in. Don’t linger out there. Someone might take a shot at you. Lots of folks around here need the parts I have to keep their vehicles running. That is if they have any fuel for them. We’ve had trouble with people wanting to take what they want and not trade food or fuel for it.”
They drove both vehicles into the junkyard and stopped in front of the closed door of the metal building. The man pulled the gate closed and padlocked the chain.
Tyrone walked up to him with a big smile on his face and they shook hands. “Damn glad to see you’re still alive, Sam.”
“Same here. You’re the best deputy this county ever had.” Sam glanced at the others. “What’s this all about?”
“Too complicated to explain now. We need to get these vehicles in your building as soon as possible. Choppers might be looking for us.”
Sam produced a ring of keys from his pocket and moved as fast as he could to the wide double doors of the shop. “Okay, but I want a better explanation than that as soon as you’re parked inside.”
Inside the shop, Nate and Tyrone manhandled their prisoner, pulling him feet first out of the cruiser.
Sam lit a kerosene lantern. “Who’s he?”
“That’s just one of many things we’re going to find out.” Nate answered.
Atticus deftly moved in to distract Sam. “I’m Atticus, Tyrone’s father. And before you ask, yes, he’s adopted.”
Sam laughed and shook his hand. “I wasn’t going to ask.”
Nate and Tyrone jerked their prisoner along until they came to a support post to tie him to.
Nate gave their prisoner a hard stare. “We’re going to be here a while. That’ll give us plenty of time to get to know each other. The best thing for you is to answer my questions without forcing me to resort to persuasion. There are plenty of tools, vices, and welding torches around here I can use along those lines. But I would rather not. We’re both Americans. We’re both human beings. Problem is I’m pissed off. I’ve seen a lot of good people die recently. And I think maybe you had something to do with it.”
The man swallowed. “I haven’t killed anyone lately. I’ve never killed anyone in this area. And the only time I have ever killed anyone, I was following orders.” He looked straight into Nate’s eyes. “Whose orders are you following?”
Nate stared back, cold and hard. “Following orders? I don’t have that crutch to lean on. And I’m restricted only by my own conscience. Right now, I’m just pissed enough that I’m listening to another side of me and keeping my conscience boxed up somewhere dark and so far back inside of me I couldn’t hear it if it was screaming.”
After introducing herself and Brian to Sam, Deni asked, “Is there anyone else around? If there is, you need to inform them we’re here. We don’t want any unfortunate mistakes that result in someone getting hurt.”
“Yeah,” Sam answered. “I’ve got two families living with me and my wife. Eight people, including the children. We help each other survive. I’ll let them know you’re here. Just don’t go outside the building until I come back and tell you it’s okay.” He went out a standard-sized side door and closed it.
Nate looked his prisoner up and down, noting that he didn’t have an ounce of fat on him. It wasn’t thinness from malnutrition; it was evidence of a high level of physical conditioning. Everything about the man, his physical appearance, his calm demeanor, his fresh haircut at a time when there wasn’t an open barbershop in the entire state, and his hunter’s eyes told Nate he was an operator. “What’s your name?”
The man spoke without hesitation, “I would rather not say. Knowing my name will do you no good anyway.”
“Okay. It’s not important. I’m not interested in hunting your family down. All I want to know is what you’re doing in this area.”
“Why?” the man asked.
Nate sighed, losing patience. “I was hoping to avoid crippling you, but
They drove both vehicles into the junkyard and stopped in front of the closed door of the metal building. The man pulled the gate closed and padlocked the chain.
Tyrone walked up to him with a big smile on his face and they shook hands. “Damn glad to see you’re still alive, Sam.”
“Same here. You’re the best deputy this county ever had.” Sam glanced at the others. “What’s this all about?”
“Too complicated to explain now. We need to get these vehicles in your building as soon as possible. Choppers might be looking for us.”
Sam produced a ring of keys from his pocket and moved as fast as he could to the wide double doors of the shop. “Okay, but I want a better explanation than that as soon as you’re parked inside.”
Inside the shop, Nate and Tyrone manhandled their prisoner, pulling him feet first out of the cruiser.
Sam lit a kerosene lantern. “Who’s he?”
“That’s just one of many things we’re going to find out.” Nate answered.
Atticus deftly moved in to distract Sam. “I’m Atticus, Tyrone’s father. And before you ask, yes, he’s adopted.”
Sam laughed and shook his hand. “I wasn’t going to ask.”
Nate and Tyrone jerked their prisoner along until they came to a support post to tie him to.
Nate gave their prisoner a hard stare. “We’re going to be here a while. That’ll give us plenty of time to get to know each other. The best thing for you is to answer my questions without forcing me to resort to persuasion. There are plenty of tools, vices, and welding torches around here I can use along those lines. But I would rather not. We’re both Americans. We’re both human beings. Problem is I’m pissed off. I’ve seen a lot of good people die recently. And I think maybe you had something to do with it.”
The man swallowed. “I haven’t killed anyone lately. I’ve never killed anyone in this area. And the only time I have ever killed anyone, I was following orders.” He looked straight into Nate’s eyes. “Whose orders are you following?”
Nate stared back, cold and hard. “Following orders? I don’t have that crutch to lean on. And I’m restricted only by my own conscience. Right now, I’m just pissed enough that I’m listening to another side of me and keeping my conscience boxed up somewhere dark and so far back inside of me I couldn’t hear it if it was screaming.”
After introducing herself and Brian to Sam, Deni asked, “Is there anyone else around? If there is, you need to inform them we’re here. We don’t want any unfortunate mistakes that result in someone getting hurt.”
“Yeah,” Sam answered. “I’ve got two families living with me and my wife. Eight people, including the children. We help each other survive. I’ll let them know you’re here. Just don’t go outside the building until I come back and tell you it’s okay.” He went out a standard-sized side door and closed it.
Nate looked his prisoner up and down, noting that he didn’t have an ounce of fat on him. It wasn’t thinness from malnutrition; it was evidence of a high level of physical conditioning. Everything about the man, his physical appearance, his calm demeanor, his fresh haircut at a time when there wasn’t an open barbershop in the entire state, and his hunter’s eyes told Nate he was an operator. “What’s your name?”
The man spoke without hesitation, “I would rather not say. Knowing my name will do you no good anyway.”
“Okay. It’s not important. I’m not interested in hunting your family down. All I want to know is what you’re doing in this area.”
“Why?” the man asked.
Nate sighed, losing patience. “I was hoping to avoid crippling you, but
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