“Oh, God!” he moaned. I’m no war hero, he thought. Shit! I was a Major for only a week before they sent me out with a squad of men. His thoughts went back to that fatal day. When the shooting started, he’d panicked when his men started shouting at him for orders, and while his men were being butchered, he’d hidden in a hole. The rest of his time was spent in the POW camp. Sure, he’d received a purple heart for his eye, but he’d lost it while being rescued, when he had tripped getting into the helicopter and shoved his face into a rifle barrel. Now Everex wanted him to lead a bunch of civilians against trained soldiers? He shuddered and buried his face in his hands. This can’t be happening, he thought.
*
As Everex walked across the parade ground, a soldier ran over to him. “That Woolly woman left the kitchen with stolen food. I followed her to their trailer.”
I did her a favor, Everex thought. Why would she steal food? “Find Davis and two of my guards. Meet me in tent city as fast as you can.”
*
Judy stared out the window from the living room of the trailer. As she watched Calli approach, she thought she saw a movement in the trees, rubbed her eyes, and stared at the area, but nothing changed. I must be tired, she thought. She stood when she heard the door open and watched Calli climb in, pull several zip lock bags out of her blouse, and set them on the table. Christa was asleep on the couch, so Judy shook her shoulder. “Food’s here.”
Christa yawned, stretched, and followed Judy into the kitchen. She noticed Calli looked terrible. Her eyes were sunken, surrounded by dark brown circles. “We really appreciate this, Calli,” she said sincerely.
Calli waved her hand and walked toward the bedroom. “Harold convinced me to not tell our children about our plan. Just hurry and get me out of here,” she said over her shoulder.
Judy and Christa sat at the table and began opening the zip lock bags.
*
Everex stood between two tents while he waited for his men to arrive. Across the road from him, an eight-year-old girl was sitting with her younger brother next to a low fire. The girl looked up and pointed up the road.
“That’s the teacher,” she told the boy.
“Is she a giant?” the boy asked.
Everex peeked around the corner of the tent and saw Marcia walking toward him. She appeared nervous and kept glancing back over her shoulder. He wondered what she was up to as he quickly stepped back behind a tent. A few moments later, she walked by, and Everex ducked into the trees. Through the gaps, he watched her walk past the RVs and enter the Woolly’s trailer.
Everex stepped back through the tents and walked up the road to intercept his men before they entered tent city. “Work your way through the woods, to the last trailer. When I signal, surround it.” His men nodded, and Everex ducked back into the trees.
Everex made his way around the clearing and stopped when he was across from the trailer door. He watched his men get into position, then stepped into the clearing and signaled them to follow.
*
Marcia knocked lightly on the door, but no one answered. She tried the handle and the door opened. She stepped inside, closed it behind her, and saw Calli up on the bed. The door was suddenly yanked open behind her and she spun around. Her eyes went wide with fear as she stared at the pistol pointed at her, and the cold dark eyes of Major Everex.
“Out!” Everex growled.
Marcia hadn’t had time to look into the living room for Christa and Judy and desperately wanted to know, but she thought fast enough not to. She held her head up, climbed down the steps, and saw three more soldiers pointing rifles at her.
“Who else is in there?” Everex asked.
“Just Mrs. Woolly, but she’s asleep. I just stopped by for a cup of . . .”
“Just shut up!” Everex snapped and leapt into the trailer. He saw the woman on the bed, but ignored her and dashed into the living room. It was empty, but there was a blanket and pillow on the couch. He turned back to the kitchen and saw the open zip lock bags on the table. It was obvious two people had been sitting there, eating. Everex stomped across the floor to the end of the bed and yanked roughly on Calli’s leg, dragging her off the bed. “Get up, bitch!” he yelled.
Calli thumped onto the floor and stared up into his eyes. It took her a second to come fully awake, and realized with sickening dread she was in deep trouble.
Everex yanked her to her feet and shoved her toward the door. “Out!” he hollered.
Calli stumbled down the steps and saw Marcia staring at her, and then saw the three armed soldiers. Everex grabbed her arm and spun her around.
“Where are the others?” Everex growled in her face.
At that moment, her first thought was she was going to become a whore after all. She smiled to herself. Well, it beats sweating over a hot stove all day, she thought sarcastically.
Everex couldn’t believe this woman was smiling, his rage doubled. He drew his pistol and shoved it against Calli’s forehead. “What’s so damn funny?” he roared.
Calli saw the savagery in Everex’s eyes and knew she would be dead in a second. She tried to step back, but his fingers dug painfully into her arm. “I don’t know,” she moaned. His grip tightened even more, and tears blurred her eyes.
“Who was in the trailer with you?”
“Honest! I was asleep!” Calli cried out.
Marcia couldn’t stand to see Calli in such pain. “I’ll tell you everything, just let her go!” she hollered.
Everex glared at Marcia. “Start talking!”
Marcia nodded at Calli, and Everex shoved her away. She knew Everex would get the information from Calli anyway, so she told him about the plane wreck, but didn’t tell him about why they were in the plane, or about Alex and David.
She’s lied from the beginning, Everex thought, and she’s probably lying now. “Menno sent you to spy on us, didn’t he?”
Marcia blinked in surprise. What was this all about? she wondered. “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She is a good actor, too, Everex thought. Well, he’d get it out of her soon enough. “Lock them up,” Everex ordered. “Search the camp and the woods. Find these other women. They’re spies.”
*
Christa and Judy watched through the window of Joyce’s motorhome as Marcia and Calli were escorted up the road at gunpoint. Judy had been in mid-bite when it dawned on her the camouflage clothing the soldiers wore would look like a bush moving. She jumped up from the table and grabbed Christa’s arm, dragging her out the door as she explained what she suspected. Her first thought was the woods, but Christa had suggested the motorhome because the soldiers would probably search for them into the woods.
Now, as they looked through the window, they could see a guard posted in front of the Woolly’s trailer. “That was close,” Judy whispered.
“Yes. Now Marcia’s cover is blown. We have to get them out of that jail.”
Judy nodded. “But we can’t leave yet. I imagine this place will be crawling with soldiers in a moment.”
As if on cue, about two dozen soldiers ran past the RV camp and spread out into the trees. Judy and Christa exchanged looks and stepped away from the window.
*
Alex was dozing on his cot and didn’t bother to look up when the jailhouse door opened, but what he heard next made him leap to his feet.
“Marcia?” David asked without thinking.
Alex watched the guards exchange looks and knew they would tell Everex. When he looked at David, the boy averted his eyes as if in apology. None of them spoke as Marcia and Calli were shoved into the cell. Alex watched as the guards whispered to each other, and then one left the building. He looked at Marcia, his eyes asking about Christa and Judy, and he sighed and nodded when Marcia shook her head slightly.
Calli stood at the cell door, looking at the guard. “Hey! I was blackmailed. I don’t even know these people.”
“You can tell Major Everex when he gets here,” the g
uard said to her. “Just sit down and shut up!”
*
Everex burst through the door of Blackwood’s cabin. “Your Amazon lady is a spy!” he hissed. “And the Woolly’s have been hiding two women. More spies! Shit! The whole damn camp could be full of spies!”
Marcia, a spy? “I think you’re wrong,” said Blackwood. “Why would she wreck a plane and nearly get killed just to spy on us?”
“How the hell should I know? Maybe she’s crazy. Who gives a shit! Right now, you have to get moving and stop this Menno bastard.” Everex looked at the desk, which looked just as it had when he left. “You work out your plan yet?”
Blackwood hadn’t expected Everex to be back this soon and hadn’t done a thing, but knew he’d better say something. “He stood and held up a map of Idaho. “Damn right. I’ve got it all laid out in my head.”
Everex looked at Blackwood suspiciously. “Good. You’ll be leaving tonight.”
“What about Miss Story?”
“She’s in jail, with the others.” Everex heard a knock on the door. He turned and saw the soldier who had escorted the women to jail. “What?” he asked.
“The spies know the Amazon woman,” the soldier informed him.
Everex spun back to Blackwood, a leering grin stretched across his face. He watched Blackwood’s jaw drop open. “You know what happens to spies, Colonel. Only now, there’s no Geneva Convention, just my rules. Now the fun begins.”
* * *
Chapter 30
AOS CAMP:
Mark Woolly walked beside Joyce as they passed through tent city. They stopped when they saw the guard next to her motor home, and Joyce waited while Mark walked over. He recognized the guard as one of Everex’s men. “What’s going on, sir?” he asked.
“Your mom’s been arrested for hiding spies, Mark.”
Mark was dumbfounded. “What? Spies? She wouldn’t do that!”
The guard shrugged. “That’s what I was told.”
“Where’s my mom?”
“In jail.” Again, he shrugged. “You know the Major.”
It dawned on him what the guard meant. Mark knew the major was probably going to kill her. He nodded slowly and walked away. He was lost in thought and walked past Joyce without seeing her.
“Hey Joyce!” the guard hollered. “How about one for the road when I get relieved?”
Joyce turned, flipped him the bird, and walked to the door of her motor home.
Christa and Judy heard the guard, looked out the window, and saw Joyce approaching. They scrambled into the tiny bathroom and waited. They heard the door open and close, and a moment later the bathroom door opened.
Judy saw Joyce’s surprised look and thought she might scream out a warning. She was about to jump out and grab her.
“I have to go really bad,” Joyce said in her high voice.
Christa and Judy exchanged puzzled looks and stepped out of the bathroom, and Joyce walked in and closed the door. When she came out, she walked to the end of the bed and sat, looking at the two women. “What’s going on around here?” she asked. Neither of the women answered her. “Look. I’ve seen you through the window of the Woolly’s trailer and I know you’ve been hiding, but I don’t care. I won’t turn you in to these assholes, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
The woman sounded sincere, Christa thought, and looked at Judy for confirmation. Judy thought the same thing. If she’d wanted to turn them in, she would have done it already. They needed someone to help them now, so she nodded to Christa.
Christa explained everything to Joyce and waited for a response.
“They’ll kill your friends,” Joyce said bluntly. “Major Everex is sick in the head. If you want to save them, you’ll have to do it very soon. Most of the soldiers are leaving tonight. That might be a good time to do it.”
“Will you help us?” Christa asked. Joyce nodded, and she could see the bitterness in Joyce’s eyes.
“Everex shot my husband and made me become a prostitute. I’d love to kill him and some of the bastards who have been using me. What do you want me to do?”
“First, we need to get word to our friends in the jail,” Judy told her. “Then we’ll need some kind of diversion while we get them out.”
Joyce smiled. “The diversion’s not a problem. It might be tricky getting word to them in the jail, but I think I know of a way.”
*
As he walked through tent city, Mark realized if his mother had been hiding spies, then his father had to know about it as well. No, Mark thought resolutely. My dad wouldn’t do that to me. He knows how much I love it here. But if Mom had really done this, then it meant Everex would suspect Dad and he’d be arrested as soon as he came back from field training. Everex wouldn’t hold a trial. He’d just kill them both. He found himself torn between his love for this army, and love for his parents. What should I do? First, I have to find Pam and tell her what’s going on. Yeah, she’ll know what to do. Then I’ll find Dad and make sure he gets a chance to tell the Major he didn’t know anything about it. He quickened his pace and looked at his watch. 3:00 PM. That meant she was probably at the dormitory.
As he walked through the parade ground, Mark noticed the way everyone moved with a sense of urgency and he could hear the growl of diesel engines. Someone yelled his name and he turned to the sound. Brian Everex was running across the parade ground. Mark stopped and waited.
“Did you hear that we’re leaving tonight to attack another army?” Brian asked excitedly. Mark shook his head. “My brother said I can go with them. What about you? You want to go?”
At any other time, he would have loved to go, but right now, his parents were more important. “Maybe. I have something I have to do first.”
Brian looked at him curiously. He found it strange Mark wasn’t as excited as he was, but shrugged it off. “Okay. Maybe I’ll see you later.”
Mark watched Brian run off. If the Major were leaving tonight, he wouldn’t want to leave his parents in jail while he was gone. Mark realized he’d have to hurry, find Pam, and somehow warn his dad. He had no idea how to get his mom out of jail, and hoped Pam could think of something.
Mark entered the long corridor of the girl’s dormitory. It smelled of perfume and sweaty clothes. Women carrying backpacks rushed past him, and one of them smiled and winked at him. He walked to Pam’s room. “Mom’s been arrested. She’s in jail!”
“What are you talking about?”
“The Major had Mom arrested for hiding some spies. I think they’ll arrest Dad when he gets back, even though he didn’t have anything to do with it.”
Now Pam looked puzzled. “What do you mean spies?”
“I don’t know all the details. I just know that the Major is probably going to kill them before he leaves tonight. We have to hurry.”
Pam nodded and walked at a brisk pace beside him, while Mark told her what he knew. “The thing is, Everex won’t even give Dad a chance to clear himself.”
“Okay,” said Pam as they approached the back of the dining hall. “You go find Dad. I’ll go to the jail and talk to Mom to find out if it’s true about the spies.”
Mark nodded and began running for the road that led to the big meadow where his dad was training, and hoped he was still there.
*
They heard a knock on the motorhome door and the three women exchanged frightened looks. Joyce stood and walked to the door, peeking out the window. A soldier stood outside, and she recognized him as one Everex’ guards, Sergeant Major Davis; the sadistic one who treated her so brutally in the special services tent. She opened the door and looked down at him. “What do you want?”
“You’re starting to look like shit, Joyce,” he said in a mocking tone.
Joyce ignored the remark.
“Get out. We’re taking your motorhome,” Davis told her.
Joyce held back the panic she suddenly felt. “What? You can’t just take . . .”
“I can do whatever I want!” h
e snapped at her and started to grab her arm.
“All right!” she said bitterly as she stepped back. “Just let me pack a few things. Tell me where you want it and I’ll drive it over.”
The guard looked at her suspiciously for a moment, and then nodded. “Park it in front of my cabin. The rest of the guards and I are going to use it while we’re traveling.”
“I want it back when you’re through.”
The guard grinned without humor. “Sure thing, Joyce, if there’s anything left of it.” He laughed sarcastically and walked away.
Joyce closed the door and looked at Christa and Judy. “Did you hear that?” Both women nodded solemnly. Joyce grinned at them. “Don’t worry. I’ll let you out as we pass tent city. No one will notice.” Joyce walked around the end of the bed and knelt down. She opened a drawer underneath, brought out a large black suitcase, and set it on the bed. Then she opened it and reached inside, held up two small blocks of clay wrapped in cellophane, and smiled. “Plastic explosives.” She saw the stunned expressions on Christa and Judy. “My husband sold this stuff. He always kept samples around in case he met a prospective customer.”
“Do you know how to use it?” Judy asked.
Joyce nodded. “He liked to use this stuff instead of firecrackers on the Fourth of July. He taught me to set up the demonstrations while he talked to customers. There’s nothing to it, really.” She dropped the explosives back into the suitcase and held up an electronic device. “All you need is a timer and detonator.”
“So what do you plan to do?” Christa asked.
Joyce grinned and winked. “Get even.”
*
Mark’s heart beat fiercely as he forced himself to keep running along the road. He’d forgotten it was nearly two miles to the meadow. He stopped when he saw movement through the trees. While he tried to catch his breath, a truck suddenly came around the bend, and Mark waited for it to come closer. Three more trucks followed, and the lead truck slowed to a crawl when it came by.
The Alex Cave Series. Books 1, 2, & 3.: Box set Page 23
