Hornet's Nest: A Post Apocalyptic EMP Survival Fiction Series (The Blackout Series Book 5)

by Bobby Akart

  Alex laughed. “Yeah, I’ll hit them straight down the middle all right—center mass.”

  Alex turned her cap around and wiggled her body into a comfortable spot. She was waiting for the signal from Charlie to open fire. The agreed-upon signal was the first shot and, most likely, the first kill.

  “Daddy, spot me but no extra talk, okay? I’ve got to focus.”

  Stubby had entrusted Alex with his Remington 700. It was the weapon she’d practiced using in the ravine at Lick Creek several weeks ago. Although her AR-15 never left her side, she agreed the .308 was better suited for bad-guy target practice.

  “Good,” Alex mumbled. “They’re bunched together.”

  Junior’s men walked slowly behind the vehicles, which were cautiously rolling forward ahead of them. This didn’t make sense to Alex. Does Junior know there’s an ambush?

  Their position was five hundred yards from the projected kill zone. The concrete barriers, which acted as guardrails, prevented Junior’s men from pulling off the highway. Retreat was their only option, or push forward.

  Alex waited patiently, deferring to Charlie to take the first shot. Charlie was an expert and would know what to do. Alex took a deep breath and then waited. They approached closer. Closer. The procession stopped just short of the kill zone.

  “What are they doing?” whispered Alex, exhaling out of frustration. She studied them through her scope. Colton moved his glasses up and down the highway.

  “Four vehicles approaching from the west,” said Colton. “Eastbound lane. Have they been out here all night? Have they been watching us?”

  “Juliette One, Charlie One. Over,” said Charlie into the radio.

  “Go ahead, Charlie One,” Colton replied.

  “Four vehicles. Driver only. Came from beyond Crump. Mission revised. Fire on my lead. Roger.”

  Colton and Alex looked at each other. A change of plans meant exposing them sooner and creating a much more difficult shot for Alex because of the longer range.

  “No problem,” she said.

  Colton keyed the mic. “Copy that, Charlie One. On your lead. Out.”

  Alex got her head back in the game, once again focusing on her potential targets. Through the scope she considered her options. At first, she looked for the easiest targets, those without cover behind vehicles or concrete barriers. Then she considered Charlie’s line of sight and decided upon targets that would be more difficult for him to hit.

  She narrowed it down to a couple of options as the cars sped past her on the left. Several men prepared to jump the barriers dividing the highway when the crack of Charlie’s rifle echoed through the valley. The fifty-caliber round obliterated a man’s skull, spewing brains and blood across the hood of an old Datsun pickup.

  The remaining men stood in shock as Alex sought her target. She let out her breath and squeezed the trigger, sending a .308 round into the center of a heavyset man’s chest, where the Remington Core-Lokt bullet expanded.

  Two shots, two kills.

  Now, chaos set in. The approaching vehicles heard the rifle rounds and immediately took up defensive positions near the kill zone. Junior’s men scrambled for cover, but neither Alex nor Charlie rested on their laurels.

  Charlie fired again, missing his intended target but finding the radiator of a Dodge Power Wagon. Alex fired twice, missing both times, but sending men scurrying for cover.

  From this distance, the faint sound of shouting could be heard emanating from the bridge. Alex thought she could make out Junior’s voice issuing commands. It didn’t matter. Just shoot.

  Time began to stand still for Alex as her mind raced, looking for a target. The men were well concealed, so she looked for any opening. The next shot destroyed a man’s knee. Not dead, but out of commission.

  Charlie scored another kill. Alex decided on another tactic. Shut off their retreat. She sent another round into the rear of the convoy, penetrating the windshield and instantly killing the driver.

  The shouts were louder now. Charlie must have picked up on Alex’s thinking because he shot out the windshield of another car in the rear of Junior’s attack formation, such that it was. Dead passenger. Check.

  The shouts became panicked. It was barely discernible, but one voice rose above the clamor—Junior’s. The front vehicles lurched forward and began speeding across the bridge. Alex had to make a choice—hit the moving targets or shoot at the sitting ducks. She searched through her scope and found a familiar face. It was one of the men who had manhandled her at the jail, rubbing his nasty body against hers.

  “Hello,” she said calmly before shooting him in the chest. Romeo fell in a heap, draped over the white concrete guardrail, which was now splattered with his blood. She popped him again for good measure.

  Charlie killed another man who was trying to squeeze into the backseat of a Jeep Wrangler. Alex immediately shot out the Jeep’s tires, creating another handful of ducks to pick off. Charlie nailed the passenger with a head shot that passed through and through into the thigh of a man standing in the backseat. Alex shot and wounded the driver. It was going well until several rounds of automatic fire could be heard to their left.

  “Daddy!” yelled Alex. “I forgot about them!”

  “We’re exposed up here,” said Colton. “We’ve gotta go.”

  “Hand me my AR,” shouted Alex. “Tell Charlie we’re done.”

  “Charlie One, Juliette One. Buggin’ out. Over.”

  “Roger that.”

  Charlie turned his rifle on the two vehicles that had eluded the kill zone. They’d placed themselves squarely between Alex and Charlie. Four of the men hid behind the concrete barrier facing Alex, and four of the men crouched between the vehicles, searching for Charlie’s position.

  “Daddy, take the Remington and meet me at the horses,” shouted Alex. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

  Colton gathered up the sniper rifle and remaining ammo and slid backwards into the trees. Alex left their sniper hide and found a position behind a fallen tree, which provided her cover. She glanced to her right and saw that Junior’s men were getting organized.

  A shot rang out as Charlie began his assault on this front pack. Alex joined the fray with a four-round burst that shattered the concrete barrier, missing low.

  Junior’s men returned fire, but their shots flew wildly over Alex’s position. Charlie continued pounding them with gunfire, killing one.

  The rest of Junior’s men passed through the kill zone, so Alex turned her attention to steering them to the north of the highway into the now deserted Bridge View Estates. Stubby had told her that a battle fought north of the highway was safer for them.

  As Junior’s vehicles approached the break in the guardrail that led to Bridge View, Alex opened fire on the caravan. She riddled the lead car with bullets, forcing them to slow and, ultimately, bail out to the path of least resistance.

  Charlie continued to shoot down upon the men trapped between them while Alex inwardly celebrated as one car after another turned off Highway 64 toward the north. When the last one exited, she inserted another magazine and opened fire on the two vehicles below her.

  Alex’s position was well concealed, and thus far, her targets were more interested in staying behind cover than engaging in the fight. Charlie hit another man in the shoulder. Alex shot one in the backside. Junior’s men were caught in a deadly crossfire and would all die if this continued.

  In a bold move, Junior’s men stood and began firing in both directions. The drivers took their positions behind the wheels of their vehicles and the remaining deputies slid into the cars as they sped in reverse back toward the highway’s exit. Junior must have communications between the vehicles, thought Alex. She made a mental note to tell Stubby.

  After a few more rounds, she retreated through the woods and joined her daddy. Phase one of the second Battle of Shiloh was complete.

  Chapter 25

  Mid-morning

  Veterans Day, November 11

&nbs
p; Shiloh

  The original Shiloh Meeting House, built by Methodists in the mid-nineteenth century, was an unassuming beam and mortar constructed building with few windows. General William Tecumseh Sherman located his division of Union soldiers along the ridge on both sides of Shiloh Church, awaiting the Confederate Army led by General Beauregard. He held the position for a few hours before being forced to retreat.

  Today, a different type of army occupied the area around the reconstructed replica of Shiloh Church. Freedom-loving Americans opposed to tyranny in government on any level stood ready to do battle. The mood was excited as Alex and Colton gave Stubby a rundown of the events at the bridge. Alex estimated six to eight killed and another half dozen wounded depending upon Charlie’s level of success after she left. Three of Junior’s vehicles were disabled in the melee.

  “He still has forty men,” started Stubby. “Certainly not an army, but more manpower than we have. Some of these guys may have military experience as well.”

  “Do you still plan on engaging them here?” asked Colton.

  “Yes,” said Stubby. “We’re hunkered down and ready. I’ve deployed the Mennonites toward the highway to act as scouts. They won’t take up arms, but they’re willing to do their part. They’ll let us know as soon as Junior and his men head this way.”

  “Daddy, we’ve gotta go,” said Alex. She quickly gave Stubby a hug and moved toward the door, when Stubby stopped her. He grasped her by the shoulders and looked her in the eye.

  “Alex, you did great and I see that you’re anxious. Just remember this. We’re all fighting the same battle, just in different roles. You’re part of a team now. Stay in communication with us because you can’t get out ahead of us. If you do, Junior will be back in Savannah like white on rice. Understand?”

  “Yes, sir, General Stubby!” She broke free from his grip, smiled and then provided him a snappy salute. He returned the salute, spun her around, and shoved her out the door to a room full of laughter. The tension was eased and the troops at Shiloh were ready.

  Alex and Colton mounted up and their horses galloped through the trails until they reached the clearing at Wyatt Farm. Alex’s hat flew off her head as Snowflake picked up speed, but it hit Colton squarely in the chest.

  “Thanks, Daddy!” hollered Alex as Snowflake crossed through the open gates entering Shiloh Ranch. Shouts up ahead from Javy’s men guarding the main house announced their return.

  Madison came running out of the house to greet her family. She fought back tears and the two excitedly talked about their success on the bridge. Madison followed each from room to room inside the house as they changed into different clothing for the next part of the operation. Camo was traded for more nondescript khaki and black outfits. The sniper rifle was given to Bessie, who was a pretty good marksman, and Alex grabbed half a dozen fully loaded magazines for her backpack. She also strapped on a knife suggested by Stubby.

  As the two bounded down the stairs with Madison in tow, they stopped to drink some water and inhale a bowl of hot oatmeal topped with apples. The meal warmed their bones and forced them to cool their jets.

  Maria took their plates and in her best heavily accented English, she said, “You look like ninjas.”

  Alex and Colton evaluated each other and began laughing. “All black might have been better, but we certainly look like some kind of military some-somethin’,” said Colton.

  “Dress for success, right, Mom?” asked Alex as she stood, subtly announcing that it was time to go.

  “Yes, honey,” said Madison as she gave her daughter a hug. “Be safe.”

  “We will,” said Alex, who quickly left. She didn’t want long good-byes. They were on a mission and she didn’t want the emotional distraction. She recalled some of the mental toughness traits she’d picked up from Tiger Woods.

  Alex had learned to believe in herself. Golf was a very personal game, not a team sport. It was one of the few sports where you were in complete control of your game. She’d learned at an early age that having a strong success drive and believing she was capable of achieving her goals kept her singularly focused on the task at hand.

  By playing competitive golf in tournaments, Alex learned that you couldn’t let anything distract you. The secret to performing at your best under pressure was to control what you were paying attention to in the moment: Don’t concern yourself with negative things that might happen. Visualize success in every shot and be confident in your abilities.

  Javy helped her into the saddle and Colton finally joined her. She could see concern and emotion on his face.

  “Daddy, we have to leave this behind.”

  “Whadya mean?”

  “We’ve got to play a role now, a dangerous one. But what we accomplish today will make our lives secure. It’s like golf, Daddy. Play focused and emotionless.”

  “Yeah, I understand,” said Colton as he subconsciously shook his body to rid it of baggage and inner distractions. “Let’s ride!”

  Nearly an hour later, they were tying off their boat at Croft Dairies and unloading their gear. Rhoda and Chase were already waiting for them.

  “Stubby called ahead and filled us in,” said Chase. “He said you killed it, Alex. Way to go!”

  “Yeah, we took out quite a few of them,” she replied. “Are they ready?”

  “Let’s just say that we’re better off than forty-eight hours ago. Come on and get organized before we head into town.”

  Chase helped Alex off the ramp and onto the wet grass, where she lost her footing. He quickly assisted her and the two walked briskly up the hill, discussing the morning’s events.

  “I’ve whittled the group down to my feisty fifteen,” said Chase. “After doing the live-fire drills, I found several of the girls to be squeamish although they courageously tried to hide it. We can’t risk an emotional basket case once things get rollin’.”

  “Can you use them some other way?” asked Alex.

  “Oh, for sure,” replied Chase. “They’ll be used as scouts along the highway into town and I’m holding a few to protect Miss Rhoda.”

  “Feisty fifteen, huh?” asked Alex as she laughed at the comparison to the soldiers in the Dirty Dozen movie.

  “Yeah, they don’t mind getting in the mud, messin’ their hair, et cetera. They’re built out of their leader’s mold.”

  “You handpicked people like yourself, that’s good,” said Alex.

  “Nah, not me. You, Alex. You’re their dang hero. All these girls wanted to talk about was you and what you’ve been through.”

  “Really?”

  “You’ll see,” replied Chase. “You’re their icon, a fearless hero ready to fight the good fight. They really look up to you, seriously.”

  Alex and Chase rounded the corner of the house to a contingent of young warriors. The girls wore grungy clothes, including hiding their hair under ball caps and knitted beanies. Some had smudged their face with dirt while others made a point to dress like boys.

  “Look, Alex is here!”

  “Alex, how did it go this morning?”

  “Are we ready to fight?”

  Alex hopped up the stairs and stood over her Feisty Fifteen, plus Chase. Before she spoke, she looked at Chase and realized there was something different about him. He seemed humble. He had purpose now. Placing him in this position might end up being a great call.

  “Okay, listen up, y’all,” started Alex as she noticed Colton and Rhoda file in behind the group. Alex looked down at the Feisty Fifteen, who soaked in every word. “Things will happen very quickly now. Junior brought most of his men across the bridge and they swept towards the north. Stubby will try to contain them, giving us time to take care of our business.”

  “That’s good news!”

  “Yes, yes, it is. But I counted fifty to start and they still have forty guys. I’m thinking there may be at least forty to fifty left behind.”

  “What’s the plan?”

  Alex removed her AR-15 and set it agains
t the porch column. “We’ve got a job ahead of us. If we fail, they’ll come after us with a vengeance. We’ve been playing cat and mouse with the Durhams for two months, but now that we’ve kicked the hornet’s nest, it’s time to exterminate them before they bite us.”

  Alex took a deep breath and continued. “We’re gonna join up with Coach Carey and the guys. Listen to me, this is important. We have to follow Coach Carey’s instructions. He knows the lay of the land and what needs to be done. Like they say in football, there’s no I in team. At the end of the day, we’ll confound the heck out of Junior’s men. We’ll make our way to Cherry Mansion or wherever the queen bee is hiding, and we’ll end this once and for all!”

  Chapter 26

  Morning

  Veterans Day, November 11

  Shiloh

  Stubby and the men quickly readied their defenses. The Wyatts’ old tractor was used to block Caney Branch Road, which provided another route directly into the heart of the Shiloh and Pittsburg Landing. Three days before, they’d sent the old Bobcat that Javy and Stubby fixed up out to CR117 to pile debris to block access from their rear. Stubby didn’t have the manpower for surprises. This left Junior one accessible route, CR22, which led them directly into his gunsights.

  The biggest challenge Stubby faced was disabling Junior’s vehicles. Naturally, he hoped the ranchers on the north side of the highway helped take a few of them out, but he couldn’t count on it. Stubby deployed several methods, depending on the route Junior would take.

  He created Molotov cocktails full of broken nails and screws. On gravel roads, the men dug ditches a couple of inches deep. Stubby and the neighbors gathered two-by-four studs and drove long nails through them. They secured the boards across the roads with the nails sticking up. After being covered with leaves, the nails were obscured and a tire-flattening hazard was created.

  Meanwhile, he positioned his men in strategic locations where they could move from point to point depending on how Junior approached. He was unpredictable, and with the benefit of transportation, Stubby was disadvantaged. The element of surprise was their best asset, together with fighting in familiar surroundings. He’d learned this the hard way in Vietnam.