Free The Harvesting by Melanie Karsak Page B

or
something?” I asked Summer.
    She looked surprised. “Not that I know
of.”
    We got out of the SUV and joined Ian’s
group. I had brought my binoculars with me. I crawled into the back
of Ian’s truck and leaned on the roof. I focused the binoculars to
get a better look.
    “ See anything?” Ian
asked.
    I scanned the place. There seemed to
be no movement anywhere. Nothing moved at the shooting range nor
could I see anything through the windows. “No movement in the
building.” I looked toward the parking lot. “Nothing is moving, but
there are two vans and six cars in that parking lot.” I jumped out
of the back of the truck and stared at the building. My hands were
shaking. Something felt off. Something felt wrong.
    “ Okay, let’s go,” Ian
said.
    Jamie read the expression on my face.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
    “ I don’t know.
Something.”
    Ian started pulling guns out of the
back of his truck. “It’s clear. Let’s move.”
    “ Naa, no, Ian, not like
that,” Jamie said, taking one look at me and then back at the
building. Jamie turned and gave Will a knowing look.
    Will nodded and took off in a sprint
across the grassy field, keeping as low as possible in the tall
weeds.
    I lifted the binoculars and watched
him go.
    “ Do you always have to be
right, man?” I heard Ian grumble at Jamie.
    “ Just being cautious,”
Jamie answered.
    Will moved quickly and soon he was at
the building. “He’s clear so far,” I said. I watched as Will looked
into the windows of the club. He flashed me an “okay” sign and then
dodged around the back of the building and out of sight. I held my
breath. We waited.
    Moments later, Will came running from
behind the building. He was dashing quickly through the grass.
“They’re coming,” he yelled. “They’re coming,” he screamed again as
he ran toward us.
    Seconds later, cresting over the
shooting range hill, two dozen little bodies appeared. I lifted the
binoculars. “Oh my god,” I whispered. “Oh god,” I said, pressing
the binoculars toward Jamie.
    Without even waiting to know what was
coming, Summer yelped and jumped back into my SUV.
    Jamie lifted the binoculars and took a
quick look. “Is that the Cub Scouts?” he asked in
amazement.
    I jumped into the driver’s seat of
Ian’s truck. “We need to get Will,” I called to the guys. They
hopped into the back, and I hit the gas.
    I sped across the bumpy field to
intercept Will. When he was close, Ian and Dusty leaned down and
pulled Will into the back of the truck.
    “ Layla, turn the truck
around so we can get a line of fire on them,” Jamie
called.
    I turned the truck, and getting it on
higher ground, pulled to a stop. At once they started to
fire.
    “ Fuck, there is like two
dozen of them,” Will called. “They are in the god damned weeds. I
can’t see a thing.”
    “ Layla, we need your
automatic,” Ian yelled to me.
    I shimmied through the window of the
pick-up cab and stood in the back. I unholstered the gun and took
aim. The first child appeared in the grass. He was still in his Cub
Scout uniform. Half of his face was a bloody pulp. He looked like a
broken cherub. He came crashing toward us at an alarming
rate.
    “ Layla, shoot,” Ian yelled
at me.
    A moment later six more children
emerged from the weeds. The guys shot at them but they were quick,
moving swiftly toward the truck.
    “ Layla, shoot that fucking
gun,” Ian yelled at me.
    I stood frozen.
    “ Shoot that fucking gun!”
Ian screamed again.
    A split-second later Jamie took the
automatic from my hands. “It’s alright,” he whispered. Turning
then, he launched a barrage of bullets toward the oncoming
children. They fell quickly. I backed up toward the cab. A moment
later, however, I heard the horn on my SUV honking.
    I looked back. At least four women
were clawing at the side of my SUV. I realized then that Summer had
locked herself in without the keys.
    A boy grabbed at Will’s leg, nearly
pulling him to