“Jake come here boy.” As he whistled for his already running dog a flaming bottle soared through the upstairs hall window on the right. It sprayed a line of fire separating Jake from Jack and Michael. Fire fell on Jack’s arm. He quickly brushed it off but it left its burns. He heard Jake yelp so he knew his dog had been burned. How bad he didn’t’ know.
“Jack!” Rachel screamed running up the stairs. The panic evident in her face. Smoke was billowing up from the bottom floor.
“Jack!” Shouted another voice.
Jack turned back around to see who else was calling his name.
“Dad!” It was his wife and child and from what he could see the rest of the children was there as well.
Rachael’s mouth gaped open once she had seen Michael. “He is hurt so bad.” She knelt next to him.
“Yes but we need to find a way to get him over that fire.” Jack looked on helplessly at his family.
“We won’t be able to go back down there. The fire is everywhere and there should be a couple people coming up the stairs any moment.” Jack saw the fear and panic in her soot covered face.
“Marilyn hold on just a minute I‘ll get you,” Jack dropped the bag. “Reload then tend to Michael. Where is that guy with the accent?” She reached for the bag.
“He went out the back.”
“That fucker.” Jack walked to the edge of the stairs where he could see flames and then two men crammed their way into the stair case. He could hear someone scream down below. He assumed it was a convict.
One man rushed up the staircase and Jack firmly planted his boot on him and pushed. He fell back into his friend and then Jack put a bullet in both of their heads. He turned to see Rachael mending Michael better than he had been previously. It was almost as if she had practice at it.
“Take the bag. We have to get over there.” Jack walked to his friend.
“How?” She asked.
“Jump.” Jack answered as he put Michael’s unwounded arm around his shoulder. He lifted his unconscious friend’s dead weight and strained to hold him up against the wall. He leveraged his shoulder down and let his limp body fall over his shoulders. It had been a long time and his knees wobbled and shook but he lifted his friend on top of his shoulder.
“You go first. Just jump. You won’t be in the flames long enough for them to hurt you as long as you make a complete bound.” His face was red from supporting the weight and it was a struggle to even speak but he held. Rachael backed up and ran fast paced and jumped high. She jumped higher than Jack would have thought. She cleared the line of fire only feeling the heat. Jack knew one thing for sure, this girl had balls. Jack did the same. He backed up a great deal. He took off at a slow run. The dead weight made it hard to increase pace but by the time he reached the fire his speed kept him going. He jumped and stuck one leg out. It landed through the fire and on the other side. His other leg drug through fire but wasn’t burned. He carried Michael to the far wall by the window facing the backyard and leaned him against it. He turned and embraced a hug and a kiss from his wife. Jack dropped to his knees and hugged his son.
Jenna hovered over her father crying. The little girl tried to speak. She attempted to ask questions but no sound came out. The heat dried her tears and the blaze gave volume to her distraught little face.
“He is alright. He will live honey.” Rachel said to the little girl who she had just met under such dire circumstances.
“Who is that?” Marilyn asked almost in astonishment after having wondered exactly where he had went.
“This is Pete’s daughter. I’ll explain it all later.” We have to get out of here, the whole house is on fire.” Jack looked around for anything to help them down.
“We saw you drive up and watched those people throw fire.” The kid named Cody had said. This was one of the few things he had said all day. Jack didn’t have time for senseless comments so he just ignored the kid.
There was a honk coming from the back that sounded like it came from the semi. Jack looked out the window and it was the Englishman who was backing the rig up to the house. Scott got out of the truck that Granny was driving. She was parked in the neighbor's’ backyard.
“Aye, boy pull that trampoline closer to that window.” Jack shout to Scott.
The British fellow hopped down from the rig and kept his guard up. One convict had come around the corner of the house and he was taken care of. The englishman was unseen and at the most opportune moment he laid a hard kick to the throat of the approaching enemy.
Scott did as he was told. He went to the aluminum trampoline in the corner of their yard and pulled and tugged the object until it was right beneath the window that Jack looked out upon.
“Jump mate. It’s not that far.” The man next to the semi yelled.
Granny, from her position in the driver seat unloaded her shotgun at two men coming up from behind. This shattered yet more glass out of the truck but did the job it was meant to do. Jack opened the second window. Smoke sucked out of both openings and into the night air. The fire had reached up the stairs. Where Michael once had laid unconscious, the floorboards were burning away. The kids started to panic. They were talking in high pitched voices to one another. The chatter clashed, mixed sounds flooded his mind and had to be blocked out by Jack. He had to think. That was it! In the closet was the rope to the tree swing that he was going to put up but hadn’t ever gotten around to it. The problem was the closet was right beside the flames. It didn’t matter he had to have it. He ran ignoring the scorching flames on his left side burning him. He winced as he grabbed the red hot handle and opened the door despite the pain. There it was curled around a big hook was the thirty foot long dock rope. It was thicker than a roll of duct-tape. He also caught a glimpse of his c-clamp and grabbed it. He ran back with his supplies and dropped them. He patted his shoulder and put out the embers. His shoulder was burned badly but he didn’t let anyone know it.
The others watched in silence at he worked. He attached the clamp to base of the open window. He tightened the clamp with the rope wrapped around the clamp itself for added strength. The rope itself was burned but it should hold. He threw the heavy rope out of the window. He knew that they would have to climb at least halfway down and then jump. If not at this height their knees would buckle and they would do more harm than good. He yanked on the rope. It held.
“Marilyn. You first.” He heard more gunshots ring out.
“I have to jump? That is two stories Jack!” Marilyn cried.
“It’s the only way honey. There is a trampoline and you can go down the rope halfway or more,” She wanted to protest but she did know it was the only way. “Grab ahold of the rope and go feet first then let go when I say so. His wife did as she was told. Feet first she held on to the rope and climbed down slowly. The heat in the hall had risen to a sweltering height.
Rachael rose from Michael and Jenna’s side and said. “If we don’t get him down there into fresh air he won’t last much longer it’s hard for him to breathe even by the window.”
Jack lifted his head out the window and looked. She was only feet from the trampoline now. “Drop.”
She did so and fell to the trampoline unscathed.
“Kids next.” Cody stepped up first. “You know what to do?” Jack asked. The boy nodded and started to climb. He let go too early and had a hard fall that knocked the wind out of him. Marilyn had the back of the trailer opened and after a quick hug Jordan went next, halfway down and without a problem.
“Jenna it’s your turn.”
“I don’t want to leave my dad up here. He can’t get down himself and no one will help him.” The little girl was in tears. Rachel put her arm around the girl.
“I will make sure he gets down. I give you my word,” He locked eye with the girl. Her tears stopped. “We have to go.” Jenna went down without a problem.
“Now you. I need you to hold on to Jake.” She nodded then shouldered the duffle bag.
“Come here boy.�
� Jack patted his dog and seen for the first time where he had been burned. His entire right eye area was burned away. His eye remained intact but the hair was gone and the skin around his eye and right forehead was burned away. He felt sorry for his dog. He picked Jake up and handed him out the window where Rachel took hold of the dog and began to climb down.
“Here we go buddy.” Jack looked down to Michael. Another shot rang and Jack worked quickly the urgency falling on his shoulders. He was in pain but had to dig deep and ignore the hurt. He drug his friend to the window and leaned him over it. Jack crawled out the window himself. He grabbed ahold of the rope and instantly he felt his arm muscles tense from holding the his weight. He wrapped his leg around the rope and then his arm several times. He then reached for Michael and maneuvered him to fall over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. The wrapped limbs of Jack helped support the added weight of Michael but with too much weight to just climb Jack had to slide down the rope. The force of the friction from the rope burned into the skin of his palm. His muscles were on fire and he felt as if they were going to rip. His hands burned but he had made a promise to Jenna and he wasn’t going to let his best friend down. Little longer than halfway down he dropped. Jack landing on his back and Michael landing belly first on top of Jack ensured that both were unharmed. Jack drug Michael to the semi-trailer and Jordan helped his father push Michael on to the trailer. Most piled in the trailer. Jack quickly closed the door and turned just in time to shoot a lone convict from coming around the corner. Rachael was running to the truck and Jack decided to ride with the british man up front. Jack closed the door to the cab. So did the Englishman.
He immediately handed the shotgun to Jack.
“Keep it.” Jack said looking ahead.
The man drove the semi into the alley. The semi headed straight for the two parked cars at the end of the alley. The rig accelerated. The collision was earsplitting but the two vehicles plowed through turning onto the street and headed for the highway. With Granny, Rachael, and Marilyn in the truck following close behind.
“So what is your name?”
“Names’ David yeah. David Mercer”
“Jack Steele and thank you.”
Part Three
Chapter Sixteen
No Time To Mourn
The drifting beauty swam, bathed, and lounged under a light waterfall that flowed over rocky a hill. The hill overshadowing the small lake helped to keep the clear pool cool against the harsh summer sun. The relaxing atmosphere cleansed the senses making one oblivious to anything else around.
Through a gap in the bushes they gazed, two separate glares transfixed upon the same beautiful figure. Two mouths salivated at the sight floating to and fro. Birds chirped in the trees above them. They both knew the plan. Both should have acted by now, both should've had the job done, and both should be sitting back on their ass sorting through the countless amount of loot. The body, that bare body forced their search to an end and crouched behind the bushes a few feet from the bank. This is where the beauty they had been looking for had cemented them in place. The large bluff darkened the crystal clear watering hole but the daylight was strong and every inch of every curve of the swimming beauty's fair tinted flesh was magnified two fold. The two hadn't seen this side of a woman in a long time and they relished the sight.
Fists clenched tightly with eyes still fixed on the now washing woman, he focused. Through clenched teeth he forced his mesmerized gaze away from the trophy he would soon be delivering. Instead he turned his line of sight to the bag he knelt beside. He unzipped the bag while watching his friend glued in place drooling while the opportunity to discretely snag one of these people slowly vanished. The man grabbed the unzipped bag, overturning it and emptying the contents onto the ground. He was going to be damned if he sat there dumbfounded by a pair of tits. Time was wasting away. The woman was obviously washing and taking a long time doing so and soon someone would come to check on her. The orders were to grab one from this group undiscovered. Their window was closing.
His friend's eyes were locked on the siren and shutting out the sound of the world was accomplished long ago. He had chances back at town to do more than just look at a woman but this girl she was something else. She was something to admire first and then ravage. He wanted her for himself. Maybe they could grab another one and he could keep her. Daydreams and sweat spewed from his shaven head completely unaware of the rope, duct tape, gag, handcuffs, pistols, ammunition boxes, and a little black bag being sorted though a few feet away.
"Dan, snap out of it. We have a goddamn job to do." He whispered simultaneously pulling his friend towards him. He had finally been entrusted with an important task and he wasn't about to let an idiot like Dan fuck it up.
Dan was pulled away from his precious goldbrick and onto his ass. "Sorry Jesse. You didn't have to pull that hard." His baritone voice was a loud whisper with lingering fragments of a once conquered speech impediment.
"You ain't listening and I can't yell at you right now or we blow the cover. Don't make me pry your eyes away again or next time i'll use this here crowbar to do so," The convict, Jesse then handed Dan the handcuffs and gag. "When she has her back turned we will sneak up and then I will knock her out. You handcuff her and stick that in her mouth."
"What if we took her and someone else. We would keep her and give Major another person from this group, another girl like he wanted. Just look at her. The things we could do." Dan resumed his narrow glare shadowed by sick and twisted desire.
"Yeah well, our fellow perverts have plenty of broads chained up back at the cage. Or you can have the pick of the litter back in town. There is a reason Major wants one and he will get one person and we will do it discreetly. You people are so hard to keep focused." Jesse was frustrated with the lack motivation. The dumb prisoners was just muscle, mindless grunts to be ordered around with the promise of pillage, plunder, food, alcohol, women, and bedding. Jesse was now rising up the ranks and being granted more intellectual and prestigious jobs. No longer would he lead a raid on gas stations or supermarkets. He was eager to get the job done.
"I don't understand why these people are so important to Major. Can't we just say join us or die. It worked for almost everyone else." The deep voice along with the underlying speech impediment really exacerbates the man's already apparent lack of intelligence.
"Listen to me," All his patience was gone and Jesse seethed every word. "She goes to Major for his plans. She is part of a group that killed over a hundred of our men, our brothers who we spent months and in some cases years together with. Others have held up in houses and fought against us only to be burned to the ground. He have struggled to take our lives back and I won't allow them to ruin it," At least that is what the Major had said when he gave out the job. "Dan, the pussies all left remember? The ones who didn’t stayed or challenged us met the same fate as those fucking guards the other day. Are you one of those pussies?
"No, no I- I just thought-"
Jesse cut Dan of. "Look, go grab any bitch you like but she is off limits. Now let's go." Jesse had noticed the girl dive so he took his chance.
She was submerged when they appeared from behind the bushes walking to the bank of the natural pool. Her eyes were closed but the two convicts could see her clearly. The water flowed around her bare curves. Dan once again was awestruck. Unknowingly she swam towards them and up out of the water. Once she had resurfaced Jesse was quick to grab his prized captive but in doing so he dropped the crowbar and Dan snapped out of his gaze once he realized he could grab and feel the naked woman.
The slick woman felt rough hands clasp her with urgent force. With water fresh in her eyes hampering her vision she tried to get her bearings. She was being jerked around, she realized this encounter was not friendly and fought in protest. She attempted to scream but an object was forced between her teeth silencing the call for help. Her uncovered breasts were being squeezed and grabbed. She felt a hand grasp between her thighs. She punched and k
icked as they drug her further.
"Dan! Get your hands off her ass and help me get her to the van." Jesse struggled carrying the bag and flailing dead weight while the knuckle dragger fondled her entire body with delight.
On the opposite side walking down the hill from the woods was a man carrying a shotgun. He was making his perimeter check and head count. He had the safety shift today. He walked casually until he looked at the pond. Where was she? She was supposed to be here. The closer he got the more he noticed. Her clothes were lying on the opposite side of the bank and there was ripples freshly resonating from the other side of the water as if someone had gotten out. He couldn't see his friend walking off in the woods naked. It was hard to believe she went skinny dipping. Off to the side was the rustle of leaves and the sound of snapping twigs. The man walked toward the sound. Into the woods he traveled and the closer he traveled to the sound the more twigs had been broken. The ground was stirred up. People weren't walking through the woods, they were running very sloppily and dragging their feet or dragging someone across the floor. The trail was easy to follow and so he did.
The man took of at a run toward the ongoing commotion. With his pump action raised high he tore through the branched open, leaving his own trail. Tree after tree flew by and the sounds became more apparent. He emerged into a clearing. An open sunbaked field that had a tiny dirt access at the far end that connected to the highway. There was a van sitting on the dirt path with two orange suited men dragging the woman he was looking for.
"Put her in the van and yes you can watch her. I will drive." After addressing his partner the convict hoped in the driver seat.
His gun was out of range and there was no way he could sprint fast enough to get within range before they would leave. The larger one held the woman close as he hopped through the side door opening. He could see the convict's hand reach between her legs just before the van door slide shut. His fury raged. The man stood up and ran back the way he came.
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