“Yes, sir,” they replied instinctively.
With the jeep covered and the building secure, they moved the gear from the vehicle into a small corner of the warehouse. Smith went out on watch, and Bennet kept Dex and Johnny’s mind off reality by having them do a gear check and weapons-maintenance cycle. Evening was coming on quick, and chow was not something they had planned on providing for themselves. Luckily, the uncertainty of daily circumstances caused them to include at least a seventy-two-hour food supply in their packs at all time. Thanks to their previous stop, they also had civilian clothing. Blending in would be much easier in civvies, if they did venture out.
Bennet knew it was only a matter of time until the whole city was locked down and swept. That’s exactly what I would do, he chuckled to himself. There would be no stone left unturned until I found the fugitives. He paced the floor lost in thought. He knew the jeep was a big problem. If the Federal Forces found it near the warehouse, it would give them away completely. Either they or the jeep had to go.
“Dexter,” Bennet called. “It’s time to work.”
“Yes, sir,” Dexter replied, gnawing on some jerky.
“Find a sniper point. We have to get the jeep out of here or we have to move. Scout it!” Bennet ordered.
He had faith in Dexter’s abilities and watched as he clicked on his harness that could hold Trucker his faithful companion as an accessory. Dexter had killed the dog’s mother when his family had been attacked by her pack in Nevada. His throwing knives, which Dexter kept strapped to his other leg, had been his silent weapons of choice. He grabbed his sniper rifle and slunk out the doorway with Trucker tight on his heels.
“They’re going to kill my dad, aren’t they?’ Johnny asked as he stirred a packet of soup in a small tin cup over a candle.
“Honestly, Johnny?” Bennet asked.
“Yes, sir, honestly,” Johnny answered, looking up at Bennet.
“I’d be surprised if he’s not dead already. Something serious must have happened for the Federal Forces to have turned on the Mercenary Army. They would know it means war for sure. The Mercenary Army remained independent to provide a last check and balance to the new Federal power. It seems, Colonel Henderson is claiming total control,” Bennet explained.
“We have to get him out!” Johnny swirled his stew vigorously.
“He’s in the heart of Kansas City, Johnny. There’s no way. We have to get out of this city and go to the badlands to regroup,” Bennet explained.
“Don’t you mean North?” Johnny asked, thinking of the base in Minnesota.
“Johnny, if they have declared war on the Mercenaries, they’ve probably taken the base already,” Bennet speculated. “Everyone would have fled to the badlands to rally for the war.”
Dexter came back into the room with Trucker still stuck right behind him.
“That was fast,” Bennet remarked.
“That’s because I found a perfect place for us. Pack it up, Johnny,” Dexter told him.
Johnny slurped down his soup in a few gulps and cleaned up his makeshift kitchen. They shouldered their packs and called in Smith. They cautiously moved through the city. The lockdown sirens had sounded, and the emptiness was eerie.
Dexter led them off track a few times to avoid search teams rounding corners in the distance. They had to climb up and over walls and down and under fences, but they reached the building of choice. Dexter clicked Trucker into his harness. The dog, suspended beside his owner, went up the ladder with little delay and the group followed.
Once at the top, Dexter showed Bennet a small walkway next to the roof of a building.
“Does it lead somewhere, Dexter?” Bennet asked, trying to look around the corner.
“No, check this out,” Dexter said, elated.
He sat on a spot on the roof and the whole corner popped up, shingles and all. Then the piece slid on metal sliders that had been built in and revealed a secret room. Inside the room there was nothing. No door, no light, nothing. This secret latch was the only way in or out.
“How did you find this?” Bennet marveled.
“I wanted to get a better view, so I jumped up to climb the roof, when the whole thing popped out. It’s perfect isn’t it, sir?” Dexter boasted.
“Great job, Dex. Let’s lock it down for twelve hours. That’s a city’s normal maximum lockdown period.”
“Yes, sir,” the young men replied.
They all piled into the room and wedged wood into the panel’s sliding mechanism, so it could no longer be opened. There was no guarantee this room was not already known about or that it would keep them hidden, but it was worth a shot.
They stared into the dark, never hearing a thing besides the sound of one another breathing. One by one each of the young men fell asleep until Bennet was left alone in the dark, wondering how he would ever get these boys out of this city alive.
Chapter 15
The light was just beginning to brighten the darkness outside the window when Erika awoke. She had not slept well, despite her exhaustion from the day before. The arguments she had with Vince over leaving Daniel haunted her mind. She questioned over and over if she had done the right thing. Maybe I should have talked to Bennet, she scolded herself. He could have told me he knew about the next quake, she argued back to herself.
Then there was this woman, Cassidy. Erika could never make the choice to take the life of her father seem logical in Cassidy’s eyes. Erika couldn’t blame her. She would want blood for the life of a family member as well.
The window began to brighten slowly. They would have to leave into the unknown today, completely on their own. Now, there was no place safe left for them to go. They would be on the run forever. What did I do? Erika cursed herself. She sighed heavily in despair.
“You up already?” Vince whispered sleepily behind her.
She slowly rolled over to look at him.
“I’m so sorry,” she said with tears in her eyes.
“We both made the choice to come,” Vince reassured her.
“Yeah, but you didn’t want to break the family up. We left Daniel,” Erika worried. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I thought we could get in and out.”
“You were thinking of saving your mom, of saving Greg and Penny and Carmen. I don’t know how but we are going to make it. We’ll go to Dallas, meet back up with Star, get your mom, and go through the southwestern gate,” Vince said confidentially, trying to get Erika to smile.
“Oh, you got it all figured out, do you?” Erika teased, watching Vince’s eyes dance.
“It sounds good. Doesn’t it?” Vince replied.
“It does!” Erika answered, feeling more confident.
Badger brought them in breakfast and told Vince quietly how much he would miss his jokes. Vince and Erika ate quickly and were packed and ready to leave shortly after. Erika felt a foreboding sense of trepidation as they walked down the hallway toward the lobby. She didn’t want another confrontation with Cassidy. Luckily, only Melvin awaited them there. Erika was still enamored by his mature, muscular physique and green eyes.
“Mrs. Moore, I heard what you tried to do for those people in the hospital. It was an honorable effort. Mr. Ferguson was very impressed with you. Governor Dixon wanted me to urge you two not to go,” Melvin pleaded.
“Do I have to participate in a death match with Cassidy?” Erika wondered.
“There’s nothing I can do about that. The law is the law,” Melvin responded sadly.
“Then we have to go,” Erika replied.
“It was really great to have met you,” Vince said, holding out his hand for Melvin to shake.
“Sorry, Melvin, but it is what it is,” Erika said, holding her hand out as well, but Melvin reached down and caught her up in a big hug.
“I can have assistance for you at the southwestern gate. It’s the least I can do,” Melvin told them.
“Thanks,” they responded, heading out the door. They were ready to travel, with their w
eapons concealed deeply beneath their clothing. The would be crossing into Federal territory where they could be shot for possessing them, even if they weren’t being actively hunted.
Vince and Erika left the governor’s compound headed for the gate to Old Austin. People on the streets, busy completing chores, waved to them as they went by and whispered to one another secretly.
Erika wondered about their thoughts and chided herself for being their big “hero” who had to leave in exile. Erika was rippled with muscles and had trained relentlessly in different fighting styles. She felt confident she could dominate Cassidy in a fight, but she doubted that she could take the woman’s life. Although she had taken countless lives before it was always in defense, and Erika couldn’t imagine entering a ring where the sole purpose was the death of her opponent.
They were a couple of blocks from the gate when Kyle approached them. He had a bag full of gear on his back.
“Thank goodness I caught up to you before you left. I can’t believe you’re leaving but I understand why, so I’m going with you,” Kyle announced.
“It’s not a good idea, Kyle,” Vince replied immediately. “Out there you’ll be with Federal traitors. If they catch us, you’ll end up in the refugee system or worse.”
“Seriously, Kyle. You’re a free man here. Don’t throw that away,” Erika agreed with Vince.
“You’re right. I am a free man and I’m free to go with you,” Kyle argued.
Erika thought that Kyle was making a horrible decision. They were consumed in the argument when suddenly she was grabbed from behind and her hands were bound quickly. She watched Vince and Kyle struggling as men held some sort of a cloth over their faces. She smelled a penetrating smell, almost like gasoline or paint remover. Vince and Kyle fell into the arms of their attackers before they could even turn to face them. The street was crowded, and Erika tried to scream when she felt a gag tightly wrap through her mouth. Her weapons were found and taken. Erika followed the men dragging Vince and Kyle down the street with little protest. Even if I could free myself, how could I save Vince and Kyle as well? she wondered. They went down a back alley just off the main street. Erika watched them lock Vince and Kyle into a small shed that adorned the ally. The door was closed, and she heard a lock click on its latch. Erika stood on one side of a square that had been painted on the ground, and Cassidy stood on the other side, dressed in leather for a knife battle. Erika was released, unbound, and given a knife.
“I told you I want blood, bitch,” Cassidy declared, pacing around Erika with her knife.
“And I told you, I don’t want to fight!” Erika screamed loudly, hoping a bystander would hear.
She watched a couple of people on the street alert to the commotion in the alley. Go get help, Erika tried to physiologically tell them. Her eyes quickly refocused on Cassidy as the woman launched at her with the knife. Erika dodged but Cassidy brought the blade back and slashed it across Erika’s left tricep.
Cassidy smiled a little, knowing she had done damage. Erika’s arm stung, and she could feel blood trickling down it. Rage began to grow inside of her.
“Fine, you want a fight! You got a fight!” Erika yelled, pulling off her shirt. Standing in her black sports bra and camo pants reminded her of being in the ring with her mentor MSgt Bennet. This time was different, though. Her arm hurt. There could be no more mistakes. Erika knew she would have to kill if she wanted to survive.
Erika wheeled and deflected Cassidy’s next attack with a circular evasion block with her right hand. She turned Cassidy around with the move and cut her with the knife on her arm as Erika pushed her away. It had been a deep slash, not unlike the one Erika had just received.
Cassidy returned quickly and sloppily. Her anger was overwhelming her fighting abilities. She stabbed wildly as Erika used her footwork to evade her attacks. Slowly circling, her eyes stalking Cassidy, Erika awaited her moment to counterattack. Finally, Erika slipped past Cassidy’s lunge and reached out to slice her side, but Cassidy was ready and sliced Erika across her cheek.
Surprised by her skills, Erika and Cassidy attacked and counterattacked, glancing their knives off one another. Both women were bloody and exhausted when Cassidy gathered all her strength for a final blow. Erika lost hold of her knife and panic struck her. Oh shit, I underestimated her, Erika cursed herself as the reality of this critical mistake hit her like a ton of bricks. Cassidy lunged in for a jab through Erika’s heart, but Erika dodged and locked Cassidy’s arm, so she no longer had the strength to hold the knife.
Erika knocked her to the ground and straddled her, reading for the killing blow. Erika lifted the knife into the air, but she hesitated. She threw the knife into the opposing wall.
“I don’t want to kill you!” Erika screamed while blood dripped down her face and fell onto Cassidy’s. “I am so sorry that I took your father’s life, but nothing we do now or ever will bring him back. You are a strong woman and a good leader. You’re a proud American and the Militia is going to rely upon you.” Erika realized that there was cheering as she said these words. Looking up through bloodstained eyes, she saw a large crowd that had gathered to watch the fight.
“Here we are, fighting amongst one another when the real fight is out there! Our country weakens more and more every day and I will not take the life of someone who is fighting for freedom. For the freedom of all of you!” Erika addressed the crowd, stood up, and backed away from Cassidy. “So, Cassidy, go ahead and kill me. “
Erika picked up her knife off the ground as Cassidy rose to her feet. She held the handle out toward her. A gash on the right side of Cassidy’s head matted her hair down with blood. She was still breathing heavily as she stared at the knife in Erika’s hand.
“Go ahead,” Erika urged her, moving the knife closer to her.
Cassidy slowly took the knife out of Erika’s hand.
“Go ahead and kill me if you think that will honor the memory of your father,” Erika declared.
She waited and watched Cassidy thinking. Cassidy took the knife up into the air, spun, and threw it into the wall next to where Erika had thrown her knife. The crowd went ecstatic with celebration. Cassidy turned back, waiting for Erika to make her next move.
“Would you stand side by side with me and fight,” Erika professed, extending her hand.
The crowd was enormous now and Cassidy stared in wonder as they thundered in approval. They were ready to stand and fight with Erika. Cassidy relented and extended her hand. Erika pulled her in and the two bleeding women embraced.
“I am so sorry,” Erika whispered to her.
The crowd parted as Melvin suddenly appeared. Ignoring the condition of the two women, he stated directly, “The Northern Region is under attack from the Federal Forces.”
“What?” Erika was unsure if she had heard him right.
“The Federal Forces have invaded the Northern Region to extinguish the ‘Mercenary threat,’” he held his hands up and made quote symbols with his fingers in the air, “located there. We need you all back at the governor’s compound now, if you have this all worked out,” Melvin chuckled at them.
“Yeah, we do,” Cassidy responded.
“Where’s Vince?” Melvin wondered.
One of Cassidy’s men opened the door and Vince and Kyle emerged, holding their pounding heads and groggily taking account of the scene.
“What the fuck?” Vince yelled to the guy who opened the door.
Erika went to him. His head was down as the relentless thundering drummed in his mind.
“It’s okay, baby, I’m fine,” Erika assured him.
Curious what would be wrong with her, he looked up at the results of her confrontation with Cassidy.
“You’re fine? Look at you!” Vince’s anger was justified.
“Cassidy and I sorted everything out,” Erika assured him.
“Is she okay?” he wondered. Usually if his wife was this beat up someone else had died.
“She’s fine. I mean, she
’ll be fine. But, Vince, Melvin just told us that the Northern Region is being invaded by the Federal Forces. We have to go back to the governor’s compound and find out what the hell is going on,” Erika explained.
“What about Daniel, Erika?” Vince was outraged. “Dammit, I knew something like this was going to happen.” He held his head tighter.
“All we can do is go back and find out what’s going on and how we can contact Major Virgis. He will have gotten Daniel,” Erika comforted him, knowing there had always been an exit plan, even before they had left.
“I hope you’re right,” Vince worried.
The crowd was clearing, and Melvin was waiting impatiently for them. Vince knew they had no choice but to follow and pray that God had them right where he wanted them to be.
Chapter 16
Looking at his watch, Bennet knew the time for lockdown had passed. The city would remain on high alert until their capture, but the landowners would want to go about their business. He could hear the deep breathing of the young men accompanying him and felt there was no reason to wake them, yet. They were safe and that was enough for now.
Bennet wondered about the Mercenary training base in the northwestern side of the city. The base was erected by the private defense contractors to train the citizens of Dallas after the quake. He knew, however, that the Federal Forces also had a large base located at Fort Worth.
He wasn’t sure how Dallas was handling this declaration of war. It was obvious from yesterday that the Federal Forces were still the main presence in the city and in control of the walls. Looking at the glow from his watch, he checked the time again. There was a shuffling sound as one of the men came toward him.
“Good…whatever time it is, sir,” Dexter teased.
“Good afternoon, Dex,” Bennet replied.
“We sure are in a pickle now, aren’t we, sir?”
“Dex, there used to be a Mercenary base in the northwest corner of the city. Grab some chow and Johnny and go scout it,” Bennet ordered.
“Yes, sir,” Dexter replied calmly.
Dexter went back to his pack and lit his candle. He poured some dehydrated vegetables and meat powder out of a package and added water. It would make a nutritious broth and although Dexter had hated it at first, he didn’t mind it so much now. It fueled him up and he could carry a lot of it without taking up too much space in his pack.
The Changing Earth Series (Book 4): Battle for the South Page 8