by Warren Ray
“Where do ya want to hit them?” asked Burns.
“I know just the place,” said Nordell. “As soon as we get out of here, we’ll take a right on Manchester Road. The first road south of the Grounds is Lehman, and they’ll have a bunch of people there.”
“Cool.”
Nordell approached the exit and tooted the horn a couple more times at the Jijis who thought he was one of them. Once on Manchester Road, he picked up some speed and passed by more parked cars. The men just stared at them as he drove by.
“These guys are idiots. If they had any sense, they would have stopped us,” said Nordell.
The mile and half drive to Lehman road took a couple of minutes, but finally, their targets were up ahead. Fifteen guys were leaning on cars or standing in small groups on Lehman road.
“You got nothing up ahead,” said Burns.
“Perfect. We’ll go through, stop the car and get out to take ‘em down. We’ll take a right on the next road, which is just up ahead.”
“You’re the boss.”
Nordell slowed the car down and passed through the intersection. He again tapped the horn and waved at them through the dark tint. A group of four had to move out of the way to let them through.
“Thank you, boys,” grinned Nordell. “You ready?”
“Good to go, Gunny.”
Nordell came to a stop and threw the car in park. He grabbed his M4 and switched it to full auto. They would have only a couple of seconds before the Jijis realized what was happening.
Nordell was the first to get out and waited for Burns to get around the back of the car before pulling the trigger. Some of the Jijis turned around to see what was going on as Nordell squeezed off the first shots.
The intersection erupted in strobes of muzzle flashes as Burns and Nordell emptied their magazines. The hail of gunfire took down the group of four who had moved out of their way. Death curdling screams were heard over the ominous sound of the rifle fire.
Nordell yanked out the empty mag and slammed in another one. They agreed on just one reload before they hightailed it out of there. He aimed at three Jijis who tried fleeing in the field. Unfortunately, for them, a car’s headlights pointed in their direction, exposing them. He squeezed the trigger and took them down with one sweep of the rifle.
Burns crouched down after reloading and aimed under the cars. He fired and took out two as he flattened the back tires. He got back up and angled around the car to finish them off.
The intersection went quiet but for the groans of dying men.
“Let’s go,” ordered Nordell.
Nordell spun the tires and sped off toward Grass Lake Road. There was no one to stop them or get in their way.
“Boy that felt good,” yelled Burns.
“Damn right it did. Damned bastards.”
It was just what Nordell needed to work out his frustrations and not have this be a wasted day. Any day his enemy died was a good day for him, and he looked forward to having even more good days.
Chapter 26
Jackson Michigan
Amber struggled to get out of bed because her head was still hurting from running into the Jiji last night. She looked in the mirror and removed the bandage. The blood had clotted, but there was a sizable bruise around it. She needed some painkillers and left to go to Reese’s room to get some. She knocked on her door a couple of times before Reese opened it.
“Amber,” said Reese as she rubbed her eyes. “What time is it?”
“I don’t know. Early I think.”
“Come in. Sorry, I fell asleep before you guys came back.”
“That’s alright. It was late when we got back anyway.”
“How did it go?” asked Reese reaching for a water bottle.
“Good. We got ‘em out. No one got killed…so a good night.”
Reese took a gulp and invited Amber to sit with her on the bed. She then looked at her closely. “You look like hell,” she said with a disarming smile. “What happened last night?”
Amber started fidgeting
“You have a cut?” asked Reese motioning to the bandage on her forehead.
Amber nodded and then cleared her throat before blurting out, “I was almost raped last night.”
Reese’s left eyebrow hiked at the news. She grabbed Amber’s hand and squeezed it. Her friend had come to the right person to get this off her chest. She would let her tell the story at her own pace.
“We were deep in the Proving Grounds, not too far from Bassett. I offered to go to them because I’m faster than the guys are. So, I was running across the road like I was stealing home plate and then ran headfirst into the catcher. I didn’t see him until, like, the last second and bang. I mean I hit him so hard that I flipped over him. I landed on my back, and all I saw were stars. Lots of stars. I didn’t know what was what and then he jumped on top of me. Friggin bastard put a knife to my throat and ordered me not to scream.”
Reese continued to hold her hand and didn’t interrupt her. She remembered how she liked to get things off her chest with Cole because he never interrupted her. He was a good listener and didn’t always offer advice, which was good because, mostly, she just needed to vent.
“And of course, the first thing he does is start grabbing my boobs.”
Reese formed an uneven smile and nodded.
“About turned my stomach, but that’s when I started to regain my senses. Then he tried taking my jeans off and thank God they’re on the tight-side.”
Reese let out a small laugh. “Gotta love tight jeans.”
“The idiot actually asked me to take them off.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep. And let me tell ya. Once he saw my white undies that’s when I knew I had him. He was so excited and distracted that I was able to get the knife out of my boot. And bam! Right into the back of his neck. Bastard coughed blood on my shirt though.”
“Gross.”
“Oh, it was disgusting.”
“Wow though! I mean, just wow, girl,” said Reese as she wrapped her arms around Amber and squeezed hard. “You’re so awesome. You did good.”
“Thanks,” said Amber as she let her go.
“Your head still hurts?”
“Yeah, you got anything?”
“Of course, I do,” said Reese as she got up and grabbed the 800mg Motrin. “This should do it. Take one and see how it does before you take another.” She got her a glass of water and handed her the pills. “You should have Doctor Lunsford take a look at that.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” said Amber after she took a pill.
Reese sat back down next to her recognizing she had more to get off her chest. Amber was a tough girl and had gotten tougher over the past few weeks. Reese admired her calm nature and the fact that she was so intelligent. She was always coming up with good ideas for the group. However, she didn’t have the experience of being repeatedly raped. Not that she wished that upon her or anyone else.
It was too horrific of an experience for anyone, but it toughened Reese up like nothing else could. While she knew she’d never get over it completely, she had come to terms with it. She was starting to recognize the anxiety symptoms, like shortness of breath or suddenly becoming claustrophobic in a room. Violent thoughts pervaded her mind as if it was normal.
It was why she liked lots of action and hated sitting around. It was also, why she liked to burn rubber on crazy drives. The distraction helped her deal with the symptoms or avoid them outright. The look on Amber’s face told her she had some of those symptoms.
Amber’s eyes began to water and a lump formed in her throat. “I wasn’t sure at first, you know.”
Reese grabbed her hand again.
“When he had that knife on my throat and told me not to scream. I was so scared, you know, because I thought, well, okay, he’s gonna rape me, but if I can just stay alive, maybe Meeks or Bassett will find me.”
Reese continued to stay silent as more tears fell down Amber’
s cheeks. She reached over to grab a tissue and handed it to her.
Amber blew her nose. “But then when he undid my pants that’s when I knew I needed to calm down and think. But, that first minute, I just wasn’t sure, you know.”
Reese nodded.
“And he tried to kiss me…oh, his breath was disgusting.”
Reese scrunched her face. “Eeeww.”
Amber slumped her shoulders. “I’m sorry. I know, I’m whining about something that doesn’t even compare to what you went through.”
Reese remembered the advice Scar had given her when she was complaining to him about feeling guilty in regards to Winters’ loss and his disappearance. He told her it wasn’t a competition and that his loss was his own. It was good advice, and it had helped her.
“Amber, this isn’t a contest. What you went through was traumatic. It was real. It was personal for you, and that’s what matters. Okay?”
Amber nodded. “Thanks. I just don’t how you do it.”
“None of that matters right now. Okay? This is about you.”
Amber threw her arms around Reese. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I love you so much.”
“I love you too, girl. We’re family now, and we need to look out for each other.”
Amber held onto her sister, grateful she had her in her life. Her admiration for Reese grew tenfold because of the way she had just taken care of her. She was so unselfish when she had every right to think only of herself. Amber’s experience paled in comparison to hers, but it didn’t matter to Reese. She put aside her own damaged self in a genuine way to help her deal with a traumatizing experience. It was just what she had needed and after a good crying session began to feel better. The last thing she wanted to do was break down in front of the guys. That would change the way they saw her, and they might start treating her differently. She had worked too hard for their respect to let something like last night change things.
Chapter 27
Winnipeg Manitoba
Winters opened his eyes and realized he had slept through the night without any bad dreams or racing thoughts. His mind was at ease as he lay there but then the day’s agenda started to intrude upon his peaceful moment. He needed to get Laney and Collette set-up with some weapons training before he got with the supply sergeant to figure out a shopping list. Besides food, medicine was a top priority, so he decided to get some advice from a doctor. He also needed to go visit with Murphy who had been wounded in the Sandpit Battle. He was in physical therapy but would still be out of commission for at least another month.
After a quick shower, he headed to the big cafeteria and grabbed a tray. The place was crawling with military personnel coming and going. He waved at a few and shook hands with some others. After filling up his tray, he looked around and saw the man he come to see. He was in charge of the training department and had been instrumental in putting together a program for the Shadow Patriots.
“Captain, good seeing you again,” said Sergeant Hicks. He was a bulky man who specialized in training snipers, who were among the best in the world. He was also one of several who had been giving Sadie some lessons.
“Sergeant, just the man I wanted to see,” said Winters shaking his hand before sitting down.
“Let me guess? Those two girls you came in with?”
Winters took a sip of coffee before answering. “Yes, sir. They’re in need of some training. Think you can you fit them in today?”
Hicks nodded his head. “We can do that. What’s their story?”
The sergeant shook his head in disbelief after hearing about what happened to them. Winters also gave him an update on what was going on in Jackson. Hicks took an interest because he had trained most of the men fighting in the Shadow Patriots.
Hicks scratched his chin and said, “Captain, it seems every time I see you, you tell me something even worse than before. I keep thinking, that’s the worst it can get, but nope, it’s not. And the thing with those girls, I don’t know why that shocks me especially since I know about the party house you broke up. How is Reese doing by the way?”
Winters let out a small chuckle and put his cup down. “Oh, she’s good. Although she took a couple of bullets.”
“Whoa. Has she now?”
“Oh, yeah. But boy, you should have seen her. She stayed in the fight.”
“That girl’s got something to prove.”
“Well, it’s more complicated than that. Let’s just say she’s got her demons,” said Winters not wanting to go into detail.
Hicks didn’t push the subject and took a bite of his toast. “So, when are these two girls going home?”
“Tonight. I’m dropping them off in Iowa before heading back to Jackson.”
“Do I have them for the whole day?”
“Absolutely.”
“Bring ‘em on by then. We’ll get ‘em fixed up.”
Winters thanked him and then left the cafeteria to make sure the girls were up and ready to go. A full day with Sergeant Hicks, and his team, would be enough to prepare them to defend themselves. He would not only show them how to properly handle weapons, but he’d put them through the Urban Warfare Course as well. This would be valuable for them since they lived in small town.
It was seven AM when he knocked on their door. He wasn’t holding out much hope they would be awake but was pleasantly surprised when Laney answered the door ready to go.
“Morning, Cole,” said Laney.
“You girls up and about?”
“We’ve, like, already showered and eaten,” said Laney.
Collette sat at the end of the bed and got up when Winters entered. “Surprised, aren’t ya.”
“Just a little,” affirmed Winters.
“We’ve already seen Finley and have been sitting here waiting for you.”
“Glad to hear it. I’ve gotten the okay from Sergeant Hicks. He’s in charge of the training program, and he’s waiting for ya.”
“Well then, let’s go. Chop, chop,” ordered Laney.
They left the room and headed down the hallway to the training center.
“Is he a nice man?” asked Laney.
“Oh yes. He’s even been training Sadie. Not quite sure why, but he has been.”
“That’s so awesome,” marveled Laney.
Winters stopped walking. “Now look, girls, I hope you don’t mind, but he asked about your background.”
Collette looked at Laney who shrugged her shoulders.
“Okay, good. I just wasn’t sure if that was something that would upset you.”
“We’re not ashamed of it,” said Collette. “We survived it, and that’s all there is to it.”
“Good. That’s a good attitude,” said Winters.
“Now, Hicks and his men trained all of us including Amber and Reese. So, he’s very patient with rookies. Don’t hesitate to ask him anything you don’t understand. By the end of the day, you’ll know more about guns than most people.”
The girls couldn’t contain their glee as they entered the training facility. Weapons hung from the walls, and glass cabinets were loaded with all types of pistols.
Winters introduced the girls to Sergeant Hicks and then decided to hit the range himself.
Winters spent an hour with an instructor and brushed up on his own shooting skills. Even though he’d become quite proficient with weapons, he always learned something new whenever he spent time with the real experts.
He thanked the instructor and then walked to a window to watch the girls firing pistols for a few minutes. They seemed enthused as the instructors were talking to them. Winters was about to leave when a man came up and introduced himself.
“Excuse me, but you’re Captain Winters?”
Tom Fowler was a lanky man in his forties and sported a goatee and mustache. He had a bad habit of invading your personal space when he talked to you.
Winters backed up a step before speaking. “Yes, and you are?”
“Tom. Tom Fowler.
I’m one of your drivers tonight.”
“Oh, yes, I’m sorry. It’s nice to meet you,” said Winters extending his hand.
“So, glad to finally meet you, sir. We’ve been here for the past week and have heard all about you. We’re very excited to be joining you.”
“Your timing couldn’t be better. So, I’m the one who’s excited to have you guys.”
Fowler looked through the window. “Who are those girls?”
“The girl with the spiky black hair is, Collette, and the other one is Laney.”
“Are they volunteers too?”
“No. No. They’re just getting some weapons training. We’ll be bringing them back to Iowa before we head to Michigan.”
“Why are they here?”
Winters didn’t want to go into full detail on the girls, so he gave him a rough sketch.
“Alright, cool,” said Fowler. “I need to get going so if I don’t see you again, what time did you want to leave?”
“Let’s say nine. You can meet us down at the motor pool.”
“Okay. Hey, again, so glad to meet you,” said Fowler as he shook Winters’ hand.
Winters watched him leave thinking he was a bit of an odd duck. Not that it mattered much. The Shadow Patriots were filled with all sorts of personalities and characters.
* * * * *
Fowler hurried back to his room excited by having just met Cole Winters. He opened the door and found his friend Butler sitting in an easy chair watching television.
“You’re not going to believe who I just met?”
Butler grabbed the remote with his rough hands. He turned the TV off and waited for Fowler to continue.
“Just ran into Cole Winters.”
“So? We’re going to be leaving with him tonight.”
“Yeah, but did you know that we’ve got a couple of passengers?”
This got Butler’s attention, and he sat up straighter. “Who?”
“A couple of teenage girls.”
Butler let out a sigh. “Oh, jeez. I thought it was more men. They’ll be the last thing we need.”
Fowler grew frustrated by his friend’s disappointing response. He sat on the bed next to Butler. “Dude, these girls are friggin hot, and I want them.”