“No, he can stand trial with the rest of them or they can do whatever they want with him, but I’m not going to do it. I should, but he didn’t fire on us or try, at least not yet. Rules of engagement in a sense, a twisted sense though. I did talk to him for a few minutes though.
“The kid basically told me to screw off. He told me they were the new government in the area and they applied new laws to the area. That’s about all he said. Kept repeating it over and over along with saying how we were going to get what we had coming to us. Not a very smart kid either. No understanding of what the law really is.
“Let’s go, we’ve got to be in place very soon.” They made their way back to the northeast corner of the airport where they had been before. It was completely dark out now. They got busy getting ready. This would be more interesting than just watching what was going on.
The crowd at the airport gate had grown to almost 80 people now. They were still demanding to talk to the militia leader. They were still calling them names and such. Someone dragged over a barrel and lit a fire in it. The militia had called in half of their patrol units and everyone in the airport compound was on alert and ready.
* * *
David and everyone had started packing up their gear slowly. They tried talking to the militia, but the responses were short and rude. Randy came from the Tahoe, “Hey Uncle David, the Tahoe has a flat. Can you help me change it?”
“Ya, give me a minute. Mom, Dad, you guys wait in the Cherokee where it’s warm. Dawn, pull it up next to the Tahoe so we can change the tire. I need the jack and lug wrench out of the Cherokee.”
“Randy, can you get under there and get that spare loose?” Randy laid down and worked on the tire. Off in the distance, they heard a series of small explosions. Randy sat up. The militia sent one of the trucks down the street to check it out.
One of the two remaining guys yelled at Randy, “Get the damn tire changed already.” Randy got back under and worked on getting the tire down.
Rich got out of the Cherokee. The militia man asked him, “Where you going?”
“I have to pee. Can’t I go pee?” Rich answered.
The guy told him, “No, you can hold it.”
Rich looked at him, “I can’t hold it. I’m 75 years old.”
“Piss your pants then, old man,” the guy replied. “We ain’t letting you piss all over the place.”
Dawn got out now. “Let the man go the bathroom for God’s sake.”
“Shut up bitch.”
“Don’t call me a bitch.”
The guy lowered his rifle and flipped her off. “Screw you bitch.”
Dawn said, “All he wants to do is go to the bathroom, ok? What if I take a bucket out for him?”
“I don’t give a shit. Like I said, let him piss his pants. Should have put on some Depends, old man.”
Dawn called him an asshole. The guy by their truck called him, “Hey, we got a big problem, we have to go.”
“Rich, as soon as they leave you can go.” The militia man walked up and slapped Dawn.
Rich bent down a bit and said, “Don’t hurt us.” Dawn cowered down and covered her head.
“You start to listen to us from now on you stupid bitch.”
“Leave me alone you bastard.” The other militia man started walking toward them. The guy called Dawn a bitch again and raised his hand to hit her again.
David squeezed the trigger five times, hitting the man three times. Randy fired his shotgun once at the second man, pumped it and then fired again. David walked up and checked the guy; he wasn’t dead, but just lying there. He kicked away his rifle and grabbed his pistol from his belt. Randy yelled over that the second guy was dead. “Uncle Roger was right. Buckshot is good stuff.”
They grabbed all of the gear that they could and tossed it into the vehicles. Randy grabbed a can of compressed air and filled the Tahoe’s tire. He walked over to the militia vehicle and using a knife flattened all four tires. They took whatever was in the truck and put it in their own. They took off as soon as they could. They left the injured man just lying there.
The second truck came speeding down the road and saw them pulling away. They tore into the parking lot to check it out. They had had no idea that David had hidden a rifle and a shotgun up under the truck. The flat tire and Rich’s bathroom plea had been a diversion. Of course, Dawn hadn’t expected to get slapped.
The militia grabbed some first aid supplies and tended to their friend. Once they got him bandaged quickly, they put him in the back of the truck. They grabbed the other man’s body and placed it in the back of the truck as well. They sped off heading toward their compound.
David and company made a few turns, waited, and then headed back to the house. This was all that was expected of them. They made it back and put everything away. They turned the radio on and listened. Everything was boiling over right now and it was chaos at the militia compound.
They had forced the group aside and opened the gate for the patrol truck to enter with the injured man. They rushed him into the admin building, where a nurse from the militia was working on him. At this same time, the crowd outside was yelling that they wanted to talk to the militia leader. They were not leaving until that happened.
One of the militia came out and asked them what they wanted. Rob told him, “We want our food and stuff back. You guys don’t have the right to keep it. You didn’t have the right to take it.” The man from the militia told him to take it easy, disperse the crowd, and then he would get the commander and they could talk.
“What do you mean get the commander, who the hell are you? I know you from somewhere. You work at the sheriff’s office. Is he in charge?”
“The sheriff is the commander. We are under rule of militia law now.” The crowd was yelling at them loudly now. More of the militia came around by the gate. They now had a few guys patrolling up and down the fence line continuously.
Someone ran inside and spoke to the commander. The commander came out and walked behind a barrier. “What do you people want?”
Rob replied, “We want what’s ours. What you took from us, what you stole from the community. That’s what we want.”
The commander responded, “You got it all wrong.”
“Then explain it to us,” yelled Rob.
“We are under militia law now. Everything was commandeered for the good of the community. You’ll be able to buy food and supplies in a couple of days.”
Rob yelled again, “Why the hell should we buy what belonged to us in the first place?”
The commander tried to explain. “Things are different and we need to maintain order. That’s why we are in charge.”
Some in the crowd hollered out, “Who the hell put you in charge?” The commander didn’t answer.
“I was the sheriff and now I am the commander of the militia. We are doing what is best for us. If you listen to us and follow our law you will be fine. Now disperse and go home and wait for notice.”
A woman asked him, “You mean what’s best for you or what’s best for all of us?”
Someone in the crowd threw some rocks at the militia. The commander ordered them to leave. The crowd threw some more rocks. Two members of the militia approached the gate with what looked like flame throwers, but they were not flame throwers. They sprayed the crowd with pepper spray from these tanks.
Some of the crowd started running away. A lot of the people were, coughing and tears and snot were running down their faces. The commander ordered them to disperse once again. They crossed the street but were still yelling. People continued to throw rocks, bottles, or whatever they could find. Someone threw a Molotov cocktail.
The militia fired toward the crowd to scare them. One man went down and others helped him up. He had been hit in the leg by accident. The crowd started running away now through the houses across the street and down back toward the feed store. The militia fired only sporadically.
Blake fired first. The round arced over toward the crowd
and exploded in the air, lighting up the scene. It was a simple fireworks cartridge from the 37mm. The militia had been caught off guard. Everyone looked up. Haliday squeezed the trigger on his M24 and dropped the commander. The shot tore through his upper shoulder near his neck. They grabbed him and rushed him into the command center.
The militia didn’t know whether or not to fire on the crowd. Some of the crowd ran and some lay down on the ground. Haliday placed his next shot into the open hangar where they were working on the planes. He fired a shot into what looked like a small fuel caddy and it started to leak. He fired just one more shot into it.
He handed the rifle to Blake and told him to put it away. Blake stuffed it in the case and used some bungee cords to secure it to Haliday’s bike. He wrapped a couple quick pieces of hundred mile and hour tape on it. This rifle was too important to lose. Blake grabbed his AR and fired at the compound and kept an eye out for patrols.
The militia sent a couple guys to the fence line closest to Haliday and Blake. They fired a few shots at them. Haliday and Blake returned fire. Blake emptied a magazine and loaded another into the rifle. Haliday crawled over to a tree and rose up behind it. He aimed the 37mm and launched a flare toward the hangar.
The flare fell short. Haliday loaded another one and fired again at the hangar. This one hit the tarmac in front of the hangar and bounced in. Someone came running out. Haliday watched as a group of guys ran toward the motor pool hangar. Haliday loaded one more cartridge into the launcher and fired it toward the hangar. Blake continued to fire at the men near the fence line; he had gone through three magazines and just loaded his fourth.
The fireworks cartridge landed near the open door of the hangar and exploded sending colorful sparks everywhere. One landed in the puddle of fuel and sent up a wall flames. A couple guys grabbed some small extinguishers and tried to put it out. The flames grew in size. Haliday was disappointed there was no explosion. “A little 4th of July celebration for ya Wright brothers. Fly this.”
“Ok Blake, cover me while I get into the woods.” Haliday crawled about 30 yards into the woods. He took up position and told Blake to low crawl in while he used suppressing fire to cover him. He went through three magazines himself. “Go get ready, Blake.” Blake went a little deeper into the woods. Haliday continued to fire although he wasn’t hitting anything other than the four wheeler. A Jeep came out of the compound and pulled up close to the intersection. They fired blindly into the woods.
Haliday and Blake had a path between the two wooded areas that they were going to use. They crawled their way back there. The Jeep moved up slowly and started heading down the path. Haliday and Blake fired at them. The Jeep backed off. Haliday heard the guys shouting out instructions. “I think it’s a trap,” said one of the guys, “just hold on, it’s coming.”
Back at the airport one of the militia had managed to wheel a large extinguisher to the hangar where she released the chemical into the hangar and on the two piper cubs. Her efforts paid off, the flames were put out. The condition of the planes was unknown, but hopefully they wouldn’t fly any time soon.
The motor pool hangar door opened and the M113 rolled out. It went out the main gate and made its way toward the wooded area where Haliday and Blake were. The Jeep had backed out of the woods and the guys got out and jumped in the back of the track. They raised the back door ramp and started heading toward Blake and Haliday.
The militia had five people in the track. Two were actually women. Haliday had actually done a good job of ruffling their ranks over the past few days. He hoped that using the women meant that their ranks were not numbered as high as he originally thought. The option was very angry wives out for payback. Still, they had enough to accomplish what they wanted to in the area. His count would later prove to be wrong.
With the promise of food and shelter they would be able to recruit some additional people as well. They had to have been promising the gas station owners something. Why else would they be restricting the gas? Who knew what else they were promising people or would promise them. With the country in the crapper and people getting cold, tired and hungry they’d jump on board in a minute to protect themselves and family.
The store/barter idea would have allowed the militia to selectively recruit people, preferably singles or couples with no kids. As they came in to trade for food and supplies, they could screen everyone. In actuality, it wasn’t a bad idea. That plan may have been disrupted. If they started recruiting, they would win this game.
The track turned its lights on. It moved forward slowly but effortlessly at a walking pace. The path here was wide enough to drive a truck through and fairly level. Just some bushes and undergrowth in most spots. The issue was the trees on both sides. Lot of places for people to hide, but the gun ports on each side provided cover and a sense of safety.
The upper turret was manned with one guy and what looked like a .308 of some sorts. Most likely it was an AR configuration. The track was accompanied by two people bringing up the rear. They were determined to find these guys and even the score. They searched the area thoroughly as they moved along.
The track reached a pinch point in the path where the trees narrowed. This narrow point left barely a few inches on each side of the track. The driver was checking his alignment and let it creep forward. As it crept through the trees two booby trap simulators went off, which startled everyone.
The guys in the rear dove for cover and the guy in the turret ducked down as the driver stopped. They were braced and ready to take fire. The guys in the rear scanned the area and did not see anyone. The turret gunner stood back up, but kept nice and low behind the armored cover.
Overhead there came some light popping sounds. They looked up and didn’t see anything, but felt the fluid dropping all over the track. The gunner and the driver felt themselves getting wet. The driver tried to scramble to get out of the driver’s compartment and knocked the gunner down. The floor had become slippery. In a matter of moments, flares hit the track and ignited it.
The track burst into flames. The driver and gunner were flailing around inside screaming as the flames engulfed them. The people inside the back of the track were trying to get out and couldn’t locate the hatch control. Everything started to ignite inside the track with everyone moving around and spreading the fuel and flames.
The gunner climbed up out of the turret hatch and over the side of the track where he fell to the ground. The driver was rolling around the floor of the track trying to smother the flames, but it was fruitless as there was gas burning on the floor as well. One more person made it through the gunner’s hatch. The driver, a man and a woman didn’t make it out of the track. The flames had licked higher and burst the rest of the balloons that had not popped, dumping more gas on everyone.
Haliday had strung up some balloons filled with air and gas over this area. They were tied up in small bunches with fish hooks taped to the strings supporting them. A couple jerks on the fishing line caused them to burst. The gas dropped and then had he used a flare from the 37mm to ignite it. The rest was the brutal nature of fire and it took its course.
The track had been abandoned now and was completely engulfed in flames. A truck came flying up and two militia tried to help their friends. Three had succumbed to the flames and two were badly burned. Only the two outside the track had avoided the inferno. The militia grabbed the injured and retreated, leaving the track to burn.
Chapter 24
Back near the airport, another alarm had sounded. Every person in the militia group was responding and taking up defensive positions. There was sporadic gunfire as they fired into the woods and surrounding buildings. No one knew what they were firing at. Shadows, light dancing off windows, or just their imaginations.
There were vehicles heading in all directions around the entire perimeter. People were then getting out and either lying prone and watching their area or taking cover behind their vehicles. It was a mix of adults and teens. They all had the same Russian c
amo on too.
The crowd had cleared out and was completely out of sight. More than half had gone home. About a dozen of the remaining members stayed behind by the feed store with Rob. In about 15 minutes Haliday and Blake came up from the other direction on their bikes. They ditched them inside a truck well at the feed store.
Haliday walked up to Rob. “How’d you make out?”
“One guy got hit in the leg and old man Burton got shot in the back while he was running away. He didn’t make it. He owned the Burton tire shop. He didn’t have any family, but we’ll get him taken care of.”
Haliday said, “It ain’t over yet. I guarantee these guys are going to try and remain in charge. That or they are going to come after you.”
They heard a vehicle coming down the street and watched as the truck pulled up to the main gate of the airport. After it entered, the gate stayed open but four people stood there with rifles ready and sweeping the area. Another vehicle came up less than five minutes later. This continued for about another 30 minutes as all of their patrols had made it back to the HQ.
Haliday pulled out his binoculars and looked over at the compound. “Rob, these guys are bunkering down. There isn’t going to be any chance of getting in there any time soon. Blake, take some notes.” Blake went and grabbed the notebook out of the saddle bag and came back.
“I count five quads, four ‘four’ wheelers, three motorcycles, I see 15 trucks or Jeeps, about eight golf carts, the two deuce and halves. They must have fixed the tires on the one. I count over 60 people total. I’ll assume if they have any younger kids other than the teens, they are shielded inside somewhere. I have no idea how many prisoners they have if they are even still alive. Hell, I don’t know how many others may be inside. They hid their numbers rather well. More recon is what I should have done, this sucks. I’m not sure what the hell they have total.
“That means they had a good at least a good 60 to start with if you subtract the 10, or was it 11 or 12 we killed?”
Dark Days Rough Roads dd-1 Page 27