by Jack Parker
Trees and bushes sped past them along the side of the lonely road. No other cars crossed their path, and Martin claimed that they wouldn't see any, either. No one had cause to use this isolated drive accept Angoli and those on his payroll. The solitude of this wooded area made Roden feel all the more apprehensive regarding what they were about to do.
As they rounded a bend in the road, the four companions made out the image of a black SUV in the distance. It was heading towards them. "Manda, Max. Get down!" Martin cried.
It took only a moment for the significance of his order to register to them. Manda let out a little squeak of fear, and the three passengers dunked their heads below the window as the SUV came upon them. Thinking quickly, Roden tried to look nonchalant, like he was just some unremarkably inconspicuous driver out on a joyride as the other vehicle passed.
Such luck would not be theirs, however. Of course, Angoli's men ultimately recognized the car that Martin had driven to the gas station the previous day. After that moment of recognition, the SUV squealed into a u-turn and began charging after the small coup. Roden caught the action in his rearview mirror, and put his foot down on the gas. The other three passengers looked behind them, having caught on, as well. Terror was written on all of their faces as they urged the BMW forward with their minds, hoping to put space between them and their chasers.
Moments later, the sound of gunfire could be heard. Manda screamed and hid her head under her arms.
"Shit! They're shooting at us," Martin exclaimed, in case the others couldn't comprehend the sharp banging sounds coming from behind them. "Step on it, Doc!"
Roden gave him a quick snarl from the rearview mirror. He was going as fast as he could, while maintaining control over the winding road. The good doctor, desperate to save his passengers (and his car), was doing his best. This was his first car chase, after all, which was most likely not the case for Martin.
When a bullet ripped through the side view mirror on Roden's side of the car, he let out a howling curse of aggravation. The men in the SUV appeared to be shooting with the intent to kill, and even his car wasn't safe. This meant war to him now. Managing to keep control of the steering, he increased the speed of the car to its limits.
The SUV increased its speed in unison, and came upon them at an alarming rate. Within seconds, they felt the jolt as the SUV rammed into the backside of the BMW. The intent was to force the small car off of the road, but Roden wasn't about to go down without a fight. He knew the capabilities of his beloved vehicle, and sustained control of the wheels as the car straightened back over the road.
"There's a dirt road up ahead on your left, doc. Turn down it as fast as you can." Fear caused Martin to frantically cry out his direction. Roden gave him a skeptical look through the mirror. He didn't want any of Martin's asinine ideas to destroy his car or jeopardize their lives any further. Martin, whose life was in just as much danger as the other three, since he knew he would be as good as dead if they found that he was helping Max, gave him a demanding glare, and shouted, "Just do it!"
Roden saw the turn ahead, and at the last moment, swung the steering wheel in that direction. The back wheels of the BMW skidded across the pavement, while the front wheels met the dirt on the path, tossing loose stones in all directions. Roden put his foot down on the gas, and the car hugged the unpaved road as it sped into the woods.
The black SUV followed with a fast turn of its own. The weight distribution of the larger vehicle could not handle the turn like the small BMW, and the change from concrete to gravel made it unable to grip the sharp bend. It rolled onto it's side at the entrance to the path, and slid across the terrain until it slammed into a tree. The damage from the torn metal and crushed roof stopped the assailants in their tracks.
Roden heaved a sigh, after witnessing the collision, while Manda clutched the door handle with white knuckles; her eyes still squeezed shut to keep from seeing what might be hurtling towards them. Max and Martin could only stare behind them in disbelief at the destruction. No one in the car seemed able to find their voice to speak.
Roden kept going down the dirt path, which was much narrower and even more secluded than the paved road, continuing with as much swiftness as possible. Martin finally calmed himself enough to direct him to drive to the end of the path. They would be able to hike towards the house from there.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Max, Roden and Manda reluctantly followed Martin through the rough milieu of the woods. After a serious threat to ensure Martin didn't try anything conniving, they grudgingly let him guide the way. Max stayed close, and kept the gun in his belt, where he could reach it at a moment's notice if he became even remotely suspicious of the unreliable crook in front of him. Martin tried to appear offended by their mistrust, but couldn't hide his amusement at the measures they tried to take to keep him in line.
Roden glanced back at his car a few times, until it was no longer visible in the dimness of the trees. He hated to leave it behind, worried that he wouldn't be able to find it again; or worse, that someone else would find it first. He carefully traced his steps so that he could retrace them again when the time came.
Manda continued her quiet state over the gravity of the situation. They were closer to Ess than ever, and the idea of breaking and entering into the well secured home was enough to terrify anyone into silence. Instead, she channeled her anxiety into the pretzels she carried in case the dogs showed up by stuffing handfuls of the twists into her mouth. Roden was thankful. Earlier, he had been almost sure she would remark and complain the entire way, destroying any hope of creeping up on the enemy. Eating through her fear might not be a sound coping mechanism, but they could deal with that issue at a later time.
After what must have been at least three uneasy hours, they reached the high fence that Martin had described. It was turning late in the day now, and the sun had started sinking behind the trees, casting long shadows throughout the forest. The lights from the house in the distance shed an unnatural glow to the surrounding wilderness, and the bars of the fence imparted a cold and towering menace that would be enough to deter a less desperate group of trespassers.
From here Martin wound along the fence until he found the location he had mentioned using on a previous occasion as his covert entrance to the grounds. It turned out to be a small ecological reservoir for catching rainwater runoff from multiple natural ditches, which ran down from a small slope off of the main lawn. Martin waded into the water, and they noted that it rose nearly half way up his calf at the deepest point.
"I'm going to test it." Martin broke the silence. "If I feel any heat from the lasers, I'll let you know. If there is, then you better run. The lasers give off a silent alarm to warn the security guards, so they won't be far behind."
With that said, he stuck his hand through the bars, and waited. After about ten seconds he said, "Nothing." He withdrew his hand and gave them his devious smile, proud that his plan was still intact. "Come on, follow me."
"No," Manda whispered loudly. "Let Max go first. We don't want any funny business from you."
Max and Roden nodded in agreement. Max slipped carefully through the bars, and Martin followed. Manda found the swampy little pool to be rather difficult to cross in her high heels, and Roden had to assist her several times in prying her feet from the mud. She did eventually make it through the bars, but the squeeze turned out to be a bit tough for Roden. He wasn't as lean and spry as he used to be.
"Okay, we're in." Roden got up close to Martin so that he could keep his whisper to a minimum. "Now show us how to get into the house."
"This way." Martin waved them on. They kept to the fence until they reached another angle of the property, then cut up the lawn towards the house. The four prowlers weren't more than ten steps out when barking could be discerned in the distance.
Manda clutched the pretzel bag to her chest and cried, "Oh, my god!" Max and Roden turned to give her a warning look, but she already broke into a sprint in the opposite
direction from the one they had intended.
"Damn it," Martin responded in a loud whisper of irritation. "I should have warned you all not to run. She'll just spur those demons on now."
Still in her high heels, which were now coated in slippery mud, Manda couldn't flee with much speed across the lawn, and it only took a moment for Roden to catch up to her. He reached out to stop her, but she lost her footing and fell, pulling him down with her.
As Roden got to his feet and began to help Manda up, he turned towards the sound of the fast advancing canines. Max and Martin snatched both Roden and a half risen Manda and began to drag them along to a nearby copse of trees.
Max thrust Manda towards the first tree that he discerned to be climbable. As the three helped her to climb up, the dogs approached, charging across the yard at an alarming pace. Dobermans.
The first dog attacked low at Martin's ankle, while the other jumped up on Roden's chest, throwing him against the tree. Martin stifled his scream of surprise and pain, and fell to the ground grabbing for anything that could pull him away from his attacker. Roden couldn't cry out because the wind had been knocked out of him. His attacker returned to the ground to reposition itself for the next strike.
Max, who had a knack for staying level headed – at least when not in Ess's presence – scanned the debris of the surrounding area, and eyed a rather sizeable fallen birch branch. He hoisted it up with his hands and took a quick moment to weigh its solidity for his purpose.
In the next moment the thwack of wood hitting canine cranium was nearly drowned out by a yelp as the dog flew away from Martin's body. The force of Max's swing rendered the animal unconscious.
Max then turned to his friend. The second Doberman had attached itself to Roden's arm, where it shook its head frantically to aid its teeth in digging into the injured doctor's flesh. The position of the man and the dog made it difficult to achieve an effective swing; and the consequence of the last blow left the tree branch unsturdy, anyway. Max had to think of a swift alternative.
A flash of an idea came to him. He threw down the branch, and tore off his leather bomber jacket. Spreading the garment open with his hands, he leapt onto the dog and covered its head, startling the animal into releasing its prey. Using all of his strength, he wrapped his arms around its neck. It struggled for freedom, and tried to buck its captor off of its back, but Max held on with all the strength he could muster. When the dog couldn't throw him from its back, it rolled onto its side, and began to flail its limbs. Max kept his grip around the dog's neck, and clutched his legs around its body to prevent the beast from maneuvering out of the hold.
After about a minute or two of struggling, the dog slowed down. Without use of its eyesight and weapon-like teeth the animal could not comprehend a way to free itself. Max still held on, figuring that the leather around its head would make it impossible to breath, and in the end, the dog passed out from suffocation.
Finally, Max felt confident enough in their immediate safety to see to his injured companions. Roden's own thick jacket made the Doberman's teeth less penetrable. While he did suffer some bruising and a puncture wound on his forearm, after regaining his breath, the older man claimed he would survive.
Martin's condition appeared to be a different story. The teeth marks visible through his shredded slacks showed a rather mangled ankle. Blood welled up in large puncture holes and ran down from the gnawed skin that had been slashed wide open.
"Oh, Jeez." Max commented. "You need medical attention." Roden seconded him on that, and they exchanged dismayed looks at one another. This certainly put a damper on their rescue mission.
"No, no." Martin waved them off and began to stand. "Just get me into the house, and I can take care of it myself." He tested his weight on his leg and hissed at the pain.
"Here, lean on me." Max lent him his shoulder.
Roden, with breath still quickened from his own ordeal, stepped over to the tree Manda had climbed into and offered her help in getting back out of it. This couldn't be accomplished without some struggle and awkwardness between the places Roden had to put his hands and Manda's inappropriate attire for the situation. Max laughed.
Manda managed to shoot him a glare from her position, half way down the tree. "I can't believe you're laughing at a time like this."
"Max," Roden also supplied a disapproving look. "That's inappropriate. You shouldn't laugh over this." Max snorted and continued snickering. "Really, Max. I can't believe you would laugh at someone else's struggles." Manda tangled her dirty heal in Roden's belt at this point and almost lost her grip on the tree branch she was descending from.
Between chuckles, Max responded, "I can't believe it either, but obviously you can't see what I can see."
Roden, with a puzzled look on his face, stared at the amused man while grasping Manda's waist. "What?"
Max looked up at Manda and asked, "Really, Manda? Granny panties?"
Martin busted up in muted laugher and leaned forward to see the view. Sure enough, there were white cotton granny panties underneath her slinky skirt. "Not just any granny panties. Those look like the kind that hold things in."
Roden, the only man present who was able to keep his laughter in check, interrupted their entertainment. "Alright, boys. That's enough. Let's just get her down."
While Roden finished helping her out of the tree, Manda exclaimed in the loudest whisper that she could, "Well, it's a good thing I wore granny panties, I didn't know so many immature delinquents would be looking up my skirt." When she landed back on the ground, she gave Max a swift punch in the arm to accompany her indignant feelings.
"Let's get moving before those hounds from hell come to." No one seemed objectionable to Roden's proposal.
They dragged the dogs' bodies into the cover of the trees in order to hide the recent scuffle; and, at Martin's rather demented but useful suggestion, they bound the dogs together by their collars. "This way, when they come to, they'll be too busy struggling against each other to come after us."
As they continued in the direction they had originally intended, Max whispered to the invalid Martin, who had leaned in for support, "You know what the granny panties mean, don't you?"
"No." Martin shook his head in confusion. "What?"
"It means she had no intention of putting out when you were on your date." Max gave Martin a moment to let it sink in, and then added, "You weren't going to get any."
Martin huffed. "You wanna bet. I could have, if I'd had the opportunity."
Max let out an angry scowl. In less than a second, he let go of Martin and delivered a prompt punch to his right eye.
"Ah, wha-tha fu - aahh". Martin grabbed at his eye as he fell to the ground. "Shit man," he tried to keep from shouting as he rocked back and forth in the grass. "What the hell did you do that for?"
"Opportunity? You filthy worthless son of a -" Max began to spit out.
"Damn it. I didn't mean I was going to slip her a roofie." Martin shot back. "I was talking about my charm. I meant that I could have charmed my way into her panties."
"Oh," Max replied as he helped him up. "Well, you still deserve that punch anyway, for being a slimy bastard."
"Fine." Martin replied in resignation. "Whatever you say. Just stop punching me now. I'm helping you out, you ass hole." Max just gave him a satisfied smile.
Roden and Manda, who had trekked several yards ahead already, looked back at them in askance, but Max just shook his head to wave the incident off. The four intruders then continued on in silence. Two obstacles down. Who knew how many more hurdles to go?
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
"I didn't see anything on the cameras. Go check out the west side of the property. That's where the dogs headed."
"Are you kidding? I just got my cup of coffee." The junior guy did not sound very pleased about his latest orders.
"Are you a lazy ass or do you just want to be unemployed? No, I'm not kidding. Go check on the commotion with the dogs. If they haven't come back b
y now, there may be something out there." The man let out a grumble of annoyance. He didn't appreciate being left behind with the inept 'newbie' when all the other guards were ordered out to find Max and his companions.
The newbie stepped out of the guards' cottage mumbling his dissatisfaction with his job, and headed off towards the west side of the estate. In the newly enfolding darkness, he didn't see the four intruders who were hiding in the manicured shrubs that lined the small building.
"There's only two guards on duty right now." Martin explained after eavesdropping through the open window of the cottage. "I think we can knock the younger guy on the head when he comes back around and shoot the one that's inside."
Manda and Roden gave him a disbelieving openmouthed stare, while Max glared and punched him in the shoulder.
"You're sick," Manda said after she regained her speech. "Max, I'm glad you're the one with the gun."
"I didn't say we had to kill him." Martin replied, but still received no support. "Well, do you have a better idea, then? 'Cuz I'd love to hear it."