The Shadow Patriots Box Set 2

by Warren Ray

  “Me too,” said Collette. “Oh, dang it, here come the tears.”

  “We’re going to miss you too. I mean, like, how will we ever be able to thank you?” asked Laney.

  “That’s the thing, you’ll never need to. Your plight was my salvation. It is what saved me. So, it’s me that should be thanking you. You’re the ones who were living in a nightmare. I just happened by and was able to do something about it.”

  “Then we all, like, saved each other,” said Laney as she squeezed his arm again.

  Winters looked at her. “That we did, girls. That we did.”

  “You’ll see us again though, won’t ya? You’ll come back home, right?” asked Collette.

  “I will now.”

  “So, we’ll have a big party when you get back,” said Collette.

  “Yeah, that’d be awesome,” said Laney.

  “Listen, I hate to break this moment, but I have to go,” said Collette.

  “Yeah, me too.”

  Winters shook his head because they were literally out in the middle of the prairie with very little foliage. He looked to the right and saw they were driving next to railroad tracks. He began coasting before coming to a full stop. He didn’t bother pulling over to the side since they were the only ones on the road.

  “Where can we go?” asked Collette.

  “Just over that hill are railroad tracks.”

  “How can you tell?” asked Laney.

  “I’ve been on this road many times.”

  Both girls grabbed their new Colt M4 rifles as they jumped out of the truck.

  “I’ll escort you guys,” said Winters bearing in mind Murphy’s comment about Fowler.

  “You don’t need too.”

  “I insist, so wait while I go tell the others what we’re doing,” said Winters not caring if he sounded like an overprotective parent.

  He walked back and gave a head nod through the glare of the headlights before coming to the driver’s side window. “Hey, just taking a quick pee break.”

  “No problem, Captain. We’ll just stretch our legs out,” said Fowler who then turned to his friend with raised eyebrows. They’d been waiting for an easy opportunity to take the trucks and finally had the chance.

  Winters powered up his night-vision goggles while he walked back over to the girls. “Alright let’s go.”

  Laney was the first to hit the tall grass that covered the small hill and slipped. “Ah, it’s wet.”

  “Careful girls,” said Winters who stayed behind them as they climbed the small hill.

  They reached the top, crossed over the railroad tracks, and started down the other side toward a cluster of trees. Winters stopped halfway down and scanned the area before the girls reached the trees. He kept looking around for any kind of movement. A couple of minutes later, he realized he needed to go as well. He moved over to the left just as the girls broke out of the trees to start back up the hill.

  “You coming, Cole?” asked Laney.

  “Give me a minute,” replied Winters.

  * * * * *

  “Alright guys, this is it,” said Butler.

  “We wait,” said Fowler.

  “Wait for what?” asked Butler.

  “I want those girls,” said Fowler.

  “To hell with the girls. We got the trucks free and clear right now, so let’s just go,” argued Butler. “I don’t really care about the girls.”

  “Yeah, but I do,” said Fowler as he turned to Cochran. “You’re with me aren’t cha?

  “They are cute.”

  “We’ll just shoot Winters,” said Fowler.

  Butler shook his head. “Did you not see what the girls were carrying?”

  “Oh please,” said Fowler in a dismissive tone.

  “I told you I didn’t want to get into a gunfight with this guy. Besides, he has night-vision goggles on, so we can’t very well sneak up on him. Hell, we can barely see twenty feet.”

  “Twenty feet’s all I need,” said Fowler. “I’ll get up on the hill, and if I think it’s good, then we’ll take the girls. If not, then we’ll drive off.”

  “Fine. Go for it,” relented Butler.

  Fowler scooted across the road and up the hill. He squatted down and let his eyes adjust from the glare of the headlights. Before long, he heard the girls coming, and one of them turn to yell at Winters. Fowler’s heart pounded in his chest when he heard Winters was still down the hill. He let the girls walk past him. He gave them a few strides before he got in behind them. As they got closer to the lead truck, they came in view of the headlights. Fowler pulled a knife out and rushed at the girls just as they came to the door.

  He pushed Laney into the door, wrapped his arm around her and put the knife to her throat. “Either one of you scream, and I’ll slice her throat.”

  Laney’s skin turned clammy as the blade cut a layer of skin. She looked at Collette whose eyes were bulging.

  “Drop your weapon and get in the truck,” said Fowler as he slid Laney’s rifle off her back. “Do it now. If you don’t hurry, I’ll have to kill Winters.”

  Collette nodded and dropped her weapon before climbing into the truck.

  “Slide over and drive,” ordered Fowler as he pushed Laney into the truck.

  Cochran rushed over, grabbed both rifles, and shut the door after Fowler climbed in. He then ran back to his truck and watched Butler pull away first. He then waited for Fowler to go before falling in behind them.

  Chapter 39

  An explosion of energy burst through Winters as he saw the trucks begin to leave. He raced down the hill as he swung his rifle off his back. He lifted it up and was about to shoot but thought better of it. He wasn’t sure which one was carrying the fuel and didn’t want to blow it up. Besides, he saw a better way once he hit the asphalt. These trucks were loaded down with supplies and not the fastest off the line, which gave him one small chance. He dug deep and kicked his legs as fast as he could.

  Thankfully, he was in much better shape these days and silently thanked the Canadians for training him. He had lost weight over the last few months and had built up his endurance.

  He could see the chrome handle on the back of the truck as he closed in on it. His weapon bounced off his chest with every stride making him tug on the strap. He lifted his right arm to reach for the handle. The stinging exhaust from the tail pipe choked his breathing as he stretched out his arm to grab the handle. The cold metal was reassuring as he pulled himself onto the step bumper, which was a foot or so wide giving him plenty of room to stand on.

  He began cursing at himself for being duped by these guys. Murphy had been right about the creepy vibe he had detected. Winters shook the negative thoughts from his head because there was no way of knowing these guys had ulterior motives. Bringing up Taylor as a reference was what sold him on their trustworthiness.

  He then began counting his blessings, thankful they had decided not to start a gun battle. No telling who might have been killed in a shootout. He suspected the girls were doing as they were being told and hopefully were keeping their minds clear. No doubt, these guys would keep them alive, which would give him the time he’d need to kill the bastards.

  The wind kicked around Winters as he kept a vice-like grip on the chrome handle. He thought about pulling the cargo door open and crawling inside but decided to wait. They weren’t but ten miles away from Detroit Lakes and the first major intersection. A turn meant they would have to slow this heavy beast down before taking it. If this happened, then he would rush the cab and climb in.

  He gave his new Glock 17 a confident pat. His new toy would come in handy. Not only would the suppressor tone down the report but it would also help hide the muzzle flash.

  The anticipation of which direction they would head grew as the truck began to slow down. They were making a turn but which way? If they went right, he would need to come in on the driver’s side to keep hidden from view from the other two trucks.

  Was that window open? The air con
ditioner wasn’t working in the truck he drove.

  He rocked back and forth ready to pounce on either side. It didn’t matter to him which side. If the door was locked, he’d shoot through the window. The fully loaded truck was coming to a complete stop. He peered through his goggles to the right side and saw nothing but could hear the engines roar in the dead air. They were going left.

  He let go of the handle and stepped off the bumper. He pulled out the suppressor and threaded it onto the Glock as he peered over to the left side to see Butler driving the first truck. He kept watching and saw Collette driving the middle one. Good to know. He racked the slide on the Glock before sweeping around to the passenger side. He grabbed the door handle as the truck started to move and found it unlocked. He jumped inside while pointing his pistol. Cochran’s eyes grew wide knowing he was in trouble.

  “Keep driving,” yelled Winters.

  Cochran didn’t respond but continued with the turn.

  “So, where are we headed?”

  “Duluth I think.”

  “You don’t know?”

  “I swear I don’t.”

  “Got a buyer for this stuff do ya?”

  “Butler does.”

  “Who are they?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  Winters shook his head. “You don’t know much do ya?”

  “I swear I don’t know them. It’s some gang. Butler’s dealt with them before. Scary bunch is all I know.”

  Winters leaned back in the seat. He knew gangs were roaming around and paid tribute to the National Cops. They had never run into one but knew there were some in Ohio where a booming sex trade was developing. He had no doubt that’s where Laney and Collette would be taken and sold off.

  “When were you meeting them?”

  “As soon as we arrive we’re gonna go find ‘em.”

  “Anything else I should know?”

  “No, sir.”

  Winters scoffed at the man’s newfound respect. “Do want to live?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Well, it’s your lucky night,” said Winters as he turned and placed his legs between the bucket seats. “Open the door and jump.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me,” said Winters as he pointed the gun at his head. “Now, either jump or take a bullet, it doesn’t matter to me.”

  Cochran hesitated before opening the door.

  “Remember to roll,” said Winters as he took control of the steering wheel and shoved him out the door.

  Winters looked in the mirror and watched him hit the ground. He bounced on the road rather than roll. Idiot. Not that he cared, but he didn’t feel like shooting him. He didn’t want it on his mind because he had more important things to think about like what his next move would be. These trucks have fifty-gallon fuel tanks and get about ten miles to the gallon. This was plenty to make it to Duluth without stopping. He could only hope they would pull over to take a break.

  Chapter 40

  The suspense in the cab was gut-wrenching as Collette dropped a hand from the steering wheel and gave Laney a reassuring pat on the leg. Laney’s muscles tightened, and she took some deep breaths to calm down remembering what Cole said about never panicking. The reminder helped calm her nerves enough to better assess the situation.

  First off, these guys were not going to kill them, granted, they were going to rape them, but then, what’s new? So, they had a chance at some point to escape. The best way to enhance that opportunity was to cooperate. It would throw them off balance if they gladly had sex with them. This was easy since they had been doing that for the last few months. Once they had their trust, they could make their move.

  She started gaining confidence, which then made the situation transparent. They had guns in their backpacks. Thank you, Sergeant Armstrong.

  Both bags sat on the floor, each with a Glock sitting snug on top. She took another deep breath to keep her nerves in check. She always jumped into the fray because of a compulsion problem. This was not a good trait right now. That wasn’t how Cole operated. When he was getting ready to climb in her bedroom window, he asked if there were any creaks on the floor. That was the type of thinking this predicament demanded. She needed to come up with an excuse to dig into her bag without arousing suspicion. It had to be something so innocent that Fowler wouldn’t give it a second thought.

  Then the perfect opportunity arose.

  “You know it’s a long way to Duluth and I need to relax,” said Fowler. “Why don’t you get over here and help me relax.”

  Laney rolled her eyes knowing exactly what he wanted. It wasn’t innocent, but it’s a perfect distraction.

  “What did you have in mind?” asked Laney.

  “Oh, I think you know what I want. Hell, you’re both prostitutes, so I don’t think I need to spell it out.”

  Collette squeezed Laney’s sweaty hand as she turned to Fowler and let out a dramatic sigh. “Fine. Get it out.”

  “Now that’s more like it,” said Fowler as he unzipped his pants.

  Laney was grateful it was dark in the cab and wouldn’t have to look at it. She’d seen too many over the past few months and wanted to forget them. She started to move down to the floor when he ordered her to just lean over to him.

  “Honey, who’s the professional here? Let me get situated and I will rock your world.”

  Fowler laughed. “Well, alright then.”

  Laney let out a quiet scoff at his stupidity. Fighting to remain calm, she reached for her bag and pretended to be moving it out of the way while unzipping it.

  She grabbed the cold polymer grip of the Glock, which instilled confidence even as her racing heart increased ten-fold. Coughing loudly hid the sound of the slide racking, which didn’t take much effort despite the sweaty hands.

  Laney placed a hand on his bare thigh and said, “Okay, I think we’re all set, so spread your legs,”

  “Come on already,” demanded Fowler.

  Lifting the pistol Laney’s face grimaced knowing she had only one chance. There could be no hesitation and no regrets.

  She shoved the pistol into his gut and squeezed the trigger. The report exploded in the enclosed cab. Collette jumped as Fowler hollered in pain. He wasn’t dead yet.

  Laney squeezed the trigger again and yelled, “Die you son-of-a-bitch.”

  Fowler stopped moving as blood began to spill down his stomach.

  “Friggin bastard,” yelled Collette.

  Laney moved back up on the bench seat shaking because of her super-hyped nerves. “Prostitutes my ass.”

  “Oh, my ears are ringing,” yelled Collette.

  “What? I can’t hear you.”

  Collette nodded and pointed to her ears.

  The closed windows kept the loud gunfire inside the cab, and it took a minute before they were able to understand each other.

  “Damn, I so knew you were gonna go for your Glock.”

  “Stupid idiot,” said Laney between hurried breaths trying to calm down while still fidgeting in her seat.

  Collette handed her a bottle of water and Laney gulped the water spilling some down her shirt. She looked over at Fowler and nodded in satisfaction.

  “So, now what?” asked Collette.

  “We’re gonna take out the one behind us and go back for Cole.”

  “How do you wanna do this?”

  “Not sure, yet,” said Laney.

  “We could slow down a little at a time and, like, let the one in front get ahead of us,” said Collette.

  “Then stop and rush the one in back of us,” finished Laney.

  “Ya. Whaddya think?”

  “I like it.”

  “Get my gun out,” said Collette.

  Laney reached into Collette’s bag and pulled the Glock out. She also grabbed some granola bars for much needed reenergizing. The power bars Cole had given them the other night had done the trick, and she was confident they would now. She tore the wrapper off before handing it to Collette.

&n
bsp; “Oh, this so good,” said Collette between bites.

  “Oh, my God, yes.”

  So far, the girls had it handled, but the one behind them would be more difficult. They needed to run on either side of that truck and open fire without hesitation.

  Collette began to slow the truck down. Over the next ten minutes, little by little, the one in front of them got further ahead, and then it disappeared around a bend in the road. They looked at each other and nodded.

  “I’ll go first,” said Laney. “Give me, like, a second to climb over this idiot. Remember, run in and don’t hesitate.”

  “Okay. Got it. You ready?”

  “Do it.”

  Collette pressed down on the brake as Laney climbed over the corpse before they came to a stop. Laney opened the door and jumped to the ground holding the Glock with one hand as she raced towards the back unaware she was about to open fire on Cole Winters.

  Chapter 41

  Alexandria Virginia

  A nervous Green was driving behind Stormy as she headed to one of the storage units he had rented. They had just picked up her white BMW and weren’t too far away from their destination. They had waited until it got dark and the mall was closing as they pulled out among all the other traffic blending in with the other cars and keeping to the speed limit.

  “Just a couple of more miles,” Green said aloud.

  He had taken the rest of the day off and stayed with Stormy at home. Green let out a small laugh at his mom. He thought she was even more excited about having a girl in his life than he was. Of course, she wanted grandchildren like anyone else but had to wait. She was used to waiting on a military man since she had been married to one.

  Green’s nerves subsided as they pulled into the self-storage lot. He had chosen this place because it was a Mom-and-Pop operation on a quiet road without a lot of traffic. It didn’t have any staff workers after hours, and you used a passkey to open the gate.

  Driving the lanes between the rows of buildings, he came to the two units he rented which were side-by-side and where he had another vehicle stashed. He would take it tonight because of the phony tags.