Page 65 of Survive the Night
“Mort!” Sarah called, her heart breaking a little when the dog looked at her and then in the direction of where the house still smoldered before reluctantly joining their small group. She could sympathize with the poor dog. She, too, wished they were heading home, that there hadn’t been an explosion, that Otto was here and fine and Aaron wasn’t trying to kill them, but that was just too bad. If wishes were horses…
Glancing down at Bean’s mane, Sarah gave a short laugh. Everything else was going to hell, but at least she could ride.
Chapter 18
The driveway to Gordon Schwartz’s compound was bad on a good day, and today was not a good day. Otto was able to get his SUV about three-quarters of the way down the drive before he bottomed out in a snowdrift. He left it there and walked the rest of the way. By the time he finally managed to reach the ten-foot gate topped with barbed wire, Otto was not in the mood to mess around. When pushing the button on the homemade call box didn’t bring a response within thirty seconds, Otto climbed the chain-link. At the top, he used the wire-cutter implement on his multi-tool to snip the strands of barbed wire. Swinging his leg over, he climbed down on the other side.
Just like the police station, the compound felt eerily empty. The mental comparison made Otto twitchy, and he scanned the sky, checking for the lights of a helicopter. He couldn’t see anything but snow and the solar-powered security lights scattered around the area, so he continued to slog through the heavy drifts. He’d been in the compound a few times, but just on the first and second floors of the main house. He’d never been in the bunker. In fact, no one knew for sure that one existed. It was just assumed that someone as paranoid as Gordon Schwartz would have at least a safe room, if not an extra-large bunker stocked with enough supplies for three years of underground living.
After pounding on the front door with his fist, Otto tried the knob—locked. He made his way around the side of the house, annoyed. If Hugh, Theo, and the others were holed up in Gordon’s bunker, they could’ve at least left Otto a note or a map or something.
As he rounded the corner into the backyard, someone grabbed his arm. Otto swung around, fist already raised and ready, mentally reprimanding himself for letting someone sneak up on him. The wind was loud, but that was no excuse when he was in a militia compound and Aaron and his buddies were in town.
“It’s me,” Hugh said in a hushed voice, and Otto stopped his arm mid-swing.
“Did Grace call you? Are she and Sarah okay?” All his worries returned in a rush.
“I haven’t heard, not since they were leaving town a little after four.” Hugh’s tone was grim.
Otto’s stomach tightened as he thought of all the worst possibilities.
“They’re fine.” Although still quiet, Hugh sounded like he was making an effort to sound casual. “What about you? Did you run into any trouble?”
“Yes. You took the shovel out of my squad car,” Otto grumbled, keeping his voice low.
“What? The town is being invaded, and that’s what you’re worried about?” Hugh led the way to a tiny shack that looked like an old-school outhouse. It even had a crescent moon carved into the door.
As Hugh held the door open, Otto gave him a sideways look.
Hugh snickered. “Go on in. Trust me.”
“Trust you like I trusted you to put the shovel back?”
“Why are you still going on about the shovel?”
“There are two vehicles stuck in the snow right now, thanks to you,” Otto said, pulling out a small flashlight and turning it on before stepping into the outhouse. Of course the shovel was a small annoyance, but it kept him from focusing on the big problems—like the fact that their town was blowing up around them. In the tiny shed, the seat had been moved to the side, revealing an open trapdoor. Otto looked into the opening, pointing the beam of his flashlight into the hole, revealing a ladder descending into the dark space.
Hugh snorted quietly. “You got two cars stuck in the snow? Nice driving.”
“It wouldn’t have been a problem.” Otto started down the ladder, keeping the flashlight beam pointed down. He didn’t like blindly heading feet-first into a stranger’s bunker. “If I’d had my shovel.”
“Enough about the shovel. Keep moving.”
Otto did, although he wasn’t about to forget his revenge schemes. He’d just wait until they’d saved the town first—if the bombers left anything to save. The thought sobered him, and he hurried down the remaining rungs, landing on a concrete floor. Moving the beam of his flashlight in a slow circle, he saw he was in a small room with cinder-block walls and a drain on the floor. “What is this? A kill room?”
“Just don’t think about it, and you’ll be happier.” Shining his flashlight ahead of them, Hugh led the way to a metal door that looked positively medieval. Hugh tapped out a quiet pattern, using the butt of his flashlight, and the door swung open.
“Another pig. Great.” Gordon Schwartz groaned dramatically, but he stepped back and let Hugh and Otto enter. About twenty people scattered around watched anxiously as they stepped inside. Otto was relieved to see Theo, Jules and her siblings, the lieutenant, Grady, Cleo the dispatcher, Steve the fireman and his four kids, and several other townspeople. When Otto had driven down the dark, empty streets in town, he’d been worried about them. Even Norman Rounds was there, trying to fade into the background, as usual.
This room was much larger and a little more comfortable than the first one they’d entered, with an overhead light fixture, cots, and even some industrial-looking carpeting. Otto would’ve rather been in his bunker with Sarah. His gut clenched. He hoped she was safe. If Aaron’s men were behind the attacks on the town, they’d be looking for Sarah. Even Dresden wouldn’t be safe.
“Otto!” Jules jumped off the cot she’d been sitting on and hurried over to hug him. “We’ve been so worried! Have you heard from Sarah? Are she and Grace okay?”
Her questions fired up all of his worry again, and he could only offer Jules a shake of his head. “Haven’t heard anything yet.” Sam, standing behind Jules, flinched.
Dee followed her sister, giving Otto a squeeze around the waist. “The puppies are here, and so is Turtle.”
