Роберт Уилсон - Days Since... - Jenny - Day 986

They crouched behind a vehicle, and Jenny flipped the binoculars to her eyes. “We’ll have to take the approach wide.” Each rifle visible along the Depot’s roofline remained tilted toward whatever it was in the parking lot below them. “Going in at this angle will be too dangerous unless you’re seeing something I’m not.” Jenny handed the binoculars over to Matt to get him involved, to get his head right.

Expelling a deep breath, he glassed over the Depot. “I swear if it weren’t for all those damn trucks, we’d be able to tell who it was from here.” He took a moment before continuing, “You’re definitely right about a wide approach. We’ll probably need to take it from that side, maybe from over there.” Matt indicated the eastern half of the Depot’s parking lot, but then flashed the binoculars along the back side of the car wash and the strip mall to their immediate right, opposite the target area. “I think if we slide back that way, we should have the angle to see whoever’s standing out there.” He returned the binoculars. “What do you think?”

“Sounds like a good idea.”

They stole for the first car wash bay nearest them and past the remaining five, beating the snow into slush with the soles of their boots. Continuing in this manner, racing in and out of cover behind the strip mall, they finally emerged on the far side, slipping behind a row of yew bushes—barely a breath between them.

“Almost there,” Jenny huffed. “Here, I’m gonna—I’m gonna take a look real quick. Take the ruck so I can get through here.”

Matt hoisted the rucksack onto his back as Jenny dropped into a prone position and wriggled beneath the shrubs. “What do you see?” he whispered.

Jenny ignored him. Shit… A group of men, not Second Alliance, stood in formation within the maze of abandoned cars. Two facing the Depot with rifles angled toward the ground. Three others behind them holding the same, but toward their rear. The last of the men remained in the middle, handling the unknown conversation with the Depot. Who are these guys? No uniform, just coats, blue jeans, bags strapped across their back. Dressed like anyone else. Nothing to indicate who or what they represented. Never seen anyone come at the Depot like this before. What the hell could they want? Who the…? Then, she knew. Her heart sank with worry. Griffin’s people. They came here for me. Shit! The Second Alliance and now, these guys. She retreated back through the bush.

“Well?” Matt’s voice impatient.

“More trouble,” she said before squatting down.

Matt dropped too. “Who?”

“Not sure exactly, but I think it’s the people Griffin planned on giving me to.” Jenny began drawing in the snow, mapping out the lot, the cars, the men. “That’s the only thing I can think of right now.”

“What the hell do we do?” Matt waddled backwards to give Jenny more room to continue her sketch. “What if the Depot hands you over?”

“No, I don’t think so. By the looks of it, I don’t think the Depot knows anything about that deal.”

“Why?”

“Cause they’re holding those people at gunpoint. Not letting them move a muscle out there. It’s like a standoff. Can’t you hear them? They’re just shouting back and forth.”

“Well, what the hell are they saying?”

“I don’t know.” Irritated, she swiped across the drawing. “It doesn’t fucking matter right now!”

“Of course it matters!”

“Look…” Jenny lifted Matt’s chin away from the ground. “I trust the Depot now. They’re being careful, especially now with what happened to Danny and Griffin.”

“They probably think the S.A. took us, because we’re outlaws or something.”

“The Depot doesn’t know why they took you. I’m pretty sure nobody saw them head out with you guys. They think the S.A. killed Danny and Griffin. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine. I’m sure they’ve noticed you guys missing but have no idea why the S.A. decided to run off with you.”

“We’ll just tell them they took us,” Matt said.

“Exactly. No big deal.”

“Alright, let’s go then.” He stood to leave, but Jenny snatched the sleeve of his coat.

“I’m first. To them, you might look like just another guy with a rifle. I’m one of eleven women in the camp. The guys will definitely recognize me.”

Matt conceded but glared at her.

“It’s true…” she pressed him.

“I know it is,” he grumbled.

Jenny nodded to him with a weak smile, knowing the jealousy hidden in his voice. Alright… Again, she swept her hair free from inside her coat. Can’t afford not to be recognized. Sherman would have been a dead giveaway, but he’d be no use in an all-out firefight. Can’t afford to lose him. I hope this is the right thing to do. Breathing out, she looked to the sky. Danny… get me through this.

“You good?” Matt asked.

“Yeah.” She nodded. “I’m thinking we head left to cut off the other group’s view of us before moving across the street.”

The two of them cut through the bushes and along the shop fronts of the strip mall before crossing the six-lane road toward the Depot’s parking lot. Continuing to their left, they managed to remain out of view from the group of outsiders with the assistance of some opportune vehicles.

“Depot’s still not seeing us.” Matt forced the whisper through clenched teeth, clearly upset the plan hadn’t worked now that they were standing well within the parking lot.

“They will. Just—”

“Like I said, we just need to see Griffin!” one of the outsiders shouted.

“Already told you he ain’t comin’ out!” An unknown voice responded from atop the Depot’s roofline. “Says he don’t know who you are. Says you need to identify yourself first.”

“Tell his bitchass to get out here. He missed our damn appointment and forced us to come all this way.”

No reply from the Depot.

Jenny and Matt trudged deeper into the parking lot, careful not to cross into view of the other group.

“Jenny!?” someone from the roof shouted.

“Yes!” she shouted back. “Me and Matt, both!” Reassurance swept over her, but nearly as fast as it came, it evaporated.

Two of the men stepped from behind a nearby car, rifles bearing down on them. “Don’t move!” one of them barked.

Jenny eyed them, gauging an appropriate response. Fuck… seemed all she could muster in the moment. Unfazed by Matt and Jenny’s abrupt appearance, the two men stared at them, battle-proven. What now?

If she moved, warned Matt to do the same, it might not be enough. Even if she were to make it down and behind cover, he might not. The two men’s rifles needed not to convince her more of that reality—one pointed at each of them, freezing them in place. She gulped. This can’t be it…

“Stop!” one of the Depot guards warned the group of outsiders. “They’re coming in. Touch ‘em. Hurt ‘em. We lay all of you down in the snow. Permanently! You’ll rot right there!”

The two seemed unimpressed with the threat of force. Coolly, one swept a piece of blonde hair back underneath his sock hat before pressing his cheek back onto the butt of the rifle, a sinister grin showing, impatience consuming his eyes. His partner glanced back toward their group. Jenny held her breath for what felt like an hour. The man cocked his head sideways. “You sure?” His proud demeanor folded, and he clasped the blonde man’s arm, tugging, signaling for him to let Matt and Jenny pass.

Relieved with the immediate change in fortune, they tore through the snow, dipping between vehicles, not leaving anything to chance. Not giving the outsiders the opportunity to reconsider and grab them. Weighed down by Jenny’s rucksack, Matt slogged behind her. She looked to him, but he waved her on. “Just go. I’m com—”