Proctor nervously looked around, hoping someone else would disagree, but everyone kept quiet. “Hey, Nic, I know I voted for us to go, and I’m not disagreeing, but it might be best if I stay.”
“No, you’re needed. The girl is hurt and she needs a doctor. The last time I checked, that was you. Sorry, old buddy, but when you vote to do something you have to also reap the consequences,” Nicholas said and walked towards Luke.
Bryn strode over to Proctor and Katherine and with a toothy grin said, “Next time you’ll think twice before voting to risk people’s lives.”
Proctor exhaled deeply and headed towards the trailer to get his gear.
Nicholas watched the back and forth with Bryn and Proctor. He was tempted to chime in but decided the group didn’t need his petty remarks; this wasn’t to say he was pleased with his old friend’s vote. He strode up to Colin and said, “If we don’t come back in twelve hours, head north, go to the ranch, we’ll catch up later.”
“You sure?” Colin asked.
“Yeah, don’t sit around waiting for us. I don’t want any rescue missions. I can’t risk my family, you take care of them.”
“I don’t think they’ll agree to leave you behind, and Bryn, she’ll be hard to stop too,” Colin protested.
“Tell me you’ll do as I wish.”
Colin looked down; he was torn to give Nicholas his word but also understood the practicality of it.
“Promise me,” Nicholas pressed.
“I’ll take care of your family and get them to safety. I promise on my honor no harm will come to them,” Colin solemnly declared.
“Also, if you hear anything that remotely sounds like a gun battle, leave. If anything at all makes you feel like the group is threatened, leave.”
“Nic, I think you need to override this vote.”
“I can’t, this is what we decided back in Carlsbad, and I owe it to them to stick to the concept. Plus, this kid could be telling the truth.”
“He’s not a babe in the woods. He’s gotta be fifteen or sixteen,” Colin joked.
“We voted, we go. It’s that simple because there could be someone in need; then we need to help them.”
“But you know this is too risky.”
“Yes, but it also might be slightly true.”
“Listen, boss, even if it were true, you could still be walking into a hornet’s nest. I encourage you to veto this.”
“If we’re going to build a future community, then I need to fulfill the group’s wishes.”
Colin shook his head.
“So we’re good, you’ll do as I say?”
“Yeah, but what happens if they call for a vote?”
“Ha, I’ll leave that for you to figure out. Good man, thank you,” Nicholas said and patted Colin on the shoulder.
Luke loudly cleared his throat.
Nicholas looked over at the young man and marched over to him.
Fear gripped Luke as Nicholas came within inches of his face.
“Looks like you got what you wanted.”
“I can’t thank you enough.”
Nicholas grabbed him firmly by the arm and pulled him close. “Let me be very clear. If this is a trap, you’ll be the first person I shoot, just remember that.”
A cool breeze blew in and tussled Luke’s thick sandy blond hair. With a shaky hand, he pushed the long bangs that covered his light blue eyes and said, “It’s the truth, sir, I swear it.”
Nicholas clenched his teeth and spat, “It better be the truth.”
Undisclosed Bunker Facility, Superstition Mountains, East of Apache Junction, Arizona
For the third time in as many weeks, Michael found himself waking in a strange place, with injuries. The first time was on a beach, the second in a tiny children’s bedroom, but this time was different, he found himself in what looked like a hospital room.
His vision was blurry and the dim overhead fluorescent lights didn’t help. At the foot of his bed he made out the silhouette of someone.
“Where am I?” he asked.
The person stopped writing on the clipboard and immediately exited the room. The bright light from beyond his room splashed across the eggshell-white walls and laminate floors.
He tried to adjust his position in the bed but was stopped when he discovered his arms were secured by straps to the metal side railings. Several forceful attempts proved futile and he gave up.
The door again swung open, bringing in the light. He looked and saw two people enter. They approached the foot of his bed and stood.
“How are you feeling?” a woman said.
Michael squinted to make out who it was but was unable to, but the voice he recognized. It was the woman from the crash and from his dreams. “Karina?”
“Yes, sweetheart, it’s me,” she replied.
Next to her, a tall man leaned in and whispered to Karina.
“No, let him rest more,” Karina replied back to the man.
Michael couldn’t make out what the man said, but he feared it wasn’t good.
More of his memory had returned, but it still wasn’t complete. He remembered being with her and that they had been romantic but nothing more, and based upon his situation, there was definitely more. Ever since he’d washed up on the shores of the Sea of Cortez, he had wanted to know why, and for the first time he was with someone who knew him and could help fill in the empty spaces of his life.
“Where am I?” he asked her.
She approached the side of the bed and took his hand in hers.
Her warm touch coupled with her presence made him feel secure. Seeing her tall, lean body brought back memories of them together, wrapped in each other’s embrace.
“Just rest, sweetheart, you’ve been through a lot.”
“I can’t remember a lot. Why am I here?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Why did you crash into my car?”
“We didn’t; that was some of Viktor’s men,” she answered.
“I don’t understand.”
“We were following them. We knew they were tracking you. Had we known they were going to ram you, we would have stopped them sooner.”
“I don’t understand,” he said again. “Why is someone trying to kill me?”
The man blurted out something in Russian and from his tone he sounded upset.
Karina turned and replied in Russian.
Michael was confused; he looked to Karina and asked, “What did he say?”
“Not for you to worry about, what is important is that you rest. Soon we’ll talk, but for now, rest.”
“Okay, but can you remove the restraints?” Michael asked.
The man again said something in Russian.
Karina snapped at the man in Russian, then turned to Michael and said, “Of course, but do you promise you’ll be good.”
“Of course. I don’t even know where I am. How can I do any harm?”
“You’re restrained because you hurt a few nurses,” the man charged.
“I did?”
“Unfortunately, yes, you did.”
“Are they okay?” Michael asked, concerned that he might have unintentionally hurt an innocent person.
“Karina, this is not a good idea. We can’t be sure he won’t hurt someone again.”
“I don’t remember, I swear, there must have been a reason,” Michael said, defending his actions.
“It was the drugs he was on and the traumatic events he lived through recently,” Karina replied, she too defending Michael’s actions while under the influence of hardcore narcotics.
“Why did you give me drugs?” Michael asked.
“Yes, you were a bit upset and not yourself when we brought you here,” Karina said. Her tone softened when she talked to Michael.
“I promise I won’t do anything. I’ll cooperate fully,” Michael said. He meant what he said only halfheartedly; he just wanted the restraints off.
The man stood like a statue, obviously contemplating the
request. “Fine, but he’s your responsibility, do you understand?”
Karina unbuckled the thick leather restraints and took a step back for caution’s sake once he was free.
Michael rubbed his wrists, happy to be free to move around.
The man gave Michael a hard look and moved his right hand to a pistol holstered on his hip, giving Michael a clear clue as to what he would do if he tried anything.
“Where am I?” Michael asked Karina.
“Get some rest and we’ll talk more tomorrow.”
Michael was desperate to know more. “And who is that?”
“That’s Anatoly; he looks and acts like he’s angry all the time, but trust me, he’s a teddy bear.”
Anatoly glared at her.
Karina stepped forward again and bent down. Her long black hair fell onto Michael’s face as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Get some rest.”
“I will and thank you,” Michael replied, holding up his freed hands.
Anatoly and Karina walked to the door. Just before she stepped out, Karina turned back and said, “Welcome back, I missed you.”
Vista, CA
Vincent hadn’t seen another person since watching Roger and his family leave. At first he dealt with the solitude, fully expecting to encounter some straggler or wandering person coming up to the compound, looking for a handout, but no one came. He could only imagine the neighbors were too frightened to return. Not having one person show up seemed odd, but not so much that it troubled him. Not having to deal with anyone was nice.
It had taken him only half a day to pack one of the SUVs for his eventual departure, so his remaining days had been spent hobbling around the property on patrol. Using the satellite phone Roger left him, he tried calling his parents, but all he got was a pulsing tone indicating the system was down. Many times he thought about his unit and wondered what they were doing. Not a day would go by without him contemplating returning to Camp Pendleton, but his intimate knowledge of Marine life and the Marine Corps in general allowed him to squash those thoughts. He had one chance to go help his parents, and if he ended back up at Camp Pendleton, they’d put him to task right after he healed. This was his only opportunity and he would take it.
A small grove of mature avocado trees sat near the north end of the property on a sloping hill. The climb to the top was difficult for him, but once he crested the hill, it proved worthwhile. His spot atop the hill gave him a great vantage point of the property, house and outbuildings below as well as a view of the surrounding area, plus he enjoyed the cool westerly breeze that blew off the ocean beyond.
He leaned against a large rock and stretched out his right leg so he’d have blood flow easily to it. Looking at his heavily bandaged foot, he cracked a smile at his dumb luck. In his entire career as a Marine he hadn’t heard of very many people surviving a helicopter crash, but he had. He didn’t know the odds, but he figured if he had been successful with the odds while playing the lottery he’d be a millionaire, but what good would the money be now. He had been so fortunate that when his luck came, it had saved his life and put him in a position to go help his family. He loved the Marine Corps and his daily doubts about his not returning would come in waves, but what good was he or what kind of son was he if he couldn’t defend his family? He had joined the Marines for a variety of reasons, one of those being to protect his loved ones from the evil that existed in the world. But now that evil had descended on his country and his parents were threatened. He didn’t know how long he’d be dogged with these doubts, but the emotional tug of Idaho and his family won out every time.
It seemed so strange to look out on the rolling hills and see the modern world, but the sounds of that world were gone, almost as if someone had hit the mute button. His world was now filled with the sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves. Occasionally he’d hear the familiar crack of gunfire, but it was always too far away to give him much concern.
He enjoyed the combination of the warm sun and cool breeze. There were many things he disliked about Southern California; one thing he loved was the weather. How could you beat it? he’d often mentioned before. He never understood those friends from eastern or Midwestern states who had both bad weather and bad politics. He often joked to those friends that if you were going to live in a place where your personal liberties were lessened, at least make it nice outside.
The one problem he found with his perch was the combination of warm sun and cool breeze would stoke his desire to nap. Again, he was fighting the feeling when a movement near the gate caught his attention. He opened his eyes wide but didn’t move anything else. Like a laser beam, he focused on the spot for minutes, but nothing moved. He began to wonder if he had imagined it. As more minutes passed, he came to the conclusion it had been a near-sleep dream.
“I swear I saw something,” he whispered under his breath as he placed his binoculars to his eyes. He scanned the area but saw nothing, He focused intently on the gate but saw no one or anything out of the norm. More minutes passed and just as he was about to give up, he saw the movement again. This time there was no doubt as he watched a young child scale the gate and jump into the compound, followed by a woman.
“I knew I wasn’t seeing shit,” he muttered. Reflexively he went to get up but was quickly reminded about his handicap. “This damn foot is such a pain in my ass.” Using a crutch and the rock, he lifted himself. Once steady, he began his slow descent. Every few feet, he’d stop and scan the compound, hoping to see their location and if anyone else had come over. Unfortunately, he hadn’t seen them since they came in and hadn’t seen anyone else.
With his current physical condition, it took him ten times as long to get down the hill and near the back door of the house. Sweat poured off his brow and streamed down his face. His T-shirt was soaked and his breathing was labored. At the back door he paused and listened for any signs they were close. Not hearing them, he turned the doorknob and slowly pushed it open. With as much speed as he could muster, he hopped inside, turned and ran directly into the young woman.
She screamed and pushed him hard.
Not able to get good footing, he tumbled and fell backwards. He hit the floor with a thud, the back of his head smacking against the hard wood.
The woman didn’t advance. With terror in her voice, she cried out, “Noah, get out of the house, hurry!”
Vincent could see the fear on her face but didn’t see her as a threat until she pulled out the pistol.
“You just lie right there; don’t think about attacking me. I’ll shoot you, I swear to you, don’t test me!”
Even if Vincent wanted to resist or stop her, he couldn’t. His splayed position on the floor prevented him from countering her. If she wanted to, she could kill him right there; however, he sensed she wasn’t a killer. “Please don’t shoot me. I’m not going to hurt you,” Vincent said, raising his hands, palms out towards her.
Her hands were shaking and sweat dripped off her glistening face. “We only came looking for medicine, that’s all. Now, you stay there so we can leave, okay?”
“Fine, that’s fine, but maybe I can help. Who needs medicine?”
Around the corner, a young boy, not seven years old, came sprinting.
“Noah, I told you to go!” the woman screamed.
“I, uh, I didn’t understand you. I thought you needed help!” Noah cried as he stopped in his tracks upon seeing Vincent.
“I won’t hurt you, and if you need help, you came to the right place,” Vincent called out, his hands still up.
“Do you have any antibiotics?” the woman asked, the muzzle of her pistol still aimed at Vincent.
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“I’ll take you there.”
“No, tell me where!” she screamed.
“It’s located in a cabinet and it’s locked.”
“Where are the keys?”
“I won’t hurt you and I know first aid.”
“Where are the keys?” s
he asked and took a step closer. “I’ll shoot you, I swear!”
“What good would that do you?”
“Why shouldn’t I?”
“Why should you?”
“You can’t trust anyone these days, especially men.”
All Vincent could imagine was she had been hurt, maybe even raped. There could be no other reason for her skepticism.
He lowered his hand to dig in his pocket for the keys.
She pulled the trigger. A chunk of wall and sheet rock flew through the air. The loud shot hurt his ears and, from her expression, hers too.
Noah rapidly put his hands to his ears and moaned.
“Easy, damnit!” Vincent yelled.
“Put your hands back up, or I’ll shoot you next time!” she ordered.
“I was going into my pocket to get you the keys,” Vincent explained.
She furrowed her brow. “Go ahead, get the keys,” she said and motioned with the pistol.
Slowly he lowered his hand, dug into his pocket and pulled out a ring of keys. He tossed them over to her and said, “Look in the garage, third cabinet on the right. There’s a fridge in there. Take what you need.”
He then remembered he had emptied the refrigerator of most of the medicine save for fifteen bottles of prenatal vitamins, two bottles of melatonin and twenty packets of birth control. Items he didn’t imagine he’d need.
She squatted down, never taking the pistol off him, and picked up the keys. She looked at them, then him and asked, “How do I know you won’t follow me in there and do something?”
“I won’t and don’t even think about tying me up. I’ve given you the damn keys and my word. Go get what you want and get the hell out of here,” Vincent responded.
“Noah, here, go to the garage and find that fridge. Put every bottle of medicine you find in a bag. Call for me when you’re done.”
Noah approached and snatched the keys. He looked at the woman then turned his eyes to Vincent.
Vincent nodded and gave him a wink.
Noah returned Vincent’s nod with a slight one of his own, then turned and ran away just as fast as he had appeared.
The Defiant: An Unbeaten Path Page 2
