Conquest ~ Indian Hill 3 ~ A Michael Talbot Adventure by Mark Tufo

wish that they had gone out th at way rather th a n endure the horrors about to be unleashed.
     

    CHAPTER N I NETEEN
     
    Beth walked slowly with Max as he led her out of the woods and to the rendezvous point with Sammie and the car. From time to time they stopped as they listened for Johnny’s signal that the way was all clear. Johnny was scouting ahead to make sure no one , especially her pursuer was anywhere in the vicinity.
    “Surely by now he has to be gone from here?” Beth asked , concerned they were taking t o o long to get out of the woods and that she would have to begin her journey in Worcester in the burgeoning darkness.
    “Probably , ” Max a nswered. “ D o you really want to take that chance though ? ” He stopped to look up at her to gauge her reaction.
    She shivered. “No . P erhaps you’re right.”
    “Perhaps?” He muttered, shaking his head.
    “Max , stop , ” a hu shed voice said over the walkie- talkie.
    Beth’s blood turned to ice.
    “I hear something over in Cobbler’s F ield , ” c ame the tinny voice . “L et me check it out. ”
    Beth didn’t move for fear that she would divulge her location even though she was a good hundred and fifty to two hundred y ards away from the other walkie- talkie ’ s owner.
    “Be careful, Johnnie , ” Max replied , not really believing they were in any imminent danger. “Probably just a deer. Maybe we’ll be able to send a hunting party out to get it.”
    The shots caught both of them by surprise . Beth nearly dragged Max down to the ground with her.
    “Johnnie ! Johnnie! Are you all right !?” h e screamed into the radio.
    Beth desperately wanted Max to be quiet and come down to the ground with her. But her voice failed her.
    “Johnnie !” he screamed again.
    Beth ’s adrenaline kick ed in — she grabbed Max by the shin and pulled him over . H e tried to kick her away as she grabbed the radio with one hand and covered his mouth with the other, using her body weight to silence his struggles.
    “Is that you , bitch ? ” c ame the m alevolent voice over the walkie- talkie , sounding far more insidious through the circuitry. “Come on, one or two more screams for poor little Johnnie and I’ ll have you . W hat is it bitch , you to o high and mighty to do your own handiwork , you have to send little kids out to do it for you?”
    “Oh , Johnnie ,” Max wailed, muffled through Beth’s fingers. Beth was shaking from a combination of fear and rage. 
    Max had finally squirmed himself l o ose from Beth’s death grip.
    “Come on ,” he said , grabbing at Beth’s hand. “We’ve got to get out of here. This is the only path from where … from where Johnnie was . ” Max tried his best to keep from crying. “If we stay here, he’ll find us.”
    That got Beth moving. “Where are we going?” Max led her off the path and into the thickets.
    “We’ll take a short cut to where the car is . ”
    “Is it safe?”
    “It’s safer than staying here ,” Max said without ever turning to look at her. Both walked crouched over , expecting at any moment to come face to face with their pursuer. The radio crackled to life.
    “You’re really starting to piss me off . W hy don’t you just come out and get this over with ? ” The man stated, almost matter of factly.
    “Why don’t you just die ? ” Beth replied with as much hatred as she could muster, before she shut the radio off.
    “That’s the spirit ,” the man shouted far t o o close for comfort.
    Beth and Max moved towards the sound of the man’s voice, though she wished they were moving away from him. Max quietly explained that he was directly in the way of where they wanted to go and that they would have to go around him. The plan was going well until they heard a scream.
    “Johnnie!” Max said in a loud whisper.
    “Hey , I’ve got some company, you should come and visit , ” t he man shouted.
    “Oh my God!” Beth cried.
    “He’s got Johnnie, what do we do?” Max plead