Trackers Omnibus [Books 1-4]

by Smith, Nicholas Sansbury

  “Slow down and park over there,” he said, pointing to the shoulder right outside the White estate.

  Matthew eased off the gas and brought the vehicle to a stop. Colton ordered everyone to take up position behind the Jeep and then unclipped his walkie-talkie. He took a knee behind the bumper and scanned the road with the radio to his lips.

  “Margaret, do you copy? Over.”

  Her prompt reply crackled from the speaker. “I’m here, Chief.”

  Colton turned the volume down and checked the truck and woods to the south.

  “Anyone have eyes?” he asked.

  “Negative,” Matthew replied.

  Don shook his head. “They must have taken off into the forest.”

  Colton brought the radio back up. “Looks like Detective Plymouth and Raven Spears ran into some trouble outside of Steve and Laurel White’s house. There’s no sign of either of them, but it looks like they may have fled into the woods to the southeast of the White property. Over.”

  “Roger that, Chief. I just heard—”

  Static crackled from the speakers.

  “Round up any available officers and send them this way,” Colton said. “I’m heading out to find Raven and Lindsey.” He glanced over at Matthew. “You stay here and wait.”

  “But—” Matthew began to say.

  “That’s an order, Officer Matthew.”

  The radio sputtered again. “Chief, there’s something else you should know.”

  Colton stood and began to move around the side of the Jeep, raising his AR-15 with his right hand and keeping the radio close to his lips.

  “Go ahead,” he said.

  “I have some bad news about Officer Nelson.”

  The world seemed to slow. Static buzzed from the speakers as he watched the wind sway the branches of ponderosas under a sky full of clouds that looked like bullets.

  “Rick passed away about thirty minutes ago,” Margaret said. “I just got word from the hospital. I’m sorry, Chief.”

  Colton drew in a long breath, grief washing over him. He tucked the radio in his vest and gripped his rifle with both hands. Two officers had died in the past twenty-four hours. He refused to lose another.

  ***

  “Where are we?” Ty asked. His voice seemed to go on and on like they were in some sort of tunnel. It was warmer here than the last place the Sons of Liberty had taken them, and it smelled damp, like a basement. They still hadn’t removed Ty’s blindfold, although they had taken his mask off. The air didn’t taste burned anymore, which was good, but his back hurt and he felt like he might throw up. Someone had pushed his wheelchair up a rocky path for a while, every bump rattling his teeth and making his tummy feel queasy, before moving him and the other kids into this building.

  “You’re safe,” Tommy said.

  Carson grunted and spat on the floor. “I don’t get why the General wanted us to grab these cripples.”

  Tommy didn’t reply, but Ty snapped at the word.

  “I’m not a cripple. You’re going to be sorry you said that. My mom is coming to get me, and when she does—”

  “Shut up, kid,” Carson replied. “Your mommy isn’t coming.”

  Raised voices sounded in the distance, reverberating off the walls. Ty’s heart was racing, partly from anger, and partly from fear. What if Carson was right?

  She won’t give up, he told himself. She’s the bravest, toughest mom in the whole world, and she will find you and beat these guys up.

  And if his mom couldn’t find him for some reason, his uncle would. Uncle Nathan was probably in his fighter jet right now, looking for him. The idea made him feel better, but he was still mad. Hadn’t anybody ever taught these men it was rude to call someone names?

  “Stay quiet, kid,” Tommy said. He brought the wheelchair to a stop, and Ty heard the smooth, deep voice of the General issuing orders.

  “Max, I want these kids sprayed down and evaluated by Doc Rollins as soon as possible,” he said.

  “Sir, what should I tell Rollins if these kids have severe radiation poisoning? He’ll want to know if he’s authorized to treat them.”

  The approaching footfalls abruptly stopped not far from Ty.

  “I’ve already told the old man not to waste medical resources,” said the General.

  The rap of boots hitting the ground continued onward. Ty gritted his teeth and waited. When the footfalls sounded like they were about to pass, he did exactly what Tommy had told him not to do.

  “Hey, over here. You see me?” Ty tried to wave his bound hands. “My mom is going to come here and she’s going to put you all in prison.”

  Laughs rang out from all directions.

  “Go ahead and laugh,” Ty said. He was used to being teased, but his mom had taught him to draw strength from it instead of shame. Ty had survived just about the worst things that could happen to a kid, and he was still strong. Nobody could take that away from him with stupid, mocking laughter. “You’ll be sorry when my mom gets here. She’s friends with the president. He’ll have you all arrested.”

  A finger snapped, silencing the chuckles like a switch being flipped. A single pair of boots tapped the ground and stopped directly in front of his chair.

  “What did you say?” asked the General.

  “I said you’ll be sorry when my mom comes to find me.”

  Under his blindfold, he could see muddy boots in front of his wheelchair. They stepped closer.

  “After that, kid.”

  “I said my mom knows the president—”

  “President of what?”

  “The United States of America,” Ty said proudly. “She’s a United States Senator and she—”

  The blindfold was stripped off Ty’s face. He blinked at the bright lights hanging from cords overhead. It took him a moment for his eyes to adjust, but he quickly realized he was somewhere underground in what kind of looked like a cave. The walls and ceiling were rough rock, but the floor was concrete. Crates of supplies and large orange barrels were stacked against the walls.

  The General was crouched in front of his wheelchair. He was still wearing the space suit, but Ty could see his blue eyes behind the visor. The squiggly scar on his forehead caught Ty’s attention.

  The man pointed at it. “You like my scar? This is what happens when you get captured in enemy territory. You should have seen what I did to the monsters that did this to me. Sometimes you have to become the fiercer monster to survive, kid.”

  Two overweight men with long beards chuckled behind the General. They held large rifles and wore black baseball caps with snake symbols. Every inch of exposed skin below their necks seemed to be covered in tattoos.

  The General held up a hand for silence. “My name is Dan Fenix. General Dan Fenix, but you can call me Fenix.” He paused a moment, licked his lips, and leaned closer. “What’s your name, son?”

  “You don’t scare me, mister. None of you do,” Ty said.

  “Kid, I couldn’t care less if I scare you or not. I told you and your friends that we came to help you at the camp, remember? If it weren’t for us, you’d be dead.”

  “Then why are my hands tied, and why did you shoot Mr. Barton and Mr. Gonzalez? They didn’t do anything to you.”

  “They got in my way,” Fenix replied. He let out a short sigh like he was getting frustrated. “And we tied your hands because…”

  He looked back at his men and raised his voice. “Why did you guys tie this poor boy’s hands? Carson, did you do it?”

  Carson nodded. Ty saw his tormentor clearly for the first time. He had a shaved head and greasy black eyebrows. A big, ugly eagle holding a flag was tattooed on his neck.

  “Well untie him, damn it,” Fenix snapped. He crab-walked closer to Ty and put his gloved hands on the armrests of the chair. For the first time since the gunshots on the road, Ty felt a paralyzing fear grab him. There was something wrong with this man. It wasn’t just that strangers weren’t supposed to touch his chair. His eyes were so co
ld and flat. His words sounded nice, but his eyes gave him away.

  Ty remained silent, terrified that if he did talk, he would stutter. His mom always taught him to never show his fear.

  Fenix stood and clasped his hands behind his back. “Fine, you don’t want to talk to me? I guess I’ll just have to ask one of your little friends. I might even have to hurt them. Is that what you want?”

  “My name is Ty.”

  “Ty what?” Fenix turned halfway with one ear in his direction.

  “Montgomery.”

  Fenix’s cold eyes lit up as he turned back to Ty. “You’re Senator Charlize Montgomery’s son?”

  Ty nodded proudly, although something felt wrong about doing so. Maybe he shouldn’t have told Fenix his mom’s name. Maybe… but no. His mom would come find him, and she would make these men pay for what they had done to Mr. Barton and Mr. Gonzalez.

  Fenix clapped his hands. “Hot damn. See? I told you guys this plan was golden. We got ourselves a real valuable hostage. We’re going to be able to buy enough ammunition to take over Colorado and purge it of the filth. Nobody is going to be able to rise up against us.”

  Everyone in the tunnel, even the other kids, stared at Ty like he was some sort of celebrity. His stomach ached, and he reached down to grip his belly. He gagged, and swallowed the acid boiling up his throat.

  “I think I’m going to be sick,” Ty mumbled.

  The words wiped the smile off Fenix’s face. He snapped his fingers at Tommy and Carson. “Get this kid showered off and take him straight to Doc Rollins. Anything the old man needs, tell him it’s authorized.”

  Fenix leaned down in front of Ty and gave him what appeared to be a genuine smile. “We can’t let anything happen to little Mr. Ty Montgomery.”

  — 5 —

  “They took him, Nathan. They took Ty.”

  The words crackled out of the speakers of the analog radio. Nathan’s heart hammered his rib cage. For a moment he didn’t respond. He couldn’t.

  He was sitting at a picnic table in Bond Park outside of town hall, trying to make sense of what his sister had just said. The gunfire to the west had ceased, but none of the police officers had returned. There was no one here to see him if he broke down, but he had to hold it together for Charlize and Ty.

  “Nathan, are you there?” his sister asked.

  He brought the receiver to his lips. “Yes, I’m here. I’m sorry, there’s a situation here in Estes Park.”

  Charlize continued like she hadn’t heard him. “Some soldiers took Ty and the other kids from the camp.”

  “But he’s alive?”

  “I’m… I’m not sure. Oh God, how is any of this happening?”

  “Charlize, I know this is hard, but you have to calm down,” Nathan said. “Start over and tell me exactly what happened.”

  There was a short pause and what sounded like Charlize taking a few deep breaths on the other end of the line.

  “The Marines I had deployed to the camp found a boy named Alex. He said soldiers shot two of the counselors and took several of the children.”

  Nathan nodded, recalling the boy’s name from Ty’s enthusiastic tales of his time at the camp. He kept the receiver out, holding back his questions. Right now, he needed to listen.

  “He said he saw the soldiers load Ty into a pickup truck and take him away.”

  “Where?” Nathan asked, unable to hold his questions any longer.

  “I… I don’t know. Lieutenant Dupree is combing the area from a Black Hawk, but they don’t have much fuel left, and they have to take Alex to a hospital. They aren’t going to be able to come get you right now, either.”

  There was commotion on the other line, a humming of some sort and then the unmistakable sound of helicopter rotors.

  “Are you going somewhere?” Nathan asked.

  “I’m being evacuated. The North Koreans still have subs in the water.”

  Nathan cursed. “I’ll go find him, Charlize. You just get somewhere safe.”

  “No,” she replied without hesitation. “The roads are dangerous. The briefings I’ve gotten…it’s chaos out there, Nate.”

  “Which is all the more reason I should be out there looking for Ty. Especially if Dupree has to return to base.”

  A male voice sounded in the background. “We have to move, Madame Secretary. We can’t delay any longer.”

  “Hold on, Albert,” Charlize said. Wind crackled over the channel, followed by the chop of a helicopter taking off.

  “All due respect, Sis, but I’m going out there.”

  A hard pause passed over the channel. Nathan wasn’t sure if it was because she was considering his request or because she had run out of time.

  Static came over the channel, followed by his sister’s voice. “Do you still have access to a CBRN suit and a working vehicle?”

  “I’m sure I can get both,” Nathan said.

  “What time is it there?”

  “Five or so in the afternoon.”

  “It’s too late to leave today,” Charlize said. “Give Dupree one more shot at this. If he doesn’t find Ty by morning, you have my authorization to search for him yourself.”

  Nathan thought about it for a moment. He was only eighty-six miles away from the Easterseals camp. He didn’t like waiting any longer, but the roads would be worse at night. He looked over his shoulder at town hall as the doors creaked open. Margaret, the police dispatcher, stepped outside. She seemed to be crying.

  Charlize’s voice pulled him back to the radio.

  “Is there someone who can go with you tomorrow?” she asked.

  “I’ll be fine on my own.”

  There was another short pause.

  “Keep that radio with you. I’ll call you with an update as soon as I can. I love you, Nathan.”

  “I love you, too. Everything’s going to be okay, I promise. Now go get on that bird and fly somewhere safe.”

  Nathan lowered the receiver and shut off the radio to save the juice. After packing it up, he limped across the grass toward the station. First thing he had to do was get the CBRN suit, a rifle, and then a vehicle.

  Margaret pulled her hands from her face and looked up at him.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “No, I’m not. Officer Rick Nelson just passed away.”

  Nathan looked at his boots, then back to Margaret. “I’m really sorry to hear that, ma’am.”

  “He won’t be the last,” she said gravely. “Things are getting worse by the minute. Chief Colton’s out there looking for Raven and Detective Plymouth right now. There’s been some sort of a shootout. I can’t get my head around all this violence. We’ve lived in peace for so long.”

  Nathan tried to think of something else to say, but couldn’t find the words to comfort her. He looked to the west. The Estes Park police department and Raven were on their own this time. Nathan had his own mission to prepare for.

  As soon as Colton got back, Nathan was going to do what he should have done all along. He was going to head south. Not in the morning, not in six hours. As soon as he had a vehicle and a weapon, he was heading out there to find Ty.

  ***

  Raven worked his way through the trees, steady but fast, following the trail—a crushed sapling here, a few drops of blood on the ground there. His best friend trotted to the east, sniffing the ground. Creek was in his element, following the scent of the bastards that had tried to steal the pickup truck and kidnapped Lindsey. They weren’t far ahead, but they were armed with a shotgun and Lindsey’s pistol.

  After firing an arrow into the Chevy’s back tire, two men and a woman had bailed and opened fire on Raven. He was only able to get off a few shots before they had fled into the woods with Lindsey. A shotgun blast had almost taken off Raven’s head, ponytail and all.

  He kept low and raked the barrel of his Glock over the terrain as he pursued his chases. His view had transformed into a two-dimensional grid. Scanning it systematically, he looked for the bright
blue of the Old Navy sweatshirt that the man with the shotgun was wearing.

  Snapping and crunching branches sounded ahead, followed by a raised voice.

  “Keep moving, bitch!”

  Raven moved around a tree and crouched next to a boulder covered in orange moss. There, to the southeast, he finally spotted Lindsey’s uniform through the gap in the trees. He bolted for another rock.

  A thin man with a red poncho had a gun pointed at Lindsey’s back—her gun, Raven realized. The cuffs around her wrists were hers as well. How these idiots had gotten the drop on her was going to be a matter of discussion over a cup of coffee at some point, but first he had to get her out of this mess.

  The second chase, a frail woman with wild red hair and a red flannel shirt to match, followed the group through the woods. She was gripping her shoulder where Raven had clipped her with a round back on the road.

  “Look at me again and I’ll shoot you!” the man with the poncho said to Lindsey.

  She glared at him and tried to speak, but there was something jammed in her mouth. A sock or glove, maybe. The guy with the shotgun was leading the group. He stopped at the bottom of the slope and looked in Raven’s direction.

  Raven ducked back down. His plan was to take that guy out with his bow, but now that they had Lindsey’s weapon, he was going to need to get closer and bring them down swiftly. He would need Creek’s help.

  With a flash of his hand, Raven ordered Creek to flank the group. Then he took off running for the cover of a massive ponderosa. The kidnappers were moving down a ridgeline that led toward the town. Raven knew this area well. He had guided an illegal hunting party here. The rich idiots had paid extra for the night vision goggles and suppressed rifles. The night hunt was supposed to end with a trophy bull elk. Instead, they had gone home empty handed. Raven had a bad feeling this hunt wouldn’t end the same way.

  Someone was going to die. He just had to make sure it wasn’t him, Creek, or Lindsey.

  Keeping low, he ran for the crest of the hill that overlooked Estes Park. His body ached and the slash to his chest burned, but the adrenaline made him forget the pain.

  He ducked under a branch and crouch-walked over to the side of a tree to look out over the lush valley below. Smoke swirled from chimneys into the sky. His chases were getting closer to town. A shootout in the forest was one thing, but in a residential area it could result in innocent casualties.