Whatever they were guarding, it had to be valuable.
“And so you’re telling me since they evacuated the town, no police or military have been back?” Colby asked, observing the compound from inside a darkened Starbucks, two hundred and fifty yards from the main entrance.
The hotel was oddly positioned a good five hundred yards away from the town, presumably placed close enough to the highway for travelers to see it, but far enough away from the town to not be an eyesore. The community of homes was to the west and south and the hotel was nestled in the northeastern corner surrounded by fast-food joints.
“If they have, I haven’t seen or heard them.”
“Me neither,” Eva said.
Hector continued. “Town folk left on day six. There was no need to return. The National Guard rolled into town, loaded everyone into older trucks and buses, and carted them away. They took the elderly and the ill first, then the young ones followed. Those who wished to stay were told they wouldn’t be back.”
“That’s why you stayed?”
“It wasn’t a mandatory evacuation. I’m in good health. I had a stock of supplies and with the pandemic in full swing, the last thing I wanted to be in was a bus full of people. I figured this would only last a month, two at the most. I don’t like staying anywhere that isn’t my house, or being carted around like cattle.” Hector glanced at Eva. “I’m sorry about your parents, Eva. Your father was a good man. He deserved better.”
She thanked him as she continued to jot down the number of men patrolling. “I count eight on the ground, two on either side at any given time. That doesn’t include those on the upper tier that I can’t see.”
“Are you sure your sister is there?” Colby asked.
“I can’t be sure. That’s where I saw them take her.”
“And what about you, Hector?”
“I haven’t been out of my house in days.”
“What did they want?”
“Supplies. Women. Control. What does any asshole want in an apocalypse?”
Colby stared out at the armed men. They were taking a huge risk. Even if they managed to put two of them down, the others would hear the gunfire, and they’d come under attack.
They needed a distraction, something to draw them away.
His eyes diverted to the fast-food restaurants: the McDonald’s, the In-N-Out Burger joint. “These men think they’re the only ones here barring you two, is that right?”
Eva nodded.
“Eva. The times they’ve seen you. Did they come after you?”
“Damn right, chased me through the streets. But I’m too fast for them. I know this town like the back of my hand.”
“Good, as we need someone to draw them away.”
“What?” Hector said. “You want to use a kid as bait?”
Colby waved him off. “She’ll be long gone by the time they come to check. We start a fire. Here, over there, and in the In-N-Out Burger joint.”
“And why would we do that?” Hector asked.
“To raise a little hell and see how they react. There’s roughly a hundred and fifty yards between this Starbucks and the McDonald’s, and another hundred between that and the In-N-Out. Three fires. What do you think?”
“I think it’s liable to get her shot,” Hector said.
“I can do this. I got this,” Eva said.
“Every kid thinks they’ve got it. That’s why there are adults to remind you that you haven’t. No, Colby, it’s too risky.”
He shrugged. “Then we walk away.”
“My sister is in there. I can do this. C’mon!”
“You don’t know that,” Hector said, wandering over to the counter.
“Then why would you bother to come with us?” she asked.
“They killed my dog.”
“And your idea of getting back at them was to do nothing?”
Hector leaned against the counter and put his head in his hands. Colby was partially listening to the two of them go back and forth.
He didn’t want to put anyone’s life at risk. If he had his way, he’d stroll in and knock on every door until he found the woman and Kane. He couldn’t believe he could remember the dog. He knew it was his but had very little recollection of how he came to be the owner.
Hector walked back and forth. “Okay, so we start a few fires. Then what?”
“We observe and move in,” Colby replied.
“And so we get in. Then what?”
“I haven’t gotten that far.”
“Shit, man.” He tossed a hand up. “You want to waltz in there and play Russian roulette with our lives?”
He stared back at him.
Hector clicked fingers in front of his face. “Hello. Earth to Colby. Are you with us?”
The mention of Russian roulette brought back another memory. Someone spinning a revolver, recounting what was done to him by Russians. “Manny.”
“What? Who’s Manny?” Hector asked.
“Beats me, but his face is familiar,” Colby replied.
“Well, I’m glad to see you’ve rejoined planet earth. Perhaps you can save those spaced-out moments for another time. I’m going to need you firing on all cylinders,” Hector said. “Now, how do we do this? Give me specifics.”
“You got that lighter on you?” Colby had seen him sparking a cigarette earlier. Hector reached into his pocket and fished out a BIC. “We start here, jog over to the next one and do the same, then move around and do the third, and then approach from the east side. Even if they don’t walk away from the hotel, they will come around to the front to see what’s happening. That’s our moment.”
Hector threw up his hands. “Then what?”
“Then we find out what you’re made of, Hector.”
Colby hopped over the counter and had Eva give him a hand collecting packages of napkins, anything that was flammable. He wanted to start the fire in an area of the building that would give them
