The house was quiet. Jack prowled the hallway and rooms looking for things to help them return to the cannibal village. The idea made him want to puke, but he couldn't think of any other plan. They hadn't found any other way to communicate. He held out a thin hope that maybe a search helicopter or satellite or something would see them at this house and get them. Jack knew he couldn't rely on it. Jack growled. In fact, if this fiasco had any guarantee it was that things could get worse. These fucking woods were cursed.
Jack stoked the fire and sat on the stone ledge around it. He'd gotten a couple of hours of restless sleep. Sleeping in Mac's room beside his bed had been both reassuring and nerve-wracking. Jack was thrilled that how his host had helped Mac; he knew his partner was still at risk of dying from a thousand complications. The visible wounds were sealed, but they had no idea if he was still bleeding inside. There was also Mac's fever to consider and the fact that they had half a mountain to go down back into the hands of people that would scare the crap out of Mad Max.
Jack had listened to Mac's coarse breathing. One of the wives, Connie Jack thought, had given Mac tea made from herbs. After Mac ate well then slept soundly. Jack snorted. He suspected that one of the herbs was some old-fashioned mary jane. A scuff in the wood behind him had him standing and whirling fist raised. Jack's mouth hung open in surprise. As if conjured by his musing, Mac stood behind him pale and shook wrapped in a blanket. Mac raised an eyebrow.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed!" Jack hissed in a whisper. Mac chuckled and closed his eyes swaying. Jack guided him to sit on the stone beside him. "What are you doing up, you should be sleeping." Mac let out a soft couch his face scrunching in pain. His lungs sounded like broken bagpipes. .
"I could ask you the same thing." Mac said his gaze steady as he raked Jack from head to toe.
"I'm not the one that got beat to hell and back."
"So that blood on your side was just for show?" Jack sighed. He'd thought Mac was too out of it to notice. He should have known better.
"I'm fine. We have to get out of here, what that bastard plans to do to Nellie…" Mac studied Jack as the older man stood up and began to pace. The rage seemed to pulse with the flames of the fire. Mac nodded. After the craziness in this forest, he could only imagine how terrible it would be for Nellie; then he multiplied that by a hundred.
"Where's Ernie now?" Mac asked wiping the sleep out of his eyes. Jack pointed a thumb over his shoulder to the back door.
"He said he'd be coming back by dawn, that's only a couple of hours from now. I figure we need to git outta here before then."
"I heard you checking out the house, anything?"
"We can take food and warm clothing, but I didn't see any weapons." Jack glanced at Mac and smiled. "Anything I could use for weapons." Mac smiled. He stood up. With Jack steadying him they walked the entire house.
Nellie and Nick woke up and joined them. Nellie began to gather food and water in sacks. Nick raided the herbs and medical supplies. Mac paused in the doorway of the junk room and frowned.
"What?"
"I wonder what that is?" Mac pointed to a small half door closed with a padlock. Jack smiled. He'd missed it. In his defense, it was hidden by a stack of boxes. Mac groaned, and his knees buckled. Jack caught him, and half carried him to a broken fold-down chair in the corner of the room. Jack kicked a stack of papers to the ground. After a long minute of speed wheezing Mac nodded and offered a weak smile. The kid rubbed his forehead.
"Sorry, just got a little woozy."
"I bet." Mac looked up at Jack and rolled his eyes.
"You can stop staring any time now." Mac regretted the snarky comment the minute he made it, knowing the lecture that was sure to follow. Sure enough, Jack crossed his arms and opened his mouth. Thankfully, Nellie walked in and stared at the two of them.
"The floodlights outside came on." Jack half turned.
"Floodlights? Does he normally turn them on?" Nellie shook her head.
"I've only seen him turn them on at night twice, both times...both times slaves were brought in and sold." Both men stared at the girl gobsmacked. Slavery? In America? In 2017?
"I really, really hate this place," Jack mumbled.
"No argument here." Mac swallowed and wobbled to his feet. Jack glared at him but didn't say anything. Mac plopped down in front of the door with a paper clip he'd pulled from one of the stacks of papers. He winced as he bent down and picked the lock. Nellie's eyes widened. Jack suspected the girl had never seen a person break into a lock before. He shook his head, after all the crap on this mountain that was what surprised her?
"We can use the distraction to escape," Jack said tugging on his lip thoughtfully.
"No," Mac said.
"Mac, we can't stop everything…"
"No, Jack we aren't leaving these people to be sold...like animals." The set of his jaw and power of his glare convinced Jack Mac meant what he said. Jack sighed. He also knew that tone of voice; Mac was going to do what he thought was right weather Jack was at his side or not.
"I'm kinda glad that's the plan," Jack admitted,"I felt like a slimy asshole for even thinking it." Jack watched the tension drain from his friend until Mac nodded and returned to the lock. A second later it opened with a click. Both men were not surprised to find a small crawlspace full of moonshine. Mac leaned back as 70 plus proof wafted into his face. He bent over coughing. Jack moved to his side. Mac waved him away. His eyes were watering; Mac asked Nellie to get Nick.
Jack and Nellie listened as the two babbled about chemicals and other nerd-speak neither understood. When they got to talking about disarticulated bones for shrapnel, Jack left them to it. Half an hour later they had seven bombs wrapped in metal cans ready for action. Jack's nose wrinkled. Knowing Mac, they would make a big bang, but they sure stank to high heaven. Nellie asked what was in them. The two men went off on a chemical blurb that left Nellie blank-eyed wishing she'd never brought it up. The peculiar honk of the shofar interrupted them. Mac frowned.
"Is that a shofar?" Jack rolled his eyes at the automatic fascination that perked up the younger man.
"Yeah, and it's not a good thing," Jack grumbled. Mac stood with the help of Nick and glanced out the window of the back door beside Jack both men careful not to be backlit. The shofar blew twice more. Ernie came out of the greenhouse and moved to the wooden lodge opening the door. He ducked in and light shone out the cracks and crevices between the bark. A group of people strode from the black woods. Mac could feel Jack growl like a dog about to attack. He put a hand on the older man's shoulder. Jack glanced at him, and Mac gave him a cautioning look. Jack scowled and nodded, but didn't relax. He'd had enough of running and hiding it was time to pay these goat-horn blowing assholes back. Mac smiled; he knew what his partner was probably thinking.
Four half-naked women were dragged behind three men. Jack's eyes narrowed. He leaned close to Mac's ear.
"The third one, that's Pa." Mac nodded automatically rubbing his throat. He could still feel the coarse fibers dig deep into his neck as he was dragged into the cannibal's village. Jack noticed the move and filed it away for later. The men laughed and greeted each other and stepped into the lodge. The men hooted and ran their hands along the women's bodies as they tied them to a steel pole beside the greenhouse. Another shofar blew, then another. Soon the whole forest was loud with the elephantine bellows. Jack shuddered.
"And I thought these woods couldn't get creepier." Mac nodded and tapped Jack on the shoulder and indicated they should step to the living room. Nellie and Nick were there holding onto two Santa-sized sacks full of supplies. Mac sat down. Jack could see the dampness of his forehead by the firelight. He automatically reached out a hand and glared at Mac. Mac's fever was worse. Mac rolled his eyes and leaned forward wheezing in air for a long minute.
"So what's the plan?" Jack asked. Mac bit his lip thinking.
"We have two objectives, getting the prisoners and getting the hell out of here." Jack silently added kill some mountain trash on the way out. "First thing we…" Mac was cut off by the sudden thump of boots. The four looked up to meet the surprised look of Ernie, Pa, and Hank. Both groups froze taking in the other for a score of heartbeats. Then things happened at the same time.
"What the-" Ernie bellowed.
"This isn't-" Mac began.
"Pa, they're stealin'-" Hank shouted.
"Screw this!" Jack growled. He shoved Mac to the floor and launched himself at Ernie. His momentum pushed Ernie back into a shelf of jars. Jack winced as glass shattered and his back soaked with thick canning fluid and fruit. He heard Pa's blunderbuss fire and flinched half expecting buckshot to riddle his body. In that second of distraction, Ernie managed to twist from Jack's grip and shoved against Jack's sensitive side. Jack grunted and kicked landing a solid sidekick to Ernie's leg. Jack's eyes widened when this had no effect.
Jack ducked a swing from the gorilla's arms. He stepped in after Ernie's shoulder turned and thrust his elbow into the side of Ernie's neck with all of his weight behind it. Ernie grunted and staggered forward then recovered spun and smashed Jack's face with a massive fist. Jack fell dazed to his ass. Ernie grinned and leaned down to pick Jack up probably to strangle him. He looked like a strangler. Jack leaned back and lashed out with both boots. Jack hit Ernie's chest. Ernie stepped back and smiled rubbing his chest as if it was only a minor discomfort.
"Dammit, you're worse than Jabba the Hutt!" Jack muttered. He flipped to his feet and threw a side thrust kick to the outside of Ernie's right leg. This time Ernie yelled in pain. Jack was surprised by the man's speed. His eye barely saw peripheral movement then Ernie's massive hand reached up and grabbed Jack by the back his head. Ernie tried to slam the Delta into the broken shelf face first. Jack managed to brace himself with his hands. Broken glass dug into his palms like teeth gnawing away layers of flesh. Jack barely noticed it was taking all of his strength to not face plant into a mason jar of pickled eggs two inches from his face. Jack turned his face aside. He hated pickled eggs.
Jack pulled back his right-hand spinning, so his shoulder took out the eggs. Jack kept his momentum wrapping his arm around Ernie's left arm and shoved his whole weight against the elbow joint. No matter how strong a man is, joints are always breakable. Jack had a second to relish the moist snap and howl of pain before Ernie plowed his bear paw into the side of Jack's head dropping him half unconscious. Ernie followed Jack down his knee landing hard on Jack's abdomen. Jack tightened his stomach muscles and let out an ear-splitting yell to empty the air from his chest. This saved him from internal damage. Unfortunately, it also left him with no wind when Ernie reached down and grabbed Jack around the throat with his right hand.
Jack reached up scrambling to dig the fingers away from his flesh, but the man's grip was a clamp made from industrial steel. Jack tried to kick with his legs but didn't have any leverage to hurt the man kneeling on him. Jack tried to buck Ernie. Ernie lifted Jack's head by the throat then slammed him back against the floor. Everything was slowly graying out; Jack desperately scratched at the man's face. Ernie grinned and pressed harder. Jack swore he heard crunching in his throat. His arms flopped down and the circle of his vision narrowed. His heart screamed loud throbbing against the inside of his skull. Everything went black. Ten seconds later Jack opened his eyes and blinked surprised.
Ernie was fighting his strangling. The big man's back was arched, and his tongue stuck out as he tried to gurgle in air. He scratched at his throat with his one remaining mobile hand. Jack shimmied out from under the guy and grinned. Nellie had gone Princess Leia on his ass. She had her husband around his throat with his braid of hair. Nellie had a foot planted in between the man's shoulder blades and was heaving back with all she had in her. Her face was red and wet with sweat. Nellie gritted her teeth and kept up the pressure.
Ernie tried to stand and pull Nellie forward over his back. Jack stepped to the side and kicked at the man's left knee with all his power. The man gurgled louder and fell onto his stomach. Jack danced out of the way. Nellie rode him to the ground and started spewing a litany of swears and insults half in the strange mountain language the other half in English. Jack raised his eyebrow in admiration as she finished off her husband.
Mac wasn't surprised by Jack's yell and attack; he was surprised at the push that made him fall to the wooden floor. The world exploded into pain. Mac curled into a ball his arms over his abdomen. He tried to suck in air feeling suffocated by his fluid, heavy lungs. Hands grabbed him and helped him sit up. Mac fell forward coughing up a glob of frothy blood. When Mac could finally suck in air, he looked up and jumped back. Nick had dragged him to sitting then lunged in to tackle Pa. Nick managed to plow the older man into Hank. Pa's blunderbuss fired at the ceiling. Mac grimaced. That would bring in the others. He glanced over to see Jack holding his own against Ernie. Nellie was staring at the two men her face pale and frozen in an expression Mac didn't have time to decipher. Hank backed into the kitchen and knelt bringing a shotgun up aiming at Jack.
Mac's heart pounded, and he acted blindly. He stood ran two steps, pushed off the stone of the firepit and flew over the fire landing in an ungainly sprawl on top of Hank. Mac landed yelling in agony as he again fought for air. Hank rose to his knees and aimed the shotgun point blank at Mac. Mac kicked a second before the thin man pulled a trigger. Mac's ears rang. He felt splinters fly into the side of his face. He blinked and looked at Hank. Knocked off kilter Hank couldn't brace for the shotguns kick. The gun's butt slammed into the middle of his face. He shared a surprised look with Mac as his eyes crossed and he fell back blood spurting from his broken face. Mac managed to roll over and raise on his elbows panting and coughing. Everything sounded muffled. Mac gagged on more blood and shook his head trying to clear it.
Nick felt sick. Never in his life had he ever lifted a hand against anyone in anger. Nick was opposed to violence preferring to use his brain instead of brawn, but when he saw he and Mac were about to be blown away by Pa's blunderbuss he acted without thinking. He sprawled into Pa. The wiry old man was tough as corded wood. Nick swung at the man with all his desperation behind it. Nick cried out. Pa laughed unaffected. Pa grabbed Nick by the shoulder and threw double steam hammers into Nick's gut. Nick bent over losing his air. Tears ran down his face. Nick's head recoiled from a crushing blow to the left side of his head. Nick fell to his knees. He had a second to see the blood splashing on the floor under him before he was dragged to his feet by the scruff of his neck and beaten in the belly three times more then again across his face, this time the right side.
Nick's body went limp. Through blood, in his eyes and the fuzzy haze creeping across his vision, Nick saw Pa's fist drawn back, cocked like a gun ready to end him. Nick closed his eyes waiting.
"You son of a bitch!" Nellie roared over him. Nick opened his eyes in time to see Nellie smack the blunderbuss into Pa's head with all of her strength. Pa rolled away to his side. Before he could say a word Nellie slammed down into his head over and over. Nick flopped to the floorboards dazed. Everything spun around him.
A lifetime of rage powered Nellie, she dropped her dead husband and whirled to see Pa beating Nick. The blunderbuss nudged her foot. She snatched it up and screaming brought it down on Pa's head. She slammed down again and again like a butter churner. Then hands grabbed her from behind. She dropped the blunderbuss and tried to kick and gouge at her attacker. She found herself in a solid but gentle bear hug.
"Easy girl, easy you're ok, it's over…" repeated softly against her head. She finally stopped, and her knees weakened as she bent wailing with gut crushing sobs. Strong arms gently lifted her back to standing and tucked her into a fatherly hug. Jack lightly rubbed the back of the girl's head and rocked her. He glanced over to Mac who had managed to wobble to his feet and leaned against the counter. The kid looked singed, and Jack thought a light breeze would knock him over. Nellie pulled away and wiped her face with her sleeve. Her body jerked back with stuttered hiccups. Jack put a comforting hand on her shoulder and bent until he was eye to eye with her.
"You ok, sweetheart?" Nellie nodded and turned to help the bloody unmoving Nick. Jack coughed and rubbed his neck. He stooped to pick up the shotgun and fished through Hank's pockets. Jack grimaced. Three reloads.
"I guessing they heard that?" Mac said. Jack didn't like the red stain along the kid's chin. Mac was coughing up blood again. Jack stepped to the back door and peeped out. About fifty men had spilled across the rear lawn. Most carried guns, none of them looked thrilled.
"I don't think they know where the ruckus came from," Jack glanced at Mac, "but it isn't going to take them long to figure it out." On cue, the men began to gather in a group and pointed. They formed a tight group and ran toward the house.
"Aw hell," Jack muttered as he snapped the recharged gun closed. He glanced over at Mac. "Here we go again." Mac offered a weak half-smile and nodded.