Chapter 18

The driveway to Gordon Schwartz’s compound was bad on a good day, and today was not a good day. Otto was able to get his SUV about three-quarters of the way down the drive before he bottomed out in a snowdrift. He left it there and walked the rest of the way. By the time he finally managed to reach the ten-foot gate topped with barbed wire, Otto was not in the mood to mess around. When pushing the button on the homemade call box didn’t bring a response within thirty seconds, Otto climbed the chain-link. At the top, he used the wire-cutter implement on his multi-tool to snip the strands of barbed wire. Swinging his leg over, he climbed down on the other side.

Just like the police station, the compound felt eerily empty. The mental comparison made Otto twitchy, and he scanned the sky, checking for the lights of a helicopter. He couldn’t see anything but snow and the solar-powered security lights scattered around the area, so he continued to slog through the heavy drifts. He’d been in the compound a few times, but just on the first and second floors of the main house. He’d never been in the bunker. In fact, no one knew for sure that one existed. It was just assumed that someone as paranoid as Gordon Schwartz would have at least a safe room, if not an extra-large bunker stocked with enough supplies for three years of underground living.

After pounding on the front door with his fist, Otto tried the knob—locked. He made his way around the side of the house, annoyed. If Hugh, Theo, and the others were holed up in Gordon’s bunker, they could’ve at least left Otto a note or a map or something.

As he rounded the corner into the backyard, someone grabbed his arm. Otto swung around, fist already raised and ready, mentally reprimanding himself for letting someone sneak up on him. The wind was loud, but that was no excuse when he was in a militia compound and Aaron and his buddies were in town.

“It’s me,” Hugh said in a hushed voice, and Otto stopped his arm mid-swing.

“Did Grace call you? Are she and Sarah okay?” All his worries returned in a rush.

“I haven’t heard, not since they were leaving town a little after four.” Hugh’s tone was grim.

Otto’s stomach tightened as he thought of all the worst possibilities.

“They’re fine.” Although still quiet, Hugh sounded like he was making an effort to sound casual. “What about you? Did you run into any trouble?”

“Yes. You took the shovel out of my squad car,” Otto grumbled, keeping his voice low.

“What? The town is being invaded, and that’s what you’re worried about?” Hugh led the way to a tiny shack that looked like an old-school outhouse. It even had a crescent moon carved into the door.

As Hugh held the door open, Otto gave him a sideways look.

Hugh snickered. “Go on in. Trust me.”

“Trust you like I trusted you to put the shovel back?”

“Why are you still going on about the shovel?”

“There are two vehicles stuck in the snow right now, thanks to you,” Otto said, pulling out a small flashlight and turning it on before stepping into the outhouse. Of course the shovel was a small annoyance, but it kept him from focusing on the big problems—like the fact that their town was blowing up around them. In the tiny shed, the seat had been moved to the side, revealing an open trapdoor. Otto looked into the opening, pointing the beam of his flashlight into the hole, revealing a ladder descending into the dark space.

Hugh snorted quietly. “You got two cars stuck in the snow? Nice driving.”

“It wouldn’t have been a problem.” Otto started down the ladder, keeping the flashlight beam pointed down. He didn’t like blindly heading feet-first into a stranger’s bunker. “If I’d had my shovel.”

“Enough about the shovel. Keep moving.”

Otto did, although he wasn’t about to forget his revenge schemes. He’d just wait until they’d saved the town first—if the bombers left anything to save. The thought sobered him, and he hurried down the remaining rungs, landing on a concrete floor. Moving the beam of his flashlight in a slow circle, he saw he was in a small room with cinder-block walls and a drain on the floor. “What is this? A kill room?”

“Just don’t think about it, and you’ll be happier.” Shining his flashlight ahead of them, Hugh led the way to a metal door that looked positively medieval. Hugh tapped out a quiet pattern, using the butt of his flashlight, and the door swung open.

“Another pig. Great.” Gordon Schwartz groaned dramatically, but he stepped back and let Hugh and Otto enter. About twenty people scattered around watched anxiously as they stepped inside. Otto was relieved to see Theo, Jules and her siblings, the lieutenant, Grady, Cleo the dispatcher, Steve the fireman and his four kids, and several other townspeople. When Otto had driven down the dark, empty streets in town, he’d been worried about them. Even Norman Rounds was there, trying to fade into the background, as usual.

This room was much larger and a little more comfortable than the first one they’d entered, with an overhead light fixture, cots, and even some industrial-looking carpeting. Otto would’ve rather been in his bunker with Sarah. His gut clenched. He hoped she was safe. If Aaron’s men were behind the attacks on the town, they’d be looking for Sarah. Even Dresden wouldn’t be safe.

“Otto!” Jules jumped off the cot she’d been sitting on and hurried over to hug him. “We’ve been so worried! Have you heard from Sarah? Are she and Grace okay?”

Her questions fired up all of his worry again, and he could only offer Jules a shake of his head. “Haven’t heard anything yet.” Sam, standing behind Jules, flinched.

Dee followed her sister, giving Otto a squeeze around the waist. “The puppies are here, and so is Turtle.”

“Turtle?” It took Otto a second to remember. “Oh, right. Windmill cat. Thank you for taking care of the pups.”

“Of course,” Dee said in a tone too serious for her age. “No one gets left behind. Tio even brought his drone.”

“Airplane,” Ty corrected quickly, giving his little sister a look.

Dee eyed him right back. “Just because you say it’s not a drone doesn’t make it true.”

“Okay, y’all,” Jules interrupted the brewing argument. “You can discuss this later when things stop blowing up.”

That brought Otto’s mind back to the current situation. “What’s the plan?”

“We’re going to check on residents and bring them here, right after we make a run to the station armory,” the lieutenant said. “When the second pass was shut down and we lost all communication, we evacuated. Grady suggested we come here to regroup.”

Otto winced. “The station was hit.”

“Hit?” Blessard repeated.

“Gone. They bombed it.” The lieutenant took a breath, his face reddening, and Otto knew that a cursing streak was coming. “Kids here.”

Blessard clamped his lips together, his face turning almost purple, but he managed to hold in his swearing. “Okay. Good thing we evacuated. Wish the armory wasn’t gone.”

“Is there any way to call for help?” Jules asked.

“Landline and cell phones are dead,” Cleo said. “They blocked our digital radio communication, too. Internet’s down—it was at the station, at least.” She gave Gordon a questioning look.

“Don’t have it. Just another way for the government to watch us.” Gordon crossed his arms over his chest.

Otto studied him. “What about a CB or ham radio?” As soon as Gordon looked down, Otto knew he’d guessed right.

Scowling, Gordon was silent for several moments before he said, “Don’t have one.”

“Oh, for Pete’s sake,” Hugh said. “Take Cleo to the radio. We don’t care that you’re unlicensed. Right now, we just need help taking down the guys who are blowing up the town.”

“Told you.” Gordon still looked sullen. “Don’t have one.”

“He doesn’t,” the lieutenant confirmed. “I searched this place when we first arrived.” Gordon gave Blessard a surprised glance, as if he hadn’t thought a cop would vouch for his honesty.

“I do,” Cleo said. “At my house, two miles past the blocked east pass. As soon as the snow stops, I can try to hike there.”

“Help won’t be able to get here until the snow stops anyway,” Theo said, standing next to Jules.

“Nothing getting through the west pass.” Otto pulled up the photos on his phone and handed it to Theo. “I didn’t see the east pass, but I’m assuming it was hit the same way.”

“They’ll need to fly in, then,” Jules said, leaning in to look at the pictures. “Whoa. What a mess.”

“Most helicopter pilots won’t fly in this,” Hugh said, and Jules gave him a look. “I said ‘most.’ Those guys dropping the bombs… They don’t strike me as being too concerned about standard safety procedures.”

“How many helicopters are out there?” Otto asked. If Nan, who lived five miles outside of town, had reported a low-flying helicopter at the same time as Grady, who’d been sitting in his car in the middle of Monroe, then that meant there was probably more than one.

“Two, we think,” Theo said absently, studying the photos closely before handing the phone to Jules.

“Two.” A jagged stab of fear ripped through Otto. “One hit the passes and the station. The other one flew over Nan’s place. It was heading toward my house. The animals.” He turned abruptly and headed toward the door.

Hugh caught his arm. “Hang on. How are you going to get there? You don’t have any vehicle that isn’t stuck in the snow, and you couldn’t drive through the pass anyway. The town’s exploding, and people are stuck in their homes. We need your help here.”

Otto paused reluctantly, hating that Hugh’s words made sense. He could hike around the rockslide and follow the back trails to his place, but it would take hours on foot, especially without snowshoes. It was more important to help the town’s residents get to safety before the next bomb went off.

“He’s right,” Theo added, echoing Otto’s thoughts. “We should split into teams. Who all are planning to search?”

Theo, Hugh, Jules, and all the kids raised their hands.

“Here are the keys to the store,” Grady, planted on one of the cots, tossed the key ring to Otto. “It’s no police armory, but you’re welcome to everything in the hunting department. I’m not going out there until those bomb-dropping helicopters are gone. You lot are nuts.”

“No minors.” Theo’s voice was firm. Although the younger kids looked disappointed, they didn’t argue.

Sam did, however. “I w-want to help.”

“I need you here, Sam,” Jules said, glancing at Dee, Ty, and Tio. “If we leave the twins unsupervised, they’ll destroy this town faster than any bombs could.”

Sam, his mouth set mulishly, met his sister’s eyes for a long, tense moment before giving a single jerk of his chin in a grudging nod.

Theo’s frown deepened. “Jules, you’re staying here with them, too.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.”

Gordon snorted. “Good luck, then.”

“What do you mean?” Theo demanded, his eyes narrowing on Gordon.

“If three cops showed up and tried getting me to leave my home, I’d tell ’em to”—he glanced at the kids—“suck eggs.”

“Good thing you’re already here, then,” Hugh said.

“Lots of people still in town think more like me than don’t.” Gordon gestured toward the three cops. “You think the three of you are going to convince Justin Ling to come with you? Or Barry and Wanda Post?” He gave a short laugh. “Like I said, good luck.”

“They won’t need it, because I’m not staying here, and do you know what else I’m not doing?” Jules’s Southern accent was thick, a sure sign that she was annoyed. “I’m not arguing with you about it.” She stepped to Otto’s side and crossed her arms, giving Theo a just-try-it glare.

“Let’s go,” Otto said gruffly, heading for the door. Gordon was right. They needed Jules. There were plenty of people in Monroe—especially those who stayed all winter—who didn’t trust any government figures, including police. Between the three of them, they could protect Jules. Otto was pretty sure Theo knew that, too, but he was too in love to think clearly when it came to Jules’s safety.

“Wait.” Lieutenant Blessard stopped him. “Take these radios and keep them on in case communications come back up.” He handed Theo, Hugh, and Jules each a handheld radio. “Otto, switch yours with me. These are fully charged.” Pulling his radio from the holder on his duty belt, Otto handed it over and took the one Blessard offered as the lieutenant continued. “I’ll establish base here. Cleo, once the weather clears, you can head to your house.”

“I’ll go with her,” Steve volunteered.

Blessard gave him a tight nod and then turned back to Otto and the others. “Be careful out there.”

“Safety first. That’s our motto,” Hugh said in a joking tone that didn’t hide the seriousness underlying his words. They grabbed their coats and gear, and Hugh and Theo leashed Lexi and Viggy.

“Ready?” Otto asked gruffly.

The other four looked at him with serious expressions. “Ready.”

“Let’s go.” He opened the door, wishing he were at home with Sarah instead, snuggled in bed with the dogs and cat piled around them, or at least with her in Dresden so he could keep her safe. The townspeople needed their help, though. Besides, any action was better than hanging out in the bunker doing nothing.

It wasn’t until they were out of the fake outhouse with the wind whipping around them that Otto realized they didn’t have any way to get around except for walking. Grady’s store would only be a mile or so, but the deepening snow would make it feel like more. They trudged down the driveway to the gate.

“Should’ve gotten the key from Gordon,” Otto said, raising his voice so it could be heard over the wind. Getting the two dogs over the fence was going to be a challenge. He turned to retrace his steps back to the bunker, but Hugh stopped him.

“I’ve got this.” He already had his lockpick kit out. In less than a minute, the padlock was open and Hugh was unwinding the chain holding the gates shut. Once they were all out, he left the padlock unfastened, arranging it so that, at first glance, it appeared to be locked.

The wind had blown much of the snow into a huge drift on the south side of the road, so there was a channel on the north side that was just a few inches deep. They fell into a ragged line. Everyone was tense, even the dogs. Otto couldn’t stop looking around, especially at the sky, expecting another bomb to fall—on them, this time—at any second.

They didn’t speak, moving quietly in mutual unspoken agreement. There was no way to know who could be around the next corner or hiding behind the nearby house. They were half a block from Grady’s store when Viggy started to growl.

They all slipped between the print shop and the abandoned building next to it. When Viggy continued to growl low in his throat, Otto looked at the dog. Viggy was staring across the street into the darkness of the empty lot where the diner had stood. As Otto watched, keeping back in the shadows where he’d hopefully be hidden, three figures dressed in winter camouflage and carrying rifles prowled into the street.

“…anyone. They’re hiding somewhere. The entire town can’t be empty.”

“Could be a ghost town,” another one said, his voice sounding younger than the first.

“This isn’t a ghost town.” The third, judging by her higher-pitched voice and her smaller stature, was a woman. “They’re hiding somewhere.”

“Where?” the younger male asked. “We’ve searched half the houses in this pissant place. No one. It’s like on that show about the virus, after everyone—”

“They’re here,” the woman said, interrupting him. “Blanchett was told they’d be here.”

Told? Who gave Blanchett their location? Otto turned his head and met Theo’s gaze. The possibility that someone they knew had sold them out made his gut churn.

“We’ll drop a couple more bombs, and everyone’ll come scurrying out,” the woman promised. “One more down, and then we can head back to civilization.”

One more down. Were they talking about Sarah? Rage flared in Otto’s chest, and he took a step forward, not knowing if he was going to pound on the three mercenaries who’d laughed about trying to kill her, or if he was going to scale the mountain and run to Dresden to find her and keep her safe. Before he could do either, Theo and Hugh caught him and pulled him back.

He shook them off, his teeth clenched, but they just grabbed him again. As he twisted out of their hold yet again, Otto saw that the three strangers were walking away from them, toward Pound Street. The urge to charge after those monsters who’d talked about killing Sarah so casually was almost unbearably strong.

“Otto. Otto,” Hugh was hissing in his ear. “Listen. They don’t know she’s not in town. They can’t get to her if they don’t even know where she is. You need to calm down, or else you’re going to give everyone here away. Do you want to do that? Do you want to be responsible for our deaths?”

Reason finally penetrated, and Otto stopped fighting the hands restraining him. “I’m okay,” he gritted out. Theo made a disbelieving sound, but his grip on Otto loosened. Hugh released him, although his body posture showed that he was ready to grab Otto if he showed any sign of launching himself after Aaron’s thugs again.

Glancing at Jules, at how stricken she looked, Otto felt his desperate panic bump up again. As if she could read his thoughts, Jules spoke. “Hugh’s right, Otto. She and Grace are probably tucked in one of those boutique hotels in Dresden, snoring away. They’ll be fine.” Jules attempted to force a smile, but it was more of a frightened grimace.

Not wanting to scare Jules any more than she already was, Otto dipped his head in the semblance of a nod. He couldn’t say the words, though, couldn’t say he was sure that Sarah would be fine. Aaron had been in jail and monitored, but he’d managed to unleash an army on the town. Sarah might never be safe.

Despite his relief that she wasn’t in Monroe, he needed to see her, to run his hands over her, check her for any injuries and feel that she was solid and alive. Then he would relax. Until then, they had a small mercenary army to vanquish—and townspeople to help.

“Let’s go.” Otto’s voice didn’t sound like his, even to his own ears. With a final check to make sure the three strangers were out of sight, he slipped out of their hiding spot and moved quickly toward Grady’s, the other three close behind him. He went around back, figuring that there would be less chance of them being spotted going into the store than if they entered through the main doors.

Unlocking the back door, he slipped inside. Pulling out his small flashlight, he took a look around the dark stockroom and then held the door for the others. Hugh and Theo came in next and did a quick search before signaling that the room was clear. The encounter with the three mercenaries had disturbed them all, and they were quiet as they moved through the store toward the sporting goods section. They formed a triangle around Jules, with Otto and Hugh in front and Theo behind. The hunting display was wedged in a corner, tucked behind a glass case. The store was silent except for the almost inaudible sound of their feet on the floor. Hugh stepped forward, bending over the counter to check behind it.

Thump. With a low grunt of pain, Hugh reeled back several steps, yanking Lexi back with him. Otto ran forward, swinging around the end of the counter with his gun up and ready. Why hadn’t the dogs warned them that someone was in the building?