The Loss

Day Sixty-six, 3:10 AM

Vala

I watched as James started climbing into the cab, when something hit his back, and he cried out in agony. I could see the strange stick of wood in his back, as we hauled him inside the DUK. Samantha knelt beside him as I reached up to grab the handles of the machine gun and another of the sticks ripped through my hair. I screamed and ducked into the seat. I stomped on the gas pedal, and shifted into gear.

"I AM GOING TO KILL ALL OF YOU. YOU CANNOT GET AWAY FROM ME!" shouted a voice from the darkness.

I floored the gas pedal, and we took off into the darkness. Several more of the sticks hit the DUK. One pierced the seat beside me, and I shivered. We went over the hill, and I shut the lights off. I prayed we could lose him in the darkness, as I angled away from the course we were on. Sali came up from above and closed the top up to the driver's seat.

"Is he following us?" Sali asked.

"I don't know, and I'm scared. How is James?" I asked.

"Samantha is trying to remove the arrow from his back," she said as she watched out in the darkness.

I was squinting, trying to see and then I remembered the goggles as James called them. I reached over to the glove box, and opened it. Reaching in, I found the goggles and pulled them out.

"Hold the wheel," I said.

Sali gripped it firmly in her left hand. I pulled the goggles over my head, and turned them on. I gasped as I saw everything clearly, although in a greenish glow. I looked all around us and I spotted a large white glow riding about two hundred paces from us.

He was looking right at us and I felt a shiver go down my back. I turned and he turned with us. I could only assume he had some of the magical glasses like James had. I turned away from him and looked at Sali.

"Sali, switch places with me," I said.

Sali nodded her head, and slipped in where I was sitting. I kept my foot on what James called the accelerator and I pressed it all the way to the bottom. "Sali, put your right foot where mine is. When you have it on top of my foot, I will slide mine out."

"Ok," she said nervously.

I removed my foot and she kept us moving in. "Turn us to the left when I get my rifle ready," I ordered.

"Ok," she replied.

I grabbed my 30-30 and laid the barrel along the back of the chair. "I am sorry but this will be loud, but you must do as I say. If you don't, I believe all of us will die. If that man out there gets his hands on us, we are dead," I said.

"I understand."

"Turn, now!" I ordered.

She started turning. I watched as the white light returned. As soon as it was in my sights I started firing. The glowing light went towards the stars and fell to the ground. Sali screamed as I unloaded the rifle at the target. She slammed the brakes on as she bent over covering her ears. I hit the dash and cried out in pain as my shoulder hit the hard metal.

"What the fuck is going on up there? Are you trying to kill my patient?" Samantha cried out.

"Sorry, I was dealing with the bastard who shot him with the stick. How is he doing?" I said as I rubbed my shoulder.

"He has a fucking crossbow bolt in his back. I need to get it out of him, but I don't have the supplies I need," she replied.

"Don't worry, Jane will. Now I need to see if he is dead," I said as I reloaded my rifle and climbed out of the DUK.

Sali looked around nervously and whispered, "Where you go?"

"I will be back. Keep the engine running," I said as I started walking towards the fading white glow.

"Vala!" Sali hissed out.

"Shhh, I will be back. I want to make sure the bastard is dead," I said.

I started walking again towards the glow and when I got there all I found was a horse. Looking around, I couldn't see anymore white glows. I was confused and I turned to look at the DUK when a bright light hit me. I shrieked and pulled the goggles off. I was rubbing my eyes when I felt someone grab my rifle that was in my right hand.

I was hurled to the side and hit the ground. I had refused to release my rifle and something hit my stomach. I was gasping and I felt the rifle being twisted in my hand, and I cried out when I felt something break in my hand. I twisted my body and kicked upwards and missed. Then something hit my head, and I cried out in pain as the weapon was torn from my grasp. I heard the hammer jack back and a voice.

"Bye-bye, bitch!"

Sali

I jerked around when I heard the shot and Vala cry out. I started the vehicle and cried out, "Vala is hurt!"

"What do you mean?" Samantha shouted.

"I mean she just cried out and I heard the thunder again."

I snapped back as I stood up to squint into the darkness. I heard the thunder again, and I flew backwards. I hit the other seat and cried out from the burning pain in my right shoulder. I started whimpering in pain as I pressed my hand to where it hurt and I felt blood coat my hand.

"Well, aren't you a pretty lass. Too bad I have to kill you," a voice said.

I looked up at the figure standing on the side of the DUK. He was pointing Vala's weapon at me. He was about to pull the trigger when he started turning to look at the back of the DUK.

He shouted out, "Come on out. If you make me come in, I will kill you all."

Samantha

I had just tied off the last knot of the suture when the voice called out, and I shivered in fear as I recognized the voice of Mitchell Kinnaird. Reaching over, I picked up the pistol that was on the counter beside me. The weapon was heavy and I prayed I could use it to kill him. I positioned everyone in front of me, and stuck the gun in Gabriel's belt. It sagged a little and she tied it tighter.

"We're coming out, Mitchell, don't shoot anyone. There are children in here," I shouted.

"So, Samantha, you are in there. Good, this will be fun, come out, or I just start firing," he shouted back.

"Open the door and go out, push the center cover up out of the way," I said, and then shouted, "Don't shoot," as Lewn opened the door and stepped out.

The women filed out and pushed the shutters open, and I looked up at Mitchell standing there with Sali in front of him.

"Well, well, well! Look at all this prime pussy, and with John dead, it's all mine. You in front, STRIP!" he said with an evil grin.

The girls looked back at me, and I nodded my head. Lewn started removing her clothes. When she was naked, he looked her up and down. He then tossed Sali out of the DUK. He grabbed Lewn and tossed her out as well. I heard Sali cry out in agony, and I wanted to go to her to help her, but I couldn't.