Gateway To Chaos (Book 3): Seeking Justice

by Payne, T. L.

  “I can sit in the barn loft. I can brace a rifle on crates and fire down on anyone approaching the house,” Tom said. “My trigger finger works. I just can’t make a fist.” He held up his bandaged right hand.

  Lucy glanced over to Brandon. He was nodding. She shrugged. “If you think you can do it. Maybe you should shoot a few rounds and see.”

  Tom nodded. A broad smile spread across his face. “I can do this. I won’t let anyone get past me.”

  “You ever shoot a rifle before?” Brandon asked.

  “No,” Tom said.

  Brandon twisted up his mouth.

  “You need to practice. We can spare a few rounds of ammo for you to get sighted in and comfortable with the weapon.”

  “Are you sure?” Lucy asked.

  “Yes. He can do it.” Brandon said.

  “Okay, so you and Antonio will set up out at the road. Tom will post in the barn loft. I think Sheena should take the deer stand in the tree line. I’ll hide behind the woodpile here by the house. I’ll have a clear view of anyone crossing the field from the south.”

  Brandon chewed his bottom lip and then nodded.

  “What about me?” DeAndre said.

  Sheena looked down at her son. “You are guarding the food down in the basement,” she said.

  He looked up at her. His shoulders slumped. “Aww, Mom. I don’t want to stay in here by myself.”

  Sheena glanced over to Lucy.

  “He can sit up in the barn with me,” Tom said.

  “Yes!” DeAndre said, jumping down from his mother’s lap. He ran over and held his fist out in front of Tom. Tom stared at it and then gently touched his hand to DeAndre’s little fist.

  “I don’t know,” Sheena said.

  “I think that is the safest place, Sheena,” Brandon said. “He would have all that hay to hide behind.”

  “I’m not hiding. I’m going to fight, too.” He pulled out a tiny pocketknife and held it up.

  Sheena leaned over and snatched it from his hand. “You aren’t going to get close enough to any bad guys to use this.”

  “Mom,” DeAndre whined and stomped his foot.

  Sheena gave him the mom’s death stare. He hung his head. “Sorry,” DeAndre whispered.

  “What did you say?” Sheena asked him.

  “I said, sorry.”

  “I bet you are. If you want to be treated like a young man, you best act like one, and you better not stomp your foot at me again.”

  “Okay. I won’t. Can I still guard the barn with Tom?”

  Sheena nodded. “If anything happens, you stay down behind the hay and stay out of Mr. Tom’s way. You got it?”

  “Yeah. I’ll be good.”

  “So, we have a plan. Just one thing I see wrong with it,” Lucy said. “It’s, like, thirtysomething degrees out there. Just how long will we last outside?”

  No one said anything. If it had been any other time of year, they could have stayed out there for long periods of time. Winter brought with it so many complications.

  “I think if they are going to retaliate, it will be sooner rather than later,” Antonio said.

  Lucy thought about that. Would they? Or would they bury their dead first?

  “I think they’ll come after they bury the dead men,” she finally said.

  “I guess we will have to dress warm and stay as long as we can,” Sheena said.

  Lucy nodded.

  “Let’s try not to all come in at once, though. Let someone know so they can keep an eye on your area. We can rotate. Whoever comes in to get warm, brings food out to the others,” Brandon said.

  “That sounds workable, sort of,” Lucy said.

  “You have any better solution?”

  “No. It’s just…”

  “What?” Brandon asked.

  “This isn’t sustainable. Not in the long run. I wonder if maybe we should think about moving on—after Raine and the others get back, I mean,” Lucy said.

  “And go where?” Sheena asked. “I don’t have it in me to trudge through the snow for days again. Where are we going to find a vacant farm where the neighbors don’t object to us moving into the neighborhood?”

  Lucy shook her head. “Nowhere, I guess.”

  She felt a weight of despair wash over her. She wondered if they’d ever be safe again. How long before they were all gone? Could they hold out until spring? She doubted it.

  “Okay. Let’s grab a bite to eat, fill a thermos with something hot, and get dressed for a long, cold night,” Brandon said.

  Chapter 18

  St. Francois County, Missouri

  February 23rd, Approximately 2:00 pm

  Raine turned off the highway and drove a quarter-mile before stopping the truck in the center of the road.

  “Wait here,” Scott said as he opened the passenger door and slid out.

  “No. We should stick together. I’m supposed to have your back, remember?”

  Scott held up a hand. “I’m just going to check out the house where they held us and see if anyone came back. That may be our best chance to find out where they’ve taken JJ.”

  “Still. I should go with you,” Raine said, reaching toward the ignition.

  “No. Stay with the vehicle. We can’t afford to lose it. If you see anyone, get the hell out of here. Go back to the farm,” Scott said as he turned to leave.

  “Scott,” Raine called to his back. He ignored her and kept walking.

  Raine pivoted her head from side to side, watching for members of the cartel or anyone intending to take the truck from her. The vehicle rocked as her legs bounced up and down. Within a few seconds, her teeth were chattering. She turned in the seat and examined the opening where the glass used to be. They’d need to find plastic and tape to seal up the hole. She reached down and cranked the heat to its highest setting and placed her hands over the vents.

  When Scott first emerged around the bend in the road, it startled Raine. She grabbed the rifle, peered through the scope, and let out a breath.

  Thank goodness!

  Scott was walking fast. She couldn’t tell if that meant he had or had not found anything. Her heart began to race. What if JJ was there? Am I really ready to fight the cartel to save her?

  She suddenly questioned everything. She was so out of her element. But she was there, and she’d do her best.

  I just hope it’s good enough to not get people killed. Especially me.

  Scott yanked open the truck’s door and climbed inside.

  “What did you find out?” Raine asked.

  “No one’s there.”

  Raine felt the energy drain from her body. Of course, it couldn’t be that easy.

  “Now what?”

  Scott stared out the windshield.

  “We drive south in the direction that I saw them leave. Hopefully, they didn’t go far.”

  At the junction of highway, Raine turned right and headed south, driving in the ruts likely made by the cartel and JJ’s family.

  “What do you make of the community cooperating with the cartel to capture JJ?” Raine asked.

  Scott was quiet for a moment.

  “They were scared. I can’t fault them for that. There’s no longer a functioning government, no justice system. That sheriff seemed ill-equipped and understaffed to deal with the situation. They did what they thought was best. If I were trying to protect my wife and daughter, I’m not sure I wouldn’t do the same.”

  His answer surprised Raine. She took him for a fighter, someone that would stand up to injustice. But the members of the community didn’t know JJ. Maybe he was right. She wasn’t sure she would cooperate with the cartel, but she was reasonably sure she wouldn’t be there putting her life on the line if she didn’t know JJ.

  “There,” Scott said, pointing to a crossover between the lanes of the divided highway. “Someone turned in there,”

  Raine slowed the truck, turned, and crossed over to the northbound lane. She coasted to a stop near a mailbox. A single-
lane drive led east. Raine leaned forward. She couldn’t see where it went. Trees and bushes lined both sides. The mailbox indicated it was someone's residence.

  Scott exited the truck and scanned the road to his left and right before walking over to examine tire tracks leading from the highway to the drive. Scott looked up and shook his head. He walked to the center of the crossover and studied the road before heading back to the truck.

  “Anything?” Raine asked.

  “Someone driving a tractor turned down the drive. It’s not them. Regular vehicle tracks continue on south.”

  Raine put the truck into gear and continued south. They drove in silence for several minutes.

  “How many did you say there were?” Raine said.

  “Cartel? I’m not sure. I saw about four.”

  “That’s not so bad,” Raine said, more to herself than Scott.

  Scott didn’t respond. He stared off, appearing lost in thought.

  The silence returned and the longer it went on, the more nervous Raine became. Her stomach felt in knots. Her imagination ran wild with all the possible scenarios they could run into. She stared down at the road, trying to keep the wheels of the truck in the ruts to avoid getting stuck in the slushy snow to the right and left of them. Although she was looking forward to warmer weather and the melting of the snow that had been with them so long, she dreaded the mess it would make in the process.

  During the heat of Florida summers, she’d longed to head to snow-capped mountains. After weeks of the white stuff, she vowed that if she ever got out of Missouri, she’d never leave Florida again. What she wouldn't give to feel her toes in the sand and for some of her mother’s mint tea. Was she kidding herself? Would she ever make it back there? Would she find her parents if she did?

  “Scott. You’re still going to Florida, right?”

  Scott turned his gaze to her. “Yes. As soon as JJ is safe.”

  She stared at the road, afraid to ask him.

  “Why don’t you come with me?” Scott asked.

  Raine raised her hand to her mouth to contain her emotions. She wanted to go home. She wanted her life back the way it was. She was afraid of what she’d find in Panama City, though. If she couldn’t find her family, what would become of her?

  “I’m scared, Scott.”

  Scott turned and looked out the passenger door’s window. “Me, too.” He paused. “Tell me about your parents. Where do you think they are?”

  Raine shrugged. “My mom went to her best friend’s house after the lights went out. Aunt Gwen had a generator and lives in a gated community. I thought it was safe, but now? Who knows? Is anywhere safe anymore?”

  “What about your dad?”

  Raine looked away. That was a painful subject, and one she’d rather not get into. Although the thought of never seeing her father again and never being able to set things right between them was too painful to bear, she doubted that he’d be willing to take her in.

  “He has a new family. I’m not sure where they’d go if they left their house on the east side of the city.”

  “I wouldn’t just leave you, Raine,” Scott said.

  “I know. I wouldn’t want to keep you from your daughter. I know you’re anxious to find her.”

  “I am, but I’ve been thinking a lot about it. It would be safer if you and Brandon came with me.”

  Raine whipped her head to the right. “Why Brandon?”

  “I thought he said he had family in Georgia,” Scott said.

  Raine recalled the day she’d met Brandon and how they’d started calling each other by the state they were from. She didn’t know how he felt about it. He’d express skepticism of the chances of Scott making it across the country. After all they’d been through, she was even more convinced he was right. But the opportunity to go home—to find her family—could she pass that up?

  “It’s a lot to think about. I would need to think about it.”

  The fuel gauge indicator tone sounded, and Raine looked down at it.

  “Shit. We’re almost out of fuel,” Raine said.

  Scott leaned over and looked for himself.

  “This old truck gets horrible gas mileage. We likely only have a few more miles to empty.”

  “This sucks. Now what?” Raine asked.

  “Let’s hope we find them before we run out,” Scott said.

  They didn’t. The truck sputtered and coughed before it died and coasted to a stop in the middle of the road. Raine rested her head on the steering wheel. She hated the idea of walking in the wet snow. They could be miles from where the men were holding JJ. Would they even make it in time to save her?

  “Let’s take the keys. If I find fuel, I may come back for it. It’s an option,” Scott said as he climbed out of the truck.

  Raine shoved the keys into her coat pocket and pulled the zipper up to her chin. After slinging her rifle over her shoulder, Raine raised her hood and shoved her hands into her pockets. She fell in behind Scott as they headed south on foot. Scott held his rifle in both hands. Occasionally, he’d hold up a hand to halt her and scan the road ahead. About thirty minutes into their walk, he stopped and examined tracks leading down a side road.

  “You think that’s them?” Raine was torn. On the one hand, she wanted it to be so they could find JJ, rescue her, and get out of the cold. But on the other, the closer they got, the more nervous she’d become. She knew Scott was scared, and that terrified her.

  “I’m not sure. I think I should go check it out,” Scott said, turning to face her.

  “We should go together. That way, if you find the place where they’re holding her, you don’t have to backtrack.”

  “It may be a long way for nothing,” Scott said.

  Raine shrugged. “I can’t just stand here in the middle of the road waiting for you.”

  Scott turned and looked around. He sighed heavily and said, “All right. All right. Let’s do this then.”

  Raine followed him down the side road to where it dead-ended at a small trailer home. Scott stopped before they reached the gate and dropped to one knee. He pulled the rifle’s scope to his cheek and scanned the front of the trailer.

  “See anything?” Raine asked.

  “What the hell are you people doing on my property?” an older female voice called behind them.

  Chapter 19

  Scott let his rifle hang by its sling and raised his hands above his head, palms out. He started to stand.

  “Whoa. Just stay where you are. Don’t move,” the woman said.

  “We don’t want any trouble. We are looking for a friend. We were wondering if you’d seen her?”

  “I haven't seen anyone in over a week. Not wanting to either. I keep to myself and expect others to do the same. You can’t read?” she said, pointing to the "no trespassing” sign posted on the posts everywhere around the property.

  “We’ll go and leave you alone then,” Raine said, turning to face the woman.

  A short woman likely in her late sixties dressed in an oversized brown jacket and a pair of flower-print muck boots stood about twenty feet away. She wore her long white hair pulled back into a ponytail that lay over her shoulder in the front and touched her waist. In her hands, she held a shotgun that was almost as big as she was.

  “Who’s the friend and why are you looking here for her?” the woman asked.

  “She’s someone we met in St. Louis—after the lights went out. We escaped the city together. She was taken by the…”

  “By her ex-husband,” Scott blurted out, interrupting Raine.

  He turned to face the woman but kept his hands in the air. He didn’t want to appear like a threat.

  “Why on earth would you think they’d come to my place?”

  “We don’t know where he took her. We were following tire tracks. We saw tracks leading here and followed them. We’re sorry to trouble you. We’ll be on our way,” Scott said, motioning toward the road.

  Scott nudged Raine and the two turned to leave.


  “What’s this fella’s vehicle look like?” the woman asked.

  Scott turned and said, “When I last saw them, he was in an older black Blazer. Did you see it?”

  “I might have. A vehicle nearly ran me off the road. They came up on me real fast and swerved around me. A whole carload of them, though. Must not have been your friend.”

  “It could have been. He had friends with him. Associates,” Scott said. “Was that today? Did they continue south?”

  “Yeah. Until the sheriff stopped them.”

  “Really. Where?”

  “About a half-mile back. Maybe he rescued your friend,” the woman said, her gray eyes opening wide.

  “Unfortunately, no. We saw the sheriff after that. He didn’t mention seeing them,” Scott said.

  The woman pursed her lips. “That’s funny. Maybe they hid her or something.”

  “That’s possible. We need to get going. We’re anxious to find her.”

  “Thank you for the information,” Raine said as she turned back toward the road.

  “I saw the sheriff drive by with some fellas just a few hours ago. Maybe he was going after her,” the elderly woman said.

  “I bet that was Jim and Aiden,” Raine said.

  Scott nodded. “Had to be.” Scott threw up a hand and waved over his shoulder. “Thanks again. Sorry to have bothered you.”

  “At least we know that as of a couple of hours ago, Jim and Aiden are still with the sheriff. He didn’t take them out and shoot them or anything,” Raine said as they walked.

  “You two got a vehicle?” the woman called after them.

  Scott stopped and turned. “No, ma’am. It ran out of gas about a mile from here. We’re on foot the rest of the way, I’m afraid.” He turned back and they continued walking. A moment later, Scott heard an engine fire up. He turned. The woman was behind the wheel of an old VW bus. It completed her hippie look.

  Scott and Raine stepped back off the drive as the woman pulled the VW that likely was worth more than her house up beside them.

  “Get in. I’ll take you,” the woman said.

  “We couldn’t ask you to do that,” Scott said.