After one more drink and a shout-out to his night security crew for extra caution tonight, Mac went home and slept soundly with Bo next to the bed, just as always.
* * * *
Drake was first to show up for the morning security meeting. He wasn’t sure who knew about his whereabouts last night and didn’t want anyone getting on him for a failed rescue attempt. He didn’t say a word to anyone before Mac and Cory showed up.
“You did good,” said Cory. “We both thought so.”
“I tried, I really did,” said Drake, “and I almost had him, but they were too quick.”
“I know,” replied Cory. “It’s one of those things, like a Hail Mary when you’re fourth and ten to tie a football game with a minute left on the clock, and your team is down 6 points. It can happen, and it’s great when it does, but most times it doesn’t. What you have left is that you gave it your very best against all the odds. And that, Drake, is what separates a boy from a man.”
“Yes, sir,” he replied, “and thank you for that. I done felt sick all night about it.”
Bill, Samuel, John, and even Patty and Rico, were all at the 7 a.m. security meeting, having only heard a partial explanation of last night’s happenings and the shots they all heard on the mountain.
Only Mac, Cory and Drake knew about the rescue attempt last night.
The rest would be filled in now by Mac, followed by plans to contain the situation as safely as possible for all involved.
“We have approximately 50 people up the hill at the MacDonalds’ place, as most of you know. Yesterday they abducted Patty’s son, Joshua.
“Drake here,” he said, pointing to him, “attempted a difficult rescue last night on account of him already being in position and spotting a brief opportunity to do so. I authorized it, and it was a long shot at best. He was unable to rescue him, unfortunately. We have a number of issues we need to be aware of as it relates to this group. First, they have Joshua, and we need to get him back. It seems Ralph, a man some of you have met, is the leader of the group, and we have information that he may be trying to trade Joshua for Patty.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, looking to her, “that we have to talk about this with everyone, but it’s our best chance of getting him back unharmed.”
“I know,” she responded through her tears. “I want everyone here to know that he abuses women and children, so you should have no reservations about doing everything it takes to get my son back.”
Rico held her close, while intently listening to the meeting in case Patty missed something important.
“Secondly,” continued Mac, “we cannot have them happen upon anything the MacDonalds may have for...”
He paused as the husband and wife walked through the door.
“It’s all right, Mac,” said Mr. MacDonald. “I think what’s he means to say is that the wife and I have stashed plenty of supplies for a situation just like we find ourselves in now, with no more power.
“Anyway, we’ve got enough food, guns and ammo for more than we could ever need ourselves, and if it gets into the wrong hands up there, we all are going to have even bigger problems. I’ve got a few canisters of tear gas that would have come in handy, but the whole thing happened so fast that I couldn’t get to them.”
“Yes, he’s right,” Mac continued. “And lastly, whether they are armed like they are now or they find the extras, we can’t have hostile people living so close to us.”
“It’s only a matter of time before this escalates into something much bigger than it already is,” chimed in Cory.
“How do we play this?” asked one of the security men.
“Thank you all for being here, gentlemen,” said John, ending the conversation for now. “It looks to be about breakfast time. Let’s meet back here in, let’s say, two hours.”
* * * *
All broke for breakfast, and John asked Mac, Cory, Patty and Rico to stay back.
“Now would be a good time to meet with the council on this before we get any further,” he stated.
“I’ll work on breakfast for everyone if you would like to meet in the private dining room,” suggested Rico.
He was referring to the soundproof meeting room underground in the Pavilion, which also doubled as an eating area when needed.
“Yes, and I’ll help,” called out Patty. “I need something to do besides just worrying.”
“Breakfast for ten will be served in exactly one hour,” stated Rico.
* * * *
The council was contacted and assembled in the cozy room with a single boardroom-style table in the middle and 15 chairs tucked in neatly around it. Every chaired was identical, with neither end having one, and there were never assigned or assumed seating arrangements.
John waited until the last person sat before taking the closest open chair. He stated what he knew to the council with Samuel, the only member of The West’s community present.
He gave Mac the floor to tell what he and Cory knew firsthand, and then it was open for questions and discussion.
A woman in her late 60s, and one of the most respected on the council for peacemaking, asked the obvious question.
“Is there a chance, once we get the boy back of course, that our groups
