Feast of the Locusts

by Mark Goodwin

  “Sounds like I don’t have a choice.”

  “You have a choice. I can give the scope to someone else, just thought I’d give you first dibs.”

  Kate considered the option. “Okay, I’ll give it a try, but I’ll keep carrying my AK until I feel comfortable.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Jack patted her on the arm and left the room. The others followed Jack, leaving Kate alone with Gavin.

  “God, please, heal him. And watch over the rest of us.” She spent the next hour in silent meditation and prayer.

  CHAPTER 24

  Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.

  Micah 7:8

  Two days passed since the beginning of the siege. Kate stood alone on Herman Sweeny’s deck late Wednesday night. A cold breeze made her shiver and made the feeling of being alone in the dark more haunting.

  Gavin walked out onto the porch. “Hey, want some company?”

  His presence warmed her. “What are you doing out of bed? You’re supposed to be resting.”

  “I’ve rested. I’m going to get muscle cramps if I lie around any longer. I need to move around.”

  She eyed his attire. “That’s understandable, but why are you wearing boots and jeans? Vicky brought you a clean set of sweatpants from the cabin. And how did you manage to get your jacket zipped up with one hand?”

  “Annie helped me, but I can almost get it by myself.” The sling for his other arm was still visible from the neck of the jacket.

  Kate’s lips pressed together to show her displeasure. “I’d hate to think you’re considering participating in a firefight in your condition.”

  “What gives you that idea?”

  “Pull up your jacket.”

  “Why? It’s freezing out here.”

  Kate caught the tail of his coat and lifted it up. “Just as I suspected.” She pulled the bottom of his jacket down over the pistol at his waist.

  “We’re in a war zone, Kate. I feel naked without a gun.”

  She patted his chest. “How many magazines do you have in there? About four?”

  “War zone, I rest my case.”

  “You can’t be effective in a fight with a pistol. Sit this one out and heal up. This won’t be your last chance for glory.”

  “You know that’s not why I fight.”

  “I know, but seriously, I’d like to keep you around for a while.”

  “That’s nice of you to say so, but how would I feel if you get hurt and I didn’t do everything I could to keep you safe? A pistol is as good as any other weapon for putting down cover fire.”

  She pushed the sling of her new AR-15 further back and took his hand. “I appreciate your concern, but please, just rest for now. Besides, you don’t have any reason to worry about an attack tonight.”

  “Don’t I?”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “I heard you and Jack talking this morning in the guest room.”

  “I thought you were asleep.”

  “Resting my eyes, like I was told to do.”

  She twisted her mouth to one side. “That was all just speculation.”

  “No, you guys have a point. Dean and Tifton have had two days to recover from their injuries. If Dean’s men were carrying three days’ worth of provisions, they have one day of food left, assuming Hess had little to no food in his house. Dean will want to move while he still has a buffer, in case they have to hole up again before they can resupply. And he’ll definitely want to move when he has the cover of darkness.”

  “You were eavesdropping.”

  “You were in the room with me! How could I be eavesdropping?”

  “You were pretending to be asleep.”

  “Resting my eyes, as instructed.”

  Kate fought a grin. “Regardless of what happens tonight, you are confined to bed rest.”

  “Yeah, okay.” He kissed her on the back of the neck and returned inside the house.

  His kiss sent another shiver through her body but had an otherwise entirely different effect than the cold wind. She hoped the siege would be over soon, that all would return to normal or as close as possible, and that their plans for Saturday would not be further interrupted.

  Hours later, Kate looked at the antique clock sitting atop Herman Sweeny’s fireplace mantel. It was nearly 3:00 AM. She got up from the couch and tiptoed past Sam, Jack, and Annie who were all sleeping on the floor in sleeping bags. Herman Sweeny sat in his large leather chair with his head tilted back, snoring rhythmically. Kate gently pulled back the screen in front of the fireplace and placed another log on the fading flames. Just then, her radio sprang to life.

  “We’ve got movement by the back door!” It was the voice of Wes Holloway who was on guard at the rear of Hess’ house. “I think this is it!”

  Kate turned to wake Jack, but he was already out of his sleeping bag and shaking Sam to rouse him from slumber. Herman Sweeny sat forward in his chair looking dazed.

  “What’s going on?” Annie Cobb sat up.

  “This is it, everyone grab your guns. Let’s go!” Kate clapped her hands to motivate her weary fellow soldiers.

  Herman sprinted up his stairs. “I’ll be right back. Dianna Yates, Bev Holloway, and my wife will be guarding our home so Dean’s men don’t try to take this house while we’re gone.”

  “Good.” Jack put on his tactical vest and zipped it up. “Tell them that we may need cover fire if we’re forced to retreat.”

  “You got it.”

  Kate grabbed her AR-15 and hustled down the stairs with the others.

  Gunshots rang out in the distance. Moments later, the radio chirped again. This time, it was Don’s voice. “The party is starting without you, get over here as soon as you can!”

  “Roger that, Don!” Jack let go of the talk button. “Annie, Mr. Yates, you’re with me. Sam, you and Kate wait for Herman, then go back up the Hesses’. I’m sure they’ll need it. Kate, you’re in charge of your team.”

  “Got it!” She watched Jack and his team disappear into the night.

  “Mr. Sweeny! Come on! We’ve gotta go!” Kate yelled as loud as she could.

  “Coming!” The towering man shook the walls as he stormed down the stairwell.

  Kate opened the door and switched on her night vision scope. “Let’s go!” She paused when Gavin appeared, dressed for action. “Oh, no! We decided that you’d sit this one out!”

  Gavin pushed past her into the frosty darkness. “Correction, you decided. I agreed to no such thing.”

  Irritated, she led the rest of her team toward the Hesses’ house where the rate of gunfire was increasing rapidly.

  A sniper took pot shots at Kate’s team while they ran across the open yard to Stanley Hess’ position behind a gigantic oak. The roots of a nearby fallen tree created a ditch, which Kate jumped into for cover. Sam, Gavin, and Herman Sweeny followed her. More gunfire peppered the area. Judy Hess sat with her hand over her head, balled up in a near-fetal position behind the oak. Stanley, who could have otherwise been of more help, consoled his wife.

  “Mrs. Hess, get into the ditch. You’ll be safe here.” Kate coaxed the panicked woman. She understood Jack’s reasoning behind making the Hesses put their lives on the line to retake the house, but she did not agree with his decision; especially now that Judy was part of the problem.

  Judy Hess looked up and shook her head. Frozen by fear, she wasn’t going anywhere. Kate called out to Stanley, “She’ll be safe as long as she doesn’t move, but we need you to put down some cover so we can try to get some shots lined up.”

  Stanley Hess seemed irresolute in complying with the order. He barely stuck the tip of his rifle around the edge of the enormous tree. “Tell me when.”

  Gavin rolled his eyes and pulled out his pistol with his good hand. “I’ll give him some help.”

  Kate powered off the illuminator on her scope, putting it into passive mode. This
would allow her to see the IR illuminator of the sniper but not make her more visible to him. “Both of you, fire five shots in quick succession. Now!” As soon as Gavin and Stanley began shooting, Kate put her sights on the upstairs window where the sniper had been.

  Stanley and Gavin’s weapons fell silent. Through the night vision scope, Kate saw the glowing light of the IR illuminator of the sniper’s rifle reemerge. It shone like a lighthouse in the upstairs window providing the perfect target. She pulled the trigger three times, starting at the bottom of the window and working her way down. She hoped the smaller 5.56 rounds would still penetrate the walls of the wood-framed house and kill her adversary on the other side.

  “Did you get him?” asked Herman Sweeny.

  “I hope so.” She kept her head low and watched for movement inside the window. Seeing no lights from other scopes in the house, she powered her own IR illuminator back on. Through the scope, the illuminator lit up the immediate area like a floodlight, visible only to her.

  Jack’s voice came over the radio. “They’re falling back inside the house. Kate, I’m coming to you, so don’t shoot me.”

  “Roger.” She continued to scan the perimeter of the house for movement.

  Moments later Jack approached from behind. His face looked grim.

  “What’s wrong?” Kate asked.

  “Corey is hit.”

  “Is it bad?”

  “His thigh. It wasn’t spurting, so hopefully it’s not an artery. But regardless, he’s finished fighting for today. So is Annie.”

  “Annie was hit?” Sam inquired.

  “No, but she’s transitioned to her medical role and being that it’s her father, I doubt she’ll be doing any more shooting.”

  “I think I got one of Dean’s men,” Kate said.

  “Good.” Jack’s grave expression didn’t change.

  “Are you alright, man?” Gavin asked.

  Sporadic gunfire occasionally punctuated the quiet in the background.

  Jack looked at Kate’s team. “Dean is hunkering down. He’ll keep taking pot shots to harass us. If we pull back, he’ll bolt. But we can’t let him keep up his slow-motion assault.”

  “What other options do we have?” Kate asked.

  “We have to go in.”

  “Storm the house?” Even Sam, who was typically quite gung-ho, sounded apprehensive about the plan.

  Jack looked down at the dirt. “We don’t have any other choice.”

  Gavin squatted in the ditch, resting his pistol hand on his leg. “When cops raid a house, they have a guy with a bulletproof shield who goes in first. We don’t.”

  “I know.” Jack’s reply was sharp.

  “Then who is going in first?” Sam inquired.

  “I guess I will,” said Jack.

  Gavin’s voice rose. “Oh no! You’re not going in first, you have a wife and a kid.”

  Kate’s heart jumped. “You’re not going in first either, Gavin! You shouldn’t even be out of bed!”

  Gavin shook his head dismissively. “Don’t you worry about that.” He pointed toward the oak tree. “Stanley is going first.”

  “What? Me?” Stanley’s voice quaked with fear. “I can’t go in first. I don’t know anything about this kind of stuff.”

  “Neither do I, but it’s your precious house, and you’re going in first. If you don’t, I’ll consider that you’re abandoning your post, and I’ll put a bullet in your sorry head for desertion.”

  “Gavin!” Kate was shocked by Gavin’s outburst.

  Judy Hess began bawling. “Stanley! No!”

  Gavin gave no quarter. “And you better tighten up, also, Judy. You’re going in second.”

  “Ohhhh!” she wailed in terror.

  “Gavin! That’s enough!” Kate demanded. “Judy can’t even fire a gun. She’d get herself and everybody else killed.”

  “She doesn’t have to fire a gun. Her job is to drag Stanley’s corpse out of the way so we can get in to fight.”

  “This is madness! You are frightening my wife! Knock it off this instant!” Stanley cowered behind the tree.

  “Don’t blame me,” Gavin continued. “You’re the ones who think your house is worth sacrificing lives for. I’m just asking that you put your money where your mouth is. In fact, I’ll volunteer to go in third, with only one hand to shoot with.” Gavin looked at Jack. “Am I wrong?”

  Jack sucked in his lips as if he were in deep contemplation. He remained silent for several seconds.

  Stanley’s eyes seemed to beg Jack to dispute Gavin’s monstrous demands. He pulled Judy’s sobbing head into his shoulder.

  Finally, Jack broke his silence. “Gavin’s right. It’s your house, Stanley. You should be first in. I’ll go second. Herman, you’re behind me, then Sam, Kate is at the back of the line.”

  “What about me?” Gavin asked.

  “You’ll stay here. We may need cover when we come out. If you use the dirt mound to support Judy’s rifle, do you think you could shoot with one hand?”

  Stanley waved his hands and yelled over Judy’s blubbering squalls. “Wait! Wait! Wait!”

  “Speak.” Jack held up his hand for the others to be quiet.

  “What if we went back to the original plan?” Stanley’s voice cracked with pleading trepidation.

  “Which plan is that?” Jack seemed perplexed.

  “To smoke them out.”

  “You mean, burn your house down?” Gavin jumped in. “Let’s be clear, Stan.”

  Stanley nodded ferociously. “Yes, burn it down. Whatever it takes.”

  “It would have been better if we’d had a few hours to put a plan together, but I suppose we could give it a try.” Jack looked to Kate for her consent.

  “Okay,” she said. “So what do we need? Some firebombs?”

  “Yes,” Jack replied. “Gasoline, Styrofoam, and glass bottles.”

  “Or Mason jars,” Gavin added. “We’d just need to pierce the lids enough to squeeze in some material for a wick.”

  Kate squatted low and crawled over to the tree. She gently stroked Judy Hess’ arm. “Do you think you could go back to Herman’s? Ask Kim, Beverly, and Diana to start putting together some materials for us?”

  Judy seemed relieved to have someone besides Stanley treating her with compassion. She dried her eyes with her arm and wiped her runny nose. Judy nodded insistently to affirm that she’d accept Kate’s offer, as if she’d do anything to get off the front line.

  “I’ll escort her to the house,” Stanley volunteered.

  “Oh, no. We need you here.” Jack gave an austere smile. “Gavin can escort Mrs. Hess back.”

  Stanley’s expression betrayed his disappointment in Jack’s poor choice of chaperon, but he did not argue.

  Neither did Gavin appear to find the arrangement agreeable, yet likewise, he did not gripe about it. “I’ll get some gas out of one of the vehicles. Can you offer any guidance on that mission, Herman?”

  Sweeny pointed toward the house. “Kim’s Mercedes is in the garage. It should have half a tank.”

  “Mrs. Hess.” Gavin motioned in the direction of the woods with his pistol. “After you.”

  She looked fearfully at Stanley once more before leaving.

  He smiled tenderly at his wife. “It’ll be okay. I’ll be along in a while.”

  Judy and Gavin disappeared into the dark cover of the forest.

  “Kate, you guys hold down the fort here. I’ll go update Don on the new plan.” Jack tucked low to retreat into the woods. “Don’t break radio silence unless it’s an emergency. Dean is probably listening.”

  “Got it.” Kate lifted her scope to her eye and continued to monitor the house for activity.

  CHAPTER 25

  Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me. Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strengt
h.

  Psalm 31:2-4

  Kate switched rifles with Herman Sweeny to take a break from constantly watching the house. Sweeny’s AK reminded her of the trusted weapon that had served her so well in many scrapes. But, her tactical vest was stuffed with 5.56 rounds, so once the battle began in earnest, she’d have to swap it out.

  “Coming to you, don’t shoot.” Jack crawled silently through the trees.

  “Hey, is everyone ready?” Kate asked.

  “Yeah, but Marshall Yates is by himself since Annie is taking care of Don. I want to send Sam to back him up.”

  “Sure, I’ll go,” said Sam.

  “Good. I left Don’s rifle over there. You can run that. You have a lot more battlefield experience than Yates. Don’s vest, containing his AR mags, is next to the rifle.” Jack patted him on the back. “Circle wide through the woods to get to Yates’ position.”

  “I will.” Sam entered the forest and quickly fell out of view.

  “Sam is on his way to you, Marshall.” Jack let go of his mic button.

  Seconds later, Kate heard a rustling in the woods. “Herman, give me the AR.”

  He quickly switched rifles with her. She powered on the illuminator and soon recognized the person approaching. “Kim is coming.”

  Herman’s eyes opened wide. “Honey, what are you doing out here?”

  “I brought your Molotov cocktails. Judy is a wreck and Gavin is working with one arm. He couldn’t very well pack a case of firebombs out here.” She gently put down a cardboard banana box filled with various bottles and jars.

  Herman lifted one of the bottles out. “Not my Johnny Walker Blue!”

  “Relax, dear.” She put her hand on his arm. “I poured it into a Tupperware bowl.”

  Herman held the bottle like a bereaved master cradling the corpse of his favorite pet. “It won’t be the same, drinking it out of a plastic bowl.”

  “Know that your sacrifice will be remembered.” Jack consoled the man in an almost mocking manner. He gave Herman’s arm a squeeze and carefully removed five more of the glass containers, leaning them against the mound of dirt at the bottom of the ditch. “I’ll distribute the firebombs to the other stations. When I say commence, Kate, you shoot out all the windows on the lower floor. That should take less than thirty seconds. Then, Herman, Stanley, and Kim will all light their Molotov cocktails and launch them into the broken windows.”