The Irrevocable Series Boxed Set

by Samantha Jacobey

  “We could haul them in the horse trailer, if we had to, but we would need t’ get it outta here an’ stash it some place until we were ready for it,” Caleb tapped Bonny’s map. “I’d love to get a load o’ the hogs an’ chickens back.”

  “Wouldn’t we all,” Peter nodded, “But we have no way o’ communicating, since they snatched all the radio equipment; too bad we didn’t have any back-ups o’ those hidden in Lawson. An’ we don’t really have a hiding place for a truck an’ trailer, as it is.”

  “Wouldn’t o’ mattered,” John announced, “The handhelds had a limited range, so they only worked house t’ house anyways. If they’re gonna hide, it’s gotta be further away than that.”

  “What about the gas station?” Bailey suggested quietly. When everyone only stared at her she continued. “There was only one other guy there that we saw that didn’t come here. Even if there’s more, there can’t be that many. Besides, we could take Caleb’s bike back, if it’s still there.”

  The blond-headed man began to laugh, “Son of a bitch, wouldn’t that be funny? I’m down for that! I’ll go hook up the horse trailer an’ Bailey can go with me, along with Don or Nung; you pick.”

  “I’m goin’, too,” Amanda stood, “I can help with the animals, an’ we’ll take a few cages with us jus’ in case.”

  “So John an’ I set up the roadblock, an’ take out their vehicles,” Mike suggested, “While Devon an’ Pete take the helicopter an’ plane over to Pouty.”

  “Yeah, but they shouldn’t take off until the vehicles are wiped out. That way, if somethin’ goes wrong, you guys can adjust the plan,” Caleb stipulated. “But, I still don’ see how we’re gonna know when t’ go.”

  “I guess we could keep an eye out,” Bailey suggested. “When we see them take off or fly over, we can join them. It’ll take us a bit longer to get there, but not too much longer. But where are you going to land the plane? Do they have an air strip?”

  “No,” Bonny shook her head, “No strip. Just a pad for the helicopter outside of town.”

  “Oh, that’s perfect! We go land on their pad, an’ show up in their truck, they’ll think the fights over an’ their guys are bringing their stuff back!” Pete beamed. “An’ don’t worry about the airplane. I’m sure I can land on the road there somewhere. It’s a smaller model an’ don’t need much of a runway, but I bet I can still get all four of the kids in with me as well.”

  Slapping the table, John got to his feet, “Hot damn, guys an’ dolls, we need t’ get movin’ so we can be ready when they get here. Nung, you go with the kids an’ set up over at the garage. We’ll get some o’ these girls on the wall with rifles, too. They’re all good shots, an’ when push comes to shove, we may need the extra fire power. Oh, an’ in case anyone has any doubts, any an’ all that get in our way, will be KOS.”

  “Kill on sight,” Caleb echoed grimly, “Sounds fair; I’m sure they aren’t on their way over to take everyone prisoner again.”

  “Uh, no,” Bonny shook her ebony curls, “They intend to kill everyone here.”

  “Then we got no problem returning the favor,” Peter agreed as he stood. “I’ll go see about gettin’ that Jeep taken care of. You all have your jobs; let’s move!”

  Turning to Bailey, Caleb gave her a wry grin, “Sorry, little bit, I think I volunteered you for the most dangerous part.”

  “You’re going to help get my brothers back; there’s no other job I would rather have,” she giggled, leaning forward to give him a peck on the lips. “I really don’t think you could have kept me away.”

  Broken

  Bailey climbed into the back seat of the truck, closing the half-door behind her, “How long before sunrise?”

  “At least an hour,” Nung supplied, taking the passenger seat in front of her. Glancing over at the tall blonde who sat behind Caleb, he scowled, “You sure leaving your child alone is a good idea?”

  “Momma’s watchin’ her. Hell, she’s mosta the reason I’m goin’; it’s her future we’re fightin’ for, as well as our own.”

  “Amen,” Caleb agreed, starting the truck and pulling out of the gate. As soon as they passed through it, Mike rolled it shut behind them, and they followed the outer wall to the front of the compound. On the paved road, they would be able to increase their speed, as the snow and ice were completely gone.

  “When we get to the station, we may get problems,” he cautioned. “We killed their friends, an’ I don’ know that they will recognize me an’ Bailey, but I don’ know that they won’t, either.”

  “It’s all good,” Nung watched the terrain whizzing by. “About a quarter mile before we get there, you can let me out. I’ll ride on the blind side of the trailer with my rifle, ready for whatever they pull.”

  “I sure hope this works,” Bailey mumbled mostly to herself, growing nervous that they had settled on using her plan. “What are we going to do if there are women or children at the gas station?”

  Caleb made a clicking sound with his tongue, “I hadn’t thought of that. We don’t really wanna kill these guys, unless they force our hand. So I’d say, we leave them be. Hell, I’d love to get my bike back, but if it keeps the peace, they can have it.”

  Staring at his profile, Bailey considered how unlike his father he was. The older Cross had obviously tried to mold his sons in his own image, but in the end, Caleb had become his own person. Yes, he would be capable of taking lives if that were necessary. But at the same time, he had a soft streak that made him irresistible as a human being; and as a lover.

  Watching the remaining patches of snow flying by in the darkness and shining in the moonlight, the girl smiled at the idea of who had turned out to be her one and only. He hasn’t asked me to marry him yet; she pondered their situation. When this is over, I’m going to push the issue. Just because their world had been broken didn’t mean they should give up on what they believed; or on our future.

  Stopping as planned, Nung jumped out and circled around behind the trailer. In place, he whacked the metal surface firmly, causing it to ring like a deep kettle drum, signaling Caleb they could move out. Approaching the spot where the road widened, Bailey slid forward in her seat, grasping the headrest before her and peering around it. “Why’s it so dark?”

  “They have no power,” Caleb supplied. “Whatever their backup plan was, if they had one, it’s all used up.”

  Pulling the long rig under the canopy above the pumps, he noted that the front door to the station stood wide open, with the front glass shattered on the ground outside; broken from the inside. “Stay here,” he commanded gruffly. Taking his pistol and a flashlight, he exited the vehicle and proceeded to the entrance, calling loudly, “Hello? Anybody here?”

  Not getting any response, Caleb chose to skirt the structure, locating a bathroom on the end that appeared undisturbed, with toilet paper still on the roll. On the back side, the wide, thick door appeared forced, with the handle and frame badly damaged. Using his light to illuminate the interior, he kept his weapon pointed everywhere he looked, ready to shoot anything that moved. The back turned out to be a small living quarters, which lay in shambles.

  Working his way through, the place had obviously been cleaned out, with every shelf in the small convenience store bare. Even the racks of cigarettes had been cleared from behind the register. Scowling at the mess, he exited through the front door, waving at Nung, who still watched from behind the trailer, “All clear.”

  Opening the driver’s side, he reached in and killed the engine, “You can get out if you want. I don’t think those guys actually belonged here, an’ maybe had taken over the place like they wanted to do with ours. Either way, there’s a toilet on the end, but I have no idea if it actually works. Th’ place’s been cleaned out, an’ I bet Pouty hit them at some point during th’ storm as well, or someone else did.”

  “They made a nice target, out in th’ open like this,” Amanda pointed out, opening her door to stretch her legs. “We need t’ keep an eye
out, in case someone’s still watchin’ th’ place.”

  “Agreed,” Caleb grinned at Bailey, “You wanna get out, or hang out in here. We may have a long wait, since we can’t move until Pouty makes theirs.”

  “We should get some sleep,” the girl suggested, “In shifts, so that someone is keeping a lookout for the plane to fly over before they head to the town.”

  “That sounds like a good plan,” Nung agreed, “You girls get some rest. We’ll wake you in four hours and take a turn ourselves.”

  Amanda didn’t argue, moving to the front seat so Bailey could stretch out in the back, not realizing how tired she was until she closed her eyes. Within minutes, both were sound asleep.

  Pete found the keys to the interlopers’ Jeep in the ignition, where Caleb had left them. “I wonder why they never told us what happened,” he pondered aloud as he cranked the engine. Taking the dirt paths to the gate between the stables and what remained of the arena, he felt fairly certain he knew the answer. Taking a man’s life is a private thing; not something the girl would have been proud of or want to share.

  Outside the gate, he didn’t bother to close it, having Carson following on a four wheeler to give him a ride back in a few minutes. Arriving at the blacktop, he turned around about two hundred yards from the front gate, so that the vehicle faced parallel to the compound. Climbing out, he glared down the road, wondering if the kids had made it over to the gas station yet, and how they were faring.

  “This far enough away?” Carson queried, pulling up beside him.

  “Yeah,” Pete clamped him on the shoulder, “Too far and we lose accuracy on the launcher; let me drive.”

  Scooting back, the boy let the elder have the front seat, and they closed the fence once they were back inside. Over at the armory, everyone had been assigned a weapon, and John was sketching positions on a map of the front wall.

  “Pete,” he called when they arrived, “I’m gonna take charge o’ the RPG. We only got two shells, so it’ll be vital that both shots count.”

  “Agreed,” Peter nodded, “I’m much better with a rifle anyways. Does everyone know their place?”

  “Yes, sir,” Jennifer grinned while looking at Kristen. “We’re ready t’ do whatever we gotta do.”

  “Tha’s good,” John wafted a hand towards the front wall. “This is gonna get messy. An’ I jus’ want you t’ know, we can do this. I mean, if that scrawny little outsider can take down a man, I expect you girls can as well.”

  “Yes, sir,” Kristen giggled, following the group to the front gate. “How long do you think we’ll have t’ wait?”

  “No idea,” he grimaced, climbing the ladder, “If they don’ come before dawn, it’ll be likely we won’ see ‘em until dark. We’ll play it by ear.” Glancing up at the light towers they had set up directly in the middle of the gate, he grinned, “If they attack us at night, we’ll have a decided advantage with those things. Thank God they didn’t steal or destroy ‘em when they were here.”

  “I don’t think they paid much attention to what was in the hangar,” Peter slapped him on the back, “They were more interested in food an’ weapons at the time.”

  Taking their positions along the narrow band of bricks, the group didn’t have long to wait. Off in the distance, a vehicle became visible, followed by another. Watching them coming down the road, John grew tense, aware that they were moving at a high rate of speed, “Silly bastards, where the fuck’s their headlights?”

  “Maybe they think they’re being sneaky,” Peter observed. Seeing them approaching the vehicle that had been intended to divert their course, he swore loudly, “Oh, son of a bitch!”

  Never hitting its brakes, the first in the line of what turned out to be five trucks and three SUVs smashed into the parked vehicle, the second plowing in behind it. Watching the chain of events unfold before them, his jaw hung open in disbelief, “Hit the lights!” his voice loud over the sound of the vehicles revving their engines as they left the blacktop, he amended the order, “Fire at will!”

  With the bright floodlights glaring down upon them, the group never stood a chance. Using one of his overpowered rockets, the oldest Cross blasted the SUV that seemed to be leading the charge across the field, as if it wanted to reach the north gate. As soon as it exploded, the remainder of the drivers spun their front ends around in retreat.

  With expert marksmanship, the girls deflated tires, and took down any targets that presented themselves along the way. Realizing that two vehicles were going to get away, John turned to Devon, “We gotta stop ‘em; le’s take th’ chopper an’ get ahead of ‘em.”

  Getting down off the wall in haste, the pair climbed into the helicopter, and John rested a rifle and the launcher between his legs. “I only got one shot, so you’ll have t’ get on the other driver with this as soon as I get the lead vehicle taken out.”

  “What abou’ damagin’ th’ road?”

  “Fuck th’ road,” he scowled, “It’s already trashed. We have t’ stop ‘em before they get on th’ main highway. Tha’s all that matters.”

  Flying over the top of them only a mile before the cattle guard, both men knew it was going to be close. Setting the machine down, Devon cut the blades, warning his companion, “Watch yurself.” Rifle in hand, he climbed out of his side, taking a knee and setting up.

  On the other side, John braced himself and sent the rocket flying. The fireball massive, the trailing vehicle slammed on its brakes, skidding as Devon took his shot, shattering the glass and spraying grey matter. His body falling limp, the pressure on the pad released, causing the remaining SUV to slam into the burning wreckage. Only one man attempted to escape the carnage, and the large black hands were steady when he made the kill shot, bringing Pouty’s attempt to take Lawson down to an end.

  Enough is Enough

  Caleb heard the sound of the single engine plane in the distance, “I think that’s our sign.” Moving to the edge of the awning, he shaded his eyes against the morning light, “Yup, that’s them. Time to go!”

  Spinning, he wafted a hand at Nung, “So much for naps!” Opening the driver’s door, “‘Manda,” he gave the girl a shake, while the other man roused the one in the back.

  “Four hours already?” the blonde frowned, sliding out of the seat.

  “No,” Caleb hopped into the vacated spot, “We’re up. Get in an’ let’s roll!”

  Flying down the asphalt, the group could see the dark smoke billowing ahead of them, “Oh my God!” Bailey gasped, “That’s right up next to the gate!”

  Seeing the chopper sitting in their path, the group pulled up and climbed out, while Caleb demanded, “What’s going on?”

  “We had to alter the plan,” John met them in front of the grill, clamping his son on the shoulder. “They brought a mess o’ vehicles an’ men, an’ they had a CB radio, so we can bet Pouty knows things didn’ end well for them.”

  “So what’re we gonna do?” Bailey glared at the line of vehicles that stood along the road.

  “We’re gonna take the fight to them. Enough is enough,” Peter nodded at his niece, “An’ we aren’t taking anymore. The helicopter is going to fly ahead, and survey the area. We’ve got six vehicles of our own, an’ we’re taking all the firepower we can handle. We’re gonna attack the front side, an’ try to sneak in from the plane on the rear to steal the kids back.”

  “What about getting our animals?” Amanda appeared doubtful.

  “We can make it on what we got,” John frowned. “Our people are more important. We also wanna send a message, loud an’ clear… we hold the upper hand, an’ any survivors should be terrified o’ even thinkin’ about comin’ after us again.”

  Bailey shuddered, reaching for Caleb’s hand. “We kill them all?”

  “Everyone we see,” Peter nodded at her. “If you want to hang back here, we understand. Carson’s on the four-wheeler, an’ he‘ll give you a ride back to The Ranch if you would rather go home.”

  “No way!” her gr
een eyes flashed, “I’m in this the same as the rest of you,” the blond man gave her a squeeze, “Anything we need to know before we get there?”

  Moving to the shoulder, Don used a stick to make a rough map, “We’re gonna split up. Their streets are open, an’ not well protected. Plus, Bonny says that the downtown area is all burned. We move around, shooting anyone we see.”

  The girl wiped at a tear, “How do you know we won’t get any of us?”

  “We know where they are,” Peter added a few boxes to the map, “We’re gonna land out here an’ move in while you guys have them distracted on the other side of town. Don’t worry; we’ll get the boys back, and the girls for that matter.”

  “How long are we going to keep this up?”

  The two older men exchanged a glance, “We’re gonna set fire to a few more buildings; we made some of those sticky bombs, and will use them from a distance. Keep picking them off when they come out. We have an ass ton of ammo from us an’ them, so we can keep that up for a while. Caleb, you bring the truck an’ trailer around this way, once the fires are set. When you reach the farms, the barn is on this end an’ you can load up some of the animals if you’re able.”

  “Ok,” he ran a finger through his spikes, “Are these guys still ridin’ with me?”

  “Amanda an’ Bailey are with you, son,” John explained. “We need Nung to ride in another vehicle. That gives us one driver an’ one shooter in all six of ‘em. You guys are the seventh, an’ hopefully that’ll be enough for us to get the job done.”

  Glaring at the men, Caleb swallowed visibly, and Bailey knew their plan didn’t sit well with him. Part of that softness that makes him so special, she sighed. “It’s ok, baby,” she tried to reassure him. “This’s how it has to be, if we want to get our family back, and make sure we’re safe from now on.”

  “I’m not so sure about that,” he shook his head slightly, “But I have to admit, I don’t have a better plan. Le’s mount up an’ get movin’; the longer we wait, the more prepared they’ll be.”