Joshua (Book 2): Traveler by John S. Wilson

we’ll send Nicky up there to talk his way in ...”
    Alton interrupted, “You sure you want to do that? Do we know enough about this situation ... about these women?”
    From his expression it was obvious Rob was in no mood for questions. “Like I said before, we’ve been watching these women all afternoon and have a good idea about the ‘situation.’ Nicky is in no danger, if that’s what you’re thinking. These two women have been running back and forth from that garden the whole time we’ve been watching them. They’ve got to be pretty tired by now. They’ll sleep heavily tonight, I’m sure of that. But ... their windows and doors appear to be reinforced, that’s why we need Nicky on the inside. Once they’re out he can open a door or window for us. Then we walk right in.”
    Although Alton didn’t seem impressed by the plan, he silently agreed.
    Rob brought the boy to the front and gave him his mission, “Nicky, you’ve done this before. You know what to do. It’s not so hard, right?”
    “No, I can do it.”
    “This will be just like the last time. Go talk yourself into the house. They’ll have plenty of questions for you so answer them and get them to relax. You know what they want to hear. Be nice and friendly, do whatever they ask, get them to trust you. Look around for the easiest window or door to open, when they’ve been asleep a few hours go open it, and put this light stick out so we can see it,” Rob put the plastic stick in the boy’s small hand.
    “Okay ...”
    Rob pushed the child out of the brush and into the open. The boy slowly approached the house in the dark as he put the light stick in his pack. When he got to the front yard, he started yelling out. “Hello! Hello!”
    The older woman opened the heavy front door while a window was opened and its curtains were swept aside. A lone shotgun barrel came out the window aiming in Nicky’s general direction. The woman at the door spoke to the boy through the screen door that was still closed. “What do you want?”
    The boy took one step forward. “I saw your lights. Can you help me?”
    The one at the door took a good long look all around, scanning the surrounding countryside with her flashlight, then shined it back on the boy, “I said, what do you want?”
    The child took another couple steps closer to the porch, under the heavy glare of the light, “I’m hungry, I’m cold, can you please help me?”
    She shut the door and for a moment the muffled sounds of an argument could be heard inside. She opened both doors this time, “Come here, kid.”
    Nicky approached and got a far as the steps before the woman stopped him. She searched his pockets and bag while the gun in the window now held the light and kept the boy covered.
    At last, she announced he was “good” and took the boy by his shoulder and walked him through the front door. With no delay the doors and window were sealed back up with the three of them inside.
    Rob waited a while then sent team Jackal around to watch the other end of the house.
    At approximately 02:45 the next morning, the window that held the gun gently crept up. When it was wide open a green light stick fell from the dark cavernous hole and landed on the front porch. Teams Wolf and Coyote were ready and quickly moved into position. In less than a minute the operation was over.
    Just as Robert predicted, it was an easy mission, the easiest they had in a long while. The two women had an abundance of food and the group stole it all, along with their shotgun and ammunition, and a few knives and some quality hand tools they found. They took all their water too, except the tears in their eyes. With their work done, they got a few hours rest and were ready to move on to their newest opportunity.
    As their informant said, their next target was a good walk for them. They arrived just out of sight of their intended victims late in the afternoon. Rob sent Alton and McCain out to investigate and return by