by E A Chance
She crossed her arms and slid away from him. “No, you’re too impetuous, and I can’t risk you getting us shot. Let’s just get out of here.”
She was about to start the truck when a pickup came out of nowhere and pulled up, blocking their exit. The woman driving stayed at the wheel.
“There goes that plan,” Coop said. “Look at the big guy.”
The huge one lifted his coat a few inches to reveal a gun holstered at his hip just as the dentist one broke from the group and came straight for them and pounded on the window. “It’s cold and we’re tired of waiting, lady,” he called out.
“Follow my lead,” Riley said.
She climbed out and pasted on her most alluring smile to draw him away from the truck. Sauntering up to him, she said, “I was just zipping my coat. It’s chilly out here. You wouldn’t want a girl to get cold, would you?” He leered as she walked past him. Swallowing her disgust, she stepped in front of the leader, cocking her head and flashing a smile. “What can we do for you, gentlemen?”
The boss gave her an indifferent glance. “As I explained to Coop, you’re required to pay a fifty percent tax to pass through our territory.
She moved a foot closer. “That’s a bit steep, don’t you think? Even our greedy congress didn’t expect fifty percent. We’re just passing through on our way to family in the south. We’ll be out of your hair in no time.”
The pretty-eyed chocolatey one moved between them. “Flirt all you want, but it won’t change a thing. Our children are starving, but you look well-fed enough.” His eyes narrowed. “Adults in our community are starving. I’m starving.”
“I’ve got this, Mason,” the boss said. “Take Rogers and start loading their stuff into your truck.”
Mason leaned his face an inch from hers. “I shouldn’t leave you alone with these two,” he said to the boss.
The boss gave Riley a disturbing grin. “I can handle them.”
“You got it, Crawford.” Mason backed away from Riley, and she let out her breath. “Come on, Rogers.”
The men jostled her as they passed, but she hardly noticed. She felt the cold metal of the gun against her skin and wondered how far she’d go to protect her girls. It would only take seconds for Rogers and Mason to discover the truck doors were locked and come demanding the keys.
She felt Coop eyeing her and hoped he’d read her thoughts. He moved closer to Crawford and held up his hands in surrender.
“Be reasonable, man,” he said. “We’ll share what we can spare. You don’t have to take it by force.”
Crawford patted the bulge at his hip. “This isn’t a negotiation. We’ll just take all of it and leave you here to die.”
Coop backed away at an angle that drew Crawford’s gaze from Riley. She inched her hand up under her coat and felt for the gun. When she almost had it wrapped in her fingers, Rodgers yelled, “Tailgate’s locked. We need the keys?”
Crawford eyed Coop. “You have them?”
Riley let go of the gun and reached into her pocket for the keys. She dangled them in front of Crawford. “I do.”
She turned to take them to Rogers, hoping for a way to distract the men so the girls could escape into the woods.
“You stay where you are,” Crawford barked and drew his gun. “The woman’s got the keys, Mason. Come get them.”
Mason jogged over and ripped the keys from Riley’s hand. She yelped in pain, and Crawford grinned at her. It was the first emotional reaction he’d made.
Coop straightened and inched toward him. “Is that how you get off, seeing women in pain? Or are you one of those that doesn’t mind a little whipping now and then?”
Crawford fired a round past Coop’s ear. Coop smiled and casually crossed his arms.
“You okay, boss?” Mason called. Crawford nodded slowly. “Just say the word if you need me to take care of Coop.”
“Not how we do this,” Crawford said, then turned his eyes on Riley. “Tell your man to shut it.”
Riley swallowed her rising panic and tried to think. Coop was attempting to distract Crawford to give her an opening, and she had to play along. Crawford could have shot Coop if he’d wanted but clearly wasn’t ready to escalate the situation to that. Riley ignored the ringing in her ears and giggled.
“He’s not my man. He’s just some guy I picked up on the road. Do what you want with him.”
Coop frowned. “I thought we had something special. Guess you think you’ll take her for yourself, Crawford.”
Riley heard the tailgate drop open and her gut tightened. She had to come up with a plan before they started searching the cab, but her mind was blank.
“On your knees,” Crawford said, between clenched teeth. He leaned over Coop and held the gun to his temple. “Shut your mouth or I’ll shut it for you.”
Riley was trapped. If she drew the gun on Crawford, Coop would be dead before she could get a shot off, but she couldn’t risk what the men might do to Julia and Hannah when they found them. As a surgeon, she often made split-second decisions to save lives, but this time she wasn’t the only one involved.
She was about to beg Crawford to release Coop when the cab door creaked. She swung around to see Mason leaning over the back seat with a creepy grin.
He pulled the blanket away and tossed it on the ground. “Look what we have here, Rogers. New breeding stock.”
Crawford jerked his head toward the truck to see what was happening. Riley took advantage of the distraction and pulled out the gun as she used her best kickboxing move to slam her shin into the back of his knees. His legs went out from under him and he toppled face down onto the asphalt. Riley stomped on his hand with her boot and heard the bones crack. When he groaned and released the gun, Riley kicked it toward Coop. He grabbed it and climbed on Crawford’s back with the barrel pointed at his skull.
Riley fired a shot into the air and screamed, “Run, girls. Run for the woods. Don’t stop.”
Julia flew out of the opposite side of the truck and took off at full speed, dragging Hannah behind her. When Mason started after them, Riley shot at his feet. She missed, but it was enough for him to hit the deck. She rushed him and put a boot in the middle of his back.
“Put your arms forward, palms down on the ground.”
As he slid his arms forward, she lifted his coat and searched for a gun but didn’t find one.
“I’m not armed. Crawford doesn’t trust us with weapons, but you didn’t know that,” he mumbled into the dirt.
She remembered Rogers and looked up in time to see him jump into the truck with the woman and speed off with their stuff. At least having him gone evened the odds.
Riley wasn’t sure what to do next. Even with a broken hand and no weapon, Crawford was twice her size and could snap Coop like a twig. They could tie him up, but if she took the gun off Mason to tie him up first, he could overpower her.
She turned to ask Coop what she should do just as he slammed the gun down on Crawford’s head. He went limp, and Coop got to his feet. He trotted to Riley and took off his belt to bind Mason’s hands.
When he finished, he held out his hand to Riley. “Give me your belt. I’ll bind his feet.”
She raised her coat. “I’m not wearing a belt.”
“Socks will work.” She climbed off Mason and started unlacing her boots. “We need to get the girls and get out of here before Crawford wakes up or Rogers comes back with reinforcements.”
“What about me? I’ll freeze to death out here on the ground,” Mason muttered.
Coop kicked him in the leg. “Crawford can free you when he wakes up if he thinks you’re worth it.”
Riley knotted her socks together and handed them to Coop before pulling on her boots. “I’ll look for the girls.”
“Wait,” Coop said as she started for the woods. “You were brilliant back there. You never cease to amaze.”
“I just reacted out of instinct to protect you and the girls. Guess those hours of kickboxing paid off.”
/> Julia felt like her lungs were going to burst. Her mom said to keep running, but she didn’t hear the bad guys following them and was afraid she’d die if took another step.
“Julia, stop, or I’ll pass out,” Hannah gasped.
Julia let go of Hannah’s hand and bent over, gulping for air with her hands on her knees. She saw a large downed tree ten feet from where they’d stopped.
She pointed and said, “Let’s hide over there.”
They scampered over the trunk and crouched behind it. Hannah threw her arms around Julia. “I’m so scared. What if your mom and Coop are dead? Those men are going to kill us.”
As scared as Julia was herself, Hannah’s overreaction irritated her. Even Emily would have been braver. Hannah would have to toughen up if she wanted to survive.
“I didn’t hear any more gunshots,” she said, “and Mom took down that giant man before we ran into the woods. I saw Coop grab the gun and climb on his back."
Hannah’s teeth started to chatter, so Julia pulled her closer. “Then we should go back to the hotel. Quentin and his gang are gone. The other bad guys probably are, too. I know there’s no food left, but there’s none out here now, either. It’ll be warmer at the hotel, and we’d have a heavy door to lock people out. My parents might have come back looking for me.”
“We left that map for them, Hannah. I wish we could have stayed at the hotel, too, but Coop said it was dangerous. I trust him.”
“More dangerous than hiding from crazy men with guns in the freezing woods?”
She had a point, but Julia let it drop. A breeze kicked up, and she started to shiver as bad as Hannah. She was used to freezing temperatures from living in Colorado, but this was a cold that seemed to go right through her. They couldn’t stay hiding under that tree much longer. She peeked over the tree to see if anyone was following them when she heard her mom calling.
“Did you hear that? It’s Mom.” She stood and cupped her hands to her mouth. “We’re over here by the dead tree. Keep talking so we know where you are.”
“I can see your coats. I’ll come to you.”
Julia helped Hannah to her feet. “See, we’re going to be fine. Coop will find us somewhere warm to stay tonight.”
Riley broke through the trees, and they ran to hug her. “Are you both all right? You’re a long way out here.”
“We kept running like you told us,” Hannah said.
“We didn’t stop until we were about to keel over,” Julia said.
“Excellent job, warrior princess. Let’s get back to Coop.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Julia said and took Hannah’s hand to get her to walk faster as they headed for the road. She wanted to get back in the warm truck and forget about everything that had happened in the past few days.
Her mom started running when they came in sight of the road. Coop was standing near the truck holding a bloody towel to his face. The giant man was on the ground at his feet, but the other men were gone.
Her mom looked at the man on the ground and then lifted the towel to check Coop’s face. “What happened? Where’s Mason?”
Coop flinched. “Gone. I was loading the little bit of our stuff they left on the ground when Crawford came to. I had my back to him and didn’t see him sneak over to untie Mason. By the time I heard them, Mason was twenty-five yards down the road. Crawford came at me and smashed me in the head with a tree branch. He was still unsteady, so I was able to keep the gun from him and get him back on the ground. I injected him with Valium I found in the truck just to be safe, but we have to get out of here. Rogers and Mason are probably on their way here with backup.”
Julia didn’t wait to hear more. She jumped into the truck and hooked her seatbelt, waving for Hannah to join her.
“I need to stitch that,” her mom said to Coop, but he waved her off.
“I’ll slap a bandage on it until we stop. Get in and let’s go.”
He got in and started the truck. Riley reluctantly followed and said, “There’s still some of our stuff back there.”
“No time. We have to leave it.”
He backed up to miss the giant man and did a U-turn back the way they’d come.
Hannah sat forward. “We’re going back to the hotel?”
“Afraid not, but we can’t go the way we were headed. Riley, find the map. Centerville is out. We need a way to bypass it.”
Riley spread the map across her lap, and she and Coop talked about possible routes they could take. Julia listened for a minute, but the names of the roads didn’t mean anything to her. She closed her eyes to try and sleep, but images of the giant unconscious man on the ground kept popping into her head. The incident at the barricade had terrified her. She had to come to grips with the fact that the world she knew was gone. They’d only been on the road for half a day and had already been robbed and almost shot. They’d gotten lucky. What would they face the next time?
Hannah squirmed in the seat and drew Julia from her thoughts. “What’s the matter with you?”
Hannah crossed her legs and whispered, “I need to use the restroom.”
“Use the restroom?” Julia snapped. “What are you, some pampered duchess? Do you still not get what’s happened? It’s about time you learned to take a dump in the woods.”
“Julia, apologize to Hannah right now,” Riley said. Julia ignored her and started to laugh. “That wasn’t funny.”
The look on her mom’s face made her laugh harder. She laughed so hard, her laughter turned to sobs and the anguish she’d suppressed for the past three days poured out of her.
She was tired of babysitting prissy little Hannah. She was tired of danger around every corner, and she missed Emily and Jared. She missed her grandparents and her friends and envied them for being safe and warm at home. It wasn’t fair that she had to be cold and hungry on some godforsaken road in the middle of nowhere.
Riley climbed over the seat and squeezed into the seat next to her. Julia buried her face into her mother’s shoulder and wept harder than she had since her dad died.
Riley stroked her hair and whispered, “Don’t fight it, sweetie. Let it out.”
She didn’t want to let it out but had no control. She was afraid she’d never stop, but in time, her sobs quieted.
When she could get the words out, she said, “I don’t want to end up like all those dead people on the road or get shot or molested by bad guys. Is everyone out to get us?”
“We won’t end up like the bodies on the road. Those people died immediately after the CME, and we’ll be more careful if we run into strangers. We’ve survived this long, and we’ll be at Uncle Mitch’s tomorrow.”
“But I just want to go home.”
“Once we’ve had time to rest, we’ll make plans to get to Colorado.”
Riley handed her a paper towel. She wiped her face and blew her nose, mad at herself for breaking down and embarrassed for blubbering like a baby.
“I’m fine now. Just a moment of weakness.”
“You don’t have to be strong all the time. I fall apart if someone looks at me wrong these days.”
Julia sat forward and shook her head. “Not anymore. You stood up to those bad guys like a tiny Wonder Woman.”
“I only did that to save you. I’d do whatever it took to protect you.”
“You couldn’t have done that two weeks ago. You’re turning into a badass, Mom.”
“Language.”
“Superhero then. Dad would be proud of you.”
Riley turned her face to the window. “He would, but we have a long way to go, and who knows what’s up ahead? I’m sorry for putting you in danger. If we hadn’t come on this trip, we’d be home with family.”
“I don’t blame you or regret that we came. No one knew this was going to happen. If we weren’t here, we wouldn’t have met Coop or been able to help Hannah.”
Her mom’s eyes glistened when she turned to face her. “Dad would be proud of you, too. So am I. Guess I’m not th
e only badass.”
Riley kissed her forehead before unhooking her belt and climbing back into the front seat.
Julia squeezed Hannah’s hand and gave her a weak smile. “I’m sorry for what I said. I keep shooting off my mouth, but this is harder on you than any of us.”
“Don’t apologize. I thought I was the only one who’s scared. I’d be dead by now without you.”
“You’re stronger than you think, Hannah, and I’m glad you’re here. Mom and Coop will take care of us. We don’t need to be afraid.”
“She’s right,” Coop said. “But enough mushy stuff. I know you two need a pitstop, but it’s not safe here, so you’re going to have to hold it. Try to get some sleep.”
“Sure, Coop,” she said half-heartedly.
She pressed her swollen eye against the cold window and watched the new world speed past them. She felt better after her cry but vowed to herself not to allow any more meltdowns. She needed to be strong for Mom and Hannah. There would be time to cry after they reached the ranch.
Coop drove for an hour after the barricade until his headache became too painful. Riley convinced him to stop so she could examine him and see if he needed stitches. She had to fight her tears when she retrieved the med-pack out of the truck bed and saw what was left of their supplies. The full gas cans, most of the med supplies, and the kerosene heater were gone. All they had were the tents, some of their clothes, a small first aid kit, and about thirty percent of the food, mostly MRE’s. Hannah was devastated when she found out the thieves had taken their wonderful porta-potty.
Coop picked up an empty five-gallon bucket by the handle. “At least they left us a pot to piss in.”
“Great,” Riley mumbled. “Turn it over and sit so I can check you.”
She took out her penlight and shined it in his eyes. He squinted and turned his head. “So glad they didn’t get that blasted light of yours.”
“It doesn’t look like you have a concussion. I think you can get by without stitches, but I need to disinfect the wound. It’ll leave a scar to match the one on the other side. At least you’ll be symmetrical.”
