Looking towards the drop-down ladder that led to the attic, he wondered if he could climb it and crawl around the attic without waking the family up. ‘Probably not,’ he conceded, shaking his head as he grabbed a cup from the dish rack. He poured himself a cup of coffee, then headed for the front porch, pulling his coat closed as he walked. As he opened the door, Cole looked up, suddenly awake. The cat hopped down off of the back of the chair and rushed over to rub against his leg. Daniel grabbed the leash and slipped the harness onto the cat before opening the door wide enough for the animal to make its way outside.
Stepping out onto the porch, he let the leash out all the way so that Cole could make his way out into the front of the yard. He’d added an additional six feet of rope onto the end of the leash to give their cats more freedom until he was able to build the ‘cattery’ the family’s pets truly deserved. Back in San Diego, they’d been allowed to roam free, but with coyotes running freely in the mountains around them, it was too dangerous to allow at the cabin.
As the cat squatted in the middle of the yard, Daniel smirked, thinking that the pile the cat left behind was just another deterrent. When Cole finished his business, he sniffed around the yard, carefully approaching the traps Paul and Serafina had created. The cat walked around them carefully, examining the holes and buried stakes from multiple angles before losing interest and heading back towards the porch.
When the cat was close enough, Daniel scooped him up, surprised yet again by the cat’s size, and took him inside, where he removed the leash before letting him go back to his spot on the back of the chair. Hanging the leash back up, he turned to go to the kitchen and was surprised to see Serafina there, pouring herself a cup of coffee. Hearing him, she turned and held up the pot, signaling that she’d refill his cup. He held his cup out towards her, smiling as she filled it.
Together, they quietly made their way out to the porch, where they chose to sit on the steps leading up to the house instead of the wicker chairs that lined the front of the house.
Gazing out across the yard as the dawn approached, Daniel said, simply, “I’m still worried.”
His wife leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. “We’ll get the boards up this morning. That’ll help.”
He nodded slightly. “Definitely, but still…” He reached up and stroked her hair. “It’s gonna be tough.”
“I know.”
They sat there in silence as the sun made its way up into the sky, slowly illuminating the mountain. After a while, they went inside and began making breakfast. They didn’t care if they woke the kids. There was still a lot of work to do, and not much time to do it.
“Hold the board in place while I hammer,” Daniel instructed through his closed teeth, which held a pair of nails. He held another in his left hand, positioning it against the piece of plywood as he waited for Paul to steady the board. The backside of the board was coated in a thick layer of mud, adding an extra layer of insulation between the wood and the cabin’s exterior. Once in position, he nailed the three nails in the triangular pattern at the corner, then moved around Paul to repeat the process in the other top corner. With the six nails holding the board in position, Paul was able to let go of the board. They moved on to the next window, repeating the process along the bottom, with the edge of the board lining up with the window sill. Afterwards, they moved to the sides of the house and repeated the process, before finishing with the lower portion along the back.
After taking a short break to stretch out, they traded positions so that Daniel could hold the boards above the window, this time letting the wood hang down so that the top two-thirds of the opening was covered. Using a step ladder, Paul hammered in the nails in the upper corners as Daniel had instructed. When the first window was done, they paused as Daniel stepped back, looking at their work. Between the two pieces of plywood a one-foot gap remained for them to see and fire through. Stepping inside the cabin, he went to the window and looked out. He was able to see well without being overly exposed.
It would work.
Together, he and Paul made their way around the house again, adding the pieces of plywood to the top of the windows. Along the sides of the house they changed the positioning of the wood that covered the windows, putting a one foot wide piece centered over the top half of the window, then leaving a gap of about eight inches on either side before adding another piece of wood next to the middle one. The placement left a one foot tall opening along the width of each window, with two eight inch wide vertical openings a foot apart, perfect for Brenna and Paul to shoot arrows through.
With the tops of the last board secured, the two of them split up, heading in opposite directions with hammers and nails. They secured the bottoms of the boards using the same method they’d used at the top, ensuring each nail was fully embedded in the wood. By the time they completed the effort, they were both sweating in the early morning heat and ready for a drink of water and a snack.
Inside, Serafina and the girls had been cleaning the weapons and positioning ammunition and arrows. In preparation for the trouble that was likely to come, Serafina had Brenna set up food and water for the cats in the bathroom.
When the opportunity arose, Serafina sat down and talked with the girls, explaining that if they were forced to fight, they needed to put out thoughts of what they were doing and stay focused. The men who would come would not have any qualms about killing them; they needed to hold the same viewpoint.
“Take the shot and move on. If you have to shoot again, do so and move on. It may sound crazy, but pretend it isn’t real. Just know that if they get the chance, they’ll kill any one of us in a heartbeat. Understand?”
“I won’t hesitate.” Ashley said, setting her jaw in fierce determination. “The man in the store wanted to hurt all three of you. If I see him, I’ll put a bullet in him.”
“Not if I put an arrow in him first.” Brenna added. “That man was pure evil, and he wanted to hurt Auntie.”
“It felt good to hit him in the head with that can.” Ashley said, smiling as she nodded.
Serafina interrupted. “I’m sure it did, but now the men that are with him will come prepared for a fight.” Looking towards the window, she added, “We’ve got some tricks and traps to surprise them. Hopefully that will slow them down.”
Opening the door, Daniel kicked his boots against the doorstep, knocking dust off before stepping inside. Paul followed closely behind him, repeating his movements, something Serafina had seen him do more and more over the last several days. It seemed pretty obvious that the young man was seeing Daniel as a father figure, which wasn’t that surprising since he had been lacking one at home. She wondered if Daniel had noticed.
Sweating profusely, Daniel glanced over at her. “Thirsty,” he said before turning and heading to the kitchen with Paul in tow.
Turning back to the girls, she looked at the young Mexican girl. “Isabella, if something bad happens, if someone attacks us, I want you to stay close to me, okay? We’re going to go in the guest bedroom and let the others fight from out here and from the master bedroom at the back of the house. I’m going to protect you. Understand?”
The girl nodded slowly, her eyes wide and saucer-like. Since arriving at their cabin, she’d been in a constant state of awe as she watched the family work at laying traps and setting up reinforcements. The sight of them holding weapons, clearly comfortable in doing so, made her stare in unabashed wonder. Regardless, she followed directions readily and never questioned their motives. “Okay,” she replied, simply.
“Alright, why don’t you three relax for a bit, while Daniel and I prep something for lunch?”
The three of them nodded, heading towards the couch in the living room. The room was considerably darker with the boards hanging over the windows, giving it a dim, bunker-like feel. Near the window to the right of the front door, Ursula stood on her hind legs, sniffing at the window curiously as she evaluated the object that was blocking her view of the yard.
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In the kitchen, she found Daniel and Paul sitting at the table, holding empty glasses. Between them on the table a large jug of water sat half empty. Daniel looked up at her and smiled. Lifting his shirt up, he wiped the sweat from his face. “Finished the windows,” he stated.
“I saw. Good job. It’s darker inside, but the added protection is a good thing.”
“Agree. I’m thinking that next I’ll - ”
From outside, a voice boomed.
“YOU INSIDE! THIS IS THE SHERIFF! STEP OUTSIDE AND SHOW YOURSELF!”
CHAPTER SEVENTY FOUR
Serafina’s eyes widened at the sound of the voice over the megaphone. Staring at Daniel, she found herself at a loss for words.
Daniel was up in an instant, using his arm to gently move her away from the window at her back. Moving towards the opening so that he could look out, he glanced towards the living room and saw the Ashley and Brenna peering outside. “Girls, stay away from the window.”
Outside, he saw a white SUV with a Sheriff’s shield logo on the side and a big, black dualie truck. In front of the two vehicles a man in a Sheriff’s uniform stood, holding the megaphone in his hand. To his right stood a thick bodied black man in uniform, and a fit, sandy-brown haired man, in a dark button-up shirt and black cargo pants. To his left stood a thin, long haired man in a T-shirt, jeans and boots, and a fat man with short hair in a shirt with cut off sleeves, jeans, and boots.
“The man with the bullhorn might be law enforcement, and maybe the black man, too, but the rest aren’t.” Daniel said aloud.
“I REPEAT, THIS IS THE SHERIFF! STEP OUTSIDE AND SHOW YOURSELF! IF YOU DO NOT, WE WILL ENTER THE PROPERTY BY FORCE!”
Looking over his shoulder at Serafina, Daniel said, “Guess I’d better go out there.”
“What? No!”
“I need to see what they want. Maybe these aren’t the men we’re worried about.”
“Come on, Daniel. Why would they be here if they weren’t?”
Nodding, he relented. “True, but maybe we can work something out.”
“Like what? You know they want blood.”
“Okay, that’s probably true, but I can at least talk to them. You four get in position, provide cover in case I need it.”
“But you’ll be fully exposed…”
Daniel grinned. “They don’t know Douglas and Janice are right behind them. Also, I’ve got an idea. I saw it on a TV show.” He quickly described what he wanted them to do before sliding his Glock into the holster on his belt and heading to the front door. Opening it slightly, he yelled through the opening.
“Sheriff, if I come out, I want your word that your men won’t shoot! I don’t want trouble!”
“NO PROBLEM. I JUST WANT TO TALK!”
“Alright! I’m coming out!” Daniel looked back at Serafina briefly before stepping out onto the porch, closing the door behind him.
His boots crunched on the leaves and pine needles that covered the ground in the front yard. Without looking down, he used his peripheral vision to avoid the holes and wires they’d placed in the yard, seemingly wandering down the hill casually as he walked.
As he approached the group, he heard the sound of motorcycles coming up the hill. Two Harley Davidson motorcycles rounded the corner, their engines growling loudly. The riders pulled up alongside the Sheriff’s SUV and hopped off their bikes, walking forward casually to take up positions to the man’s right. One was tall and muscular, wearing a leather vest that hung open, revealing a muscular frame. His hair was closely shaved on the sides and longer on the top. The second man was one of the largest individuals Daniel had ever seen. Easily six foot eight and probably well over two hundred and seventy pounds, the man towered over everyone, casting a long shadow. He stood there, staring at Daniel, a trail of smoke drifting upward from the tip of the cigar that hung from his mouth.
Stopping a few feet away, Daniel hooked his thumbs on his belt and regarded the man with the megaphone.
“What can I do for you, Sheriff?”
The man passed the megaphone to the good looking man on his right, then stepped forward, extending his hand. “Sheriff Grayson Halwell. Nice to meet you.”
Surprised by the move, it took Daniel a second to catch himself from reacting. He paused momentarily, looking at the hand just long enough to make it clear he had to think about it, then reached forward and shook it, staring into the man’s eyes. “Sheriff,” he answered, not offering his name.
The man’s eyes narrowed slightly as he regarded Daniel, clearly put off by Daniel’s evasion. Pressing the issue, he asked, “And you are?”
“You can call me Dan.”
Nodding the Sheriff smiled slyly. “Okay Dan. You got a last name?”
Daniel shook his head. “Not really.”
The black man sneered at him, anger showing on his face. “Watch yourself.”
The Sheriff looked over his shoulder towards the man briefly before returning his attention to Daniel.“It’s alright Harold. Dan here doesn’t know that I know his last name is Alvarado, ain’t that right?”
His words caught Daniel off guard, frustrating him slightly. ‘Dammit. Keep it cool, Daniel,’ he said to himself, playing it off with a shrug. “That name’s from a long time ago. Before the world went crazy.”
His smart ass response clearly irritated the Sheriff, but the man regained his composure quickly, grinning. “That’s fine. You’re here now, and so am I, which brings me to my point.”
Daniel jutted his chin upward slightly, looking at the man. “And that is?”
“You’ve got someone in there I want.”
Daniel shook his head, showing skepticism on his face. “Pretty sure I don’t.”
The black man, who the Sheriff had referred to as Harold stepped forward, his hand on the grip of his gun. “I said, watch yourself! You’re talking to the Sheriff!”
“Calm down, Harold,” the Sheriff said, taking a deep breath. “Don’t make me tell you to wait in the cruiser.”
Stepping back, Harold glanced at his boss’s back. “Sorry.”
The Sheriff closed his eyes for a second, then continued. “I believe that one of the women here attacked one of my men. That man works for me, and I deputized him. That means the woman assaulted a police officer, which is a serious charge.”
Nodding, Daniel continued to stare back at the man. “That is a serious charge, and I understand why you’d be upset. Can you tell me more about what happened? For example, before your officer was assaulted, what was he doing?”
“That’s irrelevant.”
Daniel feigned surprise at the man’s response. “Really? Kind of seems important. I mean, are we sure it wasn’t accidental? Like, if he startled someone and they reacted without realizing he was a man of the law?”
“That’s not what happened.”
Nodding, Daniel gave a noncommittal, “Hunh.” He looked downward, pretending to think, then looked back at the man. “Okay, well, was your man in uniform?”
The Sheriff’s face began to redden as his patience wore thin. “No.” He said curtly through closed teeth.
Daniel brought his arms out wide. “Well, now, it really sounds like it could have been a mistake. If he wasn’t in uniform, and he approached this person in the wrong way, I’d say that with everything that’s been going on, it’s not really surprising that someone accidentally, I don’t know, kicked him?”
Stepping forward, the man glared at him, anger showing on his face as his nostrils flared. “I’m losing my patience here, Dan. You know what they did. Don’t push me.”
Putting his hands up defensively, Daniel replied, “Whoa, whoa, Sheriff. I’m just trying to understand what’s going on here.”
“I think you’re yanking my chain.”
“Definitely not my intention, Sheriff. Tell you what, can you describe the person who you say assaulted your deputy?”
“You know I can’t.”
Shaking his head, Daniel pursed his lips. “I don’t
know that at all. I wasn’t there.”
Seeing his opening, the Sheriff smiled again. “Actually, now that you mention it, maybe it was you .”
Daniel smiled, “Not possible, Sheriff, I haven’t left my cabin here in days.”
The man’s grin widened. “Well, maybe we should take you down to our headquarters for questioning.”
“Come on, now Sheriff. You know you have to have more than what you’ve got. Your man wasn’t in uniform, you won’t say what he’s doing, and you don’t know what the person who allegedly assaulted your man looks like.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m the Sheriff, and what I say goes.” Halwell stared at Daniel, measuring him with his eyes as he tried to determine whether or not the man would put up a fight. For some reason, the man looked completely at ease, unworried by the fact that he was face to face with seven armed men. His relaxed nature made Halwell uncomfortable, as if he were missing something. Shaking it off, he continued. “I also believe you have another individual I want.”
Daniel shook his head again. “Like I said before, I’m pretty sure I don’t. Only people up there are my family, and I can’t imagine why you would want someone from my family.”
“She’s not your family. I’m talking about the little Mexican girl. She’s immune. I want her.”
“Not really cool to be into little girls, Sheriff.”
Stepping forward again, the Sheriff closed the gap more, trying to intimidate the man in front of him. “I’ve had just about enough of you. Now let me tell you what’s going to happen.” He pointed towards the house, “We’re going up there, and we’re going to search the house. We’re going to find the Mexican girl and whoever attacked my deputy, and we’re taking them in. Understand? Now, you can either step aside and let us do what we came here to do, or my men here can take you down. That’s it. What’s it going to be?”
Surviving Rage | Book 1 Page 70