“Madison, yeah, she was great.” Bray said. “She’s somebody’s wife, but she ain’t Xander’s. That’s the deal. If they act normal and play the part, they stay. If they get emotional or start complaining, though, they’re taken home and replaced. Either way, nobody stays for longer than a week. Xander’s very strict about that. He doesn’t want a jealous husband or angry father showing up that needs to be dealt with. If just one of those families end up with a hurt family member it would screw up the entire deal. We’d still get the women, but the whole thing would be a lot less… cordial.”
Larry wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about what he was hearing. To him, it didn’t sound like these women were being forced… exactly. Blackmailed, was probably a more accurate description. Thinking it over, he quickly came to a conclusion and left it alone. As long as all parties involved were willing participants, who was he to question their system? He hadn’t been with a woman in months because he absolutely refused to partake in any of the sexual deviance that he had witnessed. He had been responsible for widowing several women since joining this group, but he had never taken their virtue from them. He only wished that all the members of their crew could say the same.
They all turned their heads towards the sound of the back door opening.
“Somebody come and grab this tray.” Xander called into the house.
“I got it.” Mick said as he hurried to the door.
“Thanks, Mick.” Xander said, handing him the tray of grilled rabbits.
“No problem.” Mick said. “Damn, these things smell good.”
“I’ll have to take your word for it.” Xander said. “My nostrils have frozen shut. I’m gunna grab some more firewood while I’m out here. I can hear the snow machines coming back. Sounds like Mars and Kenny will make it just in time for supper.”
As Mick and Larry continued to help Bray set the table, the roar of the snowmobile engines grew steadily louder. Curiosity finally getting the better of him, Larry walked over to the front window to take a look. He saw two blinding headlights pull in and continue down the driveway. He could see that both snowmobiles were pulling a sleigh behind. More interesting, however, were the two bundled up and unidentifiable women riding on each. With a passenger riding on the seat behind each driver as well, the house would soon have eight additional guests. Two of them were obviously Mars and Ken, but who the other six were was of particular interest to Larry.
Maybe this isn’t such a bad deal…
“Looks like they brought six girls back with them.” Larry said, coming back to the table and pulling out a chair.
“Not surprising.” Bray said. “With us leaving tomorrow those girls will only have one night of work ahead of them. They’ll also get to keep everything we leave behind… maybe even a warehouse full of guns.”
Xander came in the back door again, stomped his feet on the floor and walked into the living room. He dropped an armful of logs on the tile floor in front of the wood stove and promptly began unzipped his coat.
“Before you call it a night, Bray, I’ll need you to bring in a little more firewood.” Xander said. “It’s gunna be a cold one tonight.”
“You got it, Xander.” Bray said.
“Those guards out at the warehouse leave you any dry firewood, Mick?” Xander then asked.
“I think there’s more than enough for one more night.” Mick replied.
“Take a seat, Xander.” Bray said. “These rabbits have got me drooling over here.”
The moment they were all seated at the table the side door opened and Mars stepped in.
“Cutting it close, I see.” Mars said after removing his helmet. “Which room you want them in, Xander?”
“Sent them all straight down to the basement.” Xander replied. “They can take off their boots and coats down there. Tell them to fix themselves up too. Bray set out a box of shit for them to put on.”
Mars stepped back outside, said a few muffled words and then held the door open. One after the other, a woman in a ski jacket or parka would enter and head straight downstairs. Their faces were completely wrapped in snow dusted scarves or ski masks, so what they actually looked like would remain a mystery until later. Surprisingly, the distinct sounds of giggling could be heard coming from the stairwell as the girls headed down to the basement.
“Hi, Mick. Hey, Larry.” Ken said as he entered. “You guys picked a good night for a visit. We hit the mother lode!”
“Well, daughter lode anyway.” Mars said with a wink. “Cutler finally gave in and sent us his daughter.”
“Chloe’s here?” Xander asked, surprised to learn that her stubborn father had finally been reasoned with.
“The promise of taking over this place tomorrow and getting a few guns out of the deal got him on board.” Ken said. “Chloe was actually the one that finally convinced him.”
“Nice work, guys.” Xander said. “Did you deliver the message to our men at the SaveCor?”
“Yeah, we went over and talked to them before we picked up the girls.” Mars replied. “Some of them were a little pissed, but they settled down once they realized that the entire place was theirs now. We told them they could keep their snow machines and sleighs too.”
“Good enough.” Xander said. “Now sit down before dinner gets cold.”
“We both filled a plastic tub with canned goods before we left.” Mars added. “We’re just gunna get them off our sleighs before it all freezes.”
While Mars and Ken finished up at the door, the others began passing the tray around and pouring drinks.
“So, Mick, I heard you guys had a bit of excitement out at the warehouse today.” Xander said as he poured himself a glass of wine.
“Yeah, I also told those guards that I’d shoot anybody that complained to you about it.” Mick said.
“Nobody complained.” Mars said, taking a seat. “I noticed that Lane wasn’t with them, so I asked where he was. It was like pulling teeth to get them to talk. Seems you put the fear of God into them, Mick.”
“Good. Maybe they’ll start showing my guys a little respect.” Mick said.
“Finn told me that you gave him the crew.” Mars said. “You sure that’s a good idea? He’s still pretty green.”
“He was the only one that spoke to me like he didn’t just shit his pants. Kids got some stones.” Mick replied. “I think he’ll do alright, but if you guys want someone else that’s fine with me.”
“That group will be on their own this winter anyway.” Xander said. “They can sort it out for themselves. I don’t give a shit which one of them ends up in charge.”
“So, we are gunna split up then.” Mick said.
“Well, that’s what we’re here to discuss.” Xander replied. “I want to go over what you guys saw on your way back up from Parry Sound. We still have 70 guys with us, so I need to know what the hell we’re gunna do with them all.”
“Unless you saw a place big enough to support that many until spring.” Bray added.
“Not even close.” Mick said. “We saw quite a few places, but none that would keep more than six or seven guys going for very long.”
“I thought we still had 100 guys with us.” Larry said. “We lose another 30 since yesterday?”
“We have 30 guys taking care of our operation over at the Sudbury SaveCor.” Xander replied. “Mars and Kenny there just paid them a visit. They’re staying behind.”
“That place still has quite a bit of stuff in it.” Ken said. “They’ll do alright now that they don’t have to share it with us.”
“Well, that’s good because we don’t have enough vehicles for 100 guys anyway.” Larry said. “Even transporting 70 will be tough… unless you intend to have some of us ride those sleds.”
“Nobody’s riding those snow machines unless their truck gets stuck and can’t go any further.” Xander said. “They’re only an insurance policy to get us out of a jam. We can’t use up all of our gas and oil trying to move everyone.”
&nb
sp; “We noticed the sleighs strapped to those trailers.” Mick said.
“That’s the best we could do.” Bray said. “One sleigh for each pair of sleds. Hopefully, it’ll carry enough gear for two guys.”
“Only 50 guys are coming with us.” Xander said. “Two guys per truck. We’ve got 20 sleds running now, so our top 20 guys will have a snow machine with them as well.”
“…And our bottom 20 can go fuck themselves.” Mars added.
“I noticed the windshields on all those sleds have all been painted red.” Larry said. “What’s that all about?”
“We figured we were bound to see other snowmobilers out on the road. It’s just a way of recognizing each other out there.” Xander replied. “You see a red windshield, you know not to shoot the guy behind it.”
“Any discussions yet as to how we’ll split up?” Mick asked.
“We’ll try to keep the individual crews together, but we can discuss that after dinner.” Xander replied. “Let’s just enjoy the rest of our meal first. Once we’ve got the plan figured out, the girls are gunna put on a little fashion show for us.”
“We’re staying for that?” Larry asked.
“Of course! You can take your pick, my friend… unless her name is Chloe.”
Chapter 5
After a quiet night, the sound of snowmobiles approaching roused Mick from his sleep. As he struggled to get up, he immediately found himself missing his bed back at the house. The woodstoves kept the warehouse warm enough, but only a row of cots had been brought in for the guards to sleep on. His back did not appreciate the change of venue. Even the cots they had found down in the mine, although cold and slightly damp, were more comfortable.
Looking towards the back doors, Mick got a quick nod from his brother and the others guarding the rear entrance. They were obviously having a fairly good laugh at something. When Mick gave them a quick ‘what’s up?’ look, one of them silently pointed towards the guards covering the front. Turning towards them, he could see what they found so funny.
For crying out loud…
Mick shook his head and walked over to Tyler, Curtis and Owen sitting by the front window. Their backs were to him, but judging by the ridiculous angles their heads were in, it was easy to tell that they were fast asleep. As Mick hurried over, only one thought racing through his mind.
I hope these fools give me a reason to smack the shit out of them.
All three of them were similar in age and clearly related, but Mick hadn’t cared nearly enough to bother asking them in what way. To the brass, these young guys and countless others like them were considered nothing more than cannon fodder, a body to put out front. When they walked in looking for work, they were quickly sized up and either accepted or rejected, all inside of two minutes. The ones that were let in weren’t given any real responsibilities, but they were all issued a decent rifle, all the ammo they wanted and strict orders to do as they were told without question. More than one had been cut loose for nothing more than asking Xander the wrong question at the wrong time.
He came to a stop and took great joy in giving each of their chairs a good swift kick.
“The boss is coming, meatheads.” Mick said. “I hope you guys didn’t sleep in these damn chairs all night. You were supposed to be working.”
“I was just resting my eyes.” Tyler said.
“Yeah, me too.” Owen added. “Curtis was going off like a damn chainsaw over there.”
“Screw you, Owen.” Curtis said. Then under his breath he added, “Fuckin’ rat.”
“What the hell, man?” Tyler said as he yawned and looked out the window. “The sun isn’t even up yet.”
“I don’t know what to tell ya. Those guys must be anxious to get going.” Mick said. “Just get off your asses and go wake up the others. You know how Xander feels about lazy pricks.”
As they ran off in a panic, Mick smirked and headed for the door. He would need to unlock the gate for them because only the guards kept a key, something that Xander had insisted on. It was a crisp morning with the sun just starting to breach the horizon, but it looked like it was going to be a clear day. Since the perimeter fence was only 30 metres away, Mick didn’t even bother with his coat. As he reached the gate, the early arrivals were already waiting for him to open up with their engines idling.
Xander had informed Mick that he and Mars would be arriving well ahead of the others. They would use the extra time to organize their departure and make a final decision on who would be left behind. It didn’t surprise Mick to see that they both had an AR-15 slung across their backs. Not all of those being cut loose this morning would be happy with Xander’s decision. It did surprise him, however, to see that they both wore helmets with tinted visors. He also found it strange that the sleighs they were towing were empty.
As Mick dug the key from his pocket, they began stepping off their machines and removing their gloves. Neither said a word though. They simply watched and waited for Mick to open up. Mick wasn’t a brilliant man, but he was an excellent observer with a keen survival instinct. He slowly began to suspect that something wasn’t right.
Why the hell would Xander and Mars be riding around with tinted visors? It’s still dark out. Why are their sleighs empty? I thought they were bringing all their shit with them…
Mick decided to place the key in his left hand and turn to his side as he fumbled with the padlock. He did this not because he was having difficulty with the lock, but rather to hide the fact that his right hand was discreetly moving towards the handgun on his right hip.
“Morning, guys.” Mick said in his calmest voice. “Sleep well?”
That small greeting was all it took for Xander and Mars to leap into action. They swung the rifles off of their shoulders as quickly as they could manage, but it wasn’t nearly quick enough. Mick already had his hand wrapped firmly around the handle of his Sig.
As their rifles came around, Mick drew his weapon and dropped to a knee. He fired twice punching a perfect 9mm hole through each of their visors. As they went down, Mick fired two additional rounds into each of their chests. The entire engagement hadn’t taken more than a few seconds, raw instinct guiding his gun hand.
Mick’s heart raced as the enormity of the situation set in. He had just killed The Company’s two top dogs, men that held the loyalty of at least 60 vicious little dogs. If Mick was going to survive this it was imperative that he get back inside and tell the others what he now suspected. Xander had already decided which of their 70 guys were being cut loose this morning and none of them had made the grade. He needed to convince the 20 men inside that they were all about to be murdered. It was the only way he would stand a chance when the others showed up. That’s assuming, of course, that they weren’t already making their way over.
As Mick started to get back up, gunfire suddenly erupted from either side of the road. He threw his face in the snow allowing the snowmobiles to absorb the first volley. As he had feared, the firing squad had already arrived and Mick was certain that they were eager to avenge the unexpected deaths of their leaders.
Mick seriously wished that he had something better to hide behind than two old snow machines. He also regretted the decision he had made to come out here without first putting his coat on. It wasn’t so much the cold that concerned him, but rather the fact that all of his spare magazines were in that coat.
The front door suddenly burst open and armed men began pouring out of the warehouse. The first few stepped off to the left and began spraying bullets towards the attackers as the others ran ahead. Eventually, 19 men stood shoulder to shoulder behind the fence firing round after round into the ditches on the other side. Not a single shot was fired back in retaliation.
Larry ran over to Mick and threw him his coat, never taking his eyes off of the road ahead.
“Any idea who these guys are?” Larry shouted over the gunfire.
“Doesn’t matter right now. As long as our guys are defending this warehouse, that’s good enough
for me. Get that fuckin’ gate open, Larry… now!” Mick shouted as he pitched him the key.
Surprised at the unexpected toss, the key flew past his hand untouched and disappeared into the snow. Without giving the ground more than a passing glance, Larry turned his rifle to the lock, fired and smashed it to pieces.
“That works too.” Mick said. “Okay, guys, go destroy those fuckers!”
As Mick and Larry knelt off to the side, the rest of them ran through the gate in search of their prey. Unfortunately, their prey were still behaving a lot like predators.
The first and second of Mick’s men to die went down with a hole bored clean through their chests. On instinct, the rest of them immediately dove to the ground. They suddenly found themselves lying in the middle of the roadway with absolutely no cover. The third to fall victim to this perilous position ended up with a bullet lodged in his throat. As he lay limp in the snow, it became obvious to the man lying next to him that the bullet had entered through the top of his head. The gaping head wound would be the last thing he would ever see, as an instant later he too would lay dead with a hole in the top of his head.
“Get the hell out of there!” Mick shouted, knowing he risked losing them all if they didn’t get to cover.
Eight of them got up and ran to their left diving head first into the snowy ditch. The other seven then got up and did the same on the right. Five succeeded, but two soon found themselves with their legs shot out from under them. The rest of the battle would be fought to the soundtrack of their screams of agony.
As the other 13 reestablished a rate of fire from far better positions, the attackers retreated back down the road. They hadn’t accomplished their mission in the slightest, but hoped that they could at least escape with their lives. They would regroup in the neighbourhood and use the houses as cover. The group they would soon run into next, however, had very different plans for these doomed men.
By the time the attackers reached the intersection leading to the community, 30 men were already waiting for them. Each shouldered a rifle and every single one was pointed directly at them. The men of The Company were expecting an army to come around that corner, but to their surprise only four men came into sight.
EMP [Collateral Darkness] | Book 4 Page 6