by Payne, T. L.
"I have three in the cab and six in the bed—all armed with rifles. Over," Zach said, into his radio.
“Roger. Three in the cab and six in the bed. Stay put and observe,” Rank radioed back.
As the truck slowed to a stop, Zach stood. One of the men who had come with Harvey walked out to greet the occupants of the truck. They waved Rank over, and a second later, everyone piled out of the vehicle and shook hands with members of their group. Zach counted out loud.
“Thirty-three.”
Thirty-three wasn't a bad number. But he still had no idea how many men Guffey had. It would be very helpful to know.
A few minutes later, Harvey strode down the middle of the street. With him were three men and a woman, likely all in their twenties. Zach stayed put and let them join the others.
“Let’s roll, Zack,” a voice crackled through his radio.
Zach sprinted across the park and fell-in beside Rank.
"So, Guffey and his men are headquartered at his store on Grand Avenue. He has around twenty men. He calls them his deputies. He claims he is the new law. They've been going house to house demanding payment for security. So far, if anyone resists, they’ve left them alone, but there’ve been rumors that they've returned to some of the houses. The occupants are now missing. Guffey claims they just left town to go to one of the Red Cross shelters. No one believes him," Harvey said as he adjusted his grip on the AR slung over his shoulder.
Zach surveyed their Army. They were all dirty and thin. They looked like they hadn't slept in weeks—probably because they hadn't. But he still saw a fire in each person's eyes—that spark of something that propelled people forward. The same something that had, so far, kept them all alive when so many had fallen. He looked at the two girls his age. He hoped they were up to this challenge. The way they were standing with the heads together whispering like silly middle schoolers made him doubt it, though.
"Anyone know for sure if the supplies from the prison are at this guy’s store?" Lugnut asked.
“That's where all of it is—all the food leftover from the FEMA distribution that the judge was distributing and everything they've taken from residents since the judge passed. It’s all in there," a Hispanic man in his mid-thirties replied.
"Let me ask you this. If the rest of the town sees that we have a chance of taking back the city, do you think they’ll join us?" Rank asked.
There were some nods. Others shrugged their shoulders.
Zach stepped forward.
"Who's going to take their place as leader of the town?"
Everyone turned to look at him.
They looked around, but no one spoke.
"We would need to have an election," Jacob said.
"We haven't had much luck with that in the past. Look at where our elected officials are now," a tall, dark-haired man wearing a gray hoodie and camouflage pants, said.
"I think you should do it, Jacob," Harvey’s daughter said.
When everyone turned to her, she ran a hand down the length of her brown ponytail and turned her eyes down to her feet. Zach could see that the woman was overdue for a trip to the hairdresser. Her gray roots nearly crowned her head.
"That's all something that can be worked out after we oust the dictator who has taken over the city. Right now, we need to focus on removing him from power," Lugnut said, bringing everyone's focus back to the task at hand.
"Do you think that Guffey and his men will just leave if they see how many we have with us?" Harvey's other daughter asked as she wrapped her pudgy fingers tightly around the grip of her rifle.
She reminded Zach of his English teacher, Ms. Wyman, with her short hair and full, round face.
"That would be the best outcome, but we need to be prepared to remove him by force, if not," Roger said.
Roger eyed each one, sizing them up.
"Okay, then. Let's go do this thing," Rank said, making a chopping motion with his hand.
Chapter 29
South Central Correctional
Licking, Missouri
Event + 23 Days
Before hauling the supplies to the storeroom, Maddie instructed the three teen boys and Jacob's cousin to show Ryan the location of each of the guard towers. Maria had taken up a position at the south tower. From that vantage point, she could see, not only the prisoners, but anyone entering or leaving the prison by vehicle. Maddie was concerned that Guffey and his men might double back to try to finish what they'd started.
With Ryan manning the .50 cal., which was still mounted on the vehicle and pointed down the middle of the prison yard, and the four teenaged guards and the two Soldiers manning the guard towers, Maddie and Harmony set about dragging the supplies inside. It wasn't hard work. Most of the boxes were empty. The half-pallet of MREs were the only heavy items. It took fifteen minutes to load them, individually, onto the hand truck and haul them all inside.
After carrying the last box inside and locking the storeroom door, Maddie told Harmony to follow her.
“Where are we going?" Harmony asked.
“To check out the water buffalo. We need to see how low we are on water," Maddie said.
The four-hundred-gallon M149 water buffalo trailer attached to the big green Army truck was only half full. It looked like it had been a day or two since anyone had made a water run to the river. Maddie climbed up into the cab of the old deuce-and-a-half, made sure it was not in gear, turned on the ignition switch, and pressed the start button.
Nothing. It wouldn't start. She looked down at the fuel gauge.
Empty.
The vehicle was going nowhere. Maddie wasn't sure how they would deliver water to the inmates without being able to back the trailer with the water container into the gate.
How did they even wind up running out of fuel just parked here?
"Shit!"
Maddie sighed.
"Maybe they have enough for today. We can get fuel from Jacob and bring it back after the guys get back," Harmony said, trying to console her.
It wasn't working. Maddie knew that the inmates' water container was nearly empty. She'd seen the trail of water running from it when she passed it on her way to the south tower. It had likely been hit by a stray bullet.
Her mind raced.
How long would they be willing to go without water? Should she send someone after fuel?
She received her answer when she stepped around to the back of the vehicle. The large puddle of greasy fluid trailing behind the back tire was all she needed to know. Either a bullet had hit the fuel tank, or more likely, Guffey or one of his men had punctured the tank and stolen the diesel fuel.
"Maybe we can hold them off on the water. When the guys return, we can use the box truck and fill the empty barrels with water," Harmony offered.
Maddie bit her lip. She was so furious with Guffey for putting them in this situation. She wished she could've gone with the guys. Maddie wanted to be the one to make him pay for putting them all in danger like this.
Maddie looked up to the sky. The sun was creeping its way to the west. Maddie extended her arms slightly above her head and stacked one hand on top of the other lining up the top edge of her right index finger with the bottom of the sun. She counted the number of hands and fingers from the horizon to the sun. They had about three hours to sunset.
She puffed out her cheeks and blew.
"Okay. We'll just have to wait until morning to provide them water. No way am I risking opening that gate in the dark," Maddie said. "Let's start our patrols and hope the guys make quick work convincing Guffey to give us back our supplies."
Harmony bit her lip. Maddie could see tears forming in her eyes.
"They'll be fine. Guffey won't know what hit him. Rank, Lugnut, and Roger are battle-hardened. They know what they're doing."
Harmony nodded, but her face said she was unconvinced.
Although most of the inmates had retreated inside, enough remained in the yard to concern Maddie—and they were watching everything
she and the other guards were doing. At least this time when Maddie passed by, she wasn't having piss bombs thrown at her. She shuddered at the memory. She was sure that particular memory would stay with her a long while.
On their second trip around the fence line, Maddie and Harmony stopped to check on Russ and his friend, Richie, in the northwest tower.
"I really wish I could call and check on my dad," Russ said, his face filled with concern.
"I know, but my mom is a nurse, and my stepdad has medical training. They'll take really good care of him. Why don't you go get a bite to eat? When you're done, bring your friend, here, something. We might not be getting many breaks. I need everyone on their toes come sunset. If the inmates are going to make a move, I bet it will be after dark," Maddie said backing away from the stairwell door.
Maddie waited at the bottom of the guard tower until Russ reached the volunteer building, then continued down the walkway between the fences. She tried to look away as she passed near the dead men inside the fence—their fellow inmates having left them where they lie.
Maddie looked down at her feet as she passed the tower where Todd had been killed. On the other side of the fence were four bodies. She wondered how they were going to handle the dead inside the prison. The bodies would no doubt smell by morning, and the flies and disease they would bring worried her.
The sun was getting low on the horizon by the time she made it back around to the west tower. She climbed the steps and banged on the door with the meaty side of her fist.
"This is Maddie. I just wanted to check on you and see if I could get you anything."
"It ain't locked," a muffled voice called back.
Maddie turned the knob and opened the door. As she climbed the stairs, she was forced to pinch her nose due to the combination of body odor and urine wafting down from the tiny space. She let go of her nose and opened the door. The observation area looked out over the expanse of the west side of the prison yard. Several men still milled about. Some sat on benches, while others leaned against the interior fences.
"Hi, we met when you got here with Roger and Maria, but I've forgotten your name already. Sorry," Maddie said.
The man didn't turn. He didn't take his eyes off the yard below.
"I'm Jaxon."
Jaxon was dressed in BDUs. From the noxious aroma, he probably hadn't changed them since the lights went out.
Maddie walked over and stared down at the M249 SAW lying across the man's arms.
"Wow! Nice SAW," Maddie said.
"You ever shoot one?" Jaxon asked.
"Once. At a range with my dad," Maddie said.
"Cool."
"I can't believe the military let you take that thing."
"They didn't know I had it."
Maddie nodded. An awkward silence settled over the room. It appeared that Jaxon wasn't much of a talker. She was just about to leave and return to her patrol when Jaxon broke his silence.
"Thanks for letting me and Dustin join your group. I'd had enough of the shit over on base. I hate motherfucking politicians."
Maddie pivoted and faced him.
"I hear that the two mayors of those little towns outside the front gate are putting on quite the show."
"Yeah. You could call it that. They sure turned it into a circus fast. As soon as the last units pulled out, those two came sniffing around like a dog following a bitch in heat. Fuckers came in with all these suggestions on how we should serve the community and shit. They didn't want to help nobody but themselves. Then the two of them got to bickering about whose name should go first on the sign at the gate."
"Sign?"
"Welcoming people to the Waynesville-St. Robert Shelter."
"I can't believe that the post commander is just letting them take over."
"Why not? He doesn't have but a handful of soldiers to control the whole base. He knows they can't keep them from waltzing in and taking whatever they want, anyway."
"Damn," Maddie said.
There was another long pause.
"Well, I'm glad you joined…"
"What the fuck?" Jaxon yelled, jumping to his feet and pulling the SAW to his shoulder.
"What? What is it?"
"Those motherfuckers are back," Jaxon said, turning toward the road.
Maddie pulled her rifle to her shoulder and looked through the scope. A bright red pickup stopped on Highway 32 just before the entrance to the prison. She didn't recall seeing a red truck pass them earlier. An older motorhome pulled in behind it. She scanned the cab of the vehicle. She gasped.
"Don't fire—don’t fire! Their friendlies," Maddie yelled as she turned and ran down the stairs.
As she descended the stairs two by two, Maddie grabbed her radio from her belt.
"Everyone hold your fire. I repeat. Do not fire. Friendlies are coming in from the highway. Red truck and motorhome. I repeat they are friendlies."
Maddie pushed open the outer gate and ran as fast as she could toward Highway 32. At the southwest guard tower, she stopped.
"Ryan," Maddie said into the radio.
“This is Ryan.”
"Ryan. I think it’s…" Her breaths were coming in gasps, more from excitement than exertion.
"I think Larry is in that motorhome."
"What? Don't move. I'm coming to you."
It felt like an eternity, waiting for Ryan. The vehicles on the road didn't move. No one exited their vehicles, and no one tried to approach the prison.
Maddie heard Ryan's footfalls behind her, but she didn’t take her eyes off the vehicles on the road. It sounded like Ryan was hopping on one foot. He was gasping for breath by the time he reached her. The end of his rifle bobbed up and down as he tried to look through his scope. He let out a deep breath and placed the barrel of this rifle across his forearm to steady it.
"I'll be damned. I think you are right, Maddie. That sure as shit looks like Larry—and his son-in-law is seated next to him," Ryan said, without removing his eye from his scope.
"How can we be sure? I mean… We can't just approach them. What if we’re wrong and they just look like them?"
"You said they were in a refugee camp in Missouri, and he'd sent a scout down here to find me. It has to be him," Ryan said.
"How would he know to find you here, though?"
"Your mom," Ryan said, finally turning to look at Maddie.
On his face was the widest smile Maddie had ever seen from him.
"Wait here," Maddie said, running back to the volunteer building.
She hadn't run that fast, or that far for that matter, since they'd arrived in Missouri. She stepped up on the curb and nearly tripped, righted herself, and reached for the handle. She threw back the door, ran down the hall to the storeroom, and grabbed the bullhorn.
"Here," Maddie said shoving the bullhorn into Ryan's hands.
She thought it should be his voice that Larry heard. They were friends. He was familiar with Ryan’s voice. She was winded and wouldn't have been able to speak, anyway.
“You in the motorhome, this is Ryan Masters. Step out of the vehicle with your hands up and identify yourself," Ryan said into the bullhorn.
Maddie and Ryan waited. Maddie had her rifle trained on the vehicles, ready to fire if need be.
Ryan was just pulling the bullhorn back to his mouth when Maddie spotted the door to the motorhome opening.
"He's getting out."
The man slowly exited the driver's side of the motorhome. He held both hands in the air as he had been instructed. He yelled something, but Maddie couldn't hear him clearly.
"I can't hear him. Can you?"
"After twenty years in the Corp, I can't hear worth a shit. We are going to need to move closer,” Ryan said.
Ryan pointed to the small shed on the opposite side of the driveway. Maddie ran to the corner and peered through the scope. She was sure it was Larry. They just needed to hear him speak. They couldn't afford to take any chances.
Maddie covered Ryan as he ho
pped across the road and joined her by the shed.
"Say your name and where you’re from," Ryan said into the bullhorn.
Maddie couldn't make out his name, but she heard “Illinois” clearly.
"I heard Illinois. It's him," Maddie said.
Maddie sprinted toward the tree line that stood between her and the road.
Crouching behind a large tree, Maddie looked through the sites of her rifle.
"Ryan. It's Larry. I'm sure of it," Maddie said into her radio. "Everyone hold your fire. We have friendlies at the road."
Maddie stood and stepped out from behind the tree.
"Larry. It's Maddie Langston. I left something with you in Illinois. Can you tell me what that was?" Maddie yelled.
She had to be one-hundred-percent sure.
"You left me one big, ole, ornery, white dog and the cutest little redhead," Larry said, stepping away from the truck.
Maddie's heart leapt in her chest. She was in shock.
"How did you find us?" Maddie asked as she took a step closer.
"Your mom and dad said you might need some help."
Larry turned and motioned to the three men in the vehicle with him. Larry's son-in-law slid out of the pickup and waved. Ryan stepped out onto the drive and waved back.
"Pull on around," Maddie yelled.
Following a grand, albeit brief, reunion with Larry, his two sons, and a son-in-law, Maddie gave their new volunteer guards a tour of the facility.
"These gates," Maddie said, pointing to the gate on the inner perimeter fence, "We never open them. The outer gates are left open for our safety, in case we need to get out quickly."
"How do you get food and water to the prisoners?" Larry's son-in-law, Chris, asked.
"By this guard tower are a set of three gates. We back the truck to the interior gate, drop the trailer, and pull out, locking the two outer gates. The person manning the guard tower signals the prison trustees when they are clear to retrieve the supplies. The water is a little riskier. The water trailer is left inside the inner gate. That is only done every other day, and not until the yard is clear. They know that if they don't stay inside, we won't deliver the water."