The Days of Elijah, Book Two: Wormwood: A Novel of the Great Tribulation in America

by Mark Goodwin

  Four more peacekeepers came around the side of the vehicle and opened fire on Everett’s team.

  Everett pushed Courtney back around the corner, then popped out to return a volley of fire.

  Gunfire broke out from inside the fence. Everett looked around again to look for a target. Kevin and several of his men were inside the fence, shooting it out with the peacekeepers at close range. “Hold your fire! Kevin and his team are all mixed in with the GR!”

  “We’ve got trouble over here!” Bennett was firing at the opposite corner of the building.

  Sarah tapped Everett. “You and Courtney get over there and back up Bennett and Silas. I’ll stay here and look for a shot to help Kevin!”

  “Roger that.” Everett backed off his corner and quickly hustled to the other end of the building.

  Elijah’s voice came back over the radio. “Down to six, but they’re trying to double flank you from both sides of building I. We’ll try to hold them off, but a running man is a tough shot from here.”

  “Courtney, you and Silas hold this corner. Bennett, come with me. We’ll cut across to the other side of the building and try to pin them down from the back.

  “I’ll follow your lead,” Bennett replied.

  The two of them fired as they hurried to the corner of the next building. Everett went to one knee and peered around the corner to see three men heading in their direction. “You shoot high; I’ll shoot low.” Everett opened fire on the line of men.

  Bennett stood over Everett and leaned around the corner to shoot. The hot brass from Bennett’s rifle rained down on Everett’s head and back. One of the GR guards fell, and the other two retreated.

  “Stay here. Hold them down. I’m going to go work the other corner.” Everett patted Bennett on the back as he walked away.

  Everett moved his palm from side to side to signal for Courtney to cease fire. He peeked around the corner and laid down a stream of bullets. He waved for Courtney and Silas to come to his position.

  “What’s up?” Courtney asked.

  “I’m going to run up the side of the building and try to push them to the other side so the snipers in the tower can take them. I’ll tuck low while I run. You’ll have to shoot suppressive fire over my head.”

  “Everett! That’s suicide!” She protested.

  “Sitting here and waiting for them to fix us is suicide.” He fired several more rounds, changed his magazine, ducked down, and began scurrying toward the back of the building. A peacekeeper stuck his head out and opened fire at Everett. He dropped to the ground and returned fire. Courtney’s rifle was clicking off rounds from behind him. The peacekeeper fell limp. Everett continued his assault from a low crawl position, hoping Courtney would be able to eliminate any threat that might appear from around the corner. “Down to four.” Everett kept count of the hostiles on the other side of the wall. He was a mere five feet from the corner when the next guard came around. Everett quickly positioned his rifle to return fire, but the man was already shot by either Courtney or Silas. Everett finally reached the end of the wall. He knew it would be his last act among the living if he were to stick his head around that corner. Instead, he changed magazines and dropped the barrel of his rifle to the other side and began firing blindly with only his AR-15 and his wrist exposed to the enemy. He didn’t have to hit anything; he needed only to push them to the opposite side of the building so Bennett and the snipers in the tower could get a clear shot.

  He pulled the trigger repetitively, holding the stock of the AR-15 with his left hand to keep it steady. Gunfire rang out from all around him. Everett paused to motion for Courtney and Silas to come to his position then continued firing.

  Sarah’s voice came over the radio. “We’re taking heavy casualties. If anyone can get over to the parking lot, we could sure use your help.”

  “We’ll be there when we can, but we’ve got our own situation we have to deal with first.” Courtney arrived at Everett’s position.

  The radio transmitted Tommy’s voice. “I’m coming to you. Hold your horses.”

  Everett pulled the trigger once more and nothing happened. “Courtney, switch rifles with me. Fast!”

  Courtney handed him her rifle and took his as he passed it to her. Silas took aim at the corner of the building in case one of the peacekeepers tried to seize upon the opportunity granted by Everett’s magazine being empty.

  Everett quickly positioned Courtney’s rifle and resumed firing.

  Stewart called out over the radio from the tower. “Three guys came out from behind that wall where you guys are working. We took them all but one. He’s over behind building H.”

  “Roger,” Silas replied.

  Everett changed magazines and looked up at Silas. “Call Bennett and have him join up with us. Courtney, how many magazines do you have?”

  “Two.”

  Everett checked his vest. “I’m down to three. Silas, how are you set?”

  Silas shook his head. “Two.”

  “That’s not good. We can’t run into another firefight with less than a hundred rounds each.” Everett said.

  Courtney peered around the corner. “What are these guys running?”

  Everett peeked at the corpses of the GR troops on the other side of the wall. “Looks like an AK variant. We might have to take a couple of those rifles if they have lots of ammo.”

  Bennett met up with them. “You guys okay?”

  “Yeah, but we have to get right back in the fight. You and Silas keep watch. Courtney and I will see what we can scavenge off of these guys in the way of weapons.” Everett walked to the first corpse and picked up his rifle. “Vektor R4.” He pulled the magazine out. “This is 5.56 ammo!”

  Courtney pulled a magazine out of the deceased peacekeeper’s vest. “These aren’t compatible with our ARs. We’ll have to strip the ammo out of the mags.”

  “Let’s do it fast. You start pulling rounds out of their mags, Silas, you reload our magazines, I’ll collect ammo from the dead and Bennett, you keep watch. If you think you see anything, yell threat. We’ll all stop what we’re doing and get ready to fight until we confirm it’s safe to resume.”

  Everett quickly hopped from body to body, collecting ammunition from their rifles. Once his task was complete, he assisted Silas with reloading as Courtney was stripping the mags faster than he could load.

  “That’s it. All our mags are full. I even topped off the one in my rifle.” Silas tucked his mags in the pouch on his belt.

  “Good. We’ve still got another eight full mags from the Vektors. Let’s strip them out into my assault pack.” Everett took his pack off and unzipped the small front pocket.

  Once they completed that task, Courtney asked, “Do we go help Sarah or look for this guy in building H?”

  Everett exhaled deeply as he considered their next course of action. “I hate to have that guy behind us, but it could be a wild goose chase. Let’s see what we can do to help over by the parking lot.” Everett pressed the talk button on his radio. “We’re coming your way, Sarah.”

  Seconds later, she replied, “Come around back, we’re getting ate up on this side!”

  Everett could barely hear her over the constant barrage of gunfire. “Roger that.”

  Tommy’s voice came over the radio. “Everett, if you want to get in position and hang out at the corner, you might have a better opportunity to move in a few minutes.”

  “No. We need help, and we need it now!” Sarah’s voice was frantic.

  Tommy came back. “Don’t you fret little lady. They’re fixin’ to have more to worry about than you.”

  Everett motioned for the team to follow him up the side of the dormitory and back across the courtyard so they could slip around Henkel Hall to be ready for the event Tommy alluded to. Once in position, he looked back toward his team. “I don’t know what is getting ready to happen, but I have a feeling that when it goes down, we’ll know.”

  Everett heard a vehicle racing up Wade Miller D
rive, toward the back of the GR compound. He stared anxiously toward the corner of the Life Sciences Building, waiting to see the source of the commotion. “Lloyd!” He exclaimed with excitement. Everett pointed toward the old white van barreling toward the perimeter fence.

  The van crashed through the fence and immediately drew heavy fire. A group of around twenty men immediately emerged from hiding in ashes of the burned-down hotel across the street.

  Everett raised his rifle as peacekeepers came from the front of the building to defend the breach. He rattled off a volley of bullets. “Tommy’s men are attacking through the opening in the fence. Let’s give them some cover fire!” Everett and Courtney ducked low and ran to the nearest scorched shell of a car. Everett tried to be more selective about pulling the trigger. He recalled how near they’d come to running out of ammo. He took aim at the corner of Gore Hall, where more GR troops were pouring in. Pop! Pop! Pop! He dropped two of them. As the peacekeepers arrived in the back parking lot, they were focusing on the van and Tommy’s men who were rushing the fence. This provided Everett and his team a perfect opportunity to snipe off GR troops with little threat of being shot.

  Everett continued to pick off hostiles as the occasion arose. “Call Sarah on the radio. See how she’s doing.”

  Courtney keyed the mic. “Sarah, is it letting up on your side?”

  “Yeah, that was a big help. We’ve got some wounded. I’m going to see what I can do to assist them. You guys keep doing what you’re doing.”

  “Roger that.” Courtney raised her rifle and resumed shooting.

  One of Tommy’s men called over the radio. “GR goons are retreating inside.”

  Tommy’s voice replied, “Then let’s get some Molotovs through the windows and start smoking them out. Everett, bring your team up to the van if you can.”

  Everett motioned for Bennett and Silas to follow him and Courtney. “We’re on our way.”

  Everett weaved between the ruins of the burnt cars for cover so peacekeepers wouldn’t have an easy shot from any of the windows overlooking the parking lot. He stepped across the chain-link fence which had been mowed down by Lloyd’s van.

  Tommy stood by the opened rear doors of the vehicle. “Here’s some bricks. Bust out the window first then light a couple of these and lob them through.”

  Everett took three bricks. Courtney, Silas, and Bennett each took two glass bottles with bits of torn fabric hanging out the top for wicks.

  “What’s in the bottles?” Everett examined the substance inside.

  “Napalm. We mixed gas and Styrofoam. It makes it stickier, so whatever it splashes on is going to burn longer. And for our purposes, it’ll smoke like the dickens. We’ll have them weasels smoked out of their den in no time.” Tommy handed more bricks and bottles to the men behind Everett’s team.

  “We’ll put them to good use.” Courtney smiled as if someone had just given her a basket of eggs or a handful of ripe tomatoes.

  Everett admired her for her ability to stay upbeat and pleasant in the direst of circumstances. He couldn’t resist giving her a quick peck on the cheek, after which, he got right back to the task at hand. He called the sniper team. “Preacher, can you guys watch the windows looking over the back parking lot for the next few minutes? We’re going to have to get close.”

  Stewart replied to the request. “We’ve got your back. Proceed when ready.”

  Everett identified the window he wanted to break out then sprinted straight for the building. Crash! The glass shattered and rained down on the ground below. Everett quickly retreated to the van.

  “I’ll go first.” Bennett held the wicks of his two bottles while Silas lit them with his lighter. Bennett looked around the corner of the van then darted toward the broken window. He lobbed one bottle through then passed the second to his right hand and sent it through straight away. The flames flashed from inside. Bennett hustled back toward the van.

  Pop! Pop! Pop! Crack! Crack! Pow! Everett pulled Courtney back from the edge of the van and down to the ground. Gunfire erupted from the roof of the Life Sciences Building where Elijah and the other snipers were, but it also came from the Global Republic compound. Shots flew back and forth from both directions for over a minute. Finally, they ceased.

  Elijah’s voice came over the radio. “Threat eliminated.”

  Everett looked at Courtney. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, are you?”

  He nodded as he looked around for Bennett. He didn’t see him. Everett peeked past the van door. “Bennett!” Everett ran to the man who lay in a growing pool of blood. He bent down to check his pulse.

  More gunfire rang out from the compound. A bullet struck inches away from Everett’s foot. Everett winced as he screamed out, “I need cover!” He put one hand under each of Bennett’s armpits and began dragging him back to the safety of the van.

  Courtney and Silas blasted rounds toward the window where the shooter had emerged.

  Sweat poured off of Everett’s head as he pulled the injured man to the vehicle. He let him down on the ground gently then sat on the bumper for a moment to catch his breath.

  “Does he still have a pulse?” Courtney opened Bennett’s shirt to locate the entry wound.

  “He did. It was weak, but he was alive.” Everett panted heavily.

  Lloyd passed a mason jar to Courtney. “You can clean him up with this.”

  Courtney retrieved a bandana from her back pocket and soaked it with the strong smelling liquid from the jar. “Whiskey?”

  “Shine,” Lloyd replied. “It’ll keep him from gettin’ infected.”

  She wiped Bennett’s torso, revealing a bullet hole in his abdomen and another in his chest.

  Everett watched as the stream of blood grew faint. He took a deep breath and said a silent prayer for his fallen brother in arms.

  Courtney put her fingers on Bennett’s jugular vein. She looked up at Silas. “He’s gone. I’m sorry.”

  Silas held out his hand toward Everett. “Give me one of them bricks.”

  Everett handed it to him.

  Silas lit two bottles and ran toward the building screaming out in rage and agony. He launched the brick and tossed in the bottles in quick succession. Once again the room exploded into flames.

  Everett stood with his rifle leveled, scanning from window to window, ready to eliminate any peacekeeper who might try to shoot at Silas.

  Silas returned for another brick and two more bottles. His eyes were filled with grief and vengeance. He returned to the building, breaking yet another window and igniting the room inside into a roaring inferno. As he sprinted back toward the van, a shooter appeared in the third-floor window.

  Everett discharged a torrent of gunfire. He watched as the bloody peacekeeper dropped his weapon and slumped forward against the broken pane of the window. Everett looked down, to see Silas lying dead on the pavement. A mixture of blood and brain seeped from the gaping hole in his forehead.

  Tommy groaned and shook his head. “Not Silas!”

  Lloyd stared at the man’s lifeless body. “He was a good man. Finest there ever was.”

  Everett put his hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “We need to get around to the front parking lot. I’ve got to check on Sarah and Kevin.”

  The big man turned his attention to Everett. “We’ll give you a ride. I’ve got another half-dozen Molotov cocktails back here. I’d like to get them in the front window. Make sure this place has plenty of smoke.”

  Tommy turned to the men behind him. “Y’all take cover and watch the back. Kill any of ‘em you see tryin’ to escape the smoke.”

  Everett helped Courtney into the back of the van as Lloyd took the wheel and Tommy got in the front passenger’s seat.

  Preacher’s voice came over the radio. “It looks like the smoke is working. They’re coming out onto the roof.”

  Everett keyed the mic. “Take any shot you get.”

  Gunfire rang out from the roof of the Life Sciences Building. Return fire c
ould be heard from atop the dorm serving as the GR compound.

  Suddenly, bullets peppered the top of the van.

  “They’re shootin’ at us!” Lloyd exclaimed.

  “Just keep moving!” Everett covered Courtney with his arms and torso as he saw light streaming in through the bullet holes in the roof of the vehicle.

  “I reckon when you smoke a hornet’s nest, you expect them to come out stingin’.” Tommy held on to the dashboard with one hand as Lloyd swung the van around the curve.

  The box containing the bottles filled with Tommy’s homemade napalm tipped over as the van hit the curve of the parking lot. Everett and Courtney scrambled to collect them before they broke.

  More bullets rained down from above.

  Everett hit the door handle and kicked the door open with his foot. He lay on his back and shot back at the peacekeepers sending cover fire in their direction. The van rolled to a stop. Everett grabbed Courtney’s arm. “Go! Go! Go!”

  The two of them ran for cover behind one of the Global Republic MaxxPros. The heavily armored vehicle provided better protection than the thin sheet metal of the van’s walls and roof.

  Everett took aim at the roofline, waiting for a clear shot. CRACK, CRACK, CRACK! He sent a peacekeeper tumbling backward.

  Courtney kept her rifle trained toward the top of the building as well, taking every shot she could.

  “We’ve got goons coming out the front door!” Kevin’s voice came from the other side of the MaxxPro.

  Everett was happy to hear Kevin so close by, but the reunion would have to wait. Ten peacekeepers were running out of the building to escape the smoke. Their weapons were up, and they were shooting. Everett continued firing, cutting down two of the runners. Soon, all but two of the remaining escapees were dead at the hands of Courtney and the other shooters who were firing from covered positions all around the parking lot.

  Kevin came around to Everett’s side of the vehicle. “Two of them are hiding behind that burned- out truck. We’ve got to take them out before the next wave of goons surface.”