Copperheads - 12

by Joe Nobody

  Both Bishop and Terri had to admit Bella Dona had a point. While they were sickened by the methods and practices used on the plantation, the charred remains on the Amistad dam were black and white evil.

  “Prove to us that our people are still alive and being well-treated, and we have an agreement,” Terri said, standing abruptly. “We will be back within ten days.”

  Chapter 10

  After being allowed to see Butter and May from afar, Bishop and his wife were escorted back to Castro’s truck. The couple decided to ride in the pickup’s bed because Terri couldn’t stand being next to the plantation’s strongman in the cab. “I’m afraid some of his slime will rub off on me,” she explained to her husband.

  The open-air transport also provided the couple a chance to talk without prying ears.

  “I sure hope you’ve got some plan cooked up,” Bishop declared as they bumped and banged along the old road. “I understand she had us cornered, but how in the hell are you going to find these Quakers and dispose of them in 10 days?”

  “I don’t have a plan, and I have no idea what we’re going to do. When we get back, I’m going to call Alpha and get Diana and Nick down here pronto. I also would like to have a little chat with your ex-boss. This whole situation extends well beyond just us and a load of groceries. Saving Butter and May’s lives is critical, but the scope of the problem far exceeds that one matter.”

  The Texan shook his head, “I’ll leave all of the strategic thinking to you and the brain trust in Alpha. Right now, all I want is to get my people out of this hellhole and back on Alliance soil.”

  “What about the other Alliance citizens that are stuck on the plantation? How do we know they weren’t kidnapped or forced into bondage? How can we be certain that as her power grows, Bella Dona won’t decide to expand her territory? What would stop her from advancing across the river and expanding her workforce?”

  Bishop wasn’t sure he agreed. “What makes you think they are forcing people into slavery?”

  “Do you remember when I first approached the two young fishermen? The first thing the older boy asked was if I was by myself. He told me that I was in danger because I was older and pretty. He said bad men would come and take me away. Doesn’t that sound like job recruitment via gun barrel?”

  Nodding, Bishop acknowledged, “Yes, I suppose if you could take the words of a child at face value. But, for all we know, that kid’s parents told him wild stories so that the boy wouldn’t wander off or get in trouble. Parents have done that for years.”

  “You might be right, but that boy’s story was just one part of the equation. Why did the villagers attack the men in the pickup? Why did the Copperheads massacre the village? Why would a young girl like May travel all the way into Central Mexico and attempt to rescue her sister? The words on the side of the earthmover said, ‘Set Them Free,’ and now we know why.”

  “So you’re convinced that the Quakers formed their militia because of widespread kidnapping and forced labor? I’m not so sure, but let’s assume that’s true. Why wouldn’t they come to the Alliance and ask for our help?”

  Terri had to ponder his question for only a moment, “You heard Sheriff Watts. He said that this region had suffered corruption, racial infighting, and all kinds of other issues. Maybe the Quakers didn’t trust the Alliance. Maybe they tried, but none of the local leaders would listen. Who knows? One thing for certain is that we need to hear their side of the story, and that needs to happen yesterday.”

  Bishop hopped up on his soapbox, worried about the logistics of this new objective. “Where do we even begin? Take out an ad in the Militia Gazette? I can see the header now, ‘Are you or someone you love trying to overthrow a new order Mexican government? Aspiring to destroy a socialist paradise?’ I’m having a hard time seeing folks flock to answer that advertisement.” He paused for affect and then snapped his fingers as if a brilliant idea had just come to him. “I know,” he continued in a cynical tone, “What if we go door to door in Del Rio? We could hard question every resident.”

  Terri seemed oblivious to his tirade, her eyes fixed on the passing landscape, her mind on darker matters. Bishop, determined to shock her back to the problem at hand, added, “Terri, we’ve only got 10 days to pull all this off before Butter and May have their necks stretched, and we lose those trucks.”

  The Alliance diplomat stirred slightly, the glazed expression fading from her face. When she finally spoke, she exposed her innermost fear, “I wonder what she intends to do with the drivers if we don’t fulfill our part or the bargain?”

  Bishop shuddered, “I don’t think I want to know.”

  With Castro behind the wheel, the pickup finally arrived at the encampment, stopping well short of the perimeter. Jumping down from the back of the truck and then taking a moment to brush the dust from their clothing, the two Texans glanced up to see their driver standing nearby.

  “I will issue the orders to allow one of your vehicles and three people to leave this place and head north,” Castro announced. “That same number will be allowed to return at any time in the next ten days. If we detect any sizable force moving south toward the plantation, I will order my men to crush this camp. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, we understand,” Terri replied. “The truck drivers don’t have enough food to last ten days. Will you resupply them?”

  “Yes,” Castro nodded and then turned to climb into the cab.

  Bishop spied Grim and Kevin hurrying toward him, the old soldier carrying the Texan’s carbine in the cradle of his arm. He smiled at his friend’s perception, having felt naked without his weapon during the excursion. “Oh sweet, baby girl,” he whispered after seeing his firearm. “You don’t know how badly daddy has missed you.”

  Following her husband, Terri was passing Castro when the local strongman paused with an afterthought, half in and half out of his truck. Reaching out, he grabbed Terri’s arm roughly and pulled her close. “I know your kind – know how you think,” he hissed. “Don’t come back here without satisfying Lady Bella Dona’s terms. Don’t be clever or attempt even the tiniest deceit. If you do, she will have you for a plaything in her bed until she tires of you, and then I will take over from there. I know from experience that you wouldn’t last long.”

  Terri didn’t look away, nor did she fight the man’s crushing grip on her limb. With eyes equally as cold, she surprised the plantation enforcer by stepping in closer and putting her weight against the truck’s door, pinning Castro’s fingers in the opening.

  He grimaced, but didn’t acknowledge the agony shooting up his arm in any other way. It was a showdown of sorts, a game of chicken to see who would concede first. Terri pressed more of her weight into the door and growled, “And I know your kind and how you think. I’m coming back for our citizens, and they better fresh as fucking daisies, or you’ll be my plaything. And I promise … you will last a good, long time before I finally let you die.”

  More of Terri’s weight leaned against the door, one of Castro’s fingers cracking audibly as a bone gave way. Still, he barely flinched at the pain. Removing his hand from Terri’s arm, the now-irate man reached for his waistband, obviously going for a weapon.

  For a moment, Terri thought she had just made a huge mistake, stepping back just as Castro got a grip on whatever he was reaching for. She was readying to turn and run when the muzzle of Grim’s rifle appeared out of nowhere, the cold, black steel pressing against the local’s temple.

  “I wouldn’t raise that hand, friend. You won’t make it,” Grim warned.

  Castro grunted and then shook his head as he climbed into the cab.

  Watching the old truck drive away, Terri’s color returned to normal, but her eyes never left the pickup as it faded into the distance. “I don’t like that guy,” she stated.

  “No? Really? I wonder why,” Bishop responded, his voice thick with sarcasm.

  Grim and Kevin were disappointed when they realized that Butter was still being held. Their expressi
ons soon degraded even further as Bishop and Terri debriefed the team on the morning’s events and what they had discovered at the plantation.

  “What the call, boss?” Grim finally asked, sure he wasn’t going to like the answer.

  “Terri, Kevin, and I are going to head north,” Bishop answered. “We’ll huddle with Nick and Diana and hatch a plan. In the meantime, I need you to stay here get these truckers ready to defend themselves. I have no idea how this is going to go down.”

  Grim understood, but Kevin clearly wasn’t in agreement. “Sir, if it’s all the same to you, I would like to stay here and help Grim.”

  Bishop’s thoughts immediately went to Nick and how he would explain leaving the big man’s son behind as a hostage. “Terri and I need you, Kevin,” he urged the anxious kid. “We’ve got to travel through some pretty rough territory on the way back.”

  “I respectfully request that you allow me to stay here, sir,” he firmly responded. “My teammates are here. Butter is my best friend, and it wouldn’t seem right to just run off and leave him. Besides, sir, we both know that my dad wouldn’t allow me to come back with you.”

  As he digested Kevin’s words, Bishop was torn between his friendship with Nick and the heartwarming loyalty the rookie was displaying. On one hand, as a parent, he would want his son out of harm’s way no matter what the cost. On the other, the kid’s bravery and grit would make any father’s chest stick out with pride. Anyone who had ever commanded men would give his right arm to obtain such comradery within the ranks.

  “Besides,” Kevin added, sensing Bishop’s indecision, “My skills would be far better utilized here than on the road. I would recommend you take one of the deputies instead. One of them was telling me that he has six kids at home. I think he would be a better choice. Don’t you, sir?”

  In the end, Bishop nodded his agreement. “Based solely on what is the best use of your skills, I have to agree,” the Texan admitted. “You stay here and help Grim prepare the defenses.”

  Kevin’s smile challenged the morning sun, “Yes, sir!”

  The trip back to Texas passed without incident. The top priority on the couple’s long list was to brief Alpha on what they had discovered.

  “My sixth sense was right,” Diana stated over the shortwave. “Sounds like we’ve got one hell of a mess down there.”

  “We need help,” Terri said, stating the obvious. “I think this warrants all hands on deck.”

  “I agree,” the Alliance leader responded. “I’ll get Sheriff Watts and some of his people headed that way ASAP. I’ve got commitments for the next few days that just can’t be put off. After that, Nick and I will be there. In the meantime, I’m going to call the President in Washington and get his point of view on this mess. Maybe he has some influence or can come up with a brilliant idea.”

  “Bishop and I will get started trying to find these Quaker people. The clock is ticking.”

  “Nick is going to be a wild man with Kevin in the middle of all this,” Diana worried. “I may have to tie him down to stop him from rushing off and making things worse. You know how hot headed that man can be.”

  “It always sucks when kids are involved,” Terri acknowledged. “As a matter of fact, my next task is to go speak to April and May’s mother. I’m hoping she can point me toward the Quakers.”

  “Help is coming,” Diana repeated. “We’ll be there soon. Good luck.”

  Terri looked at Bishop and shook her head. “I’m going to go talk to Hannah. Maybe she can help.”

  Bishop didn’t envy his wife’s job. “Like the boss lady in Alpha said, ‘Good luck.’”

  Hannah Lee was hard at work repairing the damaged houseboat when Terri cleared her throat.

  Jumping with a start, the marina owner exclaimed, “Oh, Lord, you scared me!”

  Terri didn’t have time to be polite. “Hannah, I’m afraid I have to talk to you – right now. Why don’t you put down that paint brush and come on over to our boat?”

  For a moment, it appeared as though the older woman was going to argue, but the seriousness etching Terri’s face convinced her otherwise.

  Once seated and sipping on a cool glass of water, Terri broke the bad news.

  For a long time, Hannah just sat and stared at her glass, finally offering, “I don’t know whether to be happy or bust out in tears,” the older woman responded with a shaky voice. “You’ve answered my prayers by finding April alive and healthy. My little May, on the other hand, seems to be in deep trouble. I’m not sure what to do.”

  Reaching across the table and taking the shocked woman’s hand, Terri said, “Don’t worry just yet. The Alliance is putting their best people on getting both of your girls back. Right now, if you want to do something to help, I need you to think hard about May, her friends, and what she did in her spare time.”

  Wiping away the water from her eyes, Hannah inhaled deeply and nodded, “Of course I want to help, but I really don’t know much. May’s only friend was a kid from Del Rio named Ricky. I didn’t care for him at all. He was a little too cocky for my taste.”

  “Tell me about Ricky.”

  “He and my May rode their bicycles with some other teens in the area. I didn’t like it … almost made her stop hanging out with them on more than a few occasions. But, in the end, I felt sorry for the kids. After the collapse, a huge portion of their lives vanished. All of their social media, cell phones, texting, and music simply disappeared. Us older folks, we didn’t grow up with all that, so we didn’t miss it as much. For the young ones, it was their way of life. All of a sudden, poof, it was gone.”

  Nodding her understanding, Terri tried to gently steer Hannah on topic. “Where does Ricky live?”

  “To be honest, I just don’t know. He always rode his bicycle and met May at the end of our lane. She would dawdle outside, sometimes for over an hour, waiting to see him coming down the road. Now and then, three or four others tagged along. Most of the boys carried guns, so I felt she was reasonably safe.”

  Terri continued to question the marina’s owner for another 15 minutes, but it was clear that Hannah didn’t know anything else that was going to help. Still, if May was indeed involved with the Quakers, this boy Ricky might be a solid lead.

  Standing to signal the end of the interview, Terri hugged the marina owner and said, “Thank you, Hannah. I promise; we’ll do everything we can to bring your girls back home.”

  Sheriff Watts, along with a handful of deputies, had arrived a short time later. Bishop welcomed the senior lawman’s insight and experience. “Let’s go find some Quakers,” the tall officer had shrugged after being briefed on the situation.

  It was easy to find where May’s cycling friend lived, Bishop simply walked the road, following the signs left in the sandy shoulder alongside the pavement. Bicycles had narrow tires and there was no shortage of imprints. When the indentations stopped after a particular driveway, it was a pretty sure bet that young Mr. Ricky lived in the small home visible at the end of the private drive.

  Standing alongside the pavement, the Texan pointed toward the gravel and dirt lane that was thick with the imprints of bicycle tires. “I think we’ve found our fugitive.”

  Sheriff Watts agreed, “I would say so. Let’s go see if he’s home.”

  Shaking his head, Bishop had a better idea. “If we storm up there and make a big, official fuss, our young suspect might clam up. His parents might not like the law appearing on their front doorstep and advise the young man to keep his mouth shut. I spied a cluster of sage about a mile up the road. Why don’t you drop me off there, and I’ll radio you after I’ve had a chance to chitchat with Ricky.”

  Watts knew what was on the line, having been ordered to “provide any and all cooperation to Bishop and Terri.” He also understood where the SAINT lead was coming from. People felt comfortable at home, and that would often make them more difficult to interview in that environment. Catch the same person away from their primary residence, and they often would
sing like a Blue Jay.

  “If you say so,” the sheriff remarked, tipping his hat to Bishop. “I do hope that citizen will still be able to walk after your so-called, chitchat.”

  Bishop’s eyes suddenly grew dark, “He is a known terrorist, after all. So much is riding on this; we don’t exactly have time for a beer.” He shook his head to clear his thoughts of the dark mental image of Butter and May’s demise, returning to the unpleasant business at hand. A moment later, Bishop grinned, “I’m not going to hurt the young man. I might, however, scare him just a smidge.”

  The lanky sheriff nodded, “And there’s just no telling what might frighten the average citizen. As far as I know, that’s not a violation of an individual’s rights.”

  A short time later, Bishop was waving goodbye as Watts drove off. He then turned, and began finalizing his plan.

  Either wind or rain had washed a few inches of silt across the pavement here, and the local county highway department obviously wasn’t performing much maintenance these days. The barricade wasn’t any big deal for a car or pickup, but for Ricky’s two-wheel transport, it was a serious obstacle. The sand was too soft to navigate safely while riding, the footprints next to the tire tracks making it clear that the young man had to dismount and walk his bike across the wash.

  According to Hannah, May normally rode with her friend shortly before dusk to avoid the heat. Since automobiles were still a rarity, cycling after dark wasn’t nearly as hazardous as before.

  Bishop chuckled, “Conspirators like the darkness, but so do bushwhackers.” The Texan then began setting his trap.

  Just as the sun dropped low in the west, Bishop spotted a sole figure peddling toward his hide. Hannah had described young master Ricky as hard to miss in a crowd.