Bill saw her coming with the pipes across her shoulder like a soldier packing his rifle in a parade. “I guess those pipes will help us stay warm or feed us?”
“Yep,” was her answer.
Neither Bill nor Granny B saw the men in the house across the street watching them. The leader slapped Jim Roberts. “So, these are the people with money?”
Jim could barely see through the blood and had trouble concentrating. He’d nearly been beaten to death. “Yes, I saw them take it from their luggage. The old woman’s grandson has a money belt with gold coins, and his sister has cash in her backpack. Now let me go. I led you to them. Please let me go as you promised.”
“Tell me again how many people are in the group, and are they armed?”
“I didn’t see any guns. There were only two men and a boy. The rest are women. They’re no danger to you. Grab the money and leave them alone,” Jim urged.
The leader patted Jim on the back as he made a slashing motion across his throat. A large man with a beard walked up behind Jim and drew a military bayonet from a scabbard. He grabbed Jim’s hair and sliced Jim’s neck to the spinal cord. The man yanked Jim’s head back, and blood spurted into the air, hitting the leader and another man.
“Asshole! Next time don’t enjoy your work so much. Let’s go. I want to catch up to these nice people before they get too far down the road. We’ve been behind bars too damned long, and this puke has delivered exactly what we need.”
The man with the knife replied. “I had me a young one cornered when those people shot George and ran us out of town. I ain’t had any tail in two years.”
The leader laughed. “That’s not what George told us when we broke you out.”
“You sumbitch.”
The leader placed his hand on the butt of his gun. “That’s Boss Sumbitch, and don’t forget it!”
***
Tom and Jackie searched the area for anything useable. Still, they only found a flashlight, raincoat, and binoculars in an abandoned car. Tom kept the binoculars and scanned the road in both directions. There were several small groups walking south but only one walking north.
Jackie took a turn looking over the area with the binoculars. “Tom, do you think any of these people realize the crap hit the fan?”
“I’m sure some do.”
Jackie swept the area east then west of the highway with the field glasses. “Grampa always said to get where you’re going within two days of TEOTWAWKI. The prisoners are rioting in jails and prisons, looters are running amuck, and the store shelves will be empty tomorrow.”
Tom was worried about Granny B and Bill but was relieved when Jackie spoke. “Here, they come. They’re carrying something that looks like folded blankets.”
Jackie watched them come closer when she saw movement behind them and handed the binoculars to Tom. “Look about a hundred feet behind them. I saw a man following them.”
Tom searched the area behind Granny B but didn’t see anything. “Could it have been Jim coming back with his tail between his legs?”
“No, the man was huge.”
Tom turned to Jackie. “An abundance of caution says I should circle around Granny B and Bill to see who’s following them. Keep your gun handy. I’ll be back as soon as I run the person away, or maybe it is Jim.”
Tom ran into the bushes and quickly disappeared from his sister’s view. He passed his grandma and Bill without being noticed. He waited and saw a rough-looking man with a beard following his people. Jackie was right. The man was huge and had a dagger on his side. Tom gulped, and his temples pounded when the guy passed a few feet in front of him. He saw the fresh bloodstains on the man’s trousers and knew someone had died.
Damn, that can’t be good, but can I kill this asshat, thought Tom as he drew his 9 mm. He snuck up behind the man and yelled, “Drop the knife!”
All of Tom’s thoughts vanished when the man whirled around faster than Tom thought possible, drew his knife from its scabbard, and threw the knife at Tom. The action was so quick that Tom could only raise his hand to block the blade. The bayonet's point struck the pistol's side, knocking it from Tom’s hand and then cutting his bicep before falling to the ground. Like a bull, the man charged Tom. The brute outweighed Tom by fifty pounds and was a good six inches taller.
Adrenaline surged, and Tom was fighting mad. His heart pounded in his chest as he watched the man fly toward him. He was ready this time, thanks to all of the karate classes and hand-to-hand combat training Granny B and Grandpa had sent Jackie and him to over the years. Tom sidestepped and shoved the man in the back, causing him to tumble to the ground. Tom kicked the man on the back of his thigh and was shocked to see the man roll across the ground, retrieve his knife, and jump to his feet, grinning.
The man shifted the knife from hand to hand. “Now, boy, I’m going to skin you alive and rape your women.”
Tom reached behind him and hefted the Taurus Judge as he backed up a few steps feigning fear. Then he saw the man charge toward him with a wicked grin on his face. The big pistol came up, and the explosions deafened Tom. Tom again sidestepped the man as he fell forward, his momentum causing the man to crash into a tree. Two large and bloody holes were in
