The Long Road Home

Chapter Twenty Five

Page kept low as she slipped through the garden toward the house. She had left Kidd and Sam in the tree as she made her way through the ripper infested fields. Watching the rippers avoid the electrified fence was fascinating. Knowing they did not like it was something she filed away as a possible defense for the future.

Inside the house, the bandits were doing nothing to keep quiet as they laughed and joked around in the kitchen. The smell of food told Page they were probably in there eating. She need to find the keys to the slave's chains and cages. Once she got them out, she would figure out what to do about the bandits.

She found the key upstairs right where Sam said it would be. Hanging on the wall in the leader's room. As she worked her way out, a door opened to her right and a man she did not know stood there. His eyes widened in shock seeing her. Page swung her bow hard and slammed it into his head. He fell to the floor with a loud thud and the people downstairs went silent. Page wanted to swear. She went into the room facing the front of the house. Sneaking out a window and onto the porch roof, she dropped to the ground and went into the garden hiding herself behind a few benches and barrels.

A lone man came out the front door and scanned the area. Page drew back with her bow and fired an arrow hitting him in the chest. He fell without a sound. Page moved to find better cover. When those inside found their dead friend, she wanted to be as hard a target to hit as possible.

Four men and a woman exited the house armed with rifles. The woman checked the down man.

'He's dead.' She told the man to her right. A moment later Page's arrow slammed into her chest and she went down next to her friend. Before the remaining four could take cover, Page killed another one. The bandits opened fire, but came nowhere near where she was hiding.

Page waited and watched for a clear shot. Only when they stopped shooting, did Page take another shot. The leader screamed in pain as her arrow tore into his arm.

'Who is out there?' He demanded once the arrow was removed. Page did not answer. If she started talking, they would know where she was and would have a better chance to kill or capture her. 'What do you want? Did we take a friend of yours? Tell us who and we will return them.'

Page peeked out and saw one of the men working his way off the porch toward the fence. She fired and killed him. If he made his way around the back of the house, he could come up behind her without her even knowing it. The man she had wounded swore outraged. 'When I get my hands on you, you son of a bitch, I will feed you to the rippers.'

Page kept down as she moved through the garden to a tipped over wheel barrel. She needed to end this now. The longer this played out, the better chance of her being hit with a random shot. She could not let that happen. The unwounded man and leader were hunkered down whispering panicked. The leader sighed and nodded.

'Whoever is out there,' He yelled. 'Surrender now or I cut the power to the fence. If I do that, the rippers will come inside and tear you apart.' The unwounded man made to go inside, but Pages arrow took him down. The last man swore outraged and hid behind the table that was tipped over on its side.

Page waited patiently for him to ether surrender, or try to take a shot at her. Sooner or later, he would have to make a move. It happened near dawn. The man threw his gun out and stood with his arms held high. He was pale and shaking as he came off the porch. Page stood keeping an arrow aimed at his head as she moved forward.

'Down on the ground.' She ordered. 'Hands behind your head.' He did as told and growled.

'Who the hell are you?' He demanded as she locked him up with the chains she had taken off Sam. 'Why did you kill my people?'