Fighting for War

by W. C. Hoffman

  “That explains why they don’t seem to be struggling for resources,” Hannah said wryly.

  The ground sloped down and then began to level out, bringing the forest nearly level with the road. They were making better time as the trees thinned out. It also meant they had to move deeper into the forest, away from the road, to stay out of sight of the occasional vehicle or aircraft that drove or flew past them.

  “Hey look,” Frank said, pointing ahead to the road.

  A Humvee cruised by in the opposite direction that all the other vehicles had been driving. They followed the road for another hour before they could see a tall man-made structure through the gaps in the trees.

  “Time to walk, don’t you think?” Hannah asked. She was wary of stumbling across a hidden outpost.

  “Sure.” Frank slid out of his saddle like an experienced rider.

  Hannah used more effort to clamber down. She stood beside her horse and let out a heavy sigh.

  Frank pulled a rope off of the horn of his saddle. Hannah watched, confused. Frank walked to a tree and tied it around the trunk. Then he walked ten feet to another tree and tied the other end off.

  “Tie our horses here?” she asked.

  “Gives them a little room to move around.” Frank’s tone was confident, but there was also an amused twinkle in his eyes.

  When they finished tending to the horses, they began to hike. Since the trees were spaced wider apart, their movement was impeded by the undergrowth that filled the space and pulled at their clothes. At times movement was slow, like walking through water. Nevertheless, it didn’t take long to reach the tree line. The land beyond the forest had been cleared long ago. Wild grass, tall and vibrant green, filled the open ground behind a tall chain-link fence. The fence featured razor wire coiled along the top and bottom, an effective barrier.

  A huge industrial complex began a couple hundred feet away with short, rectangular buildings. Clusters of pipes snaked around, twisting and turning in a nonsensical mess. Three large metal structures rose up near towers that could only be described as a large chimney with a flame on top.

  “I guess we you were right,” Hannah said. The sight was odd and unfamiliar. “What is this place?”

  Frank gestured at the building. “An oil refinery.”

  “How can you tell?” she asked.

  Frank didn’t answer with words. He just pointed to his nose and lifted it to the air. He drew in a deep breath.

  Hannah mimicked him, taking a whiff of the harsh chemical odor of petrol that had permitted the entire area. Her nose crinkled, and she nodded.

  Another helicopter thumped by overhead coming from a slightly different direction off to their right-hand side. They watched as it slowly descended into the refinery complex and landed somewhere out of sight behind some of the low buildings.

  Frank scowled at it.

  Hannah slid the bag off her shoulders and withdrew a pair of binoculars. A few moments scanning the complex revealed a busy operation with dozens of people moving around.

  “We’ll have to skirt our way around this,” she said. “There are too many of those bastards.”

  “Let’s hope there are still people left to recruit,” Frank grumbled. “Saviors, or whatever they’re called.”

  Things were not looking good for them. A cloud of doubt began to rain on their parade. Hannah hated to think about returning empty handed.

  The sky was already starting to darken, and they needed to make camp soon. They would be stuck in the area overnight. That wouldn’t be a problem except that Hannah disliked being so close to HAGS. Then a thought tickled her fancy.

  She looked at Frank with a slight grin. “Do you think we could sabotage this place?”

  If HAGS had a supply issue, that could only be a boon to their cause.

  He cocked an eyebrow her and glanced at the massive structure before them. “Unless you have some explosives I don't know about, I doubt there’s much we can do to disrupt their operation.” Frank chuckled. “Although it would be fun to try.”

  “How can we –”

  A growling engine cut Hannah off and grabbed their attention. A Humvee tore across the grass field in front of them, veering off road and speeding toward the tree line where they hid.

  “Run!” Frank commanded, standing up.

  They turned and dashed through the forest as fast as they could. Thorns snatched at them as they zipped between trees. Branches clung to their bodies as if to imprison them. Hannah tore away from their grasp and leapt over a fallen tree.

  A machine gun opened up, spitting rounds at them like an angry camel. Shots whizzed and cracked past, hitting tree trunks and ripping branches and leaves free. The debris rained down around them. There was a brief pause followed by shouting and snap of sticks underfoot. Pursuers.

  The machine gun fired again, peppering the forest with lead and kicking up dirt.

  “Keep going!” Frank shouted.

  Hannah gulped air and pumped her arms furiously as she ran. A flash of red to her left caught her eye. It was a military cargo truck with the Republic of California logo they had seen earlier.

  “Frank,” she gasped. “Look!”

  Soldiers began pouring out of the back. Several began firing in their direction.

  The horses were only thirty yards away.

  “Come on,” Hannah muttered, willing herself to speed up. Once they were on the horses they had a better chance of escape.

  A pained neigh from Frank’s horse crushed that dream. Blood spurted from its neck as it bucked wildly. Another machine gun began to fire, taking down both horses.

  Pausing behind a large fallen tree, they both gasped for breath.

  “So much for Saviors,” Frank said. “This way.”

  He led her deeper into the forest. Hannah did her best to keep pace, but Frank moved like a deer fleeing a mountain lion.

  They sprinted uphill, weaving between trees and over logs. Shots cracked the air, slower than before, while barked commands trailed and flanked them. Their escape route took them behind a rocky outcrop that provided cover as they continued up the never ending slope.

  “What’s that?” she asked, gasping. Even above her heavy breathing she could hear something ahead of them.

  Frank’s head cocked to the side even as he ran. “Perfect,” Frank said. “Come on!”

  The hill crested and they began to run down a slope where it joined with other hills, forming a draw. The sound of crashing water perked Hannah’s ears. Soldiers crashed through the forest behind them, like bloodhounds hot on their heels.

  Trees thinned out as the ground grew rocky. A tall cliff on the far side of a ravine would be impossible to climb. The ravine was at least sixty feet across and forty feet down to a fast moving river.

  Frank stopped at the edge of the cliff, staring down into the ravine. He looked at Hannah.

  “Oh no,” she groaned. Franks idea was plain in his eyes. She looked around frantically searching for another way out.

  The ravine continued on in either direction. Without a way to cross the river, they were trapped. They could try to circle around the soldiers and likely get caught or ...

  “It’s the only way. We have to jump.” Frank approached her with his hand out. “Hurry, they’re coming.”

  Hannah looked at the river, then at his hand, and finally she looked into his eyes. Unable to speak, she simply nodded.

  “Hold on tight. We jump on three,” Frank said. They stood on the edge of the cliff. “One, two, three.”

  As they leapt, soldiers behind them began to fire. Bullets whizzed and crashed against the cliff on the other side of the ravine. Echoes of shots reverberated through the ravine as they fell. Hannah felt her gut twist as they fell and feared that a round had pierced her abdomen.

  Frantic yet unable to check herself, she clutched her stomach and braced for impact. The river was suddenly feet away.

  Oh, shit!

  She clenched her eyes and hit the frigid waters.


  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  As the lights came on, Collin blinked at the rush of bright light. It seemed Dr. Denard and General Hopper had both failed to spot him. He stood in a mixed crowd of new people behind dozens of rows of people in white uniforms, but since Colin was the only fighting age male in the new group, he worried someone might notify the leadership. He truly felt like a lion among lambs.

  A man in the crowd, a few rows in front of Julie, began shouting. He shoved his way forward forcing his fellow white suits to part or be run over. “It's all lies! Nothing but lies. Don't believe a word of it.”

  Guards, wearing familiar HAGS uniforms with a new patch, rushed toward the raving man. The crowd parted for the man and the guards who were intent on taking him down.

  “They’ve killed everyone and now they're filling your heads with this - this bullshit. It's all lies,” the man continued to rant.

  Doors Collin hadn't even noticed sprung open and more security guards marched in. The new guards separated the newcomers from the crowd of white suits that began to march out of the hall like soldiers on a parade field.

  “That’s weird,” Julie muttered.

  “Stay close,” Collin told Hunter.

  A circle of guards formed around the man who continued yelling. Collin frowned at the odd maneuver. Why didn’t they just escort him out of the room? At least they weren’t just beating him down like a prisoner.

  The only remaining white suit was the mad man. He faced the crowd where Collin and the others stood gaping at him. His eyes were wild, veins stood out on his neck, as he shouted at them not to believe the video. He jabbed his finger in the air. “You must resist! Don’t be fooled by their fake stories.”

  The people around Collin stared at him in open mouthed shock. What are they doing? Collin couldn’t believe they’d let this carry on so long. He wanted to intervene, but couldn’t risk it. Why are they letting us see this?

  “Enough,” shouted one of the guards. They backed the man up to the wall.

  A guard with slightly different markings on his uniform stepped forward. “Turn around and place your hands on the wall,” he commanded.

  “I won’t be your pawn,” the man spat back. He continued raving.

  The superior officer raised his left hand as if he was looking at his watch. He tapped it a couple of times, scrolled through a digital list, and tapped again. The man shrieked in pain cut off mid-sentence and collapsed to his knees on the floor. His hands flew up and clenched the back of his neck. His back arched violently. A ripple of gasps and shocked cries washed over the crowd.

  “Lies,” the man wailed. There was an audible pop like the snap of bubble-wrap but much louder. Blood ejected from the back of his head, some even spurted out of his mouth with a puff of smoke. He slumped forward hitting the floor with a dull thud. His hands landed a second later with two fleshy thumps. Blood gushed out of the back of his head as pure white smoke and flames rose from his mortal wound.

  Collin pushed his way forward to watch, horrified at the sight but curious how it happened. “My God,” he muttered.

  The security officers who had surrounded the man formed a wall to block their view of the victim. The guards who had separated them from the white suits now led Collin and the rest of the horrified group out of the room. The officer who killed the man turned and watched them leave. A devilish smirk creased his lips.

  Collin blinked, feeling sick to his stomach. He had to get Hunter out of there. This was no way for people to live. What the hell had killed the man? He’d caught on fire. Could it be ...? Collin blanched. He had seen those type of injuries only once before from white phosphorus, back when he served in Afghanistan.

  Julie’s smooth hand grasped his. Her worried eyes looked up at him. He nodded and looked down at Hunter. The boy, who was no stranger to death, even violent death at that, looked stunned.

  The guards continued to escort them as they walked down a hall and turned toward a pair of doors that stood open. Inside them looked like a warehouse. Metallic, dark, and cold. Collin frowned.

  This doesn’t look good.

  Once inside, the guards separated the men from the women. Julie held onto Collin and Hunter until a guard walked up and forced them apart. Collin glared at the guard knowing he could take his life and his weapon with ease. Julie made eye contact with him and shook her head. Clenching his fists, Collin heeded her suggestion.

  A large roll-up door rattled its way to the ceiling. It clanked to a halt.

  “Let’s go. Men, through the door.” The guards herded them toward the opening.

  Hunter grabbed Collin’s hand. They shuffled forward with the press of bodies. Collin glanced over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of Julie before she exited through a similar rolling door.

  Was this the last time he’d see her? He bit the inside of his cheek. Collin didn’t like feeling helpless.

  They moved into another barren room under the harsh glow of florescent lights, and the door rolled back down. Metal locks snapped into place and there was a loud buzz, like an electric lock engaging or a power main being switched. Collin scowled at the odd building, filled with seemingly pointless empty rooms.

  “What are we going to do?” Hunter whispered.

  Collin leaned down, desperately wanting to comfort his grandson but unable to find a satisfying answer. “I don’t know,” he admitted softly. “I don’t know.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Hidden within a copse of small trees about halfway up the hill from the road, Brady sat on a small stump on guard duty. The air was cool and clear with a gorgeous sky full of stars above. As much as their world had changed, he was thankful for one of the few constant things in his life – the show Montana’s big sky revealed every night.

  Somewhere in the distance frogs croaked and crickets chirped. Brady occasionally caught the movement of bats flying by, feasting on insects. Tiny and Koby slept on the ground. Brady smiled at the ridiculous size disparity between the two men. Koby snored softly, apparently comfortable with Tiny’s thick arm draped over his chest. His smile vanished in a snap when lights flickered between trees in the distance. They had a few minutes until the vehicle would come upon their improvised road block.

  Brady reached his foot out and kicked Tiny's boot before kicking the shoe on Koby's good leg. Koby tried to sit up but was blocked by Tiny’s arm. Koby scowled when he realized his friend was holding him down. He elbowed the big man, who finally yawned and sat up slowly.

  “What?” Tiny grumbled.

  “Rise and shine, cuddle bugs. Someone's coming down the road.” Brady gestured to the soft glow of the headlights which announced their position.

  Brady unslung his rifle, flicked off the safety, and held it at the ready. His friends also scrambled to get ready. In just minutes they would spring their ambush.

  The sound of the vehicle began to drown out the frogs and insects, marring the peaceful beauty of the night. Brady clenched his teeth. Their world was about to devolve into conflict again. It’d become his way of life; he barely remembered living any other way. He didn’t want that for Hunter though, so whatever it took he would fight so his son could have a better future. Someday soon the warring would be over, and they could all enjoy the beauty left in the world.

  When the truck came around the bend, Brady quickly looked down at the ground to avoid losing his night vision. The harsh light glowed off the boulder in the road casting long shadows behind it. Tires squealed, and the SUV came to an abrupt stop.

  Brady glanced up, careful not to stare into the headlights. It was a dark SUV with a strip of lights along the roof, like a police vehicle. The engine rumbled and nothing happened for a couple long minutes. Brady imagined the people inside arguing about what to do. He smirked at the thought, eager to capture the fools.

  The door opened on the passenger side, and a man emerged. They were close enough that the light reflecting off the rock lit up his skeptical face. He stared at the area around the boulders
. He stared into the darkness on either side of the road as if daring someone to attack.

  The driver-side door popped open, and a man stood up in the door. He threw an elbow over the window and the other on the roof, looking from his companion to the improvised roadblock.

  “What do you think?” the man in the truck asked.

  The one clicked on a flashlight and searched the ground. “I don't see any footprints in the dirt.” He straightened up and slowly panned his flashlight on his side of the road. Then he turned it to the other side.

  Brady and the others froze as the light swept past their position. The man didn’t notice them.

  What did catch his eye was the path leading up the hill where the boulder tumbled down. Brady saw it earlier of course, and it looked like someone took a plow to the hillside.

  “Looks like it came from up there.” The man clicked his flashlight off.

  Brady motioned for Tiny to move.

  “No shit.” The driver shook his head.

  “Let’s go. We’ll have to backtrack to the other road.”

  The driver cursed, still staring at the landslide as if he could will it to move.

  Brady looked at Koby and motioned for them to move. Koby nodded and licked his lips.

  Together they crept toward the driver. Brady held his rifle trained on the two guys. If he had to, he’d take them out, but he wanted them alive. They needed information.

  Brady heard a pained grunt just before a body hit the ground. Tiny had struck.

  “What the –”

  “Hands up!” Brady shouted, running forward. Two wide eyes stared back at him. “That’s right, bitch.”

  “Fuuuuck,” the driver drawled as he slowly raised his hands.

  Koby stood near the front corner of the truck covering Brady. Tiny was on the passenger side with his gun up. Brady grabbed the man with one hand and yanked him out. He sprawled on the ground, still holding his hands out.