James was too stunned to even answer. Before he knew it, Russell's militia brought their rifles back into the air and aimed them directly at James's circle. Paula screamed as Christina pulled her near. James, Mark, and Janice pushed together closer and readied their weapons. It looked like it was going to be another standoff.
Russell continued his diatribe. “I suspected you might be a little slippery, but this heinous level of betrayal takes the cake.”
“I swear, I know nothing about it,” James insisted.
One wrong move, and a bloodbath would occur on both sides. Russell moved uncomfortably close to James's face. “So why'd you sneak into their room just a moment ago? Was it some kind of signal? Maybe they went over the back wall as you distracted us here in the front.”
James had heard enough. “I asked them if they wanted to come with us earlier, and they refused. That's the truth. I don't know where they went!”
“Well, none of you are leaving until we find them, got it?” Russell said. Having reached the end of his patience, James pushed Russell aside and suddenly found himself looking down several barrels.
“No!” Janice shouted. Mark broke from the circle and pointed his rifle directly at the back of Russell's head, catching him off guard. Janice and Christina formed a protective chain with Paula in the middle.
James raised his hands and advised caution. “Let's not get carried away here. We just want to leave.”
“Not gonna happen,” Russell said.
Mark pushed the barrel against his head. “You open that gate, or dear leader here gets it,” he shouted to the militia. Mass confusion set in, and control was quickly slipping away on both sides.
“Open up the gate!” Janice shouted.
“Those gates stay closed,” Russell said.
“You got three seconds,” Mark said, stroking his trigger.
Billy aimed his gun at James's forehead. “He shoots Russell, you're next.” Kyle and Eli held up their guns and nervously backed away from the kill range.
“Two seconds!” Mark shouted.
Paula cried out as Janice and Christina closed their eyes and prepared for the worst.
At that exact moment, the lid of a nearby drainage ditch flipped open, and two teenage boys covered in mud crawled out, gasping for breath. They climbed from the hole and then collapsed on the ground. Nobody knew what to make of it.
“Hold it,” Russell said. His men flashed inquisitive looks back at him. “Lower your weapons.”
The militia slowly complied as James asked his group to do the same. James then pointed to the boys, who were lying flat on their backs, shielding their eyes from the sun.
“If I'm not mistaken, I believe that's them, right over there.”
Russell and his men took a good, hard look at the boys. Their silence was soon followed by a growing wave of raucous laughter. Several men slapped each other on the back, howling at the sky. It was the biggest laugh they'd had in weeks.
“Like I said,” James continued. “We had nothing to do with this.”
Billy stepped forward and laughed. “Looks like they found our emergency escape tunnel. Too bad for them it doesn’t go nowhere.”
Eli suddenly cut in. “You boys look tired. It's no joke crawling around them tunnels. That's for sure.”
Laughter among Russell's men continued.
James stepped close to Russell to address him. “Now that we've cleared that matter up, I think you should open the gates now.”
Russell’s laughter at the Wilson brothers’ spectacle subsided, and he gave James a knowing look and nod. “Go ahead and open the gates, Billy.”
Billy and Quinn reluctantly walked to the gate. The former guards, Pete and Richie, stood over the boys, helping them up. “Hope you enjoyed that little adventure,” Pete said.
“Why don't you boys go get some breakfast? Wash all the dirt off ya!” Kyle shouted over to them.
James watched as the Wilson brothers stood up and dusted themselves off. They looked utterly defeated as the laughter continued. The gates suddenly opened and James’s group moved quickly past Russell's men and toward the woods outside. James couldn't help himself. He stopped his group before they exited the gates and turned to Russell.
“Why don't you let us take them with us?”
Kyle scoffed to the side with a snarky laugh. “Don't push your luck, James,” he said just as Pete and Richie led the Wilson brothers away.
Russell gestured to silence Kyle. He then narrowed his eyes at James. “I think I've got you all figured out, James.”
James looked at him blankly. “What's that?”
“You're an agitator. An instigator. Maybe you'll have your own militia someday, and when you do, you'll be tasked with the burden of finding recruits. Who knows, you might soon resort to our methods. It's a mess of a world out there. Now take your group and leave.”
Mark nudged James forward, not wanting to inflame the already delicate situation. “Come on, forget it, James.”
James looked back at the boys as they went back to Cabin C with their heads sloped toward the ground. It seemed there was little more he could do. He cleared his throat in frustration and proceeded out the gate with his crew closely following.
“Good luck out there,” Russell said. “Try not to get yourself killed.”
Once they passed the gates, the sense of newfound freedom was exhilarating. The stench of the charred bodies was still in the air, but most had been moved and piled on the other side of the camp to be cremated later.
James turned to nod at Russell, but the gates were already closing. It was a strange and indifferent goodbye between both parties. Ultimately, they were happy to be alive and out of Camp Liberty for good. The thick, wooden gates sealed closed and they heard the locking mechanism set. Christina put her arms around Paula as Janice hugged Christina.
Mark looked at James. “Where to now?”
James looked ahead pensively. There were many things to consider.
“We need to find Terrance,” Christina said.
“Then our best bet is to go back to what's left of the bug-out house,” James said.
Mark groaned. It would be a long walk. As they journeyed, everyone hoped for a better outcome and a new chance at normalcy. They tried to rid their minds of Camp Liberty and everything that had happened there. The sooner they moved on from that experience, the better. Though it would take time. James didn't like leaving the Wilson brothers, but he had little choice.
Russell and his men stood quietly by the front gate. Kyle clapped his hands together. “All right, men. Let's get back at it. We have a lot of work to do.” The men grumbled and dispersed. Russell, Kyle, and Eli remained. Russell took a deep breath of toxic morning air and exhaled loudly.
“Get a small team of our best sharpshooters ready,” he said.
Kyle looked at him, curious. “What's up?”
“We're about to have another hunting exercise.”
Kyle's eyes widened with excitement.
“Give them some time. Let them get some distance from the camp, then we'll go after them.”
“Excellent,” Kyle said. “I'll get a team together immediately.”
Manhunt
With a rumbling in the clouds, James's group knew that it was about to rain. They trudged on forward, hoping to navigate correctly back to the remnants of the bug-out house. Their main goal was to link up with Terrance. They hadn't a clue to what happened to him and the boys or why they hadn't shown up yet. No one wanted to believe that anything bad had happened to them, but the reality was that there were a million possibilities.
“Look at it this way,” James said to Christina. “It's better that Terrance and your sons didn't meet us at Camp Liberty.”
“What if they end up going there anyway?” she asked.
“They'd have to be on foot with the coordinates we left them. If they are indeed on their way there, we're sure to run into them.”
“Are you sure that we're going back i
n the exact same direction that we came?” Christina asked, holding the map.
James looked at his compass. “Yeah, pretty sure.”
A distant thunder reverberated throughout the sky as a giant storm cloud formed overhead. It was getting worse the further they journeyed into the forest, not better. James, Christina, and Paula were walking as a trio as Mark and Janice walked next to each behind them. Mark looked up at the approaching storm and complained to Janice that they couldn't catch a break. She said that they should just be thankful to have gotten out of Camp Liberty alive.
“I know that, but it's going to suck here real soon.” Mark looked around, and then called out to James. “How much farther do we have to go?”
It seemed like they had been walking for over an hour, and no one assumed it would take less than four to six hours to reach their destination. The truth was that they had nowhere else to go but the bug-out house, no matter how far away it was. They would have to wait for Terrance, and there was no telling how long that would be. It wasn't the most thought out of plans, but they had little choice. The lack of a real destination was something that no one really wanted to think about. It was best to try to hold onto the little bit of spirit and optimism they had left.
James halted the group and turned to address them.
“Another rest stop?” Mark asked.
“No,” James responded. “We're not going to make it back before this storm starts. I suggest we pitch some sort of shelter and wait it out.”
Christina wanted to object, but she knew that the storm was inescapable. James led the group over to a spot between some redwood trees. He looked up and then around. “This is the spot. We'll hunker down here.” The many branches above partly shielded them from the sky. Everyone tossed their packs on the ground together.
“I don't suppose anyone has a poncho with them, do they?” James asked.
“I have a rain jacket in my bag,” Janice answered.
“Me too,” Christina said.
“I think I do,” Mark added.
“Great,” James said. “Get any jackets you have, and extra clothes for that matter. We're going to make a debris hut.”
They spent the next twenty minutes gathering up supplies for their shelter. There seemed to be a good sense of camaraderie and teamwork in their effort that hadn't existed in days. When constructed, it would look more like a makeshift tent if they had the right material.
James instructed them to gather as many sticks and leaves together as they could. He found a large branch about twice his size and decided to use it as their ridge pole. They slanted and held up the ridge pole horizontally using two sturdy Y-shaped sticks, one at each end. With their remaining sticks, they made the framework of the tent by aligning and tilting them up at an angle along the pole like a pair of ribs. More sticks and debris were added, and then they covered the structure with some of their clothes and jackets. Their packs and weapons were stacked together closely to the side and covered with Janice’s and Mark's rain jackets to keep them dry.
“That'll do it,” James said, standing over their debris hut proudly. They finished the tent not a moment too soon, as the rain began to fall. “Great work everyone. Now let’s all squeeze in before we get soaked.” Paula squeezed in first on her hands and knees as Christina followed.
“After you,” James said to Janice, extending his arm out.
Janice went in, followed by Mark. James took a deep breath and looked at the sky. The rain was falling harder. He squeezed in with barely enough room to tuck his legs inside. It was a tight fit for everyone, but as the rain began to pour down, no one complained.
“I just hope we don't get struck by lightning,” Mark said.
An hour passed before the rain stopped, and the group was incredibly relieved to see that their campout was short lived. The thunder had grown more distant as the storm passed. James crawled out of the debris tent as the others followed.
“Oh man!” Mark said, standing up and stretching, “I never thought I'd get out of there.”
“At least we’re dry,” Janice said.
They looked over to their packs and removed the jackets from them. The jackets had helped, and their stuff was only a little damp.
James threw his pack over his shoulder and grabbed his rifle. “All right, gang. Better keep moving if we wanna make it back before sundown.” They grabbed their things and continued the journey.
About ten minutes later, Russell and a small group of his men approached the abandoned debris tent. Kyle, Eli, Billy and Quinn stood around the soggy structure with Russell, all wearing poncho jackets and armed with rifles. Russell examined the structure while scratching his chin.
“Impressive. Very impressive.”
“How long do you think we missed them by?” Kyle asked.
Russell looked up and thought to himself. “I'd say maybe ten or twenty minutes. They're not far. The indentations of their steps are still fresh in the dirt and leaves. We simply follow their tracks.”
“We still looking to surprise them, right?”
“Once we catch up, we'll be sure to give them a running start,” Russell said.
His group soon moved from the debris tent and continued their leisurely-paced hunt of James's group. They seemed in no particular hurry and fully confident of themselves. The plan was to find out where James's group was going. If they were going back to their bug-out house, like Russell suspected, a full purge was in the making.
James's group continued for a few miles, completely unaware that they were being tracked. In fact, they couldn't have felt more alone in the forest. They hadn't even run into any wildlife, which James was hoping for. He hoped they come across some deer, boar, or quail—anything that they could have for dinner that night. They would need something to hold them over until morning. James figured they had a lot of work to do once they got back to the house, like constructing a temporary structure. A sinking feeling came over him when he thought about the loss of his home. Perhaps, over time, he could rebuild.
The cloudy sky had gotten lighter and they were clearly out of the storm, much to their relief. There was concern, however, that it was going to get dark soon. They took fewer rest stops and began to pick up the pace in hopes of reaching the bug-out house before nightfall. Christina imagined Terrance, Richie, and Tobias waiting for them and how wonderful it would be to have her family back together. James kept up a brisk pace, and though their packs had long begun to weigh heavier on them, everyone did their best to keep up.
“Almost there, everybody, I can feel it.” He hadn't kept a pace count like last time, but still felt confident that they were close. Mark and James walked next to each other as Christina, Paula, and Janice walked in their own group slightly behind the men.
“So let me ask you something, James,” Mark said.
“What's that?”
“All those people Russell's men killed, do you think they were all Milledgeville residents?”
“I have no doubt.”
“So there's a lot of people in town right now that have no idea.”
“Probably not,” James said in a solemn tone.
“Maybe we should go into town and let them know what happened,” Mark said.
“Too big a risk right now.”
“What are we going to do, camp outside the bug-out house singing Kumbaya?” He looked at James and could see that he wasn't amused. “I'm sorry, James. I’m just a little frustrated.”
“It’s all right. I think we all are.”
Janice looked behind her and just happened to catch a glimpse of something moving in the forest. It was gone before she knew it. She stopped and clutched Christina's shoulder.
“What?” Christina asked. “What is it?”
Janice's attention was focused behind them, into the dense forest. Christina took Paula's hand in hers and turned to see whatever Janice was looking at.
“I saw something,” Janice said. “Something moving.”
“Like an animal?
” Christina asked.
“No, it was a man. He was wearing a camouflage jacket. I swear he was there.”
“How close was he?” Christina asked. She remained skeptical since she hadn't seen anyone of anything yet but trees and brush.
Mark turned and noticed that Janice and the others had stopped. He signaled to James and they both stopped walking. “What are they looking at?” Mark asked.
“I don't know,” James said.
“What is it, honey?” Mark asked.
Janice didn't respond. Everything was silent. She continued to watch the forest, looking for any signs of movement. Christina squinted through the brush, half-expecting to see an animal or something jump out.
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out from the distance, sounding like a loud pop. Christina saw a brief flash from one of the bushes and pulled Janice down to the ground with Paula. The shot hit James directly in the chest. He collapsed immediately. Mark fell to the ground in a panic. No one was really sure what had even happened, and they were even less aware that James had just been shot.
Mark lay on his chest with his pack weighing down on his back and his hands covering his head. He looked up and didn't see any movement. Janice was flat on her stomach as well with Christina and Paula, trembling on the ground.
“James!” Mark called out. He turned his head slightly to the side and saw that James was on his back struggling to move and find some cover. Mark crawled over to him.
He recoiled the moment he saw the blood soaking through James's flannel. “Son of a bitch, no!”
Janice and Christina looked over. “What is it?” Christina asked.
James's blank eyes looked into the sky as blood oozed in his mouth. He was still breathing, but his chest fell and rose sporadically. Mark took James's hands in his and squeezed tightly.
“You're going to be OK, man. Hang in there.” He then turned to Christina and the others. “James has been shot!”
Just as Christina jumped up to run over to them, another startling gunshot rang out. Paula screamed. Christina hit the ground, grabbed Paula's hand, and pulled her along with her as she found cover behind a large oak tree.
End Days Super Boxset Page 210