Next World Series (Vol. 3): Families First [Second Wind]

by Ewing, Lance K.

  Jax and Hudson resisted, from the beginning of the river crossing in the slow section and back up the hill to the captors’ camp. Their captors took no care to keep them from banging into trees and bushes, scraping their arms and legs while being carried back to the camp.

  They were given a quick potty break before being locked inside one of the main tents. Both scared, they were glad not to be completely alone.

  “We’ve made contact,” announced Jim over the radio.

  “What do you know?” asked Lonnie.

  “I have some information,” said Jim, “but I’m not sure everyone should hear it.”

  “Jim,” said Joy, grabbing Lonnie’s radio. “Those are my boys out there. Tell me everything now!”

  “Yes, ma’am. They have your boys at their camp across the river.”

  “What do they want?” she added immediately.

  “They want a trade—one for two,” he said soberly.

  “We have three,” added in Jake.

  There was a long pause on Jim’s end…

  “Are you there, Jim?” asked Joy.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “So, what’s the problem?”

  “They only want the girl,” he replied.

  This time the pause was on our end.

  Katie froze for a moment, old enough to understand what she and everyone else had heard. She turned and led her brother back towards Mel and Tammie’s house without a word.

  “Katie! Katie! Come back,” Tammy called out, wanting to chase her.

  “Just give her a little time,” said Mel, putting one hand on her shoulder, “and then I’ll check on things.”

  “That’s why I didn’t want to tell you in front of everyone,” Jim said.

  It didn’t much matter now, but I could see his point.

  “OK, what’s the rest?” asked Lonnie.

  “That’s it,” replied Mark. “They said they would be in touch and jumped offline just as quick.”

  “What do you think?” Lonnie asked Joy and me.

  “We’re not trading kids with those animals,” Joy told him.

  “And trading guns or food will just bring a guaranteed fight when they think we have more to take,” I added. “Let’s get back on the line and have them believe we are negotiating for a trade with all of the specifics. We need to spread this out over a few days, giving us time to make a plan.”

  “I’m sorry, honey,” I told Joy. “I want them back as soon as possible, but it has to be a calculated play on our end. We can’t just bulldoze our way over there without a solid plan.”

  “I know,” she replied. “You’re not going anywhere with your bad leg,” she told me, “and neither am I with my foot. You’re too close to the two guys we need the most for my plan to work, so I’ve got this,” she told me.

  “Mike, Lonnie and Jake!” she called out. “Let’s talk over here.”

  They all gathered out of earshot of the rest of us.

  I couldn’t hear what she was saying, but I saw Mike and Jake keeping their distance.

  “Okay, gentlemen. My boys are out there, and with both Lance and me down, I’m taking the lead on this, at least for the planning stage. You two,” she said, pointing squarely at Mike and Jake, “are my best chance at getting my children back. You may as well move in closer because you will be shaking hands in a minute.”

  Neither man moved.

  “I have respect for both of you, and I know Lance does as well,” Joy continued. “With that being said, I need you both working together for a rescue mission. That means cutting this macho bullshit I’ve seen since we started this journey. I’m not saying you have to like each other, but you will work together to make our group whole again. Agreed?”

  Both men nodded their heads slightly.

  “That’s not good enough!” she said, raising her voice.

  Lonnie stayed put, in case things got out of hand, and tried hard to keep in a smile.

  “I said, are we agreed, gentlemen?” This last statement, loud and stern, was heard by all, with both men answering “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Now, shake hands, signifying you will work together to save our boys!” Joy commanded.

  Mike and Jake shook hands for the first time since initially meeting back in McKinney, in what seemed a lifetime ago to both men. It was quick and awkward, but it was done.

  Sending everyone back to Beatrice’s house, the four, along with David, Mel, Vlad, Nancy and me, made plans for a rescue mission.

  “Don’t forget about me,” said Tom, slowly running up, with rifle in hand.

  “I’m not as fast as I used to be, but I’m still one hell of a shot at a distance.”

  “OK, everyone,” called out Joy. “We know where they are likely being held, since Mike has been there before. I want us to make a detailed map of how to get there, using Mike’s information and at least two alternate routes that I’m sure David, Mel and Tom can help with, as they have been up here and all through these woods for years.

  “And Mel, if you’re holding out anything that could help us, now is the time.”

  “I may have a few things up my sleeve,” he replied.

  “That’s not going to do this time,” she told him. “I know you love to surprise everybody with your gadgets, but I need to know what you have that can help us, and right now works for me.”

  I thought about chiming in, but she was plowing ahead, forcing unlikely alliances and not allowing anyone to remain vague or anonymous. It was clear she didn’t need my help at the moment.

  “OK,” replied Mel. “I have a small arsenal of distractions, including flares, smoke bombs and fireworks, not only the small ones like firecrackers and bottle rockets but Roman candles, Screaming Serpents, and the big ones you would see at a finale of a city-sponsored fireworks show. Bottom line: we can create mass confusion for at least 10 minutes, but we had better know exactly where Hudson and Jax are, because we will only get one chance.”

  “That’s good! That’s just perfect,” I said, feeling hopeful and silently praying for their safe return.

  Mike drew a map with key points, including our location, their camp, the river crossing, and the former bridge for reference.

  David, Mel and Tom worked on alternative routes to and from the other side, with David wishing his dad were here to help.

  * * * *

  Katie took her brother into their room, reaching Mel and Tammy’s house. She told him what happened to Jax and Hudson, even though he was there.

  “I always want you to be safe,” she told him, “and that is why I have to leave. You will be taken care of here and will grow up to be a person I can be proud of. It’s my fault that Hudson and Jax were kidnapped, and I am the only one who can fix it.”

  He pleaded with her, saying, “Sissy, please don’t go!”

  “Stay quiet, Jonah,” she told him, “and we can be together again.” Slipping out the door, she confessed her lie to her parents in heaven and walked back into the woods.

  * * * * * * *

  Chapter Thirty

  Raton Pass, New Mexico

  “They want to meet tomorrow afternoon on their side of the bridge for the exchange,” called Jim over the radio. “We tried to push it back a day or two, but they were resolute about it being tomorrow. We have 30 minutes to respond,” he added.

  “OK,” said Lonnie. “We will agree to their terms—3 p.m. tomorrow afternoon on their side. The exchange is one for two, and nothing more.”

  “You’ve got just over 24 hours, guys,” he said to Mike and Jake. “We are counting on you two to work as a team and make this happen. Can you do that for us?”

  “Yes, I can,” said Jake first, followed by a “Me, too” from Mike.

  To Lonnie’s amazement, and my own, Mike and Jake calmly discussed recon plans for this afternoon, with an extraction plan well before the scheduled meet tomorrow.

  Joy and Nancy worked with Sheila and Tammy to camouflage the two men, where they could not be spotted with
in five yards if completely still.

  This afternoon would be the first of at least two missions dubbed “Project Intercept.”

  Mel headed home to gather his contribution for the finale, whether tonight or tomorrow. He entered his home to see little Jonah crying.

  “What’s the matter?” asked Mel.

  “Sissy’s gone!” is all he could say. “Sissy’s gone…” he cried over and over.

  Mel was able to get the story out of him, with his own stomach churning with worry. He called down on the radio with the news, asking if anyone had seen Katie.

  “No!” came the response from all with radios.

  “She’s gone back over to help the twins,” Mel called.

  “This makes things more complicated,” said Jake.

  “Agreed,” added Mike.

  Twenty minutes passed, with Mike with Jake now both ready for a recon mission.

  “As careless as they were, sneaking up on our side without being detected, we should have the upper hand now,” called out Jake.

  “This first one is recon only, guys,” said Joy. “I want my boys and Katie back all at the same time.”

  Tom stepped up, talking with both Jake and Mike. “Upriver, maybe a mile and a half, there’s a large tree that fell across the river some time back. I’ve never crossed it, since we had the bridge, but I used to hunt over in that area. From there, it’s about a mile back to their camp. It’s one hell of a drop down the river, though, if it doesn’t hold.”

  “That may work,” replied Jake. “They won’t be expecting us from that side.”

  Heading upriver in full camo, each carrying a small day pack, Mike and Jake worked as a team, using hand gestures mostly and talking only when absolutely necessary.

  Covering for each other, they advanced to the crossing.

  Mike gestured to the fallen trees, two actually intertwined, with branches sticking out in all directions.

  “Let’s cross one at a time, and watch close from each end,” suggested Mike. “If we both get caught halfway out, it’s not going to end well for either of us.”

  “Agreed,” said Jake getting low and covering for Mike.

  Edging out, Mike did a little jump to test the natural bridge of sorts and it seemed solid enough to him, for a few crossings at least.

  Even with something to grab hold of, crossing the old logs, was harder than just walking across a smooth one.

  I’ve already been swimming once, Mike thought, looking down in case it should come down to it.

  Jake scanned to the opposite side of the bank with his scope, as Mike made it across, occasionally snagging his daypack on a branch, and did quick scouting of the other side.

  He gave a thumbs-up, and it was Jakes’s turn to navigate the difficult crossing.

  Once clear to the other side, they huddled up.

  “This is good for scouting, but there’s no way we’re getting three kids across here, being chased by bad guys,” said Jake.

  “It has to be across the river where they took the trailers,” replied Mike. “I nearly lost little Javi trying to cross too soon.”

  * * * *

  It was obvious to Jake that the camp was not far. It sounded like a drunken high school party, with music playing, and not like a ruthless outfit who would execute anyone with their own opinions and kidnap two small boys.

  Observing with binoculars, they saw both captives and pseudo soldiers mulling about. Viewing from a safe distance for nearly fifteen minutes, they hadn’t spotted Hudson, Jax or Katie.

  “Do you think they are there?” asked Jake.

  “Yes, I do. I’m not sure about Katie, though. She might be hiding out, observing, just like us,” replied Mike.

  Forty more minutes went by, with no signs. The men in charge would take turns taking the adult women into a tent separate from the others, as their husbands looked on helplessly.

  This parade of disrespect for the women, in particular, made Mike’s blood boil.

  He carefully studied the face of each captor, now counting four participating, and vowed to send them all to an early grave. This promise he would keep to himself.

  Minutes passed in silence.

  “There,” said Jake quietly. “I see Jax.” He came out of a back tent, asking a guard if he could use the potty.”

  “That’s the same tent they had Javi in,” whispered Mike.

  The guard let him go, waiving his rifle towards the nearest bushes.

  “Where’s Hudson?” Jake asked aloud, not expecting an answer.

  Jax returned slowly to his tent, pausing for a moment, looking towards Mike’s and Jake’s direction. This caught the attention of one of the guards, who started walking towards them as Jax returned inside the tent.

  “Stay completely still,” Mike whispered, “and only fire if we have no choice.”

  The guard walked straight towards them without alerting the others.

  Mike and Jake lay perfectly still, with camouflage blending into the surrounding bushes and trees.

  The smell of alcohol wafted before the man, now five feet from Mike. The man took two more steps and paused, staring Mike straight in the eyes.

  It’s the moment, Mike thought, as the guard’s casual drunken demeanor turned to terror when he saw the whites of Mike’s cold eyes. Springing up fast and spinning the guard around, he wrapped his arm around the man’s throat.

  Laying down, stretching out his victim, he tightened his grip, holding the man in submission.

  Jake didn’t like it but didn’t interfere. They had taken the children, and it just as easily could have been his Danny.

  “One man down,” Mike said casually, letting the deceased man out of his grip.

  “You’re up,” called out another guard, searching for him. They could hear a discussion amongst the remaining guards about where he might be, eventually giving up the halfhearted search around the camp.

  “I only count four guards left,” whispered Mike. “If we could lure them up, one at a time, we would have the boys home for supper.”

  “I get it,” whispered Jake, “but I don’t think it’s going to go down that easy. I’m willing to give it another hour, though, just to find out.”

  Jake was uneasy about Mike and the operation, but he felt good doing something that would make a big difference for Lance and Joy if they could pull it off.

  Another hour revealed no new information about the guards, Hudson, Jax or Katie.

  “We should head back and make a solid plan,” suggested Jake. “Should we grab his rifle?”

  “Not yet,” replied Mike. “But it will be recovered soon,” he added, without elaborating.

  Heading back the way they came, both men wished they could give visual updates on Hudson and Katie.

  “I’m going to take them out,” said Mike coldly, once they were both back across the log bridge.

  “Them who?” asked Jake, believing he already knew.

  “The rest of the guards hurting those women. I’m going to take them all out while you rescue the kids,” Mike replied.

  “OK,” replied Jake, figuring he didn’t have much choice in the matter.

  * * * *

  Hannah and I had been working closely with Mel on his fireworks stash and other distractions for a potentially hostile rescue, prisoner-of-war style—minus the helicopters, of course.

  Several possible plans were discussed but would only be decided upon with everyone’s approval and using the information gathered by Jake and Mike.

  Emerging from the trees, Mike and Jake wished they could have presented three young children to their parents.

  Neither man spoke of Mike’s altercation with the guard, and Jake for the second time saw him kill up close, with no remorse or emotion of any kind.

  “We have two choices,” Mike started, “and both leave us crossing the river where the trailers did. The tree crossing is too dangerous for kids and adults alike.

  “First, we can put off a rescue attempt until tomorr
ow at the trade site, hoping to recover Katie before then. We did see Jax, and he appeared unharmed from our vantage point but we did not see Hudson or Katie.”

  Joy and I were only partially relieved at this news.

  “Second,” continued Mike, “we can launch an all-out assault tonight, taking out the four guards and freeing the entire group.”