by Warren Ray
“Okay. That, that was a good one,” said Reese holding out a closed fist and opening it to drop an imaginary microphone.
Scar laughed proudly at his retort. Still, he wouldn’t say anything to anyone as he didn’t want to ruin Badger’s reputation. He liked having that attitude around the guys because it helped keep some of the newer guys in line.
Since being in Jackson, they’d picked up quite a number of volunteers, and they didn’t have much history with them yet. They lacked discipline and training and didn’t always listen.
Once, they were done with Jackson, he’d take them up to Winnipeg and get them properly trained. They also needed to go up there for more supplies. Thankfully, they still had plenty of ammo but could use more RPG’s and whatever else Nordell wanted. He had mentioned the other day while they were in Sarnia he had some weapons in mind that would make their job easier.
Chapter 36
Winnipeg Manitoba
The Canadian supply sergeant grabbed the chrome handle on the back of the twenty-six-foot box truck and jumped on the bumper to pull the door down. He then handed Winters a list of supplies each of the three vehicles contained. The former rental moving trucks were loaded with food, medicine, weapons, ammo, and fuel.
“Here you go, Captain,” said Sergeant Armstrong. “I’ve even added a few surprises for ya.”
“Oh?”
“You’ll have to wait till you get back though,” said Armstrong who then turned to the girls. “And I’ve got some gifts for you girls as well.”
The girls were wearing new BDU tactical pants in black and navy blue camouflage. The pants were made with a lightweight stretch fabric that was durable and reinforced in in the knees. They had eight strategically placed pockets for easy access to gear. Their black long sleeve pull over shirts were made of the same lightweight material.
“Us? Gifts?” asked Laney.
“Can’t let you girls leave here without a little something,” said Armstrong as he walked over to a table that had a couple of backpacks sitting on it. He handed each girl a black backpack. “We didn’t have pink, but they’re filled with toiletries and such.”
“Oh my God, I love it,” said Laney. “Thank you.”
“I love black,” said Collette flaunting her black spiky hair. “Thank you so much.”
“I’ve got some other things in there as well like some granola bars and chocolate, a first aid kit, a tactical knife.”
The girls started squealing as they began pulling items out of the bag as if it was Christmas morning. In many ways, it was since they hadn’t even seen some of these things in a long time.
Armstrong sidled up next to Winters. “I’ve got a couple of other things to give them as well.”
Winters gave him a sideways glance.
“It just doesn’t sit well with me what these girls went through,” said Armstrong.
“Nor me, Sergeant.”
“Besides the M4s we’ve already given them, I’ve got a couple of Glock 17’s to give them and their own night vision goggles.”
“Oh?” asked a surprised Winters. He had hoped to get more goggles but wasn’t able to because of a delayed shipment to the base.
“Word got around the base what these girls went through, and some of the guys…let’s just say…found a couple of pairs currently not being used.”
“They’ll love ‘em.”
“No sense letting someone sneak up on them at night.”
The girls plowed through their bags setting everything out on the table and continued to squeal as they emptied the contents.
“Thank you so much,” said both girls as they rushed over to give him a hug.
“I’ve got two more things to give you,” said Armstrong.
The girls looked at each other wide-eyed as he reached into a cabinet and pulled two Glocks 17’s out, each in a Kydex holster.
“Yes, I love it,” said Laney as she took the magazine out of the pistol.
Armstrong pulled out some loaded spare magazines and said, “One more thing.” He handed each girl a pair of ATN PS-15-WPT NightVision goggles.
The girls’ mouths went slack-jawed as they took hold of the goggles knowing how special they were.
“Do me a favor,” said Armstrong as he looked around. “Put those in your bags and don’t let anyone know that you have them. Okay?”
“Oh, we won’t say a word,” said Collette. “Thank you so much.”
“I put some solar chargers in there so you can charge the batteries,” said Armstrong who then turned to Winters. “I got a little something here for you too.” He pulled out another holster with a Glock 17 pistol and a Silencerco Osprey suppressor in a side pouch. “There’s ten of these in the back of one of those trucks, but I wanted to give you this one.”
Winters grinned at his new weapon. “We’ve needed suppressors.”
Armstrong took the weapon and threaded the suppressor onto the barrel of the Glock before giving him instructions.
“I can’t thank you enough,” said Winters.
While the girls were repacking their bags, Winters took his jacket off and strapped on the new holster. He took the suppressor off and slipped it into the side pouch. He liked the fit and gave Armstrong a nod of approval.
He then looked inside the cabs of the three trucks. Only one had a bench seat, and he told the girls to put their bags in that one.
Afterwards, Winters got the girls back to the infirmary to say goodbye to everyone. He didn’t look forward to it because goodbyes were never easy. Thankfully, Sadie has a new friend, who will make the goodbye easier than usual, at least he hoped.
They reached Finley’s room, and everyone stopped talking when they walked inside.
“It’s time?” asked Sadie.
“Afraid so, kiddo,” said Winters.
She rose up from her seat and wrapped her arms around Winters’ waist as he expected she would. He soaked in all that she had to offer, even more so now that Cara was dead. She had become his surrogate daughter, and he cherished the special bond they shared.
He fought to control his own tears as hers began to run down the sides of her face. This started the tear fest as all the girls started crying as they said their goodbyes to each other. Even, Collette’s mom shed tears as she hugged her daughter goodbye.
Winters leaned down to give Finley a hug. “I’ll be seeing ya.”
“You promise?”
“Absolutely. I want to see what those scars are gonna look like.”
“Oh me too! I mean, like, they’re gonna be so badass looking, I can’t wait to, like, watch ‘em heal up…”
Winters let out a chuckle as she started talking a mile a minute again.
She realized what she was doing and put her hand to her mouth. “I’m doing it again.”
Winters nodded.
“Oh, Cole, here’s all my cards,” said Sadie as she handed him a large envelope stuffed with homemade cards.
“I’ll be sure to give them to everyone.”
It took another five minutes before he was able to pull Laney and Collette out of the room and back to the garage. It was just getting dark, and he wanted to be on the road sooner than later. It was going to be a long night driving the five hundred miles to Iowa, which he expected to reach by morning.
They would be driving with their headlights on, which wouldn’t be a problem. All the times Winters had made this trip, they had never once run into anyone on the road, but still, their cargo was valuable, and he needed to be wary of hijackers.
Winters entered the garage and nodded to Armstrong who was still there keeping an eye on the trucks, as he was responsible for them until they left the premises.
“Girls, I got your rifles in the truck,” said Armstrong. “Remember, you never leave ‘em behind. Always be armed and never hesitate. Understand?”
“We won’t forget,” they both responded as they gave him a final hug.
“Your weapons are loaded so just remember your training, and you�
��ll be fine.”
The girls got into the cab, and Armstrong shut the door. He walked over to Winters who was standing in front of the truck. “They’ll be alright, then?”
“They will now, thanks to you.”
“Got two of my own, you know, about their age too. I just can’t imagine it.”
“Yeah, well, I couldn’t either. But they’re strong.”
“Still, they’re just kids.”
Winters didn’t respond. He was right they were just kids but had been forced to grow up in a hurry. No longer would they be able to be just kids, without a jaded attitude. Their recent experiences will affect everything they do for the rest of their lives.
Winters let out a silent sigh thinking about all the young lives this war has affected. The sad reality of war is that no one escapes it. A door opening in the back snapped Winters out of his thoughts as his three new volunteers entered the garage.
“We all ready to go?” asked Butler.
“Just waiting for you guys,” said Winters.
The third man, whom Winters had not met, approached and stuck out his hand. “I’m Pete Cochran. Sorry, we haven’t met yet.”
“Glad to have you aboard,” said Winters.
“Which truck is mine?” asked Cochran.
“Well, I’m taking the first one so you guys can decide on the other two.”
“Where are the girls?” asked Fowler.
“Sitting in my truck,” said Winters remembering what Murphy had said to him.
“They’ll be riding with you then?” asked Fowler.
“It’s got a bench seat so yes, of course.”
“Okay, cool,” said Fowler as he turned to Cochran. “I got dibs on driving.”
Cochran shrugged his shoulders.
Winters cleared this throat. “So, listen up guys. I’ve done this route several times and have never had any problems so we’ll be running with our headlights on.”
“Is that wise? Shouldn’t we have some kind of night-vision wear?” asked Butler.
“I’m afraid that’s not an option. But, like I said, we’ll be fine,” said Winters. “We should make Iowa by early morning, and we’ll rest up there before we continue to Jackson. Any questions?”
Everyone shook their heads, so Winters climbed into his truck and looked at the girls. “We ready?”
“We’re good, Cole,” said Laney who sat in the middle.
“Alright, well let’s get this show on the road,” said Winters as he started the truck. When he pulled out of the garage, he saluted Sergeant Armstrong.
Chapter 37
Jackson Michigan
Reese decided to check on Amber before she left with Meeks for the night. She hadn’t seen her since this morning and wanted to know how she was holding up after last night’s incident. She hoped this morning’s crying session did the trick but wasn’t so sure. Amber was smart and stronger than she knew, but still, anytime you have an up-close fight it affects you, especially if they’re trying to rape you.
She knocked on her door and heard her say it was open. Reese pushed the door and found her checking her backpack.
“Hey, how’s it going?” asked Reese as she went in for a hug.
Amber squeezed her hard. “Good, good. Just huh, getting ready for tonight.”
“You doing okay, then?”
Amber moved her bag and sat down on the bed. “I am. Cried a couple more times, but I think I got it out of my system.”
Reese sat next to her. “Don’t be surprised if it sneaks back up on ya.”
Amber turned to her and nodded. “I won’t, but like I said, I think I’m good.”
“Glad to hear it. Did you go see Doctor Lunsford?”
“I did. Everything is good. No concussion to worry about. I took another Motrin and a long nap. What about you? What have you been up to?”
“Oh, I was out with Scar. We washed my baby and then checked in on the borders.”
“Wait, what? Your baby?” Amber asked in a confused tone. “That…that truck?”
“Yes, my truck.”
“You washed it?”
Reese raised her palms up. “Yes. Why does everyone have the same response?”
“Cause it’s a piece of junk, sweetie,” said Amber putting a hand on Reese’s shoulder.
“Well, that may be, but she’s my piece of junk now and besides, I first made-out with Cole in it.”
“Ooooh, okay. I get that now.”
“And may I say, that it looks pretty darn good too. Badger even put some new tires on it.”
“Now that, I understand,” snickered Amber.
“Yeah…it kinda needed them,” said Reese looking up at the ceiling embarrassed.
“Well, I’m glad to see you’ve got that taken care of. So, Nate tells me you’re going to hang out with him and Elliott tonight.”
“Yep. Gonna make it a game night.”
“Good. Poor guys are getting frustrated they can’t help, especially Nate. He’s like that Tasmanian Devil cartoon guy wanting to destroy something.”
“A knock came on the door, and Amber got up to open it. “Hey, Meeks.”
“You ready?” he asked.
“Just about. Just chatting with Reese.”
“Reese?” asked Meeks, as he walked into the room. “I heard you washed that beast of yours today.”
Amber put a hand to her mouth to hide her laughter as Reese threw up her hands in frustration.
“Alright, I’m done,” she said as she got up. “I’m out of here.”
“What? What did I say?” asked Meeks.
“Everyone’s been kinda making fun of her for washing that truck,” said Amber putting her arm around Reese’s shoulder.
“Well, that’s because it’s a piece of junk,” joked Meeks.
“Yes, I know. Ha-ha,” said Reese crossing her arms over her chest.
“Oh, c’mon now, Pieces. If we didn’t love ya, we wouldn’t be razzing ya.”
Reese tilted her head to the side and drummed her fingers on her arm.
Meeks stared her down in an attempt to break her, knowing full well that she was pretending to be mad. He’d been married long enough to not recognize that look she was giving him. He broke out in a disarming smile, which finally did the trick.
She let out a scoff. “Boys. You guys suck, you know that?”
“Yep. We do. And I’m a juvenile at heart.”
“Duh.”
“Come here,” said Meeks putting his arms out and stepping forward to hug her. “You know we’re big kidders around here, but that still doesn’t negate the fact that the truck is a junker.”
Reese thought for a moment. “Yeah, I got nothing.”
“Of course you don’t,” said Meeks letting her go. “But it is your junker, so we’ll leave it at that.”
“Thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with two other boys.”
“Nate and Elliott?” asked Meeks.
Reese nodded.
“Cool. They could use the company,” said Meeks.
“You guys be careful.”
“We will,” said Amber as she gave Reese another hug.
“You want me to wait up for ya?”
“No need. You look tired already,” said Amber as she ran her hands down the sides of Reese’s head.
“Yeah, I am,” said Reese who then turned and walked out into the hallway. She let out a chuckle thinking of Meeks. She wasn’t mad at him at all, she was madder at herself for not having a good retort for him. Usually, she could keep up with him, but couldn’t think of a solid defense, because the truck was a piece of junk.
She turned the corner to Elliott’s room figuring they would make fun of her as well. She stopped at the door to try to think of something, but still came up blank. So, she thought the best defense was a good offense and would have to bring it up first. She tapped on the door before turning the knob. Inside, Nate was sitting in a chair next to Elliott’s bed.
“Before you guys say a
nything, yes, I’m an idiot because I washed that piece of junk I’ve been driving around.”
Nate turned to Elliott and then turned back to her. “I’m sorry, you did what?”
Reese groaned, knowing she had just busted herself for nothing. She just couldn’t win today.
Chapter 38
On the road to Sabine Iowa
The drive back to Iowa was going smoothly, and Winters was enjoying the girl’s company. They’d been on the road for a few hours, and they chatted about everything and nothing like teenaged girls are want to do. He would miss them because, in only three days, he had grown close to them. It was easy to bond with people when you share life or death experiences. All three girls had impressed the hell out of him. Despite living through a nightmare, they had kept positive attitudes.
Of course, not all the girls involved were like this, but from what Laney and Collette had told him, they all supported each other emotionally. They would get together and give each other pep talks about surviving their ordeal. What a fantastic thing it is to help your fellow man. Not only did it help hearing the pep talks, but also, it was just as helpful, if not more so, to give them. Sharing themselves spiritually was their greatest strength, and it had kept them going.
Helping someone was always good for the soul. Winters knew this first hand, because it was what had been keeping him going these last few months. Especially this week when he needed it the most, he was able to feed off a diet of helping his fellow man to help fight off his own insanity. Winters took a deep breath and glanced at the girls he had the good fortune of meeting. Had they not met, he had no doubt he’d still be battling Mister Hyde and going insane.
“Whatcha thinking about, Cole?” asked Laney.
“Oh, nothing.”
“Excuse me, but I can see it on you. You’re, like, in deep thought.”
Winters wrinkled his face at her perceptiveness.
“Come on,” said Collette, “Do I need to keep reminding you of road rules?”
Winters took another deep breath. “I was just thinking how fortunate I was to meet you girls and how much I’ll miss you.”
“Ohhh,” said Laney putting her arm around his and squeezed tight. “You’re gonna make me cry.”