Scratched Off by Julie C. Gilbert

Author:Julie C. Gilbert [Gilbert, Julie C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-03-05T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21:

Explosive Statement

Red Rock Mountain

Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

The sun set shortly after 7 o’clock, but Andrew waited until after midnight to begin his final preparations. The day hadn’t gone exactly as planned, but he enjoyed it. Supply stores were plentiful, so he bought a new jacket, camouflage pants, three new backpacks, a couple of flashlights, a popup tent, and a better hunting knife. He also stocked up on water and food suitable for taking on a trail. The grizzled old man who had sold him the supplies asked how long he intended to be hiking, but he didn’t press when Andrew gave a vague reply.

The surviving boys had protested and complained until trained properly to behave better. After seeing Jake, the alpha dog, zapped a few times with the stun gun, the other young man became a model prisoner. Unfortunately, Todd never woke up. Andrew would need to think of a special place to display him. In a way, Todd deserved to die slightly less than the other two, so Andrew wasn’t too upset about the easier end he’d received.

Although it slowed their progress, Andrew forced the boys to carry the supplies with the backpacks strapped to their chests so he had a clear shot at them with the Taser at all times. They only passed one couple along the hiking trail, but Andrew spotted them with enough time to warn his charges. If they tried anything more than friendly nods, they would die along with the others. Upon instruction, the boys set down the packs and sat down to eat some energy bars. Andrew spent the brief break sipping from a water bottle and keeping one hand on his gun. For that minute, the boys held the power of life and death in their hands. One plea for help, and the other hikers’ fates would be sealed.

They spent the latter half of the day hiking up Red Rock Mountain, then sat on a flat area to enjoy the view. The sunset had been spectacular. In truth, any one part of the land could look bleak if one looked close enough. Distance gave the view a magical makeover. One no longer saw individual trees but a patchy blanket of brown and green.

Leaving the boys unbound for the ascent had been a calculated risk, but Andrew kept the Taser and handgun close. Both young men wore only the thin, long-sleeved T-shirts they’d sported at the cabin party the previous night. The thin material would be useless against the Taser’s sharp prongs. The mountain air chilled them, but once they were moving, the exercise warmed them up.

Worn out, the boys threw down the packs at the first opportunity. After a quick meal of tuna fish packets and crackers, Andrew told the boys to get some sleep. He helped them with that by slipping some GBH into their water bottles. By the time they woke up and shook off the drug’s effect, Andrew had applied new gags and bound their hands and feet again. He’d arranged a blanket around them in case somebody joined them on the mountain tonight.

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