by A. American
Sarge dropped the binos from his face and looked at Dalton. “You see anything to make you think it’s Iranians down there?”
“Not yet.”
Sarge looked around the area. “We need to find a place to lay up and watch the proceedings during the day. We’re too exposed here.”
“That tower over there,” Dalton said. “The one with the metal siding on it. If we got into that, we could see everything.”
“It’s enclosed, so we’d have some cover,” Ted said.
Mike sat up and took the binoculars from Ted. He looked at the tower they were talking about. “If we’re going over there, I want to go back to the trucks for some dry goods.”
Sarge looked at him, then back at the scene before them. “Good call, Mikey. We might need it.”
“We ain’t got much. But I’ll get what we have.”
“I’ll go with you,” Dalton said as he scooted himself back from the edge of the pile.
Once the two men were gone, Ted asked, “You think that’s a good idea? Introducing explosives into the mix with nuclear fuel?”
“I’m not a dumbass, Teddy. But if we move out there, we’re there. Going back to get something at that point ain’t going to happen. So I’d rather have it and not need it.”
“I wonder what those boats brought in here?” Ted mused.
Sarge rolled over on his back, putting his hands behind his head. Letting out a sigh, he said, “I’m more worried about what it may be taking out.”
Ted looked at him. “The fuel? You can’t do shit with it. It’s practically useless. Just a hazard to be buried someplace for millennia or two.”
“That’s what I thought too. But someone is going through an awful lot of effort down there; and the only thing down there is fuel rods.”
Ted kept an occasional eye on the activity at the plant. While they waited for Dalton and Mike to return, he wanted to keep an eye on everything. After a while, the old man fell asleep. Ted smiled as Sarge quietly snored beside him, remembering the threats of severe bodily harm the old man had issued over the years for falling asleep. But the smile faded when he took a longer look at his old friend. His mentor. He was getting older. Not that he’d ever dare say it to him, but time wears on a man’s body as a river does a canyon. The smile returned. The ornery ole bastard wasn’t done yet. He went back to observing the area.
“What do you think?” Jess asked.
“I’m in,” Lee Ann said.
Fred looked around tentatively. “Will we get in trouble?”
“Trouble from who?” Lee Ann asked.
Jess laughed and lifted the silver star from her chest. “We’re Deputy Sheriffs.” Leaning closer to Fred, she added, “It’s our job!”
Fred shrugged. “Hell, since you say it that way.” Smiling over her shoulder as she walked towards the smaller buggy, she said, “I’m driving.”
Jess ran towards the now-running buggy and shouted, “Shotgun!” She and Lee Ann giggled with excitement as they scrambled aboard.
Fred quickly spun the small vehicle around and tore out from the house, racing down the road. Ian stepped out from behind the bunker. Fred skidded to a stop in front of it as he took a quick step back. Fanning the dust from his face, he asked, “Where are y’all headed?”
Fred shrugged. “To town.”
Spitting our dust, Ian asked, “For what?”
Jess stood up in her seat and looked over the roll bar. “We’re going to take care of some deputy stuff.” She dropped back in her seat and laughed. Fred laughed as he stomped on the gas, throwing sand and dust everywhere.
Jamie walked out and stood beside Ian. After watching the buggy speed away, she asked, “What the hell was that about?”
Ian started to reply but paused. Gagging, he spat at his feet. Looking up, he ran his tongue around his mouth for a moment, spat at his feet once again, and replied, “I have no fucking idea.”
Jamie shrugged and looked up at the blistering sun. Shading her eyes, she said, “It’s hot as hell. Let’s get in the shade.”
Ian nodded. “Yeah. Let’s do that.”
The girls laughed as they raced down the road towards Altoona. They were enjoying the wind in their hair and the freedom of totally open road. Lee Ann leaned up between Jess and Fred. “This is awesome!” Jess looked over her shoulder and nodded as she held her hair out of her face. The ride to Altoona didn’t take long when you drove as fast as the little buggy would go. It wasn’t long before it was in sight. Fred pulled into the market and shut the buggy off. The girls quickly headed towards the traders set up under the gas canopy.
They wandered among the offerings of the traders there for a bit and then agreed to move on to Umatilla. Jess was going to drive the next section. She started it up and was just beginning to move when Lee Ann tapped her on the shoulder. Jess looked over to see her pointing at a woman on a bike on the west side of nineteen coming up highway forty-two. She was waving a white cloth and shouting something.
Jess pulled out of the parking lot headed towards her. She stopped in the street as the woman made it to them. She slumped from the seat, straddling the bike. She breathed hard, unable to speak. “You ok?” Jess asked.
The woman tried to speak, but still couldn’t. She looked at Jess with red swollen eyes and held a finger up. After another moment, she managed to say, “My daughter.”
“Is she hurt?” Jess asked.
The woman managed to catch her breath enough to speak. “She’s being raped.”
“She was raped?” Jess asked.
The woman shook her head. “No. She’s being raped right now!”
A rage began to rise in Jess. Her eyes narrowed and she could feel the heat rising up her neck. With gritted teeth, she said, “Get in and show us where.”
“We need the Sheriff.” The woman said.
Jess pulled the star up, “We are. Get in.” The woman looked at the star in disbelief. “Get in,” Jess said with more authority.
The woman nodded and dropped the bike in the road. She managed to get in with Lee Ann’s help. The woman directed them down forty-two as they quickly sped away. The woman told them they needed to go about ten miles down the road. Lee Ann was looking at the woman. She was older, and looked older than she probably was. She looked tired and Lee Ann wondered how she managed to ride that far.
Jess looked over her shoulder. “What’s happening?”
The woman tried to shout over the rush of air. “She was taken by a man. I know he’s got her in his house. We need to get her back! She’s only seventeen!” She started to sob.
Jess pushed the little cart as fast as it would go. After what seemed like an eternity, the woman told Jess to turn left. They drove down the narrow road until they came to a trailer park. She indicated for them to turn in. Jess slowed down in the park. She was surprised at the number of people. The sign at the entrance announced Sun Lake Estates was a community for active adults. That means no kids. But there were many kids running around and playing in the street as adults sat under the carport or porch of the many small homes.
The woman directed them to a small house on Sun Lake Blvd, right across from the pool. She quickly got out, showing much more vigor than she did going in. Once the girls were out, she pointed to a house two doors down. “She’s in there.” She looked at Jess and grabbed her shoulders. Pleading, she said, “Please go get her. Will you go get her?”
Jess looked at the house and asked, “What’s her name?”
Holding her hands over her the mouth, the woman replied, “April. Her name’s April.”
With no discussion, the girls started towards the house. They stopped in the yard in front of the door. Jess stepped up on the porch and knocked on the door. Then stepped back with Fred and Lee Ann. After a moment, the door opened wide. A tall man stepped into the door and leaned on the jam. He wore only black jeans with no shirt. A large oval buckle swung from the belt hanging loosely from the loops. He was hairy. In a Wookie kind of way.
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nbsp; He looked down at the girls and smiled as he picked his teeth with a small nail. After a moment, he smiled and pointed at Jess with the nail. “Well now. Look at this.” He leaned out the door and looked up and down the street. “You girls lost or something.” Then laughed.
“Where’s April?” Jess asked.
He glanced over his shoulder and replied. “She’s alright. The real question is, who are you?”
“We’re here to get April. Is she in there?” Jess asked.
He smiled back and pointed at her again with the nail. “You know, it’s kind of funny.”
“What is?” Jess asked.
“I usually have to look for it. It’s kind of strange it just walks up to my door.”
Jess’s ears were getting even hotter. “And just what is it?”
He smiled broadly this time. Running his tongue over his bottom lip, he leaned forward slightly and replied, “Pussy.”
Jess quickly drew her pistol and fired one round. Fred jumped at the report of the .45 going off right beside her. The man in the door however, growled in pain as he fell to the floor, holding his left leg.
Looking up, he shouted, “You bitch! You shot my leg!”
“I was aiming for your little pecker!” Jess shouted back.
He reached back into the house and swung out a shotgun as he screamed, bitch in one long shriek. Jess quickly fired again as Fred drew her pistol. Then Lee Ann walked between them. As soon as she was just in front of the two women, she evenly pressed the trigger on her MP5. The small German weapon spewed gleaming brass into an arch in the hot sun. The man’s body flinched with every impact. The shotgun fell from his hands onto the porch. After a couple seconds, Lee Ann was replacing the mag in her weapon.
He fell forward onto his face with a thud. Lee Ann stowed the mag and looked back at Jess and Fred, “You going in?”
The reality of what just happened came to Jess. Fear crept into her and she said, “Oh God. I hope she’s in there.”
Lee Ann looked at the body slumped on the weathered porch. “Doesn’t matter. He needed killing.”
She looked back at the other two and headed for the open door. Stepping over the body, she entered the house. It was dark and hot, really hot, inside the trailer. As she crossed the small living room, she glanced back and saw Jess and Fred behind her. The trailer was small and it was only a few steps until she was standing before a closed door. Steeling herself, she opened the door. What she saw made her sick and she had to cover her mouth with her hand.
A young woman was tied face down on the bed with several pillows under her hips. The evidence of her numerous assaults was plainly visible. Jess rushed into the room and quickly cut her free. She rolled the girl over. She was unconscious. Her skin was dry and hot. The hair matted to her face where the sweat dried it.
“Oh my God. She is so hot!” Jess shouted.
Fred was looking at the girl. “We need to get her outside.”
Jess ripped the pillows from the bed and pulled the corners of the sheet out. “Grab a corner. Let’s carry her outside.”
The girls carried her outside. As Jess was passing through the door, she drew her pistol again and fired a round into the top of the guy’s head. The unannounced shot scared Lee Ann and Fred and they dropped the girl onto the porch with a thud.
“What the hell!” Fred shouted. “Would you let us know when you’re going to shoot something!” Fred shouted.
“Oops,” Jess replied as she holstered the Colt. “Sorry.”
“We need to take her to town. The clinic is the only place that can help her,” Fred said.
They picked the girl up and carried her out to the buggy. The problem was, it was only a four-seater and there was no way to lay her down. Working together, they managed to get her in. Fred got into the backseat to hold her. As they were doing this, the older woman, who had been hiding behind a large oak, came running up.
“Is she ok?” She cried as she leaned in.
“She’s alive. But we need to take her to Eustis. There’s a clinic there and she really needs some help,” Jess replied.
“Oh! Poor April. I told you to stay away from him!” She looked at Jess and cried, “I told her to stay away! It wasn’t my fault!” Her guilt was now laid bare.
Jess grabbed her hands. “It’s not your fault!” She pointed back to the body on the porch and said, “It was his fault! No one else’s! We’re taking her to Eustis and we’re leaving now!”
The woman stepped back and nodded her head. Jess quickly got in behind the wheel and took off as fast as the little buggy would go.
We were about to leave the plant when the sound of a vehicle surprised everyone. The security detail at the plant quickly moved towards the road. I was shocked to see the smaller of our two buggies come racing down the road. I saw Jess, Fred and Lee Ann were in it, along with someone else who looked slumped over. They didn’t see us and continued on towards Eustis.
“Let’s go!” I Shouted as I jumped in behind the wheel and started the war wagon.
Everyone quickly got in and I took off to try and catch them. But they had a good head start on us. “Was that Fred?” Aric asked.
Thad nodded. “Jess and Lee Ann were there too.”
“Who was the other person?” Aric asked.
Thad shook his head. “I couldn’t tell. But they didn’t look good.”
We followed them into town and saw the little buggy wheel up in front of the clinic where the girls quickly got out. I pulled up behind them and stopped quickly as staff from the clinic came running out. Jess was shouting for help as the nurses and medics pulled a girl from the back of the buggy.
“What the hell is going on?” I asked.
“We found her tied to a bed in a trailer,” Jess replied as the medics carried the girl into the clinic as they shouted orders.
Confused, I asked, “What? Where?”
Jess stopped and brushed her hair from her face. “Down forty-two. We were at the market in Altoona when this woman came up. She said…,” she paused as she broke down and began to cry. “She said this girl was being raped. We found her tied to a bed in a little trailer.” She looked me in the eyes and added, “It was awful.”
I felt for her. I knew her pain. But what could I say? I wrapped my arms around her. She hugged me and wept. Looking at Lee Ann, I asked, “Where was this? We need to find him.”
Lee Ann was leaning against the buggy with her H&K slung over her shoulder. She produced a mag and held it so I could see it was empty. “He’s already been dealt with.”
It was a sobering sight to realize how casually she said it, as though she just told me she had taken the trash out. Which, in a way, she did. “You alright?” I asked.
She nodded and smiled. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
Jess pulled away and wiped her face, feeling a little embarrassed. “I’m going to go in and check on her.” She was looking at the entrance to the clinic. “I’m probably going to stay here with her.”
Nodding, I gripped her shoulder. “That would be good.”
She disappeared into the tent. I looked at Lee Ann and said, “Go with her. Keep an eye on her.” She nodded and headed inside.
Aric was talking to Fred. She was upset, but not nearly as much as Jess. She was giving him the rundown on what happened. As I stepped over to them, Kelly stopped me. “Thanks for getting me up here. I’ll hang out a couple of days if you don’t mind.”
Nodding, I replied, “That’d be good. When you’re ready to go back, just go to the armory and let them know.”
He waved as he walked towards the park, “Will do! Thanks again.”
“Is Jess staying here?” Fred asked. I nodded.
“We’ll take this one back, if you want to take the other.” Aric said, pointing to the small buggy.
“That’d be good.” Thad replied. Aric and Fred climbed into the small buggy and pulled away. Thad watched them for a moment then said, “They some brave girls.”
“Yeah. But I wo
nder why they were out.”
Thad walked over to our ride. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he leaned back against the fender. “They was just doing what they thought they needed to. Same as you.”
“You’re right about that. It’s actually good that they’re getting out and riding around. We can’t be everywhere. And it’s obvious they can handle themselves.”
Thad added, “Obviously.”
Letting out a long breath, I said, “I’d like to go see where this all happened.”
Thad nodded. “Me too.”
Shane came trotting up as we talked. “Hey, Morgan, Thad.”
“Hey, Shane. How’s the law and order business?”
He stopped and scratched his head. “Well. What are you planning on doing with Dave Rosa?”
Shaking my head, I looked down at the ground. “Hell. I don’t know.” Looking back up at him, I added, “He’s guilty of murder. There’s no doubt about that. But a judge should decide what to do with him.”
“He’s starting to be trouble. Says he wants to go home. Says he’s spent enough time on the chain.”
I laughed. “Well, he damn sure ain’t going home.”
“Can you come talk to him?”
I looked at Thad. He smiled. “Go on, Sheriff.”
“In that case, let’s go talk to the prisoner, Deputy.”
Thad stood up off the buggy, and we walked with Shane towards the Eustis PD. “Where’s Sean?” Thad asked.
Shane pointed off towards the park. “Oh, he’s over there. This heat is getting to people. They want to fight for some damn reason.” With wide eyes, he asked, “Who the hell wants to roll around on the ground and fight in this miserable shit?”
Thad opined. “Not me!”
“Yeah. Me neither.” I said, “All I want to do is sit in a cool pool somewhere.”
“When you find one, let me know where it is,” Shane said. “I wish the city pool still worked. That would be awesome.”
“After what happened today, it could happen,” Thad replied.
Shane got excited. “Really? You got the plant running?”