by Hunt, Jack
“Tell me something. You trust this girl?”
“I don’t trust anyone,” Tyler said.
“Well that would have been good to know before we left.” Bennington turned and looked at Markowitz. “You remember that pretty Iraqi informer you had eyes for? What was her name again?”
“Zina,” Markowitz replied, looking around casually.
The crunch of their boots and the sound of birds was all that could be heard.
“Zina. That’s right. Damn, she was a fine bit of ass, and yet one hell of a liar. With a deadpan expression she told us about that cell group. That bitch cost us the lives of Charlie and Liam. And what made it worse was she got away with it. How many other soldiers did she do that with?”
Corey recalled that day. Informers that played both sides of the fence were as dangerous as suicide bombers. The military relied on accurate intel to remain safe. Insurgents knew this and so instead of just hiding in the shadows or sending their women out covered in C4 and a mass of 3-mm steel balls, they would send in an attractive Iraqi woman from a respectable family to gain the Americans’ trust. From there it was a simple process of leading them like the Pied Piper into a building rigged to go off.
Corey caught up with Tyler. He’d noticed he’d been quiet since leaving Kalispell. Tyler shot him a sideways look as he fell in step. “Well this will either go south or turn out to be the best thing we’ve done since this shit storm. I’ve been meaning to ask you about your time with Jude. How did it go?”
“It was all right.”
“That’s it?”
“What do you want me to say, Corey? That he isn’t anything like Andy?”
“I just figured in three weeks you might have noticed things that weren’t right. I mean, if Allie is telling the truth and this is the main camp for the raiders, he could be leading them.”
“No, I don’t buy it.”
“Why, because he’s your father?”
Tyler looked at him but didn’t respond.
“You know, this doesn’t change anything between us. You’re still my brother. We might not have the same father in common but we are connected through our mother, and our time growing up together.”
He nodded and adjusted his grip on his weapon and pressed on.
Corey fell back and made sure all their comms were operating.
“Hey Corey. You know, if the situation looks bad, I’m pulling out,” Markowitz said. “No point losing our lives over food.”
“This is more than food we are talking about here. It’s pushing back the tide before it sweeps over our towns and drowns us.”
“No. These people are opportunists. Like those assholes who showed up on my property. They look for the weak.”
“Tell me, Markowitz, if you were starving and I offered you bread, what would you do for it?” Corey asked.
“Depends. Are we talking sucking dick or…?”
“Nope. Shit, man, why do you always make everything sexual?”
“You said what would I do for it. That had sexual connotations to it. Didn’t it, Bennington?”
He nodded and looked back. “It kind of did.”
“You two need to get your heads out of the gutter. It’s a loaf of bread. Geesh.”
They both roared with laughter and he joined in. He missed the old banter. Although Corey enjoyed working in search and rescue, it didn’t come close to the brotherhood he had in the military. There was something to be said about being shoulder to shoulder, in the grime and heat of the Middle East.
Right then Tyler’s fist shot up in the air, then he placed it to his ear to indicate for them to listen. All of them dropped to a crouch in the thick leafy brush at the sound of a dirt bike engine in the distance. They moved quickly to find cover behind some of the thick conifers and cedar trees. Another bike shot into view. They seemed to be following the same trail. Corey motioned to each of them not to do anything. The only thing they had going for them right now was the element of surprise. There was no telling who they were. Under the canopy of tree branches they watched four dirt bikes bounce down a trail. All of the riders had rifles on their backs but were wearing biking gear. All of them shot by at lightning speed but it was the fourth that slowed. Corey put his finger on the trigger and prepared to take him out. He turned his head towards them and lifted the visor on his helmet. What had he seen?
Tyler was looking directly at Corey, sweat beading down the side of his temple.
“Keep moving,” Corey said under his breath. He turned his head ever so slightly to see if the rider had spotted an animal. Perhaps they were out hunting for food? Corey brought up his eye to the scope and had the guy’s face in the crosshair. Just give me a reason, he thought. He watched his eyes shift from side to side. That was when he saw another one of the bikes that had gone ahead return. It slowed and the other rider was asking him what he’d seen.
Corey’s heart sped up.
This wasn’t a good situation. They might be able to take out two of them but if the other two caught wind of it, they could easily escape and raise the alarm and what little window of opportunity they had would be gone.
Fortunately, the rider shook his head and flipped down the visor and both of them took off at a high rate of speed. The five of them waited in the brush for a few more minutes before continuing on, changing direction to ensure they didn’t have them come up behind them on the way back from wherever they were heading.
It didn’t take them long to reach the rise that overlooked the clearing.
Corey’s eyes widened as he saw the setup. They spread out to get a better view of the place. Over the comms unit he heard Holden say, “Okay, how the hell did they get all this shit in here?”
Tyler replied. “There is a road off US-93 called the 17 Mile Road. It connects with Quartz Creek Road and then forks and cuts through the forest down to NF 4681.”
“NF what?”
“It’s a single trail mostly used by loggers and campers. But from the trail you can’t see this place. It’s hidden behind that mountain.”
“So how did they haul in all of these supplies?”
“ATVs and trailers.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” Bennington said. “Then how do you expect us to get the shit out of here?”
“Same way,” Tyler said.
This new information didn’t sit well with any of them including Corey. He figured as did they that if a large supply was being stored in a campsite, they had to have a means of getting it there. ATVs couldn’t haul large amounts of supplies. It would require multiple trips. And there was no way in hell he could manage to get his truck through the forest, it was too dense. Out here, dirt bikes, ATVs, that was the only way to slice through God’s country.
“Corey. A word with you,” Markowitz said. Corey got up from the ground where he was peering through high-powered binoculars. He handed them to Tyler and at a crouch made his way over.
“You didn’t say anything about kids.”
“I knew less than you, buddy. Look, if you don’t feel good about this, we’ll pull out. I just know these people are going to keep coming. Volunteers are dropping like flies at the roadblocks in Whitefish and I expect it’s the same in Kalispell and surrounding towns. They don’t think twice about killing and they aren’t going to stop. The only way we can put a dent in their operation is to take the war to them.”
Markowitz stared back at him. He didn’t need to explain what that meant. Hell, they had for years served overseas taking the war to insurgents, chasing them out of their hideaways and putting an end to their reign of terror. But back then they had air support, large platoons of soldiers and the whole goddamn U.S. military behind them.
“This requires more people.”
“We don’t have them,” Corey replied. “This is it.”
“Why?”
“I told you why. We don’t know who to trust right now. The last raid in Whitefish was compromised. Now I don’t know who tipped them off but the fewer p
eople who know about this, the better.”
“I don’t like it.”
Tyler overheard and walked towards them. “It’s a simple matter of timing,” he said pulling out the notebook belonging to Allie. “She knows their schedule down to a tee. They won’t bat an eye over those three ATVs leaving the camp. They’ll expect it. What they won’t realize is one of them will be carrying out the cartridge reloading machine. Look, I understand the hesitation, I really do, but I trust her.”
“You don’t know her,” Markowitz said. “On the way up here you told us that you had only known her for three weeks and most of that wasn’t spent with her and now you want to go out on a limb to get her sister, who you don’t even know if she is down there? Am I the only one who sees how absurd this is?” He turned away from Tyler and directed his attention to Corey. “You should know better than anyone else that this is the reason why this is not a viable mission.”
Corey turned to Tyler. “Give us a moment, would you?”
Tyler nodded, looking at a frustrated Markowitz. He walked back to his spot. Corey turned to Markowitz. “We get one shot at this. It’s not just food that is down there, its medical supplies, generators, gasoline and most of all, a reloading press, and more ammo than we could ever find. In the wrong hands that shit is devastating. Now I don’t know about Kalispell but Whitefish is running out of ammo. Food, well, we can hunt and fish. That’s not a problem so if you want to leave that behind, fine. But the ammo, gas, medical supplies, that shit is golden now. And don’t tell me it isn’t.”
Markowitz was thinking it over.
“I’ve already lost a lot. Ella, the baby and good friends of mine in Whitefish. Today it’s a friend, tomorrow a brother. I won’t lose more people.”
“I get it,” Markowitz said. “But you can’t control the future.”
“No, I can’t but we can stack the odds in our favor,” he said jabbing his finger towards the camp. “Right now, they hold all the cards and they won’t stop until all that is left is people, and you know what happens then.”
“Slavery. Executions.”
“That’s right and child soldiers. War crimes. It’s happened before and it will happen again. Right now, we have an opportunity to turn this around, to stack the odds in our favor and hold on to a sliver of what remains but I can’t do this by myself. If I have to I will but…” He trailed off and looked over at Gibby, Bennington and Holden before shaking his head. “Haven’t you missed it?”
“You know I have,” Markowitz said.
“Then stand with me. Because let’s face it, what do we have to go back to?”
He nodded slowly. “More of the same. Perhaps worse.”
“Perhaps worse,” Corey repeated his words before running a hand over his sweaty face and squinting into the distance. Darkness had wrapped itself around the forest and a light rain had begun to fall.
Corey patted him on the back. Markowitz sighed. “Man, the shit I do for you all.”
“So you’re in?”
“Do I have a choice?”
17
Nate ran his thumb over Erika’s hand and stared at her with a heavy heart. She was still in an induced coma. The doctor had told him that it varied based on the situation but in most cases, patients could be in it for a few days up to two weeks. Anything longer than a month was rare. It was done only when patients were at a high risk of brain injury from physical trauma, a drug overdose, a disease like meningitis, rabies or a life-threatening seizure. The knock she’d had to the head had caused a fair amount of swelling. That’s why she’d been suffering from headaches and acting agitated. While they were confident that it would work, he didn’t mince words with Nate and was clear that it carried some risks, like risk of chest infection which was common because it affected the cough reflex. He’d also warned him to not be surprised if she awoke scared and confused. Patients emerging from sedation often experienced hallucinations.
“Can you hear me?” Nate waited as if expecting her to reply. “I don’t know if you can hear me but I really need you to fight this. I know you can. You’re strong.” He smiled and then snorted. “I’ll be honest with you, when I first met you I didn’t think you were. In fact,” he clenched his teeth then continued, “I kind of thought you were a whiner, a daddy’s girl who didn’t have backbone but you proved me wrong. You proved us all wrong, Erika. I guess that means we should probably withhold judgment about people until we know them better.” Nate cast a glance out the window. “You know, I’ve never considered myself a wuss but when I was in that bunker, I don’t know what I was more terrified of, that mad cow Denise or seeing you harmed.” He sighed. “You aren’t missing much here.” He looked at smoke rising in the distance. “Whitefish is quickly turning into hell. They are losing people and can’t replace them fast enough. Andy is still a dick, the mayor, well, bless his heart, he’s trying.” He paused for a second, placing a kiss on her hand. “Oh, and if by some strange twist of fate, you wake up and can’t remember who I am, I want you to know that I’m going to do everything in my power to remind you. Okay.” He smiled then kissed her hand again. “I miss you, Erika.”
After that Nate got up and went over to Bailey who was lying at the foot of the bed. He ran his fingers through her hair, and her ears perked up. She sniffed his hand and licked it. “Hey girl. You want to come with me?”
She lifted her eyes but didn’t look interested. “No. I get it. She’ll pull through. You’ll see.” He looked back at Erika and swallowed hard. “She has to. I’m not facing this shithole alone.” A tear welled up in his eye and he wiped it away. He got up, strolled down the hall and refilled her bowl with water from a holding tank they’d brought into the hospital. Most of the water in the city was being sourced from a number of places. Local homes were using manual pumps if they had well water, those who didn’t, collected rainwater from rooftops or anywhere water pooled. The city took things to the next level and started bringing it in from the reservoirs, rivers, streams and lakes in the area. Of course, all of it needed to be filtered and boiled, making it a slow process, but at least no one was going without. Food, well that was another matter entirely. Fortunately, there was an abundance of fish in Whitefish Lake, and wildlife in the forest. The challenge was making sure you didn’t get shot in the process. He’d been out with Andy a week ago and what should have been a peaceful and relaxing time was anything but. The sound of gunfire was crazy. Dotted throughout the forest, survivors from towns in the area wore bright orange vests to avoid getting shot by the steady influx of people seeking out food.
The challenge the city would soon face would be dealing with the greedy, those who were taking more than their fair share as a means to extend life. That could only last so long. It was inevitable that the abundance of wildlife would soon dwindle with every man and his uncle hunting. What then? Well, everyone would revert to fishing but how long would that last before they realized it was easier to let someone else do the hard work and then swoop in and take it by force? That was why Corey saw the importance of taking the fight to the raiders. Nate? He was torn. Just as the city was replacing those who died, wouldn’t the raiders do the same? The offer of having your needs met was enticing in this new world.
Nate returned and plunked the bowl down. Bailey looked at it despondently as if she’d given up the will to live. It reminded Nate of what Andy had said. Only the strong would survive. He’d already come across those who had taken their lives. One month in and people had given up. He couldn’t imagine it was possible but Corey told him that many in the nation had grown up with parents who had filled them with fear of the end times. Would Denise and her batshit clan have done the same thing? Swallowed the Kool-Aid and joined Jim Jones on the other side? He shook his head at the thought before leaving Erika. He tapped the door frame a few times and told her he would be back soon.
Before leaving he managed to bum a smoke off the security guard. On the long forty-minute trek back to city hall that evening, he thought about how
he’d acted in the bunker and dwelled in the regret of what-ifs. What if he’d acted sooner? What if he’d been the one to escape? As he came into the residential area of the city and went to cross Riverside Avenue, he heard a woman screaming for help. Her cries cut through the darkness as he looked east. The street was empty. He waited a second thinking he might hear it again but got nothing so he continued on, making it to 9th Street before he heard the scream again, this time it was close. He looked up US-98 contemplating continuing on. Andy had told him and Erika that under no circumstances were they to engage with anyone if it meant putting their lives at risk. He was by himself but even as he ignored the scream and crossed the road, he couldn’t help but wonder what was happening. Still, Andy’s words echoed in his mind. Stay on course. Don’t detour. There’s nothing you can do to help.
The screams got louder. Nate glanced down 9th Street and saw trouble. A woman was running down the road in torn clothes. Behind her, three guys on mountain bikes followed, overtook and circled her. They would do a figure eight around her, and take turns prodding her like cattle with the end of a baseball bat.
“Oh, come on, don’t play hard to get.”
Nate scanned the street for cops. Typical. When needed they weren’t anywhere to be found, and when you wanted to avoid them, they were everywhere. He hesitated for a second, Andy’s cautionary words echoing in his mind, then decided, screw it. He removed the AR-15 slung over his shoulder and brought it up. He moved down the street crossing over front yards, weaving around trees and bushes until he got close enough to make out their faces. They were in their late teens. Wet behind the ears. They reminded Nate of self-entitled jocks who would get drunk on weekends and then boast about getting laid the following Monday. The girl stumbled as one of them prodded her a little too hard. She landed hard on her knees and the three broke into laughter. “All this could have been avoided if…” one began.
Before he could finish, Nate emerged from a front yard and fired a warning shot near his bike. The look of fear on their faces spoke volumes. These weren’t gang members, thugs or even opportunists, they were immature assholes. The one he fired near, froze, his hands shot up while his two friends whipped their bikes around and pedaled the hell out of there, only taking a moment to look back. Nate jogged over, rifle aimed at the guy. “You don’t understand, man. She deserves it.”