Granny B asked, “Where’s Tom and Kate?”
“They took Jerry with them to go to Alan’s home to fetch their supplies and a wounded female resistance fighter,” Bill said.
Granny B frowned. “Who is she?”
“I don’t know. Alan’s wife said she was a red-headed woman who hates Carlos. They’re taking her back to the ranch was the last I heard. That’s all I know,” Bill said.
Granny B said, “Jackie, please saddle our horses. We’re riding back to the ranch.”
***
Tom surveyed the farm in front of him. “That should be their home over there—the one with the stone walls. The root cellar is hidden next to the barn with the entrance inside the barn. Alan told me how to open the door and that the cellar is half-full of canned food. The woman is in a hidden room that goes under the yard between the barn and house. I’ll park in the barn. Jerry, open the barn doors when we get there. We’ll hide the truck and load all the food and then the woman inside the barn where no one can see us.”
“Sounds like a plan. Let’s roll,” Jerry said.
Tom backed the pickup into the barn and immediately searched for the hidden hatch to the root cellar. He wondered why anyone had a secret root cellar until he lifted the steel hatch. The root cellar was actually an older bomb shelter from the early 1960s. A second door led to concrete steps down to the shelter’s floor. Tom flicked his flashlight on and saw the walls were lined with shelves full of canned vegetables and meat.
Tom found the shelf at the back of the room, felt along its third shelf from the ceiling, and found the hidden latch. He pulled the latch, and the shelf swung toward him. The room was much larger than Tom expected. His light danced around the room, and he froze. The gun pointed at him wavered but stayed aimed at his chest.
Tom gulped. “Don’t shoot. Alan and Kendra sent me to rescue you.”
A weak voice said, “Tom, is that you?”
Kate grabbed her husband’s arm. “Tom, the woman knows you. Who could she be?”
Tom recognized the voice and charged toward the cot. “Sam, is that you? Kate, hold the light over here.”
The light danced around and settled on the woman lying prone on the cot. Tom lifted her head and moved his canteen to her lips. “What happened to you? We found a dead woman with her head blown off. We were sure it was you.”
Sam’s voice was weak. “I was wounded, but I’m okay. Carlos made me change clothes with another woman and then shot her in the face with a shotgun to fool you into believing I was dead. He hates both of us.”
Tom said, “Rest. We’re taking you back to the ranch. Where are you wounded?”
“Right by my left tit.”
Tom looked at Kate and gulped. “Kate’s going to check your wound before we go.”
Sam passed out when they moved her to the truck’s bed. Jerry drove home while Tom and Kate tended to Sam. Kate had a million questions, and she knew Sam was unconscious. “How serious were you two?”
Tom instantly knew he’d get caught if he didn’t tell the truth. “We were flirting and probably heading to a serious relationship, but Carlos took her before anything could happen.”
Kate chose her words carefully. “So you two didn’t … well, …”
“Sleep together? No! She was gone before things advanced that far. I was still hurting from losing my wife when Sam came along. I’ve always been a bit socially awkward. The bottom line is you don’t have anything to worry about from me. Well, other than Carlos trying to kill me.”
Kate placed an arm around Tom. “I know you won’t throw her out, but I’ll be honest. I don’t like having her with us.”
Tom thought, The wrath of a jealous woman can be awesome and dangerous. He said, “I’ll stay as far away from her as possible. I love you.”
Kate trusted her husband, but would never trust Sam around him. “That would be good.”
***
Granny B hopped on the horse and started to leave. Jackie said, “Wait a cotton-picking minute. What got a bee under your bonnet?”
“Bill just told me that Tom went to rescue a red-haired young lady who’s been conducting guerilla warfare against Carlos.”
“Oh! Shit!”
“Yes. I want to be there when they arrive. Kate knows about Sam, and my guess is this lady freedom fighter is Sam. I don’t want any catfights or Tom getting hurt.”
They rode as fast as they could, but had to stop and rest the horses twice along the way. Granny B thought they’d beat Tom back to the ranch since he’d have to avoid taking a straight path back home from Talent. They only arrived an hour before Jerry drove into the compound.
Jackie asked, “Should we tell Lucy?”
“No! We don’t know for sure it’s Sam. I’d bet it is, but that would devastate Lucy if we got her hopes up and then yanked the rug out from under her,” Granny B replied.
Jackie and June took the horses to the corral while Granny B went down into the bunker. June had just finished her tour on guard duty. “Jackie, this could be a sticky situation. What if Tom still has feelings for Sam?”
Jackie pondered the question. “I’m sure he has feelings for Sam. He cared for her, but he deeply loves Kate. I feel we’re overthinking this.”
Granny B watched the monitors until she saw Tom’s truck barreling up the driveway. “Jack and Lucy, please come with me and help with unloading Tom’s truck.”
Lucy whined. “Do I have to? I’m reading a survival book.
