Finally, Jess got to Red, unzipped her jacket and felt inside. “Not bad, not exactly your friend down there, but I could manage. Of course, I'd have to give Willie first crack. He's been dreamin of you, ever since we saw you taking a gander at that warehouse.”
Noticing the heft of Red's jacket, Jess checked her pockets, pulling out the spare magazines. “Son of a bitch, boy. This one's our shooter. Them guys you killed, they was good friends of mine. I might just have to exact a little retribution, before turning you over to Willie.”
Face drove the jeep into the middle of the circle, causing everyone to squint against the headlights. Before the jeep could be shut down, Dawg bounded out, followed by Face, who helped Lilith exit. Dawg raced around, then circled back to Lilith. “See. See. Tracked em. Tracked em good. Get treat? Treat?”
Lilith patted his head and answered distractedly. “Yes. Later.”
Hearing this, Willie strode back towards Tracey. “Hell, if the pup gets rewarded for seein some tire tracks, then I deserve a reward for taking this camp.”
Tim started to object, but Jess pressed his pistol against the side of Tim's head. “Either, Willie, busts a nut on this one, or I give him the two little girls back there. Your choice.”
Lilith waited for Willie to lead Tracey away, into the woods. “I understand tensions are high right now, but it doesn't have to be that way. You do what is asked of you and in return, we take care of you. You need to know we are taking this world back from the dead. All that considered, we're not really asking that much in return.”
“It’s. It's a lot to us.” Jimmy called out.
Lilith walked over to Jimmy. “How old are you?”
“Thir... thirteen.” Jimmy stammered.
“Thirteen and never been kissed, I'll bet.” Lilith wrapped her arms around Jimmy's neck. She ground her hips against him, bending in to press her lips against his. Jimmy wanted to resist, but his body betrayed him. Her breasts pressed against his chest, her hips rubbing against him and her tongue doing things to him, that he did not know were possible.
When Lilith finally broke off, Jimmy embarrassedly, wiped his lips against his shoulder. “See, good things can come out of this.”
Lilith moved on down, giving Sam's massive arms an appreciative squeeze, before dropping her jaw when she saw Red. “Fuck me. I will be damned. Ria Walsh as I live and breath. Girl, how on earth did you fall in with this bunch?”
Red shook her head. “Ria died when your friends here, killed Andy. I'm not the woman you knew and you’re not the woman I knew.”
Lilith pursed her lips. “Mmm. I imagine not, I go by Lilith now. Times they are a changin, still, we can make a fresh start.”
Jess came over. “No way. She's the shooter, what killed a bunch of my guys, she has got to pay.”
Lilith gave Jess an angry glance and sucked in air, between clenched teeth. “Damn girl, you a stone cold killer. No offense, but I would of thought Andy, not you, would be the one standing.
Red’s face clouded with anger, her words dripping like venom. “Where’s Paulie?”
Lilith laughed. “You see now that is a bitch, I need on my team. What do you say? It's that, or I turn you over to Jess and the dick brigade. Now, that shit is something that will change you and not for the better.”
When Willie walked past the children with Tracey, Lizzie leaned closer to Mitchell. “We got to do something. They think we are just a bunch of dumb kids and can't do anything.”
Mitchell gave her an incredulous look. “We're tied up.”
“There's a knife in my boot, let me swing around and you fish it out.” With that, Lizzie turned about, plopping her feet near Mitchell's hands.
Mitchell struggled to get his hands into her boot, but Lizzie stopped him. “Other boot.”
Mitchell shifted his hands into her other boot top and managed to get a finger tip, from each hand, onto the hilt of the knife. Working carefully, he finally had the knife up to point, where he could slide it out. Lizzie sucked in air, as the sharp blade, cut against her ankle. “Sorry.”
“Its okay, get a good grip and hold it up. I'll turn around and cut my hands free.” Lizzie answered and turned herself back to back with Mitchell.
“Ready.” Mitchell whispered.
Lizzie felt for the blade with her finger tips and slowly slid her palms down, along its shaft, until the zip tie, pressed against the handle guard. “Hold it real tight Mitchell.” She slid the zip tie back up against the blade, until it split. Lizzie took the knife from Mitchell and freed her ankles, then spun around and cut Mitchell's wrists free and handed him the knife. “Cut the other ones loose, I got an idea.”
Mitchell set about finishing freeing himself, then cut loose his sister and Caleb. Lizzie crawled over to a nearby wooded strip and picked up a handful of sticks, before crawling back to the others. She peeled off the hooded sweatshirt, Sheila had gotten for each of them and placed one of the sticks through the sleeves.
“Arianna, you and me need to go to the trailer and get weapons for Tracey and Red. You take Mitchell and figure out a way to help Tracey. I'll get Red her stuff.” She jabbed another stick in the ground and hung the hood of the sweatshirt on it. “Hopefully, this will fool em, if they look this way. Remember what Hap taught us, move quiet.”
Arianna and Mitchell quickly made scarecrows out of their sweatshirts. Caleb leaned toward Lizzie. “What do you need me to do?”
“Pretend you’re four people.” Lizzie answered.
Caleb shook his head. “What? Uhh okay.”
Lizzie and Arianna, crept towards the trailer. When they reached it, Lizzie tapped Arianna on the shoulder. “You get the weapons and hand em down to me. Your hair will make it harder for them to see you, mines going to stand out.”
Arianna peeked up over the edge of the trailer and then, being ever so careful not to make a sound, handed Lizzie two knives and two pistols. Arianna ducked down and Lizzie handed her one knife and one pistol. “Okay, take Mitchell, help Tracey.” Arianna started to crawl off, but then turned around to give Lizzie a quick hug.
Willie continued dragging Tracey into the woods, until he came to a small clearing. He turned to face her. “This will do.”
Tracey sneered. “I don't know how, but I am going to kill you. I’m not allowlng you to do this to me.”
Willie chuckled. “Brave talk, little girl. This is not my first rodeo. I do enjoy the challenge though, I'm going to enjoy this even more.”
Willie slowly unzipped Tracey's jacket and slipped it back, over her shoulders, to hold it open. Pulling his knife, he cut the collar of her T shirt, then slipped the knife back into its sheath. He placed his hands onto her hips, then slowly ran them up, over her stomach and breasts, until they reached the tear in her shirt. Grabbing ahold of the collar on either side, he slowly ripped open the T shirt and slipped it over the shoulders, to hold it open. The faint moonlight, glistened off her exposed skin.
“Last chance, stop now.” Tracey warned.
Willie threw his head back and laughed.
When Willie had stopped in the clearing, Arianna had crept behind Tracey. Arianna's dark skin and hair, making her nearly invisible in the blackness. Arianna cut the tie, holding Tracey's wrists and pressed the knife into her palm. While Willie was laughing at the thought of Tracey being a threat to him, Mitchell crawled behind Willie, on all fours.
Willie stopped laughing and looked at Tracey. “Play times over sweetheart.”
Tracey rolled her arms forward and plunged the knife into his chest, causing him to pitch back, stumbling over Mitchell. Mitchell quickly crawled out of the way and Tracey dove onto Willie, finishing him off. Tracey stood up, Arianna handed her the pistol. “We gotta get back, before they figure out we're loose. Lizzie, she's helping the others get free.”
Lizzie crawled under the trailer, right behind Red and waited for that woman to move off. Lilith moved away and leaned against the front of the jeep. “You all been a thorn in our side. We could of
overlooked the gas and food you took from the kingdom. Getting our gunsmith killed and luring my guys in to slaughter, now that is serious stuff. We’re trying to grow something here, you can understand we need to control obstructionist elements. We’re not going to kill you people, well at least not anymore of you people. Y'all just hang loose, it'll get light soon and then we'll get loaded up and head back to Sammael's.”
While Lilith was gloating, Lizzie crept forward and cut Red's hands free. Then pressed the knife in one palm and the gun in the other. “Get ready.”
Lizzie began crawling back towards Caleb. Caleb, thought about how he could pretend, he was four people and all he could think to do, was talk. “Man, I sure wish I could be with my dad right now, I am so scared, ain't you scared Mitch?” Feigning Mitchell's voice, Caleb answered himself. “Uh huh.” Switching back to himself. “What about you Lizzie, we going to be ok?” Lizzie was crawling back,when she heard Caleb try to copy her voice. “I don’t know.”
Lizzie struggled hard, to hold back a snigger, as she slipped her sweatshirt back on. She and Caleb continued the conversation with her faking Arianna's voice and Caleb continuing to provide Mitchell's voice. Tensely, they held hands, keeping up the charade all the while, silently praying that Mitchell and Arianna would return safely. Several tense minutes later, Mitchell and Arianna joined them, Mitchell giving them a thumbs up.
More time passed and the sun eventually crested the mountain, sending shards of morning's light into the glade. “It's about that time, let's get you people loaded up and hit the road.” Lilith proclaimed.
Tracey walked into the clearing, her jacket still open, flapping in the morning breeze and screamed at the top of her lungs. All eyes turned towards her. “Willie's losin his touch, normally they scream during, not after.” Jess exclaimed. The men started to laugh. Using the distraction, Red raised her pistol and systematically began, dropping the Inferno. As soon as Red began to fire, Tracey dropped to a knee and began shooting at the Inferno.
Jess, seeing an opening, shot Dawg and then Face, in the back. As Face fell, Lilith dropped to her knees, pressed her head to the ground and stretched out her hands. Tracey seeing Jess open fire, shot at him, catching him in the shoulder and knocking him off his feet.
Sam and Pete, bending low, bolted towards the children. Red’s and Tracey’s crossfire was decimating the band of Inferno, but the few remaining were moving to return fire. Tom and Jeff, pushed their wives and sons to the ground and charged the remaining Inferno. The knife Lizzie had given to Red, had been passed down the line, ending up in Tim's hands. As he ran forward, he threw the knife at the man nearest him, catching the man in the throat. As the man fell, Tim took his gun and shot the man Tom was charging at. Tom caught that man's gun and tossed it to Jeff. Jeff caught the rifle and grasping it by the barrel, clubbed the man he was charging and then used the butt of the rifle, to beat in the man's skull.
As quick as it started, the fight was over. Lilith began to scream. “Don't shoot, don't shoot. They made me do it.”
“Get up.” Tom ordered.
Lilith stood up. “Red, you two seem to have a history, do you trust her?”
Red walked up to look her one time friend in the eye. The ring Andy had given Claudine, had slipped out from Lilith’s blouse, hanging in plain sight. Red, recognized the ring as having belonged to her mother, before it became Andy's, after their mother's death. “Nice ring you got there Rita.”
Lilith clasped a protective hand around the ring, giving Red an angry glare. “I told you, I go by Lilith now.”
Red raised her pistol. The 45 round, ripped through Lilith’s skull. “Go to hell.”
Jeff and Tim, began making sure none of the dead men turned. Jeff stopped, turning to Tim. “He's not here.”
“Who?” Tim asked.
Jeff snarled. “That son of a bitch who was pawing my wife.”
Jeff began to run off to chase down Jess, but Miri stopped him. “He's not worth it, I need you to be here, with me and your son now.”
Sue came over to Red as she was tearing Claudine’s ring from Lilith’s neck. “She had my brothers fiance killed, just to take this ring from her. She allowed her fiance to be killed and gave hereself to the man that killed him. She would never have given up chasing us.”
Sue took Red’s hands in hers. “Thank you.”
Red looked over at the four children, hugging Pete and Sam. “They are the ones we need to thank.”
Sue smiled, seeing the children bring life back into Pete, Red turned back to Sue. “You know what she said, about me becoming a killer? I want you to know, that's not me.”
Sue gave Red a grin. “I know, Momma bear’s claws come out when the the cubs are in trouble.”
Lizzie went to the trailer and pulled out a shovel and began digging, next to Sheila's grave. Tom came over. “What are you doing honey?”
Lizzie didn't look up from her digging. “This is a good spot for Hap, Sheila will keep him company.”
Epilogue
Before leaving the two graves in the tiny wooded glade, they loaded up the weapons from the Inferno and added fifteen gallons of gas, taken from the jeep. Tim took the lead, driving the van. Riding shotgun, was Tracey, with Pete, Red, Lizzie, Arianna and Mitchell, riding in the back. Sam followed in the Focus, with Jackson riding shotgun, Jimmy and Caleb in the back.
The Suburban, at the end of their caravan, Tom behind the wheel. Tom's arm was wrapped around Sue as he hugged close to his side. Miri and Jeff were seated behind, Miri tried to hug her husband as well, but Jeff was stiff and reserved, refusing to accept her embrace. Tom stopped briefly as they began to pull away and they all four took a final glance at the two graves. Just eight months ago those two had been complete strangers to them, but had become way more than friends in their time together.
Jeff briefly brushed Mir's thigh, leaving his hand palm up next to her. Miri took the opening and slipped her hand into his. Jeff unable to look his wife in the eye, managed to give her hand a tender squeeze.
They drove through the forest all the day, stopping repeatedly to cover their tracks or leave false trail. They felt the Inferno had thrown everyone they had searching, at them. If the man that escaped, survived and got word back, it would take time for them to mass another search, let alone another attack.
“Looks like a ranger station up ahead.” Tim directed Tom to the large white building. It had been deserted for a very long time. Papers were still tacked to the outside, over grown trees and shrubbery surrounded it. The caravan did not pull all the way up to the station, allowing Tim and Tracey to check it out first.
“All clear.” Came over the walkie in the Suburban, the vehicles then pulling up in front.
“It's big, but doesn't seem to have drawn much interest.” Tim explained, as they checked out the Tellico welcome center.
“Maybe we can spend the night, seems secure enough.” Tom said, seeing that the building was still closed up for the off season.
Forcing their way in, the main room of the welcome center had an information desk and racks of flyers for local and state tourist stops. “Dad, look what I found.” Jackson ran over, handing his father a flyer.
“Great Smoky Playland...an amusement park?” Jeff handed the flyer to Tom.
“ Pigeon Forge Tennessee, how far away is that?” Tim went over to the map on the wall. “Not far about seventy miles. We'll need more gas to get there.”
“It's a destination and I bet it has fences.”
“They got to have some backup generators there, can't be havin people gettin stuck on a ride if the juice cuts out. And look at this water tower, it gots its own water supply.” Sam spoke up.
“Could be a lot of dead there to.” Sue reminded the men.
“There’s a lot of dead everywhere hon, but this could be a home.” Tom felt excited for the first time, in a long time.
Pete looked at one of the flyers and teared up a bit. “Says...says the restaurants serve food grown in their o
nsite greenhouse. She would of loved that.”
Lizzie and Arianna each took one of Pete's hands. “We'll help.”
“We gotta try...don’t we?” Red asked, looking around at the group.
“Yes, we gotta try.” Tom agreed. “This could be, just what we’ve been searching for.”
PIGEON FORGE 35 MILES. The big green sign read. He had been driving for a while now and his eyes were getting heavy. Maybe, just maybe, Pigeon Forge, could be a good place to search. The Camouflage gear he wore, helped him blend in and now a days, that was a plus. He went to the back of his Willys station wagon and pulled out a gas can and poured the contents into his tank.
Dead Reckoning_HZA, Vol. 3 Page 21