Dangerous Shores: Book Three; The End of the Road

by Christine Conaway

  “We’re good. Go ahead but please be safe and hurry back.”

  The men picked out what they wanted to carry with them for firearms and set off after a brief discussion.

  Ellen dug through the packs and came up with three Rothko survival blankets. She had forgotten all about them. She had bought a half dozen the year before and thought she would never find a use for them. They had been in the aft cabin in a tote. Hannah had found them and thought they would come in handy for whoever was on watch. She tore the plastic wrap and shook one out.

  They really weren’t big enough for a full sized man to wrap up in, but they would do for Olivia and Dana. She handed it to Hannah and gave another to Maggie. Once Hannah had wrapped the girls up, Ellen handed the last to her.

  “You wrap up in this and sit by the fire. You need to start thinking of the baby.”

  “Oh my God Ellen…do you think I asked to go on this hike out in to the middle of nowhere? I think about this baby every waking minute. I wonder what it will be like to have it without a doctor, or what it will be like for him or her to grow up in a country that isn’t.” Hannah was crying by the time she finished speaking. She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and sat beside the fire and cried into her hands.

  Maggie gave Ellen a sharp look and moved to comfort Hannah. She waved Ellen off when she started over.

  “I just wanted to apologize. I was out of line but I didn’t mean it like it sounded.”

  “It’s okay.” Hannah mumbled from behind her hands and sniffed.

  She looked around trying to keep her mind and hands busy until the guys returned. There was no need for any more branches or logs if they were moving to the barn. They could wait to fix something to eat until after they knew what they were doing.

  She walked by their prisoner and was reminded of the guy hanging from the tree. She decided she would look in on him and see how he was doing. She checked and her 357 was wedged in her pocket, just where she wanted it to be. She put her hand on it for warmth and incase she needed it. As she went by the guy belted to the tree trunk he said something to her.

  “The Boss is really going to like a spunky woman like you. He takes great pleasure in breaking the good ones down, then he throws them into the pit for whoever wants a turn.”

  Ellen dropped down in front of him. “Your Boss isn’t going to get the chance. He won’t ever see any of us and neither will you after we leave here.”

  “I think this time he may have met his match in you and it would be good to watch him break you, but me and the boys were setting out on our own. Now because of that freaking Weasel it’ll have to be postponed for a while. I just might get a taste of you after all.”

  She smiled at him and leaned toward him. It was all she could do to keep her gun in her pocket. She wanted nothing more than to slam it into the side of his head. She wanted to make him hurt worse than he already did. It pissed her off that he was sitting close to the fire and light. That he was sitting in close proximity to the girls even if he had nothing to do with them being taken. He was a part of all that was wrong.

  “Well I wouldn’t hold my breath. The best you’ll get if you’re good is a bullet. The other alternative is to go off and leave you tied to this tree.”

  “You ain’t going to do that and you know it.”

  “Trust me on this. When it’s your time, it’s your time and picture this smile at the other end of the gun.”

  She got to her feet and walked back where Frank had hung the other guy from the branch. When she found her way through the tree she looked around bewildered. He was gone. The rope lay on the ground with the knots still in it.

  She bent over to pick it up when she heard a branch snap. She spun to the sound, her 357 leading the way. Their eyes met just before he landed on top of her. The gun barked and he went limp taking her down with him. His fetid breath blew straight into her face. Blood from his mouth or maybe snot or spit or something she didn’t want to think about dropped onto her face. She rolled him off and struggled to her feet. Her breath was coming out in gasps and her heart raced. She looked wildly around as if there had been someone there to turn him lose. Seeing no one she backed in the direction of the fire her gun trained on the man on the ground.

  Chapter Thirty-five - Guilty by association.

  Ellen backed until she felt the heat from the fire on her back and turned around. She held her hands out from her side as if she didn’t want to be touching herself.

  “Oh my God! Ellen are you hurt?” Hannah and Maggie were beside her in an instant. They took her by her arms and led her to the log they’d been sitting on. The 357 dangled from Ellen’s hand. Hannah took it and placed it in her own pocket.

  Maggie had gotten some tissue from one of the bags and began wiping her face. Ellen couldn’t help seeing the bright red blood and remembering something dripping on her face. She threw herself on to her stomach across the log and vomited.

  When her stomach was empty and her dry heaves had stopped, Maggie pulled her upright and removed her jacket and pulled her tee-shirt up and over her head. Before Ellen could say it was her favorite, Maggie tossed it on to the fire. Through her tears, Ellen caught the other guy staring at her a grin splitting his face. She spat on the ground in his direction. Hannah pulled a sweater over her head and helped her get her arms in the sleeves. Ellen’s eyes only broke contact with the guy’s when Hannah moved in between them.

  They all heard him laugh. Ellen saw the look of pure hate that Hannah gave him.

  She was surprised to hear Hannah say to him, “You may not have had a hand in what went on today, but you represent them. That makes you as guilty as them by association. That in itself carry’s the death penalty.”

  He shut up and looked away from them.

  Ellen looked up at Hannah, “I didn’t mean…”

  “Stop! I know you didn’t mean anything we were all acting and reacting to everything that happened today. The more I think on it the more I believe Frank is right. Everything we do or whenever we see other people we need to react as if they all mean to do us harm. We need to develop a killer mentality.”

  “Not killer, but at least mentally prepared to use killing as our first defense.” Ellen laughed without humor, “Believe it or not before all this,” she waved her hand including all of them, “I didn’t believe in the death penalty. I was always worried about that 3 percent that was wrongly convicted. Now I feel like the judge, jury and the executioner.”

  Olivia and Dana were curled up arms and legs intertwined and not even the gunshot had wakened them.

  “Do you think we have time to fix something to eat? We have those freeze dried meals and it wouldn’t take but a few minutes.” Maggie held a couple of Mylar packages out.

  “Let’s give them a few more…”

  They turned to look in the direction of the road. They could hear the sounds of motors coming toward them.

  Maggie shook her head, “I still don’t understand how some things can run and others don’t. You’d think if some didn’t they all wouldn’t. I just don’t understand.”

  “This, I think is one time I’m glad they do because walking all that way back was not something I wanted to do. Arriving in style is going to be so much nicer as well as faster.” Hannah watched as Alan followed by Frank and Rob rolled off the berm and into the clearing.

  “We’re going to hole up in the barn for tonight…or rather the rest of the night. It’s dry and warm and we can still have a fire inside if we need one.” Alan announced.

  Ellen looked at him her eyes open wide in surprise. It was so unlike Alan to make decisions like that. He had never been one to step up and make a decision on his own. He usually let her or Frank decide and then agreed.

  He caught Ellen’s look and said, “Franks idea. I just couldn’t wait to say it.” He laughed. “The barn is huge and there’s another one of these there along with a couple of sleeping bags and some canned food. It looked like these guys were planning on an extended
trip.”

  “Ellen, what about the other guy? He’s probably getting cold about now.” Frank asked looking into the shadows where he knew the man was strung up. “I’m actually surprised you didn’t move him over here.”

  “Oh he’s getting cold alright. But he’ll soon warm up where he’s going.” Maggie offered. She shook her head at Frank to shut off any further questions.

  Frank walked over the guy on the tree. He squatted in front of him. “Tell me about Neah Bay. How many of you are there?”

  “Look mister, you’ve got to turn me loose before that bitch over there kills me like she did the Weasel. Granted he wasn’t from good stock, but he didn’t deserve to die. Now what do you say? You turn me loose and give me one of those four-wheelers and I’ll be gone.”

  “How about this. You answer my questions and then we’ll decide what to do with you. Now…tell me about the people at Neah Bay.”

  “There’s no people there just them old Indians. They’re not like you and me. Sitting there on their reservation with their hand out. Hell we pay for everything. All they have to do is sit out there and give it the, Oh poor me. You know what I’m talking about. They got all that land and money from the government to boot. Hell you take away all that free stuff and they couldn’t survive for a week.”

  “And how long have you guys been out there?”

  “Hell, going on three weeks.”

  “How were they when you got there?”

  “They was surviving with the fish and all. Damn, those people all stink like fish and smoke.”

  “They probably welcomed you didn’t they? Offered you a place to stay? Food?” When the guy sat there and didn’t say anything, Frank grabbed him by the front of his shirt. “Didn’t they?” He bellowed in the guy’s face. “Didn’t they offer to help you?”

  Ellen grabbed his arm, “Come on Frank. This isn’t helping any.”

  Frank went with Ellen and tried to compose himself. He thought he already knew what had happened at Neah Bay. He thought it was the same thing that had happened all over. The group in Eureka had managed to defeat their invaders. The invaders had moved on but in Neah Bay, because they were a different kind of people the invaders had won. They had probably over-taken many such small communities. With practice and each victory, they grew more confident and probably had some new people added to their rollcall. He thought some people joined groups or gangs thinking there was safety in numbers and other’s joined because all they had was a pack mentality. Some people are leaders and others just followers. Without laws and consequences, he thought some people were capable of just about anything.

  Their meager fire had burned down to a glowing bed of coal with the odd flare of flame. He had been lost in his own thoughts until Alan tapped his shoulder. “Frank? What do you want to do with him?” He pointed at their prisoner.

  The guy’s eyes were glued to whichever of the women crossed his line of sight. He gave the same attention to Olivia and Dana constantly licking his lips. Frank felt relief when Rob led the girls to the quads. They were going to have to put Olivia and Dana in between two adults but it was better than making an extra trip. It was only a mile or so down to the barn.

  “You and Alan go ahead and take your Mom, Hannah and the girls. Ellen and I will be right behind you.”

  “Yeah okay. We’ll see you in a bit then. Frank…do what you think is right here. Chances are you can’t change his stripes.”

  Ellen had thought they were all leaving until Alan had told her differently. She watched them turn the quads around and head off down the road. She walked back to where Frank was sitting. He was still watching the dying fire. It was hardly more than glowing coals. She sat on the log beside him.

  When she looked up she found Blaine staring at her. His lips were wet and glossy from licking them. The memory of him watching when Hannah helped her change her shirt made her stomach churn. She felt there was something terribly wrong with the guy.

  “Where did you come from?” Frank asked. The guy continued to watch Ellen. Frank picked up a pine cone and lobbed it at him. “Hey! I’m talking to you.”

  Blaine dragged his gaze away to look at Frank. He grinned showing off his brown cavity filled teeth. His hair hung in greasy strands around his face.

  “That ain’t no concern of yours.” He shifted his gaze back to Ellen and licked his lips.

  “It is my concern as of right now. Where are you from and what are you doing here?”

  “Sitting here all tied up at the moment. As soon as you turn me loose I’ll be headed back to the Neah Bay and let John know what you all did to his baby brother. He ain’t going to like that none.”

  “What we did to his brother?”

  “The kid. He was on one of those quads you all claimed for yourself.” He looked past Frank to where Ellen was standing.

  She had thought she was out of his line of sight until she looked up and he was leaning to the side to keep his eyes on her. She moved to place Frank between herself and him. There was something evil in the guy’s eyes. She felt sympathy for the women that had already crossed his path.

  Frank pulled his Glock out of his holster. He held it in his left hand grip, bouncing the tip of the barrel at Blaine.

  On one of the downside bounces he shot Blaine in the right kneecap. Blaine screamed and doubled over as far as he could. Drool ran from his open mouth. “Aw God that hurts. Why’d you have to do that?” He moaned.

  “Now…last chance. Where did you come from?”

  “You got to get me to a doctor.” He rocked and moaned. Strings of saliva and mucus hung off his chin, tears ran down his unshaven cheeks.

  “Wrong answer!” Frank took aim and shot down into the top of Blaine’s left foot.

  Blaine screamed and wet his pants.

  “Now Blaine, this is your last chance. Where did you come from?”

  Frank felt Ellen’s hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her. Her eyebrows were raised as if she was silently questioning him. He looked back at Blaine.

  “Well I guess this is it then.” He pointed the Glock at Blaine’s forehead.

  Blaine’s eyes widened as if he couldn’t believe this was happening to him. “Wait! Wait! Wait! Just give me a second.”

  “Sorry we don’t have that long. Our friends probably have dinner waiting on us and because of you people, we haven’t eaten anything today. Myself I don’t care where you came from.”

  “Walla Walla! We all did. Or most of us. Some we picked up along the way. Now please let me go and help me find a doctor.”

  “The Federal Prison? You escaped?” Ellen gasped. She knew about the Federal Prison in Walla Walla. It had been built in the late 1800’s and housed somewhere around two thousand or more inmates. The Green River Killer being imprisoned there the last thing she remembered reading.

  “No, we didn’t escape.” Blaine wailed. “They let us go when they ran out of food.”

  “Okay then. Ellen go get on the quad please. Blaine, you’ve been found guilty of crimes against humanity. I sentence you to death by my hand.”

  Blaine started screaming long and loud. “No! No! No! I’m sorry…”

  “Too late!” Frank pulled the trigger and Blaine slumped forward as far as the belt let him. Blood poured from the top of his head.

  They left him hanging there and the Weasel lay stretched out in the other clearing. Maybe someone would find them one day and wonder what cold blooded killer had killed them and left them lying there. It was more likely that by the time anyone found them their bones would be picked clean and scattered. No one would ever know the evil they represented.

  “I didn’t kill the other guy on purpose. He jumped me and I shot him in self-defense.”

  “Well I did. Every time I saw him looking at you and the other girls I wanted to blast that smile off of his face. My mind runs wild when I think of the trouble him and his kind have created for good people. If we had the time or an unlimited supply of ammunition, I’d go out and clear th
ose guys out. Right now all I can think about is getting to your farm. No more stops. No anchoring, nothing that can delay us. We leave here as soon as we get back.”

  Ellen sitting behind squeezed his waist acknowledging she had heard him. She understood why he had done what he did. She understood why he would want to go out and clean up Neah Bay. She didn’t understand why people had turned so evil or if they had always been immoral but living in a polite society had curbed their tendency to express themselves.

  It seemed as if people would do anything to satisfy their darkest urges. She sighed and leaned her head against Frank’s back. She wanted to be home and the sooner the better. She hoped nothing else would stand in their way to delay them.

  Chapter Thirty-six - No way you made it this far!

  They spent the night in the barn standing a two-hour watch from the hay loft. By morning the temperature had risen above freezing and blue sky greeted them when they opened the door.

  The barn sat well back from the road with tall yellow grass surrounding it. From a distance it didn’t appear as if it had been used for years. The interior however, said it had been used recently. There was fresh smelling baled hay stacked in the loft and various farm equipment sat where animals had once been stalled. An old Massey Ferguson tractor sat in the end stall. Shovels rakes and various garden tools were stacked neatly in the corner of another stall. Behind a closed door they found feed for cows or horses in 50-gallon barrels.

  Frank had taken a mental inventory of the equipment to let the people at the marina know what was out there. He was sure if they managed to survive the winter they could use some of it to help them survive. They hadn’t seen all of the people in town, just the ones who gathered in the restaurant for meals. Matt had said all of the young people had been taken, but there had to be some that were in hiding.

  He and Ellen had walked the perimeter of the small fenced enclosure around the barn and off by the tree line they saw a couple of cows or steers and a horse. He figured if there were some there had to be others.