“Let me finish,” he said, holding a hand up. “Since I haven’t discovered any viable way of accompanying you home myself, some other arrangements have been put in place.”
Lauren looked confused.
“I was approached last evening by a certain someone.” Dave gestured with his head into the dining room. “We chitchatted a good while about this. He’s since requested a new detail….and a transfer.”
Lauren adjusted to see diagonally through the hall into the dining room. Woo Tang was the only person in the room staring back at her, as if knowing she’d be looking for him.
“Tang volunteered,” Dave said. “His feelings for you and his position on the matters at hand are on par with my own. He wasn’t wild about finding you in that cage.”
Lauren smiled grimly. “I wasn’t wild about being in that cage.”
“Even those born into slavery comprehend deprivation of freedom,” Dave said, “and, young lady, you are the furthest thing from being a slave.” A pause. “Listen, I get it, dealing with Lazarus can be trying. The man’s got a slimy personality and he could definitely use a haircut. But this offer of his is your ticket home. So do yourself a favor and go there. Talk to your mother, hug your sister, spend some time with your family. Put your mind at ease and your heart at peace. My men are there watching the place already, and Tang won’t let anything come near you. He’ll be under strict orders not to. Where you go, he goes, and with him around, you’ll have nothing to worry about. And neither will I.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Lauren said, a smile emerging. She reached for him, and Dave pulled her into an embrace. “Thank you. And I guess I should apologize for getting so angry. And for my…emotional outburst.”
“No need.” Dave held her like the daughter he never had. “I comprehend things a lot better than what I let on. After we part ways, we’ll keep the communication and supply lines open, and I’ll be looking in on you before long. I need to check in on Fred at some point and verify Richie isn’t being too much of a cosmic prick. And that means personal visits, so this won’t exactly be goodbye.”
Lauren could feel her excitement building. “When are we leaving?”
“We still have some kinks to work out. I’m not a hundred percent keen on how long it’ll take for Lazarus and crew to saddle up and organize. I’m supposing another day, maybe two, but as you are already well aware, that’s subject to change.”
Chapter 12
Trout Run Valley
Sunday, January 2nd. Present day
Christian kissed a snoozing Grace on her forehead and left her to sleep in. He ascended the stairs quietly so as not to wake her, then entered the kitchen and gathered some pine kindling for the stove. He set it alight and prepared the family’s coffeepot, recalling how doing so had once been a part of Grace’s morning routine. Now the only duties with which she concerned herself were the vital ones: getting in as much sleep as time allowed, and ingestion of calories.
The sun had begun to overtake Great North Mountain’s horizon, filling the cabin’s rearward-facing windows with amber-hued daylight. Satisfied the fire wouldn’t wither out, Christian left the percolator to do its thing. He put on his boots, took hold of Grace’s AR-15, and stepped out onto the porch, surprised to find John in his usual spot.
The two men, who seldom interacted, greeted one another, then sent cautious gazes into the snow-covered, forested landscape beyond.
“It was quiet last night,” said Christian. “No shots since late yesterday afternoon. Might be a good sign.”
John chuckled. “I wouldn’t know. Nobody tells me anything.” He spit on the ground. “After what happened, I honestly don’t know what to think or expect anymore. The same things keep happening around here. We work our way out of one bad situation only to find our way into another one, and now we have to worry about people hiding in the hills on either side of the valley taking shots at us. I’ve been thinking about it all night while sitting here, waiting for someone to take a shot at me…wondering why they haven’t.”
Christian regarded him but said nothing, perceiving he was set to expound even more than he had already, which was uncommon for him.
“What’s stopping them right now? From shooting either one of us right this second? Their aim? Timing? Are they sleeping? How many of them are there? I’ve been doing this watch thing since we moved in here to keep us safe. I’ve done it because…what else is there? And now I’m almost scared to.” He sent a solemn look Christian’s way. “That’s it, man. That’s my life. Just sitting here on the porch waiting to die. A man died yesterday right in our driveway, and his brother almost died right after he did. Today it could be me or my brother or my dad…or you. It’s no way to live. This world is just…shit.”
Christian nodded, leaning his weight onto one of the porch columns. “You’ll forgive me if I fail to respond to that, John. I don’t exactly know how to. I’m about to become a father and raise a child one way or another in this shit world.”
John expelled a sigh. “I know, and I don’t condemn you for it. I’m just spent. After watching what Lee went through, dealing with those taker assholes, then hearing Dad’s story and worrying myself to death about Lauren every minute of every day, and now this…I don’t know how much more I can take.”
Christian nodded. “I feel your pain,” he said, endeavoring to empathize.
“No, I don’t think you do,” John said. “Ever since we got here, my place has been protecting us, protecting what we have…whatever it is. But I’m beginning to fail to see what the use of it is. If all the effort we put into living can be taken by a sniper’s bullet, by some fugitive hiding in the woods with a rifle…then what the hell is the point to all this?”
Christian slung the AR over his shoulder and inched closer to John. “Bud, you think entirely too much.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Sitting out here by yourself alone all night long is getting to you. Maybe you should take a break from it. There’re about twenty military-trained men parading around the valley now with selective fire weapons and armored vehicles. With them around, security is tighter than it’s ever been.”
“Yeah. All thanks to Lauren, right? We should thank her for everything she’s done for us,” John huffed, then looked to the sky and exclaimed, “Thank you Lauren, wherever you are! We all thank you! Very fucking much!”
Christian shifted his weight to a heel. “I know you’re mad at her. I was pretty pissed when she told me she wasn’t coming home…really threw me for a loop. But in the end, she did come through. People we know and love are still alive because of her, including your brother and your dad, and me, uniquely enough.”
“I know that,” John groaned, “and I’m grateful, believe me. But her being gone is killing me a slow death. And I can’t overlook this whole…Richie thing.”
Christian’s eyes narrowed. Had John overheard Richie’s assertions? “So you know about—”
“Speak of the goddamn devil,” John snarled, pointing, as a desert tan JLTV turned the corner into the driveway. “Christian, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to bed. If I see that guy right now, I’m likely to kill him.”
Christian watched John trudge inside. The JLTV slid to a stop and the driver’s door flung open. Richie shut the engine off, but remained inside.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but breakfast isn’t ready yet,” jeered Christian. “And you’re too soon for coffee. I think that makes you shit out of luck.”
Richie only smirked at him. “I didn’t come by for breakfast or coffee. I need to have a discussion with you and Grace, though. If you have a minute.”
“Grace is sleeping, so you’ll have to settle for me.” Christian gestured to him. “I’d invite you inside, but I think you wore out your welcome yesterday.”
“That’s okay, I prefer the armored can I’m sitting in. I don’t have to worry about snipers picking me off or getting stabbed by your crazy girlfriend.”
“Don’t
be so sure.”
Richie rolled his eyes. “Look, man. That prisoner we have, Max…he’s made a request. The request is reasonable and I think we should honor it. He’s asking to talk to Grace.”
“What? No. No way.”
“The people sniping us from the mountains are his men, Christian.”
Christian chuckled. “No shit.”
“And if we don’t do something soon to stop them, they’re going to keep coming at us and eventually pick us off one by one. My men and I are doing what we can, but it isn’t enough. I don’t have the personnel to cover all those acres, and normal life can’t continue around here with everyone staying inside all the time because they’re afraid of getting shot.”
“They should be afraid. Getting shot isn’t fun,” Christian mused. “It’s cold as hell up there during the day and even colder at night. Temps are already dropping below freezing and winter hasn’t started yet. No rifle-toting human can handle that kind of cold for days on end. Give it a few more days for exposure to set in…and we might win by attrition.”
“Come on, man…work with me, please?” Richie pled. “He just wants to have a few words with her. And if we can find a way to settle this, wouldn’t that be worth it? We’ll keep it civil, I swear.”
Christian deliberated. “What if the tone were to dip below civil?”
“Then we would intervene.”
“On a physical level?”
“As required,” the soldier said.
“Harshly?”
Richie sneered. “We don’t sanction the use of torture on detainees, Christian.”
“Who said anything about torture?” Christian went to the door. “I’m still leaning against it, but I’ll run it by Grace and see what she thinks.”
With Richie leading the way and Christian acting as chaperone, Grace strolled inside the room being used to retain the first prisoner ever to be taken in the valley. Richie went to him and removed the gag covering his mouth, then adjusted the window blind to brighten the room.
Christian remained at the doorway and reluctantly allowed Grace to continue in without him. She stepped hesitantly ahead, keeping her distance, while the man seated on the floor stared hard at her.
She had originally bound him with remnants of rope, but his wrists and ankles were now in shackles. She looked him up and down and smirked. “I like the new jewelry. I never took you for a bracelet and anklet man, Max. It suits you.”
Max cast a sardonic look. “That’s funny. You’re hilarious. I see you haven’t lost your sass.” He peered around her at Christian, then sent a glance to the young soldier feet away. “And you’ve brought friends along. That’s nice. That’s real, real nice. My request was for the two of us to speak. I didn’t intend for our conversation to extend to every Tom, Dick and Harry extant in your fleapit.”
“Sorry to disappoint you. But we don’t always get what we want, do we? You of all people should recognize that. Anyway, since we’re all here now, allow me to introduce you.” Grace gestured to Christian—“I’d like you to meet Tom”—then to Richie—“and that’s Dick.”
Richie slumped and frowned at her.
Max pressed his lips together. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you both. Such a shame that Harry couldn’t make it. Now, would the two of you kindly vacate the space and allow Grace and I to be alone for this chat?”
“No fucking way,” Christian muttered from behind.
“Really? It’s a simple request, Tom. Fully innocent. Look at me. I’m no threat to Grace. She knows that. She knows I wouldn’t be a threat to her even if I weren’t bound by chains to the floor. I would never hurt a hair on her pretty little head.”
“Doesn’t matter what you say or what she knows,” Christian said. “It’s not going to happen. So whatever it is you wanted to say to her, spit it out. We don’t have all day.”
Max smiled. “Oh, but I do.” He paused extensively. “I seem to have plenty of time. Well, I suppose the added audience won’t be too much of a bother, other than a mild disenchantment. I was just hoping it could be you and me, Grace. Like old times.”
Grace scratched her head. “Old times? Forgive me, but we only knew each other for a couple of days, so I’m a little misplaced here.”
“You’ll have to forgive me, Grace,” said Max. “You see, I was under the impression that you and I had developed a rapport during those couple of days. And that’s why it only makes sense for you and me to speak and discuss our current circumstances.”
Grace giggled. “You and I have a rapport? Max, you’re being silly. I cooked all of your men dinner and fed them poisoned food. They’re all dead because of me. Do you not recall that? Your invasion failed, your laughable plan failed, so whatever rapport we had or didn’t have should be null and void.”
Max’s smile evaporated. “Yes, I recall. How could I forget something so…catastrophic. But I seem to also recall that for some inexplicable reason, I am still here. You spared me, Grace.”
Christian let out an expansive sigh, coupled with an eye roll.
Max continued. “I see something in you, something principled. I saw it when you showed me where my late young niece was interred. There’s honor in you. You keep it hidden well behind that unremitting sass of yours, but that honor is the prime reason I wanted you here.”
Grace covered her mouth and yawned. “Sorry, just feeling a little tired. I’m always tired these days. It’s not you boring me.”
“Yes. I suppose you would be, wouldn’t you? How is the pregnancy going, by the way? Have you properly geared up to raise a child by your lonesome?”
“Nope. I won’t have to,” Grace quipped. “Alas, my baby daddy, the knight in shining armor that he is, has returned to spare me the agony.” She gestured to Christian again.
“That so? Well, good. Congratulations, Tom. I’m sure the two of you will make fine parents. How divine for there to be one fewer amongst the world’s list of bastards.” Max paused. “Now that we’ve gotten those trifles out of the way, allow me to get down to business. I want you to tell these people to cut me loose. I want out of here. And I want out of here today.”
Grace laughed uproariously. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Well, I want stuff too, Max. Like a new car with four doors and an infant car seat…and a sunroof, and some new furniture for the baby’s room…oh, and a stomach that keeps food down.”
“I’m not joking with you,” said Max, his tone deepening. “Those gunshots I’m hearing, I know it’s not target practice, Grace. I know what it is; more to the point, I know who’s doing it. It’s my people, the ones who remained behind. They’re coming for me, to retrieve me. Precisely as planned.”
Grace looked around the room, then motioned to Max’s restraints. “They’re not doing a very good job of it.”
“Allow me to be blunt. Until I am released, my people will not stop. They will keep shooting into this valley until every one of you is dead. And then, we will resume the acquisition we started, with nothing in our way to stop us. Now, if you let me go, I promise to let bygones be bygones. We can draw up a treaty of sorts and share everything. Work everything out between our communities by other means. It’s on the table. And that means it’s all up to you, Grace.”
Grace stepped closer and knelt. “Allow me to be blunter,” she cooed. “I. Don’t. Care. We’re keeping you here until hell freezes over, and I’m not implying Hell, Michigan, either. I mean the hell Satan calls home, the one with the lake of fire and all the screaming sinners drowning in it.”
Max pursed his lips. “Are you certain that’s how you want to play this?”
Grace pointed at Richie. “See Dick? See Dick’s camo Army getup? See Dick’s guns? Since taking you down, we’ve added a few fortifications—lots of other guys and guns just like Dick and his. So you don’t scare me. And your people don’t worry me. Because with Dick and all Dick’s friends around, eventually your people won’t be.”
“You can talk tough all you want,” said Max.
“And you might not care now, but you will. You’ll care when one of my shooters picks you off or picks off Tom or someone else you love. It would be wise of you to take me seriously. Don’t underestimate me.”
Grace rose and went to Christian, sulking. “You were sooo right about him.”
“I was?”
“Yup.” She pointed to the handgun on Christian’s belt. “Give me that.”
“What? You want to shoot him? Here? Right now?”
“Damn right I’m going to shoot him, right here, right now!” she snapped.
Max expanded and shouted indecencies at everyone in the room. Richie stuffed his gag back in place, stifling him shortly thereafter.
Christian halted Grace’s advance with his hand over his weapon. “No, wait. Not like this.”
“Okay, how then? You mean take him outside first? So we don’t have to clean his stupid blood and brains off the floor? Good thinking, man of mine.”
Christian shook his head. “No…something else entirely. Mr. Pornstache might still have some value to us alive. I have a better idea.”
Chapter 13
Riverton, West Virginia
Monday, January 3rd. Present day
Bernie and Ruth remained indoors after saying their goodbyes to keep Cyrus from scratching his way through the door after Lauren. That, and it’d already been an emotionally trying morning, and seeing her leave would’ve decidedly been too much for them. Instead, they passed the remaining time in the living room, surrounded by a handful of youthful spirits offering their support.
The driveway had been cleared, and every vehicle in the convoy was now facing away from the house with their engines idling. An oversized diesel truck—its knobby tires wrapped in chains, sporting a massive yellow snowplow—was parked in the lead, and another, practically indistinguishable from the lead truck, was positioned in the middle. Still two more, equally large and similarly outfitted, sat idling in the rear.
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