by Connor Mccoy
“Garcia?” Tom asked.
“Nothing gets past you.” Cheryl put the knife back on the bed.
“Cheryl, if he’s out there, I can handle him. I’m bringing a small army with me. He’s not getting away.”
“You have no idea how many men he’s got. You need me.”
Tom grimaced. “Cheryl…”
“Tom, I’m going.” Cheryl’s green eyes seemed to sparkle with fire.
“If I don’t do this, if I don’t stop him, if I don’t know that he can’t hurt me or my family, then I’ll never get rid of these damned nightmares. I’ll never go to sleep again and not see those animals come in and kill you.” She quivered. “Or see them force me to the floor and have their way with me.”
Tom bowed his head. Of course, Cheryl had been dealing with those nightmares, and she hadn’t given any indication they had stopped.
He waited until Cheryl’s hands were free of any weapons before approaching her from behind and hugging her. “I know. But losing you would be an actual, honest to God nightmare.”
Cheryl sank into his arms. “We’ve been through so much already that should have killed me,” she said, “Besides, it’s not like I don’t worry about you. Don’t you think you’re too eager to go out there and fight, maybe get yourself killed?”
It was something worth considering. Shouldn’t Tom think about settling down, now that he actually had a home, and had kids who needed him and depended on him? How many more times could he could go out there and put his ass on the line?
“It’s hard for both of us to stay away from this, isn’t it?” Tom asked.
“Guess it is.” Cheryl sighed.
Tom gave this whole thing some more thought. “You know, when we kick ass together we do pretty damn good.” He chuckled.
“You know, the amazing thing is sometimes you’re rewarded for the risk. If I didn’t try saving Amir from The Coach’s goons, I never would have met Amir, or you, or the other kids. I guess I just can’t stop taking the risk.”
“I know what you mean,” Cheryl replied.
“Alright.” Tom clutched his warrior wife tighter. “Let’s do this.”
Tom walked into the kitchen. Obie was there, finishing up a happy chat with Rinaldo. The boy then raced off toward the open back door. Tom approached his friend, noticing Stone was once again rubbing his right shoulder.
“Rinaldo must have been ecstatic that you’re watching the house again.” Tom stopped at the table’s edge. “He’s going to kick your butt again at a game of global trivia, isn’t he?”
“It’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks.” Stone let out a long breath. “Speaking of old, I’m sorry I’m not going with you.”
“Don’t be. Cheryl’s coming along, Nadia’s not here, and I’m not splitting up the kids again. You’re perfect for the job, Obie.”
The man smiled. “To tell you the truth, I’m not sure I’d be able to handle the mission anyway. It might be that this is a young man’s game and I’m just completely out of it now.”
“Well, we need our older men. We lost too many in the past couple of years.”
Stone held out his hand. “Then I wish you Godspeed.” Tom grasped it and shook it tight. Obie might be older, but he still had a firm grip. “Go bring them home, Squirrel.”
“You bet.” Tom released Stone, then headed for the living room.
Cheryl and Karen were chatting near the front door. Tom slowed down, hoping not to cut in on their talk.
“Believe me, I think you’d be a great help,” Cheryl said, “But you’ve been through a lot.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Karen nodded. “And then there’s Jamie. He needs all the help he can get and, well, after being sick for so long, I miss being able to…” She smiled. “…hold him.”
“I know what that’s like.” Cheryl smiled back. “Oh God, it’s like being freed from prison when you can hold your loved one again.”
“It is!” Karen replied, “Very much.”
Cheryl took Karen by the arms. “I wanted to tell you that I’m very happy, no, very proud of you. Volhein’s soldiers put you through utter hell, but you didn’t crack when you were out there. You handled everything that was thrown at you, even running into those soldiers again. It really did a lot to lift my spirits, and I’ve needed it lately.”
“You mean those nightmares you told me about?” Karen’s mouth dropped open.
Cheryl sighed. “Yeah.”
“Oh God, if something like that happened to you…”
Cheryl pulled Karen in closer. “Don’t worry. I’m going to face my demons just like you did yours.”
The two ladies embraced. Tom waited until they parted before approaching.
“Ah, Mister Criver.” A sly smile formed across Cheryl’s lips. “So, are we ready to go?”
Tom smiled at Karen, then replied, “Yeah. The Liberation Express is getting ready to pull out of the station.”
“I’ll say a prayer for you two,” Karen said.
Tom hugged her. “Thanks.” Then he turned to Cheryl. “We need all the prayers we can get.”
Kovacs jabbed the knife through the cut portions of the mesh. “Ready,” he said.
Nadia and Lauren took hold of one side of the fence and pulled while Kovacs pushed in their direction with the spade. Between the three of them, they were able to push the mesh open, creating a passage easy enough for an adult to pass through.
“Good, good.” Kovacs gave it an extra push while Lauren and Nadia backed up. The mesh cut into the ground, giving it a firm anchor. “Perfect. We bring your friends through this, then we make a break into the woods.”
Lauren stretched her arms. She and Nadia hid their gear out in the woods early this morning. They couldn’t have anything unnecessary weighing them down for what was sure to be a flight out of Clark’s camp. Only their weapons and a few light provisions were coming with them.
Lauren rubbed her left leg with the leather of her right boot. “Kovacs, aren’t you worried that Stark’s going to stir up the camp and maybe even let them know we’re coming?”
Kovacs telling them about Stark did unnerve them. However, he made it clear he wasn’t trying to deceive them, that he had to be sure it was Stark signaling him. Lauren still trusted Kovacs, but she never felt easy around Stark, and knowing he was playing a part in this equation gave her added reason to worry.
Nadia looked at the woods around them. “Yeah. Maybe he ought to wait until we’re done.” She raised her head higher and coughed loudly. “Take a hint,” she added in a guttural voice.
“If you are trying to convince Stark to wait for us to be done, you are wasting your time. In fact, if we do not move in soon, he may decide to go in ahead of us,” Kovacs said.
Nadia walked up close to Kovacs. “We could stop him if he doesn’t want to play ball.” She patted the sidearm on her belt.
“Then where is Stark now?” Kovacs grinned. “If you cannot see him, but he can see you, the odds are in his favor. This is the best course of action we have.”
“Are you sure Stark won’t give us away on purpose?” Lauren asked, “Does he really just want to kill Clark?”
“Stark is not a complicated person,” Kovacs answered, “He does what he wishes. I think we should prepare to enter the camp now.”
As Kovacs approached the gap in the fence, Nadia grabbed Lauren’s arm. “Are you sure about this? Yes, I know he saved our lives, and Stark did too, but this smells funny to me.”
Lauren bit her bottom lip. “They could have sold us out back at the other camp. They also could have killed us if they had wanted. So, why pull the plug now?” She shook her head. “I don’t know. But we’re too close to Doctor Tran and the other Eagleton captives. We have to try.”
Kovacs was already through the gap. After sucking in a deep breath, Lauren followed, with Nadia bringing up the rear. The grounds beyond the fence had fewer trees, but still enough to provide some cover. Kovacs led the way, keeping careful watch around them
. The ground was fairly level, but in the distance Lauren noticed some hillier ground with outcropping rocks.
Before long, Kovacs came to a stop next to a tree. He turned to Lauren and Nadia. “There is a gravel road that runs past here. I think I see houses, too.”
Lauren and Nadia joined him. The trio peered around the side of the tree. Indeed, a gravel road ran from left to right. Down to their left lay a line of small, run-down houses that, with their weather-beaten walls and shaggy, deteriorating roofs, looked little better than shacks.
“This might be Oak Lawn,” Lauren said.
It was definitely a small town, probably a poor backwater in its day. It was probably so small that it made for a good prison camp, and the large growth of trees would provide good cover from the nearby state road.
Nadia looked from side to side. “So, where is everybody?”
“We should get a look inside one of those houses.” Kovacs pointed to an aged shanty with a roof that had lost half its shingles. “There is a tree close by. It will give us cover.”
In about ten minutes they had arrived. Lauren climbed up into a tree branch that sat near a high window. Kovacs kept watch around them while Nadia gazed at her friend.
Soon Lauren got a look through the window. It was slightly foggy and cracked at the bottom, but enough of the pane near the top was clear enough to see into. The room wasn’t big. It was just enough for the two people inside to lay on cots with some walking room. A third individual, a middle-aged man, was crouched over them, talking, but Lauren couldn’t make out what he was saying. She crawled closer to the window pane to listen.
“…took this from the well. I’m sure they didn’t see me.” He took out a dirty plastic bottle full of water and fed it to the person, a young woman, on the floor.
“We have to be quick. They expect your shift to come soon. They will come looking for you if you aren’t at the garden at the right time.” The man then tended to the second person, a bearded man, who drank eagerly as soon as the bottle touched his lips.
Are these two sick? Or are they malnourished? Lauren couldn’t tell. It seemed clear these weren’t part of Clark’s army. But were they Eagleton citizens, or perhaps even other prisoners?
I’ve got to talk to them. Lauren broke a long and thin branch from the tree and used it to tap on the window.
“Lauren! What are you doing?” Nadia harshly whispered.
“There’s people in there. I think they’re on our side.” Lauren tapped again.
Her tapping definitely got the attention of the man inside. He practically jumped in terror. He hyperventilated for a few seconds before calming down as he looked at her. He motioned to the two on the floor. “Stay here! Stay here!” Then he fled the room.
Where was he going? Lauren thought. The two others did not leave with him.
She soon got her answer. The mystery man suddenly scampered around the back of the house, sweat pouring down his face. When he saw Lauren in the tree, he pointed to her. “You! Who are you? What is going on—you don’t have an armband!”
“Armband?” Lauren then noticed the man was wearing the same black armband as she had found in the fishing store.
“No, I don’t. What’s going on here? Are you from Eagleton?”
“Eagleton? No, no. I’m from Mobile. Left there months ago. Wait, you just came here? Are you crazy? If they see you, forget about leaving!”
“Calm down. We’re here to find some of our friends from our town, and free anyone else if we can. Is this place run by Josh Clark?” Lauren asked.
“Hell yes it is! And I don’t want him to see me talking to people who don’t belong here! So please, go!”
He began to hurry off, but Lauren grabbed him. “Wait! Doctor Tran! Do you know him? He’s a middle-aged Asian doctor, came here recently.”
“I don’t know!” The man struggled. “Let me go!”
Loud footsteps interrupted the argument. A tall man with a shaved head and a rifle approached. “What the hell is this?” he asked.
The man Lauren was holding onto trembled. “Oh shit…”
Chapter Fifteen
The man from the house broke free from Lauren’s grip. “Rod, please, these people just came out of nowhere and accosted me! I have nothing to do with them.”
“Shut up, asshole. Get away from her, now,” the armed man, identified as Rod, said.
“If I were you, sweetie, I’d put that gun down.” Nadia had her own firearm drawn and aimed at the man’s head.
“Really?” Rod laughed. “Too bad for you that I’m not alone. Chris, come out and take this woman’s gun.”
But nobody came from around the house or behind a nearby tree. Rod frowned. “Hey, Chris, get your ass out here!”
Lauren gazed at their surroundings. This armed man was expecting some backup, so where was it? Then she spotted something lying on the ground near a set of tree roots. It was an outstretched hand, motionless on the ground.
Hey, where’s Kovacs? Lauren asked herself. It occurred to her that she hadn’t seen him in the past few minutes. She didn’t have time to complete that thought, for a sudden blur leaped from behind a nearby tree and grabbed the bald man, wrestling him to the ground.
“Aaaaah! What the hell?” Rod went down in a heap of curse words and blows to the face and chest.
Once Kovacs had subdued his opponent, the soldier stood up and slammed Rod against the side of the house. The rifle was out of Rod’s hands, lying on the ground. Blood dripped down his nose.
“Ko-vacs…” Rod .spoke in a dazed tone.
“In the flesh.” Kovacs then turned to the ladies. “As I said before, Clark’s men don’t know stealth. But fortunately, I’m an expert.”
“Chris…” Rod spoke up.
“Knocked out with a good blow to the head,” Kovacs replied, “May have a splitting headache when he wakes up. Whoever trained you did a piss-poor job.”
“The way Garcia’s been bearing down on us to train better…” the bald man muttered.
Kovacs stiffened up. “What did you say?”
“What? What the hell are you talking about?”
“You said Garcia’s name.” Kovacs’ eyes widened. “Why?”
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” Rod replied.
Suddenly, Kovacs dragged him away from the house and punched him hard in the face. Rod tumbled to the ground, screeching and clutching his face. Fresh blood poured from the side of his face.
“I will ask you again.” Kovacs hovered over him. “What do you know about Humberto Garcia? You will tell me or I will crush your skull with my boot!”
“Okay, okay, God!” Rod hyperventilated. “We often see him here. The other men talk about him, say he’s training the men. I don’t know if it’s true or bullshit. I haven’t talked to him, don’t know what Clark’s doing with him. That’s it! That’s all I know!”
Kovacs’ fist trembled. It seemed he would punch Rod again. But instead, he pulled back and turned his eyes to the two women and the man cowering by the house. “Okay. Now tell these nice ladies what they want to hear about their friends, and I won’t put a bullet in your head,” he said with a smile.
Lauren approached, though she didn’t get too close to the bald man. “Doctor Tran. He’s an Asian doctor and he was brought here very recently. Where is he?”
Their captive spilled the beans. Lauren was right, this town was Oak Lawn, and it had been taken over completely by Josh Clark and a gang of well-armed men. They lured people in, especially those who had been infected by the disease that had hit Eagleton, and then put them to work raising crops, drawing well water, or other tasks Clark set before them. Doctor Tran was being held in a shanty near the west end of the gravel road.
Once their conversation was concluded, Kovacs quickly took the butt of the bald man’s rifle and struck him in the back of the head. Their captive collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Lauren looked at Kovacs, shocked. The soldier raised the ri
fle and held it over his shoulder. “Better that he doesn’t warn Clark about us, right?”
The doctor nodded. “Right. I guess I’ll never get used to this.”
As for their man from the house, he had calmed down quite a bit as Nadia help explain to him what was going on. He apologized for his earlier behavior and identified himself as Carson. Lauren said she understood his actions and offered to take him along as they headed for Doctor Tran’s location. They would try getting as many people out as possible.
“You can’t get everyone,” Carson said with regret. “There are more than twenty men in this camp, with lots of firepower. If everyone tries to flee at once, it will be a slaughter. So many here are weak, and there are many children. They’re not many who even would know what to do with a gun if it was handed to them.”
It was like a gut punch to Lauren and Nadia. They secretly had hoped they could find a way to liberate everyone, but two women and one former NATO soldier would not be enough.
“We’ll get Doctor Tran and our people out,” Lauren said, “Then maybe we can find help to free everyone else.”
“Your town has many brave men,” Kovacs said, “That Thomas Criver fellow who sent us away was quite brave.”
“Trust me, he’d go medieval on these people’s asses.” Nadia shook her head. “But he’s probably tending to Cheryl.”
“Cheryl? She was the liaison officer to Volhein, was she not?” Kovacs asked.
“Yeah, although the position wasn’t worth shit,” Nadia said.
“So, she got sick?” Kovacs asked.
“Yeah. She probably got exiled from the town like all the other patients,” Lauren said, “Knowing Tom, he probably went with her to help her out.”
“To die from an illness. I would not want that for her.” Kovacs turned to the road.
“Sometimes I wonder, wouldn’t I prefer to die in a nice bed instead of on a battlefield with my guts bleeding out from my chest?” Then he lowered his rifle. “We better go.”
“No time like the present, right?” Nadia approached him. “Let’s go get our friends.”
“Actually, we have one more reason to hurry.” Kovacs pointed to a set of trees on the other side of the road. “Stark is over there.”