Boomer huffed impatiently at her feet, bored and ready for his late breakfast. His two-legged companion promised food after some task, which he thought was wholly unjustified. Since when did he need to help for his meal ticket? One thing was for sure, he wasn't above expressing his displeasure.
"Do you have eyes on the alarm?" Avery inquired over the radio. Her and Boomer stood near the perimeter watching the outpost for unusual activity.
The blue heeler huffed again, earning a dry glare from his handler before she mouthed the word 'really?'.
"I see one clearly, but the other is behind the garage," Grace replied through the device.
"Alright, try to find another crash point then."
The radio went silent. Avery used the lull to readjust the shoulder strap of her rifle which dug into her wounded collarbone. Marching in place for moment, she tried to keep her body loose while she waited for Grace to move to the new location.
After another moment, the voice returned over the radio, heavy with hesitancy. "Hey, I'm not sure what 'crash point' is."
"Oh… Sorry," Avery responded, forgetting she was working with civilians. "I meant find another spot where you can see both alarms."
"There're no other spots I can use. There's one other location I know of, but I've never shot that distance before. That's why I picked this one."
Avery scowled. The plan was already starting to show trouble. Having only agreed to it so she could minimize the damage and keep it clean, it didn't set well to leave one alarm out of reach for the team. Especially when it also provided cover for the peggies to activate.
Tapping the antenna of the receiver on her shoulder, she toyed with the different options she had; prioritizing where she needed to be and what was most important.
Grace came back on the line to offer another suggestion. "I can take out the first and, if you keep them distracted, I'll make my way to a different vantage point to take out the second."
"Yeah, and how long will that take you, though?" asked another teammate, Ian, from over the radio.
"I need… two, maybe three minutes?"
Three-minute fire fight with an alarm just waiting to be pulled… Those odds were not encouraging.
"That's not an option. Are you sure there's only one other location?" Avery pressed again.
"I checked everything yesterday, Deputy. Trust me. There's only one other spot and it's a long distance."
That settled it.
"I'm coming to you."
"Wait, are you two switching roles?" the fourth teammate questioned, voice laced with apprehension.
"No. I'm going to spot for Grace. We'll head to the second location and you two will hold your positions until I give the word."
"Are you still leading the ground attack."
"Yes. Just stay where you're at and keep the channel silent unless you see people coming up the roads."
Avery clipped the radio to her belt and picked up her rifle that hung against her hip. Boomer jumped to his feet and heeled into position, eager to get the task out of the way. Cautiously, she picked through the shrubs and grass, keeping her body hunched over and low to meet the natural cover. She wasn't close enough to be obviously visible, but a diligent watchman would be able to pick her out along the tree line by the movement.
The auto shop outpost was in a convenient location for her and Grace who had the high ground. Nestled within a crevice of some hillsides, it also allowed cover for the peggies who only needed to focus on one entrance. The difficulty Avery's team faced was that although they had the ability to see from above, the buildings, rock outcroppings, and trees obstructed their view of enemies which offered the enemy prime cover.
As Avery and Boomer picked their way through the terrain to the northwest end of the outpost, she kept an eye on any possible locations to shoot the alarms. Coming up to a larger tree, Avery crouched down and pulled out her binoculars. There were six people patrolling that she counted since she left her position on the east side of the compound. A doable number, if it wasn't for the fact that she knew more lurked unseen.
The problem she had was that the alarms were on two opposite sides of the main garage and further obstructed by metal shells of long dead vehicles left for scraps. Even at ground level, she would have a difficult time getting to both alarms within seconds.
So far, what Grace had said was correct. There wasn't another spot to get both alarms unless she was higher on the hillside. Despite the confidence Avery presented by saying she would spot for her sniper companion; it was not entirely true. While she had some experience spotting, it had been years since she had done the equations. Not to mention she didn't have the right rangefinder scope to determine the drop of the bullet, particularly when shooting downhill.
Her second plan had included her positioning on one side of the outpost to get the alarm that Grace could not. The only issue with that was a shed or large scrap metal that were in the way of her shot. In that instance, being on the hill was a disadvantage.
Sighing, she returned the binoculars to her bag and glanced at Boomer.
"May need a different plan after all."
Gathering her rifle once more, she took to the last azimuth to reach Grace's location. The hillsides, being at lower altitude, offered golden grasses that reached to her knees. A strange image came to mind of a person walking through fields of grass with their hands out, as if the nature they found themselves in was a breathtaking place in the world. For Avery, it was the complete opposite.
Summer heat meeting the valley grass caused it to dry and go into seed. The same seeds that attached to her pants and Boomer's grey coat. The worst of it was that no matter how long her pants were, the poking, irritating seeds always managed to get into her socks; scratching and itching repetitively until she finally gave in to peel the seeds out from the fibers.
Regrettably, Avery would not have the chance to rid herself of it until after the compound was taken.
The thought caused her to grumble under her breath as she finally reached Grace's set location. The sniper lay just behind two fir trees with exposed rock below the muzzle of her rifle, no bothersome grass to hinder her view. Peeking her head from the scope, Grace nodded to her and Boomer while Avery crouched at her side.
"Hey. Did you have any luck finding another spot?" Grace asked, knowing Avery would have been looking on her way.
"No, you were right. It's a tricky target."
Smirking, Grace reached to pet Boomer who panted lightly. "Told you."
"Yeah, yeah."
"So, do you want to head further up then?"
Avery frowned and looked back to the compound below, then to the main roads where Ian and Tim were hiding, keeping watchful eyes for any further reinforcements.
"No. As much as I would like to do that, I can't say I'm really prepared to direct your shots…" Then as an afterthought, she made a face and added, "plus that would leave the guys on the ground with an outpost full of trigger happy Peggies looking for someone responsible. It would be a mad dash through that hillside and I'm not looking to bust my ass on the way down."
Grace snickered at that. "You're right. You'd be doing the Project a favor taking yourself out for them. Not to mention it would ruin your reputation, for sure."
"You're so encouraging today, Grace," Avery commented, sarcasm dripping off her words.
Grace's smile only broadened. "If you went rolling down that hill, I bet John would find it hilarious after you escaped him."
Fixing her with a dry glare, Avery retorted, "By the sounds of it, you would too. I didn't know I sided with a villain this morning."
"Call me what you want, but a true friend would laugh."
Avery snorted but a curve of her lips showed it was all in good humor. "Alright, we need to focus. I got real villains I need to meet with later. New plan. I'll get onto the grounds first before you take out the alarm."
"…. Well, that sounds… stupid."
"Geez, tell me how you really feel, Grace."
"Alright," she conceited while propping herself further on her elbows to address Avery. "I think that—"
"It was rhetorical. I don't want to hear it."
"The whole point of your plan was to take out the alarms first—"
"And you're ignoring me—"
"-before going on the grounds to handle the peggies. If something happens to you or you're pinned down and can't get the alarm, then we're pretty much screwed. We don't want reinforcements showing up and over running us. There's only four of us, just to remind you, and two of them are watching the roads. They take you out, then I'm on a hillside with just a sniper rifle and the other two are left to fend for themselves. If convoys of peggies start showing up, they won't be enough to keep 'em back. We'll be trying to recover you while escaping with our lives at that point."
"Are you finished?"
"I'm sure I have more to say, but I'll wait."
"Good."
Avery reached down to pet Boomer who was stomping a paw in the dirt to get her attention. Pulling out a biscuit, she gave it to him if only to appease his impatience for a little longer.
"I'm sneaking onto the grounds just enough to see that alarm. You'll stay here and take out the other once I give the go-ahead. Both alarms will be out of commission and then you can focus on the peggies that I can't see. Me being on the grounds with them will make me a target once they realize where I'm at. But on the bright side, they won't expect me to be on the property with them right away."
"As long as you can get in without anyone noticing. If someone sees you, then it'll be a fight to take out your alarm and not get shot in the process," Grace reminded.
"You underestimate me, Grace. My small size makes me perfect for sneaking in." A curve of Avery's lips told of a hidden joke somewhere in there.
Grace still looked skeptical but didn't press. "Alright. And your cue for me is…."
"I'll let you know over the radio. I want your sights on the alarm when it's time."
"Better let the guys know then. They seem a little jumpy for being the bravest to volunteer this morning."
Avery was already reaching for her radio when Grace turned back to check the world in her scope.
"Give them a little slack. I doubt they've been in a real gunfight before."
"Mhm."
Clicking the button, she called out to her other teammates. "We decided on a new plan. Grace will stay here to take out one alarm. I'm going to make my way in until I'm in position to get the second one. When I give the signal, we'll take them out and the fight will start. You two will just need to watch for people coming and leaving the area."
"Wait, when you say "in", that means you found another spot to take the second alarm out?" asked Ian.
"Yup," Grace answered over her own radio before Avery. "The Dep's brilliant idea is to sneak on the grounds and disarm it."
"What?"
"Wait-wait, doesn't that defeat the purpose of this plan? Aren't the alarms the first to go so no one even realizes what's happening and tries to pull it?" Tim inputted.
Avery pressed the button of her radio to ease their concerns, "Listen, I have a plan—"
But her voice was drowned out by Ian on the line, already using the channel and rendering her mute. "If they see you before you get in position then the whole plan could be finished."
"Sneaking in for me is nothing new, you guys—," she tried but Tim was already speaking over her, beating her to the comms button.
"I'm a good shot but that's just from hunting. I've never been in a real fight before, and I don't know what to do if something happens to you, Deputy."
As soon as he finished his sentence, Avery tried to get on the channel again, but Ian's voice returned once more to express his worries.
The officer tilted her head back to the sky in exasperation when the sound of snickering pulled her attention to the sniper, watching in pure amusement at Avery's struggle.
"This is your fault," Avery pointed with the antenna.
"They're a jumpy bunch," Grace shrugged, turning back to the scope to check the outpost. "Not my fault they share my fears."
"If you have a better plan then I'll hear it, but it doesn't mean I'm going to follow through."
"I don't. The only thing to make this better is to have brought more people. Having you go in on your own against so many doesn't sit right. Even if you've taken one outpost on your own, it still makes me nervous."
"Extra people would've been more for me to watch," she muttered to herself. Shifting her rifle strap on her shoulder, she realized that the men had quieted down and were now waiting for her to address them.
"Your concerns have been noted, but it wasn't really meant for a discussion. I'm going to head down, so keep the channel clear and expect action within the next ten minutes or so."
"But what if something happens to you?"
"Grace will keep you guys informed. Now keep the channel clear," Avery repeated.
"… Alright, just be careful, Dep," they finally conceded.
Clipping the radio back to her belt, she turned the dial as low as it would go while still staying on.
Looking up, Avery met Grace's gaze and offered an easy smile. "Relax. I got this covered."
"You know, doing this at night might be a better option."
"No. I'm not holding off another day here. I'm going to Whitetail Mountains one way or another."
"That won't be a problem. As long as we get it done before midnight, you'd still be leaving the valley today," Grace said smartly.
"Clever, but no."
"You're too damn stubborn," Grace deadpanned, irritation starting to show.
Avery knew she was steamrolling her team with the new strategy, and she fully expected that they would be harboring their own frustrations with her. Then again, she really didn't have much to work with. The plan was thrust upon her 12 hours prior, no real strategy involved nor meeting with others to chisel out a strong proposal. She wanted to leave as soon as possible to get her last teammate out of the Seed's hold, and was feeling extra pressure to keep Tim, Ian, and Grace unharmed with the compound mission. The luxury of time and training was against her from the start.
As rude as it was, they would just have to get over their bitterness at being ignored.
"Keep Boomer up here. He'll watch your back in case someone tries to come up from behind."
"Wait-That's where I draw the line. You need Boomer more than me—"
"I'll be distracted with him at my side. If he had combat training, it would be different."
Grace didn't look convinced and opened her mouth to argue. Avery shook her head, feeling her face drop at the topic being brought up.
"I'm not asking for your permission. I've got work to do and I'm not going to put him in a position to get hurt. Not him or any of you."
Realization seemed to still Grace's temper and her gaze softened. Propping herself on her elbows once more, she patted Boomer's grey fur. "You're taking unnecessary risk when we all volunteered knowing what was being asked."
"Maybe if I wasn't being forced into this, I would feel different, but the circumstances are as they are." Shrugging, Avery stood up and looked down the hill, deciding to head down towards the road rather than retrace her steps.
"Before you go…"
Avery turned back to hear what Grace had to say. The sniper was in a sitting position now, her back to the fir tree that offered cover while she continued to stroked Boomer's coat.
"I'm glad you're back and safe after what happened with John. I can tell there's some tension with you and Pastor, but I want you to know that I'm here to help you with anything. Even if you need help up north, feel free to let me know."
It was an unexpected turn of topic, but the curve of Avery's lips showed she was touched by it.
"Thanks, Grace. It means a lot."
"Sure," she nodded with a small smile of her own. She lifted her free hand and pointed to a patch of trees about 50 feet away. "Do you see the cluster of four trees separated by the others?"
Following her direction, Avery nodded.
"Go between them and you'll see a game trail that'll take you down the hill. A shortcut, at least."
"Well, that makes it easy then."
"It's a little steep, so don't fall on your ass," Grace chuckled. "Good luck."
8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/
Avery soon found herself at the back of the compound, having discovered a second game trail around the side of the hill. The tall fir trees and understory shrubs offered ideal cover from any patrolling peggies that would notice an enemy so close to the outpost.
At one point, she thought someone saw her when they did a double take with rifle at the low ready. She stilled in the shadow of a tree, her breath held in her throat while heartbeat pounded against her chest erratically. The guard scanned the hillside, searching for what drew his attention with heavy scrutiny. All the Deputy could do was curse in her mind, a mantra that promised a mad scramble through a flurry of bullets if his gaze landed on her. Seconds ticked by before the man turned back to his route, ignoring his instinct that told him something was off.
With a heavy exhale, Avery took her time after that to reach a desired entry point.
Now she stood on flat, even ground, facing the back of the garage. One alarm was visible but too far for her to chance a shot with her M4 rifle. She would need to tread deeper into the property to be successful.
Before doing so, she scanned the grounds, taking in everything she could before she committed to the firefight minutes away. Outside the auto shop fence, or more specifically, plywood walls, lay carcasses of old vehicles; a mix of pick-up trucks, 50 and 60's model cars, some flatted, others rusted with paint chipping away. A school bus lingered off to the right, its front tires flattened long ago, causing the nose to shovel into the dirt while tall grass blocked the grill and headlights.
The plywood fencing looked make-shift, likely erected shortly after the Peggies had acquired the property from its original owner. A couple "Beware of Dog" and "Keep Out" signs were stapled to the face of the entry points. Beyond the fence lay more flattened metal heaps of cars stacked on top of another parallel to a large, fern green shipping container. Just past that was the main garage, a stark grey metal building, adorned with a sun-bleached Project flag on the tin roof.
A peggy stood at the peak of the roof near the alarm that Grace was likely focused on at that moment. Another patrol paced near the shipping container, halfway between her hiding spot and her targeted alarm. Many more enemy lurked inside the buildings and between the metal crevices of the yard, but only the two were visible to the deputy.
The familiar tingling pulled at her chest and into her stomach, everything feeling lighter and heavier with each breath like the liquid shifting inside a lava lamp. She swallowed.
The anticipation was starting to trigger heart racing adrenaline.
Switching between her weapons, she charged her handgun and rifle, preparing to alter between them once the fighting started. Rolling up the sleeves of her hoody, she reset the radio to her left side so it wouldn't catch on the rifle. She dropped her bag to the trunk of the tree, the grass swallowing it from view. The backpack, while had important gear, would hinder the attacks and slow her down. With the extra weight off, she fastened an old fixed-blade survival knife to the belt at an angle, readily accessible on her lower back. A spare blade was strapped to her lower calf. The pistol and knives were more ideal for close combat, which was her goal. The rifle would serve as a backup. If she did it right, she wouldn't need to use it.
Taking a deep breath, her hand pulled the pistol from the holster and flicked the safety switch with her thumb.
Eyes flitting from one enemy to the next, to make sure neither were scanning in her direction, the deputy darted to the silver truck before peeking through the smudged diver window. The movement from the patrolman on the ground shifted across the dusty view, like a mirage shimmering but never in focus.
The new angle she was at allowed more visuals beyond the plywood walls on the left side, still filled with unremarkable scrap metal. Another enemy's head was momentarily noticeable over the top of a pyramid of barrels, a comfortable distance away. Unless he changed his route to the back of the property, he would be fine to leave until she dealt with the other two peggies.
But that was what made fire fights difficult. It was a constant moving and shifting environment. She could spend weeks learning patterns and routes, yet executing the plan would always end with different results then intended. The enemy reacted. They were not robotic in nature, set to a routine regardless of interruption. The variables increased with every man added against her.
Therefore, she only noted where people were located. The largest threats. The closest targets. If she worried about the many left unseen, she would be overwhelmed.
Above her, she could hear the preaching of John's recording playing over the speakers. A helpful distraction.
Grabbing her radio, Avery called to Grace. "Do you have your site on that alarm?"
She had to pull the receiver to her ear to listen to the quiet response.
"Yeah, Dep. I got it."
"Alright. Take it out when you hear shooting start down here."
"I won't be able to tell the difference between your gunshots or theirs, though."
"Won't matter. Once you hear it, just take out the alarm."
There was a pause on Grace's end, as if she wanted to express her dislike for the plan again. But in the end, she accepted and responded. "Copy."
Avery hooked the radio to the back of her left hip and refocused on the enemy lurking beyond the truck.
Fast and deliberate. The longer a close combat fight went, the more your chances became for losing.
If she didn't kill them mercifully, she would need to knock them out. Then it wasn't her problem anymore. She doubt Ian or Tim would be eager to pull the trigger on them, and Grace had no desire to take out those who weren't a threat.
She could do that. And if a kid waited somewhere in the area, she would knock them out too. No matter what Jerome or Whitehorse pushed for, a kid was not a life she would take, even if they were in their late teens.
Sucking in a lung full of air, Avery readied herself.
"John's going to fucking love this," she murmured dryly, checking for unwanted attention toward her direction.
Clear; the deputy sprinted to a shipping container where a peggy was scouting around. Shoving her boots on the corner pegs, she hauled herself and gear up the side, careful to keep her rifle from swinging into the metal cladding. Hunched low and with long, light strides, careful to land on the balls of her feet, Avery reached the corner with a prime view of her first target.
But she was out in the open now. The man on the roof only needed to turn his head to see her ready to pounce.
She wasted no time.
Finger off the trigger, the deputy launched off the container, feet first into the man below who noticed too late what was happening. By the time her legs sunk into him, the man's cry was locked in his throat and turned to a harsh grunt from the impact. Both landed on the ground, but one fluid kick to his jaw knocked him unconscious.
She couldn't stop. Now she was in view of more than just the roof top scout. Stepping back, she grabbed the man's ankles and heaved him a few feet backwards. Just enough to where he wasn't in immediate view of others.
Avery peaked around the corner of the conex to judge the next move.
The alarm was 30 feet to her left, but a peggy was coming around her flank in half that distance. Like every fire fight, instinct took over reasoning and she darted into the garage for cover, abandoning the alarm to avoid being found. Being within their outpost boundaries, she was strongly in favor of stealthily taking more enemy out before they realized what was happening.
There was more control that way.
As she slid into the slick, treated concrete floors of the garage, it became apparent that it was not empty. Inside the tin walled office was an enemy working on untightening an object with a wrench.
He was her next, unfortunate target. Mild threat now but that could change if he turned that wrench against her.
Crouched low, still moving, she crept to the bottom of the window as fast as she dared. The hydraulic vehicle lifts and tower of tires she passed now offered some obstacles; in case someone happened to look at the entrance she came from and see her.
But Avery didn't think about enemy lurking behind, possibly lining their sites on her back; she focused on what was in front of her. Reaching the window, the Deputy dropped to her knees and ducked her head when she realized how close the man actually was above her. She refused to give him the opportunity to look down and spot her first.
She holstered her pistol; afraid it would go off if the next move didn't work. Planting the balls of her feet beneath her, Avery shot up to full height, and wrapped her arms around the man's head and neck, bringing him into a full hug against her shoulder. Ignoring the long, scruffy hair against her face, Avery planted her feet flat on the ground and gave a massive heave backwards, pulling the larger bulk from the room and into the main garage.
He gave a surprised cry in the sudden, swift attack, too fluid for him to register what was happening. Once he hit the ground, Avery stumbled a couple steps, releasing her victim before regrouping and grabbing his shirt and hair. With a solid shove into the wall, the man's head bounce back from the impact, but he was still conscious.
A surge of panic.
Avery gripped the edge of the window and kneed him in the face, successfully knocking him out on the second attempt.
Threat neutralized; the deputy's attention jumped to the entrance of the garage beyond the hydraulic lifts. No unwanted awareness was triggered yet.
Returning to the opened doorway, she spotted the first unconscious victim of the morning, still lying undiscovered near the shipping container.
The last man took more than a hit to knock out. She couldn't afford to keep taking out the peggies like that. One of them was bound to be able to overpower her or worse, someone could wake up.
Opting for her knife, her attention fell on the man between her and the alarm. He strolled beside a large crate of what she suspected were car parts with a rifle at the low ready. The deputy sprinted to the opposite side of the wooden box, fully aware that she didn't know where the other outside scouts were located.
But she couldn't think about that. This was her next chess move to take out a pawn.
Clambering up the crate, she took two strides across it and dropped down onto the man, knife gliding straight through vertebrae at the base of his skull with her momentum. He dropped instantly. Gravity and brain function no longer working against each other.
But she didn't linger on it.
Spinning around, still in a crouched position, her eyes scanned the area immediately. Movement across from her; along the covered outdoor workshop attached to the left of main garage. The next target worked on something near a barrel, unsuspecting of the Deputy nearby.
The alarm! her mind screamed, but she was already in motion of hunting the next danger. Once a gunshot went off, that small, insignificant corner of the world she found herself in would erupt into chaos.
She didn't want to deal with chaos.
As she sidled through the carport, she paused along a rusted, red-faced toolbox. Only feet away was her target, but her current location offered a view of two more threats in the area.
Committed already, she slinked closer to the barrel the man sat against, humming a tune unaware of the danger now inches away. Avery repeated the process, knife going straight through the vertebrae of the neck, lower than she intended but still severing brain functions instantly.
Shit, pay attention, she cursed.
If she went any lower, she may have been lucky in paralyzing him, but still only wound him. That would certainly alert others and make the man's death painful and drawn out.
If possible, she had to avoid that. For her own sanity.
Before she could dwell on it further, one of the other men she noticed earlier came around the corner. He paused as both made eye contact and realization dawned on his widening expression.
Instinct and panic took over before a cognitive thought could even form. Her hand holding the knife wield back, then rocketed forward, releasing it before the blade lodged right into the man's face; all before the muzzle of his rifle could rise enough in her direction or a cry could leave his lips.
There wasn't even a split second of time for her to realize how lucky she was the knife actually landed when a shout to her right broke through the ramblings of John on the radio.
More shouting followed, like an echo chamber as peggies from across the compound informed each other that something was wrong.
Avery lunged away from the carport and returned to the back of the garage.
Alarm, Alarm, Alarm!
Raising her hand when the yellow box with the green beacon glowing came to view, Avery wondered just when she had unholstered her pistol. Her body was moving on its own, second nature and years of training taking over.
She thought she'd be used to it by now, yet it always surprised her.
Shooting the target as she sprinted past, there was a reward of sparks and shrapnel splintering the air that she flinched away from. The deputy barely registered the percussion of the distant rifle barking and a second impact on the other side.
Good shot, Grace.
There was no doubt it hit the intended alarm.
Stealth no longer on the table and alarms mute, Avery plunged through the garage to meet the enemy on the opposite side. A truck was parked at the other entrance, providing ideal cover as she sidled up near the tailgate. The peggy's back was to her, the white, long-sleeve shirt a mark.
Pistol at the ready, she fired a shot into his mass, watching as the bulk of the man crumpled to the ground.
An office was immediately to her right, wooden paneling and blue door, just waiting to be kicked in.
Avery obliged.
The door swung open; she pied the corners. Clear.
Dropping beneath a window to the right, she peered out with the pistol, just as a peggy came running around a heap of steel automobiles. She fired a shot but missed. The man disappeared from view.
Shit.
He knew she was in the building!
She dove for the door, determined to meet him head on then allow him to corner her in the small office. Opening it, she fired a blind shot, the bullet soring well above his head, but he ducked, nonetheless.
Circling, he ran around the side, once more out of sight and trying to flank her.
But he didn't account for her to follow.
There was no way she was sticking inside the office.
Rules of a fire fight… Never run up, always go down. And if you stop moving, you're dead.
So, she followed.
The man, not expecting it, was planted beneath another window, preparing to open fire inside and catch her unaware. She didn't give him a chance as she shot him from behind.
A rifle report echoed.
Spinning, Avery witnessed the man on the garage roof drop his rifle that had been aimed at her back, followed by his lifeless body connecting with the metal sheeting of the roof and sliding off. His corpse landed with a resonant thud against the bare ground.
Another rifle barked, following by the high crack of air splitting nearby.
Instinctively, Avery dropped.
A second shot pierced the space around her, hitting a barrel on her right.
The radio on her hip murmured but was unreadable. Unstrapping it from the belt, Avery held it to her face as another gunshot split by her.
"…Can you hear me? I said I can't see him. The bastard's behind the building," Grace expounded, adrenaline heavy in her words.
Not responding, Avery switched the dial up on the volume. She sent two rounds down range toward the last peggy, only to receive two more, closer than the previous shots.
Keep talking, Grace… Avery pleaded.
The deputy set the radio next to the crate she was behind and retraced her steps towards the door of the office, mindful to stay hidden from view.
She could hear Grace giving updates on the man, meaning the target could hear as well. It did good to encourage him that he was safe right where he was located. Make him not want to move.
Reaching the door, she pushed it in, the splinters of the door handle offering no resistance as she slinked inside. Staying low, she trotted to the far window, lifting her head just enough to see the man reloading his rifle behind an old 50's model car.
Poor sap. Should have just run away when he realized he was the last one.
Bringing up her pistol, Avery lined the sites with the man. And fired.
8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8
Grace was no stranger to fire fights. After months of dealing with the Project and protecting her home, she found herself becoming more comfortable than she wanted to admit.
Being a sniper had its perks. Not being in the vicinity of immediate threats. No close combat. Easier to distance herself emotionally.
In her world, looking down on the auto outpost, she could see it all. She imagined it was the closest thing to what God must witness. Acts being performed through a small window yet magnified to witness details and emotions upon the faces of those under scrutiny.
Grace witnessed it all.
The entire ordeal only lasted maybe 8 minutes after the deputy last spoke over the radio. Then Avery went to work.
And work she did.
While Grace situated the rifle so it was aimed at her designated alarm, she used binoculars from her pack to watch Avery sneak into the compound and take out the security. When the officer first climbed the conex container and ran across it, Grace was certain that the peggy would hear the thumping of her boots hitting the metal roof. But the speakers with John's voice must have covered it up enough for Avery to-literally- get the jump on the target.
From there on, she didn't waste time taking out the others, dashing from cover to cover, handling one threat within seconds before moving on to the next. Each killing blow carefully placed, knives hitting vitals instantly, her shots fatal. The deputy didn't even watch the bodies fall to make certain they were incapacitated.
She just knew.
The radio static scratched through the speaker as a familiar voice spoke. The unexpected interruption pulled Grace from her thoughts.
"What's everyone's status? Is everybody alright?"
"We heard the gunshots… is it over already?" Ian questioned.
"Should be. Give me five minutes before you head over here. I need to make sure no one else is hiding…. Grace, have you seen anything sketchy from where you're at?"
Instead of answering right away, Grace did one more scan of the area, noting the bodies that still lay where they last fell. Satisfied, she brought up her radio to respond.
"It looks quiet from where I'm at."
"Good. I'll let you guys know once I finish clearing it."
The radio went silent once more, but Grace didn't return it to its place. Next to her, Boomer watched, ears swiveling, and head tilted. Waiting for commands or a treat; she wasn't sure which.
"Your friend will be back soon. Just a few more minutes, pup," Grace reassured absently.
His tail thumped in response, but Grace paid no mind as she looked back to the radio. Getting into a full seated position, she switched the channel to one that the others were not using.
"Jerome. It's Grace."
A couple seconds passed, before her call was answered.
"Grace. How did it go?"
"It's done. The outpost is being cleared now and everyone is safe."
"Praise the Lord. I'm glad to hear that." There was a pause. One that was too short for Grace's liking as she knew what was coming.
"And," Jerome began, "did you get a solid census on our deputy?"
Grace hesitated to answer.
Earlier that morning, before Joey arrived in front of the bar and they got into an argument, Jerome had approached her.
He was concerned with the Deputy, in more aspects than one. When he expressed his worry, she had assumed it was for the officer's well being after her time in John's… care.
But that wasn't exactly the case.
Jerome briefly summarized his interaction with Avery the evening prior, adding in her affronted behavior, defensive questionings, and determination to leave the region. The latter was to be expected since she wanted to free her last teammate from the Seeds. However, Jerome's concern revolved more around that particular Seed sibling Avery was about to encounter next.
In an attempt to calm his worry, Grace tried to pull together an explanation for the deputy's behavior.
"We can't imagine what it was like to be prisoned by John. Especially when the Seeds are so pissed with her. It's not like she hasn't been causing them more trouble the past few weeks and messing up their plans," she attempted to soothe the Pastor's scrutiny, however the frown that was fixed showed it did little to ease it. "You know John tries to twist things in his favor. He manipulates people and has a horrible temper. We don't know what she went through. Plus, she spent all day escaping him and his followers. I'm sure she's just stressed and tired."
"But you know what'll happen if Jacob gets to her. If he manages to—"
"He won't. She's stronger than that."
Pastor Jerome's expression softened, like one would explain to a child that all the positive, naive thoughts could not save them from reality. "If he manages to turn her against us, we'll be in trouble. I know you two are close. And that's good. But what do you think will happen if she's sent after us?"
"… If that happens, we'll figure it out then. But I really think you're worrying over nothing."
"Maybe." He lifted his glasses and wiped under his eye before setting the rims across the bridge of his nose. "I want you to watch her closely today and report back to me."
"What? You've got to be—"
"Grace. I'm not asking. I want you to watch her. Just think of it as… a precaution."
"I think it's a waste of time, personally."
Jerome chuckled, but it sounded forced, even to her. "Perhaps it is. One can only hope. But it's my responsibility to keep people safe. Even if that's looking to silly what-ifs. Watch what she does. Her skills. Any patterns." He fixed her with a stern gaze. "Evaluate her as if she was already a threat. If it's something that could harm us, if she turns, we need to be proactive."
"… Proactive… how?"
"By only allowing a fraction of a window for her to help her comrade. If she cannot retrieve him in a given time, we'll find a way to get her from that region. I can put in a favor with Eli to keep an eye on her."
"Eli has other things to worry about."
"He would agree that this takes priority. But I will need your report to pass along."
Before Grace could reply, volunteers had started to file along the sidewalk, ending the hushed conversation between them.
Even now, witnessing all she had, Grace felt constricted. There was justification to Jerome's worry. No matter how much the sniper wanted to argue otherwise, Avery's skills could be a threat to them. On the other hand, Avery was her friend. Someone she had grown close to in a short amount of time. Secretly reporting about the danger that the Deputy posed to someone they trusted, even if argued with, was not her idea of a friendly chore.
If it was her in the position, Grace would feel hurt over the distrust and secrecy. Avery would be no different, if she found out.
"Grace…. The census?" the Pastor probed after not getting an answer.
The sniper battled with her next move, debating on telling the truth or glazing over Avery's skills. If she went with the latter, and Jacob did turn her against them, then she inadvertently put everyone at risk. But if she did explain the details to Jerome, and Avery found out, or worse—they interfered with her getting her friend back, Grace would lose a close friend, and you could be certain they wouldn't receive any further help from the officer either.
"It… It was hard to gage accurately. She took out one alarm while I got the other. And she managed to take out most of the peggies on the ground."
"Alone?"
"I mean, I would like to think me taking out some on the roof and giving information on those out of sight was helpful…"
"Grace."
The sniper sighed. "Yeah, she took them out herself with minimal help."
"That's two outposts on her own. If that doesn't tell you how much of a threat to us she is, then what else do you need?"
"Now that's unfair. You wanted her to do this."
"I don't want her to be used against us."
"No one wants that, though. She doesn't want that." Grace was beginning to get frustrated with the Pastor's one-sidedness. Did he think Avery was just going to give in to Jacob without a fight? His pessimism was grating her patience.
"I never said she did. What weapons did she use?"
"Her pistol."
"Alright. And she is still wanting to head north?"
"That's a given."
"I'll reach out to Eli then and send some people towards the outpost to get settled in. This is concerning…"
"You talk a lot about faith, maybe you should have some now. Avery won't give in so easily to Jacob."
"We both know the people under his command lost their ability to choose for themselves. The Deputy is not immune."
As unsettling as his distrust was, Grace did agree with him there.
"So, what will Eli do?"
"Keep an eye on her. And not let her stay too long in the region if I can convince him. Maybe give her a week to attempt to save the other officer and then we'll call her back."
"She won't come back until she gets him."
"Don't worry about that. We'll find a way to get her back here to safety…." Silence swelled between the line, neither having anything else to add to a topic that only went in circles. Finally, Jerome broke it. "I'll have people heading over there shortly… If anything else comes up, let me know."
"Sure, Pastor. I'll catch up later."
Turning the dial back to the original channel, Grace set the radio aside and began disassembling the accessories from her rifle. Sensing it was almost time to leave, Boomer jumped to his feet to explore the area.
By the time Grace packed her gear and hauled it to the bottom of the hillside, Avery was discussing the situation with Tim and Ian, both men towering over the short woman. It looked strange to Grace after witnessing Avery take down an entire compound by herself.
"… and the two are tied up inside the garage. They're not to be harmed in anyway."
"Of course," Tim agreed.
"As long as they don't start anything, they will be left alone until reinforcements arrive," Ian added.
Boomer ran ahead of Grace at the sight of Avery, bounding happily to her side with his tail wagging. Avery smiled at her furry companion and crouched down to greet him.
"Boomer! I bet you're ready for food. Were you good for Grace."
Laughing lightly, Grace shouldered her bag, returning the faint wave Ian sent her. "He was a good dog as usual. Did you boys see any action?"
"Actually," Ian perked up with a beaming smile. "We both teamed up against a van of peggies on their way here."
"I don't think they were heading here," Tim countered.
"Well, they were on the road, so we took them out regardless. They didn't know what happened."
"Nice work. It would've been trouble if they were attracted to the gunshots," Grace commented. Looking to Avery who scratched Boomers sweet spot behind his ear, she swallowed down her previous conversation. "So, Deputy. Are you going to wait for the others, or should I tell them you said bye?"
"Tell them I'll see them later. I'm going to head out. Have a long drive to get to the mountains."
"What's your travel plans?"
"My travel plans? What do you mean?"
Trying to keep her tone casual, so as not to draw suspicion, Grace shrugged. "What part of the region are you heading to first? Or where was your stopping point for the night. Just getting an idea in case something happens to you like what happened with John."
Well, Avery couldn't argue with that. Grace knew it was sneaky for pulling the card, but it was true. She felt better having an idea where her friend was heading to, especially if there was something she could do to help the officer. Being proactive was better than waiting for Jacob to get ahold of her. That much, she agreed with the Pastor on. Plus, it didn't hurt to give Eli a heads up on where to look for her at.
"I'll start at the southwest area of the region. Depending on if I hit resistance on the road, I may stop at Dutch's if it starts to get late. But that's only if I think it's too risky. Shouldn't be an issue."
"One could hope. Then again, John may try to capture you before you get away."
Standing up, Avery set a hand on her hip and fixed Grace with a crooked smirk. "All the more reason to head out soon. I'm not eager to deal with his retaliation."
Grace couldn't blame her there. She wasn't eager to let any of the Seeds unleash their displeasure on the Deputy.
8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8
The afternoon sun reached its peak journey in the sky, the wind urged the clouds across the vast blue, the shadows casting bouts of grey along the trees and rigid mountain range. All was quiet along the landscape, except for the rustle of needles from the wind, and the creaking of branches shifting across the canopy. These were old mountains, beaten down by millennia. At the height of the ridge, bare stone that wind and weather had scoured clean were pronounced among the treetops.
Suddenly, a sound like an animal fighting for its life filled the otherwise calm forest, startling a wave of crows into the air from the canopy.
Inside a lone cabin, situated between a massive cedar tree and rocky stream, a handful of occupants filled the living area.
A clean-shaved man, only in his early 30's, was strapped to a chair, hands and ankles bound to the wooden frame. His mustard yellow t-shirt was sliced open and stained with blood and dirt. His pant legs were cut in tatters above his knees, one ankle jutting in an unnatural angle, cleanly broken. To the left of him was a dining table with a towel splayed across the top with medical supplies, rags, a pair of pliers, and half-filled bucket of water.
Another man stood beside it, watching the prisoner with a blank expression, occasionally forced away by a sickening grimace before returning. It wasn't the first time he accompanied his leaders to an interrogation. Having a strong stomach always helped and the bloody outcome never bothered him too much.
But the screaming; the cries and yells that the detainees always belched-that got to him. It even followed him home at night on occasion, waking him from an otherwise good slumber.
The current captive was around the same age of himself, similar dusty blond hair. But they chose different sides. Saw different point of views which led them here. One in a chair, the other watching while the leader asked the same questions.
He wished the captives would just answer. Didn't they know that the Seeds weren't torturing them for no reason? If they just stopped resisting, the Seeds would let them go if they promised loyalty. That or a quick death if they chose the other option.
Instead, they followed the same pattern; refusing to answer so that their last moments on Earth were drawn out and pain ridden. Why prolong the agony? Why continue to be tortured instead of letting it all end?
Humans were strange like that.
"Ah, a screamer. I figured you would be," smiled the auburn-haired man before the captive. A large bowie knife was clasped in a calloused paw while the other hand gripped the dusty locks of the prisoner. "But I'm not here to listed to you cry or beg. I want a location."
"I… don't.., have it," the man gasped between heavy breaths. Sweat beaded his brow and his skin had paled since the start of the process.
"You sure about that, Sammy?" Jacob Seed tilted his head as his eyes met the captive's. Bringing the bowie knife into view, he twisted the handle so the crimson liquid along the edge caught the light. "If it's your conscious that's pestering you, I would advise squashing it. What happens to Eli after I have a location doesn't reflect on you."
Samuel swallowed, his mouth pasty and dry. If he could spit in that moment, he would right across the soldier's face.
That would put an end to the misery fast.
Instead, Samuel opted for silence.
Jacob's nostrils flared but no other emotions came from him as he released his hold. "Fine. Still determined to make me continue… I'll obliged."
Taking the edge of the blade, Jacob placed it along the inside of Samuel's calf before bringing it up slowly. At first, it was just the anticipation of blade against flesh. Then the pressure came. The higher the knife skimmed, the deeper it cut. By the time it was to the inside of his knee, Samuel felt the hot agony and wet dripping down his leg. He tried to lock his scream in his throat, tried to bare through the pain, but when Jacob repeated the process along the same wound, Samuel couldn't hold back.
Eyes wide and savage, teeth bared, a cry ripped through him. It bounced off the walls, pitching and loud, causing the follower to flinch once more. Jacob repeated the process once more, the next scream no longer behind teeth.
Pausing, Jacob stood to full height, towering over the panting Whitetail militia member. He was a patient man, usually. But Samuel did not understand that Eli was one thing Jacob would not wait on. If at any point Jacob believed that Samuel would keep to the pattern and refuse to answer, he would just kill the blond and feed him to the wolves.
"Now Sammy, I'm being pretty fair here in asking you a simple question. It's just a location that I want. Just tell me where Eli is hiding?"
"… I already… told you."
"No, you only lied. We both know you're an important member of his little club. You know where he stays, and the hideouts are."
Samuel shook his head. "No, I don't—"
Jacob lightly smacked the back of his head. "Now you're just being insulting. Do you think I'm stupid?"
In that moment, the front door opened as a tall man stepped in. He was similar in height to Jacob but had ash brown hair styled in comb over fade. His jaw was shaded in dark stubble, and he wore a button-up blue flannel and dark jeans.
"Hey, Jacob. There's a call for you."
"Is it important, Carter? I'm in the middle of something."
"Would I be in here if it wasn't?"
Jacob scoffed but didn't answer. Instead, he watched Samuel's reaction turn the slightest bit to Carter's direction before returning to Jacob.
"Don't think you're home free yet, Sammy. Carter here is my second in command. He'll take over while I handle my little call."
Turning, Jacob grabbed a rag from the table and wiped his blade until there was no longer blood on it. Holstering it, he dipped the rag in the water and began rinsing the blood from his palms.
"Don't let him bleed out. I still want my answer from him," the soldier instructed as he passed the dark-haired man who nodded.
"Sure, I got it."
With that, Jacob stepped outside, into the warm summer air. The fresh air was a change from the dank draftiness of the normally, uninhabited cabin. Sauntering to the pickup truck, Jacob opened the passenger door and grabbed the radio receiver from the clip under the stereo.
"Jacob on, go ahead."
"Ah, brother. How are things?"
"Joseph," Jacob greeted, turning to face the cabin. He leaned back against the seat and floorboards while his left elbow perched on the window of the opened door. "Just another day at work here. What's going on?"
"What, something has to be going on for me to check in on my brother?"
Jacob smirked. "That's usually how it goes."
Joseph chuckled over the line before explaining, "Well I told your friend, something important has come up. The Deputy hellion has escaped John."
Jacob perked up and dropped his elbow from the door. "Oh, has she now. And how did she manage that?"
"Got the jump on him when he was putting her through another confessional. The details are not all there, but that's not something you need to fret over. John is convinced she is heading in your direction."
"Makes sense."
"Hmm. John also mentioned that he believes he is still able to turn her, and she should be recaptured and brought back to him…"
"John also doesn't know when to quit when he's ahead."
"As true as that is, I wanted to let you know that I told him that it was your turn to… persuade her. I wouldn't want to go back on my promise. Not to mention, it's easier to let the ocean waves come to you rather than force them to change tides."
"Do we have an idea of when she'll be crossing the region?"
"I'd imagine today or tomorrow. I've instructed John to keep his followers from interfering with her progress on the road."
Jacob felt a tug on the corner of his lips. "Alright. I'll let her get acquainted with the area before I bring her in. Let her think she has the upper hand."
"Just remember, she has a role that does not fall under a target for the trials."
"That's obvious."
"Keep me update, brother."
With that, the radio fell silent, and Jacob returned the receiver to its place. Any previous frustrations he held from the interrogation with Samuel was overpowered by a swell of excitement.
So, after barging in the county nearly two months ago, Mason was on her way to him.
Finally.
Wow that wasn't supposed to take so long to finish and upload. Life has been so busy for me the last few months, but looking back, I'm glad because it gave me time to add a little more drama to the chapter and overall story.
Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I always feel bad with the updates being so spaced out, but I'm grateful I have dedicated readers still interested in Avery's journey!
I'll try to update sooner!