Chapter 28 Cam #2
They drove for two hours, winding around on back roads and farmers’ access through fields, making their way toward Bill, Wyoming.
Once they’d gone as close as he dared, they parked on a quiet gravel road behind a row of thick bushes.
He changed the battery before they hiked toward the Slains’ stronghold.
They expected trouble and guards at every step but found none.
Either John Slains had called his men in, or he was wildly overconfident at home. Or it was a trap.
Once Cam and Dave had the walled compound in sight, they circled it from several hundred yards out, searching for a proper observation post. Dave set up atop a hill with a multitude of low junipers, assembling his rifle and making a stable rest. He lay on the ground at the high point, focused beyond the wall on the front entrance of the house.
At this distance, they’d need Slains to be outside to get a positive ID before shooting.
At least after yesterday, they’d recognize him.
Cam returned to being the lookout, making his first examination of the Slains’ stronghold.
The walls below weren’t solid or imposing like those at xTerra.
Made of a hodgepodge of rusted sheets of roofing metal and industrial siding, they made a visible barrier separating the Slains’ compound from the rest of the countryside. They wouldn’t keep out an angry horde.
Beyond the Slains’ walls, Cam studied a prosperous-looking white farmhouse with three floors, a long single-story bunkhouse, and several small cabins. It matched the description provided by Kory.
This early in the day, the sun wasn’t at full strength, and Cam was already sweating.
He shifted, releasing the juniper scent into the air.
He kept his binoculars trained on the front door of the main house most of the time, scanning their immediate area every couple of minutes.
Birdsong continued around them, chirps and trills filling the air with sound.
He planned to pay attention so they could help watch.
If the birds became silent, that would be a clue that their position could be threatened.
The sun rose higher as the day passed. There wasn’t much activity below.
Cam scanned the fence line, inside and out, searching for Amanda.
No sign. They hadn’t found her vehicle either, but she could have parked and hiked the rest of the way on foot.
Or, she could have been intercepted. He had confidence that if Amanda thought she’d get inside the walls without trouble, she would.
From the appearance of the quiet house this morning, it remained undisturbed.
It was almost noon, the blistering sun beating down from above, when someone inside the house screamed. “Fire!”
Another, more feminine, scream joined them. The front door flew open, and pandemonium broke loose. People streamed out of the bunkhouse and cabins as the inhabitants took up the call. Without firetrucks and hoses, the house was sure to burn to the ground.
Thick gray smoke spiraled from three separate areas, including the main house on both sides, spreading rapidly.
Probably Amanda’s work. Over three dozen men scrambled for buckets of water.
Three women poured onto the front porch, herding eight or nine children.
A pregnant blonde woman held a toddler on her hip while holding a young boy with her other hand. John Slains followed.
Before leaving the porch, he wrapped one arm around the blonde, the other holding a shotgun. He scanned the area, turning one way, then the other, searching for threats. Cam held his breath, hoping Slains wouldn’t detect a reflection from the scope or binoculars.
Moving down the stairs and into the yard, John Slains stayed behind the women.
After yesterday’s near miss, he must suspect the fires were deliberate and designed to draw him into the open.
Amanda had been smart. He couldn’t stay inside with his house on fire.
Still, hiding behind children was a cowardly act.
Cam breathed a sigh of relief as the occupants trooped further into the yard together. The house might be a loss, but he didn’t want the children’s deaths on his hands. He was sure that had been Amanda’s plan, given how everyone had evacuated.
“A little to the left,” muttered Dave. “I’m not shooting women and children.”
“He hasn’t seen us, so take your time,” said Cam. The key would be patience. “We might not get another shot. Make it count.”
Inside, near the gate, Cam finally spotted Amanda, crouched behind a barrel. Amidst the chaos, John surrounded himself with children and headed for the gate. He must plan to get his wife and kids into a jeep and escape.
When he was only a dozen feet from the gate, Amanda jumped from her hiding place, a gun pointed at her brother.
He swung his wife in front of him, ripping the kids from her grasp and shoving the youngest into another woman’s arms. The youngest’s wails were loud enough to carry above the firefighting efforts.
Amanda hesitated, perhaps not wanting to shoot anyone other than her brother.
John Slains didn’t waste a moment. He dropped his sister with a shot to the head, the sound ringing through the air. Amanda crumpled, dead before she hit the ground. Just like her husband.
Cam felt sick.
With a pop, Dave absorbed the kick of his shot, the smell of gunpowder strong.
A silence fell across the compound, and everything except the roaring fire seemed to freeze.
“It’s done.” Dave jumped up from the ground.
Cam released a breath, turning to check on Dave, who was already packing. Cam refocused his binoculars.
Blood had blossomed on John Slains’ chest. He staggered a few steps and fell, not moving.
The blonde, who must be his wife, shouted and scooped the two smallest children into her arms once more. She yelled at the men losing their battle with the massive blaze now engulfing the house, the fire spreading across the roof. Glass shattered, and the fire roared as it gained momentum.
Shelby Slains’ shrill voice carried on the wind. “Save anything you can from inside the lower story. It’s all going up in flames.”
Several men tossed their buckets behind them and dashed inside. The rest concentrated their efforts on wetting the other buildings to keep them from catching alight from sparks.
Behind Cam, Dave had his rifle broken down and his tripod folded. He closed the case with a click. “Mission successful. Let’s go.”
“You okay?” said Cam, noting Dave’s pallor.
“That was the last time,” Dave said. “I’m retired.”
Cam clapped him on the back. He didn’t blame the other man for wanting to be finished. Even when it was justified, it must be difficult to carry the weight of someone’s death. “You earned it. Thank you for your service.”
They walked back to their vehicle and headed out.
Behind them, thick smoke filled the sky, and flames leaped higher than the surrounding wall.
If the Slains were lucky, they might keep the smaller buildings from burning.
Despite his guilt about letting the fire burn unchecked, it felt like a victory.
He wished Rod and Amanda hadn’t paid the ultimate price to save their children.
While Cam drove, heading back to xTerra at full speed, he couldn’t help but regret their mission had come to this.
Both Rod and Amanda were dead, and their children parentless.
In the long run, Cam didn’t know if their sacrifice outweighed the death of John Slains, but he hoped things would rebalance in the future and xTerra would have time to flourish and rebuild.
Thoughts of the future brought Lissa and her drive to the forefront of his mind. Cam hoped her drive to xTerra had gone smoothly. He swallowed the lump in his throat. He’d have to break the news to the children that both of their parents were dead.