Read Online Joshua (Book 2): Traveler by John S. Wilson - Free Book Online Page A

Cornwell and Martinelli to help pack up the food. McCain and Rudd stayed on standby with their rifles just in case. It took them over an hour of careful packing before they were ready to go.
    When the group left later that morning, their cart was so full it was overflowing, along with their packs that were nearly bursting. They did leave the family some, but only because it wasn’t enough to warrant returning for. The cart was so laden it took three men and both boys to get it moving, even then traveling was slow.
    When they were finally out of view, Rob got on his radio again, “Coyote, release the prisoners. Coyote and Jackal, proceed to point Cherry for rendezvous.”
    In just a few seconds the girl and her father came running out of the woods; they were frightened and dirty but didn’t appeared harmed. As they approached, Rob turned to say adieu. The old man still held his rifle on him.
    “You would like to kill me, wouldn’t you?”
    “I most certainly would.”
    “But then you know what would happen.”
    “Yes ...” He continued holding the gun on him.
    The girl came running, “Grandpa, no!”
    The son was right behind, “Dad, put the gun down. We can’t fight their kind. We’re not hurt, we’re alive, just let it go.”
    The father at last lowered his gun. “Get out of here, scum. You think you’ve won, but sooner or later God will make you pay for the things you’ve done.”
    “You really believe that, don’t you?”
    The old man nodded.
    Rob scoffed and walked on.
    It took Rob a half hour to catch up with the group and everyone was pulling or pushing the cart along.
    As soon as he arrived, James came to his side, “Rob, can I ask you something?”
    “Sure ...”
    “You weren’t really going to hurt them, were you? You weren’t really going to hurt that little girl?”
    Rob looked James right in the eye, “Did you think I was going to hurt her?”
    “Yes, kind of ...”
    “Good.”
    “Good?” The boy was confused.
    “James, I wasn’t going to hurt anyone. But we have to make people think we would. If we can’t make them afraid of us we would never eat. People won’t give you much unless they fear you. Oh, if they pity you they might give you a little, but not enough to live on, though. But when they fear you ... well, you can get anything you want.”
    Rob continued to march out in front. “It’s like with the Whitmans. I wouldn’t have hurt that lady, I certainly wouldn’t have burned her to death. But I had to make the husband believe I would. If I didn’t he would have never gave us a thing. We would have had to use force to get what we wanted. Then one, or both of them would have probably been killed, and some of our guys too. You see, James, you really don’t have to hurt a person to get what you want, that’s not important. What’s important is that they believe you would.”
    “Oh, I see ...”
    With their work done they were ready to move on to their newest opportunity. All weighed down, they slowly made their way towards their next mission. They had a third of the journey under their belts before Rob decided it was time to stop for the day.
    They slept under a highway overpass that night, without a fire, and James bundled himself up in his sleeping bag to cut the cold breeze that blew through.
    Just before sunup they were awakened by gunfire.
    Rob was on his feet right away, yelling out to D’Cruz who was on guard duty on the overpass above, “What’s going on?! Where? How many?!”
    D’Cruz took another shot at something unseen and turned back to Rob, “There’s at least two of them, one just over that hill northeast and another west of us past that car!” He pointed at an old derelict about two hundred yards away. “They both took off running when I returned fire!”
    By now everyone was on their feet and armed.
    And there was no doubt Rob was in charge, “Alton, you take D’Cruz and Martinelli and go after the one northeast. McCain, you take Rudd and