For nearly twenty minutes from inside the building came the vile sounds of the woman pleading and screaming, and Rob’s men having a good time. The others waited outside trying not to listen while all along Alton was pacing and in a deep deliberation. Finally it grew quiet inside.
At the end of their guns, they marched the three out into the snow covered yard, the man with a bloody rag dripping from his mouth, the woman, bruised and naked, and the other man that hadn’t said a single word, the only reason he remained unharmed.
By now Alton had made up his mind, “I’ve had enough, Rob.”
But Rob was preoccupied, “All of you start digging.”
The prisoners all got down on their knees and started tearing at the ground.
Although Rob wasn’t listening, Alton had plenty to say. “Rob, you’re not fit to run this group.”
The woman already had enough, “I’m not doing this, we can’t dig in the frozen ground with our bare hands.”
Rob was growing angry again. “You will do it! Start digging, bitch!”
“No!”
“DO IT! Or so help me I’ll kill you right where you are!”
The woman knew this was the end, “To hell with you, you sick bastard! We didn’t kill that little boy, you did, so you should dig!”
Rob reached out and took McCain’s carbine from him, “Let me see this a minute, McCain,” and aimed it right at the woman’s back.
She lowered her head as if in prayer.
Rob fired a short burst into the woman and she tumbled face first in the snow. He fired a second time as the bullets ripped through her lifeless body there on the ground. He stepped over and probed the woman’s wound with the end of the gun, her naked flesh was shredded and her shattered shoulder blade was protruding half way out. Rob handed McCain back his weapon and addressed the remaining survivors, “Keep digging.” Then turned and faced Alton, “I’m sorry ... you were saying?”
“I was saying you’ve gone too far, that you are not fit to lead these men, and you just proved it again.”
Soon Rob began speaking in the affable tone all of them knew so well. “Listen, Alton, I know you’re upset about Nicky, we all are, so just stop now and think about what you’re saying. We can still forget this. We’ll take what’s left of the day off, in the morning we’ll head out for Radley. After a good night’s rest, I know you’re going to regret what you’re doing. I understand, though, and don’t hold it against you, like I said, I know you’re upset.”
Alton had heard all of this before, “It’s not going to work, Rob. I can’t work for you anymore. It’s bad enough we have to steal food from hungry people, but this, I can’t take it. You’ve turned into a monster, and you won’t be happy until we’re all monsters too. You’re no better than that mob of animals that attacked us.”
“No better than them? Wow ... that’s saying a lot. Again, I’m going to ask you to stop and think about what you’re saying.”
“This is all I have been thinking about. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, but today, this is the last straw. I’ll say it again, Rob, you’re not fit for the job.”
“I guess you think you can do better than me.”
“I couldn’t do worse.”
Rob put his hands in his pockets, “All right, I can see there’s no talking to you. I know now you’re not going to change your mind. I guess we’ve gone beyond the kiss and make up stage. I think the only thing we can do is split up. How about this, we’ll go our separate ways, the men can go with whoever they want, and we’ll split the equipment evenly, fair enough?”
“Okay, I can live with that, everyone that wants to go with me come over to my side.”
Cornwell and James stepped over to Alton’s side, Martinelli didn’t and appeared ashamed of himself, “I’m sorry, Alton, you know I like you but Rob has kept us alive this long and I’m staying with him, sorry.”
From behind them, D’Cruz stumbled forward, he seemed weak but was able to stand on his feet. “I heard most of the conversation and I know what side I’m on.” He walked right past Alton and stopped next to Rob.
Rudd and McCain took another step closer to their man and Rob grew a wide smile. “You three can go your own way, no hard feelings?” Rob pulled his fleshy hand out of his coat pocket and offered it out in Alton’s direction.
“No thanks.”
“Okay, be that way.” Rob put his hand back in the coat, he immediately pulled it out again and it was holding a Ruger .380. He fired two quick shots and Alton fell straight to the ground.
Rudd and McCain immediately trained their rifles on Cornwell and James. Suddenly Alton was on his feet again, but shaky, and emptied the magazine of his carbine as he sprayed bullets in their direction.
Everyone hit the ground, and when they looked up Alton was racing towards the front door of the church.
McCain got up and started firing and Rudd was only a second behind him, but by then Alton had leapt through the door.
Rob was still belly down in the snow when he yelled out to his men, “Kill him!”
McCain and Rudd cautiously approached the front of the building and Martinelli was just as prudent as he went around the back.
Rob got up off the ground, put his Ruger away and pulled the Colt from its holster, now leveling it on Cornwell. “Drop the gun!”
Cornwell stood there dumbfounded and didn’t appear to hear Rob although he was looking right at him.
“I said drop the rifle!”
This time he heard him and carefully put it down on the snowy ground.
“Cornwell, James, both of you step over here, away from the rifle,” Rob said while motioning with the Magnum.
Both did as they were told.
By now Rudd and McCain were about to go through the door, but the sound of gunfire stopped them short.
There was another two rounds fired and then came the sound of someone shouting from behind the building, it was Martinelli, “He ran out the other side!”
Rob handed his pistol to D’Cruz, “Watch them,” and took off running around the back of the building along with Rudd and McCain.
Cornwell and James just stood there in silence, D’Cruz holding the gun on them.
After a few minutes, the men all came back hurriedly marching with Rob out in front; Alton was nowhere to be seen, “Martinelli, check the building.”
Martinelli broke from formation heading for the church, the other three continued right for Cornwell and James.
Rob was clearly angry, “Your boy got away, he ran into some woods back there but he won’t get far, you should see the blood trail he’s left behind.” He took the Magnum from D’Cruz’s hand and turned back to Rudd and McCain, “I want you two to go after him, take this radio and get some provisions, and go.”
Martinelli returned, obviously with bad news, “He took another rifle when he ran through the building.”
News Rob didn’t want to hear, “Which rifle?”
“I don’t know. I remember there were five rifles, three on the bench and two more standing in the corner. The three on the bench are still there but one of the others is missing. One was an SKS, I know that, it’s still there, but I don’t remember the other. I had something else on my mind.”
McCain had the information they wanted to know, “It was a Savage lever action in two forty-three and it had a four power scope mounted. It had two or three rounds inside and a holder on the stock that had another ten rounds.”
Rob glared at McCain. “I want you and Rudd to go after him right now, you’re in charge. I want him dead before morning.”
McCain had the look of an unchained attack dog, “Don’t worry, I’ll get him. I can’t wait to find that asshole. I never could stand him, self-righteous prick. When I catch up to him I’m going to give him what they gave Peavey, even worse, I’m going to castrate that son of a bitch too.”
“Just kill him and come right back.”
“I can’t have some fun?”
“Have your fun, just so long as he’s dead when you’re done ... and you’re not gone very long.”
“Fine,” McCain and Rudd took off leaving Rob, Martinelli, and D’Cruz to finish up.
Rob yelled after them, “And check in every hour!” He dropped his eyes down to the two prisoners; both were still kneeling on the ground and wearing unbelieving faces. “Nobody told you to stop digging,” and then to his two remaining mutineers, “What am I going to do with you two?”
For the first time in his life, James had hate in his eyes, “Damn you! Why?! Why couldn’t you just let us go?!”
“Why should I have to put up with traitors? I’ve kept him and these other guys alive for years now and suddenly he wants to take my job. Or I’m supposed to give up half my equipment when I’m already short and winter is here? I don’t think so. To hell with him, ingrate.”
“You won’t catch him! He’s going to kill all of you!”
“James, I know you look up to Alton but he’s just a man, and he can die like everyone else.” Rob pointed to the ground. “Look down there, see that blood? That’s his and he’s not going very far. If I used my Magnum he’d be dead already, damn three eighty. McCain will kill him, don’t worry about that. What you should worry about is yourself.”
Rob picked up the rifle, handed it to D’Cruz and turned to Cornwell and James again, “What am I to do with you? I guess there’s two ways we can go here, you can leave or stay. Well, let’s look at both options. If you leave you’re not taking the equipment with you, and you won’t get any help from us; you are entirely on your own. On the other hand, if you stay I am going to be expecting your complete loyalty. You’ll have to follow my orders to the letter, and it goes without saying that if you try to betray us you will die, very unpleasantly. I’ll let McCain handle your execution if it comes to that, and as I’m sure you’re well aware he’s not a ‘people person.’”
Martinelli and D’Cruz had a good laugh.
“You just watched me shoot Alton so I know you don’t think much of me right now. I know he was your friend so I won’t hold it against you. But in my defense, let me say that all of this today was an extreme set of circumstances, you know, with Nicky and all. I’m not normally like this, it was just ... let’s say that I felt threatened and compelled to defend myself. Cornwell, you’ve been with the group a long while, you know I normally treat you guys, well, like family. I’m just going to stop talking and let you decide yourselves. Feel free to discuss it between you. I’ll let these guys finish digging Nicky’s grave and after the burial I’m going to need your answer. But until then sit down and relax.”
It took another two hours before the prisoners finished digging and by then their fingertips were bloody pulp. They buried Nicky with care and finally covered him over, and then Rob said some words over the small grave.
“Today we say a final farewell to Nicholas Thomas Mayer. I think we can all agree he was a very special person. He grew up in this hell, too young to remember much of that world we left behind. But he never complained or shirked his responsibilities, and he was always faithful to us, his friends. He was a remarkable little boy and it’s everyone’s loss he won’t have a chance to grow into a man. I am sure there is no one here that will not miss him deeply. Good-bye, Nicky.”
James said a prayer and then looked around as he wiped his eyes; there wasn’t a dry eye among this crowd of killers. Even the grave diggers were in tears.
Rob stepped over to the prisoners while he pulled his gun. He cocked the hammer of the revolver and shoved the end of the barrel right under the chin of the one that killed the child. The man started screaming, the muffled sound could scarcely be heard through the soaking rag he still held in his mouth. Just then a sharp bang rang out as the prisoner’s brains and the top of his skull were sent flying through the air. Rob kicked the other man’s legs out from under him and knocked him to the ground. He put one boot on his spine and the gun to the back of his head. Another shot was heard and what was once the man’s face was now a large bloody stain that covered the ground in front of him.
James and Cornwell just stood there stunned.
Martinelli and D’Cruz stripped the dead of valuables and dragged them into the ditch across the road, covering the bodies with snow.
Rob kept James and Cornwell covered while his men went on with their work. “I said that I would give you until the burial to make a decision but I’ve changed my mind.”
Both stood there paralyzed, unsure of what was about to happen.
Rob went on in his friendly tone, “I’ve decided to let you stay with us overnight, you can give me your decision in the morning. We will, of course, be watching you. It’s going to be dark soon and from the look of the sky it might start snowing any minute. I thought it would be nice of me to give you a bit more time to decide. I will need your answer before breakfast.”
James sat in the corner of the church all night sleeping very little as he tried to think what to do. He knew what he wanted to do, if only he could, if only he could find the will. He would like to kill Robert and for the first time in his young life knew what it was to have murder in his heart.
Throughout the night he was haunted again and again, thinking of Nicky and their talk about God. He could only pray that the child had found some peace in the end.
Cornwell slept heavily through the night without making a sound.
Martinelli watched over the two the entire time; James thought it ironic that less than a day ago he considered him a good friend.
Later in the morning, the boy made his decision and after nodding off a while was abruptly wakened at dawn by Rob kicking his feet. “Get up! The time has come! Get up!”
James and Cornwell stood against the wall and Rob stared them down, Martinelli and D’Cruz were on either side with their guns. Robert turned to the older one, “Okay, this is it. Cornwell, what’s it going to be?”
Cornwell looked disgusted with himself, “I guess I’ll stay.”
“Are you guessing or do you know?”
“I’ll stay.”
“Do I have your complete loyalty?”
“Yes ...”
“Yes, what?”
“Yes sir.”
“Do you agree that if you betray us again you deserve to die horribly?”
Cornwell had nothing to say.
Rob wasn’t letting up, “You heard the question, don’t make me repeat it.”
“Yes ...”
“Yes what?”
“Yes, if I betray you again I deserve to die horribly, sir.”
Rob seemed amused as he turned to the boy. “James, before you answer, let me answer some questions you might have. You’re probably wondering what is going to happen to you if you do stay. Well, you’ll have two options and I’ll let you pick which one you want to do. Whichever one you pick you should know part of your duty will be doing Nicky’s old job. You’re not as cute as he was, but you do have your own charm, in a pitiful kind of way. I guess it might work on someone. First, you can train to be a soldier. You will learn to shoot and you will kill when I need you to. I might just make a man out of you yet. Or, the other option we’ve already discussed. You can take care of our camp and you will be expected to give the men your full attention, whenever they want.”
D’Cruz softly chuckled as he looked James right in the eye.
“So what’s it going to be, James? Let’s have your decision, I’m hungry and want to have breakfast.”
James wasn’t 100% sure before, but now he was. “I’m going. I wouldn’t stay here for anything. I hate you Rob and I hope you die. I hope you die for what you did to John, and to Nicky. I only wish I could do it myself ... but I can’t.”
“No, you can’t, can you? I killed your buddy Alton and you don’t even have enough balls to try and get revenge. You are pathetic. Just get out of here, go, go back to what you were doing before, begging, petty thievery, whatever you did to scrape by. You were just another worthless roadie when I
found you, begging to stay alive ... I guess that’s all you’re really good for. Just get out of here, go. I don’t want to see you anymore.”
Cornwell turned to James, the weight of shame hanging heavy on his face, “Sorry, kid, I’m just too old to be on my own out there again. Good luck.”
James picked up his things and turned for the door.
He got two steps before Rob stopped him, “Where do you think you’re going with our stuff?”
“This is my stuff.”
“That’s our bug out bag and everything in it is ours. Except your clothes, everything you’ve got belongs to the group, including the boots; take them off.”
“You gave them to me.”
“The only thing I gave you was an old sleeping bag you managed to lose. Everything else you have belongs to the group. Take off those boots.”
The boy threw the bag down and grudgingly untied the boots. He kicked them off in Robert’s direction. James got to the door before Rob stopped him again.
“Are those our socks? Never mind ...” He went to a bag by his feet. Rob pulled out something and walked straight towards the boy. “Here, don’t say I never gave you anything.” He put in the boy’s hand a few crumpled plastic grocery sacks.
James tied the bags around his feet and opened the door without saying another word. He stepped out into the cold.
Overnight two new fresh inches of snow had fallen. All the blood on the ground was covered and the pristine front yard looked like a Christmas card, only the slight bulge that was Nicky’s grave was there to remind him of the events from the day before.
James started down the highway, zipping his jacket all the way and pulling his hood up. Trudging through the snow he wondered how long he might survive.
Chapter Eight
Robert was pacing across the room and back again, the echo of his boots on the wood floor filled the empty hall. Occasionally he would stop to look out one of the open doors, both of them ripped off their hinges. “Why in the hell hasn’t McCain checked in? It’s been a long time since we heard those shots,” he checked his watch, “it’s been over fourteen hours. We could have been heading for Radley by now. I knew I couldn’t trust him to do anything. Well, you know what they say, if you want something done right.”
Joshua (Book 2): Traveler Page 12