Chapter Nine

Zach

It was late at night; stars lit up the sky. The moon was on her way up. Zach sat on a bench on the porch in front of the compound, deep in thought. He loved when he and his brothers were all together.

People who didn’t really know him, especially the people in the city, all thought he was a man without feelings; that he was harsh and insensitive—heartless, even.

But when he was in the city, he just didn’t show who he really was. He didn’t like to be in Rockdale. He was just there for business, nothing else.

Why did he have to be nice to the people that only wanted him for his money, for his connections, for his success?

He really detested the way the people in the city used him, so why did he have to pretend that he cared about those people, when he didn’t.

There in Redwater Creek, there in the woods, at the foot of West Shaw Heights—that was where he felt at home, where his family and friends were.

That was where he could be his true self. That was where he showed affection, his caring heart, and maybe even love.

“Hey, brother, thought you might be here.” Adrian plopped down next to Zach on the bench, holding two beers.

“Here,” he said. He handed Zach one and took a sip of the other. “I forgot how peaceful and quiet it can be here at night.”

“Yeah.” Zach sighed.

“What’s on your mind, Zach? You’re so quiet, and it’s not like you. Is something bugging you?”

“I wish I could shut down or sell the business in the city. I’m sick and tired of it.”

“Then why don’t you sell the company?” Adrian was surprised.

“I can’t. If I sell the company, our income will be cut off.”

“Do you really depend on that income that much? I thought it was for your personal wallet, not to sustain the whole family.”

“No, the family depends on it. Otherwise, we have no income here.”

“Then you have to find another way to create income. Or you could just give up your CEO status and be a silent partner. Then you still have income, but you don’t carry the burden anymore.”

“I already have a representative who sees to my business when I am not there. So, I don’t have to go as much as I used to, but it is still too often for my liking.”

“Wouldn’t the income you get from the sale of the business be enough to survive for a while, while you’re thinking of another way to make money?”

“I don’t know. I don’t really want to sell if I’m not sure there is a solution, even if the sale yields enough to make a good living for the next twenty years. I need insurance, a backup.

“It’s not just me, you know, all these people here are depending on it.”

“I understand. If you like, I’ll think about a solution and when I have an idea, I’ll let you know.”

“Thanks. I knew you would understand.” They sat quietly for a while, ready to enjoy the peaceful and quiet night, when a panicked security guard came running to them.

“Boss, intruders! Northeastern border! Two of the guards are down! They are coming in fast!”

Just like that, the peace and quiet were gone.

“Shit, not good! Adrian, get your destined to safety. Ring the alarm, we are under attack!”

Adrian jumped up and walked inside to ring the alarm.

“How many of them are there?”

“About fifty, Boss, but they’re fast. I can’t hold them back!”

“I’ll send help. Hang in there.” As soon as Zach was done talking to the guard that notified him, all the soldiers were standing in front of him, Jackson among them.

“Guys, we’re under attack. There is a group of fifty intruders on its way to the compound. We have to act fast. One group goes left. Jackson, it’s time to prove yourself. You take the lead on the left.

“Another group goes right, and the rest are with me. We’ll close them in. Be careful. Have each other’s back, but spare no one.”

“Can I help?” From the right, Zach heard Adrian’s voice.

“Can you make sure that everyone in the compound is in the safe room? Just in case.”

“I think they can evacuate themselves just fine. I’m coming with you. You can’t change my mind.”

“But you’re destined—”

“Stop, Zach! This is the exact reason why I am here. Let me come with you!”

“Okay, then, you go right—take the lead there.” Zach let out a curse. He didn’t have the time to argue about this. He started sprinting then everyone who was with him followed him.

Zach was a bit bigger and more muscular than Adrian and Jackson. He’d had special training to become the boss, but all of the Hunter brothers were strong.

Zach looked to Jackson on his left, then to Adrian on his right and shouted, “Adrian, Jackson, if you come across their boss, bring him in. I have some questions for him.”

“Will do,” they both responded.

“Be safe.”

Zach sprinted at the front of his group of soldiers, leading them to the place where the intruders were. The intruders had already made it far into the territory when they reached a clearing in the middle of the woods.

He immediately saw the boss in the front of the group, heading his way. He held back a little, to see what the boss was doing.

He didn’t want to go into the fight blindly; he wanted to see who he was dealing with—what his enemy’s tactics were, how he fought—so he could see attacks coming and so he knew what possible weak spots there could be.

He waited, ready for anything.

Their boss didn’t think for one moment before swinging a baseball bat at Zach. But because Zach had been studying him, he saw it coming and jumped to the side. Their boss lost his footing and bit the dirt.

Zach quickly turned around to kick him in the side. He tried to get back up but couldn’t. He pulled a knife and slashed at Zach’s ankles, but Zach easily kicked it out of his hands.

Zach backed off a little to see what the boss was going to do next. He grabbed the bat and swung again.

~Is he really that stupid? Does he really think I don’t see those attacks coming?~ Zach thought to himself. Again, Zach jumped out of reach and turned to face the boss again. He took a second to glance around him.

From the corner of his eye, he saw that his family had the upper hand in the fight. Already, a lot of the intruders were on the ground. To his left, he saw Jackson fighting a big, muscular guy but Jackson seemed to manage.

Adrian was on the other side of the fight, just barely holding on. Adrian lay on his back, barely dodging a bat as it slammed into the ground next to him. Zach didn’t think for one moment before running to Adrian’s aid.

With his head down, he ran into the thug, knocking him down.

“Behind you!” Adrian warned him, trying to catch a breath.

Zach quickly turned around and saw that the boss had followed him, using the distraction to attack him from behind.

When the boss swung again, Zach waited for the right moment. Because the boss exposed his body, Zach could land a punch that would knock the air out of him. Then he landed another punch to his head as he hunched over to catch his breath.

Just as he thought he had knocked him out, the boss stood up again. But Zach’s punch had done some serious damage. The boss was dazed and bloody. His face was covered by a bandana, like some kind of mafia cowboy, but Zach could see the pain in his eyes.

Realizing he was beat, the boss retreated back into the woods where he came from.

When the rest of the surviving gang noticed that their boss was running off, they all followed him. Zach ran after them, with all his soldiers on his tail, to drive them away from the territory.

At the border, Zach stopped and watched the intruders run as fast as they could. Around he could hear his soldiers celebrating their victory.

“Well done guys. They didn’t expect us to come from three sides. I am proud of you,” he said.

When he turned back to the clearing, he met up with his brothers. “Jackson, check all the bodies. If there are any survivors, don’t spare their lives. They didn’t want to spare ours, either. They won’t hesitate to fight dirty next time and they won’t hesitate to bring guns. Get rid of the bodies after we’ve slept.

“Adrian, open the safe room. Let those who are inside out, and then check on your destined to see if she’s alright and let me know. You did well, guys. I am proud of your teamwork.

“It’s late. Make sure you get some rest, and take care of yourselves. You deserve it.”

Zach walked back to the compound. When he arrived at his quarters he headed straight for his bathroom.

He felt the need to rinse all the blood, sweat, and bloody memories from his body. After getting out of the shower, he put on only some sweatpants.

He walked over to his dresser where a set of a bottle of whiskey with four glasses is displayed on a tray.

He poured whiskey into a glass, grabbed a cigarette from a package and a lighter, and took it all to the open double doors that led to a little balcony. He breathed the fresh forest air in deeply.

He put his glass down on the wooden railing of the balcony and lit his cigarette. He took a big puff of his cigarette and then one more.

He wasn’t a heavy smoker, but sometimes, the occasion made him long for one, and tonight was one of those moments. He took a sip of his whiskey, then he leaned against the door frame and looked to the stars.

Tomorrow would be a busy day. They really needed to make plans with Adrian to exterminate these hostile intruders. The situation was getting worse; if they didn’t do something, the problems would get out of hand.