Innocent Shadows

by Warren Ray

  “Where do you want me to bring her?”

  “To the Hoover building and make her uncomfortable. You understand? I want her scared out of her mind before we interrogate her.”

  “I understand.”

  He hung up the phone knowing Perozzi would be pissed at him for taking his favorite new waitress into custody. He was already in enough trouble with him but he’d have to take the chance. If he could force a confession and get the names of the other conspirators, then he’d be able to make amends with Perozzi. It was a chance worth taking and besides; it would embarrass the billionaire at the same time. Reed rocked in his chair at the prospect of being right at Perozzi’s expense. He tightened his grip on the glass thinking about the way that girl smart mouthed him and embarrassed him in front of Perozzi. It was already bad enough Perozzi had yelled at him and then to have her mouth off to him was too much. If she knows anything or not she was going to pay for her smart-mouth regardless.

  Chapter 12

  Sabine Iowa

  After having a gun pointed at him in an attempt by his former neighbors to kill him, Winters scared off the rest of the developing mob. Everyone took off except Ashley, a girl who used to baby-sit Cara when she was a toddler.

  Winters listened as Ashley told him about a group of men who took over the town’s food supply. They began by promising to ration the food equally but ended up using it as power over everyone. After convincing everyone to bring all their food in, they then went through all the abandoned homes looking for more food storage and brought it to one central location for distribution.

  For a while, it was all working out. Everyone got their rations with no problems, but little by little, they started asking for small favors, which only got bigger and bigger. Soon, they forced the females to perform sexual favors in order to get their rations.

  Winters could only shake his head at the irony. The Shermans wanted to hang him for supposedly raping little girls and yet here was a group of thugs doing the exact same thing right under their noses. Over the last few months, Winters had learned a few things about social order. When left unchecked, it always plunged into some form of anarchy and human politics abhors a vacuum. Winters had seen it play out in several different ways over the time he had spent fighting the results. Fortunately, or unfortunately, there was always someone to fill the void. In some of the areas it was altruistic, like in Jackson, but in too many areas it was not. Here it was not, and the players didn’t have the best reputations, to begin with. They didn’t have the honor to volunteer for the war. Instead, they took advantage of the women who were left behind by their husbands and fathers.

  By the time Winters had left Sabine, ninety-five percent of the people were already gone or had plans of leaving, which meant there were only a few hundred people left in the area. Like all the other small towns the Shadow Patriots had come into, most were filled with women, children, and the elderly. Not many brave souls to stand up to a bunch of bullies.

  All the worries and melancholy weighing Winters down began to vanish as enthusiasm began percolating through his veins. He couldn’t leave his hometown to a bunch of bullies. Using food as a weapon was a new one to him, but it was the perfect tool to get what you wanted. What didn’t surprise him was that they used it to solicit sex, which always seemed to be a common denominator among all the bad guys he had encountered. One way or the other, it always seemed to boil down to sex.

  Ashley had put herself in danger by telling him this because some in the crowd that came to watch the hanging were part of this group that controlled the food. They would know she talked to him so she couldn’t go back home, which meant he’d have to find her a safe place for her.

  “C’mon, let’s go.”

  “Where are you taking me?”

  “Somewhere safe.”

  “Then what?”

  “I’m gonna have a word with these bullies.”

  “But they have guns.”

  Winters led her to the back of the van and opened it. Ashley’s eyes grew wide looking at all the guns and ammo sitting in the back of the van. Winters was grateful he had the wherewithal to grab a cache of weapons before leaving Jackson. In his state of mind, he wasn’t sure when, if ever, he’d be back and didn’t want to be empty-handed.

  “But those stories about you?”

  “Get in and I’ll tell ya all about it.”

  Ashley had Kaitlyn sit on her lap in the front seat and buckled them in. Winters cracked a smile knowing good habits are difficult to break. There wasn’t any traffic for hundreds of miles, but still, you felt the need to strap in.

  He pulled the van around and headed out of town to a house he knew was off the beaten path. It belonged to his friend, Paul, who had talked him into coming with him to the Patriot Center. The place was empty and was out of the way enough not be found.

  Winters glanced over at Ashley. “Did you ever wonder why those stories of me are even out there?”

  “I didn’t really believe any of them.”

  “They’re partly true.”

  Ashley stiffened.

  “It’s true that I lead the Shadow Patriots, but what isn’t true is what we do.”

  Now both Ashley and Kaitlyn stared at Winters as he told them about the Shadow Patriots and what they had been doing. He decided he couldn’t tell her the whole story without telling her about the Patriots Centers. Her reaction to the news didn’t have the result Winters thought it would. She probably had already come to terms with the fact that her father and husband were more than likely dead.

  “So, you see, I can’t in good conscience leave my hometown to a bunch of bullies.”

  “But you’re only one person.”

  He looked at her with a thoughtful expression. “A determined warrior can conquer a whole army if he sets his mind to it.”

  Ashley didn’t seem convinced. She had no idea of what he was capable of doing, which didn’t matter to him because he knew what to do. These past months had taught him much, certainly enough to take on a bunch of thieving bullies. He would also use his pent up anger, of which he had plenty to spare and unleash hell on them.

  Winters glanced over at them as they stared straight ahead. Looking at her reminded him of Cara, who she had babysat many a time. An interesting idea came over Winters on why he was back home. Was the death of his daughter some kind of a calling? Winters' face began to heat up thinking that in some way he was supposed to come home and that her death had a deeper meaning. A girl who used to baby-sit her was now under his protection. Winters shook his head in order to stop thinking about it. If he dwelt on it any longer, he’d break down in tears and he didn’t want to do that in front of Ashley. For now, he took comfort in the fact there was a mission to complete, one that had a purpose. He’d contemplate the deeper meaning later.

  Chapter 13

  Jackson Michigan

  Scar was about to turn the corner of the hall when he heard the thumping of a crutch hitting the carpet. He pulled up short just before running over Reese.

  “Well, hey there, Reese.”

  “Hey Scar,” she said, as she put out her arms to give him a hug.

  Scar moved in and squeezed hard.

  “Hey, are we still good?” asked Reese.

  “Of course we are. What makes you think we’re not?” asked Scar, keeping his arms on her but pulling back.

  “I don’t know. I, like, feel weird about this morning is all. I mean, everything just seems different now. And I think I was being a bitch to you and I feel bad about it.”

  Scar’s heart sunk realizing she was depressed and not doing well. “Honey, you don’t need to worry about that okay? It’s all good.”

  She nodded and a couple of tears ran down her cheeks.

  He pulled her closer and gave her another hug. “I’m sure you’re depressed over Cole being gone. We all are, but I know it affects you more.”

  Tears continued to fall down her face and Scar decided to lead her into an empty room so she would
n’t feel self-conscious about crying in the middle of the hallway. He guided her inside and sat her down. Pulling up a chair next to her, he waited for the tears to slow down. She needed to get this off her chest and hoped he could be of some help. He grabbed a tissue from a box on the table and handed it to her. Scar watched her wipe her face and realized he had never taken the time to talk to her on a personal level. He didn’t know how she had been able to handle everything she had gone through. Now that he was the leader, he was responsible for her and wanted to show her that he cared.

  “You know Reese, you are without a doubt the toughest girl I’ve ever met. And if we’re to be honest, you’re tougher than some of the guys here, well actually, most of the guys here.”

  Reese let out a small laugh, which encouraged Scar.

  “Who else can say they saved Nate’s butt twice and not hold it over him.”

  A hint of a grin spread across her lips. “It’s in my back pocket.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, I just let him think he’s free and clear.”

  “Oh, you are good.”

  Reese shrugged her shoulders in a non-committal way.

  “Well, I hope to be there when you exercise your prerogative.”

  Reese didn’t respond and they sat in silence. Scar didn’t want to rush her and waited for her to speak.

  Reese finally looked up at him. “Do you miss your wife?”

  Not expecting this question, Scar leaned back in his chair. “I do. I think about her every day, you know, wondering how she’s doing.”

  “Is it hard?”

  Scar figured she was confused about her feelings for Winters and wasn’t sure about what, or how, to think about them, or him.

  “It’s hard. I’m not gonna lie to ya, Reese. We haven’t been separated from each this long since I left for basic training.” Scar took in a deep breath before continuing. “I just have to keep reminding myself of what we’re doing here and how important it is.”

  “That helps?”

  “Yeah, it does. It’s a big sacrifice, but we’ve all committed to it. You know, everyone here has someone they miss.”

  Reese gave him a blank stare. “I don’t. Well, not until Cole left anyway.”

  “You don’t have any family?” asked Scar in a sad tone.

  Reese shook her head. “I only had my mother.”

  The cops had killed her mother and she had no other family. She was alone in more ways than most people. How hopeless it must be to know her mother had been murdered on top of being tied up and abused for ten days. It explained why she was so torn up by Cole taking off.

  Scar grabbed her hand. “Reese, you’ve got more family here than you know. We all care about you and love you. Both you and Amber are like our daughters and you should know that you are a part of us now. You have a bond with all of us that can never be broken.”

  Tears began to stream down her cheeks again and Scar fought hard to hold back his own. He’d never talked to anyone about his wife the way he just had with her and it was making him melancholy. He looked into her big watery brown eyes and could see she really was stronger than everyone here. How many people could go through what she did and come out the other side fighting while clinging to their sanity?

  “I’m sorry, Scar, I know I’m being a baby.”

  “No, you’re not. Don’t even think that.”

  “It’s just so hard. Cole and I were, like, just starting to hit it off and, you know, one second he’s here and then the next he’s gone. And I feel so guilty about it because, you know, he lost his daughter and here I am being selfish about him being gone. Like I have a bigger loss than he does?”

  Scar squeezed her hand tighter. “It's perfectly natural to feel this way, Reese. And, it’s not a competition, both are important, so don’t go down the road of feeling guilty.”

  Reese’s chin quivered while she gave him a weak nod.

  “Listen, Cole will be back.”

  Reese let out a scoff. “Don’t be so sure about that.”

  Scar tilted his head. “Why do you say that?”

  “He never said it, but I know he wants to be done with all of this and has since the beginning.”

  Scar didn’t give that much weight knowing they all wanted to be finished. “Trust me, he is not gonna leave someone as pretty as you behind.”

  Reese covered her mouth to hide a smile. “You think so?”

  “You’re definitely a catch, so yeah.”

  “Even though I’m a little on the psycho side.”

  “A little?” cracked Scar.

  Reese crossed her arms and tilted her head back. “Okay! Fine! Full on psycho.”

  “Hey, what girl isn’t a little on the psycho side.”

  She raised an eyebrow and curled her lip.

  “Oh, I’m just kidding.”

  She broke out in a smile, which relieved Scar knowing she was in better spirits and was thankful he was able to pull off this feat. He raised a son, not a daughter and didn’t have much experience with them. He had been honest with her, and it had been the right approach to use. She may be young, but she had been forced into being an old soul and could detect a lie a mile away.

  Chapter 14

  Sabine Iowa

  Winters started to prepare for the night’s foray. He had arrived at his friend’s house to find someone had vandalized the place despite it being off the beaten path. Kitchen drawers were ripped out and cabinet doors left open. Whoever it was must have been in here looking for food. He laughed to himself knowing that before Paul left he made sure his wife and kids took all the food for their trip south. Other than the kitchen being ransacked the place looked just like he remembered it, although a bit dustier.

  After settling in, Ashley gave him a rundown on everything that was going on. She spent thirty minutes going over everything from who they were and where they lived. Billy Gamble, a known drug dealer, led the group. He had three partners that controlled the whole group of guys who ranged in age from their early twenties to late forties and some of them were even married.

  The way it worked was for a week’s worth of rations; you had to perform once a day to whomever you were assigned to on a schedule. She wasn’t sure how many girls were involved but thought it was around thirty or so of various ages. Her daughter wasn’t one of them but knew a couple of the girls who were just as young.

  Gamble kept adding to the food supply by offering the girls as payment for any food that was brought to him. This encouraged some of the non-members to scavenge the countryside for more food.

  It started a couple of months ago and grew bigger as more guys got in on it. There had been some protesting, but Gamble killed two of the protesters. Both were grandfathers of some of the girls. Afterward, Gamble managed to confiscate all the guns and whatever gasoline was left in town in order to keep everyone from leaving. Some of the girls did manage to run away with their families in the dead of the night.

  Winters was familiar with a few of the names and unbeknownst to him, he had already killed one of their members today. It didn’t surprise him that Tim Sherman had been participating. He and his friends were worthless and some of them were not the kind of people you messed with. Winters shook his head thinking how Judith Sherman accused him of doing things that her own grandson was doing.

  Winters sat on the bed and studied the list of names and addresses. He decided to visit one neighborhood where two of the members lived. Both of them were drug addicts and low hanging fruit.

  Winters walked into the kitchen where Ashley was feeding her daughter with the food he had brought with him.

  “I’ll be back by morning,” said Winters.

  Ashley gave him a worried look.

  “If for some reason I don’t come back by tomorrow night, take the food and head north into Canada.”

  Ashley stood up and gave him a hug. “Thank you for doing this.”

  Winters looked down at Kaitlyn and gave her a high-five before heading to his van
to check his weapons. He then went into Paul’s garage, who was quite the handyman and found some zip ties. He wasn’t sure if he needed them, but he didn’t have all the names of those involved, so if he could, he’d try to interrogate a few of them.

  Winters pulled out of the driveway and ten minutes later was within a mile of his first destination. Knowing the police van stuck out like a sore thumb, he drove it into a barren field and hid it in a small wooded area. Powering up his night-vision goggles, he set out to the first house. He took extra care as he moved through the quiet neighborhood. No one was outside, and he didn’t expect to run into anyone, but still took his time and kept alert. His pulse quickened the closer he came to his destination. He was operating alone and hadn’t done so since he had raided the train station. Of course, since then his skills and confidence had increased a hundred fold.

  He entered the small neighborhood and looked at the dark houses, which all looked abandoned, but he couldn’t be sure. Since the town had no electricity, it was difficult to know who was still around. As he walked down the sidewalk, he heard the familiar sound of a generator. It was a small one, which wouldn’t put out a lot of power, but enough for some lights and a radio.

  He followed the sound and wasn’t surprised when it led to his first target. Randy Stratton, a thirty-five-year-old, who was a known drug addict and low-life. At one time, the kid played high school basketball but was kicked off the team for fighting. The fighting was only a symptom of a larger problem that had started with drinking and eventually led to using Meth.

  He moved in closer to the one-story house where a dim light shone through a window. Winters bolted across the lawn and tightened his grip on the Colt M-4 rifle as he reached the side of the house. He flipped up his goggles to look in the window and let out a scoff. Inside, Randy Stratton hovered over a young girl who he had handcuffed to the bed.

  “So, he likes to tie them up as well,” thought Winters.

  Before turning away, he noticed a pistol on the nightstand and decided not to take any chances with him. Winters flipped his goggles back down and crept to the back porch where the small generator chugged along. He nodded his head knowing his next move.