Stealing Second (The Amendments Book One 1) Read online

  “Don’t say that, Gary. We want you to stay with us. I’m not trying to scare you. I just wanted you to be ready for these guys. You’ll be fine once they get used to you.”

  I shrugged and got out of the Chevy, and Carrie slid across the bench seat and hopped out. Immediately, she screamed with delight and rushed across the lawn into Mike’s arms. I groaned and walked over to join them.

  “Mike, I want you to meet someone,” Pete said. “This is Gary. He’s a good friend of ours.”

  Mike looked at me, appraisingly. “Does this guy have a last name?” he asked. I began to speak, but Mike held a finger up. “I was asking Pete,” he said.

  Pete gave Mike a confused look and held out his hands. “He’s a regular up at Carrie’s bar. I suppose I know his last name, I just don’t remember it.”

  “Right,” said Mike. “He’s a good friend, but you don’t even know his last name?”

  “Mike,” said Carrie, stepping next to me, “you’re being rude.”

  “I’m being rude?” asked Mike. He gave me a hard look and then he spat on the ground. “What, do you think I’m running a hotel out here? This isn’t a shelter. I’m sorry, Gary. You might be a great guy, but I can’t allow you to stay. Do you see these guys? We’ve been working together for three years to build this. What am I supposed to tell them? Hey, Pete and Carrie’s friend is a good guy and we should let join us? I can’t do that. My friends have their life’s savings stuck into this place. They’ve worked like dogs to help create our little compound. What would they think of me? Look, you can eat with us and spend the night, but you’ll have to bug out in the morning. I’m sorry.”

  “Mike,” pleaded Carrie.

  Now it was my turn to lift a finger. “No,” I said, turning to Carrie. “I understand and I appreciate you letting me stay the night. I’ll walk out of here at first light.”

  “The hell you will,” said Pete. “I’ll drive you out to your parents’ place. Where did you say it was?”

  “Pine City.”

  Mike shook his head. “No, I can’t let you drive out,” he said to Pete. “If he’s the good friend you say he is, why don’t you let him borrow your pickup? Look, I’m not trying to be an asshole. I have an obligation to my people, you included, little brother. I think this thing will blow over in a few days. When it’s over, you can call your buddy and have him drive out and pick you guys up.”

  “This is bullshit,” hissed Carrie.

  Pete walked over and put his arm around Carrie. “Stop that,” he said to her. “Gary, Pete’s right. You can take my pickup. I don’t have a problem with that. What do you say?”

  “I can walk,” I said. I didn’t want to walk, but I was angry and didn’t want to take charity from anyone. “I think I’ll head out, now. Nice to meet you, Mike. Thanks for the lift out of town, Pete, Carrie. Good luck.”

  “Gary,” pleaded Carrie. “Don’t do this. Spend the night and take the truck in the morning. Please, for me?”

  “Now I feel like a total jerk,” said Mike. He walked over and stuck his hand out. “I know how you feel, man. I don’t blame you for being angry. Listen to Pete and Carrie, spend the night and drive out of here in the morning. Look, a few of the guys out here asked if they could bring a friend. I had to turn them down. That’s just the way it is, it’s nothing personal. You’ve got to understand that.”

  I shrugged and shook Mike’s hand. What he said made sense, at least when I thought of it from his point of view. He and his friends had built an ark of sorts, and now it was time to shut the door before the downpour started. They wouldn’t want any freeloaders coming along for the ride. “I got it,” I said. “I don’t want any trouble, Mike. If your friends have a problem with me being out here, I’ll head on down the road.”

  Mike shook his head. “You won’t have any trouble with them. I’ll explain the situation and they’ll be fine with it. They’re not bad people. I wish I could let you stay, but that would open the door for everyone else to invite a friend. Pete and Carrie, they’re family; I’ve told these people from day one that they had a standing invitation. Everyone else had to work their way in and earn their keep. Come on, we’re about to grill up some burgers and have a few beers. This might be the last night we can do that.”

  “Aren’t you worried they’ll come out here, tonight?” I asked.

  Mike shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. “No, I can’t say that for sure. They could be on their way out here, right now. I think they’ve got their hands full right now. They’re giving everyone a two-week amnesty. We’ve got to believe they’ll honor it. They know about our group, I can’t think they’ll start by going after the strongholds. They’ll start by taking down the weak. That’s how these jackals operate.”

  After what we had just been through, I was in no hurry to get back out on the road. As much as it hurt, I understood Mike’s predicament. I began to think I should be with my own family anyhow. This was my chance to drive there. Even with a shattered windshield, driving the Chevy was much more appealing than walking. We walked around back, and I was introduced to a group of Mike’s friends. He explained my situation and most seemed good with it. I wish I could say they all were nice about it, but there were a few big guys who openly protested my presence. Mike quickly put them in their place, but my ears burned because of it.

  We cracked open some beers and ate barbequed burgers and baked beans. Later, when the sun began to set, Mike and his friends built a big bonfire. Somebody put on some music and the night took on a festive atmosphere. I watched how much I drank. I didn’t want to be drunk in case something happened. The group seemed to accept me into their fold. A few of the guys who had complained even walked over to say hello and explain why they had protested my spending the night with them. Carrie and Pete stayed by my side and I could tell how sorry they were. Still, there was nothing to be done about the situation. I would leave at dawn and with any luck, I would be out at the farm an hour later. I began to look forward to it.

  As it got dark I began to notice a pretty brunette who had distanced herself from the crowd. She sat alone in one of the chairs by the fire, nursing a beer. We made eye contact several times, but I didn’t dare walk over and introduce myself. Not there.

  Suddenly, the music died and everyone turned to face the house. “The Sheriff is out there,” shouted Mike. “He didn’t come alone. I’m going up to see what he wants. Anyone care to join me?”

  I didn’t like the sound of that and stood where I was as the entire group seemed to follow Mike out toward the driveway. Pete and Carrie followed the herd, and I thought I was alone until I heard a voice behind me. “This is bad,” a woman’s voice said. I turned and saw that it was the pretty brunette.

  “I agree,” I said. “I think these boys are itching for a fight.”

  “You think?” she asked. She chuckled and stood up from her chair. “They’ve been planning it for years. I don’t want to be here.”

  “I don’t want to be here, either,” I said. “I’m leaving in the morning.”

  “I know,” she said. “You’re that Gary everyone is talking about.”

  I nodded. “That’s me,” I said. “I’m sorry. You seem to have me at a disadvantage. I never got your name.”

  “I never gave it.”

  “Oh, I see. Honestly, it doesn’t matter. I’m leaving in the morning and I don’t want to pry.”

  “You’re not prying. My name is Madison. People call me Maddie, but I prefer Madison. I’m here with my soon-to-be ex-husband. Nobody here knows we’re getting divorced.”

  Nobody,” I said, “except me.”

  “Yep,” Madison said. “That’s true. Tell me about where you’re heading tomorrow, Gary. Are you going someplace like this?”

  I laughed. “God no,” I said. “My family has a farm outside of Pine City; eighty acres, some livestock and crops. It isn’t much, but we’ll be self-sufficient if push comes to shove.”

  “You’re lucky. I wish I had somep
lace like that to escape to. My folks are dead and I don’t have any family here.”

  “You’re welcome to join me,” I said, half-joking. Not believing for a minute that was exactly what she had been hoping to hear.

  “Don’t say that,” she said. “Not unless you mean it. I want out of here, Gary. They’re all going to be killed and I don’t want to die.”

  I thought about that. “I don’t want to die, either. I’m serious. If you want to get out of here, you can come with me. My family will accept you with open arms.”

  “I’m as serious as a heart attack, Gary. You won’t regret it. I’m a hard worker and I don’t eat much. Are you sure your family will be okay with it? Look what happened to you. I’m not going to risk making it there just to be turned away.”

  I didn’t know what to say. Madison walked over and stood in front of me. She was younger and much more attractive than I had originally thought. Her dark hair was long and just curly enough to suggest it had been permed. She was short and had the athletic build of a gymnast. In the firelight, her big eyes looked chocolate brown as they stared into my own. She tilted her head, not much, but enough so I knew what she wanted. I leaned over and kissed her. She returned the kiss with passion and quickly pulled away.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I haven’t kissed anyone but my husband in three years. I had to find out what it felt like.”

  I smiled. “Well, what did you think?”

  “I want to do it, again,” she said, shyly, but she pulled away. “Carrie tells me that you’re single. Is that true?”

  I nodded. “I am. I hope to change that, someday.”

  Madison smiled and returned to where she had been. She put her hands on my hips. “Good,” she said. “I don’t want to be alone, not anymore. I’ve been alone for three years. You can be married and still be alone, do you believe that?”

  “I do. I’ve seen it,” I said. And while I did believe what she said, I hadn’t really seen it, but I felt that was what she wanted to hear. I had fallen for Madison, and hard. She was easily the most attractive woman I had ever kissed. I kissed her again and she pressed her mouth tightly against my own.

  “I want to leave,” she whispered, “right now. I don’t want to wait until morning. I’ll never get away if I wait. They won’t let me leave.”

  I took a deep breath and nodded my head. I was already in love. I would have stood between her and a runaway freight train if I thought I could save her. “Let’s go,” I said. “There’s nothing holding me here.”

  Madison grabbed me by the hand and led me to one of the RV trailers. “Wait here,” she whispered. A moment later, she appeared at the door carrying a heavy backpack. Even in the flickering firelight, I could see she was straining to carry it.

  “Take this,” she ordered, “and put it on.”

  I took the frame-style olive green backpack from her and inwardly groaned. It was heavier than it looked. I could only imagine what it contained. She emerged from the trailer a few seconds later, wearing a knapsack.

  “We’re going into the woods,” she said. “We’ve got to get away from here.”

  I nodded. Madison took me by the hand, and we began to jog deeper into the property. There was a half moon, and by the time we hit the woods, my eyes had somewhat adjusted to the light. The frame of the pack was digging into my ass, but with her kiss still fresh on my lips, I hardly felt it. I had no idea where we were headed, but as long as we were together, I didn’t care where we were going. Madison led me to a narrow trail and we jogged deeper into the woods. The night air was alive with the sound of chirping crickets. I was out of breath and sweating by the time she stopped. Wordlessly, she dug into my pack as I caught my breath. She removed a small flashlight and turned it on.

  “You’re not going to die on me, are you?” she asked.

  “I hope not,” I said. “What the hell is in this thing?” I asked. “The damn thing must weigh a hundred pounds.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said. She stepped close to me and gave me a quick kiss. “You’ve got to trust me. We’ll need everything in your pack. How far did you say it was to your parents’ place?”

  “Sixty miles, maybe a little further.”

  “That’s a two day walk, maybe even three,” she whispered. “Please don’t tell me that you’re having second thoughts. They could already be looking for us. Mike will kill you if they catch us. We’ve got to keep moving.”

  “Mike?” I asked. “You mean the guy who owns the place?”

  “That’s him. Why, would it have made a difference? He beat me, Gary. He’s a mean son of a bitch and I had to get away.”

  “No, it wouldn’t have made any difference,” I said, but I thought otherwise. I think it finally dawned upon me that I was risking my life for someone I didn’t even know. I thought of what Mike would think of me, stealing his woman, after he had been kind enough to offer me a place to stay for the night. “Let’s get moving,” I said.

  We jogged along for another quarter mile before Madison turned into the woods. We were on a path, but it wasn’t much of a path, and she slowed to a brisk hike. Over the sound of the crickets, I heard the sound of revving engines. Madison froze. She stood still for a second and then she turned to me. “They’re looking for us,” she whispered. “They’re on the ATV’s. There’s no time to lose.”

  I nodded and followed Madison as she began to crash through the woods. Thorny bushes and vines dug at my flesh. Behind us on the trail, I heard at least two ATVs. Would they see our footprints where we had turned and had taken the path? I honestly didn’t know, but the thought consumed me. If they did, they would be on top of us in minutes. We crossed a barbwire fence into an open field and I risked a look behind us. I could see the glow of bouncing headlamps in the woods. My shoulders ached and I began to seriously regret my foolhardy decision.

  I followed Madison and we jogged along the wood line. My arms were bleeding and my chest was heaving. I wondered what it felt like to have a heart attack. At this rate, I felt it was a very real possibility. I gulped for air and felt lightheaded as Madison found a new trail, and once again the two of us disappeared into the woods. The trail here was wide and well maintained. She switched off the flashlight and we ran in the pale moonlight. If the men on the ATVs had discovered our trail and if they could cut through the barbed wire, they would be on us in an instant. We jogged down this new trail for a solid five minutes before I stopped. I was completely out of breath and soaked with perspiration.

  “We can’t stop now,” she pleaded. “I know another trail. We’ve got to get to it before they catch us. Come on, Gary. Please, it isn’t much farther.”

  I shook my head and doubled over as I tried to catch my breath. The ATVs were still on the first trail we had taken. I could hear them buzzing up and down it, searching for the place we had broken off and headed into the woods. A long minute passed. I finally straightened up. “I can’t jog anymore,” I said. “We’ll have to hike. I’m sorry; this goddamn pack is just too goddamn heavy.”

  Madison covered her face with her hands, but she pulled them away and forced a smile onto her face. “Okay,” she whispered. “But we’ve got to move. Your life depends on it.”

  I followed her and we moved along at a pace that was between a hike and a jog. Behind us, I could hear the ATVs had found our trail. I knew they would have a hard time making it to the fence. They would also have to cross it. But once they did, they had an open run to catch us. Madison must have noticed it, too. She picked up the pace and soon we were back to jogging.

  Finally, she took a hard right into the woods and once again, she turned on the flashlight. The trail here was not maintained and once again, thorny claws ripped at my bare arms. Still, we plowed ahead and crossed another fence. The ATVs were now roaring at top speed. I knew they had gotten past the barbwire and were now either in the open field, or perhaps they were already on the wide trail. Either way, I thought my life was about to end and I imagined what they would do to
me.

  Madison shut off the flashlight and pointed to the lights of a distant farmhouse. “My best friend lives there,” she whispered. “I’m going to see if she’ll lend us her car. Come on, we’ve got to run.”

  I held her arm for a minute as I caught my breath. The house was about a quarter mile away, and I prayed my legs would carry me that far. She finally jerked her arm free and began to run. With nothing else to do, I followed her. She crossed another fence and once she made it through, she left me in the dust. I watched her disappear in the moonlight, racing ahead to the farmhouse. I was too exhausted to care. I stood there panting like a dog, listening to the ATVs in the distance. They were closing in, and I wondered if they hadn’t figured out where we were heading. I stepped through the barbed wire, nearly falling over under the weight of the backpack.

  I was about two hundred yards from the farmhouse and watched as Madison let herself into the house. I forced myself to jog the rest of the way, unsure where I found the strength to do so. Like a drunk, I staggered up to the door knocked. A second later, Madison opened the door and beckoned me inside. She stood at the door and stared out into the darkness, as if she were trying to gauge how close our trackers were. I walked into the kitchen of the farmhouse and stripped out of the backpack. Unthinking, I began to unbuckle the top of the pack. I had to know what was so damned heavy.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” said a deep male voice.

  I looked up and found myself staring at a strikingly handsome cop. He was pointing a gun at me. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I groaned.

  “Oh, I’m not kidding, buddy,” said the cop. He was younger than me, perhaps twenty-five, with blonde hair and biceps that threatened to split the seams of his sheriff’s uniform. “I should thank you for lugging that thing over here. I’ll bet it was heavy.”

  “What the hell is it?” I asked.

  “None of your goddamn business,” hissed Madison. She now held a handgun and waved it at me menacingly. “Clay and I are getting out of here. You can do whatever the hell you want. Mike is going to find you. I’m sorry about that, but he’ll kill you when he does. You might want to kill yourself before that happens. He’ll beat you, first. Come on, Clay. We’ve got to move it.”