by Warren Ray
“Because my last name sounds much cooler than my first.”
“And, that is important,” she said playfully.
“It is when you’re as cool as me.”
Reese gave him a sideways glance. “And you are very cool.”
“Thank you. I didn’t think you noticed,” said Meeks tilting his head.
She rolled her eyes.
“Speaking of names, I don’t even know what your last name is.”
“You don’t?”
“No.”
“Oh, well, it’s Witherspoon.”
“Reese Wither…No, it’s not.”
She let out a laugh.
“Good one. What is it really?”
“Saxby.”
“Reese Saxby. That’s a cool last name, might just start calling you that.”
“Please don’t,” she said sternly.
Meeks didn’t respond.
“My dad was a drunk and ran off with another woman.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be, he’s not worth it.”
Meeks realized this was a sore spot. He didn’t have to ask about her mom because he knew that the cops had killed her. “Well, Reese it is then, which is much prettier than Saxby or Witherspoon for that matter.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course, we could go with Reese’s Pieces,” smiled Meeks.
“I do love peanut butter.”
“And jelly,” added Meeks.
“My favorite sandwich in the whole world,” exclaimed Reese.
“Mine too. I knew there was a reason we got along so well,” said Meeks.
“Riiight,” said Reese, drawing out her agreement. “To think it was PB and J’s this whole time.”
Meeks reached up for a high-five, which Reese connected.
“With that settled,” said Meeks. “We need to get out of here.”
“Which way should we go?”
Meeks pulled out the map and the penlight. “We’re right about here. Let’s try to get across this road and keep heading west.”
As soon as he finished, a couple of patrol cars with flashing lights slowly drove by the house.
“Out the back we go,” ordered Meeks.
Chapter 62
Woodstock Township Michigan
Scar leaned back in the passenger seat of the squad car as Bassett drove. He thought about his friend, Meeks. He was anxious to know where he was and how he was doing. He was optimistic but knew it would be difficult to find him. Meeks, no doubt, would stay away from any vehicle since he wouldn’t know if it were friend or foe. It didn’t help any that they were driving in a squad car. However, theirs did have one distinct difference from the others, a blown out back window. Scar let out a little laugh thinking that at least they’d be able to hear Meeks screaming at them if they passed by him. The air whipped through the passenger compartment as if they were driving a convertible.
They had been monitoring all the police radio chatter and noted the cops must have everyone out looking. Bassett looked at Scar when they heard a cop announce they had a good idea where the fourteen girls were.
“They don’t know we’ve got the girls,” chuckled Bassett.
“No wonder they’re motivated,” said Scar unfolding a map of the area. He found the approximate location of Meeks and Reese. “Right about here.”
Bassett leaned over. “It’s going to be crowded in that area then.”
“Let’s give ‘em another area to go to,” said Scar.
“What did you have in mind?” asked Bassett.
“Fake emergency radio call like we did in Detroit.”
“Hell, let's start another fire then,” said Bassett, referring to the fire in the high school they started to draw all the cops to one location while the Shadow Patriots made their escape from another.
“Worked once before, why not again.”
Bassett picked up the radio. “Burns, pull over, I think we’ve got a bead on them.”
The two vehicles stopped in the middle of the road. Scar laid the map on the hood of the squad car and pointed out the area.
“We need to divert their attention somewhere else like we did in Detroit, fire and all,” said Bassett.
Burns nodded. “But where?” asked Scar.
“I saw some houses when I was on the run,” said Nate pointing to his route from the intersection to where Taylor picked them up. “There’s one right here on this dirt road they call a highway.”
“That’s east of the reported location,” said Scar.
“It won’t take long before they converge on the area, so we need to set the fire and get out of there before we call it in,” said Bassett.
They hopped back into their vehicles, turned off the headlights to keep out of sight of the cops, and put on their night-vision goggles. They would drive down the Cement City Highway, which would bring them to US 12. A dangerous road, but they would only have to be on it for a half-mile before they headed into the field they would cross to their destination.
Scar looked through the night-vision goggles as they drove down the road. He thought it was like watching a black and white movie except it was all shades of green and you had to keep reminding yourself that you were in the movie. It was amazing technology and gave them an advantage as they could travel at night without the cops seeing them.
Bassett stopped at the intersection of US 12 to make sure there were no other vehicles in sight. Satisfied they were in the clear, he took a right turn and scooted down the road to the cement plant. He turned into the dirt entrance and maneuvered his way to the field on the right side of the plant.
The ride became bumpy as they traversed the field, avoiding the occasional tree and bush. They soon came upon a house, but not the one Nate had in mind. This house had thick woods behind it and they wouldn’t be able to drive any further. Their destination was on the other side of the woods. They parked the vehicles behind the house and set off on foot.
When they broke through the trees, they were able to see their target house had two large barns next to it and decided to set the fire to the furthest barn. They found a can of kerosene inside and began pouring it all around the structure. Satisfied, Nate grabbed the kerosene filled rag and wrapped it around a broken broom handle. He torched all the walls before throwing the torch inside. They sat and watched it for a minute before returning to their vehicles.
Bassett noticed the house they had parked behind had a lane leading right to US 12 and suggested they take it to save some time. They were to head east about three miles to Devils Lake Highway, which would take them south, and a good distance from the action. They could then head west and look for Meeks and Reese.
Bassett reached for the police radio. “Here goes nothing.”
Scar suggested he keep the transmission as informal as they had been hearing from the other cops.
Bassett nodded. He took a deep breath before pressing the button. “I’ve got them. I repeat, I’ve got them. I’m up on Briggs by US 12. Need some help. They’re running in different directions, chasing some into a barn, over.”
“Who is this?” came the response.
“It’s Ry…” Bassett lets go of the button.
“You’re breaking up, who is this, over.”
Bassett tried not to laugh as he worked himself into a fever. “Shots fired, shots fi…” He let go of the radio mic. “That should do it.”
Scar laughed at what he heard next on the radio.
“All units, all units, respond to Briggs and US 12.”
Chapter 63
Jackson Michigan
After seeing the rescued girls being attended to, Winters wanted to know what happened inside the empty restaurant and decided to get a briefing from Amber. He had heard about her killing a cop, which was her first time taking a life. He found her getting some coffee from the hospital kitchen. She was sitting by herself with her elbows on the table. She looked tired and Winters could see the bruise forming on her face where t
he cop she subsequently killed had hit her. She smiled when Winters approached.
“How you doing?” he asked as he sat down.
“Considering the evening, I’m good, actually. I’m sure my face will look like hell tomorrow.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that, you’re much too pretty to have a little shiner look bad on you,” said Winters.
She let out a scoff and smiled.
Amber filled him in on what had happened. She didn’t leave anything out, including her kill. “I was really scared.” She paused as a few tears fell down her face. “I wasn’t able to yell out for help. I thought I was going to die.”
Winters took hold of her hand.
“It’s a funny thing, but I can still remember what his breath smelled like. It reeked so badly like he never brushed his teeth. I think that was really the last straw for me. I didn’t want to smell it anymore. So, I wrapped my arm around his and fought him as hard as I could. Thank God, I was bigger than him.”
Winters kept listening. He felt her hand tighten as she continued.
“After I shot him, I just stared at him, like I’d never seen anyone dead before, which is crazy, with all I’ve seen in the past month or so. Then when everyone came in, I started shaking uncontrollably, I...I couldn’t stop.”
Winters nodded. “Been there, done that.”
She looked at him. “You have?”
After my first, back at the train station, I started shaking and then I threw up.”
Amber let out a small laugh.
“That’s between you and me, okay.”
“I promise.”
That admission seemed to lighten her mood.
Amber sighed. “Those poor girls,” she paused, “they just threw their families in a storage room. I’ll never get used to the brutality.”
“You shouldn’t try to. It’ll leave you jaded and soon you’ll not feel any empathy for anything, and at some point, you’ll lose your humanity.”
“Has that happen to you?” she asked sincerely.
Winters thought about it for a second. “I fight it constantly.”
“How’s that going for you?”
“I go back and forth like a pendulum. There, for a while, I was really worried about it, but I have it in check for now.”
“How’d you do it?”
“Well, with you, Reese and Sadie coming into my life, it’s been easier.”
“It has?” she asked surprised.
“Yeah, you guys have brought some meaning back to my life. That goes for the other guys as well. I’ve noticed the changes.”
Amber broke out in a smile. “You’re serious.”
“Absolutely.”
“It’s nice to hear, cause sometimes I wonder if we’re not just a drag.”
Winters let out a laugh. “Didn’t you just tell me you took down a cop?”
“Yeah, well, I was stupid to not be ready for it.”
“Excuse me, but I just about got all of us killed in an ambush. We’re all making mistakes. This is not normal for any of us.”
“Good point. Although I sometimes wonder if Reese wasn’t born for this.”
That got Winters’ attention.
“You should have seen her. The cop she stabbed was someone she remembered from before when she was…well you know…but the look on her face when she stabbed him. She had this look of, almost glee. You know, she actually asked him how it felt.” Amber’s shoulders shuddered. “I’ll never forget that.”
Winters knew the look. He made a mental note to take it up with her later. “Reese has been through a lot.”
“Oh, I’m not judging her, I’d never judge that girl. I can’t even begin to imagine what she’s been through. No, I admire her bravery, I wish I was that brave.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Amber. You’re plenty brave. Believe me, I’ve seen both sides of it.”
Their conversation ended when the Mayor of Jackson walked in with the retired Marine, Nick Nordell.
Winters let go of Amber’s hand. “We’ll finish this up later, okay?”
She nodded.
“Do me a favor and go find Elliott for me.”
Amber got up and started to walk away when Nordell stopped her. “Ain’t he a little old for you, sweetie?”
Without hesitation, she retorted. “Oh, he’s quite the stud, you on the other hand, yeah, not so much.”
She turned to Winters, smiled, blew him a kiss and walked out of the room.
“What can I do for you gentlemen,” asked a satisfied Winters.
Chapter 64
Addison Michigan
After taking refuge in an abandoned house and almost getting caught by the cops, Meeks and Reese flew out the back door when a couple of patrol cars passed slowly by their current shelter. It was a hundred yards from the back door to the safety of a wooded area. Reese was the first one out the door followed by Meeks. His cramped leg was better but was still no match for the speedy Reese who made it to the tree line before he did in what Meeks figured was just about twelve seconds, which was way before he did. Despite her denial, she still had it.
They stopped to catch their breath.
Meeks looked at her. “Not that fast anymore, huh?”
“I had a lot of motivation,” she said between breaths.
“Beating me?”
“No,” she said putting her hand on her chest. “Not getting caught.”
“Yeah, right. Come on, let’s go this way.”
They didn’t have to go far before breaking through to another field. Meeks pulled out his map. They crouched down and he pulled out the red light. They huddled close together to shield the light from the road.
“This should be US 223 just ahead and then 127. We need to cross both of them.”
“Car,” said Reese.
He turned the light off and they watched a cop car drive slowly by them. Another one followed close behind.
“They’re everywhere,” whispered Reese.
“Let’s follow these trees to get closer to the road.”
They stayed low, maneuvering to stay in the edge of the trees until they came right up to the road. They got down on their hands and knees and crawled to the edge of the small hill that bordered it. They looked down and saw two more cop cars pass by. Both had their searchlights on and were lighting up the woods. Meeks and Reese pressed themselves into the ground and waited for them to pass. They grew anxious as the light passed right in front of them.
Meeks looked up and watched as the two squad cars stopped a little way up the road. They were no more than thirty yards away. The cops got out of the car and started chatting with each other.
He wasn’t sure they’d be able to cross. If they couldn’t cross, the cops would have them boxed in. He wondered if they had search dogs available like there had been in Minnesota.
They laid there on their stomachs watching the cops light up cigarettes and joke with each other. Their laughter traveled easily in the night air. Crickets and grasshoppers filled in the background noises.
After five minutes, the cops jumped into their cars and peeled out taking a left on Briggs Highway. More flashing lights to his right came barreling down the road as more cops took the same left turn. Meeks wondered where they were going. Did they find Nate and Amber? He thought for sure they had escaped, but he wasn’t certain.
After a few more cars passed, Meeks noted the coast was clear. He whispered to Reese to move. Reaching the bottom of the embankment, they raced across the road and up the hill on the opposite side. They pushed through the thick foliage to the next road. Seeing no cars, they kept running. They charged across the road and into more thick foliage. Meeks felt safe enough to turn on his penlight. The red lens gave them enough light to avoid running into trees. They had to make their own path through thorny bushes that tore at their clothes and scratched them.
“I’m stuck,” said Reese trying to free herself from a set of thorns.
Meeks turned and flashed the light
on her. He reached for the branch and pulled on it while grabbing her hand and pulling her forward. He tripped and fell backward into a body of water pulling her with him.
“Son-of-a-bitch,” said Meeks, standing up in the waist-deep pond. He reached for Reese who had fallen face forward into the water. “You all right?”
“I’m good.”
She started laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
“All we’re missing now is Jason surfacing from the water.”
“Jason? Oh yeah…Jason. Was he the machete guy or chainsaw?”
Reese splashed out of the water. “Machete, I wonder if this is called Crystal Lake.”
Meeks flashed his penlight around. “Small pond, I doubt it.”
The cold night air penetrated their wet clothes as they walked side by side with their arms interlocked trying to keep each other warm. They sloshed through the woods for the next thirty minutes before finally reaching another empty field, which bordered a paved road. Meeks pulled out his map and figured they were on Somerset Road. Soaking wet and too tired to go any further they stumbled upon another empty house, and without knocking, broke in.
Meeks flashed his pen light around and didn’t think the place looked occupied. Reese saw a couch and plopped down. Meeks reached for a blanket to cover her when he heard the familiar cocking sound of a pump shotgun.
Chapter 65
Jackson Michigan
The last time Winters saw Nordell, Nate laid him out on the ground in front of everyone. Winters felt sure he was not happy about it and probably wanted pay back. He thought Nordell was off his rocker and needed to be on medication.
“Well, here’s that pansy son-of-a-bitch who has to hide behind his men,” said Nordell in a gruff voice.
Mayor Simpson stopped and grabbed a hold of Nordell’s arm. “You promised, Nick.”
“Hey, I’m just giving him shit, man to man.” Nordell looked at Winters. “Isn’t that right, CAPTAIN? It’s all in good fun.”
Winters rolled his eyes. “What can I do for you?”
Mayor Simpson let go of Nordell. “Captain Winters, I first want to thank you for what you’ve done.”