Darkness Falls (Book 1): Rise of the Fallen (18 page)

Once on the road she waited for the helicopter to distance itself until it was no longer visible. Once it was completely out of view she drew her side arm pointing it at Private Arnolds.

“Pull the truck over.”

“Ma’am?” He glanced over becoming aware of the gun. “I can’t do that ma’am. I have orders to return the cargo safely back to base.”

“I give the orders Arnolds. I can include putting a bullet in your head in those orders if you don’t pull this truck over right now!”

Arnolds frowned slowing the truck down to a complete halt.

“Now leave your weapons in the seat except the knife. Also, leave your radio. Good, now step out of the truck.”

He followed her orders watch carefully for a chance to make a move. She gave him no opportunity to do so.

“Now start walking back to the base. Actually, you should stealthily run if you don’t want to be bitten. Move it.”

After he had walked a half block away she started up the truck. She floored the pedal driving as quickly as she safely could back to the cabins her group had been staying at. She pulled up running inside to look for a message to lead to the location the others had gone off to. She grabbed the letter beside the bed before running back outside. She rigged the truck with explosives in her backpack that she had borrowed from the base. She set a timer for fifteen minutes to give herself enough time to get a safe distance away. She hopped into her S.U.V. in the garage quickly driving away. She barely exited the city passing the ‘Welcome to Ruidoso’ sign when a huge explosion went off.  Billowing smoke rose into the sky from the direction of the cabins she had left behind. She stopped at the first building on the road. Gathering a bag Rye had left behind for her she stepped out. Just beyond the Ridgeman Gas Station were tall trees of a good sized forest area. She looked back in the direction of the explosion one last time seeing a tiny black dot in the distance which was likely the helicopter. Jessie turned towards the forest proceeding forward into the dark woods with a smile on her face.