The Shadow Patriots Box Set 2

by Warren Ray

  “It is a lot of stairs,” said Amber.

  “The last time I was there, Badger had to carry me down.”

  “He did?” Nate asked in a doubtful tone.

  Reese nodded.

  “How?”

  “On his back.”

  “Bill Taylor? Our lovable curmudgeon? Badger?” Nate asked again still not believing what he just heard.

  “Yes,” Reese responded annoyed with his disbelief.

  Nate scoffed, “I’m surprised he can even get up those stairs himself.”

  Scar laughed and then turned to Reese. “I’d be more than happy to carry you up.”

  “Careful there Scar, you think you can handle…what are ya, Reese, about a buck five?”

  “I’m a one-fifteen, thank you. Sandy just weighed me.”

  Scar laughed again. “I think I can handle that. Amber, you can join us if you like.”

  “You gonna carry her up too?” asked Nate in a deadpan manner.

  “If she wants me too.”

  “Hmm, that is tempting,” joked Amber.

  “Say yes, Amber, please say yes,” pleaded Nate.

  Reese bumped Nate’s shoulder. “You are a trouble-maker today.”

  “Yeah, well, I haven’t been out in a while. I’m getting a little antsy.”

  “I can see that. You should go out for a drive. I do it all the time, and it works wonders.”

  “Just might have to do that.”

  “I’ll take ya out later if you’d like,” offered Reese.

  “Careful Nate, her driving is a bit reckless,” said Scar.

  Reese shot him a squinted glare.

  “Right up my alley, then,” said Nate who since being wounded, had only left the hospital once and that was to go watch the executions. Since then, he’d been keeping his lifelong friend, Elliott, company. This wasn’t ideal for a man who always wanted to be on the move. He desperately missed being in the heat of battle and needed something to do.

  Chapter 12

  Chelsea Michigan

  Before heading back to their SUV, Nordell and Burns decided to hold their position for a few minutes to see what kind of action the Jijis had in mind. They kept watching across the overgrown field to Manchester Road. It didn’t take too long until four cars came speeding down from the interstate. The cars all turned into the Proving Grounds entrance, which meant they were going to cruise the maze of roads to look for Bassett and Meeks.

  “Let’s see if we got a clean exit south,” said the retired Marine.

  Burns nodded and then pointed to more cars coming down Manchester Road. Another four cars turned into the same entrance and disappeared behind the trees blocking their view.

  “Looks more like a contest to see who gets them first,” quipped Burns.

  “Probably so.”

  Nordell followed Burns through the thin strip of woods, which would end as soon as they came to the abandon buildings. He had been here many times over the years as a guest. A friend of his was an engineer at Chrysler and had worked at this facility for most of his career. On more than one occasion, he had invited Nordell to come out and test drive cars. It was one of his favorite things to do whenever he came home on leave.

  It was a big place with lots of different types of roads and terrain, which made it an ideal place to keep hidden. It would take a lot of men to go through the whole area, let alone surround it. If the Jijis were smart, it’s just what they would do, but there was no telling how motivated they were. If it took too long they might simply get bored and call off the search, figuring they had escaped.

  After zigzagging around the property for an hour, they finally came to the southern end of the Proving Grounds. By the time they reach it their mouths were dry, their bodies were covered in perspiration and their legs were on fire. Nordell grabbed the canteen and took several gulps of water. They sat down to rest for a few minutes where Burns pulled out some granola bars and handed a couple to Nordell. They had burned through a lot of calories, and woofed them down like they hadn’t eaten for a week.

  Across the field was Lehman Road, which was a dirt road connecting Manchester Road with Sylvan Road, where they had left their ride.

  “Got a patrol down there,” said Burns handing the binoculars to Nordell.

  “Looks like they’re trying to surround the place.”

  Ten men stood guard along the southern edge of the property.

  “Let’s check out the other end,” said Nordell.

  They kept to the cover of the trees and started heading west. A racetrack straightaway was to their right, and they had to stop when two cars came speeding down the road. One of the cars jammed on the brakes and came to a full stop. Four Jijis got out and started patrolling the woods where Nordell and Burns had just been.

  Burns shook his head. “Where’s Bassett when you need him.”

  “Yeah, I’m too old for those kind of moves.”

  “That’s what these are for,” said Burns, as he raised his rifle.

  “Was really hoping to keep out position quiet.”

  “Suppressors sure would come in handy.”

  “Yeah, they’re on my wish list if we ever get back to your friends in Winnipeg.”

  Nordell pushed forward to keep ahead of the Jijis who were coming in behind them. Voices broke through the air as the Jijis spoke to one another. Nordell shook his head at the stupidity of the rank amateurs but was glad they were gabbing because it made it much easier to keep track of them.

  Burns put his finger to his ear and then pointed west. New voices were coming from that direction. The other car had stopped, which meant four more Jijis were ahead of them.

  Nordell turned to the left and started heading south. Burns followed, keeping a close watch on their six. Having to crunch through the leaves was making them paranoid, but the Jijis’ constant chatter helped drown out any noise they made.

  A pair of Jijis unexpectedly appeared in front of them, and Nordell had little choice but to engage. A single shot to the head dropped the first one before he even raised his weapon. The second one was quicker and got a shot off before Nordell planted one in his chest. The impact threw him back off feet as his trigger finger kept firing the AK-47 until he hit the ground. The errant rounds snapped and whistled through the canopy of trees dropping leaves and launching a branch through the air.

  “So much for staying hidden,” said Burns.

  “Let’s get around these two and wait for their buddies.”

  “Don’t want to hide anymore?” quipped Burns.

  “Screw that. Let’s take these bastards out.”

  They dashed through the trees to an ideal ambush spot. Nordell crouched down behind a tree, as sweat formed on his forehead. He looked over at Burns who was behind a tree just to his right. Burns gave him a firm nod and then turned toward the corpses about fifteen yards away. It didn’t take long before two more Jijis came to investigate.

  “Those two must be from the same car,” whispered Burns.

  Nordell nodded. “Let’s wait for the others.”

  The Jijis had their AK’s shouldered and jerked around at the slightest movement. One yelled out for help. A minute later, the other four Jijis showed up, and all started freaking out.

  “Now,” mouthed Nordell, as he aimed and pulled the trigger on full auto. Shell casings flew out of the Colt M4 as rounds thundered through the air.

  A bloodied Jiji spun around and dropped to the ground dead. Another pulled on his friend while taking a couple of rounds to the chest. The friend was pulled down but not before taking a round to his head.

  The rest of the Jijis took cover behind trees or falling to the ground. They were scared and unsure where the enemy was. They yelled at each other to do something. Finally, one came around the tree and started randomly spraying bullets at anything.

  Burns pulled the trigger and sent a tight grouping of three rounds into his chest. Another Jiji who was lying on the ground lifted his head to find a target. He pulled the trigge
r in haste not aiming at anything. Burns ignored the rounds flying by and squeezed off a single shot and a second later, another dead Jiji.

  “That’s five by my count,” said Nordell, “Three to go.”

  “I’ll flank ‘em.”

  “I’ll cover ya,” said Nordell as he threw in a fresh magazine. He switched to the three-shot selection and nodded to Burns. He aimed at the Jijis who were in a prone position. He squeezed the trigger and hit the ground in front of them throwing dirt and pine needles in the air.

  Burns swung around and headed south for a several yards before turning toward the enemy. He could see them up ahead with their heads buried in the dirt. Once in position, he emptied his magazine and took out the remaining three Jijis.

  “All clear,” yelled Burns.

  Nordell came jogging in and surveyed the area. “Let’s each grab an AK and ammo. No telling how long we’ll be in here.”

  Burns began rifling through their jackets and found a set of car keys. “Look what I got.”

  Nordell nodded. “Might as well have a getaway car in here.”

  They took all the ammo they could carry and hightailed it to the car the Jijis left on the track. Nordell got in the driver’s seat and said he knew just the place to hide.

  Chapter 13

  Jackson Michigan

  Leaving Nate and Amber back at the cafeteria, Reese insisted on driving Scar to city hall in the beat-up white Chevy pickup she’d been using all week. She liked the way it handled the tight turns, in other words, she loved the way the wheels squealed whenever she over-steered the backend.

  Scar smiled as she revved the engine before throwing it in drive. He grabbed the door handle when she tore out of the parking lot.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t kill ya.”

  “Ya damn well better not. What will my wife think if she hears I died with a hot looking chick?”

  “She’ll think you’re a stud,” laughed Reese.

  “She already knows that.”

  Reese laughed again while shaking her head.

  She pulled in front of city hall and parked the truck. She turned to Scar and gave him a look that said, I told ya I wouldn’t kill ya.

  Scar chuckled and headed for the front door.

  “You wanna jump on my back or would you prefer I carry you in my arms?”

  “Oh, my! That’s a hard choice,” said Reese as she put a finger to her chin. “I think I’d like to be carried.”

  Reese put a hand around Scar’s neck as he lifted her up while she held onto the crutch in the other.

  “My knight in shining armor.”

  Reaching the top, he set her down and said, “My lady.”

  Scar turned to corner and saw Mayor Simpson in his office. “Good morning, Mayor.”

  “Mister Scarborough, come in, come in, oh and I see you brought Miss Reese with you,” said Simpson as he got up and moved around his desk to greet them. He shook Scar’s hand and then took hold of Reese’s hand. “How’s our brave young lady doing this morning?”

  “I’m good, sir,” responded Reese breaking into a big smile while shaking his frail hand.

  “I heard about your harrowing experience in that cold river. Oh, but look at you now, you couldn’t look any more beautiful.”

  Reese blushed at his compliment. “Thank you, sir.”

  “Did you climb all those stairs just to come see me?”

  “Actually, Scar was my knight in shining armor and carried me up.”

  “Well, how nice of you.”

  Simpson pulled Reese’s hand and guided her over to a chair. “Come, sit down here.”

  “Mayor, I brought you a gift,” said Scar handing him several packets of coffee.

  “Oh my, Mister Scarborough, thank you.”

  “You’re very welcome.”

  “Would everyone like a cup?” asked Simpson moving over to the coffee pot he had hooked up to a car battery with an inverter. He emptied the contents and poured the water before moving back around his desk.

  Scar sat down next to Reese amused at how excited the mayor was with his gift of coffee. It was sad yet fun at the same time. Sad they were running out of what was now a rare commodity but fun to see the excitement and appreciation at the same time. The smell of coffee began to permeate the office and Simpson got back up and poured a cup for everyone.

  Simpson inhaled the aroma before taking a sip. “It’s the little things in life that give us the most pleasure.”

  “Indeed it is, sir,” said Scar thankful he thought to bring the coffee. Despite the mayor’s overall optimism, the poor man looked to be on edge and needed a boost.

  After a few sips of coffee, Scar briefed him on their trip to Canada and apologized for the failure.

  “Please, don’t apologize. You have nothing to apologize for. We’re all just grateful for your help.”

  “Well, we might have a solution albeit a temporary one,” said Scar.

  Simpson’s bushy eyebrows rose high on this face.

  “We’re gonna see about raiding the Jijis’ supplies.”

  “Oh, that sounds like a grand idea,” said Simpson.

  “I have a squad scouting it out as we speak.”

  Simpson toasted Scar with his cup before taking another sip.

  After they finished their coffee, Simpson offered them a refill, but Scar declined the offer and explained he had other things to do.

  “Yes, of course, you do,” said Simpson rising up and thanking them again for their help as he walked them out to the hallway. He grabbed Reese’s hand and said with a glint in his eye, “I look forward to seeing you race your truck around town some more.”

  Blood rushed to Reese’s cheeks, and she said in an apologetic tone, “I’ll be careful, I promise.”

  “I know you will, dear,” he responded with a wink.

  Scar waited until Simpson walked back into his office before turning to Reese. “Getting a little reputation, I see.”

  “Oh, my gosh. I am so embarrassed.”

  “You probably scared the wits out of some little old lady,” said Scar.

  “I know, right.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about it.”

  They got to the staircase, and Reese opted to get on Scar’s back this time. She handed him the crutch before wrapping her arms around him. Reaching the first floor, Scar opened the door, and they walked outside.

  “Thanks for helping me up there. I just love visiting him. He reminds me so much of my grandpa,” said Reese.

  “Does he now.”

  “Yeah. They’re so much alike and both so sweet.”

  “He’s a very kind man. I just hope he can hang on. Every time I see him, he looks older than before.”

  “He’s stronger than you think.”

  They hopped back in the pickup.

  “How long has it been since you’ve seen your G’pa?”

  “Oh, he’s been dead, like, eight or nine years I guess. I was, like thirteen or fourteen, I think. He died not long after my G’ma died.”

  “They lived near you?”

  “Yep. Just down the street. I used to ride my bike there all the time.”

  “Well, that’s nice.”

  “Yeah, it was. I really relied on them a lot when my dad left us.”

  Scar hadn’t known her dad left her. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “It’s okay. You get used to things and then move on.”

  Scar sat in the passenger seat admiring Reese’s inner strength. She was beaten to hell but still carried on trying to help in any way she could. Winters departure had initially affected her attitude negatively, but it had changed to a more positive one over the last couple of days. He was glad he had carried her up to see Simpson. He could see it helped her to be there, as well the mayor, who was obviously excited to see her. The mayor had been right—it is the little things that give the most pleasure.

  Chapter 14

  Chelsea Michigan

  The sound of voices got louder as a gr
oup of ten Jijis came towards Bassett and Meeks. They had just let another group of four go by in hopes of staying hidden, and were still a mile from their ride. They had hoped to get there without having to engage an overwhelming force. They were in a precarious position not knowing where the Jijis were waiting. Also, there were four more roads to cross, which meant a lot of open ground.

  Bassett raised his head and saw the tall Jiji he had been hunting earlier. He was leading another group, and it was too late to try to sneak off, as they were too close to them. They had no choice but to engage.

  “I’ll take the tall one,” whispered Bassett. “Hit the left side.”

  Meeks nodded.

  “We’ll have to head south right after.”

  Bassett lined up his first shot. The tall Jiji in charge of these men needed to be taken out first. Bassett let out a breath and squeezed the trigger. A three-shot burst hit the man center mass throwing him on his back. Panic ensued as the others stared at him for a split second before trying to take cover.

  Meeks switched his rifle to full auto and emptied the magazine sweeping it back and forth. With such a large pack to aim at, he justified wasting the precious ammo by hitting three Jijis. He ejected the empty mag and shoved in another as he looked for more targets. The rest were taking cover, and not a single one dared to return fire. Meeks wanted to flank them to take out a couple more, but Bassett tapped him on the shoulder to move out.

  In situations like this, Meeks always showed deference to the more experienced Bassett and was glad he was on their team. He followed him out on the dirt road just as he let loose a burst on the group of four they allowed to pass by earlier. Blood-curdling screams came from the group as they all took bullets to the chest. Bodies spun around before collapsing to the ground in a bloody heap.

  Bassett jumped into the woods in a full gallop wanting to put as much space between them and the Jijis as possible. He wanted to get to the next road before they had too many of them on their tail. Taking out the tall one was critical and the others were icing on the cake. This would buy them a few extra minutes, plus some of those remaining were more than likely wounded, which always slowed down a team.