Without Law 12

by Eric Vall

  “Let’s check the lines,” Paige said.

  “Lines?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” Bailey said. “We set up some trotlines yesterday.”

  “We noticed that they didn’t have a lot of fresh meat,” Paige said. “So we thought we’d show them a thing or two. We set up the lines yesterday, but we were going to show them how to make traps today while you guys were gone.”

  “That’s a great idea,” I said. I was so proud of my girls at that moment. They had taken the initiative to help these civilians be able to take care of themselves better. Right now they probably relied on Brody for all of their food, which wasn’t ideal to begin with. I doubted that he gave them plenty to care for themselves, they probably had to stretch it to make it work, but if they knew how to fish and trap then they’d be able to have fresh meat pretty much year round.

  “Thanks,” Paige said as she and Bailey stood up and headed toward the back of the refinery where the river was.

  “Did you know about this?” I asked Anna.

  “Yeah,” she said. “I helped them set it up.”

  “Good job, Major,” I said with a smile.

  “It was their idea,” Anna said with a shrug. “I just helped out.”

  “Did Paige talk to you about her assignment for the day?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” Anna said, and she took a drink of coffee. “She’s supposed to come up with a trade agreement with Renee.”

  “I’d like to get that done, yes,” I said.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to be here for that?” Anna asked.

  “No need,” I told her. “I trust you both. You can do this.”

  “Alright,” Anna said, “but don’t come crying to me when we wind up with maps instead of useful things.”

  I chuckled and took another sip of my coffee. Anna could tease all she wanted, but I knew that she and Paige were more than capable of handling the trade deal, and Renee was a reasonable woman, so I was sure they would come to an agreement that would benefit both parties. With Brody soon to be gone, Renee was most likely to be in charge next, and she was a leader I would be happy to work with. I’d have to wait to see how it all went down, though, there may be someone at the fort that I didn’t know about. Renee was in charge of the refinery, too, and I wasn’t sure she’d want to leave her position. Still, whoever she trusted to be in charge, I’d trust as well. After dealing with Brody, I don’t think anyone would stand for another dictator, and Renee seemed to trust her fellow civilians at the fort. I wasn’t sure if anyone else had her leadership capabilities, but I knew they’d be trustworthy and reasonable at least.

  Tara got one of our cast iron pans out from the jeep, along with a few other things, and she greased the pan and put it on the fire. A few minutes later Paige and Bailey returned with several freshly cleaned fish ready to pop on the grill.

  “I’m surprised they hadn’t been fishing before,” Kimmy said as she looked at the catch. “You got a lot in just one night.”

  “They tried, I think,” Paige said. “But they didn’t know how to make trotlines. They’re so much easier than actual fishing.”

  “They are,” Kimmy agreed. “Though I don’t mind a day spent fishing.”

  “It’s nice, right?” Paige said with a smile.

  “Very,” Kimmy said.

  “You can put them right into the pan,” Tara said, and Bailey and Paige dropped the fish onto the cast iron.

  “What are you going to make?” Kimmy asked. “Before the EMP I never really thought of fish as a breakfast food.”

  “They eat fish for breakfast in some Asian countries,” Paige said.

  “That makes sense,” Kimmy said. “Especially for places really close to water, fish are probably a large part of their diets.”

  “I’m just going to make some fish and veggies,” Tara said. “But I’ll make some corn cakes, too, so it feels more breakfasty.”

  “Well, it already smells good,” Kimmy said with a smile.

  “Thanks,” the platinum blonde responded.

  I sat back and warmed my feet by the fire while Tara worked on breakfast. Soon, Renee and the other civilians got up and joined us and everyone raved about Kimmy’s coffee. It really was delicious, so much so that I had two cups, even though the second was barely lukewarm. I didn’t care, it was the taste that mattered right then, and it was good, hot or cold.

  Tara finished preparing breakfast and made everyone plates. The fish she cooked was flaky and moist, and the veggies were sauteed nicely, but the best part was the corn cakes that she made. I’d always been a fan of corn in virtually any capacity, and Tara always figured out a way to make it extra delicious.

  “We’ll leave in a few hours,” Renee said after everyone had eaten their breakfasts. “Will you all be okay with that?”

  “We’re on your schedule,” I told her. “Is there anything we can do in the meantime?”

  “I don’t think so,” she said. “We’ll fill up the rest of the barrels and make sure everything is like it normally is.”

  “Alright,” I agreed. “Let us know if we can be of some assistance. I’d like to touch base with Rolly really quick, though, if that’s alright.”

  “My office is your office,” Renee said with a smile.

  “I appreciate it,” I told her, and I stood up and headed into the refinery. The girls tagged along, and they crowded the doorway while I took a seat and grabbed the mic of the CB radio.

  “Tav to Rolly,” I said loud and clear. “Tav to Rolly, do you read me?”

  It was quiet for a minute, and I was about to repeat the call out when a crackling came over the speaker.

  “Rolly to Tav,” the old man said. “I read you loud and clear.”

  “Good,” I said, relieved to hear his voice. “How’s things on campus?”

  “Still quiet over here,” Rolly said.

  “How’s Henry?” I asked.

  “He’s sore,” Rolly said. “But he’s holding up. I didn’t think you all would still be at the refinery.”

  I explained the plan to Rolly and let him know when we’d be home. I didn’t like that it had taken so long, either, but I had to remind myself that it had only been a couple of days, there was no way I could have moved any faster no matter how hard I tried. There were just certain things that had to be figured out before we attacked the fort. We couldn’t risk attacking in a blind rage, that was how you got killed.

  Rolly assured me that he had everything under control on campus, and he even brought baby Anthony to the phone for a minute so Kimmy could talk to him. I was happy to hear that it was still quiet there, but I didn’t trust Brody one bit, so even though I didn’t think it’d be the smartest move to try to attack our campus again, I wouldn’t put it past him.

  After we hung up with Rolly, I took a good look at each of the girls. I knew that the conversation had sobered them up some. They were definitely worried about Henry and the kids, and while not all of them would be coming with me today, we were still all part of the same team, and what someone didn’t do was just as important as what they did.

  “You all okay?” I asked.

  “We’re good,” Anna said, and she looked around to the other girls. “I’m just ready for this shit to be over.”

  “I think we all are,” Paige said.

  “It’ll be over soon enough,” I said. “Just stay vigilant, you know the fight always goes by quicker than you think.”

  “We know,” Anna said with a nod. “You guys be fucking careful in there. I swear to god if you die, I’ll do some necromancy shit and bring you back to life just so I can kill you again.”

  “You’ve seen far too many scary movies,” Tara chuckled, but then her face turned soft and she smiled at the redhead. “We’ll be careful, we promise.”

  “Tara, Bailey,” I said, “let’s go get kitted out. I want to make sure we’re ready early so we can double check that we have everything.”

  “Right,” Bailey agreed.

  �
��Let’s do it,” Tara said.

  “We’ll check with Renee to make sure everything is ready,” Anna said.

  “I appreciate it,” I told her, then I led Bailey and Tara toward the barracks where our clothes and things were.

  Once we were inside, I went through my duffle bag and found the darkest pair of pants I had, they were a pair of well fitted blue jeans, but they were deep in color, and they’d have to do. I also grabbed a black T-shirt and threw it on, along with my boots. Then, I threw on a shoulder holster that had a slot under each armpit and placed an M9 in each one. I made sure each weapon was loaded to the max, and I shoved four extra magazines into my pockets, two in the right pocket and two in the left. Next, I clipped my knives to my hips and made sure they were secure, plus, I hid a small OTF or out the front knife in one of my boots. I wasn’t about to be caught without a weapon on me, no matter how small it may be. It didn’t matter how large the blade was if you could wield it properly.

  After I had finished getting ready, I left Tara and Bailey to finish up, and I headed outside toward the jeep and trailer that now sat in the driveway of the refinery. The trailer was full of barrels of fuel, but I was able to spot my drum. I worried that someone else might notice it as well, and that there would be an issue with Renee having brought that one.

  “Renee,” I said as I walked up to the woman.

  “Yeah?” she asked.

  “I was just looking at the trailer,” I said. “I can clearly see the oblong shaped one. Is it going to be a problem if someone else notices it?”

  “No,” she said with a shake of her head. “It’s not used very often anymore, but I’ve used it a couple of times before. Besides, Brody’s goonies won’t dare to say anything to me.”

  “Scared of you?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “More like they don’t want to piss me off,” she said. “I’m pretty valuable to Brody, and they know that. They all just kind of leave me alone.”

  “Good to know,” I said with a nod. “I’m ready to go, Tara and Bailey should be out soon, then I just wanted to do a quick get in, get out to make sure everything is set.”

  “Sounds good,” Renee agreed. “If there’s any problems, we need to know about them now. We have a lot on the line here.”

  “Don’t I know it,” I said as I thought about the children inside the fort, and all the women that Brody tortured day after day. There were people who were counting on us, whether they knew it or not, and we weren’t about to let them down.

  “Did Anna and the girls come find you?” I asked as I looked around and didn’t see them.

  “Yeah,” Renee said. “They’re inside helping to fill up the last couple of drums.”

  “Okay,” I said. “I should probably go help them.”

  I made my way toward the refinery, but before I reached the door it opened and Anna and Paige came out pushing a drum of fuel across the ground.

  “Do you want help?” I chuckled.

  “It’s too heavy to carry,” Paige said. “Better to roll it.”

  I ran around to where the girls were and started to push the barrel, but I got it going a bit too fast and the girls fell off behind me as I finished pushing it up the ramp and onto the trailer.

  “Thanks,” Anna said with a grin.

  “Don’t mention it,” I laughed.

  “Before you leave I want to check your scrapes,” Paige said.

  “Alright,” I agreed. Normally I’d tell her that I was fine, but I knew that she needed to do this to feel better. It didn’t hurt for me to have my minor injuries looked at, but more than that it would make Paige feel like she’d done all she could before we left. It wasn’t going to be easy being separated, but if this could help her feel a bit more comfortable I’d oblige and let her doctor my scratches.

  “Come sit down,” the brunette said, and she led me to a nearby lawn chair and peeled back the small bandage she had put on the wound the day before.

  “How’s it look, doc?” I asked.

  “I think you’ll live,” she said with a small smile.

  “Only because of your fine care,” I told her, and she looked down and blushed.

  “It’s not a big scrape or anything,” she said. “I just wouldn’t want to risk it getting infected.”

  “I appreciate it,” I told her. “Don’t worry about it too much, though. We won’t be gone long.”

  “I know,” she said. “It’s really just a few hours, but it feels like a lot longer when you’re just waiting around.”

  “It does,” I agreed. “But remember, we’ll be waiting around half the day, too.”

  “That’s true,” Paige said. “And poor Bailey has to just hang around by herself, I hadn’t even thought about that.”

  “Hm,” I said with a frown. “I hadn’t, either, and she didn’t say anything about it.”

  “She’ll do anything to help,” Paige said. “Still, at least you and Tara will have each other, and Anna and I have each other, along with Kimmy and everyone else here. I’d hate to be out on my own.”

  I hadn’t even considered that Bailey had to wait all day by herself. I knew she’d stay vigilant, she was a good soldier and an even better sniper, but I also knew from firsthand experience how boring it could be to be out all on your own.

  I didn’t want to send anything to distract her, but I wondered if there was something I could do to make the time go by a bit quicker for her.

  “We still have some chocolate in the jeep, right?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” Paige said, then she smiled when she realized what I meant. “I’ll make sure she has some to take with her.”

  “Thanks,” I said. It wasn’t much, but I thought she deserved a little something extra for being out all day by herself. I’d ask Kimmy to make some coffee for us as well before we left. We’d be waiting around quite a bit, but we still had to make sure that we were on our game, we couldn’t afford to get tired and lose our edge.

  Just as Paige finished up with my scrapes, I saw Tara and Bailey walking toward us. They were both kitted out to the max and they looked like total badasses.

  Bailey had a black beanie on, and her blonde hair poked out from the sides and landed on her shoulders. She had a black tank top with a black zip up hoodie thrown over it, but the zipper was barely done, and I could see the smooth lines of her abdomen under the tank top. Her bottom half was wearing a pair of blue jean shorts that showed off her pale but well toned legs, and a pair of black hiking boots. She had her sniper rifle thrown over her shoulder, a pistol on one hip, and a knife on the other. She also had a pair of sunglasses on that I’d never seen her wear before. They were aviator style, and even though her lips were spread in a smile, she still looked like she could kick anyone’s ass who dared to cross her, and it was sexy as hell.

  Tara had opted for a black tank top as well, but on the bottom she wore a pair of black athletic pants and sneakers. It wasn’t her typical look, but it was smart considering she would need to be as quiet as possible. Plus, the athletic gear showed off her large hips and ass, and the tank top was basically an oversized sports bra that revealed plenty of cleavage. Her long, platinum blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, but a few loose strands framed her face in the sexiest way. She had a holster on each hip, one with her M9 and the other with her silenced Ruger. Thigh holsters held her two chosen blades, and part of me wanted to see her in nothing but the holsters, they looked so sexy. She was absolutely stunning, as always, and my eyes moved down her body of their own accord.

  Both of them had their vests on, but they weren’t zipped up right then, and it still gave me a great view.

  “You done fucking us with your eyes?” Tara chuckled as she stopped in front of me and Paige.

  “Sorry,” I said, but I couldn’t help but smile. “You two look well prepared.”

  “You look like badasses is what he means to say,” Paige said.

  “We tried,” Tara said with a shrug. “Gotta play the part, right?”


  “I just figured it’d get cold during the night,” Bailey said with a gesture to her beanie and hoodie.

  “You’re probably right,” I said. “The last thing you need to be doing is shivering.”

  “That wouldn’t be good,” Bailey laughed.

  “Hey,” I said as Anna walked over to join our little group. “Has anyone seen Kimmy?”

  “She’s in Renee’s office, I think,” Anna said.

  “What’s she doing?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure,” the redhead said with a shrug.

  “We need to do a quick rehearsal,” I said. “Then I’ll go check on her.”

  “Alright,” Tara said, “let’s do this.”

  Tara, Bailey, and I did another run through with the drums to make sure that we could get in and out quickly in case we needed to. I had us run it several times until I was satisfied that each of us could get in and out at the drop of a hat. I didn’t expect that things would go wrong, but there was no guarantee that they would go exactly right, either. It was always best to plan for the worst case scenario, so that’s what I’d do, and if Tara and I needed to pop out of those barrels and take out some assholes before we had planned on it, then I knew we were capable of doing just that.

  After we finished running drills, the girls went to pack us some food and water for the trip. We couldn’t take much, so they had to be careful with what they put in our bags. Bailey could have her own backpack as usual, but Tara and I would share one, and we’d leave it in whatever room we were to be hidden in all day once the time came for us to get to work. The only thing we needed to have was some water and snacks to keep our energy up.

  While the girls made sure everything was ready to go, I went into Renee’s office and found Kimmy sitting in front of the CB radio. She was engrossed in whatever she was drawing on the paper in front of her, her curly hair fell over her shoulders and bounced slightly as she ran the pen back and forth on the page. Her lips were pushed out slightly, and she mouthed words to herself every few seconds.

  “Hey,” I said. “What’re you doing in here?”

  “Oh,” she said, and she looked up like she hadn’t realized I was there. “I was just tinkering around. I wish I would have made you guys some radios so we could communicate while you’re gone.”