by Payne, T. L.
Gerald Aims eyed her suspiciously. Harding and Aims had worked for the government. They’d both been high-ranking FEMA officials. They were involved in the response and recovery planning that had taken place in the years prior to the EMP and cyberattacks. The looks of surprise on their faces now had Maddie questioning Stephens's story even more.
“What are you not telling us?” Aims asked.
Stephens lifted one eyebrow. She cocked her head to the side just slightly. She was reading Aims. She was holding back information—that much was obvious. It was only natural that she’d only give them the information needed to enlist their cooperation in her plan to retrieve the gold.
What Stephens said next shook Maddie to her core.
“Why would Russia and China invade us now? What could they possibly want from us? They’ve already brought us to our knees,” Jacob asked.
“The why isn’t important right now. What is important is stopping their advance into the rest of the country. To do that, we need military equipment. To buy that equipment, we need that gold shipment. I don’t have time to sit here and explain everything. I have to get that gold on the plane heading south before the Brazilian government’s ship leaves the Port of Houston.”
Fred’s eyes lit up. He leaned in and placed both hands on the table. “You have a working plane?”
Stephens eyed the old tugboat captain. “We do. The plane is coming to meet us at the Fort Leonard Wood airport.”
“With this military equipment, you’ll be able to stop the invasion?” Maddie asked.
Stephens hesitated. She looked around the room.
“No.”
Maddie pushed away from the table and paced the room. Jacob stood and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s going to be alright. There’s no invasion here yet. There’s still time to stop it.”
“Just as it looked like we had some hope of surviving,” Maddie said, returning to her seat.
There had always been rumors of invading forces, but after this long and with no sign of any, Maddie had thought it was likely they were in the clear on that threat. The west coast had certainly been faring better than the rest of the country, and some places had actually managed to get their power grids back up on a limited basis—at least that was the news they’d heard last winter.
“They have already infiltrated the west coast. Our Navy and Air Force have held them off for months, but without a working resupply chain…”
“What about General Dempsey? How do his forces figure into this?” Aims asked.
“Right. Wasn’t he supposed to be holding the northern border? That’s what he told the commander of Fort Leonard Wood,” Dustin said.
Stephens pursed her lips. “General Dempsey is not working with the federal government at this point. His forces are the ones that attacked my team and killed my men.”
“So, we have three days to get that shipment back?” Lugnut asked, turning the conversation back to the task at hand.
“If we have any hope of it reaching the Port of Houston in time,” Stephens said.
“Why did he only send one team to secure and transport it?” Lugnut asked.
“The president sent two teams in to get the gold. They landed in St. Louis and sent a convoy of transport trucks out to retrieve it. Dempsey was tipped off somehow and ambushed them on the way back. The truck with the gold got away, and the driver and his team hid the gold in an iron mine. We were sent in to retrieve it before Dempsey could get his hands on it. It was a time factor.”
“You have a mole inside your operation?” Rank asked.
“Obviously. That’s why we wanted to come back lowkey. A regular-sized team moving in would attract too much attention.”
“Like a plane wouldn’t?” Lugnut asked.
“We only have to make it to Fort Leonard Wood. The plane will meet us there, and there will be enough ground forces to secure it.”
“Sounds like a dangerous mission,” Ella said, sitting a cup a chicory coffee in front of Stephens.
Collins nodded.
“So, all you have to do is get the gold back from the outlaws who stole it, get it on the plane at Fort Leonard Wood, and somehow make it back to Houston. Sounds like a suicide mission to me,” Dustin said.
“That guy from the trade fair saw one of the Godwin boys flashing around gold coins?” Lugnut asked.
Dustin shoved a biscuit into his mouth and took a drink of his coffee before relaying the bully’s story to the group. Lugnut found the pirate reference particularly funny.
“I find it hard to believe that Nelson’s bartender didn’t ask where the gold had come from,” Maddie said, taking a sideways glance at Rank.
“Oh, you can be sure that old man Nelson is searching for those boys right now,” Rank said.
“Well, we’re wasting daylight. What do you say, Lugnut? You game to go round up those Godwin boys, shake some trees, and find out where that gold is before Nelson gets his grubby hands on it?” Larry asked.
Lugnut didn’t answer him. He pushed back his chair and stood. Ignoring Larry’s question, he turned to Aims and Harding. “You buying this?”
Aims wrinkled his brow.
“Harding?” Lugnut asked.
“It’s plausible.”
Lugnut placed a hand on the back of Stephens’s chair. “I’m not so sure. I’m just having trouble believing they wouldn’t send an army to retrieve something that important,” he said.
Collins frowned. “They did. We’re all that’s left.”
Maddie half-expected Stephens to shoot him her death stare, but she didn’t. Her body did tense, though.
Stephens craned to face Lugnut. If she was intimidated by the big man, she didn’t show it. “We were ambushed by a military-type unit. They knew we were coming, and they attacked us before we could reach the mine where the gold was stored. Only four of us made it there. Peterson, the man you found, he was injured but continued on with us hoping to retrieve the gold. It took us three days to load it onto the wagon. Our presence caught the attention of the locals. We hadn’t been on the road with the gold more than half a day before we were attacked, and the gold was taken. Peterson took off after them. We haven’t seen him since. Hogan, Collins, and I tracked them to Phelps County. We have reason to believe they were headed to the trade fair in Rolla.”
“What led you to that conclusion?” Aims asked.
“The man we interrogated,” Stephens said. “We didn’t get much out of him before he died. He just said they were heading to the trade fair.”
“They weren’t at the fair,” Jacob said.
“No, but we have an idea where the Godwin boys are holed up,” Dustin said.
Stephens pushed her chair out, stood, and rounded the table, heading for the door. “Let’s go then.”
Hogan stood and moved into her path. “We should wait for Colonel Sharp.”
“We don’t have time. We need to have the gold ready to load onto that plane as soon as he arrives. Especially if that unit that ambushed us was with Dempsey,” Stephens said.
“You’re sure it was the Godwin boys?” Lugnut asked.
“Yeah. It’s a pretty sure bet. The guy at the trade fair says Justin Godwin was flashing gold coins around Nelson’s bar. Two and two adds up to those boys are the ones who took it,” Dustin said.
“Whereabouts is this Colonel Sharp and your reinforcements?” Larry asked.
“They were coming from Little Rock, Arkansas,” Stephens said. “But they won’t be here in time.”
“Harding, find out what you can about this supposed army. If there are planes flying around Arkansas, someone’s heard them,” Lugnut said. “In the meantime, let’s round up some fresh horses and extra riders and see if we can’t track down those Godwin boys.”
Chapter 10
Godwin Farm
Newburg, Missouri
July 14th
Rank, Lugnut, and Ryan weren’t the only ones looking for the Godwin boys. Those boys had made enemies across half t
he state. They were initially part of Clark Nelson’s marauders tasked to raid and plunder farms in the county, but the Godwin brothers had decided to go into business for themselves. They had picked up a few members for their little gang and lately had been attacking folks on their way to and from the trade fairs. Nelson’s men had been combing the county looking for them after they’d hit one of their convoys.
“It was pretty dumb for Justin Godwin to show his face at one of Nelson’s bars, don’t you think?” Lugnut asked.
Rank looked up from a depression in the ground he’d been studying. “Joe wasn’t going to serve him at first, and then he flashed those gold coins.”
Lugnut took a step back. “You knew about that?”
“Yeah. I’ve seen gold flashed around before. It’s not worth anything. I was surprised Joe was interested in taking it. I figured Nelson, being the dumbass he is, might want it, though.”
“Did this man say where he’d gotten it?” Stephens asked.
Rank pivoted to face her. “Joe asked, but he wouldn’t say. Joe asked him where the rest of the group was. He said they left the county. He said the gold coins were his momma’s, but she didn’t have any use for them, so Justin took them.”
Stephens turned to Lugnut, who was mounting his horse. “We need to find this Justin kid.”
“He’ll be at his momma’s place near Newburg,” Lugnut said.
Rank slowly pushed aside a blade of grass and looked through his scope. A small stone poked his still-sore ribs. After returning from his ordeal in St. Louis, it had taken weeks for the pain to subside enough that he could take a deep breath. Now, months later, his ribs should have been healed, but they were still painful at times. That was understandable after the beating he’d endured.
“See anyone?” Stephens asked as she stretched out beside him.
Without taking his eye away from his scope, he said, “A young girl just came out and went into the henhouse.”
“We don’t have time for this. As we sit around here, those guys are getting farther and farther away with that gold,” she said.
“I realize that. What do you want to do, run up in there? What if he’s not there? Or maybe you want to alert him we’re looking for him?” Rank asked.
“I have three days to get that gold to the airport on Fort Leonard Wood,” Stephens spat.
“There he is,” Rank said.
“Where?”
“He just stepped out. He’s taking a piss. He doesn’t know we’re here.”
“Well, let’s go,” Stephens said, starting to get up.
“What part of ‘he doesn’t know we’re here’ confuses you?” Rank asked. “We want to take him alive.” Rank waited for Justin Godwin to turn and go back inside before pushing himself back away from the edge of the bluff overlooking the small yellow house below. “Try not to make any noise.”
Stephens shot him a dirty look as she crawled backward. When they reached the logging road they’d come in on, Rank stretched out his hand and helped Stephens to her feet. Her foot snagged on a vine, and she plunged forward into his arms. Rank grabbed her and placed his hand over her mouth before she could cry out. Stephens swatted his hand away. They locked eyes. She smelled so good. He’d almost forgotten what clean smelled like. Rank swiped away a strand of hair from her face and fought the urge to kiss her.
“You can let go now,” she finally said, pulling away from him.
He watched as she stomped off back toward the horses. She wasn’t at all thin and dirty like most everyone else. That was what a healthy person looked like. The stress of survival alone had aged most people until they were nearly unrecognizable. How had Stephens managed to stay so well-fed?
“You coming?” she called back.
“Right behind you,” he said.
“It looks like it’s just his mom and sister there with him right now,” Rank said as he pulled a piece of biltong jerky from a side pouch on his pack and stuffed it into his mouth.
“We should try to draw him outside. I don’t want his family getting hurt if he decides to shoot it out,” Lugnut said.
“How do you propose we do that?” Rank asked. He agreed, but it wasn’t their fault Justin was pond scum and endangering his family members. The family might not even know how Justin came by all the things that were dropped off for them. If this went down the way Rank hoped, all that would stop. There would be no more food drops. Would the family be forced to turn to Nelson as so many others had in order to survive? Maybe he’d make a trip back by and check on them when this was all over.
“You’re going in, Stephens,” Lugnut said, pulling a map from his saddlebag.
Stephens raised her eyebrows. “What? Me? Alone?”
“Here. Tell him you’re looking for your brother,” Lugnut said, handing her the map.
“That’s stupid. Why would…”
“You won’t have to explain. Just wait at the gate. He’ll come out, and you tell him you’re lost and looking for your brother’s place, then we’ll rush in and grab him up,” Ryan said.
Stephens looked at Ryan like he was stupid. “I don’t think that will work.”
“It’ll work. Justin will be too busy looking at your…” Rank cupped his hands and gestured to her breasts. “He won’t hear anything you say.”
Ryan snickered under his breath. Stephens self-consciously crossed her arms over her chest.
“Let’s go,” Lugnut said.
Hogan protested just as Rank knew he would, but they didn’t need a rent-a-cop’s opinion on the matter.
“You and Collins, stay with the horses. Make sure no one steals them while we go down and snatch the kid. I’ll let you take the first crack at getting him to talk. How about that?” Rank asked.
Turning to Stephens, Hogan said, “Are you sure? It sounds pretty risky. We don’t know if this guy even knows anything,”
“Stay here, Hogan. Guard the horse. Be ready when we get back,” she replied.
From his concealed position behind a tree, Rank watched as Stephens walked up the driveway toward the Godwin house. She stopped at the partially-open gate.
“What’s she doing?” Ryan asked.
Rank pulled the monocular to his face. “Unbuttoning her shirt.”
“She sure is one dedicated public servant,” Lugnut said.
“Hello?” Stephens yelled. “Is anyone home?”
Rank scanned the front of the house. The curtains moved, and then a moment later, the front door opened. Justin Godwin stepped out, shotgun raised.
“Hello,” Stephens called to him. “Can you help me? I think I’m lost.”
“You alone?” a male voice called from the door.
“Yes. I’m looking for my brother’s place, but I think I’m lost. Can you tell me where County Road 7420 is?
Justin lowered the shotgun and took a step forward. “Who you looking for?”
Stephens stepped around the gate and stopped.
Rank grit his teeth. “Damn it, Stephens. You weren’t supposed to go inside the gate.”
“She’s improvising,” Lugnut said.
“We told her to stick to the plan. If this goes sideways, I don’t have a clear shot.”
“I’m looking for my brother, David Freeman. Do you know him?” Stephens asked.
Rank returned his gaze to Godwin. He stepped down off the porch and disappeared—the tall hedge that bordered the lawn obscured Rank’s view. Rank scanned back to Stephens. A second later, Godwin appeared by her side.
“Now!” Rank said as he took off running towards Godwin.
Stephens exited the old weathered barn wiping her hands on her denim shirt. She wiped the sweat from her brow with her forearm. “You have any water left?”
Rank handed her his canteen and continued drying his hands on his bandana.
As Stephens washed the blood from her hands, they discussed the information they’d gathered from Justin so far.
“We’ll need more horses to haul that wagon out of the cave,” L
ugnut said. “I doubt they kept them. Draft horses are worth a lot these days. They would have traded them for sure.”
“Where are we going to get draft horses? Won’t we need a four-team hitch as well?”
“Don’t worry about any of that. I know where we can get all that,” Rank said.
“You thinking of John David?” Ryan asked, wiping blood from his own hands.
Rank retrieved a fresh bandana from a side pouch in his pack and stuffed the blood-stained one inside. “Yep. He’ll let us rent them, I’m sure.”
Stephens pulled her bloody T-shirt over her head and washed her face with the rest of the water from Rank’s canteen. While Rank and Lugnut turned and stared at her, Ryan pivoted and turned away. “Sorry," he said.
“What? You three act like you’ve never seen boobs before.”
Rank just smiled. “Need a clean shirt?”
“I’ve got one, but thanks,” she said, pulling a clean cotton shirt down over her head.
“They got showers down there in Texas? Like real, running, hot water showers?” Rank asked, snapping the closure on his pack and slinging it over his shoulder.
“In some places.”
Rank stopped still and stared at the sky, trying to imagine what it might feel like to stand under hot running water. It had been so long he almost couldn’t remember. “Is there a plan for the rest of the country? Rebuilding, I mean.”
“I believe so, but all that is above my pay grade.”
“How many military personnel do you have?” Lugnut asked, turning back to face her.
She stared at him for a moment before answering. “You know we don’t discuss those numbers.” She slung her pack over her back and walked toward him. “But I can tell you it isn’t enough. Not to secure the country, and not to repel an invasion.”