"Ruin and Redemption"

Rescue Attempted

“When we’re in the woods, don’t crunch any branches or leaves. Stay behind me, keep quiet, and don’t shoot anyone until we work out a plan. We don’t want them to know we’re there if we can help it.”

“What the heck, Lizzie! You want me to go into the woods and not crunch anything? I thought we’d get Izzie and just go in and take those bastards out," Scarlett scoffed.

“No, I’m his husband. I’m leading this mission, and I’ve got an idea already. We can get Izzie, but she’ll be taking orders from me,” Lizzie said haughtily.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Izzie! You coming?” Lizzie called as she rode past, half-stopping in front of Izzie’s porch.

Rebecca came out.

“I’ve got her gun. Izzie already left with the pistol. Do you need it?”

Lizzie shook her head and kept riding. They didn’t have any time to waste. What if the time she had spent alerting Patsy to Joe’s condition and getting herself dressed properly cost Derrick his life?

They had miraculously made it out to within a few hundred feet of the bonfire without alerting the men to their prescence.

Scarlett grimaced when the branches and pine cones ground into her delicate feet, but she didn’t make a whimper after Lizzie glared at her to shut up.

The rain had slowed to a light drizzle, and the moon was full. It lit their path well enough, thankfully, so there was no need for a torch. Now they could see well, thanks to the bonfire.

The men had taken Derrick's shirt from him. There were whip marks across his back and chest.

Part of Lizzie thought it was no more than what he deserved. The other part of her shuddered to see him like this. At least, if she succeeded, she would bring him out alive. Her eagle eyes lit up when she scanned the forest on the other side of the bonfire and noticed Izzie standing by, her rifle trained on the man holding the whip.

Lizzie shook her head and brought her arm out in front of her, closed her fist and brought it down, hoping Izzie would understand not to discharge her weapon. Izzie caught her eye and obeyed her signal, bringing the rifle down.

There were seven men, and only three women in the rescue party. Lizzie now wished she had brought a fourth. One of the worker men should have accompanied them, regardless of the danger. Some of the men were armed. Their weapons lay scattered on the ground. At least she could see empty booze bottles. The drunks would be easily confused, she hoped.

They needed to plan their strategy, and they needed to disarm the men somehow. One of them needed to lure the men away from their weapons somehow, while the others took them away. How was Lizzie going to accomplish that?

“Scarlett, give me your rifle. You could be the decoy.”