The Defiant: An Unbeaten Path by John W. Vance Read Free Book Online Page A

to scan the trees but after a minute assumed that the man was alone.
    Bryn called out, “Cover me.” She jumped over the fortified guardrail and bounded down the steep hill. When she reached the man’s body, she stopped and listened. Believing she was safe, she immediately began searching his dead body for any clues that might tell them who he was and if he had anything to do with the gunfire from earlier. She discovered only the handheld radio, a semiautomatic pistol and a .22 caliber bolt-action rifle. He had no identification or anything that would give them any idea why he was spying on them. Satisfied with her search, Bryn came back to the group only to find them debating their next move.
    “We can’t leave, no, we can’t,” Becky declared.
    “I’m with Becky,” Katherine added.
    “Me too,” Abigail said.
    “Leaving them behind was never part of the plan,” Marjorie chimed in. Ever since she defied Frank earlier in the morning, she had felt empowered.
    “This might be a first, but I agree with the ladies,” Frank said.
    Hearing the conversation and having her own opinion, Bryn said, “No one gets left behind, period.”
    “I’m sorry, but his wishes were specific. I was given two conditions for leaving, and hearing that skirmish in the woods and the man down there fulfills that requirement. This is not up for debate; we need to start moving,” Colin declared.
    “No!” Becky said.
    “Becky, I’m sorry, but this is not up for a vote,” Colin said.
    “You can’t make us,” Becky charged.
    Feeling frustrated, Colin took his massive hand and rubbed his face. He looked at Becky, then went to each face in the group. He had to come up with some compromise, but what, he wasn’t sure yet.
    “You’re outnumbered,” Bryn said.
    “Guys, listen. We’ve been lucky, but we can’t sit here forever. We need to move on. What if that man was an advance or scout for whoever did all that shooting? Soon they’ll be here, and we might not have enough to fight them off. Becky, you need to see this from Nicholas’ prospective,” Colin explained.
    “You’re asking me to agree to something I can never agree to. No, I will not pack up and head north.”
    “How about this? We keep a small team to go look, say…”
    Bryn raised her hand and said, “Count me in.”
    “Me too,” Rob said.
    “I want to go,” Abigail chirped.
    “That’s not going to happen,” Colin said to Abigail.
    “I agree, you’re not going out there,” Becky said to Abigail. She could see the anxiety in her, and the fear for her father was written into the deep wrinkles of her furrowed brow and pursed lips.
    “Bryn and Rob will go. The rest of us will press forward in the Suburban and trailer. We’ll leave them the old car,” Colin said.
    “I can’t agree to this,” Becky said.
    “Please listen, we’re not safe sitting here anymore. We need to go, you need to go. There’s nothing you can do, so why not be heading north at least,” Colin explained. He was deeply frustrated and the conversation he was having was not a surprise. He knew this was going to happen and didn’t have any ideas just how to handle it if they refused.
    “I think Colin has a point,” Frank said.
    “We’re not leaving Nic and Proctor,” Becky said, shooting a harsh look at her father.
    “His plan doesn’t leave them; we send these two looking for them while we begin the last leg of our trip. Sitting here and waiting won’t change the outcome of what those two find out there,” Frank replied.
    “Here’s the deal, while you all sit and debate this, Rob and I are heading out,” Bryn declared as she opened the back of the Suburban. She opened the back cargo space and began stuffing food, water and extra ammunition into a backpack.
    Rob followed her lead and started doing the same thing. As he stuffed his pack, he hoped Abigail would come to him, but with each item he stuffed, his desire turned to disappointment as she stayed by Becky’s