Her train of thought was interrupted by the sound of a commotion. Rebecca peeped from behind the rock. Adrenalin surged through her veins as the terrorists dragged Joshua toward the camera.
***
The newly self-appointed terrorist leader picked up the knife used by the militant who carried out the earlier beheadings. He positioned himself behind Joshua and spoke to the camera in a thick, middle-eastern accent. “Your infidel came here and killed my brothers. He killed fellow warriors.” He pointed the knife at Bob’s lifeless body. “He is dead.” Next, he pointed the knife at Joshua. “Now this man will pay for his friend’s sins.”
Joshua closed his eyes, bracing himself for the gruesome fate he knew was imminent. His life flashed before his eyes. What will Rebecca do? Will she ever even know what happened to me? I hope and pray she never sees a video of this. Perry and Jack… I know they’re next. How will the people in the camp survive with Bob, Kane and Jack gone? Will AIS find the camp? Is this the end of the free world as we know it? How could God allow this to happen? Why?
Joshua tensed as he felt the terrorist’s hand grab his head and pull it backwards. He anticipated the imminent sensation of a blade slashing through his neck. Instead, he heard a voice screaming “Nooo!” followed by a shot. This was a familiar voice. A female voice. Rebecca’s voice! What is she doing here? They’ll kill her!
As Joshua opened his eyes the terrorist fell to the ground, lifeless. She’s always been a good shot. Another shot rang out and another militant fell to the ground. He spotted Rebecca positioned behind a large rock near the base of the mountain and watched as she calmly fired off another shot from her rifle, taking out a third terrorist. That’s my girl. Three down, five to go.
The remaining militants spotted Rebecca almost as soon as Joshua did. He clenched his fists as they turned in unison and began firing wildly in her direction. She fired off another shot and killed another terrorist, then screamed and shielded herself behind the boulder. One of the terrorists began blasting at the rock with a fully automatic rifle. Joshua shuddered, horrified and helpless, certain of what an unspeakable fate she would meet if they reached her.
Two of the terrorists ran toward the area where Rebecca was hiding, while two stayed put and guarded the remaining prisoners. Are these the only four left? Are there more hiding in the church? Joshua watched in horror as the militants easily overpowered Rebecca and dragged her to the area where he was being held. She was bound and gagged within seconds.
Rage coursed through Joshua as one of the terrorists stooped near Rebecca, stroked her face and groped her. He groaned and struggled against his restraints, but was helpless to defend her. The terrorist walked over to the other three militants, pointed at Joshua and then Rebecca, said something in Arabic and laughed. The lump in Joshua’s throat was the size of Jupiter. He looked at Rebecca in horror. I cannot imagine what these animals plan to do to her. Lord, please find a way out of this. If that is not your will, please end it quickly. Rebecca returned the gaze, but her expression was different. Amazingly, in spite of the seemingly hopeless situation in which they found themselves, the look in her eyes was one that was happy to see him. How can she be so calm when we are about to die?
Joshua perked up as the four terrorists picked up their weapons and pivoted toward the road, where a jeep turned into the driveway and began making its way toward the church. The jeep’s four occupants were dressed in AIS garb. Joshua looked at Perry and then Jack. Jack shook his head. Their reinforcements are here, Joshua thought. No way out.
The four new arrivals exited the jeep and silently walked toward the terrorists. Without warning they raised their weapons and shot the terrorists. Caught off guard, the militants’ fates were sealed before they knew what hit them. What the heck?
Two of the new arrivals silently stood guard near Joshua and the others while the other two entered the church, weapons raised. Who are these people? Are they really on our side? After some time he heard a shot ring out from inside the church. Then silence. Then another shot. Then silence.
After what seemed like an eternity the two men emerged from the church. The first gave a thumbs-up sign, after which all four of the men removed their masks. The men all appeared to be in their 40s or 50s and their faces were worn by hours spent outdoors in the sun. The leader, a man with graying hair and a moustache, spoke in a strong Western North Carolina accent. “I assume one of you is Joshua Winston. We got to y’all just in time.”
Joshua’s brow furrowed as he nodded.
He pointed at Bob’s bloody, lifeless body. “Too late for your friend here. I hate that.”
They removed the gags from Joshua, Rebecca, Jack and Perry and untied them. Joshua immediately jumped up and embraced Rebecca tightly. “What in the world were you thinking coming here? They would have raped you a thousand times and then killed you!”
“I just couldn’t let you die here without doing something,” she said, tears streaming down her face.
“You are crazy!” He cupped her head in his hand. “I love you, but you are crazy! Please don’t ever put yourself at risk like that again.”
Joshua turned to Perry and Jack. “You guys okay?” They both nodded.
“Thank you.” Joshua turned to the four newcomers. “But I’m confused. Who are you, how do you know my name, and how did you know we were here?”
“My name’s Ray,” the leader said as he donned a camouflage baseball cap. “That’s plenty for now.”
“But how do you know my name, and how did you know we were here?”
As Joshua finished his question three more pickup trucks entered the driveway. Each vehicle contained at least two men, all of whom were armed.
“Relax, they’re with us,” Ray said. “Just know that we were sent here to make sure you got out of here alive. We’ve got instructions to drop you off at Fontana Dam and wait there until you have been out of sight for thirty minutes. But now we need to focus on getting out of here.”
“Kane!” Jack jumped to his feet. “One of our men was up on that hill, where you see the blast mark.” He pointed at the mountainside. “They didn’t hit him directly. Come on, let’s see if we can find him.”
Jack, Perry, Joshua and several others scaled the mountain toward Kane’s last known location. The incline was steep and climbing was an arduous process. Joshua, Perry and Jack were slowed by the beating they had taken at the hands of the militants, but the others ascended like agile mountain goats. Kane was alive but unconscious. They carefully moved his injured body down the slope.
A tall, slender man in a brown flannel shirt stood guard with a double-barrel shotgun while Rebecca and Joshua tended to Kane, who slowly regained consciousness. Jack and Perry helped the other men clean up the mess.
“One of these terrorists is still alive,” a short, stocky man in a denim jacket and burgundy cap called out.
“Which one?” Perry asked.
The man pointed at a barely conscious militant who was gasping for breath. Perry picked up the large knife that the terrorist leader had used to execute the two hostages.
“This is for my son, you bastard.” Perry gripped the knife with both hands, raised it over his head and plunged it deep into the militant’s abdomen. He pulled the knife out and plunged it in again, twisting it for good measure. “And this is for my daughter.”
Then he lost control, screaming and stabbing the dead body over and over. A morbid chill came over Joshua as he and Rebecca stood up, stunned by this unprecedented outburst of rage from their usually calm friend. Jack rushed over and grabbed Perry’s wrist from behind.
“Come on, buddy,” Jack said. “He’s dead. You did what you wanted to do.”
Perry let go of the knife without resisting, collapsed onto the ground and began sobbing uncontrollably. After a few minutes he regained his composure. “I’ve waited for this moment ever since they killed my children. I’ve thought of little else besides making these bastards pay for what they did to my Charlie and Allie.
I somehow thought it would bring more closure than this.” He wiped the tears from his eyes. “Guess I’ll have to kill a few more.”
“I can understand that feeling,” Jack assured him. “Just try and calm yourself. It’s over.”
“For today,” Perry said.
Joshua and Rebecca again turned their attention to Kane, who was now somewhat coherent. He tried to sit up, but groaned and laid down once more.
“You’re banged up pretty bad,” Joshua said. “Looks like you’ve got a broken arm, but we’ll get that fixed up. Just try and rest.”
“Command Sergeant Major Kendall…” Kane did not finish the thought.
Joshua and Rebecca looked at each other and Joshua put his hand on Kane’s shoulder. “I am so sorry.” He swallowed hard. “I know how much he meant to you.”
Kane broke down into tears, bawling like a baby. This was the first show of real emotion Joshua had ever seen from him, and it came like an avalanche.
Shallow graves were dug for the slaughtered hostages and crosses made from wood found near the church were placed at the head of each grave. The terrorists’ bodies were piled up in the yard. Joshua and Rebecca constructed a crude splint for Kane’s arm using a small board and some towels from the church.
“What should we do with your friend’s body?” Ray asked.
“I’d like to take him with us,” Joshua answered. “We’ll give him a proper burial where we live.”
They wrapped Bob’s body in sheets found inside the church, then again in plastic, and put it in the back of one of the trucks. Joshua retrieved Bob’s Springfield 1911. This should go to Kane, he thought.
Jack and Ray retrieved every weapon the terrorists had brought to the church. There were automatic weapons, high-powered rifles, several rocket launchers, hand grenades, quite a few large knives and lots of ammunition.
“Half of this is yours,” Ray said.
“We’ll take it,” Jack quickly responded. “But I agree with Joshua that I’d really like to know how you knew we were here.”
“Let’s talk about that at our next stop. We need to get out of here.”
Jack nodded. The men divided the weapons and ammunition equally and put it into the back of two trucks. Everyone piled into their vehicles. One of the men poured gasoline onto the dead terrorists’ bodies and ignited it.
Rebecca grabbed Joshua’s hand and squeezed it tightly as they rode up the hill. When they reached the road Joshua was surprised to see several more trucks and groups of men standing guard near the driveway. Bob’s Yukon was parked on the roadside about a quarter of a mile away.
Jack took Bob’s Yukon and the convoy made its way along the winding mountain road, eventually reaching Fontana Dam. The lead vehicle stopped near a red crew-cab Ram pickup parked on the road.
“Which one of y’all is Perry Edwards?” Ray asked.
“That’s me.” Perry cocked an eyebrow.
Ray pointed at the truck and tossed a set of keys to Perry. “Then this is yours.”
“That can’t be.” Perry snatched the keys out of the air. “My truck was destroyed in the attack this morning.”
“That’s why this is yours,” Ray answered.
Perry looked at Joshua and Jack, dumbfounded. Joshua shrugged. The men loaded Bob’s body into the back of his Yukon and placed half of the weapons and ammunition in Perry’s new truck.
“We’ll wait here until you’ve been out of sight for 30 minutes,” Ray said. “Good luck. Maybe we’ll meet again sometime.”
Joshua extended his hand. “Thank you. I am still curious about how you know our names and knew we needed help.”
“Well, it’s a long--"
The tall man in the brown flannel shirt got out of his truck and rushed to Ray. “Just got a report on the radio. Another AIS group nearby with hostages. Got their location.”
Ray turned to Joshua. “Change of plans. We’re out of here. Got some more terrorists to kill.” Joshua nodded. Ray called out to his group as he fired up his truck. “Lock and load, boys. I’ll relay instructions over the CB. Let’s hit it.”
The convoy sped off, clearly on a mission. Perry got into the drivers’ seat of his new crew-cab truck and Kane claimed the passenger seat. In the back seat Rebecca buried her head in Joshua’s chest and he squeezed her tightly as they rode back to the camp in a heavy, somber silence.
***
The sun was beginning to dip below the mountains when Reagan suddenly started growling and walked to the bottom of the steps, tail sticking straight up. Caroline tensed, fearing the worst. I’m sure they’re bringing terrible news. How will I make it without Perry? She looked down at her scarred left wrist. Maybe I should finish what I started. She swallowed hard. Caroline, don’t even START with those thoughts.
Chuck and Tommy raised their weapons, then let their guard down as Drew’s motorcycle made its way up the path from the road to the cabin.
“I didn’t even realize he had left the camp,” Chuck said.
“Me either,” Jim agreed. “I guess we were all preoccupied.”
Drew parked his motorcycle beside Joshua’s cabin, removed his helmet, combed his hair and dismounted.
“Where in the world have you been?” Chuck asked.
“I had to take care of some things,” Drew replied nonchalantly.
Drew’s ambivalent attitude sent a spark of rage through Caroline. “You were out running errands on a day like today, when Perry and Joshua have probably been killed by these terrorists?” She put her left hand on her hip and waved her finger at him. “Have you no respect? What is WRONG with you?”
Drew did not respond. Caroline glared, seething with anger as he made his way onto the porch and claimed one of the rocking chairs. Snot-nosed brat.
A short time later Reagan again started growling. Chuck and Tommy went on high alert as a strange red truck made its way toward the clearing. NOW the terrible news is coming, Caroline thought. I don’t think I can live without Perry. Her eyes narrowed as she again stared at her scarred wrist.
“Do you recognize that vehicle?” Chuck asked.
“No, sir,” Tommy replied, raising his shotgun.
“It’s just dark enough that I can’t see who’s inside,” Chuck said. “Get into position.”
Tommy found a vantage point behind a tree near the path. As the vehicle made its way into the clearing Chuck stepped in front of it and raised his Ruger .44 Magnum Revolver.
“Relax, it’s us,” a familiar voice called out from the truck.
Caroline sprang up from her seat on the porch and raced toward the truck. “Perry! I thought for sure you were dead!”
Perry stepped out of the truck and rushed to meet her. Caroline gripped him tightly. “I thought I was never going to see you again,” she said, then broke down into tears.
“I’m here,” he said, holding her close.
***
Reagan rocketed off of the porch at the sight of Joshua and Rebecca, running so hard that he knocked Joshua onto his rear and then licked him across the face. “I’m okay, boy. I’m okay.” Joshua laughed as he scratched Reagan’s head. Bob’s Yukon came up the path as he climbed back to his feet.
“Thank GOD you guys are safe,” Jim said as he made his way down the porch. He pointed at Joshua’s swollen right eye. “Looks like you got beat up pretty good.” He cocked an eye as Jack climbed out of the Yukon. “Where’s Bob?”
Joshua shook his head and Kane again broke down into tears.
“Oh, no.” Jim shook his head and looked down at the ground. A solemn mood descended over the crowd.
“I know.” Joshua heaved a deep sigh. “Kane has a broken arm. Keri, can you help take care of that?” Keri nodded.
“What in the world happened?” Jim asked. People crowded around to hear the answer.
Joshua described everything that had transpired. “I thought we were done for. And then these local guys disguised as terrorists showed up. They wound up killing the militants and freeing us. Their l
eader knew my name and said they had been sent there to help us today.”
“That’s strange,” Jim said. “Any idea who they were?”
Joshua shook his head. “Just--
“Let me guess, Ray dropped you off at the dam,” said Drew.
Joshua’s jaw dropped. He was speechless.
Drew followed up with a question. “Perry, how do you like your new truck?”
Everyone stared at Drew in silence, shell-shocked at the revelation.
“You are all obviously perplexed, so I’ll explain it for you.” Drew leaned the rocking chair back and kicked his feet up on the rail. “You know those trips I’ve been taking by myself? The ones you asked me to stop taking, the ones you said were jeopardizing our security?” He pounded his chest with his fist. “I’ve been building relationships with people in nearby communities. Don’t worry, they don’t know where I live, and I’ve never given them details about the camp. However, unlike some others I’ve long believed that completely isolating ourselves was a recipe for disaster.”
“How do you know these particular men?” Jack asked.
“A few years ago I worked as a field rep for a campaign in this part of the state. One of my jobs was organizing coalitions, including a sportsmen’s coalition. I kept lists of my contacts, and that network proved useful today. When I heard what had happened I found Ray and told him you needed help. I haven’t met most of the other guys, but I’m pretty sure they’re from his hunting club.”
“What did you tell him about me?” Joshua inquired.
“I didn’t go into great detail. I simply told him that you were someone who was of like mind, a natural leader, and that you were in trouble and needed help. He said he’d take it from there.”
Joshua shook his head. “I don’t know what to say.”
“The truck,” Perry interjected. “How did you do that?”
After the Republic Page 22
