He was pretty sure he would get regular visits with Max, since they both heard the group was short on medical practitioners. Hopefully, they could finalize the plan a little at a time, only carving out a rough idea ahead of time. Mike needed to be careful about balancing his injury while still being productive and moving quickly up the ranks. No outfit needs a sick man hanging around for too long, he remembered hearing in a movie, or was it a TV show?
They pulled in late, after dark, with an announcement. “We’re here. Everyone sits tight, and nobody leaves the truck.”
* * * * * * *
Chapter Nineteen
Mike ~ Camp ~ Colorado
Mike, with Max’s help, rose to a seated position. He saw a slew of small campfires, with men, women and children milling about and a few laughing out loud.
“This isn’t what I expected,” Mike whispered to Max. “I thought the women were all locked up. It doesn’t make sense.”
“Over here,” said the pickup truck leader, still without a name, who could be Mike’s twin both in looks and behavior. “We’ll stay the night and move on at first light,” he added.
Mike was confused, and that didn’t happen very often.
“Move on tomorrow—to where?” he asked Max.
* * * *
He would have his answer in only another minute as he stared into the eyes of a Military man.
“Ronna, is that you?” Mike asked, already knowing the answer.
“The last time we met, you were pointing a pistol at me and threatening my leadership, I remember,” he replied.
“I was just trying to make a fair deal for my people,” Mike replied. “I didn’t realize who you were,” he added, careful not to say too much in front of his fellow travelers.
“And who might I be?” Ronna asked.
“All I know is we have a mutual friend who travels by helicopter most places,” said Mike, wondering where this was headed.
“Bring him inside for a chat,” Ronna said, walking away.
“Okay, Mike. Let’s go,” said the two men who had helped lift him before.
Mike tried hard to use his legs and got some traction, at least more than before, he thought. He was brought to a tent much bigger than the last time they had met and with ten times the security.
“I see you have grown your little group,” said Mike, waving his hand in a half-circle.
“I have,” he replied. “Not bad for a former coffee barista, don’t you think?”
“So why am I here?” Mike asked, cutting the small talk. “I was expecting to see Colonel Baker.”
“He’s no Colonel—just some crazy guy who has, successfully I will admit, amassed a large army of cult followers willing to die for him,” said Ronna.
“Join or be killed is what I heard,” said Mike.
“You’re not far off… This man,” Ronna said, pointing to Mike’s doppelgänger, “is Sergio. He is a spy and has worked with me for many years, before all of this. He has a special set of talents that I hear you share.”
“What’s that?” asked Mike.
“He cleans things up, gets rid of loose ends, and is loyal to his government. Now, he has infiltrated Baker’s group and gained his trust. It’s what you intend to do, isn’t that right?”
Mike didn’t answer, and it didn’t matter.
“Let’s see if I have this right,” said Ronna. “You have a wife, or a girlfriend, now and a new boy you took from them. Your group with Lance, the other cop (Lennie, I think), and the rest are headed for Saddle Ranch in the Valley. Am I warm?”
He continued, “You know about the Great Battle for the Valley, and you have an ally with a real Colonel who is my commander, and he has intervened on your behalf at least once that I know of. Is that correct?”
“Yes, that’s right,” replied Mike. “It was right after he intervened on your behalf, when Baker took you prisoner.”
“You do know your history,” replied Ronna.
“I pay attention is all,” replied Mike.
“You will return to Baker’s group, you and Sergio, alone at first light and mention nothing of this stop. Your truck was attacked at dark with only the two of you escaping. You reclaimed the vehicle, camping for the night somewhere down the road,” added Ronna.
“And the other men we rode here with—what about them?” asked Mike.
“Collateral damage. You should know that.”
“I want Max,” said Mike, as if he were in a bargaining position.
“The Medic? Why?”
“He’s not a part of this, and I want him alive. We need him at Saddle Ranch. Call the Colonel.”
Ronna laughed. “I don’t care about it either way, and my commanding officer likes you for some reason—maybe the boxing—so you can keep him. But I need you to help me with Baker. I assume you have some plan cooked up already to help your friends when they get to the Valley. But mark my words, I will be the one to take him down and everyone who willingly works for him. You will report only to Sergio, who will treat you badly in front of Baker. Your friend, the Max guy, will need to toe the line and keep quiet about this stop here tonight. If he doesn’t, Sergio will quiet him his own way. Understand?”
“Yes,” replied Mike, “but what about the other five guys on the truck?”
“On the next stop, keep Max in the truck and put your heads down. This business is messy at times, but a soldier like you doesn’t mind, do you? Don’t answer. Just keep an eye on your friend.”
* * * *
Everyone slept next to the truck and headed out at first light, as planned. Sergio kept the radio with him and brushed off questions from the other men working for Baker. “We’ll sort it out when we arrive,” Sergio told them.
“When we stop, stay in the truck, no matter what,” Mike whispered to Max as he checked his wound. “Don’t ask why. Just do what I’m telling you. No bathroom break
