The Bevan — Moving Pieces

Part IV “Moving Pieces”

As soon as Michael and Matthew got back Elena started contacting her family. Liam responded positively almost immediately saying “I need to talk to Lee asap there’s some strange stuff I may need help with”. River, Elena’s sister, who has never handled a gun and is not sure she wants to, was a bit more reluctant to leave their home, but finally relented saying she and her husband Van would come over and see what it was all about.

Liam, his wife Natasha and his girls Trinity and ‘Lena (shirt for Elena, named after his older sister) all arrived several hours later, and were met by Matthew, who let them in the locked gate. An hour later Van and River arrived and were let in.

Once all the families were settled in their lodges, they all walked over to the main house, where Elena started telling what it was all about. The entire group looked in disbelief as the story was relayed to them, and did not know what to think, until Elena showed them the pictures Matthew had taken of the ambushes in the woods, and Michael and Matthew described what they saw.

The faces around the table had that stunned look, at seeing something so foreign and hideous, all except one of Liam’s girls, but she held her tongue. Elena was watching and thought she saw a look of recognition in Liam’s face “Liam? Have you seen someone like these?”

Liam replied in a hesitant voice, “I have seen someone dressed like that one,” pointing at the woodsman, “and that’s what I wanted to talk to Lee about”. Several times over the past months and with increasing frequency he had been seeing someone resembling the person in the picture. “I wanted to see if they could have someone check him out and see what his deal is”.

Van said “You know, I saw one of them several times, near home and near the office”. River chimed in “Yeah, now that you mention it, I did keep seeing someone like that when I go running or walk the dogs”.

Van got up and walked to the kitchen with his phone and making several phone calls, arranging several crates of ammunition to be shipped to there where everyone was staying, as everyone began to realize this may be more serious than at first thought. “I thought it best for us to get stocked up on ammo and anything else you guys think we need. I’m going to be contacting some business friends discreetly and see if I can find out if any strange things have been going on,” said Van.

Matthew was outside along the eastern fence line, when his attention was drawn to what appeared to be a cut in the fence that was tied together with cord making it seem like it was whole. He moved closer and saw it appeared fairly recent, and on the other side of the fence there were broken and trampled branches, where it looked like someone had stood or perhaps sat for an extended time. He immediately recognized it for what it for what it was, an observation spot. Someone here could easily see the gate and the front of most of the houses, and would be out of easy view. Matthew sent a text to Michael “I’m over by the east fence, near the spot where the boat used to be, and I’ve located an op. Do me a favor and get two of Dad’s steel traps and meet me over here will ya?”.

Michael told the others what was up, and headed out to the shed, Liam started to follow but Michael said “Uncle Liam we really need you to be here, that way there will be two here at the main house, that can handle anything that may pop up”.

Uncle Liam hesitated and then acquiesced, “You’re right. I also need to sort out Natasha, ‘Lena (pronounced Lay-na) and Trinity with weapons. Holler if you need me!”

“Will do!” with that Michael headed out back and got the traps, then went to where his brother Matthew was waiting. “What do you have in mind?” He asked Matthew.

“Well, I figure if someone was going to try and crawl through the fence that’s cut over there,” he pointed to the spot “we could leave a surprise or two on this side for them,” and then he hesitated.

“Sounds like a plan, what’s got you bothered?” asked Michael.

“Did you ever really pay attention to Pops when he was showing us how to set these things?” asked Matthew of his brother.

Michael shook his head “To be honest, no not really, did you?” He got the same head shake back, then both young men grinned and laughed. “I guess we will have to figure it out!” said Michael.

“Without pinching our own fingers!” replied Matthew. “Might be a good idea to set these on all the obvious travel routes to and from the houses and building, and come up with a marker, so everyone that needs to know, knows where they are placed,” said Matthew, as he was camouflaging the last of the two they just buried right inside the cut of the fence.

“Already on it, Bro. I brought several and Dad has lots more in the shed,” answered Michael.

They paused long enough to let their mom know that no one should wander around, until they can be shown markers designating where the traps are set.

An hour later, everyone was back at the house, and they made plans. They would all stay in their separate lodges, to try and keep some sense of normalcy, but always careful. Those who knew how to handle firearms would always carry. Liam tasked Trinity with staying with his sister. her Aunt Elena at night so no one would be alone during dark. Neither protested the arrangement. Elena was glad, as she might could sleep a bit more, not having to be on guard alone. Trinity did not protest, because she could practice her skills at knife fighting, something she picked up from a video game, of all places, and she had secretly become very good at.

Elena’s sister River, and her husband Van, headed quickly back to their place for clothes and their dogs, as they had not initially planned on staying.

Michael took charge of a watch system, using the cameras that their Dad had strategically placed along the perimeter of the property, and the redundant ones concealed 25 yards inside the perimeter, as well as the two separate sets of infra red trip alarms, in line under both sets of cameras. He set up a schedule where someone was always watching during the hours of darkness. He, Matthew, his Uncle Liam and Uncle Van would all take two hour shifts watching. They agreed to alert all the others by the intercom system, installed in the lodges, if there was a breach or suspicious circumstance.

Elena, who was trying not to act worried, as she was in the kitchen making a tossed together dinner for everyone, finally got a message from Lee, it was short but positive. “Made it through, ammo did as well, it’s daylight here. We will only move at night. Stop worrying”. She replied with a short but informative run down of all that happened, and the plans that were laid.

Elena felt herself relax just a bit now that she knew Lee was ok, and she made sure to pass the information on to the boys. She finally laid down, and went to sleep around 1130 after being hyper tense and worrying for such a long time.