by Tami Kidd
“Yes, sir. Are you AJ from the little shop up the way?” Noah asked pointing down the driveway.
“Yep, that’s me, but the shop’s closed. Has been for a while now. You must be from out of town.” The man walked down the step and headed across the massive yard toward Noah.
“Yes sir, I’m from near Hot Springs, Arkansas, and I’m in need of a boat or a canoe. Do you have one that I can rent from you for a while?” Noah asked.
“Told you. The shops closed,” AJ said as he crossed his arms over his thick chest.
“I understand, but I was just hoping maybe you have a boat or canoe around. If you do, I could buy it off you.” Noah patted his pants pocket, the one holding his wallet.
The burly man tilted his head to one side at the mention of the word buy. “Hush up, Shep. Sit,” he ordered his dog.
The dog immediately stopped barking and sat on his hind legs.
Noah raised his brows, amazed the dog obeyed on command. “Impressive. He’s well trained,” Noah said, nodding toward the silent dog.
“Yeah, he’s pretty good. His mamma far exceeded his abilities though. She died giving birth to the litter.”
“Sorry to hear that.” Noah said sincerely.
“Just life. They come and they go. That’s why it’s important not to get too attached. Train them well, and you won’t have a problem.”
Noah nodded, not knowing how to respond.
“You say you’re from Hot Springs?” AJ asked.
“Yes, and I sure would like to get out on the river.” Noah detected the man’s mood changing from resistant to receptive.
“Well, tell you what, I do have an old fifteen-foot canoe out back. Can’t let you rent it though. No insurance anymore. When I went out of business, I let it lapse. So, if you want it you’ll have to buy it.”
“Fine, no problem.” Noah readily agreed, worried the man would change his mind.
“Can’t let it go for less than $300.”
“Sounds fair. Uh, would you happen to have a couple of flashlights I can buy too?”
“Yeah, but it’ll cost you an extra fifty.”
Noah hesitated at the high cost, but said, “Sure, that’s fine.”
“Come on inside. I have to get the flashlights and keys to the shop. The canoe is inside.”
Looking at the now docile animal, Noah thought best against pressing his luck. He smiled at the man and said, “Uh, I think I’ll wait right here if you don’t mind.”
The man laughed at Noah’s reluctance as he walked back toward the trailer. “Suit yourself. I’ll be right back.”
Noah heard him chuckle as he entered the trailer.
Twenty-Nine
A second shot echoed, causing Mara to jump again. Michael stepped to the door and pulled it open an inch. “Odd, they didn’t bother to lock it.” He signaled her to join him.
Looking out the crack of the door, she noticed the guard was no longer at his post. “Should we make a run for it?”
“If we want to get out of here, it’s now or never.” Michael inched the door open a little more to make certain the area was clear.
“What about Dodger and Dr. Foster? We have to find them.” Mara squeezed his arm.
“Without knowing how much time we have, the opportunity to search for them might have already gone by. We must find a way out of here.”
“What about the warrior’s ethos, Leave no man behind?” Mara reminded him.
“I’m responsible for your safety first.”
“We have to try to save Dodger,” Mara implored. “He’s like family to the president, and don’t forget the importance of Dr. Foster.”
Michael said nothing.
Mara huffed. “Fine, you do what you want. I’m looking for them.” She pushed by him and almost stumbled when he grabbed her arm.
“Okay, okay, you win. We’ll try to find them, but if it comes down to saving you or one of them—”
“Why are you still standing around?” She jerked her arm free of his grip. “Let’s go.”
Michael elbowed in front of her, stepped outside, and turned toward the right. “Stay behind me.”
“Why are we going this way?” she asked.
“Because the shots came from the left, toward Duncan’s residence. Best stay away from the action.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Dashing from the cover of the building, they made a break for the trees, jeopardizing themselves. After they reached the safety of the forest, they paused to catch their breath.
Michael said, “Let’s go deeper into the woods until we run into the fence.”
“How do you know we’ll run into a fence?” Mara asked breathlessly.
“A compound like this is usually surrounded on all sides.”
She nodded, deciding to conserve her oxygen.
When they reached the edge of the perimeter, a fence loomed ten feet high. Mara stared at the barricade. “They don’t want people escaping, do they?”
“They don’t want people getting in.”
Her brows knitted as she looked to her companion. “How do you know that?”
Michael pointed. “See the section at the top of the fence that extends out at an angle?”
“Yes.”
“It’s designed to keep people from climbing in from the outside. If they wanted to keep people inside, that section would be on this side of the fence.”
Mara remained silent as she studied the wall separating them from freedom, absorbing his words. Then almost to herself she said, “What kind of place is this?”
“My guess, it’s a prepper’s hideaway or survivalist’s compound, maybe even a religious compound.”
Images of the horrific siege in Waco, Texas, popped into focus. Shivering at first, she shook the chills off like a dog shedding water. “Now what?”
“For now, we follow the fence line.” Michael pointed ahead along the boundary and started walking.
Mara glanced behind her to see if any ghosts from past residents lurked. Or any not-so-ghostly men with guns. I want out of this place! After several minutes, she finally gathered the nerve to ask, “Do you think they know we’re gone yet?”
“Don’t know. I guess it depends on how busy they are with whatever’s going on.”
“Do you think the ruckus is from someone looking for us?”
“Don’t know. Could be, but we can’t wait around to find out.”
“Do you think we’ll find a way out?”
An indistinct curse announced his frustration. Michael stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. “Do you always ask so many questions?”
Remembering Alex’s annoyance with her endless questioning, she smiled. “Sorry.”
He let out a breath and said, “It’s okay. Come on.”
Five minutes or more had passed without a word. Mara kept her questions at bay, but then she stopped to stare. Through the trees, patches of white had caught her eye. Bobbing her body up and down and side to side to get a better look, she concluded it was another cement-block building like the one they had escaped from earlier. Trying not to make too much noise, she called to Michael. “Look!” She pointed through the trees in the direction of the building. “Can you see it? It looks like another cement-block building. Maybe that’s where they’re keeping Dodger and Dr. Foster.”
Michael backtracked to where she stood and looked through the trees in the direction she had indicated. When she bolted toward the building, he grabbed her arm. “Wait. We can’t go full bore; we don’t know who’s inside.” Michael pulled her into a low crouch. “Stay down and follow my lead. On the count of three, let’s run for the back of the building. No talking. Understood?”
“Understood.”
“One, two, three.”
Surprised by Michael’s speed, Mara arrived several paces behind him. She huffed between words. “Wow, I’m out of shape.” She saw him frown harshly and make a fast slicing motion across his face. Immediately, Mara clasped her hands over her mou
th, and then removing them, she mouthed, “Sorry.”
The windowless back wall measured no more than twelve to fourteen feet wide. Michael went to the right corner and peeked around. He then repeated the process at the left corner. He scanned the area and then crouched low, motioning Mara to do the same. With guarded steps, they edged to the front of the building. He cautiously poked his head around the corner.
Behind him, Mara noticed an overgrown lot about forty feet from the building that might have been a thriving vegetable garden at one time. Now the weeds have taken over, smothering out the sunlight, sucking the nutrients out of the ground, depriving the once-healthy plants. Sadness shadowed her face as she recalled her parent’s gardens, lush, colorful, and alive.
Michael turned back to Mara and pulled her so close that his mouth tickled her ears. He whispered, “There’s a window on the other side of the door. I’m going to crawl over and take a look inside. Stay here.”
Mara signaled him a thumbs-up. She watched him hunker down and creep past the door. When he reached the window, he stopped and glanced her way. Inch by inch, he raised his head to the bottom of the sill and peered left and right. Then he returned to her.
Mara raised her palms and shrugged in a questioning gesture.
No longer worried about making noise, Michael said, “Nothing. No one’s inside. There are about twenty cots. Each bed has a footlocker positioned at the base of it. My guess is that this is the guards’ quarters.”
Picking up on the cue it was safe to speak, she asked, “Do you think there are that many guards here?”
“Hard to say. We’ve only seen four.”
“Now what?” she asked.
“I think we should head back to the fence line and use the trees as cover again. Follow it around and see where it leads. We might get lucky and find a break in the fence.” He looked toward the pitiful garden and said, “This place doesn’t look like it’s been taken care of in a while.”
Together, they sprinted back to the security of the woods where they walked in silence, both deep in thought. When Michael stopped suddenly, Mara bumped into him, causing him to stumble forward a few feet. “Sorry.” Following his troubled gaze, she asked, “What is it?”
“I think it’s a lookout tower.” He pulled her in front of him and pointed. “See?”
“Yeah, it does look like a tower. So?”
“We have to climb up it.” Excitement painted Michael’s face and words.
“Are you crazy? Why?”
“To get a bird’s-eye view of the entire compound.”
“We can’t just go waltzing up to the tower. If guards are posted up there, they’ll see us for sure.”
We’ll follow the fence line as long as we can until we move parallel with the tower. Then we’ll make a mad dash. If we stay directly underneath it, they can’t see us.”
Mara refused to comment. Instead, her hands covered her eyes as she shook her head. She finally squinted between two fingers at him in disbelief.
“Think about it…they’re looking out, not down.” Michael moved his arm in a semi-circle to make his point.
Mara exhaled deeply. “Fine, but I want to go on record as objecting to this idea.”
“Noted.”
Walking in silence, Mara wished she had eaten her sandwich before they decided to go on this adventure. Dwelling on the juicy orange made her mouth water. Stop thinking about it, you’ll just get hungrier.
Located directly opposite the lookout tower, Michael said, “Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.” Mara prayed for an invisibility cloak to surround them as they ran toward the underbelly of the tower. Arriving at their destination, she sighed and said, “Thank God.” She looked up. The wooden structure stood about twenty feet above the fence. It reminded her of the towers prevalent in the prison camps of Vietnam. A wooden ladder led to the opening. The cab was open on all sides with a wall that extended up three feet.
“I don’t see anyone up there,” Michael muttered.
“What good is a watch tower if you don’t have someone watching?”
Before Michael could answer, they heard gunfire. “Come on, we have to get up there to see what’s going on.” He took her hand and pulled her to the ladder. “You go first.”
More gunfire erupted, reminding Mara of the Fourth of July fireworks. She and her brothers could never afford to celebrate with the loud, flashy pyrotechnics. Sometimes, if they were lucky, a friend would share his supply. More popping sounds motivated her to scurry up the ladder. At the top, she caught her breath, relieved to find the deck empty. She sat below the wall while she waited for Michael.
When he climbed onto the deck, he sat beside her to catch his breath. He then turned around on his knees to face the wall and spy over the top. “Take a look.” He motioned for her to join him.
Mara rose and surveyed the property. An unobstructed view of the compound lay before her. Taking inventory of the layout, she noted the building they had escaped from, the bunkhouse, Duncan’s residence, and several nondescript buildings. A water tank towered at the opposite corner of the fence from the lookout tower. The courtyard where Duncan threatened to kill Dodger was clearly visible. Her blood ran cold at the sight. Near the gate, where the trucks had been parked, she saw two fuel tanks and a gas pump: the trucks were gone.
A dense forest surrounded the entire compound. Nothing but woods. Wait a minute. Something bright and shiny caught her eye. In the distance, a flash appeared and then disappeared like a mirror reflecting the sun, perhaps to attract attention or send secret messages. She squinted to steady her gaze. More flickers sparkled. Dejected, she realized it was the reflection of the sun off water. “I see water out there. Maybe a lake or pond,” Mara said pointing.
“If there’s water, maybe there’re people, boats, or some means of escape. I see another gate directly behind Duncan’s place.”
Mara turned her head from side to side, and then her eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open. “Where are all the people? Have you seen anyone?”
Michael looked puzzled. “You’re right. I heard the shots, but haven’t seen a soul.”
Ice water filled Mara’s veins. The hairs on the back of her neck tickled. What did this mean? Her heart raced inside her chest like an animal trapped inside a cage with no way out. “Where could everyone be?”
Thirty
After spending thirty minutes in the tower as a precaution, Mara wondered if Michael had come up with a plan. He deduced the shooting must have come from outside the perimeter, because Duncan and his men were nowhere in sight. The unanswered questions reeled in her head. Were Duncan and his men under attack? Was someone coming to their rescue?
It seemed like an eternity since the last shot rang out. The compound appeared peaceful and quiet. When Michael announced he was going to go search for Dr. Foster and Dodger, Mara insisted she go with him, since the threat of injury seemed over. She refused to stay in the tower all by herself.
They searched the remaining buildings, finding no sign of life. The last building, a storage bunker, was stocked full of meats, vegetables, fruits, and other staples.
“They fed us those nasty bologna sandwiches with all this food here?” Michael growled.
Mara huffed, putting her hands on her hips, “The nerve of that guy.” She winked at him when he glanced her way.
“I guess he was saving the good stuff for him and his men.”
“Ya think?” She smirked. “Okay, let’s get out of here,” she said as she headed for the door.
Michael grinned, shook his head, and followed her.
“It’s so quiet. Do you think they ran off and left us?” Mara asked.
“Either that or they’re waiting to take a shot at us. See those fuel tanks?” Michael pointed. “If we follow the fence to the right of them we will eventually end up where we started. We’ve looked everywhere. I doubt we’re going to find Dodger or Dr. Foster.”
“What about the main building?”
Mara asked. “Let’s give it a look.”
“You’re right. I guess we should.”
“Let’s hurry. I want to get out of here before they come back.” Mara tried her best to keep up as they ran through the courtyard to Duncan’s residence. Inside, everything looked the same. She felt the weight in the pit of her stomach. “I just don’t understand. Why would they take Dodger and Dr. Foster and leave us behind?” She looked to Michael for an answer.
He hesitated. “I hate to say this, but if Dr. Foster’s memory returned, and she gave Duncan the information he wanted, you would be no use to him. He left us, knowing we can’t get out.”
Mara ran her hands through her hair. “We’re just sitting ducks, huh? Waiting for someone to come along and take us out. Duncan hightails it out of here with his prize, Dr. Foster, and then sends in the hit squad to take care of witnesses. He uses Dodger as insurance, knowing the president will trade Dodger for freedom.”
“That doesn’t explain the shooting,” Michael reminded her.
“Sure it does. They created a diversion, knowing we would take advantage and try to escape. While we’re searching for a way out, they’re packing it in and leaving.”
“Sounds like you have it all figured out,” Michael said as he took a seat on the couch. “Why didn’t he just have his men kill us before he left?”
Mara gave him a sideways glance. Is he testing me? “Well, my guess is that he had only a few men here and needed them to keep Dodger and Dr. Foster under control. He probably felt safer if he kept his hired guns with him. Once they’ve gone to wherever they’re going, someone will come back to finish us off.” Mara walked over and sat beside him. “I could be wrong.”
Michael nodded. “Your theory’s pretty solid in my opinion.”
They sat in silence, their own thoughts keeping them company.
“If we’re going to die, we should cook up a proper last meal?” Mara looked at Michael. The smile on her face probably belied the sadness in her eyes.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Let’s go back to the food bunker and stuff ourselves.”
