The Returners

by Thomas Washburn Jr.

  Thinking about what Ray would do to him if he knew how he felt about his daughter made him shudder. Knowing more than most people about how cold and evil Ray could be made it even worse.

  Joe tried to clear his head and focus on his task, knowing Ray and the others would be on their way back by now. He really didn't like the thought of what Ray might make them do, but he didn't feel he had any other choice. What Ray might do to him if he spoke up quickly erased any thought of doing so from his mind.

  Chapter 8

  Jacob spent the day helping Jessica out around the cabin doing repairs and odd jobs that needed to be done. Emily had spent most of the day curled up in a blanket reading a book. Normally she would have been helping, but Jessica wanted her to be able to just be a kid and enjoy a nice lazy day to herself. Emily hadn't said much other than complimenting Jacob on how handsome his new haircut looked.

  Jacob couldn't help but think what a nice change of pace today was. Compared to what he had been doing for the last year or so, he would take doing chores in fine company any day. It seemed like the last year had been nothing but running through the woods. Always having to watch your every move and waiting for something or someone to attack you.

  Every time he looked at Jessica his mind wandered to what had taken place this afternoon. What had transpired between them was still so freshly etched in his brain. He was happy and couldn't help but have a constant smile. Could it finally be things were starting to turn around? After everything started and turned bad, this was the last thing he thought would ever happen to him. Frankly he was amazed he was still alive at all and often thought to himself why he'd made it when so many others hadn't.

  "I'm going to go get some wood and bring it in. Figure we should get enough in for the night before it gets too dark," Jacob said as he leaned against a wall watching Jessica doing laundry in the sink.

  "That's a good idea. Emily and I will start dinner,” Jessica said as she wrung out a shirt she was cleaning. She looked up to him and lowered her voice. “I have to talk to you about something a little later once Emily's gone to bed."

  "Is everything alright?" Jacob asked. Wondering if it was about this afternoon or something else.

  "Everything's fine, just something that's been bothering me. I don't want to worry Emily." She put the shirt down and gently squeezed his hand. "Now go get that wood," Jessica said, holding his hand for a moment before letting go. Their eyes met and both of them smiled.

  "Yes ma'am."

  Jacob went to the door and headed outside. Jessica walked over to Emily who was still caught up in the book she was reading.

  "How's your book?" Jessica asked. Sitting beside her daughter who hadn't looked up and still had her nose buried in the book.

  "It's pretty good. It's about a shark and a sheriff trying to stop it." Emily finally looked up at her mother and held the book up for her to see. The cover of the book said JAWS and had a picture of a woman swimming with a giant shark coming up underneath her.

  "Well I'm glad you like it, that was one of my favorite books growing up. I must have read it ten times and it always scared me. I didn't dare get in the water for a whole summer because of that book. Can I get you to help me make dinner? You can go take a shower later, Jacob and I got the water all ready for you."

  "Alright." Emily folded the corner of a page to mark her progress, then set the book down and got up to help her mother.

  Jessica and Emily walked back to the kitchen and began preparing dinner. Tonight they were going to have green beans, venison from the bear and spaghetti with stewed tomatoes. Jacob came in and out of the cabin a couple of times bringing armloads of wood with him, stacking most of it near the fireplace. He brought an armload and placed it near the cooking stove before headed back out to grab one final armload.

  As Jacob placed the last bundle of wood in his arms, he got the feeling he was being watched again. Stopping what he was doing he peered into the woods, scanning carefully, but still saw nothing. The light in the sky was slowly beginning to fade as darkness fast approached. Jacob made one last visual sweep across the woods with his eyes, but still didn't see anything. Grabbing the last few pieces of wood he needed he walked back inside.

  ********

  Joe watched the man once again look directly at where he was hiding. Luckily for him the man didn't appear to see him, but it was obvious he was suspicious something was up. Otherwise, why would he keep stopping what he was doing and scanning the woods. It had to be close to six o'clock now and was starting to turn dark. He was beginning to wonder where Ray and the others were, when he he heard footsteps behind him. They were soft, but in the dead silence were unmistakable. He looked to see Ray, Dave, Kyle and Jimmy a short distance from him. Soon all four men were crouched next to him.

  "Anything happen while we were gone?" Ray asked as he looked down upon the cabin.

  "Nothing eventful Ray. They've just been going about their business." Joe didn't feel like there was any need to tell them about seeing the woman undress and get into the shower. It had nothing to do with anything they needed to know.

  Nor did he want to mention the man stopping and scanning the woods. That might set Ray off and that was the last thing he needed. Better to keep that part quiet, it didn't matter much now anyway. Everyone was here and they would soon be doing what they had come here for.

  "Good. We wait here until it's completely dark. Remember when we go in I want everything we can salvage," Ray said, continuing his fixed gaze upon the cabin.

  Joe knew the answer to his next question before he even asked it, but he asked it anyway. "What happens if they don't cooperate with us?"

  The old man turned his head towards him and their eyes locked.

  "Then they die. Pretty plain and simple, it's survival of the fittest out here Joe." The response to the question was brutal and blunt, his voice calm showing no emotion.

  That question made Ray decide it would be best for Joe to hang back while the rest of them went to the cabin. He wanted to make sure the kid wasn't going to do anything stupid. If he got any dumb ideas, he would be out of the equation of the raid.

  When Ray was satisfied the kid understood what he was saying he broke eye contact and looked at the others. "Now we wait."

  The five men hunkered down as they waited for nightfall to completely blanket them. When it was time Ray would give the go ahead to proceed with the plan. Then and only then would they make their move.

  ********

  Emily, Jacob and Jessica sat around the table finishing their meal. Other than Emily excitedly telling them about the book she was reading tonight's dinner had been quiet and relaxed. Jessica was happy to see her daughter get excited about something. There hadn't been much in her life to get excited about for a long time and It was amazing how something as simple as a book could do that.

  When Emily finished eating she got up and took her dishes to the sink then walked back to the table.

  "Mom I wanna go take my shower now," Emily said.

  "Give me a second and I'll go with you. I don't want you out there by yourself after dark. Let me get the lantern." She got up from the table and grabbed an old oil lantern that hung from the wall. Taking the top off, Jessica stuck a match and lit the wick. The glow from the lantern filled the room with a dull orange light as she replaced the cover.

  "While you’re doing that I'll get these dishes done up. By the way I noticed you had Monopoly," Jacob said as he looked at a bookshelf with a handful of board games on it. "You want to play a game when you’re done? Monopoly's my favorite."

  Emily got excited and spoke up from the next room where she was getting her clothes. "Yes! I do. No one beats me at Monopoly."

  Her mother laughed, "She's right Jacob, I don't think you know what you’re getting yourself into."

  Emily came back into the kitchen holding her clothes. "I'm ready mom."

  "Let's get going so we can get to that game of Monopoly. You can show Jacob how good you are at it" Jessi
ca watched her daughters face light up with confidence.

  The two women walked outside, the oil lamp casting just enough light to let them see what they were doing. They walked side by side until they reached the shower. Emily put her clothes on the small table, undressed and got into the shower. Jessica put the lamp on a nail that protruded from the side of the shack. She stood there looking up at the night sky, admiring the beauty of the stars and moon.

  "The moon sure is bright tonight isn't it Em?" It was almost full, and with the clear sky it lit up the night.

  "Yep, you almost don't need the lamp it's so bright. Can you show me the different constellations before we go in?" Emily asked as she began to hum the same song she had earlier. The one Jessica didn't recognize.

  "We can definitely do that hon," Jessica said as she listened to her daughter hum. Her eyes scanned the surrounding area around the cabin. It had been a while since a Returner had come near here, but she wasn't taking any chances. Letting your guard down could be a fatal mistake, especially at night. Returners always seemed more active when darkness fell.

  ********

  Ray and the others were getting ready to make their move when they saw the cabin door open and light from the lamp appear. They watched as the two women exited and walked to the back of the building. Ray couldn't believe their luck, this was going to be easier than he thought.

  "Okay boys we just lucked out. I know there's a lamp burning, but now's the time to attack. We don't want to miss this opportunity, you all saw where they went. Jimmy and Dave, I want you to work your way towards where they are. Kyle and myself will work our way down to the front of the cabin. Joe you stay here with my rifle, If anything goes wrong you shoot and take em' out. Once we take care of things and it's clear I'll signal for you to bring the backpacks down. Does everyone understand?"

  All the men nodded their heads as Ray handed Joe his 30-30 rifle. Jimmy and Dave began working their way towards the two women, while Ray and Kyle worked their way to the front of the cabin. Slowly and methodically they worked their way towards them, the moonlight making it easy to move quietly.

  ********

  Something wasn't right, Jessica could feel it in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't tell what it was, but something felt off. Her hand slipped to her side where she unlatched the strap of the 9mm's holster. Gripping the handle firmly and pulling it out she continued to look into the darkened woods. Using the moonlight to try and catch silhouettes of anything that might be moving amongst the trees.

  "Emily you need to finish up," Jessica said. Trying to sound as calm as she could so she wouldn't worry her daughter.

  "I'm just washing my hair, be done in a sec."

  "Just hurry please." Jessica's eyes continued to peer into the woods. She didn't know what she was looking for, but she knew something was out there. The sound of the plastic rustling told her Emily was done and coming out of the shower.

  "Sorry I took so long, I didn't......" Emily stopped mid sentence as she heard the loud snap of a branch in the woods.

  Jessica also heard the snap, her attention now focused on the area it had come from. She saw two figures skulking through the woods. This didn't feel like when she met Jacob, this felt wrong. There was nothing good about this situation and she knew it. Instinct took over as she raised her pistol and fired at the first silhouette, a male voice screaming out as the bullet struck home.

  Ray and Kyle heard the shot and saw the muzzle flash from the gun. They both immediately dropped down into a crouch, weapons at the ready. They were still out of sight and didn't want to make any sudden movements that might give away their positions.

  Dave saw Jimmy fall to the ground as he heard the gunshot ring out. Without thinking he yelled, "Holy shit!" As he dropped to the ground. Without aiming he raised his shotgun and fired in the direction of the women.

  The pellets from the shotgun blast struck the side of the shower. They made a loud thumping noise as they tore into the wood, barely missing Emily and Jessica.

  "Emily get inside the cabin now," Jessica yelled. All she could think about was keeping Emily safe and nothing else.

  Emily was frozen with fear, but the sound of her mother yelling for her to run snapped her back to reality. She ran as fast as she could towards the cabin. Jessica aimed her pistol at where she'd seen the muzzle flash from the shotgun and fired two shots.

  Dave felt the bullet slam into his shoulder. The force of it making him drop his gun, incredible amounts of pain shot through his body.

  "Fucking bitch, you’re dead, you're fucking dead." He grabbed his gun, stood up and stepped out from the tree line. His gun raised and aimed at Jessica.

  "Your dead bit...." He never finished his sentence as Jessica fired two more shots at him. Both bullets struck him in the chest. One last breath escaped his lips as he fell to his knees and then forward, crumpling to the ground in a lifeless heap.

  Jessica turned and ran to the front door of the cabin to see Jacob coming out, his shotgun raised.

  "What the hell's going on Jessica?" Jacob said as she came into sight.

  "There were two men in the woods. I shot both of them. I don't know if there's any more of them or not. I'm out of ammo. I fired my last five rounds."

  Before Jacob could reply to her a shot echoed out of the woods in front of the cabin, striking right next to his head. He felt splintered wood pelt his face.

  A man's voice followed the shot from the woods. "I suggest you both put your guns on the ground right now. We can do this the hard way or the easy way. I suggest the easy way, cause you wouldn't like the hard way. We've got you surrounded.”

  Jessica and Jacob looked at each other, both knew they didn't stand a chance if they were surrounded. She was out of ammo and all he had was the shotgun. Both of them slowly laid their weapons on the ground.

  "Good, now I want you both to take a couple steps forward and put your hands up in the air," The man said.

  Both Jessica and Jacob complied. They stood there for a moment as two men came from the forest towards them. The figures were dark and they were unable to make out what either of them looked like, but they could tell both men were armed.

  "Kyle you get the girl out of the cabin, I'll make sure these two don't do anything stupid," Ray said as they got closer to Jessica and Jacob.

  They could now make out what both men looked like. One was older with dark gray hair and a round face. He looked like your typical jolly grandfather type. He had a smile on his face that was both calming and eerily creepy at the same time. The other was much younger, probably in his late twenties with dark stubble on his face. His long black hair was tied back into a ponytail beneath a Boston Redsox baseball cap. He was carrying a machete.

  The younger of the two walked past them into the doorway of the cabin, while the older man stood there with a revolver pointed at Jacob's head.

  "Young man, you get face down on the ground. Young lady, you stay still or I swear I'll put a bullet through his head faster than you can blink," Ray said as he moved to the side of Jacob.

  Jacob got down and laid on the ground face first. He immediately felt a boot connect with his ribs. He cried out in pain. Tears began to run down Jessica's face.

  "You find that girl Kyle?" Ray hollered.

  "I can’t find her Ray."

  "Find her and bring her out here, she's got to be in there." He looked at Jessica. "Now about my boys you shot." He pistol-whipped the side of her head and Jessica dropped. Out cold before she even hit the ground. "That's for them."

  Jacob grimaced as he saw Jessica hit the ground beside him, her body limp and unmoving. The man pressed his boot down upon the back of his neck. He could feel the air in his lungs starting to escape as he began to choke.

  “I've got no use for prisoners, and I've decided I don't like you. I'm going to make you suffer, slowly,” Ray said with a sick tone of enjoyment as he continued to press his boot down on the man's neck.

  “Put your gun down," Kyle said from
inside the cabin.

  A second later a shotgun blast rang-out and immediately Jacob felt the pressure from the man's boot release from his neck. Gasping he couldn't focus on anything but getting air into his lungs.

  Ray spun around to see Kyle coming out the doorway. There was a huge hole in his chest, blood and gore covered his shirt. Kyle looked up at Ray before collapsing to the ground. Ray could see the young girl standing behind where Kyle had been. A shotgun raised to her shoulder, her face blank and emotionless.

  Joe watched the events as they unfolded from his hiding spot. It had only been a few minutes since all hell had broken loose, but it seemed like hours to him. The 30-30 was leaned across a fallen log so he would have a steady shot if he needed to make one. Things were not going as planned, but there wasn't anything he could do at this point.

  What was going on made him sick to his stomach. He didn't want to be a part of this, but he didn't know what else to do. He peered down the sights of the gun training it on the man laying on the ground. A gunshot rang out and he watched Ray lift his foot from the man's neck and spin around towards the cabin. Ray now had his revolver pointed at the young girl standing in the doorway. Joe couldn't believe Ray would gun down a child, but it looked like that was going to happen right now. The girl couldn't be much younger than him or Briella, Ray's own daughter.

  Taking his gun off the man on the ground he aimed at the back of Ray's head. This had to end, how much longer could he let this sick bastard kill innocent people? He couldn't be a part of it any longer. No matter how much Ray or the others tried to justify what they were doing, it was wrong and he knew it. Killing Returners was one thing, living people were something entirely different all together.

  Emily stood frozen in the doorway of the cabin, her gun still aimed at where she had fired. She couldn't move or speak, tears ran down her face. The man standing over her mother and Jacob now had his gun aimed at her.