“Can’t he come to the phone?”
“Well, he just went out the front door with the sheriff, but hang on and I’ll go try to grab him.” Greg pulled the phone away from his ear and held it on his lap for twenty seconds.
“Paul, he said to tell you the danger is gone and to come on home.”
“The danger’s gone?”
“Yeah.”
“I sort of can’t come back. Our car died.”
“No problem, dude. I’ll come get you.”
Paul didn’t feel good about this at all. “Greg, have my dad call me when he gets back in.”
“Oh, alright. What’s the number?”
“He knows the number.”
“Okay then, goodbye,” Greg said and hung up the phone. What did Paul mean by ‘he knows the number’? Did that mean Paul is actually at the cabin? Or are there other locations with phone numbers commonly known to their family?
Greg grabbed a butcher knife from the knife block and walked into the front room, where Zachary, Elsie, and Martha sat on the couch. He stood behind them. The two guards across the room held their automatic rifles at the ready in case any of them got any ideas. He had to try again to get information out of them before Victor called.
“Zachary, where would your son run to in the event of a raid?”
Zachary said nothing.
“It doesn’t matter. You don’t need to tell me. I’ll find out my own way.” Greg grabbed Elsie’s hair and yanked her head back quickly and placed the butcher knife at her throat. Elsie screamed, and Zachary moved to fight back, but the armed guards intercepted him.
“Wait! Don’t hurt her!” Zachary sat back and conceded the possible whereabouts of Paul. “We usually run to Northtown to a hotel there. Of course it depends on the time of day where we stop to hide.”
“What does that mean?”
“If it’s early in the day, we drive further up the road.”
“Where else do you hide crossers?”
“Nowhere else.”
Greg yanked Elsie’s head back a little further, and she let out a gasp.
“Are you sure there isn’t a place that starts with a ‘c’ and ends with ‘abin’?”
“Are you talking about our vacation cabin? Why would he go there? There aren’t any supplies, and no food to care for a crosser.” Zachary hoped he sounded convincing. “Besides, the cabin is on a dead-end road. It would be suicide to hole up in the cabin.”
Greg let go of Elsie’s hair, and she let out a muffled sob. He walked to the guards and whispered something to them and then went out the front door.
Greg climbed into his car and drove toward the cabin, cursing all the way. Would Paul have gone all the way to Northtown? There weren’t many hotels in Northtown. It wouldn’t be too difficult to find him there. The cabin was definitely a bad choice, and it would be foolish to hide there, like Zachary said. Still, this was Paul he was dealing with: inexperienced, too trusting, and overpowered by his emotions.
Greg made a quick, most likely rash decision as he neared a gas station along the highway. He pulled over near the pay phone and got out of his car. Dropping in his coins, he called Victor.
“You better have good news for me, Greg.”
“I’m on my way to pick them up. How soon can you meet me at the Gas’n’Grub along the outlet?”
“One hour.”
“Alright. I’m in a yellow sports car. Watch for me.”
Victor hung up, and Greg slowly replaced the receiver on the hook. He really hoped they were at the cabin. He climbed back in his car and peeled out of the parking lot, cutting off a car as he headed west.
As Greg stopped his car at the unmarked turnoff to the cabin, his heart dropped to his stomach. No tracks. He got out of his car and stared into the trees to look for smoke rising and listen for any tell-tale sounds of life. Nothing. Damn.
He got back into his car and debated whether or not he should drive to Northtown. He decided not to. Why waste any more time searching when he could coerce the answer? He had already blown a half hour as it was. He flipped his car around in the snow and headed back to town.
*****
When Greg entered the Bronson home, he sat in an arm chair adjacent to Zachary.
“You’re going to call your son and tell him exactly what I tell you to say.”
“I don’t know where he is.”
“He said you know the number to call.” Greg pulled the phone over to Zachary.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Look, Zach, I know you do. I may seem young to you, but it won’t stop me from killing your wife and mother to get the answer.”
Zachary looked over to the two most important women in his life. They had been in this situation for nearly sixty hours. Their chances of survival were slim to none. He was definitely very proud of Paul for flying under the radar this long, but this was a stalemate unless Zachary called his son. The odds were in favor of Paul coming out of this intact and Sierra being taken back to Rendier. There was always the slim chance of harm coming to Paul because of Zachary’s decision. Slim to none that Paul would be harmed, slim to none that Zachary and his mother and wife would live.
As he weighed the pros and cons of the overall situation, Elsie and Grandma Martha nodded at his unspoken concern, giving him the courage to call.
He dialed the number and waited.
*****
Paul sat on the couch, nervously twisting his hands. Something didn’t add up. Why would the sheriff be at their home two days after the raid? Why would the sheriff be there at all?
The phone rang, slicing through the thick air of the cabin. Sierra was startled, and Paul ran to pick it up.
“Hello?”
“Paul?”
“Dad, is everything alright?”
“Yes, everything’s good. You can come back now.”
“Is it safe?”
“As safe as it will ever be.”
“Dad, our car died. We’re stuck here.”
“I’ll send Greg to come pick you up.”
“Greg? Why not you?”
“I’m busy right now. I’ll tell him where you are, and he’ll be there in about twenty minutes. It will be alright, son. I’ll see you soon.” Zachary hung up the phone.
Greg scooted the phone away from Zachary. “Twenty minutes eh? So, he is at the cabin.”
“Yes.”
“There weren’t any tracks going in. I’ve checked repeatedly since the raid. They aren’t there.”
“Greg, sometimes what seems to be isn’t what really is.”
“What do you mean?”
“Is the road the only way into the cabin?”
“Yes.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Are you saying there is another road in?”
“No. There isn’t another road, but when you’re on foot, you can walk through the trees. It would seem you made a judgment based on a very narrow assessment. Have you been so narrow in your assessment of the Rawlings family too?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you honestly think they will let you live after you turn in Paul?”
“Victor needs me!”
“And without you he wouldn’t be able to spy over here any other way? Come on Greg, broaden your assessment of the Rawlings family. You are replaceable. You are expendable. Turning in Paul won’t secure your future. It will end it.”
“You’re just trying to scare me, and it won’t work.”
“It’s too bad you won’t listen. Go pick up Paul, and good luck.”
Greg left the room. He went into the kitchen and ripped the phone cord out of the wall, then stormed out of the house.
Zachary went to work on the two guards, trying to break them down and make them doubt the integrity of their boss. If he could succeed, he could get to the neighbors and call to warn Paul. One thing was for sure: he didn’t have much time.
*****
“I love how the trees
are weighted down with snow on every branch,” Sierra said to Paul as they waited on the porch. “It doesn’t seem possible any snow could gather on the branches with all the wind we had.”
“I think the wind died once we made it to the cabin. The snow fell straight down after that.”
“But now we have a beautiful sight in front of us, don’t we?”
“Yes, it’s beautiful. Still cold, though.” Paul sat staring out at the winter wonderland. His mind reeled with anticipation. His father had said, ‘it was as safe as it would ever be,’ but what did that mean? Did it mean Sierra would be relocated soon? Would she be whisked off to Densfield to assume a new name and identity while Paul was left in Slaterville to help the next crosser?
He would lose her, just like Sam had told him, ‘You don’t go and get attached to crossers because they leave and never communicate with you again.’ His body filled with fear. What was wrong with him?! Paul knew exactly what the problem was: he loved her, and there wasn’t anything wrong with that. He decided at that very moment that wherever she relocated to, he would go with her. He never wanted to be apart from her ever again.
Greg arrived in his souped-up coupe with the bottom dragging on the snow and his chained wheels spinning, not a good vehicle for winter driving.
“Hey guys, get in before you catch your death, as my mother always says.”
Paul slid into the center position on the front seat. He turned to help Sierra into the passenger seat.
Greg started to drive away from the cabin, where inside the phone was ringing.
“Thanks for picking us up, Greg,” Paul said.
“No problem at all, man. Have you guys been here since the raid?”
“Pretty much,” Paul answered.
“Wow. Everyone was wondering what happened to you. The raids must have been successful because the military guys disappeared as quickly as they showed up — oh, and Sam resurfaced.”
“Really? Is he okay?” Paul couldn’t believe he was asking Greg for information about his own family.
“He’s fine. Oh, damn!”
“What?” Paul and Sierra asked in unison.
“Ah, it’s nothing serious. I only need to get gas soon. I don’t think I’ll make it back on this tank.”
Paul leaned over to look at the gas gauge. “It looks fine to me.”
“You don’t know my car. It gets like two gallons per mile. Plus, the gauge is wrong. We’ll stop at the Gas’n’Grub.”
The drive there was rather quiet with minimal talking, and for some reason it disturbed Sierra. She caught Greg glancing over at her multiple times on the way down the mountain, and it made her even more nervous.
“Here we are.” Greg pulled up so that the passenger side of his car was next to the gas pump. He exited the car and began filling the gas tank.
“I don’t like this, Paul.” Sierra’s voice shook slightly as she stared toward the front doors of the convenience store.
“There’s nothing to be worried about. He’ll be done before you know it.”
“Paul, I love that you trust people, but something doesn’t feel right about this.”
They both stared out the front window at the large Trejo Mountains in front of them. Rendier lay on the other side of the range. Paul looked over at Sierra, who stared at the mountains.
“Don’t worry, Sara. Everything’s going to be okay.”
Greg finished pumping the gas and attached the cap. The fuel door snapped shut, and they watched as Greg walked toward the building to pay for his gas.
As he pulled open the glass door of the gas station, a young man wearing a crisp black suit exited and handed Greg an envelope. Sierra gasped out Victor’s name, and at the same time movement from all areas surrounding them caught their eyes simultaneously.
A trap! A well-executed ambush, and Greg was behind it.
Paul immediately slid over into the driver seat and would have started the car except for the fact that Greg had taken the keys with him. Sierra reached over and locked her door before anyone could open it. Eight or nine men dressed in black surrounded the car, and she screamed as they smashed her window and opened her door. Paul’s unlocked door was pulled open at the same time, and they were both dragged out in opposite directions.
Paul fought like he’d never fought before. One man was behind him with his arms wrapped around Paul’s arms and chest. Paul reached up and held on his assailant’s hands and bent forward, quickly pulling the assailant off his feet. This move caused the man to flip forward, landing him on his back. Another man came at Paul from the right, and Paul slammed a swift undercut punch to his jaw, knocking him to the ground. In the meantime, he was rushed from behind by two men who knocked him down. Paul rolled on his back and kicked with all his strength. One man flew backward, but the other had better fighting skills. Before Paul knew what was happening, the man grabbed his pinky finger and bent it backward toward his wrist, then he angled Paul’s arm in such a way that it seemed to pull every muscle in his body to near tearing. The man flipped Paul on his stomach and bent his arm behind his back, all without releasing his hold on Paul’s pinky. Four other men jumped on him to hold him down.
Sierra had been pulled out of the passenger side, and she fought too, only her fight wasn’t even remotely fair. Her petite frame and lightweight body couldn’t do much damage to her assailants like Paul was doing to his. She did manage to poke her finger in one man’s eye and leave a trail of bloody lacerated skin down another man’s cheek from her fingernails. She tried stomping on toes, but one can’t do very much damage to steel-toed boots.
She watched Paul fight triumphantly, and she felt pride rise up inside her. Then she saw him taken to the ground, and her fear overtook her. At the same moment, she was forced down to the ground on her stomach with the right side of her head pressed into the snow and gravel. A firm hand held her head down while someone’s knee restrained her shoulders.
“Paul!” she screamed.
Paul heard her and fought with the five men restraining him. He was able to turn his head to see her scared face for a fraction of a second before seeing the front of a military boot come flying into his face. He heard her scream his name in agony, and then he heard screaming no more.
Sierra’s face hurt from the freezing snow, and her shoulder felt like it was dislocated because of her arm being twisted behind her back, but it was nothing compared to the ache of watching Paul get kicked in the face. He went unconscious immediately, and she cried. She cried even harder as she watched the limited-viewing scene play out under the car. Several booted feet began kicking her precious Paul in the gut. She screamed for mercy for his sake and was comforted only by the fact that he was unconscious and couldn’t feel the pain of the beating. The men continued to beat on him, and she cried uncontrollably. She couldn’t stand the thought that she might be responsible for another good man’s death.
A vehicle pulled into the parking lot in front of Greg’s sports car, and Sierra was lifted to an upright position. She couldn’t see Paul any longer, only the men who were still pounding on him.
“Stop! Stop hurting him, please!”
“Sierra, he’s an enemy of my father. He deserves to die.” Victor had come to her side and spoke very calmly. “Any defiance is punishable by death.”
“If he dies, then I die.”
“How Shakespearian of you. You’ve always been quite dramatic that way.” Victor waved his arm, and the men stopped their attack on Paul. “Now, we leave.”
Sierra was dragged across the parking lot by two strong men. Her feet dug into anything and everything to try to stop her advance toward the black limousine. She was pushed into the vehicle, and the door shut before she could get out. The other door opened, and Victor climbed in along with two guards who sat across from them.
She instantly flew toward Victor with the rage of a thousand venomous vipers. She was pulled up short by the bodyguard’s arms around her waist. “Let me go! Let me kill him! What’s the matter
, Victor? Afraid of a girl? Can’t hold your own? Had to have Daddy find me because you can’t stand to be abandoned at the altar?”
“Sierra, shut your mouth. You’re only embarrassing yourself.”
“You don’t like hearing what I have to say? It must be true then!”
“This little escapade has set our time schedule behind. You and I should have been married already, but if he’s already had you, then I don’t want you. I’d simply ask, but I can’t trust your answer. So we’ll take your little boyfriend with us so that when I find out that he took what was mine, I can kill him with my own hands.”
“He’ll always have my heart, Victor, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” She heard the distinct rip and tear sound that can only come from Duck Tape. She turned to look, only to be silenced by the sticky tape placed across her mouth. Her hands were also bound behind her.
“I like it when you’re quiet.” There was a knock on the outside of Victor’s window. He rolled it down an inch.
“Sir, what should we do with him?”
Victor stared at Sierra for five long seconds and then turned to the man. “Kill him. Find his parents and kill them too.”
“No!” Sierra tried to scream and made to move toward Victor, only to be attacked by the two guards. They pushed her down on her side with her face shoved into the leather upholstery. Outside, she heard four distinct gunshots, and she was reduced to tears and sobs for Paul.
Chapter 11
It had been several hours since Paul was shot. They had reached the palace, and Sierra was placed in a secure room with no windows. Her bindings had been removed before she was locked away. She loathed being back in this life, being called Sierra, and having bad memories flood her mind. Her father had died because of her, and now the only man she had ever loved was dead too, because of her.
Her thoughts wandered to the little gas station and the memory of watching Paul being abused. The four gun shots ripped through her even now. At least he was unconscious when they killed him. Had anyone collected his body yet? Was he still lying in the parking lot? Did his parents even know, and how would they take it? Had they been killed as well?
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