As they approached the prison cell containers, he could see fingers sticking through the holes of both.
“Hey… Hey, you gonna let us out of here? Please, Mister.” The man had changed his tune from earlier as he pleaded with Ben.
“Shhhhh.” Ben held his finger to his mouth. “Joel, cover that path. Allie, you watch the way we just came. If you see anyone, shoot them.” Ben’s words were stern but necessary. He didn’t want any hesitation from either of them if the situation called for action. But part of what he said was for the benefit of the guy in the containers. Ben wanted him to know that they meant business and were prepared to do whatever it took to put this hellhole behind them.
Bradley and Emma stood back and to the side of Ben a little ways while Sandy sorted through the keys they’d acquired from the first guard. She started with Rita and Carlos, and although Ben was fairly confident that they were decent people, he kept his pistol ready.
Sandy glanced back at Ben. “Ready,” she said.
“Go ahead.” Ben took a step closer as Sandy removed the padlock and slid the chain through the handle of the door. She pulled it open and stepped out of the way behind it. Rita slowly emerged into the dim light with her husband by her side. Carlos was standing on his own now, but it looked as though it was taking everything he had to stay upright without Rita’s support.
“Thank you,” Carlos said in a gravelly voice.
“Yes, thank you.” Rita went to Sandy as soon as she spotted her behind the door and gave her a hug. If Ben had to guess, he would have figured them to be in their sixties, although the way they moved made them look much older. Their dirt-smudged faces and torn clothing didn’t help make them look any younger, either.
Emma did her best to keep the dogs at bay, but eventually they surrounded the couple to investigate.
“Easy there. Good boy.” Carlos staggered and almost went down, but Ben was able to catch him in time and keep him steady. By the looks of it, Gunner might have weighed as much or more than the man. They were both malnourished, and their skin hung loosely on their faces. Ben paid attention to how Bajer reacted to the couple, but it was obvious she wasn’t their dog. And the possibility of having another dog with them for the remainder of the trip seemed closer to reality.
“How long have you guys been here?” Ben helped Carlos over to a stump where he could sit down.
Rita answered for her husband. “Since it all started. We were on our way from New York to Fort Wayne, Indiana. Our daughter and her husband live there.” She paused for a moment and took a deep breath. Ben could tell she wanted to say more but didn’t have the stamina to get it all out at once. He took the opportunity to check in with Joel and Allie, who were standing guard at both ends of the footpath that ran through the area. They needed to get Rita and her husband something to eat and drink, but they needed to make sure the compound was secure before they could even think about doing that.
“Hey, what about me?” Ben had forgotten about the other guy.
“What do you know about him?” Ben asked Carlos quietly.
“That’s Martin. He’s harmless enough. Got here about a week after us.” Carlos lowered his head and his voice before continuing. “His wife only lasted a few days, but she was already in bad shape when they got here.”
Suddenly, Ben felt bad for the way he’d judged the man.
“Well?” Sandy looked at Ben.
“Martin, you’re going to be nice to everyone, right?” Ben asked.
“Yes, yes. I promise. I’ll do anything you want if you let me out of here,” he pleaded.
Ben nodded at Sandy, and she unlocked the door. He readied himself for whatever would follow. Sandy swung the door open and once again took a position behind it and out of the way.
“Come on.” Ben motioned with the pistol for Martin to step outside. A worn and weary husk of a man stepped out of the shadows and into the pale light of the burning still. He was wearing what looked like office attire, or at least what was left of it. His dress pants were torn into shorts, and his button-down shirt looked more like a shop rag than clothing. He slowly made his way out of the container and offered his hand to Ben.
“Thank you. I’m sorry about before.”
Ben lowered his gun and shook the man’s hand while the dogs gave him a thorough sniffing. Ben didn’t call them off like he had for Rita and Carlos, and he didn’t offer the man any reassurances that they wouldn’t hurt him, either. No reason to let him think otherwise for now.
Ben watched Bajer again, but the dog paid even less attention to this guy than she had the dead moonshiners. And Martin wasn’t a dog person, anyway; that much was obvious by the way he held his hands up high and out of Gunner and Sam’s reach.
Ben let out a sigh, partly because he knew that Bajer was coming with them now and partly because he realized this guy was no threat to them.
“Gunner, Sam, here.” Ben gave the command, and all three dogs came to him. He glanced at Emma, and she immediately called over the dogs so they were out of the way.
“They won’t hurt you.” Ben tried to put him at ease when he noticed Martin
