Jonas said, “I'll take Dave with me and give it away within the hour.”
“Let's all go back to the barn and we'll need to get ready for the evening. We'll have the same guards, but you need to really stay alert if you can. The barn is more open than the house and there are more ways they can enter. Part of the barn has collapsed and we'll avoid that spot as much as we can. I'm surprised the storm didn't carry most of it away.”
The afternoon passed quickly as the men and women worked to remove the dead animals, remove debris, and clean the place so their enemies would have few things to hide behind for safety and to keep the place healthy. Dave and Jonas returned from town with both saying the place was in sad shape. The single steer, two deer and four rabbits were gone within ten minutes at the market.
It was near five when a rifle shot was heard and a male voice yelled, “Dang it, he's getting away!” The rifle fired once more.
“Who is getting away?” Terry yelled from the barn, where he was helping June with supper.
“Jones, he popped Dave on the head and then took out running!” Dan said.
“Is Dave okay?” Terry asked.
“He's fine, but we need to get Jones and now.”
Dave had a lump on his head and he wasn't knocked out, just down and out of the picture for a few minutes. Picking up his long gun, he said, “Come on dad, lets track him.”
They followed him easily at first, because he was running like a wild man, but over time the sign because lighter and lighter, until they found nothing. Dave became frustrated, while Dan concentrated on what little sign they found.
“You know where he'll head, don't you?” Dave asked.
“Back to Rolla, I suspect. It's only about 8 miles, so it's not a real long walk. We need to be near the entrance to town to nab him again. I'm sure he'll follow the road once he gets a mile or so away from us.”
“Let's go back and get the truck. Well drive to the town and hide the truck. Then we'll wait for him beside the road. I don't think he'll expect that.”
“What if we miss him?”
“Then we've just lost some time, because we've lost him now for sure. Come on, let's get in the truck and get this over.”
Chapter 13
Jones was terrified and knew old man Baker would beyond a doubt, kill him and place his head on the fence line. He'd caught the young kid, Dave, with his head turned and slapped him alongside the head with a piece of wood, a two by four from the destroyed house. It knocked Dave to his knees, but didn't knock him out. Dan, who was returning after pulling some trash away from the barn, got off two shots at him as Jones ran, but neither struck the running man.
He ran for a mile then stopped under a large pine tree to rest. He was out of breath and exhausted from his full day. He bent over, placed his hands on his knees, and sucked in lungs full of air. He was tired of being tired, and wished the world would be like it was before, when criminals had rights and got off with small sentences or placed on probation. Now, if you were caught committing a crime, death was very likely because there were no prisons.
Dang, I thought for sure when I heard the first rifle shot I was a dead man. I know from my tour in the Army a running person is hard to hit unless you have an automatic and can spray the runner. This group is well organized, but we need to take them and keep what they have as ours. Just the cattle alone would keep us alive and if we have enough men, we can take over Rolla.
I need to slow down and keep my eyes open. I should enter town in a route that is not on highway 63 or from the South. Here in a bit, I'll turn slightly east and maybe enter town near the city grave yard, he thought.
Hours later, he found himself entering town a bit east of highway 63, but far enough he spotted
the cemetery and could not see the highway. He moved quickly and when he moved up Pine Street, he relaxed, because he was close to home. He noticed the town had been hit hard during the tornado and the building were torn all apart and debris scattered. He then moved to his home and at the door, he knocked three times. The structure was not damaged by the tornado.
“Who is it?” Freeman asked from inside.
“Matt, it's me, Isaac, and I'm back.”
Freeman unlocked the door, cocked a pistol in his hand and flipped the safety off as he said, “Where have you been?”
“I was a prisoner and escaped. Open the door, I'm hurt, tired, and hungry.”
“I'm opening the door, but if you're not Jones, you're a dead man, understand?”
“Open the door, I ain't in the mood to be messed with.”
The door cracked about 2 inches and Matt looked out. He smiled and opened the door wider as he said, “Come on in and let's get you back to normal.”
“I'm in nasty shape. Let me get a shower, some food in me, and then we'll talk. We have a group of nationalists looking for us. When they find us, they'll kill us. It seems old man Baker still lives and you cut his throat. Looked to me like you only cut muscle and no veins.”
“You mean to stand there and tell me he still lives?”
“He cut my nose and as you can see, it's not even scabbed over yet. He promised to cut my head off, but I escaped shortly after he told me.”
“There are some beef steaks in the sink. I just bought them this morning, about three hours ago.”
After a meal of beef steak, fried cabbage, and carrots, Jones moved to the living room and sat on the sofa. He told the whole story and left nothing out. When he finished, he waited for Freeman to comment.
“We need to hit them while they're in the barn. I have some explosives now, hand-grenades, and I think they will give us a powerful edge. I don't care if we damage the barn to hell and back, as long as we get their weapons, horses, and cattle. I want the women taken alive too, if we can, because they are very valuable on the slave market.”
“I want nothing they have and I'll kill myself before I’m their captive again. They treated me well enough, but ole man Baker was fixing to cut my head off.”
“He didn't, so let it go. Oh, you might want to avoid the market for a month or so, too.”
“Why's that?”
“Someone cooked your “pork” and as they were finishing their meal, one lady found a spot of skin with a US Marine Corps tattoo on it. They know you were moving human meat now and they’re searching for you. I think they plan to kill you too, so you need to stay out of sight and change your appearance.”
“I'll be armed and I'm not scared of a couple of people. They give me any trouble and I'll shoot 'em.”
“Not if it's a big crowd. They came here already, about three days ago, and they had a rope. I'd guess the mob had fifty people in the group. I'm deadly serious, watch your butt around here now. They have a 50 pounds of beef reward for word of your location and capture.”
“What happened when you went to the Bakers farm and attacked the house?”
“Once the house was in flames, I was leaving and a wild shot struck me in the back but from the side. It barely broke the skin, but it did shock me. The boys pulled me from the flames and brought me home. The next day I was back to normal, except for some stiffness in my lower spine, and a couple of small burns. Did they lose the house?”
“Yep, and they're living in the barn now and it stinks to high heaven in that place. When I left they were cleaning the whole farm up after the tornado hit. Did it cause much damage in Rolla?”
Freeman said, “Yeah, we had fifteen killed and about 40 injured. The west side of town is about blown away. What the last earthquake didn't tear up that storm did.”
“When do you plan to hit the Baker farm again?”
“Tomorrow night and I plan to take ownership of the place right after the fight. I suspect we'll lose a few men, but the place is worth all our lives, if nothing else for the beef, pork and poultry.”
“I agree. I want to be with you, because I know where they are in the barn and out in the barnyard. They always keep one man roaming around and that's how they get an earl
y warning of your attacks.”
“We need to find him and silence him forever.” Freeman said, as he stared off into space. His mind was on the attack and he needed it to be successful this time. Men would not follow a loser very long and he'd not won anything since they formed almost a month ago. He had female slaves and he made sure they kept his men happy. He knew, deep down inside, even women wouldn't keep them smiling like a few successful raids would do.
“I need some sleep and rest. Being a prisoner was a hard job; not knowing when they would decide to kill me was the most stress I have ever had. I will never be captured again.”
“Get some sleep and in the morning you and I will scout the farm, so you can show me where everyone is located. I need to know that stuff when we attack them.”
Isaac stood and made his way to his sleeping room.
*****
While Jones was sleeping, Tom, one of the men who now worked for Freeman, pulled his 9 mm pistol, entered Isaac's room and placed the gun barrel in the sleeping man's face.
“Wake up, you and I are going to take a short walk.”
“Why? Walk where?”
“To the people you sold human meat to. See they have a reward of fifty pounds of quality beef for anyone who can bring you in. I am going to get that food and I have need of it to keep my family alive. You are such a jerk, taking you in is almost a reward in itself. How low can you get selling human flesh as pork? No one would have known, but pigs don't get United States Marine tattoos. Up, we're leaving and now.”
Sleeping with a gun in the bed with him was an old habit for Jones, so he frantically searched the blanket over him, and finally found the pistol. Without clearing the covers, he fired, hoping to unnerved the man so he could pull his pistol free of the blankets. The shot struck the abductor in the lower belly, the big .45 round burning a hole through the man's intestines, and out his back.
The bullet then passed into the living room, narrowly missing a woman slave that Freeman had with him. The woman screamed as the bullet then passed through the house and struck a tree in the front yard with a loud smack sound. Freeman, knowing what had just happened because he heard the gunshot, pushed the slave to the floor and pulling his new 9 mm, he moved quickly for Isaac's room. He found Jones holding the man's hair as he slid his sharp sheath knife over the man's throat. The man quivered as the keen blade sliced its way toward his neck. Blood spurted suddenly and the man's eyes grew huge. With each beat of his heart, the crimson blood would shoot about four feet from his neck. Isaac tired of his victims movements, and quickly ran the knife blade over the other side the man's neck and then pushed him to the floor. A huge puddle of blood began to form under the dying man and his eyes were huge, as if he wanted to say something, but he was unable, his throat now filling with blood. A minute later, he began to choke. His legs started kicking violently as he bled, but two minutes later, all movement stopped. He was dead.
“What's going on in here?” Freeman asked.
“This idiot tried to take me in for the fifty pounds of beef being offered. I'm glad I sleep with a gun, or I'm sure he would have killed me. Now, he's dead but he's one of the men you hired, right?”
“Yes, and he must have gotten greedy, because I pay each man 45 pounds of beef or chicken a month. Most are loyal to us.”
“Well, by God, this one wasn't. What now?”
“We drive to his home, rape and kill his family. My men must see what we do to those that turn against us. Are you hurt at all?”
“No, not a scratch. When do we go?”
“Right now, so bring a long gun, your pistol, and a sheath knife.”
Minutes later they were bouncing down a badly damaged macadam road, moving for the dead man's home. He lived slightly out of town on highway 72, which ran east and west. When they pulled up to the man's house it wasn't much to look at. The siding was black tar paper and the roof looked like it was ready to fall off.
“Larry, I want you and Frank to watch the back door and no one, no matter their age, is allowed to escape. Now, move.” The two men walked around the house and Tom perched on an empty 55 gallon drum. He raised his shotgun and slipped the safe off. They heard the men entering the house.
“I ain't shootin' no kids.” Larry said, “How about you?”
Frank grinned and said, “If they come this way, I'll shoot but I think they will be too fast for me to hit.”
Both men grinned.
Jones was the first person in, because he heard the man had a daughter in college that was staying with him when the asteroid struck California. He wanted to rape and take the young woman and the only way to do that was to be the first man in.
“Nobody move!” Freeman screamed as he entered behind Isaac.
A rather plain looking middle-aged woman raised a shotgun and fired, the pellets struck a man named George in the stomach and he died instantly, his belly and upper intestines blown out his back. His body struck the well worn wooden floor and then jerked as his central-nervous system shut down. She pumped the gun and fired again, striking two men behind Isaac, who fell screaming, but neither was fatally wounded if the blood flow could be stopped. Isaac and Freeman moved behind overstuffed chairs, with the material well worn and split, to hide. The woman then fired again, killing another man instantly, but her time was running out and she knew it. Three kids were behind her and she yelled for them to go out the back door. One of the kids was the 18 year old female college student and the others were twins, both girls, and 9 years old. Once the kids were gone, she placed the shotgun under her chin, angled it toward her brain and jerked the trigger.
The blast splattered her brains, bone and gore on the ceiling of the living room and she fell to the floor hard, landing on her shotgun. He body jerked a few times and then lay still. From the back the sound of a shotgun was heard, followed by another shot.
“Get 'em!” Larry yelled as he held his smoking shotgun. He remained on his drum. He fired his weapon into the air and then grinned.
The kids ran right between the two men and both had a clear shot, but Larry fired into the air again, to let those within hearing range know that he'd tried to stop the kids. Then Frank fired, killing an oak tree not even close to the children. They three children entered the woods and were gone.
Jones ran to the back door and yelled, “Did ya get 'em?”
“Hit one, but not hard. They're in the woods.”
“You two weren't ready, were you?” Freeman asked as he walked outside.
“They was as fast as greased lightning, boss. We both got a shot at them.”
Walking the direction the kids had taken, Matt said, “No blood, so you hit no one. Tell me how two men with 12 gauge shotguns can miss three kids.”
“They were too fast.” Tom said.
“Get in the truck, we might as well go home now.”
As Larry and Frank stood, Freeman said, “I'll be watching you two, and another case like this I'll kill you. Now load in the back of the truck.”
Once on the road, Jones said, “How did they miss three kids?”
“They claimed they were too fast, and kids can be hard to shoot. They run like deer, but I suspect they didn't want anything to do with killing kids, so they let them go.”
“You should have shot both of them then.”
“If I could have proved they missed them on purpose, I would have, but I can prove nothing. I'll let this go, but if it happens again, we'll be shy two men when we return. Besides that woman killed three of us when we entered. She was rough with a shotgun.”
“I only saw two dead.”
One was outside, and the pellets went through one man and struck him in the face. The blast almost took his head off.”
Jones didn't care, as long as he was safe.
“When do we hit the farm? I want to kill ole man Baker.”
“Tonight my friend, tonight.”
The night was pitch black as the men jumped from the rear of the truck and stood on a gravel road. Thick
black clouds filled the sky and blacked out all traces of a full moon. Each man needed to use a flashlight and that act alone worried Isaac.
Why don't we light up a big neon sign and let them know we are coming, he thought as he adjusted his gear.
Speaking slightly above a whisper, Freeman said, “Some of you have been here before and just because the owner of this place is a farmer, don't let that make you think he's dumb. He has traps around the place, so use caution when we get closer to the barn. The last time we were here, one man fell in a deep hole filled with copperhead snakes, and he died. No one would risk their lives to pull the man up. When we left, he was still crying for help. Another bunch burned to death when they somehow triggered a bomb that had gasoline. Watch your butts out there, and I'm not joking.”
“Boss, you're scaring the men.” Tom said.
“I'm telling them the truth and I’ll not hide things from them that will kill them. If they move slowly and cautiously, they'll be fine. Go charging in there like idiots and you'll be rotting in the sun by noon tomorrow. Most of you are prior military, so imagine this is a military mission.”
Jones met his eyes and said, “Let's move, and now.”
“Le Baron, I want you on point and Jackson, you are my drag. If you see any booby traps, mark them and move on. Once at the barn, stop about 100 yards out and we'll line up to attack. Let's move.” Matt said.
The walk to the barn went quickly and when they stopped, Isaac was glad they'd only run into two booby traps, and they'd been marked and they'd had no injuries.
Whispering, Freeman said, “We'll move forward in a line and try to remain abreast and we'll run for the barn as a mass, but no screaming until we enter the structure. Let's move,” he said as he stepped off for the building.
They were half way there when Dave, standing guard in the RV spotted their movement. He wasn't sure what he was seeing, so he waited, his rifle off safety. Then, a loud scream was heard as one of the men stepped forward and his foot slipped into a hole. His body shifted and all his weight was on the falling leg, which entered the hole. The hole was filled with sharpened oak stakes with barbed points, so his foot was instantly penetrated and the barbed point assured the foot was not easily removed. One man moved to help his friend, but his foot landed on a 12 gauge shotgun shell resting on a nail driven through a slab of wood. The blast caught the man in the groin and lower intestines. He screamed, grabbed his badly injured balls, and fell. He would bleed to death, because he knew no one would pick him up until the battle was over.
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