Firestorm: Walking in the Rain Book 5

by M. C. Allen

  Angel and I had two of the new-to-us vests while Joseph and Jordan had the other two. We were going to be the assault team, and so we were more likely to take fire. My old steel plate armor was with Kofi. He had the M4 with the optic. I traded my little .22 for my Remington 700. Regina had carried the heavy rifle all the way out there for me. Kofi and I had the job of taking out the men on the roof. It would take skill to make those shots, but not because of the distance. My nearest cover was a little over two hundred yards away from the house. I needed to use the subsonic ammunition, and I had to get them both before they could raise the alarm. If the other guards had the opportunity to hole up in the farmhouse, we might not be able to ferret them out without the two women being killed. Without the two captives involved, I would have simply burned the house down with the men inside. It was going to be a tight schedule.

  Joseph was given my .22 pistol and I told him where to set up as the best spot for taking out the sentry silently. Once he radioed that was done, I was going to take out the two gunners on the roof. The most important factor was making sure the replacement sentry opened the back door at the right time. I had observed that when the guard knocked on the door, the three men inside were all standing in the back hallway, waiting to take over. That would be Ashley and Pamela’s only real chance to take them out.

  Joseph needed to become a very small target at that point. Better him than me. The two ladies were going to take their shots from a relatively close thirty yards, and Joseph would be near the open door when they did.

  I hated to overcomplicate the operation, but the body armor, machine guns, and captives made it almost impossible to control every aspect of the plan. That’s why I had Jordan and Alex as extra players in the front and the back. Dale and Regina had my other radio, so they could help out if it came down to it.

  When we went over the plan, there were questions. Mainly clarifications on minor points, but important to the overall chance of success. Success was measured by all bad guys dead and all of us uninjured. The two women were wild cards. They may be a source of important information, or they may be so damaged that they would need constant watching. That was something we could deal with tomorrow morning. Right now, we needed to move to our primary location before splitting up into our three groups.

  Dale and Regina were unhappy to be playing a secondary role, until I explained they may be responsible for saving our lives. That placated them for the moment. I really wanted to keep Regina out of the fray, and Dale could serve as her babysitter while Kofi was helping me.

  “From this point on, we are moving silently. Keep the pace slow and watch every step you take. I’m confident that the sentries don’t really leave the farm, but we don’t know who else may be moving in these woods.” I got nods all around and one last radio check.

  We spent the rest of the day moving into our position south of the farm. At sunset, we split into our teams and crept to our designated spots. When Joseph finally got his team in position, he clicked the radio three times. When I was situated, I clicked the radio four times. Regina responded with one click. Two clicks meant open fire.

  I took out the thermal sight, used it to look around, and I soon found the sentry. He was still walking his normal route. They needed to mix things up. It looked like the same two guys walked the perimeter, and the same four guys sat on the machine gun points. That had to be boring. Oh well, that was going to change shortly.

  I watched for Joseph’s people, but they were far enough back that I didn’t pick up their heat signatures. Now we had to wait. It was almost midnight, and there would be a change of guards then. The next shift change would take place at four. That would be a good time to hit them, but I was the only one with the ability to take decent shots in the dark. Our execution time would be around eight in the morning. If my whole team had night vision equipment, we could clear them out during the night. We didn’t, so we waited for the sun. Joseph needed to take out his sentry when he was at the back of the building, heading in to change the guards. When Joseph clicked twice, I would hit the two targets in the positions in front.

  I took the time and built a shooting position. The angle was awkward, and I felt my neck and upper back trying to cramp from the odd angle. I had to shoot uphill from my spot so I adjusted the bipod accordingly. I needed to fire on the left gunner, operate the bolt, track to the right, and engage the man to the right. I was left handed, so I could operate the bolt quickly without having to remove my finger from the trigger area. I wasn’t the fastest shooter, but years of competitions had turned the operation into a reflex. The last few months had driven home the importance of good shooting fundamentals. Now I just needed to relax and wait.

  Great. I needed to pee.

  CHAPTER

  FOURTEEN

  When I heard the radio click twice, I didn’t waste any time. I had the rifle lined up on target number one. I thumbed the safety off, released my breath, let the reticle settle with the crosshairs between the eyes, and gently squeezed the trigger. The quiet pop was followed by a shower of red through my scope as the man fell back against his sandbagged perch. I cycled the bolt and moved to the right. Target number two turned his head to the left and looked at his buddy. I didn’t bother to pause and let him look my way. My second shot penetrated his helmet and knocked him against the sandbags just like his buddy.

  I opened the action, added two rounds, one for the internal magazine and another directly in the chamber. I pushed the spare rounds down with my right index finger and pushed the bolt back to the closed position. I was back on the scope and scanning for targets within only a few seconds from the time the second gunner had died. The two bodies on the roof didn’t move. I waited for Joseph and his team to finish the job, but I used the time to scan the front windows of the house and looked for movement from inside. The place had gone dark after the last guard shift. It was light enough that they didn’t need to waste a candle to get dressed. Come out and play, you pieces of garbage.

  I heard knocking from the back. Joseph was about to get them to open the back door. I heard a yell and two loud shots, followed by a painful bellow. There was a final pitiful cry, but after that, nothing. Joseph’s call over the radio broke the silence.

  “We have all targets to the rear down.”

  I replied, “Two targets on the roof are down. Are we clear?”

  “I’m taking Ashley and Pamela with me to clear the house. Those women in there might not want to see any guys just yet.”

  “Understood. We will hang out here, but we will re-deploy facing the road to the north in case we get company.”

  “That’s a good idea. Regina, is everything fine with you and Dale?”

  It was nice that Joseph was looking out for her and Dale. If something happened to me, I knew he would try to keep my kids safe.

  “We’re fine. Do you need us to help, or stay here?” Regina inquired.

  I responded, “You are in a good spot there. Just hang tight while we make sure we got everyone.” She agreed and went back to scanning the area. Good kid. I hope she doesn’t turn into a petulant teenager in two years.

  It took a while, but the area was eventually deemed “clear” by Joseph’s team. I scanned the distance with the scope, but I never saw any movement. This was a good spot to watch the road coming in. It was exposed to the sun, but a little digging and an overhead cover would make this an excellent position for engaging incoming traffic at long range. Once we finished a survey of the area, we might be able to use this as a more secure location for the campers. We needed to see what the water situation was here before we moved everyone.

  The trucks and the military vehicle offered us an opportunity to become more mobile. We were miles from Interstate 20, but there was no way I was going to use that. I needed some better maps for this area that showed all of the little dirt roads. I might be able to just drive back to the campground faster, but we needed to clear each path before we could do that. The threat of ambush was a constant worr
y now that law and order had dissolved into pitched battles over dwindling resources. That meant doing it the slow way; patrolling on foot and looking for other people. Other people were always dangerous.

  “David, can you come in here please?” Joseph called me over the radio.

  “Sure thing, boss. I’ll be right there. Do you want me to use the front door or the back door?”

  “Use the back door, the front is barricaded.”

  “Coming in now.” I turned to Kofi. “You have this post. Switch out with Angel if you get tired. It’s time for him to start pulling his weight around here. Alex, please keep them out of trouble.” That got a sigh from Alex and a chuckle from Angel.

  I crawled away from our hide until I could stand up and not give away where I had left my team. Walking around the house, I noticed that the grass was getting out of control and there was old trash scatted around. We needed to get the area cleaned up if we were going to stay there. The outbuildings had been searched by Joseph’s team. They didn’t mention what they found in there, but I hoped any bodies or parts had been buried by the newcomers.

  I took the steps up onto the small back porch and entered the house. There were three blood streaks out the back door and traces in the grass and leaves. They had already taken these guys out of the house, but I could smell the urine and feces odor that came with death. Who would volunteer to go up on the roof? I wondered if I should call “not it” before it was mentioned. That rooftop position was too exposed. If nothing else, we’d have some more body armor to pass around.

  Ooh, we get two more 240s!

  “David, we are in the front living room,” Joseph called quietly. I had no idea what I was walking into, so I went slow and tried not to let my boots make noise as I moved down the hallway. The scene in the living room was almost normal except for the body armor and rifles. Ashley and Pam were sitting in chairs on either side of a couch that currently had two very dirty and beaten women sitting on it. They looked freaked out so I kept my distance. I knew I looked a little crazy with the beard and long hair. How did Joseph keep his face clear of facial hair and his hair shorn? I’d have to ask him. Joseph was also keeping his distance, but his voice was soothing.

  “Ladies, this is David Metcalf, our leader.”

  Whoa, hold on! When was I elected?

  I responded calmly though, not wanting to scare the ladies. “I’m only the leader of the security forces, Joseph is the leader of the campers and his immediate guard forces. Did you have any problems at the back door?” Joseph shook his head then remembered to return my silenced pistol.

  “It went down as planned. The .22 took a few shots to get him to stop, but by that time Ashley and Pam had taken the other two down.” Joseph nodded to his two shooters then continued with his original line of conversation. He knew I had tried to change the subject. Wiley old fox. “Don’t be modest David. We decided while you were ‘out hunting,’ you are the logical leader for this bunch. I’m older, but you clearly have the necessary skills to lead. I’ll be your lieutenant, and Barbara will be the mayor of our little town.”

  “What will we call our little town we are creating? I know—Barbara’s Town! That way she can’t get out of it. You will be the sheriff of the county. I’ll go back to teaching school.”

  Joseph looked at me a little shocked. “You really were a teacher before?”

  “Yup, I even have the ulcers from grading the papers to prove it. I was a soldier before that, and before that, I grew up on a farm. If anything, can I get a plot of land and set up operations? We will need seed, tractors, fuel, and livestock to get it up and running. Unfortunately, we have none of these right now.” I smiled at the thought. A farm for me to run and no more killing.

  “I thought the kids were pulling my leg. Kofi said you were his teacher, and I just thought you taught him how to shoot and survive.” He chuckled and got back on topic. Joseph gestured toward the newly freed captives.

  “These two ladies were being held against their will and mistreated. They may have some useful information about these jokers. They have agreed to stay and join our little band of merry folk.” Joseph smiled gently at the ladies.

  They looked at me then at Joseph, and the younger one with blond hair spoke first faintly. “So which one of you do I have to service?” Not what I was expecting at all. I sat in an empty chair next to Joseph. I was the first to respond to that inquiry.

  “Neither. We don’t force women to do things. Pam and Ashley can confirm this. If you need to talk to someone who understands, I can call in Alexsandra. She has known me for a while, and she has experiences similar to yours. We are not the same as these animals we killed here today. I can guarantee you that none of my people will mistreat you.” I looked to the older dark skinned lady. “Whatever may have happened to you in the past, you now have a chance to control your fate. We fight and we don’t take advantage of each other. What you see here is just a small part of our group. When you are ready, I would like for you to meet the rest of the family.”

  The older woman finally responded. “How do we know you are not just leading us on so you can do the same to us like these assholes did?”

  I responded, “You need to meet my kids.” I keyed the radio and made a call. “Regina, could you bring Dale, Kofi, and Alex into the farmhouse. Use the back door. We are sitting in the living room. Just leave your radio with Angel. He can watch the road.” I looked to Joseph, “How about Jordan? You think they are ready to meet him?”

  “Sure, I’ll go get him. Pam, Ashley, it’s about to get crowded in here, do you want to come with me to check those trucks out front?” They nodded and agreed. They were already outside looking for keys when my “family” traipsed in with Jordan in tow.

  The two ladies looked at the kids with wide eyes. I introduced them as my children, but pointed out that Jordan was Joseph’s child. Regina went and sat in the chair vacated by Ashley, and Dale sat in the other chair next to the couch. Alex sat in a loveseat perpendicular to the ladies. Kofi sat next to me, while Dale and Jordan pulled in some more chairs. The blond woman introduced herself to us as Lisa Rodgers. The dark skinned woman was Danielle Reyes, she added that her mother was Hispanic and her father was black, in case we wondered. I just looked at her and shrugged.

  “We don’t seem to have a problem with that. My mother was Methodist and my dad was Southern Baptist.” I was joking with her, but she must have thought I was serious.

  “You’ll have to excuse Mr. M. He doesn’t always sound this strange.” Kofi explained that my attempts at humor needed to be worked on around normal folks. The kids got my jokes at least. I continued with our introductions.

  “This is everyone except for Angel and the rest of the campers. I really want you to see that we are good people and will not allow you to be harmed. Kids, I want you to tell them our story. Lay it all out for them. We have nothing to hide. Jordan, you can share what you and your dad have seen. Can I stay, or do you want me to leave? I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

  The ladies agreed to let me stay. I had Alex and Kofi take notes. It was good practice. We should all write our stories down. All we had done and observed could be wiped out if we screw up and catch a bullet. I didn’t say that. Not out loud. I let the kids speak for me. Alex left out the things that had happened to her.

  Kofi and Regina talked about how their mother held off a group of thieves with her little revolver, but she was jumped and killed the next day when she tried to get water for her family. Kofi still had her little revolver in his pack. She had left it with him when she left the apartment. Kofi took Regina and escaped. He was following the copy of my map when he found Alex being beaten in the street by a mixed group of men and women. He shot two men who would not back down, and that caused the rest to run off. He didn’t know it was Alexsandra until all of her facial swelling went down. She had lost a molar, and her nose was crooked, but she survived with some scarring that she would carry forever.

  Dale talked ab
out how his mom and dad were both killed in their beds one night. Their food and water was taken, and Dale was left to find the bloody remains in the morning. His screams alerted me to the situation. I followed the bloody prints to the house next door. Dale’s parents were slaughtered by their own neighbor, who had run out of his prescription medication. We found the empty amber bottles in the bathroom. He had been taking antipsychotic drugs, and he flipped out when they had run out. Dale was my first child. Alex, Regina, and Kofi all arrived a few weeks later. Their arrival had given me a purpose … a reason to live.

  They talked about how I went back after we had to flee and brought my own measure of justice, not just for the people who lived and fought for their homes, but for the poor people who had been forced at gunpoint to rush our perimeter.

  Jordan spoke of his father taking him camping near Athens, Texas. They were coming back with their truck and travel trailer when they lost power. They stayed with the truck and slept in the trailer for several days, but eventually started walking. They brought everything they could carry. Luckily, his dad had his pistol. He had to use it in the weeks that followed, and eventually they made their way to the campground where I had met them. They finished up with the action that had taken place that morning. It took a while to get it all out there. Jordan was stunned at the honesty and candor of the kids. Lisa and Danielle were just plain shocked.

  “How many of these men have you all killed?” Lisa was the first to ask.

  I had to do some mental math, then Kofi wrote it all down. We had to add William to the tally. Three plus one plus twelve, and then six here. That makes twenty-two cannibals and generally bad people. I had done better than that in one day when I went “hunting” in the neighborhood.