by N. C. Reed
“You do that.”
-
“I'm afraid we are laboring for a lost cause,” Franklin George kept his voice down as he spoke to Joshua Webb. “I hope I'm wrong, mind you. I have grown fairly comfortable here. With our new circumstances, this idea was probably the best for us.”
“Agreed,” Webb nodded. “I wish things hadn't happened like they did, but if they had to happen, then I think this setup was the best answer.”
“The smoke is much heavier now than it was this morning. Have you noticed?” George asked.
“Afraid so,” Webb nodded again. “My boys are felling trees as fast as they can, and so are the rest, but I think Gordon's granddaughter might have been a little off on her calculations. This thing is coming up on us in a hurry.”
“Remember she warned us that all she could give was a rough estimate,” George reminded him. “She's still pretty close I'd say. But if we don't get some more help at least tomorrow, I don't know that we 'll be able to get this done. This is a lot of labor and we have too few able-bodied people.”
“Well, we have to keep some back for security thanks to the way people have become,” Webb replied. “I hate that we even need it but. . .need it we do, unfortunately. Still, we should be able to get a little more help in here. There are a lot of able bodies people that I don't see. I 'll speak to Clay and see if we can get at least three or four more men in here helping.”
“Good idea.”
-
“I agree with you in principle, I really do. But we only have so many bodies available that can do this,” Clay told Webb. “And we have to keep a strong watch or else we 'll have a whole other set of troubles.”
“I'm not disagreeing with that, but surely we can use some of the stronger women to patrol. All of them, well, most of them have had the basic rifle training your friend Holloway has been teaching. And if they do encounter a problem they can always call for help. Right?”
Clay didn't reply at once. Technically Josh Webb was right. There were some tough women who could handle patrolling the farm just fine, and they could call for help if they needed it. Looking at the smoke around them and the column of darker smoke he could now see reaching for the sky he had to also agree that they needed more help.
“I 'll take a look and see what we can do,” he promised. “If we can rearrange things to pull some more help, then we will.”
“That's all I'm asking,” Webb nodded. “Thanks.”
-
“I'm sorry Mister Clay, but Mister Jose left a few minutes ago,” Janice Hardy told Clay.
“What? Why?” Clay demanded, stunned at the news.
“I don't know for sure but I did hear Gordy mention something about a fire truck,” the girl told him. “He and Mister Tandi, Miss Ellen, plus Victoria, Gordy and Kade and then Mister Brick have gone to see about it. If that's what it is,” she added as an afterthought.
“Well that's just great,” Clay said, unable to come up with anything else. “I don't suppose he mentioned when he'd be back did he?” he asked.
“No, but I do know that Mister Brick said they should be back in a couple of hours,” Janice replied. “They were going to a small fire department substation just across the Interstate, toward Jordan, if I heard correctly. I'm sorry I'm not more familiar with this area, but I'm studying a map right now.”
“It's okay, Janice,” Clay almost laughed at the absurdity. “The minute Jose returns you call me, okay?”
“Of course, Mister Clay,” he could almost see the smile as she spoke. “Will there be anything else?”
“No,” Clay sighed. “Nothing else. Thank you.”
“You're welcome!”
“She is entirely too bright for a day like today,” he shook his head and revved up the tractor, getting back to work. He hoped Jose managed to get that truck, because taking so much able manpower off the farm right when they needed it most was going to hurt somewhere.
-
“Just up ahead we turn left,” Kade told Jose.
“Listen, I should have asked before, but is Ellen going to have enough room to maneuver the Beast and her trailer?” Jose thought to ask.
“Yeah, it's a pretty big lot.”
Satisfied, the former commando put the Hummer on the road, the rest of the outfit following his lead.
“How far down this road are we going, Kade?”
“Maybe two-and-a-half, three miles,” came the reply. “This is mostly pulp wood land through here. There might be two houses between here and the station. Three at the most. That's one reason this road is so rough,” he added as the Hummer jolted across a pothole. “No taxpayers or important people down here and they won't repair the road just to have log trucks tear it up again.”
“Gotta love politicians,” Jose agreed. He was traveling at a very sedate twenty miles per hour. He didn't know the road and there was no telling what they might find as they moved down-
He hit the brakes as they rounded a curve and found a large tree across the road.
“Must be from the winter,” Jose noted, looking at the tree.
“Don't think so,” Kade countered and Jose could hear him racking a round into the Ma Deuce. “That tree was cut with a saw.”
“Well, shit,” was the only thing Jose could think to say.
“Or something like that,” Kade agreed.
“Gordy, bring the saw up, there's a tree across the road we 'll have to clear.”
“Roger that. On the way.”
“We 'll cut the tree in two, maybe three places and then move just enough of it to get us through,” Jose told Kade as he got out of the Hummer. “You stay put and keep an eye out.”
“Got it boss,” Kade nodded, never taking his eyes off their surroundings.
“Vicki, keep a sharp eye out, this tree didn't fall naturally, it was cut.”
“Roger Pancho, we're on it.”
“Here we go,” Gordy arrived at a run. “I 'll saw and you guard,” he said, moving toward the tree.
“Got it,” Jose nodded his agreement. As he looked around, he wondered what else would go wrong today.
-
“I don't think we're going to make it,” Ronny said quietly as he and Clay refueled their machines from the tank in the back of Gordon's truck.
“I know,” Clay replied grimly. “I'm not sure we should have started like we did, all the way at one end. We should have started in the center of the line and spread outward from there. Looks to me like doing it that way would have at least protected the center of the ranch. You know, where our homes are,” he didn't bother to hide the sarcasm in his voice.
“Well, it's pretty well too late for that,” Ronny shrugged. “All we can do now is drive hard for the center and try to protect as much as we can. And I think the reason she had us start down here was because of all the dry brush on our side of the creek. It would be easy for the fire to jump across there and up here for that matter,” he waved toward the are they had just about cleared. “Further east there's not much but grass and fence posts. I'm not saying the fire can't jump across the creek there, I'm sure it can, but it would definitely be less likely to hurt us. We have to trust that Abby knows what she's doing.”
“For once,” Clay snorted, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice.
“You're gonna have to let that go sooner or later, Clay,” Ronny told him tonelessly. “I know you're mad and I don't blame you, but it's already done and there's no undoing it. And we're all either gonna have to work together, or go down together. I'm trying to save something for my children, and now that includes one on the way. I can't let anything stand in the way of that. If you and Lainie end up with kids then you 'll understand that better, but for now you need to at least try to keep an eye on the bigger picture. You were doing that until this happened.”
“Hard to focus on the 'bigger picture' when the man who helped me get this far bought it from a rifle I gave my niece to protect his farm with,” Clay replied quietly.
“I know,” Ronny nodded. “Can't even imagine how that felt. But at least she had the gumption to try. Most don't.”
“Don't confuse stupidity with gumption,” Clay snorted.
“Don't confuse ignorance with stupidity,” Ronny shot right back. “You didn't climb up on that tractor the first time knowing how to operate it. And I'm willing to bet none of you started out as horrifying black list commandos, either.”
“What do you know about black list?” Clay asked, shocked to hear the term from his brother-in-law.
“That's not the point,” Ronny shook his head. “The point is that you've got to get your head back in this and stop with this vendetta against Abigail. You're not just hurting her. You're hurting our chance for survival. And that's far more important that any one person's need for revenge, no matter how well deserved.” Ronny finished his fueling and handing the hose to Clay.
“You think on that,” Ronny clapped his younger brother-in-law on the shoulder. “I'm headed back to the line. Be careful.” He spoke as he climbed back onto his track, and then was gone, plowing his bulldozer toward the center of their fire line.
And leaving Clay with something new to think about.
-
“I think the Cougar can push this aside without any trouble,” Gordy said as he finished the third cut on the downed log. “And this was definitely cut and then left here,” he added. “I can almost feel someone watching me.”
“Same here,” Jose spoke as if he were talking about stopping at the grocery on the way home. “And the Beast can handle this I'm sure. I 'll pull far enough off the road that Ellen can get by me. Once she drops that push bumper down, she can handle it with no problem.”
“We 'll hang back and cover the rear then,” Gordy nodded. He took the saw and started back down the line at a fast trot.
“Tandi, I'm going to ease out of the way and let you guys go by,” he called on his radio. “You should be able to push this out of the way without any trouble or damage. Then we 'll move up and take the point again.”
“Got it,” was Tandi's brief reply. Jose heard a hydraulic whine as the massive push bumper on the front of the truck lowered to a point here it was only a foot off the ground. Jose maneuvered the Hummer off the road and let the big truck pass him.
Ellen Kargay had been driving a truck since she had turned twenty-two, though she was non-specific as to exactly when that was. Regardless of the exact time frame, she was a professional driver who could put her truck just about anywhere she wanted assuming it would fit there to start with. It surprised no one who knew her or had watched her work that the massive truck they now called The Beast eased by the Hummer and simply shoved the huge tree from the road, splitting the cut trunk to each side of the road and clearing it with no problem at all.
“Hell yeah!” Kade banged his fist on the roof of the Hummer three time as he cheered. “That's what I'm talking about, right there!”
“We're moving,” Jose was more sedate as he put the Hummer back on the road. It took him less than a minute to pass the truck by and resume their place as the point vehicle.
“We're less than two miles from the station, probably,” Jose called. “Everyone stay sharp. That tree was no accident. We may encounter the people who put it here at any time.”
“Roger that.”
“Copy.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
-
“We're definitely losing this battle,” Josh Webb said as he and Franklin George met once more to get a drink of water and assess.
“I think so too,” the carpenter said. “Hurts me to see so much fine hardwood left to burn,” he added with a sigh.
“At this rate it will all burn whether we leave it to or not,” Webb shook his head. “I wonder where that Sanders girl is and if her plow is running.” He looked at George to see him grinning.
“What's so funny?” he demanded.
“Turn around,” was the answer.
-
Clay had been following Ronny up and down the line, breaking the ground that his brother-in-law opened up. It was clear to him by now that without more help there was no way they would be able to get the fire break done in time. He silently cursed Jose for running off with so much of their manpower at a time when things were so crucial. He admitted the fire truck would be helpful if they could get it, but if they didn't, or it didn't work, then that lost time would be painful to look at over burned homes and crop land.
So engrossed was he in thinking about it that he failed to notice Ronny had stopped and was pointing until he was almost on top of his brother-in-law's bulldozer. Hurriedly slamming on the brakes, he jerked the wheel away from the huge dozer and barely missed hitting it. He looked back at Ronny about to scream at him in anger when he saw Ronny pointing down the line and smiling. Following his point, Clay saw the first good thing he had seen that day.
The reason Ronny had stopped was because Abigail was moving toward them at a rapid pace, having already cleared the lane ahead of them and plowed up a furrow of ground behind her. As she neared their position she eased to a stop on Ronny's other side and idled her machine long enough to give instructions.
“We're near the center of the line,” she yelled. “I 'll take from here back the way I came,” she pointed over her shoulder. “You guys take from here east. Have Mister Webb and Mister George start concentrating on the center, and only on the trees we can't push over. If we start running out of time, we need to concentrate here and try to save the bulk of the farm, especially the structures and the new grass. If we can get the rest we will, but we have to save our homes and buildings or else we've lost anyway. Got it?”
“Got it!” Ronny nodded vigorously. “We're on it!”
Flashing her uncles a thumbs up, Abigail expertly spun her dozer around and dropped the plow behind it, heading back west.
“Hot damn we just might make it!” Ronny yelled to Clay. “Follow me and we 'll head east from here,” he relayed. “She 'll take from here west. Tell Josh and Franklin to concentrate cutting in the center and only the trees too big for the dozers to get. And see if you can call Gordy out here to use my backhoe. He could probably help the wood crews with it!”
“Gordy's not here!” Clay called back.
“What?” Ronny looked shocked. “Where the hell is he?”
“Gone with Jose and a bunch more to try and steal a fire truck,” Clay explained. “Hope they get it.”
“So do I,” Ronny grimaced. “Have them call Jake then!” he had a thought. “Jake can handle a back hoe I'm pretty sure. If he can then he can bring it out here to help. And if we can find someone else to plow we should get the other tractor in here. Anything that speeds this up is to our advantage.”
“Maybe Robert can do it,” Clay nodded and started calling. Ronny waved to him and turned his dozer around, moving back in the direction they had come, perhaps a bit faster than was absolutely safe. He estimated they had less than half of the firebreak that Abby had wanted done. And he was convinced now that she was right to want so much cleared.
He just hoped that her fire plow made the difference.
-
“There is it,” Kade said as the small station came into view.
“Hold back a minute guys and let us take a look around,” Jose called over the radio. “Looks like there's plenty of room for you guys up here, Doc.”
“Copy that,” Tandi replied. “Holding.”
“Copy,” Gordy came in a second later. “Brick says he can come up if you need him,” he added.
“That might be a good idea,” Jose said after a few seconds of deliberation. “If he can help me clear the area then. . .the gun can cover us.” Jose realized at the last second that they hadn't created team names for any of the teens but Gordy. No sense in taking chances.
Two minutes later Brick was in the passenger seat as the Hummer pulled into the building parking lot.
“These buildings are always left unlocked in case someone needs the truck,” K
ade told him. “Finding it locked might be a bad thing, I don't know.”
“We 'll just have to see,” Jose shrugged as he and Brick got out. “I 'll sweep if you 'll cover me,” he told the big man.
“Affirmative,” was Brick's only response other than a nod. Jose gave him a double take but didn't say anything else, moving to the station door.
The door opened after a little coaxing, the frame apparently being a bit off judging by the scuff marks on the threshold. Taking his light, Jose illuminated the dark room with just his hand clearing the door, ready to pull back if he was shot at.
He wasn't.
Peeking inside, the first thing he saw was the squat shape of a medium size vehicle that was carrying quite a load. The next thing his light illuminated was a vending machine that had the front smashed out of it. Wrappers from the food that had once filled the machine lay in a pile on the floor.
Jose continued to pan his light around the interior of the building, looking for anyone lurking in the shadows or for any sign of traps. As he stepped inside he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder, pulling him back. Jose Juarez was not exactly a small man, but his body was no match for Brick's strength and the commando was literally yanked backward.
Just as a pair of large sledgehammers came swinging down from overhead, just missing Jose's head as he ducked beneath them. One of the hammers came directly at Brick, but rather than duck or sidestep he merely reached up with one hand and caught it, the head of the sledge slamming into his gloved palm with a meaty thwack.
“Jesus!” Jose looked at Brick, wide-eyed. “What the hell was that?”
“That would be a booby-trap,” Brick said calmly as he produced an automatic knife and cut the heavy rope that the hammer was hanging from. He started to toss the hammer away then thought better of it and set it down beside the door. He doubted anyone was making new ones these days and this one looked to be of good quality.
“No shit Dick Tracy,” Jose was starting to collect himself. “Where was the trigger?” he demanded, turning his light back to the doorway where the other hammer was still swinging. Brick stepped forward, caught the second hammer and cut it loose, then set it down next to the first. He knelt in the doorway and traced a thin wire that was only barely visible even in the light of Jose's powerful flashlight.