Sarah looked doubtful. There was a long silence. Catherine finally asked, “When that small group attacked us, you fired some shots after it was all over. You’ve never talked about that. What were you doing?”
Jason decided it was time to put all the cards on the table.
“I went carefully up to each person that I had shot, in case they still had their weapon and could use it. I didn’t want them to shoot me. The two that were alive, I shot…and killed. The third one was already dead.” There was silence in the kitchen.
Finally Sarah asked, “Could they have lived…if you hadn’t shot them?” Her voice was timorous and tentative.
“Probably not,” he replied. She began to look relieved, “But if they could have lived, I would probably still have shot them.” Sarah now gave Jason a concerned look, as if seeing him anew and not sure of what she was seeing.
“Sarah…everyone…these are very bad men. The ones that attacked us meant us harm. If they could have killed me they would have and then probably raped and killed all of you. I wasn’t interested in rehabilitating them or giving them another chance.” He paused to look at each girl. “The normal rules about how we behave have gone out the window. This is anarchy and barbarism. There’s no authority to stop these people. And the group coming may be worse than the last one.”
Jason continued, “I’m not trying to rationalize my behavior, but I want each of you,” he looked directly at Sarah, “to have no hesitation about shooting these savages. Do not hesitate!” She started at his intensity. “We’re not pursuing them, Sarah. If they went another way and never came here, we would be happiest. But if they come here, we’ll probably see right away that it is not an innocent visit but an attack.”
“And we need to be ready to surprise them. We do not need to be like the other farms they’ve raided and whose owners they’ve killed.” Anne added to the point.
At last Sarah responded, “Okay, I get it. Don’t think about them as people we can reason with, just targets to shoot.” Jason nodded. She got it better than he hoped, maybe better than she realized.
From that moment on, they focused their activities on battle preparation. There was no more cooking or shooting and when night came they didn’t light any of the oil lanterns. Jason hoped whoever was in the town would not notice the valley and not venture into it. Thankfully most of the work on the house was completed as they didn’t dare risk doing any more hammering. Water was gathered and stored, blankets arranged to wet down and suppress fires.
Jason went over and over how they probably would arrive—by the road this time, maybe even in pickup trucks, if they had gotten older ones running—and how the family would fight them. The battle plan was that Catherine and Anne would aim their fire at each edge of the area in front of the house. It was critical to keep the group from surrounding the house. Sarah and Jason would concentrate their firing on the center of the attack. Jason would operate from the roof position and Anne and the girls would shoot from separate positions on the second floor. Sarah would be called to help with either side if Anne or Catherine felt they needed additional firepower. Jason slipped some drainage pipe through holes in the attic floor so he could communicate with the girls from his rooftop position. He didn’t know if it would work, but they all felt better to be connected in some fashion.
Now they watched and waited. Was it a gang? Would it show up? The smoke had gone away. Maybe whoever had made it had gone as well and not noticed this valley. Jason wondered how long they would have to remain in stealth mode, before he could declare an “all clear”.
Chapter 4
Bud’s career as a sniper consisted mostly of shooting game for the gang. At times when he shot a deer he would enjoy a brief moment of popularity. Big Jacks, the leader, had run a biker gang. They were involved in drug running through the Carolinas and southern Virginia, mostly crystal meth and weed. When the power went out, they discovered that many of their bikes still ran. They were older models without electronics. With this mobility, Big Jacks immediately set out on a looting spree. He gathered fuel, guns and ammunition first, food second. Smaller gangs, some with motorcycles, some with older pickup trucks began to attach themselves to Big Jacks. To them he represented the strongest force in a time of increasing anarchy. Jacks’ brute force stood out, even amidst the lawlessness. He attracted men who disdained order and obeying rules; men who functioned outside the law and were comfortable there. They took pride in their outlaw status and now, with civic order breaking down, their lawless behavior only increased.
When things got too hot in the Charlotte area, Jacks set out on the road to find easier pickings in the smaller towns. The countryside was disorganized. State government was non-existent and federal authority had limited reach. It was left to each town, large or small, to organize themselves. Getting organized meant gathering resources and protecting them from gangs like the one Big Jacks ran. His plan was to take over a town large enough to support him and his gang although exactly how he would do that remained unclear. If his gang became large enough, he figured he could overpower local resistance and put a town under his control. The town’s resources would then be his. He could live grandly as a kingpin and add to his domain with raids on other towns. The leaders of smaller gangs that joined him shared his plan and provided assistance in keeping his growing band of outlaws in line. They would prove helpful in controlling a larger town after his conquest. Visions of power, wealth and women drove him and the gang. Loyalty was maintained by keeping the group fed and holding out the hope that they were not just on an endless cycle of raiding and starving.
Another method of creating loyalty was more personal. Each new member pledged themselves to Big Jacks. He told them that, even though they swore allegiance to him, they were free to leave. Then after a pause he would add that after they walked out of camp, they would be considered food and hunted down. That message created a strong deterrent.
Big Jacks kept his gang on the move raiding, killing, and engaging in cannibalism when hunger drove them to it. The gang was growing and looking for larger communities to raid for the food, women and any other comforts the towns could provide.
Bud was able to detail the defenses of the communities they came upon as they slowly worked their way north. He and the other snipers would shoot the guards, softening their defenses for the rest of the gang to overrun. He never quite got used to the cannibalism, but did not abstain. He rationalized his actions by telling himself that he would become suspect with the others for holding back. Engaging in this horrific practice kept the gang bound together—numbing their sense of humanity and compassion, making them more merciless.
They numbered around seventy when they arrived at Clifton Furnace. The town was a small cluster of buildings and side streets at the intersection of two county roads. One road from the south met another at a “T” junction with the other running east to west beside a river. The town had formed around an iron smelting furnace that processed the local iron ore found in the hills. Over time as more people settled there a diverse economy grew, providing goods to the surrounding farms. The town was a practical collection of businesses that had morphed into quaint, country establishments. It became one of those hidden country gems that city people flocked to. There was a general store with a wooden floor, reminiscent of a century ago. The remains of the smelting furnace were preserved and shown off to tourists.
There were few people left in Clifton Furnace when the gang arrived. A dozen residents hung on, gardening and harvesting what they could, taking comfort in each other’s company. When the people in the village saw the gang coming, many ran off in a panic, leaving their possessions behind. The few that didn’t escape were rounded up. Three women and two men were caught. After scavenging the town for its remaining food and liquor, the gang began to party. In the midst of the celebration Big Jacks grabbed one of the women and the other two were given to the gang. The men were tied up and later killed, as food ran low. When the gang grew tired of the
women, they, too, were killed and eaten.
The village provided few other resources. Some mechanical gear was found in the local garage which the gang used to service their pickups. While they were there, Big Jacks decided to send small groups out to gather what they could from local farms while the main group remained in the village. Bud told Big Jacks about a valley to the north that was very secluded and probably had some good resources.
“The valley is well hidden with only one way in as far as I could tell.”
“Why do you think it’s worth goin’ there?” Big Jacks asked.
“Well, if it’s hidden, it may not have been raided.” Whenever they came upon a farm or small town that had been raided, very little remained to be scavenged. He continued, “I was up there. We found two farms empty but the third had people in it and was well defended. I figure they had a lot of stuff to protect. I bet it’s good pickings.”
“So, just because someone ran you off, you think there’s a goldmine of stuff to raid? And that’s supposed to be worth my while to go up there?”
“There are more farms further up the valley. If they all have food, it could add up to a good haul.”
“So how many of you was there?”
“Just four of us. We were ambushed as we snuck up on the house. They knew we were coming. If you sent more men they wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“Okay, we’ll see if you’re right. But you better hope I’m not sending men out for nothing.”
The senior members of the gang assembled to decide who would go out to raid. Big Jacks relayed Bud’s story.
“Bud says there’s some farms north of here that haven’t been raided. Easy pickings he thinks. I’m going to send a couple of pickups to run through the valley and see what they can collect.”
“You need to send two? How far is it?” one of the men asked.
“It ain’t far. I’m sending two ‘cause one of the farms fought back. Bud got run off from there.”
“Bud gettin’ run off…that don’t mean much,” someone said. The others laughed.
“Maybe not, but I’m going to send the pickup with the M60 on it. Bud’s going as well.”
Everyone agreed with Big Jacks’ decision since there was evidence of armed resistance. Most farms put up little to no resistance when they arrived. The smart or lucky ones simply fled at the arrival of the gang.
The M60 was a light machine gun with a bipod support that the gang had adapted to be mounted to the roof of the cab. It created a solid platform from which to fire in a wide arc. The weapon was belt-fed and shot a powerful 7.62mm NATO round. With the gun’s rapid rate of fire, Big Jacks figured his men could quickly overcome any resistance.
He had stolen the gun from a National Guard armory. With that raid he had also acquired a .50 caliber M2 machine gun, but with limited ammunition. It was a massively lethal weapon which he planned to use in taking over a large town.
The next morning the raiding party set out for the valley. They made their way ten miles up the county road that followed a stream, then turned right over the narrow iron truss bridge onto the local road leading into the valley where Jason, Anne and the girls waited.
Chapter 5
They heard the pickups before they could see them. From the rooftop, Jason spotted two trucks. Through his binoculars he saw what looked like a machine gun mounted on the roof of the lead truck.
Oh my God! That can make splinters of our walls! The machine gun had to be taken out of action right away.
Jason assembled the family. “There are ten to twelve men in two pickups. We can defeat them. They won’t expect the firepower we can bring to bear.” Everyone listened carefully. They had their shooting positions assigned, stocked with ammunition, and everyone had water to drink. They had rehearsed the firing instructions, their clips were loaded and ready to change out quickly.
“No one shoots until I shoot. We must let them get into the yard—that’s our killing zone. If we shoot too early, they’ll spread out into the woods and be more dangerous. I’ll shoot at the truck with a gun mounted on its roof.” He didn’t mention that it was a machine gun. “When you hear me fire, start shooting at the other truck. Aim at the targets in the cab first and then in the back. Remember what I taught you about acquiring a target, shooting and, if you hit it, move on. You don’t have to shoot perfectly, just keep hitting the targets. That will take them out of the fight. And don’t all stop to reload at the same time. Someone always has to be firing from the second floor.”
Everyone looked at Jason wide eyed. “They are coming to take everything from us. To kill us. Don’t doubt that,” he said. They all nodded. There were no questions now, only the looks. Anne and Catherine appeared resolved. Sarah seemed more doubtful. Anxiety showed in her face. Jason hoped she wouldn’t lock up when the shooting started.
It wasn’t long before the two trucks turned onto the drive leading to the house. The pickup with the machine gun took the lead as they slowly drove up the long entrance road. Before reaching the relatively flat area at the front of the house, the road took a sharp turn and headed steeply uphill.
I’ll stop them after they get over the top of the rise.
As the lead pickup ascended the steep area, Jason sighted the driver through the windshield. This is it.
The truck cleared the steep part and entered the flat area of the farm yard. Jason opened fire and the house erupted with gunfire from the rest of the family. The first truck was caught at the start of the front yard area and the second on the steep part of the drive. The men in the bed of both pickups jumped out and ducked behind the trucks for cover. Jason kept firing at the lead truck while the family fired at the other. The machine gunner tried to bring the gun to bear on the house. As he swung the gun, the driver slumped over and the truck started rolling back toward the steep slope and slewed sharply to the right. The machine gun let out a ripping burst of fire into the air as the truck tipped over spilling the gunner out of the bed.
Thank God! That takes out the machine gun.
Everyone ran for cover, some towards the rock outcroppings near the front of the house, some towards the few trees in front, and some tucked down behind the trucks. The second truck had stopped on the steeper part of the slope and everyone jumped for cover. The noise was deafening. The gang was firing at the house indiscriminately as Jason had hoped. The smell of the gunpowder grew thick in the air. There was shouting as the raiders tried to coordinate their response. There were also cries from those hit by the shooting from the house. As he had predicted, the gang poured a lot of gunfire at the house without much effectiveness. Bullets were flying everywhere. Then he noticed the return fire from the house was diminishing.
“Keep shooting!” he shouted down the tube. “Don’t let them organize and charge!”
Catherine was the first to respond and she started placing her shots with great effectiveness, aware of her job to keep the attackers from fanning out. Attempts to move laterally were met with her effective fire. Anne and Sarah soon joined in. Everyone was risking their life to look up from the sandbags and shoot, but they realized that the attacker’s shots were very random and their lives depended on their ability to return fire.
The attackers homed in on Jason’s rooftop firing position and it quickly became very hot. Jason had about twelve feet that he could crawl along on the platform. It was limited movement, but it allowed him to get off some shots through notches in the platform before triggering a fusillade of return fire which forced him to just crouch and wait behind the sand bags.
The overturned truck faced the house and offered minimal cover. As the girls concentrated their fire there, it got too hot for the men crowded behind it. Three of them ran forward, trying to gain the rock outcropping in the yard. Two made it and the third was hit in the chest and fell in the open. He was not killed, but lay in a gathering pool of his blood, coming out from under his prone body as he writhed on the ground. The girls shifted their fire to the other attackers.
When Jason drew fire to the roof, Anne and the girls got off more shots. And they made them count. As the battle went on Anne and the girls became more effective. When attention turned back to them, Jason was able to increase his rate of fire. It went back and forth like that for some time. The effect was a steady volley of deadly shooting coming from the house.
The attackers could not get a good aim at exactly where the girls were firing from on the second floor. There was a continued randomness to their shots but with the volume of shots fired it was lethal to move around in the rooms. The bullets burst through the walls and scattered splinters throughout the rooms. If you stood up and didn’t get hit by a bullet you could be lacerated by splinters, some large enough to be lethal. But everyone stayed behind their sandbags and kept firing. The heat became intense inside and the smoke from the shooting thickened.
Jason could see that one of the girls, probably Catherine, was chipping away at a boulder behind which a couple of raiders were taking cover. With each well placed shot she chipped away more stone and panicked the attackers. Finally one jumped to run for a nearby tree. This drew fire from everyone in the house and the man crumpled to the ground. Some of the attackers worked their way around the second truck and made a dash for the barn. They reached some trees and rocks just short it.
Jason yelled down through the tube, “Catherine, the barn side! Don’t let them get into the barn!”
Shots started to pepper the rocks and the two trees, keeping the men pinned down. Jason turned his fire back to the center of the attack.
The shooting went on for many minutes—Jason couldn’t guess how long. There were short lulls to reload on both sides. The family had gone through many of their clips and, as admonished by Jason, they staggered their reloads so they didn’t completely lose the ability to keep up some level of firing. At times everyone could hear the raiders trying to direct each other, but no one seemed to be able to take command; just as Jason had hoped.
After the Fall (Book 1): Jason's Tale Page 15