by Paul Kirk
“This bear's mine, right?”
“Of course, he is,” she said. “You can do whatever you want with him.” She shouldered his rifle and squatted.
Liam pulled his knife and began skinning the bear—not an easy task for a twelve-year-old. Terry peered over his shoulder throughout the process, making sure he handled the knife comfortably.
Her son had made a good shot on the bear, one through the neck, and the bear had collapsed immediately, bleeding out in a matter of seconds. It was difficult to judge the shooting ability of anyone Liam’s age—they simply didn’t have the experience at handling a weapon. Ammunition was much too precious to waste with practice, so they had developed a system where the novice hunter was always accompanied by a seasoned veteran who flanked the beginner with gun ready in the not uncommon event of the new hunter’s shot missing its target.
Andy joined them around the dead bear, squatting by Liam and tapping him on the shoulder. “Nice shot, Liam. That bear never knew what hit him.”
Andy picked up the bear’s paw, studying the length and sharpness of the claws. “These bears can’t resist that honey.” He referred to the honey pot they had used to lure the bear.
“Can I have the hide, Mom?”
Terry stood and Andy did the same.
“Sure—it’s your kill, Liam. Your bear. You can do whatever you want with it.
“Okay. Good. I want to make a cold weather coat. For Daddy. He might need it when he comes home.”
Terry's small steps toward Andy faltered at the comment.
CHAPTER 3.5-Jimmy’s got something
“Ma’am, Jimmy found something else on Connor MacMillen.”
“What’s that, major?”
“He might have a reason why he's traveling back to Pittsburgh.”
“Well, spit it out, major.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
CHAPTER 3.6-Cody
Connor was running overwatch for Amanda and Marty when he heard the soft sound. It was a subtle sound, almost lost in the mid-morning forest, until he realized the noise was a human voice. By best guess, they’d progressed about twenty miles east of the collapsing farmhouse since yesterday afternoon. They were making good time. That is, after Amanda’s most recent revelation prompted Connor’s sudden need for some solitude. He did most of his best thinking alone.
“What the fuck?” whispered Connor. He heard the same sound once again.
The past four hours shadowing I-80 toward Toledo had gone without incident and Connor had settled into a contemplative mood. Stumbling over a small root, he admitted to himself that he was feeling rather strange, an uncommon experience. He felt unready, unsure about the prospects of bringing a new child into this sad, collapsed world.
“What the hell is that?” he said under his breath.
Tensing, he heard another small groan to his right, combat training overtaking all idle thoughts. Shifting to full stealth reconnaissance mode, he slipped ten feet behind a small man expertly hidden in the brush next to a large elm. From his vantage point, Connor studied the man who was pointing a scoped hunting rifle at a gray-blue house forty yards in the distance. At times, the man’s body twitched and there was another groan.
It was a shock to hear the frustration in the soft moan. It made for a surprising change in forest dynamics. He crept upon the man and wedged the deck sweeper against the back of his head, pushing him into the loamy soil.
“You move, you’re dead. Got it?”
“Huh? Yeah.”
The force of the shotgun lessened.
“What the hell? Crap! What the hell you doing, kid?”
Connor flipped the boy face up in position beneath him. The boy stared, wide-eyed, trying to move his mouth to speak.
“My mom… my dad. They took ‘em…they got ‘em.”
Connor considered the young boy. He was no older than eleven, maybe twelve, and he had been scoping the house that was visible across the fencing of an old pigsty. There was definitely activity within the house now. Something was happening. Shouting and obvious signs of elevated violence leaked through the front windows.
"How do you know I'm not with them in there?" asked Connor.
"'Cause, well 'cause you ain't."
“Explain, son…now.”
“They…they come on us. This morning. About two hours ago. There were three of them. They surprised my dad and hit him hard. He was bleeding—”
“How many?”
“Three, like I said, mister. You're not gonna shoot me, are you?”
“What kinda weapons they have?”
“Umm...they all had guns. Two had rifles and one had a shotgun. They didn’t use ‘em. The big guy used a knife.”
“Keep talking. Tell me.”
Connor assessed the boy. He was skinny, but tall. He was big-boned and well fed. The boy had wiry shoulders and sinewy arms that spoke of some hard time spent in the woods. His copper red hair was a long and leafy tangled mess. There were the beginning patches of beard growth. Continuing his assessment, Connor noticed the boy’s cheeks were smeared with dirt and tear streaks. But it was the intense blaze in his brown eyes that caused Connor to decide to help him. He released his grip and slipped comfortably down beside him. For a few seconds, they stared at the house. Connor pulled his binoculars into position.
“They got there about fifteen minutes ago. They said they were gonna…they were gonna…gonna make my daddy watch. They…um...”
“What's your name?” asked Connor, turning toward the boy.
“Cody,” he answered, checking a sudden sob.
“Spit it out, kid. Tell me about it over there. We’re kinda pressed for time.”
“They…they called my mommy a whore.”
“Where the hell were you in all this, Cody? Why’d they let you live?”
“My dad said run. So I ran. He always said if he told me to run I better do it without asking why.”
“Sounds like a smart man, your father.”
“Yeah, and he taught me how to track, too. That’s how I followed them.”
“You know how to fire that weapon?”
“Sure.”
“You ever shoot anybody with it yet?”
“No.”
“Can you do it?”
“I know I can…now. I got five bullets left.”
“Then why you sitting here and not shooting your way into that house to save your mom?”
“Um, my dad told me never to rush into a problem, but try to figure it out first."
"Hmm..."
"He said it’ll keep me alive long enough to have kids of my own if I want to.”
“I’m liking your dad even more.”
A woman’s scream from the farmhouse caught their immediate attention. Cody tensed. “Can you help me mister? Please! I swear I'll do anything if you help me!” The panic in his voice was palpable.
“Shut up and listen, Cody. We’re going in, okay? You and me. But you must follow my orders to the letter. Understood?”
“Sure. Yes!”
“Listen now, you stay about five feet behind me and to my left at all times. Okay?”
“Yeah!”
“When we enter, you shoot anything on the left side of the room that needs shooting okay?”
“Okay!”
“When we breach—I mean, enter the room—you shoot any bad guys on the left side, got it?”
“I got it. I got it!”
“If we go, I’m trusting you to do your part. Can I count on you?”
“Yeah, you can!”
“Good. Name’s Connor Mac. Once we’re inside, if you need help, you yell my name.”
“Yes, Mr. Connor Mac.”
“Good. Now, let’s go save your parents.”
CHAPTER 3.7- A Dinner Bell
“Colonel, it’s possible that Connor MacMillen has a place in the mountains southeast of Pittsburgh. It’s something that Jimmy found in the colonel’s old Army recruitment file.”
“Go ahead.”
“Jimmy read the whole file—he had the handwritten file pulled—and there’s a note in the file that says Connor MacMillen’s father left him thirty acres near a place called Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. The file says that it’s close to the intersection of Route 40 and a Dinner Bell of some kind, but the report at that point was illegible.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
“Yes, ma’am. But we could probably find the place. The file stated that Connor MacMillen hoped to retire to that area when he left the army. Called it 'home base.' Also, Jimmy found out the colonel might have two brothers who served.”
“He has two brothers? That might be good news if they're still alive.”
“Jimmy cross-referenced MacMillen and a link to DA Form 1614 to find if he had any relatives serving in the armed forces. He came across two other men who served near the same age and both are from Pittsburgh. It's possible they might be his brothers. He’s pulling the data out of Kojak and should have it within the next few hours if the link holds.”
“Is that it?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“That's a nice job.”
“Thank you, colonel, but I’m merely passing along what Jimmy gave me.”
“Yes...well, tell Jimmy I owe him when I we return. I might even promote him to captain.”
“He’ll be pleased about that, colonel.” The major made his way back to the helicopter.
Colonel Starkes considered the new information, deciding it wouldn’t change her present course of action. They planned to release the bulk of the handwritten notes addressed to Connor MacMillen sometime tomorrow. She hoped that Major O’Malley and Shamus were accurate in their estimation of Connor MacMillen’s potential whereabouts. The two had certainly spent a significant amount of time trying to justify their thoughts to one another, but had ultimately agreed on an area east of Toledo as their projected drop zone. If this plan failed, the new intelligence from Camp David provided her with further reason to set up a net of men southeast of Pittsburgh near this Route 40 and Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. She began to wonder if Connor MacMillen was going home with hopes to see his family.
CHAPTER 3.8-Getting Started
“Cody, slight change of plans. I'm going to grab my friends before we go in. They can back us up.” Connor was a little worried about the prospect of facing three armed men with only a young boy to back him up. More for the boy's safety.
“But—"
“No ‘buts’ Cody. Sit tight—don’t move from this spot no matter what you hear from that house. I’ll only be gone for a few minutes.”
“Okay,” agreed Cody without enthusiasm. The prospect of Connor leaving prompted him to start shaking uncontrollably.
“It’s good to let the fear flow through your body, Cody. Get it out now and, by the time I get back, you’ll be done with it. Maybe you'll be a man, ready to go in and save your parents.” He squeezed the boy’s shoulder and quickly left.
When he caught up with Amanda and Marty, he was pleased to see that they had detected his less than stealthy approach and had taken cover in an easily defended culvert. Connor signaled them with a whistle and approached slowly with his shotgun slung over his shoulder.
“What’s up, Mac?” asked Amanda, sensing Connor’s subtle tension.
“Found a kid in crisis. We have to go help a family in trouble. Kid's wondering how to save his mom and dad from some bad guys. Three unknowns took the parents. Full combat prep. Let’s move.”
“It’s about time some shit got started. I was beginning to think this trip was too damn easy,” said Marty.
CHAPTER 3.9-Terry
“Let me help you with that, Liam,” said Andy MacMillen.
“I can do it, uncle.”
“No doubt about it. Just figured you might want some help cleaning and gutting him, seeing as I’d like to eat dinner sometime today."
Liam had stripped the black bear for travel, but grinned at the jab toward his proficiency and felt a confusing surge of affection for his uncle. He loved Uncle Andy. And over the past five years, he’d loved him almost as much as he loved his father.
“Andy, give ‘em a break,” said Terry.
She swatted Andy’s arm before he dodged out of the way. Noticing the playful way they moved together, Liam’s mood turned serious. His mother’s affectionate behavior toward Andy was becoming much more commonplace as the summer passed and he did not like the change. Not at all. He stopped short and raised the skinning knife.
“Okay, Uncle Andy! Show me how to gut a bear one more time…”
Terry and Andy both smiled at Liam, until they noticed his angry expression. Intuitively, each took a half step away from the other sensing the change in mood. Andy squatted again near Liam.
“Alright, Liam. Remember that cutting gently simply wastes time at this point. That bearskin’s tough. See? Slice in and cut. No playing around.”
Andy dressed the bear with expert efficiency and they readied it for transport on the thick plastic brought for that purpose. Fully dressed, the bear was still heavy and prepping himself for the haul, Andy stood. He reached to grab the thick rope before Liam snatched it from his hand.
“I’ll do it. It’s gonna be my skin, my coat. For my daddy. I’ll carry it.”
Liam pulled hard, straining with the effort in dragging the carcass through the woods. Determined, he set pace to traverse at least a quarter mile of rocky terrain before they reached the mountain cottage. Doggedly, he dragged the bear atop the plastic sheeting, not slowing down for the first hundred yards. When Terry and Andy offered assistance, they were rejected until Andy intervened by grabbing the rope.
“Liam? You and me, we need to take a piss.”
Surprised, Liam stared, awash in his own anger.
“I don’t have to go!”
“Boy, you’re taking a pee break with me if I have to drag your skinny ass over to that tree and rip your pants off.”
Andy loomed large before him and Liam felt the determined power in his uncle's voice, before deciding he would go, simply for the rest the opportunity provided. Nearly spent, he was glad for the brief respite. Together, they strolled a small ways from Terry and slid behind a stand of Douglas pines. With little fanfare, Andy unzipped and urinated and Liam did the same, though his need was much less. Done, they zipped and Liam turned back.
“Hold on a sec, Liam. You and me, we need to talk.”
“What?”
“Listen. I've not seen my big brother in five years.”
“Yeah? So?”
“It’s been ‘bout the same since you seen your daddy.”
“He’ll be back. He said so.”
“That right?”
“Yep.”
“You do know I miss him as much as you do, right?”
“Yeah…sure.”
“But, Liam, listen, five years is a long time, alright? Might be time to start moving on, ‘kay? Tough as it might be, in this day and age, it’d be what your daddy would want.”
“My Daddy’s alive.”
“Hmm…well, knowing Mac like I do, you might be right about that. But, like I said, maybe now, we need to be thinking that he might not be making it back from Australia to this here little place in the mountains anytime in the near future, you know?”
Liam stared toward the bear, until his mother’s movement caught his attention. Today, he thought she looked especially pretty. And for the first time, he noticed her straight blonde hair was newly trimmed at the edges and that she seemed somehow younger in the slim green tank top and faded jeans she wore. Impulsively, he put his confused thoughts into words.
“You …you want my Mom?”
“Liam, I never treated you like a child and I’m not gonna start now.”
At that moment, it was Andy’s turn to study Terry MacMillen and his green eyes took on a gentle longing that Liam easily interpreted.
“So, answer my question Uncle Andy.”
Liam studied his favorite uncle. The man was st
rong, big, and wide. Not tall, but maybe an inch or so taller than he remembered his Daddy. Maybe twenty pounds heavier.
“I asked if you want my Mom?”
Andy sighed, frustrated with how the Sickness had complicated life. He gave his nephew another once-over, proud of the man he was becoming. “Liam...yeah, I guess I want your mom—if she’ll have me.”
CHAPTER 3.10-Questioning the Assault
Connor slid down next to the boy who had heard his approach since Connor had sacrificed stealth for speed. Amanda and Marty took cover positions on either side of Connor and Cody. The boy stared at each and they smiled and nodded at him in greeting.
“Cody?” asked Connor. “What’s the status, son?”
“My mom just swore. Loud. She said she’d—”
“C’mon, Cody. What’d she say?”
“She said she’d bite it off...if he came any closer.”
“That just happen before we showed up?”
“Please, Mister Connor Mac!”
“Did it just happen, Cody?”
“Yeah. I heard my daddy yelling before, but I haven’t heard him for a while.”
“Cody, these are my friends. This is Amanda. She’s gonna stay out here and provide cover fire for us. She is unquestionably one of the best shots there is—”
“Hi, Cody,” said Amanda.
“And that’s Marty. He’ll be coming in with us. He claims he can shoot pretty well, too.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mac,” said Marty. “Hi, kid. Mac, you plan on bringing this kid in on the assault?”
“I’d say he’s motivated and has a vested interest in the outcome.”
“He’s just a kid, Mac.”
“Well, his father’s trained him to be a soldier. The way I figure it, he’ll act like one. He’ll follow orders.”