Read Online Beneath the Veil by William McNally - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: William McNally
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a fallen oak tree and hid behind its decaying trunk.
“I am going to lead them away,” Jen said. “Stay here and I’ll come back for you later.”
“No, I’ll go,” Daniel said. “I’m faster.”
He handed Katy to Tonya and ran to an open area, stopping to stamp his foot prints on a muddy piece of ground to ensure the pursuit. The men came quickly, found the footprints, and then followed his trail into the woods.
C H A P T E R T H I R T Y
B arry waited in the truck with Hector while the others searched along the roadside. After hearing Katy’s cries, the Edwards brothers left to search the woods while Jackson followed Jimmy down to the tree line. The two men stopped suddenly when they heard another cry.
“Whose there? We don’t mean you any harm.” Jimmy’s finger hovered over the trigger of his rifle.
“Hello?” Jackson called out.
“Jackson?” Jen answered, still tucked in her hiding place.
“Jen!” Jackson shouted.
She emerged from behind the tree with the two girls. Her hair was full of leaves and her clothes were filthy, but to Jackson she never looked better. He ran up and grabbed her in a hug as tears of relief washed down her face. Jimmy walked a few yards away to give them space.
“Who’s this?” Jackson asked, looking at the two girls.
Before she could answer, gunfire echoed through the rugged terrain.
“Daniel!” Jen screamed. “There’s a boy with us, he ran off in that direction.”
“Dammit!” Jimmy shouted running towards the sound of the gunfire.
“Jen, wait here, I’ll be right back,” Jackson said, and then turned and ran off. He caught up to Jimmy who had stopped fifty yards from a clearing.
“Ralph, Bobby. Hold your fire!” Jimmy screamed.
“Alright, come on,” Ralph yelled back.
They found the two brothers crouched behind a rock with their guns aimed towards the clearing. Bobby held his hand up to a bloodied ear.
“Hold up!” Jimmy shouted. “It’s just a kid.”
“Kid, my ass,” Bobby said. “That fucker put a thumpin’ on me.”
“Whatever it is, we got it cornered,” Ralph added, gesturing towards a rocky rim rising above tall oaks.
Jimmy unslung his rifle and walked into the clearing.
“Daniel?”
Jackson walked into the middle of the clearing and joined him. There was no sign of Daniel.
“What’s your girl’s name?” Jimmy whispered.
“Jen,” Jackson answered.
“Daniel, we are with Jen and her friends.” Jimmy called out. “We’re not going to hurt you.”
Slowly, Daniel emerged from behind a holly bush. He was unscathed, save for a few scrapes and bruises. He was hiding when the brothers came up on him, hit Bobby with a tree branch and managed to get away. Ralph and Bobby lowered their weapons as he approached with his hands raised above his head. The brothers, embarrassed to be bested by a kid, walked off without a word.
C H A P T E R T H I R T Y - O N E
B arry drove back to the camp racing against the setting sun. Jen sat in the back seat with the children next to her, overjoyed to be safe and among friends again. During the drive she explained how she escaped her captors and found the children. Jackson reached back and took her hand to reassure her.
“Jen, wait till you see the set-up these people have. It’s an old mining camp and some of them have lived there for years,” Jackson said.
Barry followed the flatbed up the road to the camp, slowing as they approached the gate. An older man, holding a rifle over his shoulder, swung it open and with a wave, let them pass into the compound. Doc was there waiting to greet them when they pulled to a stop. Jimmy and the Edwards brothers jumped down from the flatbed and began to unpack the truck. Doc gave Hector an approving nod, then walked over and helped Jen climb out of the Rover.
“Nice to finally make your acquaintance,” he said warmly.
“Thank you,” she answered. “Jackson told me what you did for us. We’re very
“I am going to lead them away,” Jen said. “Stay here and I’ll come back for you later.”
“No, I’ll go,” Daniel said. “I’m faster.”
He handed Katy to Tonya and ran to an open area, stopping to stamp his foot prints on a muddy piece of ground to ensure the pursuit. The men came quickly, found the footprints, and then followed his trail into the woods.
C H A P T E R T H I R T Y
B arry waited in the truck with Hector while the others searched along the roadside. After hearing Katy’s cries, the Edwards brothers left to search the woods while Jackson followed Jimmy down to the tree line. The two men stopped suddenly when they heard another cry.
“Whose there? We don’t mean you any harm.” Jimmy’s finger hovered over the trigger of his rifle.
“Hello?” Jackson called out.
“Jackson?” Jen answered, still tucked in her hiding place.
“Jen!” Jackson shouted.
She emerged from behind the tree with the two girls. Her hair was full of leaves and her clothes were filthy, but to Jackson she never looked better. He ran up and grabbed her in a hug as tears of relief washed down her face. Jimmy walked a few yards away to give them space.
“Who’s this?” Jackson asked, looking at the two girls.
Before she could answer, gunfire echoed through the rugged terrain.
“Daniel!” Jen screamed. “There’s a boy with us, he ran off in that direction.”
“Dammit!” Jimmy shouted running towards the sound of the gunfire.
“Jen, wait here, I’ll be right back,” Jackson said, and then turned and ran off. He caught up to Jimmy who had stopped fifty yards from a clearing.
“Ralph, Bobby. Hold your fire!” Jimmy screamed.
“Alright, come on,” Ralph yelled back.
They found the two brothers crouched behind a rock with their guns aimed towards the clearing. Bobby held his hand up to a bloodied ear.
“Hold up!” Jimmy shouted. “It’s just a kid.”
“Kid, my ass,” Bobby said. “That fucker put a thumpin’ on me.”
“Whatever it is, we got it cornered,” Ralph added, gesturing towards a rocky rim rising above tall oaks.
Jimmy unslung his rifle and walked into the clearing.
“Daniel?”
Jackson walked into the middle of the clearing and joined him. There was no sign of Daniel.
“What’s your girl’s name?” Jimmy whispered.
“Jen,” Jackson answered.
“Daniel, we are with Jen and her friends.” Jimmy called out. “We’re not going to hurt you.”
Slowly, Daniel emerged from behind a holly bush. He was unscathed, save for a few scrapes and bruises. He was hiding when the brothers came up on him, hit Bobby with a tree branch and managed to get away. Ralph and Bobby lowered their weapons as he approached with his hands raised above his head. The brothers, embarrassed to be bested by a kid, walked off without a word.
C H A P T E R T H I R T Y - O N E
B arry drove back to the camp racing against the setting sun. Jen sat in the back seat with the children next to her, overjoyed to be safe and among friends again. During the drive she explained how she escaped her captors and found the children. Jackson reached back and took her hand to reassure her.
“Jen, wait till you see the set-up these people have. It’s an old mining camp and some of them have lived there for years,” Jackson said.
Barry followed the flatbed up the road to the camp, slowing as they approached the gate. An older man, holding a rifle over his shoulder, swung it open and with a wave, let them pass into the compound. Doc was there waiting to greet them when they pulled to a stop. Jimmy and the Edwards brothers jumped down from the flatbed and began to unpack the truck. Doc gave Hector an approving nod, then walked over and helped Jen climb out of the Rover.
“Nice to finally make your acquaintance,” he said warmly.
“Thank you,” she answered. “Jackson told me what you did for us. We’re very
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