Part 36 (1/2)
”I believe so, sir.”
”I.
know so. Have you tortured the woman?”
”Yes, sir.”
”Cease it at once. See to her wounds and then bring her to me.”
”We'll have to carry her, sir. She cannot walk.
We have pulled out all her toenails.”
”Then carry her. I know a way to split Ben Raines's western forces.”
”Yes, sir. Right away, sir.”
The outlaws had vanished, seemingly dropping off the face of the earth.
Ben called a halt to the search and ordered his people to dismount and make camp for the night. ”Told you they'd smarten up,” he said to James.
”They've tasted some of the h.e.l.l and misery they've caused over the years,” James said, quite unlike the big man. ”And they don't like it.”
”Very good, James. But don't worry, ol'
buddy. We're going to give some more h.e.l.l and misery.”
”I never doubted that, Ben.”
”Let's get some rest. We'll find them and start rooting them out in the morning.”
”And you're sure that's where Lisa's being held?”
Kim asked.
”I'm sure,” the ragged little boy said. ”I've been in there four, five times begging for food. I seen her twice.”
”And the last time was? ...” Judy asked.
”Yesterday. I flashed her a signal and she winked at me. She was walkin' kinda funny, though.”
The girls exchanged knowing glances, shaking their heads in disgust.
The small boy picked up on the exchange.
”You all don't have to talk around me. I been where she is. I know why she's walkin' that way.”
Sandra put an arm around the boy's shoulders. So thin. ”What's your name, Scooter?”
she asked. ”I mean, besides Scooter.”
”I don't know no other name. I been called Scooter all my life.”
”How many years do you have?”
”Nine or ten, I think. But I really don't know. I been travelin ever since I can remember.”
”No blood kin?” Judy asked. ”Not that I know of,” the ragged boy replied.
”Can you shoot that pistol you're carryin' ?” Kim asked, looking at the .22 caliber revolver belted around Scooter's waist.
”I sure can. Some grownups tried to b.u.g.g.e.r me last month. I kilt two of ”em 'fore the others run off.”
”You wanna stay with us?” Sandra asked.
”That'd be nice,” Scooter said, looking up at the taller person. ”We gonna get your friend away from Hartline?”
”Yes. And it's gonna be dangerous doing it.”
The boy shrugged. ”Livin” day to day is dangerous. That ain't nothin' new. Do I get to meet Ben Raines?”
”Probably. Soon as we get Lisa outta there.” Kim looked at the compound below the heavily timbered knoll where they were hidden.
”I gotta tell you all something,” Scooter said. ”Hartline is ten times worse than the Russian. The Russian was bad enough. But Hartline will grab you and torture you just for fun. t heard some of his men talkin' one time. They said Sam Hartline is crazy. I believe it. I seen what he dome to a friend of mine a few months back. Right before Ben Raines shot him up.”
”A girl?” Judy asked softly.
”You know it,” Scooter replied. ”When he got done with her, he just throwed her out in the road.” He pointed. ”Right down there. Come dark, I dragged her back in the timber and tried to care for her. Me and the underground people. We couldn't do nothin' for her. She bled to death. She was about my age, but real little.
Pretty. Hartline split her open. You know what I mean?”
The girls knew.
”If you want your friend to live,” Scooter continued, ”we gotta get her out of there. Hartline will do it to her ever' way he can, then he'll give her to his men. I know some girls, and one boy, who went crazy after some time down there. You know what them men done to them after that?”
The girls waited.
”They used ”em for target practice. It was awful.”
Judy was drawing the compound area on a dirty piece of paper. It was an amazingly accurate drawing, right down to the last detail.
”You got it?” Sandra asked.
”I got it.”
”Let's get back to the others. We gotta plan this out real good.”