Leaving The Way: Book Two (The Way Trilogy), стр. 29

chapter 10 - Crossing My Fingers

DAVID

I had been camped out in the woods near Greenville for two days waiting on Tom and Melanie Cress to lead me to their daughter. They thought they’d escaped without notice, but my men are good at their jobs. They had followed them to Bonham, overhearing Anna Cress was most likely in Greenville, and then they had reported back. I sent a team of my best men to Greenville, and it had only taken them an hour to run into Tom in town asking around about his daughter. I showed up a day later, and have been here ever sense. I knew it was only a matter of time before they found her, and then I would swoop in and drag them all back. If I got Chase Hurst and Cody Booker in the process, all the better.

I didn’t tell the Vater I was leaving, but I figured when I showed back up in a few days with Anna Cress, all would be forgiven. And if it wasn’t well, oh well. I didn’t really care. All I cared about was taking this little bitch down.

Two hours ago, I had decided to sneak over to where Tom and Melanie were camped out and relieve the guard I had watching them. It wasn’t thirty minutes later their daughter appeared. Granted, she had a body guard with her, but I had twenty men camped not even a ten-minute walk away, and another thirty no more than two miles from here. I wasn’t worried about him, but I did find it strange. She’s lived in the compound for most of her life, how in such a short period of time has she become important enough to the Diablo gang to warrant a bodyguard. What’s so special about her?

After seeing her appear, I didn’t waste any time, rushing back to our camp and sending a messenger to our other camp quickly. Telling everyone to gear up, we made our way back to where I knew she would be.

A few hundred yards away, our group split in two, half going with me and the other half veering off to flank them. Spreading out, we approached the group in a crouch, waiting to see when the best time to reveal ourselves would be.

We couldn’t get too close, lest we lose our advantage, and that came with its own set of disadvantages. One being, I couldn’t hear what they were saying. It’s clear they were having some sort of bullshit heartfelt reunion, but further than that, I had no clue.

I watched as Anna suddenly turned and stormed away from the group, her mother and father both trying to stop her. Not the bodyguard though, no, he just watched, arms crossed.

I motioned for my men to follow, slightly right of the direction she was taking, when she stopped, her father saying something she apparently thought worth listening to. Waiting for her to continue on to wherever she came from, I made my way over to two of my men, directing them to swing wide and come in a couple hundred yards on the other side of their group.

Throwing a glance over my shoulder, I see Anna take off again, her parents just behind her, the bodyguard to her left. He reminds me of the old men at the compound who use to serve in the military, his head always on a swivel. No matter, there’s only one of him.

Fifteen minutes later, my men are all in position and it’s time to let Anna Cress know it’s over.

***

ANNA

This is not how I’d seen my night going. Both the part where I found my parents in the woods, and the part where I would most likely die a virgin. We were being followed, that much was clear. I could hear branches breaking and leaves being crushed every few minutes. Whoever it was, it was clear they were no better at sneaking than I was.

Half-way back to The Castle, I hear footsteps to my right loud enough it’s evident they’re no longer trying to maintain an element of surprise, and then I hear a voice that has haunted my nightmares for weeks.

“Hello, Anna.”

Stopping dead in my tracks, I turn and come face to face with the new Enforcer. “David.”

How the hell did he find me? We’re a day’s ride on horse away from the compound, no way he just got lucky and stumbled across me. Did my parents lead him right to me? Or…no. No way. There is no way my parents are working with David and led him to me on purpose.

Oh God.

“It’s over, little girl. It’s time to go back and pay for your sins.”

I hear a growl from my left and know it’s the General, but from the number of shadows that are now visible, not only are we significantly outnumbered, but we’re also surrounded and at least a fifteen-minute walk back to The Castle. Even if I screamed right now, I doubt they would hear me, and if they did, they wouldn’t make it in time.

David chuckles, shaking his head before filling us in on what’s so funny. “I have to say thank you though. Thank you Tom, I knew you would lead me right to her.” Letting out another full belly laugh he continues, “We’ve been following you since you stepped one foot past the wall.”

Well at least that answers that question. My parents aren’t working with David, they just did something really stupid, but I don’t blame them. I probably would have done the same thing. And right now it doesn’t matter because we are one-hundred percent screwed.

I feel skin brush the top of my hand and turn to see the General nodding for me to move, and I do. I don’t know why the evil villain always feels the need