by A J Newman
“Yes, we have time, but I’ll be cold and sleepy, and probably grumpy.”
“Maybe, but it won’t matter, because I won’t be tired, sleepy, or grumpy.”
Guard duty passed quickly with no threats or issues and we were soon back inside by the fire taking off our cold weather gear. Ally wasn’t too cold and she was very talkative.
“Darling, what if these are good people that feel threatened by us intruding in their area?”
“I think they’d do what we’d do and introduce themselves and try to see what we want. I think these are scumbags and somehow friends or relatives of the ones we sent to whatever hell, slavers go to.”
I know you are right, but it seems that we have to fight all of the time just to survive. Will we always have to fight? Why can’t we move on to another area?”
“Darling, moving on would be easy after the snow clears, but where to? Anderson, Owensville, many other cities and the countryside have gangs, crooked politicians and meth dealers. We could end up running every month or so and every time we leave, we lose what we have built and most of our food and supplies.”
“I know, I know, it’s just that I am so tired of the fighting and afraid I’ll lose you in one of these fights.”
“Damn, it’s 1:30 and we have to get up in thirty minutes.”
We got out of bed before the alarm, joined Callie and Paul by the fireside and dressed in our cold weather gear and body armor. Roger and Joan were on guard duty. Sally and Mike were heading out ahead of us to relieve them.
I heard Joan say, “Mike, you’re 10 minutes late. You need to crawl off Sally a few minutes earlier and get your ass out on time.”
“Look sister, just because you aren’t getting laid, don’t jump my ass.”
“Sally, slap him and get him moving.”
“For being late?”
“No, for reminding me that I’m not getting laid.”
“Mom, I can hear you.”
“Little girl. You wanted to get married and become a woman so you have to listen to me complaining about my lack of male companionship.”
Callie laughed and said, “TMI, Paul, let’s go outside so I don’t have to hear this kind of talk from my mom.”
“Wait Callie, I want to be serious here for a minute. In this new reality there does seem to be a subconscious need for companionship, and love, which, of course, includes sex.
I just realized that we all feel that same need. It has to be in our gene pool to repopulate the Earth after such a major die-off. I mean, I don’t mean to sound so crass, ok, horney, but it’s there, and we all feel it. We simply need someone to hold us, protect us and love us. Callie, I’m sorry for my language. Do you understand?”
Callie hugged her mother, and said, “Yeah, mom, I do feel it. I love you.”
They were still in their embrace when we heard a clatter from one of the trip wires and a tortured scream in the woods.
“Oh shit, my leg’s been cut off. Help!”
They saw flashes and gunfire from that direction. Everyone poured out of the building and the attackers greeted them with a hail of bullets. One caught Callie in the chest, knocked her flat on her butt and scared her out of her wits.
“I’m hit. The vest stopped the bullet, but this hurts like a son of a bitch.”
Paul checked her out while the others returned fire.
Roger yelled to them and then ran over to their position.
“Those assholes decided to attack tonight. It sounds like we caught some in the traps and there are several more advancing from the woods, plus several others sniping from the woods. Use your NVGs and kill any of those bastards that stick their heads up.”
I gave Ally my NVGs and said, “Mike, you and Roger follow me and we’ll go around the first cabin and come up behind them. Give your NVGs to the women. The rest of you keep the gang pinned down in the woods. Come on.”
Ally and Sally could see the intruders hiding behind trees and logs. A couple of them were hiding behind bushes.
Ally carefully placed the cross hair of the NVG scope on the first man and slowly squeezed the trigger using the pad of her finger. The rifle bucked and the man died. She taught them the difference between concealment and cover when she placed .556 bullets in their chests.
Sally killed another and wounded two more. The sniping from the woods ended.
We turned the corner of the cabin and crept down the side using the shadows to conceal our movement. We were in the open about half way to the back of the dining room when we started taking gunfire from an automatic weapon.
The only cover was the shallow ditch that drained the parking lot. The bullets passed over us, but pinned us down and we could not effectively return fire. We burrowed deep into the snow and kept our heads down.
Two men with AK47s were advancing and all we could do is poke our ARs up and shoot without looking.
I felt a thud on my left hand and intense pain. I had been hit. The shot knocked my AR out of my hands and I couldn’t reach it. I grabbed my pistol and tried to fire it in the attacker’s direction, but they kept firing and coming at us.
Mike yelled, “I’m hit. Oh God my foot hurts.”
The bastards were getting close enough that the ditch wasn’t protecting us anymore.
I heard, “I can see them. Kill the bastards.”
I heard the AKs firing at us and other gunfire join in the noise and then suddenly they stopped and I heard someone yelling, “Are you okay?”
It was Davi. She had two ARs in her hands. She walked up to the three men and riddled them with gunfire.
“They had M249 SAWS. The turds must also be gun runners.”
“Yeah, Gun runners with plenty of ammo. Davi, we owe you our lives.”
Davi, helped me up while Roger helped Mike stop the bleeding and took him into the main building.
Davi said, “Roger, come with me.”
They left the room and headed outside to make sure the attackers had been neutralized.
Joan and Sally worked on Mike while Ally tended to my hand. The bullet went through my middle fingers, missing the bone and out the back of my hand. She cleaned, placed antibiotic cream on the wound and bandaged it before she gave me a couple of pain pills.
Mike’s left heel had been grazed resulting in a shallow furrow in his heel. It hurt like hell, but he could hobble around and bitch about the pain. Well, he is just a delicate flower.
Ally told us, “We killed several in the woods. From the blood trails, we must have wounded a couple more. Davi killed the three attacking you and we took out several more trying to join them.”
“Thanks, Ally, you and Joan come with me to help check the camp out and make sure we killed or ran those dirt bags away.”
We checked all of the cabins and the area around the camp until we ran into Davi and Roger.
“We found eight dead, two wounded and three alive in the bear traps. I killed the ones in the traps and the other two are heading home.”
“Why didn’t you kill them?”
“Our mission was to follow them back to their base. One has a shoulder wound and the other a wound in his calf. They can’t walk very fast and I marked where their trail starts.
They are boogying back home as we speak. Now we have two leaving a trail straight back to their base. Let’s go.”
I started to get up. Ally pushed me back down saying, “You’re wounded. You can’t go.”
I got up and said, “Ally, I have to go. We have to end this threat now. Mike you stay here with Lynn, Bert Sam Jacob and Callie while the rest of us end this tonight. If for some reason we don’t stop them, they might attack the camp again.”
I took Ally off to the side and convinced her that I’d be okay and showed her that I had added two 30 round mags for my AR, and my 45.
“Ally, I can fire 90 shots. That’s just three awkward mag changes, and I still have my .45 for any close in shit. I can get by with one hand. In a pinch, I can ignore the pain and get it done. I’l
l join Mike in whining about it later.
Besides, I have four hand grenades. I can really cause some serious damage.”
She popped two Ibuprofens in my mouth and said, “I love you, and I’ll help protect my big fearsome man bear.”
I kissed her. We gathered the others and headed towards the woods to pick up the trail of the wounded intruders.
Davi was, of course right; the wounded duo was unable to walk very fast. I hoped that, at least one didn’t bleed out and leave us searching for their base of operations.
***
“Dad, my leg is killing me. We have to stop and rest. They won’t follow us tonight. We’ll have time to warn Mom and the others.”
George responded, “Look pussy, I got shot in the chest and I’m 20 years older than you. You don’t see me wanting to stop every ten minutes. We’ve stopped twice.
Suck it up Buttercup, and make it past the Miller’s shack before we stop again.”
“Dad, Joe got his leg in a bear trap. I saw it and the trap pulled half the meat off his calf and took it down to his ankle. Two others got their damn legs in bear traps. Them sum bitches don’t fight fair.”
“Don’t worry about them. We’ll round up every one of them bastards and fuck ‘em up. I promise that on your dead sister’s grave.”
“But Dad, you killed my sister. You ain’t got no right swearing on her grave.”
“If you tell your Mom, I’ll kill your sorry ass, too, and throw you in the hog pen.”
“I won’t tell mom, but you’d best not swear on her grave no more.”
George raised his pistol, turned and blew his boy’s brains out.
George looked down at his son and said, “Pussy.
***
We followed the trail for two hours when we saw where the two had stopped and rested. One was still leaving a blood trail. The tracks showed that the man limping was leaving the blood trail. We kept trudging on and an hour later, we saw where they had rested again.
I said, “Guys, stop talking. They can’t be very far ahead of us due to stopping all the time.”
We walked another mile or so and Paul said, “I see them up ahead. See, they’re going around the bend in the road. Hey they stopped. Duck!”
There was a flash and a gunshot coming from the direction of the men we were following.
Ally said, “Zack, did you see that. The asshole shot his own man.”
I replied, “Yeah, that was cold. He doesn’t appear to be worried about being followed. Damn, he just walked off and left the other guy. That’s one less we’ll have to kill later.”
We stayed about a hundred yards behind the man for another mile when we saw a light up ahead. I noticed he had quickened his pace and guessed this must be his destination. He was almost running when he tripped on something and fell down. We stopped and hid in the shadows while waiting for him to get up and head on home.
He must have rested for a few minutes before getting up because he lay still in the snow, but then pulled himself up and walked the last 50 yards to the house.
“Paul, follow me and let’s make sure these are the outlaws and not just strangers that opened the door. Go to the back side and listen in while I check out the front.”
Paul said, “Roger that,” before heading over to the tree line behind the house, and work his way behind it.”
I told the others to hide in the ditch in front of the house while we checked them out.
I used a yard shed and a truck to conceal my movement towards the house and made it to within a few yards of the front porch when three men came outside to smoke.
I could hear them talking. One said, “I knew those dumb bastards should have waited for us to get here and help them. Hell theys all dead, but George.”
Hal, George is just plain old stupid. That asshole cain’t find his own ass with both hands. What the fuck was he doing leading an attack.”
“You got that shit right. It sounds like they did some damage and them folks won’t be out tonight. Let’s get some sleep today, then go over to the church campground, kill the men, and take their women.
I need a new one myself. May wants a ton of drugs for that red head. I think I’ll just go get one for myself.”
I’d heard enough and worked my way back to the group. Paul arrived a minute later and we filled everyone on what I had learned.
I spoke first and told them, “These are the assholes that attacked us. The attack was premature and these guys weren’t here in time to join in. Thank God or we might all be dead.”
Paul added, “I heard pretty much the same and I was able to look in several windows.
The blonde and red head that left us are chained to beds in the back right bedroom. There wasn’t anyone in the other bedrooms. There are a few women and no children. The women are hard cases who need to be eliminated along with the men.”
I gave them instructions, “As we planned, Lynn, you take the back, Joan take the front and kill anyone outside when I give the signal. Then kill any who try to escape after we begin the attack.
Roger, take these two grenades and pitch one in the back kitchen window when I whistle. That is the signal for Lynn and Joan to begin sniping.
I’ll throw one in the front living room at the same time. Roger wait ten seconds and we’ll throw the other grenades in to the house. Paul and Ally, be ready to follow Roger and me into the house to finish off any survivors.
We won’t take any prisoners. The two girls are in a back bedroom and should be okay.
I’ll head to the left bedroom. Ally, take the middle one after we clear the living room and kitchen. Be prepared and have your heads on swivels. These rats could pop out anywhere. Oh and by the way, thank Davi for getting us the grenades. Good luck and may God go with us this morning. Move into position.”
Everyone was in position, there were the same three men on the front porch and two men and a woman were smoking on the back porch when I whistled. Lynn and Joan took three shots each and six dirt bags lay dying as Roger and I ran up to our positions.
I started to whistle and several of the thugs flew out the front door shooting in all directions. Lynn and Joan cut them down and I whistled as I pulled the pin on the grenade. I threw the grenade into the room and ducked.
Roger’s grenade landed under the kitchen table with six of the criminals drinking whiskey and smoking pot. Mine rolled up against the couch, which had two people all snuggled up on it and four others lying drunk on the floor.
Roger’s grenade exploded first, mangled their legs, and killed four outright. Two, including May, lay on the floor screaming in pain.
My grenade exploded, killed three of the four on the floor, blew the head off the woman on top of the man on the couch but only scared the hell out of the man who was shielded by the woman’s body.
“Let’s roll,” I yelled as I entered the living room.
I entered the room, saw the blast and felt a searing pain in my chest. The man had recovered enough to shoot me in the chest with a .357 Magnum knocking me to the floor.
Ally was behind me and she shot the man three times. She then shot every one of the thugs in the head. She looked over at me, saw me clutching my chest gasping for air and ran to my side. Joan entered the room and watched for any threats.
“Zack, speak to me. Damn it, are you okay?”
I was still gasping for air and finally caught my breath as I said, “Thank God for these flak jackets.”
Roger kicked the back door down and began shooting the survivors.
May looked at her mangled legs and said to Roger, “Why kill us? We didn’t hurt you.”
“You attacked the church camp. Poke the bear and die bitch.”
He shot the pervert between the eyes.
Ally, Roger and Joan checked the other rooms and the first two were empty, as Paul had told us. They entered the last room and didn’t see any one.
Roger yelled, “Jackie, are you in here?”
A reply came out from under th
e bed, “We’re under the bed. Is it you Roger?”
“Yes, the gang is dead. You’re safe.”
Both women came out from under the bed and hugged Roger. Joan and Ally kept their distance.
“Can we come home to the camp? These people raped and abused us.”
Ally pointed her gun at the two and said, “Hell no. We tried to help you and you knocked out Lynn, stole our gear and disappeared. We should shoot you right now. No, we’re going to turn you over to the Rolling Hills police.”
“Well we’ll just wait and see what Zack has to say.”
I overheard them talking, struggled to my feet and said, “Ally, shoot them if you want, if not, we’ll take the ungrateful bitches to Bert’s brother in Rolling Hills.”
I asked Joan and Ally to keep watch while I checked on the others. Roger had some glass blow back in his face and needed some small pieces removed, Paul tripped and cut his hand when he slipped in a pool of blood and my chest hurt like a son of a bitch, but there were no serious injuries well, except for my bruise the size of a basketball. I guess I’m a delicate flower, too.
I doused the fire in the two fireplaces, shut the doors on the houses and walked out. Frozen bodies don’t stink. Someone else can worry about them later.
We took several of their trucks, all of their guns and ammo, and then drove back to the camp. We would come back in the morning to retrieve any food or other supplies we needed.
We arrived back at the camp and sat in front of the massive fireplace swapping tales about our victory and filling in the folks that stayed home to guard the camp.
Joan and Ally played doctor cleaning and bandaging everyone’s wounds. Joan checked me for broken ribs while Ally worked on Roger’s face.
“You’re damn lucky you had that flak jacket, else you’d be laying here dead. That bullet hit just below your heart.”
I replied, “I know, I’m lucky. We need to get better at this shit before someone kills us.
Davi, can you give us some more training on entering and clearing rooms. You know SWAT stuff.”