Against All Odds (Book 2): As We Break

by Hunt, Jack

  “Well, I’m not letting you decide my fate.”

  “Likewise,” she said before thrusting the shovel into the soil and trying hard to pull large chunks of it away. Douglas began to climb and this time he wrapped his arms around her calves and used his entire body weight to pull her away. Mia dropped the shovel in her attempt to hold on to the ladder. It disappeared out of view and clattered once it hit the floor in the capsule. “Shit!”

  “Give it up Mia. You’re not leaving.”

  He continued to climb up her, pulling at her green jumpsuit. Mia’s fingers were slipping on the ladder, any second now…

  She couldn’t hold on.

  They both slipped and dropped down into the capsule. Douglas let out a groan as she landed on top of him. She scrambled to get off, and scoop up the shovel again but he grasped her foot and she went knees first into the hard metal floor. Mia cried out and tried to crawl away from him but it was pointless. Douglas was bigger than her, and though he was older, he was more athletic and stronger. He was on her like a lion on prey. He flipped her over and in his crazed state backhanded her, knocking her unconscious.

  Anna screamed in agony. Her cries were so loud Chase could only think the worst. He raced back into the room, his eyes bulging as he gazed upon her bloodied hand. His breathing sped up and he went into panic mode.

  “Shit. Hold on.”

  He dashed out and began rooting through the kitchen looking for the first-aid kit.

  “C’mon. Where the fuck is it!”

  “Chase. It’s in the living room,” Anna shouted.

  He sprinted in and spotted it on the coffee table. Within seconds he was back with her and yanking out Band-Aids, creams, and… bandages. “I got them. What else?”

  “Get some water bottles from the kitchen.”

  He nodded and followed her instructions as she yelled out to him.

  When he returned he nearly fainted from all the blood. He wasn’t used to seeing that much. He didn’t have a stomach for it. Other guys might have but not him. Anna talked him through what to do to clean and patch up the wound. The bullet had gone straight through her hand leaving a gaping wound. Several times he had to turn away as his gag reflex kicked in.

  As soon as it was bandaged Anna sat back against the wall, tears streaking her cheek. Chase glanced at his watch. “Your dad will be back soon. They’ll be back, right?”

  She looked at her wristwatch. “Yeah.”

  It was the only thing that gave him hope. “Wait here.”

  “Where you going?”

  “To see where those guys are.” He placed Anna’s handgun in her good hand. “I hope he taught you to fire with the other hand.”

  He didn’t stick around for an answer; he darted out of the dining room, across the hall into the living room and peered out. He saw a few men dart around the side of the house, and heard what sounded like someone climbing. “No, no, no,” he mumbled. This was the worst situation they could find themselves in. Trapped inside a home without anyone to protect them. He looked down at the rifle in his hand. “C’mon, Chase, pull yourself together.” He felt like a complete wuss. He was the one that was meant to be able to rise to the occasion and yet everything inside him wanted to hide, run or give up. He glanced over at Anna who was groaning in agony. She kept putting down her handgun and gripping her hand.

  “Don’t pussy out now.”

  Thoughts of what his father said to him before he went to Harvard came flooding back in. His father was a hard-nosed businessman in California. Even though he had never been in the military or any career that might have hardened him, he didn’t have patience for anyone who didn’t have the balls to step up and take risks. It was how he’d built his real estate business. He was a get-the-job-done kind of guy who oversaw every aspect of his business from supervising workers to meeting clients. Nothing was below him and nothing was too hard.

  “Only losers go to UCLA. Do you want to be a loser, Chase?”

  “Harvard isn’t any better, dad.”

  “Are you minimalizing my education?”

  “No. I’m just saying. I don’t have to follow your path in life.”

  “You’re not. You’re following your mother’s. I don’t think you have the balls to do what I do every day.”

  Chase gritted his teeth and took another look outside. He squinted into the darkness and saw two red eyes getting closer. What the heck? The sound of a Jeep’s engine got louder as they reversed in. Bringing up the rifle he aimed at the rear tire and fired two times then unloaded several rounds at figures that darted in and out of trees.

  Quickly pulling back he changed position, this time heading to the rear. He hadn’t made it halfway down the hallway when the sound of glass breaking echoed loudly. They were trying to gain access in the back. Not seeing anyone, he raised the rifle and squeezed off a few rounds at the windows as warning shots. It might not prevent them from getting in but it would make them think twice about getting close.

  He stood in the middle of the hallway, turning back and forth and firing rounds out the front and rear windows.

  “Chase. Stop. You’re going to blow through the ammo.”

  Right then he heard the sound of banging upstairs. He shot Anna a glance and then took off up the stairs heading for the second floor. It took only seconds to make sure that no one was coming through one of the bedrooms, but he could still hear the banging. It was coming from the roof.

  Standing on the landing, he reached up and pulled the cord to gain access to the attic. No sooner had he done that than he heard a loud crash down below. He darted into one of the bedrooms and looked out to see the bars that had covered one of the windows were now in the driveway, attached to a chain. One of the men was unhooking it when Chase smashed the top window and fired at him. The single bullet hit its mark and the guy collapsed. The truck took off to escape the next flurry of bullets. As it did the chain caught a hold of the dead man and dragged his limp body out of the driveway. He pulled back as the window he was standing at came under heavy fire.

  Not wasting a second, Chase shot back out onto the landing and pulled the ladder down. “Anna, check the window. I’ll be down in a second.”

  He had to see what they were attempting to do.

  Chase scaled up the ladder into the attic and shone his flashlight around. There were no holes in the roof but he could clearly hear banging farther down. He walked across the attic beams until he was beneath the banging. “All right, you assholes. Let’s see if you like this.”

  He raked the rifle and fired multiple times peppering the roof.

  Someone cried out and the next noise he heard was the sound of a man yelling as he plummeted to the earth. Chase peered out the attic dormer vent and saw the same Jeep reversing in again. They were still driving it even though one of the rear tires was deflated. They were going to yank off more of the window bars.

  The echo of gunfire could be heard as Anna tried to keep them back.

  He listened again for movement on the roof but there was none. He figured they wouldn’t stay there. Still, he fired a few more rounds in various places around the roof for good measure, just in case.

  Anna yelled, “Chase, I need your help.”

  He double-timed it down to find Anna in the living room trying to shift a large china cabinet. The window and the bars were gone, a large opening offered the home invaders a way in. Anna was shouldering one side but not having much luck.

  “Here,” he said, hurrying over and tossing out all the plates and cups and pulling out the drawers to make it lighter. Once that was done, he fired a few more rounds out into the night to buy them some time while both of them pushed the cabinet across the room and shifted it into place to cover the window. As soon as the cabinet covered it, bullets peppered the wood. Both of them sank down as wood splinters spat over them.

  Anna gripped Chase’s hands as they waited for the onslaught of gunfire.

  “Where are they?” Anna said glancing at her wristwatch.<
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  “You ever see the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?” Chase said.

  “What?” Anna said with a confused expression.

  “There’s this scene at the end where they’re trapped inside this house without sufficient ammunition. Outside the Bolivian army was waiting for them.”

  She scoffed, and then groaned in pain. “Oh yeah, how did it turn out for them?”

  “They both died.”

  “Great.”

  “Well, if it’s any consolation some believe that isn’t how it really ended. Some swear they survived the ambush,” he said.

  “And some swear that Elvis was spotted on Mars,” Anna replied as she dropped a magazine, and palmed in a new one.

  “Why do you think they want in here?”

  “What do you think? Bars on windows might protect us but they also send a message to criminals that perhaps we have something that is worth protecting.”

  “They don’t teach that when they’re telling you how to reinforce your home.”

  “Exactly.” She looked over at him. “If we don’t make it out of this—”

  Chase cut her off. “Don’t speak like that. We’re not dying here.”

  “I’m just saying.”

  “Well don’t. I’m already having a nervous breakdown as it is,” Chase said before a smirk danced on his face. “How’s your hand?”

  “Painful.”

  He nodded and patted her leg. “Stay here. I’m gonna check the window in the dining room and see what these assholes are up to now.”

  He darted out and stayed low as he got close to the window. He peered out but couldn’t see the truck, or anyone out there. Chase went to the rear of the house. Nothing. All he could hear was the sound of tree frogs and insects. It was dark outside, only a few clouds could be seen, and he could smell wood burning. Concerned they might try to smoke them out like the guys in Oneida, he dashed upstairs for a bird’s-eye view of the property. Had they given up? No. They were out there. It seemed like a lot of work to go through to give up now. He was about to head back down when he saw the lights of a police cruiser. Had that drawn them away?

  “Hey, hey!” Chase yelled from one of the shattered windows but his voice was lost in the wind. He hurried downstairs and bolted for the front door.

  “Chase?”

  “There’s a cop at the end of the driveway. I don’t see the men.”

  He began unlocking the bolts.

  “Chase. No!” Anna cried out.

  He pulled back the door just in time to see one of the men dart out of the bushes. He came up behind the cop who was distracted by another guy, and shot him in the head. It all happened so quickly — Chase’s yelling to get the cop’s attention and the guy pulling the trigger.

  He darted back inside and slammed the door closed.

  Multiple rounds lanced the wood as he pushed home the bolts.

  On the far side of town, Sam was being booked into the police station under the charge of disorderly conduct. “C’mon. I’m telling you the truth. The guy was packing. If I hadn’t reacted you would have dead people on your hands,” he said to an officer across the table from him.

  “That’s not what Keith said.”

  “You’re taking his word over mine?”

  “He’s a local. What reason would he have to unload a gun at a public meeting?”

  “How the hell should I know? Surely you can check if the gun is registered in his name.”

  “With the system down, no.”

  “Well that’s convenient. Look, speak with Richard Underwood. He’s my daughter’s grandfather. He’ll vouch for me.”

  “Is that so?” The cop tapped his pencil against the table. “Actually it’s because of him that you’re still in here.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah, our system might be down but we have paper records and he’d mentioned that you have a criminal record.”

  Sam frowned. “What the hell are you on about? I don’t have a criminal record.”

  The cop scanned the table and pulled up a folder. He opened it and took out some paperwork. “Did you not damage his property, show up with a loaded firearm and make threats on his life?”

  He turned the paper to show him.

  “That was eleven years ago, and I didn’t make threats on his life.”

  “But you were arrested with a loaded firearm.”

  “Yes but that’s because he answered his door with a shotgun and threatened my life. You got this backwards.”

  The cop looked down at the paperwork, zigzagging it.

  “Nope. No record of that.”

  “That’s because he has the police force wrapped around his little finger.” Sam sighed and leaned back in his seat. “Look, if you’re going to book me. Go ahead. I’m tired of these questions.”

  “Don’t worry, you’ll get a chance to go before the judge and clear it up.”

  Sam didn’t respond to that. How many officials in the town were in Underwood’s back pocket? How many were reaping the benefits of knowing him? He should have just let Keith pull the gun. Maybe he would have killed Underwood.

  “Don’t I get a phone call to a lawyer?”

  “Yeah, you do. It’s just the phone lines are down so unless you know one—”

  “Get me in contact with Eric Porter. He was at the meeting tonight. I want to speak to him.”

  Chapter 16

  It was a hard tale to swallow. Richard Underwood watched from behind the one-way mirror as Chief Sanchez left Blake Dawson in the interview room after grilling him for the past thirty minutes. Eager to speak with the chief, he left the room and met him out in the hallway.

  “Chief. A moment of your time.”

  The chief was getting updated on the situation that was unfolding in the streets. What had started as a small brawl, led to accusations being leveled at the police. They were certain if they hadn’t darted out the back of the building they wouldn’t have escaped with their lives. The crowd had taken on a mob mentality, and with their department divided and minimal assistance from people in the community, not even they could hold back the tide. However, Richard had prepared by having his driver pull up to the rear doors.

  “What is it? I’ve got a riot we’re trying to deal with right now.”

  “I heard what he said.”

  “You were in the other room?”

  Richard nodded. He and Sanchez went way back. Richard had known him when he was just a young officer in the department. He’d pulled a few strings to help fast track his career, you know, put in a good word and create a few situations in town that enabled Sanchez to gain promotion.

  “Do you believe him?” Richard asked.

  He shrugged. “Hard to tell.”

  Richard grimaced. “If he’s right, launching missiles would provoke Russia to go to war with us.”

  Sanchez breathed in deeply then puffed out his cheeks. “Maybe.” He ran a hand around the back of his neck. “God, I am tired. You?”

  “Exhausted.”

  “Look, I have a few things to take care of, would you mind having a word with Eric? Mr. Wade has requested him as his attorney.”

  Richard smiled. “Leave it with me.”

  “Thanks.”

  He turned and joined another officer down the hall and they both broke into a jog. The entire department was under an intense amount of stress. As the community of Breckenridge began to break apart, turn against each other and accuse, he knew it was only a matter of time before their town turned the way of those across America.

  But that was no longer his fear.

  Losing power was one thing. It was challenging but manageable.

  Going to war with another country under these conditions would mean certain death.

  Richard walked down the hall and entered the interview room. Blake looked up at him. His hands were in cuffs, and a chain went through the table to the ground. Richard took a seat across from him and studied his face. He looked down at the paperwork.

/>   “My name is Richard Underwood, perhaps I can help.”

  “You a lawyer?” Blake asked.

  “Better than that. I’m the mayor.”

  Blake scoffed and shook his head.

  “I heard what you said.”

  “You believe me?” Blake asked.

  “I consider myself an open-minded person, Mr. Dawson. In light of the situation we find ourselves in, I don’t see any reason why you would tell us unless of course you have mental problems or a death wish. Do you?”

  He dropped his chin. “I used to think my freedom mattered. I’m not sure now.”

  “Regardless, the only thing I’m concerned about and that you haven’t answered is this… can it be stopped?”

  “The malware that took down the grid?” Blake asked. He nodded. “Yes but not from here. When it was done I was outside of the USA.”

  “And the Minuteman missiles, will… Thorn be able to launch them?”

  “Yes. He will go through with it, if he hasn’t already.”

  Richard took a deep breath and looked around the room before nodding. “Getting hold of the military would be difficult due to the circumstances we find ourselves in. F.E. Warren Air Force Base is almost three hours north of here on a good day, and Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station is about the same.”

  Blake frowned. “You can’t stop him. I thought I could but… what’s done is done.”

  Richard leaned across and clasped his hands together. “You have family, Mr. Dawson?”

  His chin dropped. “I did.”

  “Then you would understand what a man would do to protect those he loves.”

  He nodded. “Listen, I wish I could help stop the launch but…”

  “Mr. Dawson,” Richard said cutting him off. “You are familiar with how he would do this, are you not?”

  “I am.”

  “Then you can help.”

  Blake shook his head. “This is out of my hands. For all I know he’s already launched them. The best thing you can do right now is go home and be with your family.”

  “If he hasn’t. Will you help?”

  He shook his head and scoffed. “If it means getting my hands on that asshole. Yes.”