The Crucible (Part 6)

We settle the kids in to get some sleep now that they have been fed and then Rosie, Landon, and I slip back out of the cave. The thought of the decision ahead weighs heavy and no one talks for a few minutes.

Finally, I speak up, “I think we have to get the two teenagers, Raif and Rylee, out of the Crucible.”

“We can’t go back there, we barely got away last time,” Landon says. “ I feel bad for them, but can we risk it?”

Rosie chimes in, “We have to do it for the little kids. I don’t think the three of us are prepared to take care of them long term. Plus, Landon, we can’t just abandon those two to the psychos at Crucible.”

Landon nods in hesitant agreement.

It was decided that we would rest up for the night in the cave with the kids and at first light make our way to Crucible. Once we get there we will watch the camp and come up with a plan to rescue Raif and Rylee.

I doze off and with thoughts of what dangers tomorrow might hold. It seems like I have only been sleeping for a short time when I hear someone saying my name.

“Wake up, Cassian.”

I blink my eyes a few times and take a long look at who is talking to me.

“Good morning man,” Hobbs says. “How did you sleep?”

“What in the world?” I gasp. “Hobbs, you can speak?”

“Of course man,” Hobbs laughs.

A million questions begin to run through my head but they are all cut off as my body begins to shake. A murmuring sound gets louder.

“Wake up, Cassian,” Landon says to me.

I blink myself awake, for real this time. I set up and look across the cave at Hobbs. He locks eyes with me and blinks real slow. Does he know about the dream I was just having?

Rosie, Landon, and I make sure the kids have plenty of food and water and let them know they need to stay hidden and we will be back with Rylee and Raif by the next day, hopefully.

On the trip back to Crucible, Hobbs scouts ahead and we try to keep our traveling as quiet as possible. We aren’t sure if other people from the Crucible may be still in the woods hunting for us.

“The sky is getting really dark,” Rosie comments. “I think there may be a big storm blowing in.”

“I think you are correct,” I reply, “it looks like we are walking right into where it is coming from.”

Sure enough within minutes a light rain begins to fall. Soon, the drizzle turned to a heavy downpour. The weather has slowed us down, but as Landon points out it will help cover our approach back to Crucible. Rosie adds that it may also help keep the militia members inside their tents and out of the rain.

We are getting close to the overlook where I first discovered Crucible for the first time. Landon has taken the lead as we come through the trees to make it to the top of the crest. Out from behind a tree a man steps and smashes the butt of his rifle into Landon’s chest.

“Look here, the rat has returned,” says the man, who I recognize as the man I named Squirrelhead.

Landon crashes to the ground, his ankle gets caught on a rock and twists causing him to grunt in pain. Squirrelhead stands over Landon with the barrel of his rifle pointing at his face. I have to act quick to save him. Before I can even get an arrow out of the quiver Hobbs has launched himself out of the trees and sends Squirrelhead crashing backwards.

I rush over to stop him from yelling out and alerting the others at Crucible but Hobbs with his fangs inches from Squirrelhead’s neck have shown him that would be a bad idea.

Rosie goes over to check on her brother and with Hobbs providing the incentive to not to do anything stupid I tie Squirrelhead's hands behind his back with rope he was carrying. I also stuffed the bandana he was wearing into his mouth to keep him from calling out. With our prisoner secure, Hobbs slinks back into the woods to nose around for anymore danger.

We move ourselves further down the hill and away from the Crucible in case there are more members out on guard. The rain is still coming down heavily, but we manage to find a halfway dry place up under a large oak tree. The thick cluster of branches above us provide some relief from the rain.

“Landon is going to be out of commission now,” Rosie says worried about him and how just two of us are going to be able to try and rescue Rylee and Raif.

Landon looks upset with himself for putting us in this predicament so I try to make him feel better. “The good thing is now he can keep an eye on our prisoner.”

I hand the rifle that I took off of Squirrelhead to Landon and he immediately points it in the direction of the militia member.

“We are going to need a plan,” Rosie says.

I look to the prisoner, “He will be happy to give us some inside information about the Crucible.”

In his eyes you can see the defiance blazing. “He won’t say anything,” Rosie counters.

I don’t answer but pull from my backpack some beef jerky sticks and fishing line. I thread the fishing line and beef jerky together to create a necklace and walk over and drape it around Squirrelhead’s neck.

Right on cue Hobbs walks up under the tree to where we are. His eyes lock on to his favorite treat.

Squirrelhead’s blazing eyes look like someone has turned a firehose on them.