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Three miles north of Laurel River Lake, Kentucky
In a deep sleep, Mary felt a hand grab her shoulder and her eyes opened to see Tyler in her face with his nose touching hers. “Ms. Sandy said someone’s coming,” Tyler breathed out.
Sitting up, Mary shook Chris before Tyler crawled over. Leaning over Chris, he whispered as his brother woke up. Pulling her vest on, Mary checked her weapons and then noticed Sandy at the edge of the oxbow, kneeling down beside a tree. Seeing Sandy had the stock pulled to her shoulder and holding steady, Mary knew she was aiming at someone and they were within a hundred yards. Mary turned to see the boys awake and staring at her for directions.
“Boys, I want both of you over there in those bushes. If I yell run, you run and don’t stop,” she told them, and both boys went pale. “Whatever happens, don’t make a sound. Now move, but watch us. We may get a chance to leave without getting in a fight.”
With watery eyes, the boys crawled away from the camp and into the bushes Mary had pointed at. Crawling over to another tree beside Sandy, Mary looked down the wide ravine the creek followed. “What do we have?” Mary asked, searching for movement.
“Three, moving slow, but they aren’t very good at sneaking,” Sandy commented.
“They may be a decoy to get us to focus elsewhere,” Mary suggested, seeing white against the dark colors of the forest. Pulling her rifle up, now that she knew where they were, “How do you want to handle this?”
“I really don’t want to get in a gun battle. It took us forever to shake the stinkers last night,” Sandy said, and glanced over at Dan and Ann. “The dogs are only looking down the ravine. There is no way someone knows where we are.”
Mary sighed in understanding. The last two nights had been total hell. They were supposed to be on the route, but when they had neared Cumberland Falls, they’d found the area, not just the park and road, the area, filled. Stinkers were packed into the lush trees. Heading to the south for the low route, they’d run into more stinkers and had to pull out the M4s and plow a road out. Trying for the north alternate route, they had found the area filled with stinkers as well.
Saying fuck the route, Sandy had headed north until they’d crossed Laurel River and then swung north of Laurel River Lake. When they’d turned east and hadn’t hit stinkers, they had found a place to camp and just collapsed.
Catching movement again, Mary was certain it was cotton white. “Not too smart moving around in the woods wearing bright white,” she noted, then saw someone through the trees wearing a black shirt.
Peering through her scope, Mary caught glimpses of three women moving about fifty yards away but coming toward them. Seeing one of the two women wearing white, Mary corrected herself, two women and a young girl. “Three,” Mary said in a low voice and Sandy nodded, never taking her eye off the scope.
It was when they were thirty yards away that Mary realized none of the three were holding a gun and in this world, that only meant they didn’t have one or it was out of bullets. “No guns,” Mary said softly, and Sandy nodded.
The two in white were leading, but were looking down as they walked in the oxbow. Watching them move through the woods, Sandy knew they didn’t know what the hell they were doing, and was certain if one of the horses hadn’t snorted, they would’ve just walked right past the camp. But the lady at the back with the black shirt was looking around, but was also watching the two in front.
All three froze, looking at the eight horses.
“Don’t move and we won’t shoot,” Sandy told them, stepping out and aiming at the three. Then she saw metal collars on the two in white. She knew what those were instantly. “You put fucking slave collars on them?” Sandy growled, turning to the woman in the black shirt.
Holding up her hands, “NO, I got them out,” the woman said quickly because she saw death in Sandy’s eyes.
“She didn’t put these on. Diane is tellin’ the truth,” the women said. Hearing the voice, Sandy lowered the rifle barrel and aimed at the ground between them. Looking at the one that’d spoken, Sandy knew she wasn’t older than fifteen, if that old. The other couldn’t have been over twelve.
Looking at the two girls, “Girls, relax,” Diane told them, then turned to Sandy. “Ma’am, I’m sorry we come up on your camp, but I got them out last night and I’m sure they have been reported gone and my shift started an hour ago, so they know I’m gone too. Victor pulled all the patrols in because of a stinker hoard to the south, but he will send scouts after us. Please just let us pass and if you have any food, can you spare some?”
“You escaped without a gun or food?” Sandy asked, thinking that was piss-poor planning.
“They are stock and I’m branded, so we can’t have guns and to hoard food, even a little bread, is a whipping offence and your area is checked regularly,” Diane told her, seeing Mary move up beside Sandy.
“Sandy, a word, please,” Mary said, holding her AR low.
“Diane, right?” Sandy asked and she nodded. “Diane, girls, have a seat,” she instructed. Seeing worry flush their faces, “We need to talk, you’re a threat standing up,” she told them, then glanced over her shoulder. “Tyler, Chris, come out and sit over there,” Sandy called out softly.
Seeing two boys scramble out of the brush made all three relax until they turned back to see a dark look on her face. “You try anything and hurt our boys, you’ll wish this Victor had found you,” Sandy warned, and they believed her.
“I would never hurt a kid,” the fifteen-year-old gasped, only to be shushed by Diane.
Cradling her rifle, Sandy stepped backwards while not looking away from the three. Before Mary spoke, Sandy sidestepped to put Mary between Sandy and the group, but Sandy could see them just past Mary’s head. “What are you doing?” Mary asked in a low voice.
“Don’t want them to read my lips,” Sandy answered.
Impressed by that, “I say we help them,” Mary said and noticed Sandy give a startle, but didn’t take her eyes off them. “God damn it, Sandy, those little girls have slave collars on,” Mary hissed.
“Okay, we have the extra M4 and 10/22,” Sandy offered.
“I want to give them two horses,” Mary suggested and for a brief second, Sandy took her eyes off the group to look at Mary like she was insane. “Sandy, we have too many. You nearly got caught by those stinkers last night because your pack train wrapped around a tree.”
“We might need them,” Sandy countered.
“No, we need to lighten up. Three of the damn pack horses are barely carrying anything. We have eight, we can spare two,” Mary told her. Seeing Sandy wasn’t listening to reason, “Sandy, we burned through three thousand rounds of 5.56 and over a thousand of .22 over the last two days and nights.”
“You want to get rid of more than two horses,” Sandy said, staring at the group.
“Yes, I want to let them have three. You will keep one pack animal since you are in the lead. I’ll pull two. That will be more than enough to carry what we have left and give us spares. We are forty miles from home and from what we’ve been through, it’s going to be a dash because we are getting there.”
Giving a long sigh, “Tell the boys to stay where they are and pull out what we can spare. Think we can spare some food for them? Those girls look really thin,” Sandy nodded at the three.
“Sandy, you do inventory every day before we leave just like I do, you know we have nearly two weeks’ worth of food if rationed right.”
“Give them half,” Sandy said, letting her AR hang loosely across her chest.
“Sandy, I was letting those horses go before we started tonight. If we learned anything the last two nights, you can’t run through the woods with a pack train.”
“They don’t get Asshole,” Sandy told her, and Mary grinned at the name Sandy had given Johnathan’s horse.
“Wouldn’t think of it,” Mary grinned, and Sandy stepped around Mary and walked over to the group.
Stopping in front of them, she knelt on one knee. “We are going to help, but listen first. We want information about gangs around here and any military close. Next, you can’t come with us. I’m sorry, but every time we’ve come near other humans, we get fucked and someone in our group dies. We want to help you, but I’m sorry, we can’t trust you. If we catch you following us, I will kill all of you.”
The fact that none of the three were surprised that Sandy didn’t trust them, bothered her on so many levels. It bothered her dearly, but she was so close to their goal. “Can any of you ride a horse?” Sandy asked and by the three’s reaction, one would’ve thought Sandy had offered them a winged Pegasus.
“Yes,” Diane said, and the fifteen-year-old nodded.
“I’ve taken riding lessons for the last two years.”
Looking at the youngest, Sandy saw her staring at the horses as only a little girl could, utter fascination. “Depending on how much information you give us is how much we help,” Sandy told them, then pushed her rifle to her back. “Okay, I can’t look at those collars anymore,” Sandy said, pulling her multi tool from her vest.
Looking at Diane, “I’m going to take those collars off, but don’t try anything. If you hurt those boys, you won’t leave this spot,” Sandy warned.
Shaking her head and sitting on her butt, Diane folded her legs Indian style and rested her hands in her lap. “I’d die first, ma’am,” Diane assured her. She could see in Sandy’s face the want to help, but terror for her group.
Taking a deep breath, “Okay,” Sandy nodded and motioned the youngest over. Diane was shocked the little girl moved over, showing no fear of Sandy.
Looking at the collar with disdain, Sandy saw a pin holding the front hinge with a small lock through it. “I can break the lock, but the collar will twist some. I need you to hold still,” Sandy said, looking in the girl’s eyes and seeing only utter trust in Sandy.
Forcing her eyes to remain tear free, Sandy went to work on the lock. “So where did these come from?” Sandy asked.
“The lake,” Diane answered.
“Diane, we’ve traveled from Hawaii to get here. I have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about. I want information,” Sandy said, then grunted while twisting the lock.
“Oh, sorry, the lake is a trading post on Lauren River Lake. It’s the biggest one in a hundred miles in any direction. We’ve had people come all the way up from Georgia. Victor Dunstan is the man in charge,” Diane said as Sandy let out a hard grunt and the lock gave a ‘snap’.
Tossing the lock away, Sandy pulled the pin out and unhooked the collar, tossing it away. “You know a lot about it,” Sandy prodded, as the little girl lunged up to hug Sandy’s neck, nearly giving Diane a heart attack.
“Thank you,” she told Sandy, and went to sit beside Diane.
“You are welcome,” Sandy smiled, then motioned the other girl over and went to work.
Relieved Sandy wasn’t mad about the hug, “Yes, I worked in Victor’s office doing secretary work, real secretary work. He had others greet visitors,” Diane said, and noticed Sandy cut her eyes over.
“When families come in, a man is only allowed to declare one female. If he comes in with his wife and daughter, he can only choose one. If he chooses his daughter, his wife goes to the-,” Diane paused, looking over at the boys listening, “houses, do you understand?”
Glancing at Diane and knowing she was looking at the boys, “Yes, I understand,” Sandy said with her voice breaking.
“Unless his wife is very pretty, then she goes to the stock. Any female over the age of two goes to the stock, that is, they get a collar and they belong to Victor to be sold off. But, I’ve seen some under the age of two,” Diane said as Sandy broke the lock and took the collar off.
“So, if they want to stay there, they have to give up females?” Sandy asked, tossing the collar away.
“Unless you have a trade they need, like the electricians and engineers that run the power plant at the dam, you have no choice about giving up the females. You don’t have to stay at the lake for the choice to be made for you. Fight the patrols that go out and the man is just killed and the rest taken.”
Not even wondering what the cost of a little girl was, “So, were you stock?” Sandy asked, folding up her multi tool and putting it away.
Reaching up slowly, Diane pulled her shirt down and Sandy gave a shiver to see a V branded in the middle of Diane’s chest. “I was branded stock. I belonged to Victor because I had a valuable position. I was a CPA and kept track of what was brought in and what went out.”
Realizing just how important Diane was, “Oh, shit,” Sandy mumbled, staring at Diane.
“Yeah, they’ll be coming for me,” Diane said. “But if you give us horses, they will never catch us.”
“Where the fuck is this monkey-ass-bitch Victor?” Sandy asked.
“Do you have a map?” Diane asked, and Sandy pulled one from her thigh pocket. Folding it out, Diane slowly moved to lean over the map and Sandy gave her a nod. Looking at the map, Diane pointed. “See this peninsula on the north side of the lake? This is the trading post and where people come to. This peninsula on the south side is where Victor has greenhouses growing food, labs making drugs, and stills making whiskey. Now both peninsulas are blocked off at the mouth by shipping containers stacked three high, extending out in the water. Few months back, we had a large herd pass and pound on the wall. They were a half a mile deep, but the wall never budged. It took two weeks, but they moved on.”
“How many people at the lake?” Sandy asked, marking the map.
“Oh, that’s hard, people come and go. There wasn’t anything on either peninsula before this, but there are a hundred buildings there now. I know just a few weeks ago, there were nearly eight thousand people there.”
Shaking her head, “How big is Victor’s force?” Sandy clarified.
“He has two hundred soldiers and almost eight hundred hired guns; he calls them his scouts,” Diane said, and cut her eyes at the boys. “Girls aren’t the only thing they take. I’m just warning you.”
“Oh, I want to see that cock-sucking bitch try, and I hope he likes sucking his own dick because I’ll rip it off and shove it down his throat,” Sandy growled.
Having seen so many stand up to the scouts, only to die, Diane just sighed. “I’m just warning you. The scouts appear all nice when they meet someone,” Diane warned.
“Well, in a few years, we are heading back to Missouri and Kansas to kill everyone there. We’ll stop and visit Victor when we get back.”
Wanting to drive home just how dangerous the lake was, “Some of these houses have-,” Diane paused, searching for the right words.
“Exquisite tastes?” Sandy offered.
Nodding, “Very exquisite tastes, as in anything goes for the right trade,” Diane told her.
“What other slimy asswipes are around here?”
Looking down at the map, “Here in Buckhorn is where the military and FEMA camp moved from Manchester,” Diane said.
“I thought all military units were ordered to Michigan?”
Shaking her head, “Ma’am, there ain’t no government. All military units are just gangs, some better than others. Yes, military units come to the lake to trade, but they are afraid of Victor. He has a large force, but he also has treaties with others around here. Someone attacks Victor, they will be facing over five thousand guns.”
Marking the map, Sandy watched Diane move her finger west, “Here in Burnside is another military unit set up on an island. I’ve been there with Victor. They are only a hundred strong, but you learn real fast, military units can fight. Most of the times better than gangs, but not always,” Diane said. “I don’t know the size of the one in Buckhorn, but from what the scouts say, it’s nearly as big as the lake, but there are a lot of refugees. What the major over the site calls them, but they are just prisoners. Victor gets a lot of stock from them.”
Moving her finger south, “Here in Jacksboro is another large group, but from what the scouts report, it’s just people, a lot of people. They don’t trade stock, they only want supplies,” Diane told her.
“The world is empty. Why don’t they just go get their own shit?” Sandy asked.
“Supplies are vanishing fast. Ammunition is the main currency now. There is a lot in the cities, but nobody goes into cities of any size unless they want to die. Corbin, Kentucky, just to the east only had a population of seven thousand. That’s where Victor was set up at, but the stinkers run him out. He tries to send scouts, but even a town that size is a death trap. More than half of those that go don’t come back. So everyone is ransacking the smaller towns and homes out in the sticks, but there is only so much out here. ”
Looking back down at the map, “Here at Cherokee Lake is another community, but they are on boats. You avoid them. Victor’s scouts don’t go there, but they come to the lake to trade,” Diane told her. “There are a few other groups, but I don’t know where they are. Where are you headed?”
“Near Cumberland,” Sandy lied, marking the map at the places Diane named, but looked up when Diane gasped.
“You go north, above Manchester and then swing down,” Diane panted. “There is a gang between Barbourville and Manchester that you don’t want to meet.”
Hearing that when she was so close, Sandy felt the world press down on her shoulders, “Shit,” Sandy groaned.
Realizing she had Sandy’s attention, “They wiped out the Devil Lords, and that was the only gang that Victor was worried about. At the time, the Devil Lords had the numbers to fight Victor. The gang blew up Pineville to get them,” Diane told her.
“What buildings?” Sandy asked, having been through there several times.
“The entire town,” Diane stressed, and Sandy went pale. “Victor took me with a group because the Devil Lords had ransacked the area and had huge stockpiles. The town was flattened, and the Wild Ones didn’t even try to get the supplies.”
Jerking her head up, “Who?” Sandy asked with a dry voice.
“The Wild Ones,” the fifteen-year-old said. “They have a radio broadcasting near Pineville in the Borg Queen’s voice, warning everyone to leave them alone or suffer the same.”
Nodding, “We can sneak through,” Sandy swallowed nervously.
“If Victor is scared of them, you need to avoid them. These Wild Ones didn’t go after supplies, which Victor said that means they have their own and a lot of it. In a world that needs everything, they don’t. Victor and his advisors think it’s a big survivalist group that stayed off the grid. There was another survivalist group, Soldiers of the New Dawn but the thing is, they and the Devil Lords locked up. Both came to the lake to trade. The scouts asked each group, New Dawn said they never attacked the Devil Lords and the Devil Lords said they never attacked either. They talked to us, but not each other. Attacks hit the Devil Lords hard, even going after that cold bastard Stone. That’s when the Devil Lords just attacked in mass and destroyed the New Dawn. Word came down some New Dawn survivors reached Buckhorn, but that was just hearsay, so take it as you will.”
Pausing to take a breath, “Victor’s advisors said it was these Wild Ones. They started a war between them and then wiped out the winner. That terrifies Victor because if they can wipe out the Devil Lords, they can wipe him out or hurt him very bad. He won’t let any scouts venture east of Gary, blocking out most of Knox county. He doesn’t want to irritate the Wild Ones because unlike other gangs, they just sit in their area and don’t venture out. Victor says that’s only because they already have what they need.”
With wide eyes, staring at the map and panting, “Thank you,” Sandy said. “Do any of you know how to use a gun?”
“Yes,” Diane yelped.
“We are giving you an M4, a 10/22, and a Beretta pistol, and as much ammo and food as we can spare.”
The fifteen-year-old gasped, “I pray you find your family safe, but go north. Everyone is scared of the Wild Ones, except for the Pirates.”
Sandy raised her eyebrow, looking at Diane. “Young stupid frat boys,” Diane shrugged. “The scouts can’t find where they operate from. But they’re sure it’s near Tedders, that’s in the zone Victor has blocked off for the Wild Ones. The Pirates are too stupid to be a threat to anyone except small groups.”
“Thank you,” Sandy said with a dry voice.
“Okay, we have three horses and one week of food packed for you,” Mary said, coming over.
The little girl jumped up and then remembered that Sandy didn’t like fast movement. When she saw Sandy still staring at the map, she moved over to hug Mary. “Thank you,” she said.
Returning the hug, “I have some shirts and pants you two need to put on, and get out of those white shirts and shorts,” Mary told them.
Lifting her head to look at Diane, “Why did you do it? You’re not related,” Sandy asked. Just from what she’d gotten from Diane; she was in a position that would offer her some protection. Sandy didn’t even want to guess what would happen to Diane if she was caught.
Glancing at the two girls, “They had been sold to someone with very exquisite and morbid tastes, and I couldn’t let them go,” Diane answered.
“Where are you heading? Just general. We came from the west,” Sandy told her.
“Mississippi, my family has a farm there,” Diane told her.
“Don’t turn south until you reach Columbia, and damn sure don’t go further west than that. Plan your trips each day before you set out, and have two alternates on either side of your route. Travel at night when you can,” Sandy offered, fighting the urge to tell Diane to just come with them.
The only thing that stopped her was, if Victor found out, he would send forces to punish Diane. Just the fact she was avoiding the threat of this Victor made her sick. “Thank you,” Diane said, getting up.
Reaching out, Sandy grabbed her arm. “We are giving you a radio. If you can’t make it south, head to Bimble. Use the radio only in the mornings, and we will find you. I would offer to let you come, but I have to see what’s there. It might be gone, and you’re too close to Victor.”
“That’s-,” Diane started, but Sandy stopped her.
“I know it’s in the Wild Ones’ area, but we will find you before they do, if our family is there. Find a place to hold up, but don’t call from there. Only call out once a day in the morning and if we aren’t there by the third day, leave.”
Leaning over, Diane hugged Sandy tight. “Thank you for the help you’ve given us. On horseback, they won’t catch us,” Diane said, sounding very confident.
“You have a thousand rounds for the M4, two thousand rounds of .22, and a hundred 9mm,” Mary said, and saw Diane waver on her feet.
“That is a fortune at the lake,” Diane mumbled.
“Can you shoot a bow?” Sandy asked and Diane nodded.
Walking over to her packhorse, Sandy pulled out her recurve and quiver. Seeing her and Mary’s quivers on the saddles were full, Sandy grabbed what was left and counted thirty-four. “That was a mad dash,” she shivered, remembering the last two days and nights.
Holding them out to Diane, “The horses were ridden hard the last two days, so be easy,” Sandy advised as Diane took the bow. As the girls changed in the clothes Mary gave them, Diane talked to Sandy and Sandy continued marking the map.
Helping them up on the horses, they watched the three ride off heading west. When they were out of sight, Sandy turned to Mary. “We are fucking leaving right now,” Sandy told her, moving to her horse.
“Sandy, we need to do the walk around,” Mary told her.
“If it’s not packed, we’re leaving it. Victor is going to send hell after Diane, and I don’t want to run into them,” she said, picking Tyler up and putting him in the saddle.
“Sandy, it’s three in the afternoon,” Mary said, tapping her watch.
Spinning around, “Bitch, get your ass on the horse before I put you on the horse,” Sandy threatened, climbing up behind Tyler.
Feeling Sandy’s panic, Mary ran over and pushed Chris up in the saddle and climbed on. “You’re that certain?”
“They could be here any second, we’ve already been here too long. We’ve come too far to get caught up in a battle. Let’s check on the kids and then decide what to do.”
Kicking her horse over to Sandy, “What about the Wild Ones?” Mary asked.
Turning to Mary like she was insane, “Really, Mary?” Sandy asked. “Remember when the neighborhood kids came over to the houses to play basketball two on two? What did Lance and Ian call themselves?”
Thinking for a second, the color drained from Mary’s face. “The Wild Ones,” she muttered in shock.
