by Payne, T. L.
“I know,” said looking away.
Lugnut pulled on the horse’s reins and the log moved, clearing the path ahead. He was as anxious as she was to get there. He wanted to see that plane for himself. He wouldn’t believe it was real until he saw it with his own two eyes. If there truly was a plane waiting for her at the airport, then everything she said about the new government might be true as well. That fact would bring hope to so many. It would give folks the encouragement to keep fighting to survive.
Rank frequently looked over his shoulder as he followed Stephens, Hogan, and Collins. He’d never felt so exposed. If someone was watching from the woods, they could pick them off easily. They just didn’t have time to scout ahead very far to make sure the way was clear. They had to get to the base and get geared up for the mission. The longer they were out there, the more risk they ran of meeting up with trouble. There was too much at stake.
After two hours, they stopped at a creek to let the horses rest and give them water. Stephens was understandably reluctant to stop for long. They were close. If they’d been in a modern vehicle, they’d be there in less than thirty minutes. It was hard adjusting to slower travel. He could still remember what going eighty-miles-an-hour felt like.
“Rank and I are going to scout ahead on foot,” Lugnut said. “You good staying with them?” He pointed to Stephens and her men. Ryan nodded.
“Are you sure that’s necessary? Shouldn’t we just push on? We’re so close.” Stephens said.
“The horses are tired. We can’t take the chance. We’re not going make it there in time to head out tonight anyway. That gives us time to scout and let the horses rest,” Lugnut said.
“I don’t know. What do you think, Hogan?”
It was the first time Rank had heard her ask Hogan’s opinion on anything. Maybe she was planning to overrule Lugnut on this one. She might even be thinking that she, Hogan, and Collins could go it alone from there.
“I have to agree on this one. It’s getting more and more difficult to get my horse to move faster on these hills. If they give out, we’re screwed. Just one hour won’t destroy the mission,” Hogan said.
Collins bobbed his head in agreement. Rank hadn’t heard the man ever speak more than two words. He was scared of her. Had he been in the wrong place at the wrong time and drafted for the task when there was no one else?
Stephens shook her head and walked off toward a stand of trees.
“Where are you going?” Hogan asked.
“I have to take a piss.”
“You shouldn’t go alone,” Hogan called after her.
Stephens whipped around and pointed at him. “I don’t need you to watch me pee.”
“Come on, Rank, let them work out their lovers’ quarrel by themselves,” Lugnut said, tying his horse near the stream. “We’ll be back in a few. You might want to have Collins watch her back. She might take your head off,” Rank said as he walked past Ryan.
When Lugnut and Rank returned, Stephens was pacing and biting her nails.
“See anything concerning?” Ryan asked.
“The houses are few and far between on this stretch of road. The homes we saw looked long abandoned. We had to move some downed limbs, but the road ahead is passable. We saw no sign of people,” Rank said.
Stephens mounted her horse and snapped her fingers at Hogan and Collins, who were sitting under the shade of pine tree. “Let’s get going then.”
They rode in silence for nearly two hours, stopping periodically to clear the road or water the horses. When they were stopped, contemplating the best way around one of the washed-out bridges, Rank caught movement to his left. Someone had been watching them from the bushes lining the road. “Lug. Movement at your ten o’clock.”
Lugnut turned his horse to the right side of the road. Kudzu had all but taken over all the way to the bluff. The other side was thick with saplings and brambles. It was impossible to see if it was a lone person or an army. Lugnut slid off his horse and handed Rank the reins. He pulled his rifle around and scanned the area through its scope.
“What do you think? Should we go after them?” Ryan asked.
“You sure it was a person, Rank? Could it have been a deer?” Lugnut asked.
Rank thought for a moment. “It could have been a deer, I suppose.”
Lugnut crossed the road, rifle trained on the spot Rank had pointed out. He bent and studied the dirt on the shoulder of the road. “Might be a kid.”
“Wanna check it out to confirm?” Ryan asked, leaning forward to dismount his horse.
“Nah. We should get going. It’s getting dark.”
Rank looked up to the top of the bluff as they traversed the narrow lane. The fifty-foot long cut with its ninety-foot high walls might make a good camp for the night. “Hey, you think we could get up there?” Rank asked as he rode up beside Lugnut.
Lugnut glanced up. “I could. I’m not sure about you.” He bent his forearm to show off the muscles in his arm. It saddened Rank. Lugnut had once been such a hulk of a man. He fought the urge to look at his own biceps. He knew he wouldn’t like what he saw. The bullet he’d taken saving Jason in St. Louis had done a number on his left bicep. Besides that, he’d lost at least sixty, maybe even seventy, pounds in the last nine months. He’d began putting a few pounds back on with the increased production of the garden, but not nearly enough to bulk up a six-foot, four-inch-tall man.
“We’ll post two guards. One up top and one on the road,” Lugnut said.
“I like it,” Ryan said. “You willing to trust Hogan and Collins while you sleep?”
“I ain’t sleeping,” Lugnut said.
“Me, either.”
With the horses tied up at the base of the bluff, Hogan and Collins rolled out their bedrolls nearby.
“You should sleep, Stephens. You’ve got a long journey ahead of you,” Lugnut said.
“I won’t sleep until that gold is safely on that plane,” Stephens said.
Rank didn’t want to burst her bubble, but that gold wouldn’t be safe until it was loaded on that ship bound for Brazil, if then.
“If you aren’t going to sleep, then you take that end of the cut,” Lugnut said, pointing over his shoulder. “Ryan, I’ll wake you in four hours.”
While Stephens walked off toward her post, Rank led his horse to the west end of the cut and tied it to a branch. He took his canteen and a piece of jerky from his pack and leaned against the rock on the westbound side. If anyone rode up on horseback, he’d be able to hear the hooves on concrete long before he saw them. The rugged terrain would make a foot approach unlikely, especially in the dark. Rank could barely see ten feet in front of him in the dim moonlight.
Rank looked up to see if he could spot Lugnut from his position. He couldn’t. From his vantage point, Lugnut would be able to pick off any attackers below. It would be like shooting fish in a barrel. Rank hoped no one got that close.
His back ached as he shifted from foot to foot. He couldn’t recall ever being so distracted by the pain before. When he was younger, he’d been able to block out the pain and stay focused on the mission. But after years of physical training, fistfights, and dangerous missions, his body was nearly shot. He ran his hands over his ribs. He lifted his shirt and tightened the Ace bandage binding them. It had taken him months to be able to stand up straight. He was finally getting where he could breathe without pain. He feared he was setting himself back weeks by riding that damn horse so long. He pushed away from the image of Roger’s battered face again and focused on watching for Stephens. He spotted her pacing on the edge of the road. He imagined she was ready to get back to her cushy life down south.
To pass the time, Rank tried to imagine life returning to normal. Prior to the lights going out, the country had prospered. It could do it again. With the right leaders. Was Latham the right man for the job? Stephens seemed to think so.
Snap!
Rank pivoted and swung his rifle around in the direction of the sound. He listened a
s he strained to see into the darkness. Every cell in his body was on high alert. He pulled the rifle to his cheek and scanned the side of the road through his thermal scope. He almost laughed out loud at what he saw. He was mesmerized watching two armadillos battling it out, jumping and bumping one another. One was running around with another on its back while being chased by a third. Rank was so thoroughly engrossed in the show that he didn’t hear Hogan approach.
“What’s so funny?”
Rank swung around, pointing his rifle in Hogan’s face. “Dude. Don’t you know not to sneak up on someone?”
“Dude. Aren’t you supposed to be on watch? You should’ve seen me coming.” Hogan turned and walked back toward the horses. “You call that ‘high speed, low drag’?”
Rank wanted to punch Hogan in the face. He really disliked the man, but he was right. He should have been more aware. Beth and Ella had said his concentration would improve in time. It hadn’t. He’d had concussions before and was good as new in a few days. Maybe he wasn’t the right person for this job anymore? He wasn’t the Marine he used to be.
Despite his best efforts, Rank’s mind kept drifting back to that day, back in the warehouse in St. Louis. He should have died there, like Roger. But Maria and Lugnut had come for them. The way their relationship was now, he doubted seriously if Maria would make the same choice again. He was an asshole. He could admit that.
Lugnut’s whistle saved him from his pity party.
“Hey, riders coming up fast, approaching from the east. Wake Ryan. Tell Stephens to be ready,” Lugnut called down.
“Guys, get up. We have visitors. Ryan, take my post.” Rank called as he ran past the wagon. He was huffing pretty good by the time he reached Stephens at the other end of the cut. “You take the east side. I’ll take this one. We’ll stop them before they get into range.”
Stephens crossed the road and slid in beside a fat cedar tree. Rank hoped the riders didn’t have thermal scopes. Unless they were Nelson’s or Dempsey’s men, they likely didn’t. It was impossible to find working batteries. Nelson had stolen all the solar setups he could find, so there would be no way to recharge scopes if they had them. He was glad they still had their small solar setup to recharge their batteries.
“You think it’s Nelson’s crew?” Stephens asked.
“We’ll soon find out. If they have ammo, it’s likely them,” Rank replied.
“Sounds like someone needs to do something about that Nelson,” Stephens said.
“As long as he keeps out of Texas County, he’s not our problem,” Rank said.
“I see them,” Stephens said. “I count six. What do you see?”
“I see those six. There’s four more about fifty feet behind them.”
“Shit. I don’t like those numbers,” Stephens said.
“We have the high ground advantage,” Rank said, pointing to the bluff. He hoped Lugnut had a clear line of sight on them.
“Stephens,” Hogan called. His voice reverberated off the walls of the cut.
Rank cursed under his breath. “Hogan. Quiet!”
“We have riders coming from the west.”
“Shit!” Rank spun around and started running. “Hogan, back up Stephens. You two will have to hold this side.”
Hogan looked like he was going to shit himself.
“Got it?” Rank spat as he ran by.
He nodded and ran toward the Stephens.
“Collins, you’re with me,” Rank called as he approached.
“Me?” Collins asked.
“Yes, you. All you have to do is stand there and hold the rifle. If bullets start flying, shoot back.”
“What have you got, Ryan?” Rank asked.
“At least four riders.”
The sound of hooves stopped suddenly.
“Collins, drop down into that ditch and point your rifle to your left. If they attack, you return fire.”
Rank glanced down the road toward Stephens and Hogan as he slid into the ditch on the opposite side from Collins. He couldn’t see anyone. He pulled his rifle to his cheek and scanned the road back to the west. Soon they would know if they were just passing through or if they were pursuing the gold. No one moved in the dark these days unless they were being chased or doing the chasing.
“Two men are dismounting,” Rank called out.
They had their answer. If they had been just passing through, they would want to avoid a firefight, not head into one.
“Hold your fire, Collins. We need to conserve ammo,” Rank said.
A shot rang out above them, and someone cried out. The sound spooked the horses, causing them to squeal and start to buck. Rank hoped they didn’t break free. It would be disastrous if they took off and left them on foot.
The people approaching didn’t return fire. Maybe they were trained. They didn’t have a target and weren’t firing into the dark.
Crack!
A second later, gunfire echoed off the bluff walls. Lugnut fired back. Rank tried to see if he’d hit his target, but he couldn’t see anyone from his vantage point. Rank scanned over to the ditch where Collins was positioned with his head up, looking around.
“Keep your head down, Collins. You want to get shot?”
Long minutes passed without any more gunfire or movement, at least on his end of the road.
“Lug. Where are they?” Rank called up to Lugnut.
“It looks like they’re digging in,” Lugnut called down.
“They didn’t expect a sniper,” Rank said.
A few moments later, Lugnut fired again. Rank heard a man curse. He scanned the ditch about a hundred yards to the west. A body lay half onto the roadway. Were they going to wait and let Lugnut pick them all off one by one? What were they waiting for?
Moments later, Rank received his answer.
“More riders are approaching from the west. They’re coming up fast. Be ready. They may advance now that they have reinforcements,” Lugnut called down.
“Stephens, Hogan, you good?” Rank called to them.
“We’re good,” Stephens yelled back.
Lugnut fired multiple rounds at the approaching riders. Rank could see the figures dropping off their horses and scattering like cockroaches. He squeezed the trigger and sent bullets downrange, dropping several of them before they could reach cover. They returned fire. Incoming rounds ricocheted off the bluff’s walls, causing the horses to go ballistic.
“Collins, run back and make sure those horses don’t bolt. Stay in the ditch until you reach the bluff,” Rank yelled over the thunderous sound.
Rank sprayed rounds into the trees where the men were hiding as Collins crouched and ran toward the horses. When he stopped firing and dropped back deeper into the ditch, someone to his ten o’clock began firing. He was soon joined by another shooter about one hundred and fifty yards from Rank. Lugnut fired twice, and the shooting stopped.
Minutes went by without any enemy movement. Then shots rang out to the east. Were Stephens and Hogan shooting? It was so hard to tell with the sound echoing off the bluffs. He could make out the sound of Lugnut’s rifle above him, but not much else.
The moment reminded Rank of a mission in Afghanistan when they'd been pinned down by the Taliban. Lugnut had climbed the cliffs overlooking a village in the Ghazni Province and shot the enemy sniper. The cowards took off when the hellfire missiles began to drop.
Rank missed being able to call in airstrikes. Stephens hadn’t mentioned bombers or aircraft carriers. He recalled now that Maddie had thought she’d seen contrails some time back. Everyone had dismissed it. Not that he thought it was impossible. He knew some aircraft would have avoided the effects of the EMP, and others stationed around the world and on aircraft carriers would still be capable of flying over the United States. It was just that after this long, and they hadn’t seen any in the sky, he thought it likely they’d been neutralized by the same enemy forces who had launched the EMPs over the country in the first place.
The thunderous rep
ort of rifle fire tore up the night. It seemed they were just shooting indiscriminately to keep them pinned down. They’d be fools to rush up on them in the dark—especially with a sniper to pick them off. Rank and the others didn’t have the ammunition to engage them very long.
When there was a break in the firing, Lugnut called down, “They’re just popping shots off. Conserve ammo until they break cover.”
“Roger that,” Ryan called back.
A couple of hours passed in silence. They were waiting for daylight to attack. Rank was lost in thought about past standoffs much like this one when he heard Stephens approaching.
“We’re outgunned here. Is there a way for us to maybe climb the bluff and escape without engaging them?” Stephens asked.
“We could, but we’d have to leave the horses. It would be a long walk on foot.”
“Do we have any other choice?” Stephens asked.
Rank was just about to call up to Lugnut and tell him they were coming up when all hell broke loose. At the same time Lugnut was rapid firing, both Hogan and Ryan both opened up and were sending rounds downrange at the enemy approaching from both ends of the cut.
“Stay here. Cover me,” Rank said, dropping into the ditch.
“Wait, Rank,” Stephens called. But he kept going. He needed to flank them, catch them in the crossfire with Lugnut. Stop them from advancing any further. He was ready to end this and get to the fort.
Rank crawled fifty yards and popped up, firing at three men hiding behind a cluster of trees. Two men slumped over, but a third returned fire. Bullets whizzed by Rank. Rank fired back and the man dropped to one knee before falling on his face.
“Rank, the enemy’s down on this side. Help Hogan and Ryan,” Lugnut called.
Hogan was bleeding from a cut over his eye. Ryan was defending their position by himself. Stephens arrived at his side thirty seconds before Rank. A round slammed into the rock inches from her face. The question of whether this group had night vision was answered.
Stephens hit the pavement and crawled forward to the side of the road before dropping into the ditch and returning fire. Ryan was on the opposite side of the road. It seemed the shooters were concentrating their rounds on his position. Lugnut fired from above. The shooting stopped momentarily but then started again. This time, bullets pounded the rock wall just above Stephens’s head. There was no way for her to get a shot off.