Chapter 19
-:- VICTORIA -:-
I’m crouched behind a boulder and listening for the call Star had been practicing while we were driving up here. I wondered why she kept making the bird noise, but it was like she was conditioning me to recognize it. Now, whenever I hear that particular bird call I’ll think it’s Star.
Jack has gone around the back of the cabin, watching for any escapees trying to make a run for it. With there being only six men, it shouldn’t take long to get rid of them all. Star and Winter don’t seem to be squeamish at all about ending these people. Me! Well, I’ve not done this before, but for Bethy I will and I’ll not lose sleep over it either...I hope!
Star is on my left somewhere, and she’s the kind you cannot keep up with because she’s always moving. Even at the clubhouse, it’s rare to see her sitting. I would love to meet her father. She mentions him quite a lot, and it’s easy to see how much she loves him. He has to be an awesome person to have a daughter like Star. She never mentions her mother, and I don’t feel I know her well enough to go down that road.
Winter is up a tree, a darn hefty tree at that. I can see why they all train now. They’d not be able to do all this if they were not fitand healthy. I’m darn sure I wouldn’t be able to climb that tree like a monkey.
I watched as Winter tied what she called a haul line to the unloaded rifle, tied the end to her belt, and then climbed the tree. Once she was safe where she wanted to be in the tree she pulled the rifle up and got ready to do what is necessary, all with the minimum of fuss.
I think I want to be Winter when I grow up. I don’t stop the small smile that appears on my face, and I think Bethy would have wanted to be like Winter, too. I’m going to miss her so damn much and I hope Art never breathes another lungful of air. I’ve never been vindictive, but at this moment I wish him nothing but ill will.
Freezing when I hear shouting from the cabin, I inch forward a little and peek around the boulder. It’s clear something has stirred the four guards, as they are now walking around the cabin looking as best they can at the surrounding forest.
As yet we have not made a move, so I don’t know what has spooked them. I freeze, straining my ears to hear anything that has caused the guards to be agitated. Tizwald I can see is still lounging as though he has nothing to worry about. He has a shock coming, and I hope we can pull off our plan with no hitches.
Hearing the bird call, I know it’s time for me to make my move. Taking a deep breath, I prepare myself and slowly stand. Checking the Sig is still tucked in the back of my pants, I step forward with my hands in a surrendering position as I become clear to the guards and Tizwald.
The two guards on this side of the cabin stop walking and lift their weapons in my direction. “Wait a minute, boys.” Tizwald stands from his seat and steps to the end of the porch, grinning. “Well, well, if it isn’t Victoria. Come to work have you?”
I sneer at the sleezy piece of garbage, but don’t respond right away. I wait as Star told me silence is a better weapon than too much talk and too much blustering.
“Oh dear, I see you are upset. It’s a shame isn’t it, that your friend had to die to get you to do what was necessary.” Tizwald takes a step off the porch toward me, but I remain calm.
I drop my arms and let them hang loosely by my sides. I’m ready to grab for my weapon if I need to. This piece of shit needs to stop breathing, and now I’m looking at him, I’m not worried about being the one to put a bullet in his head.
“I’m not working for you, Tizwald.” Now here comes the bluff. “While you are here hiding like the coward you are, I have people already in place to take out your mother, wife and son. Let’s see how upset you are when your family is dead shall we?”
Immediately the asshole reaches for his phone on the table next to the seat on the porch decking. A single shot takes out one of the guards, and the other fires randomly at the trees. I duck back behind the boulder, and with shaking hands hold the Sig at the ready.
Hearing another shot, which sounds different to the first one, I imagine Star or Jack has dealt with another guard. Two down four to go. The sniper on the roof, I’m sure is doing his best to find Winter, but I reckon she’ll have him in her sights and take him out easily.
Leaning on the boulder, I hear rustling and lift the Sig ready to shoot anything or anyone that appears, but what I don’t expect to see is a nearly naked Meat. He has green and brown paint or something plastered all over his body. A small piece of cloth covers his manly bits, but he has a wicked blade in each hand. As he passes me he grunts, and I stupidly try to grunt back to him, but it comes out like a deep squeak.
Singing catches my attention as Meat passes and more pinging sounds of Winter’s rifle. How many are left? Taking my bravery in both hands, I step from behind the boulder and watch Star singing and dancing in front of Tizwald in only her underwear. What the fuck is she doing?
Meat is standing watching Star’s performance, and he’s not even a little worried. Well, I don’t think he is. It’s fairly hard to tell as his expression hardly ever changes from what I’ve seen.
Two guards are lying on the ground dead, and another one has a crossbow bolt sticking out of his neck. I don’t see the fourth but there is no gunfire so he must be dead somewhere out of my sight. The sniper is hanging over the roof of the cabin, and now I see Jack sneaking up behind a gawking Tizwald. Seems all men's brains stop functioning when they face a nearly naked woman!
“You are all going to die,” Tizwald shouts, and I can’t help the small laugh that bursts out. “What are you laughing at, bitch? I’ll have you taken out...”
“You’ll have me taken out? You? Standing here with all your men dead? Is that what you are saying? You see here is a decent man, yeah, standing near naked but he’s still more of a man in his big toe than you ever were. Or the woman who’s dancing and singing and waiting to slit your throat, or what about the onewho has a red dot on your forehead at the moment?” Tizwald’s head is swinging left and right, checking what I’m saying, and I can see the sweat and panic that has set in. “Now...”
But before I can continue, he steps forward with his jaw set and snatches a weapon from a waist holster on his spine. His attention focused on Star, he doesn’t get his arm all the way up before Jack is on him, knife at his throat, and as he runs his knife across it doesn’t fully cut. A struggle starts, but Meat drops his blades, steps in and grabs Tizwald, getting him in a hold he can’t get out of. What happens next is either what it should be—a lesson, or a nightmare that I should not witness.
Star has thrown on her pants and tee and walks up to me, placing an arm around my shoulders. As she leads me away she murmurs, “It’s okay, Vicky. Meat is just giving Jack a lesson in how to cut someone’s throat cleanly, and so they don’t make a sound, you know, so it’s done sneakily. My man is the best and he can take anyone out whenever he feels it’s needed. He didn’t go through shit to come out of it a pussy. He can get in anywhere, do what’s needed, and get the hell out again before anyone even knows there is a problem.”
I look up at Star and she has a smile on her face, that could be described as something out of a nightmare. I don’t think it is wise to say anything at the moment, so I duplicate my earlier grunt, which actually sounds like a whine.
“It’s okay, Victoria. We are your besties, and don’t you forget it,” Star states proudly, but I’m not sure if that is a good or a bad thing.
Winter appears and gives me a worried look. “You okay, Victoria?”
All I can manage is a nod, which seems to satisfy Winter as she carries her sniper rifle case. “Come on, let’s get the truck. We can bring back the gas and set all this alight. Not leaving evidence is a good thing.” I again nod because, hey, I think I’m traumatized.
