Chapter 6

Since Sherry had told him yesterday that she was not going to be able to go hunting today, Jamie decided he would actually try to find a few squirrels.

His Mom was smiling and humming a tune, almost dancing as she prepared breakfast, and once he finished his chores, she had given permission readily.

Going by how few squirrels he'd seen last yesterday, Ok, so it was an abbreviated hunt after he and Sherry got through talking, he figured that this side of hill was pretty well hunted out so Jamie decided that today they would go over on the far side of Taylor Hill.

He did not usually go over Taylor Hill in that direction, the folks that owned the land in the valley on that side were not, all that friendly.

When Jake was alive, some people had approached him one day while he was cutting wood on Taylor Hill, and tried to tell Jake that he should not be there.

Even though they did not own the land, they tried to act as if they did, and he had just told them to, "Stuff it," because he had permission from Caleb Taylor, the owner of the land, to be there.

Jake just laughed at them when they said he should reconsider his attitude.

When Jake said something about the incident later, Caleb had told his Dad, "Damn, Johnny-come-Latelies! That, so called, Colonel sent his Yankee lawyer, who seemed to have a pretty, high opinion of himself, around to see me a while back to try and buy the land.

I didn't much care for the lawyer's snotty attitude. When I declined to sell, I told the lawyer in no uncertain terms, that I would not sell to them now for any amount of money or, as I actually put it, Hell would have to freeze over first. I'll ask Sheriff Mackenzie to have a word with them and tell em to back off."

That had taken place about two months before his Dad died. Jamie had only been back to the area twice since and then only to the woodlot site. Jamie figured that was due for a change.

The Police had come and gone several times but could get no information out of him because there were no memories there to get information from.

His fingertips shredded, almost to the bone, obliterated his fingerprints making it impossible to find any information on him through AFIS or NCIC.

The doctor, still could not believe, how quickly he had healed. Accept for his voice which still had not recovered, and, since he had no ID (his clothes had been in shreds and he was all but naked when he was found), no memory, no money, no job, and no prospects of one, the hospital administration had decided to treat him as a charity case, and write off the charges.

He had been discharged the third day after waking into the care of one of the local groups and they had taken him under their wing, provided food, clothing, and housing in exchange for his eventual help on the various farms of the members.

They were kind to him, no shouting, or angry abuse, and he liked the arrangement. It got him out into the fresh air, and he enjoyed the work on the farms. He was content.

The members came up to him after a meeting a day after he arrived and asked, "Did he want to call himself something besides John Doe?"

After he had thought on it for a while, he finally wrote, John Farmer sounds like a good name.

Therefore, John Farmer he became and the Brethren, as they called themselves, began the process of getting legal documentation for him.

Clank was not comfortable, too much stir, too much uncertainty and no word from the Colonel on what was going on.

Rafe was missing, as was Tommy, and he had tried to call Jorg and Burt but their cell phones were out of service, either turned off or the batteries were dead but both at the same time was just too much of a coincidence.

Calling the other members, he had explained what he knew and they were worried as well; it was their collective necks on the line if everything went south. He had recommended a meeting of the group at the Leslie Café immediately, which had a private meeting room available, to discuss their options.

When he arrived, he ordered a large pot of coffee, and some snacks to be place in the room, it was going to be a long meeting.

Double D, also known as Debbie Dalton, she'd acquired the nickname when she had begun to develop in high school, and it had stuck, arrived first since she lived less then a block from the café.

Debbie had been invaluable in gathering information. She was Trommers girlfriend and he would give answers to anything she asked especially while she was riding him to completion. He thought it was just because she was interested in his work, the fool.

Joshua Yantal the Pharmacist, Dobson Bates the Banker, and Benard Darkson owner of Darkson Lumber, all arrived in a bunch.

They sat on the Quorum Court and, had been re-elected for several two-year terms, which had allowed them to feather their respective nests at the county's expense.

The voting block they represented also allowed Clank to do as he pleased in the county, which he felt, was only his right, and when approached by the Colonel, he had barely hesitated before jumping on board.

The two physicians Jefferson Powell and Henry Quart arrived together, and last.

Clank called the meeting to order and they began discussing ways and means of finding some way out of this mess.

The general, consensus seemed to be that it was time for some serious CYA.

Jamie and Hoot were on the backside of Taylor Hill and Jamie had been correct. They had already taken four squirrels in the thirty minutes they had been in the area.

Hoot was not a happy puppy. Although it was an old scent, he was still catching faint wisps of that disturbing scent once every so often. It was just often enough to keep Hoot's neck hackles half raised and distract him a slightly from tracking those pesky little critters Jamie sought.

Jamie had already scolded Hoot for not paying closer attention, and didn't know why Hoot was so distracted today but he seemed uneasy, his hackles raised, and a low growl, could occasionally be heard from deep within Hoot's throat.

The sensors had picked up vibrations from the hillside overlooking the compound. Probably just a deer, thought Pete, as he turned to look at the monitors that focused on that area.

Oh shit, he thought, Nope, not this time, it is that kid and his mutt. They looked like they were out hunting. Why could they not have stayed away just one more day? After tonight it would not be his problem, he planned to be out of here and gone.

He hoped they would turn around and go back up the hill but he knew they probably would not and would pass within a couple of hundred feet of the gate to the compound, to follow the county road back to the other side of the hill.

He did not want to have to do any more of the Colonels dirty work, especially with it being a kid involved and was going to ignore it and hope the Colonel did not find out about it.

From behind him Pete heard, "Well, I see we have a snooper on the hill. Why haven't you tried to notify me and the rest of Security of the intrusion?"

Trying to remain calm, Pete turned to face a wrathful Colonel and said, "The kid is just hunting on private property, he isn't trying to enter the compound and shows absolutely no interest in it. He will probably follow the county road back to the other side of the hill once he reaches the bottom."

The Colonel seemed to get even madder, if that were possible and all but foaming at the mouth in rage screamed, "Get out there and apprehend that kid and kill the dog! They can't be allowed to leave the area!"

"No! I'm not Jorg, I don't do things like that, and you couldn't pay me enough to pull that kind of stunt!" Pete shouted back.

With that, the Colonel pulled a pistol from the back of his waistband and shot Pete between the eyes.

He was dead before he could blink.

As the body slumped out of the chair and fell to the floor, the Colonel thought, Damn it, if I want something done right I guess I will just have to do it myself!

Potino and Dito had been in their rooms when they heard the shot and instinctively dropping flat on the floor, both jumped to their feet, opened their doors at the same time, and hit the hall running.

It took about two minutes for them to figure out that the shot must have come from the Security office and to make their way there.

When they arrived, they found Pete's body on the floor with blood and bits of brain splashed all over the monitors, desk, and floor.

No one else was there but the Colonel was visible on one of the monitors leaving the building with a pistol in his hand.

That crazy jerk had taken shot at Hoot! Jamie was so astonished that he froze; forgetting about the rifle in his own hands until he received ordered to, "Drop it."

Holding one shaking hand above his head, Jamie carefully placed his rifle on the ground to his side and raised his other hand, then turned around and placed his hands on the back of his neck as ordered.

Jamie felt the barrel of the pistol on the back of his head as first one hand was cuffed, moved behind to the small of his back and the other soon followed to be cuffed as well.

A cloth covered Jamie's eyes, his arm grabbed, led away, stumbling, and wondering, What had happened to Hoot!

When Jamie asked to go hunting Anna had thrilled to give permission and waited until he left to call Pate and invite him for lunch.

Pate had brought steaks and they had eaten a delicious meal that included baked potatoes, baked beans, and cornbread with real butter on the side. They both agreed that coffee and relaxation in the living room was in order and adjourned to the couch for some serious snuggling.

They caressed each other, kissing playfully and talking about their feelings, discovering that they shared many of the same interests in music, art, food, and sex. As they talked the shadows lengthened, and the hours passed unnoticed by either of them.

They finally noticed that they needed lights to see each other and Jamie had not yet returned.

Potino and Dito saw the Colonel take a shot at the dog, which yelped and promptly disappeared into the brush, and with barely a pause, he forced the kid to put his weapon down so he could cuff and blindfold him.

It didn't take but a very few moments to accomplish all this and the Colonel was leading the stumbling kid, roughly, back with him to the buildings.

Turning to look at each other they read the same thought in each others eyes just as plain as day, No way in Hell were they going to be involved in any lunacy like this! The next thought was, Do we intervene or split before we become involved in the Colonel's insane actions?

Hoot had run as hard as he could and arrived home in mere minutes to begin alerting those inside that something had happened that wasn't good. The shot had grazed his rump but hadn't really hurt more then his pride.

When Pate and Anna came out of the back door, Hoot barked at them to follow and headed back the way he had come, looking over his shoulder to be sure they were following.

When they seemed to hesitate, he returned and repeated his actions. It took three times before he saw Pate and Anna run to Pate's SUV out front, get in, start the vehicle, and begin to follow him.

Pate got on the radio and began calling dispatch for all available backup to assist him.

He heard Graysky and the Davies's twins answer with varying response times depending on their position in the county.

Paul Graysky said, "He was only two minutes away and would follow behind when he got there."

The twins were at least fifteen and twenty-five minutes respectively but were headed his way.