by Payne, T. L.
“You mother—” Jim screamed, straining against Buddy’s arms.
“You don’t have to die. Tell us what you want. You want something, right?” Russell pleaded. He lowered his rifle to the ground and took another step closer.
“Russell! Don’t,” James yelled.
“You and me. We can work this out. Just tell me what it will take for you to let her go,” Russell said, continuing to inch his way toward them.
“You sleeping with him too, Justice?” David asked as he pulled on JJ’s hair. She yelped.
“I’m going to kill you. Don’t you hurt my sister,” Aiden said, starting to charge at them. James flung his arm out and stopped him.
“Calm down. Don’t!” James said.
“Yeah, Aiden. Why don’t you calm down? You damn hothead,” David taunted him. “You’ve always been a mouthy hothead. Just like your sister. I had to beat that shit right out of her. Didn’t I, baby?”
“You…” Aiden plowed into James, and Clive had to step in to help restrain him. “You’re sick,” Aiden spat. "You’re a sick bastard.”
“Stop, Aiden. Stop provoking him. You’re only making it worse,” Russell yelled over his shoulder.
Scott moaned and moved his arm.
“Oh, thank God!” Raine whispered.
Scott arched his back and attempted to push himself to his knees. David’s attention diverted to Scott. Russell seized the opportunity and sprinted toward them. David raised the pistol and fired. The bullet struck Russell in the abdomen. He bent over, clutching his stomach. Clive twisted and brought his rifle up, pointing it at David, but David shoved JJ in front of him, shielding him from Clive’s aim.
Clive's face contorted, and he released a frustrated scream. Raine ran to Russell as he dropped to his knees. Grabbing him under his armpits, Raine struggled to pull him to safety.
“Look at all them, Justice. They’re here risking their lives to save you. All these deaths are on you. You did this. If you had just given me my money, none of this would have happened. But no, you had to be a bitch and steal from me.” David looked up and glared at Jim. “I bet your precious little girl here didn’t tell you that she’d slept with every swinging dick in Kansas City or that she stole from my father’s accounting firm, did she?”
Jim lunged, and Buddy lifted him off his feet as Jim screamed profanities at David.
Raine struggled but managed to pull Russell behind a large oak and gently lower him to the ground. He cried out as she attempted to apply pressure to his abdomen. She could feel blood seeping between her fingers, but her gaze remained fixed on JJ and David.
“I told you, David. I’ll take you to the money. Let’s just go. Right now. Let’s just go get your money,” JJ pleaded with him.
“I’m afraid it’s too late for that now. You let it go too far. You’re to blame for all of this. As usual, you’ve screwed it all up.”
“I screwed it up? I did? You are the sick SOB that killed those girls. They had nothing to do with any of this. You killed them for your own sick pleasure. You can’t put that on me.”
“You killed my baby,” a woman screamed. Raine couldn’t see her. A second later, Janie burst through the brush sprinting toward JJ and David. Clive tackled her, and they both fell to the ground as Donald and Don Junior arrived on the scene.
“They killed our baby girl. Kill them, Donald! Kill them!” Janie cried. She broke down, sobbing into Clive's chest.
“You killed her? You kill my little girl? We had a deal. We did what you asked,” Donald said, his face contorted with anguish and grief.
“You didn’t do what I asked. I told you to bring me my money. Do I have my money? No. I do not. Oh, but she was such a sweet little thing. She held on for days. Oh, was she—”
“You son of a…” Donald screamed as he lunged for David. A deep, throaty boom rang out from the handgun in David’s hand, and Donald dropped. Don Junior ran to his father and threw himself on top of him, sobbing into his neck.
“See, Justice? This is all on you. You made me do that,” David said as he returned the gun to her temple. JJ hung her head, and he pulled her hair, yanking her head back. “You look at him. You look at the boy there and that woman. Don’t you look away. You need to own it.” David threw his head back and screamed, “All you had to do was give me my damn money!” He pressed his mouth against her cheek. “None of this had to happen like this. But you had to be too damn nosey.” He shook his head.
Raine’s gaze fell to Janie on the ground, sobbing in Clive’s arms, her son a few feet away cradling her dead husband. This man had caused so much destruction. For what? Money? Money that was now worthless. “Where the hell do you think you were going to spend that money, stupid?” Raine heard herself ask. She stood, her blood-soaked hands at her sides. She walked toward them. Her gaze fixed on David’s blank, evil eyes. “Did you fail to notice that the world’s gone to shit? The lights are off. The phones aren’t working, and most of the cars are dead. Society as we know it? That’s gone. So you did all this for nothing. Even if JJ had given you the money, there’s nowhere to spend it.” Raine glared at him. He was in total denial about the condition of the world now. Rage filled her. He’d caused all this death and destruction. He deserved to die for it. “What a coward you are, hiding behind a woman. It shows what kind of man you are,” Raine said.
“No, Raine. Stop!” JJ yelled. “Don’t listen to her, David. The flash drive is back at the Suburban, where you ran it off the road. It’s there. We can get it, and I’ll help you access the money. You can charter a plane and go anywhere you want to go. Let’s go get it now.”
JJ was still trying to reason with the idiot. Raine knew there was no reasoning with someone this demented. Raine couldn’t look at the man. She wanted to rush over there and rip his head off. She wanted to shove that gun down his throat and pull the trigger herself. Rage filled her as her gaze dropped to JJ’s terrified, battered face. Raine shut her eyes. She couldn’t stand the sight of it. She felt JJ’s pain and terror in her own gut, and it was too much. She wanted to scream.
Boom!
A shot rang out, and Raine dove to the ground. Her heart hammered in her chest as she waited for the pain. She pulled her arm underneath her and felt for blood. There was none. Had he missed her? She heard Buddy screaming, “Get the gun! Get the gun!” Raine rolled onto her back and sat up. JJ was on top of Scott, cradling him in her arms and rocking him. Raine scrambled to her knees and turned her gaze to James and Aiden, who were straddling David.
What happened?
Maggie stepped into view behind them with her rifle raised to her shoulder. James looked up. “Good shot!”
“Not bad with a bum arm,” Maggie said.
Jim and Buddy were at JJ’s side now. Buddy peeled her off Scott and rolled him over. His face was covered in blood. His eyes opened. “Oh, my God, Scott. Oh, thank God. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry,” JJ cried. Buddy helped Scott sit up.
“You’ve done nothing to be sorry for,” Scott muttered.
“Daddy!” JJ cried, and Jim swooped her up into his arms. They embraced, sobbing.
Jim caressed her hair and ran a gentle hand down her cheek. “Are you okay, Justice? Is anything broken?”
It was so touching, seeing them together like that. It was obvious that there was so much love between them. Maggie slipped in beside Raine. “You okay?” she said, pointing to the blood on Raine’s jacket and hands.
Raine checked herself. She wasn’t shot. “It isn’t mine.” Raine pointed to Russell. She stared at him a moment. She knew that the image would stay with her for the rest of her life. She recalled holding Brice in the dark furniture store back in St. Louis.
How many more would there be? How many more times would she hold someone as they took their last breath? She hated that she felt so numb. Not just from the cold temperature. She imagined there would soon come a day when all the emotions would catch up with her and she’d have to deal with it then. A large snowflake struck her
eye and hung on her eyelashes. She held out a bloody hand and watched the flakes fall into it. Today, she felt relief—relief that she was alive, that JJ and Scott were alive, and an evil man was dead.
Chapter 30
Kirkman Compound
St. Francois County, Missouri
February 23rd, Approximately 4:30 pm
“I’ll see you back at the farm,” Raine said as she wrapped her arms around JJ’s shoulders. JJ nodded and climbed into the back seat of Buddy’s vehicle. She slid over to the middle next to Aiden.
Jim reached out and pulled Raine into a hug. “Thank you for coming to help me get my daughter back. I know Justice appreciates it as much as I do.”
JJ had been quiet and distant since watching the others load the bodies of Donald and his daughter into the bed of Janie’s pickup. Three more girls had been found dead in the corner of the four-bay garage, stacked like cordwood. Once they too were placed in the bed of the truck, Raine watched Don Junior pulled down the drive and past the mangled wrought-iron gate.
Raine looked away as James and Clive loaded Russell into the back of his SUV. His son, Daniel, and then Clive got in and pulled in behind Buddy’s vehicle. James climbed into his SUV as Raine held the passenger door open for Scott. He jumped in, and she closed it the door for him. Raine patted Scott’s on the arm.
“How’s the head?” Raine asked.
“It feels like I was hit on the back of the head by a heavy-ass pistol.” Scott smiled. “I’ll be fine,” he said, grabbing her hand between his palms. “Let’s get home.”
Home?
She no longer had a home. Her apartment had burned in the fire that had swept through St. Louis following the EMP. She couldn’t even say she had a home in Florida anymore. Her mother had sold her childhood home and moved to a condo. Raine prayed that her mother was still at Gwen’s. It seemed less and less likely she’d ever make it back to Florida, and even less likely that she’d find her mother if she did.
Raine nodded and climbed into the back seat next to Maggie. “Does that hurt?” Raine asked, pointing to Maggie’s arm.
Maggie pulled her long, gray braid over her shoulder, allowing it to fall across her chest. “I’ve had worse.” She leaned forward and placed a wrinkled hand on Scott’s shoulder. “I’ve got whiskey back at the cabin. That will help with that headache.”
Scott turned his head and smiled. “Thanks.”
James pulled behind Russell and Buddy’s vehicles, and the convoy headed north, back toward Russell’s place. Scott’s head was lowered, and his eyes closed. He looked like he was sleeping, but Raine doubted it. She wasn’t sure she’d ever sleep again. At least not much considering when she shut her eyes, scenes from what they’d gone through today played on a continual loop.
“Are you okay, Scott?” Raine asked as his head lolled to the side.
He straightened and wiped the drool from his chin. “Yeah. I was just resting my eyes.”
“How’s the headache?” Maggie asked.
Scott rubbed the back of his neck. His hand came away bloody. “Hurts like a mother.”
“You might have a concussion. You’ll need to take it easy for a few days when we get back to the farm,” Raine said.
“I can’t. I need to get on the road.”
Raine had forgotten. He wasn’t staying. He was on a quest to find his daughter. It would be difficult to convince him that he was in no shape to travel, especially all the way across the country. She’d wait and discuss it with the others, though. Maybe JJ and Jim could help persuade him to hold off at least a few days.
“Where you headed?” James asked.
“Florida,” Scott said.
“That’s a hell of a long way. You got a vehicle?”
Scott shook his head. “Not anymore.”
“That sucks, man.”
He paused.
“What’s in Florida? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“My daughter.”
No one spoke for the rest of drive. Everyone appeared spent. Raine wasn’t sure how much more of the constant battle for survival any of them could take. It took such a toll on the body and mind. Mostly the mind.
Raine stayed in the vehicle with Scott as James and Clive worked to pull Maggie’s VW Bus out of the mud. Raine looked away as Russell's family were told the bad news. She wanted to plug her ears as well, but that would be disrespectful. The wailing faded as Russell’s wife and other children were led inside their home. Raine watched Jim and JJ, who were still seated in the back seat of Buddy’s SUV. Jim had his arm around her, and their heads were touching. Raine imagined they had a lot of catching up to do.
They’d likely be heading home to Jim’s homestead as soon as they picked up JJ’s other brother from the farm. Would Scott go with them? That was more likely. They might have a vehicle he could use.
With the VW bus out of the mud, they were back on the road. Although Raine was anxious to get to the farm, Maggie insisted they stop by her place first. She had a few “gifts” for Scott.
Raine clutched the bottle of moonshine in one hand as she hugged Maggie. “I hope I see you again sometime,” Maggie said.
Raine gave her a gentle squeeze and backed away.
“The farm isn’t that far. I’m sure we’ll see you in town some time.”
Raine wasn’t sure how the neighbors would respond to them now that the threat of the cartel was over. She wasn’t sure that she would ever trust them, though. She couldn’t be sure which ones had played a role in trying to push them out of the county. Some had attacked them. Scott had been taken by members of the community. Raine had no way of knowing who was related to whom and how many would blame them for the deaths of those girls. Until they could figure out who was trustworthy—besides Maggie, Buddy, James, and Clive—she planned on keeping her distance from the locals.
The town looked deserted as they drove through on their way to the road leading to the farm. She wished the property wasn't located so close to the tiny community. Raine recalled that back in St. Louis, when they’d been discussing where to go, JJ and Scott had said they should consider land more isolated down near Shannon or Carter counties. Now that sounded like a good idea, but Raine feared they would be confronted by more of the same anywhere they went. Their flight from St. Louis seemed like a lifetime ago. So much had happened since she’d been forced to flee her apartment.
Raine ran a hand through her tangled hair. She was exhausted and emotionally spent. Raine yawned and laid her head back. She was ready to get changed out of her dirty, wet clothes and drink a warm cup of tea by the wood stove. She was so looking forward to seeing DeAndre’s cheery little face. His smile always lifted her mood.
Before they even reached the driveway, Raine knew something was wrong. Tire tracks led down the lane. There hadn’t been a car down that drive since Scott and JJ left. Raine leaned forward and tapped James on the shoulder.
“Wait. Something’s not right.” She pointed to the tire tracks.
“What?” Scott asked.
“Tire tracks. It’s been snowing, but those look fresh.”
James stopped in the middle of the road and put the SUV into park. Scott’s door flew open. He jumped out, his rifle raised and pointed down the drive. Buddy pulled in behind them but left his engine running. Jim and JJ appeared at Raine’s side.
“What’s wrong?” Jim asked.
Raine pointed.
He raised his rifle and peered through its scope. James did the same.
“You and JJ should wait here. Let us check it out,” Aiden said.
Raine tilted her head and scowled. JJ said nothing. She stood staring emotionlessly at the tracks in the snow.
“Or not,” Aiden said, joining Buddy and Jim as they moved toward the house.
Raine followed them. Buddy and James started to veer off the driveway and head into the woods in front of the house.
“Wait! We boobytrapped the woods. The driveway is the only way in,” Raine said.
“Follow me,” Jim said, and they disappeared into the brush.
Raine, Scott, Aiden, and JJ continued toward the house. Raine stopped short at the sight of the broken gate. Scott shoved her behind him and dropped back off the drive.
“Stop!” Raine said and pointed at the ground. Scott held his right foot into the air just above one of their homemade spike sticks. There were footprints all around them. Some were overturned and exposed. Blood stained the snow. Raine looked beyond the gate. She gasped. Her hand came up and covered her mouth. Spent cartridges littered the ground. Raine could tell there had been an intense gun battle here.
“We have to get up there. They could need help,” Scott said.
Raine stepped around the mangled gate and ran up the driveway toward the house.
Chapter 31
The Ward Farm
Farmington, Missouri
February 23rd, 5:15 pm
Brandon leaned against a stool in front of the workbench in the barn. The sound of the hammering was giving Lucy a headache, but after the attacks on the farm, she knew just how important beefing up their defenses was to their survival. They’d been fortunate that Mr. Ward had been such a hoarder. The stacks of old lumber and nails alone were invaluable. She and Sheena had spent hours tying fishhooks to a fishing line and wrapping them around a broken axe handle.
“I think we should go string theses hooks and lay the boards out along the road. We need to see where we have any gaps before it gets dark,” Brandon said, placing the two-by-fours into the wagon with the rest of the spiked boards.
“You should stand guard at the house,” Sheena said, pointing to Brandon’s leg. “You really need to be off your feet.”
“I don’t think you two should be out there alone.”
Lucy and Sheena stared at one another. “We’ve got this,” Sheena said.
After seeing Sheena in action, Lucy felt the two of them could handle putting out the extra defenses by themselves. Antonio and Tom were busy boarding up the broken windows and hauling in water and firewood. Life still went on and there were other chores yet to be taken care of. They needed to move quickly and get back to them.
