The Shadow Patriots Box Set

by Warren Ray

  “They’re not in much of a hurry,” whispered Reese.

  “No, they’re not.”

  About halfway to the house at the end of the field the cops stopped.

  Meeks tensed when he saw them stop. He didn’t have a good feeling about it and the feeling grew worse when he heard vehicles crushing sand beneath their tires. He turned toward the house and saw flashing lights. He instantly knew their situation had worsened because the cops were bringing in reinforcements.

  “Come on, we need to go south.”

  They got up and threaded their way back into the woods and away from the field. His hope of an easy escape evaporated. The cops were in the process of surrounding them.

  Chapter 57

  As Scar and his men broke through the woods, Winters rushed up and gave him a reassuring pat on the back. Scar broke into a grin as they bounded back through the field to where the rest of the Shadow Patriots waited. Winters was relieved to see the two wounded men were not in too bad of shape. He had misjudged Mordulfah and led his men to a slaughter. It could have been much worse. His final concern was for Meeks and Reese. He trusted Meeks to take care of Reese, but he had to wonder if the cops had already taken them, prisoner. Gunfire in the distance interrupted his thoughts. He stopped mid-stride.

  Scar turned to him. “That came from across the street.”

  Winters nodded. He picked up the radio.

  “Taylor, you hear those shots?”

  “I heard ‘em. It wasn’t us.”

  Nate broke in. “Wasn’t me. They came from behind us. Got to be Meeks.”

  Winters lowered the radio. There was no return fire. He wondered if the cops had just killed Meeks and Reese. He hoped instead, that Meeks had decided to run and hide. It wasn’t too much of a stretch to think he might because it was something the Shadow Patriots had been doing since they had banded together. Run and fight another day.

  “We going after them?” asked Scar.

  Without hesitation, Winters nodded.

  After they reunited with the rest of the Shadow Patriots, Winters moved everyone back into Jackson. Taking another look at the map of Jackson, he knew it would be impossible to guard the many roads leading into town, so he left men with radios guarding all the main roads with instructions to report any kind of enemy movement. He had considered trying to move some of the locals out that night but thought better of it, not knowing exactly where all the Jijis were located. Plus, he wanted to concentrate on rescuing Meeks and Reese.

  Winters found medical care for the two wounded men at the town’s small hospital. A couple of doctors and nurses still staffed the hospital. Thirty minutes later, Taylor came in with Nate and Amber. Winters watched as the nurses came outside to escort the girls into the building. The scene was heartbreaking as the girls broke down in tears while the medical staff hurried them inside. Winters wondered if any of them had some remaining family within the city.

  Nate briefed Winters on what had transpired and where he thought Meeks might be. Nate had wanted to stay behind and get them himself, but Winters insisted he go out with a team. Bassett and Burns volunteered as well as Scar.

  Winters watched as the four-man team piled into an SUV and the squad car they had confiscated. There was no back window since a Jiji shot it out while chasing Bassett and Burns yesterday. Bassett wanted to monitor the cop’s communication but found the wind whipping through the car quite annoying.

  Winters had thought about going himself, but he needed to stay and get the town of Jackson prepared to defend itself. Mordulfah wouldn’t allow them to escape without a fight. The Saudi prince had the Shadow Patriots in one place and he had them outnumbered. He had the advantage and knew it.

  Chapter 58

  Mike Vatter, the new Detroit station commander, hustled into the abandoned restaurant when he heard their previously captured girls, had escaped. The men who he had stationed inside were all dead and another dead body out in the parking lot. Somehow, the Shadow Patriots found a way in and rescued them. His first thought was the loss of money Mordulfah was going to pay him for the girls. They had captured several who were the right age for him. The others were supposed to have been for his men. When he had taken this assignment, his first promise was to restock the party house.

  Mordulfah had come up with a brilliant plan to capture the Shadow Patriots and empty the large town of Jackson at the same time. For a while, the plan was working to perfection. Little by little, small numbers of the town’s citizens were leaving and heading south, just as Mordulfah had predicted. It was easy pickings eliminating the unarmed old people and mothers. At first, he thought about not killing some of the better-looking mothers but changed his mind when he saw how many young girls they’d picked up in such a short period of time. The younger ones were easier to control, so why bother messing around with the older ones.

  The plan was unfolding just as he had hoped it would, until a couple of his men had jumped the gun and fired upon the Shadow Patriots before the whole convoy was in the kill zone of their ambush. He didn’t know who it was, not that it mattered much because most of them were dead. Despite having his men on Route 124 come in to help, the rebels were still able to escape. Even with a large number of men, Mordulfah had supplied, most of them were useless. They didn’t appear to have any combat experience and didn’t like fighting in the dark. Vatter shook his head trying to figure that one out. He turned when he heard his name called out and saw an excited cop approach.

  “We’ve got them on the run in the field,” said Tannenbaum, a twenty-five-year-old cop who could barely grow a beard on his baby face. His beard was splotchy and it didn’t match his crew cut.

  “Who’s on the run?” asked Vatter.

  “The girls, they’re out in the field. We’re chasing ‘em now.”

  Vatter’s spirits instantly soared. “Get as many men as you can out there.”

  “What about Mordulfah’s men?”

  “Don’t bother with them, they’re about as useless as an ashtray on a motorbike.”

  Tannenbaum laughed and raced out the back door.

  Vatter turned and walked out the front door. He watched the flames still dancing inside the patrol car the rebels had shot with an RPG. He stood there wondering where the rebels had gotten RPG’s and wondered what else they had that he didn’t. He hadn’t figured them to be better armed than he was. He had more men at his disposal though and that counted for quite a bit. Especially since they would have to attack Jackson by moving right into the city.

  Chapter 59

  Meeks and Reese had been on the run for the better part of an hour and were no closer to escaping the cops than when they started. Meeks knew the cops were about to surround them. Even if he thought they could fight their way out, they didn’t have enough ammo to do so. With a map of the area, he felt confident they could find a way to sneak through the enemy’s lines. He didn’t hear any more shooting at the intersection and figured the Shadow Patriots were no longer in the area. This meant Winters had rescued Scar as well. With the cops spending a lot of time trying to find him and Reese, he figured they probably thought the girls were with them. They were certainly motivated and had deployed many men in this small area for just two people.

  They snaked their way south to Briggs Highway, which was nothing more than a dirt road. He had hoped to use the road as an escape route but saw the cops had patrols all over it.

  Backing away from the road, they came to a house, which appeared to be empty. He wanted to see if they could get some water and possibly some food. They had burned a lot of energy running and they needed something to eat.

  “Let’s check this house out,” whispered Meeks.

  Reese nodded.

  They cautiously approached the house and looked in the windows. Meeks felt sure Reese could hear his heart beating a mile a minute. He didn’t necessarily like entering a dark house at night without knowing for sure if it was empty. You never knew if the homeowner was standing guard with a double ba
rrel shotgun. The yard was overgrown but that was common to most of the homes these days. He decided to go to the front door and knock.

  He climbed onto the porch and knocked on the door. He gave Reese a shrug. They waited a minute before he knocked again. Waiting another minute, he tried the knob and found it locked. They hurried around to the back and found the back door locked as well. He took out his Sig and used the butt of the pistol to break a window pane and then unlock the door.

  They entered the house and called out to see if anyone would answer. Satisfied they were alone, Reese turned on the kitchen faucet and, thankfully, the water began to flow. They took turns drinking water with their cupped hands and splashing their faces with the cool liquid. Meeks took out a small penlight, which he had outfitted with a red lens. He used the soft red light to look through the pantry and cupboards. Nothing.

  “Let’s check the basement, might have some food storage down there,” suggested Reese.

  The basement had junk scattered everywhere and it was difficult to maneuver. Whoever had lived there was a pack rat and seemed to keep everything they had ever owned. A path led them to the back where they stumbled upon a metal pantry that contained cans of food, including some baked beans.

  “Now, this is what I’m talking about,” said an elated Meeks.

  Meeks pulled out the small P38 army issued can opener he kept on a key chain. He eagerly opened the can while Reese held the red light. Not concerned with formality, they both dug in with their fingers and ate the baked beans. Reese laughed at Meeks who had beans running off his cheeks.

  They were enjoying their feast when they heard someone pounding on the front door. They both froze. The door was busted open. Meeks grabbed the red light from Reese and swung it around the cluttered room. He found what he was looking for just as the cops broke in yelling out for anyone. He put the beans back in the pantry and shut the door. He then grabbed Reese and guided her to a queen size mattress leaning against the back wall. He looked behind it and found just enough room for them to hide. She got down on her hands and knees and crawled in. He followed her, grabbing a plastic tree that was in a gold pot, and hid the small entrance to their cave. It was a tight squeeze for one person, let alone two, and it was dusty.

  Sitting there reminded him of the time he and Scar had hidden in an upstairs attic back in Victor, Iowa, across the street from the first Patriot Center they had eliminated. He and Scar had to hide when a soldier came up the attic ladder to look around. Meeks’ leg had cramped up then and it was beginning to do the same here. He had nowhere to stretch it this time as he and Reese were practically on top of each other.

  He remembered the dust had made the soldier sneeze uncontrollably. He looked at Reese. “Breath through your mouth,” he whispered to her.

  Two sets of heavy steps trampled through the house and finally one came down the stairs. A cop swung his flashlight around and yelled out. “Come on out. We know you’re down here.”

  Chapter 60

  Alexandria Virginia

  Despite the long day, Green had trouble falling asleep. His mind was racing unchecked with thoughts of the contents of the box he had gotten from Mrs. O’Connor and stashed in the shed out back. He couldn’t believe his good fortune in getting his hands on that information. It was chilling to listen to the tapes of Reed discussing what kind of bombs to use and where to put them. The conversations were all business and had no semblance of regret or remorse as to who was going to die. Thousands of Americans were in their crosshairs and not a single mention of the heartache they would cause. It was pure darkness and had sent chills down his spine listening to it. Green wondered how he was going to be able to be in the same room with Reed and hold his tongue. For now, he still had to go to work and occasionally meet with his boss. Thankfully, the man rarely saw him anymore. Green thought for sure Reed suspected him of killing Pruitt, although he didn’t seem to have any evidence, and had only asked vague questions.

  Green wondered how it would all end. Could he bring Lawrence Reed and Gerald Perozzi to justice? How would it happen? Besides owning the presidency, they owned the media, so how would he be able to get the evidence out to the world. The Heartland of the country was in tatters and they still had to contend with the invading Chinese in California. Would they be able to bring these men to justice and wage war at the same time? Then there was the issue of the Shadow Patriots. They were fighting an invading Jihadist army led by a Saudi Prince and all the while the media portrayed them as murdering rapists that were pillaging the countryside. If the Shadow Patriots didn’t succeed, then the Jihadists were another army with whom the U.S. would have to contend. It boggled Green’s mind thinking about everything he needed to do.

  He then thought about his meeting with John Gibbs. The former FBI agent had been extremely nervous, which seemed quite odd. He said he had found something even bigger than the framing of the President and Vice President. Green figured it had to be the bombings. He wondered what the former Virginia Senator, Abby Seeley, and the State Department official, John Osborne, would say when they heard the recording of O’Connor and Reed.

  He had only met with those two one other time and while he thought they were patriots, he didn’t know how committed they were. He wondered if he should keep the recordings to himself for now. It wasn’t as if they could do anything about it right away, so why show your hand so early. The more he thought about it the more he liked the idea. Green snickered to himself. He really was getting more paranoid, which he thought, was a good thing.

  Chapter 61

  Addison Michigan

  Meeks and Reese were hiding behind a mattress that leaned up against the wall as a cop came down the stairs to the basement.

  “Don’t make me come and get you,” said the cop as he tripped over a box of dishes. The cop fell forward and dropped his flashlight. “Son-of-a-bitch, my flashlight is busted.”

  Meeks heard the cop get up. He reached into his jacket and pulled out his Sig Sauer 9mm. Switching the safety off, he pointed it at the hidden entrance.

  “You sure they’re here,” called out the first cop.

  The second cop started down the stairs. “There’s water splashed on the counter.”

  Meeks cursed to himself.

  “They’ve probably already gone. We’re wasting time here,” said the first cop.

  “Will you just look around already, Jeez Louise. Check that mattress,” said the second cop.

  “My flashlight is busted. Give me some light over here.”

  The second cop lit up the back wall and the mattress. The cop trampled his way over and tried to pull the mattress forward but there was too much junk in front of it.

  “Okay, I’m here and there ain’t no fourteen girls down here. So, can we go now?”

  The small movement of the mattress sent dust down on the occupants and it was making Meeks want to sneeze. He rubbed his nose as he watched the cop’s boot step away.

  Meeks let out a big sneeze when he heard the cops pull out of the driveway. He crawled out but it took a couple of tries before he could stand up. His right leg cramped as he tried to stand. The wound he’d gotten back in South Bend came back to haunt him as he put pressure on the leg.

  “You all right?” asked Reese as she stood up.

  “Just need a second to walk it off,” said Meeks walking around trying not to trip.

  “I thought they had us.”

  “Good thing they thought we had the girls here.”

  “Well, the good news is,” Reese paused, “we can eat in peace now.”

  Meeks let out a laugh. “Yes, we can. Shall we?”

  Reese dug out the can of beans and suggested they go upstairs to find some spoons.

  She guided Meeks out of the cluttered basement and led the way up the stairs. They reached the kitchen where she insisted he sit down. She found some spoons and bowls and served up their meal.

  Meeks got a kick out of Reese. She’d been through hell, but here she was, holding her
own. He had no doubt she would have his back if push came to shove. He knew her motivation was a bit different from his. He only wanted to fight for his country. He didn’t doubt she wanted to do the same thing, but she also wanted revenge. She wanted to kill as many of the bastards as she could. It didn’t bother him. He’d seen her in action and she had never flinched when things got hot. He just hoped, for her sake, it would be enough for her. She carried wounds he would never have to suffer.

  “Your leg feel better?”

  Meeks rubbed the area where he’d caught the bullet. “Much better. It’s still tender so it cramps up easily.”

  “Just as long as you can keep up with me,” smiled Reese.

  Meeks had rarely seen her smile. “I see we’re getting a little cocky.”

  “I don’t know about that, I mean you are much older than me, so it’s not much of a comparison.”

  “Oooh okay, pulling out the age card, huh?”

  “I’m just saying,” she said raising her hands.

  “You’re in pretty good shape.”

  “Thank you,” she said, sashaying her shoulders. “Didn’t think you noticed.”

  Meeks let out a chuckle. “Not like that, you dork. I mean stamina…your endurance.”

  “Oh…that,” she said slyly. “Well, besides doing cheerleading, I ran track and cross country back in high school. I still try to keep up with it.”

  “I didn’t know that.”

  “Back in the day, I could do a twelve second, hundred yard dash.”

  Meeks tilted his head back. “That’s impressive.”

  “Not so much anymore, but I can still do an eighteen minute 5k.”

  Meeks now felt better about the times she had surged ahead of him. Like himself, she was an athlete—only he was about thirty years her senior.

  She got up, grabbed the empty bowls, rinsed them off and put them back where she found them. She leaned against the counter after wiping it down. “How come nobody calls you Stephen?”