| |
For the most part, Ian kept them on the twisting and turning ridgelines heading north. In the small valley behind Heath’s new house, Lance flipped up his night vision and lifted his rifle up before flipping the thermal in place. Looking down in the valley at the dozen mobile homes, Lance couldn’t tell if there were any changes since the last time he and Ian had been there. He did see a few dozen stinkers milling around.
Letting his rifle rest on the roof, Lance lowered his goggles just in time to dodge a low branch. All the mobile homes in the valley had been ransacked. The mobile homes didn’t provide very good shelter from stinkers or gangs.
With Ian leading them along at the pace of a fast walk, Lance kept watching the forest and then reached down to pat Dino. “Forgot. Thanks, Dino,” Lance praised, glancing down. Dino was just sitting up in the backseat panting and looking around. “Glad we decided to leave George and Judy at the cabin.”
Getting closer to their three mile boundary, Lance could feel the tension build inside. He and Ian had roamed all over the area Uncle Doug had laid out. Under no illusions, Lance knew people moved in and out of the three mile perimeter, but they weren’t staying there. They had found signs of houses being searched and even two campfire areas.
Lance was sure those people were dead because those fires had been at night, in a camping spot. You don’t light a beacon to lead shit to kill you. When they lit stinkers at night, they damn sure didn’t stay around.
“Lance, Ian,” Rhonda called over the radio and Lance almost jumped out, she startled him so bad. He was relieved feeling the buggy lurch, letting him know Ian got startled also.
“Yeah,” Lance said, pressing his PTT.
“You know that small road that runs up this draw but stops a half a mile from the perimeter?” Rhonda asked.
“Yeah, we are above it now,” Ian called back, even though he was sitting beside her. Risking a glance, Lance ducked down and saw Rhonda still looking out the right side.
“There are people living in a house back up in that draw,” Rhonda told them. “I spotted them when I was hunting.”
“Is that the group you told us about?” Lance asked.
“No, that group is further west on the other side of Highway 11,” Rhonda answered.
“So, did you know about the group you and Heath are going to set up a meet with?” Ian asked.
“Yeah, I saw them when it first started on one of my first hunting trips,” Rhonda chuckled.
Knowing the entire group was listening but not caring, Lance asked. “Rhonda, you’re awful country and Heath and Dwain aren’t. How did that happen?”
“They left the farm as soon as they could,” Rhonda answered. “I stayed helping Ma and Pa. They sent money, which did help, but Pa lost the farm three years ago. He died that year and Ma followed a few months later.”
“Sorry,” Lance mumbled into the radio, feeling bad about asking.
“Don’t be. They had to get rid of the farm and move into assisted living apartments. That’s what killed them,” Rhonda sighed.
“Lance,” Heath called over the radio. “Even when we were kids, Rhonda could run the farm. I’m the oldest at thirty-six and ten years older than Rhonda, but she was plowing fields when she was five. She loved the farm and outdoors. Dwain and I didn’t like either. We hunt and fish, but Rhonda can hunt and fish. Big difference.”
“And Rhonda can shoot,” Dwain chimed in.
“Rhonda, what do you think about that group you just pointed out?” Lance asked.
“If they ain’t starved to death, they might be someone we can teach. They are tryin’, but I can tell you they are city through and through. I found a deer they shot, and they have no idea what they are doin’,” Rhonda informed him.
Thinking for a few minutes, “After we see about this other group, we can set up a meeting with them,” Lance decided.
“We’ll set it up, if you don’t mind,” Dwain butted in quickly. “I don’t want Rhonda going with us either to set up the meeting, but she threatened to beat the shit out of me, so I’m not going to argue anymore.”
“Damn,” Lance mumbled to himself as he looked around. “They know Rhonda is their strongest person and don’t want to risk her.”
Pressing his PTT, “Dwain, don’t think I’m going to take your side. Lilly will take Rhonda’s side and that means I’ll have to as well,” Lance responded.
Gripping his rifle, Lance looked to his right and left into the valleys below as Ian drove along the ridge. The ridge they were on lowered into a finger ending in a larger valley. The finger almost ended at the property they were headed for, but they would only have to move down the valley a quarter of a mile. Looking around, Lance couldn’t believe they would find a business, much less one that was expanding so far out in the boonies.
When the ridge started to drop, Lance kept his head pivoting and gripped his rifle harder. Since they had left the perimeter, Lance had only seen a few stinkers stumbling along in the valleys below and none in the woods.
“Ian, stop back from the tree line,” Lance called over the radio.
“Hey, dildo junkie! I know what the fuck I’m doing,” Ian shot back.
Pressing his PTT, “Sorry, brah,” Lance responded.
Waiting for the buggy to stop, Lance climbed out and jumped to the ground. Taking his left hand off the rifle, Lance patted his thigh and heard Dino climb out. When Dino was beside him, Lance eased through the trees toward the valley.
Gripping her rifle tight scanning out the passenger side, “Aren’t you going?” Rhonda asked Ian over her shoulder.
Taking a deep breath like he was talking to a child, “No, that’s your job. I’m driving,” Ian sighed.
Lurching out of the buggy, Rhonda landed on her feet and moved after Lance. “Sorry, I thought Ian was coming,” Rhonda whispered when she was next to him.
“We have to have someone who knows how to drive the buggy, in case we run into shit,” Lance whispered back, but kept his eyes forward.
Stopping beside a large tree, Lance knelt down on his left knee. A field was in front of him and he was guessing it was over half a mile long and about that wide. Ten yards from the tree line, a rather wide creek ran down the valley. On the other side of the field, he could see the road that ran along the valley. Seeing movement, Lance flipped his goggles up and switched the thermal on while lifting his rifle up.
He could see three stinkers moving down the road and leaving the valley but as slow as they were moving, it wouldn’t be anytime soon. Scanning up the valley, Lance spotted the collection of buildings Heath and Dwain had spoken of, and the frame of another building under construction. “Rhonda, how did Heath and Dwain know about this?” Lance asked, lowering his rifle.
“Heath did the dirt work and Dwain works for the phone company putting in new lines and internet,” Rhonda shrugged. “If they hadn’t, I would’ve known anyways because I killed a nice buck in this valley.”
Glancing down at Dino, “You haven’t seen any people in this valley?” Lance asked.
“No. You see where the road forks?” Rhonda pointed. “The left fork leads up that narrow valley to the north and there are a dozen or so houses up there. That right fork is the road that ends just before the perimeter, but there are a dozen or so houses on it before it ends in that draw. I’ve been in a few, but I’ve never seen anyone else.”
“How deep is that creek?”
Pointing to her left, “There’s a road on the west side of this finger and we can use it because it has a bridge,” Rhonda told him. “It’s not deep but the banks are steep, and we would make a lot of noise going through it.”
Nodding as he got up, Lance backed away and then turned around with Rhonda behind him and Dino moving in front of him. “Why so many questions about people?” Rhonda whispered. “I wouldn’t hold something like that back.”
Motioning toward Dino, “He doesn’t like something,” Lance whispered back, and Rhonda almost asked if they could leave. One thing she had come to respect was Dino.
Standing out of the roof in Lance’s spot and keeping watch, “Well?” Ian asked when they returned.
“Dino didn’t like something, but he didn’t stop me from moving into the valley,” Lance reported. “I only saw four stinkers on the road, and they were leaving.”
After several seconds of silence, Ian realized Lance was waiting on his input. “Dude, unless we see a gang or military unit entrenched in that valley, we are getting the shit,” Ian declared. “I didn’t face the largest pack of dogs on record to head back home empty-handed like a little bitch.”
Nodding, Lance grabbed his PTT. “Okay, we’re moving out. Heath, I want you to let Ian get twenty yards ahead, in case there is trouble. If anybody shoots at us, everyone haul ass back to the clubhouse.”
“Copy,” Jennifer called back, then Dwain and Heath did the same.
“Dino,” Lance said, pointing to the backseat as Ian dropped down and climbed back in the driver’s seat. When Lance climbed up on the roof, he glanced back to check on the others, then turned around and saw Rhonda’s rifle pointed out the passenger door. Ducking down, Lance saw she was sitting sideways in the seat.
Standing back up, Lance swayed on his legs as Ian turned west, heading down the side of the finger into a narrow valley. They came out right behind a house and with his night vision goggles, Lance could see the back door was caved in and most of the windows were busted. Coming around the front, he saw the damage was worse.
Realizing how many stinkers it would take to cause that much damage, “This is in the fucking sticks, and stinkers were here in force,” Lance mumbled as Ian pulled out on the road.
When Ian drove over the small bridge, Lance was very happy he’d taken Rhonda’s advice because the banks of the creek were steep, damn near vertical. The buggy and side by sides could’ve handled it without trailers he was sure, but they would’ve made noise. With the trailers loaded, Lance knew there was no way they could even make it down the steep sides.
Lifting his rifle, Lance aimed at the four stinkers ahead as Ian turned on the road running up the valley. Not able to help it, Lance grinned as he pulled the trigger and then moved his aim. None of the stinkers heard them and only reacted when they pulled out on the road.
As the last one dropped, Lance flipped his goggles up and slid the thermal over to scan the valley ahead from this side. Still not seeing any threats, Lance flipped the thermal over and turned it off. Pulling his goggles down, Lance glanced back and saw the others well behind them.
When Ian came around a curve, he saw the collection of buildings and the one under construction. “There is no way in fucking hell that place had enough business to expand that much,” Ian huffed out over the radio.
“Ian, I can assure you, Victor Dunstan wouldn’t have built it unless he was making money,” Heath called back. “They worked on heavy machinery here, mostly farm equipment. The house you see sitting far back belonged to Victor’s youngest brother.”
“I fucking hate that sorry son of bitch cock-sucking motherfucker,” Rhonda spit out with dripping malice. She didn’t say it over the radio, but Lance heard her just fine. Hearing the seething hatred, wisely, Lance and Ian let that outburst slide.
As the road forked, Ian took the driveway into the gravel parking lot. With the soft crunch of gravel under the tires, Lance looked around at bulldozers, excavators, backhoes, and tractors. “Might find some good stuff here,” he mumbled, then studied the buildings. None appeared damaged, and he moved his eyes to the house sitting much further back.
Even from over a hundred yards away, Lance could see the damage to the front door and most of the windows. “Ian, I don’t see anything,” Lance said quietly as the others slowly pulled up behind them.
“Neither do I, but Dino’s staring at the construction office trailer next to the shop,” Ian reported.
Glancing at Dino, Rhonda turned to the mobile office. “Okay. If someone is in there, how do we handle it?”
“Fuck ‘em,” Lance chortled. “We are loading what we want and leaving.”
With an evil grin, Rhonda stared at the trailer. “If Victor steps out of that trailer, I’m skinning the son of a bitch alive with fingernail clippers.”
Motioning for the others to pull up to the construction area, Ian gave a startle and slowly turned to Rhonda. “Man, you have a serious hard-on to get medieval on that butt muncher.”
“He’s earned it,” Rhonda growled, cradling her rifle and waiting for the door on the trailer to open and cut loose.
Shaking his head, Lance headed over to the pallets of lumber. As he was looking over the stacks, Heath walked over. “Are we going to check the trailer?” he asked.
“We are filling our trailer with the OSB, so we can enclose the RV sheds,” Lance answered, ignoring the question. “You load one of yours with OSB and then get 2x4s and 2x12s.”
“Okay, but what about the trailer?” Heath asked. “What if they are hostile?”
“Then they die. They are boxed in and those walls won’t stop bullets,” Lance grinned. “If it’s that Victor guy, Rhonda has enough reason to hate him, so we are taking the shit or his life. He’s the one who has claim to it.”
Looking at the office, “I have no love for the man either, but shouldn’t we tell them we aren’t going to hurt them because I can guarantee you, Victor isn’t in there,” Heath said. “He owns businesses all over Kentucky, but his home is in Corbin, or should I say one of his mansions.”
“I’m not backing them in a corner,” Lance explained. “If we don’t present a threat, then they won’t respond to a threat. Now, you want to load first or guard?”
Cutting his eyes to Lance, “If you don’t mind, I’m going to the shop and see if the forklift has juice,” Heath coughed shyly.
Patting Heath on the shoulder, “Now I like that plan,” Lance nodded.
Walking over to the shop with Heath, Lance saw the machine repair sign. “They have enough business to support building an office complex that big? They have to do some good work.”
Shaking his head, “The office complex was being built as a headquarters for Dunstan, Inc.” Heath explained. “Victor wanted his office outside of any city. The Dunstan family has always been rich, owning a lot of businesses, but when Victor took over after college, they became very rich and a law unto themselves. There wasn’t a politician he didn’t own in the state.”
Pulling out his lock picks, Lance moved to the pedestrian door and quickly picked the lock as Ian came over with Dino. “Dino’s not growling, but still doesn’t like the office,” Ian said, stopping behind Lance. When Lance pushed the door open, Ian aimed inside and slowly cleared the opening. “Heath, you stack up behind me.”
When Lance and Dino eased in with Ian behind them, Heath swallowed nervously before pulling his rifle to his shoulder and following Ian inside. After clearing the shop, Lance and Ian looked around as Heath walked over to two forklifts. “Oh, we are so coming back here,” Lance gasped, looking at the shelves filled with parts.
“Yeah, but we don’t have to get everything at one time,” Ian pointed out.
Heath walked over as the boys drooled at the supplies. “The electric forklifts still have juice. It should be enough to load,” Heath said, then grinned looking at the boys. He couldn’t see their faces, but he knew they were grinning. The green glow of his monocular amplified the gray grinning skull painted on their masks, making a shiver run down his spine.
Moving over to the closest roll up door, Lance grabbed his PTT. “Opening a roll up door, so everyone keep an eye out,” he called out.
“Thank you for the warning,” Jennifer called back.
Unlocking the door, Lance grabbed the chain and tugged hard. Everyone cringed when the door rolled up, shattering the quietness of the night. Looking around, Jennifer stepped closer to Lilly. “If he wouldn’t have warned us, I would’ve taken off running for cover,” Jennifer whispered.
When the noise stopped, Lilly snorted. “I would’ve shit my pants and then I would’ve stepped outside with him when we got home.”
Hearing an electric motor, they glanced back to see Heath driving a forklift over. Jennifer gave a relieved sigh. “Oh, thank God. I was dreading loading this by hand.”
Lance and Ian walked back to their buggy and took up guard positions, but Lilly could tell they were keeping a lot of focus on the office trailer. Grabbing Jennifer’s arm, Lilly pulled her to the other side of their buggy, putting it between them and the office trailer like Ian and Lance had done with their buggy.
When Heath loaded the first stack of OSB, Lance saw a face peer out from the lower corner of a window in the office. “You see that?” he asked.
At first glance, it looked like neither was watching the trailer. “Yeah, looked like a woman,” Ian answered, then looked at Rhonda on the other side of the buggy glaring at the trailer. “I swear, if I was in there and saw Rhonda looking at me like that, I would chew a hole out the other side and sneak away, man card be damned.”
Seeing the trailer door crack open, “Here we go,” Lance mumbled, and Rhonda lifted her rifle to her shoulder.
“Victor, if you’re in there, get out here now,” Rhonda growled just loud enough to be heard over the forklift.
When the door opened, they saw a man in the doorway holding up his left hand, but his right held a hunting rifle. Thankfully, for the man, the rifle barrel was pointed down. “That’s not Victor,” Rhonda grumbled, lowering her rifle barrel just enough to not be aiming directly at the man.
“I think if Rhonda sees this Victor, she will gut him alive and eat his heart while he dies,” Lance chuckled, then moved around the front of the buggy while keeping his rifle aimed at the ground. “You don’t shoot at us and we won’t shoot at you!” Lance called out just loud enough to be heard.
Slowly, the man stepped out, looking around the area. The sky was clear, and the man could see them easily but without night vision goggles, the man could only see shadowy figures. Heavily armed shadowy figures. “We won’t shoot!” the man called out, and everyone cringed at how loud he was.
Letting out a gasp, Rhonda lowered her M4 in shock. “Ethan, is that you?”
The man jerked, almost dropping his rifle. “Rhonda?” the man gasped.
Chuckling, “Yeah, once you hear Rhonda, nobody could miss that voice,” Ian chuckled.
“Hell, she sounds just like Reba,” Lance claimed as Rhonda started for the trailer, only to have Lance intercept her. “You may have known him before this, but a lot has happened making people change,” Lance told her in a low voice. “Trust is earned, not given.”
Giving a nod as she cursed herself, Rhonda glanced at Lance who never took his eyes off the trailer. Then Rhonda realized Lance had risked his life to keep hers out of danger, again. Moving her gaze back to the trailer, Rhonda saw the man come down and now could see his face clearly with the monocular. “Ethan, what the hell are you doin’ here?” Rhonda asked, keeping her voice low.
“Our house was leveled when a wave of stinkers came through,” Ethan answered. “We hid out in Brady’s and Levi’s treehouse.”
Seeing movement inside the trailer, Rhonda gave a nod. “Okay, but why are you here? I can think of a hundred better spots to hide, without even tryin’ hard, besides a flimsy construction office trailer.”
Pointing to the destroyed house that sat back from the business, “Came to see if we could hold up with Blake,” Ethan answered.
“Hmpf,” Rhonda scoffed with disdain. “Blake is almost as bad as his cock-sucking ass-wipe brother, and you think he would’ve taken you in? Please.”
“It was all we could think of,” Ethan snapped very loud.
Raising his left hand, “Keep your voice low,” Lance warned.
Seeing Ethan turn to glare at Lance, Rhonda stepped in front of Lance, putting half her body between them. “How long have you been here?” Rhonda asked, having no doubt Lance or Ian could stomp Ethan’s ass or just kill him with no hesitation.
“Two days,” Ethan answered, still looking at Lance behind Rhonda. “We tried to make it to the center in Corbin, but the stinkers are too thick.”
“So, your brother’s in the trailer with your families?” Rhonda asked and Ethan nodded, finally turning to look Rhonda in the eyes.
“We tried to leave yesterday, but a group on ATVs came into the valley,” Ethan said, pointing to the left fork that ran up a narrow valley. “We’ve seen them before, so we knew to avoid them.”
“How?” Lance asked, stepping to the side so Rhonda wasn’t blocking him.
“They all wear black hoods and one of the ATVs always flies a pirate flag,” Ethan answered as a small boy that looked around five ran out of the trailer. A woman darted out to scoop him up before he could start down the steps.
“Brady!” the woman cried out.
Glancing past Ethan, “Hey, Jane,” Rhonda said nonchalantly.
“Hi, Rhonda,” Jane called back in a low voice, but stepped back inside the trailer.
“Black hoods,” Lance mumbled. “What kind of hoods?”
Shrugging, “Like pillowcases pulled tight or ski masks,” Ethan replied.
“That’s why you were hesitant on coming out?” Lance inquired.
“Yeah, but we noticed others with you weren’t wearing masks, and none of the pirate group has skulls painted on their masks,” Ethan said. “When we saw several without masks, we wanted to know what was up.”
Jerking his left arm back and pointing his thumb at the construction area, “Just getting supplies,” Lance answered, and Ethan realized Lance’s right hand never left the grip of the AR. “Ethan right,” Lance stated, and Ethan nodded. “I’m only going to say this once. The man behind you aiming the rifle at us needs to lower it before his head explodes.”
Lifting her head up, Rhonda saw a man crouched down inside the trailer aiming at them. “Dennis, if you don’t lower that rifle right now, I’ll kick your ass,” Rhonda snapped, then saw a laser light up Dennis’s forehead. It was then Rhonda realized she could only see the laser with the monocular. “Dennis, you’re about to die if you don’t lower that gun now!” Rhonda exclaimed rapidly.
Getting to his knees, Dennis held the barrel lower but still threatening, and the laser on Dennis ’s head dropped. Another laser shot out joining the first and Rhonda gave a chuckle, seeing the two lasers were aimed at Dennis’s groin. “Dennis, you don’t want to know where they are going to shoot you if you don’t lower that gun,” Rhonda chuckled.
Giving a visible shudder, “Shit,” Lance quivered, then grabbed his PTT. “Lilly, Jennifer, you don’t shoot a man in his jewels.”
“That fucker doesn’t lower that gun, he gets an instant sex change,” Lilly responded over the radio.
Taking his left hand off the PTT, “Your brother is irritating our ladies, and I’ve learned not to fuck with them when they are irritated,” Lance told Ethan.
Turning his chin over his shoulder, “Dennis, lower the gun!” Ethan called out, making everyone cringe.
Seeing Dennis lower the gun, Lance let that one slide as Dwain walked up. “Hey, Ethan,” Dwain said, then turned to Lance. “Trailers are loaded.”
“You and Rhonda act like nothing has happened,” Ethan snapped. “We have been fighting for our lives!”
“Last warning on the voice level,” Lance replied in a dead tone.
Ignoring Lance, Ethan stepped over to Dwain. “Where are you staying?” Ethan asked as the rest of his group came out. Jane was still holding Brady as Dennis came down and stood beside his brother. Another woman holding a boy that looked slightly older than Brady stayed on the small porch with Jane.
“In a house,” Dwain shrugged. “I suggest you find a good spot to hold up.”
“Three stinkers to the north,” Lilly called over the radio, and Ethan and his group all jumped as three muffled pops sounded off. They looked up and saw three shadowy forms dropping on the road that forked left.
“Hey, Dennis,” Heath grunted, walking over and then turned to Lance. “I’m leaving the bay door open. I figure we need to make a few more runs.”
Still looking at the group, Lance nodded. “We can just drop the trailers off and hook up empty ones.”
Dennis looked over at the stacks of lumber loaded on the trailers. “If Victor finds out you took his lumber, you’re going to have hell to pay,” Dennis cringed.
“Fuck that bitch,” Lance snapped in a low voice. “I’ll hold his ass down and let Rhonda gut the cock-sucker.”
“I won’t need you to hold him,” Rhonda growled.
“Let us grab our stuff and we’ll come with you,” Dennis said.
Before Dennis or any of his group had time to move, “Hold on, cowboy,” Lance interjected. “You haven’t been invited.”
Ethan looked down at Lance. The quad tubes over the skull mask did unnerve him, but Ethan was six inches taller than Lance. There was no skin visible on Lance, but Ethan could tell by Lance’s voice he was young. “Listen, kid. I’m about fed up with your shit!” Ethan barked with veins standing out on his neck.
Letting the AR go, Lance stepped up and let the AR hang under his arm. Stopping in front of Ethan, Lance’s right hand shot out, landing under Ethan’s jaw. The force picked Ethan up off his feet and he crashed to the ground unconscious. Jane gave a cry and darted off the porch, dropping down beside her husband with her son still in her arms.
Seeing Dennis move toward Lance, Ian stepped up while letting his AR hang and threw out an arm to block Dennis. “Take another step and you join your brother in La-La land,” Ian warned.
“He fucking sucker punched my brother, you little shit!” Dennis snarled.
Giving a laugh, “Oh, if that’s what bothers you then step back so you and I can go at it,” Ian offered. “But I’m going to break something before making you my bitch.”
“Dennis, you try it and I’ll kill you!” Rhonda barked as she moved over, shoving Dennis back and almost pushing him down. “Believe me, you would rather fight me. Ian would play with you and then destroy you slowly.”
Jennifer leaned over, whispering to Lilly. “Damn, she seems to know Ian fairly well.”
“Please,” Lilly scoffed. “Anyone can see that. Lance is methodical and calculating when he destroys. Ian is playful and devious when he destroys. Sorry, but when Ian goes medieval, he scares me.”
With Rhonda bowed up in his face, Dennis turned from her, studying Ian and then Lance. The casual stance the boys had unnerved him way more than the skulls on the masks. Both were very relaxed and seemed eager to throw down. That fact alone let him know, neither considered him a threat.
Behind the group, Lilly chuckled. “Did you notice neither wife jumped up to challenge Rhonda?”
“The only way I’d fight her is with a bat,” Jennifer huffed as she scanned around.
With his wife patting his face, Ethan let out a groan before pushing his body up until he was resting on his elbows. “Lance, Ian, can I talk to them?” Heath asked.
Shrugging, “I don’t care, I’ve had tougher cases of jock itch,” Lance declared and walked off. Ian just chuckled and followed Lance.
Helping Ethan up, Heath grabbed Dennis by the arm and pulled him over like he was a small child. “You two listen up right now or I’m cutting loose on your asses,” Heath grumbled through clenched teeth.
Walking over to the small building beside the shop, Lance stopped and studied it. It was made of cinder blocks and Heath had told him these were the old offices. “They had a cinder block building here and stayed in a fucking trailer?” Lance scoffed.
“Dude, think about it. They stayed in that trailer because they’re scared of this Victor guy,” Ian maintained.
Turning to see the girls walking over, “I want to meet this fucker, just to make him toss my salad,” Lance declared.
“You didn’t hurt your hand, did you?” Lilly asked, stepping up to Lance.
“Baby doll, that’s not the first time I’ve decked someone but no, I didn’t,” Lance replied, digging for his lock picks.
“What in the hell do they have that many golf carts for?” Jennifer asked from the side of the building. The others walked over and saw a long gooseneck trailer with ten very new-looking golf carts.
“I hate golf,” Lance mumbled, following Ian over to the trailer. Climbing up, Ian started unlocking brackets to expose the battery compartment of the first cart.
Opening the compartment, Ian let out a small cry and then gasped. “Holy shit, these are lithium batteries! Forty-eight volt, deep cycle lithium matrix batteries!”
“No way!” Lance cried out, scrambling up on the trailer. “Who in the hell could afford to buy this? Each one of those batteries costs over a grand.”
Climbing up beside Lance, Lilly looked down at the batteries, counting sixteen. “So, you’re saying someone paid sixteen grand just in batteries?”
“They might have got a discount, but Ian and I tried to buy some last year,” Lance explained, reaching down and touching them to convince himself they were real.
“What the hell would you need a lithium battery that big for?” Lilly asked.
Neither looked away from the batteries, “Nothing,” Lance and Ian said together quickly.
Turning around, Ian opened the golf cart parked next to the first. “This one has them too!” Ian cheered.
“Let’s get some tools,” Lance said as he jumped off the trailer.
“Hold up,” Lilly said, jumping off and grabbing his arm. “Lance, those trailers are already packed. Hell, I’m not sure they will make it back.”
Looking over at the loaded trailers, Lance saw all were squatting low, as were the three UTVs pulling them. “Those things don’t weigh half of what a regular battery weighs,” Lance declared, trying to persuade not only Lilly but also himself that the trailers could handle more weight.
“Lance, we are coming back, so we can get them on the next load,” Lilly said, patting his arm. They heard the muffled report and turned back to see Rhonda lowering her rifle. Following her aim, they saw a dead stinker on the road. “For a second, I thought Rhonda popped one of that group.”
Turning back to the golf carts, Lance gave a sigh. “Okay, we’ll get the batteries the next trip.”
Jennifer grabbed Ian’s arm and pulled him off the trailer to follow Lilly and Lance to the office before Ian tried to hook the gooseneck trailer up to his buggy. After Lance unlocked the door, they let Dino in first and then followed. Lance stopped in a reception area and saw a large painting of a man on the wall. “White light,” Lance called out, flipping his goggles up and pulling out a flashlight.
Everyone flipped their goggles up, putting them in standby, as Lance turned on the flashlight and pointed at the picture. “That is Victor?” Lance chuckled. The others moved over, looking at the picture of an older man with salt and pepper hair. “Looks like a fat Mr. Rogers.”
“Mr. Rogers was a Navy SEAL,” Lilly added.
“No he wasn’t,” Ian scoffed. “That’s an urban legend.”
Waving at the painting, “If that guy was a Navy SEAL, I’ll toss my own salad,” Lance challenged and Jennifer coughed, stifling a laugh but shooting snot out of her nose.
“Gross,” Jennifer moaned and chuckled as she unbuckled her face mask to wipe the snot out. As her mind provided pictures, Lilly had to turn away while trying not to laugh and saw Robin walk in. Robin threw up her hand, blocking her monocular.
“It cut off,” Robin gasped.
“It’s just a safety function,” Lilly assured her as Ian and Lance moved through the building with Lance turning the flashlight off.
Giving a sigh of relief as the monocular turned back on, Robin saw Lilly and Jennifer lowering theirs back down. “Heath done?” Lilly asked.
“Yes,” Robin answered, then looked down the hallway Lance and Ian had taken. Robin stepped closer to Lilly and whispered, “What kind of salad was Lance talking about?”
Patting Robin’s shoulder, “It’s a derogatory remark for eating someone’s asshole,” Lilly chuckled.
Stumbling back, “Then how could he-,” Robin stopped, and a grin filled her face. “Oh,” she smirked.
Walking in behind Robin, Heath looked around. “They want to load more stuff?” Heath gasped.
“No, they are just seeing what else they want,” Lilly told him as Lance and Ian walked back up the hallway.
When Lance and Ian stopped in the reception area, Heath moved over to them. “If you don’t mind, I would like to let Dennis and Ethan move in with us.”
“That’s your call not ours, but that bitch pops off again, I’m breaking his legs,” Lance warned.
The confidence in Lance’s voice wasn’t doubted by Heath. “No, because I’ll kill him, if Rhonda doesn’t first,” Heath assured him.
Robin looked over at Lance. “You seem awful relaxed, considering the way they acted,” she noted.
“Not really,” Lance shrugged. “All of you know them, and the way Dwain and Rhonda act, they were friends in school.”
Ian grinned. “Besides, anyone can see they are just terrified. Stupid, but terrified.”
“They don’t pull their weight, then it’s up to you to handle it,” Lance told Heath as he walked out.
Turning and following Lance, “Heath won’t have to,” Robin stated. “I’ll handle it.”
Lance stopped outside to find Dennis, Ethan, and their families standing together. Ethan stepped up, holding out his hand. “Lance, I’m sorry I acted so rude,” Ethan said, and relaxed when Lance let go of the AR pistol grip and shook his hand. “I earned that punch.”
“Dude, if you would’ve kept your voice down, you wouldn’t have gotten the punch,” Lance informed Ethan, letting his hand go. “Since Heath is willing to let you join his group I’m warning you now: endanger us like that again, and I’ll kill you quietly and leave your body. You don’t endanger your team for any reason.”
“Understood,” Ethan replied, and Dennis held out his hand.
“I saw you looking at Victor’s newest shipments,” Dennis said, tilting his head toward the trailer of golf carts.
“Oh, yeah. We are ransacking those batteries, but you need to pull two carts off so you can follow us,” Lance instructed, then asked hopefully, “Does he have more here?”
Letting Lance’s hand go and shaking Ian’s, “Not carts, but there are more lithium batteries in the shop to change over his other carts. Victor is a member or part owner of almost every country club in a hundred miles. Those carts were heading to the country club in Barbourville,” Dennis answered.
“So, you worked for him?” Ian asked as the wives stepped over to shake hands.
“We both did,” Dennis answered. “I was one of Victor’s accountants, and Ethan was over IT.”
“Really?” Lance chuckled. “That just might come in handy.”
