by Jack Hunt
Daniels made his way over. “Are there any other exits?”
“Yeah, one at the back and the roof. However, Alexa, Tobias and Eli are off to cover the rear.”
He patted Nick on the shoulder. “Keep communicating. I’m going up. I’ll throw a couple of smoke grenades inside and that should force them out.”
Jamal watched from the corner of a truck where he had the muzzle of his rifle pointing towards the roof. I was going to follow Daniels, but I took a few seconds to go around to those that had been shot and stuck my knife into their skulls. The last thing we needed was the dead rising.
“How’s your ear?” I asked Jamal as I extracted my knife from behind the ear of the last guy. He was sporting a large bandage wrapped around his head.
“Burns. I swear, if Rob steps into view I will take the top of his skull off.”
From the ground I watched as Daniels slung his assault rifle around his back and tightened the strap. He clutched the drainpipe and began to make his ascent. I’d seen five-year-olds climb better than him. He made it up a few feet and then would slip back down.
“Need a hand?” I asked.
“I’m fine,” he grumbled looking embarrassed.
“Suit yourself. But that’s what you always say.”
“Kid, are you always this much of a pain in the ass?”
“Get used to it, Boston is a long journey,” I muttered.
He went back to climbing and this time he managed to latch on to an area of the compound that would allow him to get his foot onto a ledge. He stretched, reaching for the lip and finally caught hold of it. While he did that I went up the one on the other side. I wasn’t going to wait for him and I didn’t want to have him slip and land on top of me. I removed my gloves and gripped the pipe to start climbing. I scrambled up that thing like a rope in a school gym. Daniels was still pulling himself up to a ledge that would take him up to the second floor. As I reached for the edge of the roof, I took a second to brace myself for what might come next. I was fully aware that Sean and Rob might not have left the roof and had simply dropped down, which meant I was liable to get the muzzle of a gun in my face if I wasn’t careful. I looked down and my stomach sank. It was a good thirty-foot drop, definitely enough to break both legs. I took a deep breath and pulled myself up, scanning the roof for signs of movement. Nothing. I launched myself over the edge and rolled across the top bringing my rifle around and clutching it tight. I raked the muzzle then got up off my knee preparing to head for the far side.
Daniels pulled himself up.
“About time, old man.” I smiled and extended a hand so I could help him over.
He waved me off and let out a breath. “Sucks getting old.”
“Good excuse,” I said tapping him on the arm and turning. Daniels couldn’t have been a day over forty. We stayed low and ran across the rooftop to the exit. It was partially open. I knew where the staircase led as we’d all been up here on the first night. Tom Sanders had given us a tour of the place and had brought everyone up so he could point out key areas in the campground. Little did I know that a week later he’d be dead, and we’d be fighting for our lives.
There were two large skylights that bathed the second floor of the compound in light. It was the area that was used for yoga. As we got closer, I spotted Sean. He hurried across the room and disappeared out of view. At the far side of the room, huddled in a group were the rest of the campers, twelve teens, and Brooke. She looked to be trying to keep everyone calm but wasn’t having much luck. Daniels skirted around the edge.
He tossed up two fingers to indicate that he’d spotted more men. Had they all been inside it might have been worth dropping smoke grenades through the windows to create confusion but there was too much movement. We got up and headed to the rear of the building.
Alexa, Tobias and Eli gave us a nod to let us know that everything was good on their end. They were fanned out ready to take them if they burst out. We jogged over to the stairwell door.
“You ready?” I asked.
“Lead the way, kid.”
I pulled the door handle and snuck into the darkened staircase. I heard muffled voices lower down. It was humid inside. We pressed our backs to the wall and kept the guns low. I rested my finger outside of the trigger guard. Quietly we made our way down until we reached the door that would take us to the second floor corridor. Daniels squeezed past me and took a look. The coast was clear but for how long? As we opened the door, I heard Sean’s voice getting closer. I pulled Daniels back and the door slipped away from his hand banging against the frame. My eyes widened, and we hurried up the staircase, taking cover behind the doorway area. On the roof there were a number of large aluminum vents, any one of them could be used for cover.
“Didn’t you close the door?” Sean yelled.
“I forgot,” Rob replied.
“Go up and do it now.”
We heard the sound of boots approaching. Without saying anything of what his intentions were, Daniels scooted up to the doorway and waited for Rob to emerge. I squatted at the corner watching. I had to say this guy had nerves of steel. No wonder he was a cop. A hand lunged forward to grasp the door and Daniels reacted. Before Rob could even mutter a word, he had clasped his hand and shoved a Glock 37 right under his chin.
“Don’t even breathe!”
I came up the rear and relieved Rob of his handgun, rifle and hunting knife. Daniels tossed him on the ground and zip-tied his wrists together. He then ripped off a portion of his shirt and stuffed it into his mouth while taking another to tie it off. We dragged him over to the edge of the roof and I let out a low whistle to Nick. He glanced up and beckoned for us to send him over. Now there was really only one way to the ground, and that was to drop him. We could have left him on the roof but unless one of us stayed with him, there was a chance he would break out.
Fortunately we didn’t have to do either. A bullet whined, and Rob’s body jerked. Red mist hit the side of my face. It was a clean shot to the head. He rocked back and collapsed. What the—? I looked over the edge and saw Jamal lower his rifle. “Bull’s-eye.”
Fucking guy. There wasn’t much we could do about it, except head off towards the stairwell. As we turned to head back, Sean stood in the doorway. He’d seen the whole thing play out. His eyes were wide with shock.
“Sean!”
Reacting fast, he slammed the steel door closed, and we hurried over but it was locked. Daniels burst over to the skylight, pulled up one of the windows and tossed a smoke grenade in. It hit the ground and rolled, spitting out a high volume of red smoke which would last for ninety seconds. Screams ensued from some campers as Sean’s men opened fire, causing all the glass in the skylight to shatter and drop. Another one was tossed in and then Daniels hurried over to the far side where he tossed down one for Nick to throw into the front entrance. Nick removed the protective cap, pulled the ring to the side of the unit and lobbed it. It hissed and smoke billowed out of the skylight and doors.
Now it was just a matter of waiting. We remained on the roof confident that they would panic and assume we were about to rush in. Of course we weren’t. We didn’t hear the rear exit door open but the sound of a rapid burst made it clear they’d attempted to exit. I raced over to the edge and saw smoke pouring out of the rear door just as it sealed shut.
Unbeknownst to us, Nick and Jamal had rushed into the doorway and were now on the ground floor. I only realized that when the eruption of gunfire was all that could be heard and I checked to see if any were coming out the doorway.
The thought of Nick getting killed was what drove me to do what I did next.
I slung my rifle over my back and went over the lip.
“Where are you going, Scott?”
I didn’t reply. I slipped down the drainpipe until my boots hit the ground. I shouldered the wall, peered around the corner of the front doorway and after checking all was clear, I moved in. Gunfire got louder the farther I got inside. I stopped at the next doorway and g
ot on the two-way.
“Come in, Nick?”
There was no reply. I tried again, whispering. It crackled but no answer. If that wasn’t disconcerting, the gunfire had stopped. I tried to remain calm, slowing my breathing and steadying myself as I squinted into smoke that had made its way inside and was hovering above the floor like a red apparition. I saw the silhouette of a figure on the far side of the room. I zeroed the crosshairs on my target and was close to pulling the trigger when the figure backed up and I saw it was Jamal.
“Jamal!”
He moved fast making his way over to me.
“Where’s Nick?”
“I lost him inside.”
I moved past him and tried to focus on what I could hear. Visibility was low. As I worked my way down the corridor hugging the wall and preparing to face either Sean or one of the two remaining threats, I felt something grab my ankle.
I turned to find Nick lying on the floor, his rifle at the ready. He looked up and brought a finger to his lip and motioned for me to get on the floor. As soon as I dropped, I could see better. He turned his head ever so slightly and whispered, “One in the room on the right, and the other is in the left. They were trying to escape out back.”
“Where’s Sean?”
He shook his head. “No idea.”
The Mark
I brought the AR-15 up and peered through the scope waiting for one of them to show. The tip of a blue baseball cap began to edge out from the left. At first it was just a sliver, then I saw the corner of his eye. The rifle in his hand came around the corner in one smooth move.
“I got this,” Nick said. The gun went off, a deafening crack in my ear, then a body slumped to the floor. What occurred next wasn’t what I expected. Across from him a rifle was tossed out into the corridor. It clattered as it hit the ground and slid into the wall.
“I’m coming out. Don’t shoot. I’m done. Don’t shoot.”
A pair of hands came into view; it was one of Sean’s men. I didn’t recognize him, probably a local of Raquette — guys who’d come across the camp either trying to escape the horde or looking for food. Either way Sean must have taken advantage of them, probably offering them shelter, a warm bed and food if they remained. The guy was as thin as a rail, he couldn’t have been a hair over a hundred and thirty pounds. His hands appeared first outside of the door and when we didn’t shoot he stepped out, then got on his knees and laid flat. Behind him the rear door was partially open. As we got up to head over to him, the door opened and Tobias stepped in. His eyes met ours for a second, then fell upon the guy.
Before Nick could spit out the words, “Don’t shoot,” it was too late. He raised his rifle and unloaded a round into the back of the guy’s skull. The look of sheer terror before he died was something I would never forget. Those two seconds when he knew his life was over.
“Where is he?” Tobias said.
“We don’t know.”
All of us ducked into the stairwell that would take us up to the second floor. Cautiously we approached the doorway and slipped out heading down to where we did tactical yoga.
As soon as we reached the room, it was pretty clear what he had in mind. A coward in life, it was to be expected from him. He’d positioned himself behind Brooke at the back of the room. A gun up to her head and all the rest of the campers in front of him to make sure he didn’t get taken out. Tobias slipped into the room, his rifle aimed at him.
Sean bellowed, taking control of the situation. “You shoot me, she dies.”
Brooke was in tears. The other campers didn’t look too thrilled either. They cowered in fear unsure of whether to run forward or remain where they were. After what we’d witnessed in Long Lake, there was no telling what he would do.
Nick was the first to speak. “Sean, put it down. It’s over.”
“No. You are going to shoot me.”
“No one is going to shoot anyone.”
He obviously hadn’t seen the look on Tobias’s face. We fanned out, each of us aiming the crosshairs on him. My finger twitched near the trigger but slipped out over the guard. I didn’t have a clear shot, and I certainly wasn’t the best marksman in the building. Eli and Jamal crept up behind me, their eyes darting around the room as they wondered who was going to make the first move.
“You killed my father,” Tobias said.
Brooke wailed at the news but Sean kept a firm grip on her.
“It wasn’t me. I swear.”
Nick moved forward and put his hand on the barrel of Tobias’s weapon, trying to get him to lower it. He turned towards each of us and gestured for us to back off.
“See. No one is going to harm you. I understand you did what you had to.”
“That’s right. They wouldn’t listen to me. I tried to get them to come back. If they had just come back, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
“No, but then my brother and Tom would have been dead,” I added.
“Look, Sean, what do you want?” Nick asked in a calm voice.
Sean’s eyes were wild. “I want a truck outside.”
“You’re not taking her with you.”
Sean chuckled a little. “You always were infatuated with her, weren’t you?”
“This isn’t about that.”
“No? Of course it is. The second I let her go, you are going to put a bullet in me.”
“Like I said, no more people need to die here today.”
All that could be heard was Brooke crying. What a way to learn her father was dead. Nick turned around and motioned to Jamal. “Go get the truck.”
“What?”
“You heard me,” he snapped.
He turned his attention back to Sean, and I frowned and walked over. “What are you doing, Nick?”
“Trying to prevent more bloodshed.” He looked back. “Okay, we’re getting you that truck. How about you give us something? Let the campers go.”
“This isn’t a negotiation, Nick. I get my truck and I leave.”
“And you will.”
“I know I will, or I’ll kill her and as many as I can before you take me out.” Tobias inched his way forward. Every step made Sean that much more nervous. “I’m warning you. Back off!”
Daniels entered the room.
“Sean. I’m an officer. Look, man, you won’t get far out there by yourself. Now we’re heading out soon, for Boston. Put the gun down and let’s do this together.”
“Boston? But you said Tupper Lake was clear? Why would you be going to Boston?”
Oh great.
“I…”
“You lied,” he spat. “I want my truck and now!”
Okay, I thought what my brother was suggesting was insane but Daniels clearly was out of his mind. There was no chance in hell we were taking him with us. Not after all he’d done. He couldn’t be trusted. We remained in that building for the next five minutes until Jamal returned out of breath and panting hard. “It’s out front.”
Nick told everyone to back out of the room to give him space.
“I want them out of the building before I move. And I’m taking her with me, Nick.”
“No, we didn’t agree to that. I’ve got your truck, but she stays.”
“She’s my insurance that I get out of here alive.”
“Come on, Sean!”
Sean pressed the Glock into the side of Brooke’s temple a little harder causing her to cry out. We were playing right into his hands, giving him exactly what he wanted. It was like Long Lake all over again. I backed out of the room. I could tell that Nick wasn’t going to allow him to hurt her, which meant he would make it to that truck. That couldn’t happen.
Outside I stood with the others waiting for Nick to emerge. A stream of campers came out, the first of those that Sean had allowed to leave. Three were required to stay behind. We weren’t sure why he kept hold of them until he appeared keeping his weapon against the side of Brooke’s head. Call it being smart or being cowardly, but he must have threatened to kill them and
Brooke if they didn’t surround him. Now he was covered from the back, front and sides. I stepped out of view and disappeared into the woodland, hurrying along a small trail heading for the gate.
The only way he was getting out of here was in a body bag.
I positioned my rifle on the top of a wall. I was standing on the other side of the gate. I did this for one reason alone, my arm was in no state to hold that rifle steady. I rubbed my tired eyes and calmed my nerves. Through the scope I could see that he’d managed to get into the vehicle and he’d had one of the teens drive him so he could focus his entire attention on Brooke. He rode shotgun in the middle with Brooke closest to the passenger side door, again using her as a way to block them from shooting him.
I squinted hard into the distance trying to home in on Sean’s noggin. He still looked panicked. His eyes flitting around, expecting that someone was going to take a potshot at him. The truck tore away, kicking up dirt. I slowed my breathing and steadied myself as I zeroed in the crosshair on Sean’s face. I knew that long distance wasn’t my strength. Hell, I was still getting used to firing a gun, let alone hitting a target from four hundred to six hundred yards away. He’d need to get closer but then I stood the risk of him seeing me, or the bullet missing and striking Brooke.
Fortunately Tobias had other plans. As the truck pulled away, he brought up his gun and took a shot. It shattered the back window on the truck but didn’t hit its mark. Nick was quick to run in and shut him down. I glanced over the scope and could see Nick yelling in Tobias’s face. No doubt reminding him he could have killed his sister. I brought my eye back to the scope and could see that Sean was looking over his shoulder expecting someone else to fire at him. As long as he wasn’t looking my way that was fine. The truck got closer. The engine roared, and I felt the pressure of the trigger beneath my finger. I kept the crosshair fixed on the back of his head just waiting until he was within the distance that would allow me to land the shot. Three hundred yards, two hundred, one hundred, fifty, twenty-five, then ten. Sean turned with a smile on his face, satisfied that he was out of danger. Now even though my body was hidden behind the wall, my head was above it and that’s what he saw. I know he saw it because his eyes registered me just before I squeezed the trigger.