Bug Out! Part 12: RV Alliance (20 page)

“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.”