Feast of the Locusts

by Mark Goodwin

  Gavin spun backward, blood spurting from his shoulder.

  “Gavin!” Kate turned to check on him.

  More gunfire came from the balcony of the cabin above.

  “Stay in the fight, Kate!” Jack said.

  Gavin winced in pain. “Keep shooting!”

  Knowing he was still alive gave her some relief. She turned back to the battle and finished out her magazine. She checked on Gavin once more while she changed mags. He was bleeding heavily.

  Dean’s men took cover and slowed their rate of fire.

  Jack let his rifle drop to the side and called over the radio. “They’re conserving ammo. We need to do the same.”

  Kate took another break to check on Gavin. She tried not to let her fear show. “Can you lean forward?”

  Gavin did so but yelped in anguish. “AHHhh!”

  Jack took a quick peek. “It went through. That’s better than the bullet still being in there. Can you shoot?”

  Gavin breathed hard as if in extreme torment. “No. I could fire…” He paused to take a breath. “…a pistol if …” He paused again. “I had to…”

  “That’s okay, you take it easy.” Jack pulled some gauze out of the side pocket of his cargo pants. “I’m going to stick a little of this in the wound channel. It’s going to hurt.”

  Gavin grunted in pain when Jack did so.

  Feeling powerless, Kate looked on in horror.

  BANG! A bullet struck the rock right behind Jack’s head.

  “Where did that come from?” Kate looked around.

  Jack kept his head low. “We have to move. They’re coming around.”

  Kate slung her rifle over her shoulder and helped Gavin. “Can you walk?”

  He looked as if he were about to pass out from the pain. “Yeah.”

  Kate helped Gavin while Jack and Sam watched the surrounding shrubs for the sniper.

  Jack called on the radio again. “Pritchard, we’ve got a shooter trying to pin us down. I think he’s in those bushes to the south of your location. Whether you see him or not, I need your team to put down some cover fire for me.”

  Pritchard did not answer, but gunfire rang out from the balcony above.

  “We have to move! We have to get into a position where we can see our targets.” Jack got ready to sprint.

  Gavin’s eyes were closing.

  “He’s not going anywhere,” Kate said. “You and Sam do what you need to do. I’ll stay with Gavin.”

  Jack looked remorseful. “Okay. Sam, you ready?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Jack led the way, falling back deeper into the woods.

  Kate felt all alone. Gavin was unconscious. Jack and Sam were nowhere in sight. “God, I need your help right now.” Her eyes shifted back and forth from her fallen fiancé and the threat just beyond the shrubs.

  Another bullet struck the trunk of the holly, inches from her face. Pritchard’s team shot in the direction of the shooter. Still, more bullets came. Ping! The final round struck the dirt, an inch from Gavin’s head.

  “We have to move.” Kate looked around for a safe place to drag him. The only spot she could be sure he wouldn’t get hit was between the outcropping of rocks and Sweeny’s cabin. But that side of the stones was a thicket of holly saplings and brambles. Another bullet whizzed by.

  Kate grabbed Gavin under the armpits and pulled him back into the briar patch. Thorns cut into the back of her legs, snagging on her pants. She gently navigated past them. The sniper kept shooting at her. More return fire came from the balcony. Kate continued pulling Gavin deeper into the thicket. She tripped and fell backward into a holly. She lost her grip of Gavin and he slid down the hill, into a maze of thorn bushes. Her face was scratched and cut from the holly but she had to go on. Kate crawled low into the brambles. She carefully retrieved Gavin and began hoisting him back up to the safety of the rocks. Her arms and hands were scratched. A slow trickle of blood ran down her cheek. Once she felt confident that Gavin was out of harm’s way, she crawled back to the edge where she could see what was going on.

  She heard gunfire erupt from the direction in which Sam and Jack had run. Still, more gunfire came from Pritchard’s team above. She saw movement in the branches of a large rhododendron bush near the area the sniper fire had originated. Kate placed the front sight of her AK on the bush and waited for it to move again. Sporadic gunfire peppered all around. Finally, the branches and leaves of the rhododendron rustled again. Kate estimated where the shooter was and pulled the trigger. POW! The bush had one last tremendous shake, then fell still. Kate hoped that it was the last of the sniper but could not visually confirm her kill.

  Don’s voice came over the radio, “We’re headed your way, please advise.”

  Jack’s voice was next. “They’re to the south of our location, spread out all over. Be careful!”

  Kate pressed the talk key. Desperately, she said, “If Annie is with you, we need medical attention. Gavin was hit in the shoulder and is unconscious.”

  “She’s here. What’s your location?” Don asked.

  Jack came back before Kate could answer. “Better get Gavin in the house and let Annie take care of him there. Otherwise, you’ll all be in a precarious position.”

  Kate looked at the distance to the house. “I don’t think I can get him there on my own.”

  Vicky called over the radio. “I’ll help you get him in. I see where you are.”

  Kate looked up on the balcony and saw her niece. “Okay. Thanks.”

  Jack called once more. “Mr. Pritchard, you and David lay down cover fire when Vicky goes out. Do the same while they’re bringing Gavin inside. We can provide some support from our position as well. Annie, you need to make a wide circle around the action so you don’t catch a stray bullet.”

  Kate listened to the bullets flying all around her. Moments later, Vicky arrived. Herman Sweeny was with her.

  “I’ll carry him on my shoulder. I think that will be faster.” Herman knelt by the rocks.

  “Okay. Vicky, can you help me get Gavin out of the briars?” Kate crawled back into the thicket and pushed Gavin while Vicky pulled from the edge. Once he was out of the brambles, Herman Sweeny bent Gavin’s bloody body over his shoulder and stood up. He walked as quickly as his long legs would take him toward the safety of the cabin.

  Kate kept her rifle ready and sprinted behind Vicky and Herman. They soon reached the door and Kate heard more gunfire coming from the south. “I think that’s Don’s team.”

  “I hope so.” Herman gently placed Gavin on the ground just inside the basement door. “Vicky, come with me. We’ll get some pillows and towels.”

  Kate stayed with Gavin, listening to the action outside. “Fall back! Everybody fall back to the house!” The voice was far away but sounded like Dean.

  Kate called over the radio. “Don, I think Dean’s men are going to try to hole up in the house next door. Your team should try to cut them off before that happens. Otherwise, they’ll have a defendable position to fight from.”

  “10-4!” Don said.

  CHAPTER 23

  For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.

  Psalm 11:2-6

  Kate watched Annie cut away the bloody clothes from Gavin’s torso. Stanley Hess came down to the basement. “Can I help?”

  Annie paused what she was doing. “Do you have any medical experience?”

  “I was a lifeguard in college.”

  Kate tried to picture the pudgy, nearly-bald man swimming with another person in tow. It was far easier to imagine Hess as th
e one being rescued.

  Annie’s hopeful expression faded. “Can you boil some water and see if you can find any alcohol or peroxide in the house? I have to get this wound cleaned out.”

  “Sure.” Stanley Hess walked heavily back up the stairs.

  Kate watched apprehensively. “Is Gavin going to be okay?”

  “I’m not a doctor, but I worked in the ER for a while. This doesn’t look life-threatening. He’s lost a lot of blood, but the bleeding has slowed. He’ll lose some more when I clean out the wound, but we’ll close it up right after.” Annie turned Gavin on his side to inspect the exit wound. “I’m not seeing any bone fragments. Maybe he got lucky and the bullet didn’t hit bone.”

  Vicky and Herman returned with the pillows and towels. Stanley Hess arrived soon after with a bottle of alcohol and a bottle of peroxide. “Will this help?”

  “Yes, thanks!” Annie took the bottles.

  Jack and Sam came in the basement door.

  “Who’s watching the house?” Kate looked up from her bleeding fiancé.

  “Don’s team,” Jack responded. “We need to come up with a plan.” He looked at Herman. “Whose house is that next door?” Jack pointed in the direction of the house James Dean’s men had entered.

  “It’s mine,” Stanley answered.

  Jack said, “The rangers are hurt. We’ve killed two of their men and injured at least two others. One of the injured men is their leader. Right now is the best time to attack.”

  “Okay, I understand that my home may be damaged by the fighting. Do you need me to draw you a diagram of how the rooms are laid out?” Stanley offered.

  “We’re not a trained SWAT team, and we don’t have the equipment they use anyway. We’d suffer high casualties if we tried to storm the house.” Jack seemed hesitant to continue. “Our best chance is to smoke them out. We’ll be positioned to pick them off when they abandon the house. But we need to do it now before they get reorganized.”

  “Smoke them out? That would cause a greater deal of damage to my home. How can you be sure that the tactic wouldn’t burn my house down altogether?”

  Jack looked at Herman, then back at Stanley. “That’s what we’re talking about here, burning it down.”

  Stanley shook his head adamantly. “I cannot consent to that. Our home is all we have.”

  Jack sighed. “Our only other option is a siege. We’ll have to keep centuries posted all the way around the house until James runs out of food and water.”

  Kate continued to monitor Gavin’s condition. She looked up at the pudgy man standing near her. “Mr. Hess, I understand how much you value your home. Especially in a world that’s falling apart, it’s the one thing you can count on. But, please, think about the lives that could be spared by smoking Dean out.”

  Herman added, “Stan, we have plenty of unoccupied homes in the neighborhood. You can take your pick. What about the Mercer’s place?”

  “We’d lose our photos, our clothing, and all of our belongings.” Stanley looked at Gavin lying motionless on the floor and quickly turned away. “I simply can’t do it. A home is far more than four walls and a roof.”

  “Okay then,” Jack said gruffly. “You want to put people at unnecessary risk to save your precious home, you and your wife can take the 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM watch, every night until the siege is resolved.” Jack put his hand on the doorknob to walk back outside. “And dress warmly, it’s going to be nippy.”

  “Where are you going?” Kate asked.

  “To talk to Don, see how many people we can spare for the siege.” Jack closed the door behind him.

  “Wait!” Stanley called out to the man who’d already left. Nevertheless, he launched his complaint. “I’m not a soldier. Judy hates guns. We can’t be expected to be part of a military siege!”

  Kate felt the fury boiling up inside. “As your wife so eloquently illustrated for us, our team is made up of mostly high-school-aged children, girls, and old people. If we can do it, so can you.”

  Herman nodded. “She’s right, Stan. This is our neighborhood and our responsibility. We need to be grateful for whatever help they can give us, but we must be active participants.”

  “Yeah, okay.” Stanley Hess started back up the stairs. “I need to talk this over with Judy.”

  Half an hour later, Kate, Vicky, Herman, and Annie stood around the guest room bed where Gavin lay resting.

  Jack returned from speaking with Don and entered the guest room. “How’s our boy?”

  “His eyes opened and I gave him a glass of water, but Annie encouraged him to keep resting.” Kate held Gavin’s hand gently.

  “So that’s good. Is he stable enough to take him home?” Jack inquired.

  Annie tilted her head. “He lost a lot of blood. It would be better if he could rest here until tomorrow, especially if he has to hike over the mountain.”

  Herman said, “He’s more than welcome to sleep here tonight. That goes for you, too, Kate.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “We’ll take you up on that offer.”

  Jack said to Herman, “We need to use your home as an outpost. We’ll have to keep at least three teams in the surrounding woods to guard Hess’ house. But we’ll have to keep a backup force here so when Dean moves, we can respond at a moment’s notice.”

  “Whatever you need. What’s mine is yours.”

  “Good,” Jack replied.

  Pritchard came into the room. “I’ve been sayin’ my prayers for the boy.”

  “Thanks,” Kate said. She updated the old man on Gavin’s condition.

  Jack said, “Mr. Pritchard, I need you, Vicky, Rainey, and David to guard the checkpoint at Apple Blossom Acres. Mary Crisp and my wife, Kelly, will help you cover security shifts until the siege is resolved. You can even ask Amanda McDowell if she seems like she’s ready. The rest of us will set up camp here.”

  Pritchard’s expression soured. “Relegated to babysittin’ the women and children, I see.” He shook his finger at Gavin. “Me and the boy there fought off them devils who tried to kill Kate all by our lonesomes. I was about to take ‘em on single-handedly when the boy showed up with that big ol’ rifle of his’n. I reckon he saw some ol’ coot a shootin’ at them ornery vermin and figured me to be more friend than foe. Good thing of it, too. By the time I knew he was there, he’d done shot two of ‘em. Anyhow, it’s just to say that you ought not to judge a country ham by the looks of the crust on the outside. Sometimes them ham’s that’s got a little green mold growin’ on ‘em is the best ones.”

  Jack accepted the odd rebuke with grace. “Yes, sir, and believe me when I tell you that you have not been consigned to a lower post. Quite the contrary, my little girl is going to be with you, and she is my biggest prize. I can think of no one else I could trust to single-handedly secure our homes and our families while we’re away.”

  Pritchard looked at him untrustingly and ran his fingers through his beard. Moments later, he seemed to let go of the notion that perhaps Jack’s assurance was more condescending than genuine. “Alrighty then, I’ll do my best to keep ‘em safe.”

  Jack handed a slip of paper to Herman. “These are the shifts that need to be covered by your people. I realize that Dean came from our neighborhood, but as you said, he’s your responsibility now. We expect all of your people to be involved in the siege. Everyone needs to be scheduled to work one of these eight-hour shifts every day. Additionally, when they’re off shift, they need to be ready to respond as backup at a moment’s notice. Your off-shift people also need to provide support for those on shift, bathroom breaks, bringing them meals, everything they need. Is that clear?”

  The tall man nodded as he looked over the schedule. “It’s clear and fair. We’ll do our best to accommodate your specifications. I see you’ve already filled in Stanley and Judy’s shifts.”

  “Yes, night shift is the most brutal and the time that Dean is most likely to try to escape. If they want to save that house, they should be the ones putting the m
ost on the line.”

  “Okay, I’ll go present the plan to my group.” Herman left the room.

  Jack stood next to Kate. “You just worry about taking care of Gavin. I’ll need you to participate when the call for backup comes, but I didn’t put you on any guard shifts.”

  “Thanks, Jack. I’ll work into the rotation once he’s up and on his feet.” She took a seat on the side of Gavin’s bed.

  “You said you took some ARs off the Badger Creek boys, right?”

  “Yeah. We have two, but not much ammo for them.”

  “You should transition over to an AR. I can help you out with ammo. Scott left a bunch of 5.56 rounds.”

  “I’m kinda used to running the AK.”

  “I understand, but when Dean gets ready to move, it will probably be at night.”

  “I’ve got a really good flashlight on my rifle. As long as I have a general idea of where the threat is, I can shoot at night.”

  “The problem with a flashlight is that it makes a really good target for your opponent.”

  Kate put one leg on the bed. “How will an AR-15 alleviate that problem?”

  “I’ve got an old Gen 1 night vision scope for you. I upgraded to Gen 2 a couple years ago when we had some coyotes in the neighborhood. Scott also had a couple of Gen 2 scopes. David has one and Amanda agreed to let us give the other one to Corey.”

  “What about Don? Doesn’t he need one?”

  Jack smiled. “Don was able to buy a really good Gen 3 unit from OPD when his department upgraded. He got that thing for almost nothing.”

  “Okay, so why can’t I put the scope on my AK?”

  Jack pointed to her rifle in the corner. “You don’t have any rails to mount it on. The hardware for putting a scope on that style of AK is very specific. It’s not something you’re likely to find laying around in the apocalypse.”

  Kate looked back at Gavin and put her hand on his arm. “I’m just now getting comfortable with my rifle. I’d hate to start all over.”

  “You’ve learned basic combat skills. It won’t be starting all over. I think you’ll be surprised how easily you transition. If you practice your magazine changes, you’ll really like the AR. It’s much faster.”