by Ricky Sides
He tried to contact the Peacekeeper, but then Jim remembered that he wasn’t wearing his hat. Heading back through the little living room, he deliberately didn’t look at Lacey’s body. He knew if he did so, he would lose control again, and he had no time to grieve. Every moment of delay gave the men who had taken Evan a bigger head start.
Stopping beside the knife he had removed from Lacey’s body, he picked it up angrily, and placed it under his belt. He vowed to find the man who owned that knife, as he gently closed the cabin door on his way out.
As he stepped off the porch, Jim spotted his hat on the ground near the fire pit that he and Evan had dug; the fire had gone out. He bent to pick up the hat. A twig snapped in the forest near him. In an instant, Jim’s hand automatically reached for his pistol. His hand closed on the grip as a shot rang out. He felt the impact of the bullet as it struck his chest, knocking him off his feet.
Ray saw the man go down. This time he knew he had him. He ran excitedly from the edge of the forest, and headed toward the body to get the proof Glenn had demanded.
Ray was five feet from the body when the man’s right hand came up holding a pistol. Jim fired twice. Both shots hit the man in the chest. Ray went down hard.
Jim got up and moved to stand beside the man he’d just shot. He squatted beside the man. “Where’s the boy?” Jim asked without preamble.
“Help me, mister. I’m shot,” Ray pleaded.
“I said where’s the boy?” Jim demanded.
When Ray didn’t answer his question, Jim reached out and pressed on one of the chest wounds, and Ray screamed in agony. “They are northwest of here. They are heading for the barn,” Ray answered when Jim eased off the pressure.
“What barn?” Jim asked.
“There’s a barn at a farm about ten miles northwest of here. They deal in people. You can trade captives for stuff.”
Jim pulled the knife he’d taken from Lacey’s body from under his belt and held it in front of the wounded man’s face. “Is this yours?” he asked.
“That’s Tuck’s knife. Where’d you get that?” asked Ray. It was the wrong question to ask Jim. He plunged the knife into the man’s abdomen and watched with cold eyes as the man died in agony.
Jim quickly searched the body. He found his dagger, a pistol, a spare magazine, and some loose ammunition. This man hadn’t been carrying his rifle, so Jim realized that one of the other men was probably armed with that weapon. He extracted the knife from the man’s stomach, which he wiped clean on the man’s clothing.
Returning to his hat, Jim picked it up quickly and tried to send a communication to the Peacekeeper. When there was no response, he knew that he’d have to give the radio a few minutes to build up power. He couldn’t wait. The men who had Evan would be on the move. He had to leave immediately.
***
“I ain’t crazy, Glenn. I tell you I heard a woman’s voice,” argued the man who had taken Evan’s hat. The group had stopped on the forest trail they were following in a northwesterly direction.
“Well, what did she say, Brace?” asked Glenn.
“She keeps trying to get people to talk to her. She is calling for Evan, Lacey, or Jim to answer her. She said she was a peacekeeper,” responded Brace.
Glenn’s eyes narrowed speculatively. He turned to Tuck and asked, “Did you search the boy like I told you?” He was angry at Tuck for stabbing the woman in retaliation for the kick she’d delivered to his groin. Tuck had become enraged and stabbed her in the abdomen while Glenn was holding her from behind. That temper tantrum had cost them a lot in trade goods. The woman would have brought a great price. Glenn had been so angry that he’d almost killed Tuck on the spot, but had settled for making the man leave behind his prized knife.
“Yeah, of course I did. He just had the usual junk kids carry. There was no radio on him, Glenn,” Tuck replied.
“Maybe you’re just feeling guilty for what you did to my mother. When the peacekeepers find you, they will kill you all!” yelled Evan. Then in a calmer voice, he said. “No one kills a peacekeeper and gets away with it. They will come for you, and they will find you,” Evan said with an air of certainty. It was dangerous to goad the men, but he’d seen Tuck stab his mother. He’d also seen Jim get shot twice. These men had angered Evan beyond his ability to remain quiet.
“Peacekeepers? Boy, we ain’t seen no peacekeepers,” Glenn responded puzzled.
“You mean you didn’t know you were attacking peacekeepers when you attacked my family?” Evan asked.
“What’s your dad’s name, boy?” asked Glenn.
“Jim, and my mom is Lacey,” answered Evan. “You heard all our names at the cabin during your attack. And the man you sent to kill dad won’t be coming back,” Evan taunted.
Glenn was about to respond, when a shot rang out in the distance. That shot was soon followed by two more. “Well, that settles your dad, boy. Ray’ll be back soon with his head. That should shut you up,” Glenn said, doing a bit of taunting of his own.
Evan wisely remained silent. He had noted the difference in the sound of the shooting. Two different weapons had been used. Both Pete and Jim had taught him to listen carefully to gunfire in order to determine how many people were involved. They’d also taught him never to help the enemy by volunteering information. So he just said, “It’s cold. I want my hat back.”
“That’s tough, kid. It’s mine now,” responded Brace.
“Time to move out,” Glenn said.
“I’m not moving ‘til he gives me my hat back,” Evan stated stubbornly.
“You’ve got guts, kid, I’ll give you that,” Glenn stated. Turning to Brace, he said, “Unless you want to carry the brat, give him his hat back so we can get moving.”
Brace snatched the hat from his head and adjusted it to fit the boy. He rammed it down on the boy’s head in anger and said, “There’s your stupid hat, punk.”
Evan responded by kicking the man as hard as he could in the groin. The man doubled over in agony. That’s for what you did to my family,” Evan said in satisfaction.
Glenn chortled as Brace suffered. He moved between the boy and Brace, because he knew when Brace recovered, he’d most likely try to kill the kid, and he’d already lost one sale today because of one of his men’s temper. Turning to the boy, he asked, “Boy, who taught you to kick like that?”
“My dad,” Evan responded.
“You said his name was Jim, and that he was a peacekeeper. What’s your last name, boy?” asked Glenn.
“Carteen,” Evan responded truthfully.
“I never heard of a peacekeeper named Jim Carteen, so he can’t be as good as you think,” Glenn said.
“Jim’s last name isn’t Carteen. I’m his step-son,” Evan explained.
“Well, what’s his last name?”
“Wilison. Dad is Jim Wilison, and he’ll be coming for me. The best thing you can do is leave me behind, because I’ll just slow you down. Leave me alive. He’ll have to take me to safety, and that will give you more time. If you kill me, then he’ll have nothing to slow him down, and he won’t stop until he finds you. Not after what you did to Mom,” Evan warned. But the last comment triggered his grief, and he stopped talking as fresh tears streamed down his cheeks.
“Get up Brace. We’ve got to move out now!” Glenn demanded. Jim Wilison was a peacekeeper he’d heard of many times. The man was tough. He had a reputation as being one of the toughest men in the country. Glenn wished fervently that he’d known the identity of the family before they raided the cabin for the supplies, weapons and captives to sell.
“You mean we killed Jim Wilison and his wife? Damn, Glenn, the peacekeepers will never rest until they find us,” Tuck said angrily.
“What do you mean we killed them? You killed the woman, and Ray killed the man. I didn’t kill anyone,” Glenn said with a smile.”
“One, one, do you think that will save you, Glenn? When the peacekeepers find out you killed mom and dad they will kill all of y
ou,” Evan said. He’d spoken the numerals in a soft voice, to prevent the men from hearing him. “Of course, if I tell them you set me free, they may spare you, Glenn, and even you, Brace,” Evan lied. “But Tuck and Ray will be dead men when the peacekeepers catch up with you.”
Glen weighed the odds in his mind and reached a decision. “Nice try, kid, but we are out in the middle of nowhere. It could take the peacekeepers weeks to find your family. By then, our trail will be long gone.”
“They are supposed to pick us up today,” Evan lied again. “If you’re smart, you’ll release me,” Evan said again.
“Get moving, boy,” Glenn ordered and shoved him in the direction he wanted to travel. Brace hobbled along behind him, glaring angrily at the boy’s back.
Chapter 5
Aboard the Peacekeeper, Patricia had received the message sent by Evan as he confronted the men who’d raided the cabin. She reported the news to Pol in shock. Pol sadly bowed his head for a moment, and then he said, “Radio Namid. Tell her what you’ve learned. I leave it to your discretion as to whether or not to inform Tim at this point.”
But before she could send the message, she received a terse message from Jim reporting the attack. He informed her that Lacey was dead, and that he was on the trail of the men who’d murdered her, and who had taken Evan captive with the intentions of selling him. Patricia in turn gave him the information that she had received in the transmission sent by Evan. Jim thanked her for the information and then he made it clear that he would contact the ship when he could, but for now, he had to concentrate on locating Evan to the northwest. He requested that the ship pick up Lacey immediately and try to locate the barn, which was supposed to be about ten miles to the northwest of the cabin. He also requested that the ship wait to hear from him and avoid radio contact, so that he wouldn’t be distracted at the wrong moment and then he signed off.
“At least he is alive,” Pol said. “But poor Lacey.” He swallowed hard as he fought for composure. “I will miss her so much.”
“Lacey was pregnant. He didn’t just lose Lacey, Pol,” Patricia said sadly. “He also lost a child.”
Wiping away tears in frustration, Pol said, “Navigator, get us to the cabin ASAP. I’ll fix the hull if you ding it.”
“Patricia, please send the amended message to Namid and Tim. Suggest that Tim concentrate his search northwest of the cabin. Then radio Base 1. Get a squadron headed there to assist in the search,” Pol ordered.
Patricia nodded and sent the first message.
***
Namid listened to the message in stunned disbelief. She radioed Tim and told him she was opening up the speed to rush the strike team to the area, and then she yelled for Pete to come forward.
She explained what she had learned from Patricia and that she had decided to fly ahead at top speed, though that meant having no air cover because the fighter couldn’t keep up.
Pete was pale when he returned to the passenger compartment and shared the bad news. He held Maggie as she cried in misery. Maggie had worked with Lacey for years. The two had been best friends and were at least as close as Pete and Jim.
As he was holding his wife, Pete looked at Lieutenant Wilcox and said quietly, “Namid says we’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
The lieutenant nodded his head and went to organize his men. He knew this hunt wouldn’t end until they’d recovered the boy and dealt with the men who’d murdered Lacey.
“We’ll be there soon, Maggie. You’ll be safe in the ship with Namid. I’m going with the team to recover the body,” Pete explained.
Maggie looked up at Pete with tears flowing down her cheeks. “She was pregnant, Pete. Lacey wanted this time alone with her family to share the news. She may have lost the baby when she… If you see…” Maggie halted without finishing her thoughts, but she didn’t have to, Pete understood.
“We’ll see to everything, Maggie. That’s a promise,” he said. Pete wept then, because he knew just how much his friend had lost when he’d lost his wife. Jim would be devastated.
***
At Base 1, Jeff Brown led a squadron of ten fighters as they took off to fly to the Bankhead National forest. The pilots were all angry. At one time or another, Lacey had assisted in their medical treatment when they received work related injuries. All had found her to be a charming woman, who was always upbeat and positive.
Speaking to the squadron on the radio, Jeff said, “When we arrive at the designated area I want us spread out to cover as much ground as possible in the search. But remember that the bad guys have Evan with them, so no shooting unless you are absolutely certain you can take out the hostiles without endangering the boy.”
One by one, the squadron pilots acknowledged the orders.
***
Aboard the Constitution, Bill’s communications specialist had intercepted the frantic messages being sent. He was informed of the matter and he radioed the Peacekeeper. He expressed his sorrow at the loss of Lacey and informed the Peacekeeper that he was now flying toward the area and should arrive in the vicinity in about an hour. Pol gave him grid references for a search in the hopes of locating the party of men on the run with Evan.
In the next ten minutes, the Tennessee and the Mississippi both radioed in that they had heard the messages and were flying at top speed to the site. Lacey and Jim were popular with the crews of those ships who had trained aboard the Peacekeeper.
Unnoticed by the control room crew, Lisa turned and headed back to her cabin. Once inside, she knelt in prayer. She prayed for Lacey, and she prayed for Jim, who was searching for their son Evan, but most of all she prayed for Evan. Evan was more than a friend to Lisa. He’d been there for her when she’d made the awkward transition, after first coming aboard the ship. Lisa was maturing rapidly. Though she hadn’t realized it until he had been taken captive, she now knew that she viewed Evan as much more than just a friend. Still too young to comprehend all of the emotions and thoughts she was experiencing, she pleaded with God to protect Evan, because she loved him.
***
Evan remembered many things that Lisa had told him over the years. As she had grown older, Lisa sometimes contemplated her period of captivity and abuse. One day she had confided in Evan about the opportunities she had to escape, but missed because she had been too young to understand their potential. Evan had once sat in on a conversation that Pete had with Lisa in which Pete had advised the girl that when taken captive it was always best to escape at the earliest possible moment, preferably before they arrived at the destination to which they were traveling.
Evan began to cry again, because that memory triggered the associated memory of his conversation with his mother about the topic. His crying irritated one of the men who said, “Glenn, the kid is crying again.”
Glenn stopped and looked at Evan thoughtfully. “How old are you, boy?”
“I’m thirteen,” Evan responded.
“Thirteen’s almost a man. You really shouldn’t cry in front of the man who killed your mother, boy,” Glenn said. Moving closer, he lowered his voice and speaking softly, he said, “Tuck’s an animal, son. It’s best not to rile him. I wish he hadn’t killed your mom. That wasn’t my idea. I said no killing, but these men have their own notions as to how things should be done. I may be the leader, but that only gets you so far with men such as these. A man has to sleep eventually, and these men would stab me in the back in a minute if I really riled them up past a certain point. I admire your spunk, boy, so I’m telling you for your own good. Don’t cry in front of these men. Don’t give them the satisfaction. Do you understand me?”
Evan nodded his head and said, “I understand.”
“Good,” the leader replied. “Now let’s get moving. We’ve got to pick up the pace. I want to reach the barn before dark.”
Evan was young, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew that the man was trying to win him over with kind words. Jim had warned Evan and Lacey about such men in the past. He’d said, “Judge a man by
his actions, not his words. A man can sound as sweet as honey, but his actions always reveal his true intent.”
In this case, the man sounded nice, but Evan had seen him order Jim’s murder and beheading. He’d also heard him discuss his intentions of selling him at some place they called the barn.
***
Jim examined the trail carefully. The group he was following was using the trail, which was evident from the disturbed debris that littered the path. He saw that the group was moving at a rapid pace, but they were not running. A careful examination of a set of tracks left in a muddy section revealed that Evan was still with the group. His tracks were unevenly spaced and weaving a bit, indicating that he was probably tired. Jim stifled a sob. He was struggling with his emotions. He wanted to sit down and grieve, but he couldn’t. He knew that he had to get to Evan before the boy disappeared from his life for good. For that reason, Jim was pushing himself hard. The group he trailed was walking, but Jim was trotting along the trail as fast as he could. He had to keep his mind focused on looking for sign of their passage as he ran. Evan was helping him. Just as he’d been taught to do, the young man was occasionally leaving signs that an experienced peacekeeper with tracking skills could easily follow. Several times, he had gone out of his way to drag a toe through the dirt, leaving a visible line in the earth pointing in the direction he was traveling. He was also stepping on tall weeds and breaking them down in the direction of his forced march.
Jim was puzzled by the fact that the men were traveling on foot. The only reason that would fit what he knew so far was that they might be surviving in the forests as best they could, and supplementing their survival by occasional raids upon isolated strangers. He’d found a spot where at least one man had spent a considerable amount of time. It was near the spruce tree where he’d spotted movement the first day they’d stayed at the cabin. He blamed himself for not checking out the area more closely that day. If he had, he may have located the man and stopped what ultimately happened to Lacey. But even in his state of mind, Jim knew that was a stretch. Hundreds of times a day, something will grab your attention in the forest. If a man investigated everything that drew his attention, he’d spend almost every waking moment doing nothing else.