Come on! Move it. Go grab a bite to eat. Take a piss. Do something!
Danni knew she couldn’t afford to sit and wait. She’d already gotten far luckier than she had any right to.
She hadn’t wasted any time in looting Adam’s room. Though he was far larger than she, she’d manage to cobble together a soiled t-shirt and pair of shorts that she was able to cinch up enough to keep from falling off her lean frame. Wearing his shoes was out of the question, but she’d put on a triple layer of old socks so as to protect her feet from any sharp rocks on the ground.
Clothed as best as she was going to get, she’d nearly left before giving the room one final sweep. Though she didn’t want to get anywhere near his body, she forced herself to look under the bed ... keeping as far away from him as she could. Despite him being unquestionably dead, she couldn’t shake the irrational fear that he’d pop back to life and continue what she’d only barely managed to stop the first time.
Biting down her fear had paid off better than she could have ever hoped. Far back against the wall she’d spotted a long plastic case, lying in the blood still dripping from Adam’s ruined eye socket. Not wanting to, but knowing she needed to, Danni had scooted under the bed as quickly as she could and retrieved it.
Though the case was locked, its key was among those on the dresser. Danni had almost wept with joy when she’d opened it and discovered a gleaming Remington 12 gauge shotgun, along with several shells full of buckshot. As leader of the clan, he was no doubt allowed his pick of the spoils, and this was one treasure she was happy he’d hoarded.
It was that discovery which had finally emboldened her to unlock the door and venture forth. Though she didn’t fool herself into thinking she had enough weaponry to fight her way out if need be, feeling anything other than helpless was enough by itself.
Danni briefly considered making her way back to the cells to free Sophie and anyone else she might have missed, but ruefully dismissed the idea. There was no telling if she could even find her way back, not to mention whether they were in any condition to make a run for it. Though Danni hated herself for doing so, she concluded that their best bet for rescue was her leading the rest of the team back here, preferably with plenty of reinforcements.
Her mind made up, she’d relocked the door behind her so as to hopefully buy as much time as possible, then moved quietly and purposely while sticking to the shadows – something not entirely difficult in the dank passageways.
Danni continued forward, turning randomly down hallways and backtracking when she came to any rubble-strewn dead ends. A few times she passed rooms occupied by others of the Lesterfield clan, but managed to slip by unseen. At last, just as she was beginning to conclude she was hopelessly lost and would likely never find her way out, she found a set of stairs leading up. Hoping that she wasn’t going to strand herself on a rooftop, she decided to take them.
At the top she found what she’d been hoping for. She emerged into a room with actual windows, although the glass appeared to be long gone. From the look of things, she was on the second floor of the structure and it was nighttime, the thick vegetation beyond the windows dark and foreboding. Thanks to the aged masonry of the outside wall, it was a minor matter for her to find enough handholds to climb to the ground some fifteen feet below.
It was there, outside and with freedom practically beckoning, that she finally found her way blocked.
The building, an old factory perhaps, was surrounded by a fence. Old as the rest of this place appeared, the fence itself had been greatly fortified with rusted rebar, wood, and barbed wire. Rather than risk injury by trying to climb over, she explored further, hoping to find a gate leading out.
That’s when she spied the light from up ahead – a lone lantern hanging above an opening in the fence. Unfortunately, standing between her and freedom, bathed in the light of the lamp, was another of those malformed bastards.
It was too good of an opportunity to disregard, though, so Danni quietly crept forward as far as she dared.
The man standing in the exit was armed, that much was obvious. The closer she got, the more details she was able to make out. Though she couldn’t be certain from her vantage point, he looked familiar, likely one of the trio who’d taunted her when she’d first woken up here ... Nathanial, if she recalled correctly. For all of his big talk earlier, he’d apparently drawn nothing more prestigious than guard duty.
Danni had hoped to wait him out. Certainly fatigue, hunger, or boredom would take its toll, leaving her with an opening. But it hadn’t. In her fear, she was certain she was over-exaggerating the amount of time that had passed, but it seemed an eternity in which he did nothing but stand near the opening, facing out toward the dark forest beyond. The only hint of movement from him was the occasional turn of his head as he surveyed the tree line.
Sadly, she had no frame of reference for how long Adam typically kept his victims locked up with him, but realized it was best to err on the side of caution – to assume that, even now, his family members might be breaking down the door to investigate the terrible silence within.
Danni made to move from her hiding spot, but then hesitated. If she was wrong, she could potentially give herself away.
There was also the problem of what to do once she was out. She knew from firsthand experience that these monsters had booby-trapped the surrounding woods. No matter which direction she headed, she would need to keep it slow. She’d stepped into that snare while she’d still had her flashlight on her. In the dark, she’d need to be that much more cautious.
Danni looked up at the sky. The view above was obscured by trees, but it was better than it would be once she was outside the fence. She located the North Star and got her bearings. She knew their base camp had been west of Shilough but had no idea how far off course she’d been taken after being captured. However, it seemed logical to head east. Eventually she had to come across something – a road if she was lucky.
Shilough itself was another potential issue. Ezekiel was from there. It was more than possible some of the other Lesterfields, the less grotesque among them, lived there, too. Even if she made it, she’d have to keep moving rather than risk knocking on the wrong door.
Danni silently cursed at her continued inaction. She knew what she was doing, trying to think through every possible scenario in the hopes of staying in her small hiding spot a few moments longer. But her current safety was nothing more than a ruse, a temporary balm. So long as she stayed where she was, she wasn’t truly safe, and neither were any of the women left inside.
Bracing herself, she stepped from her cover and took a quick look around. There was no one in sight other than Nathanial, not that she could see very far. It was a risk she would have to take.
Though fear made her want to bolt, she’d been trained better than that. Holding the image of her brother in her mind, she crept up behind Nathanial until she was standing just outside the circle of light the oil lantern was throwing off. She was certain she hadn’t made any noise in her approach, but he somehow picked that moment to turn around.
Surprise registered in his eyes as he spied not only her but the shotgun she was pointing his way. He threw a quick glance down at his own gun, an old rifle hanging from his right hand.
“Don’t try it,” she warned.
“Hello, Sarah.” He grinned, revealing blackened teeth. “What are you doing out here at night? It isn’t safe.”
“You assholes have a strange idea of safe. Now drop that gun and step aside and maybe I’ll let you live.”
“I can’t do that, girl. It would be a sin to let you walk out on your God-given husband.”
“God didn’t give me a husband, you bastards did. And you’re not going to get a second warning.” She’d loaded the gun before leaving and had a slug already in the chamber.
“Women should not touch their husband’s belongings without permission,” he said, continuing to smile. “A little lady like you is liable to hurt herself with a big, nasty old gun like that. Why don’t you hand it over?”
She ignored him, focusing on his hands and eyes – the former in case he tried to raise his weapon, the latter as it would tell her if reinforcements were coming up behind her.
“I knew Adam should have made you my wife. Ezekiel is too soft from living in that town. Me, I’d learn you some manners real quick.” The grin widened.
Danni realized he was stalling for time. Every second he stole from her was another in which those inside might realize their leader was lying dead in his room. She tightened her finger on the trigger.
“Ain’t gonna work, dear Sarah.”
“And why’s that?”
“You left the safety on.”
You’ve gotta be kidding me. That was his trump card? Did he actually expect her to fall for such a pathetic ruse?
When she didn’t blink, the smile fell off his face, replaced with an ugly snarl. He quickly raised his gun in the hopes of calling what he no doubt thought was a bluff.
It wasn’t.
Danni let out a breath and squeezed the trigger, the thunderous report shattering the silence of the compound. Nathanial’s chest blew apart in a shower of blood and grizzle.
There was no time for regret that she’d just gunned down a man in cold blood. That would have to wait for later. There was absolutely no chance that blast hadn’t been heard by the others.
Steeling herself, Danni strode forward to where Nathanial lay in the grass. He wasn’t dead yet, but his respiration came in broken, choked wheezes and his eyes were already glazing over. There was nothing that could be done for him. It was only a matter of time.
She quickly checked him for a sidearm. Then, not finding one, she picked up his discarded weapon. It was a battered single-shot rifle. Not the best she could have hoped for, but she grabbed it anyway.
It was one less gun to use against her.
Danni briefly considered taking the lantern, but as much comfort as its light would give, it would also serve to let her enemies pinpoint her all that quicker.
She grabbed it off the hook, stepped through the gate, and then threw it onto the ground, where it shattered and ignited the grass beneath.
It wouldn’t slow them down for long, if at all, but every second counted, and she’d already wasted enough of those.
The pitch black forest of the Pine Barrens lay in front of her. After a moment, she strode forward into it, praying that luck remained on her side for a little bit longer.