by Robert Boren
“The tanks stay here to protect the park,” Jason said.
“I’ve got an idea,” Junior said. “Let’s make up a story. You guys escaped from us and recruited two of our people.”
“Not you,” Rachel said quickly.
“Or you, Kelly,” Brenda said.
Jasper chuckled. “No, it can’t be either one of them. Orr wouldn’t believe it.”
“Us,” Nate said. “Fritz and me.”
“That might work,” Junior said, “but it might also get you shot.”
“We know the risk,” Nate said. “Let’s go get them.”
“We can take the barracuda,” Curt said.
“And my truck,” Kyle said.
“Maybe somebody else ought to take the Barracuda, and Curt should stay at the park and work on the weapons,” Gallagher said. “If we lose him, it would be a disaster.”
“I taught Amanda how to run the 3D printers,” Curt said.
“But you didn’t show me how to set them up, and we have new ones to get into service,” Amanda said. “Don’t be stupid. You’re staying here.”
“I agree,” Nelson said.
Curt sat silently for a moment. “Okay, okay. I get it. Who wants to take the Barracuda?”
“I will,” Gray said. “I’ve seen it in action, and I know how to drive those.”
“Okay, let’s go with that,” Jason said. “You four approach the building and get a conversation going. We’ll follow you. It’s not totally flat around there, is it?”
“There are some hills to hide behind,” Jasper said. “Not as close as I’d like, but close enough.”
“Okay, let’s get going right now,” Wallis said. “There is a chance they’ve fled, so don’t be surprised if the place is empty. If they have, don’t blow the place up. We’ll want a forensics team in there to gather whatever we can.”
“Roger that,” Kyle said.
“It might be empty if they’ve left to head for this RV Park,” Carrie said.
“I don’t think he’ll really try to attack you guys,” Wallis said. “He was very angry in the phone conversation, but there’s a difference between angry and stupid. You guys are much stronger than he is. That’s why he tried to worm his way into our operation. We want them captured, or we want their place captured. That’s the bottom line, so keep that in mind.”
“Got it,” Jason said.
“Let’s get going,” Jasper said.
“Yeah, the clock’s running,” Gray said.
“Wait a minute,” Gallagher said. “Tell us where it is so we can have the air support there, just in case.”
“It’s at the intersection of Gulf Road and Gulf Plant Road,” Earl said. “It’s the only complex around there, so you can’t miss it.”
“Wow, that’s close,” Moe said, brow furrowed.
“The doc said it had to be close, remember?” Kelly asked. “No way Chris could’ve driven very far with the injuries he had.”
“Oh, yeah,” Junior said. “I remember him saying that.”
“Okay, we good?” Nelson asked.
“I think so,” Jason said.
“Me too,” Gallagher said.
“I’m good,” Wallis said.
“Okay, this meeting is over. Godspeed, everybody.”
Maria ended the call, then turned to look at Hendrix and Nelson. “I hope we aren’t sending those men to their deaths. I’ve got a bad feeling about it.”
“So do I,” Nelson said. “I hope Kelly and Junior don’t get too close. Losing Kelly would be bad. Losing Junior would be almost as bad as losing Curt.”
“What are we gonna do with Landry?” Hendrix asked.
“Play it as long as we can,” Nelson said. “We’ve foiled their attempt to get Simon Orr into the heart of our resistance, which is probably why he got so mad over the phone. We may find out more from Landry. He’ll try to contact others, and he’ll be contacted too, especially when it’s become apparent that we aren’t keeping the air power over the cities.”
“We probably should have somebody talking with him every so often, to reassure him that we still trust him,” Hendrix said.
“Wallis is doing that,” Nelson said.
Chapter 22 – Factory Assault
Gray finished his checkout of the Barracuda with Curt, on the road between Amanda’s still and the toy hauler.
“This is a hell of a machine,” Gray said. “Wish we had more of them. Maybe we ought to ask Nelson for some.”
“Maybe,” Curt said. “They have one disadvantage. If you’re going very far, you really need to trailer it.”
“This operation is close enough,” Gray said.
“Yes, it is,” Curt said.
Kyle fired up his truck. Kate got in beside him, holding a Thompson.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked.
“Going with you, of course,” she said. “I told you I would fight with you, and I meant it.”
Kyle sighed. “You got checked out on the M-16,” he said. “Why the tommy gun?”
“Used to it, I guess. I’ll grab the M-16 and put it in also.”
“You guys and your old weapons,” he said. “Jason’s taking his BAR. Wanted me to take one too. It’s in the back, but I’ve got a machine gun on the roll bar, so I figured that’s enough.”
Jason loaded his guns into the Jeep, then trotted over to Kyle, motioning to Gray.
“We ready?” Kyle asked.
“Yeah, the others are down at the gate,” Jason said. Carrie rushed out, eyes teary.
“You be careful, dammit,” she said. “I don’t like this one bit.”
“I’ll be careful,” Jason said. He kissed her through the open window. “If something happens here, get into the back of Curt’s toy hauler with Chelsea.”
“I know, sweetie,” she said.
They drove to the front gate. Kelly was behind the wheel of his pickup truck, Junior in the passenger seat. Brenda and Rachel looked on nervously. Another pickup truck drove up, Jasper driving, Earl in the passenger seat, Nate and Fritz in the bed.
“This all we taking?” Nate asked.
“We’re sending a second wave afterwards,” Jason said. “It’ll be led by Eric. Dirk and Chance will be with him, along with some more of Gray’s guys. They’ll be behind about ten minutes. We don’t want to tip off Simon Orr.”
“This is gonna be risky,” Fritz said, looking nervous.
“No guts, no glory,” Nate said. “Let’s go.”
Jasper nodded and drove forward, leaving the park, driving towards Warnock Road. He turned right.
“Gulf is not far,” Earl said. “You nervous?”
“Hell yeah, but this is our chance to redeem ourselves.”
“You don’t think they trust us yet, do you?” Earl asked.
“Not completely,” Jasper said. “Especially Junior. He always tries to look behind my eyes when we’re talking.”
“Really?” Earl asked. “I’m not getting that from him.”
“You’re lucky. I love the guy, but he can be a little scary.”
“There’s Gulf Road,” Earl said. Jasper nodded and made the right turn, a little too fast, almost tossing Nate out.
“Hey, careful man,” Nate said.
“Sorry,” Jasper said. “I’m a little nervous.”
“Join the club,” Fritz said.
“Bad road,” Nate said. “Thought it’d be paved at least.”
“The others just took off,” Fritz said. “Look at how much dust they’re kicking up.”
“Yeah, they need to wait longer, or the enemy will see them coming.”
“Call them,” Fritz said.
“Yeah,” Nate said, pulling his phone out. He hit Junior’s contact.
“Hey, Nate,” Junior said.
“You guys are kicking up a lot of dust,” Nate said. “Hang back further, or they’ll see you.”
“Dammit,” Junior said, turning and looking behind them. “You’re right. We’ll slow down.”<
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“Thanks,” Nate said. He ended the call. “They’ll slow down.”
“Good,” Fritz said.
Kelly stopped in the road, watching as the folks behind him stopped. Junior got out and rushed back to them.
“Something wrong?” Jason asked.
“We’re kicking up too much dust,” Junior said. “We need to slow down a little.”
“I was wondering about that,” Kyle said.
“Yeah, me too,” Gray said from the Barracuda.
“Let’s sit here for about five minutes, then take off, okay?” Junior asked.
“No problema,” Kyle said.
They sat quietly in their vehicles, the five minutes seeming to take forever.
Jasper was making good time, his hands sweating around the wheel.
“Here comes that bend,” Earl said.
“Yeah, we’re about a third of the way there already,” Jasper said. “Haven’t seen the others start up yet. That’s good. This is going to be dangerous enough as it is.”
“Seriously,” Earl said. “You really think Orr is still going to be there?”
“No,” Jasper said. “He’s way too cautious. I’ll bet he split last night, right after he talked to Landry.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Earl said. “He might have left some of his thugs behind, though.”
“To kill whoever shows up?” Jasper asked, heart beating again. “Stop that. Let’s not get worked up into a frenzy. If he is still there, he’ll notice. Calm down.”
“Sorry, you’re right.”
“How much further?” Nate asked, his head near the cab window.
“That bend was about a third of the way,” Jasper said. “We’re about at the half-way point now, I reckon.”
“Good,” Fritz said. “The sooner we get this over with, the better.”
“Wish we were armed,” Nate said, sitting back down.
“If we get caught there with guns, they’ll shoot us for sure.”
“I know,” Nate said. “Just nervous, that’s all.”
“There it is,” Jasper said. “You can just see the roof on the other side of that small hill.”
“Yeah, I see it,” Earl said. “I hope we’re doing the right thing.”
“We are,” Jasper said. “Trust me.”
They watched as the abandoned factory got larger before them. Several cars were parked by the front door.
“Crap, looks like they’re still there,” Earl said.
“Some of them, at least.”
“That it up ahead?” Nate asked.
“Yep,” Jasper said. “Won’t be long now.”
They passed the small hill and came down the short grade towards the building.
“It’s quiet,” Jasper said.
“Yeah, too quiet.”
The building was white cinder block with a flat roof, barred windows in the wall every four or five feet. A chain-link fence surrounded the building, torn open in spots, tumbleweeds stuck here and there. The wind whistled past the building, a metal sign swinging near the door, squeaking. Behind the building was a large hopper for sawdust, some broken delivery trucks, and a pile of debris left over from building furniture.
“Wonder why it closed?” Jasper asked as they pulled through the front gate.
“Probably moved to China,” Earl said, shaking his head. “Should we bring them out with us?”
“Nate and Fritz? Might as well,” Jasper said. He parked next to the other cars, in the stalls marked with management positions near the front door. “Guess we’re the head of accounting today.”
Earl laughed nervously as he opened his door. “C’mon, guys.”
Nate and Fritz jumped out of the truck bed as Jasper got out of the cab.
“Feel naked without my piece,” Nate said.
“I know,” Fritz said. “We going through the front door?”
“No, they’ve got that blocked up,” Jasper said. “There’s a door in the back.”
“It’s too quiet, man,” Earl said. “They’re gone.”
“I kinda hope so,” Nate said. “What’s that big hopper back there for?”
“Sawdust, I think,” Earl said. “This used to be a furniture factory. You can still smell stain and glue.”
They walked along the side of the building, eyes darting around.
“The door is right around the corner,” Jasper said. They turned to the right and walked to it. Earl knocked, the metal door making a hollow sound. “Anybody here? It’s Earl and Jasper.”
Silence.
“They split already,” Earl said. “Let’s see if the door is locked.”
Earl tried the door handle. It turned, so he pushed the door open.
“They gone?” Jasper asked.
“Yeah, it’s empty,” Earl said, walking inside. “C’mon.”
Earl walked in several feet, eyes looking high and low. “They were here not long ago. I smell coffee and food.”
Jasper walked inside, followed by Nate. Fritz took one more look around the yard, then came in, the door shutting behind him.
“Yeah, they split, all right,” Jasper said. “Their weapons and ammo are gone. Used to be in that cage over there.”
“What’s that on the door?” Fritz asked, looking at the wire running from the door jamb upward, coiled in several spots.
“Run!” Jasper shouted when he saw it. “Get out. That’s probably a booby-trap.”
The men rushed to the door in a panic, but the building blew sky high before they got there.
Kelly and Junior were almost to the small hill when the building blew.
“Oh, no!” Junior said, eyes wide. They pulled to the side of the road and got out, eyes searching the horizon for a trap. The others pulled up behind them, and rushed out to watch the shattered building burn.
“Son of a bitch,” Jason said. “This was a trap. We’d better get down there and see if Nate and Fritz survived.”
“And Earl and Jasper,” Kelly said. They got back into their vehicles and drove down to the fence, then ran inside, dodging debris on the ground.
“We sure they were in there?” Kyle asked.
“Saw their truck parked in the front,” Gray said. “Dammit.”
“Stay sharp, guys,” Jason said. “There’s a lot of out-buildings back here, and stuff to hide behind. This might not be over.”
“He’s right,” Kyle said. “Keep your eyes open, and know where the nearest cover is at all times.”
They went in cautiously, looking everywhere on the grounds. It was deserted, so they met back by their vehicles.
“I’m gonna call Ramsey,” Jason said, voice discouraged. He put his phone to his ear and walked away.
Kelly and Junior looked at each other, teary.
“Dammit, I hate losing friends,” Kelly said, wiping his eyes. “I’ll miss Nate so much.”
“I’ll miss all of them,” Junior said, “even Jasper and Earl.”
“You didn’t trust them completely until now, did you?” Kyle asked.
“No,” Junior said. “And it’s gonna wear on me.”
“What if this was a diversion, and they’re back at the RV Park?” Gray asked.
Kelly, Junior, and Kyle looked at each other. “Shit!” Junior called Rachel. She answered after the first ring.
“Junior, are you okay?”
“The place was booby-trapped. Nate, Fritz, Earl, and Jasper all bought it. Anybody show up at the park?”
“Nope, it’s been quiet as a church here,” she said. “Nothing’s happening.”
“Good,” Junior said. “I’d better get off. We’ll be back soon.”
“Eric’s group left about five minutes ago. Might want to call them.”
“Good idea,” Junior said. “Thanks. I love you.”
“Love you too,” she said. “Stay safe.”
Junior ended the call. “Nothing going on there, but Eric’s team just left about five minutes ago. Should we call them?”
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�It’s not that far,” Jason said, walking up. “Let them show.”
“Get Ramsey?” Kyle asked.
“Yeah, I told him everything.”
“Wonder where they went?” Gray asked.
“Good question,” Junior said. “Maybe New Mexico. It’s not that far.”
“Ramsey said he’d ask Wallis to send the planes out along the roads to New Mexico,” Jason said. “Probably way too late.”
“Yeah, probably,” Kyle said. “Here comes Eric and his group.”
Jason rushed out to meet them in front of the ruined building.
“What the hell happened?” Eric asked, Dirk and Chance next to him.
“Booby trapped,” Jason said. “We lost our forward team.”
“Oh, shit,” Dirk said. “Dammit.”
“Find bodies?” Chance asked.
“No, but we’ll find them in the building,” Kyle said. “Door probably started a timed trigger. They weren’t right by the door. I didn’t find any body parts back there.”
“So what now?” Kelly asked.
“I think we ought to high-tail it back home,” Junior said. “Just in case.”
“Yeah, I agree,” Jason said. “Ramsey’s sending a team out here, but they won’t get here until tomorrow.”
“Let’s go, then,” Kyle said.
They turned to walk back to their vehicles when a shot rang out, exploding Gray’s head in front of them.
“Down!” Jason shouted.
Everybody dropped and crawled to cover as another shot rang out.
“Where’d it come from?” Kelly asked.
“On that ridge over there,” Junior said. “At least one of them, anyway. Second shot came from there.”
“Might be only one guy,” Eric said.
“Yeah, and it might be eighty,” Kyle said.
“I brought a mortar,” Eric said. “It’s in my Bronco.”
“That ridge is the only high spot over there, and they probably can’t see our vehicles because of the factory walls,” Jason said. “Let’s go for it. I’ll grab my BAR and start hosing down that ridge with 30-06 fire.”
“I brought an M60,” Dirk said. “But my truck is exposed.”
“Wait for me to put down some cover fire and you can grab it,” Jason said, crawling in that direction as another shot rang out.