by Dale Mayer
He smiled, reached over and gently rubbed her shoulders. “I don’t blame you. It’s not nice for any of us. But it’s rare to have to kill someone. This scenario is an extreme case. Don’t base your future on this.”
She nodded. “In this location, chances are it’ll always be a bit of the Wild West.”
“Also in the US,” he reminded her. “With one of the highest crime rates in the world, no city is completely free of it.”
“I know. But I might be able to go a little longer between seeing dead people there. Plus I won’t have all these men tied up in my kitchen who want to take over my home—or worse,” she half joked. “Maybe it’s having turned thirty that has me looking forward.”
“Talk to Ice. I’m sure she’s got a space for you at the compound.”
“So she’s said.” She stared down at her plate. “I’m not sure yet.” She took a bite of her sandwich and thought how much better it tasted when she wasn’t exhausted. When she had polished it off, she took a sip of coffee.
He turned and, with a gaze of horror, exclaimed, “Is that fresh?”
She gave a fat smile and said, “Yes, I just made it.”
He bolted to his feet and left at a fast-clipped pace toward the coffeepot. She chuckled.
A voice from the other side of her said softly, “Every time you get a chance, you go to Brandon.”
She frowned and looked at her boss. “No, I don’t.”
“Yes, you do,” he said with a gentle smile. “And that’s the way it should be.”
She shrugged. “I like him. But that doesn’t mean anything.”
“Sometimes our bodies and our instincts are way stronger and more intuitive than we give them credit for,” he said, sitting up. “What you don’t know is that, when you went to sleep, he sat outside your room to protect you while you were defenseless.”
She froze in the act of lifting her coffee cup for a sip. She studied Bullard over the rim and said, “Really?”
When he nodded, something bloomed warm inside her. She didn’t know when was the last time somebody had cared for her to that extent.
She slowly lowered the cup and said, “He would have done it for anyone. Besides, Ice was with me.”
Bullard chuckled. “Yes, she was. Probably would have done it for any woman, quite true. He’s that kind of guy. But he did it for you, and he did it first, before Levi even thought of it with Ice.”
She wasn’t sure what to make of that. It left her feeling a whole lot better about Brandon. She really did like him. It had been a long time since she had met anybody who attracted her. And Bullard was right. She gravitated to Brandon’s side instinctively. Brandon returned before she had a chance to ask Bullard anything else.
Brandon sat down beside her and buried himself in his paperwork again until Bullard commented, “Did you tell her about the intruder you captured?”
Brandon shot Bullard a hard look and frowned. He shook his head. “No need to.”
She turned to stare at him in amazement. “Where did you find him?”
He looked uncomfortable, then shifted slightly in his chair and refocused on the paperwork.
But she wasn’t having any of it. She nudged his shoulder gently. “Where did you find him?”
He glared at her. “Approaching your bedroom.”
She froze. “Oh, my God, he was on the same floor we were?”
Brandon gave a quick nod. “Yes.”
“So there’s another tunnel and stairway to each of the floors in this building?” Her gaze went from Bullard to Brandon and back to Bullard again.
“Yes,” Bullard answered.
But Brandon was quick to add, “We’ve broadened our searches and discovered a couple more tunnels. But don’t worry. We’ve booby-trapped them. That way we can use them, if needed, to escape the holding, but the gunrunners will suffer serious injury if barreling through any of them now.”
She sank back in her chair, her gaze instinctively going to Bullard. He nodded and gave her a big smile. She glanced back at Brandon and whispered, “Thank you. For being there.”
The stiffness went out of his back and shoulders, and she realized he thought she’d be angry at him—likely for being outside her room. Angry that he’d gone to watch over her. If she hadn’t been quite so tired before going to lie down, she’d have realized they should be watching over each other. It was a smart thing to do. But he had realized what he needed to do, and he had done it regardless.
He gave her a small crooked smile and said, “You’re welcome.”
“I’m really not against help, you know.”
“Good,” he announced cheerfully. “Neither am I. It’ll take all of us to protect that village.”
“Protect that village?” She leaned forward to look at his plans. “Why are we protecting the village now?”
Brandon brought her up to speed on what they’d learned from the captured men.
She gasped. “No wonder they’re fighting so hard to get in here.” She looked to Bullard. “We can’t just give them the guns, can we?”
He shook his head.
Brandon added, “Bullard’s military friends are on the way too. Could be here in an hour or two.”
“I’m all for protecting the innocent villagers. I might also be open to protecting the people who keep getting into my house because now I understand their motivation,” Bullard said. “But I don’t want to see a bloodbath once Konrad’s military friends arrive.”
“Is that likely to happen?”
“It depends on whether his friends are involved, doesn’t it?”
*
Brandon spent the next twenty-five minutes trying to finalize his roughed-out plans. He wanted to hand them off to Levi and Bullard for their review and comments before Brandon took an hour to nap. He was scheduled for two, but he didn’t think they’d have time. Plans needed to be set in motion and fast. If he didn’t get this done, he wouldn’t get the one hour either. He quickly finished off his map and notes. He stood and looked down at Kasha, saying, “I’ll see you in a little bit.”
She frowned, her gaze searching.
He smiled and said, “Just got to talk to Levi, and then I’m heading for my one hour.”
“Have a good sleep.”
He handed Levi his map and notes and said, “I’m early, but I’m gonna crash. We’re short on time.”
Levi nodded. “Go.” He walked to where Bullard sat, drinking coffee.
Brandon watched the two put their heads together over his plan, and then he turned and headed to one of the rooms nearby. He didn’t want to go upstairs, and there was plenty of space here. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, but he just needed to crash and recharge.
In one room where they kept all the storage items, he’d seen some blankets. He pulled out a couple, went to the wall and lay down beneath the window. He closed his eyes, grateful for a moment to just be still. It seemed like only five minutes had passed when he woke up again. But, after checking his watch, he realized it was an hour and fifteen. He sat up, stretched, hating the grittiness of his eyes. His throat was dry, and his body was screaming for at least six more hours, but that wasn’t going to happen.
Not right now. He got up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Instead of heading toward the group, he went to the washroom, wishing he could have a shower. That wasn’t going to happen either.
He washed his face with cold water and gave it a good scrub. Slicking his hair back with his wet hands, he headed back out. As he stepped into the hallway, Kasha handed him a coffee. “It’s the last one in the pot.”
He gazed at it appreciatively. “Thank you so much.”
“I’ve got another pot dripping.” She smiled. “I’m not sure how quickly we’re moving, but I figured coffee was never a bad idea.”
Back in the war room, almost everyone was gathered. Levi looked up and smiled. “We’re just going over the plan.”
Brandon walked over and joined them. Although groggy, he needed to get his
head in the game. “I figure we need to leave in fifteen minutes,” Brandon said, looking at his watch.
Levi agreed. “It’s going to come down, and it’ll come down hard and fast.”
“Well, let’s hope we can save those who need saving and capture those who don’t. The best plan is to have it all done before the military shows up.”
“Agreed,” Bullard said.
The next ten minutes was a scramble as everybody loaded up with weapons and piled into vehicles. Brandon hated to leave anybody at the holding, but they couldn’t leave it unprotected. At the same time, they were thin on men on the ground. But, by utilizing as many as he could, they were spread out as watchdogs, all along the path. Two on either side of the village, so all four corners were covered; one on the road coming in; one on the road between the village and the holding; and two in the holding.
They left five minutes later—right on time. Bullard drove one vehicle and would drop off four men along the way and had already headed out. Brandon drove a second vehicle with the other two men. Kasha stayed behind to keep an eye on the prisoners, to run the command center and to keep the communication lines open. They had thought long and hard about bringing the captured men to help but decided they couldn’t trust them yet. With their luck, the prisoners would shoot Bullard’s team and take over everything as was their original plan.
Ice elected to stay behind too. She would be on the walkway and in constant contact with Kasha below.
Brandon knew it was too simple a plan. They were up against unknown numbers of men. They also didn’t know if dupes were planted in the village. Did anybody even understand what the mercs were doing there in their town?
All the good guys weren’t in position yet when the first alert came on their comms that three vehicles, loaded with men, were approaching the village from the far side. Brandon turned to the north and, in the distance, could see the sand cloud moving toward them. He frowned, then heard the confirmation that Levi and Stone were both at the entrance, hoping they’d be able to turn away the men. Given the speed those vehicles were going, no way that would happen.
Brandon was one of the first to enter the village. Bullard had arrived earlier to help communicate with the locals. The villagers were all currently hidden inside, away from the windows, hoping to avoid most of the oncoming war. Brandon’s headset crackled, and Levi’s voice filled it, saying, “The men are clearing a path with gunfire. We’re hunkered down, taking cover.”
Brandon frowned. “Talk about a waste of ammunition.”
“No, they know we’re there.”
If they knew Levi’s men and Bullard were here, had somebody from inside the holding told them? He tapped his comm to warn Kasha. “You and Ice be extra-alert. The men approaching the village seem to know we’re here. So they must also know only two of you remain at the holding.”
“How?”
“I don’t know how,” he said, “but you should be very wary of the prisoners.”
“I’m sitting here in the kitchen, holding a rifle on them. One is sleeping, and the others are staring at me.”
“Then I’d be worried about the one sleeping,” he said. “Anything to throw you off.”
“I’m on it.”
“And don’t speak in front of any of them. As soon as I sign off, leave the room to tell Ice. Expect another intruder.”
“Yeah. Got it.”
“Kasha …” He hesitated.
“What?”
“The smartest thing is to knock them all out.” He clicked off his call. If he was there, he would do it. He wouldn’t like it, but he’d do it because they couldn’t take a chance on somebody else betraying them. One of their captives could be an outsider, and the villagers tied up with him would just be more collateral damage.
He knew Levi would have contacted Ice as well. She was alone on the walkway. That was enough to worry anybody.
Brandon could hear the gunfire before the vehicles arrived. He was tucked in behind one of the houses, looking for a way to take out the shooters. But, as soon as he fired, the attackers would return the gunfire in his direction. Yet that would also give Stone a better bead on the bad guys. Brandon lined up his rifle and could see one of the men laughing as he fired aimlessly around the area. Brandon took aim and pulled the trigger. The man fell to the side, a hole in his forehead.
Brandon proceeded to take out two more shooters. A hail of bullets came his way, as expected, but he was already gone. He had three more targets picked out and moved swiftly from one to the other, firing but not wasting time or ammo.
Ammunition was too precious right now. Back at the holding, they had lots. They’d come away loaded for bear, but, at the rate the attackers were shooting, Levi’s men and Bullard might not have enough. Brandon could hear Stone picking off others, based on the shouts, screams and more gunfire. Up ahead he saw Levi duck behind a small rise. The rise exploded with gunfire. Brandon counted sixteen men total on the three trucks, but that didn’t mean there weren’t more attackers coming on foot. Now fifteen on the trucks …
Fourteen …
As he watched, two more men fell from the truck, dead. The first truck rolled gently forward. Nobody was left alive to drive it. The second truck was trying to get out of the way and hide behind something. But there was no place for it to go. Brandon watched as the driver was killed at the entrance to the village. Those alive came out of the second vehicle and started firing as they raced toward the village. He took one out; Levi took another out. Realizing Stone would need more help as men raced in that direction, Brandon jumped across the main road, ran behind the second house and came up behind a shed in time to come face-to-face with another attacker. He pulled the trigger, and the man collapsed, a look of surprise on his face. Brandon kept moving. There was no time to waste and still at least eight gunmen to take down. Now that the intruders were able to hide among the villagers, it would be that much harder to find them and that much more dangerous to the villagers.
His headset crackled. “One bogey coming up behind you.”
Brandon dropped, spun and fired. Down the bad guy went. “Thanks.”
“No problem. We counted twenty-two men on three vehicles.”
Brandon swore. “I only counted fifteen hits.”
“I got eighteen marks down.”
“Well, that’s better odds.” He moved swiftly through the village. He heard one shot. Nineteen. After that, an eerie silence filled the air. This was the dangerous point. Most of the enemy were down, and the ones left were angry and looking to survive. They were more dangerous now than ever. At the same time, the villagers would start thinking the worst was over, would let their guard down, and that made them targets. Once the gunmen held hostages, the whole game changed.
Brandon peered around the corner and caught sight of Stone who motioned to his right. Brandon slid back, came around the side and found a rebel on his belly inching forward.
Brandon’s boot accidentally caught a stone that rolled forward. The gunman turned, raised his rifle and fired. But his body was already dancing midair as both Stone and Brandon nailed him.
“Twenty down,” Brandon whispered to Levi.
The next half hour was tense, dusty and hot. The only way any of them were planning to go home was alive. They had two more men to take out. The worst was going to be if they accounted for twenty-one and couldn’t find anybody else. Because, at that point, you wondered if you’d miscounted. That’s when the last sucker had the advantage. He could either hide, run away or create chaos.
Another bullet shot past his head. Brandon dropped, rolled and came up behind the back of another building. He glanced around quickly. Hiding places were getting fewer and farther apart. Sitting still would always make him a target, so he picked up the pace and shifted around to where the vehicles were. What he didn’t want was for any of the gunmen to take a vehicle and run. Levi’s team and Bullard could use the vehicles themselves too. Sure enough, one of the gunmen was in Bullard’s second veh
icle, trying hard to get it started. Brandon came up behind him and whispered, “Hands up.”
The gunman turned and had the rifle pointing at Brandon, midchest.
Brandon said, “Don’t do it.”
The gunman stared at him with a sly look and squeezed his finger. Brandon didn’t have a choice. He fired. The gunman fell to the sand. He gasped, tried to say something and fell silent. In theory, there should only be one more left. “I’ve taken out one by the second truck,” Brandon whispered.
“We’re looking for one more.”
Brandon knew it would come down to this. What he needed was a way to flush out the last guy. The man on the ground wore a helmet. He slipped it off and put it on his own head, then inserted the key and started the truck.
“I’m wearing the dead shooter’s helmet. I’ll see if I can flush out the last bad guy, letting him know there’s a ride to take him home. Don’t shoot me,” he said.
He backed the truck up to the main road and moved quickly, his hand on the horn as he sped through the village. He checked on all sides to watch for any sign of the last gunman. Sure enough, a shot was fired in the air just up ahead to the right. He raced toward the man, motioning him to come. The man threw himself into the back of the truck, screaming something Brandon took to mean, “Go, go, go!”
Brandon did. But he spun around and raced back the way they came. The rest of his team was lined up at the end of the village. Brandon hit the brakes, and a dozen weapons were trained on the man in the back.
Brandon relaxed with a heavy sigh. “Are we done yet?” he asked Levi.
Levi smacked him on the shoulder and grinned. “I’d say we’re done.”
Bullard nodded. “Nice job.”
Brandon laughed. It wasn’t as fast or as simple as he’d wanted. But it did work, and that was all that counted. Up ahead he watched sand flying from more vehicles racing toward them. He pointed. “We’ve got company.”
The men’s faces turned grim. Brandon took the vehicle to the other end of the village and parked around the back of a house. He saw several women inside one of the homes clutching each other in terror. He held his finger up to his lips so they would know to stay quiet, and he crept around the corner.