by Nelson, Kip
Mack went to the horses and nodded to Chris. Luis met up with Danny. Grace took her seat next to the women she knew, and Saul gave slight nods to people as he made his way through the camp. So far, so good, and none of the guards acted differently at all, but as the morning continued the patrols still were milling about. While they remained, there still were too many guards to risk their plan of attack.
People started to get worried, glancing toward Mack and the others. They all tried to tell their respective groups what was expected of them, but it was difficult as they were under supervision. They had to pick their moments carefully. Some people were averse to the idea of killing and it seemed as though their numbers would dwindle. Chris, especially, was getting cold feet now as the time to attack was drawing near.
“I thought you were willing to do this?” Mack asked.
“I was...I am...I'm just scared. I've never been in a fight, not even at school. I hated conflict. I'd rather we could just talk about this,” Chris said.
“I wish that, too, but that option has been exhausted. This is the only way forward and I completely understand if you don't want to be a part of it. But if that's the case, then you're going to need somewhere to hide or else you're going to be caught in the crossfire.”
“I'll be okay. I really do want to help. I just need some time to process it.”
“Just focus on your breathing and take each moment as it comes and you'll be okay,” Mack said.
His heart went out to Chris. It was people like him that he admired, and that would form the backbone of the new world. He didn't have the training that Mack had, yet he still had the courage to be a part of this rebellion purely because it was the right thing to do. As long as there still were people willing to stand up for what was right, the world was going to be in good shape.
Others, like Danny, were all too eager to take out their frustration and anger on the people who had taken and harmed their families. Some of the guards who had been inducted upon their arrival into the camp had been killed while out on patrols, and their families who were still left alive had a score to settle. It was all Mack could do to keep them restrained until the signal was given. Timing was everything, and if anyone acted too quickly, then it could put the whole plan in jeopardy. Perhaps the person with the hardest task was Grace. There were many in her area who agreed with the principle of attacking the guards, but not with the reality of it. Many of them were grateful to have a roof over their heads and the tasks they had been given within the camp were not too arduous. It frustrated Grace that they were so blind to everything around them, but she was sure that once the action started she could rally them and make them act. Meanwhile, Saul was still largely kept to himself. He had to communicate to his people with his body language, and hope the message got through. But his plan, when the time finally came, was to lead the charge with a mighty roar, and for everyone to fall in line behind him.
Once they all were in their positions, and had spread the word that they were going to be moving on that day, all there was to do was wait.
Chapter Eighteen
The morning hours passed and the sun moved across the sky. Everyone tried focusing on their jobs, but they were growing anxious with each passing moment. The patrol still had not moved and Mack was beginning to wonder if either Steve had been misinformed or if the guards had caught wind of their plan. If things didn't carry through today, then Grace was in serious danger, and Mack didn't want anything to happen to her. Over the course of the time they had spent together he had grown very protective of her, thinking of her almost as a daughter. That was poignant as he and Anna had planned to try having children when he arrived home.
The thought of Mr. Smith hurting her filled Mack with anger, and this camp had existed for long enough. People continued glancing at him, and he hoped the guards would not pick up on this, as his heart was beating more fiercely than usual. When lunch was called, nobody felt like eating as their nerves were too frayed, but they forced food down to give the appearance of normalcy. The guards were eating close by as well. At one point, Mack caught the eye of Steve, who could offer only a shrug.
Then, after lunch, Mack saw the patrol getting ready to leave. Again, people glanced at him, but he shook his head. They had to wait until the patrol was out of earshot. Otherwise, they would come running back and Mack's little army would have even more people to deal with. Eventually, enough time had passed. Mack took off his shirt, wiped his brow, and hung the shirt on the fence next to him. This was the sign.
Luis had been glancing over during the entire morning, waiting and waiting, hoping he wasn't going to mess up his task. The people around him were anxious to get underway as well, and it was all he could do to quell their primal spirit. When he saw Mack hang his shirt on the fence, he rushed back to his group and gave them a thumbs-up. Danny threw his axe on the ground and approached Luis, shoving him loudly, shouting and hollering. Luis fell to the ground and the two of them scrambled together, just as they had planned. The others soon joined in and the scuffle became a brawl.
The guards overlooking them weren't enough to handle the situation and had to call for assistance. One by one, guards from the main camp ran over to deal with this disruption, although the ones at the armory remained. Mack had hoped all the guards would be sent, but evidently the armory was too important to leave unguarded. Seeing this, he knew he had to take matters into his own hands. He told Chris to wait until the guard had been apprehended and then to carry out the plan as they had discussed. Mack took a deep breath and strode up to the armory. With the other guards occupied there was nobody to stop him, although the guard he was approaching told him to stop.
“Just let this happen,” Mack said, but the guard pointed a gun at Mack.
Mack continued talking until he was within reach of the guard and, as quick as a flash, he reached out and pushed the gun away. A shot was fired but it cracked into the ground, sending up dirt and dust. With his other hand Mack pulled out the knife Steve had given him and stabbed the guard in his mid-section. Seeing the guard crumple, Chris and the others ran up to Mack, who already was opening the armory door. Upon hearing the gunshot, the guards who were otherwise occupied had their attention drawn back to the main camp. They shouted to return, but it was too late. Mack already was handing out guns, and those who had weapons in their hands took up positions to fire at the other guards, who had to take cover.
People worked frantically. Saul and Grace's teams were soon there and everyone was yelling over each other. Mack could hear the fear in people's voices. He hadn't had time to train any of them on how to use a firearm and he hoped they would find some luck and inspiration in the face of adversity. When forced to tap into their primal nature humans could be very resourceful, but Mack was aware he had to try keeping control of himself. Otherwise, he would become too much like the man he was trying to stop. Already he had taken a life, and he would have to live with that. Guns and bullets were passed between people and a perimeter was set up around the armory entrance. Grace and her crew first gathered some crates and other objects to use as barriers as they tried pinning down the other guards. The air was alive with the crack of gunfire.
Mack ran back to tend to the horses with his group, firing in the air behind him. He quickly opened the paddock doors and made soothing sounds, hoping the horses would be able to maintain their composure in the midst of the gunfire. In the background, he heard people crying out with pain as bullets sliced through flesh, and the horrific reality of the endeavor came to the fore. But still people kept fighting, and although some were paralyzed by the fear that struck them, others moved forward and rallied to the cause. Chris, for example, began barking orders at others and led the horses away to safety with Mack. They tried to work as quickly as possible. Mack wished he could have been everywhere on the battlefield, but right now he needed to be with the horses as they were used to his presence.
Luis and Danny grinned at each other as they stopped fighting and tried to d
eal with the guards who were all around them. Most of the guards were busy trying to shoot at the people around the armory as they knew it was the most important location. But without weapons, Luis and the people with him were at a great disadvantage while isolated from the others. They still had their axes, though, and when the battle first had begun they had used the element of surprise to rise up and wrestle the guards. Many of them still were involved in a close-quarters brawl, trying to prevent the guards from using their guns. They knew if they lost the edge then they would be at the mercy of the bullets. Many of them fought fiercely, especially Danny, who was like an ancient Greek warrior, and his example spurred on the rest of them.
Grace was lost in the whirl of battle, even though she was standing in one place, rallying the others around her to maintain their position at the armory. Bullets were flying wildly, but they had managed to pin down most of the guards. Although she knew this couldn't go on forever. She looked over at Saul and told him to go around the back and get weapons to Luis while they laid down covering fire. Mack had disappeared. So far there had been nobody coming from the other side of camp, but it was only a matter of time before Mr. Smith arrived with another contingent of guards. In her hands was a pistol. It was lighter than she had imagined, but she had yet to pull the trigger as a lump in her throat prevented her from doing so. Whenever she waged war it had been from behind a computer screen.
So far the plan had been working and the rebels had the upper hand. Saul and his group moved between the tents, managing to avoid gunfire for the most part, and flanked the guards around Luis. They had to be careful with their shots as they didn't want to harm the people on their side. The guards were in disarray. Many of them who had been coerced into helping Mr. Smith now were changing sides and, sadly, a few of them did die in the confusion of battle. They began fleeing back into the camp, trying to make it to somewhere safe against the overwhelming number of people. As soon as Grace saw this she took several people and secured the bikes and wagons. Now that the battle was going well, the people who had been unsure were more willing to fight for the cause, although the ground already was littered with dead bodies. So far there had not been any sign of Mr. Smith.
Mack had moved the horses to a safe place and was about to return when he heard a cry from outside the camp. The patrol had returned unexpectedly and had seen the carnage that Mack's army had wrought. The other guards had fled to the other side of the camp, meaning all of Mack's people were caught in the middle, and it was not an enviable position in which to be. Mack fired his gun as he made his way back into the main camp. He knew he had to be there to direct his troops as they would be more effective with a commander than they would be as just a rabble of people. As he made his way through the devastation it brought back a lot of memories of his early career in the army, a time he thought he had left long ago.
When he returned, he saw the battle had been fragmented. Luis and his group had chased after the guards who had fled and were now gone. Grace was just returning, having left people to guard the vehicles, and Saul was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Mr. Smith. When he asked where Saul had gone, people mostly didn't know, although one mentioned Saul had said he had a score he needed to settle. Mack scowled, as going after Mr. Smith like that hadn't been part of the plan. Once again, Saul had endangered them all. Right now, they needed leadership, order, and a chain of command, but with Luis and Saul otherwise occupied Mack needed more help. He called to Steve and made him a deputy.
“I'm going to hold the line here and coordinate the attack. Right now, we're pinned down from two sides and that's not a good position to be in. I need you to run to Chris and tell him to leave the horses and attack to the east. You got that?” Steve nodded eagerly and Mack watched him run low through the gunfire, impressed by the courage he was showing.
“We've made it this far! We can keep going! This day can be ours! Remember to breathe. Don't waste your ammo. Wait until you have a clear shot. You're doing well and I'm proud of you,” Mack yelled to try galvanizing the people around him.
He told Grace to get back to her people and bring the wagons into the middle of camp as they could use them for shelter. Bullets flew past him as he kept his head down and wished he had had a helmet. The battle raged on and it was impossible to tell who was winning, but the bodies continued piling up. There were roars from far away in the camp, and Mack hoped Luis was still alive.
Moments later Steve was running through camp back to Mack, crouching down and hiding from the flurry of bullets flying through the air. But then a shot went clean through Steve's leg. The young boy yelped in pain as blood gushed from the open wound and he fell to the ground, trying to claw forward. Mack cried out and looked to the source of the shot. It was the man with no name, limping forward, his legs and arm bandaged from where he had been shot before. His gun was drawn and he walked tall through the battlefield, as though he was invincible. Mack burned with anger as the man with no name approached Steve and drew his gun again, then turned and smiled as he saw Mack coming toward him.
“Don't you dare!” Mack yelled.
“Or what?” the man with no name said dryly.
“This is the price you pay for starting a war. There are always casualties. I knew you were going to be trouble when I met you on that damned farm. I should have killed you then. You could have had a good life here. All you had to do was listen to that rambling fool's ideas and you could have done anything you wanted.”
“Leave Steve alone,” Mack said, and pointed his gun squarely at the head of the man with no name.
“I never was going to make it out of this alive, not once you started shooting up the place. I have made my peace with that. Have you?” he said, and time froze as he squeezed the trigger and a bullet shot out.
Before Mack knew it Steve's struggling body was still, and his eyes were glassy-looking. The man with no name laughed and turned to point his gun at Mack, but Mack's reactions were sharper and soon the laugh was no more. The man with no name crumpled to the ground, but the damage already had been done. Mack ran to Steve and cradled his limp body. Mack had seen many soldiers die over the course of his career and it was always a tragedy when a life was cut short, but Steve hadn't been a soldier. He hadn't signed up for this. And now he was dead.
In the chaos of the battle, Mack took a moment to look around. Dead bodies from both sides covered the ground and the air was heavy with the thick smell of blood and burning metal. It was a pointless battle, one that would not be remembered in history, yet one that would leave its mark on all involved.
He returned to the armory and fired more shots. In the distance, he could see Chris still alive, even though others had fallen beside him. They had lost more people than Mack had expected and, in that moment, he spared a thought for his wife. He hoped that wherever she was she was not involved in something like this.
The battle had been frantic and people around him were beginning to become battle-scarred. On the other side of the camp he could see Luis' group emerging, looking triumphant, but there was no sign of Luis with them, and Mack's heart sank. But they moved through the camp and provided relief for those at the armory, managing to pin down the onslaught that had been coming from the edge of the camp. Mack could feel that victory was close, but there was still a ways to go yet. However, when he looked around he couldn't see Grace either, and it seemed that when he needed them most his closest allies all had deserted him. So he was left barking orders, hoping they were okay.
When Grace had realized Saul was nowhere to be found she remembered his vow. She knew he had gone after his brother, but she wasn't about to leave Mr. Smith all to him. After carrying out Mack's order to secure the bikes and lay down some covering fire she left her group and went looking for Saul. She ducked and dodged her way through the camp, hiding from guards as they ran past. She saw some of them fleeing into the woods, but she didn't give chase. It was clear now that when you ruled by fear like Mr. Smith you did not inspire loyalty from your fo
llowers, and she looked forward to telling him that in person.
She made her way to the very back of the camp to Mr. Smith's hut, but found it empty. However, there was a trail by the door that suggested somebody had been dragged out. After following the trail, she tried thinking where Saul would take Mr. Smith. The river was perhaps too far, but the tent where they all had been kept prisoner was a good bet. Indeed, when she followed the trail it led exactly to there. She peered in and saw that Saul was holding Mr. Smith at gunpoint. She walked in.
“I told you that you had to get in line,” Grace said. Mr. Smith was trying to remain composed, but there were beads of sweat trickling down his face and his armpits were stained.
“He's my brother. I should be the one to do it. It was lucky I got there when I did. I caught this coward trying to get away on a bike. Funny that, his whole place comes under attack, and instead of defending it, he runs. But that's what you're always used to doing, isn't it brother? Running away instead of trying to prove yourself.”
“Better than breaking the law and getting put in prison over and over again, or running out on your family,” Mr. Smith spat back.
“You like to think you're a big, bad lone wolf, but the truth is nobody wants you around because you're a liability. Even now there's a whole war being waged, and instead of helping your people you're in here with me, putting your own personal goals ahead of everything else. You see, Grace? This is what I'm talking about. The world can't go on like this. We all should be working together and there's still a chance for you to make the right decision. I'm sure that you, me and Mack can work things out. Most of the bad guards will be dead by now. I never wanted them in the first place, I just had to use them so I could build up this place. I never wanted it to be like this, I wanted us to all get along. Take care of Saul and we can go out there and put an end to this war. Nobody else has to die,” he said, trying to make an imploring case to Grace.