Chapter 10

"John!"

"John, wake up!"

Suddenly the whine of feedback whistled in his right ear caused him to leap out of bed. "John get up there is a problem!"

"Who are you?" he exclaimed.

"No time for that now. Go find Twin Bird to find out what happened then go to the computer."

He left the bedroom looking for her. She was on the couch in the living area weeping. "Dear what happened? Where are Sarah and Little Doe?"

She looked up a saw him. "Oh John, They took them," she said after leaping to hug him.

"Calm down just a little and tell me what happened. Who took them?"

Between tears, she was able to get the story out. "I was in the bedroom holding your hand and watching you. I heard some voices from outside and looked out the window. I saw six warriors from the Crow tribe on those things you call horses. Two of them had long spears pointed at my sister wives. I ran to the door to tell them to go away but the door wouldn't open. I was helpless. All I could do was watch as two of them grabbed Sarah and Little Doe then the whole group rode off." She fell silent sobbing into his shoulder as he held her.

"Twin Bird, I will get them back," he said angrily. He stomped off to the computer area.

"Hello John" was waiting on the screen when he got there.

"All right, what's going on?" He snarled and started to type. He was surprised as his words appeared on the screen as soon as he said them without waiting for him to type.

"We stopped Little Doe from running out. She didn't even think to take a gun. We also stopped the braves from entering the trailer."

"Couldn't you have stopped the braves from taking my wives?"

"No we have no access to weapons."

"How did you wake me up?"

"Don't you remember that ear piece we gave you and Sarah for emergencies?"

"No I had forgotten about that," he admitted. "How do I use it?"

"Think about talking to Sarah and say something."

He thought hard, then spoke "Sarah?"

He waited a bit "Sarah, think about talking to me then say something."

"John! Oh, John it's good to hear from you! Where are you?"

"I am still at the camper. The computer told me how to use the ear bud. Did you forget about them also?"

"Yes I did."

"Where did they take you?"

"I don't know." She wailed. "Ouch!"

"SARAH what happened?"

"One of them hit me," she murmured quietly. "I guess I was making too much noise."

"Which way did they take you?" John demanded.

"You know I am lousy at directions. When we stop again I will try and ask Little Doe."

"Ok Sarah, remember I love you."

"Ok computer we have to talk and you damn well better give me some answers!"

"Expected John, but why don't we get Sarah back first?"

"How the hell do you propose to do that?"

"By activating the tracking circuitry in her ear bud and tracking it with the GPS in the SUV."

He stood there with his mouth open a second then said, "Ok let's do that. What do I do first?"

"First, go to the hidden room in the front of the storage trailer. Get a sniper rifle and scope. Get a set of chameleon bulletproof clothing. Grab a megaphone. Second have Twin Bird put food for four for a week in the SUV. Have her bring her favorite hunting rifle and yours. Put clothing for all of you in the SUV. Last take the extra tracking antenna from the cupboard under the dinette and plug it in the socket on the roof of the SUV."

He stood there a moment with his mouth open and then went to do what he was told. When he got to the storage trailer sure enough there was a door he had not noticed before into the front of the storage area.

Suddenly his earpiece became active. "Is it all right if we teach you Crow? We would prefer you don't kill them all if you can avoid it."

He realized that is what he was getting ready to do. He had grabbed an UZI with several clips of ammo.

"John listen to us. If you fire that thing in their camp our probability science shows, one or both of your wives will be hurt or killed. Is that what you want?"

"No, it's not," as he put it back. "You can teach me Crow. Can you teach Sarah?"

"She is far enough away that the teaching can only be done while she is asleep."

"Ok, do it then. Would it be ok if I took an assault rifle?"

"Yes, but be careful where you shoot, if you miss the bullet still has to go somewhere."

John grabbed the camo gear, the rifles, and the ammo. By the time he had it all loaded in the SUV, Twin Bird had gathered everything she needed and was waiting. The time was late afternoon. The weather was not being cooperative. It had started to mist which turned into a drizzle. John turned on the GPS and found five points identified. They were marked: Truck, Camper, SUV, John and Sarah. He suddenly felt much better about leaving everything behind. After selecting the point labeled Sarah, he noticed two distances, straight-line distance 39 miles, safe travel distance 47 miles.

They started following the course the GPS said would be the shortest safe travel. The rain had gotten worse. They had been on the trail for two hours when, suddenly he heard Sarah say, "Oh God that hurts!"

He immediately replied, "What happened? Did they hurt you? Are you all right?"

"No he shoved me off the horse and I fell into the mud. My gut hurts so much. Never make anyone ride across a horse like that all day."

"We can't get to you until early morning and that's if we drive all night. Please keep talking it makes me feel better."

He shared everything Sarah had been saying with Twin Bird.

"Bastard!" Sarah suddenly interrupted John. "One of these assholes signed at me to say I would be his when we reach their home. I signed back if he touched me I would cut it off. He laughed at me! That bastard!"

"Sarah listen to me! We should catch you sometime tomorrow. Don't make them kill you, I couldn't stand it. We can make them pay. I have an idea. Just don't let them hurt you too much. Even if it comes to sex put up with it. I love you but I can't help you if you make them kill you. I will get you back we will take their horses and those sorry SOBs will never hurt any one else again. Just keep track of who hurts you verses who ignores you."

"Ok I promise to live through it but if he touches me and you don't kill that bastard I will cut it off myself. They are tying us together facing each other. They didn't even give us a blanket."

"Try to sleep. I know it will be hard with the rain. You know the rain might be a blessing they may have tried to take you tonight."

"Your right but it's a damned uncomfortable blessing."

"Just hold and comfort Little Doe. She can't talk to me. Your body heat will help each other get through the night easier. One more thing, if you can understand them in the morning, don't let them know it just act like you are clueless ok?"

"Ok. They are having an argument. One of them is walking this way. It's one of the ones that were not involved. He is throwing a blanket at us."

"Well then I guess I don't have to kill him. Watch them well enough so that from your description I know who to kill and who not to."

"Ok and John don't drive off a cliff. We have gone through a lot of gullies and stuff a car can't drive through."