Jane stepped into the Hi-Lux.
“Turn the engine one,” said Robert, still carefully aimed at Joe.
Jane reached over to the ignition where the keys were and turned them to roar the engine to life. She then rolled down the window and aimed her rifle at Joe.
“I’ve got you covered now,” she said.
Robert looked at Randall, on the ground and taken captive.
“Robert!” Randall called out.
Randall managed to look up at Robert from his position on the ground. Then he said: “Don’t try and rescue me.”
Robert said nothing. After a few more seconds, he sat back into the Hi-Lux with his AR-15 and closed the door. He pressed down on the engine and took off quickly down the road until they disappeared around the corner.
Once they had gone, Joe turned to his gang and ordered them to retrieve the duffel bags. He then turned to Randall who was on the ground.
“Stand up,” he ordered.
Randall stood up, when Joe suddenly punched him hard in the gut and Randall fall back down with an “UMPH” and groaned in pain.
Joe then raised his foot and brought it crashing down against Randall’s gut again. Randall emitted another groan. Duncan simply looked on helplessly.
“You’re going to pay for what happened to Alexandra,” said Joe through clenched teeth.
“How do you want to kill him?” one of the gang members asked.
“Kill him?” Joe asked, and then grinned. “No, no, no. We’re not going to kill him. At least not yet. I have something better in store for him.”
Chapter Ten
Jane was in tears as Robert drove.
“Randall’s dead, isn’t he?” she said.
“We’ll rescue him,” said Robert. “We rescued Thomas, we can rescue him too.”
“If he’s even alive by then,” Jane sobbed.
A tear streamed down Robert’s cheek.
“Randall is a fighter,” he said. “He’ll keep himself alive like Thomas kept himself alive. And then we’re going to save him. I promise you.”
* * *
The Compound
Butler stepped out of his office building with his Mini-14 auto rifle slung over his shoulder.
Standing in front of him were Gale, George, and one hundred of the Compound’s most able bodied members. They varied in age from 16 to 50 and around eighty five percent of them were male. Behind them, the vehicles were lined up and ready to go.
Butler nodded in approval, and then said, “As I’m sure my sons have told you already, we have identified the location of the Parker’s. They’re on the northern end of Priest Lake in a private cabin. We’re going to meet up with some more folks on our side on the way up. Once we meet up with them, I’ll lay out our strategy to deliver them what they deserve and punish them for their sins! Tonight is the night that justice will be brought upon them! Only then will we have peace! For Gerald and Mike!”
“For Gerald and Mike!” everyone exclaimed enthusiastically.
* * *
Butler and Gale led the convoy of ten vehicles down the dirt road on their way to the northern of Priest Lake. The headlights of the vehicles shined so brightly in the darkness that they were visible through the trees and brush for hundreds of yards.
Butler figured there would be around an hour’s worth of driving before they reached their destination.
First, however, they stopped by Phil’s camp. He had eight other men with him waiting around a campfire.
Butler and Gale brought their vehicle to a halt and the convoy stopped on the road behind them. They stepped out and walked over to the campfire.
“Lewis Butler,” said Butler. “You must be Phil.”
“That’s me,” said Phil.
They shook hands.
“You know Gale already,” said Butler. “Before we start, I want to say thank you. You’re risking your lives to help us bring these people to justice. I promise you, when this is over there will be a place for you and your families within the walls of our Compound. Food, medicine, water, it’s all yours.”
“Thank you, that is much appreciated,” said Phil. “All I got is eight guys, but we’re ready to fight if that’s what’s it’s gonna take to keep your families safe.”
“And your families will be kept safe,” said Butler.
Butler turned back to the Convoy.
“Everyone out, gather around!” he said.
After a few minutes everyone climbed out of the SUV’s and trucks and gathered around a campfire. With over a hundred people there it was a large crowd in such a small camp.
Butler stood in the center to address them.
“Their cabin is just twenty to thirty minutes north of here,” he said. “It’s positioned against the lake, so if we surround them completely north of their immediate position, they have literally nowhere to run. I want us to separate into three groups of twenty each. My son Gale will lead the first group, Mitchum and Jones will lead the other two. All three groups close in at once from all sides. Simple but effective. There will be literally nowhere for them to go and the fight shouldn’t last long. They won’t even know what hit him. You guys ready?”
Everyone in the circle either nodded in agreement or made their agreement known verbally.
* * *
Robert and Jane drove down on the dirt road heading back to the cabin. They had swung around north of the cabin in an attempt to lose track of anyone in case they were followed. Now they were heading south on the primary road.
Just then, they saw multiple headlights on the road ahead of them. Robert brought the Hi-Lux to a stop. The headlights that were in front of them came to a stop too.
Sure enough, it was Butler’s convoy. There was maybe fifty yards between the convoy and Jane and Robert in their Hi-Lux.
Gale was riding shotgun in the front vehicle in the convoy with Butler driving. He squinted to make out the truck that was in front of them.
His eyes went wide as he realized, “That’s our Hi-Lux! That’s the Parkers!”
Back in their Hi-Lux, Robert and Jane’s hearts were beating fast.
“Is that them?” Jane asked. “The Compound?”
“Yes,” said Robert under his breath. “We’re in for another fight.”
To Be Continued…
The Will To Survive Page 7