walked to the fallen tree where the ammo and rifles were stashed. “Ten paces. Now you walk it. Use quick steps. You’ll be in a hurry if you have to locate them yourself.”
Raine quickly stepped from the rock pile to the fallen log. “I got sixteen steps.”
Scott looked at all the tracks leading to their stash. “We need to conceal the footprints.” He removed a knife from his tactical belt and cut a branch from a nearby red cedar tree. The tree would make a good drag to fill in the holes and conceal their footprints.
“Here, Raine. You walk around the tree dragging this behind you. I’ll go behind you and then get the ones leading from the trail to the tree,” Scott said.
Raine walked backward around the fallen tree dragging the cedar branch in front of her and moving it from side to side leaving drag marks in the snow. When she reached the trail, Scott did the same, concealing their tracks to and from the tree.
“Good thinking,” Jim said.
Scott held his hand out, palm up. Fat snowflakes fell onto his gloved hand. “The way this snow is coming down, it should fill in the remaining depressions and drag marks pretty quickly.” He wiped snow from his eyelashes.
Buddy led the group on down the trail. Every once in a while, Scott could spot a clearing through the trees and an occasional house, but he saw no smoke rising above them. He assumed they must have never made it home or left to be with relatives elsewhere. Scott imagined a lot of people had discovered that living with relatives or a group made it easier to survive these days—more people to spread the chores between and more eyes watching for trouble. He thought of Maggie living alone with most of the community aware that she had all the firepower and ammunition. Did that make her a bigger target or act as a deterrent? It was hard to say. Still, Scott wasn’t sure how she would make it long term on her own without joining family or a group.
At rally point number two, James left a well-stocked medical kit, the ammo cans that Scott brought, and another bag of rifles on the backside of a large boulder concealed from the trail. Scott marked the trail as he had before but didn’t pace the steps this time. There was only one large boulder, and he thought he could find it easy enough. He pointed to the rock piled in the trail, and Raine nodded her acknowledgment.
“How close are we?” Raine asked.
“About a quarter-mile,” Buddy said.
A clump of snow fell from a tree branch overhead and plopped onto Raine’s head. She laughed and wiped it from her eyes. Scott retrieved a bandana from his pocket and handed it to her. She took it and wiped her face.
“The snow is picking up and visibility may be low when we reach the compound,” Scott said.
“That could work to our advantage. The guards on watch outside will probably have their heads down and be distracted trying to keep out of the wind. I should be able to make it up to the house in much better time,” Buddy said. He tapped the white bag containing his snow-white ghillie suit.
Scott smiled. He’d worn snow camo to hunt elk in Wyoming a few times. He felt fairly confident that the suit made of strips of white cloth would help conceal Buddy from the guards’ view. “I’m glad those asshats don’t have thermal imaging,” Buddy said as he slung the sling of his snow camouflage print rifle over his head.
A few more houses could be seen from the trail now. A dog barked nearby and Raine jumped, bumping into Scott and knocking him off the trail. “It’s all right. He’s fenced in,” Scott said, pointing to a back yard across a field. “See?”
Scott had been impressed with how Raine had handled herself with threats back in St. Louis, especially when they’d stolen the Suburban. But her fear of dogs seemed over the top. He quickened his pace and caught up with James. When he came alongside him, he asked, “Do you know if there are any dogs at the compound?”
“No. Old man Kirkman used to have a pair of Rottweilers, but Buddy didn’t see them anywhere. We’re prepared for them, though,” James said.
“Silencers?” Scott asked, cringing at the thought of them shooting the dogs.
“No. Hamburger meat.”
“Really? That’ll work?” Scott asked.
James smiled. “Sure thing. It’s a little special concoction.”
Scott lifted his chin. “I see. They take a little nap and wake none the wiser.”
�
�Exactly. I’m hoping I get to bring the big guys home with me if those savages didn’t kill them.”
Scott raised an eyebrow. “You better have one of those poles the dogcatchers used if they wake up before you get them home.”
Scott imagined having a dog might be an asset out here, helping alert the homeowner of trespassers, but having to feed one now when food was scarce would be tough.
“I’m hoping a little more hamburger will take care of that problem,” James said. “I’ll get Doc Hadley to look them over for me if I get bring them home. I’ve always wanted a Rottweiler.”
Everyone ahead of them stopped.
“This is our rally point one. This is our first fallback position,” James said. “Raine. This is where you’ll come for ammo when you run out.”
Raine swallowed hard. “Okay.” Her hands trembled as she held the two ammo cans. James placed two more cans on the ground under a large cedar tree.
“We're going to observe noise discipline from here on out. Nothing above a whisper and only speak when absolutely necessary,” James said and then turned to Raine. “If we encounter trouble and shit gets real, you find cover and sit tight until someone calls for ammo.”
Scott rolled his head and cracked his neck, trying to ease the tension in his shoulders. He was worried for Raine. He regretted allowing her to come with him. She had no experience with any of this. She was just a college kid. She shouldn’t be fighting a drug cartel to save a friend. None of them should be. This should have been handled by law enforcement. But those days seemed over. He feared this wasn’t the last time that Raine would have to be involved in something like this. If she and the others remained at the Wards’ place, they would likely have to fight to keep it. They really did need someone like Buddy to step up and bring some semblance of law and order to the community.
Buddy dropped his pack and slid into the ghillie suit. He shook hands with Russell, Maggie, and James and hugged his son before heading down the trail. Maggie dropped her pack and took a seat on a snow-covered boulder. She removed a large knife from a scabbard on her pack and scraped the snow from a spot next to her. Maggie looked up and patted the area she’d just cleared. “Take a seat, Raine.”
Raine placed the two ammo cans down next to the boulder and dropped her pack on top of them before sitting. Maggie pulled a pistol from her chest rig and dropped the magazine. As she and Raine went through the procedure for clearing a jammed round and quickly reloading, James and Russell prepared to set off the fireworks.
“You have a backup lighter, right?” Russell asked. James held up two Bic lighters and a book of matches.
Russell handed him a barbeque grill lighter and a canvas bag filled to the top with M-60 firecrackers. “You take these. I’m going to place a few of the rockets and mortars type fireworks on the opposite side of the field by the gate.”
“Okay. I’ll see you when I see you then,” James said, holding out his right hand.
Russell took his hand and pulled him into a hug. “You stay safe, cousin. I’ll see you back here when we’re ready to breach the house.”
“You too,” James said, and the two men set off in opposite directions.
While Jim and Aiden were busy checking their weapons and ammunition and securing the gear on their belts, Scott paced. So much could go wrong. Lives were going to be lost today, and he couldn’t be sure it wouldn’t be his. He couldn’t get Lily off his mind. Guilt stabbed his heart. He should have been risking his life to reach his own daughter today. If JJ’s ex-husband and the cartel hadn’t crashed into the Suburban and sent it into the ditch, he’d be there by now. The way things were going, he had no idea how he’d possibly make it to Florida now.
The fact that there were still vehicles running was encouraging. They were old, though, and gas guzzlers for sure. He’d likely have mechanical issues, and finding fuel would be a constant issue, but at least he had hope of making it. He pushed thoughts of not finding her from his mind and did one last check of his ammunition.
His tactical belt held two rifle magazines, while the vest James had provided him held four. Russell’s cousin, Clive, wore only a vest, but it looked to hold about six magazines. They appeared to have enough ammo on them to battle a small country. He wondered how well armed the cartel was. He’d seen rifles on the men that held him, but not loads of ammunition. Would they have come armed to the teeth to take one small woman? Maybe it would be a quick fight, and it would be all over in a few minutes. He hoped that was the case. The best-case scenario would be that David and his men surrendered and let JJ go without anyone dying. That was likely to happen, though.
Scott caught movement to his left and looked up. Russell’s son, Daniel, was running down the trail toward them.
“What’s wrong?” Maggie said, jumping to her feet.
Jim stepped in front of the boy. “What is it?”
“Jeb Cartwright’s brother and some folks are headed this way,” Daniel panted. “They are crossing Remington’s pasture right now. They’ll be here any minute.”
“Shit!” Jim said and spun around. “We have to run out and stop them before they get too close. If David and the cartel hear gunfire, our plan is screwed.”
Aiden dropped his pack and rifle to the ground. “How many of them are there?”
“I think about five or so. That’s what I counted. I’m not sure if more are on their way,” Daniel said, bending over to catch his breath.
“Clive. You want to follow Aiden and me. We’ll set up an ambush for them and try to take them out without discharging our weapons.” Jim held up a tactical knife.
“You’re going to take on all five of them with that?” Raine asked.
Jim glanced over and nodded. “That’s the plan.”
Chapter 25
Scott and Raine skirted the tree line less than forty feet from the goat shed. From that vantage point, Scott could see three men and a woman crouched behind a row of hay bales. Their dark clothing stood out against the white wrapping about the bales. Scott ran north, staying concealed in the woods. He purposefully made as much noise as he could to attract their attention. Raine fell in behind him, banging a stick on tree trunks as they pushed toward an old farmhouse at the other end of the large pasture. The plan was for Scott, Raine, and Maggie to distract Cartwright’s group so Jim, Aiden, and Clive could sneak up on them.
Killing these people hadn’t been part of Scott’s plan. He wasn’t at all comfortable sneaking up behind someone and slitting their throats. But the mission to rescue JJ called for stealth, and these folks were here to stop them from getting to her. Scott had a hard time understanding why they would risk their lives to help David and the cartel. He had to have had some kind of leverage on them.
Scott looked back as he ran. A young, skinny kid broke away from cover and ran toward Scott and Raine. As he approached, Scott saw the pistol in his hand. If he fired the weapon, it might blow the whole deal. Scott stopped and caught hold of Raine, shoving her to the ground as the boy raised the pistol. Scott grabbed his from his thigh holster and brought it up. The kid was too far away to make the shot and with all the brush and tree cover, the chance of the kid hitting him or Raine was pretty slim. Scott lowered the pistol and allowed the kid to continue advancing.
He dropped back behind a large oak and pulled Raine toward him. He placed a finger to her lips. “We are going to let him come to us. I’m going to try to get behind him and disarm the kid. You need to be ready to defend yourself—just in case I fail.”
Raine's eyes widened. “Scott. That’s too dangerous.”
“I need to try. We can’t let him alert the men holding JJ.”
Scott scooted back behind a large cedar tree and moved around to where he could see the kid. He was crouching beside the goat shed now, staring toward Raine. He hoped she would stay put and concealed. Scott slowly crawled down a hill into a wet weather creek that ran from the woods across the open field. It wasn’t as deep when it reached open ground, but it might provi
de some concealment as he approached. The kid’s focus remained on Raine’s position.
Scott closed the distance and was within fifteen feet of the shed when the kid stepped out. Scott turned and looked over the top of the creek toward the others hiding behind the hay. They didn’t look too anxious to cross the rest of the open ground. He could hear whispered voices but couldn’t make out what was being said.
Scott inched closer. The creek was getting more and more shallow. Soon, he would run out of cover, and they’d be able to see him. The boy looked back over his shoulder. Scott dropped down, flattening himself on the rocks as much as possible. He waited at least twenty seconds before peeking over the top again. The boy turned and ran back to join the others.
“I didn’t see anyone. It was probably just a deer,” the kid said loud enough for Scott to hear.
“I’m not sure about this, Donald. I think we should go back and get the others. If we mess this up, those animals might just kill Taylor and Jordan,” the woman said.
“Janie, if we allow that group to attack the compound, all the girls could die. We can’t let them screw things up for us. Don’t you see?” an older male voice said.
The cartel was holding other girls? Made sense. That would be sufficient leverage to get the community to do what the cartel demanded.
Scott eased back until he had enough room to maneuver and turn himself around. He hurried back to Raine.
“Hurry. We need to get to Jim and the others before they make a huge mistake,” Scott said, pulling her to her feet.
“Why? What’s going on?” Raine asked as she fell in behind him.
“The cartel is holding their family members hostage, too. That is why the community is so hell-bent on helping the cartel. They’re protecting their loved ones.”
“Shit. We have to tell Jim,” Raine said.
They traveled to the end of the pasture and turned left, remaining in the concealment of the brush and trees at the edge of the field. As Scott and Raine approached Jim, Aiden, and Clive’s position, a knot formed in Scott’s stomach. If they mistook them for the Cartwrights, they could get their throats slit.
