Chapter 33 Voss
VOSS
My plan had always been to keep Brek at the barracks, but when he started showing signs of a fever two days ago, I not only moved our plan forward to the next time one of us is called up to the hunt but also used my phone in the middle of the night to call my father.
I needed to make sure Doctor Mark was on his way or here already.
We have a decent map. Azlan and Malcolm returned very late the first night they were called out. They returned as buddies. I actually saw Azlan smile. It was freaky as fuck.
I’ve never thought Loren was freaky, but I can understand now why someone might think he is. Smiles don’t belong on faces where nothing but ice is seen out of their eyes.
They told us late in the night how they scared the fuck out of one of the hunters, and stalked him like he was the prey all the way back to the place where his truck was parked. There’s a lodge on a riverbank, and they’re using the river to generate electricity.
The guy ran inside, remained for several minutes, and then ran out and into his car. He drove away. They continued to watch the lodge for quite a while. No one else came out.
They remained there until the other hunters returned, noting that one dropped their weapon inside and the other took theirs with them. They stayed long after dark, waiting for someone to come out of the lodge. Someone who might work there.
I think about the IP address originating out of Florida and note that whoever is in the lodge isn’t here in the middle of the woods of Northern Colorado. It would have been useful to be able to continue hunting down whoever operates this thing while waiting here.
It’s been four days and three hunts. My number hasn’t come up yet. As we sit and eat breakfast in silence, I know it’s about to. I look at Brek, and my anxiety increases. I bet his will too, since it hasn’t come up again either.
On the one hand, I like the idea of having him with me.
On the other hand, I’m confident he’s struggling with an infection from his gunshot wound.
After he told me he rolled down a fucking hill into a stream—which explains all the puncture wounds and lacerations covering his body, as well as the ankle injury—I’m sure that’s what the fever is caused by.
We need a minimum of three able-bodied people out of here to begin this operation. Two door guards. One driver.
The entire barracks watches the board in silence as the minutes tick closer to the time when a hunt is announced. There wasn’t one yesterday, so we’re guessing there will be today. Malcolm says they’re clearly changing the rules of the game.
Greed? They want more money? Is it a demand increase? More people are asking for this excursion, so they’re opening more slots? New ownership? Is there a place on the dark web for selling nasty businesses like this? Hmm.
The flipflipflipflip commands everyone’s attention. Even though I’m prepared to be called up, my heart still skips and jumps when my number settles on the screen. Holy fuck. The fear is real. Wade’s is there. Brek’s is there. Malcolm’s is there. Two others are there.
I sigh in relief.
“Ready for this?” I ask the room. “You know your jobs?”
Everyone nods. Two of the new guys who came in with us are dead.
One remains. He understands the situation now.
I’m relieved for selfish reasons that there hasn’t been a new delivery, though I anticipate that with the drop in numbers because of the frequent hunts, there will be another in the next day or so.
I wonder how they’re going to keep abducting people from the same places? They’re risking someone figuring out a pattern.
Then again, there’s a chance that they might have already taken this into account. Our Shuttled driver didn’t mention another one after the one we hijacked until next month. If they receive another delivery of people, they’re pulling from a new source.
Azlan, Wade, and I share our sharp weapons with those being called to the hunt.
That leaves us with one extra, and I leave it with one of the guys not called.
The plan is a rapid take-down of the three guys outside, and then we’ll be releasing everyone else.
Azlan and Wade will turn the tables on the hunters.
Malcolm and I will head to the admin building.
Everyone else will be heading to the remaining two barracks, eliminating the guards, and releasing the prisoners.
As soon as we take down the guards outside, I’ll call my father and have him relay the signal that the rest of my family can move in. It’s Rhodes’ pack’s job to find the forge and secure the man there. He’s not a kill-on-sight.
I’m keeping Brek with me. We’re taking the truck anyway, so it’ll work out. Doc will be meeting us at the lodge.
The nervous energy in the room is palpable.
It shivers in the air. I catch many guys looking at Azlan every few minutes.
Interestingly, I think they’re using his calmness and indifference as reassurance.
I’ll have to tell him when this is over.
He’ll find it amusing. Probably the first and only time someone looks at a psychopath and thinks, Everything is going to be okay.
The lock in the door grinds back, and it opens a minute later.
Brek is coming out last. We’ve already arranged ourselves in order of departure with Wade in the front.
The two other guys are next. Then me and Malcolm.
Last Brek. He’s supposed to hang back and head for the door slowly, which won’t be hard since he’s running a fever and is in pain.
I’d really have liked Azlan to have been called out. I’m shit at physical confrontations. Not that I can’t pull it off. I think I can well enough. But I’m not the best option.
I walk out in front of Malcolm, paying more attention to his footsteps than where I’m going. It’s about the distance between us. Our ambush needs to be simultaneous.
My heart races so quickly that I feel a little lightheaded. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. The four words chant in my head. In reality, I have to do this. I need to get Brek out of here before his infection spreads.
Wade stops at the back of the pickup truck and looks back. That’s our signal. I spin around, knife in my hand, and as if I’m following a choreographed dance, I duck and spin until I’m behind the armed man standing to the side. This isn’t the one at the door. Malcolm has him.
Suddenly, all three guards have knives at their necks. Yes, they still have the rifles, but now they’re also serving as human shields.
“Struggle and we will kill you,” Malcolm says. “Understand?”
All three men nod.
“You’re going to put the safety on your rifles if they’re not already. Do it now.”
I hear one lick. The man that Malcolm has.
“Now slowly set the buts on the ground and let them fall, pointing away from everyone. Do it now.”
All three hit the ground and then fall like dominoes.
“You’re going to raise your hands over your heads slowly. I’m truly itching to kill someone, so please, by all means, do something to raise the alarm,” Malcolm says. “Do it now.”
The three men raise their hands.
I feel around the guy in front of me. He flinches when my movement causes the blade to bite into his skin. It’s on the tip of my tongue to apologize, but then I remember where I am and what I’m doing.
“Right pocket,” my guy says. “Zip ties.”
Okay, that deserves a thank you. I wait until I get the zip tie around his wrists, securing them behind his back. “Thanks.”
He nods.
“Now tell us how you communicate,” Malcolm says.
“We have radios,” his guy says. He nods where there’s one hanging from the wall of the cabin. As Malcolm is reaching for it, a voice comes through.
“Cabin A, four released.”
“Cabin B, two released.”
Silence.
“I’m guessing you’re next?” Malcolm asks.
He nods. “Cabin C, six released. There’s always twelve.”
Malcolm picks up the radio and relays this message.
No one responds. No answer. No acknowledgement.
“Now what?” Wade asks.
“Now the driver drives away with the prey,” my guy says.
“First, we’re going to play strip search. You can save us time and you a painful death by cooperating,” Malcolm says. “What do you have on your person?”
My guy shakes his head, but I’m already sticking my hands inside his pockets and dropping everything they contain on the ground. One of the men who came out with us takes my spot and continues my work as I take a step away.
The other guy opens the door to the barrack that had slammed shut when Malcolm grabbed him and lets everyone else out. Azlan has Brek’s elbow as he comes outside. Brek’s eyes are dilated, his skin ashen.
I step away and turn the phone on. It takes a minute to boot up. It takes a minute longer for the cell to connect to the satellite. As soon as it does, I dial.
“Voss,” Dad says, and not going to lie, I sigh a breath of relief.
“We’ve got one cabin secured. Three men in our possession. We’ll be heading out in a minute. You can send everyone in. Make sure Doc gets to the lodge ASAP, please.”
“How is he?”
My eyes train on Brek. “Feverish. Ashen. Not steady on his feet.”
“Okay, Doc is already en route. Rhodes is hunting. I’ve sent the signal to your brothers and uncles. Everyone is en route now. You’ll quickly be joined by more backup. Be careful.”
I nod. “We will be. I’m keeping the phone on now, but it only has forty percent battery.”
“Noted. Take your time, but hurry.”
I snort. “Thanks.”
“I have confidence in you, Voss,” he says, and for some reason, my chest tightens. “You can do this.”
The line cuts out, and I pull the phone away. Its flashing call has ended.
I turn back and find that the men we secured are loaded into the bed of the truck. Everyone from the barracks has begun moving through the trees in the direction of the other two barracks.
Wade looks at me. “You ready, man?”
“Yep.” I search out Brek. Malcolm already has him loaded into the cab of the truck. “Be careful.”