Restitution: A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival series (The Dark Road series Book 8)
guard is coming.” Ben was glad to see that none of them were really sleeping very well for once, and in fact, they were all awake but had just been sitting quietly.“What should I say to get him over here?” She got up and started moving toward the door to take a look for herself.
“You’ll think of something. I have a feeling it won’t take much.” Ben tried to encourage her as best as he could. It was a lot of pressure on Allie to make this work, and he didn’t like it, but it was their best shot at getting out of here. He also thought it would be best if she came up with something to say on her own; it had to be organic or it would sound rehearsed. The guard had to believe her. She was a smart girl and he had all the confidence in the world that she could sell this.
“Joel, you know what to do. Just like we talked about. Remember, get that hand off the trigger and get the gun up as soon as you make contact. Don’t wait for his reaction. Just one continual motion.” Ben held his right hand open and close to his body with his thumb anchored to his chest, demonstrating the correct form one more time. Earlier, he’d gone over in detail with Joel how best to carry out his attack. It was a quick lesson on how to deliver a devastating elbow strike in close quarters.
The elbow was the hardest and sharpest part of the human body. With enough momentum and the proper angle, a well-thrown elbow was capable of a knockout and serious injury. A properly executed elbow strike was one of the most surefire ways to take out an enemy in hand-to-hand combat and to end a fight quickly, especially in confined spaces like this container. Done correctly, the move involved using about eighty percent body strength and twenty percent shoulder strength. Ben had also instructed Joel to go for the throat. Even if the blow wasn’t a knockout, the shot to the throat should at least keep the guard from calling out or making any noises the others might hear.
That was a lot of information to go over with a seventeen-year-old kid in the dark. But Joel wasn’t just any seventeen-year-old kid; he’d proven that already, and Ben had faith in him. Joel was more motivated than ever now. Not only was he fighting for his brother and sister, who looked up to him, but this was his chance to stand up for the girl he loved, something he’d wanted to do since the guard first made his intentions for Allie clear. When the time came, that would be the driving force behind the elbow. At least that was what Ben was counting on.
Joel took his position in the front corner of the container, behind the stationary door, and nodded when he was in place. He was nervous; Ben could see it on his face. Hopefully the adrenaline would overpower any hesitations Joel might have about doing this.
“All right, everyone else to the back corner, and stay behind me as much as you can.” The darkness of the container would work to their advantage now. All Allie had to do was sound convincing enough to lure the guard over and then somehow make him think that opening up the container was a good idea.
Ben herded everyone else to the back, where they all assumed positions on the floor as if they were sleeping. Ben took a knee in front of the kids and Sandy. He needed to be ready to sprint the short length of the container as soon as Joel made his move. If he was going to capitalize on the element of surprise, he needed to be at the other end in a matter of seconds to finish the job, if need be. Even if Joel knocked the guy out cold, Ben had no intention of taking any chances by leaving it at that.
The rules of this game were determined the second these moonshiners approached them in the woods and held them all at gunpoint. This was all about survival, as it had been so many times before on this trip. Kill or be killed. These people deserved no mercy, and Ben had no intention of showing any.
Chapter Six
Joel was nervous. He held his hand up to his chest and did his best to mimic his dad’s movements as he went through the mechanics of driving his elbow into someone’s throat. He could feel his thumb shake against his shirt, and he took a deep breath to calm himself.
But it wasn’t just anyone’s throat; it was the guy who had been leering at Allie since they arrived. He was also the guy who dealt the blow to Joel’s gut with the rifle when he stood up to his advances on her. The anxiety began to slowly give way to his desire for revenge.
This was something that had to be done. Whether it led to their escape or not was almost beside the point. Joel wanted revenge, and he wanted satisfaction. This piece of trash would have to be dealt with at some point in time. This guard had made his intentions toward Allie clear, and it was only a matter of time before he acted on them.
Even thinking about it sickened Joel, but more than that, it fueled the fire burning in his chest right now. The rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins was making him sweat as he waited silently in his position. The sound of his heart beating seemed loud enough to give him away, and he blew out another slow, steady breath.
Allie reached over and took his hand before moving close enough to see his face in the darkness. Without any warning and without saying a word, she leaned in and kissed him on the lips. The kiss surprised Joel, and his first