by Norman, Mack
Max kissed Jackie’s hand, “I’ll be back when the bad guys are dead.”
“Be careful Max,” she yelled to his back as he ran away from the table.
Max had a shoulder holster under his coat with his Glock 17 and another in a paddle holster on his belt in the back, so he ran from the bar to the sound of gunfire. It was pitch black outside without the usual parking lot lights, and the fire barrels didn’t give off much light. He stayed low and sought out the enemy but couldn’t find anyone he didn’t recognize.
“Everybody, come here,” Oscar yelled and then added, “it looks like these raiders hit us quickly, got what they wanted, and left quickly. They hit the building next door and broke into the hard drug cage. They took two pickup loads of Oxy, Lortabs, and other pain relievers. We think they also took several of the women as they left. Rob saw them grab two women and force them into a van. We don’t know who they are yet, so check your buildings to see who is missing.”
Max suddenly felt sick to his stomach and ran to his building to check on Amy. He burst into their room and Amy was missing so he ran out to the lobby area and asked if anyone had seen her. No one had so he went into the kitchen, and no one there had seen her either.
Max ran back outside and caught the guard stationed at the front door and asked, “Did Amy Baker come back here a few minutes ago?”
“No sir, Several others have but not her.”
Max sprinted back to the auto parts building and asked,” Did Amy Baker leave here a few minutes ago?”
“Yes sir and she was in a hurry.”
Max went back to the bar to find Sam and his deputies when he saw Amy’s purse on the table next to where Jackie sat. He picked up the bag and felt the weight of Amy’s Beretta and knew the day had just gone into the toilet.
Max ran back outside into a hail of bullets and saw several pickups followed by a sizeable straight truck trying to get past the guards so they could escape from the complex. They were at the back of the grocery warehouse and were trapped so now they were shooting their way out. The men in the back of the trucks had no cover, and Oscar and his men annihilated them. Max had a brainstorm and jumped into the bed of the last vehicle, which was a more massive straight truck.
A man lunged at in through the darkness, but Max saw him, sidestepped, and pushed him out to the ground as the truck sped away.
There was mass chaos in the community and Tony was in his quarters with Liz and had left notice not to be disturbed. The man Oscar sent to get Tony came back and said, “Oscar, Tony said for you to deal with the problem and he is busy.”
This made Oscar furious, and he sprinted to Tony’s room and called out, “Tony, raiders hit the drug warehouse and killed five of our guards. They also captured several women and left heading south.”
Tony sat up on the bed next to Liz and said, “Didn’t you get my message. I told your man that I wasn’t to be disturbed and that you could handle the situation. Do I need to find another who can handle the situation?”
Oscar’s blood boiled as he replied, “Amy was one of the women captured.”
Tony showed no concern when he said, “Find a man to replace her. She was getting to be high maintenance. Goodnight.”
Oscar knew better than to push the topic, so he left and returned to his men and had his top lieutenants report into him.
Roger, I need you to take a couple of trucks and about ten men to find and kill those shit kicking meth heads who robbed us. Bring Amy and the other women back if you can. Hey, where is Max?”
Everyone looked around, and one man stepped forward and reported, “He jumped into the back of the last truck as they sped away. Shouldn’t we be heading out after them?”
Oscar replied, “Well at least someone cares about our people who are in danger. Roger, take your men and kill the bastards.
☆☆☆
Amy was madder at herself for mistreating Max than she was at him for balking at helping her with making Tony jealous. She knew that a by product of her flirting with Mac was that it made him desire her and she certainly wanted Max, but that made her feel like she was cheating on Tony. This soap opera was going through her mind as she stormed out of the bar heading to her room when she was grabbed from behind.
Amy felt the arm wrap around her neck and the other touch her side when she made the classic move to stomp her foot down on the arch of the attacker’s foot, shift her body sideways, and strike backward with her fist. She caught the man in the groin as planned and her stiletto heel crushed into his foot causing intense pain in both parts of his body. He fell down behind her as two men tackled her and one hit her on the back of the neck with a club. Amy was down for the count.
Later the truck hit a series of bumps and bounced the women into the air several times. Amy’s body bounced with the bumps, and she began to wake up with a pounding headache and a sharp pain in her shoulder and neck. She peeked out of one eye to see her surroundings and listened for danger. She couldn’t see anything but heard several women talking in whispers.
She started to ask one of the women where they were when a man’s voice said, “Girls, you will be treated nice if you play nice. We are gentlemen from Alabama on our way home and you lucky girls are going to be our women. If you are lucky anyways. If not the boss gets several of you and he can be one mean sumbitch. Play nice as I said, and you’ll live.”
Amy roughed up her hair and rubbed dirt from the truck bed on her face and legs to make herself unattractive since she knew the men’s end game. She continued to play dead until the trucks lurched to a stop and several shots rang out. She waited until the gunfire stopped and said to their guard, “If your friends have killed all of the bad guys us ladies have to pee.”
Several of the women agreed, and the man rolled the door up to show several beams of light dancing around in the dark.
“Fred, the girls have to piss. I need help to watch them, so they don’t run off.”
A man called back, “They can piss in the truck.”
“Oh, Hell no! I have to ride with them and I ain’t going to smell that shit all the way to your hometown. Get someone over here,” the guard yelled.
Another man appeared wearing an orange jumpsuit and said, “Come on down ladies, and you can go on the other side of the truck after I tie you together.”
He tied a rope around their waist, led them to the other side of the truck, and told them to do their business.
Amy tapped the lady next to her and said, “How long have we been on the road?”
“I don’t have a watch, but I think about an hour. We’ve been driving pretty slow dodging stalled cars.”
“Shut up! No talking! Get back on the truck bitches!”
Amy felt around her to find a weapon so she could kill the guard and make her escape but saw the lights of the truck behind her and knew she’d be caught before she got very far. There wasn’t anything nearby that would make a weapon, and her stilettos had been lost during the abduction. The metal rod in the heels would have created a great gouging tool.
Amy had nothing on, but the skimpy dress and the outside temperature was in the low forties, so the five women huddled together to stay warm under two coats. She listened as the truck rumbled on to figure out where the truck headed but soon fell asleep.
Amy woke up when she fell on top of the lady next to her when the truck slammed on its brakes and slid to a stop several hours later. Amy heard several people yelling and someone welcoming the assholes who had abducted her and then several gunshots and then laughing.
The guard raised the flap and said, “Shit I got to go.”
He jumped off the back of the truck and Amy heard several footsteps when a gun barked and she heard a thump then more cheers.
Another man with a gun came to the back of the truck and said, “Get your sweet asses down here so we can take a look at you. Move it, now!”
As they climbed out of the truck, Amy grabbed a coat from the floor and put it on to conceal her assets from these lecherous men. Sh
e couldn’t zip it up because of the rope around her waist, but it didn’t matter because a man came up and tore the coat off her. They were then ushered into a large log cabin and found a dozen people waiting inside clustered in front of a large fireplace with a roaring fire.
“Look what the dog drug in. Butch, I wondered if you’d ever get your sorry ass down here and here you are bringing gifts. That one with the tiny black dress is dirty, but she’s finer than frog hair split three ways. I claim her right now,” Homer said.
“But boss, she was going to be mine,” protested Butch.
Homer drew a big hog leg Colt .45 revolver and said, “Ole Betsy says different. If you want to file a formal protest, I’ll cock the hammer and if she don’t fire, you can keep the bitch. If she fires the bitch is mine.”
“Whoa, Homer, I was jest funning. I picked her out especially fer you.”
“Hey, why did you bring those darkies? You know I don’t hold no truck with them,” Homer said with venom in his voice.
“We needed them to help kill the guards and get the hell out of prison. I knew that you’d shoot their black asses when we got here,” Butch moaned.
Homer cocked the .45 aimed it at Butch and pulled the trigger. Butch turned white as a ghost, and his pants became wet as he went into shock when the gun didn’t fire.
Homer cocked the gun again and said, “See you could have had that fine young thing if you’d had the nerve,” and then he pulled the trigger and Butch’s head exploded.
Amy and the other women tried to run to the door, but one of the men yanked the rope, and they fell to the cabin floor in a tangle of arms and legs. Amy watched the evil leader grin as he addressed the remaining convicts.
“Boys some of you don’t know me, but now you know not to fuck with me. Do what you are told, and we’ll get along peaceably. Don’t and die. Now the ones, who want to stay, get over here. The ones who want to go drop your guns and walk out of here. If we see you again, you die.”
A dozen guns were pointed at Butch’s men, and all of them crossed the room to stay with Homer. Two haggard looking women came into the room with rags, mops, and a bucket to clean up Butch’s brains and blood while four men picked Butch’s body up and took him out to the hog pen.
“The hogs will eat fine tonight. Hey, June get your ass in here and take these girls and get them cleaned up,” Homer said and then began drinking again.
Homer was drunk when they arrived, and he was three sheets to the wind along with most of the men when June brought the ladies back into the room. June had cleaned them up and made them comb their hair and put on some makeup. Amy saw herself in the mirror, and for once in her life, she thought she was too pretty.
“My oh my, dis girls are bootiful. Cut that rope and bring the one in the black dress to me. Now, pretty girl, take that dress off,” Homer said in a drunken stupor.
He reached up and ripped the dress down the front and then had June remove it completely, and then said, “Sit on my lap.”
Amy tried to cover herself with her hands, but he pulled her on to his lap after slapping her for not moving faster. She sat there while he pawed her and vowed to kill the man in the worst way she could imagine. He took another three fingers of whiskey, downed it, and said, “Take her to my bed. I’m gonna …. I’m gonna Ugh. Help me to bed.
Several men helped the drunken leader to his bed and June pushed Amy into bed with him and said, “Look, girl, do what he wants, and he will treat you well. Resist, and he will give you to the men. When they get tired of you, you get fed to the pigs. Make him happy and live.
Amy looked at the once beautiful woman and said, “Why do you stay here with these animals?”
“Homer is my son, and I have to look out for him since he can’t keep a woman of his own.”
Amy stopped feeling sorry for the woman and vowed to kill her for not killing this vile beast at birth.
Homer was beyond waking up, so Amy got out of bed, searched the room for a weapon, and found a hunting knife in a drawer. Apparently, Homer’s mom knew Homer would get shit faced and always took his guns to keep his woman from killing him in his sleep. She was glad they missed the knife.
She put one of his shirts on, but his pants were twice her size and fell to her knees. She found a flannel shirt, put it on, and cut a hole in his belt to put it around her waist. She looked outside, saw only one guard, and was sure the others were passed out drunk. She had to escape now or spend the rest of her short life as that animal’s toy. She climbed on top of Homer and slit his throat as he snored, and killing him didn’t quench her thirst for blood, then she pulled his pants down and made several more cuts.
She wished she could kill all of the others and rescue the other women but felt their best chance was her getting to Max and bringing Oscar’s army down here to wipe the bastards out. She knew this had to happen quickly for the women’s sake.
She opened the door slightly and saw all of the men were passed out, but June and the two slaves were tidying up the room. It was a few hours before daylight, and she now knew she had to go out the window, kill the guard, and make her escape, she hoped there were keys in one of the trucks. She looked down at her feet, rummaged through Homer’s sock drawer, and kept pulling socks over her feet until his boots fit her tiny feet. The long socks went high up her legs; they would keep her warm until she could find clothes that suited her.
She looked out the window and didn’t see the guard this time, raised the window slowly, and then climbed out to the ground with the knife in her hand ready to slash anyone who got in her way. Her feet hit the ground, and to her shock, a hand closed around her mouth as another grabbed her knife hand.
∞
Chapter❺
Funny Meeting You Here
March 17, 2028
Max landed on a pile of loose can goods, and the edges of the cans bit into his side and leg and hurt like hell. He got to his knees, pulled out his miniature flashlight, and surveyed his surroundings. There were boxes of every kind of canned and packaged food one could imagine piled four feet high. Max knew there was a good chance the men would stop at one time and check their load since several cartons had fallen out the open roll up door.
He began throwing out cans of food to leave a trail for Oscar’s men to follow for an hour before the truck came to a halt. Max quickly climbed over the pile of cans and boxes and burrowed deep into the pile to hide before the men got to the back of the truck. A light shined on the back, and then Max heard the door squeaking as it rolled down its tracks to the floor.
“Damn, the bitch won’t lock. A can is wedged into the hasp.”
“Screw it. Let’s go. It’s down far enough that the shit can’t fall out.”
The truck fired up and pulled away. It was another two hours before the truck stopped again.
Max took the time to open a can of sardines and a box of crackers to munch on while he planned his next move. He knew he was outnumbered and probably wouldn’t have a clue where he was when the truck arrived at its destination, but he did know that Amy was going home with him. He took an inventory of ammo and found he had five full 17 round magazines and one with 10 rounds left. He searched the goods in the back of the truck, found a box with cigarette lighters, and stuffed several in his pocket along with a dozen Cliff Bars. He couldn’t find any water, but he found several cases of energy drinks and placed two in his inside jacket pockets. That was about all he could carry and still be ready for a fight.
Max was concerned that Amy would strike out at her captors and be raped and killed for her effort. He knew she couldn’t keep her mouth shut or refrain from kicking one of these inbred convicts in the groin. He was very fond of Amy but knew she was an acquired taste and was certain these rednecks wouldn’t like her at all after they got what they wanted. Max increased his urgency to find her when the truck turned sharply onto a gravel road and traveled for several miles before it stopped, and then he heard men laughing, and guns fired.
Max pushed the
door up slowly to not make any sound and saw a dozen men surrounding a tall, stout man wearing bib overalls with a huge revolver strapped to his hip. Then his heart skipped a beat when he saw Amy and the other women tied together with the men poking and prodding them as the others laughed. He looked to the side, saw the dead men, and knew he was right about this being a bunch of redneck racists. The bodies told him all he needed to know.
The moon was full and filled the area with a soft light that was only broken by the tall stand of pines around the cabin. Max looked up at the shiny orb and knew he would have to be very stealthy to avoid being seen by these dirtbags.
Max knew trying to save Amy now would be suicide for both of them, so he waited and watched the enemy share several whiskey bottles and then most went into the cabin and took the women with them. The four guards that stayed outside sat on the porch and passed the bottles around until three had passed out and the other walked around the side of the cabin to relieve himself. Max slid out of the truck and walked into the darkness to stalk the guard.
Max used all of the skills that his heroes used in his novels to sneak around the next truck in the line and made his move to the trees when he felt the hair crawl on the back of his neck. Something was wrong, and his body had noticed the danger even if his brain had not. He froze in place to give him time to think when he heard footsteps coming from behind him. He moved back to the truck and slid under it just in time to see an older woman walk past him and on to the guard.
The woman flirted with the guard, and they stood there kissing for a while then went to the end of the house and made love with her standing against the house. This disgusted Max and made him mad because he wanted to find Amy and get the hell out of Dodge before the sun rose. The lovebirds finished quickly, and the woman walked back past the truck heading to the house when she abruptly stopped and bent over to look under the truck where Max was hidden.
Max knew she would see him, so he lunged at her, grabbed her with one hand covering her mouth and the other around her waist. She fought like a wildcat and bit Max’s hand, so he released her waist, used his other hand to clamp her head down, and dropped to the ground breaking her neck over his knee. He felt guilty for killing a woman, but he couldn’t be discovered since it would keep him from saving Amy.