Chapter 26 Cam
Cam didn’t want to go inside the fort. Even if it was an illusion, he felt safer outside in the open, so he stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
Inside, he wouldn’t be able to protect Lissa if others waited in ambush.
“We’ll wait here while you get your wife.
” He removed a folded envelope from his back pocket.
“I’ve got a message from the Walkers.” He passed it to Rod and stepped back, taking Lissa’s hand again.
She’d been unnaturally pale since meeting the Slain’s second-in-command.
While nervous, she’d held her own, and he’d been proud to have her at his side.
Rod opened the front door and stuck his head inside. “Amanda, honey, could you please join us?” Leaving the door ajar, he clomped down the stairs to wait with Cam and Lissa.
His wife must have been waiting close by, perhaps watching from a window. She stepped out, a pistol tucked into her belt at her hip. She was tall and strong-looking, moving with a confident stride.
“I see we have guests.” She latched the door behind her. Little Rod’s face appeared, pressed to the windowpane to their left. Cam repressed a grin. Already, the youngster was impossible not to like. What a firecracker. He understood how Little Rod had won Robin’s heart in a short time.
They did a quick round of introductions. Amanda shook their hands with a firm grip and looked them in the eye—not what Cam had expected from a woman subjugated by the Slains since the beginning. She must be made of stern and unyielding stuff.
“Why don’t you read this aloud?” said Rod, handing her the envelope from the Walkers.
Amanda raised her eyebrows in inquiry.
“It’s from Robin and Kory Walker.”
No trace of expression crossed her face as she slit the envelope and removed the contents. A single sheet of paper, one side covered in handwriting.
Dear Friends,
At this, Amanda looked up. “Friends might be an exaggeration, but I appreciate our names not being on a letter that could get us killed.” She skimmed ahead, not speaking at first. Then, she continued aloud.
We hope this note finds you well. From what we understand, you are looking for a change.
I doubt it will be easy to leave your current situation without a fight.
Are you prepared to work with us to escape?
We could use your help to get our mutual neighbors off our backs.
We understand this is dangerous work, and your boss is no fool.
If things fail, he might come after you.
If the worst happens, we are prepared to offer sanctuary to you and your children.
We believe if he’s removed from leadership, xTerra will be left alone to rebuild society our way.
That’s all we want. You are welcome to join us, or continue to live where you have settled, in peace.
Your new neighbors, who have brought this message, have our full trust and would be excellent allies if you decide to stay in your new home.
Sincerely,
R and K
P.S. Any news about my sister would be appreciated. While not close, I’ve never wished her harm. RW
“Who’s Robin’s sister?” Lissa clapped a hand over her mouth. She must not have meant to interrupt, but in her surprise, the words had popped out. Cam kissed her temple.
Amanda folded the letter and stuck it in her pocket. “Shelby’s married to my brother John. She’s the most vindictive, manipulative, sneaky bitch I’ve had the misfortune to live with. Too bad Robin didn’t strangle her before she left.”
“So, a lot like my mother then,” Cam’s faint smile felt more like a grimace.
Lissa said, “Robin’s not like that at all.”
Amanda shrugged. “Shelby and I have a strained relationship. My favorite part of living here is leaving her far behind.”
That said a lot, considering they’d also left John Slains.
Amanda wasn’t finished. “Do the Walkers have the authority to make this deal for xTerra? Fat lot of good it does us if we help and then xTerra denies all knowledge of this letter. We’d be sticking our necks out.” She refolded the paper.
Cam nodded, his throat dry. “Robin’s uncle is captain of our Watch, and Kory is his right-hand man. They’re all friends with the new mayor and the Council. If you help, we’ll all do our best to protect you and your children.”
“The way I see it,” said Rod. “No matter your assurances, I’m not sure we’d be welcome in xTerra. After eight years, there’s a lot of bad blood.”
“Are you talking about the ambushes outside our gates?” said Cam, laying the issues on the table. Best to be clear. “My brother’s body left as a warning.” He couldn’t keep some bite from his voice.
“Among other things,” said Rod, “we’ve killed a few of your people. Not us directly,” he waved at his wife, “but the Slains. Who’s going to believe I changed sides?”
“That’s why this is perfect,” said Lissa. “They’ll never see it coming.”
Rod nodded slowly, as though weighing his options. He glanced at his wife, who gave an almost imperceptible nod. “Only if you’re on board. We’re talking about assassinating your brother.”
Amanda’s eyes darkened, and her lips flattened.
“He isn’t my brother anymore. Not after his plans for my daughter.
Marrying her off to her horrid first cousin, who will rape her at the first opportunity.
John’s a lying narcissist and a scourge.
He deserves to die for several heinous acts he’s committed in the name of his new world order.
” For the first time, her emotions seemed to get the better of her, and she turned her face away.
Rod put his hand on his wife’s shoulder.
He faced Cam. “I can disrupt John’s plans.
I can even get him out of the compound if you have someone who can take him out.
I wouldn’t make it out alive if I shot him myself, and there’s no one else I’d trust to be involved.
Most of his men are fanatically loyal and think he can do no wrong. He’s becoming a king.”
“xTerra has a trained sniper,” said Cam, releasing a breath. Dave’s skills wouldn’t go to waste. “We’ll need your help to get him somewhere vulnerable. If you get him out of his stronghold, we’ll take care of the rest.”
Rod’s raspy voice resumed. “You’ll need to keep this plan limited to essential personnel only.
I don’t want to be fucked over because of the traitor behind your walls.
You’ve got someone feeding us information and getting us supplies.
” If he had been hoping for a big reaction, he was about to be disappointed.
“We have some idea of who our traitor might be,” said Cam, grinding his teeth. His jaw ached already. “Since we’re talking about family gone bad.”
Lissa turned to him. “We need proof.”
Amanda shook her head. “We have a name but no proof. You’ll have to expose them yourselves. It’s someone well-connected.”
Lissa turned to Cam. “She wouldn’t do that, would she?
Betray xTerra by allying with the Slains.
She has her own ideas about what’s good for everyone, but…
” Her voice trailed off when he didn’t respond.
His mother probably thought she was saving everyone, even if she was going about it wrong. Not evil, but she may be unhinged.
Rod said, “To be clear, from what I’ve understood, it’s the mayor.”
“Former mayor,” said Cam, his mind spinning as he tried to plan a way to prove his mother’s involvement. Her adamant insistence that he or Lissa were traitors made more sense. The true culprit was the most likely to sling accusations.
There must be something tying her to the cache from the old mine.
Or someone else she’d used for deliveries before Aiden.
His brother hadn’t stolen fifty wooden crates and relocated them to the mine by himself, not even one at a time.
Based on the last few conversations Cam had with his brothers, he doubted Nate and Jed had been involved.
Cam returned his attention to Rod. “Do you need time to discuss our proposition?”
“We’re in,” said Amanda.
Rod put his arm around her. “If we help take down John Slains, I want your personal promise to support my wife. Not Robin or Kory. They’re not here.
I want your promise to get our kids into xTerra.
If we’re caught, or at worst killed, I want Robin to look after them.
They still talk about her. She taught them only for a week and a half but made a strong impression.
” His gravely voice grew raspier with emotion.
It should never come to that. They’d be careful and not take unnecessary risks. But Cam understood Rod’s insistence. If it were his family, he’d want assurances too.
“We promise.” Cam stuck out his calloused hand and shook hands first with Amanda, then with Rod. Cam felt good about giving them a chance.
Rod gripped Cam’s hand, his eyes hard and unflinching. “It’s a deal.” He turned, and they both shook Lissa’s hand as well, a somber mood descending. If they were successful, they would be responsible for a man’s death.
“We’ll be back in three days with our sniper,” said Cam. “We can plan together. We want action as soon as possible.”
“See you then,” said Amanda, returning to the house. Over her shoulder she said, “This could get worse before it gets better, or I don’t know my brother.”
***
Cam stood lookout, peering through the slats of the vertical blinds from their chosen vantage in the upper story of an empty house.
He, Dave, and Rod had left Fort Robinson early this morning, several hours before their planned assassination of John Slains in Douglas, Wyoming.
He and Dave moved into position while it was still dark outside.
Cam hadn’t been part of a plan to kill someone before, but ultimately, this was the best way to end the war with the Slains.
He was putting a lot of faith in their new allies to make this work.