The little blonde woman then turned to her dog and put her hand to her hip. She shook her head at the gore covering his coat. Alex smiled as Charlie lectured Storm on the ability of fighting without needing a bath after. Rafe approached, but didn't interrupt as Charlie found some clean areas on the dog and scratched him lovingly, thanking him for always having Rafe's back.
Rafe then insisted she climb back into the truck. She tried to argue, but he whispered something to her and she just shook her head comically before following his directions.
It took them another twenty minutes to move the infected bodies out of the road. Then they had to maneuver the crashed cars as best as they could. One of them had a man that was just waking up as an infected. Alex quickly used her bowie and ended the infected before it could hurt any of the living. Two of the cars were too badly mangled to be pushed by hand, so Cliff carefully pulled one truck up and used the front bumper to push the other car off the road. The sound of squealing tires and bending metal was loud. Alex stood off to the side, her head on a swivel, looking for any unknown attack. Rafe came to join her as he oversaw the operation.
"This couldn't have happened long ago," Rafe said.
"No, the people in the cars were just turning. So maybe twenty minutes," Alex replied.
"How do you think they crashed?" Rafe hedged. The tone of his voice told Alex he had an idea. She didn't answer him, just turned to gaze to his and waited.
"There were bullet holes in two of the windshields. The two that didn't have people still in them," Rafe said.
"You think the soldiers did this? On purpose? They killed the people in those two cars and left the cars for others to crash into?" Alex said, catching his train of thought easily.
"It's a completely blind curve. I almost didn't see the wreck until we were on top of it. If there were other people driving fast and those two cars were left in the middle of the highway, it would have easily caused an accident."
Alex had to admit, it was a sound plan. Especially because she could see the cars after a blind turn as an idea she would use. It was a good barricade location if you didn't want someone to see it until they hit it. With less and less traffic on the road, people weren't careful with their speeds or even staying on the right side of the road.
"They couldn't be sure someone would hit them. But it was either someone else did and we were blocked, or we hit them and it slowed us down even more. Seems the first is what happened," Alex said.
"That's the most likely scenario," Rafe agreed.
Alex wasn't sure she liked the picture of the soldiers being so cunning. She didn't want to underestimate them either. Callahan's men followed orders blindly and didn't worry about who they would put into danger when they did. The thought infuriated Alex. People thought turning to the government or the military would save them. Instead, people found themselves being shot at and used as pawns in a boobie-trap that could have possibly not worked.
Once the road was cleared enough for the two trucks to move through, they were back on the road. Breakfast had gone by long before and Alex couldn't help but hear and feel when her stomach decided to suddenly growl. Cliff heard it too because he looked sharply at Alex.
"Have you eaten?" He asked.
"No. It's been a while I think," Alex replied lamely.
Cliff picked up the walkie talkie and radioed Rafe's truck. The decision was made to stop until they could get food made and then they would drive and eat. Rafe pulled to the side of the road and Cliff followed. Alex wasn't happy about the additional delay. She jumped from the truck, ready to insist they keep moving.
"We have wasted too much time as it is," Alex told Rafe as he came to the back of his truck. He lowered the tailgate and climbed into the bed.
"I know you feel that way. But we all need to eat to keep up our strength. Let me just get the stuff out and then we can drive," Rafe replied.
A hand on her shoulder made Alex physically jump. She whirled around to see Max behind her.
"Alex, calm down. We will be driving again in five. Go sit in your truck. I'll bring you food," she said quietly.
"When did you decide to take care of people?" Alex asked.
"Since my sister went off, got kidnapped, got beat up, and now looks like she could fall flat on her face at any moment," Max replied.
"I'm fine," Alex said. Max's eyes told her she knew it was a lame lie.
"Remember when I got to the compound? You knew something had gone very wrong the moment you laid eyes on me. You gave me my space. You let me come to you when I was ready to tell you what had happened. I'm going to do the same for you, Alex. But I know when you're lying about how you feel. You can either just keep the false front up, or you can let your family take care of you for a while."
Alex couldn't help but stare at Max. She was aware her mouth was hanging open and Max got a sarcastic smile on her face.
"This Max is only going to last so long, so eat it up while you can," Max said.
"I guess I'll take what I can get," Alex replied.
Max embraced her sister and Alex appreciated the warmth. She hadn't realized how cold she was until she felt the love coming from Max. Her heart hurt from what she had endured and what she had seen at the brothel. The good in Alex screamed to be the savior of all the women. In the end, they saved one and Alex felt guilt inside for that. They weren't an army and had to survive as best they could. Her family coming for her was nothing less than what she had expected them to do.
When Alex climbed back into her truck, she sat still with her eyes closed. She let the feeling of love and caring wash over her. Even if she was surprised it was coming from Max, it was what she needed and she so appreciated it. Alex felt someone touch her hand and she turned her face toward Cliff. He squeezed her fingers for a moment and she squeezed back. The big quiet man lent his support just the same as her siblings. He didn't look at her, just looked out the windshield, keeping his eyes moving. His hand released hers then and Alex settled into her seat.
Chapter Twenty-One
In the distance, behind a pair of binoculars, the Duncan group was watched as they served their lunch and got back on the road. Their every move was noted. The soldier had watched them from the Dead Brothel. Taking one from their group was the sure way to get the entire Duncan family back to Callahan. Private Fletcher wanted to earn the respect of Callahan after they had all lost the Duncan prisoner. The Major had punished all the soldiers that were on guard the night Max Duncan escaped. Some of Fletcher's friends disappeared after that night. He knew they had been dealt with by Callahan.
Picking up the long-range walkie talkie, Fletcher radioed the car that carried the member of the Duncan group. He let them know how far behind them the Duncans were. They had a large head start. Though they had stopped after the man named Marcus somehow got a knife and cut himself free from his bindings. He fought hard, but in the end someone knocked him out with a gun and they had to stop to tend to his wounds. They couldn't allow him to die before Callahan questioned him.
Private Fletcher felt very proud of himself for delaying the Duncans as long as he did. Finding the two cars crashed was pure luck in the middle of the night. It was divine intervention when the two additional cars pulled up at a fast pace while he was looking at the wreck. It wasn't hard for him to kill the drivers in the vehicles. After that, the momentum of the vehicles carried them both into the previous wreck. He couldn't have staged the whole thing himself if he had tried. The sound of the shots is what had attracted the infected from the nearby trees. The injured people still alive in the cars was all they needed to stay near the cars and create the diversion Fletcher needed.
The man posted in a tree nearby, after making sure no infected were following his trail. He waited the night out in his perch. It didn't take long for the screams of the living to end as the infected tore at their bodies. A part of Fletcher felt sorry that those people had to be sacrificed for the good of the country. They had all made their own contributions to the ca
use. This was just their purpose.
He had actually fallen asleep in the tree at some point and was awakened by the sun piercing the tree canopy he was under. He shook himself out of his stupor and began to panic, believing he had missed the Duncans pass. He tried to calculate the time in his mind and was on the verge of climbing out of his tree when he heard engines. He froze and put his rifle to his shoulder. Watching through the scope he saw the two trucks pull up to the accidents. Fletcher was glad they hadn't crashed into the cars, as it had been a risk to have the blockade so close to a blind turn. Killing them wasn't his plan, delaying them was.
He watched as the Duncans exited their vehicles and attacked the infected with a vigor he hadn't seen from anyone not in the military. The three siblings worked closely together, their skills honed over many years. It was clear to Fletcher now why these three seemed like such a liability to the Major. Fletcher saw Max Duncan have a close call and part of him was cheering on the infected. Her escape was the reason a number of his friends were gone now. And he wanted her to pay for that transgression.
When the family began to move the vehicles, Fletcher humped it half a mile away from where he had hidden his small vehicle. He knew the basic course the Duncans would take. They were doing exactly as predicted, not leaving one of their own behind. While it was an admirable trait, Fletcher couldn't lose focus of the plan. In his car he sped down the little highway, finding a second point to hide. He timed the Duncans and when they didn't show like he expected; he backtracked carefully.
Now he hid in the woods again and watched them as they made food and distributed the meal among the adults. He watched the oldest sister be consoled by her family members and he wondered what had happened to her in the brothel. It wasn't his concern on how the Noble Lord ran his business. Callahan gave the man the power to do that as he pleased, as long as he continued to provide the supplies as agreed. Fletcher had enjoyed a few women over the last month there and he didn't feel regret about that either.
Fletcher now took the time to unpack the larger radio system he carried. This military airborne radio system was the way Callahan controlled the communications between all of his men that weren't at the base. There was a communication hub at base that everyone was required to report back to. As Fletcher was the one with eyes on the targets, he was the one to radio back his progress. After a number of beeps and then passcodes, Fletcher was put through to speak directly with the Major.
"Private, what do you have? Over," Callahan said.
"Sir, eyes on target group. They are on schedule, approximately seven hours behind prisoner vehicle, over."
"All three of the Duncans are there? Over."
"That's affirmative sir, over," Fletcher replied.
"That's good, Private. Keep them in your sights. When you get close to base, I need to know all details of where they are and what they're doing, over," Callahan said.
"Copy, sir, over," Fletcher said.
"This is the most important mission you've had, son. I expect you to succeed. Over and out," Callahan said, and the transmission ended.
Fletcher packed the radio back. As he was finishing his transmission, he saw the Duncans preparing to leave again. The prisoner would be arriving at base in less than three hours. That meant at least eight hours for the Duncans until they got to the outskirts of the city. Fletcher climbed out of his post and ran back to his vehicle. He would get out ahead of the Duncans and wait for them to pass him into the city. Then he could let Callahan know what was happening. The Major trusted him and he wasn't going to fail.
Chapter Twenty-Two
His head felt heavier than a twenty-pound dumbbell. Marcus couldn't figure out why his mouth felt like he'd shoved a handful of cotton balls into it. Or why he couldn't focus on anything happening around him. He tried to put things together in his mind, but he felt like everyone was foggy and far away. Black seemed to seep from the corners of his eyes, but he shook his head to try to clear it.
And that was about the wrong thing to do at the moment. Pain shot from his head down into his eyes and temples. For a moment he debated throwing up the cotton balls and for some reason that image made him want to laugh. But when any sound tried to come out, everything was muffled. Ahhh, now I get it, he thought to himself. He was gagged, which was causing the drying sensation in his mouth. Once he realized that, he was then stuck trying to decide how he had gotten gagged in the first place.
Alex's face flared to life in his mind. And she was scared. That was all he needed to have the story become clear. He had been taken by the military. The same military that had tortured Max, had gone after Rafe, had tried to kidnap Charlie. They took Marcus because he was with them. Stupid, he thought. He didn't know anything to even give up. They definitely took the wrong Duncan member. He was useless to them. At least he thought he was.
The surrounding soldiers talked into a walkie talkie and between each other. The fog in his mind made it hard to concentrate on the words being spoken. It was all he needed though, to realize the Duncans were coming after him. The military plan all became crystal clear to Marcus and he wanted to scream. He banged his already injured head against the back of the seat, angry at himself for getting taken, angry at the Duncans for not seeing the trap that was being made for them. He began to struggle with the bindings that cut into his wrists. All he could think was if he escaped, the Duncans wouldn't keep coming. If they killed him and left his body for them to find, then the Duncans would be safe. He needed them to be safe.
His connection to the family had grown over the few months they had survived together. It was impossible to avoid. Everyone treated each other as family, blood or not. The children were smart, quirky, kind, and a challenge for anyone trying to guard their heart. Now they were left behind by their parents who succeeded in their first rescue mission, only to fall into a second one. And Marcus felt his life was forfeit when it came to the parents that needed to get home to their kids on the Duncan compound.
He leaned back and lifted his feet. They were taped together at the ankle, so all he could do was slam his feet into the driver's seat. He got two kicks in before the soldier next to him was able to control him. The car swerved some but stayed on the road. Marcus felt helpless. He thought of the times that Alex tried to get him to follow her common sense plans. He always wanted to go his own way, control what he was doing, and make the plans. Often his plans went awry, but never to the harm of anyone else. Would they even be where they were right now if he had just listened to her days ago in that parking lot of infected?
Using his chin and shoulder, Marcus tried to pull his gag from his mouth. It wasn't working so he turned to the soldier next to him and motioned with his face. The soldier ignored him and he was half tempted to try to wet himself. He didn't need to pee, but he wanted to lie to them to make them stop the vehicle. He couldn't be sure how far behind them the Duncans were. But he wanted them to have the chance to challenge these soldiers before they got back to the base camp.
The soldier next to him dismissed him and continued his watch out of the windows. Marcus struggled against his bindings. They had him in metal handcuffs now. After he cut the first duct tape binding, they seemed to think he was more of a worry than anticipated. He thought of all the stupid action movies he used to watch before the apocalypse. Did he know how to dislocate his thumb and put it back? No. So until he could convince them to take off his handcuffs, he was stuck where he was. The struggling started to annoy the soldier in the backseat and Marcus guessed that was better than nothing.
"I don't care what it is you need, sit still or I will knock you out again," the man said to Marcus before throwing out an elbow that hit Marcus in the stomach.
Air tried to whoosh from his mouth, but the sound was eaten by the gag. He bent over slightly, trying to catch his breath through his nose. The lack of oxygen was again bringing spots into his vision but he slowed his breathing and worked on deep steady intakes of air. The soldier next to him seemed to think this
was hilarious as he began to laugh. Marcus glared at him, knowing if he were free he could deal with the man easily. He was barely a man, not unlike many of the other soldiers they had faced since the apocalypse had started. Marcus should have felt bad for imagining the death of a barely adult soldier, but he didn't.
The radio in the front seat flared to life again. This time Marcus could pick up more of the conversation now that he was awake. He deflated when he realized that someone was reporting on the location of the Duncans. Someone was watching them. The Duncans had better situational awareness than anyone he had ever met, so the soldier watching them must have been very well hidden. The Duncans were also doing the predictable thing, following Marcus. He wished they could read his mind and let him go. They would be walking into a trap.
What seemed like an eternity later, houses began to appear in the distance. The soldier sped up, navigating roads that he knew very well. Marcus knew that they were coming to the military camp that Callahan held. He had no plans, knowing he couldn't escape now. The only thing he knew was he wasn't giving Callahan any information. Not that there was information to provide. The pieces they had put together between Max, Rafe, and Charlie, they could only assume Callahan thought there was a secret cure. But after months of Charlie trying to figure it out, she still didn't have a way to solve the apocalyptic illness.
The sedan pulled to a stop at a checkpoint. There was a fence erected across the highway, with a sign that said "Welcome to Rapid City." Marcus didn't have any idea where Rapid City was. He only knew it was East of the compound in Montana because Max had come to the city on her way home. The sun had started to approach the middle of the sky, meaning they had been driving close to twelve hours from the night before. Wyoming? One of the Dakotas? Not that it really mattered, Marcus was only trying to distract his mind from what was happening.
Sundown Series (Book 4): Torment Page 26
