Belle had finally quit crying for a while. It seemed she would do okay for an hour or two, then next thing he knew she was crying. He kissed the top of her head. "I'm going to get some air. Why don't you stay here?"
"No." Her eyes were wide, and she gripped his arm. "It's dark out. You can't go out there."
"Baby, I need to go check on Ethan and Gabriele. The cabin is right there. I won't be far. We can't live our lives in utter panic."
"If something happens to you, I'll be all alone."
"No, you'll still have Katie, Adriana, and all of the others." Pain squeezed his chest, but he resisted rubbing it in front of his daughter. "Something could happen to any of us at any time. Since there's no longer a medical field, heart disease, cancer, any number of things might kill any of us. We can't worry about what may or may not happen."
She nodded, but her lip trembled.
He kissed the top of her head again. "I'll be back in a few hours." How were they going to comfort all of the children who'd lost their parents? It was too much.
The crisp night air refreshed him and helped clear his mind. He couldn't worry about the children's grief, or even process his right now. He had to focus on taking care of Ethan and Gabriele.
He walked into the house. The odor of seared flesh still hung in the air. How long before that dissipated? What was he doing playing doctor? He was a scientist, not the same thing. His chin dropped to his chest. Why didn't he insist Miguel move out before the fighting started? At least they'd have one true medical person alive and well. As it was, Gabriele had a hack job amputation, and if infection didn't set in she'd still have to learn to walk on crutches and deal with pain. Ethan had lost a large amount of blood. Chances of him surviving without developing an infection or dying of hypovolemia were slim.
"Stop," he muttered under his breath. He forced a peaceful look on his face, at least he hoped he was successful, and opened the door to the bedroom. Josh sat in a chair between the two beds. "How are they?"
"Holding on." Josh rubbed his face. Fatigue lines etched the corners of his eyes and dark circles hung beneath them. He needed to rest.
"Why don't you take a break? Get some sleep, and I'll stay with them for a while."
"Thanks, but I won't be able to sleep. Not with Randi and Bryan still out there."
Reginald grimaced. He understood his nephew's worries. Why did those two decide to go off anyway? Maybe he needed to have a talk with them about their selfish attitudes when they got back. Of course, who was he to mention selfishness when his own selfish actions got them into the mess they were in?
Ethan shifted in the bed, and his eyes fluttered open. "Hey Reg."
"Good to see those eyes, son."
He smiled. "Thought for sure I wasn't going to wake up this side of heaven. Guess God thinks I still have some use down here."
"Looks that way. How do you feel?"
"Like I've been shot."
Reginald smiled in spite of the pain in his heart. "I imagine so. Gabriele fixed you up."
"How?" Ethan looked at her in the other bed. "She's not in such good shape, herself."
"Man, you should've seen her." Josh patted his arm. "You would've been proud of the way she pushed her own issues to the side. She refused to talk anyone through it because she wanted to inspect the wound herself. You didn't have any bone damage, but she sewed up the blood vessels and tried to keep you from bleeding to death. She refused to let us take care of her until after she stabilized you."
Reginald's admiration for the woman went up several notches watching her work through intense pain. Curiosity about her past grew by the day. Not that he would even think of rekindling their relationship. It was too late for that. He refused to devastate Belle by taking up with the woman who'd tried to take her momma's place, but maybe they could develop a real friendship.
All of these people who'd invaded his land had become the best friends he'd ever had. His own stupidity never ceased to amaze him.
Randi sat up on the concrete floor and stretched. The children were mostly asleep. Time for her and the men to leave Vixen's captivity.
One of the little girls looked up at her with big eyes. Randi held her forefinger to her lips. "Shh. Go back to sleep." The child nodded and closed her eyes. Leaving all of these children here to suffer Vixen's wrath galled Randi, but she couldn't escape with all of them.
Bryan and Alton joined her, and they tiptoed to the closet. "Close the door behind you. I don't want anyone to see how we get out."
Alton pulled the door closed. "I doubt the children will tell her anything. Even if they see something, they'll swear they were asleep because any child awake past nine gets punished."
Randi frowned. The woman needed to die for so many reasons. She knelt down and released the hidden latch. "Follow the tunnel to the end, but don't go out yet."
Alton and Bryan headed through the tunnel, and she closed the door and made sure the latch caught. One of the older girls stretched and Randi tiptoed to her and motioned for her to follow her.
The girl tiptoed into the closet. Her lip trembled, but she didn't run.
"If something happens and you need to leave, this door leads to a tunnel to the outside. Please do not tell anyone how we escaped, but if there's a fire or something, I can't leave you without a way out."
"I'd never tell that woman anything." She gave a shy smile. "Besides, I'm asleep. After all, it's past nine."
"Good girl." Randi showed her how to open the door to the tunnel and as the girl went back to bed, Randi climbed in and secured the door.
Alton and Bryan waited at the ladder to the surface. She moved to the front and climbed until she reached the top. The latch needed lubing, but with a little work, she got it to release. She lifted the hatch about an inch and peeked out. "No one's around. Be quiet and fast."
She climbed out keeping her body low to the ground, held the hatch for the other two, and secured it behind them. "Stay down, but move fast."
Alton led the way running as fast as he could while staying in a crouch. Bryan followed behind Randi. There were three cars sitting just outside of the ATV barn. "I'll be right there." Vixen's goon hadn't searched her so he didn't get her backup weapon or her knife. She extended the blade and punctured the tires on all of the cars except the Charger.
Shots rang out as she ran for the car. She dove in the backseat. "Go!"
Bryan floored it and roared out of the perimeter onto the road. "Alton, are there any other vehicles?"
"Not here. The others are still at Atlas." He turned to Randi. "Did you get all of the cars before they started shooting?"
"Yeah. I didn't see our truck. Did they leave it in the road?"
"Who knows?" Alton shrugged. "I heard Phil was the ringleader for capturing y'all. It wouldn't surprise me for him to have left it. He's not the smartest guy around."
"Let's check. If it is, my AR will be there. I'm going to take care of Vixen once and for all. While I'm doing that, y'all get to the camp and evac. Bryan, you know where we talked about. Ethan and Gabriele will have to share the back bed in the RV until they're healthier, but we've got to get everyone out before Vixen comes after them. Don't take 'no' for an answer."
"Will do, but if you're going after Vixen by yourself, Josh and Ethan are going to refuse to leave."
"I'll be with her." Alton crossed his arms. "That woman will not stop. Even if you evacuate she'll have someone follow you until she thinks you're most vulnerable and attack again. She thinks Reginald disrespected her when they escaped, and she'll stop at nothing to make him pay."
"Don't tell him that." Randi shook her head to clear the images of Reginald surrendering to Vixen in hopes of saving them. Chills raced down her spine. His surrender might delay her, but she'd still come after them. The woman had fixated on them like they were the cause of all of her problems in her life. Maybe it was easier to blame someone else than to take a long, hard look at herself.
Bryan pulled alongside the truck still sitt
ing in the road with the doors open. Randi climbed out. The AR and Bryan's sniper rifle were still sitting in the truck. Phil had left viable weapons and a means of transportation sitting on the road.
"Maybe you and Alton should get everyone to evacuate." Bryan climbed out of the car. "I'll take the truck and eliminate Vixen. You're a good shot, but I'm better. I can wait her out, but you have family you need to see about. Go back to the camp. I'll take care of Vixen."
The thought galled Randi. She didn't want to leave the job unfinished, but Bryan was right. He was the best shot. The desire to see her family warred with the desire to get rid of Vixen. She took a deep breath. "Fine. Alton, go with him and have his back. If I find out you're not on the up and up, and you don't watch out for Bryan, I'll hunt you down and put a bullet in between your eyes."
Alton's face blanched. "I'm not with them. They'd as soon kill me as look at me."
"Can you trust him, Bryan?"
He watched Alton for a few seconds. "Leave him your AR. We'll take care of Vixen, but you need to get back and assure your dad and sister that you're okay."
"We're going to head out as soon as I can get everyone rounded up. We'll wait for you as long as we can before pushing on toward USMARID."
"Good deal." Bryan climbed in the truck and Alton joined him.
Randi's gut clenched as she drove in the other direction. How long would it take her family to load up? What if they didn't listen to her? Lord, I know You have no reason to listen to me, but please make them receptive to leaving while we still can. Not that He would answer the prayers of a sinner with murder in her heart, but Ethan kept telling her to pray.
She hit the gas and flew down the road at an unsafe speed. The night hid the dangers of the road, if a deer popped out, she'd be in trouble, but she refused to slow down. The sense of urgency increased with every second.
Chapter 26
Bryan made a U-turn and headed back toward the road leading to his hiding spot. He gripped the steering wheel with both hands. "Alton, you better not double cross me. Randi was serious when she said she'd kill you. The woman's lethal."
"I know." Alton leaned back in his seat. "I thought about running instead of following Vixen into battle, but she convinced me it had to be done. When I saw Davis shoot that sweet old lady who wasn't even armed, that was it. He died from 'friendly fire' after that." Alton hung his head, and his shoulders slumped forward. "I watched our group slaughter yours and realized just how evil Vixen was. I laid down cover fire for your crew as you were leaving. Probably why she wants me dead."
Bryan turned onto the dirt road and drove a distance before pulling off and parking in some bushes. "We walk from here. If they find the car, I don't want them to be on us before we know it. Do you think Vixen will leave the house?"
"Who knows? During the fighting, she ducked inside and didn't show her face again until it was safe. She's gotta be the cowardliest leader I've ever seen."
They trudged up the hillside in the dark, but Bryan kept his hand over the flashlight to subdue it. He didn't want to alert anyone to their presence, but wanted enough illumination to see any infected roaming about near them. "Why does everyone follow her then like she's something special?"
"Hitler effect? I don't really know. She had me snookered for a long time."
"I wondered about that. Y'all seemed...close."
A shudder shook Alton's body. "I was her lover. She confided in me, but in the end, I was still as gullible as the rest of them."
"Who'll take over for her if I kill her?"
"I'm not sure. Possibly Joe. People seem to like him, or Marguerite. She's a leader."
"Will Joe or Marguerite come after us to avenge Vixen?"
"I don't think so. Marguerite's smart enough to realize chasing us all over the country will only put her people at risk. If it's Joe, maybe, but I doubt it. He seems more cautious. If we stick around this area, he'll come after us, but if we leave, no."
Bryan led Alton down the hill toward the camp. He stopped at a stand of trees and settled in for the night.
Alton scooted in beside him. "Can you shoot her in the dark?"
"Scope has night vision."
"Good. If she comes outside, it'll be at night. She thinks she's safer after dark."
They grew quiet and Bryan focused his scope on the compound. He searched the people in the courtyard, but didn't see Vixen. If only he had some way to draw her out of the house. The sooner he finished this, the sooner he could join Randi and the others for the trip to Maryland.
Yelling in the camp drew his attention. He focused his scope and tried to check out what was going on, but he couldn't tell.
"I'll slip down closer and get a look." Alton grabbed the binoculars. "The fence is still down in the back here. I can slip closer."
Bryan grabbed his arm. "That's a suicide mission just to find out what the yelling is about."
"It might be worth trying. If the fighting gets too bad, it will draw even more biters, but it might also draw Vixen out of the house."
"You can't do anything even if you see her. If you shoot her, they'll kill you before you get the chance to get out."
"So be it." He shrugged. "I need to pay for what I did to your group. Killing Vixen will stop them from coming after you."
"No. I can get her from here. Just help me watch. If you think you see her, let me know, and I'll make sure it's her and take her out."
"Okay, but if we don't get her before dawn, I'm sneaking into the house and taking care of her."
Bryan clamped his jaws together. Why did the stubborn man think getting killed would help anyone?
The yelling grew louder, and he was able to pick out the word "zombies". "Sounds like infecteds have overrun the camp."
"Does that mean you're giving up?"
"Nope. I'm going to keep watching for Vixen. If there's chaos and shooting with infecteds in the camp, no one will know where the shots came from."
"She won't step out of the house if there are infecteds in the camp. I'm telling you the woman's spineless."
Bryan shrugged. "We'll see. She might surprise you." He could imagine Vixen coming outside to instruct everyone on what to do all while expecting them to keep her safe.
"I'm not sure why they didn't start searching for fencing supplies right away. It was stupid to let it go in order to hunt us down to kill us."
"Yeah. She's not the smartest leader I've met. If it's not part of her agenda, she doesn't care even if it means her people could die."
Bryan grabbed the night vision binoculars he'd taken from the tower before they'd run from the fighting.
"Vixen has a rocket launcher in the fire truck. She planned to use it against y'all, but I convinced her not to. The stupid woman wanted to shoot it at the tower when she was less than twenty feet away."
"Can we get to it?"
"Maybe. You thinking of hitting the house?"
"Yes. It would be a good way to get rid of Vixen. Or at least get her out of the house if she survives the blast."
"I'll sneak around and grab it. You stay here and watch for her to leave the house. If there are several shells, should I use them all to destroy the camp?"
"Wait…" But Alton was already gone. Bryan's stomach lurched. The children were in the basement. Another niggling thought that Alton was playing him kept pricking his mind. Had he just signed his own death warrant? He moved to a different copse of trees away from where Alton had left him. It might buy him a little time if Alton came back with Vixen's Calvary.
The yells from the camp died down. They must've dispatched the infecteds. He crept closer. Time to get the children out of the basement. He searched the camp, but didn't see anyone on patrol, so he darted toward the hatch.
He climbed inside and rounded up the children. They followed him without making much sound. He stashed them all in the towers. "Don't go outside. Stay in the tower. I know it's hot and stuffy, but you'll be safe. Once everything's over, I'll come get you."
He sneaked back to his position in the trees and watched for a while. Bryan's eyes grew gritty and tired. He closed them for a few seconds to rest them, and must've dozed off because an explosion jarred him awake. Fire blazed from the house. He focused on the courtyard. Vixen emerged and moved to where he could get a clear shot. He aimed and fired, but she moved at the last moment, and he didn't get off a direct hit. The projectile slammed into her arm. She screamed, and dropped to the ground. He fired a few more shots, one looked as though it struck her in the chest.
With Vixen taken care of, he scrambled up the hill to the road and jogged toward his.
How would he find Alton in the aftermath of this? He would drive around a little bit looking for him. At least they didn't have to worry about Vixen again for a while.
He reached the car, climbed in, and drove, but he kept his lights off. A figure running toward him caught his attention. He turned on the headlights. Alton. He swerved and stopped.
Alton climbed in. "Go! I don't think they're coming after us with that mess." He groaned and dipped his head. "I didn't think about the children when I hit the house."
"You didn't hurt them. They're in the towers. I got them out. Now, I need to move them from the towers to somewhere safe."
"Thank God. I don't know that I could've lived with myself if I'd killed all of those children."
Tires crunched over the gravel in front of the cabin. Reginald's head jerked up. Maybe it was Randi and Bryan. If not.... He shook his head. No worrying about what ifs. They had too many troubles to worry about what tomorrow would bring.
The front door slammed open and Randi ran inside. "We need to evacuate. Now.
Josh caught her by the arm. "Slow down. What's going on?"
"Vixen captured Bryan and me." She shook her head. "Let me backtrack. One of her former followers met us at the front of the park and offered to help us because Vixen has plans to come after us. No matter what. She's not even trying to get the fences up. Instead, she has people out looking for us. After we left Alton, Vixen's crew kidnapped us. She locked us in the basement. They haven't found the secret passage so we sneaked out, but she's going to come after us. We've got to load up and leave."
Inquisition Page 25
