Our backpacks sat, opened and empty of contents, in a pile behind him, along with our coats. All of our weapons had been confiscated and carried into the store. The bandits who had disarmed me had been overly thorough. I’d wanted to scream and bite as they’d groped, but I’d stood perfectly still with a clenched jaw, afraid of what they’d do to Clutch if I’d reacted. When one was busy checking under my bra with his cold hands, he commented, “Too bad. This one wouldn’t be too bad looking if her face wasn’t so messed up.”
The other one chuckled. “Easy fix. Just turn her around.”
Clutch managed to tackle that one before three others knocked him to the ground. He’d gotten a black eye and swollen cheek, but they moved on from me after that. I felt sorry for the other women, who received the same treatment.
When Mary was grabbed, her husband lunged forward and they kicked him in the stomach. As they dragged her back toward the store, she begged them to stop. Her husband, still holding his stomach, climbed to his feet and ran toward her. A bandit raised his rifle, and my eyes widened. Shots cut through the night air, and I jumped. He collapsed, and she screamed. The bandit holding her punched her and she went limp. Tension hung in the air as she disappeared inside.
“If any of you idiots try something stupid like that,” Hodge said, pointing to the body. “You’re going to end up the same way. Got it?”
No one moved.
Hodge weaved through us, looking at each person one at a time. As he stood behind us, he spoke. “Many of you are wearing uniforms. Are you associated with New Eden?”
No one spoke.
Something moved, and somebody cried out. I swallowed back my fear.
“I’ve never heard of New Eden,” Tyler said from several feet to my left.
The leader came walking around and stood in front of Tyler. “If you’re not with New Eden, what base are you with?”
Tyler didn’t answer.
Hodge bent to stare him down, his smooth brown hair covering some of his face, but Tyler stared straight ahead. “Yeah, you’re military, all right.” He looked up and narrowed his eyes at Clutch. “I’d bet quite a few of you are.” He walked over to Deb and held his pistol to her head. She whimpered and tightened her lips. “Since I’m not, I’ll ask one more time. What base are you with.”
“We’re with the Camp Fox National Guard base,” Tyler ground out.
Hodge lifted his pistol. “Never heard of it, but that doesn’t matter. You military folks are all in bed together, so you are going to help me.”
“Please,” Vicki said through shivers. “We’re hungry. At least feed the children.”
The leader looked up. “Tell me boys. How does a beggar earn food around here?”
“Fuck for it or fight for it,” several bandits replied in unison.
A cruel grin curved upward on Hodge’s face as he bent down to get eye-level with Vicki. “So, which is it going to be?”
Her lips tightened, and she didn’t answer.
He stood, nodded to his men, and they walked around and yanked the adult men forward and made them kneel in front of us. I bit back my cry when they pulled Clutch away and made him kneel with the others. I wanted to lunge forward, to grab him and run, but I didn’t move, feeling like a failure.
Soon, every adult man was kneeling in a row before us in the snow. Clutch and I never broke eye contact. I’d never seen him look as pissed off as he did right now. I prayed he didn’t do something stupid and heroic. Hodge walked behind each of them, holding his pistol in his hand. “So tell me, which one of you are in charge of this little group?”
No one spoke.
“I’m not going to ask again.” He nodded to one of his men, who went to stand next to Vicki, holding his pistol against her temple. She closed her eyes, and tears fell down her cheeks. “In three seconds, I’m going to have my colleague here kill this woman.”
He looked across our faces. “One.”
Clutch opened his mouth to speak. My brows furrowed, and I shook my head once. Don’t you dare.
“Two.”
“I’m in charge,” Bryce said hurriedly from next to Tyler.
The leader’s brows rose as though he was genuinely surprised, and he sauntered over to Bryce. “You? Really?”
“You’ve got me. Release my people. They’ve done nothing wrong,” Bryce added. Even though his voice cracked, he put on a good act. I almost believed it myself.
“No, I don’t believe I will.” He raised his sidearm, and clicked off the safety.
“Stop!” Tyler yelled. “I’m Captain Tyler Masden, commanding officer of Camp Fox.”
Hodge smirked. He grabbed Bryce’s hair and yanked his head back to look him in the face. “That was stupid of you. I already knew that asshole was in charge. Everybody knows that whoever speaks up first is a hero, an idiot, or in charge. Usually all three are the same.”
He looked up to his men. “Get them to their feet.”
Tyler, Clutch, and the other fifteen men were pulled to their feet by the eight bandits. I could see in Clutch’s, Tyler’s, and all of the Fox men’s eyes that they wanted to turn and attack. We outnumbered them, but they outgunned us. It would be a massacre.
The leader stood in front of Tyler. “Now I know how far I can push you and how loyal your people are to you. Disappointing on both counts.”
He walked down the line of Fox men and back to Tyler. “You are going to help us draw that New Eden squadron into an ambush.”
“We won’t help you,” Tyler said harshly.
“I should clarify. I don’t need your help. Your uniforms are going to help us draw the New Eden squadron into an ambush. Now, strip.”
It took rifles shoved into their backs for them to take off their fatigues. As a scout, I wore fatigues, too, but I wasn’t ordered to take off mine, probably because I was smaller and mine wouldn’t fit any of the bandits. I knelt there and watched as Clutch and the others pulled off their boots and stripped down to their T-shirts, socks, and underwear.
They stood nearly naked in the freezing morning air, their breaths making cloud puffs, while two of the bandits carried their clothing away. Goosebumps covered Clutch’s tattoos on his arms.
“Hey, Hodge. We’d better hustle,” a bandit called out as he came running up. “The New Eden pricks are just about to cross the bridge.”
I think everyone’s gaze turned toward the bridge in the distance. Trees with golden and red leaves blocked much of the view, but it was impossible to miss the squadron of heavily armored vehicles approaching in the distance.
“Well, then.” Hodge checked his pistol. “Thank you for your service.”
He walked over to Tyler, held his pistol to Tyler’s temple and fired. A thunderous shot broke the silence. A woman screamed. Tyler fell face-forward, and a pool of dark blood spread out from around his head.
Air flew from my lungs and I couldn’t breathe. My heart felt like it’d stopped. Someone clung to me—Vicki, I think—and I embraced her numbly. Ice zapped the strength from my legs, yet I somehow managed to stay on my feet. My vision swirled. Not Tyler. He couldn’t die. He was too good to die.
People cried out. Hodge held his pistol against Bryce’s temple and looked across our faces. He fired, and Bryce collapsed. He moved to the next man, again looked across the group of survivors, and fired.
My mouth opened as I watched in shock as the bandit stopped next to Clutch. My world spun and my legs gave out. I reached for Clutch. “No!”