Charlotte Hoaks. . . .(C. A. Hoaks)

It took three days before Liz opened her eyes and saw her father sitting at her side. His face sagged, and eyes looked as if he hadn’t slept in days. He had nodded off while he sat in a straight-backed chair next to the bed.

Liz took a deep breath and moved her head to the right. She realized she was in one of six hospital beds now arranged against a wall in the lodge’s small conference room. Each bed was set up to receive a patient, fresh sheets, and blankets folded at the foot. At the head of each bed was an IV pole, an oxygen tank with regulators, tubing and cannulas, and a plastic bag of resuscitation equipment typical in a medical ward. She turned her head back to the left. Behind her father, she could see the next room had been transformed into a clinic or exam room. She could see a gurney, a medical cart with dozens of drawers and even a defibrillator on the top. She wondered if the tall cabinet with the equipment on top was an ultrasound. She wondered who was moving around in the room.

Suddenly the silhouette of a tall woman filled the doorway. “Oh, my. You’re awake.”

Suddenly Will Edmond’s eyes jerked open, and he whispered hoarsely. “Liz! Thank God.” He reached out to clutch at her hand. “

“Dad” Liz whispered as tears filled her eyes. “Oh Dad, I…I lost them.” Her voice caught as she whispered. “I couldn’t save my girls.”

Will moved to the side of the bed and wrapped his arms around Liz. “Shush. It’s all right.” He rocked her as he whispered words of comfort until her racking sobs began to quieten. “I know what happened. The girls are in God’s hands.”

“But it’s my fault. I should have….” She protested.

“Should have what, exactly?” He asked gently.

“I….” Liz began.

“You did what you had to at the time, and the girls are with soldiers. We have to have faith that they’ll protect them with their lives.” Liz slumped against her father’s chest until she grew quiet then he eased her back against the pillow. “You have another child to think of now.”

Liz nodded. “What’s wrong with me?”

The woman that had been standing in the doorway stepped into the room. “Hi, Liz. I’m Cassie Matherson, for all intents and purposes, your medical professional.” She stepped closer, and Liz saw a tall woman with the body of an athlete.

“What’s wrong with me?” Liz asked.

“Dehydration and poor nutrition to start with then you’re covered in bruised, insect bites, infected injuries and oh yeah, you’re pregnant,” Cassie answered.

Liz forced a smile. “Is that all?”

Cassie sighed. “I don’t think so.”

“Well?” Liz watched her father turn away.

“Not really sure, could be a few things.”

Liz looked at her arm with the IV tubing taped to her skin. “But you’re a doctor, right?”

Cassie answered. “I’m a Physician’s Assistant. I’m treating you with antibiotics for now.”

Will interrupted Cassie before she could continue, “You’re getting better, and we’ll figure this out the rest.” He looked from Cassie to Liz and then back at Cassie again.

Cassie laughed. “We’re working on it. Daniel is downloading medical textbooks, left and right. I’ve got an ultrasound and microscope, so I have some basic tools to work with.”

Liz gave Cassie a wane smile. “Sounds like a plan.”

Suddenly there was a commotion outside the door. Harry, John and the two kids stumbled through a side door. An Australian Shepard was trailing behind.

“Trailer axle on the truck would be my guess.” Steve turned and looked through the back window.

“You think we can fix it?” Della asked.

Steve laughed. “With what? We don’t have any tools. We’re gonna have to leave the trailer. I knew pulling that big trailer was a bad idea.” He answered as he slid on his walking prosthetics. “You three stay here, we’re going to disconnect the trailer and let the horses loose. Come on Zack.”

Zack opened the driver’s door and stepped out into the afternoon heat. “Sure is hot.”

“Let’s get this done.” Steve stepped out of the truck and made his way to the back of the truck.

Steve stared at the hitch for a moment, then pulled the handle of the jack up and began turning it. He turned to Zack. “Unhook the chains and the catch on the hitch, so it’ll come off the hitch.”

Zack raised the latch then asked. “Want me to do that?”

“No, head to the back and get the horses out. Tie them up for now.”

Zack disappeared around the back of the trailer. One by one he led the horses out of the trailer and tied them to scrub brush near a streambed to drink from the trickle of water still remaining.

When all five horses were drinking, he hurried back to the truck just as Steve finished the last turn of the jack. He sniffed then commented, “I smell gas.”

“Gas?” Steve whispered as he wiped his arm across his forehead damp with sweat. He sniffed, bent over then slammed his hand against the tailgate. “Can’t we get a break?”

“What?” Zack asked.

Steve pointed to the ground under the truck. “Unless I miss my guess, most of the quarter tank of gas we had left is now on the ground.”

“Oh.”

Della and Darlene got out of the truck with Penny on their heels.

“Are we going to go?” Della asked. “It’s really getting hot in the truck.”

“We can’t leave the horses tied up,” Darlene commented.

“We have to make a decision,” Steve said as he leaned against the back bumper.

“What do you mean?” Della asked.

“The truck won’t go much farther. There’s a hole in the gas tank, and we can’t fix it. We might go a few miles but no more than twenty then we’ll be walking.”

“We have the horses.” Darlene protested.

“We can’t bring them, the trailer is shot,” Steve answered. “Or…”

“Or what?” Della asked.

“Or we ride off into the sunset,” Steve answered. “Without the sunset.”

Penny grabbed her mother’s arm. “We cowboys?”

Steve laughed. “I guess, we be cowboys.”

“What happened?” Ask Darlene in a soft whisper. She pulled a sleeping Penny closer.

Everyone in the truck stared at the mayhem that had been visited on the resident of Valentine Texas.

“Maybe, it was a tornado?” Della asked.

Steve answered. “There was that storm three days ago.”

“Oh, God. The people?” Della whispered.

Steve picked up a pair of binoculars and studied the road ahead. He could see the road ahead was littered with the remains. Valentine had been a small community of less than a hundred people according to a twisted green sign clinging to a single upright post. It was hard to tell now, but Steve guessed there had been thirty or forty buildings before the storm but the force of the tornado had reduced all to a pile of debris. Trees were stripped of leaves and torn from the ground and now were scattered amid the cars and trucks of undeterminable ages and colors. Water stood along the road and in the ditches within the destruction that had been Valentine.

“I don’t think we can get through there.” He paused then added.

“Should I turn around?” Zack asked.

“No.” Steve glanced at the instrument panel. “We don’t have the gas to go back to the state road and change our route.” He pointed to a water-logged dirt path to the west. “Head that way. We’ll try to go around.”

Zack slipped the truck back into drive and turned onto the dirt road at the side of the only remnants of the building still standing.

They rode over the rut-pocked path for half a mile passing the back of what was left of a school. All that remained beside fragments of the walls was a sign for the Valentine School. The school building was a pile of adobe-colored bricks and twisted white metal from the roof. Amid the remains of the gym stood a mud-smeared basketball backboard with the net reduced to shreds. Clothing and toys littered the grass around the destroyed dwelling. Amid the shattered and broken wood was a body impaled on a vertical pipe. As the truck rolled past, the small child’s head turned, and the remaining arm reached out toward the sound.

“Oh God.” Darlene began to cry softly as she tucked Penny close.

Steve pointed in the distance. “When we get away from the debris field we can head back north then back east and get back on the highway.”

Zack left the dirt path and turned the truck to avoid clumps of scrub grass and brush. The steering wheel jerked as the truck bounced over rocks and water-filled puddles. The vehicle creaked and groaned with the uneven terrain while the wheels spun in the mud.

“This is getting bad,” Zack announced.

“Keep going,” Steve answered.

Zack turned the steering wheel back to the west, and the truck was more than a mile from the community. The ground grew more exacting with each minute. The vehicle was taking a real beating as it jolted over rocks and clumps of brush. Suddenly there was a loud boom, and the wheel jerked to the right while the engine roared with a sudden stain. Zack stepped on the brakes. He looked into the side mirror and saw the trailer was still sitting level while the truck tilted to the side.

“Well, that’s a real problem.” Zack sighed.

“What happened?” Darlene asked.

Matt and Larry ran from the house toward a gathering around the flag pole. The shooting had stopped. When Matt jogged up to the crowd, it parted to allow him to pass.

The yard was filled with the adult residents of the camp, while the children peaked from windows and doorways. Everyone stared at Jenkins and Maggie. Jenkins held a handgun by the barrel while Maggie stared at Roy and Billings, both lying dead in the gravel and sand.

“They didn’t deserve to live. That bastard raped my daughter and Mary. Roy killed my husband, and his sons knew what he was doing to those children. They are all as disgusting as Billings.” She took a breath and turned to walk toward the camper.

“Aren’t you going to stop her?” Screamed one of the boys.

Matt kicked the young man and ordered. “Shut up, or I’ll be shooting you. Your fate is still undecided. You watched and didn’t help those kids.” Matt took a breath. “Maggie saved me the trouble and hopefully got some measure of peace from the killing your old man and that bastard. Lord knows, she needs it.”

Suddenly the wives burst from the trailer and past the guard. When he tried to stop them, Matt shook his head not to bother. The crones stood staring at the bodies.

“What are we going to do with the rest of them?” Jenkins asked.

Matt looked around then ordered. “Everyone get busy doing what you need to be doing.” He turned to Jenkins. “Put the bodies in the back of that bus. Then bring those two dipshits and the wives. We’re giving them a chance to live but not here. I’m going to talk to Maggie, and her daughters.” Matt crossed the yard to the trailer that Maggie had entered. He knocked on the door, and a timid voice called out for him to enter. The four girls were sitting at the table staring at Maggie who sat quietly on a small couch crying.

“If you want me to leave, I’ll understand. Please don’t make the girls leave. They’re safe here, and I won’t be able to protect them.”

“No one is asking you to leave,” Matt answered. “I want to know about the boys. Did they take part in shooting your husband and the girl’s families? Simple question. All I need is a yes or no answer.”

Maggie looked up and took a deep breath. “No.”

Matt reached out and covered Maggie’s clenched hands. “You’re safe here, and you’re welcome to stay or go. It’s your choice. We work hard and try to help each other. If that suits you, this can be your home.”

“Thank you,” Maggie whispered.

“Take the time you need to get settled. Talk to Jasper and Joan about clothes, shoes, whatever you need. We have three meals a day at the food truck. Just watch for the crowd.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Maggie whispered.

“Nothing to say. Just know you and the girls are safe.” Matt rose and cleared his throat. “I’ve got things to do.” He crossed the room and stepped out into the morning sunshine. The bodies had been removed. Jenkins and two men guarded the two young men now seated on the ground in front of the women’s camper.

Jenkins turned around and slammed his fist against the door. “Get out here now.”

The four women came outside looking even more browbeaten then before. Finally, a crone with tightly bound gray hair at the back of her head looked up.

“What are you going to do with my sons?”

“The six of you stood by and watched while those men murdered people and raped children. Maggie said none of you took part, so I’m inclined to let you live.” All six faces brightened until Matt continued. “But not here.”

“But we…” The woman began.

Matt interrupted. “You will be given ten gallons of gas in the bus. It has enough food and water loaded for three days. You will be driven away from here, and when my men leave, you can go any direction you want but do not come back here. We will give you no weapons, you can learn to fend for yourself or not. Frankly, I don’t care.”

“But…”

“No buts.” Matt continued. “You’ll be alive when we leave you. The rest is up to you.” You have ten minutes to get whatever you want to take from the camper. Limit it to what you can carry out in one trip. No food. Only clothes.” Matt turned to Jenkins when the preacher’s women had been dismissed. “Take three men and one of the trucks with the extended cab. Make sure the bus has what I promised. Put ten gallons of gas in the tank. That’s all. No maps, no guns. Blindfold them and leave them as far from here as you dare. If you can, do a little backtracking and make a few circles so they can’t stumble back here by dark. Before you leave them, loosen the rope on the old women. She can untie the rest when she works her way lose.”

“I got a place in mind. It’s on the far side of Kerrville.” Jenkins answered. “Might be a little hairy getting there and back, but they won’t be coming back.”

“Better sit down for this,” Matt suggested before he relayed what he had found at the preacher’s trailer. “I got the men under guard and zip-tied to the flagpole. The old women are in the camper under guard. The victims, four girls and a woman, are in the two bedroom camper next to your camper.”

“What are you going to do with the men?” Doc asked.

“Billings is a rapist, and Roy killed people.” Matt ran his hand through his hair. “I won’t let that stand without being punished. The women and the sons, well, they were party to the whole thing in one way or another so they can’t stay here.”

“I’m glad you see that,” Helen added.

“Young man, you and your friends have some decisions to make. In the meantime, we’re not as young as we used to be and delivering a baby is hard work.” He turned to his wife. “Coming, dear? Let’s go to our new home and bed down for the night.”

Helen picked up a bag and followed Doc out the door. “I’ll check on the new folks.”

Larry appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. “I think we need to get the rest of the campers from the campsite where we found the others. We don’t want anyone to settle down anywhere near us.”

“And we can use the extra room,” Matt added. “If we’re going to stay here, we need a way to give folks a little room to spread out.”

“You think it’ll be long term?” Larry asked.

Matt nodded. “You know what it’s like out there. We’ve got a secure place. We sure can’t load up all those kids and trek across the country to a place we don’t know can even support us. How big can a hunting camp be?”

“What about the girls. We promised to take them to their grandfather.”

Matt sighed. “I know. Believe me, that weighs heavy as well.”

“Maybe in a couple weeks. If we can get the camp stable, then Jenkins can take over for a few days, we get the kids north and then come back.” Larry suggested.

Matt sighed. “I’m beat. Let’s get some sleep then we question those women and figure out what to do about the wives and the sons.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Larry crossed the room to a stack of sleeping bags and dug one out to spread out on the floor. He took off his gun belt and laid it next to him as he settled into the far corner.

Matt watched his buddy for a couple minutes then did the same. He woke once in the night to the sound of the newborn crying. He smiled at the sound, rolled over and went back to sleep.

Dawn came with the sound of gunshots. Matt bolted upright. Larry rolled over and jumped to his feet with a gun in hand.

“What the fuck is going on?” Asked Larry.

“How would I know! Let’s get out there.” Matt answered as he strapped on his gun belt. Jake appeared at the door, and he ordered. “Stay here. Protect the kids and Amanda until we know what’s going on.”

Jake nodded and pulled his side arm and checked the load. “Got it.”

Matt walked out of the camper with Mary clinging to his hand. “He nodded at Lawson the only female soldier present. “Take Mary and the three girls to the Rec Center.”

Within the group of women, the younger woman gasped in panic. “Where are you taking my daughter?” An older woman elbowed her.

Matt glared at the crone and growled. “Do that again, and I’ll shoot you.” He turned back to the younger women and added “They’ll be all right. We need to figure out what’s gone on here.”

While the older women cowered, the younger stepped around the group and announced. “I can tell you what’s going on. That bastard is a fucking rapist!”

Matt held up his hand. “I figured that out. Could you tell me your name before we get started?”

“Maggie Sanders. That fat bastard shot my husband and the other men in our camp after they killed the infected that invaded the camp. Billings raped me.”

Billings snorted. “She was doing her wifely duty.”

“I’m not his wife. He forced me into that sham of marriage.” Maggie retorted.

Matt glared at Billings. “I know you’re a rapist. That’s already been established when I saw what you did to Mary.”

“The child is my celestial wife, just like Sister Maggie. You have no business interfering with a blessed union.” Billings argued.

Jenkins kicked out and knocked Billings to the ground, and he pressed the barrel of his handgun to the preacher’s head. “You’re a fucking child molester! We don’t need to investigate this jerkoff.”

“Agreed.” Matt said. “Zip-tie these four to the flag pole.” He ordered, then turned back to Maggie. “What’s the story with those four?” He nodded toward the sour looking women huddled together a few feet away.”

“Two of them belong to Roy. The other two are Billings’ wives.” She looked back to where Jenkins and one of his men were putting zip-ties on the men. “The boys are Roy’s sons. Both of them are dumb as posts, but they do whatever Billing’s orders.”

Matt turned to Jenkins. “I want a guard on those idiots until I decide what to do with them. Put those four women back in that last camper with a guard.” He turned to Maggie. “Is it alright if you and the girls stay in the two bedroom camper?”

“Sure.” She answered. “That bastard took my husband’s guns. I want them back.”

“Tomorrow we’ll clean out that boar’s nest and get your weapons.”

“Fine. We need clothes. I won’t wear these rags a minute longer.” She announced.

“We can probably take care of that. You and the girls may end up in t-shirts and cargo pants or shorts, but they’ll be clean and functional.”

Matt led Maggie to the Rec Center. There, they walk in to see Lawson with the girls. It looked as if all had showered and now wore soccer shorts and t-shirts. Mary sat in front of Lawson. She was working a brush through Mary’s tangled hair.

“Are you girls alright?” Maggie put her arms around two of the girls.

“Fine.” One of the girls answered. The other stood silently just watching Lawson.

Maggie held out her arms, and all the girls stepped to her side. She pulled them close. “We’re free now. Those people can’t hurt us anymore.” Both girls turned and cried against their mother.

“Mary, you and Sarah are part of our family now if you want to be.” Maggie studied Mary and the small girl sitting next to her.

Mary nodded. “We would like that if the old wives aren’t going to be there.”

Maggie laughed. “No, they are NOT going to be anywhere around us, I promise you. We’re free of those people.”

Lawson handed Maggie a stack of clothes and pointed at a door. “Right in there, in the back is the shower. I keep a bottle of conditioner in the last shower on the windowsill.”

Maggie nodded and disappeared into the showers. When she reappeared, the four girls were still sitting with Lawson. All four girls had freshly brushed and combed hire. Lawson was telling a tale of Matt falling in horse poop, and the girls were laughing.

Despite being the butt of the joke, Matt looked up and smiled at Maggie. “If you’re ready, I’ll lead you to your new home.”

Maggie nodded and together with girls, Matt led them to an empty camper and carried a small camp lantern inside. They walked through the camper examining the two little bedrooms. “This is fine. My daughters and I can sleep in the back bedroom. Mary and Sarah can share the second bedroom. We’ll be all right, won’t we girls?” She leaned down and gathered the four girls into her arms.

“If you need anything, just ask a soldier.” Matt turned and walked outside closing the door behind himself.

Jenkins and Larry appeared out of the shadows. “What in the hell are we going to do with the rest of them?” Larry asked.

“Billings is a rapist, and Roy is a killer. I’m not turning them loose to do this again. The others, well, they can’t stay.” Matt answered.

Matt returned to the manager’s office to the sounds of a new baby’s cry.

Amy met him at the door. “It’s a boy! Mr. Matt.” She squealed excitedly.

“A boy? Well, ain’t that sweet.” Matt smiled as he collapsed into the recliner.

Heavy steps descended the stairs and Doc with Helen at his side appeared. “Well, we have a new member of our merry little band. A strong little guy nearly nine pounds would be my guess.”

Matt chuckled. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

Doc leaned close. “If I might ask, Jake acts like the father, but the child is not biracial. Is there a story here?”

“Amanda was in that busload of folks we rescued from the roadside park three months ago. Jenkin’s crew was in the same operation. Jake’s been acting like a nervous father the last month or so.” Matt sighed. “I thought she was just being nice, but I guess that wasn’t quite the case.”

“She sure doesn’t look like she minds the attention to me,” Doc answered. “It sounded like there was some excitement outside.”

Brian looked at his watch and cringed. He had been hoping the party would continue to cover the sound of the truck’s return in the quiet of the night. He watched as one after another retrieved bed-rolls then began bedding down. The fire waned and became little more than a red glow of coals. He checked his watch again and realized it had been almost forty minutes. He heard a snap of a branch in the distance and turned to see five shadows making their way toward his hiding place. “Damn!” He cursed under his breath.

He eased back into the shadows and waited. Each of the figures approaching clutched weapons. Real quickly he recognized Leon, Juan, and Billy. Then he saw the two women following a few feet behind the three men.

“Crap.” He whispered as he slipped out of the shadows and duck-walked back down the side of the road to meet the five members of his group at the base of the hill. When he met them, he realized each carried a bladed weapon and a gun.

“We brought both vehicles. They’re parked a quarter mile down the road. The girls didn’t want to be left alone, and after a discussion, we decided it was better to stay together.”

“This is not a fucking democracy!” Brian declared. He took a deep breath through his nose and exhaled through his parted lips. Finally, he spoke again. “Alright, you’re all here, so all the dry-firing is going to pay off or not. We have a dozen bad guys. We have to make sure to take them all out to save the two captives.”

The two women stood staring at him while gasping for breath after running from the vehicles.

“I need to get in shape.” Margo quipped.

“What are you two doing here?” Brian demanded.

“My fault. Leon told us what happened. Those women are going to be scared. We can help.” Margo answered.

“Besides, what if you aren’t successful? If you fail, we’re left to fend for ourselves. We need to help just to protect ourselves.”

“We loaded up the rest of our supplies and brought both vehicles,” Juan announced. “Just in case.”

“Well, that was a vote of confidence.” Admitting defeat, Brian held up his hands, palms out. “When the shooting starts, I’ll take out the guard. You get to the girls. The keys for the chain are in the shirt pocket of the guard. Get them and head back this way. If you see anyone besides one of us coming over the hill, get in the truck and leave. You have the map. Dump the big truck as soon as you can and keep going. Don’t come back because we’ll be dead. Get as far away from here as you can.”

Margo gave a quick nod then she and Paula stepped aside.

“Okay boss. What’s the plan?” Leon asked.

Brian outlined his plan. “We got twelve men, four are on guard duty. We each take care of a guard and take their place. I’ll hunker down from the little rise over there and take out as many as I can with the silenced rifle. Soon as the closest guards are taken out, Margo and Paula gets the girls and, take them out of here. I only have half a dozen shells, so we take out the rest by hand. No guns if we can help it.”

Leon leaned close. “Stab them?”

“Use the knife.” Brian pointed to his back at the kidney. “The pain will keep them from calling out giving you time to grab their head and slit their throat.”

“Shit!” Juan whispered.

Brian looked to Billy then studied each Leon and Juan. “If you can’t do this, we walk away. Billy and I can’t do this by ourselves.”

“No.” Leon looked at Juan, and he nodded. “We can do it, boss.”

“What are we going to do?” Leon whispered.

Brian stepped back pulling Leon with him as he replied. “We can’t do anything right now.”

“What?” Leon queried. “You can’t be serious. You know what’ll happen to those two girls.”

Brian eased back down the hill. When he was out of sight of the mayhem beyond he jogged toward the truck with Leon close on his heels. At the truck, he pulled a sniper rifle, a combat knife and extra magazines from behind the seat.

“We can’t save everyone, but I’m not willing to abandon those two. Take the truck back and get Billy and Juan. Gear up and get back here as fast as you can. Park down the road about a quarter mile and make your way to the place where we were.”

Leon jumped into the truck and cranked the engine. Brian leaned close. “Don’t use the lights or race the engine until you’re out of earshot. I don’t want them hearing the truck. You got an hour. I’ll keep an eye on them and meet me here. Tell the women to be in the van ready to head out, just in case.”

“Got it.” Leon shoved the truck in gear and pulled out onto the broken asphalt and quickly disappeared.

Brian carried his personal arsenal to the crest of the hill to watch the camp when the two women were led to a truck where they were chained to a bumper. Brian watched the man with the key and noted he spread out a sleeping bag and settled down for the night not far from the girls.

The felonious crew passed around two more bottles and a second man had found in a truck. They scrounged food and laced metal cups of coffee as they sat around the fire. The drinkers grew steadily louder. The celebrating would soon obscure any distant rumble of the returning truck. It would all depend on how long the boss let the party continued.

Brian ignored the mosquitos buzzing and lighting on his bare skin as he slowly screwed the silencer on the end of his rifle. He hadn’t done any serious distance shooting other than at the range in a really long time. He hoped he was up to the task if the need arose. He watched the celebration spin up into a full blown party.

The men toasted each other for a well-executed ambush, and the plethora of supplies gathered from the victims including the women. As the salutes grew more raucous, one of the men approached the women rubbing at the front of his jeans. The guard jerked upright and growled curses while pointing a gun in the man’s direction. The would-be abuser crept back to his friends amid a myriad of laughter.

Brian slowly released his breath as he watched one of the men shove his way through the celebrating group breaking up the party. He talked to four people, and they headed off to stand in the shadows at the edge of the camp. The drinking suddenly slowed, and the party began to wind down.