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Their new camp was like so many of the others. Usually, the area was an old homestead or farm that had been abandoned. The TCW leaders planned ahead, knowing they’d need places to fall back on in case existing camp locations were compromised.
They scouted ahead and sent trusted work crews out to fence around perimeters and clean out the buildings for quick occupation. They didn’t do much to clean outside the buildings, preferring to leave them looking abandoned from the outside.
Once the camp was occupied, they worked for days to clean up brush and bramble that had been left to grow out of control.
Unloading took longer than loading, as each item had to have a place to go.
An old barn became the new barracks where all the bunks were carried and assembled.
Because this camp had fewer buildings than the last, a tent was erected for the mess hall, and the portable kitchen was set up inside it, along with the folding tables and chairs. Soon, food was being prepared.
As PJ was carrying medical supplies to the old homestead that would serve the dual purpose of housing the infirmary and the camp headquarters, Bones caught up with her.
“I overheard Wiley and Tiberius talking with Augustus on a satellite phone.”
PJ shot a glance around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear what Bones was saying.
“You shouldn’t be eavesdropping,” she said softly.
Bones snorted. “It pays to keep your ears open. But if you don’t want to know what they said, I respect that.” He started to walk away.
“It pays to listen,” she repeated his words.
Bones slowed to fall back in step with PJ. “They’re sending someone out to find Judge.” He paused.
Though PJ’s heart seized, she maintained a poker face. “So?” she managed.
Bones stared straight ahead. “They’re not bringing him back.”
Her seizing heart plummeted to the pit of her belly. “Who are they sending?”
Bones shook his head. “They didn’t say. Just that they would be sending someone out to find him.”
PJ’s immediate urge was to drop what she was carrying and leave camp to warn Judge.
The problem was that she didn’t know anything about Judge—not important things, like his real name, where he was from or where he planned to go after getting Mud to a hospital. Even if she could leave camp, she had no way of finding him.
Wiley had a better idea of Judge’s possible whereabouts, having confiscated his wallet upon entering the camp. The only way PJ could get that information would be if she were tasked with the hit.
PJ could volunteer to go after Judge herself, claiming she wanted revenge for what he’d done to her during his escape.
After dropping the medical supplies off at the infirmary, she went in search of Wiley and Tiberius. Hopefully, she’d catch them before they sent someone else to do the job.
She found Wiley helping set up the generators that would provide the electrical needs for the camp. When he finally straightened away from the machines, he saw her and frowned. “What?”
“I’ve been thinking about what Judge did,” she said. “We can’t let him get away. It sets a bad example for the recruits.”
Wiley nodded, his eyes narrowing. “What do you propose we do about it?”
“We need to send someone after him,” she said, as if it was her idea.
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Who would you suggest we send?”
PJ lifted her chin. “Me.”
“Why you?” Wiley challenged.
“The bastard was my responsibility, and I let him get the better of me. He needs to pay for that, and I need to be the one to make him pay. How else will I redeem myself?” She faced him, her shoulders back and her head held high.
