We have everyone in place. We have been watching Trick drive a van into the rundown warehouse. How anyone could think this was a safe place to live is beyond me. We have only seen lights in part of the thing. Rebel has his men positioned behind the warehouse and Sean is with me and we are going in the front. It has been a long hot night and it is only a few hours until daylight. I look at my watch and it is go time. We shoot out the one outside light before we rush the front door with the judge. The judge is a long metal torpedo-looking thing we use to knock doors or walls down with. When the local cops went to torpedo hooks we bought this at an auction. It has come in handy on more than one occasion. There’s no gunfire and very little noise. I know Trick and Boozer are in here and they are armed. I look around and there are children and women everywhere and then I see a movement out of my peripheral vision. I see a gun come up, but I throw myself to the ground and turn my gun and shoot the person with the gun. He goes down. Rebel runs in the front room and walks over to Trick’s body and checks it for life and there is none. The shot went straight between his eyes and then I hear another shot. I see the women and children are scared.

“These people aren’t armed.” Rebel says. “The back door wasn’t even locked.” Sean comes up beside us.

“The men are here they have to be hiding somewhere. They won’t come out until we are gone.” Rebel looks at me and smiles.

“I am not killing women and children that are not armed. The government will just need to suck it the hell up.” I look at Rebel again and he is still smiling, and I know what he is thinking. I stand up. “Get the women and children out. Check them for weapons and then torch this place. We will see how these assholes like fire. It’ll be there little taste of hell on earth.” I no more have it out of my mouth and a boy, can’t be older than ten or eleven, steps up.

“Mister, they are underneath the floor, but they didn’t have guns to take with them. Mr. Samson took all the guns with him.” I look at the boy, and he is dirty, and he looks underweight, but most of all he looks scared.

“Are there any children with him?” A woman steps up behind the boy.

“There’s no one down there but a few of the men. Most of our men are either dead or have taken off. There’s not enough food to feed the children but the men always have plenty. It’s not right and I want out of here. I don’t care who you are or what is happening. These children have not had a decent meal in days. Can we please get them some food?” The woman looks desperate. I remember that feeling of desperation when I was a kid on the streets with nothing to eat. I can’t just walk away from this.

“Do they have gas mask down there?” I ask the woman.

“Not that I know of.” The woman tells me. I look at Sean and Rebel.

“Get everyone outside and we’ll throw some smoke bombs down there and then go after them.” I wonder why Samson took the weapons. “We need to hurry. I want to get back to the armory.” I look at Sean. “The government needs to set up some place for these women to go with the children and they need plenty to eat and supplies to take care of the children. Tonight, not tomorrow.”

“Riley is working on it now. They have vehicles on the way to pick them up and have food with them.” Sean tells me.

“If one hair is touched on any woman or child there will be hell to pay.” Sean nods his head. I look at Rebel.

“Samson is up to something and my gut tells me that we need to get home. I am going to text Con and Cap to warn them.” I feel it, this is not over, not by a long shot. “Have we heard anything from Zig?”

“Received a message right before we hit the front door and the C-4 did the trick. They are reporting no one escaped before the building exploded. They did a walk through and found no survivors. Deacon was there so he has been handled.” Sean tells us.

“I think you are right, brother, let’s get home.” Rebel is worried too.