Bug Out! Part 12

RV Alliance

Robert G Boren

Contents

Previously - From Bugout! Part 11

Chapter 1 – Date Night

Chapter 2 – Foreign Entanglements

Chapter 3 – Morning on the Road

Chapter 4 – Day Camping

Chapter 5 – Toothless Grin

Chapter 6 – Small Pox

Chapter 7 - The Start of a Beautiful Friendship

Chapter 8 – Late Dinner

Chapter 9 – Blue Peril

Chapter 10 – Outlaw Agencies

Chapter 11 – Blue Flames

Chapter 12 – Punch It!

Chapter 13 – Race Homeward

Chapter 14 – Hotel Horror

Chapter 15 – Ruined Farm

Chapter 16 – Pastures and Streams

Chapter 17 – Eye in the Sky

Copyright - About the Author

Previously - in Bug Out! Part 11

Followed by the enemy, Hilda, Gabe, and Earl continue their trip home to Kansas. Attempts to lose the enemy failed. Hilda called Charlie in a panic, and he raced to her, getting there just in time for a road battle. Scott showed Howard and Bailey films of notable historic murders, which his father and Rupert Smith did in the 1940s. Islamist Fighters attacked the Kansas RV in a lead-shielded semi-truck and attempted to use nerve gas. Malcolm and Kurt saved the day, hitting the attackers from behind before they could complete their attack. Howard forced Scott’s ex-girlfriend Sherry to run his truck stop until their return. Malcolm convinced her to provide information, using the VHS tapes of her participation in Nighthawk Road murders as blackmail. Malcolm led an attack on Sherry after seeing the extent of her evil on the VHS tapes, leading to a large fire-fight in town.

Scott and Howard’s attempted co-ed abduction near the university was foiled by pepper spray. Numerous students shot video during the altercation, and the video went viral. The following night, Scott, Howard, and Bailey tried to silence the potential victim, and FBI Agent Keith killed Bailey and captured Scott and Howard. Agent Keith planned to set a trap for Malcolm using Scott, but things went wrong. He got shot by Howard, but returned fire, shooting Howard as he died. Scott stuffed Agent Keith and Howard into a freezer and left Columbus with his retarded brother Kerry, heading for his storage locker in Indianapolis. He bought a motor home from Cindy and was having dinner at her house when her ex-husband appeared in a rage. Scott killed him and had to shoot his way out of town, taking Cindy with him. Malcolm and Ted left for Columbus with Dobie and Gabe, hot on Scott’s trail.

Chapter 1 – Date Night

It was getting dark when Malcolm turned onto the off-ramp for Cameron, Missouri. Ted’s rental car and Dobie’s fifth wheel followed. Uncle Jasper’s was just outside of town, but they had to drive through the business district to get there. It was a nice looking town, Malcolm thought to himself. His phone rang.

“Hi, Malcolm, it’s Gabe. You know where you’re going, or do you want us to take the lead?”

“Maybe you guys should take the lead. I’ll let you pass.”

“Okay, Malcolm. See you soon.”

“Later.” He put his phone back in his pocket and pulled over, Ted following suit. They watched the big fifth wheel pass them, then got behind it.

After getting through town, they were back in the country for a short distance, and then there were signs for Uncle Jasper’s. They were as goofy as the name. Dobie made the wide turn into the driveway and drove to the staging area. Malcolm and Ted parked in the angled parking spaces next to the office, and they all met in front of the door.

“I’m bushed, glad we’re finally here,” Ted said.

“You and me both,” Malcolm smiled. “Do we all need to go in?”

“Nah,” Gabe said. “I know the owner, so I’ll go in. Dobie, you can take Duchess out.”

“Okay, thanks,” Dobie said. He walked over to the trailer. Malcolm leaned against his Jeep and looked at Ted.

“Any more news?”

“No, Malcolm, not since we talked at the diner.”

“The bureau sending anybody to look for Agent Keith?”

“Probably, but they don’t know where the house is,” Ted said.

“We can tell them if you want.”

“Let’s play it by ear,” Ted said. “You’ve got me convinced that the house is gonna be empty. We’ll be back on the road again in short order, I suspect.”

Gabe walked into the office. It smelled of beef stew, and a woman was humming as she puttered around, out of sight of the front desk.

“Hello?” Gabe called out.

“Be right with you,” she said.

“Okay. It’s Gabe.”

“I figured,” the voice said. She appeared in a moment, drying her hands with a paper towel. “Sorry, I was cooking.”

“Sue, right?” Gabe asked. “It’s been a few years.”

“My, you have a good memory,” she said, smiling at him. “I remember seeing you only a time or two.” She was still an attractive women, with medium length gray hair and a friendly face.

“Yeah, that’s what I remember,” Gabe said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been here. We probably met at one of the RV Park Association’s meetings.”

“Probably. So, you need just one RV space, right? Room for two cars?”

“Yeah, it’s a fifth wheel.”

“How long?” she asked.

“Shoot, you know, I’m not sure. I think about 33 feet.”

“Close enough,” she said. “I’ll give you guys a large one. How long are you staying?”

“Just overnight,” Gabe said. “We’re on our way to Ohio.”

“We’ve had a lot of people passing through lately,” she said as she filled out the tag. “Not sure why.”

“Route 36 is one of the better ways across the Mississippi now,” Gabe said. “That’s probably why.”

“Oh,” she said, pausing, looking at him. “Geez, I should have figured that out. Maybe I ought to be advertising. Haven’t done that since Steve passed.”

“I was sad to hear about him,” Gabe said. “We were more acquaintances than friends, but we gravitated to each other at the meetings.”

“I remember. There were a few friends he used to talk about. Charlie was his closest friend there.”

Gabe’s face brightened. “Charlie’s with our group.”

“Here?” she asked.

“No, back at our home base in Kansas. Several of us who had parks overrun by the enemy ended up there.”

“My word,” she said. “Who are the others?”

“Kurt and Hilda,” Gabe said.

“I remember Kurt. He was married to that lovely black doctor. Can’t place Hilda, though.”

“She was Jer’s wife.”

“Oh, I remember Jer,” she said. “He passed?”

“Yeah, cancer,” Gabe said.

“There was another one… can’t remember his name, but he hung around with them too. Name started with a C, I think.”

Gabe’s eyes narrowed. “Chet.”

“Yeah, Chet. What’s wrong?”

“We’ve found out a lot about Chet. The RV Park that we’re in used to belong to him.”

“Bad things?”

“He was a serial killer. Had a dungeon under his place.”

“My word,” she said, eyes getting big.

“Ever hear of the Nighthawk Road Killer?”

“Why, yes,” she said. “That was close enough to scare us here,” she said. “That was Chet?”

“Yeah,” Gabe said.

“Wow,” Sue said. “Surprised that didn’t make the news.”

“We’ve been sitting on it,” Gabe said. “We couldn’t let the enemy find out where our group was.”

“You’re that group?” she asked, eyes widening. “The one that’s been attacking them?”

“How’d you find out about that?” Gabe asked.

“Internet message boards,” she said. “There aren’t enemy fighters nearby, are there?”

“No, they’re pretty much done,” Gabe said. “This trip is related to Chet’s son.”

“He’s in Ohio?” she asked.

“We think so.”

“Why do you care?” she asked.

“He knows we’re at his RV Park. He wants it back, and he’s as dangerous as his dad was.”

Dobie walked in. “Hey Gabe, what’s taking so long?”

“Sorry, been flapping my jaws again,” Gabe said. He looked back at Sue. “I’d better be off.”

“Okay, nice talking with you,” Sue said, smiling.

“My pleasure.”

Gabe walked out with a map and the tag.

“You didn’t tell her too much, I hope,” Dobie asked as they walked to his rig.

“Probably, but she’s part of the old association. She knew Charlie and Kurt and Chet.”

“Should have known,” Dobie said, shaking his head. “She’s cute.”

“Well, that’s the other reason I talked to her for a while,” Gabe said, looking embarrassed.

Dobie drove the rig into the park, Malcolm and Ted following. They found the space and pulled in.

“You gonna unhook the truck?” Gabe asked.

“Only if I need to in order to get her level,” Dobie said as he climbed out of the cab. “We need to put the slides out to accommodate everybody.”

Gabe met Ted and Malcolm next to the rig as Dobie was getting the slides run out and the utilities hooked up.

“You were a while,” Ted said. “Problems?”

“No, I was just talking to the owner,” Gabe said. “Her late husband knew Charlie, Kurt, Chet, and me.”

“Chet?” Malcolm said.

“Sure,” Gabe said. “He hid his personal life pretty well, apparently.”

“You didn’t spill too much, did you?” Ted asked.

“Oh, I don’t think so,” he said, looking uncomfortable. “I told her about Chet being a serial killer.”

Malcolm got a worried look. “How well do you know her again?”

“Not all that well, but I knew her late husband pretty well. I saw him a few times a year during the heyday of the RV Park Association.”

“Was he close to Chet?” Malcolm asked.

“No, not really,” Gabe said. “Chet, Chester, and Jer were part of the older set. Charlie knew them the best of anybody we have left now.”

“Jer?” Ted asked.

“That’s Hilda’s late husband,” Malcolm said.

“Oh, I thought she was with Charlie,” Ted said.

“Only recently,” Gabe said. “I hope I didn’t screw up.”

“Well, don’t worry about it,” Malcolm said. “But be a little less talkative in the future, at least until things are back to normal.”

Dobie walked out. “All set up.” He looked at Gabe’s expression. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Malcolm said.

“I might have spilled too much to Sue,” Gabe said. “I need to be more careful.”

“Oh,” Dobie said. “I wouldn’t worry about it. We’ll only be here until sunup anyway.”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it,” Malcolm said.

“Well, I’ll go get the beds set up,” Dobie said.

“Good, I’m tired,” Gabe said. “I’ll help you.”

“Okay, we’ll be in soon,” Ted said. He looked at Malcolm. “Let’s take a walk.”

“Yeah,” Malcolm said. They wandered into the cool night.

“You really worried about him saying too much?” Ted asked.

“In this case, I think it’s fine, but it’s a good idea to get him thinking a little more,” Malcolm said. “We’re about to go into the city, and we’re liable to run into FBI agents.”

“Exactly what I was thinking,” Ted said as they strolled along. “Nice park.”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Think we should contact the FBI before we go to the house?” Ted asked.

“They haven’t contacted you again?”

“No,” Ted said. “They probably don’t know where to start. Agent Keith wasn’t one to share information, so they’re going from a dead stop on this investigation.”

“They’re trying to find witnesses from the jogging path,” Malcolm said.

“That’s what I’d do,” Ted said.

“There’s somebody you’re forgetting about.”

“Who?” Ted asked. Then his face changed. “Shit. Sheriff Branson.”

“Yeah.”

“I forgot all about it in the excitement of that battle last night,” Ted said. “I’ll call him right now.” He took his phone out of his pocket and hit the contact.

“Branson.”

“Hi, Dick, it’s Ted.”

“Glad you called,” Dick said. “I’ve been trying to get ahold of Agent Keith since last night. No luck. Nada. He’s not returning my calls.”

“You heard about what happened at that jogging path in Columbus?”

“Yeah,” he said, pausing for a moment. “Shit. That was Agent Keith?”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Ted said. “We’re pretty sure Agent Keith is dead.”

“Small loss,” Dick said. “Nothing on the news about it. Nothing from any of my usual sources either, and they know I’m interested in this guy.”

“Can you keep quiet?”

“Of course, Ted. What’s going on?”

“FBI did ballistics and DNA from the scene. You know the two girls got killed, right?”

“Yeah, that part made the news,” Dick said. “One of them was on the lam due to a rape charge. The other was the victim in that aborted kidnapping.”

“Yep. The coed got raped shortly before the incident. She had Agent Keith’s DNA in her.”

“Son of a bitch,” Dick said. “What a jerk.”

“He also tried to rig the scene to make it look like Scott’s girl shot the coed. He screwed up. Left his print on the barrel.”

Dick laughed. “Figures. So who shot the coed?”

“If I had to guess, I’d say Scott or Howard,” Ted said. “Gun was registered to a dead person in Michigan. They’re trying to figure out if there’s any connection to them. Oh, and by the way, Agent Keith’s gun shot Scott’s girl. Her name was Bailey Simpson.”

“Do you guys still want my deputy and me to show up there?”

“I don’t think so,” Ted said. “We’re thinking the house is gonna be empty. I don’t see an assault happening.”

“Okay, but call me if you need me, okay?”

“Will do, Dick.” Ted put his phone back in his pocket.

“Well?” Malcolm asked.

“He’s been trying to call Agent Keith since last night. No luck.”

“Like I said, he’s dead.”

“Or captured.”

“He want to come out?”

“He offered, but I told him there was no need,” Ted said. “Besides, he might be useful where he is. Scott’s liable to show up at one of his old hangouts.”

“The site of that biker massacre is way too hot,” Malcolm said.

“I know, but he knows other people in the area,” Ted said. “One of them is interesting. Jason Beckler’s nephew, remember?”

“He’s not a player,” Malcolm said.

“Any port in the storm.”

***

“What a dump,” Scott said as he walked up to the house. Front yard of dead grass, surrounded by a short chain link fence. Scott opened the gate to walk in. It was broken. He carefully lifted it to get it closed behind him, and then walked up to the front door, checking his pistol one last time. It was in the waistband of his pants, in back. He could smell cooking. He knocked on the door.

“Just a sec,” Cindy said.

Scott heard footsteps, and then the sound of a safety chain and dead bolt opening.

“Come on in,” she said, standing aside, holding the door open. She had a frilly robe on, which barely contained her voluptuous body.

“What’s that I smell?” Scott asked.

“Spaghetti,” she said. “I thought we’d eat in tonight. That okay?”

Scott looked her up and down. “Yeah, that suits me fine,” he said. “You look inviting.”

She giggled. “It’s that obvious, huh? It’s been a while since anybody nice gave me a second look.”

“How do you know I’m nice?” Scott asked.

“You’re taking care of your retarded brother,” she said. “That’s nice. I saw how you are with him.” She approached him, snaking her arms around his neck. Her robe opened, and she spilled out. “Oops.”

“My, my,” Scott said, his hands on her now. They kissed passionately.

“The sauce is simmering,” she said. “Let’s go work up an appetite.”

She led him into the bedroom, and afterwards they lay next to each other, looking at the ceiling, sweating, still breathing hard.

“That was nice,” she said, getting up on one elbow to look at his face. “You like?”

“Oh, yeah,” Scott said. His mind was already working things out. Eat, have her again, and finish it.

She bent down and kissed him, then got out of bed. “I’ll put the noodles to boiling.”

She threw on her robe and walked away. Scott stood up and got dressed, putting his pistol back into his waistband. He joined her after a few minutes.

“Hope you like lots of garlic,” she said.

“I do,” Scott said, watching her as he sat down at the kitchen table. She turned on a burner and put the big pot of water on, tossing in a little salt. Then she turned towards him.

“Hungry?” she asked, smiling. Her hair was disheveled and her robe crooked, but she looked better than she had at the storage yard. Maybe it was the lack of gum chewing.

“Yeah, I’m hungrier than you know,” he said, shooting her a flirty glance.

“Good,” she said, walking over to him, opening her robe and pulling his head to her naked chest. “I’ve missed this so much.”

“C’mon, you’re getting attention,” Scott said, pulling back from her a little. “Nice looking women like you always get attention.”

“This is a small town,” she said. “My ex has a lot of friends, and I took him to the cleaners in the divorce. I’ve got the scarlet X on me now, but it’s worse than that. He’s beaten up three men who have tried to date me. Sent one of them to the hospital.”

“He’s a real bad ass, eh,” Scott said. “Interesting. Think we might get a visit? Love to meet him.”

“Are you crazy? He’s a lot bigger than you.”

“The bigger they are, the harder they fall,” Scott said, chuckling. “I’ll bet he’d be really pissed if he knew that I took his woman and his motor home.”

Cindy got a wicked grin on her face. “You got that right. Maybe I ought to tell him that.”

The water came to a boil, and she broke handfuls of pasta noodles, pushing them into the water.

“Where’s the DMV?” Scott asked. “I need to go register the sale.”

“Don’t worry about that,” she said. “I already mailed the forms in. They’ll send you the registration and a tax bill.”

“Yep, got to get their taxes,” Scott said. “Thanks. That will save me some time.”

“Don’t mention it,” she said. “Where are you guys going?”

“Kansas,” Scott said. “By way of northern Missouri.”

“Oh, you’re taking the bridge on Route 36,” she said. “Heard there’s a bit of a line-up going that direction.”

“Yeah, a lot of the crossings are still closed,” Scott said.

“Going to be around long enough to see me again?” she asked, rubbing up against him.

“You’d like that?” Scott asked.

“Are you kidding?” she asked. “Wish I could go with you guys.”

Scott considered that. Get back in the game. Dump her along the way. Start the trail again.

“You’re considering it, aren’t you?” she said, watching him think.

“I don’t know when we’ll get back here,” he said.

Suddenly there was the sound of breaking glass outside. Cindy whirled around in a panic, rushing to the window.

“Crap, it’s my ex,” she said, a horrified look on her face. “He broke your windshield.” She looked Scott in the eye and froze. He was grinning like a kid in a candy store.

“Your ex did that to the wrong person,” Scott said.

“He’s coming up here. Go hide.”

Scott laughed and rushed into the bedroom. As soon as he got inside he checked his pistol. Full clip. He chuckled as he heard the door break in.

“Where is he?” a man shouted. “I know he’s here. I forced it out of Drew. Little pipsqueak.”

“Get out of here,” Cindy screamed. Scott heard a slap, and somebody falling on the floor. He opened the door and slipped out, watching as the man was getting ready to kick her on the floor.

“Ahem,” Scott said. “Looking for me, redneck?”

The man pivoted, running towards him until he saw the gun.

“Freeze, inbreed,” Scott said.

“Son of a bitch,” he said, staring him down. “I’m gonna take you apart.” Cindy whimpered on the floor behind him.

“No, you’re about to die, redneck,” Scott said, grinning. “You broke into your ex-wife’s house and beat her. You’re dead.”

He trembled, backing up. “You ain’t gonna do nothing.”

“How many beers did you need before you had the guts to come over here, redneck?”

“Screw you.”

“You know,” Scott said. “I don’t know what I enjoy being in more. Your wife or your motor home.”

“You son of a bitch,” he shouted, moving forward in a rage. Scott fired, hitting the man five times in the chest. Cindy screamed as he fell into an expanding pool of blood.

“Perhaps I ought to go,” Scott said. “Before the cops get here. Still want to go?”

“I have to now,” she said, a terrified look in her eyes.

“No, you don’t,” he said. “This is a legal killing, straight up. It’s even got a back story.”

“What?”

“This jerk weed kicked the crap out of Drew before he came over here, then broke down the door and hit you. You’re in the clear.”

“Wouldn’t you be too?” she asked.

“Nah, I’ve got a past you don’t know about. I need to leave.”

“Your car,” she said. “Can you drive it?”

“As far as I’m going, yeah,” he said. “I’ll park it in the storage yard, but I need to leave in the motor home tonight.”

“Okay, then I’ll stay and talk to the cops,” she said. “Thank you.”

“Believe me, the pleasure was mine.” He kissed her and ran out to his car, driving off as he heard the sirens approaching.

Chapter 2 – Foreign Entanglements

Frank and Jane were ready to call it a night. They were shutting off their PCs when Jerry rushed in with Jasmine.

“Turn on the TV!” Jerry shouted.

“What’s going on?” Jane asked. “We in trouble again?”

“No, it’s Europe,” Jerry said.

Frank found the remote and turned the TV on, switching to CNN. There was video split into four sections on the screen. Brussels, Paris, Rome, and Amsterdam, buildings on fire.

“Uh oh,” Frank said. “The General was right.”

“Right about what?” Jerry asked.

“He heard a lot of bad chatter about Europe all of a sudden,” Frank said. He turned the sound up.

“Police and Home Guard facilities have been hit with coordinated attacks in twelve EU states. We have video from four of them on the screen. After the headquarters were taken over, Islamic radicals went on to murder any police or military personnel they could find. These actions were carried out by forces which total several hundred thousand between all the countries. Remaining countries not yet attacked have fortified their police and military facilities.”

“Well, at least there were no nukes,” Jasmine said.

“Countries successfully attacked were Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and Greece. Attempts were made in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, and Finland, but were put down by local authorities. In London, the police center was overrun, but an angry mob led by soccer hooligans from nearby pubs secured weapons and dispatched the radicals in that facility. Angry mobs have now gone into the Muslim areas of London and are killing everyone they see wearing traditional Muslim garments. London police are powerless to stop the carnage at this hour.”

Why wasn’t this on the internet?” Jane asked.

“This just happened,” Jasmine said. “It’s probably on there now.”

Frank already had his PC back up. “Yep, it’s all over the web now. Geez.”

George, Heidi, and General Hogan rushed in.

“Good, you guys have the TV on,” the General said. “This happened sooner than I expected.”

“Did the WTO team get away?” Frank asked.

“Yeah,” General Hogan said. “They’re already in San Diego.”

“Those bastards set this in motion,” George said.

“Looks like,” General Hogan said.

“What are we gonna do?” Heidi asked.

George looked over at General Hogan. They both smiled.

“What?” Jerry asked.

“They don’t know we’re on to them, and we’re going to keep it that way, until they show up at Carlsbad Caverns,” General Hogan said. “Then we’ll fry the lot of them.”

“Yeah, cut off the head of the snake,” George said, grinning. “Sure you can keep the bad element in our government from finding out?”

“Yeah,” General Hogan said. “We’ll need to take them out too, and it’s going to be hard. The operatives left don’t have chips in them.”

“Look,” Jerry said, pointing to the screen. “Russian tanks rolling into Finland.”

“They gonna take over?” Frank asked.

“No, they’re probably there at Finland’s request,” General Hogan said. “Most people don’t understand how close the relationship is between Finland and Russia. Russia better watch themselves, though. They’re liable to get attacked too.”

“Where are these large Islamist forces coming from?” Jerry asked. “We wiped out most of the radicals in the Middle East.”

“The latest estimate we have on Muslims in Europe is about 40 million,” General Hogan said. “That’s up from 18 Million ten years ago.”

“Wow,” Frank said. “Combine that with the falling birthrates of Europeans, and you’ve got a real problem.”

“Most Muslims are moderate, though, right?” Jane asked.

“Let’s say that 90% of them are moderates who don’t want to take over the countries they’ve moved to,” Frank said. “That means you’ve got around four million radicals. Several hundred thousand able-bodied Islamic fighters from that number isn’t much of a stretch. Remember that their population runs much younger than native Europeans at this point.”

“Yes, it really is a numbers game,” General Hogan said. “There weren’t anywhere near those numbers in the USA, so they weren’t able to field a large enough force locally. They had to import.”

“How many do we have here?” Jerry asked.

“Before the war started, about eight million,” General Hogan said. “So assuming 90% are moderate, you’re talking about 800,000 radicals, which leaves you with a much smaller number of able-bodied Islamic fighters.”

“That’s still a lot,” Jerry said.

“Yes, it was more than enough for a good beachhead, and they used it to help get the foreign invaders placed,” the General said.

“So I take it we watch and wait,” Frank said. “We’ll have to figure out a way to track the WTO.”

“I’ve got operatives on that now,” General Hogan said.

“It’ll be interesting to see what our government does,” George said. “There will be pressure to move US troops over there to shore up NATO.”

“Yeah,” General Hogan said. “That’s what I’m afraid of. Troops from Mexico going straight over there, instead of here. We aren’t out of the woods in this country yet.”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Jane said.

***

Scott drove up to the storage yard gate and input the code. The gate rattled open, and he drove in quickly, parking next to the motor home. He could see the glow of the iPad through the bunk window as he walked to the coach.

“You back already?” Kerry asked.

“Yeah, and we’ve got to leave tonight.”

“Was she a dumb bitch?” Kerry asked.

“No, actually she was nice,” Scott said, as he got into the driver’s seat and started the engine. He pulled out of his parking place and jumped out, moving the station wagon there, and removing the guns he had under the seat. He bounded back into the RV and drove towards the gate. Kerry climbed into the passenger seat as Scott input the code to open the gate. A person stood outside gate, blocking the driveway. He slammed on the brakes.

“Is that the lady you bought this from?” Kerry asked.

“Yeah,” Scott said. He watched as she ran over to the driver’s side window.

“Can I go with you guys?” she asked.

“Why?” Scott asked her. “Did the police get there yet?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “Several of my ex’s buddies showed up. I ran out the back door and watched. They dragged his body outside, and were cleaning blood off the floor. I snuck into the garage in back, got my car, and drove over here. I’m parked on the street down there.”

“They’ll never fool the police with that,” Scott said, laughing. “You can’t just mop up blood. They’ll bring the black lights and luminol in and see the drag marks.”

“Yeah, if they’re honest,” she said. “Can I follow you guys?”

“What kind of car do you have?”

“Old CRV,” she said. “It was rigged to tow behind this. The tow bar is still in the back.”

Scott thought about it for a moment. “Okay, follow me. We need to get away from here in a hurry. It’ll be the next place they show up.”

“Okay,” she said. She ran back down the street and was getting into her car when a pickup truck raced over, trying to block her.

“Shit,” Scott said He parked the motor home on the curb and jumped out with his rifle. The men in the pickup saw him right away, and pointed their hand guns at him, but he fired first, killing both of them. Cindy screamed. He ran over and checked the men. One was still alive. “Nice try, jerk weed.” He pointed the rifle at his head and pulled the trigger. Then he jumped into the truck and backed it away from the CRV.

“See, I can’t stay here,” Cindy said from behind the wheel.

“Yeah, you’re right. Follow me.” Scott trotted back to the motor home and drove until he saw a dark stretch of curb long enough to do the hookup. It was down several blocks, on a street to the right. He parked and jumped out of the motor home.

“Kerry, if anybody comes towards us from the front, honk the horn.”

“Okay, Scotty,” Kerry said.

Cindy was getting the CRV in place. “This is how I used to pull it up to connect. I popped the rear door. The tow bar and the wire harness are back there.”

“Great, thanks,” he said, trotting back there.

“It’s easy,” she said, watching him work.

It took about three minutes to get it hooked up.

“Okay, let’s get the hell out of here before they put up roadblocks,” Scott said. They both got into the motor home, and Scott drove off.

“Kerry, why don’t you get up in the bunk and watch for bad guys ahead,” Scott said.

“Sure, Scotty,” he said, climbing up and moving the curtains away from the front window. Cindy got into the passenger seat.

“Thanks for taking me,” she said, still breathing hard from running around.

“No problem,” Scott said. “Glad you got away. Guess this jerk was a beloved character.”

“He’s got more friends,” she said. “Worse ones.”

“We’ll be out of town in a few minutes,” Scott said. “If we’re lucky, the police won’t get a roadblock set up before we slip by.”

“Who’s that station wagon registered to?”

“A dead old lady,” Scott said. “They’ll eventually find my house in Columbus with it, but I’m not going back there anyway.”

“You’re on the lam?” she asked, fear in her eyes.

“Yeah, you might have jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire,” Scott said.

“Why do you say that?” she asked.

“I’ll tell you when it’s time. We need to concentrate on getting out of town. I suspect all of those guys know what this rig looks like.”

“Of course,” she said.

“Any of your ex’s friends in law enforcement?”

“Several. One of the guys you shot was too, but he got kicked off the force,” she said. “Good riddance.”

“He was in the truck?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Real jerk.”

“Why’d he get bounced from the force?”

“Planting evidence, taking bribes, and sexually harassing a rape victim.”

“Geez, what is it with that?” Scott said.

“What do you mean?”

“Never mind,” he said. “I’ll tell you later.”

“Scotty, look up there,” Kerry shouted. There was a road block ahead, just close enough to make out.

“There another way to the highway?”

“Turn right at the next street,” Cindy said. “We’ll go the old way. It’ll take us out of the way quite a few miles.”

“No problem,” Scott said. He took the right turn, hoping that the officers manning the roadblock didn’t see their headlights.

“It’s nice and dark back here,” Cindy said. “Farmland, mostly.”

They drove along for a few minutes. Then Scott saw headlights in the rear view mirror.

“Shit, cops,” he said, pulling his .44 mag pistol out of the side pocket of the door as the red light came on.

“You know how to shoot a pistol?” he asked.

Cindy’s eyes got wide. “Yeah.”

“There’s one in the side pocket. It’s a .357 revolver, loaded. Careful, the safety isn’t on. Be ready in case we get an officer on both sides.”

“We’re going to shoot the police?” she asked.

“Like I said, out of the frying pan and into the fire. You with me?”

“Yes,” she said, looking terrified but excited. “I hate these creeps. My ex should have been in jail for what he’s done, and they’ve been helping him. Screw them.”

“Good,” Scott said. “Here they come. One on each side. Hey Kerry, keep quiet up there, okay?”

“Okay, Scotty,” he said, voice trembling.

“License and registration please,” the cop said Scott. He glanced in his right mirror, waiting for the other officer to get to the passenger window. When he got there, Scott shot the first officer in the face. Then he heard a bang on his right.

“Got the son of a bitch,” Cindy shouted.

“Where did you hit him?” Scott asked.

“Chest,” she said.

“Okay,” Scott said. “I’ll go finish him if he’s still alive.”

“How about yours?” she asked.

“His brains are all over the road.”

“I’ll take this one,” she said, pointing her .357 out the window and pulling the trigger. Scott raced around, seeing officer’s face caved in and bloody.

“Damn, baby, you can shoot,” Scott said.

“My daddy taught me.”

“You know either one of these guys?”

“Yeah, the one on your side was Murdoch,” she said. “He was one of the worse.”

“What did his voice sound like?” Scott asked. She looked over at him and grinned. “I know what you’re gonna do. He had the typical Midwest drawl. Higher pitched than you’d expect from a guy who looks like that. Girlfriend’s name is Gretchen.”

“Perfect,” Scott said. He trotted back to the police cruiser. There was a scratchy voice on the radio asking for status. Scott picked up the microphone. “Murdoch here. Suspects both dead. Send the meat wagon.”

“Where?” asked the scratchy voice.

Scott looked over and saw a sign. “Right by the driveway at Breckinridge Farm. Gretchen is going to kill me.”

“Why?” the scratchy voice asked.

“There’s brains on my pants.”

The scratchy voice erupted in laughter. “Hope it was that bitch Cindy.”

“Talk to you later. You can take down the roadblock.”

“Roger that.”

Scott dropped the microphone and shot the radio. Then he shot two of the tires, and ran back to the motor home.

“It work?” Cindy asked.

“Yeah,” Scott said, laughing. “The radio officer is hoping that the brains on my pants are yours.”

“Those bastards,” she said. “See what I mean?”

“Yeah. Let’s get out of here.” He drove off. “How quickly can I cut back to the highway?”

“You think they’ll take down the roadblock?” Cindy asked.

“I asked them nicely.”

“Well, there’s a road that climbs up the hill, about two miles away. It curves around and dumps you at the road where the on-ramp is. We’ll be able to see if the roadblock is gone from up there.”

“Perfect,” Scott said. He drove along for a while silently, Cindy watching him.

“There’s the road,” Cindy said. “Take a left.”

“Got it,” Scott said, turning the rig onto the road.

“It’s a little skinny in spots, so don’t go too fast.”

“Okay,” he said.

“Who are you, anyway?” Cindy asked.

“You don’t want to know,” Scott said.

“Why not?” she asked.

“You’ll get scared.”

“I’ve got a .357 in my hand,” she said, laughing. “And it’s not like you’re going to rape me or something. I’d let you have me now if we didn’t need to split. That action got me going. So spill.”

“You hear about that incident in Columbus last night?”

Her eyes got wide. “The two girls on the jogging path?”

“Yeah. One of those girls was my partner,” he said. “Bailey.”

“What about the other one?” Cindy asked, eyes wider.

“I shot her,” Scott said.

“You tried to kidnap her, didn’t you?”

“Yep,” he said. “Still want to go with me?”

She sat silently for a moment. “What are you gonna do?”

“Continue the game, and take back my home base in Kansas from some interlopers.”

“I’m in danger, aren’t I?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Scott said. “The police are after you now.”

“And you’ll probably murder me if I try to leave you,” she said.

“I got to protect myself,” Scott said, looking at her and grinning.

“What if I join you?” she asked.

“Well, I am down two people,” Scott said. “And you have the right attitude, plus other benefits.”

“Other benefits?” she asked. “Oh. Those benefits. Yeah, you do get those with me. Especially after the good time you showed me tonight.”

“I think we understand each other,” Scott said.

“Who was the other partner you lost?”

“An old dear friend named Howie,” Scott said.

“What happened to him?”

“He was shot by an FBI agent after the incident at the jogging path,” Scott said.

“Shoot, the FBI is after us?”

“Not that agent,” Scott said, laughing. “He’s in the freezer in my basement.”

“Why were they after you? The kidnapping?”

“Well, partly that, and partly the biker massacre.”

“Oh, my God, that was you too?”

“Yeah.”

They climbed the road up the hills, slowing as the switchbacks became tighter and thinner.

“You should be able to see the roadblock now,” Cindy said. She got up. “I’ll go look out the side window.”

“Good, thanks,” Scott said. “This road is two hands on the wheel, eyes ahead.” He chuckled.

“Told you,” she said, pulling the blinds open. “They’re gone. We’re clear.”

“We’re clear if we can get past it before the meat wagon shows up and sees our handiwork,” Scott said.

“Our handiwork,” she said, grinning as she climbed back into the seat. “I think I’m going to enjoy this.”

“Careful what you wish for,” Scott said. “The roads descending.”

“Yeah, it’s only about three more miles before we hit the freeway,” Cindy said. “I hope we can beat them there.”

“We need to beat them there and then some,” Scott said. “We’ll need to ditch this thing in a hurry, too. They’ll put out an APB. They know the make, model, and license because of your hubby.”

“I know,” she said. “What are we gonna do?”

“Thinking on it,” Scott said. “You bring that money I paid you for this?”

“Yeah,” she said.

“Good, then we can trade this thing in on something else.”

Kerry climbed down from the bunk and watched out the front, looking scared.

“You okay, Kerry?” Scott asked.

“I’m scared,” he said. “I thought those police men were going to shoot us all. Like Blake.”

“Blake?” Cindy asked.

“Yeah, that was Kerry’s twin brother. He got shot by the cops after the biker massacre.”

“Oh. I’m sorry, Kerry,” she said.

“Is she like Bailey?” Kerry asked Scott. “I liked Bailey.”

“Yes, she’s like Bailey,” Scott said, smiling as he shot a glance over to Cindy.

“I hope that’s a good thing,” she said.

“It is,” Scott said. “Look, there’s the on-ramp.”

“I’ll go look out the back window,” Cindy said. “Sit here if you want to, Kerry.”

“Thanks,” he said, scrambling into the seat. He looked at Scott. “She’s nice.”

Scott got on the ramp, picking up speed as he merged onto I-74.

“Nobody back there,” Cindy said. “But I’ll watch for a while.”

“Good, thanks,” Scott shouted. He looked out at the road in front of him and grinned.

Chapter 3 – Morning on the Road

Gabe woke up with a start. It was light outside. He checked his phone. Almost six. He got up and took the coffee pot out of the cupboard under the sink, filling it with water and plugging it in. The coffee was brewing in a few minutes, and he opened the fridge to survey the contents. Not much there. He closed it and got dressed.

Malcolm woke up. “That coffee I smell?”

“Yeah,” Gabe said. “Should be ready in five or ten minutes. I thought I’d go down to the store and see what they have for breakfast.”

“Good idea,” Malcolm said. “Didn’t have time to stock up on food before we left.”

“No, we didn’t,” Gabe said, chuckling. He slipped out the door. It was overcast and chilly. A few people were up, quietly walking their dogs. The store was open. He walked in and looked around.

“Good morning, sir,” said the girl behind the counter. “We just got fresh donuts in.”

“Excellent,” Gabe said. “How about a dozen?”

“Sure. Assortment?”

“Yes,” Gabe said. “That’d be fine.”

The girl assembled the box and slid it to Gabe. He paid and carried it back to the rig. The rest of the group was up, watching the coffee pot sputtering.

“Donuts, everybody!” Gabe said. “Fresh this morning.”

“Oh, perfect,” Dobie said, smiling. Gabe put the box on the counter and opened it. The men attacked.

“Think we can make Columbus today?” Gabe asked.

Dobie was looking at the GPS on his phone. “I doubt it. That’d be nine hours of solid driving, at least. Remember I can’t go 75 pulling this sucker. More like 55.”

“Yeah, we’ll need one more stop,” Ted said. “But we’ll be there early in the morning, day after tomorrow.”

“You get any more info?” Malcolm asked.

“No,” Ted said. “Not a peep about Agent Keith, and nothing about Scott or Howard either.”

“They say who’s taking over the investigation?” Malcolm asked.

“The agents they’re sending to Columbus are searching for Agent Keith, not taking over the investigation, at least so far.”

“You still don’t want to tell them about the house?” Malcolm asked.

“Not really,” Ted said. “Why?”

“Because if they find it and we show up, they’ll nail us for withholding.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Ted said. “At least not yet. They’re not smart enough to figure out the address.”

“Maybe not, but things can change fast,” Malcolm said. “They might find out without doing the detailed analysis and investigation. Hell, some neighbor could have tipped off the local PD. The FBI might already be there, for all we know.”

“I’d have heard something if that’s the case,” Ted said.

“Okay, everybody had their fill of donuts?” Gabe asked.

The group all nodded.

“Good, then let’s get this road on the show!” he said, a goofy expression on his face.

“I’ll go walk Duchess,” Dobie said. “You want to unhook us?”

“Yeah,” Gabe said, “and then I’ll go chat with Sue for a few minutes.”

Dobie glanced at him, smiling. “Too bad we couldn’t stay a little longer.”

“Ah, she’s outta my league, but I like her,” Gabe said.

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Dobie said as he went out the door with Duchess. He walked by Ted and Malcolm, who were getting their vehicles ready to go.

Gabe got the trailer un-hooked, and then trotted over to the office. Sue was at the counter.

“You guys taking off?” she asked, smiling.

“Yeah,” Gabe said. “Maybe we’ll be back here on the return trip. Thanks for giving us such a good spot.”

“Don’t mention it,” she said, twinkle in her eye. “When this is over, why don’t you give me a call? I’d love to hear all about it. Kansas isn’t that far, after all.”

“True, and I have a trailer,” he said, grinning. “Maybe I’ll pull it over here for a few days.”

“Good, I’ll look forward to it. You be careful, now.”

“Will do,” Gabe said, smiling as he left the office. The warm feeling washed over him as he made his way back to the rig.

“Ready to go?” Dobie asked.

“Yep,” Gabe said.

“How’d it go with Sue?”

“She wants me to call her when this trip over,” Gabe said, an embarrassed smile on his face. “I’m thinking I might drag my trailer here.”

“Good,” Dobie said, getting into the driver’s seat. Gabe got in the passenger seat, and they pulled away.

***

“You sure we have to dump this rig?” Cindy asked, watching Scott as he drove. “Seems like such a waste.”

“We could just swap the plates,” Scott said.

“So we find another Class C that looks like this one, and swap?”

“That’s the idea. We’ll have to swap the plates for the CRV too.”

“That should be easy,” Cindy said. “We ought to do that now. It’s still early in the morning. There’s a town coming up quick.”

“Okay,” he said. “I could use a cup of coffee anyway.”

“How long until we get to the Mississippi?” she asked.

“Several hours yet,” Scott said. “There’s the off-ramp.”

He drove off the highway into the small town. The streets were deserted, but it was only 5:30 am.

“Hey, look at that!” Cindy said, pointing ahead at a used RV dealership. “I’ll bet we could swap with one of those.”

“Excellent!” Scott said. He drove past the lot and made a right turn, parking far enough back to be out of sight.

“There’s tools in the back compartment,” Cindy said.

“Yeah, saw them,” Scott said as he headed for the door.

“Scotty, what’s going on?” Kerry asked, sleepy look on his face.

“I’ve got a job to do,” he said. “Do me a favor. Open your bunk window curtains and keep watch. If anybody comes near the coach, tell Cindy. Okay?”

“Sure, Scotty,” he said.

Scott went got a screwdriver and small crescent wrench from the tool box. He took the plates off of the motor home and the CRV, and scurried over to the RV Dealership. It wasn’t open yet, and there was no fence. Perfect. He looked around, finding a Class C from the same manufacturer, parked where he could swap plates without being seen. It was a year or two newer than his coach, but the style hadn’t changed much. He got to work, and was trotting away with his new plates in a matter of minutes. On his way back, he saw a small SUV. He swapped the plates on that, then hurried back to their rig.

“Got them,” Scott said to Cindy, who was standing next to the rig having a smoke. He changed the plates on both vehicles. “This won’t protect us against your ex’s friends if they followed us, but it will keep us from getting pulled over by the cops.”

“All of those losers have jobs, and it’s Monday morning,” Cindy said. “I doubt they’re gonna get fired over this.”

“Hope you’re right,” Scott said. “We killed two cops and one ex-cop back there. We aren’t out of the woods yet.”

“The other rig look like this?”

“Yep, same make and model. A couple years newer, but they look a lot alike. We’re good.”

They got back into the rig, and Scott drove to the highway.

“Everything okay, Scotty?” Kerry asked.

“Perfect,” Scott said. “There’s food back there if you’re hungry.”

“Oh, yeah, I even put the pop-tarts in here, remember?”

“Yeah,” Scott said. He looked over at Cindy and smiled. She was staring at him. It took him aback for a second. There wasn’t fear on her face. There was reverence. Like Bailey. What is it with these women?

“How far are we going today, honey?” Cindy asked.

“We should try to get across big muddy,” Scott said.

“There’s a place to camp right past that. Boondocking place. We can just pull in and sleep for free.”

“Good,” Scott said. “Rather not have to go into an RV Park if we can help it. They’re probably watching those.”

Kerry got off the bunk and went into the kitchen, taking the box of pop-tarts out of the cupboard. “You guys want some of these?”

“Sure, I’ll take a pack,” Scott said.

“Pop-tarts,” Cindy said laughing. “Haven’t had those in years.”

“A guilty pleasure,” Scott said, laughing.

“What the heck, I’ll have some too,” Cindy said. Kerry handed them out. “You want cokes?”

“Sure,” Scott said.

“Breakfast of Champions,” Cindy said, laughing.

They rode silently, eating their breakfast. Kerry sat at the dinette and watched the countryside go by out the window. Scott’s eyes darted from the road ahead to the mirrors, keeping a careful eye out.

“You’re expecting somebody to show up,” Cindy said.

“Well, not really,” Scott said. “But you never know.”

“Why don’t we turn on the radio? Maybe there’s news about what happened back there.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Scott said. “Go ahead.”

She turned on the radio. They weren’t to the top of the hour yet. Traffic, weather reports, special interest stories. Then they got to the headlines.

“A man and woman shot their way out of an Indianapolis suburb last night, killing two police officers, an ex-police officer, and two others. They escaped in a small motor home, towing a Honda CRV. Indiana License Plate T638F4. They are armed and dangerous. The identity of the man is unknown. The woman is Cindy Broderick, who resided in the town. It appears the altercation started when Ms. Broderick’s ex-husband broke his restraining order and attacked her and the man at the house she was renting on Center Street. The ex-husband was killed at the scene. Local law enforcement are calling this a murder, but the FBI investigated and found evidence that the man was killed inside his ex-wife’s house and then dragged outside. There was a small amount of the ex-wife’s blood on the floor, leading the FBI to believe that the killing was self-defense. The local police department is now under investigation for evidence tampering and attempted murder. This does not mean that the other killings are justified. There is an All Points Bulletin issued for the couple’s immediate arrest.”

Scotty laughed out loud, hitting the steering wheel several times with glee. Cindy looked at him and laughed too.

“This is rich,” she said. “Serves those jerks right.”

“Was your ex a wannabe cop or something?” Scott asked. “The local PD was treating him like one of their own.”

“Yeah, several of them grew up together,” Cindy said. “The department couldn’t hire him because of past assault convictions. Oh, and I found out he beat the crap out of his first wife several times without getting prosecuted. The jerks in the department still let him be a reserve officer. Idiots.”

“How did you get hooked up with this guy?” Scott asked.

“Met him in a bar,” she said. “He was charming at first.”

“We’re all charming at first,” Scott said, smiling. Cindy gave him a look.

“What are you saying? You’re going to get tough with me?”

“No, but I’m not exactly a nice guy,” Scott said. He had a wicked grin on his face that made Cindy nervous. He laughed when he saw her reaction. “Don’t worry, you ain’t on the target list.”

They rode silently for a while.

“You think this road is the best one to be on?” Cindy asked.

“For now, it’s fine,” Scott said. “If there’s no roadblocks at the bridge, we’ll be okay. I don’t think there’s much police activity going back and forth across the Mississippi right now.”

***

Frank and Jane walked into the clubhouse. It was early and they were the first there. Frank had had a rough night. He couldn’t get himself to sleep, and stewed about Daan Mertins for most of the time. Who did he bring with him? The possibility that he’d brought operatives like George to hunt them down kept slipping into his mind. Jane knew something was bothering him, and asked what was wrong. He said it was nothing, but she wasn’t tolerating that. She knew better.

“I’ll get the coffee pot going, and then we’re gonna talk,” Jane said.

Frank sighed. “Okay. I’ll get my PC started while you’re busy with that.”

Jane returned in a few minutes. “Okay, spill it. What kept you up last night?”

He looked down for a moment, gathering his thoughts. “Daan Mertins.”

“I figured he might have something to do with it,” she said. “What about him?”

“I kept thinking that he might have a hit team with him. People like George, who could hunt us down. I feel like our butts are flapping in the breeze. They know where this place is.”

“Oh,” Jane said. “Do we need to leave?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Why don’t you discuss it with General Hogan and George?” Jane asked.

“I’m going to,” he said. “This morning. I think they know that’s a danger already.”

Jane’s eyes got wider. “You think they might use us for bait?”

“I hope not, but it’s possible,” he said.

“Can they can protect us?”

“George is pretty capable, but he’s also been out of the game for a while. Daan’s people are still in the thick of things.”

“You’re scaring me,” Jane said.

“That’s why I didn’t want to tell you. You know there’s another possibility.”

“What’s that?” Jane asked.

“Daan might have his hands completely full trying to protect the WTO folks. Or trying to set them up. We don’t really know which side he’s on.”

Jane was silent for a moment, thinking it through. “Why all the sneaking around by Carlsbad Caverns?” she asked. “Are they setting a trap for us or for the WTO folks?”

“Could be either. Hard to tell. Check your laptop. They still showing?”

She clicked open the app. “No hits since yesterday at about 9:00 pm,” she said.

“And the WTO guys got to San Diego late yesterday, too,” Frank said.

“Do you want to leave? Head east? Or go home?”

“You mean leave the group?” Frank asked.

“Or even take the group,” Jane said. “I’ll bet most of them would go.”

“I wish it was that easy,” Frank said. “If Daan brought hunters with him, they’ll find us even if we leave.”

Jane sat on the chair in front of her laptop, looking into space. “If the General’s right about our government, there are people here that want us dead too.”

“I know,” Frank said. “That’s been chewing at me for a while. We’re really screwed.”

Jerry and Jasmine walked in together.

“Good morning,” Jerry said. His smiling face turned to concern when he saw the expression on their faces. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing,” Frank said.

“Don’t tell them that,” Jane said. “He’s worried that Daan Mertins might have brought assassins with him to target us. He stewed about it all night.”

Jasmine expression showed fear. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

“His hands may be too full to worry about us,” Frank said. “You guys looked like you were about to tell us something. What’s up?”

“We got a call from mom,” Jasmine said. “They’re letting Jeb out in three days. We’re leaving tonight to pick them up.”

“That’s great,” Jane said.

“Good news,” Frank said. “You taking the motor home?”

“Yeah,” Jerry said.

“Taking anybody along?” Jane asked.

“You mean a caravan?” Jasmine said. “We’d love that, but aren’t we already short too many people here?”

Jane looked at Frank. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Road trip,” he said. “Not a bad idea to be mobile for a while. What do you guys think? Two and a half days driving, a day or two there, and a two and a half days back.”

“I’d love that,” Jerry said.

“Me too, but would that leave enough people here?” Jasmine asked.

“Well, let’s think about it,” Jerry said, ticking off names on his fingers. “We’ve still got Earl, Jackson, Charlie, Hilda, Terry, Trish, Kurt, Mary, Jake, George, Heidi, the General, and the three privates. Shouldn’t that be enough?”

“Seems like it to me,” Frank said. “What time are you leaving?”

“Couple of hours,” he said. “Can you guys get ready that fast?”

“Sure,” Frank said. “What do you think, honey?”

“Let’s do it,” she said. “I probably would have said no yesterday, but after your worries this morning, I'd feel safer on the road.”

“Who should we tell?” Jasmine asked.

“Charlie. He’ll handle the rest,” Jerry said.

“What if we run into trouble out there?” Jasmine asked.

“Then we’ll have four guns instead of two,” Frank said.

“And five on the way back, if Jeb’s got the gumption,” Jerry said. “I’ll throw a couple of his rifles in our coach.”

“Don’t expect too much from him,” Jasmine said. “He’s going to need time to heal.”

“Let’s go chat with Charlie,” Frank said. “I’ll tie in with the General too.”

“Okay,” Jerry said.

“I’ll go get our rig checked out,” Jane said. “We need to load more food.” Jasmine nodded, and they left the clubhouse.

***

Ted was following Malcolm, bored with the monotony of the road. Fields, small towns, more fields. Semi-trucks. Northern Missouri wasn’t his favorite place, but at least they were nearing the Mississippi River. His phone rang.

“Ted?”

“Dick Branson, how the hell are you?” asked Ted.

“Fine. I think you were right about the house. Nobody’s there. At least nobody alive.”

“Why?” Ted asked.

“I got some news. You hear what happened in that Indianapolis suburb last night?”

“Something about a couple shooting a few cops. Exposed corruption in the local PD. That what you’re talking about?”

“Yeah,” Branson said. “Here’s what didn’t make the news.”

“Uh oh,” Ted said.

“The bureau found prints at the woman’s house. Matched some of the prints at the biker massacre.”

“And since you were part of that investigation, they called you right away,” Ted said. “Lucky break. So we know that either Scott or Howard were involved.”

“Looks that way,” Branson said.

“Anything else?” Ted asked.

“Not yet,” he said. “All indications are they’re headed west on Route 36.”

“Really? That’s the road we’re on right now. East bound.”

Chapter 4 – Day Camping

Jerry and Frank walked up to Charlie’s rig. He came out, surprised to see them.

“Morning, guys,” he said. “What’s up?”

“Jeb’s gonna get released in three days. We’re gonna take a trip back there in our rigs,” Jerry said.

“Oh,” Charlie said, smiling. “It’ll be great to see him. You’re both going, eh?”

“Yeah,” Frank said. “Hope you don’t mind.”

“I think it’s great,” Charlie said. “We’ve got plenty of people here to protect the home fires.”

“That’s what we were thinking,” Jerry said. “If anything goes wrong on the road, we’ll be in better shape too.”

“Yeah,” Charlie said. “When are you leaving?”

“Within the next hour,” Frank said. “The girls are getting our rigs ready now.”

“Okay,” Charlie said. “You guys have a safe trip. Call us if you get into trouble.”

“Will do,” Jerry said. He looked over at Frank. “Shall we go chat with General Hogan?”

“Yeah,” Frank said.

“I’ll see you later,” Charlie said as they walked off.

They went to the lounge. The General was puttering in the kitchen. His privates were on the couch, watching TV.

“Hey, General,” Frank said.

“Ah, good morning,” he said. “Want some coffee?”

“Already had some, thanks,” Frank said. “We’re leaving on a road trip.”

“Jeb’s ready to be released,” the General said.

“Good guess,” Jerry said.

“It’s not a guess,” he said. “I’ve got people at the hospital, remember?”

“Oh, yeah,” Frank said. “They gonna stay in that area?”

“They’ll turn their attention to the WTO group as soon as Jeb leaves.”

“Oh,” Frank said. “Anything new on that?”

“Nope, they’re still in San Diego.”

“You think there’s any chance that Daan Mertins might have an assassination team with him?”

“To hunt for you?” the General asked.

“Well, to hunt for us,” Frank said.

“Possible, but I think he’s gonna have his hands full, and it’s difficult to get unsavory people into the country right now.”

“He’s unsavory,” Jerry said.

“Yeah, but the WTO as a whole isn’t,” the General said. “At least in the government’s eyes. Good way to sneak back in.” He paused. “I guess if Mertins can sneak in, he could bring somebody along.”

“Anything new on the EU?” Frank asked.

“Yeah,” the General said. “The EU is totally FUBAR. Luckily England and Germany retained control of their countries. Be interesting to see how well they fight on the same side.”

“Still worried about our troops from Mexico ending up over there?” Frank asked. Jerry shot him a worried glance.

“Not as much,” the General said. “Some of our troops are already back. They’re building up in Texas and New Mexico as we speak. They’re going into Arizona as soon as they’re assembled.”

“Good,” Jerry said. “About friggin time.”

“We’d better get going,” Frank said. “We’re taking off in a few minutes.”

“Stay in touch, and don’t worry about this place,” the General said, smiling.

“Thanks,” Frank said. He and Jerry left, headed back to their rig.

“Well, that was good news,” Jerry said. “About our troops coming home from Mexico, that is.”

“Yes,” Frank said. “Did he seem nervous to you?”

“No, not really,” Jerry said.

“Must just be me,” Frank said. “I’ll be ready in a few. Meet you at the gate.”

“Okay,” Jerry said.

Frank stuck his head in the door. “Hey, honey, I’ll dump the holding tanks, okay?”

“Okay,” she said. “I’m almost done in here. Don’t shut down the water or electrical yet, though.”

“Okay,” Frank said. He took care of the holding tanks, and then collected the chairs and put them into the storage compartment.

“Frank, why don’t you take Lucy out for her walk?”

“Okay,” Frank said. He hooked her on the leash and walked her around as Jane finished. By the time he got back, the slides were in.

“We taking the toad?” Jane asked.

“I think we should,” Frank said. “I’ll get her ready.”

“Okay,” Jane said. “You can unhook the utilities.”

Frank got that done, and drove the car behind the coach as Jane pulled up the levelers. She drove the coach forward far enough for Frank to get the toad aligned, and Frank hooked it up.

“Want me to drive the first stretch?” Jane asked, still sitting behind the wheel.

“Sure, sounds good,” Frank said. He sat in the passenger seat while she drove to the front gate. Jerry and Jasmine were there waiting. They took off, navigating through the small country roads towards town. Frank’s phone rang.

“Frank, need gas?”

“Yeah, but I think Howard’s place is shut down now.”

“I know. There’s another town about twenty miles down the road. Let’s stop there.”

“Okay, sounds good.” Frank put his phone back in his pocket.

“We’re not stopping in town for fuel?”

“No, next town.”

“Okay,” she said. “We’re in pretty good shape. Have over half a tank.”

They settled into the drive. Lucy came over and whined at Frank, so he patted his lap, and she jumped up. Mr. Wonderful wandered out and sat between the front seats.

“Good to be on the road again,” Frank said.

“Yes,” Jane said.

***

“Here comes the Mississippi,” Scott said. “Hey, Kerry, go in the bunk and watch for road blocks, okay?”

“Sure, Scotty,” Kerry said as he climbed up.

“Keep your fingers crossed,” Cindy said.

The traffic thickened up as they approached, but it was moving at almost the speed limit.

“See anything, Kerry?”

“Nope, nothing up there,” he said. “Should I keep watching?”

“Yeah,” Scott said.

“There’s the bridge,” Cindy said. “Traffic is going over slow, but at least it’s moving.”

“Yeah,” Scott said. “Wonder if this bridge is taking the extra traffic okay? Some of these smaller bridges are getting old. Especially the ones off the beaten path.”

“I’ve been over this one before,” Cindy said. “When the ex and I used to camp here. It’s not a real old one.”

“Going down to two lanes ahead, Scotty,” Kerry said.

“Still no roadblocks? No police?”

“Nope,” Kerry said. “Just a lot of cars.”

“Think anybody found the swapped plates yet?” Cindy asked.

“I doubt it,” Scott said. “How long do you think it’d take for you to notice if your license plates were changed?”

“Probably quite a while, unless I was close to renewal,” Cindy said, grinning. She laughed.

“What?”

“Imagine what’s going to happen when the poor sucker that buys that coach tries to register it the first time.”

Scott laughed. “Yeah, seriously.”

“Here we go, up and over,” Cindy said, as they climbed the bridge. It was slow going now. Traffic was moving at 20 miles per hour.

“Keep your eyes peeled, Kerry.”

“Will do, Scotty. I can’t see very far ahead now, because of the hump in the bridge.”

“Yeah, but as soon as we get to the highest spot, you’ll be able to see a long way. Be ready.”

“I will,” he said.

“What will we do if there’s a roadblock?” Cindy asked.

“Good question,” Scott said. “Shoot our way out. We probably won’t make it very far.”

“Kinda what I was thinking,” Cindy said, looking nervous.

“I can see now, Scotty. No road blocks. No cops.”

“Good, Kerry. Thanks.”

“Okay if I stay up here?”

“No problem,” Scott said.

“We’ll be at the camping spot in an hour, give or take,” Cindy said.

They drove off the bridge and the road widened, cars speeding back up to highway speed. Scott relaxed. He looked over at Cindy. She looked more relaxed too. They rode silently for a while. Scott was tired. Really tired. It wasn’t just driving through the night, either. He didn’t get much sleep the night before. Cindy noticed.

“You aren’t gonna nod off on us, are you?” she asked. “I can drive, you know.”

“How much further to this camping spot?”

“We’re getting close now. About twenty minutes.”

“I’ll make it that far,” Scott said. “You can’t be doing much better.”

“Yeah, I’m tired. We should sleep during the day. Drive at night.”

“That’s a good idea,” Scott said.

The traffic was getting lighter on route 36 as they got further from the bridge. Scott had to fight the urge to speed up. He kept it steady at fifty five, with half an eye on the rear view mirrors.

“It’s coming up quick,” Cindy said, sitting up straighter. “Take the next off-ramp.”

“Okay,” Scott said. The off-ramp dumped them onto a small country road, with farm land on either side. “How far?”

“Only ten more miles,” Cindy said. “But it’s mostly flat and straight.”

“Not many cars,” Scott said.

“Yeah, there’s nothing here except for a small stream close to this camping spot. Fishing’s pretty good.”

“I saw the fishing equipment in the storage compartment.”

“Yeah, that’s why we came here,” Cindy said. She looked over at him. “Scotty?”

“What?”

“Are you gonna kill me?” she asked. “When we’re in the middle of nowhere?”

“No,” Scott said. “If I was going to kill you, I would have done it by now.”

“When did you have the chance?”

“You really want to go there?” Scott asked.

“Just want to know where I stand,” she said. “I won’t go down without a fight.”

“Cindy, don’t worry. You want honesty. I’ll be honest. But don’t think I’m going to do you in, because that’s not my plan anymore.”

“Anymore?”

“Yeah, anymore,” Scott said, taking a deep breath. “I came to your place last night planning to play with you and then kill you. I had it all planned out.”

She looked at him nervously. “What was the plan?”

“Have dinner, then more fun in the bedroom. Then strangle you, and dump your body outside of town. Tie up the loose end.”

“Why?”

“You sold me the motor home. You could identify me,” Scott said.

“When did you change your mind?”

“I started to when I was watching you in the kitchen,” he said. “But the arrival of your ex sealed the deal.”

“Why?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Scott said. “But it did.”

“So I don’t need to worry?”

“Oh, yeah, you need to worry, but not about me.”

“You’re talking about the cops?”

“The cops and the FBI, mainly.”

“Mainly?” she asked, eyes wide. “Who else is there?”

“Oh, probably nobody,” he said.

“Don’t hold back,” Cindy said. “Who else?”

“Heard of Malcolm Davis?”

“Shit! He hunts serial killers.”

“So he does,” Scott said.

“Who are you? Really?”

“All in good time, Cindy,” Scott said. “All in good time.”

“Why can’t you tell me now?” she asked.

“I need to be sure I can trust you,” he said.

Cindy studied him, looking for an assurance. She thought she saw it in his eyes, but he broke eye contact quickly, almost looking embarrassed.

“Here comes the road,” Cindy said, snapping both of them out of their trance-like states. “Take that left.”

“Dirt road?” Scott said.

“Yeah, but don’t worry. It’s short, and this coach has been over it before with no problems. Just take it slow.”

The motor home poked along, the uneven road rocking them. Scott looked nervously at the tree branches above, some of which looked a little low. They cleared them. The road dumped into a large clearing with tree sheltered coves here and there. A Class B camper was parked at the mouth of the clearing, and a truck camper about half way down. Scott drove all the way to the back and made a sweeping turn, stopping when he was headed straight out. He shut off the engine.

“We gonna stay here, Scotty?” Kerry asked, climbing out of the bunk.

“Yeah, Kerry,” Scott said. “During the day. We’ll take off again when it gets dark.”

“There’s a stream over there,” he said, pointing.

“Yes,” Cindy said. “There’s fish in there, too.”

“Can I go fishing?” Kerry asked, an excited look on his face.

“Of course,” Scott said, “but don’t get out of sight of the motor home, okay?”

“Okay, Scotty. I saw the fishing poles in the storage space. You gonna go?”

“No, Cindy and I need to sleep so we can drive tonight. Don’t wake us up, okay?”

“Okay, Scotty. I’ll be quiet.”

“Good. When you’re done, you can either sit outside or come in here and play with the iPad, okay?”

“Okay, Scotty.” He scampered outside. They could hear him rummaging around in the storage compartment.

“C’mon, let’s go try out the bed,” Scott said. “I’m bushed.”

Cindy climbed out and took him into her arms, hugging him and kissing him.

“I’m ready for bed, but you have to give me a little attention before we fall asleep.”

Scott smiled at her, pulling her close, his hands running over her back and down to her bottom. They climbed into the bed and shut the curtain.

***

Malcolm was tired. They’d been driving all day. Now it was approaching dusk. They had just transitioned onto I-70. It wouldn’t be long before they’d stop for the night. Malcolm took his phone out of his pocket and hit Ted’s contact.

“Ted?”

“Hey, Malcolm. How you holding up?”

“I’m pretty wiped out,” he replied. “Where we gonna stop?”

“How about Brookville? That’s only about ten miles away,” Ted said.

“Sounds good. Why don’t I call Gabe and see if he can line something up?”

“Go for it,” Ted said. “Let me know.”

“Will do,” Malcolm said. He ended the call and called Gabe.

“We want to stop in Brookville. Could you find a place to spend the night?”

“Will do,” Gabe said. He searched on his phone. “There’s a KOA right there. It’s got 50 amp and pull-through sites. It’s just a little ways off the interstate.”

“Sounds good. See if you can get us in. I’m beat.”

“Yeah, I hear you,” Gabe said. “Talk to you later.”

Malcolm slipped his phone in his shirt pocket and watched the road, eyes getting heavy. He wished somebody else was in the car with him. He was afraid he’d nod off by himself. His phone rang.

“Malcolm? Gabe. We got a place. Pull through. A little pricey, but I don’t care at this point.”

“Good, me neither,” Malcolm said.

“Why don’t you guys let us take the lead again, and you can follow us in.”

“Sounds good,” Malcolm said. He and Ted moved over, and Dobie’s rig blew past them. They fell in behind him. The drive was short. Malcolm saw the fifth wheel slowing ahead of him, heading for the off-ramp. He and Ted followed. No small town to roll through this time. The KOA was right there, surrounded by farmland. Dobie made the turn and pulled into the staging area. It was the same drill as before. Gabe went into the office, and Dobie walked Duchess.

“Hope there’s not a pretty woman in this office,” Malcolm said to himself, chuckling. He was too tired to get out of the car, so he sat and waited until Gabe came out of the office and gave the thumbs up sign.

Dobie came back, letting Duchess into the the truck. Then he drove forward, Malcolm following and Ted taking up the rear.

The huge RV Park was almost empty. Dobie pulled in to their spot in the middle of the park and stopped. Ted and Malcolm pulled into some parking stalls nearby and walked over.

“Some drive,” Ted said. “I just want to eat and hit the sack.”

“You and me both,” Malcolm said, chuckling. “Wonder if there’s an eatery.”

“Yeah, I saw it on the way in.”

“I missed it,” Malcolm said. They heard the slide motors working on the fifth wheel. Gabe walked over.

“See the restaurant?” he asked. “How about a bite to eat?”

“Great minds think alike,” Ted said, laughing. They watched Dobie put the dog in the trailer and walk over.

“We gonna go eat?” he asked.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Malcolm said. They walked through the darkening evening, too tired to make much conversation. There were only a few people in the restaurant. They got a booth and sat. A pretty young waitress came over and took their orders.

“So, hear anything else on our quarry, Ted?” Gabe asked.

“Not since Dick Branson called,” he said. “I probably ought to call him back.” He pulled out his phone and punched the contact.

“Dick?”

“Yeah, Ted. How goes it. Make it to Columbus yet?”

“Nah, we made it to Brookville. We’ll finish the trip early tomorrow.”

“Good,” he said. “I’ve talked to all the RV Park owners I know of on Route 36. They’re on the lookout for a short Class C pulling a CRV.”

“Good,” Ted said. “There many boondocking places along there? I’ll bet they had to stop somewhere. After what happened, I doubt if they’ve gotten any sleep at all.”

“I don’t know the area very well,” Dick said. “It was a struggle to get all the RV Park owners to agree to watch.”

“Wonder why?”

“Nobody trusts the government anymore,” Dick said. “It makes being a cop a real pain in the neck.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet. I’ll let you know what we find at the house tomorrow.”

“Thanks,” Dick said. “I’ll let you know if we see anybody along the road, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up much. I’d be shocked if they haven’t dumped that Class C yet. The license number and description are all over the place now.”

“Talk to you later,” Ted said. He ended the call and put his phone on the table as their food arrived.

The men ate silently and headed for their rig, going straight to bed.

Chapter 5 – Toothless Grin

Scott woke up to his phone alarm. It was dark outside. He was spooned against Cindy, both of them sweaty. He moved away, and she stirred, turning towards him with a sleepy smile. Scott kissed her. “Good morning.”

“Don’t you mean good evening?” she asked, smiling, studying his eyes. “I could get used to this.”

“Me too. Ready to get up?”

“Yeah,” she said, sitting up, the blankets falling to reveal her naked front. “Kerry out there?”

“I don’t hear anything,” Scott said as he pulled his shorts on, then put on his shirt. “I’ll go check.”

Scott shimmied out of the bed, trying to leave the curtains closed as Cindy got dressed. The coach was dark. Kerry wasn’t there. Shit. He picked up his handgun, slipped it into the back waistband of his shorts and opened the door of the coach, grabbing a flashlight on the way out.

“Looking for somebody?” said a dirty looking man, sitting next to truck camper in the stark light of a Coleman lantern. He had stubble and was missing teeth, ratty salt and pepper hair hanging off his receding hair line.

“Kerry!” Scott cried.

“He don’t hear you,” the man said.

“Who the hell are you?” Scott asked, walking up.

“My name’s Toby, and you’d best be nice to me if you want your retard back. It’s gonna cost ya.”

“Like hell it is,” Scott said, walking towards the man. He heard a pump shotgun cocking behind him and froze.

“I’ll bet there’s a reward for your sorry ass,” the guy behind him said. “This rig looks a whole lot like the one that was involved in all them shootings.” He was a younger man, as dirty as the first, with stringy long black hair and a patchy beard to match.

“I ain’t that guy,” Scott said.

“I don’t really care one way or the other,” Toby said. “A few dead cops is a good thing, as far as I’m concerned.”

“I don’t know, Pa. Might be a decent reward. More than he’ll pay for the retard.”

“How much will you pay for the retard?” Toby asked. “I’m thinking a couple grand at least.”

“I don’t have that much money,” Scott said, glancing around. Cindy had snuck into the passenger seat in the rig and was sliding the window open.

“Well, we’ll just have to take your rig, then,” Toby said, laughing.

“Over my dead body, inbreed,” Scott said.

“That’s the idea,” Toby said, standing up. Then Cindy’s .357 went off, sending the man with the shotgun flying. Scott pulled his pistol and shot Toby in the gut, then turned and put a bullet into the other man’s head as he struggled to aim the shotgun. He whipped back around to see Toby holding a gun, and shot him in the head, splattering blood and brains on the front of his camper.

Scott ran to camper and ripped the door open. Kerry was on the floor, hands tied, duct tape over his mouth. Scott ripped the tape off and untied him as quickly as he could. “Run back to the motor home, Kerry.”

He looked at him through his tears, eyes horrified, and ran. Scott heard the Class B’s engine start, and watched as it backed out. He ran towards it, shooting at the tires, and sending a couple rounds into the back window. A woman screamed from inside, and it stopped with a jerk.

“Cindy, c’mon, let’s take care of those guys,” Scott yelled as he ran. She caught up with him, the .357 in her hand.

“We’re gonna kill them too?” she asked, eyes wild, a wicked smile on her face.

“They know what our rig looks like. I hope they didn’t call anybody.”

They got to the front of the Class B and looked in the windows. The driver’s head was splattered all over the dash. There was a scared woman in the passenger seat, frantically trying to work her phone.

“No! Please!” she cried as Scott pointed the gun at her face. He hesitated, but Cindy stuck her gun in closer and pulled the trigger.

“Damn, baby,” Scott said, laughing. “I’d better not piss you off.”

She looked at him and grinned. “We’d better check the inside.”

“Yeah,” Scott said. He went to the side door and slid it open. There wasn’t anybody else there. “Let’s take their food.”

“I’ll get it,” she said. “You go check the truck camper.”

“Okay,” Scott said. “I’ll send Kerry over to help.”

“Maybe we can get the supplies out of the other rig too.”

“Trust me, we don’t want anything out of there. They might have touched it. Those two smelled bad.” Scott ran over and checked the rest of the truck camper. There was nobody else there. He grabbed the handgun and shotgun from the bodies and dropped them off in the motor home.

“Kerry, come help us carry, okay?” he said. Kerry shook his head yes and followed, still very shaken.

“Not too much here,” Cindy said, carrying an armful. “Some good beer, though.”

They grabbed what they could and ran back over to the motor home. Scott got behind the wheel and drove back onto the dirt road, trying not to hit anything in the dark.

“We’re gonna get caught,” Scott whispered. “Only a matter of time.”

“Why do you say that?” Cindy asked, trying to catch her breath.

“Ballistics,” he said. “They’ll figure out the slugs in those folks came from my guns.”

“They registered to you?” Cindy asked.

“No, but they were used in other events,” Scott said. “You okay up there, Kerry?”

“I’m scared,” he said.

“I know,” Scott said. “Don’t worry.”

“Want me to let him sit here?” Cindy asked.

“When we get on the interstate, yeah. You should look out the back window for a while, just in case.”

“They won’t be after us that fast, will they?” she asked.

“Depends,” Scott said. “If the folks in the Class B called 911, we’re liable to have company pretty quick.”

“Would you have killed them if they didn’t try to leave?” she asked.

“No choice,” Scott said. “I hope nobody else was around.” He turned onto the paved road. They were on the interstate in a matter of minutes. It took quite a few miles for Scott to settle down.

***

Malcolm woke up first. His phone said 6:30. He slipped out of bed and got dressed, then wandered out the door, strolling through the KOA Park, listening to birds and the light breeze rustling the trees. It was peaceful. His mind was on the house. History. Terror from the 1930s and 40s sitting in that house, as untouched as the treasure trove they found at the RV Park. Torso Killer. Black Dahlia. Malcolm’s excitement was mixed with worry. Ted wanted to sit on the location. So did he, at first, but now he wasn’t so sure. There’s a missing FBI agent. Yeah, this particular individual was an idiot and also corrupt, but they’d be on dangerous ground if they didn’t come clean. Talk to Ted again.

When Malcolm got back to the trailer, the door was open, and the men were getting ready to leave. Ted walked towards Malcolm.

“Everybody got up in a hurry, I see,” Malcolm said.

“Yeah. We’re going to the restaurant for some breakfast.”

“Sounds good,” Malcolm said. “Can we talk for a moment?”

“What about?”

“The FBI and this house,” Malcolm said.

“You’re still worried about that, huh?”

“Yeah. We need to tell them. Before we get there. I don’t understand why you don’t want to.”

Ted hesitated for a moment.

“C’mon, Ted, spill. What’s going on?”

“They cut me off,” Ted said. “They’re withholding information. If we tell them about the house, they’ll just say thanks and order us to stay away.”

“Why’d they cut you off?” Malcolm asked.

“There are some agents who believe the bullshit that Agent Keith’s been shoveling. They look at us as suspects in the disappearance. They’re investigating Sheriff Branson too.”

Malcolm was silent for a few minutes. “There isn’t anybody you can trust anymore? How about Agent Cooper?”

“His career took a big hit after that business in Anza,” Ted said. “We’re still friends, but he quit talking to me about bureau stuff several years ago.”

“Let’s call him about this,” Malcolm said.

Ted sighed. “Okay, but it will probably lock us out.” He pulled out his cellphone and hit Agent Cooper’s contact.

“Agent Cooper.”

“Hi, Joe. It’s Ted.”

“Where are you?” he asked in a hushed voice.

“You at work?” Ted asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “Tell me you don’t know anything about Agent Keith.”

“I don’t, Joe. Really. I’ve got information to share, but the bureau’s cut me off. I need to get it to somebody.”

“What information?”

“Malcolm figured out where Scott’s house is,” Ted said. “It’s in Columbus.”

“How does he know?”

“He put two and two together, after lots of research. The house belonged to a person named Rupert Smith. It was sold at the right time for Scott to have bought it, and the activity nearby suggests that it’s been his home base.”

“Rupert Smith. Why does that name sound familiar?”

“He was a suspect in the Torso Murders and the Black Dahlia murder.”

“Oh, shit,” Agent Cooper said. “So what do you want from me?”

“We’re on our way to the house. I want to share the address with the bureau, but I don’t want to get locked out.”

“If you go in there and kill somebody, they’ll lock you up, Ted.”

“Nobody’s there,” Ted said. “At least nobody alive.”

“How do you guys know that?”

“C’mon, Joe, you know where Scott is. They got prints at the house where that reserve cop was shot.”

“That’s thin,” Joe said. “I can’t say any more about that.”

“Those dopes aren’t thinking that the fingerprints belong to somebody other than Scott or Howard, I hope.”

“I can’t say anything else. They’re watching me as it is.”

Ted sighed. “Okay, I’m going to give you the address to the house. Could you at least pass it up the chain and make sure they know where the info came from?”

“Yeah, okay,” he said. “If I were you guys I’d stay away from there, though.”

“We’ll see,” Ted said. “Got a pencil and paper?”

“Yeah, shoot.”

Ted gave him the address, said goodbye, and ended the call.

“That sounded like a tense conversation,” Malcolm said.

“They really do think we have something to do with Agent Keith’s disappearance. I was afraid of that.”

“He probably left notes about us,” Malcolm said. “Part of the setup. You know if he’s still alive he’s setting a trap, right?”

“Yeah, Malcolm, I get it,” he said. “When we get to the house, I want Dobie and Gabe to stand off. I don’t want them there. Just in case.”

“I agree,” he said. “Let’s get that straight at breakfast. Here they come.”

“You guys ready to eat?” Gabe asked as he walked up with Dobie.

Malcolm and Ted nodded, and the four of them went to the restaurant. The place was empty, so they got seated right away. Same booth as last night. They ordered, and watched as the waitress poured coffee for them.

“Saw you on the phone,” Dobie said. “Everything okay? You guys look a little worried.”

Malcolm and Ted looked at each other.

“Okay, gents,” Malcolm said. “Here’s the scoop. The FBI has cut Ted off. They aren’t giving him info anymore. They won’t even talk to him.”

“Why would they do that?” Dobie asked.

“We’re guessing that Agent Keith left info with somebody there. It probably indicates we had something to do with his disappearance.”

“Oh,” Dobie said. “Not good.”

“Not good at all, and I was nervous about going to this house without telling the bureau about it first,” Malcolm said.

“So what now?” Gabe asked. Malcolm looked at Ted and nodded.

“I called an old friend and talked him into getting the address to the bureau,” Ted said. “He’ll make sure they know it was us that gave it to them.”

“We’re still going to the house, though, right?” Dobie asked.

“Well, yes, but we want you guys to hang back, just in case,” Malcolm said. “We don’t want you two any closer than a couple blocks.”

“Why?” Dobie asked. “Don’t you want me there with the dog?”

“I’d love it, but we aren’t going to put you in a situation where you might get killed,” Malcolm said. “That was part of the agreement that George and I made with your group and General Hogan.”

“What do you think might happen?” Gabe asked.

“Well, best case, the place will be empty. Worst case, Agent Keith is lying in wait for us. If we end up having shoot him, it will start a shit storm that you guys don’t want to be involved with.”

Gabe and Dobie looked at each other.

“You two okay with this?” Ted asked. “I’m sorry. Hopefully you can get in later and check things out.”

“Yeah, we’re good,” Gabe said.

“Can we position ourselves somewhere close enough to see what’s going on?” Dobie asked.

“Let’s do this,” Malcolm said. “You buy another night here, and leave your rig. We all drive in to Columbus. It’s not very far. Ted and I will go in my Jeep, and you guys follow us in Ted’s rental. What do you think?”

“We could unhook the truck and take that too, if you’d rather,” Dobie said.

“I think you ought to be set up to leave in a hurry,” Malcolm said. “Just in case something goes sideways.”

“You don’t think Scott or Howard are still gunning for us, do you?” Dobie asked.

“I think Scott is heading west on Route 36,” Malcolm said. “We don’t know about Howard. There wasn’t a third man seen with them when they shot their way out of that suburb. He could be dead, or he could be waiting for us at the house.”

“I’m okay with hanging back,” Dobie said. “But I’m not going to let you guys go down the tubes. You understand that, right?”

“I don’t want you getting shot up for us,” Malcolm said. “Promise me.”

“Well, we don’t want to get shot up either,” Gabe said. “Remember, though, that we’ve been through a lot of action. We aren’t babes in the woods.”

“I know,” Malcolm said. “Just be careful, okay?”

“All right,” he said. “Here comes our food.”

The men ate quickly and left. Dobie went to the office and paid for a second night, then he joined the others back at the space. Malcolm and Ted drove off in the Jeep, and Gabe and Dobie followed in the rental, Duchess in the back seat.

There was morning traffic as they got near Columbus, and it cost them about forty minutes. Gabe’s phone rang after they got off the interstate.

“Gabe here,” he said.

“It’s Ted. The house is three blocks ahead on this street. We’re going around the back. There’s an alley. Why don’t you guys drive past the front of the house and make a U-turn. Find a place to park across the street where you can watch.”

“Okay,” Gabe said.

“You guys have the address, right?”

“Yeah, I got it,” Gabe said. “Be careful.”

Gabe put his phone back in his pocket, and looked over at Dobie. “U-turn at the light past the house and park.”

“Got it,” Dobie said. “This traffic is nasty.”

“It’s so close to the University,” Gabe said. “The thought of coeds wandering around near folks like Scotty makes me shudder.”

“Me too,” Dobie said. “I keep thinking about Trish.”

“She went away to school, didn’t she?”

“Yeah, but not here,” Dobie said. “I was talking to Jake about that a while back.”

“There’s the house,” Gabe said, pointing. It was a Victorian, run down and overgrown. “Looks like the Addams Family house.”

Dobie chuckled. “Yeah, it does. Geez.” He continued past it in the creeping traffic, making a U-turn at the next traffic light, parking on the crowded curb. “Good vantage point.”

They settled in to watch.

***

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Malcolm whispered, pointing towards the back yard as he and Ted walked up the alley. “There’s Howard’s Class C, under the trees by the back porch.”

“Shit, maybe they are still here,” Ted said, slowing, hand nearing his pistol.

“C’mon, we know Scott isn’t here,” Malcolm said. “Howard might be, though, so keep your eyes open.”

“The gate’s locked,” Ted said.

“Well, don’t shoot the lock,” Malcolm said. “We don’t need to advertise. Look for a place we can slip in.”

“Right there – the neighbor’s place,” Ted said. “We can climb that short fence, then go in through that crack behind Scotty’s garage.”

Malcolm took a look. “Yeah, that’ll work.” He climbed over and then helped Ted. They squeezed around the garage and were in Scott’s backyard.

“Awfully quiet,” Ted said. He looked in the Class C’s window. “Nobody.”

“Try the door,” Malcolm said.

Ted twisted the doorknob. “Locked. Should we jimmy it?”

“Nah, let’s go in the house first,” Malcolm whispered. They went up the back steps and tried the door.

“Also locked,” Ted said. “But we can break the window pane and reach inside.”

“Okay,” Malcolm said. He saw a cardboard box sitting on the floor of the porch, and picked it up, shaking off the bugs. Then he held it to the window, turned away, and jabbed it hard with his elbow. The glass shattered. Both men froze, watching for anybody who might have noticed.

“Nobody around,” Ted said. “Let’s go in.” He reached carefully through the broken pane and unlocked the dead bolt and door knob. The door opened with a squeak, and the men slipped in, shutting it behind them. They walked past a stairway going down to the basement.

“You don’t want to go down there?” Ted whispered.

“Let’s check the rest of the house first,” Malcolm said, as they continued down the hall and entered the kitchen.

“They left in a hurry,” Malcolm said, pointing to the food boxes sitting on the kitchen table that were rifled through.

They walked through the living room. A coffee cup with liquid still in it was sitting on an end table. Nobody on the ground floor. They went up the stairs with its ornate banister. The first room off the landing was a small bedroom.

“Looks like a kid’s room,” Ted said. “Comic books. Toys. Twin bed, unmade.”

“Yeah,” Malcolm said. “Two more bedrooms over there.”

The first bedroom was the master. The door was open. They walked in and looked around. “Hell, there’s a water glass still half full here, but you can see that some of it evaporated,” Ted said. “They haven’t been gone long. A few days at most.”

“Looks like it,” Malcolm said. “Let’s check that last bedroom.” He opened the door. Un-made bed, clothes on the floor. “Wow. Smells like sex in here.”

“Yeah,” Ted said. “Bailey?”

“Probably,” Malcolm said. “Let’s go to the basement.”

They hurried down the stairs to the main floor, and walked down the basement stairs. The door was unlocked. There was an old studio in front, with backdrops and props on one side, and cameras and lights sitting on tripods.

“Look at the lines of blood on the floor, coming from that door,” Malcolm said, pointing. They went to it.

“Locked,” Ted said. Then he braced his shoulder and slammed into the door. It didn’t budge, but he tried again, and the door flew open. “Smells like death in here.” He saw the chain for the light and pulled it. Dim light seeped into all the corners.

“Look at the blood on the floor,” Malcolm said. “Looks fresh to me.”

They started to walk in, when they heard the doors in the front and rear of the house crashing open, then a rush of footsteps.

“Son of a bitch,” Malcolm said.

Three FBI agents ran down the basement stairs, guns drawn, pointing at them.

“Don’t move,” the lead agent shouted.

Chapter 6 – Small Pox

“Malcolm Davis,” the lead FBI agent said. He studied Malcolm and Ted, standing with their hands up. “And you must be Ted Crowley.”

“And who might you be?” Malcolm asked calmly.

“Special Agent Sandy Williams,” he said. “Agent Williams to you.” He was a large man in his fifties with a ruddy complexion and a British look.

“Good to meet you,” Ted said. “We called in this location. That how you found the place?”

“Baloney,” the second agent said. He was a smaller man, early thirties with sable hair, closely cut.

“Agent Weiss, stand down,” Agent Williams said. “You and Agent Simone check out the room while I talk to these two. Don’t put your paws all over everything, and watch your step. See all that blood on the floor?”

“We’ve been at this for a while, Williams,” Agent Simone said. He was a lanky man in his late twenties with short black hair.

“Okay, Davis, who’d you tell?” Agent Williams asked.

“Let’s not say,” Ted said. “He’ll get in trouble. He’s taken enough crap due to corrupt FBI guys like Keith.”

“Agent Keith is a fellow agent,” Agent Williams said. “Better watch your mouth.”

“Yeah, you guys figure out how his semen got into the coed?” Malcolm asked.

Agent Williams got a shocked look on his face.

“Oh, didn’t know about that, did you?” Malcolm said. “Your buddy is a real piece of work.”

Agent Williams got on his cell phone and had a hushed conversation as he kept the gun on Malcolm and Ted. Then he put his phone away, a hurt expression on his face. He holstered his gun. “All right. Dammit.”

“So how did you find the place?” Ted asked.

“There was an old station wagon at the storage yard where that cop killer got his motor home,” Agent Williams said. “It was registered to the old lady who used to live here.”

“Don’t tell me, let me guess. Last name Smith?” Malcolm asked.

“Close. Maiden name Smith. Last name was Franks. Who did you tell at the bureau?”

“Can you protect him if we tell you?” Ted asked. “I would have gone through normal channels, but somebody locked us out.”

“Agent Keith’s boss locked you guys out after he found his notes,” Agent Williams said. “I’m not going to find out you guys had something to do with his disappearance, am I?”

“No,” Ted said. “Really. Malcolm and I had our differences with him, but we certainly wouldn’t have killed him over it.”

“Okay, who was the agent?” Agent Williams asked.

“Agent Cooper,” Ted said. “He’s an old friend. And by the way, he doesn’t share bureau info with me.”

“He didn’t tell you guys where this place was?”

“No, I figured that out,” Malcolm said.

“How?” Agent Williams asked.

“Research,” Malcolm said. “Long story. I’ll fill you in later.”

“Hey, Agent Williams,” Agent Simone said.

“What?”

“This big freezer is running,” he said.

“Yeah, and there was a stream of blood from the table next to it,” Agent Weiss said. “Somebody got carved up here, and there wasn’t much effort to clean it up.”

“Is the freezer locked?” Agent Williams asked.

“No,” Agent Simone said.

“Well then open it up, you idiots,” he barked, an exasperated look on his face. “Kids.”

Agent Weiss slowly opened the lid, and then let it drop and ran to the laundry sink. He threw up.

“Stay here,” Agent Williams said, rushing over as Agent Simone opened it all the way.

“Is that Agent Keith?” asked Agent Simone.

“Yeah,” Agent Williams said, a grim look on his face. “Don’t recognize the other two.”

“Mind if I take a look?” Malcolm asked.

Agent Williams picked up a saw and poked at an arm. “Frozen solid. Can you verify your whereabouts for the last week?”

“Yes,” Malcolm said.

“So can I,” Ted said. “I’ve got receipts from my trip here.”

“Okay, come on ahead.” Agent Williams said. They rushed over and looked inside.

Malcolm turned on the flashlight on his phone and shined it into the freezer. “Holy shit.”

“Who?” Ted asked.

“I don’t recognize the other guy who’s cut up, but the one on the bottom is Howard.”

“Well, that explains some things,” Ted said.

Agent Williams took a closer look. “Son of a bitch, didn’t recognize him right away. He was on those YouTube videos, at the scene of the foiled abduction.”

“Yep, that’s half of the Nighthawk Road clan,” Malcolm said. “The other one is heading west on Route 36 in northern Missouri.”

Agent Williams pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I’ll call that in.”

“Sheriff Branson is already there watching, so I’d tie in with him,” Malcolm said.

“Branson? He’s the other guy Agent Keith said was after him,” Agent Williams said.

“You know that’s bullshit, I hope,” Malcolm said. “Agent Keith was dirty. He wanted to set a trap for George Franklin and me.”

“Dammit,” Agent Williams said. “All right, we’ll get this sorted out. You guys will have to go in, though.” He punched a contact on his phone.

“Mind if we look around now?” Ted asked.

“Go ahead,” Agent Williams said. Then he walked away, talking on the phone. Agent Weiss walked back over.

“You all right, son?” Malcolm asked.

“Yeah,” he said sheepishly. “Sorry, wasn’t expecting to see that.”

“This your first crime scene investigation?” Ted asked.

“The first one like this,” he said.

“You’ll get used to it,” Agent Simone said.

Ted and Malcolm started inspecting the room. Malcolm stopped when he got to the corner and squatted, looking at the floor.

“What do you see?” Ted asked.

“See those round spots with no dust? There was something here until recently. Probably got moved in the last few weeks.”

“Looks like the size of film cans,” Ted said. “Did you see that projector out in the studio?”

“Yeah,” Malcolm said. “Scott’s into all of this history. I’ll bet there’s films of the torso murders in those cans.”

“He obviously took them with him,” Ted said. Malcolm focused on the floor leading away from the corner.

“Look, dolly wheel tracks. He wheeled them right out. That’s what those lines of blood were from out in the studio.”

“Wonder where they are?” Ted asked.

“Well, they might be in Scott’s rig, but he’s in a pretty small Class C now, from what the reports say.”

“Shit, I’ll bet he stashed them at the storage yard,” Ted said.

“You’re probably right,” Malcolm said, grinning. “You know what might be on some of that film, don’t you?”

“What?” Ted asked.

“Black Dahlia,” Malcolm said.

“What are you talking about?” Agent Simone asked, walking over when he heard that.

“Did you guys check to see if Scott had a storage locker at that yard?” Ted asked.

“I don’t know,” Agent Simone said. “Hey, Agent Williams.”

“What?” he asked, taking the phone away from his ear.

“Did the cop killer have a storage locker at that yard where we found the station wagon?”

“Don’t know,” he said. “Let me finish this call, then we’ll talk.” He went back to talking on his phone.

“Could be something on the gravel pit murder too,” Ted said. “If he brought his camera gear with him to California.”

“What the hell are you guys talking about?” Agent Simone said.

“Yeah, what are you talking about?” Agent Williams asked, walking over as he stuck his phone in his pocket.

“See there?” Malcolm said, pointing to the corner. “Film cans. They were removed recently. Look at the dust. They were wheeled out on a dolly. Look at those bloody tracks.”

“There’s a projector in that front room,” Agent Weiss said. “Old one. Collector’s item for sure.”

“You’re thinking there’s some old crimes on those movies?” Agent Williams asked.

“Yeah,” Malcolm said. “You guys check to see if Scott had a storage unit at that yard?”

“We don’t even know for sure if it was Scott,” Agent Williams said.

“C’mon,” Ted said. “Who else could it be?”

“I can’t believe you’d hesitate,” Malcolm said.

“All right, we’ll check on it,” he said. “Meanwhile, I got to take you two in for questioning. My SAC insisted.”

“SAC?” Malcolm asked.

“Special Agent in Charge,” Ted said. He sighed. “For how long? We talking a couple of hours?”

“Don’t know,” he said. “Oh, and give me your cell phones.”

“Why?” Ted asked.

“We don’t have to tell you anything,” Agent Williams said. “It’ll be better if you cooperate. Please?”

Ted sighed and handed his phone over. Malcolm did the same. “We following you over there?”

“No, you’re being taken in my car,” Agent Williams said.

“This seems kinda like an arrest to me,” Malcolm said. “We get a phone call?”

“Not yet,” he said.

Ted started to get his dander up, and Malcolm saw it. He shook his head no.

“What about my Jeep?” Malcolm asked. “I don’t want to leave it on the street around here.”

“Agent Weiss will follow us in your vehicle. Don’t worry, we have an office close by.”

***

Gabe and Dobie sat in the car, watching the house. It had been almost half an hour since the FBI stormed the house. There were agents sitting on the front porch, and people walking around inside the house.

“Think we should go in there?” Gabe asked.

“No,” Dobie said. “Let’s just wait. I haven’t heard any guns go off or anything.”

“Look, movement,” Gabe said. A large agent walked out the front door with Malcolm and Ted. They came down the walkway to the curb, where a black SUV was parked. Malcolm looked right at them and shook his head no.

“He doesn’t want us to follow him,” Dobie said.

“Crap,” Gabe said as he watched them get shoved into the SUV. It drove off.

“What now?” Dobie asked.

“Let’s go back to the RV Park,” Gabe said. “I’ll call George on the way.”

“Good idea,” Dobie said. He started the car and headed for the freeway as Gabe took his phone out of his pocket.

“George?” Gabe asked.

“Yeah, Gabe,” he said. “Anything wrong?”

“Malcolm and Ted were inside the house,” Gabe said, trying to stay calm. “The place got raided by FBI agents. We just watched them being taken away in one of those black SUVs.”

“Son of a bitch,” George said. “I was afraid of that. They didn’t call you?”

“No, but Malcolm made sure he made eye contact with us and shook his head no,” Gabe said.

“He doesn’t want you to follow him,” George said. “What are you gonna do?”

“We’re going back to the KOA we spent the night at. The fifth wheel is still there.”

“Okay, I’ll call Sam Hinton and see if he can help. Did it look like they were arrested?”

“They didn’t have their hands tied,” Gabe said. “Nobody had a gun on them.”

“Good, then they’re probably just being brought in for questioning,” George said. “Sit tight when you get to the park. I’ll call you.”

“Okay, thanks,” Gabe said. He put his phone away. “You got the gist. He’s going to call his buddy Sam Hinton. He said to sit tight at the RV Park until he calls us.”

“All right,” Dobie said. “I don’t like this.”

“Me neither.”

***

“We probably should find a place to stop,” Scott said. “We shouldn’t be on the road during the day, at least until we’re further away.”

“I’m getting tired anyway,” Cindy said. “I’ll look for a place.”

“Good. Let’s go to a real RV Park instead of boondocking this time.”

“You don’t think we’ll get recognized?” she asked.

“Nah, we’ll probably be okay,” he said. “There still isn’t a good picture of me out there.”

“If there were news stories, maybe there’s pictures of me. Wouldn’t they have found pictures of you?”

“Nah,” he said. “The conventional wisdom is that I’m dead.”

“You said you’d tell me who you are,” Cindy said as she studied his face. “How about now?”

“I guess I can trust you enough,” Scott said. “You did help me clean up the mess at the boondocking spot. Sure you really want to know?”

“Yeah,” she said.

“Ever hear of the Nighthawk Road Killer?”

Her eyes got big. “I had a feeling it was something like that, when you mentioned Malcolm Davis. You sure you aren’t going to kill me?”

“Trust me,” Scott said.

“Heard that before,” she said.

“Really?” Scott said, laughing. “Name a woman who hasn’t heard that before. Anyway, it was a family thing. My dad started the killings, but I took over.”

“How many have you killed?” she asked.

“Lots,” he said.

“Who?”

“My most recent victim was the coed who got shot on the jogging path,” he said.

“But you just killed several other people at the boondocking place, and the people back in my town.”

“Those weren’t victims of the Nighthawk Road Killer. Those people were all victims of circumstance. I didn’t even mark any of those bodies.” He paused for a moment. “Maybe I can’t really count the coed, either. I didn’t have time to mark her. I just blasted her so she couldn’t identify me.”

“How do you mark?” Cindy asked, getting fascinated now.

“It’ll be easier to show you than to describe it,” he said. “Next time we snatch somebody, I’ll let you watch.”

She got a sick look on her face. “You think I’m going to help you with this?”

“Yeah, if you want to stay alive,” Scott said, a wicked grin on his face. “You’ll like it. I can tell. You’re a lot like Bailey. I wasn’t sure until you blew away that woman in the Class B. You didn’t have to do that. I saw the look on your face when you did it.”

“What look?” she asked.

“Glee,” he said, the grin back on his face. “You’re getting excited talking about this. I can see you squirming in your seat.”

She looked at him, her face flushing. Then she looked away.

“C’mon, admit it,” he said.

She was silent for a moment, then looked back over at him, her eyes dilated. “Yes,” she whispered.

“Good, glad we settled that,” he said. “No more secrets. I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

“Why do people think you’re dead?” she asked.

“My house was in northern New Jersey,” he said.

“Where the nuke went off?” she asked.

“Yep,” he said.

“But you weren’t there.”

“No, my wife and kids were, but I was in my second residence in Columbus, Ohio at the time. There was no record of me being there. I drove, luckily for me.”

“You don’t look too upset about your family,” she said.

“They were a front,” he said. “Things got too hot at my home base in Kansas, so I had a very public courtship and marriage, then moved to Jersey and got a job in New York City. Made a bunch of money as a stock trader.”

“Who was the other guy you mentioned?”

“Howard,” Scott said. “He was a friend of my dad and me. I recruited him to re-join the game. He was killed by a corrupt FBI agent in the basement of my place in Columbus.”

“You were running from there when you showed up in my town?” Cindy asked.

“Yeah,” Scott said. “I had a unit at that storage place. I saw your motor home for sale, and called you. That pretty much brings us up to date.”

They rode along silently for about ten minutes, Cindy looking more and more agitated.

“You okay?” Scott asked, watching her face. Am I going to have to kill her after all?

She looked back at him, drawing a deep breath. “What do you do with your victims? The real ones, that is?”

“Use them for at least a few hours, and then strangle them and dump them with the markings,” Scott said. “When I’m at one of my home bases, I can keep them for days.”

Cindy shuddered, looking at him, eyes glassy. “I need to find a place for us to stop,” she said. “Now.”

“Why the rush?” Scott asked.

“Why do you think?” she said, a wicked grin washing over her face. She looked at her phone for a few moments, and laughed. “Oh, we got to stop at this place.”

“You found something?”

“Yeah, Uncle Jasper’s RV Park and Resort,” she said.

“You’re joking,” he said.

“Nope, and it’s coming up soon, too. I’ll call for a reservation.”

***

Frank and Jane watched out the front window of their rig, still enjoying the road trip. They were behind Jerry and Jasmine, making good time.

“I’m glad we’re able to take I-70 now,” Jane said. “Much better road.”

“Yeah, it is,” Frank said, watching the road as he drove. “How long should we go today?”

“I think we should be able to get to Grand Junction,” Jane said. “I’ll text Jasmine and see what she’s thinking.”

“Good,” Frank said. “I think it’s a martini night.”

“Well, it appears we won’t have to battle our way through this time,” Jane said, looking at her phone. “Good, Jasmine and Jerry think that Grand Junction would be fine.”

“Too bad we can’t swing by Gabe’s place,” Frank said.

“We couldn’t get there from I-70 anyway,” Jane said. “We blew up the bridge, remember?”

“Oh, yeah,” Frank said, chuckling. “They’ll have to replace that eventually. Any good parks by Grand Junction?”

Jane didn’t answer. She was looking at her phone, ignoring him. Then Jerry and Jasmine’s rig started to slow down.

“Uh oh, what’s happening,” Frank asked. “Trouble with their rig?”

“Road block,” Jane said, looking over, nervous.

“Shit,” Frank said, his heart beating faster. “Wish we could see around him.”

“They’re making everybody stop,” Jane said, still looking at her phone.

“Well, Jerry’s stopping,” Frank said.

“Maybe it’s okay,” Jane said, looking a little relieved. “They’re pulling people over to give them small pox vaccinations.”

“Oh,” Frank said. Then he saw two soldiers walking up, rifles in hand.

“What kind of uniforms are those?” Jane asked.

“Son of a bitch,” Frank said. “That’s the UN.”

“You think they’re just helping with the vaccinations?”

“I hope so, but I don’t like them waving their guns around,” Frank said. “I’m calling General Hogan.”

Chapter 7 – The Start of a Beautiful Friendship

Frank and Jane watched as the two UN peace keepers walked up to the driver’s side window. Frank opened it.

“Good morning, folks,” said the man with a Belgian accent. “Had you had your small pox vaccine yet?”

“Nope, not yet,” Frank said. “You guys doing them on the road?”

“Yep,” the man said, smiling. “Follow the rig in front of you, when the parking opens up, then go to the blue tent. You have ID?”

“Yes,” Frank said.

“Where you coming from?” he asked.

“Kansas,” Frank said. “Why are you guys doing this instead of US authorities?”

“We are US authorities,” he said, looking at him with a curt expression. Frank looked back at him, not ready to give an inch.

“There goes Jerry,” Jane said, trying to break the tension. “Pull up, Frank.”

“Okay,” he said, driving forward onto the wide shoulder of the road. The blue tent was beyond the shoulder, with a line people in front of the door. There was a line of cars going up the road shoulder in front of Jerry and Jasmine’s coach. The first few cars in the lineup were being searched by UN peacekeepers. Frank pointed to that, a grim look on his face.

“Where are the guns?” she asked.

“In the front bunk, but I’m not letting them search us,” Frank said. “Not a chance in hell. We still have a constitution.”

“C’mon, Frank,” Jane said. They left the coach, pushing Lucy back in the door as they closed and locked it.

“At least we’ll hear her barking if anybody tries to jimmy the door,” Frank said as they walked up and got behind Jerry and Jasmine.

“This is bullshit,” Jerry whispered as they got close. “See them searching those vehicles up there?”

“Yeah, I see it,” Frank whispered. “They ain’t searching us.”

“Can you get a small pox vaccination when you’re pregnant?” Jane asked.

“I think so,” Jasmine said. “Or at least I haven’t heard that I can’t.”

“Ask them when we get up there,” Jerry said.

The line moved quickly. Jerry got his shot and stood off to the side and waited.

“Please move out of the tent, sir,” a UN peacekeeper said.

“No, I’m not leaving the tent until my wife is done too,” Jerry said.

“I’m pregnant,” Jasmine said to the nurse who was administering the shots. “This going to be a risk?”

“No, it’s fine,” she said. “There are vaccines you have to be careful with, but this isn’t one of them.”

“Okay, thank you,” Jasmine said politely as the shot was administered. She joined Jerry and they left the tent as Frank and Jane stepped up. They each got their shots silently and joined Jerry and Jasmine outside.

“Let’s blow this joint,” Frank said. They were heading towards their rigs when a UN peacekeeper intercepted them.

“We’d like to search your vehicles,” he said.

“Fine, show us a warrant from a US judge, and we’ll let you,” Frank said.

“What are you looking for, anyway?” Jerry asked.

“Weapons and drugs,” the officer said, beads of sweat coming out of his forehead.

“Weapons are legal,” Frank said. “We have something called a Constitution in this country. Ever heard of the Second Amendment?”

Jane clutched Frank’s forearm nervously as the peace keeper studied them.

“That’s not a good attitude,” he said.

“What? This is America. I think it’s great that you guys are helping with the vaccine, but you have no authority over any American citizen.”

“That remains to be seen,” the peace keeper said, but the look in his eyes was one of resignation.

“You guys were told not to search anybody who resists, weren’t you?” Jerry asked, grinning. “We’re leaving. Our representatives will hear from us. We will not be bullied by foreigners. Didn’t you see what happened to the invaders here? Armed citizens took them out.”

Another peacekeeper got closer. “Are you going to let them go?” he asked in a French accent.

“Back down, Gerard,” he said softly. “We don’t have the authority yet.”

“Nor will you ever get it,” Frank said. “Our elected officials can’t just decide to tear up the Bill of Rights. You all have a nice day.”

The four of them went back to their rigs and drove off.

“That was scary,” Jane said, one eye in the rear view mirror as Frank followed Jerry and Jasmine down the road.

Frank was so mad his face was red. He looked over at her. “We need to talk to General Hogan about this. How much further to Grand Junction?”

“A few more hours,” she said. “You want to call him now?”

“No, I want to concentrate on driving and keep my eyes open,” he said. “If you see any military vehicles with blue insignia on them, say something.”

“Is this what the General was worried about?” Jane asked.

“Maybe,” Frank said. “They have zero chance of subduing the American people, though. There’s not enough of them, and the EU is under attack. I’m surprised they’re even over here.”

“I’m wondering about that too,” Jane said. “It doesn’t make sense.”

***

Agent Williams led Ted and Malcolm into a small conference room at the FBI substation. There was a rectangular table with beat up chairs around it. Agents Weiss and Simone followed them into the room and sat on the chairs closest to the door.

“Have a seat, gentlemen,” Agent Williams said in a businesslike tone.

Malcolm and Ted sat across the table from him.

“Why did you have to take our phones?” Ted asked.

“Even though I don’t believe you guys are involved with the murder of Agent Keith, my SAC wants us to go by the numbers. We don’t want you guys calling anybody to do crime scene cover-up.”

“I don’t blame you,” Malcolm said, trying to keep the meeting calm. “What do you need to know?”

“Where were you guys during the last four days?”

“The first two days of that period I was at the RV Park in Kansas, just outside of Sharon Springs,” Malcolm said. “I’ve got a number of witnesses, including a sheriff and an army general. Ted was there during the evening and second day. After that we were on the road to Columbus. We stayed at a place called Uncle Jasper’s RV Park and Resort night before last, and the KOA in Springfield, Ohio last night. Our associates are still there, in a fifth wheel trailer.”

“Associates?” Agent Williams asked.

“Yeah, two people from our group at the RV Park in Kansas,” Malcolm said.

“I see. You didn’t bring them to the house in Columbus?”

“They were out on the street waiting for us,” Ted said. “We didn’t think it was a good idea to bring them in.”

“Why?” Agent Williams asked.

“We didn’t know what we’d find there,” Malcolm said. “We had reason to believe that Agent Keith was setting a trap for us there after we learned of the events on that jogging path.”

“Why would he do that, Mr. Davis?” Agent Williams asked.

“Because of past incidents,” Malcolm said. “You guys know my history. Agent Keith tried to prosecute me for the Red Dagger incident and two other incidents after that. He used methods that were unethical at best, and got his wrist slapped as a result. He’s still angry.”

“Yeah, okay. The incident in Anza with Jason Beckler, Sadie Evans, and Earl Wilson, and the incident shortly after that involving John Jenson and others,” Agent Williams said. “He thought you should have been prosecuted for those. I don’t completely disagree, but there were investigations, and you got cleared.”

“You didn’t know he was attempting to take us out?” Malcolm asked.

“I still don’t know that,” he replied, “although I admit it looks bad. How about you, Ted? Where were you before you arrived at Malcolm’s RV Park?”

“I flew into Amarillo, Texas, and rented a car there. I drove up to Sharon Springs. You guys heard about the incident there, right?”

Agent Williams got a blank look on his face.

“C’mon, Williams,” Agent Simone said. “That gun battle there. They raided the house of a former associate of our targets. Sherry something.”

“You guys were involved with that?” Agent Williams asked.

“Yeah, along with local police and several people from our RV Park.” Ted said.

“You know what the term vigilante means?” Agent Williams asked, a sarcastic look on his face.

“Now wait just a minute,” Ted said, face flushing. “The Serial Killer Task Force was involved in that operation, and I’m one of the leads. I’m also an LAPD Detective. This wasn’t a vigilante operation. Not at all. We’ve been watching this person ever since we discovered her.”

“How did you discover her?” Agent Williams asked.

“She took over Howard’s truck stop in his absence, and I interviewed her about it,” Malcolm said. “She was helping us briefly, until we found out more about her activities related to the Nighthawk Road Killer.”

Ted shot a glance at Malcolm. Shut up about that.

“All right,” Agent Williams said. “You said you found the location of the house on your own. How did you do that?”

“We watched the trail of Nighthawk Road markers going east,” Malcolm said, “and I already knew from prior research that Ohio was a base. That got me most of the way there.”

“Nighthawk Road markers?” Agent Williams asked.

“Yeah,” Malcolm said. “It was easy to follow. That wasn’t the tipping point, though.”

“What was the tipping point?”

“The Nighthawk Road killer wasn’t just one person. It was a clan. Scott’s father Chet was the founder. Howard was an early convert. We researched both of them. We found out some interesting things about Chet.”

“What kind of things?” Agent Williams asked.

“Chet was questioned about the Black Dahlia and Gravel Pit murders in California. We got a look at the transcripts and other info surrounding that activity.”

“How?”

“C’mon, Agent Williams. All of that stuff is available on the internet. You think everything is still on microfiche in some cabinet somewhere? Anyway, what caught our eye was who he was questioned with. Rupert Smith.”

“You’re going to tell me this is the same Smith family that owned the house?” Agent Williams asked.

“Yep,” Malcolm said. “But there’s more. Rupert Smith is the best suspect we have for the Cincinnati Torso Murders.”

Agent Simone’s face lit up. “He’s right, Agent Williams. Now I know why he brought up Black Dahlia.”

“Black Dahlia? Oh, please,” Agent Williams said. “You guys ain’t writing a book, I hope.”

“No, really, Agent Williams,” Agent Simone said. “There are some researchers who think that the Torso Murderer was responsible for a couple of murders in Southern California. One of them was Black Dahlia.”

“And the other was the Gravel Pit murder,” Ted said.

“Okay, this is all very interesting,” Agent Williams said. “Really. But how did it help you find the house?”

“I looked for houses owned by a Smith family for many years that sold during the target timeframe.”

“What’s the target timeframe?”

“The time when I saw Nighthawk Road murders beginning in Ohio,” Malcolm said. “Scott is a history buff. Serial killer history. Remember the missing film cans?”

“So you found Rupert Smith’s house, and knew that Scott had bought it.”

“Yeah, but it was difficult,” Malcolm said. “The Torso Murderer did most of his killing in the Cincinnati area. I spent quite a while trying to find his place there. No dice, until we realized that Columbus was really the center of the activity. The final nail in the coffin was that incident on the jogging path, and the video of Howard from the failed abduction the day before. It took me about ten minutes to find the house when I switched over to Columbus. The rest, as they say, is history.”

“I don’t know, guys,” Agent Williams said. “This sounds a little dicey.”

“You ever check with Agent Cooper?” Ted asked.

“No,” he said. He pulled his phone out. “Harriet, get me Agent Cooper please.” He set his phone on the table. It rang after a few minutes, and he answered it.

“Agent Cooper.”

“Good morning, Agent Cooper. This is Agent Williams in the Columbus substation.”

“Hello Agent Williams. What can I do for you?”

“Did Ted Crowley send you the address of a house in Columbus?”

“Yes,” Agent Cooper said, voice wavering. “I passed it along to the SAC working the case. He didn’t pass it along?”

“No, he didn’t,” Agent Williams said, an exasperated look on his face. “Thanks, Agent Cooper. That was helpful. If you get any blowback on this, I’ll vouch for you.”

“Thank you, Agent Williams. If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.”

“There might be,” he said. “Thanks.”

Agent Williams put his phone back on the table. “Okay, you got the gist. He verified your story, but he sounded very cautious. I’ll talk to him some more.”

“Agent Keith torpedoed his career after the Anza incident,” Ted said. “I was hesitant to call him. If you guys wouldn’t have cut off my access, we could have met at the site.”

“We would have told you to stay away,” Agent Williams said. He sighed. “All right, you guys have me convinced that you’re on the up and up.”

“Why don’t we work together?” Malcolm asked.

“On what?” Agent Williams asked.

“Catching Scott,” he replied. “And checking out those films, too.”

“Oh, yeah, the films,” Agent Williams said. “How are those going to help us find Scott?”

“They won’t, but we’re interested in seeing them,” Malcolm said, a twinkle in his eyes. “Aren’t you?”

“Sorry, not really into the serial killer history thing,” Agent Williams said. “There may be other things in that locker that will help us, though, if it really exists. I’m okay with you guys going along, under the umbrella of the Serial Killer Task Force.”

“Excellent,” Malcolm said. “Perhaps this is, as they say, the start of a beautiful friendship.”

“I doubt it,” Agent Williams said, trying to look stern, but a smile slowly spread over his face.

***

Scott drove into the staging lane at Uncle Jasper’s RV Park. “Wait here,” he said. “And keep your eyes open. Kerry, you keep watch from the bunk, okay?”

“Okay, Scotty,” he said. “Think there’s a pool here?”

“Probably,” Scott said as he left the coach. He walked quickly into the office.

“Hello” he said.

“Be right out,” said a woman from the back room. Scott looked around nervously. The woman walked out, putting a hair band on.

“Sorry,” she said. “I’m Sue. Can I help you?”

“Yeah, my wife called in a reservation. Two nights, for a small Class C towing a car.”

“Last name?” she asked, looking at her computer screen.

“Jones,” he said.

“Ah, here it is,” she said. She wrote up a ticket for him, tearing off the bottom, and handing the tag to him with a map.

“Is there a swimming pool?” Scott asked.

“Of course,” she said. “And a spa, too. You’ll love it. The pool isn’t far from your space.”

“Thanks,” Scott said, turning to leave.

“Enjoy your stay,” she said.

Scott hurried back to the rig, looking in every direction.

“Well, everything okay?” Cindy asked.

“No problem,” Scott said.

“She didn’t look suspicious?”

“Not a bit,” he said. “Cute lady, for an older gal.”

“Possible playmate on the way out?” Cindy asked.

“Nah, I like ‘em young,” he said. “Don’t worry, you’ll earn your wings soon enough, but I think we ought to lay low for a day or two. Keep off the road.”

“Hey, Scotty, is there a pool?” Kerry asked from the bunk.

“Sure is, Kerry,” Scott said. “After we get set up, you can swim. Don’t follow anybody though, okay?”

“I won’t,” he said. “I didn’t follow the guys at the other place. They snuck up behind me and put a gunny sack over my head.”

“Jerks,” Cindy said. “They got what they deserved.”

“What’d you do to them?” Kerry asked.

“Never mind, Kerry,” Scott said. “They can’t hurt you anymore. Just keep to yourself. Don’t talk to strangers, okay? Especially adult strangers.”

“Okay.”

Scott drove onto their spot, then got out and did the hook-ups. He stuck his head by the side windows. “Electricity is on now, if you want to watch TV.”

“Great,” Cindy said. She picked up the remote and turned the TV on. Scott walked in the door.

“Can I go swimming now?” Kerry asked.

“You got trunks?” Scott asked.

“I got some cut-offs,” he said. “That okay?”

“I don’t see why not. Take a towel from the bathroom,” he said. “Remember what I said. Don’t talk to anybody there. If somebody messes with you, come back here right away, okay?”

“Okay, Scotty,” he said, rushing into the bathroom with his shorts to change. Scott plopped down on the couch next to Cindy and put his hand on her thigh. She snuggled up to him and they watched TV. Kerry scampered out of the bathroom and down the steps of the coach.

“We gonna keep up the sleeping in the daytime routine?” Cindy asked.

“Yeah, for a few days at least,” he said. “Oh, shit.”

“What?” Cindy asked, looking at his face, then up at the TV.

There was video of the house in Columbus, with FBI agents swarming around it.

“They found my house,” he said. “Glad I took the valuable stuff out of there.”

“What valuable stuff?” Cindy asked.

“Films from the old days,” he said, “and a few other items of historical value. I put them in my storage locker.”

“Oh,” she said.

“Quiet, I want to hear this,” Scott said, turning up the sound.

“This quiet street near the university in Columbus, Ohio, was awakened early this morning by an FBI raid. The house appears to be the base of operations for several abductions and murders in recent months, culminating with the failed abduction and subsequent murder of Michelle Hamilton. The house held the remains of an FBI agent, a parolee named Sy Means, and this man, who was in the viral video of the failed abduction.”

“There’s my old friend Howard,” Scott said, feeling himself choke up as Howard’s face flashed on the screen.

“Sorry,” Cindy whispered.

Scott turned off the TV. “Let’s sleep for a while.”

“Okay,” she said. “Maybe a little play time?”

“After we sleep,” Scott said. “I’m really tired.”

“All right,” she said. “You okay?”

“No,” he said. “I didn’t want to lose that house. Everything seems to be going wrong now.”

“What are you gonna do?”

“Sleep on it,” he said. “I’m not good when I’m this tired.”

They got off the couch and headed for bed. Scott stopped half way there and turned to Cindy. “You know how badly the kid that runs the storage lot got beat up?”

“Drew?” Cindy asked. “My ex could be a real animal. He might have beat him up pretty good. Drew was kind of a wannabe with the tough folks in town. They made fun of him and pushed him around a lot.”

“If he’s able to talk to the FBI, they’ll find my locker,” he said. “It’s not under my name, but he’ll remember which one it is.”

“How bad would that be?” she asked as they climbed behind the curtain into bed.

“It won’t get us caught,” Scott said, “but they’ll get my money and my treasure.”

“Treasure?”

“Yeah, film of the Black Dahlia murder and others,” Scott said.

Cindy started at him, mouth open. “You mean her killing, or just the aftermath? There’s been a lot on TV shows about that murder.”

“The interview, the beating, the killing. Everything but placement of the body.”

“Have you seen it?” Cindy asked, breath getting short.

“Yeah,” Scott said.

“Tell me about it,” she said.

“When we wake up,” Scott said.

Chapter 8 – Late Dinner

Frank and Jane were following Jerry and Jasmine, nearing Grand Junction. Jane’s phone rang. She answered it.

“Hi, Jane,” Jasmine said. “I made us reservations in Grand Junction. Looks like a nice park.”

“Great,” Jane said. “I’m tired, and I know Frank is. How much further?”

“We should hit the off-ramp in about ten minutes,” she said.

“Okay, talk to you soon,” Jane said.

“We’ve got a place to stop?” Frank asked.

“Yeah,” Jane said. “Ten minutes away.”

“Good,” Frank said. “I’m beat.”

“I know, honey,” Jane said. “You should have let me drive.”

“Tomorrow,” Frank said. “I was too keyed up after the UN roadblock.”

“You’re gonna call the General when we get settled, right?”

“Yeah, but I’ll probably get half way through a martini before I do,” Frank said.

“Not a bad idea,” Jane said, smiling. Lucy came over and whined, looking up at Jane. “C’mon, girl.”

“She needs to get out,” Frank said.

“I know. We’re almost there. I’ll walk her around while you’re in the office.”

“Okay,” Frank said. “Been on the apps lately?”

“Yeah, a little while ago. Nothing outside of the detention camps now.”

“Good,” Frank said. “I asked Kurt to check on that recording app every so often, to see if there’s activity at the caverns.”

They rode silently until they got to the off-ramp, following Jerry and Jasmine onto the two lane blacktop.

“So pretty here,” Jane said. “Reminds me more of Utah than Colorado.”

“Well, we’re right by the border,” Frank said. “Makes me nervous going back into Utah again.”

“Me too,” Jane said. “There’s the park.”

Jerry and Jasmine parked in the staging lane. Frank drove up behind them. Jane got out with Lucy, and Frank walked over to the office and met Jerry and Jasmine.

“Nice choice,” Frank said, looking around.

“Looks like it,” Jasmine said.

“Call the General yet?” Jerry asked.

“No, I thought I’d wait until we got here,” Frank said. “I drove the whole way. Was too nervous to let Jane drive.”

“Same here,” Jerry said.

They walked into the office. There was an old man in western garb behind the counter. He was tall and a little overweight, with a shaved head under his cowboy hat.

“I’ll bet you’re Jasmine,” he said, smiling.

“Yes,” Jasmine said.

“Good,” the man said. “I’m Clint. Good to have you here.”

“Nice to meet you,” she said. Jerry and Frank nodded.

“Who’s paying?” he asked.

Jerry and Frank both slid him credit cards.

“Thanks,” Clint said. He ran them, filled out the tags, and handed them over with maps. “Here you go. You’re just past the pool off of the main road. Enjoy!”

“Thanks, Clint,” Jasmine said. The three of them went back to their rigs. Jane walked up to Frank.

“All set?” she asked.

“Yep, let’s go.”

They followed Jerry and Jasmine to their spaces and parked. Both couples got set up quickly.

“Martinis?” Jane asked.

“Hell, yeah,” Jerry said.

“Sounds perfect,” Frank said.

“I’ll just grab myself a soda,” Jasmine smirked. “Being pregnant kinda sucks.”

They ended up under Jerry’s awning, sipping their drinks.

“Peaceful place,” Jerry said. “Wonder how the pool is?”

“Probably nice, but I don’t think I’ll bother. Time to get the general on the line. I’ll put it on speaker, so gather around.”

Frank hit the General’s contact and put his phone on the table next to him.

“Hello, Frank.”

“Hi, General,” Frank said. “I got you on speaker. Jane, Jerry, and Jasmine are here with me. We’re in Grand Junction, Colorado.”

“Wow, making pretty good time,” he said.

“Not bad,” Frank said. “We ran into something unexpected and wanted to talk to you about it.”

“Okay,” the General said. “What’s that?”

“We ran into a roadblock.”

“Where?” asked the General.

“I-70, about a third of the way into Colorado,” Frank said.

“What was the roadblock for?”

“Small pox vaccine,” Frank said. “I can understand that; glad they’re doing it.”

“Something’s bothering you,” the General said.

“Yeah,” Frank said. “It was manned by UN Peacekeepers.”

“What!” General Hogan asked, sounding alarmed. “I wasn’t informed of that.”

“I figured,” Frank said. “It gets worse. They were asking if they could search vehicles, and they were waving their guns around.”

“Son of a bitch,” the General said. “Did they say what they were looking for?”

“Yeah, guns and drugs,” Frank said. “I told them no way without a warrant from a US Judge.”

“Good,” General Hogan said. “They fight you on it?”

“They told me I had a bad attitude, but it was pretty obvious they couldn’t force us. One of them said they were US authorities .”

“That’s baloney,” the General said. “At least it’d better be.”

“Yeah, one of them remarked to the other that they didn’t have authority to force a search. Yet.”

“I’ll call the Pentagon,” General Hogan said.

“You haven’t heard anything about this at all?” Jerry asked. “Not even rumors?”

“I’ve heard rumors, but the Joint Chiefs warned the Administration not to do that.”

“Then how can they get away with it?” Frank asked.

“The President probably used an executive order, and until it gets challenged in court, it’ll stand. Were they searching anybody?”

“Yeah, several cars were being searched when we pulled up,” Jerry said. “I suspect those people didn’t know they could refuse.”

“Probably,” General Hogan said. “I expected the idiots in DC to try to lock down the population somehow, but I didn’t think they’d go as far as bringing the UN to this country.”

“Yeah, especially when they’re having problems in the EU,” Jane said. “What’s up with that?”

“Good question,” General Hogan said. “I’m gonna call the Joint Chiefs and have a chat.”

“Good,” Frank said.

“You didn’t see any UN guys anywhere other than the roadblock, did you?”

“Nope, and I had one eye in my rear view mirror most of the time,” Frank said.

“Good,” General Hogan said. “I’ll get back to you. It’ll be sometime tomorrow morning, though. Won’t be able to raise the Chiefs this late.”

“Thanks,” Frank said. “We’ll let you know if we see any more.”

“Okay, you do that,” the General said. “Thanks for telling me.”

“Take care,” Frank said. He shut off the call.

“It really bothers me that he didn’t know about this,” Jane said.

“Me too,” Jerry said. “Why are they letting him hang out with us for so long? Why haven’t they called him back to headquarters?”

“I’m wondering the same thing,” Frank said. “I wonder if they’re trying to separate out the military leaders who might resist something like this.”

“If they are, we’re in trouble,” Jane said. “Remember that he doesn’t want to bring the armed forces into the situation in New Mexico. I figured it was just to avoid leaks. Maybe it’s a bigger problem.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Frank said. “Anybody ready for another drink?”

“Sure,” Jerry said.

“I’ll hold off,” Jane said. “Want to have a clear head.”

***

Dusk. Scott was sweaty, still breathing hard after a feverish session with Cindy. She had dozed off again, and was laying half atop him, her stale breath hitting him in the face. He’d finally had enough, and pushed her off so he could climb out of bed.

“Kerry?” he asked.

“I’m up here,” he said from the bunk.

“You go swimming?” he asked.

“Yeah, Scotty. It was nice. Nobody else was there. The spa is too hot, though.”

“Glad you had fun,” Scott said. “Hungry?”

“Yeah,” he said. “We still have some Kraft Dinner. Should I make some?”

“Sure,” Scott said. “We might as well try out the stove in the new coach. You can watch the TV, too, you know.”

“I was earlier, when you two were asleep. Nothing good on.”

Cindy climbed out of bed, pulling on her clothes. “Did I hear something about food?” she asked.

“Yeah, Kerry wants to make some Kraft Dinner,” Scott said, smiling at her. “You were a little out of control in there.”

“I know,” she said. “I’m bad. The description of that film really got me pumped. Think I can see those films someday?”

“Depends,” Scott said. “I’m afraid the FBI agents are gonna find my storage locker, and if they do, I’ll never get them back.”

“Should we double back there and get them?” she asked. Then she thought for a moment. “Never mind. Stupid. They’ll be watching.”

“Yeah,” Scott said. “We need to head for a place far far away,” Scott said. “Otherwise we’ll get picked up. It’s only a matter of time.”

“What’s far far away?” she asked.

“Somewhere I’ve never been active,” Scott said. “Pacific Northwest, for instance. Or Idaho, or Montana, or even Canada.”

“Oh,” she said. “Well, I can’t go back home, so I’m good with whatever you want to do,” she said. “You really want to eat Kraft Dinner?”

“You have something else in mind?”

“Yeah, I saw the restaurant when we drove in,” she said.

“I don’t know, Cindy. You might have been on TV,” Scott said.

“I wasn’t on the story we saw earlier.”

“We didn’t see all the stories, remember?” Scott said. “We saw it after the story was kinda old.”

“Where’s your sense of adventure?” Cindy asked. “They probably have good burgers. I could eat a horse.”

“Okay, we’ll risk it,” Scott said. “But keep a low profile while we’re in there. No loud talking.”

“I can do that,” Cindy said. “If it’s really as dead at the pool as Kerry was saying, maybe we can hit the spa later.”

“Hmmmm, what would you want to do there?” Scott asked, a nasty grin on his face.

“Never you mind,” she said. “Let’s go eat.”

They changed clothes and headed for the door.

“Where are you going, Scotty?” Kerry asked.

“I’m going to take Cindy over to the restaurant.”

“Oh,” he said. “Can I still have Kraft Dinner?”

“Yes, you go ahead. We’ll be back later. Clean up after yourself, okay?”

“I will, Scotty,” he said.

The couple walked into the night, heading for the lighted buildings at the front of the park.

“Wow, deadsville,” Cindy said. “Wonder why?”

“It’s the middle of the week,” Scott said. “And this place is off the beaten path. Wonder if the restaurant is open?”

“Good question,” Cindy said. Scott held the door open for her. The lights were on, but nobody was around.

“Hello?” Scott called.

“Just a minute,” a woman’s voice said.

“That sounds like the same woman who was running the check-in desk,” Scott whispered.

“Hi, there,” the woman said. “You want something to eat?”

“You’re working the front desk and the eatery?” Scott asked, smiling.

“During mid-week, yeah,” she said. “They’re in the same building, so it’s easy enough. Pick which ever table you’d like, and I’ll be with you in a moment. The menus are at the tables.”

“Okay, thanks,” Scott said. He escorted Cindy to a table next to the windows. “How’s this?”

“Perfect,” Cindy said, sitting down. Scott sat down across the table from her, and handed her a menu. She opened it as Scott took one himself.

“Yes! They have burgers,” she said. “That sounds so good.”

“Seriously,” Scott said. “I’m really hungry all of a sudden.”

“I know,” Cindy said. “Hope she’s a good cook.”

Sue walked over to their table. “Anything to drink?”

“Just a diet coke here,” Scott said.

“I’ll take the same,” Cindy said.

“Okay,” she said, turning to leave.

“Wish they had cocktails,” Cindy said. “No matter, though. There is some booze in the coach.”

“Really?” Scott said. “I never got a chance to check out what’s in there.”

“There’s a bottle of gin and a bottle of vermouth, also vodka and Jack Daniels.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t take that stuff out of there,” Scott said, chuckling. “I know you like gin.”

“How’d you know that?” she asked.

“I could smell it on you the night I bought the coach,” Scott said.

“Oh,” she said. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. It was kind of a turn on.”

“Why?” she asked.

“It suggested a certain morally causal attitude,” he said, laughing.

“I’ve heard that line before,” she said, smiling. “A movie or something.”

“Yeah, it was a movie. Here she comes.”

Sue walked over with the soft drinks and straws. “Know what you want to eat?”

“Burger and fries here,” Cindy said.

“Make that two,” Scott said.

“Great,” Sue said. “How do you want them cooked?”

“Rare,” Cindy said.

“Yeah, almost bloody for me,” Scott said.

“Okay, be right up,” Sue said, walking away.

“She doesn’t like to chit chat much, does she?” Cindy asked.

“Nope, she thinks we’re on a date,” Scott said, smiling.

“I guess we kinda are.” Cindy sucked coke through her straw. “So where are we gonna go?”

“Well, I threw out a few places. Any of them interesting to you?”

“I’ve been to Boise before,” Cindy said. “Nice town. Small enough to be relaxing, but large enough to get lost in.”

“Well, then we ought to head there,” Scott said. “It should be far enough away. We really should trade in this coach, though. Sooner or later that RV lot will sell the one that I swapped plates with. That will make for a much better APB.”

“APB?”

“All Points Bulletin,” Scott said, smiling.

“Oh,” Cindy said. “Duh.”

“You beat yourself up a lot, don’t you?” Scott said.

“Oh, I suppose,” she said. “I haven’t had an easy life. It’s been a roller coaster a lot of the time.”

Scott laughed. “And now you’re with me. Oops.”

Cindy got a sheepish grin on her face. They were silent for a while, staring out the window onto the dark RV park. The moon was out, but it wasn’t full. White clouds floated in front of the crescent.

“That’s pretty,” Cindy said.

Sue walked out with two plates and set them down in front of the couple.

“Wow, you don’t scrimp on the fries,” Cindy said, smiling.

“I doubt we’ll get any other customers tonight, so I just divided up what I cooked between you two. Careful, they’re really hot. Just out of the fryer.”

“Thanks,” Scott said, looking at her and smiling. She made eye contact and looked away too quickly before she turned and walked away. He watched her all the way out.

“What, you interested in her now?” Cindy asked.

“Did she seem nervous to you?” Scott asked.

“No, not really,” Cindy said. “Why?”

“She didn’t like making eye contact with me just then,” Scott said.

“A lot of people are like that,” Cindy said.

“You’re probably right,” Scott said. They dug into their burgers.

***

In the kitchen, Sue’s heart was racing. She took one more glance into the dining room. They were eating their burgers and chatting. She hurried into the office and shut the door, sliding the bolt over. Then she looked frantically through a pile of papers from the last couple days of business. There it was. Sheriff Branson’s number. She called. No answer. It went straight to voice mail. She whispered into it.

“Sheriff Branson, this is Sue from Uncle Jaspers. A couple came in. I think it’s the one you’re looking for. Call me back as soon as you can please.”

She waited for about ten minutes, on pins and needles. No call back. She went back to the restaurant. “How you all doing?”

“It’s great,” Cindy said, smiling.

“Yeah, very good,” Scott said.

“I’m glad,” Sue said. “Want me to add this to the bill for your space? You can settle up when you leave.”

“Sure, no problem,” Scott said. “Thanks. How late is your spa open?”

“As late as you want,” she said. “Enjoy.”

“Will do, thanks,” Scott said.

Sue slipped back into the office and locked the door. She checked her phone. No message. Where is he? Then she remembered the others. Gabe. She rifled through the papers again, until she found his registration sheet. She punched the number into her phone. It rang a couple of times, then clicked.

“Hello?” Gabe asked.

“Hi, Gabe, this is Sue from Uncle Jaspers. I think Chet’s son is in my dining room right now.”

***

Malcolm and Ted had been following the FBI’s black SUV for two hours. Columbus to the Indianapolis suburb. They were only ten miles away.

“You think we’re gonna find it?” Ted asked.

“Hope so,” Malcolm said. “Depends on the attendant at the storage lot. You know Scott didn’t use his real name.”

“Should we have Gabe stay where he is, or should we tell him to start for Kansas?”

“Oh, I suppose we could tell him to start back for Kansas,” Malcolm said. “We could meet up with him after we’re done here.”

“Want me to call him? I’ve got his number.”

“Sure,” Malcolm said.

Ted hit the contact, and waited. “Busy,” he said.

“Probably talking to the folks back at the park,” Malcolm said. “No problem. We can get with him later.”

“You really think Agent Williams will let his guard down around us?”

“Not a chance in hell,” Malcolm said. “Pity. We’d find Scott a lot quicker if we worked together.”

“I know,” Ted said. “When this gets over, I want to talk with that SAC who shut me out. They have enough on Agent Keith now to know that he was full of crap.”

“We did provide some reason for concern,” Malcolm said. “Let’s not forget that. I’ve bent the rules quite a bit.”

“Oh, I know,” Ted said. “But in the grand scheme of things, your work has been positive.”

“Thanks,” Malcolm said, glancing over at him and smiling. “There’s the off-ramp we want.”

They followed the black SUV down the ramp, and through a series of suburban streets, heading from residential to industrial after a couple miles.

“There it is,” Ted said, pointing as the black SUV parked in front.

“It looks deserted,” Malcolm said as he pulled in two stalls down. They got out of the Jeep and met Agents Williams, Simone, and Weiss.

“Doesn’t look like anybody’s here,” Agent Williams said as they walked to the office door. He pulled on it. “Locked. Crap.”

There was a door bell. Malcolm pushed it, and they could hear a buzzer going off inside. They waited. Nobody showed up.

“What now?” Ted asked.

“Let’s call the number,” Malcolm said, pointing to the sign with a 1-800 number on it. He punched it into his phone. “Direct to voicemail, and the box is full.”

“Let’s go to the police station,” Agent Williams said. “Follow me.”

Everybody got back in their vehicles. The police station wasn’t far away. They parked in back.

“Small department,” Malcolm said as they walked to the door.

“Yeah,” Agent Williams said. “Let me do the talking.”

“No problem,” Malcolm said.

They walked into the reception room. The watch commander saw them and rushed over to the counter. “Can I help you gentlemen?” He asked, looking nervous.

Agent Williams pulled out his FBI badge. “FBI. We would like to search a storage unit at EZ Storage.”

“This about the cop killings?” the watch commander asked.

“Yeah,” Agent Williams said. “There’s nobody at the lot.”

“Yeah, we know,” the Watch Commander said. “I’ll go get the chief. He’ll want to talk with you guys.”

“Okay,” Agent Williams said. He watched as the man scurried off. He came back with a burley looking older man with a handlebar mustache and a belly flowing over his belt.

“For what do we owe this visit from the FBI?” the man asked with a sarcastic tone. “I’m Chief Hanson.”

“Hello, Chief Hanson. I’m Agent Williams. We need to search a storage unit at EZ Storage. The one that belongs to the cop killer.”

“Well, then you’ve got the same problem we have, Agent Williams.”

“What’s that?”

“We don’t know which unit to search,” he said. “The attendant got beat to a pulp by the first victim in the shootings. He’s in a coma.”

“Oh,” Agent Williams said. “Surely there’s somebody else who can help.”

“We don’t know what name the shooter used to rent the storage unit,” Chief Hanson said. “The owner is on his way here, but he lives in Akron, and he probably won’t be much help anyway. He can get us inside, but then it’s a crap shoot.”

“Why is that?” Agent Williams asked.

“He’s not a hands-on type of guy,” Chief Hanson said. “He’s already told us he doesn’t even have a password for the computer system there. We’ll be waiting until the attendant wakes up. If he wakes up.”

“There aren’t any other employees who know the system?” Agent Williams asked

“There was. He was one of the shooting victims. He’s dead.”

Chapter 9 – Blue Peril

“Who was that?” Dobie asked, getting up from the dinette in his fifth wheel. He didn’t like the look on Gabe’s face.

“Remember Sue at Uncle Jasper’s?” Gabe asked.

“Oh, the one you were making time with,” Dobie said, chuckling.

“That was her. She thinks Scott is at her park right now.”

“Shit,” Dobie said. “She call the cops?”

“She left a message for the sheriff who talked to her yesterday, but she can’t raise him.”

“Uh oh,” Dobie said. “What do you want to do?”

“Go help her,” Gabe said.

“We’d better call Malcolm,” Dobie said. “We shouldn’t just go.”

“Okay,” Gabe said. He hit Malcolm’s contact on his phone, and put it on speaker, setting it on the dinette table in front of Dobie. He slid into the bench seat opposite Dobie. The phone rang and rang.

“He’s not picking up,” Dobie said. “Dammit.”

“We’ve got to help her,” Gabe said.

“C’mon, Gabe, we’re hours and hours away. She’s on the far end of Missouri.”

“I know,” Gabe said. He got up and paced. “Maybe we should call George. Our home park is closer, and besides, they need to know that Scott is so close.”

“You don’t think Scott would risk going to our park, do you?” Dobie asked.

“Who knows,” Gabe said. “He’s off his rocker. You know that.”

Gabe’s phone rang. He looked at it. “Malcolm.” He put it on speaker.

“Gabe, what’s up?” Malcolm asked.

“I got a call from Sue at Uncle Jasper’s RV Park.”

“Okay, calm down,” Malcolm said. “What happened?”

“She thinks that Scott is at her park,” Gabe said. “What should we do?”

“Don’t go blasting over there,” Malcolm said. “If we know he’s there, we’ll get a good bead on him. He’s heading west.”

“What if she’s in danger?” Gabe asked.

“She call the cops?”

“She called Sheriff Branson,” Gabe said. “He isn’t picking up. She left him a message.”

“Shit,” Malcolm said. “Wonder if he’s in custody or something?”

“Where are you guys, anyway?” Dobie asked.

“We’re at the police station talking to the locals about Scott’s storage unit,” Malcolm said.

“Oh,” Gabe said. “The FBI still giving you a hard time?”

“No, they let us come along on this, after we convinced them we were okay. It was a little hairy for a while. That corrupt FBI agent was trying to set us up.”

“You guys get him to admit he was lying?” Dobie asked.

“No, we found his body in a big freezer in the basement of Scott’s house, along with Howard and a parolee.”

“No way,” Gabe said. “They didn’t try to pin it on you guys?”

“No, they know we weren’t around when the killings happened,” Malcolm said.

“So what do we do?” Gabe asked.

“You still at the KOA?”

“Yep, like we agreed,” Gabe said.

“Why don’t you guys move west? I don’t see us going back to Columbus now. Find a place near Indianapolis. We’ll get back together after this is over.”

“What are you gonna do?” Gabe asked.

“I’ll have Ted try to contact Sheriff Branson,” Malcolm said.

“What about Sue?” Gabe asked. “I don’t want her getting killed by this maniac.”

“Call her back. Tell her to leave him alone,” Malcolm said. “But ask her to call us when he leaves. Tell her we’re trying to contact Sheriff Branson.”

“Okay,” Gabe said. He ended the call.

“You’ll have to drive Ted’s rental,” Dobie said.

“I know,” he said. “Why don’t you get the rig ready to go while I call Sue?”

“Okay,” Dobie said, getting up. He put the leash on Duchess and took her outside with him as Gabe punched in Sue’s contact.

“Sue?” Gabe asked.

“Yeah,” she said. “They left the restaurant. I think they’re going to use the spa.”

“Sheriff Branson call you back?”

“No,” she said. “I’m scared.”

“Lie low for now,” Gabe said. “We’re trying to get ahold of Sheriff Branson, and we’re heading west in a few minutes.”

“Where are you guys?” she asked.

“At a KOA just east of Columbus, Ohio.”

“Crap, you guys are a long ways away,” she said.

“I know,” Gabe said. “Let me know if they leave. You have a safe place to hang out?”

“Not at the park,” she said.

“Maybe you should leave.”

“I can’t do that,” she said. “There’s lots of campers here.”

“If you think there’s any chance he’s targeting you, leave anyway,” Gabe said. “Seriously. I know it’s difficult. I had to leave my park too.”

“Okay,” she said. “Gotta go, somebody came into the office.”

“Him?” Gabe asked.

“No, another customer. Talk to you later, Gabe. Thanks for calling me back.”

“Take care of yourself,” Gabe said. He got up and put his phone back in his pocket, then went outside to help Dobie.

“She okay?” Dobie asked.

“Yeah, so far, but this scares the shit out of me.”

“Well, I’m about ready to go. How’s the gas in the rental car?”

“We’ll have to stop on the way out.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

***

“Still want to go to the spa?” Cindy asked, as she walked arm in arm with Scott back to the Class C.

“Sure, but I want to check on Kerry first,” Scott said. “We ought to sneak a bottle out there with us.”

“Good idea,” she said. “Nobody around anyway.”

“There’s a rig coming in now,” he said. “Look.”

Cindy turned around and saw it. “Wow, that’s a big one.”

“Yeah, diesel pusher,” Scott said. “I remember lusting after those while I was working my RV Park in Kansas. That one is more than forty feet long.”

“How can you tell from here?”

“Tag axle,” he said. “See the two sets of tires on the rear?”

“Oh,” she said. “Wow. Like a bus.”

They went inside the coach. It smelled of cooked pasta and cheese.

“Hi, Scotty,” Kerry said from the dinette. He was finishing up his Kraft Dinner.

“Hi, Kerry,” Scott said.

“Smells good in here,” Cindy said, smiling at Kerry.

“We’re going to the spa for a while, Kerry.”

“Okay,” he said.

“What kind of booze do you want?” Carol whispered.

“Any of what you mentioned would be fine,” he said.

“Okay.” She squatted down and opened a low cupboard under the TV, pulling out the Jack Daniels bottle and a metal flask set.

“Nice,” Scott said, chuckling as Cindy used the funnel to pour whiskey into the flask. “What are we gonna do for bathing suits?”

“I was planning on no bathing suits,” she whispered. “You’re okay with that, aren’t you?”

Scott smiled at her and nodded. “We should take towels. I’ll grab them.”

“Look in the bottom drawer next to the bed,” she said. “I stashed two bath sheets. They’re probably still there. Hopefully they don’t have my ex’s stench on them. Or his bitch.”

Scott shook his head as he checked. They were there. He sniffed them.

“They okay?” she asked.

“A little musty smelling, but they don’t smell used, if that’s what you’re asking. You must have put those there a long time ago.”

“Couple of years,” Cindy said. “Shall we undress over there?”

“Sure,” Scott said. They left the coach.

“It’s so pretty here,” she said. “Wish we could stay for a while.”

“I paid for a few nights,” Scott said. “We’ll want to get out of here on Friday night or early Saturday morning though. More people will show up.”

“Good, the spa’s deserted,” she said. “And not brightly lit either. Perfect.”

They went through the short chain-link gate into the spa area, and got undressed in the shadows. Cindy picked up the flask, and they got into the spa.

“Mmmmm, this is heavenly,” Cindy said. She opened the flask and took a swig, then handed it over to Scott. He took a swig, then closed it and set it on the deck. He reached for her, pulling her on his lap, his hands roaming over her body.

“Getting frisky already,” she whispered, her face closer. She kissed him. Scott broke the kiss abruptly.

“What’s the matter?” she whispered.

“Company,” he said, nodding at the path. Two people were approaching in the dark. He couldn’t make them out yet, just the shadows, but he saw towels draped over their arms.

“Shit,” Cindy said. “Just when I was getting worked up.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Scott said. The two came through the gate and froze when they saw them.

“Oh, sorry,” a young female voice said.

“It’s okay,” Scott said. He strained to see them in the dim light. It was two young women. Late teens to early twenties. One was thin, in a bikini, with straight blonde hair. She was the one who talked. The other was shorter and wider, wearing a one piece suit, self-conscious about her weight. She had wavy black hair down to her shoulders, and a pretty face.

“Cameron, why don’t we go,” the dark haired girl said. “I didn’t know this was clothing optional.”

“Sorry, we didn’t bring swimsuits on this trip,” Scott said. “Forgot.”

“Don’t be silly, Shannon,” Cameron said. “We don’t have to get naked unless we want to. Let’s take a dip. We don’t have to stay long.”

Shannon eyed her nervously, then glanced at Scott and Cindy. Scott had a friendly smile on his face. Cindy’s expression was a mixture of embarrassment and wantonness.

“Okay, Cameron, but only for a few minutes, okay?”

“You really that anxious to get back to my parents and my little brother?” Cameron asked. Scott chuckled as the two of them set their towels on a lounge and slid into the water.

“So I take it you’re on a family vacation,” Scott said.

“Yeah,” Cameron said. “Kind of boring, but at least they let me bring Shannon. We’ve had fun.”

“Where are you from?” Cindy asked.

“St. Paul,” Cameron said. “Heading down to Texas for a few weeks.”

“We were supposed to go east, but the bombs screwed that up,” Shannon said.

Cindy got off of Scott’s lap, her naked breasts bouncing into view. Shannon gasped, looking embarrassed.

“Oh, please,” Cameron said to Shannon. “Seriously?” She reached behind her back and untied her bikini top, removing it and tossing it onto the deck behind her. “See, it’s no big deal.”

Shannon’s eyes got big as she turned back towards her and shook her chest. “Cameron!” she said.

Cindy had an amused look on her face. She glanced up at Scott’s face. He had a nasty grin. She slipped her hand onto his thigh and it broke him out of the trance. He looked at Cindy. “Sorry.”

“Sorry about what? Wanting to look at a beautiful young woman?” she asked. “I think this is delightful.” She stood up, showing off her body to the two girls. Cameron giggled, then stood up and removed her bikini bottoms.

“Cameron!” Shannon whispered. “C’mon, knock it off.”

“Oh, take it easy,” Cameron said. “You’re such a prude.”

“I’m not a prude,” Shannon said.

“Prove it,” Cameron said, a mischievous look in her eyes. “Strip.”

“Cameron! No!” she said.

“Prude!” Cameron said. “If you want boys to be interested in you, you’d better loosen up.”

“I’m too heavy,” she said. “That’s why you get more boys. You know it.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Scott said. “I think you’re stunning, Shannon.”

She froze, looking at Scott, then over at Cindy, expecting her to be angry. Cindy giggled, and reached behind her for the flask, untwisting the top and taking a swig.

“What’s that?” Cameron asked, her eyes lighting up.

“Jack Daniels,” Cindy said. “Want some?”

“No!” Shannon said. “Don’t start drinking again.”

“I’ll just have a little,” Cameron said.

“That’s what you always say,” Shannon said. “Then you get crazy. Don’t do it.”

Scott was watching with amusement. Cindy passed him the flask, and he took a swig. “Damn, that’s good whiskey.” He said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He held it out to Cameron, who reached up her arm. Shannon grabbed it and pulled it down.

“Let go,” Cameron said, giggling. “I want some.”

“No!” she said.

“Hey, I want some,” Cindy said. Scott handed it to her and she took another swig. Then handed it back to Scott. He held it towards Cameron again. She reached for it, and then got a wicked look in her eyes.

“I’ll make a deal with you,” Cameron said. “I won’t drink any if you take off your swimsuit.”

“Cameron!” she said. “No, I don’t want to do that. Especially in front of strangers.”

“Oh, why not,” Cameron said. She grabbed the flask out of Scott’s hands before Shannon could stop her, and started to unscrew the top.

“No!” she said, reaching for it, but Cameron kept it out of reach.

“C’mon, Shannon. You can solve the problem,” Cameron said, giggling. She twisted the top again.

“No!” she said. “I’m going back to the trailer.”

“Why, so my brother can ogle you some more?” Cameron asked. “Or my dad, for that matter.”

“He doesn’t. You’re just making that up,” she said. “Dammit.” She stood up and peeled off her suit, face turning red as her large breasts wobbled free. Then she sat quickly, lower in the water. “Give it back to them, Cameron.”

“Okay, okay,” Cameron said. “See, doesn’t that feel better?”

“Whatever,” Shannon said.

“How long are you staying here?” Scott asked.

“Two days,” Cameron said. “My auntie lives in town. Mom’s going to see her tomorrow. How about you two?”

“Same,” Scott said. “Two days.”

“We like it here,” Cindy said. “We’d like to stay longer, but we have business further west.”

“Really, where?” Cameron asked.

“Idaho,” Cindy said. “You girls in school?”

“I’m in my third year of college,” Shannon said. “Cameron’s in beauty school.”

“You’ve known each other a long time, I’ll bet,” Scott said.

“All our lives,” Cameron said. “We live next door to each other.”

“How old are you?” Cindy asked.

“I’m twenty two,” Shannon said. “Cameron’s a year younger.”

“I’ll bet you two have boys after you all the time,” Scott said, smiling. Shannon eyed him. Cameron giggled.

“I suppose,” Shannon said, adjusting herself in her seat, trying to keep her breasts under the water. “It’s getting too hot in here.”

“I know,” Cameron said, getting out and sitting on the edge of the deck. “C’mon on up here.” She grinned.

“Yeah, right,” she said. “I’ve had enough.” She grabbed her swimsuit and pulled it back on while she was under the water, then got out and sat on the lounge chair.

“Spoil sport,” Cameron said in mock anger. “Oh, all right, we can go back.” She stood up, put on her bikini, headed towards the gate. Shannon got up and followed her.

“Nice meeting you,” Cameron said as she glanced back, a twinkle in her eye.

“I thought they’d never leave,” Cindy said, moving over Scott. “You alive in there?”

“There’s our next playmate,” Scott whispered hoarsely.

“Who, Cameron?”

“Hell no,” he said. “Shannon. I’ve got to have her.”

***

“You guys ready to eat?” Jasmine asked. “Chili’s on the stove.”

“That sounds great!” Jerry said.

“It was the last of the stuff we froze at home,” she said. “Tonight’s a good night for it.”

Jerry, Frank, and Jane went into the coach and got bowls full. They came back out under the awning and sat, eating silently.

“Guess we’re all too tired to talk anymore,” Jasmine said.

“Or too hungry,” Jane said. “This is great. Thanks so much.”

“Welcome,” she said. “We gonna take off early?”

“If we do, we should arrive at the hospital before dark tomorrow,” Frank said. “It’s not a bad drive. I-70 to I-15. Fast roads.”

“Yeah, it shouldn’t be too bad,” Jerry said. “Still nervous about going into Utah?”

“Not as much,” Frank said. “Seems like things are getting back to normal.”

“You guys hear that?” Jane asked. “Shouting. Down by the office.”

The commotion was getting louder.

“What the hell’s going on down there?” Jerry asked.

Frank ate his last spoonful of chili and washed it down with water. “C’mon, let’s get our handguns and mosey on down there.”

“You sure that’s a good idea, Frank?” Jane asked.

“Hell yeah, I do,” Frank said. “Could be enemy fighters, or worse.”

“I’m with Frank,” Jerry said.

“Okay,” Jasmine said. “I’m going too. Jane, let’s take our M-16s.”

Jane nodded. They got up and rushed to their coaches. Frank brought Lucy along, stuffing his big magnum pistol in the waist band behind him as he came out.

“What, not wearing the quick-draw rig?” Jerry asked, laughing.

“Nah,” Frank said. “C’mon, let’s go. Keep your eyes open.”

They rushed towards the front of the park. Then they saw them. Two blue military vehicles.

“Frigging UN,” Jerry said.

There was still shouting in the office. Frank peered in the window. The UN guys were holding guns and arguing with Clint, the owner of the park. His face was red.

“You guys have no authority here,” Clint said. “Not one bit.”

“We have orders from the Inspector General to search all mobile vehicles in this quadrant, and we will do it,” the lead UN peacekeeper said. “Now sit down and shut up, you stupid Yankee.”

“I’ll go around the back with Jasmine,” Jerry whispered. “You two go in the front.”

“Got it,” Frank said. Jane and Jasmine nodded.

Frank unhooked Lucy and tossed her leash on the porch as he stepped inside, big magnum pistol pointed at the UN peacekeepers. “Freeze!” Jane moved in behind him with her M-16 at the ready.

“You’d better back off, sir,” UN man said.

“Drop those weapons or I’m going to shoot,” Jerry said, walking in the back with Jasmine, guns pointed.

The head UN man sighed, and nodded to his men. They put down their weapons, and Jerry picked them up and put them behind the counter.

“I’ll take one of those,” Clint said, picking up a rifle and pointing it at the lead UN peacekeeper.

“What the hell do you guys think you’re doing in my country?” Frank asked. “You have no authority over the population here. I don’t care what some corrupt government official might have told you. We’re a free people. We don’t stand for this kind of nonsense here.”

“The UN has been given jurisdiction over all countries,” the lead UN peacekeeper said. “National governments no longer have power.”

Frank laughed out loud. “Yeah, right. You know what that’ll get you?”

“What?” he asked.

“A whole lot of dead UN peacekeepers,” Frank said. “Didn’t you guys see what happened here when the Islamic cretins tried to take us over? It wasn’t just the army that won that battle.”

Suddenly there was the sound of several vehicles racing through the front gate of the park, and car doors opening. Lucy growled. Frank noticed a smile on Clint’s face, and then heard pops and hissing noises coming from the parking lot.

Chapter 10 – Outlaw Agencies

“You know who that is?” Frank asked quietly.

“Yeah, that’d be my kids and one of their friends,” Clint said proudly. He glared at the UN Peacekeeper. “Party’s over, you euro trash hoodlum.”

“Pa, you in there?” a voice called from outside. “We knifed their tires.”

“Yeah, Jason, we’re in here,” he said. “Got the UN guys covered. We have their guns.”

“You guys can’t win,” the head UN Peacekeeper said.

“I beg to differ,” Jerry said. “We stomped on several hundred thousand enemy fighters, in case you didn’t notice.”

“Your army is on our side now,” he replied.

Frank laughed out loud. “Like hell they are. The only people on your side are in Washington. We’ll take out that trash soon enough.”

Four young men came in the door cautiously, eyeballing everybody. They all had rifles.

“I brought zip-ties,” Jason said, holding out a bag. He was tall and lanky, with a buzz cut, wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

“Good,” Clint said. “Let’s tie their hands behind their backs.”

“Who are these guys?” another of the young men asked.

“We haven’t been formally introduced,” Clint said.

“I’m Frank, and this is my wife Jane,” Frank said. “That’s Jerry next to you, and his wife Jasmine.”

Clint’s mouth dropped open, his eyes turning glassy. “You aren’t the Frank and Jane of the resistance, are you?”

Jane looked at him, shocked.

“Yeah,” Frank said. “You heard of us?”

“You’re the guy who came up with those apps, aren’t you?” Clint asked. He came around the counter. “I don’t have the words.” He shook Frank’s hand, and then hugged him.

“How do you know about that?” Jane asked.

“Let’s just say I heard it through the grapevine,” Clint said.

“We got them all tied up,” Jason said. He and the other men moved them over to the bench against the outside wall and sat them down.

“Back to introductions,” Clint said. “That’s my oldest son Jason. The kid with the long hair and sideburns there is son number two, John. The one next to him with red hair is his best friend Louis. Next to him, with the short blonde hair, is my youngest, Angus.”

“Great to meet you all,” Frank said. “What are we gonna do with these guys?”

“I need to make some phone calls. I heard about other incidents like this. That’s why I called my boys when they showed up.”

“You will regret that,” the UN Peacekeeper said, struggling against the zip tie.

“Please get loose,” Jason said, aiming his rifle at him.

“Don’t just blast him,” Clint said. “Remember what General Walker taught us. Get the info first if you can.”

“General Walker?” Jerry asked. “You knew him?”

“Yeah, he helped us organize,” Clint said. “Until he got betrayed.”

“He helped us too,” Frank said. “We’ve got another with us now.”

“Don’t mention his name in front of these slimes,” Clint said. “Let’s wander outside and talk. Boys, if any of these idiots try anything, shoot them.”

“You got it, Pa,” Angus said. “I’ll keep an eye out down the road just in case they have any friends coming.”

“You can count on that,” the lead Peacekeeper said.

“Shut up,” Jason snarled at him.

Clint left the office through the back door. The others followed him. They went to the clubhouse, a hundred yards to the right.

“Still have some coffee, if you want some,” Clint said.

“Sounds good,” Frank said. They went to a counter along the back wall that had a big coffee pot and condiments sitting on it. After they got cups, they sat at a long table.

“You guys working with General Hogan?” Clint asked.

“Yeah,” Frank said.

“He’s the leader of the resistance,” Clint said. “And an old friend. I’ve got you guys to thank for springing him from that base.”

“Do you still have a group together?” Jerry asked.

“Yeah, but we disbursed after the big victories,” Clint said. “Looks like I need to call my folks up again.”

“How many?” Jasmine asked.

“We’ve got about forty seasoned fighters, give or take,” Clint said. “How many left in your group?”

“We’ve got eighteen core members,” Frank said, “plus General Hogan and three privates. We also have four guests who have been very helpful.”

“How many you lose?” Clint asked. His eyes teared up again. “We lost quite a few. Used to be almost eighty.”

“Only one,” Jasmine said.

“Chester,” Frank said. “Happened quite a while ago, back in the town near Capitol Reef.”

“We almost lost Jeb,” Jerry said. “We’re on our way to pick him and Jasmine’s mom up. That’s why we’re here.”

“Jeb?” Clint asked. “Heard of him. He’s a legend.”

“How are all these stories getting around?” Jane asked.

“I think General Walker started it. You guys were his poster team. He used you to recruit and to inspire.”

“He got killed at Hilda’s park,” Jane said. “Along with several other valuable folks.”

“I saw those videos,” Clint said. “Bastards.”

“So what the hell is going on with the UN?” Jerry said. “Do you guys know who invited them in?”

“Don’t know. These the first you’ve seen?” Clint asked.

“No, there was a roadblock east of here,” Frank said. “They were giving out small pox vaccine, but they were also trying to search vehicles. We told them to stuff it.”

“They’re trying to get control of groups like ours,” Clint said. “They think disarming a few key teams will lead to victory.”

Jerry laughed. “There’s over 300 million guns in private hands here. These folks are beyond stupid.”

“They think the population is tired of war,” Clint said. “They don’t understand the American character. You’d think what happened here over the last several months would have taught them something.”

“So what now?” Jane said.

“We should get General Hogan on a conference call,” Jerry said. “We need to chat with him about this.”

“Good idea,” Frank said. He pulled out his cellphone, hit General Hogan’s contact, and put it on speaker. It rang a few times.

“Frank?” General Hogan asked.

“Yeah, General,” Frank said. “You’re on speaker. We’re at Clint’s RV Park in Grand Junction.”

“Oh, you guys found each other, eh?” General Hogan asked. “How?”

“Accident,” Frank said. “We stopped at his RV Park. Wouldn’t have made contact, but the UN showed up.”

“Dammit,” General Hogan said. “The joint chiefs are lying to me. They either got turned or they’re being forced to submit.”

“Should I call my group back together?” Clint asked.

“Yeah. What did the UN do there?” General Hogan asked.

“They showed up at my office, demanding that I let them in to search the resident’s vehicles,” Clint said.

“How many?” General Hogan asked.

“Just four, in two of those blue vehicles.”

“Where are they now?”

“My boys are holding them in the office. We’ve got their hands zip tied behind their backs.”

“You got a secure place to lock them up?” General Hogan asked.

“Yeah, still have that setup we used a few months back. How much trouble are we in?”

“I don’t know for sure yet,” General Hogan said.

“We’ve still got the watch going at our park, right?” Jerry asked.

“Yeah,” General Hogan said. “And the sensors.”

“We gonna blast anybody who comes down the road?” Frank asked.

“If they’re coming in open vehicles with blue insignia, I say we let them come in and throw them in the dungeon,” General Hogan said. “Pump them for info.”

“They on the side of the Islamists we’re seeing in New Mexico?” Jerry asked.

“That’d be my guess,” General Hogan said. “They need to be treated like enemy. They have no jurisdiction over American citizens. If they’re acting like they do, we need to hit them hard.”

“They’re pretty defiant,” Clint said. “They told us that the UN has taken power over all national governments.”

“Total hogwash. Europe is in a big battle as we speak. Both Germany and England have kicked UN peacekeepers out of their countries, after they attacked citizens for taking out Islamic extremists. In the other countries, there’s open warfare between the UN and the citizens, but it’s not going well. Citizens over there aren’t armed.”

There was yelling and shots fired from near the office.

“Dammit!” Clint shouted, getting up.

“That what I think it is?” General Hogan asked.

“Yeah, gunfire,” Frank said. “We got to go.”

“Frank!” General Hogan shouted.

“What?” Frank asked as he picked up his phone.

“Kill them,” he said. “I’ll let everybody on your team know what’s going on, including the other away team.”

“Okay, General,” Frank said. He ended the call, and they all ran towards the office, guns drawn.

“Need help, Clint?” shouted a man from one of the RVs parked nearby.

“Yeah, round everybody up, Franklin. We got a fight brewing!”

***

Gabe was driving the rental car, following Dobie’s rig on I-70 when his phone rang. He picked it up.

“Gabe?”

“This Charlie?” Gabe asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “Where are you guys?”

“On I-70, about twenty miles east of Indianapolis, heading west.”

“Malcolm and Ted with you?”

“No, they’re with the FBI in a suburb on the west side of Indianapolis. We’ll link up with them pretty soon.”

“They in trouble?” Charlie asked.

“No, not as of the last time we talked,” Gabe said. “What’s going on?”

“General Hogan wanted me to get word out to everybody. There are UN peacekeepers here, and they’re trying to disarm citizens. Look out for them. They have no authority. Shoot them if they get aggressive.”

“Son of a bitch,” Gabe said. “What brought that on?”

“We’ll get to that later. Frank, Jane, Jerry, and Jasmine are in a battle with them now, at the RV Park of one of our sister groups.”

“Sister Groups?”

“Yeah, one of the other groups organized by General Walker before he got killed.”

“Oh,” Gabe said. “This ain’t over, is it?”

“Nope,” Charlie said. “Gotta go. I’ll try to call Malcolm. Watch yourselves.”

“Will do,” Gabe said. He ended the call, and then called Dobie.

“What’s the matter?” Dobie asked.

“Charlie just called,” he said. “We’ve got UN Peacekeepers in our country trying to disarm American citizens.”

“Seriously?” he asked. “That ain’t gonna fly.”

“Charlie said treat them like the enemy,” Gabe said.

“In other words, blast them if they come after us.”

“Exactly,” Gabe said. “We’re close to Indianapolis. How’s your gas?”

“I could use a stop,” Dobie said. “There’s an off-ramp coming up. Let’s stop there. Duchess needs a break anyway.”

“Okay, I’ll follow you. See you soon.”

“Later,” Dobie said.

Gabe’s heart was pounding as they got off the interstate and headed to the truck stop. It was busy. Gabe pulled into line for a pump. Dobie did the same, his long rig hanging slightly into the street. They got up to their pumps in about ten minutes. Dobie got the fuel running and took Duchess out, walking over to Gabe.

“Why so many people around?” Dobie asked. “Everybody seems nervous.”

“Maybe word is getting around,” Gabe said. “Never trusted the UN. They’re going to be sorry they showed up.”

“You know who’s gonna be more sorry?” Dobie asked.

“Who?”

“The hack politicians who invited them in,” Dobie said. “They think this crisis we’ve had going here is their big chance. It’s not gonna turn out the way they think.”

“You got that right,” Gabe said. “The car’s full. I’ll pull over next to the store. Need to hit the restroom.”

“Okay, I’ll pull in back when I’m done. Maybe we can get a bite to eat.”

“Okay,” Gabe said. “I’ll find us a place to spend the night.”

Dobie finished filling up and drove to the back parking lot, then put Duchess back in the trailer. Afterwards he met Gabe in front of the store.

“Found a place,” Gabe said. “Southwest of Indianapolis. We get on Route 36 from I-70.”

“Another place you know of from the Association?” Dobie asked.

“Yeah, but I’m pretty sure the original owner of this one has been dead for years,” Gabe said. “I made reservations. The person at the desk didn’t even recognize the old owner’s name.”

“How long to get there?”

“According to the map app, less than an hour,” Gabe said. “We should wait till we get there to eat.”

“I’m good with that,” Dobie said. “This place is a little scary. Reminds me of when people were fleeing during the early attacks.”

“I know, I feel it too. Seen any UN vehicles anywhere? In the back?”

“Nope, not a one,” Dobie said. “I was thinking about that. I’ll bet they’re trying to disarm citizens around the southwest states. Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah. Then they’ll link up with the Islamists and attempt to take that region over again.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Gabe said. “I guess I should listen to the radio when we’re cruising.”

“I turned mine on right after you called. Not a word about the UN being here. When we get to the RV Park I’ll get on the internet message boards and see what’s going on.”

“Good, then let’s blow this joint,” Gabe said. They both walked out, and got back to their vehicles, heading onto I-70. Traffic was heavy, but it was mostly eastbound.

***

Chief Hanson had Malcolm, Ted, and Agent Williams set up in an empty office. Agents Simone and Weiss had left to get them some take out. Malcolm’s phone rang. It was Charlie.

“Hey, Charlie, what’s going on?” Malcolm asked.

“General Hogan asked me to call. There’s trouble out on the roads.”

“What roads?” Malcolm asked.

“So far, it appears to be Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Probably Utah also.”

“The cretins at Carlsbad Caverns?” Malcolm asked.

“No, UN peacekeepers.”

“What?” Malcolm asked, looking at the others in the room. “What are they doing here?”

“Trying to disarm people. Dragging them in with the ruse of small pox vaccinations.”

“Son of a bitch. Any of our folks in harm’s way?”

“Yeah, Frank, Jane, Jerry, and Jasmine ran into them, on the way back to get Jeb. They’re in Grand Junction right now. There’s a small battle starting.”

“Shit. You need us to high-tail it over there?”

“No, we just want you to be aware. Treat these folks like enemy.”

“Okay, we’ll watch out.”

“How’s it going with you guys?” Charlie asked.

“We found Agent Keith, Howard, and some parolee in a freezer at Scott’s house.”

“Holy shit,” Charlie said. “What are you doing now?”

“We’ve teamed up with the FBI, waiting for somebody who might be able to get into Scott’s storage locker. We’ll get back with Gabe and Dobie after this. They’re on their way to Indianapolis now.”

“Good,” Charlie said. “Watch yourselves.”

“You too,” Malcolm said. He shut off the call and put his phone in his pocket.

“Okay, what’s going on?” Agent Williams asked.

“That was somebody from our group back in Kansas,” Malcolm said. “Hear anything about the UN coming in here, throwing their weight around?”

Agent Williams got a pained look on his face, and plopped himself down on a chair. “Dammit.”

“You do know something,” Malcolm said.

“Scuttlebutt,” he said. “There’s still some bad people in our government. Heard that the radicals running the Health and Human Services and Homeland Security agencies are bringing in UN Peacekeepers in to administer the small pox vaccine effort.”

“Why would they do that?” Ted asked.

“Because of the UN’s extensive experience with that kind of operation in Africa,” Agent Williams said. “But it’s really a bunch of crap. The UN wanted strings attached. One of them was that the citizenry where they’d be operating had to be disarmed. Congress said no friggin way. Passed a law forbidding it. The idiot in the White House vetoed it, but it was overridden. And by the way, this was kept out of the press. Reminds me of that Iranian Nuke deal that helped start this whole mess in the first place. They’re treating the whole thing like one of those side deals.”

“Idiots,” Ted said. “If they try to disarm citizens, there’s gonna be a lot of blue helmets with holes in them.”

“Seriously,” Malcolm said. “Wonder why, after Congress acted and overrode a veto, they’re still here?”

“Last I heard, they agreed to drop the requirement for disarming,” Agent Williams said. “Like we ever should have believed them on that. They think our executive leader can operate like a king. They don’t understand our balance of powers or our Bill of Rights.”

“Well, they tried to disarm our people earlier today,” Malcolm said, “and now there’s a fire fight over this issue going on at an RV Park in Grand Junction.”

“Wonder why that’s not on the news?” Ted asked.

“We need to get on the internet message boards,” Malcolm said. “It’s the only place the establishment doesn’t control at this point. I’ll go grab my laptop. It’s in my Jeep.”

Malcolm rushed out the door. Ted looked at Agent Williams.

“You’re against this stuff, I hope,” Ted asked.

“Damn straight,” he said. “Makes this serial killer case seem like a waste of time. I need to go make some phone calls. Need to see how far up the chain in the FBI has become rotten.”

“Be discrete,” Ted said. “You’re one of the good ones. We can’t be losing you. Not at a time like this.”

Agent Williams smiled at him. “Sorry we got off to a rough start. Malcolm isn’t very well liked in certain circles.”

“You know who he’s with, right?”

“I have a sneaking suspicion it’s one of General Walker’s groups. Say nothing about that.”

Ted nodded.

Malcolm rushed back in with his laptop as Agent Williams was leaving. He set it on the table next to the department’s PC, plugged it in, and then moved the Ethernet cable from the department’s PC to the laptop.

“We might want to drop this and go help your friends,” Ted said. “I should say our friends.”

“Yeah, but we need to swing by Uncle Jasper’s RV Park first,” Malcolm said. “We got a friend to save, and a scumbag to dispatch. That RV Park is in the right direction, at least.”

“Wonder where this guy from Akron is?” Ted said. “Been a while. It’s not that damn far.”

“Good question,” Malcolm said. “Bingo! The net is on fire with this UN story. People are getting back into the groups they left after the Islamist battles.”

“Good thing we beat them before the UN got here,” Ted said.

“The Islamists are still in this,” Malcolm said. “Remember the group I told you about in New Mexico?”

“Yeah, but I thought that was the last desperate stand,” Ted said.

“They might be getting ready to link up with the UN,” Malcolm said.

Agent Williams returned with a terrified look on his face.

“What’s wrong?” Malcolm asked.

“This is way worse than you guys think,” he said. He took his FBI badge out of his jacket pocket and tossed it in the trash can.

Chapter 11 – Blue Flames

Frank and Jerry ran towards the office as the gunfire intensified. Clint, Jane, and Jasmine were right behind them. Frank heard some commotion and looked back. There were another twenty people following, all armed. They slowed as they got to the office.

“Boys!” Clint yelled.

“Pa, they got us pinned down,” Jason yelled. “Looks like at least six more vehicles.”

“What happened to the men in the office?”

“We shot all four of them when this started,” Angus said. “Already got a few of them who just showed up too, but they’re hiding behind their vehicles now.”

“Hey, Jerry, still got the mortar in your storage compartment?” Frank asked.

Jerry got a grin on his face. “Yup, and some rounds of Willie Pete too.”

“Good, let’s get it set up.” They rushed to Jerry’s coach and got the mortar, as the others took up positions and fired at the UN vehicles.

Frank’s phone buzzed as they were leaving Jerry’s rig. A text from General Hogan.

“How many and where?”

Frank slipped the phone back into his pocket and helped Jerry rush the mortar and rounds to a position behind the office. Then he crouched and pulled the phone out again.

“6 vehicles entrance of park. First 4 UN guys shot. Setting up mortar.”

He slipped the phone back in his pocket and helped Jerry.

“Standard round first?” Jerry asked.

“Yeah, we’re running a little low on Willie Pete,” Frank said.

They made adjustments and dropped the first round in the tube. It popped, and there was an explosion.

“How close?” Jerry yelled.

“About fifty yards shy, off to the left a little,” Jason shouted.

Jerry made a quick adjustment, and then they dropped another round in. It popped, and then there was a louder explosion.

“Got the vehicles on the right side,” Angus shouted. “Get a little to the left.”

Jane and Jasmine opened up with their M-16s, hitting several UN Peacekeepers who were trying to flee.

“Damn, you ladies can shoot!” Clint said.

“Okay, we’re close enough for the Willie Pete,” Frank said. Jerry nodded and dropped one of those shells in the tube. There was a pop and a loud whoosh.

“Holy shit!” Louis shouted. “They’re all on fire.”

The men shot them as they ran, fire licking off their bodies in the breeze.

“Where the hell did you get those?” Clint asked.

“Long story,” Jasmine said. “Nasty stuff. I hate that smell.”

The guns were silent.

“Pa, should we go check?” Angus asked.

“Sit tight for a few minutes,” Clint yelled.

“Want us to hit the area again?” Jerry shouted.

“Nah, the fire engulfed all the cars,” Clint said.

Several people from the RV spaces walked to the burning vehicles, guns at the ready, eyes darting around.

“Looks like they’re all deader than a doornail, Clint,” shouted one of them.

“Good,” Clint said.

The group came out into the open and scanned for more UN fighters. Jerry and Frank walked over to Clint.

“They’ll keep hitting you guys,” Jerry said.

“Oh, I know,” Clint said. “Went through this before.”

“They weren’t able to push you out of here?” Jane asked.

“We left for a while,” Clint said. “Got too hot. We took it over again, though. Cleaned it up. You should have seen the place. They had heads on spikes.”

“Who’s heads?” Frank asked.

“Townspeople who refused to submit,” Clint said. “We recruited more people and attacked. Surprised them in the dead of night.”

“I’d like to see how many blue helmets we really have in the country,” Frank said. “Probably too much baseless speculation on the internet.”

“Think you can hack your way to some real data?” Jane asked.

“I’m gonna try,” Frank said. “I’ll talk to George, too. His contact in the agency might be able to shed some light on this.”

“The agency?”

“CIA,” Frank said. “Remember those guests I told you about?”

“Yeah, I was gonna ask you about that,” Clint said, leaning against the wall of the office building. “General Hogan passed a comment but then shut up about it.”

“Ever hear of Malcolm Davis?” Frank asked.

“Yeah, he’s that serial killer guy,” Clint said. “Put down Red Dagger, Jason Beckler, and Sadie Evans.”

“Yeah,” Frank said. “Keep this to yourself. He’s with us, along with his friend George Franklin.”

“Why?”

“Our RV Park was the former home base of the Nighthawk Road Killer. Malcolm figured that out and came to visit us.”

“Oh,” Clint said. “He joined up? In the war, that is?”

“Yeah, he and George made a big difference in two ambushes we set up, and in the big battle at Capitol Reef.”

“Do tell,” Clint said. “Maybe that’s all you should tell me about that.”

“Why?” Jerry asked.

“I remember who George is now,” Clint said. “He’s got connections in the government that are gonna be very useful to us. The less people know about him, the better.”

“Good point,” Frank said. “I’m going to go do some internet research. How’s the Wi-Fi here?”

“Good,” Clint said. “Password’s on that map I gave you.”

“Great,” Frank said. “You know where we’ll be. It safe to leave the mortar set up?”

“Sure, I’ll make sure nobody messes with it. Got many rounds left?”

“I got another twenty standard, and five more Willie Pete,” Jerry said. “We’re gonna need a new supply pretty soon.”

“There any back ways into this park?” Jasmine asked.

“There’s fencing, but they’ll get through that pretty fast,” Clint said. “We’ve got sensors and cameras. I’ll make sure it’s all turned on. I’d keep your guns close.”

Jane cringed. “I was hoping we were past this.”

“I know, sweetie,” Frank said, putting his arm around her shoulder.

***

Jeb got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Rosie stirred, watching him hobble in the door. She smiled at him when he came back out.

“You get better and better,” she said. “How feel?”

“Ways to go, but I don’t hurt everywhere anymore,” he said. “When are the kids getting here?”

“Late tomorrow or following morning.”

“Good,” Jeb said. “Can’t wait to get home.”

Rosie’s phone rang. She answered it.

“Mom?”

“Hi, Jasmine, where you?”

“We’re in an RV Park in Grand Junction,” Jasmine said. “How’s things going there?”

“Jeb just walk,” Rosie said. “Look good. Good recovery.”

“Oh, I’m so glad to hear that, mom. Can’t wait to see you.”

“Me too, daughter,” Rosie said.

“Is Jeb awake? Jerry wants to talk to him.”

“Yes, he awake. I hand him phone.”

“Thanks,” Jasmine said.

Rosie rolled her chair closer to Jeb and held out her phone.

“Jerry want to talk,” she said.

“Great,” Jeb said, putting the phone to his ear.

“Jerry?”

“Jeb, how the hell are you?”

“Pretty well, considering,” Jeb said. “I can walk on my own again. Just don’t make me laugh yet.”

“How’s Rosie holding up?”

“She’s been great,” Jeb said.

“Good. You guys hear anything from Charlie about what’s going on now?”

“No,” Jeb said.

“Okay, I’ll tell you, and leave it up to you about Rosie, okay?”

“Go on,” Jeb said.

“The UN is going around the southwest handing out small pox vaccine.”

“Huh?” Jeb said. “Why them?”

“They’re also trying to disarm the population.”

“Oh, really now,” Jeb said. “Sounds like we got some work to do.”

“We just finished off about ten of them in a fire fight in Grand Junction.”

“You bring any extra rifles with you?” Jeb asked.

Rosie looked over at him, alarmed.

“Yeah, Jeb, but you’re going to take it easy until you’re ready, okay?”

“I hear you,” Jeb said. “General Hogan know about this?”

“Yeah,” Jerry said. “I’ll fill you in. We’ll probably be there tomorrow night.”

“You guys safe there?”

“I don’t know,” Jerry said. “We’re with another group organized by General Walker. They heard about us from him. Oh, and they know how to fight. We made short work of the blue helmets. General Hogan told us to kill them whenever we see them.”

“Okay,” Jeb said. “I won’t hide this from Rosie.”

“No problem,” Jerry said. “Keep your eyes open. Regular army still at the hospital?”

“Yeah, and in town,” Jeb said. “Maybe I can chat with the commander.”

“Don’t make any waves,” Jerry said. “We want to get there, pick you up, and get you home safe.”

“Understand,” Jeb said.

“Okay, I’ll put Jasmine back on so she can say goodbye to her mom.”

“Thanks, Jerry. Nice talking with you.”

“Same,” Jerry said.

Jeb handed the phone back to Rosie.

“Mom?” Jasmine asked.

“What Jerry tell Jeb? I worried.”

“It’s okay, mom. He’ll tell you. Take care, and don’t let Jeb rock the boat. We’ll be there tomorrow night.”

“Okay, honey. See you. Protect self.” She ended the call and put the phone on the table next to her.

“Don’t worry, I’ll tell you,” Jeb said.

“Good,” Rosie said. “Daughter always afraid I can’t handle. I can.”

“I know, sweetie. There are UN folks in our country, pretending to be helping with small pox vaccinations.”

“What they really do?”

“They’re trying to disarm citizens,” Jeb said. “The kids are with another group like us.”

“Like us?”

“Organized by General Walker,” Jeb said. “They just killed a bunch of UN guys.”

“Now me worry about Jasmine and Jerry.”

“I know, me too,” Jeb said. “But they’ll be okay. I can feel it. We’ll see them soon.”

“We fight our way home,” Rosie said. “Now I glad they have extra guns.”

“Me too,” Jeb said. “I’m ready to kill more cretins.”

***

Kerry tried to sneak back into the Class C. It was dusk. The rocking of the coach woke Scott. He sat up in bed, and Cindy woke up.

“Night already?” Cindy asked, stretching.

“Yeah,” Scott said. “Hey Kerry, that you?”

“Hi, Scotty,” he said. “I just got back from the pool.”

“You sound happy,” Scott said.

“I met nice girls there,” he said. “You getting up now?”

Scott shimmied his way out of the corner bed, and got dressed.

“You met girls over there, eh?” Scott asked. “Let me guess. One was tall and blonde, the other one shorter with dark hair.”

Kerry’s face lit up. “You met them too?”

“Yeah, they were in the spa with Cindy and me last night,” Scott said. “Cameron and Shannon.”

“I liked them,” Kerry said. “They were nice to me.”

“Good,” Scott said. Cindy got out of bed, buttoning her blouse.

“Kerry met the girls?” Cindy said. “That’s nice.”

“Yes,” Scott said. “Hungry?”

“Famished,” she said. “Probably shouldn’t go to the restaurant again. I peeked out the window. Lots more coaches here now.”

“Thursday night. The three-day weekend folks are showing up,” Scott said.

“Looks like it,” Cindy said. “What do we have to eat?”

“There’s some stuff in the freezer,” Scott said.

“Can I eat the leftover Kraft Dinner?” Kerry asked.

“Of course,” Scott said.

Cindy looked in the freezer. “Tilapia loins,” she said. “I saw some potatoes in the pantry, too.”

“Yeah, brought those from my house in Columbus. We also have some veggies.”

“Great,” she said. “I can work with that.”

“Cook plenty of veggies,” Scott said. “Kerry, I want you to eat some veggies, okay? Kraft Dinner isn’t that good for you by itself.”

“Do I gotta?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Scott said.

“I’ll make them tasty, don’t you worry,” Cindy said, smiling. “Sit down, Scott, and let me take care of this.”

“Okay,” Scott said. He sat in the dinette and watched her work. “This is what turned me.”

“What?” Cindy asked.

“Watching you,” he said.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Don’t know why. I think you leave your bar persona behind.”

She laughed. “You like moms.”

“Well, maybe that’s part of it,” Scott said.

“I didn’t like my mom,” Kerry said. He had a worried look on his face.

“She can never hurt you again, Kerry,” Scott said.

“Mom was a problem?” Cindy asked. “What happened to her?”

“She got killed in that biker thing that Howard and I were involved in,” Scott said.

“Oh,” she said. “Wouldn’t she also be your mom, since you’re brothers?”

“We’re cousins,” Kerry said.

Cindy glanced at Scott, questioning. He shook his head no.

“Kerry, why don’t you get the chairs pulled out of the storage compartment? Set them up under the awning.”

“Okay, Scotty.” He went out the door.

“What’s the story?” Cindy asked quietly.

“My dad raped his mom,” Scott said. “He had self-control issues.”

“Kerry doesn’t know?”

“He’s not going to understand, so I just leave it at cousins instead of half-brothers,” Scott said. “I only found out about this recently.”

“How?”

“She told me,” Scott said.

“Oh,” Cindy said. “Must have been a nice conversation. What are we going to do? Leave tomorrow night?”

“Yeah,” Scott said.

“Still want to snatch Shannon?”

“If we can do it without getting nailed, yeah,” Scott said. “I’m not going to be stupid. I’ve cooled down since last night.”

“Well, if we go to the spa and they show up, maybe we should leave.”

“You don’t want to play the game with her?” Scott asked.

“Oh, I’d love it, but there will be other chances, and it’d be better for us if we were further away.”

“All right,” Scott said. “I’ll try, but no guarantees. I know myself too well.”

Kerry came back in. “I set up all five of the chairs,” he said. “In case Cameron and Shannon come by.”

“They know which coach we’re in?” Scott asked.

“Yeah, they walked me home,” Kerry said.

Scott shot a wicked glance at Cindy.

***

“You just quit the FBI?” Ted asked, after Agent Williams tossed his badge in the trash.

“Not officially. I guess I shouldn’t be so rash,” he said, fishing the badge out and throwing it on the table. “I can’t trust them now. The brass is going along with what the UN is doing.”

“Shredding the Constitution doesn’t bother them?” Malcolm asked.

“They don’t look at it that way,” Agent Williams said. “More like the way we looked at Japanese interment during the war. It’ll just be temporary.”

Malcolm cracked up. “Yeah, whatever,” he said. “It’s been suggested to us that we resist.”

“Who made that suggestion?” Agent Williams said.

Ted held up his hand. “Don’t say anything. This room might be bugged.”

“Let’s go outside and chat,” Malcolm said.

They went out into the parking lot. Agent Weiss and Agent Simone had just pulled in, and were walking towards the door with bags of food.

“Everything okay?” Agent Weiss asked.

“Yeah,” Agent Williams said. “We’re just getting some air. Take the food inside. We’ll be there shortly.”

The two nodded and kept walking towards the door.

“Okay, who are you guys working with?” Agent Williams asked.

“General Hogan,” Malcolm said.

“I had a feeling,” Agent Williams said.

“You know him?” Ted asked.

“Not well, but I knew General Walker, and Hogan was his protégé. He been hiding out with you guys?”

“I didn’t think of it as hiding out originally,” Malcolm said. “Now I’m getting the idea that he’s part of the resistance.”

“He’s wanted,” Agent Williams said. “Hope he’s in a safe place.”

“Well, the enemy knows where he is,” Malcolm said. “At least the Islamist enemy. They blew up his chopper on our front lawn.”

“What do we do now?” Ted asked.

“I’m joining the resistance,” Agent Williams said.

“I’d advise you not to burn your bridges with the bureau until it’s absolutely necessary,” Ted said. “It’s still a good source of information.”

“Agreed,” Agent Williams said.

“You want to join us?” Malcolm asked.

“If you’re with General Hogan, yes,” Agent Williams said.

“What about those two?” Ted asked, nodding towards the police station.

“They’re young career-oriented agents,” Agent Williams said. “They’re good, but they aren’t ready for this. After we get finished with the task at hand, I’ll send them on their way and disappear for a while.”

Malcolm laughed out loud. “Yeah, I can see this. You disappear, and they’ll be folks in the bureau that think I took you out, along with Agent Keith.”

Agent Williams chuckled. “Nah, they aren’t going to think that. I already gave them the evidence on Agent Keith, and we’ve had a team of people going over the house in Columbus. They know you didn’t do it. Even the guys who used to believe Agent Keith.”

“What tipped the scale?” Malcolm asked.

“Same thing that tipped the scale with me,” Agent Williams said. “Agent Keith’s semen in the coed. There’s also the fact that you guys were nowhere near Columbus when the crime went down.”

A car pulled into the parking lot, and a short man, bald, with horn-rimmed glasses hurried out, looking at his watch.

“Hey, you the guy from Akron?” Agent Williams asked. “I’m Special Agent Williams.”

“Yes, yes, I’m Charles Delson,” he said, walking over, hand extended. “You have a badge, right?”

“It’s inside,” Agent Williams said. “C’mon.”

The men walked into station.

“Hey, Ted, you want to let Chief Hanson know that Mr. Delson is here?”

“Sure,” Ted said, walking towards the front desk.

Malcolm, Agent Williams, and Delson went into the office. Agent Simone and Agent Weiss were in the corner wolfing down burgers.

Chief Hanson rushed in with Ted.

“Took you long enough,” Chief Hanson said.

“I know, sorry,” Delson said. “Big roadblock on I-70. Damn UN.”

Agent Williams glanced at Malcolm and Ted. Chief Hanson had a quizzical look on his face.

“What’s the frigging UN doing here?” Chief Hanson asked.

“Helping with small pox vaccinations,” Delson said, “but they were throwing their weight around way too much. A bunch of folks revolted and smashed through their barricades. They were trying to search everybody’s cars. I’d be later if it wasn’t for the folks who fought back.”

Agents Weiss and Simone looked up from their burgers, trying to hear the conversation.

“Those creeps better not try that crap here,” Chief Hanson said. “I’ll call out the frigging riot squad.”

“Exactly the right attitude to have, Chief,” Malcolm said, smiling.

“You making fun of me?” he asked.

“No, I’m deadly serious,” Malcolm said. “Really.”

“Let’s get finished up with Mr. Delson and be on our way,” Ted said.

“I’m probably not going to be much help,” Delson said. “Just bought this business a few years ago. Have a whole string of places. They all had different computer systems. We’re trying to get them all up on a new system, but we haven’t gotten to this place yet.”

“Shall we go over there?” Chief Hanson asked.

“Might as well,” Delson said. “I can at least get us into the office. Maybe there’ll be some notes that’ll tell us where the cop killer’s unit is.”

“That would be nice,” Malcolm said.

“What are you expecting to find, anyway?” Delson asked as they headed for the door.

“Clues to his whereabouts and identity,” Agent Williams said.

“How’s my guy?” Delson asked.

“Drew,” Chief Hanson said. “Still in a coma.”

“Oh, that’s so horrible,” Delson said as they got to the parking lot.

Chapter 12 – Punch It!

Four vehicles pulled into the parking lot at the storage yard. The men met at the office door as Delson fumbled with a large key ring. He got the right key after several tries and opened the door.

“Sorry, folks, haven’t been here since the sale went through,” Delson said. He found the light switch and flipped it on. Malcolm, Chief Hanson, Ted, and Agent Williams followed him inside. Agents Simone and Weiss stayed outside.

“Is that blood on the floor by the back door?” Malcolm asked, pointing.

“That’s where we found Drew,” Chief Hanson said, grim look on his face. “Poor kid never hurt anyone.”

Delson went behind the front counter, looking around the PC monitor and keyboard. “I don’t see any notes lying around,” he said.

“That’s the station wagon from the house, right?” Ted asked, pointing out the window into the yard.

“Yeah, that’s it,” Agent Williams said.

“Wonder if that’s the same space that the Class C was sitting on?” Malcolm asked.

“Looks like it to me,” Chief Hanson said. “We were here a few months ago, due to an altercation over it.”

“Altercation?” Malcolm asked.

“Yeah,” Chief Hanson said. “Cindy took that Class C away from her ex in the divorce. It was his pride and joy. He was here trying to hot wire it. Drew called us.”

“Might have something to do with the beating,” Ted said.

“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Chief Hanson said “This guy was a real hot head. His friends on the force tried to get him hired more than once, but I vetoed it. I was getting ready to revoke his certification for reserve officer. Wish I wouldn’t have dragged my feet on that.”

“Why did you?” Agent William asked.

“The war,” Chief Hanson said. “We didn’t know how bad it would get. I figured we should keep all the resources we could. The jerk could shoot pretty well.”

“Understandable,” Malcolm said. “Think there’s a cross reference between RV spaces and units?”

“Yes, because it drives a discount,” Delson said. “The problem will be logging onto the system.” He hit the spacebar.

“Shit,” Agent Williams said, looking at the screen lock. “Look in the drawers. Maybe the password is written down somewhere.”

“On it,” Delson said, opening drawers and picking through them.

“Mind if we walk around?” Malcolm asked. “Maybe he left a hand truck lying around or something.”

“Go ahead,” Delson said, “but I’ll need more than just proximity to cut off any padlocks. I could get sued big time. Not going there.”

“Okay,” Agent Williams said. “Let’s go.” He followed Malcolm and Ted into the yard, as Chief Hanson and Delson searched the office.

“Let’s take a look at the wagon,” Malcolm said. “Maybe he left something behind.”

They walked over to it. “This thing is in pretty good shape for a mid-80s station wagon,” Ted said.

“Scott got it with the house,” Agent Williams said. “Belonged to the old lady who died there. Probably sat in the garage for years.”

Malcolm tried the tailgate. “Locked.”

“Go in through the windshield,” Ted said.

“You mean break it?” Malcolm asked.

“Oh, it’s already broken,” Agent Williams said. “We think the ex-husband broke it when he went to Cindy’s house.”

Ted knocked glass away from the driver’s side edge and reached in to pull on the door handle. He got to it, barely. The door opened, the dome light coming on.

“Got it,” he said. “Have to crawl around to get the other doors. This thing doesn’t have power locks.”

“Wait!” Malcolm said. “We need to shine some good light in here before we crawl around.”

“Yeah, Malcolm, you’re right,” Agent Williams said. “I’ll go see if they have a decent flashlight in the office.”

“We can get started with our cell phone lights,” Malcolm said, pulling his out and switching it on. He peered into the driver’s side window as he shined it inside. “Look, slip of paper next to the driver’s seat.” He reached in for it. “Address.”

Agent Williams ran back out with two large flashlights. “Find something?”

“Slip of paper,” Malcolm said. He handed it to Agent Williams.

“That’s Cindy’s address,” he said.

“Oh,” Malcolm said. He looked back in. “Nothing else in the front.” He reached for the rear door’s lock and pulled it up, then backed out of the driver’s seat.

Ted opened the door and pointed a flashlight in. “Looks clean. I’ll get the passenger side door unlocked.” He shimmied in and pulled up the door lock. Agent Williams rushed over and opened the door. Something fell out onto the ground.

“What’s that?” Malcolm asked.

“Pop-tart wrapper,” Agent Williams said. He smelled it. “Recent.”

“Back seat looks pretty clean,” Malcolm said. He got on the seat and looked in the back. “Hold it!”

“See something?”

“That looks like blood, see? In the shape of a crate, perhaps?”

“Son of a bitch,” Agent Williams said. “Yeah, close this up. We’ll get the lab guys out here.”

“What are you thinking?” Ted asked. “Another victim?”

“Nah,” Malcolm said. “It’ll be blood from Agent Keith and that parolee who got cut up back at Scott’s house.”

“That’s what I’m thinking,” Agent Williams said. “Easy to check out.” They walked towards the three-story building.

“If they stopped the crate in front of a storage door, we might have something,” Malcolm said.

“Yeah,” Agent Williams said. “If the blood matches. I texted Simone and Weiss. They’re lining up the lab guys now.”

“Good,” Malcolm said. “We should be careful how we walk in there. Don’t want to disturb any evidence.”

“Right,” Ted said.

They went into the double doors. There were stairs on the right. They walked past those, to an intersection with the main hallway. Metal rollup doors populated both walls, to the right and left of the entry hallway.

“Look, there’s a hand truck,” Agent Williams said, pointing to the right. They walked over slowly, looking at the floor in front of them and the hand truck.

“Don’t see traces on this,” Malcolm said.

“Elevator,” Ted said. “Shall we?”

Malcolm nodded and pushed the button. The whir of the elevator motor started as the cab approached. The doors slid open. Malcolm stuck his foot in front of the door, and they shined all of their lights in.

“Looks like more residue,” Ted said, squatting in front of the door.

“Don’t go in,” Malcolm said. “Let the lab guys check it first. Let’s go up the stairs and check at the elevator doors on the next two floors.”

“Yeah, if that’s what we think it is, we just eliminated the first floor,” Agent Williams said.

They walked back towards the incoming hallway and took the stairs.

“Hey, look!” Ted said, pointing at the landing floor for the 2nd story. “Is that a pop-tart wrapper?”

“Holy shit,” Agent Williams said, walking slowly over and squatting. “Sure is.”

“Let’s be careful when we’re walking the halls up here,” Malcolm said.

They went through the door into the access hallway, then onto the main hallway, turning right. They slowed down as they got to the elevator.

“Stop!” Malcolm said.

“What?” Ted asked.

“Look,” he said, pointing at the floor. “Along the wall, there.”

“I see it,” Agent Williams said.

“Doesn’t look like a long stream,” Ted said, creeping towards the elevator. “Oh, wait, there’s another bit of it.”

Malcolm and Agent Williams approached, looking down.

“Yeah, I think you’re right,” Malcolm said, squatting to get a closer look.

“More here by the elevator,” Agent Williams said. “Looks like he used a dolly instead of that big hand truck.”

“The dolly’s probably in his unit,” Malcolm said. “The traces are intermittent. Hard to tell which unit it is from these.”

“Luminol,” Ted said. “We can use that. It’ll detect traces we can’t see.”

“The lab guys will have some,” Agent Williams said. “Let’s try to follow it down the hall, but go slowly. Tread lightly.”

They turned and walked back towards where they found the spot against the wall.

“Wonder how many residents have been here since the event?” Malcolm asked.

“Could they get in without an attendant?” Ted asked.

“Yeah,” Malcolm said. “The sign said 24 hour access. I’ll bet they can get in with a card or a code through that gate up front.”

“Oh,” Ted said. “Yeah, makes sense.”

“I’m not seeing any more traces,” Agent Williams said.

Ted went backwards, to the spot. “Closest unit is 210.”

“Noted,” Malcolm said, punching it into the notes app on his phone.

“We might as well go back to the office,” Agent Williams said.

“How long until the lab guys get here?” Ted asked.

“Not long,” he replied.

They went slowly back to the stairs, speeding up after they got outside. When they got back to the office, Delson and Chief Hanson were leaning against the front counter.

“Any luck?” Agent Williams asked.

“No,” Delson said. “You?”

“Yeah, we found traces of blood in the back of that station wagon and in the building,” Agent Williams said.

“Where in the building?” Chief Hanson asked.

“In the elevator and on the second floor,” Agent Williams said.

“Well, at least we have it narrowed down to the floor,” Chief Hanson said. “How many units on the second floor?”

“Hundred and sixty,” Delson said.

“Shit,” Ted said. “That’s a lot.”

Headlights shined into the office as a black SUV parked in the lot.

“Who’s that?” Delson asked.

“FBI lab boys,” Agent Williams said. “I want them to check out the blood spots in the station wagon and in the building, to make sure they match.”

“We suspect that it’ll match blood at Scott’s house,” Ted said. “Be nice to know.”

“They can use luminol to pinpoint our unit,” Chief Hanson said.

“Hopefully,” Agent Williams said.

The door opened, and two men in white lab coats walked in with plastic equipment boxes. “Agent Williams?” the first one asked.

“Right here, gentlemen,” Agent Williams said. “Thanks for making the trip so late. Follow me.” He led them out to the station wagon. Ted and Malcolm followed.

***

It was dark, the Colorado night air settling over the park like a cool sheet. Frank and Jane were both sitting at the dinette, laptops open, on either side of the table. Mr. Wonderful sauntered over and sat on the bench next to Frank, purring and rubbing against him. Lucy noticed and pranced over, getting on her hind legs and looking at Jane.

“All right, girl, come on up,” Jane said, sliding further toward the wall to make room. Lucy jumped up and put her head on Jane’s leg as she continued to focus on the screen.

“Seeing anything?” Frank asked.

“I haven’t gotten past the conspiracy pages yet,” Jane said. “Looks to me like somebody is censoring this. There’s nothing from the mainstream sources, and we know a lot of people have witnessed the UN by now.”

“Maybe we’re in one of the few places the UN is operating,” Frank said.

“You think we’re safe here?” Jane asked.

“No. I’m going call George now. Ask him to get with Sam Hinton. Then maybe we should sleep in shifts, in case we have to leave in the dead of night.”

“It’s almost nine now,” June said. “Ever hear back from General Hogan?”

“No,” Frank said. “It’s been a few hours. Another reason to call.”

“If anything really bad has happened, we would have gotten a call from somebody,” Jane said.

“I hope so,” Frank said. He pulled out his cellphone and hit George’s contact, then frowned.

“What’s the matter?” Jane asked.

“No answer,” Frank said. “Went straight to voice mail. I’m afraid to leave a message.”

“Try General Hogan.”

“Yeah,” Frank said. He punched that contact and waited until it went to voice mail.

“Oh, no,” Jane said. “Can’t get him, either?”

“Nope. Could be the cell tower, you know. They had some weather this morning.”

“Wish we still had army radios,” Jane said.

“I know, me too,” Frank said.

“Apps still work?” Jane asked.

Frank loaded it and looked. “Yeah, still working. Still seeing the icons in the detention areas.”

“Looks like the long-range detail app is still working too,” Jane said, staring at her laptop screen.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Frank got up, sending Mr. Wonderful scurrying away. He looked out the window. “It’s Jerry,” he said as he opened the door.

“Sorry to bother you so late,” Jerry said. “I can’t reach the park.”

“Neither can we,” Frank said. “Seems like a cell tower issue to me.”

“Yeah,” Jerry said. “Jasmine’s on the phone with Rosie right now. No problems getting there, at least.”

“I’ll try Gabe,” Frank said. He punched his contact and put it on speaker.

“Frank,” Gabe said. “Was just going to call. Can you reach the RV Park?”

“Nope,” Frank said. “That’s why I’m calling.”

“Crap,” Gabe said. “Hope everything’s okay.”

“You and me both,” Frank said. “You’re on speaker. Jane and Jerry are in here.”

“And Jasmine,” she said as she walked in. “No dice?”

“Nope, honey,” Jerry said.

“What do we do?” Gabe asked.

“I don’t know,” Frank said. “Where are you guys?”

“We’re at a park just west of Indianapolis, waiting on Malcolm and Ted,” Gabe said.

“What are they doing?” Jerry said.

“They’re checking out that storage yard with the FBI,” Gabe said.

“I’ll see if I can conference Malcolm in,” Frank said. He picked up his phone and set it up. It rang.

“Frank? Something wrong?”

“I’ve got you on a conference call with Gabe. Jerry, Jasmine, and Jane are with me in my coach, on speaker.”

“Uh oh, what’s going on?” Malcolm asked.

“None of us can raise anybody at home.”

“Shit,” Malcolm said. “For how long?”

“Well, I talked to General Hogan early in the evening, while the fire-fight with the UN was going on.”

“You guys got into it with the UN?” Malcolm asked. Delson shot a worried glance at him.

“Yeah, at an RV Park in Grand Junction,” Frank said.

“I take it you won,” Malcolm asked.

“Yeah, with the help of about thirty others there. Another group like ours, organized by General Walker.”

“Wow,” Malcolm said. “George said he thought there were others.”

“We’re not sure what to do. You have an alternate way to get to George?”

“I can have Ted put something in his secure drop box, but he won’t get it without cell coverage,” Malcolm said. “Wonder if the whole town is down, or just the RV Park.”

“Now that Howard’s gone, we don’t know anybody there,” Frank said.

“Yes we do,” Gabe said. “Just a minute. Let me put it on speaker.”

“Okay,” Frank said.

“Still hear me?” Gabe asked.

“Yeah,” Frank said. “You were saying?”

“Hey, Dobie, you have the number for that RV shop you got your hitch installed at?”

“Yeah,” Dobie said. “It’s gonna be closed now, though. It’s late.”

“Was it a land line?” Malcolm asked.

“Yeah,” Dobie said. “See your point. I’ll call right now and see if it rings.”

“He’s trying now,” Dobie said.

“There’s a better number to call,” Malcolm said. “I’ll have Ted call the local police. He called them before we attacked Sherry in town. Somebody will be at the police station, I’m sure.”

“Yeah, you do that,” Frank said.

There was silence on the line for a few moments.

“I’m getting a ringing phone at the RV store,” Dobie said. “Went to voicemail after about ten rings. I’d say the land lines are up, at least.”

“Don’t like the sound of this,” Jane said.

“Hey, folks,” Malcolm said. “Ted got the police station. They said cellphone service is up and running in town.”

“Somebody targeted the tower close to the park,” Jerry said. “Had to be on purpose.”

“How far are you guys from home?” Gabe asked.

“On it,” Jane said, typing on her laptop. “Crap. About eight hours.”

“We’re 14 hours away,” Dobie said. “Dammit.”

“What do we do?” Jasmine asked.

“Ted can ask the local cops to do a drive by,” Malcolm said.

“Our folks are liable to blast them,” Gabe said. “We can’t get word to them ahead of time.”

“I’ll get on a satellite,” Frank said. “Gonna be tough after dark, though.”

“Yeah, Frank, you do that,” Malcolm said. “Gabe, I’m coming, and we’ll start home, okay?”

“Sure that’s not rushing things a little bit?” Frank said.

“My best friend in the world is at that park,” Malcolm said. “I have to go.”

“We’ll be ready when you get here,” Gabe said. “Get on I-70 west, then take Route 36 south. I’ll call you back when you’re on the road.”

“Okay, thanks,” Malcolm said. “I’m signing off.”

“Watch out for the UN,” Jerry said.

“Will do,” Malcolm said. “Bye.”

“Should we leave too?” Jane asked.

“We’re closer,” Frank said. “I say yes.”

“Maybe Jasmine and I ought to take off tonight and get Jeb and Rosie,” Jerry said.

“Yes, you guys do that,” Frank said. “You okay to do the drive without sleeping first?”

“I’m not falling asleep anytime soon,” Jasmine said. “C’mon, Jerry, let’s get out of here.”

“Okay,” Frank said. “I’ll go get us unhooked, honey.”

“Good, I’ll get things stowed in here, and take Lucy out.”

“We’ll see you soon,” Gabe said. “Signing off.”

Frank picked up his phone as Jasmine and Jerry rushed out of the coach. He unhooked the utilities.

“Frank, maybe you ought to touch base with Clint,” Jane said out the window.

“Good idea,” he said. He trotted over to the office. Clint ran out to meet him.

“You see it?” Clint asked. “We need to clear out now.”

“No, what?”

“There’s a bunch of UN troops in Durango,” he said, out of breath. “They’re headed this way.”

“Son of a bitch,” Frank said. “We’re leaving. Jerry and Jasmine are heading to Utah to pick up Jeb and Rosie. We’re heading for our RV Park in Kansas.”

“Why?” Clint asked.

“We can’t reach them all of a sudden,” Frank said.

“Where is it?” Clint asked.

“Outside of Sharon Springs.”

“Want some company?”

“Hell yeah,” Frank said, “but we’re leaving now. That number we called to get a space - Is that your cell?”

“No, my cell is 555-358-9954.”

Frank punched it in and called him. Clint saved the number in his contacts. They nodded to each other, and ran off in opposite directions.

“What’s the matter, Frank?” Jane asked as he got behind the wheel in a panic.

“Clint was on his way to us,” he said. “There’s a whole mess of UN troops headed up here from Durango. The folks at this park are leaving too. I told them they could go to our park.”

“Good,” she said. “Let’s punch it.”

Frank started the engine and drove towards the gate. Jerry fell in behind them. By the time they got to the highway, Frank could see a long line of RVs in his rear view mirror. Frank got on the eastbound side, Jerry on the westbound.

Chapter 13 – Race Homeward

Malcolm put his phone back in his pocket, and looked at Ted.

“Bad?” Ted asked.

“I got to go,” he said. “You want to stay with these guys or go with me?”

“Go where?” Agent Williams asked.

“We can’t reach the RV Park in Kansas,” Malcolm said. “Something’s wrong, and my friends are there. They need me. I’m taking off.”

“Tell you what,” Ted said. “I’ll stay with these guys for now, and then see if we can hit the park in western Missouri. Scott will probably be gone by the time we get there, but maybe we’ll luck out and nail him. You take off, but keep in touch. I’ll rejoin you as soon as I can.”

“What about your car? Gabe’s driving it.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll handle that problem,” Agent Williams said. “You go ahead. Call me if you need anything.”

“What the hell is going on here?” Chief Hanson asked, as Delson looked them over.

“Can you guys keep a secret?” Malcolm asked.

“You sure you want to do that, Malcolm?” Ted asked.

“Yeah, I trust these guys,” Malcolm said. “I can trust you, right?”

“Yes,” Delson said.

“Yeah,” Chief Hanson said. “C’mon, spill.”

“You heard about the group in the southwest who took the enemy at Capitol Reef?”

Chief Hanson’s eyes got big. “Those are the guys that came up with the apps, right? You with them?”

“I’m a more recent member, but yeah,” Malcolm said. “They might be in trouble. I need to get back to them.”

“Those guys are patriots,” Chief Hanson said, eyes welling with tears. “You need anything from me, you just say the word.”

“Thanks,” he said. “You’ve got the right idea already. Resist the UN. Fight the enemy. Question the edicts coming out of DC.”

“I know a lot of like-minded police chiefs. Even some in the bigger cities,” Chief Hanson said. “I’ll get on the horn with them about the UN.”

“That’s why I wanted to tell you,” Malcolm said, a twinkle in his eyes. “We’ll meet again. Take care. Ted and Agent Williams, you take care also. Let me know what you find out. See you soon.”

Malcolm rushed out of the office, hopped into his Jeep Unlimited, and roared away.

Agent Simone came into the office. “Hey, Agent Williams, Malcolm just took off like a bat out of hell,” he said. “Weiss and I just watched him. What’s going on?”

“Trouble at home,” Agent Williams said. “I’ll tell you about it later. Let’s get this wrapped up as quick as we can, okay?”

“Okay,” Agent Simone replied. “We’ll go help the techs.”

“Good,” Agent Williams said.

***

“This reminds me of the early days,” Jane said, looking in the passenger side rear view mirror. “Look at that line of coaches behind us.”

“Seriously,” Frank said. “Hope we get far enough ahead of the UN forces before they realize we’ve left.”

Frank’s phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered it.

“Frank?” Clint asked.

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Just wanted to touch base. Everybody got out of the park okay, and we have our semi-truck at the rear, right in back of my coach.”

“Semi-truck?”

“Yeah, Frank. It’s heavily armored in back, with a gate that goes half way up. We’ve got a .50 cal in the back. If an enemy comes up behind us, they ain’t gonna have a good day.”

“Sounds great, just hope we don’t have to use it. If those guys have access to real-time satellite imagery or drones, they’ll probably try to cut us off from the front or the side.”

“Think they have that?”

“Yeah, there’s a pretty good chance,” Frank said. “Hope we’ve got a good enough lead on them.”

“Well, I’ll watch the back,” Clint said. “Talk to you later.”

“Okay, thanks,” Frank said.

“What was that all about?” Jane asked. “They got some kind of battle wagon at the end of the line?”

“Yeah, an armored semi with a .50 cal in the back,” Frank said. “If we have to use that, we’re probably toast.”

“Wonder if the UN has choppers?”

“They might,” Frank said. “Love to know how the US armed forces feels about this.”

“I guess that’s the real question,” Jane said. “If we’ve lost them, this will be bloody.”

Frank’s phone rang again. He answered it.

“Is this Frank?”

“Yeah,” Frank said. “Who’s this?”

“Sam Hinton.”

“Oh, hello,” Frank said. “Can’t get ahold of George, I’ll bet.”

“No, I can’t,” he said. “You know what’s going on?”

“We can’t reach them either, so we’re on our way back home.”

“You aren’t in Kansas?”

“No, we were on our way to Utah to pick up a wounded friend from the hospital. When we couldn’t raise anybody at home, we decided to head back.”

“Good. If I send somebody in there to take a look, you think they’ll get shot at?”

“Yeah,” Frank said. “So be careful. You know General Hogan?”

“Of course,” he said.

“Think his Humvee has a military radio in it?”

“Probably,” he said. “Good thinking. I’ll get on that.”

“Good,” Frank said. “What’s going on with the UN? We’re running from them now.”

“Shoot them on sight. We’ve already arrested most of the officials who allowed them in.”

“Is the army going to get involved?” Frank asked.

“The army is tied up in southern Arizona and western New Mexico,” Sam said. “There are a lot of Islamist fighters still on the loose, and they’re using shielded vehicles. It’s not working well for them, though. Most of them have fled into eastern New Mexico.”

“I know, Carlsbad Caverns,” Frank said.

“Oh, you know about that?”

“Yeah, we’ve been able to see them. They can’t keep hidden every second, so I’ve been recording snapshots with my detail view app whenever a hit is detected.”

“Good,” Sam said. “I’d better get going. I want to try that radio idea.”

“Okay, let me know,” Frank said.

“Will do. Take care.”

“That was George’s guardian angel, wasn’t it?” Jane asked.

“Yeah, Sam Hinton,” Frank said. “He’ll try the military radio in the general’s Humvee.”

“Good,” Jane said. “Hope it works.”

“Shit, look over there!” Frank said. “Way down in that valley, coming on Route 82.”

“Oh, no,” Jane said. “How far away is that?”

“A few miles, but they’re coming fast. Call Clint,” he said, handing the phone over to her. “Recent calls, next to last one.”

Jane took his phone and hit Clint’s number.

“Clint? This is Jane. We see blue vehicles heading towards I-70 from route 82.”

“Oh, shit,” Clint said. “You gonna get past it before they get on?”

“Barely, but we won’t all get past them,” Jane said.

“We’ll try to tighten up the ranks so they can’t get on in front of the semi,” Clint said. “I’ll call up my folks and let them know.” He ended the call, and Jane sat the phone on the console.

Frank stepped on it, speeding up to about 70 mph.

“Sure you want to speed up?” Jane asked. “Clint’s going to try to tighten up the convoy so they can’t get on in front of that semi.”

“Good idea,” Frank said, slowing back down to about 60 mph. “Look, they’re already tightening up.”

“Yeah, I see,” Jane said. “Should I get the guns up here?”

“Yeah,” Frank said. “I still have a few grenades too. Grab those, but be careful.”

“All right,” she said, getting up and moving to the back of the coach.

Frank glanced back at the string of coaches again. “Wow, everybody’s close. Almost too close.”

“Good,” Jane said, coming back up front with her M-16 and Frank’s Winchester. “You got your handgun up here already, right?”

“Yeah, in the map pocket,” Frank said. “Loaded and ready to go.”

“Good,” Jane said, strapping herself in. “Glad there’s no traffic. Can’t see the UN guys now.”

“They’re around a bend.”

“Oh,” Jane said.

“There they are!” Frank shouted as they drove past the ramp from Route 82.

“Whoa, one of them is coming on, trying to force over the coach about four behind us!” Jane shouted. “Ouch!”

“Ran him off the road!” Frank said, laughing.

“Shit, hear that?” Jane asked, as the crack of gunfire started behind them.

“I see rifles sticking out of the side windows,” Frank said. “We’re shooting back. Hope the enemy doesn’t disable any coaches.”

“Somebody in one of the UN vehicles has an RPG!” Jane shouted.

“Yes! Got him!” Frank shouted back, as he saw the man with the RPG hit in the chest, the round firing straight up into the air. It came down next to another UN vehicle and blew up.

“Bullseye!” Jane said, her head out the side window looking. “They’re still trying to get on.”

“Pull your head in! I don’t want anybody shooting you.”

“Okay,” Jane said, getting back in. “The end of our convoy has almost cleared that ramp.”

“Yeah, then the real fight will begin,” Frank said. “If they get past that semi, we’re in trouble.”

“I know, Frank,” Jane said.

“We’re past,” Frank said. “I see the UN vehicles flooding onto the road now.”

“Here it comes!” Jane shouted.

They heard the .50 cal open up.

“Wow, they got the first couple of vehicles,” Frank shouted, looking in his mirrors. “Good – several vehicles behind them plowed into the wreckage. We’ve got a big pileup back there.”

“Perfect,” Jane said.

Frank’s phone rang. Jane answered it.

“Frank?”

“No, it’s Jane. Get them all?”

“Most of them in front,” Clint said. “It’ll take them a while to get back on the road, but we’ll probably get hit again before we get to Kansas.”

“Probably,” Jane said. “We’re not out of the woods yet.”

“All right, Jane, you guys take care,” Clint said. He ended the call.

“Didn’t get all of them, did we?” Frank asked.

“No, but enough to bottle them up.”

“You know they’ll call their friends up ahead of us,” Frank said.

“Yeah,” Jane said, fear in her eyes. “We’ve got a long hard road ahead.”

***

Sue was glad the park was filling up now. She still hadn’t heard from Sheriff Branson. Why? Her staff was in tonight running the restaurant, and business had been brisk, but something wasn’t right. There was a nervousness in the air, like she felt when people were fleeing from the Islamists. She took a deep breath and dialed Gabe’s number.

“Gabe?”

“Sue,” Gabe said. “How are you doing?”

“Well, my park is filling up,” she said. “Still haven’t heard from Sheriff Branson, That couple is still here.”

“Malcolm told the FBI about it. I think they’re coming over as soon as they’re done in Indianapolis.”

“Hope they come soon. You sound like you’re on the road.”

“We are,” Gabe said. “Heading back to our home base in a panic.”

“Uh oh, what’s wrong?”

“We can’t raise them on the phone,” Gabe said. “Any of them.”

“You still coming back by here?”

“Yeah, but I doubt if we’ll be stopping. We’ll check with you on the phone, though. Maybe we can stop if he’s still there.”

“How far out are you?” she asked.

“We’re hoping to cross the Mississippi by mid-morning,” Gabe said. “We’re in two cars now. Might not be able to drive much past there before we rest a spell.”

“Okay,” Sue said. “I’ll keep trying Sheriff Branson.”

“If I hear anything, I’ll let you know,” Gabe said. “Malcolm has a direct line to the FBI folks who are doing the investigation at that storage yard.”

“Thanks,” she said. She hung up the phone and walked out into the park. She could still see the small class C, near the pool. The lights were on inside. She saw two girls approach and knock on the door. Oh no. The door opened and a teenaged boy came out. Something wasn’t right about the way he moved. He looked slow. Sue walked towards the pool area to get a closer look. She recognized the girls as she got closer. They came in with the big diesel pusher the night before. The three were sitting in chairs next to the coach, talking. She was walking by the spa when she heard a soft murmur. She whirled around.

“Sue!” said a voice out of the darkness. “Not cooking tonight?”

She stared until she could make out the couple. Scott and his woman. A shudder went through her.

“Everything okay, honey?” asked Cindy. “We didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Oh, sorry,” she said. “I was just making the rounds. We’ve got a light out over the spa. It’s hard to see who’s here.”

“I think you ought to leave it this way,” Scott said with a chuckle.

“Can’t, it’s an insurance issue,” she said. “It’ll be fixed next week.”

“You’re staff is here tonight?” Scott asked.

“Yes, everybody’s here. The kitchen’s fully staffed if you’re interested in a meal. It’ll be better than what I made you. I’m no chef.”

“On the contrary, those were superb burgers you made us,” Scott said, piling on the phony charm. “If you’re off, perhaps you’d like to join us in here.”

“No, thanks,” she said. “I’ve got to finish my rounds. Have fun, you two.”

“Good night,” Cindy said.

Sue glanced back and saw the two talking to each other as they eyed her. They’re on to me.

She walked around the rest of the park, keeping one eye over at the spa area, then headed back to the office. The night person was manning the desk.

“Eddie, I’ve got an emergency,” she said. “Got to leave for a while. Can you stay on late?” She watched him for reaction. He was in his late teens, lanky with dark hair and glasses.

“What’s late?” he asked.

“Late tomorrow,” Sue said. “You can sleep on the cot in the back after eleven tonight, but you’ll have to be up by 6:30 tomorrow morning.”

“For how much?” he asked.

“Double time, including the hours you sleep?” she asked.

“Make it triple and it’s a deal,” he said.

She thought about it for a moment. “Okay, deal. Thanks, Eddie.”

“Thank you,” he said, grinning.

Sue ran into her residence next to the office, threw some clothes and her toiletries into a bag, and trotted out to her car. Her heart was pounding as she turned the key. The engine turned over and stalled. Shit. She tried again, and the engine started. She drove to the gate, checking her rear view mirror as she went. Was that Scott and Cindy walking towards the office? She hit the gas a little too hard, her tires squealing as she shot onto the road.

***

Jerry was behind the wheel of the big diesel pusher, Jasmine asleep in the passenger seat. She woke with a start, looking around, disoriented.

“Hey, sleepy head,” Jerry said.

“Bad dreams,” Jasmine said. She picked up her phone and looked at the map app. “We’re almost there. Two more off-ramps.”

“Good,” Jerry said. “Don’t think I’ve ever pushed this rig so hard. Hope they’re ready to go when we get there.”

“It’ll take a while to get him out of there.”

“Why?” Jerry asked.

“You know how hospitals are. They’ll want to go through the usual steps to release Jeb,” Jasmine said. “You’ve been through that before, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Jerry said. “It’s almost light.”

“You tired?”

“Not as bad as I expected,” Jerry said, “but I’m glad you got a little shut-eye.”

“Me too,” she said. “Maybe you should lay off the coffee when we get there, so you can sleep after we leave.”

“I’ll try,” Jerry said. “When I smell it, I might not be able to resist.”

“There’s less traffic than I expected,” Jasmine said. “Look down there. The streets are dead.”

“I know, it’s pretty creepy,” Jerry said. “Hope everything is okay. When’s the last time you talked to your mom?”

“When we were leaving the park in Grand Junction.”

“That’s quite a while ago,” Jerry said, his heart beating harder.

“I know, but we’re almost there,” Jasmine said.

“There’s the off-ramp,” Jerry said. In a few minutes he was driving down to the surface streets of the little town.

“Something’s wrong,” Jasmine said. “Look at that smoke over there.”

“No,” Jerry said. “Look!” he pointed out the front windshield.

“That’s a Humvee,” she said. “On its side.”

“There’s bodies around it,” Jerry said. “How far to the hospital?”

“Not far,” she said. “Keep going on this road. Another two miles.”

“Where is everybody?”

“I don’t know,” Jasmine said, looking around, eyes glassy.

“I can see the hospital now. Look, there’s pockmarks on the side. It’s been attacked.”

“Another Humvee,” Jasmine said. “Looks like it was blown up.”

“Shit,” Jerry said. “Wonder if it’s safe to pull this thing into the hospital parking lot?”

“You want to park on a side street and walk in?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Jerry said. “You okay with that?”

“Yes,” she said. “Oh, my God, look at that!”

“Son of a bitch,” Jerry said. “Heads on spikes again. Dammit.”

“I can’t look,” Jasmine said. “What if it’s mom and Jeb?”

“I’ll look,” he said, turning down a side street just past the hospital. “I’ll park under those trees there. Get the guns out.”

Jasmine got out of her seat and went in back as Jerry parked.

“Where are all the townspeople?” Jerry asked. “There’s nobody around.”

“From what mom said, there weren’t many left when they got here,” Jasmine said, handing the AK-47 to Jerry. “Need to get more ammo out of the storage compartment. I only have about fifteen rounds for the M-16.”

“Okay,” Jerry said.

They got the ammo and headed down the side street, towards the back of the hospital.

“There’s not going to be anybody alive,” Jasmine said, her voice trembling.

They walked through the parking lot, littered with bodies and burned vehicles.

“Stay here while I go check those heads,” Jerry said.

Jasmine nodded, as Jerry trotted over to the grass mound in front of the parking lot.

He ran back over to her. “Nope, they aren’t there,” he said, putting his hand around her shoulder. “Looks like army men.”

“C’mon, let’s go inside,” she said.

“You know what room they were in?”

“Yeah, mom texted it to me. 316.”

They went into the lobby. The reception woman was lying face down over the counter, the back of her head blown off. Jasmine sucked in air as she saw it.

“Friggin animals,” Jerry said. They moved quickly towards the elevators, looking in every direction, gun barrels following their eyes.

“We aren’t taking that,” Jerry said, looking at the elevator doors. They were held open by several bodies. Looked like doctors and nurses, their scrubs bloody and torn.

“Stairs,” Jasmine said. “Down about twenty yards.”

They trotted to them. “Looks okay,” Jerry said as he opened the door. They took the three flights of stairs and looked out the small window in the door. The nurse’s station was down the hall to the left. There were two dead nurses there, by the walkway into the hall.

“Dammit,” Jerry said. “They killed everybody here.”

They found room 316 and rushed in. The bed was empty, EKG wires strewn over it. Rosie’s bag sat next to a chair in the corner.

“What’s that?” Jasmine asked, pointing to a piece of paper on the bed.

“It’s a note,” Jerry said, picking it up and reading it aloud. “We’ll trade Jeb and Rosie for Frank Johnson, George Franklin, and General Hogan. Call this number. If you don’t agree, we’ll take all of you. See you soon. Signed Daan Mertins.”

Chapter 14 – Hotel Horror

“Oh, no,” Jasmine said, crying. Jerry was looking around in all directions, expecting somebody to rush them. There was nobody around.

“I need to call Frank,” Jerry said. “But let’s get back on the road first.”

“Where will we go?”

“I don’t know,” Jerry said, his heart pounding in his chest. “They found out where Jeb was, and they know George and General Hogan are with the group. Now the cell tower near the RV Park is down, so they know where the rest of the group is. Why’d they bother with this?”

“Maybe it’s a trap,” Jasmine said, glancing around. She rushed to the window and looked for movement in the parking lot. Nothing.

“Let’s get out of here,” Jerry said, folding the note and putting it in his pocket.

Jasmine nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. They ran out into the hallway and down the stairs, only slowing when they got into the parking lot.

“Stay sharp,” Jerry said, crouching, scanning the area, finger on the trigger. Jasmine followed, eyes darting around. When they got off the parking lot, they took off running again, down the side street to their rig. The area was still deserted. They unlocked the door in a panic.

“I’ll drive,” Jasmine said. “Where to?”

“Get on I-15 and head for I-70,” Jerry said. “Big roads only.”

Jasmine got into the driver’s seat and fired up the engine. “What if we run into another UN roadblock?” she asked as she pulled away from the curb.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

***

Frank and Jane were at the front of the caravan as the sun came up. They were still on I-70, making good time, almost to Denver. It had been a long night, and Frank was exhausted.

“We need to stop for gas,” Frank said. Jane had been dozing. She snapped awake and looked at him, disoriented and teary.

“Sorry,” she said.

“I’m glad you slept,” Frank said. “I’m about done. You’ll need to take over.”

“Did you say we need gas?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Frank said. “Could you call Clint and let him know?”

“Okay,” she said, picking up her phone. She hit the contact.

“Clint?”

“Hi, Jane,” he said. “Need to stop? Some of us need gas. I was just about to call.”

“Yeah,” Jane said. “Denver’s coming up. Maybe we can hit a truck stop on the way into town.”

“Suits me,” Clint said. “I’ll pass the word.”

“Okay, see you soon.” Jane put her phone in her lap for a minute. Lucy came over, looking up at her, tail wagging. “She needs to go out.”

“Find us a nice big truck stop, okay, sweetie?”

“On it,” Jane said, picking her phone back up. She searched for a moment. “Lakewood,” she said. “Get off there. There’s a huge truck stop right off the interstate.”

“Good,” Frank said. “How many miles?”

“Just under ten,” she said, putting her phone down.

They rode along silently for a few minutes, the traffic building up as they approached the Denver suburbs.

“Rush hour,” Jane said.

“Yeah,” Frank said, looking weary. His phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket. “It’s Jerry.”

“Frank!”

“Jerry, you all right? You sound out of breath.”

“The hospital was hit,” he said. Frank’s eyes narrowed. Jane saw it and locked eyes with him.

“Jeb and Rosie?” Frank asked.

“They were both gone, but there was a note on Jeb’s bed.”

“What did it say?” Frank asked.

“It was from Daan Mertins. He said they have Jeb and Rosie, and want to trade them for you, George, and General Hogan.”

“Shit,” Frank said, heart pounding. “Any contact info?”

“Yeah, a phone number,” Jerry said.

“You guys still there?”

“No, we took off,” Jerry said. “The hospital was hit by Islamists. There were heads on spikes again, and dead people all over the place. Inside the hospital and surrounding it. We didn’t see anybody alive there.”

“Dammit,” Frank said. His phone beeped.

“Call coming in?” Jerry asked.

“Yeah, Sam Hinton. I’ll conference him in.” Frank struggled with his phone while trying to drive, but got the conference call up.

“Frank?” Sam asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “Jerry, still on?”

“I’m here,” Jerry said.

“Okay, Sam, you’re conferenced in. Hear something?”

“The radio in the Humvee worked,” Sam said. “I’ve got General Hogan patched in. General?”

“Frank,” General Hogan said. “You guys okay?”

“We’re rushing back to you,” Frank said. “What happened?”

“Somebody took out the cell tower,” he said. “We’ve been on lockdown ever since, but nobody’s hit us yet.”

“Thank God for that,” Frank said. “We’ve got real big problems.”

“I figured,” General Hogan said. “Sam filled me in on the problems with the UN in Grand Junction.”

“They hit us on the road, too,” Frank said.

“You made it, though,” General Hogan said.

“Yeah, thanks to Clint and his group. We’re all on our way there.”

“Good, we could use the additional fire power,” General Hogan said.

“We’ve got another big problem,” Frank said. “Tell them, Jerry.”

“General, the hospital got hit,” Jerry said. “Jasmine and I were just there to pick up Jeb and Rosie.”

“Who attacked? The UN?”

“No, this was classic Islamist,” Jerry said. “Heads on spikes, everybody dead, right down to the old woman at the reception desk.”

“My men?” General Hogan asked, breathing harder.

“Sorry, general. All dead. Some with heads on spikes.”

“Son of a bitch,” General Hogan said hotly. “Jeb and Rosie?”

“They got taken,” Jerry said. “Daan Mertins left a note. He wants to trade Jeb and Rosie for Frank, George, and you.”

“Figures,” General Hogan said. “He leave a number?”

“Yeah, it’s on the note,” Jerry said.

“Where are you guys now?” the general asked.

“A few hours behind Frank and Clint’s group.”

“What’s that number?” General Hogan asked.

“It’s 555-448-1483,” Jerry said. “You gonna call?”

“Not until you guys get back,” General Hogan said. “Where’s Malcolm, Gabe, and Dobie?”

“Last we heard they were on their way to you guys, but they were about twice as far away. They were just west of Indianapolis when I talked to them last.”

“Okay,” General Hogan said. “I’ve got to think this through.”

“You got anybody working on that cell tower?” Frank asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “It wasn’t just that. The internet got cut too. We’re being set up.”

“Jake probably knows how to fix that stuff,” Frank said. “Jerry and Jasmine are better with it, but you guys need it up faster than they’ll be there.”

“Roger that,” the general said. “He’s already working it. He thinks the cell tower will be back up in an hour or so.”

“Good, you guys call us as soon as he pulls that off.”

“Will do,” General Hogan said.

“Don’t forget that nerve gas in the front office,” Frank said. “Use it if you need to.”

“Yeah, we know. Get here as soon as you can. Don’t stop overnight if possible. Drive straight through.”

“That’s the plan,” Frank said. “We’re stopping for gas in about five minutes, but after that we should be non-stop. We’ll be there in about five hours, unless we run into trouble on the road. Tell Charlie and Terry that we’ve got another thirty coaches coming with us, plus one heavily armed semi-truck.”

“Okay,” General Hogan said. “We’ve got lots to talk about when you get here.”

“Keep your eyes open,” Frank said. “George on the roof?”

“Yeah, we’re all on watch.”

“Good, see you soon, general. Thanks, Sam.”

“Don’t mention it,” Sam said. “You won’t get bothered by the UN on the way home. We shut them down in the quadrant you guys are driving through, and they don’t have anybody east of there yet. Worry about the Islamists. They’re getting ready for something big. You guys are liable to be right in the middle of it.”

“Got it, Sam. Thanks. Jerry, you and Jasmine take care. Keep in touch. Often.”

“Will do, Frank,” Jerry said. “Talk to you later.”

Frank put his phone in his pocket just in time to drive down the ramp. He headed straight for the truck stop and pulled up to a pump.

“I’ll take Lucy out,” Jane said. “Okay?”

“Yeah,” Frank said. He left the coach and got the gas flowing, watching the big lineup of rigs flood onto the lot. Clint trotted over to him.

“You guys doing okay?” Clint asked.

“Just heard from General Hogan,” Frank said. “They’re okay, but somebody’s going to hit them. Both their cell tower and their internet connection got cut. On purpose.”

“Son of a bitch,” Clint said. “Glad they’re still alive. How long till we get there?”

“Five hours, give or take. I told them to get ready for another thirty coaches and a heavily armed semi-truck.”

Clint chuckled. “I was against spending time and money on that semi,” Clint said. “I was wrong. Hope we don’t run into more UN.”

“We shouldn’t,” Frank said. “Sam Hinton was on the line. He patched us into General Hogan over an army radio. He said they’ve rounded up the UN folks who were after us.”

“Good news,” Clint said. “Heard of Sam Hinton. Didn’t know he was with us. Seen him on TV more than once.”

“There’s bad news too,” Frank said. “Jeb and Rosie have been snatched. They’re being held for ransom by a guy named Daan Mertins.”

“Shit. Heard of him,” Clint said. “Thought he was holed up in the EU.”

“He was,” Frank said. “He snuck over here with a WTO delegation.”

“Figures,” Clint said. “What does he want for ransom?”

“General Hogan, our friend George Franklin, and me,” Frank said, a smirk on his face.

“Over my dead body,” Clint said.

“Not sure what we’re gonna do about this,” Frank said. “There was a phone number on the note. Jerry gave it to General Hogan. Between him and Sam Hinton, we’ve got two good minds working on it.”

“Good,” Clint said. “My rig’s probably about full. I better get her moved up.”

“Me too,” Frank said, watching the pump numbers whiz by. “Still want us in the lead?”

“Yeah, so we can follow you into the park,” Clint said.

“Okay, I’ll pull this around into the back parking lot and wait for everybody to get done.”

“Good place to stage,” Clint said. “Talk to you soon.”

Frank closed the gas cap and walked to the door of the coach, meeting Jane and Lucy.

“She’s relieved, I’ll bet,” Frank said, squatting to pet her.

“Yeah,” Jane said. “We still gonna be in the lead?”

“Yep,” Frank said. “Sure you’re okay with driving? I’m so full of adrenaline again that I could keep going.”

“No, you’re going to crash,” Jane said. “I’ll take over.”

“Okay, pull in the back and wait. When everybody’s done fueling up, we’ll take off.”

“Sound’s good.”

***

“Agent Williams, we found something,” the lab tech said, rushing in the door of the office. Agent Williams, Ted, and Delson’s heads whipped around.

“What?” Delson asked.

“Luminol showed the blood traces right up to the door of a locker,” he said, trying to catch his breath.

“That might not be enough,” Delson said. “I’ll need to see it.”

“Oh, it’s enough,” the tech said. “There’s some on the padlock, too. The perp got it on his hands.”

“Yes!” Ted said. Agent Williams smiled.

“Okay, show me, and I’ll bring the lock cutter,” Delson said reluctantly. “What number is the unit?”

“Second floor, number 212,” the tech said.

“Okay, let’s go,” Agent Williams said. He looked at Simone and Weiss. “You guys stick around here, okay? If somebody shows up at the gate, flash your badges and tell them to come back later.”

“Okay, Agent Williams,” said Agent Weiss. He glanced at Agent Simone, and they walked out to the front of the storage lot.

“Right this way,” the tech said, leading them to the unit. They took the stairs up to the second floor. When they got to unit 212, the other tech was there with his black light. He switched it on, showing the glow of the blood traces to Delson. He set down the lock cutter and took a closer look.

“Okay, that’s good enough for me,” Delson said. He pulled out his cellphone and took pictures, then picked up the lock cutter and switched it on, the diamond blade spinning at high speed. The men watched as he touched the lock, sending a shower of sparks around the hasp. He was through the metal in seconds. “Careful, it’s gonna be hot.” He shut off the cutter and set it down next to the wall by the door, then carefully pulled the remains of the padlock off of the hasp. Ted and Agent Williams got in the middle of the door and reached down, pulling it up. Delson reached in and turned on the light.

“Just a bunch of junk in front,” Ted said.

“Don’t touch anything, guys,” Agent Williams said. He walked in a little further, and saw the two safes and the crate filled with film cans in the back.

“Bingo,” Ted said, looking around from behind him.

“Yeah, there’s your movies,” Agent Williams said. “We’ll put those in my trunk, and I’ll take them back to headquarters.” He turned to the lab techs. “Dust everything, but do the film cans and the crate first, okay?”

“Yeah,” the first tech said. He nodded to the other, and they brought their kits into the back.

“What about those safes?” Delson asked.

“We’ll get somebody from the bureau out here to open them up,” Agent Williams said. “I’ll put Agent’s Weiss and Simone on that when I take off.”

“Mind if I take pictures in here?” Delson asked. “Before you move anything?”

“Be my guest, just keep your hands off,” Agent Williams said. “Until the lab guys are done, at least. The FBI is going to take control of this locker for a while.”

“I figured,” Delson said. “No problem. I’ll cooperate.”

He entered and took pictures, while Agent Williams and Ted went out, leaning against the opposite wall in the hallway, watching.

“What now?” Ted whispered.

“We’ll take those film cans with us,” Agent Williams whispered back. “After that, I don’t know. You haven’t heard anything back from Malcolm yet, have you?”

“No,” Ted said. “I’ll give him a call. He’ll want to know about the films.”

He pulled his phone out and hit Malcolm’s contact. It rang a couple of times, and Malcolm picked up.

“Ted, what’s up?” Malcolm asked.

“You sound happy,” Ted said.

“I just heard from Frank. George and the rest of the group are okay, for now.”

“Good,” Ted said. “Still going back there?”

“Yeah. Somebody took down their cell tower and internet line,” Malcolm said. “They’re going to get hit, but they’ll get help. Frank and Jane are on their way back too, with another group of partisans.”

“Interesting,” Ted said. “Anything else?”

“Yeah, some bad news. Jeb and Rosie got kidnapped.”

“No,” Ted said. “By who?”

“Long story,” Malcolm said. “What’s happening there?”

“We got into the right locker. As we suspected, the crate full of film cans is there. We’ve got lab techs dusting it now.”

“Good,” Malcolm said. “What are you guys gonna do?”

“When the techs are done, we’ll load the films into Agent Williams’s car, and head back to Kansas.”

“Good,” Malcolm said. “Anything else interesting in the locker?”

“Two safes,” Ted said. “Probably full of money and guns.”

“Probably,” Malcolm said. “We’ll see you soon, Ted. Thanks for letting me know about this.”

“No problem,” Ted said. He ended the call and put the phone in his pocket.

“Malcolm’s friend is okay?” Agent Williams asked.

“For now, yeah, but somebody cut their communications. On purpose. I need to get back there.”

“We’ll be able to take off in an hour or so, I think,” Agent Williams said.

“Still want to go with us?” Ted asked.

“Yeah,” he said.

***

Sue looked out of the window of her hotel room. She was in the largest hotel Grand Junction had to offer, on the sixth floor. She looked out the window every five minutes, expecting to see Scott and Cindy rushing towards the lobby. Her cellphone rang, making her jump. She picked it up and answered it.

“Sue?”

“Eddie? Everything okay at the park?”

“No,” he said. “The cops showed up a few minutes ago. Somebody snatched a young woman from the park. I think they were in the small Class C rig by the pool. The couple from that coach were in here looking for you. They were pissed that you weren’t around. The man scared me. When I couldn’t tell them where you were, they stomped off, but then I saw them coming back. I locked the office doors and hid.”

“They’re gone now?” Sue asked, her heart pounding.

“Yeah,” he said. “They left in a hurry, and then a young girl ran in, saying that her friend was missing. Her parents came over a few minutes later, looking for you. The mom called 911.”

“Good,” Sue said, trying to catch her breath.

“You left because of these guys, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Sue said. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Eddie said. “They probably would have hurt you.”

Sue walked to the door and checked the bolt and the night lock. Then she walked back to the window and looked out over the parking lot and the road beyond it.

“When are you coming back here?” Eddie asked. “Some guy named Gabe called the office twice. He sounded real worried.”

“Oh, yeah,” she said. “What’s his number?”

“Just a sec,” Eddie said. “Shoot, I don’t have it. It was written down on a slip of paper, but I don’t see it now.”

“It’s on a resident slip from several days ago,” Sue said. “Never mind for now, but if he calls back, give him my cell number, okay? And have the police call me when they get into the office.”

“Okay,” Eddie said.

Sue’s eyes got wide as she looked out the window. “Oh no!” she cried, her voice trembling. “They’re down in the parking lot. They found my car!”

“Lock your door,” Eddie said. “They in the Class C?”

“No, they’re on foot,” Sue said, shaking. “Shoot, they just let the air out of one of my tires. Oh my God.”

“Call 911 now. I’ll run out and tell the cops,” Eddie said.

“Okay,” Sue said. She ended the call and watched as Scott and Cindy trotted towards the lobby doors. Then they were out of sight. She was dialing 911 when the hotel phone rang. She froze, watching the red light flash on the phone as it rang. She picked it up.

“Hello?”

“Hi, sorry to bother you. Your brother just showed up. Said there was a family emergency. He’s on his way up there right now.”

“Call 911, he’s not my brother. He’s trying to kill me!”

“Oh, no,” the desk clerk said. He hung up the phone. Sue looked around the room for something heavy she could push in front of the door. The dresser. She got behind it. It was too heavy for her to move. She picked up the chair that was by the desk and carried it over, trying to wedge it under the doorknob. There was a knock at the door.

“Sue, can you come out and play?” asked the wicked voice.

Chapter 15 – Ruined Farm

“C’mon, Sue, we won’t hurt you - much,” Cindy said through the door. They tried the doorknob as Sue backed away in horror.

Scott pounded on the door. Sue punched in 911 as she listened to the snickering in the hall.

“I’m on 911 now!” she cried.

“They won’t get here in time,” Scott said. Then he laughed like a maniac and threw himself against the door.

“911 operator.”

“Help me! A killer is trying to break down the door to my hotel room.”

“Are you the one in the sixth floor room at the Cameron Grand Hotel?”

“Yes,” Sue said. “They’re banging on the door now!”

“Stay on the line,” the operator said. “The police are already on their way.”

“C’mon out and play, Susy Q,” Scott sang, slamming his body against the door again and again. It hadn’t budged yet, but the chair fell away from the doorknob. She raced over and wedged it back in, then held it.

“How about the fire extinguisher over there?” Cindy said. “It might be heavy enough to break the door.”

“Yeah, go get it,” Scott said, sounding out of breath.

There was silence for a few seconds, and then a loud crash. The door made a splintering sound, but held. Scott laughed like a maniac again.

“Hit it again, honey,” Cindy said, giggling with glee.

Then Sue heard it. Sirens out front. “The cops are here, you losers,” she shouted.

There was another crash and the door gave, but was stopped by the night lock. Scott stuck his fingers through the crack, laughing, reaching around the night lock as the sirens got louder. Sue ran at the door and slammed into it with all her might, smashing Scott’s fingers. He cried with rage.

“Hear that, Scotty?” Cindy cried. “We need to leave.”

“Okay, bitch, you’ll live another day, but we’ll get you,” Scotty yelled. “We’ll tear you apart!”

“C’mon, Scotty!” Cindy shouted. “Now!”

There was running, and Sue heard the stairway doors open. She picked her phone up off the floor. “They broke through the door, but then they heard the sirens. They just ran down the stairs.”

“The police are in the lobby now. Don’t open the door until they get up there,” the operator said.

“I won’t,” Sue said. “The bolt’s broken. The only thing holding it shut is the night lock.”

She heard shouting in the hallway, and heavy footsteps running to her door.

“You all right in there?” shouted the police officer.

“Yeah,” Sue said. “They took the stairs. Don’t worry about me. Get them!”

“Stay put,” the officer shouted as he ran down the hallway further.

Sue heard more sirens, and more footsteps.

“We’re coming through,” another officer shouted. “Stand back from the door.”

There was a loud splintering crash, and the officer walked in, gun drawn, looking around in all directions. “Stay there, Joe. Watch the hallway just in case they come back.”

The officer rushed to Sue. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Did you get him?”

“We’re looking for him now, but I won’t leave your side,” the officer said.

There were gunshots coming from below.

“Found them, sounds like,” the officer in the hall shouted.

“Stay there. We’ve got enough men to take them. If they come back up, shoot to kill.”

“Got it,” the other officer shouted back.

There was silence for a few moments. Then the radio on the officer’s lapel squawked.

“They got away,” the voice said. “Killed Harry out in the parking lot.”

“Shit,” the officer said. “How did they get away?”

“We think they stole a Jeep,” the radio squawked back. “Officer Smith found an old man out at his farm a while ago, throat cut hear to ear. Happened late last night. According to his kids, there’s a Jeep missing. One with the same description was seen leaving the hotel the parking lot. They’re already in the brush by now.”

“Officer, they were in a short Class C motor home at my place,” Sue said.

“Yeah, we’ve been looking for that,” the officer said. “I’m Officer Kent Shockney, by the way.”

“Thanks, Officer Shockney,” Sue said, starting to calm down. “If you guys don’t get them, I’m going into hiding.”

“Don’t worry,” he said. “We’ll protect you.”

“Oh! I still have the 911 operator on the line,” she said, picking her phone off the dresser. “Hello?”

“Hello, the police are with you, correct?” the operator said.

“Yes,” Sue said. “I’ll hang up now.”

“Fine.”

“Thanks so much,” Sue said. She ended the call.

“Do you have anywhere you can go?” Officer Shockney asked.

“I don’t know,” Sue said, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Maybe you should go to the station house with me,” he said.

Sue nodded yes, and they left.

***

George and Heidi were on the roof of the barn, watching the horizon. The Sheriff climbed up to join them.

“Hey, Sheriff, what’s going on?” George asked.

“General Hogan got patched out to the others via the radio in the Humvee,” he said.

“Thank God,” Heidi said. “They coming back?”

“Yeah, but it’s not all good news,” he replied.

“Uh oh, what happened?” Heidi asked.

“The Hospital got hit. Jeb and Rosie got kidnapped. Islamists killed everybody else there,” the Sheriff said.

“Son of a bitch,” George said. “We know who snatched them?”

“Yeah, Daan Mertins,” the Sheriff said. “Left a ransom note.”

“What kind of ransom do they want?” Heidi asked.

“They want Frank, General Hogan, and George here.”

“No!” Heidi said, eyes tearing up.

“Do they, now?” George said. He had a strange look on his face. Calm mixed with glee.

“You okay, George?” the Sheriff asked.

“I’ve seen this look on his face before,” Heidi said. “Somebody’s gonna get it.”

“Where are they now?” George asked.

“Frank and Jane are with another one of General Walker’s groups. They’re on their way here now.”

“How far out?” George asked.

“About five hours for Frank and Jane,” the Sheriff said. “With thirty more rigs. Charlie and Terry are double checking the power masts now. Luckily Terry has been working on them over the past couple weeks. Jerry and Jasmine are behind a few hours, since they went back to Utah first.”

“How we gonna feed that many people?” Heidi asked.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” George said. “I’m glad they’re coming. How about Malcolm?”

“He’s on his way back with Gabe, Dobie, and Ted. Probably be tomorrow before they arrive. Last check they were in Indiana.”

“Hope they don’t have any problems on the road,” Heidi said.

“Yeah,” the Sheriff said. “Wonder if we’ll get hit here?”

George was deep in thought.

“What?” Heidi asked.

“They shut down our communications, but it’s obviously not a prelude to another attack,” George said. “They would’ve hit us by now. They’re luring the others in. They’ll either hit them on the road, or here after they’ve all gotten home.”

George’s phone rang. He looked at the Sheriff and Heidi, grinning. “Jake got it fixed.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and answered it.

“Malcolm!”

“Hey, George,” he said. “Jake fixed the cell tower?”

“Must have,” George said. “Where are you?”

“A couple hours west of Indianapolis, following Dobie’s fifth wheel,” he said.

“Ted with you?”

“Not yet,” Malcolm said. “He’s bringing up the rear, and he’s got Agent Sandy Williams of the FBI with him.”

“The FBI is coming here?”

“Yeah, George, but don’t worry. This guy is okay,” Malcolm said.

“If you say so,” George said.

“Guess what they have with them?”

“Booty from Scott’s storage locker, I’m guessing.”

“Movies,” Malcolm said. “Scott drug them out of the basement of his house.”

“Interesting,” George said.

“You guys have internet yet?”

“LTE, yeah,” George said. “Why?”

“I heard the tail end of a story about Scott, up in Cameron, Missouri. When you get some time, check it out. I’m driving. Kinda hard to do.”

“Okay,” George said. “You guys going to overnight there again?”

“Yeah, probably,” he said. “Uncle Jaspers. One other question. Seen or heard anything about the UN throwing their weight around?”

“Just the reports that Frank and Jerry called in before our systems got cut,” George said. “Why?”

“Something’s going on with the government,” Malcolm said. “That’s why the FBI agent joined us. He says the bureau has been compromised.”

“Great,” George said.

“I’d better go,” Malcolm said. “Traffic is slowing. Something going on up ahead.”

“Okay, Malcolm, talk to you soon.”

George put his phone back in his pocket.

“What’s going on?” the Sheriff asked.

“He’s on his way here with an FBI agent,” George said. “And a bunch of films.”

“Lovely,” Heidi said. “We need to be worried?”

“I don’t know,” George said.

***

“Kerry, let me go!” Shannon said, laying on the couch naked, her arms tied behind her back, and her legs tied at the ankles.

“No,” Kerry said, on the verge of tears. “Scotty told me about you. You’re a dumb bitch.”

“No I’m not, Kerry,” she said, crying. “Let me go before they get back.”

“Shut up shut up shut up!” Kerry cried, covering his ears with his hands. He left the coach, closing the door and walking into the ramshackle barn that Scott had parked in. It was surrounded by fallow fields and dense brush. He could hear Shannon’s muffled crying, and tried to shut it out. Last night was worse, with Scotty and Cindy both on top of her for hours, making her scream and cry all night. The wicked laughter made him shudder. Scary time.

“Kerry!” Shannon cried.

“Shut up!” Kerry shouted. He left the barn and followed the three-rail fence down the rutted driveway, getting far enough away so he could barely hear her. There was nobody around. The ruined farmhouse was where the driveway met the tiny road, two walls leaning at almost forty-five degree angles, windows broken out, broken furniture strewn around the yard. Broken chicken coop. Kerry walked by it, trying not to look inside the windows. It was scary in there. Haunted.

Kerry froze when he heard it. The sound of a vehicle coming towards him at speed, not on the road, roaring out of the brush like a wild animal. It was the Jeep. He could see Scotty and Cindy through the windshield. His face lit up and he ran towards it.

“Scotty!” he yelled. The Jeep skidded to a stop on the dirt.

“Kerry, get in,” Scott said. “In back.”

Kerry moved the soft top aside in the back and climbed through. Scotty took off.

“What are you doing out here?” Cindy asked.

“Shannon kept yelling and crying,” he said. “I didn’t want to hear it anymore.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll put an end to that,” Scott said “You didn’t untie her, did you?”

“No, Scotty, you told me not to,” he said. “I remember what the other dumb bitch did to you.”

Cindy glanced at Scott as they approached the barn. “We can’t keep her,” she said. “We need to get rid of her and move out further. Lie low.”

“No, we need to stay in that old barn,” Scott said. “They’re going to send choppers. They won’t be able to see us in there.”

She sighed. “Maybe you’re right about that, but we still need to kill that little bitch. We had our fun.”

“I know, I’m working out how to do that,” Scott said. “She’ll get markings, but we can’t dump her around here where she’ll be found too soon.”

“What are you gonna do to her?” Kerry asked, eyes wide.

“Put her to sleep,” Scott said.

“What does that mean, Scotty?” he asked.

“Never mind,” Cindy said.

Scott drove the Jeep into the barn. The coach door was hanging open.

“Kerry, did you leave the coach door open?”

“No, Scotty,” he said, his scared eyes looking out the front windshield between the seats. He trembled with fear.

Scott leapt out of the Jeep and ran into the coach. He was back out in a second. “She’s gone. Got her wrists untied somehow.”

“Cut?” Cindy asked as she approached cautiously.

“No,” Scott said. “The rope is still in there. Not cut.”

“Look out!” Kerry shouted from the Jeep. Shannon rushed up behind Cindy, a large kitchen knife in her hand. She stabbed her in the back. Cindy froze, eyes wide, shock on her face, grunting, trying to reach around her back as she fell in spasms.

“You bitch!” Scott yelled, pulling out his pistol. He shot her several times in the chest, sending her to the ground dead.

“Scotty!” Kerry yelled.

“Help me,” Cindy cried. “Get me to the hospital.”

“Sorry,” Scott said, pointing the gun at her face. She got a sad look on her face and closed her eyes right before Scott fired.

“Why did you do that, Scotty?” Kerry asked, crying as he climbed out of the Jeep.

“I’m sorry, Kerry,” Scott said. “We couldn’t take her to the hospital. She was in pain, and she was going to die anyway. I had to put her to sleep.”

Kerry ran over to Scott, hugging him, sobbing.

“Go in the motor home, Kerry,” Scott said after a moment. “I’ll take care of them. Don’t watch, okay?” When Kerry was inside the motor home, Scott broke down crying. “Everything’s going wrong now,” he said to himself softly.

***

“This whole row checks out,” Terry shouted to Charlie.

“Yeah, this one too,” Charlie said. “That’s fourteen good power masts. Ready to check the next couple of rows?”

“Sure,” Terry said. Trish ran up.

“Dad fixed the cell tower,” she said proudly.

“Excellent,” Charlie said.

“That’s great, honey,” Terry said. “He working on the internet now?”

“Yeah,” she said. “We have LTE back, so we can get on line that way in a pinch. How are you guys coming? It’ll be dusk in an hour or so.”

“We’ve got about half of the masts checked out,” Charlie said. “Terry did a good job on them. We did the water earlier. Everything’s turned back on. Only had a couple of leaks.”

“We’re really getting another thirty rigs?” she asked.

“Sounds like it,” Terry said. “Might not have all the masts checked out before they get her. We got to kick it up.”

“Hopefully they didn’t run into any problems on the road,” Charlie said as they got to the next couple of rows. They checked each one with their voltage meters.

“I’m going into the clubhouse,” Trish said. “You guys want me to bring you some water?”

“When you come back, that’d be nice,” Terry said. “No rush, though. Just had some a little while ago.”

“Okay, sweetie,” she said, getting on her tiptoes to kiss him. She turned and left.

“How’s it going with you two?” Charlie asked, smiling.

“Good,” Terry said. “We were ready to start a family, before the shit hit the fan again.”

“We’re probably towards the end of it,” Charlie said. “I’m really worried about Jeb and Rosie.”

“What are we gonna do about that?”

“I don’t know yet,” Charlie said. “General Hogan and Sam Hinton are working out a strategy.”

“Think they’re still alive?” Terry asked, pausing for a moment. “I’ve got a really bad feeling.”

“I don’t know, son,” Charlie said. “Hope so. You know how crazy those Islamists are, and Jeb likes to piss them off.”

“Yeah,” Terry said. “He’s probably already called them inbreeds.” He froze and looked up.

“What?” Charlie asked.

“See up there? Drone. Military, not el cheapo.” He pointed into the sky.

“Shit,” Charlie said, trembling. “Wonder if it’s friendly?”

“That’s a good question,” Terry said. “You heard about the UN. Wonder if it’s them?”

“Look, it’s definitely focused on us,” Charlie said. “It’s turning back this way again, staying in view. Wonder how long it’s been up there before we saw it?”

“Good question. Could have been a while. I saw the reflection out of the corner of my eye,” Terry said. “Probably helped that the sun is low in the sky now. You can’t hear it at all.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty high,” Charlie said. “I’ll call the general.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit the contact.

“General Hogan?”

“Charlie? Great, the cell tower is back.”

“Yeah,” Charlie said.

“You don’t sound right,” he said. “What’s wrong?”

“There’s a drone over us,” Charlie said. “Staying in sight of the park. Pretty sure it’s focused on us.”

“No, really?” General Hogan asked. “What kind?”

“Looks military,” Charlie said. “Definitely not one of those cheap ones the enemy was using on us before. This one is high enough that we can’t hear it.”

“I’m on my way out there,” he said.

Charlie put his phone back in his pocket.

“Here he comes,” Terry said, pointing. The general was coming in a trot.

“See it, general?” Terry asked, pointing. “Way up there.”

“That’s military all right,” the general said as he squinted.

“I take it you didn’t order that?” Charlie asked.

“Hell no,” General Hogan said. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and hit a contact.

“Sam?” he said.

“General,” Sam replied. “Phones are back up, eh? Didn’t expect to hear back from you so soon. Something wrong?”

“Yeah, there’s a military drone flying over us. You know anything about it?”

“No, but I’ll do some checking,” he said. “Armed?”

“Could be,” the general said. “Might just be a surveillance model, though. Hard to tell from here.”

“Okay, I’ll get right on that,” Sam said. “Don’t panic yet.”

“Roger that,” General Hogan said. He slipped his phone in his pocket.

“Sam Hinton?” asked Charlie.

“Yeah,” he said.

“Hey, look!” Terry shouted. “Frank and Jane’s coach, driving in the gate.”

“Great!” General Hogan said, smiling. “You guys ready for them?”

“Almost,” Charlie said. “We’d better get the rest of these masts checked out in a hurry.”

“Whoa, look at all those rigs!” Terry said as he hurried to the next power mast. “Doesn’t look like they got shot up.”

“I’ll go over and greet them,” General Hogan said. He walked towards the front gate as the coaches streamed in.

Chapter 16 – Pastures and Streams

Jane drove the rig to their spot and shut down the engine. “Want to level the coach before I shut the engine off?”

“Later,” Frank said, getting out of the passenger seat. “Let’s go greet our new friends and get them settled.”

“Okay, I’ll take Lucy out. Mind Mr. Wonderful. He’s looking a little antsy. He might bolt for the door.”

“Gotcha,” Frank said, getting to the door. He opened it and slipped out quickly.

The coaches were lining up on the main road in front of the clubhouse. General Hogan was on his way to the front, and met Frank there as Clint was being surrounded by his people.

“Clint,” General Hogan said, extending his hand. “Glad you’re here.”

“Glad to be here,” Clint said, shaking his hand and smiling. “Wish it was a social visit.”

“General Hogan,” Frank said, smiling. “Everything okay here?”

“So far, Frank, but we’ve had a military drone circling over us.”

Clint and Frank froze and looked up.

“It’s hard to see,” General Hogan said. “I’ve got Sam Hinton checking on it for us.”

“Good,” Frank said. “We got spots set up for these coaches?”

“I was out with Terry and Charlie a few minutes ago,” the general said. “They had fourteen power masts checked out, and were racing to get the rest of them done. The water hookups are all done. Over there, see?” He pointed them out.

“Good,” Frank said. “Clint, you guys can set up over there, and then we’ll meet in the clubhouse.”

“Sounds great,” Clint said. “What about the semi?”

“Semi?” General Hogan asked.

“Yeah, armored, with a .50 cal pointed out the back,” Clint said with a twinkle in his eye.

“Let’s pull it beside the main entrance with the business end pointed out towards the pasture in front of the park,” General Hogan said.

“I figured,” Clint said, smiling. “Be right back.” He trotted over to the semi cab and gave instructions as the others went back into their rigs.

“How was it on the road back?” General Hogan asked.

“No problems after the initial road battle,” Frank said. “Heard anything from Gabe and Dobie?”

“They’ll overnight at that park in Cameron, on the west end of Missouri,” the general said. “Probably be here sometime tomorrow.”

“Jerry and Jasmine should be back tomorrow too,” Frank said. “What are we gonna do about Jeb and Rosie?”

“Not much we can do just yet. We’ll talk.”

Clint trotted back over. “Okay, they’re set. I’ll get my folks situated, and then we can have a meeting.”

“Sounds good,” Frank said.

“Thanks for taking us in,” he said.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Frank said, smiling.

“Me too, believe you me,” General Hogan said.

Hilda walked out onto the porch of the clubhouse. “Hey, you guys, I got a big pot of coffee going, and a bunch of spaghetti sauce simmering too.”

“That sounds great,” Clint said as he walked to his rig.

“Thanks, Hilda,” Frank said.

Jake walked up with Jackson and Earl. “We got the internet hooked back up.”

“Great,” Frank said. “What was wrong with it?”

“Somebody climbed up the pole and cut the wires,” Jake said. “About a hundred yards east of where the cell tower was. That’s our weak spot back there.”

“We’re really vulnerable here,” General Walker said. “Wish we had satellite internet.”

“I got two dishes,” Jake said. “One of them has bullet holes in it, but I can fix it. Won’t get the kind of bandwidth we’d need for the whole park out of them, but they’d be fine for backup.”

“I agree,” Frank said. “Let me know how I can help.”

“Will do,” he said. “I’m gonna go clean up. That spaghetti sauce I’m smelling?”

“Yep,” General Hogan said, chuckling. “Hilda is a jewel.”

***

Sue sat in the police station, on a chair next to the desk of Officer Shockney. He’d been on and off the phone several times. She was getting tired. It had been several hours. Her phone rang. She answered.

“Sue?”

“Gabe, thank God. Where are you?”

“We’re on our way to your park,” he said. “Eddie filled me in on what happened. Where are you now?”

“I’m at the police station,” she said. “That killer is still out there.”

“What are you gonna do?” Gabe asked.

“I don’t know yet,” she said. “This is horrible.”

“What ever happened to that Sheriff?” Gabe asked.

“Sheriff Branson?” she asked. Officer Shockney heard that, his head snapping over. Sue saw it. “Just a sec, Gabe.”

“What about Sheriff Branson?” Officer Shockney asked.

“He had all the RV Parks along Route 36 watching for these folks. When I saw them, I tried to call him. Over and over. No answer.”

“He’s missing,” Officer Shockney said. “We’re all trying to find him.”

Sue put her phone back to her ear. “Sheriff Branson is missing,” she said. “The officer here just told me that.”

“Well, isn’t that interesting,” Gabe said. “I think I’d better let Malcolm’s friend know.”

“Malcolm’s friend?” she asked.

“Yeah, Ted Crowley,” Gabe said. “He’s catching up to us, should hit your park shortly after we do.”

“I don’t know what’s going on at my park,” Sue said.

“Eddie’s been keeping it going,” Gabe said. “He said he was bringing in another person to take over for him soon.”

“Skip Baker,” she said. “Good. I need to call him. You sure you should go there? This guy is dangerous.”

Gabe chuckled. “I hope he shows up. If he runs into Dobie, Malcolm, and I, he’s gonna wish he didn’t. And by the way, Ted’s bringing an FBI agent with him.”

“FBI?” Sue asked, drawing another look from Officer Shockney.

“Yeah,” Gabe said. “What are you gonna do? Want us to swing by and pick you up?”

“Maybe,” she said. “How far are you?”

“Twenty minutes from Cameron, give or take.”

“I’ll get back with you, Gabe. Thanks.” She ended the call.

“Okay, who’s coming?” Officer Shockney asked.

“You ever hear of Malcolm Davis?” she asked.

His eyes got wide. “No way.”

“Yeah,” she said. “I think I’ll let them pick me up.”

“Who else is with him?” Officer Shockney asked.

“Ted Crowley, an FBI agent, and a couple other people.”

“Heard of Ted Crowley,” he said. “Serial Killer Task Force.”

“Oh, that’s where Malcolm knows him from, I suspect.”

“Probably,” Officer Shockney said. “Going with those guys might be dangerous for you.”

“I know, but I can’t stay here forever, and I can’t lose my park. It’s all I have.”

“You have to do what you think is best,” he said. “Mind if I tag along when you leave? At least for a while?”

“I’ve got no problem with that at all,” Sue said. “The more the merrier.”

“Good,” he said.

“I’m going to call Gabe back and ask him to pick me up, then.” She looked at her phone, and hit the contact.

“Sue?”

“Yeah, Gabe,” she said. “I’ll take you up on your offer. Swing by the police station and pick me up.”

“Will do,” he said. “See you soon.”

***

“Kerry, come out and give me a hand,” Scott shouted. He was done with the bodies. He marked both of them, and had the Jeep pulled up close. Kerry came out.

“What do you need help with, Scotty?”

“Lift their legs for me. We need to put the bodies in the Jeep and take them away.”

“Okay,” he said. They picked up Shannon first, Kerry looking away as he lifted her by the ankles. They put her in the back of the Jeep. Cindy was next. She was lighter. They set her carefully on top of Shannon.

“Where are we taking them?” Kerry asked as they got into the front seats.

“Further out,” Scott said. “I don’t want them to be found for a long time.”

They drove down the driveway that went behind the barn, past a dilapidated storage shed and a pasture. There was another road running along the back of the pasture, looking like it had been deserted for years, with thick weeds on its surface.

“Where did they go?” Kerry asked. “The people who owned the farm, I mean?”

“Good question,” Scott said. “I don’t know. Something caused that farmhouse to collapse. Reminds me of old dust bowl pictures.”

“Dust bowl?”

“Yes, Kerry,” Scott said. “It’s history. Back during the Great Depression, there was bad weather that caused farms in the Midwest to dry up and blow away.”

“The houses and everything?” he asked, eyes wide.

“No, the top soil. The dirt they planted crops in,” Scotty said.

“Did that happen here?”

“No, south and west of here,” Scott said. “This farm isn’t that old. It’s been ruined for a good ten years, but the dust bowl was about ninety years ago.”

“Oh,” Kerry said. “Then what happened here?”

“Maybe the family died out, and nobody was left to take over,” Scott said. “Doesn’t look like very good farm land.”

“I saw cow milking stuff behind the barn,” Kerry said.

“Could have been a dairy farm, I suppose,” Scott said. “There’s the end of the road.”

“We gonna keep going?” Kerry asked. “I like riding around back here.”

“Yeah, we’ll keep going,” Scott said. They went past the broken fence and into another pasture, dry and ruined, dead brush around the perimeter. They were about half way through it when Scott’s ears perked up. He stopped the Jeep.

“What?” Kerry asked.

“Shsssshhh! Listening.”

“That’s a helicopter,” Kerry said.

“Son of a bitch,” Scott said. He drove as fast as he could towards the stand of trees on the far end of the pasture, bodies bouncing in the back. Cindy bounced out into the pasture just before they made it to cover. Scott shut off the engine and watched.

“Cindy came out of the back!” Kerry said, looking behind the Jeep.

“It’s okay, this is a good place to leave her. Help me with Shannon, okay?”

Kerry nodded, and they got her out, putting her under a tree as the sound of the helicopters approached.

“We need to get under more trees,” Scott said, scanning the horizon further out from the barn. “Look, over there.”

The two jumped into the Jeep and headed in that direction, Scott driving as fast as he could without kicking up dust. They got to the denser trees and stopped.

“What now?” Kerry asked as the chopper sound got louder.

“We watch and wait,” Scott said.

They sat in the Jeep, watching the sky. The chopper finally came into view. It was a police chopper, and it was circling over the barn.

“Crap, they’re gonna find the RV,” he said. “Should have brought all the guns with us.”

After about fifteen minutes of circling, the chopper flew slowly away. It was silent for a while.

“When do we go back, Scotty?”

“I’ll sneak over there when it’s dark,” he said. “Just sit tight.”

“I’m getting hungry.”

“I know, Kerry. You’re going to have to be a big boy for me now.”

“Okay,” he said. “I’ll be a big boy.”

Scott scanned the area. He was just starting to relax when he saw two officers with a blood hound working their way down the driveway towards the first pasture. He started the engine. “They’re coming, Kerry. Put on your seat belt.”

“Okay,” Kerry said, eyes wide with fright. Scott drove the Jeep off the road, barely making it between the dense tree trunks and into another field. The tracks. They’ll see the tracks.

“Hold on, Kerry. I’m gonna haul ass.” When he hit the new pasture, he gunned it, driving as fast as he could without losing control, kicking up dust, rocks hitting the dash plate underneath. Kerry held on for dear life. They made it to the next stand of trees, and into another pasture, speeding up again. Suddenly there was the rushing noise of water. A creek. Shallow. Perfect.

“Can we get past that?” Kerry asked, terrified.

“We’re gonna use it,” Scott said, putting the Jeep into low four wheel drive and slipping cautiously into the running water. They drove along until the rocks got too big and slippery, then got off on the far side of the creek. They were in another large pasture, speeding up. There were hills coming, and Scott could just make out a fire road up ahead. There wasn’t as much cover by it as he would’ve liked, but he headed for it anyway, hitting it fast, kicking up dirt as he got into the switchbacks.

“Where does this go, Scotty? The mountains?”

“Maybe,” he said. The trees were getting thicker, but it didn’t feel like mountains to him, just hills. He wished he still had Cindy so she could look at a GPS app for him. They got to the crest of the hill and stopped. Scott got out and looked down in the valley below. Beautiful, with a stream running through the bottom, lush greenery extending away from it. He froze. Truck camper, small cab-over on a four wheel drive truck. Pop up style. Down in the valley below, nobody around. Perfect.

“Look, it’s a camper,” Kerry said.

“Shssshhhh,” Scott said, finger to his lips. “Quiet. We’ll get out of sight and wait until dark.”

“Okay, Scotty,” Kerry whispered. They got back into the Jeep and headed down the road until they got to the next stand of trees. They stopped under them.

“Put your seat back and try to rest,” Scott whispered. “It’s gonna be a long night.”

***

Jeb woke up. He hurt all over, but he felt better than yesterday. Each day he woke, he felt stronger. He looked over at his Rosie, snoring softly, her body rising and falling. The iron door opened, startling her out of sleep.

“What that?” she asked.

The delicate looking man switched on the lights. Jeb squinted to see who it was. Another man came in, wearing a uniform he didn’t recognize. Somebody behind them shoved a third man into the cell. He was a large burley man in a tattered Sheriff’s uniform. He grunted as he fell to the ground. An Islamist appeared at the door.

Jeb looked at them and laughed. “Hey, inbreed, seen Saladin lately? Let’s talk over a ham sandwich.”

“Speak when spoken to only,” the delicate man commanded harshly.

“Kiss my ass,” Jeb said. The delicate man moved forward, and nodded to the man in the strange uniform. He slapped Jeb hard on the face. Jeb laughed and spit blood at him, hitting his camo trousers. “Oops, sorry. Was aiming for that sweet little blue beret of yours. Couldn’t quite make it.”

“I know uniform,” Rosie said. “It UN.” She spit on the ground in front of her.

“You’ll do a lot better if you learn to respect your superiors,” the delicate man said.

“Eurotrash,” Jeb said. “I should have known. The only problem is that most of Europe has already rejected you cretins. I saw it on TV before your inbreeds snatched us.”

“They will come around,” the delicate man said, stepping more into the light. Jeb’s eyes opened wider.

“I know who you are,” Jeb said. “Daan Mertins. Saw your kisser on video from Hilda’s RV Park.”

“Yes,” he said. “And how is Hilda?”

Jeb laughed. “Protected by people you can’t handle. Hell, she could probably kick your ass herself.”

The burly man snickered, sitting up.

“You. You shut up,” the Islamist barked.

“Stuff it,” the burly man said. “Try to slap me and see what happens.”

“What’d they grab you for? Make them eat some bacon?” Jeb asked, snickering.

“The UN nabbed me,” the man said. “Dick Branson. I suspect you’re Jeb.”

“How would you know that?” Jeb asked.

“I know Ted Crowley, and he knows Malcolm Davis.”

“Oh,” Jeb said.

“Have your reunion later,” Daan said. “We will negotiate a trade for you people. If you cooperate, you might live through this.”

Jeb laughed. “Oh, really, Eurotrash. Just who do you expect to get for us?”

“Frank, George, and General Hogan.”

Jeb laughed so hard he rolled over on his side. “I’ll kill myself before I let you cretins take any of them.”

“Me too,” Rosie said. “I live long life. I spit on UN. I won’t cooperate.”

“I suggest you cretins go attack them,” Jeb said, still laughing. “Then you can join Saladin and Simon Orr and the rest of the traitors in hell.”

“Go ahead and enjoy,” Daan said. “We’ll leave you alone. I think the insults will cost you your meals for the next day.”

With that, the three men left, slamming the iron door behind them.

“It’s an honor to meet you,” Branson said.

“Likewise,” Jeb said. “This is Rosie. What’d they grab you for? You look like a sheriff.”

“I am,” he said. “The UN started throwing their weight around in my brother’s county. Western Colorado. I went to help. We had a battle. Killed a whole bunch of blue helmets. I got captured on the way back to Missouri.”

“They really think they can win here?” Jeb asked. “There’s no friggin way.”

“They’re getting help from some Federal agencies,” Branson said. “It’s a big mess. We’ve got a lot of fighting left to do.”

“I wasn’t kidding about this trade they want to do,” Jeb said. “I’ll kill myself first.”

“Me too,” Rosie said.

“I’d rather kill them,” Branson said, a sly smile on his face.

“I understand why they want Frank and General Hogan,” Jeb said. “Wonder why they want George. He killed a lot of them at Capitol Reef, but so did the rest of us.”

“I met him once, and Ted told me a little about him,” Branson said. “He’s ex-special forces and ex-CIA. He’s got friends in extremely high places. He’s dangerous to them.”

“He’s dangerous to anybody,” Jeb said, laughing. “Very impressive. Never forget when he lit up that M107.”

“How strong you now, Jeb?” Rosie asked.

“Hell, they’ve let me sleep for two days, on and off. I’m still real sore, but I feel pretty good.”

“What happened to you?” Branson asked.

“Gut shot in the Capitol Reef battle,” he said. “Had the last surgery about two weeks ago.”

“Wow,” Branson said.

“How about you?” Jeb asked. “You look kinda busted up. Rosie’s a nurse.”

“Yes, I nurse,” Rosie said.

“I’m fit as a fiddle,” Branson said. “My clothes are a little messed up. Happened when I killed two of those UN jerks with my bare hands.”

Chapter 17 – Eye in the Sky

Clint had his rig almost set up. He ran out the slides, then came out in front and surveyed the four rows of coaches. Family and friends. No, all family. His eyes welled up with tears as he looked at them.

“Pa!” Jason shouted, trotting up, his two brothers and Louis following behind.

“Yeah,” Clint said, smiling. “You guys got the trailer hooked up?”

“Yeah,” Jason said as he got next to him. “We just met Jackson and Earl. We met Terry earlier too. And Kurt, and the Sheriff.”

“Remember these folks aren’t celebrities,” Clint said. “They’re freedom fighters just like we are. Don’t do too much hero worship.”

“I want to meet Jeb,” Louis said. “We’ve got to spring him.”

“I’m sure that’ll be the first order of business,” Clint said. “That, and staying alive, of course.”

“Think the UN is gonna follow us back here?” John asked. Angus came up beside him to listen, a worried look on his face.

“They might have already,” Clint said. “Look up there.” He pointed upward.

“Crap, that’s a drone,” Jason said. “We about to get attacked?”

“Maybe, so stay sharp. Stay armed all the time.”

“Okay, Pa,” Jason said.

“Go see if anybody needs help with setup, and then we’ll go to the clubhouse. We’re gonna get dinner.”

“Good, I’m hungry,” Angus said.

***

Frank and Jane sat with Jerry and Jasmine in the clubhouse, sipping coffee and resting up before the meeting. General Hogan came in.

“Looks like they all got situated,” he said, grinning. “That’s almost forty seasoned fighters.”

“Yeah, now I feel like I’m in the Alamo and David Crockett’s group just showed up,” Jerry said, a goofy smile on his face.

“Don’t worry, this ain’t gonna be our last stand,” the general said. “I just heard back from Sam Hinton. That drone up there is for us. Here’s the IP address. You can access the video from there.” He handed Frank a slip of paper with the address on it.

“Who put it up there?” Frank asked. “Our military?”

“Yeah. The military is very upset with DC and the UN right now,” General Hogan said. “Most of them, anyway.”

“Only most?” Jerry asked.

“We let a lot of recent immigrants into the service over the past few years,” he said. “Most of them are good, but not all, as we’ve seen.”

“How about our command and control?” Frank asked.

“Spotty, but we still have a lot of good people in place.”

“So what’s up with the drone?” Jane asked.

“The UN made a deal with one of the corrupt leaders to get it in the air,” General Hogan said, smiling. “Some good officers hijacked it, and switched the path for video feeds with a loop.”

“They’re going to figure that out pretty quick, aren’t they?” Frank said as he went to the address on the PC.

“Oh, I bet the UN leadership already suspects something,” the General said. “No matter, they can’t access this now, and that means they’ll have to send people here to see anything. I’m sure it was difficult for them to sneak in assets to cut our communications, and now we’ll see them coming.”

“Wow, look at this video,” Frank said, rolling his chair away from the screen. “We can even steer the camera angle. Be easier if we had a joy stick, but the cursor keys work.”

“We should have somebody watching this all the time,” General Hogan said. “Paying special attention to our communication lines.”

“Yeah,” Jerry said.

“These friends of yours have any idea what the UN is planning?” Jasmine asked.

“Yes, they know what they’re planning,” General Hogan said. “Link up with the Islamists and take the southwest back.”

“The UN have enough men to do that?” Jerry asked.

“Re-take the southwest?” General asked. “Maybe, since we’re still a little thin, and they’ve got command and control all messed up in our military. They won’t hold it for long, and the Islamists left aren’t the best. Then there’s the wild card the Islamists have tried to warn the UN about. Rumor has it the UN ain’t listening.”

“That would be the citizens, I bet,” Frank said.

“You got it,” General Hogan said. “They’ve got one other real bad problem, thanks to you.”

“They can’t use the chips for command and control anymore,” Frank said.

“Right,” General Hogan said. “They’re a burden to them now, except during the heat of battle, and even then it’s a mixed bag for them.”

“What kind of command and control can the UN provide?” Jerry asked.

“Better, but they just got here, and they think we’re like Europeans,” General Hogan said. “They got a surprise coming.”

“They got any air power?” Jerry asked.

“They’ve got choppers, transport planes, and a few obsolete fighters,” General Hogan said.

“How about our air force?” Jerry asked.

General Hogan chuckled. “They think they can count on them. Who do you think did the switcheroo with the drone?”

“Let’s not get too happy yet,” Jasmine said. “We know they’ve got Jeb and my mom, and they’ll try to use them.”

“That’s true,” General Hogan said. “We have a big fight coming, and we could lose it if we aren’t careful. We need to shut them down in the southwest before they can consolidate and go on the attack. If they get that area locked up, they’ll bring a lot of forces in through the southern border.”

“I thought Mexico was locked down,” Jane said.

“Most of it is, but there are parts of northwestern Mexico that are still the Wild West,” General Hogan said. “We think they’re planning to bring forces into the Gulf of California and across the border into southern Arizona.”

“Won’t we see it and bomb the hell out of them?” Jane asked.

“They don’t think so,” General Hogan said, a twinkle in his eye. “One thing to remember, though. Air power alone won’t stop them, and we have the command and control problems preventing us from coordinating large scale attacks.”

“So what do we do?” Frank asked. “Hit them in Carlsbad Caverns?”

“Probably,” General Hogan said. “I have another tactic in mind. I need to discuss it with George.”

“Take out some bad leadership?” Jerry asked.

“I’d rather not talk about it yet,” General Hogan said.

***

There was an old couple in the camper below. Scott watched as they returned from the creek with a stringer full of trout, which they cooked on a Coleman Stove. Now they were inside, the dim lights glowing in the windows. It was finally dark. Kerry slept for a while. Scott didn’t. There were the sounds of helicopters in the distance, getting close once, about an hour ago. The old couple noticed, moving to the clearing to look up into the sky. Scotty expected the cops to rush in and take them, but they never came. He kept his eyes open. Kerry woke up and looked at him.

“What are we doing now, Scotty?” he asked.

“We’re going down there,” he said. “We’ll take that camper and leave.”

“Okay,” Kerry said. “I’m hungry.”

“Me too,” Scott said as he started the Jeep. They drove down the winding road, out of sight of the camper until they were on the valley floor. Scott watched the camper windows as they drove up. The old woman looked out, and then closed the blinds. Perfect They’re scared. He pulled up next to the camper and stopped the engine, checking his pistol. He got out of the driver’s seat and slipped it into his back waistband, under his shirt. “Stay here,” he whispered to Kerry, “but come when I call you.”

Kerry nodded back to him.

“Hello? Anybody there?” Scott called.

“What do you want?” an old man’s voice asked.

“We’re lost,” Scott said. “We’re out of water. Can you help us?”

“Follow the road by the stream. You’ll hit the highway in two miles.”

“Open the door,” Scotty said. “Please.”

“No chance,” the old man said.

Scott’s anger started to build. “I can make you open the door.” He pulled out his pistol. The woman watching him from the window moved away quickly.

“Go away,” she cried.

“Dammit,” Scott said. He stomped over to the Jeep, pulling back the soft top in the rear, opening the compartment. He shined his phone light inside. There was a tire iron in there. He grabbed it and went to the door of the camper. He pried on the door, and it popped open. Scott pulled his pistol and pointed it inside, and then saw two barrels pointing at him. Shotgun! He tried to back off to the side when the old man fired, hitting him in the left shoulder, throwing him to the ground.

“Scotty!” Kerry yelled, getting out of the Jeep and running to his side in the darkness. Scott leveled the pistol and fired, hitting the old man in the gut. The old woman screamed, and then Scott heard several small rounds being fired. Kerry froze, turning his head down to him, blood pouring out of the side of his head.

“You old bitch!” Scott yelled as Kerry fell dead next to him. He got to his feet and tried to aim his pistol again in a blind rage. The woman let loose with several more shots from the small revolver, hitting Scott in the side. She continued to pull the trigger, clicking, empty. He screamed with pain and ran to his Jeep, starting it and driving away as quickly as he could, not able to use his left hand at all. “I’m not done yet!” he screamed to himself as he drove into the darkness. Blood was flowing out of his shoulder and his belly. He raced for the highway and hit it, peeling out down the road, dizzy, weakening.

***

Gabe rushed into the police station, heading for the watch commander’s counter. “Sue?” he asked.

“Oh, I know who you mean,” he said. “You a friend?”

“Yeah, I’m Gabe,” he said, out of breath.

“Okay, relax,” he said. “I’ll call back there.” He got on the phone and had a hushed conversation as Gabe dropped himself in a chair against the wall.

“She’ll be right out,” the watch commander said. “Officer Shockney will follow you guys back out to her RV Park.”

“Great,” Gabe said. He watched the door, and then it opened. He’d had Sue on his mind ever since he left her park. Seeing her now sent a shudder through him. She smiled when she saw him and rushed over.

“You don’t mind if I hug you?” she said.

“Are you kidding?” he said, taking her into his arms. She sobbed against him. “That was so scary.”

Officer Shockley came out. “You Gabe?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Gabe said, breaking the embrace and shaking hands.

“Good, let’s go,” he said.

They walked out the door together. “What about your car?” Gabe asked.

“I’ve got to get somebody out there to pump up the tires. They let the air out before they tried to get me in my room.”

“We’ll send a tow truck over later,” Officer Shockney said. “Don’t you worry about it.”

“Thanks, officer,” she said. “You’ve been so nice.”

“Part of the job,” he said. “I’ll get behind you. Go ahead on.”

Gabe nodded and took Sue to the rental car, opening the passenger door for her.

“This your car?” she asked as he got in.

“No, this is a rental that Ted Crowley brought,” Gabe said. “Long story. I’ll tell you all about it when we’re settled.”

“Your friend with the fifth wheel is already at my park?”

“Should be,” Gabe said. “Wonder where Scott is?”

“They found his Class C when I was at the station, but he was gone. They think he’s in a Jeep, in the brush north of town.”

“How close is that to your RV Park?”

“Closer than I’d like,” she said. “Take that road. It’s a shortcut.”

“Okay,” Gabe said, making the right turn. “Dark back here.”

“Yeah,” she said. “Don’t worry, it’s a safe road. The park is only about a mile away.”

“Good,” Gabe said.

“Where’s Malcolm?”

“He was following Dobie’s fifth wheel when I split off from them. Ted’s further back. He got hung up with the FBI outside of Indianapolis.”

“We’re getting close,” Sue said. “You’ll see the lights any minute.”

“Still looking pretty dark.”

“Uh oh, the lights aren’t on,” Sue said, looking over at Gabe, worried.

“Don’t panic yet,” Gabe said. “Could just be the help. Who usually turns them on?”

“Whoever’s in the office when it gets dark,” she said. “Eddie’s probably home now. Should be my other employee.”

“There it is,” Gabe said. “The coaches have lights on.” As they approached, the park lights went on.

“Good, somebody switched them on,” Sue said. “Go around to the front. Make a left here and then a right at the end of the fence.”

Gabe nodded and made the left. “Your park is pretty full now.”

“Yeah,” she said. “Weekend crowd was showing up when I left last night.”

Gabe made the right turn and drove to the driveway, pulling next to the office and parking. They both got out and headed for the office door. Officer Shockney pulled up behind them, but stayed in the car, talking on his radio.

“Eddie, you’re still here?” Sue asked. “You must be tired.”

“I’m good,” he said, leaning against the counter. “Wanted to make sure you made it back okay.”

“This is Gabe,” Sue said.

“I figured,” Eddie said. “Nice to meet you in person.”

“Likewise,” Gabe said. “My friends get here yet?”

“Yeah, they’re in the same spot you guys had last time,” he said.

Skip came out into the front of the office. “Sue, you’re here!”

“Yes, I’m here,” she said. “Thanks for covering for me. Both of you.”

“Well, I’m just doing my usual shift,” Skip said. “Eddie did the heavy lifting.”

The door opened and Officer Shockney walked in. “Just got off the radio. Scott tried to take a camper away from an old couple. Got himself shot up pretty good. He just got picked up, passed out in a ditch on the side of Summit Road.”

“He in the hospital?” Gabe asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “Don’t know if he’s going to make it. Lost a lot of blood.”

“What happened to the old couple?” Sue asked.

“The old man is in critical condition. Gut shot. The old woman came out without a scratch. There was a dead teenager at the scene. The woman said she shot him with her .32 revolver.”

“Wow,” Gabe said. “We should tell Malcolm. The hospital knows to secure this guy, right? He’s slippery. Real slippery.”

“Yeah, they’ve got two officers guarding him, and he’s cuffed to the bed,” Officer Shockney said. “He’s not in good enough shape to escape, though. They’ll be lucky if they can keep him from slipping into a coma.”

Malcolm walked in the door with Dobie. “Hey, guys,” he said. “Heard some chatter on the news.”

“Malcolm Davis?” Officer Shockney asked.

“Yeah,” Malcolm said.

“Good to meet you. I’m Officer Shockley of Cameron PD.”

“Good to meet you,” Malcolm said, shaking his hand. “This is Dobie.”

“Pleasure,” Dobie said, shaking hands.

“Hey, you look familiar,” Officer Shockney said. “Did you do some K-9 training videos?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact,” Dobie said.

“They were great,” the officer said. “We don’t have anything but blood hounds in our department, but I’ve been training my own guard dog at home. You still in the business?”

“Had to leave it behind, when our town got overrun by the enemy,” Dobie said. “Still got four of my dogs, though. One of them is with me, out in my trailer.”

“Really?” the officer said. “Love to meet him.”

“It’s a she, named Duchess,” Dobie said, smiling. “It would be a pleasure. Been a while since I’ve been able to talk dogs with anybody.”

“Where are your other dogs?”

“Guarding our home base in Kansas,” Dobie said.

“Well, first things first,” Gabe said. “Scott got captured.”

“He did?” Malcolm asked.

“Yeah,” Officer Shockney said. “Tried to take a truck camper away from an old couple tonight. They were armed.”

“Really? Where is he now?”

“In the hospital, under guard, fighting for his life. Got a shotgun blast to the shoulder and several .32 pistol rounds in his torso. He’s a mess.”

“You know who this guy is, right?” Malcolm asked.

“He’s the guy who took the girl from this park, and tried to kill Sue.”

“He’s the last of the Nighthawk Road serial killer clan,” Malcolm said. “We’ve been tracking him for a long time.”

“No way, really?” Officer Shockney asked.

“Really,” Malcolm said. “Remember those YouTube videos of the attempted kidnapping in Columbus?”

“Yeah,” the Officer said, sitting down. “If that’s the case, this is huge.”

“Yeah, prepare for the onslaught of media coverage,” Malcolm said. “We’ve got a member of the Serial Killer Task force and an FBI agent on the way here now. They’ll want to go to the hospital.”

“Okay,” Officer Shockney said. “You won’t get anything out of him tonight. He might not live, you know.”

“He’s hit that bad, huh?”

“Yeah,” Officer Shockney said. Just then his lapel radio squawked.

“Officer Shockney, you there?”

“Yeah,” he said, turning his head towards the device.

“Found that missing girl and the female suspect about half a mile from the barn. Both dead.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” the radio squawked. “Coroner’s making his way out there now, but it’s really dark. We found evidence of the killings in that barn, too. Blood in front of the motor home. A real mess. The blood is being analyzed now, but it’s pretty obvious where it came from.”

“All right, thanks,” Officer Shockney said.

“Eddie, is that family still here?” Sue asked, horrified expression on her face.

“No, they went home,” Eddie said.

Headlights flashed into the window of the office as a car pulled up.

“That’d be Ted,” Malcolm said, grinning.

The door opened, and Ted walked in with Agent Williams, surprised to see so many people in the office.

“Malcolm, how are you?” Ted asked.

“Great,” Malcolm said. He introduced them to the others in the room.

“You guys haven’t heard what happened yet?” Officer Shockney asked.

“No,” Ted said.

“Scott’s in custody, at a hospital,” Malcolm said, grinning.

“What happened?” he asked.

“I’ll tell you all about it,” Malcolm said. “Let’s head to the restaurant. I’m starving.”

“Me too,” Agent Williams said.

Dobie, Agent Williams, Officer Shockney, Malcolm, and Ted left the office. Gabe stayed behind.

“You gonna be okay, Sue?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she said. “Let’s take a walk around the park, okay? I need to see that my place is okay.”

“I know how you feel,” Gabe said, smiling. They walked out into the night together.

To be continued in Bug Out! Book 13, coming soon!

Copyright

Bug Out! Part 12 copyright © 2015 by Robert G Boren. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any format without permission in writing from the copyright holder.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Thanks to Laura Thomas for editing this book!

About the Author

Robert G Boren is a writer from the South Bay section of Southern California. He writes Short Stories, Novels, and Serialized Fiction. Most of his work is about people from the South Bay.