by James Tow
sure of the third. I don’t think anybody knows who the third is.” I started to think of Vergil, and what role he is playing within their ranks. I pressed on, “Matthew Pollick is the leader of what we call the American Mercenaries. He was a General within the United States Army. Sergei Federov was a Russian General and he, obviously, leads his massive army of Russian soldiers…”
Then one of the teenage girls interrupted, “didn’t you and your brother kill that leader?”
I thought for a minute and realized she was right…but how did she know?
“Oh…yeah. I guess we did. Huh.” The audience cheered. “How did you know?” I asked her—once the commotion died down.
“Mr. Bergstrom told us.” That means Gabriel must’ve mentioned it. I got back on my train of thought. “…as for the third, we believe he’s German, but as for who and what his role may be is beyond me.”
“I don’t get it!” the heavyset boy blurted out. “There are only three of them! If we stand and fight, we can easily overcome them!” A little fighter, this one.
“It’s not that simple,” I chuckled. “They have vast numbers of soldiers, and advanced weaponry in their arsenal. Plus, they recruit. Smaller nations and groups still join The Army of the Apocalypse. It’s like the pact between the ‘Big Three’ recruit and create smaller pacts in which they lead and order around.”
Again, the boy seemed disappointed.
“Why would somebody join them?” the boy asked.
“Good question little man. But I’m afraid that I do not have the slightest clue. Who knows why people choose what they choose,” I added, but I said this more to myself than directing it to the audience.
“Fear,” Alyse said.
“Stupidity,” I said.
The girl next to Alyse broke me from my reverie. “Sorry about all the questions Mr. Paul, but we were too scared to ask Mr. Gabriel,” she said.
Booming laughter escaped my mouth. “He can be quite scary, can’t he?” I continued laughing.
The lightened mood drastically went backwards as another question was asked.
“Where were you during the first wave of attacks?” An unknown face asked. The new dark atmosphere quickly radiated throughout the room.
I closed my eyes and put myself back, several years ago. “I was home from college. My mother, father and I were all taking a plane back to Austin, Texas for a wedding.” I’m glad Gabriel isn’t here. “Well, we were on the Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth, Texas—it’s where my dad worked—when they attacked.” I didn’t want to go into any more detail. Like how my dad tried to hide my mom and I in the simulator he worked with, but the soldiers killed them before they could even blink. Or how I hid myself in that simulator for a week—only leaving for food from the vending machine and to use the bathroom.
I came too when Alyse was shaking my leg, trying to get my attention. She pointed to a boy who was waving his arms in the air—trying to get my attention as well.
“Your brother, he was a Navy SEAL, right?” he asked.
“No,” I said. And the crowd of males seemed to show their disappointment in unison. I laughed and said, “He was a Green Beret.” They were all suddenly confused. “What’s that?” the boy asked.
“The Green Berets are the United States Special Forces, but their mission is very different from any other Special Forces group,” I said and the disappointment quickly vanished—chatter amongst the group quickly ensued.
The talk about Gabriel got me wondering—where is he?
An old hand holding a paper plate with two steaming pulled pork sandwiches crossed my view. I look to my right to see George Bergstrom.
“You need to eat,” he told me.
I grab the plate out of his hand. “Thanks,” I tell him. I take a bite out of the first sandwich and I realize how hungry I am. I quickly cram more bites into my mouth.
“You passed out from exhaustion. Your fear of the mines only pushed it,” he chuckled. I shrugged my shoulders—I never talk with my mouth full. “Sorry,” he said, “but it was pretty funny.”
My audience was slowly dispersing. “Where’s Gabriel?” I asked him.
His smile faded and his brows furrowed, “He’s out in front of Long Leaf,” he told me.
Long Leaf Elementary was next door—only about two hundred yards away. I stood up and headed for the front doors. “I’ll be right back,” I told Alyse.
A large hand grabbed my shoulder and I turned to see Bergstrom again. “I don’t think it’d be smart for you to go out there,” he said sternly.
I smiled, “I’ll take my chances.” I stepped through the first set of doors that lead outside. The second set of doors was about thirty feet ahead, and the space between the two doors held such areas like the principal and vice principal’s offices, guidance offices and of course the ‘front office.’ As I was heading toward the outer doors I was looking at the several, ten portraits of students within a single, large, frame—Pine Forest Eagle’s Hall of Fame. The ten students, who are chosen every year, carry the name of Pine Forest with honor. Each year, the faculty and staff get together electing and picking ten students who deserve this honor.
I finally reached the door and took one step outside, but stopped in my tracks. I took a few steps back and looked at the closest frame on the wall. ‘Pine Forest Hall of Fame 1976-1977’ it read. I back tracked further until I reached the frame that read ‘Hall of Fame 2005-06’. They got lazy with the title, I scoffed to myself. I examined each student’s portrait until I reached the one I was looking for. His hair was neat, he was clean shaved, and he wore a huge grin. The picture made me smile—the only time he looked this happy was when he was with her. Under the contented and care-free face read the engraved name: Gabriel Reed.
I took the last few bites of the barbeque sandwiches, just outside the door, and threw the paper plate into the trash bin sitting against the wall. I proceeded down the long walkway that leads to the staff parking lot. I briefly pondered why Bergstrom said it wasn’t smart for me to go out here, then I noticed a large chunk of orange peel just ahead. Thirty feet ahead, at the edge of the sidewalk, was another chunk of peel. I paced over to the second peel and I examined the open field, to my right, between Pine Forest and Long Leaf.
The lone figure stood by a crowd of large trees. It looked as if he’s just staring at the trees. And the trees themselves appeared awkward—like something were hanging off of the branches.
My new found energy, thanks to Bergstrom’s delicious sandwiches, put me in a jog toward Gabriel. As I jogged throughout the parking lot I saw several more orange peel pieces. Some of the cars that occupied the spaces in the lot had a series of bullet holes in them. I guess Bergstrom and his ‘troops’ had to put up quite a defense.
When I finally reached the grassy field that was Long Leaf—my heart stopped. I saw what was hanging off the trees, and what Gabriel was staring at. I slowly advanced toward Gabriel, but stopped again for I couldn’t get near the horrific scene.
Hanging from the trees were the students and staff of Long Leaf Elementary. The tiny decomposing bodies of the children hung silent in their stationary hell. The older group of staff and faculty were obviously beaten and tortured. Old bruises and cuts were rotting, and made it clear on what they had to endure. Some of the men were hanging upside, bound by their ankles, with severe wounds to their heads. The women were hung in the same manner of the kids—as they were only hung, not beaten—with one exception. A young woman, probably in her twenties, hung upside down and naked. Bruises covered her body. Poor woman…poor kids. The stench of the corpses made the scene that more disturbing.
I continued my way toward Gabriel, and standing next to him was a large wooden sign that read, ‘Cut them down and we’ll replace them,’ in black spray paint. When I walked up behind him, he turned and I met his eyes. They were wet with tears and his lids were dark red. His desert scarf was covering the rest of his face, but I didn’t need his face to tell me how he felt. Again, I could feel the ang
er emanating out of his eyes and off his body. I could feel the same heat coming off of my body. This is too far. Simply…too far.
He turned his back on me and said, “I’ll kill them. Every last one of them.”
I stepped forward and grabbed the bolo blade out from his belt. “We will,” I told him.
I started running toward the first tree, but he grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. He reached for my holster and pulled out the pistol I forgot I had. “You start right. I’ll start left, and we’ll meet in the middle,” he told me. I agreed with a nod.
Gabriel walked over to the far left and began shooting at the rope. I climbed my first tree, and started hacking away with the blade. With each thud of the body hitting the ground, I felt wetness fall from my face.
16. Prepare for Evil
The night fell upon us while we finished digging the last graves, and filling them. The last body to be put in the grave was that of the young naked woman. Gabriel picked her up in his arms and placed her gently in the freshly dug, shallow tomb. Before he shoveled the dirt on top of her, he took off his tactical vest and covered the naked body.
A series of striding footsteps and chatter could be heard approaching our position. Gabriel and I stood waiting as members of Pine Forest came running to us. In the lead was Bergstrom, with his wife and two kids, followed by several student and faculty whom I didn’t recognize.
“What did you do?!” one of the male teachers cried. “They’ll be here in an hour or so to do their nightly patrol. Did you not read the sign?!” he was talking frantically and was obviously worried to the point he was going to piss himself.
Gabriel walked up, pulled out the pistol from his holster, and unloaded the last clip into the wooden sign. “That sign?!” he yelled.
Then a short, obese, girl advanced from the crowd with a horror struck expression. “Are you trying to get us killed?!” she yelled.
“Last time I checked, we were on your side,” I intervened.
“Oh yeah, I can see that,” she said sarcastically. “Cutting down the bodies when a sign reads, clear as day, ‘Cut them down, and we’ll replace them,’ I guess that’s helping us, right? Now their Army is going to come here and do to us what they did to those kids! Since you geniuses put us in this mess, what’re we supposed to do?”
“Fight,” I told her.
“Great! Is that all you two are good for? Fighting and killing? Why don’t you just join them, I’m sure you’ll do fine over…”
Gabriel was lightening quick. He sprinted over to her with wildness in his eyes, putting his hand over her mouth—squeezing her fat face. A few of the men from the crowd started running to her rescue, but I stepped in between them.
She fell over on her backside. Gabriel closed in within inches of her face and shifted his hand so that it clamped around her jaw.
“Do you have any family left?” he asked through clenched teeth.
“Wh-what?” the girl said.
“FAMILY! A brother, sister, a man who beats your mother who you call asshole?!” he yelled
“Gabriel!” I yelled for him to stop, but I know he was too focused to hear me.
The girl shut her eyes and tears started running down her cheek. She nodded her head toward the crowd. He unclamped his grip from her jaw and stood up from his crouch.
“You’re lucky to still have them,” Gabriel said calmly. “How would it feel if it were them up there on the tree, with the rope tight around their necks? Maggots eating away at their rotting flesh. Leaving their bodies to be weathered down to bone and dust. Not even giving them a pinch of dignity they deserve.” He got back down in a crouch, so he knew she was looking him in the eyes. “You would cut them down…I know you would,” he said and slowly stood back up.
Silence ensued—only leaving the sound of the cold air ringing in our ears—stinging our faces—and the dry sobs from the girl Gabriel just demoralized.
“So what now?” Alyse said as she approached from out of the crowd. I look over to Gabriel to see he’s staring at the trees from where we just spent the last few hours cutting down and burying corpses.
We can’t fight without weapons. I turned to Bergstrom and asked, “You don’t happen to have an armory by any chance?”
He smiled back and said, “It’s about time we did this. Follow me.”
He started through the large crowd, back toward the school. I noticed the people within the crowd made a large path to clear our way, and I turned to see Gabriel was following us.
“We buy more than just mines when arms dealers roll through here,” Bergstrom said.
He took us back inside the school through the outside entrance of the weight room. The weight room looked exactly how I remembered it—weight benches lining the perimeter of the room, with large open space in the middle. We walked through the weight room and back into the halls of the school. Only ten feet down the hall we turned left into the men’s locker room. Alyse, who was in front of me, hesitated at the door. “I don’t think there is going to be any naked dudes running around, if that’s what you’re worried about,” I said jokingly. She answered with a soft elbow to my stomach.
Bergstrom took us to the back left corner of the locker room where ‘the cage’ was. ‘The cage’ used to hold all of Pine Forest’s sporting goods—football pads, basketballs, shot puts, you name it and ‘the cage’ has it. But it has definitely changed. Where the sporting equipment used to be was now replaced with weaponry. Our own little toy store, I thought.
The first section we moved to was the assault rifles. “Where are your attachments?” Alyse asked.
Oh no. “I know you don’t plan on…” I started to say but she cut me off by pointing an M4 rifle in my face. “And I know you don’t plan on giving me a lecture on how you don’t want me fighting,” she said sternly. Bergstrom started laughing and she dropped the rifle to her side. She got on her toes and pulled me, by the collar of my vest, toward her. “You forget I’ve been doing this as long as you have. I can hold my own,” she said with her sweet breath blowing in my face. I was at a loss for words. Instinctively I moved in closer, but she snickered and pushed me away. Damn it. Now is not the time anyways.
“Ouch,” Bergstrom said and moved to the shelves that lined the walls behind us. He opened several of the drawers sitting on the shelves and said, “Here’s what we have.”
“So, where did you get the money for all this?” I asked.
“School funds, high value trade-in items, but it all depends on the dealer really. One would only accept money for a gun, while another will take food. The one who we got most of the weapons from is a dealer who asked for girls,” Bergstrom replied. “We buried his ass.”
The three of us started dressing our rifles when five boys entered the cage. The lead boy, who looked to be about sixteen, was short and massive with muscles sticking out at every inch of his body. He approached us and held out his hand—Gabriel took it, then Alyse and I did the same. Another firm handshake.
“I’m Chris Roy,” he said in a stern voice. “And this is my own faction I’ve raised from within these school walls, and I—or we—would like to help you.”
I could feel Alyse staring at me from my side, and I could only smile. But Gabriel spoke before I could. “We could use all the help we can muster, but only five?” Gabriel asked. Chris put his middle finger and his thumb up to his mouth and whistled loudly. Fifteen, or so, boys walked in front of the cage. “Excellent,” I said.
“We call ourselves the Omega Unit,” Chris said and a few of his men shifted and sighed at the embarrassment of the name. It was kind of corny.
“So, what do you have to offer as help?” I asked.
“For starters, we know they generally arrive around 9 o’clock—which is in a half hour,” he said examining his watch then continued, “And they always arrive from the west. There are usually six Humvees, with four or five soldiers in each, and they like to park in front of Long Leaf—and do their scouting from there.”
“They don’t ever come into the school for we never give them any reason too,” he said.
“Then why did they raid Long Leaf?” Gabriel asked through furrowed brows.
“Nobody knows. We all assumed it was due to an act of defiance,” was all Chris could say.
More silence followed, and then we resumed grabbing weapons of choice. Chris and his troops joined in as well. I clipped a front grip and a scope on my M4. Then I grabbed a handgun, loaded it, and slid it in my holster.
“So what’s the plan then?” Alyse asked as she finished with her rifle. Gabriel looked up at me
“What’re you thinking?” Everybody stopped what they were doing and stared at me. Shit, I hate the pressure.
“Uh-well…I’m worried about the children and the rest of the people within the school who can’t defend themselves. I think most of us should stay inside and guard them while the rest pick well hidden vantage points and…do what we can.” My voice cracked a few times but all-in-all it was pretty good if I do say so myself.
“I like it,” Gabriel replied. “We should have a couple silent shooters first. We could take several of them out without them knowing. Then bring out the heavy guns when they do notice us.”
“Do you have any sniper rifles?” he asked Bergstrom. An evil smile crept on his.
“Oh, we have sniper rifles.” He curved around to the second aisle and we all followed. Hanging from the caged wall were many sniper rifles—all a little too small for my taste. Then he opened a large drawer, “And if you want to make them shit themselves you use this,” he said and pulled out an M107 Barrett .50 caliber sniper. Gabriel and I both snickered and Bergstrom asked, “You know this one?”
“We’ve had our run-ins in the past,” I told him.
Gabriel grabbed the large sniper, loaded it, and handed it to me. “You’re going to watch my ass,” he said sternly.
“Wha-why?” I asked a little worried.
“I’m getting close,” was all he said.
Alyse was pretty impressed with the rifle she customized. She was examining it in her hands when Gabriel walked by.
“Nice. But I want you inside the building, guarding the front door.” He took it from her hands and she put on a cute mock pouting face. He took an M60 machine gun off the wall and handed it to her.
“You think you can handle that?” he said smiling. She ogled at it and mouthed, “Oh yes,” with a huge grin. Even though I know she has done her fair share of fighting, I still didn’t like the idea of her in the battlefield—those Apocalypse bastards shooting at her, and her at them. It sent chills down my back.
Gabriel approached and put his hand on my shoulder and told me, “Don’t let them get near her, and you won’t have to worry.” I realized I was staring at her as she examined the massive gun. I turned to Gabriel and answered with a nod, but something caught my eye. A