As they made their way around the compound, Martin proved his worth by identifying each and every one of the bodies lying on the ground. He wasn’t sure about the number of kids who had been in the camp at any one time, but he was certain that there were at least two other unaccounted-for adult females.
They were either hiding in one of the makeshift container houses or they had fled during the chaos. A part of him hoped they had run away, mostly because he didn’t want to deal with the moral dilemma of what to do once they found them, especially the kids. It was one thing to take out an armed man or woman who was actively trying to kill him or the others. But if these missing people were hiding and he was able to find them, he wasn’t really sure what his next move would be. He’d have to wait and see how fanatical they were about the cause here, whatever that was outside of making moonshine and holding people prisoner.
At the very least, they would have to tie them up, but then what? Maybe he’d leave that up to Rita and Carlos or even Martin. After all, they had suffered the most at the hands of these backwoods miscreants. Or maybe they wouldn’t find anyone remaining. That was a very real possibility, albeit one that made Ben even more nervous.
If some of them had escaped, they would surely run to the other moonshiners for safety and subsequently alert them to what happened here—if they hadn’t already seen the giant fireball in the sky and heard the explosion. The more he thought about the scenarios, the more pressure he felt to move fast. But Ben didn’t want to make any mistakes, and they needed to move cautiously while clearing the houses.
Gunner led them to the first container. It was one Ben had passed by earlier when he was tracking the blood trail. The flickering light was still visible through what looked like a bedsheet curtain hung over a crudely cut window. The door was ajar, but not enough to see inside without sticking his head right up to the opening. And maybe that was exactly what the person inside wanted.
What he wouldn’t have given for a flash bang right now. Of course, he would have needed a dozen of them to clear the multiple container houses. He’d have to do this the old-fashioned way: slow and smooth.
With his pistol at the ready and Joel prepared to back him up, he slowly breached the first door. Slicing the small space into segments, he made his way inside. The container was empty apart from personal belongings. There was a small bed in the corner and a few crates stacked against the opposite wall to form shelves.
“Here, boy. Go get ’em,” Ben said sharply. This was the command he normally used to send Gunner after a downed bird. Gunner recognized the tone and the phrase immediately, although he was unsure where to go at first and just wagged his tail. Ben threw out his hand and pointed into the container. Gunner took the cue enthusiastically and leaped into action, searching the place earnestly with his nose. It only took a few seconds for Gunner to give the place a going-over, but he found nothing of interest and made his way back out just as excitedly as he had entered.
Ben reached back inside and blew out the candle he’d seen burning from outside. If any of their gear was in here, he didn’t want to risk losing it to a fire. Satisfied no one was hiding under the bed or in any of the darker corners of the room, he began to leave.
He spotted a flashlight on his way out and grabbed it. Testing the light quickly against his hand so he didn’t ruin his night vision, he verified that it worked.
“Here.” He handed the light to Joel. “Only use it if you have to. And short bursts.”
The light would be helpful, but it would make Joel a natural target if he used it too much. By the looks of it, the fire at the still was beginning to diminish in size and intensity. They hadn’t heard any random pops or seen any flare-ups caused by stray jars of moonshine in a while now. The amount of light the fire threw off had also decreased, and he felt as though there was a noticeable difference since he’d entered the small home. But as he stood outside and set his sights on the next container, he heard a vehicle start.
They all looked at each other. Gunner stopped panting and cocked his head as the sound of the distant engine being revved to its limits resonated through the otherwise quiet woods.
“Sounds like it’s up near the front gate,” Joel said.
“Let’s go!” Ben started for the compound’s entrance. The rest of the containers would have to wait.
Chapter Fifteen
Ben wanted to sprint, but he was too tired, and even if he had the energy, he needed to proceed with caution. He still managed to set a quick pace that Joel and Gunner had no trouble matching, but Martin was falling behind. Ben didn’t want to lose sight of the guy, but he had to make a choice, and Martin was the lesser of his concerns.
He had a feeling the engine they were hearing was the sound of the remaining moonshiners making a run for it. But even more concerning was the thought of them taking the Jeep or the Blazer to make their escape. Whatever gear and food hadn’t
