Grid Down Perceptions of Reality

by Bruce Buckshot Hemming

  “Jesus woman, take a breath. I’m fine. It’s just a little hole. No big deal. Let’s get out of here.” Preston said.

  Amy was so happy that he was all right and told them that they had four horses just up the road. She said, “I’ll go get the horses.” And with that, she ran to the road and took off.

  Jane came over and gave him a hug, “What took you so long?”

  Preston smiled. “Your old man is getting old and slow. Besides, we had some people that were trying to kill us, and had to hide from them. I guess some people were a little upset about losing their toy gun, by the way, did those guys make it back okay?”

  Jane smiled. “Yup, but they lost seven men taking it, eight counting Chris, and have two wounded, you’ll make that three. What is wrong with your leg?”

  Preston said, “It’s just a small bullet hole. It’s a long story and can wait. But hey, we made it back. It only slowed us down a little bit.”

  Amy came riding up with the horses and they mounted, riding straight to the vets to have Preston’s wound checked out. Joe returned the horses, took all of their tack off and stored it properly in the barn. He then turned them out into the pasture, and reported to Scott.

  Scott welcomed him home and pulled out a map. He wanted to know all of enemy positions that they knew about. Joe filled him in.

  Looking at the map, Scott noticed that some of the locations went as far north as the last sightings reported, which was 10 miles to the east. He pointed to the map and showed Joe, saying, “They must have orders not to go past this line. That’s good to know.” Showing him on the map, “This is as far as we patrol. It’s roughly a 20 mile buffer zone between us and them; a No Man’s Land. So you’re sure you didn’t see anybody in those 20 miles. No patrols went past you? No recon scouts?”

  Joe, confirming that said, “No, that was a last place we encountered anybody. Where’s John?”

  “He’s turning over the 105 to Clint, and getting further orders. What do you think we should do?”

  “Well, first thing is we need to find out is where these troops are. Did they make it to Minneapolis or did they turn back? If they made it to Minneapolis, we should hit them again on the return trip. I know a guy that has a .50 Cal sniper rifle. Give me a couple days to rest up I’ll go talk to him and see if he wants to join us.”

  “Sounds good.” Scott said. “You two got some good women there, but they stole the horses and went looking on their own, disobeying a direct order from John.”

  Joe laughed. “Yeah, I know, they filled us in. I won’t say a word if you don’t. John doesn’t need to know everything.”

  “I agree. Now go home and get some rest. We’ll meet back here in three days.” Joe climbed on his bike and headed for home.

  Upon returning home, Michael wanted all of the details. Joe said, “Sorry, but I’m too tired right now. I’m going to bed. You’re on watch.”

  Chapter 28

  The Sniper Rifle

  Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

  ~Theodore Roosevelt

  The Doc told Preston he was stay off the leg for four weeks, until it was totally healed and to make sure no infection set in.

  That morning, Amy began throwing up and thought it must be the flu. Jane asked her when was the last time she had her period, and a panicked look came across Amy’s face.

  “Oh God, not that. No, I can’t be.” She looked at Jane. “It’s been two months.”

  They told the doctor what was going on and he smiled, saying, “Good. I’ve been saving some prenatal vitamins and was wondering what I was can use them for. Does Preston know?”

  Amy started stuttering, “Ah, ah, ah, we don’t know for sure and he’s wounded so I don’t need to bother him with this right now.”

  Jane grabbed her by the shoulders, turned her around and marched her right into Preston’s room. She pushed Amy in, and as she closed the door she said, “Amy has something important to tell you.”

  Preston got up and started getting dressed. “The Doc cleared me to go home, what do you have to tell me.” He had his back to her as he was putting on his shirt.

  Amy started, “I’m glad you’re coming home, and uh, uh,” and then in a really fast voice, “I might be pregnant.”

  Preston turned around, “That’s great. How far along are you?” looking down at her stomach.

  She rubbed her stomach and said, “Two months.”

  Preston rushed to her and held her closely in his arms. “This is so great. Let’s go tell everybody. Do you think it’s boy or a girl? What’s your intuition say?”

  Amy put her arms around his neck, saying, “Are you sure you’re happy about this, because I don’t even know if I am for sure.”

  Preston said, “Of course I am and you are going to make the best mother ever.”

  She said, “I have no idea if it’s a boy or a girl. It’s too early to know. Let’s wait another month to be sure, before we start telling everybody. What if it’s just stress and I just missed two periods. Please for me, let’s just wait.”

  He smiled. “Okay, that’s not a problem. Take me home so I can get out a here.”

  They walked out and Preston thanked the Doc, and then checked in on the other two wounded men. One had been shot in the gut, the doc was able to remove the bullet and sew up the wound. He needed a lot of bedtime but was going to make it. The other had a knee blown out. It was so badly shattered that they had to amputate just above the knee. Preston felt bad for wasting time lying in a hospital bed overnight, when these brave men deserved all the care and attention.

  When John returned, he called a meeting. When the men were gathered, he told them, “Our mission recon was to find out where these troops are and find possible ambush sites along Highway 8, ones that had high ground on the sides. Clint thinks we should harass them all the way back to Green Bay. Using small two-man teams, a spotter and sniper, they will snipe them all the way back until we get them into the trap.”

  Joe said, “What trap?”

  John said. “That’s on a need-to-know basis. We are not sharing that information in case any of you are captured.”

  Joe didn’t like being left out of the loop, but understood. He said, “Okay, when do we leave?”

  Scott said, “It’s going to be myself and you as one sniper team. We’re going to go visit your friend and see if we can borrow that .50 Cal sniper rifle. We’ll leave in the morning.”

  That night, Preston threw a fit saying, “The hell with that, I’m fit for duty. I’m going with you. There are real men in that hospital and I only had a little scratch. My leg is a little stiff, but I can keep up with you.”

  Amy jumped in, “You’re staying right here Mister.”

  He looked her straight in the eye and said; “Don’t even talk to me about following orders. We’re a team. Joe and I have been through a lot together and can work together as one.”

  Joe said in a loud tone, “No, you’re staying, unless you are trying to get me killed. You can’t even get up and run to the door right now. The Doc said four weeks. If this was your third week and your leg was feeling good, and you could run, then we could talk about it. Even after it heals it’s still going to take it 2 to 3 weeks to get your strength back. You know that. Let’s face it, you’re out of this for now.”

  Everybody looked at Preston. He looked straight at Joe and said, “Okay, you guys win, but don’t get your dumb ass killed. I would never forgive myself.”

  Michael said, “I can go and take Preston’s place.”

  Preston said, “I’m sorry but you’ve got to stay here and help me. I can’t do it alone, especially in my condition. You can help guard this place because I can only hobble over to the door to help you fight, if something goes wrong. You have to be my eyes and ears, plus who’s going to get the firewood?”

  In the morning, Joe and Scott headed out. Scott told him that Clint said he was going to flying the Black flag, with no quarter for the enemy.

 
Joe said, “Black flag? Like a pirate? What’s that all about?”

  Scott added, “After he heard that they tortured our men for information, literally torture them to death, he swore that he wouldn’t accept any surrender and no prisoners. They all die.”

  “Kind of harsh, don’t you think?”

  “Not at all. They are bringing the war to us and this is a cancer that must be wipe out. We’ve all heard of the rapes and killings, even children, just for eating meat. These people need to be stopped once and for all. Hitler and the Nazi’s used the same thinking. It made the troops think they were the superior race, evolved higher than other races, and wanted to allow animals equal rights to people. He planned on converting everyone to be vegan after the war. Without meat proteins the people would be more docile and less likely to try to overthrow him too.”

  Joe shook his head, “Makes perfect sense. I knew he registered all the guns and then collected them all before the war started.”

  On the second day, they reach Philip’s house. Philip was glad to see Joe. He said, “Things have really turned around here, for the better, and several people have ask if by chance you ever returned, could I talk you in to staying on as our Sheriff? Joe laughed and said, “That’s quite a change of heart, but no, there is no way I feel that I could come back here.”

  After explaining why they needed it, they talked him into lending them the sniper rifle. Joe smiled, saying, “We have a new home now and a new threat—The Rainbow Warriors. You should have a meeting tonight and any men that can, should go join Clint’s army. Make sure you keep enough back here for support, just in case they swing this way.”

  “Can we get that rifle now?”

  Phillip smiled, and said, “After what you did for us, of course you can have it and I’ll even lend you a horse to carry it. You know it weighs about 35 pounds, plus the extra ammo, so it would really slow you down. I can rig up a pack to secure it on a horse, then you should be free enough to move quickly.”

  He filled up a saddlebag with oats for the horses and had his wife pack them a lunch.

  Joe shook his hand and said, “Thank you Phillip, you have been a good friend. We’ll have this back as soon as we can.”

  They mounted up and rode off, leading the packhorse. When they we’re out of ear shot, Scott asked. “What happen when you were here? Why did you leave? Those people look like the genuinely care for you.”

  Joe said. “Not all of them. When we were trying to take out the warlord, some young teenage girls were killed. One of the fathers blamed me for getting his daughter killed. It was better for us to move on.”

  “I see.” Scott said. “The life we have right now is not an easy one, but I feel that once we get our feet back on the ground, we can rebuild.”

  “I hope so, but right now we have to find out where these troops are and start picking them off. You ever shot a .50 Cal before?”

  “The .50 caliber machine-gun, yeah, but never the sniper rifle.”

  Joe said, “I have, a couple of times, but never enough. It is too pricey of a gun for me to buy. Either way, let’s cover some ground.”

  Two days later, they were about 10 miles from Highway 8 when a man ran out in front of them. He held both hands up in the air.

  Joe and Scott both pulled out their rifles and were ready for an ambush.

  The man said, “Relax, I am alone and unarmed. You the guys fighting that Army, right?”

  Joe kept his eyes scanning around, “Maybe. Why do you want to know?”

  “Because I have some information you need to know. They found a detour and kept going west.”

  “Who are you, and why are you helping us?” Scott asked.

  “The name is Neil and those bastards killed my family and burned my place to the ground. I was up north trading and when I came back, my wife and son were killed. Shot in the head and left out in the chicken pen. The place burned to the ground and I buried them both. I’ve been waiting for you guys to come back so I could join your forces and fight these animals.”

  Joe tried to size the man up and said, “How do we know you aren’t a spy, and trying to lead us into a trap?”

  “I kind of figured that you might think that, so just tell me where to go join up and I’ll walk all the way there, I don’t care, but first let me give this map and some local information you might need to know. Is it okay if I pull my map out?”

  “Yes, but do it slowly. No sudden moves.” Joe said.

  He pulled the map out and unfolded it, pointing to a spot, he said, “See, this is where you blew the bridge up. They came up this way 6 miles and then took this road around and back down here. You cost them about a 20-mile detour. I used to be a logger and here on the map is something you need to know. This area right here,” pointing to the map, “was logged off and you can gain access from this logging road which comes off this road. It is logged within 100 feet of the highway. It’s a great area to watch them from and you can do whatever you are supposed to do.” He handed the map to Joe.

  Scott said, “Okay. You know how to get to Rhinelander from here?” Neil nodded yes. “Well you head there, and make sure you come through in the daylight. A patrol is going to meet you there and they will direct you where to go to join up.”

  “Why don’t I go with you guys? I know the area and can be very helpful.”

  Joe said, “I’m sure you could be, but we have to keep moving and you being on foot would slow us down. Besides, you need to go up north to get some training before you are ready to see combat.”

  Neil nodded his understanding and said, “Good luck. Please kill a couple of extra for my wife and son.”

  Riding off, Scott said, “We could have taken him on the pack horse. His local knowledge could save a lot of time and effort.”

  Joe smiled, “And what if he really was a spy? He could slice our throats and we wake up dead. I trust you, but I don’t know him. I would never get a wink of sleep.”

  “Good point.”

  The man’s information paid off and they could clearly see where the Army turned off the paved road and onto a dirt road.

  They spent the next three days figuring out where to put the snipers nests. They preferably wanted to hit them in the morning, when the sun was in their targets eyes, and at their backs. They would have to be careful to avoid contact too late in the afternoon, or they would be at a disadvantage, with the sun in their eyes. The man’s information was spot on, with the logged clearing being a perfect ambush spot. They could easily hide their horses and had a number of spots they could shoot from.

  Joe figured they would start shooting at 1000 yards, get three shots off and then move. The only thing he was worried about was the forward patrol. They would hear the shots and come racing back, but they would have to figure out which side of the road they were on before charging in, and by then they would be long gone.

  Over the rest of the week, they made three separate sniper hides. They built a small dug out with a roof and shooting port. They did two more, ten miles apart. They met the recon patrol and passed on the intel they had gotten, saying they were ready and bored.

  Joe was starting to wonder if their was intel bad. Were they setting up a new supply route, or just wasting their time? What in the hell was Clint’s trap anyways? What if he spends all the time making the trap and they never show up? Too many variables, but they were just going to wait for now.

  Finally on the ninth day, they were hiding in their sniper hole when they saw the forward patrol of ten men go by.

  Joe shook Scott and told him to wake up it’s show time. The patrol went by, and they began timing to try and figure if the Army was still traveling an hour behind.

  The minutes ticked by and the patrol was all they saw, no Army. Another 30 minutes had gone by when they heard them marching.

  Joe said, “It’s a good time to take out an officer.”

  He saw the leading troops nearing the 1000-yard marker. They had marked it with small wind ribbons. Only a sligh
t breeze was blowing and the sun wasn’t perfect, but it was still in the troop’s eyes.

  Joe was looking through the Night Force 5.5-22x56 NXS Ill. scope, among the most advanced field tactical scopes ever produced, with the built-in lines from 200 yards to 1000 yards. The .50 Cal also had the option to go all the way to 2000 yards. Philip had just kept it sighted in from 200 to 1000 yards. The rifle was perfectly balanced, and using the bipod along with some sand filled socks, which were placed on the rear of the stock, it helped to level it out and hold the gun steady.

  Joe was waiting for them to hit the 1000-yard mark. He asked Scott, “What is the cross wind?”

  “I would guess about 5 mph. Coming from the North.”

  He was looking through his scope and could not believe his eyes. The three men on horses in front of the troops were the officers. The one in the middle had something on his helmet, which looked like a high-ranking officer’s insignia, and the ones on both sides of him looked like officers too.

  Adjusting his windage, Joe said, “I’m taking the center one first and I’ll then swing on the other officer, saving the last shot for the other man on horseback. Are you ready?”

  “Ready,” Scott reported, as he watched with binoculars.

  When they hit the 1000-yard mark, which was marked by a lone wheel off a car. Joe squeezed off the first shot. Then he quickly worked the bolt action to load a fresh round.

  Scott called out, “Hit. There’s more down behind him too.”

  Joe concentrated on the other officer. He hesitated a second and then squeezed off the second round and loaded another round into the chamber.

  Scott said, “Oh man, you blew his arm off. Remember the wind.”

  Joe aim back into the troops, 200 yards farther back. They weren’t reacting to the shots yet, so he squeezed off the last round. “I just used the Davy Crockett height and windage.”

  “More down .” Scott called out. “Good, now let’s move.”

  They climbed out of the hole and ran for the horses. Carrying that heavy gun made it seem like it took them forever. They quickly strapped it in the case, jumped on their horses and raced across the logging road. They were in the open for ½ mile to the other side, and were expecting to hear shooting or yelling, or see some troops coming after them, but nothing.