Protection and Preservation, Book 07
Chapter 21

Copyright© 2014 by radio_guy

[Janice writes]

Jacob said, "There's not much to say. Everyone around is a farmer. We don't have many guns. When I was adopted, dad took over my folks' old farm."

"What happened to your folks, Jacob?"

"I was told a bear killed them. I had been visiting a neighbor's son. When I came home, the house was burnt down and dad was there. He said that he would be my dad from now on. He's been pretty good to me and to my little sister. The adults go off by themselves for a couple of days every once in a while and we kids aren't allowed to go and no one tells us what happens. Sometimes, someone doesn't return.

"When we returned last night, my little sister was gone. I was told she had gone to the trees. The way my mom said it, I don't think she will return. Most of the women, even mom, are afraid of the men, even their husbands. I don't understand it. My real mom was never afraid of my real dad and they never left us."

My alarm bells were going off. I could tell Robby was worried from a touch from his hand. I thought a moment as we went inside. "Bobbi!" I called out to our oldest daughter. She came over. I said, "This is Jacob. Would you show him a safe place for his horse with feed and water? He will guide us to his parents' place for breakfast. I'll be back in a minute after I help get people ready."

She smiled and led Jacob by the hand to a safe place for his horse to be tied up where the horse would be provided with water and a bit of grass. I went inside.

Robby was with me and we picked up Pam and Bennie with a glance and went over to Jen and Mike. Robby said, "Mel was right. There are problems here. We will go armed though casual. Warn Lois and George. This may get messy. You need to help Mel grab children and keep them and yourselves low. The four of us will handle the violence. Just be ready. I think it will be sudden."

They went to talk to Lois and George. I went to Mel. "You're right as usual. There is something wrong and we will have to be ready for violence. The four of us will handle the fighting. Work with Jen and Mike and Lois and George to have the kids know to be with them."

She looked at me. "Jacob will need to be protected, too."

"Use Bobbi when the time comes but no early warnings. Make sure she understands that she is more important." Mel looked at me hard but nodded.

We had prepared a bus and everyone mounted up including Jacob who was looking upset. Bennie was driving and Jacob sat behind him with Bobbi in the window seat beside him. I was across from them. I said, "What do you know about the trap, Jacob?"

He jerked. "What trap?"

Bobbi said, "The one you are leading us into. Jacob, you don't have to stay with them when it's over but you may get me killed if you don't talk now." She took his hand.

He shivered. "If they find out I talked, they will kill me."

I said, "Stick with Bobbi but talk now."

"I don't know it all but the plan is to kill the men and keep the women for sacrifices. They won't expect me in the bus but I'm not sure what they thought you would use to get here. I think they hoped you would walk. I'm supposed to tell you that it's not far. It's not."

He described the trap to us. Robby and Pam were up front with Bennie and me. After listening, Bennie said, "Jan, you and Robby need to jump out the back and get behind them. As it starts, wipe them out from behind. Jacob says there are only ten men who are a problem."

One bend before we would reach the people, Bennie slowed and Robby and I left from the back. We ran through the woods to get into place though Bennie was planning to go slow pretending to have trouble with the bus. I heard it backfire as we ran. We could see the group and the men were at the rear with their rifles to shoot our bus riders. Bennie pulled up and made the bus backfire twice more. We wouldn't wait. Robby and I attacked. Robby was carrying a shotgun and its blast blew two of them forward and down. I jumped in and took out two before the rest even started to realize that we were attacking them. I saw Pam and Bennie jump from the bus and shoot. Robby's shotgun took out another and I gave still another a roundhouse kick that tried to remove his head from his shoulders. It may not have accomplished that but he fell limply with his head at a funny angle to the rest of his body. There were two left and they did get a shot in each. One shot at me and missed other than a graze. The other shot at Pam and I saw her go down. Bennie's rifle spoke and he fell dead. We were looking around for more trouble but everyone else was cowering.

I shouted, "Surrender! Hands up with no weapons or we will kill you!"

Mel was out of the bus and approaching Pam. She was shot in the upper chest. She was bleeding but wasn't choking. Mel was trying to stem the bleeding.

Robby said, "Bennie, take them back to the airport. Mel needs to talk to Doctor Anne now. Everyone else in the bus! Move it!"

They left. Jen and Mike and Bobbi and Jacob stayed with us. For nine years old, SJ was a competent nurse and radio operator. She would be good help to Mel and Bennie. Bennie left, driving fast. We had to make sure things were finished here and then get to the airport. I began to question people with Bobbi watching. One young man of about fifteen started to hesitate until he heard a pistol cock at the back of his head. Bobbi said, "That was my mom who was shot. Not answering fully and promptly any question asked will be fatal to you."

He and everyone else talked readily after that. The picture that emerged wasn't new but had, as usual, a few wrinkles to it. One man had started the group and also had a weird passion for trees. He was sacrificing people to a sequoia! Six of them, half men and half women, had taken a young girl to the trees to die. Under some additional questioning, one of the women admitted that the sacrifice would be used sexually before being sacrificed. That didn't make it better because now we knew that people were being used to satisfy some very sick minds.

We talked together. Mike said, "I am sickened. Let's get out of here and back to the planes." Everyone nodded. We gathered together and found a wagon and horses to hitch to it.

Bobbi and Jacob were standing together looking lost. I went to them and said, "Jacob, if you want to join us, you may but no one else." He nodded. "Get your belongings and get on the wagon. Bobbi, you can help him. Hurry." They ran to obey my instructions.

Robby wasn't gentle with the horses and we went as fast as they would take us on the little road back to the airport. When we got there, I shouted, "Mike, George, get Bluebird ready to fly. Robby, Bobbi, and Jacob, get King ready, too. We're leaving as soon as we can move Pam."

I went into the bus to see that Mel was no longer frantically working over Pam. She and Bennie were talking to her. I said, "Lovie, are you okay?" She was pale but nodded. "I have the others loading the planes. We're leaving as soon as everyone and everything is loaded."

I looked at Mel. "Can Pam be moved onto King?" She nodded at me. "Do we need Doctor Anne?" She nodded again.

I ran into the terminal where we had been staying. Everyone in there was packing. I went to SJ at the radio. "Have you called a 'Mayday' yet?" She nodded. "We need Doctor Anne."

She nodded. "Doctor Anne and Doctor George are in the Valley to find out more about the dogs. According to the map, we can be there in a little over two hours at King's top speed."

"Great work, SJ. Tell the Valley people we are on the way with Mother Pam wounded. We have stopped the bleeding but she needs expert care. Once the Valley acknowledges, sign off and break down the station. I will get you help to carry things out." She nodded. I left after gathering as much of my spouses' clothes as I could carry and ran for King. We were loading both planes quickly. After a quick conference, Mike would carry Pam, Mel, and Bennie in Bluebird with his wife and Lois and George. We would carry everyone else. We were packing the planes while Bennie drove the bus close to Bluebird and carried Pam into it.

 
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