Once he’d found an old bucket in the shed, he promptly filled it with water and set it out for them, while Vicki brushed and rubbed down each animal. That chore finished, they returned to the house.
“What about saddles and tack?” Vicki asked once they’d seated themselves in the living room.
“He’s got enough for each horse and a few spares. To be honest, it’s been a while since I’ve had to deal with any kind of livestock, so your help would be greatly appreciated.” Brad told her and she nodded.
“Not a problem, until this thing happened I did it every day. We had an even dozen horses.” Vicki said.
“Crazies?” Dillon asked and she nodded, clearly upset over it.
“Your husband?” Brad asked and she frowned and nodded.
“He was a dick, but he was my dick. Did that sound wrong?” she asked and Jessie snickered.
“Just a little.” he smiled.
“Yeah but you get what I’m saying?” Vicki asked and everyone nodded.
“Okay, so we need to figure out a watch schedule. For you new comers, upstairs is a ladder that leads to the cupola, which gives a three sixty view around the house. There’s also a radio that reaches the farm. It also reaches Jacksonville. Your Uncle Ronnie is alive and well, just outside of Jacksonville, Jess. He’s staying hidden.” Brad said.
“You’re kidding?” Jess asked.
“Nope. But since he doesn’t know how to use a gun, I’m not holding much hope for him.” Brad answered. Jessie just shook her head. She was amazed the man had made it this long.
Julie had finished her bath and showed Vicki where everything was so that she could bathe too, followed quickly with Crystal following Donna.
“Felt like I haven’t had a bath in a week.” Julie said.
“Yeah, I believe you.” Brad said and was slugged in the arm immediately, “We’ve got a lot to plan for; watches need to be set up until we leave, I have to get Brown’s horses down here and ready to go, and a plan needs to happen.”
“So, what are you thinking?” Julie asked her husband.
“We need to get Donna home, for starters. I haven’t heard shit from Sam and that worries me. I don’t want her to go alone, there’s no telling what she’ll find, but we need to be there. I was thinking about taking three or four with us, checking it out and if everything’s okay, heading back here and then going to the farm. Suggestions?”
“No way in hell I’m staying here.” Julie said, “There’s safety in numbers. You’ve drilled that in my head, so why don’t we all go together?”
“That’s an option, but I was thinking that fewer people present less of a target. And what about Spencer?” Brad asked.
“Spencer is riding with me.” Jessie said firmly, leaving no room for argument.
“Okay, so can everyone here ride?” Brad asked.
“My sore ass says yeah.” Julie answered, “Everyone in our family can, except Katie.”
“Yeah, she’s scared of horses.” Brad said, shaking his head.
“I’m a country girl. Enough said.” Diane tossed out. Everyone else just nodded. That was a plus.
“Okay, then. Spencer rides in front of you, it’ll be easier to hold on to him that way in case we need to add a little speed to it. Since we’ll be in Benton, we need to raid the gun store.” Brad said.
“What the hell for?” Julie asked.
“Anything we can get, but especially rifle scabbards, unless you want to carry them slung over your backs. I’m thinking extra weapons and ammo never hurt. Better to have...” Brad said before everyone interrupted him.
“And not need than need and not have.” Everyone said at the same time and he smiled.
“Well, at least ya know. “Brad grinned “Dillon is very good with a bow, I used to be. It wouldn’t hurt to have a few around and everyone learn how to use them. They’re a helluva lot quieter than firearms, so they’ll draw less attention.”
“Sounds good to me. I wanted a new one anyway.” Dillon said.
“Okay, let’s set up a watch schedule and everybody rest up. We’ll be heading out in broad daylight to make it easier on the horses.” Brad said.
“I’ll take first watch. Pops. You look like shit.” Dillon offered.
“Thanks, asshole.” Brad said and smiled.
“I’ll make a watch list up.” Donna said and Brad went into the office and retrieved a legal pad for her. Dillon made his way up to the cupola and settled in for a watch. Brad was right behind him.
“Keep a close eye out, especially behind the house and as far up the pasture as you can see. We’ve got horses to look after now and who the hell knows what one of the crazies will do if they get their hands on any of them.” Brad said. He was just about to descend the ladder when the radio crackled.
“Dad, are you there?” Katie asked. Knowing it wasn’t time to check in yet, he snatched up the mic.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, hoping it was nothing.
“Earlier Zack went outside the fence to make sure we weren’t being watched. What he found was a bunch of rednecks taking turns with a young girl.” She paused.
“Jesus. I’d hoped this shit wouldn’t start for a few more weeks. What happened?” Brad asked.
“Zack and Wolf took care of them, but not before they killed the girl. This afternoon there were a couple of really trashy women walking up and down the road. I waited until they passed, and then hid behind some hedges down the road. It seems like they knew the men and were looking for them. There may be trouble.” Katie warned.
“Looked like twins, heavy in the make-up?” Brad asked.
“Yeah. You know them?”
“The Goat Girls. Met them once when we were looking at some additional land down the street.” Brad explained.
“Goat Girls?” Katie asked.
“Yeah, they live on a small plot of land at the end of the street in a travel trailer. They have goats, hence the name. I asked about them and found out they’re trouble. Just make sure the proximity alarms are always on until we get there. We’ll head out to Donna’s in the morning, then we have to try and pick up a few things before we head that way. With any luck, we’ll be there tomorrow afternoon.” Brad told her.
“The quicker the better.” Katie said and then signed off.
Brad hung the mic up.
“We need to get there muy freaking pronto.” Brad said, “I never liked the looks of those two.”
“We should ride as hard as we can.” Dillon said.
“No, I have complete faith in Zack. If he took out the men, then two women won’t stop him. We stick to the plan.” Brad decided and went down the ladder.
Katie
Hopewell, TN
Katie was nervous. She’d seen the Goat Girls make three trips up and down the road. Knowing that they were looking for men Zack had killed made her even more anxious. If they started trouble, she’d be ready for them, she just hoped they’d keep their snooping to a minimum. Zack came downstairs after getting Kenna to lie down for a nap, a feat in itself.
“They still out there?” he asked and she nodded, “Well, if they come looking for trouble, that’s what they’ll get. I can’t believe they were shacking up with rapists. Surely they knew.”
“They knew, they just didn’t care. I heard them mentioning about the men finding what they called a slut, and having fun with her. Evidently that wasn’t their first time.” Katie answered.
“No, they seemed pretty relaxed about it.” Zack grimaced, “She was just a kid. Makes me sick.”
“Sorry you had to see that babe.” Katie hugged him.
“I’m sorry she got killed. I was really trying to help her. Probably wasn’t even out of middle school yet. Pisses me off.” Zack spat.
“What do you think we should do?” Katie asked.
“What Pops said; lay low. If they come looking for trouble though, I’ll be dragging their carcasses through the woods with their men.” Zack answered. She knew he meant it.
&nbs
p; “Dad said they should be here this afternoon. They’ve got horses now and it should be faster for them.” Katie told him.
“Horses? I never thought of that.’ He paused thinking for a minute, “The sound of their hoofbeats might attract attention, though. I hope he considered it.”
“No idea, but you know as well as I do that he thinks most things through.”
“True. They’ll need some pasture and we’ll need to find some feed and hay.” Zack said.
“I’m sure he’s working on something.” Katie said and paused. The Goat Girls were coming back down the road again, but this time they were entering houses. “This doesn’t look good. They aren’t scavenging; They’d walk out with loot or food. They’re not carrying anything out, they’re searching.” Katie informed him.
“Let me get my gear on and be ready.” Zack told her.
“Want me to come too?” she asked.
“Nope. They don’t need to know how many people we have here. Besides, Kenna’s finally asleep.” Zack said.
Zack and Wolf crouched in the weeds and watched the women as they walked into another house. His radio crackled in his ear.
“Looks like they’re working both sides of the street.” Katie said. He clicked the mic button twice so that she’d know he heard her. He watched as they exited the house across the street from the farm and headed right to him. He stayed in the weeds until they reached the edge of the driveway.
“That’s far enough! State your business!” Zack shouted and he almost laughed when they jumped back startled.
“We’re looking for some people!” The older one shouted back.
“They’re not here! This is private property! You need to leave now!” Zack shouted back.
“What’s back up that way? What’re you hiding?!” the older one shouted back.
“Private property! Step one foot in it and I will shoot!” Zack said.
“We have a right to search for our people!” the younger one shouted.
“Nope! I told you to leave! Do not test me!”
“I bet the bastard ain’t even gotta gun or he’d be out here waving it around.” The older one said just loud enough for Zack to hear it. He said nothing, just flipped the safety off.
“What if he does?” the younger one asked.
“If he was gonna shoot, he woulda already. Ain’t no law no more.” The older one said and stepped onto the property. Wolf growled. Zack fired a warning shot over their heads and the instantly dove to the ground.
“Next time I shoot to kill.” He warned, “Best be on your way.” The woman got up and dusted themselves off.
“This ain’t over!” the older one said.
“Well, anytime you want to get froggy with it, jump. Until then, stay clear of this property.” Zack told them as they turned and walked back the way they came from, no longer interested in anyone’s house.
“I’m going to follow them. If they stir up shit, I at least want to know where they live.” Zack radioed.
“Okay. Just be careful.” She replied.
“Where’s the fun in that?” He asked and stayed way off the road in case they decided to look behind them. He doubted they would. Zack didn’t know it, but the dirt road the rednecks had taken the girl up wasn’t accessible from this street and barely identifiable as a any kind of a road from Highway 64, where it intersected. The rednecks knew about it because they made a small batch of Tennessee corn liquor a couple of summers past. Thinking that the entrance was on this street, he worried that the Goat Girls, as he now thought of them too, would go up it, find the bodies and retrieve their weapons. If they did that, he figured, they’d be pissed enough to scoop up the firearms and come looking for the only other person alive in the area that they knew of. He was going to trail them back and get a good fix on their house, then return to the farm and backtrack to go get those weapons before they fell into the wrong hands. He knew he should have gotten them earlier, but after what happened to the girl he was just too depressed to even think.
There were several really nice houses on this street and the Goat Girls could have had their pick. They might have to tote a body or two out, but no one would complain. When he found their place, he was absolutely stunned. In an area smaller than most people’s front yard, was a fenced in area. There was very little grass, but there was a lot of mud. And about ten goats. A beat to death travel trailer sat in the middle of it all. Zack could hear the women talking through the open windows. How they could live in that squalor was beyond him. The smell from feces was enough to make him gag. He suddenly felt really bad for them because they obviously had no clue as to what the world had come to. He looked at Wolf, who looked none too happy to be there.
“C’mon, boy. Let’s get back and get those guns.” He said and returned toward the farm. Looking carefully, he couldn’t find the dirt road, so he figured the entrance was somewhere else. If he got lucky, the Goat Girls didn’t know where it was either.
He radioed Katie before entering the drive.
“That was the nastiest place I’ve ever seen. The smell would kill you.”
“That bad? Damn. Why don’t they live in their neighbors’ houses or something?”
“Beats me. I really pissed them off though. I gotta go back to that truck and get some stuff. Everything okay?” he asked.
“Just fine. Hurry back and call if you need me.” She said.
Wolf led the way like he knew exactly where they were going. Zack found it remarkable that he hadn’t even realized returning to the farm after the firefight, but this time he was alert to everything like he should be. It took the better part of half an hour to reach the sight and nothing had been disturbed. The bodies were starting to smell and he knew he’d have to do something with the bodies before returning with the weapons, least the stink of rotting bodies lead anyone to the sight and the trail back to the farm. Wolf stopped and whined a little.
“Yeah, I’m going to have to do something about that pretty quick.” He said, dreading the part of digging in the heat.
He went down to the truck and started collecting the rifles and pistols and putting them in a pile. When he looked into the back of the truck to see what was in there, something that he’d neglected the last time, he discovered fifteen gallons of gas in three five-gallon cans. He stopped for a minute and looked around. There wasn’t a spot that was completely bare, but there was a spot that could be made that way, or nearly so. What he didn’t want to do was to cause a big fire when he burned the bodies. It would be a damned sight easier than burying these fuckers. He’d rather leave them for the coyotes, but he had to be practical because he wasn’t sure how the Goat Girls were going to take this.
He stacked them in a pile as neat as he could. He knew that it took constant heat at 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit and anywhere from three to nine hours to cremate a body. There was no way for him to do that. He’d have to settle with burning as much as he could. He gathered all the wood he could find and piled it on top of the bodies, dumped the first five-gallon container of gas on them and set it on fire.
While the pyre was burning, he went and collected more wood for the next gas can. He figured he’d do this for each of the three cans, hoping that would burn enough away to keep the smell down. He also hoped that there was enough other stuff burning in the area so that it wouldn’t draw anyone’s attention. He thumbed the mic button on the radio.
“Babe, you there?” he asked.
“Right here. What’s up?” she asked.
“Do you remember the path Wolf and I checked out?” he asked, trying not to give away any more info than he needed because he didn’t know who might be listening.
“Yeah. What about it?”
“I’m gonna take care of a few things before heading back. I’ll explain later. I’ll keep the radio on in case you need me. If you see anything in the cameras, let me know. I don’t trust the Goat Girls and they may try sneaking up on the sides or the back. Set the alarms and lock everything up tight. I’ll le
t you know when I head back.” He told her.
“No prob. Kenna and I will be in the hole, all locked up tight.”
“Copy.” He said.
The fire burned pretty good. It wasn’t perfect, but after three hours of solid burn the bodies were pretty much destroyed. He waited another hour for it to cool down and was dumping water from some more jerry cans he’d found in the truck bed when his radio came alive.
“Goat Girls are on patrol again. I’d feel better if you were here.” Katie said, keeping an eye on them in the monitors.
“On my way.” He radioed and dumped the water on the pyre, hoping that it would be enough for now. He’d tossed all the pistols and ammo in his pack and scooped up the rifles, slinging three around his neck and carrying the AK. He headed back to the farm at a fast trot.
“Ah shit. They’re hanging out at the driveway.” Katie said.
“I’m hurrying.” He breathed and stepped up the pace a notch. He prayed that they wouldn’t do anything before he got back.
“Shit. They’re coming up the driveway. Hurry!” she said and he stepped up to a run. The problem was the gear was weighing him down and sweat was half-blinding him. Sure, in the Army, he’d done things like this with a lot more weight. But that had been a few years ago, and it wasn’t long before he was out of breath. That didn’t slow him down any as he forced his legs on. He almost stopped when he heard gunfire, but trusted Katie to know what she was doing until he got there.
“Honey, are you okay?” he breathed into the mic. No answer. Shit! He thought as Wolf bolted forward leaving him in the dust. He should have just shot the women earlier, then he wouldn’t have had this problem. What the fuck was I thinking? He reproached himself. He knew better.
He heard a woman scream and Wolf tear into someone. More gunfire as his legs turned to jelly. He forced himself further. If either of his girls had so much as a bruise on them, the person that did it would suffer greatly the week before he killed them. His heart felt like it was going to fly out of his chest as his body dumped adrenaline in it.
He met the fence and followed it to the gate, rushing through it and trying to bring the rifle in his right hand to bear while skidding to a halt. What he saw in front of him was unbelievable. Both of the Goat Girls sat on the ground, their hands secured behind their backs with flex cuffs and Wolf snarling at them. He looked over and saw Katie smiling, her rifle pointing towards the women.
Three Days From Home Page 20