by Mark Goodwin
Danny couldn’t keep track of time, but it felt as though more than two hours had passed and Gorbold still had not returned. Danny’s mind taunted him. Maybe he has forgotten about me. At least my arms are down, and I’m sitting.
Just then, the door swung open, and Gorbold stepped inside with two guards at his sides. Danny quivered, unready to endure what was coming.
“You’re accustomed to how this works.” Gorbold was drunker than he had been two hours before. “And, if I remember correctly you like to do things the hard way.” Gorbold signaled for the guards to remove Danny’s boots. They did so, then picked up Danny’s chair and sat him in a baby pool filled with water.”
Gorbold pushed a dolly holding two golf cart batteries over by the pool. The two batteries were wired together with two insulated cables hanging off. “Let’s skip the warm up and get right to the fun stuff. I’m sure you’ve seen the signs about not using a hair dryer in the bathtub. I can’t imagine anyone being so stupid, but they saw fit to make signs warning us about it. Of course, that’s not much of an issue these days.” Gorbold laughed. “They never bothered to make signs warning us of EMPs. I would argue that the EMP has killed a considerably higher amount of people than hair dryers in the bathtub. Of course, hindsight is twenty-twenty. Monday morning quarterbacking is elementary in the light of history, but no one ever sees the big one coming.”
Gorbold placed the black cable in the pool. He hadn’t even asked Danny any questions yet. Danny began praying as he was sure he was about to meet his end. “Father God, I pray that you’ll watch over Alisa and the baby. I pray that you’ll make this as painless as possible, and if there is any way that you could spare me from this, I pray that . . .”
Danny’s prayer was interrupted. The door flung open. “Commander. You’re needed upstairs.”
Gorbold spun around. “What is it? I’m in the middle of something. Can’t you see?”
“Yes sir, but.” The guard looked at Danny as if he didn’t want to speak in front of him.
“What is it? Just tell me.”
“Vehicles are coming in from the airport. Our vehicles sir.”
Gorbold still held the red cable. “That’s good news.”
“They’re not responding to radio. If it’s people from the airport compound, they’re not on our side.”
Gorbold seemed to sober up just a bit as he processed what the guard was telling him. “Call all the troops off the front line. Have them pull back and defend the neighborhood. We’ll regroup here around the Regent’s house and worry about retaking the airport once we’ve eliminated the threat against this area.” Gorbold appeared to forget about Danny and the red cable. He let go of it and walked toward the door.
Danny watched as the red cable fell toward the water. Time slowed, to almost a complete stop. His life flashed before his eyes. He recalled moving to Savannah for school. Getting a job at Lilly’s Restaurant where he met Alisa, Steven, and Dana. He saw the moment he had first asked Alisa out, their first kiss, then their wedding day. It was all so vivid. Between the memories, he saw the red cable inching toward the water as if it were suspended, moving ever so slowly. He remembered the day the lights went out, the trip to Nana’s, Alisa being kidnapped, and then rescuing her. Then, he remembered the day he’d found out he was going to be a father. All his hopes and dreams for the baby were caught up in that single fraction of a second as he watched the red cable reach its final destination. It struck the edge of the baby pool and bounced to the floor.
Danny gasped as if he’d been under water for an hour. His eyes were fixed on the cable, laying lifelessly on the floor. It had missed the water by a millimeter. No. That wasn’t true. God had spared him. He’d answered Danny’s prayer. That cable had missed the water by the light years that separate one side of the universe from the other.
Danny heard gunfire upstairs. The fighting grew more and more intense. Unsure if Antoine, Chris, or JC were capable of yelling, Danny hollered for them all. “Help! Down here! We’re in the basement! Help!”
No one responded to his pleas. The exchange of gunfire continued above him for several minutes. Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the shooting ceased. Danny sat in the dark, still secured to the makeshift electric chair, wondering which side had prevailed. He could hear footsteps above him, some shouting, and people being pushed around.
The door of the interrogation room had been left open by Gorbold in his haste. Danny called out. “Antoine, Chris, can you hear me?”
“I’m still here Danny.” Antoine’s voice sounded tired.
Danny heard the door open at the top of the stairs. He heard feet bounding down the stairs and saw the light from flashlights. Then, a man called out.
“Big T! What you doin’ down here, man?” It was Sly’s voice.
“Never mind what I’m doing. Just get me down. Danny is in the other room. Get him free.”
Javier and Friendly walked into the interrogation room.
“Be careful. That red cable is hot.” Danny nodded toward the dolly with the batteries.
Friendly pushed the dolly away. “I got it.”
“You guys look like you had a rough time.” Javier cut the zip ties and duct tape restraining Danny.
“Thank you.” Danny was relieved to be out of the chair and away from the batteries.
“I’m glad you guys are alive.” Javier patted Danny on the back.
Danny put his boots back on. “We’ve got to get JC and Chris down from the wall and get ready to defend this place. Gorbold already put in the call for all of his remaining forces to consolidate back at the peninsula.”
“We’ve got Gorbold. I have a feeling he’ll call the dogs off.” Javier winked.
“Is Schlusser still alive?” Danny unhooked the chain suspending JC’s arms.
“Nope, he’s upstairs. He had his own doctor, but I guess he couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back together. He must have gotten shot earlier, but I think Gorbold was telling everyone he was still alive so there wouldn’t be a power struggle until he’d put down the assault.” Javier lowered Chris down.
Danny pulled the pin from the old fashioned wrist irons and removed them from JC’s hands. “Hey, buddy. Can you walk?” Danny knew it was a dumb question, but he had to ask. “No? Okay. I’m going to carry you.”
JC’s dehydrated and emaciated body weighed less than 130 pounds. Danny was able to hoist him over his shoulder and carry him up the stairs. He took him to the great room and laid him on the sectional. “I’ll get you some water.”
Danny rushed to the kitchen, being careful of the slippery floor, and retrieved some water from the fridge. The generator had been silenced for hours, but the water in the pitcher was still cold. Danny retrieved a clean cup from inside the cupboard and brought the entire pitcher with him. He poured the water and held it to JC’s lips.
JC sat up and sipped the water. Immediately, he seemed to revive. Danny held the vessel and let JC slowly finish the entire glass. “Is that better?”
Friendly, Javier, and Sly helped Chris and Antoine to the sitting area in the great room.
JC turned his head. “Jaaaacka.” His voice was muted.
Chris looked at his father and reached with his battered hand to touch JC. “No, dad. It’s me. Chris.”
“Hmmmm.” The twisted lines of agony on JC’s face softened.
“Can you drink some more water?” Danny refilled the cup.
JC drank it. His eyes looked into Danny’s eyes. He was still with them physically and mentally. Gorbold had been wrong. He had not completely broken JC. The hardened warrior, who had been tested in the fires of hell, was tougher than Gorbold thought, tougher than anyone thought.
Danny got up from the couch. “Let’s see if we can get Gorbold to make his men surrender.”
Javier led the way out of the room. “We’ve got him hogtied in one of the upstairs bedrooms.”
Danny followed Javier up the staircase. Javier opened the door. Gorbold lay on the floor.
>
“I thought you forgot about me.” Danny kicked Gorbold over onto his back.
“Tell me this whole thing wasn’t over that cockroach spy in the basement.”
“Oh, it started way before that. It started when you sent your filthy goons to a little farm outside of Anderson.” Danny squatted down next to Gorbold.
Gorbold’s eyes were bloodshot from the drinking, but they seemed to become a deeper hue of crimson from the anger boiling in his soul. “You. It was you! You killed my brother! You and that piece of garbage in the basement!” Gorbold banged the back of his head against the floor. “How did I not see that? How did I not know?”
“All you had to do was leave us alone. That’s all I ever wanted.” Danny thought about the pain, the loss, Steven, Nick, Catfish, Korey, and everyone else who would be dead by the time all of this was over. Chris had exacted his pound of flesh by killing Schlusser, now it was Danny’s heart that was infected, tainted by a lust for vengeance. He put his hands around Gorbold’s throat and began to squeeze. He watched as Gorbold squirmed, his face turning red, redder than his eyes, then going pale.
“Danny! What are you doing? We need him!” Javier pulled Danny back.
Danny released his grip and Gorbold coughed and wheezed for air.
Danny shook the demon from his mind. “You need to call off your men. Tell them to surrender.”
Gorbold snorted. “They won’t surrender. This is all they have.”
“Tell them whatever you have to tell them.”
“Why should I?”
“If you do, I’ll make sure you get a fair trial.”
“A fair trial.” Gorbold rolled his eyes. “Indeed. I would have been better off if you had just choked me to death. You were nearly there. Why didn’t you just finish it?”
“Call your men, tell them to lay down their arms, or I’ll put you in a box with the dead regent and bury you alive.” Danny looked the criminal in the eyes.
“You wouldn’t.”
Danny called to Javier. “Have some men start digging a hole.”
Javier picked up the radio. “Sam, can you get a couple of your guys to start digging a hole?”
Sam’s voice came back over the radio. “How big?”
Javier’s eyes glared at Gorbold. “Big enough for two.”
“Okay, okay. Give me a radio.” Gorbold relented.
Danny already knew the frequency. He set the channel for Gorbold and held the walkie to his mouth. “If it’s not convincing, you’ll be buried alive with the regent. I’m guessing he’s already cold and hard. It would be a most unpleasant way to spend your final hours on this earth.”
“Or days,” Javier added. “We can make you an air hole with a piece of PVC pipe. You’ll stay alive until you die of dehydration three or four days from now. I would imagine the regent will be smelling really nice by then. And then, there’s the bugs.”
“I said I’d do it! Press the talk key!”
Danny hit the button.
Gorbold swallowed hard. “This is Commander Gorbold. The regent has decided to negotiate a settlement with the assailants. Lay down your arms. Our attackers have promised to let us go free. The regent has another compound near the Ozarks. We will fall back, rebuild, and reorganize. I need all team leaders to acknowledge the command.”
The radio was silent.
Danny pressed his lips together. “Maybe your men have heard too many of your fibs, and they aren’t falling for any more of them.”
“I’ve done what you asked. I told you they wouldn’t surrender.”
“It was a convincing set of lies.” Danny glared at Gorbold. “But, I reserve the right to issue further demands.”
Danny hustled down the stairs to the great room. “We’ve got to get JC and Chris out of here before Gorbold’s men get here. Antoine, do you think you could carry JC back to the staging area?”
“I can. But, I don’t want to leave you. I’ve still got plenty of fight left in me.”
Danny put his hand on the big man’s shoulder. “I’m sure you do. But, getting JC back is what I really need from you.”
“Then I’ll do it,” Antoine said.
Danny looked into Chris’s eyes. He’d been beaten and severely tortured but he was conscious. “Can you get to the river on your own? Antoine can paddle the boat to the other bank. Then, he can go for help to get you the rest of the way back.”
Chris seemed a little confused about where he was. He looked around, then back at Danny. “Yeah. I can walk. Where’s Jack?”
Danny shook his head. “I don’t know. Let’s call him.” He keyed the mic. “Jack, this is Danny. How’s your team?”
Dana’s voice came back over the radio. “Danny, Jack was hit in the knee and the ankle. Once on each leg. Gwen and I had to get him out. We didn’t want to leave you, but they were coming out of every direction.”
“You did the right thing,” Danny replied.
“Thanks. Anyway, we dropped Jack at the medical tent in the staging area, and we’re heading back to you.”
Danny thought quickly. “Have you crossed the river yet?”
“No. We’re getting in the canoe now.”
“Great. Scrap your plans to come back here. I want you to run the ferry line back across the river. Antoine and Chris are coming your way. They’ll have JC with them. He’s alive, but in really bad shape. Wait for them on this side of the river, then help them back to the staging area.”
“Roger that,” Dana said.
Danny nodded at his friends. “You guys get going.”
Antoine lifted JC over his shoulder like a stuffed animal he’d won at the fair. “You should come back with us, Danny. You’ve done enough. Javi, and the guys can clean up. You’ve got a baby on the way.”
“I need to see this thing through. I’ll be right behind you.” Danny forced a smile.
“I hope so, Danny Walker. You’re a good man.” Antoine was careful not to bump JC against the door frame as he walked out the door with Chris.
Friendly walked into the room with two other men from the airport work crew. He held up an AK-47. “Danny, did you lose something?”
“Yeah, thanks.” Danny felt a sense of comfort at being reunited with his battle rifle. Javier, and the others had collected hundreds of AR-15s, M1-As, and AK-47s, but this rifle was his. He knew exactly how much slack was in the trigger, the precise amount of pressure to operate the magazine release switch, and just where the butt should set against his shoulder for that perfect shot. He glanced up at Friendly. “Did you happen to see a tactical vest with some magazines?”
“Check in the master bedroom. That’s where I found your rifle. It’s down the hall from the dining room.”
Danny made his way past the dead bodies of Gorbold’s men laying all over and to the large bedroom on the first floor. A man with an AR-15 stood guarding four young women who were sitting against the wall. Danny looked at the man. “Schlusser is dead. I doubt they’ll be much of a problem.”
“Javi told me to watch them.” The man shrugged.
“Better safe than sorry.” As Danny looked around the room, he suddenly realized this had been the bedroom of the feared Regent Schlusser. In the end, he was just some dirty old man, simple, frail, and very mortal. Danny saw his tactical vest in the corner near the bathroom. He suddenly snapped back to reality. He put his vest on and looked at the man guarding the women. “I won’t override Javi’s orders, but when the fireworks start, those girls will be the least of your concern.”
The man seemed to realize that Danny was a leader of sorts. “Yes, sir.”
Danny set the frequency to Parnell’s channel. “Sheriff, the main enemy force is pulling back and coming toward us. Don’t let them get away from you.”
“Son, you know me better than that. There ain’t all that many of them anyhow. If they get to you before I do, just hold them off for a while. I’ll be along directly.”
“Roger.” Danny switched back to the Pickens frequency.
Lucas’ voice came back over the radio. “Ben’s gone, Danny.”
A sudden sense of loss and sorrow hit Danny. This time, he could not suppress the tears. They streamed down his cheeks. He wiped his face and looked toward Heaven. He whispered, “God help me! I don’t know how much more death I can take.”
Lucas said, “I’ve got twelve men with me. We’re all that’s left. We’re heading to you now. How many men do you have?”
“Twenty in the house. Maybe another forty outside.” Danny took a deep breath and prepared for the final assault. “None of them are trained. They have no unit organization.”
“Get them all in one place and split them into three groups. You’ll take a team and defend the house. I’ll take a team, which will be the primary ambush team hiding in the bushes when the enemy hits the house. I’ll give the other group to Mason. He’ll lead the secondary ambush team, which will flank the enemy while they are trying to reposition to defend against my ambush.”
“Got it.” Danny ran to the great room. “Javi, Sly, Friendly, listen up. We’ve only got a few minutes to get this plan into play.” Danny gave them the gist of Lucas’ plan and quickly had to round everyone up for a quick briefing.
When Lucas arrived, the three platoons had already been formed. Lucas and Mason led their men back into cover. Danny split his men up amongst the upstairs bedrooms to give them the best possible vantage point for spotting the approaching enemy. Javier, Sly, Friendly, and Sam were in the upstairs bedroom with Danny.
Danny stared out the window into the darkness. “I wish I still had my night vision scope.”
“Is that what this thing is?” Sly held up Chris’s AR-15. “I can’t figure out how to turn the thing on.”
Danny smiled. “Yep. That’s what it is.” Danny hit the quick release lever on the scope, pulled it off of Chris’s rifle, deployed the backup sights, and passed the AR back to Sly. Unfortunately, Danny’s rifle didn’t have a rail to attach the scope. Nevertheless, it would be a great help. Danny powered on the scope. It was nothing like the PVS-14, but it was better than being blind. He scanned the area, looking for movement, but he didn’t need the scope. He could hear the vehicles speeding toward the house. “Get ready!” Danny raised his rifle. The first vehicle came into sight. “Aim.” Javier, Sly, Friendly, and Sam steadied their weapons. Several more vehicles raced into the driveway. The doors flung open, and men rushed out of the trucks.