by T. W. Connor
37
A few moments later, I was rushing toward Randall, who was crouched down, facing toward where he’d thought I was. Too bad he’d been wrong.
His eyes widened as he swung his gun toward me, but I was already slamming into him, like a linebacker tackling a quarterback. He let out an oomph as all of the air escaped his lungs, and the grip on his weapon loosened. His gun skittered across the floor, coming to a stop about five yards away.
I had him right where I wanted him.
I raised my gun, ready to slam it against his head in an attempt to knock him out. But he parried that blow, knocking my arm to the side, then slamming his other hand into my chest, knocking me backward.
The force was unbelievable. This man was struggling from some sort of injury, yet he still had enough strength to pull a move like that? And in the next moment, as I lost my grip on my gun and it went flying, that was the least of my worries.
I landed on my back and was struggling to right myself when Randall lunged toward me, putting a knee into my chest. I reached toward my knife—it was in a sheath strapped to my calf, concealed by my pants.
But my attempts were futile.
Randall launched a series of vicious punches, and I did my best to parry his blows and counter his attacks, but he was just too formidable. It was as if an honest-to-God bear was on top of me, clawing me to death.
Meanwhile, muted gunshots rang out in the other room—the battle was still raging.
In here, I had a battle of my own on my hands as he continued his assault.
One of his blows sent my head slamming into the hard floor, and stars blossomed into my vision.
“Time to die, John,” he said, the corners of his lips ticking up into a wicked grin as he pulled his own knife out, holding it down like an ice pick. Where had he gotten that? Of course, he likely had it strapped to his body, much like I had a knife strapped to my leg, far out of reach.
“Nothing personal,” he said, chuckling softly.
This was it. The end of the line. It was in that moment I knew that I was about to die. But I wasn’t so worried about death. No, I was more concerned about my family. I’d never see Angie or Sarah again, that much was clear. And then another thought careened through my mind: Who would defend my family from the monsters in this cruel, new world? For some reason, I froze, and all I could seem to do was snap my eyes shut in reflex, waiting for the inevitable.
Suddenly, the gunfire petered out in the next room, and following a momentary lull, an explosion rocked the building. At first, in my momentary daze, I could only think it was one of Randall’s bazookas… Or maybe it was one of Marlon’s rockets that I’d seen in his barn? But no, we hadn’t brought along a rocket launcher, to my knowledge. Not only would that have been overkill for this mission, the last thing we wanted to do was destroy the very town we sought to take back. Not only that, this sounded different…
Then I remembered Marlon’s bins filled with grenades. Had he brought some along to use at an opportune time?
Regardless, when I opened my eyes, there was one thing I couldn’t help but notice.
Randall had turned to look toward the sound.
This was my chance. My last chance before he realized his blunder and continued his assault—and used that knife to stab me to death.
I thought of my training, my past in hand-to-hand combat. One little trick I’d picked up was on fighting dirty. Everyone expects you to go for the head. Instead, go for a softer, more vulnerable target. And go deep.
In Randall’s moment of distraction, he’d left his torso wide open…a perfect vulnerable target for me to exploit. Forming my fingers into claws, I thrust them just below the middle of his chest, near the top of his belly.
His eyes went wide and he let out a huff of air, losing his grip on the knife—it fell harmlessly to the floor. I now had his full attention.
I dug into him, then thrust upward, until my fingers bored into his solar plexus, right under his breastbone. With every last ounce of strength I could muster, I pushed upward and Randall struggled, attempting to strike my face with his fists. Some of the blows hit with little force, but most went wide, missing my face completely.
I pushed up hard and rolled, flinging the bear-man off of me, and then I was on him, using the side of my fist as a hammer against the side of his face.
The shock sent his eyes rolling upward, and Randall went limp, collapsing. Unconscious.
I reached into my pocket and found a set of zip-ties. Rolling my foe onto his stomach, I yanked both of his hands behind his back. With his hands bound, I rummaged through a nearby tent, finding some cordage to use to bind his ankles together. The last thing I wanted was for this man to wake up and escape.
No, justice had to be served.
And there were questions that needed answers.
Looking down at my foe, I heard the battle in the other room petering out. I turned and walked away from his crumpled mass, praying that the people of Ellis Woods had emerged the victors. It wouldn’t take long for me to find out.
I steeled myself and headed toward the main hall.
As I crept along the windowless corridor, my heart pounded in my temple. Up ahead, I saw a figure standing in the doorway, partially concealed by the smoke that flooded toward me. Smoke from not only the firefight, but also the explosion that I could only guess had been a grenade.
I suppressed a cough and squinted, eyeing the person at the end of the hallway.
Whoever it was, they stood proud. They’d won the battle. Now, I only had to find out which side they were on. That would tell me all I needed to know.
Either we had been victorious.
Or we’d lost.
And that would mean I’d be at the mercy of Randall’s men.
I raised my weapon, keeping it held at the low ready.
If they were an enemy combatant, I was unsure if opening fire would be wise. I’d be up against an entire company of fighters. That would be a battle I could not win.
But as the smoke cleared slightly, I spotted a familiar face.
“Marlon!”
“That’s my name,” he said, letting a smile form on his face.
“We won?”
“We sure did.”
I let out a long breath as relief washed over me. We had won the battle for Ellis Woods, with Randall and his thugs no longer in control of our beloved town. It would only be a matter of time before we could move our people back and figure out our next steps.
Marlon’s slight smile disappeared. “Took on some casualties, but the other side lost far more than we did. The rest surrendered, and we’ll have to figure out where to hold them for questioning.”
On hearing that we had lost people, I sent up a quick prayer for their families. Sure, we’d gone into this knowing that we might lose people—it was one of the grim realities of battle—but that didn’t mean it was ever easy to handle.
I gave a somber nod, then motioned over my shoulder. “Well, I have someone in there we can question.”
“Randall?”
“Who else?”
Marlon crossed his arms over his chest, seemingly pleased to hear that news. “Can’t wait to have a little chat with him.”
38
The next day, Town Hall had been cleared of the dead, and the enemy combatants who’d surrendered had been moved to holding cells at the police station with the help of Sean and his deputies. I wasn’t at all surprised to learn that each cell was now overflowing, but that was a problem that could be solved later. Eventually, we’d find a longer-term solution for where to hold them until they could stand trial for their crimes.
In the meantime, we had sent a couple runners to Marlon’s compound to communicate with our remaining people there. Soon, they would be brought back to town, once it was safe to do so. It hadn’t taken long for one of the runners to return, bringing news that Zoe was awake and in good spirits following the wolf attack. Angie was doing a fine job as well, and seemed spry a
nd especially happy that I’d come out of the battle in one piece. It had been reported that the people at the compound were resting and getting enough food. The elderly and children alike were playing games, keeping their minds occupied. It was all for the better, I thought. They shouldn’t have to deal with what was going on in their town right now. They shouldn’t have to think about the gritty work we were doing after the battle for Ellis Woods.
I was glad I could take that burden off of them, with the help of Marlon, Bob, Sean, and the rest of the town’s leaders and defenders.
My mind turned to Marlon. He had his hands full at the moment, interrogating Randall. I’d wanted to be involved in that meeting, but he’d insisted that he had certain…unsavory methods that he didn’t even think I was ready to witness. I’d begged to differ, but I had other tasks to do at the moment, most of them involving leading the clean-up crews and getting the town in order. Returning it to a livable state.
Then I remember what else Marlon had told me. Beneath the library, he had someone manning his communication device, awaiting correspondence from the government. As soon as they heard anything, I would be the first to know.
Damn right, I’d be the first to know. Whatever was coming through the lines to that device probably had a lot to do with whatever secret mission Marlon had mentioned.
As I worked, the intrigue was driving me crazy. I felt apprehension at leaving my family again, though I was compelled to do whatever I could to help the townsfolk or whoever else needed my skills in this new world.
Stepping outside of Town Hall, I saw Marlon approaching me like a man on a mission.
“So you found out…” I said, hoping that he had something that would assuage my curiosity.
His eyebrows rose. “A lot, actually.”
“From the communicator, or Randall?”
He shot me a wry smile. “Both.” Then he motioned for me to follow him out of earshot of the men and women who were busy fixing the main entrance to the Town Hall—ripped apart by Randall’s invading forces.
“Well…” I said, coming up beside him out near the shuttered post office.
“Well, it seems that Randall is just the tip of the iceberg. He’s a part of a larger group of crazies who want to take over the state. Make it their own territory.”
“You’re kidding…”
“I wish I was, but there’s more. Apparently, when the EMP hit, he was cut off from this group, and that’s when he made a move on Ellis Woods to retrieve the rest of his weapons. Gather others who were a part of this same group. I believe they were instructed to travel south after acquiring those weapons, to a base somewhere north of Lansing. They were just biding their time here, waiting for any last stragglers to meet up before heading off as one unified force, not to mention, trying to locate the other half of the weapons we’d taken.”
“Well, that messed up their plans quite a bit… But I’m wondering, what base were they planning on going to?”
Marlon wore a serious look. “That’s where your mission comes into play, John.”
“Okay, spill it out, Marlon. What did you hear from your higher-ups?” I leaned forward. This was the moment I’d been waiting for. Though it still sounded crazy, I couldn’t help but believe that what I would learn next had something to do with the bigger picture of what was going on in not only our state, but our country as a whole. “Did you hear about what my mission is?”
Marlon nodded. “As I said, this group…they want to take over a large part of the state, if not the whole damn thing.”
Suddenly, what Randall had said during our showdown echoed through my mind—“You have no idea how deep you’re in, boy. No idea who you’re up against.” My curiosity was piqued. He’d never told me who he’d been talking about.
“Who’s this group’s leader?” I asked.
“That’s one thing I couldn’t get out of Randall—yet. But regardless, them causing a ruckus in their attempt at taking over the whole state would threaten our chances of getting aid to the people who really need it, including the people of Ellis Woods.”
“Why doesn’t the National Guard take care of this?”
“They already have their hands full in the cities, John. Cities have become unlivable. And any outlying areas have been overrun with refugees. Besides, it’ll be a while until they can do anything, and by then, it’ll be too late.”
I felt my stomach turn. “What do you mean?”
Marlon let out a frustrated huff. “The mole within their group has been exposed. Executed, in fact. He’d gotten his message out just in time, but then he was found out. Which means—”
“—They know their plot has been exposed.”
“Exactly. And so they are going full steam ahead with the next phase of their plan. Which might make them unstoppable without the government having to use up valuable resources that are much-needed elsewhere. Which is where you come in, John. Your success at this mission will not only save the state, but also help relieve suffering in other parts of the country.”
I considered everything he’d said. It all seemed so far-fetched, I almost laughed. Some of what he’d said might have made sense, but a part of me didn’t believe him. Yes, I know that he’d surprised me in so many ways, not only with his huge compound complete with military-level armory, but also his knowledge of the underground tunnel and the communication device. Still, a secret mission to essentially save the state? Or, at least, a mission to keep precious government resources where they were needed the most by having me run a mission to take down whoever was behind this plot to rule Michigan…
“We don’t have much time, John.” His voice cut into my thoughts.
“Do you think Randall’s main group will be coming for him?”
“It’s possible, but something tells me that Randall and his men are expendable. Of course, there is the chance that they’ll send reinforcements…”
“That’s what worries me. What about Angie and Sarah? And the rest of the people here? Will it be safe to relocate them back here?”
He blinked twice, and I noticed his clenched jaw—he was getting even more frustrated with all of my questions. “Listen, here’s the deal,” he said. “There aren’t enough resources at my compound, and it would be better if we’d bring them all back here.”
“There aren’t many resources here…”
“A few old cargo trucks are en route with supplies to keep the town afloat until local and state-level infrastructure gets back online. But that won’t happen as quickly without your help. We’ll leave in a few days. You’ll get confirmation from the convoy that brings those supplies. By then, your family will be back in town, and we’ll get this place buttoned up before we leave—not to mention, there will be a steady flow of supplies. And Randall and his men will be carted off to a detention facility until they can be put on trial, though that could be a while since I’m sure the circuit courts will be tied up for months. But at least those goons will be out of here, and the town will be secure. Rest assured, they’ll be fine, John.”
He allowed a smile to form, and I considered everything.
Sure, it made sense to bring everyone back to Ellis Woods, but I couldn’t help but wonder why the supplies couldn’t be transported to his compound. Then I remembered the arduous journey we had taken. There weren’t any main roads leading to his compound, and a cargo truck would have a hell of a time navigating to Marlon’s place.
No, bringing everyone back here would be the best option.
The only option.
We’d have to ensure the town was “buttoned up,” as Marlon had put it, but if my family was safe and well-fed, then I’d be on board.
I let out a long breath and nodded. “All right, fill me in on the rest, then.”
“Time to put your training back into full use,” he said, clapping me on the back, and he led the way back to Town Hall.
As we walked, I scanned the street and saw our people working feverishly on clean-up tasks. Soon, the town would
be fully secure, we’d have fresh supplies and a promise of more in the near future. We’d bury our dead and hold a memorial service for those brave souls who’d fought so hard to protect the town of Ellis Woods. The town we all loved and cherished.
We entered Town Hall, and I got to work assisting my fellow townsfolk in the clean-up process, burying any doubts I had lingering in my mind. But whatever my feelings, I knew the die was cast. Soon, I’d be embarking on a mission that would weigh heavily on the fates of many people in Michigan. Using my skills to take down the thugs who sought to control the state was the only viable option I had.
It was my duty.
And time was quickly running out.
# # #
TO BE CONTINUED IN BOOK 3… COMING SOON!
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About the Author
T.W. Connor enjoys spending time in the wilderness, as well as reading and writing books of adventure and survival.
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