All Is Silence - Deserted Lands #1

Chapter 29 - Part I

ZACH STAYED AHEAD OF DUKE on the freeway. What the Hell was up with Lizzie? Hooking up with the brother of the guy she murdered? The guy had been “trying to kill her” last time Zach heard. Seemed like a pretty screwed up relationship.

He had really wanted to finish what Spike started.

Nev reached across and touched his thigh; he knew she sensed his frustration.

Headlights ahead of them shone in his eyes. He smiled. It had been his idea to drive on the wrong side of the highway so they wouldn’t miss Mannie and Jess in the snow.

He let his foot off the gas as the lights got closer. Then the lights split into three sets.

“What the hell?” He rolled to a stop. He glanced in the rear view mirror. Duke’s truck had stopped too. “I don’t think that’s Lizzie’s dad.”

The three sets of headlights surrounded the Tank. Each truck had guys with guns hanging off the roll bars. Nev’s breath escaped slowly. “Nope. It looks like the official asshole welcoming party.”

Spike growled and Charley whispered a reassurance to him, but the uncertainty in his voice did nothing to soothe Spike.

Zach saw red taillights in the rearview mirror. “Shit.” Turn tail and run, Duke. Take care of Lizzie.” Maybe they could get away.

“Step out with your hands up. Now.” A balding redneck with a mullet fringe in Carhartts gestured with his gun.

Zach looked over at Nev. She nodded to him, set her jaw, and opened the door. Guts.

“Okay. We’re coming out. We got a dog-man and a kid in the back. We’re harmless. We don’t want trouble.”

The rednecks patted them down. Zach felt his phone and knife lifted from his pockets. Charley and Spike were herded out of the Tank.

Spike fought, sinking his teeth into one of the hicks. One of the men pistol-whipped him. Charley cried out as Spike stumbled into the snow.

“He doesn’t know any better,” Zach shouted.

“Spike, Charley. It’s okay,” Nev said in a strong soothing voice that even made Zach feel better. “Everything will be fine.”

“Listen to the lady,” said a grinning man with long blond hair, out of place in this crew. His appearance and his California accent were more surfer-dude than redneck. He ran his hand across Nev’s shoulder and down toward her breast as he finished patting her down. Zach gritted his teeth.

“Hey!” Nev turned around and slapped the surfer dude. “Watch your fucking hand. You already got everything.

“What’s the trouble?” the man with the mullet, the Bossman, demanded.

Nev sniffed. “He’s reaching places he doesn’t belong.”

Bossman cuffed surfer-dude on the back of the head. “Don’t mess.” To Nev he said, “Turn around and be quiet.”

Surfer-dude backed off, sulking.

“Jim, get these people burning at the stake.” One of the men grabbed Zach’s arm.

“What the fuck?” Zach asked, twisting out of the grip. The guns came back up.

The Bossman laughed. “Just a figure of speech. Need to keep you warm. You freeze to death we don’t get paid.”

Jim led them around a gas heater and handcuffed one to another into a circle. Then he turned the heater on and it got red hot. They could only get about four or five feet from it.

“Let’s sit. Might be a little less hot,” Zach suggested. They sat in a circle.

“What are you going to do with us?” Nev asked.

“Take you to The City tomorrow,” the Bossman answered. “Collect our reward. Ain’t gonna be much with only one girl and all this sausage, but there was three girls in the other group we collected tonight. So we’ll have a good sum coming to us all told.”

Nev whispered, “Jess? And Lizzie’s dad?”

The Bossman had started walking away, but he came back. “You know ‘em? Jess was the girl’s name.”

Zach shrugged.

The man grinned. “Well, you oughta see ‘em tomorrow. They’re probably already on their way into The City.

“Salt Lake City?” Nev asked.

“Nah. Provo. The only place in the country that’s got things figured out.”

“What’s that mean?” Zach asked.

“You’ll find out soon enough.” Bossman placed three guards on the perimeter.

“Lizzie’s still free,” Nev whispered when they were alone

“Yeah, with a baby and a teenager and an asshole.”

                                *                *                *

Lizzie looked where Duke pointed. Ahead of Zach’s truck were three sets of headlights coming toward them.

“You said your Dad and your friend were in one rig, right?”

“Yeah.” The lights formed a wall, foglights above and below the main beams. She couldn’t see anything behind them and they lit up Zach’s truck.

“I don’t like this.” He grimaced at her. Without waiting for input, he shoved the truck in reverse and spun in a one-eighty on the slick road.

Lizzie’s stomach churned. “What are you doing? My dad’s back there.”

“I don’t think that’s your dad.” He reached down below his seat and pulled out a rifle with a giant scope on it. “See what you can see, but I’m not taking chances.”

“But Zach and Nev—”

“Will have to take care of themselves.”

Lizzie looked behind them and squinted through the sight. Duke was right. “God damn it.” Three big trucks had surrounded the Tank. Lots of young men with guns in the back. Zach and Nev were getting out of the truck with their hands in the air. One of the trucks pulled around and came after Duke’s truck. “They’re coming after us.”

Rachael’s groggy head came up. “What’s going on?”

The engine in Duke’s trucked groaned; they were really moving. Duke pushed it harder.

“Shit.” Lizzie saw a second set of headlights pull away from the Tank. “Two.”

“Describe the trucks.”

Lizzie squinted. “I don’t know. Big tires. Gun racks. Confederate flags probably. They’re trucks and I couldn’t see much, but they’re full of guys with guns.”

“Guys like me and my brother?” Duke asked.

“Yeah.” Lizzie felt adrenaline rushing. “Hopefully more like you.”

“Those big tires are not great for speed. Glad I got this truck with something other than mudding in mind.”

She glanced away from the scope and looked into the back seat. Saj was slapping his hands on his car seat, happy and oblivious.

Rachael stared back at their pursuers, “Oh, God.” She turned to Lizzie, her eyes and mouth wide open, her hands knuckled and white on the car seat.