by Payne, T. L.
“Sir. This is JJ’s brother. That man back there with the big guy, he is her father. They are here to find JJ. If you know something, you have to tell us. The people that have her might kill her soon.”
The doctor dropped his head and said nothing.
“Why won’t you tell us?” Raine asked.
Aiden lunged forward and grabbed the doctor by his jacket. Raine attempted to step between them, but Aiden elbowed her out of the way.
“You are going to tell me where my sister is or else I will….”
As Raine reached for Aiden’s arm to reason with him, something struck her hard between the shoulder blades. Her first thought was that she’d been shot in the back but hadn’t heard a weapon fire. She stumbled forward and was knocked to the ground by the hulk who had been holding Jim. Raine got to her knees and was pushing herself to her feet when Sheena and Scott appeared to her right. Sheena ran over to the big guy and pressed the barrel of her rifle into his back. His hands flew into the air. Aiden spun the doctor around, placing the doctor between himself and the hulking man. Scott stopped beside Sheena.
Raine rushed over and grabbed the doctor by the collar of his jacket. “You tell me what you know before someone gets killed here.”
The man’s eyes widened as he stared at Sheena’s rifle.
The doctor held his hands out in front of him, palms out. “Back down, Rafe.” He looked back to Raine. “She’s being held at a house on Randolph Court. It’s about ten miles from here.”
“Is she alive?” Aiden asked, his voice low.
“She was when I left there,” the doctor said. “She’s been beaten pretty badly, though.”
Aiden lowered his head and drew in a deep breath.
“How many of them are there?” Jim asked, pushing Raine aside.
“I saw about six or eight men. They were outside around the house. There was just the one man inside with the girl.”
“Do they all have weapons?” Aiden asked.
“Yeah. Big ones like that,” the doctor said, pointing to Sheena’s rifle still pressed against the hulk’s back.
“How did you get there?” Raine asked.
“They dragged me out of my home in the middle of the night.”
“We need a vehicle,” Raine said.
“Mine won’t start,” the doctor said.
Raine stepped back and turned in a circle, looking for the vehicle that the pastor’s group had driven to Jeb’s house. “Where is the pastor’s truck?”
“The sheriff took it,” the doctor said, pointing toward the crowd in the parking lot.
“Who else does? Someone drove one to Jeb’s. Where is that one?” Raine said.
“Dean Cartwright is the only other person I know that has a running vehicle,” the doctor said.
Raine turned to Aiden. “We have to go back to the farm.”
Scott and Sheena stayed behind to help Brandon get home. With his leg injured, he was in no shape to run. Scott looked like he’d been beaten and could barely walk, let alone run. About ten minutes after leaving the church, Raine realized she was in no shape as well. She was gasping for air and willing her legs to move to keep up with Jim and Aiden. At times, they were so far ahead that she thought she’d never catch up. Raine and Lucy had resorted to walking long before they reached the driveway at the farm. Raine’s pants legs were soaked from the slushy snow splashing on them as she ran, and her legs were numb from the cold. She wasn’t sure if she could even make it to the house at that point.
Aiden held the gate open for them. “You gonna make it?” Aiden asked as Raine passed through.
Raine stopped, bent at the waist, and placed her hands on her knees. “I’m not sure, actually,” she said through ragged gasps.
“What happened?” Tom asked as he shut and locked the gate.
“We rescued Scott. Brandon got shot. We found out where JJ is being held. Need to get Cartwright’s truck,” Raine managed to say between breaths.
Tom took Raine’s arm and helped her up to the house. Jim and Aiden had already reached the house and were coming out the door with their packs as Raine and Lucy approached the door.
“Where does Dean Cartwright live?” Jim asked.
Chapter 12
Dean Cartwright’s Farm
Farmington, Missouri
February 23rd Approximately 1:00 pm
Raine and Scott squatted behind a tractor, staring at an open barn door. Located at the top of a small rise was a large, red corrugated steel building surrounded by corrals filled with black cows.
“What makes you think this guy would want to help us?” Raine asked.
“I don’t know that he will. I just know that he was close friends of the Wards and they were good people,” Scott said.
Were? Was he conceding that Mrs. Ward was likely dead too or soon would be? After what he’d seen in the city, he didn’t hold out hope for a long future for the elderly woman.
“He definitely doesn’t appreciate us being here. He’s suspicious and doesn’t trust us.”
“We have to ask. We need to get to JJ before it’s too late,” Scott said.
“I see movement inside the barn. Can you tell if it’s a person?” Raine asked, rising enough to see over the tractor’s seat.
“I can’t tell. I think everyone should just hang back while I walk over there and knock on the door. He knows me. Seeing the rest of you might spook him.”
Raine nodded, turned, and crawled over to where Jim and Aiden were crouched behind a row of haybales. A moment later, she returned.
“Jim agrees. We’re going to move over by that woodpile so we can watch your back. Don’t go inside. We can’t protect you if you do.”
“I don’t think he’ll do anything. He’s not been aggressive so far.”
Scott stood and stepped out from behind the tractor.
“Just be cautious,” Raine said.
Scott nodded and took off toward the house. Before he reached the back door, he could hear voices at the front. Scott looked back toward the woodpile. Raine, Jim, and Aiden were just dropping down beside it. Scott pointed to the front of the house and made a walking motion with his fingers. Raine stood and shook her head. She gestured for him to stop, but he kept going.
At the side yard, Scott could make out that there were two men talking. Scott crept along until he could get a glimpse of them. He needed to assess whether now was a good time to approach or not. He drew in a breath at the sight of the sheriff’s vehicle in the drive. They didn’t have time to wait, but the sheriff leaving that mess at the church to come here had to mean that the sheriff had bigger issues than that to address with Dean.
“I told you we should have run those strangers off. Now they got the reverend shot and folks in town all riled up and scared,” the sheriff said.
“What they are scared about is that gang terrorizing people because of that woman. They got her now, so the danger should be passed. There’s no reason for them to come back here,” Dean said.
“Yeah, but we got that girl’s daddy running around looking for her. You think that ain’t gonna come back on us?”
“That doesn’t have anything to do with us. We aren’t involved in that. As long as we don’t help them, why would Raul and his men bother with us? He promised that if we cooperated, he’d leave us alone,” Dean said.
Scott clenched his jaw. His hands balled into fists as his anger reached a boiling point listening to the men.
“You’re willing to risk your wife and boy’s life on that? I think we should take the father and brother to Raul and let his men deal with them,” the sheriff said.
“You’d do that? Really? You know how they’d deal with them. It’s bad enough what they’re likely doing to that woman. I don’t think I could live knowing that I…”
“You were willing to hand the girl over. Don’t get all high and mighty on me now.”
“I didn’t think I had a choice,” Dean said, turning his back on the sheriff.
�
��Well, I’m not willing to take the risk for my family and the rest of the people of this community. That man and his son aren’t going to stop until they find the girl. That’s gonna come back to our doorsteps if we don’t do something about it.”
Scott had heard enough. He had to get Jim and his sons out of there before the sheriff recruited help to hand them over to the cartel. Scott had no doubt that David would use them to extract the information he wanted from JJ. Once he had that, he’d kill them all.
“We have to go. Now!” Scott said as he approached the woodpile where Raine, Jim, and Aiden were hiding.
“What? Why? Who's out there?” Raine asked.
Scott grabbed her arm and spun her around. “I’ll tell you on our way back to the farm.”
“No. I came for a vehicle. I’m not leaving without one,” Jim said, planting his feet and crossing his arms. “If you don’t want to help….”
“It’s not that. The sheriff is here. They mean to hand you and Aiden over to the cartel.”
Jim lowered his head and scratched his scalp. He let out a sigh and said, “He’s scared of them.”
“Yeah. It looks like they’ve been terrorizing the whole community looking for JJ.”
“Dean is willing to go along with that?” Raine asked.
“No. Not yet. He knows more than he told us about the cartel. He called one of them by name. Said they had a deal.”
“A deal to hand JJ over, I bet,” Raine said, shaking her head.
“Yeah. In exchange for them not killing his family, it seems.”
“We need to locate that vehicle and my boys and I will get on our way,” Jim said, looking around and turning in a circle.
“You said the sheriff wants to take us to the cartel?” Aiden asked.
“No. They want to hand you over to the cartel. That’s different,” Scott replied.
Aiden turned to his father. “The sheriff has a vehicle. He wants to drive us to the cartel. I say we ask him to take us.”
Jim stopped and glanced from Scott to Dean’s house.
“You aren’t considering it? You know that they aren’t going to take you to JJ,” Scott said.
Jim said nothing. He half-shrugged and turned toward the house.
“Jim. They will use you and Aiden to extract information from JJ just like they tried to do with me.”
“We’ll let the sheriff drive us there, but we aren’t going to let him hand us over,” Jim said, a wry smile forming on his face.
“Have you asked yourself how the sheriff knows where the cartel is? He could have men posted there. They probably paid them off.”
“Maybe,” Jim said.
“We’ll be all right, Scott. We’re going to get my sister and then we are going to make all these SOBs pay,” Aiden said.
The resolve on his face actually scared Scott. He wasn’t sure how all this would end, but he was sure that there was the potential for a lot of people to die. He agreed with rescuing JJ and even eliminating David and the cartel, but if Jim and Aiden turned their sights on seeking revenge from members of this community, he wouldn’t condone that. He was sure JJ wouldn’t either.
Scott and Raine stood by the woodpile and watched Jim and Aiden disappear around the side of Dean Cartwright’s house. Neither of them spoke for a long minute.
“We should have stopped them,” Raine said as she turned to leave.
“We tried. They wouldn’t listen.”
“We should have tried harder, because they’re going to get themselves killed,” Raine said.
Scott followed Raine back across the field, past the tractor, and through the woods to the Wards’ farm. Just before they entered the house, Scott grabbed Raine by the arm and stopped her.
“I’m going after them. I can’t just sit here knowing they are all going to die—that JJ’s going to die—without trying to do something to stop it. I need to follow them.”
“Scott. There’s nothing...”
“I’m going. I am going to take Dean’s truck and follow them. I’ll hang back and provide Jim and Aiden cover. I’ll do my best to get JJ out.”
Raine was quiet. She turned toward the house and placed her hand on the door handle. Scott stepped back. “Bye, Raine. Thank you for coming to rescue me. Will you tell the others I—”
Raine threw her hands in the air. “Fine. I’ll go too then. You can’t provide backup alone. You said they had several men.”
“But… Raine. This is dangerous. These men are killers. If they catch you, you’ll wish you were dead.”
Raine drew in a deep breath, then let it out. “I guess I better not let them catch me then.”
The barn door was closed, but Scott could hear someone working inside. Hearing multiple voices had Scott encouraged that he and Raine could get to Dean’s truck and get away before getting caught.
Scott and Raine ran from the haybales to the woodpile without being seen. No one exited the barn. “I’ll go first and then cover you,” Scott said, pointing to the house.
When Scott reached the back of the house, he waved for Raine to join him and they ran to the front. Scott scanned the yard before stepping onto the driveway.
“Watch for anyone exiting the house. I’m going to check the truck for keys.”
“Scott,” Raine said, catching him by the arm. “I don’t know about this.”
Scott narrowed his gaze.
Raine pointed to the truck. “This feels wrong. We’re stealing the family's only running vehicle.”
“We don’t have a choice, Raine.” Scott stepped back to the side of the house and took her hand.
“Look. I feel the same way. I do. Dean and his family were willing to turn JJ over to those dangerous criminals in order to do what is right by their family." Scott set his jaw. “Sometimes you have to do things that don’t seem right to protect the people you care about. That’s how this new world works. We can’t call law enforcement to save her. They’re helping the bad guys. Her family and us—that’s all JJ has right now.”
Raine lowered her head. Scott reached out, cupped her chin in the palm of his hand, and lifted her head until their eyes met. Tears welled in her eyes. “You can stay here, go back to the farm, and protect the others. They need you, too. I understand. JJ will understand.”
Raine straightened and cleared her throat. She turned her head and looked at the truck.
“No. You’re right. We have to save JJ, and we need that truck.”
Scott didn’t hesitate. He ran to the pickup and slowly opened the driver’s door. As he suspected, the old door squeaked on its hinges as it widened. Scott climbed behind the wheel and pulled down the visor. He pushed it back up and shook his head. That would be too easy. He bent down and felt around the footwell and under the seat.
Nothing.
He straightened and scanned the cab’s interior. The older truck didn’t have a console. Its long bench seat was covered with an aftermarket seat cover. A cup holder sat on the hump between the two footwells. Scott bent and felt around before pulling out a keyring. A huge grin spread across his face as he held it up for Raine to see. He motioned for her to join him. He leaned across the seat and pushed open the passenger door. When she was safely inside, Scott inserted the key and turned the ignition. Nothing happened. No click, no sound at all. Scott leaned his head on the steering wheel.
If it seems too good to be true, it usually is.
“Maybe the battery cable is loose,” Raine said.
“Could be,” Scott said, pushing open the squeaky driver’s door.
Scott ran around and popped the hood. He yanked on the battery cables, moving clamps back and forth, making sure they had good contact with the terminals. He leaned to his left and said, “Try it now.”
“I wouldn’t advise that, little lady,” a voice called behind Scott.
Chapter 13
Raine eased the barrel of the rifle up and eyed Dean Cartwright through the passenger window. His eyes were fixed on Scott, who had backed away from th
e truck with his hands in the air. Raine shifted in her seat, attempting to angle herself so that she could get an aim on Dean.
“Drop that rifle.”
Raine’s head shot to her left to see a kid in his early teens standing on the driver’s side peering at her through the window. Her eyes were drawn to the shotgun the boy pointed at her. Raine let the rifle drop to her lap and slowly raised her hands.
She was afraid to take her eyes off the boy, but she needed to see what Dean was doing with Scott.
Scott slowly turned to face Dean. His hands were still raised. His rifle dangled across his chest on its two-point sling. “We were just going to borrow the truck. We need to go rescue JJ,” Scott said.
“I can’t let you do that,” Dean said.
“I understand. You are afraid the cartel will come back and hurt your family. I get that. But I plan to stop them. We’re going to stop them,” Scott said, pointing a thumb over his shoulder toward Raine.
Raine reached down and pulled on the door handle, shoving the truck’s door open. The boy yanked open the driver’s door and Raine froze.
“Let her get out, Kia. Keep those hands in the air though, little lady,” Dean said.
Raine bit her lip. She wanted to tear into the man. She’d show him a little lady. She drew in a quick breath. Now wasn’t the time. She had to keep a cool head. Time wasn’t on their side and they needed to be gone by now. Raine slid from the seat and stood by the open passenger door.
Taking a step closer to him, Raine said, “Mr. Cartwright. I understand that this looks bad. We are living in strange times. I want you to know that we aren’t the type of people to just steal your truck. We will pay you for it. We’ll work it off or whatever you want. But we desperately need to go save our friend. We can’t just sit here and let those animals take her life.”