Again thanks for the continued support on this short story. A lot of you quickly figured out what kind of cult this is; Ybanormlmom went as far as to point out that the Burg is kinda of its own cult in a way, which yeah. Tommy14 pointed out the dig Caruso gave Steph by using Ranger's nickname for her. Since we've established that this cult is heavily laced with racism, now we need to find out what's in store for Stephanie and if the cavalry is on its way. Also, love that many of you were quick to think of Eddie as a TPD ally. ChristinaS added that Steph doesn't sit by waiting to be rescued. Great point. It's nearly impossible for Stephanie to know if anyone has even figured out that she's missing. She's been through various kidnappings and attempts to her life. Sitting iddle is not something she's good at, even if it ends up muddying things further.
When we left Stephanie in the previous chapter, she'd managed to pull a fast one and get herself freed. She was unfortunately found out before she could slip into the woods undetected. The Merry Men on the other hand were already formulating a plan to go in search of their Bomber. Ranger's on the way...
Let me know your thoughts on the continuation to this story. There's one chapter left for this short.
Disclaimer: The Plum universe belongs to JE. Mistakes are mine.
Hal's POV
"What if this is a trap?" Lester voiced from the front passenger seat. Due to being full of too much pent up energy, and because we had no idea in what state we'd find Bomber, Bobby was behind the wheel. The dirt road ahead was bumpy, becoming narrow and hard to maneuver at times. The darkness made the headlights cast a creepy glow, giving us a dreaded wooden scenery.
As much as the men tried to protest me offering myself up to infiltrate this group of crazies, I didn't back down. Out of the men available for this op, I'm the only one that fits the bill. Mary shared that my clean cut appearance, along with my blond hair and blue eyes, made me a perfect member of the cult. In fact, Mary went on to say that I look very similar to il prescelto's right hand, Dominico. I'd rolled my eyes so hard that Stephanie would be extremely proud of at hearing Caruso calling himself as the chosen one.
"Santos." Bobby admonished, his attention still on the dark road ahead. We had several other teams zeroing on our target zone, each one coming in from a separate direction. We're driving up to a certain point and then doing the rest on foot, just like the other teams. We're going for as silent as an extraction as possible to avoid further harm Bomber's way.
We're the smallest team, coming in from the South. Our goal is to for me to infiltrate the cult, using Mary's gear as a disguise. Bobby and Lester will be our immediate backup in the nearby woods. There's a six man group that will come in a good thirty minutes behind us as an added precaution. Tank's part of the North Team. The limited cops in on this are with the West Team. East is a no go due to the swamps and rivers. Hector recruited Slick's help and will be using drones to scour the area. We've got this remote section of the Pines as covered as it can possibly be.
As soon as we were three miles out, Bobby hid our SUV as best as he could by parking it between some trees several feet from the dirt road.
Lester and Bobby were in full camo, going for a blending look. They would be like ghosts out here. Mary was still wearing her earlier outfit, jeans and long sleeved shirt. I stayed in my jeans and T-shirt look, the outfit I was going to wear to my dinner outing with Bomber. It didn't matter what I was wearing since I was fastening Mary's cloak over my clothes. I opted to keep the hood off until I neared the site.
"Ready." I said to the guys as I put my earpiece in and fastened the small night vision camera Hector handed me on the front of the cloak. This way the guys hanging back in command central would be able to guide the other teams by being their eyes and ears.
Lester and Bobby gave me curt nods before they disappeared into the dark woods around us. Because I vouched for Mary, I'm responsible for her while we're out here tonight. If she turns around to rat us out, I'll have to take the heat for that. Oh well. That's a price I'm willing to pay.
We walked for about fifteen minutes, using the full moon's lighting and Mary's knowledge of this area as guides.
"I understand your men's distrust." Mary said suddenly, walking mere steps ahead of me. "I wouldn't trust me if our roles were reversed." Her voice was so soft and so frail, that for a moment I struggled to process her words.
But before I would need to strategize without her, she made sure to clarify that she wasn't working with the cult. Not anymore. I felt that her words were sincere.
"How did you get mixed up in this?" I wondered aloud, flinching when I saw her slim form stiffen before me. Had I not caught the sudden shift, I would have plowed right into her. Crushing your guide is never a good idea.
"I've asked myself the same thing more times than I'd like to count." Was her shy response. "It's a long story. I'll tell you all about it once we get to your friend. She's the priority right now, not me."
My head snapped towards her now moving form. Something about her tone sent chills down my spine. "What are they doing to her?" Despite it being a long shot, I went for it and asked. Best to have as much intel, despite how graphic it may be. It'll be better for Stephanie if we're not walking in unprepared.
"It's a full moon tonight…" Mary said on an exhale, her breath a bit labored as we picked up the pace. "…perfect for ceremonial offerings."
The crunch of sticks and fallen leaves under my boots drowned out a portion of her response. I didn't have to be a genius to grasp the missing pieces. This sick cult is very likely going to sacrifice Stephanie. Or worse, mentally scar her for life!
We trekked through the rest of our dark unmarked path in the woods, silence reigning. I was focused on getting in, finding Stephanie and getting her out of there. Preferably undetected and with her unharmed. There was a good chance that it wasn't going to be a possibility, but…
Snap out of it, Hal! I ordered myself, chasing away my negative thoughts because no other outcome would be acceptable. Stephanie has to be alright. I refused to believe that we were too late this time.
"This is as far as I can go." Mary said twenty minutes later. She gave me instructions of what I would likely find once I made it out of the maze of pines.
A clearing became visible up ahead thanks to various light sources. I could smell wood burning, the flames casting dancing shadows all around me.
This is it. It's showtime!
I worked to blend in as seamlessly as possible considering that I was a lot bigger than Mary. The cloak reached the other figures at the ankles, whereas mine was at shin level. My head was covered by the hood, so I trusted the process. This isn't over until it's over.
Over twenty figures milled about as two others tied someone to a pole up front. The oval clearing was most likely man made, with a stone circle around the pole. There was a big fire pit behind the pole, no doubt casting heat towards the captive.
Small combat boots and cargo pants told me that the person tied to the pole had to be Stephanie. That's Rangeman issued gear.
Caruso emerged from the shadows behind her as everyone began a chant, forcing me to divide my attention to those around me.
As the chanting of something that I couldn't quite understand continued, a figure bumped into my chest. I swallowed, not wanting to lose my cover this early on. The person turned slowly, facing me but I couldn't see their face. My grunt got the figure moving out of my way, thankfully, so I moved forward to get a better scope of the place.
I was busy taking in everything and everyone around me, when a collective gasp resounded everywhere. Caruso yanked the face covering off of Stephanie, except it wasn't Stephanie. The woman tied to the pole was not Bomber. Shock was palpable in the atmosphere.
Caruso let out a bellowing scream, obviously pissed off that his plan has gone to shit.
"Don't just stand there! Get her!" Caruso ordered, pointing behind us.
The figure that had bumped into me turned, weaving through trees to make a speedy escape as the hood fell off. The peek I caught of brown curls pulled a smile out of me. Bomber never disappoints!
I reached for the device in my pocket, to signify to the team that all hell had broken lose. It wasn't a good time to descend on us, not when everyone had scattered into the woods.
My boots hit the dirt ground heavily. I'd lost sight of Stephanie almost instantly. She was definitely hauling ass. I don't think I've ever seen her run so fast. I'll tell her how proud I am after we put this behind us, even if I dislike how far in the dust she's left us all.
S&R
Stephanie's POV
I woud have preferred to have been able to slip into the woods undetected. Beggers can't be chooseres they say, so I'll take whatever shot at freedom I have.
My legs and chest burned as I ran faster than I'd ever thought I could possibly run. The terrain was very uneven, which makes this an even more amazing feat for me.
Taking off the cloak crossed my mind briefly, but I quickly scrapped it. I'll become an even more obvious target running around looking very different to the rest of the members of this sick group.
There was no chance for me to catch my breath, so I kept going. I could hear various people all around me, searching for me. Every now and then I caught glimpses of their torches and flashlights.
Maybe all the hits to my head were catching up to me, or perhaps it was the fact that I'd overexerted myself... I suddenly found it hard to breathe. But not even that would stop me. I had to keep moving, and move I did.
It was hard to know how long I'd been running through the woods when I felt the cape of my cloak snag on a branch, halting my movements in the span of a second. My hand blindly reached for the strings around my neck, fumbling with the knot so that I could breathe once again. Uncontrollable coughs escaped as I managed to free myself from the snagged fabric. Because I had to keep moving, I did. I felt lightheaded after having the air rush out of my lungs, my throat tender from the fabric choking me, yet I forged on.
There was a weird shift in the night suddenly. I momentarily thought that I was about to pass out due to the weird reddish glow that was cast over the night. Looking up, I saw that the moon was no longer it's usual silverish white color. In it's place, there was a bright red moon. As my feet kept me moving, I remembered that my niece Angie had called it a Blood Moon. Ignoring the fascinating lunar eclipse was easy as I noted the nearing footsteps headed my way. It felt like they were coming at me from every direction.
Keeping myself moving was my only option and I did just that. I continued to run, going as fast as the terrain and partial darkness allowed me to.
Just when I thought I was in the clear, I heard heavy puffs of air off to my left. Something big was rushing towards me from that direction. I could feel the vibrations on the ground. Whatever was headed my way was massive and inhuman.
Shit.
The last thing I needed was to cross paths with wild life form the Pine Barrens.
Being forced to change paths, I darted to my right and focused on putting as much distance between me and whatever fauna had joined the chase.
The eclipse cast a red glow over everything, adding a creepier vibe to the atmosphere as I ran some more.
The uneven landscape eventually billed me for my audacity. How dare I dart through the woods, thinking that I was invinsible? Nature kicked my ass before Caruso and his people could. My left foot faltered when it landed on a slippery slope. The crunch I heard and the pain that seared my left ankle was enough of a heads up. My right knee hit the wet ground as I clamped my hands over my mouth to keep myself from screaming. Pain seared my foot as I choked down my sobs. Calling attention to myself was a no-no.
Biting my lower lip, I stood with the intent to continue moving forward. "AH!" My teeth sunk into my lower lip so I wouldn't scream louder. My small yelp burst out, dying as quickly as it came out. I quickly discovred that I couldn't put weight on my left foot. I was screwed.
As I listened closely, I could feel the thundering of running bodies headed my way. Something big was zeroing in on my left, what sounded like an army was closing in behind me and I could hear voices off to my right. Before me, the sound of moving water hinted that I was effectively trapped.
I had to pick the lesser of all evils.
In the end, I chose to go into the water. I could no longer run, but I could swim.
At least, I hoped I could.