Chapter 45
Even as they moved, Sarah was worried about the group.
They were outnumbered four to one if what Adam had seen was accurate.
Sarah knew between the sharpshooters they had on their side and the advantage of a surprise attack, there was a chance they would succeed.
Still, she was grateful that she had given the order not to shoot to kill.
At the very least, they would save a few lives that way.
Everyone had their guns loaded and ready to go so there would be no time wasted in switching the weapons over when the moment came.
Hopefully, because of their preparedness, they would give the illusion of double the numbers they really had.
Sarah was hoping the men weren't coming for the homesteaders, but her gut told her they were.
She would take her own instincts over others any day of the week.
With that knowledge in mind, they moved roughly one hundred yards away from the edge of the homestead on the road and hunkered down to wait for the gang.
Despite feeling beyond ready for the pending confrontation, Sarah could see that her companions were on edge.
Their nerves were going to affect their ability to shoot straight and hit the targets in the designated areas.
She didn't want to spend her afternoon hauling bodies off the road.
As soon as the men gave up, Sarah would issue a ceasefire to try to negotiate their surrender.
She had to talk to the others and make sure they understood how much their nerves were going to affect the shooting about to take place.
It was going to be terrifying for the children to hear, even from the safety of the cellar.
The faster they could get it over with, the better.
With every shot that rang out, Sarah knew her mother would be living a nightmare.
When Adam approached her, Sarah smiled at him.
They still had a few minutes before the men would be passing through if they were, in fact, headed for the homestead.
Not having solid proof that they were heading in that direction, though, was eating away at her.
“Is everything all right?” Adam asked. “You seem to be deep in thought or, at the very least, worried about something.”
“I’m just wondering if the group is even coming this way,” Sarah said. “They could just be out scavenging, and this could all be for nothing.”
“Do you really think they would gather that many men just to go around and see what they can find? I mean, it’s possible, but I don’t think that’s what they were preparing for.”
“I don’t know. I really don’t like the idea of shooting them without giving them the option to turn around a go back. It just doesn’t seem right.”
Sarah knew their lives were resting on her shoulders.
While they all had their own minds and could make the decisions for themselves, she had become their leader in a way.
They looked to her for answers, and there were just times that would come when she didn’t know if she could give them the right ones.
The more she thought about the incoming mob, the more she worried about the souls that could be lost. Not just from the dead but their own if they made choices that could be taken as less than humane.
Adam’s voice ripped her from her thoughts.
“Well, what are you thinking, then?”
“Honestly, I just don’t know yet,” Sarah said. “Have everyone hold their positions for a few minutes.”
“What are you going to do?” Adam asked. “We’re all in this together, but I’d like to know what you’re doing.”
“I’m going to move up a little and see if I can get my eyes on them. I’ll only be a minute, but I have to try to figure this out before we make a move we all regret.”
“All right, I’ll let them know to hold.”
Sarah wasn't yet sure what she was going to do.
All she knew was she was going to have a hard time shooting at them without some sort of confirmation that they were after her homestead.
As she quietly moved through the dark forest, she listened for any sounds of others on the road.
Her hope was to hear them talking about their plan before they reached the homestead.
That would still give the group the element of surprise while giving her the verification she so desperately needed.
She continued to move as she put a little more distance between herself and the group waiting for her in the forest before the homestead.
Unfortunately, they didn't have nearly as much time as she had hoped as the posse came into view fifty feet ahead of her on the road.
They were moving with a surprising amount of speed, given the size of some of the men.
Just as she had suspected, the mayor had commandeered himself a horse along with a few others for his men.
She quietly cursed under her breath. The animals complicated things.
It limited the number of shots they could take without injuring the horses or killing the men.
If it came down to it, Sarah would take killing the man over injuring the horses.
The animals had done nothing wrong. The humans, on the other hand, were making the conscious choice to steal from the homesteaders.
She wasn't going to live in fear for the rest of the time that the world was in the dark.
If the mayor and his men wanted a battle, she was going to make sure they got one.
After a moment or two, the group moved closer, and she was able to hear some of the conversations taking place among the men in the mob.
At first, it was hard to make out what any of them were saying.
They all seemed to be talking over one another, but once the group started to spread out, she heard two men talking clearly.
Sarah tried to stay low to the ground, but she needed to learn what they were actually trying to do.
“Man, have you heard about this place?”
“No, not really. I was just told to grab a gun and come along.”
“I’ve heard this homestead has everything. It’s a gold mine for the apocalypse.” The man laughed. “They got booze in there, along with food, firewood, livestock, and my personal favorite, women.”
“Hell, I’d settle for some good booze and a woman right now. I hope the reports are right,” the second man said. “I wouldn’t mind getting both my whistles wet.”
The first man nearly fell over from laughing so hard. “Before you know it, we’re going to be eating and fornicating like wild animals all winter long. Talk about the best way to stay warm.”
“It’s our duty to take the women. They’ll need us to get through the winter as much as we’ll need them.”
“You’re right about that.”
“Will the two of you shut the hell up,” the mayor snapped. “We don’t want to scare those bitches away. If you want half of what you’re talking about, we need to take this place without an incident.”
“How much farther is it?”
“We’re about half a mile from the homestead, so let’s keep the talking to a minimum. We have the element of surprise on our side, boys.”
Her blood was boiling as she quietly snuck ahead of the group back to where hers was waiting.
As she moved, she listened for any indication that her approach and departure had been noticed, but there was none from the posse.
Sarah wanted to put a bullet into the two men who had been talking.
It would be a cold day in hell before she let them do anything to the women on the homestead.
Thinking about the young children in the cellar, Sarah forced all emotion to leave her mind.
She had to keep a clear head if they were going to succeed in the mission.
She took her position a few yards away from the other two just as the sun started to peak into the sky.
Unless they were being carefully looked for, no one would notice the six shooters spread out over a few dozen yards on either side of the road.
It was the perfect setup, the layout everything she wanted in an ambush.
All around her, the world was silent except for nature.
When she heard the encroaching footsteps and voices of the men marching down the road, Sarah gave a familiar birdcall to the others across the road.
It was the signal they had been waiting for as the group readied themselves for the attack. The tension in the air was nearly palpable as the gang came into view and inched closer to their trap. No one was going to take her land.