“I’m very sorry, John.”
“More than anything, she wanted a chance to tell us she loved us.”
Tears flowed freely and John let them flow. Connor chewed absently on the end of his cigar—it had gone out some time ago and he hadn’t bothered to relight it. Exiting onto the porch, Roger, Rhonda, Jason, and Jackson noticed the intensity of the conversation. Jason came over and sat down next to his dad and the other three walked down the porch steps, unwilling to intrude.
“You okay, Dad?” asked Jason, staring at Connor as the source of his dad’s apparent grief. The young man’s eyes showed a clear warning—he would go to great lengths to keep his father from any source of pain. Connor nodded gently and this gesture satisfied Jason.
“Yeah, son, I’m fine. I’m just letting Connor Mac know a little bit about what we’ve gone through.”
Jason stood, gripped his father’s shoulder briefly, and walked down the porch stairs to join the others.
CHAPTER 5.5-Marauders
“What’s the story here, Toby?” asked Terry, voice was barely above a whisper. Ryan, Andy, and Terry had approached the second perimeter guard position soundlessly, the last twenty feet on their hands and knees.
“When we discovered them, I sent Kristen back for you guys. Your orders are to shoot first and ask questions later, but only if we had to shoot.” Toby spoke gently and had yet to lower his binoculars. He was not one to say much unless it was important. “I sent Kristen back for you guys to decide what to do. We spotted them a couple hours ago and waited long enough to verify that there were only three of them. But, they haven’t made a move yet.”
Toby, Terry, and Andy had binoculars. Ryan chose to use a fancy Leica Monovid 8X20 monocular he treasured since Iraq—he felt that binoculars took up too much space—and Kristen used the scope of her rifle to scan the area. “Clue me in on where these bastards are,” said Terry, prone next to Toby and peering through binoculars.
“They’re about eighty yards out. They’re twenty yards to the right of the Japanese maple. See the group of six trees with their trunks real close together? They’re behind those trees. I think they’re trying to work up the nerve, T.” Toby lowered his binoculars. “They’re up to no good, but they know there’s a large bunch of people here to deal with.”
“I don’t see ’em,” she said, straining to catch any movement.
“I got a boot,” said Ryan. “And there’s a flannel shirt sleeve. Boot’s to the left of those trees and the shirt’s to the right. They don’t belong to the same person. I make that as two definite.”
“I’m seeing the same thing, brother,” agreed Andy.
The three strangers were well hidden in a position that provided a long-range view of the cottage. Without Toby’s precise targeting and reference, the strangers would have likely gone unnoticed, they were that good at camouflage.
“I see a third definite,” said Terry. “There’s a space between trunks in the middle of that group of trees—I think the third guy just stood up.”
“Yeah,” said Andy.
“Yep,” agreed Ryan.
“That’s the little guy,” offered Toby. “He’s how I caught onto ’em. He’s pissed three times in the last couple hours.”
“What weapons do they have?” asked Andy.
“Rifles—unsure of the make, but they’re all scoped.” Toby had resumed his study of the area. “They’re gonna make a move—they’re gettin’ antsy. Impatient. I’ve seen it before.” The man’s words carried weight within the clan. He rarely spoke more than a dozen words a day, but they had all learned to listen when he spoke.
Terry turned toward Ryan and Andy. “Whatta you guys wanta do?”
“What else can we do, T? They’re not looking to trade. If they’re sneaking up on us this way, they’re going to take. I say we take ’em down—hard and fast. Sound good to you, Ry?”
“Yep.”
“Whatta you think, Toby?” asked Terry.
“Andy’s right. They ain’t the trading type.”
Kristen nodded in affirmation. “I agree. They’re going to make a move on our place.” She spoke softly and directly to Terry.
“How you wanta do this, Andy?” asked Terry.
“Me and Ryan will take ’em down. Hard and fast. Toby and Kristen will maintain their positions here as backup. T, I recommend you go back to the cottage and let everyone know there may be some rifle fire.”
“Okay,” said Terry. She began making her way back, crawling for the first twenty feet. Out of sight, she stood and jogged to the cottage.
Ryan and Andy fanned out low and slow—they had done this before, working in unison, an experienced killing team. Fifteen minutes later, they’d successfully eliminated all three men where they lay. As it was, Ryan found great satisfaction in the large man’s surprising resistance and his unwillingness to surrender beneath the blade of a knife. His need to push the blade deeper into the man’s neck made him truly smile for the first time in many months.
CHAPTER 5.6-The Hilton
The tall, buxom blonde was dressed in a black strapless evening gown, its simplicity enhancing her beauty. Mid-twenties, maybe a bit younger, her smile was dazzling with perfectly aligned white teeth between full parted lips shaded a bright red. There was sincere pleasure in her smile and it reached her expressive dark blue eyes. She exuded pure sexual energy as she moved in black stiletto heels and the men struggled not to notice her incredible body, firm with youth. “Welcome to the Hilton Hotel, Madam President,” she said, her voice smooth and silky. She extended her slender hand to the colonel, the nails perfectly manicured in clear polish. “Madam President, my name is Monica Bauers. I’ll be your hostess for this evening’s events.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Bauers,” said Colonel Starkes, shaking the woman’s hand. By the colonel’s estimate, this woman was no older than twenty-five but had a poised appearance, capable and confident.
“Has the rest of your party been delayed, Madam President?” she asked, glancing at the men behind the colonel. Each man smiled, some further straightening their bearing in the hopes this lovely young woman would notice them.
“No, Monica, this is it. The rest of the men are pulling maintenance duty this evening.”
“I see… how unfortunate.”
“It comes with the job,” said the colonel, quickly becoming annoyed with this woman’s overpowering sexuality and the easy ability she had to compromise the focus of her men. “Monica, how about we just move on, okay?”
“Yes, of course, Madam President. I was told that there would be another woman in your party,” she said, again scrutinizing the men.
“Nope. There’s no other woman. I’m afraid you’ve been misinformed.”
Monica furrowed her brows in confusion before shifting into an easy smile. “Very well. Please, follow me.”
Colonel Starkes turned to her men. Not happy, her tone was biting as she whispered to them. “Are you men capable of proceeding without tripping on your tongues?” She didn’t wait for an answer, but turned and followed Monica, trying her best to block the view of this woman’s graceful movements.
Studying the hotel as they entered, it was clear an effort had been made, successfully, to maintain the five-star status of the Cleveland Hilton after the devastation placed upon the city by the Sickness and its inevitable aftermath. The curving staircases at each side of the lobby led to the dining room on the mezzanine level and the group took the staircase on the right, their footsteps echoing loudly on the bluestone steps in the cavernous room. The top of the stairs brought them eye level with the opulent chandelier, recently shined and brightly lit. In fact, all the lights in the lobby were lit, an impressive display of available electricity in today’s world. Monica led them along the hall to double oak doors, intricately carved and beautifully stained. Despite their large size, the doors swung easily on well-oiled hinges, coming to rest gently at the rubber doorstops mounted in the floor.