The jeep came to an abrupt halt less then fifteen yards from Doc and Krysty’s position.
A short, broad man dressed in a leather flying jacket and aviator’s cap and goggles stood up in the driver’s seat and held on to the front windshield. He reached up and took a well-chewed cigar from the corner of his wide, thick-lipped mouth. “Well, bloody hell, people,” he yelled. “These effing rescue efforts only go so effing far. Now shit or get off the bloody pot.”
“Who the hell are you?” Ryan shouted back.
“Blackjack Gehrig. These are my boys, devil take ’em if they ain’t.”
“What’s your interest in us?” Ryan asked. Over to his right he saw Jak reach out and snare Tarragon, who was suddenly trying to go back the way they’d come.
“You got those bloody tree-huggers chasing you, like to set your arse on fire if they catch you,” Gehrig stated, “You figure a bloke needs much more in this day and age than a common enemy?”
“I do,” Ryan answered.
Footsteps sounded at his side, and J.B. was suddenly there. “We’re between a rock and a hard spot if they’re against us, too.”
Ryan nodded. “Make them pay for the privilege, though.”
Gehrig waved at the machine gunner. The heavy assault gun came around and pointed up the mountainside. A loud barrage pealed across the valley, and white smoke from the heated barrel twisted into the slight breeze and disappeared. Brass spewed out over the ground.
The line of .50-caliber bullets smashed into the mountainside. Two of the Celts went down, and the others found cover wherever it was available.
“You’re a bloody fool if you don’t take the hand that’s offered,” Gehrig said. “Never had anybody turn down a bona fide rescue before.” He bent his head and struck a self-light, holding it to the end of his cigar.
“Still looking for the strings,” Ryan said.
“Take a look at what you have to trade,” Gehrig suggested. “I’m no frigging stoneheart, ‘cept to those fucking would-be dryads.”
Ryan didn’t know what a dryad was, but the term didn’t sound complimentary. “Mebbe I’m not exactly convinced we need rescuing.”
“Give it fifteen minutes,” Gehrig promised. “Then you’ll be convinced all to hell.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder, back the way they’d come. “Had some trouble ourselves. There’s a search party after us. Could be they’ll take it out on you and yours when they can’t catch us.”
“What he says is true,” J.B. said. “We don’t exactly have a lot of choices here.”
Ryan saw it that way, as well. He read Gehrig and his party as scavengers of some type, though not necessarily as killers. Gunfire from the mountain was picking up, beginning to strike the four wags now.
“Your call, mate, but this train’s leaving now.”
Ryan stepped out from behind the rock and jogged toward the jeep. “Where do you want us?”
“You heading up this outfit?” Gehrig asked.
“Yeah.”
“You’re with me.” Gehrig turned to one of the men in the machine-gun team. “Carson, find another spot.”
The man shot Ryan a sour look, but quickly scrambled out of the vehicle.
“Rest of you find places in that wag.” Gehrig pointed at the nearest pickup truck. “Settle in tight as you can. Gonna be bumpy before it gets better.”
Ryan waved his group forward.
Jak was struggling with Tarragon. The young Celt obviously preferred being left behind to going with Gehrig and his crew. Ryan joined them, grabbing the wounded boy by the shoulder. “What’s the matter with you?”
“If I go with you,” the boy said, “they’ll kill me.”
“You stay here, Pepper and his little group will kill you,” Ryan replied.
Jak held on to the boy with difficulty, gripping a fistful of the back of his shirt.
“Let me go!” Tarragon shouted. He took a step to one side and launched a fist at Jak.
The albino moved around the blow easily, then nearly got caught with a faceful of dust the young Celt blew off his other palm.
Ryan rapped the butt of the SIG-Sauer against Tarragon’s forehead with enough force to stun the boy without badly injuring him. He watched the boy’s eyes roll up into his head as he crumpled to the ground. He felt bad about hitting the wounded boy, but there was no way he was going to leave him behind while Mildred was held prisoner.