The structure dwarfed the other meager homes and was actually five containers of various spray-painted earth-tone colors joined together, three on the bottom and two on top. They were positioned so the backside of the bottom units butted up against the steep rocky hillside. The front of the home, which faced the rest of the compound, jutted out into the air and was supported by pilings with cross bracings between them. There was a deck attached to the front of the structure, and it was also supported by pilings. A set of stairs on the side led up to the deck and the first three containers.
The whole place was draped in camouflage netting that had seen better days and now mostly consisted of leaves and sticks tangled in the webbing. The stairs were the only way in that Ben could see from down here in the camp. Unfortunately, the front of the house had plenty of windows, and anyone coming up the stairs could be easily spotted from inside. Ben studied the place for a while but saw no movement or light coming from the windows, so he decided it was time to move. The longer they waited to do the inevitable, the more cover they lost from the onset of dawn.
“All right, it looks quiet. Keep Gunner with you for now.” Ben led the way with Joel holding Gunner’s collar and following a few paces behind. Gunner would earn his keep when it came time to go inside, but for right now, Ben didn’t want the dog’s eagerness to explore giving them away.
He was really hoping the place was empty, but they were going to treat it otherwise. They were too close to wrapping this thing up, and he wasn’t leaving anything to chance. He wished Rita or Martin had been able to give them more concrete numbers. The possibility of them making a mistake on their head count was a justified concern. Although Martin seemed more certain of his count, Ben was still leery.
The first thing Ben noticed when they reached the cover of the overhanging deck was that the containers weren’t just nestled up against the side of the mountain; they actually extended into the side of the rock face. The deck overhang provided a covered area underneath the dwelling that was still very dark, and he and Joel hid there for a second while he listened. There was a gentle tapping sound he couldn’t make sense of. It seemed random and mechanical in nature, and he dismissed it as something trivial.
Slowly, Ben crept toward the stairs and started up. The steps swayed and creaked. Ben turned around to see Joel and Gunner joining him.
“Easy.” Ben wondered if the biggest threat to their immediate safety here was the poorly built house. As more light spilled into the forest from the impending sunrise, he began to see just how rundown the place was. This wasn’t how he wanted to start his day, and that cup of coffee he wanted so badly seemed further away than ever.
He crouched down at the top of the stairs and inched across the deck to the row of windows that covered the front of the dwelling, careful to stay low until he reached the front door. Once there, he signaled for Joel to stay put while he listened again. Nothing other than that tapping sound, only now he could feel a slight vibration in the deck as well. It sounded like a generator, maybe. But that didn’t worry him. A generator was something the moonshiners would have left running when the still blew up.
Ben motioned for Joel to come to him with Gunner. While the two crossed the dilapidated old deck, Ben sized up the door. It was a much more substantial door than the other homes were built with. The knob was a keyed entry with a deadbolt above it.
Please be open. Please be open. Ben tested the knob, and of course, it was locked. He reached for the keys he’d taken from the old man and realized he didn’t have them anymore. Perfect.
In the chaos, the keys must have fallen out somewhere in the compound or near the gate. There was a chance the set of keys Sandy took from the guard held the key to this door, or maybe there was one hidden around here somewhere. But there was nothing out on the deck but trash and leaves. He didn’t have time to look for a key or run back to get a keychain from Sandy that might or might not have the right key.
Ben felt his frustration level building, and the feelings of anger about how these idiots had interfered with their lives began to swell inside of him. They could have been in Cloverdale by now, or at least very close. Instead, they were stuck in some god-awful hillbilly hell. And quite frankly, he’d had just about enough.
Chapter Eighteen
Joel could see the look on Ben’s face when the doorknob didn’t turn, but it still caught him off guard when his father stood up and took a step back on the deck.
“Move back.” Ben spoke in a calm but firm manner. His dad hadn’t bothered to whisper this time, and Joel recognized that tone of voice; he knew it meant something was about to go down. Joel watched his dad take the M24 off his shoulder and lay it down on the deck.
Using both hands, Ben leveled the Desert Eagle at the door. Joel still had his hand on Gunner’s collar and yanked the dog back with him as he tried to get
