Strengthen What Remains (Book 2): A Time to Endure by Kyle Pratt Page B

to….”
    Movement
at the edge of the woods caught Caden’s attention. He squinted trying to see
who it was.
    The
man laughed and said something in Spanish.

 
 

Chapter Ten
    He’s not a soldier.
    Caden’s
vision cleared enough to see the young man wave a pistol as he sauntered toward
him.
    He
reached for his holster.
    It
was empty.
    His
eyes darted, looking for the gun, but couldn’t find it in the snow.
    The
man neared. Tattoos covered his neck and face. His eyes were as cold as the
night.
    Desperately,
Caden tried to come up with a plan.
    A
smile spread across the man’s face. “Beg me for your life,” he said with a heavy
Hispanic accent.
    Caden
stared at him without a word.
    Bang.
    Caden
flinched. Blood flowed from the soldier across Caden’s legs.
    “Beg.”
    Caden
shook his head slowly.
    The
punk stepped closer and pointed the gun at Caden’s face.
    An
arrow burst from the man’s chest. With a lurid scream he staggered backwards,
fired the gun into the ground and collapsed in a heap.
    Confused,
Caden pushed the soldier off his legs and stood. Dizzy, he stumbled as darkness
engulfed him.
    *                *                *
      Images came in flashes, blood in the snow,
soldiers, and a boy with a bow. Gradually Caden became aware of a light shining
in his eye. He swatted at it.
    “Good,
you’re awake.” Dr. Scott shined the light in Caden’s other eye.
    “What?”
Caden mumbled and again slapped at the instrument.
    Hoover
stepped into his view. “There was an explosion. We’re not sure whether it was
an accident or what, but Simon’s van would have had both gunpowder and primer
in it.”
    “I
remember the blast. The soldier with me?”
    “Dead,
I’m afraid,” Hoover frowned.
    Caden
nodded and then rubbed his sore head. Realizing he was on a gurney in the
hospital hallway he swung his legs over the side and slowly sat up. He
struggled to stand, despite the protests of the doctor but, as dizziness caused
him to wobble, he quickly sat in a nearby chair. “How long was I out?” He
glanced at his arms and legs. “Was I hurt?”
    “You
just got here,” Dr Scott said. “I think you have a grade three concussion. You
should be fine, just try to remember that I have better things to do than fix
your head every time you decide to hit it against something.”
    He
felt like saying, “Yes ma’am,” but just nodded his sore head. “I seem to
remember an arrow.”
    Hoover
sighed and shook his head. “I can’t decide whether the kid is a hero or a
suspect. Zach used a bow to shoot the punk who was threatening you…”
    “I’m
going with hero,” Caden mumbled.
    “…but
the road the gang was on would have taken them right past his trailer. It
leaves me wondering why the kid was in the woods and why was he armed.”
    “I
think you’re a little too suspicious, Sheriff.” The doctor smiled.
    “The
kid has a record and I can see him hiding or fencing stolen goods for the
gang.”
    Caden
shrugged. “I’m just glad he was there. Did we capture any of the thugs and who
exactly are they?”
    “We
haven’t figured that out yet,” Hoover said. “The only one we’ve captured is the
one Zach shot.”
    Setting
the chart on the gurney, Scott said, “They’re prepping him for surgery now. Dr.
Winfield will be operating on him.” She shook her head. “This has been one
strange year. I’ll bet no doctor in town has removed an arrow in over a hundred
years.”
    Looking
back to Hoover, Caden asked, “Did you recover any bodies.”
    “Yes,
several.”
    “One
of my soldiers is a police officer from Seattle. He recognized gang tattoos on
the shooters at the freeway church last month. I’ll have him look at the
bodies. I need to talk to Brooks.”
    “He’s
still finishing the mop up operation.”
    Caden
looked at Hoover. “Did you bring me here?”
    “No,
Zach and another soldier brought you in. Brooks said after that he was…well…it
seems the soldier with you