Roland: Reluctant Paladin

by N. C. Reed

  -

  Roland halted after perhaps another mile, and rested briefly. He consumed an MRE and drank nearly a quart of water, knowing he needed it. By his estimate, he was anywhere from eight to ten miles from the school.

  The sudden halt to the pursuit worried him. Had they discovered James had freed the prisoners? Had they decided to go ahead and attack the school? Not knowing the answers left him concerned, but there was little he could do. Trying to find James was useless. He didn’t know which exact direction the teen had taken; how many people were with him or what shape they were in. He had no way to estimate how long it would take them to cover the distance to the school.

  He stood, policing the area, and prepared to move out. With no way to help James, his best bet was to make it back to the school as quickly as possible. With that in mind, he set off at a ground eating jog, careful to keep his eyes moving.

  There was still danger out here.

  -

  Melissa dropped to the ground next to James, smiling slightly.

  “You handled that well,” she complimented. James shrugged.

  “How old are you?” she asked, and he looked over at her.

  “Why?” he asked, surprised by the question.

  “Just curious,” she shrugged in reply. “You look like a teenager, but you handled that like an older man would have.”

  “Eighteen,” James answered. “I’m eighteen.”

  “Thought so,” Melissa nodded. “I’m twenty-one, myself,” she offered. “What’s your last name?” she asked. He looked at her again, puzzled, though not allowing it to show.

  “James Henry Golden, at your service,” he grinned tiredly. “Pleasure to meet you, Miss Andrews.”

  “It was certainly mine,” Melissa smiled, and James felt a blush spreading across his cheeks. “You saved us from a terrible fate, James. I can’t thank you enough for that.”

  “No need,” James shook his head, resuming his scan of the area around them. “We couldn’t leave you there. Not without trying to get you free.”

  “Who is ‘we’?” Melissa asked. “You said back at the barn that your friend was buying you time to get us free. Who’s he?”

  “A friend,” James repeated. “You’ll meet him, soon enough. If he’s alive,” he added, almost against his will.

  “You think he’s not?” she asked. She drew her knees up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them. James realized that she was cold, and stripped off his jacket, wrapping around her. She looked startled for a moment, then drew the jacket around her tighter.

  “Thank you,” she murmured, blushing.

  “Welcome,” James nodded, getting to his feet. “Try and get some rest,” he ordered, slipping on his night vision gear. “I’m gonna take a look around. I’ll be nearby if you need anything.” With that he disappeared into the growing darkness. Melissa strained to hear him in the trees, but couldn’t.

  She pulled the jacket tighter, and leaned back against the tree James had been using for a back rest. She was very tired...

  -

  James made another circuit of the camp, trying to keep his mind on what he was doing. Melissa seemed awfully interesting, and that was distracting him, which he couldn’t have. He had to stay on top of things. He had not one, but two troublemakers, nine others who were weak and injured, not to mention terrified, and a long way between him and home. And help.

  He paused in the woods, sighing deeply. He was tired. He’d been up since before daylight, and the prospect of getting any sleep tonight wasn’t looking good. He fortified himself with the idea that once he was back at the school, he could hand these people, and the problems of having them, off on someone else.

  Realizing he was day dreaming, James shook himself, and started another round. This was going to be a long night.

  -

  It was approaching dawn when Roland came into sight of the school. He exhaled sharply seeing it still looking ship shape. His worst fear had been to return and see either a pitched battle in progress, or the signs of one in the recent past.

  He pulled his radio out, switched it on, and called the school.

  “Guard post, this is Roland, please reply.”

  “Ro’?” Jesse’s voice came back at once. “Damn it’s good to hear your voice. Where ya at?”

  “I’m lookin’ at you,” Roland grinned into the radio. “I’ll be there in a couple minutes. I don’t suppose someone could fix me somthin’ warm to eat, could they?”

  “I know someone that’ll be glad to,” Jesse chuckled. “C’mon in, bro.”

  “On the way.” Roland put the radio away and started toward the school.

  It was good to be home.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  James got to his feet as the first light of dawn appeared in the eastern sky. It wouldn’t be full daylight for a while yet, but they had a long way to go and they were way too exposed. He figured these people were good for about one day’s travel and that was it. He had no more food to give them, and unless they found something somewhere along the way their best bet was to cover the ground between here and the school today, if possible. Even if they couldn’t get it all, maybe they could get close enough for his radio to reach someone.

  He bent down and gently shook Melissa’s shoulder. Sometime during the night the woman he had lent his clothing to had snuggled under his jacket with the young nurse for warmth. James was very careful not to touch her as he woke them.

  “Wake up, sunshine,” he said softly. “We gotta get moving.” Melissa’s eyes shot open, and James raised his hands when he saw the wild look in her eyes.

  “Easy, now,” he told her calmly. “Think about where you are.” She blinked at him a few times, and then smiled slowly.

  “I was afraid it was a dream,” she admitted, raising up on her elbows. “What time us it?” she asked.

  “Daytime,” James told her. “See that light in the sky? Now get up and get the blood moving. We got a long ways to go, today.” She nodded, rubbing her face with both hands, and then turning to her companion.

  “Wake up, Susan,” she prodded the other woman gently. James nodded at that. Now he knew the other woman’s name. ‘Susan’ jolted awake, clawing at the air in front of her.

  “Take it easy,” Melissa soothed. “It’s all right. Look around you, and remember what happened yesterday.” Slowly Susan returned to something resembling aware, and blushed.

  “I’m sorry,” she said softly.

  “Don’t be,” James said at once. She looked at him and smiled faintly. James grinned in return, then started moving to wake the others, choosing Mister Mackey first.

  “Sir, it’s time for us to be going,” he said gently, and Mackey surprised him by opening his eyes.

  “I been awake a little while,” he admitted, sitting up smoothly. “Tend to wake early on a farm, son,” he smiled.

  “I imagine,” James nodded. “If we can make it to the school today, then we can all sleep in tomorrow.”

  “You think we can?” Mackey asked.

  “I hope so,” James sighed. “Thing is, if we can just get close enough for my radio to reach, then I may can call some help. Get us a ride.”

  “That would be nice,” Mackey grunted, getting to his feet. “I feel my years today, that’s for sure. Let’s get this bunch on their feet then.” Between them, it took only a minute or two to get everyone awake.

  Getting them on their feet was another matter.

  “We can’t possibly walk that far until we’ve had something to eat,” groused the woman who had complained last night.

  “I don’t have anything to eat, ma’am,” James replied patiently. “We get where we’re going, there’ll be food and water, and a chance to clean up. Until then we just have to tighten our belts and make do.”

  “I can’t believe you didn’t bring food with you,” she grumbled. “How much planning did you put into this ‘rescue’?”

  “We didn’t plan a rescue,” James informed her.
Again. “We saw you were prisoners, and changed our plans to try and get you free. Sorry if we’re a little low on amenities.” He wasn’t that patient.

  “Don’t you sass me...” the woman started, and James patience reached its limit.

  “Lady, I’m walking outta here in ten minutes. You wanna come along, then get on your feet and get ready. You don’t, then just wait here and those nice gentlemen you seem to miss so much will likely be along shortly and take you back where you’ll be more comfortable.” Having said his last word on the matter, James started to walk away, only to have the woman’s cohort grab his arm.

  “You listen here, boy,” the older man growled. “You don’t talk to her like th...” Which was where he got to before James hit him with his rifle stock.

  “Don’t ever touch me,” James looked down at the man, now laying on the ground, holding his jaw. “Not ever. You got something to say to me, you say it, but you do it without laying hands on me. I won’t tell you again.” His voice was as cold as his eyes as he looked at the man.

  “You understand me?” he asked. The man glared up at him.

  “I asked you a question, mister,” James’ voice dropped to nearly a whisper. “Do. You. Understand?”

  It began to dawn on the man that the ‘boy’ he so casually dismissed might not be someone to mess with. He nodded slowly, still holding his jaw.

  “Then get up and get ready, if you’re going.” With that James stalked away. Mackey chuckled as he looked down.

  “Bob, you better watch yourself. That ‘boy’ might not be so gentle, next time.”

  -

  BD looked at the body of his brother, and of twelve more of his men, with cold raging hatred in his heart. He was beyond furious, having reached that point where everything was simply. . .dead. Just like his little brother.

  It never occurred to BD that he and his men had asked for it. No, that kind of thing never occurred to him, or men like him. All he could see was that someone had killed his brother, as well as some of his friends, and they had to pay.

  He had returned yesterday to find six more people dead, and all but one of the prisoners gone. Three dead prisoners were still in the barn with the man BD called Raggedy. The man was more than a little off, and the group had teased him without mercy for over a month, but the little man had been eating, and sleeping inside, even if it was a barn, and he had stayed, unwilling to travel with no food and no shelter again.

  Raggedy had told BD everything that had happened, and even showed him where the others had gone. Oddly enough, that had touched BD somewhere inside him and the gang leader had been oddly kind to the train wreck of a man since then.

  BD looked over at his lieutenant, the man Roland and James knew as 'Foo', due to his Fu Manchu facial hair, and nodded. The man nodded back, and tossed the burning torch onto the pile of bodies, already soaked in kerosene. The bodies caught fire, and the bikers cheered for their lost brothers, a ritual that no one knew the origin of.

  BD watched the flames for a few minutes, then assembled his people.

  “Manny,” he ordered ‘Fu’, “take two men, saddle up, and head over to Murfreesboro. I want Lincoln here no later than tomorrow night, and I want every swinging dick and every piece o’ hardware he’s got here with ‘im. If he tries to buck, shoot him, and lead the rest here yourself. Got it?”

  “Got it, Boss,” Manny nodded. He pointed to two men and motioned for them to follow.

  “Brick,” he spoke next to Ponytail. “Take ten men, and get after the group that left with that kid. Get the prisoners back if you can, especially the women, and kill that kid. I expect you back tonight, hear?”

  “We’re on it, Boss,” Brick nodded. He also selected his men, and headed out. BD looked at the rest.

  “We’ll go after the largest other group. Get ready. We head out in ten minutes.”

  BD watched them all go to prepare, and then turned back one last time to the pyre, still burning.

  “Raggedy,” he spoke softly to the little man still standing there. “You keep an eye on this, and don’t let it spread. Let it burn, but don’t let it spread. And you show some respect,” he added, looking at him. “That’s my baby brother, right there.”

  “‘ight Boss!” Raggedy nodded, trying to be as serious as the others. “Raggedy do it.”

  “I know you will,” BD smiled slightly. “Keep an eye on the place for me, okay? We’ll be back.”

  “Eye on,” Raggedy nodded again. “Got it, Boss.” BD left him standing there, heading back to the house.

  He had work to do and plans to make.

  And someone to make suffer.

  -

  Despite his best efforts, it was thirty minutes before James as able to lead the group away from the small clearing. The people were just too weak, some of them, to be rushed. Calls of nature had to be obeyed, and some of them required more than five or so minutes to simply get loosened up enough to walk. He hated every second of lost time but couldn’t begrudge them too much. They’d had a hard road for a long time.

  He had taken the time to dig out a map and his compass. There hadn’t been time yesterday, and he had the area around the farm committed to memory, anyway. Now, he took the time to orient himself.

  He also removed his back-up pistol and two extra magazines from the pack. When he had the chance to do so privately, he had taken Mackey aside, and handed him the items.

  “Know how to use this, I imagine,” James had said, offering the older man the gun. Mackey nodded, accepting both.

  “Keep it to yourself,” James warned. “I don’t trust that man, or that woman,” he indicated the two he’d had trouble with.

  “Well, Bob’s all right, other than bein’ an asshole,” Mackey had chuckled. “Shirley, though, she’s a bitch clear through, and mean as a rattle snake. You’re smart to pick up on that.”

  “Well, she’s about one rung off being left behind,” James told him, and the older man nodded.

  “That might be the best thing,” he admitted. “I hate to say it, but it might. I’ll leave that to you. You’re the one runnin’ this show.”

  “I’m just trying to get back,” James shook his head.

  “You call it, and I’ll back you,” Tom Mackey promised. “I’m ready when you are.” James nodded his thanks, and then walked over to Melissa Andrews. He pulled her aside, out of ear shot.

  “You know anything about guns?” he asked, and she nodded.

  “I learned to shoot when I was eleven,” she informed him. He held out a small automatic, and a spare magazine.

  “Can you work with this? It’s all I’ve got to spare at the moment.”

  “Wow, a Sig .380, that’s nice,” she almost whistled. “Yeah, I can work with it.”

  “Hide it away and keep it to yourself,” he told her. “That ain’t for you to fight with, it’s to defend yourself. Understand?”

  Melissa looked into his eyes, and almost gasped at the seriousness she saw lurking there. Unable to speak, she nodded.

  “Good. Now, let’s get ready to move.”

  -

  “Where’s the boy?” Jesse asked, as he shoulder bumped Roland.

  “I was hopin’ he’d made it back, but I managed to make pretty good time,” Roland sighed. He gratefully accepted a canteen and took a deep drink.

  “We had to kinda alter our original plan,” he said, once his throat was wet. He explained the situation briefly, Jesse nodding on occasion.

  “Anyway, for some reason, they let off trailing me,” Roland finished. “We hurt ‘em, and bad, but. . .I don’t like the way they left off following me. Their head guy was some kinda mad at me. Whatever happened, it must have been a big deal.”

  “Maybe they left off to chase James?” Jesse asked, concern etched on his face.

  “Could be,” Roland nodded. “Honestly, I’m too tired to give it a lot of thought. And too hungry,” he admitted. “I don’t suppose...”

  “Roland?” He turned at the sound of Maria
’s voice, just in time to prevent her from bowling him over as she ran over to him, throwing her arms around him.

  “I’m so glad you’re back!” she exclaimed. “Are you all right? Are you hurt?”

  “I’ll just go and check on. . .that thing. You know, over there, somewhere,” Jesse grinned, and made his way over to. . .that. Over there. Maria blushed furiously at the implication, but didn’t let go of Roland.

  “I’m fine,” Roland assured her. “No harm, no foul. Hungry, though,” he admitted.

  “I’ll fix you something. Come in and rest while I cook you breakfast,” she took him by the hand, leading him into the school.

  “Where’s James?” she asked, realizing that the teen wasn’t with him.

  “He’s on his way, I imagine,” Roland replied, worry in his voice. Again he briefly detailed the change in their plans, and James’ roll in the new one.

  “Do you. . .do you think he’s okay?” she asked, worry in her own voice.

  “I’d lay odds on it,” Roland nodded. “He’s smart, and he’s tough. Only problems he’ll have are the people with him. Some of’em looked to be in pretty bad shape,” he admitted.

  “How many people?” Maria asked.

  “At least thirty, if they all made it,” Roland said. She nodded.

  “Once you’ve eaten, I want you to get cleaned up, and rest. I’ll make sure we’re prepared for the others when they arrive.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Roland had to smile, and Maria blushed again, but smiled back. She still hadn’t let go of his hand.

  -

  It was just after noon when James heard the dogs. He stopped, turning his head and cupping his ear. Yep, dogs. They weren’t close yet, but they were moving. His best guess was that they had covered maybe four miles since daylight. And that was generous. Weak from near starvation and mistreatment, most of the people he was leading simply weren’t able to keep pace.

  “We’re gonna have to pick up the pace,” he said to Tom Mackey. “They got dogs trailing us.” Tom nodded, understanding the danger. ‘Shirley’ on the other hand, overheard.