by Tate, Harley
“Looks that way.” Larkin stepped back. “I haven’t seen Walter.”
Colt’s jaw ticked. “What about Tracy and Dani?”
“No sign of them. Wherever they took them, it wasn’t here.”
“Would you two stop acting like it’s just another day in the neighborhood and help a girl out? I’m clueless.”
Colt smiled despite his mood. “We tracked Walter here. It’s a farm that seems to be run by a few families.”
“So how did we end up in the stables?”
“We’re here because I failed in the rescue mission.”
Larkin interrupted. “We failed.”
Colt’s jaw ticked. He refused to put the blame on anyone but himself. “You all showed up unconscious in a pickup truck right when everything was going to hell.”
“It doesn’t make any sense.” Brianna huffed and Colt could imagine her pacing back and forth, trying to figure it out. “We were at the hospital.”
“Why?”
“You saw Madison’s injury. She needs a vaccine.”
Colt wrinkled his nose. “For a cut?”
“A bite. A fox bit her while she was inspecting the traps. It tested positive for rabies.”
“Crap.” Colt ran a hand down his face. “How long ago?”
“Long enough to make every minute count. We had no luck at the vet’s office on the edge of town so we went straight to the hospital.” Her voice lightened. “You should have seen it. The pharmacy was pristine. Not a single shelf disturbed.”
“Are you sure you didn’t hit your head?” Larkin’s tone matched Colt’s thoughts. “Every pharmacy is trashed by now.”
“Not this one. It was under guard. We thought we could get in and out and not be seen, but it didn’t work out that way.”
Colt couldn’t believe it. The farm was more than just a family trying to survive. If they were the same people who organized runs out of the warehouse where Lottie tracked Walter and were guarding the hospital pharmacy, it was a bigger operation that Colt realized.
He strained to see outside the barn, but the stable walls limited his view to about fifteen feet. How many people did it take to maintain security at a pharmacy, go on regular raids, and keep a farm of this size working?
The horse in the stall next to Colt began to stamp and neigh and he pulled away from the gate. Footsteps sounded on the hard-packed dirt.
“Easy, girl, easy. I know they smell like strangers, but it’s okay.”
Colt recognized the voice and surged forward. “What did you do with Dani? Is she still alive?”
The man identified as Ben walked into view. He rested a shotgun on his shoulder and his brow knit as he spotted Colt. He opened his mouth to answer when Brianna threw something at the gate. A burst of something thick and sludgy flew through the slats and landed on Ben’s foot.
Colt knew what it was from the smell and he bit his tongue to keep from laughing.
Ben stepped out of range. “Let’s lay off the crap-throwing, shall we?”
“Not until you let me out of here, you son of a bitch! My best friend is going to die because of you! All we wanted was a damn vaccine!”
“My men assessed the situation and believed you were there for drugs.”
“Who died and appointed you king?”
“No one. But we aren’t going to let the neighborhood meth heads ruin everything.” He glanced at Colt. “We aren’t the bad guys here.”
“You sure are acting like it.” Brianna refused to give up. She launched another glob of horse manure through the bars. It missed Ben by a foot. “What are you saving all the drugs for, anyway? To launch a new business? A new drug cartel? Are illegal drugs not good enough now that no one can even find an antibiotic?”
“We aren’t drug dealers. We’re protectors. At some point, the chaos will die down and America will rebuild. We’ll need the medicine.”
Brianna shrieked in frustration. “Madison needs a rabies vaccine and she needs it right now! Screw rebuilding. If everyone dies because you’re trying out for an episode of Hoarders, I swear to God you’ll regret it.”
“I’m beginning to already.” Ben exhaled and lapsed into silence.
Colt tried again. “Tell me about Dani. Is she still alive?”
“It’s touch and go.”
“I want to see her.”
Ben shook his head. “No.”
“I want proof of life.”
“You’ll have to take my word for it.”
Colt spun around in a circle and punched at the closest bale of hay. If he had to kill every stranger in the place to find her, he would. No one was keeping him from saving that girl. If she was still alive, then he was getting her out of there.
He focused on the shotgun still resting on the man’s shoulder. The farm had an arsenal, that much was plain. And from everything he’d seen, every adult carried at least one weapon.
Even if he did escape, all it would take was one person spotting him and it would be over. He didn’t doubt the orders this time were to kill. Colt ground his teeth together. He couldn’t rescue Dani without firepower.
He sucked in a huge breath and let it out slow enough to calm his frantic heart. “How about we call a truce? You let us out of the animal pens and we can all have a chat like civilized people.”
“Are you crazy?” Brianna stormed inside her stable. “We’re wasting time.”
Ben turned to Colt. “I’m listening.”
“We’re unarmed. You’ve got Tracy and Dani as basically hostages. Let’s take a step back and talk about this like men.”
“And women!” Brianna kicked the gate and her whole stable shook.
“You promise to stand down?”
Colt stuck his hand through the slats. “On my honor.”
Ben hesitated for a moment before shaking his hand. “All right. But I’m keeping armed guards. And you can’t see the other women until we’ve reached an agreement.”
Colt nodded. He didn’t care what lies he had to tell. He would agree to sell his first-born child, everyone back home, and all their guns, just to get a chance to take the big man down. He stepped back as Ben walked toward the end of the barn.
“Daniel! Craig! Come escort our guests to the bunkhouse. They can shower and get cleaned up. Loan them some clothes.” Ben turned back to Colt. “Once you’re all cleaned up, I’ll have food delivered to your rooms. You won’t be able to go anywhere without an escort and you can’t leave the bunkhouse without my permission. Is that clear?”
“Crystal.”
Colt waited while the guards came in to unlock the stable gates. They pointed what looked to be Army-issued M-4s in their direction. Even if Colt got the upper hand, he wouldn’t be able to disarm two men with the ability to fire thirty rounds in bursts of three. He would have to wait for another chance.
In the meantime, he could do some much-needed reconnaissance. Brianna stepped out into the aisle and waited under guard while the second man let Colt out. As Colt stepped closer to Brianna, he took a whiff. “You stink.”
She leaned in. “As bad as I smell, this whole situation will stink a lot worse if you don’t know what you’re doing.”
The guards closed in and Colt plastered on a smile. He waited until Larkin was released before nodding at his old friend. “Let’s get cleaned up and then we’ll have a chance to relax.”
Brianna’s eyes sparked with anger, but Larkin cut her a glance to stay quiet. It would be difficult to plan if they were never left alone, but he would find a way. They would find the rest of their friends and get out of there one way or another.
In the interim, he hoped to make Ben pay.
Chapter Twenty-Four
TRACY
Jacobson Family Farmhouse
Near Truckee, CA
2:00 p.m.
The first thing Tracy saw when she opened her eyes was her husband’s face. Her mouth fell open. “I’m dead, aren’t I?”
Walter laughed. “No, honey. You’re very much
alive.” He bent down to kiss her forehead and Tracy snuffed back a wave of tears.
“I thought I was a goner.” She lifted her arm and pain lanced her bicep. Vertigo washed over her as sweat broke out across her forehead. “Definitely not dead.”
Her husband helped her sit up and she took in her surroundings for the first time. It was a makeshift medical facility. She frowned. “Are we still in the hospital?”
“No. We’re at a farm.”
She gripped her husband’s arm. “Madison is in trouble! We need a vaccine.”
“I know.”
“Then why aren’t you worried?”
“I am, but it’s complicated.” Walter glanced at the door. “There’s a lot that’s happened.”
“Tell me.”
Walter perched on the edge of the cot and relayed everything that happened since he was shot in the street.
When he finished, Tracy sat quietly for a minute, piecing the information together. “So the family that controls the pharmacy found you on the street, fixed you up, but won’t let you leave?”
“That’s the short version.”
“And now they’re refusing to give Madison the vaccine.”
Walter scratched behind his ear. “I wouldn’t say refuse.”
“But they haven’t agreed.”
“Correct.”
Tracy exhaled. “This is ridiculous. One look at us and they should know we aren’t a bunch of drug users hell-bent on destroying the pharmacy. It’s not like we’re asking for painkillers. We need a vaccine.”
Walter ran his thumb over the back of Tracy’s hand. “It gets worse.” He glanced past her to an interior door. “Colt, Larkin, and Dani tried to rescue me.”
“What happened?”
“Dani was shot.”
“Where is she?” Tracy scrambled off the cot, but her legs wobbled as she tried to stand. Walter caught her before she hit the ground.
“Easy. You need to rest.”
“I need to see her.” Tracy gripped her husband by the forearms to keep upright. “Where’s Colt? Does he know?”
“They took him, Brianna, and Larkin to the stables. I’m assuming they’re still there.”
“Not anymore.” A man stood in the doorway to the medical facility, his massive shoulders blotting out the view of the farm beyond. “They are in the bunkhouse getting cleaned up.”
The man strode forward and stretched out his hand. “Ben Jacobson. Good to see you up and on your feet.”
Tracy shook his hand with caution. “Tracy Sloane. You know about my daughter, Madison?”
“Yes.”
“Then you know we need a vaccine as soon as possible. Every second we delay, she’s at risk. If we don’t get to her before the virus reaches her central nervous system…”
“It will be too late. I’m aware.” He turned to Walter. “I’ve spoken with Colt. He’s agreed to stand down in exchange for a conversation about where we go from here.”
Tracy stamped her foot and the room spun. “That’s not good enough and you know it.”
“You have to give us more than that, Ben.” Walter hugged Tracy closer. “She’s our only daughter.”
The other man held up a hand. “I’m prepared to give you all the benefit of the doubt. We will give you the vaccine.”
Tracy clutched her husband to keep from falling. “Thank God.”
“But it comes with conditions.”
“We’re listening.”
“First, you give us directions to your farm. Three of my men will go there with the vaccine. I’ve instructed them they cannot leave until they have a visual on Madison and confirm that she is sick. Only then will they hand over the vaccine.”
Walter shook his head. “That will never work. The Cliftons will shoot them before they even enter the gate.”
“My men can defend themselves.”
Tracy rolled her eyes. “So you’re going to go all Call of Duty out in the woods? What for? To make a point?” She pulled away from Walter and stood on her own two feet. “If we don’t go with you, it’s a lost cause.”
Ben’s lips thinned into a line. His brown eyes bounced back and forth, assessing Tracy and Walter. “One of you can go.”
“Not good enough. We need two.”
“Fine. I’ll get the blonde.” Ben glanced at his shoes. “She’s proving to be a pain in the neck around here.”
Tracy bit back a grin. “What about Walter?”
“He stays.”
Tracy nibbled on her cheek. They were risking their lives trusting a man who was essentially keeping them prisoner, but they didn’t have a choice. Ben had access to a vaccine. She pulled her husband aside.
“Will you be okay here on your own?”
“Colt and Larkin will be here, too.” He stroked her hair. “What about you and Brianna? It’s risky.”
“We have to do it. Once her parents spot her, Brianna can convince them to let everyone in.” She squeezed her husband’s hand. “It’s the best way.”
“I don’t like you going on your own.”
“I don’t like leaving you, but Madison needs us.” Tracy planted a quick kiss on Walter’s cheek and stepped away. “Everything will work out.” She turned to Ben. “When do we leave?”
“Within the hour.”
2:30 p.m.
“This is ridiculous.” Brianna lifted both hands behind her head and pulled her wet hair back into a French braid. “My parents are liable to shoot us before we even get near the gate.”
“Then you better convince them not to.” Daniel, one of Ben’s henchmen, scowled as he climbed into the driver’s seat of a Chevy Silverado on a lift kit. “I’m not interested in bleeding out today.”
Brianna finished her hair before climbing onto a tire and over the side of the bed. She flopped onto a blanket-covered hay bale and crossed her arms. “You might as well drive up with a banner that says We’re The Bad Guys all over it. No way will my Dad think I’m in the back of this thing via my own free will.”
“What’s wrong with it?” Craig, one of their other escorts, leaned back to look at the truck before climbing in the front seat.
“It’s not the truck that’s the problem. It’s the occupants.”
Walter helped Tracy into the bed and squeezed her hand. “I’ll see you again soon.” He smiled and leaned close. “Keep that one out of trouble.”
Tracy glanced at Brianna. “I don’t think that’s possible, but I’ll try.”
Walter pulled back and slapped the side of the truck. It rumbled to life.
Tracy settled into a spot on the wall of the bed, using a hay bale as a back rest. She motioned to Brianna. “How about you relax for a bit?”
“Not a chance.” The younger woman pouted. “They’re just waiting to get out of view before they shoot us in the head and dump our bodies in a ditch.”
“No, they aren’t.”
The truck jostled over the gravel drive and Brianna slid down to the floor to keep from falling out. She twisted her hands in her lap, reminding Tracy that she was only twenty. She looked up, the first hint of fear in her face. “How can you be so sure?”
“Because they want to scope out the farm first. They won’t kill us until we get them inside.”
Brianna snorted. “And here I thought you’d bought into their lies.”
Tracy shrugged. “I haven’t made up my mind. They could have killed us back at the hospital and dumped our bodies along with the rest of them in the morgue. But they didn’t.”
“You said it yourself, it’s so they can find out what we have.”
“Or else it’s because they thought we might be telling the truth.” She nodded up at the cab. “They have the vaccine. I watched Ben hand it to Daniel before we left.”
The truck bounced around a curve and Brianna slid into the middle. “If we can overpower them, we can take the vaccine and get home alone.”
Tracy shook her head. “Us against three guys who probably played football at UN Reno? We do
n’t stand a chance.” Tracy reached out and gave Brianna’s leg a pat. “For now, we play along. Convince your parents to let us in, give Madison the vaccine, and then—”
“All bets are off.”
“Exactly.” Tracy leaned back on the hay bale and closed her eyes. Every time she moved her left arm, shooting pain arced through her flesh to her fingers and up over her shoulder blade.
“You okay?”
She blinked her eyes open. “I will be once I know Madison is okay.”
“I meant your arm.”
Tracy smiled. “It’ll heal. How about you?” Tracy pointed at a goose egg on the side of Brianna’s head. “They hit you pretty hard to leave a lump like that.”
The younger woman reached up and patted the bruise, wincing as her fingers made contact. “I’ve had worse.”
The pair lapsed into silence, each worried about Madison, the safety of the Clifton compound, and what would happen if their escorts turned out not to be telling the truth. Tracy wished she had a weapon. It wouldn’t be a failsafe, but just having something to defend herself with would calm her nerves.
After half an hour, the truck slowed. Brianna leaned out and banged on the side of the door. The window rolled down. “Turn in, but don’t go more than twenty feet down the drive. I’ll have to walk the rest of the way on foot.”
Craig turned around to face her. “Not alone you won’t.”
The truck rumbled to a stop and Craig and John hopped out. Brianna followed. One look at his rifle and she palmed her hips. “My parents see that and you’re dead before you even catch a glimpse of a single cabin.”
He glanced at Daniel. The other man handed over a pistol. Craig took it and set the rifle in the truck. “Fine, but no funny business. I can shoot you with a 9mm just as well.” He glanced up at Tracy and almost grinned. “Just ask her.”
Brianna strode forward and stamped on his foot. Craig jumped back, cursing and hopping as he grabbed his toes.
“Don’t be a dick. My parents will shoot you for that, too.” She took off, stomping down the gravel road and Tracy couldn’t help but laugh.
