As he breathed in the fresh air, he become acutely aware of his surroundings. The light cut through the tree boughs in shafts of yellow and white. Green pine needles from the trees rustled in the wind and the small yellow leaves of the aspens fluttered wildly. Some broke off and floated down to the dappled road. He hated to think that this beautiful early summer day might end in bloodshed.
Matthew realized that there was a very good chance he might kill someone today. That he himself might die this very day. He expected the notion to send fear and worry roiling inside of him, but instead, that fear bashed itself against that strong pillar of calm and resolve. Yes, he might have to do violent things, but it would be to protect his son. Patton had been taken by this thug, Colin, and now it was up to Matthew to save him. Once, he might have called the police and felt helpless as the situation spiraled out of his control, but now, he was the one who had to take charge. He had to defend his people and family from those who meant them harm.
What Kathleen had gone through strayed into the forefront of his mind. If he did have to kill someone in self-defense, would he experience the same kind of guilt that she had? He knew she’d been torn up about it, that it had shaken the foundation of who she was. Even though they had talked about the event and what had transpired, he knew Kathleen still saw herself as a monster in some ways. A person who had taken the life of another, no matter how terrible that person might have been. Matthew considered what it would be like if he came back to Kathleen in such a state. Would she understand what he was going through, and thus be able to help him? Or would it sever what they had re-built together?
He brushed such thoughts away and tried to focus on the task at hand.
They continued down the mountain in a companionable silence and at a rapid pace. Usually, Matthew would try to find something to talk about or attempt to find common ground, but he realized that in this situation, he didn’t have to. Instead, he focused on keeping his head clear and rejoiced in the exercise that also seemed to help clear his mind and intentions. He trusted Wyatt and Jade to help him do what needed to be done. He hoped his father’s strength would hold out. For the first time in a long time, he felt as though he was part of something bigger than himself. Maybe, when this was all over, they could all help each other survive the nightmare world they had ended up in.
Soon the mountain road started to level out and the trees parted to show the main road through Galena. The edge of the welcome sign came into sight, not far from the turn in the road they were walking on. The edge of the gas station appeared as well—one of those fuel pumps with pleasant open signs and tidy paint. Wyatt started to slow and held out a hand, indicating that the rest of them should come to a stop. Wyatt motioned them to come together in a circle, and when they were close enough, he said in a hushed tone, “We don’t want to alert Colin that we are coming. I know we want to run in, guns a-blazing, but there’s a good chance that will just end with people hurt or dead. If everyone is agreed, let’s stick with our plan and scout the gas station first before taking Colin and his men out.”
“I don’t want to put Patton in any more danger,” Matthew said.
“Me either,” David said, his voice sounding slightly breathless. Matthew ignored it. He couldn’t let his father’s health distract him now.
Jade nodded. “If we take them by surprise, Colin won’t have any time to shoot. We’ll be able to keep the upper hand and get Patton and Max back.”
“All right,” Wyatt said. “The plan still holds. Now, there’s a service road that leads to the gas station by the Galena welcome sign. We’ll slip into the trees and silently make our way over to it. Silently is the operative word here. We don’t want to alert anyone to our presence, so be careful, walk slow, and for god’s sake don’t do anything stupid.”
Matthew and Jade exchanged glances and for a moment he saw a swift smile cross Jade’s face before she seemed to douse it like a lit candle. He knew it would take more than a few apologies to win her over, but if she left knowing he felt regret, maybe it would ease any long-term hate between them.
“Now, once we’re on the service road,” Wyatt continued, “we will be at a good vantage point to snipe Colin and his men, while keeping ourselves out of danger. Since we don’t have the exact equipment for that kind of an attack, we’ll close in on the gas station and see what we can see. Keep an eye out for Patton. If we can get in, grab him and get out without anyone the wiser, even better. All right, team. Any questions?”
Matthew, David, and Jade shook their heads. Wyatt nodded and made a hand signal that Matthew didn’t understand, but figured it must have come from Wyatt’s background in the military. He shook his head, starting to feel a little out of his depth. He mentally gave himself a shake. He didn’t need to understand everything. All he needed to do was follow orders, and get to the service road as quietly as possible. Stay on mission.
The trees thickened into a beautifully trimmed grove and Wyatt took the lead, taking them off the beaten path and into the undergrowth. Matthew tried to keep the crunch of leaves and pine needles under his feet to a minimum. Taking slow, measured steps, he followed the tense shape of Wyatt through the shadows as they went off road and deeper into the forest. Soon, a gravel service road appeared, but Wyatt still stuck to the side of it. Matthew realized that the crunch of leaves didn’t stand out as much as the crunching of gravel and followed Wyatt’s example. David took up the rear as they continued to walk, and Matthew could feel Jade close behind him.
Matthew’s heart began to pound in his ears when he saw the square concrete edges of the gas station come into view. The back of the building looked somewhat run down compared to what he’d glimpsed of the front. Candy wrappers and other debris had collected in the corners, trapped in place by the wind. A group of abandoned cars stood in the parking lot, and Matthew knew that the place must have been popular with those coming in and out of town. Gravel and sand covered the concrete slab where a blue dumpster sat, filled to the brim with trash. Flies buzzed around the opened top. Pallets were propped up against the wall, disposed of and forgotten. Matthew made a mental note to come back here in the future and collect the wood. They could break the pallets apart and use them for building, repairing, or even burning for heat. In fact, he was sure there could be tons of valuable stuff in places around town he wouldn’t have thought of before.
He didn’t see any sign of Colin or his men.
Wyatt paused and crouched in the grass, scanning the area. After a moment of silence, he motioned them to follow him closer to the building. As they continued to creep around the gas station, always staying low to the ground, they heard the soft sounds of people bickering. Wyatt came to a stop and motioned them to follow his lead. He crouched even lower, keeping the trees and brush as camouflage. Slowly, they crept further around the gas station until the sides came more clearly into view.
Gas pumps with black handles were lined up along the concrete. Some had cars parked in front of them with their gas tanks popped and open. Others still had gasoline hoses threaded into the car, as if once the cars had stopped working, the drivers had simply abandoned the vehicles where they stood. Matthew didn’t see any sign of anyone else, but as he took a couple of steps closer, he saw a group of four men standing around one of the pumps.
Matthew tried to keep his breath from speeding up. He drew in a couple of slow and steady breaths, reminding himself to keep his head and stay calm. The thought of opening fire in a gas station where the gasoline was clearly ready to catch fire made him jumpy. He wasn’t sure how easy it was to blow up a gas tank, but he had seen enough movies that it made him nervous. He laughed at himself. He should know better by now. Media and reality were rarely the same.
One of the men made a jerking motion as if yanking something close to him. Matthew squinted and saw the big man pull Patton into his line of sight. Patton’s face was tear-stained and flushed red with frustration. The big man put a hand on Patton’s shoulder as if to keep him in place. Mat
thew eyed his son up and down, grateful that Patton looked healthy and not hurt. He would have to get closer to make sure, but the sight of his son alive sent a wave of relief flowing through him. Patton might be scared, but at least he was still in one piece. Matthew desperately wanted to march into the gas station, yank his son away from the men, and run back to the hotel, but he knew such actions could be deadly for everyone involved.
Wyatt motioned them forward a little bit further. Each step Matthew made sounded incredibly loud in his ears. He reminded himself to take cautious steps and remain attentive to his surroundings. He studied the cartel goons’ faces, searching for any indication that they detected Matthew’s presence.
Jade nudged Matthew from behind, and pointed in the direction of a series of five cars parked in such a way that it looked like they could effectively be used as cover. Matthew nodded in understanding. If they hid behind the stalled cars, they would be more nearly in range to pick off the men one by one if needed.
Wyatt turned to look at him one more time, as if verifying that Matthew was battle-ready. Matthew nodded once, and Wyatt, satisfied, directed them closer to the cars. At the gas station, Colin’s men continued to laugh. One of them seemed to be smoking a cigarette. Matthew kept a close eye on his son to ensure that the men didn’t do anything to him. Behind him, he heard David’s breathing turn from a pant to a wheeze. Matthew stifled his concern.
Finally, the brush disappeared, leaving only an open expanse of concrete between them and the line of cars they wanted to use as cover. Wyatt leapt out first, staying as low to the ground as possible, and then sidled up next to the passenger door of one of the cars. Matthew took in a deep breath and sprinted for the cars next. The loud sound of gravel crunching underfoot convinced him that Colin’s men would look up and spot him, but somehow, he managed to slide up next to Wyatt undetected. Jade followed a moment later.
Matthew looked behind him to see David lumbering toward them, his hand clutching his chest. Alarms rang in Matthew’s mind. He remembered his father looking like this when they were walking to Galena. For a moment, his panic overtook him. If David fell or began to cough, Colin’s men would immediately detect them, and their element of surprise would disappear, making this mission a whole lot harder than originally planned.
Please, Dad. Matthew thought. Please make it to the cars.
David seemed to grit his teeth and run as fast as he could, finally landing with a whump next to Matthew. His breathing came out low and harsh. Matthew gripped David’s shoulder as though trying to send him strength through the touch. After a moment of heavy breathing, David looked up and squeezed Matthew’s shoulder back. The tension left him, but Matthew still felt on his guard.
Wyatt laid a comforting hand on David’s shoulder, and they all waited until David’s breathing was back under control. Then Wyatt made another motion, telling them to get into position. It was now or never.
It was time.
29
Matthew’s shoulder pressed hard into the side of the car as he settled into a place where he could keep an eye on Patton and still observe the rest of the cartel members. There seemed to be five in total, with two standing close to Patton and the other three milling out and around the street. Samuel West’s shotgun was clutched in Matthew’s hand, but he knew he couldn’t fire it at his enemies from this range without Patton getting hit. He put the trusted shotgun down and took the rifle he had borrowed from Wyatt instead.
The big man yanked on Patton’s shoulder, as if scolding the boy. Patton scowled at the big man, and Matthew once more stifled the urge to run for his son, grab him, and drag him back to safety. Desperately, he wished this were all over, but he knew he couldn’t break from the plan. If they didn’t get the timing right, or if they ruined the element of surprise, it would all be over and end horribly. The cartel might try to hold Patton at gunpoint, or threaten him in some other way, and Matthew knew he would give in to their demands. Be strong. He bit his lip. Remain calm.
“Think he’s gonna show?” the big man asked. “Kid, seriously. Stop squirming for ten seconds, all right?”
“That punk?” the one smoking the cigarette said. “Unlikely. Max is nothing but a coward. He’d save his own skin over anyone else.”
“Don’t talk about my uncle like that,” Patton said. “I hope he doesn’t come!”
“Aw, look at the kid. All protective. That’s cute. Don’t worry. Your uncle will be getting what he deserves. You’ve got more guts than he does anyway.” The big man laughed.
Patton’s lips spread in a snarl, and he shoved the big man’s hand off of his shoulder. “Get off of me,” he said.
“Sun’s getting low,” the big man said, ignoring Patton. “Can’t wait to get out of this podunk town.”
“You and me both,” the one with the cigarette said.
The conversation died, and Matthew glanced at Wyatt who narrowed his eyes at him. Matthew understood without it having to be said out loud. If Max hadn’t shown up yet, they were lucky. The only bad part was that they had no idea where Max was, or if he had collapsed on his way to the gas station. If Max never showed, well, their plan would have to drastically change.
“Isn’t that a surprise,” the big man said, perking up and peering off into the distance. “The singing bird finally showed. You owe me twenty bucks, man. Hey, Colin! You might want to come out here and see this.”
“Uncle Max!” Patton cried out. “Get out of here!”
The big man clapped a hand over Patton’s mouth, and the boy let out a scream of frustration.
Matthew sat up further, trying to see what they saw. When Max rounded the corner of the building and came into sight, he looked ill. His hands were up in the air to show he didn’t have a weapon, but there was a sickly sheen of sweat on his cheeks. His eyes appeared sunken, and the gash on his forehead had begun bleeding again. He staggered closer to the group of men. “Let my nephew go,” Max said. “I’m here, aren’t I? Let him go.”
The door to the gas station banged open, and a lithe man sauntered out. He had an unwrapped candy bar in one hand, and he grinned at Max. Matthew could only assume this was Colin from the tattoos around his shaved head. “We caught ourselves a live one, boys! Nice to see your pretty face, Max,” Colin said as he munched on the candy bar. Chocolate was smeared on his hands. He threw the wrapper onto the ground. “You look much better than when we left you. Far too healed up for my liking. Who took the time to bandage you up, huh? Was it that nice sister of yours? Come closer, traitor. Let’s take you down a peg.”
Matthew swallowed hard. If Colin thought Max looked healed, he could only imagine what Max had looked like before he’d arrived at the hotel. Plus, how did Colin know about Kathleen? Had Max talked about her while he was in prison? Matthew let out a shaky breath and tried to steady his trembling hands. He glanced at Jade, who had her eyes pinned to the scene. Wyatt made no movement. Matthew knew what he had to do. Wait.
It was the hardest thing he had ever done.
“You can beat me to a bloody pulp if you like, Colin,” Max shouted, “but if you laid one hand on the kid, I’m going to take it personally. You made a deal, and if you went back on it, you’ll have to pay.”
“You’d know all about backstabbing, wouldn’t you?” Colin said and approached Patton. He crouched down until he was face-to-face with the boy. “This kid here has one tiny nick on his neck. I can make it wider if you don’t behave, traitor.”
Rage filled Max’s face. He took a couple of steps closer. “Don’t you dare.”
“You know what we’re going to do to you, Max?” Colin asked, still studying Patton’s face. The group of men snickered, as if they already knew and couldn’t wait for Colin to give the big reveal. “We’ve got an exciting surprise for you. I think we’ll take you back alive to the cartel’s compound. They like to make examples of people, and you’ll be the perfect example of what not to do. A live traitor that we can all have some fun with.”
“We have
to take him all the way back?” the big man asked suddenly, sounding shocked. “Alive?”
Colin broke eye contact with Patton, stood, and looked at the big man. “And why wouldn’t we?” he asked.
“He’s another mouth to feed,” the big man grumbled. “Just kill him and take a picture as proof. I don’t want to haul him all the way back just to prove a point.”
The man with the cigarette laughed. “What are you gonna take a picture with, idiot? Got a camera anywhere? Place to develop photos? A phone? What a dumb suggestion.”
The big man shifted as if realizing he’d made himself an object of ridicule. “Hey, I’m only saying it seems like a waste of time and resources to bring back a traitor that the big boss is gonna string up anyway.”
“Maybe you can paint a picture of him then,” the man with the cigarette continued, taking a drag and blowing a plume of gray smoke into the air. “Van Gogh, are you? I’ll get you some watercolors.”
“Enough,” Colin broke in. The playfulness on his face had disappeared, leaving only a sharp anger that sent chills up Matthew’s spine. Whoever this Colin was, he was a terrifying specimen of a human being. One that shouldn’t be messed with. Like a starved dog, kicked to the point of becoming feral. “Max is my task. I’m calling the shots here. I don’t want a picture of this singing bird. I don’t want a portrait or even a piece of him cut off as evidence. I want to drag him alive back to the big bosses to prove what we accomplished. I want my reward, and the only way I’m going to get it is if we bring him back still breathing. Mangled, sure. But breathing.”
The big man let out a groan. “The big boss won’t care, believe me.”
“I have to prove myself to them,” Colin said, almost to himself as he took a step away from the group of men and closer to Max. “The cartel takes care of their own, but only if they work to earn it. I haven’t chased this little bird across the state just to be accused of not earning my reward.”
EMP Catastrophe | Book 2 | Erupting Danger Page 21