by Bale, Sarah
Grey added, “Created quite a commotion when Boss came back with a woman in tow. Everyone knew she was something special, especially after he threatened everyone.”
I snorted at that.
“She is special. Best damn thing to ever happen to me.”
Noah let out a soft sigh. “I feel the same way about Nikki.”
Dave said, “Sounds like we all lucked out in the love department.”
We passed a sign proclaiming that we were entering the Wichita Mountains. The mood changed in an instant.
Dave said, “Take the third exit on the right. Sharp left turn and then we’ll come up on the gates.”
I did as he said, nearly missing the sharp left.
“Fuck. You weren’t kidding about that turn!”
Dave grinned, letting me know he’d known just how sharp the turn was going to be. Shaking my head, I drove past the gates to the training facility. On one hand, it was good that they were still up. On the other, they were wide open, which meant anyone could enter as they pleased.
Dave said, “They used to keep the good stuff a few miles in, where the bunkers are.”
I followed his directions. The bunkers came into sight and my stomach dropped in dread. The buildings were severely damaged, to the point I didn’t know how they were still standing.
Dave cursed. “Fuck!”
“What in the hell went down here?” Grey muttered.
Noah replied, “Judging by the size of the hole, I’m guessing someone used an AT4.” At my look, he said, “Rocket launcher.”
That would certainly explain a lot. After parking, we got out to take a closer look.
Grey said, “This damage is fresh.”
“What makes you think that?”
He replied, “The other buildings all have growth on them. This one doesn’t. In fact, the grass is singed. Makes me think this was very recent.”
I ran my fingers through my hair. “What are the chances Air and his men knew about this base?”
Dave replied, “If they are originally from Oklahoma, then there’s a good chance. I’m going to take a stroll and see if anything else seems out of place.”
Dave took off around the building.
“Guys. Get the fuck over here!”
We ran after him. When I saw the side of the building, I let out a curse.
Noah asked, “How are they one step ahead of us?”
The message on the side of the building was clear.
Surrender now.
Eleven
Daisy
The sun was close to setting and we’d run out of flares hours ago. I turned to Kat and Nikki. Both women had dark marks under their eyes. I knew they were as exhausted as me. We were never supposed to be here this long.
I said, “I don’t think Marshall is coming.”
The plan was he’d be here no later than noon. We’d been gone a day and a half now.
Nikki asked, “Should we try him over the radio?”
Kat and I exchanged a look. If we did, we’d be letting Air’s group know that there were more of us out there. What if they didn’t already know this? What would happen to Marshall and his people?
I shook my head. “No. We need to come up with a plan on our own.”
Kat said, “There’s too many of them outside. We’re not going to get anywhere in our car. They’ll block us in and then there’s no telling what they’ll do to us.”
I looked out the window that overlooked the runway. There were fewer men on this side since we’d stopped setting of flares. Maybe five, total. An idea formed in my mind.
Kat let out a dry laugh. “Why do I get the feeling you’re about to suggest something stupid?”
“It’s not stupid, but it’s risky.”
“Daisy, I can’t afford risky. I’m a mother now.”
“I understand, Kat, but we can’t sit here and wait for help. What if help’s not coming? What then?” I looked down at my bag. “We have enough food for a few more days, but do we really want to sit here and wait?”
Nikki added, “The longer we’re here, the more suspicious Air and his group are going to become.”
I’d thought the same thing.
Kat let out a sigh. “What’s the idea?”
“There are fewer of them on the runway. If we sneak outside, we might be able to get in one of their cars and floor it-”
“Never mind. I don’t want to hear any more.” Kat shook her head. “Daisy, have you lost your fucking mind? That is the craziest fucking idea I’ve ever heard!”
“I know it’s risky, but what choice do we have? There’s no way we can leave here on foot. If we do, we’re as good as dead. If we stay, we’re dead. So if you can see an outcome where we get the hell out of here and don’t end up dead, please tell me now!”
My chest rose and fell as I finished speaking. Kat stared back at me, not saying anything for what seemed like forever.
Finally, she said, “We’re going to need to think this through.”
I nodded. “Good. What are your thoughts?”
“We can’t just go out there. We’re going to need a diversion.”
I said, “You’re probably not going to like this idea either. What if we set the USO room on fire? It might draw them inside long enough to make our move.”
Kat made a face. “Setting a fire is risky. If we don’t get out, then we’re fucked. And, what if it spreads?”
Nikki said, “I’m with Daisy on this one. I think we should set a fire. Hopefully, they’ll come to inspect and we can grab one of their vehicles.”
I nodded. “We just need to figure a way down to the tarmac without them seeing us.”
Kat replied, “There’s got to be a stairwell marked Employees Only. I had an aunt who worked here a long time ago and she used to complain about taking the stairs.”
I said, “Then let’s do this.”
Kat still looked unsure and I couldn’t blame her. If something went wrong-
Nikki brought in more wood, making three separate piles. “Hopefully they catch and don’t fizzle out.”
I prayed we weren’t making a mistake.
I asked, “Is everyone ready?”
Nikki nodded, but Kat shook her head.
She said, “I don’t want to do this, but you’re right, the longer we wait the worse it’s going to get. Plus, I miss my baby.”
I didn’t want to say false words just to make her feel better, so I said, “Y’all light your fires first. When they’re going, I’ll light mine.”
Kat and Nikki lit their fires in the room. When they got over to me, I tossed the burning log into my pile. It ignited, sending flames high into the air. My heart was pounding as we snuck through the terminal. Kat pointed to a door that said Employees Only in faded paint. It creaked loudly as I opened it. I held my breath, as if that would somehow help.
Kat said in a low tone, “Hope this stairwell isn’t connected to the other one or we’re screwed.”
Since the sun was starting to set, there wasn’t much light in the stairwell. My breath came out in little puffs of fog as I led the way down.
Nikki said, “I think the door is open at the bottom. It’s too cold in here.”
Sure enough, when we got to the bottom, the door going outside was ajar. I peeked through the opening, not seeing anything. No biters. Not people. Nothing.
I whispered, “The cars are to the right. When we get out there, we need to find a place to hide.”
Nikki and Kat nodded. I slipped through the door, seeing an old luggage cart ahead. Quietly, I made my way to it. The wind blew and I caught a whiff of smoke on the air. Bile rose up my throat and I held my breath until the feeling passed.
“You okay?” Kat asked.
I nodded.
She said, “You know you’re eventually going to have to say the words out loud.” She touched my arm. “It’s not a bad thing, Daisy.”
I didn’t reply. Now wasn’t the time. I needed to focus and not think about things
that were so far off.
From our viewpoint we could see the three cars. Smoke was now bellowing from the top level of the terminal. But the men were still inside the vehicles, which was a problem. I was about to voice my thoughts when the men rushed from their cars, going right toward the door we’d just come through. It slammed closed behind them.
Nikki said, “We need to block that door.”
Together, we pushed the luggage cart in front of the door. The men would still be able to get out, it would just take them longer. We ran over to the vehicles. The first two were locked, but, thankfully, the third was unlocked. I climbed into the driver’s seat. When I reached to turn on the car, I realized there was no key.
“Fuck! Do either of you know how to hotwire a car?”
Nikki shook her head.
Kat leaned over and pried off a piece of plastic beneath the steering wheel. She gave me a grin as she toyed with the wires. The car started and we let out a cheer. This was it! We were going to make it home!
Our joy was short-lived. I mean, we really should have known better by now.
The car died a moment later and the doors locked, trapping us in the car.
Kat’s eyes were wide. “Please tell me that was you?”
I couldn’t even move as I pointed ahead. Air and his men walked toward us at a slow pace. Two of the men opened the door to the terminal and the men who’d ran inside came out. They all looked pissed.
“Oh fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!” Kat said each curse word like a prayer.
Nikki slammed her shoulder into the door. “It won’t open! Why won’t it open?”
Because we had literally walked into a trap they’d set for us. We would have been better off making a run for it than trying to take one of their vehicles.
Air stopped in front of the car, looking right at me. “Ladies. Don’t you know it’s rude to steal from others?” He smiled. “If you lived with us, you would lose a hand for this.”
I muttered to Nikki and Kat, “He’s talking about an eye for an eye.”
Air went on, “We don’t wish you harm, but I must confess that we will hurt you before sending you back to your home. The men there need to see that we are serious.”
The doors to the car unlocked. A man behind Air held the key fob in his hand, looking pleased with himself. Three men opened our doors, waiting for us to get out.
Air said, “Refusing to get out of the car will not change what is about to happen. Come now and face this punishment with pride.”
Kat inhaled. “He said they’re going to hurt us before sending us home. That means they’re not going to kill us.”
I met her gaze. “Hurt can mean a lot of things.”
She replied, “I have to get home to my baby, Daisy.”
Something pulled in my chest. She was right. She had to get home. We all did. She started to move, but I stopped her by putting my hand on her arm.
“We’ll all do it together. At the same time.”
Nikki nodded. We call got out of the car, making our way to the front. Air was only a few feet from us. If there were more of us or I if I was braver I would end this now. Instead, I stood there in fear, trying not to assume what their definition of hurt might be.
Air looked at each of us. To Nikki, he said, “You are the lady who were with the men who did not turn around when we told you to. Shame on you for not changing their minds.”
A man stepped forward and stuck Nikki across the face so hard that she cried out. Her skin was bright red and tears filled her eyes as she cupped her cheek.
Air said to Kat, “You are with the burly man with the beard. He needs to know what it means to laugh at us.”
Another man moved in front of Kat. When he pulled out a knife, she let out a whimper, but didn’t speak. He cut her cheek slowly, from her the top of her cheekbone to her nose. Blood gushed from the wound right away, but didn’t move or make a sound. Air almost looked impressed.
He said to me, “And you. You are the woman who could end this all. One word from you, and your man would back down and give us what we want.”
He stepped forward and swung at me. When his fist made contact with my cheek, I put my hands up to defend myself.
“This lady wants to save herself. Hold her down.”
Two men grabbed me by the arms, holding me in place, as Air struck me repeatedly. My skin was on fire and something warm ran down my cheeks. When I saw his fist was covered in blood, I realized that’s what the warm sensation was. When he kicked me in the stomach, I felt a new kind of fear.
“Please. Don’t!”
Air kicked me again. I tried to turn my body so the side of my body took the brunt of the hits.
“Why do you fight, lady? Take your punishment and then go home.”
He kicked again, his foot making contact with my ribs. I gasped at the surge of pain I felt. I was certain he’d broken a rib.
“Leave her alone!” Kat screamed. “She’s pregnant!”
Air smiled at me. “Is that true, lady?”
I spit blood out before replying, “It’s too soon to know.”
I’d suspected I was for a few weeks now. My eyes filled with tears as my stomach throbbed. But that was likely all over now.
Air said, “Then your friends will take the rest of your punishment.”
With a wave of his hands, his men struck and kicked Nikki and Kat. When Kat finally fell to the ground, Air called them off.
“Now you will go to your home. You will see that we have been there, too, and we aren’t going to leave until we get what we want.”
One of the men drove our car onto the tarmac. I hobbled to Kat, helping her to her feet. She moaned as we went to our car, getting in. My breaths were coming out in sharp pants and I prayed I didn’t have a punctured lung. When I sat in the driver’s seat, I cried out in pain. Nikki sniffled from the backseat and Kat was silent.
Air came to my door and said, “When they get home, make sure they see, lady. And let them know this is their fault.” He smiled. “We will be waiting for your reply in two days. Not a moment longer.”
I nodded once, showing my understanding.
Air stepped back and I put the car in gear. When we were safely away from them, tears began streaming down my face.
Kat held her hand to her still bleeding cheek and said, “They’re following us.”
At this point it didn’t even matter. I sped down the roads until out gates came in sight. My breath caught in my throat when I saw the main gate wide open. Glancing up, I saw that no one stood in the watchtowers. We had to stop and open the second gate, which was good, though. At least, that’s what I prayed.
When I pulled up to the hospital, Andrews came limping out. He, too, was bloodied and bruised.
He opened my door and said, “Thank god. We thought-”
“Is Elijah back?”
He shook his head once. “Marshall’s here. Daisy, it’s bad.”
We made our way inside. Jo stood in the lobby with baby Hilly. Both were untouched. Kat let out a scream as she rushed over, taking Hilly into her arms. She held her baby close to her chest as she sobbed. Jo rubbed her back in a soothing pattern, but nothing could fix this.
Norm came over to me. He, too, had bruises on his face.
“I’m so glad you’re alive.”
I asked, “What happened here?”
“Daisy, they knew what we were up to. As soon as Elijah left, they burst through the main gate.”
“Didn’t anyone see them in the towers?”
Norm’s face fell. “Amos was in the main tower. They- they took him, Daisy.”
“Is he dead?” I felt dizzy for a moment.
“Not yet.”
I asked, “Where’s Marshall?”
Norm replied, “He’s in the cafeteria. His leg is broken. Said they did it with a baseball bat.”
“Norm, did anyone die?”
He shook his head. “No, thank god. But, there’s plenty of people they roughed up.”
My entire body was aching, but I shoved the pain aside. I had to focus. People needed my help.
When we got to the cafeteria, I went to Marshall’s side. His leg was propped up and his face was pale.
“Daisy, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. We made it back.”
He glanced at my cheek. “This is my fault. I underestimated them.”
We all had.
I replied, “Everything is going to work out. And when Elijah gets back he’s going to fix your leg.”
But what if Elijah didn’t come back? What then?
I left the cafeteria and found Nikki, Harper, Jeff, and Rocco. They, too, were bruised up and Rocco’s bandage had flesh blood on it.
Harper said, “These fuckers have an insider here.”
“What makes you think that?”
“They knew what we were planning. Unless they have this place bugged, they’ve got someone working for them.”
I didn’t want to believe that, but I knew that fear could make people do strange things. Marianne was proof.
Jeff replied, “I told you not to jump to fucking conclusions. There are a lot of ways they could listen to us without there being a mole here.”
Rocco said, “Hopefully the trip to Lawton will be successful. Then we’ll show them.”
I couldn’t shake the ball of dread that had settled in the pit of my stomach.
I replied, “Hopefully.”
Really, what else could I say to reassure them when I had no idea what was going on in Lawton.
I said, “I’m going to see if anyone needs help. Norman said there were several people injured.”
I should probably take a moment to check myself, but the damage was already done. Nikki met my gaze and I knew she was worried. I gave her a small smile before limping away. It was either leave or break down in front of them.
Twelve