Chapter 346 Chapter 346
Getting out, he ducked down in front of the van and moved toward the truck. He had a few seconds to pull this off while they were stunned from the impact. Jumping up on the crumpled hood of the truck, he aimed the dart gun in through the shattered windshield and shot both passengers. When they slumped over, he lowered the gun and exhaled the breath he’d been holding.
That bought him some time. Hopping off the hood, he ran back around to the van and opened the side door. Terah was sitting right where he’d left her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, an anxious look on her face.
“I knocked them out.” Reaching across the floor, he picked up the bottle she’d dropped. “Drink this, while I go see who our friends are.”
She took the bottle. “I don’t think they are friends, Konner.”
He smirked, “not now they aren’t.” Leaving the door open, he went behind the van and alongside the truck. He stopped and looked at the van. “Shit.” He’d not only taken out the truck but there was no way the van was going anywhere right now. The front tire was embedded in the bent wheel well of the truck. Shaking his head, he climbed into the back of the truck and hopped on the other side of it. Using all his strength he yanked open the door. The passenger was slumped to the side, there was blood running down his face, but he was breathing.
“Louis? Carl? answer me. Did you get them?”
He looked around to see a phone on the floor by the man’s feet. Picking it up, he looked to see the call was in progress.
“Louis, answer me. What’s your location, I’ll send backup.”
“We’re fine.” He growled quietly while holding it away from his face, then he hung up quickly. He grabbed the bag sitting between the men and opened it. Ammo, another phone, and some zip ties. He scowled at the unconscious driver. Jamming the phone in the bag, he slung it over his shoulder and then shifted the passenger so he could check for a wallet. None. Leaning down, he found a run pack on the floor. “That answers the question of who you are.” He didn’t open it, just started looking for a second pack.
He found it, two handguns and a map. He stuffed them all into the first bag. Climbing back over the truck, he went to the van stood on the road, and looked around. They couldn’t stay here in case they sent more to look for them. Going over to the van, he set the bag down and opened it. Removing the chips and batteries from the phones, he tucked them both into one of the run packs and closed the bag.
Terah sat on the seat now, the empty bottle clenched in her hands.
“We can’t stay here.” He assessed her quickly, looking for any sign of injury, “they could send more.” He pointed to the duffle bag that held their water and other supplies. “Grab that,” he glanced at her feet, “put your shoes on. I have to make a quick call.”
Grabbing the phone from the holder, he hit redial and jammed the earpiece in his ear as he dropped the phone into his shirt pocket.
“Konner, I haven’t even finished my coffee...”
“Someone tried to run Terah and me off the road.” He knew Raymond would know exactly who Terah was.
“Where are you?” He could hear him running down the hall.
“Don’t even worry about us right now. We just left the campground and they appeared when we hit the main road. They may not know where the camp is, but they’re watching traffic. He went across the road and looked in the ditch. There was a culvert there to hide what they couldn’t carry. “You need to get your team and S.O. to get the prince and princess out of there. Now.”
He jogged back across the road and reached in and grabbed the case with extra supplies in it and jerked it out. While he was heading across the road, he looked to see what was around them. “I totaled the van when I ran them into some rock embankments, so we’re going to head off into the bush and keep moving until you get the camp secured.” He slid down the ditch. “I’m going to leave the Alliance phone in a culvert on the other side of the road, and have the tech team track it.” He stuffed the case into the culvert, “along with anything we can’t carry.”
“Bring up Konner Flores’s phone on the tracking system, now.” He heard Raymond bark. “Get the team at the campground on the phone.”
“We’ll send someone for you...”
“Just get Devin and Rayne out of there, Raymond, we’ll keep moving until you find where the hell these guys are.” He reached the van and then paused, “they were on a call when it happened, I hung up, so we can’t wait around for retrieval.”
“Shit.” He could hear the commotion in the background, “stay on the line, I need to talk to the prince.”
Konner nodded and pulled out another bag from the van. He couldn’t run through the bush with Terah, supplies, and his rifle. Cursing in his head, he set it to the side and grabbed another bag, “I need you to open the glove box,” he pointed to where it was, “and put anything in it into this bag.” He noted she’d put the shoes on. “We can’t hang around for someone to come and get us.”
Despite her eyes being wide, and panic filling her, she nodded and moved between the seats.
He pulled the med kit to the door and took it and his rifle across the street.
“Chopper is on the way to pick up the prince. Find somewhere to hole up and we’ll...”
Konner shook his head as he slid into the ditch again, “we’re going to keep moving. They could have camps all over this area for all we know.” He wedged the rifle case into the other cases and then jammed the bag he’d taken from the truck in. “All of their identification is in a bag with the gear.” He stood up, “Terah needs water sources.” Climbing back up, he paused on the shoulder of the road, “we’ll stay on a Northwest bearing, make it easier to find us later.” He thought of the little girl Terah had picked up when she was scared. “Just get your teams to the camp and make sure nothing happens to those refugees.”
“I’m on it.” Raymond must have covered the mouthpiece because there were muffled voices for a few seconds, “how the hell are we finding you if you leave the phone we can track there?”
Konner jogged over to the van, “I guess you better send a good tracker.” He closed the bag Terah had put the items into and looked around to see what was left. “I’ll keep in touch, once we’re deep in the bush.”
“Just don’t shoot my guys when they get there.”
Konner shrugged, “tell them to walk heavily then.” He held out his hand for Terah. “We’re going to go; I don’t know how long those tranq darts will keep them out.”
“They’re not dead?”
Terah took his hand and got down out of the van. Konner shook his head, “I thought you might want a word with them.”
“Damn straight I do. Sink another one into them before you go.” Raymond sounded amused.
Konner shrugged. “Will do.” He hit the earpiece and ended the call. Taking it out of his ear, he picked up his swim pack and put it into it, then the phone as well. “Okay,” he looked down at Terah, who was still oddly silent and still. “We’re going to head into the bush while the Alliance comes and gets these guys.” He motioned to the van, “and cleans this up.” He held up the backpack with a few of the supplies in it. “I need you to wear this.” He held it up and put one strap over her shoulder, it wasn’t too heavy, so it shouldn’t tire her too quickly. “I’ll have to carry the water and my bag.”
She nodded and put her other arm through it.
“I’ll be right back.” He ran around the van and climbed up on the hood of the truck. Pulling the dart gun out, he shot both of them again. “Rest well, boys.” When he got down, he frowned at the road. “Shit.” he climbed back up again, leaving two red darts sticking out of them would scream all the wrong things if any innocent one-forms got here before the Alliance.
Tossing the darts far into the bush on the other side of the road, he went over and put his swim pack over his head and then the heavy bag on his back. He held out his hand to Terah, “let’s go find water.” Closing the door, he reached in and pulled the map off the sun visor and then closed the driver’s door.
Terah took his hand and looked up at him. “I know I’m safe with you.”
He paused and looked down into those scared blue eyes. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”