“Something on your mind, Bones?”
Bones didn’t quite smile. “Nothing I can put my finger on, but I get the feeling we’re not out here alone.”
Bones expressing this kind of concern was rare enough that Maddock decided to give it a lot of weight. The man generally had good instincts.
“Any suggestions beyond just being extra vigilant?”
“Nah, not much we can do besides that. We’re more likely to be attacked by boredom. What’re we gonna do if Eddie Teach’s ghost doesn’t show himself by morning?”
“I have one idea, but it’s a long shot and involves a lot of work. Let’s just see out the night first.”
“Okay, but I’m getting a little sick of this sleeping all day and staying up all night crap. Night time is party time.”
Sterling and Maddock both laughed. They started moving again, and a minute later another one of the larger creature sounds erupted close to them. Maddock shined the flashlight in the direction of the sound, and for a few seconds he saw nothing.
A sudden sound, a rustling in the underbrush and the thrum of feet broke the silence, and a herd of wild pigs burst from the bushes coming straight at them. The largest ones reached over three feet in height and a few of them had sharp tusks which reflected off their flashlight beams.
Almost as if they had communicated telepathically, Maddock, Bones, and Sterling turned and ran back the way they had come.
“That’s a lot of bacon!” Bones shouted.
The stampeding pigs were now less than ten feet behind Maddock, who was bringing up the rear.
Maddock doubted they could outrun the animals, but he saw no other options. The tangled undergrowth on either side of the trail would slow them down too much. Even if he drew his Recon knife and turned to fight, what was the best he could hope for? Could he even kill one before he was run down by the herd?
Shots rang out from the darkness up ahead, interrupting his thoughts. He had only a moment to realize the herd had turned aside before something ensnared his ankles and he fell hard on his face. Before he could regain his feet, a huge weight fell on his back. Then he felt something grab and bind his hands. He reacted with a violent ripple through his body, beginning at his core and culminating with his legs chopping in search of a target while his face remained planted. The weight flew off his torso, but unfortunately his attack found only air. As soon as his legs struck the ground, someone grabbed and bound them.
He stopped resisting and rolled to his side. His flashlight lay a few feet away and in its beam he could make out Sterling similarly bound. He caught a glimpse of Bones thrashing on the ground, and called out.
“Come on, Bones, keep fighting.”
A foot impacted his face and stars flashed across his vision. He sensed a shadow moving through the light beam toward where Bones lay, but he had to close his eyes and shake his head several times before he could see clearly again. When he could, he saw two men standing over a securely bound Bones. One of the men looked familiar, even in the minimal light.
Cyrus Jamison.
ELEVEN
The tight straps dug into Maddock’s wrists and ankles, and rough pine bark itched his back where the tail of his shirt had ridden up. Sterling, similarly trussed, sat facing him, her face expressionless. He cast a sidelong glance at Bones, who leaned against a tree about ten feet away. The big Cherokee glowered at their captors.
“I can’t freaking believe we let these idiots catch us. It’s like the varsity just lost to the chess club.”
Jamison stepped toward Bones, and his measured tone sounded more threatening than loud shouts could have. “Bonebrake, do you want a gag added to your restraints? We can arrange that.”
Maddock thought Bones looked genuinely offended. He said. “Forget the gag, Jamison. What do you and Wright want?”
“We’ll take the journal, for starters.”
Sterling piped in. “What journal?”
“I was wondering when we’d hear from you, Lieutenant Sterling. I just didn’t think you’d insult my intelligence by playing dumb.”
Bones chuckled. “She’s just trying to speak your language. If she used long sentences, we’d never be able to communicate with you.” He shook his head. “Come on, do you honestly think we brought it with us? We’re just bird-watching. Did you know the scientific name for a lot of ducks begins with anas?”
Jamison’s face tightened for a moment. “We turned your vehicle inside-out and found the books on codes and ciphers. We know you have the journal. Where is it?”
“It’s gone. I read it and then destroyed it,” Maddock said.
“So I can kill these two?” Jamison inclined his head toward Bones and Sterling.
Maddock wanted to kick himself. He seldom spoke without thinking things through, and this was an example of why.
“If you want my cooperation, you’ll keep your hands off of all three of us.”
Jamison cracked a sliver of a smile. “We could extract the information from you, but I figure you can stand up to interrogation, and I’m in a hurry. Tell you what. I’ll keep you all alive. How long can you watch me cut pieces off of your best buddy before you give in?”
“Start with my junk,” Bones said. “I can afford to lose several inches there.”
Jamison’s smile spread. “Let’s see how much of that bravado is real. Where are the knives we took off of these two?”
Sterling broke immediately. “I have it.” Her face turned beet red as all heads turned toward her. “But it’s hidden, and you’ll never find it.”
Jamison stepped closer to her. “I’m not certain that’s true, Lieutenant. I doubt you care about your two companions here, but I’ll bet you have someone you wouldn’t want any harm to come to. No one is safe from the Sons.”
Sterling’s face going pale was visible even in the scattered flashlight beams. Her eyes targeted Jamison until he finally looked away. Then she spoke again. “Do what you need to do, Jamison. We’ve got all night.”
Jamison turned to his men. “Did you frisk these three?”
“Frisk?” one man replied.
Jamison rolled his eyes. “If the book’s not in the car, then one of them has it on their person.”
In unison, the men cast nervous glances from Bones to Maddock, then back to Bones, before moving toward Sterling.
“Don’t touch me you perverts!” She struggled as Jamison hauled her roughly to her feet. He waved his men away and gave her a brisk pat-down. He froze as his hand reached the small of her back, a triumphant smile creeping across his face. A moment later he held the journal in his hands. “That’s settled, then.”
Maddock tensed. What would Jamison do to them now that he had the journal, and was there anything he could do about it?
Jamison nodded at one of his men, who started jogging down the double-track dirt trail into the darkness. Then he allowed his eyes to roam across the three captives. “As much as I’d like to go ahead and kill you, Ms. Wright wants to speak to you before I do too much damage. We’ll be going for a ride very shortly. For now, on your feet.”
He reached for Sterling and pulled her up. She wobbled a bit, but managed to stay standing despite the bonds around her lower legs. Jamison did the same thing to Maddock, who launched himself forward at Jamison as soon as he was on his feet. Jamison easily moved out of the way, allowing him to crash face first into the ground. Maddock spit out some pieces of gravel and felt warm, sticky blood flowing across his nose as he shifted onto his side.
“Shall we try that again, Maddock? If you do the same thing, I assure you the result will be the same.”