The Endless Struggle, page 13
part #3 of Random Survival Series
“X-ray?” Mark said. “Do you have an X-ray machine at your place? Is that what you’re trying to say?”
The old man gave a feeble nod.
“What about blood?” Doc asked.
A nod.
“Refrigerated?”
Again he nodded.
“That settles it,” Mark said.
Doc said, “But, he’ll never make the trip. He might die along the way.”
“He’ll die if we don’t take him. Plus, it’s not safe here. More men could show up at any time. We have to go.”
“We have to keep him flat. And the truck will bounce him around too much.”
“We can lift him onto the table and carry that outside. We’ll put him in the backseat of his car. It’s big enough and will offer more cushioning.”
Doc looked around.
“Doc, I know it’s a risk, but we have to do this, and now.”
She nodded and raised a hand. Mark took it and helped her to her feet. Grabbing a pile of folded white cotton sheets she spread them out on the floor while Mark pulled the keys from Smahls’ pocket. He walked to the door. “We still okay out there, Mel?”
“Yeah, for the moment.”
“I need you to move the vehicles up to the door.” He handed her both sets of keys. She looked at them, then at him and went out the door.
He went back to help Doc. They lifted the wounded man to the sheets. Doc placed the IV bag on his abdomen. Grabbing two corners each they hoisted Smahls to the stainless steel table. He moaned. His feet hung over the edge.
“This will be heavy. Can you handle it?”
“I’ll do the best I can.”
“If you have to stop, say so. Ready?”
She nodded and they heaved up. Doc grunted but maintained the lift. Mark walked backward. By the time they reached the door, Doc needed a break. They set the table down, waited a moment and squeezed through the doorway. At the outer door, they stopped again. Doc checked to make sure her patient was still breathing.
Mel had parked the truck and was on her way back with the Marquis. They waited until she parked and got out.
“Mel, help Doc with her end. We’re gonna put him in the back of the car.”
Mel slid past the table, set her rifle on a chair and grabbed a corner. Only one of them could squeeze through the door, so Doc let go. The stockier woman had no problem handling the table. Outside, Doc went ahead, opened both rear doors and climbed inside on the far side.
Mark and Mel slid the doctor off the table. Once they had him inside the car, Mark said, “Doc’s gonna have to stay in the back to hold him still. You’ll have to drive. Follow me. We’re going back to his clinic.”
“Hope he makes it. He’s not looking too good.”
“Yeah, let’s get moving.”
They caravanned as fast as Mark thought safe for the old man, all the while keeping a constant lookout for any pursuit. They arrived at the clinic and Mel used Smahls’ keys to open the clinic door. He tried the light switch and to his surprise the lights went on. Must have stored, charged batteries. They carried Smahls to a room set up for operating and placed him face down. Doc wheeled in a portable X-ray machine. Mark left her to set up and went outside to find the generator.
He found it in a small shed attached to the west side of the building. The machine was massive. Wires ran through an entire professional system that ended in a stack of batteries, similar to what he and Jarrod had created at the farmhouse. Mark checked the fuel level, looked through the electrical panel, got familiar with the process and fired it up. The big unit rumbled to life and purred, smooth and quiet.
Back inside he found Doc working with feverish intensity. “I’m gonna need help.”
“Do you want me to run back and get Lynn?”
“Oh heck, I don’t know. She would certainly be a big help. How long would it take?”
“I might be able to make it in forty minutes. Once in range, I’ll use the radio so she’s ready when I get there.”
“Okay, go. Mel, I’m going to need you to help me until they get back.”
Mark stopped her. In a quiet voice, he said, “Make sure you keep checking the area.” She nodded.
Mark flew down the long country roads. At the Airport Highway, the main road, he floored the pedal, not worrying about who might see him. Closer to home he called ahead and explained the situation. “Lynn, just in case, have someone who can handle a gun with you.”
Silence greeted him, but to her credit Lynn didn’t waste time asking why.
Screeching around the corner and racing up the driveway, Mark found Lynn, Caryn and Zac waiting for him. They piled in and the truck was in motion before anyone was settled.
“So, what’s the story?” Lynn asked.
“We found an elderly man who’s a doctor. He was following us here. We made a stop to check a clinic and a large group of men attacked us. The doctor got shot. We took him back to his place where he has the equipment to handle the surgery. Doc needed someone with more experience than any of us had.”
Mark glanced in the mirror at Zac and Caryn. The boy could handle a gun, but was only seventeen. “So, uh, was Lincoln or Bobby busy?”
She hesitated.
Her lack of reply ignited new worries. “Lynn?”
“We got an emergency call from the Richardsons. Their son and daughter are missing. Lincoln organized a search party.
Mark let that filter in. They lived southwest of the farmhouse, the furthest of any of the families. Could the disappearance be related to the attack? No, they couldn’t have reacted and found the Richardsons that fast. This had to be something separate. But, if so, was it another element of the same group which attacked them, or someone altogether different? Damn! Crises never ended.
He drove on at high speed, his eyes focused ahead, but his mind far beyond that.
Thirty-Two
As they neared their destination, Lynn said, “Some better news, the wounded woman woke up.”
“That’s good. How’s she doing?”
“As long as there aren’t any complications from infection or internal bleeding, she should recover.”
“That’s great.” He wished he could be happier about the news, but too much was happening at the moment.
He rounded a corner, pulled up a driveway and slammed on the brakes. Everyone was thrown forward, but at the speed Mark was traveling, everyone had been smart enough to buckle up.
They piled out from the truck. “Zac, stay here and watch the streets.” Mark led the others inside. Doc was dressed for surgery and studying an X-ray. Mel stood by the surgery table pressing on the wound and watching a beeping monitor.
Lynn went straight to Doc. They discussed the situation in quick low tones. Caryn stood back and listened. Mark stood next to Mel.
“How’s he doing?”
Mel shook her head. “Not good. His pressure is dropping fast. She gave him some sort of gas to put him out, but he’s not going to last long.”
Doc came to the table while Caryn and Lynn slipped into scrubs and washed their hands. Mel and Mark backed away to let the professionals work.
“Doc, is there anything we can do?” Mark said.
“Not at the moment. If the three of us can’t handle this, extra hands won’t matter.”
Mel touched his arm. “I need to borrow the truck if that’s all right. While I was standing here, I remembered I left my rifle at the clinic.”
Mark curled his lip as he thought. “I’ll go with you. There’s a lot of stuff we can use there. Plus, it might not be safe.” To the women, he said, “We’ll be back in a minute. Don’t go outside or open the door.” No one responded. Their hands busy and minds occupied.
Outside he gave instructions to Zac. “Zac, get inside but keep your eyes on the roads. If you see anyone, do not let them in. Shoot if you need to. The ladies are counting on you to protect them. We’ll be back as fast as we can.”
The young boy swallowed hard. “Okay. You can count on me.”
Mark and Mel went out the door. Mark pushed in the lock on the knob, shut it, and checked the door was secure. He trotted to the truck. Worry about the three women’s safety nagged at him. “Let’s make this as quick as possible. I hate leaving them unprotected.”
“They’ve got that boy.”
“Yeah, but he’s barely seventeen.”
“I could’ve gone alone. I can handle myself.”
“I’m not questioning that, Mel. You’ve proved you can. If another group of men attacked, you might not be able to hold them all off. Especially if they catch you in the open.”
Mel didn’t respond.
“This will give us a chance to strip the bodies and search the trucks for anything useful. Plus, Doc had a pile of stuff she wanted.”
“What if we took one of their trucks? It would give us an extra vehicle.”
“That’s a good idea.”
Mark crept to a stop within view of the clinic. They sat for several minutes watching for signs of life. “You go inside when we get there, get your rifle and search the bodies. I’ll check the vehicles and the bodies outside.”
He parked close to the building. Mel reached for the door, but Mark grabbed her arm. “Be quick.” She nodded.
Mark checked the bodies near the door, tossing any weapons into the truck bed. On one, he found keys attached to a large Swiss Army knife. Mel came out with her arms loaded with weapons. Mark glanced at the trucks, his gaze passing over the stainless steel table. An idea struck him.
He hopped into the bed, handing down the guns. “Mel, I want to move the guns into the cab. We’re going to take the table.”
“What about all the stuff inside Doc wanted?” Mel asked.
Mark thought. He hated taking the extra time, but the important items might not be there if they ever returned. “Yeah, let’s grab it all now while we’re here.”
They spent the next fifteen minutes gathering and hauling. Not sure exactly what Doc would want they decided to take everything and let her decide later. With the truck full, Mark drove between the attacker’s two trucks. One was a Dodge Ram the other a GMC Sierra. Both were newer, bigger and in better shape than his.
Mark tried the keys. They belonged to the maroon Sierra. He started the engine and drove close to the table. Mark dropped the tailgate and they slid the table in upside down. He handed the keys to Mel. Her eyes lit up with the exchange. Mark laughed.
“What?” She said, a flush of embarrassment touching her cheeks.
“Kid with a new toy.”
“Oh, yeah!”
Mark led. Much equipment still remained, but he was loath to spend the time. If it was there when they returned so be it, but for now, he wanted to get back to the clinic. Driving from the parking lot with caution Mark picked up speed once he hit the street. The return trip took much longer. He didn’t want to bounce and damage any of the equipment.
He rounded the corner of the street where Smahls’ home office sat. Fear hit him so hard he couldn’t breathe.
The front doors of both the house and the clinic hung from their hinges.
Thirty-Three
Mark pulled his handgun and grabbed another from the pile behind the seat without looking. Jumping from the cab, he ran for the office door. He pressed his body to the side of the opening. Mel came running and he motioned for her to go in the front door of the house.
He peered into the waiting room. Nothing moved. No sound came from within. A crash behind him sent him spinning, pointing both guns, but it was only Mel stepping over the ruined door to the house.
Swallowing hard, Mark stepped inside, both guns leveled like Wyatt Earp. The door to the examination room was no longer there. It lay in large splintered sections on the floor, as if someone had taken an ax to the wood. Tension tightened like a band across his chest. The body of a man lay sprawled on the floor.
Quick long strides took him to the doorway. He knew caution should be the rule, but his fear for the three women’s safety, for Lynn’s safety, was too great, he stepped through and swept the room from left to right. He stopped halfway on his sweep, turning back to the surgery table.
Smahls lay face down, one arm limp, hanging over the side, a bullet hole dotting the back of his head. Zac lay in a heap on the floor, his face a bloody ruin.
Mark’s legs went rubbery and he struggled to stay erect. His breathing labored, his eyes welled and he felt faint. An unsteady step brought him to the wall in time to keep from falling. Oh God! Lynn!
Noise from behind cleared his mind, but too slowly. In stepped Mel. Had it been an intruder, he’d be dead.
“Oh shit!” Mel said. “The others?”
Mark shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“I’ll check the other rooms.”
She left leaving Mark struggling to regain control of his body and mind. He wiped at his eyes. His thoughts returned to another time when Lynn had been captured. The abuse she’d endured at the hands of those monsters took a long time to bury. No! He refused to allow those thoughts to enter his mind. He had to find her, and the others, before it was too late. But who had them?
Mel came back in. “Nothing. Whoever took them had no interest in the medical supplies or equipment.
“How long were we gone?”
Mel considered. “An hour? No more than that.”
Mark focused hard. Even if the abductors had been watching and attacked as soon as they left, figuring maybe ten minutes to get in, corral the women and load them up, they had perhaps a fifty-minute head start. If Zac had delayed the attackers at all, and from the dead man, that looked to be the case, that lead might be a lot less.
“Well, at we know they’re not dead.”
Mark buried his emotions and drew a veil over his mind. Angry, he pushed away from the wall and looked from Smahls to Zac. In a cold hard voice, he said, “There’re worse things than death.” Mel shuddered. Brushing past her he stood outside. He looked up and down the roads. Was it friends of the men they’d killed, the group that attacked Mel’s group, or, maybe a new gang altogether? Which way should he go to search?
He closed his eyes and pictured their flight from the clinic to here carrying Smahls. He was sure no one had followed them. He’d checked his mirrors constantly. The streets were mostly long, straight country blocks. If anyone had been following them, he would have seen them.
So, someone else stumbled across them, either by accident or they’d been watching. Too many possibilities. Four roads leading away. Eliminating the road they’d arrived on still gave them south, east and west. An impossible task but standing still wasn’t helping. They had to move.
He ran to his truck and retrieved his rifle. He snatched the binoculars, a back-up rifle and extra ammo and went to the Sierra.
“Keys,” he said in a demanding tone.
Mel tossed them to Mark and then climbed into the passenger side. He reversed, screeched to a stop and threw the truck into drive. The tires spun and caught, shooting them forward to the west.
He had only one known entity. That was where they would start. They might never find Lynn and the others if it were a traveling band of unknowns. He would start with the known entity and either find the women there or eliminate the possibility. In which case, he’d have no idea where else to look. He prayed he’d made the right choice and doubled up on the prayers that he wasn’t too late.
“Can you get me to that compound you and your friends ran across?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Well, take a moment and know so. We don’t have time for mistakes,” unable to prevent himself from snapping at her.
“Keep going. I’ll tell you when to turn.”
“It’s all my fault.” He slammed the steering wheel. “God, it’s all my fault. I should’ve stayed with them. If anything happens to her … them,” he choked, “I’ll never forgive myself.”
“We’ll find them, Mark. And when we do, they’ll pay.”
He wiped the blur from his eyes. The thoughts and images assaulting his mind weren’t as easy to clear. He swallowed hard, then again. He fought to control his breathing. He had to focus. Emotion was as big an enemy at the moment as those he planned on punishing.
“Mel,” he said, when he could, “try the radio. See if you can raise anyone. We’re going to need lots of help.”
She did. Repeatedly. But either no one was monitoring their radios or they were too far out of range. They flew in pursuit of an unknown foe, in a direction that was pure guesswork. The odds of success were slim.
“Turn left here.”
At the speed they traveled, he couldn’t hold the road. The truck threatened to flip. He managed to straighten the wheels in time, but they side-swiped a tree, careened into and through a ditch, coming to a stop in an open field.
His façade crumbled. Mark banged his head on the wheel and cried. “Oh, God, not again. Please.”
Mel reached across and put a hand on his back. “Mark. Mark! I know how you feel, but this isn’t helping get them back. You have to get yourself under control or you can’t help them. Getting us killed won’t either. I’m worried too. I know what those cocksucking assholes will do to them. I can’t let myself think about that or I’ll be unable to function. We’re wasting precious time. You can go all emotional when we find them. Then we’ll kill the shit out of them, but we have to find them first.”
He lifted his head and looked at her. Two deep breaths later, control restored, Mark pulled forward and turned the truck around. The truck climbed back onto the road and shot forward.
Thirty-Four
Twenty minutes later, after several wrong turns, they found the right road.
“I think that’s it down there.”
“You think?”
“We went past them on the other side. We were avoiding the roads. We came out of some trees and found this huge fenced area. We didn’t know it was inhabited until these large gates swung open. They probably have a way in from both sides.”
Mark nodded as he studied the area through the glasses. At first, he saw nothing. Trees blocked the view on the left. Open field ran the length of the land to the right until it came to a large farmhouse. He let the truck crawl forward. Four truck lengths gave him a better angle. As he sighted on the fence, he stopped. The fenced yard was indeed large. He inched forward revealing more. The ten-foot-high metal fence stretched for a long way back from the road. He estimated the area must be some ten acres. Because of the height of the fence he was unable to see anything inside. However, he did notice a few heads moving above the fence. That told him there must be a walkway on the inside, like a rampart, which enabled them to see out.
