Part 35 (2/2)
”Let's calm down here fellas,” 203 said, looking at SAW.
”Don't see nothing to get excited about,” Nathan replied, looking around at all of them. That unnerved them. He never looked at one of them, just stared at all of them. One of the women moved and Ares was on his feet, growling. ”Careful, ma'am, these dogs don't like fast movement. They can run over thirty miles an hour. That means they will be on the other side of the creek before you can blink your eyes twice,” Nathan warned. The woman raised her hands slowly.
”I'm sorry,” she mumbled.
”Ares,” Nathan said. Ares quit growling but didn't lie back down.
”That's not being friendly, mister,” SAW said.
”Wasn't trying to be friendly. Just stating fact,” Nathan replied.
”Now, we just come to talk to you,” 203 said.
”So talk,” Nathan said.
”You're kind of far off the beaten path,” 203 said.
”Not really,” Nathan said.
The man stared at Nathan, wanting Nathan to talk some more. ”We really want some food,” 203 said.
Just as Nathan was about to answer in his ear bud he heard Jasmine say, ”Now.” Behind him he heard the suppressed shots and five visitors jerk backed from bullet impacts and dropped. The woman who had raised her hands stared at her group with wide eyes as Jasmine pulled her trigger a second time, sending the woman to the ground.
”Ares, work,” Nathan snapped, bringing up his rifle and running across the stream. He ran to the end of the line they had formed. Ares ran to the woman, who raised her arms. Nathan saw all four men had been shot in the face. 203 was still moaning. Nathan fixed that with his rifle. Both women were still alive. They one who raise her hands had a wound in her chest. The other had two; one was right at her sternum.
Moving over Nathan took their weapons and tossed them away. Seeing the woman that was shot twice was dying fast Nathan moved to the other. He leaned over and looked down at her. ”You're going to live a while, so answer my questions and I promise it won't be more painful. How many more in your group?” he asked.
”None,” she whimpered.
”How did you find us?” he asked.
”We saw you on the road last night and found where you turned off in the woods,” she answered.
”We would've seen you if you had been near the road. Now answer the question,” Nathan said, pulling out his knife.
”We have some stuff that sees in the dark. We were a long ways off the road in a house,” she said looking at the knife.
”Is that where your stuff is at, the house?” Nathan asked.
The woman shook her head. ”No, it's back by the field, we put some bushes over it.”
”Why didn't you just kill me?” Nathan asked.
”We were but you waved at us and Ben said you knew we were here. They were going to bully you into surrendering,” she said. ”Can I have some water?” she asked.
”Where did you get the weapons?” Nathan asked, pulling a bottle out of the woman's thigh pocket.
After the woman took a drink, she replied, ”Thank you. We took them from some soldiers we killed.”
”Soldiers don't carry the weapon you had,” Nathan said.
”That was from the ATF agent.” She coughed, bringing blood to her lips.
”How many groups like yours around here?” Nathan asked, hearing some of his group move around him.
”We've seen several,” she said, grimacing.
”Do you have supplies besides what you hid in the field?” Nathan asked.
”No,” she said.
Nathan stood up. ”You should've left us alone. How many has your group killed?”
”I don't know,” she said. Nathan kneeled back down with the knife. ”I don't know! A lot. I didn't count, I didn't want to know!”
”I believe you,” Nathan said, standing back up. ”Are there other government troops around?”
”We saw several other army trucks driving around and some helicopters starting to fly around us lately,” she answered.
”Thank you,” Nathan said. He squeezed the trigger of his rifle, putting three bullets in the woman's face. He looked over at Jasmine.
”What? They came here,” Jasmine snapped seeing that look. ”You were just talking to them and we all knew they wanted our stuff,” she said.
”I'm impressed,” Nathan said. ”You and Tom strip them of everything and take it to camp. Tell Casey to stay with Emma over there. The rest of you come with me.”
”What about Athena?” Amanda asked.
Athena was still sitting where he commanded. ”Tell her to come on,” Nathan said, following the trail out. Not trusting the dead woman, Nathan sent Ares ahead. When Ares reached the field and looked back at him, Nathan led the others up.
Before they reached the field Nathan spotted the large pile of brush. Pulling the bushes and dead limbs off, they found three garden carts. They were piled full of stuff. ”When you have a good idea someone is bound to copy it,” Nathan said moving to the front of the cart.
”What?” Amanda asked. Nathan pulled up the handle and showed her the same type of harness he made to pull the wagon in Alabama.
”Should have patented it,” Nathan said. He grabbed the harness and to pull the one of the carts through the woods. John grabbed one and Amanda and Tom pulled the other. With the fat tires they were fairly easy to pull but they had to go around a lot of obstacles.
When they reached the creek there were six bodies stripped to underwear lying on the bank. None of them paid any attention as they rolled by. It took some work but they rolled the carts through the creek to camp. On the other side Jasmine had all the gear laid neatly in in groups.
”I'll take first watch,” Nathan said.
”No how about all of us lay this stuff out and pack what we need?” Jasmine more told than asked.
”It's going to take a while,” Nathan said.
”You are wasting time then,” she said moving to a cart.
John eyed the weapons Jasmine had gathered and held up the odd weapon he couldn't identify. ”What is this?”
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