Hours pass by as I keep a vigilant watch over the house. I don't know what I'm waiting for or expecting to learn. And right, when I'm ready to give up and go home to warm up the door opens and out steps a man. The same man who led the group of men when they stole our food and gas. He turns to the open doorway speaking with someone. I lean my face against the cold iron of the fence. Straining to hear but at this distance it's impossible. Unless he starts yelling I have no chance of hearing anything. I pull my face back away from the cold metal watching as he climbs into and starts the SUV. He is joined a minute later by two others. One climbs into the passenger seat while the other trots down the driveway to open the gate. He climbs into the car after opening it and jumps into the car when it drives through the now opened gate.
For the next hour, the gate gapes open inviting me in but only three men were in that car leaving. I know there are at least four. And during the hour I see movement through one of the windows so at least somebody is still here. I'm not going to chance anything, I'm staying where I am watching and waiting from a safe distance.
I'm not sure how much time has passed when the car rolls into view driving up the driveway. The car pulls right up to the front door this time rather than returning to the spot it was parked before they left in it. The driver gets out walking to the side of the car away from me and closest to the house. He opens the back seat door and begins speaking and pointing with his rifle at someone. I can't make any of the words out.
"Get out!" The man shouts loud enough for me to hear it clear as day.
The three men are now all standing surrounding the back door. Their guns at the ready as a figure with long black hair steps out followed by second with sandy brown hair. My stomach plummets as I struggle against the urge to vomit when I recognize the figures. It's Amanda and Sarah.
"Shit fuck shit' I whisper in shock to myself.
I watch helplessly as the two girls are ushered through the front door. Two of the men follow the girls in while the third man breaks from the group and runs down the driveway to close the gate. Before turning back and following the others inside himself.
'Shit shit shit' is the only phrase repeating through my mind as I make my way back to the house as quickly as I can. As much as I hate to leave Sara and Amanda there, I understand their best chance is for me to be as prepared as possible. And that means heading back to the farm and gearing up and planning with Adam and Peter. Assuming they're both ok, I can't imagine they'd have simply let the girls be taken. When I arrive I find Adam in the front yard standing over a body with a towel covering the head. He looks up at me, his eyes red and puffy from crying.
"They took Amanda and Sarah. He tried to stop them but they killed him" Adam manages to say between sobs.
"I just let them, " he continues.
I cut him off. "There was nothing you could have done," I say putting a hand on his shoulder and pulling him away from the body.
"I know where they are shacked up, and I'm going back for the girls. You coming with?"
I don't wait for an answer. I run into the house grabbing my bug out bag. I stocked it with two days of MRE's, a water filter, some clothes, and my old hammock camping gear. It takes up much less space than a regular tent and pad setup. My next stop is the barn where we hid the few guns and ammo we have in the rafters. I hesitate to decide between the .22 and the shotgun. Finally settling on bringing both. Along with the hatchet strapped to my bag, the knife on my belt and the machete I've strapped to the bike. I think I have a good start on the weapons. I load the guns and stuff a box of ammo for each into the bag.
I walk back fully loaded to the front yard ready to go. Adam is nowhere to be seen. I move to enter the house to look for him. He steps out just as I reach for the handle to the front door. His own bag on his back and another in his left hand he nods at me. I hand him the shotgun.
"We'll take the truck," I say running into the house and getting the keys. Walking across the field over to the car that we keep parked behind the trees at the far end of the farm. Making only one stop to grab the machete off of the bicycle that I've already strapped to the frame. Adam and I head off with only one goal in mind, to save the girls. Getting revenge is a coincidence neither of us begrudges. We don't speak or make any plans but I think we both have the same idea in mind.
We pass the subdivision entrance and park at the next house we find. roughly a mile down the road from the entrance. We walk the distance with our packs on our backs. It's early afternoon when the house comes into view and the sun is still shining brightly.
"We need to wait for nightfall. Let's set up at the house on the left where we can watch the house from" I say pointing.
"What about the girls? We can't wait" Adam responds.
"We're outnumbered and outgunned. We won't be a whole lot of help if we get ourselves killed. We need the element of surprise. Hell, we don't even know how many of them there actually are!" I say already moving to the house to wait out the light.
Adam and I find an open window we can use to gain entry into the house. We climb into the house and make our way to a cozy second-floor bedroom with a window facing the enemy house. From this vantage, we have a view of the front of the house and front yard. We both loathe the idea of waiting around here for hours doing nothing but watching. While waiting for nightfall but going in now would be suicide, we both recognize this. And so we get settled in, pulling chairs over to the window the two of us sit and spend hours watching the house.
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Chapter 15
The house and grounds around us are dark. there is only a single point of light that remains visible from the house. The flickering of a candle emanating from the window nearest the front door on the left. The sunset was hours ago. Adam and I continue waiting for the shadows and night to deepen. And for the darkness to lure the residents of the house into slumber before we make our move.
We've spent the day hiding in the next-door house's upper bedroom with a view over the front yard of our target. During the day we counted six different men going about their lives as if they don't have a care in the world. That's going to change tonight. Adam and I haven't spoken much throughout the day but what little we did was covering our plan. The too long didn't read if it is, we sneak in and get the girls and sneak out. Neither of us has vocalized our thoughts over the matter of the men. Adam's eyes tell me he is in full agreement over what we're to do regardless. He has no intention of leaving enemies alive behind us. My hands are already stained with the blood of others multiple times over, I'm in agreement. No words are needed and neither of us wants to say aloud our murderous thoughts.
Finally when all the lights from the house die out leaving just the flickering near the front door. Adam and I silently make our move. The hunting knife strapped on my belt. The .22 rifle in my hands I move through the house we've hidden in and out the back door. Cutting across the yard to the corner climbing into the back yard. Staying well away from the front yard and the window with the flickering light. We creep up to the house and crouch under the windows on either side of the back door. We just sit listening for any sounds coming from inside. Our first order of business is recon. We stalk from window to window trying to get a look inside. Hoping we can manage to sneak the girls out through a window and not bother going inside. No such luck so far. The curtains are drawn shut on the ground floor windows and block our view in many of the rooms. The darkness enshrouds the rooms without curtains. Adam tests the back door and finds it locked. Thinking of checking all the ground floor windows again. This time looking for one that's unlocked that we can use as a point of entry.
An idea strikes, I gesture at Adam getting his attention indicating to follow me. Hurrying over to the garage I twist the handle, finding it unlocked I push it in quickly rushing through the door only a moment later. Adam hurries in behind me.
"Ladder," I say the one word quickly after I close the door behind us.
Turning around I can see nothing, it's pitch black in
the garage. Clicking on my flashlight using my hand to cover the light and only let slivers through I scan the place. The Garage is empty of vehicles. One corner houses dozens of boxes piled up with various labels. written on the sides in marker are the labels Trophies, Christmas, toys and more. The other corner of the garage has a table saw and a small assortment of woodworking tools. Nothing else of interest and no ladder in sight. I turn to find Adam who is gesticulating and pointing upwards. Following his pointing, I look up seeing an Aluminum ladder mounted along one wall. It's at the height of the rafters. Just above eye level.
Being super careful and methodical Adam and I manage to get the ladder down with little fuss or noise. We carry the ladder out the garage door and around the back of the garage. We place the ladder on the ground so that we can adjust the height. I stand on one of the lower rungs holding the ladder still. Adam manually releases the hooks and extends the ladder out. To what we estimate will reach the second-floor windows. Moving back out to the house with the ladder in tow we set it up under the furthest left window on the back of the house. The ladder isn't quite extended enough to reach the window. But standing on the second to top rung I'm able to get enough height to see through them all the same. With the help of the moon, I'm able to see into and examine the empty bedroom. Before climbing down I give the window a little tug check for a latch. The window slides open with little resistance.
Back on the ground. Adam and I extend the ladder three more rungs. until it perfectly falls under the second-floor windows. Of the four other windows on the back of the house, one is shut to the world by curtains. Two are empty and one contains the sleeping figure of a male. I don't recognize which of the men he is. I'm tempted to shoot him right there like this but getting the girls out and safe is the first priority. Climbing back down. We move the ladder one final time. To the first window that is open and leads to the empty bedroom. The one furthest from the sleeping figure we found. I suspect any guards they have will only be on the ground floor, I hope.
Adam and I are in the house now. I'm crouching at the door trying to peek through the slit between the bottom of the door and the floor. It's no good too dark and too small of a gap. Giving up on that idea I stand back up taking my knife in hand and rifle strapped over my shoulder. I nod to Adam who is ready with a shotgun in hand. I open the door a crack peering into a dark hallway. making sure it's as clear as I can see I open the door further and step out. Continuing to make sure the coast is clear I move across the hall to the door adjacent from the one we came through. Listening at the door I hear nothing and having no way to see into the room the only option is to open the door. Opening the door just a crack. It's too dark to make anything out. On this side of the house, we don't have the benefit of the moonlight coming in through the windows. Using my flashlight again covered using my fingers and my shirt sleeve to further dim the light. I'm able to discern the room is an office with bookcases lining the far wall with a desk and computer set up in the center. Stepping back and closing the door we move on to the next.
The next couple of doors are standing open leading to empty rooms. It appears we're alone on the second floor except for our buddy sleeping at the far end of the hallway on the right. We stay away from that room and make our way to the top floor hoping to find more or less the same. The third floor splits into two sections. one section is identical to the second floor being a hall of doors and rooms. The other section being a large open living room type area. It's filled with a sectional, a couple of recliners and a large screen TV. The only item of note about the room is that nobody is in it moving on to the hallway; we start searching the doors again. After searching the handful of rooms we find this floor to be emptier than the second. Not having much luck finding the girls. But this means the six men we counted earlier may, in fact, be the true number. I was worried they'd have a small army hiding out in here.
The stairwell comes out into a small landing on the ground floor. It opens up into a dining area on the left. A kitchen on the right. The backdoor straight ahead and a small curved hall that must lead to the front of the house. Adam moves to and unlocks the back door and turns into the dining area as I make my way into the dark kitchen. Dozens of cases of water line the floors and counters but my focus is on the door in the corner. It's either a pantry or a basement. With a creak and a moan, the door swings open onto a dark stairwell leading down.
"The girls have got to be down here" I whisper to Adam when he catches up with me at the doorway.
I stow the knife back into its sheath and ready the gun in my hands. Only having found the one person sleeping on the second floor I'm concerned about what we'll find downstairs waiting for us. There is Perhaps one person guarding the front door. We could be walking right into the center of the other four. To the right of the stairwell landing is the entryway into a large parlor. A small candle in the corner casts its light out, lighting up the room enough see. It's darker and gloomier all the more for it. In the center of the room is a pull-out couch. Where a large man is currently lying. Presumably asleep otherwise I'm sure I'd have been seen in the entryway.
Along the back wall of the room stand two doors one opening into a bathroom the other closed. I slide the gun in its strap behind my back pulling the knife out of the sheath once again. Nodding to Adam I tiptoe around the room and behind the couch and to the closed door. The door slips open silently into a dark room. Opening the door wider allows for slivers of candlelight to filter in. I'm faced with two figures crouched in the corner holding each other. Looking back at the couch and Adam I gesture for him to stay where he is. He is currently aiming a shotgun at the sleeping man's head, point-blank range. I marvel for a second how much bloodthirst shows in his eyes before turning back to the task at hand.
I step into the room closing the door behind me. I click the flashlight on and aiming it in a way that allows the girls to see my face.
"Amanda, Sarah?" I whisper to them
They don't recognize me at first. Or more likely they are too afraid to look up at me out of their huddle in the corner . However, they do recognize my voice and look up from their huddle when I call out to them. Seeing me Sarah jumps up and practically leaps across the room at me. I gesture wildly shushing them.
"Man sleeping right outside" I lean in to whisper into their ears. "We have a way out. Just be as quiet as you can." I say before clicking off the flashlight and reopening the door. Checking the room and confirming nothing has changed since I left. I usher the girls out and towards Adam indicating to get them up and out. I'll bring up the rear. I watch them creep to the stairs and out of sight. With a knife in hand, I move closer behind the couch and above the sleeping man. Breathing heavy, hands shaking I take the knife in a two-handed grip above my head. I plunge the knife down before the panic and revulsion rising can stop me. If I hesitated at all I wouldn't have have the guts to strike. As it is I didn't hesitate with my thrust. The knife aimed straight down onto the man's exposed neck using the adam's apple as a target. The knife slices into the throat meeting little resistance. The man's eyes spring open and his mouth jerks open in a silent scream of pain. The only sounds are the slurping and gurgling. The sounds hissing around the entry of the knife while blood continues pumping out and down his chest. I let go of the knife stepping back in disgust. My eyes never leaving his as he begins to panic realizing what has happened. It only lasts a minute before he stops struggling to breathe and his own hands fall away from his throat. Sickened by the sight and smell of the blood in the air I turn away. I remind myself why they took the girls and feel little remorse as I clench my jaw and jerk the knife out. I wipe it on the couch cushions struggling not to vomit.
'POP'
A deafening sound rings out from upstairs echoing down the stairwell. 'Oh no,' I think rushing to the stairs readying my rifle. I barge up the stairs into the kitchen. Running face first into someone. We both go crashing to the ground. I regain my feet first. Recognizing the figure as one of the men we counted while watchin
g the place during the day. I bring my rifle up and fire before he even has time to register who I was or wasn't for that matter. Wasting no time I step over the body going for the backdoor. The door is wide open and in comes the leader of the group. Recognizing him before he sees me I dart left and up the stairs to the second floor.
'Pop' The sound of a gunshot follows me up the stairs hitting the wall behind me as I race up the steps two at a time. At the top of the steps, I turn around aiming my own rifle down at anyone who tries to follow. My hands tremble with a finger on the trigger waiting. Finally, a figure appears. I pull the trigger hitting the man square in the chest he falls back in a scream to the landing of the stairs. He lies at the bottom of the steps moaning and holding his chest for a moment. A hand comes into view grabbing him and dragging him away. The rifle I'm using only holds five rounds and I've used two rounds. And I didn't bring extra ammo with me. Figured if I used all the loaded shots I wouldn't be in a position to reload.
I fear they'll try sneaking in with the ladder behind me the same as I did getting in. I back step my way down the hallway keeping my eyes on the stairwell with my ears glued for any sound of the opening door. At the end of the hallway, I come to the door that originally had the sleeping individual. Should have taken him out when I had the chance. Empty room on the other side of the hall and a window in the wall at the end. Looking out the window I consider jumping out and making a run for it. I'm only on the second floor, it would be an easy enough jump to land.
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