by Davis, James
“Thanks man, be careful!” Hank replied. Bear pulled out the almost empty mag and dropped it in a pouch hanging from his belt. He yanked a fresh one from his vest and shoved it in his rifle. He took a deep breath and smacked the bolt release on the side of the rifle and watched as it slammed a round into the tube. Bear stood up behind his tree and peeked around the edge before darting forward to the next tree. Bullets began to fly over his head as he ran. Bear dropped to a knee and fired back, chewing up tree trunks all around the remaining two soldiers. He took cover and watched on either side as Clay and Hank moved forward from tree to tree in sync with one another. They moved with practiced ease and covered the yards to the blue hats in record time. Just as they got close enough to fire on them, Bear leaned out and laid down a barrage of bullets causing the blue hats to shrink to the ground. This gave Clay and Hank an opportunity to move in closer for the kill.
Clay started to move in first but one of the blue hats raised his head just enough to spot Clay’s advance. The man opened fire and Clay dove back behind the tree he had just been hiding behind moments before.
“Clay!” Hank shouted as he stood and fired on the two men without prejudice. He unloaded an entire magazine at the men hitting only their legs and feet. Pained screams escaped their lips as the bullets tore through their flesh. The one man that was firing at Clay tried to crawl away, but his mangled legs shot daggers of pain through him leaving him completely immobile.
As the two soldiers realized they weren't going anywhere they turned and fired from their spot on the ground. They sent a steady barrage of bullets toward Hank, who quickly ducked back behind a tree. The soldiers alternated fire in an attempt to keep the brothers pinned down and preserve their lives for as long as possible.
Bear peeked out from the woods. Seeing the two wounded soldiers firing upon his companions. He stepped out and sprinted towards the men. As they came into sight, he raised his rifle and squeezed the trigger, quickly taking out one soldier as three shots tore through his face. The man's body went limp and his rifle fell to the ground. A few clicks of his rifle signaled that his magazine was empty. The second soldier turned to see Bear reaching for a new magazine. Bear saw the man raising his rifle toward him, he dropped his own rifle, letting it hang in front of his body. He grabbed a hatchet from the sheath on his belt and raised it above his head in one swift motion, released it and sent it hurtling toward the prone soldier. The hatchet struck the man in the neck, nearly beheading him. Blood sprayed into the air like a geyser as the man dropped his rifle and slumped onto his back, dead.
"All clear." He yelled, waving his hand in the air towards Hank and Clay.
The brothers stepped out of the woods and joined Bear next to the two corpses.
"Good to see you again Clay," Bear said, holding out his hand. "How did you manage to get into this predicament?"
"Damn chopper spotted me." Clay said, grabbing the outstretched hand and giving it a hearty shake.
"We better get going, they'll have reinforcements on the way. I don't think they'll mind if we borrow their ride." Hank said, pointing toward a blue Jeep parked near the road.
"I'll ride ahead on the bike." Clay said, slapping Hank on the shoulder as he walked past. Hank turned to watch Clay uncover his bike and hop on.
"Don't think we aren't gonna talk about this little stunt later." he called after his brother.
"Hold please." Clay said as he started the bike and revved the engine several times. He slipped on his helmet and seconds later, he was maneuvering onto the road.
Hank and Bear climbed in the Jeep and took off after Clay. They sped down the open road for over an hour before Clay slowed to ride along side of the Jeep. He motioned for Hank to roll his window down.
“Need to find somewhere to get fuel before too long. I don’t think I have enough to make it back home.” Clay shouted over the chilling rush of wind.
Hank nodded, "Following you." he hollered out the open window.
Clay returned the nod, flipped his helmet visor closed and sped off. Hank rolled his window up and pressed the gas, following Clay as he turned into a neighborhood full of small homes. He pulled his bike to a stop in front of a small white house with a detached garage that looked to be empty. All of the houses looked abandoned as Clay hopped off of his bike and quickly hung his helmet on the handlebar before walking toward the garage. He reached down and grabbed the bottom of the garage door and lifted hard, the door didn't budge.
"Shit" he cursed, straightening up and looking around. He turned, walking to the side of the garage. He approached a back door leading in. Grabbing the handle, he gave it a quick turn, again the door didn't budge. Shaking his head, he stepped back, raised his foot and slammed it into the door. It burst open, sending splinters of the doorframe flying, and the door swung inward.
He stepped inside, peering around, the room only dimly lit by light shining through the now open door. Shelves lined the walls, covered in tools, pesticides, gardening equipment, and various items one would expect to find in a garage. On the ground next to three children's bicycles, he found what he was looking for. A large red gas can sat on the floor, covered in a thin layer of dust.
He reached down and grabbed the can, picking it up and shaking it. Clay could hear the liquid sloshing around inside. He lifted it to his nose, giving it a quick sniff. The distinct smell of gas filled his nostrils. He gave his head a quick shake, attempting to clear the smell of gas from his nose. Luckily regular gasoline didn’t trigger flashbacks of his prior deployments like the scent of diesel did. Clay lowered the can to his side and spun around to leave.
He froze in place as he was met with three figures standing just inside the doorway. Two of the men had pistols pointed directly at Clay.
"Go ahead and drop the can." The man instructed. The man in front of Clay stood at least a foot taller than him. He wore jeans, and a sleeveless black t shirt, covered with a black leather vest that had small patches that said President and one percent along with a few others. His arms were covered in tattoos and his beard was long and unkempt.
Clay placed the gas can on the floor beside him and straightened up. "What do you want?" he asked with an arched eyebrow.
The man chuckled, "It Seems you've broken and entered into my house, and stolen my property. The question is, what do you want?" he replied.
"I just need the gas for my bike, I didn't know anyone was here." Clay said.
The man nodded. "The Dyna out front, that yours? It's a nice bike." he said, "They call me Monster, can't imagine why." He grinned widely.
"I don't care what they call you. Honestly, I'd rather save my bullets, so just step out of my way and I'll be out of your hair in just a second." Clay demanded.
The large man slowly shook his head and smiled "This doesn't have to get ugly. It's a lovely day and you happen to have found me in a good mood. I'm gonna let you leave, but…" he said, trailing off.
"About the bike, like I said, it's a nice bike and I'm something of a connoisseur. So, just toss me the keys and you can walk right out of he-"
His words were interrupted as Bear stepped into the room, grabbing his associate by the face and jamming his knife against his throat. Hank followed quickly behind him, rifle aimed toward Monster, and the third man.
"Drop the pistol." Hank ordered
The man released the pistol, letting it fall to the ground.
"You good?" Hank asked, glancing at Clay.
Clay nodded. "About time you guys showed up." he said.
"Let's go." Hank replied "Grab the can."
Clay reached down, grabbing the gas can by its handle and walking toward the door. Bear stepped aside, allowing him to pass. He lifted his middle finger toward Monster, as he strolled past.
Hank collected the two pistols and slowly backed out of the garage following Clay, his rifle still trained on the two men. Bear followed him, still dragging the man, knife pressed firmly against his throat.
As Bear exited the garage, h
e gave the man a quick shove, sending him tumbling to the floor. He slid the knife into its sheath and raised his own rifle, as he and Hank backed away from the garage and toward the Jeep parked at the end of the driveway.
Clay held his thumb up as he finished pouring the gas into his bike and tossed the can into the front yard as he waited for Hank and Bear to enter the Jeep. Hank gave a quick honk of the horn and Clay took off in a flash. Hank watched the rearview mirror closely as he pressed the gas. The Jeep jumped forward and the men followed Clay as he made a U-turn and headed back to the highway.
Monster watched them as they sped off and then turned back to one of the men with him.
“Hey Mac, I want you to follow those bastards! No one disrespects the Satans Sons and gets away with it. When you find out where they’re going come back and get us.”
Chapter Nine
Clay pulled the bike to a stop outside of the airport they had been taken from and looked around. It looked like a bomb had been dropped on the place.
He remembered looking down at his screaming daughter as the chopper lifted off and carried them away to Camp Alvis. He cringed at the thought. Hank climbed out of the Jeep and stepped up next to Clay
“Reliving bad memories?” Hank said gazing at the burnt-out husk as it shimmered in the early morning sunlight.
“Yeah, pretty much. That and wondering what the hell happened here after we left.” Clay replied.
“Whatever happened, happened after everyone else was gone.” Hank said, pointing out the fact that there weren’t any charred bodies lying around. Clay nodded in agreement and turned to head back to his bike.
“C’mon, let’s get back to the farm.” Hank turned to head back to the Jeep and then stopped in his tracks as a convoy of M35’s passed hauling truckloads of men that were covered in black soot.
“What the f…” Hank started, but was cut off by Clay.
“Get down!” Hank quickly dropped down behind the Jeep and sat there until the convoy passed. Clay stepped over just as Bear climbed out of the Jeep.
“Looks like they are heading back to the farm.” Clay said with wide eyes.
“Come on, we need to get back there and see what the hell is going on.” Hank said as he climbed into the Jeep. Clay got on his bike and hit the ignition. The bike roared to life and seconds later they were all flying down the road toward the farm.
Ten minutes later they were parked in a field down the road from Dub’s and moving in on foot. When they got to the edge of Dub’s property line, Clay and Hank’s jaws dropped. The entire property was surrounded by an eight-foot-tall chain link fence. Inside were people moving around the house, going in and out of the bunker and tending to a massive garden while armed soldiers watched everything they did. Guard towers had been erected in all four corners of the property, and off to the side of the house was a small city of tents and makeshift shelters.
“We have to go in! If Karen and the kids are in there, we have to get them out!” Hank said. Clay nodded his head in agreement as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. The thought of Emma being mistreated inside this place made his blood boil.
“Alright guys, before you two start to freak out and do something stupid let’s go find a place to lay low and come up with a plan.” Bear said trying to calm the two brothers down. Clay and Hank watched him walk away and then stared at one another before turning and following Bear back to the Jeep.
The trio found an old farmhouse a few miles away from Dub’s and parked their vehicles in the back so they couldn’t be seen from the road. The house was old, from the early sixties Hank guessed. The paint on the walls peeled away revealing several old coats of different colored paint. The living room had a mix of old furniture, dusty bookshelves and no television. As they walked across the room, they noticed the floor would sink a half an inch with each step.
“This place is a shithole!” Clay said as they made their way to one of the bedrooms and found it completely full of old trash. The smell coming from the room was awful, causing all three men to revolt.
“Man, that smell would knock a buzzard off a shit wagon!” Clay said with a grimace. Loud squeaking sounded from inside the room letting them know the place had a rat problem.
“Maybe we should find someplace that isn’t full of rats!” Bear said, his face taut with panic. He backed up a few steps away from the room and damn near jumped out of his skin as he stepped on one of the rats. The vermin squealed and took off down the hall toward the back of the house. When Bear’s feet hit the ground, he took off running toward the door, his knees hitting his chest with each long stride.
“I fucking hate rats!” he shouted as he smashed through the front door like he was the Kool-Aid man. Clay and Hank watched all of this with raised eyebrows and erupted into gut splitting laughter.
“You run like Joe Dirt!” Clay shouted down the hall, his hands cupped around his mouth.
“Kiss my hairy ass!” Bear shouted back. This got them laughing hysterically again.
“Oh man, I haven’t laughed like that in a long time!” Hank said in between chuckles. Clay was bent over with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath.
“Me either!” When they finally got their laughter under control they headed for the smashed front door.
“Guess we better find a ratless house to hole up in.” Hank said as Clay chuckled.
“Yeah, I seriously doubt we can get Bear to go back inside here.” As they stepped out of the house, they looked around the backyard for Bear and spotted him standing several hundred feet away from the house with his arms crossed over his broad chest.
“What are you doing all the way out there?” Hank shouted, trying his best not to start laughing again. Bear gave him a one fingered response and shouted back.
“Drive over here and get me! I’m not going near that damn rat’s nest again!” Clay shook his head and chuckled.
“Big tough Indian my ass!” Hank laughed.
“Exactly what I was thinking.” He climbed in the Jeep and drove down to get Bear. Clay watched him climb in next to his brother as he fired up his bike, following them toward the end of the driveway. A few minutes later they were walking through the door of another home. At first glance, the place seemed to be ten times better than the last place. They went through clearing each room, finding it to be rat and trash free.
After getting the sleeping arrangements figured out, they all met back in the living room to talk about how to go about saving Karen and the kids, and helping people escape the prison camp that was once Dub’s family home.
“It’s pretty obvious that we don’t have the manpower to move in and force them out.” Hank said, looking from Clay to Bear. They both nodded and waited for Hank to continue.
“We also don’t have time to go round up enough people to get it done either.” Hank opened his pack and pulled out three MRE’s, handing one to Clay and Bear, before opening his own.
“I think we should wait until they all go to sleep, then sneak in and take out all the guards.” Bear said, taking a large bite of his chicken alfredo. Clay chuckled.
“Easy there Rambo, we wouldn’t want you to see a damn mouse and abandon us right in the middle of it all.” Bear flipped him the bird and continued eating.
“Look, we can’t sneak in there like that. It’s too risky. We need to go in there willingly and take them out from the inside in a coordinated attack. If those are our people, they will help us.” Clay said, scraping the last bits of his chili mac into his mouth. Bear nodded and pointed at Clay.
“That’s a good idea, but we need to smuggle in some kind of weapons, or better yet toss them over the fence before we go in.” he said with a mouthful of alfredo. Hank listened to the two brainstormed for a few minutes and then held a hand up to stop them. He popped the last bite of cookie into his mouth and said.
“Clay, you and I will go in so we can watch over the family and Bear you stay out here and round up as many people and weapons as you can. The
re were a lot of good people around here before we got taken away. Surely some of them got away before those assholes showed up.” Bear stuffed all of his trash inside the large green sleeve from his MRE and stood to go find a trash can. When he came back, he had a few bottles of water that he had found in the kitchen and handed one to each man before sitting back down.
“Alright, I’ll handle the weapons and people, but how will I know when it’s time to come in?” Bear asked as he opened his water and took a drink. Clay took a sip of his own water and sloshed it around in his mouth before swallowing it to get the greasy chili taste out.
“We’ll find a blind spot along the fence somewhere and leave an old coffee can or something where we can leave notes inside it. Bear can come to the fence once a week at dark and meet with us if it’s safe enough. If we don’t get there by a certain time then he just leaves a note in the can and tries again next week. Easy.” Clay stated, holding up his palms. The three men all agreed on the plan and stepped back outside to set up a guard for the night. They would rotate out every four hours.
“I’ll take first watch.” Bear said as they watched the sun sink past the horizon. Bear walked down the driveway to the road and stopped to look around. The cloudy night made it extremely difficult for him to see much of anything so he closed his eyes to listen for any signs of engines or noise headed in his direction. He stood there for a while just listening as the cool wind ran over his face and through his long black hair. As he stood there with his eyes closed, he felt something rub against his leg and immediately he thought it was a rat. His heart leapt into his throat as his eyes flew open and he nearly took off in a dead sprint until he looked down to see a skinny yellow cat circling between his legs.
“You scared the hell out of me!” Bear said in an angry tone. The cat looked up at him and tried to meow but nothing came out. He knelt down, grabbed the cat and started scratching behind the cat’s ears as he looked it over. Not seeing anything wrong with the cat besides it not getting enough to eat he took it up to the house.