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“We will,” the man asserted. “Buck is a wanted man here. If you’re certain he’s up there—”
“Positive. But how long before you think you could send some people up? I’m stranded here. As a reporter I’m really—”
“Reporter?” The man sounded highly concerned. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not doing a story or anything,” King said, shooting Moe a funny look. “I was just heading through but these guys are clearly from some kind of cult or—”
“We’ll have someone up there right away.” The man was rushed and whispering things to someone on his end of the line with some urgency. “Just get me the coordinates of their camp and then steer clear of there. Trust me, we’re on it. There is no story there. It’s a police matter.”
“As long as you’re going to handle it, I don’t see any reason for me to stick around. I’ve got gas in my car now, I’ll just be moving on.”
“It’ll be handled.”
The end to the call was abrupt. Just the exchanging of some map coordinates and some basic information that might help the police. King wanted to believe it had been enough but he looked to Arnoldo for some kind of reassurance.
“They’ll all be talking,” he said with a nod. “Every cop on duty will want to be the one to bring Buck in. I think this will do it.”
“And what do we do?” Moe asked, looking around at the now abandoned Cinderhill. “Do we just wait around and see what happens?”
Arnoldo sighed. “I guess we settle in and wait. We have to have faith that the timing works out. The cops need to roll up on them, before they roll up on us.”
“I don’t have that kind of patience,” King explained. “I don’t want to sit here with the last few people in Cinderhill like sitting ducks. We need to be on the defensive here. Just in case,”
“I like it.” Moe grinned. “Some war games?”
“Something like that.” King looked around and realized just how vulnerable Cinderhill really was. James and his men could do a lot of damage before the police came. He thought back to the strategy that had gotten them this far. “We need to go on the offense. We can’t let them come here and tear up the place or have a shoot-out with the cops. Whatever happens needs to be at their camp.”
“I don’t like where this is going,” Arnoldo groaned. “How exactly do you expect to make that happen?”
“Mrs. Tully is a pretty good judge of things and she called me a fool. I say, I can make that work. I’ll go to their camp and pretend to try to make some deal. Stall them until the police get up there.”
“And how exactly do you intended to get out of there when shit goes down?” Arnoldo clearly didn’t like this plan. “They aren’t going to discriminate when they roll in there and I doubt you’ll get time to explain.”
“I can handle that. You two stay here and keep an eye out.”
Surprisingly it was Moe who spoke up first. “Like hell. We’ll have your back there. They won’t see us but we’ll keep an eye on you. I know these guys. I’ll be able to tell if they’re about to lose it.”
Arnoldo agreed. “And if the cops do come in there, we can see them coming and give you some kind of signal to get the hell out of there.”
“Fine, but I want to be sure Bailey has something to come back to. That’s my priority.”
Moe chuckled. “Trying to win her back by any means necessary. Impressive.”
“I blew it before I ever really had her, so I’m not sure I can call it winning her back.”
“Oh please,” Moe said with a wave. “I’ve known that girl a lot of her life. She was all in on you. Still is. Just don’t get yourself killed out there and you’ll get her back.”
“They might shoot you on sight,” Arnoldo said grimly. “You understand that right? You’re crazy to just walk in there.”
“Sometimes the only way to deal with crazy people is to act like them. This is the right move, I’m sure of it. I’ve got to call Carmen first, but then we head out.”
“Can you shoot?” Arnoldo asked Moe gesturing for him to follow toward where he had his weapons.
“Hunted all my life,” Moe answered with pride. “I could hit a running squirrel from a good clip away. I’m a little rusty but let me see what you’ve got over there.”
When King was alone, he drew in a deep breath and called Carmen. He never imagined when he first arrived that this would be how things might turn out.
“King, tell you me you have a good update.” Carmen was breathless as if she’d been staring at her phone waiting for it to ring. “Did the busses work out? I haven’t gotten confirmation that they’ve arrived at the location I’d set up for them.”
