by W. R. Benton
The other two were dead as well, so I move to the front of the barn. Sandra was still at the window, but her shotgun was held in a relaxed manner.
"Do you know where they are?" I asked, suspecting they were in the house.
"In the house, or that's where the last man I saw moved to get away from my buckshot."
I moved to the battery on the floor near the table and picked up the wires to the napalm bomb we still had in my old home. I attached one wire and then said, "Move below the window, because I'm going to set this thing off. As soon as the blast is complete, get up quickly and cover the window again. Ready?"
"Ready!"
I attached the second wire, but heard no explosion. I unhooked the wires and move to the second battery, only again there was no blast. They've cut the wires, I thought and moved to the door.
"What happened?" Sandra asked, still kneeling below the window.
"They've either cut the wires or the batteries are dead."
"What now?"
At that exact moment, I heard an engine start and it didn't sound good. I recognized it almost immediately."They have a tractor or bulldozer!"
"Good God, a bulldozer would be like a tank, right?"
"If the blade is raised, we'll not hit the driver and you can be sure they'll have men moving in close behind it." I attempted to sound calm, but I felt fear deep in my gut.
"What can we do?"
I didn't answer, but stood deep in thought, until finally, "Get Sue ready to move. First I want you to saddle the horses and that includes one for Tom. We'll wait until we know for sure what we're facing, but if it's a dozer, we'll have to go out the back."
"She can't be moved!"
"By damn, she will be! I'll not leave her here to be used and then killed by these animals. Now, do as I said!"
It was rare I lost my temper, but I had nothing to stop a dozer, and if Sue died as we moved, then it was out of my control. Only I'd not leave her, because I knew even unconscious they'd rape her. Less than fifteen minutes later, I glanced and saw the horses were ready to go. Looking out the door again, I saw an exhaust pipe exhaling a thin column of black smoke as a dozer rounded the corner of my house, heading right for us. My gut tightened, and I fired a shot just to let them know we were still here.
I yelled, "It's a dozer! Go to the back door and if you have to make room, move the empty drums. They're not heavy and I only had them there so I could hear if someone tried to enter. I'll tie Sue to a horse!"
Looking back at the dozer, I saw the blade was up, and nothing could be seen behind it. I squeezed off another round, and then moved to our backpacks. I quickly put mine on and then moved to Sue. She was either unconscious or asleep, but I waited for Sandra, knowing Dolly would warn me before anyone entered the barn.
Just as I finished tying Sue to the horse and securing the three backpacks to saddle horns, I heard two shots strike the barn and saw Sandra running toward me. As she neared she said, "Raining harder now and the sky is almost black! How do you want to do this?"
"Take Dolly with you, but go out the back and move South into the trees. I want you to travel about a quarter mile, to the fence line and wait for me there."
"What about you?"
"Move! I'll explain later!"
As Sandra led the horses out the back door, I moved to the loft, where I could see much better. Even with the hard rain I counted over twenty men behind the dozer, and smiled as I pulled the last two Molotov cocktails from a shabby table. I might not be able to stop them from taking my place, but there'd be fewer of them to enjoy what I've worked hard to keep. It was then I heard two loud shots behind the barn and began to worry about Sandra. She's on her own, because I've got my hands full right now.
When the dozer got to within twenty feet of the barn, I ignited the rags in both bottles and kicked the loft door open. I threw the fire bomb from my right hand, hard, and saw it explode into flames on the dozer, about a foot in front of the driver, who was immediately covered in the inferno. I think my move surprised them, because no one seemed to realize where the danger lay. I switched the remaining bomb to my right hand and threw it at the rear of the dozer, where most of the men were gathered.
I then moved down stairs, picked up a small one gallon can of gasoline, poured it on the floor of my barn and into the hay. Pulling a match from my pocket, I ran it across the handrail on the stairs and dropped it into the gas. I smiled as it burst into flames. They'll not get my gear or supplies, I thought while running for the rear door.
Just before I reached the door, I was suddenly jerked from my feet and landed near the men I'd killed earlier. I could hear the sound of bullets striking the building and figured I'd taken a stray round. I felt no pain, but knew I'd been hit. I had to move because I'd either burn to death or be shot again if I remained. Standing on weak legs I noticed blood near my left elbow, but the arm worked and there was no pain, so I moved out the door, holding my shotgun at the ready.
One man ran from the left side of the barn, but I knocked him on his ass with just one shot. I moved in the tracks of my horses, which the pouring rain was quickly washing away. I saw no one else, until I was about a hundred feet from the barn. Glancing to my right, I saw one man down with most of his head missing. I began to run, wanting to put some distance between the bad guys and me, but my arm was starting to ache. The shock is wearing off, I thought as I jogged forward, knowing I had pain killers in my backpack but also knowing the risk of stopping, I continued.
*****
I was tired and weak by the time I reached the trees and the fence line. I slowed to a walk as I neared, not wanting Sandra to shoot me in the pouring rain, but I saw no one. Scanning the ground, I saw no tracks of the horses, but with the rain they'd been washed away. I moved to a large oak and sat under it in the mud unmoving for a few minutes. I was out of breath and tired. Finally, I pulled my backpack around and removed my first aid kit, opening it slowly to avoid spilling the smaller contents.
With the open first aid kit in my lap, I rolled my sleeve up to find a long track of a small caliber bullet, likely a .22 or .38, burned into the flesh. While it had bled and hurt like all get out, it wasn't a bad injury. I was lucky, because if it had hit an inch lower I would have taken the round into the arm, so I placed some triple antibiotic ointment on it and wrapped it with some gauze I had in the kit.
"Are you okay?" I heard Sandra yell from the rain.
"Where are you?" I couldn't see her because the rain was coming down hard.
"I'm coming. I wasn't sure if it was you or not, so I stayed hidden until I recognized your walk."
"I had a bullet burn me near the elbow, but I'll live. It didn't do much damage at all." I could now see her nearing and in a matter of a few short seconds she squatted beside me. Water ran from her hair and she looked tired.
"As long as you treated it well, you should be okay. So, what happened back at the barn?"
"I took a few out with a couple of fire bombs, but in the end I started a fire to burn the place down. I didn't want them to get all of our supplies or ammo."
She gave me a weak smile and said, "They didn't get all of our stuff. Don't you remember where you and Tom hid some things?"
Lawdy, what a pretty woman I married, I thought, but said, "I remember, but didn't until you said something just now. I'm tired, hungry and oh, how is Sue?"
"She started bleeding and I had to wrap her injury again. I don't think this moving is good for her, except we don't have much choice if we want to survive."
I raised my hand to her face, gave her a warm smile and replied, "I wish it was like the old times. We had a good life when we first got married, remember?"
"I remember, only those days are gone forever. For some reason God is making us live like animals now, fighting for every single thing in life."
I let my hand fall, gazed into her eyes and replied, "Don't blame God for what is happening, when you and I both know it was due to the collapse of our economy and a govern
ment the whole world lost confidence in. You don't know, but most soldiers do, that America was once one of the few countries in the world that constant war and hunger was missing. Well, those days are over."
"I'm not really blaming God." She then stood before continuing, "But, why did it have to happen now? Why not before or later?"
I stood, turned to her and replied, "Because I think by America taking God out of our lives and government, we lost our favored status with Him. If you think back, years before things fell apart, God wasn't in most homes. We'd turned our full attention to cell phones, computers, and other things, and no longer had an urge to do anything productive. By then, God and prayer was gone from public schools, meetings and even from our money. As a country founded on a strong belief in God, we'd turned our backs on our creator."
"Well, thank you, Pastor John, for the sermon." She shook her head slowly and then said, "Nonetheless, you're absolute right, maybe. You know I believe in God, but all of this confuses me. Now, follow me back to where I have the horses, because we need to put some distance behind us."
*****
We rode close to fifteen miles before stopping for the night in a group of pines. While the rain had stopped, water continued to drip from trees as I made camp. Sue was bleeding again, only it could not be helped, not with us being followed. Once the old tarp was strung between two trees, I gently placed Sue under the shelter and moved out of the way as Sandra treated her injury.
Moving to the trees in the surrounding area I broke off squaw wood near the lower limbs and discovered most of it was fairly dry. I also found a pine tree, and with a few scrapes of my knife I gathered a few lumps of pine pitch, which burned hot even in wet weather. I moved back to camp and soon had a small fire burning in front of our shelter. As it burned, I gathered enough wood to last the night and placed it near the fire to partially dry out from the heat.
Looking over my shoulder as I placed a coffee pot on the flames, I asked, "How's she doin'?"
"Bleeding, but no sign of infection."
Sue moved up onto her elbows and said in a weak voice, "I'll be . . . fine. I'm worried about . . . Tom. What if he goes back . . . to the farm?"
I chuckled, more to comfort her than with humor and replied, "Tom's an old war dog. He'll check the place over closely and right off he'll see the barn is gone. He'll then move to the meeting place we arranged in case of emergencies."
Dolly moved under the shelter and sat beside Sandra, who looked at me and asked, "And where might that be?"
"About a mile up the trail. There is an old abandoned home, or it was still standing a year ago, beside a dirt road." I replied brusquely and was a bit mad, because I'd explained it to all to them before, but they'd not listened to a single word.
"I remember now. It was owned by someone named . . . Wilson, right?"
"No, it was Wilkerson, and they died the first year."
As Sue lowered her head to the horse blanket, Sandra asked, "Do you know what happened to them?"
"No, not really. All I know is the old man was killed one night and then the rest came down with fever of some sort about a month later." I glanced up at the sky and could see more rain clouds gathering off to the west.
"So many have died."
"More will die before this is over. Right now, as far as I know, we've all turned into a bunch of animals with no control anywhere."
"How will it end?"
"At some point, I suspect, someone will gather up enough men behind him and start cleaning house. Those that resist will be killed, and those that remain alive will be loyal to the man. The problem is, no one is strong enough yet to attempt a takeover. Or, if someone is, we've not heard about him."
Sandra nodded in understanding and then asked, "What's for supper?"
"Beans, unless you have other ideas."
"No, beans are good and we need the protein. I have some crackers in my pack, so it'll have to take the place of bread."
"I'm not worried about food much and we've plenty of water, but I need to know if those men are following us or not."
"What does that mean?"
"It means as soon as I eat, I'm moving down our back trail to see if we're being followed. I think if they're following us, they'll be within ten miles or so."
"It'll be dark and late, so how will you find them?"
"I'll move on foot, with Dolly. She'll be able to smell them, if the wind is right, and I should be able to see their fire. Fires at night show up a long way from any camp, sometimes well over a mile. That's why Tom and I put our fires out after supper and do without until daylight."
"They could do that, I mean, put their fire out."
"Yep, they could, but a large group usually has a fire and they don't worry about attacks because their numbers give them false confidence." I said, and then pulled a bag of dried beans from my pack. As I added them to a pot and poured in water, I continued, "Relax. All I want to do is check our back trail and I have no intentions of starting a fight."
"That's what General Custer said, too."
I laughed, and it felt good. "If it'll make you feel better, I'll take horse and not walk. Besides, I'm not sure I can cover twenty miles on foot before sunup, and I want to be gone by then." I placed the pot on some hot coals of the fire, knowing it would be hours before they were tender.
*****
Midnight found me moving slowly over the ground I'd covered earlier. Dolly loped beside me, her head turning in different directions as she meandered around the trail. My mare was a good horse and in excellent condition, so I knew she'd have no problems covering the ground. As I rode, I wondered if Tom had found Marty or had our recent attack been the result of her maybe meeting some of Patton's men on the return to the farm house. Either was possible, but a large group with a dozer takes time to organize, and I found it hard to believe they'd done the job on short notice. More than likely, she'd not met anyone or even reached the farm before Tom had started after her. The man I tortured entered my mind, but I honestly think he bled to death.
It was near two in the morning before I spotted a flickering light off to the left and moved in that direction. I soon found a small sapling and tied my mare, knowing she'd not wander off far if left untied, but I felt better securing her. If I needed her quickly, I wouldn't have time to look for her. Then calling Dolly, I pulled out the leash and attached it to her collar. Together we moved toward the light, and I slipped the safety to the off position on my shotgun.
CHAPTER 8
I was rather surprised when I neared the flickering flames of the fire, because instead of seeing Patton's men, I saw what looked to be four women sleeping on the ground. Sitting on a log, away from the fire, I saw the form a man, or so it looked to be, and he held a long gun. He knew how to guard and was back in the shadows. The only reason I'd seen him, was he'd move his leg slightly and the movement caught my eye.
I leaned near Dolly's ear and whispered, "Stay."
Slipping the sling on my shotgun over my shoulder, I pulled my knife and moved toward the man in darkness. I knew if I got into something I couldn't handle, Dolly would come with just a yell.
I was thankful for the recent rain, as most of the leaves were wet and wouldn't make much noise as I neared the man. I moved to within ten feet of the guard, straight behind him, and watched him for a few moments. Unlike other guards I'd seen in the past, his head didn't nod or lower, so I knew he was fully awake and watchful. Very slowly he moved his head from side to side, scanning for movement. I moved toward him, moving just inches at a time, and all the while hoping he'd not resist me, so I'd not have to kill him.
When I was right behind him, he must have smelled or felt my presence, because his body began to turn. I threw my left arm around his neck and placed the tip of my knife against his back. Then, in a voice just above a whisper I ordered, "Throw the gun about six feet out. I don't want to kill you, but I will if you don't do as I say."
The gun landed further than six feet and I released
the pressure on his throat. It was then he spoke, "John? It's me, Tom."
I immediately recognized his voice, so I released him and asked, "What in the world are you doing traveling with four other people?"
"It's a long story, but Marty didn't run to Patton as we thought. It took me a while, but once the rain stopped I picked up her trail pretty fast, and it led me to an old cabin in the woods."
"So?" I felt my anger returning, because Marty had killed my dogs.
"She'd gone to get her mother and two sisters. Actually, she'd thought her father was still alive, but he'd died while Patton had her at his place. John, would you have seriously preferred I'd killed her?" He turned to face me and in the moonlight I could see he was serious.
"Damn it, my dogs are like family to me and you know it. She had no reason to kill them!"
"I asked her about that, and she said she'd decided the second I'd given her the shotgun to fetch her family. She also said she'd not wanted to kill the dogs, but they were threatening her and she saw no other way to do the job. I believe her."
I knew Newt and Benji were good guard dogs, so she may have been forced to kill them, except that still didn't make it right in my mind. I'd talk to her once we got to a better camp, because this was not the time. Placing my knife back in the sheath I said, "Let's go wake your women and get moving. I've a camp a few miles down the trail."
Tom asked with a concerned tone, "How's Sue?"
I grinned and replied, "I spoke with her before I left camp. I think she's on the mend."
At the fire, I called Dolly to my side and placed a leash back on her. Tom woke the women and when Marty saw me, she lowered her eyes. I didn't feel this was the time or place to bring up my dogs, so I kept my mouth closed, and fought the urge to shoot her ass. I was very angry.
Tom said, "Let's get moving, we've a safer place to go to for a while."
"I've a horse just outside of your camp, so the women can tie their supplies on her. We'll all walk, but it'll be easier since no one will be carrying a load."