by Lee West
When the New Order rolled into town, Henry took a chance that his friend Adam would have the same thought. He closed his blinds and started flashing the shutters opened and closed in rapid succession. Are you there? Adam, you there? Night after night, he would try with no reply. Then finally, one night Adam answered. I’m here. Scared and hungry. Since that night, the two communicated on a daily basis.
Henry knew the New Order had raided Adam’s house, along with all the other houses in Porter. He also knew Adam had managed to conceal his hunting rifle. Their houses were downtown, near the police station. The two watched the New Order men coming and going, communicating plans to pick off the men one by one. Even though they knew they were outnumbered and unable to fight, they still planned. It felt good for them to be doing something.
One night, Adam told Henry he had talked to the neighbors on both sides of his house. They were all armed and willing to join the fight. Adam encouraged Henry to talk to his neighbors. Little by little, the men managed to pull together a string of eleven houses all near the police station, all armed and ready to fight. Now they just needed an opportunity.
Flashing his friend, Henry asked, “You okay?”
“Yeah, it’s quiet again.”
“Better than a fire and shooting,” signaled Henry.
“We need a plan to get them.”
“I know. If we kill the Boss, what do you think will happen? Maybe we just nail him?”
“I thought so too. But still too risky. We need more people.”
“Agreed. Catch you tomorrow.”
“Okay,” signaled Adam.
Henry closed the shutters and turned in for the night. In the master bedroom, he snuggled close to his wife, Margaret, and their young son. He wondered how eleven regular citizens could take down a gang of hardened convicts.
Chapter Forty
The Boss stood in the parking lot of the police station. On hot, sticky nights, the station was intolerable. Leaning against one of the disabled police cars, he drained the rest of the Chivas from the large bottle. They had emptied every bottle of wine, beer and booze from the houses and restaurants—and still it wasn’t enough for them. They drank with the reckless abandon of men who had been locked up, dry and thirsty for a buzz. It was all they knew.
Soon they would have to venture out of Porter to resupply. The question remained if they would all leave Porter or just go to resupply. Or maybe he would leave on his own and never return. He had the back of his truck loaded with weapons, ammo, food and enough alcohol to keep himself busy for a while.
“Hey, Boss! Boss!” yelled Bet as he ran out of the station.
The Boss had made him stay in the radio room until he heard something. The guy did as he was told. He might not be too bright, but he was loyal, and that was something the Boss always recognized.
“What is it, man? You sound like a little bitch screaming like that. Slow down,” said the Boss.
“The radio, it was disabled! I fixed it! People were talking! I could hear them!”
“Holy shit! I knew that asshole Brown wasn’t doing shit in there! Where is he?”
“I don’t know. He hasn’t come back since he left this morning.”
“Son of a bitch! I want him found!” he said. Pointing to the two men closest to him, he screamed, “Now!”
The men ran off and he returned his attention to Bet. “Who was talking?”
“I couldn’t tell, but I think it was the cops! Sounds like they’re working some plan.”
“What do you mean you couldn’t tell? What sort of plan?”
“They were talking in code, using bird names and shit. I have no idea what they were talking about, but it sounds like they’re working on something.”
“Can you remember anything else? Are they coming here or to Evansville?”
“Sorry, Boss, I really don’t know.”
“Shit. Okay, get back in there and keep listening.”
The Boss stood silently considering their next move. If the cops were coming, they would be ready to fight.
Finally, he turned to Linc and said, “We need to be ready. I want guys watching the trail and the road into town. Give them extra ammo too. And double up the guys in the sniper nests. This is war. We need to be ready to hold our town or go down fighting.”
“Fuck yeah, Boss! We’ll get ’em. The pigs aren’t getting this shit back!” said Linc.
The Boss had every intention of fighting. However, he was also realistic. If the cops turned the tide, he had no intention of getting caught. He would simply drive out of town and start again.
Chapter Forty-One
Jane walked back to the cabin with mixed feelings. She was both excited to see Sam again, but terrified to leave Lea. After everything they had gone through to get Lea back from Tank, it seemed so wrong to leave her, especially considering the fragile state she was in. Lea had suffered an enormous emotional and physical trauma. She needed stability and kindness right now, not a war zone. Leaving her might exacerbate Lea’s condition.
She quietly opened the door to the cabin, hoping Lea would be asleep.
“Did you get to talk to Daddy?” said Lea, from the dark interior of the cabin.
“Not exactly, but the hospital run went fine. Other than that, it was just the usual check-in. But I did learn that Charlie and Mark are safe. They made it down past Porter and are with the veterans.”
“That’s a relief. I was worried about them, especially since they had to go to Marta’s house first, wherever that place is.”
“I know it was a really dangerous thing they did. Hopefully, it will all help in regaining Porter. Tomorrow they plan to execute the plan to surge into Porter. With any luck, by this time tomorrow night, things will be significantly different for all of us. Getting the New Order out of Porter is the first step of many in getting back home, free of all of them.”
“I don’t want to go back home, ever. I really don’t think I could sleep in that house again.”
“I know, honey. We’ll figure it out. But first we need to get our towns back.”
“Will Daddy come back tomorrow?”
“Actually, about that. The chief asked me to leave early tomorrow morning for Doris’s house. I’m going to head down on a bike with Officer Rapp. He knows the way and will get us there quickly. The chief needs me to head up the team that is staying at Doris’s house while the others leave for the attack on Porter.”
“What? You’re leaving? You can’t. I need you here.”
“I know. I’m not happy about it either, but I’ve no way of getting out of it. All the cops left family behind to join the fight. At least I’ll be at Doris’s house and not part of the actual fight in Porter.”
“Daddy was right; we should’ve never come here. We should’ve taken our chances alone.”
“Maybe. But this is where we are and we need to make the best of it. The only way things will get back to normal is if we get rid of the New Order.”
“And Tank.”
“And Tank,” said Jane, brushing hair from Lea’s face. “Both Daddy and I should be back in just a couple of days. The time will fly by, especially since you’re having so much fun with the kids!” said Jane, smiling.
“Very funny. But you’re probably right. They do keep me very busy. However, their constant complaining is enough to drive anyone insane.”
“A few more days and we’ll all be back together.”
Jane used her flashlight to gather her things for the ride out. She and Rapp intended to leave before first light. They had headlamps and flashlights. Hopefully it would be enough illumination for the ride to Doris’s house. Jane packed a couple of clean-ish T-shirts and a pair of shorts. They were able to wash their clothes in a basin of sudsy water from the lake. Once dried, the clothes were stiff as cardboard. Not the country freshness she expected.
Lying in bed, she tried to relax into sleep to no avail. Worry over Sam and Lea and the plan to retake Porter consumed her. Being with Sam would
alleviate some of her fear. Being in his arms always made her feel safe, warm and happy. She really needed all three right now.
Chapter Forty-Two
Charlie and Gayle lay tangled in each other’s arms in Gayle’s tent. The sleeping bag and blanket sat discarded at the side of the tent. Charlie inhaled the scent of Gayle’s soft curls, drifting in and out of contented sleep.
“I wish you weren’t going into Porter tomorrow,” she said.
“Right back at you. I don’t want you leading a team into Porter. It’s going to be extremely dangerous.”
“At least I’m not trying to neutralize a sniper’s nest.”
“I know. The whole thing is crazy. Do you realize that if none of this happened, we would’ve been getting back from our trip right about now.”
“It would’ve been a really nice trip too. Now I wish we’d bought trip insurance.”
Laughing, Charlie flipped her over on her back, kissing her neck. “Good thinking, cuz the insurance companies are probably paying all sorts of claims right about now.”
“Oh my, I totally forgot. Yep, I’m the person who tries every light during a blackout.”
“You’re optimistic. That’s why I love you.”
Charlie had hidden the ring in a spot near their pillow before Gayle had come in for the night. He knew he needed to propose to her tonight. Anything could happen tomorrow. One or both of them might not survive. At least he would know if she wanted to marry him and she would know his intentions toward her were true. Leaning over, he clasped the ring in his hand and dove in.
“I know this really isn’t the most romantic place in the world, but right now, it’s the best I can do.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Gayle, will you marry me?”
He lifted the ring up to show her. The glimmer of the diamond was barely visible in the darkness. But it was enough to catch her eye.
“Charlie, you’re serious…” she said, a little stunned. “I wasn’t expecting…I mean, we were supposed to go on the trip…”
“Will you?”
“Yes! Yes! Of course I will! I love you.”
“I love you more.”
Charlie kissed Gayle with love and relief. He was surprised by how difficult it was to ask her to marry him, and yet, not difficult at all. Excitement over their lives together gave him the additional motivation he needed to make it through tomorrow. Everything would change for them once their towns were secure.
Chapter Forty-Three
Jane wasn’t prepared for the difficult trip to Doris’s house. In theory it seemed simple. Ride the path due south. No problem. In reality, riding a mountain bike in the pitch dark with only a headlamp was extremely difficult. Her body ached and was covered in bruises from the frequent falls. Ruts and branches obstructed their slow progress.
“You okay back there?” asked Rapp.
“Yep, hanging in there. Riding a bike in the woods in the dark is way harder than I expected.”
“We’ll be fine. In another thirty minutes or so, the sunrise will start to penetrate the woods.”
Glancing at Rapp, Jane knew he was right, but was in no mood to hear cheery optimism. Focusing on the trail, she worked hard at staying on her bike.
~ ~ ~
Dale Spencer surveyed the ten officers standing around him and knew their numbers would be barely enough to retake Porter. The surprise attack by the thugs coming from the trail had put a serious dent in their numbers. They’d have to make it work, there was no choice. With the veterans helping, it might be enough. The last report put the number of New Order men around forty. They were outnumbered. However, Evansville had managed to secure their entire arsenal of riot-control tools, giving them tear gas, flash grenades and other weapons at their disposal. Those weapons should help even the playing field.
“Okay, listen up,” Spencer said, getting everyone’s attention.
“We have to assume they’re waiting for us. We’re splitting up into two teams, Alpha and Bravo. Alpha is on bike; Bravo will drive. Each team has a radio.”
Spencer squatted and stretched the map on the ground in front of the group. His fellow officers huddled around him.
“We’ll drop off Alpha at this location near the horse trail,” he said, pointing to the map. “They know about the trail, so we need to assume they’re guarding it. Alpha needs to flank the trail and neutralize the men at that location.”
The officers on Alpha team nodded their understanding of the plan.
“Bravo, I’ll be with you. We’ll drive to this location and then fan out on foot. Again, we need to assume they’re guarding the road. Once we neutralize those guards, we need to move to the station, here.”
“Are our orders the same? Shoot to kill?”
“Yes. This is a war and we need to treat the New Order like enemy combatants.”
No one in the group disagreed with the orders or plan. A nervous energy built between them.
“Once we neutralize the guards watching the trailhead and the road, we push to the station. Marta said there’s a concentration of men at the station. I want to hit them with flash grenades and tear gas to drive them out. With any luck, the few men scattered around town will either flee or come to the fight at the station. Either way, once we recapture the station, we need to watch our backs until we’ve gone door-to-door, flushing out any remaining New Order men. The veterans will be backing us up, pushing the New Order men in the direction of the station from the south. Everyone understand the plan and their role?”
“Yes, Sergeant!” said Kara Lovell.
“We leave in five.”
The group quickly disbursed. Some grabbed extra water; others made last minute adjustments to their tactical gear. Vests, helmets and shields were loaded into the cars, ready for action.
~ ~ ~
Charlie moved fast through the forest with the veterans. Every man and woman was armed with a motley assortment of homemade weapons, guns and knives. The crew looked a little ragged, but Charlie had no reservations about their capabilities.
The group quickly made it to the outskirts of town. This was the point they needed to split apart, each going to their assigned sniper location.
“Alright, hold up!” he shouted. “We’re here. Mark, take your team northeast, starting with the warehouse behind Marta’s house. Then you guys will move to the northwest while we hit the nests in the southeast, moving west, like we talked about last night. Gayle, once you get the all clear, your team picks its way toward the station, herding the New Order men toward the center of town. Then guard the road exiting town, for any fleeing New Order men. It’s still very early; with any luck, the New Order hasn’t positioned their guys in the nests yet and we’ll be waiting for them when they show. Let’s move out.”
Charlie grabbed Gayle’s hand, pulled her close to him and quickly kissed her on the cheek.
“Be careful out there,” he whispered to her.
“Don’t worry about me. We have the easy job. Keep safe. Love you,” she whispered.
Letting go of her hand, Charlie quickly caught up with his squad.
Chapter Forty-Four
Charlie led his squad of veterans through the outskirts of town. He was counting on the New Order thugs getting a late start due to the heavy drinking and partying reported by Marta and Brown. His plan was to conceal ambush points outside each nest he’d been assigned, with the hope of gunning down each New Order lookout team as they casually approached the entrance to each structure. The plan would work so long as the men weren’t already inside each location, waiting for them.
Charlie wasn’t overly confident in his own squad’s ability to fight a close-quarters battle against an enemy alerted to their presence. His SWAT experience gave him a leadership advantage, but most of the veterans hadn’t served in ground combat roles, which made him very leery about sending them into unfamiliar structures, against unknown threats. This way, when the first team ambushed their quarry, the New Order men w
ould rush hastily to their assigned sniper nests, hopefully making it easier for the veterans to spring their traps.
He moved the group forward in the dim light, careful not to bump into anything that might make noise. He had enough light to see vague outlines, but couldn’t make out details. That would change over the next fifteen minutes, and he wanted his people to be in position before that happened.
The first sniper’s nest appeared beyond a thick hedgerow, its features barely discernible in the predawn light. It was a two-story house, with open windows facing north, the path of approach for Dale Spencer’s police officers. They cut through a few of the thinner parts of the hedgerow and took positions at the side of the house. Charlie signaled for the rest of the squad to wait while he checked out the nest, just in case some of the New Order thugs had decided to sleep in their posts.
He crept into the unlocked back door of the house and silently moved through the first floor, finding no sign of the New Order. Charlie locked and deadbolted the front door, then cautiously moved upstairs, searching each room and finding nothing. This might work.
When he returned to his squad, he positioned two veterans with rifles in concealed positions outside the back door, facing the house. Before he left, he locked the doorknob and pulled the back door shut. If the New Order men tried the front first, they’d find it locked and head around back, where the second locked door would stop them in the crosshairs of a massacre.
He repeated the process for the next four locations. Settling into the low shrubbery next to one of the vets assigned to his team, they waited for the day’s events to unfold.
Chapter Forty-Five