HADRON Dark Matter

by Stephen Arseneault

  Chapter 24

  _______________________

  Two additional runs were made to check on the marauders. Returning from the second run, late in the day, Don reported their numbers had grown by at least thirty vehicles, including two semis. Bonfires burned in the middle of the interstate as the group partied in celebration of their achievements. As night fell, another ten vehicles joined them from the north.

  Don joined the others on the gift shop porch. “They have to be closing in on a hundred fifty people. All of them armed. That's like a mini army on wheels. I saw a half dozen cars leave going south on the interstate, and at least one that came our way.”

  “Too bad we can't drop a keg of black powder on them from the helicopter,” said Tres. “Strap a couple of those five gallon gas cans to it and it would make a nice fire-bomb.”

  Johnny said, “We don't have a keg of black powder.”

  “True, but give me a few days and I'll have a good start on one. Dr. Jeff gave me a few ideas that should speed the saltpeter refining.”

  Jane said, “Maybe we should think about some sort of preemptive strike. If they roll this way with that many people, we won't be able to stop them.”

  Mace sat on the steps in thought before entering the conversation. “You know, if we take the fight to them, they might follow us back here. If we do nothing and leave them be, they might move on down the road.”

  Jane scowled. “Sitting and hoping they just go away... I know that's not what's really running through your head.”

  “What I want to do and what's best are not always the same thing. We have the people up and down this valley to think of.”

  “And what about the people on that highway? We let them go and they may just continue to get bigger. You said Blacksburg appeared to be somewhat peaceful. A crew like that could take down that whole town.”

  Mace leaned back. “What would you suggest?”

  Jane shrugged. “You have the military training. Throw something at us and we'll see what sticks.”

  “Discuss it for a few minutes while I walk around. I need to think.”

  As Mace walked away in thought, Jeff said, “You know, if you want to build bombs, I could help. Tres was telling me about the group in question. If they're ganged together, you could do serious damage from the air. Not that I'm advocating such.”

  Johnny looked over at Jane. “I'm wishing we had brought that Winchester with us. We have a model 70 that my uncle left me. I've only fired it twice, but it was dead accurate. With a good scope you can hit your target at a thousand yards. I know the newest rifles can best that, but we had a model 70 at our disposal.”

  Jane said, “If the National Guard is still gathered up at Bedford, I wonder if we could go and alert them. This is much more their fight than ours. It's what they're supposed to defend against.”

  Jasper rocked in his chair as Derwood lay by his side.

  The old man added his thoughts. “Seems to me a midnight raid might do you good. Hit them while they're liquored up, do your damage and disappear into the night. I bet we could—well, not we but you—I bet you could take in a dozen horses. Hitch 'em a half mile away, sneak up with your suppressors on and cut loose. You could probably take out half of them before they figured out what was going on. Then cut and run before they got organized.”

  Johnny laughed. “So you're for the frontal assault, so long as you aren't involved.”

  Jasper shuffled in his chair as if he was going to get up. “Why you... listen up, walrus, you're just lucky that's not beach behind you or I'd be rolling you back into the ocean.”

  Johnny again laughed. “Only problem with that is you can't take your electric scooter on the beach.”

  Derwood stood and barked.

  Johnny laughed. “What, you taking his side? You little traitor!”

  Jane held up her hand. “Enough. Let's stay focused on one fight at a time.”

  Jane scratched at her cheek. “I do like the horse idea. Gets us in and away from there quietly. Only problem is getting the horses down there. That's thirty miles.”

  Tres said, “There's enough horse trailers around here to truck them down to below Union. Maybe we only need to ride two or three miles.”

  Mace returned to the steps. The others mentioned their ideas. Johnny again sniped at Jasper in an attempt to poke the hornet's nest.

  Mace said, “How does this sound? We find a vehicle and add a couple steel plates on the back of it. Drive it down and get on the I-77 exit below where they are. At the same time, we outfit a second vehicle, driving it to the exit north of them.

  “Two or three of us ride up to their location in the first car from the south while a bunch wait back in ambush. The car takes out the first people that approach it. They turn around and lead any others who will chase them into the ambush. Don flies us all to the northern vehicle and we do the same thing again. It doesn't draw them toward us and we might be able to reduce their numbers by as much as ten or twenty, without seriously risking our lives.”

  Johnny said, “And what if they already have people sitting at those exits?”

  Tres asked, “Why would they do that?”

  Johnny shrugged. “Don't know—maybe they send a friendly face forward to steer people in their direction. If we were on that road and came across someone that said they were having a revival up the road where they were giving out free food, we would probably speed on up there to see. Maybe not us here, but most people on the road would.”

  The discussions lasted late into the night. At first light, Don would take Mace on a scouting mission. The interstate exits would be observed as well as places for a moderately safe ambush. Johnny, Tres, and Dr. Jeff would be given the job of finding vehicles and armoring them up. Dawn arrived with a purpose.

  Jasper sat out on his porch rocking in his chair as Mace emerged from his sleeping arrangements in the cave. “You know, you lose a single person from this group, you run the risk of losing the dynamic you've built up here.”

  “I plan on taking every precaution I can,” said Mace.

  “I know you will. And I only say that because I've grown to like you people. You get the job done without all the hemmin' and hawin' that you would find in most groups. You’ll survive this thing so long as you watch out for each other.”

  The engine of the helicopter spun to life. Don and Mace were soon on their way to the exit south of I-77, below the growing horde.

  As Mace looked through the binoculars, he said, “I think I have a good idea for this exit. If they move this way and come back east, we could set up the ambush at that construction site down there. There’s a rise in the middle that would allow us to fire at them the whole way around that road. When done, you set down on the road to pick us up. We could signal you with a flashlight or mirror.”

  Mace sat back in the chair with a smile. “I'm feeling a lot better about this now. Take us high above their camp and let’s check the exit to the north.”

  As the helicopter flew over the marauder encampment, Mace scanned the intersection through the binoculars.

  “They're gone!”

  “What?”

  Mace nodded. “They've moved on. Nothing down there now but burned-out hulks.”

  Don turned the helicopter hard back in the direction of the cave. “I can't believe we didn't check the road coming this way this morning.”

  Mace swept the highway heading back toward Peterstown. Two minutes later they had their answer.

  He picked up the flight map before returning to the binoculars. “Rich Creek. Looks like they overran a blockade. They're raiding a food store. And I see a half dozen vehicles outside a pharmacy... gun battle going on at a pizza joint... two houses are spewing smoke. If they roll through that town, they're heading right for us.”

  Mace jerked around as the helicopter spun slowly. “Wait, turn back the other way!”

  Don gently pressed the right pedal.

  “There we go. The townspeople have the roadway
blocked and a picket line setup. I see two dead attackers, but more trucks are rolling in. Wait. No way! One of them, a flatbed, has a cannon mounted on the bed. They’re loading it right now. Can you take us over in this direction? I want a better angle on this.”

  Don pushed the cyclic to the right until Mace held up his hand. “OK, they're lighting the fuse. Oh wow. Someone has fired that thing before. They just took out the lead car in that barricade, along with two of the townspeople. No. No, don't run! Gah! Huge mistake. Three motorcycles just blasted through the break. This is not good. These marauders really look like they know what they're doing.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “Turn around. Let's check Peterstown. Maybe we can warn their blockade.”

  Except for a fleeing car, the road into Peterstown was empty.

  Mace shook his head. “They have a blockade set up on the east side. Set us down in the street on the other side. We have to warn them of what's coming.”

  As the helicopter swooped in and began its descent, a bullet popped up through the floorboard, while another skimmed off the windshield. Don pushed the cyclic hard forward while applying full throttle. A third bullet struck the driver-side door as they turned away.

  “OK, maybe that wasn't our best idea.”

  “They have to be hearing the gunshots coming from Rich Creek. And that cannon. I'd have taken a shot at us too.”

  As the helicopter blasted up 219, Mace looked over the map. “They're likely to be pillaging that town for days. If they continue in our direction, there are homes all along this highway. Lindside and Rock Camp are next. And they're small. After that, they’re at Union.”

  Don took a deep breath. “You think it's worth warning the sheriff at Union?”

  Before Mace could reply, the engine of the helicopter sputtered. Don pushed buttons, adjusted the throttle and flipped switches. The engine roared back to life.

  “I'm worried about it being safe to fly this bird anymore. My gauges have been going haywire all morning. That interference must be growing.”

  Mace grimaced. “We lose our eyes, we won't know when they're coming.”

  “We seem to be OK now, but if this gets worse...”

  The helicopter began a descent as it approached Union from the southwest. They settled in the roadway a hundred yards from the small armed force that guarded that end of town.

  Mace jumped out and jogged toward the defenders, holding up his hands as he approached. “Hey, we need to talk to the sheriff. It's urgent!”

  One of the men replied, “He's in the morning town meeting. You can talk to him in about an hour.”

  Mace walked up to the orange and white barricade positioned in the center of the road. “You confident this is going to stop anyone?”

  “Has so far.” The sheriff's townie buddy laughed.

  Mace tilted his head. “Well, I'll give you a message you can take to the sheriff. You can decide when.”

  The man scowled. “What’s so urgent?”

  Mace pointed down the road. “Rich Creek and Peterstown are under assault by a gang of more than a hundred marauders. We’re talking heavily armed, non-negotiating, pillagers, rapists and murderers. You know, the hardcore kind you always see on TV. Well, they’re burning Peterstown now. I would expect them to be here, right in front of your little barricade, possibly as early as an hour from now.”

  The townie's scowl turned to one of worry.

  “Still want to wait for the town meeting to be over?”

  The man turned to his friend. “Robert, go fetch the sheriff. Tell him it's an emergency.”

  Robert nodded before turning to hop on his bicycle.

  Mace said, “Really? A bicycle is your emergency vehicle?”

  The townie replied, “Gas is precious. We're trying to conserve. Courthouse is only a half mile.”

  Fifteen minutes later, the sheriff's cruiser pulled up to a stop.

  The sheriff stepped out as a deputy jumped from the other side.

  The sheriff displayed an agitated expression. “Tommy, what in the... you. What are you doing here? Don't tell me you’re the emergency. I thought I told you to leave us alone.”

  Mace held back his frustration. “We've just come from Rich Creek and Peterstown. They’re under assault by a gang of more than a hundred thugs who are killing everyone and taking everything. I thought you might want to know that they may be headed this way.”

  The sheriff held out two fingers. “Now hold on, you just said they may be headed this way. Are they headed this way or not?”

  Mace took a deep breath. “Sheriff, I just told you your neighboring towns are under assault. No, I can't say for certain they are coming here, but if I was you, I would take every precaution in the name of protecting my people. This group of people, they even have a cannon.”

  The sheriff smirked. “A cannon? What is this, a gang of Confederate soldiers?”

  The townie laughed.

  Mace shook his head. “Look, Sheriff, if you want, I can take you down there right now to see for yourself what's coming. These people are bad. They will burn this place to the ground after they torture and kill all your people.”

  The sheriff sighed and his normal scowl returned. “You think I'm going anywhere with you, you're mistaken. We’ve taken good care of this town. The people are fed, we’re organized, we are able to take care of ourselves. And if need be, we have a militia of twenty-five townsfolk who can be here in twenty minutes. And I know that to be true because we've tested our response repeatedly. We have a siren in town that everyone can hear.”

  Mace planted his forehead in his palm. “We are talking about a hardcore group of at least a hundred people, Sheriff. Probably closer to double that. They will roll right over your militia.”

  The sheriff crossed his arms. “Well, what makes you an authority on any of this?”

  Mace stood straight. “I spent ten years in the Special Forces, Sheriff. I did two tours in the Middle-East. I know what gangs of bad people look like and I know what they're capable of. Our brothers and sisters in Peterstown are finding that out right now. I watched from above as their militia caved and ran when the first cannon round hit a car in their barricade.”

  The sheriff shook his head. “Why do you care what happens to us so much? We don't trade with you, and we haven't been on the best of terms. Why do you care?”

  Mace pointed toward the roadway. “Aside from caring about your people, as I do about everyone, I care because if they roll you over, we’re next in line. Now, you asked me what I would do. If I were you, there are three ninety-degree turns in the road just south of here. I would take the far one, completely block the road, and take positions on the high hill to the right. Your twenty-five might have a decent chance of defending against their Pickett's charge.”

  The sheriff again smirked. “And how do we defend against that cannon? Wouldn't they just blast us off that hill?”

  The townie chuckled.

  Mace scratched his neck. “You know what, Sheriff, I tried. I tried to save this town and all its people. I can't do any more for you. You've been warned. Whatever happens here in the next few days is on you. Goodbye, Sheriff.”

  Mace turned and walked toward the waiting helicopter.

  The sheriff scowled as he walked back to his cruiser.

  The townie chuckled. “Wait! I think I see Stonewall Jackson himself coming this way!”

  The sheriff stopped and turned. “Shut up, Toby. Just watch the road like you've been told.”