by N. C. Reed
“Reckon we’ll just wait for’em right here,” he told Rommel, who wagged his tail stump. Billy rubbed his head, then opened his door and got out, allowing Rommel to do the same. The dog ran around the truck, sniffing the air, then settled down by Billy’s side.
It wasn’t long before Billy could see the headlights, bouncing up and down along the road.
We got to git that road hid, he thought to himself. And the sooner the better.
“Billy, it looks like the Hummer,” Howie came over the radio again.
“Okay,” Billy answered, never taking his eyes off the headlight. If it was a Hummer, then maybe it was them. Only way to know was to wait see, he decided. As he waited, he heard George drive up behind him.
“Made good time,” Billy mentioned, his eyes never leaving the potential target.
“Traffic was light,” George chuckled, and Billy shook his head, grinning.
“You heard Howie?”
“You mean about how it looks like a Hummer?” George asked. “Yeah. Don’t mean it’s our’s, though. There were a mess of’em made, you know.”
“Was thinking that myself,” Billy nodded. The two stood there in silence until the Hummer eased to a stop. Terry Blaine slowly climbed out of the driver’s door.
“We didn’t expect a welcoming committee.”
“Last minute thing,” George chuckled. “Good to see you, man.”
“Good to see you too, brother. All right if we pass through?” Terry looked dead on his feet.
“Sure, just didn’t know it was you,” Billy nodded.
“We all need to get somewhere and talk. But we need to cleanup first.” All three were ragged and filthy. George nodded.
“Why don’t all of you take an hour, get cleaned up and fed, and we can meet. . . .” he trailed off. Where could they meet?
“Let’s just let it be my place,” Billy offered. “Sort of between their places. Make it easier.”
“Sounds good,” Terry nodded, already walking back to the Hummer.
“Terry?” George asked. “What was it like?” Blaine turned back.
“Well, it was bad.”
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
The hour passed very slowly for Billy and the others, gathered around his table waiting for the report from Terry, Pete, and Toby. George and Ralph were there, along with the Kelvey brothers. Jerry would be along with Toby in a few minutes.
“What do you think they found?” Ralph asked, more to fill the void than in any real expectation of an answer.
“I don’t know,” George replied. He looked worried. “I’ve know Terry a long time. Been through a lot of bad times with him. If he said it was bad, I honestly can’t imagine what he saw. What they saw.”
“He don’t say ‘bad’ very often, I take it?” Rhonda asked.
“Not very,” George admitted. “Some of the things. . .well, there’s no sense in going there,” he cut himself off. “We’ll know soon enough.” Just then they heard a vehicle pull up out front.
Terry and Pete entered the front door at almost the same time that Jerry, Toby and Shelly entered the back. Shelly went immediately to Pete, and the two of them took a moment to re-unite in private before joining the rest. No one spoke at first, as Terry and the others sat quietly, collecting their thoughts. Toby reached into the backpack he had brought, and produced a video camera and a still camera.
“Not. . .not yet, Tobe,” Terry shook his head, the first words he had spoken. The pale faced teen nodded jerkily, and left the two devices on the table. He removed a I-Pad from his bag, and the cords needed to transfer the data, but made no move to attach them.
“Terry, are you guys okay?” George asked, concerned.
“I. . .I don’t know,” Terry admitted at last. “First off, I want to say something. We. . .what we saw was. . .bad. I can’t really emphasize how bad. You’ll see soon enough,” he pointed to the cameras. “Toby, I want to tell you this in front of everyone. First, I’m proud of you. You’ll always be welcome to come with me, anywhere. There’s no question in my mind that you’re through being a ‘boy’. You’re a man grown, and a damned good one at that.”
“Second, I’m sorry I let you come along. Not because of anything you did, but because you shouldn’t. . .you shouldn’t have had to see any of that.”
“It’s okay, Mister Blaine,” Toby said shakily. “I’m. . .I was just glad to do my part, that’s all.”
“You did that and more,” Terry nodded. “Well, I guess it’s time. When I say it’s bad, I mean. . .horrible. I never imagined. . . .” He broke off for a moment, clearly gathering himself. Pete was silent, but Shelly could feel a simmering rage underneath his normally calm exterior. It frightened her more than she would be willing to admit, even to Pete. She didn’t know what had happened, but she was sure that Terry was understating it.
“We got there okay, managed to hide the truck about a mile from town. We thought about leaving someone with the Hummer, but decided we were better off together.”
“We walked to town, easing into a good position over the town. . . .”
*****
“This is a good spot,” Terry whispered harshly. “We’ll set up here, make a cold camp. We can see the town, and I’ve seen a few people. We can see the old market place, too. We’ll watch tomorrow, see what happens.”
*****
“And that’s what we did,” Pete spoke for the first time. “We watched the comings and goings. With the spotter scope, we could see pretty far. We weren’t on a real hill, but it was a small rise, and that helped.”
“Everything was fine at first, it seemed. . . .”
*****
“Lot of people coming and going,” Terry observed. “You know, I admit it, I didn’t expect so many folks. They came through the winter better than I expected.”
“Good for them,” Pete smiled. “I didn’t figure they did so well, after the attack.”
“Me either, to be honest. I’m surpr. . . .”
“Truck comin’,” Toby whispered. “Make that trucks,” he amended. “Look.”
Sure enough, there was a small convoy coming to the community center building. Terry counted seven trucks in all, two of them pickups riding fore and aft, like guards. He nodded, knowing from experience that security was important if you were moving anything of val. . . .
“Terry, I don’t like this,” Pete whispered. “Those are people in those trucks, I think.”
“All of’em?” Terry asked. What the hell?
“I can’t be sure of that,” Pete admitted. “But there were people in that lead truck, for certain.”
“Toby are you taping this?”
“Yes, sir,” Toby whispered back. “Want me to stop?”
“No, no. You’re doing fine,” Terry patted the teen’s shoulder, smiling. He was a good kid.
As the three of them watched, the trucks came to a halt, and two men exited each truck, yelling and pounding on the back of the trucks. Sure enough, people began to pile out of all five of the larger trucks. Military trucks, the old ‘deuce-and-a-half’, still found in many National Guard armories.
Terry was starting to get a bad feeling about this. He looked at Pete, and noticed a similar look on his friend's face. As they continued to watch, the people were separated into two groups. One was comprised primarily of attractive young women, teen age girls, and children. Another was able bodied men, and women who didn’t seem to ‘qualify’ for the first group. The last was older or infirm people, those who had trouble getting around, or didn’t seem to be able to cope on their own.
“I really don’t like this,” Pete said softly.
“Neither do I,” Terry agreed.
As they watched, four of the men standing guard stepped forward and ordered the able bodied men, all cuffed and shackled, to start moving. They marched slowly out of sight, to where Terry wasn’t sure. As he thought about what he knew of the area, he decided they were possibly headed to the jail. Maybe they were criminals?
/> He shook that thought off. Those kids weren’t criminals. This was something else. They continued to watch, Toby taping it all, to see what would happen next.
*****
“We didn’t have to wait too long,” Toby added his voice to the tale. “I was still tapin’ everything, but I could hear another truck comin’. Least I thought it was a truck.”
*****
“Hey, there’s a school bus,” Pete pointed. Toby swung the camera around, catching the yellow vehicle as it pulled into the lot. Two men, and five large, rather angry looking women exited the bus. They headed as a unit to the first group. The one with the women and children.
Each person in the group was given the once over, usually twice over if the woman or girl was particularly attractive or well built. They were ragged, hungry, and scared to death. All three of them could tell that, even at a distance.
Each adult and able bodied teen was secured with plastic cuffs. One boy, about twelve or thirteen, tried to fight. With no more thought than if swatting a fly, one of the men hit the boy in the head with a large club. From the sound, it was likely metal, Terry decided.
The boy hit the ground, and didn’t move. One of the girls, probably a sister, cried out, and tried to go to him, but one of the women guards grabbed her by the hair, and started yelling. This was the first time they had been able to hear what was said.
“‘You better get that idea outta yer head, girl. You belong to us, now, and you do what we tell you, when we tell you, or you’ll get the same thing he got. Hear?’”
Pete and Terry looked at each other, their faces slack. They looked back to the scene before them.
“‘They’ll bring a good price’” the largest woman nodded in approval. “Good job.’”
“‘What about them?’” the man they assumed was the leader asked, nodding to the last group.
“‘Take’em inside. Butcher’s are waitin’ on’em. We got hungry people to feed.’” The man nodded, and shouted orders to his men. They began herding this last group toward the civic center.
“Did she just say what I think she said?” Pete asked, looking at Terry with something like terror in his eyes.
“I’m pretty sure she just said they was gonna eat them people,” Toby observed, his voice cracking.
*****
“Eat them?”
Every voice at the table spoke as one. Terry and Pete nodded.
“Yeah,” Toby answered. “That’s what she said.”
*****
“We need to get the hell outta here,” Pete said firmly. “This is. . .Jesus. . . .” he trailed off, looking on in horror. How in the hell had this come about?
“We need to know what’s going on,” Terry shook his head.
“I’d say we see what’s going on!” Pete hissed sharply, but quietly. “They’re. . .they’re cannibals!”
“We think so, but we don’t know,” Terry motioned for Pete to calm down. “We do know, now, that things aren’t right. We came here to recon. We’re going to finish.” He looked at Pete.
“These sonsabitches may well come our way, one day,” he pointed out. “I want to know what we’d be up against, Pete. Don’t you?”
The hot blooded native began to calm down, and nodded. His first inclination was to start shooting, and his second had been to return home and start preparing for the day these. . .people. . .came calling on them. But Terry was right. They were already here, in place. They should finish.
“So what are we gonna do?” Toby asked. He was still taping.
“We aren’t doing anything,” Terry told the teenager. “You’re going to sit right here. Pete and I will try to get down there and see what’s really happening.”
“Oh, hell no!” Toby hissed. “There’s no way in hell you’re leavin’ me up here by myself! These people are nuts!”
“Toby, this is the safest place for you,” Terry shook his head. “You stay.”
“Not a chance,” Toby insisted. “I am not gonna be their next lunch. And if somethin’ happens to you two, what the hell am I supposed to do, huh? No, sir. I’m goin’.”
Terry frowned in frustration.
“You promised to do what I said!” he hissed.
“That was before I knew I could be on the damn menu!” Toby shot back, unimpressed with the look Terry was giving him. “I’m not lettin’ you two outta my sight. Side’s, if I go back without Pete, my sister will kill me!”
In spite of himself, Terry snorted, trying to contain his laughter. Pete grew a bit red faced, but grinned. Toby, however, didn’t. He was serious.
*****
“I have to admit, Toby’s courage was never in doubt,” Terry complimented, and the teenager blushed. “His obedience qualities leave something to be desired, of course,” he frowned mightily, but cut it with a grin. “His loyalty, however, is beyond question.”
“I can’t believe you went down there,” Shelly almost whispered. “You could all have been killed.”
“And eaten,” Ralph was aghast at what he’d heard so far.
“It was a risk I decided we had to take,” Terry shrugged. “We needed to know.”
*****
The three of them worked their way down to the civic/community center building carefully. They moved slowly and carefully, dropping out of sight at the slightest noise. Discovery would mean death. They had no illusions about that. Even Toby, young though he was, knew that. And he was scared. Which was fine, since Terry and Pete were scared, too, and had let him know it.
They came to the parking lot of the civic center. There were very few places to provide cover. They would be forced to cross open ground if they wanted to get any closer.
Terry motioned to Pete with a series of hand signals. The younger man nodded, and began working his way across the open ground, using everything from the few abandoned vehicles to light poles. It took him only two minutes to reach the plants and bushes that remained of the landscaping around the building. He studied his surroundings for a few seconds, then motioned for Terry and Toby to follow.
Terry grabbed Toby’s harness, pulling him to his feet.
“Let’s go, kid.”
The two followed the same path Pete had used, albeit faster, with Pete watching over them. When they arrived, Toby watched as both men pulled their hand guns, and began to screw long tubes on the end of the threaded barrels.
“Are those. . . .” he started, but was cut off by a glare from Terry, and a ‘shush’ motion from Pete. Toby nodded, blushing at his mistake.
More hand signals from Terry, and Pete started toward the door. Terry leaned down, pressing his lips to Toby’s ear.
“Stay quiet. If we enter the building, I want you to stay there, and keep watch. Don’t shoot unless you absolutely have to. Got it?” Toby nodded his understanding.
The two then followed Pete, who had found the door unlocked. There was no sign of a guard, or even that one had been there. Pete shook his head, as if to say ‘amateurs’. Terry glared at him, and Pete rolled his eyes, but returned to the job at hand. Toby, meanwhile, had found a small alcove well back from the door, and pointed to it, then to himself. Terry nodded, then winked, pushing the teen gently in that direction. Toby handed over the video camera, and moved on.
Pete motioned for Terry to follow, and stepped through a nearby door. As the door opened, the overwhelming smell of copper hit Terry full force. There was only one thing that produced that smell.
Blood. And lot’s of it.
He moved quickly, catching up to Pete as the younger man waited outside the doorway to the auditorium. They looked at each other, eyes speaking where words were dangerous. Terry nodded, and hefted the camera.
*****
“Is that what you didn’t want to show us, yet?” Jerry asked. His face was drawn, and hard. He had put a hand on his son’s shoulder, squeezing firmly. That grip conveyed more than any words he might speak to the younger man.
Though no one in the valley knew it, Jerry had fought in Vi
etnam. One of the last groups of young men to be sent over before America decided it was time for the South to stand on it’s own. He had stayed almost two years, and had seen a good deal of action that would never be recorded into any history book, not all of it in Vietnam, either. Terrified, alone save for his comrades, and far from home, Jerry had never again experienced such heart stopping fear.
He had hoped his son would never be in such a position. That hope appeared to be gone forever. His son looked…haunted. He was still strong, but his illusions were gone now. His innocence, what had been left after this last year, was a thing of the past.
Though proud of his son, Jerry was sad that he had to see something so horrible, so young.
*****
Terry put the camera against the small window in the door. He looked at the small screen as he panned the camera around. What he saw threatened to turn his stomach inside out.
Terry Blaine was a hardened warrior. Had seen combat not only in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the Philippines, South America, and Africa. After twenty-two years and five continents, he thought he had seen the worst mankind had to offer.
He was wrong.
The people that had been herded inside the building earlier had all been slaughtered. And that was an apt description. Their bodies, stripped of clothing, were hanging from a series of meat hooks suspended from the ceiling. Seven people, four men and three women, were ‘working’ on various jobs, literally processing the bodies into. . . .
“shitaa' ch'ÍgonÁ'ÁÍ,” Pete breathed. In his shock, he had reverted to his native language, the language of his True People. Terry had heard him speak Apache only a few times. Most of those times right before Pete exploded in violence.
Before he could finish that thought, Pete was through the door, pistol in one hand, knife in the other. Not the combat knife he carried everywhere, but the huge khukri blade he carried on jobs like this. The same one he had carried on three tours in Afghanistan.