by AJ Newman
A weak voice said, “Tom, is that you?”
Kate grabbed her husband’s arm. “Tom, the woman knows you. Who could she be?”
Tom recognized the voice and charged toward the cot. “Sam, is that you? Kate, hold the light over here.”
The light danced around and settled on the woman lying prone on the cot. Tom lifted her head and moved his canteen to her lips. “What happened to you? We found a dead woman with her head blown off. We were sure it was you.”
Sam’s voice was weak. “I was wounded, but I’m okay. Carlos made me change clothes with another woman and then shot her in the face with a shotgun to fool you into believing I was dead. He hates both of us.”
Tom said, “Rest. We’re taking you back to the ranch. Where are you wounded?”
“Right by my left tit.”
Tom looked at Kate and gulped. “Kate’s going to check your wound before we go.”
Sam passed out when they moved her to the truck’s bed. Jerry drove home while Tom and Kate tended to Sam. Kate had a million questions, and she knew Sam was unconscious. “How serious were you two?”
Tom instantly knew he’d get caught if he didn’t tell the truth. “We were flirting and probably heading to a serious relationship, but Carlos took her before anything could happen.”
Kate chose her words carefully. “So you two didn’t … well, …”
“Sleep together? No! She was gone before things advanced that far. I was still hurting from losing my wife when Sam came along. I’ve always been a bit socially awkward. The bottom line is you don’t have anything to worry about from me. Well, other than Carlos trying to kill me.”
Kate placed an arm around Tom. “I know you won’t throw her out, but I’ll be honest. I don’t like having her with us.”
Tom thought, The wrath of a jealous woman can be awesome and dangerous. He said, “I’ll stay as far away from her as possible. I love you.”
Kate trusted her husband, but would never trust Sam around him. “That would be good.”
***
Granny B hopped on the horse and started to leave. Jackie said, “Wait a cotton-picking minute. What got a bee under your bonnet?”
“Bill just told me that Tom went to rescue a red-haired young lady who’s been conducting guerilla warfare against Carlos.”
“Oh! Shit!”
“Yes. I want to be there when they arrive. Kate knows about Sam, and my guess is this lady freedom fighter is Sam. I don’t want any catfights or Tom getting hurt.”
They rode as fast as they could, but had to stop and rest the horses twice along the way. Granny B thought they’d beat Tom back to the ranch since he’d have to avoid taking a straight path back home from Talent. They only arrived an hour before Jerry drove into the compound.
Jackie asked, “Should we tell Lucy?”
“No! We don’t know for sure it’s Sam. I’d bet it is, but that would devastate Lucy if we got her hopes up and then yanked the rug out from under her,” Granny B replied.
Jackie and June took the horses to the corral while Granny B went down into the bunker. June had just finished her tour on guard duty. “Jackie, this could be a sticky situation. What if Tom still has feelings for Sam?”
Jackie pondered the question. “I’m sure he has feelings for Sam. He cared for her, but he deeply loves Kate. I feel we’re overthinking this.”
Granny B watched the monitors until she saw Tom’s truck barreling up the driveway. “Jack and Lucy, please come with me and help with unloading Tom’s truck.”
Lucy whined. “Do I have to? I’m reading a survival book. American Survivor sounds a lot like what we’re going through. In that story, Grandma could be Granny B, only the grandma in the story is already dead before the story starts. Both can be stern one minute and a hoot the next.”
Granny B said, “Put the book down and get your butt up the steps to the barn. Now! Before I have to cut a switch.”
Lucy laughed. “I can outrun you.”
Granny B yelled. “Remember, I know where you sleep!”
Lucy put the book down and beat Granny B up to the barn. She saw Tom and Kate in the back of the truck and waved. “Tom, Granny B said you needed help unloading the truck.”
Tom saw Jackie, June, and Granny B hustling to join them. “I have someone in the back here that would like to say hello.”
He helped Sam rise up. Sam saw her daughter. “Lucy! Come here.”
Lucy was in shock and didn’t move for a minute. She tried to speak, but no words came out for another few seconds. “Mom! You’re alive!”
Lucy then passed out and hit the ground before anyone could react. Jackie ran to Lucy and lifted her head. “The ground is soft here. I don’t think she hurt herself. June, please stay with her while we carry Sam down into the bunker.”
Tom called out. “Hey! Carrying a hundred and ten-pound person looks easy in the movies. In real life, it’s darned hard. Help me make something to carry her.”
They made a stretcher out of some poles and two blankets. Tom, Jack, Jackie, and Doris carried Sam down the steps and through the doors to one of the spare rooms. Granny B rushed ahead, pulled the covers back on the bed, and made the room ready for Sam.
Granny B tucked Sam in and watched while Sam dozed off. A few minutes later, Tom helped Lucy down the steps into her mom’s room. He borrowed a recliner from his room for Lucy to sit in to stay close to her mom.
Lucy watched them leave until Granny B was the only one left in the room. Lucy said, “I wonder what happened to her and how she survived?”
*
Chapter 20
The Clark Ranch – The Bunker -
Lucy came running from her mom’s room. “Tom, Mom wants to see you! Come quick!”
Tom motioned for Kate and Granny B to follow him into the room. Lucy left to go to the kitchen. Sam was sitting up with a smile on her face when Tom entered. The smile quickly turned upside down when she saw Kate and Granny B enter the room. “Tom, could I talk with you in private?”
Tom smiled, “You can talk in front of my wife Kate, and Granny B. I’m so glad to see you gain your strength back. Carlos had us convinced he’d killed you.”
Kate felt the room freeze as Sam glared at her. “Tom has told me so much about you. We’re so glad to see you safe and back home with us.”
Sam slumped a bit on the pillows and then said, “I guess I’ll need to fill in the blanks on what happened since I last saw you. Obviously, there were many changes here at the ranch. I’ve seen several folks that weren’t part of the original team who lived through the plane crash and journey to the ranch.”
***
Sam’s Story
“One of Carlos’s men dragged me to the back of the store when the shooting started. I fought him to get back to Tom, but he overpowered me. Carlos joined us a few minutes later and stood me next to one of his lady henchmen. He smiled and told the lady to swap clothes with me. We were both confused when suddenly, Carlos blew her head off with two blasts from a shotgun without warning. I didn’t understand why he kept me alive until later that week.
I rode to Ashland in the back of a truck bound, hand and foot. The men didn’t abuse me, but they weren’t gentle either. They certainly didn’t treat me like Carlos’s girlfriend, so I knew I was in for rough times ahead. I thanked God many times that Lucy had been saved from the degradation. The second day, I was taken to a mansion and told to clean up and put on some nice clothes that had been laid out on the bed for me. Now, everyone was friendly to me and gave me plenty of food and nice clothes to wear. A lady waited on me as though I was a princess. This went on for several days until one day, Carlos sent for me.
A rather beautiful, blonde lady wearing an evening gown walked into my room. She placed a stunning black evening gown, stilettoes, and handbag on my bed. All she said was, “Carlos likes his women to dress nice. Be nice to Carlos, and he’ll be nice to you.”
This made me wonder if Carlos had told his new people that I’d
been his main woman for several years. I played along, dressed in designer clothes, and found a Rolls Royce waiting for me. The chauffeur didn’t speak during the short ride, and then opened the door when we arrived at a school gym that looked more like a king’s palace on the inside. Carlos sat in an ornate chair at the far end of the room. One of his men took my hand, kissed it, and told me he’d escort me to my king.
I almost laughed when I heard that this butcher thought he was a king, but kept my composure. We stopped about thirty feet from Carlos, and my escort said, “Stand still, and don’t talk unless spoken to if you want to live.”
Carlos pointed to me and said, “This beautiful lady used to share my bed. She was the lady of my home. The traitorous bitch betrayed me and ran from me when the bombs fell. She ran to another man’s arms. Samantha dear, you wanted other men. So, I’ll give you to my men. They will use you as they wish.”
He motioned, and four men walked to me. Two grabbed my arms while the others ripped my dress off my back. I stood there in my panties and high heels when suddenly one of them tore my panties away from me. I stood there naked in defiance. I wasn’t going to let Carlos see me cry.”
Tom could see tears forming in Sam’s eyes, and then a single tear made a trail down to her lip. Tom didn’t know how to console her, so he just stayed quiet.
Sam went on as tears flowed. “I was wrong! Four more men joined us and bent me over like a dog. They took turns raping me in front of the crowded room. The people in the room cheered the men on, yelling things I won’t repeat. I tried to endure the pain and humility in silence, but broke down and cried.
When the last of the eight men were finished, Carlos walked down from his perch and kicked me to the floor. I’ll never forget his words. “Just think, this was probably the best day you’ll ever have again. I have over a hundred men, and they’re going to keep giving you what you sought when you left me. Enjoy the new men you found. Oh, I’ll find this man Tom and torture him in front of you. I might make his torture last as long as my men can find enough of you left to rape while he watches”.”
Sam broke into tears and didn’t speak for a few minutes. Then she went on with her horrible story.
“The men took me to a house that held four other women who, for reasons unknown to me, had been sentenced to the same degradation. They fed us well, and there was wine with every meal. We were kept naked and had to lay with any man who entered the house. I imagined killing Carlos and every one of the men each time one of them wasn’t rooting on me.
The dumbasses brought real dinnerware in with every meal. I stole a knife from one of the other lady’s plates and spent several days sharpening it at night on the brick fireplace. I knew if I didn’t escape soon, I’d be too worn out to care about escaping. I called for one of the two men who guarded the house and cut his throat just as Tom had trained me to do. I yelled for the other man and cut his throat as well. I dressed in the smallest man’s clothes and walked away as if I owned the place. I had two 9-mms stuck in my waistband, and an AR slung on my shoulder.”
Sam took a deep breath. “I was worn out and too traumatized to do anything for several days. That’s when I decided to start killing Carlos’s men every time I saw one. My face was still bruised, but I found some makeup and made myself look desirable again. I held my hatred and fear in check and developed my tactics through trial and error. I offered sex for food. They said they’d get me some food. I showed them some skin and stabbed them in the back when they dropped their pants.
I enjoyed killing them. I wanted to cut their nuts off, but didn’t want men afraid to approach me for sex. I killed two dozen of the horny bastards during the first two weeks, and almost got caught because they started traveling in pairs. That’s when I took on a partner. Angela had been abused by several of Carlos’s men, and it was easy to talk her into helping me kill more of them. We covered a circuit from Medford down to Ashland. We were too successful and had to stop when they started trying to hunt us. That’s when I decided to form a resistance group.”
Tom caught the last sentence and stopped Sam. “How many people are in the group?”
Sam turned to Tom. “About two dozen adults and half of that in children.”
Tom scratched his ear. “You knew where the ranch was. Why didn’t you come back here?”
Sam’s head lowered, and she spoke softly. “I’d been beaten, raped, and abused. I looked like shit and felt worse. I hated the world and everyone in it. No man would have wanted me. Killing the thugs was like therapy for me. I won’t stop until Carlos and all of his men are dead.”
Granny B asked, “What about Lucy? She thought she’d lost her mother. You made her think that for over two months.”
Sam looked shocked as her head snapped around to face Granny B. “That is my only regret. My hatred and bloodlust took over all my thoughts. I rationalized that Lucy was better off with you than with me, trying to hide from Carlos while killing his men. I know now that I was wrong, and I hope Lucy doesn’t hate me for abandoning her.”
Tom took Sam’s chin in his hand and turned her to look him in the eyes. “Do any of your new friends know about us or where we’re located?”
Sam’s head snapped to attention. “I’m not a fool! These people wanted to get even with Carlos for killing or raping family members. I used them to help kill as many of Carlos’s people as possible. I didn’t get to know them very well. Most could be a good fit for our group, but I couldn’t say for sure. No. They don’t know about the ranch or the Clark family.”
“Sorry, but I had to ask.”
“I expected you to ask that question. I would have,” Sam said.
Granny B said, “Sam, you need to rest the remainder of the day. I’ll send Lucy back in, and we’ll leave you two alone.”
Kate tapped Granny on the back. “Sam, you never said how or who shot you? What happened?”
Sam glared at Kate and then smiled. “There was a traitor in our group. She sold us out to curry favor with the gang. We caught her with one of the gang members, and a fight broke out. I was shot after killing the woman.”
Kate asked, “Could there be other spies in your group?”
Sam grimaced. “There can always be spies if you aren’t careful.”
***
Tom, Kate, and Granny B met in Granny B’s room. Granny B watched when Tom’s head slightly moved as it shook left to right. “Tom, I believe what she said. I just don’t know if we heard everything.”
Kate hesitated, then didn’t speak up. Tom noticed. “Kate, you have as much to say on this as anyone else. Speak up.”
“Sam is beautiful. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous. I don’t want my personal feelings to shade my judgment.”
Tom threw an arm around his wife. “Dear, you’ve never held back before. Speak your mind.”
“She told us what she’d been doing and why she didn’t come back to the ranch. What explains the sightings of the red-haired woman on the ATV? Even you thought it was her. What gives? Also, there was a spy in her group. How many more are in the group?”
Tom covered his face with his open hands. “I don’t think she means to harm us or has lied. I think she’s holding back valuable info. Her vigilante group could expose our location or drag us into a losing fight, and we’re not ready to confront a couple hundred gang members. Even if we conduct a well-organized guerilla action, it would just make Carlos that much more eager to find and destroy us.”
Kate grinned. “I agree about handling Carlos, but I don’t trust anything she said. The only way to fight Carlos and his men is a surgical strike to remove Carlos and his top leaders in one precise attack. The snake won’t rattle long if you lop off its head.”
Granny B slapped Kate on the back. “With a long knife.”
Kate’s brow furrowed. “Huh?”
“A long knife to cut its head off, so it doesn’t bite you.”
Everyone nodded. Kate rubbed the back of her neck and then bit her lip. “We need
a few .338 Lapuas or maybe some of those long-range military-style .50 caliber sniper rifles.”
Granny B scratched her jaw. “Grandpa has an old Barret M99 416 and some .416 ammo. We also have a couple of Remington 700 - 338 Lapua magnum rifles and plenty of ammo somewhere in the armory room. Grandpa had them locked in the safe, I think.”
Tom rubbed his hands together. “Great, we have some long-range sniper weapons. We just need some suppressors.”
Granny B laughed. “Suppressors will only reduce the sound maybe by in half. What we really need are people who know how to shoot long range. We don’t have any of the fancy range and windage computers. These have great scopes, and we have some charts on bullet drop in inches. A slight breeze during a thousand-yard shot would make you miss a man-sized target.”
Tom said, “Shit! Back to Sam. What do we do besides keep her on a short leash? If she were captured, Carlos could torture her into giving away our location.”
Granny B had never liked Sam but didn’t want harm to come to the woman. She looked at the others. “FUBAR (fouled up beyond recognition)! Son, I don’t think Sam needs to know about the cave.”
Tom was pissed at first about Sam not being trusted. Then he switched his thinking to the fact that he was responsible for the lives of two dozen people. “I hate to say it, but I agree. I’ll meet with the others tonight and make it clear that no one mentions the cave.”
Kate grimaced, “Lucy will tell her if the topic ever comes up. Sam will probably ask where we went when she finds out we’re not around.”
Granny B said, “I have some sleeping pills. I gave her some antibiotics and pain pills. I’ll slip some sleeping pills in with the others and tell Lucy her mom’s medication will make her tired. That will buy us time to visit the cave and set up the radio.”