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Jon took a quick look around, then turned and peered above the door. “A set of keys!”
“I’m surprised. I really thought we’d have to figure out a way to break in.”
Jon reached up and retrieved the key ring. “There are four. Hopefully they open all of the buildings. Let’s check out the building Annie thinks might be an armory.”
He ducked out of the shed and went to the building across the clearing. By now, Sarah had quit expecting to be shot at any minute, but she wished Annie would get back. Every minute without her sister made her anxiety tick up a notch. Sarah followed Jon and watched as he inserted one key after another until there was a satisfyingclickas the first lock opened. He did the same with the second lock on the door and laid both padlocks on the ground.
“We’re in.” He put his shoulder into the sliding door and opened it as wide as possible. “Bingo. Annie was right.”
Sarah blinked at the array of guns and boxes of ammo around the interior. She wasn’t a gun expert, but even she could recognize assault weapons and high-powered rifles. It appeared like enough firepower for a small army. Maybe this was the hunters’ fallback position if they were holding off the authorities.
She followed Jon inside. “Do you know what we should do with all this stuff?”
“I can figure out our best weapons. And when Annie gets back, she might have some ideas on putting alarms and booby traps around to warn us when the men are approaching.” He glanced at the time again. “I wish she’d get back.”
Sarah nodded, but she had a sinking feeling in her gut that her sister was in trouble. Neither she nor Jon knew a thing about tracking, so taking weapons and trying to find Annie would be a useless endeavor. Knowing Jon though, she was sure he’d chargehell with a water pistol to find her sister. And Sarah wouldn’t be far behind.
They wouldn’t go down without a fight, and these guns might equalize the battle a bit. She’d never shot one, but she’d try her best. Jon picked up one of the biggest, deadliest-looking rifles.
He searched through the boxes of ammo and loaded it, then handed it to her. “It’s ready to shoot. Just point and pull this trigger right here.”
She nodded, but the thing felt like an anchor in her hands. It was so heavy she’d have trouble holding it up. “I think I’ll need to prop it on something.”
“We’ll construct a wall for defense or shoot out of the shed’s windows if we’re attacked.”
His lips were pressed in a grim line as he loaded gun after gun and carried them to the shed. They were preparing for war.
***
Every minute that passed without Annie was excruciating to Jon. For now, he would do as she asked and get them armed and ready. When she got here, they might take the guns and hike out, but he’d let her make the call on what to do.
The weapons were loaded and ready against both walls by the windows of the shed. “Grab a gun and let’s check out the cell block. What did you see when you were in there?”
“Just cells with steel doors. Like a prison, which is what I’m sure they used it for.”
Jon stuck a SIG Sauer gun in his waistband, then grabbed an automatic rifle before heading to the cell block. He fiddled with the lock and found the key that opened it. The door opened witha rush of stale air that held the stench of human waste. He stepped inside and looked around the concrete interior.
The steel doors of the cells lined the hall, and he went through the building opening every door to make sure no other prisoners were trapped inside. Each cell held a small cot, a bucket for a toilet, and nothing else. And each one stank of despair and fear. He hated the thought that his Annie had endured this. Sarah too. No human being should be locked in here, waiting to be hunted down like an animal.
The last door opened into a bunk room, which was probably where the hunters rested. It contained a toilet and supplies. There was a closet stocked with dried soup packets, granola, and jerky, and he stuffed handfuls of granola and jerky into his pockets. They might come in handy.
He checked the time again. Five. Annie had been gone four hours, much too long. He’d been sure she’d be back by now. At least he hadn’t heard any shots fired. Should they search for her? She’d been very specific in her directions. He backed out of the last cell and checked for a phone anywhere. Nothing. Cell phones didn’t work back here either, but the men probably used satellite phones. If only he’d had one to bring in here with him.
“Find a phone?”
He turned at Sarah’s timid question from the open doorway and shook his head. “Nothing in here. I wish Annie would get back.”
“You’re thinking of going after her?”
“I’m not sure what to do. I’m not sure where she ended up, and I’m liable to wander in the wrong direction. What if she gets here needing our help, and we’re gone? I keep telling myself to trust her the way she’d asked. She hates it when I get worried and think she needs my help. But what if she does need us this time?”
Sarah pushed her stringy hair out of her face. There were circles of fatigue under her blue eyes, and her face was dirty. Angry scratches marred her legs below her shorts, and bug bites covered her arms. She looked spent and exhausted, which was exactly how he felt as well. And he was sure Annie wasn’t in any better shape. She’d been trekking out in the woods, covering tracks, and laying down new ones for hours now.
He pushed his worry aside again and stared around the space. “There aren’t any windows in here, so I still think the shed is our best refuge to fight from. We can leave the door shut and fight from the windows.”
“But what if we fought from the door instead?”
“I think we’d get in each other’s way, especially when Annie is here, too, and three of us are fighting.”
